❝ 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 . ❞ [ Katsuki Bakugo x reader ]

12

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙻𝚅𝙴,

𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳-𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆.

The steady beeping of a heart rate monitor was the soft sound that greeted you back into conciseness. You were alive. You opened your eyes, seeing the minimal hospital wing of the prison. You breathed deeply, still feeling remnants of pain all throughout your body. Part of you really believed you should not be breathing, but here you were. You felt sore all over, but better than you did last night. Or, at least, you were assuming that was last night.

"Glad to see you're doing better," Someone remarked. You turned your head to see someone standing in the room with you. He did not look like a doctor. He did not look like a human at all. You tried to ask who he was, but all that came out were violent coughs, which rattled your recovering ribcage.

"Well, not dead, rather," He corrected himself, approaching you. "I thought your name sounded familiar. Turns out there was a lot we didn't know about you when you were arrested a few days ago." You looked at him confused. "You've been comatose for three days." His little legs carried him across the room. He climbed up onto a stool near your bed.

"My name is Nezu," He introduced himself. "I'm the principal of UA High. I'm sure you remember your time there. An impeccable student of Class B until you disappeared if I'm not mistaken. It's a pleasure to meet you, (Y/n) (L/n)." You didn't respond. UA High was a sore subject for you. This caused him to clear his throat after a moment of silence.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here, aren't you?" He asked, but once again you did not answer. "You see, I've spoken with the chief prosecutor and she told me the police could only find enough evidence to charge you with the possession of illegal weapons without a permit. This means you'll spend a considerable amount of time in prison, however, that is rather... disappointing."

"The hell are you on about?" You muttered, your voice hoarse and scratchy. You found his demeanor to be somewhat tiresome. The fact that he worked with heroes only made you detest him further.

"UA has developed what we like to call The Outlaw Program," Nezu explained. "We speculate you know the ins and outs of many criminal operations. We speculate you are incredibly skilled in your area of expertise. We also speculate that you would be willing to rehabilitate."

"What are you insinuating?" You asked, sitting upright. "I don't want anything to do with your fucking school." Nezu thought it would be best to ignore your comment and continue with his offer.

"You would make a great ally and we want to help you," Nezu clarified in an attempt to win you over. "One of my best students has personally attested to your character--" You did not let the little mouse finish,

"Katsuki," You interjected in concern, "Is he okay?" Nezu smiled.

"Yes," He stated simply. "Funnily enough, he asked the same about you, which is why I'm making this offer. Come work for us." You looked at him skeptically. 

"No," You answered plainly without a second thought. "As I said, I'd rather rot in a cell than work with heroes... but even if I said yes, what's the catch?"

"No catch," Nezu told you, electing again to ignore your insults. "Of course, you will be on probation, for lack of a better term, and my staff will be keeping a personal eye on you. But, if you were to give us heroes information about the underbelly of this city, I'm sure the charges brought against you can be... overlooked for the sake of national interest. So long as you prove yourself to be a law-abiding citizen going forward."

"Again, not gonna happen," You told him briefly. There was a moment of silence. Upon seeing the painfully determined expression on your face, Nezu realized he could not convince you. He sighed, jumping off the stool he sat in. He frowned and crossed his small arms over his chest.

"If you change your mind, let us know," He said before heading to the door.

"Wait," You called out, grabbing his attention. You sighed, slightly afraid to ask.

"Can I see the kid?" You almost whispered. Nezu smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. You frowned, disappointment evidently written across your face. You leaned back in the bed, resting your head against the wall. He's still not safe at UA.

You were more than relieved that he was okay, but you could not help but wonder for how long. A bittersweet smile played at your lips. You ran your hands over your face, feeling the burning sensation of tears in your eyes. It took a moment to set in, but the overwhelming thankfulness that he was at least somewhat safe rushed over you. Maybe there was a higher power after all.

Suddenly, you heard the sound of the door opening. You quickly looked to the doorway, a concerned boy standing there.

"Kid," You said with a laugh. You held out your arm for him. Bakugo rushed over to you, embracing you as much as he could. You saw that he was genuinely smiling just as you were. You put your hand on his head, ruffling his spiky blond hair.

"I'm so glad you're okay," You told him, tears still in your eyes.

"What happened to you?" Bakugo asked, seeing your battered state.

"It's nothing I can't handle, don't worry," You assured him, your smile remaining present. "When they told me they let you get away, I nearly killed some detective." Bakugo laughed, playfully pushing your hand away from him. However, a frown settled on your face.

"I'm sorry," You nearly stammered, your volume low. "I'm so sorry, kid."

"It's okay," Bakugo told you softly. "You did everything you could. I should probably be thanking you. I-It's my fault you're in here."

"I don't want to hear it," You told him with a smirk, smacking the side of his head. "I'm the one who decided to save your sorry ass in the first place." 

"Yeah, yeah I know," Bakugo sighed, a heavy frown settling on his face as he looked down. "So you're gonna be locked up here for a while, huh?"

"Yeah," You admitted sorrowfully. "But I'm sure they'll let you visit."

"But that means I'd have to come back to this shithole," Bakugo deadpanned. You laughed, nodding your head in agreement. Warm, bright, and with the kid you cared about. Joyfulness surrounded the room in clarity. 

It felt like you were exactly where you needed to be, with soft fabric below you. The sound of your laughter filled the room like a catchy song. You knew it was going to end, but you did not want it to. You kept laughing, for now at least. This cycle of violence appeared to finally be broken, for now at least. For the first time in a long time, you felt happy.

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙴𝙽𝙳.