Fighting Chance - bakudeku

i couldn't reach you (1)

chapter one
bakugou focus
TW: adult on minor violence (mostly psychological, light physical), falling overboard
wc: ~1.5k

𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍
𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖
𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉
𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖
𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚
𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒏

      The Mångata stretched across the expanse of the shimmering sea.

     Bakugou Katsuki stood on the deck of the cruise ship, leaning against the safety rail. The moon's elongated reflection looked like a path carved of stardust, floating, shifting, in the black void below him.

     Away from the never-ceasing noise of the cruise ship, he relaxed, facing the cool breeze squarely, smelling salt and water. A door opened and closed behind him. His mother had come out of her small suite. Her blonde hair fell around her shoulders, mingling with the thin silver chains of her dangling earrings – not the ones his father had given her, he noticed, but instead those that were gifted to her by a family "friend", who had also accompanied them on their cruise.

     "Hey, we're going to the bar near the center of our floor," she stated.

     Briefly, it crossed his mind to ask who 'we' was, but in truth, he already knew, and it would only make it worse to hear it out of her mouth. His father was alseep, Katsuki knew, and there was no one else his mother would care to socialize with so late at night but Tatsuyuki Tokoname, her 'childhood friend'. So he didn't look back at her.

     "Fine."

     "Why don't you try to be a little nicer to Tatsuyuki?" It was less of a suggestion and more of a demand to answer for his actions.

     "Why should I?"

     "Why do you hate him so much?"

     Because he wants to take you away from us, you fucking idiot, he thought. But of course, he wouldn't dare say it allowed. It would make it too real, make it a real problem that he and she and his father had to face. So instead he said nothing.

     His mother sighed, relenting. He heard her open the door again, ready to step inside. But she hesitated.

     "He's harmless, Katsuki," she murmured. "You and your father will always be my favorite men on the planet." He could hear the smile in her voice.

     "Prove it."

     A pause.

     "What?" He could hear that anger in her voice, all the fury she held in her tiny body ready to boil over at any given moment. Their tempers were one of the few things they had in common.

     Katsuki turned around, finally facing his mother. They both stood their ground, glaring. She with her hand on the door and he with his back on the rail.

     "Prove you actually still give a fuck. Don't go drinking with that asshole."

     Her eyes sparkled with anger, reflecting the moonlight but not its tranquility. "Are you implying that I'm not being loyal?" Her voice seeped venom, her offense showing in her scowl.

     "I'm not implying anything," Katsuki countered. "I'm making a valid fucking request. If you have any dignity let in you, you old fucking hag, then don't go drinking with that idiot."