☠︎︎ FOUR | k. bakugou x reader

22.0

| CHAPTER TWENTY TWO |
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RECOVERY GIRL ATTENDED TO YOUR WOUNDS THOUGH THE SORENESS IN YOUR WRISTS LINGERED. Your sobs had stopped a while back. It wasn't because the hurt had stopped. No, it was still there. Throbbing hard and continuously, like it had a pulse of its own. It was just that you had no more tears left to cry. You let yourself feel the full hurricane of the pain. Remember it, memorize it in your nerves. You'd need to recall it later.

Bakugou was standing in the corner of the room with a hand covering the lower half of his face. His eyes were crazed with murder. Occasionally, he paced back and forth, quite impatiently. Hot red rage was boiling under his skin.

"I'm sorry this happened." The old lady said softly, a hint of sorrow buried deep in her voice.

You only nodded, feeling like a shell of yourself. The pain was the only thing making you feel alive. Was all you really felt. Cause even though Bakugou had arrived before Dabi could cause more pain, the trauma had took its full toll on you.

Hugging yourself, you pulled your knees into your chest to rest your chin on them, still wearing Bakugou's oversized hoodie. It was like a shield, protecting you from the rest of the world. It smelled like him too. Warm and comforting.

"I'm gonna let you be for a while. Let me know if there's anything I can do dearie." Recovery Girl added.

Again, you just nodded silently before she left. Bakugou didn't leave his spot in the corner of the room. He wasn't even sure if you wanted him there so close to you, or any man for that matter. It was too fresh and he understood. But he was too worried to leave. At least not until you asked him to.

Taking a big whiff of his lingering smell on the hoodie, you finally looked over at him. He looked exhausted, frustrated, upset, and most of all angry. "You're just gonna stand there?"

He let his hand slide down his face "You want me to leave?" Please don't ask me to leave, every atom in his body begged.

You shook your head no and a wave of relief washed over him, letting his shoulders fall and muscles to relax. Cause quite honestly, if he left this room, he would kill that bastard and he wasn't sure if that was what you wanted or not.

"But you can sit there." you spoke up again, pointing at the chair next to your bed.

Good, he thought. You were talking again. Since he had brought you to the infirmary the only sounds coming out of you were of your cries and then nothing. Not a single word.

He silently walked over and dropped down on the chair he used to sleep in when you were in a coma. This setting -him on the chair and you in a hospital bed- was way too familiar and he hated that he couldn't protect you, couldn't save you, again. He felt weak. A complete failure.

But now was not the time to drown himself in his own insecurities. Now, he was going to focus on you. Be there for you. Anything you needed.

"I'm gonna kill him." He finally said as he clenched his fists, knuckles going white.

"You won't do such a thing." You said coldly, voice devoid of all emotions, but eyes filled with fire.

He couldn't believe it. After everything Dabi had done you were gonna forgive him? He couldn't let that happen. Not so easily. "wha- are you fucking serious right now? You're gonna defend him?"

"No." you focused on the pain, the one still there, felt it more, memorized it again "I'm gonna kill him myself."

Your determination almost made Bakugou smile as he blurted "That's my girl." under his breath.

"Huh?" you asked.

His eyes went wide. He didn't mean to say that out loud. "W-what?"

"What did you just say? I didn't hear you."

"I said that's good."

"Oh. Yeah." looking down at your open palms, you wiggled your fingers a bit "I need to get strong first though."

"You are strong. As much as I hate to recall it, you did win our match."

"Hmm. No. Stronger."

"Then we'll train."

"Thanks, Bakugou. For everything."

He looked away, trying to hide the blush covering his cheeks "Yeah, whatever."

You reached a hand out and rested it on his arm, prompting him to look back at you. "It's not whatever. Seriously." you kept his eyes "If you hadn't come-"

"Stop that." he covered your hand in his bigger palm "He had no right to do what he did to you. This shouldn't have happened at all. And if I was there earlier, it wouldn't have. And that's on me."

"But-"

"No buts." he brought his hand up hesitantly to cup your cheek, glad when you didn't flinch or pull back. Letting his thumb caress your cheek, he continued "I'm sorry y/n. For all of it. Tell me what you need?"

You closed your eyes and leaned your head into his hand, let yourself focus on the gentle touch of his inured finger as it overpowered the pain, even replacing it, though just for a moment. "Stay?" you asked almost breathlessly.

It was at moments like this that he cursed his inability of calming others like Deku did. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here to listen and do whatever you need me to do. You're not alone anymore."

And you didn't feel alone. He really was there for you. Anytime you needed him.

Your relationship had started with him dragging you to their base against your will, like a prisoner, but now you couldn't imagine not being there. You were grateful to know him, to have him in your life.

In the beginning, every time your heart raced when seeing him, you though it was just your flight or fight response. Your body reacting to the pump of adrenaline rushing through your veins. Always on edge, ready to defend yourself. You didn't trust him one bit.

But slowly he chipped away at your walls, did things no one else ever did. Showed you kindness, gave you comfort, helped you get stronger, protected you, and more than anything, believed in you.

And now, stayed, just as you asked. He let you be in a comfortable silence and provided the warmth his presence radiated. The same warmth that had saved you so many other times too. You felt a flutter in your heart but ignored it for now.

Rape and assault were violent acts. Both to the body and soul of the victim. To their spirit, their sense of self worth. It was an act of power, of cold indifference, a form of pure evil. Dabi was pure evil. There was no doubt about it.

The scratches, the injuries to your flesh, the marks around your wrists, they were all going to heal way before you could heal your mind. Trauma was burdensome that way. But with time, someone to talk to, and Bakugou by your side, you were going to be okay.

You'd make sure of it.

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Work in the darkness to serve the light ⚔️