Black Cats and Wolf Spirits

How To Explain

(Katsuki's POV)

This was the second time in a week that Y/n had been attacked by one of the undead, and I was nearly overwhelmed by guilt. She had been asleep for almost 20 hours, and just that morning I had received a letter to notify me that my home would be inspected on the possibility of harboring a Rogue.

I was harboring something they would be interested in, but it certainly wasn't a Rogue. I was starting to get worried. Once they realized what she had done, they would take her away from me to exploit her powers. They would make her do that to as many Rogues as possible, and after what just one had done to her, they would probably end up killing her.

I sat next to her, stroking her hair, trying to convince myself that things would be okay. I wouldn't only have a week to explain everything- from what she had done to us being mates... Something we couldn't reverse if we wanted to.

She was warmer than she had been when I'd found her, and she looked less exhausted, but she still hadn't woken up. Her rest had been fitful for the first few hours, but she seemed more relaxed now, which comforted me just enough that I wasn't too much on edge.

As long as she was okay, as long as she was mine. As long as they didn't take her away from me. Then everything would be okay.

I felt her stir in her sleep, her hand twitching towards mine. I grabbed her hand, my heartbeat speeding up. Was she going to wake up? I hoped so.

"Kaa... Tsu... Kii..." She spoke in her sleep. She squeezed my hand just enough for me to feel it, and I felt my heart begin to race.

"Wake up... Y/n..." I pressed her knuckles to my lips. I was trembling. I wanted to hate the effect she had on me, but I couldn't.

She let out a sleepy groan and clung to me. "I un wannaaaa..." She whined. I smiled, knowing it was too late for her to go back to sleep.

"Well it's too late for that now, Dumbass." I sat her up in my lap and cupped her cheeks. She slowly opened my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. Mine. She was mine.

She blinked slowly and copied me, placing her hands on my cheeks. I felt my lips twitch up into a smile. "Welcome back, Idiot... I missed you." I admitted. Her face went warm, even though I couldn't see her blush.

"Y-you- did...?" Her voice broke from being unused and she squeaked, trying to hide her face from me. I chuckled and let her hide, my hands slipping down to her arms.

"I did. Don't you forget that, loser." I played with a lock of her hair. I wanted to enjoy myself for a while before I had to tell her the truth... All of it.

She looked up at me, her face doing that thing- the stupid adorable thing that made me blush. I was overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her. But I didn't. It would only make the truth so much harder to say.

"Hey, Dumbass... We have to talk. About yesterday." I watched her small smile fall and felt a twinge of guilt.

"What was that thing, Katsuki..? It... It hurt." She grabbed my shirt, playing with the material in order to distract herself.

"That was a Rogue. It's a spirit who was tortured in their life that turned hostile because of it... It wanted your energy. It steals energy from the creatures in the spirit world. Most people attacked by one don't live to tell the tale... Because it absorbs their... Spirit. Their existence. To be honest, I thought you were going to die when I saw you..."

"But... She said she only wanted my help. So she could be free." Y/n looked up at me, confused. "She said if I gave her the warmth she would be free... She was so sad, Katsuki."

"What...? She...? You understood it- her?!?" Now I was the confused one.

"Yeah. When her... Um... Chained body touched me, I was in this light place and there was a crying woman, and she begged me to give her my warmth so she could be free. I didn't know how but she started to steal it anyways and it was like... Pouring icy water through my veins. Or a cold fog spreading through my skin. And so I tried to give the warmth to her, because it was helping her... And then it felt like a dam broke and all of the... Warmth... Left. And then she faded away. And then everything went dark and I heard you... You sounded scared..."

She clutched my shirt tighter. She looked like she was about to cry again. "I think... By granting the Rogue permission... You gifted it some of your witch energy and it layed her spirit to rest. It... Settled her. I guess. But that's the thing... When you did that... The Rogue's energy disappeared, and now the people in charge are coming looking for you..."

"A-are they going to take me away?!? But I need to see my brother- I- I need to help you!" She cried.

"Shh, I know... I won't let them take you away from me." I tried to gather my courage so I could tell her. She seemed to relax just a little at my words, and suddenly I was terrified of what her reaction to the second truth I had to tell her would be.

She nuzzles my neck. "Good..."

"B-but..." It was too late to turn back now.

"But..?"

"I have something else I have to tell you." I gulped, refusing to look at her. She raised an eyebrow, looking a little worried.

"What is it?"

"Remember how people kept asking if we were mates?" I glanced at her. She blinked slowly.

"Um... Yes...?"

And there it was. I had to tell her now. It was too late to try and change the subject.

"Well... We are. You are... My mate."

End of Chapter.