Don't Be Afraid of Shadows (BakuDeku)

◅ Chapter 13 ▻

'Then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life... You give them a piece of you. They don't ask for it. They do something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore.’
Neil Gaiman

The sky was a vast canvas of unmarred cerulean blue, a gentle cool breeze blowing through the campus interrupting the steady warmth of the first sunshine of spring. 

The first semester away from home had been tougher than Katsuki would ever like to admit; he was finally starting to connect with his parents after everything that had happened, and it stung a little to have to leave such a new and welcome dynamic behind. Now though, Katsuki spoke to at least one of his parents every day - even if it was just a quick text to let them know that, yes, he does wash his bedsheets more than once a month, and no he hasn’t let the squad die of starvation, Yet. As much as he’d like to not cook for the fuckers all the time, he can’t see them starve to death and he kinda, sort-of, enjoys it or whatever. Plus, the whining alone would be too annoying to handle.

Katsuki turned down the next side street, crossing over into the courtyard of the campus proper. He held a bouquet of white carnations and yellow azaleas close to his chest, the green paper wrappings rustling under his palm finished off with a neatly tied blue ribbon. In his other hand he could feel the liquid in the coffee cup he held sloshing slightly with every stride he made back towards his apartment. 

The spring semester was about to begin and students who had returned home for the break were filtering back onto University grounds. Even at the ass crack of dawn, parents were eagerly dropping their kids back on campus, bringing bustling life back to the buildings and shops once more. 

His building was set just back from the central courtyard that housed the student events centre and a variety of shops, bars and cafes. The blonde can’t lie and say he wasn’t thrilled when he bagged one of the few single occupancy apartments this close to the centre of everything, and not far from his friends’ dorms. Shitty Hair had said it was part of the Uni experience to room with someone - all Katsuki heard was ‘with strangers’. The idea of sharing with some extra when he’d spent his whole childhood sharing his space with a supernatural entity made the blonde want to shear his own skin off. He needed his own space; the joy of feeling completely and utterly alone from time-to-time, when he needed to remind himself that the painful events that had transpired were in the past. 

He shook his head to clear the fog of memories that tried to descend and ruin his otherwise great morning so far - He’d been for a run, got coffee, picked up the flowers. He was on track for a no fuss, easy-as-fuck day - until he nearly walked head-on into the person approaching him on the sidewalk.

He was about to snap at the bastard for nearly ruining his day, when his eyes finally raised from the pavement and he huffed at the culprit. 

Shinsou. The fucker was half asleep as usual, not at all looking where we was going. The bear collision was totally obviously his fault. The ass. He was all messy purple hair and eyebags for days.

“The fuck are you doing here, Insomniac?” Katsuki snarled, causing the other boy to finally pay him some attention. “I nearly just took your ass out for walking into me. Pay attention you dumb fuck.”

Okay, maybe that seemed unnecessarily harsh, but Katsuki knew Shinsou could take it. He was a scathing bastard with a razor blade tongue and barbed wire wit that he could unleash upon poor unsuspecting victims when he had the mind to.

Shinsou hiked his backpack higher up on his shoulder and raised a perfect brow at the blond, seemingly unbothered. He addressed Katsuki with the same level of enthusiasm he seemed to apply to all things in life… that is to say, with none what-so-ever.