LOST // BAKUGO X OC

System Overload

Estelle had never been more grateful to Katsuki when he led her back to her room, barking at the other classmates that they were leaving. Anwir had made his departure reasonably quickly after giving her the news. Estelle felt her mind disconnect from her body when the door closed behind him. It was as if she had lost all semblance of emotion; she scarcely listened to the others around her as they gathered in droves, seemingly elated over the good news.

She could stay.

The thought struggled to register in her brain, a sensation resembling shock flooding her veins as the voices around her turned into mindless chatter. Estelle tried to bob her head to the conversations flickering in and out of her consciousness, but it was difficult for her to understand what was happening. Katsuki caught on quickly to her state of mind, clocking how overwhelmed she was.

His sweaty hand seized hers, clasping it gently as he avidly ignored the others. He pulled her into the elevator and smashed his thumb into the button for the second floor. Estelle didn't even register the gentle leading, and by the time she got to her room, she stood there, her eyes staring ahead like she was utterly lost.

The rumble of Katsuki's voice momentarily broke her daze: "You still need to rest and recover, sweetheart."

Sometimes, Estelle wondered where this side of his came from. Yet, the thought didn't linger as the blonde's hand clutched her shoulder, directing her towards her bed. Lifting up the blanket so her frame could slide between the covers, Estelle tried to reach out but was only met with a blanket. Narrowing her eyes at how he was tucking her in and the satisfied expression on his face, Estelle squirmed her arm out of the covers and reached out for him once more.

Katsuki could feel his breath hitch at the silent request, his feet thudding across the ground for a moment to reach the free side of the bed. Throwing up the blanket, he was already beneath the cover by the time the fabric landed atop him. Instantly, his arms wrapped around her, tugging Estelle right to his chest with an audible groan of relief.

Estelle instantly relaxed underneath his frame, her hands holding onto his back as she felt his chin rest atop her head. Tucking in his chin, the Cambion felt a light press against her forehead before Katsuki returned to his previous position, her ears perking up as he spoke. "Missed this so much. Missed you."

Estelle's only response was to tangle their legs so there was no space left. Suddenly feeling as if she had been doused in cold water, she gravitated to his heat like a moth to a flame. It didn't feel like enough, her frame leaning further into him as if she was trying to burrow into him like a shield.

She could stay.

Pushing the thought away, Estelle clenched her arms around his middle, his body heat beginning to melt the ice in her veins. She had missed him, too. Even though he had been by her side in the hospital, there was nothing like this sensation. This comfort, this warmth, was theirs. It was these moments alone that Estelle cherished the most—their own bubble.

Estelle liked bubbles; she had liked bubbles since she had seen such an invention. Yet that didn't compare to the bubble she had with Katsuki, and it was no surprise that it was one she began to cherish.

She could stay.

Estelle hadn't realised she had tightened her grip considerably as the thought cropped back up like a honey badger. The memory of Anwir's words felt like a lightning whip across her back and heavy like a boulder. Despite the death grip she had on the body holding hers, the fact that it held her with equal strength put her at ease.

"Don't think about it right now; just rest," Katsuki reminded her, his voice holding a little steel.

It was precisely what the Cambion needed. The tension within her shoulders began to ease as a few simple words gathered the pressure she had started to feel and placed it in a box in the corner of the room, like a task for another day. The sudden release almost brought a tear to her eye. Why did the comfort come from the person who deserved to hear her answer the most?