~BNHA~ Burning Hunger Within

Chapter 11

Katsuki knew it was a dream, but that didn't stop the gut wrenching hole that widened in his chest. Kirishima's pale face was too vivid, framed by the wood grain of a polished coffin and looking too perfect, like he was sleeping.

It was the shadows of friends and family, blurred at the edges as if he couldn't bring them into focus, that gave it away as a dream.

Or he should he call it a nightmare?

Like a passenger in his own body, Katsuki moved to Mina who wept over Kirishima her face sunken as she held a small bouquet of white roses in her hand.

"I'm so sorry, Mina."

Her head turned unnaturally towards him, her eyes wide voids as she glared back at him.

"We told you to stop. Everyone told you to stop, but you didn't listen."

"I didn't know..."

Rose petals covered hiss view as she swung at him. There was a numbing ache of where he imagined the thorns scratched at his cheeks, but the sensation was off.

"Kiri's dead because of you!"

Her face turned grotesque, shadows staining her skin as the void of her eyes grew larger and Katsuki backed away from her. Others appeared surrounding him. Friends and colleagues, voids for eyes as they tried to engulf him. Their accusations, deafened in his ears, weighing him down as he turned to move away.

"It should have been you!"

Katsuki turned again, straight into Izuku who wrapped his arms around him in a comforting grasp and Katsuki leans farther into him. His voice was rough to his own ears as he buried his face into the crux of Izuku's shoulder.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

Izuku pulled him in closer still, until his warmth became suffocating, arms locking tighter around him. His voice was soft against his ear, enduring almost.

"I warned you, but stubborn Kacchan never listens."

Katsuki pushed hard against his chest to pull away and Izuku latched onto his hands, their fingers interlocked as he drew him in closer, until his void eyes drew him in closer.

Blood poured between their clenched fingers until all Katsuki could see was the sick red that seeped into his skin.

"Now the same blood is on your hands, too."

-

Katsuki jerked forward, fighting with the restricted blanket that had somehow tangled around him while he was sleeping.

"Katsuki."

Izuku loomed over him, viridian eyes staring at him, worried. Katsuki didn't bother to let him voice it as he stood up to put distance between them. The nightmare was still too raw at the edges of his conscious.

"I'm fine."

"I need to head in to work. Will you be okay?" Izuku asked.

Checking the time, Katsuki realized it was already morning. His body was already feeling the pains of having sat for hours in the small plastic chairs of the ER's waiting room.

Izuku didn't look any better. His tee looked wrinkled, and a small shadow of stubble was forming across his jaw. Dark bruising was always under his eyes, but they looked sunken more than usual.

Even like this, Katsuki found him attractive. Which only made him feel like an asshole for even noticing when he should focus on his partner. He'd been so preoccupied with Mina and the doctors that Katsuki hadn't even had time to put any attention to the development between himself and his would be lover.