STRINGS // KATSUKI BAKUGO [2]

Chapter 47 // Blessing or Curse

You ate your meal slowly, trying as hard as possibly not to focus on the time as you waited for Bakugo arrive.
 
Despite the fact that it was probably ten, maybe fifteen minutes that passed, it felt like hours before your boyfriend walked through the front door.

He clearly came straight from school judging by his backpack and the uniform he still wore. However, what shocked you about his appearance was that his tie was in proper placement, neatly looped through the collar of his blazer.

Even with lectures from you, he's refused to wear his tie properly. He always claims it's too suffocating, so why was he wearing it correctly now?

"Hey," was all he could seemingly manage as he dropped his bag near the door and walked over to you, tugging off his tie and blazer to adjust to the warmer temperature of the house.

He tossed his shedded clothes over the back of the couch before sitting down beside you, hand crawling to interlock with yours, which rested on your lap.

"Hi," you replied, weekly squeezing to hand to show your reciprocation to the gesture, even if it was minimal.

Bakugo's eyes narrowed at you in concern as he observed your appearance, scanning over your frail limbs and tired eyes, your unkempt hair and your scarily baggy clothes.

"Good, you're here."

Both you and Bakugo turned at the sound of Aizawa's voice to find the man appearing from the kitchen. He carried a tray of fruit and cheese and crackers in his hands.

"I made some snacks in case you're hungry," he said, setting down the plate on the table in front of the couch before averting his attention to you. "You want me here or elsewhere?"

"Elsewhere, please," you replied.

You felt like it'd be better for both you and Bakugo if you explained to him your situation in private.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he nodded before heading back to the room from whence he came.

You immediately felt more vulnerable with Aizawa gone. You went weak at Bakugo's touch and felt small under his daring crimson eyes.

"So you gonna tell me what's been goin' on with you?" Bakugo questioned, thumb brushing across your knuckles. "Sensei gave me nothing."

You nodded, swallowing to dampen your dry throat before licking your chapped lips. You tightened your grasp on his hand.

"A lot happened while you were gone," you began, "but I guess I should start from when we were in America."

You scooted closer to him, lifting his arm to lay across your shoulder as you tucked yourself into his side.

"The night you went missing, the night I told you I was going out to find us a therapist, I was actually on a mission," you explained, and you could feel Bakugo tense at your confession. "Star and Stripes needed me, and I wanted some normalcy back, so I convinced her to let me go on a mission. It was supposed to be easy, but it ended up being a set up by the League. It was all a distraction to get you alone. They sent clones to get in my head, and I ended up suffering head trauma that ruptured a tumor in my brain, one that developed from radiation due to Overhaul's brainwashing."

You paused, hesitant to continue as what you were about to admit would crush your boyfriend's heart.

"The injury gave me lost lasting trauma," you informed. "I have cognitive brain dysfunction. I'm forgetting things, forgetting people, forgetting places. I'm dying, Kat."

All was silent, still, for a moment. Neither of you moved. You didn't speak any further, but he didn't respond.

Then, he shifted, removing his arm from around you as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He cupped his hands over his nose and mouth, staring forward with wide eyes.

You reached out to comfort him, but you soon decided it'd be better for him to silently process the information, so you retracted your hands and set them in your lap where you began to nervously fidget with your fingers.

After minutes of agonizing silence, Bakugo sat up. He dropped his hands from his face to rest on his knees where they clawed at the material of his pants.

"Okay," he began, voice so quiet you could barely make out what he was saying, "okay, so you're forgetting things. We'll just help you remember. I'll help you remember. Just 'cause you're forgetful doesn't mean you're dying. You're fine. This is fine."

"Kat," you began, having no energy left in you to shed any tears at his reluctance to accept, "one day my brain won't allow me to remember basic functions. One day, I'll forget how to breathe, and then I'll die."

"No," Bakugo shook his head, tone uneven and shaky. "No, you're fine. We're fine. This is fine."

You exhaled through your nose, teeth digging into your bottom lip as you watched Bakugo try to silently wish away your curse.

You removed the blanket covering your lap and draped it over the back of the couch before standing.

You dropped down into a crouched position in front of your boyfriend, whose hands were now covering his face.

You grabbed his wrists and gently pried his hands away, revealing teary eyes that made your heart ache.

"I've learned to accept that not everything's okay," you began, voice shaky as if you were near tears. However, you've already cried yourself into oblivion. You didn't have any more tears to shed. "You need to too. Pretending like it's okay is not going to make this easier."

"But," he paused, bottom lip quivering as his nose scrunched in displeasure, "you can't die."

"Everyone dies someday," you tried to calm the situation. "I guess that day's just coming sooner for me." Bakugo's eyes narrowed as his bottom lids pooled with tears.

One part of you valued that he was comfortable enough around you to be vulnerable, to cry, to show emotions other than anger. The other part of you hated this fact because it made your job ten times harder.

You wanted to cry, scream, vent, but you couldn't, not if you wanted this situation to proceeded calmly. You had to be strong so Bakugo could break.

"I'm sorry," you apologized quietly, "but I wouldn't change the things I've done even if it means this is the same outcome."

Bakugo forced out an amused scoff as he sniffled, blinking rapidly to clear the tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he replied.

You silently nodded at his reluctant acceptance, simply watching as he calmed himself.

He wiped his eyes with the back of his right hand before sniffling once more. He undid the top two buttons of his shirt to cool himself down as he exhaled deeply.

You soon found yourself standing before you settled yourself on Bakugo's lap where his arms immediately snaked around your waist, which was smaller than it was the last time he held you.

His fingers curled around the hem of your shirt where they met at your far hip, and you rested your head on his shoulder with a small sigh.

"How long?" he whispered.

"I don't know," you answered. "They didn't give me a timeframe, but I'm guessing less than a year at this rate."

Bakugo released a deep breath at your response, and you could tell, feel, he wanted to lash out, scream, but he didn't. He refrained from doing so for you.

That was a trend for him, and you didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse that he'd continue to do the same until the unfortunate date.

[EDITED]