𝔸 𝔾𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕤 𝕆𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕍.𝟚 💥𝔹𝕜𝔻𝕜💥

Chapter 35

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Raw Emotions

Shoto's gaze remained steady, those mismatched eyes studying Katsuki's expression with a hint of concern. The prick hadn't even flinch at Katsuki's brash response. Instead, he leaned back slightly and sighed like he had all the time in the world, when in reality Katsuki was seconds away from snapping at him. "You know, Bakugo, you're not exactly subtle when it comes to your feelings."

Katsuki's mind immediately went to the heated moment between him and Izuku. He could still feel the lingering warmth of Izuku's touch, the way his skin had tingled with every brush of those damn fingers. The thought that Shoto might have noticed anything made his stomach churn with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Katsuki snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "Just drop it."

"That's not what I'm talking about," he said calmly after a moment, swirling his drink. "I mean, you seemed fine earlier, but now... it's like something's weighing on you. It's not about Izuku, is it?"

Katsuki's eyes widened slightly. How the hell does he always do that? It's fucking infuriating how Shoto can see right through him, reading between the lines like Izuku.

Katsuki stayed quiet, his teeth grinding together in frustration. Shoto murmured, "I was told about your run-in with Odd Eye."

Katsuki's initial instinct was to shoot his walls sky high, to tell Shoto to fuck off, that it was none of his damn business. His jaw clenched, ready to unleash his usual venom, but something in Shoto's eyes stopped him. There was no amusement, no condescension—just a quiet, genuine concern that Katsuki wasn't used to seeing.

Before Katsuki could muster a response, someone started up another song. The first few lyrics from "Here with Me" by d4vd played, Yaoyorozu's voice cutting through the tension in the room. The words hit Katsuki like acid, reminding him of how he'd waited for Izuku. The melody, the emotion—it almost gave him physical pain. His mouth went dry as he looked away, that deep ache throbbing in his chest, unable to face the raw emotions the song dredged up. His mind raced back to every moment he'd spent waiting, hoping, and denying his own feelings. The song was too much, too damn close to home.

"What the hell do you know about it?" Katsuki finally muttered, trying to seem indifferent.

"I know you nearly gave Kirishima a heart attack."

Katsuki glared at Shoto, his temper spiking. "And? What's it to you, Half-and-Half?" he spat, the defensive edge in his voice sharp enough to cut. His issues weren't something he wanted to talk about.

Shoto didn't flinch. "I know it's not easy dealing with... Just thought you might want someone to talk to, to get it off your chest."

Katsuki's scowl deepened. He wasn't used to this—this weird, serious friendliness from Shoto. It made him uncomfortable, vulnerable in a way he hated. Katsuki huffed, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together as if trying to rid himself of the lingering, phantom blood that'd coated his hands all those years ago. The song continued to play, each lyric scraping against the raw nerves Katsuki tried so hard to keep buried. He stayed silent, the usual fire in his eyes dimming as he got lost in his thoughts. Could he really open up to Shoto of all people? Could he even trust him with something so personal? The guy was annoyingly perceptive, but he was also one of the few who might actually understand. His instincts screamed to keep everything bottled up, to not show weakness.

As the song came to an end, Shoto stood up, sensing Katsuki's need for space. He gave Katsuki one last steady look before turning to leave. Katsuki scrubbed at the back of his head, his fingers tangling in his hair. "Yeah, I battled with the League and Odd Eye at the warehouse district. he finally said, his voice low and gruff. Shoto paused turning, to see if katsuki was going to keep going. So he did. "I was hunting down that bastard, and I was this fucking close to nailing his sorry ass."