STRINGS // KATSUKI BAKUGO [2]

Chapter 64 // Hold On

You interlocked your hand with Bakugo's as soon as the two of you entered the facility, following the directions Kaminari had sent to Bakugo's phone in order to get to Aoyama's holding room in a timely manner.

"I can't believe Aoyama is working with the League," you stated.

"'Cause he's always seemed so damn harmless?" your husband questioned.

"No," you shook your head, "because he's always seemed like the one who'd have the least reason to."

Bakugo stared at you silently but equally intently, waiting for you to elaborate on your claim.

"I mean, some of us have endured so much, trauma that would make a normal civilian turn into a criminal," you explained. "We've all been vulnerable enough coerce, yet Aoyama is the one they managed to recruit."

"Maybe it's 'cause he's a good liar," Bakugo suggested with a small scoff. "I sure as hell never suspected he was against us."

You were shocked you weren't able to figure it out before considering your high strategics and observational skills. Although, thinking back to what you were able to remember, you never spoke with Aoyama much. Then again, maybe he made sure it always stayed that way.

When the two of you reached your destination, Bakugo blocked you from opening the door by placing himself in front of the entrance.

"What?" you questioned, noticing his conflicted expression.

"Just..." he began before pausing to rethink his words. "Stay close and, preferably, beside or behind me, okay? I don't want him tryin' anythin'."

"Kat," you shook your head with a small smile, "his hands are in a block of cement, and he's got a muzzle over his mouth."

"Still," he countered. "He worked with the people who hurt you, almost killed you. He's obeying the guy who is killing you."

You exhaled through your nose, realizing there was no point in arguing his claim. He was simply being protective.

"Ok," you agreed, "I'll stay by your side, won't move an inch."

"Centimeter."

You shook your head with a breathy chuckle, saying, "I won't stray a millimeter. How about that?"

He scoffed with a crooked grin, swiftly leaning forward to curl his right arm around your waist, so he could tug you against his chest.

"Is there anything smaller than a millimeter?" he questioned, his breath fanning your lips.

"Hm," you hummed, pretending to be in deep thought as you draped your arms over his shoulders, interlocking your fingers behind his neck. "Micrometer? Nanometer?"

"Is physically possible for you to be that close to me?" he wondered rhetorically.

"No," you answered, "but impossibilities have never stopped you before."

The right side of his mouth curled up into an amused grin, showing half of his pearly white teeth.

You faltered, lips pursing as to not form a frown. You couldn't to remember the last time you saw him genuinely smile.

"Try not to kill him," you said, referring to Aoyama.

"Not unless you tell me to," he joked with a small scoff, but a small part of you told you he was quite serious in the fact that he wouldn't act without your word.

You reached past him and grasped the door handle, turning it impatiently before pushing open the door to reveal your nearly two dozen classmates, All Might, Nezu, and Tsukauchi with his police force.