Caramel || Kacchako

8. Distress in the Dim Lights

12:07 am.

Another late night for the couple trying their best to study together on the couches in the common area. A light bulb shined over their work on the table, and lukewarm coffee dripped down the white mugs resting peacefully on the table filled with papers and books. An arm around Ochako's head and her head resting on Katsuki's shoulder was a little extra thing added to the stressed atmosphere between the two. They sat on the floor with their backs resting on the couch behind them, and their legs extended underneath the table.

"Cheeks..." Katsuki leaned in close to Ochako and spoke with a raspy voice. His breath tickled the tip of her ear, sending chills down her spine. "I'm fucking exhausted."

"But we're not finished yet, Katsuki. We have 30 more pages to work on and then we have to memorize a whole-"

"I said I'm fucking exhausted, Ochako." He interrupted. "It feels like I'm going to faint at this point."

Ochako, with a concerned look on her face, looked up at him. His fingers were pressing against the bridge of his nose and his breathing hastened as every second passed. Ochako held the palm of her hand over Katsuki's forehead and felt the radiating heat she was expecting to feel.

"Katsuki, I'm going to take your temperature. Come with me."

Ochako grabbed his wrist and lifted him up from the ground, activating her quirk on him. Flailing his legs around, he felt the gravity leave him as he gradually floated up to meet Ochako in the eyes.

"What the fuck, Ochako, I'm not even sick-"

"Shut up you lazy-asshole." 

Ochako never enjoyed nagging at him but when it came to slightly serious situations, she had to do everything she could to get Katsuki to cooperate. Additionally, she noticed something was off with him. Ochako dragged his floating body up the steps into the girls' dorm, and quietly into her room. Once she closed the door behind Katsuki, she brought her fingers together and deactivated her quirk. Stumbling towards the bed, Katsuki collapsed on the soft cushion and attempted to sigh all his stress away. Unfortunately, that didn't work. His trauma from being kidnapped by the League of Villains kept interrupting his thoughts and every time that happened, anxiety filled him up to the rim. His anger started to build up inside him, and he was on the brink of loosing his mind, until Ochako collapsed next to him. She cuddled up against his body and embraced him, calming the hell out of him.

"Breathe, Katsuki. I don't know what's going on in your mind but, I know that you feel helpless right now so I just need you to breathe. With me."

Katsuki didn't say anything. His tired mind was in his own world as Ochako buried her face into his warm chest and started to take deep breaths. In and out. In and out. The more she did it, the more Katsuki did it. He followed her breaths; every time she inhaled, Katsuki inhaled and vice-versa. The peaceful moment lasted for five minutes, until Katsuki spoke.

"I...I keep thinking about that fucking decaying guy. Even though it was a long time ago, I still can't stop thinking about it." His voice gradually started breaking. Eyes glowing in the dim room, he sniffled and covered his eyes with his arm. "If I didn't fight against them...would I even be here with you today?"

Just like that, tears started to flow down his cheeks. A sight never seen by human kind, a sight that Kirishima would pay to see, a sight where only Ochako was witnessing. Bakugou Katsuki was crying.

Ochako looked up at him as they both sat up. Sitting across his lap, she tried to level her face with Katsuki's, even though he was covering it up with his hands. Ochako yanked them out of his face, and through the dim lighting of the room, she saw the distress pouring out. Katsuki's already sharp, red eyes dulled as the water flowed out and more red filled them up. After observing them, she gently held his soft face in her hands and wiped the tears away using her thumbs. 

"I'm here, we're all here with you right now, and we're not leaving your side."

He looked into her large, concerned eyes and tried to sniff the leftover tears away. 

"I know that, idiot. I just...feel fucking worried that the same thing will happen to you." He laid his head onto her shoulder and Ochako felt the warmth of his breaths, the steady breathing that she showed him. She smiled and kissed the top of his head, while fondling with his blond strands of hair. 

Everyone has a breaking point once in their life, I guess.

"Katsuki, I'm strong enough to handle those villains myself, and you know that."

He snuggled his face into her neck, hiding behind her brown, short strands of hair. 

"Hell yeah you are."

____________________

Minutes later, Ochako noticed the calm breathing of Katsuki, lying asleep against her shoulder. She sighed and gently laid him down on her bed. She pulled the covers over his body, tucking him in like a mother caring for her child. As she brushed the hair out of Katsuki's face, Ochako took the chance to observe his "sleeping face". The face of a boy who wasn't bothered by terrifying problems. The face of a boy who wasn't angry at the damn world 24/7. The face of a boy whose eyebrows were not clenched and whose lips weren't pouted. But once he wakes up, that peaceful face will have to wait until the next night. It was a rare sight for Ochako to see, and Kirishima would kindly pay to see this view. She smiled and laid down besides Katsuki, pulling the sheets up to her shoulders. Ochako cuddled close into his chest, smelling the caramel scent that embraced her once again.