Fuselage

×~× Chapter 32 ×~×

Everything was sensory overload lately. But Katsuki attempted to power through; the grit of bristles against teeth, the feel of wood flooring against his feet - worse his slippers encasing his skin. Blankets draping around him, air touching flesh. Even the sound of the laces tightening made his skin crawl.

But that couldn't be helped. Not anymore.

And so he had to swallow the pain of it all; the agony of roaches crawling sub-surface. The grotesque sensation of a million needles pricking along the hairs of his arms as he pulled on his under-armor. His shirt, long sleeved, made his teeth ache. Katsuki's shorts catching on the fabric of his athletic leggings made the roots of his hair scream.

But that was life now. Over sensitive, over stimulated. The incense from the shrine made him sneeze again. And Jin watching, always watching. Judging. But so, so silent.

Stupid.

Katsuki stood from his couch, passed a hand over his nose to itch away the scent, the tickle, the smoke. He exhaled hard into a tissue, his sinuses dry and aching.

Took a bracing inhale. Strode to the front door - hesitated. He knew the feeling of the cold knob against his palm would be excruciating agony; a cold fire racing through his forearm to stab at his lungs.

Can't be helped. He wouldn't hide from living, from life. Not anymore. He couldn't; wouldn't...

Nothing kept Bakugou Katsuki down, nothing defeated him. Not even...

A violent head shake and Katsuki exited his house into the bitter early winter.

Tried not to be amazed by the beauty of snow drifts sticking in stubborn resilience along the side of his driveway, clung to the trunks of trees. A brisk jog made the upper layer of frozen leaves, now scattered along the ground in thin sparse groups, crunch pleasingly. The lower layer wet and sloppy. Some sticking to his shoes. He could feel the weight of splattering wetness hit his leggings. Gaze darted to the property beyond. More leaves, a heavier coating, under the canopy.

Something beneath the mounds moved. A wad twitching just yards away. Katsuki slowed, heart racing. Leaves slapped thickly, old twigs snapped as something dark blinked, surged and flattened.

"What the-" Katsuki hesitated, strode nearer.

To the left this time, again. A surge of motion, a yip. Inhuman.

Eerily dark golden eyes glared, slitted from the darkness of cover.

"Holy shi-!"

The creature burst forth and Katsuki fell back onto his driveway, cushioned by the layer of debris.

"You're a little fuck." Katsuki snipped, grabbing up the wet decaying leaves around him and throwing them at the now sitting fox before standing, wiping himself off and continuing his brisk pace. Warding the cold off despite his visible breath and red nose. "Scared me."

It yawned, tipped its head. Grooming a paw and watching Katsuki as he jogged on past.

"No fear." He couldn't help but feel proud of it somehow. "Do I not scared you little kitsune?" Katsuki slowed again, their gazes meeting before the fox sneezed, moving to groom its tail. "I like you." He noticed the splotchy white patterns coming in longer tufts on the small body . "Winter comes faster up here, huh?" The fox looked at him, yawned and turned, running off towards the mountain. "Only August. Maybe I'll buy a kotatsu too." Feet picked up the pace, jogging to the end of the driveway.

A heaviness retaking his heart, his path taking him to the statue. To the stone piles. To his usual routine he had been avoiding for two weeks.

Two weeks of solitude. Two weeks of exile. Two weeks of... Katsuki tsked, slowing as he approached the end of his driveway, dumbfounded by the pile of junk sitting there waiting for him.