Mameigwess - dekubaku

Chapter 3

Softness caressed Katsuki's cheek as he laid down. The fireplace flickered in the background, flames licking the air and crackling as it burned fresh wood. The room was lit with an orange hue from the fire, the other side of the room dark and scary as rain smacked the window.

There was a giggle in front of him, making Katsuki crack an eye open grumpily.

"What?" he grumbled, eyes hooded with tiredness. Bright green eyes looked down at him, a smile etched wide onto his pale, freckled face.

"You're cute when you're sleepy."

"M'not cute," Katsuki scowled, his chubby cheeks taking away any threat from the harsh look. He stifled a yawn behind his small hand before tucking it under his head. The fur was tickling his face. "Boys can't be cute."

Izuku untucked his legs and flopped down, facing Katsuki.

"So you don't think I'm cute?" his pale cheeks dusted pink, making the freckles get lost in the colour.

Katsuki's narrowed his eyes at his friend, "you're a nerd."

Izuku laughed again, eyes closing and lips splitting across his cheeks. Why weren't they chubby like Katsuki's? The reflections of the flames lit Izuku's eyes with flicks of light.

A gentle knock on the door pulled the pair from their moment. Katsuki pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked over at the door as it creaked open and Mitsuki peeked in. Her skin was soft, youthful and didn't wrinkle around the eyes when she smiled.

"You've been up long enough, boys, time for bed, and put those away," she pointed at the pile of books that they had been reading, "I'll wait for you upstairs."

"Okay!" Izuku beamed.

Mitsuki chuckled to herself as she closed the door, leaving the two alone again.

A loud bang made Katsuki jump. He looked over to the window, which was now wide open as rain poured in and a cold breeze filled the room. Katsuki shivered and pushed himself off the rug, scurrying over to the window and closing it. He closed the latch and went to turn, but a hand grabbed the windowsill beside him.

Claws scraped the wood, peeling the paint and scratching deep into the surface. Heart pounding, Katsuki's eyes followed up the hand to the wrist; grey and boney and mutated in a way that was so human and so not human at the same time.

There was a low, hot breath beside Katsuki's head. Slowly, he dragged his gaze up to the source. His eyes connect with smooth bone, yellowed with age and spotted with dried blood. A tongue dragged over the side of the snout, thick and dark in colour.

"Accept me."

Then hands were suddenly on Katsuki's form, claws digging into his skin. He thrashed, though he only felt more confined as he fought whatever had him trapped.

Katsuki jolted up, heart hammering against his chest. He sucked in a shaky breath, gasping as if he had been starved of oxygen. His skin was coated in a sheet of sweat, making his skin feel gross to the touch.

Shakily, Katsuki ran a hand over his face before burying it in blond spikes. Another dream. As if the last one hadn't been bad enough.

After waking up in a confused, frightened frenzy, Katsuki had been too shaken up to go back to sleep. After panicking in the library, he'd headed straight to the gym and powered through as many reps as he could before he was ready to pass out from exhaustion, then he'd shoveled some food down his throat and headed back to the library to reread every book on wendigos until he eventually passed out.

Looking around, Katsuki realised he was still in the library. He was curled up on the old leather couch, which was doing nothing for his back, and the soft tartan blanket was crumpled up in his lap. He didn't remember putting that on. The fireplace wasn't lit like it had been in his dream; and thank fuck for that because he really didn't think his heart could take that right now.