Chapter Text
Fall was in full swing. Your favorite time of year. The air was just cool enough to need a jacket, the perfect excuse for cuddling up in a fuzzy blanket.
You were outside admiring the sound the leaves made as they shook in the wind. It reminded you of rain… did you like rain? If you closed your eyes you could smell it. A quiet memory danced on the edge of your mind. You could just make out the figures running, jumping in puddles. The distant sound of laughter echoed all around. It was familiar, yet so very unknown. Who were these figures? Did you know them? You felt you did.
You jumped at a sudden voice trying to be soft. To which you scoffed. The woman behind you had never had a soft voice. It was grating, high pitched and nasally...
That's not nice. She helps you.
She looked rather out of place now that you got a good look at her. She was dolled up in some nurses uniform, which was just silly. Why was there a nurse here?
She works here.
This was your home. There was no need for a nurse. No one you knew of was in need of one. Why was she here really? A villain maybe? You couldn't remember the protocol for undercover villains. You'd have to read up in your notes. You did have a test coming up...
“Ma’am,” a nurse with a nasally voice caught your attention. Where had she come from? “Ma’am, you have a visitor, if you're feeling up to seeing him.”
“Visitor,” that didn't sound right. “Who’d come all the way to see me?”
The nurse smiled in that way one would smile at a lame puppy. “You'll know him when you see him. You always do.”
Your heart rate picked up, oddly enough. There wasn't any reason for it as you were just walking at a leisurely pace. You also wondered if you looked alright. Strange. Why did you care? Who would care?
A scowl with reddened cheeks flashed through your mind. You knew that person, you knew you did. He made your hands and chest warm…
A man came into view, standing idly on the patio. He was looking off, seeming far away in his own head. He noticed you as the nurse passed him, leaving the two of you alone. He looked you over with hard red eyes that held heavy bags. They softened ever so slightly when he caught your curious gaze. He was certainly handsome, clearly well built under that sweater, a small scar peeking out from the collar.
He fidgeted in his spot, turning his head away as a particularly strong gust blew, ruffling his blond undercut. You watched the spiked hair as it bounced in the wind. It looked natural. You reached forward, suddenly compelled to run your fingers through it.
It’s soft. He’ll close his eyes and lean in when you use your nails.
“The hell are you doing?”
You stopped. He hadn’t moved or spoken, but that was his voice, you knew it was. Deep and gruff. He turned back to you, surprised to find you wide-eyed, hand poised to touch him. He swallowed, taking a step closer to you. Hesitantly, as though afraid he’d frighten you if he was too quick, moved his hand up to yours. He took your hand so gently in his rough one, threading his fingers with yours. He was a little quicker with cupping his other hand over your entwined ones.
You glanced up to his face when he started rubbing his thumb along the back of your hand and was taken aback by his gaze. It was intense, flickering over your face in search for something. What was he looking for?
You should pull away. You didn’t know this man and he hadn’t said a word to you, yet he was acting so familiar with you. His grip was tightening little by little as his face turned pleading, almost angry. His eyes were becoming glossy.
You were so confused. Why was he crying? This man doesn’t cry. He shouldn’t cry. He was a force to be reckoned with! He didn’t have time to be weak! He’s said so, so many times, with that stupid scowl he always had.
He’s learned since then.
Your heart clenched painfully for this man. He was hurting, suffering from something. You reached up with your free hand, timidly touching his cheek. You wanted to comfort him but unsure if he was alright with it.
You nearly jumped when his eyes scrunched shut, turning toward your hand. He was breathing hard through his nose as his lips met your palm. He had pulled you a little closer.
You had never seen this face on him before. It was off-putting. Whatever had happened in the field must really be bothering him if he was allowing you to touch him so intimately.
“Hey, now,” you started, keeping your voice low. His head shot up, eyes frantic. He looked… hopeful.
You grinned uneasily. “What’s got you in such a tizzy, Bakugou? Don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”
He didn’t respond. Not verbally. His jaw clenched, bringing his free hand to hold yours to his cheek again. He nuzzled into it, eyes tight.
“Hey… I can’t help unless you let me-” His grip was becoming painful. “Bakugou? Bakugou, hey, let up,” you were trying to pull back. He hiccuped. “Hey! You’re gonna break my hands! Let go!”
You stumbled back as you wrenched yourself away, putting a little distance between you. You were rattled to find him reaching for you. Tears were hanging to his eyelashes for dear life. He took a step forward. He seemed to snap out of whatever he was in when you took one back. He straightened, rubbing at his eyes, breathing heavy to get under control. He refused to look at you now, hands shoved into his pockets.
“... Are you…” You could’ve kicked yourself for even starting that question. Of course he wasn’t ‘alright.’ “If… What do-”
“Who am I to you?”
You jumped slightly. His voice may have been hoarse, but it had cut through the serene with the same firmness it had always held.
You hesitated. What kind of question was that? You shuffled through your brain, trying desperately to find why he might be acting this way, but came up blank. There hadn’t been any raids lately and he didn’t really do recon missions. Nothing but basic patrolling and garden variety villains for the past two weeks. He had even complained about how dead it had been. What was causing this?
“You-” you took a breath to ease your nerves. If anything happened you could incapacitate him long enough to get away, at least.
You don’t have that control anymore.
“You’re Bakugou Katsuki. My coworker.”
He heaved a breath. His voice was smaller. “That’s it?”
“Well… yeah? I transferred like, not even six months ago. And we haven’t really interacted outside of a handful of times… Bakugou, what’s going on?”
“Nothin’. Don’t worry about it.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but shook his head and turned to go. “I’ll see ya.”
You moved to stop him. Whatever this was, was serious and he shouldn’t be dealing with it on his own. Regardless of how little you two knew of each other.
He knows you better than you know yourself…
A glint on his hand as he rubbed at his face gave you pause. That was a ring… That was a wedding ring.
The chain around your neck suddenly felt cold and far too heavy. You hadn’t thought about it before now. You pulled it out from under your shirt in a daze. There, hanging ever so innocently, was a ring. A wedding ring. Your wedding ring. The nurse helped you put it on the chain because you kept losing it. You’d fly into hysterics when you couldn’t find it. When you even remembered…
All at once you felt dizzy, catching yourself on a table as you frantically took everything in. Instead of the outdoor training area of your agency, it was a small courtyard with a high fence, meant to keep anyone from wandering too far. Keep any patients from wandering too far.
To keep you in.
You cried out as a phantom pain split your skull. You could smell the burning fires around you. Feel its heat as you ran. There had been a call. A high profile villain, you couldn’t remember the name or even what you had been ordered to do, but that wasn’t important. You needed to get out of the building before it collapsed. Easier said than done, given you were a few stories below ground.
There was a voice. Just barely there. Someone was trapped. You changed your trajectory, plowing through a wall that was already falling. There. One of the villains lackeys desperately trying to claw out from under a slab of wall.
You hauled the slab up, just enough for him to wiggle out. Dropping it you turned to get the two of you out when a searing hand gripped your face. A hazy smile, a ‘thanks’ echoing around you. A pressure built behind your eyes until you heard a crack from inside your head.
Just as quickly as it arrived, the memory was gone. Your head throbbed. You inhaled harshly like you had forgotten how to breathe. Someone had a hold of you. Was it him? The man you had helped? The man that had taken your mind from you?
You thrashed helplessly, begging to released. A knife sliced down your spine every time you tried in vain to activate your quirk. Nothing was happening. You knew nothing would ever happen.
Strong hands moved to hold your head steady. He was begging you to calm down… And you listened. The fight left as soon as you recognized his voice.
Bakugou Katsuki. Your coworker. Your husband.
You finally, finally, saw him, tears and snot running. He looked… older. How long had you been here? Or was it stress? Regardless of it all, he was still the most attractive man you’d ever seen.
He seemed to understand that you knew who he was, as he pulled you into a crushing embrace. You had lost the energy to stand so you sank to the ground and he followed. You wailed as you clung to him. You hadn’t realized until now, but you had missed him. It pained you to wonder how this had been for him.
How many times had he come here, only for you to remember him as a coworker? For you not to remember him at all? How much longer would he be able to stomach you not knowing him?
“Ka-Kas-ki,” you were hiccupping so bad you couldn’t get it out. He shushed you. You remembered him now and that was enough for him. You shook your head. You knew he hated lying.
“I-I’m s-sorry-y! I’m sor-ry! I’m sorry!” You took a breath, calming a little. You were warm and felt safe in his strong arms. Like nothing could touch you.
You were pulled back by large hands. They tenderly wiped your tears away. They were so careful. You looked up to the man before you, to those beautiful, watery red eyes. His small smile looked pained.
“Sir? Are you alright?”