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“GOD DAMMIT!”
The voice echoes throughout the forest. A flock of birds take flight into the air from the sudden noise. Bakugou turns his head and watches them soar away until they’re so high in the sky that he can’t see them anymore.
“Lucky bitches,” he mumbles under his breath.
Stupid fucking birds! Stupid fucking trees! Stupid fucking forest! If only he could get a bird’s eye view! Then he might be able to find a way out of this stupid forest, but no. Instead he’s been stuck wandering around here for the past four hours with every fucking tree, rock, grass, every single bullshit looking exactly the same as the next. Bakugou is about to lose it. He doesn’t know if it’s because he hasn’t had any food or water in hours that’s clouding his judgement right now, but burning the entire forest down to find an exit is looking really appealing to him at the moment.
“Fuck.”
Bakugou drags his feet as he continues walking down whatever path this may be. If only. If only he didn’t accept the stupid favor from his mother in delivering a parcel to her friend in the next village. If only he didn’t try to cut through the forest instead of staying on the path in hopes of saving time and making it back home before dark. If only his stupid horse didn’t get spooked over COMPLETELY NOTHING and toss him off before running away, leaving him behind in the middle of fucking nowhere and taking all his supplies with it. If only he didn’t twist his fucking ankle to the point where he can barely step on it making it impossible to climb up one of these trees to try and find an exit.
Bakugou was not about to die in this forest.
Not today.
He doesn’t care what it takes, arson or not, he was going to survive and make it back home. The two most important things he knows he needs to survive is food and water. Once he finds those things then he’ll be able to survive out here…but he really doesn’t want to be forced to survive out in the wilderness until he finds an exit or something finds him.
Bakugou keeps treading onward. After a while he thinks he can hear a river and is going to be pissed if his ears are playing tricks on him. The sound gets louder, so he definitely can’t be imagining this right now. Bakugou limps forward, picking up the pace at the sound of something cold to drink. Bakugou is so happy when he sees a small stream past all the trees that he doesn’t watch his feet and trips on a rock before he reaches it.
He stumbles forward and hits the ground hard, slamming his face down against the hundred tiny, wet pebbles by the river. Bakugou growls under his breath, clenching his hands into the ground and grabbing handfuls of pebbles.
“Are you alright there, Mister?”
“Does it look like I’m fucking al-...”
Bakugou lifts his head up, about ready to explode, when he suddenly sees someone standing in the river…and realizes that he’s not all alone anymore. There is a young man slowly rising to his feet, a curious expression on his face as he stares right over at Bakugou. His bright green eyes were a bit unnerving. Bakugou was sick of seeing fucking green everywhere being lost inside this forest.
“Does it look like you’re what?” The young man asks.
He’s wearing a wet tan shirt that’s covered in dirt stains and a pair of dark brown pants that are rolled up to his knees. He looks like a beggar, but that wouldn’t explain what he was doing out here in these woods all alone. He didn’t look like he was lost or confused. No, in fact, this young man looked like he was right at home. With his dark green hair that matched all the trees and bushes, he could have blended in with the forest itself.
“What are you doing here?” Bakugou scowls.
He’s decided that he has had enough lying down and stands back up on his feet. He dusts himself off, but after traveling for so long in the wilderness he can’t wipe off all the dirt, dust, and grime that’s on him. The young man tilts his head a bit as his gaze lowers.
“Are you hurt?”
“What?!”
“Your foot. You’re not standing on it properly. Did you hurt yourself? Do you need help?”
Bakugou glares, “what I need is a damn exit from this fucking forest!”
“Oh, well if you follow this stream all the way down you’ll come across a bridge eventually. Either path will take you to a village, although I believe the one on the left is the closest if my memory serves me right. It’s about a three hour journey and it looks like it will be nightfall soon. It’s dangerous to wander around these woods at night. There are a lot of creatures that come out when it gets dark.”
Thre-three fucking hours?! Is he serious right now?! There is no way this forest can be so big! Bakugou was wandering around for hours wondering if he might have been going in circles, but was he actually going deeper into the forest and getting even more lost?!
“My home is only a thirty minute walk away though, if you would like to spend the night. I can offer you medicine for your foot and food for your belly.”
Bakugou’s eyebrow twitches, “you live out here?”
The young man nods his head, “yes, I do.”
…Does Bakugou follow the strange and mysterious man back to his home? Or does he take his chances walking down the river? Honestly, he’s exhausted at this point. The young man doesn’t look like he’s lying…or looks particularly strong either. If he tries to do anything, even with his bum foot, Bakugou is sure that he’ll still be able to protect himself.
“What do you want in return?”
“In return? What a strange question. I don’t want anything. If you don’t want my help, you don’t have to accept it. I hope you make it home safely.”
The young man turns around and walks to the other side of the river. He heads over to a large rock where Bakugou notices a basket along with a pair of shoes resting on top. He has a decision to make at this moment. It only takes him a couple of seconds to decide because as soon as the young man finishes putting on his shoes he’s going to leave.
“It better be warm fucking food.” Bakugou spits out.
The young man looks up and smiles a little bit, “it will be.”
“Fine then!”
Bakugou can just use him for the night and then head out first thing in the morning back home. Maybe if he’s lucky, this guy will have horses so he can borrow (or steal) one. Bakugou starts heading for the river and is careful as he tries to cross it without getting swept by the current.
“Do you need any help?”
“No! I got this!”
“Hehehe, you’re pretty loud, aren’t you?”
“HAH?!”
The young man laughs again, a smile still on his face. He meets Bakugou on the other side and holds out his hand for him.
“My name is Izuku.”
Bakugou stares down at the hand and then up at Izuku. He raises his own and slaps his hand away.
“Whatever, call me Bakugou.”
“Bakugou. It’s nice to meet you. The trail might be a bit tough for someone in your condition, so if you need any help please let me know.”
“I won’t need any help! Just lead the stupid way!”
“Alright. It’ll just take one second. Shouto! We’re leaving!”
Izuku turns around and calls out into the forest. Bakugou furrows his eyebrows together as he looks around. Shouto? Was he not alone out here after all? Izuku picks up his basket and holds it in his arms. He’s about to call out the name again when a four-legged feline comes jumping out from one of the bushes. It runs all the way over, jumping high in the air, and climbing up Izuku’s body until it arrives on his shoulders. The cat rubs up against his face, meowing out loudly.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were so close. Sorry, I wouldn’t have yelled so loudly if I knew. Ready to go?”
“Meow,” Shouto meows out loud.
“Great. I want you to meet Bakugou. He’s going to be our guest tonight, so make sure you’re on your best behavior.” Izuku says, rubbing Shouto’s chin.
Bakugou blinks, wondering if he made the right decision now. Izuku is talking to a cat. Not any normal cat either, but one probably seriously ill and deranged because in what world is a cat red and white? Bakugou flinches slightly when the cat looks over at him. It seems like it is glaring, which is an impossible thing for a cat to do, but those gray and blue eyes really look unfriendly. Bakugou glares right back and refuses to admit he was just caught off guard.
“Let’s go home.”
Izuku turns away and starts to walk inside of the forest. Bakugou stands there for a moment. He looks inside that damn forest he’s been trapped in for so long and then looks down the river.
“Fuck!”
“None of this makes sense.” Bakugou mutters to himself.
He grunts as he sits up in bed. He didn’t know if this was all a dream or if he was simply dead. Neither would make sense since if he were dreaming or dead, why would this be what Bakugou sees afterwards? A young man with a cat living all alone in the middle of a forest inside of a fucking abandoned castle?! What in the world?! It didn’t make sense at all!
Bakugou couldn’t believe his eyes when he first saw it. He’s lived in this area for years, ever since he was born in fact, and no one ever mentioned there being a fucking castle right in the forest that surrounded his village. Bakugou doesn’t remember learning any history about it either, yet it was still here without anyone knowing.
Izuku had been vague about the whole thing too, which made it even more suspicious. When Bakugou brought it up, Izuku didn’t think it was anything special and simply shrugged saying this place was home, not a castle. He came across it one day after getting lost in the forest himself and decided to stay since it was abandoned. Why? Bakugou has no idea since he wouldn’t answer that question. A castle is a castle, but this place was a dump. From what Bakugou saw, there really wasn’t anyone else around. It was dirty, old, and stained everywhere. Some of the windows were broken, as well as the doors, and even part of the walls. The areas Izuku led him through looked relatively clean: the kitchen, the dining room, and his guest room. It looked swept and tidied up, but still old due to all of the age. One person isn’t enough to maintain this place. From the size of what it looked like on the outside, there would need to be a whole army of servants to take care of it.
When they escaped out of the forest, Izuku led him through a side entrance of the castle instead of the front doors. He took him to the dining room first and abandoned him for a moment before returning back with medical supplies. Izuku gave him bandages for his foot and then left again before coming back with a warm meal to eat before eventually showing him to a clean room to rest in.
“If you need anything Bakugou I’m staying one story above you. I’ll leave a candle outside of the room so you’ll know which one is mine. Have a good night.” Izuku had told him before he left with that devil cat of his.
Bakugou had done what he believed anyone would have done after that. He locked the door, barricaded it so no one would be able to get in without waking him first, and then laid down in his bed. Sleep didn’t come to him though. He was exhausted as hell right now, yes, but sleep was evading him. He was restless, curious as hell about what was going on, and wondering if he would wake up back in his bed for this to all be a dream after all.
A dream about a mysterious and handsome young man he met in the forest.
Handsome? Where the hell did that come from? Bakugou shakes his head and kicks the covers off. He swings his legs off the bed and gets up. That’s it. He can’t go to sleep right now and he wants answers. Izuku has to be hiding something from him. It’s pretty late right now, so perhaps he’s asleep. This will give Bakugou the perfect opportunity to snoop around a little bit and see if he’s hiding anything mysterious or not.
Bakugou moves everything he used to barricade the door and unlocks it. He takes the candle hanging in the hallway and starts heading for the staircase. He’s cursing up a storm by the time he makes it to the next floor, sweating a tiny bit and refusing to acknowledge it. Bakugou limps his way over down the hallway, seeing a light at the end of it. Izuku mentioned he would leave a candle lit outside of his room. He heads over there, trying not to make any noise at all. There is this eerie creeping sound that he keeps hearing.
Bakugou keeps looking around his shoulder, but nothing is ever there. The light gets closer and closer until he’s standing beside it. Bakugou doesn’t attempt to knock on the door once he arrives. It is slightly cracked open, and although he can’t see much inside, he can definitely hear Izuku’s voice.
“Are you seriously asking me that question, Shouto?”
Bakugou’s eyebrows scrunch together. Is Izuku talking to his damn cat right now?
“Yes, I seriously am. Why did you invite that human into our home?”
Bakugou jerks back, his eyes widening. That was a man’s voice! Not a cat’s meow! What in the world?!
“Because he needed help and it was the right thing to do.”
“You should have left him there.”
“You didn’t leave me there when you found me.”
“Izuku, that’s not the same situation-”
“It’s the exact same. You showed me kindness, I’m showing him the same thing. He’ll leave first thing in the morning, most likely. He didn’t exactly look pleased to be staying here, so that’s one thing the two of you have in common.”
“If he’s ungrateful then he can sleep outside.”
“I never said he was ungrateful.”
“I don’t think I remember him thanking you once at all-”
Bakugou can’t hold back anymore. He reaches out and slams his hand against the door. He pants slightly as he looks all around the room…but no one is there. Only Izuku, who looks frightened as hell from Bakugou’s loud entrance. He jumps a bit and hugs himself.
“Bakugou?! What was that?! You scared me!”
“Where is he?!” Bakugou shouts.
“Where is who?”
“The man! The man you were talking to! You called him the cat’s name!”
Izuku blinks and tilts his head to the side, “Shouto?”
“Yes, exactly!”
Shouto jumps up from the couch. He sits on top of it, meowing softly as his tail flickers side to side.
“Bakugou? Are you alright? Have you gotten any sleep at all?”
“You were talking to someone!”
“I was talking to myself, Bakugou. I do that sometimes. When you live all alone in a big place like this, you miss the noise of conversation.”
Bakugou meets Izuku’s gaze, “I heard someone else.”
Izuku looks around, “where are they then?”
Bakugou doesn’t have an answer to that. It’s clear that there is no one else inside of the room. There’s no way they could have ran away because Bakugou barged in right in mid sentence. They couldn’t have vanished from thin air either. Izuku talked to his cat before…perhaps he was doing it again. Bakugou heard a voice though…but he isn’t sure anymore because none of this is making sense. He did hit head roughly falling off his horse and then tripping again by the river. He’s severely sleep deprived, so did he imagine it perhaps? Since he was so on edge with being in such a strange place? Did he…imagine it all?
“Bakugou, do you need something? Is there a reason you came here? Do you want some medicine to ease your pain? I have some herbs that can help with that-”
“No! I didn’t come for that! This was a waste of time!”
Bakugou slams the door closed and heads back to his room, cursing under his breath the entire time. Izuku takes a deep breath and sighs it all out. He looks over at Shouto and glares at him.
“This is your fault.”
Shouto looks back cutely and meows.
“Good morning, Bakugou. How did you sleep?”
Bakugou stares at Izuku as he walks into the dining room. He wasn’t expecting for his host to be awake so early in the morning, but he’s kind of glad he is because of the warm food waiting for him at the table. Bakugou grunts out his reply as he makes his way over to the seat. He picks up his utensils and starts to dig into the breakfast, grilled fish served over rice with a variety of vegetables on the side.
“Do you plan on leaving today? Or perhaps staying for another night? I couldn’t help but notice your limp doesn’t look better. Is it still hurting?”
Bakugou stares at Izuku. He decided last night that despite looking weak and being way too nice, he was too mysterious to not be underestimated. Bakugou might be able to write off last night as sleep deprivation because when he woke up he was foggy and groggy and didn’t remember much, but that didn’t change the weird feeling that he had when it came to this man. Bakugou doesn’t know why he is so curious to find out what it was, he just was.
Things like witches and warlocks were folktales. Magic and such didn’t exist in their world. It was all just a bedtime story for kids to believe in when they’re young and gullible. Bakugou never believed in that junk and he still doesn’t. Where did Izuku get all this food to cook for them though? It’s not like there is a store anywhere near this castle where he can purchase these ingredients from.
“Where’d you get this food?”
“Hmm? Your breakfast? Well, I caught the fish yesterday when you ran into me and as for the vegetables I grow them outback in the garden.”
Bakugou blinks. That’s why he was out in the river. He was catching fish. Is that what was filled in that basket? That…makes sense. The garden is also believable as well. If Izuku got seeds from somewhere, he could plant whatever he likes as long as he knows how to take care of it.
“Why? Is it not to your liking? I have some dried meat of various animals if you would like that instead. If you’re craving anything else, I’ll have to go out scavenging or hunting for it.”
Bakugou snorts and shakes his head, “it’s fine.”
“That’s good. It’s been so long since I’ve had another person to cook for, so I was a bit nervous if it would be to your liking or not. I’m happy you’re eating it though. That must mean it’s a little bit good, right?”
Izuku laughs lightly and smiles over at him. Bakugou stares at his face before he tears his gaze away.
“Where’s the cat?”
“Shouto? Hmm, I’m not entirely too sure. He was gone when I woke up. He’s probably out and about doing cat things, catching his own breakfast and such. Hahaha, he’s not the biggest fan of my cooking. He likes it when I give him the fish raw and that’s about it.”
Bakugou chews his food slowly, “you cook food for your cat?”
Izuku gives Bakugou a blank look before he bursts out in laughter. He starts laughing so hard he leans back in his seat and rubs his eyes to prevent the tears from falling out.
“Hahahahaha! That sounded so weird when you said it! Hahaha, that doesn’t make much sense, huh? Pffft, hehehe.”
Bakugou stares over at Izuku before he looks back down at his meal. He doesn’t say anything, but there is the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face before he eats his next bite.
“You’re telling me you don’t have one lousy horse in this place? Hell, I’ll even take a donkey at this point.”
Izuku shakes his head lightly, “my apologies, Bakugou, but I’m afraid not.”
“How the hell is that even possible?”
“I don’t really leave this place, so I never need to travel.”
Well that just screws over Bakugou’s plans. How in the world can he head back home now without a horse? Walk the three hours down the river to the nearest village? Bakugou was all gung-ho about it last time, but now he’s irritated. He doesn’t want to walk that far. Not without being 100%. There is definitely something weird going on in this castle though, so it’s not like he wants to stay here either.
“Why don’t you ever leave?”
Izuku shrugs as he washes up their dishes, “I never have the need to.”
“What about essentials?”
“I have most of my essentials here. I have a roof over my head, a place to find fresh water, and food that I can hunt and gather. What more do I need?”
Bakugou waves his hand in the air, “entertainment?”
“There is a library here that has tons of books. That’s pretty much all the entertainment I need. If you plan on staying for another day to rest up more then I’ll show you where it is, Bakugou. I’m sure you won’t want to hang around me while I do chores.”
“What about clothes?”
“I’m pretty good with a needle and a thread. I have plenty and I can always patch up what I ruin or even make new ones.”
“Out of what?”
“Fabric, silly. There are dozens of rooms here that have old clothes, blankets, sheets, curtains, you name it.”
Bakugou stares at Izuku’s back, “what about people?”
“What about people?”
“Making connections, talking to others who aren’t a cat or yourself, having friends.”
Izuku pauses for a second, his shoulders tightening up, “...it doesn’t bother me at all. I love it here. I’m safe within these walls and so are you. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but it really is no trouble if you want to stay for a few days until you’ve completely healed. You’re welcomed here.”
“How long have you lived here, Izuku?”
Izuku finishes washing up the last few dishes and dries his hands off. He turns around to face Bakugou with his chest puffed out a little bit and a smile on his face.
“A while. I’m all done now, so I’m going to go out back and tend to my garden. I’ll be out for a while, so feel free to explore, or rest up, whatever you like. My only advice would be to stay away from the third floor. The flooring there isn’t as sturdy and it might collapse underneath your feet if you aren’t careful. It happened to me once, which is why I stay away from there as well. Excuse me, Bakugou.”
Izuku nods his head a bit before he leaves the room. All Bakugou can do is watch him. A while. What the fuck does that mean? Izuku acts like he owns the place, so it had to be more than a while. Maybe a while for him is different than a while for someone else. Bakugou doesn’t fucking know! Why does the guy have to be so cryptic? And why is it annoying Bakugou so much?!
Ugh, he should just leave this place. That’s what he should do. Take his chances and leave. Bakugou makes his way back to his room and gathers what little things he has. He looks around for his coat, which he spies on a chair by the window, and walks over to snatch it up. He sees green right outside of his window and stares. Bakugou stretches out his hand and pushes the window open.
The garden is in perfect view and it’s overgrown. There are all sorts of bushes, roots, weeds, anything and everything growing out there. It’s all formed together in a jumbled mess, but there is this one section. This one clean cut section where the grass is cleaner and shorter and that’s where Izuku is.
Tending to his tiny garden that he’s cut and cleared away from the overgrown state. Bakugou sits down on the chair and stares outside, watching Izuku work. He doesn’t think he’s ever worked that hard in his life. Bakugou still lives at home with his family while Izuku, from the looks of things, ran away from his own, settled in this abandoned castle for some reason, probably found that cat Shouto and decided to adopt it since he was lonely, and has been surviving ever since.
“He’s either brave or stupid.” Bakugou mumbles.
Whatever he is… he’s not dangerous. Secretive, sure, but dangerous?
Bakugou scoffs as he leans back in his seat.
Bakugou’s foot gets better, eventually. Not as fast as he would like it to, but he is able to walk without quite so noticeable a limp. He decided to stay with Izuku for a little while longer in his creepy abandoned castle. Bakugou didn’t want to go through the trouble of traveling so slowly because of his injury and he was still a bit curious about this man, but it was more because of his injury! Staying here sucked! There was absolutely nothing to do! The whole place was so quiet and creepy, and that damn weird half and half demon cat always seemed to be watching him whenever he saw it.
For the first day or two Bakugou mostly stayed in his room and would only come out to eat, bathe, or use the refresher. Izuku would check in on him sometimes, always very nice, polite, and strange. Whenever he went outside, Bakugou would have the perfect view of him from his window and (since there was absolutely nothing else to do in this place) he would watch the young man. Izuku would either tend to his garden or take a stroll around. Once Bakugou even saw him laughing as he chased after his cat. His laughter carried all the way upwards to his room.
And then one day, because Bakugou couldn't stand being stuck in this room any longer, he went downstairs and searched for Izuku. His foot was feeling better and he could walk a bit, so he would follow Izuku around, and he guesses help out a tiny bit. There is no way in hell that Bakugou would do chores in this place, but he did accompany Izuku while he did them, and might have helped once or twice. It was mostly helping him cook meals and clean up afterwards. Bakugou guesses he didn’t mind that so much, since after all he was taking advantage of the young man’s kindness…and he was snooping around his home as well.
Just a tiny bit every night because Bakugou still couldn’t wrap his head around this whole situation. For Izuku to be living out here all alone with only his cat as a companion and to be surviving so well at it. It was strange. Bakugou never saw anyone else with Izuku, never heard the voice of a man after that night, never saw anyone wandering the halls, or leaving and entering. It was like it never happened at all. Bakugou wasn’t even sure anymore. The days are so long here, he can hardly remember how he first arrived. All he remembers is seeing Izuku standing in the river looking right at him with those bright green eyes of his.
“Bakugou?”
“What?!” Bakugou growls out.
“The potato in your hand.”
Bakugou looks down and sees that it’s only a small nub now. He had been lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t stopped peeling once the skin was off. Bakugou curses and tosses the thing in the garbage before grabbing another one.
“It’s alright, we have plenty of potatoes. I’m surprised you’re so skilled at that. You can finish way faster than me and I do this at least every other day,” Izuku laughs a little bit.
Bakugou scoffs, “I’m handy with a knife.”
“That’s a nice skill to have. Most of my skills are related to housework, hahaha.”
“My mother doesn’t have house skills for shit, so that is impressive.”
Izuku looks up from his potato and stares at Bakugou. The man doesn’t notice it at first since he has to reach over in the bucket to pick up another one to peel, but when he finally glances up for a second to peek at Izuku (like he does every couple of minutes or so) he notices the young man’s eyes on him.
“What?”
“Bakugou, I think that is the first nice thing you have ever said to me.”
“What?!” Bakugou’s voice grows deeper as he shouts.
“You gave me a compliment. Thank you.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Izuku?!”
Izuku smiles as he laughs a little bit, “you even used my name. I think that is the first time too. Are you finally warming up to me?”
“Sh-Shu-SHUT UP!” Bakugou yells out, his entire face growing red.
Izuku just laughs and laughs and laughs, a happy smile on his face.
“Oye.”
Izuku looks up from his book and sees Bakugou making his way over towards him. This is a bit of a surprise, although Izuku knew he was in here. He heard him enter the room, but thought Bakugou might just be looking for a book to read, so Izuku was going to leave him alone (since his guest didn’t seem to like his company all that much, although lately that has been changing). Izuku closes his book as he sits up straight, dropping his feet to the ground. Shouto hisses out, his perfect lap pillow getting ruined. Izuku gasps out softly and quickly starts rubbing his fur.
“Oh Shouto, I’m so sorry. I didn’t wake you from your nap, did I?”
Izuku puts his book down beside him and picks up Shouto. He cradles the cat in his arms and rubs his stomach back and forth, a tender smile on his face.
“My apologies, Bakugou. Did you need something?” Izuku asks, finally giving him his attention. “Are you looking for a book to read? I know it doesn’t look like there’s much organization, but I know where mostly everything is located. What genre are you looking for?”
“I’m not here to find a damn book.”
“Oh, you’re not? What are you here for then?”
Bakugou opens his mouth before slamming it shut. He grinds his teeth a little bit before he turns around and stomps away. Izuku blinks and looks down at Shouto for help, but his feline friend looks like he’s back to napping. Izuku shrugs as he lifts his feet up again. He places Shouto on his lap, making sure to give him plenty of rubs with one hand as he picks up where he left off in his book with his other.
All is quiet for a moment before it sounds like something is getting scraped across the floor. Izuku looks up and sees Bakugou dragging over a chair towards him. He stops a good couple of feet away, plops down in it, kicks his feet up onto the table right next to him, and then opens up a book. Izuku knows he shouldn’t say anything, so he doesn’t. He can’t hide the smile on his face though from his new company.
“Do you ever leave this shithole?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you ever leave this place?”
“Leave?” Izuku repeats the word, tilting his head to the side, “I do. You go outside with me sometimes, Bakugou.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about! Do you ever leave as in go the hell away from this place? Do you ever go anywhere else? To the villages around here? Or travel even farther?”
Shouto slowly opens his eyes and rolls around onto his stomach. He leans down to stretch out his back, extending out his claws as he yawns.
“Um…no. I don’t.”
“Why not?”
Bakugou notices that damn cat glaring at him, like always. He shoots the thing a nasty glare back and looks up at Izuku afterwards to hear his answer.
“I’ve never really felt the need to.”
“That’s pretty stupid. How long have you been living here? Do you have any idea what the outside world is like? What’s out there? What you are missing?”
Izuku shrugs, “I can’t really miss anything if I don’t know what it is.”
“I’m being serious here.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Bakugou. It’s alright if you can’t understand it because I can’t really explain it. I’m happy here and don’t need anything else, so I don’t leave. That’s all there is to it.”
That can’t be all, but Izuku looks honest as he says it. He’s stupid and naive. He has no idea what’s out there. Bakugou does; he’s seen it and experienced it himself. Izuku is reminding him of all the elders he has in his village. All of them who were born there and will die there, having no drive or spirit to go out and see anything pass their town borders. Not Bakugou. That’s not going to be the life for him. He hates people like that. Izuku is so young, or at least he looks like he’s young, yet he’s already acting like he’s lived a lifetime and is settling down.
“You’re never curious?”
Izuku’s expression falls off his face. He looks down and picks up his book, going back to reading again.
“I know what the world is like, Bakugou. I used to live out there, but now I live here. I’m happy.”
Bakugou clenches his teeth together. If that were true, why did he look so sad then?
“Here you go Bakugou, for your journey back home. Although you’ll probably make it to the village before the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with being too careful.”
Bakugou blinks as he stares at Izuku’s hand. He reaches out and accepts the small satchel he’s holding out. It has a bit of weight to it and Bakugou places it over his shoulder.
“It isn’t much. Just some pieces of bread and dried meat, along with some water. I hope you make it back home to your family safely.”
Izuku gasps out softly when he feels Shouto climb onto his shoulder.
“Aw Shouto, are you here to say goodbye as well?”
Shouto glares at Bakugou before turning his head away. He settles down on Izuku’s shoulders and closes his eyes.
“I bet you’re going to miss Bakugou too, aren’t you?”
Shouto immediately raises his head up and hisses, making Izuku laugh. He rubs underneath Shouto’s chin as he looks back over at Bakugou with a smile.
“It was nice having you as a guest, Bakugou. It was also a bit of fun as well, hahaha. Good luck with your travels.”
“Come with me.”
Izuku blinks his eyes several times before he mutters out, “...what?”
“You should come with me.”
“Ah, Bakugou. I’m sure you’ll be able to make it back yourself. It isn’t a hard journey. Just follow this path back to the river and then-”
“I’m not asking you to come so I won’t get lost, dumbass! I’m asking you to come with me back to my village! I want you to come with me!”
“Oh…”
“I don’t know if it’s the same village you’re referring to being down the river, but if it isn’t then it has to be close since it is located on the outskirts of this forest. It’s a pretty shitty place, but definitely not shittier than here. You can spend the night at my home and come back to this depressing castle whenever you like, or you can stay. Doesn’t matter to me.”
“If it doesn’t matter, Bakugou, then why are you even offering?”
Bakugou curses under his breath and rubs the back of his neck, “you helped me. I know I wasn’t the most gracious guest, but I appreciate what you did. Let me return the favor. You shouldn’t be out here all by yourself, Izuku. You should be around other people, be a part of a community.”
Izuku looks at Bakugou with a bright smile on his face. It tricks him. Bakugou thinks that his speech was somehow able to convince him. That smile looks like it’s a happy smile, and it is. Not the same happiness Bakugou was hoping for though.
“Thank you, Bakugou. That is really sweet of you to offer, but I’m happy here. I don’t need anything else. I wish you luck on your travels.”
Bakugou stares at Izuku blankly before he shouts out, “fine!”
Without so much as looking back once, the man stomps off in a fury of rage (and embarrassment). What the hell was wrong with that guy?! Bakugou was just trying to do something nice for once! After everything that he did to take care of him, all Bakugou wanted to do was return the favor! But no! He had to go and be a dumbass! Be a hermit stuck in his crappy castle! Bakugou curses up a storm as he leaves this shitty place.
He doesn’t calm down until he’s about to enter the forest. Bakugou stands right at the edge and looks back. The castle looms over him looking large, broken, and unapproachable. It might have looked great once and welcoming, but now it’s just sad. No one should be living here, especially all alone. Bakugou takes a deep breath and sighs out. The entire time during his stay he always felt like Izuku was hiding something. He was kind and honest, but he wouldn’t answer certain questions and always watched what he said. There has to be a reason why he’s here all by himself…
Or perhaps Bakugou didn’t make himself clear enough. He knows how he is; he knows how sharp his tongue can be sometimes. Maybe his offer wasn’t as enticing as he thought it was. Maybe Izuku misunderstood him. If Bakugou was honest, if he told the young man his real feelings and asked for him to come with, maybe Izuku would have answered him differently.
Bakugou feels like an idiot. He turns back around and starts to make his way back to the castle. He follows the path he just walked down and enters the side entrance of the castle by the garden.
“Izuku?” Bakugou calls out.
His voice echoes a bit and receives no response. Bakugou starts to wander around, calling out Izuku’s name. He doesn’t spot him anywhere in the dining room or kitchen. After searching the first floor, Bakugou goes to the second. He doesn’t have much luck there either. Even in the room Izuku always occupies at night, it’s completely empty.
“Where the fuck did he go?” Bakugou asks himself.
Was this all a mirage after all? A dream? Had Izuku been a ghost all this time? No. Bakugou isn’t crazy. He still has Izuku’s gift with him. A ghost wouldn’t have been able to give him this, so where the hell is he? Bakugou was only gone for so long, not even an hour before he came back. Where could he be? He’s searched what feels like the entire first and second floor. His only other option is…
Bakugou looks up to the third floor. Izuku said it was dangerous and to avoid it, but there is no other place to look. Bakugou carefully climbs up the stairs. He doesn’t want to end up injured again, so he heeds Izuku’s warning and is careful where he steps. He can see the cracks in floors and the holes in them as well.
He can also hear something.
“Izuku?” Bakugou calls out.
He can hear the noise again, but it doesn’t sound… pleasant. Bakugou feels a shiver run down his spine. His instincts are telling him to leave right now, but if Izuku is in danger…Bakugou can’t leave him behind. He walks forward, carefully and quietly this time. He thinks about what it might be. An animal could have gotten in here? Or perhaps someone wandered in and wasn't the friendly type? Izuku didn’t look like he could fight for shit. He would easily be taken advantage of, by an animal or human.
The muffled sound increases. It’s strange because all the doors down this hallway are closed shut, all except for one. Bakugou heads towards that door. He balls his hands into fists, heart racing inside of his chest as he gets closer and closer.
“Sho-ah!”
Izuku’s voice! Bakugou walks straight over and looks inside of the room. The door isn’t fully open, but it is just enough so Bakugou can look inside.
What he sees takes his breath away.
Izuku is there, but he isn’t alone. He’s wrapped around completely in the embrace of another man. Bakugou curses and sees red. He knew he wasn’t fucking imagining it-he fucking knew he heard a man’s voice that first night! Izuku had lied to him! He had made him seem like he was crazy, but he wasn’t! Izuku was hiding him! Bakugou doesn’t know how because he heard the voice one second and the very next second when he barged inside there was no one there except that stupid cat!
…
Cat. Bakugou’s eyes slowly grow wide as he sees what he was missing before. He was so focused on Izuku that he didn’t notice the man’s features. Half red hair, half white…just like that damn cat’s fur. No…there’s no way-
Bakugou stumbles back when the man’s head suddenly lifts up and his eyes look straight over. Blue and gray eyes. There can be no mistaking it. The same eyes that would glare at him nearly every goddamn day were glaring at him right at this moment.
“Shouto, don’t stop. Please, please.”
Shouto smirks at Bakugou before he brings his attention back to Izuku. He leans down and kisses him passionately before giving him what he’s been begging for.
“Say it, Izuku.”
“Ah! I-I love you! I love you Shouto-oooh. I love you!”
“I love you too. You’re mine.”
“Y-yes, I’m your mate. I’m yours Shouto, all yours!
“You’ll never leave me, will you?”
“No-never! Never!”
“Good,” Shouto chuckles.
He starts to glow a white and blue-ish color all over his body. Two large pointy ears appear on the top of his head along with a tail wiggling like crazy on his behind. Shouto reveals his sharp fangs and bites down on Izuku’s neck, hard enough to leave a mark. His lover cries out at the top of his lungs as he holds onto him tighter.
Bakugou backs up. He turns and runs away, feeling sick to his stomach, and doesn’t stop until he’s escaped from this cursed castle and is back at the river. His lungs are burning by the time he makes it there and he collapses on the ground. Bakugou dunks his head into the water, but that image doesn’t leave his brain.
That cat was a demon. Or beast? Spirit? Monster? It was something pure evil and it captured Izuku. Bakugou was warned about the creatures lurking in this forest. He always thought it was a tale, something stupid to tell kids so they don’t go wandering in the forest, but no. It was real. That beast had bewitched Izuku.
Bakugou stands back up and turns to look at the way he just came from. What should he do? Beast or demon, Bakugou couldn’t kill it. Not on his own. Not without a weapon and definitely not without being at his full strength. He doesn’t want to leave Izuku behind. He doesn’t want to leave him alone to that fate, but how can Bakugou rescue him with no plan? Izuku didn’t even seem to notice, but that beast must have always been watching him, tricking him, putting him under some type of spell that never made him want to leave the cursed castle.
Bakugou should have grabbed Izuku’s hand and ran when he first offered him to come with.
It’s too late now. He doesn’t want to do it, but he doesn’t want to get senselessly killed either. Bakugou knows what he needs to do. He needs to go back. He needs to return back to his village and warn the other people about the abandoned castle and the beast that lives inside. He needs to tell everyone and gather up all the hunters to come with him and kill that monster. Who knows how long it has lived here right underneath all of their noses. Who knows how many other people it has kidnapped all this time.
Izuku probably isn’t the first and he isn’t going to be the last.
Bakugou growls out and starts running, following the path down the river. He can’t waste anymore time. He has to go and hurry before it’s too late. Before that thing realizes what he’s planning and comes after him. Bakugou doesn’t even know why it let him go in the first place after practically being trapped inside of its lair, but Izuku had let him go. Izuku had saved him. Bakugou was going to return that favor.
But when Bakugou had returned to his village and gathered up all the hunters he needed to slay the beast, he could never find his way back to that cursed castle. No matter how many times he trailed up and down that river, he never saw it again.