Chapter Text
hangin out live with the squad!!
From ElectricRiot
73K viewers and counting
[Image ID: A teenage boy with spiky red hair sits on the ground in the middle of a room, looking up at the camera in a red tank top and black sweatpants. Next to him sits another teen boy with bright yellow hair with a black lightning bolt shape in it, wearing a black hoodie with yellow stripes and ripped black skinny jeans, as well as a black choker necklace. On the couch behind them is a teen girl with pink skin, fluffy pink hair, and yellow horns, her legs propped up on the lap of a third teen boy with shoulder-length black hair. The girl has on a neon green and yellow tank top and blue basketball shorts. The black-haired boy has a grey hoodie with a picture of a tape dispenser on it and black pants. Finally, on the opposite side of the couch is the fourth teen boy, with spiky blond hair, a black tank top, and grey sweatpants. End ID.]
Kirishima: [waves at the camera] Well hello there, dudes! It’s me, Riot!
Kaminari: [waves at the camera also] And me, Electric!
Kirishima: Today we are here with the whole gang! [all the teens smile except the blonde] We even got Bakubro to join us! [Kirishima reaches back and pokes the blonde’s leg, making him scowl] Just in case they don’t know someone you should all go around and introduce yourselves, bros!
Ashido: [grinning at camera] What’s up, people? I’m Ashido.
Sero: Sero, here!
[Image ID: All of the teens turn to look at Bakugou, who just ignores them with his eyes on his phone.]
Kirishima: [gestures back at Bakugou] This broody man here is my best bro, Bakugou!
Kaminari: [puts a hand on his chest] I thought I was your best bro! [wipes away a fake tear]
Kirishima: No! You’re all my best bros! That’s why we’re a squad!
Bakugou, grumbling: This is so stupid.
Kaminari: That means he’s having fun!
Bakugou: It does NOT.
Ashido: [laughing] Calm down, Blasty.
[Image ID: Bakugou turns to glare at Ashido, who just blinks at him innocently with a smile. Bakugou huffs and turns back to his phone.]
Kirishima: Oh! Looks like we got some questions in the chat! [squints at somewhere next to the camera] Let’s see…’what made us start the channel?’ That’s a great one! Well w-
Ashido: I dared them to post a video of them doing the stupidest shit imaginable and then they kept doing it. That was last year.
Kaminari: Hey!
Kirishima: Dude, she’s technically right. [looking back to the chat] Oh, that first video got taken down because out homeroom teacher found it. I think we were doing backflips off the monkey bars at a park near here.
Sero: [laughs] I remember that! Kaminari broke his arm!
Bakugou: Yeah, and then I had to carry his dumb ass to the hospital.
Kaminari: [grins at Bakugou and leans toward him] That’s the moment I knew you cared.
Bakugou: [scowls and pushes Kaminari’s face away] Shut the fuck up, Dunce Face.
Kirishima: [to the camera] Bakugou’s not on here a lot, but he uses insulting nicknames to show affection. So manly!
Bakugou: Shitty Hair, I swear to fuck-
Kaminari: He also swears a lot.
Bakugou: [standing up] Listen, if this was all just some shit to dunk on me for an hour then I’m fucking leaving!
Kirishima: Wait, Bakubro, don’t go! I’m sorry, we’ll leave you alone.
Bakugou: [sits back down on the couch and grumbles]
Kaminari: Anyways, next question! [looks at chat] Ooh, this one wants to know if we got any new videos planned! [Kirishima and Kaminari look at each other with smiles, then back at the camera] We sure do! But it’s a secret.
cont…
Livestream has ended after 3 hours and 28 minutes
--
After what felt for-fucking-ever, Shitty Hair finally said goodbye to all the stupid people watching and turned off the camera for the night.
“Well, that was fun!” He said, looking at Katsuki. Katsuki just made a growl noise in response. He hadn’t been paying attention the whole time, and only joined the live because Shitty Hair and Dunce Face practically begged him. For weeks. He should’ve just blown up their faces, but apparently these people were ‘friends’ and you ‘don’t do that’. At least, according to his idiot father. Katsuki had never been one for friends, at least not for the past 6 years, but for some reason this group of idiots just got under his skin. He hated it with a passion.
“Oh, come on, Blasty!” Dunce Face tittered. “You had fun! I saw you smile!”
Katsuki glared at Dunce Face and wished him to burn to a crisp before his eyes. Unfortunately, that did not happen. “I don’t fuckin’ think so.”
“You did! Remember, when Kirishima talked about the time he fell from the second story of Ground Beta back in first year!”
Katsuki had to hold back another smile at the second reminder. It wasn’t hard. He pushed himself off the couch and slipped his phone in his pocket. “Whatever. I’m going to bed. You shitheads have kept me up too late.” A chorus of goodbyes and goodnights followed Katsuki back up the dorm stairs to his room. Little did his…friends know, Katsuki never, ever fell asleep as early as he claimed to. He doesn’t think he’s fallen asleep before 12 am for 6 years. Or gotten more than 4 fitful hours a night. But it was fine. He was fine.
Totally fine!
Katsuki dropped onto his bed like a pile of rocks, the emotional exhaustion of being in a room with the shitheads for so long taking a toll on him. They just talked…so much. And bothered him. And asked him for shit. And made sure he was doing okay. Gross, annoying, unnecessary, stupid. He could take care of his-fucking-self.
He heard the Idiot Squadron chattering and laughing downstairs, and he definitely doesn’t wish he’d stayed down there longer. He definitely doesn’t think about how their presence seemed to ward off the thoughts and nightmares. He doesn’t think about how, when he has them with him, he doesn’t feel nearly as scared.
He doesn’t think any of that, because he’s Bakugou fucking Katsuki and he’s not afraid of anything. Especially not the dark, and most certainly not his own damn brain.
He could deal with nightmares on his own.
--
red
red
everything is red
redhandredhairredshirtredarmsredfloor
red
blood
blood
pools of blood
soaking
soaking
floorboards
crack
sticky red hands
shaking
no
nonononononononono
wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupWAKEUP
fearbreathcantbreathchesthurtsbloodeverywherescaryscaryscarymonsterknifeteethclawssharpshredripclawbleeddeath
YOUR FAULT
--
Katsuki woke up with a sharp inhale, tearing at his chest with his hands, and immediately puked over the side of his bed. Thankfully, this happens often, so he had a bowl there. As soon as he’s done heaving, he flopped back down on his pillows, heart still racing. His vision slowly started coming into focus along with the rest of his brain, ripping him out of the nightmare and back to his dorm room and bed.
He smelled sizzling caramel in the air and groaned. Fuck, not this again. He looked down at his tank top and sure enough, there was a hole burned in the middle, right above his heart. Sixth time this month. At this rate, he was going to be out of shirts by next quarter. And, he was starting to scar there, the skin becoming raised, red, and sensitive to the touch.
Stupid fucking weakling who can’t even get a grip on my shit enough to deal with a nightmare.
He sighed, slipping out of bed and tossing his ruined shirt in the garbage can, rummaging through his drawer for a new one. His hand hit something solid within the fabric and he froze. Slowly, he wrapped his hand around the object and brought it out of the drawer.
All Might figurine, Bronze Age, Limited Edition. It used to be His prized possession.
Katsuki wanted to throw the figurine out the window like it was a possessed demon object, but every time he found himself just tucking it back in under his clothes. He quickly grabbed a shirt and slammed the drawer shit again, putting the shirt on carefully. He grabbed his disgusting puke bowl and running shoes and made his way towards the communal bathrooms. Katsuki knew nobody would see him—he woke up too damn early. The sun wasn’t even fully risen at this time in the morning.
After flushing the remnant of his nightmare down the toilet, gagging, Katsuki went to wash his hands. By mistake, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He looked like shit, and that was before he realized he’d forgotten to take the makeup off last night. The old hag had given him makeup way back when he first started middle school, saying he could use it to cover up breakouts and the like. Now, he used it to cover up and distract from the deep purple bags under his eyes. He was pretty sure they were permanent by now, but no one else needed to know about them. To the outside world, he was Bakugou Katsuki, the angry asshole with talent to outshine them all, and who never, ever cried himself to sleep, woke up screaming, or permanently hurt himself with his own damn quirk. And it was going to stay that way.
He quickly splashed his face with the cold water and wiped it dry with his t-shirt. He glared at himself one more time in the mirror before stomping out of the bathrooms and heading for the outside world.
It was time to run.
--
Back in Katsuki’s first year, there were a couple villain attacks that led the UA staff to decide on keeping the students in dormitories on campus. A year later, the villain groups that attacked them were mostly stomped out by heroes, but the few left floundering around meant the UA students were back at the dorms. Thankfully, though, this year they could leave the school grounds without written permission. It meant a lot less sneaking around for Katsuki.
Every morning for almost 6 years he’d done the same run to the same place at the same time, and no villain threat was going to stop him from that. He’d crush the stupid villains easily anyways. He never got the chance to run into them, though.
Katsuki took a deep breath of the cool morning air as he started running, letting it fill up his lungs. His nightmares often left him feeling like he was suffocating, and the fresh air felt like his first breath of oxygen in years.
His feet hit the pavement in a constant rhythm, sending waking jolts up his body and shaking him from his head. His red sneakers kicked up dust behind him as he picked up speed, heading for his destination and away from UA campus.
Before he knew it, he was there. That’s part of what Katsuki loved so much about running. For a moment, he was outside of his jailcell of a brain, and he could breathe. He could forget.
Katsuki looked up at the iron gates surrounding the graveyard as he ran inside.
At least, he could pretend to forget.
--
Katsuki didn’t know why he visited the grave every morning. It’s not like he did anything. He didn’t bring flowers, he didn’t write notes, he didn’t pray, and he sure as fuck didn’t talk. No, he just sat there, shoulder to granite, his head resting on the top of the hard tombstone, staring into the distance and catching his breath. He got nothing out of it, but he still did it every day. The thought of not doing it made his chest constrict in immediate panic.
Weak, weak, weak.
--
After returning to the dorm from his run, Katsuki grabbed his go-bag from his room and headed for the showers. He let the warm water rush over him, washing all the sweat away and watching it mix with dirt as it trickled down the drain. He also made sure to wash the area over his heart gently, though something in him screamed to scrub it raw and watch it bleed. He quickly crumpled the thought up and shoved it to the garbage can depths of his shithole brain.
As soon as he was done with his shower, it was to the mirror. The bags under his eyes looked somehow worse than most mornings, and he quickly covered them with the makeup. Next, he popped the cap of the eyeliner pen and drew four quick, sharp lines above and below each eye. The eyeliner was a habit started in 1st year of high school, despite his mother’s warnings. The logic was that if he put them there on purpose, no one would think the dark around his eyes was showing weakness. It only took some explosions in a couple asshole extra’s faces to shut up anyone trying to insult him about it.
Finally, he grabbed the tub of Vaseline he bought from a convenience store down the street and slowly rubbed it over the budding scar of his chest. He’d looked it up, and supposedly that helped heal them faster. It at least made it a little less irritated at every brush of his shirt against the wound
Packing all his things away, Katsuki returned to his room. He was still the only one awake.
--
Katsuki decided to make himself an American bacon and eggs breakfast, and apparently the smell had lured down some more sleepy extras. Goddammit, he was hoping for a few more minutes of peace. All he could do was glare at the classmates who started poking around the kitchen behind him, but they didn’t even seem to notice. Tch. Whatever.
Katsuki slid the eggs and bacon out of the pan and onto the plate, placing the pan in the sink to wash later before taking a seat at the table farthest away from everyone else. Not that that stopped people from coming, but he could dream.
Soon, Shitty Hair slid into the seat to his right and Soy Sauce to the left, and he was boxed in. Shitty Hair clanked his spoon around in his cereal bowl for a second before turning towards Katsuki and smiling, food still in his mouth.
“Bakubro!” He smiled. Katsuki instantly jolted backwards.
“What the fuck, Shitty Hair! Don’t talk with shit in your mouth, it’s gross!” These people have no fucking table manners. Shitty Hair’s eyes widened, and he quickly swallowed his cereal, downing it with a glass of milk. Yuck, yuck, yuck.
“Sorry, bro! I just have something I want to tell you!” Shitty Hair turned away for a second, then brought out his phone. “Look here! All our subs are talking about you!” A phone was shoved in Katsuki’s face and he could see a string of tweets with screenshots of him and stupid words like ‘edgy’ and ‘dreamy’. What the fuck. Dreamy? He wasn’t dreamy. Dreamy was a word used to describe assholes like that Half-n-Half bastard, not Katsuki.
Katsuki frowned at the phone, willing it to all go away. “Uh…why are they talking about me?”
“Everyone loves the hot broody guy with eyeliner, Blasty my boy,” Racoon Eyes said, leaning out from behind Shitty Hair and winking. Katsuki growled at her.
Shitty Hair was back to scrolling through his phone. “Ha! This one wants to know your favorite color. They’re obsessed.”
“That’s dumb,” Dunce Face said from across the table. “It’s obviously black. Look at his clothes.”
“No!” Racoon Eyes said. “It’s gotta be orange! Like on his costume!”
“Black!”
“Orange!”
“Black!”
“It’s fucking green.”
All members of the Dumbass Brigade turned to look at him as he stared down at his plate. He has no idea why he said that. He hadn’t meant to at all.
“What?” Soy Sauce asked.
Katsuki looked up and glared at him. “I said it’s fucking green.” Suddenly, he couldn’t take it anymore. He quickly stood, his chair screeching backwards loudly, and made a b-line for the kitchen, dropping his plate in the sink, food still half-eaten. Why did he repeat himself? Why did this bother him? Was he so weak he could talk about something like his favorite color without having another fucking breakdown? They all probably thought he was insane. Vulnerable. Stupid.
Weak.
Katsuki started heading straight for the stairs, hoping to get to his room and calm himself down before class started, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He growled and whipped around to see Shitty Hair, staring at him, and looking – oh for fuck’s sake - concerned. Great. Now he was a baby who needed help from the big adult. He shrugged the heavy hand off his shoulder.
“Dude, are you alright?”
Katsuki wanted to set off an explosion big enough to level the entire dorm building. Maybe the whole entire campus. FUCK! Why had he told them about green? What the fuck was he thinking?
He was probably thinking that he could handle talking about colors! Colors!
That’s all green was. A color.
…
Color.
Green.
Color.
Red.
Dark red.
Blood.
Dark red on green. Sticky blood everywhere. Seeping. Soaking. Green gives way to red. Gives way to hurt. Hands are covered in red. All red. Vision red. Blurred.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!
Redgreenyellowscreamcryredmoreredhurtalonegreendarkblackgreenredredredredgonealonegreenre-
BAKUGOU!
It took a moment for Katsuki to realize the shout was not coming from inside his own head. Then it was sudden and immediate, like he was being torn of a different universe and sent into a totally different orbit. He felt his feet, heavy on the ground, and someone’s tight grip on his shoulders. They were keeping him upright because he was falling over. He had to stop falling over. He had to stand. He knew how to stand. You just push yourself up and-SHIT! The hands pulled him back again, stopping him from toppling backwards.
He felt tears pricking painfully at the corners of his eyes and quickly blinked them away. I don’t know how to stand.
“What?”
Katsuki realized with a start that he’d said that out loud, and finally looked up to meet Shitty Hair’s red eyes. Wait. Red. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK. Before he knew what he was doing, his hand was covering Shitty Hair’s face, blocking those eyes from view. He could not afford to go down that spiral again so soon. He shoved the other boy backwards a little bit for good measure. He didn’t need any fucking help.
Shitty Hair’s hands were still clamped down on his shoulders. Katsuki started seething. He could take care of himself!
“Get the fuck off of me!” He yelled, shoving Shitty Hair back further. Both boys stumbled a bit, but at least Shitty Hair didn’t still have a death grip on his shoulders. Katsuki looked around him and saw multiple classmates just standing there, staring. Shit. Shit. Not good. So not good. “What the fuck are you all staring at?” He roared, startling the extras.
He needed to get out of here, now. He barreled though the line of students, ramming the front door open and slamming it close behind him. He headed straight down the dirt path into the woods, not knowing where he was going and not caring in the slightest. He just needed to get away. He needed to think.
He heard the crunch of footsteps behind him, aimed one hand back, and set off a blast. He didn’t turn to see who it was, he could tell by the yelp. Why the hell would Dunce Face follow him?
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” He yelled back, not stopping his war march forwards.
“Bakugou, wait! Please!” Katsuki set off another blast behind him and heard another yelp. “Dude! I’m sorry! Please, I didn’t mean to freak you out and neither did Mina or-” Dunce Face was cut off by Katsuki whirling around and slamming him up against a tree.
“I don’t get freaked out,” He snarled. Kaminari’s eyes were wide, and he put his hands up, his feet dangling in the air.
“Oh, I mean, you just seem-”
Katsuki leaned closer towards Kaminari’s face, growling. “I. Don’t. Get. Freaked. Out. Ever. Got it?”
Dunce Face nodded quickly. “Got it!” He squeaked. Katsuki dropped him, and he landed on his feet with a cough. Katsuki just glared down at him. How dare he. How fucking dare he—this shit-for-brains idiot extra—imply that he was scared. He was Bakugou fucking Katsuki, and he wasn’t afraid of shit!
“You tell all those other shitty extras that if they ever bring this morning up, I will personally be blasting their ass to outer fucking space and relish in their screams as the sun boils them alive.” It wasn’t his most creative, but he was in fucking panic mode here.
Dunce Face looked shocked enough. “Oh-okay.” He still didn’t move.
“Now leave me the hell alone!” Katsuki yelled. Dunce Face finally turned and fled down the path again, letting Katsuki slump against a tree and slide to the ground, burying his head in his knees. This was really, really bad.
--
“Bakugou.”
Katsuki ignored the voice.
“Bakugou, what is going on?”
He kept ignoring. He sensed a person sit next to him. Aizawa Sensei. Great.
“Why weren’t you in class?”
“You mean none of the extras said anything?” Katsuki grumbled into his lap.
“The students told me you ran off into the woods. They didn’t tell me why.”
Katsuki almost breathed a sigh of relief. They had shut up about it, even to a teacher. This was fine, it was going to be fine. That was, until Sensei spoke again.
“Bakugou, does this have something to do with your friend?” Katsuki froze. What the fuck. What the fuck? Why would he ask that? Why would he bring that up?
“What fucking friend, I don’t have those,” He lied, still refusing to look up. He felt his hands start to crackle and pop with explosions he wasn’t in control of. He wanted to scream.
“I think you know who I’m talking about,” Aizawa Sensei responds, far too much concern in his voice.
Katsuki finally looked up, glaring at his teacher. “Shut the hell up about him. I don’t want to hear it, okay?” He pushed himself off the ground, hands still popping. “And I don’t need your concern, you old shithead, so leave me ALONE!”
Aizawa Sensei stood with him. “Bakugou, you don’t have to deal with this alo-”
“I’ve been dealing for the past SIX FUCKING YEARS, BY MYSELF. I CAN HANDLE IT!” Katsuki screamed. “And FUCK YOU for thinking that I can’t!” Fuck Sensei, fuck his dad, fuck the old hag, fuck the dumb therapists, and fuck his classmates. None of them thought he was capable of anything, did they? He didn’t need help. He didn’t need pity.
Aizawa Sensei sighed. “Bakugou, I’m sorry. I know this isn’t really my place. But as your teacher, I need to know that you are safe and not struggling.”
“I AM NOT STRUGGLING WITH SHIT, ASSHOLE.”
Aizawa Sensei was still unfazed by the screaming. “Okay. Could you please come back to school, then? All your classmates are doing quirk training at Ground Beta.”
Katsuki huffed and started back up the path back to school, brushing past Sensei on the way. “Fine.” He didn’t want to miss class and fall behind. Besides, quirk training was a good way to blow off steam. And it didn’t matter that he’d have to see all the damn extras again, because he’d be too busy blowing shit up to care.
--
Katsuki had blown the third boulder to smithereens, and he was grinning about it like a madman. See, idiots? I can take care of myself.
Cementos Sensei raised another wall of solid rock in front of Katsuki, which meant he could start throwing blasts at it. He was practicing quick, repeated explosions, trying to build up his stamina. And boy did it feel good to just let loose, blasting hole after hole into the rock and sending pebbles showering down on his classmate’s heads. Soon, the fourth boulder wall was in pieces on the ground next to all the others. He was about to call for another when he heard a sizzling sound and a yell.
Turning quickly, he found Racoon Eyes holding her arm with one hand while a stream of acid burst out of her other hand. Her eyes were wide and mouth wide open, and she looked like she was out of control. The rock wall in front of her was quickly deteriorating, the top part teetering backwards and starting to fall to the ground below. Where Dunce Face was.
…
SHIT.
Without thinking, Katsuki blasted himself off his rock pillar and shot at the slab that was hurtling towards an oblivious Kaminari. Yelling, he swung one fist around and punched and explosion into the rock, blasting it to chunks. And then he kept going, slamming Dunce Face into the ground and sending them both careening into the wall with a bang.
As soon as he heard the last bits of stone hit the ground, Katsuki opened his eyes. To his horror, his arms were wrapped around Dunce Face’s head, pressing the idiot into his chest as he curled around him protectively. He quickly shoved himself away and scrambled back on his ass, leaning away. Dunce Face was staring at him with wide yellow eyes. Katsuki could feel the eyes of his classmates on him, too, for the second fucking time today.
“You’re a fucking idiot!” He snapped. “Watch where your fucking standing!” He turned to face Pinky, who had gotten her quirk to stop and was now staring at them with a horrified look, gripping her hand to her chest. “And you! Control your stupid acid, you’re gonna hurt somebody!” He was sure she already knew that, but he yelled it anyways. He was pissed. His stupid friends were trying to kill his other stupid friends.
Tears bubbled out of Pinky’s eyes and she started running towards him and Dunce Face. She dropped to her knees and slid into Kaminari, gripping him in a tight hug and sobbing apologies. Dunce Face hugged her back and patted her fluffy pink hair.
“Hey, hey, I’m okay! You didn’t crush me, it’s all good!” He assured her.
“I am so, so sorry, Denki!” She repeated. Katsuki growled in the back of his throat. Do these assholes ever shut up? He stood up before Racoon Eyes could turn the waterworks and boa constrictor grip onto him. Cementos Sensei was quickly at his side.
“Bakugou, Kaminari, Ashido! Is everyone okay?”
“We’re fucking fine,” Katsuki answered. The two sniveling idiots on the floor nodded.
“That’s good. You three should go see Recovery Girl.”
“Hah?” Katsuki glared. “Why? I said I’m fine!”
Cementos Sensei just stared back at him. “Something like this leaves people shaken, you shoulder go make sure you’re okay and take the rest of the class off. No more quirk training for you three.”
“WHAT?” Katsuki yelled. That’s what he gets for saving the idiot? He stomped out of Ground Beta, swearing under his breath. He could feel Dunce Face and Pinky behind him. Maybe, just maybe, they could walk in silence, and he could-
“Bakugou, wait!” Of fucking course. Dunce Face jogged to catch up and fell in step beside him. “Dude, uh…thanks!”
“Shut it,” Katsuki growled.
“No really, thanks. You had like, superhuman reflexes back there! Speedy!”
“Whatever,” Katsuki sniffed. “I don’t care, I just didn’t need another dead friend.” Wait. What did he just say? Holy fuck, what was with him today? He couldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut.
“I- another what?”
Katsuki glared at the ground and clenched his jaw, speeding up to try and escape the yellow eyes following him. “Nothing. Fuck you.” Thankfully, Dunce Face didn’t try to catch up again and kept walking behind him. He knew they were whispering about him back there. He knew they’d go tell everyone else about it. But right now, he just needed to get alone. Somehow, 2 hours in the woods didn’t calm him down enough to keep his thoughts to himself. Because of course it didn’t. Because he was a weak, coward bitch.
This day needed to end.
--
Knock knock.
Katsuki side-eyed his door from his bed. “The hell do you want?”
“Hey Bakubro! Just wanted to uh…check in on you!” Shitty Hair called from outside.
He didn’t need to be checked up on! “Fuck off, Shitty Hair.”
“Can I come in?” What part of ‘fuck off’ did he not understand? Katsuki sighed.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, just to hang out? I have snacks.”
Katsuki paused as his stomach rumbled. “Fine.” His door creaked open and in came Hair-for-Brains, his hair down instead of in its usual spikes. He must have taken a shower after a workout or something. “If you bring up anything from today, I’m blasting you out the window.” He warned.
Shitty Hair nodded and smiled, the cocky bastard. “I know, I know. Wasn’t planning on it.” He tossed a bag of spicy Doritos across the room to Katsuki, who slid off his bed. Like hell was he eating crumbly chips where he sleeps. He watched Shitty Hair shove a handful of snacks down his throat. Gross. Why did he tolerate this guy? Shitty Hair swallowed his food and smiled at Katsuki again. “Oh, hey, have I told you about Kaminari and I’s new video idea?”
Katsuki just grunted in response.
“Didn’t think so! It’s going to be so fun, though! I can’t wait.”
“Since when do you plan your videos?” Katsuki asked. As far as he knew, the most planning that ever went into the stupid channel was to make sure wherever they filmed was close enough to a hospital. And usually that wasn’t even Kirishima and Kaminari’s doing, it was Katsuki’s.
“Since this one! Well, we’re not exactly planning it out, but it’s going to be a longer video, hopefully.”
Fine, he’ll bite. “About?”
Shitty Hair grinned again with his dumb shark teeth. “Ghosts!”
Katsuki froze, a chip halfway into his mouth. “What?”
Kirishima didn’t seem to notice his reaction. “Yup! We’re going to go check out this haunted house and look for the ghost that’s supposed to live there! Ghost-hunting!”
No. It wouldn’t-That house was gone, right? Why would they-no. No. No way! Katsuki levelled a harsh gaze at his friend on the ground. “What house.”
“You’ve probably seen it, it’s actually a couple blocks from where you live! That big grey one down the street from the gas station? It’s spooky.”
The chip in Katsuki’s hand was now crushed to dust. You have got to be fucking kidding me! He screamed in his head at whatever powers-that-be that decided to royally fuck up his day. What the hell had he done to deserve this shit-fest?
“And why do you think there’s a ghost in there?” He asked, trying to keep his voice level. He was not going to have three breakdowns in one day.
Kirishima was looking at him with unease. “Well…there are old rumors that people died in there a long time ago. And a rumor about the angry spirits killing a kid…”
Katsuki clenched both of his hands into tight fists, crushing the bag of chips. “Oh.” He choked out. Deep fucking breaths, Katsuki. Don’t be a baby. “Cool.” No. Not cool. Very not cool. Kirishima and Kaminari could not go in that house. They just couldn’t. He couldn’t let them.
But if he told them that, he’d have to say why, and that was never going to happen. And if he didn’t give that explanation, they would all just think he was some coward who was scared of god-damn ghosts, of all things. He wasn’t scared of ghosts, and he wasn’t scared of the dark, and he wasn’t scared of monsters, and he wasn’t scared of a house.
He. Was. Not. Scared.
He still had to protect his friends, though. For heaven’s sake, they nearly killed each other just today! How were they supposed to get out of that house? He couldn’t be responsible for that situation again. He wouldn’t allow it.
His mouth moved faster than his brain. “I’m coming with you.”
Kirishima looked up, his stream of babbling interrupted by Katsuki. “Huh?”
“To the ghost house. I’m coming with you.” Shit. No going back now.
“You are? Why? I thought you hated the channel.”
Katsuki glared at him. “It’s not fuckin’ up for debate, Shitty Hair.”
Shitty Hair just nodded and broke into a smile. “Alright then! Cool beans, man!”
That put a pause in Katsuki’s mind-fuck. “Cool…beans?”
Shitty Hair snorted a laugh. “Cool beans.” Katsuki frowned and raised and eyebrow, which only made Kirishima laugh harder, falling backwards.
“What the hell is wrong with you…” Katsuki muttered. “Who says that?” Shitty Hair was now laughing to hard barely any noise came out. “What are you laughing at, Hair-brains?” He snapped.
Kirishima was now clutching his stomach as he laughed, panting for breath. “Ha! Oh my god, ooohh man! The way you-ha-your face-oh my god!”
“Are you fucking laughing at me?”
Shitty Hair wiped his eyes, still giggled. “I’m not! I’m not! It’s just, hah, they way you said-hah, hah-that! Cool fuckin’ beans!”
Katsuki whipped a pillow at his friend’s face. “Shut the hell up.”