23

Bakugo's POV

I woke up with a splitting headache now wrapped in the sleeping bag behind Dadizawa's desk. Deku in my arms, sleeping snuggled into my chest. I pull him close knowing that I hurt him, making him torture me in front of our class. I just couldn't do it, not again. The old Hag always made me hurt him growing up; all the pain, all the scars, all the blood, I just couldn't do it again.

I could feel the tears trailing down my face as they fell. I couldn't stop them, I know the feeling of watching the one you love cry out in agony while being forced to continue. At least he was allowed to stop when he knew he couldn't take anymore, but he might have waited too long considering he passed out too.

"You did good Love. You did really good," I kissed his head pulling him as close as I could without hurting him. I could feel his breathing slow down as if even in his sleep he could hear me and it made all the difference in the world that I said it out loud. I held him for a while noting the way he breathed and the way his face moved or twitched as I moved. Good at the very least he doesn't seem to be in pain.

I stood up and looked around seeing our class just sitting in their seats quietly waiting. Some were on their phones, many were studying others seemed to have books opened, strangely they were anatomy books. I stretched and yawned, getting everyone's attention, letting my sore and stiff muscles move, pop, crack and flex as they needed before I bent down and checked on Deku again.

He's fine but he needs to rest, I pull out our work phone and see that the schedule is posted and that we don't need to work today after all. Thank All Might. I sent a message to Pain that we wouldn't be in today. Something came up and he responded with K. Nothing more nothing less the kid was efficient if nothing else.

I checked Deku's temperature and found that he is a little hot, damn we can't get sick now. I frowned and decided that medicine was the first thing I needed. "Momo I need a cold tablet, Sero go get a large glass of water. Ashido, can Deku borrow your jacket? Kirishima and Todoroki, is there any way you two could run back and make Deku's version of soup? I suck at it." I was asking and my voice was soft but they jumped at each instruction making or getting whatever I needed.

I opened the sleeping bag and saturated my hands in my quirk and started rubbing at his feet and moving my way up. "I knew it was too soon. We should have recovered for another week at least," I grumbled as I worked, letting my classmates help him with the things I asked for.

"Kacchan?" I hear him ask weakly but I shush him telling him it's all going to be okay. "I'm so sorry Kacchan I didn't want to. I swear!" He started coughing and I just continued trying to relax him. It is considerably harder with clothes on but once I get him back to the dorm I can fix that. He kept talking, he didn't even know where we were or who was around us. He was in his memories.

And we were five again...

"It's okay I'm here for you. It's okay," I whisper trying to soothe the memories away.

"No it's not Aunty made me do such horrible things to you. Why? It was your birthday, why did I have to hurt you? Why did she make me hurt you?" His tears were pouring down his face while Sero tried to help him drink.

"I'm strong, remember? I can take anything you give me," I started whispering the words from our memories back to him. "One day we'll be free and we can be like the heroes in our dreams." The words flowed so easily I could almost remember the way the burns smelt and the way they itched from being dry for too long.

"I love you Kacchan, I don't want to hurt you," He whimpered, still reliving the memory.

"I know but we have to be strong right now, we are only five but soon enough a hero will come like we see on TV all the time." Tears were streaming down my face as I tried everything I could not to let it show through my voice. Everytime he gets sick this happens, we have to relive the day that everything changed. The day I turned five and the old hag made Deku use his new quirk on me. The day that no matter what she said or did he wouldn't do what he was told. The day she put the devices in our chest to limit what I could do and prevented him from doing anything at all.

I had to cover my mouth to keep the sobs from breaking free, I was sitting back on my heels rocking slowly trying everything to stop them. It was the day our lives changed for the worst. I squeeze my eyes shut trying to close the memories off, to keep them away. But they came anyway. The way she sprayed lighter fluid into his mouth after chaining us together prevented him from looking away. Making sure that when the flames finally did come out that they would burn me, that they would scar me.

My hand reached for my chest where the scar used to be, if not for the quirk he got from All Might it would still be there. It would be huge red and angry after all it was all the way until Deku healed it just a year or so ago. There was a point that the hag finally got tired of spraying the fluid into his mouth and just started pouring it in. No matter how much we struggled we couldn't get away, no matter how loud we screamed no one ever came...

"Bakugo? Bakugo! Bakugo? Bakugo!! BAKUGO!" My head snaps up hearing the frightened voice of our homeroom teacher. Did I fall asleep? No, I was very much awake, my fingers were still digging into my scalp like I was trying to pull my hair out. I released myself and shook my head trying to make the memories go away. The look on my mother's face as she laughed as I screamed in terror and pain when Deku finally ended up barfing fire all over me.

I flinched away when I saw movement coming towards me but it froze. I looked up and saw Dadizawa holding a hand out towards me. Did he say something? Did I do something wrong? He had an odd look on his face, I can't place it. It's not something I have ever seen on the hag or old man or any teacher I have ever had. So what is it? It kind of looks like the look Aunty Inko would have anytime we couldn't heal his injuries before taking him home. Aunty Inko, could she be my mom too? Would she want to be? I'm a brat. Why would she want anything to do with me?

"Bakugo?" I looked up again, this time the voice was quiet like it was afraid of scaring me. Am I afraid? I can't be afraid if I'm afraid who will keep Deku safe? No one ever comes. Why would they now?

"Katsuki?" I flinched away at the use of my first name. But somehow it's different from normal. It sounds like when Deku said my name, nice. Like he wanted to be careful with it. I looked up again and saw the dark black haired man, I know him. Somehow. He is safe. I see he is still holding out a hand to me and I stare at it for a moment and see him wave it gently in my direction. "I'm here to take care of you, please relax." I started crying again. Wait, did I ever stop? When did I start? Everything is running together.

"She sent you, didn't she? I told her I would be good. I promised I would be good please don't kill me. Please don't make me hurt him anymore?" I begged, dropping my head in my arms again, hiding from the man.

"Shh, it's okay. She isn't here. I'm here to protect you both from her and people like her. Do you understand?" I freeze and look up, my body shaking at the thought of actually being free.

"Do you promise? You'll save us?" I begged for the answer I dared not hope for but here I am asking a complete stranger.

"I promise, you and your friend are safe while you are with me." He held out his hand again and I froze but slowly took it. He pulled me into his arms and I broke down and just cried, unable to believe it but at the same time knowing it was true. We are finally free.