Midnights (3AM Edition)
หหยฐโข*โโท
โงโหโกpairing: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader
โงโหโกsummary: Katsuki can't sleep, oh, and he's hopelessly in love with you
โงโหโกtags: obviously cussing, reader has a quirk that manipulates/creates shadows, no pronouns are used but reader is written as gender neutral as possible, blood is mentioned, mentions of reader being American mb bro i cannot help myself, also reader has that weighted stuffed dinosaur from target bc i have one and i cannot sleep w/out him, there's mention of the bnha war arc and i just decided the reader got impaled during the war for the drama of it all sue me, reader has scars - so whether that be from the war or anything else that is up for you to decide
inbox is open so hmu!!
โพ โ*ยท๏พ:โ*ยท๏พ
Bakugou Katsuki has a schedule. A strict set of rules that he must follow because Bakugou Katsuki is very serious about his state of well being.
For years he has made sure to train his body in a multitude of ways; through diet, exercise, and especially his sleep. Once 8:30PM strikes on the clock Katsuki has already brushed his teeth, washed his face, put on comfortable clothes, and is tucked in bed with the lights off and eyes closed. Sure his friends had made fun of him for it but since when did he ever take them seriously? Watching them mope around in the morning while he was alert than anyone else in the class.ย
That was, until the war.ย
Some may not realize, but participating in a war as a literal teenager, is not very healthy for one's psyche. Especially when that war causes one to die and then come back to life.
The physical healing procedure was already tormenting enough. His heart still spiking when he exercises, and his body still aching from the broken and bruised bones. Despite the complications, Katsuki could take it. This was merely a bump in the road, and what didnโt kill him will only make him stronger.ย Mentally healing however, that was a more demanding and strenuous battle.ย
Which brings him at 3AM sitting straight up in his bed drenched in sweat.ย
Not only was Katsuki struggling to even fall asleep before 12AM, now he was jolting awake when his nightmares replayed the moment he lost his life.ย
Katsuki was tired. He was tired of feeling like every other one of his dumbass friends in the morning, and he was tired of having to relive his trauma every night.ย
โYou look like shit.โย
Katsukiโs eyes shifted upwards, the sun coming through the classroom windows making him squint. When his eyes adjusted to the newfound brightness, suddenly all he could do was stare. The sun had perfectly lit you up, your hair, eyes, whole body. You looked like a goddamn angel.ย
โNot even a snarky comeback, damn, you really are feeling rough huh?โย
Grumbling, he forces his line of sight away from your body. He mumbles a quick โfuck offโ but you did the exact opposite, jumping up on his desk and putting your face in his view.
Katsuki knew he had a crush on you, he knew he had feelings for you and he knows heโs a coward for never asking you out.ย Things just happened so quickly; by the time he finally admitted to himself that he was basically "in love" with you (Kaminariโs words, not his), Izuku had left and the both of you were too busy trying to get him back to further your relationship.ย
That never stopped him from his endless pining though. Everything about you drove him insane, he had never felt so at ease and like a madman at the same time. Your drive, strength, intelligence, courage, beauty, way with words, humor. All the way down to the way you look at him, he was down bad. In his eyes, you were perfect.ย
โKats,โ the softness of your voice caused him to look back into your eyes, immediately relaxing his shoulders. You turned your hand palm-up, a silent way of asking him to intertwine his fingers with yours. This was a new habit between the two of you, starting during Izukuโs disappearance. At first it was just the pinkies, both afraid of the intimacy of it would bring into their friendship. That was, until one particularly grueling night, where it turned into Katsuki fully holding onto your hand with both of his, as if he was scared of you disappearing into thin air.ย
Katsuki stared at your hands for a moment, taking in the small scars and calluses littered all over. Without a second thought his hand was laced with yours, already starting to feel better. What a loser he's turned out to be.
You nudged him with your knee, head craned to look at his face that he was hiding from you. โWhatโs going on?โย
He was hoping that you wouldn't ask, knowing that he would immediately open up like the lovesick fool he is. Taking in a deep breath, Katsuki shifted his neck to look back up at you.ย
โCanโt sleep, makinโ me all shitty.โ
You snorted, not being able to help yourself being tickled with his childish mumbles. You quickly shot him a quick โsorryโ when his eyes narrowed at your laughter.
Rubbing the back of his hand with your thumb, you spoke up.ย โYeah, nightmares are the worst.โ
Katsuki nodded his head slowly, knowing youโd understand despite the lack of information.ย
โYou know you can always come crash with me if you need it.โย
Katsuki was now more awake than he had been in weeks. His eyes widened as they glued onto your casual demeanor. Swinging your feet, you looked up and smiling at your friends as they stumbled into classroom waving enthusiastically at each other. The words just flowed out of your mouth, and not a single tell with your body language hinted at those words being unnatural to you. So much so, when you looked back at him you had the nerve to look at him confused and chuckle at his expression.ย
โYouโre a freak,โ Katsuki mumbled as he slipped his hand out of yours. He folded his arms and set his head back down onto his arms, but that only caused you to laugh harder.ย
You ruffle his head affectionately getting up from his desk, Katsuki grunting as he pretended he didnโt enjoy the domesticity. While you walked away, he couldnโt help but let his gaze follow. Seeing you so bright just interacting with your friends, it was something that never ceased to amaze him. You had gone through so much mentally and physically despite being so young. With all the trauma you had endured, Katsuki watched you live life to the fullest. He watched you continue to have fun, laugh, cry, do all the things you love; he watched you become a hero.ย
That is exactly why Katsuki found himself standing in front of your dorm door at 3 in the morning, hand only inches away from your door handle. This is stupid, it's so immeasurably idiotic, he had to be insane. The lack of sleep had indubitably affected his ability to think straight because what the hell did he think he was doing? This was only going to keep him more awake, he was going to be so goddamn nervous laying in your bed and being that close to you. Nonetheless, Katsuki turned the knob, immediately cringing at the creak the door made. Was he supposed to wake you up when he got in there or just...lay down? This was the first time in his life he entered a room without knowing how to proceed and that is how he knew he had gone full berserk.
He took a single step into the room, immediately nearly blew up the whole goddamn school. There was the unmistakable sound of a man's voice.
Now on full alert, Katsuki scanned the area despite his eyes having to adjust to the dark in order to see where the source was coming from. The voice was deep, and speaking in English which only lead Katsuki to become more irritated. It wasn't until he made out your laptop being on and playing a video, that he was able to let out a sigh of relief. He forgot that you liked to put on YouTube while you slept.
"Helps me for when I wake up in the night, 'cause then I can just watch it. Helps get my mind off of things until I fall asleep." You explained shrugging your shoulders, mouth still chewing on whatever candy Sero had thrown your way.
"Plus I don't like being in the silence with my own thoughts," you tilted your head over at Katsuki as he raised an eyebrow at you. "The voices say the wildest shit sometimes."
At the time, Katsuki was not shy about how weird he thought you were for having some random guy play video games in order to sleep. However, with his new predicament he understands the appeal much more. It's a good distraction to use in order to stop thinking about whatever traumatic incident you just relived momentarily, not that he was ever going admit to you about all of that.
Shutting the door, Katsuki put one foot in front of the other, feeling like he was in some sort of hypnosis. Maybe you were awake and your started to use your quirk on him, stupid umbrakinesis or whatever it was called. (That is what it was called. Katsuki made sure to memorize it and learn everything he could about it- the creation or manipulation of darkness and shadows- a powerful quirk only made sense given how perfect everything else about you was. Although Katsuki has a strong feeling he'd still love you even if you were quirkless.)
When he finally got to your bed, like the awkward pathetic idiot he is, Katsuki just stood there. He could not, for the life of him figure out what to do next. He was actively trying to decide whether if he should just turn around to leave. Act like nothing even happened, just have to live with the embarrassment for the rest of his life.
No, he couldn't give up now! If he goes back to his dorm he'll just stay up even later than usual just replaying what he just did over and over until he rips all of his hair out. Besides, you told him he could "crash" in your room, he had even made sure of it later that day to make sure he wasn't hallucinating those words.
When the two of you finished sparring for the day (the only reason you won three times in a row was because he was tired, no other reason) he stomped over to you. "What the fuck did you mean by me 'crashing with you' twilight"
(not Katsuki's best work nickname wise but seeing you laugh and let him call you that caused him to keep using it)
"Kat," you huffed as you rolled your eyes at his attitude. "You told me you're not sleeping well because of the nightmares, and I just wanna help you out."
You unraveled the cloth wraps from your fingers, something that Katsuki was weirdly attracted to and had no idea what to do with that information. You looked up from his hands, causing him to snap his head back up and pretend like he wasn't oogling at your arms and hands.
He continued to watch as you shoved the cloth in your gym bag, continuing your explanation.
"Speaking from experience; I know how lonely it can get when you wake up from an agonizing nightmare all alone, and I wondered if having someone there keeping you grounded could help." Your eyes met his, sweat still running down your face from the previous activity. He watched as you extended your hand to his, gently grabbing the tips of his fingers. "I'm here for you, seriously."
And goddammit if that didn't convince Katsuki to come into your room at 3AM after an "agonizing nightmare." Just his luck, he dreamt of the moment of your impalement during the war; watching the life leave your eyes and your body drop to the earth. It was too overbearing to relive, and Katsuki knew he had to see you in order to convince his brain that you were okay, that you are safe.
Putting one knee on the bed, Katsuki observed your face, sound asleep. You were sprawled out, cuddled up to that stupid weighted stuffed dinosaur that you always insisted bringing to movie nights and sleepovers. Mina often had hosted sleepovers that even the boys could join in on, and whenever he found out you would be present he'd stay up a little later just to be with you. You would have that stupid thing in your lap all night long, and Bakugou Katsuki will neither confirm nor deny that he was jealous of a plushie.
You slowly turned your head onto the side, your movement causing Katsuki to snap out of his thoughts. Anxiously, he made sure to study your breathing just to make sure you were still okay. Once he concluded that you were healthy, his eyes continued to drift over your unconscious form.
Your pjs consisted of an oversized shirt that had your home state football team on it, but was fading due to how old it was. The goddamn shirt was so big on you he couldn't tell if you even had pants on (once you shifted Katsuki carefully and painfully watched to make sure you had shorts on which you did- thank gods). You wore the shirt often, wondering the hauls of the dorm with it on. It wasn't originally yours, and you never told Katsuki who it belonged to before hand. All that he knew was it was someone hard for you to bring up, but you still had love for.
Another thing he found himself weirdly jealous about, the fact that you had an entirely different life before Japan, before him. Selfishly, it always made him feel better whenever you confided in him about how miserable you were before you moved. Although those early years of your life was important to you, Katsuki was glad he was apart of your life that you were actually happy during.
Continuing his examination, he followed the tracings of your scars with his eyes. Always finding the markings both admirable and sickening because of the pain you had to endure in order to receive them. Looking back up at your face, he had to fight the urge just to find out if your skin is really as soft as it looks. As much as he loves having your eyes on him, he had always enjoyed your sleeping form. Unable to explain, it made him feel satisfied to see you at peace and finally get the rest that you deserve.
Katsuki noticed you have never been a good sleeper, and he certainly had noticed that only got worse after the war. Study 'dates' ended with you falling asleep in his bed, or during lunch you tended to sneak a quick nap on Katsuki's shoulder when the two of you sat in the hallway to avoid the noise of the cafeteria. He hesitated, worried that his interruption may worsen your sleep for the night, before a loud noise came from your computer.
Despite the computer being on a low volume and his focus on you, Katsuki jumped. His knee bounced the bed due to the pressure he laid on it as he stumbled away, and much to his demise, you woke up. Loudly.
A fury of shadows came shooting out of the walls, nearly hitting the backside of Katsuki. His previous exhaustion being long forgotten as he dove onto your bed in order to dodge a tendril near him.
All of the tornado-like-shadows froze, the fear in your eyes slowly leaving and the shadows started to dissipate as a result. Katsuki let out a breath of relief, changing from his hands and knees hunched over position to sit with his legs off of your bed awkwardly. You stared at him for a moment, eyes still wide from shock and mouth open. He knew you were waiting for an explanation but now that he was actually sitting on your bed, eye to eye, he had nothing to say. Your incredulous expression stayed the same before you looked around throwing your hands around, eventually let out a loud sigh.
You rubbed your hand over your face, trying to rid of the sleep in your eyes before finally speaking. "Dude, what the fuck is going on with you?"
Itโs ironic, Katsuki had been repeating those same exact words to himself all night. He was sure that it was a mixture of the sleep deprivation and the nightmare of you that brought on his body to move on their own all the way into your dorm.
He must have been staring off into space for longer than you liked, because the bed shifted and your hand was now on his shoulder. Slowly, Katsuki looked over at your hand, flinching when he saw a stream of blood dripping down your arm. When he blinked, however, the blood was gone and your arm was back to normal.
"Kat..." You scooted closer to him, daring to move your hand up his neck and resting right at his jawline. The two of you were only inches apart, but all Katsuki could focus on was your steady breathing. He swears he can see that lifeless look in your eyes sometimes, and if he let himself he could feel how cold your face felt when he cradled you in his arms.
Finally, after forcing himself to breathe again, Katsuki spoke up. "Nightmare."
He didn't want to risk worrying you so he spared the details. He knew you were going to feel some sort of burden for something you can't control. Thankfully his one word appeared to be good enough for you because your demeanor changed, shoulders relaxing and your thumb on his jawline started to caress soothing lines.
"Lay down." The bed started to shift more as you sat up fully in criss cross position, Katsuki looking at you speechless.
You, however, just raised an eyebrow at him. "You came in here to crash yeah? So lay down, get some sleep."
A moment of Katsuki staying frozen passed, the two of you maintaining sleepy eye contact. Finally, he let his heart give in as the logical side of his brain screamed at him to refuse, to leave. But he did the opposite, and he laid down staring at you still not convinced. Those feelings only grew when you laughed at him.
"You look like a newborn baby being put down into a crib for the first time.โ
"You know what fuck you I'm leavin-" Katsuki started to sit up but you pushed him down with a single hit, shushing him while you did so.
"Just fucking relax man," you rolled your eyes playfully, grabbing at the covers to pull over you. "Lay on your left side, back facing me."
"You better not pull some dumb shit Twilight or else I'll-"
"Yeah, yeah you'll blow off my face or whatever predictable bullshit you were 'gonna say." You chuckled at Katsuki's awkwardness again as he stiffly moved onto his side. His eyes were wide open, every muscle in his body was tense. There was more shifting behind him before he felt you fully lay down behind him. Your lips were hovering over his neck, your breath hitting his skin causing goosebumps to rise.
"Let me know if this is too much." Your whisper against his neck was nothing compared to your arm slithering over his ribcage and leg pushing in-between where his right leg rested on top of his left. Your left hand was simply pressed against his back, which distracted him momentarily from the fact that your right hand intertwined itself with his own hand.
He stayed still for a moment, feeling as if he was on fire. Not from the two bodies being so close together, but rather from the fact that it was your body being pushed up against his. Your head was now rested against his back, and Katsuki feels as if every part of you that was touching him was melding into his own skin. He was suddenly very grateful that you had him face away from him because you surely would have made fun of the way his face reddened. He kept his breath low and shallow, so overwhelmed with the touch that he had craved from you for so long. Katsuki wasn't sure what to think, his mind completely and utterly blank.
Behind him, you took a long, deep breath. In, and out; the new relaxation of your body just caused you to sink even further into his. Thoughtlessly, Katsuki did the same thing. He forced himself to take a deep breath in, and out, closing his eyes slowly. He let go of any anxiety or fear that clung onto his fibers, allowing your fiery touch to morph into a comforting heat. As he steadied his breathing, he realized he was matching the pace of your breathing. With his eyes still shut, he allowed himself to be lulled by the existence of you. Melded into his skin, breathing at the same tempo, hands intertwined.
โGood night Kats,โ you mumbled against his back. Katsuki was already half asleep, but before his consciousness slipped away, he spoke.
He felt your lips morph into a smile, but didnโt say another word. That was okay, you didnโt have to say anything.
Katsuki flipped around to face you. Now confused, you looked up at him squinting your eyes. Instead of saying anything, he wrapped his arms around you and hold onto you tightly. Wordlessly, you made yourself comfortable in the new position. This was what he needed, to hold you when you were alive, in his arms. The proximity allowed him to feel the beat of your heart, comforting his fears further. He pressed a kiss onto your forehead, letting it linger longer than he should have. Before his nervous system could catch up with the fact he just did that, your lips pressed against his chest. Against his heart.
Finally, Katsuki started to drift off to sleep. Something in him told him that he wouldnโt have anymore nightmares as long as he had you.
โซโซโซ โซโซโซ โซโซโซ โซโซโซ โซโซโซ โซโซโซ
*gulp* hey guys... ๐
โฆ listen ik its been a while but in my defense; chronic pain. also i cannot eat anymore??? like i can only eat three gluten free nuggets max and im sickly full for the rest of the day. life is so weird
โฆ anyways i'll still post bnha here and there but i'll be writing for another man in a series cuz he's so scrumptious and i miss him
โฆ also guys be honest is it weird to write x readers for real life people...esp if its smut... im so conflicted cuz there's literally thousands of x readers for this man but idk i get nervy so just lmk i don't wanna outfreak anyone ๐
หโงโบ ๏ฝฅ ห ยท
k ily bye ๐ฉถ
