Tsuki's neck was pressed awkwardly against the armrest of the couch, the pain slithering down her nerves. She sleepily attempted to sit up, but her torso remained still. Letting out a groan, her eyes strained from exhaustion. She blinked and narrowed her gaze as if to slow her movement. Bakugo lay on top of her—his right cheek pressed against her chest, his right forearm lying along her back, and his left sprawled down her stomach and legs. Tsuki exhaled through her nose with a small laugh. Lifting the hand that rested on the lower part of Bakugo's back, she patted his head gently.
He grunted quietly, "Mmrfp."
He lifted his head off her breast, blinking twice before laying it back down and drifting back to sleep. Tsuki nestled her fingers in the roots of his spiky hair, massaging his scalp gently and patting his back with her fingers.
He made another noise, "Mmm."
"What time do you have to go?"
"Whut time is it?" His voice rang in her ears as he placed his hands on either side of her hips, pressing her into the couch—her body sinking closer toward him. As he lifted himself over her, she felt a small chill from the sudden lack of body heat. He pushed himself up, shifting his knee between her upper thighs.
Tsuki's heart dropped lightly at the unconsciously bold contact. Her eyes watched as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked over at her and stared.
"What the hell are you looking at?" he grumbled, rubbing his arm and peeling up his sleeve to reveal his bicep.
Tsuki's eyes narrowed on the fresh scars along his arm and hands. Her heart continued to patter. "Those scars..." Her eyes trailed up to the side of his face. "They're from Akai..."
He pressed his fingers into the corner of his eyes and sighed dramatically as he got up.
"Did you toss my toothbrush out, or what?"
Tsuki laughed, shaking her head. "That stale piece of junk?" She rubbed her eye with the bottom of her palm. "Of course I kept it." She laughed with a small yawn. "I thought it'd be the last of you I had."
He slipped his hand under his shirt as he looked toward the door, his hand caressing the skin of his stomach. Tsuki smiled to herself, slowly sitting up and kicking her feet off the side of the couch. Bakugo shifted his head to the side, placing his palm on the bottom of his chin as he cracked his neck.
"I didn't even mean to sleep over again," he said, looking over at her.
"Oh," Tsuki's heart sunk. "I mean, it's no problem if you want to— I just—you're always welcome."
Bakugo mumbled something as he walked away. "It's not that I don't wanna—I just didn't bring anything to change out of again."
"I ended up buying some clothes for you," she said, following behind him as he naturally walked toward her bedroom. "Wait—Katsuki—"
He pushed open her bedroom door and froze. His eyes swept the room; every piece of furniture was either cracked or shattered, and the smell of dried blood still lingered beneath the obviously bleached carpet. Drizzles of hardened blood could still be seen along the walls and on the torn bedsheets. Bakugo stepped back slowly, his breath feeling dry and short. He looked over his shoulder at Tsuki, whose expression was shattered and torn.
"Was this from that guy?" His voice was stiff. "Zawa—the one from that picture?"
"Picture?" Her eyes searched Bakugo's face for something other than pain. She sighed, looking down at the ground. "Yes."
"The case didn't cover all this—" He entered the room in a hurry, drawing near the broken bed frame and torn mattress. Scratch marks from the effect of Akai's curse could be detected as they ripped through the fabric of the mattress; fuzz from the inside was fluffed and littered all over the bed and floor.
"It's okay." She walked over behind him and placed her hand on his spine.
Bakugo snapped his head over his shoulder, angered. "Okay? He found you asleep— I mean, did he—"
"It's over." Tsuki said, smiling sadly as she cupped the side of his face. "I don't want to think about Akai or Zawa or All for One. Let's just brush our teeth."
"I—why haven't you cleaned your room yet?" he asked, following her as she turned away toward her bathroom door. "Won't it just remind you—"
"I shouldn't forget what my hands have done."
"Have you been sleeping there?"
"I will remember for the rest of my life."
"Tsuki." She looked at Bakugo through the glass, her expression grim. She grabbed her toothbrush and turned on the water.
"I'm not getting it fixed."
"Haven't you suffered enough?" he asked, his voice low and gruff. "Why does it always feel like you're constantly being tormented?"
Tsuki laughed and shook her head.
"You blame yourself still, don't you?"
"Katsuki—"
"All those deaths?" he continued behind her, staring at the back of her head. "Every time your body twitched, your fingers moved, and you snapped a neck?"
"Stop," her voice was quiet.
"Every time your looming bloodlust shoots the very blood cells in their bodies, their jaws expanding in fear and twisting in death as your cursed hands tore through the bone in muscle in their necks."
"Enough—"
"How about me?" he offered, walking closer behind her, his body heat hovering at her back. "I shattered my bones; the ligaments in my right arm were decimated. My heart failed twice on the ambulance ride from All for One's stronghold. I lost so much blood; they said I'd never be able to eat on my own again. They told me the damage to my bones was so severe I would never be able to use my legs again."
"KATSUKI—SHUT UP!" Her uneven breathing trembled; tears threatened to bulge from her watery eyes. She turned to face him. "You always do that crap—YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN TO STOP!"
A vein popped by his left eye. "IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU THINK?" he yelled, nearing her. "YOU THINK ALL THIS CRAP IS YOUR FAULT? ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR DAMN MIND? YOU THINK YOU FORCED ME TO GO HELP YOU—TO SAVE YOU?"
Tsuki's lower back pressed against the marble counter of the sink. "You—I—"
"You think you did this crap to me?" he smacked his chest. "I wasn't fighting you. I was fighting Akai." He scoffed. "As if a half-ass hero like you could manage all that." His voice softened. "Stop blaming yourself for things that you didn't do. It's not your fault. Your mom did all she could to keep you safe from that featureless bastard. This wasn't something a girl with a curse from the moon could have even managed."
Her breathing was ragged. All she could do was stare at Bakugo, hearing the words she'd craved all this time—even though she'd never believe it. He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek, drawing his face closer to hers.
"You've done enough. You've lived through enough," he said quietly. "You're free. Start acting like it. I didn't almost die to hear you say that crap."
Tsuki nodded, sniffling, as she lifted her hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. He made a noise, stumbling at her embrace. Sighing, he rubbed her back as she silently cried into his collarbone.
"If you get my shirt wet, I'm charging you."
She giggled, hugging him tighter.
...
Authors note: Guys don't hate me for not posting I just helped my brother find the love of his life and we're literally plotting real bad. Also it's Ramadan so I've been on my Muslim girl grind. Anyway, next chapter is epilogue.
