•Mentions of drug-use.
•Withdrawal symptoms of opioid abuse.
•Violence
•Mentions (but no explicit showing) of past gang activity.

————

It shouldn't have been like this.

The loud boom was deafening, disorienting, and the smell of fire didn't do any help.

Fuck.

Where..?

Katsuki gasps for air, head lolling, looking around to see red, to feel the heat of fire and the smell of gasoline trickle into his lungs, making his world tilt as he dry heaves. His leg is stuck, he fully notes, still only half-conscious.

He feels light, feels blood pounding in his head- until he realizes that it was also dripping towards his hairline, and oh, that wasn't right, was it? Gravity should..

Ah. He was upside down.

When that realization hit him, the yells started, screaming- and the sirens adding all to the hungover and killer migraine that squeezed his skull like a coiled snake.

He turns to the side.

A mistake.

"Bakugou.. fuck, fuck-"

Nori, his senior- he remembers he was the one with the pills, the one who was friendly, handing even Katsuki one.

He was here, in the car beside him, with his nose and cheekbone smashed in- and oh, the blood-

Katsuki screams.

————

"How are you feeling?"

Katsuki weakly turns his head, but he mother's grip in unrelenting. Stiff.

He looks up to see Mitsuki's lower lip trembling, eyes red-rimmed, as if she'd been crying for hours.

".. Mom..?" Scratchy and weak, but Mitsuki runs a hand through his hair, breathing out shakily. The beeping of the heart machine made his ears ring.

"You'll be okay, Katsuki."

Quiet.

Broken.

His mother squeezes his hand tighter.

"You'll be okay."

————

".. You know where we goin'?" Katsuki quietly mutters to his seatmate, clenching and unclenching his fists.

The boy turns to him, lip upturned into a snarl that catches Katsuki by surprise. "You think I know where we goin', bitch?" The shackles around his wrist jingle with every move. "Better keep fuckin' quiet or I'll rip that throat of yours."

"Quiet back there!"

His seatmate shuts up, and Katsuki inwardly fumes.

Fuck.

————

"Well, come on, we'll getcha settled in." The teen's hair was tied back into a neat bun, brown eyes gleaming in delight at the new arrivals, clipboard in hand. "All of you already got your mugshot?"

Casual, chirrup- it made Katsuki's stomach clench when a guard walks by, eyeing him coldly before turning the corner. Fuck. This was no summer school- this was a fucking correctional facility, the one chance Katsuki has to get his shit together before his ass lands in adult jail.

"Alrighty!" The boy hums, writing down their names, quick scribbles, and Katsuki mildly wonders who in the right mind would put a.. 'tenant' from the fucking correctional facility in charge of getting them settled in. The boy before him seemed light on his feet as he motions for them to follow him.

The group does, albeit hesitantly, ignoring the stares that dig deep into Katsuki's skin as if to remind him of what he'd done-

"Any of y'all use?"

Katsuki jerks at that, fingers digging into his sheets that were held up to his chest.

The boy scans him over, before a smile tugs his face. "You're the junkie who crashed the car, right?"

Bakugou's temper flares- and somehow, the kid sees it, eyes narrowed down and teeth bared. That.. puts him in his place.

Any fucking misdemeanors and he's lookin' at six months added to his already long sentence- and he's not looking to get his ass beat by his mother so he sucks it up and digs his fingers into his palms.

The dude seemed satisfied, backing down as well.

"Okay. Araka and Ito, you're in holding cell one," he gestured to an open door, curious eyes peeking out to look over their bright orange overalls, a contrast to those who've already been assigned a bunk. "Bakugou, follow me."

And he does, trailing after him, arms trembling as he mutters curses under his breath.

Fuck.

Fuck- he can't stay here.

They suddenly stop, and his guide turns around, face serious and Bakugou feels his fight or flight instincts tick.

"Look. Word of advice, yeah?" He leans in, making sure no one was looking, glaring at some jackass who hurriedly looks away. "Tag along with this kid named Deku."

".. Why?"

"He'll keep you safe. He always does, with his boys." A glint catches in his eyes. "You popped a pill before you came, right?"

Katsuki freezes.

"Don't worry. Fuck." He nudges Katsuki's shoulder. "One last shot before you hit the bin. Anyway. Withdrawal started yet?" Bakugou shakes his head, hesitant at first, before it becomes frantic. Damn it.. he didn't think of that.

"Shit, man. Look. Deku can keep your ass safe, aight? He helped me out when I peaked. Nicest motherfucker. Fed me chicken noodles while I was shivering my dumbass off."

He pats Katsuki's shoulder, who stiffens under his touch. "Just try not to piss him off too much."

————

"That's your bunk." Heavy Russian accent, but the boy looked young and of Japanese descent. He had this scar around his neck, as if he were strangled with a thin wire, the end circling towards his jawline. Gaunt cheekbones made his whole look quite.. haunted. Katsuki stands, frozen, fingers practically numb from the heavy box of supplies in his hands but-

"Hey hey, don't mind springer over there!"

Katsuki whips his head to the new arrival.

Messy green hair, pushed back with pins, their uniform tight around his bod. The only thing different were the black arm compressors that peeked out of his sleeves, going on until his wrist. Bright eyes made the room light up, as if someone had taken the sun and shoved it in this tight ass room with a measly limp mattress and dusty floors.

If Katsuki has been honest, the dude didn't look like he even belonged in prison.

Springer perks up, back straightening as a light flits through his eyes. "Deku," he grunts, and he nods back at him with a cheery smile.

Wait-

"Deku?"

The boy looks at him, the smile still playing on his lips. "Yep!" He says, popping the 'p'.

"This uh, this guy told me-"

"Demi probably told him to tag along wit' you. Assuming you'll be okay with it, Niisan?" Springer scratches at his undercut, idly. "I know you took me in before."

"Yes, Springer. Although, I didn't expect you to come back."

There's something in the way he says it that makes goosebumps travel on Katsuki's skin. It sounded cold, the drop of quiet but seething disappointment made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

Springer bows his head.

"You had two chances. Using the drugs Haki smuggled in.. what a disgrace." Izuku's voice was surprisingly gentle, but his soft smile didn't match his stormy eyes. "I expected better."

".. I know.. Niisan."

Izuku stares at him, before sighing and straightening up to turn his full attention to Katsuki- who winced in response to the feeling of drowsiness that hits him. His entire body feels heavier, and oh-

Deku takes notice quickly, and he pulls Katsuki up to his feet. "I got you, Bakugou." Katsuki hunches over the moment his stomach cramps squeeze at his guts, a soundless cry slipping from his lips. Through the pain and blurry eyes, he registers Izuku pushing his hair out of his face. "I got you."

————

"What did you take?"

Katsuki barely hears him, too busy throwing up his last decent breakfast from the outside world. He's hunched over the toilet, gripping the porcelain like it's a lifeline.

Deku stands behind him, clipping the stray blond strands back out of his face so Katsuki can freely wallow in self-despair without him having to worry about his hair getting caught with his throw up.

"Fuckin' Codeine," he gags before heaving into the toilet yet again. Fuck, he feels so gross. "-or Fentanyl, or some other shit."

He doesn't know how Deku can even touch him in this sorry state.

Cold sweat was already sleeping through his uniform, rivulets falling from his forehead, tears and snot running down his chin. He was fucking pathetic, and his hands itched to get more pills.

".. Is there a nurse's office-"

"No. I know what you're planning to do. I will not allow that."

.. Right.

————

He spent more time in bed than up at his feet.

"Won't the guards get suspicious? You know, I'm all," Katsuki shudders clinging onto the blanket. "Like this..?"

"It's flu season." A rag dabs on his sweaty forehead. "They'll just think you're sick."

"Yo, Niisan!"

Electric blond hair came into view with a shitty dye job that resembles a black lightning streak stretched across his bangs. There was a wide grin on his face as he peeks into the cell. His eyes catch onto Bakugou and they widen. "Woah. Is he okay?"

Izuku shakes his head. "Withdrawal."

"Oh." The dopey grin returns to his face. "Well, good luck."

"Fuck off, dunce face," he manages to wheeze out, and Izuku shoots him look that makes him harshly exhale and squeeze his eyes shut.

"He's got spunk!"

"Yes, well, off you go, Chargebolt. I have to take care of him. Tell Kiri to watch Ojiro work the supplies- if he loses one of those chopping knives again, I won't be able to save his skin from Aizawa."

Denki grins, offering a lazy salute before he takes his leave.

—————

"You're enjoying this, Aren't you?", Katsuki grumbles when Izuku scrubs at his scalp, the latter laughing it off as he pours more freezing water on his soapy shoulders. The prickling cold made him shiver worse, teeth chattering as the feeling stirred up another urge to vomit in his guts. Though, it wasn't as bad as last time.

"Unfortunately, I've bathed most of my family while they were peaking and unable to take care of themselves. Did it to Chargebolt and Springer."

".. You're.. brothers?"

"Mm, no, not by blood. I took them in when it was their first time here-"

Someone pounds at the door.

"Oi, if you motherfuckers think you're so slick fuckin' in there-"

To Katsuki's horror, Izuku slams the stall's door open, red eyes widening to see some buff dude with messy black hair, a few years older than both of them. The irritated look on his face instantly evaporates as recognition makes his eyes brighten up.

"Deku!"

"Shindou. I'm trying to take care of someone." There was a slight tick of impatience in his voice that made Shindou back down, to Katsuki's utter surprise. He looked like he could snap Deku in half with ease- but he chose to-?

"Sorry, Deku-nii. Won't happen again." He turns around to glare at the small line forming, and Katsuki can hear the growl in his voice when he barks, "It's Deku's fuckin' stall, shitwads!"

A chorus of groans follow but the inmates seemed to shuffle away to form lines towards the other showers, clearing up from their stall.

Izuku's face was sour, but he gives a smile that says 'oh Shindou, what am I gonna do to you?'. "Thank you, Shindou. Hurry off and close the stall."

When he does, Katsuki relaxes, hands covering his groin falling to clammily clench up. ".. They really respect you here, huh?"

Izuku snorts a laugh and resumes to scrubbing. "Wouldn't say that. They're mostly afraid of what my.. brothers..? Would do. I'm simply as strong as a toothpick under a boulder."

.. somehow, Katsuki doesn't believe that, but he chooses to remain quiet, leaning into Izuku's comforting touch.