I Will Always Return
Outlaw!Bakugou x F!Reader Part 1/6
Summary: You are the eldest daughter to the mayor of Wrywood back when the wild west was more than just a movie genre. Your father is a sly politician who managed to find himself stuck between a rock and a hard place with a large crime group that resided in the city and the westâs most notorious group of outlaws. Somehow you find yourself stuck in the middle.
Warnings: Sexism (itâs like 1800 something lmaooo), misogyny, not consented advances, guns, violence, my terrible use of the âtensesâ lmao sorry we be switching a lot, enemies to lovers, slow burn. Typos :/
This is my baby rn I'm a little nervous to post it but I hope you guys like it :,) also no worries there will be a spicy part
Word Count: 10.5k
Part 2! Part 3! Part 4! Part 5! Part 6!
Part One
It was tough being one of the only single young women in your small country town of Wrywood. Most women your age had been wedded off to ranchers and farmers around the area, including your three sisters. This was especially infuriating to your father, the mayor of Wrywood. No matter how many times you tried to explain to your father you wanted nothing to do with being a stay-at-home wife, he wouldnât listen. You tried to explain that you wanted to work, stay out in the sun, breathe in the sweet summer breeze as you sat on top of a large red gelding while you looked over your land. Not stay inside and be worked to the bone and looked down upon for simply being a woman.
Of course, this only made your father angrier and before you knew it what little freedom you had was going to be stripped away.
Currently, you were sitting at the end of your family's large dining room table. It was polished oak, and cost your family a fortune. You ran your thumb along the grain of the wood as you tried to tune out the furious voice shouting into your ear.
âAre ya even listening to me?â your father shouted, his pudgy face starting to grow slick with sweat. Something that only happened when he was truly angry.
You nodded, keeping your gaze focused on the wood grain. Your mind was elsewhere, dreaming about being free, the wind pushing your hair back as you let your horse run to his heart's content. A herd of buffalo coming to run in by you both as the sun set over the mountainside. A sudden jolt to your shoulder tore you out of your fantasy as you looked up at your father with narrowed eyes.
âYou know,â your father began, letting his hand drop from your shoulder as he pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket, âI shouldnât be havinâ to tell you this. Your sisters had no problem beinâ wedded off to their husbands. Why canât you be like them? Fall into your role as a woman?â
You grit your teeth, flashing him a sharp glare. Hot anger erupted in your belly as you quickly stood, the wooden chair scraping loudly against the polished floors. âFall into my role as a woman?â You seethed.
Your fatherâs cheeks puffed out at your sudden outburst, âyou are in your twenties, Y/n. No cowboy is gonna sweep yaâ off yerâ feet like you like to dream about,â he jeered, his upper lip curling into a sneer.
You wrinkled your nose at his comment, âI donât need a cowboy to sweep me off my feet, I am perfectly capable of getting up on a horse and-â
âNow you cut that out!â your father snarled, pointing a pudgy finger in your face, âno one wants to hear that independence shit. Hereâs what's gonna happen, youâre gonna get into that damn dress your mother bought and you are gonna dance with Monoma and let him court you or so help me God. I should not have my last daughter still living in my house. All of your sisters have already married and have children, itâs time for you to do your part!â he finished, his chest heaving as he waited for your rebuttal.
You huffed, realizing that you truly had no other option. Your heart clenched painfully in your chest at the thought of letting your dream go, but in some twisted way, your father was right.With a disgruntled sigh, you left the dining room and headed towards your room to get ready for your fatherâs stupid campaign ball.
------
Unbeknownst to you and the rest of your family, this ball was more than it appeared to be. Your father had planned to try and rig the community poll so he could be mayor for another four years. Just so he can continue to swipe taxpayer money under the table. Therefore, that was why it was so important that you were married off to the right young man.
Neito Monoma.
The son of a huge crime boss in a major nearby city and one of the largest merchants in the state. If he was successful in handing you off to the Monomaâs then he would have his votes and probably the most important part of the deal. Safety.
A few years ago he had swindled a well-known group of bandits out of three grand when he hired them to make him look good for his first election. He managed to evade them since then, but he knew his time was up. He was in far too deep and you were his last chance.
His unruly eldest daughter who for some reason would not fall into her role in society. He nervously bit his nails as he looked up towards your room on the second story to see you and your sister talking. Everything he had was resting on you tonight.
------
âYou look beautiful,â your younger sister said as she adjusted your sage green dress. It was made of silk and shimmered as the evening light reflected against it. âYou know,â she mused, âIâve always thought that you would have been the first to get married.â
You scoffed, âare you kidding?â
She shook her head as she took a step back from you to admire your dress and hair, âIâm not, youâve got this spirit about you that turns heads. I know you know how many men have come to father asking to court you.â
You snorted, shaking your head as you smiled at your sister. She was too sweet to be related to you, âwell thanks, I guess.â
She laughed, holding a hand over her swollen belly, âyouâre welcome, now go and have fun. Iâve heard that Monoma is quite the talker.â
Your shoulders slumped. Monoma. You had certainly heard he was a talker, a foul one at that. The thought of being near that dog turned your stomach. âIâll try,â you said bitterly as you moved to put on your boots. Thankfully, your long dress hid them, and it was much better than wearing heels.
Your sister shook her head, eyeing your muddy boots, she then glanced out your window. A large crowd from town had already started to head into the house. âWe better head down there before father gets mad.â
You nodded, trying to rub the sweat that accumulated on your hands on your dress, but to your distaste, you found that the silk was no help whatsoever. Your sister opened your door and you both headed down the winding set of stairs, plush with fabric. You could see Monoma already, he was sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of the crowd.
He looked ridiculous with his crisp white cowboy hat paired with a white pair of chaps. He was laughing at something your father had said and graciously took a cigar from his father and placed it between his lips.
âI canât do it,â you hissed, yanking your sister back towards you before she headed to the kitchen to watch over all your little nephews and nieces.
She gave you a lopsided grin, âyes you can. Look, once you're married, you donât even have to worry about liking him, really. Heâll be working and youâll be able to do what you want when heâs gone. Just go, Y/n,â she said as she gave you a light shove.
You stumbled forward grumbling under your breath as the crowd parted for you. Then before you could even comprehend your father, Monoma and his father, Vlad, were right in front of you.
âY/n,â your father said, smiling at you, but his eyes flashed with mild irritation, âweâve been waiting for you!â
You took a slow breath before smiling brightly. âI apologize, we had to make sure everything was perfect,â you explained in a syrupy voice as you batted your eyelashes at Monoma who tipped his hat at you.
Your fatherâs grin grew large. This woman in front of him was definitely not acting like you, which he was extremely thankful for. You were finally playing your part. âHah, well you know how women get with dresses and such,â your father joked with Vlad who let out a hearty chuckle.
You smiled again, but you just imagined kicking all three of them in the balls with your steel-toed boot.
âThatâs quite all right,â Monoma said with a small smile as he puffed on his cigar. He ran his gaze across your form, his grin growing larger, âI think it was worth the wait.â
âIâd say so too,â Vlad said. âSheâs certainly beautiful,â he added, another hearty laugh bubbling past his lips.
Monoma nodded and smiled down at you as he extended his hand, âyou sure do look stunninâ in fact, do you mind if I have this dance, miss Y/n?â
Oh, how you wanted to bend his wrist back at an odd angle, but instead you politely nodded, âyes please.â With gritted teeth, you slipped your hand into his soft one as he pulled you to the dance floor.
The feeling of his sickly hot hands groping at your sides made your stomach turn as he pulled you close. The urge to run was strong but the feeling of being watched so close made you stay and endure it. And you did endure it and all of its terribleness. The sharp smell of whiskey on his breath as he exhaled on your cheek, the pinch of his fingers against your hips. The brush of his lips on your ear as he pulled you up close. Monoma was too much to handle.
However, luck seemed to be on your side tonight, and soon a whole dance circle formed around you both, and you were passed from man to man. They were all, in your eyes, much better than being with Monoma. After some time you politely excused yourself to the kitchen to get yourself some water.
Once you passed the double swinging doors that lead to the kitchen, you relaxed, and hastily grabbed a napkin to wipe the sweat off your forehead.
âGoinâ good?â your sister asked as she balanced a squirming toddler on her hip.
You frowned, âwhat do you think?â
She held up her free hand in defense, âokay okay, but remember this is good for you.â
You rolled your eyes as you took a hearty sip of water. âIs it though? I really canât see myself being able to live like you, Itâs just not me.â
Your sister sighed, a smile gracing her soft features, âI know. You arenât like us and you never will be, but Shindo and I were talking and we think that this may be a little bit more than father trying to find someone for you to marry.â
You quirked an eyebrow, âwhat do you mean?â
Your sister leaned in close and kept her voice low, âShindo overheard father talking with Vlad and they were talking about money and that group.â
You hummed, your curiosity peaked. âDid he now? Well, Vlad is from the city, I mean he looks about as sly as they come.â
Your sister frowned, âI hope father hasnât done anything rash.â
You snorted, âwell if he did, thatâs his fault for gettinâ caught up in something.â
--------
âRichy boy,â Vlad said as he gazed down at your father, his crimson eyes almost glowing from beneath his black hat as he puffed on his cigar, âwhy have you been hidinâ that daughter of yours away for so long?â
Your father chuckled and wiped the sweat off his forehead, âah well sheâs got a strong spirit, mellowed with age yâknow,â he answered.
Vlad narrowed his eyes, âsheâs not one of them feminist is she?â
Your father shook his head hard, âno! She just spends a lot of time outside, thatâs all. Sheâll be perfect for Neito.â
Vlad nodded, exhaling a cloud of smoke into your father's face, âGood. Havinâ a pretty face around is good for business. Speakinâ of business, my boys have got your polls rigged. You should be all set.â
Your father grinned, a look of relief flashed across his features. âThank you, I appreciate it, really.â
Vlad chuckled, âeh itâs easy money for me, you country folk are pretty simple.â
Your father gulped as a few notorious faces flashed in his mind, but he pushed the thought of them away and nodded, âyes! Not much happens here.â
âJust how I like it,â Vlad replied with a smirk.
--------
About two hours had passed since the party had started and you now found yourself in the back garden with Monoma. He was obviously drunk which was not very appealing to you.
âYou know,â he began, his voice slurred as he held your upper arm in his clammy hand, âyouâre lucky that our fathers planned for us to meet. Youâll never have to work a day in your life and you can get out of this dump of a town.â
You pressed your lips into a flat line, obviously displeased. âI see.â
Monoma raised his eyebrows in mild shock, âyou seem displeased? Iâm right.â
You mulled your next words carefully so as to not anger him, since you could already see a vein starting to pop out of his forehead. âNo, of course not. Iâve never been cut out for work.â you lied. It was really the opposite. You were outside every day tending to the garden, feeding the cows, riding whenever you got the chance. Granted if your sunned skin and the dirt under your nails from digging in the garden before the party didnât show how hard you worked, then you figured the man in front of you was not very observant.
âClearly not,â Monoma began as he kicked one of your tomato plants, âmost women arenât cut out for work, and if they are they are usually brutish and leathery,â he said, wrinkling his nose as he spat into the garden.
You watched with narrowed eyes as a fat glob of his spit rolled down the scarlet red skin of one of your tomatoes. The nerve. He had no respect.
âTheyâre not delicate like you,â Monoma purred, placing his hand under your chin and turning your head towards him.
You squirmed, hating the feeling of his clammy hands on your face. He took a large step towards you, invading your space as his hot breath fanned your skin. He was looking at you like a piece of meat. Once his hand traveled down the small of your back towards your ass the frayed string inside of you snapped.
With a snarl of defiance, you tore yourself from his grasp, making him stumble a little.
âWhat?â Monoma slurred, a smirk growing across his features, âyou shy? Thatâs okay, weâre gonna get to know each other real well soon, and I know under all that silk youâll be a good little wife for me.â
A bitter laugh bubbled up out of your chest as you folded your arms across your chest, âI donât think so.â
âYou donât think so?â Monoma asked, the vein in his forehead starting to bulge again, âyou donât get to tell me what to do, woman.â
âWoman,â you repeated, your voice venomous as quickly slapped away his hand that went to grab you. âThe nerve you have,â you snarled, taking a few steps back as he started to march towards you.
âYouâre acting like a bitch,â Monoma said, his face turning red, âno wonder you havenât been able to get married, no man wants a woman thatâll sass emâ. Youâre lucky Iâm so nice,â he hissed, âbut donât worry Iâll put you in your place.â
âYou will?â you asked, inhaling sharply, completely unaware of the shuffling of clothes and the soft pattering of hoofbeats behind you. âYou are such a fucking asshole.â
With your hands balled into fist, you marched towards him and roughly yanked at the collar of his shirt, pulling him down to your level. âYou think you can threaten me, daddyâs boy? Iâm not scared of you,â you said, flicking off his cowboy hat from his head. âI donât think this arrangement is gonna work out between us. For starters, I am not going to roll over and let you degrade me like Iâm some kind of dog. Secondly, women who work are far from brutish, and judging by the cheap hat and your freshly pressed clothes, it's easy to see that youâve never worked a day in your life. Lastly, if you ever try and touch me again I will break your shin with my boot,â you said, placing the hard toe of your boot against his shin.
Monoma gulped, his eyes were wide as his gaze jumped between you and the top of your head. With a grunt he pulled himself away from you and stumbled to the ground, his fingers digging into the soft earth as he tried to run away.
You grinned, finding satisfaction at his scared expression, and you folded your arms over your chest in victory. âScared? Iâm glad, now go run along to your daddy. Iâm sure he can find you another damn wife.â
Monoma let out a whimper and attempted to scramble away from you. His shiny new boots were starting to grow dull from the dirt he was kicking up.
You were about to say something snarky again till a large hand landed on your shoulder gathering your attention.
âFuck me, youâve got the mouth of a sailor, princess,â a deep voice said from over your shoulder.
You stiffened, eyes wide as you glanced up at the man behind you dressed in a black starch top with a burnt orange bandana wrapped around his neck. He was wearing worn jeans under his black chaps and a pair of black cowboy boots that seemed to have some dried blood splashed on the heel by the spurs.
Your gaze traveled back up to his belt that was adorned with a large metal longhorn skull on the buckle and then to his face.
It was one you recognized from the wanted posters in town.
He was grinning at you with a perfect set of white teeth accentuated by honey-tanned skin. Blood red eyes were narrowed with interest as he gazed down at you and pale blond tufts of hair stuck out from beneath his black cowboy hat.
âWhat?â he began, running his tongue along his bottom lip, âdonât tell me youâve lost your voice now, princess.â
You shook your head as he dug his fingers into your shoulder, âno,â you said, trying to sound confident, but the waver in your voice was evident.
âNo?â he taunted, as he took a step forward, taking you along with him. âYou were doinâ so well, by all means,' ' he began gesturing towards Monoma on the ground, âtell him what a sniveling brat he is. Bastard obviously doesn't know how to treat a woman right, isnât that right princess?â he added, blood-red gaze sliding back to yours.
You twiddled your thumbs and swallowed thickly as you looked down at Monoma, âuh,â but your voice died down to a whisper.
âAw sorry, you scared?â he asked, giving your shoulder a rough pat, âthatâs okay, Iâd be pissinâ my pants if I were you.â
You blinked as your gaze turned towards Monoma who was being tied by two other guys. They were also dressed in black but the one with red hair had a red bandana and a maroon hat and the other one had yellow hair with a golden bandana and a tan hat. A finger snapped in your face, making you flinch and you looked up again.
âYou gonna answer my question, you scared?â he taunted.
You squared your shoulders, not wanting to let another man push you around. âNo Iâm not scared,â you said evenly, holding his gaze.
âYou know who I am?â he asked, craning his neck to look down at you fully.
âWho doesnât,â you answered nonchalantly.
âI like that answer,â he said with a bark of laughter. âYou sure you arenât scared,â he asked for a third time, his gaze flickering between you and his other men.
You shook your head. Of course you were scared, but you were also somewhat excited that they showed up. This outlaw next to you might as well be your knight in shining armor right now.
âWell darlinâ you should be, everyone with a brain is scared of Katsuki fucking Bakugou,â Bakugou said lowly as he guided you back towards the house. âNow donât go runninâ off on me, alright?â he said as the guy in the redhead kicked in your backdoor and threw Monoma on the ground.
The crowd in the house gasped and instantly Bakugou yanked out his pistol and shot a bullet into the ceiling making everyone scream. He grinned and brought his arm down and yanked you forward in front of him, ânow nobody freak out or weâre gonna have a fucking problem,â he snapped as he moved into the middle of the room, âanyone knows where that sniffling mayor is hiding, I got a few words to share with him.â
âHey!â Vlad shouted from the other end of the room, âwhat the hell are you rednecks doinâ with my son. Get your damn hands off of emâ!â
âKirishima, shoot the blondie if his pops comes any closer,â Bakugou said coolly, his blood-red gaze cutting to the tall redhead.
Kirishima nodded and slammed his boot down on Monomaâs back while he pulled out his pistol. Monona let out a cry, flinching away from the barrel of the gun in his face.
âNow,â Bakugou began as he tapped his boot against the wooden floor, âI donât want anyone to interrupt again or this little lady is gonna not be so pretty after she meets my pistol.â
You froze, eyes wide as the tip of Bakugouâs pistol was pressed into your back. At the word of that, your father spilled out of the crowd and onto the ground, tears rushing down his round face.
âPlease, Bakugou, please donât hurt my daughter!â he cried, âplease!â
âYou gonna pay me the money you owe?â Bakugou snarled as he took a step closer to your father, âyou swindled us out of three grand, old man. That was not very fucking nice.â
âI-I donât have the money to pay you back, b-but once Iâm mayor again I can! I promise thatâs why I was marrying Y/n off to the Monomaâs. The polls were rigged for me!â he admitted, âplease donât kill me.â he muttered, âI donât want to die.â
âNow isnât that fucking sad,â Bakugou sneered, âsell your daughter to a rat for money?â
You blinked, tears filling your eyes, âdad? Tell me thatâs not true.â
Your father looked up at you from the floor and nodded, âIâm sorry, I needed the money and you were never gonna find anyone on your own. It was the perfect opportunity.â
You swallowed thickly, âI canât believe you.â
âForgive me please,â he pleaded.
You looked away from your father, anger boiling in your stomach. He wanted to sell you like cattle? Just because he owed money to Bakugou? You were speechless, you didnât like your father, but you didnât think he would stoop this low.
âYou know what Richy,â Bakugou said with a huff, âIâll give you a month to get the damn money, and for a bit of motivation for your fat ass, since you like to take your fucking time, Iâm gonna take this-â he began and before you could even register Bakugou had easily slung you over his shoulder like a dead deer, âfor some fucking leverage. If you donât get me the money by then youâll never see her again. Got that?â
âWait a second,â you sputtered, gripping the rough cotton of Bakugouâs shirt between your fingers, âyou canât just take me like this!â
Bakugou snorted, âI can do whatever I fuckinâ want, sweetheart.â With that he patted the back of your thigh as he swept his gaze over the spooked crowd, âOne month,â he spat out, voice venomous as he turned on his heel and headed back out the door.
âPut me down!â you snarled, as you pounded your fist against his back, your eyes frantically met your sisters who started to scream your name.
âKaminari, use your bandana as a gag, donât wanna hear this one yappinâ all the way back to camp,â Bakugou grumbled as he exited your house.
Before you could even register, Kaminari had stuffed his bandana in your mouth and you let out a muffled scream, trying to grab the other outlaw in front of you.
âPhew, this one is feisty,â Kaminari said with a chuckle as you barely grazed his cheek with your nails.
âCut that out,â Bakugou snapped delivering a harsh smack to the back of your thighs, âor Iâm gonna tie ya up.â
You huffed, your breathing growing fast as your sister disappeared behind closed doors. This was your last chance to escape because you didnât know what these men were going to do once they got you to themselves. With newfound ambition you started to squirm again, this time grabbing at Bakugouâs hair and trying to kick him in the stomach.
âOi!â Bakugou barked as your boot struck him in his stomach, âalright, thatâs enough, Kirishima tie her up. Iâm not dealing with this shit tonight.â Bakugou grunted as he easily threw you off of his shoulder.
You let out a small cry as you landed on the hard earth. Before you could even try to scramble to your feet to run away, a boot was on your back pushing you back down. Soon you felt large hands yanking your hands back and you hissed feeling ropes tighten around your wrists.
âIâm leavinâ her ankles un-tied, sheâs gotta be able to sit on a horse,â Kirishima said as he hovered by your ankles.
âFine, then you can deal with her if she tries to kick you,â Bakugou said and then he whistled loudly. It didnât take long for three horses to canter up to him before coming to a sharp stop. He sauntered up to a dark bay and quickly mounted his horse, glaring down at you on the ground, âhope you can stay on, princess. We ride fast.â
The three men laughed and you narrowed your eyes at them. Of course you could ride. You were probably faster than them on horseback anyway. You would have spit back a smart comment, but Kaminairâs grimy bandana kept you from doing that.
âAlright, câmon,â Kirishima said from next to you as he easily hauled you up to your feet.
You glanced back at your house once more before Kirishima snapped his fingers in front of your face to gather your attention.
âGet up,â he told you, pressing the tips of his fingers into your back to urge you to get on the large black gelding in front of you.
You blinked hard, forcing down your emotions as you placed your boot in the stirrup and clumsily got into the saddle. Kaminari laughed at you when you wobbled a little, unable to place your hands anywhere.
Soon Kirihsima got on too and placed you in front of him. Well more like on his lap since there wasnât too much room in the saddle. It was all very humiliating, hearing them snicker snide comments as they urged their horses onto a fast canter.
You grabbed the horn of the saddle as tight as you could when Kirishimaâs horse took off. They were right, they rode fast, and you were thankful you did know how to balance in a saddle or you would have surely fallen off. You glanced over your shoulder to see your house disappearing into the night the further you traveled and your heart ached.
âHey,â Kirishimaâs voice sounded from softly behind you, âlet me take that out,â he said, referring to the bandana in your mouth.
You blinked and turned your head as he took his free hand off his thigh and pulled the golden bandana out of your mouth, and stuffed it into his saddlebag. âThank you,â you muttered, just loud enough to be heard above the howling wind.
Kirishima gave you a curt nod, keeping his eyes forward as he gently maneuvered his horse around a large rock.
You sighed and tore your gaze away from the redhead and to the land that stretched in front of you. The sky was dark as ink with thousands of stars dotting the sky. The prairie in front of you was illuminated from the gentle light of the full moon. In the distance, you could see a thick tree line full of tall cedars and oak trees, their leaves swaying slightly from the warm summer breeze. It was a beautiful night.
Too bad you were being kidnapped.
Soon the prairie started to turn more into rocky hills and the horses slowed to a trot as you began to travel up a worn path that was spotted with juniper trees. A few stray deer leaped next to you causing the horse Kirishima was on to spook a little, but the outlaw sitting behind you kept you both steady in the saddle as he urged his horse forward. The night seemed to grow darker, but in the distance, you could make out a campfire and the silhouettes of a few other horses and some other people.
Your heart began to race in your chest at the thought of reaching their camp. What were they going to do with you? Tie you up? Starve you and drag you behind a horse? Surely, whatever Bakugou had planned for you, it was gonna be bad.
The glow from the fire was starting to grow brighter and brighter till you came to a stop. To your right there were three horses tied to an old log, one was grey, the other was bay, and the last was a deep sorrel. In front of you were two people, a man, and a woman. The man was cleaning his gun while he chewed on a stalk of sweet grass. He had long black hair that hung over his eyes. The woman looked to be about your age. She was sitting against a log, picking mud from the bottom of her boot with a stick. She had strawberry blond hair cut short and in the firelight, it almost looked pink.
âWell look what the cat dragged in,â the man said as he grinned. He had a wide grin, one that could be unsettling if he was not smiling at you with kindness.
âBetter not have eaten all the damn food,â Bakugou scoffed as he dismounted his horse and tied his reins to a branch, âall that ridinâ got me hungry as hellâ
âWell, we saved you some-â the woman began, but her golden eyes snapped to you, âyou boyâs kidnapped a woman? Thatâs not like yâall.â
âItâs not like we planned on doinâ that,â Kirishima scoffed as he held your upper arm while you slid off his lap and landed on the ground. He followed suit and leaned down to whisper in your ear, âthatâs Mina, stick by her. She wonât bite.â
You blinked up at Kirishima, surprised that this gruff man was being kind to you. You gave him a wobbly smile and he clapped you on the shoulder before turning around to tie his horse up and untack him.
Mina smiled as you gingerly made your way towards the fire, keeping your gaze locked on Bakugouâs broad shoulders because he had you spooked the most. Mina patted your knee when you sat down next to her and offered you another smile, âyou look awfully dolled up, hope you donât mind gettinâ your dress all muddy.â
âI donât,â you replied meekly as you stretched your legs out, the dress scrunching up past your boots as you glanced around the campsite. It was mostly what you expected an outlaws campsite to be. A single cast iron pot and pan sat near the flames, and a few bedrolls were strewn about. They packed light, for obvious reasons.
âLooks like you came prepared,â Mina joked as she tapped the tip of your boot with hers. A nasty grin grew across her features as she locked eyes with Bakugou who roughly sat down on his bedroll, âcaught a smart one, Kats.â
Bakugou lifted his gaze towards you, his red eyes were narrowed as he grabbed a roll from the cast iron pan in front of him. âShut the hell up,â he snapped, cutting his gaze away from you and to Mina. âWeâre not here to be friends,â he added as he yanked off his hat and tossed it next to him. âSheâs leverage, thatâs all. I donât wanna hear another fuckinâ word from anyone else tonight.â
You listened as the rest of the group muttered to each other before settling into silence. The only sounds around you were the soft snorts from the horses, Kaminari snoring, and the loud buzz of the cicadas and crickets from the juniper trees around you. However, you were restless, squirming against the log as you tried to get comfortable.
Every once nâ awhile, Bakugouâs vermillion gaze would slide over to you between bites of his food. It unnerved you to know that he was watching you. It made you wonder what he was thinking. If he was planning on what to do with you. It also made you wonder why your father decided to even get involved with these outlaws? Why you? Why is Bakugou even offering to keep you alive for a month?
âThe fuck you starinâ at,â Bakugou growled as he tore into another biscuit with his teeth. You had been watching him unknowingly for a while, and it was getting on his nerves.
You furrowed your brows, holding your tongue as he harshly swallowed his food. Once you averted your eyes you heard him click his tongue and huff. That shouldnât have set you off, but after the night you had, your temper was more than short. âWhy are you so damn mean?â
âExcuse me?â Bakugou replied, holding his biscuit mid-air.
A hand landed on your elbow and you looked over to see Mina was shaking her head at you. Her eyes were wide with a warning, but you didnât care. You were smart enough to know how this was going to end for you, so really there was no reason to be scared of the prickly blonde sitting in front of you. âYou heard me,â you said while rolling your eyes. âWhy are you so mean? Actually better yet, was kidnapping the best thing you could think of? Do you think my fatherâs gonna dish out three grand for me? Heâs a slimy man, you surely know that already.â
Bakugouâs upper lip twitched up into a sneer and he closed his fist over his biscuit. He was clearly pissed at you now. âYouâre not makinâ a very good case for yourself. Donât you wanna live?â
A pulse of adrenaline surged through your body at his response, but you played it off with an exaggerated shrug. âObviously, but-â
âBut what? You gotta plan? Know where your old man keeps an extra stash of cash?â Bakugou said, his voice deep with irritation.
âNo,â you answered, and folded your arms over your chest, âbut, if youâre such a good thief like the post makes you out to be then you would have gone for Monoma. His family owns practically half of the city down south and its money. Not to mention, you had Monoma in your hands and you let him go.â You paused to present your next part, hope fluttered in your chest at the thought of him biting off on your plan, âso naturally, it makes sense for you to just take me back and take-â
âIâm not bringinâ you back,â Bakugou interrupted as he harshly ran a hand through his messy hair.
âWhy not?â you shot back, eyes wide with disbelief, âMonoma is a much better hostage.â
âHostage,â Bakugou huffed and rolled his eyes before settling his gaze back on yours, âlook, princess, I donât fuckinâ care what plan youâve cooked up. Iâm doinâ this my way and thatâs final. I donât wanna hear another word from that mouth of yours, got it?â
You pressed your lips together in anger and huffed through your nose before giving him a curt nod. It was obvious you werenât going to get anywhere with him. But that didnât mean you wouldnât stop trying.
âGoodâ Bakugou grumbled as he stood to his feet and grabbed his bedroll. âNobody fuckinâ wake me up unless somethinâ bad is happening.â
The group around you muttered some words before watching Bakugou saunter away from earshot and lay down.
âHeâs sure in a mood,â Mina said with a snort as she yanked out a blanket from the backpack next to her and handed it to you. âYou better head off to bed, doll. Iâm sure heâll be up in a few to piss and he wonât wanna look at your face.â
âHeâs so mean,â you muttered, mostly to yourself, as you glanced towards the black starch of his shirt that was partially covered by an army green blanket.
âHeâs an outlaw,â the dark-haired man said, hearing your quiet words. He set down his pistol and looked at you with a crooked grin, âand youâre the mayorâs prissy daughter. Youâre annoying.â
âI donât think youâre annoying,â Mina reassured you, âSeroâs just beinâ a dick. Weâre just from different worlds, doll.â
You frowned, obviously offended, âIâm not prissy.â
âAnd I donât have black hair,â Sero scoffed. âItâs just facts.â
âYâknow, I work too,â you began, feeling heat rise to your face. âI know how to ride and rope, just like yâall.â
âThat pretty dress and hair-do arenât helpinâ your case,â Kirishima said as he took a large gulp from his waterskin.
âWell,â Kaminari began as he rolled over, clearly awake now, âthe boots help a little. Maybe weâll put ya on Red over there and see if you can keep up.â Kaminari laughed as he looked over at the large sorrel gelding behind him.
You clenched your teeth, âyouâre gonna eat those words.â The group snickered, making snide comments at your confidence which gave you an excuse to leave the group. You gave Mina a fleeting smile and walked away from the fire and spread the blanket down on the ground. With a soft sigh, you laid down and gazed up at the stars.
Granted you wanted to get away from your house, but not like this. You gazed up at the stars listening to the other chat softly, the fire crackling, and the horse quietly chuffing to one another from where they were tied. It was almost peaceful, but it wasnât.
You just wanted to go home to see your sisters and even your screaming nephews and nieces. With a silent sigh, you rolled over on your side and tried to get some sleep.
------------
A sharp poke to your ribs had you sitting up from a dead sleep with an alarmed gasp. You blinked, heart racing as laughter rang in your ears. With bleary eyes, you looked up to see Bakugou staring you down with a nasty grin.
âRise nâ shine, princess, weâre going,â Bakugou said as he roughly placed his boot back on the ground, causing loose dirt to plume up into your face.
You grumbled and stood to your feet, brushing off the dirt from your hands. Your dress now looked terrible, and you felt a pang of sadness pull at your heart. You never liked dresses like this, but this was the last reminder of your sister, and now Bakugou put his dirty boots all over it.
âQuit makinâ that face, you gotta change anyway,â Bakugou said, obviously picking up on your dampened mood.
âWhat am I supposed to change into?â you asked, meeting his scarlet gaze. He was tall and almost cast you in his shadow as the sun rose from behind him.
Bakugouâs lips lifted into a smile as he flipped his cowboy hat on his head, âdunno darlinâ just be ready in a few, and where weâre headed that dress will catch too much attention.â
Your eyes widened as he snickered at you before turning away to tack up his horse. The nerve he had. He was so infuriating.
âHey,â Minaâs soft voice cut into your violent thoughts, âIâve got an extra pair of jeans and a shirt you can use.â
"Thank you so much, I owe you one," you said truthfully, feeling very thankful for Mina at the moment.
Minaâs smile grew larger, âIâll certainly hold you to that, honey.â She gave you a wink as he walked towards her saddlebag and tossed you a pair of worn jeans and a forest green starch shirt that had leather patches on the elbows.
You gave her a small smile as you quickly made your way towards a thicket of cedar trees and practically ripped your dress off and changed as quickly as you could. You couldnât trust anyone here and you had no idea what sort of morals these guys had, they were criminals after all.
With one last final tug on the top of your boots, you straightened and walked back out into the clearing to see that Kirishima was walking towards you with the large sorrel gelding you saw earlier last night.
âHere,â Kirishima said as he handed you the reins, glancing over his shoulder to look at Bakugou then back at you. âYouâre gonna wanna get on before Bakugou sees me handinâ you the reins.â
âWhat?â you said, confusion evident on your features. Why was he giving you a horse? Obviously, anyone with a brain would not give their hostage a way to escape. You gingerly took the worn leather reins in your hand and looked up at the towering man in front of you.
Kirishima glanced back at Bakugou who was now picking his horseâs hooves, his back was still to you both. âLook,â Kirishima began in a low voice, âweâre headinâ to a seedy town where Bakugouâs gonna drop you off with a harsher crowd. These two guys donât mess around and I donât believe in hurting women so get on and go.â
âKirishima,â you began, fear knotting in your stomach. This was your chance but you knew how talented Bakugou was with his pistol, it would take him one bullet to take you down. Even though this was your chance, the fear of him chasing you was almost too much. âI donât think I can.â
âYou have too, Dabi and Shigaraki have no morals like we do. It wonât be pretty. Donât worry, your plan to get Monoma was good, heâll try and nab that weasel, okay?â
You nodded and quickly placed the reins over your horse's head and got into the saddle. You gave Kirishima a quick nod before you urged your horse forward with the click of your tongue. âGet,â you hissed and pressed your heel into the outside flank of your horse. The red gelding let out a loud whine before he took off, tearing across the bare strip of prairie you came from.
--------------
At the sound of one of his horse's neighing and quick hoofbeats, Bakugou immediately turned around. There you were tearing across the prairie, he glowered, âyou shit, Kirishima. Why did you do that?â he said as he quickly mounted his horse.
Kirishima looked towards his best friend, âyou know I donât like hurtinâ women Katsuki, and you were gonna bring her to The League.â
âI wasnât gonna do that dip shit,â Bakugou snapped as he kicked his horse's sides, âwas gonna bring her to fuckinâ Deku!â he shouted angrily as he took off after you.
Kirishimaâs shoulder slumped, âoh, DekuâŠâ
âYou really screwed the pooch this time, man,â Kaminari said with a small laugh as he squinted, âwell Iâll be damned, sister really can ride, thought she was lyinâ.â
âGuess not,â Sero added with a chuckle.
--------------
You leaned forward a bit in the saddle as you gripped the mane of your horse as he sped up when you reached a small hill. With a panicked breath, you glanced behind you to see that Bakugou was hot on your tail using the lasso in his hand to whip his horse's backside, and it seemed to be working because he was gaining on you fast.
âShit,â you muttered, fear creeping into your arms and legs, making you stiff in your saddle. You glanced around the area to see that there was another section of woods up ahead that you could lose him in so you steered your horse that way.
âOi!â Bakugou shouted, his voice carrying on the wind, âyouâre beinâ a dumbass!â
You flipped him the bird, which probably wasnât your smartest idea, but you werenât thinking clearly right now. As the woods grew nearer you slowed your horse to a fast lope as you weaved through the trees, some of the branches cutting at your cheeks. After a good while, you glanced behind you to see that Bakugou was nowhere in sight and you sighed.
You had lost him.
With a small smile, you slowed your horse to a trot as you meandered through the woods trying to figure out the best path to go to head back home. You would probably have to wait till night to find the north star since your home was always south of it. Right now though, you thought it was best to find water for you and your horse since he just carried you across a long distance at an incredible speed.
âThanks, bud,â you said with a small smile as you patted the side of his neck while searching for a stream. About a good twenty minutes of wandering later you finally found a stream in a small open field in the middle of the forest. It was pretty with lots of long sweet grass and wildflowers. With one final glance around you dismounted your horse and lead him to the stream where he greedily begins drinking making you chuckle. âSorry buddy, Iâm sure itâs been a while since youâve run that much.â
Then, of course, to youâre luck that damn raspy voice you dreaded spoke from the thicket of trees in front of you, âthat fat fuck has just been grazing for two months straight, surprised he even ran for your spoiled ass,â Bakugou growled as he erupted from the treeline on his horse who was looking rather spooked.
You screamed, spooking your horse up into a rear while Bakugou pulled out his lasso and spurred his horse to leap across the stream as you started to run.
âDonât think so!â he snapped as he quickly got the lasso around your waist and yanked hard, causing you to fall on your face.
You let out a soft cry as your face met the grass and you heard Bakugou get off of his horse and stomp towards you, yanking the rope around your sides making you hiss.
âStop whining you brat,â Bakugou hissed as he yanked you up and to your surprise pressed his pistol beneath your chin.
âThought you said you wanted to keep me around,â you said through gritted teeth as you stared at him down.
âStartinâ to think I made a mistake,â Bakugou sneered as he turned the safety off. âDonât like my investmentâs runninâ off or beinâ a piece of work.â
You blinked, angry that tears were starting to threaten to spill down your cheeks as he pressed his pistol harder into the flesh under your chin, âthen do it.â
Bakugou kept his gaze steady on you for a few painstakingly long moments before pulling his pistol back and placing it into its holder on his waist, âget up.â
âNot gonna blow my head off?â you snapped, at times you wondered if your sharp tongue was sometimes too much. Right now, it just might be.
âDonât test me, Iâm not in the mood,â Bakugou grumbled as he yanked you to your feet, impatient with how slow you were getting to your feet. He turned around and let out a low growl upon discovery that both of your horses had spooked and had run off into the woods somewhere together...hopefully, âwell look at that, see that, princess,â Bakugou snapped roughly grabbing your chin and yanking your head towards the woods, âif you wouldnât have pulled that stunt we would still have our horses and be in town by now and youâd be all cozy in a nice little cabin with a nice little sheriff.â
You snorted, âit wasnât my fault the horses ran, you had to make a grand entrance? Plus, Kirishima told me you were gonna hand me off to men who were known to hurt women, so of course I wasnât gonna stay if I didnât have to,â you argued.
Bakugou let go of your chin and now placed his hand around the rope tied around your body and yanked you next to him as he began his trek into the woods, âwasnât gonna give you to those assholes. I donât hurt women either,â he explained a little more calmly, ânone of us do.â
âRight,â you said sarcastically, âsays the guy who just held a pistol to my head.â
Bakugou huffed as he glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, âjust tryna break you in a little. You have a lot of spirit. Itâs annoying as hell.â
You snorted and shook your head, âwhatever.â
Bakugou didnât talk for a good while as you both wandered the forest looking for your horses who had apparently traveled quite far together. In the time you had traveled the sun had risen high into the sky and was starting its descent towards the horizon. During this entire time, you refused to talk, which was fine with Bakugou since he didnât talk a lot either. However, you did observe him closely.
Occasionally he would stop and squat to the ground to look at the tracks your horses made in the soft dirt from earlier. Or he would see some sort of berry on your walk and snatch some of it off a bush, grumbling to himself when it would stain his fingers. He sometimes would look back at you, whether he was checking if you were okay was beyond you...he probably wasnât though. You also heard him ramble under his breath about your stupid fat horse spooking, or that he was hungry.
You blinked slowly as you watched Bakugou pluck some horse hair from a thorny bramble patch and inspect it before tugging you along behind him. You were growing weak though, it had been hours since you both started walking and you were tired, dirty, and thirsty now. Granted itâs not like you wanted to bring up your current condition to him, knowing he would tell you off. However, at this rate, you knew you werenât going to last much longer. With a sigh, you gave in, âBakugou?â
âWhat?â he said, his voice clipped with irritation as he pushed past a branch that slapped you in the face causing you to let out a whine.
âCan we find a stream? Iâm thirsty.â
âNo,â Bakugou replied in a steely tone as he yanked harshly on your rope. A soft grunt from you caused him to turn his head and he rolled his eyes seeing you on the ground. God, you were so weak. Just like fucking, Deku. âGet up.â
âIf I had my hands and thighs untied, I could,â you shot back, looking up at him from the dirt.
Bakugou let out a heavy sigh before roughly yanking you up by the collar of your shirt. He narrowed his eyes at you, he had to admit you did look pretty dehydrated. âHere, be quick,â he grumbled as he pulled out his waterskin and held it up to your lips. âI wanna find those horses before sundown.â
You didnât even nod before you started drinking, instantly feeling better but a little nervous as his eyes never left your face as you sucked down probably half of his water before he pulled it away and took a swig before tying it back on his belt.
âCâmon,â he said quietly as he yanked you back up and continued walking.
------------
Luck ended up being on your side, well sort of. Bakugou did end up tracking the horses down before the sun set, but he wasnât too happy about where they ended up. Both horses were currently tied to a chuckwagon where a group of soldiers were camping for the night. They were obviously traveling west towards a new base that you had heard about from the post the other day. Granted you would have been elated to have found soldiers, but now you were with one of the most wanted outlaws in the country, so you figured they wouldnât even spare you a glance and gun you down too just for being with him.
âWell thatâs fuckinâ great,â Bakugou hissed as he crouched by a large elm tree watching some soldiers mess with his horses and his tack.
âMaybe theyâll let them go? Or bring them to town since theyâre lost?â you offered quietly from next to him.
âThey wonât do that, theyâre not branded. Those bastards will take them to their fucking base and turn them into military horses. Damn it,â Bakugou said as he curled his hand that was resting against the bark of the tree into a fist. He gave you one menacing glare before looking back towards his horses.
âStop glarinâ at me,â you began, slightly irritated, âwe both know it was your fault they ran off.â
âI swear to god, if you sass me one more time, Iâm gonna throw you out into that camp as a diversion and leave you with those assholes,â Bakugou said seriously as he ran a hand over his face in frustration.
You rolled your eyes and then proceeded to sit down because you figured you werenât going anywhere for a while. Which was perfectly fine with you, you were exhausted after walking all day.
Bakugouâs scarlet gaze cut back to you and then to the camp again before a devious grin began to grow across his face, âactually, that was not a bad idea. You would make good bait.â
âI donât think so,â you quickly responded, shaking your head roughly, âI donât wanna be bait.â
âToo bad, princess, youâve got no choice. Now hereâs the plan, okay? Listen closely. You can play bait and come back with me or you can stay with these doofuses and Iâll go nab one of your sisters from back home, yeah?â Good thing, ole Richy has plenty of daughters,â Bakugou threatened, hoping he had convinced you not to stay with the military, even though that was the best option for you.
âYouâre kidding, you canât take any of my sisters,â you hissed.
âI can and I will,â Bakugou snapped as he rose to his feet, ânow go out there and put on a good pout, those men are starving for a pretty thing like you,â he said with a predatory grin before practically tossing you out of the bushes.
Your cheeks were hot with embarrassment at his comment as you stumbled out of the bushes and landed right in the middle of the camp with a huff.
âHoly!â one of the soldiers shouted, jumping to his feet, his purple bowler hat tumbling off his head, âthe heck did you come from lady?â
âUm, um,â you panicked, your breath coming out in quick pants as you watched Bakugou dart behind the wagon towards your horses, âum I was kidnapped by this outlaw I-â
âGolly, are you Y/n L/n?â one of the soldiers who was snacking on a pastry asked, âyouâve been all over the post down in these parts!â
The soldier with the purple bowler hat blinked as he approached you slowly and helped you up. He certainly wasnât subtle with looking you over, âgood thing you landed in our laps, we can take good care of you, get you back home?â
âMineta,â another soldier with a bandana over his mouth hissed, âleave her alone, the corporal wonât be happy to hear youâre beinâ a pervert again!â
âIâm not,â Mineta purred as he undid your ropes around your body, âshe needs help.â
âGolly,â the other soldier with a pastry sighed.
You cringed as you wiggled out of Minetaâs grasp, âIâm okay, thanks though-â
âYou sure? Got cut up pretty badly,â Mineta began as he reached out towards your face.
You squinted and gave him a tight-lipped smile, âreally itâs fine.â You glanced around for Bakugou only to see that the horses were gone and that meant he left you. That asshole, and now he was gonna go after your sisters. Suddenly hands were on your face and you flinched while the other soldiers besides the one with the pastry and the bandana on his mouth hooted at Mineta.
âFucking disgusting,â a familiar voice rasped from behind you and suddenly there was a gunshot.
You flinched as blood splattered on your face and Mineta crumpled to the ground holding his shoulder as he cried out. Before you could even register what was happening you were being hoisted up onto Bakugouâs horse as shots rang through the air.
One bullet whizzed by your cheek and you quickly buried your face into Bakugouâs back as he spurred his horse on with yours galloping next to him from being tied to the horn of his saddle. You flinched again as Bakugou shot his pistol and you instinctively wrapped your arms around his torso as he took a tight turn going back towards the camp.
âDonât fucking mess with my horses!â Bakugou shouted once more before shooting another round into the camp before taking off across the prairie as the sun dipped down below the horizon.
After a good while of riding, Bakugou slowed his horse down to a walk as he started to ascend up a mountain trail. He stiffened feeling your arms tighten around him when his horse tripped and he glanced at you over his shoulder to see that you still had your face pressed into his back. âGeez,â he began, âloosen up, yeah?â
You lifted your head and loosened your grip on his waist, averting your gaze from him, âsorry.â
âSorry?â Bakugou scoffed as he turned to get a better look at you. Your face was splattered with blood and you had a gnarly cut on your cheek from where a bullet had grazed your face. He sighed, âdonât tell me that got you all scared.â
You looked up into his scarlet red eyes that were hardened and desensitized to violence and you shook your head.
âGood,â Bakugou said with a curt nod before turning back around. He lightly pulled back on his reins to get his horse to stop and quickly dismounted before tying up his horse and yours to a tree, âweâll stay here tonight and meet up with the others tomorrow in town.â
You nodded and glanced around at your surroundings, there was a small creek babbling to your right and a deep cave on the side of the cliff you had been riding by for a while to your left. Bakugou had already moved towards the cave and started a small fire in front of it by the time you had wandered over to it.
To be honest, now you are scared. The reality of what has happened to you so far has really set in and you realized the actual dangers of being around someone as dangerous as Bakugou. You knew your dad would never cough up the money he owed Bakugou, which made you question what he would do with you once the month was up.
Bakugou shifted a bit on the log he was sitting on as he watched you play with your fingers obviously deep in thought. You were acting differently. Not like he cared. Why would he care, youâre his insurance for three grand, thatâs all.
Yet a small nagging voice in the back of his head softly reminded him that you were a human, a person. You had feelings, and you were probably scared and hurting.
You blinked, examining the dried blood beneath your nails as you continued to ponder about where your life was headed until you heard Bakugou stand up, and then to your surprise he sat down next to you.
âLook at me,â Bakugou said in a gruff voice.
You blinked again, weighing his words. What was he gonna do?
âLook at me dumbass,â Bakugou snapped impatiently.
With a sigh, you glanced up at him to see he was watching you with narrowed eyes, âwhat?â
âJust stay still,â he said with a scoff as he yanked off the burnt orange bandana around his neck and then wet the tip of it with some water from his waterskin. He then looked back at you and used two knuckles to gently turn your face to get a better look at the deeper cut on your cheek from the bullet that grazed you.
Your eyes were wide with shock as Bakugou gently dabbed at the cut on your face. It stung like hell, but you were so surprised at his actions that you remained still. âWhat are you doing?â you asked after finally getting over your initial shock.
âCleaning your wound, canât have my investment get an infection,â Bakugou muttered, his vermillion gaze quickly snapping to yours before moving back to your cut he was cleaning
You nodded, turning your gaze away from him not daring to look at him. He was too close. Way too close. Your gaze shifted back to his face as he continued to dab at your wound. It only struck you then how handsome he was. Despite having dirt speckled on his cheeks, you could tell he had a light dusting of freckles over his nose. He had dark eyebrows that made you wonder why his hair was so blonde? But what stuck out to you the most were his eyes. They were a deep scarlet red that reminded you of dying sparks from a fire.
You were drawn out of your thoughts when you noticed Bakugou was about to spread some plant he had been chewing on while you were in thought over your cut. âWhoa!â you began, leaning away from him, âwhat is that?â
âYarrow,â Bakugou explained, as he forcibly placed his free hand on the back of your head and held you steady while he spread the pulp over your cut, âhelps with infection,â he finished as he wiped his thumb on the side of his jeans, âgo get some sleep, weâre riding early tomorrow. Got a long way till town.â
You watched as he quickly moved away from you to get his bedroll and untack both horses. âYou donât think Iâm gonna run away while youâre sleeping?â you challenged, surprised that he was granting you so much freedom.
Bakugou gave you a sideways glance, âIâm not stupid, princess, and neither are you. You know better than to run now.â
You rose an eyebrow at him. He was right, you wouldnât run because he practically told you he had plenty of sisters to kidnap, not to mention you wouldnât be surprised if he decided to grab one of your nephews or nieces too. You let out a huff as you turned away from him and stretched out on the soft summer grass.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for you.











