Katsuki stood beneath the water as it cascaded over him, and yet, he couldn't feel it at all. He didn't remember arriving at the bathroom, stripping down, entering the shower, or turning it on… yet there he was, naked and staring at the tile wall as the droplets rained down all around him. The thought that he should be washing himself or shampooing his hair briefly crossed his mind, but oddly enough, he didn't feel the need to do so. That wasn't why he was there, after all. He was at peace standing beneath the water, feeling none of it as it hit him, but wet all the same.

It made no sense. Something was off. Certain sensations were present and almost amplified, while others were notably absent. More than anything, Katsuki just felt warm and had the overwhelming sense that he was waiting on something.

It didn't take long for that something to arrive.

The sound of the shower curtain behind him being pulled back didn't faze Katsuki at all. He somehow expected it to happen, and despite the fact that he was totally unclothed, he wasn't at all embarrassed or bothered. Instead, he just slowly turned to look over the figure responsible for exposing him.

A young woman stood in the entrance to the shower stall. She, too, was nude and unashamed, and she looked at Katsuki with lust in her eyes. The girl was a bit shorter than Katsuki and noticeably less in shape, with a small roll around her stomach that he found oddly attractive. He noticed immediately that she was completely unshaven, and his eyes felt drawn to the curly patch of hair below her navel. Katsuki traced his eyes up to her breasts, which while of a decent size, were nowhere near the biggest in their year. Still, he appreciated them all the same and let his gaze linger on her chest before finally looking up at the girl's face and trying to figure out where he had seen her before.

Her hair was a light brown and hung around her face in two long strands that curved inward toward her chin. Odd, ovular patches of light pink were upon the girl's cheeks, giving her the appearance of wearing natural blush despite her lack of makeup. The distinctive features along with her dark brown eyes helped Katsuki place her- she was a member of Class 1-B, and he had seen her talking to and hanging around Izuku from time to time. From a distance, it almost seemed like there was something going on between the two of them… but it didn't matter at all. She was there in the shower for him, whether it made sense or not.

As Katsuki watched her approach, he realized that a lot of things about the situation didn't make sense. He could no longer hear the water from the showerhead behind himself, nor could he make out the details of the bathroom behind the girl. Everything was blurry and muted, and he knew that there was absolutely zero chance of them being caught. There was also the matter that she was a girl from the other class, who had no reason to be on their floor at all, let alone in the boys' bathroom. It also didn't make any sense to Katsuki that he had been erect before she even showed up, as though it had all been planned and he had been anticipating the moment. He hadn't at all, and yet, nothing about the situation surprised him.

There was no romance or foreplay, nor were there any words exchanged. Katsuki somehow knew that neither of them could speak even if they wanted to. Everything was a fuzzy, unclear jumble of sensation and pleasure as he entered her without looking and put his hands upon the sides of her torso. The girl leaned into him, pressing her breasts up against his chest as she let out a shuddering gasp. Suddenly, an urge overtook Katsuki and he turned the girl to press her up against the wall of the shower stall. The structure rattled a bit with the impact, and Katsuki began to thrust into the visitor with force.

He had no idea what he was doing, or if there was supposed to be some sort of technique involved. All he knew was that he had to keep going, and that the only sensation clear to him was the feeling of her warm inner walls around him. The tiny whining noises and the feel of her nails digging into his shoulders spurred Katsuki on, and he kept up his aggressive rhythm as best he could for what felt like ages. With each push, the wall behind her rattled, and he felt almost as though he was trying to push her through it.

Eventually, Katsuki could no longer breathe only through his nose and found himself panting as he picked up the pace. He pushed deeper into her, slapping his body against her unfamiliar flesh. Katsuki didn't register any noise accompanying the action, nor did he feel the weight of her body pressed up against him. The only present sensation was a warm rubbing around his entire body, and the pleasurable pulsing in the shaft of his phallus.

None of the missing details mattered. Katsuki could feel that he was getting close to finishing. There was a familiar, urgent feeling building in his lower body- one he had only previously experienced alone, and quite rarely. It wouldn't be long before he went for one final thrust, the tip of his length flaring as a rush of warm, flowi-

Katsuki awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed and breathing hard as the scenario faded from his mind and was replaced by reality. It took him a moment to realize that he was still quite aroused even outside of the dream, and his penis had escaped the slit at the front of his boxers. The sheets of the bed were tangled between his legs and rubbing up against him, and his heart hammered in his chest as he tried to catch his breath and calm his throbbing loins. Katsuki noticed that he was dripping sweat and his underwear had patches of darkened moisture upon the material. Quite suddenly, his heart went from working overtime to stopping dead as he looked over to his left.

Eijiro's bed was empty. Momo must have left before he woke up.

With a cathartic exhale, Katsuki doubled over and put his head in his hands. His forehead and hair were soaked, and he felt like he wanted to throw up. Warm, sickening shame filled his entire body, as did a tingling wash of embarrassment and guilt. As he managed to close his mouth and resume breathing through his nose, Katsuki reached over and tapped the screen of his phone. He was greeted by large numbers reading 9:32 A.M., as well as the date below them and a series of notifications about text messages from various people. His alarm had gone off… but he had slept right through it.

"What the fuck?" Katsuki asked no one in particular as he worked to untangle himself from the sheets and get his boxers back on properly.

Katsuki had never slept through an alarm before, and the thought of staying in bed so late filled him with anxiety. There were so many things to do, and classes started the following day. He couldn't quite remember what it was that he needed to do… and closing his eyes just filled his mind with the mental image of his midnight visitor's naked body. He could almost still feel the odd, dream-approximation of the feeling of her flesh against his. It was almost enough to bring him to grasp himself and work toward a satisfying release… but there was a problem.

He felt disgusted.

Before he could think, Katsuki stood up out of bed and began to pace, his heart pounding once again. He ran his hands through his hair, finding it matted and tangled. He was sure he looked like an absolute mess, and he didn't know what to do first. Katsuki almost felt like crying- though it was only a dream, somehow, it felt like something more. Something wrong. The situation had brought out a side of him he wasn't familiar with, and it wasn't one he wanted to see again. What would happen if he was actually close enough to a girl to have sex with them?

A knock came at the dormitory door. Katsuki froze, staring at the entranceway. In a panic, he called out angrily.

"Don't come in here!"

There was a pause in which Katsuki could only hear his own breathing. His adrenaline was through the roof, and he felt ready to fight whoever dared to intrude upon his breakdown. Though he didn't know how much time had passed before the would-be intruder spoke up, it felt like ages.

"…Kats?" came Daisuke's voice through the door. "Are you okay, man? You weren't answering my texts, and we're pretty late…"

Realization hit Katsuki like a wave. The surveillance footage. He was supposed to head to Tenya's room at 8:00 AM with Daisuke and review what had been gathered. Not only was he already late, but he wasn't even close to ready to be seen around other people. His breathing quickened once again, and Katsuki rapidly realized that he was at his limit. Izuku, Toru, the dream, his mother, Nejire, One for All, Bubble Girl, Shigaraki, classes starting, the hanging conversation with Momo, the awkwardness with Kyoka… it was all too much to handle at once. Without any other ideas, Katsuki did the only thing he could think to do.

He stomped to the door, threw it open, and grabbed Daisuke's wrist before the other boy could move.

"Kats, are y-" Daisuke began before being yanked inside of the dormitory with a surprised yelp. He stumbled inside, quite nearly falling into his friend's chest before he stabilized himself with his tail. "Wh-… why are you, uh…"

"There's something wrong with me," Katsuki said hurriedly as he closed the door and put his back up against it. "I… I need help."

Daisuke blinked several times and looked Katsuki over in the boy's state of undress.

"Like… you found a weird rash, or…?"

"No," Katsuki hissed as he finally let Daisuke's hand go. "I'm just… I don't know what's happening to me. What's wrong with me."

"You're gonna have to be more specific," Daisuke said warily as he took a step back. "You're not sick, are you? I mean, you're sweating a lot, and you look pale…"

"No, I'm not…" Katsuki said, though he wasn't actually sure. "I don't think so, I'm just… the brunette downstairs in 1-B. With the hair down around her face in the front?"

Daisuke raised a brow before taking a seat on the edge of Eijiro's bed.

"Uh… Uraraka? Ochaco? Her?"

"…maybe?" Katsuki tried, the name not ringing any bells.

"…well, Toga's a blonde, and you definitely know Ashido and Yaoyorozu. It's gotta be her," Daisuke reasoned as he took out his phone and began to tap at the screen. "I'm gonna let Iida know we'll be a while. What about her?"

Katsuki finally got his breathing under control, but his nerves were still shot. What would Daisuke think of him? Would it be better or worse to just keep it in? Katsuki didn't think he could.

"I just… I overslept, and I was having a dream that I…" he began, finding it hard to get the words out as Daisuke fixed him with rapt attention. "I dreamed that we… we had sex."

Daisuke merely nodded before dropping his phone onto the mattress beside himself.

"Well, that does explain the raging boner," the boy pointed out in a deadpan tone only to earn a glare from Katsuki. "What? It doesn't bother me, and you know why. Just… focus on coming down from the adrenaline surge for a minute here and breathe. Nothing's wrong with you. You're probably having a panic attack."

"A what?" Katsuki snapped, his lips twisting into a scowl. "That's… that's not a thing!"

"It is absolutely a thing," Daisuke said, not budging an inch. "No matter how stoic and composed you think you usually are, everyone has things that set them off. I think you're just… overwhelmed right now, and you don't know what to do. That's totally understandable, but… dude, as far as I understand it, dreams about sex are totally normal. You've never had one before?"

"No," Katsuki said quickly as he walked forward and into the kitchen, keen to hide his lower body from Daisuke's view. Things still hadn't calmed down… and neither had he. If anything, he was beginning to feel nauseated. "And just… I don't think it's normal. I don't believe you. What reason could I possibly have to be dreaming about fucking her? We've barely exchanged words. I don't know her! I'm not some… some impulsive, shitty freak like Mineta!"

"No one's saying you are," Daisuke said calmly as he watched Katsuki take down a glass and fill it with water from the faucet. "And as far as Uraraka being the subject of your dream… I don't think that's really a cause for concern in and of itself."

"It is!" Katsuki insisted, nearly yelling. "It doesn't make any goddamned sense!"

"How many other dreams have you had that make any goddamned sense?" Daisuke probed, being firm with his tone. "Think. Fantasizing about having sex with someone you find attractive, even if you've only seen them in passing, isn't a crime. It's not like you're just suddenly going to act on it, right?"

Katsuki finished draining his glass and set it down with more force than necessary. All he could do was plant his palms on the countertop as his mind raced. He could still envision Ochaco panting and moaning, her chest pressed up against his. The feeling of her warm, soft body enveloping his rigid length was heavenly…

"…no," Katsuki said, much more calmly. "No, of course not. I don't even… I don't even think she's hot, or whatever…"

"That part doesn't matter so much," Daisuke replied. "You need to stop beating yourself up over this, and you need to do it now. What specifically has you so worried? This isn't like you…"

"I was… I was rough with her," Katsuki admitted as he shook his head. "We didn't even talk. I just… I went in, and it was… it was almost violent. Like I was trying to put her through a wall. I don't think about shit like that, I swear. That's not who I am… or, I guess not who I want to be with… with sex, or… Aki, I'm… worried. What does it all mean? Why is my brain doing this right now?"

Daisuke finally got up off the bed and strode into the kitchen. He noticed that Katsuki- all of him had finally calmed down and seemingly deflated. The frenzied panic was gone, and instead, Katsuki stood before him as a drained, shivering mess, his skin clammy and mouth dry despite the glass of water.

"I'm… the worst guy you could talk to about something like this, you know?" Daisuke considered. "I've never had a dream like that, for obvious reasons, but I think… my guess is that you've been holding back and repressing your natural urges for so long that they just kinda exploded last night, for lack of a better term. I wouldn't worry that you're about to do something horrible because of one dream. It sounds to me like you do want to be intimate with someone, but you want it to happen naturally, on terms you agree to, and you want it to mean something. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so upset. Does that sound right?"

Katsuki tensed up as Daisuke laid a gentle hand upon his shoulder, but he didn't recoil immediately.

"…yeah, but not with you…"

Daisuke couldn't help but roll his eyes and huff before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No shit. I know you're not into guys, and neither am I. If you want my official, final diagnosis as the total not-at-all-professional that I am… I think you're lonely, overwhelmed, and finally at your breaking point. You need close friends, good times, shoulders to lean on, and maybe someone to support you on a deeper, more personal level that could turn into a relationship. That sound about right?"

Katsuki finally broke away from Daisuke's touch and refilled his water, drinking half of the glass before closing his eyes and wiping the drying sweat from his forehead.

"…I don't know how to approach… any of that."

"I'll help you," Daisuke offered. "I've been in relationships before, even if they didn't… end great. I'm sure some of the others w-"

"No," Katsuki interrupted, his volume back up. "I trust you, and nothing we've been talking about leaves this room. Period."

"Alright, alright," Daisuke surrendered, holding his hands up near his shoulders. "Fine… but when it comes to sexuality, I'll give you what advice I can, just… be aware that I won't be able to help as much as most others familiar with it. I think you should find at least one other person to talk about sex with- someone who actually, you know, likes it, has experience with it, and can understand what you're feeling? What about Kirishima? He and Ashido seem like a long-term couple that has probably reached that level…"

The look that Katsuki gave him told Daisuke everything he needed to know.

"Ooooookay, moving on. What about… uh… Kan? She's… pretty open about everything in her life, and I don't think she'd have a problem discussing something sensitive like this and keeping it secret. I mean, unless you're thinking about trying to date her, that would be pretty awkward…"

"I'm not," Katsuki said immediately. "We wouldn't be good for each other. I can tell you that immediately. Maybe I'll think about talking to her. I don't know. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm gonna go shower, and we're going to go see Iida. Drop it, and don't fucking bring any of this up again unless I give you the go-ahead. Got it?"

"Got it," Daisuke said with a sigh as Katsuki walked past him and began to gather up his clothes from the previous night. "Are you… gonna be okay to do this today? We could wait, if you're not feeling well. Classes start tomorrow, and I know you don't want to be in bad shape and even more stressed going into that…"

Katsuki pulled on his shorts and shook his head.

"I'll be fine. I'm… just wait here, alright? I'll be right back. And… thanks, Aki. For… you already know. I don't have to say it."

"Yeah," Daisuke replied, his heavy tail shifting behind him. "Call me Dai, alright? I know I said it before, but I think we're bros by now, yeah?"

"…yeah," Katsuki admitted as he rolled on his sleeveless tee. "Dai. Like what I want to do right now."

"Good one," Daisuke said with another roll of his eyes. "Just take a bit to slow down and clear your head, alright? A lot of us care about you, whether you believe it or not."

Katsuki shivered, though he wasn't sure just why. He left the room in a hurry with the intent of taking a long, cold shower to try to do just what Daisuke suggested.

A shower devoid of any thoughts or mental images that would cause him to feel unsettled once again…

Author's Note:

Not a good start to the biggest stress in Katsuki's life just beginning…

-RD