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spicywrites · 3 years ago

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Look, I JUST now got to this cause life and what not. The highlight of my week was the notif that a new chapter was out. I’m in so deep for this story…

To the 3 people that follow me: read this please.

It’s long af, read it

If you love bakugou, read it

If you even just like him, read it

I’m social media shy and rarely ever go out of my way to really say much but I have been hooked since I found it 😭

Chapter spoilers ahead~~

(So sorry idk how to add a cut on mobil 🥲)

I love seeing how everything has changed him. The things he thinks about, how he treats Mar, ADOPTING A KITTY WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS??? Please I love him so much but really I just love the way he’s written in this. From the beginning nothings felt wrong or necessarily ooc.

I know there’s so much more I love and just wanna gush about when it comes to this fic but my brain is spaghetti and i’m very very tired. Point is- I love this story and it brings me lots of joy. Even the sad bits. I might actually start re-reading the whole fic… yeah no I’m definitely gonna do that 😌

@thetrashywritingwitch Thank you for sharing it with the internet ❤️

“Be Still, Just for Me” Bakugo x Fem!Reader, Ch. 44

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

(all chapters are available in my masterlist!)

Summary: Bakugo Katsuki, a Pro Hero in Japan, is used to the routine: wake up, kick villain ass, rinse and repeat. He’s living his dream, soaking in all he’s ever wanted and worked for.

During the brief moment he lets his guard down, everything changes.

Tossed into a world without quirks with nothing but the clothes on his back, he’s forced to accept the help of someone who knows exactly who he is: a manga character who should definitely not exist.

Chapter length: 13.5k

Warnings: T+ for language, no warnings

Reminder that the A03, Wattpad, and Quotev links will be in a reblog so this post shows up in search results! They’re also in my profile header! <3

Co-written and plot mapped by @rose-sparks13

thanks to all my beta readers!!! <3

Chapter Title: Something Missing, Something Gained

Chapter note: hhhhHHHHH fucking SORRY this chapter took goddamn ages to finish. Between writers block, adopting two cats in january (WHICH WAS NOT PLANNED AND THIS CHAPTER WAS GOING TO BE WRITTEN 2+ YEARS AGO SO IT WAS JUST A LUCKY COINCIDENCE I SWEAR), and being exhausted from working long hours and tight deadlines, writing regularly just wasn't on the table. ANYWAY here it is, please enjoy, thanks for your patience, all kudos/favs/comments are read and appreciated lkajsldkjaf

This is a filler/segue chapter for ch. 45 that, if I play my cards right (aka if i write my ass off…) I want to post on Katsuki's birthday, 4/20. It's an important one :)

if there are spelling errors, just ignore that shit bc i literally gave my fingers cramps finishing this chapter 10 mins ago :)))) appreciate it ----------------------

Bakugo Katsuki was lonely.

Not in a way that had anything to do with a lack of people to talk to or things to do. His life as a pro Hero kept him busy just like he wanted and needed. Spare time was a luxury, and he generally didn't mind a spare morning or evening to recuperate and rest… at least, he used to enjoy those respites before you came along and flipped his priorities and general outlook on life right on its head.

While in your world, time was basically all he had, and when you weren't around there wasn't much to do. Now that he was back home with all his luxuries and comforts and familiarity, his apartment was just… too damn quiet; and Katsuki normally felt perfectly at home with solitude.

He gradually found himself repeating pointless tasks and chores. He even kept the TV on in the background just for the noise which he rarely did months ago. Obviously, something - or someone - was missing despite the reality that things were just as they'd always been. Maybe "missing" wasn't the right word. No, more like… addition. Katsuki needed to add something that had never been here before, but he had no fucking clue how to fill the gap in the mile-long steps leading up to contentment.

That stupid New Years party Uraraka invited him to did a bit to quench these lonesome stretches of time. He almost didn't go, using his busy patrol schedule without a sidekick as an excuse, but fucking Kirishima rearranged their patrols without telling him just to make sure his alibi no longer worked; what an overly-considerate ass.

Just to give himself something to do and keep his hands busy, Katsuki went out and bought what he needed to make a batch of toshikoshi soba. Though his family did little in the way of tradition, he knew the routine behind what most people did on New Year's eve. Plus, Todoroki would be there and anyone with working taste buds knew that idiot could barely boil water.

Uraraka made mochi earlier - mostly so she could eat it herself - which left Deku to help Katsuki in the kitchen. Well, tried to help, anyway. Stubborn mule that he was, Katsuki attempted to kick Deku out of his own kitchen, but the attempt was half-hearted at best and he gave up before resigning to spitting out orders.

"Mar-san is still with their family, right?" Deku measured out the cooking sake and mirin while Katsuki impatiently kept an eye on the boiling kombu.

"Mmhm. Won't be back for another week," he grunted before taking a sip of the sake provided by the hosts. The last time he got drunk was-

"Do… did you tell them about… you know…?" He didn't have to spell it out for Katsuki to understand.

Frowning behind his glass, he took a longer sip of his drink. "They know. But I don't want to talk about any of that. Not tonight." If he was going to drink, then getting worked up was no doubt a terrible idea.

Uraraka walked in holding a plate of slowly-disappearing mochi with Yaoyorozu following behind. "How's the soba coming along?"

"Just fine," Katsuki grumbled before removing the kombu to drain as the water came to a boil. Deku and Uraraka shared a brief glance while Yaoyorozu cleared her throat from the entryway. “Wasn’t Todoroki supposed to be here?”

With her cheeks full of mochi, Uraraka said, “Oh yeah, he said he ran into a villain emergency earlier and was going to see his siblings afterwards. He’ll stop by if he has time, but it’ll be late.”

Before Katsuki could let out some snarky relief that Todoroki wouldn’t have the opportunity to ruin any of the food, Yaoyorozu chimed in. "How about I make some tea for everyone?"

Jumping on the opportunity to change the subject, Deku nodded. "Yes, thank you Yaoyorozu-san. How's Jirou-san, by the way?"

He really fucking wished this boring as hell small talk would happen somewhere else since he couldn't leave the soba unattended. But while he was dumping dried bonito flakes into the kombu water, Uraraka came up beside him and held out an obviously handmade mochi.

"Stop pouting and eat it. It's New Year's Eve!"

"I don't want any," he argued as she wiggled it in front of his mouth with that same stupid determined grin she wore back at the cafe.

"If you don't eat this mochi, I'm going to float you to the ceiling and not let you down until after midnight." Her expression didn't budge a centimeter under his glare, which honestly weirded him out enough to snatch the mochi from her fingers and angrily stuff it into his mouth with his lips now coated in rice flour. "Good! I'll go see if Tsuyu-chan wants some." As if this was a completely normal interaction, she walked out of the kitchen and disappeared around the corner.

The remaining three people exchanged baffled looks as Katsuki forced his attention back on the boiling pot as he chewed with puffed-out cheeks.

"Is… Uraraka-san feeling alright?" Yaoyorozu set the electric kettle to simmer before pulling out a fancy-looking tin of tea leaves.

Chopping green onions after wiping rice powder from his mouth, Katsuki interjected. "I'll assume it's the pregnancy talking-"

"Kacchan!"

"What?! Isn't pregnancy brain a thing? I'm not gonna argue with her over stupid mochi when she's floated me before for less." Their bickering was hushed to avoid the subject of their conversation from overhearing.

Yaoyorozu carefully measured out tea leaves and added, "though I wouldn't put it so crudely as Bakugo-kun, it is true that pregnancy can affect mood and emotions. Pregnancy shrinks the brain's grey matter and greatly alters the estrogen and progesterone levels which can definitely affect how Uraraka-san acts, even several years after the baby is born."

The two men stared at her before Katsuki smugly turned back to Deku. "Told you."

"I-I know all of that," he affirmed. "It's not like we didn't research and prepare beforehand. It's just taking some getting used to is all… but if all she's doing right now is forcing us to eat mochi, then that's not so bad, heh."

Rolling his eyes, Katsuki went back to finishing up the soba while Yaoyorozu focused on her tea. She placed a hot mug next to his mostly-empty cup of sake before handing one to Deku as well. "Uraraka-san will be fine. She has all of us for all the support she wants and needs. I believe the new year will bring many good things."

It fucking better, Katsuki thought to himself while mourning the last two months of misery he’d put himself through; he couldn’t continue dealing with this same level of burdensome bullshit… not alone, anyway.

When the soba was finally done, everyone gathered around to eat. The group was small since Hero schedules were chaotic and unpredictable at times, but they tried their best to keep in touch when the opportunity arose. Todoroki hadn’t shown up yet, so they assumed he probably decided to stay with his siblings. Bakugo saved a bowl of soba for him to pick up later.

Slurping buckwheat noodles symbolized gaining resilience and strength to face the coming year, two things Katsuki never thought he'd lack. Someone who wasn't even here and he hadn't seen in over two months really had crumbled his resolute worldview while putting value and perspective on the small details he now missed.

"Thanks for making soba, Bakugo-kun," Tsuyu said before blowing away the steam from her dripping chopsticks.

Everyone else hummed in agreement. "Mm, it's good! Similar to how my mom would make it growing up." Uraraka noisily slurped hot noodles and dashi while Katsuki grumbled.

"No shit it's good, I made it." The words came out on reflex, his fingers nearly dropping his own chopsticks as he remembered the many times you complimented his cooking with earnest enthusiasm. Time to put the past behind me. Tensing his hand, Katsuki dug into his own soba and eyed his shallow cup of sake.

As everyone glued their eyes to the clock to celebrate the stroke of midnight, Katsuki lounged on the couch with flushed cheeks and a lopsided scowl. Trying to keep his eyes open proved difficult since he only stayed awake so late when he had overnight patrols or rare emergencies. He only drank twice as much as he meant to while people around him talked about New Year’s resolutions and leaving the mistakes of the past in the dust. "I'm drinking Cheeks's share since she can't have any," he argued when Tsuyu questioned if he was feeling alright while holding a glass of water out to him. The pregnant host tried not to pout at the fact that she still had many months left before she could drink again.

Unfortunately for Bakugo, his inability to hold his alcohol led to him falling asleep on their couch before 1 A.M.

Despite the cushions feeling different and the orientation to the room not matching his memory at all, maybe he subconsciously desired some tiny reminder of you - even if it meant sleeping on someone else's couch on New Year's eve - before trying to move forward with a fresh slate.

When Deku and Uraraka woke up the next morning, he was gone without a trace of ever having been there at all.

With Mar still in Puerto Rico, Kirishima occasionally filled in to patrol with him just like old times before their independent careers really took off.

"Soo, I hear that you finally spilled the beans to Mar. How'd that go?"

Katsuki groaned into the high collar of his winter uniform. "Let me guess, they wanted to gossip or whatever as soon as they left Japan?” His wrist grenades swung heavily down at his sides, though he barely noticed the weight that would be cumbersome to the average person as he and Kirishima tracked through the snow-covered sidewalks.

The red head chuckled. "That about sums it up, yeah. How did that conversation go, anyway? Hopefully better than ours," he said while rubbing the back of his neck. He kept his hair down rather than tied up during these cold winter months.

Kirishima waved to a few onlookers who noticed them while Katsuki kept his eyes forward and attention on scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. "Don't know if 'better' is the right word. I picked somewhere public but out of the way to avoid them making a scene, but they did anyway and I almost strangled the damn kid," he tiredly admitted.

Although he went into far less detail than he had previously - summing up the story with an explanation on where he was, who you were, and why he’d been so fucked in the head since coming back home - Mar ran with any detail he let drop and came up with their own wild conclusions.

A laugh that grated on Katsuki’s patience bubbled up from Kirishima at his admission. “They are just nineteen, but they were worried like the rest of us,” he explained while shaking his hair free of falling snowflakes.

"I don't need the kid preoccupied with shit that isn't their business, which is why I told them just what they needed to hear so Mar can put all their focus on why I picked 'em to come here in the first place." He dreaded the knowing looks they'd give him once they returned to Japan, but he'd put up with it like he did everything else. What he really wanted to do was change the subject. "Kirishima," he said, making his friend turn as they continued to patrol. "You volunteer at one of those animal shelters or whatever sometimes, right?"

Kirishima raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Yeah, I go to a couple different ones when I have time to try and promote adoptions and stuff, why?"

New year, new changes, new Katsuki. "Just thinking…if you like hanging around dogs so much, why haven't you grabbed one of your own yet?"

After years of making fun of the guy for not wearing a shirt in cold weather, Kirishima finally conceded after catching a bad cold the previous year and had an insulated support item made to work with his quirk. He still wasn't exactly used to it, though, occasionally fidgeting with the fabric and acting itchy even though it was no doubt warmer than wearing nothing at all. "I've thought about it, but I think I'd rather help other people find a furry family member. Our schedules are crazy and dogs need walks and potty breaks and play time. I wouldn't be home enough to really give a dog what it would need without getting someone to take it out everyday… would be kinda nice to see a tail wag when I get home, though." He laughed with a sharp-toothed smile as Katsuki mulled over his words. "You thinking about adopting or something? You never really struck me as a pet guy."

Silence hung between them for a good ten seconds before Katsuki answered. "Y/N had this old lady who lived down the hall from her. We never understood each other, but she shoved homemade cookies into my hands one day because I helped carry her groceries."

"Ah, helping old ladies; a classic Hero move!” Kirishima elbowed Katsuki who shoved him right back with a small explosion that fizzled out against his hardened skin. "Haha, don't be salty. Anyway, what does an old lady have to do with pets?"

"I was getting to the point, dummy," he chided while scowling at his foggy breath visible in the frigid air. "She had this yappy, one-eyed dog that looked as old as she was. We ended up watching Charlie while-"

"... Charlie? That's a weird name for a dog," Kirishima mused while no doubt thinking of equally-stupid pet names.

Katsuki actually agreed with a smirk hidden behind the high collar of his own insulated outfit. "I didn't name him, so blame the old bat for that one. But I also didn't grow up with pets. For a little rat with one eye, he was good company even if it was just for a few hours." He paused while they let a group of school kids cross the street, a few of them waving and gawking at the Pro Heroes. One of them even wore a Dynamight branded jacket, one that looked authentic and not like the ugly knockoffs he loathed seeing online; even for someone as stone-cold as Katsuki, it melted his stubborn heart the tiniest bit.

Once the kids had passed, he and Kirishima continued on their patrol route, turning down a side street to eventually find their way up to the top of one of the taller buildings to survey the city from above.

"... What were we talking a- oh, right, dogs!" Katsuki smacked his face with his glove as Kirishima recalled the conversation from less than ten minutes ago. "You were talking about the old lady's dog with the weird name, right?"

Squatting on the edge of the building with his arms resting on his knees, Katsuki lowered his eyes to the ant-sized blips scurrying around on white snow. "Mm. Point was, I never felt like anything was lacking in my life until now. Being alone and on my own was fine when not kicking villain ass." He didn't move as he saw Kirishima sit beside him from his peripheral vision. "But now, it's quiet… and it bugs me and I hate it. I fucked up by holding back what I wanted because I didn't know what would happen. One regret. And I don't repeat mistakes."

Kirishima hummed and kicked his feet over the edge of the building while staring up at the cloudy sky. "So no regrets this time, huh? New year, new opportunities, new changes. You know I'm just a couple floors down if you ever wanna hang out."

He ran a gloved hand through his hair with a huff. "It's not about… fuck, I don't know how to explain it. I just need a change, alright?" In reality, Katsuki felt a strong urge to put his latent energy to good use. To take care of something and help it grow. He was so accustomed to destruction and fire that the idea of putting his effort towards a living thing that might depend on him sounded uncharacteristically satisfying.

"OK, alright, I getcha," Kirishima said. "Well, I gave my thoughts on dogs, but there's lots of other animals out there. Shinsou's the resident cat guy if that's more up your alley," he suggested. Sinking deeper into his collar, Katsuki groaned. "Pfft, don't be so stubborn. You two get along better than you think."

As much as he hated to admit it, Kirishima was right: if he wanted to know more about cats as a pet option, Shinsou was definitely who he should contact. But he hadn't talked with the guy at all since that disaster outing with Kaminari. If they happened to run into each other while on patrol, any interaction was strictly professional. Katsuki guessed that setting aside his pride was just part of the routine now.

"Maybe," he answered while narrowing his eyes at some erratic movement down below. "Get up, we have work to do."

"Damn, you're right," he said while hopping up from the edge of the building. "Wanna do Bombs Away? An oldie but a goodie."

"Tch, no shit." Since their quirks worked well together, they'd developed a few collaborative moves back when they were still early in their careers. Kirishima grabbed onto Katsuki's shoulders with a tight grip before the two of them leapt without fear right over the edge of the building, explosions propelling them down towards the villains who were about to be cannon balled by an explosive rock raining down from the sky.

A week and a half passed before Katsuki had an afternoon to himself, but there was little time to rest up or relax. He slid on a warm coat, scarf, sunglasses, and dark beanie poised on the back of his head with his bangs poking out to both keep his ears warm and help obscure his identity. Where he was going, having strangers spot him sounded like an embarrassing nightmare.

The train ride downtown didn't take long and at least it was warmer compared to stepping outside. With his hands shoved into his pockets and face half-covered by his scarf Katsuki walked, snow crunching under his boots, until he stood in front of an unsuspecting building displaying a small sign out front with the picture of a cat and paw prints illustrating to head up to the second floor.

This was such a stupid idea, but he wasn't going to back down now. You'd probably go all starry-eyed upon finding this place, dragging him inside without a second thought; and because he was a stupid lovestruck sap for you, he wouldn't even argue that much.

A little bell rang overhead as he opened the door and was greeted by someone behind the main counter. "Hello! Welcome to Cat Café Vanilla! Can I help you?”

He’d done some passive research on local cat cafés since it seemed like a decent option to interact with some cats while also seeing how other people engaged with them since he was basically going in blind. This place had good ratings and didn’t appear especially crowded since it was a weekday morning when the average person went to their boring office jobs just like you.

Walking up to the counter with his hands still tucked into his jacket, Katsuki said, “Yeah… how does this work? Never been here before."

“Oh! Let me explain,” she said while gesturing to a plaque displayed on the counter. “It’s ¥200 for every ten minutes, up to ¥2400 for the entire day, so you pay by how long you’d like to stay. We also offer coffee, tea, and snacks that will be brought to you once allowed into the cat area. You can also purchase treats for the cats for an extra fee. Do you have any questions?”

That was cheaper than he expected it to be, but he had no idea how long was “long enough” to see if he even liked cats or not. An hour, maybe? Yeah, that sounded reasonable and not weird at all. After paying for the time slot along with a cup of tea and storing his wet boots in a secure locker, she led him through a door to an area that lived up to the fancy-looking decor in the photos on their website.

The café took up the entire second floor of the building and was divided into separate sections. One section had plush couches and another had bookshelves filled with popular manga and books; hell, there was even a room with simple beds in case you wanted to take a nap.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable and we will bring your tea to you." Now left to his own devices, Katsuki took in his surroundings, which obviously included quite a lot of cats. Even though the place looked clean and organized, the light animal smell permeated the air making his nose wrinkle. He wasn't used to being around so many animals, though he'd heard that cats were generally cleaner than dogs.

A small empty couch in a corner called to him, and there was even a cat already napping in one of the seats when he quietly sat down. Its orange and white fur looked soft and fluffy as the cat paid him little mind. Should he just reach out his hand or…?

Back when he'd helped dogsit Charlie, Katsuki watched and mimicked what you did. Plus, dogs seemed more energetically reactive to noises and touch in comparison to a sleeping cat. Twisting his lips against the front of his teeth, he took his hand out of his jacket and tentatively gave the cat a gentle pet on the back. The only reaction he could see were orange ears swiveling for a few seconds alongside a “mrrp” before returning to their original sleeping position.

"That easy, huh?"

He nodded when the same host set a hot cup of tea in front of him five minutes later. Feeling something rub against his leg, Katsuki looked under the small table to see a different cat looking up at him with a bizarrely smushed-in face and a tangle of white fur. “Mrow,” it said as if asking him for something that he no doubt didn’t have. At least they don’t hate me on the spot, he thought while holding out a hand to let the cat sniff his finger before it rubbed whiskers and fur against his knuckle; if the smell of his nitroglycerine-like sweat on his palms bothered the cat, it didn’t show it.

Maybe he could get used to this.

About twenty minutes into his kitty cat café session, Katsuki’s lazy focus on getting one of the cats to chase around a feather tied to a string was interrupted when a shadow blocked out the soft light of a nearby lamp.

“Never thought I’d find you in a place like this.”

Pulling his head up with a grunt, Katsuki narrowed his eyes at the low, familiar voice and messy lavender hair. "Fucking figures you'd be here to ruin my day."

Shinsou just smirked before taking a seat on the couch perpendicular to Katsuki's. “Your day, huh? I’ve been coming here for several years and have never seen you. So if anything, you’re ruining my day,” he shot back while Katsuki glared. "You never struck me as the animal-lover type, so tell me what made a grumpy ass like you come to a cat café of all places."

The two cats nearby must've sensed Katsuki's agitation at being found out since they scrambled away to the other side of the room, the bells on their collars jingling along the way. Kirishima had suggested talking to Shinsou if he was serious about learning more about cats, but this was not how or where he wanted that conversation to take place.

"One: shut up. Two: never mention to anyone that I was here or I’ll spill your dumb crush on Kaminari to his face. And three: tell me what you know about cats and why they don't suck." He counted off on his fingers while Shinsou's face remained stoic - outside of his twitch at the Kaminari comment - as he stared with tired, unblinking eyes back at Katsuki.

“How the hell do you know that I like Kaminari?” His hushed tone was laced with urgent annoyance.

Katsuki scoffed and leaned back into the couch cushion. “Everyone knows… well, besides Duce-Face. I recommend hurrying the fuck up if you’re serious.”

“You’re the last person I want relationship advice from,” he spat. “Why do you even care, anyway?”

Turning away, Katsuki thought about how much the regret of his last moments with you still stung months later. With an annoyed huff through his nose, Katsuki insisted, “Just don’t let something you want pass you by, because you might not get a second chance.”

"You done giving unsolicited advice?" When he didn't get an answer, Shinsou wordlessly held out his hand as a nearby cat sniffed before jumping right up into his lap and settling down, perfectly content. "Fine. I’ll keep your secret so long as you keep mine. As for the third point, I'll indulge you if only for the sake of the cats here not having to sniff out your sour attitude."

It wasn't much, but Katsuki reluctantly accepted it. Searching on the internet was well and good, but he had no way of parsing the reliable information from the garbage since he couldn't draw from his own experience. Shinsou could potentially help him understand if a pet would help fill the unfamiliar void in his life or if he just needed a new distraction.

He spoke while petting the grey and white tabby in his lap who tilted its head back to allow better access for chin scratches. "I've always liked cats. To generalize, they're quiet, calm, sleep a lot, and can live perfectly fulfilling lives inside so long as you give them everything they need. But just like people, they have their own personalities. Some are shy or nervous, especially if they were strays or had shitty owners while others love attention and playing around." They both looked up to see two cats chasing each other across the room, tails swishing excitedly as one jumped up on a chair to escape the other. "Most people have preferences when it comes to pets, and mine just happens to be cats."

Just like how the high energy of dogs seemed great for Kirishima, the relaxed personality of cats matched up with the guy with constant bags under his eyes. Katsuki remained quiet as he glanced down at the dregs of tea left in the bottom of his empty cup.

"Look," Shinsou said, face unreadable as he gestured toward his couch neighbor. "It's none of my business why you're here or if you're looking to adopt a cat. Just know that if you're trying to fill some temporary boredom, then pick up a hobby and not a pet. Cats can live upwards of fifteen years if taken care of and treated well. Make sure you're prepared for that commitment no matter what you do."

"I'm not stupid," Katsuki bit back with an insulted frown. "I might not have owned pets before, but I know they aren't fucking toys you can toss when you get tired of 'em. If I do something, I do it all the way."

He wished he had taken his own advice almost three months ago, but there was no use moping about something he couldn't change, especially not after vowing to finally get his shit together.

Shinsou stared him down with tired eyes as if trying to pick him apart and judge his unsaid reasons for coming to a cat café of all places. Taking care of an animal for more than a decade was a long damn time… but he hadn't committed to anything yet; he was just weighing his options to see if anything stuck.

"No matter what you choose to do, I'll say this: even though most of the cats here are adoptable, my cats were either from shelters or found as strays on the streets. As Heroes, we have the means to give them a pretty good quality of life." He looked down at the purring cat in his lap who was making gentle biscuits in the air as he scratched under its ear. "The cats here have open space and a lot of human interaction, but shelter animals are generally kept in cages or small enclosures just due to having so many animals and limited space. Consider checking out those places and talking to the caretakers there if you want to talk to people more experienced than me."

Katsuki didn't expect Shinsou to dump so much information and advice into his lap so freely. In a way, seriously considering this kind of lifestyle and responsibility shift overwhelmed him a bit, but he'd rather know what he was potentially jumping into than be surprised when it was too late.

The two of them continued to talk sparsely until an employee came to notify Katsuki that his hour was up. He stood up, fruitlessly brushing stray cat hair from his dark jeans before starting to follow her back towards the front. However, without turning around, he mumbled a, "thanks," obviously meant for Shinsou before disappearing towards the front of the café.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

When Katsuki came into the agency the next morning for patrol, he found what looked like a present on his desk. A bright red bag stuffed with orange tissue paper sat next to his computer as he narrowed his eyes at the unexpected gift. Christmas was over and done with, so what the hell was this all about?

Turning it around, he saw a small card attached to the handle and opened it to see some sloppy Japanese which immediately identified who it was from.

Happy late Christmas Bakugo-senpai! I brought these from home since I know you like to cook. I can teach you some of my mom's Puertorican recipes if you want!

~ Mar

"Really hope I wasn't supposed to get them anything," he said under his breath as he tossed out the tissue paper, unaware that several sets of eyes were watching him from across the floor outside of his office. Giving gifts was not his forté since he leaned more into acts of service and only got presents when obligation called for it.

"I hope he likes the stuff I brought," Mar commented while peeking around the corner to watch. Something that had tormented them since moving to Japan was the lack of familiar foods and seasonings from Puerto Rico. Despite enjoying all the new foods that Japan offered, Mar missed their mom's cooking. Unfortunately, they did not pick up the cooking gene and their attempts at recreating familiar dishes suffered as a result. Bakugo joked about how it was almost as terrible-looking as Kirishima’s food the few times he caught them grabbing a homemade container from the office fridge. "Especially after all the… y'know, stuff he told me. About you-know-who. Maybe it'll cheer him up?"

Kirishima clapped a large hand over Mar's shoulder. “If it’s anything he can experiment with when it comes to food, he’ll use it. And even if he doesn't always know how to show it, I'm sure he appreciates it,” he whispered while silently hoping Bakugo would “accidentally” make too much again and bring in leftovers.

"You got Dynamight-san a gift?" Mar and Kirishima turned to find the mousy employee standing silently behind them, obviously eavesdropping on their whispering. "And um, who is 'you-know-who'?"

Usually, Kirishima attempted to avoid her when possible ever since Mar revealed that her main motivation for interviewing for the job was that she was infatuated with him. Dealing with fans was one thing he could manage fairly easily, but working directly with someone who probably had some kind of parasocial relationship with his public persona was… awkward.

The whiskers around her nose twitched as Mar nodded and glanced quickly to Kirishima who lived up to his reputation of being about as subtle as an open book with his wide eyes. "Uh, yeah. Some spices and stuff from Puerto Rico… adobo, sofrito, sazón, things that I haven’t been able to find here in Japan,” they explained while subtly attempting to scoot back down the hallway. “And… you-know-who is just someone who has been bugging Bakugo-senpai lately. Like a weird fan or whatever.” Of course, that specific description came to mind as Mar stared at her hoping and praying that she’d be on her way soon.

After about five seconds of awkward silence, she nodded as if in lagged understanding, her eyes drifting to Kirishima briefly before flitting back to Mar’s face. “I see. W-well, I hope Dynamight-san feels better soon.” Scooting past the two of them towards her desk, she mumbled, “good m-morning Red Riot-san…”

Kirishima let out a tensely-held breath and leaned against the wall facing away from Bakugo’s office. “Man, that was close… you know I’m no good at lying.”

“Everyone knows that,” Mar admitted nonchalantly, which garnered a harsh side-eye from Kirishima.

As the two of them talked just around the corner from the main floor area, heavy footsteps pounded down the aisle between desks and squeaky office chairs.

"What are you idiots doing?" Bakugo's sudden interruption caused Mar and Kirishima to jump, Mar dropping their phone screen-side down right onto the floor.

"Nooo! Puñeta…se jodio…"

Standing with his arms crossed, Bakugo stared at them with a flat, unreadable expression. "Why'd you get me a gift? Don't think it will butter me up to get out of all the paperwork you missed while away."

"C'mon, man. It's just a present," Kirishima pressed with a yawn, still not fully awake this morning.

Mar sighed in relief as they examined their phone looking for cracks in the screen; paying extra for a reinforced case apparently paid off. "It wasn't to get out of work! I just figured you'd like it since you cook and stuff," they affirmed with a shrug. "And maybe I can teach you some, like, Puertorican recipes. Plantains are hard to find here, though… but arroz con gandules should be doable. I brought back coffee for myself because it's super strong, but I know you prefer tea so… what?"

A wide grin spread across Kirishima's face while Bakugo's eye twitched. "Aww, it's just kind of cute how you thought so much about his gifts-"

"Eww, gross, I’m not cute,” they argued, nose wrinkled and mouth twisting in disgust. “I’m almost old enough to drink, so-”

Katsuki stepped forward, placed a hand on their head, and said with a snort, “Kid, you have a permanent baby face and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Puffing out their cheeks while Kirishima snickered nearby, Mar stepped out from under Katsuki’s palm. “At least I’m not all old and stuff like you two! I still have my youthful vigor!”

Immediately, Kirishima’s face fell while Bakugo’s teeth ground together like gritty sandpaper. “I… I’m not old, am I…?”

“I’M TWENTY-FIVE YOU LITTLE BRAT! THAT’S NOT FUCKING OLD!” Immediately realizing that they just called their short-tempered boss old, Mar looked quickly to the doorway leading to the stairs before bolting around Kirishima who was having some kind of age realization crisis judging by his frown. Bakugo yelled after them, chasing Mar like a pissed off cat hunting a mouse who sniffed a bit too closely to the danger zone.

Ignoring the commotion, Kirishima promptly shuffled into the office kitchen and asked the first person he saw, with the saddest puppy eyes a grown man of his stature could muster, if he was old.

Once things calmed down and Katsuki reassured Kirishima that they were still in their prime, he thought more seriously about this whole pet situation. Shinsou’s cautionary words nagged at Katsuki as he wondered whether putting all of this effort into something completely new and unfamiliar in the hope that the lifestyle change would satisfy him… or if he really did just need a new hobby; one that didn’t involve another living thing, at least.

He was never a particularly creative person outside of battle strategies and cooking, and he already excelled at those. The past two months also involved him reading through books that he swore he never had time for before, including finishing the novel you'd gifted him. It was almost cruel because he could tell the story wasn't close to being wrapped up, but he'd never have an opportunity to read the sequel.

No, what he needed was something unfamiliar to focus his pent-up energy on. As much as he wished he was in denial about it, Katsuki actually enjoyed taking care of you in the small, insignificant things you seemed to appreciate. He never used to care about anyone other than himself, selfishness and pride staple ingredients to his material make up. But when he started equating saving people with victory, giving a damn about others just came along with it.

God, he was so whipped and you weren't even here to rub it in his face. He'd blasted Kaminari in the face one day when he jokingly said that Katsuki was a "kept man" since he had lived in your apartment rent-free, cooked, cleaned, and had everything he needed provided by you. It wasn’t his damn fault that he had to cycle through the same four things to keep him from dying of boredom when you weren’t around!

It could’ve been worse; besides, Katsuki found his own kind of selfish satisfaction in knowing something he did - no matter how small - brought a stupid smile to your face.

When he got home from patrol the next evening, Katsuki leaned against the headboard of his bed after a hot shower and a full belly with his laptop balanced across his thighs. A quick search turned up animal shelters in the city, but most of them seemed to be outside Tokyo. He randomly clicked on one and began scrolling through the site's adoption process, fees, etc., before navigating to a page where you could scroll through all of their available animals by species, age, and gender.

He already decided that a cat would probably fit better with his lifestyle than a dog, but when the results came up, Katsuki balked. "Over a hundred cats on here? I'm not looking though all these," he mumbled as he scrolled down the page.

"What the hell is with these names…? Hamburger? Mr. Wiggles? Beefcake? Who names their fucking pet something so dumb?! Charlie isn't too bizarre in comparison." He wondered if people weren't adopting these cats because of their stupid names, but he also guessed that the names probably drew in people, especially kids, who thought they were funny. He could always change its name, right?

Some of the cats looked very similar to the ones roaming around the café while others looked like they were older or had medical issues, which made him wonder how long some of them had been living at the shelter. Most people probably wanted kittens because they were cute, but they were also probably the biggest pain in the ass to take care of. He’d never babysat before, but young kittens and puppies were probably bursting with curious, destructive energy.

“No thanks to that… fuck it.” Katsuki shut his laptop and leaned his head against the hard headboard with determined huff. If he thought too much about it, then he’d second guess himself, and he already faced the consequences of waiting out of uncertainty once. He’d show up to one of the shelters, talk to the people there with more hands-on knowledge than he could reasonably research, and decide if this was something he truly wanted for himself.

Determined to make good on the New Year’s promise to be better and stronger - not just for himself, but for the people around him who actually wanted to see him happy - he managed to fall asleep with comparatively little trouble despite still feeling the slow, dull ache of loneliness in a bed too wide and cold for his own comfort.

The train was too crowded for his liking with people shoulder-to-shoulder for the morning rush, but the shelters were never open past sundown so he had to take advantage of the little free time he had. He'd picked a different shelter to visit than the one he searched through previously since this one didn't require an annoyingly long train ride. Luckily, with his scarf pulled up to his nose and a wool hat yanked down over his ears, no one recognized or bugged him as he faced the windows and steel with his own tired and blurry reflection staring back at him.

It wasn't hard to find the place once he stepped off the platform and back into the cold winter air even though he had to walk a good distance until buildings and city noises became more subdued. Real estate in Tokyo was hard to come by, especially if you were looking for a bit of peace and quiet.

Gravel and snow crunched under his boots as he made his way towards the front of the two-story building. At least the cats were warmer inside than he was outside…

A small bell jingled above him as he opened the door, the smell of cats evident through his scarf and stronger than back at the café. To his right, an older woman sat behind a desk typing away at a computer before turning to him with all three of her eyes.

"Hello, can I help you? Do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" Shit, I didn't think I needed one to just come and look around. "No, I don't have one, but I'm just here to look or whatever," he answered as he tugged down the front of his scarf.

The woman hummed before glancing back at her computer screen. “Well, we’re generally appointment-only so that we can vet potential adopters and to make sure that-"

Another person, this time a younger guy maybe around his own age wearing the same light blue shirt with the adoption agency logo printed on the front, walked up and interrupted their conversation. "Hey Shizu, can you look over this paperwork real… you look familiar…" The guy made a double-take at Katsuki who really hoped he wasn't about to deal with some annoying fan moment when an idea struck him. For once, maybe he could use his namesake to his advantage?

Unwinding his scarf from around his neck, Katsuki hoped he wouldn't have to go all the way back home with a waste of a trip and nothing to show for it. "Probably. I'm Pro Hero Dynamight." When the name registered, the man's eyes lit up with recognition while the older woman just raised an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed or completely out of the loop.

"I knew I recognized you! My kid always has her eyes glued to the TV when you're on. I think she wants to be a Hero someday, too, but she's only three so that won't be anytime soon… " He continued to ramble before nearly slapping his coworker in the face with the clipboard in his hands. "I'll be happy to show you all the cats we have up for adoption," he offered before leaving his paperwork for the now-annoyed older woman to finish up. Katsuki walked around the desk led by the starstruck fan, feeling only a pinprick of guilt at using his status to get around what the average person couldn't.

"So, uh, what exactly are you looking for? Wow, sorry, I didn't even ask if you're actually here to adopt and just assumed.. I mean-"

"I probably will if I find one that fits. I've never owned cats, but I wanna know more about the responsibilities involved. And what better way to find out than come here for myself?" The two men paused in front of several rows of stacked cages, most of them containing at least one cat. A pair of cats - one black and one golden blonde - lay sleeping together in a larger vertical enclosure. Katsuki read the identification card taped to the front while the guy came to stand next to him.

"Ah, Lunar and Solar. They're a bonded pair and need to be adopted together. Do you know if you're looking for one or more cats?"

The two cats paid them little mind and continued dozing in a little enclosed wooden bed. "Bonded? What does that mean?"

"Bonded animals - it's not exclusive to cats - are those who rely on and feel safe with each other. Usually littermates or cats who grew up together. If they're separated, their health can deteriorate, sometimes permanently, so we highly encourage people to adopt both and keep them together."

So, even animals understood the pain of loss and distance. Looking at the two cats as the black one shifted to nearly smother the other one, both still deeply asleep, Katsuki padded past the first row of cages and looked at a white and black spotted cat meowing loudly with a paw through a hole in the plexiglass. "Tell me about this one."

An hour passed as Katsuki and the man named Miura toured around the facility, one asking short questions while the other answered. He learned that some cats would never be adopted out due to their temperaments or health issues. One had been living there for more than five years because she hated being held or touched by people while another suffered from a skin condition that required special care and attention that the average person didn’t want to put up with.

Once his fanboyish fawning over the Pro Hero subsided, Miura proved to be a wealth of information to Katsuki. He explained the basics of what most cats need, how to choose good food and litter, keeping them engaged with exercise, how much they sleep, etc. Katsuki figured he could verify this information with Shinsou later, but there was no reason for the guy to fudge the truth since he wouldn’t work here if he didn’t want the animals to be healthy and happy.

“So, what are you thinking? I think I’ve shown you most of the cats available for adoption,” he said as they began to come back around towards the front entrance of the building.

There was one more thing Katsuki wanted to know as he passed cages and enclosures. “What’s the reason someone might bring a cat back here?”

Miura’s eyes drooped as he looked back towards Solar and Lunar who were finally rousing from their catnap. “Well, lots of reasons. It’s why we have people fill out applications to let us know their schedule, if they’ve had pets before, how they might react to scratched-up furniture or if they might consider declawing a cat.” He’d explained earlier what declawing meant when they passed a few cages with notes alongside their basic information mentioning possible aggression issues. Katsuki assumed it meant trimming their nails and not removing their fucking fingers up to the first knuckle. Seemed grossly barbaric to him; yeah, he’d be pissed if his nice couch got scratched up, but it wouldn’t make him consider surgically removing bones.

“Sometimes, a cat might not get along well with the lifestyle and you just don’t know until you bring them home. Other times, what people want and what they adopt are two different things. Not all cats like to cuddle or be pet all the time; it’s on their terms, not ours. When expectations don’t meet reality, they might be brought back. And… well, some cats have been through a lot and not everyone is up for helping them through it.”

That last point made Katsuki recall his talk with Shinsou as an incredibly stupid idea popped into his head. Stubbornness winning out over logic, he asked, “Show me the most difficult pain in the ass cat you have.”

Miura stared at him with blatant confusion. “Um… the most…? Wh- uh, are you-”

“Did I stutter?”

Shutting his mouth with a snap of his teeth, Miura visibly gulped before eventually leading him down a hall and through a door to a room he hadn't explored yet. It didn't appear any different from the other rooms with stacked cages, but there were only a few cats in here that he could see. "Uh, we keep cats in here that don't do well with other cats or have behavior issues… if you're serious about wanting one that is, well, difficult, then Snowball here might be who you're looking for."

At the very end of the room sat a cage half in shadow and furthest away from the other cats. Passing Miura, Katsuki stepped up and peered in through the grated bars to see a pair of yellow-orange eyes glaring back at him through a cloud of fluffy white backed into the corner of the metal cage. She looked as pretty as she did angry.

Name: Snowball

Gender: Female

Age: 3

Spayed: Yes

Notes: No health issues. Up to date on shots. Severe aggression. Possessive of food. NO fingers through cage!

Katsuki read the I.D. label before staring back at the fire-colored eyes in the shadow. She growled - a warning no doubt - and hissed, ears back and flat against her head before he turned back to Miura. “What’s her deal? Why do you think she’s so difficult? And why the hell did you name her Snowball of all things? Besides the obvious reason, anyway.”

Intentionally keeping his distance from the cage, Miura sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Well, we assume that she wasn’t always like this. From what we know, she was adopted as a kitten by a family and lived with them for at least the first year of her life. Unfortunately, they moved and left her behind… so, she essentially became a stray when she’d never been outside before. That kind of abandonment and sudden change would affect most pets. She went from having shelter, food, and care to fending for herself with other stray cats.”

Hearing just that small snippet made Katsuki’s nose wrinkle. What kind of assholes adopt a pet and then dump it like garbage without a care? “Tch, doesn’t sound like they cared much to me.”

He opened his mouth as if to agree, but maybe decided against it to continue professional appearances. “I, uh, can’t comment about what we don’t know for sure… but about eight months ago, someone called us about a colony of strays. We were able to capture most of them, Snowball included. She was in bad shape with fleas and had obviously been fighting with other cats, but it was a task to bring her here because she’s very smart and learned to avoid the cages. Fast forward a bit and we found out she was microchipped and contacted her previous owners, but they didn’t want her back claiming their kids got tired of her. It’s cruel, but still happens too often.”

Stupid parents playing stupid games with living things affected by their selfishness; he didn’t want to blame the kids, but if they wanted a damn pet that they’d eventually grow bored of then they should’ve gotten something that wouldn’t suffer like a fucking toy. “I’m guessing there’s more to it?”

“A bit, yes,” Miura said while glancing at the other cats in the stacked cages. “We’ve tried to adopt her out several times, but she was brought back within a couple of weeks because of aggression. People see her pretty fluffy white coat and striking eyes and imagine a majestic cat only to realize she’s more trouble than they want to deal with and comes with baggage. Someone even called her ‘villainous’ which might be over the top, but… we’ve kind of given up hope that she’d be adoptable. She’d either stay here forever, or will have to be put down if she ends up hurting someone badly.”

Immediately, Katsuki was transported back to the Sports Festival during his first year at U.A. where his over the top aggression was also labeled “villainous”; it was probably why the League of Villains wanted to kidnap him to try and bring over to their side in the first place. Aizawa publicly defended him and his stupid friends risked their lives and future careers to get him back.

Sometimes all you needed was someone to advocate for you.

“I’ll take her.”

Miura nearly balked at Katsuki's word, eyes flickering between him and the caged Snowball. "You… want to adopt her? After everything I just told you? Are you sure?"

With a sneer to nearly match Snowball's, he spat while glaring daggers at Miura, "I don't lie. I meant what I said. Sounds like if I don't adopt her, then no one will. So you can either keep her in this miserable cage forever, or give her to me. Your choice."

The logical part of his brain said this was an incredibly stupid decision considering he’d never owned a pet before, nor did he know where to even start when it came to taking care of difficult cats. Fuck, he’d owe Shinsou something good in return for needing his help with this mess.

Just to drive the point home, Katsuki turned and said, “I swear to you as a Pro Hero that I won’t give her back to the shelter, even if she’s a total bitch of a cat who never likes me much.”

Well, apparently Miura couldn’t really argue with that or dare go against him swearing his whole career on it. He sighed and nodded. “No choice but to accept that kind of deal from Dynamight. Even if she’s difficult, she really is a pretty cat. Photogenic, too. But anyway, follow me back up front and we can fill out the paperwork.”

Katsuki sat down with the clipboard while the older lady from earlier was showing some cats to a couple down the hallway. As he wrote, he wondered again if this was the right thing to do before deciding that the “fuck it” philosophy was better for his own happiness than living with regret. If saving equated to winning, then adopting this asshole cat deserved a damn trophy.

When the paperwork was out of the way, he asked Miura what else he needed to do. “Well, you’ll need to bring a carrier so you can take her with you. We’ll provide a few freebies like food, some toys, stuff like that, but the rest is up to you,” he answered after taking back the clipboard. “You can pay the adoption fee now or wait until you come back to get her; I uh, don’t think anyone else will be running to beat you to the punch.”

It all sounded simple enough. He’d get Shinsou to give him a list of basic shit he’d need to buy… the main problem would be getting Snowball - he was definitely changing her name - back to his apartment. He’d seen the occasional small dog on trains before, but never paid attention to the rules since they never applied to him. Time to say “fuck it” and figure it out later.

“Oh, and Dynamight? As a favor, could I get your autograph for my daughter…?” Katsuki’s eye twitched, but figured he could indulge the guy and his kid considering Miura put up with an hour of questions.

He hurried back through the snow towards the train station, but was interrupted when he heard someone yell a few blocks away. “Perfect opportunity to warm up,” he growled with a wide grin before ripping off his gloves with his teeth and blasting his way towards the noise.

Less than five minutes later, the burglars were incapacitated, demoralized, and lightly charred. He was right about getting warmed up at least; he used to have trouble utilizing his quirk during the winter months, but years of training paid off and the cold barely slowed him down at all now.

While he waited for the cops to show up and haul the singed villains away, Katsuki pulled out his phone to shoot off a quick text. He hadn't expected to make a decision, nonetheless pick out a damn cat and sign the paperwork that day, but whatever. In all honesty, he actually felt excited to introduce a new element into his life.

His eye twitched, but he didn't expect anything else from Shinsou. At least he was certain that whatever he bought would be worth it since the insomniac obviously cared about the wellbeing and health of not just his own cats, but those that belonged to others as well.

Hearing sirens, he glanced up to see a few cop cars skidding to a halt in front of the group of dazed villains. “Time to actually get to work,” he said to himself as he waved to the officers thanking him before retracing his steps back to the train station.

Once on patrol for real this time, Katsuki and Mar rounded the corner of a tall office building - the top of it obscured by snowy low-hanging clouds - as he considered how and when to pick up his new four-legged roommate.

"Hey, kid," he said as his gauntlets swung at his sides. "What would you say to running an errand for me next week?" Ordering whatever Shinsou told him to buy online was probably the easiest solution compared to running around to different stores to find it all.

"What kind of errand? It must be something embarrassing since you normally like doing everything yourself," they said with an air of skepticism. "I don't have to like, pick up smelly foot cream or something-"

"Wh- NO IT'S NOT FOOT CREAM YOU BRAT!" Several people walking nearby stopped to stare at Dynamight yelling about foot cream in the middle of the snowy sidewalk, but he never cared about making a scene. Mar was apparently comfortable enough to jog away while covering their mouth to keep from laughing. "Nevermind, I'll do it myself! Smart mouthed little shit…"

After that, Mar tried and failed to get him to crack about the "errand", but it was too damn late; they had their chance and blew it. It was probably for the best since Mar would no doubt tell Kirishima, who would blab to everyone else, that he was adopting a fluffy white cat with an attitude problem.

Katsuki checked his phone when their patrol was finished to find that Shinsou had sent him a list just like he said he would. The guy even gave links to specific things; how nice. He wondered what kind of favor Shinsou was inevitably going to ask for in return.

"C'mon, just tell me, Bakugo-senpai!" Mar hadn't let up with the nagging even after returning to the office at the end of the day.

"No, now stop asking," he ordered while tightening the scarf around his neck. "You were right: I should just do it myself."

Mar proved they were definitely still a teenager by sighing loudly and laying their head on their desk. "I hate being out of the loop. Whatever it is, I could totally do-" Hearing the elevator ding, Mar turned their head to see Bakugo stepping past the threshold before turning around, smirking, and flicking them off before the doors shut in front of him. "He's totally keeping a secret… and I'm gonna find out what." They had a reputation of knowing all of the juicy information that came in and out of the office, after all.

Katsuki stared at his laptop screen and frowned at the total all of the cat supplies added up to in his digital cart. While it wasn't an exorbitant amount of money - he'd spent more on fancy knives and whetstones - he was still a miserly bastard. Cat food, litter, toys, scratching posts, brushes… it all added up. Like any other big life change, the upfront cost always hits the wallet hardest.

“At least Snowball will- fuck, I gotta change that name.” Contrary to what everyone else believed, he was the obvious king of coming up with the best nicknames, Hero names, insulting jabs, all of it. It would be difficult to come up with a name befitting his new pet without knowing much about her personality other than being too much of a pain for anyone else to handle, but a couple immediately came to mind. "If you're my cat, then you're gonna have a badass name."

Over the next week, packages gradually began trickling in and appearing in front of his apartment door by the time he returned home from patrol. For whatever reason, the online store shipped things out in waves rather than all at once, but maybe he’d feel less overwhelmed this way considering he had to rearrange some things to make it all work. For example, the scratching post Shinsou sent him was ugly as sin, so he bought a different one that fit his minimalist aesthetic better; well, as decently as a 125cm tall sisal-wrapped post could blend in, anyway.

He converted his unused spare bedroom/office into what he figured any smart cat would like. Cat tree in front of the window, a litter box in the corner and far away from where he could easily smell it, a bin of toys similar to those he saw in the cat café, and a soft bed. He even kept some of the empty shipping boxes since he read that cats might ignore all this fancy shit and sleep in a box. It looked like a decent setup for a cat entering a completely new environment. As he looked around, he clicked his tongue and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m really doing this, huh?”

What would you think of all this? Not that it mattered much since you’d never know any of this or meet his new fluffy roommate… but some tiny part of him still gave a damn about the opinion of someone who was - and still is - important to him. You’d probably call him an impulsive idiot before giving in with a soft smile. As he walked back down the hallway, that mental image had him smiling, too.

If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed these people were dealing with a deadly lion and not a housecat. “Aaaaaalright, now… just… hold still…”

Compared to figuring out how interior decorating worked with cat furniture, this seemed like the hardest part of this unfamiliar journey so far. Snowball was, true to what he’d been told, absolutely livid at the people trying to coax her out of her cage and into the dark gray carrier. She hissed and lashed out with her claws towards anyone who got a bit too close for comfort. “C’mon, I have shit to do and I know you don’t want to spend hours fighting a damn cat.”

“N-no, we don’t,” one of them said while looking down at the red, irritated scratches on their hand. “We normally have someone here with a quirk that helps calm down animals, but she got sick this week, so we’re kind of on our own… and Snowball does not want to cooperate.”

As much as Katsuki wanted to just grab her up and stuff her in the carrier, it probably wouldn't make a great second impression if he was going to try and placate her anger and distrust of people. It took three people fifteen minutes to finally get her into the carrier, all the while Katsuki wondered if he’d severely fucked up with adopting this particular cat on a whim motivated by instinct and the desire to prove that she wasn’t a lost cause.

When the drama was over, Miura finalized all of the paperwork and handed over her health records and a bag with some treats, a toy, and litter scoop for good measure. "Well, she's all yours. I can't really say I'm sad to see her go, but I am happy that you decided to give her a chance. Like I mentioned before, if she winds up back-"

"She won't." Katsuki cut the guy off with his gruff voice and a rigid look. "I don't go back on my word. I'm her problem now, not the other way around."

That got a laugh out of Miura before he wished Katsuki luck as he walked outside holding a crate full of pissed-off cat. While he could've taken the train, he figured that giving Snowball as few chances as possible to escape was probably the safest bet. Plus, all of the people crowded into it would annoy both of them. Taxi it was.

When one pulled up next to the curb and the back door opened, he maneuvered the crate into the far seat before climbing in after it. She hissed at being jostled around. "Oh, shut it," he mumbled before directing the driver back to his apartment building.

She was surprisingly quiet during the ride, choosing to scrunch as far back into the carrier as she could while glaring at Katsuki the entire time.

The plan was to keep her in the room with all of the shit he bought for the first few days before gradually opening up the rest of the apartment. Hell, it almost reminded him of winding up in your own home against his will, taken from familiarity and shoved into the alarmingly foreign. However, Snowball was getting a major home upgrade compared to a metal cage or roaming outside with ferals and strays while he had to sleep on a couch and wear the same pair of jeans for a month.

When the taxi pulled up to his building, Katsuki maneuvered himself and the carrier out of the car and hurried inside to get out of the cold weather.

"Welcome back Dynamight… oh? What's that?" Takahata greeted him from behind his desk like he always did before spying the carrier he was holding.

"My good samaritan duty for the next decade," he answered flatly while shaking snow flurries out of his hair and hurrying towards the elevator. "Also? You never saw me."

Taking the hint, Takahata nodded before returning to his warm tea and newspaper. Didn't picture him as a pet owner, but maybe it'll be good for him.

Snowball's restlessness at being in a cramped cage swelled while in the elevator as her shifting weight rocked it side to side. "Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't like being in a cage either, but deal with it for five more minutes."

After unlocking his door and disposing of his wet boots, he made his way down the hall and turned on the light in the unofficial Snowball room. With the carrier now sitting in the middle of the room, Katsuki left to grab his laptop and a protein bar before returning to the room and closing the door behind him.

His patrol wasn't for a few hours, so supervising this fluffy asshole to make sure she didn't wreck anything was probably a good idea. He'd been kidnapped, stabbed, sliced, bruised, broken, and everything in between. Figuring out cats sounded like a walk in the park by comparison.

"Alright," he said while kneeling down in front of the carrier just to hear her growl at him again. "Even though you're a cat, we actually have some shit in common. I know the people at the shelter said you're an asshole, but I'm an asshole, too. I'm… why the fuck am I talking to a cat." Running a hand down his face in embarrassment he was glad no one else witnessed, Katsuki unlocked the front door of the cage, sat against the wall with his computer, and waited.

It took about ten minutes before she set a single, tentative paw outside of the carrier. Her bright orange eyes remained trained on him like a hawk as she inched her way across the floor with her fluffy tail flicking in agitation and ears nearly flat against her head. From what he'd read, all that pointed to cautious and inflamed behavior.

He ignored her in favor of brainstorming for a name to replace Snowball, which was the exact wrong thing to do because she was, at that very moment, plotting his untimely demise.

A scratching noise made him look up only to see that she'd climbed to the top of the tall scratching post like a lion surveying its territory. She looked equal parts regal and like she was going to leap across the room to scratch his eyes out.

And then it hit him: the perfect name. A call back to his early beginnings as a reckless and violent teenager. If anyone thought it was dumb, they were so incredibly wrong.

"How's Princess Explosion Murder for a new name?"

All she did was glare, which was a good enough answer for him.

—----------------------

“How’s your brother?”

“Which one?”

With their busy and unpredictable schedules, it had been difficult to find time to meet up, but Katsuki and Todoroki managed to find about an hour of uninterrupted overlap in the back corner of a tiny noodle shop where they could meet and commiserate with familial frustration.

Katsuki glared while slurping his piping hot noodles. “The one that’s mentally stable - you know which one I mean,” he answered with mocking sarcasm.

Even in this frigid weather, Todoroki preferred his cold soba much to Katsuki’s distaste. “Ah. Touya’s doing as well as could be expected. He’s been locked up for almost eight years which isn’t ideal, but it’s better than the alternative.” It went without saying that the other option meant Touya’s miserable death for his villainous crimes. “He’s getting better every year, though. With what he went through, it’s just going to take time.”

Silence hung between them for a full minute before Todoroki changed the subject. “Are those scratches on your hand?"

His lips thinning, Katsuki brushed the other man off. "Tch, we get scuffed up all the time. It's nothin'."

Todoroki hummed before he continued his line of invasive questioning. "Do your parents know about what happened when you disappeared last year? Did you ever tell them the truth?”

That got Katsuki to snort, his nose wrinkling at such a laughable idea. “Not a chance. I could tell my old man, but he’d blab to the hag who would hound me for details that aren’t any of her damn business. Just last year, she bugged me about grandkids of all things; the last thing she needs to know about is how the only person I’ve had real feelings for is a fucking universe away. I can hear her now: Just my luck that my brat of a son is too difficult for anyone here to handle,” he imitated poorly with a sneer that probably made him look even more like his mother than he already did. Talking and joking about it made it all just a little easier to cope with.

When Todoroki said nothing, Katsuki analyzed the Hero sitting opposite him with his head tilted down over his bowl of cold soba. In all honesty, he’d been waiting for an opportunity to get either Todoroki or one of the other guys who knew the truth. Katsuki was as sure about some kind of secret being kept from him as he was confident in using his quirk; they knew something he didn’t, and if it involved him - which it probably did - then he was going to get to the bottom of it.

“You’re hiding something.” Blunt as always, Katsuki cut right to the chase to avoid wasting time neither of them had. Todoroki raised his eyes from his soba to stare unflinchingly across the table. Out of all his other friends, Todoroki always kept a level head on his shoulders even in uncomfortable situations.

“What do you mean?”

Leaning over the table, Katsuki nudged his half-empty bowl to the side. “I’m not dense and you know it. Even after I told you and the others what happened, you all still tip-toe around me as if you’re afraid to say something. So, what the hell is it?”

If he was surprised at Katsuki’s deductive reasoning and observation skills, he didn’t show it. But then again, Katsuki had always been confident in his ability to solve most problems and puzzles that stared him in the face. Brains, brawn, and a dazzling personality… well, two out of three wasn't bad.

Todoroki took another patient bite of noodles before answering in a cool, calm voice, "What if we are? If it was to your detriment, then we'd be bad friends. But if it's nothing harmful, then there's no reason for you to know right now."

"So you fucking admit to keeping secrets that specifically involved me." Todoroki was often just as forthright as Katsuki, but without the extra volume and disrespect. "Don't you think that I'm the best judge of what is or isn't important to me? And if it's so harmless, then why not get it over with and spit it out?"

Red eyes glared into cyan and gray, neither giving an inch, both determined to hold their ground. Katsuki felt entitled to anything they were planning or knew considering he eventually came clean about everything weighing him down nearly to the point of no return; couldn't the people he called "friends" give him the same courtesy?

Eventually, Todoroki slowly closed his eyes and lowered his chopsticks, shoulders sagging knowing that even if he kept his mouth shut today, Katsuki wouldn't let up until he gave a satisfactory answer. "Fine. I'll tell you. But know, this was supposed to be a surprise for you to cheer you up."

"You know I hate surprises," he retorted with a scoff and satisfactory smirk knowing his troublesome stubbornness won out before things got nasty.

"Midoriya, Kirishima and I talked after everything you told us that day. We wanted to do something to help you feel better, even though you seem to be doing alright for yourself now that it's been a while."

It better not involve another broken door, he considered silently before returning to his soba before it turned cold. It also made for the perfect distraction as his palms began to sweat with disquiet and impatience.

"You won't see the results of what we've planned for a while… but we hope it's worth it in the end." He lifted a hand to a passing waitress to get a refill on his water, Katsuki tapping his foot on the floor underneath their table. "We are planning a birthday party for you."

At first, Katsuki thought he heard wrong, eyes narrowing as he let out a, "Hah?!" You've gotta be kidding me. "Did you say birthday party? How fucking old are we? Why do you think I'd want a damn party?"

The waitress tried to ignore his raised voice while she refilled their glasses. "Thank you. And yes, I know it might seem out of place, but it seemed like a good idea. We've been contacting a few of our friends and old classmates as well, like Tokoyami, Cami, and Sato, who agreed to make a cake. You went through an order, and we thought it would be nice to do something for you. Of course, it was going to be a surprise, but I guess the cat's out of the pan now."

"It's out of the bag, dummy," Katsuki corrected as he tried to process the absolutely ridiculous story Todoroki just told him. He didn't even like parties! And it was his birthday, anyway, so he should be able to do whatever the hell he wanted… which meant barely acknowledging it at all like he did every year.

… But it was all for him though, right? These idiots wanted to give him something to celebrate instead of working through another birthday with little regard for celebrating. As much as he loved having all eyes on him and snatching attention away from others, sincere acts and words of validation just made him deflect like light shone on a mirror so he could remain in the shadow.

Scoffing, Katsuki's bottom lip poked out as he considered what to do. If he said he didn't want a damn party, then whatever work they had put into making an event he probably wouldn't hate would be wasted. On the other hand, if he let them continue with their plan, he had the sneaking suspicion that he would gain more than just cake and some cheesy cards.

Leaning back in his chair, Katsuki tilted his head as if trying to channel his teenage delinquent persona. "... You said Sato's gonna make a cake?" His lack of a sweet tooth was challenged by his old classmate's baking prowess and his homemade desserts were sorely missed by everyone when he moved up near Maebashi.

That got Todoroki to crack a small grin which Katsuki tried to ignore. "Yes. Though it's still several months out, with our unpredictable schedules and now with Uraraka and Midoriya expecting their first child, it will give us time to plan. We've all known each other for almost a decade, so at least have confidence that we will make it more than bearable."

"If you go through all this damn trouble and it ends up being lame, then you can only blame yourself." Getting a straight agreement out of Katsuki was never easy, but he didn't outright tell them to put a stop to this whole charade, either. After ruining that night out with Kaminari and the others, maybe one day dedicated to celebrating how far he'd come wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It was just a stupid party after all, even if he did still feel like there was something he wasn’t being told. Only a matter of time until he found out.

"Just don't admit that I told you. Kirishima and Midoriya want to keep this a secret," he said as he brushed his bi-colored ponytail off his shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Katsuki drained the last of his water. "I'm not a blabbermouth like you three. With this much lead-up time, I'm expecting the fucking best; it's what I deserve."

Every word that Todoroki spoke was honest and true. All he did was leave out one very large detail: you.

____________

Welp, hope you enjoyed this extra fluffy chapter. I cut out some parts that I wanted to write, but i'm just tired of looking at this chapter and want to fucking post it already lkjadlfjsa

like i said, i'm gonna TRY to get ch 45 out on 4/20. it shouldn't be a long one, but it's an important one… one yall have no doubt been waiting for 🤩 if it's late, i appreciate your patience and understanding <3333

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