Chapter 21: Kat Kafé
A cat café is honestly the last place Kirishima expected Bakugou to suggest.
After depositing his outdoor shoes into a locker, Kirishima makes his way into the centre of the main room to keep an eye out for Bakugou's arrival. Now that he's here, it occurs to him how odd it is that they didn't travel here together. As he considers this, his gaze meets a pair of brilliant blue eyes, from atop of a cat post. Her unblinking stare suggests dominance and Kirishima can't help but notice the way the other cats give that particular piece of furniture a wide berth. Clearly this is the king of the castle. Undeterred, Kirishima goes to try and make friends.
Ten minutes later, Kirishima is back in the centre of the room. He shares a smile with the waitress with the black cat-ears when she catches his eye. She had been teasing him earlier because apparently his hardening Quirk makes him a good companion for the rather aggressive Miti.
Kirishima is scratching a much friendlier tabby cat behind its ears when a quiet grunt alerts him to Bakugou's presence. Kirishima finds Bakugou's entrance, or lack thereof mildly troubling. Without the usual bang of a door practically flying off its hinges, Kirishima had barely glanced at the round-shouldered figure who had shuffled into the cafe moments earlier. He's startled to realise that the absence of Bakugou's confident swagger that he's come to know and love had prevented him from making the mental connection between his friend and this person, reeking of despair and defeat.
The cat meows its distress as Kirishima's fingers stop moving through its fur. Ignoring the attention-seeking feline, Kirishima raises his hand to wave awkwardly at his friend who is stiffly lowering himself onto the opposite stool.
Now that Kirishima is really looking, he is shocked by Bakugou's appearance. Everything about him seems completely different, from his disposition to his clothes. Forget the mesh shirt, leather trousers and thick choker from the party last night. Today Bakugou is swaddled in enough dark-coloured layers to add an extra six kilos to his weight. Far from his usual stylishness, despite the good condition of his clothes he looks practically homeless.
Moreover, when he looks closely, it seems like the other boy has lost a substantial amount of weight. Bakugou has always had high cheekbones but now they look almost too sharp. There is a new prominence to his cheekbones and a new pallid tint to his skin. The only burst of colour on him is the redness of his eyes and the hint of bruising around his throat.
"Shit, was that me?" Kirishima asks, gesturing at the spattering of angry bruises.
Expression unreadable, Bakugou hurriedly rasps out a response.
"I deserved it."
While he speaks Bakugou immediately moves to rearrange his clothing and hide more of his skin from view. His mouth is set, tight and small and the muscle in his jaw twitches minutely. The meekness of his demeanour combined with the raw hoarseness of his voice, burrows its way into Kirishima's conscience. He'd thought things were improving between them but seeing Bakugou behaving in such a subdued manner makes him worry that his actions last night messed everything up.
"I'm so sorry Bakugou," Kirishima says. "Regardless of the situation, that was out of line. Very unmanly of me."
"It's whatever."
Bakugou's hasty dismissal of his apology does little to assuage his guilt. Especially combined with the dark circles Kirishima sees under his eyes or the way Bakugou is sitting hunched over, without taking up the space he usually does.
Bakugou doesn't say anything else. Just sits staring, pinning Kirishima with his gaze.
Unsettled by the silence between them, the soft brush of fur across his shins is a welcome distraction. Focusing his attention on the cat winding its way around his ankles keeps his mounting anxiety at bay. This morning he had been dying to see Bakugou but now all he wants to do is leave. The question that has been on his mind, about what happened, about why Bakugou attacked Midoriya and about this awkward air between them is right at the tip of Kirishima's tongue. He desperately wants to ask but a thread of fear keeps his mouth sewn shut. He hates this. He's never experienced this feeling around his best friend before. Never experienced such heavy silence. He needs to break it, he has to. In search of some courage, Kirishima reaches down and pulls the black cat at his feet onto his lap.
Before Kirishima can decide what to say, the silence is broken for him. Stuttering and mumbling, twisting his fingers together in an uncharacteristic show of anxiety, Bakugou stutters out an apology. He explains he became enraged about something minor, something he's embarrassed to even explain and that he and Midoriya are fine. It's painful to listen to this level of uncertainty from his usually confident friend.
"It's alright. Midoriya told me that it wasn't your fault." Kirishima eventually interrupts when he can't take it any longer.
Bakugou lurches in his seat. The burst of energy is as sudden as it is startling.
"When?" He asks urgently, peering into Kirishima's widening eyes.
It occurs to Kirishima that despite all Bakugou's staring before, this is technically the first time Bakugou has made eye-contact with him since last night. It's difficult not to get lost in it.
"Earlier today," Kirishima responds slowly. "He just said what he told me last night, it was his fault and he didn't blame you for your reaction and we shouldn't either."
Bakugou nods and slumps down on the table.
"So you wanted to talk?" Kirishima prompts gently.
It suddenly hits Kirishima that Bakugou had referred to Midoriya as Midoriya and not Deku. Surely that was a good sign?
"Was it about the fight? I feel really bad about it, not to mention Shinsou using his Quirk on you too. I overreacted but I've also never seen you like that. I was worried."
A hint of a blush. The flutter of long eyelashes. A clammy hand reaching across the table for his own. Kirishima's mouth feels dry.
"If we're good, then I'm good."
The gruff timbre of Bakugou's voice doesn't hide the sincerity that bleeds through.
"Yes," Kirishima breathes. "We're good."
Obviously, Kirishima knows they still need to talk about what happened but he's willing to be patient. To wait until Bakugou's ready. The excruciating tension between them dissipates like it was never there. All that remains is the cackle of electricity in the air. It stimulates those butterflies in Kirishima's stomach that always seem to wake up in Bakugou's presence. Maybe Bakugou even feels it too.
"I can see you wondering why I picked a cat café. It's because it seemed like the kind of thing someone with shitty hair would like."
Guess not.
Kirishima smiles. It is nice being with Bakugou like this. It's just a shame he's an idiot who fell in love with someone he can't have.
Author's Notes: Happy New Year! If you are still reading in 2022 please let me know! It's really motivating to hear if people haven't lost interest. Also shout-out to my Beta for the chapter title!