It's a cute thing of fluff that I wanted to write and I have a cat so. Some shenanigans won't be entirely fictional lol
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: It Was Shivering
The sky had been grey for two days. Kaminari couldn't feel any extra electricity in the air, so the possibility of a lightning storm had at least been ruled out. Everyone had collectively given up expecting the rain to hit by the third day. So, it was just his luck, wasn't it?
Bakugou pushed through the first set of gym doors, pausing in the small interim room to glare at the downpour that greeted him beyond the final pair of doors. The rain came in sleets. He growled deep in his throat and pulled his zip-up hoodie's drawstrings taught. Rain meant a temperature drop more often than not and he had just showered. He considered his options only for a moment before h tore his hoodie back to rake his hands through his hair. He flexed his tendons, sending small explosions through the strands. It stood, spiked and styled, and most importantly dry. He'd be damned if he was going to get sick just because his hair was still wet.
Readjusting his hood, he slipped his phone into his duffel bag and zipped it tight. His phone had a better chance of surviving the short walk back to the dorms if it were sandwiched between his gym clothes. He hefted the duffel bag over his shoulders with a huff and pushed through the doors.
His back and shoulders were drenched within moments. He'd have preferred to wait it out, but he couldn't tell just how long that would have been. It was better that he return to the dorms, take a secondary hot shower, and take whatever precautions he could to prevent himself from getting sick. He was doing spectacular with not getting sick so far and he was not getting sick because of some rain. He'd sooner go down for days due to food poisoning. Or perhaps malaria. He tried to focus on the hot shower that was waiting for him when he got back and not the drenched hoodie over his shoulders. He could see the dorm building in his sights through the sleets of rain when he heard a small sound through the rain.
Bakugou slowed his walk, straining his ears, his nerves catching fire. The sound came again, moments later, from a cluster of bushes along the path. Bakugou pushed the many, many ideas sprouting in his head away. Most of them were ridiculous scenarios anyway. It wasn't logical to suspect every single noise that seemed out of place was a villain waiting in hiding.
Mr. Compress was the only villain in The League of Assholes, that they knew of, who could shrink to the size required to hide in the bushes and even if it was him, he couldn't make noise or attack as effectively as he'd need to when he was Compressed. The fact the marbles didn't emit sound meant Bakugou could at least rule that flashy asshole out. He didn't see any whisps of shadows, either, ruling out Kurogiri. Two for two of the most troublesome villains used for kidnapping transport, at least. He felt it safe to say that whatever was in the bush wasn't any villain and so let himself relax a little further. Even if The League—the Villain Alliance? Whatever the hell they were calling themselves now—managed to get onto campus he doubted they'd do it in a torrential downpour or even get this far to begin with.
The noise came a third time and he could finally pinpoint it. It was tiny, weak, mewling. Bakugou stalked over to the bushes, kneeling down and pushing branches aside, to look at the ground. Curled up in the dirt and dead leaves was a small kitten. It couldn't have been more than a month or so old and was tiny. Bakugou scoffed, moving to stand, when the kitten mewed again. The sound was so thoroughly pathetic that Bakugou halted.
The rain was slipping through the leaves and leaving the kitten soaking wet. He battled with himself for a minute, weighing the pros and cons of Aizawa's wrath, before he determined the cons list was only marginally longer than the pros. Regardless, Bakugou reached forward into the bushes. The kitten's instinct was to bite and scratch but it hadn't even broken skin. It was a valiant effort, but it was futile, and soon the kitten was set in Bakugou's grip. He was mildly confused when the kitten didn't even bother to elicit a hiss as he unzipped his jacket and bundled the small furball inside. He was, on no uncertain terms, letting the filthy thing in the same bag as his phone and wallet. He zipped the hoodie back up, cradling the small form in his hand so it didn't slip down, and started over to the dorms again.
The kitten shivered against his chest; but he could feel it getting warmer already. The kitten seemed to figure that out as well because it wriggled closer to him. He was ducking under the dorm entryway in minutes. He grit his teeth against his own shivering, having been thoroughly drenched now, and wanted nothing more than to blast the front door down. He turned the knob and sighed in relief when it gave way. He was grateful that the kitten hadn't had the stupid idea to try and jump out of his hoodie to sprint away when they'd stopped. If it had been that gun-ho in leaving him behind he'd have let it.
Once through the doorway, he shook himself out a bit, throwing back the hood, and forcing his shoes off. He dropped the duffel bag in the entryway, resolving to grab his phone later. The common room wasn't that full. He could hear some of his classmates in the kitchen and dining rooms, likely accounting for most if not all of the class, as it was nearing dinner and they had a tendency to migrate downstairs when the time neared. One or two were likely up in their rooms still. This did, however, complicate things. He had only just managed to step out of the entry way when a loud meow sounded off.
The entire common room fell silent. Heads swiveled around to find the source. No one seemed to think his sudden freezing was suspicious. He could break for the stairs and tell anyone who questioned him to fu—
Kouda came barreling down the staircase looking frantic. Bakugou watched him, mentally noting that the boy would have just run him over if he'd tried to go up the stairs at the time. Another meow and all eyes swiveled towards him. Bakugou knew when to call something quits—despite what the family motto might imply—and he sighed. The rain had already reddened his cheeks, thankfully, masking his flushed face. Kouda's head snapped towards him like a predator zeroing in on their prey.
He had never felt more fear for the boy than he did in that instant. But, it only lasted an instant.
Bakugou reluctantly, but carefully, unzipped his jacket and removed the kitten. The chaos was immediate. Most of the class present was left gaping at the kitten. Some he heard squeal. Ashido literally leapt over the couch and its occupants. Kouda moved faster than Bakugou had ever seen before to block her rapid approach and the girl collided head on into him. Both fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Bakugou stepped over them.
"Wait! Let me pet it!" Ashido pleaded. Bakugou side-stepped her grabby hands at his ankles.
"Fuck off, you're scaring it," he snapped. His claim didn't do a damn thing to deter her or any of the others from approaching him, but it had at least calmed them down. Regardless, they flanked him and soon others joined until he had most of the class surrounding him.
The kitten itself was meowing with some fierce attitude. It made its break for freedom, finally, and Bakugou's hands shot out to catch it. Now that it was free of his jacket entirely and only held by his palms, Bakugou froze. The kitten readjusted, clamoring over itself to steady in his grip. He didn't hear anything his classmates were saying as they fawned over it, questioned him and his health and sanity for bringing it back, and pushed each other around to see. He was tuning them all out because all he could think was don't flex the tendons.
Kouda squeezed his way to the front, whispering to the kitten. Bakugou wasn't sure what the other was saying but it got the kitten to stop squirming around considerably. Eventually, Kouda straightened up. Yaoyorozu and Iida were wrangling their classmates back to give the two some much needed breathing room. Midoriya sidled up next to Kouda as he started to sign.
"He says it doesn't want to leave—" Midoriya started, stopping when Bakugou cut in harshly, his voice strained.
"It doesn't want to leave the "scary blonde"—I'm warm, I got it, nerd!"
"Wait, you understand sign?!" Midoriya asked. "Since when?!"
Bakugou shot him a venomous glare, looking ready to burst, and Midoriya fell silent. His eyes trailed to Bakugou's hands. The kitten had curled up and it was napping right in Bakugou's palms. The room had fallen relatively quiet and Midoriya's gaze lifted slowly back up to meet Bakugou's.
He was panicking. His face wasn't all that different from his typical scowling, but Midoriya had spent most of his life learning how to read Bakugou's face and he could see the differences, such as the extra strain hidden in the eyes. There was a tenseness in his hands. Beads of sweat were being masked by droplets of rain. Midoriya took pity on him, slowly lifting the kitten from his hands. The kitten woke up only partially to give an indignant mewl.
Bakugou deflated instantly. He stopped before flexing for a full blast. He eyed the kitten and turned away just slightly, holding his hands out in front of him, and letting off a stream of small ignitions. Like tiny firecrackers. His gaze drifted over to the sleeping kitten, brow furrowing, and he bit back an undignified whine. He turned on his heel.
"Um… Bakubro?" Kirishima met him at the front door once Bakugou shoved past Midoriya and Kouda. "Dude?"
Bakugou swung the front door open. He clapped his hands, a brilliant explosion ringing out the front of the building towards the sky. The windows rattled in their frames. Midoriya yelped as the kitten bolted awake, climbing its way down his arm and over his shoulder. Kouda caught it before it could hit the ground, whispering soothingly in its ear. Bakugou, oblivious, gave a relieved shout that petered out into a sigh. He kicked the door shut behind him and tore the rest of his hoodie off.
"Uh—" Bakugou cut Kirishima short, shoving past him this time, and towards the stairs.
He was at the base of the stairs when the kitten started to wail. He turned towards it and Kouda. Kouda looked at him guiltily. "What," Bakugou asked.
"I think it wants you," Asui says from the common room.
"Hell no!" Bakugou shouts immediately, before he can even fully process what she'd said, and then turned to the common room. "I'm not some damn space heater, give it to IcyHot!"
Todoroki's eyes lit up at the prospect. He stepped forward with his hand held up. The kitten watched him warily. It tried to make itself even smaller, backing into Kouda's chest. Todoroki stopped short. He left his hand raised, heating up the air around them. The kitten gave an odd sounding meow, looking between Todoroki and Bakugou, before its next meow turned into a yowl. It tried to scramble out of Kouda's grip to get to Bakugou.
"Wow! It's got a set of pipes!" Jirou cheered. Kouda set the kitten on the ground and it hobbled over to Bakugou as fast as its little legs could carry it.
"Aw! BakuMom!"
"The fuck did you just—oh for fuck's sake," Bakugou groaned. He was left staring at the skittering set of tail and limbs coming towards him. The damn thing couldn't even walk on the wooden floor properly yet.
"Language!"
"Can it, Four Eyes!"
"Kacchan, I think it…" Midoriya paused. The kitten had reached Bakugou's feet now, clamoring onto his wet socks. Midoriya quickly signed his next words, ignoring the calls and shouts of "no fair!" and questions.
Imprinted. It imprinted.
Bakugou stared at him, his eyes growing just a little wider, for a long moment. The kitten pawed at his calf. He was pretty sure he saw Uraraka snapping pictures. He broke from his stupor long enough to snatch the kitten up and storm upstairs. He was not addressing that theory if he could help it.
He didn't care if the kitten whined when he set it on the bathroom sink. It looked down, shuffling along the edge, before it apparently decided the jump was too risky. Instead, it started to wail as it paced back and forth. Bakugou got the water in the shower warm, minding that it wasn't too hot, before stripping. He cradled the kitten against his chest and sat on the shower floor, pulling the curtain shut, and reached for the small hand towel. He knew they had no pet shampoo—or at least none for cats. He wasn't sure if human shampoo would work. Kouda would have known. Hell, Ojirou might have even known, but he was not about to go back downstairs mid-shower to ask either of them. Bakugou settled for cradling the kitten and stepping out to search each shower in turn until he'd found Ojirou's special shampoo he used to wash his tail fur.
Slipping back into sitting in his own shower, and reveling in the warm water, he started to lather up the small grey kitten. He was mindful of the eyes and mouth especially. The kitten put up a little bit of a fuss, but it couldn't wriggle free of his grip, despite getting close a few times. Bakugou started to rinse next. He was surprised when the grey started to wash out to reveal a white kitten instead. He doublechecked the shampoo. No bleaching agents.
He huffed and let the kitten down. It wasted no time curling up against the outside of his thigh after failing to successfully wobble around. He was just going to have to shower like this, he supposed.
The common room was chaotic when he returned. He was disappointed to find this out. He'd changed into his pajama sweats in anticipation that he could just lounge on the couch, but no, the universe had other plans. Because the entire class had apparently decided to set up something call the "Kitty Korner" in the common room. It had a banner. There was an entire cat tree.
Bakugou blinked at the spectacle. Tokoyami and Jirou were acting as an assembly line of food to Yaoyorozu as she started making a pile of cat toys. Midoriya was holding up her phone, probably so she could see the ingredients for each toy. Kouda was nearby setting out food and water dishes. The two bowls were customized. Yaoyorozu had added beveled paws prints. She had taken her new profession as Creati: Cat Spoiler very seriously, apparently. Iida was with the half of the class who was left, frantically researching cat care. They had encircled the coffee table. Notes were strewn across the surface.
Bakugou stepped forward, clearing his throat to garner attention. "The fuck is even happening right now."
"We're making a space for Ashes!" Ashido says.
"For Grey-Son," Kaminari says. Ashido shot him a look.
"Fight me."
"Who the hell is Ashes? Who the fuck is Greyson?" Bakugou asks, shoving the two apart. The looks of confusion he got had him worried he'd actually forgotten someone's name for a second.
"The kitten, kero."
Oh for fucks…
"What? Those names are stupid. A pun, Sparkplug? Seriously?"
"And what of it?" Kaminari asked.
"I still say Bakugou should name it. He found it," Todoroki piped up.
"You seriously want it called something by him? He calls you IcyHot!"
"He has good nicknaming skills," Todoroki says, completely straight faced.
"And I still assert that the name Ashes slaps," Ashido says.
"No, it fucking doesn't. Any name you all pick will suck, anyway," Bakugou says confidently.
"You've only heard two of them!"
"If they're based on color, you're wrong."
"Why?" Todoroki asks, turning away from the cat study group to turn to him. Bakugou stared, poker-faced himself, as he reached into the new hoodie's front pouch and brought out the sleepy white furball. The squeals could have replaced dog whistles.
"Snowflake!"
"Hell no, we're not basing it on color!"
Kaminari yawned hard and stretched. He plopped down the stairs, only half-caring if anyone heard him. It was almost two am at this point, so he wasn't worried about waking anyone. He almost tripped when he hit the bottom of the stairs and saw Aizawa standing in the common room. The man was facing the couch.
"A-Aizawa-sensei!"
Aizawa spared him a glance before turning his attention back to the couch. Kaminari froze, his eyes drifting towards Kitten Korner and the litany of obvious cat supplies that he couldn't lie himself out of explaining. He didn't even get an attempt to, however, as he noticed why Aizawa was staring at the couch instead of Kitten Korner. Kaminari stood straighter, craning his neck to see over the couch's back.
Bakugou was laid out on the couch, his body rigid, and red eyes locked onto him. Kaminari gaped. The kitten was sprawled over Bakugou's neck and collarbone. Its paws were pressed against his pulse point. The kitten looked utterly out to the rest of the world, but Bakugou looked like he'd been strung tight. He was in internal peril. One wrong move and the claws would dig right into his skin.
In his peripheral, Kaminari caught Aizawa slowly raising his phone out of his pocket. Kaminari watched, debating if this were a dream, as the teacher snapped a photo. The audible click of the camera sending Bakugou into a very rigid quiver of rage. Kaminari pulled his own phone out, doing the same. He deftly ignored the glare promising a painful death.
The kitten stretched.
Kaminari had never seen Bakugou look so conflicted before in his life.
The kitten was wailing in the morning and Uraraka wasn't sure why. She, along with everyone else, was unsure exactly where it had slept last night. All she knew was that Tokoyami looked very upset, and Kouda looked very tired. Yaoyorozu was sitting amongst a pile of failed attempts of bags of what looked like grey sand and gum to Uraraka. She readjusted her arms, currently holding the screaming and squirming kitten, as Tokoyami glared at the loud baby. She was shocked that the kitten hadn't tried to pounce him, yet. She thought perhaps that's why he looked so mad.
If only.
No, Tokoyami was mad because he had the unfortunate luck of stepping in the cat's… mess. And Kouda had then been promptly dragged from bed to communicate with the kitten, which was starving and was making sure everyone knew it. Yaoyorozu was similarly dragged from bed to try and make both cat food and litter. Uraraka had come down to find the three trying to wrangle the kitten and quiet it down; but given Uraraka had heard it all the way on the fourth floor, she doubted they'd ever have gotten very far.
More of the class was coming down the stairs at the yowling. She tried to shush the kitten with what she hoped was reassuring cooing. That was dashed when Bakugou came stomping down between Kaminari—who was looking like he was running for his life—and Kirishima—who had linked their arms and was trying to drag Bakugou away from Kaminari the second their feet hit the floor. Another well timed wail and Bakugou's head snapped to see Uraraka holding the kitten.
"The fuck is it's problem?" he asked. The kitten spotted him. Instead of wailing as greeting, it meowed pathetically. "The fuck is it's problem?"
"We need to go shopping for it…" Yaoyorozu finally admitted. She was defeated, giving up trying to craft actual cat litter and cat food. She was just too tired to focus properly and with the screaming kitten she felt she wasn't going to be able to focus at all anyway.
Todoroki trudged to the fridge, grabbed a piece of chicken out of an old food container, and promptly cooked it right in his palm. Uraraka just stared at him as he came up to her, tearing pieces of chicken off to feed to the kitten. Kouda seemed to appear rather grateful, signing his thanks, as Todoroki was enraptured with feeding the kitten. Pushing the thought of what that chicken must taste like with a Quirk cooking it first, Uraraka set the kitten down onto the island counter. Todoroki followed rather hilariously like a hypnotized puppy. Others of the class started to get their own meals ready for the start of the day—that they were forced to start this early. Midoriya opted to avoid the kitchen entirely after grabbing himself some cereal and a bowl once he caught Bakugou glancing in that direction as the kitten seemed to be subdued for now.
"And take it to a vet," Asui says. She leaned over the edge of the counter, watching the kitten chew on the chicken. She stuck her tongue out and the kitten eyed it. She quickly sucked it back in, standing straight again. "After all, it is a stray."
Bakugou laughed darkly. He sauntered up to the small gathering, leaning on the counter. "And who the hell is paying for all that, huh?"
Todoroki suddenly straightened, a look of determination painting his face. He reached in his back pocket to pull out and slam a credit card onto the counter. The kitten jumped and meowed indignantly at him, slinking backward towards Bakugou. Bakugou stared at the card, then up at Todoroki, only to be met with Todoroki staring at him with the most determined look in his eyes since the Sports Festival.
"It's Endeavor's money," he says proudly. Yaoyorozu shyly slid her card back into her wallet. Bakugou stared at Todoroki for a very long time before he slid the card off the table and into his own back pocket.
"Whipped," he whispered, sauntering off towards the front door.
"Wait, you need Aizawa-sensei's permission!" Uraraka called after him. Bakugou stopped at the front door and groaned.
"Do I really fucking have to? It's down the damn road!"
"Not the vet," Asui says plainly. She turned to him, once again kneeling at the kitchen island. The cat started to play with her hair. "You need a chaperone or Aizawa-sensei himself for any trip, too."
Bakugou growled, kicking his shoes back off and stomping for the stairs. "IF I DIE BECAUSE I HAD TO WAKE HIM UP, I'M KILLING YOU ALL!"
Tokoyami finally tore his eyes off the kitten to stare up the stairs after Bakugou. "An impressive feat if he's dead."
Midoriya choked on his cereal.
Aizawa was still half asleep when Bakugou started to pound on the apartment door. He knew it was a matter of time before someone came to rouse him—not that they would have needed to try because the cat had done most of the work for them—but he'd been praying it was anyone but one of two students: Problem Child Midoriya and Bakugou.
Not his luck today, apparently.
Aizawa dragged himself out of bed and trudged towards the door. He was already sighing when he opened it. "Yes?"
"We need to get some fucking litter and cat food. Can I go?" Bakugou asked. Aizawa rubbed at his eye and took a steadying breath. God, he needed coffee.
"I'll be down in ten."
He shut the door before Bakugou could attempt to try and negotiate that. He could hear him stomping back downstairs with a string of curses following him. He was actually down in about six minutes. And by the time he'd arrived, Yaoyorozu was angrily glaring holes in the trashcan whilst she dumped failed litter attempt after failed litter attempt into it after a quick inspection. Jirou and Satou were shoveling food to her as she did. He then turned to see Bakugou at the kitchen island already looking impatient.
Kirishima was trying his best to ease the tension from the other's shoulders, even going so far as to try and coo at him lovingly, but Bakugou was too pissed for it to work very well. Aizawa opted to ignore the cooing entirely if he was going to have any chance of avoiding probing questions about it later.
"Alright, let's go, "Aizawa announced.
Bakugou wasted no time getting to the front door. Aizawa was halfway there when the kitten finally noticed Bakugou's form slinking way and it wailed. Aizawa squeezed his eyes shut at the shocking volume.
"Don't tell me you're the one who found it," Aizawa sighs. Bakugou was silent. "Why did you keep it?"
"…It was pouring rain. Thing looks like a string bean on a good day," Bakugou says.
Aizawa could only nod. He had to admit, it looked like it would be.