The tiny black kitten almost fell over the side of his bed so he quickly picked it up by the scruff and brought it closer. He had not gone to her house with the intent to take one of the kittens, but here he was. Bakugou glared down at the creature as it meowed at him and let it rub its face against his fingers.

He was supposed to give her the chocolate bar the day before, but she had stayed home. Everyone was told that she was out sick, but he knew the truth. She was avoiding him again. He had gone through the trouble of taking her on a date and telling her that he liked her and even kissing her. Shirayuki's response was to avoid him.

Gritting his teeth, he remembered the events from that morning. She had yelled at him and actually shoved him. He knew he was pushing her, but she had gone too far. She embarrassed him in front of the entire class.

The whole point of going to her house after school was to confront her about it, but when he saw her struggling with those grocery bags, he started to feel angry for a whole different reason. If she's got that guy from that other class walking her home, where the hell was he today?! He should've been helping her! And why the hell did she look so scared when she saw me?

"Hey! Why do I hear a cat in there? Did you bring a cat home without asking?!" His mother's voice seemed to pierce through the door, making the kitten jump in surprise and nearly fall off the bed again.

"Shut up, you old hag! Someone gave it to me!"

"Who gave you a cat?!"

"Mind your own business!" Bakugou fell onto his back on the bed and the kitten cautiously approached. Its tiny nose tapped against his and then it settled in to curl up at his side. I took it because I saw that stupid look on her face like she was going to cry. Now I'm stuck with this thing. He scratched behind its left ear and the kitten purred, stretching out a little. The boy smirked. At least now he had another reason for her to talk to him.

Shift P.O.V

"That boy yesterday was kind of rude. Are you sure that he's your friend?" Her grandmother finished packing a snack bag for Shirayuki and gave her a concerned frown. "Ume? Is that boy bullying you?"

"…I'm…actually not sure anymore…" she confessed. It had been a very strange evening. Bakugou watched her eat the chocolate bar that he had apparently shoved into her bag when she was distracted. He stayed for dinner and then when he left, he asked if anyone wanted the kittens. When she said that no one had said anything yet, he told her that he would take the black kitten.

She set off for school with Shinsou, blushing pink when he held her hand. This…is how it's supposed to feel, isn't it? When you're with someone that you like. They make you feel fluttery, but warm. Behind her mask, Shirayuki's lips drew into a wide smile and she thought back to how it had felt the previous day on the train. How he had wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the crowd of people.

Being embraced that way had made her feel safe and happy. It was different from anything she had felt before though. This had sent the fluttery feeling in her chest and stomach into overdrive. It made her knees weak to remember how it felt.

"If he bothers you again today, tell me." Shinsou's voice broke the silence as they approached the school. "Okay? He can't think that it's okay to bully you."

She nodded once and bowed a little. "…Shinsou…thank you…for everything…"

He rubbed the back of his neck and half-smiled. "I like you. I'm not going to let someone bother you. I want you to be happy." His hand squeezed hers gently, enjoying the warmth of her fingers laced with his own. The boy's serene indigo gaze slid from her eyes down to the plain red mask that she was wearing over the lower half of her face.

Shirayuki tensed as a finger dipped beneath her mask and pulled it down a little. Her eyes closed tightly and she tried not to lean away from him. "…Shinsou…?"

His fingertips gently trailed along the smooth, soft skin of her cheek. "Is this okay?" The girl nodded ever so slightly, afraid to make his hand leave her face. His smile spread and he leaned down so he was closer. "Can I kiss you on the cheek? Would that be alright? You can say "no" if that would be too much."

Her stomach was doing flips. She subconsciously held her breath and gave him another nod. The warmth of his lips against her cheek sent her heart racing and she gripped her bag tightly in her free hand. More blood rushed to her cheeks, changing them from a soft pink to a vibrant red. "…ngh…"

Shinsou drew away to see her expression. "Was that too much?"

"…n-no…it just…" Her eyes opened halfway and met his. "…it…felt really good…and it made my heart…beat really, really fast…"

The boy wanted to try more. He wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss her lips. Her mouth was a full two inches wider than a normal human mouth, but her lips were shaped in a normal way and the pale pink skin looked so soft. Without really thinking about it, the pad of his thumb traced along her lower lip. Her eyes widened, staring up at him in alarm, and he pulled his hand away. "Sorry."

"…it's…it's okay…it just…surprised me…" Shirayuki pulled her mask up again and averted her gaze. The feeling of his thumb against her lip had filled her stomach with butterflies in a way that she had not experienced before. A more pronounced fluttery feeling alongside a warmth that ran through her. What…was that feeling? It was different from the way he usually makes me feel. Like it was magnified.

They separated to go to their classrooms, agreeing to walk home together. Shirayuki walked with her head down, trying to avoid looking at the other students as she passed them. When she reached the classroom, she was glad to see that only a few other students had arrived as early as she had.

Sitting at her desk, she got out her things for class and then tried to focus on reading one of her books. Shirayuki found herself reading the same sentence over and over again as her attention was divided. It was a book of folklore that she loved a lot. The stories were really interesting and it was one of her favorite books, but she could not concentrate.

The girl subconsciously lifted a hand to her mask, just over her lips. She was thinking about how it felt when Shinsou kissed her cheek and how it felt when his thumb touched her lower lip. A faint giddiness took over as she smiled behind her mask and bowed her head. He…kissed my cheek. It was so gentle, but it makes me feel so happy. What would it feel like if he kissed my lips though…? Like a real kiss.

"Hey, Ume! Stop ignoring me!"

She jumped as a hand gripped the back of her chair and jostled it. Looking over her shoulder, her smile dropped. "…what…did you…c-call me just now…?"

Bakugou smirked, leaning toward her. "I called you by your name! Ume!"

Her stomach started to twist in anxious knots, but she decided not to ask about it again. "…did you…need something…?"

"You're coming with me after school, got it? I don't know what the hell that cat needs so you're going to go with me to get stuff. Tell your stupid friend from the other class that he'll have to walk himself home."

"…I…already promised…"

"You're helping me whether you like it or not!" he snapped.

"Um…Shirayuki-san, do you still have kittens?" Midoriya spoke up as he set his bag down at his desk.

"…ah…y-yes…one girl and…two boys…"

He looked from her to Bakugou, having heard everything that the blond had said. He knew that his childhood bully had taken the fourth kitten. "Er…well I asked my mom and she said we can take one if no one else wants them. Could I come over after school and see them?"

"Excuse me. Did you say that you still have some kittens?" Yaoyorozu spoke up. She approached the three other students, looking a little bit shy almost. "If you don't mind, could I see them, too?"

Shirayuki's face was turning red behind her mask, almost blending in with the crimson fabric. "…I…a-alright…that should be fine…um…"

"Hey! I said that you're coming with me to get supplies! Don't try to avoid me again, Ume!" Bakugou reached over, grabbing a lock of hair that hung beside her face. "Tell them you're coming with me."

"…um…Bakugou-kun…I n-need to find homes for the kittens…b-because we have too many cats…so…i-if they're both interested…I need to do what I can…to help the kittens find homes…" The girl was sure that he would snap at her again or pull her hair, but he surprised her.

The blond scowled and released the lock of hair, sitting back in his seat. He crossed his arms, his eyes meeting hers directly. "Fine, but you're gonna make it up to me for avoiding me again."

"…I'm not…avoiding you…" she tried to explain.

"Shut up! You think I don't know when I'm being avoided?!" Settling down a bit, he smirked. "You're gonna make it up to me, got it?"

Shirayuki frowned and lowered her gaze. "…sure…" The girl nervously picked at the skin around her nails, able to feel him still glaring at her. "…how…?"

"You're supposed to surprise me!"

But why…? Thankfully, class started before he could say anything else to make her anxious. Surprise him? How…? I don't understand what he wants. She frowned, half of her attention on her notes and half of it on solving the puzzle that Bakugou had presented her with. What if I don't do anything? But then he'll be mad. Yesterday…before he left…he didn't seem as angry as he usually does. He actually seemed sort of…happy…

"Hey, I heard that Yaoyorozu and Midoriya want two of the kittens," Ashido commented during lunch. "That's great! So you just need to find homes for the other two, right?"

"…ah…w-well, actually…" Shirayuki toyed with the hairband around her wrist as she glanced down the table to their grumpy classmate. "…Bakugou-kun…took one of the kittens yesterday…"

"What?! Bakugou went to your house yesterday?" Kirishima's eyebrows raised. "Wait a second! How does he know where you live anyway?"

"Which kitten did he take?" The pink-haired girl tilted her head curiously.

"…the black kitten…" Remembering the way that he had handled the tiny cat, she knew that it was probably in a good home. He seemed to like it anyway.