Chapter Seventy-One: Coffee
Katsuki was downtown, hands buried in pants pockets as he made his way toward a particular café he'd only been to twice before. It was early morning, as it was the first time he'd made this journey. Mr. Aizawa hadn't been very happy about Katsuki waking him up early on a Saturday to ask for the permission form to leave campus, but he'd grudgingly agreed if Katsuki picked up an order he'd placed at the printers. He thought about telling the pro hero he'd completely forgotten about his request, but he knew he'd definitely get in trouble if he tried that. His teacher wasn't stupid, and if Katsuki didn't do as he asked, he'd probably never be allowed off-campus again.
He'd thought being up before seven on a weekend would be early enough to avoid all of his classmates, but karma was rarely on Katsuki's side. Aisla's loyal Labrador was making his way outside at exactly the same time as Katsuki, and he'd noticed the other boy too late to try and avoid him. Fortunately, Todoroki didn't appear to be in the talkative mood that morning, and barely spared Katsuki a glance before stepping out the door and continuing on his merry way. Katsuki breathed a sigh of relief before following him out a few paces behind.
"Hey," the dual-haired bastard said just when Katsuki was about to pass through the gates. Katsuki let out a huff of air. Damn karma… "I want to say something to you."
"What?" Katsuki snapped, already walking past him out the gate. He hoped the other boy wouldn't follow but knew he probably wouldn't be that lucky.
"Bakugo…Katsuki…" he corrected himself, "I just wanted to tell you…that I think you're a good person."
Katsuki stopped walking, eyes widening slightly as he stared at the ground. He refused to look back at the boy standing behind him, afraid of what he might say if he did.
"I know I've said some shitty things to you," Todoroki admitted, "and I know I haven't been a very good friend either—"
Katsuki scoffed. "We aren't friends," he hissed, though the words held no true venom. He didn't think he and Todoroki were friends, but he'd stopped hating the guy a while ago.
"I know I said you don't deserve Aisla," he continued, ignoring Katsuki's comment.
"Yeah, I remember," Katsuki mumbled as irritation prickled. "That was a long time ago and you already said you were sorry or whatever, so I don't care anymore."
"It was," he agreed, "but I still care. I apologized to you because of Aisla. I thought that was the right thing to do at the time, and maybe it was, but I did it for the wrong reasons and that made the apology insincere."
"So, what are you saying?" Katsuki shuffled on his feet, feeling restless and annoyed.
"I'm saying you're a good person, Bakugo," Todoroki echoed more fiercely. "And honestly, you deserve that girl more than I ever could have. I've been manipulating myself into thinking certain things that just aren't true and using you as the excuse for them not working out the way I thought they should."
Katsuki spun around with narrowed eyes. "What are you saying?" Katsuki repeated.
Todoroki's gaze didn't waver. "I still have to figure a few things out," Todoroki said cryptically. "I just wanted you to know how sorry I am…for everything. I've never been very supportive of your relationship with Aisla, and part of that was because I had feelings for her as well.
"I'm not a good person, though I've always tried to be the type of person my mother could be proud of, someone my asshole of a father never was. I wanted to be kind and generous, I wanted to make the women in my life feel safe and happy, and never afraid…but the things I did weren't out of good intention alone. Yes, Aisla is my best friend and I do want to make her happy, but my ultimate desire was to do that with her by my side, not yours. However," he added when Katsuki opened his mouth to argue, "I've come to realize how wrong I was. I don't deserve her, and I never will. The feelings you have for her are true, whereas mine…" He shrugged.
Katsuki's eyes narrowed further. "Yours are what? Truer?"
He shook his head. "No, Bakugo. I do love Aisla—she's my best friend—but…" He looked away and took a deep breath. "I should get going," he finished after a long pause. "My mother will be waiting for me."
"Hey," Katsuki said through gritted teeth, getting Todoroki's attention as he walked away. The other boy turned and waited for him to speak. "I love that girl," he mumbled almost incoherently. He didn't like saying those words aloud to this bastard—especially not after his own love confession or whatever the hell that was—but for some reason it felt important to voice his feelings. He couldn't hide them away anymore and only whisper them in the dark of night to the girl they were meant for. He needed to be proud of his feelings and show Aisla that she was important to him—even when she wasn't around.
Todoroki smiled and for once the expression looked genuine. "I know you do, Katsuki Bakugo. And she loves you."
The memory made him scowl as he picked up his pace, stomping on the sidewalk hard enough to make tiny pebbles jump in his wake. Finally, he reached his destination, and just like the first time he'd come here the "CLOSED" sign was situated in the window. Also like that time, Katsuki didn't hesitate in pounding a fist against the glass, knowing the old fogies would already be inside. After a long moment of his incessant knocking, two beady eyes popped out from between the blinds and stared down at him. They narrowed into slits when they recognized his face and the blinds snapped shut once more. For a brief moment, Katsuki thought the old fart wouldn't answer, but then the lock clicked and the door was pulled inward. He inhaled deeply as the scent of freshly baked goods wafted out to greet him.
"What the hell do you want, boy?" the old man grouched as he ushered Katsuki inside and slammed the door shut behind him.
"I just need coffee," he muttered lamely, hating the way his cheeks heated under the man's accusing glare.
"Coffee, eh?" he repeated. "Tell me, sonny, why are you always coming here looking for coffee so damn early in the morning? Come back during business hours like a normal person."
"It's seven in the morning," Katsuki pointed out, deadpan. "It's already normal coffee hours!"
"Not for this place," the man griped. "We don't even open until—"
"Oh, stop complaining, Yuri!" The woman—whom Katsuki had come to know as Sumico—smiled warmly at Katsuki. "Good to see you again, dear. Did you come for some more of our freshly brewed coffee?"
"Freshly brewed because we haven't made any yet!" her husband barked.
"Just ignore him," Sumico suggested as she led Katsuki farther into the room. "It's been a while since we've seen you, young man. Have you been avoiding us?"
He shook his head and shuffled in place as restlessness started to seep into his bones. "I've just been busy with school."
"Is that why you haven't brought your lovely girlfriend to meet us?" When she looked up at him, her expression was so pained he almost swore she was genuinely upset about this fact. He averted his gaze from the short old lady, hands finding their way into too-tight pockets. He was starting to regret his choice to wear these fitted pants today, even if Aisla liked the way they looked on him. It made it difficult to hide his shaking fists.
"She's probably asleep right now," he mumbled, unsure what else to say. He just wanted to get some coffee and leave. He wasn't in the mood for idle chit-chat.
"Of course, she is!" Yuri grumbled as he hobbled behind them. "It's too damn early to be up asking for coffee!"
"When will you bring her to our café?" Sumico asked, seemingly oblivious to her husband's irritation. "We'll be sure to have her favorite muffins freshly baked! And a hot pot of coffee!"
Katsuki sighed. "I don't know. It's hard to get permission to leave campus."
"And yet you're always here at the ass crack of dawn," muttered Yuri as he plopped into a chair at the counter.
"How about tomorrow?" Sumico insisted. "I'll make more coffee cake muffins! You said she liked that one, correct? And did she like that hazelnut latte I sent you with the last time you were here?"
Katsuki felt a scowl settle into place when he remembered the last time he'd come here seeking coffee for Aisla. He'd been trying to find ways to make her forgive him and had foolishly thought giving her gifts was the way to go about it. He'd realized his mistake pretty fast, but not before he'd already wasted an hour of his free time running downtown for hazelnut coffee.
"She didn't drink it," he admitted softly.
"Oh dear…" The old woman shook her head, then placed a reassuring hand on Katsuki's shoulder. "Did you make it up to that sweet girl yet?"
Katsuki shrugged. "I tried," he whispered at last. He wondered why he felt the need to be so honest. He'd only met this couple twice before, but he felt this strange sort of connection to them. Or maybe it was just the old woman's motherly charm getting inside his head. "I'm still trying."
"What did ya do, sonny?" asked the man as he toyed with a bottle of sugar on the counter in front of him.
Katsuki looked away and pressed his lips into a hard line, refusing to answer. His honesty only went so far. He did not want to get into how he'd humiliated the girl he loved in front of her entire family and then continued to treat her like garbage for weeks afterward.
"Oh, leave the poor boy alone!" Sumico squeezed his shoulder. "Bring that cutie to see us soon, okay? For now, take her some coffee and a muffin."
"You actually gonna make him pay this time, Sumi?" Yuri muttered, tone implying that he already knew the answer to that.
"Of course not!" The woman trilled before disappearing behind the kitchen door.
The old man sighed. "That woman is too generous to be in this business."
"Here." Katsuki had already predicted Sumico wouldn't let him pay based on his last two attempts, so he'd come prepared this time. He had a wad of cash in his back pocket, which he pulled out now and tossed onto the counter in front of the shocked old man. He stared at the cash for a long moment. "That's enough to pay for the last two times I came here, today, and extra for all the trouble I've caused. You know, for showing up 'early' or whatever…"
Yuri picked up the cash and examined the neatly rolled dollars for a moment before holding them out to Katsuki. "Take it, boy." He waved the money harshly when Katsuki continued to stare at it dumbfoundedly. "Look, I know I complain a lot but that's just because I'm a grouchy old man with nothing better to do. Also, you remind me a lot of how I used to be at your age." Katsuki's red eyes drifted up to meet beady black orbs. "I know what it's like to screw up with the girl you care the most about. I almost lost my Sumico because of my bad attitude, you know. I'm still grouchy, but she's never stopped loving me. Do you want to know why?" Katsuki found himself nodding without giving himself permission to do so. "Because I love her back." He took Katsuki's hand in his and slapped the bills into his open palm, forcing him to take them back.
"I want to do the right thing…" Katsuki murmured as he stared at the bills, though he didn't think he was talking about paying for the coffee.
"I know, sonny," the man agreed softly, as if he knew exactly what Katsuki meant. "Just do your best. That's all any of us can do."
When Sumico finally let him go, arms laden with cups and a bag of pastries she refused to let him pay for, Katsuki couldn't help but smile. He liked that old couple, even if the grouchy old man irritated him. The familiar attitude always made Katsuki feel simultaneously better and worse about his own short temper, though this trip felt different than the last two. The old man seemed to be warming up to him. Maybe because he saw himself in Katsuki and felt the need to help out a fellow hothead.
"Do your best…" Katsuki silently repeated the words. That man was right, that was all he could do now. He wanted to keep doing his best to make Aisla happy, and make sure she never had another doubt about him betraying her again. She didn't give the impression that she was afraid of that happening, but sometimes it was hard to know what she was thinking. Right now, his main priority was to show her that he was a changed man. He was someone she could be proud of, rather than a person who snapped at everyone and pushed people away. He no longer wanted to be the rabid animal who had to be restrained at the UA Sports Festival. He wanted to be someone worthy of a girl like Aisla.
Just as he was nearing the front gates of the school, Katsuki's phone blared loudly with the ringtone he'd designated for his mother. Maroon 5's 'Misery' strangled his eardrums through the wireless earset he'd forgotten he was wearing. He reached up with the hand holding the paper bag and tapped a finger against one of the buds.
"Hello, Mother," he answered flatly, not in the mood for her antics right now. He had to get Aisla her coffee before it got cold, and he knew that if his mother was calling him rather than sending a quick text, she would definitely be delivering some sort of bad news.
"Now now, I know what you're going to say!" she snapped before he had a chance to tell her to go to hell. "Your grandfather isn't in town every day, Katsuki, so I think you can probably spare a few hours of your time. Oh, and he wants you to bring along your girlfriend. The one you purposely forgot to mention to your father and me?"
Katsuki held back a biting retort, knowing she was right in this instant. He had neglected to tell his parents about Aisla, but not because he was ashamed of her, he just didn't want them interfering in his life any more than his great-grandfather already had. He wanted to keep this girl around as long as possible, and he was kind of afraid that meeting his crazy family would only push her away again.
"I don't know…" he answered slowly. "I don't want her around that man."
"That man is your grandfather, Katsuki," his mother chided, then let out a heavy sigh. "I understand why you felt the need to hide your relationship from us, son. I know we haven't always been there for you or made you feel like you could trust us with something this important." She paused for a moment. "I know I'm most likely the problem. I understand that it's difficult for you to talk to me, but you can always come to your parents, son. You're a huge pain in the ass sometimes, but you're a good boy and I know you'll always make the right choices. I can tell this girl is important to you, so I'd really like to meet her."
Katsuki chewed his lip in thought, wondering what was the right decision to make. He could refuse to bring her or claim that she was sick or busy or not allowed, but his mother seemed adamant about meeting Aisla. He didn't want her to be upset when there was no reason not to bring Aisla with him, so he grudgingly agreed to ask if she would be willing to come along. If she didn't want to, then Katsuki wasn't going to pressure her into it. He also said that he wouldn't go either, but his mother told him he didn't have a choice and he'd better just suck it up and come visit.
When he finally ended the call, he honestly didn't feel as anxious about talking to Aisla as he thought he would. This meeting would happen eventually if they stayed together, so they might as well get it over with now. His family, with the exception of his great-grandfather, was mostly bearable anyway, so he didn't think they'd do anything to scare her off. Katsuki was pretty much a carbon copy of his mother, both looks and personality-wise, and Aisla liked him for whatever reason, which he thought to be a promising sign.
By the time he reached her door he was pretty sure the coffee was already cold, but there was nothing to be done about it now. If it was too cold for her, he could offer to heat it up in the microwave downstairs.
He rapped on the door softly, just in case she was still asleep, then waited to see if she'd answer. If she didn't, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with the coffee and muffins he'd brought for her. He'd just lifted his hand to offer one more muted knock, when the door finally opened and Aisla's crystal blue eyes landed on him.
"Katsuki!" she greeted cheerily. Then, her gaze shifted down and her eyes brightened further. "Ooh, you brought me coffee?" He nodded and passed her a cup. "You're the best boyfriend ever!" She pulled the door open wide for him. He stepped past her and set the bag down on her desk before turning to face her.
"Were you still asleep?" he asked, worried he might have woken her based on the cotton pajamas she was still wearing.
She tugged on the hem of the shirt as if suddenly self-conscious. "No… I was just laying down. I didn't want to get out of bed."
"I could leave if you want to—"
"No, no!" she cut him off mid-sentence. "I don't want you to leave. I was just being lazy, but now that I have both coffee and my sexy boyfriend, I'm feeling a lot more motivated to start the day!" She turned a megawatt smile his way, forcing the edges of his own lips to curve upward in response.
"There's also muffins," he said, gesturing at the bag.
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I have to go to that place someday! They have the best coffee and pastries." She moved to the desk next to him and peeled open the bag.
"They want to meet you."
She paused with a blueberry muffin halfway to her mouth, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Me? Really?"
He nodded as he pulled her into his arms and placed a kiss against her hair. "It's a long story," he said evasively, then sighed when he remembered his phone call. "Actually, there's someone else who wants to meet you even more."
She tilted her head to one side and looked up at him curiously. "Who?"
"My mom called me," he explained. "My grandfather's in town again—the one with the really ugly cat?—and said he wants us to join them for dinner tomorrow night."
"Us?" she repeated. "As in…you and me?"
He nodded. "My mom and dad really want to meet you, I guess, and she swears my grandfather will be on his best behavior. That doesn't mean much, honestly, and he'll probably still be an asshole like he always is, and dinner with my family usually sucks, so I understand if you don't want to come, but—"
She cut him off with a kiss. "Katsuki, of course I'll go with you. I love you. Your family is important to you, so of course I want to meet them. Besides, your grandfather wasn't that bad the last time I saw him." She offered a small shrug.
He squeezed her tighter. "Aisla, you're too good to me."
She giggled and rested her head against his chest while still balancing a muffin in her palm. "I don't do anything special. You're the one who brought me coffee and muffins just to be sweet." She pulled back suddenly and pushed out of his arms. "Which reminds me…my coffee is getting cold!" She sat down the muffin in favor of her coffee, then took a tentative sip, grimacing when the liquid rolled down her throat. "It's cold," she confirmed.
"I'll go heat it up for you downstairs while you get dressed," he offered.
"Okay!" she agreed before passing over the cup. "But don't be too long or I'll eat all the muffins without you!"
"I'll just buy some more," he said as he took the cup and started for the door. "Have as many as you want."
Katsuki took both cups downstairs to the kitchen and popped his in the microwave first. He didn't like it as hot as Aisla did, but he also preferred the beverage when it wasn't cold. Cold black coffee always made him think of battery acid.
When both cups were piping hot once more, he took them back upstairs (though this time he used the elevator for once) and pushed into the room without knocking since Aisla was already expecting him.
"Seriously?" he deadpanned as he kicked the door shut. "Where did you even get that?"
Aisla spun around from whatever she'd been doing on her phone, a blush coloring her cheeks. She wore dark red shorts and his t-shirt, the black one with the gray stripe he'd been missing for months. Now, he could see why it was no longer in his drawers. Clearly someone had been holding it hostage. The thought made heat touch his cheeks when he realized that Aisla had kept this article of his clothing even after they'd been separated. He wondered if she slept in it sometimes and thought about him.
"It's mine now," she whispered, hugging herself as if to prevent him from taking it right off her body. He sort of wanted to do just that, but not because he wanted the shirt back. Seeing Aisla dressed up in his clothes was cute, but it was also sexy and made him want to strip her out of it so he could see what she wore underneath. He secretly hoped the answer was nothing at all, and tried to visualize this right now as his gaze brazenly devoured her body.
"S-stop looking at me like that," Aisla whined, slender legs rubbing together and making it even harder to ignore the desire to push her onto the bed and make her moan his name. Images of the other night when she sought him out downstairs flooded his brain. As if imagining the same scene, Aisla's lip suddenly slipped between her teeth and a soft sigh passed between them.
God, don't bite that lip, Aisla, he inwardly begged, I won't be able to control myself for much longer.
He cleared his throat and held out the paper to-go cup he'd already forgotten he was holding. Honestly, it was a miracle he hadn't dropped it the moment his eyes skirted over the space between her legs. "Here, it should be hot enough for you."
"It is," she agreed without taking the proffered beverage, tone low and sultry.
His eyes darkened at the knowing glint in her eyes. "Aisla," he warned, though he was already setting the cups down and moving forward.
"Katsuki," she breathed before his lips claimed hers and pulled a moan from her throat. His hands fell to her back and rear, bringing her even closer as he deepened the kiss. Aisla's hands moved up over his shirt and around his neck. Her fingers twisted in his hair with one hand while the other tenderly caressed his face. "I love you," she sighed into his mouth.
Don't deny her…
"I love you, Aisla," he told her fiercely as he brushed his lips against hers, then dragged them across her jaw and down to her neck. She hummed softly as he kissed the skin there. "So pretty…" he murmured, repeating the action as his fingers dug into her back. They stayed like this for an eternity, wrapped in one another's embrace, until Katsuki finally managed to pull himself free from her enticing hold.
"Coffee?" she guessed, though her eyes told him she no longer cared about her favorite morning treat. If he wanted, she would let him make love to her again, right under the bright glow of the morning sun pouring in from the open blinds. A part of him wanted nothing more than to see her gorgeous body bathed in sunlight as he brought her to completion, but the other part wasn't ready to be seen in the harsh light of day. He also knew that it was a Saturday morning, and the more time that passed, the more people who would wake up and try to bother them. It wasn't likely they'd be undisturbed if they tried to do something like that right now.
Katsuki gave her another lingering kiss on the lips, then stepped back and offered her a smile. He retrieved the two beverages and handed one over to her, which she took with eager hands before taking a tentative sip. She gave him a thumbs-up.
"Good news, it's still hot."
He chuckled and took a gulp of his own coffee before walking over to the forgotten bag of muffins. He pulled one out for himself before pushing the one Aisla had already chosen across the desk. "Eat your breakfast. I want to spend the day with you."
Her eyes lit up once more. "Really? What are we going to do?"
"Whatever you want, Aisla."
She turned thoughtful as she took small bites of her food. "Hmm… It is Saturday, so maybe…I know!" She snapped her fingers. "We can train in the clearing, and then… we can watch a movie together!"
He arched an eyebrow. "That's all you want to do today? Are you sure?"
"Well…" She twisted a strand of hair in her free hand. "Truthfully, all I want is to be close to you, Katsuki. It was so nice when we laid together in your hotel room and watched that movie, and…" She gave him a sheepish smile, "I want to spend the night with you again. That's all I want."
Katsuki's cheeks burned. They hadn't slept in the same bed since coming back to UA, for obvious reasons. He couldn't say what Aisla's thoughts were for not bringing it up until now, but Katsuki was afraid that if they tried sleeping together they'd end up…well, sleeping together, and they couldn't get into the habit of doing that while they were still in school. A repeat of the other night was sure to get them caught and probably expelled for inappropriate behavior.
"Please, Katsuki?" she implored, voice soft and barely audible.
At last, he gave a resolute nod. He was just going to have to be good and remember that they were going to sleep and do nothing else. They'd spent countless nights sleeping chastely, they could do it again.
"Thank you," she said sweetly, giving him a cute grin over the rim of her coffee cup.
"Just don't make me watch a chick flick," he begged as he stuffed half a muffin into his mouth and chewed.
"Hey, I'm not that cruel!" she protested. "Actually, I was thinking of something with a little more action/adventure."
"Right up my alley," he agreed with a grin, already scrolling through his mental list of movies. "After dinner, then?"
She nodded eagerly. "It's a date."
A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a great year so far! Just wanted to say that while this is my main story right now, I do have others in the works that you guys might be interested in! Show of hands: how many of us is interested in MHA vampire AU featuring Shouta Aizawa? Hmm? Anyone? Can't just me be... I have a super epic, super sexy vampire AU that I've been working on for a few months now. I'm waiting until I finish the story or get more of a backlog of chapters before posting that, but I hope you guys will check it out!
MOREOVER, a reminder that I am also on other platforms. I cross post on here, AO3, and Wattpad each week, but I also have a Twitter with EXCLUSIVE content if you're looking for more from me. Most things posted to Twitter will be NSFW, so if you're interested in the darker side of Stele, definitely check out my Twitter. Link to my Twitter is on my profile page!
Thank you all so much for your support, and I'll see you next week!
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kibaschick: Oh it's so good to hear from you again! I certainly missed seeing your name in the comments, but no worries on not saying anything for a bit! Thank you for coming back and for continuing to support this story!