Eijiro Kirishima was glad to see a new neighbor moving in to the little farm house next to his own. But the man who owns the house, Katsuki Bakugo, is not very nice nor very neighborly. But Eijiro won't back down, and he will find a way to make Bakugo smile and become friends (maybe even more than friends). Along with his dog, Deku, and with the help of his other farm animal friends, Eijiro might just find a partner by the end of autumn.

Bakugo came out of a bad breakup in the city and found a cheap house in the country, where he could get away from everything and live quietly with his dog, Shoto. But country life doesn't really suit him, and his neighbor is overly friendly and annoying with all those farm animals. He doesn't see the appeal of farming, but the redhead seems to love it. And there was something unique and different about the farmer that Bakugo is strangely attracted to. But him a farmer? No, that would never happen...at least, he doesn't think it will.

A cute and light-hearted story with the feel of the old tale, "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" with a happy ending.

Chapter 1

Eijiro Kirishima took a deep breath of the fresh autumn air, then let it out with a contented sigh. He loved this time of year, all the colors and scents of the season. He sipped his coffee as he looked out at his little farm. His dog, Deku, was trotting around the open field, chasing bugs and other little critters. He would have to start his chores soon, but right now he was enjoying his coffee and staring at the scenery.

The sound of a truck caught his attention, and he walked around the house to look towards the road. A small distance away, a moving truck came to a stop in front of the small house. Eijiro was pleased to know that someone was moving into the old house, as it's been abandoned for over a year. He had taken it upon himself to keep up with the house's yard work, mowing the lawns when it got too tall and pulling weeds. He's also getting a new neighbor, which is good because he's been alone in this area for a while. The last people who lived there were an elderly couple who had to go and live with their children, leaving the house empty.

Eijiro finished his coffee and went to start his chores. He would go over and meet the new neighbor when they had settled in. The first thing he did was feed the animals. He didn't have many; a few hens to lay eggs, a pair of geese, a cow, two goats, two sheep, and a horse. Away from the animals is a decent size crop field, where he grows seasonal crops. He didn't make his money off of the farm, it was more pocket money, and a fun little hobby. His real money (aside from inheriting the farm) comes from the gym branches he owns in town and in the city, two in total.

He milked the cow and goat and collected the eggs. After that, he called Deku inside to have breakfast. The furry green dog ran excitedly into the house and sat by his food bowl.

"Hey, after we both eat, why don't we go over and meet the new neighbor?"

Deku responded with a bark, which Eijiro took as the dog agreed with him.

Before leaving to meet the neighbor, or neighbors, Eijiro fished around his kitchen to see if he had anything he could bring as a welcome gift. Regrettably, he had nothing of food to bring. However, he did have extra bottles of wine and some beer. Wine was more classy, he thought, to bring to new neighbors. He picked the nicest bottle he had, then turned to Deku.

"You ready to go and say 'hi'?"

Deku barked and followed after his master.

They crossed the field separating their property to the other house. The movers were still carrying boxes and furniture inside. Eijiro asked one of the movers where the owner was, and they pointed inside. Eijiro waited until there was a break in the movers to peek his head inside the house.

"Hello?" He called. "I'm your neighbor!"

A grumpy-looking blonde man with wild spiky hair and red eyes came out from one of the rooms. He was dressed in jeans, a white shirt, and a black waistcoat. Eijiro thought he was handsome, but kept that little tidbit to himself.

"Hey there! I'm Eijiro Kirishima, your neighbor," Eijiro let himself inside and held out his hand for Bakugo to shake. The Grumpy Man took his hand, but the handshake was quick, and barely a shake.

"Katsuki Bakugo," the man said. "But call me Bakugo."

"Okay, nice to meet you! Oh, and here, this is for you," Eijiro hands him the bottle of wine. "It's a little something, a welcoming gift."

"Thanks,"

Eijiro noticed the man didn't talk much, but maybe he was just shy of meeting new people. After all, the man was likely in a new town, having moved from somewhere else, and it can be scary meeting new people in a new town.

"Well, I just stopped by to say 'hi'," he said.

"Is that your dog?" Bakugo asked.

"Oh! Yes, this is Deku," Eijiro ruffled the dog's fur. "Do you have any pets?"

Bakugo appeared annoyed, but then called out, "Shoto!"

A prime and poised and well-groomed dog came from one of the rooms and sat next to his master. The dog was all white with reddish-brown spots, two different colored eyes, and a furless scar on its right side.

"Hey boy!" Eijiro said cheerfully. He loved animals, especially dogs.

The dog named Shoto just sat there, wearing almost the same expression as his owner.

Deku got up and sniffed at Shoto, who started to growl low in warning. Deku kept his tail wagging, though, seemingly unphased by the growls.

"Deku, come here, boy," Eijiro called him back. "Well, if you need anything, don't be afraid to stop by my place. I'm just across the field,"

"What would I need you for?" Bakugo asked.

Eijiro was slightly taken aback by the man's sudden attitude. But judging by the man's posture and frowning face, he must be like this often. Even his dog appeared annoyed by their presence.

"For…well…whatever you might need. We can be neighborly, you know. And I have to say, it's nice to see this place have someone else finally in it. So, have a good day! I hope to see you around more."

"Whatever. I got a lot of work to do, and you're in the way,"

Eijiro stepped aside as the movers started carrying in pieces of a bed.

"Yeah, I guess I'll go. Nice meeting you. Oh! Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?" He offered.

"I have too much to do here," Bakugo said, but then thought differently about it. "I'll see how I feel later. I have a lot of work to do, as you can plainly see,"

"Yeah, moving in is a lot of work. Call me over if you need anything, and I hope you'll take me up on my invitation for dinner! So, see ya around Bakugo. Again, nice meeting you!"

They left the house, and when Eijiro and Deku were far enough away, Eijiro said, "Wow. He's a grumpy one, huh?"

Deku yipped in agreement.

Back at the farm, Deku went into the barn where his friends were. Ochaco the barn cat was perched at the stable stall of Iida, the horse.

'Hey you guys! I just met our new neighbors! There's another dog there named Shoto!'

'I hope I can still hunt over there,' Said Ochaco. 'I don't want to stick to the barn.'

'Is there a horse?' Iida asked, stomping his front hoof.

'No, just a dog. At least, that's all I could see and sense. The human is a little grumpy, though. So is the dog. They're not farmers.'

Another voice joined them. 'What's this about a new dog?' It was Tokoyami, the raven who lived around the farm and drove away birds to pray. Eijiro would throw out dried corn kernels for him to eat as payment.

'Our new neighbor,' Deku repeated. 'There's one human and one dog,'

'Is this dog safe?' Ochako asked.

'Yes, you said it was grumpy,' Added Iida.

'I don't think we have anything to worry about,' Deku told them. 'Shoto doesn't seem like the type of dog who would do…regular dog things.'

'I'll be sure to keep an eye on the neighbors,' Tokoyami said. 'Just in case.'

'Be quiet now. The master is coming,' Said Iida.

Eijiro whistled as he walked into the stable and saw the three animals. He scratched Ochaco under her chin, listening to her purr. She was a soft, round, brown barn cat with a white spot on her chest and pink nose. Eijiro had gotten a call from an acquaintance in town saying that they found a stray cat in their yard, and if he could take it for them. Eijiro did so, making her a barn cat to control the rodents. Iida was also a rescue from his previous owner, a policeman, who used him as crowd control, but then left the force. Eijiro stroked the horse's nose, rubbing the bluish gray short fur. He was thrilled to have Iida as his horse. And the unofficial pet he had, the raven Tokoyami, perched on Iida's stall. Eijiro stroked the raven's chest, loving the feel of the silky feathers. And finally, there was Deku, who was also a rescue. Eijiro was at one of the shelters looking for a dog to keep on the farm after he inherited it. He was drawn to Deku's soulful green eyes looking so sad and miserable in that little stall. Eijiro would have taken all the dogs if he could.

"Let's go for a ride," Eijiro said to Iida and got the horse saddled and ready. "Come on, Deku!"

Eijiro rode Iida out of the stable and Deku followed after, running alongside them. Eijiro took in the fresh autumn air and shivered a little at the chilly breeze. He loved riding Iida around the property, and the horse got his much needed exercise. Eijiro wondered if he would still be allowed to ride in the field behind Bakugo's house, like he did before anyone moved in there. He had a feeling Bakugo would say no. The man was lucky he was a hottie, because if he wasn't, Eijiro wouldn't be able to overlook the attitude. But Katsuki might just be one of those people who took a while to warm up to someone new. He hoped to get to know Bakugo better.

Bakugo watched the red-haired man riding a horse from the kitchen window. Bakugo grumbled under his breath, remembering the man's overly friendly introduction. He had a few more minutes before he had to get ready for work, so he sat on the couch to finish his coffee and stare at the piles of boxes. He still had a lot of unpacking to do.

He looked down at the last bit of coffee in his mug and gave a little sigh. He had come to this part of the county to get away from the hustle and bustle of heavy city life. He had gotten out of a bad breakup, and was glad to finally be away from the asshole. Bakugo didn't want to be found after they broke up, or rather, the bastard broke them up. They were both insurance adjusters and had worked together in the same building on the same floor, and Bakugo couldn't stand to be there now, so he was allowed to work remotely.

He was hoping to spend some time alone, but now he has the happy-go-lucky nosey neighbor Eijiro Kirishima. The man smiled too much, and it reminded him of his ex. Of course, he wouldn't think that Eijiro Kirishima was like his ex because he hasn't gotten to know him. But he's been weary of smiles ever since the breakup. He felt pressure on his knee and saw that Shoto had come to rest his head. Bakugo stroked the dog's head.

"At least you're calm and quiet." His dog always knew whenever he was feeling down and came to comfort him. Shoto, like himself, preferred to be alone. They were good companions.

Bakugo set up his office in one of the spare rooms and started to boot up his laptop. Shoto often laid at his feet under the desk while he worked. All day, he was thinking about Eijiro Kirishima's friendly offer of having dinner. The constant back and forth thinking about it made it hard to concentrate on work. By the end of the workday, he decided to take Eijiro up on the offer and go over for dinner, and he would bring Shoto.

Eventually, his doorbell rang, and Shoto trotted over to the door. Bakugo figured it was Eijiro and opened the door. Sure enough, there stood the smiling, friendly red-head.

"Hey there! Have you given any thought to coming over for dinner?"

Bakugo grumbled, then said. "Yeah, sure. I'll come."

"Awesome! I'll start making dinner, and you can pop over in about an hour, is that okay? Oh, and do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"No, I'll eat anything," Bakugo said.

"Okay! See you in an hour. Just come right in. I'll have the door unlocked."

Bakugo went back inside and unpacked a few boxes, waiting for the hour to pass. When it did, he changed his clothes into something comfortable, and got Shoto's leash. Shoto, a dog of routine, was not sure why he was being leashed at this time of the evening. Their nighttime walk was usually later than this.

"Come on, we're going next door."

Bakugo and Shoto left the house and went to Eijiro's, letting themselves inside. Bakugo called out 'hello' and Eijiro replied.

"Hey Bakugo! Come on in!"

Bakugo does so, keeping Shoto on the leash. They stood in the main entrance hall, and Deku came trotting up to them. Deku, the fluffy green dog, wagged his tail and panted, showing his excitement. Bakugo heard Shoto give a little hmph of annoyance.

"Dinner's almost ready," Kirishima said, poking his head around from the kitchen. "And you can let him off his leash. Deku's an easy going dog."

Bakugo unhooked the leash and reminded Shoto to 'be nice.' Shoto hmphed again and remained where he was, staring at Deku. Bakugo looked around and found the dining room, where the table was already set.

"Can I get you a beer?" Kirishima called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'll take one,"

Eijiro came over, dressed in an apron that said 'Kiss the Cook' and handed him the bottle of beer. Bakugo thought the apron was somehow perfect for the red-headed farmer, even though it was the most generic apron one could find. It seemed to fit. Bakugo sipped the beer and glanced around at the dining room. Most of the decor looked to have been there for a while. It had a heavy country look to it, and Bakugo assumed it came this way. Unless Eijiro really liked stars, roosters and distressed furniture. Bakugo had to admit, the whole feel of the farmhouse was cozy, and definitely nothing like the city.

"Okay, have a seat! Dinner is served!"

Bakugo sat down as a pasta bowl full of spaghetti was placed in the center of the table. That's what they were having for dinner? Spaghetti and meatballs? Oddly enough, Bakugo wasn't too surprised. After all, the redhead was wearing a red and black flannel shirt. He's landed in the country bumpkin part of the area.

"Go ahead, take all you like," Eijiro said.

Bakugo did so, scooping some spaghetti onto his plate. Eijiro took some next.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Deku was getting to know Shoto.

'What types of games do you like to play? I like to play fetch and tug-of-war!'

'I don't play games,' Shoto replied. 'That's for dogs like you. Not dogs like me,'

Deku let out a little whimper. He was trying so hard to be friends with the other dog.

'Um, okay. We can just talk. Where did you come from? I came from a shelter.'

'I came from a rich family, and I used to be a show dog until my…accident.'

'You mean that scar? What happened to you?'

'That's none of your business,' Shoto looked away from him. 'If you'll excuse me, I want to sit by my master,'

Deku watched Shoto leave for the dining room and followed him. There was a good boy in there somewhere, and he was going to find it!

Eijiro was a little nervous sharing dinner with Bakugo. The man had changed into a black turtleneck sweater with tight blue jeans and he looked even more handsome than before. Bakugo had a fine physique with toned muscles, and the black sweater complimented them all perfectly. If only Bakugo would smile more, then he would be especially handsome. But he was thinking too far into this. Just because he was gay doesn't mean Bakugo is, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself. They did just meet, after all.

"So, why did you come to the country?" Eijiro asked.

"To get away from the city," Bakugo flatly answered.

"I came from the city, too. This farm belonged to my uncle but he regrettably passed away, and this farm was passed to me."

Bakugo ate some spaghetti, then said, "So, you're not a farmer by trade?"

"Nope! But I came to visit the farm often growing up, so I learned a lot." Eijiro puffed out his chest. "I have a nice little side business going with the farm. Oh, if you ever want fresh, free range eggs, don't hesitate to ask! I have my dog, Deku, as you already saw. I have chickens, a horse, sheep, goats, a cow, some geese, and a barn cat. I even have a small crop field."

Bakugo was only half listening to the redhead blabber. He obviously liked animals. Bakugo couldn't stand the idea of living on a farm. It was busy, it smelled, and it was a lot of work. But Eijiro clearly enjoyed it, and he was well built from all the work.

"So, what do you do, Bakugo?"

"I'm an insurance adjuster," He replied.

"That's a good field to be in," Eijiro said. "Do you like it?"

"It's a paycheck," Bakugo said. "Do you make all your money from the farm?"

Eijiro chuckled. "No, that's not where my money comes from. It's a nice side business where I make pocket money. I actually own two gyms in the city."

Bakugo was surprised by that and asked, "Is it called 'Red Riot Gym'?"

"Yeah! That's the one. I have two branches."

"I belonged to that gym back when I was living in the city. I had to cancel my membership."

"Oh wow, that's so cool! It's like we already know each other. In the winter, I teach some classes, since there's not much to do on the farm. Maybe you took one of my classes?"

Bakugo shook his head. "No. I never took any of the classes."

"Oh, well, you should try one! I have great instructors. And I can give you back your membership at a discounted price?"

"I have a home gym that I use now," Bakugo said, not because he wanted to, but because his ex still goes to that gym. He didn't want to be anywhere near the asshole.

"So, it's just you at the house?" Eijiro asked.

"Just me and Shoto."

"Nice! I live here all alone, as you can see. It gets a little lonely sometimes, especially in the winter. But I have Deku and the animals to keep me company. My other friends live in the city, so I don't get to see them often. All of us are always so busy, we can barely find time to hang out."

"I prefer to be alone," Bakugo said, taking another swig of his beer.

"But you have Shoto," Eijiro pointed out.

"He's calm and quiet," Bakugo said. "We work well together."

"How did you come to find Shoto?" Eijiro asked.

"I found him in a shelter. He used to be a show dog for some fancy dog show category, but he got into an accident, which is why he has that big scar on his face, and couldn't do the shows anymore. No one knows how he got the scar. The shelter just got an anonymous call that a wounded dog was walking around without tags. They figured he was driven to the area and just let go to wander on his own."

Eijiro shook his head. "That's so cruel. His previous owners couldn't even surrender him to a shelter! They just pushed him out on his own to live on the streets! Those people should be found and charged with animal cruelty."

"I agree," Bakugo said. "Dinner was…good. I'll be heading out now."

"Oh, you don't want to stay a little longer?"

"Not really. I like my alone time. Thanks for the food."

Eijiro chuckled and said, "I guess you got your social obligations out of the way for today. I'll see you out."

'I hope we can be friends, Shoto,' Deku said to Shoto before they left.

'Don't count on it,' Shoto replied, following his master out the door.

Eijiro and Deku shared a look.

"Well, they're a talkative pair, huh."

Deku barked in agreement. Eijiro ruffled the fur on Deku's head. "I guess I'll clean up then watch some tv."

TBC