Tumbling Into Fascination

Chapter 1

"Shit, shit, shit, I am so dead," a golden-haired teen said to himself as he rushed down the sidewalk, late for work. This was his third time being late for work that week and he could tell his boss was losing her patience with him. He was worried, so much so that he spaced out and ran into a group of teenagers causing himself, and another boy, to fall down.

"Oi, watch where you're going," the boy shouted as he stood up and reached a hand out, offering it to him so he could stand up. The teen quickly grabbed said hand and rushed off before he could look at the person who helped him, still being incredibly worried about being late.

"Well that was rude," Mina Ashido said. "He didn't say sorry or even thank you!"

"He might've been late for something," Eijiro Kirishima suggested. "He was kind of mumbling to himself."

"Plus, Bakugo didn't exactly talk to him in the nicest way," Hanta Sero butted in.

"Tch," Katsuki Bakugo scoffed as he looked at the ground, noticing a book laying there. He picked it up and realized the boy that had run into him probably dropped it, quickly turning around and watching the yellow-haired teen walk into a building. Bakugo turned, hoping he could return the book to the boy, however, he was grabbed and rushed off by Mina and Kirishima. "Wait-"

"Come on Blasty, let's go eat!" Mina shouted excitedly, pulling him along before he could protest.

"But guys, I need-"

"Shut it Bakugo, there's no getting out of this now!"

Deciding to just return later and see if the boy was still there, Bakugo tucked the book inside of his backpack and let himself be dragged off. He was annoyed with the whole situation, but for some reason, he wasn't angry like he usually would've been. Sure the boy ran into him and knocked him down, but Bakugo himself wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings so it's partly his own fault. Bakugo scoffed again at that and decided to try and forget it for the time being, instead deciding to try and enjoy his time with his self-proclaimed group of idiotic friends.

Hours later, when Bakugo was finally left alone, he started heading to where he last saw the boy. It was cool outside, the autumn weather starting to roll in. The leaves were changing colors and there were fall decorations scattered here and there. Families were out, squirrels were running around, leaves were falling, and people were wearing sweaters and boots, Bakugo included. As he walked past shops he could smell pies being baked, candles being burned, and every so often hints of cinnamon and caramel; the scents of Fall.

Soon enough, Bakugo made it to his destination. He walked in and was immediately hit with the strong scent of coffee. "Hey, welcome to Lavender's!" He was greeted as a cat rubbed up against his leg. He bent down and scratched her behind her ears as she purred loudly. Standing back up, Bakugo took in his surroundings. It seemed to be a cozy cafe, there were a few cats laying around, some seating areas that had beanbags and sofas, and plants scattered about. He saw some friends chatting, a mom and a daughter, a few students studying; the usual for a cafe. As he looked around he spotted a familiar mop of hair, one that was yellow, working behind the counter.

Bakugo walked up to the counter, eyeing the pastries as he did so, and took out the book. "Oi, you bumped into me a few hours ago," he started.

"Oh, oh my God, I am so sorry!" The teen started rambling. "I can treat you to a coffee if you're upset! Here, what would you like-"

"Hey, I'm not mad at you," Bakugo said, amused. "I was just returning something to you," he explained as he placed the book on the counter.

"Oh, oh that's embarrassing," the other responded with a red tint to his face, quickly taking the book. "Thank you, and I really am sorry for running into you like that, I was late for work... again."

"It's fine I guess," Bakugo replied as he took in the other's features. He had golden hair with a black lightning bolt shape on the left side and bright golden eyes to match. There were light freckles splattered everywhere on his face, like stars in the night sky, and his face was sharp and narrow but his features were soft. He was also tall and lanky but had some muscle build from what Katsuki could tell. 'He must have a lot if he was able to knock me down,' Bakugo thought. He looked at the boy's apron, spotting the name "Denki Kaminari" on it.

"Uh, so... were you just here to give me back my book or would you like to order something? As I said, it's my treat," Kaminari reminded him.

"Sure, I'll have a black coffee... and a Shio Daifuku," Bakugo added, in the mood for a little dessert.

"Alright," the other said as he got his pastry out. "Here you go and your coffee will be ready in a few minutes. We're actually about to close but you can stay here while I'm cleaning if you want."

Bakugo nodded, walking towards a comfy-looking chair that was in the corner. As he sat down he noticed that he was the only one left inside, besides the mom and daughter duo who were getting ready to leave. The cat that had greeted him at the door jumped up onto his lap. Bakugo noticed she had a collar with the name "Mocha" on it, fitting for a cafe pet. She had a white coat with light brown patches all over as well as a really short tail. He wondered why it was so short as he pet her, taking a bite of his dessert every so often.

"She got in an accident a few years ago," Kaminari explained, handing Bakugo his coffee. "We usually let the cats wander wherever they want since they usually come back. One day someone ran inside talking about how he had run over a cat, and naturally, everyone started freaking out since our cafe is mostly known for its cats. In the end Mocha had gotten out of the way in time, the guy only ran over her tail. Well, apparently that's what happened, I wasn't working here when it happened."

"Hmm," Bakugo hummed as he took a sip of his coffee. "Are all the cats named after types of coffee?"

"Yep," Kaminari said before he brought a chalkboard sign back inside, locking the door behind him. He then grabbed a broom and started sweeping, softly humming as he did so.

Bakugo silently observed him as he drank his coffee and pet Mocha, who had fallen asleep on his lap. It was interesting watching him work. Kaminari was clumsy, he knew that for sure, but he also had a way of doing things that canceled that clumsiness out. Bakugo noticed he had dark circles under his eyes, they weren't that dark but still, if you looked hard enough you could see them. 'He probably didn't get enough sleep last night,' he thought. As he continued to drink his coffee and eat his pastry he realized just how good it was. He's usually very picky about where he eats, being a food critic and all, but this place was amazing, they got the Shio Daifuku just right.

As Kaminari finished sweeping, Bakugo got up and threw away his trash, placing his empty coffee cup on the front counter. "Bye,"

"Oh, bye!" Kaminari exclaimed though Bakugo could sense some disappointment in his voice. "It was great meeting you, uh... I'm sorry I never got your name,"

"It's Bakugo,"

"Well it was nice meeting you Bakugo, have a good day!" The freckled teen expressed as he unlocked the door for him.

As Bakugo stepped outside, back into the cool air, he had this strange feeling. He wanted to stay and talk to Kaminari, which was weird since he was not a social person whatsoever. He could barely handle the idiots he had as friends to begin with, how could he fit another one in? He sighed as he headed home, deciding to see how things would work out instead of stressing over it.