The Story Of Forever (Todobaku)

New Beginnings

~FRESHMAN YEAR~

Katsuki Bakugou scowled as he shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. While his Frosted Flakes tasted fine, he couldn't bask in its sugary goodness with a camera flashing in his face.

"Can't I eat in peace?"

Standing by the counter, his mother Mitsuki lowered her camera. She frowned as she dropped her shoulders. "Come on," she said. "Just one smile for your Mom?"

"No."

Mitsuki whined, but raised the camera again anyway. Katsuki bared his teeth as she snapped several shots, his irritation appearing more prevalent with each picture taken.

"I swear to God, Katsuki," she said, voice raised, "if you don't put that finger down right now I'll cut it off."

Katsuki dropped the obscene gesture, though not without emitting a grunt. The type of grunt that could only be mastered by an agitated fourteen year old boy.

He turned to the other person seated at the kitchen table. "Dad?"

Masaru Bakugou pushed up his glasses and buried himself in the classifieds section of the local newspaper. "I'm not getting involved."

Another grunt. Katsuki's cereal laid abandoned on the wooden table, only half eaten. Breakfast was officially ruined.

"Just one smile and I'll put the camera away," Mitsuki said.

Katsuki leaned back in his chair, the muscles in his neck hurting as he tilted his head back. "Why are you even making this a big deal?"

"Because I'm a mother. Sue me."

Just then, the doorbell rang. A miracle in the form of what was now Katsuki's favorite sound. He leaped from his chair, snagged his backpack tucked away in the corner, and sprinted for the door.

When he opened it, any frustration he had regarding his mother's antics had vanished and was replaced with a mixture of happiness and relief. A pair of dual colored eyes, one blue and one gray, met his gaze. The innocence that reflected in them was endearing to the point of being humorous. If Katsuki wasn't so desperate to leave, he'd laugh at how oblivious his best friend and neighbor was to the chaos he just interrupted.

Shouto Todoroki offered a sweet smile. "Hi."

Katsuki smiled back, much larger than the one on Shouto's face. "You're a lifesaver." He then addressed his parents, calling out to them over his shoulder. "I gotta go, see you guys later."

"Have a great day, honey," Masaru said.

"Wait, Katsuki," Mitsuki pleaded. "I still didn't get a good-"

Katsuki cut her off. "Sorry, can't hear you. Love you Mom, bye!"

He suppressed his laughter as he grabbed Shouto by the wrist and made a haste exit. The two of them rushed down the front steps of the Bakugou residence, slowing their pace only when they reached the bottom of their shared driveway.

Shouto was still smiling. "First day of school pictures?"

"Yes," Katsuki said. "AKA my own personal hell."

Shouto snickered. "Yeah, I went through the same thing this morning. I guess it's a mom thing."

Katsuki nodded, then darted his eyes toward Shouto's colonial style house. "You two are the only ones home, right?"

"Yeah, you're safe. For now at least."

"Good."

As they started their walk toward their new school, Shouto gripped the straps on his backpack. "You can't avoid him forever, Katsuki."