The Tinker

Chapter 98 - Helping Out

Y/N was finally getting her revenge for all of Bakugou's grueling workout sessions.

"I told you this would happen. You wanted to come to the States anyway. Quit your whining."

"I still can't get this shit off my hands. How the hell do I get it off?"

After Y/N had showered (a cold shower that made her consider wringing her boyfriend's neck), she'd roped Katsuki into her errands, most of them being helping her neighbors with odd repairs. It had been a full day of traveling around the few blocks of city answering the dozens of calls to her phone. Once she'd arrived in New York again, those who knew her were begging for her assistance; Y/N and Bakugou had tuned up cars, fixed heaters, even repaired garbage disposals.

With no pay, too.

Y/N tossed him an oil rag. "That'll get most of it off." She turned back to the little red car she was working on, crouching down near the gas tank for one final inspection. "It was just a loose fuel cap, Miss Yung. That should fix your problem. If not, I'll be in town for a few more days."

"Thank you, dear! I'm so glad you're back in town," The little old lady on the porch praised. "What a handsome young man. Is he your husband?"

It was the third time she'd asked that. Bakugou rolled his eyes and squeezed them shut, trying not to lose his shit as he leaned against the car. At least it wasn't raining.

"Nah, he's just my caddy boy! He is pretty cute though, isn't he?"

Bakugou shot Y/N a glare, but she ignored him and handed over her tools for him to slip back into the utility belt around his waist.

Y/N really was using him as a caddy boy. For the past several hours, he'd hauled around her tools and handed her what she needed as she bossed him around. It was slow work, and Katsuki hated slow work. This was so much worse than an awkward dinner, especially with the fucking grease that he fucking couldn't wipe off.

Miss Yung sighed. "So handsome. When are you going to settle down, Y/N? You'd make such a cute little housewife."

Bakugou barked out a laugh at the comment. "Ha! You would make a cute little housewife. Whaddya say, Y/N?" His grin made Y/N roll her eyes.

"I think he's flirting with you," Miss Yung said. "How sweet!"

"Tell him to stop," Y/N muttered. She closed the latch on the car and stood up to wipe her hands off. "That should do it. Anything else you need?"

Please say no, Bakugou thought.

"Well, my house has been a bit chilly lately... I'm not sure if my heater is working."

"Have you turned it on?"

"How do I do that?"

Katsuki wanted to scream.

How many stops had they done now? A million? It felt like a million.

~~~

"Calm down, this is the last one," Y/N teased. She could tell he was antsy; his leg had been bouncing impatiently for the last hour.

"Why the hell are you doing this? They're not even paying you."

"They can't afford it, Kat. New York is expensive. How do you think I learned tinkering in the first place?"

He hadn't ever questioned it, honestly. "Thought you went to some classes for it or some shit. Don't you have to go to trade school?"

"Trade school costs money. You've seen my parents' place, you think they've got money?... Watch out, imma come down now."

Bakugou backed up from the ladder he was stabilizing to make room for Y/N to hop down. This last errand was just a tune up of Leo's water pipes ("It sounds like a rat in the walls!" He had told Y/N). "Maybe you should've charged then."