bunny love [k. bakugo x oc]

46. In-Laws

"We're almost there," Katsuki muttered, his jaw tense as they continued down the street, walking beside the tree-lined stone walls. "My house is down this block."

"Katsuki, I think you need to chill out a bit," Kuri chuckled, gently patting his shoulder blade. The gift bag in her hand bumped against his back, the container for the roll cake inside poking him unpleasantly.

Katsuki made a sound of discomfort, prompting Kuri to apologize and switch the bag to her other hand.

"What do you mean?" Katsuki asked. "Am I not chill?"

Kuri shot him a disbelieving look and rolled her eyes.

"For the entire trip here, you've been acting like it'll spark the apocalypse if I meet your parents," Kuri said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"That's not it," Katsuki mumbled, embarrassed that his stress was obvious. "It's just weird because I've never done this before, and I have a feeling my mom's gonna do something weird."

"Like what?"

Katsuki glanced away, noting the entrance to his house was only a couple meters from them.

"Trick you into modeling some new design they're working on?" Katsuki shrugged. "They're in fashion, remember?"

"Of course, I remember! Why did you think I tried to dress cute today?" Kuri did a little spin to show off her lavender sundress and cream-colored cardigan.

Katsuki smiled at his adorable girlfriend, then guided her by the hand to round the corner to the path to his front door. He gazed up at his house in all its glory. The afternoon light bathed the sand-colored bricks in a warm, welcoming glow and Kuri said his house looked pretty.

Maybe dinner wouldn't be so bad after all. Kuri was easygoing and likable, so she'd navigate any situation with grace and charisma. It was just Katsuki who needed to get his shit together and be indifferent to his parents' teasing.

Katsuki took a deep breath as they stepped up to the door, and he went to ring the doorbell. Before he clicked the button, Katsuki's hand hesitated. He peeked at Kuri, who glanced back at him.

"You ready?" Kuri asked, smiling like her answer to that question was yes. She rocked their still clasped hands back and forth.

"No," Katsuki admitted, squeezing her hand. "But I want to be."

He rang the doorbell, hearing it echo inside his house from beyond the locked door. Not a moment passed before he heard a muffled but unmistakably excited shout from inside.

"They're here!"

Katsuki and Kuri eyed each other as the pitter-patter of footsteps approached the door, and it opened with a flourish, revealing his parents one step away. Katsuki's throat tightened. It had been a while since he'd seen them.

"Hi, Katsuki, Kuri, welcome!" his dad beamed, gesturing for them to come in. Katsuki's mom stood next to the doorframe, sporting as big a grin as his dad's.

Kuri nodded politely and stepped into the house, slipping her shoes off almost immediately. Katsuki hesitantly followed, suddenly feeling like a stranger in his own home due to his time away and Kuri's presence. Nothing felt normal, especially not his parents' cheery smiles.

Katsuki quickly slipped off his shoes and looked at his parents as he rattled off an obligatory introduction.

"This is Kuri Nakano," he said, almost robotically gesturing to his girlfriend before turning to address her. "Kuri, this is Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugo, my mom and dad."