Cats and Coffee

Chapter 5: Coffee the Cat

A/N: What's this?! I'm back? In BNHA??? Kinda, yeah. I haven't written much for anything lately due to a heavy depressive episode, but I've made a few changes to my life and things are looking better again! :) I've had a good number of requests for this story, and it was much less intimidating to return to than Viridian (which will still be updated, don't panic! I actually just finished making a timeline for that story, so rest assured it isn't dead!!)

Anyways, big thanks and shoutout to Phoenix for inspiring me to write this chapter! This update is for you!!

Feel free to join my Discord page to chat with me, hear me occasionally ramble about stories and plots, and participate in the random surveys I sometimes take that may or may not impact a story's outcome. ;) Sorry that there isn't much that happens in this chapter, but it is about 4k words long so I hope you enjoy!

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Izuku wasn't sure what it was, but this cat was special. Maybe it was his own loneliness, or perhaps that gleam of intelligence in the cat's black eyes, but he felt oddly protective of the feline.

He knew he'd catch hell from Kacchan for skipping the last bit of school, but that was a problem for tomorrow's Izuku to handle. Today, he was going to make sure the cat was okay. He was so skinny. Izuku could feel all his bones. But he couldn't assess the cat's injuries until he was clean, so the first thing he did was fill up the sink with lukewarm water.

The cat eyed him with distrust as he glared at the water, ears flat against his skull. "Don't scratch me, please?" He begged, hoping the cat would understand him. His tail drooped but he allowed Izuku to set him in the water with no complaint. He gave a sigh of relief. "You really are a smart cat, aren't you?"

The cat seemed to roll his eyes. Izuku hummed lightly to himself as he worked some baby soap into the cat's fur. Why he had baby soap in the house, he had no idea, but he figured it'd be less irritating to the cat's cuts than normal shampoo.

He had to drain the sink three times before the water finally ran clear. The cat shivered a bit before he very gently towel dried him. It was the first time Izuku got a good look at the now clean feline. His fur was medium length and black as tar with a splash of cream wrapping around his neck like a scarf.

"Do you have a name?" He asked idly as he turned on a small space heater to help keep the cat warm. The feline gave a meow that sounded distinctly sarcastic. How that was possible, Izuku wasn't entirely sure.

"Well, maybe a nickname then?" He suggested as he turned on the coffee pot. He was starting to feel drowsy, but he still had a ton of homework to do. He'd catch enough hell for skipping classes. He didn't need to give his teachers any added ammunition. "After all, I can't just keep calling you kitty."

The cat huffed, but ultimately seemed agreeable. He seemed awfully interested in the coffee that Izuku was pouring into his mug, so he grabbed a bowl and filled it with tap water. Maybe the cat was thirsty too.

"You don't seem too hurt, but I don't have a way to check internal injuries. That kick might've broken something, so try to take it easy. I'm not an expert on cats, but I don't like the look of those cuts. I've got some antibiotics for that. Lemme just go grab it." Izuku wasn't sure why he was talking to a cat like a person, but it somehow felt wrong to treat him any other way.

He dipped into his bedroom and fished out an old soft blanket from his closet as well as a box that'd been holding some clothes for donation. He carefully made a little nest with the blanket in the box so the cat would have somewhere soft to rest.