ALWAYS || Katsuki Bakugo

69- Encounter

Yoshiko sat alone in Bakugo's room, slapping on a cutesy pink ribbon to a ginormous box since she did not know how to wrap a gift if her life depended on it. Her eyes kept shifting to the door to make sure there were no signs of her boyfriend creeping outside. She set a shopping bag with a few other things on his desk. She turned to the bed where she kept a tray with eighteen cupcakes she had baked at her house earlier. She put it on the table, letting sparks dance in her palm, lighting the little candles on the cupcakes.

She wanted to have a little celebration with him before everyone else since she had her work-study with Keigo later in the day. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, closing it carefully to not make any noise. She entered her room, her eyes falling on Bakugo watching the movie without her on the laptop even though she told him to keep it paused. Blade in Ice had finally gotten a movie, and Yoshiko and Bakugo were instantly hooked, given they'd already read the trilogy.

"Bear played it, I swear," He quickly paused the movie again, crimson eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked up at her from the heap of blankets.

"Bear is asleep," Yoshiko said pointedly.

"Ugh, whatever, just hurry up and get your ass here," Bakugo groaned. Her eyes shifted down to the bottom right corner of the screen where the time was. One minute left.

"I heard someone in your room." Yoshiko said, "It sounded like someone rummaging through your stuff, but I didn't open the door."

Bakugo gave her a deadpan, keeping the laptop aside and kicking the covers off, "You shoulda checked who it was!" He threw her door open, marching straight into his room. He stopped in his tracks, eyebrows furrowed. He glanced at the orange light radiating from his desk to see a tray of beautifully decorated cupcakes with candles. His eyes widened when he realised what the date was.

He glanced back to see Yoshiko smiling at him, standing in the doorway of her room. She slowly shut her door and crept into his room, closing the door behind her, "Happy birthday, 'Suki."

He glanced at the shopping bag beside the tray and the obnoxiously big box on the floor. He put a hand behind his neck, feeling his face heat up. "Thanks," he mumbled. Yoshiko turned the lights on and took the tray, looking up at him with a warm grin, "Make a wish!"

He put his hands in his pockets, gaze softening as he looked into her magnetic eyes reflecting the dancing flames on the candle. Her freckles had moved upward with her excited smile, eyes blinking up at him expectantly. He tried his best to fight the smile threatening to form. What do you want me to wish for, you stupid girl? I've already got you.

"I will win the sports festival for the third time," he declared, blowing out the candles, stealing a line from her birthday 'wish' when they were still in their second year.

"I'm winning it, but it's alright to be delusional sometimes," Yoshiko removed a candle from a cupcake, handing it to him.

He took it from her, looking down at the white icing with a strawberry in the center, "You baked these?"

"Mhm," she replied, putting the tray back on the desk and taking a cupcake for herself. Bakugo bit into the cupcake, watching her pop the strawberry into her mouth. He had to admit, she was good at baking now. He remembered her first attempt, where he had to hold his head several times as he watched her stab the batter with the whisk.

"These are good," he said through a stuffed mouth.

"Of course, 'cause I baked them," Yoshiko smirked, making Bakugo roll his eyes.

"I didn't say that so you could be a brat," he squinted his eyes at her.

Yoshiko playfully smacked his arm and grabbed the shopping bag after he was done eating the cupcake. He took it from her and sat on the bed beside her, emptying out its contents. A shirt and a weird tool with a pin fell onto the mattress. He took the shirt, his mouth opening slightly at the logo of his favorite band. It was a limited edition shirt he had his eyes on for the longest time.