❝Stars Aligned❞ » Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader

86

The afternoon sun filtered lazily through the large windows of the café Kirishima had chosen, casting golden lines over the rustic wooden table. He had texted you both early in the morning, begging for the two of you to meet with him at the cafe downtown to catch up some more and actually try to hang out more often again.

So, you sat across from him and next to Bakugou, your cup of coffee already half-finished, the plate of food in front of you only picked at. Despite your nervous appetite, the atmosphere was comfortable, almost surprisingly so.

Bakugou looked more rested than the night before. The cut under his eye had been bandaged cleanly, and the swelling around it had gone down slightly. His eyes still scanned the café instinctively, never one to fully relax in public, but his hand had found yours beneath the table and rested there in a quiet, steadying grip. You hadn't let go since you arrived.

Kirishima, meanwhile, was happily digging into a giant plate of food, his chopsticks moving like a man who hadn't eaten in a week. His energy was as bright as ever, smile toothy and eyes warm. It was almost as if he had not a care in the world and nothing could destroy his mood.

"You've barely touched your food," Kirishima said between bites, nodding toward your plate.

"Should I be offended? I picked this place because of the reviews. Said they had the best miso in the district." You gave a small smile and shook your head at his words.

"No, it's good. Just not that hungry." You simply shrugged, staring at the plate that had a few bites taken out of each item on the plate.

Kirishima raised a brow but didn't push. Instead, he leaned back, chewing slowly as he let the moment breathe. You appreciated that about him, his ability to fill the silence without suffocating it. To not pressure you to speak up, to talk about something or to hold a conversation.

"So..." he started casually, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"I've been thinking about something. Been meaning to bring it up since last night, actually." Bakugou looked up from his food, already sensing where this was headed.

"Don't start." He grumbled at his red haired friend but all Kirishima did was grin.

"What? I didn't even say anything yet." He chuckled at his friend's tense mood.

"You're about to," Bakugou muttered, but you nudged his foot gently under the table, your eyes curious.

"Go on," you said to Kirishima. He leaned forward a bit, forearms resting on the table.

"Alright, hear me out. You've got... quite a few quirks, yeah? I know things have been rocky, but from what I remember, when you were at your best, you were one of the most instinctive fighters we had. You could think and act on the fly. Even Aizawa said you had a strong combat mind. So..." You tilted your head, suspicion creeping in.

"So?" You questioned further.

"So... what if you came to work at my agency?" Your eyebrows shot up. Bakugou's chopsticks froze halfway to his mouth. Kirishima quickly held up his hands.

"Hey, I'm not saying you gotta jump into the frontlines or anything. I'm talking easing in. Desk work, training support, whatever pace you're comfortable with. I've got a great support team who knows how to handle quirk anomalies. You wouldn't be alone." Your mouth parted slightly in surprise. The offer felt like someone cracking open a window in a room you didn't realize had gone stale. Bakugou finally set his chopsticks down with a heavy clink.

"This again?" Kirishima rolled his eyes at him.

"Come on, man. You've been saying she needs something to ground her. Something to make her feel useful again." Bakugou looked away, jaw tense, but he didn't argue. That alone said everything.