ChApter 9

435 26 10
                                    

     "Well, my friends had to leave earlier and my mom just now texted me that she wasn't able to pick me up." She frowned. "I was wondering if you'd walk me home? After you're done of course! I just don't like going out when it's so late."

     The blond looked around to find the restaurant nearly empty and the sun already set. Katsuki raised a brow before asking "What about your old man?"

     "Oh, I don't have one. And those three are my only friends so...." she shook her head. "I'm sorry. That was stupid of me—"

     "I don't care. I'm almost done anyway. Just sit here and wait while I curse out my math teacher for being too friggin complicated," he smirked. She thanked him, sitting down next to him and watching him. Giggling as he cussed under his breath.

     "Yeah yeah, shut up," he said under his breath as he closed the laptop, cutting off the long goodbye his teacher always said. He stuffed his headphones and device in his backpack before swinging it over his shoulder. "Ready to go?"

     The girl nodded and, just as he promised, walked her home.

     "What's your name anyway?" he asked, making her squeak.

     "Ah, it's um, Gasaki Kyouka," she said embarrassed. The blond frowned.

     "So, what's the deal with those shitty twins?"

     She yelped in surprise before fiddling with her hands.

     "They-They have a huge crush on you. So they we're really mad when I asked for your number," she said quietly. He huffed.

     "I figured." The girl seemed uncomfortable as she looked away. "I'll put them in their place if you asked me to. I know what it feels like to be treated like shit." Bakugou trailed off, looking away. "It's okay to ask for help when you need it. But that's your shitty decision to make."

     There was silence between the two until he heard the girl sniffle.

     "They-They make fun of me... saying that I was a disappointment and too awkward for anyone to like and so I asked for your number because I just wanted it to stop." She stood and wiped tears away from her eyes. "But-But I don't like you like that, I like Siana but I'm too-too scared to tell her! She's my best friend!" She sobbed and Katsuki didn't know what to do. He thought back on how Aiden calmed down Kaminari whenever he had a fit.

     With hesitation, he placed a hand on her head which caused her to look up.

     "She's the one with black hair right?" Gasaki nodded. "Well, tell her. It's okay to be scared of ruining your friendship, it's fucking common sense, but there's a chance where she likes you back and you date or she rejects you but you two are still best fucking friends. Either way, you won't know unless you fucking try." He frowned and looked away in realization. He's been too fucking scared to admit his feelings to Kirishima. "Well, I admit I've yet to confess to the one I love but, it's not like I'm not going to." Bakugou mumbled.

     "Thank you...and I'm sorry for making you walk me home."

     "It's fucking fine. It's better to be cautious than to be careless." Bakugou turned around with a wave of his hand. "Text me later. We're frie-" he flushed
"-friends now, I guess."

She happily gasped and called out a "Goodnight!" before disappearing into her house.

Katsuki laid in bed that night, looking at his hand and thinking about his actions. Since when has he been so nice to strangers? Well, she wasn't exactly a stranger more like a familiar face.

He concluded that he was always surrounded by kind people. Aiden, the old lady, Kaminari, Mina, Sero, and...Kirishima. Even some of his co-workers were really good with people.

And he also guessed that he doesn't want people to feel like shit. He knows the feeling of being treated as a beast, a rabid dog, a piece of plastic that was dropped on the ground and stepped on. He knows what he feels like to be scared and broken and sad and angry to the point of insanity, literally. He knows the feeling that you can never escape both physically and mentally, to be tortured by your own memories and to be neglected and alone and ashamed and drowned in regret and sorrow. He knows it all.

But he also knows that there's a way to survive and be happy. Katsuki is happy and he wants everyone to be happy because everyone at some point deserves to be happy.

And maybe that's why he does what he does. To help people be happy even if it's just for a moment, because if you feel joy in that moment, you want to feel it again because it feels so right.

He about made a hole in the roof when he heard his phone ring. He sighed and pressed his hand against his chest in relief.

He expected it to be from Gasaki but overflowed with joy when he saw Kirishima's name.

"Hello?" Bakugou said monotonously, trying to hide the smile in his voice.

"Hey man! Uh, I wanted to invite you to hang out to-tomorrow! Uhm, is that-is that okay?" he stammered and Katsuki can just feel his nervous smile, though he didn't know why he was so nervous.

"I guess I can ask for a day off....they've been fucking whining my ear deaf about 'overworking' and shit...." he thought aloud, hoping it wasn't obvious that he actually wanted to go. Kirishima chuckled.

"Damn, so Denki was telling the truth? Take a break and come hang out with me then!" he chuckled, making Bakugou go stiff.

"What do you mean? Is that Pikachu loser talking behind my back?!" Bakugou growled, "I swear I'll—"

"Only good things! I asked him to keep me updated with what's going on with friends and he told me that you're working too hard! Soooo—", there was a slight pause and that was enough for Katsuki to flush a red, "—is that a yes?"

"Hmph," Bakugou huffed out a scoff, deciding carefully what his next words will be. "I guess. But try to kill me again and I'll haunt you mercilessly." Kirishima let out a bubbly laugh that was enough to make Katsuki fall for him all over again, over the fucking phone.

"Yay! Meet up around uhh, 10-ish?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Great! Bye Bakugou!"

"Goodnight shitty hair," he hung up the phone and hid his face in a pillow. If he didn't have shame he would've squealed like a girl until his neighbors called the police on him.

He then thought to himself with a hint of panic.

'Where are we going? What do I wear? Is this a date? Is it normal for friends to go on a date?! Nope! Shit! Fuck! I can barely handle his voice over the phone how the fuck will I handle his voice in person!? What do I say!? How will I react?! What does he think of me now that he knows where I work?! Better not think I'm a softie or somethin'...'

He sighed hopelessly in his pillow.

'I wonder which cologne he'll use. The one that smells like apples or the one that smells like peppermint? Or the one that smells like a mix of strawberry and cherries....?'

Katsuki thought for a while before he subconsciously fell asleep with a slight smile on his face.

'I'm hopeless....'

_________________________________________

It's almost epilogue time and I don't know how to feel about it....

Published January 24 2019
Edited December 16 2022

Twisted {KiriBaku}Where stories live. Discover now