A Song to Come Home to

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I'm sorry but I don't follow." Shouto rubs the back of his neck, looking from Bakugou to Shinsou. He doesn't miss the way that Bakugou rolls his eyes and huffs, slumping down in his chair. Next to Bakugou, Shinsou hides a small smile behind a well placed yawn.

"What don't you understand, you stale piece of candy cane?" Bakugou growls as he impatiently drums his fingers against the table. Shinsuo dryly chuckes, not even bothering to hide his amusement. Shouto is used to the feeling of being one step behind everyone else when it comes to social interactions so Shinsou's chuckle and Bakugou's exasperation don't bother him in the slightest.

"Bakugou, where are your manners?" Shinsou asks, casting a glance to the boy next to him. Bakugou matches the glance with a glower and he runs a hand down his face.

"Manners can't help cure stupidity, you asshole."

"Maybe, but basic manners keeps you from being a raving bitch that has no friends." If Shouto hadn't known them well, he would have thought that after Shinsou's smug comment would have ended in an amazing spectacle of explosions. Shouto looks down to his lap and his eyebrows furrow, he looks back to Shinsou with a confused expression.

"Ah, is that why you don't have any friends then, Shinsou?" He asks curiously, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Silence falls over the two teens across for just a heartbeat before Bakugou erupts into a cacophony of laughter. Shinsou can only stare at Shouto incredulously with wide eyes. Shouto doesn't shrink against the stare, rather he stares back. He had asked a genuine question and wasn't expecting either of their reactions. Shouto watches as the edges of Shinsou's eyes crinkle up as he smiles.

Shouto has friends, some of which are closer to him than the others but he has friends. He's listened to their silly jokes, heard their obnoxious laughs, seen them grin and watched silently as they interacted with one another. Through all of that, he's always still felt separated from everyone else as if a massive fissure cut through the ground between where he stands and where everyone else is. For so long, he's been content in watching his friends move along in their lives as their backs remain to him. What he had never expected was for one of them to turn around and to extend their hand out towards him.

Knowing that Shinsou's gentle smile was for him, and him alone, makes Shouto feel special.

What stirs in his chest is a foreign feeling, but not an unwelcome one.

He feels as if he had just been given a delicate cutting of a purple lilac stem. For so long, Shouto had been content in simply living with the wilted flowers of his past. Shouto decides to clear out the dead flowers and plant that cutting.

He's never noticed that purple is such a nice color before.

Shouto returns the smile.

"Okay." Bakugou interrupts Shouto's thoughts. He blinks and looks over to the blond, watching as he massages his temples. "What part don't you follow? It's easy as hell, just ignore the stares and if anyone tries to give you shit- kill 'em." Shinsou shifts, looking over to Bakugou with a flat expression.

"Do you want him to end up in house arrest like what happened to you and Midoriya?" Shinsou asks. Shouto watches in silent amazement as a bright and angry crimson blush blossoms over Bakugou's ears and spreads across his cheeks in ruddy splotches. He's more than familiar with how Bakugou's eyebrows knit together in utter irritation.

"How about you mind your business, you Barney the Dinosaur audition reject?" Bakugou snaps, baring his teeth at Shinsou.

"Wow, that's a new one." Shinsou freely admits. Shouto is about to speak up when there's a knock at his door. All three teenagers share a confused look amongst themselves before Shouto hesitantly stands up and answers the door.