Something Like a Star (B. Katsuki)

Twelve: Clarity

     Nadoka assumed that Bakugou's appearance would be the first and last time he would show up unannounced at her doorstep with a bag of food and a frown.

     She assumed incorrectly.

     The next evening came and with it, Bakugou. He'd barged in her door just as unceremoniously as he had the first time, though this time he'd brought salmon. He'd practically pried Nadoka away from her father's laundry and sat her down at the table where she had watched him cook another meal and was not allowed to help at all. After eating, Bakugou had sat beside Nadoka on the couch and quietly folded clothes while Nadoka did her homework, neither teen saying a word. It was oddly domestic and comforting, and Nadoka could recall at some point thinking: I could get used to this.

     And it would seem as though she'd be given the chance, for on Sunday, Bakugou was back once more, this time helping her meal prep for the week, water her plants, and study for a science test. The two fell quickly into a routine and, by the fifth day, Nadoka had given Bakugou a copy of her house key along with a copy of her work schedule so he would know what days she wouldn't be home and told him not to bother knocking when he came over anymore.

     Nadoka could not deny how nice it felt to have even just a little bit of weight lifted off her shoulders. Bakugou didn't slack off, either. If he wasn't cooking a meal, he was cleaning something or helping her with homework. The only time he would ever stop and sit was when Nadoka asked him to, and often he'd go to do just that only to have her pat her lap in a silent invitation that he'd never say no to. He would lay down with his head atop her thighs and together they'd watch something or even just talk while her fingers wandered aimlessly through his hair in the way they both discovered he enjoyed.

     He usually stayed rather late, and although Nadoka often wondered what his parents thought of his adventures, she never asked and he never told. On the second and third nights, after Haru had been safely delivered to bed, Bakugou and Nadoka sat opposite each other in Nadoka's bay window, watching the lights of a sleepy city twinkle in the otherwise dark room. Their voices were bashful breezes on a murky pond and their conversations held the depth of the water. It was simple there. They talked for a time that felt like eons, about topics that pulled at all the emotions they had to offer.

     The pond was small, surrounded by thick trees on all sides. Its surface glimmered with algae and it was quiet there. It was simple there. Toads napped in the scattered sunlight, floating on lily pads, and turtles burrowed into the muck at the bottom, whisps of air bubbles breaking the surface gently above them. The toads were not just contented, but contentment. The turtles were not just sincere, but sincerity.

     It was simple there.

—

     "Good morning, Eijirou!" Nadoka all but skipped to her best friend, Bakugou trailing behind her with his all-too-famous frown. He watched the two idiots embrace and Kirishima placed a hard kiss to the side of Nadoka's head.

     "Mwah! Look at you!" Kirishima exclaimed happily, glancing up and down Nadoka's figure, "You're still all covered in bandages, but I've never seen you look so happy!"

     Nadoka grinned wider, knowing exactly why she was feeling so good. It was the first time she'd gotten a decent amount of sleep in years. "I've been resting a lot recently, and I guess the abundance of sleep has got me in a good mood."

     Kirishima and Nadoka exchanged more light conversation as Bakugou followed slightly behind him, unable to pry his eyes from Nadoka's piercing smile. She was so bright she rivaled the sun, and he felt a swell of pride to know he'd played a part in helping her feel so happy