Chapter Text
There's not enough time, Izuku thought as he raced to where he could hear the explosions sound from several blocks away. His footsteps slammed on the pavement and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Everything seemed like a blur as Izuku focused on one thing, getting to the explosions. He would recognize them from anywhere, and he should. He had heard them almost daily since he turned four, there was only one person they could belong to.
As Izuku reached the area that was teeming with people, he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, for once thanking his short height, and froze.
Kacchan was there, fighting against the same sludge villain that Izuku was caught by earlier. One that he swore All Might had defeated and was taking to the station. However, what made him freeze wasn’t seeing the villain that had tried to kill him less than an hour ago. It wasn’t even the explosions that were much louder and closer. No. It was how Kacchan struggled, trying to get free, and no one was helping him.
Feet moving by themselves, Izuku lurched forward, intending to help his friend, only to be stopped by strong arms wrapping around him.
“Woah there, kid,” a gruff voice spoke. “You gotta stay here. Let the heroes handle it.”
The green-haired boy continued to struggle, trying to free himself from the person who held him captive. “They’re not doing anything! He needs help!”
“They’re heroes,” the person said. “They know what they’re doing.”
But Izuku could see different. Kacchan was struggling too much and the heroes weren’t doing anything! They were just standing there and watching . The green-haired boy struggled harder against the person holding him back, breath coming out heavy.
“Kacchan!” he cried, reaching out towards his friend through a tear-filled vision. “I’m coming! Let me go, he’s my friend, I have to help! Kacchan!"
The person holding him grunted as Izuku elbowed him, but didn't let go. Kids were always trying to interfere with hero work. The heroes were trained for these situations. They would help.
“Do something!” Izuku called to the large-muscled hero close to him. “You’re heroes, help him!"
“Quiet kid.” The hero grunted turning his back to the young boy. “There’s nothing we can do. We have to wait for someone with the right quirk to show up.”
The man held tight and, no matter how hard he struggled, Izuku was unable to get free. He was forced to watch as the heroes stood waiting for someone to show to deal with the villain. As the minutes dragged on, the heroes began to realize that no one else was coming and they had to act and act now. It didn’t take someone with an intelligence quirk to realize that the blonde captive’s attempts to free himself were decreasing in frequency and growing more sluggish. If they didn’t do anything soon then-
No. He couldn’t think like that. The heroes would save Kacchan, they had to! That’s what heroes did, they saved people! Heroes were trained to react to these types of situations, they would know what to do. But they weren’t doing anything and Kacchan’s movements had slowed. Izuku remembered what it was like to be trapped by the sludge villain. He remembered the panic as it got more and more difficult to breathe, the fear that he wouldn’t escape, and the darkness that surrounded his vision before All Might had saved him. And Kacchan would be experiencing everything he had.
Izuku was forced to watch, helpless, as his best friend struggled weakly against the villain before stilling, minutes before the heroes began to attack. The fight seemed to drag on, however, it only lasted for several tense minutes before the heroes were finally able to subdue the villain and rescue Kacchan.
Despite the fight being over, Izuku was still stuck in the arms of the person who was keeping him from interfering. The green-haired boy watched as Kamui Woods, the hero who grabbed Kacchan, set him on the ground. Though the hero’s face was shielded by the mask he wore, anyone could see the panic in his movements. A hand pressed against the neck of the boy on the floor before immediately tilting the boy’s head up and starting chest compressions.
“He’s not breathing,” Izuku whispered momentarily stopping his struggles as he watched the hero work. His eyes were laser-focused on his best friend’s chest, barely breathing himself as he hoped that his friend would regain consciousness.
Izuku tracked Kacchan as he was loaded up onto a stretcher and brought to the ambulance that was waiting. As the ambulance pulled out Izuku was released and took a few stumbling steps in the direction the vehicle went, feeling numb.
Kacchan would be okay. The heroes saved him and the ambulance got there in time. He would be okay….he had to be.
~~~~~~
There was something about losing someone you love that changes you. It was almost like a piece of you died along with them. All the things you used to do together, everything that you both looked forward to, were gone. In the blink of an eye, the comfort they gave, the secrets you shared, and plans for the future crumbled into dust. Until all that was left is memories of a time past and visions of a future that was never to come.
Some people will say that when someone you love dies the world turns grey. Stories are told about the sky mourning the loss with rain, to hide the tears shed from those grieving. The sounds of nature and those from the bustling city, silent in a way they never are, as if to give time to those who need a bit of silence that day.
Unfortunately, as Izuku discovered, that was not the case. The colors didn’t dull or bleed out of existence, the sky didn’t turn dark and rain, and the animals and busyness of the city didn’t quiet. The sun rose to a blue and cloudless sky. The people driving cars and those on the train were as noisy as ever. Nothing had changed in the daily life of those living in Musutafu.
But for Izuku? Everything was different.
They were burying him today and there wasn’t a single indication that anything so momentous was happening. Izuku’s brother in all ways but blood was dead and the world just kept on going about their daily lives. Kacchan would never be around to offer steady comfort during the times when everything felt too much, to listen and share secrets and plans for the future, to never have a future. All that was taken from him.
Why was Izuku saved when no one so much as lifted a finger to help Kacchan? The heroes all just stood by, watching his friend struggle, scared out of his mind. Watching him die . Kami, it wasn’t fair .
“Izuku,” his mom called his name softly, causing the green-haired boy to snap out of his thoughts. “Baby, it’s time.”
Izuku looked at his mom, her eyes pinched with worry as they swept his figure. He knew his eyes were probably swollen, he hadn’t stopped crying since Uncle Masaru had called with the news from the hospital.
“Okay, mom,” Izuku mutters, standing up and rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m ready.”
As he walked by his mom, he was pulled into a tight hug, arms coming up on their own, returning the hug out of habit more than anything. Inko clung to her son, reminding herself that he was alive and safe. Izuku allowed her to cling, taking a moment to close his eyes and let himself to seek comfort in her embrace. The two greenettes stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away.
Inko pressed a kiss to her son’s head before looking at him with a watery smile. At that moment, the two came to an understanding. This won’t be easy, but they had each other. They just needed to hold onto that today.
~~~~~~
Izuku walked away from the funeral, needing time by himself. Tears fell out of his eyes as he squeezed them shut. It was all too much. He needed to breathe and not see his aunt, one of the strongest women he knew, break down in tears at the loss of her son. As selfish as it made him seem, he needed a moment. Just one moment where he could breathe without his aunt and uncle, reminding him of the best friend he lost. Without his mom hovering and practically suffocating him, no matter how much good she meant by it.
On top of that some of those heroes who were there that day, Kamui Woods, Death Arms, and Mt. Lady, showed up wanting to pay their respects. Like their presence and their apologies meant anything. And how they spoke about Kacchan as if they knew him! As if Izuku and his family weren’t suffering enough.
“Young man,” a solemn voice came from behind him.
Izuku froze. The last time he had heard that voice was when he was stuck on a roof after his dreams were crushed. Slowly, the green-haired boy turned, wiping the tears from his eyes. Before him stood a sickly-looking man with blonde hair and sunken eyes. All Might.
“What are you doing here?” Izuku asked, voice tight as he glared at the stick-figured man in front of him who flinched at the harsh look being sent his way.
“I-, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for your loss,” the hero said, gazing softly at the boy in front of him, eyes soft with sympathy.
“I don’t want to hear it,” Izuku scoffed and the small pit of anger in his chest that had been building since the sludge villain incident returned with a vengeance and he was too tired, too drained to push it down. He had just buried the closest thing he had to a brother. “You should leave.”
“My boy, I-” All Might began only to be interrupted.
“Save it, All Might,” the green-haired boy hissed. His hands curled into fists and the anger, the first thing he had actually felt since that day, burned hotter. “I know you were there. I saw you when the ambulance left with Ka- with him. You just stood there watching as the rest of the heroes did nothing while he-, while my best friend, my brother , died.”
“I know,” All Might said, hand reaching to clench his stomach, where his scar sat. “I know. I did nothing to help young Bakugou-”
“Don’t say his name,” Izuku snapped, as angry tears started to fall from his face. “You don’t deserve to say his name. You did nothing while Kacchan struggled. Do you know how scared he was? If anyone could have helped him, it would have been you. Hell, any of those heroes could have helped if they just got over their quirks and thought of a plan!”
All Might hesitated before bowing his head slightly. “There was nothing any of us can do to help. The heroes did their best and I was out of time. I used it up earlier that day when I saved you-”
Izuku flinched like he had been slapped. “Are you trying to say this is my fault,” he asked harshly. How dare he?!
“Ah, no. That’s not-” All Might held up his hands in peace as he tried to backtrack.
“That sludge villain should have never been there in the first place. If you had secured him properly the first time then this would have never had happened! And Kacchan-” Izuku’s voice, which had been steadily building in anger, broke. “Kacchan would still be here. You were his favorite hero! H-he looked up to you and what did you do? You stood there and w-watched as that villain suffocated him. You, all of you were supposed to be heroes, yet you stood by and watched him d-die.”
The air around them was tense. The pro-hero was at a loss for words as he watched the green-haired boy shake in anger, tears falling from his eyes. Silence fell as the two of them. Izuku watched his former favorite hero with cold calculating eyes. The man crashed his best friend’s funeral to clear his own conscience and wanted Izuku to forgive him.
Yeah, right.
~~~~~~
Izuku stood outside the café that he just bought. The store had been abandoned for a year or so and no one was willing to purchase it after the last several owners were unsuccessful in bringing in business. Though it wasn’t in the best part of town, it also wasn’t in the worst place it could be either. There were a lot of things wrong with the café itself, the electricity was shot, the windows needed to be replaced, and, in all honesty, the entire place needed a good scrub down and redecorating desperately.
Yet, despite all that, Izuku felt excited.
He had finally been able to save enough money from his many jobs over the years to buy this place. While it seemed like more effort than it was worth, it was his. The café, once it was fixed up, would allow him to have a steady source of income and he could finally stop his job at the restaurant that he’s wanted to quit for almost a year. Not to mention that his ownership of the little café came with the small one-bedroom apartment on top, so he would finally be able to move out of his mom’s apartment.
His mom, who had stuck by him through everything, would be arriving once she finished her shift at the hospital. Her steady presence throughout the years was needed, especially after everything that happened during his last year in middle school. Without her unwavering support, Izuku was sure he would not have gotten to this point, where he could finally call himself a proud business owner. Of course, she wasn’t the only one who stayed by him…
“Izuku,” a voice called, causing the green-haired man to blink and turn in the direction of the voice. A tall man with spiky brown hair, square glasses, and a neatly trimmed mustache approached him, arm raised in greeting. “Glad I caught you!”
“Uncle Masaru,” Izuku said surprised, a small smile appearing on his face. “What are you doing here? I thought you and Aunt Mitsuki had an important meeting today.”
Masaru laughed as he reached out, ruffling the smaller man’s curly green hair. “And miss your first steps into the place you now own?” The older man asked, with a grin as he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of Izuku, causing the younger man to laugh. “Impossible. Besides, your aunt can handle that meeting by herself with her eyes closed. It's the people she's meeting with that I worry for since they're dealing with your aunt by themselves."
“Are you sure?” questioned Izuku, silently relieved that he would not be taking this first step alone. As excited as he was, he still felt a pang of loneliness whenever he did something that allowed him to take a step towards his future. The empty spot next to him that should have been filled with spiky blonde hair and a give-them-hell attitude, making itself known at times like these.
“I’m positive, Izu,” Masaru said softly before gesturing to the café and raising an eyebrow. “Well, businessman, are you going to let us in, or are we going to keep admiring your new place’s...interesting outside.”
Izuku let out a laugh, knowing full well how his uncle thought about the café’s less-than-stellar exterior, before digging into his pocket for the keys to the building that he was given the previous day. After a brief pause to take a deep breath, Izuku slide the key in its spot and slowly opened the door.
Just like he remembered it, there was a big, mostly empty space with dust swirling in the air. The walls of what would be his café were baby blue with floor-to-ceiling gold patterns that swirled in ways that patterns on walls should never. It didn’t help that the wall design clashed with the dark wooden floorboards. By the noise Mararu let out when he stepped into the building, he agreed.
“It-it looks, um,” Masaru paused, trying not to find the words to not hurt his nephew’s feelings. Izuku had been determined to pick out this place by himself, not accepting any help from Inko or the Bakugous in his search. Masaru would say he was surprised, but this was the same person who thought shirts that said “pants” was the epitome of fashion.
“Amazing, isn’t it,” Izuku beamed, looking at his uncle, who failed to ignore the amusement dancing in his viridian eyes. “I just need to get a bit of furniture and it’ll be ready to open!”
“That, uh, that’s great Izuku. It’ll definitely be a unique café,” Masaru muttered, trying and failing to school his features. The look on his face was priceless and Izuku couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore, doubling over as he began wheezing.
“Your face” Izuku giggled when he could breathe again. “I was joking. I have plans to decorate the whole place.”
Masaru looked at his nephew, surprise flickering relief before settling on amusement. “Oh, thank Kami,” Masaru muttered before quickly taking a picture of his nephew laughing and quick pictures of the interior. Inko would kill him if he didn’t document this entire adventure for her and, if he was being honest, Inko was scarier than Mitsuki. Not that he’d ever tell either woman that of course. He knew better.
Izuku’s laughter slowed to a giggle as he straightened up and looked around. He knew the work that needed to be done in the kitchen, what color scheme he wanted to use for the café, and what furniture he would need to buy. In his mind, after a deep clean to get out any of the grime and trash from left over a year ago from the previous tenant and those who had broken into the place before, it would be perfect.
After redecorating the entire place in his mind, Izuku led the older male through the kitchen and up the right staircase. To the small hallway and door that opened to lead to the adjacent apartment. Entering, there was a decent-sized living area to the left with a small hallway that led to the small bedroom.
“Welcome, Uncle Masaru, to my new home,” Izuku said, walking inside the apartment and spinning with his arms stretched out to his side. Masaru walked inside and sighed. The apartment wasn’t much better than the café area below. “Do you like it?”
Masaru looked at his nephew, whose eyes gave away how nervous he was, and offered him a small smile. “Like any new place, it’ll need some work,” Izuku’s face fell. “But I like it. Its got character, just like you.”
Izuku smiled slightly in response, with a small weight lifted off his shoulders. His uncle liked the new place and that was what mattered. It meant he would help convince his mom and Aunt Mitsuki that the place was not a worthless buy.
Izuku beamed and began explaining to his uncle the plans on remodeling from changing the walls to the new color scheme he was going with. The furniture had already been decided. Izu had managed to rent a storage locker for the past year and a half and had been slowly buying chairs, tables, utensils, and anything he could think of needing. While there was a lot be still needed to buy, it would allow him to get the little café open much sooner.
~~~~~~
Izuku was exhausted. He was up late testing out different recipes he had found, trying to find some things that fit with the menu that he wanted to do. All he decided on was the small bento boxes that he would have for his customers on the go and one or two pastries. He didn't want to make too much and have it all go to waste, but he also didn't want to have too little and no one wanting to buy what he had chosen.
With a groan, Izuku pulled the last batch of cupcakes from the oven and set it on the wooden counter before looking around. Once he had cleaned it up and moved in the kitchen from his café started coming together. Right now, empty coffee cups were strong over the counter close to the door leading to the lounge area. On the other counters were small batches of different types of pastries from cupcakes to cheesecake, to milk bread, to small tarts. Unfortunately, with pastries came the dirty dishes that were currently strewn around the kitchen. Not to mention the bulging trash can from empty ingredients bags and, if the trash contained a few batches that burned from when Izuku was distracted by redecorating the front of the café, then that was neither here nor there.
Glancing at the clock, Izuku realized that it was nearing one in the morning. He had two options, cover the pastries and put them away and leave them for the morning, or deal with everything now so he wouldn't have to wake up early to clean.
With a deep sigh, the green-haired man began picking up the rest of the trash, deciding to start with the lesser of the two evils. Pulling out the trash bag, Izuku walked out towards the door to the alley, grabbing his phone along the way. Luckily the dumpster was a short distance from his building, so he didn't have far to go.
Heaving the overfilled bag over his shoulder, Izuku tossed it into the giant container before rolling his shoulder with a sigh. One task down, two more to go.
Turning away from the flameless Endeavor, the green-haired man began his short journey back to his café where stacks of dishes and pastries to put away waited on counters. He hadn't even made it three steps before he heard a hiss and yowl, which sounded an awful lot like a war cry, come from behind him.
Izuku barely had enough time to turn before being blinded by a face full of fur and claws. He screeched and went to pull whatever it was off his face, praying to Kami that it wasn't a raccoon.
After a brief fight that involved more hissing, biting, claws, and tears, Izuku managed to pull the furball away from him and held it at an arm’s length away to get a look at the furry assailant. A small scruffy cat with its fur matted with dirt, making it hard to tell what color it was, and deep copper eyes stared defiantly back at him.
"Oh my gosh," Izuku gasped, glancing at the dumpster and connecting the dots. "You were in that dumpster! I'm so sorry that I threw that bag on you, are you okay?"
The cat hissed, lips curled up in a snarl. Poor baby , Izuku thought to himself as the cat swiped at him.
"How about you come home with me and I'll clean you up?" Izuku asked the small animal bringing it closer to him, barely flinching as the cat’s small claws dug into his arm, feeling like tiny pinpricks more than anything. "I can get you some food and somewhere warm to sleep. I promise I'll make it up to you!"
Izuku, much to the cat's chagrin, cooed at the tiny furball as he carried it to the safety of his café. After shifting the small creature, who once again let out a hiss, in his arms close to his chest Izuku was able to open and close the door to his place. Ignoring the mess of his kitchen, he made his way to the apartment.
Once inside, Izuku headed straight to the bathroom, having decided that giving the cat a bath was the top priority. As he closed the door to the bathroom and set the cat down with no way to escape. Izuku failed to realize that basically trapping a feral cat, no matter how cute, would not end well. The minute he set the cat down it bolted to the door, scratching at it howling before darting around the small floor, causing Izuku to fall, before going into the open cabinet under the sink.
Izuku looked at the copper eyes that glared back. “Rude,” Izuku huffed as he got up and turned the water on for the bath. Maybe he should have thought it out better.
Shaking his head as the cat proceeded to bare his teeth and hiss, Izuku turned to look at his shampoo and soap, debating if it would be okay to use them. Frowning, Izuku decided that it may not be the best option, judging by the scratches he now had running up and down his arms and, most likely, his face. He’d need to clean them later…
Having deemed the bath to be filled, he turned it off and turned to the cabinet. “It’s okay, little guy,” he cooed. “Let’s get you cleaned.”
Izuku opened the cabinet the rest of the way only to be, once again, given a face full of fur. Letting out a cry, Izuku pulled the cat away from his face and cuddled it in his arms.
"Come on, little guy," he cooed, petting the small ball of fur and wincing slightly at the bite he was given. "This will help you feel better."
The green-haired man brought the small creature to the bath and placed it gently in the water. To say the yowl that the cat let out and sharp pain from the animal crawling its way back up him was expected, would be a lie. Izuku flailed as he became an impromptu scratch post once again. Prying the cat away from him, he leveled the creature with a flat look.
"I'm not a scratch post," he stated flatly. The cat flicked its tail with a hiss. "I'm not going to hurt you." A paw swiped in his direction. "Bath first then food." Hiss. "I'll let you explore the apartment, but you have to be clean first. It may not look the best, but I worked hard to get it this way. Deal?"
The cat flicked its ear with a snarl but stopped swiping. After a moment, Izuku carefully placed the cat into the water. It hissed at him and moved around a bit before settling. Izuku paused for a beat before slowly approaching, telegraphing his movements as he kneeled down.
The ball of matted fur watched the human intently, tail flicking. Izuku reached to grab the cup that stayed on the sink, never removing the cat from his eyesight.
"Okay, cat," Izuku started figuring it best to let the animal know what would happen. "I am going to dump water on you, slowly . Then I'm going to use that washcloth behind you to get you nice and clean. Okay?"
With that Izuku slowly began the challenge of washing the cat. Cupful after cupful of water being slowly poured on the tiny creature made the water turn dark. Eventually, the dirt and grime gave way to a ginger pelt with white markings from the lower laugh of its-or his-face, extending to its belly and paws. The tiny orange creature had long hair that was wet down, but Izuku could see the knots in the fur.
Izuku held back a frown, choosing instead to keep a small smile on his face to portray safety to the cat. He talked to the cat to put it at ease and paused at every hiss and swipe, waiting patiently before continuing.
After he finished, Izuku grabbed the towel that was hanging over the towel rail and scooped up the cat that let out a small hiss. The green-haired man cooed as he brought the cat out of the bathroom to the living room where he started to gently rub the cat to dry it.
"There you go," Izuku said softly to the cat who looked at him unimpressed and wiggled out of his hold and darted to the small space under the television set.
Deciding it wasn’t worth it to try to get the cat any drier, Izuku made his way to the kitchen and yawned, ignoring the hiss at his movement. Once in the kitchen, Izuku frowned, realizing he had no cat food. After a quick search on his phone, Izuku decided to make heat up some leftover rice he had made (and forgotten to eat) for dinner and scramble an egg. That should be good…right?
Once the food was finished, Izuku dug out two bowls from his cabinet and put a decent size of food in one bowl and some water in the other. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” Izuku sang softly as he walked just outside his kitchen area and set the bowls down. “I’ve got some food for you to eat.”
Izuku turned to where the cat was to see it watching him with narrowed eyes. After a brief staring contest, Izuku sighed and raised his hand as a peace offering, backing away from the bowl, and moving towards the couch deciding to give the little cat some space. As he sat, Izuku’s mind drifted to the mess he would have to lean up in the café below. Groaning he laid down on the couch and threw his arm over his face, trying to decide if he really needed to clean.
He fell asleep trying to decide.
~~~~~~
Izuku sighed as he leaned against the counter. He was slowly getting the hang of making the different drinks, which meant that he was able to get them to the customers faster. The customers seemed to appreciate the startup café since more poured in each day, hearing about it from others who went. Though he had only been open for a few weeks, Izuku could already spot a few people who he considered regulars.
Since Izuku was the only one who worked at his café, Inko would stop by when her shifts at the hospital ended to give Izuku a small break. Or try to, the green-haired man usually cleaned in the lobby and tended to his cat, who could usually be found on top of the cat tree set up in the lobby, watching everyone who entered his territory. The small ginger tabby was territorial, aggressive, and, honestly, a little shit to everyone but Izuku and his family. It would be a lie to say that they hated him. The tiny cat's fur would stand on end when he was agitated, making him look like a spiky fur ball that was more adorable than frightening. It hadn't taken long for Izuku to come up with a name for the cat. Auntie Mitsuku and Uncle Masaru gave their blessing for Izuku to name the ginger cat after his best friend, Catsuki.
Of course, naming Catsuki was only the first step in honoring his best friend. Kacchan had died before either of them had a chance at pursuing their dreams of becoming the top heroes. Izuku hadn't gotten into UA, the entrance exam being too biased against non-physical quirks and his school record had exempted his admission into even the school's general education course. Their hero names once whispered in dark rooms during sleepovers, never got a chance to be used. Izuku had given up his own hero name and dreams after being forced to realize the only school that would be willing to accept quirkless students in the hero course was not an option. It had been hard, but he had finally moved past it. Kacchan, on the other hand, never got that chance. And it was because of this that Kacchan was present everywhere in Izuku’s new business.
The Ground Zero café, named after a hero who never got the chance to be one. Greens and blacks with orange accents decorated the furniture and logo design of the cafe. Even the café’s special, the Fireworks Special, was reminiscent of the hot-headed blonde. The entire place, an homage to Kacchan.
A soft bell chime shook Izuku out of his thoughts. Plastering a smile on his face, Izuku turned to greet the customer that had just entered.
"Hello," Izuku beamed at the blonde-haired man with grey jeans and dark button-up who had walked through the door. "Welcome to Ground Zero café! What can I get started for you?"
"Hi", the blonde beamed. "I need one of whatever you have that has the most caffeine that you are legally allowed to sell me."
Izuku blinked. "Are you wanting straight coffee or are you looking for something else?"
"Uh," The blonde hesitated as he glanced at the drink menu looking slightly lost. "Is there something that is more caffeinated than coffee?"
"Well, I can get you a large coffee, which you can add cream and sugar too or any of the flavoring syrup if you want a specific taste," Izuku explained and the customer nodded along. "Or I can get you the special. It comes with a large caramel mocha latte with 6 shots of espresso, which is the recommended maximum amount of caffeine consumption in one day. Of course, that depends on the strength of the coffee bean and the size of the person. The ones I use for my espressos I get from a friend and are pretty strong so it might have more of a caffeine content than just the plain black coffee. Though the amount of time it takes to hit someone’s system is lengthened with the latte as it has espresso, milk, and syrups, which delay the caffeine hitting your system. If you need a caffeine kick right away, the coffee may be better, but if you’re willing to wait then and get a large boost, then the special might be better. On top of the caffeine, it also has the bonus sugar so you’ll get a small sugar boost while the caffeine takes its time to kick in.”
The blonde blinked and Izuku snapped his mouth shut as the two stared at each other. One surprised and the other embarrassed. The one thing Izuku had never been able to shake as he grew older was his mumbling habits, which only got worse as he got older.
“The special also comes with a spice cake,” the barista offered with a sheepish smile.
“Uh…yes?” the man said and flashed the greenette a confused look before sighing.
“Yes you want the large coffee, or yes you want the special?”
“What’s the special called again?”
“The Fireworks Special!” the greenette beamed at the customer who perked up at the name.
“Dude, that sounds awesome!” The blonde replied with a smile of his own. “I’ll take one of those and a hot chocolate if you’ve got it!”
Izuku hummed and rang up the order. “For here or to-go?” he asked. “And can I get a name for your order?”
“Oh, right! I’m Kaminari and to-go, please,” the blonde man said, hand running over the black lightning bolt shape on the side of his hair. “The drink is a surprise for my boyfriend.”
“That sounds nice Kaminari-san,” there was a slight pause. “You’re total is 450 yen.”
“For sure,” Kaminari said as he dug out his wallet and produced the payment. Handing it back to the greenette, he squinted at the name on his employee badge shaped like a starburst. “Thank you, Midoriya-san! You don’t know how much of a lifesaver you are!”
Midoriya raised an eyebrow as he handed back the change before turning to start on the drinks. “Don’t think I’ve ever been called that before,” he murmured as an image flashed before his eyes of another with blonde hair with crimson eyes, silently pleading for help.
“Trust me you are,” the blonde insisted, not noticing the slight tensing in the other’s shoulders. “See, my boyfriend works nights so he usually sleeps during the day, right? So, I started surprising him with coffee for our dates because it helps him wake up and not be a total grump at the start. The usual place I go to closed down because it was damaged in a villain attack and I had no idea! It’s a good thing I found your café otherwise-”
“Wait, you mean Iwasaki-san’s store? The Sakura Café? That one?” Izuku turned around looking at the other, alert. Iwasaki-san was Izuku’s previous employer and had helped him get started with his café. It was because of them that Izuku was able to stay afloat the past couple of months. He had heard about the destruction of the store from the customers he recognized when he worked at the other café.
Come to think of it, when was the last time he had seen Iwasaki-san?
Kaminari nodded with a small frown. “Yeah, that’s the one,” he said with a hint of sadness. “I saw Iwasaki-san's son and he told me that the store was closing because his dad was going to move in with them. He said Iwasaki-san was okay, but I don’t know.”
“Yeah,” Izuku muttered softly before turning around and focusing on finishing the drinks.
There weren’t many people who were nice to Izuku after they found out he was quirkless. Iwasaki-san was one of the only people outside of his family who didn’t seem to care. The older man had welcomed him into his café and taught him everything he needed to know. Later, Izuku found out that Iwasaki-san’s late-wife was quirkless. The couple had poured their heart and soul into their café. Everything they had worked so hard for was now gone because of a villain attack.
Once again, Izuku was unable to help save his friend and, because of that, everything that Iwasaki-san had built went up in flames.
A small scuffle followed by a loud yowl and a shriek startled Izuku out of his thoughts. With a tired sigh, the greenette turned around to see a certain asshole of a cat he knew arched on the counter, fur sticking out making him look like a spiky orange puffball. His customer was cradling his hand and looked at the cat in shock.
“Catsuki, quit being mean to the customers,” Izuku scolded as he picked up the cat, turning it to look at him, ignoring the hiss he received from the angry creature. “We talked about this, you can’t just attack people because you’re upset.”
Copper eyes narrowed at the man before his paw swiped at his owner’s face with a hiss. Izuku, being too used to the ginger cat’s moods, had anticipated this and moved the cat away from himself.
“Go back to your tower until you’re ready to be around people,” the barista instructed as he placed the cat on the floor, nudging him in the direction of the cat tree near the front of the café. Without bothering to watch the cat stalk off to its guard tower, Izuku turned around, grabbed the drinks, and placed them on the counter. Shooting the blonde a nervous look, he opened his mouth to apologize but was immediately cut off.
“Dude,” Kaminari exclaimed, eyes sparkling as he slammed his hands on the counter, pulling a growl from the cat who had paused in its trek to his throne. “You didn’t tell me this was a cat café!”
Izuku’s mouth opened and closed as he looked at the excited man in confusion. “It’s not a cat café. It’s a café that just so happens to have a cat,” he said before glancing at the man’s hand. Is your hand okay, Kaminari-san? Catsuki didn’t get you did he? Do you need a bandaid or anything?”
The blonde waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it, Catsuki didn’t get me,” he replied before frowning. “Are you sure you’re not a cat café? Because that would explain the cat towers and cat toys laying around. My boyfriend owns a few cats, so I know what their things look like.”
“I’m sure,” Izuku sighed, mouth twitching up in a smile that was full of mischief. “Catsuki gets lonely by himself, so I got him stuff here so he doesn’t have to be alone.” Kaminari glanced at the cat who noticed and let out a hiss. “He doesn’t trust most people so he usually stays in his tower all day watching me and napping.”
“That sucks, man,” the blonde hummed. “I know a few people who would love to have a cat café in town. The nearest one is an hour and a half an hour away. Makes it hard to go to for dates, especially when everyone I know’s free time is already limited.”
“Speaking of dates, shouldn’t you be going to yours, Kaminari-san?” Izuku asked, glancing at the TnT themed clock as he nudged the drinks towards the other man who gasped.
“Shit, Toshi is going to kill me!” Kaminari exclaimed as he grabbed his drinks and shot the green-haired man a smile. “Thanks for these! I’ll make sure to bring my boyfriend sometime! Nothing he likes more than cats and coffee.”
With that, the loud blonde left, and Izuku slumped against the counter, head in his hands. Kami , Catsuki was such an asshole to his new customers, it’s a wonder anyone returned. Frowning, Izuku recalled what the blonde had said about Iwasaki-san. He still had his old boss’ number, maybe he’d give him a call.
Just to make sure he was alright since the heroes couldn’t do their job and stop villains before they destroyed someone’s life.
~~~~~~
Izuku had a problem.
Well, not a big problem per se but a problem nonetheless. The problem? He couldn’t stop rescuing cats. He had never really been a cat person, or an animal person at all really, but it seemed that animals liked him for some reason.
Specifically, cats liked him. And Izuku? The broccoli-haired man had a bleeding heart.
Okay, yes, he leaves cat food in the alley for strays. But that’s because he remembered how thin Catsuki was and couldn’t help but want to make sure that the cats without homes had something to eat. Honest!
Izuku didn’t mean to find a white cat, whose fur was so dirty it looked grey, barely alive after having crawled behind the crate by his door. He couldn’t just leave her there to die, he would never be able to live with himself! And the striped grey cat that had followed him home from the grocery store? It had followed him home several times, giving him such a sad look each time he went inside that he had to bring the little tomcat into his café.
And that was it! No more cats.
But then Izuku was walking one night and saw a box move. When he got closer, he could see three tiny bodies and heard faint whimpering and pitiful meows. After glancing around, he noticed the 'Free Kittens' sign and just about cried. The green-haired man couldn’t leave the tiny kittens there it was going to freeze that night, they would die! So he picked them up one at a time, wrapped them up as best he could in his scarf, and hurried home.
Catsuki wasn’t amused.
Neither was his mom nor Uncle Masaru. His Auntie Mitsuki, though? She found the whole situation hysterical, even more so when Izuku begrudgingly admitted what he named each and every cat he brought into his home.
He wasn’t attached to all of them, it was just until they got better. Then he would bring them to the local rescue shelter and they’d find good homes. Homes that probably weren’t filled with plenty of other cats, toys, had homecooked food far more than store-bought (because let’s face it, that cat food looked so unappetizing that his angry diva cat refused to touch it at times), have the smell of coffee throughout the day, or have people around to give them attention to nearly 24/7, but it would be theirs and…
Yeah, he wasn’t fooling anyone.
That was how Izuku found his café decorated with another cat tree, a few cat beds, floor pillows, and cat toys. But it wasn’t a cat café. It
wasn’t.
His cats
babies
just liked keeping him company while he was working. And if their pawprints were added to the window decor with their names by them? Well, that was because they deserved recognition too!
It wasn’t a cat café. Just a café with cats. There was a difference.
~~~~~~
Izuku paused his cleaning and ran a hand across his forehead, cringing at the sweat that clung to it. Grabbing the small towel in the pocket of his apron, Izuku wiped his forehead and looked out at the scene before him. There was a couple sitting by the window with Nitro, a striped grey tomcat, stretched out on the lap of the woman. seemingly enjoying the pets he was receiving. A couple of kids were watching his long-haired white cat squish her favorite red and black cuddler. One of his regulars was sitting at a table near the cat tree, watching his black kittens, Smoke and Dynamite, wrestle.
Counting his cats, Izuku frowned as he counted again. Two were missing. Specifically, his most troublesome two were missing. The green-haired man moved to put his broom away and check the kitchen in case they wandered back there. After he didn’t spot them hidden away in the back Izuku returned to the café and eyed the top of the cat trees since Catsuki liked to hide up there and often took his little shadow there as well if he was in the mood and…nope, no cats. With a frown, Izuku went to the small cat bed that was hidden between the bookshelf and armchair, his grumpy cat’s favorite place to nap. Peeking inside, the café owner let out a sigh of relief when he saw a tiny grey ball curled up right beside an orange ball.
Izuku cooed softly at the scene before him, receiving a half-hearted glare from the ginger cat who moved his paw protectively over the tiny kitten next to him. “I knew you didn’t hate King, huh, Catsuki?” Izuku teased softly, receiving a low grumble from his grumpy cat. “You’re just a little tsundere, aren’t you?”
A chime from the front sounded. “Coming,” Izuku called out before turning to wink at his cat. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
After navigating through his kitten minefield, the café owner was finally able to make it behind his counter. Pausing to wash and dry his hands, he turned to look at the purple-haired man with deep eye-bags who was glancing around the café.
“Welcome to Ground Zero Café where the drinks will blow you away,” the green-haired man said with a giant smile. “What can I get started for you?”
“Denki never told me this was a cat café,” the man said lazily, but Izuku, who could hear the slight accusation in his tone, sighed. Here we go.
“It’s not a cat café,” the broccoli man recited, too used to this conversation as it happened nearly every day. “It’s just a café with cats. There’s a difference.”
The man raised an eyebrow as he shifted his attention to the barista with a smirk. “And what is that difference?”
“A cat café you have to pay to spend time with the cats. Here, you get to do that for free. Besides, it’s free catsitting for me.”
“You let your cats around a bunch of strangers so you don’t have to find a cat sitter?”
“They choose to spend the day around a bunch of strangers.” Izuku shifted in place and glanced over at his black cats who had stopped wrestling and decided it was a good time as any to have a grooming session. “Besides, most of them get into mischief if they’re left alone. Bringing them with me to work lets me keep an eye on them and get the attention they wouldn’t be getting if they stayed in my apartment.”
The two men stood in silence for a moment. Izuku looked back at his customer tilted his head slightly with a smile and waited for the man to look back at him. “My cats and pet ownership aside, what can I get for you?” Izuku asked once the man’s attention had turned back to him.
The purple-haired man gave a half-hearted shrug and glanced at the menu. “My boyfriend gets coffee for me here,” he said before letting out a sigh. “And I just ran out of coffee at home because I forgot to buy some when I went to the store. I can’t work without at least some level of caffeine, so I figured, what the hell.”
“Boyfriend?” hummed Izuku as he furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion. “What do they look like? I may be able to help you out with what they get if they come here often. I know all my regulars!”
“He has blonde hair with a black lightning bolt on the side and way too bubbly of a personality,” the man said after a moment’s hesitation as if he were trying to decide how much of a description to give. The cups always had his boyfriend’s name, so sue him if he was a bit curious as to if this guy actually remembered him. After all, who honestly remembered every customer’s name?
“Oh!” Izuku exclaimed as he blinked at the tall purple-haired man that stood before him. The man wore a grey and black jumpsuit and a purple scarf, which reminded Izuku of someone that he couldn’t place. He wasn’t a regular…maybe he saw him at the store or something? And the man was staring at him, great. Shaking his head, Izuku tried to remember what the man had said. Blonde hair and a black lightning bolt? “You’re the one that Kaminari-san said the latte was for, right? How’d you like it?”
The man, Kaminari-san’s boyfriend?, blinked at the barista in surprise before sighing. “It was deceptively bitter for such a sweet-sounding drink,” Shinsou murmured as he stifled a yawn. His eyes flickered around the café as he took note of the cat trees, pillow, cat beds, and cat toys that littered the area. There were also several cats laid about the area, mingling around the few people camped out at the various seats, and…was that a back cat with a grey cape making its way to them?
Izuku shrugged and a small smile made its way to his face. “It did its job then.” Izuku reached out to pet the black cat who had hopped onto the counter, meowing loudly.
Shinsou raised an eyebrow. “How so?” he asked, eyes straying to the cat that flipped to its side, purring up a storm as the greenette pet it. The tiny collar tag, which was shaped in the shape of a mushroom cloud, declared the black cat’s name was “Smoke”. Ah, that would explain the grey cape, it was a little on the nose for the theme of the café.
“I made it with my friend in mind,” Izuku explained as he glanced at the other man, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Kacchan was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. It was just hidden by his grumpy and explosive exterior.” The purple-haired man looked confused so the barista continued. “It’s just the type of drink to describe him. His quirk made him sweat nitroglycerin, so he smelled like caramel all the time. But he was also bitter and full of energy hence the chocolate and max amount of espresso shots I can put in a drink before additions.”
“That’s nice,” Shinsou hummed before shifting. Glancing at his watch, the purple man realized that he had to leave soon. Blinking, he looked at the fluffy white cat that pawed at his legs and leaned to pick it up. He supposed he could stay for a few more minutes, Shinsou decided as he cradled the small animal who decided to paw at his purple scarf.
Izuku smirked. “Ah, I see you’ve met Flashbang. She’s never going to let you put her down now. Flash is kind of an attention-whore.”
Shinsou looked at the cat in his arms who lifted her paw to tap his nose, letting out a chirp before purring as it tried to climb in his scarf. “Flashbang is gonna be upset that I have to get going soon. Duty calls and all that,” he said as a small frown made its way across his face.
“She’ll live,” Izuku joked as he watched the interaction “Do you want to order a drink to go?”
“I’ll take whatever it was Denki ordered when he was here. Usually came with some kind of cake and an acceptable amount of caffeine?”
“That’ll be the Fireworks Special,” Izuku replied, already moving to grab the large cup. “Comes with 6 shots of espresso and a spice cake.”
“That’s the bitch,” the purple-haired man muttered and watched as the barista grabbed a black marker. “The name’s Shinsou by the way.”
Izuku let out a small laugh before ringing up the order and reciting the amount. Shinsou was forced to shift the white cat to one arm as he dug around for his wallet. True to the barista’s warning, Flash had somehow managed to halfway climb into his scarf and seemed adamant at climbing the rest of the way in. Finally getting his card out, he handed it to the green-haired man who rang up his order and returned it, having to hold it up high to prevent Smoke from swiping it.
“I’ll get that right out for you!” the barista said cheerfully as he picked up the black cat and placed it on the floor, shooing it away.
“Thanks,” Shinsou let his voice trail off as he tried to remember the greenette’s name. Had he gotten his name? In his defense, he had just woken up and didn’t have his coffee yet.
“Midoriya Izuku,” the barista replied, eyes flickering to his customer giving him a half-smile as he slid a small cup filled with espresso towards the other. “Kaminari-san said you usually have a coffee first thing when you wake up, so I figured that you might need a quick pick me up while waiting for me to make your drink. Consider this on the house as an apology for my cat.”
Said cat had been successful in climbing and hiding her way in Shinsou’s capture weapon. He could feel the heat and soft rumbling from her as she curled around his neck, purring. How she had gotten there without getting tangled, he had no idea.
“S’fine,” Shinsou muttered, taking the offered drink and downing it in an instant. Was the free shot of espresso necessary? No. Shinsou would gladly cuddle with a cat for free in fact, his cats often curled up in his capture weapon when he forgot to take it off, this was more familiar than anything. But he also wasn't stupid enough to turn down free caffeine, or any caffeine, really.
The purple-haired man watched the barista hum as he made the drink with swift movements. In no time, the drink was finished and the cake boxed up in one of the café's small to-go containers. Now onto the problem of freeing the caffeine-deprived man of a certain white cat. It seemed like Flash decided that she was not coming out. It took a combination of promised treats and a new toy from her owner with a promise of a return visit and treats from the man she claimed as her bed, to cajole the cat from her hiding place.
After Shinsou left, Izuku picked up his white cat and scolded her about personal space. The cat looked at him, head tilted to the side, blue eyes as wide as they could go, and gave a soft meow in response. Keeping his stern gaze for a beat, the greenette sighed and dropped a kiss on the cat’s head before placing her on the floor. As soon as she was free, Flashbang darted to the group of teens who were watching her before and jumped on the table, demanding attention. Kami, his cats were so dramatic.