Chapter Text
There’s something going on with Bakugou, Shouto can tell.
Shouto is a good friend, a wonderful friend in fact. Izuku told him so through tears just last week.
Good friends don’t leave their friends to struggle alone. So, if Shouto wishes to maintain his status as a good friend he needs to figure out what’s going on.
He’s heard the self-proclaimed Bakusquad huddled together and whispering a few times, strategizing on how to help their bro, but it doesn’t seem to have gotten past the planning stages yet.
Shouto has a better strategy.
He knows Bakugou has been spending a lot of time in his room lately so he decides to walk up to the door and knock.
“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT!?”
“Bakugou.”
He hears some shuffling, cursing and a door closing before the scowling face of Bakugou Katsuki appears before him.
“What.”
“Bakugou.”
“Icyhot.”
Shouto takes a breath and studies his friend, he looks tired but no more annoyed than usual, he can't see any new hidden injuries, hopefully his change in habits has a simple explanation.
“As your friend-”
“We are not fucking friends.”
Shouto lets him finish, Tenya has been firm about the importance of allowing your friends to express themselves recently, Shouto thinks he’s been reading adolescent psychology textbooks in his spare time again.
He nods in acknowledgement, Bakugou needs to know he’s listening. Tenya was clear that it's important to not only allow your friends to express themselves but also to make sure to show you're listening.
“As your friend I’ve noticed that you’ve been…” Shouto trails off as Bakugou’s bathroom door creaks open slowly and something small and brown saunters out into the room. “Bakugou… Is that a cat?”
He half registers Bakugou’s eyebrow twitch in annoyance.
“No.” he grits out. “That is a menace.”
“You named your cat Menace?”
“Fucking!” He throws up his hands. Shouto is still watching the cat, it is quite possibly the cutest thing he’s ever seen. “Yes.” He grits out, crossing his arms tightly. “That’s what she is.”
“Can I pet her?”
“It’s your funeral.” He mutters. “Just get inside before she-”
Before he can finish the kitten’s eyes flash and she dashes for the door.
“Shit! Stop her!”
Shouto prepares himself to block her path only for the tiny thing to change direction with frankly impressive speed and dart between his legs and down the hall.
“Fuck! Get back here you little shit!”
Bakugou dodges around him easily and thunders down the hall after her. Shouto waits patiently at the door, he doesn’t want to get in the way.
Barely a minute later Bakugou stomps his way back over, the kitten scrambling up his head for a better view.
Shouto had not realized that Bakugou’s hair could be such a solid climbing hold, he’ll have to ask how he does that later.
She tilts her head at him, Shouto tilts his head back in response.
They're communicating, that's important.
“Just get inside Icyhot.” He sounds oddly defeated, Shouto will have to ask about that too.
Shouto nods and follows him, he hasn’t been in Bakugou’s room before, it seems tasteful. Of course, Shouto has been told his sense of what counts as tasteful is suspect before. Bakugou seems like a person who knows what he’s doing though.
He settles down on the floor and looks into the kittens adorable round eyes, she’s perfect.
Bakugou sets her down and glares at her.
“Don’t fucking do that. You know you aren’t allowed to just run off.”
She meows loudly in response.
“Don’t give me that shit.”
She hisses back.
Shouto doesn’t know much about cats, he wonders if this is normal, it probably is.
Finally she turns her attention back to Shouto and moves closer to observe him.
Shouto holds out a hand, hoping she’ll sniff it and be at ease.
She swipes at it and when he pulls away there’s blood on his finger.
Bakugou sighs and holds out a bandaid and some antiseptic.
Shouto nods in thanks and bandages the cut. They sit there in silence for a while, the kitten eventually turning to use Bakugou like a climbing wall.
It’s nice, Shouto should hang out with Bakugou more often. He loves his friends but they can be a little much when they’re all together sometimes.
Menace drops down in front of him and stares.
He stares back, it’s important to treat animals with respect.
He holds out his hand again.
She approaches and Shouto’s heart soars for a moment.
She bites his ring finger, hard.
Shouto is heartbroken, how could this perfect little creature treat him like this?
He’s distracted from his heartbreak by a quiet snort and whips his head up to stare at Bakugou.
He’s struggling to hold back a laugh, it almost looks painful. Has Shouto ever seen him genuinely smile? He can’t remember Bakugou Katsuki making any expression more positive and genuine than a smirk before.
Shouto smiles back, a small, quiet little twitch of his lips and politely averts his eyes.
“Hey, can I come visit sometimes? I bet I can get her to like me.”
“Good fucking luck with that Icyhot, also, stay the hell out of my room.”
“I’ll make her a fancy cat tower, one of those ones with a bunch of levels she can climb.”
He glances back up, Bakugou’s face is contemplative, glancing around the fairly small room. He’s no doubt considering the logistics of where to put it.
“It won’t take up much space.”
“Fine, but only on Thursdays, I need my space and I have the idiots on Wednesdays.”
Shouto allows his smile to grow with triumph.
“Deal.”