Chapter Text
~*~
The car spun out, the wheels squeaked, and it crashed right into a second car. Katsuki could see nothing but white. The pain hit next and quickly after silence….
~*~
Katsuki Bakugo woke early that morning, another nightmare from that horrid night. He took a deep breath and clutched his chest. The car accident had only been two years ago, and it had changed his life in more ways than one. Not just physically, but mentally too. He almost cherished it.
He was convinced it was payback for being a bully when he was younger. An asshole to his childhood friend, so much so that the boy went to a different school after 9th grade. At the time, he didn’t know why he had bullied the green-haired kid, not until later, when he was older and really started to think about his life.
He slowly started to change into a better person. He started to grow and realize how wrong he had been. However, he had no way of contacting Izuku to apologize in person. The kid wouldn’t add him on Facebook either, so Katsuki set it aside. He had hoped one day he could reach out to the guy, but he wasn’t going to force it.
So he continued his education, going to college. His dream was to be an engineer and to maybe one day work for NASA. He had been steadily on that path until two years ago. It was late November, and he was on his way home from work when a drunk driver hit his car, causing a massive multicar accident on the highway.
Katsuki had died that night, but the doctors were able to restart his heart. He lost sight in his right eye, and about 80% of function in his right arm. Even now, he was on a status 6 waiting list for a heart. Though stable, the accident had done a bit too much damage to his heart for him to live with it for his whole life.
It was scarry but Katsuki wasn’t going to let that hold him back. Not much at least. He was following the rules, eating healthy, keeping to light exercise, and just trying to live. For the most part, he lived a somewhat normal life. He had just gotten his own apartment, sort of, and he had a job. Plus, he was still taking classes, but primarily online.
He worked in a café just off the campus of U.A. and lived in the basement apartment. On the top floor apartment was his uncle Tsunagu Hakamada, or Jean for short. Katsuki hadn’t wanted to go home to his parents after his accident and rehab. There was too much backlash and fights with his mother that it had stressed him too much.
So he reached out to his uncle Tsunagu if he could stay with him. It wasn’t easy, as Katsuki had given Tsunagu a bit of trouble in high school. However, the man accepted on the condition that Katsuki ran the café in the evening shifts so he could work on his fashion designs. It was why Tsunagu earned the nickname jean from. The man made the best jeans in the country.
Katsuki had agreed, and though it had only been a few months, he felt things were slowly getting better. The first year in Katsuki’s recovery had been the hardest. Though once he got past that first 11 months, it started to get easier. He started to see life again. Accepting the physical disabilities of his body.
His arm was in slow recovery, having to do physical therapy twice a week, with a possible surgery needed in the future. He couldn’t really use that hand to do much, and learning to use his left hand had been hard but he managed. He was managing. Moving forward.
It was all he could do. He had realized quickly that living in a dark room and being depressed hadn’t helped. He couldn’t stop just because something bad happened. He couldn’t allow himself to fall deeper into depression just because he had gotten hurt. So, he taught himself how to live even if it was just a little bit.
Katsuki’s alarm went off then, and he looked at it. He reached over, turning it off. Then he grabbed his phone to check for any messages or missed calls. One missed call from his mother. That was something he didn’t want to deal with. He got out of bed, moving slowly as he made it to his small bathroom. It was time to start his day.
Since it was Saturday, he worked a full day at the café. It was the only day of the week when he worked the café from open to close. It was also the only day the café was open from 10 AM to 6 PM. He really didn’t mind. It kept him moving and kept his thoughts from wandering down a dark path. It was his favorite day of the week.
He showered, brushed his teeth, dressed, and made himself breakfast. Using his left hand to scramble his eggs, fry his bacon, and butter his toast with little struggle. Every day, he got better using his left arm, and he was almost as good as he was with his right. The struggle was having to open things with one hand.
His right arm wasn’t completely useless. He was now able to hold small objects with it, and his grip was getting better day by day. Right now, he had his injured arm wrapped, and he kept it close to his chest. Usually, he would use a sling, but he found it was easier to hold it in place himself. His right hand gripped his shirt sleeve near his left shoulder.
He felt that forcing his right hand to grip something, even if it was just fabric, helped to strengthen it. So for most of the time, Katsuki kept his right arm against his chest, and his hand clutched at his right sleeve on the shoulder. He thought it was better than to let it hang at his side all the time.
He still did that, of course, let his arm hang, but usually when he was out. While working, he felt it was better to keep it up. Sometimes he wore a sling, but usually that bothered him. So, he just clutched his shirt, making it more comfortable.
Once he finished making his breakfast, he carried his plate to the table. Then proceeded to make his coffee, taking that over next. His phone began to ring, and he answered it, putting it on speaker. “Yo.”
“Morning bro!” Eijiro’s voice rang on the other end. “It’s you, Denki, and me today, right?”
“Mornin',” Katsuki said, listening to his friend as he took his first bite. “Mhm, yeah. You two better not be late either. I’ll be up to start prep in like 20 minutes.”
“Nah, already getting ready, man! How’s your morning so far?”
“It’s fine,” Katsuki said as he grabbed his coffee, taking a few gulps before setting it down. “I’m just eating breakfast. Yours?”
“Just finished mine. What are we doing for the lunch special?”
“Soba, since it’s getting warmer, Uncle Jean thought that would be refreshing,” Katsuki said in between bites. Eijiro had been his best friend for a few years now. The guy had been there for his accident even. They had met in high school and hit it off quickly. Eijiro was the one who showed Katsuki what a real friend was. He was the one who opened Katsuki’s eyes on how much of a dick he had been to Izuku.
He was also one of the only ones who knew Katsuki’s past. Even still, Eijiro didn’t think anything less of Katsuki. Instead, it helped them to get closer. Katsuki would do anything for his friend. However, it was also the reason he turned the redhead down when Eijiro asked him out in their senior year.
It wasn’t that Katsuki didn’t find the guy attractive because he did. It was that, if things had ever gone sour, he could have lost his best friend. Katsuki didn’t want that. It had sucked but Eijiro understood and moved on. Not that he was dating anyone, but his romantic feelings for Katsuki were no longer present. Then after Katsuki’s accident he realized what Katsuki needed was a friend and not a romantic partner.
“Soba? You hate soba,” Eijiro laughed on the other end.
“Wasn’t my idea. Jean told me to do it. He is boss,” Katsuki snorted, plopping a piece of bacon into his mouth. It wasn’t something he could eat a lot of, but now and then he enjoyed a couple of pieces. He didn’t want to let go of everything he enjoyed. It was bad enough he had to cut down on spicy food.
“Sure, so I’ll see you in about 20 then?”
“Yeah,” Katsuki answered. “Once I finish eating and whatnot.”
“Alright, sounds good, man! See you then!”
“Bye,” Katsuki said, and he pressed the red hang-up button on his phone. Silence once again filled the room, and he let it soothe him. Taking the moment he had to himself before he had to work for the next 9 and half hours. It was a long day, and his body was always sore and tired after, but it was the long days when he felt himself. He didn’t feel weak.
~*~
Three hours into the shift, the lunch rush passed, and Katsuki finally sat down for a moment to have a small meal for himself. He was sitting at the far back booth, a sandwich and iced tea in front of him. Not long after he took a few bites of his sandwich, the chime to the door rang, and Katsuki glanced over. “Right over,” he said, whipping his mouth with his napkin and he stood.
“I can get it, Kats,” Eijiro called from the back.
“I got it!” Katsuki said, making his way over to the front counter. He paused when he saw the guy who walked in. He was tall and handsome. The guy had short hair, but it was split into two colors. One half was a shocking white, while the other half was a dark red. His eyes were also split. His right looked to be dark gray, while the left was a bright blue. What also stood out was the scar on the guy's left side, covering the eye area.
Though red, it didn’t take away from the man’s looks. In truth, it added to his beauty. Katsuki turned his head to the side just a bit to look at him. “Heterochromia and poliosis, or do you just dye your hair that way?” Katsuki questioned, letting his right arm slowly drop to his side as he pulled out a menu.
The guy looked surprised as Katsuki spoke, and he looked on at Katsuki for a moment, then took the menu in hand. “Not many people know either of those terms. It is indeed poliosis and heterochromia.”
“Well, I’m not like most people. I actually pay attention in biology,” Katsuki snorts and nods towards the booths at his left. “You can choose where you want to sit. Take a moment to look over the menu, and I’ll be right over.”
“Oh, sure,” The guy said, their eyes meeting for a moment before he glanced at Katsuki’s name tag. “Thanks, Bakugo,” he said and started to turn away, but he stopped and glanced at Katsuki once more. “When do you close?”
Katsuki raised a brow at each action the guy had made. Katsuki wasn’t sure if the guy was just awkward or just that forward normally. He grinned, though, and stood straight. “We close at six.”
“Is it all right if I stay and work on schoolwork until then?” the guy questioned.
As the café was near campus, it was common for people to work there and on their schoolwork. Which as long as they ordered something and not just water, it was fine. However, for some reason, if this guy didn’t order anything, he would probably say yes either way. He was captured by the man’s looks, and it was the first time Katsuki had thought someone was this attractive in a long while. “For you, sweetheart, yeah. Yeah, you can stay and do your work.”
“Thanks,” the guy said, his face staying calm, and he looked almost bored. Little did Katsuki know he was actually rather confused by the nickname. He moved away from the counter, looking at the menu as he sat down, setting his computer bag on the table.
Katsuki tapped his fingers on the counter, his eyes lingering just a bit at the handsome man, and he let out a soft sigh. He then lifted his right arm, once more gripping his shirt. He needed to eat, but he also needed to work. He grabbed his half-eaten sandwich, taking another bite before bringing it back into the kitchen.
“You want me to take that guy's order so you can finish that?” Denki questioned, watching Katsuki.
“No,” Katsuki quickly answered, setting the plate down at the back counter. He grabbed his sandwich and took a few more bites. “I got him. I can eat when his order is put in. Guy is going to be doing work anyway.”
“Oh, if you are sure,” Denki said and shrugged his shoulders. He returned to the dishes he was washing, focusing on his work.
“Looks familiar,” Eijiro said as he peeked out at the guy. For the moment, he was the only customer. The lunch rush had just ended, and this was usually a downtime for them to catch up on any phone orders they may get.
“Go back to cutting your tomatoes. He probably goes to the same school we do,” Katsuki snorts, as he takes another bite of his sandwich. He swallowed slowly and then leaned away from the counter. “Alright, I’m going to see if he figured out what he wanted.”
He stepped out of the back and towards the guy’s table. He adjusted his right hand as best he could to hold the notebook and pen in his left hand. “Did you decide on anything?”
“Oh, yeah,” The guy started, and he looked up at Katsuki. “Your pear matcha iced tea, and is the soba still available?”
“It is,” Katsuki confirmed as he wrote down the guy’s drink order. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes. Cold, please?”
“Sure,” Katsuki said, feeling better knowing this guy was actually ordering something and not just using the place to do work. “Anything else? Like a side of shrimp? Rice?”
“Rice is fine, thank you,” The guy said and went to hand Katsuki the menu back.
“One sec,” Katsuki said, putting his pen away and then his notebook. He grabbed the menu after what felt a little too long but didn’t apologize. He couldn’t help it. The guy didn’t say anything, so he assumed it was fine. He gave a polite smile and walked away. “Yo Eijiro, get a pear Macha tea ready for me?” he called out to his friend.
“Yep,” Eijiro called back.
“What else did he order?” Denki asked, his hands covered in suds.
“Soba with a side of rice,” Katsuki said as he went to the cooking area to start making the order. “Hold on,” he mumbled to himself, using one arm to grab what he needed. Once he had everything out, he started to prepare the guy's food.
Katsuki moved slowly, but with practice, ease, and a concentrated look on his face. He glanced back at Denki. “Dry your hands and help me plate.”
“Yep,” Denki said without missing a beat. He was next to Katsuki in seconds, grabbing the right plates to use and the trey to put them on. The two worked in harmony, having done this a million times before. Once the tray was set with drink and food, Denki lifted it, setting it on top of Katsuki’s left hand. “Got it?”
“Yeah,” Katsuki said, and with practiced ease, he only just gotten the hang of it a few months back, balanced the tray on his good hand and carried it out to the guy’s table. “Alright, sweetheart, here we go, some Soba and pear matcha iced tea.”
Shoto looked up from his laptop, and he pushed it back and out of the way. He watched as Katsuki set the tray down first, having to bend his knees a bit to set it right on the table. He didn’t question why Katsuki primarily only used his left hand, as he thought it would be rude. “Thanks,” he said, eyes landing on the soba. “It looks good.”
“Should be, I made it,” Katsuki said as he grabbed the tray again. “Just let me know if you need anything else.”
“Ah sure,” The guy said as he grabbed his chopsticks and he paused, looking at Katsuki. “Oh, my name is Shoto.”
Katsuki glanced at him then, and a smirk formed on his face. “Is that a given name?”
“Yeah, I don’t like to use my last name if I can help it. My father is a dick,” Shoto said simply and he slurped some noodles as if he didn’t just say something a bit personal to a stranger.
Katsuki thought it was amusing, but they all had skeletons in the closet after all. “How about I stick with sweetheart?” he winked and then stepped away. He wasn’t sure why flirting with the guy was a good idea, but for some reason it just felt right. Though knowing his luck, it would somehow backfire in his face.
~*~
It was almost closing time, and Katsuki was busying himself by sweeping the floors in the front. It was one thing he could do with his right arm. Holding the top of a broom as he guided the stick with his left hand. He had just finished half the store when he glanced over to see that Shoto was still there, sitting in the booth, coffee almost gone, and asleep.
“The hell?” Katsuki questioned as he approached the table. Now that he was closer, Shoto was indeed dozing off as he sat there. He sighed and reached over to nudge the guy’s shoulder. “Hey.”
Shoto opened his eyes and blinked, then he looked up at Katsuki. “Sorry?”
“It’s fine, but we close in 15, thought you should know,” Katsuki said, dropping his arm to his side. It hurt just doing that little bit of movement. However, it was good to keep trying new things.
“Oh,” Shoto said, tearing his eyes off Katsuki and he looked at his computer. He sighed, saving his file and turning the laptop off. “Do you close every day at six?”
“No, just Saturdays. We are closed Sundays and open from Monday to Thursday and open until 10 on Fridays,” Katsuki explained. “Planning on coming back?”
“I think so. I liked the food, and the drinks I had were good too,” Shoto admitted, and he brought his attention back to Katsuki, smiling at the blonde. “But I do need a place to study in the afternoons or evenings, some days. So, I may just make it here.”
“Why not? A lot of students do,” Katsuki commented as he stepped out of the way so Shoto could get out of the booth. He led Shoto over to the register so the man could pay for his meal and the couple of drinks he had. “Though I should warn you, Soba isn’t always on the menu.”
“It was the special today, right?” Shoto asked as he pulled out his wallet. “That’s ok. It is my favorite and I admit it’s what caught my attention. But I am ok trying other things too. Um How much?”
“Thirteen-twenty-two,” Katsuki answered, and he took the cash Shoto offered, putting it into the cash register. He then handed the man his change. “There you go, sweetheart. Remember, we are closed tomorrow, so perhaps I’ll see you on Monday?”
“Yeah. After class, I’ll come in,” Shoto said, and he waved a hand, giving Katsuki a small smile and a wave.
Katsuki watched the man leave, his eyes lingering on his backside just for a moment. His cheeks turned a little pink, and he sighed. He had to be careful, but at the same time, he didn’t want to hold back. He didn’t even know if the guy liked other guys. He barely knew his name.
Still, Katsuki was intrigued and had another reason to look forward to Monday. He had the afternoon shift, so he would hopefully see Shoto then. If not, it would be a real shame. He lowered his gaze and wondered if he should even bother.
When the guy walked in, Katsuki’s breath was taken away for a second. Though that could have very well been part of his heart issue. Though Shoto’s striking looks were mesmerizing. Still, it didn’t mean the guy was gay either. Shoto could very well be straight. Though he didn’t seem to be irritated by Katsuki calling him sweetheart.
“Kats, are we closing?” Eijiro questioned as he made his way out of the back room. There were no more customers in the building, so they could safely lock the doors if they wanted to.
“Yeah,” Katsuki said, his eyes going to the broom he had left against the wall. “Let’s finish up and get out of here.”
“Denki clean up time!” Eijiro called to the back, his smile growing.
“Hell yeah!” Denki could be heard cheering from the back.
Katsuki rolled his eyes, but he smiled. Out of all his workers, these were the two he liked to work with the most. They knew how to work around his bum arm better than anyone. Even if they could get annoying when together, Katsuki also knew they were true friends and would be there for him. As they had been this far.
~*~
Shoto unlocked his apartment door and opened it with ease. “I’m home,” he said and closed the door behind him. He slid his shoes off first, then entered further into his apartment. It was quiet but his roommate’s shoes were at the door so he knew the other man was home. “Izuku?”
“Yeah, sorry! I was just making something to eat,” Izuku said as he stepped out of their kitchen. He grinned at Shoto. “How was studying?”
“Good, I got a lot done actually,” Shoto said as he sat his laptop case down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch.
“Found a café on U.A drive and saw their special was soba, so I went in. It’s really nice in there. I think it’s called Jean’s Dine-In.”
“Oh! I heard of that place. Ochako was just telling me about it this afternoon. She goes there with Asui and her friends from time to time. They say the guy who works there is rather entertaining,” Izuku said, sounding a bit excited.
“Entertaining?” Shoto questioned, looking over at his roommate. “How so?”
“Well, apparently, he isn’t afraid of taking rude customers and even yells back at them; he likes to balance things like he has something to prove, and often has fights with his staff in the back. Plus, if the place is dead and close to closing, you can hear him sing in the back. Did you experience any of that?” Izuku questioned.
Shoto shook his head. “The guy who waited on me, he did balance a lot using one arm. I don’t think it was to show off, though. I think one arm is hurt, I think? I could be wrong, though. It was also quiet. A few people came in, but no one caused trouble. I also didn’t hear singing. But the guy did call me sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart? That’s weird,” Izuku said, wrinkling his nose. “Like flirting with you?”
“I don’t know. At first, I think because he didn’t know my name. Perhaps he was teasing,” Shoto said, sitting back against the couch and looking at the ceiling. “He was handsome.”
“So maybe not that weird…, what did he look like?” Izuku asked, curious.
“Blonde, and red-ish eyes. One eye was red, but the other looked glossy, faded even? It suited him, though, like rough-looking but handsome,” Shoto said, and he turned his head to glance at Izuku. “I’m going back Monday.”
“Huh, I guess whatever floats your boat. I don’t think I can go on Monday, but if you go any other time of the week, maybe we can go together?” Izuku questioned.
“Maybe if you want. The food was good. The atmosphere was quiet, and the service, at least for me, wasn’t bad either,” Shoto said as he thought about his time there. He didn’t pay too much attention to the surroundings as he focused on work. However, Bakugo had asked him a few times if he needed anything. Other than requesting a coffee and filling the mug twice, he didn’t need much else.
“That’s good. A lot of people do seem to like it there,” Izuku said, realizing he needed to try the place out sooner than later. “Maybe I can make it sometimes after class this week.”
“I plan on going on Monday for sure. Depending on my schedule, I might go one or two more times in the week,” Shoto said, and he looked at his phone. He had it on silent the whole time he was there. “My father didn’t come by, did he?”
“No,” Izuku said, shaking his head. “Why?”
“No reason, just a miss call from him,” Shoto said, and he stood from the couch. “I’m going to finish the last of my report in my room, send him away if he does come by,” he said, grabbing his laptop case and taking it with him towards his bedroom.
“Yep, I’m going to finish making some curry. Do you want any?” Izuku asked as he stood up, heading back towards the kitchen.
“Oh, perhaps? Let me know when it’s done.” Shoto asked, stopping at the door to his room.
“Sure… oh, and Shoto, did you get the guy's name at least?” Izuku asked.
“Yeah, it sounds familiar? I think he might be in one of my classes, though I don’t think I’ve seen him before. It’s Bakugo. K.” Shoto answered his face neutral as he looked at Izuku.
Izuku, however, went cold when he heard the name; his big green eyes widened, and he had to brace himself on the doorframe. “Bakugo K? As it might be, Katsuki?”
Shoto paused to think. “One of his workers did call him ‘Kats.’ So it is possible. Why, do you know him?”
Izuku lowered his gaze to the floor, and he nodded. He should have known when he moved back that he might run into Katsuki again. He had been living there for a year now but hadn’t seen the blonde once. He thought maybe for a moment he had left the city or died or something. A small bit of hope, probably. “I used to,” he said, voice low. “We went to school together as kids.”
“Oh,” Shoto said, thinking back to the conversations he and Izuku had about their childhood. He paused and looked at Izuku, realization hitting him. “Your bully?”
“Yeah,” Izuku nodded slow and he leaned away from the doorway. He smiled at Shoto then. “But you know, we’re older now. Maybe he’s changed.”
“Maybe,” Shoto said, and he tore his gaze away from Izuku and glanced at the floor. Now he wondered if he should go to the café or not. He really enjoyed his time there today, even if he mostly worked. Katsuki didn’t seem like a bad person, but they also didn’t talk much either. Izuku was his best friend; he didn’t want to betray him by going.
“Well, if you don’t want to go to the café now, I won't try and force you,” Shoto then said, his eyes back on Izuku.
“Oh, I mean I might not… but maybe if I am with others, it’ll be ok,” Izuku said and shrugged his shoulders. “Plus, it’s been years. I am not afraid of Kaacchan anymore.”
“Good,” Shoto smiled, and he glanced at his bedroom. “I’ll let you cook for now.”
“Yeah, ok,” Izuku said, unsure what else to even say. He couldn’t force his friends not to go to a café they liked just because he had a bully who worked there. The said bully may not even remember who Izuku was. That or even be the same person he was in middle school. He just had to accept the fact that he’d be seeing the guy again.
It would be ok.
~*~
TBC...