The Purrfect Companion - Chapter 8

There were few things in the world that Bakugou hated more than when Aizawa sent out a group message to their entire class. It was always about something stupid or inane, something that didn't even affect him – noise complaints from class sleepovers he didn't attend was the big one, he didn't see why he had to be involved in those lectures.

Regardless, he trudged down the stairs with his comfiest hoodie and sweatpants on, ready to sit quietly in the background and escape as soon as possible. He was slightly less tired, after his series of naps and the long night of sleep the night prior, but he still just wanted to chill out with his kitten and his laptop, away from the classmates he'd spent all week with.

“I know none of you have read your student handbooks,” Aizawa began, when everyone was gathered. “I'm not foolish enough to believe any of you would actually read the things – okay Iida, put your hand down, I stand corrected – but there have been some... rumours going around, that I need to address. So I'm going to say this bluntly: There should be no pets in the dorms.”

Bakugou froze, limbs going stiff as he tried not to move, like maybe he wouldn't be seen if he stayed still enough. He expected every head in the room to turn his way, but no one moved a muscle.

“What do you mean, Sensei?” Uraraka spoke up, the picture of innocence. “I don't see any pets.”

“I made an exception for the rabbit, because of Kouda's quirk and because he came to me to discuss it first, but this is not a zoo. You can't just go bringing animals in here all over the place and expect us to be okay with it without even asking permission.”

It took every ounce of Bakugou's willpower to keep breathing steadily, long and slow in an attempt to calm his racing heart and the churning of his stomach.

“Aizawa-sensei,” he spoke up, keeping his voice carefully level. “Can I talk to you?”

“Right now?”

“In private,” he amended, looking up finally to meet the dark eyes that turned his way. “Please.”

He'd always thought it was ridiculous when people said “the magic word”, but in that moment, it really did seem to work like magic. Aizawa stood up without hesitation, nodding, and then Bakugou was following him outside to sit on the front steps.

“Is everything okay, Bakugou?”

“I assume you don't know anything more than rumours, or you would have come to me directly. I'm the one with the cat, and you're right that I should have talked to you first, I just never thought about it. I've met Kouda's rabbit before, so I never really thought to question if it was okay or not.”

“I appreciate your honesty, and-”

“I want your permission to keep her,” he continued quickly, before Aizawa could finish the words he knew were coming. “I don't... I don't know what I'd do, if you said no.”

“Bakugou, it's not as simple as that.”

“I know that. I do. My stupid brain is giving me all these stupid reasons now about allergies and property damage and sh- and stuff I never thought about, but please. I can't do it, I can't give her up. She's the only thing keeping me going right now, the first thing I've found in my entire damn life that has helped with all this stupid anxiety, and I don't know if I can go back to... Everything. I'll ask everyone about allergies and keep her away from their rooms and the common areas, I'll make sure she doesn't do any damage, and if she does, I'll pay for the repairs out of my own pocket. But I need her, Aizawa-sensei.”

It took everything he had in him to get the words out without stupid frustrated tears coming with them, and for a moment they just sat in silence, Bakugou clenching his jaw while Aizawa considered him carefully.

“It's not like you to say please,” he said finally, cracking a smile when Bakugou snorted. “Tell me about this anxiety.”

“Don't you know by now?” Bakugou insisted. “You're gonna make me say it?”

“I want to hear it in your words.”

“Ugh.”

Aizawa waited patiently for him to figure it out, for him to find his own words, and after a long wait, Bakugou nodded.

“It's always been bad,” he admitted. “Since I was... In middle school, I guess. I was a stubborn kid – don't say it, I know – but I was also good at stuff. I had a good quirk, I was intelligent, I got good grades, and if I wasn't good at something, I just kept stubbornly working at it until I was. People got used to me being perfect or whatever, so then I couldn't stop, and that was... A lot, you know?”

“You're a very diligent student, I hope you know that I see how hard you work.”

“You might be the only one,” he admitted. “My parents just think... Whatever, none of that matters. My point is, it stresses me out, and it has every day since I was like twelve years old. And then all that sh- that stuff with the sludge villain, and the sports festival, and USJ, and the League, and Kamino, and... You get the point. I screwed things up, I screwed things up badly, and I might never get accepted as a proper damn hero after all those screw ups, and...”

“And it's eating you up inside?” Aizawa suggested, when Bakugou trailed off. “You should talk about this more, Bakugou. It's not healthy to keep it all bottled up.”

“Who am I even supposed to talk to?!” he demanded, blinking back stubborn, angry tears. “My old man just gets all upset, the hag yells about me being ungrateful, and it's not like anyone in the class wants to hear all my bulls- My baggage. They barely put up with me as it is.”

He paused for a moment, clutching his hands together in his lap and squeezing tight to keep them from trembling.

“Besides, they have the same damn problems. I wasn't the only one at USJ, I wasn't the only one attacked by the league, I'm not the only one affected by All Might's last fight, I just... I don't know how to handle it, I guess, and no matter how hard I try, it seems to be the one damn thing I can't learn. But when people text me saying 'hey can I come cuddle Cat' or 'is Cat awake, can I come play?' I know it's at least helping them so they don't have to feel as shitty as I do, even if it means I have to sit there and listen to them or whatever when I'd rather just be alone to deal with my shit.”

“I'll give you a pass on the language,” Aizawa said quickly, when Bakugou realised his mistake. “You let other people come visit her?”

“Every damn day. She's the most popular member of our class at the moment.”

“And she helps you, too?”

“It's a lot easier to relax when she's purring on top of me or whatever. And she... Ugh I'm so damn cheesy today. She makes me happy, okay? I just... I don't remember smiling as much, before I found her.”

He flooded bright red as he choked the words out, and Aizawa looked away finally, sighing.

“I appreciate you talking to me so maturely about this. I expected you to get angry about it and yell at me, when you said she was yours. I was ready to tell you no, but you've made that a lot more difficult.”

“I wouldn't yell at you,” Bakugou grumbled. “At my classmates, sure, but not at you.”

“You've grown up since you started school here, I'm proud of you. You're becoming a fine young man.”

“Ugh, are you trying to be my Dad?”

Aizawa chuckled, and Bakugou cracked a smile of his own, weak as it was.

“The next time you're struggling,” he began slowly. “When you've bottled up too much and you feel like you're at capacity, come find me. I'll listen to you, even if you think no one else will.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“If no one has allergies, you can keep her here.”

“Wait, really?!” Bakugou's head shot up, eyes wider than Aizawa had ever seen them. “I thought...”

“If she starts interfering with your studies, or your training, she'll be sent to your parents' house before you can even blink.”

“She won't.”

“And you are responsible for taking care of her, keeping her safe, cleaning up after her – everything. You don't get to play with her for a month then get bored of it.”

“I would never.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “I guess we'd better go talk to your classmates.”

“Thank you,” Bakugou said softly, surprising even himself with how gently it came out. “Um, can I just... Can I have a minute?”

“Of course. Come in whenever you're ready.”

With an awkward pat on the shoulder, he left Bakugou to his own devices, stepping back through the doors to face the staring crowd. Bakugou could hear a buzz of nerves from within, quickly replaced with excitement when Aizawa began to speak, but Bakugou just stared at his hands in silence.

“Kacchan?”

He didn't look up, but Midoriya didn't seem to mind, already sitting down. He sat a lot closer than Aizawa had, reaching out to touch his arm.

“You must have done a good job, Aizawa-sensei just told us she can stay.”

“Yeah.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Bakugou gritted his teeth, shaking his head, and Midoriya smiled as he stroked lightly at Bakugou's sleeve.

“Did you tell him about the nightmares?”

“Not exactly.”

“Oh, the anxiety?”

Bakugou paused, then nodded just once, feeling Midoriya's hand tighten a little around his arm.

“I'm proud of you, Kacchan. I know it's not easy to talk about it.”

“Whatever.”

“I mean it! Kacchan is amazing!”

“Your standards are low.”

“They're not,” Midoriya laughed. “You're just amazing.”

“Whatever,” Bakugou huffed. “It was no big deal, he was just preaching all this shit about talking to people or whatever. Not like anyone wants to hear it.”

“I do,” Midoriya corrected him stubbornly. “You know I do. If Kacchan has a problem, no matter how small, I want to try and help!”

“I don't need your help.”

“You don't have to need it. I'm happy to give it even if you don't need it. Talk to me, okay? Please, Kacchan?”

“I'll think about it.”

“Thank you.”

“Dumb nerd, don't thank me for that shit.”

“Sorry,” Midoriya giggled. “Are you ready to come inside? Sato is making pancakes to celebrate.”

“To celebrate what?”

“Cat staying, of course! We're excited!”

Bakugou sighed, but conceded a nod all the same, pretending not to notice the way Midoriya helped him to his feet.

“Alright, I guess I could eat a pancake.”

“You should bring her down to celebrate with us! Oh, um, no one has allergies – Aizawa-sensei asked when he came in. So you can bring her downstairs still!”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, nerd,” Bakugou shoved him lightly, but his scowl was non-existent when he glanced over. “Okay.”