Bakugou POV
It doesn't feel like a home at all, her apartment. The living room is bare other than a bamboo mat, a small coffee table, a single cushion, and a punching bag. I know she lives alone, but Jesus Christ. The kitchen is just as bare, save two bowls, a couple of plates, a beat-up pot, and a beat-up pan.
The idiot ducks into the bathroom to change.
I don't want to seem like a creep but...I peek into her room. Just as I thought, her room is barren. Save a small tattered woven rug by the nightstand, the room only contains a nightstand, a mattress, a rickety desk, and a dog bed. A single blanket and pillow lay on the mattress. A smashed, non-functional alarm clock sits on her nightstand as the only real decoration other than the threadbare rug and the large dog bed in the corner of the room. Books and schoolwork sit neatly piled on the edge of her desk, the most personal thing in the entire apartment.
I didn't realize her living situation was so bad. It's not messy or trashed, it's just...empty. It makes me wonder about how she felt in my house, cluttered with stupid pictures and unnecessary decorations that my mother collected over the years. Her home feels cold. Not even curtains on the windows. Like no one lives here. There's even another bedroom. It's a bit smaller, and almost completely empty, only containing an electric keyboard, a few moving boxes, and some weird instrument cases. Almost all of them seem to just be collecting dust.
With the sun beginning to set, the apartment grows dark, seeming more like an empty shell. How can anyone live like this? Kai walks out of the bathroom in shorts and the hoodie I lent her. She's pulled the top half of her hair into a small bun. She moves unfazed through the skeleton of an apartment, though she freezes to turn to me.
"Were you just standing in the dark? I didn't turn the lights on, did I?"
"Of course you didn't turn on the lights, dumbass."
She wrinkles her nose, "Well, I'm sorry, dumbass, I don't normally turn on the lights." She lowers her head, "I mean, why would I? It's not like I can really tell the difference between light and dark. It saves money on the electrical bill anyways."
"Tch. Whatever. Let's just go. Are you ready?"
"Almost. Let me get Sora's vest on." From a series of hooks by the door, she grabs a service dog vest as well as the harness. She straps him in quickly, the dog tapping his feet back and forth happily. Kai chuckles, grabbing a simple black wallet and shoving it in her pocket.
"Ready?" I say, feeling slightly irritated at how long she's taking.
"Calm down, blasty. Grab my keys on the counter?" She asks. I reach across the counter and hand her the keys, noticing the small Eraserhead keychain attached. Before I can ask about it, she swings open the door. Locking the door behind us, Kai shows me to the nearest store. It seems a little ridiculous, considering I'm following the blind girl around the busy city at night.
"How much money do you have for groceries?"
"20,000 Yen." She adjusts her grip on Sora's harness, "I just received my weekly allowance yesterday, so I haven't bought anything."
"Are you five years old? Weekly allowance from what?"
"Think about it, dumbass." She rolls her eyes, "I live alone on someone else's funds. I have a legal guardian that sends me grocery money once a week. He pays my rent, too."
"Tch. That's basically a sugar daddy. Weirdo."
Kai recoils, wrinkling her nose, "Ew. Please never call him that again. I hate the guy."
"So why exactly is he your legal guardian?"
Kai shrugs, "The government has basically deemed me too dangerous to live with normal civilians. I had two options: allow myself to be 'adopted' by a pro hero so they could keep me under control, or surrender myself to a 'scientific testing facility'. I didn't feel like being some lab rat, so I chose the hero option. But only one hero was willing to take me in." She shakes her head, as if dismissing a stray thought, "I won't complain. He basically stays out of my life other than his monthly report for the government. His assistant drops off my grocery money. We can pretty much ignore each other."
I can tell there's more to her story. Things she's not telling me. Reasons for why she lives the way she does, the reason her parents aren't in her life. I want to ask, but even I know that's a deep conversation that's best to be avoided. We've only known each other a few days, it's none of my damn business. Even now, talking about this strange guardian of hers, her expression looks lost. What the hell has she had to endure?
When we get to the grocery store, I grab a shopping basket and tell Kai to follow me. I start searching the shelves, "Do you know what meal prep is?"
"I understand the idea." She mumbles quietly, stepping closer to me. She must not like public places.
"I'll put together some simple meals for the week so your dumbass doesn't pass out again." I flip over a bottle of sesame oil to examine the label, "If I'm going to beat you in a fight, I want it to be completely fair. Plus, the idea of you having Korean Ramyun everyday is making my cholesterol spike just thinking about it."
"You sound like a damn grandpa."
"Then take care of yourself, dumbass. It's not that hard."
"Tch." The girl rolls her eyes, "I'd like to see you try to cook blindfolded."
Right. It's easy to forget she's blind. Even with her guide dog right here with us, she just seems so...carefree. If I saw her as a stranger on the street, I would never be able to guess she was blind. She taps her fingers lightly against a box of energy drinks before lifting them into the basket, "I promise I don't drink these daily. It's just for when I overexert my quirk. I can sense your judgment from here, sparky."
"Tch. Then make better choices. You're gonna die of a heart attack before you graduate."
"Isn't that why you're here? Keep me from dying or some shit?" She skips down the aisle with Sora before turning back with a small smile, "Thank you, Bakugou. I do genuinely appreciate this. Do I need to pay you or something? I don't want to owe you anything."
My cheeks warm slightly, so I turn my head away from her, "Whatever. As long as I get that rematch with you at full strength."
She grins, "Deal."
Kai POV
When we get back to my apartment, arms full of groceries, I'm curious as to what's next. It's getting late. Bakugou grudgingly takes on the task of putting the groceries away while I fill Sora's food and water.
"I'll come back tomorrow to finish meal prep. Every one of the meals should be easy to reheat." Bakugou murmurs quietly, putting the fresh fruits and vegetables in the fridge, "I'll take some of this stuff home so I can just prepare some of it tonight and tomorrow morning."
"Don't come too early. Since they canceled school tomorrow, and because I'm so drained, I'll probably sleep in."
"Tch. I'll call you." The boy finishes and heads towards the door, kicking on his shoes.
I frown, "Wait. You have my number?" I had a few of my classmates' numbers. I rarely text them, though, seeing as texting is such a hassle for me. Mina and Kirishima both acquired my phone number after asking for homework help. That night, I sat on call with them for hours, helping them with homework. I have Todoroki's number, though we shared all of one conversation. Other than that, I don't have anyone else's number.
The short-tempered boy freezes in the open doorway, not speaking for a moment before clicking his tongue, "So what if I do?"
"Well..." The corners of my mouth twitch as I try not to smile, "How did you get it?"
"Shitty Hair sent it to me. I didn't ask him for it, I don't know why the idiot gave me your number." The boy shuffles out the door, "Get some damn sleep, idiot." He mumbles a quiet goodnight before leaving.
Like a switch, the moment the door shuts, exhaustion overwhelms me. I lock the door and get ready for bed. Sora trots around by my side, happily nuzzling my leg while I brush my teeth. I give him a dental dog treat, meant to freshen his breath and keep his teeth healthy. I absently pet between his ears while I finish brushing my teeth.
"You better not start liking Bakugou more than me." I jokingly scold Sora. He innocently nudges my leg with his wet nose. With Sora following, I walk to my room and plop into bed. My muscles are sore, my bruised arms tender to the touch.
I hate sleeping. Well, I like sleeping, but I hate the process. The moment I lay down and start to go to sleep, my brain swims with thoughts. Thoughts that I push towards the back of my mind during the day. Normally they're accompanied by bad memories and a darker part of me that I can't bear to reveal to anyone. The cycle of dark thoughts, followed by restless sleep, and inevitable nightmares that pull me back to consciousness in a cold sweat.
My fingertips skim across my bruised and scarred arms. I hadn't crossed paths with Tomura Shigaraki in over two years.
Why now?
It took a lot to get here. A year and a half of recovering. Of being abrasive, not trusting anyone, of hating everyone including myself. And then... I got into UA High School. The opportunity for a fresh start laid itself at my feet. I told myself I would start smiling, start talking to people. I wouldn't let Them control my life anymore. I was finally feeling free from Their grasp.
Kurogiri's words were like a punch to the stomach, "Of course they're worried, they're your parents, they love you. Though they'll be heartbroken to hear you've chosen this path. And UA of all places."
I'm not free. Not yet. Not until I've finished Them.
I never wanted to be a hero. It was simply the best way to go after Them and make them pay for what they did to me—to us. I never wanted to be a hero. But I know what it is to wish for a hero, to wish to be saved.
I promised I would stand by Their side. Broken promise. I promised Tomura Shigaraki I would stand behind him and have his back. Broken promise. I promised my sister I would protect her...
Broken promise.