For Existential_CrisisTM! I hope you enjoy! I know I'm behind on One Shot's hahdiahldskf please have mercy on me. I'm getting around to them I swear. Senioritis is eating away at what's left of my soul-
Third person pov
Everyday on his way back from UA high school, Katsuki passes the same place on the way to his neighborhood. It's not a noteworthy place by any means. It's tucked away between a cafe and a sign-printing shop that looks on the verge of closing. the only reason it caught his attention in particular was due to the large bay window in the front that showcased the multitude of vibrant flowers on the inside. It's not that he was particularly fond of plants or anything of that sort. There was just... so much life. It wasn't a very popular part of town. Most buildings were run down, but this one...
The first few times he walked by, he spared only a passing glance. Everyday there seemed to be new flowers around and about, hanging from the ceiling, sprouting from boxes on the walls, springing out from pots littering the ground. It was cluttered in a manner nearly welcoming. It was like a small greenhouse. Looking through that bay window was like looking into a whole other world. And after a week of passing by, he spotted something that only made the place seem more ethereal.
There was a girl sitting on her knees in front of one of the planter boxes pushed against a wall. She looked to be around his age, with big, round blue eyes that seemed almost unnatural in their vividness, and long, black hair that was pulled up into a ponytail that seemed to be falling apart. Freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of her nose, delicate and precise. Her features were soft, with rounded cheekbones and lips that were set just right. She had a smudge of dirt on her cheek as she focused intently on her work, not seeming to notice the blonde boy gawking at her outside.
Bakugo had realized he was staring and spun on his heel, marching off in a pissed off manner despite being far from angry. He felt... floored, if he was being completely honest with himself. He hadn't really ever had crushes in the past. Back then, he'd been more focused on his goal to become Number One. Now that he was in UA, a number of things had occurred to him. Between the USJ attack and the fact that he was no longer the strongest kid in class, he'd been forced to re-prioritize. Was life really about just being the best? Was there more to it? He felt... less cocky now and less full of himself. He was more contemplative, if nothing else.
He kept passing by that shop. He peered deeper in, and realized the girl was often times behind the counter. Sometimes she was trimming small bonsai trees or grooming a bouquet. Other times, there'd be a customer there. He'd watch her enthusiastically rush around, taking various flowers from buckets perched on the wall and forming them into meaningful bundles that would make the customer smile wide and nod thankfully at her. He didn't know who she was, but he found himself quickly enraptured.
It became a daily routine to pass by, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his posture slouched. He'd always slow down as he got closer, observing the shop sign over the door. It was wooden, with green curling letters that spelled out the name "Lillian" as the name of the shop. Was that the girl's name? Her mother's? He wanted to know, but didn't want to go in. He felt oddly nervous. It irritated him. Why was he feeling so self conscious?
Contrary to Bakugo Katsuki's belief, he had been noticed by the girl. Lillian Aizawa had always loved flowers. When she was a baby, she was dropped off at her father's front doorstep and left there. He raised her on his own, juggling hero work. It became apparent early on that she had an affinity for growing plants. She loved them. The language of the flowers was astounding to her. When she was only nine years old, they moved from her father's old apartment to the one above this shop. Instead of studying at a traditional high school, she was instead doing classes on the side, orchestrated by Nezu from UA. She had plans to become a hero, even with her love of flowers. Her father was an amazing man-- with a quirk like hers, she could save people too.
She wasn't dumb. In fact, she liked to think she was quite observant. Not that it was hard to miss someone staring through the only real window in your very small store. She recognized him only slightly. He was one of her father's students. He had an explosion quirk, and her dad complained endlessly about what a little jackass he was. Looking through the window and into her store, she didn't think he looked all that terrible! She'd considered telling her dad about him stopping daily, but with the USJ and his injuries... well, the last thing she wanted to do was stress him out!
That being said, she started to look forward to seeing him, just a little. It was nice to see someone else seem so interested in her little world. His eyes would climb across every flower and take it all in. He seemed just as intrigued with plants as she was! She almost wanted to go outside to say hello, but was a little too nervous to. Surely he'd come in and initiate contact if that's what he wanted. According to her father, he was bold and rather egotistical. He was probably just there to observe. Someone like him wouldn't want to be friends with someone like her.
Time passed on. As the Sports Festival approached, it was decided it would be best to integrate Lillian before that. She trained after school hours when it was dark out with her father and almost-step-dad. They hadn't gotten married or anything yet. Lillian wasn't even sure they'd confessed! But she wasn't blind; they were in love. It was only a matter of time before Hizashi moved in and made himself her second dad. Or mom, if he preferred, for the sake of making things less confusing.
One evening, Bakugo found himself almost tripping on his way to the flower shop. Because you see, there was a problem. The cute girl he'd sort-of-kind-of-not-really-but-definitely fallen in love with via observation was outside. She was working on a display, hanging different ferns and flowers on a rack happily. She seemed content and focused on her work. Katsuki could only standt here. Should he cross the street to avoid her? Or keep going? No-- he wasn't a pussy. Besides, better now than later? They didn't even have to talk. He was just going to walk by.
So he did. He took his usual stance and began to slink forward, trying and failing not to stare at her. Almost as though Lillian sensed her coming, she turned those big, blue eyes on him. Bakugo felt his heart stop. He couldn't do this. She was staring at him and he felt like he was about to keel over. What would shitty hair say about him if he could see him now? Surely something about being unmanly. He just felt frozen under her curious gaze.
"H-Hello?" The girl stuttered hesitantly, drawing him from his daze. He probably looked like an idiot, standing there and gaping at her like she was some sort of shock. Which she sort of was, btu she didn't need to know he thought that! Fuck! He wanted to bang his head against a wall. How was it that he could almost singe Pinky's skin off and blast 3D Printer Bitch ten feet into the air, but couldn't even look this girl in the eye. "A-Are you okay?"
"Hah?" Bakugo drew back, and she jumped slightly. "Why the fuck wouldn't I be?"
The girl flushed with embarrassment, and Bakugo cursed himself. Fuck. Abort! Mission abort! This shit was by no means part of the plan. Hell, this was not how shit was supposed to go. What did he do? Apologize? Right, that's what you did when you upset someone. You said sorry, they said it was okay, and you moved on. Or that's what his mom had said all of one times when he was a child.
"Sorry." He grumbled awkwardly, averting her eyes. "I'm Katsuki Bakugo."
"I-I'm Lillian." Lillian wasn't sure if she should tack Aizawa on the end of that or if it would scare him away. "A-And it's okay."
They fell into an awkward silence. Lillian fiddled with her soil-smudged hands, and Katsuki stared at her the same way he stared at the flowers. She seemed nice. Shy, but in a cute way. God, what was wrong with him? How had it come to this? He was a mess. A fucking mess. She was going to see him perform at the Sports Festival on TV, but would only be able to remember him as that one asshole who stared at her a little too long after snapping at her.
"Lillian, like the store name." Katsuki noted after a moment. Lillian looked surprised by his sudden statement, a small smile forming on her face as her eyes drifted to the sign over the door. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and Bakugo thought maybe his heart stopped functioning right then and there.
"Y-Yeah. My dad bought th-the apartment over the space, and I-I've always loved plants, s-so..." Lillian trailed off, flushing. Was that too much information? She should've just nodded and smiled politely and left it at that. Why wasn't he walking away? Oh no! He probably felt sorely obligated to stay and absolutely couldn't leave because he was afraid she'd be upset! Or maybe she was in his way and he didn't feel like walking around her. Or-
"Sounds like a badass dad." Bakugo noted, shifting his weight onto one foot as he gazed through the bay window. "Well, you're definitely good at this shit. Any plants I've tried to own have died within a fucking week."
Lillian tried to hide a snort, but failed. His half-grin assured her that it was okay, and that he wasn't going to kill her for laughing at his misfortune, which was reassuring.
"H-Have you ever owned an air plant?" Lillian asked, an amused smile on her face. Bakugo's expression dropped into something blanker as he stared at her.
"A fucking what."
And that's what set it all off. Bakugo admitted he always loved plants and wished he could keep them longer than seven days, and Lillian was determined to make his dreams a reality. So after dragging him into the shop and giving him an air plant, she began to compile instructions. She demanded pictures of his room, giving him her number. Bakugo would willingly admit he abused it a bit by texting her like... a lot. In his defense, she didn't see to mind! Though she did seem extremely amused anytime he brought up any of the UA teachers. He decided not to think anything of it.
After two weeks, he was no closer to having a greenhouse of a room like he wished he had. How badass would it be if he could turn his room into a literal jungle? He'd tried before, but again, no amount of research seemed to amount to anything. He simply didn't have a green thumb. Lillian wasn't satisfied with this. Unlike him, she wasn't willing to give up on this endeavor. She loaded up a rickety wooden wagon with a multitude of supplies, sitting in wait for him to get there, and then demanded he take her to his house.
The look on his mother's face when he slunk in with two bags of potting soil slung over his shoulder and a bright pot of african violets was beyond amusing. But the expression that dawned on her the moment Lillian stepped in the door, armed to the teeth with gardening supplies and a variety of tools? Fucking priceless. Her jaw had dropped. Never had Katsuki brought a friend home, let alone one that was a girl. Lillian was her nervous hellos and got to work dragging supplies up stairs. She was surprisingly small for someone so meek and small.
With his held, they nailed planter boxes to walls, stuck hooks in the ceiling, and situated large clay pots in various parts of the room that wouldn't cause any inconvenience. Lillian had dragged along several plants and plant seeds, including a tray of small cacti and succulents that made him want to die in the best way possible. Not that he'd admit that. Being around Lillian made him want to die more, anyway. He just felt so... god, he didn't fucking know. Having a crush sucked ass.
They potted, planted, and watered like there was no tomorrow. The sun was setting by the time they were done. The day ended with Lillian almost falling off a chair and Katsuki sneezing so hard his hands blew up. Overall, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun with someone else. No-- in general, actually. This had to be the best day of his life. His parents asked her to stay for dinner, and he found out she liked spicy food. She was sassy once you got past her shyness, as she'd displayed in their texts, and it was amazing to see in person.
He walked her back to the shop, giving her his best smile and telling her today was one of the best days he'd had in a while. Lillian had looked teary-eyed and given him a hug. A fucking hug. Holy shit. Bakugo was going to keel over. This was it! The end for it. Sayonara, heart. He didn't need it anyway. It had long since flatlined with no hope of being brought back. Bon voyage, as they say. He'd die among the many new flowers in his bedroom.
He hung around the shop a little more the next few days. He felt even more drawn to Lillian, now more than ever. They texted every day without fail. Lillian seemed more lax and open with him. He woke up at three in the morning to a text of her saying 'fuck periods', so that had to mean something. He'd brought her chocolate immediately and she'd cried over it. That had to mean something too, right? Right.
A week or so later, and the Sports Festival was fast approaching. Their teacher announced, looking oddly hesitant, that they were going to be welcoming in a new transfer student. There had been an extra desk in the room from day one, so everyone had known this was coming. Present Mic couldn't keep a secret to save his life, and had admitted there would be an addition to 1-A sometime during the year. Everyone fell silent, their curiosity abuzz. They'd all been wondering who it could be.
"Mr. Aizawa, who is it? Are they a girl? Are they cute?" Kaminari blurted out. Aizawa glared at him in a flat, dry manner that promised death if he spoke another word. The blonde closed his mouth immediately.
"If you'd shut up for a second, you'd see." Aizawa said irritably. He glared at the class. "I expect everyone to be kind and welcoming to the new student. If I can't anyone giving her any trouble, well..."
His silence was enough. There was a chorus of dutiful 'yes sir's throughout the room. Aizawa nodded, turning towards the door.
A head popped in, and Bakugo Katsuki's world skidded to a halt as Lillian hesitantly stepped in. She was there, clear as day and not at all a hallucination. With her big, gorgeous blue eyes, and those cheeks that would flush with embarrassment at the drop of a hat. He felt the air get sucked from his very lungs. That was Lillian. From the flower shop. Who he was sort-of-kind-of-not-really-but-definitely in love with. Smiling nervously at the class, and at him. She seemed sheepish as her gaze met his, mouthing the word 'sorry' as he gawked.
"Everyone, this is Lillian Aizawa." Aizawa glowered. "My daughter."
The class went so silent you could hear a pin drop. Kaminari looked paler than he had a moment ago.
"H-Hi." Lillian said nervously, eyeing her dad, who was glowering at the electric-quirk user. "I-I'm happy to be joining y-your class. Thank you for having me."
"Aww!" Mina and Hagakure cooed. Bakugo stared. He went over everything in his head. The fact that she was here. In his class now. His teacher's daughter, no fucking less. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Aizawa seemed to notice his shameless staring and turned his piercing glare onto him. Katsuki couldn't find it in himself to be scared witless
"Something to say, Bakugo?" Aizawa's voice was extremely testy, as though daring him to make a mean comment.
"I have just one fucking question." Bakugo crossed his arms over his chest. Tension in the room rose. "What the actual fuck."
"I-I'm really sorry, Katsuki." Lillian pressed her hands together apologetically. Aizawa's gaze snapped to her so fast, Katsuki was surprised his neck didn't break. "Th-There wasn't a g-good time to t-tell you?"
"You know him?" Sero's brows rose.
"No." Aizawa breathed, eyes going wide. His gaze flew to his daughter. He knew his daughter had somewhat of a crush, but it... it couldn't be Katsuki Bakugo, could it? God, he hoped not. He really, really hoped not. "This is the friend you're always hanging out with?"
Lillian's smile was telling enough. Bakugo couldn't help but mirror it with a grin of his own, sharp but ready. This year was about to get a lot more interesting, and he... well, he couldn't say he had any complaints about that fact.