Bakugou had already been up for a couple hours when Kirishima woke up. In that time, he had made breakfast and coffee. It was a simple breakfast compared to what he could be making, but Kirishima appreciates the simplicity. Maybe not his 'good morning' though.
Bakugou had opened the blinds, and began to literally drag him out of bed, yelling over his loud complaints and whines. Eventually, he sat at the dining table with a bitter pout. He got over it as soon as he ate breakfast though.
"How do you make this taste so good, man?!" he laughed out, shoving the food in his mouth, enjoying the taste, then swallowing it, quickly. "Did you put special spices again? Or herbs? What was that one you really enjoy putting in European dishes...?"
"It's just salt and pepper," he shrugged, eating calmly. He took sips out of his coffee every few bites, and mocked Kirishima when he noticed he got the hiccups from eating and drinking too quickly.
"How? I only use salt and pepper, and my cooking doesn't taste as good as this," he sighed loudly, eating more.
"Maybe it is because I used too much salt. You like eating a bunch of salt," he said. "I need to tone it down on it, especially because too much won't be healthy for you," he added.
"I can't help but like it. I don't choose my taste buds' preferences," stated Kirishima, straightening himself.
"Nah, you eating too much salt makes your taste buds only want too much salt. You need to use more spices and herbs to make it your food more tasty and not bland," said Bakugou. "Why the fuck am I telling you how to improve your health, huh?" he growled.
Kirishima flinched slightly, mostly because of his disappointment at how Bakugou ignored his great comeback. "Fine. Give me the easiest and best recipes you have-"
"Later."
"Do you want me to get better soon?" he exclaimed, pouting.
"Yeah."
"Urgh! Why does no one ever believe me when I say that you procrastinate more than you sleep!"
Bakugou clicked his tongue, then grinned. "Heh. No one will ever believe you."
"Why do you do this to me, man-"
They both blinked as they noticed Bakugou ring tone blast in the man's bedroom.
"Who the fuck is calling me so soon?" He growled lightly behind a sigh, quickly rushing to his phone to see who it is. He stared at the caller name, which was just a bunch of numbers.
The calling stopped, and he sighed in relief, walking back to the dining table with his phone in hand. He almost jumped out of his skin when the phone began ringing again.
"Just answer it, bro," shrugged Kirishima, picking up the small crumbs left on his plate with his fingers.
"Do you recognise this number?" asked Bakugou, showing him the list of numbers.
"Uhhhh... Oh wait! That's Himura's phone number!" he gasped. "Answer her!"
"Urgh! Fine!"
Bakugou accepted the call, and placed his phone on the table while it was on speaker.
"Hum... hello?"
"Who is this?"
"Himura, Kirishima's girlfriend... This is you, Bakugou, right?"
"Why the fuck are you calling me?" he asked, quickly eating the last bite of his breakfast.
"Argh! Kirishima wasn't here this morning, and I wouldn't say I'm worried because I know he's all responsible and all, but I really wanted to wake up next to him!" she sighed loudly. "He did go over to your place, right? I think I saw a text from him saying that, or a call, or a note, I don't really remember," she chuckled, probably also shrugging.
"Yeah, he's right here. The fuck do you want?"
"Why are you so harsh! Anyway, I just wanted to make sure he wasn't kidnapped or anything, unless you kidnapped him, which then would be very bad, but I don't think you would do that," she laughed lightly. "Anyway, it's good to know Kirishima is with you right now. I'm gonna hang up, okay?" she asked.
"I don't give a fu-"
She hung up.
Kirishima smiled, then laughed a bit. "It's good to know she's worried," he grinned.
Bakugou narrowed his eyes at his screen, then saved Himura's number as a contact. He will block her as soon as she does something bad, but for now her number would be good to keep. "I guess," he shrugged, taking their plates and mugs, and just placing them in his sink. "When are you leaving for work?" he asked.
"Oh! Uh. I have a meeting with the orchestra's manager and conductor this early afternoon, so I might stop by at my place to get changed and stuff," he said. "So I might leave at the same time as you? Want me to walk you to work?" he asked. "I know you hate tiny kids running around on early mornings," he chuckled.
Bakugou stared at him for a while, then shrugged. "Whatever," he muttered, going in his bedroom, then coming out a minute later with his clothes changed. Both men quickly put their shoes on, then their coats, and then grabbed one set of the apartment's keys each.
They walked outside the building, breathing in the cold air, and then beginning to walk. They had reached the patisserie's street, then Bakugou lifted one eyebrow while he glanced at Kirishima.
"You are actually walking me there," he stated, blinking a few times up at his friend, in slight disbelief.
"Yep! I wanna buy something too," he grinned.
"The shop doesn't open for another hour, you dumbass," he snickered, stopped in front of the store, and taking out his work keys. He unlocked the front door, then opened it. He was halfway through the doorway, then he turned around, glancing at Kirishima.
"What's up?" he asked, grinning like the usual self he is.
Bakugou frowned slightly, then sighed. "Nothing. Go home. You're going to catch a cold," he said, pointing at Kirishima's exposed neck.
Kirishima laughed lightly. "I'm not gonna be weakened by a cold, man," he said. "Anyway, I'll go. See you soon? Let's call soon," he said.
"Yeah," nodded Bakugou. He watched as Kirishima began to walk away, and he watched his friend's back for a few seconds, then shrugging to himself and closed the door behind him. He made sure it was obvious to any potential customer at the minute that the shop isn't open.
He made his way behind the counter, and quickly entered the kitchen. He grimaced at the sight of the mess he made the day before, then sighed to himself. He was all alone this morning, and maybe it is a good thing that Kirishima walked him to work today. He's sure he would have already been mad if he hadn't.
He walked over to the closet with their cleaning supplies, and he just grabbed what he thought would do the job. He stared at the mess, then winced at himself. He was also a mess. He better fix himself soon, otherwise he'll never even have a chance to be an owner of this sweet business.
He had made a mess on the counter, the floor, and also one of their ovens. He started with the oven, and made sure it was sparkly clean when he was finished. He had about fifteen minutes before the others would arrive and then will have to start cooking for new batches.
He then made a quick work of the floor, picking up the dropped flour with anything he could find, and then he dumped it in the overflowing bin. He'll have to put change the bin bag as well.
He picked up anything else he had dropped, threw it in the bin, and then wiped the floor clean. It was still a bit wet, but it was still pristine now.
Wiping the counter was easy, but had to throw away some wasted batter, and if that isn't disappointing enough this morning he doesn't know what else is. His previous mess was now away, and he only had the bin bag problem.
He quickly closed the current bin bag, and placed it at the back of their store, taking in some air outside. As much as he loves working inside, he does enjoy the cold early spring air every so often.
When he entered the store again, he was greeted by Iida and Midoriya who had began looking around at the ingredients they had on their kitchen shelves.
"Good morning, Bakugou," nodded Iida.
"'Morning," muttered Bakugou, walking past them, and checking the other ovens.
"Go-good morning, Kaccha-" Midoriya stopped himself as Bakugou snapped a glance at him, his eyebrows furrowing. He gave an acknowledging grunt, but otherwise just ignored him. 'I guess he really still isn't over our rivalry years back,' he thought to himself, frowning as he stared momentarily at his childhood friend.
Iida also observed Bakugou for a little while, and then let a small smile take his lips as he returned to checking the ingredients. Maybe Bakugou is itching to punch and make the kitchen a mess again, but he is clearly holding himself back for the sake of his job, his friendship, and himself. He could recognise his efforts, so he let Bakugou be.
When Asui and Uraraka had arrived to work, an hour after the patisserie opened, it was clear they were very cautious around Bakugou. Midoriya had also become careful with his actions and words, in case Bakugou was going to explode.
Both Iida and Bakugou were left in the kitchen today, mostly because Bakugou is in a better mood to stay calm, and they know Iida won't interfere with Bakugou unless necessary. After all, more work is done when there is no unnecessary talking.
By the time it was their lunch break, Iida had prepared four new batches to be cooked for after lunch, whilst Bakugou had finished one batch and also had four waiting to be finished.
They all sat down around the table at their kitchen, eating whatever they had brought for lunch, and all of them were talking happily, with the exception of Bakugou who stayed quiet. His frown had relaxed though, so they could all see how he really didn't mind it anymore, or at least he is trying hard not to.
They were talking about hanging out together on the weekend, and Bakugou really couldn't care less, but they were all startled when Bakugou's phone decided to ring. Midoriya, who was sitting next to Bakugou, with some distance of course, couldn't help but check who was calling, and he pressed his lips in a tight line as he saw.
Bakugou denied the call, and put his phone on vibrate. They continued with their lunch, reluctantly, until Bakugou's phone rang again. He denied it, again. The cycle continued five times. Iida, Uraraka, and Asui were confused, but didn't question it as they knew there must be a reason, but Midoriya decided to push his friend slightly.
"Kacchan, just answer it-"
"Shut up," he growled, kicking his chair back as he stood up, and they all watched him storm outside the kitchen, and where they put their bin bags before they get taken away.
"Is everything alright-" began Iida, flinching at the loud voice they heard.
"Stop fucking calling me, you old hag!" yelled Bakugou.
Midoriya sighed, and chuckled. "It's his mom. It's also a long story," he said. They signed collectively, and went back to their lunch.
"I was fucking busy!" growled Bakugou.
"I'm your mom, Katsuki. I have all the right to call you at any time, and anyway, this time it is actually important," sighed Mitsuki loudly, making sure her son heard her huff correctly.
"Then spill it. You may be able to work from home all the time, but I can't. I fucking have a time limit for my lunch break and you are taking that away from me, you old hag," he hissed.
"Do not call me 'old hag' again, or you will regret it, Katsuki," she growled, loudly. "But let's get to the point. I heard from Eijirou's mother that he will be participating in a laid-back competition in Tokyo. I also heard that it really is just a music festival, combined with a piano recital and competition, so it really isn't anything serious. However, I think it is brilliant how she used the opportunity to expose Eijirou's horizons to more than just competitions, but also recitals for more than just flaunting skills," she gushed, rambling on.
"It is still just flaunting your skills-"
"Anyway! So since I had heard that, I suggested we have you compete as well!" she laughed lightly. "I already signed you up since Eijirou's mother had told me, which was actually a few months back or something? It's been a while since, so I just wanted to inform you since apparently she also informed Eijirou about it a few days back or something," she said.
"Right. Kirishima came by yesterday to talk about it," he stated.
"Oh, so you did know about it then," smiled Mitsuki. "That's good. Now, as you know, I usually recommend you pieces to play," she stated, chuckling at Bakugou's groan. "Yeah, you aren't escaping it, you brat," she laughed. "I signed you up to play Arabesque No. 1 by Debussy, and I know you learned it ages ago, but now is your time to polish your skills, and add emotions to it that are not anyone else's. I'm sure you can do that, at least," she said.
"Debussy's Arabesque No. 1, huh?" repeated Bakugou, in a murmur. 'Tch, but I still want to play what Kirishima wants me to play,' he thought to himself, frowning lightly. "Alright fine."
"Good," grinned Mitsuki. "Just so you know, the recital is very soon, so you better be practising as much as you can. Actually, I recommend you quit your job so you can focus more on your playing," she said.
"Hah? I'm not fucking quitting," he growled. 'Especially if there's the chance I can be the owner of the business.' He growled again. "I don't fucking want to rely on Dad's or your money," he said.
"Fine. But if you place second, then don't come crying to me," she sighed loudly. "Anyway, I'll go now. I send you the information about the recital via email, and notify me if you don't have the sheet music so I can also send it to you. Bye." She hung up, and Bakugou let his phone fall into his pocket.
'I won't fucking cry if I lose to Kirishima. He deserves it, after all,' he thought, checking the time, then going back inside to finish his lunch. He ignored their concerned glances, and he ignored their attempts at bringing him into their conversation. He just wanted to be alone, in his thoughts, at this moment. Although he really wants to play the Flower Dance Kirishima wants him to play, he also wants to play Debussy's Arasbesque No. 1 since he actually likes it. But... he wants to rebel against his mother as well. He doesn't know what to do, so he instead just figures he'll deal with it later. Kirishima is probably right that he procrastinates more than he sleeps.
Before any of them knew it, it was seven in the evening, and the shop was now closed.
"Good job, everyone," clapped Mr Yagi as he came down from his office. "I know we are already quite popular in the area, but I've seen tweets on the Twitter which shows how much support we really are gaining. I don't think we've had a single bad complaint except from that one person who complained that their dessert wasn't good after waiting five days or so," he chuckled.
"Well, desserts aren't made to be good five days after, not ours anyway. You buy it on the day, you should eat it on that day," shrugged Uraraka, laughing lightly as she wiped the counters.
"I agree," he nodded. "Good job at the front, you three," he said, looking at Uraraka, Midoriya, and Asui. "We are almost out of stock," he laughed.
"We're planning on making more in a very short amount of time, Mr Yagi, sir," informed Iida, motioning their shelves and the batter they made to rest overnight. "Bakugou and I have been very productive, and whilst our batches made today were sold out, we are planning on refilling those shelves in no time," he said, smiling with determination.
Bakugou nodded, and placed a few things in their fridge. "The shelves will be restocked soon. I believe we are going to get more supplies soon?" he questioned, glancing at their boss.
"Yes," he nodded. "I've ordered more today, so they should be here tomorrow or in two days," he said.
"Woah... business talk," laughed Uraraka, lightly. "I'm lost but I think it is good!"
"Yeah, it is definitely good news," said Asui, smiling.
"Alright, we should leave early today, shouldn't we?" asked Mr Yagi. "It has been a while since we've managed to all leave early. Iida, I trust you to open the shop tomorrow," he said, giving Iida the keys.
"Thank you... Mr Yagi," said Iida, stunned at the trust Mr Yagi is putting onto him. Well, maybe he is just stunned because Mr Yagi is asking him directly.
"I shall take my leave. Midoriya, Bakugou, please do make sure the shop is all clean and prepared for tomorrow," he said, buttoning up his coat, and then waving at them while he left.
Uraraka and the rest watched him until he wasn't in view, and then she grinned. "Let's leave soon!" she grinned.
The others agreed, and cleaned any mess remaining, and then they waited outside for Iida to finish locking up the store safely. As soon as he was done, they all went in different directions, having said goodbye, or at least some way of goodbye for Bakugou.
His walk back to his apartment was calm, and he felt more at peace than he did coming back home yesterday. He couldn't get his mom's call out of his mind, and he kept thinking of how he could attempt to enlighten her to what he's been doing recently. Kirishima hasn't been telling her anything. Midoriya hasn't been either. Obviously she still thinks he's playing piano daily, and at least performing in front of others every month. If only she knew he really didn't play the month before. He never told her he did. He just doesn't want to tell her. The last time he did, things ended ugly in his heart.
He glanced up at the sky, and watched as the last few cherry blossom petals rained down onto him and the pavement. They'll all be gone soon, and he'll spend another year with no change. He wished his mom could understand and accept the goal he is working towards. He's never going to quit his job, especially if it is just for one recital which isn't even anything major. He won't give up his career, and he will especially not give up the opportunity to be promoted to a manager, a employer, and an owner as the same time. He worked for success, and he won't give it up, not even for a little moment, just to play some recital with no meaning.
He kicked a small pebble, and watched as it left his sight. He sighed, then entered his apartment block. In a matter of minutes, he unlocked his door, and crashed down on his couch after closing the door behind him. He was tired. He was tired of being angry, and he doesn't mind missing dinner if it is for sleep. It may be a bit before his bed time, but he can't object to early sleep. Maybe his phone can though.
He groaned as he heard his phone vibrate loudly, and he picked it up angrily without checking who the caller was. "Who the fuck is it!" he asked, venom dripping out of every single word. He was about to fall asleep as well!
"Hum, Bakugou? It's me, Himura."
"The fuck are you calling me for? Kirishima is with you, isn't he? Or did you leave him for the night again?" he hissed out.
"What? No! I'm just a bit worried about him... He seems very distant, which has me wondering... what did you do with him yesterday?"
"Nothing."
"That's a lie."
"How would you know, huh? The fuck did you do yesterday?"
"I went out with friends and came back home to no one."
"That's a fucking lie."
"It isn't," she muttered out. "Anyway, he's been out of it recently, so tell me!"
Bakugou cursed under his breath, then sighed loudly, sitting himself in a better position on his couch. "He came over to talk to me about recitals, and then we played video games, and then went to bed. This morning, we ate breakfast, and he left to go to his apartment after I went to work," he said. "Basically, nothing. Are you going to accuse me of lying again, you hypocrite?" he asked.
"I'm not a hypocrite! Why are you so angry right now?!"
"You fucking woke me up! That's why!"
"Urgh, you are insufferable. I do not understand why you're Kirishima's friend," she said, clearly pouting.
"I do not understand why you are his girlfriend, so mutual confusion," he growled.
"You are so annoying. I'm hanging up."
"I'm hanging up first," snarled Bakugou, pressing the hang up button before she even could reach it. He sighed loudly, then pouted. 'I guess I'll fucking eat dinner then,' he thought, noticing his sleepiness was gone.
He dragged his feet to his kitchen, and noticed one instant ramen cup that Kirishima must have forgotten to take home. Ignoring the fact maybe Kirishima wanted it, he decided to cook it for himself. He left it here, it's his now.
He quickly cooked it, and then ate it straight out of the original container, watching the dirty dishes from this morning as he ate. He'll do them later.
He finished his dinner, threw the container away, and then turned off all of the lights. He picked up his phone, dragging himself to bed after glancing between his bedroom and the couch, finally deciding he'd rather wake up with no knots in his muscles. He turned on his bedside lamp, and then stared at his phone in his hand. It was off, but he felt like he should be on it. Maybe it is his teenager instincts telling him to go on his phone an hour before bed, or it is his normal instincts telling him something important might come up.
His phone rang, and he blinked a few times at the shining light that came out of his phone without a warning. He accepted the call after seeing the caller, and took in three deep breaths.
"Deku," he greeted, as he positioned the phone near his ear.
"Ah, Kacchan! I did not think you would respond," chuckled Midoriya on the other side of the call. "You weren't in your best mood today, so I thought maybe you were angry with me..."
Bakugou huffed through his nose, then sighed normally. "It isn't particularly towards you, mostly myself," he admitted. "It is fucking immature of me to still not be over that dumb rivalry we had. I... I thought I was over it, but I guess not."
Midoriya chuckled lightly, and then laughed. "If I'm honest, I still am a bit into our previous rivalry. Like... I'm not neutral about whether or not you become the owner instead of me. I want that position, and if it means beating you then I'd be glad to beat you," he said. "I don't want to fall behind, that's what I mean," he added after Bakugou had become a bit too silent.
"Tch, you fucking nerd," chuckled Bakugou. "I'd hate fucking losing to you," he grinned, sneering almost.
"I'm the same," agreed Midoriya. "But we are respectful," he stated. "If you win, then I won't try and sabotage your career for my sake. You wouldn't do it either if the roles were reversed," he added.
"I guess," he shrugged. "I could fire you though if I become boss," he snickered.
"We've been through so much together," pouted Midoriya. "Surely you wouldn't fire me to destroy any chance of me surpassing you a bit," he laughed.
"Is that a fucking challenge?" sneered Bakugou.
"Definitely not," he chuckled. "Anyway, we might still be rivals at heart, but remember that we are friends. I don't think we've ever stopped being friends, but friends respect each other. If I don't support you, then it isn't to disrespect and stuff, and so-"
"Are you gonna fucking ramble?"
"Hum, maybe-"
"Fucking shut up then. I know we are friends, I'm not going to fucking destroy that, not on purpose anyway," he stated.
"Yeah, I know, Kacchan," said Midoriya, his voice quietening. It was more comforting than anything else.
Bakugou was relieved that his childhood friend believed him. He doesn't care if no one else does, but if Midoriya believes he's good at being friends at least, then that's good enough for him.
"The old hag... she called me during our lunch break. She doesn't want me to keep my current job," he said, after a little silence.
Midoriya hummed to tell him to continue.
"She wants me to be focused on a piano career. And... you know that... That's what Kirishima is working towards. For me... I don't care about piano the way he does. For me, it is a hobby. For me, playing at recitals and competitions is for fun. To him, it is his reputation, his career. The old hag thinks I play to become famous, or to be more experienced. Apparently, she signed me up for a competition the same time Kirishima's mother signed him up for it. She announced it to me today, and I know I don't really have a choice, but... I don't want to play there just because she told me to play..."
"Kacchan. What about Kirishima? Does he want to play for his mom?" asked Midoriya, curious, yet also a bit concerned.
"He does... but he asked me to play at the recital with him. He asked me yesterday, and... I don't know if I'm going because the old hag wants me to, or if it because Kirishima wants me to go there with him," he sighed, loudly.
"Maybe you want to play for the both of them," shrugged Midoriya, chuckling lightly. "I don't really get it, but in the music animes and stuff, all of the musicians in classical or instrumental music are all like 'yeah it is the feels and emotions,' and whilst I never really experienced anything dramatic like that, I think your mom and Kirishima would. I feel like they would be able to experience your emotions, or just see and identify them through how you play your music and stuff," he said. "Like I mentioned, I'm not pro at music or anything, so I don't really get it, but those animes seem to be a good source of evidence," he chuckled.
Bakugou sighed, then shrugged to himself. "Maybe. Anyway, whether I like it or not, I'm going to be playing, so I have no choice."
"Hopefully you get to enjoy performing. If it isn't a very serious competition, then it should be fun," he laughed lightly. "Anyway, I need to go eat dinner, so-"
"You didn't fucking eat dinner?"
"No? It is only nine thirty, Kacchan."
"Fuck that, I'm going to bed."
"To bed?! Goodnight, then?" asked Midoriya, surprised yet not surprised.
"Yep. See you tomorrow or whatever, you nerd," chuckled Bakugou, before hanging up.
He smiled down at his phone, then he turned it off, sliding it on the floor towards the other side of the room. At least then he won't be tempted to use it more before bed.
He laid down on his bed, pulling the covers up, and then stared at the ceiling, barely making out the corners of his room. He closed his eyes, then fell asleep.
Before he gave in to sleep, he couldn't help but smile. 'Playing for Kirishima would be nice, and having my parents understand how I feel would be nice too...' he thought, feeling himself falling into sleep. 'Playing is nice in general. Maybe I should just enjoy playing at the recital, that would probably be nicer,' he concluded, letting his conscious fall asleep, and his muscles relax.
He slept well, and he is sure that the next day would be normal, with maybe a bit of practice for his upcoming performance in his plans for the day. Well, that's if he doesn't delay it, of course.
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third chapter up, and we might be getting somewhere with the plot lmao
key word 'might' xDDDDD
lmfao, bakugou was quite popular with phone calls that day, huh xDDDDDDDD
anyway! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed ;D
Until next time~!! ;DD