27 And Counting (Adult Katsuki Bakugou MHA)

27. Family Matters. Until It Doesn't.

- What? I'm not... Well... I don't know... You are just great, I guess... 

A couple of minutes passed without a word, sounds of city life in the background.

Izuku felt like someone punched his guts. He recalled various situations when the two boys were compared by adults around. Sweet Izuku, gold kid Izuku, quirkless weak Izuku compared to a naughty kid, hot-headed mess, pain in the ass, just like his quirk... No surprise Kacchan grew up comparing himself, and always despising his childhood friend more and more. It wasn't Deku's fault for being everyone's favourite but in the small Katsuki's eyes, he must have been guilty. Adults know everything best, they're always right, adults don't lie, they never admit their guilt. Then the one to blame must be Izuku. Simple as that.

And then, All Might chose him...

Izuku swallowed deeply. He felt a great urge of crying his eyes off, his primary coping mechanism, but he knew it would do no good to the teen, to see The Number One Hero as a cry-baby. It would lead him to start comparing himself to Izuku, all over again.

- I promise you, Kacchan, I will never try to force my help. Unless you want me to, I won't butt in your life. Take it as a Number One Hero promise. Unbreakable.

The teen smiled through tears and snot, standing up on trembling legs.

- Thank you, I guess... - he said, leaving the pro hero on the street.
He felt like he still had so much to say but, at the same time, there were no words that would give shape to his tangled thoughts. He wanted to hug him too but the person he was looking at - Number One Hero Deku was not his childhood friend Deku anymore. So, he decided to stand up and leave. Just as he was about to cross the street, he turned back to the hero who, for some reason, looked like life was beaten out of him.

- And ... Uhmmm ... Congratulations to you and Round Face, I guess. See you at the wedding.

----

Bakugou had three options now:

1. go back to that stinky flat rented by Katsuki, and piss him off by being still alive,

2. walk around the city until he dissolves,

3. try his luck and visit his mum, hoping their encounter would go as smoothly as the ones with All Might and Deku. It's his mum and it's obvious she'd be happy to see him, no matter what happened between them in the past, right?!

But first, he could go to the cemetery near their neighbourhood, to pay a visit to his dad. To tell him that he's sorry. And that he'll try to be better. And that he might not have shown it enough but he really, really loves his dad.

As he moved closer to the cemetery gate, Bakugou froze in place.

Somewhere, cold marble is all that reminds the world about Masaru being once alive and well. Long gone. What Bakugou would find there wouldn't be his dad, it would be his nightmare.

'Move, legs, go, you weak pussy!' - he thought, staring blindly at the gate.

After all, he didn't dare to move forward. As much as he wanted it, he just couldn't find it in him to face the truth. To face the guilt of not being good enough as Masaru's son, the ideal son that his father deserved so much. And the thought of being the cause of his death...

After his failure, Bakugou wandered around the neighbourhood for what felt like forever. Finally, he took a lazy stroll toward his old mansion.

------

Cold sweat covered his forehead, as he approached the gate. His old dog - a dear four-paws friend - was nowhere to be seen, which was understandable, given that 12 years passed. A shiny new car stood in the parking lot.
'Mum must be doing well', he thought.

Knock knock.

A couple of moments passed until he heard someone opening the door.

- Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested. - an unknown man stated, glimpsing at a trembling teen on his doorstep. Bakugou wanted to come up with a genius comeback, push the intruder and run straight to his old room, hug his mum preparing his favourite spicy curry for a family dinner, and everything would be as it should be, but both his body and mind just froze.
Gave up.
Blue-screened.

- Who's there, honey? - Mitsuki approached the man, looking at the unexpected guest, eyes narrowing in a second. - Baby, the dinner's nearly ready, can you take the curry from the stove, please? - she said sweetly, kissing the man's cheek.
After her, apparently, new partner left, she turned back to her child, thunders coming from her death glare.

- What the fuck, Bakugou. I told you not to come here.

If only could Bakugou dissolve at his own will!!!

If only could he spare himself the utmost humiliation of tearing up in front of his own mother who really did disown him, and now treated him like a stranger!!!

'Bakugou'? Since when does a mother call her only child by his surname?!!!

- Mum, I wanted to...

- Don't you 'mum' me, you little brat. Go back to wherever you came from.

- Technically speaking, it was you... - Bakugou mumbled, a new force coming to him. No way he would back up so easily. He spent 15 years fighting smaller and bigger fights with his mother and, as much as he felt at loss moments earlier, now his usual bravado kicked off.

- Don't you dare recall my past mistakes, you little...

- Little what?! How do you want to degrade me this time, you old hag?!

Mitsuki glared at her son once again.

15 years-old boy, striving to be the number one hero, always pushing himself forward, ambitious and driven. At the same time, a short-tempered little devil who caused her lots of pain and embarrassment as a kid. She tried to drill into his little mind good manners and shy attitude, and when patient talking didn't work, she went with yelling and physical force. Yet, he never bent to her teachings. If only her son would be as kind as Inko's... What did she do to deserve such an ungrateful brat, such a difficult material to work with? All her efforts turned into ashes once he turned out to be... She still couldn't even use the word describing her disgraceful son's sexual orientation in her mind. Sinful. Gross. Sick. The son she regretted having born.

- Little devil, is what you are. Loud, obnoxious, embarrassing...

- Little you, you want to say?

Mitsuki frowned, feeling called out. She was different. She had the right to feel angry at her son who embarrassed her in front of the others. She had the right to use parental techniques of her choice to tame her badly-mannered kid. She had the right to choose the people around her. 

- Go away. - was all she said, closing the door in front of the young boy.

No way she would be manipulated into feeling guilty for something she believed was righteous.

No way she would accept her son for being a twisted individual with sick sexual preferences.

No way she would forgive him for being an indirect reason for her late husband's death.

No way she would love him again.