Kiss of Life | K. Bakugo

Chapter Nine

I sat down across from Hitoshi at my kitchen table. The nighttime light was dim, casting shadows over both of our faces, the silence stretching for ages between us.

Finally he spoke up, "Why did you step out of the briefing today?"

"Something to do with my mom... It's complicated," I said, not wanting to get into the whole situation. I had just barely pulled myself together today with Bakugo's help, I didn't want to drag out all of my emotions again. And honestly, I didn't feel comfortable sharing them with Hitoshi right now anyway.

"Mmm," he hummed out for the second time tonight. It seemed like he had a lot of opinions tonight that he wasn't sharing. How did we grow apart so fast?

"Tosh... I hate that we're like this right now. Is there any way to move past it? I don't want work getting in the way of our friendship or... whatever else we had."

He looked up at me, his eyes softening. "You're right... I'm sorry for everything I said. I was being stupid. I got too wrapped up in the mission."

"It's okay," I said, smiling just a little. I gently put my hand on his shoulder, "can we start over?"

We talked for hours. I finally came clean about everything that had happened with Endeavor, about the hero gala too. Hitoshi didn't like it, but it's not like he could go anyway since he's underground.

He told me about what happened before I arrived on the scene with Shoto yesterday. How intense the fighting was. How Horikawa's men were stronger than they were anticipating. He said he honestly felt lucky to be alive.

Hearing Horikawa's name sent a chill up my spine. The commissioner agreed to let me be the one to tell my mom that Horikawa was active again. They were going to keep someone stationed at her house until all of this was over. That gave me a little peace of mind... just a little, though.

Hitoshi and I had long since moved to the couch. At some point I guess we had both fallen asleep, because I woke up with my head against his chest, his head against the back of the couch. Early morning light poured in through the blinds, illuminating dust particles floating in the air. Somehow, it was mesmerizing.

However, we both had work to do.

"Tosh," I whispered, leaning up to place a chaste kiss on his temple, "time to get up." He jolted awake, making me chuckle a little at his expense. He roughed up my hair as payback, laughing at the bird's nest he had created.

..

At work, everyone was preoccupied with preparing for the upcoming mission, myself included. I was permitted to leave a little early to go to my mom's house and explain the white creeper van that would be tailing her for the time being. Very inconspicuous, Mr. Commissioner, I thought to myself, internally rolling my eyes.

When the time came, I found myself standing outside her door, afraid to go in. The warm breeze brushed through my hair. A vibrant orange sunset settled behind the small family home. A young girl not more than six or seven years old rode past on her pink bicycle, an All Might action figure proudly protecting her from where he was perched in her basket. She looked like me, like the naïve child that I swear I still was even a week ago. I almost wished I could go back to that time, before I learned about my mother's past.

I counted down from ten, telling myself that I'd go in at one. But then when I reached one, I got too nervous and started back at ten again. After three rounds of this the door opened, my mom standing beside it.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, obviously confused by my odd behavior.

"I... uh... I need to talk to you."