Is Anime Cool Yet?

Flinching, Jada brought her arms up to her face. She quickly took a few steps back before losing her balance, falling to the ground. Bakugou instantly paused, staring at the woman in shock.

“Mommy!” Daichi cried, running into his mother’s arms as Jada instinctively covered his body with her own. “Boom-Boom scary!” She quietly consoled the child, smoothing his wavy hair while she held him close.

Bakugou stood watching, unsure of what to make of what just happened. He slowly reached out a hand to help her but quickly decided against it, reading her body language. At that moment, she was afraid of him. He was well aware that he was rough around the edges, but he took pride in knowing that people felt safe when he was around. Somehow, looking in her guarded green eyes, he knew something was wrong. With a soft sigh, he crouched down onto the floor, sitting across from her and the boy before posing the question, “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Jada mumbled, looking at the floor while she rocked her son. “I lost my balance. It happens.”

“No. You flinched so hard that you fell. What’s going on?” A silence hung in the air for what felt like a lifetime as Bakugou stared her down, waiting for an answer.

No need in getting him mixed up in it if he’s just going to leave. “I’m fine.”

Bakugou hummed in frustration, knowing that she was lying. There was definitely something else going on. His ruby red eyes watched her carefully, noting that the once confident woman was now avoiding eye contact completely. If there was one thing he learned during his time in therapy as well as working this job, it’s the signs of trauma. He also knew that pressing the issue would only cause her to further withdraw, deflecting to the original bombshell. “Fine. I still don’t get why you didn't tell me about the kid.”

After a moment, Jada sighed before brushing the soft waves of her son’s hair before speaking to him sweetly, “Mommy needs to talk to Mr. Boom-Boom man.” She paused, pulling out her phone. After pulling up a video app, she handed the device over to Daichi. “Here’s Baby Shark, go sit down and watch.”

Daichi giggled as he heard the familiar song play from her phone’s speakers, happily walking away and over to the small futon that served as his bed. Bakugou’s eyes followed the child before flitting back to the ravenette with a raised blonde brow.

“He’s fine. When he has a screen he turns into a Zombie. Now…” She paused, taking a deep breath before addressing the small baby elephant in the room.

“When we first got together, I thought this would be a one-time thing. After you kept coming around I decided I’d tell you if you ever expressed interest in wanting something formal.” The dark-skinned beauty’s eyes flicked over to her son, as she rolled a long loc between her fingers. “I don’t let people know about my son unless I can trust them and I know they’re going to stick around. He needs that stability and lord knows there’s crazies and sickos out there. This is my way of protecting him.”

Bakugou mulled the information over in his mind. Obviously, he would have much rather known from the start, but he could fairly understand her argument. If their relationship stayed purely sexual, did it really matter if she had a kid? The problem was, with sex out of the equation per her request, the lines were beginning to blur. “Is the father still in the picture?”

“He’s not helping me with Daichi.” Jada was quick to respond, a notable amount of disdain in her voice. “Our relationship is over… for a number of reasons.”

There’s definitely a story there. “Do you still see him at all?”

“Yes,” she sighed apprehensively.

He’s still hanging around? What the fuck? “Well if you’re not dating him and he’s not helping with the kid then why are you still seeing him?” The explosion hero felt his anger beginning to bubble up once again, his eyebrows beginning to furrow. “You fuck buddies? Who is this dude?”

“He’s my boss. Yamaguchi.”

What? Her baby daddy is her boss? Bakugou blinked in surprise, stunned by the revelation. His face must have shown his thoughts because Jada quickly interjected to explain.

“Yeah, yeah, I know it’s messy and cliche, and no, I didn’t sleep with him to get a job.” The woman bit her lip as she cast her eyes down toward the floor, continuing in a soft voice. “In my naïve youth, I thought he actually cared for me. He did take care of me for a time but I finally realized he is as rotten and vile as they come.”

Okay, so Baby Daddy’s an ass. Good to know. How long was she with the guy? “What do you mean in your youth? You’re making yourself sound like a grandma.”

Quirking a brow, Jada turned her gaze back to the hero, “Honey, how old do you think I am?”

“Uh, 22? 23?”

“I’m turning 30 this year.”

Damn. She looks good, Bakugou thought to himself while scratching the stubble of his beard. “Huh.”

“Not into older women?” She asked with a smirk, tossing her long locs over her shoulder.

“No that’s not my issue,” he said flatly, refusing to have the conversation derailed. “My issue is that you lied to me.”

“I never lied to you,” Jada persisted, once again standing her ground on the issue. “I don’t lie. I just didn’t tell you and you never asked.”

“Fine!” Running a large hand down his face he sighed heavily, unsure of how much more he could take. “I want all the secrets! Is there anything else I need to know? Any other skeletons in your closet that will come and bite me in the ass?”

“That’s everything that I’m ready to talk about.”

The hero paused, staring at the woman before him. That’s all she’s ready to talk about. A few years ago, that sentence would have set him off. Now as much as hated to admit it, he could sympathize with her. When he was in a dark place back in high school, his pride also kept him from seeking help. He also knew that if he wanted answers, he would have to chip away at her defenses. There was no way he could bulldoze his way through. “Did he hit you? Your boss.”

Jada shook her head, embarrassed that he was able to clock her insecurities. “He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty. He has plenty of other ways to hurt me.”

“Why the hell do you still work for him if he treats you like that? There’s other strip clubs,” Bakugou’s brows furrowed, trying desperately to make her decisions make sense. “And you’re smart too! You don’t even have to dance!”

“It’s complicated.”

“What do you mean it’s complicated?!”

“Look!” Jada shouted, holding her head in her hands. “My life has been insanely fucked up, some of it my fault, and I don’t- can’t talk about it!”

Bakugou looked at the woman in silence as she fought the hot tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. He never thought in a million years, he would see a woman like her cry. He didn’t like it.

After a shaky sigh, she continued in a whisper, “The only solace I can offer is that my other baggage won’t affect your life. As much as I hate to say it, you’re practically untouchable.”

What does she mean by “untouchable?”

“I’m sorry I kept this from you but I had to protect my boy. Everything and I mean everything I do is to protect him.”

Jada’s words hung in the air as the pair stared at each other, lost in their own thoughts as only Daichi’s video and quiet giggles filled the room. Groaning under his breath, the hero ran his large hands through his hair, unsure of what to say as he turned his gaze to the young boy. His familiar green eyes were still trained onto the phone screen without a care in the world. The same as the other pair of emerald green eyes that were filled with tears. A kid. Why did it have to be a fucking kid? Finally, he stood to his feet, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” the ravenette asked, quickly wiping her eyes.

Bakugou opened the old wooden door before pausing in the frame, unable to meet her gaze, “I need to go think.” Without another word, he closed the door behind him.

____________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile back at the bar, boy’s night was still in full swing. As the former classmates refilled their glasses and munched on various snacks and appetizers, Kirishima turned the topic of conversation to the more serious current events, “Guys, did you hear about the bust Fatgum and I made the other day?”

“Eww, work talk,” Denki groaned as he grabbed a ball of takoyaki. “This is supposed to be a relaxing evening.”

Sero rolled his eyes playfully at the electric hero, popping an edamame in his mouth. “Ignore him. I caught it on the news. There’s been an upward trend in Yakuza activity in the last few years.”

“Yeah, they’ve been peddling more and more drugs, stolen goods, and especially handguns,” the redhead nodded, wiping crumbs off of his mouth.

Placing his beer down on the table, Todoroki shook his head in disgust. “Ever since the mass Tartarus escape back in high school, civilians have been clamoring to get their hands on firearms for protection, despite them being illegal here in Japan. I don’t like it one bit.”

“Do you guys have any idea which gangs are shipping them in?” Denki asked, finishing off his drink.

“Not yet, but Team Fatgum is on the case!” It was then that the bar entrance door opened, a familiar silhouette walking through the frame. “Bakugou!” Kirishima laughed in surprise as the blonde made his way over to their table. “I didn’t expect to see you again tonight, Casanova. Did Jada finally get wise and kick you to the curb?”

“She has a kid,” Bakugou mumbled, slumping over in an empty chair.

“Huh?”

“She has a fucking kid!” The explosion hero repeated, leaving his friends in a stunned silence.

“So everyone is able to conceive but me,” Todoroki sighed, holding his head in his hands.

Choosing to ignore his peppermint-haired friend, Sero interjected, “Wait, so your girlfriend has a kid? Did you know?”

“She’s not my girlfriend and no I didn’t fucking know!” Bakugou groaned, taking fresh beer offered to him by Kaminari. “I thought she was fucking another dude so I went to her place and saw the fucking runt.”

“Side note,” Kirishima interrupted. “If you’re jealous about her hooking up with other dudes then she’s definitely more than a booty call to you, dude.”

As Bakugou gave his best friend a pointed look, Kaminari laughed, opening up another beer. “Shitttttt that’s crazy bro! She’s had a whole ass child and her body still looks like a dream!”

Sero shushed Denki with a quick smack to the back of the head, asking the most important question, “How do you feel about that, dude?”

The men all looked in the explosion hero’s direction expectantly, Bakugou groaning as he ran a large calloused hand over his tired face. “I fucking hate kids. They’re whiny and germy and always in the way.” He clicked his tongue before taking a big gulp of his beer, shaking his head. “If I had known that I would have never hooked up with her. I don’t need that extra baggage.”

“Yeah, you have never been good with kids,” Kirishima noted, scratching his chin. “The only time I’ve ever seen you smile at one was when Kota kicked Midoriya in the balls.”

“Heh, that was classic,” Bakugou smirked.

“Well is it at least a cute kid?” Denki asked with a mouth full of fried tofu.

“I don’t know, I guess…” Katsuki mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “He looks like her.”

“Oh, it’s a boy! That’s not too bad then,” Ejirou said with a toothy grin, hoping to find a silver lining to the situation. “I can’t see you bonding with a little girl at all. But at least you can do manly stuff with a boy.”

“The kid isn’t the only thing,” the ash-blonde let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the temples of his head. “She’s been through something but she won’t or can’t tell me what. I’ve been on enough domestic disturbance calls to know the signs of a battered woman. I suspect it has something to do with the kid’s father.”

Kirishima’s face fell as his brows knitted together in concern. “What do you mean?”

“I threw my hands in the air out of frustration while we were talking and she flinched away hard and threw her arms up as if she was waiting for impact.” Bakugou stared at his hands as he rested them on the table, replaying it in his mind. “She also freaked out a bit when I covered her mouth with my hand a while back.”

“Damn, that’s fucked up. Someone definitely put their hands on her before,” Denki huffed, cracking his knuckles. “Is the Baby Daddy still around?”

“It’s her boss. The strip club owner.”

The men all looked up at Bakugou, wincing at the news and the separate set of problems it brought to his predicament.

“But she definitely hates his guts,” Katsuki explained, taking a sip of his drink. “Apparently there’s a reason she can’t quit and go to a different club but she didn't want to get into it.”

“Fuck man,” Sero mumbled, scratching his head. “You’d have no idea she was dealing with that from what we’ve seen of her.”

“People respond to trauma in very different ways. Some crumble under the intense heat of the pain, while others build walls and armor to keep it and everything else out,” Todoroki mused, finally contributing to the conversation.

“That was really manly dude.” Kirishima smiled, patting his good friend on the back until Sero once again asked the hard question.

“It’s fucked up that she didn’t tell you but I’m guessing she had her reasons. Mama bears are crazy protective after all. Are you going to keep seeing her?”

Slapping the table, Denki nodded furiously, eager for his answer, “Yeah! Let me know because you’re holding up the line!”

“I don’t know!” Bakugou yelled back at the electric hero, banging the table with his own fist. Exasperated he threw his head back, covering his face with hands before continuing in a barely audible voice. “I didn’t sign up for all of this.”

“Bakugou,” Todoroki’s signature calm low voice cut through the room as the men turned their heads to the sound. “You may not take my advice to heart, but I don’t think you should let this woman’s past affect your future together. Children are a blessing not a hindrance and everyone is at least a little bit broken. If you like her as much as everyone says you do, then you owe it to yourself to at least try to make it work. It would be a shame for you to miss out on romantic bliss because of preconceived notions.”

“Jesus,” Denki smirked, breaking the tension in the room. “You married a teacher and got all profound.” He laughed as he pointed to the duel-quirked hero, holding a hand over his left eye. “Remember when he was all like ‘I’m not here to make friends?’”

After nudging Denki to quiet down, Kirishima nodded, taking a piece of takoyaki from the table. “I second what Shoto said. Just take it slow. You don’t have to marry her today but you should enjoy each other’s company and see what happens.” Bakugou hummed in response before turning to Sero, waiting for his vote.

“Not gonna lie there are some red flags and I would not blame you for walking away,” Sero paused, tapping his chin in thought. “But I’ve also never seen you this interested in another woman before. She obviously isn’t looking for a father to her kid otherwise she would have told you sooner, but if you start to fall for her, you have to face the fact that they’re a package deal. Proceed with caution.” Katsuki thought his advice over for a moment, before begrudgingly turning to his left for the electric hero’s weigh-in.

“Gots to see it through my boy,” Denki smirked as he pointed finger guns at his friend with a knowing wink.

“Dumbass,” Bakugou shoved his friend away as he stood from the table, before throwing down some cash. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he began to saunter over the door until a familiar rugged voice cut through his inner thoughts.

“Katsuki, wait!” Bakugou turned his head as he reached the door to see Kirishima walking up to him. Clapping a hand onto the ash-blonde’s shoulder, he gave his friend his last seed of advice.

“Dude, I get that you’re conflicted and this is a decision only you can make. But I also know you and I can tell you really like this woman.” Bakugou tensed up under his friend’s grip, his pride refusing to meet Kirishima’s eyes. “Love isn’t blindly trusting someone. No one is asking you to do that. But it is taking a leap of faith.”

A leap of faith.

Bakugou mulled that last statement over in his mind before letting out a heavy sigh. Half-heartedly, he shrugged his friend’s hand off before opening the door to the bar, looking over his shoulder. “I’ll think about it.” And with that, Bakugou went out of the door and into the night.