Ch.17: Bad and good news

The next day after the couple's first date, it was impossible for the class not to notice the big red ring on Sisipho's finger, or the brown and gold one ranging on Katsuki's neck.

Mina immediately got to her cousin, dragging her to the other girls, all of them fangirling about it, asking for details and everything. Sisi gladly shared the whole meaning behind it with them, the girls melted hearing, surprised with the thoughtful act the so rude boy just had.

On the other side, the squad kept teasing Katsuki about it and soon the others boys got around to doing the same. All of them were amazed by his romantic act. In summary, it was a very chaotic day.

But not so chaotic as Katsuki's state of mind after a single message appeared on Sisi's phone, which left him frozen until nighttime.

‘We're home, let's have dinner together. Bring Katsuki so we can talk.’ — umama.

The boy stayed tense the whole class that day and Sisipho just kept dragging him around. Mandla's words sound so much more like a demand than an invite.

"My boo~ That's how my umama always texts me. Why would she be mad at you? This dinner together is scheduled since our license exam!"

"Yeah, with all squad together! Why did she only mention me?" he sighed, laying on his bed, both ready to go meet her parents.

"Maybe she only wants to see you now?! Mina and Kiri can be exhausting of dealing and my parents are tired from the trip."

"This is sus as fuck anyways..." rolling eyes, Sisi laid by his side.

"Are you still nervous?"

"Yeah, and I hate this shit!"

"Well... Then let's talk to them another time?!"

"Fucking no! I'm not going back from this. I'll talk to your parents, ask for the damn blessing, and finally end this tension!"

Full of conviction, Katsuki hold her hand and both got the lift to the ground floor, where Mr. Aizawa is waiting for them.

Since is a business day, only with authorization the students can go out from the dorms, as a form of protection. As the Ashido family called earlier and did the request, a cab is now waiting for them.

The way was silence from both sides, the teens are nervous about the unknown reaction. It would be way easier to just deal with the loud Bakugou family, but the mysterious Ashido couple is harder to decipher.

"My baby girl!" Orion hugged Sisipho hard right after opening the door to them. "I was so worried about you!"

"I'm fine, utata! How was your trip?" she missed this embrace so much, so Sisi stayed in it for a bit longer.

"A little tense, but we're fine too." his small smile didn't reach his eyes. He's hiding something, she just knows. "And how are you, Bakugou?"

"I'm fine, sir." he accepted the firm handshake of the man, that's shaking his head.

"Drop the sir, you're family! Now, can you two set the table while I help my dear with the dinner? Great." he said when they nodded and walked out of the hall.

Katsuki mentioned moving too but stopped seeing Sisi's expression.

"What's is wrong, Choco?" he hold her hand, concerned by her sad expression.

"There's something wrong..."

"What do you mean?"

"I was so focused on our reason to want a talk that didn't even stop to think... What if they want to tell us something too?"

"Wait, calm down. Didn't you say that they invited only us cuz the alien couple is loud as fuck? What changed now?"

"My dad is acting strange... I don't know, it can be only me being paranoid but something seems off, Kat."

"Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves, got it? Our anxiety about the relationship is enough stress right now, forget about them."

Agreeing, Sisipho showed him where the dishes are and both prepared the table. A few minutes later, Mandla and Orion came with the dinner. Katsuki's mouth is already watering after seeing that it was one of the recipes they had back at the cabin and he adored it.

Oblivious to him that Mandla chose this one specifically due to this fact.

The dinner starts and goes normally, with both adults showering them with questions about the exam. Mandla made the girl tell every single detail about Gang Orca's attack.

"You two should've seen the way Mandla got when she heard about it. I had to stop her from getting a fighter jet to have a 'talk' with Orca." Orion said laughing.

"I just didn't beat the shit out of him cuz I was more worried about helping Sisi. Fucking animal..." Katsuki groaned, not even caring about behaving himself.

"See? That's why he's my favorite!" Mandla sassed, high-fiving the boy. "I heard the Commission sent a person to apologize. Hm~! The minimal they could do."

"Umama, it was so embarrassing seeing the man bowing at me like... Argh, don't do that again, please!"

"Yes, I will! They're lucky that I didn't make this public so they would've to beg to the world see!"

"My dear, we don't need a fuss right now..." again Sisi noticed the hint of sadness in the man's eyes and now also in Mandla's, that's holding his hand in a tight grip. "Who wants dessert? This one is by count!"

While the man got up to grab some Japanese sweets, Sisipho stared down at her mother, noticing that she lost some weight and seems tired.

"Umama, are you fine? You're thinner than before the trip..." she asked quietly, to win her out and make the woman say something about it.

"It was a harsh trip... We had a lot to deal with back in Wakanda and it wore us out a bit."

"Why utata had to go this time too?" she asked full of confusion, now being the one to search for support from her partner, holding Katsuki's hand under the table, to embrace herself.

"Here we go~! Let's eat some daifuku!" Orion sat down in his place and laid a large platter full of the sweet, immediately holding hands with his wife again.

"Katsuki, Sisi mentioned that she told you about Wakanda." the woman asked him with a calm demeanor.

"Yes, a few months ago when we got closer. Why?"

"That's why I called you here today... No, I'm not going to scold you, this is good, it was a good decision of Sisi. I trust you, Katsuki." he was still confused, but only nodded, grateful by hearing this.

"Umama, you still avoiding my question. And why Kat is needed here? What happened?"

"Sorry, intomba. I'm not avoiding it, just... Trying to find a way to explain those so many hard days back at Wakanda..."

Now Sisipho's breathing kick up, she was afraid, already understanding that something is wrong back home. Katsuki put his chair closer and hugged the girl with his arm over her shoulders, mirroring what the Japanese man is doing to his wakandan.

"Baby girl, we were taken by surprise when T'Chala called us both to go to Wakanda urgently. No explanations or details, only that."

"When we arrived in the kingdom, all of our friends were there, everyone who fought beside the King in the greatest war."

"Why, umama? Another threat appeared?"

"Intomba our... Our King is dying." Sisipho felt like the floor just opened under her feet.

T'Chala is so dear to her and she's so grateful for everything he had done for Mandla. The King always was gentle and loveable on all her visits to Wakanda. Listen this is so heart-crushing...

By seeing the concerned way Orion is gazing at him, Katsuki understood why he's need at this moment and he was very grateful for being recognized as a good support for the girl, that's silently dropping fat tears.

"T'Chala is sick, baby girl. He found out some time ago and tried everything to stop it, but... Not even the advanced technology of Wakanda was enough. It reached a point where nothing can be done anymore."

"Our King called some of his closest friends from everywhere to warn that... He doesn't have much time left."

"Why didn't you take me too?? WHY?!" Sisi sobbed.

"Baby, he didn't want you to see him in the condition he's now. T'Chala wants your last memories together to be the happiest ones!"

"I don't care! I... I want to see him, please! Umama, please take me there!"

"Intomba, you don't want to see him right now, please believe me. He is..."

Crying harder, Sisipho hugged Katsuki for dear life, sobbing loudly and pouring out her pain. Katsuki hates to see her like this, but there isn't much he can do now, so he'll be the best support he can be.

Even Mandla is breaking down in Orion's arms.

"He's so young, this isn't fair..." Sisi protests.

"Cancer isn't fair to no one, baby girl... No one..."

Both Japanese males stayed comforting their lovers, holding them close and caressing their trembling bodies. Little by little the atmosphere got less dense when they started to calm down.

"Do we know how much time he has left?" Sisi asked.

"No, intomba... He can go to the Ancient Plane anytime now. It pains me so much, he's just my age, we grew up together..." Manda sighed, whipping her tears. "I'm so sorry we had to cut the celebration about the license like this."

"No sense, this is way more important than those damn licenses!!" Katsuki told them frowning while rubbing his head on Sisi's affectionately.

"Now I see why he's your favorite." Orion joked and this lifted their mood a bit.

"I told you, Katsuki is a great boy. Can't wait to see him working with me as a pro hero."

"Damn sure I will! Just wait two more years!" they all chuckled at his confidence. "Are you feeling better, Choco?"

"Yeah, a little." Sisi pouted at him.

"It'll only get harder from now on, Katsuki." Orion called his attention. "Sisipho told you about the mourning, right? So please, be a good friend and stay by her side. It's my request to you, as a father."

"Actually, sir Orion..." Katsuki took a deep breath and sat with a straight posture. "Is good that we're here today cuz I want to talk to you about me and Sisipho."

'Maybe not the best timing but fuck it! I AM DOING THIS RIGHT NOW!'

"I know that this must be the worst timing in the fucking world, but I want to assure you both now that I'll always be by Sisipho's side, giving my everything for her. Because... I fell in love with your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ashido, and I want your blessing to be her boyfriend."

Sisipho's eyes widened with his straightforward speech, not stuttering at any moment. He sounded so right and determined that her body is covered in goosebumps.

The Ashido couple is also flabbergasted, not expecting this at all. Maybe later? Yes. But not when they're having such a sad conversation.

However, both understood the reason behind this odd timing. Katsuki is trying to reassure them that no matter what it's about to come in the future, he'll be with Sisipho.

Mandla always loved how their dynamic works and admired the cute silly friendship they have. Now he just confessed his true intentions with so much conviction that it shook their hearts.

The heightened senses from the couple just help both to have more certainty that the ash-blonde boy is telling the truth from the bottom of his heart.

"I always knew that one day you would turn out like a son to me, Katsuki. But I'm so happy that you'll be my son-in-law instead!!" for the first time in the night, Mandla truly smiled.

The woman stood up to go hug the boy, who did the same, quietly showing his thankfulness for her always being so good to him.

"Baby girl, come here." Orion tapped his lap, calling the black girl and she did it. "Are you happy?"

"I am, utata. We happened so naturally that when I noticed both were already confessing to each other. Katsuki is stubborn, but he's so lovely... I'm truly happy that my first boyfriend is so respectful of me."

"I can see that." he looked at the boy, that's visibly tense waiting for the older's answer. "Katsuki, since the first moment I searched in you a very important aspect that all people around my family must have."

"And what is that?" he asked confused.

"Respect. You know well our culture and how the difference always seems as less. So I observed you and was gladly surprised in see that you not only respect my family's culture but also have a true interest in learning and participating in it."

"Honestly, Orion, since the first moment I saw Sisi I was drawn to get closer and learn more. So much that... It was too late when I acknowledge my feelings for her." the man laughed at this.

"Welcome to the club, Bakugou. That's the magic of a black woman. With me was just like that. Only a meeting and I was all of my queen, Mandla." he sighed dreamily at his wife. "So, yes, Katsuki. I think I can talk for both of us that you have our blessing to be with Sisipho."

Feeling like a tonne was taken off his shoulders, Katsuki bowed to them and opened his arms to Sisi, who ran to his embrace immediately.

"I honestly needed news so great like that." Mandla laid her hand over her heart, finally feeling some relief from all her anguish.

"Umama, utata, look!" Sisipho showed her parents their hands and Katsuki started to blush in timidness. "Guess why the colors?"

"By the gods! It's your colors!" Mandla approached to look better. "Both are so pretty!"

"Wow, great idea, Bakugou! Now I'm mad... How I didn't think of that to our rings?!" Orion said full of humor, making them laugh.

"Never too late to a new ring, I still have 9 empty fingers!" Mandla joked, going to her man and kissing him.

"Thank you for trusting in me, Mandla and Orion. I promise I'll never hurt Sisi, she's everything to me."

The black girl never saw Katsuki talking so easily and without cursing, he's relaxed and just being the confident self he always is.

The truth is that Bakugou isn't thinking of anything more than this moment happening right here. Literally, head empty and a heart full of happiness and accomplishment, because now Sisipho is only his, forever.

"I know you'll never hurt my intomba, Katsuki, I know. After all, who would be insane enough to intentionally hurt Amazon's daughter?" her murderous gaze didn't match at all with her sweet smile.

"Well, only if you have a death wish, which I know you don't have, right, Katsuki Bakugou?!" Orion is just acting in the same way.

Yep, there it is what he was fearing all this time: their threat.

yes, we'll talk about our eternal T'Chala here. cancer took him from us and also a lot of people I love. only from my family, it was six people. cancer sucks but i only want to pay my respects to Chadwick Boseman, i really admired him a lot as a human.

but let's not make this moment a sad thing, let's keep only the good memories we have of him. also the ones from this chapter. did you expected a different reaction from the Ashidos?! Orion is seeing himself on bakugou honestly hauahsuahauasee ya~!