"Whaaaa...?!" Girlish echoes traveled through the school lockers, turning heads of just about every student presently changing into their regular shoes. One of the voices belonged to Mina whose charming black eyes peered over a shorter girl with a fluffy chocolate bob. "What do you mean you won't be with us for the meteor shower viewing tomorrow?"
"Yeah, what's up with that?" Hagakure's sleeves shook, "This happens only once every eight years! That's too cruel!"
"Think about it, Uraraka- we'll have graduated the next time this same phenomenon comes along," Jiro added.
Uraraka's face glowed vibrantly just as she slipped into her shoes. Nearly losing her balance, she leaned against her locker, glancing guiltily at her friends who shook their heads at each other before sending her disapproving pouts. "Sorry, you guys!" she told them, "I-it's just that I, um, I..." Her face only grew redder which curled their protruding lips into intuitive smirks.
Asui then held up an index finger and flatly stated, "It's a boy-ribbit."
"Eeep!" Uraraka squeaked into her hands, failing to hide her tomato ears. "That's not- I-it's not even like that! I just-"
Unbeknownst to them, a teenage boy with ash blonde hair and gritted teeth stood opposite to their side, regular shoes tied and ready. He stared at his slightly dirtied shoelaces, eyebrows twitching in annoyance at the girls' prying.
"Goodness!" Yaoyorozu walked into the discussion with a frown, "Let's not put poor Uraraka in the spotlight! I'm sure she has her reasons and will tell us them when she wants to." A calm smile graced her face as she turned to the blushing brunette. "Isn't that right?"
Uraraka smiled back at the taller dark-haired girl with relief. "Yeah. Thank you, Momo."
"Yo, Bakugou!" Kirishima nudged the blonde and threw on his backpack. "Let's go! We're playing shooters at Kaminari's tonight and a free ticket to watch Porno Graffitti live next month is on the table. You're coming, right?"
"...Hmph," Bakugou grunted and followed the redhead out but not before stealing a glance at the gravity manipulator over his shoulder to catch the glow on her cheeks. Oh, he knew the reason for her flustered state and it all had to do with what happened about a week ago.
...
Having forgotten a textbook he needed for their assignment that night, Bakugou was forced to backtrack to the classroom long after everyone had cleared the vicinity, sputtering an onslaught of curses and kicking at the tiled floor in frustration. The walk seemed to take forever, given the long, empty hallway that stretched before him. After finally reaching the ridiculously enormous door labeled 1-A, he grasped the handle only to stop short when he heard familiar voices inside. He rose an eyebrow at his own hesitation but decided to eavesdrop for amusement's sake.
"Wi-will you go with m-me...t-t-to...wa-watch the meteor shower together... Deku?"
It was that short, chubby-faced girl that always hung around shitnerd like a dried up booger- Uraraka. God only knew what her first name was but he at least remembered the other half. 'That fuckstick,' Bakugou grimaced as his fingers gripped the wood-pressed handle tighter.
"Oh! Ah, err...heh? Heeeeh?!" Midoriya's voice screeched, making an already miffed Bakugo flinch from behind the door.
"I-I know!" Uraraka stammered again, "I'm sorry! It's really sudden a-and you probably already have plans with other people and all bu-but I thought I'd just-"
"No!" Midoriya shouted almost too passionately. He must have clasped his hands over his mouth since a muffled slap followed. "I-I mean...I'm just surprised is all! That y-you're...asking me of all people. A-a-are you sure, Uraraka?"
"It has to be you," she muttered and gave a soft gasp. "Ah! Th-that, I-I, uh- I mean...! I'd prefer going with you. If you don't mind..."
There was a long silence with Bakugou cringing over himself at the painful awkwardness between the pair. It pissed him off, too. How could some bumbling ass-kisser like Deku get someone, anyone, so worked up? Bakugou even considered Uraraka tough as nails since having fought her, but after hearing this? He was tempted to reconsider.
"...I-I see."
Bakugo's eyes rose to the door.
"Alright," Midoriya nearly squealed, "I...I-I accept, Uraraka! Let's go see the meteor shower t-t-together!"
"Oh!" Uraraka beamed, "That's great! Um...want to meet that day, say around...noon? At Tatooin Station by the clock stand! We can grab lunch together...o-or something."
"Ye-yeah, that sounds...really nice."
BAM!
Midoriya and Uraraka jumped back from each other, both red-faced and startled by Bakugou's obtrusive entrance and yelping out their own responses.
"Kacchan!"
"Bakugou!"
The seething teen shot them a dirty look. "Get a room, you damn extras!" he spat then ventured to his desk and pulled the exact textbook he needed from it. He didn't bother looking at the pair on his way out. After all, he got all that he needed to know. Round-face asked Deku out, Deku said yes- let nerds be nerds and live out their nerdy little love lives. He didn't care.
...
Bakugou stopped in front of a breakfast diner on the indicated Saturday, just across from Tatooin Station, to take a breather from his daily three-mile run.
11:54 A.M.
The meteor shower was expected to happen later on that evening. Curious as to how he remembered that as his eyes swiftly scanned the area for no one and nothing in particular. 'What the fuck am I doing here?' he grumbled while pacing the corner.
It was all some twisted, adverse effect of psychology; it had to be. Of course, no one knew he held a secret wonder for Uraraka's fascination with his former childhood friend. He noticed it on the first day of classes at U.A. when Deku walked into the classroom with her trailing behind him. Reasonably, Bakugou didn't even know who in the blue hell she was at the time but watched with contempt as she merrily greeted the curly-haired boy with an odd familiarity despite having only met him once before and that was during the entrance exam, according to the nerd's frequent mumbles.
As the weeks passed, Uraraka's gaze occasionally followed Deku and Bakugou's scarlet irises, against his better judgment, furtively followed her.
As the months went, Uraraka's eyes remained on Deku, taking more of him in until she was completely transfixed. Bakugou took this time to study her features, how they changed with every love-struck emotion the nerd elicited from her and the pained expressions she made whenever he had his back to her.
There were even times when Bakugou would catch her scampering down the hallways, holding her face as though she had been crying and when he looked to see where she came from, clueless Deku was always there. Once, her jumpy habits annoyed Bakugou so much that he confronted her about it after school only to be mistaken for being 'afraid' of Deku and that pretty much ended their conversation on the sourest note both could barely swallow.
"Don't you dare play neurosurgeon with me!" he shouted at her, "You're lightyears away from standing on my level! I'm just sick of seeing that stupid ass look on your face whenever that damn nerd is around! Have some fuckin' dignity, will ya?!"
The devastated and broken look in Uraraka's eyes that day made his chest ache. She looked a hundred times worse than she ever did around that shitnerd. 'Damn, I went too far,' he wanted to say but the words never came. Instead, his eyes maintained their wrathful glare, devoid of any remorse, and his lips were kept thinned and sealed in weighty silence.
"Ah..." Uraraka's brittle reply came as her hand traveled to her face. "Sorry, Bakugou. I didn't mean to make you mad."
Bakugou felt his chest tighten harder at the sight of glistening drops escaping between her pale fingers. 'Shit...' His throat swelled to say something that sounded somewhat apologetic but he just continued to glare at her, unable to utter a word.
Then, to his confoundment, Uraraka raised her head to him and flashed her brightest smile through flushed cheeks and glossy eyes. "Let's get along from now on, okay?" That was what she proposed and yet, unsurprisingly, she steered clear of him after that, speaking to him only when and if absolutely necessary- which was hardly ever.
Back to present day, it didn't take Bakugou long to hone in on the same brunette hopping off of a crowded bus and making her way to the Tatooin Station clock stand. If it weren't for her distinctly bouncy haircut, he would have never recognized her in her girly getup- short, white chiffon dress adorned with a lacey pink cardigan and thigh-high black socks hidden under a pair of brown combat boots. She even bothered to put on some jewelry, as simple as they were, to accentuate her femininity. 'Pfft,' he jeered to himself, 'Getting all dressed up just for some damn date. Girls are stupid.'
And yet, he took cover by a lamppost when Uraraka turned his way, her large brown eyes obviously searching for her companion. She must not have seen the blonde for she then turned the other way and pulled out her cellphone to, presumably, ask her person of his whereabouts.
Bakugou cursed himself, unable to fight the urge to peek at her again. She was smiling and blushing as her fingers texted excitedly away. A look of surprise replaced her smile as she then raised the cellphone to her ear and mouthed something. Scowling, he craned his neck, straining his ears to listen.
"Hi, Deku?" Uraraka squeaked with a nervous grin.
"Tch," Bakugou's tongue clicked disapprovingly in response.
Uraraka's eyes saddened as she turned an angle towards Bakugou's direction again, but still keeping her shoulder to him. "Oh..." she sighed, "That's...today, huh?"
Bakugou's brow pinched to the shift in her mood. Was the nerd actually canceling on probably the one and only date he'd ever get in his life? Not that he cared or anything.
"N-no, it's totally fine!" Uraraka assured the device she held, "I totally understand! I mean, you'll be done helping Gran Torino soon, right? Any idea what time that might be? We can probably still make it to the viewing a-and maybe hang out a bit before-" She paused, her eyes falling to a more sullen stare. Another minute passed before she revealed a shaky smile and said, "Ah, don't worry about it! I'll wait for you, okay? ...Yep! I'm sure! ...Go-good luck, Deku."
Bakugou kept watching as Uraraka lowered the phone from her ear and stuffed it into her flowery shoulder bag. With a tired shrug of her shoulders, she leaned back on the clock stand, keeping one foot propped against it to keep her balance. She just stared listlessly at the sky after that and the brooding blonde lost interest rather quickly. "Huh," he mumbled, "Persistent little shit, aren't you?" His fists shook. 'She'll give up and go home soon. Serves her right for picking shitnerd over her other friends.'
Despite these ill thoughts being directed at her, Uraraka's eyes shone brilliantly with a hopeful light that held her smile together. She continued to gaze at the clouds, daydreaming perhaps, soft chestnut strands gently brushing her face as a cool breeze swept the area.
With an angry huff, Bakugou tore himself from his hiding spot and stomped off in another direction. So what if Deku bailed on her? It wasn't like that was any of his business. Let nerds be nerds- useless and awkward and ugly blemishes on the face of society. "I don't fuckin' care," he grumbled and disappeared down an alleyway.
...
6:50 P.M.
With the advent of winter, dusk quickly became an early visitor. Bakugou stepped cautiously along the sidewalk as the lampposts flickered on, the promise of their approach and the sound of a full plastic bag bouncing against his leg serving as his only companions. The streets were unusually deserted, but he figured that had to do with the townsfolk scrambling to their nearest lookout points to watch the meteor shower from. For him, he already decided- such things were reserved for losers with no lives.
He neared the familiar grounds of Tatooin Station, as it was the midpoint between his house and the market square, and grimaced as an alien thought crossed him- 'She can't possibly still be there.' He gripped the plastic bag tighter and picked up his pace, heart racing, storming with anticipation, until finally climaxing to a chilly jolt when he reached the end of the block and saw the lone, short figure of Uraraka sitting against the clock stand, still staring up at the star-kissed sky now absent of the stratus clouds that occupied it earlier. He stood frozen for a moment, unsure whether to feel dumbfounded or impressed by her tenacity, before thawing in his rage and marching towards her. His gut burned with a mysterious wildfire that trailed up to his face, curling his lips to reveal the fangs of his teeth as he could no longer suppress the beastly snarl that erupted from him, "Oy, what the hell are you doing here, round-face?!"
Uraraka visibly jumped at his roar, a small "Eeep!" escaping her lips as she spun around to face her unexpected guest. "Bakugou?! Why are you-"
"I asked first!" Bakugou guillotined her remark, "Are you dumb or blind? Can't you see how dead it is around here?"
'Well, that's a strange thing to point out,' Uraraka thought as her eyebrow arched curiously. "I'm...waiting for someone," she explained, "We agreed to meet and watch the meteor shower together tonight."
Bakugou scrunched his nose at her aversion. "Hmph, right, and that starts at what time?"
A faint blush colored Uraraka's cheeks as she glanced sideways. "Soon...I guess," she muttered, "Supposedly by 7:30." She could feel fresh sweat escaping her scalp and temple under Bakugou's scrutinizing glare. Oh, if looks could kill, this boy wouldn't need his quirk at all. She fervently wished she could just float away from there, but something told her he wouldn't hesitate to knock her down with one blast of his hand. "So!" she choked, "You on your way to watch the meteor shower, too?"
"And what makes you think that's any of your business?" Bakugou shot back coldly.
"Err-" Uraraka returned his glare. "I guess it's not. My bad then." Feeling a pang of irritation surfacing to her otherwise chipper expression, she turned her back to him as to keep from saying anything she'd later regret.
Bakugou noticed her recoil and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly to steady the nerves he didn't know were so riled up. "Where is your certain 'someone,' anyway?" he grouched and leaned next to the brunette, their arms lightly brushing.
'Not like that's any of your business,' Uraraka wanted to retort out of spite but decided she'd be the better person and hold her grace. She turned to Bakugou stiffly and shared a crooked smile. "He said he'd be here soon."
"...Soon."
"Yeah! Soon. You know... Not. Right now. But eventually."
Bakugou swallowed. The tension hurt more than any flesh wound he'd endured up to this point. It was clear Uraraka had put up a thick barrier to keep him a whole axis away and he knew, deep down, that he only had himself to blame for it. Each snarky comment he made raised another layer such that she now refused to look at him, keeping her arms crossed atop her chest in indignation. He never did understand why she stirred him beyond a superficial annoyance but she just...did.
Suddenly, their eyes met. Uraraka jerked at the ethereal contact but quickly looked away as though Bakugou's face had just offended her. But he didn't care. He was more distracted by the sound of his heartbeat thumping against his chest that she turned his way at all.
"You know," Uraraka forced another smile, "I'm sure you're a really busy guy, Bakugou. You don't have to stay here with me. I'll be okay, I promise! I'm a hero in training after all!"
Bakugou frowned. The streets were poorly lit, practically empty of locals, and there weren't even any security officials scouting the area tonight. The risk of any lone person running into a murderous villain was too high and he'd be damned if Uraraka's blood ever stained his hands. "Tch," he grumbled, "I'm not doing anything in particular tonight."
Whether he was just bored or blatantly ignored the connotation that he cared for her well-being, Uraraka could not ascertain but let go of the genuine smile that pulled at her lips. "Thank you, Bakugou," she giggled softly.
'Eh?' Bakugou blinked. 'What the hell is she thanking me for?' Nonetheless, they were her rare words of gratitude towards him so he'd take it. They shared an uneasy silence, both shifting their feet and stealing glances at each other to distract themselves from the ticks of time.
A soft growl interrupted the peace as Uraraka covered her stomach and blushed furiously. "Sorry!" she fretted, "I guess I'm just a little hungry." She searched her bag for the many mints she had been munching on since noon but let out a disappointed sigh when she realized they had run out. Not wanting to embarrass herself any further, she grinned meekly at Bakugou and straightened up from her spot to ease the gyrating pain in her abdomen.
Bakugou looked at his plastic bag, scowled, then shoved his hand into it to pull out two still-warm meat buns. He balanced one of them in his right hand and slowly offered the other in his left to Uraraka with a surly, "Here."
Uraraka stared at the delicious golden bread in awe. "You're...giving that to me?"
"Why the hell is that so shocking?!" Bakugou snarled, "I bought too many anyway so just take the damn thing! Eat it!"
"O-o-okay!" Uraraka plucked the bread from his hand. "Thanks again," she mumbled shyly and took her first bite. The warmth soothed her lips and throat, filling her stomach painfully but soon settling to leave a sense of satisfaction. "Wow, this is pretty tasty!" she commented and took another bite, bigger this time. "Sweet pork?"
"It's the best," Bakugou stated and bit into his own share. Truthfully, he'd used the last bit of his allowance to buy the buns for himself to eat over the weekend as he had no intention of going out until the next school day, but upon seeing how happily Uraraka received and ate one of them with enthusiasm, he figured, 'There's food at home. I'll just eat that until my next allowance.' He noticed the bright light of a cab enter the street, pulling over by the diner he stood in front of earlier to pick up a young couple.
Uraraka followed his gaze and smiled as the cab pulled away with its passengers inside. "Everyone is so excited for the meteor shower," she thought aloud, "It's great! I hope it's as pretty as my parents have been saying. I was still really little when the last one happened so I don't remember squat about it."
The gravity manipulator's giddiness took Bakugou by slight surprise but he smothered the twitch of a smile by biting into his bread again. "It's just an overrated comet shitting itself across space," he chewed, "Big deal."
"Fufufu..." Uraraka giggled again. She expected such a response from the foul-tempered teen. Coddling her amusement, she thought back to her friends, how happy they were when the announcement for the event was made and then to Midoriya, how happy she was when he accepted her request to watch the stars fall with her. As she took the last piece of meat bun into her mouth, a thought came to her. "It's nice when you have someone to watch it with, I think. It adds a certain feeling." It was a musing she gave voice to, unsure as to why, but didn't mind that it was returned with silence. Now that her insides were warm from the food, the winter chill felt much more palpable, piercing through her pitiful cardigan and clawing at her bristled skin.
Bakugou observed from the corner of his eye as Uraraka shuddered and rubbed her hands along her arms and shoulders. His fingers wrung around the zipper of his tactical jacket only to freeze when she scooted away. He frowned slightly then muttered under his breath, "It must suck, huh... Having me here instead of Deku."
Uraraka turned to him with wide, rattled eyes that shimmered under the silver glow of the streetlights. "Wh-what...?" she jumped, "What makes you think-"
"He's the one you're waiting for, isn't he?" Bakugou addressed with a stringent tone. He rewrapped his unfinished bun and threw it back in the plastic bag. "I'm not stupid."
"I never said you were," Uraraka said quietly, "But how did you know about Deku?"
"You're not exactly sneaky about it," was all Bakugou offered for an answer.
Uraraka blushed at this and pressed her hands to her cheeks. "...He's just a bit late," she insisted, "He'll be here soon. I just know it."
A faint trail of mist left Bakugou's lips upon his exhale. "You're always like this with him," he whispered, "Always considering things for him and acting like you're fine with everything he does. It's fuckin' irritating."
"Excuse me?" Uraraka frowned.
"Haven't you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, he's not even facing your direction?" Bakugou pressed, unable to stop himself, "That's why I got in your face about it that day! Your girly angst is distracting as hell and you need to cut that shit out!"
"Distracting?" Uraraka now stood in front of him with an accusing finger pointed his way. "Since when did anything I do ever bother you? You had no right to question my honor the way you did, Bakugou! It was outright mean!"
"Wake up and smell the flowers, gas-for-brains," Bakugou scoffed, "He's got other things on his mind and I highly doubt any of them involve you."
"Don't you think I know that?" Uraraka's voice quivered.
"No, actually," Bakugou grimaced, "I don't think you do."
Uraraka endured the heat that stung her eyes, her hands now tightened into pale fists that shook at her sides. Just when she thought Bakugou had a considerate and somewhat friendly side to him, he successfully pummeled that idea down past the ninth circle of Hell. "Why can't you just leave me be?" she asked with an almost desperate plea in her voice, "Can't you see that I'm happy with how things are right now?"
"Because you're going to crash and burn, dumbass." Bakugou shot her a venomous glare. "You're better off looking somewhere else for your little 'happiness.'"
"Somewhere else," Uraraka laughed in disbelief, "And just where would that be?"
Bakugou bit his tongue but, despite the blood he drew, still could not contain the words that spilled from his mouth, "You could start by looking straight ahead."
A heaviness unlike anything the gravity manipulator ever attempted to lift with her quirk fell upon them, petrifying both in their respective places and suspending their shocked gazes on each other. "What..." Uraraka uttered, growing redder by the second. "Straight ahead..in front of me... But that's-"
Bakugou bit his lip, his face turning just as red as hers. What unknown force compelled him to say what he did? What did he even mean by it? For once in his life, he felt like dissolving into a pool of lava. "I didn't...!" he croaked, "Not that I... Something like that is-"
"...D-do you...?"
"Stop right there, round-face! Don't you dare finish that fuckin' question!"
Both teens could swear their heads were on fire right now. As though in sync, they tore from each other's gazes and simmered in their silence.
Bakugou rubbed his temple with a scowl. 'I have a damn headache now. Just great.' Deciding it was better to clear the air of any misunderstandings, he stated audibly, "What I said just now came out wrong so don't overthink it. It's not like I like you or anything, got that?! I just meant that you should keep looking forward or else you'll never be able to move on even if you wanted to!"
Though she couldn't see what kind of expression Bakugou was making, Uraraka kept a secret smile on her lips, just about forgetting her earlier discord with him. This side of the normally scabrous boy was surprisingly...cute.
"Oy, say something, will ya?!" Bakugou barked, turning to face her after having finally lost all of his patience. "You're not making things any less awkward between us!"
"...Why should things be awkward at all?" Uraraka shrugged with feigned nonchalance, making sure to keep her back to him to hide her rosette face.
"Tch!" Bakugou gritted his teeth and was about to add a retort when a streak of cerulean light caught his contrasting ruby eyes. He looked up only to meet the empty night sky. Did he imagine it? No, he couldn't have. It was fleeting but the light was certainly there.
Then, as if to affirm his doubts, Uraraka suddenly pointed at the same sky and cheered, "Look, Bakugou! It's starting!"
This time, Bakugou blinked into the new reality of what seemed like a flurry of stars painting the vast, eternal canvas of glistening midnight blue. Specks of ultramarine danced across his irises, some crisscrossing in small bursts of crystalline light that were just barely visible to the naked eye. It was at the moment when his jaw fell slight that he realized he was genuinely awestruck by the beauty of this rare spectacle.
Failing to receive a response, Uraraka turned on her heel to check if the blonde was still behind her only to have her heart skip a beat at seeing a sight much rarer than any meteor shower- his smile. He was unconscious of it, it seemed, as his hand rose to the sky in child-like wonder to try and grasp the distant lights. 'Whoa,' she thought, 'He looks so peaceful for once.'
Bakugou felt the itch of her stare and glowered defiantly at her, remembering to shove his raised hand into its nearest pant pocket. "What are you looking at me like that for?" he demanded.
"Ah!" Uraraka squeaked from her gawking, "I almost forgot to make my wishes! Oh, darn. I've already missed so many! "
Bakugou squinted his eyes. "...Wishes?"
"Everyone knows you're supposed to make a wish when you see a shooting star, silly! And there are like, a million of them tonight so we've got to wish, wish, wish!" Uraraka wasted no time clasping her hands together and closing her eyes in deep prayer. "Please...!"
Bakugou felt a strange weight in his chest at seeing Uraraka's priestess-like stance. He had a fairly good idea of what she was wishing for and though it ruffled his annoyance again, he kept a straight expression.
"..Ku-k-ka...kat-" Uraraka sniffed.
Bakugou's eyes and ears perked at what sounded like the start of his first name.
"KACHOO!" Uraraka clumsily sneezed into the air and rubbed her nose, still keeping her eyes closed. "Sorry..."
Bakugou scowled at her lack of manners in covering a sneeze, but sooner undid his jacket's zipper and peeled the clothing from his body. Taking quiet footsteps, he walked over to her and did what he meant to earlier that evening.
Uraraka's eyes flew open at the sudden warmth and weight that surrounded her body. When she recognized the arms around her to be Bakugou's and the object that warmed her to be his jacket, her face immediately pinked. "Bakugou?" her breath hitched.
"That's what you get for dressing so poorly for this weather," he rasped into her ear before pulling back to meet her gaze. "You're too damn stubborn for your own good."
'Straight ahead, huh,' Uraraka pondered over Bakugou's words as she studied his sullen features. It was surprising how much she already missed that smile he had on just a few moments ago, now replaced by a melancholic seriousness that yearned to reach her. Heaving a sigh, she parted her lips and spoke softly, "Ne, Bakugou."
"What now?" he scowled deeper.
"About what you said earlier, I don't think it's unlucky; I'm glad I got to see the meteor shower with you," Uraraka confessed with a smile, "Either way, for either of us, tonight didn't feel lonely at all. Don't you agree?"
Bakugou gripped her shoulders tighter, his heart racing up to his throat. This girl was speaking sappy nonsense and yet her words, her resilient smile, her cold knuckle resting on his chest in a buddy-buddy gesture- they were all making his senses go haywire. "H-hah?!" he grunted and released her, maintaining his scowl, "What the hell are you telling me that for? I don't give a shit about feeling lonely or whatever!"
Uraraka only laughed, now completely relieved of her former frustrations. She knew a flustered Bakugou when she saw him and his overly contorted face was glaring daggers at her. "Well?" she chirped, "Don't waste a precious wish on me! Go make another one before all of the wishing stars disappear!"
"Wishing st- Tch, quit saying stupid shit." Bakugou shook his head disapprovingly when she assumed her praying position again. 'Another wish, huh?' He looked up at the sky. 'Sounds pretty dumb, but...' It was worth considering, he guessed as his eyelids fell shut. Though realistically speaking, there were no scientific facts to back up people's claims about having their wishes possibly granted just by making them on flashy space dust.
The cacophony of Uraraka's ringtone broke the momentary calm, causing both teens to jerk back in astonishment. "Ah, my phone," the brunette mumbled to herself as she searched her bag. After finding the source of the jingle, she pushed the 'Answer Call' button in a hurry and raised the phone to her ear. "Deku! Hi! Are you on your way?"
Bakugou's eyes narrowed on Uraraka's back, now turned to him again.
"Oh! You're here?" Uraraka swung her head from side to side. "Where? I don't see you..."
As much as he hated to admit it, the truth gloated before him. Who was he to keep this girl, some classmate, from pursuing the things that she thought made her 'happy'? If Deku was the knight in shining armor she'd been waiting for to whisk her to her happily-ever-after then he had no participating role in their lives. Her life.
"Mm-hmm," Uraraka nodded against her phone, "Yeah, I'm still by the clock stand. Eh? No, don't worry about it, it wasn't like I was alone the whole time. Bakugou actually kept me co-" Just as she turned an angle to address the blonde, her heart sank to find him suddenly gone. "Eh?" She pivoted completely around, searching the darkness as she called, "Bakugou! Hey! Where'd you go?"
The wind's faint whistle answered instead, confirming her solitude.
"Ur-Uraraka?" Midoriya's voice resounded from the phone, "What was that about Kacchan? Is he, er, with you?"
Uraraka's gaze fell to the ground. "No..." she replied, "He...he's not." Had he just been an illusion? He couldn't have been. She could still feel her shoulders burning where he held her so firmly before.
"Ah!" Midoriya's voice jumped, "I see you, Uraraka! Here! Turn around! Heeeey!"
Uraraka followed the familiar echo to see Midoriya sprinting towards her from the station doors. A broad smile replaced her forlorn facet and she ran to meet him the rest of the way. "Deku!" she greeted, "You made it! Well, somewhat."
"I completely missed it, huh?" Midoriya groaned, "Aw, geez... I'm so, so sorry, Uraraka. I really am hopeless."
"D-don't be so hard on yourself!" Uraraka soothed, suddenly feeling bashful. "It wasn't your fault! Hero duties always come first, right? It's all good."
Midoriya looked up and smiled at her but then frowned in confusion as he commented, "Oh, that jacket-"
Uraraka blinked listlessly at him. "Hm?"
Midoriya offered her his benevolent smile again. "It looks just like the one Kacchan has. You two share similar styles, don't you?"
'...The jacket!' Uraraka gripped the thick material that had been shielding her from the winter chill and blushed at Midoriya's hint towards her shared apparel designs with the blonde, particularly their hero suits. Bakugou was not an illusion- he was really with her that whole time. But to suddenly disappear like he did was still jarring. "I guess," she muttered. She should have corrected Midoriya, told him that the jacket rightfully belonged to Bakugou. Yet, for some reason, there lingered a pang of guilt- reminiscent of partial betrayal- in telling her current person of interest that she watched the meteor shower with another boy, this person's childhood friend of all people. Why? She had no problem mentioning it before realizing Bakugou's disappearance.
"S-so," Midoriya coughed, rubbing his hands together for warmth. "Are there, um, still any places open tonight? I'm actually pretty hungry. Ah, a-and don't worry! It'll be my treat for not being able to watch the meteor shower with you."
"I don't think so," Uraraka tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Not around here at least. We could check the next district, maybe? I saw a couple of people headed there some time ago."
"Yeah! Sounds good!"
"Yay, let's go! I'm going to order lots of stuff as revenge! Bwahaha!"
"Heh-heh, a-alright then. Please be kind to me."
Uraraka delayed in her spot a few seconds after Midoriya, allowing him to venture ahead of her and lead the way. She should have been ecstatic about his offer, over the moon about it, in fact. However, something just didn't sit right with her.
'You could start by looking straight ahead.'
Ironically, the memory of Bakugou's advice prompted Uraraka to turn impulsively around. Her eyes followed the silhouette of the trees to the straight form of Tatooin Station's building then up to the shadowed second-floor balcony that offered nothing but an empty obscurity. She held Bakugou's jacket closer and sighed, surprised yet not quite bothered by the strange fuzziness that swelled in her chest. 'I'm probably just hungry again,' she concluded, gave the station one last considerate stare, then jogged after Midoriya. "Hey, Deku, wait up!"
...
Camouflaged by the night, Bakugou leaned confidently against the cold metal railing of the station's balcony, tugging his black hoodie over his ash blonde locks. He had witnessed the whole exchange, even crossed paths with the frantic Deku beforehand only to go by unnoticed since the curly-haired teen's attention was on his cellphone, conversing with Uraraka. While Bakugou never took kindly to being disregarded, he let that one time pass.
'But why?' he demanded of himself when finally alone. An obvious answer never came but as he watched the two converse, a muted understanding dawned on him. It came in the form of unexpected sentiment when Uraraka called for him, revealed an honest sadness towards his absence, searched her surroundings for him, and continuously embraced the jacket he left with her. There was an underlying hint of bitterness that accompanied this endearment, however, a prevailing feeling he nearly wallowed in until she turned his way at the very last moment. His heart stilled at that instant, her soft brown eyes penetrating the darkness and capturing his in an ardent gaze. He nearly thought she found him, opening his mouth to call her name, 'Uraraka,' until-
"Hey, Deku, wait up!" Uraraka called after the other boy and proceeded to turn away and run after him.
Bakugou furrowed his brow as he watched them disappear into the distance but permitted himself a small, satisfied grin after a pause. "Well, what do you know," he mumbled lowly and raised his head to breathe in the encroaching mist. "She actually turned my way." He caught sight of a faint glimmer trailing across the starry sky, the last bit of the passing comet perhaps, its meager presence forgotten. But he had seen it, acknowledged it. "...Tch, might as well try this dumb shit she kept babbling on about." With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes for the second time that night but this time, to give the forsaken light its purpose.
NOTE: As my great thanks to you, the readers, I've concocted a little Thanksgiving special.
Please forgive me that I haven't updated H.A.A. as I've just been so focused on this one-shot.
Happy Thanksgiving!