Hey guys! Here is Chapter 3 of the story- which is a fluffy bridge to the main story arc. Chapters should be getting progressively longer at this point now that the story has gained a bit more substance.

Thanks to those reading! Please let me know in the comments if you guys are enjoying or have any critiques/suggestions!

So here is Chapter 3- Dreams

Explosions rang out around her. Surrounded by burning buildings, she could hear the screams of their tenants jumping for a final chance at escape from the flames. Uraraka ran as fast as she could, but she couldn't escape the fire licking at her legs and arms. Suddenly she was falling, unable to coax her blistered finger pads to work fully, she was only able to slow the process slightly. She stared at the ground as it grew closer and closer, oddly calm about her impending fate.

Maybe death wouldn't be so bad? She wouldn't be a financial burden to her family and no one would have to save her anymore…

"It's okay to give up, this isn't a place for sidekicks to meddle in- you could get hurt like that." She found herself once again in the arms of Deku. He was looking down at her, his face hiding any emotion with a giant smile. He was older looking to her for some reason, more mature. He reminded her of All Might.

He had finally achieved his dream. She was so proud and happy for him… But…

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Dream?

Her vision blurred and when she looked up at Deku, she found herself looking into blazing red eyes instead. Bakugo? He dropped her somewhat roughly onto the concrete road that had been torn apart by this point in the battle. He glared at her with what appeared to be a combination of anger, disgust and something else she couldn't quite read… Disappointment?

"Like hell you're giving up, Round Face! I don't care if your floating shit won't work- you get your ass out there and you save people anyway because that's what heroes fucking do! They win. Always."

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"Plus," he grinned at her wildly, his face distorting slightly in front of her "since when are you anybody's sidekick?"

She awoke suddenly to the sound of someone beating loudly at her door.

"URARAKA I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE! IT'S A STAT EMERGENCY!"

She jumped from her bed, dream forgotten and swung open her door to find Mina, still in her nightgown, ready to slam her fists back into the now absent door. She was barely able to dodge her arm as she pulled the pink girl into her room. She looked her up and down and noted she looked just fine. She noticed the purple blush creeping onto her face.

"Sorry to wake you, Ochako, but it's a code brown and you're the only one on our floor with a plunger…" Mina smiled sheepishly at her "I didn't want to bother Momo because I may have tried to use my acid first and I may have made things a bit worse… and this may not be the first time I've had to ask for help…?" She walked past her to grab the item from her bathroom.

Initial annoyance fled Uraraka and she couldn't help but laugh loudly at the scene playing out in front of her.

"See! Laughing is better than what Momo did… She scolded me for 'Abusing our shared septic system'" She had a pretty good imitation of the tall brunette. "Not like it's my fault… I'm pretty sure my room is below Mineta's and I swear to God I hear noises up there at night before it clogs up every time! He's tainting my pipes somehow I just know it!"

She watched as her pink friend procured the plunger from behind her toilet. "Your so responsible Ochako! I'm glad I have you to depend on!" She swung it around haphazardly before realizing what she was doing and laughed loudly "Look! I owe you one. I promised Kirishima I'd make him a 5-star breakfast if Mineta managed to beat Kaminari and Sero in the match, yesterday. I guess he's been training with the two of them enough to know they were a terrible match-up." She pointed the plunger at Uraraka before realizing again what she had in her hand was unsanitary "Get dressed and come on down and join in on my fabulous cooking!"

"Only if you let me help out," Uraraka laughed "I saw what happened last time you tried to tackle food alone."

"Fine, you just know me too well!" Mina sighed "but I've seen you in the kitchen and I know you aren't much better! She stuck out her tongue at Uraraka before taking off down the hall, "15 MINUTES! I'LL GET THIS BACK TO YOU LATER!"

Uraraka laughed loudly, definitely an interesting way to start her morning, but she felt so happy she could burst. She grabbed an extra change of clothes before heading down to the showers. She looked at the clock for the first time since waking.

6:30. Definitely too early to be awake on a day off for Mina. She had a rising suspicion that she planned this timing perfectly so Kaminari and Sero would have to smell her making food on their way to supplemental classes.

She showered quickly and changed into a comfortable pair of leggings and an oversized T-shirt. She planned on staying in to study for the day since she had no desire to get back out in the rain today. She tossed her still wet hair into a loose bun before making her way into the kitchen area. Sure enough she found a humming Mina, taunting Kaminari and Sero by explaining her recipe in detail to a smirking Kirishima.

"Oye, Ochako! I've got some veggies here begging for you to chop 'em up real good!" She pretended to throw the surprisingly sharp-looking knife before laughing and handing her a pile to start on.

The commons area made for an entertaining sight this morning. Kaminari and Sero were trying to steal off Mina's cutting board, Kirishima kept hitting back their hands using his quirk, and she saw a good chunk of the class piling on raincoats and umbrellas as they prepared for the walk to class. Even Bakugo had made his way into the common's area reading and taking notes, not even bothering to hide his gloating over the more unfortunate students. Most likely there just to torment poor Deku. They made eye contact for a moment long enough for her to give him a disapproving stare before he raised an eyebrow at her and continued with his work.

"You look really happy this morning, Uraraka!" Deku appeared behind her, seemingly out of no where. She could only imagine the shade of red her face was turning. She hid herself to the best of her ability while still being able to continue chopping.

"Be careful with those knives!" He started walking towards the other students headed out the door and gave her that big smile that made her stomach churn. "You could get hurt like that."

His words stirred something in her. She felt the color drain from her face as she watched him and the others leave. Her dream suddenly flooded back to her in horrific detail and she kept playing his words in her head.

"Uraraka!" Kirishima's voice woke her from her trance along with a stinging sensation on her hands and feet. She looked down and noticed small areas of acid burns and she looked towards Mina's shocked face.

"Ochako… You just dropped that knife and almost sliced yourself open,"

She looked around and noticed that the knife was missing.

"I wasn't really thinking and may have just melted it…" The pink teen laughed softly, "I guess I have to go tell Momo and have her make us a new one… After I get an earful for dissolving another utensil again… You sure your okay?"

The concern in her expression was obvious, even Kirishima seemed unsettled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just zoned out there for a second, thanks so much for stopping me from impaling myself!" She blushed and rubbed the back of her head hoping they would ignore her incident.

They gave her a questioning look before both going to track down Momo. Probably assuming she would want to be alone after doing something so embarrassing. Which she definitely did. She went about inspecting her clothes for any damage before taking to washing the remaining acid off her hands and feet in the sink.

"What the hell was that, Round Face?" He gruffly left his study post and made his way to the kitchen, scowling at her.

She stiffened slightly, having forgotten Bakugo had not followed the rest of their classmates. She turned slightly to face him with one acid-splashed foot in the sink and slipped on the watery puddle she had managed to create on the floor. She careened right into Bakugo who quickly stepped to the side and let her hit face first into the floor. She looked up with what she imagined had turned into a red and bruised version of what was once her face and saw him smile.

Of course her getting hurt and embarrassed would be what made him smile.

"You could have caught me you know!" She puffed out her cheeks in attempt to look angry, assuming she was failing miserable because he started to laugh.

"Why would I have done that? Isn't your quirk to literally fucking float yourself?" He smirked at her before his face turned serious

She stuck her tongue out at the explosive blonde before getting up and wetting a rag to wipe any remaining acid off of her other foot. She turned her back to him, mentally willing him to leave so she could stew in her own embarrassment.

"What was with the stupid look on your face before you tried to accidently off yourself?"

No such luck. Although it wasn't like Bakugo to take interest in anyone's lives. "I just zoned out a bit and why would you care about me anyway?" She turned and snapped at him.

"I don't." He walked past her and began reaching around the cabinet above the fridge. "But pure fucking terror when talking to stupid ass Deku isn't something you see on a regular basis." He pulled out another set of knives from the cabinets only the taller classmates used. "Especially from you." He walked over to where her work station had been and began finishing up her abandoned vegetables.

"Do you really own and hide your own personal set of knives? That's weird even for you, Bakugo."

"Do you always change the subject?" He finished up the vegetables and began mixing them with Mina's abandoned bowel of eggs. "Plus, I just watched you and that pink girl successfully disintegrate a knife. No way I'll ever let any of you touch my shit."

She watched him deftly add spices to the mix before cleaning his knife and placing it back into the cabinet. He placed a pan on the stove to heat before turning back to her with an eyebrow raised.

"He just…" she bit at her lower lip thinking about her dream. "He said something that reminded me of a nightmare I had… I wasn't able to fight and people died… And he told me I was just going to get hurt." She poked her finger through an acid hole in her shirt and looked down. "He said the same thing about me holding a knife! I'm I that much of a liability that people don't even trust me with a cooking utensil?!" Her voice started to get louder before she quieted herself.

Bakugo transferred the contents of the bowel into the pan and watched it sizzle for awhile before speaking. "I'd like to say you proved him wrong but.." His eyes trailed down to the hole in her shirt and her burnt fingers.

"Who cares what that shitty nerd says anyway? Do you need him to validate you?" He transferred the done omelet, large enough to feed a small family, to a plate. "That's weak ass shit, Uraraka, and you know it."

When he glared at her, Uraraka found herself unable to tear away her gaze. He was looking at her with the exact same expression she had seen him make in her dream. "I thought you were better than that."

"Something smells delicious!" Mina was skiping down the hall with a sharp knife in tow, Kirishima not far behind eyeing the utensil wearily.

"Awe, Katsuki-kun, you made us all breakfast that was so-" Kirishima stopped short when he noticed the two staring at each other. "Woah guys! If you all need a room just let me know 'cause there is some intense shit going down here."

Kirishima's laugh brought Uraraka to reality long enough to realize they had been staring at each other for an uncomfortably long period of time. Staring may not have been the right word, it felt more like some sort of weird eye battle to her. She blushed heavily realizing what the situation must have looked like.

"Get the fuck out of my way you extras!" Bakugo pushed Kirishima before making his way towards the elevators, full plate of food in tow.

"Bakugo! Aren't you gonna share with us? That was suppose to be our breakfast!" Mina made a quick double take, realizing he had taken the entire meal on one plate.

"Not a chance, Raccoon Eyes." He took a large bite as the elevator doors closed.

"I KNOW YOU KNOW MY NAME, BAKUGO!" Mina sighed before turning towards Uraraka. "How did you get him to be so nice to you! I'm jealous!"

"I'm not sure I'd call that nice…" Uraraka stared towards the doors where Bakugo had just been moments before.

She listened to Mina and Kirishima argue about whether or not she still owed him breakfast for a bit before noticing a notebook lying unattended on the couch.

What the fuck was that?

Bakugo slammed his door behind him before angrily eating the entire plate of eggs because he was not about to share with any fucking extras.

He had intended on berating shitty Deku's girlfriend, criticize the damn nerd and possibly make her cry a bit in the process and then go about his life being generally awesome like usual.

That had not gone as planned.

That fucking nerd has spent so much time sticking his goddamn nose into other people's business he probably can't let his friends have a life of their own. He was obviously clueless about his life in general. He had been holding back in tests lately, scared he was going to hurt someone like they weren't all here to practice getting the shit beat out of them for a fucking living. And the whole thing with Round Face.

Even Bakugo could tell that girl was in love with Deku bastard. She had been improving pretty steadily in her hero exams, it was worth of a smidgeon of his respect. But the moment she found herself with Shitface, she became no better than a cockroach. She stuttered, lost all ability to plan, and he could physically see her self-confidence die.

It made him want to vomit.

But the way she had stared at him today…

Knockknockknock

Could he not have one second of peace before being interrupted by Shitty Hair, Kirishima?

"Fuck you, Hair for Brains, I already ate all your goddamn food and it was delic-" He pulled open the door, explosions ready in his hand to find Uraraka, who grabbed his door frame before he had a chance to close it. She had apparently been working on her reflexes.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't slam this door on your fingers?" He watched her reach behind her back and procure his notebook. He must have left it on the fucking couch earlier. He reached for it and she pulled it away from him, obviously trying to get herself killed.

"Help me train." She hid the notebook behind her back and looked up at him, their gaze meeting once again today. There was something different in them this time.

"No"

"You're the only person who takes me seriously as a fighter." She refused to break his gaze. "You're the only person I can fight who I know will give it everything they've got. Help me train, imagine how much my quirk could help you practice mid air control! We work well together!"

He considered her offer, he didn't see much downside; improving himself while beating the shit out of a worthy opponent? Right up his alley. Plus, she was full of spitfire and confidence. And this was the Uraraka he respected.

"5am sharp, Pink Cheeks, gym gamma. If you're late I'll kick your ass." He smiled cockily, grabbed his notebook, and pushed her out of his room. "To be fair though, I plan on doing that anyway" He slammed the door.

He had to get away from those stupid eyes.