Bakugo wrapped his towel around his waist and shook his head violently to expel all the water drops from his blonde hair. His phone blasted music through the bluetooth stereo on his bathroom sink and he set to work shaving his face. He'd had a productive day so far and with his gym workout and shower out of the way, he could finally kick back and relax.

Once all the unwanted facial hair had been expelled, he grabbed his speaker and left the bathroom in favor of grabbing a beer from his refrigerator. However, his plan did not exactly go how he had imagined. As soon as he entered his living room, he discovered a mop of ash-blonde hair lounging on his couch.

The woman peered over the magazine she held in her hands and her eyes widened for a moment before they hardened into anguish, "Katsuki! Why the hell aren't you dressed?!"

"What the shit?" Bakugo grew alarmed at the circumstance. He tensed and ran toward his bedroom. "Why the fuck are you here?!"

"How indecent!" She hollered back at him as he slammed his bedroom door shut behind him. "Do you always parade around your apartment wearing nothing but a towel? What if a neighbor sees you?!"

"I live on the top floor, you dusty hag!" He shouted through the door. "I doubt anyone is peeking through my windows!"

The woman scoffed and threw her magazine on the coffee table with disdain, "I will never be able to unsee that."

Another minute passed before Bakugo threw his door open and marched into his living space, now wearing sweats and a t-shirt. "I swear, if you don't get the hell out of here, I'll blast you to oblivion!"

"That's no way to speak to your mother, Katsuki." She frowned and stood up. "I was in town for a business meeting and I thought I would stop by."

"Have you ever heard of a fucking phone?" He clenched his teeth and flexed his hands.

"Hush up," She ordered mightily and planted her hands on her hips. "You don't ever call me either, so don't even start with that."

Bakugo debated on what to do next. Does he throw her out and tell her to call next time or does he find out what the hell she wants and get the gratification of telling her to fuck off? It was a tough call. "How did you even get in here?"

"Your spare key," She answered swiftly and started toward his kitchen. "Damn it, Katsuki. Do you ever do your dishes?"

"I've been working a shit ton, you wrinkly old crone." He followed her into his kitchen and snatched a beer from his refrigerator. "And I don't have a fucking spare key because I don't lose my fucking keys. So how'd you get in here?"

She balked at him and crossed her arms, "A magician never reveals their secret."

"That bullshit again?" Bakugo popped the cap on his bottle. "You have to stop doing this, mom."

She smirked at him before answering, "Doing what?" She feigned innocence.

"Dropping in unannounced," Bakugo spat and took a drink. "It's annoying. I'm an adult now, so you can't just barge in here like you own the place."

"But Katsuki," She whined and walked up to pull on his cheek, "If I didn't, you would just forget about me."

"Damn right I would," He slapped her hand away. "If you keep doing shit like this, then you shouldn't be surprised."

She withdrew herself and leaned against the counter, "Well tough shit. Either learn to call or deal with this. Also, don't keep walking around your apartment in the nude. It's obscene."

"I wasn't nude," He ground his teeth, "I had a towel. And if you hadn't just showed up like this, then we wouldn't have this problem."

She rolled her eyes in the same way Bakugo often did, "It's still revolting. If you insist that you're so grown up now, then at least have the decency to wear clothes."

"I live here!" He snapped.

As she finished rolling her eyes, they caught sight of a blue paper on his countertop. The printed paw print was what drew her attention, "What's this?" She grabbed it before he could snatch it away. "Are you getting a pet?"

"Fuck no," He yanked it from her hands and stuffed it into his pocket. "Mind your own business."

Mitsuki looked completely unamused, "Okay, mister. Enough with that foul mouth already. I didn't think you liked animals."

"Because I don't," He skewed his mouth into a deep frown. "Roundface is the one that wants one."

Her eyebrows rose with surprise, "Who's that?"

He swirled the beer in his hand with irritation, "Doesn't fucking matter. She's just a coworker."

"She?" Mitsuki's tone changed to one of endearment. "Forget animals, I didn't even think you liked women."

Bakugo felt his face turn beet red with anger, "What the hell are you trying to say, hag?"

"Tell me about her, Katsuki." His mother's smile had a clear agenda.

"Get the hell out of here," Bakugo marched over to the door and threw it open, signalling it was time for her to leave.

Kirishima was shocked to see the door fly open as he prepared to knock, "Eh?"

Bakugo heard the surprised sound and turned to see the red-head holding up a hand to knock. "Wha-" He started incredulously, "Seriously? Does everybody just show up here unannounced?"

"Kirishima!" Mitsuki cooed from the kitchen and came running. "I haven't seen you in a long time, come in!"

Bakugo was helpless as his friend entered and hugged the older woman, "What's up, Mrs. B?"

She pressed her knuckles on the top of his spiky hair and noogied, "Still up to no good I see?"

"Always," Kirishima smiled and fixed his hair as he stood upright. "What's going on in here?"

"You're both leaving," Bakugo spat and continued to hold the door wide open.

Mitsuki waved her hand dismissively, "Nonsense. Just ignore him, Kirishima. Want a beer?" She wandered back into the kitchen and retrieved two.

"That sounds awesome," Kirishima nodded enthusiastically and mouthed an apology back toward Bakugo.

The younger blonde seethed at the doorway, "I only have a few hours left of my day off and I won't have you two ruining it."

"Say, Kirishima," Mitsuki handed Kirishima the beer and clanked her own with his. "Do you know someone that goes by the nickname 'roundface?'"

"Don't ignore me!" Bakugo was verging on blowing the door handle clean off.

"Sure do," Kirishima also ignored the blonde at the doorway, "You remember Uraraka Ochako from our high school?"

"She's the gravity girl, right?" Mitsuki sipped from her bottle.

Kirishima nodded, "That's her."

"Damn you, Kirishima." Bakugo growled and felt his palms tingle with unhinged rage. "Shut the hell up if you want to live."

"Hmm," Mitsuki nonchalantly took another drink. "I haven't seen her since you all graduated. Is she doing well?"

"She's fine," Bakugo slammed the door and stalked up to them. He made a move to grab them both, but Mitsuki gracefully grabbed one of his ears and dug her nails in deep to keep him subdued.

"You're being rude to your guests, Katsuki." She chided him and turned her attention back to Kirishima. "And you're doing well too?"

"Sure am," Kirishima didn't hinder his goofy grin. "Edgeshot has us all working hard as usual."

She smiled sweetly at him before frowning at her son, "He better be. Is he keeping my son in check as well?"

"Bakugo?" Kirishima asked dumbly, "Yeah, this guy is totally kicking all our asses. It won't be too much longer before he breaks into the top twenty."

She nodded slowly as she gripped her son's ear. "Are you finished with your tantrum, Katsuki?"

"Let me go so I can kill you both," Bakugo spat and pulled away from his mother's grip. "If you two want to keep blabbing like a lot of girls, then find somewhere else to do it."

"Relax," Mitsuki soothed her tone. "I'll leave after this drink. You should learn to treat your mother with more respect."

"Speak for yourself. You're the one who should learn some manners," Bakugo snapped back.

She ignored him once again and continued her discussion with the red-head, "As nice as it is to see you, what are you dropping by for?"

"Uh," Kirishima stumbled over his words. "You know, guy stuff."

She wasn't convinced in the slightest. "Really? What kind of guy stuff?"

"Oh, you know." Kirishima glanced awkwardly around the room. "Just… Guy stuff."

She sucked down more of her beer and glanced over at her son. "As in… Talking about girls?"

"Mom," Bakugo ran a hand through his still damp hair, "It's none of your damn business. Quit being a nosy old crone."

"Oh?" She wondered innocently, "Does my handsome son finally have a little lady?"

Bakugo scowled, "Keep dreaming."

"Hey," Kirishima came to his buddy's defense. "I don't have a girlfriend either, so…"

Bakugo wanted to punch Kirishima so bad. Little did the red-headed bastard know, he'd made this entire thing much worse by showing up at the worst possible time.

Mitsuki bemusedly took another swig of her drink, "You two sound like you need to get out more. You're in your twenties now and I'm sick of waiting."

"And you'll die waiting," Bakugo grouched. "Hurry up and finish that drink."

The blonde woman paused for a moment before shoving her drink into her son's hands. "Fine, I get the message. Call me this week, won't you?"

"Like I said," Bakugo escorted his mother to the door, "Keep dreaming, hag."

She pulled her son into a hug and whispered in his ear, "I'm always one call away if you ever need some lady advice." She withdrew before he had the chance to retort and exited the apartment. "You better call unless you want a repeat of today!"

"Die already!" Bakugo barked back and slammed the door. He loved his mom, but damn it, she was such a pain in the ass.

"It's always so refreshing seeing your mom," Kirishima joked and downed some of his drink.

"Fuck off," Bakugo dumped out the last of her beer and tossed the bottle in the garbage. "What do you want, asshat?"

Kirishima shrugged and plopped down on Bakugo's comfortable sofa, "I thought we could hang out."

"Damn it," Bakugo clenched his fist around his own drink, "Has anybody in this fucking city ever heard of using a damn phone?"

Kirishima turned on Bakugo's tv and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, "I would have called, but I knew you'd say no."

"So you just show up anyway?" Bakugo frowned at the unaffected red-head.

Kirishima didn't bother looking back toward the kitchen, "Better to ask forgiveness than permission. Hey, could you hand me another beer?"

"Get it your damn self," Bakugo growled and sauntered over to the sofa and sat on the other end. "Since when were you so damn chummy with my mom?"

Kirishima cracked a smile at Bakugo's attitude, "Dude, your mom is awesome and she gives you so much shit. It's hilarious. Plus, she's the only person I know that has actual dirt on you."

"Tch," Bakugo rolled his eyes and took a drink from his beer. "One of these days that hag with regret everything she's ever said."

"Don't even lie, Bakugo." Kirishima flipped through the channels on the television, "You love her for it."

"Fuck no, I don't!" Bakugo shot back and pulled out his phone. "Either shut the hell up or leave."

Kirishima decided to go with option one. He finally found a Rambo movie and decided that it would be something both of them could enjoy watching. He side-glanced at Bakugo every now and then, but the blonde ignored him and played on his phone.

On the other end of the sofa, Bakugo was losing interest in his phone game pretty fast. Even he got tired of winning at times so he closed the app and opened Facebook instead. He hated seeing other people's lives but perhaps he could find something new and embarrassing to give someone at the office shit about.

He scrolled for a while, ignoring all the annoying posts about family and how great everybody's lives were. He usually only watched the videos that people shared, so he occupied himself with that in the meantime.

Finally, a photo caught his eye. He stopped his mindless scrolling to look at it for a while. Uraraka had taken a new profile picture. It was a selfie of her posing with two cat statues in the Ginza shopping district. She was smiling happily and was holding up a peace sign. He didn't have to guess that she was happy, her goofy grin said it all.

Kirishima had gotten up for another beer and was in the kitchen behind the sofa. He was about to ask if Bakugo wanted another as well when he spied the blonde looking intently at something on his phone. Curious, Kirishima slyly caught a glimpse from behind the couch. The red-head couldn't stifle his chuckle before grabbing two more drinks.

Bakugo heard the noise and turned to glare at the red-head, "The fuck are you laughing at, dipshit?"

Kirishima rounded the couch and sat down again, offering Bakugo the second beer. "You."

Bakugo was taken aback as he popped open his new drink, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He locked his phone and dropped it in his lap.

Kirishima didn't quit his smile yet, "You just can't help it, can you?"

"Help what?" Bakugo sneered and clenched his beer bottle.

"Nevermind. Mina told me some interesting information about Uraraka yesterday," Kirishima knew he was walking a fine line between getting thrown out and getting beat up.

"And I should care, why?" Bakugo rolled his eyes and took a drink.

The red-head shrugged, "I thought you might want to know."

"Like hell I do," Bakugo scowled and tried to focus on the Rambo movie.

"I asked Mina about Uraraka and Deku and she said that they may not last much longer." Kirishima tapped his chin with a knowing smile, "She didn't care to tell me why though."

"I don't punch girls, Kirishima, but you're kinda asking for it," Bakugo warned.

Kirishima recoiled slightly but still laughed at Bakugo's harsh tone, "Touchy subject, huh?"

"Not at all," Bakugo tensed and tried to intensify his scowl. "I don't give a shit about what roundface and Deku do."

"I don't know about that," Kirishima mumbled too quietly for Bakugo to make out. He didn't miss a beat before pressing ahead, "I think that Uraraka is beginning to realize that Deku isn't right for her now that he's across the world."

Bakugo growled and shut his eyes frustratedly, "I really don't give a flying fuck."

"Listen," Kirishima shuffled a little on the sofa, "I'm not an idiot, Bakugo. I'm your best friend."

Bakugo snapped furious red eyes onto his friend, "You can tell yourself that you're not an idiot all you want but that doesn't change the truth."

"Come on, man," Kirishima met Bakugo's glare with a quirked eyebrow. "I've known you for years now. You've never taken a liking to any of the girls we've hung out with before so it's hard not to see it when you do."

Bakugo was gearing up to throw that bastard out the nearest window and let him fall all the way to the street. "Fuck off, Kirishima. If you know what's good for you, you'll shut the hell up right now."

"I'm just trying to help," Kirishima shot back. "You couldn't get more hopelessly single if you were trapped on an iceberg in antarctica. I don't think that there's going to be another girl that comes along that will measure up to your insanely high standards."

Bakugo was getting an itch to blow something up, "I'm not fucking around, Kirishima. I will kill you right now."

"I know you're not," The red-head sat up and stared Bakugo down, "But I just want you to be happy, man. Doesn't it bother you being alone all the time? Seriously dude, if your only priority is work then you're not really living."

Kirishima's words didn't carry the weight that he had hoped they would. Bakugo didn't seem to be affected whatsoever by his call to man up. The blonde simply held his deathly glare and the red-head wondered if he'd pushed too hard. No matter the case, he was already waist deep in this. "Whatever, dude. Maybe I'm seeing this all wrong. But if I'm not, then quit being a pushover and do some damn winning. You're always going on about the importance of it at work, so quit letting yourself get further behind in this part of your life. If I know you at all, then I know that you never take anything lying down."

Bakugo didn't relent with his glare, but he felt his chest grow tight. Kirishima never spoke to him like this, but this was the second time this week. He finally turned away and worked on his beer again, scowling at the tv.

Kirishima breathed out a quiet sigh of thankfulness. Perhaps he wasn't going to have to fight with Bakugo after all.

"You're a bastard, Kirishima." Bakugo barely growled out the words.

The red-head chuckled and finally relaxed in his seat again, "Correction: I'm your best bastard."

"No, just a bastard." Bakugo clenched his teeth.

Kirishima let the refutation hang in the air unanswered and let the blonde be. He'd said what he needed to say, so now it was up to Bakugo to decide what to do with it. He only hoped that he'd said the right things and that he'd gotten his message across. Bakugo was good enough for Uraraka and Kirishima knew it. It didn't matter what Mina or anyone else thought because he knew the best parts of Bakugo that nobody else ever sees. That explody jerk was a proud and tough dude, but he's sensitive behind that scowl. Uraraka was the other other person that could possibly see that too. That is, if Bakugo would be willing to reveal it to her.

Bakugo was irritated as he unpacked Kirishima's unfiltered lecture in his mind. That jackass was beginning to know him too well. But that red-headed dick had a point. Bakugo never accepts defeat, so was he doing that now? How would he even know? He hadn't even seriously considered having feelings for anyone before, so how would he be able to tell if his attraction to Uraraka was legitimate or lustful? Maybe it was neither and it was simply mild interest. Damn it, he can't get that roundface's smile out of his head now.

Suppose he did like her. Why would he? There was nothing particularly spectacular about her. She was a low rank hero, but she was working hard to fix that. She wasn't gorgeous, but he could at least call her cute. She didn't cry every five seconds anymore, maybe that was plus. Also, she seems to have developed a smart mouth. She'd caught him off guard a few times with that. But that stupid smile… It was the biggest issue. He wanted to hate it so bad, but he just couldn't. It was her secret weapon that so easily put him under a spell. Was this what Deku always saw in her?

That damn nerd... Seriously, fuck that guy. He was a pest that Bakugo just could not rid himself of. He was Mr. Perfect and everybody loved him. The media love him, he public loves him, and even All-Might loved him enough to hand over his quirk to that shitnerd. He was any girls parents' wet dream.

It never ceased to baffle the blonde by how easy everything came to Deku. So how the fuck could that shithead be screwing up so bad with Uraraka? Doesn't he know what he has? First he muzzled her by keeping her from moving to Tokyo and then he abandons her after all this time? And where does that dick get off on treating her like she's a pet? Whether Bakugo liked Uraraka or not, he'll buy her a drink regardless if she dumps his sorry ass. That girl deserves better than that kiss-ass nerd.

Oh, what the hell? Bakugo didn't know how he felt yet, but he'd sure as hell be happy in seeing those two break up. In the meantime, he could sort out everything else.

Bakugo felt a rush of bravery and snatched up his phone again. When he unlocked it, Uraraka's face was smiling back at him. His heart clenched as he considered his options. It was a good picture after all, so he didn't hesitate to 'like' it. He hoped he wouldn't regret this.


Kirishima clapped Bakugo on the back roughly as he stood in the doorway, "Thanks for the beers, man. Let's do this again, huh?" His words slurred slightly as he checked his watch, "Shit, I can't believe it's already eleven o'clock!"

"Let's not do this again," Bakugo pushed the red-head out of his apartment.

"See you tomorrow?" Kirishima ignored the comment and smiled.

Bakugo rolled his eyes and went to close the door, "Fuck off, Kirishima."

The red-head waved one last time before heading down the hallway toward the elevator, "See ya!"

Bakugo shut the door and turned back toward his empty and chaotic apartment. Damn, his mother and Kirishima had no problem leaving a mess. He cracked open the last beer in his refrigerator as he set to cleaning up, but found it harder than he anticipated. Perhaps he'd had more to drink than he'd thought.

He grabbed a garbage bag and began dumping the empty beer bottles inside before shutting down his Xbox and letting the silence settle in. The clank of the bottles in the bag and his somewhat stumbling footsteps were the only sounds to be heard now.

He dropped the bag by his front door for the morning and haphazardly put away the two Xbox controllers. He surmised that he'd cleaned up enough for now and made his way into his bedroom. He could finish the cleaning job tomorrow when he was sober.

Bakugo's bedroom is modern, roomy and stylish. Thick red curtains accented the dark grey walls and his black duvet was neatly pleated across his king bed. His dresser and bedside tables were also black, stark against the bed's crisp white headboard. The decorations were few and far between. Lamps, a bowl for his keys, and a single photo of himself and All-Might at graduation. It looked simple, yet it also felt complex and adult. Sleek was the word that Kirishima had used.

Bakugo ignored turning the light on as he collapsed on his soft bed and groaned at his drunken state. He needed to quit drinking like this on the weekends. Sooner or later it would affect his work. He rolled over on top of the duvet and adjusted his sweatpants to sit more comfortably on his hips.

As he stared at the ceiling, it dawned on him how quiet it was. He lifted his head and looked around, the only sound coming from his head moving over the covers. He sighed and stretched his arms out, hardly able to touch either side of the bed. Such a large bed seemed like a waste.

He never minded silence, in fact he preferred it. But right now, he couldn't shake the feeling of being alone. Nothing in this huge apartment ever changed. It was always exactly the way he left it in the morning. Why that was bothering him now? He wasn't sure.

Maybe Kirishima had been right. Was he getting tired of being alone? But it had been his staple for so many years… Changing that now would mean that he'd have to change everything else about his life too. Was it worth the distraction from his ultimate priority?

His mind shifted to being a hero. Being the top hero has been the only goal he's ever strived for. Everything else came second. Family, friendships, and especially love… They are all so low on the totem pole of priorities and have been since the beginning. He kept his body in top condition and his eyes set on the prize. It was so easy, but he'd never considered it lonely.

Was it lonely? Perhaps not. It made everything else less complicated. While Kirishima and Kaminari had been swooning over a variety of women, Bakugo was hitting the gym. While they took time off to visit their families, he was working overtime. And when they would drag him out for guys nights, his mind was always on the next work day. It was so damn simple and that is how he likes it. Simplicity is his key to success.

Until now.

Uraraka sprung to his mind and he clenched his jaw brutishly. She'd thrown a damn monkey wrench into his entire life. When he'd normally be home by midnight, he was buying her shit coffee and walking her drunk ass home. When he'd usually be getting ready for the work day, he was watching her beat the living hell out of a punching bag and then giving her advice. When she blew up in his face, he actually felt guilty and apologized! Hell, even his patrols with her had been talkative.

He slammed an infuriated fist down on his bedspread and scowled. Who even was he anymore? He had never done anything of that sort until she got here. In fact, it had never even crossed his mind. He should have stuck with pretending that he didn't know her at all the first day she showed up at the agency. Maybe this would have never happened.

But that smile…

It was charming, sweet, and completely unhindered. Even toward him, she didn't hide a tooth of it. At first, it was annoying as all hell, but steadily it changed. It was no longer a cheap cop out she used, now it was endearing. It was genuine and a breath of fresh air. Thinking about it now made his dark bedroom light up with sunshine.

"Argh!" Bakugo bellowed and swiftly sat up to run his hands through his messy blonde spikes. He pulled at the tufts on the back of his head as he clenched his jaw as tightly as he dared. "Damn you, roundface!" He squeezed his eyes shut angrily.

A moment passed and it was silent again. Not even a breeze brushed the windows.

He sighed and released the tense hold on his hair to lean back on his palms. This was infuriating. How did one girl manage to complicate his life to this extreme? He doesn't like her!

Does he?

For once in his life, he wasn't sure. The ever-decisive Bakugo Katsuki was at odds with himself. It was so unsettling.

He shook his head and told himself it was the alcohol. He couldn't think straight with all this booze clogging his mind. He'd figure it all out tomorrow.

He finally lay back and tried to fall asleep but the silence was deafening.


I am so glad for the praise I got on the last chapter so thank you to all of you! I totally thought I'd blown it and I was sooo stressed out about it. THANK YOU for helping me to not doubt myself. You're all so fantastic!

I decided to challenge myself a little with this chapter and write completely about Bakugo. It was a tough challenge, but I pulled through! Hopefully, this gives more insight into Bakugo's state of mind.

Penrose Quinn: Pfft! You're so cute. I wish I had a secret quirk! I'm so glad you liked the convo between Kirishima and Mina though! That was what I was most worried about! :D Thanks for your review!

TheVincenzio: I am so glad I could help! I really hope your exam went well. Literary theory sounds like an awesome major though (I'm a mathematics major so I think you're lucky lol). I'm really glad you liked the last chapter and hopefully this one is a reward for your hard work! Thanks for the review!

MelodySincerelySong: Thank you so much for your review. I hadn't really thought of Bakugo like that either, but I'm really glad you like the way I write him. In fact, your review was my inspiration to write this chapter the way I did. I figured that it would be a real challenge, so I hope you enjoy! Thanks for the review!

sevas007: I can tell you're excited for some Kacchako fluff xD I actually just finished an official outline for the remainder of the story last night and I can promise you in just a few more chapters, you'll get what you came for! Thanks for the review!

Clarissa Kirishima: Welcome to my kacchako trash fic LOL. We are happy to have you and I'm stoked you like this so far. Hopefully you will like this chapter too! Thanks for the review!

I have a quick announcement for you guys too: My best friend is getting married next week so I'm going to be out of town starting tomorrow and I'll be swamped with Maid of Honor duties. If I have the time, I will write! Buuuut, over the next week the updates will be much fewer. Don't worry though, I'll do the best I can until I can get back to my normal schedule!

I'm going to spend some time tonight and tomorrow writing as much as I can so hopefully I'll be able to get ahead of the update curve for you guys. I'll just write a bunch of rough drafts and hopefully I'll have time to edit and post them. Until then, just know I love you all.

XOXO