A/N: ... I am super proud of myself for getting this done on time. That's all! I hope enjoy... Remember! This is a SLOW BURN! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Boku No Hero Academia. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of...


"A watched pot doesn't boil."

Uraraka's brows furrowed as the words of her novel blurred in front of her. "Does so," she muttered, allowing her eyes to drift above the top of her book toward the entry hall. "I've seen it." He toes dug into the lounge couch cushion as she tried focused back on her book.

"I'm trying to say you watching the door won't make Bakugo show up any faster," Todoroki told her bluntly, draping his arms against the back of the couch.

Sighing loudly, Uraraka sunk into the couch as she flipped the page she hadn't even bothered to finish. "I'm not waiting for Bakugo." She didn't even know what was this book was about. "Thanks for announcing that by the way," she mumbled sourly.

"No one's in here to see you watch the door."

Lucky for her.

"Except for me."

Jerk. "Shows what you know. I can't even see the door from here."

"Doesn't change the fact that you are waiting for him," he shrugged.

"Doesn't change the fact you must have something better to do than to watch me wait for Bakugo," Uraraka mocked, head bobbing from side to side as she peeked over her book. "Go bother Deku."

"He's not back yet either."

Not surprising.

It was still early in the afternoon. Quite a few of their classmates hadn't made it back to the dorms yet. Classes for third year students wouldn't start classes until Wednesday anyway. Monday and Tuesday would be used for advisor meetings, registering for classes, internship seminars, transcript evaluations, and other activities to prepare them for their last year at U.A.

This was one time they could afford to delay their return back to school into the afternoon or evening.

"So, you admit you're waiting for Bakugo?" Todoroki spoke, moving to take a seat at the opposite end of the couch.

With a loud huff, she dropped the book to her lap as she narrowed her eyes at him, "You really don't have anything else to do."

"Not particularly," he shrugged, looking at her with a small smug smirk. "I just couldn't help but notice how disappointed you looked when myself and Tsu came in."

She hadn't meant to.

Things had been delightfully odd since All Might interrupted their kiss.

Uraraka wasn't surprised when Bakugo had left after they were interrupted. All Might had stood at the doorway to the gym when he poked his head into the the closet to announce he was leaving. She nodded, shooting an awkward glance to their teacher waiting in the distance and rethinking the goodbye kiss she was itching to give Bakugo. He left with a promise to text her, renewing her assignment to organize the closet and to find her missing phone.

They'd been texting for the last few days. Their messages were an array of random topics without mention of their kiss. While she wasn't sure what to make of him not mentioning what happened at Gym Gamma, Uraraka took comfort in his consistent good morning and good night messages each day.

Granted, it had only been a few days of this routine, but she found herself hoping for many more.

"So, I take it your date went well?'

Uraraka pulled her phone from her pocket, scanning over the brief morning conversation with Bakugo. "It was nice." He hadn't mentioned what time he'd be coming back, and she was now wishing she'd asked. "We had fun."

"So you're finally admitting it was a date?" he questioned with a self-satisfied nod.

"I swear you're just as bad as Deku," she huffed. Uraraka leaned over, giving her friend a good-natured glare as she tried to keep the smile from her lips as she stared into his eyes. "Fine. You were right."

Todoroki nodded, "I know."

"You're also so humble."

"It wasn't hard to figure out."

More salt for the wound. "I guess it's easier to see when you're on the outside looking in." She leaned back against the arm of the chair as she looked down at her phone. They hadn't talked about much this morning. After the usual good morning, she'd told him she'd eaten one of the treats he bought her for breakfast and he commented about how he still thought it was strange to eat desserts for breakfast.

"Not really."

"Oh?"

"All you had to do was look at the facts."

Her brow wrinkled as her lips twisted, head tilting up to meet his gaze. "Really, now?"

"What would you tell one of your friends if they told you someone asked for their phone number, took them out to dinner, paid, watched a movie you know they hated because you'd like it, and-"

"How did you know?!" She hadn't had the chance to tell him about her date.

Todoroki shrugged, "Midoriya told me."

Not surprised.

"He said you showed up at his apartment in a panic, and he helped you text Bakugo."

"Can you blame me?" Uraraka looked up at him innocently.

"It should have been obvious he's attracted to you after how he treated you on your date."

She really hadn't expected Todoroki to give her an inch on the matter, but… "You don't see any irony here?"

"No."

"Really?" To be fair, Todoroki and Midoriya hadn't been on any official dates as far as Uraraka knew, but their body language had been enough to convince her of their feelings.

"Why would it?"

"Because maybe some of us think your feelings for someone are painfully obvious, so-"

"That's called deflection."

"Funny, I thought it was called denial," Uraraka laughed. "And I would know."

"You would."

"Give me a break." There was only so far she could push Todoroki. He'd made emotional leaps and bounds since their first year, but he was still stunted. "Bakugo can be hard to read."

"Yeah, it's hard telling the difference between rage, anger, and narcissism."

"No," she chuckled, biting her bottom lip.

"Yes."

"Bakugo is a little-"

Todoroki raised his eyebrows.

"Intense, but-"

"Okay," he snorted.

"-he's really sweet." She still wasn't over him surprising her with lunch while she was work study.

"Not the first word that comes to mind when I think about Bakugo," his lips pressed in a firm line, biting back a few choice words. "I think you're biased."

"I might be," she admitted. "You have to admit he isn't terrible."

"You're right."

"See!"

"He's worse."

Uraraka pouted, playfully kicking his thigh as she laughed. "He's not." Her eyes drifted back toward the entryway as the sound of the door caught her attention.

Jiro.

She sighed, laughter dying down as she looked back at Todoroki with a tight smile.

"You really like him don't you?" he questioned quietly, nose wrinkling and eyes filled with mirth.

She did. "I do."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I could've walked back to campus."

Masaru chuckled, tilting the rearview mirror to catch his son's annoyed stare in the backseat of the car. "Is it so terrible that we wanted to have lunch with you before you went back to campus?" he asked, adjusting his hands on the steering wheel.

"Yeah," Bakugo answered without hesitation. He folded his arms across his chest as his head tilted back against the leather. "It's awful."

"You ungrateful little shit." Mitsuki shook her head from the front passenger seat.

"I didn't want to go to lunch across town anyway, you hag!"

"Now, now," Masaru clicked his tongue playfully, looking between the two. "Do we really wanna spend the little bit of time we have fighting?"

"She fucking started it!"

Masaru shook his head, smiling at his wife, "I'm really going to miss this."

"I won't," Bakugo barked leaning up between the seats for a moment.

"And you wanted to have another one," Mitsuki snorted, raising an eyebrow at her husband. "We're lucky we survived that demon child."

"Don't fucking talk about me like I'm not here!"

"This is probably the last time your mother and I are going to take you to school, you know that?" Masaru commented as he stopped at the red light. He turned, looking to his son in the back seat with a sad smile.

"It's not a big deal," Bakugo muttered, turning his gaze to the slow traffic outside the window. Out of the three of them, his father was obviously the most sentimental. His mother had her moments, but he could shut down her softer emotions with a snappy comment to get her screaming at him like normal. "Don't get all weepy on me." He couldn't do that with his father.

"It is a big deal, Katsuki."

Mitsuki nodded, "We're hardly going to see you during the school year-"

Showed what she knew. Bakugo was sure his father wasn't going to let him forget that he had to come to dinner a few times during the term in accordance with their deal. "You'll see me enough."

"We know," Masaru assured with a firm nod.

Of course he knew.

"You're going to be busy with school, internships, your friends-" Mitsuki listed cautiously as she turned to look at her son. "Your girlfriend."

Bakugo felt a frustrated blush bloom from his face and sear his ears. "You told her?!" he roared, looking at his father. "Deals off, old man!"

"Mistuki…" Masaru sighed, looking at his wife.

She shrugged, "You said we should ease into it. I thought I was easing into it."

"Good thing you didn't bring it up at the restaurant." He liked to think his son would be able to control himself in public. Masaru hadn't been proven wrong in a while, but he wasn't about to tempt fate.

"The opportunity never presented itself."

"I can't fucking believe you!" Bakugo shouted, palms slamming against seats.

"I didn't tell her," Masaru calmly told his son as he continued to drive.

"Honestly, Katsuki, do you really think I wouldn't notice?"

Bakugo growled, slouching further in his seat.

"You've been acting weird all break," Mitsuki started. "You spent half your break sulking in your room, you leave the house wearing cologne and pants that fit, and you've been glued to your phone every chance you get."

He should have known that his father hadn't mentioned his situation with Uraraka. Without thinking, he'd confirmed his mother's suspicions.

"I mean, for goodness sake, you had that phone in your lap all morning smiling down at your crotch like an idiot."

This conversation could've come while he was trapped in that house, so at least he was headed back to the dorms.

"So, who is she?"

Not fast enough though. "None of your damn business," Bakugo growled tightly.

"We have a right to know who you're dating. What's your girlfriend going to think if you don't introduce her to your parents? You better mind your manners when you meet her parents Katsuki or I swear I will beat you within an inch of your-"

"Will you chill out!" Bakugo shouted. "We've only gone on one like one date-" He didn't consider the impromptu lunch another date, though he wasn't complaining about how it ended. "I'm not trying to scare her off by introducing her to your crazy ass."

"It might comfort her to know that your heathen ass came from a halfway decent home."

"You old bit-"

"I think what your mother is trying to say is," Masaru interrupted carefully. "If you're serious about this girl we hope that you will introduce her to us at some point."

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at his mother.

"We know you're not a little kid, and we just want you to make sure you continue to make good choices," Masaru explained as he checked his mirrors as he continued their drive to the dorms.

Bakugo's head whipped toward his father, "What are you talking about? I'm not gonna slack off at school because of some girl!"

"Your father is trying to tell you to keep it in your pants-"

"What the actual fuck mom?!" He slid as far back as he could, cornering himself in the back seat. "You really think-"

"What I know," Mitsuki's voice boomed over his easily. "Is that you're a teenage boy and there isn't enough blood for both-"

"Nothing is happening!" Bakugo ignored the little voice in his head whispering 'not yet'. "We had one date!"

"That's all it takes!"

"Your mother's right," Masaru nodded.

Bakugo couldn't help but wonder how badly he'd be hurt if he decided to jump out of the car. They weren't going too fast. At the moment, his father was in the lane closest to the sidewalk so he wouldn't have to worry about a car hitting him.

"I remember being your age," his father continued. "It's perfectly normal for you to have these urges at your age, Katsuki."

The road rash wouldn't be pleasant, but he'd endured third degree burns. "For fuck's sake," he groaned, covering his face. "You all are not doing this."

"I know what goes on at those dorms!" Mitsuki insisted. "I'm not stupid, Katsuki! Yeah, I know there are rules and curfews, but it's a bunch of hormonally charged teenagers doing stupid shit hormonally charged teenagers do!"

"I knew lunch was a fucking trap…" He should have just gone back to the dorms this morning.

"We are too goddamn young to be grandparents!"

"What the fuck?"

"You heard me!"

"I'm a fucking virgin!" Bakugo screamed.

The sound of the tires rolling against the asphalt echoed through the car.

He hadn't kissed anyone prior to Uraraka either. The few games of truth or dare and spin the bottle he played in middle school didn't count in his opinion. "There! Are you both happy?"

"Told you," Mitsuki smirked, nudging her husband.

Masaru forced himself not to look so amused, "It's not about us being happy. It's about you not rushing and knowing-"

"Dad!" Bakugo shouted, feeling a rush of relief flood his system as the campus came into site. "Stop!"

"I just want to make sure-"

"No!" He grabbed his duffle bag waiting for the car to come to a stop. "I don't need the fucking talk. Let me out of the damn car."

Masaru eased the car to a slow stop. "Alright. Don't-"

"No!"

"I was going to say don't forget about us, Katsuki."

"I won't," he sighed, leaning forward at the middle seat.

His father patted the top of his head, "I love you, son."

"Yeah…" Bakugo sighed. "You too, old man."

"Would it kill you to text us more often?" Mitsuki questioned, pinching his face between her fingers.

Bakugo snarled, "Yes, yes it would."

"You little shit," she murmured. She pulled his face forward, placing a kiss to his cheek. "Don't act like a fool."

"I know."

"I love you."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotta go," Bakugo muttered, quickly exiting out of the car. He gave one last wave to his parents as he walked toward the dorm. From what he could tell, the campus was still pretty empty which hopefully meant quiet. The heavy entrance doors clanked shut behind him as he stepped inside, moving toward the sound of the voices in the lounge area. His steps halted at the doorway as he looked at bright chestnut eyes peeking over a book and the talking ceased.

Uraraka lowered her book a bit, wiggling her fingers in a little wave from her seat on the couch. The book lowered down to her lap, revealing rosy cheeks and a shy smile. "Hello."

"Hey." A small smirk curved on Bakugo's lips as he dropped his duffle bag by the doorway.

"You wait for three hours and the best he can do is hey?" Todoroki snorted, standing up from the couch.

Bakugo's eyes snapped into focus, brows furrowing angrily as he noticed Todoroki, "Who the fuck asked you, and where the fuck did you come from?"

With a tolerant shake of his head, Todoroki looked to Uraraka with a small smile, "He's not allowed at our lunch table."

"You're a butt," Uraraka snickered, kicking his leg lightly as he started walking out of the lounge.

"Yeah." He wasn't going to argue with that assessment. Todoroki glared at the blonde as he walked by him, heading toward the stairway.

Bakugo snarled, "The fuck are you looking at? You trying to start something?"

"He was just keeping me company," Uraraka commented, putting her book down and moving off the couch. She stepped in front of him, tipping her chin up toward him.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to greet him. If they weren't at Alliance Heights, she'd consider trying to hug him or kissing him.

"We were waiting for people to get back."

"Yeah?" he questioned. Head dropping, face softening as their gaze met. "You were waiting for me?" The question left his mouth before he had a chance to reconsider it.

She blushed, nodding sheepishly. "Yeah." Uraraka patted his chest, before removing her hand. "You didn't tell me when you were getting back."

"You didn't ask, pink cheeks," Bakugo countered lightly.

"I shouldn't have to."

He nodded, eyes widening for a moment with merry surprise. "I will keep that in mind."

"Good." She wasn't exactly sure who kissed who first the other day, but she was hoping he'd take the hint that she wanted him to kiss her. "Are you, um-" She rocked back and forth on her heels, taking a small step closer into his space. "Are you gonna come down to the lounge for dinner and games?" Somehow their class had developed a tradition of having dinner and hanging out together in the lounge the night before classes resumed from break.

"Tch, are you going?" Bakugo wrinkled his nose at the thought. In the past, he only stayed long enough to sneer and steal a cookie.

"I am for a little while."

He didn't have any interest in the activities with his class. "Do you wanna get mochi after?" Leaning further into her space, he smirked watching her eyes dart between his eyes and his lips.

A bright smile exploded on her face. "Of course." Her chest pounded as she caught a whiff of his sweet scent.

He knew she wouldn't be able to say no to that, but he hadn't expected the airy feeling in his chest when she smiled at him. "Good," he spoke, eyes dropping to her mouth.

Taking a quick glance around her, Uraraka stepped forward as she sank her teeth into her bottom lip nervously. Her fingers carefully splayed over his cheeks, pulling his face down so she could capture his lips in a brief kiss.

"About fucking time you did that," Bakugo hummed, drawing his arms around her waist loosely.

Covering her heated cheeks, she buried her face into his chest. "Well," she drawled, looking up at him with mock annoyance. "You could have kissed me first."

"I kissed you first the last time."

Debatable. "Well, that means next time it's your turn."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Their class wasn't cliquey.

It was safe to say that everyone was pretty much friends with everyone, but there were people they just naturally gravitated toward. The party had been going on in the lounge for a little hour two hours, but after food and obligatory greetings, they'd settled into their little factions.

Sato had taken over kitchen duty, providing them with snacks and treats for the evening. He'd been joined by Koda and Shoji with Tokoyami leaning against the wall by the counter. Not many words were exchanged between them. Sato typically led the conversation but seemed mostly content that they were keeping him company as he tended to the snacks.

Aoyama, Ojiro, and Hagakure were all standing close to the treats talking in their small group. Hagakure and Aoyama talked animatedly as Ojiro chimed in every now and then with a short comment or question when it seemed appropriate.

The loudest group easily consisted of Kirishima, Sero, Ashido, Kaminari, and Jiro. They always set up on the bean bags by the windows, all laughing loudly and talking endlessly. Mineta occasionally joined them snickering with Kaminari before going off and annoying one of the girls. Sero would probably tape him up within the hour.

Then there was her group-Asui, Iida, Midoriya, and Todoroki. Yaoyorozu didn't regularly join them. She floated between sitting with Jiro and staying close to Todoroki when she sat with them.

This wasn't new.

Sure, there were times the girls banded together for a sleepover or to eat lunch together, but this was how it had been since their first year.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," Uraraka answered quickly, clearing her throat as she forced herself out of her thoughts and back to the party around her.

Midoriya raised his eyebrows curiously as he stared at her.

"My mind just wandered." Her eyes moved to the metal doors of the elevator. She hadn't expected Bakugo to join the party. They were going to get mochi this evening, but they hadn't set an exact time.

"I never got the chance to ask," Asui started from beside her. "How was your break, Ochako?"

Midoriya turned his head to hide the smile twitching to curl on his lips.

"Fine," Uraraka answered easily, fiddling with the phone in her lap as she looked at the group with a small smile. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Todoroki cast her a glance.

She wasn't sure what the status of her relationship with Bakugo was. "I spent a lot of time doing work-study." It wasn't really a secret, but she wasn't sure what to say about it.

"How's that going?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Good," Uraraka nodded. "Oh! Are you guys free on Tuesday at seven in the morning?"

Iida nodded, "We should be. Classes don't start until Wednesday for us and that day we don't have the internship seminar until ten. Why?"

"I'm going to be helping to teach Intro to Combat, and Aizawa thought it would be interesting to have us rush the first year students to help see what they're capable of," Uraraka, explained leaning back against the couch. "I already asked a couple other people to help, but it would be like what happened to us at USJ. We're just not going to actually hurt them. Surprise yes."

"I'm in," Midoriya nodded.

"Sounds like an excellent opportunity to assess the incoming students in the hero course," Iida agreed.

"I wouldn't mind helping too," Todoroki nodded, along with Yaoyorozu and Asui.

"Thanks guys!" Uraraka smiled, as the elevator behind them dinged. "I-

"Well, well," Kirishima shouted from his position across the room, standing with his arms wide. "Get over here, grumpy!"

Bakugo sneered, shoving his hands inside his pockets as he shuffled across the room.

Uraraka's eyes followed him across the room as a small frown tugged at the corner of her lips. She hadn't expected him to come to join her group at the couches, but she couldn't ignore the pang of disappointment or confusion she felt.

Red eyes lifted in her direction as his face relaxed. Bakugo leaned against the wall by his group, eyes subtly cast in her direction.

A blush rushed over her cheeks as Uraraka forced her eyes to the ceiling. How was she supposed to act around their friends?

Bakugo hadn't avoided her, and she didn't need him to kiss her every time they came in contact with other.

"Uraraka?"

Her eyes widened as her body jerked. "Huh?" Uraraka questioned blinking wildly.

"You spaced out again," Midoriya pointed out.

"Oh, sorry," she murmured, lowering her gaze as her phone buzzed in her lap.

BAKUGO, 8:49 PM
Mochi?

URARAKA, 8:49 PM
You don't wanna talk to your friends a little longer?

BAKUGO, 8:51 PM
Not really.

URARAKA, 8:52 PM
Sure, sure? I feel bad you didn't get to really catch up with them…

BAKUGO, 8:53 PM
Got all year.

URARAKA, 8:54 PM
Kay, let's get mochi :D

"Hey guys," Uraraka started slowly. "I'll be back." Her legs dropped to the floor as her knuckles pressed into the cushion.

"Where are you going?" Asui questioned curiously.

"A little walk." They would have to walk to go get mochi, so it wasn't a lie.

Iida nodded, "Don't forget curfew is-"

"I won't be gone that long."

"You're gonna miss the party," Midoriya told her, stretching his legs out against the floor.

"You mean miss being crushed in the Uno tournament?" Uraraka smirked, rolling her eyes. "Again! No thank you."

"There's a chance you could win!"

"Yeah, no." In all the times they played Uno, Uraraka would have to guess she'd only won once. "The cards are never really kind to me."

"Uno is more of a game of strategy than luck," Iida said, tilting his chin proudly. "The cards you are dealt with don't matter, it's what you do with them."

Uraraka begged to differ on that note. "Either way, I'm-"

"You coming or what, round face?"

Her eyes widened at the sight of Bakugo standing at the edge of their group, feet in front of her. "Uh," her face felt hot as her friends' eyes bounced between her blushing face and Bakugo like a tennis match. "Yeah, one second."

"I'll be outside," Bakugo nodded, walking out of the away from the group and exiting the lounge.

Uraraka squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the redness from her face.

The air between her friends was thick with curiosity as they watched Bakugo walk out of the lounge. At this point, she just prayed that the whole class hadn't noticed. Not that there was much to see.

Bakugo had only approached their group, but she hadn't expected that. If anything, the action had perplexed her more than it had encouraged her. Something else to add to the long list of questions she had about dating-or whatever it was-Bakugo.

"What was that about?" Yaoyorozu asked curiously.

Iida looked confused and concerned at the same time as his mind tried to connect the dots.

Asui just stared at her with an inquiring smirk.

Midoriya pretended he hadn't seen anything.

Todoroki offered her a small shrug as Uraraka caught a glimpse of Kirishima looking over with a sharp grin.

"That's-" Uraraka really didn't know what to make of it herself. It wasn't a declaration or a sign of affection, but an acknowledgment that they were two individuals heading toward the same destination for a common purpose.

They were going out for mochi.

"A long story," she told them weakly, standing up. Her fingers tugged at his hoodie as she exited out of the lounge. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she was reading into things.

It wasn't a big deal.

She stepped outside, shivering a bit, tucking the hoodie closer to her body.

"Hey," Bakugo called, standing at the bottom of the stairs. "You ready?" he questioned holding out a hand to her.

"Yeah," Uraraka nodded as a slow smile crept on her lips at the sight of him. Hopping down the steps, she took his hand as they walked down the sidewalk. She sighed happily as their fingers laced together.

His palms were warm and slick with nitroglycerin as his thumb caressed the side of her hand.

Catching a glimpse of him in her peripheral vision, she tugged him closer, allowing their arms to bump.

"What?" he questioned, eyes narrowing at her in soft confusion.

Her mind was full of questions as her mouth opened, words dancing at the tip of her tongue. Her chest tightened as her thoughts raced.

Why had he come over to her?

What were they?

Was she his girlfriend?

Would he care if she held in his hand in front of their classmates?

Would he want to eat lunch with her some days?

How many of his hoodies would he let her steal?

"Nothing," she shook her head. Uraraka squeezed his hand happily, swinging their arms back and forth.

This was enough for now.

To be Continued…