Ochaco Uraraka woke up the next morning before Bakugo did.

And it was... pretty freakin' weird.

She smiled softly into her pillow at the thought.

Yep, they were weird.

Last night's conversation spun in her drowsy mind. She could barely remember the time when Bakugo's presence was alarming, when she'd been so confused as to why he was suddenly so keen on spending time with her. How was that only a few days ago?

Now he had made himself a fixture in her life and she'd let him — more than that even.

Boyfriend.

The idea of dating anyone was foreign enough, but to be dating Bakugo.

Oh man, her friends were going to freak.

She hadn't dared to move an inch since opening her eyes to the darkness of his bedroom littered with moving boxes they'd yet to lug downstairs for the movers. His arms were tightly wound around her middle, his steady breaths a presence at her back. She could feel his chin pressed against the crown of her head and she absolutely could not wake him.

She'd have to wait it out until the alarms for training she knew he always set went off - even if she'd never actually woken up to them herself before.

He shifted behind her, nuzzling into her hair and she decided she didn't mind waiting.

. . .

"You didn't have to help the movers, Cheeks."

Uraraka tugged on the roll of tape that bound a chain of Bakugo's boxes as she stepped onto the UA lawn. "I didn't have to help you either, did I?"

"That mouth," he growled.

She didn't have to turn around to know he was smiling.

His leashed zero-g boxes were taped around a strap of the bag over his shoulder. The two movers that had come for Bakugo's bed, dresser, desk, and bookshelf were holding a piece per hand, the massive objects floating innocently in their grips. They'd been grateful, but… confused by the assistance.

Heights Alliance was built to match the architecture of UA itself, though Uraraka had been awestruck by just how large it was inside. They'd already checked in with a groggy Aizawa, sipping his coffee at his desk in their classroom, to receive their keys. They stepped up to their new home, a fresh feeling lightening Uraraka's chest as if her quirk were at work there too.

Change could be okay. Good, even. She could handle a new beginning. There had been a time in her life when she'd begged for clean slate - a chance to start over. UA had given her that chance, not once, but twice.

Her parents had given her that chance.

She dipped her chin to her shoulder, eyeing a menacing-looking Bakugo behind her who wore his scowl like she wore exhaustion every early morning she'd been waking up for training with him. Today had been fun, actually. He'd asked for a show of her special move she was still keeping in her back pocket from the rest of the class and when she'd lifted the gravity from her surroundings for him once more, he'd creased his brow.

"Include me," he'd told her.

She had clenched her teeth. "Come closer."

"No," he had smirked.

And that was how she'd stretched herself, growing beneath the weight of his expectations once more. When she'd managed to remove his gravity, along with any other unsuspecting garden objects between them, he shot himself into the sky. She released him almost immediately, before he disappeared from her view into the clouds. He had split the sky with his fall before catching himself with a few well-timed explosions. Then he had asked her to catch him next time.

The purpose in his eyes then was hidden deep beneath his curling features he bore now. He noticed her gaze and returned it with a pinched look.

"What?"

The word was a bark, but still she smiled knowing it could be considered gentle coming from him. Something about their decision last night and the realization of just how seriously Bakugo took his proclamations to her over the last few days emboldened her. This was real. He was real and he really cared.

He really knew everything about her past. He was really there in all her broken moments. He was there when she'd had no place to go. She had virtually shut down from everyone else in the last few days and he had managed to find a way in anyway.

So she reached back a hand.

He eyed it like a bad joke before softening with reluctance and reaching toward her. She grabbed a few of his fingers and slowed her pace to fall into step beside him, the tail of her chain of packages brushing against his.

"What are you doing?"

She swung their combined hands in the midday sun. "Nothing," she said. "I'm just… happy."

He rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Didn't know this meant I was signing up for you to hang all over me all the time, Dollface."

That was a new one. She didn't fight the blush the nickname brought to her cheeks. "I'm not hanging all over you," she said, letting go of his hand. She paused in her walk, letting him get just enough ahead of her before he stopped. Tuning out the pounding of fear in her heart before it could stop her, she jumped.

Onto his back.

"Now this is hanging all over you," she said, ignoring the weakness in her voice that she had tried to will away as her former anxiety battled with her newfound comfortable confidence.

But he caught her, their boxes jostling against each other behind them as he kept them moving toward the dorms. His arms tucked her legs into his side, his hands cupping the undersides of her knees. "You just always gotta take things to the next level, huh?"

Soothed by his response, she slipped her arms around his neck. "You know me," she said offhandedly.

"I could throw you off, you know?"

"You won't."

"I could blast us both straight up. Really ruin the fucking hairdo you spent so long on."

Uraraka tightened her hold, lowering her mouth closer to his ear. "You could," she said. "But then you'd lose all your things." She wiggled her elbow where the roll of tape had slid during her leap onto his back and rough cardboard knocked against one another somewhere behind them.

"I'd just get new things, Cheeks."

"Hey, you guys!"

They both tensed at the sound of their classmate, though Uraraka was sure Bakugo's reason was a little different than hers.

Deku ran up beside them, a slower moving Todoroki and Ojiro trailing behind them. Each carried a box of a varying shade of generic brown.

She waited a moment to see if Bakugo would try to set her down, but he held her firmly in place despite his refusal to completely turn and acknowledge the other boys. She raised a hand from Bakugo's collar to wave. "Hey guys!"

"Have you gone inside yet?" Deku asked, his eyes sliding back and forth between her and Bakugo in a stream of questions she knew her rambly friend would undoubtedly be thinking.

Smart of him not to ask them out loud.

"Do we look like we've been inside yet, Deku?"

Their train of moving boxes felt more conspicuous than it had originally.

"That's really clever use of your quirk, Uraraka," Ojiro said. "Wish I had something that helpful," he chuckled.

Todoroki watched them, his face unreadable. "Doesn't that strain your nausea?"

Uraraka hummed. "No, I've been working on it."

"That's awesome," Deku said, always the champion for others. "What floor are you guys on?"

"The fourth," she answered, a convenient fact to cover for Bakugo's bristling.

Deku's gaze darted between them again. "Both of you? That's cool."

"You too are going to make the curfew more strict, aren't you?" Todoroki said.

Deku's eyes widened. "Todoroki!"

But Ojiro chuckled. "Knowing Aizawa, they'll already be pretty rough."

Bakugo squeezed her legs and Uraraka jumped a bit on his back. It would probably be the kindest social cue she'd ever receive from him, so she obliged. "Well, I really wanna get to unpacking so we better go."

She didn't let herself think about whether or not she would actually have anything to unpack.

"Right!" Deku chirped a little too quickly. "See you guys later."

They took off the last few meters of the brick walkway to the Heights Alliance building and Bakugo waited for them to step inside before moving again, dragging their floating boxes behind them. He didn't set her down until they were on the concrete porch, holding the door open as she gently tugged both of their ropes of boxes inside. They corralled them into the boys elevator, much to Bakugo's distaste, and when Bakugo joined them, she moved back into the common room hall.

He raised a brow at her, as if he'd expected her to follow him and his seemingly enchanted things.

"I'm gonna check out my own room," she said. "Text me when the boxes are inside and I'll release?"

He offered a brisk nod. "Later, Cheeks."

Riding the elevator up to her new room required more courage than she'd expected it to and when she unlocked the door and saw the empty room, she was proud of herself for not getting her hopes up too far. She pulled out her phone to check for Bakugo's text and it was there along with a few others. She released, picturing what the movers' faces might look like as the furniture crashed down. Maybe Bakugo had warned them.

Probably not.

She had a few texts from a group chat the class had apparently started last night and she skimmed the contents before deciding to check on the other messages.

Tsuuu: im on the fifth floor, where are you?

Ready to get away from her barren bedroom, she made for the elevator to find Tsu in person. The girl had apparently been well prepared and had an early start. Her things were already halfway unpacked by the time she had answered Uraraka's new text about being on her floor to see her. They spent the morning arranging her things and Uraraka found a peacefulness to the methodical task, glad that Tsu preferred to talk about school and heroism. The girl wasn't one quick to jump into personal conversation despite her ability to cut straight through to the point once it was already brought up.

But, well…

Tsu had a lot of sentimental items from her parents and siblings.

When lunchtime rolled around the group chat lit up, calling for a meeting downstairs and the girls decided to see what was going on.

A small group was already assembled on the boys' side common room closest to the kitchen. All the girls were strewn across the couches while Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero stood behind them.

"It'll be fun!" Kaminari said.

Jiro's unimpressed voice came next. "Fun for you guys."

"We're not even done setting them up yet," Mina argued.

"So?"

The elevator dinged just as Uraraka and Tsu stepped around the corner toward their gathered friends. The same crew of boys from earlier stepped out and Uraraka wondered what could have possibly made Todoroki join in on the social activity. The thought made her reach for her phone in her pocket.

Uraraka: Are you coming down?

"What will be fun?" Tsu asked.

"He wants us to give tours of our rooms," Toru said, the sleeve of her shirt adjusting like she'd raised her arm onto the back of the couch to see them approach.

Uraraka held her breath. She was enjoying letting herself open up to being around all of her friends again, but the idea of them learning that she had no things - that her things were currently being detained by the police - made her want to hole up in a safe place where no one could touch her.

Bakugo: Why would I do that?

"That seems a little intrusive," Ojiro said as he, Deku, and Todoroki came up behind them.

"We could make it a game!" Kaminari pressed.

Uraraka glanced back at her phone.

Uraraka: please?

"I don't know," Momo said, her lips pursed. "I encourage getting to know each other better, but, like Ashido said, most of our rooms aren't completely unpacked yet."

"And some of the class is missing," Mina added.

"They probably decided to keep unpacking to stick to Aizawa's schedule," Jiro said.

Sero placed a tape-laden elbow on Kaminari's shoulder. "We could always make it a contest. We could vote on the best room?"

"I mean, it would be nice to know where everyone's at," Kirishima said.

"I suppose," Tsu said. "Though we will find that out eventually anyway."

Uraraka's heart was playing a rough game of ping pong in her chest. She didn't want to flee from her friends, but she couldn't help but think the only thing that kept her in place was the fact that she had nowhere to go. She could go up to her room, lock herself inside. But then her thoughts turned into a war of what was better: to stay and try to find a way to avoid anyone seeing her room, or sitting alone in inside of it, void of any of the personal effects only within reach of the police.

A not-so-gentle reminder of her life outside of UA.

The elevator dinged and conversation paused until Bakugo stepped around the corner, a full scowl of annoyance plastered across his face.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima called. "I thought you said you didn't want to come?"

He moved toward the wall of the boys' side common room, leaning against its corner in between his friends and where Uraraka stood with Tsu. "I'm here now, Shitty Hair. What's this about?"

"Kaminari wants to play a game," Deku informed him.

Bakugo's mouth popped open, seemingly incredulous as to why he'd demeaned himself to joining them. "Are you fucking serious?"

"He wants to tour everybody's rooms and vote on the best one," Mina said, shooting the accused a glare.

Uraraka caught the barely-there glance Bakugo shot her way at Mina's words.

"You're all morons," Bakugo said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "You know that no one is done unpacking, right?"

"Just because your room is probably terrifying, doesn't mean we can't all have some fun," Kaminari answered, to which Bakugo kicked off the wall and started for him.

"Hey, hey," Mina said, only barely slowing Bakugo as he stalked toward Kaminari. "A little fun would be kinda nice. I'm tired."

"Me too," Toru said. "Okay, what if we just show everyone where our rooms are and maybe a quick peek inside?"

"Fuck that." Bakugo halted just as Kaminari started climbing over the couch, ignoring Jiro who patted him away from her furiously.

Uraraka looked over at Tsu who widened her eyes in question. An idea popped into Uraraka's head and she spun back to the group.

"What if we just take a lunch break together?" she offered. "We can see what's already in the kitchen?" She felt herself rambling in an overeager and somewhat uncharacteristic way, but she couldn't stop the nervous energy spilling from her chest. "I could cook? Maybe we could play a game for a little bit downstairs?"

"That sounds great, Uraraka!" Deku chimed in and Ojiro stepped closer to the couches from behind her and Tsu.

"I'm in for that," he said. "I'm starving."

Momo smiled at Uraraka. "I like that idea, thank you."

"Wait, I can get my tv!" Kirishima suggested.

"Dude, you'd give up your tv for the group?" Jiro asked as Kaminari finally removed himself from her shoulder, grinning like an idiot.

"Yeah! I can always take it back up if I need to."

"I'll get my game system!" Sero offered and then they were all dispersing to grab something for the group or make some last-minute digs through their things to see if they had anything to contribute.

Tsu whispered about going back to unpacking, but that she would come down to eat with them later. She nodded in support and Tsu joined the others, retreating from the common area as she set her path to the kitchen.

Uraraka felt his eyes on her without having to look.

"You're going to cook?"

She turned against the counter and Bakugo was boldly close. An image from yesterday morning's kisses came to her mind and her thoughts started to float away from the anxious place they'd been drowning in minutes ago. She hummed an affirmation.

He tilted his head, placing his hands on either side of her. "You sure about that?"

"What?" She furrowed her brow. "You've never seen me cook."

"Exactly," he said. "And with your obnoxiously helpful self, there's got to be a reason for that."

Fuck, he was right.

Wait, fuck?

She never said fuck.

"Nope," she muttered quickly. "I cook all the time."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep."

"What're you going to make, then? For - what? - fifteen people? And what if the other idiots decide to show up? All twenty people in the class? That's a lot of cooking, Cheeks."

She clenched her jaw, knowing he'd see it. "Okay, fine. I'm a terrible cook."

One side of his lips upturned. "How terrible?"

Her shoulders slackened, her eyes darting past him to make sure they were alone. "Bad."

"What? You burn shit?"

"More like set it completely on fire."

He raised his thumb to tug on her pouting lower lip. "What're you going to do then Cheeks?"

Here it came. He knew it. She knew it.

She needed him.

"Please?" she squeaked.

But he reared back, releasing the edge of the counters. "Oh no. That worked on me once, but you can't go making a habit out of it."

Uraraka chewed the skin from her bottom lip. She reached up a hand to his chest, less tentative than she'd been this morning with their touches, and rolled onto her toes to kiss his cheek. He stood, frozen, as she asked one more time.

"Please?"

When everyone returned, the meal was fresh and ready. Uraraka pulled out all the cutlery and place settings she could find, leaving them on the free space of the kitchen counters for everyone to grab for themselves and they all filed into a line. Bakugo stood off to the side, leaning on a corner of the long dining table down the hall. The entire class had come to lunch and she wondered how Bakugo would have guessed at such a thing.

When the first bites were taken, a silence spread through the room, until finally-

"Uraraka! I had no idea you could cook like this!"

. . .

Movers and parents had come and gone through the common area the rest of the afternoon, lugging along the students' personal items. Many of them stayed for a while, setting up stacks of board games and playing a few rounds of a racing game with Sero's game system on Kirishima's tv before they inevitably had to get back to the task at hand in their rooms. Uraraka had lingered as long as she could in the common area, even after Bakugo had returned upstairs to finish his own unpacking - apparently with Kirishima. She cleaned the dirtied dishes and wiped down every surface in the kitchen before finally resigning herself to venturing back up to her empty room.

Only when she got there, it was no longer empty.

She had never had many things - but they were all there. Her furniture and a handful of boxes sat in awkward positions away from the bare walls and taped to one of the boxes was a note.

I hope we got everything important and that the movers were gentle bringing everything over. The police only gave us a limited time inside. It was so nice to meet you and we hope to see you again soon. Keep that boy in line and make sure he calls his mother every once in a while.

-Masaru Bakugo

She brushed the back of her hand against her nose, sniffling away the emotion threatening her eyes.

She spent the rest of the afternoon and evening unpacking her things slowly, taking in a new appreciation for what - and who - she held dear.

. . .

After sneaking down for a snack, Uraraka slipped into bed earlier than she normally would have. There was a safety to living within the walls of UA that she didn't know would swell within her so much and she realized she was grateful for the dorms.

However it left a new sort of cold in her night that wasn't drifting in from the soft May breeze outside.

She wrestled with herself before finally turning on her lamp and reaching for her phone. Finding his name was the easy part, committing to her idea was the hard part.

But, still, she pressed the button.

A bizarre, tinkling dial tone started, much louder than she'd been expecting, further setting off her nerves.

He wasn't going to answer this.

But then he did. After a moment of connecting, the sharp features of Katsuki Bakugo filled her screen.

"What, Cheeks?"

He was too close to the camera, red eyes blazing in the dim light of his own bedside lamp.

"I-" she started. "I just... felt weird. I don't know?"

He readjusted himself, setting the phone down on the table propped up against what she assumed was the lamp. "You always feel weird, apparently."

"You're weird too, though, remember?" The beginnings of a smile touched the corners of her mouth.

His upper lip ticked. "No," he said, clarifying. "You're weird. I never said I was weird. Get it right."

Then, before she could respond, he said, "You got your stuff?"

"Your parents went and got it all," she whispered, "for me."

"Tch, they love you. It's ridiculous."

"Now you know how I felt when you cooked with my mom."

It was the first time she'd mentioned her parents since they'd disappeared. Though the familiar weight pressed into her on all sides, she found herself relishing in the memory of her mother draping an arm around Bakugo.

Don't worry about dinner! Katsuki and I have it all taken care of.

"Not sorry," Bakugo said, his voice somehow even rougher over the phone. "She's fucking cool."

Uraraka smiled, misty-eyed.

"Your dad was sizing me up the whole time though."

She huffed. "Yeah, I noticed that too. Which is amazing since it was hard to notice anything beyond you demanding to spend all day with me."

"I told you," he said. "I like you."

Uraraka met his eyes through the screen still between her fingers. "I like you too, Bakugo."

"Tch, call me Katsuki," he said, quieter than before. "Or whatever."

Another small laugh rolled through her chest like last bits of the tide during a sunrise. "I'd say you can call me Ochaco, but I know you'll call me Round Cheeks or Doll Head or whatever you want."

"Yep," he agreed. "I do whatever I want."

A silence passed between them. Uraraka felt the earlier cold in her bones slipping away, comfort finally falling into place.

"Stay with me?" she asked.

He waited for a beat before heaving a large sigh and turning his phone sideways. "If this fucks up my alarms, you're dead."

She heard the click of his charger connecting and she moved to give herself the same setup. "I think it'll be fine."

"You're not out of training tomorrow," he warned, slipping deeper into the sheets she'd shared with him the night before.

She smiled, resting her head on her pillow. "Wouldn't have it any other way."