It had been four weeks since Uraraka was discharged from the hospital and Bakugo was curious as hell. He'd heard that she'd made some sort of miraculous recovery overnight and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened.
"Ayy!" Kirishima leaned his shoulder hard on the lockers beside Bakugo, "What do you have planned for the weekend?" He quirked an eyebrow at the blonde and crossed his arms.
Bakugo already knew where this was going, "Fuck off."
"I haven't even done anything," Kirishima gaped back, "You're back at work now so I thought maybe we could hang out or something." He leaned in a little closer to the blonde, "That is if you don't already have plans."
"Did you not hear me?" Bakugo turned a warning glare toward the red-head.
Kirishima huffed and rolled his eyes, "Dude are you ever going to go see her? She's asking about you. What, don't have the balls?"
Bakugo slammed his locker shut and threw his duffel bag over his shoulder, "I'm getting really fucking sick of you asking me about roundface." He clenched his jaw and glared, "If you're so pent up about it, you should go see her yourself."
"I see her a lot, Bakugo." Kirishima frowned back as he leaned off the lockers and began to follow the blonde out of the agency's locker room. "I'm talking about you."
"I don't want to see her," Bakugo's response was curt but held a certain note of dishonesty.
Kirishima narrowly avoided the door as the blonde tried to swing it shut in his face, "Dude, you are unbelievable." Kirishima hurried up to match Bakugo's fast walking pace, "And she wants to see you so why are you still punishing yourself? She asks about you all the time and you're starting to make her feel like you don't like her or something."
"Kirishima," Bakugo halted and turned his glare onto the red-head, "For fuck sake, shut up."
The red-head blinked at his friend for a moment. Normally, Bakugo would be livid and threatening to kill him if he didn't leave him alone but the blonde seemed abnormally distracted. The typical scowl seemed more troubled since Bakugo returned to work. He'd been more tolerant of Kirishima's pestering but only because it seemed like his mind was somewhere else. "Bakugo, I'm just trying to-"
"Shut up!" Bakugo spat before he began storming down the hallway toward the elevator.
Kirishima frowned for a moment before he followed the blonde again, "Why don't you come with me to her place tomorrow? Mina and I are going over there first thing in the morning to help her-"
Bakugo released an audible groan before he turned on Kirishima again, "Kirishima, I'm only going to tell you this shit once, so listen up!" He jabbed a finger into the red-head's chest, "I haven't visited Uraraka because she needs space while she figures her shit out. I'm not going to fucking bug her while she gets over Deku. I don't want anything to do with-" He stopped himself and realized he overshared.
Shit.
"Fucking leave me alone!" Bakugo snapped before turning away and making a break for the stairs. He'd be damned if he got trapped in an elevator with that moron for even a minute. He fully expected Kirishima to follow him into the stairwell but was pleasantly surprised when the red-head stayed put in the hallway.
Bakugo let the door shut to the stairwell before he yanked hard on his hair and leaned against the railing. He grit his teeth and let his hands fall over his eyes before taking a frustrated breath.
"Argh!" He chided himself for his outburst to Kirishima but he was mostly frustrated with himself for the very thing Kirishima was giving him grief about. He hadn't spoken Uraraka even once since the fight with Viper but truthfully, the more time that passed, the harder it became. It had been weeks, almost two months, since it happened
He had worked up the nerve late one night to go see her after he'd seen her favorite book for sale in the window of a shop but when he'd arrived at the hospital, the nurses had told him that she was sleeping and that he couldn't disturb her. She'd never reached out to him either so how else was he supposed to interpret that? He was better off leaving her alone.
He had been a mess since he last saw her and he'd confessed to Deku that he was in love with her. When Deku had asked him, it was almost like the clouds cleared away and gave him the answer he'd been avoiding since she showed up in Tokyo. The girl he'd known from high school had become a woman, a spitfire one at that. He'd warmed up to her and it drove him nuts that he had fallen for her so quickly without ever realizing it. He had done things for her that he doubted he'd do for even his own mother.
But he never worked up the nerve to tell her. Or see her. He couldn't get it off his mind.
He'd chalked it up to 'giving her space' but he knew that was a lie after the second week had passed and he had returned to work. He told himself often that after his shift that he'd go to see her and try to apologize for everything but he just… couldn't. That bothered him the most. What was holding him back?
Rejection? No. He can handle rejection. He's Katsuki Bakugo after all. Rejection has never frightened him.
Then what was it? Why was he so adamant to facing her?
He gripped the strap to his duffel bag and forced himself to descend the stairs. The question still circled his mind as he forced one foot in front of the other until he was outside the agency.
"Fuck it," Bakugo tried to slap some sense into himself. If it was true that she was asking about him, then perhaps it was better late than never to at least attempt to see her. He doesn't have to try and win her over. He doesn't need to date her or tell her that he loves her or whatever the fuck he was 'supposed' to do in a situation like this. Maybe he could just start with seeing her and asking how she was.
God, he sounds like such a pussy.
Autumn had set in over Tokyo and the blonde tried to clear his mind by focusing on that. A chilly breeze wove through the warm air of the early evening and he felt it comb over his hair. The rush hour crowd always moved quickly but he kept his pace steady as he tried to calm his racing heart. He was nervous and that unsettled him. He found himself playing with a loose string on the pocket of his blue jeans as he walked, letting the duffel bag bounce against the back of his legs.
A red brick apartment building came into view too soon and suddenly he felt the urge to turn back and avoid the situation altogether. Why was he doing this to himself? Girls are a distraction, right? Doesn't he want to be the top hero? Could he afford the distraction? Perhaps he should let it go and just forget every-
"Oi Bakugo!" A male voice called and his red eyes snapped up to try and see the person calling. The sunset blinded him and he pulled up a hand to shield his eyes as he heard footsteps jogging closer, "Hey man! What are you doing in this part of town?"
A familiar face came into view and Bakugo was shocked to see blonde hair and a million dollar smile, "The fuck?" He blinked a few times, hoping the flash of the sun had temporarily blinded him. What was Mirio doing at Uraraka's place?
"Did you come to help?" Mirio jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, pointing back at Uraraka's apartment. "I don't know how much more we were planning on doing tonight but another pair of hands would certainly help a lot."
"Help?" Bakugo repeated back with a shielded expression as he adjusted the shoulder strap of his duffel.
Mirio blinked back at the blonde for a second and his smile faltered a bit, "With the move?"
Bakugo felt a stone drop in his stomach, "She's moving?"
"Uh…" Mirio glanced back at the apartment and twisted his mouth a bit, "No. She's getting rid of Deku's stuff. Sending it back to his mom, actually." Mirio glanced back at Bakugo and shrugged, "It's a lot so we've all been pitching in to help. It's all getting moved out tomorrow so we're trying to get the last of it packed up tonight."
Bakugo's expression didn't give up his thoughts as he held his scowl, "I thought you worked at UA."
"I still do," Mirio nodded enthusiastically, "But when you have a friend in need…" He glanced back at the apartment, "You show up."
Bakugo grunted with an undertone of sarcasm before he followed Mirio's gaze to the doorway on the third floor of the apartment building. It was propped open but from his angle, he couldn't see beyond that. Uraraka was nowhere to be seen so he assumed she was still inside. "Whatever. I guess I can help. I don't have shit to do anyway."
Mirio cast a sideways glance at the hot-headed blonde and smirked inwardly, "Cool. I'm loading up some stuff in my car to take back tonight and I could use a hand." He nodded toward the car parked at the curb. "Eri has a thing in the morning so I won't be back to help until tomorrow night. She and I are going to drive the truck back and deliver everything."
Bakugo didn't give a shit about what Mirio was going to do, he was just irritated that the other man was there at all. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure what to expect by randomly showing up at Uraraka's place but this was not on the list. Mirio was too much like Deku and it didn't take much for that to grate Bakugo's already frayed nerves. And when did Uraraka and this fucking chump become such great friends that she'd call him to help her move?
"Whatever," Bakugo finally replied before following Mirio up the sidewalk toward the car. He glanced at the boxes sitting on the sidewalk and scoffed, "I'm going to go up first." He glanced up the stairs.
Mirio couldn't help but smile as he nodded, "Sure thing! I'll be here when you get back." He watched Bakugo grip the strap of his duffel tighter as he began making his way toward the building, "And on your way back, could you grab the box by the door? I think I can fit that too."
"Tch," Bakugo grunted and didn't bother to look back as he climbed the stairs. His hands felt clammy and he found himself flexing his fingers. His breath quickened as he neared the open door and by the time he reached the second story, he could hear soft indie music coming from the apartment.
He glanced up before ascending the last flight of stairs and stopping to the side of her doorway. He took a second to glance down at Mirio and found the other man focused on loading the car. He shuffled in place for a moment as the realization hit him. He's outside her apartment right now. He's going to see her. He's going to talk to her.
How the hell did he get here?
Before he could let the doubt set it, he walked through the door and it felt like one of the bravest things he ever did. The first thing he noticed were boxes everywhere. They were stacked on her kitchen counter and piled up in her living room. But the strangest part about it was the few boxes and items floating in random places throughout the apartment. Cheesy indie music played from a bluetooth stereo floating in the center of the living room with a man singing something almost forlorn with a ukulele.
Bakugo glanced around the apartment with slightly raised eyebrows before he let his duffel bag fall to the floor with a thud and he mindlessly kicked it away from the doorway.
"Mirio, is that you?" Uraraka's voice called from her bedroom. "Could you bring me the box on the coffee table? It should have 'hoodies' written on the side."
Bakugo glanced to his left and his eyes glazed over her awful pastel blue sofa before he found the box sitting on the worn out maple wood table. He slowly made his way around the mess of boxes and floating pieces until he reached it and picked it up. His heart raced in his chest as he made his way toward her bedroom door.
He paused as he heard something fall on the ground inside and he could hear Uraraka mutter something under her breath before there was a loud clatter of things falling.
"Oh my-" She grunted and then he could hear her groan in frustration. "Why was that even sitting like that? What in the- Ugh!"
Bakugo felt his heart leap to his throat as he took a bold step around the corner until he was in the doorway and making his way into the room. The first thing he saw was the bed in the center of the room. It was low to the ground and the duvet was a light grey. It looked soft and fluffy despite how it was off center and bunched up a bit on the left corner. Half of the pillows were toppled over on the ground and a box sat on the right side, overflowing with blankets that hadn't been folded.
A tall pile of laundry was sitting in the left corner of the room beside her floor length mirror but movement to the right drew his attention. He saw two doors, one of which was open to her messy bathroom and the other to her closet. She was kneeling on the floor of her closet picking at one of her fingernails and his breath seemed to catch in his throat.
"For crying out loud," She hissed as she examined the nail closely and used her other hand to tuck a tuft of loose hair back into the messy ponytail that was falling out. She was wearing black sports shorts and a loose shoujo t-shirt. She seemed frustrated as she huffed another sigh without looking his way. "If I keep breaking nails like this, I won't have any left!"
She tossed away some of the shoes that had clearly fallen off the closet shelf and ran a hand over her face, "Did you get the box?" She moved her hand down to her chin before she turned toward the bedroom.
Bakugo felt like he was stuck in place when he saw her brown eyes widen in surprise and her hand hovered on her chin before it slowly traveled back up to cover her mouth. He couldn't blink or breath or say a word. He simply stared at her blankly, nerves shooting up his back to tickle his fingertips and numb his brain. What on earth could he say to her after all this time?
"Is that…" She blinked and shook her head a bit before she moved to stand up. "Is that Bakugo I see?" Her hand dropped away from her mouth by the time she was on her feet and she beamed at him.
Bakugo felt his fingertips tighten on the edge of the box in his arms. His throat felt dry and he couldn't bring himself to move his lips as her smile hit him like a truck.
"Wow," Uraraka took careful steps out of the closet and her tone held a certain tease to it, "I was wondering when you'd finally come around." She met him in the center of the room and she smiled fondly as she took the box from his hands. "You really like to take your time, huh?"
He couldn't take his eyes off her face and he cleared his throat awkwardly before trying to wet his dry lips. "Whatever."
"Yeah whatever," Uraraka smirked and rolled her eyes jokingly as she carried it over to the bed and plopped it down on the duvet. "So you came to help out a bit?"
Bakugo was unsure what to do with his hands so he shoved them in his pockets and resisted the urge to fold them into fists there, "I came to tell you to get your ass back to work."
"So you miss me at work?" Uraraka seemed almost playful as she shot the remark back at him over her shoulder before she began stuffing the hoodies that had been piled up on the side of the bed into the box.
"Kirishima won't shut up about you," Bakugo was relieved that she seemed so relaxed. He hadn't been sure what she'd say to him but this seemed so normal. He couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't angrier.
Uraraka laughed a little as she pushed the hoodies down in the box so she could fold up the top, "He and Mina have been around a lot. They've been a really big help. Mirio too." She finally got the box shut before she turned toward the door to see if the other man was in the apartment but found it empty. She dusted her hands and chuckled softly, "He even offered to drive the box truck back tomorrow."
Bakugo felt a spike of discomfort at that comment, "I didn't know you guys were friends."
"Honestly, we weren't really." Uraraka shrugged and she scooted the box away before she sat down on the bed. "He kinda just… popped in unexpectedly when I was in the hospital. He's just that kind of guy, you know? He's always willing to help, so he's been playing the middle man as I try and get rid of all this stuff." She frowned a bit and her foot kicked at a pillow on the floor.
Bakugo grunted in recognition but he watched her with slightly narrowed eyes, "There's a lot of shit you're getting rid of." It wasn't a lie. More than half of the apartment was boxed up at this point so he couldn't help but wonder what that would leave her with.
"Yeah," She tucked some hair behind her ears and sighed, "It's a lot. I guess I didn't realize how little I own until today. I'm going to have to replace a few things." She finally met his gaze with a small smile, "But I'm really glad you're here, Bakugo. I've missed you."
"Tch," The blonde felt the back of his neck get hot and he looked away, "Well I came to tell you to get your shit together if you're better. I'm not allowed to get back on the Viper case until you're back too."
"Really?" Uraraka perked up at his reply, "So is this your Bakugo way of telling me that you missed me too?"
He didn't know how to respond to that so he simply turned toward her door, "Don't put words in my mouth, roundface."
She chuckled softly as she looked at his back. He seemed tense and uncomfortable. It almost seemed like he was nervous but she disregarded it. She hadn't seen Bakugo in a while and the last time she'd spoken to him, she had said and done some things that she didn't know how to address yet. "Well if you don't mind staying for a bit to help, I'm sure we could use it."
Bakugo felt his shoulders relax a bit and he nodded, "Yeah, sure. I don't have anything better to do."
"I'm almost done in here," Uraraka glanced back at the pile of Deku's shoes in her closet and felt herself inwardly groan. "Could you just start organizing the boxes that are already packed? That way when everyone comes to help tomorrow, it won't take long to load the truck?"
Bakugo didn't reply, opting to head out of the room and back into the apartment. He glanced around at the mess of boxes and random items floating in the air, "Could you put this shit down? It's a fucking hazard."
Uraraka bubbled with a giggle as she ducked her head through the doorway at him, "Oh sorry! I'm trying to strengthen my quirk up again but yeah, I can." She pressed her fingertips together with a smile, "Release!"
Everything fell to the floor with clatters and thuds and Bakugo's eyes immediately fell on the bluetooth speaker, "And can you turn this shit off?"
"No can do on that one," Uraraka called back from inside her bedroom. "My house, my music!"
Bakugo grunted but chose not to press the issue. It was a small concession to make for his absence lately. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before he glanced around the room at the mess and set to work. He ignored the request from Mirio to help outside and he justified it with the fact that he's a grown man. He can load a car by himself, right? The blonde grit his teeth. No, he'd rather see that guy fuck off completely.
Evening fell into night as the three of them worked on packing up the trinkets in her living room and almost all the dishes in her kitchen. The boxes lining the door slowly began to fill her apartment and Bakugo was content to work in silence as he observed Mirio and Uraraka laughing and messing around. Once he'd loaded the car, Mirio had decided to stay a while a longer to help them both wrap up all of Deku's collectibles that had been organized on shelves in the living room and pack them away.
He had to admit that packing up Deku's stuff was an odd feeling and it was an even stranger blink into the green-haired idiot's life with Uraraka. Almost everything that Uraraka had belonged to Deku. He had so many collectibles and most of the furniture was his outside of the couch and her mattress. Bakugo had a hard time bringing himself to be gentle with the items as he placed them in boxes and taped them shut. But he was silent in his dissent for her former boyfriend and he begrudgingly packed them up with care.
Uraraka was surprisingly chipper and she seemed to say one phrase over and over again. "Get rid of it" was her staple line for the night. She seemed eager for all of it to go and that stirred something inside Bakugo. He wasn't sure how to feel about it but he could tell it wasn't a bad feeling. As it began to grow late, he felt the doubt that had burdened him for the last few weeks begin to fade away. He could hardly take his eyes off her smiling face and for once, he let himself look at her when he wanted to.
"I think I have some leftover pizza if you guys are hungry," Uraraka wandered to her refrigerator and popped it open with a smile. "Kirishima drank all the beer though, so we're going to be stuck with water."
"Actually," Mirio dusted his hands on his pants and smiled, "I probably need to get on the road. I want to call Eri before she goes to bed. She had a test today so I'm excited to hear how she did."
"Oh that's wonderful!" Uraraka cooed and smiled at the tall blonde man. "Will you let me know how she did later?"
"Absolutely," Mirio smiled back proudly, "But knowing her? She aced it."
"I can't wait to hear," She shut the door to the fridge and twirled on her toes toward him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for pizza?"
Mirio swooped her into a bear hug and laughed deeply, "I wish I could!" He released her when she started to giggle and he glanced across the kitchen counter to see Bakugo cursing as he tried to peel back the tape on the tape gun, "But I think I'm gonna get going." He glanced back at Uraraka and quirked an eyebrow before nodding his head toward the blonde man in the living room. "Besides… I think you guys have some catching up to do on your own."
Uraraka suddenly looked nervous but she nodded as she followed Mirio's nod toward Bakugo, "Well thank you so much for all your help." She pulled him into another hug and murmured into his chest, "And thank you for everything else." When she pulled away she smiled up at him but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Oh you bet!" Mirio patted her shoulder before he brushed past her and headed for her front door. "If you're lucky, Eri will tag along too!"
"I'd love to see her," Uraraka followed him until they reached the doorway. "Drive safe, okay?"
"I always do," He turned toward Bakugo, "Nice to see you too, Bakugo. We'll have to grab drinks sometime, eh?"
Bakugo looked up from the tape gun he was wrestling with and blinked, "Pass."
"Well I tried," Mirio shrugged and chuckled before he stepped outside and Uraraka moved to shut the front door. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. Goodnight Uraraka!"
"Goodnight Mirio," She nodded at him one last time before she slowly shut the door, never taking her eyes off the other man until it was shut.
Bakugo couldn't help but glance at the brunette once the door was closed and he momentarily stopped messing with the roll of tape as the air between them grew thick. He watched as she rested her forehead against the door for a long moment before she leaned away and turned toward him.
She caught his eyes flash back toward the tape gun and she suddenly felt awkward. Her indie music was playing softly in the background and she was thankful for its help to avoid a heavy silence. She rolled forward on her toes and played with her hands nervously in front of her. What happens now? What could she say to him?
"Er…" She cleared her throat and glanced around the room, intentionally avoiding him. "So how ar-"
"What the shit!" Bakugo suddenly snapped and threw the tape gun on the couch. "I can't get this fucking thing to work!"
Uraraka was shocked for a moment before a chuckle fluttered to her lips, "Oh my…" She circled around the sofa to pick up the tool and she scanned the roll for the edge of the tape, "What is it Bakugo? Jealous that you don't have fingernails like mine?" She effortlessly picked at it until the tape peeled back and she was able to set it in the gun.
"Tch," He grouched his way across the room and snatched it out of her hands, "I thought you'd broken all of them." He didn't spare her a glance as he turned back around and made his way back to the stack of boxes to tape up the last one resting on top.
"Almost all of them," She rolled her eyes and meandered after him, her hands hanging at her sides. "And I have all this to blame for it," She nodded at the mess.
"Whatever," Bakugo grunted, "You're pretty much giving everything you own away from what I can see."
"That's not true," Uraraka shoved a box over on the sofa so she could plop down on it, "I still have my sofa!"
"And what, a fork?" Bakugo finished taping the box before turning his red eyes onto the brunette.
"Two forks," She held up to fingers and smirked back, holding his intense gaze.
Bakugo was almost amused by her response and he set the tape gun down on top of the box, "You really won't have much left."
Uraraka glanced at the mess of stuff that was going to be moved out the next day, "Yeah, I know… But it's better that way. I'd rather be able to start fresh."
Bakugo slowly glanced a stack of several boxes labelled with the same label and he felt a twinge of annoyance in his chest, "For fuck sake, who needs all this All Might shit?"
"Years of collecting," Uraraka shrugged. "I used to ask myself the same question. It was becoming a problem."
"It's not your problem anymore," Bakugo grunted before leaving the living room and heading for the refrigerator. "So you got pizza?"
"It's leftover from yesterday but help yourself," Uraraka glanced over the top of her sofa as she watched the blonde pull the box from the fridge. He popped open a few of her cupboards, searching for a plate and she almost gave herself away with her stifled laughter.
Bakugo was growing frustrated as he opened the third cupboard to see only a few random bowls and a line of cups, "What the fuck?" He glanced around for a moment before he started to search the drawers under the counter tops.
"You won't find any," Uraraka called from her spot on the couch. "They're packed in a box and I don't remember where they are now."
He turned around and narrowed his eyes at her, "So you're saying that you don't own a single plate?"
"Not one," Uraraka shook her head and chuckled, giving him an endearing smile "I guess it's on the to-buy list now."
Bakugo couldn't believe his ears, "That's fucking stupid."
"Oh come on," Uraraka shrugged, "They were a gift from All-Might years ago. I couldn't keep them."
"You deserve one fucking plate, roundface." Bakugo turned his attention to the pizza box and frowned. Suddenly his appetite for pizza had left him. "You got anything I can put in a bowl?"
Uraraka seemed to think for a moment, "I could try and cook something. I should have a pan somewhere." She rose up from the sofa and stretched her sore back.
"God no," Bakugo shook his head hard. "I remember how bad your cooking was in high school. The whole dorm building would smell."
Uraraka feigned hurt as she let her hand fly over her heart, "That was one time!"
"One time too many," Bakugo remarked with an unamused expression.
"Well I remember you were a big fan of my mochi," Uraraka smirked back and moved her hand to her hip.
Bakugo remembered her mochi. He didn't really have much of a sweet tooth but she made half decent mochi. "Don't flatter yourself, roundface. I ate that to spare others the stomach ache."
"Oh, absolutely," Uraraka remarked back with the same sarcastic tone, "Because you were just so noble in high school."
He was perturbed now and he scowled at her, "I was the only one with a stomach strong enough to handle that shit."
"Makes sense," Uraraka tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I can only imagine the toxic cesspool your insides are after trying that insanely hot curry place you took me to."
Now he was taken aback. Did she just insult his favorite restaurant? "Do you really want to go there?"
"I've been here for a while," Uraraka glanced at her wrist, pretending to look at a watch. "I was curious when you'd finally show up." She tossed him a playful smirk.
That did it. "If you want to talk abo-"
Uraraka raised her hand and smiled, "I think I deserve that one, don't you?"
The blonde simmered and frowned deeply, fighting with his pride. Reality seemed to grab him by the tongue and he looked away from her. That's right… He'd been ignoring her. Why would he think it was alright to berate her? Or make fun of her cooking?
Uraraka saw a dark look cover Bakugo's features as he angled his face away from her and she felt guilty. She didn't mean to upset him or remind him of their situation. "I didn't mean it like-"
"Whatever," Bakugo muttered and turned back to her kitchen, a sliver of pity working its way into his emotions as he glanced at the boxed up kitchen. She'd been through enough and he shouldn't pile more onto that. It would be selfish.
He released a silent breath and glanced at the clock on her stove. It was late and perhaps he should go to spare her the trouble of his overstayed welcome. She was probably tired and perhaps he was making her uncomfortable. "I should go."
Just as he was about to turn to leave, he felt arms looping their way around his torso and he looked down to see her loosely embracing him from behind. He froze up completely as he saw her hands hold her opposite forearms, trapping him in her arms.
"Thank you," She murmured into his back and she squeezed lightly. "For saving my life."
He was completely stiff and his jaw fell open just a little. What the fuck was he supposed to do now?
"You don't have to say anything," Uraraka couldn't help the small smile on her face as she felt how tense he was. "And you don't owe me anything." She pressed her forehead just below his shoulder blades and breathed a hot breath into his dark blue shirt. "I'm just…" She squeezed him again, "So happy to see you again."
A tingle ran up Bakugo's spine and he actively fought against shuddering. He rolled his head back a little but avoided looking behind him at all costs. He took a long and deep breath, forcing himself to relax his rigid arms that hung at his sides. His mind was a jumbled mess and he wanted nothing more than to clear it and say something. Anything.
"Please don't blame yourself," Uraraka muttered against his back and she felt a little dazed as she finally registered how good he smelled. She tried to shove the thought out of her mind as she forced words out of her mouth that she'd been rehearsing for weeks, "Because none of this is your fault. You were there at the right moment. You saved me… Just in time."
Bakugo felt a stab of guilt. Did she think he'd been avoiding her because of that? Because she wasn't able to stop Constrictor before she made the decision to go into the fog? She was right. That wasn't his fault. It had been out of his control at the time and he wasn't one to dwell on things that were out of his control. He was shameful for another reason and he needed to clear the air, "I didn't bring him in."
Uraraka tensed a bit as she felt the vibrations of his low tone in his torso. He seemed to relax his shoulders and he softly shook his head, partially covering the ceiling light in her kitchen and casting a shadow over her. She loosened her grip on him a bit to acknowledge his words but stayed silent.
"I let Viper get away because…" The blonde tightened his hands into loose fists, "Because I was too distracted and angry. I let my emotions get the better of me and I didn't keep my word to you."
Uraraka was silent for a long time as she let his words sink in and it all made sense. She'd been wrong this entire time. He wasn't avoiding her because of her injuries. He was avoiding her because he was too ashamed to face her for not keeping a promise. A last wish.
She felt her lip tremble a bit and she shamelessly pressed her face into his back to try and shield herself from her new emotions. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Bakugo." She pulled her arms tight around his waist, "I forgive you."
It wasn't the response he expected. He'd expected her to tell him it was okay and be wishy-washy about it, doing her typical Uraraka routine. He'd even thought she might be cold to him about it or dismissive. He'd hoped she'd be angry with him and drive him away, giving him what he felt he deserved. But forgiveness had never crossed his mind. An acknowledgement of his failure and a call to do better. Now he was truly at a loss for words and he could feel the warmth of her embrace, her nose pressed against his back.
It was so foreign… So uncomfortable… So welcome.
Neither said anything for awhile and eventually Uraraka's arms slacked, releasing him. He closed his eyes for a brief second, lamenting the loss of contact, before turning slowly turning toward her, "I should go."
Uraraka had turned to the side to hide the forlorn look on her face, "Will you come see me again soon?"
His eyes tried to find her face but her hair had covered it, "If you want me to."
"I do," She replied softly. "I've… missed you."
Bakugo swallowed thickly, "You should come back to work."
"I will. I have one more week of leave before I can." She inhaled sharply, wiping her emotions off her face before she turned to give him a small smile. "But the moment I can, I'll be there to annoy you."
He almost smirked but ended up just exhaling through his nose, "I'm counting on it, roundface." He held her gaze for a moment and it felt like he let down a little bit of his guard. She looked sad but somehow peaceful as her gaze went straight through him. Her cheeks were a warm color and he felt his hand twitch, itching to reach for them, but he fought against it. It was too soon. He couldn't. She deserved better than that so he'd accept her forgiveness for now and try again some other time.
He slowly maneuvered past her and made for the door, scooping up his duffel bag along the way. "I'll come help tomorrow. I have an interview in the morning and we all know how long those take."
Uraraka gushed with embarrassment, "I don't know, actually." She laughed nervously, "But I'm sure I'll know soon enough. Every news agency in town has called me for one."
"You should give one soon," Bakugo wanted to kick himself for his last remark, "Everyone in town is still talking about Uravity. Apparently she got her big break."
"Apparently," Uraraka shrugged and giggled softly. "I'll call Edgeshot's PR director tomorrow. You're right. I should do one."
The blonde nodded and let his face relax as he waited for her by the door. "I just want you to know…" He licked his lips, trying to force the words out as evenly as possible, "I'm glad… That you're okay."
Uraraka met his gaze and felt like she was seeing a new side to the blonde. He didn't look angry or guarded. He seemed genuine and it stirred something in her that made her heart pick up the pace, "T-thank you." She was immediately embarrassed by her stutter and tried to distract from it by loudly opening up her apartment door, "Sorry that I didn't have any plates for the pizza."
He was confused by her sudden change of topic but he'd take it, "Yeah whatever, I'll just get something on my way home." He stepped through the doorway and glanced back at her one last time, "Goodnight Uraraka."
"Goodnight," She smiled softly and nodded at him. "Thank you... Bakugo."
"Don't mention it," Bakugo shrugged before turning away and beginning his descent down the stairs. He didn't look back and he didn't hear her door shut until he was nearly to the second story. Something about that fact made him smile to himself. Maybe she hadn't wanted him to leave after all, but it was better that he did. The timing still wasn't right. He could wait until it was right.
When he finally reached the dark street he recalled how he'd felt only a few hours earlier and a small feeling of victory overcame him. Alright… Maybe that hadn't been so hard after all.
Okay so it's not the fluff you were looking for but it's what I could afford to give lmao. I had different plans for this chapter but once I got to writing it, those plans changed ENTIRELY lol! It's a little less fluffy than I intended but it feels right, right? We finally have some resolution between Uraraka and Bakugo! Yay!
As always, you guys are AMAZING IN EVERY WAY and I LOVE YOU ALL. I have already responded to all the reviews on chapter 21 so you should go check those out on my profile! I'm sure you're all sick of the twitter routine but it's for new readers... You can find my twitter profile in my bio for live updates on chapter writing! I'd love to see you there and please, say hello!
All the chapters following this one will be full of that shit you all are craving. KACCHAKO IS NEAR MY DEARS! It should be great from here on out! And I think you guys are going to be pleasantly surprised in the coming chapters because I think I have some really fun ideas to play around with. This fic is still a long way from it's last chapter! So just enjoy the ride!
On a weird ass side note, I need to just brain barf for a minute. I started watching Evangelion for the first time (yeah I know you don't have to tell me what I've been missing) and OH MY GOD I have a problem. I literally can't stop watching it. I've spent every one of my lunches at work watching it and it's been so hard to focus on writing this week because of it. Damn you Evangelion! But damn you, I love you. Dammit. Any other Eva lovers here? I'm almost done watching it and I'd love to talk about Eva things with you.
Aside from that side note, I just want to let you all know that I appreciate you so much and I am so blessed to have you all reading my fic. It means so much to me and Fridays have become my FAVORITE day of the week because it's my chance to share my kacchako love with you all! Gosh, I am so lucky. You guys are the BEST. I already can't wait until the next Fanfiction Friday and I hope you feel the same way! See you in seven days!
(special shoutout to Patrewe. I hope you're feeling better. ILY)
xoxoxo
