Quick Author's Note:
Hello everyone, I just want to say a few things before this chapter begins. This week has been a difficult week for me and it got me thinking about all of you. We have all been going through hard times and I know that many of you come from places very far away from me, some of you read from the opposite side of the globe. We are all afraid and struggling to muddle through Coronavirus together. We are all scared and vulnerable as we worry about ourselves and our loved ones. So I wanted to extend a small condolence to you, my readers, as we come together to overcome this daunting foe.
We will get through this together. We will be there for one another. We will take care of each other. We are all humans at the end of the day and we have to find it within ourselves to love and cherish life, even for people we have never met and may never meet. I have never met any of you but I feel like I know you all so well. My heart is with you and I know that every day I get come home to you guys. It puts a smile on my face to know you are reading this and I am so happy to put a smile on yours with these weekly updates.
The updates will be continuing through the epidemic for our sake as a community. We all need a break from the mayhem outside our windows and I am so lucky that you have chosen to spend that time with me. I wish you and your family, friends, loved ones, and your country/neighborhoods/communities/etc. good health during this difficult time. I love you guys and I hope this chapter is able to give you the break you deserve.
Be well and stay safe - XOXO
ionlycamefortacos
"Thank you for coming today, Uravity," A woman with long black hair crossed her long legs in the sofa chair across from Uraraka's.
"Yes, of course!" Uraraka beamed at the woman as she forced herself not to glance at the cameras pointed at their faces. She was glad that the interview wasn't live for the sake of her nerves. "It's wonderful just to meet you, Miss Kato."
"Please," The woman smiled glamorously, "Call me Rin."
"Rin," Uraraka corrected herself and gulped nervously.
Rin Kato gestured to Uraraka in her costume, "You look well! Have you recovered?"
Uraraka reached up to adjust her headpiece and nodded, "I'm good as new, thanks to the wonderful staff at University of Tokyo Hospital. They did a great job."
"Well I think I speak for every citizen of Tokyo when I say that we were all very worried about you and we are so happy to see that you have recovered. I know I'm not the only one excited for the day that you return to hero work."
"I'm excited too," Uraraka tried to relax herself in the stiff blue sofa chair, "I have my last check-up tomorrow but there's no reason to think that they won't give me the green light."
Rin smiled at the brunette across from her but Uraraka couldn't shake the feeling that the interviewer was bored of the conversation already. "We'll all be watching you from now on, I'm sure of it. That showdown in Keihin was a spectacle for all of us, especially to see a virtually unheard of hero making such a bold premiere. You have great skill."
"Thank you," Uraraka couldn't help but smile at the praise, "I only wish I could have done more."
"Have you and Ground Zero worked together in the past? You two clearly have chemistry when it comes to teamwork." Rin rolled her foot that was crossed in the air.
Uraraka felt herself flush at the mention of the blonde but she had been expecting questions like this, "We went to high school together at UA, actually. We were in the same class. Teamwork is always much easier with a teammate you've practiced with a lot and I've had years of it with him."
"I didn't realize you were a UA graduate until I looked up your statistics, nevertheless a graduate of the prestigious 1A class. How have we not heard of you before?" Rin leaned back in her chair and gave Uraraka an inquisitive look but it only rubbed the brunette the wrong way.
"I only recently began my career in Tokyo," She shrugged and tried to keep her facial expressions light and even. "Before that, I was working at the Bombshell Agency. She was a wonderful mentor to me and I learned a lot working under her. In fact, she's the one who recommended me to Edgeshot when the position opened in Tokyo. I truly only have Bombshell to thank for that. She knew it was time for me to make a change."
"Mm," Rin nodded her head and glanced down at the paper in her lap, "So transferring to Edgeshot's agency was a career move only?"
Uraraka tilted her head and gave the black-haired woman a slightly confused look, "Yeah, I suppose so. It was good timing for me."
Rin adjusted herself in her seat a bit before looking up and giving Uraraka a stony look, "So it wasn't related to your relationship with the famous pro hero Deku?"
Edgeshot's PR director had warned Uraraka that there would be personal questions tied in throughout the interview but that didn't make Uraraka any less uncomfortable. The director had given her tips to redirect the conversation and she scrambled to bring one to her mind, "Well, I had mentioned a few times that I was interested in moving to Tokyo to increase fan exposure so Bombshell backed me on it. When the opportunity came, I pulled the trigger and moved here."
"And Deku moved to America to pursue an international hero status," Rin paused and waited for Uraraka to respond, but when it never came, she moved on, "How is that going for him?"
"Well, I hope," Uraraka heard the director's words in her head to keep her replies about Deku short and to the point, "But I really am very excited to be serving the people of Tokyo. It's a wonderful city and I feel like I can do some good here."
"You already are!" Rin laughed fictitiously and gestured to the brunette sitting across from her, "You have national name recognition and you've taken down two highly sought after villains within a few months of your transfer. You have every reason to gloat a little, Uravity."
That comment made Uraraka mildly uncomfortable, "Well I like to take after All Might and do my job with a smile. Saving people is reward enough for me. It means that all the hard work I put in to get here has paid off."
"All former UA students say that," Rin rolled her eyes toward the camera, "You'd think that I'd know that by now after hearing it a million times."
Uraraka smiled nervously, "Well UA teaches the values of being a hero before anything else. That's why I'm very proud to be a graduate there."
"Well of course," Rin nodded, "It's one of the top schools for that very reason. We are all very grateful for UA's contributions to our hero ranks." She glanced down at the paper again, "Speaking of ranks, you've jumped in the polls significantly, haven't you?"
"Yes," Uraraka almost sighed with relief to have the conversation move back to her, "I can't thank everyone enough for it."
"Two months ago you were unranked completely but now you're sitting in the low eighties," Rin gestured to the empty air between them and Uraraka realized that a graphic would be edited in later to show her ranking. "That's quite the jump. Do you hope to retain that position?"
"I hope to move up," Uraraka smiled at Rin, "I have so much more to offer. I feel like I'm only scratching the surface."
Rin nodded knowingly, "Well if your partnership with Ground Zero continues, I'm sure that success is inevitable. Not only do you make a dynamic pair at a prestigious agency but he's currently ranked forty-third and moving up very quickly."
"Ground Zero is an extremely talented hero and I have had a lot of fun working with him," Uraraka smiled fondly as she remembered how well they fought alongside each other. "But I think that he will continue his partnership with Red Riot for the time being. They have worked together since high school so they have a solid foundation."
"That's a bummer to hear," Rin fingered the arm of her chair, "You two made such a splash in Keihin that I think we all want to see more of it."
Uraraka laughed airily, "Well perhaps we will have to work together on another big bust in the future. The Mamushi case is still open so we'll continue to work on that collectively as an agency."
"Let's talk about the Mamushi case for a minute," Rin seemed to perk up at the topic, "Are there any active leads that you're aware of?"
"I'm afraid I can't comment on the current leads," Uraraka shook her head lightly, "But I can say that the Edgeshot Agency has all hands on deck to bring Viper to justice."
"How exactly did Keihin come about?" Rin seemed to breeze past Uraraka's replies with ease and the interview felt like it was picking up a bit of steam now. "Was it a project that the entire agency was working on? According to Ground Zero, it was a very small group of heroes but he isn't exactly famous for his elaboration."
"It was a very small group of us, yes," Uraraka was relieved to talk about something that she could actually provide some comments on. "Ground Zero was heading up the investigation and he's the one who initially uncovered the information that Viper and his associates would be meeting locally."
"And he pulled you in on it?" Rin didn't seem to waste a moment between questions.
"Mhmm," Uraraka nodded her head, "I remember it like it was yesterday. I actually had to hassle him to bring Edgeshot in on it too. He was understandably concerned about the plan getting out to the Mamushi group if too many people knew about it."
Rin seemed particularly interested in Bakugo as she nodded and moved on with her questions, "So how exactly did you two end up as the only ones on scene for Keihin? Why not a larger response for such a prolific villain?"
Uraraka paused to consider how she wanted to word her response, "Well that's a complicated question. As pro heroes, we want to make sure that the information we have is reliable before we act on it and the Keihin encounter was coincidental because of that." Uraraka leaned forward a bit as she spoke, "Ground Zero and I went to Keihin to scope it out as Edgeshot rallied a force of heroes to overrun the place. We didn't want to walk into a trap so it was necessary to be as inconspicuous as possible. Unfortunately, while we were performing reconnaissance of the area, a few Mamushi members discovered us so we were forced into a battle we weren't yet prepared for."
"There weren't any safeguards in place? How did you two end up alone out there?" Rin narrowed her eyes a bit and Uraraka could feel the weight of her question. Was this really how pro interviews truly went? She'd expected to be asked fun questions about her dreams and future goals. Instead, she was playing defense for her agency.
Uraraka licked her lips and took a quick breath, "As I said before, it was purely coincidental. Sometimes we only have a few minutes to act on new information. Preparing any more than that would have been nearly impossible, especially since we wanted to keep a tight lid on our plans. Ground Zero and I were the only ones with the knowledge ahead of time that could act."
"But Deku was there as well," Rin shrugged. "Was he also aware of the information? As far as anyone knew, he was still in America but then suddenly, he turned up at a fight against Viper, Constrictor, and Cameo. Was that a coordinated effort between you and him?"
"No," Uraraka replied quickly, "I mean, he wasn't aware of the information. As I'm sure you know, Deku doesn't work for the Edgeshot Agency. I'm not entirely sure how he ended up in Keihin but he had been in Japan to visit me for a few days at the time."
Rin's eyebrows shot up, "So you two were still together before the Keihin encounter with Viper?"
Uraraka took a long pause to digest the question. What exactly did she mean by that question? She furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm not sure what you are referring to."
"Let me clarify," Rin sat up in her chair before switching the legs that were crossed, "A few months ago, Deku abruptly moves to America and you move to Tokyo. It's no secret that your romance with the rank nineteen hero has been notoriously hidden from public eyes since you two began your relationship nearly four years ago. A notably tight-lipped hero couple that hardly worked together. But a sudden move across the world certainly raised some eyebrows. I think all of us in the media simply assumed that you two had ended your relationship. Now that appears that was not the case."
Uraraka felt extremely uncomfortable at the topic, "I'd rather not comment on Deku at this time."
"According to reports from The New York Times, Deku confirmed to American sources last week that you two have split up but he didn't specify the time that it happened or why," Rin stared straight into the brunette's eyes now. "But now it sounds like you two were together up to the Keihin incident."
"Deku and I are no longer a couple," Uraraka felt her face become more serious now, "I believe that is all the information that I care to share right now to be respectful to him."
Rin cleared her throat but the woman seemed to come alive as the topic grew heated, "I can understand that, but if I could just press you on one more thing," She clasped her hands on top of the papers on her lap, "We all saw Ground Zero's heroic and potentially self-sacrificing move to pull you out of Viper's poison fog. The more times I re-watch the tape, it becomes more clear to me that there is more than just professional chemistry between you and him. Also, when Ground Zero was asked about you over the weekend, he declined to comment and ended the interview. Has there been some sort of involvement between you?"
"Absolutely not," Uraraka spat back, "Ground Zero and I have had a very beneficial working relationship but I will not sit here and be called a cheater."
Rin looked surprised by Uraraka's forceful response and she swallowed, taking a beat to gather herself, "I apologize if I made assumptions."
"I came here to talk about my hero work," Uraraka glanced around the studio incredulously, "But I feel like I'm only being asked about my personal life and I'm having to defend my agency for making the right calls. I paid heavily for that battle and I want to talk about the plans for the future but I'm afraid I'll have to take a page out of Ground Zero's book and end this interview if it continues down this path."
A heavy silence fell between the two women as Rin learned that Uraraka wasn't a pushover of any kind, despite the persona she exemplified. The black-haired women tucked the top page on her lap behind the rest before she took a breath and nodded, "Let's move on then, shall we?"
Uraraka analyzed the woman for a moment longer before she let her shoulders relax and she nodded, "Alright."
"Tell me about your plans for when you return to work."
"Damn," Mina was sprawled out on Uraraka's pastel blue sofa, holding her phone above her face, "You fucking told her what was up."
"I did, didn't I?" Uraraka couldn't help the smile on her face as she pulled the last of her new dishes from their box and put them up in the cupboard. "It felt good. She wasn't very nice to me afterward either."
"Can't imagine why," Mina scoffed sarcastically on the couch as she scanned back through the entire article on her phone. "She should have been kissing your ass for giving her an exclusive interview."
Uraraka shrugged as she dusted her hands off and moved the empty box to sit beside her front door, "Well I don't know if I'm ever going to do another interview again. It was terrible!"
"I love interviews," Mina swooned at the thought, "The one I did for Ramen Logic was so much fun. I wish I could do one every week!"
"Of course it was fun for you," Uraraka giggled, "Ramen Logic is just late night comedy. And I remember that interview, Mina. We all do. That clip went viral."
Mina couldn't help but laugh as she remembered it, "That poor producer was so mad! If I had known he'd gotten that bobblehead in America during college, I wouldn't have agreed to melt it for the dare. I never noped out of anywhere so fast in my life."
"Well the interviewer had to know when he told you to do it," Uraraka shrugged, "It's not like he didn't know that your acid would melt it. I just feel bad for the producer."
Mina sighed at the hilarious memory, "He took it like a man and yeah, the clip went viral so it was a win for everyone, I guess."
"Maybe I should have just gone on Ramen Logic," Uraraka grumbled mostly to herself as she wandered into the living room and forced Mina's legs out of the way so she could sit.
Mina quirked an eyebrow at the brunette and threw her legs onto Uraraka's lap, "I don't think it's really your scene, Uraraka. You're more of a morning show type of hero but damn, you really made an impression on prime time last night."
"I wish I'd said some things differently, but oh well," Uraraka huffed as she turned a tired gaze on her friend. "I moved up to rank seventy-seven though, so it definitely helped."
"Yeah that shit matters," Mina skewed her mouth playfully. "Want to do something tonight? I'm stuck on the weekend shift so tonight is our free night to hang out."
Uraraka considered the offer, "I don't see why not. It might be a good idea to let off some steam before I go back to work on Monday."
"Dinner?" Mina stretched her arms over her head as she sat up. "Maybe a glass of wine?"
Uraraka rolled her eyes at the pinkette, "It's a date. I just need to change."
"Hurry up!" Mina shoved the brunette as she climbed off the sofa, "Maybe we'll meet someone fun."
"With you, I have no doubts about that," Uraraka couldn't help but giggle as she hurried to her bedroom. Jeans and a pink v-neck would suffice. Despite Mina's earlier comment, she wasn't out to impress anyone tonight. She simply wanted to hang out with her friend. Now all she needed was a jacket.
Her eyes scanned the bedroom before she spied a black coat thrown over the top of her closet door. When she pulled it from its perch, she justified wearing it for the simple reason that it completed the look. It wasn't too serious but it was big enough to look lazily flirty.
She pulled it over her shoulders and blushed a little as the memory from a few nights previous crept into her mind. She could faintly smell his cologne on it, a salty bourbon with a hint of something more manly that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Hello?" Mina called from across her apartment, "What's taking you so long? I'm hungry!"
"Coming!" Uraraka called before grabbing her cross-body purse from her night stand. She didn't think about the jacket again as she was nearly dragged out of the door by her pink friend.
They had been walking down the street for a while when Mina's pointless conversation topics turned more serious, "So are you nervous about going back to work?"
"A little," Uraraka shrugged and gave her friend an 'oh well' glance. "I can only imagine how much work I'll have to catch up on when I get there."
Mina bumped her shoulder into Uraraka's, "I'm willing to bet that everyone chipped in to help a little while you were gone. But I was more curious if you're worried about going back out into the field again."
Uraraka weighed the question in her mind, "I honestly don't know. I haven't really thought about that."
Mina was silent for a while as she let Uraraka think about it, "You went through a pretty traumatic experience. I just want to make sure you're going to be okay if you get into another villain confrontation. Especially now that criminal activity has been going up again."
Uraraka dug her hands into the pockets of Bakugo's jacket to protect them from the nippy evening air, "Well, Mirio and I have been training a lot but I guess I need to spend some time with a harder opponent."
"I thought you were enjoying training with him," Mina gave the brunette a curious look. "You guys talked about it forever the other night."
"I did enjoy it," Uraraka smiled at the thought of the blonde man she'd been spending her time with for the last few weeks, "But he's a teacher so instead of going all out with me, he'd stop and give me pointers. I think I need someone to train with that's a little more intense." The face of a different blonde man crossed her mind and she hugged the coat closer, "Maybe I'll talk to Edgeshot and see if I can delay patrol work for another week while I find a new sparring partner."
"Speaking of Mirio," Mina didn't waste a moment to transition the conversation with a teasing smile, "How are things going with him?"
Uraraka flushed at the mention of him, "Well…" She didn't really know how to reply.
"Uraraka!" Mina prodded her friend in the side and grinned devilishly, "Tell me! Did you sleep with him yet?"
"Mina!" Uraraka's jaw dropped and she elbowed the other girl, "No way!"
The pinkette puffed her cheeks and shook her head, "You have to be kidding me, girl. You were all he was talking about the other night! You guys disappeared after the pool game so I just assumed..." She trailed off to give Uraraka a suggestive look.
"Er…" Uraraka bit her lip as she recalled the night's events, "Actually, I haven't heard from him since Saturday."
Now it was Mina's jaw that dropped, "What?"
"Yeah," Uraraka shrugged, "But that's alright with me. I think he just needs some space."
"Pfft!" The pinkette shook her head hard, "Okay, tell me everything. You guys were so chummy and now you're not talking? What the fuck happened?"
"Nothing," Uraraka shrugged again, "He's really amazing and he's helped me so much but…" She couldn't finish the sentence as she tried to sort out her thoughts. What was she really comfortable sharing with Mina? Should she tell her about Bakugo?
"But what?" Mina leaned into her friend as they walked.
Uraraka cast a sideways glance with a small smile, "I don't know, I guess it just wasn't right or something."
"Uraraka, I swear," Mina huffed with a hint of frustration, "I'll pry it out of you if I have to."
The brunette giggled light-heartedly as she subconsciously hid her chin and mouth behind the collar of the jacket. She turned her head away slightly to mask the blush on her cheeks as she recalled who she left with that night.
Mina watched as Uraraka seemed to shy away from her line of questioning, "What are you not telling me?"
"Nothing!" Uraraka was blushing much harder now. "I'll call Mirio tomorrow, okay?"
"Oh my gosh," Mina's mouth fell into an 'O' shape, "You hooked up with him and it was bad!"
Uraraka didn't think she could get any redder but Mina's response proved her wrong, "Wha- No! I mean- No! No way!" She sputtered as she tried to find a response to the pinkette's assumption.
"You've got to be kidding!" Mina slapped a hand onto her forehead, "He was a virgin, wasn't he? I'll bet he didn't say a word to you beforehand."
"Mina," Uraraka sharply cut in, "Mirio and I didn't hook up."
The pinkette gave her friend a skeptical look as they stopped on a street corner and the sunset cast orange rays on them, "I'll take your word for it but that doesn't explain why you guys aren't talking."
Uraraka shuffled awkwardly in place for a minute, "It's not that anything really happened, okay? I just haven't heard from him."
"Like at all?" Mina quirked an eyebrow as they waited for the light to change.
"Not at all," Uraraka confirmed and felt a tense breath leave her lungs, hoping Mina would leave it at that.
"So what then?" Mina scoffed with an unconvinced note in her tone, "You're just going to let it go?"
"I plan to-" Uraraka didn't get a chance to clarify any more than that as their attention was torn away from the topic.
"Oi!" A voice called from the doorway of the building they had passed a few moments before.
Both women turned back to see a large man that was propping open a door, waving a wooden spatula. Uraraka immediately recognized the man as he waved and called out to them again, "Ground Zero's friend! Come, eat!"
Uraraka immediately flushed when Mina turned to give her a sharp look, "Uh…"
"Come!" The chef called as he held the door open, "Eat for free!"
"Yes," Mina nodded at her brunette friend, "Go and eat, Uraraka. For free!" She held out her pink hands at the chef with a smirk on her lips.
Uraraka looked back at the chef before exhaling hard, "Yeah… Okay." She jerked her head, silently telling Mina to follow as they made their way back down the street to the homely curry restaurant. A feeling of defeat washed over her as they met the man at the door.
"You never come to see me!" The chef was as boisterous as Uraraka remembered him to be. "I see Ground Zero once a week! Yet I never see Uravity with him."
"Well," Uraraka shrugged as she slid past the chef and into the dingy dining room, "He and I don't see each other that often anymore."
"Any friend of Ground Zero's is a friend of mine," The chef let the door shut behind him as the women entered. "Sit anywhere you like. I will serve you, yes?"
"What is this place?" Mina glanced around the restaurant, masking her knowledge of the place well.
Uraraka cast her friend an uneasy smile, "It's where Bakugo took me to dinner when he apologized for being a jerk to me."
"Oh!" Mina's face lit up with false remembrance, "I remember that!" She glanced around again with an averse look, "He brought you here?"
Uraraka nodded, "According to him, it's the best curry place in all of Tokyo."
"Ground Zero is my best customer!" The chef cut in exuberantly, "He comes every week."
"You wouldn't say," Mina smirked playfully as they sat down at a table with wobbly legs. "And what would you say Ground Zero is like?"
"He is very generous and always cleans his plate," The man replied with a proud smile as he stood beside the table, "I tell him to bring his lady friend but he never does!"
All eyes fell on Uraraka now as she tried to unwrap her chopsticks under the radar. She glanced up to see the two pairs of eyes on her and she gulped, "W-well, I was injured so…"
"Yes!" The chef reached out to rest a hand on the brunette's shoulder, "I will feed you well tonight as thank you! You are great, Uravity! You will feast." He looked up to the glass panes that separates the dining room from the kitchen, "Idiots! New batch of curry for Ground Zero's good friend!"
"No need to-" Uraraka started, shaking her head.
"I insist!" The chef turned to give her a toothless smile, "New batch of curry, just for you! Any friend of Uravity's is-"
"A friend of mine," Uraraka finished for him with an uneasy smile.
The chef simply nodded, not breaking his smile, before he rushed away to the kitchen and barked orders at his employees. The women watched him go and Uraraka released an uneasy breath as he went.
"So," Mina smirked as she used one of her hands to wobble the table back and forth between them, "What the hell is going on?"
Uraraka pressed her elbows on the table, preventing Mina from wobbling it any more, and rested her face in her hands, "Mina, please don't do this."
"What do you mean?" Mina balked with a goofy smile as she gestured around the restaurant, "You have to explain this."
Uraraka groaned into her palms, "I really don't think I can."
"Try," Mina pressed hard as she stared across the table.
Uraraka took another moment to gather her thoughts before sitting upright, "It's pretty much what I said before. This is where Bakugo and I had dinner."
"And this place has the best curry in Tokyo?" Mina frowned at her surroundings, "Is he sure that there aren't rats?"
Uraraka shushed her friend, "Please, don't let the chef hear you say that." She glanced around as well, "But I won't lie, I wondered the same thing."
Mina couldn't help her devilish grin, "So Bakugo comes here a lot, huh?"
"Apparently," Uraraka shrugged, "He's well loved here."
Mina scoffed, "That guy called him generous. Can you believe that?"
"I do, actually," The brunette replied quietly as she snapped her chopsticks and began to scrape the shavings.
"Spare me," Mina rolled her eyes.
Uraraka wasn't sure what to say when she caught Mina's skeptical gaze. Her experience having dinner with Bakugo had been wonderful. The chef had teased him and it had been fun. How was she supposed to explain that to Mina, the woman who knew Bakugo very differently? "It would be impossible to explain, Mina. I wish I could."
Mina skewed her mouth as she noticed how uncomfortable Uraraka had become and it was becoming less funny, "Why are you acting so weird?"
"I'm not acting weird," Uraraka's tone felt defensive and she nearly kicked herself.
"You so are," Mina narrowed her eyes and leaned over the table, "Why?"
"Because!" Uraraka held out her hands, "This is weird!"
Mina watched as Uraraka seemed to fold back into herself and pull the big black coat she was wearing tighter around her shoulders in a subconscious move, "Hang out a moment."
"What?" Uraraka looked up innocently, her face paling when she noticed Mina's gaze on the black buttons of the coat.
"Who's jacket is that?"
Bakugo had been distracting himself with work but it still wasn't enough to get the feeling of Uraraka's lips off his mind. The tingling sensation never left and it was making him crazy.
"Fucking move, extras!" The shout came out harsher than he intended but he couldn't find it in himself to care as he shoved past a group of night-shift heroes and headed for the elevator.
"Wait up!" Kirishima called, apologizing as he tried to discreetly move past the same group of heroes. "Bakugo!"
"No," The blonde snapped over his shoulder as he hustled to catch the closing elevator doors and was angry when they shut before he could reach them.
"Dude," Kirishima finally caught up as the elevator departed and the pair were stuck waiting for the next one, "What the hell is up with you this week?"
"Fuck off," Bakugo didn't even cast the red-head a glance.
"Yeah, sure, whatever" Kirishima frowned as he disregarded the blonde's icy tone. "So what's up with you?"
Bakugo didn't reply, opting to swing his duffel bag to his other shoulder instead. He figured if he was lucky, Kirishima would drop the subject and shut up.
"Seriously," The red-head pushed harder, "You were off your game on patrol today, man. You didn't back me up the way I needed you to and I almost got my hair lasered off!"
"Tch," Bakugo sneered at his friend and patrol partner, "What, your hardening isn't immune to laser vision now?"
"No!" Kirishima shook his head wildly, "It's never been immune to laser vision!" He pushed the other man on the shoulder gruffly, "You were supposed to distract that guy but you were completely out of position."
"I'm never out of position," Bakugo denied Kirishima's prodding but he didn't really believe the words himself.
"Well you were today," The red-head replied with a biting tone. "I need you to get your head in the game, man. I rely on you out there but lately, it seems like you're somewhere else completely." He leaned in toward the blonde, "What's going on, dude?"
Bakugo gave the other man a miffed look, "Nothing."
"Well that's a lie," Kirishima tsk'd and shook his head, "You know you can talk to me about shit, right?"
"Not interested," Bakugo bit back and smashed the call button for the elevator.
Kirishima didn't look convinced as he watched Bakugo avoid eye contact at all costs, "What the fuck happened between you and Uraraka?"
"Shut the hell up," Bakugo snapped and turned a furious gaze on the man beside him.
"No," Kirishima shook his head hard, "I'm not letting this one go, Bakugo. I need you to get your shit in order."
"It's none of your goddamn business," Bakugo bit back harshly and smashed the button again.
Kirishima crossed his arms and gave the blonde a skeptical look, "It is my business if it's affecting how we work together."
The blonde was wildly uncomfortable under Kirishima's expectant gaze, "It won't affect my work starting tomorrow."
"Somehow I don't believe that," Kirishima watched as Bakugo turned his gaze up to see the elevator travelling back up the floors.
"Believe it," Bakugo snapped back without giving the red-head another look.
Kirishima sighed as the doors re-opened to an empty elevator and he followed the blonde inside, "Seriously man, I'm your best buddy. I think I'd be able to give some pretty solid relationship advice."
"If you don't shut the fuck up right now-" Bakugo started to fire back but was cut off.
"Yeah, I know dude," Kirishima sighed heavily, "You'll like…Kick my teeth in or something, I get it." He turned a sideways glance on his friend, "But I want you to be happy and something is fucking with you. If you're not on your game, then we need to either switch our patrol route or find a team to cover us until you get your shit figured out."
Bakugo knew that Kirishima was right, despite how little he wanted to admit it. He had been distracted all week and it was no thanks to a certain brunette. She had been haunting him since the weekend, "I'll be fine tomorrow."
"You better be for my hair's sake," Kirishima still seemed miffed but he seemed to relax at Bakugo's acknowledgement, "Just say something if we need to switch patrol shifts, man. I get it, you don't want to talk about whatever the hell is bothering you, but when it starts to put my life in jeopardy, it becomes my business."
Bakugo didn't reply and the remainder of the elevator ride was silent. By the time the doors opened, his lips were tingling again and it turned his ears red.
He hadn't heard from Uraraka since the weekend and that didn't surprise him. He'd practically run out of her apartment four days ago after he'd accused her of using him as a rebound. He couldn't lie to himself though, it fucking sucked leaving her there.
Kissing her had been euphoric and it hadn't left his mind even once. All he could think about was when he'd kiss her again.
And again. And again.
God, he wanted to kiss her right now. It was like he'd been possessed by the feeling of her lips on his. It was making him crazy just to think about it and the thought never went away. He wanted her but he'd pushed her away.
Had it been a mistake?
He couldn't answer that question but the feeling of the evening air hitting his face seemed to ease his rattled nerves. After the elevator door had opened up again, he'd left Kirishima in a trail of dust, needing to be free of the red-head's humiliating pestering and getting some fresh air.
He needed to figure this shit out but how could he do that?
It was too early to see Uraraka again. After all, he'd left the ball in her court. He couldn't make such a bold proclamation and then come back a few days later. She needed to figure her shit out on her own but damn, he didn't think about it taking this long. It was tearing him apart that she knew his feelings and hadn't uttered a word to him.
As he walked home, he tried to distract himself with his phone. Pining over her wasn't doing any favors for him except getting Kirishima to annoy the shit out of him. He needed to get her out of his mind until she could get her house in order.
"Exclusive: Uravity returning to Edgeshot Agency after Dreadful Keihin Incident"
The headline caught his eye as he scrolled through his news feed and he couldn't stop himself from clicking on it. He yanked his headphones out of his duffel bag and jammed them in his ears as he listened to the tape of the interview.
As the interview moved toward the topic of Deku and him, he grew sour but it was only a few seconds later before he smirked.
"Deku and I are no longer together…"
"... But I'm afraid I'll have to take a page out of Ground Zero's book and end this interview if it continues down this path."
She seemed confident and it was sexy to him. The very fact that she mentioned him by name in the last comment made his heart skip to his throat. She sounded ready to return to hero work, especially now that she was a seasoned hero. She'd shown how worthy she was in the field and he recalled her earlier comments from the interview.
Bakugo wasn't one to appease the public but perhaps it wouldn't kill him to partner up with Uravity more often. She was strong and she'd proven to him that she had the skill to keep up with him in battle.
Maybe just this once, he'd consider giving the public what they wanted. That is, if Uraraka wanted the same.
I loved writing Uraraka's interview so much omg. I feel like that scene came out really well! And dang, Kiri! He laid into Bakugo a bit, didn't he?! I am honestly super happy with how this chapter as a whole turned out and I don't feel that way often, so I hope you guys enjoyed it too!
I also have some fun info to share with you guys! All Grown Up has been such a huge success for me that I have decided to begin publishing my original novel. It will be available for free online. I will be posting the first three chapters in a few weeks so I will keep you guys posted once I decide the release date. It will be updated weekly, just like AGU, so if you are interested, more of my work will be available in the coming weeks. If you would like more specific updates on that, you can always find me on twitter at onlycamefortaco. I am so excited about it! It's going to be so much fun (and so much work)!
As always, I do respond to all reviews on my profile page - even guest reviews! So please go check that out if you left a review on chapter 25. It's honestly the most fun part about the updates :)
Thank you all for reading and I am so excited for chapter 27 already! Have a wonderful week and I love you all.
XOXO
