25 - Home is where you make it

After apologizing to Kirishima, Denki and hugging Ochaco tightly while both women cried, Nico lay staring at the ceiling of the workshop. I wonder how everything will go over with everyone else? I hope it will be just as smoothly as it went today.

She crossed her hands behind her head, since the shop was set up the way she liked there wasn't much she needed to do for the next few days while the memos were sent around. Katsuki said he would help me find a place to stay so I don't have to sleep here, but should I accept his help? I mean I should since he has lived in the area for long enough but I still can't get over how easily he forgave me. She rolled over and grabbed her wallet and pulled out the picture from their beach trip. It was heavily creased and worn from the folding and unfolding every time she felt lonely. Can we go back to being that happy or will my leaving hang over us forever?

Just as she ran her fingers over the old picture, her phone buzzed to life with a call. "Gatta." she answered the number that was unfamiliar.

"Come outside." responded the mystery caller said and hung up leaving Nico with a worried confused look.

Grabbing her sweater and a small purse filled with gadgets she had made, Nico slowly made her out of the building to find Bakugo waiting. "What's going on?" she asked but he just smiled at her.

"It took a little doing, but I thought you'd like to have a bit of a class reunion." he pointed to her left and when she looked over Nico had to cover her mouth to choke back a sob.

Somehow Bakugo had managed to round up just about everyone from their class. "It wasn't easy either, the missing ones will be coming as soon as they can make the trip." he answered before she managed to ask. "And there's someone, other than me, that really wanted to come to see you." she heard footsteps behind them, spinning she turned to see Izuku.

"Look at what the cat dragged in." he smiled and that was when Nico couldn't keep the tears at bay.

"All of you came here just for me?" she managed to ask as she fought the sobs. "After the way I left, all of you are here and still my friends." she had to grab onto Bakugo, "I don't deserve any of this."

"There's one thing you forgot about your short time with us we're a family, and even if you didn't want to tell us then, you're still one of us." Izuku said as the rest of their friends joined them and everyone started talking at once. For some of them it had been a while since there had been a gathering this large.

Nico looked over and noticed Bakugo watching her and mouthed 'thank you' to him. He didn't say anything as Nico when back to talking and collecting contact information of her friends and making plans for the near future.

Once the crowd started to disburse, Nico found her way in between Izuku and Bakugo. "You don't know how much that meant to me." she leaned back on a planter, "Thank you." She managed a tired smile.

"I had a feeling that you would want to see everyone once you settled, so I thought why not bring them to you." Bakugo said, pulling her close as Ochaco came back and grabbed one of Izuku's hands.

"When did this happen?" Nico asked as her best friend smiled a little.

"A little after you left, I meant to thank you for the advice you gave Deku." Ochaco held out her other hand, showing off an engagement ring. "I guess you'll be coming with Katsuki to the wedding."

Nico suddenly felt a little out of place, "Um, I'm going to have to get back to you on that." she flattened her ears, slightly embarrassed.

"Why, I don't have a date. You'd be going anyways so let's go together." Bakugo said, earning a shocked look from Nico. "What's the matter house cat, didn't expect that?"

"We'll see you two in the morning." Izuku said, nudging Ochaco along with him. "It's good to have you back." he waved and started to walk off.

"And then there were two." Bakugo said once they were alone. "So you going to be my date or what? It's still a couple months away so there's no real rush to answer."

"I would have thought you had some else you'd want to take with you." she pulled away a little. "You must have a girlfriend that should go with you."

"I tried to move on, but every time I found myself comparing them to you." he admitted, "For a little while I did hate you, but then I realized that your grandfather had put you in a position where you really didn't have a choice. So I figured that I would take Nick's advice and wait a little longer to see if I ever crossed your path again."

"So it was you who told Nick about the opening here?" Nico asked, she remembered how her uncle came running up to her over two months ago with the proposal. "There's no way he would have known unless someone told him."

"Nope, I was shocked as shit to see you walked in today." Nico was stunned by that, "It could have been anyone, but I am grateful to them. Now I get the chance to tell you that I still love you and I don't think I'd ever find someone who could ever change that." he confessed, making Nico even more surprised.

"I don't deserve your love," she moved even farther away, "not after leaving and pushing you away like I did. You shouldn't be so forgiving of what I did."

Taking her hand in his, "I think that's for me to decide, and I think that you have done nothing that needs to be forgiven. Why can't you see that?"

Nico thought about trying to pull away, but let him hold onto her hand. "I basically said that there was no way for us to ever be together, I pushed you away." she managed to say a little louder than a whisper, "I was cruel to you."

"I will admit that it was cruel at the time, but now that I've had time to look back on it and now that I have more of the story, I can see you only wanted what was best for me." Bakugo gently took her chin and tilted her face up. "You stole my heart and personally I want you to keep it as long as you give me yours in return."

Nico sniffled back more tears, "You're being too nice to this little stray." she said as he captured her mouth with him. After a long time they broke apart, "If I'm being honest, I'm really grateful to whoever Nick the heads up on the position here too. I was so miserable without you." Nico buried her face into his chest, letting out a low pur.

"You should go and try to get some sleep, we'll get you settled in a real place tomorrow." he gave the back of her hand a light kiss before letting her go. "I'll bring some breakfast and coffee before we get looking."

"I'll see you in the morning, firecracker." They both lingered, not really ready to let the other out of their sight. "I can't wait for tomorrow."

"Well that was a great waste of a day." Nico complained stretching out on the couch in her workshop. "Not only was there nothing available but we also missed out on having dinner with Todoroki and Momo. I think the universe is out to get me now."

"So we didn't have any luck today, you can always try again tomorrow." Bakugo tried to ease some of her disappointment. "While I won't be able to go with you, I'm sure you'll be fine on your own." he held out a bag from a local fast food place.

"Oh yay, another night on a cot that creaks every time I think about moving, just what I always wanted." Sitting up and taking the bag, Nico was not looking forward to another night in the workshop. " I should have found somewhere when I first took the job, now I feel like a moron."

Bakugo watched her for a moment, debating heavily on something. "I don't have an extra room, but my place is close by and pretty big." he paused to make sure he had her attention, "If you want, come crash there until you find space of your own."

"I couldn't do that, I did something stupid so I have to deal with the consequenes." Nico was touched by his offer, "I'll make do here until something opens up."

"And when we don't have the new specialist because she went and got hurt due to lack of sleep, what would we do then?" he pointed out, killing any other argument from her. "I don't mind and it'll give me a reason to come home at night. If you want I'll give you the bedroom and I'll sleep on the couch."

"Thank you Katsuki, but you keep your room. I'll try my best to keep the amount of fur to a minimum." Nico laughed when he gave her a confused look. "There are nights that I end up shifting in my sleep, so you'll have red cat fur everywhere."

"I'll deal, it's not like your cat is huge." he ruffled her short hair as he dropped down next to her. "You're just an itty bitty kitty."

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure that this kitty cat can still kick your ass." she nudged him before stealing a handful of fries from him.

"Any time you think you can take me, you are more than welcome to try." Bakugo laughed stealing some of her food back. "God did I miss this, it's almost like you never went back home."

"That's not a real home, just four walls I lived in." Nico said, resting her head against him, "A true home is where you make it, with the ones you love. No matter where I end up, as long as I have you with me I'll be more than happy."

"There's nothing I would love more." Bakugo kissed the top of her head, "No more running away on me, I don't think I'd be able to take it again."

"I'm here for good, I don't plan on ever leaving your side again." she promised, "Come hell or high water you are stuck with me now."