It's easy to say, but it's never the same. I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain. Now the day bleeds into nightfall and you're not here to get me through it all. I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved. - Lewis Capaldi

Uraraka saw everything as if it were in slow motion.

One moment, she was pinning one of the gang members face down on the floor, her knee on his back as she twisted his arms behind him. She saw an officer hurrying toward her with handcuffs at the ready, but he was still ten feet away when she heard him.

"URAVITY!"

Her head whipped around and her eyes met Bakugo's where she saw something in his expression she wasn't used to seeing: fear.

A quick glance at her surroundings showed her Nakamura, the member known for his ability to project spikes from his body, and her eyes widened as she realized one of those spikes was headed her way.

She only had a moment to make a decision. If she dodged, she'd have to release her hold on the man she had pinned and then he'd be free to attack again as well. But if she wanted to keep him subdued until the officer took custody of him, she had to hold her ground and just take the hit. She twisted around so all of her vital organs would be protected and her eyes closed tight as she braced for impact, but the pain she expected to feel never came.

What she felt instead was a wave of heat she recognized immediately as being from one of Bakugo's blasts. Her eyes flew open just before Bakugo collided with her, propelled backwards by a combination of the force of the blast and the spike now protruding from his shoulder.

She caught him as best as she could with one arm, the fingers of that hand brushing against him to activate her quirk and keep him from knocking them both to the floor as the officer finally reached her and took over cuffing the gang member she'd pinned, enabling her to shift her position and deactivate her quirk. She caught him in both arms that time as the pull of gravity knocked him back into her.

Across the room from them, Nakamura prepared to fire another spike their way and Uraraka activated her quirk once more, floating herself and Bakugo up and out of the way just as Boulder, whose attention was also drawn by Bakugo yelling her name, charged Nakamura like a bull, knocking him down and pummeling him with his fists.

A moment later, Cellophane had joined the fray, having finished binding Takahashi. Between the two of them, Nakamura was incapacitated quickly.

It had all happened in less than a minute from Bakugo yelling her name to the fight suddenly being over.

Uraraka touched back down, face white as she observed the blood seeping from Bakugo's wound, soaking through his hero suit and staining her hand red.

"Ground Zero needs a medic!" she yelled as they landed and one of the officers sprang into motion, running back to the door they'd come in from to signal to the remaining officers who had been stationed to hold the perimeter to call in a medic.

Satisfied that help was on its way, Ochako turned her attention back to him, her eyes raking over his face as he grimaced in pain.

"Why did you take the hit for me?" she asked quietly, thinking back to how strained their interactions had been the last few days. It had been her fault, she knew. She'd been pushing him away because things were easier that way, but still he'd jumped in the line of fire for her, taking the injury that should have been hers.

Bakugo was trying to steady his breathing. He'd had pain before, but impalement was new on the list. He looked up at her, and smirked. "Stupid fucking question, Round-face."

Then he passed out from the pain.

Her heart constricted painfully as he lost consciousness in her arms and she lowered him to the ground. He was still breathing and she knew the spike hadn't hit any vital organs where it was lodged in his shoulder but he had lost quite a bit of blood. She glanced frantically around for the medic and was relieved to see a team approaching with a stretcher. She scrambled backwards out of their way and watched helplessly as they carried him away.

A few hours later, Bakugo entered the briefing room at the Magome police headquarters. His arm was wrapped in bandages from the top of his shoulder to his elbow. He felt a little tired, but was told that it was to be expected. He'd lost a lot of blood, which was replenished while he was unconscious. He had also experienced the healing touch of another with a quirk similar to Recovery Girl's, but she specialized in open wounds and repairing the muscle tissue. It wasn't flawless though, and the hero had informed him he would have a scar for the rest of his life but that the muscles had been repaired enough that the healing process would occur much faster as long as he was careful.

"It's fine. I've got another arm." He said, shrugging with a slight wince.

The woman smiled warmly at him. "I like your spirit, kid."

He looked around to find Uraraka sitting with Soy Sauce and what was likely the Ghost Girl. He came to sit close to them with a sigh.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty's finally awake." Said Soy Sauce with a snicker.

"SHUT UP, SOY SAUCE!"

"Awh, aren't naps supposed to make you less grumpy?"

"You can go to hell."

Uraraka twisted around in her seat to look when she heard their exchange and her shoulders sagged with obvious relief to see him there in one piece and feeling well enough to be his usual self.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her eyes lingering on the bandages.

He looked at her. His eyes darted over her in a frenzy from head to toe, and he was relieved to see that she was unharmed. He couldn't be sure after he'd passed out. "Fine. Just sore, I guess." She sure sounded friendlier now than she had this whole trip so far.

"Let us begin." Said Chief Kobayashi. "Firstly, for those of you who were injured today, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice and commitment to this mission. Alas, we have not apprehended everyone just yet. But your help has made a huge difference in the threat level of this gang. Here is the list of those we have detained."

Bakugo sat and listened through the whole list. The chief had announced their names followed by their quirks. He'd heard Spike Guy, which made him happy. But nothing about a teleportation quirk.

At this point he wasn't sure what the chief was saying, but what he had to say was important. "What about the guy who could teleport?" He asked aloud.

Heads turned to look at him. "Teleport?" Asked the chief.

Bakugo's eyes met everyone else's confused stares. "What? None of you extras saw him? Yay high, black hair, dark eyes, twiggy figure?" He waited. "Really? Just me huh?"

Kobayashi flipped back through his file of member profiles, brow furrowed, then glanced over at the other Magome police officers, most of whom shook their heads except for one man.

"Now that Ground Zero mentions it, sir, there was a point when I thought a man had appeared suddenly where one hadn't been before but in all the chaos, I thought I'd imagined it. I assumed the man I saw had been with those taken into custody when we cleared the building and didn't find anyone else."

Kobayashi looked at his assistant. "Check the quirk registry. See if you can find anyone matching the description Ground Zero gave."

The man nodded and exited the room and the chief turned his attention back to Bakugo. "Thank you for that intel, Ground Zero. Would you be willing to stay in Magome an extra night and come back in the morning to review any of the files Watashi finds to see if you can help identify him?"

Bakugo nodded. "Of course."

"All right then. You're all dismissed. Thank you for your hard work today."

Bakugo turned to look at Uraraka. "Let's get the hell out of here."

She stood as well and bid farewell to Sero and Hagakure, promising to keep in touch before she fell into step beside Bakugo as they exited the room and started down the hallway to the entrance to the police station where their driver would be waiting to take them to the hotel.

"I wanted to say thank you for what you did today," she said without preamble.

He grunted. "Well, that's what heroes do, right?" He opened and held the door for her with his good arm.

Her lips curved upward into a small smile as she stepped through the door and headed toward the car waiting for them. Their driver opened the rear car door and she got in, sliding over to the opposite window. "That's not the first time you've said that to me," she said as he got into the car after her. "You need to stop getting yourself hurt trying to protect me, though. I promise I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

"With those dainty little shoulders?" He teased, following her into the car seat. "Nah. You weren't able to let go of that guy so you couldn't dodge. Lucky for you my brain processes things faster than most." He smirked slightly, leaning back into his seat.

She laughed slightly at his ability to bring his ego into just about anything. "How long did they say it would be before you're back to full range of motion with your shoulder?"

"Probably about a week or so, if I'm careful." He sighed. "The muscle should be fine, but apparently the scarring is permanent."

Her lips twisted into a frown as she looked at the bandages, stark white against his skin and the black of his hero suit. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "Maybe if I'd seen him sooner, I would have had time to float myself and the guy I had out of the way and you wouldn't have had to do that."

He looked over at her. "Hey, it's fine. I'm fine. You think I care about a scar? If anything it'll just make me more badass." He yawned. "Sorry. That Healing Touch lady said I'd be tired."

The car pulled to a stop at the curb in front of their hotel and the driver got out to come around and open the door for them.

"It's okay, just go get some rest," she said as they got out of the car. "And then if you're feeling up to it later, maybe I can treat you to dinner as a thank you."

"So not only are you speaking to me again, but now you're offering me dinner?" He ran a hand through his hair and smirked down at her. "I should try to save your life more often." Realizing how ridiculous that sounded, he shook his head. "Scratch that. I like my arms attached to my body and I'm not gonna encourage you to be reckless anymore than you already are, Round-face."

Later that evening, they met up in their civilian wardrobes and made their way down to the bistro inside the hotel lobby.

"I called Todoroki this afternoon," Uraraka said as she sat across the table from Bakugo. "Looks like we're going to be on desk duty for a while," she said with a grimace.

They'd decided to just get dinner at the restaurant adjoining the hotel's lobby since they weren't familiar with the area and it had already been a long day.

"Heh. Sorry, cheeks. But at least you're not stuck doing it alone this time." He thought back to when he was sick and she had taken care of him that day. The blanket didn't smell like her anymore, sadly. He mentally shook off the thought and reverted his attention back to his food. "Bet Icy Hot won't let me live this injury down." He grumbled.

"Actually, he seemed to think it was quite admirable of you to have jumped in the line of fire," she said, pausing to take a bite of the chicken she'd ordered. "I'm sure they all will if he tells them what happened. Deku will probably try to give you some sort of get well soon gift, I imagine."

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "He would, that fucking nerd." He took another bite of his food and sipped his water. He looked up behind her and noticed a couple of men at the bar eyeing Uraraka. He fought back a snarl.

Uraraka continued eating, oblivious to what was happening behind her. At least until their server approached the table and set a drink in front of her.

"I didn't order this," she said, her brows pulling together in confusion.

"It's from the gentleman in the blue at the bar," the waiter informed her before pulling a napkin from his pocket and laying it beside the glass. "He asked me to give you that as well."

Scribbled across the napkin in black ink were the man's name and phone number.

She glanced over her shoulder at the bar as the waiter walked away and the man in blue waved, raising his own glass toward her from across the room. Ochako blushed slightly, but she waved back before turning back to face forward in her seat.

Bakugo watched with horror and rage. "You're just gonna take that drink? You don't even know that guy." The man was either brave or stupid to assume it was safe to flirt with a woman who was dining with another man with no prior knowledge of the nature of their relationship.

Bakugo decided the man was stupid.

"It'd be a waste of a perfectly good drink if I didn't," she said, shrugging. "It's not like he made it himself and gave it to me. It came from the bartender the same as it would if I ordered it." As if to prove her point, she pulled it toward her and took a sip.

Then she reached into her pocket for her phone and pulled up her contacts. She held the phone in her right hand and the napkin in her left as she copied the number into it. She wasn't sure she'd ever actually call him, but it was nice to feel wanted even if it wasn't by the man she wanted. And since the man she wanted was now seeing their receptionist, there wasn't any reason not to keep the guy's number.

"You're too fucking naive, cheeks. That's your problem with men." He hissed. He couldn't seem to bite back his irritation. He was sick of seeing her get hurt, but he was also sick of seeing her being with anyone else but him.

Perhaps he was being selfish. But he just couldn't deal anymore. She was being a fool and he was going to give it to her straight.

Ochako's eyebrows shot up, nearly disappearing into her hairline. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Round-face! You've got all these shitty relationships on your record because you barely know these men and you just jump right in and go on dates or try to get serious so fast without even knowing them. Like, come on. He didn't even approach you. You're also eating with another man. He's probably a sleeze ball who's looking for a drunken night with a big pretty hero. And what's with this being so willing to accept a drink from strangers? Alcohol makes you stupid!" Bakugo ranted.

"First of all, it's one drink. I know my limit. Second of all, going on dates is how you get to know people. I know him about as well as you knew Kimiko before you took her on a date. But it's nice to know apparently you think I'm some sort of slut who just jumps into bed with any man," she snapped.

"I didn't fucking say that. HE'S the slut!" Then he processed the rest of her words. "Hold up, you know about that? I didn't tell anyone so how the fuck do you know?"

She huffed, arms folded tightly over her chest. His new relationship with their receptionist was the last thing she wanted to think about right now. "If you wanted to keep it a secret, you probably shouldn't have taken her to one of the most popular restaurants in town. I'm sure loads of people besides me saw you."

"I don't see why the fuck this even matters. I'm just trying to keep you from putting another stupid fucking broken heart contact in your phone but you seem insistent on doing it anyway! From what I understand, with the exception of one who wasn't man enough to handle your lifestyle, they were all shitheads and they used you! And I haven't even heard the story for the guy you didn't let me delete! That asshole over there is just another one but you took his number and his drink like you don't give a shit."

That was it. The comment that finally pushed her over the edge. Everything she'd been holding back suddenly came to the surface.

"You want to know whose number I said you couldn't delete?" she hissed, grabbing her phone and reopening her contacts to scroll to the contact in question as she stood. "I can't delete this one because unlike the rest of them, I still have to see him nearly every damn day." She opened the contact and thrust the phone forward so it was mere inches from his face, showing the broken heart emoji label at the top and his own number beneath it. She reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out enough cash to cover their bill, tossing it down on the table as she spun on her heel and stormed off, heading toward the elevator in the lobby.

Bakugo was stunned for a moment. The few who were in the restaurant were looking his way with curious expressions. He snarled and glared at them all. "What the hell are you looking at? Fuck off!" He yelled.

He stood up and went after Uraraka. It didn't take him long to catch up to her, his legs were longer than hers. "HEY! What the fuck is wrong with you that you'd drop a bomb like that and fucking leave? You trying to tell me that I'M the one who broke YOUR heart? That's a fucking joke!" He said to her back.

She angrily mashed the button to call the elevator, keeping her back to him as hot angry tears prickled behind her eyes. "I don't want to fucking talk to you right now," she snapped as the elevator doors opened and she got in.

"We don't always get to talk when it's most convenient for you, cheeks. How about you give me an answer?" He snapped, following her into the elevator. "Because from where I'm standing, YOU are the one who left the fucking country. Not me."

She whirled around to face him. "And YOU'RE the one who froze me out, ran off to hide who knows where while I was left crying on the stairs of your apartment waiting for you to show up." At this point they reached their floor and the elevator doors opened but still she stood there, holding back her tears while she continued, "You ignored all of my calls and texts. I left you voicemail after voicemail. I told you I was leaving. I thought you might try to stop me. I waited to get in that taxi until the last possible moment and still held out hope all the way up until that plane took off that you might change your mind and come but you never did. So you don't get to say that you breaking my heart is 'a fucking joke'!"

She spun angrily on her heel and exited the elevator just as the door was beginning to try to close. "Don't fucking follow me," she snapped. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

She reached her hotel room door, unlocked it, and then let it slam closed behind her.

It was as if she had plunged a knife right in the center of his chest and twisted it. She wasn't wrong. But how could he have known she'd just up and leave like she had? And not only that, but change her phone number and ghost him as well as their friends? He bit his lip to stop himself from blowing down her door and making her talk to him anyway. "I was hurt, too, Round-face," he said at a normal decibel before turning and going into his own room.

"Now what the fuck am I supposed to do?" He groaned. They were finally having this fight and it couldn't have come at a worse time. He didn't understand how it had all gone so wrong so fast. He glanced at his phone.

There were few times in Bakugo's life where he felt as desperate as he did right now. That's why he picked up his phone and called Kirishima.

He answered on the first ring. "Hey man, what's up?"

"You sound like you were expecting me." Bakugo grunted.

"I heard you were injured and was hoping to hear from you." Kirishima responded. "You sound grumpy. Maybe grumpier than usual."

Bakugo sighed. "Kirishima, I've got a problem."

"Lay it on me."

Bakugo groaned and ranted about the events of the day followed by his hostile ending to dinner with Uraraka. "Now I feel like I'm at a loss. You have a girlfriend. Any suggestions?"

"Oh, Bakugo. This is easy." Said a girl's voice.

"PINKY?!" Bakugo shrieked. "Kirishima did you put me on fucking speakerphone?!"

"Well when you mentioned Uraraka, I thought we could use a woman's opinion!" Said Kirishima.

Bakugo ran his hand all over his face and hair in frustration. "Ugh...fine. Now what?"

Mina giggled. "You gotta go talk to her!"

Bakugo paused, frowning in confusion. "But she specifically said to NOT do that."

"Okay, you give her a few minutes to cool off, but if you wait too long it's only going to get worse. You need to tell her how you feel. It's clear she's into you still. Especially with her bringing up your date with the receptionist."

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"She's jealous, bro! She didn't like the idea that you went on a date with another woman!" Yelled Kirishima.

"She just sounded angry."

"Jealousy can make someone that way. You should know, Mister I-Hate-Fucking-Deku."

Bakugo groaned again. "You two are irritating."

"Look, she just told you how long she waited for you back then, Bakugo. It's clear that her feelings are genuine." Said Mina gently.

"Don't screw it up a second time, man. Go get her before you lose her. Unless you want to feel like you did before when she was gone for two years?" Added Kirishima.

Bakugo sighed. "All right. I'm hanging up now."

"Good luck."

He hung up his phone but kept it in front of him. He dialed a button and his voicemail box was open. He hit the play icon next to a phone number. A recording followed:

"Me again…obviously." Her voice cracked slightly. "I don't know if you're even listening to these, but if you do, please call me. I miss you."

"I'm sorry, I just...I had to tell you that, even if you never want to see me again."

"I wish you'd just answer your phone so we could talk. I just want things to go back to the way they were for us. I really do miss you. And I miss our sparring matches...and our mochi dates. And really I just miss you. And being able to be with you ...and I'm sorry I ruined everything."

"Because I really do care about you, Bakugo, but I guess this is...goodbye." Her voice broke off into sobs and then the line went dead.

Bakugo sighed as he hung up his phone and tossed it next to him on the bed. This was probably his last chance. He changed the bandages on his injury to allow more time to pass. When he was finished, he left his room, trying not to think too hard about what he was about to do. He stood before her door for a few moments, then finally knocked.

After Uraraka had slammed her door in his face, she stood with her back against it as the tears that had been threatening to fall finally broke free. She heard the door across from hers swing shut a moment later and knew he had gone to his own room.

How had everything gone so wrong again?

She flopped down on the hotel bed, crying silently as she replayed everything that had just happened.

She'd said far more than she should have but it had all been building for so long that once she started, she couldn't stop. She wasn't sure how they were going to be able to work together after this. Maybe Todoroki would let her take on one of the new sidekicks for patrols instead?

After about fifteen minutes, she was all cried out. She shut off her phone and turned on the TV, hoping for a distraction from everything wrong with her life at the moment but the first thing that came up was a news report on the raid. She quickly shut the TV off again and started moving around the room, deciding to just get ready for bed. Maybe she'd wake up in the morning and realize it was all a bad dream.

She'd changed into her pajamas and was in the process of brushing her teeth when she heard the knock on the door. She rinsed the toothpaste from her mouth and, deciding the cami and shorts set she was wearing didn't cover enough to make her comfortable answering the door, she grabbed the robe that was hanging in the bathroom and pulled it on, belting it tightly around her waist.

The door had a peep hole and Ochako used it to peer through and see who it was even though she was sure she already knew.

She was right.

Her hand paused on the doorknob as she considered just ignoring the knock, but she knew he could just blast down the door if he really wanted to and she decided it was better to just go ahead and get whatever other fight they were about to have over with, so she pulled the door open, bracing herself for whatever he was about to say.

Bakugo stood before her, looking into her eyes that were slightly red and puffy. She had been crying. And it was his fault. He had been a stubborn fool once instead of confessing his true feelings. He was not going to make the same mistake twice.

He slowly reached out, placing his hands on either side of her face, and pulled her in for a kiss.

His lips met hers and he swore they were on fire, but in the best possible way.