"I'm not fucking sitting next to you."
Todoroki closed his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose as his head fell back against his seat, "It doesn't seem like you have a choice." His eyes looked at the open seat next to him before looking out the window toward the tarmac. "Unless you're going to sit on the wing of the plane."
With a snarl, Bakugo dropped into the seat and planted his backpack between his legs. "You'd think this guy would have his own plane or something?" His palms went to the back of his head allowing his elbows to deliberately invade Todoroki's space.
"Do you have any idea how much that costs?"
"You obviously do."
"What about Hawks screams private jets, champagne, and gold chains?" Todoroki shifted closer toward the window, resting his shoulder on the wall next to him.
Bakugo narrowed his eyes, tilting his head to the side, "Gold chains?"
"You're the one who suggested he was some materialistic playboy." His eyes shifted over, looking at the elbow pointing dangerously close to his face.
"Pretty sure I've seen him in a gold chain before."
"The point is," Todoroki shoved Bakugo's elbow down. "He's a civil servant. You don't make private jet money by being a civil servant."
"No," Bakugo started, "you make it by being a popular civil servant with a high rank and kick ass sponsorships and merchandise."
"Even if that were the case-" Todoroki couldn't deny that his father's position at number one had been more than kind to his bank account, but they weren't privileged to private jets and silver spoons. "-Hawks doesn't strike me as someone who would enjoy that lifestyle."
"Yeah well," Bakugo glanced around the plane, "He ain't sitting in coach with us." He wouldn't have turned down a first class seat ticket for this twelve hour flight either.
"Well, can you imagine the chaos if he did sit in coach?" Despite being dressed in his civilian clothes, it was hard to miss Hawks.
"You trying to say rich people aren't gonna be all over him in coach?"
"Depends," Todoroki shrugged with a sigh, "There's probably more aisle space, so if they do it's not a hazard."
"Eh, sounds like some bullshit excuse." Bakugo pulled his backpack to his lap, rolling his eyes.
"Sounds like you're gonna whine for the next twelve hours."
"Actually," he started, grabbing the zipper, "I'm going to get my headphones out and pretend you don't exist." Bakugo yanked the zipper open to be greeted with brightly colored paper. "The fuck is this…" His fingers flipped through the brightly colored stack of envelopes before plucking one from the pile.
Todoroki's eyes focused on the green envelope in his hand.
Open when you miss me.
"Mind your fucking business."
"There are less than five centimeters between our seats, I apologize for having excellent eyesight," Todoroki told him dryly, still staring at the envelope.
Bakugo scowled, turning back to the envelope and allowing his eyes to trace the curves of her handwriting.
"And Uraraka made those for you weeks ago."
His shoulders hunched, head dipping down angrily as his face bloomed with a bright pink brush. Bakugo's brows wrinkled defiantly as he felt heaviness seep into his chest.
The plane hadn't even taken off, and he was already counting down the days until he'd be back at U.A. with Uraraka.
"Damn it," Bakugo whispered, fingers ripping open the piece of paper. He could feel Todoroki's gaze switch from annoyance to sympathy. "Shut up."
Todoroki sighed, turning his attention back to the window in an effort to give the teen next to him some privacy, "No judgment here."
Bakugo wouldn't be surprised if Todoroki had his own stack of letters sitting in his bag from Midoriya. Sliding down in his seat, he lowered his gaze toward the letter.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Open when you miss me.
I know you told me not to say it, but I can't help but tell you that I MISS YOU.
I miss sleeping next to you and listening to you snore. (You snore, babe!)
I miss how you smell like sugar cookies, how your scent lingers in everything you wear, and clings to your bedsheets.
I miss your vegetable curry. Even when you add lava, it's still tasty!
I miss the sound of your voice and how it rumbles through your chest.
I miss your hugs and kisses. Especially, when you nibble on my bottom lip!
Most of all I miss you.
I can't wait to see you soon, baby!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She felt pathetic.
Six hours since she said goodbye to Bakugo.
Five hours since her boyfriend's parents dropped her off back at school.
Four hours since she decided to take a nap.
And, at the moment, there were three minutes left on the microwave that felt longer than the entire summer.
With a loud yawn, Uraraka wrapped her arms around her body as she buried herself in Bakugo's soft black hoodie. Her eyes narrowed at the microwave as the salty scent of instant ramen teased her senses.
"Hey."
She stood up straighter, watching Midoriya move toward the fridge and pull out a pint of ice cream. "Hey."
"I thought you were going home after you dropped Bakugo off at the airport?"
"No." That wouldn't have been a bad idea though. "I figured I'd mope around here for the next two days so I could get it out of my system for I visited my parents."
He nodded, digging his spoon into the ice cream, "Same."
Uraraka sighed, watching the time tick down on the microwave as her noodles rotated slowly.
One minute.
"We're kind of pathetic."
Midoriya ate a spoonful of ice cream, exhaling as he swallowed, "We could go to the bonfire."
"Eh," she frowned, nose wrinkling at the thought, "I'd rather not." In theory, the bonfire sounded like a wonderful idea.
It was the end of the term, so it was the perfect opportunity for her to relax with her friends before she'd have to work. Twelve hour shifts with emergency responders and teaching remedial classes wouldn't leave much time for socializing.
"I kinda just wanna be sad today." The microwave chimed loudly as Uraraka shrugged, tossing him a crooked smile. "And wait for Katsuki to call."
"You've got, like, another seven hours before they land." Not to mention going through customs, getting luggage, traveling to the hotel, etc...
"Optimistically," Uraraka started, stirring her noodles, "I would like to think it's only five, five and a half, maybe six hours."
"You'll be asleep by then."
She sat her noodles on the container, moving to stand next to Midoriya while she waited for her dinner to cool. "Like you're not gonna wait up for Todoroki to call you." Her eyes drifted toward his ice cream.
Midoriya snorted, reaching in the drawer for another spoon. "I told him to call me when he gets settled." He handed her the carton of ice cream.
"Thanks," she murmured, digging into the treat. "Whatever. You're going to be sleeping with your phone next to the pillow just like I am." She hummed happily, taking another mouthful. "If you go to sleep at all, cause I don't think I am."
"Shouto might not even call me tonight."
"Why wouldn't he?"
"Well," Midoriya inhaled deeply, sliding his spoon around a swirl of chocolate fudge lurking in the ice cream, "I told him not to worry about me. I want him to focus on his internship, so-" He shrugged, knocking his spoon against a frozen cookie dough chunk. "So I told him not to worry about me. That he should focus on his internship, and I'll see him when he gets back."
Uraraka had said similar words to Bakugo. "And what did Todoroki have to say about that?" Bakugo had kissed her silly and told her that he wasn't ignoring her for almost three months. They were going to video chat, text, and call whenever they could.
"He told me he loves me."
Uraraka blinked, slowly sliding the spoon from her lips as she stared in shock.
"And said he'd call me as soon as he could."
Now didn't seem like the appropriate time to question her friends' relationship status. "I think," Uraraka dipped her spoon into the ice cream, "I think Katsuki was going to tell me he loves me before getting on the plane."
Midoriya stood up a little straighter, looking at her curiously, "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"That-" He scooped up the nugget of cookie dough, shrugging as he thought about her admission. "Doesn't really surprise me."
Surprised her.
"What did you say?"
"I told him to say it to me when he got back."
He frowned, brows furrowing in confusion, "Seriously?"
"What did you say when Todoroki dropped those three words?" she questioned, eating another mouthful.
"The first time he said it?"
"Huh?!"
"Oh yeah, he told me that night after the Sports Festival," he admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "So, there's that…"
"And you two aren't in a relationship?"
"Well that depends how you define a relationship," Midoriya answered thoughtfully. "I mean he's my classmate, friend, one of my closest friends actually so I-"
"I mean, you said you two weren't boyfriends and you were just committed and figuring things out," Uraraka reminded stopping his rant. "Which, in my opinion, sounds like a relationship but…"
"It's complicated."
Indeed. "So, what do you say when he tells you he loves you?"
Midoriya's eyes widened as he shrugged, "I say thanks or okay."
"Izu," she frowned.
"I know, but…"
Uraraka narrowed her eyes, waiting for an explanation.
"It's complicated." He looked back down at the container of ice cream he held, searching for another chunk of cookie dough to eat.
"No. It's pretty obvious you love him too."
"It's pretty obvious you're in love with Kacchan," he countered, turning his head to her as he changed the subject, "But you didn't say it."
That was fair. "Of course I love him, but I didn't want the first time we said 'I love you' to each to be in an airport before he leaves for a couple of months." She wasn't expecting some grand moment with candles, flowers, and chocolates, but a bittersweet goodbye in the airport didn't feel like the right moment.
"When did you plan on telling him?"
"I guess when he gets back," she shrugged.
"Kacchan knows you love him, but you're not ready to say it yet, right?" Midoriya asked.
"I told him to say it when he gets back, what else was I supposed to say?"
"Maybe what you told me?"
Uraraka sighed, "Probably, but honestly, I was just trying not to cry." Bakugo hadn't even been gone for a day. "If he would have said that, I don't think our goodbye would have been as easy as it was." Going to bed alone tonight was going to be hard enough.
"I get that, but I think you should maybe make sure Kacchan understands that."
Oh.
"I'm not saying he thinks you don't love him, but sometimes things get lost in translation when you don't say something specifically-"
"And that seemed to be the theme of the early stages of our relationship," Uraraka added, saying the statement that her friend was dancing around.
"Yeah," Midoriya admitted, "But he knows."
She nodded smiling, "He better."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Uraraka flinched at the blinding light radiating from her phone as she closed her eyes, blindly bringing her phone to her ear. "Hello?" she whispered, pulling her blanket over her head as her toes stiffly stretched toward the end of the bed.
"Morning angel face."
Her eyes snapped open as she lifted her head, throwing the covers off. "Katsuki?"
"Who else?"
Rubbing a tired hand in her hair, she yawned as a smile made its way to her lips. "You finally made it."
"Yeah, we checked into the hotel, and we're going to get lunch before we meet up with the local police."
"Lunch?"
"It's ten in the morning here-"
Uraraka pulled her phone away from her ear, glancing at the time.
"And it's also yesterday."
"That's so weird," she murmured, too tired to try to comprehend how exactly that worked. "I'm gonna have to program a clock for your time on my phone."
"I'm in Los Angeles, California for the next two weeks then-"
"You're going to Seattle?"
"Yeah, we're only gonna be there for a day or two before we head east."
"How was your flight?" Her eyes drifted closed as she settled back into her bed, fingers curling around her phone as she listened to his voice.
"Fucking long."
Uraraka laughed softly, "I bet."
"Icy hot kept hogging the damn armrest."
"You two better be playing nice."
"Well, he better not use all the damn hot water."
Even sleep-fogged, she couldn't help but marvel at the little things she'd grown to learn about him. "You're sharing a room?"
"Yeah, that asshole better not snore."
"You do," she giggled, enjoying the little growl from him. "It's cute. Had a hard time falling asleep without the sound of you purring next to me."
"I don't snore," Bakugo told her gently, "You probably went to sleep with the balcony door open again, so you're freezing yourself."
"Your body temperature drops before you fall asleep, so I figured I'd help the process."
"You're gonna catch a cold."
Uraraka yawned, "You don't get a cold from cold. You get a cold from germs, babe."
"Well then," he snorted amused, "You're letting a lot of germs in."
"Whatever," she hummed with a sigh.
"You're falling asleep."
"I'm not," her eyes snapped open before beginning to immediately lower once more, "And it's like two thirty in the morning here." She wasn't sure how he was awake and functioning considering his long flight, jetlag, and the fact he was probably more tired than she was.
"So you should sleep."
"I'm talking to you though."
"You can talk to me later."
A selfish pang of sadness bolted through her chest as she remembered her conversation with Midoriya earlier. She knew he probably needed some time to rest considering he most likely still had a full day ahead of him.
"I can text you after we get back from the police station this evening, should be morning for you."
"Yeah, but if you're too busy don't worry about it."
"I'll text you later," Bakugo told her firmly.
She couldn't decide if she still felt guilty through the warmth and sleepiness, "Katsuki-"
"I'll talk to you in a few hours."
A soft chuckle stopped at the back of her throat. "Hey?" Her tone dropped from light to serious in one syllable.
"What?"
"Do you remember what you were about to say to me before you got on the plane?" Thousands of miles apart, she could feel the air thinning between them. Her eyes closed as the background noise around Bakugo became louder in the silence between them.
She heard him inhale stiffly, "Yeah."
"I-" She stopped herself, opening her as to stare at the silhouette of her curtains blowing against the night wind. "One four three," she whispered softly.
There was a moment of quiet before his breathy laugh tickled against her ear causing the base of her stomach to burn.
"Well, one four three three." He was going to say it first.
"Why wouldn't you let me say it at the airport?"
"It didn't feel like the right time." It hadn't.
"It-"
She could hear him rustling around, probably moving somewhere toward a wall in case Todoroki stepped into the room.
"I know I'm not good at romantic shit-"
"No, that's not what I meant," Uraraka stopped him. Her fingers combed through her hair as she sat up. "It felt like hearing and saying those words would have made this thing a thousand times harder. You're plenty good at romantic shit."
"Speaking of romantic shit, I found your letters."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, you dork."
Her knees pulled up to her chest as she brought her cheek to her knee.
"Angel face?"
"Hm?"
"One four three," he repeated softly.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Open when you're bored.
I hope you don't open this one. I imagine you're going to have some downtime, but I hope it isn't much. Maybe you could go find an ice cream shop and a fountain to splash in? ;)
Anyway, I know you packed your little game system with you, so maybe you should ask Todoroki to play with you? I mean it beats staring at the wall making your Bakurage face.
Also, you could totally kick his ass at Mario Kart! :D
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Los Angeles had been nice after the jetlag had worn off, and his body adjusted to the 24-hour shifts in the fast-paced city.
Two weeks in Los Angeles felt like two minutes.
Seattle had been interesting, but the week in the rainy city had given Bakugo a new challenge to train in.
Chicago had been like Los Angeles. Marathon shifts, delicious food, and interesting places he didn't have time to explore.
A month in and he'd yet to find something for Uraraka. The little trinkets he found in the airport didn't really count in his opinion.
He also hadn't spoken to her since his first night away. His busy schedule had only allowed him time to eat, sleep, continue his game of phone tag with his girlfriend, and shower.
Granted, he would have liked a little more wiggle room in his schedule so he could contact Uraraka through another way besides texting, but Bakugo was enjoying being busy.
Until New York.
It was a big city, but they were only able to accompany Hawks in the first two days they were there before he'd been drawn in on a longer assignment that wasn't suited for provisional heroes.
"Can you go fucking pout somewhere else?!" Bakugo snarled, folding his arms across his chest as he stared at the phone resting on top of the letter Uraraka had written him.
Todoroki raised an eyebrow, allowing his eyes to drift to the dark gray ceiling of their hotel room as he pretended to consider the question. "No, I'm good." His eyes went back to the window, watching the rain rush down the city below them. "You go fucking pout somewhere else."
"I'm not fucking pouting."
"You've been staring at your phone for the last three hours."
Bakugo was surprised it had only been three hours. Felt much longer. "Your point?"
"That maybe you should try calling Uraraka instead of glaring at your phone like a bratty child," Todoroki suggested, looking back at the book that had been nestled in his lap.
"Ochako is busy. It's her day off, so I told her to call me when she gets in," Bakugo informed him, "And fucking bold of your dumb ass to call me 'bratty child' when you won't even call your boyfriend."
"Not my boyfriend, asshole," Todoroki sighed, reading the same for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"I have a hard time believing that when that damn nerd is glued to your hip nine times out of fucking ten." Bakugo pulled out his handheld gaming console from his backpack.
"Well you struggle with the basic concept of kindness, so I don't have a problem believing you can't understand the simple context of my and Izuku's relationship," Todoroki answered blandly, slowly turning the page in his book.
So much for challenging him to a game of Mario Kart. "I'm going to let that snarky ass comment slide." Mostly because he wasn't too far off from losing his own temper.
"It's a fact."
"You're an asshole." To be fair, Bakugo had tried to be nice. "I was gonna ask you the play Mario Kart with me, but-" Bakugo kicked his legs on the bed, crossing at his ankles as he sat comfortably. "Fuck you, scarface."
Todoroki snorted, chuckling softly underneath his breath with a mean smirk, "I can't for the life of me figure out what Uraraka sees in you."
"Fuck you twice," Bakugo sighed, raising a choice finger before he powered up the console in his lap. "And you're fucking lucky Ochako likes you because if it wasn't for her, I'd punch you in the damn throat."
"Lucky me."
Bakugo sealed his lips together as he looked through the options on his game.
"Okay," Todoroki sighed loudly, tossing the book over to his bed, "That was mean. I apologize." He looked over at the blonde ignoring him. "I shouldn't take out my frustration about not hearing from Izuku on you."
"I don't know why the fuck you think I care about your relationship problems."
"Not in a relationship, so I'm not telling you my relationship problems," Todoroki snapped before dropping the defensiveness in his tone. "I'm just trying to state the reason I'm in a bad mood. It doesn't excuse my actions though."
"How are you and that damn nerd not in a relationship?"
"I'm not discussing this with you."
"Sue me for trying to be nice," Bakugo muttered, watching as Todoroki turned his attention back to the window. Soft curse words bubbled underneath his breath as he moved his thumbs from the console buttons. "They're at the beach today."
Todoroki turned to face him, brows raised.
"Shitty hair and shitty hair's girlfriend-"
"Ashido?" Todoroki corrected.
"Whatever, anyway," Bakugo shrugged, rolling his eyes, "Those two idiots plus the other idiots from our class are going to the beach with your nerd and Ochako, so you should try calling Deku around eleven our time."
Todoroki nodded, "Thanks."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You okay?"
"Yeah," Uraraka answered quickly, relaxing into her beach chair. Her eyes opened for a moment as she greeted the hot afternoon sun before closing them back with a sigh. "Why?"
"Well, you're sulking."
Somehow, she should have known better than to ask Ashido to elaborate on her concern.
"I'm not sulking."
"We're having an amazing beach day, and you've been sulking under the umbrella all day," Ashido explained frankly, pulling herself up in her chair.
"I sunbathed for two hours before lunch," Uraraka reminded her, opening her eyes to look down at her sun-kissed skin. "And I'm allowed to be lazy." She worked four twelve-hour shifts and worked with first-year support students who hoped to transfer to the hero course.
"Lazy yes, sulking…?" Ashido hummed, staring at her friend critically. "No. I mean, even Midoriya is happy." She gestured to where some of their classmates were engaged in an intense game of frisbee.
"I'm pretty sure Deku would find a reason to smile during the apocalypse." The green haired teen grinned joyfully as he ran across the beach. "And just because I'm not smiling doesn't mean I'm sulking."
"No," Ashido shook her head, taking off her sunhat as she pushed her feet into the sunlight. "Smiling and sulking are opposites."
"Yes," Uraraka paused, considering that statement for a moment, "But I don't think that's how it works in terms of emotions."
"Close enough."
Not really. "I guess?" She wasn't really sure how else to explain it. "But I'm fine, not sulking. I'm just-"
"Missing your boyfriend?"
"Yes, but again, I'm not sulking," Uraraka repeated, looking out at the water. "I'm tired-" Her eyes drifted to her cell phone tucked at the top of her beach bag. "And I'm calling Bakugo this evening."
"Awww," Ashido cooed. "How's he doing?"
"Nothing really eventful." As far as she could tell from their text messages. "We haven't had a phone call since the night he arrived."
"That sucks."
"Yeah, but," Uraraka shrugged. "Katsuki is literally a day away and busy with his internship, and I'm working twelve-hour shifts and helping with summer classes." It sucked. The first month of his trip hadn't gone the way she'd expected.
She knew they wouldn't talk every day, but Uraraka didn't expect to go a month without hearing his voice.
"It's understandable though." She wasn't mad but spending a sunny day at the beach without Bakugo was hard for her to enjoy. All the things she planned to do with him were unhappily playing at the forefront of her mind.
Sitting in the sun.
Building a sandcastle.
Swimming.
Enjoying french fries and taffy by the water.
"Gimme your phone."
Huh? "What?" Uraraka blinked, snapping out of her thoughts.
Ashido sat up, leaning over the arm of her chair with a grin, "Gimme your phone."
"Why?"
"Because-" With lightning speed, Ashido leaned over and snatched Uraraka's phone from her bag before she had a chance to react.
"Hey!"
"I'm going to take a picture of you, and we're gonna send it to Bakugo," Ashido announced jumping from her chair to stand in front of Uraraka. "Okay sit up, scoot up into the sunlight."
Uraraka scooted to the edge of her chair, sighing loudly as she dug her feet in the sand. "Seriously?"
"I mean, I think he would appreciate a picture of his lovely girlfriend," Ashido nodded with a satisfied grin. She stepped forward, fixing Uraraka's hair. "In a very cute black bikini. Very nice, by the way."
Uraraka looked down at the black bikini. Her fingertips thumbed at the strings of her bottoms. "You're kidding." She'd purchased it weeks before Bakugo had told her about his internship.
"Trust me, he'll love it."
"I'm sure but-"
"Give him a little inspiration of what awaits him when he comes home, eh?" Ashido wiggled her eyebrows, sending her a naughty smirk.
"Mina!" Uraraka yelped, flushing as her mind drifted back to the night before he'd left.
"Oh, oh," Ashido quickly pushed and pulled her body into a pose innocent enough that it wasn't obscene if someone else were to see, but dangerous enough to entice. She'd kept her sitting, pulling her forward so she sat at the end of the chair with one leg bent and the other stretched in front of her. "Okay-" Ashido examined her in the window of the phone. "Now arch your back and place a hand at the back of your head."
"What?"
"Just do it," Ashido instructed, taking another step back as she focused the camera.
Uraraka slowly followed the instruction as her eyes floated to the top of her sun umbrella. "Why?"
"Because when you arch your back it exaggerates your curves, which Bakugo will be very happy about," Ashido grinned. "Now, pretend I'm not here, act natural, and look sexy."
"How?"
"Which one?"
Uraraka blinked, "Either. How am I supposed to pretend you're not there when I don't normally sit like this?"
"Boys don't know that."
"I'm sure they do." She would hope that Bakugo noticed how she sat. "But-" The idea of sending her boyfriend a picture of herself in the bathing suit she planned for a summer beach date entertained her. "Okay." Arching her back, Uraraka tucked a hand behind her head as she looked out to the water.
"Yes," Ashido praised, snapping photos, "Okay move your hand to your top strap-"
"No!"
She rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to tell you to take it off, but-" Ashido stopped, shrugging as she tried to think of the right way to explain it. "Suggest."
Uraraka glared.
"Tease. You give him enough to draw his own conclusions," she explained, chuckling as Uraraka tangled her fingers around the strings of her top. "And then later, if you want you can give him a private showi-"
"Mina…" Uraraka warned, blushing wildly.
"Be sexy, not surprised!"
Uraraka exhaled deeply, keeping her posture as she looked away from the camera laughing.
"That's the one!" Ashido squealed, jumping up and down in the sand at the image. "We're totally sending this to him. You look so cute!"
"We are?"
"Yes, we-" Ashido fiddled with her phone. "-are, and its sent!" She tossed Uraraka the phone.
"You what?"
"Thank me later," Ashido grinned, stretching proudly as she placed a hand on her hip and gave her friend a victory pose. "Especially thank me in a couple of months when he gets back." She winked.
"Oh my gosh, you didn't," Uraraka scrambled through her phone messages.
URARAKA OCHAKO, 1:31 PM
Wish you were here! xoxo
URARAKA OCHAKO sent a photo.
She couldn't deny that she looked good in the photo, but- "It looks kinda staged, right?"
"Again," Ashido told her, walking back to her chair and plopping down, "That thought isn't going to cross his mind seeing that photo of you. I guarantee it."
Uraraka stared at the screen for a moment, anxiously waiting for a response. "You do realize that when Katsuki and I have sleepovers, the only thing we do is sleep, right?" A little heavy petting over the clothes and hot kissing had been as far as they'd gone prior to the night of departure.
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"So," Ashido started carefully, "You're saving it as welcome home present?"
Uraraka's eyes closed, face burning brightly as she tried to pretend that she hadn't had the same thoughts. "No."
"Yes."
She opened her eyes, meeting Ashido's intense and knowing stare. "Maybe, okay-" Uraraka rolled to her side, leaning toward her friend. She looked over her shoulder making sure their friends were still preoccupied with their game. "Please don't say anything-"
"We're floormates."
Uraraka would like to think they wouldn't be that noisy. Though she may have caught a sound or two from Ashido's room while walking through the hallway.
"Plus your boyfriend's room is next to my boyfriend's room and the walls are thin-"
She couldn't recall hearing anything in Bakugo's room, but they mostly slept in Uraraka's room for sleepovers.
"I'd find out eventually, so we might as well talk about it," Ashido shrugged, "So, which base have you two gotten to?"
"Base?" Were they playing baseball?
"First, second, maybe third?" she questioned.
Uraraka narrowed her eyes, tossing her phone back into her bag. "I don't even know what that means."
"French, feel, fingers, fuck."
The next time her friend asked for help studying Uraraka would have to remember that alliteration and pneumonic devices were the best methods for her.
"We're really talking about this?"
"I don't see why not."
"We got-" It felt weird talking about this, but Uraraka wasn't sure who else she could have this conversation with. "Handsy." As supportive as her parents were, she wasn't talking to her mother about this. Especially since they hadn't met him yet. Asui would have been her first choice, but the two girls had never talked beyond crushes and little things about her relationship with Bakugo.
"Second base handsy or third base handsy?"
Uraraka narrowed her eyes.
"There's a difference," Ashido shrugged unapologetically.
There was. "Third."
"Oh my go-"
"Calm down," Uraraka hissed, leaning over to quiet her, though no one was listening to the two of them as far as she could tell. "It only happened once-"
"When?"
"Before he left." She didn't need to know the details that surrounded it. Uraraka felt comfortable taking that piece of information to her grave.
"Makes sense."
It did?
"So, what'd you think?"
Uraraka had trouble processing how Ashido could talk about this so casually. She didn't particularly think of sex as a bad thing, but dealing with the floodgate of feelings intimacy brought about made her uncomfortable.
Even before they'd begun a relationship, she couldn't deny that she'd found Bakugo physically attractive. Their relationship only served to magnify her carnal feelings the more she got to know him, and the thinning of their physical boundaries left confusing frustrated knots at the base of her stomach.
Knots that Bakugo had started to untie before he left. "What does that even mean?"
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Yeah." That intimacy had left her satisfied and starved at the same time. "I'm just-" Her hands balled into tight fists as she tried to think this through.
"Frustrated? Yeah, I get that, like you finally got to dip your hands in the cookie jar and then it gets taken away until after dinner?"
That was certainly one way to put it. "More or less."
"Well, absence makes the sex grow hotter."
"We haven't had sex."
"Yet."
"We might not." Uraraka wasn't even sure why she said it because she didn't even believe that line for a minute. If things were going the way they were, they were definitely going to have sex. "We weren't even planning on 'getting handsy' when we did."
"I don't think people plan that sort of thing out," Ashido started. "Typically."
Her early fantasies of intimacy were filled with candles, chocolates, and rose petals. "I guess." She certainly hadn't planned for them to explore their feelings and each others' bodies at his parents' house, but at that moment his touch had been the only thing to soothe the ache he'd created.
"So, that means you need to be prepared," Ashido nodded, "You should probably get some condoms just in case something does happen."
"Isn't that his job?"
"I think it's safe to say that it's a job for both of you."
"I know, just-" The thought of having to put a box of condoms in front of the sweet old woman who worked the register at the little store near campus was unimaginably horrifying. "How do I even know Katsuki wants to have sex?"
Ashido stared at her.
Uraraka shrugged, hands open in front of her unsurely and eyes wide.
"Seriously?"
"Well-"
"Come on-"
"I'm just saying-"
"How is that even a question?" Ashido snickered, falling back into her chair.
"It's something to think about." If she was going to make such a ridiculous statement, she might as well commit to it. "We haven't discussed it."
"You two didn't discuss the fact that you were in a relationship until you were there," Ashido reminded her. "Well, until you had been there for months."
She still couldn't believe they'd done that. "How am I even supposed to bring this up?"
"How do you start any other conversation?"
This wasn't something casual like asking for a cookie. "Somehow I don't think saying 'Hey, wanna have sex?' seems like an appropriate conversation starter." The sound of her phone chiming made Uraraka flinch as she leaned forward to check her phone screen, blushing a bit.
"Personally, I think it's pretty obvious you're into each other physically, but," Ashido shrugged, "it's still important you talk about it."
It was.
"At the very least, get some birth control so your moment isn't ruined because you two weren't prepared."
"It amazes me how easy you make this sound." She had to admire Ashido's straight forward personality.
"It is," Ashido confirmed, "Just go ask Recovery Girl for birth control pills."
Somehow that seemed worse than going to buy a box of condoms. "You're kidding."
"She's the school nurse."
"And I'm pretty sure supporting students having sex at the dorms isn't a part of her job description."
"No," Ashido shook her head, "All you have to do is go to Recovery Girl and tell her your period is irregular-"
"Why?" She'd been warned turning her first year physical that her increased physical activity and muscle gain would affect her cycle. Uraraka had lived with that reality for the last few years.
"Because," Ashido told her. "Look, you just have to say your period is irregular and when you do get it it's awful."
"It's not though." It wasn't pleasant, but it certainly was manageable.
"Birth control pills can be used to help with bad periods, so if you were having issues with your period, Recovery Girl could give you some pills," Ashido explained with a wide grin.
She'd never thought of that. "How did you even know that Recovery Girl keeps birth control pills in her office?" Apparently, there was some inside information her work-study didn't give her.
"One of the upperclassmen told me during our first year."
Oh.
"So, repeat after me," Ashido nodded, sitting up on her knees. "I have cramps."
"I have cramps," Kirishima repeated, dropping down at the edge of Ashido's chair. "What?" He looked between the two girls. "You told me to say it."
"Not you," Ashido hissed, lightly kicking Kirishima's back.
"Okay."
Ashido rolled her eyes, turning to Uraraka, "Go to Recovery Girl."
Uraraka huffed, pulling her phone from her bag as she looked away from the pair.
BAKUGO KATSUKI, 1:37 PM
Goddamn, you're hot.
BAKUGO KATSUKI, 1:39 PM
I wish I was there too.
The words did more than hit an emotional cord. Those six words simmered at the base of her stomach and made the next month and a half without him impossible.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The image of her in that simple black bikini had taken him by surprise.
Bakugo was used to her sending him selfies.
Typically while she was at the gym and sweaty. Once or twice, she'd sent him a picture of her grinning wildly or taking a silly face in her sports bra and shorts during the middle of her workout.
But this photo was different.
Even though he'd seen every inch of her, this photo made him ache to find details of her his hands hadn't gotten the chance to explore yet.
He spent most of his day allowing his mind's eye to trace her curves as his palms remembered the feel of her skin.
URARAKA OCHAKO, 11:43 PM
Video chat?
BAKUGO KATSUKI, 11:43 PM
Yeah, be there in a minute.
Scratching his fingers through his scalp as he waited for his computer to power up. He scrolled up through their messages, going back to the photo she'd sent him earlier. His thumb traced over her image as the soft whirl of his computer powering up filled the room.
Passing his finger over her hip, Bakugo sighed and set his phone down. He grabbed his headphones from his nightstand and plugged an ear in before opening the video app. Bakugo drummed his fingers against his thigh as the low shrill of the app ringing trilled in his ear.
In a flash, the image of his girlfriend filled the screen. Uraraka waved her hands at his image, smiling brightly as she adjusted her position on the floor of her dorm room. "Hey, babe."
Bakugo smirked, leaning back against the headboard of his hotel bed, "Hey you." His eyes looked over the image of her dressed in a large light gray t-shirt, brown hair unbrushed and wavy after her shower. "What, no bikini?"
Her face flushed as she laughed, leaning forward. Uraraka pushed her hair back allowing her hand to drop to the neckline of her shirt. "No, but it definitely left its mark." She tugged the neck of the shirt over the ball of her shoulder, revealing her tan lines.
And the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. "You had fun?"
"Yep," Uraraka nodded, "It was nice to relax for a bit and actually do something besides work."
"Did you go see your parents a couple of weeks ago?" He remembered getting some pictures of Uraraka around her hometown.
"Yeah, but I was helping out around the construction yard," Uraraka reminded him with a lopsided frown, "Not much of a vacation."
"When do you go back to work?"
Her head tilted to the side as her eyes narrowed in thought.
Bakugo bit back a chuckle, watching her tongue curl against her top lip.
"Um," Uraraka hummed, "I pick back up Sunday night from 7PM to 7AM Monday then I'm teaching at U.A. from 10AM to around midday." She could see a look of disapproval on his face. "So, tell me about New York! What's been happening? You told me about Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago, but I haven't heard much about New York!"
"Eh, nothing much," Bakugo sighed with a shrug keeping his eyes on her image, "We only got out those two days I told you about, but we've been cooped up because of the fucking rain." He picked up his computer, turning it toward the window.
"Awwww," Uraraka pouted as he turned the monitor back to himself, "That sucks. Have you gotten a chance to explore?"
It took a moment for him to remember she was talking about the city. "Not really."
"You should. I looked it up, you're staying a block away from a pretty great bakery and not too far from a nice pizza place," she nodded with a wide smile.
"You would know that."
She laughed, sticking her tongue out at him before her eyes bounced around. "Where's Todoroki?"
"Eh?" Bakugo shrugged, "I don't know. Hopefully, he calls his nerd because I'm tired of him pouting."
"Aw, it's sweet of you to worry-"
"I'm not worried about that asshole!"
Uraraka smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at him sweetly, "Okay Katsuki."
His face warmed as his chest suddenly felt full and fuzzy staring at her.
"But," she drawled, "I think it's sweet you're being nice to him because he misses Deku."
"How do you know I'm being nice to him?"
"Because I know you," she told him easily.
She did.
"I miss you," Uraraka whispered gently, stealing the words off his tongue.
Bakugo smirked, "You more."
"You know," she started clearing her throat, turning to the side as she sat and pulled her knees to her chest. Her plaid pajama shorts crept from underneath the oversized shirt as she stared at him mischievously, "You owe me a beach day."
"Anything you want." At this point, he was sure he'd take a flight back to Japan if she'd asked.
Uraraka wrapped her arms around her knees. "Anything?" The innocent word took on a dangerous meaning as her eyes sparkled and cheeks flushed pleasantly.
"Anything."
She bit down on her bottom lip, stopping a giggle as she looked away from the screen.
"What?" he questioned, amused with the rosy color blooming to the tips of her ears and down her neck.
"I-" Uraraka stopped for a moment, head sinking between her shoulders self consciously. "I miss you."
"I know. I miss-"
"No," she stopped him, dropping her face into her hands. She peeked at him through her fingers. "I miss being with you."
Bakugo let the words sink in for a moment as he found himself wishing he could run his hands up and down the planes her legs. "Want me to take off my shirt?" he questioned casually, drawing the heaviness from the conversation.
She looked at him, eyes wide as she raised a curious eyebrow.
He shrugged, looking at her innocently as a wicked unapologetic smirk curled at the corner of his lips.
Laughter erupted from her lips before she buried her face in her hands once again, shaking her head.
"Dork," Bakugo laughed unhindered.
"You're ridiculous." Her knees dropped to the floor, sitting in a mermaid position. The light from the sunset behind her formed a soft halo around her hair.
"You're fucking gorgeous."
She rolled her eyes, unable to keep the smile off her face.
"You started this."
"What?"
"You sent me a picture in that damn bikini."
"Actually, that was Ashido," Uraraka confessed. "She thought you would appreciate it."
"Remind me to thank her." Bakugo's lips dipped into a satisfied smile as he nodded. He allowed his eyes to shamelessly roam over her figure, blatantly pointing his eyes at her chest.
"You're ridiculous."
"Yeah, but," he shrugged, settling back, "I miss you."
To be Continued…