You can never say never while we don't know it. Time, time and time again, younger now than we were before. Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go. Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go- The Fray
The next few weeks passed by in a whirlwind.
Uraraka and Bakugo saw each other outside of work more and more. They'd deliberately planned their laundromat trips on their days off to be at the same time, had gone on a handful of dates, and he had kept to his word about seeing her home safely every night until Sato had been caught, sometimes staying the night with her.
They hadn't really defined their relationship in any specific terms or even told anyone else about it (other than Kirishima and Mina, of course), but Ochako was happy with the way things were going. It was nice not having their relationship in the public eye. She'd had more than enough grief from the tabloids when she'd been dating Jacques in France and she'd seen the nonsense other pro heroes in relationships had had to deal with in the press and online. As far as she was concerned, as long as they were happy together, their relationship really wasn't anyone else's business. And Ochako was very happy.
On one particular Thursday morning nearly three weeks after they'd returned from Magome, Ochako returned to her desk after a brief trip to the copy machine to find that at some point in the three minutes she'd been away, someone had left a single mochi on her desk. She was sure she knew who and a glance at the napkin it was sitting in confirmed that,
"I'm taking you on a date tonight. Be ready at 7." read the words scrawled across the napkin.
She smiled and reached for her phone with one hand while she popped the mochi into her mouth with the other.
I don't suppose you're going to tell me where we're going, but can you at least tell me what I should wear? she typed into a text message and sent it to Katsuki who was just around the corner at his own desk.
Katsuki smirked when he heard his phone's text alert go off. He paused his paperwork to pick it up and read. He replied, Workout clothes, just what you wear to the gym.
Uraraka was still puzzling over what type of date involved wearing gym clothes when Deku rapped his knuckles lightly against the wall of her cubicle, drawing her attention to where he stood as he greeted her with a "Good morning."
"Oh, hey, Deku," she replied, smiling at him as she tucked the napkin with Bakugo's note on it out of sight under her keyboard. "What's up?"
"I was thinking about going to try that new Greek place that opened up around the corner for lunch. Want to come?"
Uraraka hesitated. She had been meaning to try that place sometime soon, but hadn't gotten a chance yet. She and Deku had tried most of the other lunch places around the area over the last few months. It was usually just a once a week thing if they both had a day they weren't on patrol and purely platonic, of course, but it wasn't exactly a subject she'd broached with Bakugo yet. She knew how he could get when Deku was involved.
It was especially complicated given the fact that he knew she'd had a crush on Deku when they were in school, but that had been years ago and she certainly didn't feel that way about him now. Sure, he had grown much taller and was way more built than he had been when they'd first met. He was attractive, and had a boyish charm despite being the Number One hero.
"Sorry, but I brought my lunch today. Thanks for inviting me, though."
"Oh, okay. Maybe another time then," he said.
"Yeah, definitely let me know if the place is any good."
"Sure thing," he said, and she thought that was the end of their conversation, but he still stood there. "So...uh...have there been any more updates on that guy?"
She didn't have to ask which guy he meant. The threatening note that had been found after the bust in Magome was fairly common knowledge around the Todoroki agency now. "No, not that I've heard. They've issued a BOLO on him in all the surrounding areas, but no sightings yet."
Deku nodded, a frown of concern on his face. "Right. Okay. If I can help, just let me know." He smiled, and looked like there was something else he wanted to say, but instead he turned away saying, "I guess I'm going to head to lunch then. I'll see you later."
She waited until he'd walked away, then turned back to her computer, removing the napkin from under the keyboard and folding it neatly to put in her pocket. When she got home, she'd add it to the small box of items she'd kept so far as mementos from her previous dates with Katsuki.
It was after everyone had gotten back from their lunch hour that Todoroki summoned them all to the meeting room down the hall from their office space. His email notice had been cryptic at best.
Heroes,
Report immediately to Meeting Room A following your lunch break. There's been an update on the Atsuo Sato case, and it's not a good one.
Bakugo stood up from his desk and walked along the hall with Uraraka beside him. They entered the room and took their seats at the front, followed by Kirishima and the others. Todoroki walked in last, with Yaoyorozu behind him. She took a seat with the rest of them.
"It's good to know everyone here is responsible enough to check their email." said Todoroki, shuffling through papers and sorting them in small stacks.
Bakugo crossed his arms. "Not like it's our job or anything." He said sarcastically.
"Clearly my husband was joking." said Momo, coming to his defense.
"It was a joke," confirmed Todoroki.
"That wasn't very good," muttered Kirishima.
"At least it's not your job to make jokes, Icy Hot." Bakugo snickered.
"Nice try anyway, Todoroki," said Deku with a pitiful look. "What's going on with the case?"
Todoroki nodded, seemingly unaffected by the criticism of his humor. "You're all familiar with the villain Atsuo Sato by this point. As well as the threatening note left at the scene of the raid in Magome in which both Uravity and Ground Zero took part in. The note was a list of team members that contributed to the fight on the winning side, including our two heroes." He paused. "But theirs were not the only names. There were also members of the Magome police force."
"We all know this, Half-and-Half!" Bakugo hissed. He had tons of paperwork to get through today and he didn't like wasting his time.
"Chief Kobayashi's body was found late this morning." Todoroki said with a grim expression. He picked up papers and began to pass them out to everyone in the room. There were photos of the body in a pool of blood. "He died of multiple stab wounds to the abdomen and chest. A note, resembling the one found at the raid scene, was found next to his body. His name had a crude mark slashed through it."
Everyone looked through the photos and information about the cause of death. Bakugo growled. The Chief was a good man, and didn't deserve to go out like this. "Fucking bastard."
"Ground Zero. Uravity."
They both looked up at Todoroki with solemn faces.
"You will take sidekicks on your patrols from here on out. This whole team needs to be on high alert. Someone who can appear and disappear at will is a Class A threat to all of us, regardless of our quirks. You two need to be even more careful. Sato has been able to not only murder the Chief, but also at least three other members of the Magome police force and has attempted to kill other heroes as well. Luckily, the heroes have successfully avoided being killed, but barely. It's hard to fight an enemy you can't predict."
Bakugo thought of Cellophane and Invisible Girl and was anxious to know if they'd been attacked as well. Worry crinkled his eyebrows for a moment, then his face fell back into his stern gaze at Todoroki.
"That is all. You can go back to your desk." said Todoroki with a nod.
Uraraka glanced at Bakugo out of the corner of her eye as they all made their way back down the hall toward their desks. If this new development perturbed him, he didn't let it show.
She thought of Chief Kobayashi and how large and indestructible he had seemed, but with a quirk that could allow Sato to appear where and when he pleased, strength alone wasn't a reliable defense. It was a small comfort that the villain's quirk only allowed him to appear in places he'd either been to or seen photos of before. That meant private residences, their offices, and other locations not often photographed were safe. However, public areas they patrolled were often featured in news footage. Their patrol rotation schedule would keep him from knowing with any certainty which days or hours they'd be out and about, but all it took was him guessing right once.
Uraraka understood why Todoroki wanted them to bring along sidekicks. Strength in numbers and all that, but unless one of the sidekicks has a quirk that allowed them to alter the appearance of others to the point that she and Bakugo wouldn't be recognizable or a quirk that formed and held an impenetrable shield around all of them while they patrolled (and she was fairly certain none of them did), she couldn't shake the feeling that they'd only be putting the sidekicks in danger too. She was sure Sato wouldn't hesitate to go after them as well if they got in his way even though they hadn't been involved in Magome.
These thoughts carried Uraraka through to the end of the work day. She was off the next day, so she shut her computer down and grabbed her gym bag from under her desk where she always kept a set of workout clothes in case she wanted to run at the park after she got off. It had been quite some time since she'd done that thanks to Sato's threats.
She changed in the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later, tying her hair back into a ponytail with the hair tie she kept on her wrist as she headed across their floor toward the elevator.
Bakugo wasn't at his desk as she passed so she assumed he must have gone to pull his car around. He'd been getting her safely to and from work every day since Sato's threat so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
Izuku had waited all day for this chance. It had taken him that long to work up his nerve. He didn't know...maybe he didn't have a right to...but he couldn't help how things were. He couldn't when she'd confessed her feelings for him after high school, and he couldn't now, when he had started seeing her in a new light.
Sure, he'd had a small crush on her back when they first started UA. But he didn't get much interaction with the opposite sex and she had been so cute and so kind to him. By the end of their high school careers, though, his duties to succeed All Might and master One for All had taken precedence over his personal affairs. He couldn't let himself be distracted, so he focused only on making himself stronger and more capable of becoming the hero he always wished to be.
And here he was, finally living his dream. After the death of All Might, Deku had risen to the top spot as Number One, stepping in to fill the shoes of the world's Symbol of Peace.
But somehow, it wasn't enough.
He and Uraraka had been spending time together pretty frequently for lunch and coffee, just talking about their school days and their friends. He'd learned some about her time in France, including her horrible relationships with the men there. He had tried going steady with Melissa Shield in America for a time, but in the end, neither could compromise which home to leave behind. They parted ways amicably, which was more than he could say for Uraraka and her exes.
Whenever he looked at her, his heart fluttered in his chest. Whenever he stood close to her, his body would grow hot. If she smiled at him, he felt like he could faint from the warmth that spread from the center of his chest. Without meaning to, he had come to care for Uraraka deeply, as much more than a friend and coworker. He had been a fool to tell her no before, but things were different now. Maybe there was still hope?
"Uraraka!" He called out, approaching the elevator to join her. "Would you mind if I talked to you for a few minutes about something?"
She'd just pressed the button to call the elevator and glanced over her shoulder when he called her. "Oh, hey, Deku. What's up?"
He felt his cheeks grow warm. "Well." The elevator dinged and they both got inside. "It's...you see…" he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "We've been spending time together, even if it's in bits and pieces depending on lunch times and stuff. But I've really been enjoying it. In fact, I look forward to it every time I come in for work." He swallowed. "Listen, I know what happened between us after UA was weird, and I'm glad we've gotten close again since then. It's just that I..well...I really care about you, Uraraka. As...more than a friend." His face was probably red as a beet right now but at least he finally said it.
The elevator bell rang again as they arrived on the final floor and the doors slid open.
A text came through to Ochako's phone. Bringing the car now. Hope you're ready for the best date of your life.
Uraraka stared at him, her surprise clearly written across her face. Well, so much for 'purely platonic.' Years ago at UA, having him say that would have been one of the best things to happen to her. But that was then. She'd gotten her closure with him and so much had happened in the years since then that she just couldn't see him as anything more than a good friend.
The phone buzzing in her hand drew her attention and she glanced down just in time to see Bakugo's name, his actual name and not just the heartbreak emoji that had represented him for years, flash across the lock screen with his text and her heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't think straight for a moment. She did her best to steady her heart rate."I'm sorry, Deku." she said, stepping out of the elevator. She remained quiet as she moved.
He followed her, silently, waiting for more to come. She looked as though she might leave it there, but she suddenly stamped her foot and pivoted to face him. "You know, a few years ago I might have cried from joy at your words. But you know what, Deku? You had your chance. You don't get to wait a little while until it's convenient for you to have feelings for someone before admitting them out loud! That's not how this works! You broke my heart, and you were the first of many. And now, there's no way I'd give you another chance. I cherish our friendship too much to just throw it all away for the possibility of being together. You're three years too late. I'm sorry, Deku, again, really. But it's not going to happen."
Deku didn't expect this to hurt as much as it did, but he supposed she had her right to feel as angry with him as she seemed. "Uraraka, I-"
Her phone's text tone went off then, another message from Bakugo.
"I have to go. Bakugo is waiting for me. I'm sorry." And with that, she rushed off across the lobby and out the front door.
Bakugo sat in his black vehicle and waited for Ochako to hop in. When she did, he grabbed her bag from her hand and tossed it in the back seat. Once her door was shut, he leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips. "Took you long enough, Cheeks."
His windows were tinted and no one was around, let alone close enough to see. It was worth it. He'd been wanting to kiss her all day, and he was proud of himself for waiting until she got into his car instead of grabbing her into a dark alley on patrol, or in the parking garage behind their building, or in the hall closet two floors down from their office space.
Heh. These last few weeks with her had been the most exciting of his life aside from his hero ranking assignment.
Ochako returned his kiss fervently, all thoughts of what had happened the last five minutes evaporating as she savored the feeling of his lips on hers. She'd tell him what happened later. She would. But now didn't feel like the right time.
"Sorry, had to change," she explained as they broke apart. "So, I believe I was promised 'the best date of my life'?" she said, smirking at him. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me what that is yet, are you?"
"Psh. As if, Round-face." He smirked and hit the gas. "The less you know about it, the more control I have. And you know how I like control." He teased. It wasn't long before they pulled into their favorite gym. He put the car in park, got out, then came around to open the door for her. "We have arrived at Part One."
Uraraka couldn't help but laugh when she realized where he'd brought her. "Are you serious?" she asked, grinning as she stepped out of the car. It had been years since she'd last been here and the last time had certainly not been a happy memory, but all of the memories before it were. "Quirks or no quirks?" she asked, wheeling around to face him. As she had noticed back then, she still barely came up to his shoulder. It didn't mean she wasn't going to totally kick his ass, though.
He sneered down at her. "No quirks, Angel-face. Just some good ole fashioned hand-to-hand combat." He handed her bag over and began to head inside. "I've got our old room reserved, too."
She slung her gym bag over her shoulder, following him inside and down the hall. They passed the rooms with the punching bags and she purposefully looked the other way, refusing to think about that day right now. "So let me guess…if the first part of our date is sparring, the next part involves mochi?"
"Quit trying to guess everything and just live in the moment, cheeks." He opened the room they used to spar in and slung his bag to the bench by the door. "But I will tell you that mochi may or may not be involved at some point tonight. That's all you'll get out of me!" He rolled his shoulders and unzipped his jacket, tossing it with his bag. He began a series of light stretches before sighing and cracking his knuckles. His eyes caught the scar on his shoulder since he was wearing a sleeveless shirt. It was a dark pink now, having almost healed. It was probably only the first of many battle scars to come.
Uraraka couldn't help smiling as she, too, began going through her warm up routine. 'May or may not' meant she was most definitely getting mochi after this. It was tradition, after all. After a series of stretches that mainly focused on her legs, arms, and shoulders, she straightened up and assumed a defensive stance, facing him. "Ready when you are."
He smirked and came to stand a few feet in front of her. After a moment, he went for her with a few quick jabs that he knew she would block with relative ease, but on her last block, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close for a quick kiss then let her land a hit to push him back a couple feet. His smirk never faltered.
She stumbled back, quickly regaining her footing and then looked at him, clearly flustered. "That's cheating," she accused. "You said hand-to-hand combat."
"Did I say that?" He mused. He flew at her with quick jabs. He had her unable to properly fend him off due to his speed, then swiped her legs out from under her in order to catch her in his arms, though her feet still touched the ground. He pulled her close before groping her ass and upper thighs. "I meant hand-to-ass combat." He gave it a playful slap before letting her go, jumping back a couple feet.
Her mouth dropped open and she gaped at him for a moment before her expression settled into something quite different. "Oh, so it's like that, is it?" One eyebrow quirked upwards as she observed him. Two could play this game. "You know, it's so much warmer here than I remember it being."
She trailed off as she made her way over to the bench, pulling her t-shirt over her head as she went and depositing it on top of her gym bag. She was left in her sports bra and workout leggings, both of which hugged her curves, showing them off to full advantage. She hoped it was enough to help create a distraction for him as she turned and lunged for him again.
Bakugo couldn't contain the growl in his throat at the sight of her. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip before he moved back from her lunge. He grabbed her arm and flipped her over him and onto her back. He promptly moved to lay atop her, not quite with his full weight. "Just more for me to love on, cheeks." He winked before nuzzling her cleavage, nipping at the soft mounds of flesh as he ran his hands along her waist and hips.
A gasp escaped her lips as she landed on her back, but the shock didn't last long. She brought the fingers of one hand up to thread in his hair as if she were going to pull him closer, but instead activated her quirk, pitching her body sideways at the same moment to roll them until she was on top, straddling his hips and using her hands to grab his wrists and pin his hands on either side of his head as she smirked down at him. "I believe that's a point for me."
"Tch. You cheated." He smirked up at her. "Such a blatant disregard for the rules. I wonder where the hell you got that from." He used his core to hoist his upper body off the ground, but he didn't struggle to get his wrists free of her grip. He let her keep a hold on him as he leaned up to playfully bite at her nipples through her sports bra. He was also much larger than her, so he could even reach her lips. Which he did, kissing her and biting her bottom lip with a passionate fervor.
Ochako moaned against his mouth as he kissed her and released his wrists, pressing her fingertips together to deactivate her quirk before she accidentally got too distracted and floated them both. After a moment, she broke the kiss and sat up, asking breathlessly, "Best two out of three?"
"Think you can handle it, Round-face?" He teased, bucking his hips a little against hers since she was still straddling him. "I understand if not. I have an intoxicating effect on women."
"Don't get too cocky, now," she teased. "I'm in the lead."
She stood and took a few steps back, giving him space to get up as well.
"I'm not sure I should let that count considering you cheated." He scoffed and stood up. "Try again, and this time, I repeat, NO QUIRKS."
He held up his fists, smirking, and waited for her to make the first move.
"Fine. I won't cheat if you won't," she said, smirking. She knew there was no way he wasn't going to cheat even if his cheating was a lot less related to quirks than hers had been.
She made a show of stretching, arms extending over her head as she twisted this way and that. Without warning, she charged at him, her hands curling into fists and relying on the element of surprise to land a hit.
He waited until she was close enough and reached out to grab one of her wrists, pull her into something like a twirl in a dance, and then grabbed her other wrist. He kept a firm grip so that she couldn't flex her fingers, rendering her unable to float him if she got a mind to. Her arms were held above her head, her back pressed flush against his chest. He bent his head to run his mouth along her neck and shoulder, closing his lips here and there to apply kisses. She tasted like her vanilla scent with a little salt mixed in from her sweat and it was intoxicating. He moved both her wrists to one of his hands, then used his free one to run down her arm to her breast. He squeezed her nipple and massaged, reveling in how it felt in his hand.
A low moan escaped her lips, but she wasn't ready to admit defeat so easily. With her hands trapped the way they were in his strong grasp, she knew her options were limited so she did the only thing she could think to do. She arched her back, her chest pressing into his touch as she shimmied her hips, causing her ass to grind against his crotch in the process. "Mmm….I want you to fuck me so bad."
A shiver of pleasure coursed through his entire body and a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Mm...don't I know it, Angel-Face?" He quickly used his leg to punch hers out from under her, and within his grasp, they crumpled to the floor and he carefully shoved her down so that her entire front was against the ground, with his pelvis still tucked against her backside. He snickered. "I believe I have this round."
She squirmed against him, trying to break loose of his hold but to no avail. Finally she sighed as the tension left her body. "Fine...you win this one…" she mumbled, voice muffled by her current position.
He smirked and kissed the side of her neck before releasing her wrists and standing up. He held his hand out to her. "Are you ready for the next part or do I really have to beat you again?" He teased.
Ochako rolled onto her back and extended her hand to take his proffered one, using it for leverage as she pulled herself into a seated position and got her feet under her before she yanked on it hard and used the momentum to flip him overhead. As he landed, she quickly jumped to her feet and braced herself for retaliation. "I did say best two out of three, didn't I?"
With his landing, his quirk burst from his palms to cushion his fall and he grinned at her. "You're sexy when you're all fired up. Looks like I'll have to end this quickly." He fired the blasts from his hands straight at her, standing only about five feet away. It wouldn't harm her, but it would make her keep her distance. When she fell back a few steps, he took his chance and blasted his hands behind his body to propel him forward, slamming into her with enough force that she was on her back in seconds. His hands were still warm, and they captured her wrists again and held them against the ground. His legs extended to either side of her and he snaked his calves under hers to pin her legs down.
He gave her a devilish smirk, red eyes glinting. "Looks like I'm the champion, Round-face."
She stared up at him, momentarily stunned, then her eyes narrowed. "You cheated."
He snickered. "I learned from the best." He popped her thigh playfully and unhooked his legs from hers. Upon standing he held out his hand. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
She took his hand and allowed him to haul her to her feet. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me where we're going?"
He led her over to their belongings and reached into his bag to grab a towel for each of them. He dabbed the sweat off his skin. "My place." He responded, as if it was totally normal. He gave her a grin before covering his face with the towel to dry it.
"What, so you can claim your prize for winning?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Mm, not just that but it's good you understand what fate awaits you." He winked at her. When they were done, they returned to his car and headed for his apartment.
When they arrived, he went to the hall closet and pulled out a clean towel before tossing it to her. "Here. You can take a shower to clean off."
She caught the towel and looked down at it. "But I don't have any clean clothes."
He made a clicking sound with his tongue and disappeared into his bedroom at the end of the hall. A few moments later he reappeared carrying some clothes. He handed them to her. "Shirt and some pajama pants...the pants are optional." He teased.
The pants were indeed optional. After her shower, Uraraka toweled off and pulled the shirt he'd given her over her head. The loose garment hung down to mid thigh on her which she decided was good enough as she pulled her underwear back on and emerged from his bathroom, towel drying her hair.
Bakugo had been prepping some vegetables on a cutting board in his kitchen while she showered. He looked up as she came into view in the hall. He practically growled. "Damn, that shirt looks better on you than me, cheeks." He hissed, taking a break from his chopping to gather her in an intimate embrace. "I'll shower quickly and finish making dinner when I get out."
She gave him a short kiss, then pulled back. "Anything I can do to help?"
"No, no. I'm pampering you. I've got everything cut that we need." He ran a hand through her hair. "I'll be quick. You got me all sweaty earlier. I'm practically a ticking bomb right now." With that, he turned to go take his shower.
Left to her own devices in the living room, Uraraka fished her phone out of the pocket of her gym bag and checked her notifications. There were a few texts from a group chat with Mina, Tsuyu, and Momo, a couple social media notifications, and one missed call from Deku.
She froze, staring at the notification. She'd almost forgotten all about what had happened as she was leaving work that afternoon but suddenly it came rushing back to her. She'd have to talk to him eventually and give him a better explanation, but not right now.
The phone was shoved back into the bag and she turned, glancing around the living room for something to distract her. Her eyes fell on Bakugo's bookcase, filled to near bursting with books of all sorts from all of his trips to the bookstore with Kirishima. She walked closer, her eyes scanning over the titles on the top shelf. It only took her a moment to realize the shelves were carefully organized by genre and then the name of the author. Somehow, she wasn't surprised.
Her eyes lingered on one book in particular and she gently plucked it from the shelf to read the summary before she opened it to the first page and began to read.
Bakugo emerged from his bathroom, smelling fresh and feeling clean. He dressed in his sweats and a solid black T-shirt and left the towel around his neck to catch the water from his damp hair. He quietly walked out of his room and down the hall only to find Ochako reading one of his books. He smirked, appreciating the sight of her pantsless and in his shirt.
She hadn't noticed him yet. She must really like it. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, then slid his towel off his shoulders. He twisted it and pulled it taut before popping her backside with it. "You can borrow that if you want." His smile was one of pure mischief.
"Oh!" Ochako jumped and the book tumbled from her hands and onto the floor. She quickly bent to retrieve it. "You startled me," she said, laughing, as she straightened up, carefully closing the book in her hands.
"That was the point, cheeks." He leaned to kiss her cheek before turning to go back to the kitchen, draping his towel back behind his neck as he did so. After a minute, he returned with a glass of wine and held it out to her. "I'm sorry I scared you. Please accept this offering as a token of my apology." His face didn't carry a regretful expression, and he knew it.
She set the book on the coffee table and carefully took the glass from him. "Are you trying to get me drunk? Because you should know by now that I'd sleep with you even without the alcohol," she teased.
"I'm told it's relaxing." He shrugged and turned to go back to his kitchen to finish cooking. He paused and looked over his shoulder at her. "Believe me, I know I don't have to get you drunk for that, babe." He winked and disappeared.
Uraraka smiled as she watched him walk away and took a seat on the couch with her glass of wine and the book. She'd made it three chapters in by the time dinner was ready and she put the book down to join him at the table where he'd lit a few candles and turned down the lights.
The dinner he'd prepared looked and smelled delicious. It tasted delicious, too, she soon found out.
"You're spoiling me, Katsuki," she said as he cleared the table afterward. She'd tried to help, but he'd insisted she stay put.
"I'm trying to be romantic over here, woman. What do you expect?" He grumbled, but softly smiled at her. He quickly washed all the dishes and put them in his drying rack. Then he grabbed some things out of his pantry and refrigerator and set them across the counter in what looked like a sequential fashion. "All right, cheeks, get in here." He called.
Ochako joined him in the kitchen and glanced at the ingredients laid out on the counter questioningly. "What are those for?"
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You really can't tell?"
She looked closely at the ingredients on the counter, her brows drawn together until it clicked. Her eyes lit up as she looked back up at him. "Are we making mochi?"
"Sheesh it's like I could see the lightbulb turn on in your brain." He muttered, amused. "Yes, but not just any mochi, cheeks." He gave her a look, both brows raised, waiting for it.
"We're making your mochi?" she asked, the excitement in her voice obvious.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Duh." He pushed some ingredients her way. "What else would it be, dummy? I'm about to show you how it's done."
They spent the next hour making mochi, talking and laughing all the while. When all of the mochi had been rolled, it was fairly obvious which ones she had made and which ones he had made because his were much more well formed, but as long as they tasted the same, that was all that mattered.
"How did I do?" she asked as she gently plucked one of the ones she had made from the plate and turned toward him, holding it up for him to take a bite.
He bit into it carefully and chewed, looking thoughtful. He swallowed. "It's good, Round-face." He picked up one of his and held it up for her to eat.
She took a bite and a smile broke across her face. "Mmm...yours are still the best."
He looked at her for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers. It had only been a few weeks since their reconciliation and union at the hotel, and they had flown by so quickly. It had so quickly, he realized, because they'd been some of the best weeks of his life. Being around her was like breathing fresh air. It felt so natural and she made him constantly fight not to smile. Sometimes he still couldn't believe things had turned out this way. And damn, he was glad they did.
His eyes turned hungry and he put the rest of the mochi in his freezer and looked at her again. "All right, you've had your fun. But now it's time for my dessert." He leaned forward and bent down to wrap his arms around her legs before hoisting her up and over his shoulder. He smacked her ass playfully and began walking towards his bedroom.
She gave a yelp of surprise which turned into giggles. "Geez, you're so barbaric," she teased.
He popped her butt once more. "You like it." They reached his bedroom and he tossed her onto his bed and looked down at her.
The shirt she was wearing rode up slightly as she landed, exposing her underwear and a small bit of skin on her stomach and her hair fanned out on the bed beneath her, framing her face. "I love it," she corrected, looking up at him with those big brown eyes.
His chest felt so warm. He couldn't explain it, not to its fullest extent. He smirked down at her, running his hands up her legs. "You'd better."
The next morning, they lay in his bed snuggled together under the covers long after they'd have usually been up.
Uraraka rested her head on his shoulder, the pads of her fingers tracing the outline of the muscles in his chest and abs. It was their day off and she knew there were things that needed to get done (laundry, for one), but for now, she was content to just stay here like this with him.
"Do you ever think about what would have happened if we hadn't been interrupted that night at Todoroki and Momo's engagement party?"
He made a small noise as his eyes fluttered open. "Hmm. Such a serious question first thing in the morning." He ran his hand along her thigh. "Mm. But I think about it sometimes. I think I would've kissed you that night. Right there on the dance floor. God knows I'd been wanting to for forever at that point."
She smiled slightly, looking up at him. "I think I would have liked that," she said softly. "I wish we hadn't lost all that time."
"I know." He whispered, taking her hand and kissing the top of one of her fingers. "I wish that, too. All we can do now is make up for it."
Ochako felt her heart swell at his words. She cupped his cheek with her free hand and she pressed her lips gently to his. "Thank you for such an amazing date last night," she said as she pulled back and sat up, grabbing his shirt from where it had landed on the nightstand the night before and pulling it on over her head. "It really was one of the best dates I've ever had."
It had been a very simple date, but she was sincere when she said it was the best. Sure, some of her exes had taken her out to fancy dinners and other big events, but the fact that Bakugo had put so much thought into planning a full night of things he knew she loved meant far more to her.
He gave her a cocky smile as he leaned his head against his hand, propped up on his elbow. He was naked, only covered by the blanket that stopped just at his hip line. "Told you it would be."
She pulled on a pair of his sweatpants then sat on the edge of his bed, using the hair tie she always wore around her wrist to pull her hair back into a ponytail. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to have to go to the laundromat today. Are you going?"
He watched her, his tongue flicking along his lips. "Leaving so soon?"
Ochako leaned down and brushed her lips gently over his, smiling as she pulled back. "I don't think you understand just how much laundry I have to get done," she said with a laugh. "Someone kept me too busy to get anything done last time we had a day off. I can always come back after, though. I'm going to need to return these to you anyway," she said, plucking the material of the shirt she was wearing between thumb and forefinger.
He shook his head. "Nah, you keep it if you want it. Looks better on you, trust me." He sighed and stretched, his unclothed body elongating under the blanket. Once he was done, he looked back up at her with a smoldering expression. "It's just laundry…"
"Quit that," she said, averting her eyes from him. "This is exactly what you did last time and I never got anything done."
He smirked and chuckled. "I don't recall you complaining, cheeks." He rolled over and slithered to her side of the bed. His arms flew out to grab her by her hips and jerked her onto the bed. The sweatpants she was borrowing were off in a heartbeat as well as her panties and his tongue was playing with her clit as he pushed her legs to either side. He just couldn't get enough of her, and he wanted to show her that. Plus, it was fun.
"Ahhh….fuck you, Katsuki…." she practically whimpered, the fingers of one hand tangling in his hair as the other fisted in his sheets. He was making it damn near impossible for her to get anything done, but she loved every minute of it.
"I'm trying to fuck you." He smirked and continued running his tongue in circles over her clit. After a few moments, he slid a finger inside of her and pumped it in and out with a steady rhythm. Fuck, he loved devouring her like this. And with only his shirt on? Even more. He wasn't letting her get away that easily.
Uraraka eventually got her laundry done that day, though it was several hours later than she'd planned. Bakugo had gone with her, bringing along his own laundry to do as they usually did on their days off. They'd each brought along a book and sat side by side in companionable silence reading until their dryers went off and they were able to pack up and head back to his place where they got distracted once again trying to fold the laundry.
Ochako was still sore by the end of their next day at work, though she wasn't sure how much of that was from their sparring session and how much had been from other activities.