Chapter 5

"If you think for one second you are better than me...you've got another thing coming, Claws!" Bakugou yelled over to Misa.

"I just won! Your explosions aren't faster than me. I have cat speed you idiot!" Misa argued back. The other students watched anxiously as the two students went after each other, showcasing one skill over the other until Aizawa erased their Quirks.

"That is enough. It is too early in the semester to be competing now. Also, you're aggravating me." Misa snarled at Bakugou as he glared at her while wrapped up in Aizawa's scarf.

"Always a feisty one." Bakugou mumbled to himself. Despite their rough start, Misa and Bakugou became quick friendly rivals. They were often pitted against each other but when it came down to working together; they were almost perfect. Misa slowed Bakugou down enough for him to stop being so reckless; while Bakugou encouraged Misa to trust in her instincts more. It was a great symbiotic relationship that they were both content with. However, coming to their final year at UA, things began to change. Bakugou saw Misa differently the stronger and confident she became; so when the Halloween party came up and their kiss happened; he went into overdrive.

"We don't have to do this, you know? It's just a silly game." Misa told Bakugou while they were sitting in Deku's closet.

"Sounds like you're scared." Bakugou teased her, seeing the yellow tint of Misa's eyes reflect in the dimming light. "First kiss?"

"I'm almost eighteen Bakugou. No, this isn't my first kiss." She told him indefinitely. "You just don't strike me as someone who plays these games." She tried to explain, her nerves creeping up. His red eyes danced over her face, a hint of teasing on his lips as he chuckled.

"A kiss from a pretty girl? Why would I say no to that?" The slight aroma of whiskey hung in the air thanks to the multiple drinking games the group had played throughout the night.

"You wouldn't say that sober." Misa told him, feeling the heat on her cheeks. She was losing her nerve but the seven minutes was nowhere near up yet. Bakugou scoffed and sat up straighter against the wall, his fingers gracing over Misa's thigh.

"Shut up." He whispered and pulled Misa onto his lap. A gasp from Misa was short-lived as her lips met Bakugou's in a surprisingly warm and gentle kiss. Her claws scratched gently on the back of his neck as their tongues danced together in a smooth rhythm. Bakugou's calloused hands found Misa's thighs and gripped on to the meat in a desperate act of want. They stayed in that position for an unknown amount of time, neither wanting to break apart until Sero knocked loudly on the closet door.

"Time's up! Put your clothes back on!" He joked through the door. Misa met Bakugou's eyes warmly while both caught their breath.

"That definitely wasn't your first kiss." He whispered, squeezing Misa's thighs before she got to her feet. Her searing blush showed in the dark closet, but Bakugou found himself grateful for the cover of darkness as it covered his excitement in his lap. However, he forgot that Misa could see very well in the dark as she had noticed.

"I told you it wasn't. If you need a release...you know where I'm at." She teased, stepping out of the closet. Bakugou blushed at her teasing, letting his heart rate and excitement calm before leaving the closet.

"We never talked about it afterward. Damn good kiss though. I should have done something back then." Bakugou mumbled to himself; remembering the taste of her lipstick mixed with the sweet whiskey she chose that night. Months went by without a word of the kiss and once graduation hit and they all went their own ways; it was too late for Bakugou to make a move. He blamed the whiskey that night and thought Misa deserved better than him. Then Shinso swooped her up and Camie found Bakugou. "That itself was an adventure." He remembered.

Life with Camie was good and exciting at first but eventually that excitement turned into drama and immaturity. Bakugou was still trying to be the best he could be but Camie was content where she was and focused more on the social aspect of being a hero. Two years had passed and too many arguments had happened for Bakugou to keep the relationship going.

"Where is that hot headed boy from high school huh? He was fun!" Camie yelled. "Since you started going to therapy, you've become boring Katsuki!"

"Don't even start with that. You're telling me you would rather me be angry all the time so that you can get excited than me being mentally healthy? You are so selfish!"

"It's all Misa's fault. She made you go to therapy! She was just jealous that you're more exciting than her boyfriend. She had to go and ruin you." Camie spat at him.

"Ruin me? I am healthy. I am not angry all the fucking time and I enjoy my work now because of therapy. A good girlfriend would support that! I have stopped seeing Misa as often because of you, I resent coming home because of your drama, and I am sick and tired of feeling guilty because I want to focus on work rather than party every weekend."

"It's always about that girl. Always Misa. She's all you ever think about!" Camie screamed louder. Bakugou almost argued back but sighed heavily to reign in his temper.

"I'm done Camie. I'm going to Kirishima's. Keep the apartment." He scoffed, tossing his keys at her. "I'll come get the rest of my stuff tomorrow." As Bakugou stormed out of the apartment, he called Kirishima.

"Hey I can crash at yours for a while?" He asked him.

"Sure. What's wrong?"

"I broke up with Camie." Bakugou told him, revving up his bike. A tense silence hung on the other side of the phone when Bakugou heard crying. "Who's there with you?"

"I'm at Mina's. Shinso left Misa. She's...not doing so well."

"I'll be right there."

Bakugou pulled into the apartment complex as fast as the law would allow as he charged up the stairs to Mina's fourth floor apartment. He walked in and saw one of the saddest things he'd ever seen. Misa was curled in a ball on the sofa with Mina soothing her with Kirishima stroking her hair.

"Katz?" She whimpered through the streaming tears. Bakugou's heart wrenched at the red rimmed eyes of his best friend curled up on the sofa. He approached her softly and nodded at Mina and Kirishima to give them a moment alone.

As soon as their friends left, Bakugou traced Misa's face tenderly. "What happened Flower?" Misa buried her face into Bakugou's chest and cried heavily as he wrapped her in his arms.

"He's gone. He just...left." Bakugou winced as Misa cried, her body shaking with pain. "He went to America. Just wrote a note and said he was sorry."

"I'm sorry baby. I know it hurts." He told her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Why didn't he take me with him? Does he not love me anymore?" She whimpered.

"I don't know. The people we love the most...hurt us the most." Was the only comfort he could bring himself to say through his anger about Camie.

Each sniffle and tear made that night, Bakugou ingrained in his memory. He promised himself that night that he would do everything in his power to ensure that Misa would never be that broken again. It took a couple of months for Shinso to explain why he left the way he did to Misa to give her closure. It wasn't her fault; he just wasn't ready for the commitment Misa wanted.

"Why couldn't he have said that in person?!" Misa growled, throwing the phone across the room. Bakugou smirked at the revved up Misa as she paced across her living room. "For four months I was led to believe that I fucked up, that it was my fault and it wasn't!" Bakugou chugged back his beer, hiding a small chuckle as small flames sparked out of her claws. "He could have told me in person and I would have been fine!"

"Maybe he was afraid of your flaming claws?" Bakugou tried, eyeing the flames. Misa noted her claws and extinguished the flames. "Misa, I don't blame the guy. You're scary when you get mad." She turned on Bakugou at his comment, but he leveled his gaze with her. "You don't scare me, kitty cat."

"Don't call me kitty cat." Misa snarled, pointing a claw at Bakugou, who chuckled.

"The important thing is here, you have your closure. Now, you can move on. It'll be easy for you to find someone else. For some of us, it isn't that easy." He shrugged his shoulders, settling into the couch more. Misa arched her eyebrows at her friend, clueing in to what he said.

"What a weird thing to say...did you and Camie break up?" Bakugou paled at her guess, chugging back the rest of his beer. "Bakugou Katsuki! Why didn't you tell me?!" She chastised him, throwing a pillow at the man.

"It didn't seem important!" He defended himself, escaping to the kitchen for another beer. "When Shinso left you, I couldn't bring up my heartbreak." He froze at his mistake, dodging another pillow.

"It happened at the same time?!" Misa growled. "You have spent the last four months taking care of me when you have been hurting too? God! I could strangle you." Misa ran her claws through her hair in frustration as Bakugou cracked open his beer.

"That sounds like fun." He teased her, approaching her slowly. He dodged her smack and grasped her hands in his one. Her eyes widened at the contact and tensed as Bakugou's eyes burned into her. "I wanted to take care of you. That helped me stop hurting. I missed you." His voice sounded through Misa's racing heartbeat.

"Well...it's my turn to look after you. Dumbass." She managed to croak out, covering her nerves. Bakugou tightened his grip on her wrists, edging closer to Misa's face.

"Good luck with that." He whispered, releasing his grip. Misa cleared her throat to erase the spark creeping in her stomach. Bakugou enjoyed the reaction Misa gave from the contact, knowing that only he could make her lose her edge.

Bakugou smirked at the memory of that day. They had both used each other to heal and for that, he was thankful. She had saved his life in many different ways over the years; but at that time, they had saved each other. "I need to help her."