Chapter 9
The next day, Misa invited Bakugou to go shopping with her for the Hero's Commision Ball. "If you want me to be your date, I need your opinion." She theorized to him over text. She could hear the lack of enthusiasm in his reply, but she eventually got him to agree to accompany her. Although, her hidden agenda was more than just a friendly shopping trip.
"Are you ready yet?" Bakugou groaned from his seat on the couch. "You never take this long to get ready." He complained, scrolling through his phone. He heard some shuffling from Misa's room and finally saw her appear. He stopped breathing. She stood in the shortest skirt he had ever seen her in, with a cut off red top. She had black, ankle boots on with her hair straightened down her back. However, his focus was on the blood red color on her lips, making them more supple than usual.
"Are you okay?" She chuckled, seeing the blank expression on Bakugou's face. He found air as he cleared his throat and got to his feet.
"Yep. Was just wondering where the rest of your skirt was?" He teased her, earning a smack from her.
"I think it's time I showed my confidence more." Misa told him, grabbing her keys and purse.
"Is that what you're calling your ass now?" Bakugou asked her, dodging her swinging arm. "If you're trying to taunt me, you'll have to work harder than that kitty."
"I plan to."
At the mall, Misa had dragged Bakugou into every store she could, enjoying the small torture he was experiencing looking at her. His eyes fought away from the searing red of her top, and the length of her legs; but he was slowly losing control.
"I thought you just needed a dress?" Bakugou groaned, his excitement bubbling. Misa laughed and shook her head, wrapping her hand around his.
"Come with me. One last stop." She promised, her nails grazing over Bakugou's hand as she pulled him towards their last stop. Bakugou paled as he realized where he was being pulled into, but couldn't stop himself from following Misa.
"Oh hell no. I am not waiting around for you to try on some underwear." He told her while she thumbed through the selections. "This is not appropriate." He whispered.
"Oh, but fingering me at my dinner table is?" She challenged him, not breaking eye contact with her friend. He swallowed thickly at the memory, his hand itching to explore her again. "Exactly. If you lose control, I win. But you don't like to lose."
"I win. Always." Bakugou told her. Misa smirked and grabbed her choices, pulling Bakugou to the changing rooms. "I'm not coming in there."
"Obviously. Sit there. I'll be back." Bakugou did as he was told, shifting slightly in his seat as his mind wandered to what his friend was doing behind the curtains. Were they still friends at this point? Had they crossed the line? Was this his way of trying to get her to understand his feelings? His want for her? Before he could figure out the answers to these questions, Misa's voice sounded again. "Okay. I like this. Wanna see?"
"I feel like no matter how I answer this, I'm in trouble." Bakugou mumbled, rubbing his neck nervously. Misa chuckled and slowly pulled the curtain to the side. Bakugou froze. She stood in black and orange lingerie that barely covered her ass; perking her breasts up just enough to be classy. "God." He whispered, crossing his legs to cover his impending excitement.
"Orange isn't really my color, but I thought you'd enjoy it." Misa winked, seeing the clear sexual frustration on her friend's face. "Katz?"
"You're going to have to work harder than that Flower to get me to lose control." Bakugou smirked, keeping his eyes burned into Misa.
"We'll see." Misa winked, turning away behind the curtain. Bakugou released a long breath, hoping his excitement would die down soon. "Oh and by the way. Kaiya already found me a dress for the ball. I just wanted to torture you today." She heard his growl from behind the curtain, giggling to herself as she returned to her normal clothes.
"Fucking hell...she's killing me." He mumbled, rubbing his neck roughly.
On the ride back to Misa's apartment, the pair were silent. Bakugou's eyes kept darting to Misa's thighs, sending shock waves to his stomach at the thought of what he wanted to do to her. He had noticed that the teasing he did to her did distract her from her work life; but Ayami was still affecting Misa.
"You're thinking out loud Katsuki." Misa interrupted his thinking. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about the hero's ball. Wondering if going together is a good idea." Misa pondered the thought for a moment before a bright smile formed.
"Publicity huh? What will the press say?" Misa asked, seeing Bakugou nod. "You never care what they have to say. What's different now?"
"It's you. I don't want them to hurt you." He told her, feeling his nerves begin to bounce. Misa's smile fell for a moment as she thought over Bakugou's concerns.
"I see. I appreciate that. I'm a big girl though. You don't have to worry about me." She smiled, rubbing Bakuogu's warm hand in hers. "It'll be a fun night." She winked, exiting the car when Bakugou pulled up to her apartment building.
Bakugou was left alone in the car, filled with lust for his best friend and fear that this little game could potentially blow up in his face.
Saturday rolled around quicker than Bakugou wanted it to, but here he was getting ready for the Hero's Commision Ball. "So let me get this straight." Kirishima groaned, situating his tie correctly in the mirror while Bakugou pulled on his own suit jacket. "You and Misa have this...wager to see how much teasing and taunting you two can handle?"
"Yep. Winner gets bragging rights, I guess."
"And this is your way of taking care of her? Like...distract her from her work situation?" Kirishima tried to piece together. Bakugou sighed heavily, knowing it sounded ridiculous.
"I can't do anything about her work situation. She's going to therapy for her depression which is great. But, I can't do anything else for her. This...this is something I can do." Bakugou tried to explain.
"So fingering her during dinner is your plan?" Kirishima asked him, an incredulous expression on his face. Bakugou blushed profusely at their intimate act being found out. "Don't worry. Mina didn't catch on." Kirishima chuckled, combing his unruly hair. "Just be careful man.I don't want you to get hurt."
"How will I get hurt?" Bakugou questioned him, fixing his tie.
"Lust and love are two different things." Kirishima pointed out, hearing Bakugou scoff.
"I'm not in love with her." Bakugou said, not looking at his friend.
"Yeah? Just remember that. Also, it's not just your feelings to consider either. What if she starts to like you?" Bakugou paused his movements to consider the question.
"She won't. I'm not her happily ever after."
"But you want to be."
"Shut it. We have to go."
Kirishima and Bakugou waited in Misa and Mina's living room for the girls to finish their final touches on their outfits. "Girls take forever to get ready." Bakugou grumbled, scrolling through his phone.
"Yeah, but it's totally worth it!" Mina's voice sounded, twirling in her pink ball gown. Kirishima smiled and pulled her in to twirl her more, her ruffles dancing along the floor with ease.
"Damn right it is." Kirishima complimented her, kissing her softly. "Where's Misa?"
"Here! Sorry, my shoes were giving me a hard time." She gasped, tripping into the living room. Bakugou's eyes widened at the silver mermaid dress she adorned. It hugged all her curves perfectly and her hair hung down with gentle curls at the end. "What do you boys think?" Kirishima kissed her forehead, shooting off a compliment while Bakugou got to his feet silently. "Katz?"
"You'll be the talk of the evening." He whispered, kissing her hand in greeting. Misa's cheeks burned at the compliment, eager to tuck her hair strand behind her ears nervously; but she fought against the urge. "Let's go."
Arriving at the Hero's Ball, whispers and stares started when Misa and Bakugou exited the limo. "I told you you'd be the talk of the evening." Bakugou whispered to Misa, looping his arm around her waist.
"It's just a dress." She mumbled, following behind Mina into the ballroom. Bakugou chuckled to himself, entertained by Misa's embarrassment. "Besides, there's whispers about you too. I can hear them. Something about...drop dead gorgeous?" Misa taunted him.
"Just focus on not tripping in those heels, Flower." Bakugou scoffed, his grip tightening on her waist.
"I knew you'd kill it in that dress, but good god Misa. You're the most gorgeous hero here!" Kaiya squealed as the four heroes joined Todoroki and Kaiya at their assigned table.
"You paid a pretty penny for it, but I think it's worth it." Misa chuckled, waving at Jirou and Kaminari at their table across the room. "I'll pay you next week."
"I can't wait to start dancing! The speeches are always the most boring part of these things." Mina whined, looking around at the gathering crowds.
"Well, this year will be different. Todoroki and Bakugou are supposed to be recognized for their status this year." Kirishima reminded her gently.
"What? You didn't tell me that." Misa whispered to Bakugou next to her. He shot her a mischievous smirk and sipped on his whisky. "This is a big deal, Katz. I'm so proud of you." She smiled, placing her hand on his under the table. He arched his eyebrow at her and leant closer to her ear.
"Remember our deal. That dress is definitely putting you in favor." He growled, creating goosebumps on Misa's neck. She squeezed his hand under the table, eliciting a groan from him as she ran her nails up his thigh.
"And here I thought you just wanted tonight to be innocent. Game on, Dynamight." Bakugou smirked at her and squeezed her thigh before the lights dimmed down.
"Thank you all for coming to this special night to honor all our courageous heroes!" The Commissioner announced. Misa tried her best to focus on the stage, but Bakugou's warm hand on her thigh made it a difficult task.
About an hour went by before Bakugou and Todoroki were called up on stage to be recognized for their efforts in their division. "These two heroes have climbed the ranks since their graduation from the prestigious UA High. They have brought an honorable light to the Todoroki Agency with their protection over us. And it is my upstanding honor to award them the Protector Award for this year. Please, help me thank Dynamight and Shoto." A round of applause echoed through the room as the two men took to the stage, bowing at the Commissioner.
"Thank you all for this honor. We don't do our job for the awards or recognition. We just want to protect you all from any danger. I also want to take this moment to thank my partner here, Dynamight, for all his work within my agency. Also, to my girlfriend, Creati, for her patience and support. Thank you all." Shoto announced, holding the award close to him.
"Dynamight? Would you like to say a few words?" The Commissioner asked as Bakugou took Shoto's place by the microphone. Misa chuckled to herself when a far off memory of Bakugou's speech; at the Sports Festival in their first year hit her.
"I'm not one for speeches, but I'll make an exception tonight. This is a great honor and I will do my best to uphold this status for you all. As for thanking my support...there is a list." Bakugou chuckled shyly. "But the one person I'd like to acknowledge, the person I don't tell enough how important she is to me, and how I wouldn't be the hero I am without her, is Shira." Misa stopped breathing as all eyes turned to her. "She is my best friend and honestly...she deserves this award more than me." Misa's eyes began to pool at her friends' kindness as his eyes found hers. "Thank you all for this honor. And thank you, Shira." Loud applause sounded as Bakugou and Shoto left the stage with their awards in hand.
"Are you breathing?" Kaiya asked Misa next to her. Misa shook her head as Bakugou returned to his seat, a wide smile on his face.
"Any more surprises for me tonight?" Misa whispered, dabbing under her eyes to catch the tears. Bakugou shook his head and scooted the award to Misa.
"Keep an eye on this for me?" He asked her, his hand returning to her thigh. Misa nodded and took a deep breath to calm her emotions.
More speeches and announcements continued as the night continued on. At last, the formalities ended and the ballroom was alive with music and mingling. "Wanna dance?" Bakugou asked Misa, offering his hand.
"You don't dance." Misa laughed as Bakugou rolled his eyes.
"Come on." He told her, grasping her hand. They took to the dance floor and followed the beat perfectly. "See? I can dance." He whispered, leading Misa on beat.
"A man of many talents." Misa smiled, looking up into Bakugou's eyes. "Did you really mean what you said about me?" Bakugou nodded his head. "I didn't realize."
"That's my fault. Like I said, I don't tell you enough." He mumbled. Misa chuckled to herself as the music played. "What's so funny?"
"Just remembering your Sports Festival speech compared to this one." She told him, nuzzling her head into Bakugou's shoulders. He scoffed at the memory as their bodies moved to the music. "Such a hot head."
"Whatever." Bakugou mumbled, enjoying the cherry blossom scent engulfed in Misa's hair. His eyes danced around the room until his heart stopped at the one person he didn't want to run into. Misa felt his tension and turned to see what had frozen Bakugou. Camie stood with an array of younger heroes, tossing back champagne like it was water.
"Did you know she was going to be here?" Misa whispered to him, continuing their dance. Bakugou shook his head and tightened his grip on Misa's waist. "Hey now. Come back here. Enjoy our dance." Misa smiled, pulling Bakugou's eyes back to hers. "See? Just us." Bakugou took a deep breath and melted slightly into Misa's lead.
"I'm sorry Misa. She shouldn't affect me." Bakugou mumbled, nuzzling his nose in Misa's hair again to bring himself peace.
"It's okay. You still need to heal." Misa replied, trying to hide the inkling of hurt within her.
"No. I'm over her. I need to move on." Bakugou decided sternly, meeting Misa's eyes. She smiled at him broadly while the song died down, allowing the pair to seperate. "Do you need a drink?" He smiled, pointing at the bar.
"Oh yes." Misa winked, returning to their table while Bakugou visited the bar. Kaiya and Mina sat excitedly as Misa joined them, unaware of what their excitement was about. "What?"
"That was so hot!" Mina squealed as Kirishima handed her a drink. Misa looked between her friends curiously before Mina continued. "Camie had Bakugou all riled up and you calmed him down. You two are perfect for each other!"
"Keep it down Mina. Good god." Misa seethed before Kaiya interrupted.
"She's right Misa. Camie always had a way of riling Bakugou up even after their break up. One word from you and he's calm and dancing again. Hell...he even smiled!"
"Calm down girls. It's just a dance." Misa reminded them, looking at the tall, muscular hero at the bar. As her words left her mouth, she knew there wasn't much truth to them. With their little game, she was becoming less sure of her actual feelings for Bakugou. She needed him more than she cared to admit; yearned for his touch more than she wanted to accept. Thinking back at the dance they just had, there was no sexual tension between them in the moment like there had been recently. It felt..eternal and free. "Fuck." She whispered while Bakugou returned with their drinks.
"You okay?' He asked her, noting the beaming friends beside her.
"Yeah, I'm good. It was just a nice dance." She smiled, sipping on her whisky. Bakugou seemed to buy the excuse while the music played on. His hand returned to Misa's thigh under the table when Kaiya and Mina ran to the dance floor, bringing a sense of excitement back to Misa. "And so we continue."
"Did we ever stop?" He asked huskily, tapping his thumb over the silk dress. His eyes burned into Misa's as her breathing became heavy. "You are the most beautiful girl here."
"Hm? I suppose I am. What does that have to do with you?" She challenged, seeing the fire in Bakugou's eyes.
"Well, you're with me. I have to stake a claim or all these other nerds will try a hand with you." He smirked, sipping on his whiskey, seeing Misa's pupils dilate. "You like that?"
"Do I like that you get possessive over me? When you have absolutely no reason or right to?" Bakugou didn't waver at Misa's accusatory tone, he just let his eyes dance over her face. "Maybe a little."
"Nice to be wanted huh?" He asked her, his hand crawling further up her thigh into dangerous territory. Misa did her best to stay composed but decided to even the playing field. Her hand darted out to Bakugou's thigh, gripping onto the muscle with her claws. Bakugou flinched at the move but relaxed as he felt her venturing further North.
"Not so confident when the tables turn huh?" Misa smirked, feeling the heat exude off of Bakugou. "Getting a little hot and bothered?" She teased, smelling the whisky as she inched closer to Bakugou. "You wanted to play...I'm just getting even. Good luck getting up for a while." She whispered into his ear, pulling her hand from his crotch to join her friends in dancing. Bakugou was left catching his breath, placing a dinner napkin over his lap to hide his excitement.
"Dude. You are so fucked." Kirishima's voice sounded from behind Bakugou. He stood with Todoroki and Kaminari, chortling from what he just witnessed.
"Can someone catch me up?" Kaminari asked while Todoroki shook his head incredulously.
"I think I get what's going on now." He said as Bakugou wished a giant villain would crash into the party now to distract from this topic.
Once the ball had died down and the heroes were leaving for their homes at last, Misa had Mina wrapped around her arms drunkenly, slurring her desire to stay and party. "We have to go home, Mina. The party is over." She said, handing her friend to Kirishima.
"It's not fair...Kiri! I want to stay." She whined into her boyfriend's chest.
"Home, Mina." He said, stuffing her into a taxi. Misa giggled and waved her friends off as the taxi tore away.
"You're not going with them?" Bakugou asked from behind her. "I just saw Todoroki and Kaiya off."
"I was hoping I could come home with you tonight." Misa smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. Bakugou paled and found himself shifting his weight. "I know how Mina is after a night of drinking like this. She'll be mean in the morning and I have an early day tomorrow. I know I'll be able to sleep better at your place."
"Oh yeah. That makes sense." He coughed, praying his blushing cheeks would calm. "Come on then, I'm parked over here."
They arrived at Bakugou's apartment and Misa couldn't get her dress off quick enough. "As gorgeous as this is...it can get pretty uncomfortable." She whined, reaching for the zipper in the back of her dress. Her claws couldn't reach the zipper, so Bakugou helped her by pulling it down slightly for her. "Thank you." She whispered, holding the loose fabric on her. "I had a great night."
"Me too. You've left stuff here before so I'm sure it's all gathered in my room if you want to take the bed." Bakugou grunted, shedding off his suit jacket. Misa looked unsure for a moment before he chuckled. "I'll be on the couch, don't worry."
"You come to bed too." Misa decided. "It's your bed." Bakugou now looked shy at the offer, unsure of what to make of it.
"As far as our teasing game goes...Misa…"
"No teasing. Just sleep. We can be adults tonight. I need sleep." Misa yawned, pulling Bakugou into the room with her. "It's not like we haven't slept over at each others' palaces before." Bakugou mentally smacked himself. They had done that many times before, why would it be any different now?"
Prepared for bed at last, the pair shuffled under Bakugou's silk sheets, eager for sleep to overcome them. "Good night Katz...thank you for tonight." Misa yawned, nuzzling her backside into the side of Bakugou. He scoffed and turned on his side. "Hey, no teasing remember." Misa mumbled.
"I know Flower. Just sleep." He whispered, gracing his hand over Misa's waist and nuzzling into her hair. "Just sleep."