Hey guys! Thank you to all the comments and feedback on this story! Things are heating up between these two (:

Chapter 16

A few nights later, Bakugou found himself sitting on his couch with a beer practically sulking from the tense interaction between himself and Misa a few days ago. They had managed to work together even though they weren't speaking and no one around the agency could tell something was wrong; which Bakugou was thankful for. Now they had the next few days off he missed his partner. He missed his friend.

"Hey bro! Are you coming to the girls' place tonight? Misa is cooking us dinner." Kirishima asked him, pulling on his jacket and shoes. Bakugou shook his head and chugged his beer. "No? Are you still not talking to each other?" Bakugou shook his head. Kirishima sighed heavily and sat beside his friend to talk. "Can't you just tell her you love her and everything will be fine?" Bakugou glared at his friend and got to his feet before Kirishima pushed him back down to the couch.

"I am not in love with that girl."

"Yes you are. You have been for ten years. Now fix this. Be a man." Bakugou growled into his bottle of beer and shook his head.

"She's dating, Kiri." Bakugou mumbled before Kirishima cackled.

"Of course she is! She's beautiful and funny as hell. You're the idiot that has let her go twice now." He stated simply, hearing Bakugou growl again. "I doubt that she and the police officer will go anywhere. But I'm pretty sure if you ask her out...she'll jump at the chance. I told you that stupid wager was a bad idea." Bakugou sucked his teeth in annoyance at his friend being right.

"We screamed at each other, Kirishima. Like...guttural screaming. I've never talked to her like that."

"Dude...you were scared. She fell hundreds of meters in the sky. I was scared too."

"It wasn't just that. I was scared, sure, but I was also angry. Angry that she defied an order and put herself in more danger to help me."

"Heroes will do that. Put your feelings aside and maybe that'll help." Kirishima offered. "But she wasn't wrong in saying she wasn't yours to protect. The girl is independent. She's always taken care of herself." As soon as Kirishima finished his sentence, Bakugou smashed his beer bottle in his hand.

"Why...can't she just let me take care of her?" He winced, glass falling out of his hand. "I know I don't deserve her. She's too good." Kirishima sighed and smacked Bakugou on the back.

"You know she won't agree with you about that."

"You should have heard the way she snapped at me the other day. She's really mad."

"I don't think she's mad. From what Mina said she's more afraid too."

"Afraid of what?" Bakugou asked.

"Afraid of losing you dude." A hard hand found Bakugou's shoulder as Kirishima squeezed it comfortingly. "Call her."

"Tomorrow." Bakugou decided, cleaning the broken bottle up.

Surrounded in pots and pans full of food for the dinner planned that night; Misa's mind whirled with thoughts. She had successfully ignored Bakugou since their disagreement days ago; proving that they could still work together despite being annoyed with each other. However annoyed that she was at his attitude towards her dating, she did miss him. She chopped at the vegetables in front of her, remembering Bakugou's glare while she spoke to the police. "Jealous asshole." She mumbled. Then her mind replayed the Weather Man's battle and how deep he cut into her with his words. Her cutting increased rapidly the more annoyed she got until she almost sliced the tip of her finger. "God damnit Katsuki!" She cursed, throwing down the knife. "Get out...of my head…" She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"May I suggest talking to him instead of the vegetables?" Mina's voice sounded behind her. Misa narrowed her eyes at her friend, wanting to argue but relented.

"I like the asshole don't I?" She asked Mina, who nodded. "Fuck."

"If it eases your mind at all...he likes you too." Kirishima's voice sounded from the doorway, scaring both girls. He stood with a case of beer in tow, dripping wet from the rain outside.

"Jesus...knock first!" Mina scolded him, grabbing the beer from his hold. Misa was too entranced by his words to focus. "Misa?"

"He...likes me to? Why didn't he tell me?"

"He doesn't think he deserves you. You're too good for him." Kirishima told her; shuffling further into the kitchen. "I think he's more afraid of losing you than you think." Misa regarded the man's words carefully, before wrapping her arms around his large frame.

"Thank you for telling me Kiri." She whispered into his chest. "You've got a good one here Mina."

"Yeah I do." Mina agreed, smiling at her friends' interaction. "Now...can we get to cooking?"

Finalizing the touches on their dinner, a knock sounded at the door. "Did you invite someone else?" Misa asked Kirishima, who shook his head. She cracked open the door to see a soaking Bakugou looking at her. "Bakugou…" She whispered, her hand tightening on the door knob.

"Sorry I'm late...I...I don't have an excuse." He mumbled, handing her an orchid branch. Misa's face melted into a small smile at the gesture, creaking the door open more.

"You have a key, remember?" She jabbed at him, letting him into the apartment.

"I must have forgotten it." He mumbled, slipping off his shoes while Misa tucked the orchid into a small vase.

"You're right on time." Mina told him, setting a place for him at the table. "Misa worked very hard on this dinner." She smiled at her roommate, causing her to blush.

"It was nothing. Please enjoy." Misa mumbled, sitting beside Bakugou.

They all enjoyed their meal as jovial conversation flowed through the dining room. Misa and Bakugou shared sweet smiles and laughs as Mina felt the familiar happiness return to her friends. "I'm happy that the stupid fight is over between you two." She finally said, causing Misa and Bakugou to turn to her.

"Babe...not our place." Kirishima nudged her gently.

"The hell it is. You two are our friends." Mina argued back, turning her attention back to Misa and Bakugou. "You two have danced around each other too long. One of you needs to figure out what is going on so that whatever relationship you have with each other isn't ruined." Misa felt Bakugou tense next to her, his hands gripping on his knees under the table. "This isn't high school anymore. Be adults."

"You've made your point Mina." Misa told her roommate. Her eyes burned into Mina's across the table, daring her to say more. "I'll clean up." She pulled the dirty dishes and empty cups from the table and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Mina...that really wasn't cool." Kirishima chastised her. "They can figure it out themselves."

"Obviously they can't." Mina argued again. "Bakugou." She whispered to the explosion hero. "She has a date tomorrow. You are going to lose your window of opportunity."

"What makes you think I even care?" Bakugou dared to challenge her, but Mina was up for that.

"Because you knew that you couldn't take down that villain; but Misa could. You were scared she was going to get hurt."

"So?"

"You don't get scared. Except with her." Kirishima told him, meeting Bakugou's eyes. "Be a man." Bakugou sucked his teeth in annoyance, but got to his feet to help Misa in the kitchen. He found her soaking the dishes when he came up behind her.

"You cook and clean? Nope, move it." He told her, nudging her out of the way gently. She didn't argue. Instead, she hopped up on the counter next to him to observe. "Dinner was good. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled, sipping on her tea. "I'm sorry for calling you a hot head." She mumbled, not daring to look at Bakugou. The dishes clinked in the sink as Bakugou continued his duty.

"I deserved it. I was rude to you. I'm sorry too." He told her, stealing a glance at her. Her smile melted the nerves he had bubbling inside quickly, replacing them with content.

"Can we go back to being friends?" Misa asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I wish we weren't more than that." Bakugou told her, feeling her freeze next to him. "Misa, I like you. A lot." Her cheeks flushed crimson as Bakugou turned to her, his soapy hands boxing her in.

"I like you too."

"But you have a date tomorrow." Bakugou pointed out, inching closer to her face. "Why?"

"He knows he wants me. He doesn't play games." Misa answered, willing herself to keep control. "How am I supposed to know what you want…when you play games?"

"That was my mistake. I won't interfere if he is what you want." Bakugou sighed, placing a warm kiss on her cheek. "At least now, you know how I feel and why I've been such an idiot." Misa forgot to breathe for a second before Bakugou returned to his cleaning. She hopped down off the counter, confusion in her mind.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" Misa asked.

"Make a decision." He answered her, glaring into the soapy dish water.

"It's not fair. You make me feel warm. Safe. Can't you just tell me you want me? All of me?" Misa whined, pulling at her hair in annoyance.

Bakugou chuckled softly and dried his hands of soap and water, his eyes burning into the towel in his grasp. "That would make things easy wouldn't it? If I was just honest with you?" He said, turning to Misa who froze. The electricity sparking between the two was almost too much for Misa to remain calm. "If instead of coming up with that stupid game, saying that it was for your benefit to distract you instead of my selfish want for you, I would just say how much I want you."

"Want me how?" Misa's voice barely sounded, smelling the sweet nitroglycerin coming off of Bakugou.

"In every way. But right now? I wish I could pick you up and spread you across that dining table and make you forget about every wrong guy that has crossed your path. Make you feel sensations you never thought possible." Bakugou whispered, tracing his thumb over Misa's lip. "Make your legs shake as my name tumbles out of your mouth. That is what I want."

"I don't believe you." Misa lied, trying to reign in her composure. Her breathing was ragged and she knew Bakugou noticed. He noticed everything about her body. His sly smirk was almost enough to make her combust, but his last word caused a small moan to escape her.

"Liar." His teeth pulled at Misa's lips but he did not kiss her. Her hands gripped onto his arms to hold him place, but neither stole a kiss from each other. "Now you know what I think about when I'm alone. Now it's up to you to choose."

"Hey guys! Ready for some dessert?" Mina's voice sounded from the other room.

"I'm going to kill her." Misa whispered, letting her nails dig into Bakugou's arm. "I'd rather have you for dessert." She smirked, her eyes trailing down his body.

"Hmm…maybe later." He replied, grabbing the mochi from the counter. "Come on trouble, wipe the sex off of your face." Misa growled at him in response and followed him back to the table to see two grinning faces.

"What?" Misa asked.

"I can smell the sex from here." Mina cackled while Kirishima blushed.

"First of all, we did not do anything." Misa corrected her.

"Second of all, the kitchen? That may be your favorite place to do it, but I have a little more taste than that." Bakugou snipped, popping a mochi into his mouth. At his challenge, Misa couldn't help but feel the bubble of arousal in her stomach.

"I'm intrigued." Mina countered, arching her eyebrow cheekily.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." He whispers, giving Misa a small wink.

Misa's brain short circuited for the rest of the night.