April - Pro hero Year 1- Friday
Her first three day weekend off since she started at the agency as a full-time Pro Hero had been marked in bright blue on her calendar for weeks now. She even dragged the girls out last night so she would meet all social quotas for the three days.
Uraraka blissfully rolls over at 8 AM. Knowing she has absolutely no plans for the weekend, she makes no moves to get out of the warmth of her blankets. She feels light and free, basking in the sunlight filtering in from her window as she watches the particles float around. No responsibilities for two days. No deadlines and definitely no paperwork.
Pulling her phone from her nightstand, she thanks her past self for deleting all work-related apps yesterday as she walked home. Her poor personal social media is often forgotten since PR takes over the public accounts, but this weekend she'll make sure to spam enough to make the folks back home happy.
She takes a picture of the sunlight peeking through her sheer blue curtains. That looks good! Now she only needed to think of a caption…
Pulling back the bedding, she picks up her navy blue satin robe off the floor and strolls out onto her connecting balcony. The sun is shining bright. It feels good to enjoy the view she had fallen in love with when she signed her lease, she hardly ever gets to appreciate it. Uraraka welcomes the face splitting smile that stretches on her face. Daddy would call it her sun bright smile and Bakugou would call it her dumb round cheek smile.
She pulls out her phone again, typing out the caption she decided on before going to prepare her coffee.
u SpaceNMochi: 2 days off? In a row? Don't mind if I do 3/u
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In his first full weekend since Uraraka had signed on to the agency six months back, Bakugou wakes up at his usual 6 AM to do his morning workout. The gym opens to the public a few hours later and he wants to keep the quiet area to himself. Besides, he can take a nap afterward while he watches his backlog of movies.
Bakugou is feeling more relaxed when he returns to his apartment. He immediately drops his gym bag on the kitchen floor and starts his black roast. It's still pretty early for this part of the city and the wind rustles the blinds of the open balcony door. Grabbing his cup, he walks outside and lounges on the couch. He closes his eyes and sinks down into the cushions. Maybe he can just stay here all day.
He cracks an eye open at the sound of fluttering birds. His across the way neighbor scared them with her stretching, the dark fabric of her sorry excuse for a robe falling off her shoulders with her hands extended above her head. Uraraka's eyes are closed and a goofy smile threatens to break her face in two. The lazy ass clearly just woke up, judging by her crazy hair and revealing nightgown, and yet, he feels his chest tighten. She is becoming more beautiful every day. He feels a smile creep upon his face, completely enthralled in watching her greet the day like she's never seen the sun before.
His phone pings, pulling his eyes away from her figure heading back inside her apartment.
u SpaceNMochi made a new post. /u
Of course she posts for the first time in months with such an Uraraka caption. He swears he can hear her giggle as he reads the caption itself. He double taps the picture, clicks his phone off, and closes his eyes. A little sun nap feels like a good idea. It's not like he has any other dire plans to get to today. Yeah, a nap feels good.
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She forgets to buy her favorite creamer on her weekend off. She huffs, staring into the cupboards. Just sugar won't cut it today. No, she's dreaming of butterscotch medium roast coffee and a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese, lounging in her chair, letting the sun kiss her face as she read her favorite dragon adventure.
Did she leave some at Bakugou's place? Maybe if she texts him, she can catch him before he leaves for work. She nibbles on her inner cheek, looking out the living room balcony doors. Or she could take the chance he was home, had left his door unlocked, and had a bit of his Irish creamer he kept for special occasions. It wasn't butterscotch but it's equally as satisfying.
"Might as well," she mutters, bracing herself on her railing. She hardly feels a difference anymore as she activates her quirk and launches herself in an arc to his. She lands on her tiptoes, holding her arms high like she deserves tens across the board.
"I'd give that a nine, Cheeks."
"Ahhhhhh!" Uraraka leaps back up into the sky and nearly floats away in surprise when his hand grabs her ankle, tethering her to him. She calms slightly, realizing that it is indeed Bakugou and not a stranger.
"Fuck, why are you screaming?"
"Why are you here?!" She grips her heart, trying to calm it down. How had she not seen him on the couch?
He shakes his head and laughs, yanking her leg to bring her down.
"I live here! What are you doing sailing across the street in your nightgown?"
She releases herself, landing and tying her robe closed. Well, she had indeed forgotten she is still in her quite revealing nightgown.
He gives a sarcastic clap as she dramatically bows.
"Well, I'm out of creamer and I thought I could stea—uh! Borrow some of your secret stash." Uraraka skips over to the fridge, knowing he won't say no. She toys at the door, grinning at his shaking head. "So, partner, can I borrow some cream?"
"You're so dumb." He motions behind her, signalling her to go ahead.
"You're confused. You meant I'm so cute," she sings, spinning inside his living room.
"You can be both, Floaty. Go get the damn creamer already." He lays back down on the patio couch, listening to her hum around his apartment. Maybe he should invite her to stay for lunch? She did mention how she wanted to watch this new suspense movie with him.
The sound of the door closing breaks his thoughts.
"Hey, Katsuki? If I buy a hammock, will you watch the stars with me?" She doesn't wait for a response. With a hand on the couch, she vaults over its back to flop on his chest, grinning when he jerks around her. His hands settle on her waist as she molds into his body. She can't help the sigh that forms on her lips when he moves his leg and they seem to melt into one another. It still feels like the first time they held each other—natural, like it's where they are meant to be.
He puffs out a grunt, his chest heaving beneath her. He watches her with narrowed eyes, but she doesn't miss the upturn of his lips at her antics. "Oi," he grunts, "you can't just fall on someone. You're gonna hurt yourself." She clasps her hands over his chest, cocking her head to the side.
"Nah, you've been catching me for years now." She shakes her head in such a cute way he has the urge to pinch her cheeks. Uraraka smirks. "So, back to the stars. Yes or no, Kacchan?"
He snorts, poking her in the ribs at the nickname.
"We can't see the stars from the city. Plus neither one of us has a hammock—mine is back in Musutafu." She pouts as Bakugou scoffs but keeps his gaze with intent upon her.
"I'll go buy one. You'll put it up. Boom, stargazing." She says it so matter of fact that Bakugou knows better than to argue. He should've known she would make the solution sound so simple. So much for his plan-free, people-free weekend.
He mutters this thought aloud, letting a few strands of her hair fall between his fingers.
"Oh, please, like we can stay away from each other. There's always a pull." She nuzzles her cheek on his chest, ending the conversation. Neither of them comments on the twin blushes they are sporting or the fact that the creamer is now forgotten on the side table.
That was the understatement of their lives.
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After cuddling for an hour in the morning sun, Bakugou pushes her off (literally, laughing as she hits the floor with a thud), and sends her back over to her apartment. Knowing she has an audience in the form of her neighbor, she completes a few flips before sticking the landing. She turns to him to see him hold up eight fingers, indulgently lifting the ninth after she pouts.
He takes her leave as a sign to transition back to his original plan of watching old, saved movies. Uraraka is probably serious about him putting up her hammock so he turns on the sports documentary the guys had been talking about, commenting something about the similarities between him and number 23 "being a dick but raising the bar." Pssht, whatever.
Forty-five minutes pass. Then, a ringing coming from his phone draws his attention. He smirks, knowing the only person who would be annoying enough to take the time to facetime him.
He answers the call and says, "You've barely been gone an hour. What do you want?"
"Don't be like that! I don't know what I'm looking at. I didn't know there were so many options!" Uraraka whines looking at him through the phone. He groans in response, running his fingers through his hair.
"Of course you didn't research it," he grunts. Her bottom lip is sticking out as her cheeks bubble up. Sighing, he decides to relent. "Okay, well, what do you want it to do? Like just to lounge in, or to camp in?"
"I don't know! I want to like... lay in it, and be comfortable." Her eyes are watering. "Like for real, why are there so many options? I'm so overwhelmed and these jerks aren't helpful at all." She flips her camera and steps back to show him the wall of hammocks. No wonder she's stressed out, the wall is massive with all sorts of brands and styles. His lips tick down, mentally kicking himself for not going with her.
"Look for any double parachute hammock that says breathable nylon. Then you'll have to go get the accessories." He grins a little as she takes a deep breath.
"I wish I brought you here." The sentiment is heard although he wasn't sure it was meant for his ears. Nonetheless, he pretends like he didn't hear her and just sits his phone up on the coffee table. "Okay, I want to find a purple one… Hm, not that purple. Dang, these are some ugly colors… Oh, wait!" She shoves her phone on the shelf.
"One, two, three, four, five," he starts counting as he watches her walk past her phone, muttering something he can't quite place.
He smirks.
"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
She forgot her phone.
Head rolling back, he stretches along the couch still counting. His count reaches twenty-two when her voice comes back. Yes, she took 22 seconds before finding his phone again.
"Oh my god, Katsuki! I lost you!"
"Quit putting your phone down, dummy. It took twenty-two seconds this time!"
"Better than the last time. Now, accessories! What do I need?"
They end up on facetime throughout her trip and continue on the way home. He complains constantly about her bothering him but they both know it's not true. There's a moment where she must have forgotten he was still in the phone, because, in the middle of her song, she blares her horn at someone, and lifts a middle finger. When he barks a laugh, she turns a lovely shade of pink, looking at him with widening eyes.
"Maybe I should start calling you Mean Cheeks instead of Sweet Cheeks?" He smirks at her.
"Shove it, Kittykat."
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He meets her at her door, opting for walking like a normal person rather than doing balcony Olympics like she would, and starts putting the hammock up on her balcony.
Uraraka comes out to start geeking out about which constellations they may catch tonight when she gets distracted by her phone ringing.
Putting it next to her ear, she answers. "Hey, Izuku! Yeah, he's right here—Kat, say hey to Izuku!"
"No." His grip fails on the hammer, causing him to quick-step to avoid smashing his foot. As the rest of the parts scatter, he glares at her and the phone. "Goddammit, Ochako!" She scratches the back of her head, moving inside to leave him alone.
Cursing under his breath, he moves back to put this stupid hammock up for this annoying woman to look at the starts when he catches pieces of her conversation.
Deku is doing well in the States but misses them both. She lets Deku know that she's also doing well here and has enjoyed working with Bakugou. She talks about how cool their combined moves are getting and how she can't wait to show Deku when he comes to visit. Pride erupts from Bakugou's chest as he soaks in her words.
The hammer drowns out her voice as he suddenly is refreshed, ready to finish this project.
It only takes a few moments without her distracting him. The deep purple hammock is in between her bedroom and living room outside doors at an angle that blocks the walkway, although he did make sure to make the railing side easier to get off in case she wanted to open it back up.
Bakugou walks through her apartment to find her still video calling the nerd, her back to the hallway. He shoots Deku a quick text before he begins to move silently behind her.
"Tell me about your last mission!" Good, so Deku got the message.
Uraraka begins ranting about the bank robbery she stopped a few days earlier as Bakugou comes behind her, his steps stealthy. In one swift motion, his arms encircle her waist, pulling her back.
In the deepest voice he can muster, his mouth moves to her ear.
"Gotcha!" She tries to jump up out of his arms with a blood-curdling scream but his grip halters her. Dropping her phone, which rings with Midoriya's hysterical laughter, she activates her quirk on him. In a reflex, he holds fast, waiting for her to process what just happened. He is rewarded with the sight of a breathless, red, seething Uraraka.
He chuckles at her when she releases him and bends to pick up her phone. "Katsuki Bakugou, I will murder you in your sleep!"
"Yeah, yeah." He rolls his eyes. "Make sure you murder Deku. He knew too." If he wasn't going to make it to his twenty-second birthday neither was the nerd. He jumps over the back of the couch, throwing his arms over the back while she plops beside him. They immediately adjust themselves to a more intimate position. He sighs and puts his head closer to her. They really didn't have boundaries.
"Kacchan! Don't throw me under the bus! Besides, I don't need to be murdered when I finally get to see you guys next week!"
"Oi, you're coming home?"
Uraraka leans back, holding her phone above them as Bakugou presses his cheek into her hair to get a better look at Midoriya on the phone. Midoriya is in his trademark green hero suit typing at his desk. It's late at night where he is so Bakugou assumes he is finishing reports.
But when his pockets begin buzzing, Bakugou narrows his eyes, knowing Midoriya is somehow texting him from the computer. He assumes the message is something about good luck with the night plans and how "comfy she looks there" in his arms. Shitty nerd.
"Yeah. I'm coming home for two weeks on a strict no hero vacation! I have to turn in my hero license and leave my costume here at the office." Midoriya turns back to the camera with a knowing glance at the not-couple. The too stubborn, actually basically dating, not-couple in front of him.
Bakugou scoffs under his breath.
"I'm headed out. G'night guys." He doesn't wait for a response before the line dies.
Uraraka drops her phone on the sofa, and curls into Bakugou more. His hand begins to rub circles on her hips as she hums. After a few moments, he pulls back to look at her.
"Ya good?" He nudges her head with his shoulder. Not that he minds the affection and attention, he just wants to make sure he isn't missing anything.
"Mmm. Yeah, I guess? I need to go on a run and call my parents." As she begins moving off the couch, he grabs her hand, holding her in place. Her face shifts from confusion to a softness that makes his heart stutter. Uraraka sighs and nods at him, giving a soft smile. "Really, I'm fine." She pats his cheek before pulling from him. "Thanks for putting up the hammock. Feel free to join me tonight after sunset."
He leaves after she walks into her bedroom. Walking back to his apartment, he checks the messages he has been ignoring.
Shitty Deku (10:50a) purple hammock? stargazing? Soul Knitter would be laughing at how stubborn you are being.
Shitty Deku (10:52a) She looks good, Kacchan. She's happy, working with you. Imagine how happy she'll be when you tell her.
Shitty Deku (10:55a) I honestly don't know who's more stubborn. Her, who knows her fate, or you, who declared his own fate, and refuses to act on it.
Kacchan (10:58a) Distract her. Ask about her last mission.
Shitty Deku (10:58a) Kay.
Shitty Deku (11:00a) She looks like she was made to be there. Oh, wait. She was. You're such a dumbass.
Kacchan changed to Dumbass Kacchan.
Dumbass Kacchan (11:20a) I'm swinging on sight. Be prepared.
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When Uraraka returns home from her run, her muscles are singing at the pleasant, welcome burning.
Hopefully, the aerial movements she had practiced during the run would allow Bakugou more freedom in the field. She catches herself looking out her window again. Her chest is unusually heavy today whenever she thinks of him, which unfortunately had been constant throughout the day. She hadn't meant to hijack his day off and yet it always happens.
Whenever any of them has the day off, they would blow up the other's phone all day with messages, memes, videos, snaps—anything that keeps the attention on the one at home.
"No. Do not bother him. He needs a break from your crazy," Uraraka mumbles to herself, walking out onto the patio.
She yelps as her feet touch the heated wood panels and runs quickly to the only furniture outside. Jumping, Uraraka tries to dive into the hammock, fumbling with the fabric before being thrown back first onto the floor. It's only when she screams out a curse that she hears howling laughter and her phone ringing.
She floats herself up, gripping the side of the hammock as she answers the phone.
"Now, that was a ten out of ten. Encore please!" She carefully positions herself before dropping her body into the hammock. It rocks at the body weight but thankfully holds.
Uraraka glares across the way at Bakugou, who is leaning on his forearms, shirtless, against the railing. There's a smug grin on his face.
"Screw you!" She burrows further down inside the hammock. Why is he always nearby when she does embarrassing things?
"Hammock kicked your ass, huh?"
She holds her phone high in the air, above the purple fabric, as her right pointer finger touches the red button for him to see. He continues to laugh as she peeks to watch him go back inside his apartment. A sigh bubbles on her lips. There should be a limit on how attractive he is allowed to become. He had continued to fill out since high school and she always made sure to let her eyes linger a little longer on his waist during training sessions or missions.
Right. She shouldn't think about his amazing sculpted body that is a gift from the gods, lest of all in front of him.
First, she needs to figure out how to get out of the hammock without flying out.
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As the sun begins to set, Uraraka stretches from the hammock, which is now her absolutely favorite place ever. She managed to remove herself from it earlier, but had come back with a rolling cart of supplies to last the rest of the afternoon.
Drinks, snacks, books, and her speaker kept great company.
Uraraka took regular breaks to keep Bakugou updated. Her heart skips every time she sees a notification that says u BlastsbyBaku liked your post /u and erupts when it says u BlastsbyBaku commented on your post. /u
She scrolls back throughout the pictures from today. Her favorite is still the screenshot from the facetime with Midoriya. She managed to perfectly capture her boys—Midoriya with his wide smile in the corner waving at Bakugou, who looked annoyed to be asked to greet his childhood rival turned good friend.
u SpaceNMochi: {Sunshine} Saturdays are for the boys. They love me, I swear.
BlastsbyBaku commented: I better be the favorite after being forced into manual labor on my day off.
SpaceNMochi replied: well you were until you cackled at my pain XP
BlastsbyBaku replied: Hammock 1 - Cheeks 0/u
Uraraka's cheeks dust pink at the idea of some of their ex-classmates seeing their conversation, but she continues to tell herself that she doesn't owe them anything. The pair was just as they've always been: just Ochako and Katsuki.
Bakugou walks through her darkened apartment after knocking softly against the door, knowing that she is still in the purple contraption. He sets down the six pack of pear cider as he leans a hip on the railing, taking her in. Her head is sticking out of the hammock but her body is rolled inside.
"You look ridiculous, Ochako." At his voice, her nose raises and her mouth twitches.
"Ridiculously comfortable, you mean." She grins and he shakes his head. "You need to fix that score online. Hammock 1, Cheeks 3. I successfully left and got back in without falling." Uraraka beams at him and he's left looking over his shoulder up to the clear dark sky.
"I think you mean Hammock 2, Cheeks 2. I know for an absolute fact you fell out of it earlier." His eyes flick to hers. "And I got it on video."
"You did not!" She gapes at him. He wouldn't dare post it.
Crud.
Bakugou would absolutely post it.
He shrugs his shoulders as he moves toward her. He sits down in the middle of the hammock, his legs swinging off the side. She sits up and moves to lean into him as they both look up. They can see some stars being on the south side of the city but not as many as she wanted.
Uraraka glances up at her best friend. When did he become her person? She knows she has Midoriya but this— he has always been so different. Her heart is suddenly in her throat.
She has to ask the question she has been dying slowly over for years now. Please don't let it ruin this. Them. Us.
"Hey." She smooths out her face to hide the shock of how soft her voice sounds.
"Hey, yourself."
"Do you ever regret not asking Masae for your fate? All those years ago?" She looks away from him, worried about his answer.
His body turns rigid before exhaling on a low whistle. He doesn't say anything but readjusts them so she is closer to him, curling into his side with her knees on his thighs. She plays with his hand, afraid to move any more than her fingers, as his other drums against her hip.
"No, I don't." His voice is thick but confident. He stills their fingers and Uraraka tenses. He's about to ask if she did. But then, everything would be ruined. Would she continue to lie to herself? Would she be honest? But what of the prophecy? Would he shrug off her feelings?
Uraraka remembers Midoriya swearing Bakugou loves her and she knows that. But soulmates? He scoffed at the thought when they were younger. Would older, wiser, Pro Hero Ground Zero do the same? God, she wants to disappear.
He continues, "But you do, don't you?" She feels the tears pricking her eyes at his tired tone. He doesn't want to talk about this but is trying to force himself for her. He does everything for her.
"I... I don't regret it per say.'' Uraraka clears her throat. "I mean, it helped Izuku and I become us, yaknow? But—" She nibbles her inner cheek, looking at the sky and avoiding his intense gaze. "But I do wonder, what might have been if we didn't know? I don't know. I say it doesn't bother me but it does." Her fingers weave into his firmly and taking a steadying breath, she finally turns to him.
His vermilion eyes are soft in the glow of the moon, widening in anticipation.
"And I know you think about it more than I do, Katsuki. That's why you let me in, but never let me stay."
"What are you—"
"You're extremely attentive of me." She moves, throwing her leg fully over his lap and bending the other at the knee behind his shoulder, practically locking him at his waist. When he immediately melds back into her, she smiles softly at his blush. "You're so supportive of me. God you're so strong." Her hand goes to hold his cheek, but he brushes it off as if her touch would distract him.
"Cheeks, you're losing me here."
"What if I'm your purple thread?"
His sharp inhale warns her that he is about to shut this conversation down. She moves quickly, firmly straddling his waist and gripping his face again. The hammock jerks at the sudden movement but Bakugou's hands fly towards her to stop them from flipping out and pumps his legs to start swinging them.
"Don't pull away from me. Katsuki, I love you. And I've been in love with you for a long time now." Her tears drop slowly from her lashes. His eyes glint very quickly, moving between shock, happiness, hesitation, and finally landing on anger. He thinks she is setting him up to be hurt.
Midoriya had warned her of this ages ago "He is worried about the 'star maker' showing up,'' Midoriya had said, "and stealing you from him, but he won't ever say it."
Her eyes flash with anger too.
"Stop that! You, Katsuki Bakugou, make me incredibly happy. You. Like, just being in the same room as you brings me joy. Making you smile makes my entire soul shake. Izuku says I vibrate with happiness when I'm with you."
"Deku put you up to this? I'm going to murder him this time. That little shit, confusing you—" She cuts him off, pounding his chest with a closed fist.
"You love me. Tell me you love me. I know you do." Her eyes are frantic as they search his face for a sign of reciprocated feelings. There's no way she was wrong about this. His eyes glisten with unshed tears.
"Ochako, I... I'm not the amazing person Soul Knitter told you about. I'm human and I fail all the time. I'm just me," he whispers dejectedly, his thumb running over her cheeks and wiping her tears.
Uraraka leans forward, touching her forehead to his. "And you are the one I want."
She doesn't wait for an answer before connecting their lips.
And they finally see the stars that the city lights had been hiding.
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After several hours of stargazing, some of which were with their eyes closed, Bakugou detangles himself from her to return to his place. She refuses to let go of his hand, pulling him back into her for another round of goodbyes.
They had decided for the weekend, they would pretend they had never met Soul Knitter. For the weekend, she would be Ochako who loves Katsuki and he would be Katsuki who loves Ochako. No destiny to try and live up to, no heartbreaks when the true star maker appears, no unwanted labels to complicate things. Just two people who love one another.
On Monday, when the sun came up, they'd go back to being friends. The best of friends. But very clearly defined friends. Neither brought up the impending doom of never being able to go back to being just friends. Instead, they chose to be happy with the time they were given.
Uraraka gives him his gravity back as he reaches his balcony. He watches the hammock swing back and forth as he turns toward his bedroom, shaking his head at the fact she would probably sleep under the stars tonight.
As he is laying down in his bed, his phone pings. Knowing who it must be, he unlocks his phone.
u SpaceNMochi made a new post. /u
u SpaceNMochi: Counting the stars with my sun. Wishing time would slow down~ /u
She captions a set of pictures. The first is the sky with a star filter on it, the second shows four tangled feet in the corner of the hammock, and the third and last picture is of him pointing to the sky. Sneaky girl must have taken it while he was trying to point out the constellations she had taught him over the years.
He types a comment and clicks his phone off, falling asleep with a smile on his face, and a warm feeling in his chest.
u BlastsbyBaku commented: The Sun fell in love with the Moon when all was golden in the sky./u
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