Day 3: Part 2 - Sunglasses
By the time Katsuki made it back to The Sea Cliffs, Uraraka was snoring softly into his ear. In any other situation, he would have dropped her into the shallow waves and continued walking - he wasn't a damn palanquin, for fuck's sake. But even Katsuki knew when to swallow his pride, and also that doing something like that would be in very poor taste. As he trudged over the sand, knapsack thumping against his stomach, Katsuki shifted his shoulders under his sleeping classmate so that she wouldn't fall off of his back. Besides, he thought, Uraraka had probably had enough of the sea for today.
Katsuki turned his head to look at the girl out of the corner of his eye. It was a well known fact that he was a difficult person to scare, and he took great pride in that. So when he had hung up his phone after talking with his mother and turned around, the jolt of fear that turned his spine to ice was no small thing. Uraraka was just... gone. Her powder blue tank top was nowhere to be seen among the throngs of people, nor could Katuski hear her voice over the chatter of the crowd and the crashing of the sea. A multitude of scenarios popped up in Katsuki mind, a list of possibilities where each thought was more wild and drastic than the last. Something was wrong, he could tell by the painful knot in his gut. Uraraka could be in danger, and that was what scared him the most.
Then he heard her cry for help, and his body moved before he could think.
Huffing a sigh, the boy stopped for a second so he could adjust his hold on Uraraka. After he had heard her story, Katsuki couldn't help but wonder what he would have done in that situation. Actually, he knew exactly what he would have done: snatch the child from danger and drag the little snot - probably kicking and screaming - back to his mother. Sure, his tactic probably would have garnered a vastly different reaction than what Uraraka had received, but he would have gotten the job done and nobody would have gotten hurt. It was unlikely that the boy's parents would have been grateful, but Katuski didn't need their approval. That, it seemed, was the essential difference between him and Uraraka. Where Katsuki was content to simply rescue, she would go the extra mile and actually save people. He knew fully well now that the two were not the same, All Might had seen to that. Uraraka had already known that intuitively - and Katsuki wasn't sure if he should admire her for that, or hate her.
And yet, she had been the one to call him a hero. It made him feel... good, in a way. He tried not to think about it too much.
He carried her up the stone steps of the hotel and off of the sandy beach. The green, pampered grass of the lawn was cool beneath his sandy feet. Other hotel guests had laid out towels on the grass, families and groups of friends sun-bathing, having picnics, and playing games. If any of them thought the sight of a young boy carrying a sleeping girl on his back was strange, they made no show of it. Not like Katsuki would have cared. He had gone as far as he could, though, and by now he was already ten minutes late for lunch with his parents. It was time to wake up Uraraka.
"Hey." Katuski jerked his shoulder under Uraraka's chin, causing her head to loll. "Quit drooling on me."
Her eyes cracked open slowly, a small moan escaping her as she looked around blearily. The heat of the sun and the salt from the ocean made Uraraka's hair coil a little tighter around her head, framing her face in wavy brown curls. Katsuki could see her consciousness slowly returning in her features. When she looked at him, though, it was like she was looking straight through him. Uraraka stared at him with half open eyes for a few seconds, face blank of all thought. Then her eyes snapped wide and she leapt from Katsuki's back like a cat dropped in a bath.
"Bakugo!" Uraraka screeched in his ear. As soon as her tender feet hit the stone tile beneath them, she winced and lost her balance. "Ow!"
Her hand shot out to Katsuki's shoulder, seeking stability. But she missed, and grabbed the knapsack still hanging on Katsuki's chest instead and yanked on it hard. The ropes of the drawstrings burned against the sides of his neck as she pulled on the bag.
"Agh!" Katsuki reflexively dropped his shoulders, letting the knapsack slip off and drop gracelessly to the ground. When he reached up a hand to his neck, the touch of his fingers stung against agitated skin. "What the hell, Pink Cheeks?!"
"I'm so sorry," Uraraka frowned. She was lightly dancing from one foot to the other, her toes flexing and curling. "You just surprised me."
Katsuki felt a harsh retort rising in his throat, but swallowed it as he watched Uraraka bite her lip, hissing through her teeth as she tried her keep her feet off the hot stones of the walkway. Her feet had stopped bleeding, but he knew full well how sensitive the soles were. It was a shame her flip flops had been swept away by the ocean.
"Whatever," Katsuki scoffed as he kicked off his sandals. They would be too big for her, and went over to top of the foot rather than between the toes, but they would have to do. "Just don't do that again. Now put those on and let's go. You look ridiculous prancing around like that."
Turning away from her, Katsuki stooped over, picked up his pack, and padded away from Uraraka. By the sound of it, she only hesitated for a moment before conceding to wearing his shoes and following after him. His over-sized sandals slapped noisily on the ground with each step that Uraraka took with her puny feet, but he could tell that they brought her some much needed relief. The baked stone of the walkway was hot even for him, but it was nothing that Katsuki couldn't manage if he kept walking.
"Thank you," Uraraka said behind him. The rhythmic flap flop of her footsteps was obnoxiously loud. "But I think if this trend keeps up, I'm gonna end up wearing all of your clothes by the end of this trip."
The undignified snort that erupted from Katsuki's nose surprised him more than it did Uraraka, but he managed to pass it off as a sneeze before she could realize what was happening. Honestly, the image of Uraraka dressed in some of his outfits was equal parts hilariously entertaining and awkwardly embarrassing. There was no way his hero costume would work on her. The colors would clash too much. She could probably pull off most of his casual get ups, though.
"You're not keeping my shoes," Katsuki grunted as he lead the way through the lobby of The Sea Cliffs, leaving the beach behind and heading toward the garden alcove where he knew his parents would be waiting for him. "And you can forget about getting anywhere near my sunglasses."
Uraraka chuckled, but the smile faded a little from her face after a moment. "Hey, speaking of which, have you seen mine?"
"Your what?"
"My sunglasses." Uraraka ran a hand through her hair, making sure they weren't resting on top of her head. "Did I put them in your bag?"
Huffing a sigh, Katsuki removed his knapsack once again and pulled it open. He didn't carry much in his bag; just his shirt, wallet, phone, sunscreen, and Uraraka's wallet. Her cheap ray bands weren't in there. He looked up at her and shook his head. Pursing her lips, Uraraka stared through Katsuki for a few heartbeats as she drifted off into thought. Katsuki could see the exact moment when realization hit her on her face, the way her features relaxed and how her eyes snapped back into focus.
"You know, I bet they got knocked off when I got hit by that wave," she said, biting her lip in embarrassment.
"Yeah, probably." It made sense. Uraraka had her sunglasses when they arrived at the tide pools, but not when they left. After the little fiasco, the both of them had been too flustered to notice until now. The ocean had probably snatched those away, as well. Uraraka had lost her shoes and her sunglasses in a span of seconds, but at least she hadn't lost something much more important. Katsuki did feel bad for her - but not bad enough to even consider lending her his aviators. The ray bands had been cheesy knock-offs anyway. "Guess you'll just have to manage."
Uraraka huffed a sigh and followed after Katsuki as he crossed through the lobby.
Not two minutes later did the two teenagers arrive at the entrance to the garden. On the island side of the resort The Sea Cliffs had terraformed the landscape into a two tiered green way. The top level of the garden hosted a sit down cafe that Katsuki's parents loved, while the lower level was laid out as an open yard where the luau's took place. Katsuki paused here, not entirely sure what to do next. Uraraka had spent all morning with him, and they hadn't made any plans to do anything else. Most likely scenario, this was where they would part ways for the day... maybe even for the rest of the week. Nothing in their deal said that they had to spend time together. Katsuki was displeased with the notion, though, and he couldn't explain why. Perhaps he was disappointed that he wouldn't get to reap the benefits of Uraraka's green card as much as he had hoped.
"So..." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his swim trunks, casting his eyes to the floor. "I guess you'll be going to find your folks, or something?"
Uraraka twiddled her thumbs in front of her, her gaze likewise fixed away from his face. "Yeah. I'll go check the hotel room first, if they aren't there then I'll see if I can find Jason, he might know where they are."
"Right." Biting his lip, Katsuki tapped his bare foot on the cool tile. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. Should he invite her to lunch? Katsuki immediately dismissed the idea, because he just knew that his parents would start getting funny ideas if he did. Besides, it would be selfish of him to keep her from spending time with her own family. Slinging his knapsack off of his back once more, Katsuki fished Uraraka's wallet from inside and presented it to her. "Good luck with that."
"Thanks." Uraraka nodded, smiling brightly at him as she accepted her affects. Rubbing her thumbs over the starry pattern, the teenage girl chewed on her cheek. "Oh, you'll probably be wanting your shoes back, too."
Before she could kick his sandals off, Katsuki shook his head. "We both know that you need them more than me. Just hang on to them."
Uraraka stared at him for a second, and he could tell that she was surprised. Then her smile returned, but with a touch of coyness. "I thought you said I couldn't keep them."
"You aren't." Katsuki corrected with his own grin. "Cause you're gonna give 'em back to me tomorrow, right Pink Cheeks?"
It might have just been his imagination, but Uraraka's eye practically lit up at his words. She gave him an affirmative nod, and for a second Katsuki thought that she might try to hug him. But she didn't, and they couldn't stall any longer. So, with a small "see you later", Uraraka turned and walked away from Katsuki, heading back to the lobby to begin the search for her mom and dad. Katsuki watched her go, and it seemed that she was taking something more than his shoes with her. Sighing, the young man turned to the garden and scanned the tables for his parents. He spotted them sitting at their usual table, beneath a Plumeria tree. Katsuki was three steps into the garden before he realized with a jerk that they weren't alone.
"Pink Cheeks!"
The telltale smack of his sandals drawing closer harrowed her return, the hurried flap flop flap flop of Uraraka's footsteps growing louder as she rejoined him at his side.
"What is it?" She asked, sounding a little out of breath.
Rubbing one hand down his face in exasperation, Katuski lifted the other and pointed across the garden. "I found your parents."
The Uraraka's and the Bakugo's sat together with drinks in front of them, and they seemed to be having a grand ol' time, too. Katsuki and Uraraka watched as their parents all burst into laughter at something her father had said. Uraraka's mother was the one who spotted them. After pointing them out to the rest of the occupants at the table, all four of them waved and beckoned the two teenagers over. Katsuki and Uraraka shared one look with each other before stepping into the garden together to join their parents.
The contrast in temperature between the beach and the garden was astounding, but not surprising. Here, there were Hibiscus and Plumeria trees to provide shade and protection from the sun. A stone fountain depicting two dolphins twining around each other bubbled in the center of the courtyard, creating a peaceful ambiance and a sense of escape. The wicker chairs were padded, the tables had clean cloths, and the American-style food smelled excellent. It was almost like taking a vacation from vacation.
The only thing that seemed to top off everything was the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka's blue cards basically allowed them to get unlimited booze for free, which they gladly shared with their new friends, the Bakugo's. Katsuki could already tell that his mom was looking a little red, and Ochaco had a feeling her dad, a devoted beer-drinker, was enjoying his Mai Tai more than he should have been.
When the two teenagers sat down at the table with their parents, the older folks hooray-ed and whooped like they were the guests of honor that had finally arrived.
"Hey, you guys made it!" Mrs. Bakugo cheered, lifting her glass up to greet them. "Now the real fun can begin!"
"Honey!" Mr. Bakugo scolded with a laugh. "Not so loud, we're in public."
"Did you guys have a good time?" Mrs. Uraraka asked them. She was probably the most-sober out of the four of them, but that wasn't really saying much. "See anything neat?"
Katsuki and Ochaco looked at each other. Before either could say anything, a waitress in a light purple polo shirt appeared by the table and laid two glasses of water in front of them. She greeted them with a cheery "Aloha", and asked if they would like anything else to drink. Ochaco, who didn't fully understand, deferred to Katsuki, telling him she wanted the same drink he had gotten for her the day before. He relayed her order in English to the waitress - apparently the beverage was called "Coke" here in America. Katsuki didn't order anything for himself. After carrying Ochaco on his back across the beach in the blazing sun, water was the only thing he wanted. The waitress smiled, nodded, and stated she would be back later to take their food orders.
"The food here is great!" Mrs. Bakugo exclaimed. Then she leaned over the table, her eyes locked on Ochaco. "Have you ever had real American food, my dear?"
Katsuki rolled his eyes, his suspicions that his mom already had a bit too much to drink confirmed - she became very friendly when she was drunk, and called everyone "dear", "sweetheart", and other pet names.
"Only the stuff that they make back home," Ochaco answered. Honestly, she was just glad that her mom's earlier question about the tide pools seemed to have been forgotten. She didn't want to worry her parents with her near-death experience - and she didn't want to make Katsuki look bad in front of his. "I like to go to McRonald's sometimes, because it's cheap and filling."
Mrs. Bakugo's lips curled into a sneer at the mention of the fast-food franchise. "That's just a knock-off, sweetheart. Hell, that isn't even what it's called here! But I'm talking about real American food; like hamburgers, pizza, hotdogs, or apple pie?"
Ochaco blinked, and shook her head. Then she turned to Katsuki and asked under her breath "Wait, what do they call it here?"
Ochaco's dad burst into laughter. "I'm afraid none of us ever had the luxury of affording real American food."
Mrs. Bakugo gasped as if Mr. Uraraka had punched her in the face. "This is unacceptable, and must be remedied at once!"
As if summoned by magic, the waitress in the purple polo appeared once more, a smile on her face. Mrs. Bakugo fixed her in a hard stare, and then loudly claimed-
"We'll have one of everything!"
The waitress didn't react, didn't move or write anything down. Her expression wavered into confusion as the occupants of the table all stared at her, waiting to see what she would do next. Mrs. Bakugo cocked an eyebrow at the girl, curious why the waitress didn't rush off to place the excessively large order. Then she noticed that her husband and the Uraraka's were snickering, trying to contain their laughter.
"What? Too much?" She asked, embarrassment reddening her already pink cheeks. Her enthusiasm didn't seem to match the atmosphere of the table like she had thought. But Mr. Bakugo just laid a hand on her shoulder and managed to speak between giggles.
"Honey," he started, face red and small tears in his eyes. "You just yelled at the poor American girl in Japanese!"
Mrs. Bakugo blinked, her lips forming a small 'o' as she realized that she had forgotten to switch over to English before speaking. She snorted, and all the adults at the table burst into laughter. Ochaco, too, put a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles. Katsuki slumped back in his chair and slapped a palm over his eyes. His parents must have been drunker than he suspected if they were forgetting how to speak English. But he was hungry - his aching and growling belly wouldn't let him forget that - and the waitress hadn't budged, although she did seem at a loss. Since his parents were too caught up in their laughter, Katsuki decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Hey," he said in English, and the waitress's head snapped around to him. "Sorry about them. Just bring us two baskets of fries for now."
Smile returning, the waitress quickly wrote down the order, then rushed off after a small "thank you". Katsuki turned back to the table where his and Ochaco's parents were still huffing and wheezing through their laughter. His dad's face was a red as a candied apple, and Ochaco's mom had her forehead buried into the table cloth. Katuski rolled his eyes and picked up his glass of water.
"You know what, I like you guys," Mrs. Bakugo stated as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Hey! How about you guys join us for our fishing trip tomorrow?"
Ochaco and her parents perked up. Katsuki jerked in surprise, coughing and spluttering around his mouthful of water, but his folks ignored him. Her father leaned forward, intrigued by the notion.
"Fishing trip?" He asked. "What kind of fishing trip?"
"Every time we come here, we charter a boat to take us out for some deep sea fishing," Mr. Bakugo explained, clearly the subject expert. "The boat captain is an old friend of ours who immigrated here, so he speaks Japanese."
Ochaco had never heard of "deep sea fishing", but it sounded strange and mysterious. Her father, however, had a glimmer in his eyes that was different from the glaze of alcohol.
"The boat might be a little cramped for six people," Mrs. Bakugo picked up, sharing a considerate look with her husband. "But I'm sure Captain Kobe won't mind."
"What would we be catching?" Mr. Uraraka asked, with a tad too much enthusiasm.
"Mostly tuna," Mr. Bakugo replied, a dreamy look in his eye. "But if we're lucky, we might catch some sailfish!"
Ochaco's dad seemed to forget how to breath for a second, and his eyes were far away - probably somewhere on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a rod in his hand. She could practically see the desire on her father's face, and she couldn't really blame him for being excited. Mr. Uraraka led a busy life, after all. His job as a construction manager kept him too preoccupied to pursue any interests, and his job as a husband and dad took precedence on his days off. This opportunity was too good to pass up.
"I think that sounds great!" Turning to his wife, Ochaco's dad looked to her desperately. "What do you say, honey? I don't think Jason has anything planned for us tomorrow."
Mrs. Uraraka hesitated, and Ochaco knew exactly why. Just like her, her mom had a sensitive stomach. Even Ochaco had to admit that the thought of being on a rocking boat surrounded by rolling waves made her a little queasy. Mrs. Uraraka, however, smiled at her husband and laid a hand on top of his.
"I'm okay with it," she said, and Mr. Uraraka's face lit up like the sun. "But only if Ochaco wants to go."
Her parents both turned to look at her. She in turn looked to Katsuki. If anybody was going to give her a reason not to go, it would be him. This was part of his family vacation, and if he didn't want her butting in on it, then she wouldn't. Spending a day on a boat with him and his family, she had to admit, did sound like a lot of fun. If there was anything she had learned over the short couple of days that she had been in Hawaii, it was that where ever Katsuki was, so was an adventure. Either way she would respect his wishes. Ochaco watched carefully as he sat back in his chair, crossed his arms, and gave her a shrug, as if to say "why not?"
That was as close to a yes that Ochaco was going to get, and her stomach fluttered with excitement. "I would love to go!"
"Then it's decided!" Mrs. Bakugo cheered. "We leave first thing in the morning. Make sure you bring lots of sunscreen and a hat to cover your face!"
His parents grinned widely as they dove into the details and itinerary of the fishing trip with the Urarakas. Katsuki couldn't find it in himself to feel annoyed, but there was no way he was gonna admit that having Ochaco and her parents along sounded like a good time. Her family just seemed so... wholesome.
And speaking of wholesome, the waitress returned once more to the table - but this time, she was carrying two large helpings of fries, still hot and steaming from the fryer. Katsuki's stomach grumbled greedily at the sight of them. Ochaco, too felt her mouth watering from the smell.
"Wow," Ochaco's mom gaped at the food. "They're huge! Why are they so big?"
"That's American food for you." Mrs. Bakugo watched the waitress set the baskets down, and immediately swatted away Katsuki's hand before he could pull it in front of himself. "If you think this is big, just wait until the luau at the end of the week."
"Oh, believe me, we couldn't be more thrilled about the luau." Mrs. Uraraka said as she searched the table and her lap for her napkin.
"Honey, it's on the ground," Mr. Uraraka mumbled to his wife. It had slipped from her legs while she was laughing.
Mrs. Uraraka thanked him and turned to bend over just as everyone else began to help themselves to the food. Ochaco only realized a moment too late that her mother would find more then her napkin under the table.
"Ochaco, honey, who's shoes are those?" Her mother's voice drifted up from the tablecloth. Ochaco yelped when a soft finger suddenly brushed against her toes. "Goodness, what happened to your feet?!"
"Um..." Ochaco fumbled for words, eyes going wide as she looked to Katsuki for help. He only frowned at her. His parents also heard the sudden urgency in her mother's voice. Katsuki's dad pushed out from the table and ducked his head down.
"Those are Katsuki's shoes," he replied. "Your knees are all scraped up, too, kiddo."
Ochaco yelped, her mom's hand grabbing her ankle and pulling her foot up off the ground. Forcing Ochaco to twist her chair around so her leg wouldn't get pinned under the table, Mrs. Uraraka rested her daughter's foot on her lap and removed the sandal, revealing the battered and bruised sole. Her parents gasped at the ruined skin - some of the deeper cuts had pulled apart, exposing raw flesh still pink with agitation.
"Ochaco! What on earth happened?" Her mother looked up at her in worry. Ochaco could only imagine what she was thinking.
"It's not as bad as it looks, mom, I promise."
"Not as bad as it looks?" Her father scoffed. "Your shoes are gone, and your feet look like a first grader's paper mache project. Katsuki is all banged up, too."
Katsuki's mom leaned across the table towards her son and asked, in the loudest whisper possible, "You two weren't... fooling around, were you?"
The silence that overcame the table was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.
"Hell no, mom!" Katsuki shot back, but there was a quaver to his voice. He couldn't tell if the heat on his face was from anger or from certain... images that had popped up in his head because of his mother's words. "That doesn't even make sense!"
"Then what really happened?" Mr. Uraraka asked sincerely. "Please, tell us."
The four adults stared at the two teenagers, more sober now than they had been all afternoon. Ochaco and Katsuki shared a look. His face was still red and flustered, and she knew he wasn't going to be the one to step up and explain their little mishap. That was probably for the best - it would all sound better coming from her. Ochaco told her mother about the events that had transpired at the tide pools, sparing a few details about the near-death experience. When she was done with her short tale, her parents and Katsuki's parents were silent for a long while, starring at the two of them while the french fries got cold.
"Oh honey," her mother started, releasing Ochaco's foot. "That was very brave of you."
"How could you let her get hurt?" Mrs. Bakugo glared at Katsuki from across the table. "You call yourself a hero?"
Katsuki, much to Ochaco's surprise, did not bite back at his mother's jabs. The teenage boy glared up at his mother from underneath the fringe of his hair, but his usual fire was gone, hands gripped into tight fists. Dropping his gaze, Katsuki made a tch sound and squirmed in his chair. Ochaco knew something was wrong - perhaps his mother's words had cut a little deeper this time.
"Now honey, you and I both know that those tide pools have always been dangerous," Mr. Bakugo said in an attempt to placate his wife. He turned to the Uraraka's and continued. "The locals have been trying to get that area secured for years."
"That's no excuse Masaru, and you know it. Please, allow us to make it up to you." Mrs. Bakugo, ignorant to her son's quiet behavior, twisted around in her chair to her purse that was hanging over the back. When she faced forward again, she was holding her clutch wallet in her hands. "There's a really nice little store here, just to the left when you reach the lobby. Go buy yourself a nice pair of sandals, on us."
"No, no that's not necessary." Mr. Uraraka intervened. "Really, you don't have to do that."
"Please, I insist." Katsuki's mom gave Ochaco's parents a hard look that said 'no' was not an option. "It's important to have sandals here. Let us do this small favor for you, to make up for our son's... shortcoming."
Ochaco's mom and dad shared one look with each other as Mrs. Bakugo fished a shiny credit card out of her wallet. Ochaco, though, was staring at Katsuki, whose gaze remained firmly fixed on the tablecloth in front of him.
"Alright then," Mrs. Uraraka conceded. "But you use your discount on everything, okay Ochaco?"
Mrs. Bakugo stretched out her arm towards her son, who looked up at her begrudgingly. "Go with her, show her where the shop is, and Katsuki," she flicked the credit away just as he was about to take it. "Don't go wild with it, okay? When you get back, we need to get ready for dinner with our client."
Katsuki growled deep in his chest as he snatched the card from his mothers fingers. Standing from the table, Katsuki shoved his hands into his swim trunks and turned away from everyone.
"Let's go, Pink Cheeks," He barked over his shoulder.
Ochaco blinked in surprise before getting to her feet as well. But before she left, Ochaco took her paper napkin and grabbed two large handfuls of the fries from the baskets that were still untouched on the table. Carefully wrapping the napkin, Ochaco bowed her head toward the Bakugo's with a small "thank you", and rushed off to catch up with the teenage boy.
"That was a little harsh, Mitsuki." Masaru turned to his wife.
"No, it wasn't," she replied. "You know just as well as I do how selfish he can be."
"With all due respect, I don't think that's what you should be focusing on." Mrs. Uraraka leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table. Her expression was gentle and relaxed. "From what I heard, it sounded like your son saved our daughter's life! Isn't that something to be proud of?"
Mrs. Bakugo sighed as she watched Ochaco disappear inside the hotel. "You may be right, but I know my son - and he needs all the tough love that he can get."
The shop inside the hotel was "nice", Katsuki's mom hadn't made that up. But it was just so damn... touristy. Imagine all the cheesy trinkets one could find in all the souvenir shops in Hawaii were packed into one, giant showcase room. That was basically what Katsuki was looking for - and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was go shopping right now. He was hungry and frustrated. Those two things never made a good combination. At least he was able to get away from his parents, and out of that extremely awkward situation.
His mother's words, however, had followed him. He couldn't get them out of his head, nor could he get over the hard knots they created behind his ribs.
"I'm sorry if I got you in trouble." Katsuki jumped at Uraraka's voice, too caught up in his own thoughts to notice that she had caught up with him. "I tried to explain what happened in a way that would put all the consequence on me, not you."
Sighing through his nose, Katsuki pulled his hands out of his pockets, as well as his mom's credit card. "Don't worry about it. That's just how my mom is. I'm just pissed that I didn't get to have one single goddamn-"
A smell drifted up to his nose, and his eyes went wide. Snapping his head toward Uraraka, Katsuki's heart leapt at the sight of her holding out a bundle of french fries wrapped in a paper napkin out to him. His tongue began to water, but didn't take the offering until she smiled at him encouragingly. Snatching the napkin from her hands, he started wolfing down the fries a few at a time. Just having a different taste on his tongue was extremely gratifying, even if it was too greasy for his taste. He groaned with satisfaction before he could help himself, and Uraraka giggled at the sound. Katuski paused, realizing he was making a fool out himself - again - and wiped his mouth.
"Thanks," he said, but with his mouth full, it sounded more like "hanksh". He swallowed before continuing. "I owe you one."
"No you don't." Uraraka shrugged. "Let's just say that it's part of our deal, okay?"
Katsuki didn't try to push it, but there was no getting around the heavy weight that he still felt on his shoulders. So he took the lead and wound his way through the halls of The Sea Cliffs till he and Uraraka reached a set of glass double doors. Stepping inside, Katuski heard Uraraka give an audible gasp. When he looked over his shoulder, he had to suppress a smirk. Uraraka looked around herself with wide, shiny eyes, ogling the various knick-knacks and trinkets hanging from the walls and racks. Her mouth slowly dropped open, and Katsuki could practically see her brain trying to keep up with barrage of colors that assaulted her eyes.
"Shoes are over here," Katsuki said bluntly, pointing to a corner of the store. Uraraka shook herself from her trance, though she still seemed dazed as she roboticly moved her feet to follow him.
The shoe section of the store was nothing to scoff at. Katsuki was pretty sure he heard Uraraka's mind blow a gasket as they wandered over. With a wave of his hand and a "go nuts', Katsuki sat down on the nearest bench and unfolded the napkin of fries on his lap. Uraraka floated over to the rows of shoes, a hand coming up to hover above the expensive sandals, but not touch them. Bowing his head, Katsuki focused on his food - but, as delicious as it was, the food wasn't as enjoyable as it should have been. When he was done, and his hunger was satisfied, Katsuki still felt empty. He wasn't naive, though. He knew why.
"Hey, uh, Bakugo?" Looking up, Uraraka was standing next to him, an opened box tucked under her arm. "Do you think these would be okay?"
Katsuki looked down at her feet and scowled at the sandals she had picked. They were flip flops that looked almost exactly like the last pair she had, but cheaper and less functional, if that was even possible. "Are you serious? Those would fall apart after the first step. You really want those?"
Uraraka winced at his verdict. "I was just trying to find ones that were cheap. I don't like spending other peoples' money."
Sighing, Katsuki finished the last of his snack and wiped his mouth with the napkin as he stood up. He stalked over to the selection of more efficient, pricier shoes.
"There's a difference between cheap and crap, Uraraka." Katsuki pulled a box off of the shelves and turned to face the other teenager. "Take that shit off and try these."
Uraraka took his place on the bench, accepting the box he handed her and watching curiously as he picked out a few other sandals for her to try on. When she opened the box, she gaped at the high-tech sandal with a thick black rubber sole and numerous adjustable straps. Katsuki laid a few more boxes down in front of her before she had even taken the first ones out of the box.
"Those'll get you started," Katsuki stated.
Uraraka blinked up at him like he had opened a third eye, then burst into a wide grin. "Thank you, Bakugo. What would I do without you?"
Her words, though meant to be endearing, made Katsuki's stomach drop.
"You would still have your shoes, for starters," he mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, just try on the goddamn shoes already!"
Katsuki turned away from her as she began the selection process, his hands tightening into fists. As much as he hated to admit it, his mother was right; Uraraka had gotten hurt on his watch. No good hero would have ever let that happen. He had to be better if he was gonna be the number one hero.
It didn't take long for Uraraka to find a pair of shoes that she liked - and low and behold, they happened to be the cheapest shoes out of all those Katsuki had presented for her. But they were a definite improvement compared to what she had. She had picked a nice pair of medium-weight sandals with pink straps that went between the toes, over the top of the foot, and behind the ankle. After they had put away the other shoes, Katsuki and Uraraka made their way towards the checkout register. Before they made it, however, Uraraka stopped abruptly. Katsuki looked back once he realized she wasn't next to him anymore to see that she was examining a spinning rack of sunglasses.
"Look, Bakugo," she said happily, picking a pair of blue-mirrored aviators off of the rack. "They're kinda like yours!"
Katsuki watched as she looped the glasses over her nose and looked at him with a blue steel expression. "What do you think, do I pull them off?"
Rolling his eyes, Katsuki stepped toward Uraraka. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he said blandly. "Whatever you say."
Uraraka's face fell, and she grew uncannily still as she stared at Katsuki through the blue aviators. Then she stepped up to him, and before Katsuki could figure out what she was doing, she had dropped her shoe box and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Heat flushed his face and his heart picked up pace. He could smell the salt in her hair and feel the softness of her skin, her closeness so foreign of a sensation to him that his brain short-circuited trying to comprehend what to do.
"W-what the hell, Uraraka?!"
"Stop blaming yourself." Though Uraraka's voice was soft, it carried a fierce undertone. "Stop focusing on the fact that I got hurt, and stop thinking about what went wrong."
Uraraka leaned back and looked up at Katsuki. He saw himself in the reflective lenses of the aviators, cast in blue.
"You saved my life, Bakugo. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that," Uraraka said as she moved the glasses up to the top of her head. "That should be all that matters - and if your mother can't see that, then, then...!" Uraraka puffed her chest in defiance. "Then screw what she says!"
Silence overtook the atmosphere, hanging heavy in the small space between the two of them. Katsuki stared at Uraraka, her eyes daring him to tell her she was wrong. This was the second time in a day that Uraraka had surprised him. A bundle of emotions piled up from his chest into his throat, and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or possibly cry. Finding neither reaction favorable, Katsuki did the only thing he could think of and reached a hand up towards Uraraka's face. She twitched in surprise at the touch of his fingers on her hair. Plucking the aviators from her head, Katsuki returned them to the rack next to them.
"You're face is too round for aviators," he mumbled, his voice rough. His hand searched the rack, picking another pair and holding them up for Uraraka to see. "Stick with ray bands. Now let's hurry up and get out of this damn Pollock store."
Uraraka took the sunglasses from Katsuki and gazed into the blue-purple mirrors of the lenses. Then she looked up at Katsuki and grinned, happy with the choice he had made. When they left the store, he was wearing his own sandals once again and Uraraka had a nice new pair of shoes as well as a shiny pair of sunglasses on her head. The weight from Katsuki's shoulders was lifted, his emptiness was whole. To them, it was like the traumatic events from that same morning had never happened.
Uraraka waved goodbye, but not before she expressed how excited she was for the fishing trip tomorrow at length. Katsuki, in not so many words, agreed. As the golden elevator carried him up to the hotel room where his parents were undoubtedly waiting for him, the young man couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Maybe he had misjudged Uraraka, maybe there was more to her than he had initially thought.
Maybe, he decided, she wasn't so bad after all.
A/N: I know this took a while longer to come out, so I made it a bit longer to read as recompense. Slow chapters like this are always difficult for me - in fact, I'm finding that fluff in general is hard. You writers that do it primarily have my respect. And if you got the Devil Is a Part-Timer reference, you're my favorite.
As always, read, review, and enjoy!
