In the lull of customers, Uraraka finally let out a sigh, the first full breath she'd been able to take since the lunch rush.
"You should take your break now, Ochako."
"It's ok, Tsuyu. You can go first." She rolled her head in a circle, slowly stretching out the tense spots in her neck.
"Really, you had a late night. You should go." Tsuyu refused to move from her spot by the espresso machine.
"Well, that's not your fault." She fell asleep almost immediately once she arrived home, despite the fireworks still going off way past midnight.
"I'm really glad you went out. You shouldn't be punished for it."
Uraraka bit her lip, wondering if it would really be ok to take her offer and go on a break first, even though Tsuyu started a half hour before her.
"Maybe you can spend your break with Bakugo." Tsuyu nodded her head towards the door, where the blonde man just entered. He really had a knack for entering just when she had enough time to talk.
And as much as she wanted to deny it and play it cool, she really liked that idea.
"You sure?" She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.
"Yeah, I'll get your iced tea out with his dark roast. Take off your apron and go grab a table with him."
"Thank you." She squeezed her friend's hands in gratitude before rushing off to clock out for her break.
Quickly retying her hair into a smooth ponytail and brushing the bagel crumbs off of her blouse, Uraraka returned to the lobby just in time for Bakugo's coffee to be ready with the cayenne shaker in her hand.
"Want me to spice it for you?" She approached him at the add-in station, noticing he was rummaging around in his pockets with a frown.
"Hand it over. I left mine in the car." He swiped at it unsuccessfully. She giggled and shook the powder three times over his open cup much to his dismay.
"So I'm on my break." She explained over his shoulder as he put the lid back on his drink.
"No shit." He said right before his first sip.
"Wanna sit with me for a bit?"
"Why would I wanna do that?"
"We're friends, aren't we?" She hoped her voice contained more confidence than she felt. But it seemed like it wouldn't have mattered. Her question made Bakugo stiffen like a board, unaware of her nerves because he himself was so frazzled.
"If you're busy and need to get going, I understand. But if not… I'd like to spend more time with you. Unless that's too much for you." She was honestly just trying to be understanding, but all it did was spur him on with a challenge.
"Nothing's too much for me!" His emotional illiteracy was completely overridden by his competitive nature, momentarily blinding him to what he was agreeing to.
"Alright, then!" Uraraka seized her chance by grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him to a nearby table in the corner of the cafe. And she swore, the moment she placed her fingers on him, her whole world flip flopped, leaving her dizzy.
He didn't look much better, plopping down on the chair like the rug had been pulled out from under him. When he snapped out of it, he realized there was no way for him to walk away without admitting defeat that this situation was too overwhelming for him. Trying to feign indifference, he cleared his throat and propped his foot up on the chair next to her.
"Thanks, Tsuyu." The barista put down a peach iced tea at their table and hurried back to her spot behind the counter with Kendo, who was at the register in place of Uraraka at the moment. Like Iida, she was one of the supervisors so she stepped into various roles when employees went on their breaks. While she wasn't as fast as Iida, nobody was, she was unmatched in managing large tasks.
"You don't drink coffee either?" Bakugo raised his eyebrow at her tea.
"Iced tea is the fastest thing I can get down in a 15 minute break." She explained. "What do you mean 'either'?"
"You… you didn't have anything other than juice last night." Bakugo's cheeks turned pink, embarrassed to be caught observing her during the party.
"Well, that was because I had to drive home instead of sleeping over like you guys all did." It made her heart flutter, knowing he had noticed her despite his aloofness. "Not that I normally go super hard for alcohol like you all."
"Yeah. Sorry for those dumbasses."
"Was that an apology I just heard from you?" She was honestly shocked to hear the 'S' word come out of his mouth. It was a shame she wasn't able to capture it on camera as proof it was possible. "I never would have expected you to be the kind of person to throw those out easily."
"Like I said, they're dumbasses. They require one wherever they go." His signature scowl taking over his devastatingly handsome features.
"They're called your friends."
"Ugh. Don't associate me with them."
"Well, I liked them." She rolled her eyes at his look of disgust. "Mina even invited me out for pedicures in a couple of weeks!" It made her giddy, thinking of a girl's day. It was loooooong overdue. She planned on seeing if it'd be ok to invite Tsuyu as well.
"Of course she did. 'Cuz she's nosy as fuck." He spat out.
"Nosy about what?"
"Nothing." That pink hue returned to his face, making her suspicious. But not enough for him to go exploding on her in the place where she worked for pushing him. She was sure she'd just get it out of Mina, she liked to talk about everything.
"Anyways, you can't go judging them. I didn't see you going so easy on the habanero vodka." Uraraka snuck in a sip of her tea as she watched him get all riled up.
"Because I can handle it, unlike them!"
His reaction was so predictable, but she still had to laugh at it. "I guess it's somewhat true. You don't seem like a visible drunk like the rest of them." She recalled Kirishima crying when he realized there were no more cupcakes left, despite having already eaten 3 of them. And then that set off a chain of tears in Kaminari and Momo.
"Of course it's true." Bakugo huffed in his seat.
"Though, I don't think I saw Deku drinking. He's the only one I can't say for sure." At the mention of the mild-mannered man, Bakugo's expression soured instantly. "You don't like him?" Uraraka prodded cautiously.
"Our moms were, like, best friends. I got stuck with that nerd a lot growing up. He cried all the time."
She supposed she could see why they wouldn't have necessarily been friends in the traditional sense. From what she had observed, while they both had strong resolve and willpower, their temperaments couldn't have been more different.
"Well, I'm just glad he agreed to tutor me. I'm pretty sure I have to retake the math classes next quarter. Ugh." She slumped down and rested her face on the table. "I don't wanna do it."
"Then drop 'em."
She perked up a bit at that. "You don't seem like the quitting type." Why would he suggest something like that?
"Neither do you. So you gonna keep whining or you gonna do something about it?" If it came from anyone else, it might've sounded inspiring or encouraging, but Bakugo's voice was so void of emotion that it was almost harsh.
Her face scrunched in mild offense, but really, if she were to be honest with herself, he was right. For all the ways she hated those classes, they were crucial to her plans and it was no use for her to keep complaining about them.
"You are so annoying." She couldn't help but pout as she swirled the ice with her straw.
"Because I'm right?" He smirked and took another swig of his spicy coffee.
"I can't just give up." She reluctantly confirmed his words. " I need to support my parents somehow." At that, he only grunted in response, like he was frustrated with her even though she just agreed with him.
"What is it?"
"Your folks should let you do whatever you want. It's not your responsibility to take care of them for the rest of their lives."
"It's not like they're a burden. I want to do it." She argued, even though she shouldn't have had to explain herself to him.
"No you don't."
"E-excuse me?" She sat back in her chair, flabbergasted.
"You've been going on about how you're studying down to the bone and doing stuff you hate pretty much since I stepped in here a month ago. You're not actually doing things because you want to do 'em."
She supposed that was true. "But doesn't that just mean I'm willing to sacrifice for my dream?"
"Is that really your dream? To be stuck as your parents' caretakers?"
"They're my parents. Of course I want to take care of them." It was cruel of him to phrase it as her being stuck with an obligation. She was happy to do it, they were her parents, for god-sakes!
"That's not what I said. I asked if that's your dream."
Under his unyielding gaze, Uraraka felt like he had a physical hold on her, rooting her to her seat. Without saying the actual words, he was demanding her honesty, a truth she wasn't willing to admit to even herself. What did she hope for herself? Did she even have something like a dream?
He didn't wait for her response. Which worked out well, because her voice seemed to be stuck as a ball in her throat. "You'll get nowhere in life if you're not motivated to put in everything for your ambitions."
And with that accusation, the tears welled in her eyes hot and threateningly. In the back of her mind, she knew that he wasn't really calling her a 'loser', but that didn't mean she didn't feel his words strike her heart like a dagger. It didn't mean she hadn't already been wrestling with the fact that she was putting crazy pressure on herself with little reward.
"You don't know anything about me." God, she hated how her voice cracked. She winced at the sound her chair made scraping against the floor as she stood up. "Excuse me. I have to go back to work."
Much to her frustration, Bakugo seemed unphased by her emotional breakdown. There was no indication that he was apologetic for the effect his words had on her. And she supposed she didn't expect it, he was the kind of person to say exactly what they meant with no remorse.
As she walked into the back to grab her apron and return behind the register once more, Bakugo left the cafe with his coffee in hand.
So much for a nice break
"What's wrong, Ochako?" Tsuyu prodded gently, noticing the watery sheen in her friend's eyes.
"Nothing." She sniffed back the tears and cleared her throat to put on a brave face. "It's your turn. Go on your break."
It was clear that Tsuyu wasn't convinced. Concern was written all over her face and she was hesitant to leave Uraraka alone.
"I'm fine." She insisted, forcing a smile that felt all too sad and familiar.
"You don't always have to act strong. I'm here to talk if you want." Tsuyu touched her arm comfortingly before walking into the back for her break.
Although the gesture was meant to be supportive, it further confirmed to Uraraka that the way she was living was not sustainable. Her best friend had been saying for years that she worked too hard and didn't take care of herself.
Bakugo was a jerk, but it only hurt because there was truth to what he said.
If she were so sure about what she was planning for her life, she would've fought back. Not burst into tears the moment he pointed out the cracks.
She wasn't sure how she did it, but she endured another 3 hours of excruciatingly mind-numbing work before she collapsed in her car to go home, rubbing her cheeks from the fake plastered smile. In the muted light of afternoon, for once getting out while the sun was still out for once due to the cafe closing early from holiday hours, she sat in the parking lot of her apartment complex for a breather. In the solitude of her car, she swallowed back another fresh wave of tears, refusing to give in to the feeling of complete disorientation.
Uraraka reminded herself that it didn't matter that the construction company wasn't her first choice of occupation, her mom and dad were more important. They gave up everything back in their hometown to become successful in the city, she wasn't going to squander their hard work and chase after uncertainties just because she wasn't committed enough.
Shakily piecing together her resolve once more, she rubbed at her eyes and went inside, where her parents were seated on the couch like they had been waiting for her.
"I'm home!" She hung up her bag by the door and dropped her keys, ready to hole herself up in her room for the rest of the day.
"Hey, stardust." Her dad called out softly, an unusual tone.
"What's going on?" A pit of dread opened up in her stomach and threatened to swallow her whole. Was the chemo not working? Had something come up at work? This was honestly the last thing she needed today.
"Come sit with us, Ochako." Her mom patted the couch cushion next to her.
She pushed down the urge to run out of there and get as far away as possible. Uraraka prided herself in being a strong person, able to push through most anything, but maybe she wasn't as resilient as she previously thought. Trying to feign indifference, like she had seen Bakugo do a million times, she lowered herself slowly onto the seat.
A shawl slipped off of her mother's shoulders as she reached forward and folded one of Uraraka's hands within hers. She didn't dare squeeze back, afraid to put any pressure on her ill mother's joints.
"An opportunity has come up for your father and I."
"Ok?"
"We've been thinking of moving back south, closer to your aunt and grandma." Uraraka immediately knew they were referring to Auntie Kaiya, her mom's younger sister who was still living in a multi-generational home with her grandmother and cousins.
"There's a project nearby that has asked me to supervise it for the next 5 months." Her dad added.
"That's great, papa. Looks like everything's lining up perfectly, then." Though there were still some questions remaining, especially concerning what this move would look like for her, a huge wave of relief washed over her knowing her dad would be employed close by.
"Yes, well, everything but you." Her mom stroked her hand softly.
"What do you mean?"
"Honey… You'll be staying here."
"Is this about school? How will we afford me living in a dorm? No, I can take a break from school. I've done it before, it'll be ok."
"No. You will do no such thing." The conviction in her mom's eyes was so bright, she was worried she would pass out from the exertion of energy. "You have put your life on hold for too long because of us."
Uraraka gulped back the feelings of doubt from earlier, ready to defend her decision. "I don't mind, really."
"We know that, stardust. You're wonderful like that, the best daughter. You work and study so hard… But that should be for what you really want to do. Not because you're trying to take care of little old us." Her dad rubbed her mom's back, who was nodding and blinking back tears.
"Mama, why are you crying?" Her lips trembled at the sight.
"We… We have been so unfair to you. You should be spending time with your friends and striving towards what you love, not being held down by your parents." She reiterated her husband's words with tears streaming down her cheeks and dropping from her chin.
"When did I ever make you think that you were holding me back? You're not!" Uraraka cried out.
"Oh, honey. We've been trying to decide between going and staying for months, thinking about how to least disrupt you. But when we saw how happy you were coming home from the get together last night… We knew we needed to lean on others and let you be free."
"You're our little girl, but you're also a grown woman now. You have our full blessing to go for what you really want." Letting her dad's words sink in, Uraraka realized that maybe she wasn't so great at hiding her feelings all this time. Perhaps they knew for much longer than she did that taking over the construction company wasn't where her heart was at.
So there she was, a newly 24 year old woman curling into herself to wail into her palms as a release of all the pressure she had put on herself. She sobbed through her words, "I really didn't mind. I love you guys."
"We love you too, honey. Now it's time to put yourself first."
Within her parents' embrace, Uraraka cried loudly and unapologetically, letting the relief of sweet freedom and possibilities flood her until there was nothing left.
Until she had made adequate room inside her for the possibility of something more.
