Chapter 1: Holy Shit, Is That Pink Cheeks?

I sit in my first class at my new college, waiting for it to start with my pen poised above my open notebook. Students start trickling in slowly as the clock on the otherwise blank wall above the door ticked closer to nine am.

I had chosen a spot in the second to last row, near the window with hopes that the sunlight streaming through would be bright enough to wake me up. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect, like a cat lying in the warmth of a sunbeam, I start feeling my eyelids become heavy as I slump lower into my seat.

The sudden bang behind me has me jump up in my chair, immediately making me more aware of my surroundings. I turn to see where the sound came from and my eyes meet with the dusty soles of two sneakers. I tilt my head to the side, wanting to get a look at the person behind those shoes, only to have my gaze met with a glare.

I quickly take in his appearance, letting my eyes linger slightly longer than necessary on the muscular arms he has crossed over his chest as they travel upwards, noting his strong jaw, piercing ruby red eyes, and messy ash blonde hair.

"Tch. What do you think you're looking at, you lazy fuck?"

Ah, the tough guy act. I shrug and smile, "Nice to see you too, Bakugou." He rolls his eyes, "Whatever."

My smile doesn't falter from his rudeness, I can handle him. Deku takes the seat beside me and his eyes widen, "Uraraka! You transferred?!"

I nod, "I applied for an academic scholarship and was accepted for second year."

His cheerful grin spread from ear to ear, "I'm so happy you're here!" I couldn't help but smile since he was contagious, it's one of the things I cherished most about him. His smile falters as he tilts his head, "Why didn't you tell me?"

I sigh, knowing this would come up. "I didn't want to say anything in case I didn't get accepted, you know?" Deku's forest green locks bounce as he nods his head in understanding. "Weren't you in the top five for our graduating class with Kacchan? I'm sure you passed your freshman classes with flying colors."

"Don't lump me in with this moron, you piece of shit! I was top of our fucking class." Bakugou's annoyance of me being considered on the same intellectual level as he struck a chord in me. I knew he had a superiority complex, but I guess part of me hoped he had grown out of it. Even just a little...

Deku winces slightly at Bakugou's comment and mouths 'Sorry' as our conversation is quickly halted as the professor enters the room and starts writing on the board.

I walk into some shitty classroom because apparently business analysis is a requirement for a fucking software developer degree. I scan the room for a seat that is surrounded by the least amount of people, picking the back corner near a window.

My eyes flicker to the person slouched down in the seat in front of it and - holy shit, is that pink cheeks? Whatever, I can't let her distract me. I walk to my chosen desk and take a seat, propping my feet up on the wood to block her from my view.

I suppressed a laugh as she jolted up in her seat, surprised by the sound. She turns around, but my shoes block her face. Uraraka tilts her head like a confused puppy and her eyes widen slightly when she sees me. Her big damn doe eyes travel over me, both irritating and intriguing me at the same time but I called her out on it anyway. "Nice to see you too, Bakugou." She says with a bit of sass. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the fucking shitty nerd walking towards us. "Whatever." I roll my eyes, knowing I'm about to lose her attention anyway.

I listen in on their conversation as to why she's back and why she didn't tell anyone, throwing in my two cents when I cared to. When class started, of course, I couldn't concentrate on anything but her. For fuck sakes, any time she went to write something down her hair would sway and catch my attention. She's growing it out... It looks good long. I groan quietly in frustration, wanting nothing more than to just get out of this fucking room. I hear a snap and looked down in my hand, great. I broke my goddamn pencil.

Uraraka leans in her chair, letting the back of it hit my desk. She turns her head to the side for a moment before placing the front two legs of the seat back onto the floor and digging into her bag for something. She pulls out an extra pencil and tilts her chair back once more, raising her arm with the pencil behind her and in reaching distance for me. I take it from her hand, careful not to touch her fingers and mumble a thank you.

After what feels like for-fucking-ever the class ends and I'm quick to get out of my seat, placing Uraraka's pencil on her desk as I walk past. I turn down the hallway that leads me back to the area where all of my other classes are held, pinching the bridge of my nose as I try to clear my mind of her. I swear it's like I can hear her goddamn voice, fuck! There's a tap on my shoulder and I stop walking, spinning on my heel to see who the hell thought they were worth my time right now, only for my eyes to land on her. Maybe her voice wasn't just in my head then...

"What do you want?" I ask, trying not to sound like a complete asshole. She looks up at me with a slight smile and tucks a bit of hair behind her ear before reaching out the pencil once again. "I figured you would need it for your other classes. I have a few other extras so you're welcome to keep this one as a replacement for the one you broke earlier." The natural pink shade of her cheeks darkens.

"That's the only course that I have to take handwritten notes for," I state plainly. "O-oh." She says, looking down at her shoes. " Never mind, then." She scratches the back of her neck and as she's about to turn away to leave I grab the pencil out of her hands, "I'll use it for tomorrow's class."

The rest of the day I'm able to actually concentrate in my other classes, especially since today is more of a refresh on the coding languages we started learning last year. I walk the short distance from my last class to the bus stop, boarding the grumbling city bus and taking a seat at the back beside a window. From my pocket, I pull out my earbuds stick them in after connecting the headphone jack to my phone to turn on some music and decompress. The bus idles as it waits for more students so I zone out, not needing to worry about missing my stop. That is, until someone sits down next to me.

I clench my fists as my first instinct is to demolish the total idiot who thought it was a good idea to sit next to me. Before I even turned my head, I felt an earbud being pulled out of my ear. Incredulously, I look over at the ballsy motherfucker who dared to fuck with me only to see her. Again. "For fuck sakes, Pink cheeks. Keep your hands to yourself." She stares me dead in the eyes and places the earbud into her own ear with a slight smirk, leaving me to wonder where the fuck this confidence came from when earlier in the hallway she could barely stand to look at me.

My eyebrows knit together and I click my tongue as I change my view to the scenery outside the window. After a few stops, Uraraka takes the earbud out of her ear and steps out the doors. This is a shitty area, what is she even doing here? The bus starts to pull away and I watch as she jogs to a nearby building, her auburn hair flowing behind her as the wind passes through it.

I'm taken out of my train of thought when my phone buzzes.

Shitty Hair

Hey man, coming to the gym?

Bakugou

Why would you even ask, idiot?

Shitty Hair

Right on, see you there.

I get off at my usual stop right in front of the gym I frequent. It's only a few blocks away from home, so I jog to the house as a cool down. I cringe slightly as I open the doors, the familiar smell of cleaning products and sweat filling my nostrils. I head to the change room to put on my workout gear before meeting up with Kirishima at the free weights.

"Hey, Bakubro!" He greets with a toothy grin. "Don't fucking call me that, Shitty hair."

Kirishima brushes it off and continues the conversation, "How was your first day of classes?"

I start walking towards the punching bag off to the side of this part of the gym and away from all the mirrored walls. "I heard Uraraka's back in town." The red-headed idiot brings up, trying to get a reaction from me. "Who the fuck told you that?" "Mina, they're like best friends."

I jab the bag, "Whatever. Who cares." I say, punching it again using my rear hand in a cross punch. "I think I might ask her out, she's pretty cute." I glare at him out of the corner of my eye, giving the punching bag a quick succession of one-two combos before he walks away to continue his routine.

Throughout my work out my mind continues to fucking run like a fat kid after an ice cream truck. He's got to be fucking with me. Shitty hair better not ask her out. There's no way she'd be interested in that asshat anyway. Right?

Chapter 2: Why Did I Tie Her Goddamn Shoe?

With the next day well underway, I jog to my building and up the stairs of my apartment to change for work. While I'm excited to be back in the same school as a lot of my friends, the scholarship only covers my basic tuition. Needing a way to pay for textbooks, a place to live, and food to eat I got a job.

With luck seemingly on my side, I was able to get a paid internship with a popular event planner not that far from school and here. Though it meant I did a lot of menial tasks no one else wanted to do, it wasn't as bad as it seems, especially since it'll help me get into the industry and hopefully make some contacts for when I become an event planner myself.

After getting ready for work in my black skirt and white button-up blouse I hop onto another bus to get to the art gallery for tonight's event. As soon as I walk through the door I'm whisked away by my co-worker Kirahane. She sticks a Bluetooth device into my ear and immediately I'm clued into the crisis; The host for the event, a charity art auction, had ripped her dress (good thing mom had taught me basic sewing since a tailor was a luxury we didn't have). Kira led me to the woman's washroom and held open the door, I winced as I heard the shrieks echoing off of the bathroom walls.

"Hi, I'm Ochaco! I heard your dress is a little ripped, would you mind if I took a look at it?"

I greeted the crying yet insanely beautiful raven-haired woman seated on the plush couch off to the side of the room. Jeez, this bathroom is practically a lounge. "I don't know what good you could do, it's ruined!" She sobs but stands up as I motion my hand for her to spin for me. Her elegant floor-length red dress had a hole on the side, most likely from stepping on it with her high heel.

I take the soft fabric in my hand and can feel the way the seam runs is exactly in our favor to make this look like it has a long slit, so in one swift movement, I rip the dress straight up to the woman's thigh. "What the hell did you do?!" She screeched as she backs away from me. I chuckle and wave my hands, "I'm sorry, I should've warned you. Look at it though, you look great!" The woman inspects the seam, amazed that it curled into itself rather than fraying, and breathes a sigh of relief before tackling me in a hug. I giggle and sit her down on the couch, pulling out a tissue from my bag and fixing her make-up. "There, now just touch up your lipstick, try not to step on it further or move unnecessarily and you're good as gold!" She smiles and then rushes off to the mirror while I walk out.

From that moment on I continued to rush around, putting out other small fires for the next hour or so at the same time I try to figure out who the chairman of the charity in question is so I can give him his cue cards that got dropped in my lap for his upcoming speech.

"Uraraka?" I stop in my tracks and cringe internally, spinning on my heel to see who has caught me. When my eyes meet heterochromatic ones, I tilt my head a little.

"Todoroki? What brings you here?" He shifts awkwardly, "My dad forced me to come. I brought Midoriya with me though, so at least I don't have to suffer alone."

Shit, Deku's here too?"Oh, well it's lucky that he was able to come along then. Deku is great at making the best out of a bad situation." I smile nervously for a moment before remembering the cards in my hand. I hold them up slightly, drawing Todoroki's attention down to them, "I've got to figure out who the owner of this speech is. Sorry, we'll catch up another time Todo."

"Do you know their name?" his voice chimes out hesitantly as I try to turn and leave. "Perhaps I could help."

Internally sighing, I acquiesce. "I've never met him before, his name is Mr. Yamamoto." Todoroki's eyes flicker with recognition and he scans the room, pointing out an overweight balding man wearing an ugly brown suit. I hug Todoroki quickly, "Thank you so much, you're a lifesaver!" He stands there stiff as a board before patting my back once. Ah, the classic 'Pat Out', though I can't say I expected or wanted anything else. Then without giving it a second thought, I darted across the room to the gentleman to hand him his cards.

Finally, at one in the morning, the event is over and I'm able to go home. I flop on my bed, set my alarm, and pass out like a light.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Ugh. I roll out of bed and throw on a pair of jeans and a fitted black tee on before brushing my teeth, running a comb through my hair, and rushing out the door. Catching the bus just in time I start looking for a seat and notice a familiar mop of ash blonde hair at the back. Approaching him with a sweet smile I am not surprised when he greets me with his usual glare. "Good Morning, Bakugou."

He turns his head to look out the window as I sit down, not bothering to reply. I sigh and tug lightly on the cord attached to his earbud to pull it out of his ear and stick it into my own as I lean my head back against the seat. Honestly, I'm surprised he let me get away with this yesterday, but I'm definitely not complaining and I DEFINITELY don't realize I had fallen asleep until I'm jolted back to reality as the device is yanked from my ear causing the music to stop.

"We're here. Wake the fuck up, Pink cheeks." I jump slightly before scrambling out of the seat and off of the bus, tripping over my shoelace in my haste. Before I hit the ground my arm is caught and I'm pulled upwards as Bakugou places both hands on my shoulders to steady me before kneeling down and tying my shoes.

I feel my entire face flush in embarrassment, I'm such a klutz. "Thanks, Bakugou." I rub the back of my neck with my hand as he stands up. His gaze reaches mine but his eyes flicker down to my arm, a frown now etching its way onto his face. "Sorry." He mutters as he looks away for a moment before turning and walking away.

Did Bakugou just apologize? That's new. Jogging up to him I tap his shoulder, "We're going to the same class you know." I remind him.

"Yeah, so?"

"So…" I say as I nudge him playfully "….. you don't have to just go off on your own when I can clearly walk with you."

He scoffs, "Well I wasn't going to stand there forever until you got your shit together."

Xxxx

I have no fucking idea what's going on anymore. I should've just let her fall, why did I even bother to catch her? I bruised her arm...I hope she's not upset. Why did I tie her god damn shoe?! She's a grown-ass woman, she could've done it herself but my dumb ass just had to fucking tie it for her. Why does she do this to me? Why has this gotten worse since high school? Fuck.

Those are the thoughts than ran through my idiotic head all god damn class this morning. It didn't help anything seeing her and Deku talking like they were having the most interesting conversation in the fucking world. Why does she even bother talking to that little shitwad? I run a hand through my hair and grip at the roots in frustration. Thank fucking god this professor posts his lectures online, otherwise, I would be royally screwed.

Class ends and I pack up my shit, unfortunately hearing some conversation I didn't fucking care about.

"We should catch up after class today," Deku says with that obnoxiously vapid smile of his. "Oh Uhm, sure. I don't have a lot of time today though, so maybe just a quick cup of coffee?" Pink cheeks replies. This better not be a fucking date. I leave, not caring to listen any further. I need to get to my other classes anyways.

Chapter 3: Inquiring Minds Want To Know

My last class ended and Deku was leaning against the wall outside the door when I walked out. "Uraraka!" He waves to get my attention, smiling brightly. "Hey Deku, still on for coffee?" I ask, returning the gesture.

"Yeah! There's a cafe near my house, let's head there."

We hop on the same bus I usually take home, but take it further down the route. Bakugou was sitting in his usual seat at the back of the bus while we were at the front. When we first walked on I waved to him but he just scowled and turned to face the window. We get off a stop after Bakugou, conveniently right in front of the café that Deku was talking about.

A bell jingled above us as we entered through the door, took a seat, and the waitress took our orders. "I'm so glad you're back, Uraraka." Deku smiles kindly. "I'm glad to be back! It's nice to be around so many familiar faces again."

He hums in response. "So Todoroki said he ran into you at the auction last night... You're working now?" I sigh lightly, knowing this slightly uncomfortable situation would come up but I put on my usual bright smile anyway, "Yeah. I had mentioned to you yesterday that I got a scholarship here for the second year. I'm very grateful for that, but it only covers tuition so I had to find work to be able to pay for books and rent."

Deku nods, "Oh that makes sense. It's got to be exhausting though right? I mean going to college is a full-time job as it is..." I shrug, "It is, but I know it's not for forever. Plus, I'm able to make industry contacts this way so it's actually kind of benefit in the long run."

The waitress drops off our coffees and I take a sip before raising an eyebrow at Deku, "So Todoroki mentioned he brought you to the event...what's that all about?" Immediately his freckled cheeks grow pink, "U-uh nothing." I shoot him a teasing smirk, "That doesn't sound like nothing. Do you like~ him?" The pink of his face deepens to a crimson red and he averts his eyes, looking into the depths of his mug as if it's going to save him from the merciless teasing that's about to take place.

"Dekuuuuu! That's SO cute! Does he know?!" He nods shyly, his green hair falling slightly into his eyes before he tosses his head back to adjust it. My eyes widen in realization as I squeal, "WAIT, YOU'RE ALREADY DATING?!"

"Yes, but we're trying to keep it quiet for right now. Please don't tell anyone." My lips turn up in a smile, "Don't worry Deku, your secrets safe with me." He exhales loudly with relief. "So is he a good kisser?" Deku covers his face with his hands out of embarrassment, "Uraraka!" I shrug, "What? Inquiring minds want to know."

After catching up for an hour or so, I head home, get changed, and hop back on a bus to get to work. I usually don't mind taking the bus, it helps me unwind before I get to where I'm going. This time though, all I could think about on my way to work was a certain ash-blonde...

Xxxx

Instead of going to the gym after classes today, I decided to take a long run, not wanting to deal with Shitty hairs stupid fucking face today. I take my regular five-mile route that passes by a main strip of the road before it leads into the park. Of-fucking-course when I pass by that god damn coffee shop I see Uraraka's blinding smile. I frown, knowing it's directed to that fucking nerd. What does she see in him that she doesn't see in me? I shake the thought out of my head and pick up my pace, fuck this.

After finishing my run I throw open the door, slamming it shut behind me and kicking off my shoes. "KATSUKI, DON'T SLAM THE FUCKING DOOR!" I clench my fist, annoyed that this is what I'm coming home to. "IT'S A GOD DAMN DOOR, CALM DOWN YOU OLD HAG!" I shout back. I take the steps two at a time until I reach my bedroom and lay down on my bed, throwing my arm over my eyes. I need to stop my mind from running in circles.

"What's wrong, brat?" I move my arm slightly and squint as I see her leaning against the doorway. "Nothing," I mumble.

"I know you're lying, you little shit. Just tell me, you might feel better." She folds her arms across her chest, giving me her patented I'm not moving until you tell me what the fuck is the wrong face. I grumble a string of curses before she sits down on the corner of the bed with a smirk, "It's a girl isn't it?" "NO, FUCK OFF." She cackles, "I knew it! The one you've been pining over for years?"

"Fuck you," I mumble. She pats my leg twice and then stands up, "Well when you're hopeless enough to talk to me about it, you know where to find me."

After she leaves the room I sit up and my eyebrows scrunch together as I wonder why the fuck she didn't try to beat it out of me like she usually does. My eyes grow heavier and I fall asleep.

"KATSUKI! Get the fuck up, you're going to be late for school!" I grumble as that fucking hag screams at me from the other side of the door. Guess my alarm didn't go off. Fucking piece of shit.

After lazily dressing in black V-neck cotton tee, white short sleeve button up shirt that is still inside my red and black blazer, and my severely distressed at the knee and thigh black slim leg jeans with the black leather and silver dual grommet belt, I step into my black nubuck waterproof Tim's before slinging my backpack over my shoulder and walking downstairs.

As soon as I get to the last step, mom walks over and hands me a bag for lunch and shoves a piece of toast in my mouth. Glaring at her, she starts pushing me out the door. "Get going, brat."

"Fmnck Mnuff." I mumble through the toast between my lips.

I get to the bus stop just in time, pushing my earbuds in as I take a seat on the crowded morning bus. Ugh, we need a new plague.

A stop or two later, Pink cheeks gets on the bus after waiting at a stop in that shitty area the route detours through. I don't acknowledge her but she still takes the seat beside me. As she sits down, I quickly glance at her as she pulls the earbud closest to her out of my ear and puts it in hers after brushing a few stray pieces of auburn hair behind her ear.

The album I'm listening to this morning is more upbeat and she subtly bobs along in her seat. I turn to her, my eyes meeting her brown ones. "Could you not?" I narrow my eyes slightly at her.

She smiles gently and shrugs, stopping her additional movements and laying her head on the back of the seat. I notice her eyes start to close and nudge her in the side, "Don't fall asleep on the bus, idiot." Her rosy cheeks darken just slightly and a sleepy smile fills her face as her eyes start closing again.

I sigh, "Do you really think falling asleep on a god damn bus is a good idea?" "Nope." She mumbles tiredly as her lip twitches up lazily with a smirk. "Good. I'd be concerned if you did. Now wake the fuck up, we're almost there."

Uraraka yawns and stretches out her arms, successfully whacking me in the face with her elbow. "FUCK."

"Oh my god. Oh my god! Bakugou I'm SO sorry!" She winces as she faces me until she notices my bloody nose and she kicks herself into action. Uraraka grabs a packet of tissues from her backpack, grabs a few out of the package, and holds them under my nose.

"Firmly press on the bridge of your nose and lean forward slightly." I do as she says, it's not like I don't know how to handle a god damn nosebleed though. I reach my hand up to take hold of the tissues under my nose, my fingers overlap hers and she gently removes her hand with a sigh. "I'm sorry." I glare at her, though I'm not nearly as pissed off as I should be right now. "You better fuckin' be."

"I am." She replies, clasping her hands in her lap. "Whatever, I'm fine," I mumble.

She trails behind me on the way to class and when we walk in, I see the questioning look Deku gives her. "What are you looking at, fucking nerd?" He waves his hands in front of himself like one of those fucking inflatable wacky arm things you see at car dealerships and shit. Pathetic.

During class I notice Uraraka slipping further down in her seat, the moron's probably asleep again. I kick the bottom of her chair and she sits up straight. Why the fuck is she so tired? She'll lose her scholarship if she keeps falling asleep in class. Barely five minutes later it starts happening again and I can't help but lean as close as I can, "Wake the fuck up, brat." I hiss into her ear, backing away quickly so as not to draw attention to the sleeping idiot in front of me. She turns around and mouths a silent Thank You as the class drags on.

The bell for class end comes and she turns around to face me, a slight blush on her face as she rubs the back of her neck, "Could I borrow your notes? I can return them on the bus ride home if that's okay?"

I roll my eyes and hand her the two pages of notes I took. Relief washes over her features and she smiles gratefully, "You're a lifesaver, Bakugou." I grab my bag and let it rest on my shoulder, "Whatever, just don't lose them."

Chapter 4: I'M NOT SOFT

I worked through lunch to copy Bakugou's notes and managed to stay alert enough for the rest of the day to get through my classes.

I trek to the bus and smile at the bus driver before taking the seat next to the temperamental, fiery hedgehog I've become determined to befriend. He glances over at me, not bothering to glare this time. Yes, an improvement!

I take his notes out of my bag and hand them over, "Thanks again Bakugou, I owe you one." I acknowledged. He rolls his eyes and shoves the paper into his black backpack, then pulls out his earbud and hands it to me before I grab for it. I smile sweetly at the gesture but then my eyebrows knit together slightly.

I put the back of my hand on his forehead and he narrows his eyes, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Pink cheeks?" I take my hand away and give him a playful smirk, "Checking to see if you're sick."

"Why would you think I'm sick?" He wonders with an accusatory tone.

"Because you're being nice to me today."

"I'M ALWAYS FUCKING NICE TO YOU!" He shouts, earning stares from the other passengers and I can't help but chuckle at the outburst. "Well, you're being extra nice then." I tease, elbowing him slightly in the side. "Whatever, fuck off." He grumbles and turns to look out the window. I slide down in my seat, listening to the surprisingly mellow music Bakugou chose for the ride home, regrettably letting the sounds lull me to sleep.

Xxxx

Pink face fell asleep on the bus again. This time I was only aware of it because she unknowingly slumped against my shoulder. I sigh, looking down at the deflated fuck, and notice the dark circles under her eyes. Why is she so tired?

I nudge her shoulder when it's almost time for her to get off. "Wake up, your stop is next, idiot." Uraraka sighs and grumbles a little before mumbling, "Thanks Bakugou." She holds onto the edges of the seats to steady her sleepy ass as she makes her way to the door.

"For fuck sakes," I mutter under my breath. I can't just leave her like this in a shitty area, something could happen. I'm at the front of the bus just as her sorry ass gets there, too exhausted to realize I'm there until she's off the bus and turns around. "Oh, what're you doing here?"

I scowl, "You could barely keep your damn eyes open walking to the front of the bus. It'd be shitty of me to leave your dumb ass in this garbage area by yourself."

She elbows me teasingly, "Aw, Bakugou. When did you get so soft?"

"IM NOT SOFT," I shout before pinching the bridge of my nose to try and calm myself down. "Someone's gotta make sure you don't get stabbed, idiot."

I notice Uraraka starts swaying slightly and sigh. There's no way she'd get home without fucking falling. She's more of a danger to herself than anything. I crouch down, "Climb on, dumbass. Where's your place?"

Without a second thought, the petite brunette leans onto my back and I grasp her legs before standing up. Thank fuck she's not wearing a skirt today. She rests her head on my shoulder and gives me the directions to her apartment just up the street, her breath warm against my neck sending an obnoxiously pleasant shiver down my spine.

Grateful she can't see the flush creeping across my face at the feel of her pressed against me and angry that I actually like it without understanding why that makes me angry, I focus on the street ahead of me as I slowly walk in the direction she provided.

Within seconds I hear a soft snoring sound and grit my teeth. Did she fucking fall asleep on my back?! Before I can finish the thought, I feel her body try to slide to the right as I take the first step onto the stairs and have to shift my hips suddenly sideways as I pop her up gently trying to right her slumping form.

"Damnit Pink Cheeks! At least let me get you inside before you fall asleep! You could kill

us on these stairs you floatless fuck!" I snap, which causes her to snort awake with a jerk of her head.

"Sorry, Kaachan…I didn't mean to…."

"Just shut up and hold on, we are almost there," I say grudgingly as she drapes her arms over my shoulders to clasp her hands gently at the wrist around my neck as the bridge of her nose nuzzles into the back of my neck, her cheek resting on my shoulder blade.

Has she always been this fucking cute when she's tired? I think back to all the times I've seen her and can't remember a single time where she has been this vulnerable. Rolling my eyes at my own stupidity, I get to her door and turn my head to get her attention.

Part of me had expected her to have fallen back asleep, but instead, my eyes catch her one open eye and one squinty eye caused by her smooshed cheek as they shift from looking straight ahead to looking at me.

"Thanks, Kaachan." She murmurs through her smooshed face as she begins to slide down my body. Though my hands loosen their grip to allow her legs to come down, my hands refuse to release them completely. As she slips from my grip, my fingers gently cup the swell of her thighs and my world slows. Caught in her gaze as my hands get dangerously close to the base of her worthless plump ass, I am suddenly knocked back to my sense when my phone vibrates.

Startled, I release her suddenly feeling the warmth of her body separate from mine as her hands brush over my shoulders before I am left with a chill despite the moderate temperature outside.

I watch as she steps around me and mindlessly digs for her key before fiddling with the lock and opening the door.

I don't bother saying anything before I turn to walk away, this whole damn day has been a shit show and I'm barely able to keep my act together right now.

"Kaachan?" Her quiet voice calls out to me. I stop on the spot, "Quit calling me that, you little shit." She gives a lazily devious smile, "Nah, I think it suits you. Kaachan~" I glare at her before turning around again and she shouts, "AT LEAST LET ME MAKE YOU DINNER!"

Turning to face Pink cheeks I see she is sporting an amusing shade of red and her eyes are squeezed shut, "I'm standing in front of you, idiot. You didn't have to yell at me, jeez." She squints one eye open hesitantly to see my face before opening the other. I stalk towards her, letting my gaze locked on hers. "You could've just asked nicely," I whisper as I slip past her through the doorway.

I scan what I can see of her apartment. The walls are white that's been stained yellow with age, there are no pictures up anywhere, and she has the bare minimum amount of furniture.

I plop down on her couch and prop my feet up on her coffee table, "So what's for dinner then, Pink cheeks?" She smiles, "You like curry, right?"

"Hell yes I do, better be spicy though." She nods with a yawn and that nagging feeling in my chest starts acting up again and I know I can't let her do this. I exhale loudly before picking myself up off the couch and walking into the kitchen, "Sleep." I order. She tilts her head and blinks with a comatose vapid stare, "What?"

"I said sleep, idiot. You'll probably burn the whole damn building down if your tired ass cooks. I'll do it, just sleep." Her eyes widen but then slowly start to betray her as they start feeling heavier.

I roll my eyes before picking her up and tossing her over my shoulder. She attempts to wiggle in resistance for a moment before her body goes limp and she sighs from exhaustion. I walk towards one of two closed doors, assuming one is the bedroom.

"Bakugou, stop. Please just put me on the couch." The tone in Uraraka's voice is different than usual. "You will sleep better on a bed, but whatever." Taking her to the couch per her damned request, I set her down, letting my arms support her more than I should just to make sure she's comfortable.

Almost immediately she turns on her side, curls her knees up into her chest, and puts her hands under her cheek. She mumbles something incoherent before passing out a moment later.

I raid her fridge for ingredients for the curry and find only the ingredients for it. I really hope she's just due to go grocery shopping, but I know that's probably not the case.

I breathe out and just prepare the meal she was going to make, not really knowing what else to do before my phone vibrates again.

OLDHAG

Katsuki where the fuck are you?

I go to shove my phone back in my pocket after seeing it's the old hag but it continues to vibrate.

OLD HAG

Don't ignore me you little shit or I won't bother saving you dinner.

KATSUKI

Calm the fuck down. I'm helping a friend damn it! Save me dinner.

I check on Angel Face, she's still asleep. Out of curiosity I go to the bedroom and open it up, revealing nothing but a few labeled cardboard boxes of belongings. I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach and close the door quietly.

Kneeling in front of the couch for a while, I stare at her contemplating what I should do. Do I wake her to eat? Do I let her sleep? Do I force her to go to someone's house and sleep on a god damn bed? Do I leave? I should leave so she can sleep, right? Fuck Fuck Fuck. I run a hand through my hair and grip the roots as I mutter more curses at myself.

Uraraka's eyes flutter open and she lets out an attempt at a giggle with a tired smile. "What do you think you're laughing at, Angel Face?" I question.

"You curse even when you just talk to yourself. It's cute."

I turn my face to hide my embarrassment but look at her sideways to see if she noticed. "You're delirious. I made the curry and packed it up. Lock the door behind me, brat." I get up and walk to the door, waiting for her to follow me.

She nods in response but nuzzles her face back into the couch cushion. "Oi! Get your ass up for one fucking second to lock this door." She slowly moves her legs to the side of the couch, letting her feet sit on the floor for a moment before standing.

She slowly makes her way towards me, shuffling her feet before leaning against the wall beside the door with a yawn. "Thanks, Kaachan."

"Just try to stay fucking awake from now on." Then I glare at her slightly before looking past her into the barren apartment.

"Ok. Night."

Then my eyes tear themselves back to her deeply inset ones. I have to figure out what's going on. She can't keep doing this to herself.

"Night idiot." Then I turn to leave, making sure to pause under the stairs until I hear her door close and lock before taking the last bus home.

Chapter 5: My Cannibalistic Thoughts

I wake up late, having forgotten to set my alarm before passing out after Bakugou left. Shit. I sit up on the couch, letting my warm feet touch the cold floor beneath me as I yawn and stretch out my arms.

A feeling of melancholy splashes over me like a wave over a beachfront rock as I run a hand through my tangled auburn hair and sigh, looking around at my pathetic apartment. The cold, bare walls that surround me remind me of how big of a change this all is. It's hard being away from home, especially because my parents are such warm and loving people. The isolation and disparity are depressing, even more so as I realize I am no longer the only one to know about it.

My stomach yells, breaking my cannibalistic thoughts, so I wander over to the fridge, letting the bright light inside wash over me as it illuminates a fridge empty of all but two containers. I pick one up, a vague memory of Bakugou telling me they were there ghosting over my thoughts. Smiling at the faded memory, I toss one container in a pan to heat it up since I couldn't afford a microwave.

As the pleasant aroma brings me to a level of consciousness necessary for intelligent thought, the realization hits me full force. Oh god. Bakugou saw my apartment. He must think I'm pathetic. I suddenly feel small and useless. I can't face him today, or anyone for that matter. There is no way I can go to classes today, I've already missed two anyway. I'll just go to work as usual and try again tomorrow…maybe.

I plate my curry and set it down on the coffee table before ransacking a few boxes to find a book. I can't help but be envious of Bakugou's cooking skills as I savor each bite of food, eating slowly to try and make it last. I pull up my phone and use my banking app to check my balance, sighing at the $4.50 I have left until the day after tomorrow when my paycheck comes in. I knew things would be tight money wise, but this was a huge reality check. It's not like I could ask my parents for money either since dad's construction company was having a rough go of things, not that I'd let them help anyway...

After a few hours and many chapters later, I take a hot shower to try and let the soothing heat of the water wash off my self-loathing and despair.

When my skin feels hot enough. I step out and dry off before getting my work clothes on and brushing my teeth when a loud banging on my door jars my senses.

I grab a knife from the kitchen before stepping quietly towards the door with my toothbrush still in my mouth, opening it just slightly to see who it was. When a familiar tuft of spiky blonde hair catches my eye, I sigh in relief before further opening the door.

"What the fuck! Where the hell was you today?!" Bakugou pushes past me into the room before taking a good look at me. "And what are you doing with that big ass KNIFE?! You gonna stab me or some shit?!" His crimson eyes flickering with an anger-fueled from fear as well as anger, though he would never admit it, making me slightly afraid of him for the first time ever as I take a step back and rush to the kitchen to put the knife back in its spot.

*Howld un a shec* I mumble, trying to tuck the toothbrush in the side of my mouth to speak more clearly. He glares and I rush off to the bathroom, spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing the brush before returning to where he was impatiently standing.

"Well?!" He taps his foot, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turn white.

"I forgot to set an alarm after you left and slept through half the day. I figured I might as well stay home and rest. The knife was a safety precaution. "

"You should've let me fucking know, idiot. Don't pull this shit again or I'll kick your dumb ass." He spits at me with a glare.

"How was I supposed to let you know? It's not like I have your number."

Bakugou curses under his breath before holding his hand out for my phone. "Give it here idiot." I give it over and the fiery hedgehog jabs his number in before sending himself a text so he has mine.

"No more excuses now." He states, handing my phone back. I glance down at the contact name he gave himself and chuckle, "King Explosion Murder, huh?" He gives a boyish shrug, "I suppose it is fitting. Well, except the murder part... Unless you have an unusually dark past that doesn't just involve bullying Deku." I tease him with a smirk.

He rolls his eyes before turning them on me once again, the crimson depths raking down my body giving me chills. "What are you wearing?" He asks with an inquisitively raised eyebrow. I feel my face heat up in embarrassment and remember I was getting ready for work. I check the time on my phone, I need to get to the bus stop in ten minutes. "I, uh, need to get going actually."

I grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder before placing my hands on his shoulders to spin him around and face the door, giving a gentle push forward. I couldn't help but notice how muscular his shoulders felt under my hands though...wow. I wonder what the rest of him feels like... My face heats up even more at the less than pure thoughts that started to fill my head.

Bakugou plants his feet on the ground, causing me to collide with his back with an oof. He looks over his shoulder at me with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, is he concerned? "I'm not moving until you tell me where the hell you're going." I let out a sigh, "I'll tell you on the way, I don't want to be late."

"Tch. Fine."

Once we get outside and start walking towards the bus stop he slows down to meet my pace. "Cough it up, Pink cheeks."

"My cheeks aren't that pink!" I defend, trying to sidestep the subject at hand.

"Oh fuck off, you blush like seventy-five percent of the shitty times I see you. And don't think I'm stupid enough to realize you're trying to change the subject, shitty girl."

I rub the back of my neck, I don't know why I'm so embarrassed about having a job. Lots of people have jobs... Especially through college, right? I suppose it's because in high school it was obvious a lot of my friends didn't have to worry about money, so I became more aware of my family's lack of wealth.

"I'm just headed to work, it's no big deal."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU MAKING IT A BIG DEAL?" He shouts, my eyes widening at his sudden change in volume as I fight back tears.

Xxxx

It all started to make fucking sense. She's working herself like a fucking dog, that's why she's so tired. That's why she has no food in the fridge. That's why she lives in that shitty apartment, in this shitty area.

It made me so angry for some reason, as soon as she said it I saw red and yelled at her. I look back at her and notice her startled expression, causing my chest to clench riddles with guilt. "For fuck sake. You can't work yourself like a dog and expect to be able to keep up your grades, you dumbass."

She breaks eye contact and looks down the road at the upcoming bus. She flashes me a sad smile as the bus comes to a stop. The doors open and she states matter of factly, "Unlike you, I don't have a choice. But I'm determined to make it work." Then she steps inside the doors shutting me out yet again so all I can do is watch as a piece of my heart disappears into the distance.

I have to do something. I have to help. But what can I do? I think to myself as I watch the bus fade into the distance, into a world I don't understand with the only person I want to protect in tow but can't. At least not yet.

To read the rest of the story (which stops after chapter 72) please visit the website in my profile