"Same time tomorrow?"
"No fucking way."
"I'll see you then, Bakugo."
As she exits, she gives him a friendly wave out of habit. She thinks she hears him cuss under his breath, and she muffles her own laugh with her hand as she runs out the gym.
Bakugo is predictable, if nothing else.
Normally after a practice, she would go to the vending machines with Deku. She never gets anything because her parents are flat out broke, but she enjoys the company. She's not there yet with the explosive Kacchan and she's grimy with sweat sticking to her so a shower is much preferred.
When she first approached him, Ochako would be lying to herself to say she wasn't shaking in her boots. Izuku's off doing his own thing, and she's determined not to just sit pretty while he's away. Aizawa-sensei made the comment, in between naps, that she trains with Deku too much anyway and that she needed to break any weird habits she's picked up from training against one person.
It wasn't easy, though.
Izuku left two days ago, which translates to two days of Ochako wasting time, kicking dirt, as she tried to find a partner. Iida was the first person she asked at lunch, but he was busy implementing some new studying regime (the overachiever felt his already high grades could use some work). He muttered out an apology and gave her a regretful look. Tokoyami cast her the same sympathy when he turned her down, too, focusing on lone training to strengthen his dark shadow's attack strength during sunlight hours.
Which left her pouting. Did she really rely that much on Deku for everything? God, she hates that idea.
Her classmates also got boy crazy as the season changed, a few weeks in from the start of their second year. With Jiro and Mina taking turns to sneak into the boys dorms, she didn't even bother to ask. One by one, she moved round her classmates and asked the same thing, to hear similar excuses to the ones she'd gotten.
She actually got her hopes with Momo only to find her arm linked with Todoroki's.
"That's right. Midoriya is away right now, isn't he?" She felt herself bubble up the way Deku's temperamental rival does when she got another one of those looks from the girl in question.
"He is?" Todoroki glanced at Yaoyorozu with interest.
"Yeah. For another two weeks." She confirmed.
The two shared a passive glance. "Guess I'll just see him when he's back then," Todoroki mumbled quietly. Uraraka still doesn't think Momo noticed his disappointment from the way she happily babbled on as they left Uraraka to her own devices.
That was how Uraraka found herself, knuckles clenched white and shoulders tense, bellowing out her frustration outside when she thought no one else was around. She jumped out her own skin when a burst of flames crackled out into a scorched barrel and Bakugo yelled out a string of profanities at her for losing his concentration.
And that was how she got the great idea.
She could learn all kinds of things from brick-up-his-ass Bakugo. Maybe even impress Deku when he returns.
Suffice to say, it wasn't that easy. She had puffed her cheeks up and marched into the training facility with feigned vigor. "What the hell makes you think I need you, Shitty hair?!" Her nervous sense of conviction 'eep-ed' right out of her when she found him, clad in his gym gear, spouting curses at Kirishima as the redhead sheepishly grinned and crossed the floor to a laughing Mina.
She had resigned to training herself that time, unwilling to face the wrath of the spiky blonde glaring at his weights.
She surprised herself when she actually asked him the next day.
And given how well it went, she's content to call herself a damned badass.
A whole training session with Lord Explosion Murder.
He's put her through her paces a whole lot more than Deku ever has in one session, and her whole body sings it's so bust. Even in the shower, as heated water soothes over her sore spots, she can feel the newly formed knots in her back. She got so excited, fueled with pure adrenaline, she forgot to stretch.
Rookie error.
Uraraka knows she'll suffer for it tomorrow, but she can't bring herself to care.
Maybe she's a masochist like that.
She turns off the faucet and the water stops running. She pulls on her shorts and a tank top, and wears monochrome black. On the walk back to her dorm room, her arms and legs practically scream at her.
Maybe she doesn't care because she's brimming with enthusiasm and a new sense of euphoria. Bakugo's on another level from most of their classmates and he doesn't hold his punches. In spite of the obvious gap in their abilities, she actually kept up with him. She doesn't normally feel like this after sparring. Before when she looked at guys like him who trained so much they broke their bodies, she didn't get it. But after the elation that followed a workout of that intensity, she really did.
It feels addictive, and she gets a skips in her step that carries into the next day. She hums to herself at lunch and practically drools at the food options on display. Iida's got class rep stuff to do with Momo, so she hungrily stares everything down on her lonesome.
"Hurry up and pick something, deadbeat. There's a line here."
Uraraka blinks. She knows that angry voice. She glances back to be met with Bakugo towering over her, food tray in his hands. "Cool it, Explodo-kill, she just got there." Kirishima's red hair and wide grin, a welcome contrast to the scowling blonde, pop up behind him.
"Hey, Ura-cutie! What you doing? Wanna sit with us?" Mina joins and motions to herself and the two boys, standing close to one suspiciously blushing redhead (whose grin is sheepish, like he's been caught red handed). Uraraka doesn't tease them though, because her friend's chipper mannerisms lighten the conversation and she's a welcome distraction.
"She doesn't." Bakugo intercepts.
"Sure I do!" She beams.
"Great!" Kirishima beams back.
Bakugo grunts.
Admittedly, it does normally take Ochako a fair amount of time to choose her lunch. She flusters with indecision, but a certain scowl inspires her to take her sweet time. Mina and Kirishima don't seem to notice. Or at least say nothing if they do.
"Hurry up, Mochi face."
"Huh?" The brunette darts back to the food items. "There's rice cake?" She didn't see any Mochi.
"Get moving, dammit!"
"Okay, okay!"
She's ushered quick to a table that already seats Kaminari and Sero by an angry Pomeranian whose his ravenous hunger motivates him. The explosive tsundere becomes a lot less intimidating when she pictures him that way and she swallows her bottom lip to prevent herself laughing and incurring his wrath. Mina and Kiri join soon after.
Ochako catches a whiff of steamed pork and sneaks a peak at the blonde's dinner as she sits by him. Some kind of spicy soup, softomen noodles, meat dumplings, vegetables, milk (the most prominent drink of Japanese lunch time ever) and a hearty side of sliced meats.
Huh. A balanced diet. There's a lot of food there, but it's weirdly sensible of the firecracker.
His crimson eye twitches and she thinks she's been caught judging his eating habits.
"What kinda lunch is that, cheeks?"
"Eh?" She answers, and looks back to her own meal.
Bocchan dango skewers, sweet bean buns, miso soup and soda.
"Are you tryna give yourself diabetes? Tch." He chides her, before dumping some pork dumplings on her food tray. "At least get some protein in there, you moron."
"T-Thanks."
Shes stares dumbly at the uncharacteristic act of kindness, and looks at Kirishima across from her for some explanation, who just waves her off like it's normal. "He's stupidly passionate about food."
"Am not, Shitty hair."
"Sure, sure." The redhead utters in bored agreement as he sticks his chopsticks into his own food.
The topic seems to be let go until Kaminari perks up. "Maybe he just wants to lift Uraraka's spirits." The pun is so painful she almost doesn't blame Bakugo when he stands on the table, mini explosions firing across his hands.
"WHAT'D YOU SAY, DUNCE?!"
The two of them forget their lunches and leave them to go cold as the hotheaded idiot chases the other idiot through the cafeteria.
She stares in wonderment, surprised at how they interact with each other. They're closer than she originally thought.
"He's always so angry," Sero shakes his head and comments as he slurps his drink, unfazed by the commotion.
"They're so energetic!" Mina giggles.
Kiri sighs, a knowing smile pulling across his lips. "They're always like that."
Uraraka can't help but join in with the laughter that encompasses the four of them, falling into the comforting atmosphere as Aizawa scolds their classmates and sends them back to their seats with a warning, pulling back Bakugo for an extra telling off as Kaminari pants in relief and licks his lips at the sight of his food.
It crosses Ochako's mind just then, and she voices the thought before she forgets it again. "Oh yeah, Bakugo. Train again after class?"
Mid-slurp on his straw, Sero shares a glance with the rest of Baku-squad.
Bakugo's eyebrows raise as he grabs his lunch and stands up, seemingly done with social interaction.
She waits for his rejection.
"If you're late, I'll kill you."
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, follows and favs, you guys!
kibagaaralovel18 She really is! I plan to write her as her awesome self :)
enchanted-nova bytheriverside13 Inumie Tieler4000 Thanks you guys for the encouragement and support! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
I have to admit I'm nervous writing this story but the reactions I've gotten so far are really encouraging. Thank you!