The three of them opened the glass double doors to the front of the building and stepped on in. They embraced the warmth of the heat inside as they made their way to the lounge. There, all of their classmates were scattered around in their pajamas either chatting or idly staring at their phones. Shoto checked the time before they headed in and was relieved to know that the movie didn't start for another ten minutes. Thankfully, they made it back in time. When the others finally noticed them, Ashido and Hagakure immediately leaped off the couch to talk to them.
"You're lucky! We almost started the movie without you!" the pink girl exclaimed.
"What movie did you pick?" Todoroki asked.
"It's a movie called The Ritual. It just came out this week and had good ratings. None of us have seen it yet either, so it'll be really exciting!" The sleeve to the invisible girl's arm moved up and down, practically jumping with positive energy.
Bakugo couldn't help but scoff at them. What was the big deal? Getting all worked up over a scary movie. In the end, they're just going to get too freaked out and cut it halfway through, like last time. And since today was the start of the weekend ahead, no doubt they'd all keep him up at night with their dumb ghost hunting. Why is it that every time they play a scary movie that they end up having to check every single door and closet for ghosts and monsters? What are they, five? They'd turn on all the lights, and any little noise they heard would make them scream over and over again throughout the night. It's so fucking ridiculous, he hated it! Didn't these idiots grasp the idea that it's a MOVIE, that it isn't real?!
He really didn't want to have to go through this all over again...
"Well, since you're all here, we can go ahead and get started." Mina smiled and they left to inform the rest of the group. Almost instantly, a few classmates broke away and headed into the kitchen. In no time at all, the savory smell of buttered popcorn filled the air.
Shoto turned back to face his two friends. "Are you two going to stay for the movie?"
"I don't know..." She glanced to Bakugo. "Are you staying?"
It didn't take long for him to think about it. With a click of his tongue, he replied. "I guess, if you want... Not like I have anything better to do."
She turned back to Shoto. "Then sure..."
The elated feeling started to rise in his chest, and Todoroki couldn't help but smile at her. Even after what happened, she still chose to come. This was great. Maybe eating dinner with him and Bakugo warmed her up to the idea of hanging out, for once, instead of being cooped up in her room. It's not as if anyone here disliked her, so he still wasn't sure why she was so distant until now, but for the moment, he decided not to think about it. For all he knew, she was probably just shy. As of now, his main priority was to try and sit next to her before the movie began. At least he would be there, should she ever get scared. Then again, she grew up in the slums, so would she even freak out over something as small as a horror flick?
The class continued to rearrange several pillows and blankets before finally settling down themselves. The giant bowls of popcorn, boxes of candy, and drinks were stocked and ready to be devoured. Before Akane could think, Mina yanked her by the arm and pulled her down on the couch beside her. Momo took the seat on the other far end, but there was still a bit of room to squeeze in another person. Right when Shoto was about to ask to take it, Bakugo stepped first.
"Move over." he demanded, and right on cue, the girls shimmied their hips together, allowing him to slide right in next to Hattori. Not wanting to feel confined again, he laid his arm across the back rest behind her head.
They were so close, she could feel the warmth radiating off him through their clothes. His cologne still smelled like sweet musk. They hadn't been like this since that time she went to his house, and to be honest, it was making her a bit nervous.
The sunken feeling of defeat overwhelmed Todoroki and he ended up sitting on the floor next to Midoriya and Ida. He'll have to try again next time. The lights flicked off as Hagakure took the remote control to scroll through and find the movie.
"I can't wait! It's going to be so good!" Mina eagerly leaned over her with a grin.
"What's it about?" Akane asked.
"Probably some stupid ghost crap again, where you never see the damn thing, but it bangs on the walls and moves shit around." Bakugo interjected.
"We don't really know. It says some guys go camping and end up facing a deadly horror."
"So like 'Cabin in the Woods'?" she clarified.
"Maybe, but we'll find out soon. I want you to be beside me, since you're the strongest. If I ever went up against something big and scary, I'd want you to back me up, for sure."
Hattori didn't expect to hear such a nice sentiment from Mina. In all the time of her being there, she didn't think they were close at all. This was probably the most conversation they've had, besides the small talk in the bathroom in the mornings. She was probably just saying stuff to be nice, but it still caught her off guard.
"If you think she's the strongest, you better think twice while I'm here. You should've seen the way she fumbled in the exam today."
Both girls narrowed their eyes to Bakugo for his rude remark. Of course, he'd end up getting butt-hurt that someone else was in the spotlight instead of him. Mina wasn't having it.
"Hey! You were no better when we did that test either! You almost burned your baby to a crisp! That's no way to talk to your group mate!"
"I'm just sayin' if ya wanted someone strong, ya shoulda picked me!"
Instantly, Akane's bitterness towards him faded when their words triggered her to remember something important. There was something she was supposed to do this weekend. But what was it? Something about the exam...
Their bickering died down when Mina went to reach one of the sodas on the coffee table and took a drink. There was no use talking to Bakugo when he was like this. At the same time, Akane's silence started to get Bakugo's attention. He got a bit worried the longer she sat there so still. Shit. Did he upset her again? He only said that because he wanted to test her, to see some kind of reaction after all the chaos that went down today. Seeing the deadpanned look on her face, he wasn't sure if she was mad or zoned out.
"Hey, you o-"
"Oh, shit!" she silently screamed as she nearly jumped in her seat.
"What?!"
Her eyes were teeming with fear and frustration. "I forgot about the essay."
He blinked. "You what?"
"I completely forgot to start the essay. The teachers gave me a little extra time, since I was out sick, but I totally forgot about it until you talked about the exam."
He wanted to call her an idiot, but he chose not to say it out loud this time. Instead, he huffed it out and rolled his eyes.
"When do you gotta turn it in?"
"Monday morning."
"Then what's the big deal? You still got the whole weekend to do it. You'll be fine." he pointed out. No use sweating over something small and insignificant. The teachers probably don't even have time to read every single essay anyways, only to see if they actually did it, for it to count it as the participation grade.
"I don't even have your evaluation book yet. I said I'd get it and I forgot to do that too..." She let out a quiet groan. "There's just too much going on."
He sighed. "Look, if you need it that badly, I'll get it for ya tomorrow if ya come to the study group."
"Oh yea, that was tonight, wasn't it? Instead, you had to deal with me... Sorry."
"Don't even start. I made those idiots move it to tomorrow anyways, so don't worry about it. Just come." he explained nonchalantly. He hated it when she pitied and blamed herself for stupid shit. He heard enough of that for one day.
"Can I just get it now, so I can compare notes, at least?"
"Ugh! Fine. After the movie..."
"Shh! Guys, it's starting!" Momo loudly projected, and almost immediately, the entire dorm was silenced. They passed the bowls of popcorn around and the boxes of candy as they all laid their eyes on the big screen.
The movie started with a very troubling beginning. Two friends were out for a night on the town, talking about how they were going to plan their next friends expedition with their other mates at dinner, and along the way, they happened to stop by a liquor store. The store ended up getting robbed and one of the friends was killed while the other went and hid, like a coward. It was only two guys wielding knives, no guns, so if they had worked together and fought them off, neither one of them would be dead. Unfortunately, the cashier and his friend were killed, and the other guy, he had to live with that guilt ever since. Their other friends decided to honor his memory by going to the place he suggested they'd all go to before he died, a camping trip in the mountains.
Once they arrived, things seemed okay at first, but then rapidly started to go downhill. They were trying to find the quickest route to the campsite, and ended up getting lost. All of them were city dwellers, with no concept of how to navigate alone in the forest, even with a map and a compass. Tensions grew when it started to rain and one of the friends broke his ankle. Luckily, they found a cabin... How freaking cliche! And of course, they went to stay there for the night, despite all the creepy old shit inside it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. If only they could pitch a tent in the rain.
They ended up having weird dreams and every time they woke up, some... creature would appear. It snatched them off one by one. Now it was just two of them, the traitor friend and the one with the busted leg. They were desperately trying to find their way out of the forest, all while trying to remain hidden from that beast. They still didn't know what it looked like, but they could hear it's unnatural wails searching for them, stalking them, hunting them in the mid of night. Everyone's heart was pumped with anticipation about what was to come next.
And then, there was dead silence. Everyone stopped munching and sipping on their drinks, no one talked, not even a breath as they were all on the edge of their seats. The guys flicked their flashlights in the trees and that's when they saw its glowing yellow eyes and it's evil slimy snarl.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
The whole dorm was shaken with fright. Mina jumped on Hattori, clamping tightly around her arm, which caused her to lean into Bakugo. She unknowingly gripped his left thigh and her head pressed against the crevice of his armpit. Bakugo nearly leaped from his spot at the invaded space, but he did everything in his power to relax himself. It's just a movie. It's just a stupid fucking movie... and she was really close to him.
Hattori could feel his heart pounding through his clothes against her cheek. His body felt warm and sturdy, especially his pecs. He definitely worked out a lot. She could already feel herself turning red the longer she thought about it. With Mina still clasping on her for dear life, Akane pretended to play it off as if nothing happened, doing everything she could to keep herself from turning into an embarrassed wreck, as she straightened herself up again. Deep down, she hoped that Bakugo wouldn't make a big deal out of it or think she was being some kind of clingy weirdo, but oddly, he didn't say a word. That wasn't like him at all. The last time she accidentally got this close, he practically screamed his head off.
She took a glance back at him and their eyes met. Unable to take the growing anxiety, she turned away and whispered. "I'm sorry."
"It's... It's fine."
He felt his hand run through his hair, trying to pull himself together. Hopefully, she didn't notice that he actually got scared in that short moment. She was pretty sharp, but she wasn't that observant. If anyone discovered that the great Bakugo panicked like that, there'd be no living it down. Everyone would think he's just as weak as the rest of them and there would be no end to the insults and rumors by then. He couldn't let that happen.
As soon as she sat herself up again, he finally eased up the tension in his shoulders. Unfortunately, that small window of serenity quickly vanished when he noticed that her hand was still propped up against his thigh. The air suddenly became hot as the pores on his hands started to sizzle with nitroglycerin. It felt as if the color drained from his face. Oh, shit! Not now!
He swiped his hands against the fabric of the couch and on his pants leg, but the tingling sensation didn't go away. It was still coming out and heating up out of his control. At any second, he was sure to go off like a firecracker, and then everyone would know what was going on. Fuck! He needed water, fast! Bakugo bounced off the couch and swiftly headed to the boys restroom. Once he shut the door behind him, he turned on the sink and stuck his fingers under the cool running water. The small sparks were extinguished, leaving behind a small cloud of steam.
Relieved, he took the moment to gaze at himself in the mirror while listening to the water as it continued to run. Somehow the noise was helping to ease the tension. His eyes were the same normal shade of red and his hair was still as fine as it usually was, but the ends of his cheeks and ears were flushed. He hated it. He needed to get rid of this unnatural glow before anyone saw it. Bakugo shoved his hands under the water and tossed it back into his face. He did this several times until he was sure the redness was gone and took one final look. It sort of helped, but not much.
"You alright, man?"
That voice... He nearly snapped his neck at the sight of his red-haired friend creeping in from the doorway. Kirishima.
"Yea, I'm fine." He answered as he went to reach for a towel to dry himself off.
"What're you splashing water in your face for?"
Bakugo shifted his eyes back to the mirror to check for any other wet spots he missed with the towel. "I had something stuck to my face..."
"Oh... Did you get the drinks and stuff you needed?"
"Huh?"
"You said you needed to get stuff for your room earlier. So did you go out and get them? I noticed you didn't have any bags when you came back." he explained. Now Bakugo remembered.
"Oh, yea... They didn't have what I wanted."
"I see. I take it you both found Hattori and got her her phone back."
Bakugo questionably stared at him. "Yea, we did. Why are you suddenly so interested, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean - why are you asking me that?"
"Well... I noticed that you've been spending a lot of time with her." Kirishima pointed out, feeling the pressure of what he was about to walk himself into.
"Yea, she's in my group. So what?"
"It looks like you two're doing more than just training stuff."
"What?"
Bakugo couldn't wrap his head about where he was going with this. It wasn't like him to get upset about this kind of stuff before. What was the big deal? Weren't they supposed to get to know each other for the group thing?
"Hey, I'm happy if ya made a new friend, man. Hattori's cool... but..." Kirishima fidgeted his hands in his pockets. "It's just that, we haven't hung out at all since before our internships... Now that you're around her all the time, I just kinda... felt left out."
Bakugo caught his breath. "So that's why you made the study session, huh?... If you wanted to hang out with me, you could've just told me so."
Kirishima's head hung low. "You've been kinda distant lately. And you never seem to want to hang out anymore, so it made me skeptical to even bother asking."
Bakugo let out a grunt as he kicked himself again. As smart as he is, he could've at least acknowledged his friend from time to time. But still, he could've asked. Even if Kirishima wouldn't like the answer, at least he would know.
"I know you're trying to help her and stuff. We're pretty much responsible for anything our trainees do until the Sports Festival, but it seems like you actually want to do more than just training. I don't think she's the type who'd actually force you to do it, not that people can force you to hang out with them, but-"
"What're you gettin' at, Shitty Hair?"
He was about to ask, he really wanted to, but in the back of his mind, the fear of knowing what the possible answer could be, it already felt like it was about to crush him. When his mouth opened, the words fumbled out of his mouth.
"I-it's nothing. Never mind..." Kirishima hated that he wasn't manly enough to say it. "Just tell me if you're really coming to the study group tomorrow."
Bakugo blinked at him before he nodded. "Yea, I'll be there. But she's gotta work on her essay and'll need some help since she's turning it in late, so I told her she could come too."
Kirishima's stomach dropped. "Oh. Okay."
"That gonna be a problem?..."
He snapped up to him. "What? No! No-no, she can come. I did say- the more the merrier, man."
"You sure?"
"Yea, really. Kaminari was thinking of inviting Jiro too, so it all works out... I mean, as long as you're there for us to hang out, I'm cool with it." he lied through his teeth.
"Kay... We can all meet in my room after breakfast, I guess, but you idiots better not leave any of your trash again. Next time, I'm dumping it all in your beds while you sleep."
"Sure, man. I got it."
"Well, I'm 'bout to head up to bed."
"Oh, okay. Nite, man." Kirishima forced a small smile as he watched him step to the door.
"Nite."
When the door finally closed, Kirishima was left alone in the restroom. He slapped himself in the head and sighed.
"Stupid..." he whispered.
Bakugo puzzled at that weird altercation. Something was definitely up with him, but he could talk more about that tomorrow morning. Quietly, he stepped over to the couch again. It looked like he missed the big dramatic part of the movie because the main traitor character had already burned the cabin to the ground and was hauling ass out of the forest away from that creature alone. It looked like it would probably be over within the next few minutes or so and with everyone's focus on the TV, he thought now would be a good time to head on up to his room. He changed his direction over to the archway leading to the elevators and leaned up against the wall. Taking his phone out, he shot her a quick message.
When she felt the vibration in her pants pocket, she pulled out her phone to read his text and glanced over her shoulder to see him waiting for her by the doorway. He beckoned her to follow him just before he disappeared to the other side. With no other choice, she slithered her arm out of Mina's grasp to take one of the unopened drinks and eased off the couch to follow him. He stood there at the end of the hall, waiting for the elevator to come down.
"The movie wasn't over yet."
"Yea, but I don't want people to see you coming into my room. They'd definitely get the wrong idea in their fucked up heads..." And he definitely didn't want to go through that kind of crap again.
The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. Together, they stepped onto the platform and he pushed the close button.
"Can we stop by my room first to get the other evaluation books?" she asked, just before he touched the 2nd floor button.
"There's no time. That movie'll be over any minute. I don't want us to get caught."
"Then I'll just go get it. Tell me which room you're in and I'll sneak in before they even come up the stairs."
He let out an annoyed grunt as he pushed his floor number. "2E. If you're not there in ten minutes, I'm locking the door and going to bed."
She smirked at him. "I promise I'll be quick."
He scoffed at her and the platform came to a halt on his level. Once the doors reopened, he stepped out into the hall and she forced them to shut right after. She pressed the number for her floor and as soon as she arrived, she bolted to her and Uraraka's room. She stumbled to the drawers under her bed frame and pulled out the bottom one, where she kept all her notebooks and school work. She snatched Shishida's and Sato's evaluation books as well as her own, but stopped when she noticed her sketchbook sitting right beside it. She worked on his character's picture over winter break and hadn't had a chance to give it to him, since he was away at his internship. There were also other things going on that she practically forgot about it until now. Without a single thought, she grabbed the sketchbook and everything else she needed before heading out the door.
The hallway was still quiet. No one was there yet.
She made her way back to the elevator and was about to push the button to go down when she noticed it was already coming up. The numbers at the top of the doors were highlighted from the very bottom level. Someone was heading up. A rush of fear ran across her skin as she panicked about what to do next. Bakugo was on the second floor and neither one of them wanted the kind of attention that would come if they got caught. A girl sneaking into Bakugo's room after curfew. The rumors were already firing off in her head, already humiliating her even though they haven't been spoken yet. He made the right call, but what was she supposed to do now?
Wait! 2E? He was room 2E, and her and Uraraka's room was 3E. They'd been sitting above him this whole time! Then the lightbulb went off in her head. She could take a chance at the stairs, but that would still mean risking someone seeing her in the hallways on level 2. So she thought of something even more dangerous and crazy.
Hattori swiftly ran back to her room and opened the door to the balcony. The cold air sent shivers across her body as she slid the door closed behind her and went to reach for her phone. Bakugo's phone vibrated in his hand. When he opened the text, he sat up in his bed.
Hattori: Come out on your balcony.
Bakugo's brow dropped in confusion. 'The fuck for?...'
Curiously, he stood to flip the latch and pulled the door back, allowing the chilling wind to come hurling in. He stepped out and looked around, but saw nothing. Was she playing some kind of trick on him or something? It was fucking cold out here.
"Psst! Up here!" he heard her whisper loudly.
Jerking his head up, his eyes instantly latched on to her short little legs dangling over the edge. His eyes widened as he instantly jetted over and locked his arms tightly around her ankles.
"You idiot! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Keep it down, or they'll hear you." she answered as she was struggling to feel around for her notebooks over the edge.
He couldn't believe this. "Why didn't you just come to the fucking door?"
"They were already on their way up. Look, can you just help me down?"
With all his strength, he tried to pull her in while keeping her up at the same time, so she wouldn't accidentally throw her back over and plummet all the way down. From all the way up here, she'd probably survive, but it would still be a hell of a fall. And that would be an even more embarrassing story to have to tell to Aizawa and Recovery Girl too. Until now, this has got to be the dumbest shit she's ever dared to pull.
"Let go, already! I've got you." he assured, and willingly, she released the one arm that was holding her up, while the other held tightly to her notes. To his surprise, she was pretty lightweight for a girl.
Carefully, he slid her down his arms until her feet touched the concrete floor. He took a quick glance at the top of her head down to her shoes and was content to see that nothing changed. She was okay. The books were still nestled safely in her other arm.
"You good?" he asked to double check.
"Yea. Thanks."
"Okay..." He took a short breath. "Then what the hell gave you that stupid idea?! Don't you know how high up we are!"
"Relax. You said you didn't want anyone to see me come here, so I improvised." she explained nonchalantly. How could she be so level headed at this?
"Still, that was dangerous as hell."
"But you caught me, didn't you?" she smirked, trying to make light of this situation.
He grunted. "Next time, I'll remember to let you fall. Now get in."
As told, she stepped through the sliding glass door to his dorm. At first glance, his room didn't appear to be any different than the one back at his house. The sheets were the same shade of black and so were the curtains, he had a desk with a laptop, a small dresser off to the side for his clothes, and a couple of All Might posters tacked on the wall. There were also a few small nick-knacks and pictures that he collected on display too, but nothing really stuck out to her.
Akane set her books down on his bed before taking a seat beside them as Bakugo spun his computer chair around and sunk himself in it. He crossed his arms and stared at her.
"What do you want to go over first?"
"I figured you could tell me your evaluation first, then I could compare that to what Shishida and Sato wrote."
"Kay..."
He spun around and reached for his backpack that was sitting on the floor. He yanked the zipper open to pull out his binder and flipped through it until he found the composition notebook. Akane watched patiently as he scanned over the pages, but her brow dropped when he pulled the book closer to his face. He squinted his eyes hard, trying to make out the blurriness over the words.
"Where's your glasses?"
His head popped up with a glare. "How many times do I have to tell you to not bring that shit up again?"
"It's not like there's anyone else here, and I already know you have them, so what's the point in hiding it now?"
He growled in the back of his throat. "I don't like wearing them. I look like a damn nerd..."
"Can I see?"
"Huh- you've already seen 'em."
"Please, just put them on?" she whined.
"No!"
"Please?"
"No! Fuck, you're so damn annoying!"
"Well, then I guess I'm staying over." she crossed her arms and legs. Bakugo was even more confused.
"What?"
"I mean, if you had your glasses on, you could read it and then I could finish my essay and get out of your hair. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I'll leave." she shrugged. "But I guess you're too self-conscious for that."
"You think your little trick's gonna work on me?" he scoffed.
She smirked as she pulled out her phone. "Guess I'll go ahead and text Uraraka that I'm not coming back to the room tonight."
Bakugo's blood started to boil with frustration. He knew she was toying with him, but he didn't want to chance it. She had him by the balls. He fucking hated it when she was like this. Uraraka wasn't the type to go around spreading rumors and stuff, but he still didn't want to put that possibility at risk. Gritting his teeth, he shut the book and slammed it on top of his desk.
"Dammit, fine! I'll put 'em on!"
She pursed her lips to contain her laughter as she watched him struggle. He was doing everything in his power not to scream. Neither one of them wanted anyone to hear them and she decided to play that in her favor. Still, it was kind of cute seeing that he still wanted to keep it a secret, even though she already knew.
Bakugo opened the top drawer to his desk and dug around until he finally found the black case. He took them out and involuntarily slipped them over his face in contempt.
"There! Happy!"
The light reflected off his big square lenses as he braced himself for the humiliating words soon to come out of her mouth. But strangely, she said nothing. She didn't laugh or giggle, only sat there staring at him with wide eyes. His body stiffened anxiously, wondering why she was looking at him like he was some kind of spectacle. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to rip them off his face. He hated this.
"You look-"
"Like a fucking nerd, I know..." he interrupted.
"Sexy..." she whispered.
"Huh?"
Wait! What did she say?!
She suddenly realized what she just said and became overwhelmed with embarrassment. That wasn't what she meant to say, the words just came out of her. She nervously fidgeted with the sleeves on her jacket. She needed to say something else, quick.
"U-ummm, I said you look fetching." God, that was no better!
He continued to gawk at her quietly, which made her body break out in a restless sweat. This was getting worse.
"Look, it doesn't matter what I think anyways... but you look good with or without them on." She needed to get this back on the topic at hand. "So, will you tell me your evaluation now? Please?"
"Yea..."
He could've sworn she said something else, but he decided to just let it be for now. As long as she didn't make fun of him for wearing these things, he could focus on helping her and get this shit done. He snatched the book back and flipped the pages until he reached the very last note he wrote.
"First things first, you need to stop picking a fight with every single enemy you cross. Not every villain can be beat with brute force. And you need to take a moment to step back and assess the situation before you go in for a fight. There could be bystanders in the way, or someone controlling them, or worse, but you'll never find out if you don't stop to take that split second to check first."
"Is this 'cuz of the last fight we had? I told you, I was just frustrated."
"That's part of it, but you also transformed without thinking of your kid and almost dropped it a bunch of times. You put him in a lot of danger just to make a blow on your target. Why didn't you just strap him on your back?"
"I thought they were supposed to be strapped in the front. I thought it would let me keep a better eye on him and keep him safe." she clarified.
"But you fight with your hands, Idiot. Even I had to switch and put the kid on my back. It was the only way they'd be safe from my concussive blasts."
"But you can't see them when they're on your back."
"Yea, but you can feel them, and as long as you're moving around and paying attention, you should be able to see when a villain is about to attack or grab him. You need to see each test as though it's happening in real life, Idiot."
Annoyed, she let out a huff and threw her back on his bed. Perhaps he was right. She could've handled that test better. Even still, if that was a real life situation, her baby more likely wouldn't have survived or could've gotten really hurt. If that ever actually happened, she'd never forgive herself for being so careless. It would weigh on her conscience forever. She had to make sure that it never happened again, fake baby or not.
"Yea... you're right."
"Tch. I know I'm right." he muttered under his breath, turning to the back page of his notes.
She sighed again as she went to roll herself up, but stopped short when she felt something unusual under his bed sheets. She felt her hand across the fabric until she touched something smooth and... rectangular? It was nestled just under his pillow. With a slight nudge, she was able to see a small corner edge of a book. When she pulled it out, she was instantly captivated by the unique cover art on the front, which showed a serene image of a couple gazing into each other's eyes, but it was of a much older, vintage design. The edges of the paperback were worn and crinkled, signifying that it had been read many times over, and she wasn't familiar with the title. It definitely couldn't be one of hers.
Curiously, she opened it halfway and skimmed across the panels. Her eyes slightly widened. Was this... a romance manga?
In that moment of silence, Bakugo glanced up from his notes and the second he saw what she had in her hands, his heart stopped. Oh, fuck! He forgot to put it up last night!
"What the hell are you doing?"
She met his eyes, but then went back to the book. "Is this yours?"
His notebook dropped to the floor with a thud as he jumped from his chair and yanked it right out of her hands.
"No! I'm just holding it for someone!"
Where the hell did she get off going through his stuff? He knew he shouldn't have let her come in. He should've just handed her his evaluation and kicked her out when he had the chance. The mess of shame began to consume him as he turned away from her, trying to conceal his burning red face. This was so humiliating.
Akane wasn't buying it. "C'mon, that's the oldest excuse in the book."
Bakugo bit his bottom lip, using the pain to try and distract him from breaking down from this total disaster. Of all the people to find out his terrible secret, it had to be her. Could this day get any worse? Unable to contain it, he let out a groan and forced himself to face her.
"Alright, it's mine! I have one romance book!"
"Just one? Where's the book I gave you?"
"It's put up somewhere safe, okay?!" he couldn't help but to snap. When did this become the 20 questions game? Why couldn't she just drop it? He didn't want to talk about this anymore than he needed to.
"Geeze, what're you getting so worked up for?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
"I let you in here to help with your essay, not for you to snoop through all my shit."
"But it's just a manga. Why is it such a big deal? I have manga lying around my room too." That's when the thought came to her. "Is it... because it's shoujo? Romance manga?"
His lips parted to answer, but his pride left him speechless. After a moment of awkward silence, she had her answer.
"You're allowed to like things, Katsuki... even if it's something different than what others would expect."
"?!"
"Is it any good? I've never heard of that one before."
Bakugo didn't understand. "You're not bothered that I'm the one reading this stuff?"
Her brow dropped. "No. It's not any different than some of the other things I've seen people getting into. I mean, if you like it, you like it... It's not like it's hurting anyone, not that it matters what I think anyways..."
Somehow, that allowed him to relax the tension in his shoulders. He pulled the comic up to his face and stared at it for a bit. This couple, he read about them at least 100 times over. They went through Hell and back, almost as if the universe was doing everything in its power trying to tear them apart, and yet they still came back to each other in the end. He wondered at that moment, was love really worth going through all that?
"I'm sorry. I didn't know it would upset you this much... You're right, I shouldn't have nosed around."
"Yea... You shouldn't've." he mumbled and he tossed the book angrily on top of his desk. He dropped himself back in the roller chair and ran a hand through his hair. This whole night was so fucked.
"If it means anything, I promise not to tell."
"Like I can trust your word after all that..."
She felt her heart sink watching him crumble like this. He was really distressed over this, and it was her fault. Maybe it would be best if she just left.
"I'm sorry... You want me to go?"
He averted his gaze over to the door, seriously contemplating agreeing with her, but he didn't want her to leave, not after knowing his darkest secret. If he let her out, what's stopping her from telling everyone else about it. She was always so discreet, but how could he trust that she would actually live up to her word? And on top of that, it was only a few minutes past curfew. Everyone was still up right now.
"Aizawa and Four-Eyes patrol the halls for about a half hour after curfew to make sure no one's wandering around. As for everyone else, most of them don't go to sleep until around 11, and it's the fucking weekend, so everyone will be up even later than that. The guys in this hall will hear you." he explained.
"Oh... so if I leave now-"
"You'll get caught."
"I could try the balcony again, and have Uraraka float me up to the room." she suggested.
"You're not going to do that stupid shit again! Just stay here until the coast is clear and you can sneak back in your room."
"Okay, but that could be a long time..."
Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate. It was a text from Uraraka.
"Oh, looks like that plan wasn't gonna work anyways. Uraraka just texted that she's gonna sleep with Mina and Tohru tonight... Guess the movie really freaked them out." she commented and put her phone back in her pocket.
"I knew it would. It always does whenever they watch that stupid crap."
There was a pause between them.
"Y'know, it's really not a big deal for you to like that stuff." she started.
"God, will you stop talking about it already? I didn't want anyone to know and that's my business."
"Am I the only one who knows?"
"Duh! And if you're smart, you'll take that to your fucking grave."
She thought for a moment. "Would it help if I shared something... about myself?"
"Huh?"
"If I told you one of my secrets, would it make us even?"
He blinked at her in confusion. "Why would you wanna do that?"
"Well... I don't want you to hate me for this. I know I shouldn't have meddled around, but I meant what I said when I said I've never blabbed something I swore to secrecy. If telling you something about me would allow you to trust me, I'll do it."
"How do you know I won't go around telling everyone else?"
"Because you're not that kind of person..."
Bakugo thought long and hard about it. There were so many things he wanted to know, but it looked like he was only going to get one answer. Finally, he made his decision.
"Alright, your tattoos."
"What?"
"Where and what are your tattoos? And how were you able to get 'em?" he asked, bluntly.
"Really? That's your question?"
He smirked. "What, are they something embarrassing?"
"No, but they're in a... private location."
"Oh yea? Where? Your ass cheek?"
She raised a brow to him. "... You wanna find out?"
"!"
His breath caught in the back of his throat, almost choking on it when she rose from his bed. She slipped off her jacket, exposing her black lace crop top and her bare-skin arms. A rush of adrenaline kicked in as she stepped closer to him. Was she being serious? He was just kidding around, but he didn't expect she'd follow through. Her fingers slipped under the mesh of her top. She took a deep breath and pulled it up just under her bra-line, exposing the curves of her stomach. Just under her bra was a small inscription. He couldn't hide the flush in his cheeks as he leaned in for a closer look. In black kanji, it read- Itsuki, her late mother's name.
She quickly pulled it down and took a step back. Unable to look him in the eyes, she crossed her arms over her chest, conserving what little dignity she had left. Bakugo gripped the fabric of his jeans hard to absorb the sweat from heated palms. He was starting to regret his request.
A little time passed by as she was working up the courage to show him the last tattoo. She was hoping that her future boyfriend, should she ever have one, would be the one to see it first, but it looks like that wasn't going to happen. She didn't plan on exposing this much of herself, especially not to someone she was certain didn't like her back. Then again, it was the only way to keep things even between them. And even though he didn't want to date anyone right now, she still wanted to be his friend at least.
She sucked in a deep breath through her nose and shoved her fears deep down inside her as she went to undo the button on her high-waist jeans. Right when her fingers grazed over the inseam, he grabbed hold of her wrists to stop her.
"Don't."
"But you said-"
"I know what I said." he interjected, "... but I can see it's bothering you, so just stop."
"So are we even?" she asked.
"Yea... just don't tell anyone about the book, got it?"
She nodded. "I promise."
Without any hesitation, she buttoned her pants back up and sat back down on his bed.
"Where did you get them anyway?"
"About a couple years after I was adopted, my mom hired an ex-con as her designated driver. He was trying to go straight to provide for his son, who got mixed up in a lot of shit in school and dropped out. Before the man got divorced, they had a lot of problems going on at home and his kid ended up living with us for a while. Turns out, he had a secret side hustle at a tattoo shop near his dad's old turf, but he's a great artist, so I let him practice on me... I made him put it where no one else would see." she explained.
"What's the other one then?"
"It's the symbol of love in kanji."
Bakugo hummed in response. All in all, she picked small and meaningful tattoos. He wanted to ask where the last one was, but thought it was probably best to drop it. She already showed more than enough for one night. Any more than that and he'd go off like a firework.
"So then, if it's okay to ask, I want to know if that book is any good. You got my top 5 choices, but I never got yours."
He pondered on it. He didn't exactly favor the idea, but it seemed only fair that she'd want to know.
"It's... *sigh* It's the first romance book I ever read. I got it for one of my old girlfriends a few years back, but we ended things before I had a chance to give it to her. So I read it... Never seemed to be able to get rid of the damn thing since."
"It must be really good then. Can I read it?"
"I guess if you want... Hey, don't you have an essay you should be doing right now?"
"Oh, right. Sorry."
He rolled his eyes and went back to grab the evaluation. "It's whatever, let's just finish comparing notes and then you can borrow the damn book, got it?"
Her heart lifted with a smile. "Okay."
For the next hour, Bakugo and Hattori went over everything that happened in the exam. Her training had progressed extensively well, but when it came to the actual test, it was like throwing in a toddler in an MMA fight. It wasn't as difficult for Bakugo's class when they took these tests because they had the unfortunate experience of dealing with real villains head on. First was during class, then there was the summer training camp, and then again on their internships. She hadn't gone through any of that, except for the dorm break in, and though that had to have been a scary thing to deal with, she didn't exactly fight any of them. The only villains she knew about were common criminals and thugs. The real boss villains were the ones that she needed to watch out for, like that guy who murdered her mom. That was what she needed to be prepared for. On top of that, she needed to put more focus on the people around her without overexerting her quirk. So far, her weekly sessions with the counselor seem to be aiding her traumatic outbursts, but there was no telling if that would continue to help her on the battlefield.
They needed more time. Sadly, time was sorely lacking now that the sports festival was only weeks away. For now, they just needed to buckle down and focus.
"... so when you meet your new classmates next week, I want you to-" he stopped mid-sentence when he peeked up from his notebook. What the hell?
She had been so quiet this whole time, he assumed she was listening, but her knees were tucked to her stomach and her head was nestled in the comfort of his pillow. Her eyes were closed, completely sound asleep, which made Bakugo pinch the bridge of his nose under his glasses. Had he literally been talking to himself this whole fucking time? Annoyed, he tossed his notes back on his desk and sunk himself deeper into his chair. What was he going to do with this chick?
Curiously, he eyed her from across the room. She had a long rough day, so it was only natural that she'd be tired. He just didn't want her to pass out in his fucking bed! He tapped on his phone to check the time. It was practically midnight. Now that he noticed, he felt the heaviness in his eyes. Yep, time for bed. She could finish working on this crap tomorrow anyways.
Quietly, he got up from his chair and stepped over to her. Now that he saw her up this close, she looked so peaceful... and she really was pretty. Now that he thought about it, if she only made an effort, she'd probably have a boyfriend by now. He wondered what it was that would be holding her back. Maybe she found it hard to trust people, like he did. But still...
'You idiot. Don't you know how dangerous it is to be falling asleep in a guys room?... He wouldn't hesitate to take an opportunity like this...'
He reached a hand out to touch her, but stopped himself. Instead, he took her jacket and pulled it across her body. The new touch of fabric made her twitch before she yanked it over her chest and rolled over to the other side away from him. Unable to contain it, he gave a faint chuckle.
'You're lucky I'm not like that...'
Thump!
His head snapped to the floor where her notebooks had fallen and he knelt down to gather them up. When he got to the last book, he paused, for it was much different than the others. It had a black hard cover on the front and had opened halfway when it fell. When he picked it up to get a better look, he couldn't believe what he saw. It was the dragon she had drawn several weeks back, that day that she helped him in the gym. The details were so superb that it was practically life-like. Bakugo nearly couldn't believe that such detail could be made with just a pen and pencil. It was really amazing.
Since she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, Katsuki collected all her things and sat back down at his desk with the book in his hand. With his interest peaked, he thirst to see what the other pages in her sketchbook held. Turning the next page, he gazed down at the image of what appeared to be her female protagonist dressed in armor, fighting a horde of orc goblins. The next one was a detailed map of her made up world and all the kingdoms and their separate lands.
Right when he was about to turn the next page, one of the papers inside had slipped out on his lap. He picked it up and was surprised to see that it was his character, The Dragon Prince. It was the one she made when he interned at Endeavor's, but now that he could see it up close, it looked way better than on the video call. She fulfilled all his requests - the swords, the cloak, the tattoo, the necklace made of dragon teeth, everything! It felt kind of weird knowing that she was wasting this kind of talent just to become a hero, but he understood why. In the end, we all want to make something of ourselves, not just for our families, but to show that we can change and make the world a better place.
Even though she made this for him, it still didn't sit right with him taking it, so he flipped the next page to tuck it back in. Oddly, the next picture kept him from doing so. It was another picture of his character, only this one wasn't doing any badass dragon quest, he was walking in a meadow with her character. How curious... He then proceeded to the page behind it. This one had them fighting in the middle of a war with a bunch of shadow creatures. That one wasn't so bad either. Bakugo continued to look through the papers, but he didn't expect there to be so many with just their characters. What about the rest of the classmates? Didn't she say she was going to make their own characters to add to the story too? Not that it really mattered, but why was it just the two of them?
"!"
The next page, it sucked the air right out of his lungs, leaving him breathless. It wasn't a picture of his character or hers. It was just him wearing his school uniform, sitting at one of the tables in the lounge staring at his phone. What's going on? Another was of him, but this one was smiling. He never smiled! So how did she know this is what he looked like? Finally, he made it to the last page... and his pulse quickened. His face was locking lips with hers.
Akane instinctively slid her arm under his pillow to feel for the books. When her subconscious realized that they weren't there, she awakened and lifted it up to check. They were gone. She leaned on her arm to look over the bed, but when she did, she caught a glimpse of Bakugo in her peripheral vision. He had her sketchbook in her hands. She felt her soul lift from her body as she jumped off the bed and bolted over to him.
"Give it back!" She went to snatch it out of his hand, but he retracted with a smirk.
"Why? Is there something you don't want me to see?"
Her blood began to boil, causing her skin to turn pink as she tried grabbing it again and again, but Bakugo was too quick. "No one is allowed to see it!"
"You went through my stuff and found something embarrassing, so it's only fair that I get to do the same, Idiot." he chuckled as he threw his arms back out of her grasp, putting all his body weight in the back of the roller chair.
"I said - give it back!"
Without hesitation, she climbed on his lap and pressed her chest against his face until her fingers finally touched the spine of the sketchbook. Bakugo forced himself to remain as still as possible. He could no longer suppress the growing sweat as his mind was completely taken aback that she would go so far to get it back. The warm feel of her chest was soft, yet firm, and he didn't even realize that a few explosions had already set off in his hands.
"Got it!" she quietly exclaimed, knocking Bakugo back to reality.
"Hold on!"
Just before she leaned back to get off, she was caught off guard at the tingling of his hands wrapping around her waist, keeping her still on his lap. She pulled the book safely to her chest as she looked through the glasses to his bright red eyes. In all the time that she's known him, he never looked so serious.
"Do you... like me?"
Her mouth parted, but she quickly pursed it back together. Though the room was quiet, waiting for her answer, her heart beat so loud, it was almost deafening. She didn't know what to say. If she said yes, what would he say? If he saw all the pictures she drew, there's no doubt in her mind that he'd think she was a creep by now. How could he like her after seeing that? What would she say?
"Ummm... I-I-"
She eased herself out of his grip, but his look remained unchanged. He wanted to know. When she went to take a step back, her heel caught one of the feet to the roller chair and before they knew it, her body fell hard on the floor.
"Ah-crap! You okay?" he extended a hand out to help her up, but she leaned away from it.
"I-I'm fine." she said as she got up and dusted herself off.
She bent down to get the book and nervously stroked her fingers across the rugged texture of the cover. This was bad.
"I need to go..."
"?!"
That wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he put a lot of pressure on her to answer that question. He snooped just like her and did the same damn thing. He found something he shouldn't have and now she was losing it. He was such a hypocrite. But those pages! What did they mean?! He desperately wanted to know.
With a sigh, he gave in.
"Want me to check the hall then?"
She nodded, still failing to keep eye contact with him. He deserved it.
On cue, he moved around her to the door and put his ear up against it to listen. It was quiet. Calmly, he twisted the knob so that it didn't make any noise and cracked the door. He peered to his left and then his right. The halls were lit, but there was no one around. It looked like everyone had turned in for the night and went to sleep.
"Okay, it's clear." he whispered to her and without warning, she shoved her body past him and disappeared down the hall.
He did a quick check around his room to make sure she left nothing important behind before shutting his door. His chest felt bruised, as if someone had gone up and punched him square in the middle, and his hands were still hot from the explosions. Vexed, he bumped his head against the wooden door. He was always so sure of what he wanted, but now... he wasn't too sure.
'Fuck! What am I gonna do?... I think I really, really like you.'