Chapter 11
RETRACT. To draw or be drawn back or back in.
As in, Bakugo wished immediately to retract his previous statement. "Draw back" in the words that had unintentionally slipped past his lips and un-ring that bell, if you would.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
They both stood in awkward silence before Bakugo spun around and continued the short walk to the dorms, and most importantly, away from the round-faced hero-to-be.
To his dismay, he could hear the soft tapping Uraraka's heels made on the pavement as she followed behind him but she thankfully remained silent.
Is she going to follow me the whole damn way?! Bakugo huffed.
Both teens made it to the front porch of the dorms before either said anything.
Bakugo had made it up the stairs and was about to open the front door when he heard her tiny voice, effectively stopping his movements.
"Sooo...are you…" Uraraka was impressed that her voice sounded somewhat stable all things considered. He knows what it's about. He's read it. She wanted to die from embarrassment.
Bakugo growled before opening the front door and storming inside. Uraraka followed right behind him and saw him disappear into the stairwell, the door slamming behind him. Uraraka let out a shaky breath before heading after Bakugo. Despite her frustration and severe embarrassment at the knowledge that her fiery classmate knew her naughty secret, she still wanted the book back. I mean she was about to go on vacation and she still hadn't finished it.
With newfound resolve, the petite brunette made her way to Bakugo's room. She could hear a string of expletives coming from behind the slightly ajar door as she approached it. In his anger, Bakugo had forgotten to close it all the way.
Uraraka was about to knock when she saw the explosion quirk user begin to aim an explosion at his ground, where her book lay.
"No!" She squeaked as she opened his door. Her sudden appearance halted the blonde.
Uraraka quickly made her way toward where her book was on the ground and picked it up, hugging it protectively against her chest.
"You!" She turned indignantly at her classmate, "You...You were going to blast MY book!"
"Tch." Bakugo dismissed her but didn't make to destroy her book again.
"Why were you going to deface something that doesn't belong to you?" She asked annoyed, shifting her hold on the book to her fingers and putting both hands on her hips.
"You have your damn book," Bakugo said as he turned to sit on his bed. "Now get out of my room Cheeks."
"Stop calling me that!" She huffed, almost reactively.
Still, Uraraka supposes he was right about one thing...she was currently in possession of her book (Finally!). Uraraka began to head out of Bakugo's room when this nagging curiosity gripped her, stopping her in her tracks
She had to know. Damn her and her ridiculous curious mind but she had to know how much he had read. Maybe he only read the beginning. There were very few of those scenes in the beginning. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thinks.
"Uhm...Bakugo." Uraraka said as she turned towards him once more.
Bakugo sat on his bed, arms crossed in front of his chest, making the muscles in his arms stand out under his long-sleeved midnight blue button-down. Uraraka took this odd moment of silence to really observe him. He wore no vest or tie so there was nothing that impeded her view of how snugly the shirt fit him. She could almost see his abs through the material. He had on a pair of dark grey slacks and similar color dress shoes. The fact that he was now sitting down made the slacks cling to his thighs tightly.
He is stupid hot. She felt her mouth go slightly dry.
His head was turned away from her, staring out the window, and she could see a faint blush on his cheeks. The same color she had seen at the dance and in the kitchen that one morning.
Before she knew what she was doing, Uraraka redirected her legs to make their way toward Bakugo's bed. If questioned about this later, Uraraka would say that her small bout of insanity must have been fueled by the alcohol in her system. She felt him tense as she sat down next to him, placing the book on her lap and folding her arms atop it.
Bakugo said nothing but his whole body stood alert.
"Did you read much of it?" She asked quietly. She would find it a miracle if he couldn't hear her heart rattling against her rib cage at this very moment.
Bakugo slowly let out the breath he had been holding since Uraraka walked into his room. He wanted to scream at her that it was none of her fucking business and to get out of his room, but he couldn't do it. His head was saying one thing but his body refused to act on its commands.
Not when she was sitting on his bed, asking him a direct question….looking like...looking like that!
Bakugo ran a shaky hand through his hair before laying down on his bed with mild force, jostling the bed.
Okay, enough of this shit. He admonished. You are the Future Number 1 Hero and there is no way in hell that you are going to allow yourself to become this fucking weak over a stupid book and a ridiculously round-faced chick.
He sat back up with a determined growl. The sudden outburst managed to scare Uraraka, causing her to jump slightly.
Blame the spiked punch or the fact that he had just experienced zero gravity multiple times or even on the fucking absurdity of his current situation...but he laughed. Not a maniacal, I'm going to kill you, laugh. Not a sly smirk. Or even the light chuckle he made when he saw her reaction to his new nickname for her.
It was a genuine, deep, laugh.
Uraraka stared at him in disbelief. She had never heard him laugh. Not like this.
Was he sick? Her caring instincts took over her and she reached to touch his forehead with the back of her hand as she would any of her other classmates.
Bakugo's laughter died immediately and he instinctively backed away from her touch.
"Oh!" She said retracting her hand, "I'm sorry...I just…" She let the thought trail, wrapping the hand that had just touched Bakugo around herself.
They sat there in awkward silence until Bakugo broke it, "Fuck, this is so dumb." He sounded slightly exasperated.
Uraraka couldn't help the laugh that came out of her. He was right. This was dumb.
So what if he knew what the book was about? It was a little mortifying but she'd survive. And she sincerely doubted Bakugo was the type to gossip anyway.
"Bakugo, can we just forget about the book?"
"Fucking yes!" He exclaimed. He looked so relieved it made Uraraka giggle again. It was actually kind of refreshing to see the Bakugo so flustered and unsure.
"Stop laughing." He glared at her. His intended effect was ignored as her giggle evolved into full-out laughter. She seemed relaxed, her eyes twinkled with merriment making her brown eyes shine. She looked radiant.
Beautiful.
Bakugo couldn't help what occurred next any more than he could control what he had said earlier.
If anyone asked him later, he would deny at all costs that he had wanted to do it.
He just hated being laughed at.
He wanted to shut her up.
It had been a long day and he had barely slept.
However, by the time his brain caught up to his body, it was too late.
He was already doing it.
He was already kissing Uraraka Ochako.
