The tension in the room was so present she felt like she could see it rolling off everyone, continuously filling up the space they all sat at. They waited patiently as Aizawa organized the papers he had brought.
The next few months, some would say the next few years, of their career as pro-heroes was boiling down to these couple of sheets of paper.
"Listen up, everyone," Aizawa finally spoke up, seemingly ignoring his student's perpetual state of anxiety and sounding comically bored. In what should have been an impossible feat, all of Class 2-A sat up even straighter. "I will be reading out your name and the pro-hero who has offered you an internship. If multiple pro-heroes extend offers, I will read each agency's offer. You all will have until tomorrow morning to let me know your decision. Remember that you do not need to accept any offer. However, this is not recommended." Aizawa finished speaking with a long yawn.
He gave his class a quick once-over before reading down the list, "Aoyama Yuga..."
If Uraraka thought she had butterflies in her stomach as she took her seat in between Mina and Bakugo on the floor before Aizawa began, she had full-on conservatories worth now.
"Equipped Hero Yoroi Musha has accepted your application and extended an offer." Aizawa finished. The class erupted into muted but no less heartfelt congratulations and applause for Aoyama.
Uraraka felt Mina tense up again beside her. If Aizawa had begun with Aoyama, that meant that she was next. She and Mina had both applied to Miruko's agency. The Rabbit Hero, known for working solo, had agreed to take on interns. No one knew how many she would accept, but it was a working theory that it would be no more than one considering her public opinions on heroes working in teams. The only reason Miruko accepted taking interns was solely due to Japan's state after the League of Villains. The need for well-trained and strong heroes was dire, and it only seemed to get worse.
Uraraka knew Mina had also applied with the Equipped Hero, just like Aoyama, having done her prior internship there, and surprising everyone, including Mina herself, she had also applied with Gang Orca.
For her part, Uraraka applied with The Dragon Hero once more. In fact, Uraraka had only planned to apply with Ryukyu before Mina had convinced her otherwise.
Uraraka loved working with The Dragon Hero. She had learned so much about what it meant to be a pro-hero working with not just her but also with Tsu and Nejire. She was sure there was still more to learn there, but she wanted...more?
She hadn't realized how badly she wanted to be selected by Miruko until she had applied. Having the opportunity to work under the No. 5 Pro Hero in the country, a badass woman who has made a name for herself all on her own. Someone who was strong. Independent. Confident. Everything Uraraka aspired to be.
While Ryukyu also possessed these traits, Miruko had a presence that commanded attention. She was decisive. Quick thinking and even quicker in action. Miruko always spoke her mind; some people labeled her abrasive, but Uraraka admired that about her. You either caught up to her or got left behind.
The more she thought about it, the more Uraraka wanted to command the same level of attention and respect. She always knew people took one look at her and dismissed her as non-threatening. Her round cheeks and love for all things adorable and cute definitely did not paint her as intimidating by any means. It always frustrated her but never as much as it had recently. After the whole school found out about her and Bakugo, she still couldn't help but feel some pitying eyes linger. As if she was a victim and the big, bad, Bakugo was taking advantage of her somehow. Because, of course, there was no possible way that cute and bubbly little Uraraka could have made her own choices and decided to be with him. She could still hear the whisperings of people bringing up the school festival, and how Bakugo had "gone too far with her" and "what was she thinking? ''.
Never mind that Uraraka had earned her spot in U-A's prestigious hero course just like everyone else had. Still, she seemed unable to earn the respect that she craved. The school might think that Bakugo was crass, and some might even think him a downright villain, but no one doubted his strength and talent. No one.
She was proud of him. But it frustrated her as well.
Being picked by arguably one of the toughest heroes in Japan, regardless of gender, would definitely make people pay attention to her. Yes, she still had a lot she could learn from Ryukyu, and she would be honored if she were invited to intern with her once more, but still...
"Mina Ashido." Uraraka felt Mina's hand grasp onto her thigh while the other held on to Kirishima's, squeezing both for dear life. Uraraka gently placed her own hand on top of Minas and rubbed it. Whatever happened next, whoever got picked, she would still be so unbelievably proud of her friend.
"Equipped Hero, Yoroi Musha has accepted your application and extended an offer. Killer Whale Hero: Gang Orca has accepted your application and extended an offer." After a second pause, Aizawa flipped the page, moving on to the next student.
Uraraka had so many emotions go through her in rapid-fire succession. She wasn't sure if this meant that she was the one that would receive an invite, but the small flicker of hope inside her ignited. However, it just as quickly stuttered because regardless if she had received the internship invitation or not, she knew with 100% certainty that her friend hadn't. A part of Uraraka was sad for Mina, who she could feel sag a little despite the chorus of congratulations that surrounded them.
"That's great, babe!" Kirishima squeezed Mina's hand, looking at her and smiling the warmest smile Uraraka had ever seen Kirishima make. Mina returned a muted version of the smile, but her eyes sparkled up at him as she thanked him and then their classmates. She then turned to Uraraka and smiled at her genuinely, giving her thigh one more squeeze before turning her attention back to Aizawa.
"Asui Tsuyu." Aizawa continued. "Dragon Hero: Ryukyu has accepted your application and extended an offer. Sea Rescue Hero: Selkie has accepted your application and extended an offer. Battle Hero: Gunhead has accepted your application and extended an offer."
Class 2-A once more erupted in a sea of congratulatory statements for Tsu-chan. Uraraka could not be prouder of her friends! Uraraka locked eyes with Tsuyu and smiled at her, shooting her thumbs up from across the room, which made her chuckle as she returned the smile.
"Iida Tenya. Team Idaten has accepted your application and extended an offer."
Uraraka knew that Iida had only applied to his brother's agency, and it would have been extremely weird if his application was rejected, but she was still super proud of him. She clapped enthusiastically, hoping that focusing on her happiness for her friends would silence the growing worry in her stomach at the thought of being next.
Uraraka could feel herself begin to shake in anticipation once the class had settled down. Her knee was bouncing up and down with all the adrenaline coursing through her. Before she could continue her spiral, she felt a strong and warm hand land softly on her knee. She stopped bouncing and looked up to the owner of said hand.
Bakugo had been extra quiet after they had both walked out of his room earlier that evening. It's like whatever magic bubble they had existed in had burst the moment they stepped into the hallway after Kirishima. He didn't even rise to Kirishima's taunts on the elevator ride down to the dorm's living room, to which Kirishima declared that it was no fun if it didn't piss him off.
The trio stepped out of the elevator, and Uraraka and Bakugo were met with some teasing stares from Mina, Jiro, and Kaminari but otherwise, no one said anything. Aizawa had been making his way to the front of the room, standing in front of the television while his class settled down around him. Silently, Kirishima led them toward where Mina sat and plopped down to her left, leaving a space big enough for two to Mina's right. Without being told, it was assumed Uraraka and Bakugo would sit next to each other, and a small part of Uraraka felt giddy at the thought of her classmates beginning to view them as a unit.
Uraraka's nerves were currently taking center stage, so she chose to file that away for a later time when she could properly obsess over it in excruciating detail. But for now, it was nerves and anxiety and cautious optimism.
As Aizawa went through the names, Bakugo had remained statue-like silent. If Uraraka hadn't seen him sit down next to her and catch glimpses of him from the corner of her eye, she would have had no idea he was there. And yet, at Uraraka's restlessness, Bakugo attempted to comfort her in a very public setting. Uraraka was caught off-guard by such a public gesture that, for a second, she completely forgot that she was up next. She knew her classmates had seen it because she could swear that every pair of eyes in that room was glued to Bakugo's hand on her knee. If his goal had been to distract her, then he had definitely succeeded! But if it had been to calm her down, then it had failed miserably because Uraraka's heart was still racing, but now for a very different reason. She doubted she'd ever get used to feeling his touch on her, whether it was this light, comforting touch or the rougher, bruising touches like when...
"Ahem," Aizawa's very loud and exaggerated throat-clearing brought the attention of the room back to him, and Uraraka could not be more thankful because her thoughts were going places where they definitely had no business going in the middle of such a life-altering meeting.
"Uraraka Ochako. Dragon Hero: Ryukyu has accepted your application and extended an offer." Uraraka reached for Bakugo's hand on her knee, and it was like he could read what she would do before she did it because before she even got halfway, Bakugo's hand had already managed to interlock with hers. She held her breath. "Rabbit Hero: Miruko has accepted your application and extended an offer."
The whole class was silent for a beat before exploding into cheers. Mina was the loudest since she was sitting right next to her. Uraraka felt her love and respect for her pink-colored friend multiply ten times over. She could see how genuinely happy Mina was for her, which warmed her heart. Next to her, Bakugo squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, whispering his congrats so low that the only reason Uraraka caught it was that she was staring at him when he said it.
Uraraka was washed with a feeling of accomplishment. She had done it. Miruko, the No. 5 Pro Hero in all of Japan, had acknowledged her enough to extend an invitation to intern with her. Miruko, the hero who notoriously works alone and prefers it that way, was willing to open her doors to one student, and that student was Uraraka!? She couldn't help the ginormous smile that threatened to break her face in two. Uraraka was certain that she would never stop smiling.
Aizawa had moved on, and she tried to pay attention, but she couldn't get her brain to cooperate just yet. Her mind kept imagining what interning with Miruko would look like. By the time Aizawa got to Kirishima (Fat Gum, of course), Uraraka had gotten herself together enough to pay attention.
It seemed like every one of her classmates was selected for most, if not all, of the internships they applied for. In a weird sort of way, it made sense considering the level of notoriety her class had unwittingly acquired. Not to mention they had way more real-life experience than anyone at their age would have.
Everyone was excited when Aizawa gave his parting remarks and reminded them to inform him of their decision by tomorrow morning. Besides Uraraka being accepted by Miruko, the next big piece of news was that Todoroki, Deku, and Bakugo were all accepted and, in fact, required to complete their internships with the No.1 Hero, Endeavor.
As Aizawa said his goodbyes and gave them a half-hearted threat to expel them if they didn't behave tonight, everyone began huddling around each other. Each student was excited to discuss and congratulate each other once more. Uraraka had turned to Bakugo, but he smiled at her and told her to go to her friends before she could say anything.
She was about to protest when Sero and Kaminari both jumped onto Bakugo, shouting a bunch of light-hearted taunts and genuine statements of awe at his internship assignment. She hadn't noticed Kirishima was also with them until his voice came from right next to her.
"Bad-ass Uraraka! Congrats on getting the Miruko internship!"
Uraraka yelped in surprise but then giggled. Bakugo had already succeeded in tearing the two boys off him, but before he could catch his breath, they were pouncing on him again, seemingly immune to his fists and threats of unspeakable violence.
"Thank you, Kirishima! And congrats to you too!" She smiled at him before turning back to the wrestling match, "Ima leave you boys to it, but don't piss him off too much, yea." She said jokingly.
"Oh, don't worry, Uraraka. Even if we do, I'm sure you'll cheer him up just fine." He winked at her and laughed as Uraraka's face exploded into a deep red blush.
"Stop teasing her! Or you will not be so cheery later," Mina's voice came from behind Uraraka, and the face Kirishima made at his girlfriend made Uraraka laugh. "Now go make up for it by getting a punch in on Baku-hoe. He called me annoying earlier today." Mina blew him a kiss before grabbing Uraraka's hand and leading her toward the rest of the girls.
They heard more than saw Kirishima launch himself at the dog pile on top of Bakugo, shouting, "This is for my girls' honor,'' before hearing a loud humph, presumably from Bakugo, when Kirishima landed on them.
Mina and Uraraka were still laughing by the time they reached Momo, Tsu, Jiro, and Toru.
The celebration continued well into the late hours of the night. Bakugo had long since retired to his room, and everyone noticed Todoroki and Deku had followed him but never re-joined the celebration. Since no loud explosions or fires started, the rest of the class decided they should be fine. Or fine enough that there was no need for interference.
Slowly their classmates began saying their good nights, including Uraraka. Stepping out onto the fourth-floor hallway, she took a quick left and went down the boy's side before her courage left her. She approached Bakugo's door slowly. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say or why she suddenly wanted to see him so badly, but the urge grew exponentially as the night progressed.
More and more, her mind would wander to her hot-headed boyfriend, probably already in deep sleep a couple of floors above her. After an hour or two, she finally had had enough and politely excused herself. Mina and Kirishima had long since departed, not even bothering to hide it anymore. Kaminari, Jiro, Sero, and Tooru were occupied playing a card game while the remainder of the class lounged near them in groups of two and three. Thankfully this meant that she was spared the teasing looks from that group. Uraraka got up and stretched, adding a loud yawn for emphasis as if to say, "See, I'm going to sleep now and definitely not about to sneak into a boy's room." However, Tsu, Momo, and Iida gave her a knowing look before saying good night to her.
Uraraka wasn't sure what was more embarrassing, teasing from the self-proclaimed Baku-squad or these overly-perceptive non-verbal acknowledgments from her friends.
Leaving before her face turned red, Uraraka turned as she waved and said goodnight even louder to the rest of her classmates before disappearing into the elevator.
Now standing outside Bakugos door, the same embarrassment was creeping up again. What if he was sleeping? She doubted he'd be actually mad about having her wake him up, but he would want to know what she wanted. And well, what did she want?
Even though she felt herself getting more comfortable around him every day, she would still get embarrassed approaching him first. She wanted to tell him more of herself every day, and she also craved to learn about him. He was a bit more reserved in the sharing department but seemed to be opening up more. Deku was still a subject they hadn't really breached, except for that one time when he confronted her about her past crush. And even then, the topic was quickly dropped. Still, Bakugo showed willingness and even eagerness to share and listen. And yet, Uraraka could feel herself holding her breath and bracing herself whenever she approached him first...for what? She wasn't sure.
It was almost as if she was constantly waiting for the inevitable rejection. For the moment, Bakugo realized there wasn't anything really special about Uraraka, and his interest in her faded.
With a sigh, Uraraka turned away from his door without knocking and made her way to her room. There was no point in waking him up.
Uraraka tried to shush the worry and self-doubt that nestled itself within her. There was no point in fixating on the subject now. It was late, and she had to wake up early to let Aizawa know her selection. She entered her room with a small yawn. Taking off her indoor slippers and making her way toward her bed.
She saw a figure lying on it, their slow breathing lifting the blanket up and down rhythmically. Uraraka yelped in surprise, and the figure jostled awake. Before Uraraka could freak out, a pair of red eyes found hers.
"Bakugo?!" Uraraka huffed, "You gave me a freaking heart attack." She put a hand over her heart for emphasis. Uraraka could feel it thumping madly, although she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with getting scared and more with the sight of Bakugo in her bed.
As he sat up, the blanket rolled down his torso to pool around his hips, and he was...
"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Uraraka sputtered. Her mind and mouth were not connecting as they should.
Bakugo rolled his eyes and yawned before turning to the clock on her nightstand.
"You fucking took forever." He said as if that answered absolutely anything. Bakugo scooted over to make room for her in bed before yawning again. "We can talk in the morning." And with that, he nestled back into her sheets and closed his eyes.
Uraraka stared at him with her mouth slightly hanging open.
After a minute of standing there waiting for...she wasn't sure because what the fuck was actually happening right now?! She let out a loud huff of air before continuing to get ready for bed. She was one hundred percent trying to ignore the body on her bed, and she was one hundred percent failing.
Uraraka was always left contemplating why things with Bakugo had always felt so...right. Despite her confusion and bubbling nervous energy, it still felt like this was as normal as brushing one's teeth in the morning. As if going to sleep together, sharing a bed, was something they had done all their lives.
She could feel the beginnings of something settling deep in her bones. Bakugo was becoming such a presence that it was borderline scary. The more this feeling simmered within her, the stronger her doubts.
Stop it. Uraraka chastised herself.
This wasn't the time. She was tired, and there were long days ahead. Uraraka tried to put all thoughts out of her mind in favor of settling beside Bakugo in her bed.
She couldn't help the content hum that escaped her lips as she burrowed into his body heat. Bakugo settled behind her and wrapped a strong arm around her waist, drawing her further into him. She could feel his strong muscles through her thin shirt, the only thing separating her skin from his. Bakugo nestled into the crook of her neck and planted a light peck before whispering something that sounded like "I'm proud of you" before returning to his soft snores.
It was impressive how quickly he could knock out. Uraraka smiled softly and tried to follow him into sleep.
For some reason, all her doubts and worries disappeared as soon as she was in between his arms.
Sleep found Uraraka quickly, and she dreamed about futures and promises and piercing red eyes staring into her warm brown eyes as he pushed into her heat with "I love you" falling from his lips.
