Ember Sunblaze: Here it is! The chapter you have all been patiently waiting for! The "talk" between Uraraka and Midoriya. As always, I truly hope you enjoy this chapter ^_^

Chapter 26: The Talk

The bright lanterns and jubilant chatters of the party faded quietly into the evening for Bakugo as he dragged his feet along the stone path that led to the bathhouse. Tall, lush mangrove trees decorated the trail. Their presence, along with the nightly melodies of the local wildlife, gave the illusion of the lone teen being worlds away from the boisterous celebration he had left.

"Fine by me." He muttered, perfectly happy to get away from it all. He paused, tilting back to stare up at the night sky, where the crescent moon was a mere sliver and the darkness was bursting with twinkling stars. So much more vibrant than the nighttime canopies of the city. It should have been a peaceful moment for him, being alone.

But it wasn't. Not when his insides still churned painfully, threatening to let loose all the food he had slowly and carefully tried to consume. Or that his mind was still reeling at the notion that half the events of the day had been erased from him. Erased by some trashy, no-good vile bitch who had the nerve to toy with him! HIM! Like he was nothing but her spoiled guard dog! The very thought got his blood boiling and made him want to tear every tree in this forest and burn it to the ground.

"She made a fool of me!" Bakugo seethed, grinding his teeth. "And worse she almost made me…" He stopped himself, the anger fading, making way for darker, unfamiliar feelings to rise. With an air of uncertainty, he glanced down at his open palm, memories of his last few moments at the party resurfacing.

Flashback:

Bakugo stared down at the plate before him with the intensity of someone about to eat poison. He shifted uncomfortably on the ground, where he sat hidden from view behind several bushes and a large shisa statue. He found his stomach growling, completely empty from several vomiting fits. On the other hand, the smell of the food felt like a punch to the gut, making his gag reflexes want to instantly react. The sushi and sashimi were out of the question, but even the sweet scents of the dessert table made him turn a pale shade of green. Grumbling, he miserably began dissecting the sushi rolls, leaving out only the rice and cucumbers.

"If I ever see the bitch who did this to me, she'll have hell to pay." He muttered darkly to himself. "This I swear!" His loathing session was suddenly interrupted by the loud exclamations of a familiar female voice.

"Hey, guys!" Hagakure squealed, bouncing over to Sero and Ojiro who both carried plates of food. "Isn't this party awesome! We should do more parties like this together with the class!"

"That's true!" Sero readily agreed. "We can have a dorm party every weekend!"

"I don't think Aizawa would like that very much." Ojiro reasonably pointed out.

Sero deflated unhappily at this fact, but Hagakure merely giggled, slapping Ojiro's forearm playfully. "You're probably right! But it's a fun thought!" She turned to Sero, excitedly adding. "But we should totally do at least one joint party with Class 1-B! We can compare our school trips!"

"You're right!" Sero replied, instantly perking up at the suggestion. "We can plan it together! Though I doubt they have much to talk about compared to OUR trip." He added smugly. "There's really no comparison!"

"Don't be mean!" Hagakure teasingly chided. "But our trip has been pretty fun…well some parts anyway."

Ojiro smiled down at her affectionately. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Of course!" She answered immediately. "The food and decorations are all great!" She sighed dramatically, her bandaged arms flopping to her side. "The only bad part is I can't try out the karaoke machine."

Sero scratched his head. "Really? Why?"

In answer, she pushed aside the colorful flowers that adorned her neck, revealing the bandages wrapped around it. Without losing her playful tone, she replied. "Doctor's orders! I have to rest my voice for a bit. But no worries! I'll be back in tip top shape in no time." She paused for a moment as if noticing something, before quickly continuing. "Speaking of which, I'm going to grab more juice. Bye!"

Sero and Ojiro watched her go, with Sero chuckling. "For someone who has to rest her voice, she sure likes to chatter!"

"It's a shame about her wounds." Ojiro muttered, watching her flock from one group to another. "I overheard Ashido mention that Hagakure had to go head to head against Bakugo…alone."

Bakugo's ears perked, secretly listening in.

"No way! That's crazy!" Sero replied, completely unaware of this tidbit. "Sheesh, no wonder she looks so rough! I don't even know if I would be able to walk away from a fight like that!"

Ojiro nodded grimly, "True. Bakugo is strong and his quirk is extremely destructive. She's very fortunate. With a power like his, he could have easily killed her."

The two moved on to listen to Ashido as she began a retelling of their adventures. But had Bakugo heard enough. With his appetite diminished, he quietly left the party and the others behind.

Present:

"He could have easily killed her…"

These wretched words had been ringing in his ears all day. It was the first thing he had heard, angrily flung at him by that Daisuke brat, as he woke up from Siren's curse. His fingers curled inward, cutting into his palm as he angrily clenched his fists. "Screw them! Don't look down on me like some damn idiot! It's my quirk! Of course I know how dangerous it is! How dangerous I am! Of what I could have done! Which is why…."

Bakugo grimaced, memories of the girls handing out flower leis coming to mind. Of Hagakure cheerfully skipping over, her still bandaged arms reaching out towards him. The distracting snap of a twig from the seemingly deserted path behind him, interrupted his thoughts. He gave an irritated sigh, loudly calling out.

"You can come out now! I already know you're following me!"

There was loud rustling, along with a loud cry of "Ouchie!" and then a rather ruffled Hagakure stumbled out of the mangroves and into the stone path. She gave an embarrassed laugh, swatting leaves from her hair. "Hehehe…guess you caught me!"

"You're not exactly quiet." Bakugo grumbled, rolling his eyes. "What do you want?"

She hesitated, her foot scruffing the ground before she forcefully flung the red hibiscus flowers from her neck, holding it outwards Bakugo and exclaiming. "You forgot these!"

Bakugo gawked. "Ehh? Those again?! I already said I don't want your damn flowers!"

"I don't care." Hagakure stubbornly declared. "Take them."

Bakugo turned, ignoring her as he continued down the path. "No. Now go away!"

"But whyyyyy?!" Hagakure fumed, stomping her feet as she trailed behind him.

"Why do you even care!?" Bakugo growled, annoyed that she continued to pester him. "They're just flowers!"

"They are not!" Hagakure heatedly disagreed. "These flowers are a token of forgiveness! A sign of peace and prosperity between the boys and girls! They're to show that everyone is happy now–"

"Well I'm not!" Bakugo snapped, turning on her. "The flowers! The sappy apologies! They mean nothing! None of them can change what happened!" He glowered down at the ground, his fists shaking. "Or what could have happened."

"Hmmm?" Hagakure hummed, tickling Bakugo's ear. He jumped away, unaware she had moved that close. She stood with her arms casually crossed around her back, completely unperturbed by his ominous statement. "So what are you going to do then?"

"Huh?" Bakugo replied, taken aback by her question.

"What are you going to do?" She repeated, circling him like an inquisitive shark. "Are you just going to stay sulky about what happened? Start referring to me by a stupid nickname out of resentment just like you did with Midoriya? Which, let's be honest, you already do." She added, poking his chest irritatedly. "OR will you just ignore everyone for the rest of the school year, trying to pretend that this…" She moved her flower lei aside, revealing her bandaged neck. "...didn't happen?"

Bakugo scowled, her comments hitting way too close to home for him. He swiveled away, but she skipped in front of him with ease, adding. "Which, I must warn you, would not be in your best interest." She declared, wagging a stern finger his way. "I may be invisible, but I've been told by several sources that I'm VERY hard to ignore!"

"You don't say." Bakugo growled, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He knew it would be so easy to shove her aside. With her so near, it was easy to see the difference between them. His muscular frame completely towered over her small, petite body and, once again, Bakugo darkly wondered how she did survive the fight against him. How he didn't simply just crack her thin neck in half. The sudden rise of vile in his throat made him swiftly turn away, trying to force it back down. "Why do you even care?" He found himself snapping out, back still turned to her as he struggled with his illness.

"Because…" She said, softly. "It's because of me you're feeling this way."

Bakugo froze, his expression unreadable as he turned around to face her. His red eyes seemed to search the air where she stood, trying to understand these words. "You…." He slowly replied, his tone for once absent of any anger. "...didn't do anything."

He watched her skip up to him, the subtle scent of peaches from her hair giving hints of her presence as she leaned towards him with flowers in hand."And neither did you." She replied, setting the red hibiscus on top of his head. He begrudgingly allowed it, letting the blooms fall onto his shoulders.

The invisible girl clapped her hands together, happily exclaiming. "There! Was that so bad? If you ask me, I say it suits you. The color matches the anger in your eyes!"

"The scent makes me want to barf." Bakugo said with a sour scowl.

"Oh! Which reminds me!" She said, digging into her pocket and setting a small item into Bakugo's palm. He glanced down and saw it was a small back of mint gum. "Tada!"!"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "What is this?" "

"Mint! Well mint gum to be precise!" She explained. "I heard it helps with nausea!"

"But how did you…?"

"I was the one who first found the lost boys and spoke with them. So I know Siren's quirk has side effects." She explained. "I noticed you weren't really eating. And watching you tonight really reminded me of them." She spun on her toes, hands held loftily behind her back as she turned away from him. "I hope it helps. We wouldn't want you to be more of a grouch than you usually are for the rest of the trip, now do we?"

Bakugo watched her go with an itch of frustration that would not go away. He looked down at the small pack of gum in his palm, her teasing voice and warm words reverberating in his mind. The girl was annoying. That much was an undeniably fact. But…she was also tough. And despite their arguments, despite the fact he had literally almost choked the life out of her. She had still come to him, wanting to make peace. Slowly his fingers closed around the gum, his mind made up.

"Hey, Hagakure."

The invisible girl paused, shocked to hear Bakugo calling her by her name. The blonde hero stared back at her, his tone resolute and unwavering as he spoke. "Tomorrow during our free time, if there's anything you want. A snack or souvenir. Let me know. It's on me."

"Bakugo…" She whispered, completely taken aback by the unexpected offer. Then in a louder, more deadpan voice she stated, "...I'm not gonna lie…that sounds really creepy coming from you."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?!" Bakugo snarled, all pleasantries abandoned. "I'm trying to be nice here you FREAKIN' AIRHEAD!"

"Oh, thank All Might, you're back to normal." Hagakure sarcastically replied. " You know…you don't have to force yourself. I'm really fine!"

"I could care less if you're fine or not." Bakugo grumbled, stubbornly stuffing his hands into his pockets. "This is something I want to do. That's all."

Hagakure drifted closer to him, giving a suggestive hum as she leaned forward. "Hmmm? So can I ask you for ANYTHING tomorrow?"

He took a tentative step back, eying her suspiciously. "...Sure."

She snickered. "Ohoho! But what if I ask you for a kiss? Hmmmm?"

Instead of the flustered reaction she was hoping for, he merely glared, his hands coming up to give both her cheeks good, hard pinches. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes as she felt her face getting painfully stretched out. "Wah! stooop iiit! That hurts!" she dramatically cried out. "It was a joke! A joke! Geez!"

He released her with an annoyed tsk.

Hagakure shot him an invisible scowl, rubbing her now tender face. "You do know, I'll be getting my revenge tomorrow right?"

"Bring it." He said, lips curving into a cocky smirk. She blew a raspberry at him, turning and heading up the path as Bakugo turned and headed towards the bathhouse. It was only once he was a safe distance away and about to head inside, that she turned and called out to him.

"Hey Bakugo!" Her voice rang with laughter as she teasingly yelled. "Tomorrow at lunch….IT'S A DATE!" She then dashed away, giggling to herself as she heard Bakugo's furious replies blaring through the night.

"IT IS NOT A DATE!" Bakugo bellowed out, watching her figure swiftly disappear down the path. "COME BACK HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE! YOU SNICKERING WASTE OF AIR!"

"You have a date tomorrow?"

Bakugo twisted around, eyes widening to find Todoroki standing alone on a connecting pathway, a towel and change of clothes in hand. Blazing with fury, he snapped his head back to glare in the direction Hagakure had gone. "DAMN IT HAGAKURE! YOU KNEW HE WAS THERE DIDN'T YOU!?" An eruption of giggles from the flora was the only answer he received. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to chase her down.

"Your date is with….Hagakure?" Todoroki questioned again, with a curious stare.

"SHUT UP! IT'S NOT A DATE!"

After his confrontation with Uraraka, Midoriya didn't have the will to return to the party. Instead, he wandered back to the room that he shared with Todoroki and Bakugo, his mind a haze of emotions. He entered, finding the inn attendants had already laid out the futon beddings, prepped and ready for use. But sleep was the last thing on his mind, not with him feeling this frazzled. He stepped past them, heading to the far side of the room where a small table sat overlooking the window. There he sat, his head gloomily pressed down against the wood, mulling over everything that had gone wrong.

He had really thought that things had been going good between him and Uraraka. During the party she had laughed along with the rest of the girls at their stupid performance. They had eaten together with Iida and Asui just like they normally would. It was only when the class had begun asking about the battle between them, that everything came crashing down upon them.

"I was stupid to think she was really okay." Midoriya miserably realized, remembering her confession of how terrifying the fight between them had been for her. It still felt odd to him, thinking about what he had done. Memories that were absent even though he had been there, causing all the mayhem. Which wasn't the case for her. "Of course, she would still be affected. I hurt her…almost killed her…that's just not something you just forget about."

And then there was the kiss…

Midoriya gave a tormented moan, wildly ruffling his hair at the embarrassing topic. He knew he needed to apologize, to beg for forgiveness for putting her in such a position. But bringing up the delicate subject was a battle in itself. The one time he had tried, Uraraka had completely rejected him. Her cold reply still reverberating in his mind.

He sadly brought his hands down on the tabletop, his green eyes glazed with sadness as he quietly murmured to himself. "She probably hates me right now…."

A vibration in his shorts pocket alerted him to a text message. Not particularly caring, he slowly slid his phone out, lazily looking at the screen. He blinked, surprised to find a text from All Might on his notification bar. He sat up straighter, more alert as he clicked the message.

"Midoriya, I heard from Aizawa sensei that today's mission was a success. Congrats!"

Following the message was a giant All Might sticker giving a big thumbs up. Normally any text from his favorite hero was enough to throw him over the moon. But tonight… Midoriya frowned, wondering just how many details Aizawa Sensei had given the retired hero. "All Might…I really screwed up."

Before Midoriya could stop himself, his finger had drifted over the screen, pushing the call button. It rang once before instantly being picked up.

"Midoriya?" An eager, hoarse voice answered.

Midoriya hesitated, just the sound of his mentor's presence making him want to break down. To diverge into this horrible day and say just how miserable he was at the predicament he was in. Fighting the lump that had formed in his throat, he meekly replied. "Hey, All Might. I'm sorry I called. I know you're trying to fight a cold right now."

"No! No!" All Might exclaimed, sounding troubled. "I'm actually relieved to hear from you. Aizawa Sensei had informed me about what had happened at the beach. Since then I've been anxious to check up on you." His speech was interrupted by a fit of coughing, and Midoriya was again struck with guilt about calling. As the coughing subsided, the hero managed to ask, "How are you lad? From my understanding, you were one of the youths affected by the villainess' quirk. Are you well? You didn't get injured did you?"

"No, no. I'm fine…really." Something in Midoriya's reply made All Might pause in concern. He waited, knowing there was more. He heard Midoriya hesitate, before finally asking. "All Might…exactly how much do you know about what went on today?"

"Something's wrong." All Might silently summarized before replying. "Not much I'm afraid. Just a quick small summary from Aizawa Sensei. I imagine with me being ill, he didn't want to bother me too much." His grip tightened on his phone, bringing it closer to him as he emphasized, "But please, don't let that concern you! If there is anything, anything at all bothering you. I want to know!" For several seconds there was nothing but silence on Midoriya's end. It was just as All Might was reaching for the tissue box on his nightstand that Midoriya's muffled reply came through.

"I really messed up today."

The tissue box slipped from his fingers, but All Might ignored it, sensing the desolation clinging to his proteges' voice. "This is about Siren's quirk isn't it?" He asked, already guessing the root of his distress. "Young Midoriya, what happened to you was completely out of your control–"

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!" Midoriya's angry outburst blared through the phone, shocking his mentor.

His outburst had also unintentionally caught the attention of a surprised Bakugo, who was just returning from his bath. The blonde froze, his hand pausing on the door to their room. With ears perked, he cautiously slid the door open just enough for him to peek in, where he could see Midoriya speaking on the phone with who he assumed was All Might. Sensing the tense situation, he stayed put, listening in.

"Midoriya…" All Might murmured, not quite sure how to respond to this new side of his student.

"I'm sorry! All Might it's just…" Midoriya apologized, knuckles clenching as he fought back the wave of guilt and frustration brewing within him. "I have the power of "One for All". I should have been able to break through Siren's quirk. Just like before, during the sports festival. Back when I saw the other users. They….didn't come this time." Midoriya felt the bitterness swelling in his chest, ready to spill over. "I just don't understand! Why…Why didn't they come?! Don't they realize what I could have done with this power?! With THEIR POWERS!?" A trembling fist came down on the tabletop, as his angry voice rang out in the empty room. "If they did, I wouldn't have hurt her!"

The phone slipped from his fingers, hitting the tabletop. "Midoriya?!" All Might's voice frantically called out. "I heard a bang? Are you still there?! Midoriya?!"

Drops of water splashed across the screen of his phone. It was then Midoriya realized those were his own tears falling. Tears he had been trying desperately to hold back since this whole ordeal had started. He lowered his head, shoulders shaking as he fought to suppress the onslaught of emotions overwhelming him. Silently, he put All Might on speaker mode, quietly answering, "Sorry…I dropped the phone."

He heard a sigh of relief escape his mentor. "Good…I'm glad you're still on. Midoriya, please listen to me…" Before he could continue, a series of hacking coughs raked through his frail body. Guilt once again pricked Midoriya for directing his anger out on his mentor. Especially when he was ill. Once All Might had composed himself, he weakly said, "I understand your frustrations. And I wish there was more knowledge I can give you concerning the connections between you and past holders of "One for All". But unfortunately I don't. Their movements…their intentions…it's all as much of a mystery to me as they are to you. But I will tell you this…" He said, his voice growing stronger as he determinedly stated, "I feel in the deepest part of my being that they are here to help you. Do not lose faith, Young Midoriya. You haven't been abandoned by them."

With that being said, in a softer tone he gently asked, "But let's put that aside for now. Please, explain to me what happened with… 'her'?"

Outside the room, Bakugo leaned in closer to listen. So focused he was on the conversation that he was completely unaware of Todoroki approaching from behind. The stoic hero curiously stared down at the eavesdropping Bakugo stealthily peeking into the room.

"What are you doing?"

Bakugo jumped up, forcefully covering Todoroki's mouth and sheeshing him. "Shhhh! Be quiet before I murder you!" He quietly hissed, quickly getting back into position. Shrugging, Todoroki crouched down to join him. Quietly he whispered, "This doesn't feel appropriate…"

"SHHH!"

Midoriya sighed unhappily. "It's…Uraraka. All Might, I really hurt her. When I was under Siren's quirk, we battled and….." He cringed, trying to block out the memory of holding her battered body in his arms. "If Uraraka didn't snap me out of it, I know I would have killed her." He shut his eyes, more tears trying to break free at the horrible thought.

"But you didn't–"

"But I could have!" Midoriya cried out. "You don't understand! I was so close…so close to doing the unthinkable." He bowed his head, misery overtaking him. "Just what kind of hero does something like that?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone before All Might's clear voice came through. "Midoriya, there isn't a hero alive that doesn't have some sort of blood on their hands." The young teen felt his heart thumping hard, listening to his mentor's solemn words of wisdom. "Accidents occur, civilians get caught in crossfires, the list goes on and on. The guilt you're feeling is one felt by every hero at some point in their careers. My only advice is to think about the lives that were saved from the events of today. Despite what you had to go through, ten students were reunited with their families today. The smiles on their faces all came from the sacrifices and hardships you and your classmates went through. Be proud of that."

Midoriya nodded, feeling the weight on his shoulders lessen somewhat. "You're right…But…"

All Might could sense his hesitation on the other end. "Midoriya…there's something else, isn't there? Is it concerning Miss Uraraka?"

Midoriya gulped, blushing slightly as he answered. "Yeah…I…just…think she's mad with me…about what I did to her."

"I'm sure that's not the case." All Might tried reassuring him, thinking back on the cheerful young lady. "I'm sure she's aware you weren't in your right mind at the time of your battle."

"It's…not just that." Midoriya admitted, growing red.

"Oh?" All Might curiously pressed.

Outside, both Bakugo and Todoroki's ears were practically glued to the sliding door. Their curiosities perked to the extreme.

Midoriya grimaced, suddenly wishing he could just hang up. This was embarrassing enough without adding his hero idol into the mix but at this point he felt like he had no choice. He needed to get this off his chest. He took a deep breath, willing himself to come clean to his mentor. "During the fight with Uraraka….I mentioned that she was the one to break me free from Siren's quirk."

"Yes." All Might remembered.

"To break me free….she…she…" Midoriya stammered, feeling his courage waning. In the tiniest voice possible, he quietly muttered. "...she….kissed me."

There was a short pause on the other end. "Ohhh…" All Might replied, his tone sounding just as embarrassed as Midoriya.

Outside, both his roommates also turned a bright shade of red at this confession.

"I know it's bad!" Midoriya quickly exclaimed, sounding frantic as he gushed everything out super fast. "And I feel terrible about it! I pretty much forced her into that position and I know she's embarrassed about it! I feel like such a creep and I know I need to apologize about it, but she doesn't even want to talk to me! With everything I've done she probably hates my guts!"

"Woah! Woah! Slow down, Midoriya! Please!" All Might flusteredly replied. Internally he added, "This old man's heart can't keep up with this teenage drama!" Collecting his thoughts, he attempted to ease the boy's worries. "I know you're concerned about your friend and….what happened between you two. But, do you honestly think Miss Uraraka would harbor such negative feelings toward you? Remember, this is the girl who willingly offered up her own points for you to land a spot in our hero course. And that was before you and her even became classmates. I can't imagine that a friend you had trained and fought alongside with would give that all up so easily."

Midoriya blinked, thinking about his last interaction with Uraraka and her cold words to him as they parted. But then he thought about her cheerful demeanor during the party and how they had laughed and chatted together just like old times. He truly didn't have an answer. "I'm…not sure."

On the other end, All Might hid a sigh, sensing Midoriya's lack of confidence. "My dear boy…I feel like there's been a misinterpretation between the two of you. Though I know all of this is far outside my own expertise, it seems to me that instead of running from you…Miss Uraraka may be just running from her own feelings about what happened." Of course, All Might knew he couldn't say this to him. "There are some issues that even heroes shouldn't meddle with."

"If that's the case…" All Might continued aloud to Midoriya. "...then I think the only path open to you is to speak with Miss Uraraka directly."

Midoriya grimaced, feebly replying. "But she…"

"Even if someone doesn't ask to be saved, are you just going to watch them struggle?" All Might asked, sternly cutting him off. "If you truly think she is upset with your actions today, then you need to confront the issue. A hero's path isn't just about facing off against wrongdoers. It's also about soothing the souls of those affected by their deeds." Despite his ill disposition, All Might's voice grew in strength as he threw one last piece of advice at his apprentice. "But remember this Midoriya. No one wants to hear apologies from a hero. When you speak to Miss Uraraka, instead of an apology, give a promise. A promise you will work harder in the future to prevent such catastrophes from happening again. Is that clear?!"

"Yeah…you're right." Midoriya answered, knowing his mentor was right. He had to talk to Uraraka. He had to fix things. The problem was getting the courage to do it. But instead of admitting this to All Might, he just said. "Thank you All Might. I promise I'll do that. You should probably rest."

"You're probably right." All Might agreed with a chuckle. "But Midoriya, promise me you will call if you need to talk again, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Get well soon." Midoriya disconnected the call, shoulders slumping down tiredly. He didn't understand how one phone call could drain him of so much energy. With an air of defeat he wandered to the futons, collapsing into the nearest one and planting his face into the pillow. There he laid, wondering about his next move. "I know All Might said to go and talk to her. But…." He wearily glanced at his phone, the screen showing the time to be 7:30pm. "Curfew is at nine. She may have already gone to the bathhouse. Or she may be in her room. Why didn't I just go after her when I had the chance?!" He felt like kicking himself for the wasted opportunity. "Well maybe it's for the best…" He convinced himself, remembering her parting words to him. "Maybe things will be less awkward if we wait till tomorrow to talk?" Giving a loud groan of frustration, he threw the covers over him, wanting to just sleep this horrible day away. So distraught over his indecisiveness, he didn't even budge as the door to the room quietly slid open.

Bakugo and Todoroki cautiously entered, as if approaching a battle zone. The conversation they had overheard had answered a lot of questions, but had also been extremely personal and neither boy quite knew how to react to Midoriya after hearing of his woes. Bakugo was just glad Todoroki had arrived late, so had completely missed the discussion over "One for All."

"Damn Deku! That nerd needs to watch where he has his stupid conversations with All Might! Who the knows who could have heard him!?" Bakugo grumbled to himself. His anger only flared more when he came upon Midoriya, miserably wrapped in his futon. He lifted his head up, muttering weak greetings towards his roommates.

"Oh, hey guys." Midoriya's head fell back into the pillow, ignoring them.

Todoroki turned to Bakugo for guidance on how to proceed, but the blonde was too enraged to notice. "Look at this punk! All Might gave him specific instructions to go make amends with chubby cheeks and this is what he does! MOPE AROUND LIKE SOME COWARDLY SLUG!"

"What…what are you doing!?" Bakugo demanded.

Midoriya didn't bother to look up. "I'm going to bed."

"And who the hell said you could do that?!" Bakugo angrily responded.

This time Midoriya lazily glanced up, green eyes distant and uncaring as he replied, "Kacchan, I'm really not in the mood."

Todoroki's mouth fell open. "Uh oh." He turned uneasily to Bakugo and quickly took a step away. The rage illuminating from his friend was almost blinding to look at.

Literally shaking with fury, the blond teen stomped over to Midoriya's futon, glowering down the pathetic lump. "The only one allowed to be in a mood here…" He growled, grabbing the edges of the sheet. "...IS ME, YOU DAMN NERD!" He yelled, giving the futon a powerful tug that completely flipped Midoriya to the floor with a painful thud.

"Kacchan!? What was that for–!?" A shocked Midoriya demanded, glaring at his childhood friend. But the powerful whomp of a pillow to the face cut any further questioning.

Bakugo towered over him, repeatedly flogging him with a pillow as he angrily lamented. "I don't want to hear smack talk from a twerp cowering under the blankets like a damn baby!"

"Ow! Ouch! Kacchan, cut it out!" Midoriya fussed, covering his head as the pillow kept beating him. The moment it stopped, he felt a tight choking sensation as Bakugo roughly grabbed the back of shirt collar.

"If you have a problem, go out and deal with it!" Bakugo grumbled, dragging a struggling Midoriya towards the door. "Instead of pissing us off with that pathetic attitude of yours! Cowards like you…" He declared, sliding the door open and mercilessly tossed his roommate out the door. "...MAKE ME WANNA PUKE MY FREAKING GUTS OUT!"

Midoriya rolled to the floor, barely stopping himself from slamming into the opposing wall. He glanced back and saw Bakugo determinedly barring the entrance back into the room. "And don't even bother crawling back until you wipe that mopey-ass look off your face!" He loudly declared, before slamming the door shut in front of a perplexed Midoriya.

"Idiot." Bakugo grumbled to the locked door. Todoroki walked up from behind, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"You're a good friend."

"I AM NOT!" Bakugo snapped, cheeks flushing red. He then rushed to the bathroom, where the sound of loud retching became instantly present. Todoroki calmly walked over, making himself comfortable in front of the bathroom door.

"I think you may have did too much, too quickly." He suggested, talking through the bathroom door.

"NOBODY ASKED YOU!" Bakugo barked out over the toilet bowl.

Todoroki quietly listened for a few moments before calling out. "You know, since tomorrow is our free day, I was planning on going fishing in the morning. If you're not feeling well, you're welcome to come." There was a long pause.

"Will there be any talking involved?" Bakugo weakly inquired.

"No, not really." Todoroki answered, vaguely remembering not many conversations being generated between him and his father on these fishing excursions. Another long pause.

"Fine." Bakugo tersely answered. Todoroki smiled, happy for the company of yet another friend.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure you're back in time for your date."

"DAMN IT TODOROKI!" Bakugo bellowed, slamming the door open. "I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT A—"

But what it was became lost as the poor boy covered his mouth once more and ran to the toilet.

Uraraka dragged her feet through the silent garden, not even giving a second thought to the soft, tropical blossoms that danced in the waning light of the crescent moon. The cool night breeze ruffled her hair, and sent goosebumps up her arms despite the warm climate. But even that went unnoticed by the girl, who's mind seemed to be in a whirlwind of emotions.

She sat down on a stone bench, vaguely wondering how long she had been walking around. "I think the party must be wrapping up." Uraraka silently concluded, no longer hearing the sounds of music and chatter in the air. She felt a painful twinge in her chest, thinking of her sudden departure from the celebration and of her parting words to Deku as he tried to stop her.

"Uraraka, please!" Midoriya pleaded, reaching out, hoping to stop her. "Can we just talk?!" Without even realizing, he grabbed her scarred arm. She let out a cry of pain and he instantly let go, guilt flooding him.

"Uraraka! I'm so so–" He quickly apologized, reaching out to comfort her.

"Deku!" She snapped, shoulders shaking as she clutched her arm against her. He froze, his hand still reached out towards her. With her back facing him, she quietly said. "I"m sorry…I just can't talk to you right now."

Uraraka gave a regretful moan, hands covering her red face at the memory. "I'm such an idiot! Why did I say that to him!?" Of course, she knew why. She uncovered herself, leaning her head back to mournfully gaze up at the stars.

"I just felt so embarrassed. Bringing up the battle…how scared I was…I know that must have made Deku feel horrible to hear. And then with the kiss…" She sighed, thinking of how much fun they had been having before all that had been brought up. "It was just like old times." She sadly admitted. She held up her scarred arm, letting the feeble light of the moon shine upon it. "Even after everything that's happened, Deku is still the same sweet, caring Deku." She reflected, tears filling her eyes. "The only one who's changed…who can't seem to move forward…is me…"

"Uraraka?" Midoriya's small voice cut into still night air.

"De-Deku!" Uraraka stuttered, quickly wiping away the tears before he noticed. He stood a few feet away on the garden pathway, hesitating to come closer. "What is he doing here?!"

An awkward silence fell between them.

"May…may I join you?" Midoriya nervously asked, gesturing towards the bench. Uraraka stiffly nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He walked over, nervously sitting down beside her. There they both sat, trying to build the nerve to speak. "I'm sorry…" Midoriya began uneasily, "I know you said you didn't want to talk…" Uraraka felt a stab of guilt prick at her, making it even harder to look up at him. "...But I just wasn't sure if it was right, leaving things as they were."

"No! No! I'm the one who should apologize!" Uraraka blurted out, shyly looking down at her lap. "What I said back there to you…that was…not very nice."

"It's really oka–"

"No it's not!" She heatedly cut him off. "It's not okay Deku! I…." She glanced up, her soft brown eyes finally meeting him as she sadly asked, "...I made you feel bad, didn't I?"

Midoriya blushed, unable to hold her gaze. When he didn't respond, Uraraka knew she was right. She sighed, her fingers tightening on the fabric of her shorts as she fought to find the words to explain herself. "I was just…really embarrassed to face you after the things I said about our battle. Those were thoughts I never wanted to say aloud, let alone in front of you. I was just so nervous being put in the spotlight like that, it just all came tumbling out."

"You shouldn't have to worry about me." Midoriya kindly responded. His tone grew wary as his gaze fell on his open palms. "I'm aware of what I did. So it wasn't really a surprise to hear you say those things. It just made me feel…odd…like you were talking about a completely different person." He gave a crooked smile, trying to be light-heartedly as he added. "It's strange, isn't it?"

But Uraraka could sense the strain behind his expression. "Deku…." Gently, she placed her hand over his.

"Y-Y-YES!?" He squeaked, jolting as all the cells in his body exploded in electricity at the contact. Fortunately, she seemed to be completely unaware of how frazzled he had become.

"You do know the guy who I fought…" She said quietly, giving his hand a small squeeze. "And the you sitting here…I know they are different." She smiled, the pink of her cheeks appearing even in the dim light. "You know that, right?"

"Of…of…course!" Midoriya stuttered, finding his mind going into overdrive. He shook his head, willing himself to focus. "Uraraka, listen…" He shifted his body to face her, cupping her petite hand into his palm. In the darkness, he missed the redness that crept onto Uraraka at the bold move. "I know I should have said this a lot sooner, but right now, I just want you to know how bad I feel about everything that's happened. With attacking and hurting you…for almost killing you…for—" He paused, his entire face turning crimson. Uraraka waited expectantly, blinking in confusion as he suddenly glanced away, his voice becoming an inaudible mumble as he tried to continue. "For….um….you…know…forcing you to…."

"Forcing me?" Uraraka repeated, confused. "Deku…what are you talking about?"

He grimaced, painfully forcing the words out. "It's….about that kiss!" He winced, the shame feeling like a punch to the stomach as he miserably gushed out his torment. "I realize I probably forced you into it, with no other options to wake me from Siren's quirk. For that…I'm so sorry Uraraka. I know it must have been super embarrassing and awkward and I'm really, really sorry! I promise I won't ever, EVER, put you into a position like that again!" Midoriya quickly shut his eyes, anxiously waiting for Uraraka's reply.

Uraraka sat frozen in place, stunned at his confession. "Is…that what he thought?"

"Deku…" She said, her voice a mere whisper. "I think…you have the wrong idea."

Midoriya's eyes opened, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Uraraka shifted away, clutching her burning cheeks as she wondered if now was finally the time to tell him the truth. "It's obvious he's been agonizing over what happened. I can't just leave him wondering and worrying." She thought about all the times she had run away from him, from her own feelings. "No…I can't do that to him, not again." She softly inhaled, nervously moving to face him. "You see…the truth is…."

"OCHAKO!" A loud voice cried out, cutting into their conversation. They both turned, spotting a familiar set of heads about to round the tropical flora and onto the garden pathway that led to where they sat. Ashido led the pack, calling out again. "Ooooh, Ochako! Are you back here?!"

"The girls…" Uraraka moaned internally, unsure of what she should do. "If they find Midoriya and I here together, there's bound to be some talk…and a lot of teasing. And…" She bashfully peeked at Midoriya, who also seemed conflicted on what to do. "...our time together would probably end here."

She bit her lip, determinedly using both hands to push against a baffled Midoriya's chest. He was lifted off the bench, gawking at his sudden weightlessness.

"Uh, Uraraka…what are you doing?"

"Not running away!" She declared, jumping up and tackling Midoriya into the garden's thick shrubbery. They landed together in a jumble of leaves and twigs, completely hidden from view from her friends as they came around the bend.

Ashido gave a frustrated sigh, complaining. " I don't see her here either! Momo, are you positive you saw her run this way!?"

Yaoyorozu nodded. "Positive. I saw her from the stage running out. Midoriya was following her."

"Ohh spicy!" Hagakure commented with a giggle. In the shadows, Uraraka and Midoriya both blushed crimson at the remark. Both had situated themselves behind a large mangrove tree, with Uraraka peeking out to watch her friends.

Yaoyorozu seemed less amused. "I hope she's okay." She bit her lip, brows furrowed in concern. "I wonder if we were too late to distract the class from their pestering?"

"I still can't believe I missed you all singing karaoke together!" Hagakure exclaimed.

"Yeah, where exactly were you?" Ashido asked, glaring at her friend suspiciously. "You were gone for quite a while.

"I had to say…" Hagakure mysteriously answered. "I would say I was playing with dynamite"

"...what?"

"I still can't believe we had to do TWO encores of that stupid song." Jiro muttered, sounding exhausted as she cut into their conversation. "Maybe we should just head back? If she's with Midoriya, she's probably fine."

"But don't you think that's EVEN MORE of a reason for us to find her!" Ashido declared with a cat-like grin.

"Yes! Yes! Agreed! Agreed!" Hagakure added, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Girls….you're killing me here." Uraraka bemoaned to herself. She was glad Midoriya stood behind her so she wouldn't have to see his expression.

"I don't know what you two are thinking you'll find." Jiro skeptically pointed out. "Those two still seemed pretty off with each other."

But these words hardly fazed Ashido, who was bursting with romantic energy. "No worries! I have full confidence in Ochako! Midoriya and her will be back to normal in no time. After all," She added, doing an excited little twirl. "She loves him, right? You can't stay away from the person you love!"

"L-L-Love!? Ehhhhhhhhhh?" Midoriya's mouth fell open, every part of him unable to comprehend what he had just heard. Next to him, he felt Uraraka grow stiff as a stone, the back of her neck and ears growing bright red. He wanted to reach out to her, desperate to know if what Ashido said was true.

For Uraraka, it was as if the world had crumbled beneath her. "He….he knows…." Was all she could think about, growing tipsy as the thought swirled around and around her head. She swayed slightly, her flip-flop sliding on the moist root of the tree she hid behind. For a moment, she felt herself slip away from the shadows. But before she was exposed, she felt a pair of strong arms grab her, pulling back to safety.

"Shh…I got you." Midoriya whispered, his warm breath tickling her ear and sending hot shivers down Uraraka's spine. He had her pinned against his chest and so close that she could hear the rapid beating of his heart. She felt him lean forward, peeking to make sure no one had noticed. His hold on her unintentionally tightened.

Curious, she also peeked out and almost gasped. Asui, who had been silently trailing behind the rest of the girls, was staring right at them as the other girls continued chatting. She blinked once at Uraraka before turning away.

"Curfew is coming up, kero." Asui logically pointed out, holding up her phone. "Perhaps Ochako went to take a quick bath before heading back to the room?" In the darkness, Uraraka sent a silent thank you to her best friend.

"Oh! We haven't checked there yet!" Ashido exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"A bath before bed does sound appealing." Yaoyorozu added.

"Let's go then!" Hagakure squealed, getting a head start as she yelled out. "Last one there has to give the rest a scrub!"

"Hey, no fair!" Jiro shouted, dashing after her with the rest of the girls following.

Their laughter soon faded away, leaving the two teens with nothing but their pounding hearts to break the silence of the evening. Uraraka still found herself pinned against Midoriya's chest, both too embarrassed to move from their current positions. After several moments of painful silence, Midoriya managed to find the nerve to ask. "Uraraka…is what she said true?"

His arms released her and she took a few steps away, self-consciously hugging herself. He couldn't see her expression, and instantly regretted letting her go. Feeling as if she would dash away like before, and never return. But before he could move, he saw her head slowly nod in confirmation. A sudden rush of warmth seized him, making his head spin. "I…had no idea."

Midoriya heard her chuckle softly at this. "Yea, I figured." Her body turned towards him with downcast eyes. "Originally…I had wanted to lock those feelings away. So that both of us could focus on becoming pro-heros. But then…" She clutched her scarred arm to her side, trembling. "Today during our fight…after you had injured my arm…I realized the pain that I felt was the pain you've had to go through over and over again as you worked to master your quirk…to become a hero."

"Uraraka…" Midoriya felt his chest tighten painfully as he listened. Her words wovening a spell on him that he couldn't break away from as she went on.

"I think feeling that pain made me realize just how hard you've been working Deku…." Uraraka confessed. "...and how if anything happened to me….all that would have been wasted. I didn't want that. It was then I knew that if my words weren't enough to reach you…to break you free…then by kissing you," Her soft eyes lifted, gazing into his with undeniable affection. "...maybe my feelings would."

Uraraka gave a startled gasp Midoriya caught her hand, pulling her over into his chest where he tightly clung to her. She felt his body trembling against her, his low voice wavering as he spoke. "Thank you….Uraraka. You've always been there, supporting me, saving me….more than you even realize. I just wish…you didn't have to go through that." He pulled away, his eyes sorrowful as they gazed down at her. "That pain…I would never wish that on anyone…most especially you."

Uraraka shook her head, her fingers tentatively clinging to the fabric of his shirt. "It's okay…because of it…." She murmured, leaning against his chest as the tears she had been holding back silently began to fall. "...I feel like I got closer to you."

"Uraraka…." Midoriya whispered, all hesitation lost as he tightly wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against her as he breathed in her sweet scent. It was like the weight of everything that had happened today…the drama…the guilt…the misunderstandings…all it was melting away just her being there with him. He wanted to stay like this forever, to always remember this feeling of her body pressed against his. "I don't want to let her go…but…" He slowly opened his eyes, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders as he gently moved away.

"Deku?" Uraraka questioned, looking up at his troubled expression.

"Uraraka…I…just wanted to say how I'm sor—" He stopped himself remembering All Might's words to him. "...I promise that I'll get stronger. I won't let you or anyone else have to go through that type of pain again! And…" He hesitated, a blush creeping along his face. "...I'm glad that your feelings were able to reach me." His hand moved away from shoulder to caress the side of her face. "If they didn't, I would have done something truly regrettable."

She smiled, closing her eyes and leaning against his touch. The action was so sweet and innocent, yet it sent Midoriya into a spiral of alarm as a rush of longing overwhelmed him. He swallowed, feeling his throat go dry as he tried to muster up the courage to say what he wanted, what his whole being seemed to be secretly yearning for.

"S-s-so if it's okay with you…." Midoriya nervously stammered, turning crimson. "Could…could I also let my feelings reach you?"

Uraraka stared back at him, her eyes widening as the meaning of his words became clear. She reddened, her grip on his shirt tightening as she gave a small, confirming nod. Midoriya felt his heart leaping, even as the rest of him became awash in a wave of anxiety. He pushed those fears down, focusing all his attention on the girl before him. The girl who had vouched for him to become a hero…who had given him his hero name…the one who had saved him in more ways than one…

These thoughts, along with a desire so strong it hurt, that drove him forward, slowly leaning down to Uraraka. He saw her eyes close, her head tilting towards his as he drew near. He felt his lips softly brushing against hers, the sensation sending shivers of pleasure coursing through his body before the feeling suddenly went away, leaving him desperately pining for more.

"Did…did she pull away?" He silently wondered, his eyes cracking open to peek. It was then that two things became instantly clear to him.

That HE was the one pulling away from her.

Or to be more precise…he was floating away.