"I'm glad I was finally able to convince you to meet with me outside of work." Haru grinned looking down at the small menu before him.

"I know, and I'm sorry but I've just been really busy." She pressed her lips together in an apologetic smile. The truth was she was always pushing herself further and further into her work leaving little time for things like socializing like she normally would. Granted she was going out a lot more these days, which she knew was good for her. But something she wasn't quite sure about was the way she felt about her coworker other than friendship. She knew she wanted to at least try and give Haru a shot since he had been so patient and kind to her this whole time, and she hadn't really allowed herself to open up to anybody romantically. So, deciding to follow Mina's advice she found herself sitting in this cute little coffee shop facing Haru.

"Well at least you're here." He gave her a nervous smile before looking back down at his menu.

"We're here dumbass." Bakugo rolled his eyes sitting in the booth next to her which made her smile falter remembering who decided to tag along on this outing.

"What are you doing here?!" she whispered making sure Haru was still skimming over the menu.

"Why does my presence here bug you?" Bakugo smugly grinned folding his arms and comfortably leaning back in the booth. Even though the sight of them possibly being on a date was nauseating to him, he could at least find comfort in the way she reacted to him being here. He knew that was an asshole move on his part, but frankly right now he didn't care. They had more pressing matters to sort out.

"So, are you two ready to order?" the waitress asked walking up to them with a notepad.

Glancing at Uraraka to confirm Haru gave her a friendly smile and nodded for her to order first.

"Oh uh…I'll just have-"

"A coffee, 4 scoops of sugar and a dash of milk, simple." Bakugo mumbled looking away. "Might as well drink pure sugar Cheeks."

Dropping her mouth open she whipped her head in his direction surprised that he'd notice something like that, but he seemed like he didn't care one way or another as he continued to stare out the window.

"Miss?" The waitress questioningly eyed her and then Haru.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Uraraka shook her head trying to refocus on the waitress. "I'll um have just a coffee with 4 scoops of sugar and dash of milk…" she quietly mumbled ignoring the slow growing grin on Bakugos face.

"Are you sure?" Haru asked looking down at the menu. "They have plenty of good stuff here."

With a small smile Uraraka was about to decline but looked over the menu again until her eye caught something interesting. "Actually, I'll take-"

"She'll probably like the Tamagoyaki." Bakugo plainly said and when she turned this time eyes wide in shock, he only gave her a cocky smirk in return.

Biting her lip to keep from screaming she reluctantly pointed at the menu. "I'll have…the Tamagoyaki."

"That sounds good I'll have the same." Haru smiled handing the waitress the menus while Bakugo rolled his eyes.

Once their food and coffees were delivered, they indulged in some light conversation about work and about what they did on their spare time.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what made you come out with me today? I mean I know that we've been busy and what not, but something tells me there's more to it." Haru asked, taking a careful sip of his coffee.

"Oh um…nothing really." She said picking at the food with her fork while placing a strand of hair behind her left ear to which Bakugo only fondly stared at. "It's just that my minds just been elsewhere lately."

"Oh, that's alright. If you ever need a listening ear, then I'm here for you."

"I bet." Bakugo scoffed, narrowing his eyes.

"No really anytime you need anything I'm just a phone call away."

"Aren't you prince charming." Bakugo scoffed before sharply turning to her. "And girls' really eat that shit up?"

Clearing her throat Uraraka felt her patient wavering wondering what he was still doing here.

"Anytime you want to hang out or something just let me know." Haru said, reaching.

He felt a sudden bang in his chest when he saw Haru place his hand on top of Uraraka's and quickly looked away before she could see how much that bothered him.

"T-thank you I really appreciate it." She genuinely meant it and when they had finished eating, she was surprised that he offered to pay since this was just friends grabbing breakfast for her.

Furiously marching down the street after saying their goodbyes, Uraraka didn't even bat an eye at the pouting blond next to her still muttering to himself. About what she didn't know nor cared as she quickened her pace.

After a few seconds she felt his intense glare burning the side of her face as he quickened his steps to match hers. Stubbornly lifting her chin, she took a few quick steps to once again be ahead of him.

"Hmm?" Catching up to her he frowned when she still wouldn't look at him, which in turn made him even more irritated and therefore took bigger steps to walk ahead of her.

Growling, she moved ahead of him once again until they found themselves trying to outwalk the other and turn into a full-on race to the apartment.

When she finally made it to the stairs, she couldn't help but smile and laugh when she felt him right behind her just as equally excited about winning. Barley reaching the top, she had to do some quick thinking when she saw one of her elderly neighbors exit the door with her little Pomeranian and successfully dodged the little dog to avoid any casualties.

She was so sure she had lost since Bakugo could just as easily walk through that if he wanted to but when she looked back over her shoulder, she saw that he was trying to avoid doing just that and instead yelled at the dog to get out of the way before jumping over.

Proudly running down the hall she managed to unlock her door in record time and just as she was opening it Bakugo pushed his way inside before her.

"Well look at that, I win."

"WHAT?!" She gaped at him as he panted and turned to her with a triumphant smile. "That was cheating! I opened the door!" she frantically jiggled her keys around.

"Yeah, well I was inside the apartment first." He snickered proudly, dropping himself on the couch and casually placing his feet up on the coffee table.

"Urgh!" she frustratingly puffed out her cheeks dropping her shoes next to the door and storming into her bedroom.

"Someone's a sore loser." He lowly chuckled before yelling loud enough for her to hear him from her bedroom. "Oi if anyone cheated it was you and that hell hound of a dog!"

"That's a very cute dog!" she shouted from her room. "Which is more than I can say for you." She mumbled.

"Yeah, well I think we've all witness to your awful taste Round-face." He shook his head trying to keep his temper in check.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she sternly said coming out of the room and crossing her arms.

"Nothing." He huffed sitting forward and looking down at his hands.

"No really? What does that mean? Or has the great Bakugo suddenly lost the will to speak." She mocked, which made him jump to his feet repeatedly opening and closing his mouth. "That would be a first."

"Do not go there with me round-face." His red eyes dangerously narrowed into slits.

Smugly nodding her head knowing there wasn't much he could do right now anyways even if he wanted to, she teasingly smiled. "Thought so."

Bitterly smirking he clicked his tongue trying to push down everything that was threatening to spill out and calm himself as she busied herself with pulling out her phone and messily tying her hair up in a ponytail.

Without meaning to he peeked at her from the corner of his eyes as she leaned forward against the counter and could see her dress slightly ride up as she looked through her messages. It wasn't a bad view he thought as he tilted his head. 'The fuck am I doing?!' swiftly shaking his head to remove any impure thoughts and dumb feelings that began rushing through his head and simply blaming it on the adrenaline still pumping through his veins at finally having some fun after all these years. Even if that was just a race.

"Alright so what is it?"

"Hah?!" widening his eyes like she just caught him doing something he shouldn't have, he could painfully feel the slow blush threatening to be on full display for her to see when she eyed him skeptically. "What was what?"

"You clearly didn't want to be there during breakfast. So why were you?" she asked unaware of where his eyes had fallen just a few seconds ago.

"Oh that?" he furrowed his brows like it was a stupid question.

"Yeah that. Why, what did you think I was talking about?"

"Nothing!" he replied a little too fast for his liking making him awkwardly clear his throat. "Like I said, this thing's still out there so I was just checking to see if it'll make another appearance. That's all."

"Oh." Trying her best to mask her disappointment as her voice dropped, she quickly moved onto her next question as she walked over to her laptop. "So…other than that, why are you still here? I mean like that?" she gestured to his body. "Shouldn't you be you know…"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he slowly went to stand next to her as she sat knowing what she was referring to. It definitely was something that crossed his mind more times than not, but this wasn't the time or ideal situation to talk about it. "Same reason I suppose."

Chewing on her bottom lip the way he averted his eyes didn't go unnoticed by her but decided that maybe it wasn't her business if he didn't want to talk about it with her, so she didn't want to push and instead asked something else. "Why can I only see you?"

Now meeting her brown eyes with his reds, he gave her his honest answer. "I don't know to tell you the truth. I'm surprised you can even see me at all."

"No one else can? Not even your parents?" she quietly asked, watching him sadly shake his head. It must be hard for him and anyone in that situation to be away from the people they loved without communicating.

"No."

Staring down at the keyboard she couldn't find the words to say without feeling sympathy for him as she felt her eyes shaking with the tears she tried to force back, knowing that he'd get defensive if she did considering it pity in his eyes. "Bakugo…"

"Try searching for anything in the last maybe three years that seemed odd about people mysteriously dying or something." He suddenly said letting her know he didn't want to dwell on it as he leaned down next to her to look at her screen. "I've tried looking for anything while you'd be at work but nothing important has come up."

"Ok." nodding she began pulling up various articles in the past years.

"What?" he asked glancing sideways when he saw a small smile on her lips.

"N-nothing." She dismissively waved her hand. "I just find it funny that while you were searching for that, I was searching for you." When she realized the way it came out, she quickly clarified. "You know things about ghosty."

"Right." He slowly dragged his eyes away from that smile of hers and back to her laptop. "Damn name…"

She was trying to control her breathing not to seem obvious about how flustered she was getting at his close proximity and trying to will her heart and hands still. It all seemed to stop when a thought suddenly hit her. "Your smell…"

"The fuck you just say to me?!" he yelled and quick as lightning moved away from her. He continued to glare at her offended that she would say something that ridiculous as he discreetly tried to smell himself. "I smell fine thank you very much!"

"No I mean…" turning around in her seat she tried to think about how to word this delicately even though the very realization made her heart ache in more ways than one. He didn't know. "You don't know…do you?"

"What?"

"What I'm trying to say is that… most people not all, have their own distinct scent to them whether it's by product or just them."

"…ok weirdo." Bakugo slowly nodded his head trying to follow along. "So, what are you saying?"

Parting her mouth, she quickly looked at the wall as if she was trying to work up the courage to say the words out loud. For whom he didn't know all he knew was the saddened look in her eyes she tried to hide for him. "I can't smell you Bakugo…"

"Oh." Pressing his lips together he leaned back against the back of the couch, crossing his feet and arms. "No surprise there I guess." He weakly chuckled. "I don't even have my quirk anymore either."

"You don't?"

Shaking his head, he thought back to the first few days when nothing he did would work. "I guess you could say they go hand in hand. I remember my mom used to complain all the time when I'd use it…complain about the smell and the explosions I mean." He explained. "She always complained about how she had to open all the windows whenever I accidentally blew something up."

"…It was nice." She whispered more to herself, staring at nothing in particular. "The smell I mean."

"You smelled me?" he wrinkled his nose in mock disgust. "Who does that?"

"Apparently I do." she quietly mumbled only low enough for her own ears as she inwardly cringed hoping to get swallowed up into a big hole.

"Just when I didn't think your ass couldn't get any weirder Round-face." He surprisingly shook his head.

"Sorry." She averted her eyes in embarrassment, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "Anytime that we'd be in school, or we were training, or I'd pass you in the halls I knew when you were close by because of the burned caramel like smell but it had a hint of something fresh to it too, and you may not have liked it…" she shrugged turning back to the computer. "But I did. It always made me feel… save."

Speechlessly staring at her he wouldn't dare mention that it was his damn sweat and the mess he always found himself being when he was even a few feet from her that had caused the non- training times. Right now, he was just stunt at how she even noticed that since no one had dared mentioned it from their class and felt his stomach begin to do flips at the thought. He was always so sure that anytime he was around she gave very little thought to him, especially when Deku was around.

"Alright so is there anything else we should look out for?" She loudly exhaled, eyes still focused on her computer screen and bringing him back to the present time.

Nervously rubbing his head, he silently continued to watch her for another minute unsure as to where to begin telling her how he truly felt. "Uraraka…"

"Hmm?" She waited for him to speak while she concentrated on what exactly she was looking for until she felt her phone vibrating. "Let's go." She abruptly got to her feet and headed for the door.

"Hah?" His forehead creased at the sudden mood change and followed her hurried movements with his eyes. "Where to?"

"Kirishimas. I already send them a message letting them know to meet me there."

"Wait wait Round-face. Who is them?" he cautiously asked. "Uraraka it better not be who I think it is."

"Well we might need all hands-on deck right. And besides I'm sure they'll wanna know that you're ok. They're your friends too after all."

"Pass."

"Bakugo…"

"No."

Walking over to them she tried getting on her tip toes but still found it difficult with the height difference and instead floated herself to be at eye level. "Come on please. They might be able to help."

He tried to resist smiling he really did, and he was proud when he finally managed to scowl at her the way he normally would knowing just how easily he could decline; no one could make him do shit he didn't want to do- least of all now. But when she continued to stare at him with those big brown eyes, he reluctantly rolled his eyes shoving his hands in his pockets and waited for her by the door. "Fine, let's go before I change my mind."