Chapter Text
Ochako won’t say it out loud, but…
It’s weird to have Todoroki join their friend group.
Not that he’s a bad guy, Uraraka reasons, but he’s just so…
Quiet. Blunt. And literal.
“Good Morning, Todoroki-san.”
“Good Morning, Uraraka-san.”
“How’re you this morning?”
“I’m fine.”
Uraraka sees his eyes look past behind her, adding a tilt to his head.
“Is Midoriya not with you?”
“No, Midoriya had something to catch up on with the teachers. He’ll be in soon.” Uraraka reassures with a smile, and Todoroki replies with a quiet “Mm.”
It didn’t help that the entire class knew of Todoroki and Midoriya’s new, special little situation. It certainly didn’t help that Todoroki kept looking over at Midoriya during classes, being so unsubtle about it that even Aizawa-sensei had to call him out on it.
Through the quiet laughs and giggles Todoroki looks unfazed, as he bows his head and apologizes, while Midoriya flushes so deeply he almost passes out.
Uraraka should speak up for him, help him through it; no doubt she’s become more protective of her friend after their talk a few days ago.
But, despite herself, Uraraka finds it cute how flustered her friend could get. The small, sharp pangs in her heart can be ignored, especially when Midoriya’s looking to her so desperately for some help in alleviating his embarrassment.
She answers his pleas with a bright smile, a shrug in her shoulders. He responds with a defeated whine, thunking his head against his desk.
“So who do you think tops?” Mina picks at her plate, the smile on her face a clear result of the clamor of groans erupting at the table.
“nooOO-”
“God, Mina-”
“Whyyyyyy-”
“it’s a valid question! Real talk.” Mina says, taking a bite out of her meal and trying her best to suppress a laugh.
“We’re EATING!” Denki gestures around him, adding, “Let’s not do this.”
“I mean, you’d think it’s Todoro-”
“MINA!” She cracks into laughter at the expense of her peers, and Sero, Denki, and Kirishima look on in exasperation.
“Do not bring this up in front of Bakugo,” Kirishima warns, pointing to his friends, “He’s still touchy at the fact Todoroki flaked their fight at the Sports Festival last week.”
“We know, you and he have been showing up with new cuts and bruises every day since the weekend.” Sero quips, chewing his lunch.
“You’d think he’d let it go. I mean, he still won. What’s so bad about him just using his ice?”
Kirishima elbows Denki a bit, “You guys wouldn’t get it; to not put your all in a fight is hella unmanly, and it disrespects your opponent too. I’d be mad too if someone was just going easy on me.”
“Kiri, you’d be mad at someone holding the door open for you.” Sero cracks, getting his peers to snicker while Kirishima shakes his head at them. “You guys-”
“Oi.”
Kirishima whips his head up, and brightens. “Bakugo! Hey! Please sit!” Kirishima scoots to the side to make some room, snatching Denki’s arm and yanking him back from falling off the edge of their bench.
“Woah, I didn’t think you’d show, Bakugo-kun.” Sero says as the blond takes a seat.
“Is that a bentoooo?” Denki leans from over Kirishima to eye up his classmate’s lunch. Bakugo responds with a glare that should faze the other blond, but doesn’t. “I’ll trade ya my melon bun for a piece of that.”
“Buzz off.”
“Haaaah, electricity pun, good one. But seriously-”
Bakugo begins to stand again.
“Wait--Hey Bakugo, you got plenty of offers from pro-heroes and pro-businesses to work with, right? Must be niice~” Sero says, diverting the conversation before their new guest leaves. Bakugo, despite his rapidly thinning patience, settles back in.
He didn’t get why he took Shitty Hair up on his offer to have lunch together, he didn’t want to interact with any of his classmates any more than necessary. Whatever compelled him to do this, he’ll make sure to completely remove from his system next time around.
“Too many, I’d say. Have you decided who you wanted to work with yet?” the pink girl across from him asks, helping herself to a piece of Shitty Hair’s lunch and tending to her own.
“You said I wouldn’t have to talk.” Bakugo growls to the red head beside him, unraveling his lunch. Kirishima ignores it, “Bakugo got an offer from the Number 4 hero, Best Jeanist.”
“What?!”
“Dude!”
“Best Jeanist! That’s so cool, Baku-kun.”
Bakugo bites back a curse, digging his heel into Shitty Hair’s foot under the table. He growls, feeling the bastard’s hardening quirk activated beneath his shoes. “Do not call me that.”
“Are you gonna take him up on it?”
Gritting his teeth, Bakugo relents. “Of course I am. He’s the closest to the top I’ve got. I’m going to be the damn best around here, might as well work with the best.”
His peers agree, and Bakugo ignores the smile Shitty Hair gives him from the corner of his eye.
“You’re pretty fortunate to get that offer, I mean-being trained under one of the top ten.” Tape Boy sips his drink.
“Not even top ten, top five! Trained under the number 4 hero…” Pinky muses, watching Bakugo closely. Bakugo shrugs off their stares and finally digs into his meal, chopsticks between his fingers.
He won’t lie, it is impressive, but it’s not like the offer surprised him. Of course he was going to catch the attention of the top heroes of Japan, in fact, he expected to get at least Endeavor’s attention, but after the Sport’s Festival Bakugo figured that the Number 2 hero already had his sights set on his own son.
Bakugo can work with Number 4.
“S’not that impressive,” a sniff comes from the other blond across the table, who had his feet propped up and picking at his nails. “I hear Tokoyami-kun got an offer from the Number 3 hero.”
“Who, Hawks??”
“No, Tokoyami- ”
“No, moron, the hero-”
Bakugo swears he feels ringing in his ears. He snaps his attention back to the group.
If he was a better man, he’d have let it go. But the burning in his chest wouldn’t let him.
“ Who?! ”
Tokoyami sneezes.
“Excuse me.”
“Bless you, Tokoyami-kun.”
“Thank you--ah, thank you.” Tokoyami takes the tissue packet offered by Uraraka.
“Someone must be talking about you, Tokoyami-kun.” Tsuyu teases.
“I wouldn’t put it past them, you did finish third in the Sport’s Festival. You were even recruited by the Number 3 hero. It’s a great opportunity.” Ojiro added, gathering the trash from his meal to dump.
“Maybe so, but…” Tokoyami sighs, shoulders slumping, “I already know I’m going to get additional unwanted attention.”
“So you accepted his offer?” Uraraka asks, leaning a little into her seat.
“Yes, though.." He furrows his brows, "I think it’s because of how I look rather than my quirk.” He replies a little dryly, which earns him a laugh from his peers.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Tokoyami-kun, you’ll learn a lot from a high pro like him. Say, I’m sure some of the others would want his autograph for later.” Ojiro nudges his friend, who seems to slump further into himself.
“Ugh…”
Uraraka shares a smile with her classmates, her lunch long finished. Checking the cafeteria, her eyes flicker over to the entrance, finding a mop of green hair come into view. The mop is followed by a head of bi-colored hair, and Uraraka ignores the twang in her heart. She raises her arm up and waves them over, “Midoriya-kun, Todoroki-san!”
Both boys look up, and make their way over. Midoriya graces her with a thankful smile, and takes a seat. Todoroki follows suit, with Ojiro and Tokoyami making room.
“Sorry, we got caught up. I hope you didn’t wait up.”
“It’s okay, we’re all done anyways. Have you heard back from Iida? He told me he’ll be staying.” Uraraka asks. Midoriya nods, “He’s still with his family, and he got permission from the school to continue with classes from home, until we come back from our field week.”
Uraraka’s mouth thins into a line, her heart hurting over her friend’s current situation.
Iida’s absence hadn’t gone unnoticed, and the class understood that it was a personal matter. Unexpectedly, everyone acted cordially due to the absence of their class president, not diving into mayhem or the usual antics, figuring they’d spare Iida from worrying about the class. Momo and Shoji made sure Iida still got his classwork, and almost everyone sent him well-wishes for his brother.
Iida’s strict, and by the line, but Uraraka knew her friend enough to know he deeply values and appreciates the support from his peers nonetheless.
“Will he still be taking any offers for field training?” Tsuyu asks. Uraraka nods, “He took an offer with a hero based in Hosu, Manual, I think.”
“Not with his family’s company? I’d figure he'd want to stick beside them and take in as much as he can. Isn’t he expected to take on his family’s hero name?” Ojiro asks, looking between Uraraka and Midoriya, with Midoriya answering him, “That’s what we figured too, but apparently Iida had other plans. He said that he wanted to work under other heroes to gain more experience. He said he’d be forced to accept calls and do filing work throughout the week.”
“That’s understandable. Field training is our first chance with applying what we learned before testing for provisional licenses.” Tokoyami says, with Tsuyu adding, “I hope the pressure won’t be too much; Iida-kun did want to follow his brother’s footsteps. Who’s to say he won’t try to take up the mantle now?”
Ojiro shakes his head, “Iida’s not that brash. He’d want to make sure the ‘Ingenium’ name is honored; we’re all still first-years. He probably knows better than all of us that we all have more to learn.”
"True."
Uraraka and Midoriya stay quiet; what Ojiro said wasn’t wrong, but they share a look together nonetheless.
Uraraka saw what Midoriya thought, because she was thinking the same thing. Neither of them could really shake the tiny feeling of doubt that lurks in the back of their minds.
“Iida-san is a respectable person.” Todoroki speaks, his voice catching the attention of the table. “We, as his fellow students, trust him to keep us moving forward. It’s only fair to know he trusts us to do the same.”
The students stare at their peer with measured levels of silence, but their agreement was there. 1-A has his back.
Uraraka doesn’t miss the way Todoroki’s eyes lock with Midoriya’s, nor does she miss the red tinting her friend’s ears and neck as he nods. Her eyes flicker to the bit of skin peeking out from under his sleeve, and the green timer on his wrist counts another second up.
Her own, burns.
“Have you chosen a pro-hero to train under during the field work week, dear?” Recovery Girl asks the blond seated at her medical table while she retrieves supplies.
Bakugo scowls, unwrapping the dirtied bandages around his arms to toss away. He unbuttons his uniform, slipping it off and folding it neatly.
“Best Jeanist extended an offer to me, I’m taking it.”He answers, gruff but polite. He hears Recovery Girl hum from behind the curtain.
“Ah, Hakamada-san, he was always a sharp dresser. Make sure you have a few of your best outfits when going to meet him, dear.” Recovery Girl parts the curtain, a first aid kit in her hands. She hands it to the young student, a soft smile on her face. “Make sure that you put your practice matches on hold for the rest of the week so that you’re rested. You won’t have much time to do so when you're on your field training.”
Bakugo takes the kit with grace, granting the nurse a nod and turning to re-dress his wounds. He hears the curtain draw to give him his privacy.
Minutes into him treating his healing cuts, Bakugo hears a knock at the door. He doesn’t stop his actions, hearing Recovery Girl answer.
“Come in! Ah, Ochako-chan! Come in, come in.”
“Hello~” Bakugo hears a voice he recognizes, but can't yet place. He starts to wrap his arm, albeit a bit slower, his ear tuning in.
“Are you here to ask about your dosages?”
“Uhm--well, yes. Have you received my doctor’s referral yet?”
“I have.” The sound of a swivel chair rolling is heard, along with a brief few clicks of a mouse. “You requested an increase of your current medication, to be used over your field training week.”
“Y-Yes, I’ll be doing new training during the week and my body’ll most likely need the extra support. The doctor and I figured it’d be best to start on the new dosage since I’ll be doing more strenuous activities with my quirk.”
“Hmm-hmm, but, Ochako-chan, you must remember not to stress too much with your quirk. The medicine is an aid, not a cure. Be sure to know your body’s boundaries, and to listen to them when they tell you “that’s enough,” or else they’ll force you to listen.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Bakugo catches the hint of tiredness in her tone, and smirks.
A few more clicks, “Who will you be training with during the break?”
“Um, Pro-Hero Gunhead. I’ll be learning his Martial Arts course and shadowing him during patrol.”
Gunhead? The pro hero that created and taught the martial arts program with close to close combat. Not a bad choice, he mused.
“Gunhead, hmm. He’s a good boy, very sweet and nice. His training regimen is very well informed. Any specific reason why you decided on him, rather than a hero with a quirk similar to yours?”
Bakugo catches the humming sound of a printer starting, along with the girl’s answer. “I did get a few offers, but I want to improve on my hand to hand fighting. My quirk really relies on my touch, and I figured if I could learn to fight up close, it’d give me a better advantage. Gunhead’s Martial Arts program is considered one of the best.”
Bakugo figured out her voice a while ago, but it solidified his assumption when she disclosed her touch based quirk. It's Deku's extra. He finds himself put off when the green-haired moron's face pops up in his head.
“Mmm...that’s as good of a reason as any. Though I would’ve taken the answer that you think he’s cute, hahah!”
“Ma’am, no!”
“Oh I’m only teasing. You’ll be in good hands, Ochako-chan.”
“Y-Yeah...Thank you, ma’am.”
Few papers are shuffled. “This dosage will suit you just fine. Come by before this week ends and I will sign your medication out to you for the week.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Of course.”
Bakugo shuts the first aid kit and grabs his uniform, tugging it on and leaving the buttons undone. He yanks the curtain open, and meets the shocked gaze of his classmate. Her brown eyes tell him she didn’t know he was here after all.
He hands the first aid kit to Recovery Girl and ignores the way Melon Cheeks’ eyes trail his bandages.
“All done, Bakugo-kun? Remember my advice, now.” He takes the lollipop offered to him and stuffs it into his pockets. He walks out without another glance to the brown haired girl.
Uraraka really wishes Recovery Girl had told her someone else was in the room. Not that she’d mind, but that it had to have been him of all people?
Uraraka’s been avoiding interactions with Bakugo ever since she sent him floating away last week for hounding on Midoriya, and now he probably knew a little more about her than he should.
No one knew she took medication for her health, chronic issues with her stomach and liver from past trauma hindering her from being able to completely sustain her quirk.
Ever since her accident, Uraraka’s been playing catch up. Having to adhere to a quirk that makes you nauseous when overworked while your digestive organs are already damaged makes it hard. Not to mention her wrist absolutely burns every time she does.
It was a miracle she got into UA with her medical history, and accepting her medical accommodations to boot. She wasn’t about to squander her chance, but she didn’t want it known that she’s being accommodated.
She got into UA with her own skills, her own merit, and she’s just as capable as the rest of her peers, bad organs be damned.
But Bakugo knows. He doesn’t know what she’s taking, or what she’s taking it for , but he knows she’s taking something. Uraraka wonders how the hell she’ll be able to spin it to the bombastic blond and make sure he won’t say anything.
She doesn’t think he’ll talk, but she also doesn’t want him to think less of her for it. That she’s cheating her way in. When she wasn't. Isn't.
Her heart sinks into her chest with a sigh. She really wishes Recovery Girl had said something earlier.
Stepping out into the hall, Uraraka makes her way back to class.
Her eyes catch onto a figure leaning against a wall, and her heart jumps into her throat. Blond hair, red eyes, newly buttoned up uniform covering the bandages she noticed earlier.
Bakugo Katuski stares at her, hands shoved in his pockets as he pushes himself up and faces her.
Uraraka’s tempted to look behind her to see if he’s actually glaring at her and not someone else. But no, his eyes are burning holes into her.
“Bakugo-san.” Her voice comes out normal enough, which she’s thankful for. Whatever the guy wanted from her, it couldn’t be good.
Could it be he was still upset over last week? He does seem like the type to hold grudges, but not petty ones. Right?
His red eyes bear into hers, flitting from her face, to her shoes, and trailing back up to her face. Uraraka feels her stomach squeeze painfully under his scrutiny, and she wills her anxiety to stay away from appearing on her face.
He can’t be considering fighting her here? Trying something? Is he here to threaten her? Is he going to blackmail her with the information he overheard?
Uraraka’s tense, and she prepares to ask him what’s wrong, but he beats her to it.
Bakugo parts his lips. “When we get back, you’re going to spar with me.”
The silence is short, but it breaks Uraraka out of her tension spell. She blinks.
“W...What?” She asks, caught off guard. “Fight? Us?”
Bakugo tsks, a notch appearing between his furrowed eyebrows. She realizes he's refraining from rolling his eyes.
“You’re training with Gunhead.” He states the obvious, fixing her with a calculated stare. “When you’re done, we’ll fight.” He finishes, his voice laced with an edge that left no argument, already peeved that he had spoken more than he wanted to.
Uraraka doesn’t give a response quickly enough, or rather, he doesn’t stick around to hear it; he turns and walks back down the hall, leaving Uraraka behind.
Uraraka watches him go, some shock still in her system until she lets go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
Her stomach wasn’t squeezing anymore, but she didn’t feel any better. Bakugo Katsuki challenged her to a fight after their field week. He must’ve meant a sparring match, but it’s a fight nonetheless.
But why would he even do that? What’s he got to gain? Couldn’t she just focus on getting better without the threat of a beating or the pressure of showing her improvement?
“Fucking...great…” she hisses under her breath, pushing her bangs away from her face and sighing. As if she needed one more thing to worry about.
Her eyes flit to the band around her wrist.
The aching burn was still there, no doubt having flared up as a stress response when she was faced with the blond out of the blue.
Rubbing the band to soothe her skin, Uraraka began to move again. Her shoes felt heavy as she trudged along the hall.
No doubt Midoriya’ll have plenty to say about this. So will Iida, when he gets back. She wonders if maybe she’ll fake being sick for a while.
She shakes her head. “Damn…” she grumbles.
Right now, a part of her wishes he didn’t challenge her outright like that, determined and with promise. But a deeper part of her tells her that maybe later, muuuuch later, it’ll be a challenge she’d welcome.
For now, she curses her luck.