Chapter Text
Uraraka was lost and alone in a town she did not recognise. After leaving a disappointing date, one wrong turn had lead her far away from the train station. It was a cold, wet winter evening, and her phone was about to run out of battery. By now, her parents have had 12 missed calls. Mina 5. Midoriya 3. Seeing that it was on 1%, she quickly texted her parents her location, before helplessly watching as her phone screen faded to black.
She pulled her coat around her body tightly, burrowing her gloved hands into the crooks of her arms and tucking her chin into her scarf. Light droplets of rain grazed the tip of her now red nose. Looking up, pale grey clouds, illuminated by the moonlight, sat stark against the pitch black sky. She sped up her pace. The street she roamed was silent if not for the clopping sound of her shoes hitting the concrete beneath them.
The rain became heavier as the night progressed, and her coat could not withstand it. Water soaked all the way through to her skin, where her body warmed it. It was uncomfortable to move, as exposing her body to the wind immediately lowered her skin temperature again. As she continued out of central town, there were less harsh lights and less foot traffic.
By now she had entered a residential area. Large detached houses lined the street, all bordered with a fence and well kept front garden. It was getting a bit late, late enough for families to have settled down for the evening.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted it. At first she was shocked, but an overwhelming sense of relief flooded her body not too soon after initially reading it: the house marked as "Bakugou".
She wasn't close to him at all; they had hardly known each other a few months. She was willing to face the shame of seeing him in her dishevelled state if it meant the comfort of a bed for the night. They shared few exchanges together. One was whenever he arrived to torment Midoriya and she just happened to be there. The other was the sports tournament, where she received an overall humiliating defeat.
As she opened the gate she cringed at the memory. She really had tried her best that day, but he was just too strong. She tried not to blame herself - he really did have an amazing quirk. Ever since then, she had vowed to one day defeat him. She paced quickly through their rocky garden path. It was a beautiful house, and through the windows peeked ambient lighting that made the house feel like a home to even her, a practical stranger.
She pulled her hood down under the safety of the canopy covering the doorway. Just as she was about to land her first knock on the door, she was alerted by the gate behind her creaking open again, followed by the sensation of explosions rushing towards her. Her wrists were quickly pinned to the door, and she opened her instinctively closed eyes to see Bakugou's crimson ones glaring into her. His fist was raised above their heads, ready to strike, and dangling off of his wrist was a plain white shopping bag. In an instant, she watched his eyes relax as he recognised her.
Before she could utter her apologies and excuses, the door she was secured to opened, forcing both her and Bakugou to fall through. He dropped her quickly to save himself, stumbling over the entry. Thinking on her feet, she pressed her fingertips together to ensure she would not hit the ground, and instead ended up just inches off of the floor. She watched as Bakugou tripped forward, catching himself on the door frame, angrily and swiftly looking upward toward the person who opened the door.
"Katsuki - what the hell is all this racket about!" A woman yelled. Her stern tone indicated that it was the one woman who could speak to Bakugou like that and make it out alive - his mother.
Uraraka released herself, dropping her feet gently to the ground. Her heart pounded. Immediately she turned to the woman who and answered the door, bowing profusely.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. It was my fault!"
The woman's face softened as she saw the girl who accompanied her son. She turned to him, who had averted his gaze to the other wall in order to avoid eye contact. Mitsuki placed her hand on Uraraka's back, causing her to rise again.
"My name is Uraraka. I'm a classmate of your sons-"
Mitsuki's face lit up as she realised that she recognised the girl.
"I remember you! You almost beat my son in the sports tournament!" She declared in a bright, teasing tone. It was unclear whether she was poking fun at Ochako or Bakugou.
"Well I-" She began, feeling Bakugou's intense glare from behind her. This obviously wasn't the truth: she was miles off of beating him.
"Masaru! You'll never guess who Katsuki brought home!" The woman shouted behind her, wandering out of the entrance to go and get her husband. Everything was moving so fast - she had not yet had time to explain to anyone what she was truly doing here.
"I didn't bring her!" Bakugou yelled back, silencing his parents mutters as they peeked back round the corner. "She was at the door when I got back."
A silence rung in the air. She began to blush, clearing her throat and finally looking up at the family.
"I'm sorry..." She began - this was all so overwhelming. She couldn't think straight, beginning to edge back out of the door. "I was just lost a little downtown, and recognised the Bakugou name on your sign... I can go." She didn't care that her phone was out of charge, or that she might have to walk all the way to the police station in order to contact her parents. Anything was better than bearing the tension she had caused.
As her foot reached the door frame, she felt the hard surface of Bakugou's hand preventing her from leaving. She froze.
"Mum. Dad. She can stay here tonight, can't she?" He spoke with an imperative tone. After all, leaving a young girl to wander the cold, dark streets would not be very hero-like.
"Of course!" His father replied jovially. "Mitsuki was just about to cook dinner with the ingredients Bakugou was coming home with. Would you like to join us?" He looked at his wife, and then to Uraraka with a kind smile.
Her stomach grumbled. She had hardly touched the food she had been served on the date; her appetite crushed by how repulsive the boy was.
She had met him only the other week while on the train: a young boy in the same year as her who had recognised her from the sports festival. He was charming, at first, flattering her skills and asking her questions about being a hero. In hindsight, he wasn't anything special; not particularly attractive, no outstanding quirk. He could elongate the fingers on his right hand: if not useful it proved entertaining. He had flat black hair and thin, long limbs that reminded her of Sero. She was infatuated by the idea of a boy liking her - nobody had been that forward before. So much so that she immediately gave him her number when he asked, and agreed to meet after school together one day at a small cafe in his hometown. When the time actually came, the boy was nothing like before. He was rude to the waitress, chewed with his mouth open, and made her pay for the entire meal in the end, even though he had offered in his initial proposal. After leaving, she blocked his number and left for the train station. Unfortunately for her, all train services were down, which lead her to wandering the streets aimlessly, trying to get the attention of her close family and friends, to no avail. That's when she had noticed Bakugou's house.
"Yes, please." She stepped forward, slipping off her shoes and handing her coat to Mitsuki, who merrily put it away for her. Bakugou closed the front door with some passive aggression behind her. She waited patiently, awaiting instructions, as Bakugou handed his mother her shopping.
"Come up. I'll show you where to wipe that filth off." He scoffed, leading her upstairs. His house was nice, it had a clean and minimalist look. When she walked up the stairs the wood creaked, and it felt expensive. Bakugou lead her to a plain looking room. It had a small desk, wardrobe and bed, but unlike the rest of the house it was slightly messy, yet not disorganised. Shirts had been discarded onto the floor instead of the laundry basket, but all avoided a path that lead from the door to all utilities in the room.
"Is this your room?" She queried, placing her bag on the floor.
"Obviously." He pulled another mattress out from under his bed frame. "Charge your phone, do some work, get changed, whatever."
She plugged her phone in, watching a small lightning bolt flash on the screen. It would not be long until she could text her parents and update them on her situation. Thank god it didn't get water damaged.
Her damp clothes hugged to her body, chafing the skin underneath. She turned awkwardly to Bakugou.
"Uh, sorry, I'm just not quite sure what to do about my clothes."
Before he could reply, Mitsuki appeared a the door, drawing both their attentions.
"I can take them, Ochako. I'll have them washed and dried before school tomorrow." She smiled warmly at the girl.
"That would be wonderful." Ochako sighed in relief. "But," She leaned in closer to the woman, almost whispering in her ear. "I'm not quite sure what to do about my underwear..." She pulled away, blushing at the ground. Mitsuki chuckled.
"I can wash and dry those too, don't worry. Although tonight you might have to borrow some of Katuski's clothes." She nodded to her son, who was pretending not to listen to their whispers. "You know what - go take a shower. I'll have it sorted and dinner ready by the time you're done."
She lead Uraraka to the bathroom. It was small-ish, tiled, with a tub and shower head tucked neatly into the corner, glass dividers folded into the walls
Fresh towels lay on a heated rack. Everything was meticulously placed and blooming plants lined the windowsill, adding a calming note of juniper green to the otherwise neutral toned scene. She began to run the water.
Getting undressed, she dumped her clothes messily in the corner of the room. Steam filled the air slowly and she stepped in, letting the hot water caress her skin. Closing her eyes and facing the stream, she thought of her parents. Undoubtedly they were worried, but it were only a matter of time until her phone recharged and she could explain the situation. They'd understand.
The soaps that the Bakugou's owned smelled of coconut and honey, and as she lathered conditioner in her hair she noticed that it was indeed a familiar scent. This was an undertone of what you would smell whenever Bakugou walked past you with enough haste to create a brief breeze. It was hard to catch under the more prevalent note of toasted sugar that lingered on his skin after using his quirk. Nevertheless, it made her feel strange: as though she were stealing a trait from him and making it her own.
There was a knock at the door. She immediately snapped out of whatever thought she was immersed in to turn off the water.
"Yes?" She hurried out and wrapped herself in a warm towel, partially opening the door to see Bakugou standing there, his eyes focused on the wall opposite the bathroom.
In his hand was a pile of neatly folded clothes, and as Ochako looked back to his features, she noticed a faint blush on his cheeks. His eyes stayed fixated on the seemingly interesting drywall.
"My old woman said to give these to you." He extended his hands, pushing the pile into her arms and turning back to leave as soon as he could.
"Thank you, Bakugou." She smiled to his back, watching him freeze for a split second before continuing down the hall.
"When you're done, she says to meet us at the table." He disappeared down the staircase.
She returned to the bathroom, examining the clothes she had been given. A warm blush quickly overcame her face. First was a pair of loose plaid boxer shorts, and when she put them on they reached her mid knee, although the elastic hugged her waist nicely. Next, it looked like he had given her a choice; a plain grey tank top that looked like it would betray her dignity, or a much-too-large black t-shirt with a skull in the centre. She chose the latter.
She ruffled her hair with the towel, ensuring it was as dry as possible before exiting, wet clothes in hand. Outside, she noticed a small basket with a piece of paper in it.
"Ochako, leave your clothes here. See you downstairs!"
She smiled at the note. Both Mitsuki and Masaru seemed like genuine souls. How on Earth did they produce... him?
Distant chatter could be heard from downstairs, and as she turned the corner nervously, she saw a surprising sight. Bakugou's face was softened, intently focused on the bowl of fried rice he had been given. His parents engaged in friendly conversation, and you could tell as they looked at each other that they were contently happy with their family. Although unconventional, this family was loving. All of a sudden, the talking stopped as Mitsuki clocked her nervous body loitering at the door.
"Come, we saved a seat." She gestured to an empty chair next to her son, her own bowl of rice plated ready for her arrival.
He looked back without expression, and then returned his concentration to his food. His parents returned to their conversation once the tension in the room began to thicken. Although they were kind, small talk was not their speciality.
"What were you doing out there anyway." He spoke finally: if not out of curiosity then to kill the silence.
Uraraka promptly choked on her rice, taking a swig from her water to push it down her throat. "Well," she blushed, "I was on a date..."
His expression changed. He poked around his bowl.
"But it wasn't very successful. One thing just lead to another and I guess I ended up here." Her limbs pulled closer to her body.
"With Deku?" He asked in a harsh whisper. His brows furrowed slightly, grip on his cutlery intensifying just a little more.
Now her face fully flushed.
"N-no!" She stammered, cornered by the question. "Just some guy who asked me out on the train." When she said it out loud, it reinforced how stupid she felt.
His face relaxed, and he let out a soft chuckle.
"You agreed to go out with some random shit-face?" his grin widened, the jerk was laughing at her! "Serves you right then!"
She knew that.
Mitsuki butted into their conversation. "I'm sure she didn't agree to any old suitor," she winked at Uraraka, "a pretty young lady like you has got to have plenty of offers. Just because no girl wants to date your miserable ass, Bakugou, doesn't mean that everyone else has to act so desperately." A vein visibly bulged from his forehead.
He slammed his bowl onto the table, muttering something about her being a hag under his breath as he stropped out of the room.
Mitsuki smiled "Follow him when you're done, he knows what to do."
She scarfed the rest of her rice, uttering a thank you to his parents before climbing the stairs. Just as she was about to turn for his room, a clamouring to her right caught her attention.
It was a tightly packed room, a machine taking up most of the floor space. Crouched down low, Bakugou was shoving clothes into the machine, and upon further inspection it was her wet uniform. She froze in embarrassment, watching him nonchalantly stuff her underwear into the washer. She caught his attention, startling him slightly. He pulled up from the floor, pressing a few buttons, causing it to make a small jingle before whirring.
He bumped past Uraraka, pulling the door shut behind him. "Follow me." She complied.
He entered his bedroom, quickly making for the mattress on the floor, which was now a well-made bed. On his desk, an alert played on her phone, and she was reminded (much to her glee) that it was now charged and functional. She rushed to check it, giddy as her screen began to load. It was 8.30 PM.
24 missed calls
10 texts
(MUM <3, Dad :D, you)
YOU
[Location sent] 18.54
Dad :D
Sorry honey! Only just checked our phones...
MUM <3
What is this, Ochako.
You are worrying me and your father.
Answer my calls now! 19.21
The nerve! She was acting as though she wasn't trying to call her for over half an hour...
deku :)
Hello?
What's this all about?
Are you okay?
Text me back if you get the chance! 19.35
And finally
Minaaaa <3333
um what lol
helllllooooooooooo 20.03
She updated her parents on the situation, to which they immediately responded. Neither were opposed, or truthfully could be bothered to come and collect her even if they were.
She told Mina that she would find out tomorrow. It would be exhausting if she explained right now, and then surely everyone would know with Mina's big mouth.
But Izuku deserved to hear from her at least. He was a caring boy, and she could imagine him being worried sick about his best friend. She called him, to which he immediately picked up.
"Uraraka! What's going on?" His voice was distressed and loud, making her recoil back from the speakers. She felt guilty about making him worry all this time.
"It's okay, Deku." She said in a bright tone. Bakugou's ears pricked up at the name. He paused his needless task of scrolling on his own phone to tune into their conversation. She hugged the elbow that held her phone to her ear with her other arm. "I'm okay now."
She heard him let out a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Can I ask what happened? You had me really worried." His voice leaked out of the phone.
She hesitated. "Well, you know that date I was supposed to go on? It was a total bust..." She lowered her voice slightly, turning away from Bakugou yet not leaving the room in fear of his parents hearing her. "I left early, but the trains were under maintenance so I had no way to get home because nobody was answering. My cell ended up dying and I got lost."
He paused. "But you're okay now? Where are you?"
"I-" A crimson blush rode up her face. "Bumped into a friend. She took me in."
Bakugou's head whipped round. Was she fucking serious? She looked back, mouthing a sorry, but it was too late. He stood up, angrily walking over to her.
"Uh!" She panicked down the mic. "Okay goodnight Deku see you tomorrow!-" She spat out in a hurry.
"Who do you think-" Bakugou started.
"Wait wh-"
She hung up.
"What the fuck was that all about?" He asked, towering over Uraraka. She pulled into herself further, religiously avoiding his gaze.
"W-well I know you two don't exactly get along and..." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry!"
It'd be a pain in the ass if people found out. He knew that. But some part of him, deep down, wished to see the look on shit-nerd's face if he found out his little girlfriend was spending the night at his house. A silence penetrated the room, Bakugou never taking his eyes off her face.
"Tch" He put his hands in the pockets of his loose joggers, returning to his seat on the mattress. A thick tension hung in the air.
"That looks comfy." She remarked for the sake of making conversation.
"Yeah," he chuckled slightly, "I haven't slept on this since I was in my first year of middle school."
"Oh-" She realised, "You don't have to use it, I don't mind. I don't want to be a nuisance-" She stuttered apologetically.
"Idiot." He stated. "You're the guest. Just shut up and take my bed."
She sat on his bed frame timidly, growing nervous as the penetrating silence wormed into her brain.
His face changed slowly. He too could apparently not bear the awkwardness of their situation, a small blush rising to his cheeks before asking: "Did you want to watch something or..." He didn't look back, but away.
"Oh, yeah. Okay."
He stood up, gathering some things before heading for the door. "Cool. Put whatever you want on, I'm gonna go shower."
He closed the door behind him, and not long after she heard the muffled sound of water running. Looking around his room, there was nothing particularly interesting. She slipped a random disc into the DVD player, letting it run as she continued snooping. His bookshelf was messily stuffed with school books, leaving little room for trivial reading. However, on the bottom shelf, there was a basket covered with a cloth. She squatted down, pulling it out. Taking one last look behind to ensure he would not catch her, she carefully pulled the cover back. Inside was a pile of old All Might magazines, as well as several figurines of which the paint had begun to chip. The magazines dated back many years, faded and fragile. She made sure to not damage anything; the consequences would be fatal. It made her smile slightly - it was rare to see a side of Bakugou that would admire someone else more than himself.
There were a few photo frames on his shelf, in all he was quite young. One in particular caught her eye. It depicted himself, probably around 5 or 6, and two of his friends. He looked much softer, not shaped by the praise of those around him. He wore a hopeful expression, igniting small explosions in both palms. Uraraka's smile dropped when her attention turned to his friends: one with wings, and a familiar looking boy with long fingers. She wondered...
The water stopped suddenly, making her flinch. She hastily recovered the box, going to put it back on the shelf, but a magazine that was tucked quietly under it's spot caught her eye; it's stark pinkness was hard to ignore. Upon closer inspection she realised what it was, and an intense heat rushed to her face. She rapidly replaced the box and rushed to take a seat on the bed as she heard Bakugou exiting the bathroom. She pretended to be interested in whatever she had put on. Currently, intense music was playing and a woman was running down a darkened street. A horror movie. God, she wished she had been paying attention - she was awful with horror.
Her heart beat fast from the shock of what she discovered, and when he walked in it beat even faster. His hair was still wet, less explosive than it usually was. It calmed her nerves to see him look a little silly. This was quickly corrected as he shook a towel over his head, only leaving it slightly damp.
"Horror, huh? I didn't know you were into that." He had changed into a black tank top, similar to the one he offered her earlier, and loose trousers. The shirt that had looked like it would consume her before was clinging to his chest, falling outward slightly as it reached his pecs.
Uraraka's intrusive thoughts reminded her of the magazine she had found, flashing imagery in her brain. She noticeably winced, trying to erase the thoughts out of her mind. Bakugou seemingly noticed, cocking an eyebrow.
"Just the film..." she lied. She turned her gaze to the screen. Nothing particularly interesting or reaction worthy was happening, but he had already moved on to other things. He sat at his desk, scribbling away and ignoring Uraraka, who sat silently in his bed.
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She opened her eyes. The room was motionless. Outside, she heard the unrelenting storm continue to brew. An unfamiliar warmth hugged her body. Strange - she didn't remember falling asleep with a blanket on. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, features of the room became more apparent. She met her gaze on a dim electronic clock.
[3.27]
So that's what happened.
Lowering her eyes, she was able to make out a faint form on the floor: a silent Katsuki Bakugou. Although she could not quite distinguish his features, his soft breathing indicated his relaxed expression.
Through slightly parted curtains, the glow of the lamp-lit street bled into the bedroom. She treaded carefully over Bakugou, using her quirk to move weightlessly towards the window.
The heavy drumming of raindrops continued rhythmically on the glass, entrancing Uraraka as she watched the water race down the windowpane. Suddenly, a bright flash appeared outside before a loud rumble descended upon the room. She yelped, quickly clasping her hands around her mouth to mask the noise in fear of awakening the sleeping beast. Turning, Uraraka was horrified to see Bakugou sitting upright, looking right at her.
"What the hell are you doing? It's half three in the morning..." He grumbled. Bakugou rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand and yawned, acting with an unusually calm demeanour.
"Sorry - the storm woke me up... I just wanted to have a look." She spoke sheepishly, walking to return to the bed. Despite her best efforts to move in the dark, Uraraka tripped at the edge of Bakugou's mattress. She stumbled over, letting out a small squeak as she fell to the ground.
Landing right on Bakugou's knees.
"OW - What the fuck cheeks?!" he exclaimed.
Uraraka panickily felt around with her hands for the elevated surface of the bed, not even knowing how to address it and apologise.
"Oh for fucks sake."
Just as she felt stable enough to rise on her own she felt the grip of two arms around her waist. Blood rushed to her head as she was flipped upside down, he feet ascending from the floor. Bakugou had picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder.
And then, just as she'd begun to process what was happening, she felt herself falling again. Or rather, being lowered, landing softly on the bed she had just crawled out of. In an instant, the duvet re-enveloped her body as Bakugou pulled it over her. Uraraka could just about make out his tired expression, locking eyes briefly before he pulled away and tucked himself back into bed.
"Now go to sleep."
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Her eyelids fluttered gently. Somebody was poking her cheek.
"Oi."
Her state of delirium immediately made her succumb back into her incapacitated state.
"OI!"
She jumped awake, lightning spreading to her feet. She whipped her head round, hands ready to fight. Distantly downstairs, she heard a woman yelling. Bakugou, already fully dressed for the school day, stood in front of her. He threw a neatly folded pile of clothes onto her lap.
"We leave in five minutes." He spoke casually, walking out of the room to allow her to change. "Don't make me late."
She scrambled, barely uttering a thank you or a fuck you for leaving it so close to departure. When she looked at the pile, embarrassment crawled through her veins. But she had no time to dwell on the fact that her bra and panties were on the very top of the pile, meaning he very much knows the intricacies of today's underwear. She hurriedly got ready, snatching her bag and phone before speeding to the front door where Bakugou was tying his shoes.
Before they left for the train, she made sure to thoroughly thank his parents for their hospice. She must remember to compensate them at some point.
The walk to the station was silent, both contempt in focusing on their own music. The train, too, was silent, but she felt him become more conscious of their surroundings as they stepped into the notoriously dangerous carriages.
As they reached the bottom gates of UA, she asked:
"Why did you wake me up so late - I didn't even get breakfast!" with a slightly annoyed tone. It had taken her a while to directly confront him.
He snickered, making her pull an even more unimpressed face.
"Are you kidding? I tried for an hour. You were having none of it." Her face dropped, had she defied Bakugou? And lived to tell the tale?
"The amount of times you hit my hand away... If it wasn't so damned cute you'd be dead by now."
"Pardon?" She blushed - had she heard him right? He mumbled his last breath.
He was looking away, pulling an aloof face to cover his words.
"Nothing." He pulled something plastic out of his pocket, handing it to her. When she read the writing, her face beamed. 'Fluffy custard pancake.'
"Sorry you were too lazy to come to breakfast."
She didn't retaliate, but ate with thankfulness.
Just as they passed into the main campus, they were spotted. Midoriya and Iida were stood around as they did every morning: early as ever. Uraraka and Midoriya made eye-contact, whose eyes then flicked left to Bakugou's cheek - his eyes refusing to allow Uraraka into his vision. The two passed them, Bakugou not even taking a second glance, ignoring Midoriya's attempt at civility.
Uraraka frowned. He wasn't really like this. She put a finger up at her friends, mouthing 'one minute', running to catch the boy she had walked with. Her hand found itself at his sleeve, forcing him to turn back to her.
"What." His neck craned
"Thank you... for everything." She tried her best to meet gaze. "I probably won't get the chance to tell you anytime soon."
Their eyes locked for an uncomfortable amount of time.
"Whatever." He disappeared into the building.
She ran back to her friends, encouraging them too to enter as grey clouds formed above them.
Neither of them acknowledged Bakugou, and for the rest of the day she was left with a knotted feeling in her stomach whenever he spoke, or came into view, or was mentioned.
She silently cursed the Gods. Could she really not have run into anyone else?