Work Text:
For a few days, weather reporters on all channels had been forecasting a week of heavy rains. Many people ran from one place to another, seeking shelter, or simply fleeing the thick drops that the clouds dropped on them.
In U.A. it was no different; Since it was Friday afternoon, many students had decided to pack their things to visit their families, while others, fearing the heavy rain, had chosen to stay in the building. This was the case with Asui Tsuyu. Although she took every opportunity available to visit her family and spend time with her siblings, she knew this weekend wouldn't be possible. Her parents had been entrusted with a job in a Chinese company that would take them about a month, for which, they had decided to take Satsuki and Samidare with them, since Tsuyu wasn't at home and they couldn't depend on someone else to take care of the little ones.
They had left four weeks ago, and being almost in time to return, very unexpectedly at the beginning of that rainy morning, they had been informed that their work would extend for a little longer, which they couldn't determine. And although the frog girl enjoyed the season very much, she couldn't help but feel sad at the absence of her family. It had been a long month, without being able to share with them, and now they had just told her that they wouldn't return, at least not this weekend.
She had planned to travel home, cook a delicious dinner, and await her family with the warmest of welcomes. She really wanted it very much. But that morning call had thwarted her plans, and now sadness refused to leave her.
With this in mind, she sighed heavily, as she leaned against the doorway to the dormitories, watching the rain fall outside, and the occasional student running hurriedly with suitcases and bags. She gently tightened her grip on the small cup between her hands, as the cool breeze from outside caressed her bare legs in surprise. Perhaps she should change her uniform now, and put on something more comfortable. Either way, she couldn't stop staring at the raindrops falling as her mind wandered somewhere far away. The much-loved rain that always made her feel happy, today brought with it a deep sadness.
- "Do you miss the brats, frog?" - A male voice behind her caught her attention; she knew perfectly who it belonged to.
That boy and she had ceased to be simply companions for some time. In fact, if the blonde wasn't so explosive, she could assure that they were good friends. And, as her friend, he was aware of the Asui family's trip out of the country.
- "A bit. And they are not brats, Bakugo-chan”- she sighed dejectedly, without a great response, as was usual for her.
And with that, the blonde knew immediately that her mood was serious, and not temporary as he supposed.
- "And what are you doing here? Aren't they supposed to arrive this afternoon?"
- "They had to cancel the trip. Apparently, the work got complicated and they need to stay there a while longer, they don't know how long, kero"
Her eyes seemed to lose their shine with every word that left her lips, and a strange sensation settled in the newcomer's chest. He didn't want to see that sad expression on her face.
- "Anyway, if you're not going to leave this place, then get the hell out of there, you're going to fall asleep at the entrance and I won't be the one to carry you to the damn room" - the boy clicked his tongue, as he took her by the forearm and pulled her inside.
It wasn't unusual to see these two together, or even arguing, so that action didn't attract much attention. Asui followed him without question, limiting herself only to making sure that the hot chocolate between her hands didn't spill.
When they were close to the sofa, Katsuki lightly pushed her to sit down.
- "What the fuck do you have there?" - He asked, realizing that the girl was protecting something between her hands.
- "Hot chocolate, it helps me regulate my temperature, kero"
The boy approached her and leaned slightly over her, carefully observing the content of the cup. Then, in a smoother movement than she had expected, he snatched the cup from her.
- "Kero!" - The green-haired girl protested, when the blonde brought the cup to his lips and began to drink the hot chocolate.
- "Yuk!" - He exclaimed, after having drunk it all - "It's fucking sweet, damn it"
- "You shouldn't have drank it then" - she protested raising her voice.
Finally, he could distinguish in her an emotion different from the sadness that she reflected a few minutes ago. He smiled, slightly satisfied, without the girl noticing. Just then, the raindrops began to subside outside, giving way to many of the students who were sheltering there, finally entering the dormitory building.
Either way, they didn't pay much attention to them.
- "Here, it was disgusting" - Bakugo returned the empty cup to the girl, ready to turn to leave.
- “Next time prepare it yourself. You owe me one, kero"
The blonde simply waved his hand in the air as he continued to walk away from her. Then the girl stood up, ready to go to the kitchen to wash and put away the empty cup. But at that moment, she realized that the boy's path was pointing towards the exit, and he did not bring an umbrella, or anything to cover himself.
- "Bakugo-chan! Where are you going?"
- "It's not your fucking business"
- “You should bring an umbrella, or a jacket. It will rain very hard, kero”- the green-haired girl put her index finger to her chin, as she usually did since he met her.
- "It stopped raining, and I'll be back soon, don't be messing around, frog" - and after the last thing, he left the building.
Certainly, the rain had stopped, but as a seasoned connoisseur, Tsuyu knew very well that this was nothing more than a calm before the storm, and that the rain that afternoon would be much more intense than that of the morning. She crossed her fingers and hoped, with all her heart, that Bakugo would actually return right away.
With that thought in mind, she headed for the kitchen, wondering if she should make a new hot chocolate or if she should just go back to her room. Once she was in front of the dishwasher, her cell phone vibrated inside her pocket.
"Satsuki is crying. She wanted to buy a keychain for you, but dad wouldn't let her”- she could read from the message she had just received. The sender was Samidare, and it had a photo attached. In it, she could see the little girl in her mother's arms, crying inconsolably, while Samidare appeared on the side of the photograph, with a half-smile and the fingers of his left hand outlining the symbol of peace.
She smiled a bit sadly before answering.
“Tell Satsuki-chan not to worry about me, that I don't need anything and that I hope she enjoys the trip, just like you. I love you very much, be good to mom and dad”- she wrote back.
She looked at the photograph once more, the smile fading on her lips.
She chose to go up to her room, she would change her clothes and perhaps, she could take a nap, after all, the wind was cold. However, after washing the cup and placing it in its place, a familiar presence broke into the kitchen and into her activities.
- "Tsuyu-chan! Did you stay at U.A.?" - The brunette's voice was very easy to recognize, so she turned to see her.
- "That's right, Ochako-chan. From what I see, you too"
- "Yes! I accompanied Deku-kun to the station, I thought about going home, but it was very far and the truth is, it seems that it's going to continue raining, so I decided to go back. A little time for me wouldn't hurt"
- "You're right..." - she commented, returning to her discouraged state.
The girl's mention of preferring a little time to herself rather than visiting her family had depressed her. It's not that she blamed the brunette for it, it's just that, in those moments, she wished she could have that freedom to choose, and not be forced to stay alone in U.A., observing her family through photographs.
Of course, Ochako immediately caught the change in her friend's mood.
- "Oh, I'm sorry Tsuyu-chan... I spoke without thinking" - she apologized, scratching her hair - "Your family still hasn't returned?"
- “Don't worry, Ochako-chan. They will not return for a while, their jobs were extended, and they were forced to cancel today's trip, kero"
- "Oh no" - the brunette reached out to caress her shoulder gently - "I'm sorry to hear that, Tsuyu-chan... I know what could cheer you up! Do you want a hot chocolate?"
The green-haired girl was about to explain that she had already made one (despite not being able to enjoy it fully), when Ashido burst into the kitchen, carrying a huge tray of cupcakes and a bag of marshmallows.
- "Girls! What are you doing? Whatever it is, forget it! We're going to see a movie all together, Hagakure! Are you ready?"
As soon as she entered, she launched her invitation and then, walked away from the place to proceed to invite any student who crossed her path.
It was thanks to this that Tsuyu had to abandon her plans to change clothes and take a nap. Although deep down she didn't dislike it, she felt happy to be able to distract herself and spend some time with her friends, she hoped that it would help her to calm that need and longing that she felt for her family.
Mina had brought a rather old romance movie, it was called "The Vow", and it managed to drag more than one of her classmates to the brink of tears, including Tsuyu. And she had thought that she could stop feeling sad watching the movie.
In any case, midway through the movie she was slightly distracted by the sound of the rain, which, just as she had anticipated, was falling again dense and incessant. A fleeting thought crossed her mind.
"Will Bakugo be alright?", "Will he arrive soon?", "I hope the rain doesn't catch him."
She continued watching the movie, hoping that at any moment, she would see him crossing the living room of the bedrooms, with his usual angry expression, probably because some raindrops would have managed to reach him, but nothing beyond that. Yes, it would be so, she shouldn't keep thinking about it. She was worrying unnecessarily, she knew that Bakugo would be fine.
Or at least, that's what she was trying to tell herself. The movie continued to play on the screen, just as the rain outside continued to pour down mercilessly on the building, and there was still no sign of the blonde. She didn't resist and looked up his number to text him. At least with that she would know he was okay, right? But there was no reply.
She became more concerned when her classmates began to stand up, commenting on the ending of the film as they chatted about what they could prepare for dinner.
- "Tsuyu-chan, are you feeling okay?" - Ochako touched her shoulder gently to get her attention - "Are you still worried about your parents?"
- “No, it's not that, Ochako-chan. There is something I must do, kero"- she stood up, determined to put an end to her worries -"Tell the girls that I will join them later"
And as soon as she made her request, she turned into the hallway and headed for the elevator. She would fetch her umbrella and a towel, if necessary, and go in search of Katsuki. It was getting late, the boy had been long gone, and otherwise the rain showed not a hint of stopping soon. Hopefully, Bakugo would already be in the building by the time she reached the first floor, and it wouldn't be necessary to go out for him.
She grabbed her purse and umbrella, just gave herself a minute to change her shoes, and as quickly as she entered her room, she left it, heading back to the elevator. She ran into a couple of classmates on the way, who asked her where she was going, but she ignored them. Not because she really wanted to ignore them, rather, it was because she was extremely focused on her work.
She reached the living room and then saw Kirishima. She immediately went to him.
- "Kirishima-chan" - she drew his attention, stopping in front of him with her breathing somewhat agitated, for walking so hurriedly.
- "Oh, Tsuyu-chan, is everything okay?"
She shook her head - "Have you seen Bakugo-chan?"
- “Bakugo? I saw him early, when it stopped raining. He said he was heading to the store, but I haven't seen him return. Is something wrong? " - The redhead then noticed the girl's worried face.
He hadn't noticed the intensity of the falling rain, so he hadn't allowed himself to be concerned about his friend's whereabouts.
- "Thank you, Kirishima-chan. See ya"
She walked past him just as hastily as she stopped in the first place, leaving the redhead extremely confused. What was she planning? He watched her lead her steps toward the exit.
- "Tsuyu-chan?" - He tried to call her, but the girl didn't stop even to turn to see him.
He started walking after her, but stopped a couple of steps before reaching the door.
Well, specifically, he didn't stop on his own. A female arm curled around his and slowed him down.
Mina held him by the arm, while he looked at her confused. She just smiled at him, and pointed forward, to a place farther away than where Tsuyu was, who, at that moment, was coming out.
The green-haired girl wasn't able to see at that moment what Kirishima saw, so he, obeying Mina, headed towards the dining room.
She went out quickly, meeting the breeze and the thick raindrops that kept falling. It was still quite a while before sunset, however, and thanks to the dense clouds that covered the sky, the horizon was already dark. She clung to her small purse, and began to walk out of the building, her face tilted slightly to the floor, shielding her eyes from the patter of the raindrops, crashing against her. Even though she carried the umbrella with her, she didn't bother to open it, she was too focused on going out early in search of the troublesome blonde.
- "Where are you going with this rain?"
The question was accompanied by a soft but firm grip around her forearm, stopping her completely.
- "Bakugo-chan!" - She exclaimed in surprise, looking up to meet his eyes.
The boy clicked his tongue and looked away, using his grip to pull her toward the entrance of the dorm building.
- "Why the hell do you carry an umbrella with you if you're not even going to use it?" - As soon as he managed to attract the green-haired girl with him under the small ceiling of the entrance, he began to scold her.
It hadn't been for long, but the girl had ended up a bit wet.
- "I wrote you a message... Kero"
The green-haired girl kept looking into his eyes, with genuine concern, while he avoided her eyes, observing anything else around him.
Taking advantage of his distraction, she rummaged in her bag and quickly pulled out the towel she brought with her. She had inevitably noticed the blond's appearance; soaked from head to toe, hair down from the rain, and his clothes were so wet that it stuck to his body and also dripped. Bakugo reacted when Tsuyu placed the towel on his hair, and began to rub it.
- “You left a long time ago, without saying where, and it was raining more and more. I wrote to you and you didn't reply, so I got worried and decided to go looking for you. I'm glad you're okay, kero"
The blonde then remembered that his phone had run out of battery a long time ago, so he had put it away to prevent it from getting wet.
For the first time, Katsuki dared to meet her gaze, however, this time, her black eyes were dedicated to her work; Dry his hair carefully, without putting too much pressure on him. He swallowed hard, and squeezed the grocery bag that he had brought with him, a bag to which all the blame for his current state was attributed.
In a slow movement, he lifted it up to place it in front of her; in Tsuyu's eyes.
- "Here" - he urged her to take it - "I just went to the store, don't make a drama out of this"
The froggirl laid the towel over the boy's blond hair, and took the bag in her hands. She wondered what it was about, to cause Bakugo to end up in that state. The moment she opened the bag, she could recognize inside several jars of what, just a few knew, was her favorite jelly flavor.
Her lips parted in amazement, her eyes twinkled, and her cheeks turned a soft pink at the inexplicable display of attention. She couldn't believe it, she was very happy, but at the same time, she felt very guilty. Obviously Katsuki was trying to cheer her up, however, he had ended up in that state because of her.
- "B-Bakugo-chan..." - she stammered; her voice slightly trembling - "Why? You shouldn't have bothered…"
- "Your question is stupid." - he was forced to turn his face, due to the nascent blush that was taking over his cheeks - “You were so sad that I had no choice… Smile, okay? You are prettier when you are smiling"
Although he tried to maintain a rude facade, as was his custom, inevitably his words ended up softening, he genuinely wanted the girl to feel better. He had been watching her for quite some time, he was paying attention to the smallest detail about her, and not long ago, he had heard her talk about that jelly. They didn't sell it in nearby stores, therefore, she didn't enjoy it very often, despite being her favorite. He believed that there was nothing more he could do to make her smile at him, than surprise her with that.
The green-haired girl approached him even closer than before, with a wide smile on her lips, to resume her work of drying his hair. Seeing her so close to him this time caught him off guard, and he inevitably blushed. Despite the fact that he turned his face to avoid meeting her eyes, the crimson tone of his cheeks was impossible to hide.
- "Thank you very much, Bakugo-chan" - Tsuyu took advantage of the situation to reach him and be able to place a short kiss on his cheek.
In surprise, Bakugo turned to see her, and found that sweet and honest smile, which he had been missing for days. Something contracted in his chest, a lump formed in his throat, and his heartbeat increased suddenly.
Without thinking too much, he gave in to the pressure of his impulses.
He leaned toward her slowly, and closed his eyes to kiss her on the mouth. Soft, unhurried and without pressure, he simply brushed her lips and felt the warmth of her skin. He separated from her with the same slowness with which he had approached her, and only came back to his senses when a sigh from the girl caressed the skin of his lips. He opened his eyes and met those shiny black orbs, framed by the intense blush on her cheeks.
He swallowed hard and only then did he realize what he had done.
He wanted to protest, complain, say something, but the colors rose to his face, and he could do nothing more than take a step back. The towel Tsuyu had used to dry his hair slid down his back onto the floor.
The boy took another step back, and she took two forward.
She caught up with him, and reached out her hands to him, seeking to stop him. Without giving him time to continue with his escape, the green-haired girl's hands caught the blonde by both cheeks, and forced him to lean back up to her level. They kissed again, but this time it was more than just a touch.
She released his cheeks to cling to his neck. She felt a chill when the contact with the blonde's wet clothes began to dampen hers. Katsuki wrapped a hug around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and enjoying the instance that almost seemed to be nothing more than a dream.
On the other side of the windows of the building's entrance, the small group of students who had decided to stay that weekend, watched with malicious and excited smiles, that kiss that the couple shared, totally oblivious to those expectant eyes.