levi ackerman’s sweetheart

"Now that Dynamight's been on this most recent bender…" Katsuki tunes out the rest of the words, focused solely on the blurry camera work from that night. He couldn't care less about the media reflection. The only things he cared about were the kid being okay, finally getting back to work, and getting the hero commission off his dick. In that order.

Kaminari laughs, sipping more of his drink down, before shaking the half-empty in Katsuki's direction. "They're tearing you apart, dude. I didn't know it was going to get worse than the firework incident."

"C'mon, man," Eijiro warns.

"Shut up, Kaminari. The only people who care about the hero polls are the ones who are in it for the wrong things."

Denki raises an eyebrow. "You know, I've only ever heard you say that after you dipped below ten." He slurps loudly again.

Katsuki nearly leaps over the table when his phone starts ringing. His eyebrow twitches at the contact name.

Tamato.

He picks it up, bringing it to his ear. "Bakugo."

Katsuki's shoulders drag up to his chin. He couldn't stand this guy. "Tamato." He greets coldly. "Yes?"

"I'm sure you've seen the news recently," Is all he offers. Katsuki wants to pinch the bridge of his nose. He cannot stand half-baked conversations. The blond doesn't even offer a noncommittal hum, simply staying silent and accepting the criticism that was about to be spewed at him.

More of the same bullshit he's heard time and time again. Think about the fans. Think about the agency's reputation.

He wants to yell back at him. It's not like he invited the fuckin' kid to the patio. And considering the kid would've had a far worse night had he not jumped in front of the villain's attack, Bakugo would say it could've been far worse.

He just listens, tuning out Eijiro's and Kaminari's small talk across the table. Once Tamato finally wraps up, Bakugo simply states, "Understood."

Before Tamato hangs up, he closes out by reminding him of a meeting he has coming up the next day. His eye twitches. Great.

Before he could even put his phone down on the table, his vibration started going off. Messages blow up his phone at such a speedy rate that he mistakes it for another phone call. "What the fuck…" He mumbles, eyebrows cinched together.

You're in your bed, relaxing on your off day. At least, you were. Your breath gets knocked from your lungs.

(1:13PM) From Rie:

isn't this the cafe u work at???

(image attached)

Your eyebrows knit together. Opening the notification, your eyes widen. A hand smacks itself over your mouth. A screenshot from Red Riot's Twitter, a semi-blurry photo of Dynamight with the doodle you drew. What the fuck?

He looks cute. That was the first unfortunate thought that pops into your mind. His soft, confused smile as he looks down at the drawing. And to think you didn't want to be there to see the reaction.

You squeal out a giggle before willing your body to relax. You nibble your lip into your mouth, studying the picture again. It brings an excited chill down your spine. No one knows. Well, except you three. And Hatsume. But other than that, no one knows that it was your doodle. Your own little secret.

You feel your cheeks burn before the moment is shattered by another message from your friend.

(1:14PM) From Rie:

HELLO?

(3 images attached)

You nearly drop your phone.

You. And Katsuki. It was from the day he came to visit after the attack. It was a few shots. The final one was the two of you laughing together. In the background, the same cafe logo that was plastered on the cup in the first image.

You don't mean to leave your friend on read. Your fingers move before you can stop them, opening up your own Twitter. They're having an absolute field day.

Theories upon theories of who you are, people studying your every feature, romantic implications woven through every post. Your cheeks burn. What the fuck? Your phone buzzes again.

(1:18PM) From Rie:

why didnt u tell me!

You groan, pushing the palm of your hand into your eyeball. You had meant to tell her; You two were never the types to keep secrets from one another. Your week had just been so busy; every time you wanted to call her, something else came up.

(1:18PM) From Rie:

and can u tell him to tell red riot i'm very single.

Your fear melted away like butter, giggles forcing themselves out of you. Only Rie could pull you out of such a tense moment.

Tapping her icon open, you start to ring her up. She picks up before the first ring ends.

"Spill. Now."

So you do. You tell her about his first encounter, and then his second with the red-headed hero, to which she cut you off to talk about the pro. "He likes sweet things? That's so cute!"

But she mostly listens, gasping and squealing in the right moments with you. "I can't believe he walked you home." You can hear her exhale through the speaker. "He always seems so… mean in the news."

You can't stop yourself from biting your lip into your mouth. "Well, he's not mean," You started. "At least not from what I see. He's just kinda brash," You explain.

"Uh-oh." Is all she says in response.

"What?"

"You have a big, fat crush on Dynamight." She laughs at you. "You're about to get Instagram famous, so you might have a chance," Rie's jokes make your face heat up.

"I do not have a crush on him. I barely know the man; he only walked me home on civic duty." You replied, exasperated. "And sure, he's cute, but he's also one of the top-rated Pro Heroes in Japan. Let's be realistic here."

"Was it a civic duty when he sat with you in the cafe, too?"

You drag your hand down your face. "Rie!" You groan.

"Alright, alright. But seriously, take care of yourself. Turn your phone off if you need to, and stay the hell off social media. Dynamight fans are somehow worse than Hawks fans, and that's saying something." Her tone turns serious. "I love you! Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

You say your goodbyes, hanging up. You sigh, clutching your hand to your chest. How the hell were you supposed to go about your day? And you don't have any way to even talk about it with him, either. Would he show up at the cafe to try and find you? No, too risky. That would only bring the exact type of attention he's probably trying to avoid right now.

You lie back on your bed with a heavy sigh. You more than likely wouldn't see either of them again. Accept that. You are a quirkless civilian whose number one goal is to become a cafe manager. His number one goal is literally to save as many lives as possible.

You clench your jaw tightly, opening Twitter back up before you can stop yourself. #DYNAMIGHT is trending. A little under that is #DYNAMEOW.

This day has been so bizarre. You scroll through the tags, seeing everyone's thoughts. Surprisingly more kind than you were anticipating. You laugh at some of the silly ones. There were a lot of compliments for Dynamight, people claiming to see him in a different light. There were plenty of comments about you, but you did your best to ignore those.

Maybe an in-day would be best for you today. Make some tea, open your window, do some reading…

The sound of knocks at your door jerks you out of your thoughts. Your eyebrows knit together. You weren't expecting company. Maybe Rie was coming to take your mind off of everything?

You padded towards the front, increasingly aware of how short your shorts were under your hoodie as you cracked the door open.

Eyes widening, you're shocked for the umpteenth time today. Dynamight was standing at your door, hands shoved in the back pocket of his dark jeans.

"What the hell are you doing here?" You choke out from behind the door, opening it enough for him to get a glimpse inside.

"Look, we need to talk," He starts. If your bare legs bother him, he doesn't show it. "Well, in my car. On the way there,"

"On the way where?" You press. "I'm in my pajamas!" You look at him like he's grown three heads.

"Yeah, and it's almost two P.M., by the way," He gruffs back.

Your jaw drops at the audacity. "It's my off day," You reply in an embarrassed tone. "Wait a minute, you don't get to show up to my place randomly and start asking me questions!" You fold your arms together.

"Then let me in, and I can explain." He presses.

You sigh and open the door wider, waving a hand in.

Do not think about the fact that Dynamight is in your living room right now. And stop blushing.

You look around the apartment, making sure there's nothing too embarrassing. "Do you want some tea? I was just about to make some," You offer, tugging the hem of your hoodie down your legs.

His eyes linger on your counter, and your eyes dart over to the kitchen. You mentally praise yourself for doing the dishes before you went to sleep the previous night.

He studies your beverage area closely. That matcha tin. He recognizes it.

He doesn't say anything; instead just leans against your wall. "Have you seen it?"

"Well, it was a little hard to miss. It's on the front page of all of my social media today."

He studies you for a minute before sighing, his body releasing its tension. "My higher-ups saw it. They want you in on an emergency meeting."

You knit your eyebrows together. "I'm not gonna, like, turn to the tabloids or anything. You don't need to shove an NDA down my throat. You can continue with your hero work, and I'll go back into my regular degular life."

His face morphs into an offended glare. "What the hell are you on about?"

You blink at him a few times. "Isn't that what it's about?"

"No. It's a proposition. I don't want to tell you too much, but it's a paid offer, and you don't have to accept, but if I don't drag you there, the Hero Commission will be on my ass, so I have to be on your ass, so if you could kindly move your ass-" You look down at your shorts again. "That'd be great. I'll let him know we'll be there shortly."

You close your eyes, irritation flooding over you—paid offer. You may as well hear them out. Maybe they're interested in buying your silence? Pay you ten thousand yen to never speak to, or about, Dynamight ever again. Who knows.

So you agree. The drive is awkward, and the blond makes you pull a hoodie above your head, even though you insist it's just drawing more attention; he doesn't care. This day has been seriously so fucking weird.

It doesn't take long for you two to make it to the massive office. You have to stretch your neck up to see where the top of the building meets the blue sky.

You were completely out of your element.

"At least try to act like you belong here, yeah?" Dynamight's voice snaps you out of it. "C'mon," He nudged you in the direction of the entrance.

You stumbled after him, heat filling your cheeks. "Well, I don't." You snap back at him.

He enters the building, dragging you through the front lobby. People sneak glances at him as he walks by, but few are brave enough to say anything to the intimidating man.

He presses a number on the elevator pad once you enter, finally looking sideways at you. "Don't be nervous."

"Easy for you to say," You mumble. "Everyone here either loves you or needs you to love them." Your voice sounds smaller than you would like it to.

He sucks his teeth. You can see his face shifting towards you in the hazy reflection of the elevator walls. You pretend not to notice. "Well, you shouldn't be. It's not like you're going in there alone." Right. He'll be right there with you. For some unexplainable reason, it brings you more relief than you expect it to.

Swallowing the spit that wallows in your throat, you finally look over at him. He's staring ahead. "Thank you, Dynamight."

"It's actually Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight," He meets your gaze.

"I'm not calling you that," You deadpan.

"Then call me Bakugo." He says, as if it's nothing. The elevator door dings and opens. Saved by the bell.

"And my name is-"

"Naoki." He finishes for you. You furrow your eyebrows. That sounds familiar.

"No, it's-"

"The matcha brand you drink." He cuts you off. "Naoki."

How did he know that? Before you can ask, he suddenly stops in front of a room. "Ready?"

You look up at him, taking a deep breath. You nod, once, sharply.

His lips quirk up at the side before he pushes the door open.

Inside the room, a large wooden table is perched in the middle. Around it are six men, one of whom was the retired pro Hawks. You try to steel your gaze, not wanting to cause further embarrassment. The walls were lined with tall windows that reached the ceiling, overlooking the city skyline. You focus your eyes on the gaze instead of the intimidating man in front of you.

One of the gentlemen stands up from his seat and greets you by your name. "My name is Shin Tamato. I am Dynamight's representative." He sticks a hand out to shake. You ignore how freaked out it makes you that he knows your full government already.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." You exhale softly through your nose as you shake his hand.

"Please, take a seat." He gestures to the empty seats in front of him. "Dynamight." He nods his head at the explosive hero. "Thank you for making time in your schedule to accommodate this last-minute meeting."

You throw on your perfected customer service smile, nodding your head.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we brought you in today." Another man at the table speaks. You watch him, waiting for him to continue. "I assume you're aware that the media has been having a field day today." He grabs a remote from the table, turning on a projector displayed at the end of the meeting table. He pushes another button, and images appear on the screen. "We intend to take control of the situation." He surveys yours and Bakugo's reactions. "We have an offer for you," He says directly to you.

Your eyebrows knit themselves together. You don't say anything, waiting for them to reach some sort of conclusion. "I'm not sure I'm following," You speak honestly.

He doesn't answer, instead clicking a button that shows the next side of his presentation. A graph. "These were the projected hero polls from the last week, compared to three days ago." He gestures. A nose-dive. After the news reporters ripped him to shreds, his popularity plummeted. He clicks the button again. "And these are public responses since the photos dropped."

Comments, posts, and video essays are shown on the screen. Positive responses for the hero. The crowd was excited to see a "different side of him."

One of the comments read, "Look at the way he looks at her!"

You avert your eyes, trying to stop the blush from forming on your cheeks.

Bakugo steps in, voice irritated. "Are any of these slides gonna show the point of this meeting?"

It was a baseless question. He had an idea of where this was going; He just didn't like it.

Someone across the table speaks up. "We want to propose a contract. A PR relationship of sorts." The voice comes from him. Hawks. "Think of it as an acting gig of sorts. Just paid way more handsomely." He flashes a grin at you. Your eyes widen. "Plus, you get a great benefit package! Fancy dinners with Dynamight, training your quirk at one of the top agencies in Japan, fame and glamor…"

You clear your throat. "Well, I don't have one to train up, but I understand what you're saying."

Hawks raises an eyebrow at you, before you hear a slam against the wooden table. "We're done here." It's Bakugo.

No one moves an inch. You feel a red heat warm up your face as you stare down the table. How embarrassing. Sitting here in front of two of the most famous heroes in Japan, the Hero Commission board to your left. One of the board members finally spoke up.

"Dynamight—"

"No. I'm not dangling a civilian in front of all of these villains' faces. Are you trying to get her taken as collateral? And she can't even defend herself? It's not happening."

You clench your jaw, irritated. This was beyond protection; it was a humiliation ritual. All you wanted to do was go back home, curl up in your bed, and delete all of your social media.

The man running this meeting, Tamato, didn't respond. He pushed the remote again with a beep. More graphs, similar to the previous slides.

"We've seen these already. Assistant scrambled up your pres?" Bakugo speaks through a ticked jaw.

"Not this one." He pushes the button again, and a new graph is presented. The graphs showed his ranking projection, already lifted simply from this week. The new graph? A six-month projection, with him potentially lifting six ranks. He'd be in the top ten again.

You hear a sharp inhale from him.

"Hawks, you, out of everyone, should be turned off from this idea." Bakugo fires out at the retired pro, though his voice was starting to lose its conviction.

The air in the room feels stale and a little cold. You try to tune out the voices from above you. Hawks' voice floats in one ear and out of the other, some argument about Bakugo finally being able to prove himself once he's back in the top. Hero jargon and numbers begin to fly over your head. You were kidding yourself; The sliver of hope that you could weasel your way into this life. You should've been happy to meet two pros and gone on with your life: working at that coffee shop that drained you, chasing an opaque dream that you could eventually be worth more.

But what gives Bakugo the idea that you couldn't defend yourself? He didn't know anything about how you aside from where you work and how long it takes you to pour a cup of black coffee. Hearing disapproval about being quirkless was commonplace with civilians, ignorance long drilled in. But from a Pro Hero? One that you were beginning to take a liking to, no less. It coated an ashy taste in your throat that you couldn't place a name for.

You hear your name spoken from across you. Hawks was speaking directly to you now. "Do you understand what we're offering?"

Looking around the table, you study the men's gazes. Bakugo was looking directly down at the table, thoughts whirling around in his mind. With a hardened gaze ahead, you shook your head firmly. "Not exactly, sir." You answered honestly.

Another beep from the projector as a paper is slid across the table towards you. "A timeline. Scheduled dates for shoots or hero events of the sort, along with guidelines. A six-month contract, half paid up front and the other at the end of the agreement." Your eyes slide down the black ink, words slow to process. The number at the bottom causes you to inhale sharply. It would take you almost five months of working at the cafe to earn a paycheck like this. Just for the upfront deposit, no less.

Next to that, a contract with an NDA at the top of it.

"Don't push this decision on her right now, let her think-" Bakugo's voice made something inside of you twist. This arrogant attitude, as if he knew what was best for you. Something dormant rears its ugly head, and you pick up the pen without thinking. He begins to say your name, but the sound of the pen scratching against the desk cuts him off.

You slide the paper over to him, not breaking eye contact. He stares into your eyes, gaze sharpening. He searches for something, but whatever it is doesn't come. He relents, signing the paper.

The deal is sealed.

Kirishima had post-it notes on his desk. As you pull your skirt back up your hips, you consider it. But who are you kidding? What would you even leave? The man's had your number for a year now. Maybe something cheeky - Thanks for great sex? Sorry that you have to wash the sheets? See you next time?

You pinch the bridge of your nose, shaking your head at yourself. He wasn't a stranger. This is Bakugo, for fuck's sake. If he saw you having this mental discussion, he'd probably make fun of you and rush you out of the room.

Gathering your items, you shove your clothing into your purse before relenting and taking a sticky note. Not one for Katsuki, though - One for Kirishima.

E,

thanks for the pants. i might return them later. xo

You sign the bottom of the note with a shitty drawing of a cherry.

Chancing one last glimpse at the sleeping blond, you sigh and slip out of the door.

There are tons of drunk people spilled everywhere; They're on the floor, the couches, the hallways. You grimace as you step over a guy sleeping on the stairs. His neck is not gonna be thanking him when he wakes up.

Luckily for you, your Uber driver knows how to read a room and doesn't force you into awkward conversation. The small sounds from the radio lull you into relaxation as you rest your head on the window. What a night. You were exhausted, but your brain was wired. Nothing about last night felt real to you. Had it not been for your sore thighs and Katsuki's shirt on your frame, you might've thought you'd dreamed the entire thing up.

The car eventually pulls onto your crackled old cobblestone street, and you gather yourself together. You needed to lie down in your bed; Whether sleep followed or not would be up to fate.

You didn't really need to shower, but your body steers itself into your bathroom. The steam makes you feel better. It was calming; quiet in your mind for once.

You let the hot water release the tension from your body. Better. When you slip out of the shower, your step falters when you see Katsuki's shirt on your bathroom floor.

It's comfortable. It's big. It's so accessible.

You pull the shirt over your head and slip on some pajama pants you left on your bed.

You fall asleep. You don't wake up until a few hours later, head pounding. Grimacing, you check your phone; You missed a few notifications.

One from the group chat, a selfie from Mina, Kiri, and Denki at lunch. Another from Izuku, asking if you got home safe. And finally, one from Mina in a private message this time.

(10:52 AM) From pinky <3

can we talk?

You exhale sharply through your nose, feeling a spike of pain. You didn't want to deal with this, but you knew logically you'd have to eventually.

(12:17 PM) To pinky <3

okay. come over

Right as you hit send, your phone starts vibrating with a FaceTime notification from… Bakugo?

You look at yourself in the camera, taking in your sleepy eyes and messy hair. Bakugo's never FaceTimed you before, at least not one-on-one. The only times you've seen him in a call was in group settings, and even so, he'd usually have his camera off or facing the ceiling. Maybe this was important.

You slide the answer button.

Before you could even say hello, he was already talking.

"You're still in bed?" He's walking somewhere, eyes sweeping back and forth between you and the street around him.

You scoff at the audacity. "Well, good morning to you, too."

"It's noon." He replies, not looking at you.

You feel your headache worsen. "Why are you calling me?"

"Well, a few reasons. One, I cannot believe you left in the middle of the fuckin' night, you maniac." His eyes flicker at you. "Two— Is that my shirt?" He cuts himself off. It looks like he isn't moving as quickly anymore, genuinely taking time to study you.

Fuck. You forgot.

"I haven't changed yet," You snapped. An obvious lie.

"Your hair is wet." He counters.

"I'm going to hang up on you," You threaten, finger already hovering over the button.

"Alright, alright. I just wanted to make sure you got home okay," He relents, continuing his pace. "This is the first sign of life you've shown since leaving in an Uber at a random fuckin' hour."

"How affectionate of you, Bakugo. Was it that good?" You tease, enjoying the rise you get out of him. He's so easy to frustrate.

He scoffs as he looks at the screen. "Don't be dense. I needed to make sure the woman I just had sex with twelve hours ago isn't gonna be in the news today."

You roll your eyes at this. "Well, I'm fine, thank you for checking." Your response is curt, to the point.

He looks down at the camera again. "Yeah, I can see that," He grunts. "You look real cozy,"

You grin, rolling your eyes. "Yeah, I don't know if you're getting this shirt back," You admit, sinking deeper into the sheets.

"Keep it," He replies. As if it's nothing.

You bite your lip to stifle a smile. "I'll think about it."

His lips quirk up in an almost-smile before he pushes a door open. "Alright, I gotta go. Wait, you going to Mina's tonight?"

"Uh-" You're cut off by a knock on your front door. "Maybe," You reply, getting out of bed.

"Alright, I might see you later,"

"Okay, bye," You rush out, reaching a hand for the doorknob.

The door opens to reveal a disheveled Mina. She pushes into the door. "Was that Bakugo?" She asks, not bothering with a greeting.

Your eyes widen. "What are you talking about?"

She narrows her eyes at you. "Never mind. Let me restart," She sighs out. "I'm sorry. I should've told you. But to be honest, I didn't even really know. But I should've told you I had an inkling, and I'm sorry that I didn't. I just hate the thought of you separating yourself from the group because that's not fair to you at all, especially because they've already been arguing so much, so who knows how long it's gonna last; If you separate from the group now just for them to break it off in a day, I'm gonna be pissed!" She finally exhales, plopping down onto your couch. "Sorry, that was a lot. I had to get that off my chest."

You sit across from her, staring as you take it all in. You finally sigh and debate your next words carefully. "Look, it sucks that you hid something from me. I don't want you to think of me as some fragile thing that can't handle the truth," You begin. "I wouldn't ghost the group," The words came out sharply. "I just needed some time to myself recently, that's all. Besides, I know now, and everything worked out just fine yesterday." You finish off, considering spilling about Bakugo. "Wait, did you say they're arguing?"

Mina flashes her wide eyes at you in exaggerated annoyance. "They were supposed to come out to brunch with us, but they started arguing about something in the parking lot."

Your eyebrows furrow. They seemed so… normal last night. Sweet, even. "About what?"

"Girl, I don't know!" She throws her hands up, exasperated, sinking into the cushions. "They were being so hush-hush about it all."

You furrow your eyebrows, looking at the ground. "That's weird," You start. "They seemed so normal last night."

"You saw them again?" A studying gaze falls onto her face.

"Yeah, briefly. I ran into them, um— I was grabbing a drink-" You cut yourself off. "Okay, look, I need to tell you something. Wait- did Kirishima say anything?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "About what?"

You blink at her. This reaction, compared to the one you saw last night, was genuine. You sigh. "Okay. Me and Bakugo had sex last night. " You rip the band-aid off.

"What?!"

"Well, we may or may not have made out— um. And a little more, in the kitchen. And then we fucked later that night," You rush out.

"Holy fuck. Twice?" She sits forward. "That good?"

You nod, eyes wide. "Yes. That good. But we got interrupted because Izuku walked in." You finish, racing through the words at the end.

"He what?! Did he see?"

You grimace at the memory. "I don't know," You sigh. "Bakugo was blocking me with his body; I couldn't see. And then when we walked out, the three of us talked for a second, and then Ochaco walked in," Her eyes widened again. "And she definitely knows w- I have a thing for him." Your heart leaps at your near mistake. "So that was pretty fucking awkward."

"So how did you and Bakugo end up together?"

You shrug. "It kinda just happened. We were both drunk, neither of us wanted to be there, we talked in the kitchen, and then one thing led to another, and… yeah…" You half lied. Bakugo's feelings were not your skeletons to take out of the closet.

"Ya'know, I always noticed Bakugo hangs around you more than anyone else. I mean, he was so hung up over Izuku that I didn't know if he was -"

"Wait, what?" Your eyes widen.

Mina whines, smacking her hand on her head. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, I'm an idiot. Don't tell anyone I-"

"You know?" You pressed, feeling relieved that you didn't have to half lie anymore.

"You know? Well- actually that makes sense." She snaps her fingers together, thinking. "That's why you guys fucked." A moment passes before she settles. "So, what's happening between the two of you?"

"It isn't anything serious. He told me last night after eavesdropping on me. But it's just sex," You shrug.

Her eyes flicker down to the too-big shirt on your body. "You know you have my support in everything you do," She starts. "But just be careful."

Tilting your head to the side, you wonder aloud. "Why?"

She pulls her mouth into a tight line. "Babe, this situation is messy as fuck. Just be careful, that's all. Like, know what you really want."

"It doesn't have to be that serious. Bakugo and I already talked about it; it's just us using each other to blow off some steam."

"Right, and if Izuku miraculously came to you tomorrow and said he wanted to take you out, what would you do?" She pushes.

You look at her as if she's grown two heads. "That hypothetical is insane because it's not gonna happen,"

"But if it did." She doesn't give up. "Would you give yourself what you've been craving for a year? Or would whatever thing you have going on with Katsuki get in the way?"

You look at your hands. This is stupid. What does that matter? Izuku is with Ochaco now. But, what would you do? It's not like you owe Katsuki anything. But what a disservice that would be. You think back to his empty gaze staring at the ceiling. His stony face as he stared at her hand on Izuku's bicep. And then you remember the green-eyed man's text this morning. The way his hands gripped your hips as he steadied you.

You sighed, shaking your head. "I don't know. But I don't need to know. Izuku is dating someone else, and I'm forcing myself to get over that fact."

"But they're not." Mina finally drops on you.

You jerk up. "What do you mean, they're not?"

"They're not dating. Denki asked Shoto this morning. They're not dating."

You feel your stomach flip. "What the fuck, I heard them! They were talking about it in the hallway as I was walking out of the bathroom. They kissed!"

"Sure, but so what? You fucked Bakugo, are you dating?" She crosses her arms. "Shoto said they're 'talking'" She speaks in air quotes. "Whatever that means. But Cherry," She pleads. "They didn't even make it into the restaurant with us," She bites her lip, as if pondering whether or not to say her next line. "When they were arguing, I heard your name."

It feels as if the air in the room is sucked out through a vacuum. You just stare at her, information slow to process. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, pretty fuckin' sure. Your real name. Not Cherry," She explains.

You blow air out of your cheeks. No one really calls you that. Mina doesn't even call you by your real name, and she's your best friend. "What the fuck," You mumble to yourself.

She looks at you, pursing her lips together. "Come to mine tonight. Feel it out. Bakugo's going, but I don't think Izuku and Ochaco are gonna make it," You hum, thinking about it. You really just wanted a peaceful night. "Nothing crazy! Everyone's still nursing a headache. We're just taking it easy, maybe playing some video games, smoke a little. Way smaller group this time, since Kiri's not throwing it," She continues.

"I'll think about it," You promise.

The two of you stare at each other for a minute. "I'm sorry," She sighs. "I never want you to be mad at me again. That was awful."

You exhale a laugh through your nose. "It's fine. Apparently, there was nothing to hide," You explain. "I was just drunk and embarrassed, and you caught me literally, like, five seconds after I found out, and yeah," You mumble, feeling dejected.

"I love you," She grins her pearly white teeth at you, and you can't help but laugh.

"I love you too, Pinky,"

"So, are you gonna explain why you're wearing Bakugo's shirt?" She cuts to the point.

You look down at yourself. "It's comfy?" You offer meekly. It really is. One hundred percent cotton blend. She laughs, rolling her eyes. "Honestly? I do like Bakugo," You start. "But both of us are kinda just going with the flow. It just feels nice to be around someone sometimes. Less lonely,"

She hums, nodding. She doesn't prod anymore after that. "Alright, well. I have to go start cleaning before tonight. Wanna come? Me and Kiri are gonna run to the store to snack prep up,"

You stretch, yawning. "Fine. But only because I didn't get to see you much yesterday."

She squeals, clapping her hands together. "If you hate it and want to come home before, I'll drop you off before it starts!" She promises.

It doesn't take you long to get ready, but Mina doesn't rush you this time. She lies on your bed, swinging her legs as the two of you catch up. "I can't believe Bakugo's good at sex!" She snorts. "I mean, he's always been pretty private. He doesn't bring any girls around, even just around the guys and me," She rambles. Her, Katsuki, Kaminari, and Eijiro were all close-knit. You being best friends with Eijiro and Mina kinda forged your path into their little group.

"Mina," You sigh out, pausing the movement of your mascara wand. "Maybe the best I've ever had." You declare dramatically.

She cackles. "Good for him! Well, good for you, I guess I should say." She wags her eyebrows at you.

You two giggle and continue an easy conversation amongst yourselves. You keep the outfit light and easy, leggings and a pullover sweater.

The ride over is filled with giggles and singing along to your favorite songs. You bite your lip as you look over at her long pink hair waving in the wind from the open windows. You felt genuinely happy. All the stress was already melting off you. Mina has that impact on people.

When she pulls into her apartment, Kiri's car is already there. He opens the door, stepping out. "Cherry!" He grins, throwing his arms open. "Cherry, Cherry, baby!" He sings, hugging you tight. He pulls away, meeting your eyes. He says it all without saying anything.

You give him a small nod and a genuine smile. He grins and smacks your back.

"Cherry!! We didn't know you were coming!" Denki cheers, stepping out of the backseat of the car. He pulls you into a hug, and you return it lovingly.

"What is this, Ei's your Uber today?" You joke lightly.

"Nah, I never get passenger princess. That's reserved," He explains, rolling his eyes.

The passenger door opens, blond hair peeking out. Your eyes widen in surprise. "Hey, Bakugo," You greet coolly.

"Thought you'd be sleeping for a few more hours," He greets, walking up to you. "Looks like you finally changed," His voice drops to where only you could hear it.

You laugh, punching his arm lightly. "What, disappointed?"

He rakes his eyes over you before leaning down to speak into your ear. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll see you in it again soon, yeah?"

You smirk at him. "Addicted, huh?"

His lips quirk up. "Somethin' like that."

"Whose car are we taking?" Mina interrupts, walking up to the two of you.

"Mine is still on," Kiri shrugs, opening the door already. Mina shrugs, helping herself to the passenger seat.

Well, this is awkward.

"Cherry, get in the middle, I can't see over the guys' big heads," Kiri calls out of the window. You giggle, settling in.

Kirishima's backseat is big. It suddenly feels way less big, however, once Kaminari and Katsuki both settle in at the same time.

Your thighs press against theirs. You awkwardly squirm, trying to find a comfortable position for your shoulders.

Kirishima honks the horn as he calls out, "Seatbelts!"

Your seatbelt hides behind Katsuki's broad frame. "Excuse me, Incredible Hulk," you jest, reaching behind his bicep.

"Oh, sorry," He moves his arm dramatically, flexing as he does.

You and Kaminari burst into laughter, the tension melting away.

Thank God it wasn't awkward around Bakugo. The phone call earlier helped a lot. Now, you find yourself wondering why you never made an effort to get closer to him before last night.

With a group as big as yours, it was normal for some people not to be as close with each other. It wasn't that you didn't like him; you just spent more time with the others. His standoffish personality didn't exactly help, though it never bothered you very much. You recognized it for what it was: a thinly veiled shield against voyeuristic eyes from his vulnerabilities. You understood him in that sense.

The desire to hide behind a persona, a falsehood. It made it easier to never be misunderstood.

The ride didn't take long. The five of you stocked up on snacks, giggling amongst yourselves. It was fun, and so easy for a minute to let everything else slip away.

You're browsing the ice cream section when Denki slings an arm around your shoulder. "Ya'know Cherry, Sero's coming later, too," The blond starts. "You gonna spark with us?"

You consider it. "Maybe," you beam a smile at him. "I'll get a bigger-sized ice cream, then," you mumble, swapping the options out.

Denki cheers, jumping on Kiri's back.

"You're gonna get us kicked out!" The redhead laughs, almost knocked into the cart completely.

The backseat feels infinitely more cramped with the additions of the bags, but it feels leagues more comfortable. You all sing along to the radio and laugh amongst yourselves all the way back to Mina's.

nsfw

oh boy.

this woman is an eater. like fr. don't get me wrong, she will never complain when you return the favor, but she needs to taste you or else she'll literally die

commanding, in a sweet way. "you're making me feel so good, baby! right there, don't stop, okay?"

when she sits on your face... oh my goodness. she takes exactly what she wants, using your hair to guide you right where you need to be.

loves when u grab her ass, and thank god, because have u seen it? she's an ass girl herself, too. when you wear those matching pj sets and they're shorts? she has a hand on you the entire night.

sex literally lasts for hours. she has wicked stamina. and her gf is so cute can u blame her! but when you guys start to get a little tired after the first hour, she brings the box of toys out of the closet. oh yea, you're not going anywhere.

you guys have a double ended toy that ends up with both of you in tears, whining and pawing at each other. that one usually only comes out when she's feeling excruciatingly needy.