PeachCrater

When news wandered through town that someone unknown had moved into the rundown, overgrown farm right outside Pelican town, Bakugou had believed that it was one of Kota's pranks. Only when you had come to greet him, a little notebook in hand to write down his name alongside with a tally mark accounting for the people you had already met, did he have to pinch himself to make sure it was no dream. "Why the fuck would you move here?" He asked, crudely. Your expression quickly turned sour, your frown and shake of the head speaking volumes. Yet, you decided to answer him. In the most guilt-inducing way you could imagine. "It was my grandfather's dying wish for someone to take over the farm. It meant a lot to him." He scoffed, leaving the conversation at that.

Bakugou assumed you would have quit after a week. He couldn't imagine someone willingly taking up the task of cutting down the trees, removing the rocks, tilling the field, and surviving on crops alone. Except, then he saw you were fishing and he wondered if you had always possessed that skill or if you had been stubborn enough to learn. On his way to work at the adventurer's guild, when the boulder had finally been removed, he watched as you entered carpenter Kirishima's home.

"What did that farmer want from you anyways?" Bakugou asked his old friend, hunched over a beer at the counter of Stardrop Saloon.

"Hm? Oh [F/N]? She gathered the materials and money to have a well built, so I did the work." Kirishima answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "You should visit the farm sometime. She still got a long way to go, but holy hell has she been doing some progress. She gave me some potatoes she had planted and man is it good to get them locally and not from the supermarket."

Bakugou only grunted in response, unaffected by his friend's enthusiasm. His mind was stuck on how you had managed to collect the resources to not only consult but hire Kirishima's services. Maybe it was the beer talking, but he shrugged it all of to you being a one-time wonder. Eventually you would get bored of the life in a small town and leave. You couldn't possibly survive on crops and fishing. Or whatever it was that you were doing.

On a rainy day, the least he would have expected was to see you at the mine entrance, looking inside as if you were really considering going down that blasted ladder. Over the prattle of the raindrops, he managed to hear you were muttering to yourself, only making out the words "treasure" and "pickaxe". How he wanted to turn around and leave you to figure it out on your own. He hated the rain. He disliked you. It would only make sense for him to turn around, pretend he wasn't feeling good, and stay home for the day, away from your shenanigans. However, when he noticed your eyes twinkling with a glint of determination, he could not stand by and watch you head towards your death. "Oi, dumbass, don't you have a farm to take care of?"

You turned, head tilted and your expression became a mishmash of a surprised and disgusted 'Oh, it's you'. "The crops are being watered by the rain. I thought I could check out this... cave?"

"Those are mines." Bakugou said, walking past you and dragging you along by the elbow. "And you are wholly unprepared to head in there." He had forgotten his umbrella, his hair sticking to his forehead uncomfortably while water rolled down into his eyes. The sooner he was rid of you, the better. "Hold still or walk normally, but stop waving around like a buffoon!" He yelled over the growing rainfall, letting go of you as you started pulling away, stomping aggressively.

"Man, what the fuck is your problem!" You yelled back, less a question and more a statement on his overall asshole-shtick.

The keys rattled discordantly as he unlocked the door to the guild. "You almost going on a suicidal adventure is my problem!"

The leather of his boots squeaked along with the old wooden floor, a pool forming when stopped near a wall, adorned with various weapons. He stared at it for a moment, chewing at the inside of his mouth, wondering whether or not he should even allow you to explore the ever-changing mines. Hell, even he had trouble navigating the place sometimes, despite his skilful handling of explosives. Then again, if you could pick up farming, fishing, and crafting in the matter of days, how hard could slaying some weak slimes and bugs be? '*It's not like she'll get past the first twenty levels.*' He thought to himself, grabbing the rusty sword from its display. "Tell you what, if you manage to kill ten slimy bastards, I'll even let you join the guild." He said in a mocking tone.

"Slimy bastards?" You asked, eyeing the sword with uncertainty, unsure why you would need it.

"That place is crawling with monsters." He said with a smirk, handing you the weapon. "Knock yourself out."

He watched as you walked towards the mine, taking a couple swings with the sword to test your balance. He grinned to himself as he watched your clumsy moves, rolling his eyes at your stupidity to have wanted to go into the mines without a way to defend yourself. When you disappeared from his sight, he turned to the cork board carrying the list of monsters defeated. His names was at the very top with a kill count of one thousand eight hundred and seventeen slimes slain. If you were truly so talented at picking up skills, then you'd manage to kill a measly ten. If you weren't you'd be out after struggling through the second floor.

Bakugou focussed on continuing to build his bombs, his most valuable tool whenever he decided he needed an adventure. Or when someone requested stones or gems at the Help Wanted board. It was also something that allowed him to take his mind off things for a little while, immersing himself in constructing his rather delicate tools.

The dark sky made it seem like it was still middle of the night outside, no sunlight coming through the thick clouds. Bakugou could barely gauge how much time had passed, despite how often he had looked up from the counter, checking if you were emerging from the mine entrance. Even as he ate lunch, his eyes were fixated on the window, his leg bouncing as you were still nowhere to be seen. He wondered if he had simply missed you leaving, running for your life in fear after being unable to defeat a single monster. Then again, it would have been impossible to not hear your wails if that had been the case. Maybe you were simply taking so long to find the ladder to the next floor. Or maybe you were out of energy, your body forcing you to move slower.

He continued his work, but his mind kept dragging itself back to you. His eyes rarely stayed focus on the nimble manoeuvres he needed to make, rather preferring to stare at the entrance. "She's fine." He tried to convinced himself with a tight jaw. The day was nearing its end and all he wanted was to go home and tell his conscience that you had decided to endanger yourself on your own. If you got hurt it would be your fault alone. "She couldn't possibly be so weak that she's overpowered by... Oh, fuck."

Grabbing the Iron Edge sword from its display, Bakugou wasted no time to traverse the rain and head into the mines. He hoped his assumption was wrong and that you were not the unluckiest person in Pelican Town. "I should have warned her about the mist..." He grunted, pushing his hair back as he considered taking the elevator. However, he could not possibly know where you had ended up, so his best course of action was to follow your descent. The water that dripped from him made the ladder slippery, but he managed to get enough grip to make his way down with no issues. "No monsters, huh?" He mumbled, finding the entrances you had left behind along with a suspicious lack of any creatures. Occasionally he ran into scattered sap or grass, things you had probably not been able to carry along. Bakugou tried to move as fast as he managed while ensuring to look for you in case you had gotten stuck deeper into the floor. By floor ten, he questioned once more if he had simply missed you somewhere. '*There weren't enough obstacles...*' He thought, thinking back on all the corners he had checked. '*Has she really made her way down as far as floor fifteen? Nineteen? In such a short time?*'

His suspicions were proven correct when he looked down into floor nineteen, a green smoke floating upwards, momentarily blinding him while he descended. "[F/N]!" He called out, his nose burning from the smell of bug meat around him. He could not see you from where he was standing and his head twitched anxiously at the buzzing sound zooming past him. It did not take a lot to fight cave flies, but they were persistent and when the mist rolled around they were numerous. "[F/N]! Answer, for fuck's sake!"

Instead of killing them, he changed his strategy, hitting them with the flat side of the sword in the hopes of redirecting the flies towards you, using them as his navigators to find you. It worked. At some point, after taking a couple more steps in a direction he could not name, his mind lost in the thick mist, he could see a moving figure through the fog. You were breathing hard and ragged, the thick flies bustling around you while you swung the rusty sword in hopes of damaging them.

"So you didn't pass out." Bakugou said, feeling a deep relief he had not expected to settle within him.

You turned to face him, your face and clothes muddy and dusty, bug meat scattered around them. You eyed him confused, unsure if he had just been a figment of your imagination. You had started to feel exhausted a long time ago, your body aching with every move, slowing down whenever you tried to crack one of the stone piles open in hopes of finding a ladder down. Before you could answer, Bakugou dashed past you, his sword, much sharper and cleaner than yours, slicing through the bugs. "I tired them out for you." You huffed, annoyed that he was taking your kill.

"Yeah, sure." He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "What the fuck were you thinking anyways? By floor ten you should have turned aroun-"

"I killed twenty-three." You spat back, the grime around your mouth desperately trying to make its way inside.

"What?" He asked, confused, his reflexes making him turn to land another final blow on the overgrown flies.

The mist dissipated, clearing the area. "Twenty-three slimes. You said I should get ten, I got..." You coughed, the dust stuck in your throat. "Twenty-three."

Bakugou should not have felt the way he did, seeing you beaten down and dirty, your body threatening to collapse at any moment. You were tired, he could tell by your slow blinks, begging you to head to bed. And yet, he felt a joy pounding at his chest, a weird but deeply onset respect for the maniacal manner you had announced your success. He had to bite his lower lip to prevent his smile to grow bigger, leaving it at a grin. It did not last long. The moment you had taken a step toward him, your body had finally given in, causing you to trip forward. With a swift movement, he managed to catch you, your head hitting his chest. "Fucking hell." He sighed, lifting you carefully to place you back down, as comfortably as he could against the ragged rock wall.

"The elevator should be the easiest way back up." He noted, grabbing the pickaxe you had seemingly let go off during one of your battles. Thankfully, you had cleared the area incredibly well given the circumstances you had found yourself in. It took him two tries to find the exit, the ladder that would lead the two of you to floor twenty. "Alright then..." He crouched down in front of you, trying his best to secure your arms around his shoulders so that he could give you a piggyback ride down. In your deep slumber, you managed to hold on, your head lulling into the comfortable space between jaw and shoulder. Bakugou had to press himself close to the ladder to ensure you had enough space to fit through, while avoiding accidentally ramming your legs or arms against the wood. It took him some time, a lot of careful steps, and readjusting you on his back but eventually he managed.

Bakugou knew the mines like the inside of his back pocket. Or at least how they worked. Rule number one was to never question nature's rules. Every day the layout changed and the path forward was blocked until one uncovered it again. The monsters crawled about at random, though while slimes could be found on every floor, bats for example dwelled a little deeper. So, he knew not to question when on the twentieth floor, a treasure chest lay in waiting. A reward for you. If the place was contaminated with ghosts, so could treasure appear out of nowhere.

He opened the chest to find a sword, an upgraded version of your old one. It had been a couple of years, but memories of his own success through to floor twenty flooded his mind. "Right, I forgot about that..." He muttered, eyeing the rusty sword which he had brought along. He had forgotten why he had kept it. Why it had still been on display. Why he was so attached to it, he didn't want to leave it behind. It had been his first ever sword. He put you down once again, making sure no sharp rocks would dig into your skin before grabbing your reward and attaching it to his hip. Now that he no longer required his hands, he decided to carry you bridal style, ensuring you couldn't just slip away from him. "How you're sleeping through all of this only god knows." He sighed. The way back was not as tough as he had believed. Fortunately, your farm was only a shortcut behind Kirishima's place away.

Why everyone kept their doors unlocked, Bakugou had never questioned until he moved to the big city and an unlocked door equaled a death sentence. He tried to remember the last time he had locked his door ever since moving back to Pelican Town. Occasionally he would march into Kirishima's place, or even Izuku's to just spend time with them. He wondered if you had done the same in your short time of being there.

Your place was small, creaky from the years of use followed by abandonment. Despite the harsh noises of your door scratching against the floor or his heavy boots thudding on it, all your cat, who had been cuddled up in your bed, did was to stretch and readjust. "Pampered princess, I see." He muttered, trying to move her away with a soft nudge with his foot to make enough space to put you down. You would have to worry about the dirt in your bed in the morning. Something compelled Bakugou to stay a tad bit longer, his eyes lingering, memorising your face illuminated by the moonlight. "Twenty... three..." You muttered in your sleep. Bakugou smiled to himself, deciding to leave you be, placing the sword on your kitchen table.

He learned to not underestimate you. Hell, how could anyone? One looked at the changed farm, and his mouth and mind knew to shut up. '*Maybe she will stick around?*' He thought, part of him hopeful, part of him insulted. He swallowed both feelings.

Bakugou had not expected to see you again so soon. In fact, you showed up only two days later once again with the same determined glint in your eyes as when you had first headed into the mines. "Twenty-three." You said to him, a grin on your face. He scoffed, suppressing a chuckle. "So? You wanna join or nah, dumbass? Don't waste my time if not."

"What benefits do I get if I join?" You asked, leaning over the counter curiously, your eyes settling on his latest contraption. Bakugou shoved his work aside, covering it with a frayed kitchen towel. He pointed to the board behind him. "I'll keep track of your stats. If you kill a certain number of each monster, you get rewards."

"Like?"

"Gear, weapons, special rings." He listed, not really remembering all the stuff he had gotten, barely ever wielding it himself.

"Damn, one thousand slimes, huh?" You said, the pride in your previous number all but deflated. "That's gonna take a while." You sighed, eyeing the requirements, your arms crossed as your mind worked out a plan on how to proceed. After all, you still had a farm to take care of. Your eyes narrowed as you noticed another set of numbers, leaning in to check them out. "What's with the thousand eight hundred here?" You asked, your thumb pointing at the paper.

Bakugou smirked, his head resting on his arm, propped up on the counter. "My kill count."

Your eyes widened, cheeks sucked in as your head moved from facing the cork board to facing Bakugou. "What was the reward?"

"Kill enough and you'll find out." He answered to which you pouted.

"Can I ask you something?" You asked instead. Bakugou only nodded, inviting you to continue. "If I surpass that number, would you go on a date with me?" -

'It must've been a prank.' Bakugou tried to convince himself. The rain outside rattled against the guild's window, obscuring his vision. Somewhere in the mines, you had managed to secure a glow ring, the only indicator in this weather that you had made your way back inside. It had been two weeks since you had offered him the challenge and, in his dumbfounded state, he had accepted. Ever since then, he had watched you head into the mines every couple of day, emerging holding up your hands, signalling him a new number each time. Twenty-one with a proud grin. Five with a disappointed frown. Bakugou added those numbers to your slime kill-counter, the only one that truly mattered. For all the others, he waited for you to personally come tell him, so he could update them. Still, he had believed you had only been joking, that you were simply a person who loved to do challenges for fun. After all, when you had found out that Bakugou had been the leading egg-hunt champion, you did everything in your power to surpass him, only barely missing the number one spot.

Why else would you have added a date to the rewards if not for the fact that Bakugou was the most challenging person to go out with?

Bakugou's dislikes certainly outweighed his likes and it was hard to come by them in any case. "What gifts would you like?" You asked him one day as you had come by the guild to update your kill-count. "I got some crops-" His scowl deepened, shaking his head as his eyes remained fixed on his tinkering. "I don't care for your veggies." You returned his foul expression, mocking his words with a 'mimimi' before returning home, determined to unlock his preferences.

It was only when the Flower Dance had come around that Bakugou had realised how serious you had been about dating him. Asking him if he would date you was one thing. Asking him for a dance, declaring your interest in front of all the members of Pelican Town, was an entirely different thing. He tried to play it cool, though his ears turned red from the sudden flutter he felt travelling through his muscles. "Have you slain a thousand slimes?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, a daring smirk on his face while you could only pout. "Watch out, I'm reaching the two hundreds this week." You returned. The interaction didn't go unnoticed, Izuku being the first to ask Bakugou about your newfound connection.

"Pff, it's nothing. She's delusional." He responded, shaking his head. 'You save someone's life once.' He wanted to add, but his conscience did not allow him to speak on it, his mind wandering back to how defeated you had looked. Regret had risen in him for even saying it was nothing. Was it? Did it truly mean something to you? Did it mean something to him? "Did you reject her?" Izuku asked. "I mean if she's delusional, did you tell her she's got no chance?" Bakugou's dislikes certainly outweighed his likes. His hate went beyond all. He couldn't admit it, only having recently reconnected with Izuku after years of silence, but he truly hated how that nerd always managed to ask the wrong questions. Questions to which Bakugou did not have the answer to. He didn't want to reject you. After all, you had given him a challenge, and he had accepted it. If he were to go back on his word, that would be a sign of weakness he would never be able to digest. "She'll know when it's pointless." He answered, leaving the conversation at that.

Sero had joined in on the conversation only two days later, when most people were gathered at the Stardrop Saloon. He mentioned in bypass how he had seen you ask Bakugou for a dance, wondering if there was something going on between the two of you. Unwilling to entangle himself in a web of lies, Bakugou told him of the challenge.

"Damn, really?" Sero said with a laugh, his palm patting Bakugou's back hard, like a overtly proud coach after their player had completed a game winning move. "You're lucky someone as cute as her is into you. Try not to give her the ick until she completes the challenge, yeah?"

When Bakugou saw you pass the three-hundred mark in the first week of summer, he grew uneasy. Watching your light peek through the entrance of the mines before revealing your coal-stained frame, hands held high as you revealed your recent success... He wasn't sure if he should have felt proud or worried. His mind no longer concerned itself with focussing on not causing an explosion within the walls of the guild, but more: 'Where would we even go on a date? The Saloon? Hell nah... I don't think I have the clothes for this. Where the fuck would I even get a gift from?' His eyes would often travel to the map depicting the entire valley, his mind cursing the limited options.

Sero's words popped into his head whenever he watched the counter go up. 'Try not to give her the ick, huh?' It stuck with him. In fact, it stuck with him so badly, that he started to feel too aware whenever he spoke to you. Aware of how his hands left a thin trail of sweat, visible against the wood of the counter. Aware of how angry he may be looking whenever he spoke to you, his jaw tight and his brow furrowed in a way that had grown comfortable to him. Aware how frayed his work clothes looked, some of his shirts' sleeves clearly slashed and sown back together.

"Are you even listening?" You asked him, sternly, your knuckles knocking rhythmically against the counter to draw his attention back to you.

"Huh?" He responded, now painfully aware of his harsh tone.

"Forget it-"

"Just tell me." He said.

"Aquamarine." You responded. "I stupidly sold one when I got one and I've been trying to find it in the mines, but I've just..." You sighed, clearly annoyed at yourself as you remembered dropping it in the shipping bin just a couple days prior. "I've been unlucky as hell. Do you have one?"

"Nah, sorry, I gave the last one I had to Yaomomo." Bakugou answered, just as annoyed for not having held onto it a little while longer. Had he only known you would request it. "What do you need it for anyways?"

You bit your lower lip, a pout forming as your lips were pushed to the right from the pressure. Your body swayed as you played around with your balance, a soft hum of uncertainty escaping you. "Promise not to declare me a nutcase?"

"Huh?" He repeated like before, but instead, his head dropped lower, while his voice was louder. "Did you forget about the walking skeletons, ghosts and whatever other shit is down there?" He asked, his thumb pointing in the general direction of the mines.

You mumbled, something along the lines of 'weird little creatures' and 'community centre', absolutely indecipherable, but Bakugou let you go on until he made out the word 'wizard' in that jumbled mess. "That weird dude who lives in the tower?" He asked, trying to remember his face, but all that he could come up with was a blurred outline of that ridiculous hat the guy was wearing. "He gave me a weird potion, was... uh, interesting, and when that was done I kind of... well, you see... There's these little dudes... and funny thing is, they..." As you spoke, your hands moved along, as if that had been any help to articulate the incomplete story you were telling. Eventually, your shoulders slumped alongside a deep sigh. "I'm trying to fix the community centre and I need aquamarine for it."

Initially, Bakugou wanted to go into the batshit crazy reveal of you drinking a potion made by that... He didn't even know how to describe him. He almost wanted to deploy the word 'psycho', but he knew that that was entirely wrong and quite presumptuous. Truthfully, he had never much interacted with the wizard. Actually, never. Only ever seeing him at festivals, lurking and watching from the shadows, but never talking to anyone. Not to mention that medieval tower he was living in from which colourful smoke rose into the sky on occasion. No one ever really visited him. If anything, the town consensus was that the wizard was an imposter, unable to fulfil any of the promises that he advertised with his potions. However, the mazes he created for Spirit's Eve were the best part of the event and Bakugou would lie if he said he wasn't at least a little jealous of the ingenuity that went into the creation.

"It's late, go home." Bakugou told you, the clock only flashing five in the evening. "Shouldn't you check how Kirishima is doing with building that coop of yours?"

"You know about that?" You asked.

"Word travels fast in a small town."

"I should bring him something to eat at least. The guy sure works fast, he's very reliable." You admitted. "Anyways, thanks. I'll try and find the stone tomorrow, I guess."

Bakugou had never been the person to go out of his way to do something without explicit request. Yet, he found himself descending into the lower levels of the mines, sword by his side, explosives in his pockets, in the search for the stone you required. It wasn't easy finding his way around with the monsters trying to jump him at any moment, but he did not wish to waste his time with senseless fighting, unless it were easy to kill enemies. When he did not see an aquamarine node, he made sure to find the nearest ladder or to descent via self-made staircase as soon as he could. By around one in the morning, he was unwilling to give up, but he saw the pointlessness in continuing. "For fuck's sake!" He hissed under his breath, breaking another stone open, revealing the final ladder he would descent. He had lost all hope, but the mines had their own sense of humour. At the bottom of the ladder lay exactly the gem node he needed.

It had been a long time since he had slept in the guild, having turned the room in the back into a storage room ever since he had taken over the business. He preferred staying in town, sharing a place with Denki, who spent most of his time in band practice, anyways, sleeping through most of the morning. Yet, he had left a mattress for situations such as the one he had found himself, a late excursion through the mines.

When he saw that familiar glow through his window the next day, you giving him a thumbs up before heading into the mines, he raised his hand with the aquamarine in hand. He could figure out you saying 'holy shit' but none of the rest of the string of words that had rapidly formed.

"When did you get it?" You asked the moment you stepped through the door.

"Found it in the back." He lied, rubbing his stiff neck from the rough night, trying to sound as truthful as he possibly could. To his dismay, you caught onto it. "Mhm, and that's why you got dust all over you?" You asked, a teasing tone and smile on your face. "Hell, did you seriously go down there... for..."

"The community centre? Yeah." He added, throwing the stone towards you which you caught with difficulty, panicked at the sudden movement. You hissed out a 'careful', a deep frown on your face while you checked that it remained unharmed, before putting the stone in your pockets, a thankful smile returning on your face. "You can be such a bitch, you know that?"

"If it bothers you so much, maybe you should abandon the challenge." Bakugou returned, almost disgusted at how much he disliked the idea.

"Pff, you scared I might succeed?" You teased back. "I can change the terms if you don't want..." Your voice trailed off, your feet carrying you over to the board, eyes immediately finding his name and right under, the slime kill count. You had to bite your lower lip to suppress the wide grin that had already formed. "Mhm, so while you were down there, why didn't you kill any slimes?" You asked, only your head turning to look at him. "You clearly updated your bug count. And bat. And... you know."

Bakugou clicked his tongue, then pushed it against his upper teeth, all the while he looked around trying to find an answer to your question. "None of your concern."

You pressed your lips together, your smile a constant you could not so easily fight away. "Will I see you at the Luau?" You asked. He only nodded. You noted the growing red tint in his ears, drawing out a soft giggle from you. "See you then." -

The community centre had not been used in ages. Bakugou barely even remembered what it had been used for, the only memories that remained were of him playing outside with the other children. Sometimes tag, sometimes they would hide, sometimes they'd play pretend whatever show or movie they were into. When he first stepped foot through the creaky door, the floor matching the sound, images of the old times flashed before his eyes. He could remember how the place had been decorated. He remembered the room from which they would occasionally grab toys. In the corner, he eyed the fish tank, distantly remembering tapping on the glass to draw out whatever fish they had kept in there. Under his boots, the glass crunched. He wondered how it had even come to such a state of decay. He did not have to wonder for long. The place had decayed for the same reasons as he almost had, driving him towards escaping Pelican Town, lest he would suffer the same fate.

"How would aquamarine help?" He wondered. The echo creeped him out. It almost felt like the room was alive, like it was trying to force him out. Wind found its way inside through small openings, singing a similar song as the ghosts in the mines did.

He turned around to leave. "What the-" He whispered, his eye catching sight of a... "What are you?" He asked the creature directly, but it waddled away quickly, heading into a room Bakugou had not known. It did not look dangerous. How could it? It was shaped like an oddly coloured apple with small arms and legs. Could they even speak? Bakugou approached the door, feeling a cosy warmth emanating from the downstairs. As he took his first step, he noted how stable the wood sounded, only the thudding of his shoes audible. "Did she fix all of this?" He asked into the empty room, astounded by how cleanly laid the stone and wood panels were. Only when the question was left floating in the space did he notice that the creature he had followed had disappeared.

It was the night of the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. He had decided to take a quick trip to the community centre, finally unlocked after years, to see what progress you had made. Recently, you had managed to pass the five-hundred line, approaching the six-hundreds steadily. With each descent into the mines, you had grown more confident, even going as far as requesting explosives from Bakugou, though he deemed you not ready. "If by Winter you pass nine-hundred, I might reconsider." He had told you, though even then he felt uneasy to trust you with his creations. One wrong handling and you could blow yourself up. To some extent, it was no longer mistrusting you, but more his own capabilities. After all, he had been more and more distracted each time he worked on his tools.

"You're late." You commented.

"I had something to do on the way here." He explained, his way of apologising. You looked at him expecting more details, but he kept quiet. "It's starting soon, let's go."

Bakugou wouldn't admit it out loud, but he looked forward to the event every year. People brought snacks, shared a drink, but most of all, everyone ended up sitting quietly at the dock, feet dangling above the water, quietly watching. You stayed close to him, surprisingly keeping all of your questions to yourself, though he could see you were burning to know more. "Just wait and see." He whispered to you, nudging you slightly and nodding towards the open see. The mayor Toshinori send out a candle, drawing out the moonlight jellies, or lunaloos as the wizard liked to call them. Momentarily, everything around the two of you went dark before the first lights emerged from the water. Bakugou had seen it a hundred times and if it weren't for you, he probably would have a hundred-and-one. Except he couldn't help glancing over in your direction, the awe washing over your face as the light danced around it. Like stars, the shine reflected in your eyes. He almost dropped the soda he was holding into the water, only managing to compose himself to not ruin the experience for you by scaring away the animals.

"Bakugou." You whispered, nudging him with your elbow. "Why's that one different?"

He looked down, confused by what you meant. A green jellyfish had appeared in front of you, fixed on that spot while the others danced around. "Huh, never thought I'd see one." He whispered back. "They say it's rare."

You only responded with a suppressed 'wow', your legs dangling in excitement as your eyes fixed on that one different jellyfish.

There had only been one thing rarer than the event of the green jellyfish appearing: Bakugou processing his feelings. Somehow, throughout the fall and winter season, he had managed to work through them. Painfully slow, but nonetheless he did it. Going as far as asking Izuku to grab a drink with him, sitting down at the adventurer's guild so that they could talk in private. "I've got a crush." The confession was quick, blurted out as if it were a crime he was admitting to.

Izuku was unsure how to respond - supportive or sarcastic? He chose the latter. "Gee dude, how did you figure it out?"

The blonde rolled his eyes, his middle finger rubbing the space between his brows, having a decision just as difficult to make - ignore it or cause a scene? He chose the former. He shrugged, unsure how to answer the question. He should have definitely known by the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. Maybe even when the fair had come around and the pride he had felt to see you win the contest. Perhaps, when you had brought him a void essence, stating 'you need those for the bombs, no?' Or even bringing him self-made cranberry sauce, which had always felt good to digest before heading into the mines. At the latest, he should have known when he started responding 'yes' to invites from people. Board game nights, the giant omelette evening, even Denki's band practice, not only in hopes of seeing you, but because he had started to feel part of a community. He started to feel like he belonged. Instead, it was just the night before, when he had walked home from the guild, watching you emerge from the community centre with a huge smile on your face.

"Oh, hey Katsuki." You had said, testing the waters of the first name basis he had approved of when you had reached one thousand slime kills in mines.

"What are you smiling about?" He had asked, his tone as always relatively harsh, but smoothed out over time.

"Oh nothing, just the vault room finally being repaired." You had said, smiling cheekily in your pretence of being humble. "And not so long and I believe I'll get the main room done as well. Do you think people will finally gather back in there? Get a fire going in the chimney? We could play card games and maybe organise movie nights. Do you think the kids will run around the place?" You had continued asking various questions, your body turned towards the entrance, shoulders pulled back in pride.

"Why do you care?" Bakugou couldn't contain his question. "About... this whole place I mean. Cause of your grandpa?"

"Huh?" You had taken a moment to find your words, shrugging as if it all didn't matter all that much to you. "I chose this life, because I wanted to. I knew jack shit about farming, but... you know, it sounded fun. Small town, big heart. So I wanted to try my best to fit in and when I realised I could help in small ways, I figured... why not? Doesn't hurt to do a good thing every day, no matter how small."

That was the first ever time he really wanted to kiss someone. The two of you had said good night shortly after, but his night continued well beyond the healthy hours. His mind stuck on your words, on your mannerisms. You had what he had always wanted. A drive to do better. When he had left town, he had vowed to never return. Except, it took him a year to realise just how warm life had been back home. Away from the depressing concrete walls of his work, away from the fake laughs, away from having to take the car to even get to a grocery store. Everything tasted like plastic after some time. When he had returned, the damage had been done. He had grown distant to the people in town, needing to inch his way back into their friendship. It took some time, apologies, but it never felt the same. Until you came and just yanked him into that life. Showed him how easy it had been to just form a community. All one needed was to be present.

Initially, he had been jealous, envious of your natural ability to integrate. How quickly you learned. It had long since transformed into admiration, because whenever you fell, you picked yourself up and kept going.

"I just felt it, I guess." As rare as it had been for Bakugou to process his feelings, it would remain a rare phenomenon to word them correctly and openly. He might manage partially, but one would need to be able to read his body to understand his mind. Izuku was not yet at that stage, no matter how many years of friendship had been between them. After all, a huge gap had separated them for a good portion of those years. "Are you gonna ask her out?" He asked.

Bakugou shook his head. "Would be unfair to her. Defeats the purpose of the challenge."

For a moment, his friend looked confused, only for it to be transformed into amusement, a hearty laugh escaping him. "How many more?"

"Close to seven hundred."

"Can you wait that long?" Izuku wondered.

"Mhm, what's another couple seasons?"

Bakugou still refused to dance with you during the Flower Dance, but he stayed close by, watching the performance while the two of you exchanged looks. His daring you to achieve your goal by the next year, yours filled with determination. He had no doubt you would succeed in whatever you had set your mind to. Hell, you even managed to get the bus going, telling him about your adventures in a different mine far more terrifying than whatever you had to deal with before. Reaching level one-hundred-and-twenty had apparently been a piece of cake compared to the beasts that were lurking in the so-called Skull Cavern.

"I need so many bombs." You told him, a pleading look in your eye. "Surpass my score and I'll do it for free." He promised you. "Jerk." You said with a smirk.

There had been a moment when he had wholeheartedly believed you had completely lost your mind. Or that you were simply unaware of the value of the gift you were making him. Bakugou had a bad day. He had run out of material to create mega bombs, and he did not feel like heading into the mines. Nor was he feeling like tidying the place up. Or working, for that matter. He also had received a request for iron ore, of which he had enough, but if he were to give it away, he could say goodbye to creating normal bombs as well. It was raining outside, summer thunder blasting through the valley. His shoes were soaking wet, the sole having detached itself halfway when he had just reached the mountain lake, a few steps away from the guild building. At the very least the day was nearing its end.

You blasted through the door. The force of the wind outside had added to your wham, knocking the door straight into the wall, and Bakugou wanted to yell at you, but he couldn't. His body had grown quite obedient around you. Nor could he ruin whatever had caused that massive joy on your face.

Despite the rain, you were downright filthy. Mud had gathered around your pants, your shoes had seen better days, and your neck was streaked with coal, and goo of whatever monsters you had slain while you were away in the desert. He wondered why you had not gone home, cleaned up, slept. He could have waited for your kill count update. It wasn't like you could have reached the remaining five hundred in one night. You didn't say anything, approaching him with an item wrapped in cloth. He raised his brow, wanting to ask you what it was, but you only urged him to open the gift.

"I can't fucking take this." Bakugou said breathlessly, the stone's colours reflecting differently as he moved around to look at it, assessing if it were a real Prismatic Shard. "Do you know how valuable this is? Keep it. Find a better use for it than to just give it-"

"I want you to have it." You interrupted. Bakugou opened his mouth to speak, but you continued: "Don't ask me if I'm sure. I saw it, thought of you. It's yours."

Bakugou almost couldn't stand looking at it, dragging the cloth over the stone to no longer be drawn in by the mesmerising colours. There was an empty slot on his board of swords, for one rumoured sword he never managed to get his hands on.

"Sixteen more, by the way." You added.

Normally, he would move straight to the list and update it, but he stood still, brows furrowed in contemplation. He simply needed to know. "Why me?" He asked, almost disgusted by how pathetic that came out. Ever since you had issued that challenge to him, he had been wondering. Sero's words remained in the back of his head, because it made him question what had drawn him to you. If it was his looks, you should have long decided to abandon your goal, given his personality. He didn't see himself as an acquired taste. He saw himself, most of the time, like an ass. One who needed to make steps in the right direction. If it weren't for you, he may never have taken those steps. But you wanted him before that. "If it's just cause I saved your life then-"

"I'm not that much of a loser." You interjected, laughing indignantly at the assumption. "If I were to fall in love with every person that had done something extraordinarily kind to me, I would have to accept a harem into my life." You shook your head. "Does everything have to have a reason with you? Like... why the fuck am I here? Why am I staying? Why am I fixing the community centre? I just... like you, Katsuki. I like your honesty. I like how much you care for this place, even if you pretend like you don't. Hell, apart from me, I think you're one of the only people taking requests. Like, fucking hell, if I have to listen to Mineta talk about some need for a maid café in this town and putting in a request for it, I might genuinely combust." Bakugou almost laughed at how visibly distressed you looked at the prospect of interacting with Mineta. "I just like how you give a fuck. Not letting me take bombs until you gave me a three day lesson on proper use of them. Even the first time I went into the mines, you gave me a shit sword, but you didn't let me go in unprotected. Staying long enough to make sure you saw me leave. And you still do that, but you wouldn't admit it! You know I'm capable, but you just care, no matter how capable you judge a person." Your words had gained speed as you yourself tried to grasp the meaning of your blabbering. "And I'm sorry, but I've snooped around. You're such a secretive person, never telling me about your past and so I asked around... I know why you left. I know why you came back. You care for everyone here, you're just too much of a coward to admit it, but you show it. When Eri went missing, you were out there looking for her the longest. When that weird green rain happened, you were the one to gather everyone, offering food and words of comfort. Harsh words. But people knew they were safe with you. When I got scared in that maze, you let me hold your hand, even though you felt uncomfortable and I know it's cause you think I would mind the sweat, but I couldn't give two shits-"

Bakugou pulled you in, his lips only inches away from yours. Your breath hitched, the adrenaline from your long-winded confession still rushing through your veins. While speaking you had almost felt too harsh, as if you were attacking his existence, but not once did he take it negatively, even smiling while you were downright insulting him. It was as if his eyes were saying 'I feel seen', but you weren't sure if you had been reading him correctly.

When your heart, mind, and soul settled, you wanted to close the gap, lean into the sensation that was Katsuki Bakugou, He pulled back.

"Six-hundred-and-seventy-six to go."

Dinner was quiet. The occasional scrape of metal against porcelain filled the silence as well as the arduous chewing of the thick steak. It wouldn't have been so bad if anyone - you, Kaito, Mr. Bakugou, or the Viscount Bakugou - were to engage in conversation other than "The meal is excellent, compliments to your staff." The viscount Bakugou was not as you had imagined. You would almost have described him as sickly, his demeanour retreated and compliant. It was clear his son took the most after his mother.

Occasionally, you would glance over to Mr. Bakugou who only offered a raised brow in turn. Whether it was annoyance or interest, you were not sure. It did not matter. He had to hear you out eventually and a meal between families was the only chance for you to trap him into a private conversation outside of the dance floor. While he did not reveal his emotions, he ensured that you were aware of his notice regarding the exchanged glances between you and your brother either by tapping your foot with his own or nudging your while eating.

"Are you sure you wish to do this?" Kaito's eyes asked you, a question he had asked prior to extending the invite to the viscount, and further before the meal took place.

"Most certain." Your raised brows and slight tilt downwards of your head confirmed to him.

Your brother had warned you not to get caught up in your own schemes. You had almost immediately dismissed him. You were aware that you were taking up a risk. If you were to be wrong in your interpretation of people's personalities, you would most certainly fall. However, your theories were not based on a whim. You had thought of plenty possible issues and how to work around them, but of course, you could not control everything. "But you can see my reasoning, can you not?" You asked him, leaning over his desk as you employed a face reading exasperation, in hopes your brother would agree to your mad ideas. "Oh you reason extra-ordinarily, but a well constructed argument does not mean it is right."

Yet, he agreed to assist you, because he could see the benefits if your plan failed even if those were not the benefits you wished for yourself.

In the dining room, only the housekeeper, Chiyo, and your lady's maid, Ochaco, were present apart from the guests. The two of them were in on it. If there had been one thing of value your parents had left behind with their passing, then it was the undeniable loyalty and trust between your family and the staff. It had been your mother who had reminded you that positions were passed down by blood, but that birthright a lady or gentleman did not make. Of all the women she had met, she had regarded Chiyo as the most honourable and her closest friend. "It is advantageous to have friends with a higher social standing." She had told you. "But remember who keeps your secrets." The two of them were locks to which only you and your brother had the keys, and you could not have been more grateful for their existence. After the table was cleared, you nodded to Bakugou, subtly, while his father and your brother spoke.

"Apologies, we must excuse ourselves for a moment." Your brother told you, his palm grazing over your shoulder as the viscount followed him, letting you know that it would be quick. As they left, so did Chiyo and soon after Ochaco stood guard just outside.

Bakugou did not allow you the opportunity to speak. The instant the doors clicked shut, he whispered, harshly while leaning in too close for your comfort: "When we had danced, I had not known that you were such a conniving, false snake who would dare to encourage her own brother to organise this-"

"Oh, will you shut it?" You groaned, rolling your eyes. "And fix your posture." You spoke at the standard volume, motioning with your hands around the room with a raised brow. Had he not been aware that nobody else had been there to listen to your conversation. Not that it would have made a difference if anyone had been there, considering Bakugou's behaviour looking incredibly suspicious. "If you would allow me the breath to explain why all of this is happening before the two of them return, I would be most appreciative." You laced your words with sarcasm, a prickly toxin you hoped would push him away and keep him quiet. He clicked his tongue, resting it between his teeth before closing his mouth, granting you your request. "I do not wish to marry you and my brother will not agree to an unconditional contract. It is merely a contract of precaution-"

"Precaution?" He asked, indignant. "Have you lost you damn mind?" He hushed again, though the slam of his hand against the table reverberated throughout the room, the sound likely escaping into the hallway. Ochaco knocked once, wishing nothing more but to ensure your safety. "It's alright, dear!" You called back, getting up from your chair to not follow in his reckless actions. "We will not marry!" You assured him, exhaling deeply. "I can assure you of it. As I said, I would not wish to marry some brute, impatient man such as yourself. You should be grateful, because I am in fact saving you-"

Mr. Bakugou rose from his seat as well, towering over you, his eyes fiery as the light of the candles reflected red in them. You averted your gaze and took a small step back, the heel of your shoe clacking softly. His reputation as a ruffian no longer seemed to be a mere rumour to you, his quick displays of anger almost making you reconsider your deal with the Queen. You were no coward. You would tame him. You turned your eyes back toward him, swallowing the hitch of your breath as you realised just how close he was standing to you, cornering you between table and chair. Either you would sit like a good dog or you would show him who was in charge.

"I understand why you are upset." You spoke slowly, realising that your explaining-everything-out-of-the-blue approach may not have been the best course of action. "I did not consult with you... Nobody did. That was wrong. But please, listen first and decide later. I swear to you that the contract is not definitive and that by the end of the season, you and I can go back to being strangers."

Your palms hand found their way to his chest, softly pushing him back, only the fabric of his shirt preventing contact. Sins had been committed for less. Under your touch, you felt his muscles ease and his breath regulate, allowing you guide him back down to his seat.

"There are multiple reasons why I have assessed this arrangement to be the most profitable for the both of us. I would not have suggested it to my brother if I had not been convinced in it working." You spoke slower than before, the air of anger having evaporated, while your heart was still palpitating from the excitement. You needed to adjust your rhythm. You needed to choose your words carefully lest cause another explosion. "Your father has been threatening you with an arranged marriage in hopes of you producing heirs." You almost chuckled, the corners of your mouth fighting against the incredulous smile. "Ridiculous." You huffed to which he only raised his brows in agreement. "The agreement is that we will spend time throughout the season and allow for us to get to know each other outside of public courting practices. Your father cannot expect heirs if you are not in love with your partner, so he would want to force love upon you."

"So what? You're saying we are being pushed into confinement so that we may fall in love through circumstance?" He asked, unconvinced by where the conversation was going. "I do not see any benefits in this scheme. How is it to my advantage to sacrifice my time to look after some maiden?"

You rolled your eyes at the comment, lifting your hand to stop him from uttering another word so that you might continue your explanation. "We will pretend, of course and at the end of the season we shall mutually decide that we do not wish to marry. It will be of benefit to me because my suitors need competition to truly show how valuable they are. If they see me as some damsel in distress trapped by an arranged marriage, they will try to save me and my popularity shall rise."

“I did not know you were so-“

“Vain? Conceited? Egotistical?” You asked, waiting for his insults to come but he only smirked at your self-description. “I am not if that is what you are implying with that ridiculous expression. However, I have been chosen by the Queen…” You bit down on your lip, something his eyes followed and narrowed at the realisation that there had been more to your plan than just a marriage contract. “I have made a deal with the Queen.”

Bakugou’s face turned into a range of emotions, all of which were hard to pinpoint, though you could definitely notice a glint of interest.

“Don’t be mad-“ You started.

“Don’t make me.”

“I- I have made a deal that I would fix your reputation with Lady Whistledown.” You spoke quickly, quietly, hoping he wouldn’t catch it. He did. Before he could storm out of the room as the sudden tension made you believe he would, you held both your hands up in an attempt to calm him. “It would be beneficial to you as well! Just think about it!” You almost yelled. The scenario had been replayed in your mind over and over again but you could never quite figure out how to breach the news of your dealings with Her Majesty. Dealings done behind his back about him with a monarch by a stranger. You would also have wished nothing else but to never speak again to the person who had done that to you. You opted to not reveal the whole truth. “If you act like a gentleman throughout the season, your father and the Ton will have a new image of you and- and! You will be a free man. Free from your father’s threats. Free from the looming eyes. Think about your future as viscount. Nobody will want to deal with an untrustworthy man, and if your reputation continues to sink, then you and your fortune will drown.”

Before the argument could continue, Ochaco opened the door returning to her position. “Just think it over…” You whispered to him, fixing your seat and posture while awaiting the return of your brother and the viscount. He only grunted, something you could not interpret.

The two guests left soon after. You exchanged a couple words with the viscount, who graciously complimented your behaviour and expressed his hopes for the future. The moment the door shut, you sunk in on yourself, slouching as much as your dress allowed you too.

“So?” Kaito asked.

“I do not know.” You shrugged, your finger moving to your lips as you thought back on your exchange. “He’s infuriating. I judged him wrong… He’s like a wildfire, sometimes bright, sometimes retreated, but always burning.” You sighed, turning to look at your brother. “Certainly, I could have expressed myself better, made him understand how he could profit from our partnership, but my words… I guess we will have to see.” You sounded unsure, occasionally sucking in the inside of your mouth, blurring your words. Kaito received the message, though, offering you a sympathetic look.

Typically, you had considered yourself to be rather eloquent and convincing. However, whenever you tried proceeding diplomatically, you felt bothered. It was like your body wanted to fight him. The arguments you had practiced in the morning had all but turned into a jumbled mess.

“He has not said ‘no’, ma’am.” Ochaco said as she brushed through your hair. You had only asked her to keep you company, if she were free, but she liked to keep her hands occupied. Her touch was comforting. Her presence usually calmed you down. Except you still felt on edge. “You will see him tomorrow at the ball… And if I may suggest something?” She asked.

“Of course, I value your opinion.”

“Allow him to speak.” She said and you wanted to protest, but allowed her to finish her thoughts. “You have a very commanding personality, which I admire about you. I am glad to work for a lady who is not allowing others to bring her down, however…” Ochaco put the brush down, moving in front of you so that she may directly look into your eyes. “If you wish to cooperate with someone, you cannot control them, especially not someone with a similarly strong personality. And…” She looked unsure, her eyes darting away yet still meeting yours in the mirror.

“It’s alright, speak freely… I believe I need to hear whatever you wish to share if I want to succeed.” You admitted, your stomach feeling heavy in anticipation.

“Perhaps, apologise? If you have not already?”

“Apologise?” You asked, incredulous. “For what?”

“Forcing this onto him…” Her voice was quieter.

“I am helping him!” You protested.

“Certainly!” She responded quickly, but there was more, her confidence from before having dissipated. Yet, she continued, feeling like you needed the guidance. “But… he does not see it as such. Not yet? Um… If you want him on your side, you should show him you value him as a partner.” Her words had only been intelligible because she had been so close to you. Her brows were furrowed, a deep look of worry mixed with care settling in her eyes. You took her hands. “Thank you… I will consider your words.”

Lady Whistledown had been quiet, but a ball was certain to draw her out. The concoction of desperation, flatter, and the desire to do something as scandalous as dancing without your gloves was just the witty author needed to produce another column. What you needed was to escape the dance floor, your dance card slowly filling up despite you having been careful with your choice of gentlemen. Unfortunately you couldn’t reject them all.

“You seem… distracted. Is everything alright?” You were asked on your fourth dance.

“I assure you everything is quite alright.” You lied, realising just how much you had been looking around to spot the blonde man. “I am simply in need of refreshment.”

“I can fetch you some lemonade.” He said.

“No, it is quite alright. I shall go myself and find my brother as well.” You excused yourself at the end of the dance. The beverage did nothing to calm your nerves or to refresh you. Everything in your schemes had been riding on one person, the only person that had been a mystery to you from the moment you had met him. The Queen, who had decided to grace the ball with her presence, had her eyes following you throughout the evening. She was growing impatient. “May I have this next dance?”

Your back was turned to the gentlemen, your expression all but kind and welcoming. The exhaustion was creeping up on you and you could suddenly feel the cloth of your dress against you and the weight of your jewels. “My apologies.” You said a little pointed, trying to maintain your poise. “Unfortunately I am quite fatigued by the-“ As you turned, you were met with a familiar broad physique. “Mr. Bakugou?” You asked, unsure if the heat of the dance floor had made you delirious.

He did not smile, his face the same stoic, unreadable expression which he carried in public. You had not realised just how much of his personality he had revealed at dinner, seeing him so controlled once more. That same flustered palpitation returned, more subdued by the weight of the atmosphere. “I have thought about your proposal.” There was an edge to his voice, his arrogance escaping the grip of his physical control. He offered you his hand, which you took reluctantly, still uncertain whether he was willing to help. He noticed that blockage right away. “I would not be asking you for a dance so openly if I were completely against your ideas.”

‘I suppose that is true.’ You thought, tightening your grip on his hand as you followed along. Your eyes darted to the Queen first who covered her amusement with a fan. At the very least, she would remain satisfied for another couple days.

“Before you… say anything.” You spoke in whispers, the dance floor allowing you some privacy but not enough to discuss such secret plans. People must assume you were simply getting to know each other first. “I would like to… apologise.” You noticed the slight twitch of his brows at your chopped cadence, as if it pained you to admit you were wrong. Somewhat it did. “I have forced this upon you without consulting with you first. It is your life that is being played with after all… I truly regret how I proceeded…” A pang of guilt shot at you, reminding you that you had not told him the whole truth. ‘The end justified the means.’ You reminded yourself.

His jaw clenched and you expected him to reject your apology. “I apologise as well.” He said instead, a momentary shock making you smile, followed by amusement at his own difficulties at admitting he had been wrong. “Your understanding of my situation was quite accurate and I… was too rash in my judgment.” His eyes shot over behind you, something you took note of as you turned, looking for the same spot. Mr. Kirishima, as everybody else it had seemed, was watching your dance. It seemed that he had been the voice of reason you had needed to convince Bakugou to join in on your schemes. “Nonetheless…” He leaned in slightly, his voice suddenly darker. “Choose to not involve me in your scheming again and I will ensure that our marriage will be hell on earth for you.”

You smirked. “Threat noted.” You said, knowing he had not been serious. There would be no wedding.

Between taking your makeup off with eye-burning soap and sitting down in a mint-scent filled living room, you were no longer sure if you were able to share your story with him. That surreal feeling after you had cried for a while due to a paralysing situation to sitting in your boss' living room - it all felt like a dream. Maybe that was what your body needed. Sleep. Not a trauma dump.

"You don't have to." Bakugou reminded you and you shook your head. "I know. I'm just..." You took a sip from your tea, the minty taste barely registering on your taste buds. It was helping though, instantly reminding your shoulders to drop down a little and your body to lean back. You were safe. "I'm just trying to find my words. It's a bit of a long story, you know?"

He didn't respond, only nodding. Somehow it all felt too casual. You in his clothes, your legs crossed with a pillow on top of them and the cup resting on top of that. Him with one leg resting on top of the other, foot to knee, leaning back with an All Might themed cup in hand. 'Why did I get a boring white one?' You wondered, pursing your lips downward, amused at the difference. "Do you have guest specific ones and you keep the cool ones for yourself?" You asked, changing the topic, but you needed that breather. You needed a laugh. "Do you want the Best Jeanist one?" He asked, his tone so deadpan you were not sure if he was being serious or not. You didn't have to wonder for long as he got up, taking your cup along with him to the kitchen to pour the contents over into a new one. "What other heroes you got?" You asked, curious.

"I'm not fucking pouring you another one if you prefer a different mug." His head shook 'no' as he spoke.

"Wait, how many do you have?" You asked quickly, your head bopping forward while a smile properly formed on your face.

"Twelve."

"Are you a nerd or something?" You bit your lower lip as you witnessed the roll of his eyes.

"Didn't you binge watch three reality tv shows in the last two weeks?" He countered with a dismissive raise of his hand.

You sucked your lower lip in, brows risen while you nodded along to the statement. You hummed in defeat to which he could only offer a grin.

As much as you wished to remain in the ease of the moment, you knew you had to breach the subject eventually. The air around you remained thick with anticipation, pushing down on any other conversation the two of you could be having, because you knew it would turn sour quickly. It was like blowing gum, growing bigger and bigger until it eventually had to pop. Or, you could choose to never speak of it again, letting the bubble deflate instead. 'I gotta.' You told yourself once more, taking a deep breath, which in turn caused Bakugou to push himself to sit upright, understanding you would start your story soon. You put the tea on the coffee table, pulling your knees upward and wedging the pillow between your upper body and your legs which you hugged for balance.

"I don't really know where to start." You shrugged, your voice at ease as if you were talking about the most mundane thing. Maybe that was a good thing. "I guess, when he got hired? Yeah, that makes sense." You found it best to ignore that Bakugou was there in the first place, speaking to yourself because it was easier to tell someone who knew what had happened. "Mr. Koga joined the company as a partner three and a half years ago. He was... I guess you would describe him as a frat-slash-finance bro, you know? Full of himself, chest always puffed out, but you could also say charismatic. Everyone liked him and he became somewhat of an internal celebrity. I was assigned to him the moment he joined, although I still took care of two other partners. It wasn't until half a year after that that we started working closely together."

Memories of your first couple interactions flashed back into your mind. The kindness of his smile and his words. Would you have quit had you sensed any malice emanating from him? Or would you have continued on, more wary and distant of him?

"I thought he was gonna be a good boss. The first time we spoke as employer-employee, he actually told me that I could always trust him with any issues. Any worries. If I didn't understand how he liked to proceed, I could always ask him. He never really complained about anything and if he did, he was soft-spoken about it. I could understand why everyone was drawn to him... fuck, I was as well. It made me want to perform better." There had been a time when you had been the very first in the office every morning and one of the last in the evening. Your coffee breaks were taken at your desk in case you were needed. It was a version of you, who after three years of work had finally found a spark again. "I clung onto that feeling for a while. At some point me staying later was no longer my doing, but I simply received such a massive workload from him, I had no choice but to work extra. There were promises of promotions, endless compliments, and I genuinely believed that I was headed towards something so much better... Like an assistant could ever be that."

The more you spoke the more the previous minty taste from the tea transformed into something far more bitter. As if the leaves were actively decaying in your throat. Bakugou had wanted to interrupt you. You had heard the breath before he even spoke but you shook your head.

"I don't know when exactly, but there was a time when we were alone in the office quite often. I only remember that at first it was fine, normal conversations. The first time he ever said anything was fleeting. I don't know if I should be happy that I don't remember or pissed. I only remember the way home and how I almost got into an accident, because I wasn't aware of my surroundings... I was so far out of it, everything just looked like an old film." You chewed the inside of your cheek between sentences, your brain trying to conjure up the day, but it only flashed before you in quick images. "Then he started being touchy, more than he had ever been with anyone else. At first they were mere shoulder touches, quick and reassuring, but then it became rubs. Eventually he became bold enough to let his hand wander. Lower back, lingering, drawing circles to draw it out. One time he came to my desk, kneeling down to talk to me, his hand on my thigh, hitching higher as he spoke... Sometimes he would pretend that it was an accident that he touched my ass, apologising under his breath so that nobody else knew. Other times, when it was just the two of us, he'd do... h-he'd do it on purpose."

You felt your breath hitch momentarily, causing you to cough up the remaining panic you had felt in the night. When you had looked up at Bakugou, he remained in the same position, deadly silent. You managed to only catch his eye once, an irritation you had not expected. You didn't catch more than that, your vision blurred by the silhouette of the mug which had burned itself in your retinae after staring at it too long.

"Uh, well..." You cleared your throat, your eyes settling on your fidgeting hands instead. "Sorry, I've gone through this so many times. In the mirror. With Tadae. In my sleep. Yet, I can't..." You pressed your lips together as you did your fingers, your knuckles turning white. The more you spoke the more breaks you needed between sentences. "Anyways... It wasn't just physical. I had to listen to comments on my figure, the type of clothes I had been wearing. One time I decided to wear something loose fitting, still professional, but I just... I don't know, I felt like hiding. I was threatened to be fired by him if I dressed so unprofessionally one more time. He was... so fucking angry." You said the last part incredulously, the memory almost feeling like you had made it up entirely. Your thumb scratched at your other nails in a pattern, a routine you found in that moment that helped keep you grounded.

"Whatever." You tried to sound indifferent like it all had not been all too big of a deal. Yet your voice shook occasionally, betraying you. "I went back to my old wardrobe and pretended like nothing ever happened, like I wasn't yelled at behind closed doors. And I told myself that everything wasn't all that bad. That others had it so much worse. My male superior was just kind of a bitch, I could deal with it, you know? It wasn't like he ever went too far." You grew irritated as you spoke, scratching your knuckles harder, leaving red marks behind. "Um, yeah... Sorry. Where was- Oh, right." You let your hands rest against your legs again, pulling them as close as you managed. "The Spring Party. Different location, same thing. He asked me to grab a drink. Then another. By the third, I refused. I wanted my mind to be as sober as it could, because I knew if I took another sip, maybe I would have just gone home with him..." You felt the tears burning at your nose again, shaking your head as you apologised once more. "I wouldn't have wanted to, but I felt like I couldn't escape him. He grabbed my arm, dragging me along to the cocktail bar. I came up with an excuse that I needed to pee. He tried to contest but eventually let me go. I went home."

That was all you managed to tell him for a little while. You let your tears take over and he grabbed you a tissue which you accepted with gratitude. Your insides were a whirlwind. One moment you felt sad. Another you felt angry. Then, somehow even guilt nestled itself in there, though you could not understand what it was directed at. After some time, you continued: "Tadae helped me rationalise everything. I feel if I had not had her, I would have stayed there. She convinced me that he was simply a manipulator. That he was chipping away at my defences until there were none left. Testing the waters and then taking the plunge and all that shit. Sometimes I am convinced of it myself. Other times I need to remind myself that I didn't let it happen, because I wanted it. But fucking hell, it's so hard when..." Your body shook, your lower face burying itself into the pillow as you tried to fight back tears. The cloth muffled your voice, but let enough pass to make the words clear. "I never said anything, you know? Never a 'no', never... n-never a word against him..." You lifted your head, staring right at Bakugou. "For fuck's sake I even praised the guy in his performance reviews!"

You huffed, wiping your tears once more. 'I hope I look fine.' was the only thought you managed to form and you cringed realising that that was where your mind had gone. Your eyes went past Bakugou, barely registering that he had gotten up to approach you, only facing him when you felt the weight shift on the spot in front of you. When he took your hand, you were too stunned to react. The two of you sat there like that for a while, neither of you attempting any further movement. "Cry." Bakugou said carefully, unsure if his words were coming across the way he intended. "You can cry." He nodded sideways downwards and you understood his intentions finally.

Without hesitation, you removed the pillow, approaching him and wrapping your arms around him. Your eyes burst with tears, one droplet after the other rolling down your cheeks. You huffed and took shuddered breaths to recuperate your strength, only for it to fail once more.

You wailed.

It had been a long time since you had let out a deep scream like that one while crying. All the tears you remember shedding the past years had been silent. Retreated.

You stayed there for a while, way beyond having made his shirt wet. His arm rested against your back, holding you close so you wouldn't slip away from him. Not once had he spoken, only moving to grab you more tissues in case you couldn't reach. Somehow, him enduring your melancholy had been the best thing he could have done. You didn't need further questions nor any attempt at consoling you. You only needed to let go. When you separated yourself from him, your head pounded, but your heart felt light as did your mind.

"Thanks..." You whispered and he nodded. "If..." You started, looking down at your hands. "If you don't mind, I have a couple more things..."

"Go ahead." He said reassuringly.

"I tried HR. And it went as pat-on-the-back as it could have gone. After the party, I really tried to get some justice, any ounce of retribution... but they just told me that without proof there was nothing to be done. I don't think they cared. No... They truly didn't. I tried to hint at it to a colleague I believed to have been close to. She spread rumours about me sleeping with the partner to get a promotion..." You sighed, no longer possessing the energy to feel anything.

"Is Tadae the only one who know?" Bakugou asked and you nodded. "Not Sero?"

You looked up at him, shaking your head while softly biting the inside of your lower lip. "There was... I almost... Well... Hm." You took a deep breath, retrying. "You know what was between me and Sero, no?" You asked instead. He nodded. "There was one moment when I felt almost... obligated, I guess? To tell him. When I realised it wouldn't stay a one night stand... or a two time thing." You momentarily wondered how much you should share, but the words in your head were static and you couldn't really figure anything out. So you spoke. You just let your words carry on with the trust that Bakugou would remain the friend you needed. "I didn't tell him, because I realised I didn't need to. Sex wasn't really an issue. I mean, yeah sure sometimes I might disassociate a little, but..." Your head swayed softly as you spoke, knowing that what you were saying may not be coming across positively, but you wanted him to know that you were fine. "I still get to enjoy the same things as before, even if I need a break from them every once in a while. Or a break during them. I'm still allowed to fantasise, laugh at raunchy jokes, or flirt with the sole goal of getting to fuck."

Bakugou didn't contest any of your statements. He knew where his place in this whole interaction was and it almost made you want to kiss him. You didn't not feel anything romantic towards him, however. Your brain had managed to accept that you had needed a friend most of all in a situation like this and that was all you could see him as, crush aside.

"Thanks for listening." You said. "I know it's not how you imagined to spend your evening, but I appreciate it."

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Please, the shit I have to deal with on the daily, I'd rather help someone I actually fucking care about."

You chuckled. "I care about you too." You said with a mocking tone. "Truly." Then switched it to a sincere one. "I can take the couch, by the wa-"

"Nah." He got up, grabbing a pillow and thin blanket from one of the cupboards. "Take the bed. My couch is fine, I'll watch a movie. Not feeling all that tired."

"Oh, speaking of movie, did you see there's gonna be a new All Might biopic?" You asked and you could see the excitement in his eyes as if he had been waiting his whole life for such a movie. "Wanna go?"

He considered your offer for a moment. "Sure. Premiere at the local theatre?"

You shrugged. "Why not?" A yawn laced itself into your words. "Oh, uh, do you have a charger?"

"In my room."

You nodded. "Have a good night." You said with a tired smile, walking over to his bedroom door. "Thanks again, Bakugou."

If you had wanted Tadae and Sero to meet, you would have probably done it via dinner invite. Something along the lines of 'Hey, the two of you have become my closest friends and I kinda want you guys to know each other if that is fine.' You wouldn't have minded if it had happened at your funeral either. Not all your friends had to know each other, after all. "Uh, so coffee?" You said with an awkward smile, seeing the both of them standing in front of your apartment door. You had gotten home from Bakugou's place a mere fifteen minutes ago, his clothes still loose on you and you still felt sweaty and greasy. You clutched the hem of the shirt, your lips pressed together as you waited for an answer from either of them. "Sure... Uh, but no stress though, right?" Sero responded, entering your apartment first, but looking back at Tadae with lifted shoulders to check for her decision. She simply sighed, following along. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She hissed to you with a pointed finger. Her strict demeanour soon leaving as she smiled sympathetically at you, squeezing your shoulder lovingly.

"Make yourselves at home." You told them. "I'll just..." You looked down at yourself, realising you didn't even really need to give them an explanation. The loose fitting clothing, albeit comfortable, was maybe not the best to welcome guests, even if they were your closest friends. Your teeth were still not brushed and your eyes still felt puffy and dry.

When you had come back into the living room, refreshed with new clothes and a washed face, the conversation had only started with simple introductions.

"Yeah, I know I've seen your Tinder profile." You had heard Tadae say to Sero, possibly in response to him telling her his name. "And she's talked about you."

"I assume Tadae?" He responded. "I hope not much about my-"

Before he could finish his sentence, you walked into the room with a loud clap, drawing attention to yourself. You did not like where the conversation was heading, not particularly keen on discussing your sex life with both people who already had known so much about it. "I'll get to making the coffee. Do you want anything, like... a snack or something?"

Tadae shook her head. "I want the story." She responded. "With sugar. The coffee I mean." She added, leaning back on the armchair, on the other end of the table away from Sero.

Why Tadae had come to visit you, you could only blame yourself, having left an ominous text message the night before just as your phone was dying and no longer responding to her until you were in bed at Bakugou's place. Your phone had shown all messages at once, thirty-four in count, and twelve missed calls at various intervals. However, you couldn't quite figure out why Sero had shown up. 'Have I drunk texted him...? Has Bakugou told him anything? Can't be. He wouldn't just go off, telling my secrets. He's just not that type of guy.' You pondered as the coffee machine brewed. "I'm really sorry, girl. I was just... I didn't know what to do. I'm fine, though. Pinky promise." You told her, putting down her cup on the coaster. You sat down between the two of them, handing Sero his beverage, having decided none for your own. "Why... are you here, though?" You asked him during the motion.

"Don't be mad-"

"Don't start like that!" You cringed back, your eyes pressed together as you turned to face Tadae instead. "What have I done? Drunk texted? Posted an embarrassing story?"

"Uh, nothing like that." Sero assured you. "Kirishima told me that you had stormed off from the party you guys were at. He was kinda worried about you and you didn't respond to my texts, so I figured I should check up on you directly." He took a sip from his coffee, putting it down before he would turn and lean on the corner of the couch to be able to face the both of you directly. "Coincidentally we both showed up."

'Kirishima?' You wondered, barely remembering having interacted with him. Yes, you had passed by him, said 'hi', but that had been it. When had he noticed you had been gone? Had he been around when you had started crying?

"What exactly happened?" Tadae asked. "You were very vague over text..."

You pushed your face into your palms, suppressing a groan, knowing you had to talk about it. A simple 'nothing, I'm fine' wouldn't do any of you any good. You needed to tell them, because you needed to allow yourself to talk about it. Tadae knew the whole story leading up to the party. Sero was about to find out. "Ok, fine, but... don't interrupt, yeah? Let me just go over everything."

The two of them nodded.

Spring was a season of change. Of new beginnings. It offered possibilities of growth that had been slowed down by Winter and everyone was eager to turn their lives around. You were eager to survive the closing period without much fuss from the accountants. Worse even, though you understood, Bakugou had requested an audit to be conducted to make sure all documents were up to date, correct, and registered. It wouldn't be for another couple years until Ground Zero would have to subject itself to a mandatory audit, but the company having been created by him and further developed with assistance from you... "Better be safe than sorry." He had said. You agreed. After all, you had a combined experience of company management of seven years, six of which seemed to stem from you. Unfortunately, that added additional stress to the closing period.

When Bakugou came with the news of a 'Closing Party', you were sceptic at first. "You're organising a party for the fou- five of us, including Ms. Kanzaki?" You asked, confused. "No. The convention centre in the city has been booked by two companies who have decided to invite smaller agency, though we have to pay a catering fee. Since the year's been going well, I figured we do it."

You'd be lying if you said you weren't excited. Closing parties were the event of the year with companies going all out on entertainment, food, and drinks. They were always accompanied by massive scandals of CFOs spilling secrets or CEOs cheating on their partners. Some of them ended up in the news if they really went too wild. You relayed all that information to Kota and Haru, who had not yet been to such an event. "Has your old company done anything crazy?" Kota asked, who had initially feigned ignorance, though he had listened to your stories. "There was once a chocolate fountain with fruits and marshmallows for grabs, cocktail towers, dancers of different styles each year.. Oh, uh, a massive elephant statue for some reason. Didn't do anything, but it looked imposing."

"Isn't that kind of... I don't know, a waste of money?" Haru asked, uncertain if she would enjoy such an event.

"Maybe a little, but they do these grand things to reward their workers. The food is amazing, try not to eat much before."

"Can you even go?" Kota asked Haru, who was certainly too young to be drinking.

You waved him off. "Don't worry about it, they always offer intern specific areas. You won't be able to enter the other part of the centre, but you'll have the same food. It's a great opportunity to make some friends in the same business as you." You patted her on the back and she nodded, pushing out her lower lip as she considered it. "In any case, we will spend as much time together at first. After all, we're going as a company to celebrate our achievements. I wouldn't dream of just leaving you alone. Right, Kota?"

He agreed with a reassuring smile, which Haru returned, nodding in excitement at the prospect of celebrating what all of you had accomplishment in the past year.

Bakugou had asked you to drive him, while Ms. Kanzaki, who had been invited by Bakugou to join the party, would take Kota and Haru with her. "I could only get two slots reserved and my car-"

"Is too precious to be brought to such a wild event?" You teased. "Wanna say anything else to point out I'm in a lower tax bracket?"

"Did I hit a nerve?" He asked, unserious with a raised brow and playful smirk on his face.

"You could hit my salary upwards?" You sucked in your lip, pressing your teeth down as you tried to make sense of your own words.

"We can talk about it when you got better comebacks. So, you driving?" He asked again. You hummed a defeated 'yes', rolling your eyes at seeing his triumphant grin.

The human brain is a truly wondrous thing. Its capability to ignore all signs of warning, but still instil you a sense of dread throughout the day was astonishing. The day of the party had come and from morning until you were on your way to pick Bakugou up, something had been tugging at your worries. It felt as if you had forgotten something, something crucial, but no matter how much you had tried to remember, you drew a blank. Even your concentration had been off, drawing you to other thoughts, unrelated matter that could wait another day. 'I ran out of eggs this morning.' was followed by 'Eh, I put it on the shopping list anyways.' and then by 'I didn't respond to the e-mail... Oh, but I did leave a note to do it Monday.' Everything had already been organised, yet you felt the need to check. It even took you five minutes extra to get to Bakugou's place, having taken a wrong turn despite seeing it being wrong on the navigation system.

"You're unusually late." Bakugou pointed out as he got into the car.

"Five minutes?" You responded, offended at his tone as if he had to wait an hour for you.

"Yeah. Unusual." He highlighted.

You didn't comment on it. You were not in the mood. In silence, you started driving after putting the new address into your phone. Bakugou wore a loose-fitting, black striped suit, not too formal, but neither did it scream 'I don't give a fuck' which was different for him as well. Surprisingly, it was not the only different thing about him. "Nice dress." He said. 'Since when does he speak first in awkward silence?' You wondered, somehow irritated at the turn of events even if you had been previously dying to have that happen. "Thanks." You scratched your scalp, wondering if you should add anything else to the conversation, but you couldn't find your words. Suddenly, you felt a bit too out there with your exposed back and the lower cleavage. 'I've dressed like this before, what the fuck is my problem.'

Bakugou refrained from further comments. He must have noticed that something had been bothering you. Inversely, you also noticed his unusual behaviour. A minimal twitchiness, scratching at his wrist below his watch, the unbuttoning of his jacket and re-buttoning. He looked relaxed enough. He didn't feel that way.

Upon arrival, you calmed down a bit with the conversations flowing with the rest of the team. You didn't participate much, but listening drew your attention away enough from the dread you had been experiencing, you managed to drop your shoulders a little. 'I'm fine.' You tried to convince yourself. For a moment you were. The moment when all of you had gathered in the intern area, the first entry point, where most of the crowd still was, listening to a speech from a CEO you did not know. 'I can't even see the company logo from here...' You tried to tiptoe to figure it out, but that wasn't enough. Whatever he was saying into the mic was unintelligible from the distance so you gave up altogether. The five of you stayed in that area with Haru for a solid forty-five minutes before she found a friend group that had stolen her away from you.

"Call Ms. Kanzaki if you need a ride!" You shouted after her and she gave you a thumbs up. Ms. Kanzaki and you exchanged a quick glance and soft smile. "Well, at least she found friends."

Had your brain not skilfully ignored all possible signs, you probably wouldn't have found yourself downing a cocktail as soon as you had stepped through the big entrance. Your eyes were initially drawn to the decor, fake plants all over creating a Spring wonderland. The food stands could be found all along the left wall, while the right side was reserved for the DJ booth and drinks. A huge dancefloor in the middle at the end of which performers decked in feathers were enticing the people around them to dance along. However, the amazement did not stick with you for long.

"Fuck." You muttered under your breath, only enough for yourself to hear in the growing music. It only then clicked for you why you had been so on edge. The last company part you attended had been two years prior. It was at a different building, but you knew your old company was planning to relocate it and reserve a bigger centre in advance. You should have asked Bakugou to tell you by which companies your agency had been invited. You should have looked into it. Someone on LinkedIn must have posted all proud about where it would be held. You could have known. You should have known. If you had, you would have called in sick. Instead, you now had to deal with possibly running into the colleagues who were the reason you had to restart your life.

"You alright?" Kota asked, looking at you confused. Probably because of your cowering posture or the wide eyes. Maybe the perpetual furrowed brow. "Huh?" You turned to him. "Oh, yeah. Huge crowd, feeling a tad bit... small. I'll go to one of the tables and grab a drink, yeah?"

You didn't let him respond as you took off, pushing yourself through the groups of people, trying to avoid eye contact at all costs in case it was one of them. In passing you heard shouts of conversation ."April is an operationally pivotal month-" transformed into someone else saying "Oh, yeah, I'll be a Senior. There have been talks of-". At some point you managed to focus on the music, muting out whatever corporate jargon they were spewing. 'Fucking hell people it's a party, talk about something other than work.'

"[L/N]?" You heard a familiar voice next to you as you were in a corner, finishing your drink. You did not know how long you had hidden near the wall, grabbing a drink then two, onto your third. Your stomach was still empty, burning with the sensation, shouting at you to fill it, but you remained in your safe space.

"Oh, Kirishima, you're here as well?" You asked, barely even registering that the conversation was happening, your eyes stuck on the crowd ahead.

"Yeah, my agency was invited." He responded and you could hear the smile on his face. "Huh, Bakugou didn't tell me about you guys coming. Do you mind if I go seek him out real quick?"

"What?" You turned to him. "No, no, go ahead."

You needed food. Having been pulled out of your petrified state by Kirishima's unexpected warmth, you realised you couldn't act a scared little lamb. 'I can absolutely do this. What even am I scared of?' You asked yourself and you truly had no answer. The past was in the past. If you were to run into someone, you would give them a professional smile, an update on your life, and an excuse so that you could leave. Yet, you stuck to the walls, moving to the other side of the room on the periphery of the crowd.

It tasted like nothing. You were certain it was the best food you have had in a while, but your taste buds had disconnected a while back. However, the lack of perceived taste had an awakening effect. Kirishima's words thrumming back into your mind as you realised you had a definite ticket out of the place. 'Bakugou!' You thought, going back on your tiptoes to see if you could spot him somewhere in the crowd. 'He'll understand. I tell him I feel sick, he'll take the car, he'll bring me home. Fuck, if he wants to come back here, he can have my car for all I care, but he can get me back.' Your thoughts continued, focussed on your ticket out as you pushed your way through the crowd. 'He won't ask questions. He's not like that, because he knows my limits and I know him and-'

When you had spotted him, further into the crowd than you had expected him to be, you stopped dead in your tracks, getting bumped by a couple people. You couldn't even apologise. Of all the sights, you had not expected to see him holding a woman close as his lips moved against hers. You should have looked away. You couldn't. For a solid minute, you stood there, unsure where to go or what to do.

"[F/N]!"

Your head turned, your body refused initially. Planted into the ground. Your muscles felt so tense, they were constricting your breathing from the outside. "Mr. Koga." You said, nodding, unable to muster up a smile. It had disappeared just as your heart had dropped. The pulse you had been feeling so fervently throughout the day was nowhere to be found.

"I thought it was you." He said with a gratified smile, his usual upbeat personality shining through, but you could see through the facade. "I told you, you can drop the honourifics outside of work. Bring it in!"

He loved to say 'bring it in' and hug the person in front of him as the words were still leaving his mouth. You had no time to protest. You shuddered feeling his hand roam to your lower back, the top of his pinky slipping under the fabric of your dress. It wasn't enough for you to cause a scene. It wouldn't be worth it to cause a scene. You would endure. Yet, you found yourself seeking out Bakugou, hoping to make eye contact with him, only to find that the crowd had engulfed you, separating your sights from him.

"What are you up to?" Koga asked, the hug lingering as if the two of you had been long lost friends, only stepping away when you gave him a slight push. "I must say, that dress looks phenomenal on you." He leaned in, speaking lower so that the conversation would only stay between the two of you. Somehow, it drowned out the crowd. Somehow, you were no longer in a huge room with blasting music, but in a meeting room alone with him. "Say, you wanna go somewhere private?" His lips were pursed to the side, followed by a smile and a big laugh as he patted your upper arm. He did not care for your answer to the first question, wherever you had gone off to was none of his concern. He simply enjoyed getting to play around again, no consequences following. He rested his hand on your shoulder, his thumb somehow finding its way under the strap.

It was as if your heels had sunk into the ground, stuck, keeping you planted there for his ridicule. His perfectly aligned teeth were always visible as he sported a cocky smile. His hair always looked the same. That short, clean cut in the same rectangular silhouette. He had always worn grey suits with colourful ties. His cologne always smelled cheap, though you knew it was expensive. Everything about him was expensive.

"Cat got your tongue?" He asked, leaning further in and you could smell his breath, yet you remained standing like a statue. "Come on, I've got so many questions to ask you!"

He carried himself freely like a college student with the arrogant demeanour of a superior. Because had been your superior. He was everyone's superior in his department. The hand on your shoulder snaked around your back, pulling you closer as he dragged you along. You did not care for his questions. You knew that he had no interest in anything intellectual you had to say, only wishing for you to have one more drink, one slip up. He wanted to taste you and if he couldn't, he would do anything to be able to live out that fantasy mentally. "You got a boyfriend now?" He asked. You didn't know why you responded, shaking your head 'no'. "Lucky me." He responded. His laugh always sounded forced, though you knew it was genuine. His grip was loose, but his arm felt heavy. "I never understood why you suddenly avoided me, which was..." He clicked his tongue as in reprimanding you. "I mean, we worked for me, and then one day you just hid whenever I was around. Had you not quit, you would have been fired, but I was against that. I wanted you around, you know-"

"I really need to go." You said hurriedly, managing to shove him off of you. You would not fall for his winding words that drew one in, leaving you lost in the labyrinth he weaved. Your steps carried you away from him, causing you to bump into people in your rush. The adrenaline brought back the feeling of a pulse you had been so missing. The pounding of your heart had drowned out the sound around you. Whenever you regained one of your senses, you lost another. For a moment you couldn't hear, then you couldn't feel anything.

Tears had formed in your eyes somewhere along the way, pushed out by the pumping of your blood. 'It's over. It's fine. He has no power over me. Whatever happened is behind me and I do not have to carry it with me.' Your sobs had filled the parking lot. You wanted to keep them down, control yourself until you were at the very least in the car, but once your breath hitched for the first time, it all pooled out of you. Your phone battery flashed red, though you couldn't read the number through your tears. You typed out erratic messages to Tadae, trying to recount what had happened, though your words lost all coherence the faster you typed.

"[F/N]." Bakugou's voice drew you back from the despair that had grasped you. Only momentarily. Had you not heard his footsteps behind you? Nobody else had been around apart from him.

You faced him, your grief replaced by unexpected anger. "I'm going home." You told him, wiping away your tears with the lower palm of your hand, pressing down hard onto your cheek. You walked away from him, your steps heavier from determination. "Ask Ms. Kanzaki to bring you back-"

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't drive in that state-" Bakugou grabbed onto your arm.

"Get the fuck off of me!" You shrieked, pulling your arm back like a whip, coughing as your breathlessness and tears mixed in your throat. The air around you hissed through the space between the cars, biting at your skin. It was the first time you took a look at Bakugou. You had not known that his fiery eyes could express such worry.

"I'm sorry." He said, controlling the sigh he wished to release. "I'm sorry." His jaw moved up and down, the apology continuing with the movement, though he no longer formed any sound. You shook your head, your lip quivering harder the more you repeated the movement. "N-No. I... Bakugou, I'm so fucking sorry. I'm..." Your arms lifted and dropped as did your shoulders, unable to find a rhyme or reason behind your actions. He had done nothing wrong. "Where the fuck is my car?" You breathed out, almost laughing at how pathetic you sounded.

He removed his jacket, offering it to you, almost demanding you take it with the firm stance. You had no energy to refuse, you wanted to cover up. You mouthed a thanks.

"Come on, I'll drive." He said.

"Bakugou?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't wanna be alone." You admitted. "Can... Can we go to your place? I don't..."

"Yeah we can." He said with a nod.

You had mumbled a billion things as you were walking to the car and sitting in it. Ranging from apologies to distracting ramblings about how you still had to take your makeup off, you could only be described a mess. However, Bakugou answered. Not in grunts or hums, but he made the effort to at least say 'yes' or 'no'.

"[L/N], we're here." He told you, the mention of your name drawing you away from your floating thoughts back to him. 'Had he... called me [L/N] before, as well or had he...?' You couldn't finish your thought, shook into reality by the click of your car door opening. The apartment building looked modern, a recent complex built you were sure. In the elevator mirror, you saw the runny mascara for the first time and the stains your tears had left on your cheeks. "I'm so-"

"Don't apologise." He said. "Tell me one thing..."

"Hm?"

"Do you want to talk about it or no?"

You bit your lower lip, following him to his front door.

"You don't have to-"

"No, I want to. I need to." You interrupted.

Dearest gentle reader, a new season brings new perspectives. If you believe that avoiding causing a commotion would help your reputation, then you must have missed the Yaoyorozu Opening Ball. Ms. [F/N] [L/N], whose one and only dance has gone to a rumoured ruffian, has been named Diamond of the Season by Her Majesty the Queen. This author wonders if her successful attempt at shocking the ton was a stroke of genius or something else entirely.

For those who have been living under a rock, allow me to remind you of Ms. [L/N]’s history: A lady who has been away in order to complete her education in Paris, she speaks three languages fluently and seems to be versed in the pianoforte. Must I highlight the prestige of the housewife education in Paris or was her excellent posture not the clear proof of it?

However, I must wonder if this lady is all bark and no bite, having yet to shock us beyond her behaviour at the ball last night. Gentlemen, I present to you the challenge of proving to us just how tameable of a beast she truly is.

You crumpled the column in your hands. “Housewife education? Tameable beast?” You huffed, slamming the paper against Kaito’s desk, his ink bottle jumping up which he grabbed in panic to stop it from spilling. “Who does she think she is?” You dropped into the leather chair in front of him, sinking down while your arms were crossed. Kaito sighed, putting away his quill and shutting his book of accounts. “A powerful gossip.” He reminded you. “So powerful that I have had multiple approaches of interest this morning at my hunting trip, because she pushed desirable qualities onto you.”

The morning had still to pass, the sun only reaching its midday run in two hours. Your brother usually went for longer hunting trips, but you could imagine that he had grown quite irritated by the approach of suitors during his time of leisure. “And I am grateful for the attention.” You tried not to sound too sarcastic. It was an honour to have been chosen diamond and an additional one to have been spoken about relatively positively. Despite insults. The house staff had been up since before sunrise to get everything in order for the many callers you were to expect. “However, I could… have waited a year.” You said almost with a pout. With your leg, you pushed yourself back into a proper position, just in time for the knock on the door. 

“Come in.” Kaito called out.

“My Lord. Miss [L/N].” The Lady’s maid, Chiyo, who had been in service to your mother, came in. She was of a small stature and was still full of energy despite her age. family had offered for her to take residence near one of your estates outside London and to continue service by taking care of it. In other words, check in every couple weeks. Chiyo had refused, stating she’d rather die than see her duty unfulfilled until the end. 

You were glad she decided to stay. Even though you believe like her duty has long been fulfilled, you understood why she did not wish to leave. Her husband had passed a couple years back and her community had formed alongside the ton. Chiyo told the best stories. She always brought you extra pastries when your monthly bleeding arrived, and she was quite knowledgeable medically. You were at a point where you could trust her with almost any concern. Almost. 

“A letter from Her Majesty the Queen.” She said and you jumped up from your seat. Kaito pointed at himself. Chiyo shook her head, nodding towards you. “For Miss [L/N]. I believe you are being summoned.”

With a swift move, you opened the letter, skimming the contents first. ‘Holy fuck.’ You thought, biting your tongue to not cuss in front of the two of them. “I am being summoned. Uh,” You looked up to Kaito. “This afternoon.” Back to Chiyo. “Inform the footmen, I shall be ready by three o’clock and we should leave no later than ten minutes after.”

You expected Chiyo to leave after her nod of understanding, but she added: “You also have callers waiting for you.”

“Callers?” You asked, momentarily perplexed by the plural use, only to remember your recent complaints to your brother.

‘I expected callers but not…’ The thought was left unfinished as you pulled yourself back from the corner you were peeking at the line of men all waiting to speak to you. When you were told to expect many callers, you had expected no more than ten. Perhaps, fifteen. Not a line that was potentially still ongoing beyond your doorstep. ‘Damn you, Lady Whistledown.’ You suppressed a sigh, turning to your brother, who looked just as fatigued at the prospect of chaperoning your interactions. “Be nice.” 

“I’ll try.” You grumbled before turning the corner, flashing a kind and welcoming smile. 

All the men were very accomplished, as per their own accounts. Apparently, it was all the rage to either dismiss having been mentioned by the gossip author or to boast about having had a small, positive mention in the column. Although, you weren’t quite sure how extraordinary it was to not have your rake behaviour revealed. Occasionally, your brother would shake his head discreetly. He was your silent informant throughout the whole ordeal. 

“Not to mention I am a great shot.” A gentleman would boast, taking a sip from his drink. Your brother would furrow his brows in surprise. 

“You are the first lady I was… taken by. I have yet to have courted someone, but you are certainly worth it.” Another would theatrically proclaim. Your brother would tilt his head to the side with pursed lips. 

It wasn’t all too negative either, according to Kaito. Some gentlemen were indeed telling the truth. Take Mr. Hargrove, who was truly a wonderful musician, having composed pieces even the Queen had approved of. Or Mr. Shigaraki, who despite being an adoptee, had passed his education with excellence, speaking two languages fluently, and being the official heir to the Baron Shigaraki. As opposed to the previous gentleman, you were truly the first lady he was courting. 

The household’s doors closed as the last gentleman departed. You had granted each around ten minutes of your time, sometimes less, never more. There was still enough time for you to change into a more sophisticated garment for your audience with the Queen. Your brother, standing at the door, had some opinions to share. 

“You should at least give them a chance.” He said, almost scolding you, though his tone was softer than that. Strict but understanding. “They all gave you a chance. They listened-“

“If by listening you mean they waited for their turn to speak, you’d be quite correct.” You interrupted him and your lady’s maid, Ochaco, had to bite down her lower lip to not chuckle. You returned her reaction by grinning. 

“You only think it was that.” Kaito sighed. “You must marry eventually. I understand we made promises and I shall not break mine, but can’t you…” He stopped as you headed out of your room, thanking your lady’s maid before making your way down the stairs. “Can’t you understand that they’re stuck playing the same game as you?”

Kaito had never been a bad brother, or a bad person for that matter. He had always stuck up for you and not once had he complained about your decisions, as long as you promised to fulfil your duty. You took his hands in yours. “I understand what you have sacrificed to give me these chances.” You told him, a soft sigh escaping while sparks of guilt clashed inside you. “I promised to marry and I shall, but I am not going to sit there and pretend that these men have intrigued me. They have not.” You saw the glimmer of disappointment in Kaito’s eyes, his lips pressed together as he prepared an argument against your statement. “Maybe in time. They have called on me for the first time today. Maybe with a dance, a private more meaningful conversation. But this year is mine to make, brother. Next year, I will marry whatever match you deem best, if you wish.”

“I do not wish a loveless partnership for you.” He assured you. “I merely hope that you will try and see that there is more to courtship than what you have experienced today.” 

“Apologies for the disturbance, but we must go.” One of the footmen called to you. “Your carriage is ready, Miss.”

You thanked them for keeping you timely.

“What will you do when the Queen grows impatient?” Your brother asked. 

“I have just the idea to appease Her Majesty, trust me.” You called back, a devious grin forming on your lips, one that Kaito could only return with concern.

Your mother used to say that one should always look for the silver lining, no matter how dire situation may appear. If there was one piece of wisdom you managed to gleam from the senseless conversations, it was that there existed a clear rivalry between Her Majesty the Queen and Lady Whistledown. Not a single suitor could mention one of the two without bringing up the other's opinion on the matter. It would be blasphemy to proclaim that one could no longer be perceived without the other, but you were right to think it.

Then, there had been the matter of the viscount's son. Nobody dared to reveal what crime he had committed and you were starting to wonder if there truly had been anything wrong with him. Mr. Kirishima's words sprung back into your mind: "If she does not write about it, then that means she grants it no credibility." If Lady Whistledown refused to cover a scandalous rumour, then it would either mean that she truly did not believe it, or that she held Mr. Bakugou in a higher regard than everybody else. Whether it was a biased or unbiased regard would not make a difference to you. However, you could gleam some information that should prove crucial to your dealings with the Queen: The viscount had no other children. Based on Mr. Bakugou and Mr. Kirishima's conversation, you knew that threats were being voiced, and you could imagine what it was.

'If the viscount Bakugou is threatening his son with marriage, then he must be a fool. If heirs are what he is after, then he will not get them through an arrangement. No, his son needs to make that decision for himself. But if he is unconvinced by marriage, that would never happen, so he needs someone to change his mind. Someone who is neither family nor friend. And if that someone were to ensure that the viscount's heritage is preserved, surely they would be favoured by Her Majesty. And not only that, but that someone would give her the one thing she truly wishes: To beat Lady Whistledown at her own game.'

"Miss. [L/N], we have arrived." The footman called, opening the door just in time for you to sit up straight and remove the knuckle of your pointer finger from your mouth. You wiped the drool caused by your previous mumbling away against the side of your dress. "Thank you." You said, putting your gloves on and taking his hand to leave the carriage.

In her column, Lady Whistledown had stated that if men possessed half their pride and arrogance, wars would cease. She added that if those qualities were amplified in women, life would go on as usual. As much as your conscience begged you to follow those words and prove they were right, you could feel the burning in your heart pushing you towards a challenge. Consequently, you did not believe the phrase 'the end justifies the means' to mean to allow for unethical behaviour, and yet you were willing to deploy all means necessary to your cause. While Lady Whistledown could bark all she wanted in her columns, you were ready to take the first bite.

The halls of St. James Palace, despite their airy size, still felt suffocating. Whether it was the ornate walls, the following eyes of the paintings, or the movement of staff all throughout the building. You couldn't fathom how the Queen did not succumb to the weight of her life. It made you wonder what people in her life were the pillars that prevented any ill from happening to her mind. To you, it had always been your brother. Who was her Kaito?

You couldn't ponder that question for all too long, having reached the throne room in which Her Majesty had already been expecting you. Her tall grey hair and silver and cream gown stood out against the overflowing red and golds of the room. The canopy of state above her could not draw your eyes away from her for too long, her commanding presence enough to push your head lower as you approached.

"There she is." The Queen said with an amused smile. "I do hope my Diamond brings some good news regarding her prospects." She looked about the room, her ladies in waiting all nodding and smiling back at her, their gazes then fixated on you with an expecting glare. You only then noticed the paper she was holding in her hand, using it to fan, an invite for you to consider your next words greatly. 'Just how many times has she read today's column?' You wondered, noticing more creases on the paper the closer you got to her. When you were merely a few steps away, you bowed, not allowing yourself to speak until you had shown adequate respect. If the Queen were to be put in a sour mood, you would lose all your chances at success. "Your Majesty, I am most grateful and honoured to have received your invitation."

"Oh, isn't she just marvellous?" she clapped twice softly. "I must say I had been eager for your return. These past debutantes... One could hardly call them a quartz, much less a diamond." A sour expression settled on her face, a roll of the eyes that could only signify disappointment. "Even Lady Whistledown was running out of things to say."

You bit the inside of your cheek. 'She must have been bored. Does a Queen create scandals purposefully when she has nothing else to?' You were willing to find out.

"Your Majesty. If I may speak freely-"

"Only if the next words confirm that you have already found a great match and that we will have a grand wedding early on in the season. There is an eligible duke, the Duke of Richmond, who has graced us with his presence this season. Have you secured a match with him?"

You could not remember meeting any duke, neither at the Yaoyorozu ball nor among your callers. You could also not remember the Queen being so... excitable. "Your Majesty, why does... the wedding... have to be so soon?" You asked instead, forgetting your courtesy for a moment as your shoulders leaned forward in curiosity. Before she could answer - her annoyance clearly growing that you would dare ask such a stupid question - you intercepted: "If it is because you wish to prove your success to a gossip, then I believe it would not be a good endeavour for me to be married so early."

She raised her brow, turning her head ever so lightly as she could not tilt it with the structure on her head. "Tell me more."

You had her hooked. All you needed was to reel her in carefully. "Would you not..." You lowered your head, jaw towards shoulder, in an attempt to appear modest, to allow her to remain in power throughout this exchange. "Want this season to be more exciting?" When she did not respond, only a slight upward purse remaining on her lips, you continued with a fixed posture: "If I were to marry straightaway, Lady Whistledown would once again not have anything to report on. However, if I were to create opportunities for the author to report on, would that not make this season all the more exciting?"

"You wish to cause a scandal?" She challenged and you smiled assuredly, your head high and confident. "On the contrary, I wish to fix a reputation."

The Queen pushed herself back into her chair, looking to each side to assess the facial expressions surrounding her. You allowed yourself to do the same and you were pleased to have been met with intrigue. "The viscount Bakugou's son, I presume?" She asked.

"He is the only heir to the title. By simply dancing with him, I have become the main subject of the column. Imagine what would happen if I were to continue to interact with him... If I were to improve him. Would that not make for an interesting narrative? The tameable beast, unclaimed by any suitor, taming a known ruffian? Not only taming him, but convincing him to find a match. How grand a viscount's heir's wedding would be to close off the season."

She considered your words. "Why proceed in such... complicated manner. The viscount wishes to arrange a marriage for his son, if rumours were to be true. You could simply present yourself as a willing option."

"If I may..." You lowered your voice, furrowing your brows in concern. "The quantity of gentlemen who have called on me today, unfortunately does not match the quality I had been expecting." Members of staff covered their mouths when they could not contain their amusement by simply pressing their lips together. "I am most grateful for having been named your diamond and as such, I only wish to shine even brighter. If my plan were to succeed, Lady Whistledown would have no other choice but to name me your most successful champion yet. And what does a Queen's best champion have if not the most valuable prospects? I require time to make that undeniable."

"Thanks for helping, but I think..." You sighed, clutching the shirt that was not yours. Goosebumps had spread all through your body. Bakugou's apartment was not cold, but you were shaking. Just moments before as you had woken up in his bed, all you could think about was how hot you felt and how worried you were that you had drenched his bedsheets. Standing in front of him, wearing his shirt and shorts that only fit because you could tie them by the string, you felt lowly. "I should go home. Would it be alright, if I...?" You looked away, biting the inside of your cheek. "Work from home on Monday?"

"Take the fucking day off." Bakugou sounded annoyed, lifting his hand as if to wave you off but stopping himself. You were not quite sure if it was directed at you or not. It had been a weird night, after all. You noticed the two cups of coffee in front of him. You pointed at it. "Don't feel in a rush to leave. I told you you could reset here, if you need it." He nodded for you to come sit down next to him. "You're in no state to drive and I can't have my best worker die on the streets because she's too fucking sad to pay attention to the road."

You laughed, at first nervous, but you eased into it. He meant it well. You knew he did. He raised his brow. "Never felt so comforted by a dude yelling at me." You said with a sarcastic shrug, joining him on the couch, but leaving a respectable distance between the two of you, unlike the night before. "Well, you know what they say..." You said with raised brows, your chin lowered as you looked up at him, wondering if he would catch onto what you were trying to convey. You grabbed your cup, waving your other hand to accentuate your words. "There's a first time for everything." You completed your sentence and he simply nodded. There was a thin wool blanket laid out messily over the couch, the pillows piled up on his side. His eyes had a soft purple tinge to them and the look hit you with a tinge of guilt. He had barely slept. The couch wasn't particularly comfortable, not made for people to sleep on it. You must have looked worse with your puffy eyes and stained cheeks. You hadn't even washed your face yet.

"Why-" Bakugou looked at you shortly, then away. He knew the answer, but you still wanted to give it to him.

"You told me I should do it on my own terms, remember?" You said with a sad smile, last night's events flooding into your mind. "And that's pretty much why I didn't tell you why I quit my last job. I just didn't think you or anyone would need to know for that matter. I mean, it doesn't benefit neither you or me." You bit your lower lip, looking to the clock hanging above his TV. It was still pretty early in the morning, the world was just waking up. "Look, I'm sorry for... yesterday. It's not something you should have had to deal with. If I had known, I wouldn't have showed up to the party in the first place... I should have checked who was going to be there and I should have just come up with an excuse to stay at home and wallow in self-pity or some bullshit." You spoke quickly, simply wanting to get through your explanation as soon as possible, so that you could bury the topic and forget about it. Never to be spoken about again. "And refuse to enjoy yourself because other people have control over that?" Bakugou asked. You knew he meant it in an encouraging way. To get out of your shell and get over yourself. You couldn't. The look in his eyes told you that he regretted the remark, but that he would not take it back, because he had meant it. 'I know I shouldn't live in fear, but I am not there yet.' You wanted to say, but your mouth remained shut. It did not matter. Somehow, he understood.

The coffee tasted ass. You commented on it. He would have hit you with a pillow if you were not holding a hot beverage in your hand. You chuckled, while his scowl just lifted slightly. "There's another thing I gotta apologise for-" You started, but he cut you off immediately. "Don't bring her up."

You furrowed your brows. "Why? You two seemed... Quite close." There it was. The tight feeling in your chest you had felt when you had seen him make out with a woman you had not known at the party. You did not wish to bother him. Part of you rationalised that you could use this opportunity to get over your crush. The other part wanted nothing more but to dig a hole and disappear. "Wait, fuck!" Your fingers covered your mouth. You tapped the middle one softly against your lower lip, shaking your head. "Was she... You know?" You asked. 'The old assistant?' You thought. "Fuck no!" He looked downright indignant at the fact that you would ever consider that a possibility. "But she had been there, no?" You asked. Bakugou didn't answer. Bingo.

"Nothing wrong with a rebound." You assured him, your voice taking on a joking tone in hopes of diffusing the tension. You shouldn't have brought her up. You had just been convinced that Bakugou had wanted to take her home. You had been wrong. End of story.

Unfortunately, the two of your shared a deadly commonality: Curiosity. It is estimated that the universe expands at a rate of seventy-three kilometres per second per megaparsec. In that moment, it felt like your shared curiosity had far surpassed that rate. If your brain had been capable of storing a billion questions all at once, you whole-heartedly believed you would have asked every single one of them. Thankfully, your brain capacity was limited, so you only asked one: "Why did you follow me?"

He seemed to not understand. Or maybe you were reading him wrong. Maybe he had considered it a given to follow you, because you were his employee after all and he had to ensure you were fine. Whatever it had been, it did not matter, because you clarified: "How did you know anything had happened? I mean, we had not crossed paths for, what? An hour? More? I didn't think you would have noticed me leaving." You pulled your leg up as you spoke, pressing your foot into the cushion as you rested your head on your knee. The coffee had long gone cold, so you held it simply to have your hands do anything but fidget. Bakugou lied: "Kota had told me he had seen you leaving." You did not contest his lie. Whatever his reason had been to check on you or how he had found out in the first place, he didn't have to tell you. No matter how much it was eating you alive not to know. Kota had left long before the two of you, stating that the party wasn't all that enjoyable due to the lack of people his generation. You had bid him a good night and that had been the end of it.

"You wanna stay for breakfast?" Bakugou asked after a moment. An awkward tension had risen between the two of you. Words unspoken. Too scared to say anything more than what was truly needed. You wanted to refuse at first, thinking you had overstayed your welcome. After all, you had slept in his bed, wearing his clothes, and now you were supposed to eat his food? "Don't come up with a dumb excuse like 'I don't wanna impose', I asked."

Your stomach growled. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks and ears. You nodded.

Bakugou's apartment looked small in the hallway, but you quickly realised that they cut down on hallway space to add it to the remaining rooms. A half-wall separated the kitchen from the living room with the dining room in between the two. Not a lot of decorating had been done, leaving everything rather minimalistic for the spaces that guests would see. You couldn't help the snicker that escaped you the moment you remembered his room's layout. While it did follow the same minimalist rules, you couldn't help but notice the romance books on his shelf or the small All Might figurines. It wasn't a lot, but enough to make you smile.

"What's so funny?" Bakugou asked from the kitchen, having heard your devious laugh before.

"Nothing." You said, unconvincingly. "Just didn't take you for such a fanboy, 's all."

Bakugou peeked around the corner, a bowl in hand as he was whisking eggs for the omelette. "Every hero has someone they look up to." He responded, almost offended that you would assume he didn't have one. Or that you had not known it was All Might. 'Oh, DynaMIGHT. That makes a lot of sense now, actually.' You realised, smiling with your lips pressed together at the revelation. "I guess that makes sense." You said. "I never really thought about it."

He looked at you with furrowed brows, a question burning on his lips, but one he did not dare ask. Something had been holding him back. It was almost scary how well you understood his facial expressions. At least you felt it was odd. 'I'm his assistant. I should know.' You had rationalised before, but you still couldn't get used to it. He turned away, not asking. "What?" You said, getting up from the couch to take a seat at the dining table instead, wanting to start whatever conversation he wished to be part off. "'S nothin'" He responded, his focus on cooking. "Oh, come on! I invaded on so much of your personal shit. Go ahead, ask." You assured him. He glanced over shortly, continuing to cut away at some vegetables. "How was it growing up without a quirk?" He asked.

You looked up, thinking about how best to answer it. You rested your arm against the back of the chair, your head against your hand, tilted comfortably. "Not any different than growing up with a quirk." You answered. "I used to think about it a lot as a kid and teen, but then eventually I just accepted it as being a good thing."

"When did you accept it?" He asked.

You bit your lower lip, wondering if you should really answer that question or not. Your eyes traced the scars on his arms, glancing up to his face. His right hand had been basically been demolished during the UA fight and you didn't even want to remind him of the hole that had been blown into his chest. "Spit it out and stop staring." He said firmly. 'How the fuck did he notice?' You wondered, his eyes no longer averting from his work at hand. "You know how I got these injuries, it's no big secret." He continued, softer this time. What you had not expected was that there would be a small smirk on his face as he spoke. "I beat the shit out of All for One. I'm proud of the achievement these scars tell."

You almost laughed, infatuated by his arrogance. His confidence. "Well, that fight made me realise that being quirkless wasn't all that bad. I wasn't in Japan at the time, but I followed the happenings at three in the morning and all I could think of was 'I'm better off the way I am'. I'd hate if I had a quirk that could have been helpful, but I'd be too much of a loser to help. Consequently, I'd be just as disappointed if my quirk was something useless. You know my friend Tadae has a quirk that lets her maintain the temperature of things. So her iced coke never gets warm or her food never gets cold. That's all she can really use it for. She likes to joke that she's almost as quirkless as I am and we laugh about it. It's nice." It had been a while that you had talked about being quirkless. Not a lot of people ask about it once they know you don't have some special power. Exchanges usually stop at 'I'm quirkless' and 'Oh that's too bad'. "What was it like growing up with a quirk as strong as yours?" You returned the question.

"I was an arrogant ass is what it was like." He responded, a bitter aftertaste in his tone, though he relaxed rather quick.

"Was?" You asked, teasing. He grinned, rolling his eyes. "At least the arrogant part, you gotta admit is still there."

He wanted to contest your statement, but couldn't. His pride didn't allow him to swallow his rising arrogance down. Being honest, you couldn't blame him for being like that. If you had been born with that quirk, that face, and those opportunities, you'd be walking around with your chest puffed out too. He put a plate down in front of you and it had already taken your all to not drool at the smell before. "Thanks." You said, your stomach growling, barely able to contain itself at the sight. "Do you think I could..." You looked down at the clothes. "Yeah, keep 'em on."

The two of you ate in silence. It seemed that he had been starving just as much as you had. The plates were empty within a couple minutes, practically licked clean as you had devoured each crumb. He offered you another coffee, which you gladly took, the fatigue grasping at you from the crying, lack of sleep, and the knowledge that you would have to be driving home soon. As he put down the cup, he sat down across from you once again. "Have you thought about the offer?" He asked and you looked at him confused, before remembering. "Oh, the UA thing?" You asked, softly chewing at the skin inside your mouth. "Mh... I'm not sure. I..."

"If your work for me is keeping you from it, then that's not a valid reason to not do it." He added. "If you can't manage both things at once, then I'll hire you an intern or an assistant on part-time to help. Don't let an opportunity you'll never get again go to waste."

You twirled the cup in your hands. "It costs a lo-"

"I'll pay for it."

"You can't be fucking serious." Your jaw dropped the moment you heard him speak those words. "You'd basically be paying for me to leave the agency eventually."

"Only if you pass the course exams. It'll take two years before you could start teaching, don't forget that." He took a sip from his tea. "Not that you'll manage anyways. You're too much of a pussy to chase after your dreams."

You cocked your head back, brows furrowed, lips pursed before relaxing, realising what his plan was. "I'll have you know, I'd manage quite nicely."

"So are you gonna do it?" He asked.

You sucked in your lower lip, smiling softly after, nodding. "Fine. Ok. I'll try the first semester, no additional assistant. If I don't manage at all, I give up and I stay at Ground Zero. If I have difficulty, hire someone to help. If everything goes well, I continue, no changes." You offered him your hand. "Deal?" You grinned.

He shook it. "Attagirl."

"Why go so far, though?"

Leaving the store without buying anything. Walking past police officers. Going through security checks at the airport. All situations that carried the same illegal tinge as the sentence: "I have a crush on Bakugou." When Sero had first heard those words, you could hear a soft cough from your speaker, shuffling and a sharp noise that sounded like he was turning on his lights. It had been the middle of the night and you had assumed he would have complained about your call were it not for the shocking information you had shared with him. "Back up." He said, his voice still sleepy. He groaned as he moved, muttering 'fucking hell, it's late' as he tried - what you assumed - to figure out if he was dreaming. "Where is this coming from?" He continued, his voice brighter, the energy slowly building up.

You were in the midst of your night routine, getting yourself ready for bed. Your shoes and coat had been dropped in the entry hallway, a problem for future you. "It's coming from... like ten minutes ago when we was walking me home from the company dinner." You said, putting toothpaste onto your toothbrush. "Before I continue, I need to... ask some advice, alright? What the fuck do I do?"

As you were brushing your teeth, you were truthfully only half listening to Sero's barely awake ramblings, reminding you of the situation with Bakugou's last assistant. He advised to not take action as long as you were in a contractual engagement with him. In other words, as long as he was your boss. You agreed. That had been the first thought that had crossed your mind when the realisation of your feelings had settled in. Your second thought had been to call Tadae. However, you were more inclined to bother Sero with this. For one, he knew Bakugou personally. For two, he wouldn't suggest to find rebound dick, something that had clearly not worked for you. For three, you needed a logical breakdown of your feelings first before heading into a cocktail-infused frenzy over all details with Tadae. You did feel a bit guilty for not confiding in her first, but you needed a middleman's opinion more than anything.

"I wasn't dreaming of pursuing this." You reassured him, your mouth icy cold, the fresh feeling of the mint toothpaste doing a better job at waking you up than your morning alarm. You made your way to your bedroom, ready to undress and fall into bed. "I just... In all honesty, I just needed to say it." You emphasised the word 'say', feeling as if it was echoing back to you. Your apartment felt incredibly empty all of a sudden. "I needed someone else to hear, not just my mirror. I have a crush on Bakugou." You admitted again, still feeling the weight of your emotions. You heard Sero sigh as he readied himself to talk everything over with you, but you cut him off. "Listen, I didn't forget his past. And I'm sorry for dragging you into this. Especially... I mean, considering..."

"That we hooked up?" He asked.

You hissed as you said 'yeah'. Goosebumps rose in your arms as did the awkward atmosphere.

"It's no issue." Sero reassured you, his voice oddly soft. It did put you at ease. "Like I said, I never saw us becoming anything. I kinda knew from the first date, like a hunch."

You snapped your fingers, wishing you could point at him, instead pointing at your phone, hoping that he would sense the enthusiasm. "Exactly like that!" You exclaimed, dropping into your pillows as all the weight from before dropped alongside you. Your heart started feeling lighter. "When we had our first date, we just kind of knew that there was nothing and there never could be anything. I have the opposite with Bakugou. I'm not saying that I expect us to get married or anything, but... it could be something. You know?"

There was another rustling sound, followed by Sero laughing. "Well, duh, I know what a crush is?"

You rolled your eyes. "Ok, smart-ass." You couldn't help but join in on his amusement. It really was that simple, wasn't it? A crush. You've had crushes before. The tingling feeling in your body when you knew you were going to see the person. The made up scenarios in your head that would make you giggle in private, lifting your spirits. The codenames you would use with Tadae because god forbid somebody else overheard and found out who you were talking about. "But, thanks."

"Mhm." He hummed. "So, what now?"

"Nothing, I guess." You sighed. Your room was dark, the only light source being the street- and moonlight peeking through your blinds. "I don't want to put him in a shit position. I don't want to make things awkward and even on the off chance that it is reciprocated... Fuck, the stress that that would cause. If it would ever come out he dated me while I was working for him? It wouldn't just cause a scandal but a legal investigation on abuse of power. I can't do that to him. Or myself for that matter." You pulled your bedsheets closer, turning to your side. "I really just want my career to go well. That's my number one priority." And if it turned out to be reciprocated, you wouldn't pursue it. You couldn't exactly quit your job all too easy without having something else lined up and truthfully, you had really grown to like the position. Something as stupid as your feelings was not going to come between you and the other things in life you enjoyed.

"Do you think you'll manage to keep working with him?" Sero asked.

Turned out, you did. There had not been much of a change in your work process or your interactions with Bakugou for that matter. What did change was your approach to your week. You were a lot more giddy to get back into office, even forsaking your work from home schedule for a couple days in hopes of interacting with him for a bit. It was silly. You admitted it to yourself multiple times. It brought back memories of excitement when you were in high school, dressing up and showing up earlier in hopes of catching a glimpse of the person you liked. Yet, you couldn't complain. It was nice. It was nice to go back in time to memories of simpler times. It was nice to feel so happy over delusional hopes. You kept telling yourself: 'As long as I find my way back to reality, this is harmless.' As long as you didn't drown in the idea of him.

Everything had been going well over a couple months. You had caught up Tadae on the situation and she had brought up the idea of a rebound, but you shook your head. "I think I'll stick to just myself for a bit." You had told her. She could not disagree, pointing out that you seemed happier. You even spent some time with Sero and the rest of their friend group, Bakugou included, when the time permitted. You went bowling and to karaoke with them, both ending in friendly conversations, laughs, and surprisingly, no weird slip ups from your side. Even Sero had to commend you on keeping it together.

"You didn't put in a holiday for Christmas." Bakugou pointed out early December, the other two members of the team having gone home while the two of you struggled with the Winter schedule. Too many Christmas marketing campaigns and fundraisers.

You scoffed. "We are swamped." You waved around your usually tidy desk having been flooded with papers. "I'm not thinking about any holidays until we have two more members on the team and a chill period."

Bakugou shook his head. "You're taking a week off in the next three months." He said. Commanded. At your old job, you were more than happy to forego holidays to either get a higher pay or to accumulate them for later so you could take an extra long holiday. Due to you being one of the only people to manage so many tasks at once, that long holiday barely ever happened and all you did was take holidays to still work from home. "You're working your ass off. Don't you have somewhere else to be? To see?" He asked. It felt condescending. You almost felt like a loser for not having somewhere else to be or see. Almost.

"I quite like these prison-esque walls." You said with a snark. "What about you? I don't recall you going on holiday." You pulled up his calendar to check his Christmas schedule. "Nor do I see a marked absence for the Christmas season either. Will you spent those days working from home?"

He 'ts'-ed as a response which meant 'no'. You expected him to add anything more to the conversation, but that seemed to be it and you honestly did not wish to push. Maybe you should have. If you had, then maybe you wouldn't have cried on Christmas.

Christmas morning, at eight sharp, you tapped your badge to enter the building. Whatever had compelled you to be physically present at the office, you did not know. You knew Haru and Kota were both with their families, probably still tucked into bed or just getting up to share the morning meal together. Maybe they had both been in a food coma from last night. You had barely eaten. Tadae had invited you to her place like every year, but you refused after thanking her. Christmas was meant to be spent with your loved ones and you did not wish to impede on her precious time with family, one she rarely sees. 'At the very least I'm getting paid more for working today.' You thought to yourself, opening the door to the office. "What the fuck are you doing here?" escaped you as you saw Bakugou sitting at his desk. He only looked up shortly, his face asking you the same exact question.

"I thought you were with your parents?" You asked, dropping your bag on your desk. "Didn't you have dinner with them last night?"

"And today I'm working." He responded, leaving the sentence open-ended as if he was thinking of adding 'what about it?'

You sighed, brows furrowed. You felt irritated. Of course, it was his decision to come to work. Who were you to question his choices when you had done the exact same thing? However, you had not been prepared for it. You were ready to spend a quiet day alone in a ghost office. Instead, you were stuck with him. "What's this?" You asked, lifting an opaque lunch box, something hard rattling inside. "The old hag gave me some pastries along." Bakugou responded. There were plenty of things you had learned about him, but why he referred to his mother as 'old hag' was a concept you could not quite grasp. It seemed he had a loving relationship to his parents, making it harder to understand. "Oh, uh... Thanks." You said, lifting the box in appreciation and nodding. "I didn't bring anything- Wait, do you like hot chocolate?"

Bakugou shrugged. "Who doesn't?"

Lifting your finger, you instructed him to wait as you made your way to the kitchen. It was thankfully fully equipped with a stove on which you could warm the pre-made hot chocolate that you had brought along for yourself. 'There must still be...' You checked the fridge, finding the can of whipped cream that some guy had brought in the prior week. There had been some sort of team Christmas celebration and they had left a bunch of their food for everyone else to enjoy. And enjoy you did. "A little help?" You asked through the door, unable to navigate with the full cups. Bakugou opened it, a soft grunt escaping him as he smirked at your incompetence. "It's really hot, ok? I don't wanna spill." You said defensively. As you put down the cup on your desk, you turned to give him his and you had not expected him to stand so close, almost ramming the hot beverage against him. Instead it hit your hand. "Ah, shit!" You hissed and he quickly grabbed the drink from you, putting it down. "Here." He said. You forgot all about your pain the moment you saw what he was offering. His shirt. You burst out laughing, your other hand pressing into the burned spot. "It's-" You turned away, biting your lip. "It's fine. It's not that bad." You assured him, waving away his hand. He let go of the fabric, the shirt dropping back down against him. "Is this how you help civilians on the street?" He rolled his eyes, unable to contain a smile. He had to admit that it was rather amusing. "You take what you can get." He responded. "You sure you're fine?" He nodded down to your hand and you responded with a soft 'yeah', grabbing a tissue from your bag to wipe your hands.

"A small burn like this is nothing compared to whatever the fuck you're going through out there." You commented. "At least the scars look cool."

"I guess?" He responded with a raised brow. "I've gotten used to them."

"Edgy." You remarked and he clicked his tongue, sucking in his lower lip as he tried to find any comeback. 

"You done being snarky?" He asked instead and you shook your head. "You hired me for my snark, be honest." You responded, offering him the clean cup instead of the one you had spilled and he took it with a 'thanks'. "You're not wrong." He said, taking it to his desk. It was almost pathetic how happy that had made you feel. The simple fact of the matter being that he had hired you for your competence and personality. It was minimal. Every company tries to find that golden combination. It shouldn't have made you feel so accomplished, and yet it did. 'Having a crush sure is an odd thing.' You thought.

The day was barely spent working. Of course, you did. Reports had still to be written. Event speeches to be prepared. Documents to be checked. Letters to be opened. E-mails to be responded to. You took it slow. Enjoying your cup of hot chocolate and sharing a warm lunch with Bakugou in the kitchen. He offered for you to take whatever, his parents having made way too much for just the three of them. "You don't have any siblings? You asked. He shook his head. "Yeah, you give off single child vibes." You teased, stealing some rice from him, almost snorting at how offended he looked. More offended that you stole food from his plate rather than the comment.

"Why are you in office?" He asked after a moment. You were feeling full, satisfied, and tired at the same time. The cold weather stood in stark contrast to the warmth the two of your had created inside. Despite the kitchen looking anything but cosy with its generic grey layout, just not being alone and enjoying a proper meal together was enough to put you in the talking mood. "I don't really have much contact to my parents. Left young to pursue my studies, financed it on my own, never looked back." You sighed, stacking the empty dishes together to put them in the sink. Bakugou did not ask beyond that. You appreciated the space he knew to give. "Why are you in office? You could have very well stayed at home and enjoyed the day with your parents. I can keep the agency running for a day, especially one as slow as this one."

You let the water run, turning your back to him as you cleaned up. The memory of lonely holidays did fill you with a sense of sadness after all. One you were not yet ready to reveal.

Bakugou took a while to answer. You wondered why it had been so difficult for him to form his answer, until he finally spoke: "Didn't want you to be alone."

Ever since Haru joined the agency, you could relax a bit, giving her some of the rather tedious tasks to do, when Bakugou could not take her on a mission or to a meeting. "I colour-coded it, here." She said, handing you the binder you had asked her to organise for you. "I knew we'd get along great!" You said with a smile. The girl was efficient, and willing to learn, never complaining about needing to do a task. Occasionally, you didn't have anything to give her, despite her asking, so you just assured her she could do homework in the free time. "Do you not get bored doing the same things every day?" She asked, probably concerned over how long you had been sitting on your chair. "Sometimes." You admitted with a smile. "But someone has to keep the agency running, no?"

Only three weeks after hiring Haru, Bakugou told you to start a sidekick search. "Be stricter with the recruitment agency. I don't care how highly rated someone is in whatever system they use, they should just send all the available and willing candidates." He informed you and you nodded. "Any previous experience needed?" You asked. "An internship is enough."

This left you with a massive pool of candidates to get through. Two-hundred-thirty-six CVs, from which you had to discard a solid forty percent for not having a secured working VISA in Japan. 'When I said every candidate, they should've known I meant eligible to work for us.' You sighed to yourself, organising the documents for hours before you managed to narrow it town to a first twenty selection. 'Should I just do calls first? Ugh, but I don't want to force them to go through a three interview process... I still need to prep' a report, and help him with the next General Assembly. And Haru asked me to teach her more about the business side of hero work... Mh, that can wait, though I don't want to disappoint her.' You ended up working on a Saturday, trying to get everything done on time. 'Man I'm so tired... Monday, I gotta grab his gear as well.'

Your phone vibrated next to you. "Hey, am I calling at a bad time?" Sero asked. You could hear cars passing by him, wind blowing in his face. "Uh, no. I'm just... working on something." You said, embarrassed to admit you spent your Saturday working. The summer heat blew through your window and your laptop felt scorching against your legs, causing you to wipe your sweat away every couple minutes. 'I could use this break.' You thought, slamming it shut and throwing it aside. "I'm almost done, though, so... what's up?"

"Oh, cool, I was wondering if you'd be free tonight?" He continued. "We bought tickets to the movies and thought we'd go for some Korean BBQ and drinks afterwards. It's just that Denki had to cancel last minute and we'd hate to lose a ticket. Would you be down?"

"Uh, define 'we'?"

"Kirishima, Midoriya, Bakugou, Uraraka, Yaomomo, Mina."

"Backtrack, what did you say?" You asked. "After Midoriya."

"Uraraka."

"No before that."

"Kirishima."

"Sero, I swear to god if you do not say his name, I will burn down your Pokemon card collection." You warned through gritted teeth.

"Fine, alright, Bakugou is coming too. What's the big deal?" He said, muttering a 'Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed' with the full intention of you still hearing it. "It's not like the two of you see each other as coworkers. And, technically, hear me out, Bakugou and I and everyone else are coworkers as well. If you really think about it."

"Yeah co-workers. Co. As in, together, same place in the hierarchy. I am his employee. Employ. Like I am employed by him." You were pacing about your apartment, heading into your kitchen cause you seriously needed an ice cold coffee. "I would prefer not to hang out with him during my days off."

"Days off during which you're still doing work?" Sero challenged, and you could tell that he was smirking, aware that he had caught you red-handed. "Come on, it'll be fun. Denki's ticket was right next to me, anyways, and he had the aisle seat. And at the BBQ, just sit at the other side of the table. You don't even have to look at each other." He continued. You bit your lip. 'I'm not seriously considering this, am I?' You wondered, stirring the ice in your drink, watching the coffee blend in with the cream. "That would be awkward." You muttered. "Why do you want me there so bad, anyway? It's not like you don't have any other friends."

"Yeah, but I like hanging out with you." He said and you almost felt flattered, but then he added: "Besides there's gonna be two couples at that table and I personally do not have an easy time talking to Yaomomo and Bakugou, so this is really a question of convenience. If you say 'no', you hate me."

You sighed. "Fine. When's the movie?"

Turned out Sero had been right and you could avoid an awkward feeling of 'this is my boss' with Bakugou who had been rather quiet during the evening. Not volume wise, though, but he was not incredibly talkative. 'If I dated someone who I hired and then hung out with a new person I hired, wouldn't I feel a lot weirder about it?' You wondered, and the answer to yourself was 'yes'. Maybe Bakugou did usually speak a lot, but decided that for this hangout in particular he would stand back. After all, he was in a lot more danger, legally speaking. 'Should I have considered that before agreeing?' Unfortunately, you could not just leave.

After an initial greeting and reintroduction, seeing as it had been a couple of weeks since you had last seen them all, you had dived into a conversation with the girls. "Wait, can you tell me more about what exactly quirk consultation is?" You felt bad for asking, seeing as Momo and Uraraka had invested so much time in improving that field, but you were still too new in the professional world of quirks. "Like I know what it is, but how do you make sure to find a program for everyone? Every quirk is so different, I wouldn't know where to start." Uraraka was at the forefront in this, her enthusiasm knowing no bounds, and you couldn't picture a better person to have turned their career towards consultation. She was eloquent and carried the right kind of passion towards improvement with her. "So, yeah, in short... Use old program, build on top of it, define quirks in general branches, take time to dive into details, and create a structured program for each individual." She counted them up on her fingers, your eyes following, fascinated by the nubs on her fingers, wondering how it worked. "You were in finance before, no?"

"Yeah, but it's pretty boring stuff compared to you guys." You said, shyly, unsure if you were really able to fit into their group.

"Nonsense, you're putting up with Bakugou every day, that makes you a hero." Mina responded with a sneer directed at the man in question who just yelled back: "What did you just say?"

It appeared to you that everyone had been completely accustomed to one another's shenanigans, from insults, yelling, and references you could not follow. The movie was interesting enough, a romance, and you wondered which couple had suggested to watch it. The question did not persist for very long though, when you overheard Sero whispering to Kirishima: "We should never let Bakugou pick a movie again." You almost dropped your popcorn bucket at the revelation. 'I must be hearing things.' You convinced yourself, but once again, it did not last. "Man, could you not have chosen something more action packed?" Mina whined as you left the theatre to head to the restaurant nearby. "It was a solid eight out of ten movie if you pea brains could comprehend the nuances."

"I think it was quite cute." Momo added, smiling at the group and everyone seemed to relax. It had not been the first time that she had diffused a situation into something simpler. In a way, her elegance reminded you of Ms. Kanzaki. 'I should look up when her birthday is.' You thought. 'At least a little gift would be nice to offer.'

The food was amazing, the drinks were just hitting the spot, and you were contempt just listening to them talk and reminisce. Every once in a while, your eyes would land on Bakugou, who was not participating in the conversation either, unless it was to give his two cents and defend his name. You had not given much thought to the story Sero had told you, because you had decided that everyone had their own lives. It was not on you to pry and dig deeper, simply since there was nothing to search for. Bakugou had fallen in love and it did not work out. 'Just keep being the kind of person he needs... Thanks, Sero. Very helpful.' You had pondered over what this could have meant exactly, and you landed on: Keep doing what you had been doing.

Except, what you had been doing was maintain an employer/employee relationship, keeping the needed distance between the two of you. Seeing him so casually, even though you had not interacted much, brought up a lot of questions you had not wished to consider. 'What was she like? Did she get him into romance movies or was he always into that kinda stuff? Is he something of a yearner? Was she his first? Does he ever plan on getting married? Is he over her?' Questions upon questions that were none of your business and never should have been.

"Would you ever consider holding a business class?" Midoriya had asked and you snapped out of your trance. The remaining members at the table continued their own private conversations. When had Midoriya's focus shifted to you? "Sorry?" You said, leaning towards him to hear him better. "Teaching. Uh, would you ever consider just doing one class? Or coming in every once in a while to introduce our business students into the world of agencies, maybe recruiting, marketing." He clarified and you didn't know what to answer, an intrigued smile on your face. "I don't, well, I don't have a teaching license. At the very least not for high schools. I've held training sessions for adults before, but... I mean, I'd be down if I could know more about it."

"We're a bit understaffed at the moment, to be honest with you. Well, it's not that bad in the hero and general studies department, and the business students have enough teachers for their curriculum... It's just, we've not had a lot of speakers who were professionals in a more business oriented field. You have a Master's degree, no?"

You nodded.

"I'd love to invite you to speak. Don't worry, the teachers can guide you. They just asked recently if I knew anyone who could come in, and I remembered you."

"You know... Yeah, that would be nice." You said with a grateful smile. "I would love to have such an opportunity. Beats the routine."

How you ended up going from being able to avoid Bakugou to being left behind with him, you could only blame it on Sero. When he had sent you the movie theatre address, there being two in town, he had additionally sent you a parking option. A fifty minute walk from the movie theatre, and an additional ten from the restaurant. He had told you: "It's the cheapest option." However, as you found out, everybody else had parked at the other side, which was only two whole bucks more expensive for the entire evening. Everyone, except Bakugou, of course.

"So, what did you think of the movie?" You asked, wanting to fill the silence, because it was harder to avoid asking about his ex while not speaking. At the very least, he could speak for a bit until you had reached your car, and that would be the end of it. "I already said, solid eight." He responded with a raised brow, and you simply nodded. "Ah, yeah, that's right. And, uh, what did you think of the food?"

"What are you getting at?" He asked. You could not tell what he was thinking, his face not carrying a scowl, but neither did it convey any other emotion. Was he expecting you to be truthful? Then again, you were not sure what the truth would be. You looked straight ahead, shrugging. "Nothing, I'm just... trying to make some small talk, you know?" You lied, almost wishing you had just ripped the bandaid off, but it was not your place. You knew it wasn't. 'Why won't this burning curiosity cool off? Why do I need to know so much about a man I barely interact with?' Perhaps, it was better to continue in silence. "I know Sero told you." He revealed, your head swinging back to look at him, the stiff nervousness leaving your body, replaced by a shaking shock. "How?"

"He told me that he did. Felt bad about it." Bakugou explained.

"Then, why would he invite... Was this whole thing a way for him to deal with his guilty conscience?" You blurted out, to yourself more than to him. He shrugged. "Denki did mean to join, but couldn't. Why Sero invited you could have more than just this as reason. I know he appreciates the friendship."

You had yet to have heard Bakugou speak in such a calm, collected manner. With each interaction, it seemed to you that a whole new person unfolded in front of you, but the core remained the same. There was still the usual edge to his words as he spoke, but it was never malicious, nor was it ever this melancholic. "I'm sorry." You said. "I kinda forced him to tell me. It was wrong. If anything, I should have come to you directly." Your eyes shifted down, only watching the path directly in front of you. "I was pissed at first." He admitted. "I didn't come into the office even though I could have, because I knew I was gonna be mad at you, when really, I should have been mad at Sero."

"When did he tell you?"

"Right after he had told you."

"Ah." It started to make sense why you had been seeing less of your boss, being left with notes and messages left and right. Even poor Haru had to play the messenger between you two. You had simply assumed that he had been busy training her. The car park was just around the corner and he was kind enough to escort you to yours. "Uh, Bakugou?" You called out when he was just about to leave. "I... You see..." You felt like you owed it to him to let him know why you had quit your old job. If you knew about his past professional issues, then he was more than in the right to know why you had left yours. "About my old job, I actually left it because-"

"You don't need to tell me." He interrupted.

"But-"

"Don't do this shit because you feel like you owe it to me. Either tell me or others cause you want to, but don't drag me into that pathetic excuse." He sounded downright disappointed in you. "You're more capable than that."

You could not be mad. In fact, you started smiling, which must have looked silly to him to be smiling after being insulted. "Then, nothing. Except, sorry I made things kinda awkward. Pinky promise I'm not into you and I wouldn't leave you for another company after almost ruining your career."

He scoffed, but nonetheless smirked. "Yeah, I'd kill you for that."

You sank into the carriage seat, peeking through the window curtains from the side as you watched the lights dancing in the distance. The Yaoyorozu family hosted the first ball of the season, which came as a great comfort to you, knowing you’d be on familiar grounds for your first season back in London. “We do not have to stay long, if you do not wish.” Your brother Kaito, who would act as your chaperone for the evening, spoke. “Dance with one or two gentlemen and we can draw back.”

A sense of dread had accompanied you ever since you had left the house. You nodded, offering him a grateful smile as you drew the curtain shut. Just before the carriage came to a halt, he squeezed your hand: “However, please do not forget your duty.” It was a reminder you had not needed, because you had locked it into your heart a long time ago. If you had the choice, you would happily accept the life of a spinster, away from society. “One more year, as you promised.” You reminded him. You were granted one last year during which you could remain unmarried. One last year to live out on the country estate and work on your debut novel, before you would be forever tied down to a man via contract. “One year.” He repeated.

The Yaoyorozu estate was a marvel, as much on the outside as it was on the inside. It combined beautiful red brick with white accents. Simple pillars carried flat roofs which created an extension of the home’s entryway. Beautiful flower arrangements carried from the outside to the hallway inside which then led into the ballroom, connected to the family’s courtyard. “Good evening, ma’am. Your dance-cards.” A member of staff held a tray ready for you, greeting your brother as he entered after you. He helped you put the dance-cards onto your wrist, and the two of you made your way to the hostesses, ready to thank them for the invite. “My dear, how much you have grown!” The lady of the house, Mrs. Yaoyorozu, held your hands in hers. “When have you returned?”

“This morning.” You smiled politely. You had known Mrs. Yaoyorozu as far as your memory reached. Their family had been very close to yours and had often invited one another for tea. “I have missed your balls, the decor is… extraordinary.” You took a moment to admire the dance-floor’s centrepiece, a statue chiselled in the form of an ancient goddess, as well as the Queen’s designated area. “Thank you, my Momo has been assisting me these past seasons. I believe she will soon be ready to host her own ball.” Mrs. Yaoyorozu praised her only daughter. “Where might I find her? We have so much to catch up on.”

Momo was entertaining the guests who had gathered outside. Even in her simpler soft pink dress, she stood out. A group of suitors had surrounded her, prying for information about her as if they were starving vultures. Momo looked as graceful as she always did, navigating society as if she had created it herself. “Excuse me, gentlemen. If I may pry my friend from you in exchange of my brother with whom you must have things to discuss?” You interrupted, swooping in to interlock arms with her, nodding over to your brother. The men offered respectful greetings and smiles, realising they could consult your marriage prospects with the one who handled the finances directly. “[F/N]! It’s so good to see you.” Momo said, tightly squeezing your upper back as she hugged you.

“It’s good to see you too.” You took a step back. “I have arrived this morning.”

“You must be exhausted!” She said with a concerned shock.

“It is quite alright, I managed to get some rest on my travels and even at home.” You assured her, giving her upper arm a soft pat.

“I see you have not missed the opportunity to bring a new dress.” She teased, making you twirl for her so she could admire it in all its glory. “Parisian, I assume?”

“It was all the rage.”

The evening was still young. Guests were joining bit by bit and everybody knew that the real event began when the Queen arrived. She loved the gossip, she loved the drama, and she loved being one of the first of seeing powerful matches develop. “Tell me, what has changed since I have last been here?” You were curious. Your brother had not been out in society much ever since your parents passed three years prior. You couldn’t ask him anything about the gentlemen that had been eyeing you with hungry looks ever since you stepped foot in the estate. Apart from the rise of a gossip column named Lady Whistledown, you could not draw out any other useful information.

“I believe the most important are that the Midoriya family has passed on the Baron title to the cousin, Izuku Midoriya, following the childless death of the old Baron. Apparently, he is stands in high regards with the Duke of Leeds.” Momo spoke in a hushed voice, leaning in towards you while greeting guests with a smile.

“Would that not be… His Grace Toshinori?” You asked, distantly recalling a blonde man of grand stature when you were but a child. Momo nodded, adding: “He has allegedly paid for young Midoriya’s education and they seem to have created a parental bond.”

“You don’t say.” You muttered, your eyes darting over to the new baron in question as Momo nodded in his direction. You had yet to formally meet, but from his demeanour, he appeared to be a rather withdrawn from society. However, a light of kindness surrounded him. ‘Or am I imagining things?’ You wondered. “What else have I missed?”

Momo continued on about titles being passed on, which bachelors were eligible, which scandals surrounded them, and how gossip could ruin your life. There was but one most important moment in each debutant’s life: “Everybody wishes to be chosen as the next Diamond of the Season.” Momo said, a glint of excitement in her eyes as she eyed you. “Apparently, the Queen was very disappointed in this year’s selection and is still deciding. It is your debut, is it not?” It was. Although, you could not go through the formalities with the Queen herself due to your late arrival, you were considered a debutante. “It is, but to be called a Diamond of the Season is not my priority.” You said, patting the top of her hand softly. “I simply wish to take the search for my partner slowly and carefully.” You did not even wish to find a partner, but you could not further delay your debut, being twenty-one years of age. It had been a miracle that you were allowed to pursue your studies for so long. By the grace of your social standing and the Queen’s benevolent nature, she had granted you an extension following your parents’ passing.

“Then I shall leave you to your search.” Momo said with a cheeky grin, letting go off your arm and disappearing in the crowd. “Momo-“ You hissed after her to no avail.

“Ms. [L/N], how nice it is to see you!” A gentleman whom you did not know approached.

“Ms. [L/N], would you allow me to be your first dance of the night?” Another joined in.

“Ms. [L/N], I hear you are quite well travelled. You must tell me all about your adventures.” A third.

‘Vultures.’ You thought disdainfully. Your eyes darting from the gentlemen to all corners of the ballroom, searching for your brother. ‘How can I get myself out of this?’ You thought, bowing to them with a smile in hopes of convincing them to leave you space. “Gentlemen, it is so nice to meet you. Could you, kindly, let me fetch a refreshment?” You asked. As one of them opened his mouth to speak, you added: “Excellent, thank you very much!”

With a quick step back, you managed to disappear behind a group, quickly heading to grab some lemonade. ‘I must find my brother… We should leave before the first dance.’

“Ms. [L/N].” A commanding voice spoke to your right. The Queen. “Your Majesty.” You said, a polite smile on your face, a kind bow, tilting your head down just enough to show her the respect worthy of royalty. Her pointer finger gently pushed your chin up. Despite her age, she looked beautiful. An unusually amused smile sat on her lips, a knowing look passing between her and her most trusted servant. “It is such a pleasure to see you, I hope you will see you on the dance floor.” With that, she left you.

‘Fuck.’ was all your brain could muster up, while you smiled on perpetually, like a statue. ‘Refreshments. I need a drink.’ It was unbecoming of a lady, much less of a debutante, to consume alcohol before the first dance. Nobody needed to know.

Quickly, you mixed whatever alcoholic beverage you could find into your lemonade and withdrew towards the wall. ‘That’s quite alright. One dance and I leave. One dance. Where is my brother?’

“Can’t you at least pretend to be interested in finding a match?” You overheard a voice to your left. “Your father’s threats are only based on rumours that not even Whistledown has touched upon. If she does not write about it, then it means she grants it no credibility.” You looked over to see a black-haired man speaking to his blonde friend. “I am not pretending because I am not seeking a match. If my father wishes to believe rumours that the back-stabbing bastard has said about me, then so be it.” The blonde responded.

Your ears perked at the discussion and you sub-consciously leaned in closer to listen. ‘Not seeking a match. This could be my chance!’ Despite not having consumed much, the alcohol had made itself noticeable in your chest. That soft hit gave you a false sense of confidence. You made your way over to the two and while the dark-haired man offered you a pleasant smile, the blonde could do nothing but keep his scowl. “Excuse me, gentlemen. I could not help but overhear the conversation.” You put your cup on a staff’s tray as he passed by. “Apologies. I am Ms. [F/N] [L/N].”

The dark-haired man took your hand, bowing but not kissing it to not give onlookers the wrong impression. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. [L/N]. My name is Eijirou Kirishima, and this is my good friend Mr. Katsuki Bakugou.”

“Son of the Viscount Bakugou, I presume?” You said with a tilt of your head. “Ask me for a dance.”

Now, under normal circumstances, you would not have opted for such a direct approach. However, these were not normal circumstances. A man who was not interested in finding a match would surely not mind to be attacked so blatantly. His scowl transformed into confusion, perhaps a tinge of shock at your audacity. Mr. Kirishima certainly found your ways amusing.

“If you’ve overheard our conversation-“ Mr. Bakugou began lecturing you, but you interrupted. “If you are not looking for a match, and neither am I, then this should be of no consequence to you. I need the Queen’s eye off of me and you need to convince your father of gentleman-like behaviour. Ask me for a dance.”

It was not Mr. Bakugou who had made the decision to accompany you to the dance floor. It was Mr. Kirishima who had so graciously given him a little shove, almost causing him to trip into you, grabbing onto your arm. For onlookers, such a move surely must have looked curious. Unless, of course, he had the intention to dance with you. “One dance.” He whispered, shooting a poisonous glance to his friend by the wall. “It is all I need.” You responded, a pretend sweet smile. Looking around you, you noticed the eyes following, the whispers rising, but whatever the scandal you were creating should be enough to divert the Queen’s idea of naming you her diamond. There were plenty of young girls who were eager to claim that spot and you would be more than willing to offer it up to them.

The dance commenced. “What scandalous thing have you done that it called for rumours?” You asked and he simply raised a brow, unnoticeable outside of the dance floor. “I agreed to dance, not to talk.”

You pursed your lips amused. You couldn’t help but to feel curious about him, about the looks he attracted. “My apologies, I was simply hoping we could continue to aid one another beyond this waltz.” His hand applied pressure on your back, holding you closer as he whispered. “I do not need any help. I have decided to not find a match and that decision is final. If everyone sees me trying, they might get the wrong impression. This is my first and last dance of the season.”

‘He could have been my way out…’ You thought, defeated. Nonetheless it seemed he had created quite the stir in the ballroom. You were not sure if it had only been your impression, but even the other dancers were throwing glances at the two of you. ‘If it is negative rumours they will be spreading, that would mean I will be safe for another season. Simply dancing with him would not nullify my chances of securing a match next season… Could this be the exit I have been searching for?’

“Keep your eyes on me.” He said, drawing your attention back to him. “It is unbecoming to look bored or uninterested in front of your dance partner, no matter how low you think of him.”

“You sure know your etiquette.” You said with a cheeky smile. “Rest assured, I do not think low of you.”

“Then you must not know me at all.”

The music came to a halt, the first dance of the season completed. You bowed as it was expected, mouthing a ‘thank you’ before stepping away, only to be met by your brother’s unreadable expression. “Is something the matter?” You asked. “Why would you dance with the Viscount’s son?” He whispered, gently pulling you aside. “It is my fault… I should have given you more lessons on the gentlemen in the ton.” Kaito placed his pointer finger above his lip, his words growing quieter as he thought how to best breach the subject of whatever Bakugou had been accused of. You bowed your head to meet his eyes. “Whatever is the issue? Just because we danced, does not mean we are courting. He has simply, graciously, offered to be my first dance.”

He shook his head. “Refrain from interacting with him. It is good that you have been in public eye, but he is-“

Before your brother could continue, one of the queen’s ladies in waiting cleared her throat next to you. “Ms. [L/N], the Queen would like to speak with you.”

‘Ugh, don’t tell me she’s going to lecture me as well?’, you thought. Your smile remained polite until she turned her back to you, allowing your expression to change sour as you looked at your brother. You followed, as instructed, bowing in front of the queen. “Your Majesty.”

“To not have seen you for years, evading society to pursue your studies, only to have you return and cause quite the storm. On that dance floor, every gentleman present could not tear their eyes away from you, do you know why?”

You didn’t know why, but your heart compelled you to shoot a glance over to Bakugou. He returned your gaze, his eyes lowered, unsure what to make of the queen’s call. “No, Your Majesty.”

“I believe you do, but I can appreciate the art of being humble.” She got up from her seat, her large dress extending into a beautiful, but commanding silhouette. The wig on her head, shaped in the form of a heart, decorated by small, what you could only assume were, diamonds. With the closed fan, she lifted your head, not just to make you rise, but beyond that, examining your face. “To return and give Lady Whistledown a new story to share on the morrow. It is quite a risk.” She smiled, removing her fan.

"And, one final question, why do you wish to join the Ground Zero Agency?" You shut your laptop, pushing it aside to give the interviewee your full attention. It had been two months since Tadae had talked some serious sense into you. She had been right, you were simply feeling attached to Bakugou, because he was the only person in the entire office you ever spoke to, not counting Ms. Kanzaki. Adding to that, him being an attractive person did not help, and you were certainly prone to feel drawn towards him, because he had been acting kindly. Tadae had called it a serious case of 'Forced Proximity', and you agreed. After all, compared to the size and open space of your old job, it was a lot easier for you to move around, and get some fresh air away from people. "This is off the record...?" The candidate asked, glancing over at your laptop nervously.

"Apart from my notes, nothing is recorded." You assured her. "But if you don't want me to share anything you're about to say with Dynamight, I won't."

The girl, seventeen years old, heading into her third year at UA, took a deep breath. "I don't really like him that much." Her body slumped forward, palms facing up as her hands rested on her thighs. Her mouth was contorted downwards, teeth showing as if she were about to sharply inhale at any moment, and it took you a great deal of strength to not burst out laughing. "Uh, go on?" You said, biting the inside of your cheek to suppress an amused smirk.

"He's rude, loud, and... murderous. That's not the image I'm trying to build for myself." She sighed. "But he's a good hero. His quirk control is something I can only dream of at my state and...." As she spoke she took a lot of breaks, simply to breathe, find her words, and regain confidence in what she was trying to sell you. "My teachers keep telling me to push through my limits. I get stuck on the thinking part more often than not, and I hesitate on my movements when I do. But my quirk is so... flashy. It's meant to be used quickly and I suck at it." Your eyes widened slightly at the level of introspection, and honesty, this young kid was sharing with you. 'She could be the one...' You had to open your laptop slightly, under the pretence to remember her quirk, but in reality, you had to check her name again. In that day alone, you had interviewed six potential interns, and the day before five more, and seven the day before that. "A quirk based on portals could be useful." You commented. "Haru, when are you available tomorrow?"

"After school, I can be here before five p.m." She confirmed. "Great, I will let Dynamight know, I think he'd like to meet you. Thank you for your time today."

Haru nodded, smiling at you as she got up, thanking you as well.

"Oh, and please don't hold back either when he asks you why you'd like to join, yeah?" You said.

You stretched when she had left, rubbing your neck, and cracking your knuckles, ready to present the profile to Bakugou. 'A quick summary will do, but she'll have to bring her confidence up tomorrow. Should I tell Bakugou to not look so menacing?' You wondered, tapping your finger against your lips. 'Then again, she might need it?' It was a tough decision for which you decided to not influence his presentation. If the girl really wanted and deserved the spot, Bakugou would be the judge of it without any of your personal bias.

"Do you not mind us meeting like this all the time?" Sero asked, turning the glass of wine in his hands, watching as the liquid swirled. "Do you?" You asked him back. Ever since the insightful advice Tadae had drilled into you, you had decided to give into just being fuck buddies with Sero. Every couple weeks, the two of you met up, spent a nice evening together, just checking up on how life was going, and went back to his place. Every time, you left to go home and enjoy the rest of the night on your own. "Don't tell me you're developing feelings?" You teased, pressing your foot softly into his shin under the table. He rolled his eyes. "I don't see that... in us, I'm sorry."

"Then there are no worries to be had." You assured him. The two of you kept physical touch to a minimum outside of the bedroom, and you had practically become friends, to the point that he had introduced you to his friends when you had accidentally run into him. None of them knew what exactly was going on between you, apart from occasional meet ups. Denki was convinced you two were dating, whereas Kirishima was convinced you two had tried dating and it failed. Whatever they believed did not matter to you. The only issue you had found with knowing his friends was knowing that they were also Bakugou's friends.

No matter how much you repeated to yourself that you were still adjusting to a life in a small company, it didn't make it any easier to know your boss' buddies.

Everything in your life was going great. Your saving were growing again, you had a great sex life, your other relationships were flourishing, and you were getting out of the house more. You were starting to feel a positive attitude towards your job, the same kind that Tadae had described to you about not worrying what the next day had to offer. You simple lived. Everything was going great until it wasn't.

"Bakugou being a good boss?" Sero asked and you cringed, looking over to him as you put your shirt on. "Mentioning my boss after we just fucked is kinda weird, dude."

"Calling me dude after we just fucked is kinda weird, dude."

You threw a nearby pillow at him. "To answer your question: yeah? I mean, I don't have any complaints, apart from his usual mannerisms, and some of the stress that comes from working in a start up. Why?" Sero shifted upwards, using the pillow you had just thrown as a rest for his back. The blanket covered his lower body, his arms crossed as he disappeared into thought for a moment. 'That's a rare one.' You thought. Seeing him so contemplative, you were starting to fear for whatever he had to say about the topic next. "You know, he praises you a lot." He said.

"That would be news to me." You said with a laugh, but the comment unsettled you nonetheless. So much so, you needed to turn away from Sero as you gathered your remaining belongings. "I mean, in his Bakugou way, you know?" Sero continued and you wished the conversation would simply end there. Yet, another part was simply too curious to give up the opportunity, so you stayed silent and listened. "He's not the type to simply name drop, but he has mentioned you a couple of times when the conversation allowed it."

You shrugged. "So he mentions his assistant when the conversation is about work or efficiency or whatever. Big deal." You hoped you sounded as nonchalant as you had thought you did. Sero's eyes met yours when you turned around. You did not like the emotion they held. It was his way of saying 'you don't get it', and you certainly didn't feel like you needed to get anything. Still, curiosity killed the cat. "There is something I gotta know, though." You said with a sigh, Sero nodding to let you know you could go on. "Why is being his assistant such a big deal?" There was an exasperation in your voice that made Sero raise his brows rapidly in surprise. "Every time I was introduced, there was an air of shock, surprise, secrecy, whatever you wanna call it, around my title. Even your friends didn't acknowledge me by my name at first, only calling me by my job, as if... Like you guys are expecting a replacement."

Getting worked up over something so insignificant felt silly. Of course, Bakugou wouldn't just replace you after singing high praises. Your job was secure as long as money was flowing, and hero work was being completed. Yet, the way everyone tip toed around the subject had made you uneasy. You needed to know.

"I don't think I'm the right person to talk about this." Sero admitted, giving you an apologetic look.

"Did he sleep with his past assistant or what?" You challenged.

Sero looked away, his fingers pressing into his upper arm before he regained his usual calm expression.

"Sero, what was that look?" You narrowed your eyes, your jaw agape. "Oh my fuck, he slept with his assistant!"

"No!" He exclaimed, leaning forward, extending his hands in a halt, as if trying to calm down whatever emotions you were feeling. Unfortunately, they had already gotten off the rails. "Sero, if you tell me that the reason why everyone was being weird to me is because he had a scandal over fucking his assistant, I will lose it. Wait, did everyone think I'd hop into bed with him? Is that why everyone's seeing me as 'just his assistant' rather than a normal fucking human being?" You were being very theatric, deserving of an Oscar, even. There had never been a time in your life before where you had enunciated your words with such fervour, speaking in mocking ways, and displaying such utter disbelief over a situation.

"Woah, woah!" Sero called out, scooching closer to you as his hands pushed down on air a couple times, requesting you calm down. "You're making assumptions based on minimal information. That's why I said, I don't think I'm the right person for this conversation." His hand went through his hair as he sighed. "Look, I don't know if he actually slept with her or not. I also don't know how deep the story goes. Nobody actually does, because he never fully spoke about it. Maybe to Midoriya?"

"What is the story you know, then?" You said, crossing your arms, standing your ground. There was no chance in hell you would leave before at least hearing one perspective on whatever fiasco had gone down.

Sero opened his mouth, the tip of his tongue pressing against his canine tooth as he considered whether or not he should tell you. Or how much. "They had a thing going. She was gonna look for another job so that he wouldn't have to suffer any consequences should it be revealed that they were going out. After all, he held a higher position than her. Then, something happened. From what I understand, she had already been in a relationship, and was simply trying to jump up quickly in her career. So she used him as this bridge. Don't take my word for it, though." You were going to bump into the topic, but Sero held his hand up to stop you. "That being said, I don't think Bakugou is falling for you or anything of the sort."

"I wasn't implying that either." You retorted, although a part of you had been debating that possibility. After all, you had your own crisis over potentially falling for him.

"He's not the type to let that happen so quickly." Sero noted. "But, he appreciates you. What he praises is your integrity. How you do your work seriously, and I think he feels bad to not be able to reward you sufficiently. He wouldn't admit it, though." You both chuckled at that. "Just keep on being the kind of person he needs in the agency is all I'm saying."

You had sat down at the edge of the bed as he was speaking, taking in his words and allowing you some time to digest them. 'We all have our reasons for acting the way that we do.' You remembered. "I quit my last job cause of my boss." You confessed, your fingers pressing into the side of the mattress, your shoulders pulled up in defence. You tilted your head to be able to look at Sero, whose face you could not read. "And you know, you're not the person who should know all the details here, either." You added, teasingly. "I don't think I'll bother asking Bakugou about it, but it feels nice to have some clarity. In the past year, my life has gone haywire, and I still feel like I need time to adjust. Same apartment, same schedule, but everything around it feels so out of place. I still can't put it into words. I don't think I will ever be able to."

Sero threw the pillow back at you. "Didn't think my booty call would go sentimental on me."

You rolled your eyes, laughing as the situation really hit. You, ready to go home and watch whatever reality TV show was trashiest, not thinking about anything but yourself. Him, a pro-hero naked in his bed, listening to you talk about your office problems, like he did not have 'save people' every day on his schedule. "I deserved that one." You agreed. "Same time next week?"

He hummed in approval. You made your way to his door. "Hey, I'm glad we can be cool like this, though. Friends. It's easy."

You smiled. "Yeah, it is."

'Maybe I don't know jack shit about fundraisers...' The first sign on how massive the event would be should have been the venue itself, which had a general capacity of one thousand people, excluding backstage and staff. Of course, that would not seem so massive, were it not for the price of entry being so blown out that you wouldn't even be able to afford it in your dreams. "What exactly are you raising funds for?" You had asked Bakugou the week before, trying to wrap your brain around the prestige surrounding the event. "Non-profit organisations to help them sustain themselves. Most of it goes into quirk research and rebuilding efforts after villain attacks. It's also a way to build connections with brands and make money for our agencies in future collaborations."

"Ah." You felt that if you asked more questions, your worries would only grow so you decided to keep them to yourself and let yourself be surprised.

The second sign on how massive the event would be was the parking situation during which you had to call up Bakugou so that he would confirm with security you were meant to be there. "Sorry, ma'am, your car's license plate was not listed. Enjoy your evening."

Parking your car, heading to the backside entrance, and thankfully being on the staff list, all proceeded rather smoothly. You had been worried your shoes or dress would suffer from the recent rain's puddles, or that just before reaching the entrance another shower would come down on you, ruining your makeup. 'And I'm on time. Now just to find Bakugou-'

"[L/N]?" Sero's familiar voice and stature were just around the corner, however, you were not used to his face being disguised by a helmet. "Oh, Sero!" You said, stunned. 'Of course, he would be here. I completely missed that that would be a possibility.' You thought. With a quick move, he opened his helmet, revealing that easy-going smile that had begun to grow on you. "Nice dress." He commented, a corner of his mouth tugging into a smirk. "Nice costume." You responded, looking him up and down with pursed lips of approval. "Looks much better in reality. Does pictures are not doing you any justice."

Sero chuckled, leaning against the wall casually, his arm above head height. As realisation settled in, his brows furrowed, his jaw opening slightly in confusion. "Uh... Wha- What are you doing here, actually?" He asked, looking at your staff badge, trying to figure out what part of the crew you belonged to. "Oh, uh." You lifted your badge just enough to reveal the title written on it. "Personal assistant. I don't remember if I mentioned that I worked for a pro-hero... In any case, he is part of the fundraiser today, so..." You looked down on your phone, the time passing quicker than you had expected. "I better get going, I was gonna help with some details. Catch you later?" You spoke as you were walking away, giving him two thumbs up, only turning away to continue your search for Bakugou once Sero had nodded. The backstage passage was incredibly confusing at first, but the numerical system helped you find Bakugou's area soon enough.

"Damn, got a room for yourself, big shot?" You called as you entered, seeing nobody else around. "You took your sweet time, I'm used to you being early." He commented, adjusting his gauntlets and moving around to see if they were tight enough.

"Sorry about that, I ran into someone I knew, had a quick chat." You admitted. "How are they feeling? I asked Mei to do something about the discomfort on your elbow you mentioned during prolonged wear."

Bakugou looked up over to you with a raised brow with a dampened smile, nodding in approval. "I didn't ask you to do that."

"You don't ask me to do a lot of things, I just do them." You reminded him. "Anyways, think you'll be fine or should we rehearse these interview questions one more time?" You asked, holding up the practice cards you had prepared for him, following his PR manager's instructions.

The fundraiser was built almost like a talkshow. Some heroes were asked to perform in-depth interviews, while others might only cover two question before doing a challenge, and another portion of them was only told they would be doing a challenge. Bakugou was the middle ground. While a challenge would be no issue for him, the interview, no matter how long, could lower his image with viewers. Not that he would care under any other circumstance, but needing to ensure future collaborations, he had been practicing his manners. "You're too stiff." You commented, dropping the flashcards into your bag. "It's just the two of us, it's not like there's a camera on you right now."

"I know that." He said through pressed teeth and you couldn't help but smile. He sighed. "This shit is not the same as a battlefield. If I sound angry, people talk, if I sound too happy, they say I'm being fake. So which one is it?"

"Does it matter?" You asked.

"Of course it fucking matters!" He leaned in, his hands on his knees. You could almost feel his tensity pass over to you, tightening your muscles and chest in the same way his was.

"Alright, deep breath, boss." You said, guiding him with a hand movement. Up to breathe in. Down to breathe out slowly. You matched him as he did so. "I'm not the best person to give advice on how not to overthink or panic. However, I am the best person to give advice on how to not make it show!" He shot you a challenging glance, which you deflected by narrowing your eyes. "Most of the time. You're used to me by now so you know what I look like when I'm in my head. Nobody in that crowd knows you that long and they're not that observant. People at home just wanna have a laugh as well. I find it easiest to pretend you're talking to one person or for one person." You pointed between him and you. "We're talking normally, are we not? You're not angry, you're not showing some wild side, but you're still you, you know?"

He nodded. A knock on the door, however, caused him to inhale sharply. "Dynamight, position in 5."

"You got this!" You squeezed his shoulder, encouragingly. "You're Dynamight, for crying out loud! What's one interview gonna do to you?"

You downed two champagne glasses before Bakugou went on stage. Whatever nerves you had managed to suppress while practicing the interview with him had gone down the drain, the same the alcohol was sliding down yours. 'I should not be so nervous for him... It's not even me up on that stage!' You had moved to the sidelines, obscured by the deep shadows created by the contrasting spotlights that had illuminated the centre. Another hero was currently conducting an in-depth interview, soon to be followed by Bakugou. 'Surely, I have no reason to worry.' The alcohol went so quickly into your stomach, warming you up, you had to use your badge as a fan to help yourself. Bakugou, on the other hand, looked a lot more composed than you. 'At least one of us is.' You thought, a sense of relief washing over you. If he was nervous, it did not show. He spoke to the interviewer in the same way he did to you when he allowed himself to breathe.

"You look stressed." You flinched hearing Sero speak, not having noticed that he was standing right next to you. You smacked his shoulder, covering your mouth in shock as you realised what you had done. "Jesus, sorry..." You whispered, looking from back onto the stage. You could barely make out what they were saying, your brain not allowing you to focus on the conversation.

"Your hero gonna be up there soon?" Sero asked and you shook your head. "He already is."

Sero's face leaned in, the same perplexed expression as before. "Bakugou?" He said. "Bakugou's your boss?"

"Mhm." You hummed, biting your lip as you watched them move from the interview section to some challenge about lying what is in the box in front of you. 'Something something watchers at home send in your guess something something.' You repeated in your head the only intelligible thing to you.

"Are you so stressed cause of... Bakugou?" He asked and you had to push his head away by the cheek, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how close he had started to be to you. "I don't know, Sero." You sighed, shaking your head. "Yes, no? I don't... I have to go do some networking later and his performance will impact how well I will come across. I don't know how these people feel about him and I am not the most social person out there, okay?"

'Yeah, it's totally because I'm getting affected by this as well.' You tried to convince yourself. 'And the two glasses of champagne certainly didn't help.' Yet that little buzzing in your head returned, presenting you with a different reality. A reality in which you had gotten so nervous, because you were feeling worried about Bakugou. "Need another one of those?" He pointed to your empty glass. "I'm sure you'll manage without alcohol, but by the end of the night everyone will be so drunk out of their minds, it won't really matter all too much when you start,"

You shook your head. "I came by car, I need to get home somehow."

"You can just leave it here without issues. I've done that last year."

"Let's see where the night will take me."

The night took you many places. From backstage with Bakugou, applauding him for his job well done, leaving so he could get changed, to suddenly being thrown to the wolves. You did not know anyone. A suffocating feeling which you had not felt since the first big party at your last job, where everyone had already their existing groups, no openings for new joiners. You stood by the wall, watching as individual people just became clumps, only existing in the silhouette of their group. You sipped at your champagne, wondering if you should simply go home. 'I've done my part, no? Helped him with the interview, talked to the photographer... Hell, why the fuck did I agree to come? I barely did anything.' Small. You had not felt so small and defeated in a while.

You could search out Sero, but you did not wish to perpetrate a sense of dependence on him. After all, you were nothing more than... what exactly? Acquaintances who occasionally fucked? Friends with benefits? You wouldn't necessarily call him a friend. 'One more drink and I'm off.' You decided, fighting your way through the crowd to reach one of the many bars that had been set up for the event. "Excuse me, sorry, my bad" left your lips as you squeezed through the mass of people. When reaching the counter, you grabbed whatever drink was available, scrunching your nose as you realised you had to make your way back somehow. "There you are." Bakugou gripped your upper arm, pulling you aside so you wouldn't be in the way of what you could only assume was a couple, the way they were smushed together. "I've been looking for you."

"You were?" You asked incredulous. "I thought my part was done?"

"I didn't invite you so you could give me a pep talk and leave, did I?" He asked. You did not know how to respond. "Let me introduce you to some people."

Turned out that whatever networking you had planned on doing, Bakugou managed for you. From pro-heroes to various brand representatives being present, suddenly the alcohol was not just there to grant you confidence, but to hydrate you as well. "I thought you didn't like working with assistants?" One gentleman slurred his words as he patted Bakugou's shoulder. The man was a caricature of himself with the big moustache and couple hair strands gelled to the side. "I didn't like working with your assistants." Bakugou corrected. You felt odd being talked about while standing right next to them, as if you were a prize to be shown off. You tried to swallow the feeling, but it persisted, forming a cluster in your throat.

Even while meeting Bakugou's friends - Kaminari and Mina, you believed - the same obstruction in your stomach persisted. "Hey, it's the assistant!" was something you started hearing all the more while meeting more people.

"You're [L/N], right?"

Hearing your name made you feel like you could breathe again. "Oh, yes. You're... Sorry, I only remember your hero name. Deku, right?" You asked and he nodded, a smile one could only describe as kind on his face. "Yes, Midoriya if you will." He introduced himself, offering his hand which you gladly took. "How are you enjoying the party?"

You blew air out, slumping down slightly. "Overwhelming, to be honest."

"Yeah, I fully get that." He said, softly scratching at his face as his eyes scanned the room. "It's not easy to get used to. I'm only managing 'cause my girlfriend is handling most of the social interaction for me." He confessed with a nervous laugh in which you could only join in. "Bakugou has been so kind to do most of the talking... But even then. Phew."

"You're his assistant, no? How is the job? Settled in?"

You nodded with a tired smile. "Yeah, pretty much. I got my routine, but this... I wasn't prepared to be honest."

Midoriya was the light at the end of the tunnel. When you had been ready to despair and perform an Irish goodbye, he had managed to pull you back down to earth and remind you that all you needed was just a moment of recognition. A moment of existence in the mass of people. Another friend, Kirishima, had joined the conversation and the world around you became quieter, allowing you to pinpoint voices rather than to drown in the amalgamation of sounds. To be frank, you weren't really sure what you guys were talking about, the effects of whatever liquids you had consumed finally overtaking your mind. You were speaking, sure, but the topics eventually mixed together between talks of work, and some gossip. "Yeah, I think they're hooking up in the bathroom. Gross." Kirishima said disdainfully, talking about some CEO you couldn't remember meeting.

"I hope we don't have another scandal like last year." Midoriya sighed. "The bad press caused a rise in hero sceptics. I don't wanna have to go through them being in the way of hero work again. People's lives were in jeopard..." Midoriya sighed.

You were only half listening. Your eyes, tired of scanning the room, had found their focal point in Bakugou. Your lower lip pressed against the cool glass of your drink, as you took a sip absent-mindedly every once in a while. There was a specific way in which his nose scrunched when he disagreed with a topic. Or the way his brows furrowed when he was suddenly deep in thought, his eyes looking away from their conversation partner. His Adam's apple moved as he spoke and you were unusually mesmerised by the rhythm. The dress shirt he was wearing pressed against his skin whenever he crossed his arms, his muscles expanding.

'Shit.' You thought, looking away as his eyes suddenly met yours. Only, the direction in which you looked was that of his conversation partner, Sero, who smiled, waving for you to come over. "Excuse me, guys, I'll be right back." You told Midoriya and Kirishima who simply nodded, returning back to being immersed in their stories.

"Bakugou was just telling me about you." Sero said as you approached the two guys. "I'm not surprised to hear that you've been surpassing all expectations." There was a different kind of confidence in his voice you did not like. It was not his usual, expressive self, speaking with a carefreeness you admired. Mixed within was the toxic nature of whatever drinks had clouded his mind. You shot a look of 'You've been talking about me?' up to Bakugou, who only gave you one you could only interpret as 'You know this guy?'

"I'm glad to hear." You said, mustering up a grateful smile. "Sero and I met not too long ago. He was also the person I ran into before."

"When she told me she was here because of work, never in a million years would I have guessed you!" Sero added, wrapping an arm around Bakugou's shoulders. He added something else, but his words had become too much of a mess to understand. All you managed to gauge from it was 'crash at Kaminari's' and 'overboard'. You were glad to know that at least he had a friend he could stay with, and Bakugou understood quite quickly that it meant bringing him to Kaminari. 'How the fuck am I gonna get home?' You wondered. In your state, you were absolutely in no position to drive. It was a surprise that you managed to maintain your consciousness for so long, still aware of your surroundings and remembering that you had a home to get back to. You had initially planned on going back to Sero's place, but were glad to drop the plan, no longer feeling the excitement you had felt when you had run into him backstage.

"Do you need a ride?" Bakugou asked upon his returned.

"Oh, uh..." You looked around for any other option, but you were not confident enough to ask people you had just met. 'My boss or strangers?' You weighed the possibilities and there was a clear winner. "If you wouldn't mind..." You looked up at him through your eyelashes, feeling a bit embarrassed nonetheless. If you had another work colleague or a friend with you, it wouldn't be nearly as bad, but you were still struggling to look past the status he held over you. "Don't worry about it. I'll grab my stuff and we can go."

You almost regretted saying 'yes' seeing the car he was driving. Your old, used Honda, on which you couldn't even tell when a new scratch appeared, was parked only a couple of spots away and you felt ashamed to look at it. "This car is calling me poor in five different languages." You said under your breath, earning yourself a 'Huh?' from Bakugou which you waved off. "Nothing." Despite it being May and summer approaching, the night air was still cold, biting at your skin, and you could no longer wait but to sit in the passenger seat. "Put your address in." He said and you did, with some trouble as you had to get used to the display in your state, but standing in the cold had helped sober you up. "Don't vomit on the way. Think you'll manage for twenty minutes?"

"I'm not that drunk." You scoffed, crossing your arms.

"Mhm, sure you aren't."

The drive was spent in silence for the most part, only interrupted by Bakugou's tapping of his finger against the steering wheel. He was not all that difficult of a man to read. At the very least, you could always tell when he was hesitating to say something.

"What's on your mind?" You asked.

Nothing, he only glanced over to you, shrugging, but his mind wandered in the same way yours did. One hand on the steering wheel, while the other rested against the window, a finger under his nose, concealing part of his lips with the remaining ones. You also knew not to press too much if he did not wish to speak. Except, one red light stopped the car for too long. Then another. It seemed a curse that every couple seconds, he had to stop, doing nothing except look away from you.

"You enjoyed the evening?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was nice." You said. "Well, maybe a bit much, but I don't regret going."

"Hm." He nodded.

You were not sure if you were invited to speak more, but you didn't really care either. The silence was deafening and it did not help ground you to reality whatsoever. It was too cold to open a window, and you did not wish to sit, staring into the approaching distance, feeling a sense of dread in your stomach. "You did well." You said. "I mean, the interview and all. You didn't look nervous, well, at least to general viewers you didn't."

"Thanks." He cleared his throat, another word almost escaping him. You could see your driveway in the distance, your apartment complex still lit up from people coming back home after a night out. Then again, you couldn't remember when it wasn't. You lived with mostly college students or recent graduates who were hoping to make it big in their next career, renting a cheap apartment, and living between office hours and parties. "You can circle around the parking, but mind the bump in the road." You warned him, memories of you hitting your bumper flashing back into your mind, making you cringe. Somehow, you felt, you were getting worse at driving, the longer you had your driver's license. "Ugh, I still need to get my car tomorrow..." You mumbled, wondering if there were any bus connections to get you there.

"If you trust me with your car, I could do it." Bakugou said, stopping the car in front of the apartment entry. "Don't be ridiculous." You mocked, shaking your head, your hand against his shoulder. "Oh, wait are you being serious?"

"I'll be in the area anyways."

Part of you really wanted to say 'yes', but another part knew that you would only agree to not have to bother. It wasn't fair to him, no matter if he was the one who offered or not. "No, that wouldn't... I can go myself. Would do me some good to get some air tomorrow and not be cooped up in my cave." You pointed to your apartment with a smile. "But thanks." Your hand held onto the car doorhandle, wanting to leave, but feeling like you were missing something important. "Why are you so... nice to me?" You asked without thinking. It wasn't the question that had been at the forefront of your mind, but yet it slipped out, as if it had been brewing somewhere else, unable to be contained.

Bakugou didn't respond for a moment, his eyes quickly darting away from you, focussed on the path ahead. "I need to be nice to my employees."

"Ah, yeah, right." You opened the door. "Have a good night. See you on Monday, boss."

'Of course, I am his assistant. What the fuck is wrong with me?' You barely had the energy to get yourself ready for bed, but you no longer were tired either.

"Mhm... Hello...?"

Hatsume Mei had an energy to her that rivalled the power of a caffeine shot injected directly into your bloodstream. She spoke with a speed that, if you were not accustomed to it, you could easily confuse her words for gibberish. Her hands worked fast, her legs even faster, carrying her from one creation in her workshop to the next. Her assistant, a younger guy who seemed to be in his final years of college, had called her name multiple times but to no avail. "When she sets her mind to something, there's no stopping. Give her a moment." He whispered to you, smiling apologetically to which you replied with a "No worries, I'm in no rush right now."

It was fascinating to watch a master at work. How purposefully she grabbed things, knowing exactly where they needed to go and what their purpose was. On the cork board in the corner, you tried to read the blueprints and notes she had attached with pins all over, but you could not find sense in her organisation. You wondered if any of the papers were up to date, unlike her calendar which was stuck on the previous year.

"Who did you say you were here for?" The assistant ask, a cunning gleam in his eyes, directed at the pink-haired engineer.

"Uh, Dynamight, I'm his assistant."

A wrench fell to the ground, echoing throughout the room, covering Hatsume's quick step approaching you. "Why didn't you say so right away!" She said, taking your hand, which had previously rested at your side, into hers, shaking it violent. "Hatsume Mei, owner of Lightly Labs, and you are...?"

"[L/N], [F/N]. Nice to meet you." You introduced yourself, looking over to the assistant to give him a thankful smile for hurrying up the meeting after all. You were in no rush, but you also did not wish to lose more time on work than necessary. Hatsume looked down into your other hand, reaching out to grab the metal briefcase you were holding, and you handed it to her. Without a word, she returned to her workshop table, and you felt compelled to follow her to take a closer look. With the click of a button, the case transformed into Bakugou's gauntlets. They had taken some beatings with scratches all over them, but no dents which made you wonder just how sturdy the material was, considering the power behind his blasts. "Did he make any change requests?" Hastume asked, not looking at you, lifting the gear to take a look from different angles. "How's his right arm faring with these babies?"

"The blowback is still too strong when he releases a built up blast. He noted that his left arm is not struggling too much with it, but he is limited in the use with his right arm. He has gotten used to the target deviation the more distant his attacks are, but he was wondering if there is a way to make it more accurate."

"Where does it hurt the most?" She asked and you wondered if she needed to take notes or if her mind was simply that attuned to requests, she could memorise them by mention. You couldn't describe the muscle groups, so you simply showed her by tracing them on her body, the way that Bakugou had shown you as he had handed you the briefcase. Your arm remembered the tingle of his touch as you repeated it on Hatsume, and you needed to rub your muscles to release that memory. "Anything about his replacement gear while I'll be working on these?"

You shook your head. "Same as before, I will bring the replacement gear when you are done with these for a quick repair."

Hatsume pouted, shaking her head. "Same as before. That guy could seriously let me go wild if it's just for temporary use!" She sighed, but her light did not dim, the twinkle in her eyes a constant as she continued to analyse the gauntlets, her fingers tracing the scratches. 'Is she checking out the depth?' You almost wanted to stay to ask her questions about her work, but you needed to return to office. "Well, should be done by tomorrow morning. Can you drop by then?"

"Yeah, no worries. The bill will be handled by the accountants end of month, just send him the invoice, I'll transfer it." You pulled out your phone to check the time, calculating how long you would take to get back to the office to finish writing his reports for him. Additionally, he still needed to let you know which events he was planning to attend and which conferences you should RSVP sooner rather than later. "How long have you been working for him?" Hatsume asked. "Three weeks almost." You answered and she turned away from her work to regard you with a downward turned smile, a look of recognition. "I like you, I hope he keeps you."

"I beg your pardon?" You asked, confused by what she meant with that expression.

Her head was turned back to her workbench, a smile on her face, though you couldn't tell if it was one from excitement in face of fine-tuning the gear or if it was meant for you. "You're the first assistant he sends in... Three years, now? I'm impressed how quickly you've adapted."

'He's had an assistant before?' You wondered. You decided to thank her before leaving, considering the topic not something she should concern herself with. 'Hell, I don't even know if I should bother myself with it. He must have had assistants during his independent work, as well, no? How else would he have managed his busy schedule.' Yet, it buzzed in the back of your mind like a mosquito in the summer not leaving you alone. "Ms. Kanzaki, good day." You greeted her as you did everyday and she replied as she did everyday with a smile and a 'Good day.' This time, however, you decided to quench your thirst for answers immediately. "Would you know if... well, if I am the first assistant that Dynamight has hired in recent time?"

She adjusted her glasses, her gaze shifting to the left as she tried to remember anybody else working for Bakugou in the time she had been employed. "He established his agency here this year, so I don't have any records that would be able to answer that question. At the very least, you are the first he has hired since the decision to establish a company. Does that help?"

You nodded, smiling at her appreciatively. "Yeah, I was just curious." Your thirst was not entirely quenched, but it was enough to get you through the day. You didn't know if you should bother him with such a silly question, but you felt like there was something you simply needed to know. 'Why did they quit their job? Or were they fired? Why not hire a new assistant in three years? Or did he but he just never sent them to Hatsume?' Having these gaps of knowledge caused a discomfort you couldn't quite understand. Maybe it was the way Hatsume had said 'I hope he keeps you' that had left a sour taste in your mouth. Were you so easily disposable?

"RSVP to the General Hero Conference. I will be one of the speakers after the next Hero Ranking update. When's the fundraiser?" Bakugou asked, after you had called him while he was on the job, his comms having thankfully been free.

"Two months from now. Saturday, 18th May."

"K." You could hear movement around him, a strong wind as well, but the noise-cancelling was good enough to make him sound clear to you despite the disruptions. "Can you be there?"

"For the fundraiser?"

"Mhm."

There was a moment of hesitation. 'You want me there?' almost leaving your lips as you could not understand what your help could possibly be needed for. Had he not done these alone previously? You had presumed he had been quite comfortable with dealing with these events solo.

"I don't expect you to." Bakugou added.

"No, I mean, yes! I'll be there." You replied, noting it down in both of your calendars. "Clear the details, later?"

"Mhm."

With that, the conversation was over. You knew your way around fundraisers, so it did not create an additional source of worry for you. A week before the event, you would prepare, check out what needed to be done, appear, help, leave. What did concern you, however, was that he had asked you in the first place. 'Why am I so reluctant to just believe he needs help?' You wondered. 'It's what he hired me for, for crying out loud!' Your teeth pressed into your pen, as you tried to figure out the remaining parts of his schedule. 'I should focus on getting his marketing gigs in order first...' Bakugou hoped to hire an intern, followed up by a sidekick soon after. Unfortunately, his hero work funds did not suffice to pay you and additional staff on top of his service providers. However, being a highly rated hero, and a quite good-looking one at that, had its perks. 'I wish I was paid four times my salary for a couple pictures.' You thought, pouting as you gave the brands he had approved the final confirmation for his presence.

Your phone vibrated. 'Fuck, I forgot to respond to Sero...' You quickly typed out a message, responding to him asking you when you would have time to meet again: 'Busy at work and weekend birthday at friends. Schedule for end of month?' That was not exactly your preferred way of speaking to a person, much less a date, but your days did not allow for much more. You had yet to be paid for your work, your first month not even passed at Bakugou's company. Your money was running low and you had other relationships to attend to. If you could just have a weekend away, a weekend alone, to gather your thoughts and cleanse your mind, you were certain you could allocate him more energy. 'Fine by me! Wanna go see a movie?' He asked and you agreed, letting him know he could pick whatever movie he liked.

The previous cycle repeated. You had met him for a date, a nice conversation, and watched some action movie you did not care all too much about. Your life had become all about heroes, you had no need to watch them on the big screen acting out their heroic deeds as well. Then, you went home with him. 'Letting off some steam' should not be the way to describe it, but it was what it turned out to be. You had finally paid your rent with no worries, and could buy groceries that were in your wage range.

"How's work for you? Didn't you say you started something new?" Sero asked, playing with your hair as you lay on his chest, allowing yourself some rest before you would head home.

"Mhm." You hummed. "It's... I guess it's good." You responded and he did not ask any further questions. 'It's different.' was what you thought. 'I'm still adjusting. I can't just walk into the office of the people I'm working with to ask for the documents I urgently need. It's a bit lonely as well, but I never minded that... Or I guess, I was just used to having people around, so I never felt all that lonely before. There was a lot to learn and still is. Contracts and regulations for hero interns are different than those I previously worked on. And don't get me started on my boss, Bakugou! He's fine to work with, but I feel like I'm not getting guided enough. But what do I expect from someone who has never done this before either? I keep worrying I'm breaking the law somehow, because there's nobody there to check what I'm doing. He's so distant with his mannerisms and the way he speaks to me, even though I thought I had gotten through to him...'

"You not gonna stay the night?" He asked as you had started getting dressed.

"Huh? Oh, no, sorry." You smiled apologetically. "I just... Well... Maybe next time?"

"You don't have to explain yourself. Let me accompany you to your car, at least."

"Thanks."

Days turned into weeks incredibly quickly. Bakugou had sent you the recording of the General Hero Conference, asking you to have a look, and if you had the time, help him narrow down topics. You didn't have the time, but you still did it, sacrificing a Saturday afternoon for him. "You're efficient." He commented, seeing the list on his desk the next Monday. "I wasn't... well, thank you." Whatever he tried to say, he had dropped, a nod of appreciation in your direction. "Don't mention it, it's my job, after all." You said with a smile, not meaning any of those words, simply trying to stay humble.

"Do you have a lot to do this week?" He asked, and you shook your head. "It's alright. I mean, there are a few things to check, but-"

"Take the day off." He said.

"Sorry, what?" You leaned back in your chair, biting the inside of your cheek as you banged the sensitive spot on your spine you had been hitting for the past month and a half. 'Is he... letting me go...?'

"You've done enough, if there's anything urgent, let me know." He said. "I'll handle it today."

You tilted your head, your hands unsure if they should close your laptop, pack your bag, or protest.

"Oh my god, I'm not firing you for fuck's sake!" He groaned, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms as he leaned back in his own chair. "You've been finishing your tasks well, and I know you've been doing some over time." He lifted his own badge, reminding you that your working time was recorded every time you entered or left the building. "Rest up."

"Ah, uh... Well, if you don't mind, boss." You said his title teasingly, a grateful smile forming on your lips, while the clump on your heart dropped just as soon as it had formed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then? All the urgent stuff is written in my calendar, but it's really just two small check ups."

He nodded, checking the moment you had said it. "Enjoy your afternoon."

"You, too." You wished him, leaving as you did.

You had forgotten what it was like to have the rest of a day to yourself. Not having planned anything, you decided to get your groceries for the week, and simply enjoy some rest at home. 'A nice bath, and... Maybe I could watch a new show? Or game a little? So many possibilities.' You even hummed as you were driving. It was only when you got up the next day that you had realised that your mind was not at work. There had been no nagging buzzing, asking you to triple check if you had really done everything you needed to do. There were no messages from Bakugou, asking you to come online to help him with something. You even muted the Outlook app on your phone, knowing you shouldn't respond to any incoming emails on your approved day off.

Ms. Kanzaki greeted you as usual, and you responded, humming as you made your way to the office. Bakugou was not in. 'Probably at the photoshoot.' You remembered, dropping your back at your desk, realising that the scenery had changed. "No way." You said under your breath, an excited smile creeping up your lips as you dropped down onto the cushion of your new chair. "Oh my god, my back is in heaven!" You sighed, leaning back, and as you did, so did the chair.