Author's Note: Discovered I love Uraraka and Bakugo together today so this was excessively born in the last few hours. Honestly was just running off a whim so I didn't really go back and proofread, though if this keeps going a while I'll eventually go back and fix any mistakes.

Hope you enjoy!

Ochaco Uraraka brushed an arm across her tear stained cheek, ignoring the tiny sparks of pain against her scrapes and bruises. She knew her parents were right. She should be proud of herself. She made it so much further in the festival than most of the other students, even without the raw power of a quirk like Deku's, Todoroki's or…

Bakugo's.

The door to the waiting room burst open and she flinched away, waiting for a barrage from the other side. Instead, no one entered for a moment only for Katsuki Bakugo to stroll in with his nonchalant swagger. The arrogance made her bristle, swiftly swiping the tears from her other cheek. There was no doubt that her eyes were puffy and swollen, and she balled a fist at her side knowing that he would surely see her weakness.

She wanted to explain herself — tell him that she wasn't crying because of him. She'd just wanted to make her parents proud.

He turned his sharp gaze on her, maintaining his hands slipped into his pockets as if to make sure everyone knew that they were beneath his full attention. She straightened her spine as he took his time looking her over and her patience grew thin.

"Did you come to gloat or what?" she snapped, startled by her own vulnerable intensity.

His impassive stare was unchanging as he approached her. "No," he said, his voice always a low growl. "I wanted to see how I'd overlooked you."

The bold statement caught her off guard and her lips parted.

"Uraraka, right?"

She nodded a little more vigorously than she'd wanted. His eyes drifted down her body, past her torn tank top and uniform pants and back up again and she was shocked with his brazenness.

"Hmph," he grunted. "Don't get lost in the extras anymore," he said turning back for the door, "Uraraka."

Her feet moved before she could stop herself. "Wait," she said in a rush as she reached for his wrist. He spun on her and his nearness was disarming. She felt the blush creeping to her cheeks as she caught a view of Bakugo she'd never seen before. His features were relaxed as he looked down on her, his eyes softer than she'd expected as he waited for her to speak.

She fought the urge to put some distance between them and instead levelled her stance. "Why are you being nice to me?"

His smirk was slow and… oddly distracting. "You're not the only one full of surprises," he said quietly as he raised his thumb to touch the burn he'd caused across her jaw.

She wasn't blind to the fact that Bakugo was one of the most attractive boys in her class, but she'd never been able to really see past his scowl. Now she had a clear view to his wide eyes and sharp cheekbones. And his jaw was strikingly more mature than most of the other boys'...

Her blush was now more obvious than ever and his smirk spread.

He released her and she realized she was still holding onto his arm. She dropped it as if she'd been burned and he laughed as her cheeks flooded with heat. The sound was bizarre. His laugh was deep and his rough voice made it seem somehow angry and yet she felt special, somehow, as she realized she'd never heard him laugh in their two months of being in the same class.

Smiling slightly, she brought her hands up to hide the pink of her cheeks.

Bakugo gripped her wrists and pulled them away, exposing her blush as his soft, if not apathetic, expression returned. "Don't," he said. "It's… cute." He struggled with the word and it only brightened the color on her face, returning his smirk to his lips.

There was a warm prickling in her chest that she didn't recognize and she found herself remembering her first kiss back in grade school. Mortification struck her and her eyes went wide as she realized just what that implied she was thinking of Bakugo right now.

That's Bakugo, she reminded herself.

But she couldn't deny that she felt a flutter familiar from her memories and a heat that was completely foreign. She stood in his hold, immobilized and concerned for just where her thoughts were drifting to as he searched her face unhurried.

He released her at last and stepped back, giving her some room to finally think properly. Slipping his hands back in his pockets, but never taking his eyes off of her, he said, "I'll see you around?"

He was already walking away when she stuttered out a hushed, "Yeah."

She waited for the blur of whatever had just happened between herself and Bakugo of all people before heading back to the stands with her class. Part of her felt like she'd just made up the entire encounter in her mind. Or maybe Bakugo had a clone running around the stadium? Should she warn Aizawa-Sensei?

No, of course not, she thought, shaking the foolish half-hearted thoughts from her head.

Still, it was difficult to believe Bakugo had come to her at all, let alone to inadvertently compliment her. And the way he was looking at her… The unknown heat filled her again. She didn't have much experience with boys, after all she'd been pining after Deku since the entrance exam, but she could have sworn she recognized the blatant interest in his eyes - and he hadn't seemed to care that she saw it, either.

She turned toward the descending stairs of her class' reserved booth in the stands and her eyes were immediately drawn to spiky blonde hair sitting next to the aisle. Swallowing the blush threatening her tender cheeks once more, she stepped down and passed the explosive boy to find a seat between Iida and Tokoyami.

The match between Deku and Todoroki was beginning below and she tried to push the thoughts of Bakugo away, still feeling as if it had all been a dream. Daring a peek over her shoulder, her eyes locked with glowing red. He was leaned forward over his knees already looking at her and she blushed. She whipped her face back forward, but not fast enough to miss the explosion boy's smirk.

When the Sports Festival ended, the students were all given an optional release instead of being awkwardly forced back on their busses to ride to campus amidst the tension left behind by the fights. Ochaco watched most of the other classes board their busses amicably, however her own class dispersed quickly.

She hoped Iida and his brother were doing okay after his abrupt departure toward the end of the matches. It was hard to picture her valiant, steadfast friend hurting.

"Uraraka!" Sato called out, stepping up beside her as she passed through the massive gates of the stadium.

She smiled in greeting. "Sato, what's up?"

"Do you need someone to walk with you?" he asked and she grinned up at his kindness.

"No, I'm okay," she answered. "My apartment is pretty close."

"Okay, be safe!" he said, turning the other direction.

"Thank you!" she shouted after him.

Deku said he'd needed to speak with someone before he could leave and she hadn't really felt like lingering inside after her performance today. A few of the others who hadn't participated in the final tournament were going to get ice cream, but she couldn't bring herself to join them - even when Tsu had begged her.

Even walking back to the lonely little apartment rubbed her loss in further. Her parents were already spread thin, they didn't need to be over-extending themselves on her behalf. But she could already hear her dad's voice in her head telling her that's what parents are for - to make your dreams possible.

She followed the lines of the sidewalk as she headed toward the small, local grocery store before she would inevitably resign herself to go home. However, if the errand took longer than normal, she wouldn't be upset about it.

A shoulder brushed against her, almost knocking her into the edge of the massive cement wall that surrounded the festival stadium.

"Hey!" she yelled, turning on the offender.

"Hey," Bakugo answered, his voice lower than normal.

She froze and he stopped a few steps ahead of her.

What on earth was happening?

She'd seen his feral refusal to accept the first place award for the festival only moments ago. He was quite literally growling, his features morphed with rage that could be seen even from her place in the stands. That was the Bakugo she knew.

Not this Bakugo. Not the Bakugo who touched her chin and laughed with her and had basically told her that he liked her blush. No. This was not real.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, a thick ball in her throat kept her from the entirely brave voice she'd tried to channel.

"Walking with you. What does it look like?" he countered. "Are you gonna stand there all day or what?"

She brushed her fringe out of her eyes restlessly and stepped away from the wall. "Why?"

"Why what?"

She watched him slip his hands into his pockets and tilt his head in his question. "Why are you wanting to walk with me?"

"Because I do whatever I want, Round Face," he replied haughtily.

She scrunched her brow. "You know my name. You can stop calling me Round Face."

"Okay, how about Pink Face?" he offered, smirking.

A blush crept onto her cheeks. "What?! Why?"

He looked at her with open amusement. "Because you never stop blushing around me."

Her jaw popped open and she felt that frozen, hot feeling in her chest again. There was no use even trying to hide the blood she felt rushing to her cheeks after he was so straight forward about it.

She stomped past him, her fists balled at her sides.

He followed her, falling into her pace naturally and she wondered if he had any clue where they were going or why he would even choose to follow her blindly over anything else in the world he could be doing. Didn't he have parents somewhere who'd watched the festival and wanted to congratulate him?

After a few blocks of uncomfortable silence that made her sweat more than she would like to admit she risked a look over at him. He stared straight ahead, his face calm and eyes relaxed. It was another version of Bakugo she wasn't used to. She tried to remember if he ever looked so… normal. Had she ever noticed him during their regular classes?

No, she'd always overlooked him to see Deku sitting behind him.

"Don't you want to know where we're going?" she asked, breaking the quiet.

"Yep," he answered quickly, continuing to watch their surroundings.

She eyed him quizzically. "Are you going to ask?"

"Are you going to tell me?"

Ochaco ran nervous fingers through a long piece of her hair that hung near her face. "I'm going to get groceries."

"Good," he replied, keeping his pace even with hers. "I'm hungry."

She felt the sudden need to tell someone that this was a real thing happening to her right now, but she held it in. There was a doubt in her mind that anyone would even believe her if she told them, but she had to admit to herself that something about Bakugo wanting to hang out with her and being nice to her made her feel… special.

She shook the thought from her mind. Sure, he'd beaten her in the Sports Festival, and sure, his quirk was significantly more aggressive than hers, but he was not better than her. There was no need for her to unconsciously separate herself from him or put him or anyone else on a pedestal.

They walked the rest of the way to the grocery store in a less uncomfortable silence, though there was still a prickling energy between them that had Ochaco looking over at him every once in a while.

He followed her willingly through the small store as she picked up a few meats and tofu along with some rice. When they came upon the produce section she picked out some potatoes and onions, but when they reached the peppers Bakugo ripped off a bulk bag and started sifting through the different peppers and popped a handful into his clear sack.

"Just peppers?" she questioned him, studying the varying shades of red, yellow, and orange peppers he'd chosen.

"A snack," he said and she reluctantly decided not to press further on the strange issue.

The small line at the single check out moved quickly and more than once she had to ground herself to the reality that she was grocery shopping with Bakugo in her free time.

"Ochaco!"

"Kuwami!" she smiled at the young man behind the small counter when it was her turn.

He reached for her selections and tallied up her total. "I watched the Sports Festival any time I could! They broadcasted it live. You did so well - even against that prick who won."

Ochaco choked, feeling the tension from the boy behind her.

Bakugo set his bag of peppers on his counter with her things and Kuwami turned to look at him. They were both still wearing their UA training uniforms and the store clerk's mouth snapped shut.

He stammered out the price of all of their groceries and she reached into the bag slung over her shoulder just as Bakugo slammed a handful of money on the counter.

"Keep the change." He grabbed all their bags and walked away.

"Erm," Ochaco said, looking desperately between the employee she'd gotten to know on occasion over the last two months and her surly classmate. "I better go."

"B-be careful," Kuwami stammered as she chased after Bakugo.

She found him outside, standing off underneath a covering that proclaimed the name of the shop.

"I'm sorry about that," she heard herself saying. "I understand if you're upset…" Why was she consoling him? This was Bakugo, she reminded herself.

"I'm not out here pouting," he growled. "I don't know where you live."

"Oh," she said reflexively. Realization dawned on her. "You want to come over?"

He tilted his head. "I'm not carrying your shit for no reason."

A foreign thrill shot through her at the idea of being alone in her apartment with Bakugo and she wasn't sure if it was fear or… something else.

She didn't respond, instead taking off toward her apartment. They walked together, shoulder to shoulder - well, sort of, more like shoulder to mid-arm - the few blocks left and Bakugo munched on his peppers in their silence. He had been eerily vigilant after leaving the grocery store, his head cocked and constantly checking their surroundings. They climbed the concrete stairs to her plain gray door and she fumbled with her keys on the last step before reaching for the knob.

Only to realize her door was already open.

She hesitated and Bakugo stepped up to her side. "What?"

She met his eyes. "The door's unlocked. I know I locked it this morning," she said, her voice trailing off.

Bakugo switched all the grocery bags to one hand and, not so gently, shoved her out of the way. He opened the door with a quick hand and immediately pounding footsteps barreled toward them. Bakugo bent in a stance in front of her when she recognized those eager steps.

"Mom! Dad!" she exclaimed, shoving Bakugo out of the way even harder than he'd shoved her.

Her parents swept her up in a group hug and she couldn't help the tears that escaped her for the second time today.

"Why are you here?!"

Her parents released her and she felt the waves of their pride rolling into her from their smiles.

"Your old man just had to come see his little champion," her father said, a gentle coating of tears behind his eyes.

Her mother reached for her arm. "We're here to celebrate with you."

"Huh?" she asked. "But what about work? Did you take a bullet train here?"

"Don't worry about us," her father said. "We're here to support you."

"We'll catch a late train tonight to be back at work in the morning. They'll be able to survive without us for a day," her mother said cheerily.

"Who's your friend?" her father asked, his voice straightening up.

Bakugo stepped through the threshold slowly and Ochaco dared to think he seemed nervous.

"Erm," she stuttered. "This is Katsuki Bakugo. He's in my class." She could feel the blush rising to her cheeks, betraying the legitimate innocence of the situation. She'd never even introduced a male friend to her parents, let alone actually dated anyone. She cut off that train of thought before it could dare to get started.

Bakugo didn't say anything on his own behalf, filling a breath of silence with awkwardness.

"We watched the Sports Festival on television," Ochaco's dad said, eyeing Bakugo. Ochaco bit her lip thinking of what Bakugo was actually capable of doing to her father.

To her complete surprise Bakugo responded. "Your daughter is a fierce opponent. You should be proud."

Ochaco's father crossed his arms.

Her mother smiled. "It's so nice to meet you, Bakugo. Come," she urged, "have dinner with us."

Ochaco started to refuse for him, imagining the consequences of a trapped Bakugo, but he simply nodded to her mother. "Thank you."

"I'm sure you're starving after a day like today," her mother said sunnily, draping an arm over Bakugo's shoulders and leading him into the kitchen. Ochaco listened in disbelief as he set their bags on the counter and made small talk about what was for dinner.

Meanwhile her father was glaring down at her in the tiny foyer of her humble apartment and she could see the gears turning behind his eyes as he chose his words carefully. "I'm glad you're making good friends."

She gulped, unwilling to expose the truth. Bakugo being here was a fluke, but the situation was too bizarre to explain to her parents with such limited time. "I wish you could meet all of my friends," she told him instead.

"As long as they take care of you like this one does, your mother and I are happy," he said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.

She blanched, but did her best to hide her unease. They walked together toward the kitchen and Ochaco froze as she came upon the scene. Her mother was digging through cupboards, handing pots and pans to Bakugo who was slicing vegetables during her search.

Her mom's head perked up when they entered, "Oh don't worry about dinner, dear. Katsuki and I have got it all covered!"

Ochaco could not believe this was happening.

Without much else of a choice, she left them to their devices and moved to the dining room table with her dad. He sat across from her and she asked how the business was going the last few months and if anything exciting had happened. He launched into a few veiled stories, shielding her from the more serious aspects of running the business.

And she, admittedly, thought about Bakugo. The fact that her parents hadn't picked up on just how foreign this entire situation was confounded her, but she was glad to have avoided a little awkwardness over it all. Except that meant all the awkwardness piled up inside of her instead of being spread between them.

This was the boy who shouted "DIE" when he threw the softball on their first day, who talked trash about every single one of her classmates, who flew off the handle on Deku in their first battle training, and who didn't know her name before he happened to be matched against her in the tournament - TODAY.

She'd never seen him anything less than over-confident and ruthless - let alone paying for her groceries and cooking with her mother.

She had been through many unbelievable things since starting at UA, but she was starting to think this was the most outrageous. She thought of her phone, still in her bag, and considered texting someone about it, but decided against it.

A plate appeared before her and she looked up to see her mother bringing in table-wear as Bakugo brought in the food.

She noticed his lack of potholders and wondered if his quirk offered him an immunity to heat.

They all served themselves and she itched with her proximity to Bakugo who took the seat at her side. Her mother had always been a passable cook while her father nearly set the kitchen on fire every time he stepped foot in it, but as she looked at the meal she didn't recognize she felt the effort Bakugo had put into it.

This was the weirdest day ever.

"I didn't want to say anything," her mother spoke up between bites, "but, I'm sorry, I have to."

Ochaco held her breath, her heart pounding as she was ever-aware of Bakugo's presence.

"I'm grateful to see you have such a kind boyfriend who looks out for you," her mom said and Ochaco nearly choked. "I worry about this neighborhood at night and to know that you have the winner of the Sports Festival looking out for you does a lot for my heart."

Ochaco wanted to melt into the floor.

"Mom," she started, her voice shaking with the anticipation of her confession.

But a boot stepped down on her foot and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"It's no problem," Bakugo said, taking another nonchalant bite of the dinner he'd made her family.

"As long as there's no funny business," her father declared, eyeing them both. "Ochaco, this apartment comes with a lot of responsibility and I hope that you'll respect us enough to make good choices."

Oh god, she was going to die.

"Of course not!" she nearly shouted, a thick blush rising across her face.

The managed to finish dinner without incident after that and Ochaco was beyond grateful. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. When her parents finally gathered their things to leave, she hugged them both as another round of tears threatened to spill out.

"Take care, sweetheart," her father said softly in another hug.

Her mother brazenly hugged Bakugo and, to Ochaco's shock, he hugged her back as her father glared at him. She could barely hear her mother whisper in his ear, "Take care of each other, okay?"

Bakugo nodded to her when she released him.

They left the two alone in her small apartment and after a beat of silence, she turned on her short fuse of a classmate.

"What was that?"

He slipped his hands in his pockets and she was starting to notice a pattern. "What was what?"

"Literally everything." She was raising her voice, all the tension of the evening beginning to spill out of her.

Bakugo shrugged. "Your mom's cool."

"Oh my god," Ochaco breathed. "And the boyfriend thing?"

He met her eyes thoughtfully. "Eh," he shrugged. "If I'm planning to spend more time with you anyway then the details don't really matter."

Wait, what?

"Since when are you spending more time with me?" she challenged, crossing her arms.

He took a step closer and she realized just how close they'd already been. The heat that seemed to creep inside her when he was near returned and she felt like she might start sweating.

"I already told you," he said slowly, surely. "I do whatever I want."