Chapter Text
Uraraka had thought that life after high school would be easy. She and Deku had gotten together after graduation and she had been so excited to start their life together. She almost kicked her former self at her naivety.
They had remained in the city where they went to school so that Deku could be closer to All-Might as he progressed. She'd been the supportive girlfriend, agreeing to stay despite all of her friends moving to Tokyo and joining prestigious hero agencies. She was willing to put her future on hold for him while he worked hard to achieve his goals.
She was working for a small agency and had been for a while. The crime was slow, so her job basically consisted of her walking laps around the city. It was boring work that didn't pay what she would like. She mentally kicked herself again for her unappreciation.
It was hard to stay in touch with everyone from high school. They were all working so hard in Tokyo and they were always too busy for her. She'd come to accept it, but it still bothered her. But she had Deku right? They were happy and Deku was getting so much stronger.
She wouldn't say she was jealous of his strength, but she certainly felt like she was falling far behind him now. While he worked late, she was getting in long hours at the gym and trying not to lose another edge. It was exhausting for both of them and by the time they'd get home in the evening, it was too tiring to stay up and hang out.
She wiped a towel over her damp hair. She was getting ready to finally leave work after she'd worked out in the gym and taken a much needed shower. She was thinking about dinner as she exited the locker room, but her boss's voice drew her away from her thoughts.
"Hey Uravity," A female voice called from behind her. "Hold up for a second."
She turned around to see a familiar face hurrying down the corridor. "Oh hey, Bombshell. What's up?"
The beautiful hero standing before her smiled as she came to a stop. Uraraka's boss was a spritely blonde with gorgeous features and a blessing for a chest. Uraraka wasn't blind to the fact that her hero name had a double meaning to it. Bombshell's quirk allowed her to see a hero's insecurities and literally drop a truth bomb on them. It worked marvelously for their team and Uravity liked working for her as they had a lot of similarities in the way they fight.
"I was hoping you could spare a few minutes if you're not in a hurry," Bombshell started walking beside her. "I wanted to talk to you about a position opening up in Tokyo."
"In Tokyo?" Uraraka blinked and shook her head, "We've been over this before, Bombshell. You know I can't take a job out there."
"No," Bombshell started, "This one is one I don't think you will want to turn down. You're always saying you want more combat, so when I saw that the best agency for that had a position opening up, I thought of you."
Uraraka smiled sweetly with a tone of sadness at her superior, "I really appreciate it, but you know how it is. Deku and I will move to Tokyo eventually."
Bombshell rolled her eyes, "Come onnn, Uravity. You know just as well as I do that Deku isn't going to move away from here anytime soon. You're wasting your best years here! Deku doesn't even work in this city anyway, he travels around for work. It's costing you."
Uraraka shrugged sadly, knowing that her boss was speaking the truth. "I don't know, I just don't think that Deku will take that very well."
"Well too bad," Bombshell patted the brunette on the shoulder, "I applied for it on your behalf. They would love to give you an interview. Your stats said it all and they would love to help you get your career really going again."
Uraraka felt a rush of excitement but she immediately stamped it down, "Why on earth would you do that? It puts me in a really hard position."
"Because if someone didn't do it for you, you'd never do it yourself." Bombshell smiled comfortingly at Uraraka. "Maybe just talk to Deku about it. You shouldn't have to wait around forever, you know."
Uraraka knew that her boss was right. Bombshell knew her insecurities, thanks to her quirk, and had always pestered her to get out of dodge and move to Tokyo. She knew her boss was being sweet and was trying to help, but her relationship with Deku made those things difficult.
She knew she was wasting time and had been since they got out of high school three years ago, so Uraraka forced the thoughts out of her mind. It broke her heart whenever she saw Deku's face when she brought up the thought of her moving to Tokyo ahead of him. It was certainly out of the question.
When she got home later that night, she was surprised that Deku was home. Usually she wouldn't see him for another two hours and by then she'd already be in bed. When she walked into their apartment, she immediately noticed him sitting on the couch playing a game on his phone.
He heard her come in and turned to grin at her, "Hey! How was your day?"
"It was good," Uraraka started and dropped her bag on the couch to sit next to him. "What are you doing home so early?"
Deku looked away from her, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something, so I left early."
He wouldn't meet her gaze and she noted that it was strange. Something was up. "What's going on?" She was afraid to ask.
"Well…" He tucked his phone under his leg nervously, "I sort of got an offer today."
"Really?" Uraraka smiled excitedly, "An offer in Tokyo?"
Deku kept his gaze from meeting hers, "Actually no… Not in Tokyo."
The brunette tilted her head curiously at him, "Okay… So where then?" She was starting to feel nervous about his lack of eye contact.
"Uh," He sighed and forced himself to look at her. He could feel her anxiety as he took her hands into his. "It's in America. A city called New York. One of the agencies there wants me to come and help them out for a year or so. I guess the crime there has been getting out of control."
"Oh…" Uraraka felt her stomach drop. "In America? Wow… I don't know what to say."
"All-Might thinks I should do it." Deku sputtered out, rubbing his hands awkwardly over hers. "I agree with him. It would be a really good job and it would really help me get stronger."
Uraraka looked away from him and down at their hands. America? What did that mean?
"Look," He started again, gulping down an awkward lump, "I totally get it if you don't want to come with me. That's a long way away from here and I know you'd really miss your parents. But I wanted to ask you how you felt about it before I make my decision."
This was almost too much information to take in for Uraraka. "Okay well, when would you leave?"
"Soon," He replied softly. "Probably within the next two weeks."
She sighed and closed her eyes, "This is all very fast, Deku."
"I know," He gripped her hands tighter. "So if you don't want me to go, then just tell me and I won't."
She breathed a frustrated sigh before forcing a smile on her face, "No, I think you should go. If it will help you get stronger, then I don't see why not." She met his gaze and blinked away tears that she hoped would not surface.
He gazed at her, surprised at her acceptance, "Alright… I thought this would be much harder."
She glanced around the room, trying to keep her composure. "It's fine. Bombshell offered me a position in Tokyo today, so maybe I can do that while you're gone."
"So you won't come with me?" He responded with a hint of sadness.
"I can't," She replied, "My family needs me close by and honestly," She looked for the best way to put it, "I don't want to live in America. It's too far away."
Deku looked disappointed, "So you'd move to Tokyo then?"
She shrugged, "It's a great opportunity. I would be an idiot to turn it down if you're leaving anyway."
"Would we stay together?" He asked hopefully. "We could make it work, right? Even if it was just for a year."
"Of course," Uraraka smiled sadly, "We can make it work."
"Okay," Deku replied softly.
Neither one of them knew where to take the conversation from there. The air was thick with awkward tension after that, so they just sat in silence to ponder over their decision. Perhaps they'd made it too fast without weighing all the options. Maybe she should move with him. It would be so difficult to stay together when they were thousands of miles apart. But she figured they were strong, so they could get through it.
The next two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. Both of them had quit their jobs while they found her a place in Tokyo and began to divide their stuff for their moves. Their trip into the big city had been a fleeting two days as she both moved in all her things and interviewed for the job.
Before she knew it, she was bidding him a tearful goodbye at the airport.
"I promise to call every day," He comforted her softly as she hugged him.
"You better," She tried to sound light hearted. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too," He squeezed her tighter. "It's not forever, right? We can get through this."
She nodded tearfully as he released her and grabbed his bag. He gave her a quick kiss before he turned to board the plane. "I love you, Uraraka."
She choked on her sob, "I love you too!"
It was any old day for Bakugo as he entered the office. He ignored all the idiots around him and headed straight for the locker room. He was itching to get out in the field because his entire morning had been nothing but an annoying shit show.
First, the line at the coffee shop was so damn long that he had decided against it. Second, the morning traffic was making him late. And finally, everyone in the office seemed so fuckin' cheery this morning and that annoyed him the most.
Kirishima noticed the hot-headed blonde storming down the hall of the office and decided to chase him down. "Oy, Bakugo!"
Bakugo grit his teeth and ignored the red-head. Hopefully he wouldn't be chased.
"Slow down, man!"
No, he was definitely being chased. "The fuck do you want? I'm not in the mood." Bakugo grumbled and continued his tirade toward the locker rooms.
Kirishima jogged up and matched Bakugo's pace, "I just was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink after work."
Bakugo opened his mouth to turn Kirishima down but what rudely interrupted.
"I know you don't have plans, so you can't say no." Kirishima smiled smugly.
Bakugo resisted the urge to punch that shithead right on the spot. "No way."
Kirishima elbowed the blonde playfully, "I will not shut up about it until you agree, so it's up to you."
Bakugo was certainly not in the mood for Kirishima's shit, but he knew that the shithead was serious about not shutting up about it. "Fuck, fine. Now leave me the hell alone."
Kirishima stopped and allowed Bakugo to continue storming toward the locker room. "I'll see you there at six!"
Bakugo ignored the red-headed menace and turned a corner. Just as he did so, he was met with a familiar face.
"Bakugo?" Her sweet voice sounded surprised.
He stopped and blinked at the newcomer. He definitely knew her. He would recognize that round face anywhere, yet she looked different. She'd slimmed out but still looked strong. Her cheeks were still puffy, but not in a juvenile way anymore. The expression she wore was surprised.
"Who the fuck are you?" He asked bluntly, hoping it would give him an out from the conversation.
Immediately, her eyelids dropped halfway in a look of unamusement. "You can't be serious." Her hands locked onto her hips as if to say, 'Seriously?'
Bakugo gave her an unimpressed gaze, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"So you do remember me," She smiled, "Why would you even say something like that?"
"You know what," Bakugo turned his attention away from her, "I really don't care. See you around."
He began walking away but heard her call from behind. "I just started working here, so you better get used to me!"
Bakugo tensed at her words. If she was working here now, then that means that Deku was probably in town too. Fuck, he thought he'd finally rid himself of that little bottom feeder for good. If his mood was shit before, then it was somehow even worse now.
Sparks ignited in his palms as he fought to keep his annoyance under wraps. Soon enough he'd be out beating up some villain and he was sure he'd feel better after that.
His day after that went normally. He intentionally avoided everyone else in hopes of not running into round-face again. The last thing he wanted to hear about was how great she and Deku were doing. It was really grinding on his last nerve as he exited the office and headed toward the bar.
The moment he walked in, he saw Kirishima was sitting at a high table next to the window. He rolled his eyes at Kirishima's excited wave while he sauntered over.
"It's been a while since we got a drink together, eh Bakugo?" Kirishima teased as the blonde sat down. "I ordered you a beer."
"Quit acting like a fuckin' girl, shithead," Bakugo snapped as he settled into his seat. "I can order my own damn drink."
"Oooo," Kirishima cooed, "What crawled up your ass today?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Let me guess, you ran into an old classmate, right?"
Bakugo wanted to punch Kirishima before the words ever even left the red-head's mouth. "Can it."
"It's weird seeing her, you know?" Kirishima grinned boyishly, "It's been what, three years?"
"Fuck if I care," Bakugo spat as their drinks were dropped off by the waitress. He sipped the bitter drink and ignored the guy opposite of him.
Kirishima grinned even wider, "Yeah, everyone is wondering if she and Midoriya are over with now."
Bakugo's ears perked up, "What, did she finally fuckin' snap out of it and dump his ass?"
"I thought you didn't care," Kirishima pried, taking a swig of his drink without breaking his toothy grin.
Bakugo scoffed and decidedly downed half of his beer, "I don't."
"Yeah, yeah," Kirishima waved dismissively, "Word is that Midoriya moved to America, so Uraraka stayed behind and moved here. Nobody has actually asked her about it yet, so none of us know if it's true. Midoriya's definitely not in Tokyo though."
Bakugo slammed his drink back on the table, "Have you always been such a girl, Kirishima? You sure as hell gossip like one."
Kirishima wasn't fazed by the blonde's personal attack. "It is nice to see her around, though. She looks great. I bet she's even happier to see all of us."
"Fuck, Kirishima," Bakugo snapped, "I really don't give a shit." He chugged the last of his beer, "If you just wanted to gab about her then why the fuck would you invite me out?"
Kirishima rolled his eyes, "Simmer down, man. I was just trying to make conversation. I figured that you'd be stoked that Midoriya was across the world."
"Damn right I am," Bakugo jeered. "Good riddance."
Ever since high school ended, Bakugo and Deku were in constant rivalry. Both of them were working their way up the charts as quickly as they could. Bakugo thought Deku was a nuisance in high school, but now he was just an unrelenting thorn in his side. With that shit-eater across the world, Bakugo could finally climb up the ranks without being hindered by competition. Now he could really shine.
It had always annoyed him how Deku cheered him on and congratulated him with every step up in rank. It was like a kick to the nuts every time he saw that fucker light up his phone with some bitch-ass text like 'Nice going, Kacchan! At this rate, you're going to pass me!' He could practically see Deku's girl-next-door smile and his annoying as hell thumbs up.
He knew he should have blocked Deku ages ago.
Kirishima sucked down some of his drink before starting the conversation up again, "So what's been going on with you man? We haven't caught up in a while."
"We see each other every fucking day, dumbass." Bakugo couldn't stand to look at Kirishima's stupid face right now.
"Duh," Kirishima cackled, "But we never do shit like we used to, you know? After high school I thought we would be partying every night."
"You're a bigger idiot than I thought if you think that," Bakugo shot back. "That shit is overrated."
"Whatever," Kirishima brushed off the insult without issue, "I'm just saying that you're like a boring as hell old man now. All you do is work."
Bakugo knew that Kirishima was working up to something, so he immediately began looking for a way out. "So what if I do? I like work and fuck everything else."
"No way man," Kirishima rested his elbows on the table, "You might be a hardass, but nobody is actually that macho. You really need to get out. How long has it been since you got laid?"
Bakugo felt his skin crawl with annoyance. "Fuck off, Kirishima."
"That long?" Kirishima stifled a laugh. "Yeah, let's go out and do something on Friday. Maybe I'll get the guys together for a night out."
"Hell no," Bakugo shot back. "Not interested." The blonde was steadily losing his minimal patience.
Kirishima looked like he was ready to test the blonde, "Don't make me go last resort, Bakugo."
Last resort was a term that Kirishima had coined back in high school. It basically consisted of Kirishima being one hundred times more of a nuisance to Bakugo than normal and it drove the blonde absolutely batty. Sometimes it was just easier to give in than to put up the fight.
"Fuck you, Kirishima." Bakugo snarled.
"I'll take that as a yes," The red-head was so smug that Bakugo nearly leapt out of his chair to start a fight. "We will definitely need to find some girls for you to check out. I'm sure Kaminari can help with that."
"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugo hissed and nearly broke his empty beer glass. "Don't make me change my fuckin' mind, shithead." He stood up suddenly and turned toward the door. "I'm sick of looking at your ugly as hell face. You can buy my drink, dick. I'm leaving."
"But Bakugo!" Kirishima whined, "We just got here."
Bakugo didn't look back as he left the bar and strolled out on the street. Damn it, how did Kirishima always drag him into shit? He thought he would have learned by now that Kirishima was never up to anything good. He trudged off toward his apartment and regretted his decision to go out on Friday.
Kirishima watched the blonde storm off from the window of the bar. A look of bemusement was twitching to come onto his face. He'd been trying to set Bakugo up for a while. Damn, that guy needed a girlfriend. However, his explosive best friend never took a liking to any of the women that Kirishima presented him with. It was exhausting and Kirishima often asked himself if he had Bakugo all wrong. Was he gay or something? He wondered if he'd ever know.
Uraraka was adjusting to her new apartment but it still felt weird. Sleeping alone was the hardest part. Although she and Deku hardly did much but sleep, it still was difficult not to have someone beside her. It felt oddly empty while she watched the television by herself.
When she polished off her dinner and went to clean up, she couldn't help but feel a little off when there were no other dirty dishes in the sink. Deku usually let them pile up to the point where she could no longer stand it. Now, the sink was devoid of anything but her empty plate.
Yeah, she definitely missed him.
When a siren tore her away from staring at the sink, she remembered where she was. That's right, she was in Tokyo. The biggest and greatest city to be a hero and she couldn't stop the rush of excitement she felt. For a moment, she completely forgot that Deku wasn't there.
A knock at her door gave her a surprise she was not expecting.
"Hel-lo!" A sing song voice rang happily from behind the door. "Open up, Uraraka!"
The brunette beamed as she recognized the voice and ran to open the door. "Mina!"
The pink girl flipped her hair haughtily as she entered the apartment, toting two grocery bags with her. "I figured you needed company on your first week alone in the city, so I picked up some stuff and came straight over."
Uraraka opened her mouth to thank the girl but was cut off abruptly.
"No need to thank me, girly." Mina winked and dumped the bags onto the kitchen counter. "Now hurry up and pick your poison. I have wine, cheese, and more wine."
Uraraka plopped down at one of the bar stools she had set up against the counter. "You really didn't have to do this, Mina."
"Uh, yeah I did." Mina gave Uraraka a look as if to say, 'Girl, are you crazy?'
Uraraka peeked through the bags at all the things she had brought. "You really didn't have to get this much."
"Shut up and where the hell are your wine glasses?" Mina banged the cabinet doors as she searched. "Do not tell me that you and Deku don't drink."
"We don't really," Uraraka shrugged. "It's kind of a special occasion thing, you know?"
"Oh my god," Mina slapped her forehead and shook her head. "I swear, it's like you both totally skipped your twenties and went straight to thirty-five. Girl, you need to have some fun or you're going to just end up being a prude."
Uraraka watched as her pink friend dug through her purse for a wine bottle opener. She deftly popped the cork on the first and poured the drink into two plastic cups. "I'm taking you out this weekend and getting you hammered."
Uraraka accepted the cup as Mina handed it to her. She noticed the the cup was teetering on full. "Wow, I don't think I should drink all this. I have work tomorrow."
"It's like six o'clock at night, Uraraka. Shut up and drink the damn wine. If you're worried about it, then I have cheese to soak it up." Mina chugged a huge portion of her drink and began topping it off immediately. "I'm going to have to get wasted just to get through this, you know?"
Uraraka blushed profusely in embarrassment. Maybe she had become a bit of a prude. Deku was kind of against drinking altogether and she was surprised at how much she'd grown out of drinking. She was only twenty-one, so perhaps it wouldn't kill her to have a little bit of fun. Deku wasn't here after all.
She sipped at the wine hesitantly, savoring the taste. It was good wine. A light pink color with a sweet undertone. She sipped again.
Mina marched over with a determined look on her face. "Pinch your nose and chug that, Uraraka."
The brunette looked horrified, "No way! I should probably take this slow. I don't drink much and I don't want to go too fast."
Mina rolled her eyes and took a deep swig of her drink, "Fine, but please try not to be a pansy about it. I'm here to have fun with you and getting you wasted is step one."
Uraraka gulped but couldn't help feeling kind of excited. It had been so long since she'd just hung out with a friend that she almost forgot what it was like to be young and stupid. "Okay, but I'm not going to go crazy."
Two hours later, both girls were snorting with laughter and laying on the living room floor. They were plastered. An empty wine bottle rolled across the floor and the second one was half full and begging to be accidentally tipped over.
Mina sat up and clumsily grabbed for the bottle before taking a gulp from it. They'd abandoned their cups long ago in favor of sharing the bottle. "Uraraka. I cannot believe you are such a funny drunk." The slur was evident in her voice.
Uraraka was flushed red and she bubbled with laughter. "I can't believe it either! I've never been this drunk in my life!"
"We are sooooo going out this weekend. All us girls are, right?" Mina almost swooned at the thought. "Ahhh it's going to be so awesome to have the gang back together again for a night on the town!"
"Totally," Uraraka slurred and smiled with a dazed expression.
"Tell me something," Mina scooted over to her friend that was still laying on the floor. She plopped Uraraka's head in her lap and began playing with her long brown hair.
Uraraka wanted to explode with laughter again but she simply grinned and asked, "Tell you what?"
"Tell me," Mina started again and paused to giggle as she tangled her hands into Uraraka's hair. "Is Deku good in bed?"
Uraraka blushed, but the alcohol hid it well, "Pfft! Why would you even ask that?!"
"I want to know!" Mina sputtered and threw her hands up, accidentally yanking Uraraka's hair. "Oops, sorry!"
Uraraka could barely feel the pain, "I guess he's good. How would I even know? I haven't been with anybody else!"
Mina stared down at the brunette with curious eyes, "You cannot be serious."
"I am," Uraraka covered her face.
"Ughhh! Uraraka you are so weird!" Mina shook her head in surprise. "Are you absolutely sure you're not like forty years old?!"
Uraraka punched Mina playfully as they laughed together, "How many guys have you been with?"
Mina shook her head wildly, "I am not sharing that on our first girls night. You're going to have to earn that another time."
"Please," Uraraka pleaded with her eyes. "I mean, I at least know about you and Kirishima, so there is one."
"Kirishima?" Mina balked. "Hell no, I haven't slept with him!"
Uraraka resisted the urge to pout, "That is such a lie!"
"I mean," Mina paused to ponder her words, but they still came out slovenly in her drunk state. "Okay, I know that Kirishima is hot. Like super hot, but he and I just aren't like that, you know?"
Uraraka considered her reply and her mouth spoke before her brain could catch up, "Yeah I can see what you mean. I guess he is pretty good looking."
"Right?!" Mina scrambled for her phone and opened Facebook. "I mean, look at his damn profile picture. What girl wouldn't be all over that?"
Uraraka watched as Mina opened up his profile and displayed the photo. Kirishima was in the middle of exchanging punches with a bulky villain. It was a manly shot of him and a perfect profile photo. She lazily lifted a finger and scrolled to the next one for Mina.
They both watched as they scrolled through the next two picture, silently admiring Kirishima. The third picture was one they had both forgotten about. Kirishima was walking through some rubble with Bakugo by his side. They both looked determined, even though they were bruised and covered in dirt.
Mina whistled quietly at the photo, "Yeah, Bakugo got kind of hot too, I guess."
"It's just a good picture," Uraraka muttered as she stared at it.
"Too bad I'm not friends with that explody bastard on Facebook or I would totally stalk his ass." Mina grumbled as she tried to click on Bakugo's tag. "That dick has me blocked!"
Uraraka grabbed her phone off the floor beside her and unlocked it. "I'm friends with him, so here." She handed Mina the phone. "Stalk away."
"I really like you when you're drunk, you know?" Mina grinned happily as she snatched the phone away.
"Whatever," Uraraka mused and let Mina lower the phone so that both girls could see.
Mina swatted through Bakugo's posts and photos. They were few and far between, but the ones that were there were all perfect shots. He really was quite picky about his appearance online.
"Ugh," Mina groaned, "Damn that blonde asshat. If he wasn't such a dick all the time, maybe he'd finally get laid. Perhaps that's what he needs, you know?"
"To get laid?" Uraraka gurgled with laughter, "I feel sorry for any girl that would be crazy enough to go for that."
"I bet it's good," Mina chuckled at the thought. "Better than good, now that I think about it."
Uraraka rolled her eyes, "Bakugo isn't like that at all. He's probably a prude like me."
"He totally is," Mina blurted out.
Uraraka couldn't help her curiosity now. "What do you mean?"
She shook her head, "He's like… Well, you're totally right. He's a total prude. Kirishima has been trying to set him up for ages, but Bakugo never takes to them."
"I'm surprised Bakugo let's Kirishima even do that," Uraraka muttered, the alcohol was making her tired now.
Mina wanted to laugh, "He doesn't. It just kind of happens. I don't know how Kirishima does it, but he's got that asshole figured out."
"I don't really care that much," Uraraka shrugged as her eyes fluttered closed in Mina's lap. "I'm just so tired now."
Mina patted the brunette's hair and watched as her eyes fluttered closed. "Sounds like another topic for another wine night, huh?"