Ch. 16 Sleeping with the Enemy

You felt like you were going to throw up.

Dabi had seen you as Bakugo took you away, and you'd seen the look in his eyes. It was nothing short of murderous. This was bad. This was very bad. How long would it take before he followed you down the street to where you and Bakugo had landed?

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe, damn it.

As Bakugo set you down on the pavement, you struggled to take a deep breath, your body instead only allowing you short gasps that were doing nothing to calm your rapidly beating heart.

"I don't feel right," you mumbled, also realizing that your teeth were chattering, even though it wasn't cold. Were you having a heart attack, was that what this was? Were you about to die?

"Then why the hell were you out with that half and half bastard if you're sick?" you heard Bakugo ask but you were so in your own head that it sounded like he was a million miles away.

Everything felt like it was spinning, and you had to put a hand on his shoulder to steady yourself.

Was Dabi on his way there? Was he following you? What would he do?

You knew that Dabi was going to find you, and even though you'd already be dead from whatever the hell this was, he'd kill you again anyway just for good measure.

Your fingers involuntarily played with your bracelet as your brain raced with all of the possibilities of the twisted ways he would torture you.

Try to breathe.

"Maybe it was all that smoke. I don't know. I feel like... I feel like I can't get any air."

"I'll take you home."

Oh hell no. Dabi knew where you lived. Home was the very last place you wanted to go. Your purse and phone had been left in the limo, which you were pretty sure didn't even exist anymore. If Dabi couldn't call you, you had no doubt that he would just show up.

Truthfully, you didn't know where to go. It was possible that Dabi was still following you and was about to arrive any minute. You knew you'd have to go home eventually, but right now, when you knew he was this angry? No way.

"No," you said, still trying to take short little breaths to stop your teeth from chattering. "No. I can't... I just need to sit down."

You carefully sat on the curb and folded your arms over your knees, putting your head down to try to stop the nausea you felt coming over you. And it helped to block out the noise of your own thoughts for once.

Bakugo had called you weak before when you wouldn't tell him who hit you. Now he must know he's right, you thought. Normally you didn't care what anyone thought, but all of that confidence had vanished in an instant and it pissed you off and made all of this that much worse.

"Hey, look at me," you heard him say.

You couldn't.

"I said look at me."

Still taking tiny gasping breaths to try to calm down, slowly you picked up your head and opened your eyes. Bakugo was squatting on the ground in front of you at eye level.

"You're having a panic attack."

"Huh?" you swallowed to keep from throwing up.

"Don't feel special. It's normal considering what just happened."

"I'm fine, I just need a minute. I just need..." you couldn't say another word because you were worried you actually would throw up on him and then really, how could this get much worse?

"Tell me what you need."

To not feel like your heart was about to burst out of your chest. To not feel like Dabi was probably out to kill you now that he had seen you fly away in the arms of another man. To no longer have to work for the League. To not be sitting on the curb in a short dress and heels while you apparently had a panic attack in front of a guy who now thought you were a weak loser.

"I don't know," you shook your head before burying your head in your arms over your knees again. "I'm going to be sick."

"What happened was scary. You'd be a complete psycho if all of that didn't scare you."

"I still feel like I'm going to be sick," you mumbled again. Your breathing was starting to normalize now, but you felt shaky and sweaty.

"Okay. Then can you at least not throw up on me? Someone just got me this new costume, and I happen to like it."

You coughed out a small laugh.

"See? I knew you were in there somewhere. Stand up."

You felt his hand on yours, his fingers wrapping around your fingers.

"I don't know if I can," you said quietly.

"Listen to me. The things in your mind might be scary, but this moment isn't. Now be the badass I know you are and stand up."

Your heart was still racing, but it wasn't because of the panic attack.

"Okay."

He helped you up to your feet, and you knew he was looking at you, waiting for a sign from you as to what was going to happen next. You still felt like you might fall over.

"I know you think I'm weak," you said, avoiding his eyes. "And I bet this just confirmed it."

"No."

"No?"

That's when you realized he was still holding your hand.

"You stood up, didn't you?" he asked.

You nodded.

"Then you're not weak. Now let's get the fuck out of here."

"We can't stay here," you said, dropping his hand and quickly looking around for any signs of your murderous ex-boyfriend.

"No shit. That's what I just said. Time to get you home."

"Not home. I'll find a hotel or something. Give me your phone so I can look." Somewhere big and public would be good, surely Dabi wouldn't try something if you were around a lot of people.

"Fuck that. If you're not going home, you're coming with me."

And have Dabi track him down, too? Not happening.

"How about no?"

"How about you focus on not throwing up instead of complaining?"

Before you even had a chance to respond, he had picked you up again, scooping you off your feet.

"I can walk, you know."

"You couldn't a minute ago, so shut up and let me rescue you."

"Can't you be nice for like five minutes?"

"You want to talk about nice? I just saved you from an explosion. A thank you would be nice. Now hang on and try not to fall to the ground and die."

"Uh... okay... how about you try not to drop me?"

"You think I don't know what I'm doing?" he shouted.

You nodded, oddly comforted by his regular shouting voice. At least now things were back to normal.

By the time you made it to Bakugo's apartment, you had managed to convince him that you were capable of actually walking. For a couple minutes at least. It didn't last long, because as soon as you followed him into his apartment, he immediately yelled at you to lie down on the couch and rest.

No one had ever shouted at you to relax before, but you didn't feel like arguing, so like a child staying home sick from school, you made yourself comfortable. I'll stay for just a few hours, you told yourself, then I'll go home. By then it should be safe.

You didn't want to owe Bakugo anything, and you certainly didn't want him or any other hero acting like they'd 'saved' you or some bullshit. You would have made it out of there on your own... eventually. He just sped up the process.

Bakugo left you to go change out of his hero costume, and from the couch you let your eyes wander around the room. There were several bookcases filled with books, some framed photos that you assumed were his family, all regular things anyone might have in their apartment.

You weren't sure what you had expected, but you were pretty sure it wasn't this.

At work he was a mess, papers all over the place, his schedule a disaster, his calendar completely unorganized. But his apartment was the opposite. It certainly wasn't a fancy penthouse like Shoto's place, but it was still nice. Overall it was simple, modern, clean.

Despite yourself, you were impressed.

But whatever, even if it was nice, you knew the kind of shady shit heroes did in order to get paid.  Heroes and villains both. But this hero had just helped you... 

You were only going to stay a few hours, you reminded yourself. That was it.

You had just settled into the pillows on the couch when Bakugo strolled back in, dressed in a loose-fitting t-shirt and sweatpants. He tossed you a shirt and a similar pair of pants as he walked by, the clothing landing in your lap.

"In case you wanted to change," he muttered as he continued into the kitchen.

Hell yeah you did.

After you put on the new clothes, you took a moment to look at yourself in the mirror before leaving the bathroom. Your hair looked like hell, no surprise there. Most of your make up had already melted off by the fires at the warehouse and your own sweat. Overall, you looked about as good as you felt, which was to say...terrible.

And for the clothes... They were all too big, but you had to admit that they were a thousand times more comfortable than the dress you'd had on. You hadn't been wearing a bra with your dress, so you didn't have one on now, and the white t-shirt he gave you was a little on the thin side.

Oh well. It was all clean, which was more than you could say for yourself. You felt sticky and gross from everything that had happened, but there wasn't really anything you could do about it now. In a couple hours you'd go home and shower, until then, you could tough it out.

When you came out into the main room and resumed your place on the couch, Bakugo looked up for just a quick second before going back to whatever he was doing. I must really look like shit, you thought as you searched for a blanket or something else to hide under.

He didn't give you enough time, though, because a minute or so later he brought out a couple waters and snacks, setting them on the table in front of you. You were already staying at his house for the moment, and now he wanted you to eat his food, too? There had to be a catch.

To make matters even more suspicious, you could tell that he was purposefully avoiding looking at you. That was fine, since then he wouldn't see that there was no way you were going to be even more in his debt by eating his food. Even though it did look good.

Thinking about debt, there was something you wanted to know.

Bakugo lifted your feet up and sat down on the other end of the couch, replacing your feet in his lap.

"Did you..." you started to say. Words were a little difficult with his hands holding your feet and ankles like that.

But you had been wondering this for awhile, and there was no time like the present to ask.

"Did you... Were you the one who paid my rent?"

He cleared his throat and took a long drink of his water before answering. "And what if I did?"

"I'll pay you back. You didn't have to do that."

"You're right, I didn't. It might have been better if I had let you get evicted from that hell hole."

"Hey now, I like my hell hole."

"No, you don't."

"You're right," you admitted. "But not all of us can afford places like this; we're not all pro-heroes like you, you know."

"No one's like me."

"So modest," you smiled and rolled your eyes.

"You told me once that you thought about being a hero. Are you ever going to tell me what happened?"

"I did tell you. I put my trust in someone, and I learned to never do it again. Or at least I thought I'd learned my lesson. Turns out I'm a sucker for pain, apparently."

You thought about everything you'd experienced with Dabi, Shigaraki, your missions. You'd thought heroes were bad, but these guys were right up there with them. 

"You're telling me that you of all people let some jerk keep you from what you wanted?"

"Something like that. Anyway," you said, changing the subject. "So how long are you holding me hostage, Mr. Hero?"

"I thought you didn't want to go back to that crappy apartment tonight."

"I don't. But there are places other than your apartment that I could be right now instead of here bothering you. I know better than most how much you like your own space."

"Oh yeah? You're complaining about a top hero watching over you for free?"

"Is that your way of saying that you want me to pay you?"

"Ha. As if you could," he scoffed. "Aren't you still unemployed?"

"Aren't you still incredibly rude?"

"Says the girl who put her gross feet in my lap."

You wiggled your toes just to tease him. "Uh, you did that. Just like you're the one who fired me. And I have cute, dainty little feet, thank you very much."

"These things?" he asked, picking up one of your feet and pretending to examine it. "Cute? No. When is the last time you got a pedicure because...."

"I know you're not judging my feet! Let's see yours then, hero." You sat up and reached down for his foot, but he grabbed you around the waist to stop you; immediately his fingers dug into your sides, making you squirm.

"Cut it out!" you shouted, scrunching up to try to pull away.

"You ticklish or something?"

"Fucking obviously!" You started to beat on him with your hands, but he only laughed and dug in harder.

"Now the real you comes out," he laughed "Let's see what else I can get you to say." His tickling was merciless and borderline painful, but in that painful way that only happens when you've been tickled too long.

"Quit it!" you begged and laughed at the same time. You managed to wrench away finally, smacking him on the leg as payback.

"Oh no you don't," he growled. "No one hits me and gets away with it."

He lunged for you again, and instinctively you jerked back. But he had already grabbed you so as you fell back on the couch, so did he, directly on top of you.

It was as if at the same moment both of you realized how awkward this position was.

"You... seem to be feeling better," he said. He was so close. Inches away. Maybe not even that.

"Yeah," you breathed, your chest rising and just barely pressing against his. "Do you...." You weren't sure what to say next or how to say it.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to... " Oh god, there were so many things you wanted to do. All of which were x-rated. None of which were a good idea right now. "Do you want to watch tv or something?" you asked quickly.

He blinked and sat back on the couch. "Okay. Sure. Whatever, I guess."

While you hunted for a remote for the tv, Bakugo got up and went into the other room. That had been close. You turned on the tv and started pressing buttons on the remote, but really you weren't even paying attention and had no idea what was even on the screen. You were thinking about how he had felt that close to you, how he had smelled, how...

"So are you really just hanging around your apartment doing nothing all day?"

Bakugo's voice interrupted you as he brought back in a couple blankets and tossed you one before he sat down next to you. "I didn't realize you were that fucking lazy."

"Oddly enough, no other hero agencies wanted to hire me. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Silence.

"Then what have you been doing other than dating that candy cane reject?"

You covered yourself with the blanket and moved to the other end of the couch. "It was one date."

"And you see how well that ended. Do you not understand how to work a remote? Give me that."

You tossed it at him, maybe a little too aggressively. "There are too many fucking buttons."

"Shut up and give it here."

With no clue how much time had passed, the next thing you knew someone was knocking on the door. You'd been asleep, you realized, and you had no idea for how long. For a split second you panicked, forgetting where you were, but then you remembered that you were on a couch in Bakugo's apartment.

Bakugo's apartment. What the hell had you been thinking?

And what if this was Dabi, finally here? Now you'd put both of you at risk. 

No, Dabi wouldn't knock, so it wasn't him.

Then the knocking started again. You opened your eyes just a little and saw Bakugo half asleep next to you. The last thing you remembered was watching some dumb show on tv and feeling really warm and comfortable on the couch. You both must have fallen asleep at some point after that.

Bakugo hadn't opened his eyes but he must have somehow noticed that you looking at him. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going to answer it. Someone is fucking rude as hell coming here this late."

With a groan he got up and answered the door, holding it open but standing in the doorway. You stayed on the couch, ducking down to stay out of sight.

"What do you want?" you heard Bakugo ask.

"You weren't answering your phone. Can I come in?"

Well. Shit. 

You ducked down further on the couch as you heard Bakugo open the door and the visitor walk in. Right about now you really wished you some kind of disappearing quirk.

"Have you heard from y/n? She isn't answering her phone either and after I saw the car, I -- "

"Yeah," was all Bakugo said.

At this point it couldn't be helped so you sat up slowly and kind of waved. Todoroki's eyes were wide as he stared at you, you who were wearing Bakugo's clothes, you who had obviously been asleep on Bakugo's couch.

"Hey?"