Rejected Stones

Reforge the Soul

Bakugo sniffed, nodding. The two girls had fallen back a bit, and were talking quietly. Momo had her half mask off, dangling about her neck. That was new. She usually wore it all the time. "Can't say I know exactly what you're going through. But I know what it's like to resent the hell out of a parent. My mom and me, well, we got along better than you and your dad, but I ain't exactly told her I love her in a while."

Bakugo felt an iron grip on his arm, and he glanced at Todoroki, then started at the look of pained intensity in his gaze. "Tell her. If you care for her at all, tell her, now. She's here, right?"

"Yeah, she and dad are shacked up in the gym with a bunch of other families," Bakugo said, frowning. "I'll tell her later."

"What if there's a villain attack? It could happen at any moment. Kurogiri puts Shiguraki and All For One right in the gym. You're mom's dead now. What's the last thing you said to her?" Todoroki demanded, his voice filled with far more fire than his usual icy calm.

"I dunno, something like shut up and stay here where it's safe," Bakugo said with a shrug. "We were arguing, until dad calmed her down, but I had to go."

"Bakugo, the only reason I'm still sane right now is that the last thing I told my father was that I loved him. For the first time in YEARS. I can't even remember when the last time I did that was. If I had said anything else, if the last thing I had done was fight with him as usual...I don't know what I'd do."

Bakugo considered that. "Yeah, OK. You two fine with covering this sector alone? Not gonna stop for another quickie or something? God knows Uraraka and I pulled that shit for a while."

"We didn't, we haven't, look, that's between the two of us. We just talked last night."

"Sure. Just make sure to use protection when you 'talk,'" Bakugo said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Ochako, come on. Gotta go tell my folks I love them or some shit. You good with your parents? They like you and stuff, right?"

"Ok." Uraraka gave Yaoyorozu a quick hug and a smile, then she caught up to Bakugo, and the two of them turned towards the gym that had been made into a temporary shelter.

"Guess they finally hooked up. Hagakure always knows," Bakugo observed as they made their way across the campus, dawn starting to lighten the eastern horizon.

"Yeah, now if only she could figure out who has the hots for her," Uraraka sighed, stepping close to Bakugo to press herself up against him. Normally he was against that sort of thing on patrol, but he was cold, and she was hot.

"What, Hagakure? Who's got it for her?" Bakugo asked, only mildly interested.

"Nevermind. I'm worried about you. How do you feel?"

"Like I'm freezing my balls off and going to go get yelled at by my mom over some stupid shit," Bakugo grumbled.

Uraraka stepped in front of Bakugo, putting her hand on his chest and looking up at him. "That's not what I meant." Gently, she took one of his hands, rubbing the fingers as she held it up. "I mean, about...your quirk. Do you think she can do it? Mei, I mean."

"God I hope so," Bakugo said quietly. He closed his eyes, leaning down to rest his head on Uraraka's. "I've tried not to think about it. You can't get a quirk back if you lose it. Shit, how many people have even done that? But to actually get it back..."

Uraraka didn't speak, just stepping closer to hug Bakugo. He appreciated that about her.

When he spoke, his voice was raw with pain. "It's just...what if it makes me weak again? What if I get my quirk back, and I just turn into an asshole again? I mean, I know I'm not exactly warm and fuzzy now, but...I dunno. What if I become a monster again?"