| Zero Hour | 172732014

I'm Glad You're Here: The Park

The night air was chilly for what was supposed to be the beginning of summer. You thought it may have been a weird change in the climate balance - climate change and whatnot aside. You slowly rubbed your arms with your hands, feeling the chill prick your skin. The last thing you wanted to do was be a burden after a lovely dinner. After all, you didn't account for this sudden snap. Curse your reliance on the weather app on your phone. Perhaps you needed to update it, or change to one more reliable.

You immediately felt something heavy and warm wrap around your shoulders while you pondered on your thoughts, turning to an intense red glare, sighing under his breath. He wrapped his thick jacket around your shoulders before he drew your body next to his, keeping what body warmth that laid in his jacket trapped around you.

"You should've said something," muttered Bakugou. "Don't want you catching a cold."

"I was fine," you uttered, watching Bakugou's glare return back to you, fueled with suspicion. You couldn't take that kind of look from him. "... Okay, I wasn't."

Bakugou scoffed before you felt his arm tighten around you. A smile curled on your lips from the gesture. You knew he wasn't a man of many words, harsh ones, yes, but not many. His actions were what defined him, and after indulging and investing in this relationship, he grew to become a man on his own. It made you feel proud to see his growth.

The night was agreed upon after months of scheduling, re-scheduling, and compromising. Bakugou was one of the Top Pro Heroes of Musatafu and with that came not only responsibilities, but a constant need to be on call. There were many nights when you wouldn't ever see him at all, maybe receive a text message every once in a while. You'd be lucky enough if he gave you a phone call. However, not only was he a Pro Hero that he had worked hard and strived to become, you were in the hypothetical adjoining boat. You weren't a Top Pro Hero, such as the likes of Ground Zero, Deku, or Shouto, but you headed many of the local heroes in their regions and divisions, managing the groups in formation. And for that, you were just as busy.

While the both of you walked together through the city, you eventually made your way towards the city park, its dim light illuminating the path. It was an occasional shortcut to your apartment. Bakugou would often lead you through here for a change of pace, or if the city streets annoyed him, or to get away from the public just in case. It made you smile and chuckle inwardly at the very thought.

"Had a good night, babe?"

You turned towards Bakugou whose eyes were still fixated ahead on the path. You smiled up at his gesture and his slightly aloof behaviour, something that you've grown accustomed to.

"Absolutely," you replied. "Thank you for dinner. What's the occasion?"

"Occasion?" Bakugou's eyebrows twitched if only a little for you to notice the confusion written on his face.

"Yeah, well, it's not every date night we go out to a Michelin 3-star restaurant," you commented, tugging at his jacket. "And one that you booked yourself months in advance, despite your Pro Hero ranking and fame."

"So you're saying I can't even treat you to a decent meal without you questioning it?"

You chuckled nervously at the sight of him, his eyes furrowed into that of annoyance. There were times you were testing his patience.

"No, nothing like that," you explained. "It's just, you're still working your way up the rankings. You haven't surpassed Midoriya yet." This warranted a slight curl of Bakugou's lips with a deep growl attached to it, causing you to be wary of your next words. "And, well, aside from you taking today off, nothing astronomically great has happened? So that's why I asked."