Look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay awhile. And she will be loved. - Maroon 5

There was no need to be so nervous, she reminded herself for the hundredth time that day. For goodness sake, she'd been fighting villains ever since her first year at UA and here she was on the night of her graduation more nervous than she'd ever been in her life as she wound her way through the students celebrating in the dorms.

Ochako Uraraka was certain that if it weren't for the pounding of the bass coming from the sound system Jirou had set up, everyone present would be able to hear the pounding of her heart as she moved from the living room into the kitchen, passing by Kaminari and Mineta who were too busy ogling one of the support course graduates to spare her a second glance.

It had been Mina's idea to host the party and invite the graduates from the other courses, too, but everyone had agreed it was a good idea. One last hurrah before they all went their separate ways after graduation. Some of them had landed internships at pro hero agencies, some were studying abroad, and some had plans to pursue further training and education.

Ochako wasn't entirely sure what her post graduation plans were yet. She had options, of course, but she remained firmly undecided. Not like Deku who knew exactly what he wanted and was well on his way to getting it.

He'd chosen to follow in All Might's footsteps, as always, and had decided to study abroad in America before continuing his quest to be the next Symbol of Peace. His flight left first thing the next morning.

And that was why it had to be tonight.

She found him in the kitchen talking with Todoroki and Iida, both of whom were planning to stay in Japan and already had internships lined up. Her pulse quickened even more as she approached.

"Hello, Uraraka!" Iida greeted her as she joined them while Shoto merely nodded to acknowledge her presence.

"Hey, guys," she responded, her right thumb rubbing self-consciously over her left wrist. "Deku, I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you for a moment?"

Izuku Midoriya smiled at her with a nod of his head. "Sure, Uraraka." He turned back to look at Iida and Shoto. "I'll be right back guys." Izuku followed Uraraka away from the conversation.

"Of course." said Iida with a nod. He turned to Todoroki. "So, Todoroki, are you still going with your real name for your hero name?"

She led him upstairs to where it was a bit quieter, though the sounds of the party still drifted up through the floor and filled the empty hallway they stood in. Suddenly, she felt slightly nauseous as the thought of what she was about to do washed over her. But it was now or never. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Just start with something easy, she thought. "So are you excited about heading off to America?"

"Yes! I've got it all figured out! I'll be joining Melissa Shield and helping her test out hero gear! She's been doing well and has taken the position that her father had before. I'm sure you remember. I just can't wait to see America and walk where All Might once did." He was practically beaming during his entire ramble. He blinked when he realized he may have started nerding out again and smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry, I'm just excited. What about you, Uraraka? Any plans for you yet?"

"Don't worry about it," she said, laughing slightly at his rambling. It was something she'd grown quite used to and found rather endearing. It was nice to see him light up when he talked about something he was excited about.

"No real plans for me yet," she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "I'm going to miss you when you leave." She paused, but if she didn't tell him now, she might never get the chance, so she pushed on, "You see, I really like you, Deku..I have for a long time, maybe even since our first semester here, but I've always been too nervous to admit it, but I thought…I thought maybe you feel the same way?" Her cheeks flushed even pinker than normal and the color traveled to the tips of her ears while she waited for a response.

Izuku's cheeks felt as if they had caught fire. He never would've imagined any girl liking him, especially Uraraka. He gazed at her, trying to calm his heartbeat. He observed her hair, her rounded cheeks, and then her eyes, which were quivering before him in embarrassment.

He waited for the feeling to come. The feeling that was understood to be one of deep affection. But.

Nothing was happening. He looked and looked at her, but could not bring himself to admit that he felt anything for her other than close friendship. He swallowed, trying to wet his dry throat before saying what he never thought he would say and never had wanted to say.

"Uraraka," he began softly, frowning slightly at her, "I really am so flattered that you feel that way. I think you're amazing and you're going to be a great hero." He paused and looked away from her big brown eyes. "But, I'm sorry. I don't think I can return your feelings. I have...so much going on. And I would hate to confuse you or lead you on while I'm trying to sort it all out. I really hope that we can remain as we are, even when I'm in America."

Of course, he was thinking about One-for-All, and the responsibilities and dangers that came with it. But even so, he did not like her in that way. It broke his heart to tell her, before they were parted no less.

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, or at least it felt like it did. A million emotions battled within her: shame, embarrassment, sadness. But all she managed to say was "Oh ...I see."

But she didn't see, not really. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She'd played the scene in her head countless times and this was never the way it ended: with tears brimming in her eyes unbidden.

"I have to go." She said, suddenly desperate to get out of there before any tears could fall. She turned sharply on her heel and rushed back toward the staircase, nearly colliding with Mina and Kirishima at the top as they came into view, giggling and holding hands.

It was all too much.

She took the stairs two at a time and pushed her way through the crowd and out the back door without a backward glance. She just needed some fresh air, that was all. Fresh air and time alone to think.

Katsuki Bakugo had been standing against a wall, previously listening to Kirishima ramble on and on about manliness and graduating and then his announcement about being in a relationship with Pinky. He had only been mildly interested. The grape freak and Bolt boy whined in jealousy, complaining that they were doomed to be single for the rest of their lives. Bakugo had yelled at them to stop being such drama queens and get over themselves.

He doubted they ever would.

He had his own problems to worry about.

As to what he was doing after UA, he basically intended on joining the hero agency of top hero Gang Orca. The pro had approached him during the previous semester and commented on his growth as a student and wanted to offer him a place as a sidekick. Gang Orca was tough and took no shit, which was right up Bakugo's alley. So, he'd accepted.

The only issue remaining was his personal life. Today, he would finally do it. He would tell the girl he'd liked since his first semester at UA how he felt about her. And he prayed to whatever god would listen that she felt the same way in return. His eyes scanned the room for her now, but couldn't find her. She was probably with her other friends, there was a lot happening.

He made his way to the kitchen area to grab himself a drink after Kirishima had left with Mina in tow. He poured water into his cup and turned around while he took a sip. As he did, he watched as Uraraka flew past him and everyone else and towards the back door.

No one else seemed to notice but him. And she looked upset. He put down his cup and followed the path she'd taken and out the back door. "Hey." he said cautiously, announcing his presence but keeping his distance. "Where's the fire, Round-face?"

Ochako stiffened when she heard the door behind her and swiped furiously at her cheeks to erase the signs of her tears before anyone saw, but then she recognized the voice. There was no point trying to hide it. Bakugo had seen her at much worse than this over the course of their rather unexpected friendship and while he'd probably tease her about it later, he always knew where the line was drawn.

Her hands dropped down, giving up the fight to erase her tears and her shoulders slumped in defeat. "No fire," she admitted, still not turning to look at him. "Just not my best night."

Bakugo's brows furrowed in confusion as he approached her. He stopped about a foot away. "You're crying. Are you just emotional about graduating or did something happen?" He wanted to bring his hand to her cheek and wipe her tears away. He wanted his warmth to be enough to soothe her.

Taking in her appearance, he noted that she had only grown a couple inches at most since he first met her three years ago. Her hair was longer, her figure still slender but curvy in all the right places. Her face was a mess from crying, a stark difference from her face during their first fight at the Sports Festival. She was so fierce then, and he had barely noticed her. Looking at her now, he wondered what could be going on to bring her down to a level like this.

Ochako finally glanced up at him then, still sniffling. While he'd been a good friend to her the past two years, she knew handling emotions wasn't exactly one of his greatest strengths. He wouldn't have been her first choice of people to confide in about her heartbreak, that would have been Tsuyu, but she didn't know where the other girl was and he was here, offering to talk.

She nodded her head toward a nearby bench, indicating she meant for him to follow her as she went to sit down. "If I tell you what happened, will you promise not to make fun of me?"

"I don't make promises I can't keep, Round-face. I'll probably laugh." He gave her a teasing smirk as he watched her sit down. "But I'll still listen." With that, he followed suit and sat down beside her.

"Well, I suppose that's better than nothing," she said with a huff as she wiped her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve one more time. "I. Well, I finally told Deku how I felt, and he didn't feel the same way." She paused to sniffle once more, staring straight ahead into the darkness rather than looking at him as she speaks. "And before you say it, I know it's dumb to be sitting out here crying about it and that it's not going to change anything, but I can't help it, all right? Sometimes you just have to cry."

Katsuki felt his stomach drop. Did he even have a stomach anymore? That damn nerd just ruined everything he had planned to do today. "Fucking Deku." he seethed. He couldn't tell her about his feelings now. If she said she reciprocated them, he was positive it would only be to serve as a rebound for the rejection she just suffered. Deku's rejection. No way in hell would he be the rebound for that damn nerd.

And what the hell, anyway? Uraraka was amazing. How the fuck could Deku not like her? As much as he hated to admit it, the two were very close and had similar tendencies. They could have worked as a couple, he reluctantly supposed.

He took a breath, deciding not to laugh after all. "Deku's an idiot anyway and he's about to be gone for at least, what, a couple years? I wouldn't waste anymore tears on that damn nerd if I were you. He ain't worth it." His eyes glanced around, avoiding looking at her. He was scared that she would see his own heartbreak in his eyes.

She laughed then, she couldn't help it. 'Fucking Deku' was just the most normal Bakugo response in the world.

"It probably is for the best," she admitted. "I mean, how often do high school relationships really work out anyway?" She forced a smile, trying not to think about the fact that her own parents had met in high school and she'd always imagined that was how it would be for her.

He felt the knife in his gut twist with her words. "Yeah, usually nobody's ready for the real deal right out of high school." He could tell she was faking it. "Listen, Round-face, if you need to blow off steam about stupid fucking Deku you can always hit me up for a sparring match." He shrugged. "Hitting shit helps me feel better sometimes." And he would definitely need to once he was alone for the night after this conversation.

"Thanks, I probably will take you up on that. Maybe sometime next week? I'm going to have a lot of free time until I figure out what's next for me," she sighed. "And thanks for not laughing at me. I'm sure you wanted to, but you're a good friend, Bakugo." She leaned to the side just slightly as she said it, nudging his shoulder with hers.

More knife twisting. Damn. Katsuki guessed he had his answer. It still didn't stop the rush of pleasure he felt at her touch, even if it was just a mere shoulder nudge. He nudged her back, a calm and quiet expression on his face as he glanced at her from the side. "Anytime, Round-face."

3 Weeks Later

They'd agreed on no quirks this time.

For the last three weeks, they'd been meeting for sparring matches when they could and the outlet for her stress was something Ochako looked forward to. This time, they'd decided to change the rules a bit.

After all, they'd spent the last three years training their quirks day in and day out, but being able to defend yourself without using your quirk was equally important. Overhaul and his quest to eliminate quirks during their first year had proven that.

They'd already been at it for at least five minutes before Ochako managed to land her first hit. It would have been easier if she'd been able to use her quirk to make herself lighter and therefore easier to move and dodge, but that was against the rules. Sweat beaded on her brow as she ducked low to avoid the swing of his arm and use her elbow to land a blow to his solar plexus before she jumped back out of range in a move she'd learned during her time interning with Gunhead.

Katsuki smirked. "As if I haven't watched you use this shit over and over since the work studies." He cracked his knuckles before advancing again. He had to admit, it gave him a rush to fight her. Partly because he was angry about his romantic circumstances and the immature part of him wanted to blame her for everything. Partly because he always found a woman most intriguing when she could hold her own in a fight-especially with him. That's how she'd first earned his respect, after all. It had been over three years since that fight at their first Sports Festival. He'd never even really known who the hell she was until that day.

Katsuki was breathing hard. That was almost too close for comfort. If one wrong move had been made too late, and he just might have been done for. He couldn't believe she'd fooled him. It was a clever plan. It reminded him of something Deku would try, that damn nerd. He caught his breath and watched her start for him again. He grinned and barely moved an inch towards her, then she suddenly collapsed. His eyes went wide in shock.

Guess she was spent.

He was a good distance away from her, but he could hear her whimpering, willing herself to continue. He watched on as Midnight came to call the match to a close. He continued watching silently as they came to put Uraraka on a stretcher and carried her away. His eyes found her overshirt from their UA uniform.

Not long after, he stood before the door to the infirmary room. He scowled. What the hell was he doing here? It was just a shirt. She could get a new one. He was wasting his time.

Her face, defeated and exhausted, flashed in his mind. He growled in frustration. Why the fuck was he feeling guilty? The crowd hadn't made any difference. Mr. Aizawa was right. He had to go all out. Those were the rules! That's how it was in the real world. If you face a strong opponent, no matter their gender, they deserve your respect and full attention.

He just didn't expect her to try so hard. Maybe that's what was throwing him. She had just seemed so...what was the word. Cutesy? Innocent? Naive? But damn had she proved him wrong. She'd given him no choice but to take her seriously.

He knocked softly before opening the door and coming in. He looked over at her in the nurse's bed, swallowed, then proceeded to get closer with her shirt dangling from his hand at his side.

Recovery Girl had already done what she could to patch her up without draining her energy too much and Ochako sat propped against the pillows, sipping a bottle of water that had been brought to her. She looked up when the door opened, then huffed and looked away again when she saw who it was. "I suppose you've come to gloat?"

He bristled at her tone. "What the-? Why the hell would I even give you the time of day for that shit, Round-face?!" He snarled. She had nerve making assumptions about him without even giving him a chance to explain what the fuck he was doing here. "I came here because you left your fucking laundry on the field!" He slung the shirt at her. "I'm no maid either so don't get used to this." He turned his head away from her.

The shirt landed in a crumpled heap in her lap, the dirt and grime coating it a stark contrast to the pristine infirmary. She blinked in surprise, then looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. Thank you for bringing it to me." She didn't mention that Midnight had already given her a new one, still pristine in the package it came in.

He glared at her. "Whatever. I've done what I came to do." He turned to leave, but found himself unwilling to move. What the hell did he want to say? C'mon, Katsuki, just say it and get the fuck out of here, he thought to himself. He groaned a little, then finally muttered, "I also wanted to tell you that you did a good job out there, Pink-Cheeks." He could feel his face getting hotter and hotter. Steam practically shot out of his ears. He didn't give compliments out...well...ever.

The pink of her cheeks spread, darkening her entire face. That had been unexpected. Especially considering the source. "I...um. Thank you, Bakugo. You were really good, too. Guess I've got a lot of work to do to catch up."

"Fuck yeah you do!" He angrily yelled, slouching. "Good luck with that, though. The likes of you won't ever catch up to me if I have anything to say about it." He marched for the door.

Katsuki continued smirking as he aimed and landed a low kick to throw her off her balance. He withdrew quickly each time, making sure he didn't let her get a hold of him. Even if he knew her moves, he also knew she was hella good at executing them if she touched you, quirk or no quirk.

Uraraka wobbled unsteadily on her feet, almost toppling after his last kick, but she managed to catch herself in time. Staying on the defense wasn't good enough. If she wanted a chance to come out ahead, she'd have to go on the offensive. With this in mind, she charged toward him, throwing her full weight into her punch.

Bakugo certainly wasn't making this easy on her, and that was good. It was the reason she'd first asked him to spar with her, shortly after Kamino Ward.

Ochako lingered outside after class one afternoon, telling Tsuyu to go on ahead to the dorms in the hopes of catching Bakugo. He'd been acting strange lately, ever since Deku and the others had rescued him. Quieter than normal, more withdrawn. She wasn't sure why she'd noticed, but she had. He and Deku had gotten themselves into trouble for fighting late one night, leading to a short suspension for each and today was Bakugo's first day back in class.

He'd stayed late to talk to Mr. Aizawa about what he'd missed and Ochako had seen her opportunity. He didn't seem to notice her at first when he emerged from the building, so she called after him, "Hey, Bakugo! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He paused in his walk to scowl over his shoulder at her. "Eh? What the hell do you want, Round-face?"

She jogged the last few steps to catch up to him, then fell into step beside him. "I know this is going to be a strange request, but I was wondering if maybe you and I could spar some time?"

"Eh?" He genuinely looked confused. "Why the hell would you wanna do that? You want a rematch or something?"

"Not exactly. I just. If I want to get stronger, I need to practice. And I need someone who won't go easy on me just because I'm a girl, because villains definitely won't. You're the only person I know who won't do that."

He considered her for a moment. This might be a good distraction or outlet considering recent events. He liked her spunk, he had to admit. A sly smile played on his lips. "You're right, I won't do that. You really think you can handle it Pink-Cheeks? I'm stronger than I was at the Sports Festival, y'know."

"Good. I'm counting on it." She turned to face him, folding her arms across her chest in a position she hoped indicated that she wasn't intimidated in the least. "When do we start?"

Bakugo finally managed to get in close enough to pin her arms behind her back and push her to the ground. "You seem tired, Round-face. Wanna keep going or is it mochi time?" The taunting tone was impossible to ignore in his voice but he didn't care. He knew she loved mochi. His own stomach growled loudly and he glared down at it. Traitor, he thought.

"Mmm. Mochi sounds good." Ochako rolled out of his grasp after he loosened his grip on her and pushed herself to her feet before dusting herself off. "Know what I really miss about UA?" she asked casually, rolling her shoulder and rubbing it with the opposite hand. "Recovery Girl."

Katsuki snickered. "You got that right." He stood upright and stretched from side to side. "The old hag spoiled us all." He rolled his shoulders backwards, then forwards. Finally, he cracked his knuckles. "Let's get that food before my stomach decides to eat itself instead." He started walking away in the direction of their belongings on a bench nearby.

She followed him, still stretching as she moved. "You know, if we keep going for mochi everytime we spar, soon I'm going to get fat," she complained, dropping one hand down to pinch her side. That was something he didn't have to worry about, at least, she noted as she watched him putting some of his things from the bench back into his pocket. He was in far better shape than most of the other guys they had graduated with. More toned and muscular than even some of the pro heroes. And when had he gotten so tall?

He snorted. "Please. You're not going to get fat. It's just mochi." He slung his bag over his shoulder and rolled his eyes at her. "Plus, since it's after a workout it'll metabolize faster." He turned to look at her with a teasing glint in his eye. "But I mean, if you REALLY don't want any mochi I can just get mine to go and eat it at home alone. You can skip out."

"Hey! I never said I didn't want it, just that it's going to make me fat." She reached for her hoodie and pulled it on over her head before pulling her own gym bag onto her shoulder.

"I don't know if you even could get fat." He looked at her. "Your face is already so round." He removed his keys from his bag. "You gonna meet me there or are you just gonna ride with?" Following his graduation from UA and in honor of his new job with Gang Orca, Bakugo's parents had deemed him worthy of possessing a vehicle. It was sleek and black, his favorite color. Just a two-door sports car, nothing too decadent.

"And miss a chance to ride in your fancy new car? Not likely," she scoffed, following him to the parking lot. "How's everything going with the new job, by the way?"

He shrugged. "It's kinda annoying being stuck as a sidekick. But Gang Orca is pretty legit as a hero." He pushed the button on his keychain to unlock his car. A couple of beeps echoed in the lot. "It pays the bills for now. I just gotta bide my time until I can make it to the top." He made sure her door was unlocked before going to throw his stuff in the trunk. "What about you? Still haven't decided to take a sidekick gig yet?"

"I had a couple offers this week, actually. Mount Lady and Gunhead both offered me positions at their agencies now that I've decided I'm staying in Japan." It had been up in the air whether or not she would stay prior to the events of their graduation night. She'd been reluctant to accept anything that would keep her tethered here if she decided to go with Deku to America, but she wasn't going to admit that.

He put the car in drive and they started moving. Their favorite mochi place wasn't far at all from here, but driving just made the trip faster and they were both too hungry to walk. It was a smooth ride. His parents had chosen well.

The word 'decided' made his eye involuntarily twitch. He knew what that meant. So if that damn bastard had said he returned her feelings, she would've gone away with him to America? That's how much she liked him? He did his best to fight back the negative emotions swirling in the pit of his stomach. "That's good," he said, trying to distract himself, "which one you pickin'?" He pulled into a parking spot on the street just outside of the cafe.

"Hmm...I'm thinking maybe the Sakura Mochi this time," she said as they got out of the car and made their way inside. "You?"

He chuckled. "I meant the agencies. But I'm gonna get the matcha mochi ice cream for sure." He pushed and held the door to the shop open for her.

"Oh!" Ochako laughed. "Sorry, I guess I've just got mochi on my mind already. I'm thinking Gunhead, though. I learned a lot from him during my internship. Maybe he can teach me some more moves you haven't already seen me use so I might finally be able to take you down next time we spar," she teased.

"Tsh. Keep dreamin', Round-face." He looked around. They were moderately busy today. "You go find us a table and I'll get the goods."

"I can get it this time, you got it last time," she protested.

"Scoot." He said. "Consider it a congratulations for finally doing something with your life." He brought up his hand to wave her away. "Go on."

Ochako huffed. "Fine, but I'm getting it next time," she said before turning to stalk away and find them a table.

She managed to locate a decent table in the corner by the window and dropped gracelessly into one seat. Window tables were always her favorite. It was the best way to just sit and people watch, which is what she did while she waited for him.

Katsuki stood in line and watched her. The sun was hitting her hair so it glowed with gold and reddish hues. He looked away when he realized what he was doing. He needed to chill. It still hadn't been that long since fucking Deku broke her heart. There was no way she was over it. If she had liked him their entire high school career...one didn't just get over it that fast.

He made it to the counter and ordered their mochi before moving to the side to pay for it. The server handed him a couple plates with their requests, and he took them and started to head over to where Uraraka sat. The memory came in a rush.

It was their second year at UA. Much had happened in the previous year regarding the League of Villains, the licensing exam, and the retirement of All Might. December approached, and most students were going home for the holidays. Only a few stayed behind due to conflicting schedules or a simple disinterest in going home.

Katsuki personally had agreed to come home for the actual holiday, but he wanted to enjoy the quietness of their dormitory for as long as he could. It was usually overflowing with loud and rowdy heroes-in-training, so this was a rare and beautiful opportunity to finally have some peace and quiet. He sure as hell wouldn't get it at home either.

He found himself in the kitchen overhearing a conversation with his classmates on their way out.

"Ochako, please promise me you'll go out and do something fun for your birthday. Like, on the actual date." said Ashido.

"Even if your parents have to work on your birthday and you can't see them to celebrate it until after, it doesn't mean you can't do something for yourself." added Tsuyu, nodding.

Bakugo's eye twitched. Round-face had a birthday coming up? Right around Christmas, too. What a shitty time of year to have a birthday. He grabbed some cereal from the cabinet.

"Really, it's not that big a deal," Uraraka was saying to the other two. "Having a birthday two days after Christmas usually means it just gets lumped in with the holiday anyway, and everyone is always so busy this time of year. I'll probably just go out and get myself a treat that day or something. Maybe some mochi?"

Ashido laughed. "Goodness, you'd think you'd be sick of mochi by now as much as you eat it."

"Oh, I'll never get sick of mochi."

Bakugo's ears were on high alert. He didn't know why he even cared that much. They'd just been sparring partners for a while now, not really friends. Hell, he didn't even know when Kirishima's birthday was or Kaminari's. He really didn't give a fuck about birthdays period. He stopped caring much about his own a long time ago. A birthday was like any other day. That's it.

He could hear her trying to comfort her friends and assure them that her feelings weren't hurt or bothered. But he could imagine that if one was close to their parents, not being able to spend the holiday with them or your own birthday might really suck.

Hmph. Whatever, it's not like I care, he thought to himself. He angrily threw the milk back in the refrigerator and marched back up to his room. Stupid Round-face making me feel bad about shit that ain't got to do with me.

It was the day before her birthday. Not much had been happening, except that Katsuki had approached Uraraka and offered to spar with her every day that week since everyone else was gone except for them. He figured she might also appreciate the distraction and maybe feel a little less lonely. He certainly wasn't going to tell her that. He still wasn't sure why he gave a flying fuck about this girl's feelings.

They'd been going at it for an hour or so now. She was pretty feisty today. He thoroughly enjoyed riling her up. It made the fighting experience all the more entertaining and they were both growing stronger with every spar. She would make a badass hero someday.

When he saw her start wobbling where she stood, he stood up straight, breaking his fighting stance. He decided to call it a night, and she happily agreed. She was feeling pretty tired, she had said, and she was thinking of showering then going straight to bed. Of course he told her he didn't give a damn what she did. She'd just giggled and followed him back to the dorms.

Once they were back and cleaned up, she told him good night in the kitchen before disappearing to her room. Now, he wondered what she would do since tomorrow was her birthday. He'd looked at the class list that had basic information about him and his classmates and saw her birth date. He made it a point to jot down a few others too, for future reference.

With some money he'd been gifted by his relatives for the Christmas holiday, he'd made a secret trip to the grocery store to buy some ingredients. Little did Round-face know, but he actually loved mochi too. And he always made it from scratch. His grandmother had taught him many of her recipes, which proved useful to have now.

He rolled up his sleeves and took a deep breath before grinning, though most may have thought he was snarling.

It was mochi time.

Ochako woke the next morning, still sore from their most recent sparring match and rolled out of bed. It wasn't until she was brushing her teeth that she even realized what day it was.

Oh well. Just another year older, that was all birthdays meant.

She dressed and made herself look something resembling presentable to go make herself breakfast and nearly stepped on the small white box sitting outside before she realized it was there.

Brows wrinkled in confusion, she crouched down to pick it up. Inside, she found eight pieces of perfectly formed mochi with a slip of paper that read: "Happy Birthday, Round-face."

Katsuki smirked, thinking about what happened after she'd seen the package outside of her door. She'd come downstairs, carrying it with her, and gone into the kitchen where he had been stuffing his own face with the extra mochi he made for the hell of it. He heard her approach and turned to look at her like she was intruding. She smiled and told him thank you, and he had insisted that he didn't know what the fuck she was thanking him for.

"You're literally eating mochi right now." she said, pointing at the piece he was still holding close to his lips. He'd yelled angrily that they had magically appeared outside his door as well and to leave him alone. She'd just smiled again, gave him a knowing look, and handed him one of her own mochi. "Well, it's my birthday and you're welcome to share these with me."

They'd killed her container and all of his leftovers with no regrets.

He finally made it to their table and placed the mochi between them. "Daydreaming over there, Pink-Cheeks?" he teased before sitting across from her.

"Just people watching," she said, turning to smile back at him. "It's fun to see all of the different people going by and just think about what their lives may be like."

He rolled his eyes and picked up a mochi ice cream. "Not my idea of fun, but whatever."