The small, ash blond boy returned home, bringing something back with him. It was the slingshot that girl gave him. What did she say her name was again? Aya? Ayano? He thinks that was it.

The slingshot laid still on his palm as he stared at it, remembering her words to him.

"You said you're going to be the number one hero someday, right? Then, you'll definitely be the most amazing one and I'll make a bunch of support items for you. That slingshot can be the first!"

The boy blushed a little at the memory, but quickly shook his head to try and get rid of the heat on his cheeks. Well of course he was going to be the number one hero! He didn't need some stupid slingshot to help achieve that goal!

But…

It was definitely cool…

He lifted it up again, pulling at the strings. He quickly looked around his room, searching for something to shoot at as well as something to serve as ammunition.

He walked over to his chest of toys. Digging through it, he pulled out a handful of large Lego pieces. On his desk, he propped up a few books to use as targets.

Taking a Lego piece, he placed it in the slingshot and took aim. Releasing his grip, the piece shot forward and hit the book right in the center.

His eyes shined in delight, and he looked at the slingshot in awe. He thought this earlier at the park, but this Ayano was definitely something else to make something like this! He'd never say that aloud though!

Taking another Lego piece, he prepared to shoot at the next book. This time, however, he aimed a bit too high and the piece soared over the book to crash through his window. A huge shattering sound was heard.

Bakugou gulped.

"BAKUGOU KATSUKI! YOU COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Once again, Bakugou returned home with a new item in his hands. It was a pair of gloves.

They weren't just any type of gloves though. It was yet another invention made by Ayano. They seemed to be made out of something she called nanofibers, and they helped to grab onto things like the monkey bars.

They were so amazing that even Deku could finish a whole lap on the monkey bars!

At first, he was mad because she was helping that Deku, but that soon changed when she said that they were made for him. The gloves were his and not Deku's!

Looking at the gloves, the young blond smiled triumphantly. Just like with the slingshot, he thought about Ayano's words when she gave him her newest creation.

"I think you can become a great hero, so I made these to help you!"

A blush creeped onto his face. Growing embarrassed, he threw the gloves onto his desk next to the slingshot.

He dashed out of the house, on his way back to the park so he could train on the monkey bars some more.

Yet again, Bakugou returned home with one of Ayano's inventions. This time, he was a teenager.

In his palm, sat a metal flower bulb.

On his way to school, he crossed paths with the girl and she ended up giving him one of her creations that would help him gauge the strength of his quirk. She said it was supposed to be some sort of 'get well' gift after the sludge incident.

As if he needed something like that!

What was with her!? They don't talk for years and she's always by that Deku's side! All of a sudden, she makes him this?!

It didn't make sense!

To be fair, nothing ever made sense with her. Not her weird personality. Not the way she only ever focused on her work. Not how his eyes seemed to follow her wherever she went.

To be able to make something like this for him meant that she was still thinking about him all these years. After their falling-out.

Even after all these years, he was still thinking about her.

He had hurt her. He knew he did.

When he found out she was quirkless, his mind just went blank. It was like his whole world shattered. He thought for the longest time that they were the most amazing people, and that it would get even better once she developed her quirk like him.

She never did though.

For that, he pushed her away. He soon realized that she wasn't amazing because he thought she would develop an amazing quirk.

She was amazing because she was Ayano.

He had thought about apologizing, but his pride just wouldn't let him. Besides, she seemed to be getting all cozy with that worthless Deku anyways!

Remembering how she always came to the green-haired boy's rescue, Bakugou grew angry. His hand tightened on the metal flower bulb. Stomping over to the trash can, his hand was raised to the air, intent on chucking it in the trash. His arm stilled in the air and began to shake. His knuckles were turning white from the pressure.

Eventually, he shouted in frustration, his hand falling to his side.

He couldn't do it.

Walking back to his desk. He placed the gift onto it, next to the slingshot and the gloves that she made.

He had kept them all these years.

His mind drifted to her words.

"The design is based off of the Nasturtium flower. In the language of flowers, the Nasturtium represents conquest or victory in battle…Good luck on the U.A. entrance exam."

Ah, damn it! He was blushing like an idiot again!

Bakugou flopped onto his bed, placing his arm over his eyes.

"…Fuck…Do you like me or not?" He muttered under his breath.

"How madly in love with you I am."

"…"

…What did she just say?! He definitely did not hear that correctly…right? There's just no way! Perhaps he had misheard, what with his heart beating obnoxiously loud right now.

He stood there, mouth wide open and not moving a single inch. To say that he was shocked would be a severe understatement.

Ayano stood in front of him, not meeting his eyes. She seemed to be mulling over what she had just said, hand on her mouth. Since when had she ever blushed before?! And so cutely!

In his state of stupor, the suitcase nearly slipped from his loosened hands when Ayano caught it without hesitation, like he was just handing it to her.

Without having even noticed, her blush had already receded and her face returned to its normally impassive one. "Thank you for obliging my request. I will have this returned to you by tomorrow morning." She spoke with no stutters, hesitations, or falters in her voice. It was as if she hadn't said such an embarrassing thing just ten seconds ago! Had he imagined it? No, he couldn't have!

Readjusting her grip on the suitcase, she turned around and walked towards the door. Turning the knob, the door was pulled slightly open before Bakugou's hand slammed into it, forcing it closed again. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He spoke slowly and evenly.

Turning slightly to face him, Ayano studied his face. His face held its normal scowl, but he wasn't exactly angry. He looked confused almost. "…Back to my room. I intend to keep working on your costume." She responded. "You're gonna go back after that?!" He yelled at her.

Ayano raised a brow. "After what?" She asked, as if she really didn't know. Bakugou's eye twitched in annoyance. "AFTER DROPPING THAT BOMBSHELL ON ME!"

She tilted her head. "I would not exactly call that a 'bombshell.' A bombshell is a surprising or unexpected statement, which my statement was not. What is surprising and unexpected is how long it took me to realize it. I may have been in love with you since the beginning, and it took me all this time to fully understand it. Now that is what is really surprising."

She said it again!

Well, not as directly this time, but she said it!

There was no mistaking it. He had heard her loud and clear both times.

"Wha—!? Not surprising?! Of course it's surprising!" Bakugou shouted, his face blowing up with red.

Ayano raised a brow again. "Is it really so surprising that I am in love with you? I do not think so, for I may have been in love with you since we were children."

Bakugou spluttered. Again! She said it again!

"Hmm…though I suppose it could be considered surprising. We did, after all, have quite the rocky relationship for some time. Particularly during our junior high school days." She tapped her finger against her chin in thought. "Do you think it is surprising?"

Bakugou gulped. "F-Forget about that! Were you really just gonna leave after confessing to me?!"

Ayano's brows furrowed. "Confessing?" She asked, genuinely confused once more. "I would hardly call that a confession. Although, if you go by the definition that a confession is a formal statement admitting one's feelings, then I suppose it is a confession. However, 'confession' in this situation often has a different connotation. It implies that I expect a response, which I do not."

Bakugou had one of the most shocked and confused faces she'd ever seen. "You are surprised again." Ayano stated rather than questioned. She took that as a sign to explain herself. "You asked me, 'For not realizing what sooner?' You asked me a question, and I gave you an answer. I did not follow up with a question of my own. Therefore, I did not expect a response. I still do not expect a response."

Bakugou's head had bent over in disbelief, his ash blond hair casting a shadow over his eyes. His arm was still outstretched, and his hand was still leaning on the door to keep it shut. It looked like he had no intention of moving.

Ayano was not sure what more she could say, so she turned back around to leave. She tried opening the door again, but Bakugou's other hand slammed on it. Now, his arms were on either side of her, trapping her between him and the door.

"…How could I not respond…when I feel the same way, idiot…" He muttered.

The girl immediately spun around, her normally impassive face turning to a dumbfounded one. She was beginning to see why he thought her statement was so surprising.

Bakugou tilted his head back up, looking directly at her. His cheeks were burning, but there was a fire in his eyes that would not be extinguished.

Ayano found that she couldn't look back at him, her own cheeks feeling a bit hot. She turned back around, mumbling. "My apologies. It appears that my lack of sleep is finally getting to me. I must be hearing things…"

Bakugou's hands gripped her shoulders, swinging her back around to face him. "What the hell?! Now you're surprised?! Is it really so surprising that I feel the same way, huh!?" He shouted, throwing her words right back at her.

She quickly tried collecting her thoughts, the shock still evident on her face. "…You feel the same way…" She mumbled. Bakugou's shoulders relaxed a little, thinking that she understood.

"…So you mean to say that you are madly in love with yourself?" He nearly flipped at that.

His hands tightened on her shoulders, shaking in frustration.

"THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT ME IS THE SAME WAY I FEEL ABOUT YOU, DAMN IT!"

He was panting, his anger getting the best of him. "You…" He growled out. "ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME ANGRY!?" Looking back at her, his heart almost stopped.

That unmistakable tint of red was slowly crawling up Ayano's neck and taking over her entire face. She quickly put her arm up against her mouth, futilely trying to hide herself. "N-No…I-I…M-My intent was not to anger you…I just…needed to make sure I was not dreaming or hallucinating…"

"Well, you're not, okay!? And don't make me say it again!" Bakugou could see that she was smiling behind her arm. He saw it in her eyes.

He didn't think he'd ever seen her so flustered. He didn't even think he'd ever heard her stutter before! Of course, she had hesitated in her speech sometimes like all people, but after sorting her thoughts, she always said her words clearly. She never stuttered.

What the hell?! Was she really this happy? When did she become this cute?!

Losing strength, Bakugou relaxed and bumped his forehead against hers. "Ahh…You're too damn cute…" "C-CU—!" Ayano couldn't even repeat the word properly.

"…Fuck…Isn't the guy supposed to be the one to say it first?" He mumbled. "But I should have expected this from you. At least let me be the first to do this."

Before Ayano could ask him what he meant, she felt his lips crash into hers. There was no time to think, but she probably couldn't with how blank her mind was. Her only focus was the feeling of his lips on hers. The feeling of his hands shifting from her shoulders to around her waist and behind her head. The feeling of his body pressed up against hers.

The kiss was rough, but not unpleasant. Just like him.

It was probably also due to both of their inexperience as well as their hastiness. They kissed over, and over, and over again – as if to make up for lost time.

Breaking apart all too soon, their faces remained quite close together, their uneven breaths mingling together.

"Your ideas about the roles of males and females in a relationship are incredibly outdated." Ayano said quietly.

Bakugou smirked. Of course, she was already back to her old self with no sign of the flustered Ayano from before. Although, rather than cute like before, she looked rather sexy.

Her red cheeks…Her slightly ruffled hair…Her glazed over eyes…Her soft lips…

Bakugou growled. "Shut up and come back here."

She did just that.