Since that night at the dorms, Kimiko had thrown herself into homework, training and meditation with reckless abandon.

If she were honest, she was struggling to cope. Choosing to keep her schedule filled to the brim. She had noticed how irritable and anti-social she was becoming. But honestly? She didn't care.

Training for the provisional license exam was all she could think about, she knew she needed to come up with an ultimate attack, but her brain was too tired to come up with any great ideas.

Todoroki and Aizawa tried to talk with her a few times, encouraging her to rest but she couldn't bring herself to listen.

She had been hiding this from everyone, but she hadn't been sleeping in her room, choosing instead to sleep on the couch in the common room every night.

Creeping down the stairs when everyone was asleep and waking far earlier than all of her classmates to avoid uncomfortable questions.

'I have to get stronger and then I can rest,' she thought to herself, her body felt heavy with exhaustion, 'I can't be distracted.'

Uraraka looked at her blonde friend, the girl had dark circles under her eyes as she stared out the window. Walking towards her friend cautiously, Uraraka greeted her gently.

"Yeah hi," the dual-quirked girl replied, eyes trained on the window. Uraraka flinched at the tone, but refused to walk away.

Stealing her resolve, she pressed on "how is training going? It could be fun to do it together sometime?" she asked softly.

Kimiko finally turned to look at her, irritation clear on her face, "do you think I'm doing all of this training because I enjoy it?" she asked with a dangerous edge to her voice.

Uraraka stammered a response as she was caught off guard by her friend's reaction. "I'm not playing around nor do I need to spend my time teaching someone to fight," the blonde girl said, rising to her feet.

Her chair scraped the floor and drew the attention of the class, "this is life or death for me," the blonde girl was breathing heavily at this point.

Despite her harsh tone and words, there were tears in her eyes, "I can't afford any distractions, okay?" she said, "so please, do not intervene."

Brushing past her friend, Kimiko walked out of the classroom where Bakugou was waiting in the hallway.

Uraraka stood there in shock, the cold tone and the tears in Kimiko's blue eyes surprised her, almost more so than the harsh words themselves.

The classroom was silent as everyone exchanged nervous glances. If Kimiko was talking to Uraraka like that, something was seriously wrong.

"Kimiko has been acting like that to everyone since the attack," Kaminari said quietly as Kirishima nodded solemnly, both having been on the receiving end of her coldness.

Yaoyorozu placed a comforting hand on the brunette girl's shoulders, worried about the smaller girl. "She must be going through a lot, don't take it too personally," the taller girl said.

Uraraka looked up at the black haired girl, eyes filled with determination, "she must be so scared…" she paused, "I'm going to find a way to help her."

The class nodded in agreement. "Kacchan can probably help," said Midoriya as the class turned to look at him.

"That's true," added Tsu, as the class thought about the two blondes, "they seem to understand each other."

As the class thought about their two classmates, they all agreed to let Bakugou handle the situation. "I'm a little worried about Kimi-chan, Bakugou can be really harsh," said Hagekure.

The class was silent at that. "He can handle it. Bakubro's a total man when it comes to dealing with her," said Kirishima, with complete faith in his ill-tempered friend.


"You pissed off or something?" Bakugou asked as the pair made their way to the gym, receiving a sharp look from the blonde girl as she ignored his question and continued walking.

Rolling his eyes, he stopped walking, catching Kimiko's wrist in his hand, forcing her to stop and look at him.

Eyeing her face, he could see the dark circles under her eyes and the exhaustion she was clearly trying to hide. "You haven't been sleeping, have you dumbass?" he asked, face scrunched in annoyance.

Pushing her tongue against her cheek, Kimiko avoided his gaze, choosing to look anywhere but his face. "Oi, don't fucking ignore me," Bakugou said, "this is serious."

"Honestly Katsuki, shut up," she replied, looking up at him, "I'm too tired to deal with yours and Aizawa's bullshit."

'So Aizawa is concerned too,' he thought, gritting his teeth, Bakugou glared down at her.

"Watch it" he growled out, his tone a clear warning. The two stood there glaring at each other until Kimiko relented, casting her eyes down.

"Yeah… I can't sleep," she said, "I keep having nightmares, and not the quirk related kind." She felt a hand resting on top of her head as Bakugou gave her a gentle pat, "let's skip training today."

She looked up in disbelief at his statement, "what? You're okay with skipping?" not believing her ears, "Mr. 'rest days are for extras,'" she said, mouth agape.

The hand that had been gently resting on her head shoved her backwards with little force, "I don't want to waste my time sparring you when you're exhausted!" he yelled loudly as usual.

The normality of the interaction allowed Kimiko's shoulder to relax slightly. Turning to head to the dorms instead, "fine, fine, but if I beat you to the dorm you have to cook for me" the blonde girl called over her shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Bakugou released blasts out of his palm to pass the blonde girl. He relished in the sound of her laughing and cursing at him as she ran after him.


Despite winning, Bakugou still insisted on cooking since he had dubbed Kimiko as "incompetent in the kitchen," not that she minded.

While the blonde boy was focused on preparing the meal, Kimiko wandered off, looking for the friend she had hurt earlier. Seeing brunette hair, she steeled her nerves and walked towards the girl.

"Hi, can we talk?" she asked softly, the fear of rejection coursing through her veins. Uraraka nodded, but looked uncomfortable as Kimiko sat beside her on the couch.

"I'm so-" "I'm sorry!" the two girls said at the same time, a surprised look on both of their faces. Kimiko blinked before responding, "wait, Uraraka, you have nothing to apologize for!"

Uraraka shook her head in disagreement, "I wasn't thinking about how scary this situation is and that training isn't something you're doing for the same reason as the rest of us."

"All of us are training to become heroes and get our licenses, which I know is part of it for you," she continued, "but your reasons include trying to survive with a villain after you."

Kimiko watched in disbelief as the brown eyed girl began tearing up, "I hate that, and I'm sorry that I'm not more helpful," she added as the tears spilled over.

Lunging forward on the couch, Kimiko enveloped her friend in a tight hug, 'has anyone ever cried for me before?' she thought as her own tears threatened to spill over.

"Thank you, for being a true friend, my best friend," Kimiko muttered into her friend's shoulder as they both cried. "And I'm sorry for being mean, it won't happen again."

Pulling away from each other, both girls began laughing at their tear stained faces when Bakugou poked his head into the room, "oi! Kimi stop crying and come eat already," he yelled.

"Coming!" Kimiko called back as she began getting up from the couch, "hey kimi-chan?" said Uraraka, a finger resting on her cheek.

"Since when does Bakugou call you by your name and not new girl?" she asked. Kimiko paused, a thoughtful look on her face.

"He used to only say it when he was worried about me," she replied, a small smile growing on her face, "but now he does it all the time!"

Uraraka wasn't surprised, the whole class had noticed that Bakugou and Kimiko were inseparable, even more so since the abduction incident.

"Oh, but I call him Katsuki so it's not like it's weird or anything," she added as an afterthought.

"Kimi! Get in here or I'm eating your food!" Bakugou yelled from the kitchen, interrupting whatever response Uraraka had.

Giggling, Kimiko waved goodbye to her friend and wandered into the kitchen, "shut up," she yelled rounding the corner. Glaring when she made eye contact with the blonde boy, "you're so loud."

Bakugou looked at her with an unimpressed face, "if you hadn't been so busy crying, I wouldn't have had to yell," he replied, before going back to eating.

Sitting down across from him, Kimiko began eating, savoring every bite, "Katsu, you really are such a great cook!" she exclaimed.

Clicking his tongue in reply, he continued eating, hiding the smile that threatened to show on his face by stuffing food into his mouth.

While the two ate in silence, Kimiko decided to broach a subject she knew Bakugou would not like. "Are you still mad about Midoriya saving All Might at training?" she asked softly, awaiting his reaction.

Sighing, Bakugou set his bowl down and looked at the girl across from him, "You know the answer," he gritted out.

Controlling his temper was something he had been trying to work on, he had been targeted by villains as a prospect because of his anger and that was something he was coming to terms with still.

Kimiko hummed in response, thinking about the changes Bakugou had been trying to make. Since she had been dealing with her own issues since the kidnapping she hadn't really thought about Bakugou.

"Maybe you should talk it out with Midoriya," she said between bites, receiving a glare in reply. Kimiko didn't let that deter her, "you two have known each other forever, just think about it."

Bakugou grunted in response as the pair ate in silence until Kimiko got up from her chair across from him, deciding to sit next to him.

Rotating in her seat, she moved to face the blond boy who was now avoiding eye contact. Reaching out to grab his hand with her left, she gently spoke, "Bakugou, I'm sorry I've been closed off."

"And I'm sorry I haven't checked in," she continued, squeezing his hand, "but I'm here and I want to make sure you're okay."

Bakugou closed his eyes, feeling them burning behind his lids. He didn't trust his voice at this moment, choosing instead to turn and rest his forehead on Kimiko's shoulder, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

He took a shuddering breath, allowing a "thank you" to slip through his lips, as quiet as a whisper. Kimiko leaned her head on his, relishing in the safe and comforting feeling.

"Guys, leave them alone! This is so wrong," whisper shouted Kirishima as he tried to force the ogling group of students away from the door.

"Shut up, Kirishima!" whispered Kaminari, "if they hear you we're dead!" Before the pair could argue further, Todoroki approached the group curiously.

Poking his head around the corner, he saw the pair and took in how visibility relaxed they both looked. The sad look on Kimiko's face didn't escape his eyes as he turned back to his classmates.

"Give them privacy, Kimiko wouldn't want everyone to see her like this," he said softly, 'I want to help her,' he thought, 'but that's Bakugou's job.'

Grumbling, Ashido and Kaminari led the group away as Kirishima praised Todoroki for his manly display. Allowing one last glance at the pair, Todoroki followed his classmates into the common area.

Silently, Bakugou lifted his head and turned back to his forgotten meal, his cheeks burned in embarrassment. Kimiko smiled and squeezed his hand before turning back to her own dinner.

"Ashido is having a girls night tonight, I think I'm gonna go," she said. Bakugou nodded in response, "I'm gonna have that talk with Deku soon," he replied.

Kimiko smiled at him, happy to be in this moment. Things felt so uncomplicated with Bakugou, they could simply be themselves when they were together.

Hopping out of her seat, Kimiko grabbed the empty plates and made her way to the sink, while Bakugou grabbed a towel and began wiping the table down.

Once the dishes were finished, Kimiko made her way to the entryway, "I'm going to get ready for my girl talk," she said, "oh and don't yell at Midoriya too much."

Bakugou rolled his eyes at her comment but nodded. Walking off to find Midoriya, he thought about training and the growth he had seen in the green haired boy.

Clenching his fist, he wasn't sure if he could do this without yelling, but he would get his point across, that was for sure. One way or another, he was going to be understood and respected.


Kimiko had changed into a comfortable pair of pajama shorts with a plain t-shirt and fluffy slippers before making her way to Ashido's room.

She was unsure what a girls night would consist of, but she was actually excited at the prospect of spending time with her classmates.

Knocking on the door before opening it, her eyes met with Uraraka and Jirou as they cheered upon seeing her.

Smiling, she walked towards the pair, joining them on the ground as all the girls began talking about various topics.

Jirou leaned close to Kimiko, "last time we did this, we found out that Uraraka has a crush on someone!" she whispered.

Kimiko turned to the blushing brunette, "Oh my gosh! On who?" she asked, a grin spreading across her face.

Her friend ducked her head, "on no one! It's not a crush!" she yelled in protest as the group laughed at her red face.

"Speaking of crushes," Ashido said, a smirk on her face as she stared pointedly at Kimiko. The blonde girl felt her cheeks heat up, "oh no, I don't have a crush on anyone," she said calmly.

'Unless you count Katsuki,' she thought to herself, as the girls called her bluff, "oh come on! We all know you and Bakugou are totally in love!" said Hagakure

Kimiko forced herself not to blush, choosing to laugh and roll her eyes, "you got it totally wrong," she replied, "Katsuki doesn't think of me like that at all."

'Why did I say that? Now I've hurt my own feelings,' she thought, cringing at the way her heart squeezed painfully. Her friends looked at her doubtfully, but left the matter alone for now.

"Fine, maybe you don't see it," said Ashido as she changed the topic, "Anyways, let's have some girl talk, who is the cutest boy in our grade?"

Yaoyorozu protested the subject, "you just want to match make everyone with their answer!" she chastised, Ashido shrugged in response.

"Well we all know Jirou thinks Kaminari is the cutest," Kimiko said, giving her friend an unapologetic grin as the short haired girl gasped.

The room was filled with laughter as everyone aside from Jirou and Kimiko had cast their votes, Todoroki was winning by a landslide.

"There is no avoiding the question Kimi-chan," said Tsu, who was unusually interested in the topic, "you have to pick one."

Sighing, Kimiko thought about Todoroki, his dual colored eyes and beautiful face. Sure he was the clear fan-favorite, but she already knew who she would truly pick.

'I can't say it or they'll never let it go,' she thought.

"I guess Todoroki" she finally said, trying to sound nonchalant, "LIAR!" called Ashido across from the blonde girl.

Her face was split into a big grin, "at the training camp you said he wasn't the cutest boy in class," she said with an evil glint in her eyes.

The girls all whipped their heads to look at Kimiko, her face bright red at having been caught. "I-uhh just didn't want to admit it?" she replied, although it sounded more like a question.

Inwardly cursing herself, she sighed, shoulders slumping as she finally decided to be honest. Pulling her knees to her chest, her face a burned bright red.

"Bakugou," she said softly, "he's the cutest." The girls cheered at her confession and Uraraka rubbed her back in a reassuring pattern.

Yaoyorozu broke the cheers as she said in a serious voice, "we are certain he feels for you what you feel for him," her face full of certainty, "even if you're not ready to put a label on what that is."

"We didn't mean to pressure you," said Hagakure, "but you two are so sweet with each other!" she said with a squeal.

Uraraka leaned her head on her friend's shoulder comfortingly, "and hey, you're the only one he seems to respect and treat like a person and not an extra," she added with a smile.

"Bakugou is pretty rough and scary, but you should have seen him when he blew your door apart!" Kimiko lifted her head hesitantly, "he was totally freaking out trying to get to you!" Ashido said happily.

The group nodded in agreement, "well, I can't afford to confess or anything right now if that's what you guys want," Kimiko said wearily.

The group of girls laughed at her seriousness and Kimiko found herself laughing with them, leaning into Uraraka. "Don't worry, you two have plenty of time!" said Yaoyorozu, "besides, he would probably want to be the one to confess first."

The group laughed even harder as they all agreed, Bakugou would hate to be confessed to, "he has to be number one after all," said Tsu through giggles.

Kimiko felt tears in her eyes from laughing as the girls smoothly transitioned from topic to topic before switching to a movie, she hadn't felt this relaxed in ages.

Feeling her eyelids droop, she allowed sleep to overtake her as she laid down on the carpeted floor, hugging a fluffy pillow for support.

She slept soundly for the first time in ages, surrounded by her friends in a safe room. She never wanted to lose this feeling.


As usual, please feel free to comment with any criticisms or encouragements! Thank you!