A/N: Honorifics have officially been dropped. Trying to keep track of them all was tiring, and then whenever I'd read through the published chapters I'd just... cringe, I guess? seeing the "-chan" so much. Deku and Iida will be the only ones to keep using honorifics, because they're the only ones that feel right using them to me.

By the way, the anime Fruits Basket is mentioned in this chapter. I wrote it under the impression you already know the characters and the story, but hopefully it still makes enough sense to stand on its own ^^;

On the other hand, if you haven't watched it, GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING IT'S AMAZING

Art -

[Complete Gallery] Add /21axlkt3bolc to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

[Ch. 50] Add /228hdf7j9ydc to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

Hitomi ran down the sidewalk, nearly tripping over her own two feet. It was already dark out, the crisp night air nipping at her skin despite it still being summer.

Hitomi had gotten lost in her own little world at the boba shop, and before she knew it, she had 15 minutes left to get back to her dorm before she faced punishment for staying out after curfew.

She ran through the main gate of the campus, glancing at her phone to see she had two minutes left.

I can make it…!

The seconds ticked by as she ran down the pathway, Heights Alliance drawing nearer as she sped up.

Almost…!

She unceremoniously crashed through the door with 15 seconds to spare, dropping to her knees and panting from her run.

"Ah, Kanetsukabe-kun!" she heard Iida call from the common area. She looked up to see he was with Uraraka and Todoroki in the couches, while some of their other classmates were sitting at the dining tables. Midoriya was wiping the countertop, while Bakugou was vacuuming by the boys' baths.

Iida gestured a hand at her, as if to scold her. "What were you doing out so late?"

Hitomi got up from the floor, taking off her shoes as she walked to the couches.

"I was just hanging out with Nari, and I kinda lost track of time..." She rubbed her arms, the faint feeling of the crisp night air still lingering on her skin.

Iida noticed that, adjusting his glasses. "Don't stay out that late too often. Fall is approaching, and I would hate for you to get a cold."

Hitomi gave him a sheepish smile, nodding in an effort to placate his worry for her.

"Hitomi," Uraraka said, turning around in her seat. "Are you still up for dinner? There's some leftover ramen."

"No, that's okay. I already-"

"HITOMI!"

Hitomi turned to find Mina and Kaminari marching towards her, with a curious Kirishima and an exasperated Sero trailing after them.

Mina grabbed the bluenette by the shoulders, shaking her. "Hitomi…"

"Yes…?"

"You can't just drop that you have a date and then run off!"

Hitomi sweatdropped, confused.

"Huh?!"

Kaminari pointed at her, glaring. "I can't believe you were able to land a date before me! And after all that stuff during summer break, too!"

"So who's the guy?!" Mina whined, shaking her again. "Is it someone from another class? Is he from another school?" Mina suddenly gasped, her shaking becoming more erratic. "IS IT AN UPPERCLASSMAN?"

Sero facepalmed at his friends' pushiness, while Kirishima leaned in with Kaminari and Mina to hear Hitomi's answer.

"What are you talking about…?"

"Your! Date!" Mina nearly yelled, drawing attention to the group.

"My…? Oh." Hitomi's eyes widened in realization as she remembered what she told them before leaving, before her cheeks suddenly flushed. "Wait- you thought I was- you thought I was going on a date date?!"

"That's what you said, didn't you?"

"I- no!" Hitomi shook her head, her heart beating faster at the prospect of being romantically involved with someone. That was far out of her reach. "I was hanging out with Nari. It was a friend date…"

"See, I told you guys," Sero cut in, crossing his arms. "How many times do I have to tell you not to assume things…"

"Aww…" Mina pouted. She and Kaminari then apologized to her, Hitomi being quick to forgive them before she left to go to her room.

As she made her way to the elevators, she passed by Bakugou as she suddenly sneezed.

"ACHOO!"

Hitomi sniffled, bringing a hand up to her nose as she pressed the button. "Bakugou, I think you may be kicking up dust or something."

Bakugou scowled at her, vacuuming a lot faster. "Yeah, as if. I'm vacuuming, not dusting. You probably got sick from whatever guy you were on a date with or some shit."

Hitomi groaned, still waiting for the elevator. It had stopped on the third floor, meaning someone was likely coming down. She felt an odd feeling bubbling in her chest at the fact Bakugou had thought she was on a date with another guy, but she ignored the feeling, squashing it down. "Ugh, not you too. I wasn't on a romantic date, I was with Nari, jeez."

The elevator finally arrived, the doors sliding open. Jirou stepped out, giving a Hitomi a quick smile as she walked past.

"...You guys think too highly of me to think anyone would want to go on a date with me in the first place," Hitomi muttered to herself, but it was loud enough for Bakugou to hear it as she stepped inside.

…

Hitomi made her way to the kitchen, fighting the urge to yawn as she heard the sounds of the Bakusquad watching TV in the common area. She grabbed a glass of water, as her throat was feeling slightly scratchy for some reason.

"Hey, Hitomi!" Kirishima waved, giving her a grin.

Hitomi smiled, giving him a wave as she took a sip of her water. Her ears perked up at the sound of whatever was playing on the TV, recognizing the voice.

"...I hate chives! What's wrong with salmon or octopus rice balls, anyway?!"

Hitomi made her way over, gasping at what was playing.

"You guys are watching Fruits Basket!?"

"Yeah!" Mina cheered, her face breaking into a grin. "I was looking through my closet and I found it at the bottom of one of my boxes, so we decided to watch!"

Hitomi beamed, plopping herself onto the open spot next to Kirishima. "I love Fruits Basket!"

Some of her water sloshed out of the cup, splashing onto the carpet next to where Bakugou was sitting.

"Hey, watch it you damn klutz!"

Hitomi blinked, smiling sheepishly as she placed her glass on the coffee table. "Sorry! It's just… Fruits Basket."

Bakugou scowled, turning back to the TV. "...You're lucky it's just water."

Hitomi leaned forward, staring at the back of his head. "I'm surprised you're watching. Aren't you usually asleep by now?"

Bakugou rolled his eyes, resting his arms on the table. "I have taste. Fruits Basket is worth it."

Hitomi hummed, turning her attention back to the TV.

Tohru had just finished talking about how everyone had a plum on their back, and how great Kyo was. Hitomi watched as Kyo blushed at Tohru's compliment, holding her heart as she squealed.

"Kyo…! My little firecracker!"

The squad all looked at her in surprise, seeing Hitomi was beaming at the TV.

"'Firecracker'?" Sero asked her.

Hitomi stopped, slapping her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. "...You heard nothing."

"Oh, no," Kirishima smirked, poking her leg. "What was that, huh?"

Hitomi spluttered, her eyes glued to the TV. "N-nothing! I just…" She trailed off as the episode continued, recalling the current scene that was playing out was one of her favorites.

"...You've got one on your back, too," Kyo mumbled, looking over his shoulder sheepishly at Tohru. "A plum. I can see it."

Hitomi covered her face, leaning back in her seat. "Aah…! He's so adorable!"

"Heeeh…" Mina smirked, observing Hitomi. She shared a look with Kaminari, who was also smirking. No words were exchanged, but they both knew they were thinking the exact same thing.

"Hitomi…" Kaminari started, leaning forward. Hitomi pulled her hands away from her face, seeing a sly look in his eyes. "Do you…

Have a thing for Kyo?"

Hitomi choked on air, her face bright red as she spluttered and her eyes darted around frantically. "W-What?!" She laughed nervously, holding her hands up. "A thing?! I don't-"

"You totally do!" Kirishima exclaimed, pulling her in and messing up her hair. Hitomi whined, trying to fight her friend's grip. "Just look at how much you're gushing over him!"

Hitomi's face felt hot as she gave Kirishima a glare, although there was no real malice behind it. "I-!" She halted, denial on the tip of her tongue. Hitomi stopped to think about it, before pulling away and grumbling to herself. "Hmph," she pouted, her gaze falling back to the TV. "I guess… I might have… had a crush on him when I was a kid… or whatever."

Mina squealed, leaning back in her seat as Kaminari and Sero burst out laughing.

"Oh, so you like bad boys, huh?" Kaminari said in between giggles.

"Wha-! I- I don't-!"

"Fuckin' nerd," Bakugou scoffed in front of her.

Hitomi felt blood rush down her neck and all the way to her ears, seeing Bakugou was smirking as he continued to watch.

"Hey! I- I'm not-!" The words all got jumbled up in her throat as her friends all teased her, making Hitomi hide her face as she groaned.

"He's not just a bad boy…!" Hitomi tried to protest, everyone's laughter dying down.

Sero shrugged his shoulders, a wide grin on his face. "Please, enlighten us."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out at his teasing, bunching up the fabric of her shorts in her hands. "He may be hot-tempered, but…" Her gaze shifted back to the TV, seeing the credits had begun to roll. "...that's not all he is. Kyo's got a softer side, and… he wants to protect and take care of the people he cherishes, especially Tohru… I just think that's really great."

Hitomi's eyes widened, before she slapped her hands over her face. "... Aw, crap."

The Bakusquad erupted into snickers and giggles again, Kirishima poking her shoulder. "You loooooove him," he teased. "You'd probably wanna date him if he was real."

Hitomi grabbed a pillow, smacking it into Kirishima's face. "Shut up!" she stuttered, looking away embarrassed. "I wouldn't-!"

"Fucking christ, quit denying it." Bakugou grabbed the pillow that had fallen onto the floor, tossing it at her. "It's obvious, you idiot."

"Oh, come on, not you too!" Hitomi whined. She saw Bakugou had a shit-eating smirk on his face like the bastard he was, making her sigh in exasperation.

"...I can't believe you guys."

The Bakusquad burst out laughing again, making Hitomi stand up from her seat in a huff. "I won't stand for this slander!" she griped. Hitomi crossed her arms, looking away. "I'll admit… I may like Kyo." Hitomi hmphed, puffing her cheeks out again. "But there's nothing wrong with that and that's final. Now if you'll excuse me," Hitomi grabbed her glass of water and chugged it, before making her way to the kitchen to rinse it. "I'm going to sleep."

The Bakusquad bid her "good nights" as she made her way to the elevators, leaving Hitomi to her own thoughts as it took her up to the fourth floor. Her friends made have teased her a little, but it wasn't like she was actually mad.

They were right, she supposed. And, admittedly, it was a little funny when you thought about it.

Say…

Isn't… Bakugou… sort of like Kyo…?

A/N: The second half of this chapter was completely rewritten ahaha

I realized I had misnamed the chapters when I was looking through my docs, and realized I had done goofed when I saw there was no Ch 53 or 54. So what was originally in the latter half of this chapter was moved to next chapter, and the first half of Ch 55 was moved there as well, making it its own with some extra content I added in ^^

On the bright side, now I have more space to fill in with Bakutomi content! I already have a set point for the "realization of feelings", but looking back at it I would have liked to write more of their relationship before the realization point, so this little goof I did gives me more room to do that.