"Hey."

Bakugou looked up. His crimson eyes had narrowed almost instantly, but they immediately relaxed after realising who it was.

"What. It's you." He muttered, turning back to his work.

"What are you doing?"

"Homework."

"Haha. What?"

"I said homework, Kirishima." Bakugou repeated, irritated.

"I heard you."

"Good."

Kirishima sat down next to him, shirt brushing past Bakugou's back slightly. He could feel the boy's heat next to him. His eyes were fixed on the sheet of paper before him, narrowed in concentration.

Without processing his actions properly, Kirishima let himself fall onto Bakugou's back, his own arching slightly to put on some of his weight onto the sturdy structure beside him, leaning next to him back to back. He was tired. Exhausted after an afternoon of long, long training.

"What are you doing?" Bakugou didn't look back at all.

"Leaning on you." Kirishima stated plainly.

"The hell."

Kirishima just laughed wearily.

They stayed like this for a few minutes in silence, the only thing heard being the soft scratching of Bakugou's pencil on the piece of paper. Kirishima could feel the muscles on Bakugou's back stretching and relaxing as he wrote, moving forwards and backwards occasionally and causing Kirishima to slide off his support for a few seconds.

But Bakugou would always resume his position shortly, holding Kirishima there behind him. He was careful. Kirishima knew. He knew without having to look at him. He could feel his concern for him despite Bakugou desperately not showing it.

Bakugou was rough. But many times his roughness concealed his kindness. A kindness not everyone could see.

"When are you going to get off me?" Kirishima grinned slightly at Bakugou's sudden inquiry. His tone was forcibly aggressive, but he had not moved from his position.

"I'm all worn out."

"What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Kirishima pushed himself further backwards onto Bakugou's body. He twitched.

"Stop it."

Kirishima stopped abruptly.

His eyes scanned Bakugou's room searchingly. Then he paused.

"Hey, Bakugou-"

"What now?" His voice was irritable.

"Why didn't you replace your window?" The former hole in the room was instead covered with a complete mess of some sort of silver material.

Duct tape?

Kirishima wasn't really sure.

He was promptly pushed off Bakugou's back when the blond responded.

"Some fucking bitch taped it up before I could do anything about it." Bakugou's glare noticeably darkened.

"Tape?"

"Tape."

Kirishima didn't know what to say. Bakugou turned back to his work simultaneously. The scratching of his pencil became louder and sharper than before, the sound slightly foreign to Kirishima's sensitive ears.

Only one question arose.

'Who?'

A week had passed after the announcement of All Might's scheduled project teams, and they were now gathered once more under the ex number one hero of the world, as he revealed their missions to accomplish.

"A pro hero requires several skills. Many of these skills need to be trained in this class, and thus your mission to accomplish in this team project movement is to work towards four main themes: combat, rescue, decision making and teamwork." His eyes scanned the intently attentive class slowly, before stopping at Izuku, and then at Bakugou. "Of course, all four are linked to one another, but you will surely find that one specialises specifically at one aspect, whilst the others the other. That is why I have put you into teams. Your task is to learn from each other, and to each improve your own standards for each aspect so as to get more points for your team as a whole as well."

There was a murmur in the class. The task had been made to sound easy enough, but the full meaning of All Might's words were impacting.

Learning from one another. This was not competition.

"I find it needless to say that of course, this will count for your grades as a whole. But you are both going to be individually and collectively graded, so as to fully analyse your individual faults. This is not about competition. It is about individual improvement." All Might's eyes were serious. "Obviously, you are not doing this for your grades. It all forms part of you path towards becoming the best heroes you can be in future."

Izuku's eyes were fixed straight ahead.

Bakugou hands were clenched.

The best heroes they could be?

That could only be-

Surpassing the hero All Might had been himself.

Their eyes swerved towards each other immediately, green to red. Their looks were filled with determination, with mutual understanding, with begrudging acknowledgement.

Rivalry.

"So for this lesson I'd like you to get together in your team's, and to discuss my overall assignment with each other. I want all of you to plan your group objectives very carefully, and how to achieve them as a collective group. Remember, the main focuses need to be based on Combat, Rescue, Rational thinking and Teamwork." All Might glared at the class with unwavering strength. "And today's lesson will require a lot of teamwork and leadership."

"What's our main objective?" Ashido Mina scratched her head dubiously, addressing Kirishima blankly. She held the sheet of paper for each group to fill in, and was visibly exasperated by the growing tension between two certain boys sitting on either side of her.

"Uh... What d'you think, Bakugou?"

Bakugou raised his head with a crimson glare, and spoke clearly and decisively.

"Combat." He growled. "To win."

"Deku?" Ochako nodded at the quiet boy next to her inquiringly.

"I'd actually prefer rescue." Izuku raised his gaze slowly to meet Bakugou's as he spoke. He had finally come to terms with him. He was not afraid to voice his opinion anymore. He steadied his shaking hands.

"Fucking nerd.." Bakugou's eyes narrowed.

"Don't be a dick, Bakugou.." Mina shrugged off his poisonous glare and turned back to Kirishima calmly. "What's your objective?"

The pair of red eyes looked up pensively, and met Bakugou's with a knowing glance. Kirishima was sure that he had only one objective.

That was to get stronger.

"Combat." He grinned at the alien girl before him. " It's gotta be combat for me, Ashido."

"And Uraraka?"

Uraraka seemed hesitant to speak. Her eyes were on her feet, her mouth puckered and brow creased in her concentration.

"..Rescue." She said finally, looking down at her outstretched fingers. "I want to save..."

Bakugou raised an eyebrow. Her seriousness was emitted through her trembling voice, determination shaking her entire being.

Yet he said nothing.

No one else did, after all

It was now two vs two votes. All eyes were on Ashido now, who absorbed their looks with slight rigidity.

"It's up to you, Ashido. You choose." Kirishima grinned.

"I choose, huh?" The girl smirked. Her eyes hid a slight glimmer of mischief.

"Yeah, you choose." Ochako nodded in agreement. Ashido could see Bakugou's 'say-rescue-and I-kill-you' glare, whilst she could literally feel Izuku's burning determination piling up at her right. Ochako looked sort of stupid, biting her thumbnail lost in thought, whilst Kirishima just sat there staring at her blankly.

She felt as if the answer were obvious.

" Well to be honest, I think what this team needs the most, is..." Her grin had only widened.

"-Teamwork." She finished, tone forceful.

They had all frozen, caught off guard. It was clear from their faces that they had expected the answer to be either Rescue or Combat. Certainly not something suggested by no one like teamwork.

"I'm writing it down as our main objective." She announced with finality. The venom Bakugou was literally spitting out of his eyes was almost tangible, but for some reason he said nothing. Izuku seemed to nod at the idea slightly, before looking down again.

"We all agree on this?"

"Yes.." Ochako began reluctantly. Her voice betrayed her doubts, but her tone also revealed her lack of confidence.

"I guess it makes sense.." Kirishima nodded thoughtfully. "So we all agree with this-"

"No."

All eyes swerved towards Bakugou. His expression was strangely contorted, in supposed irritation, yet his tone was calm and controlled.

"I want to focus on Combat." He said plainly.

"Bakugou, team work is really-"

"I know the importance of teamwork, Kirishima, I'm just fucking expressing my priorities." His glare solidified. Kirishima shrugged.

"I mean, there's no reason for you-"

"Like I said, raccoon eyes, I am not saying teamwork is useless or anything.." Bakugou snapped, growling under his breath. His eyes swerved to glare at a certain green haired boy opposite him. "I just prioritise victory over teamwork, that's all. Not saying any fucking shit about teamwork itself."

His tone was almost defensive, yet his eyes never left Deku.

'All Might did say something like this about me and the fucking nerd too..'

He clenched his teeth, and spoke once more, clearly.

"It's a majority's vote, right?" His eyes hardened decisively, almost as if irritable. "Fuck this shit and get it over with."

He ignored the stupid grin Kirishima wore on his face and longed to slap Uraraka's dumb expression, as if in a trance. The Raccoon eyes was gaping at him as if he were a new colour or something, and Deku was just smiling.

Like the idiotic nerd he was.

What a drag.

Teamwork with these dumb dipshits.

He clicked his tongue as he remembered the extent of Uraraka's annoying skills. And her excruciatingly irritating voice, and dumb, ugly face.

It was a challenge.

Definitely.

But it was a wall that he could definitely climb over and destroy with his own two hands.

"Deku!" Ochako grinned at the boy with her usual cheerfulness, and patted him playfully on his back. "Where're you going?"

The boy smiled at her warmly. He enjoyed her company, and he was glad to know that she enjoyed his.

"I'm gonna get a new notebook." He spoke thoughtfully, rubbing his chin casually, gaze concentrated. " I've run out of pages for my notes..."

Uraraka smiled in exasperation. It was this diligence that Ochako loved about Deku. He would always try his very best. Achievements come with a healthy price, and Deku compensated them with his effort.

"And you? You're going out too?" Ochako flinched a little as he stared at her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah.. Part time job, remember?" Ochako could feel herself go red in anxiety, and the cold sweat beginning to form at her neck. She still remembered Kaminari's rather unfortunate fate a few days ago, and she was rather eager not to witness something like that again.

Damn.

She could still remember the awkwardness at school the next day. Kaminari had appeared with a big bandage over his head and his right arm. He had not spoken a word about the incident. He had not spoken a word to Bakugou, either.

Uraraka was beginning to feel worried..

He had had a bandage on his head. Did Kaminari have a concussion?

Had he become more stupid, or had he forgotten the incident as whole as a result of post traumatic stress disorder? Bakugou's violence certainly was traumatic.

And still, Uraraka wanted to laugh.

"Uraraka?"

"Oh sorry! Just a little tired." She smiled brightly. She was actually quite looking forward to the workplace. It was definitely quite exciting there, and strangely, (although Uraraka would never say this out loud) she enjoyed cosplaying.

It was embarrassing. It was quite cringey. She had never cosplayed in her life before this.

But somehow this part time job had fitted with her, and she had become strangely attatched to it.

"Ah well... I need to go now..." Ochako smiled at Deku, and gave him a little wave.

"Yeah..." he looked as if wanting to say something else, but held his tongue. "See you later.."

"Bye!"

She watched Deku leave the dormitory door slowly, and then turned to move away herself. She pushed the bag up her shoulder hastily, swinging it around blindly before bumping into something hard.

Hard fabric.

Fabric that was hard?

She looked up.

Red eyes. Glaring.

"...Sorry..?" She offered her sweetest smile. Bakugou glared down at her. She had immediately backed away from him so as to avoid invading his personal space.

And possibly avoid stepping into his rage range.

"Watch where you're going, Uraraka."

"Sorry." Her smile only grew wider. Her carefree reaction pissed Bakugou off to no end. Her stupid smile was still shining on her face, and it bothered him to hell because he had no idea what was causing it. He gave a loud 'tch', and shuffled away, hands tucked in his pockets.

"Oh! Are you going out, Bakugou?" Uraraka called out, closing their formerly growing distance between each other, and turning herself to face him at his front.

"What do you care? Don't ask me. Don't annoy me. Stop talking. Die." He glared at her viciously, visibly annoyed, and growled under his breath. "Actually, don't even think of walking in front of me, bitch."

Ochako shuddered. Classic Bakugou to be so antagonistic. He was unpleasant to most, and she seemed to be no exception.

Only she didn't really have a problem with it.

Strangely, Bakugou's attitude didn't bother Ochako as much as she thought it would. Maybe it was because she could understand him a little better now, but she just didn't feel the fear and opposition towards him that she had felt when she had first fought him at the sports festival.

Instead, she respected him now.

And she wanted to talk to him. To get to know him more. To be friends with him.

Even Deku seemed to have reconciled with Bakugou now. Ochako wanted to find the courage to do the same. Befriending Bakugou Katsuki.

He had, after all, proven himself not as bad a guy as he looked. He had helped her get out of several pinches, including the Kaminari incident a week ago. All of which had involved her cosplaying, though...

She was grateful. Just a little grateful towards him.

Bakugou kicked the door open with a grunt, and moved out the dormitory in silence. Uraraka watched him leave.

He was wearing a black v neck shirt, that clung over his frame comfortably, and complementary to his black loose sweatpants, suitable for physical movement. He was probably getting ready to train again.

Perseverance.

Another similar trait Bakugou possessed with Deku.

They were both geniuses. They were both genius hard workers.

They had both climbed to heights that Ochako could never have dreamt to reach.

Watching the boy leave, Uraraka couldn't help but feel a wave of curiosity wash through her as she stared at his back.

Befriending Bakugou Katsuki.

She wanted to be his friend.

Thanks for reading! It's another long chapter, but I hoped you've enjoyed it!

Thanks so much for the review! I really appreciated your feedback and suggestions. I've re-read the work, and yeah, I do feel like I might've overwritten Bakugou's personality... I am so sorry if this has detracted any of the readers' enjoyment of the story, and I'll do my best to keep all the characters as 'in character' as possible. Hopefully this hasn't bothered anyone else too much (I am so sorry if it had) and thank you very much for telling me! I hope this chapter had improved and perhaps become more enjoyable..? Sorry about that. I'll do my best in future with all the feedback in mind!

So anyways, thanks for reading the story and I hope you liked it! Please leave a review, and once more, constructive criticism is really appreciated! Thank you!