A/N: This is a non-canon Christmas one-shot. Probably. Maybe I'll change my mind about its status in the future. 😛

Hhhhghh. Auuughh. Good god help me.

This thing is 57 pages on Google Docs. This thing is 15,024 words. This holds the record for the LONGEST THING I'VE WRITTEN EVER. I started writing this thing two weeks ago. Good lord. This is what I get for trying to cram in as many suggestions from Instagram as possible.

Some notes! (IMPORTANT!):
-Takes place after Hitomi has wholly accepted her romantic feelings.
-Maybe Bakugou's feeling something too? ;)
-My other two OCs, who you may not know about if you aren't caught up with the main story, are featured in this fic. They are Nari (blonde hair, you'll see) and Yoshiho (auburn hair).
-Context about their personalities and relationships with Hitomi! :D Nari is outgoing and energetic, and is Hitomi's childhood friend, practically seeing her as family. Yoshiho is aloof and reserved, and was a Shiketsu student Hitomi befriended at the provisional license exam.
-I tried my absolute hardest to finish drawing screenshots for this fic in time, staying up till 3 AM two nights in a row since I'd be away on a trip by the time this goes up, and unfortunately could not finish everything I had planned. I'll include the WIPs just so they don't go to waste, and hopefully finish them and update this chapter once I get back from my trip.
-There is a shit ton of Bakutomi here. A lot of the suggestions on Instagram were about the pairing specifically, so I delivered.

Art (Please check it out!) - Add /22969dyfst0l to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

Hitomi let out a huff, seeing her breath in the cold air.

She watched as a few of her classmates made dashes for the ski lift, while others simply stayed behind, either playing in the snow or chilling out at the ski lounge, among other things. It was currently winter break, and Yaoyorozu had decided to take the class on a trip for Christmas.

Iida had proposed that the class have a get-together for the winter season, suggesting it would be another great bonding experience. Yaoyorozu, of course, made the offer that they go on an all-expenses paid ski trip that would be handled by her family.

And that was how Class 1-A ended up at a high-class ski lodge.

How bourgeois of her… Hitomi mused.

She gripped her skis, watching as most of the Bakusquad had boarded the ski lift already, effectively leaving her behind.

Hitomi didn't mind, though.

Because she didn't know how to ski. Sure, she could learn, but she wasn't in the mood right now.

All she wanted to do was mess around in the snow.

So that's what she did! She left her skis back at the lounge, instead making snow angels, building a snowman with Uraraka and Tsuyu, she even got into a small snowball fight with the Dekusquad.

"I'm gonna get you, Kanetsukabe-san!" Midoriya yelled from behind his snow fort.

Hitomi peeked over the wall of her snow fort she'd made with Uraraka and Tsuyu, seeing a snowball heading straight for her face. On instinct, she made a force field, the snowball splattering against it before quickly beginning to melt.

"Nice, Hitomi!" Uraraka exclaimed, flashing her a thumbs-up.

"Wait!"

The three girls poked their heads out from behind the wall, seeing Iida waving his hand at them from the boys' fort.

"No quirks allowed, Kanetsukabe-kun! Yours is much too convenient!"

"Ehhh?!" Hitomi called back, puffing her cheeks out. "What about you guys?! You're letting Todoroki create snowballs for you with his quirk instead of just making them yourself!"

"Wha-?!"

The girls saw Iida look behind him, hearing him yell, "Todoroki-kun, have you been doing that this whole time?!"

"I thought you already knew."

The girls saw Iida sigh as he shook his head, about to turn back to face them before he was hit in the face with a snowball Tsuyu made.

"Got him!" she exclaimed.

Midoriya retaliated with a snowball of his own, the girls ducking behind their fort as it whizzed over their heads.

They went back and forth, chucking snowballs at each other and avoiding them by hiding behind their snow forts.

Hitomi was laughing the whole time, brought to tears as Midoriya fell over from a snowball she threw at him. After about 10 more minutes or so, they finally decided to stop, as Tsuyu needed to go back inside to warm up.

Hitomi sighed in satisfaction as she regrouped with the boys, waving goodbye to Uraraka since she'd decided to accompany Tsuyu back to the lounge.

"Are you guys gonna ski or anything?" she asked them.

Iida pushed up his glasses. "Possibly in an hour or two. As class rep it's my job to watch over everyone else, but once Yaoyorozu-kun's done skiing I'll likely go snowboarding."

"What about you, Midoriya, Todoroki?"

Midoriya scratched his head, looking sheepish. "I would, but… I still need to learn how."

"Ah, don't be embarrassed about that, Midoriya! I do too! It's just like when we went ice skating, we'll learn!"

Midoriya chuckled lightly. "I guess… skiing's way different from ice skating, though. But you're right!"

"Hey, on that note…" Hitomi turned to Todoroki, clasping her hands together. "Speaking of learning, Todoroki, do you think you could teach us?!"

Right as he opened his mouth, Todoroki was covered head-to-toe in snow, effectively silencing him.

"Bakugou?!"

"Kacchan…!"

As it turns out, Bakugou had come to an abrupt stop in front of them, angling his snowboard to kick up snow and causing Todoroki to be drenched in it.

"Bakugou-kun!" Iida gestured, Todoroki shaking the snow off of himself. "Be more mindful of others when you're snowboarding!"

Bakugou clicked his tongue, crossing his arms. "Yeah, right! You're the ones that need to stay out of the way! You shouldn't even be at the very edge of the path, idiots!"

Hitomi sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I guess he's right," she huffed. "We are pretty close…"

"About your question, Kanetsukabe," Todoroki started, the group turning their attention to him. "We can do it later. I'm hungry, so I'm actually gonna head inside to get something to eat."

"Ah… is that so?" Hitomi tilted her head to the side, looking contemplative. "Then, Iida, Midoriya, I heard from some other tourists that there's this trail that's great for sightseeing, wanna check it out?"

Iida pushed up his glasses again. "As I said earlier, I need to stay and monitor our classmates. You and Midoriya-kun are welcome to go on ahead, though."

"Hah?" Bakugou scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "Why the fuck would you wanna see something alone with Deku?"

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out at him. "I wanna see the trail and I don't wanna be alone, dummy!"

Bakugou scowled, but Hitomi ignored him, turning to Midoriya. "Well, Midoriya? Wanna see it?"

Midoriya blinked, looking as if he had been preoccupied with something. "Oh! Uh, sure, sounds great. We can go."

Hitomi cheered, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.

She didn't notice the way Bakugou's eyes widened, his hand raising slightly as if to stop her, before he hesitated, pulling his arm back.

The others did, though. Midoriya looked over his shoulder as Hitomi dragged him to the trail, taking in his childhood friend's bothered expression.

With years of knowing Bakugou under his belt, even if he had bullied him, Midoriya was able to read Bakugou in a way others couldn't. There were a lot of things you'd pick up or notice after knowing someone for more than a decade, after all. The average bystander would've thought that was just Bakugou's resting bitch face, but there was something in Bakugou's eyes that Midoriya hadn't seen much of.

Was that… jealousy?

Midoriya glanced at Hitomi briefly, the bluenette completely oblivious to the stare Bakugou was giving her.

Ah.

He got it.

Midoriya and Bakugou made eye contact, Midoriya shooting him the most reassuring smile he could muster.

Don't worry. I wouldn't take her away from you.

Bakugou's bothered expression faltered slightly, Midoriya hopeful he'd gotten his message across before following Hitomi to the trail.

…

"Wow, look at how smooth the snow is!" Hitomi exclaimed, admiring the trees coated in snow. "It's practically sparkling…"

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Midoriya laughed.

"Midoriya, do you like the snow?"

"Huh? Well, I suppose so. Since we live near the coast, snow is more rare, so it's always a spectacle whenever it happens."

"Has it snowed in Musutafu before?!" Hitomi exclaimed, surprising Midoriya slightly.

"Eh?! Well, maybe five times or so, if I'm remembering correctly."

Hitomi sighed, clasping her hands behind her back. "Lucky. Where I lived back in America there was no chance of it snowing at all."

"Where did you live?"

Hitomi hummed, staring at the sky as their snow boots crunched against the blanket of white. "Well, I'm assuming you don't know the names of the states, right?"

Midoriya shook his head, prompting Hitomi to continue.

"You know Hollywood, though, right? To put it simply, I lived a few hours away from there."

"Hollywood?" Midoriya repeated, before his lips turned up in a smile. "That's cool, Kanetsukabe-san! I've never lived anywhere outside of Japan, and I think it's great you're bilingual."

Hitomi laughed slightly, smiling cheekily at him. "I'm trilingual, actually."

"Eh?!" Midoriya exclaimed. "Wait, then what's the third one?"

Hitomi had a mischievous look in her eyes, shrugging. "Not telling!"

Midoriya moved to hold his arms, rubbing them. "That's cold, Kanetsukabe-san."

He shivered slightly, letting out an exhale. "Kanetsukabe-san, I've actually been wondering something."

"Hm?"

"You told me before that your quirk generates heat, right? Is that why you don't seem as affected by the cold?"

Hitomi smiled, scratching her cheek. "Oh, you noticed, didn't you?" She pulled her hand away, putting it back in her pocket. "Yeah, you're right. My mom's quirk is actually 'Heat Wave', which speaks for itself. She's able to keep herself warm thanks to her quirk, and the fact it can generate such high temperatures means she can handle heat no problem too. It's an aspect that became a part of my quirk."

"If you're using it right now, how come your eyes aren't glowing?"

"I'm not… using it, per se," Hitomi laughed. "It's kind of more like a side effect of my quirk, I suppose. My eyes only glow when I raise the temperature rapidly. This is more subtle."

Midoriya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Man, I never have my notebook on me when you actually explain your quirk… I really still need to write my notes down for it."

"You're free to ask me anytime, Midoriya! I don't mind explaining it."

"I wouldn't want to burden you…" He trailed off as he heard the loud sounds of crying, his eyes widening in concern. "Do you hear that?!"

Hitomi and Midoriya glanced at each other for a moment before dashing towards the source of the noise, their boots crunching against the snow. The wails got louder and louder, before the two of them finally came across a young child huddled up against one of the trees.

"Mama…! Mama…!" the little girl cried, tears cascading down her face.

Hitomi and Midoriya approached her slowly, Hitomi crouching down in front of her. "Hey… what's wrong?"

The girl opened her eyes, staring at the two of them before throwing herself into Hitomi's arms. "I-! I lost my mama…!" The little girl hicced, sobbing into Hitomi's jacket. "I'm lost, I- I didn't know how to get back! I didn't know what to do…!"

Hitomi patted her back soothingly, glancing up at Midoriya.

"Her mom's probably looking all over for her. We should get her to the authorities, since we've got no idea how to find her," Midoriya told Hitomi, the bluenette nodding in reply.

She let go of the little girl, moving to hold her hand as she got up from the ground.

"Don't worry!" Midoriya exclaimed, shooting the little girl a bright smile. "We're gonna get you back to the lodge safe and sound!"

The little girl's eyes shone with hope-filled tears. "R-Really…?"

Midoriya nodded, grabbing her other hand as the three of them began to walk towards the end of the trail.

"Everything's alright!" he assured her. "We'll get you back to your mom no matter what. It's what heroes would do, after all!"

…

"MAMA!"

Midoriya and Hitomi watched as the little girl broke into a run for her mother, jumping into the older woman's arms.

"Thank goodness… I was so afraid I lost you…" the mother mumbled, patting her daughter's hair. She caught sight of Midoriya and Hitomi, making her way over to them.

"You two, you helped bring Miyuki back, didn't you?" The mother smiled at the two of them, tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much."

"It's no problem, ma'am!" Hitomi exclaimed, holding her hands up shyly. "We're happy to help."

"No, I really mean it," the woman stated. "I don't know what I would've done if you and your boyfriend hadn't found her."

Hitomi and Midoriya's stomachs both dropped at her words.

"BOYFRIEND?!" Midoriya screamed, his voice echoing through the lounge. The lounge went silent at his outburst, causing him to slap his hands over his mouth.

Hitomi finally felt her brain start working again, blushing slightly as she shook her head at the woman. "You're mistaken, ma'am! We aren't together, we're just friends…!"

The woman wiped the tears from her eyes, laughing sheepishly. "Oh, I'm so sorry! That was a rude assumption on my part." She readjusted her daughter in her arms, smiling softly at them. "Really, though. Thank you."

Midoriya and Hitomi gave her a blank wave goodbye as she left, still flustered over her presumption. After a few moments, they glanced at each other, bursting into giggles.

"How embarrassing," Hitomi laughed, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, I didn't expect that…" Midoriya sighed, his stomach rumbling. "I'm gonna head over to Uraraka-san and the others. Need something to eat."

"Okay, Midoriya," Hitomi chuckled. "See you later."

They then split, heading to opposite ends of the lounge. As Midoriya made his way over to his other friends, Bakugou brushed past him, bumping his shoulder. They both stopped, Midoriya peering over his shoulder to see Bakugou giving him a glare. The ash blonde scoffed, turning away to head back outside as realization dawned on Midoriya.

Bakugou had witnessed their exchange with the woman, and now was probably even more jealous of him than before.

Midoriya turned to continue towards where his friends were, a plan already beginning to form in his mind.

If Bakugou was still jealous, Midoriya had an idea of what he could do to relieve it.

…

Hitomi plopped into the seat across from Nari, a freshly baked cookie in hand.

"Look at you, having fun in the snow," Nari deadpanned.

Hitomi waved her off, taking a bite of her cookie as Nari pouted at her. "You could always come outside with me if you want, y'know."

Nari whined, leaning over the table and splaying her arms across it. "You know I can't do that!"

"I don't know why you wanted to come so bad when you know the cold is bad for the springs in your legs. You're supposed to be the responsible one here."

Nari wailed, banging her fists against the table in a childish manner. "You keep telling me about how Yaoyorozu-san keeps taking you out on all these fancy trips, traveling together with your classmates and bonding. It's starting to get lonely in Musutafu while you keep leaving to go places!"

"Remind me why I'm here again," Yoshiho sighed, crossing her arms.

Nari pulled her face off the table top, a sulky look in her eyes. "I didn't want to be the only one that didn't know Hitomi's class that well, Yoshiho! You and me, we're comrades as outliers of Hitomi's class!"

"Yoshiho, you really didn't have to come," Hitomi laughed sheepishly. "I know Nari can be pretty overbearing-"

"Hey!"

"-so I'm sorry you got dragged along."

Yoshiho ran her fingers through her hair, looking disinterested. "I don't mind, I guess. It's a chance for me to learn things about the famous UA students up close, since our schools are rivals and all…"

Hitomi hummed, returning to eating her cookie.

When Hitomi had told the two of them about Yaoyorozu's plans to take them on a trip, Nari had practically begged her to take them along, telling Hitomi she was "tired of Hitomi having so much fun without her."

Hard as it was to admit, Hitomi hadn't been spending as much time with Nari ever since UA implemented their dorm system. Sure, she could visit her childhood friend at the boba shop she worked at, but there was no more hanging out at each other's place, no more sleepovers, no more lounging around together for hours on end. Not to mention, since she lived with her classmates, she was spending more time with them instead.

So Hitomi gave in, and asked Yaoyorozu if she could bring Nari along. She'd asked for Yoshiho to come along as well, as she didn't want the Shiketsu student to feel left out, and saw it as a chance for the three of them to spend more time together in person.

Even though they'd been brought along on the ski trip, though, neither of them had spent a minute in the snow.

For Nari, she really didn't want to, as the cold temperature may result in freezing the metal springs in her legs up. The chance of it was low, especially because she had clothes specifically designed to keep them warm, but Nari opted not to take that risk. She wasn't really one for cold weather, anyway.

As for Yoshiho, Yoshiho had told Hitomi she wasn't really in the mood to be outside in the snow, but Hitomi knew it was just an excuse for her to stay with Nari. Yoshiho was an athletic person, so she probably would've loved to go snowboarding, but the Shiketsu student found staying inside to keep Nari company was more appealing instead.

Hitomi found it adorable how hard Yoshiho was trying to mask how much she cared.

Hitomi crumpled up her napkin, getting up from her chair. "Well, since I've had my snack, I'm gonna head back outside. I still haven't skied yet, so I'm gonna go do that."

Nari sighed, placing her chin in her hands. "Of course… Have fun, Hitomi."

The bluenette hesitated, staring at her best friend's downcast expression. "Nari…"

"Hm?"

"No one can replace you, okay? So… don't worry about it."

Nari's eyes widened, the blonde springing up from her seat and tackling Hitomi in a hug.

"I love you, Hitomi!"

Hitomi staggered slightly, patting her back. "Yes, I love you too…" She peeked over Nari's shoulder to see Yoshiho was covering her mouth, the Shiketsu student's shoulders trembling as if she was trying to suppress a laugh.

Nari pulled back, her hands resting on Hitomi's shoulders. "Thanks, Hitomi. I guess I really needed to hear that."

Hitomi smiled back at her. "Of course. No one can replace my childhood friend, after all." She stepped back as Nari took her hands off her shoulders. "Well anyways, I suppose I should get going if I still want time to-"

"Kanetsukabe."

Hitomi turned around, seeing Bakugou standing behind her, two pairs of skis in hand.

"Yes, Bakugou?"

The ash blonde clicked his tongue. "Are you going back outside to ski?"

Hitomi tilted her head to the side, confused on why he was asking. "Yeah, I was actually just about to-"

She was cut off as Bakugou shoved a pair of skis into her hands, realizing that they were the ones she had rented.

"Come on," Bakugou scoffed. "If I'm gonna teach a beginner like you, it's gonna take a few hours."

He turned away, beginning to make his way to the door as Hitomi's face flushed.

"Huh?! Wait, what?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Bakugou called over his shoulder. "If you want to learn, you need to get a move on before it gets dark!"

"Eh?! W-Wait, why are you-" Hitomi was shushed as she felt Nari elbow her back, seeing a sly look in her best friend's orange eyes.

"He's gonna teach you, is he?" Nari whispered, her lips turning up in a smirk. "Just the two of you? Quite romantic, isn't it~?"

Hitomi spluttered, her grip tightening on her skis. "Wha-!"

"Moon Face!" Bakugou yelled, already waiting by the door. "Hurry it up!"

Hitomi's blush deepened, feeling Nari grip her shoulders as she was pushed towards the ash blonde.

"Have fun, Hitomi," Nari whispered in her ear as they approached.

"I- wait…"

"Keep the make out sessions to a minimum though, okay?"

Hitomi yelped as Nari shoved her towards Bakugou, nearly tripping over her own two feet had Bakugou not caught her. Hitomi stumbled back, her face a deep red. "S-Sorry…!"

Nari smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Take care of her, okay Bakugou-san?" Her eyes suddenly glinted, the aura around her darkening. "Or you'll have hell to pay."

Bakugou scowled, flipping her off. "You think I'm incompetent, you fucking asshat?! Nothing's gonna happen to her, Pudding Head!"

"Pudding…?"

Bakugou grabbed Hitomi's arm, pulling her out the door. "Now c'mon, Moon Face. We've wasted enough time standing around."

Nari waved as they headed to the slopes, sighing in satisfaction once they'd disappeared from view.

"She's grown so much," Nari hummed once Yoshiho had stopped beside her.

"Has she really?"

Nari nodded, clasping her hands together behind her back. "Mhmm. She was a lot shyer when we were kids, and when she moved to America, she told me it was hard for her to make friends. It made me feel glad that she always turned to me for comfort despite the fact we lived so far away from each other, so I suppose I got a bit jealous when she started getting along so well with her classmates."

Nari scratched her cheek, laughing sheepishly. "Pretty selfish of me, right?"

Yoshiho crossed her arms, looking deep in thought. "I wouldn't say it's selfish, exactly. More like… you wanted to look out for her, I guess."

…

Bakugou trudged towards one of the smaller hills, Hitomi in tow.

He couldn't believe he was listening to Deku of all people.

"Kacchan, can I talk to you?"

Bakugou scowled, shooting him a glare from his seat. "Whaddya want?!"

"Um…" Midoriya sighed, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. "What that woman said earlier, it was a misunderstanding. I promise me and Kanetsukabe-san didn't do anything on the trail."

"Hah?" Bakugou rolled his eyes, turning away. "Why the fuck would I care about that shit?"

Midoriya stared at him, his eyebrows raising into his hair. "You… wanted to spend some time alone with Kanetsukabe-san, didn't you?"

Bakugou choked on air, shooting his former childhood friend a harsh glare. He felt his cheeks warm slightly, but blamed it on the cold. "WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU THINK THAT, YOU DAMN NERD?!"

Midoriya shrank back slightly, scratching his head. "When Kanetsukabe-san was asking Todoroki-kun to teach her to ski… you stopped him from answering by throwing snow on him."

Bakugou huffed, turning his face away. "So what?! Like I said earlier, you guys were in the way!"

Midoriya smiled, a determined look on his face. "But… when Kanetsukabe-san took me with her to the trail… you wanted to stop her, didn't you?"

Bakugou spluttered, his ears turning red. "So? It doesn't matter!"

"Kacchan, if you want… I can ask Todoroki-kun not to teach her to ski, so you can do it instead. That's what you wanted to do when you interrupted us, wasn't it? You wanted to offer to teach her."

Bakugou shot him a glare, clenching his fist. The two of them were left in silence for a few moments, until Bakugou finally huffed.

"Do whatever you want," Bakugou growled, getting up from his seat. "I'm gonna teach her regardless of what you do. This doesn't mean I'm listening to you, you damn nerd!"

Midoriya nodded, an encouraging glint in his eye. "Do your best, Kacchan!"

Bakugou brushed past him, beginning to walk away. "Whatever, Deku. You better do something about Uraraka while I'm gone, because watching you two dance around each other all the time is starting to get sickening."

Midoriya spluttered, his face turning bright red. "Uraraka-san?!" he exclaimed, waving his hands. "What do you…"

"You know damn well what I mean, nerd." Bakugou shot him a shit-eating smirk, making his way to the table where Hitomi was seated with her other friends.

And that was how Bakugou and Hitomi ended up at one of the smaller slopes.

Bakugou's arms were crossed, his finger tapping his arm impatiently as he waited for Hitomi to put her skis on. "What's taking so long?"

Hitomi smiled sheepishly at him, her cheeks a pretty shade of red. "I don't get how to put these on."

Bakugou huffed, bending down next to her. "Are you serious?" he scoffed. "It's pretty damn simple, you idiot." He leaned in close, adjusting Hitomi's feet so her boots were aligned with the locks of the skis. He didn't notice the way Hitomi's blush deepened.

Bakugou secured the locks, Hitomi's boots now attached to her skis as he got up from the ground. "See? Pretty easy shit."

Hitomi huffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Not everyone is good at everything like you are," she pouted.

"It's not about me being good," Bakugou scowled, placing a hand on his hip. "Even a kid would know how to put on some skis, Moon Face."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out, the sight making Bakugou's stomach do flips. He squashed the feeling down, holding his hand out expectantly.

"Come on. Get off your ass so we can get a move on already."

Hitomi hesitated for a second, her blush deepening (not that Bakugou thought anything of it, it was probably the cold) before she tentatively placed her gloved hand in his, allowing him to pull her up.

She gripped his hand tightly, not letting go even after she was standing. "Um…"

"What are you waiting for?" Bakugou huffed, raising a brow. "Grab your poles and let's go."

Hitomi let go of his hand quickly, grabbing her ski poles and looking away embarrassed. "Uh-! Right, right…"

…

Hitomi wanted to die.

Bakugou had been teaching her for more than an hour, and Hitomi had probably stumbled into Bakugou's arms more than six times now.

Being pushed up so close against her crush, him having to hold her in his arms, she was so embarrassed it kept happening! But, for some reason, Bakugou never said anything. Hitomi had been waiting for some offhand comment or snide remark, but it never came.

At the very least, though, she was learning. Bakugou had taught her well enough in that last hour that she could now slide down the smaller slopes on her own.

Hitomi felt the wind tousle her hair, laughing lightly to herself as she slid down the hill. As she slowed to a stop, she let out a sigh, readjusting her knit cap.

Bakugou was waiting for her at the bottom, his arms crossed.

"Thanks for teaching me, Bakugou!" Hitomi smiled at him. "I really appreciate it."

Bakugou scoffed, lolling his head to the side in a shrug. "Whatever, Moon Face. You're more bearable to teach than the other idiots."

Hitomi covered her mouth as she giggled, knowing exactly who he was referring to. "You don't need to hide it, Bakugou. Everyone already knows you really care about Kaminari and Mina."

Bakugou glared at her accusingly, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "Fuck off."

Hitomi hummed, turning around to glance at the other slopes. "Can we go to one of the higher slopes, now?" she asked him. "I think I can do it."

Bakugou huffed, his frown deepening. "No, you can't. You still wobble when you come down the easiest one, so there's no way you can handle the next level."

"I won't know if I try!" Hitomi pouted.

"No," Bakugou deadpanned. "If you go, you could fall over and get hurt like an idiot because of your clumsiness! And then you wouldn't be able to ski at all!"

Hitomi paused, staring at the ash blonde in surprise. He's… worried about me getting hurt?

She shook her head, dismissing the thought.

It's probably not that, she told herself. He probably just doesn't want to have to deal with carrying me back.

Hitomi sighed, the two of them beginning to make their way back to the top. "Fine," she relented. "You're the teacher, you know best, after all."

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Damn right I do, Moon Face."

"I've actually been meaning to ask," Hitomi started, staring at the snow absentmindedly. "How come you're teaching me in the first place? I thought for sure you'd want to spend the whole day snowboarding, not teaching someone. I could've just asked Todoroki to help me, anyway."

Bakugou kissed his teeth, looking irritated. "Why the hell would you want that half-and-half bastard to teach you?! He'd probably do a half-assed job of it, just like how he threw the match at the sports festival!"

Hitomi sighed as they finally reached the top, exasperated with his pettiness. "Those are two entirely different things, Bakugou… Besides, he did a pretty good job of helping me ice skate…"

Bakugou made a "keh!" noise, clenching his jaw. "What he did was nothing!" he scoffed. "If it had been me, you would've mastered it in a day!"

Hitomi looked unamused, her eyes half-lidded. "Would you have even taught me if I asked?"

"Of course I would have!" Bakugou growled. "Why the fuck wouldn't I-"

Bakugou cut himself off, slapping a hand over his mouth. Hitomi stared at him, her eyes wide in shock. She could practically feel her heart buzzing in her chest, appalled at Bakugou's words.

What does he mean by 'Of course I would have'...?

"HITOMI!"

Hitomi's thoughts came to a halt as she saw Mina running towards her, her phone in hand.

"Hitomi!" Mina exclaimed as she approached. "Take our picture, please?"

Hitomi glanced over the pink girl's shoulder, seeing the rest of the Bakusquad (minus Kaminari) standing a distance away, waiting.

"Your picture?" Hitomi repeated.

Mina nodded, before pausing, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Actually, wait, not picture. Take a video! We're trying to recreate that giraffe vine!"

Hitomi grinned, grabbing Mina's phone. "In that case, I got you covered!" She lifted one of her feet to start walking, before she realized her skis were still attached to her boots. "Ah…"

Hitomi turned to Bakugou, pointing down at them shyly. "Bakugou, could you help me take these off? I'm just gonna do this really quick, and then I'll come back, I promise!"

Bakugou scratched the back of his head, his mouth in a scowl. "You still can't do it yourself?"

Hitomi clasped her hands together, pleading. "Pleaaase? It'll only take a second!"

Bakugou growled, before kneeling down by Hitomi's feet to unlock her skis. "Ugh, fine. But when you come back you're doing it yourself!"

Hitomi stepped away from her skis as soon as Bakugou had freed them from her feet, nodding in thanks. "Right, right. Thank you!"

She then broke into a run with Mina towards the others, leaving Bakugou alone to his own thoughts.

He still couldn't believe he'd said that out loud.

…

"You guys say-"

"I'M A GIRAFFE!" Kaminari screamed as he whizzed by, making the group groan.

"Dammit!" Sero grumbled, seeing Kaminari stumble and fall face first into the snow. "Our timing was off again!"

Hitomi lowered the phone, embarrassed. "Sorry… I just can't seem to get it right."

"It's okay, Hitomi!" Kirishima exclaimed, shooting her a thumbs up. "Sixth's times the charm!"

"That really doesn't make me feel better. It's 'third time's the charm', not 'sixth time's'."

The group had tried (and failed) to recreate the "I'm a giraffe!" vine five times now, poor Kaminari starting to get exhausted from repeatedly going back up the slope to ski down it only to crash into snow banks each time.

Hitomi was worried he was hitting his head too much.

"This time!" Mina exclaimed, a determined glint in her eye. "This time, we'll get it for sure!"

Hitomi sighed, adjusting the collar of her jacket. "I sure hope so…" She turned to Kaminari, who was trudging up the hill behind her. "Sorry I keep messing up, Kaminari. I'll really try to get it right this time, I swear!"

Kaminari waved her off, tapping his forehead and shooting her a wink. "No worries! This brain's been through worse, after all!"

The group laughed lightly at his remark, Kaminari continuing towards the top of the hill.

Hitomi clutched Mina's phone, reinvigorated with determination.

I'll get it this time!

After all, I don't want to keep Bakugou waiting much longer…!

...That is, if he's even still waiting for me…

Hitomi saw Mina wave, the pink girl cupping her hands around her mouth. "Kaminari, you ready?!"

Kaminari waved from the top of the hill, signaling a thumbs up. Hitomi took a deep breath, holding the phone up and aiming the camera at the Bakusquad as they all struck their poses. Kaminari pushed himself off the edge, beginning to slide down the snow and quickly gaining speed.

And… now!

Hitomi hit the record button, yelling, "You guys say 'Colorado'!"

"I'M A GIRAFFE!"

Hitomi stopped the recording once Kaminari passed by, jumping up and down as she cheered. "I got it!"

The group all crowded around her, peering over her petite shoulders as they reviewed the video.

"It's perfect!" Mina cheered, bouncing in her shoes as she took her phone back. Hitomi and Kaminari high-fived each other, proud of their work.

"We did it, Kaminari!"

"It's my best masterpiece yet!"

The group erupted into giggles as they watched the short video again, before Hitomi stepped back, pointing to the slope she had been on with Bakugou earlier. "I better get going," she said with a small laugh. "I'm not done learning how to ski."

The group gave her waves and "see you later's" as she sprinted towards the hill, Hitomi hopeful she hadn't made Bakugou wait too long.

…

Bakugou was tapping his foot impatiently, a scowl on his face as Hitomi finally approached.

"Sorry!" Hitomi breathed out, panting slightly from her climb up the hill. "It took us a few tries before we finally got it right…"

Bakugou felt his scowl deepen, turning his head away as he huffed. "I've been waiting out here for 20 fucking minutes."

Hitomi's eyes widened, the girl stepping forward slightly. "I'm so sorry…!" she exclaimed, looking worried. "I had no idea it took that long… I didn't mean to make you wait out in the cold."

Bakugou clicked his tongue. "Whatever. Let's just hurry it up so I can get some feeling back in my hands."

Hitomi's eyebrows furrowed, guilty she'd made him wait so long. She knew Bakugou wasn't as fit for the cold as she was, so making him wait, just standing around doing nothing with no physical activity to keep him warm made her feel bad.

"I'll make it up to you!" Hitomi exclaimed, making Bakugou's head snap back towards her.

"Huh?"

Hitomi grabbed his hand, holding it up between them and trying to warm it with the side effect of her quirk.

"I know you don't like the cold and I didn't mean to make you wait for me," Hitomi explained, feeling her cheeks warm. "So… I can buy you something later to warm you up! Whatever you want, it'll be my treat…!"

"...Anything?" Bakugou finally mumbled after a few seconds of silence.

Hitomi nodded, a determined look in her eye. "Anything! Within reasonable price, of course."

A kiss, then, was Bakugou's first thought.

He almost punched himself, abruptly pulling his hand out of Hitomi's and turning away so she couldn't see his face.

"Better not be a cheapskate, then, Moon Face." he grumbled, feeling his heart beating fast.

WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY IS A KISS THE FIRST THING I THINK OF?

Hitomi giggled, her soft voice practically burning itself into Bakugou's mind. "I can't promise you, Bakugou. I'll do my best, though. Anyways..."

Bakugou finally glanced at her to see she was eyeing her skis, looking like she was deep in thought.

"I guess I should put these back on, then," Hitomi hummed.

She plopped onto the ground by her skis, putting her feet in place. "Uh…" She grabbed the locks, unsure of how to secure them. "Do I do this…? Wait, no, that's not right…"

Bakugou rolled his eyes, crouching down next to her. "You're pushing it the wrong way." He grabbed her hand, guiding her so she locked it correctly. "There. I told you it was easy."

He looked up, only to see Hitomi's face just a few centimeters away. Neither of them moved, Bakugou feeling Hitomi's breath fanning his face.

He suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth, jumping back. "You need to eat a fucking breath mint or something," he mumbled underneath his hand. "I can smell that you ate sweet shit again."

Hitomi turned her gaze back to her skis, her face flushed. "Yeah… I ate a cookie a while ago, but I thought the scent would've gone away by now…" She abruptly stood up, grabbing her ski poles. "A-Anyways! We should hurry up if I wanna move on to the higher slopes, so…"

She pointed towards the top, beginning to make her way there.

"Uh, yeah," Bakugou huffed. "Better get a move on, Moon Face."

…

Hitomi rolled to a stop in front of Bakugou, adjusting her hat as she grinned. "How was that?"

Bakugou scratched his cheek, looking away. "Better, I guess. You didn't fall on your ass every 3 seconds."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out at him, lightly batting his arm. "That was only the first few times, you jerk!"

Bakugou rolled his eyes, pulling his arm away. "Yeah, and it was a fucking riot to watch."

He shot her a smirk, which made Hitomi splutter in embarrassment. "H-Hey…!"

Her cheeks were bright red, Hitomi turning away as she made a "hmph!" sound.

"Excuse me for still being a beginner," she huffed. "You can't expect me to become an expert in a day!"

"Yeah, especially because it takes extra long for you since you're such a klutz," Bakugou added.

Hitomi whined, shooting him a glare. "Whatever."

Bakugou stared at her for a few moments, before his gaze turned to one of the higher slopes.

"Let's go."

"Huh?"

Bakugou brushed past her, picking up his snowboard from the ground. "You're competent enough to do the bunny slope," he said, "so if you really want to get to the next level we should hurry before it gets dark."

Hitomi stared at him in shock. "Wait, really? You think I can do it?"

Bakugou didn't say anything, just turned around to face her and gestured his head towards the ski tram.

"We need to take the ski lift since it's higher up and wouldn't be easy to walk. Come on."

Hitomi watched as he began to make his way to the ski lift, before hastily detaching her skis from her boots and running after him.

"Wait up!"

…

Hitomi was seated a foot or so away from Bakugou in the ski lift, fiddling with her hands in her lap.

Sometimes she didn't understand how crushing on someone could change how you acted with them so drastically.

She was fine earlier when he was teaching her to ski, only getting flustered when she would accidentally fall on top of him or whatever. She was alone with him then, she was alone with him right now, why was this any different?!

Ah… but I suppose, back there, we weren't exactly… 'alone'. There were other people on the bunny slope.

Here though…

Hitomi side-eyed Bakugou, seeing he was leaning against the backrest, his arms crossed and looking deep in thought.

Here… we're completely alone. It's just the two of us.

Hitomi flinched as she felt the chairlift jostle slightly, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Uh… so…" Hitomi began, wanting to keep her mind from drifting into embarrassing territory. "Where'd you learn to snowboard, Bakugou…?"

Bakugou tapped his arm in thought, staring at the trees blankly. "My parents took us on snow trips a few times when I was younger."

Hitomi hummed in response, fiddling with her zipper. "Your parents, huh…? Don't they work in the fashion industry?"

Bakugou huffed out a "yes", his voice gruff.

"Ah, so that's why you have such high standards when it comes to clothing. You'd think you wouldn't, since you're such a delinquent, but you'd be wrong."

Bakugou growled, shooting her a glare. "At least my clothes are better than the cheap shit you wear!"

Hitomi stuck her tongue out at him, which made his glare harden. "My clothes aren't that bad. And they save me more money too."

"They're still shitty."

"That's what you think. And that's only because you grew up with fancy designer clothing."

Bakugou scowled, leaning forward in his seat. "So? What about you, huh?! I got you that damn gift card for your birthday so you could get yourself some nice clothes for a change, and I know you haven't used it yet! You're letting my money go to waste!"

Hitomi spluttered, her face flushing. "I-I used it…!"

"Yeah, right," Bakugou scoffed. "I still see you always wearing your cheap-ass American shit."

"Just because it's American doesn't mean it's cheap!"

"You just said it yourself it saves you money!"

"That's-!"

Hitomi was cut off as their ski lift came to an abrupt stop, their chair jostling.

"Eh?"

"Fuck," Bakugou mumbled. "Don't tell me…"

He trailed off as a loud chime was heard over the loudspeakers, an automated voice sounding.

"Please excuse the interruption. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the ski lift has broken down and must come to a stop. No one may board the ski lift at this time. All passengers, please stay seated. We are currently evaluating the situation.

We apologize for the inconvenience."

"GODDAMMIT!" Bakugou screamed, slamming his fist against the railing and making their chair swing slightly. "Of course this fucking happens!"

"Just our luck, huh…" Hitomi sighed. She craned her neck to look behind her, seeing people exiting the terminal down at the bottom of the hill. "I hope we aren't stuck here for too long…"

If we are, I don't know what I'll do...

…

It had been 20 minutes now.

The two of them had sat in silence, Bakugou grumbling to himself and tapping his arm impatiently while Hitomi was on her phone, checking for any updates.

"It says there was some malfunction at the top," Hitomi said, scrolling down the page, "and they're working on it right now. "If it's not fixed within an hour, they're gonna have to evacuate us."

Bakugou scowled, rubbing his arms. "Fucking hell. They better not let us freeze to death."

His voice quivered at the tail-end of his sentence, making Hitomi glance at him in concern.

He was gripping his arms, rubbing them in an attempt to generate heat. His shoulders were shaking slightly, Bakugou burrowing his face into his orange wool scarf.

"Bakugou, are you cold…?"

"The fuck do you think?!" he snapped. "We're stuck up here and it's freezing, of course I'm fucking cold!"

Hitomi fell silent, hesitating.

Maybe I can… Oh, but his pride may not let me…

But he's cold. I need to extend the offer, at least.

Hitomi scooted closer to him, feeling her cheeks growing warm. "Bakugou."

"What?"

She scooted closer again, feeling Bakugou tense as her leg touched his. Hitomi held a hand out to him, noting how his ears were red from the biting temperature. "C'mere."

"The fuck?!" Bakugou growled. "Why?!"

Hitomi blushed, looking away. "If you're cold… my quirk can warm you up."

"Huh?" Bakugou leaned away, shooting Hitomi an accusatory glare. "I-I don't need your help!"

Hitomi felt her eyebrows furrow, exasperated. "Bakugou, look at you. You're shivering like a cat stuck in the rain."

"So?! I don't-" Bakugou was cut off as he suddenly sneezed, the action sending chills down his spine. Bakugou shuddered, feeling his nose run. "Shit!"

"See?" Hitomi cried out. "You're already sneezing. Please, my quirk can help!"

Bakugou sniffled, wiping his nose. "Fine," he grumbled. "I-I'm only letting you so I don't get sick…!"

"That's all that matters to me."

"Whatever."

They both fell silent, Bakugou finally relaxing. He turned to face her, staring at her expectantly. "Well…?"

Hitomi flinched, her face flushing as the realization of what she'd actually be doing sank in. "Um! H-Hold on…"

She scooted closer so they were pressed up against each other this time, Hitomi's face bright red. Bakugou watched as she tried placing her arm behind him on the backrest, the bluenette stuttering to herself.

"Here… Ah, wait- no…" She pulled her arm away, trying to adjust the way she was sitting. She was facing him fully, one of her legs resting on the seat. "Agh, I can't…"

Bakugou raised a brow, scrutinizing her. "Why the hell'd you offer if you don't even know what you're doing?!"

"I-I do know!" Hitomi spluttered. "It's just…" She started twiddling her fingers, looking embarrassed. "My arms… are too short to wrap around you…"

"W-Wrap around me?!" Bakugou yelped. "The fuck are you trying to do?!"

Hitomi gulped, clasping her hands together against her chest. "My body is a heat source… because of my quirk. If you want me to warm you up…" Hitomi looked up at him shyly, her cheeks red. "I need to be closer to you."

Bakugou's brain fried right then and there.

"S-Sorry!" Hitomi stuttered, waving her hands around. "I shouldn't have suggested something so stupid…! I'll just buy you something extra warm later…! For now we'll just have to- um- agh-"

She was cut off by another sneeze from Bakugou, the action making their chair swing slightly again.

"GODDAMMIT!"

Hitomi was about to ask what was wrong before Bakugou suddenly grabbed her shoulder, pressing her up against his chest.

Hitomi felt like her heart had stopped. "W-WHA- WHAT ARE YOU-"

"Not a word," Bakugou growled, his grip tightening on her shoulder. "I refuse to get sick on this trip."

Hitomi felt blood rush from her neck all the way to her ears, her mouth clamping shut. She glanced down at her lap, clasping her hands together there. "Uh… right."

…

The two of them had sat there in silence for a while, both too flustered to say anything.

Bakugou's arm was still around Hitomi's shoulders, but his grip was more relaxed, and Hitomi hoped she had warmed him up like she said she could.

The sky was already a light lavender, meaning it was late afternoon, almost evening.

Hitomi gulped, finally gathering the courage to speak. "Do you think we'll have to evacuate…?"

Bakugou clenched his jaw, looking stiff. "I don't know, you tell me. You were the one checking for updates earlier."

"Ah… You're right, I should probably do that…" Hitomi reached into her jacket, grabbing her phone from the inside pocket. She turned it on, going to the ski resort's homepage she was looking at prior. "Oh… It says they're repairing it right now."

Unconsciously, Bakugou leaned in to get a better look at Hitomi's phone, his cheek brushing against her blue hair. "The hell?" he scoffed. "It's gonna take more than half an hour?!"

"And it's already almost 5…" Hitomi sighed, too distracted to realize Bakugou was no longer gripping her shoulder, but had his arm wrapped around it instead. "I don't suppose you'd be able to finish teaching me now, huh…? Especially after we've been stuck out here for a while."

Bakugou growled, burrowing his face into his scarf. "Hell no."

Hitomi felt her shoulders droop, disappointed. "Yeah… makes sense, I guess. It was nice of you to teach me though, even if it was only for one day."

"Who said I was done?!"

"Huh?"

Bakugou rolled his eyes, glancing at the tips of the trees they were near. "There's always tomorrow or the day after," he grumbled. "And you don't seriously think I'm gonna let that half-and-half bastard do a shit job of teaching you, do you?"

Hitomi blushed, staring at her hands in her lap. "Oh, right…"

They drifted into silence, Hitomi feeling flustered once again.

Crap. Say something, anything!

"So…" she started, "are you… feeling warm? Not cold anymore?"

DON'T BRING ATTENTION TO HOW YOU'RE CUDDLING, YOU IDIOT!

Hitomi felt Bakugou tense, finally realizing his arm was around her shoulders as he scratched his cheek.

"I suppose. I'm not shivering anymore."

"Great, great… That's good..." Hitomi began fiddling with her hands in her lap, recalling their conversation from earlier. "By the way…"

Bakugou glanced at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Um, about… what we were talking about a while ago…" Hitomi wrung her hands, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "That gift card you got me for my birthday. If you were really worried about me wasting your money, I have used it before…"

Bakugou huffed, turning back to the snow-tipped trees. "When?"

"Do you remember when we were hanging out at I-Island? W-When it was just the two of us, I mean."

Bakugou paused, recalling when he and Hitomi had essentially gotten ditched by the rest of the Bakusquad the first day they'd checked out the Expo. The two of them had been left on their own, and had spent their two hours waiting for the others together, hanging out and seeing what the convention had to offer. Y'know, fun stuff.

Bakugou remembered really enjoying it, at least. He'd thought Hitomi looked really lovely, that day-

QUIT DAYDREAMING…! he practically screamed internally at himself. SHE'S WAITING FOR AN ANSWER, IDIOT!

"Yeah, sure," he coughed out. "What about it?"

"I… um, that long vest I was wearing…? I bought it using your gift card…"

"Hah?" Bakugou huffed. "Just that? Nothing else?"

Hitomi's eyebrows furrowed. "It was on sale…"

Bakugou groaned in response. "You're fucking kidding me. I got you a gift card with 16,000 yen (~$150) in it and you were looking at the sale section?!"

"H-Hey!" Hitomi stuttered. "You didn't have to put in so much money…!"

"Well, it's too late for that," Bakugou deadpanned. "So just spend it already."

Hitomi spluttered, turning back to her hands in her lap. "I want to save it for something… special, I guess. That store has really great clothing, after all, and I'm waiting until I can find something really nice."

"Hm."

The ski lift had finally gotten back in working order, and now Hitomi and Bakugou were standing at the very top of the next slope.

Hitomi scooted to the edge, the long distance seeming daunting.

"So we just go down this…" she started, "and we're done for the day?"

Bakugou nodded, locking his boots to his snowboard. "Yeah. I'm done staying out here."

Hitomi gulped, gripping her ski poles. "Right…"

She had been so excited to do the next level earlier, but after being stuck on the ski lift for so long, and seeing how high it actually was now, her confidence had dwindled.

Bakugou pulled on his goggles, standing over the edge. "Come on. Let's go so you can buy me my food already."

Before Hitomi could protest, he pushed himself off the edge, making his way down the hill.

Hitomi was frozen in place, watching as he gained speed and got closer and closer to the bottom. She shook her head, clenching her fists.

It'll be fine! You did great on the bunny slope! This is just… a little bit higher…

Hitomi took a deep breath, before pushing herself off the edge and sliding down the slope. The wind blew through her hair, Hitomi clenching her ski poles as she got faster and faster. She could see Bakugou was now waiting for her at the bottom, his hands on his hips. Hitomi's eyes narrowed, determined to maintain her balance as she got closer to the bottom.

Right when she was almost there, Hitomi tried giving Bakugou a smile, before her foot caught the edge of a snowbank. Hitomi yelped, feeling a shooting pain in her ankle as she flew over it and crashed face first into the snow at the bottom of the slope.

Hitomi groaned, hearing Bakugou yell "Shit!"

She pulled her face up from the ground, wincing as she saw Bakugou had detached his feet from his snowboard and was running over to her. She rolled over so she was sitting on the ground, feeling an aching pain in her right ankle. "Ow…"

Bakugou stopped in front of her, crouching down beside her. "What the hell?" he panted. "Why weren't you paying attention?!"

Hitomi grimaced, holding her ankle. "I was so close to the bottom… I didn't think I'd trip on anything…"

"Idiot!" Bakugou growled. "You always need to pay attention, you damn klutz!"

Hitomi smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm fine. No need to scold me…"

She began to get up from the ground, before the pain in her ankle worsened and she crashed back onto the snow.

"Ow…!"

Bakugou scowled, grabbing her leg. Hitomi squeaked as he detached her foot from her skis, before yanking her boot off. He observed her foot for a few seconds, before squeezing her ankle and making Hitomi yelp.

"H-Hey!" Hitomi spluttered, pulling her leg away. "Don't do that, that hurts!"

Bakugou shot her a glare. "Idiot! You got yourself hurt!"

"So?!" Hitomi retorted, shoving her boot back on and wincing slightly as she did so. "I've suffered way worse from hero training!"

Bakugou kissed his teeth. "Well this isn't hero training! And we don't have Recovery Girl to heal you!"

Hitomi looked away, detaching her other ski. "I don't get why you care so much anyway. Not too long ago you were just laughing about how clumsy I am! Why would it matter to you if I hurt myself if you were laughing at me anyway?!"

"That's because-!" Bakugou cut himself off, clamping his mouth shut. Instead he clicked his tongue, his glare hardening. "It doesn't matter why."

Hitomi's eyes narrowed, the girl getting up from the ground, this time placing all her weight on her unharmed foot. "Whatever. Let's just go back inside already, it's already getting late."

Hitomi picked up her skis, trying to limp her way back to the lodge and hissing in pain with each step.

Bakugou scowled, walking towards her and grabbing her shoulder. "Stop."

Hitomi looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes half-lidded in annoyance. "What now?"

He shoved his snowboard into Hitomi's arms, the bluenette crying out in surprise before Bakugou swung one of his arms under her legs, picking her up from the ground bridal style.

Hitomi yelped, gripping her skis, ski poles, and Bakugou's snowboard so they wouldn't fall as her face flushed bright red. "What are you-?!"

"Zip it," Bakugou grumbled, making his way back to the lodge. "If I leave you out here to make it back on your own, you wouldn't get back until after the sun went down and I wouldn't hear the end of it from Pudding Head. She's already gonna kill me once she finds out you hurt your ankle because of your clumsy ass."

Hitomi went silent, her arms tightening around their snow gear as they neared the wooden building.

Her heart was beating fast, and feeling as if it was stuck in her throat.

It was somewhat nostalgic.

"Sorry for making you go through so much trouble," she mumbled into her jacket.

Bakugou huffed, walking up the patio steps. "Just watch where you're going next time, damn klutz."

He kicked the door open harshly, turning any leftover patrons' attention to the two of them. Hitomi blushed, embarrassed at all the unneeded attention as Bakugou carried her silently to the lounge area.

Nari came running over, Yoshiho not far behind.

"What happened?!"

Bakugou adjusted Hitomi in his arms, brushing past her to head to the couches by the fireplace. "Moon Face is a fucking dumbass who tripped at the bottom of the hill."

"How bad is it?!"

Hitomi smiled sheepishly at her best friend. "I'm sure it's nothing serious. It's just a sprained ankle, I think."

"I'll go find medical help," Yoshiho told them once she approached, before running off.

The three of them watched as she left, before Nari finally turned to Bakugou, a glare on her face. "I thought I told you to take care of her!"

Bakugou glared back, his mouth in a deep frown. "That's what I was trying to do! But it's not like I could help her when I was at the bottom while she was still sliding down the hill!"

"Even so!" Nari yelled back. "You could've done something to prevent it from happening in the first place!"

"I-!"

"Guys," Hitomi cut in, interrupting the argument that was about to ensue. "Please, it's okay. I'll be fine."

"But he-!" Nari tried to protest, but Hitomi shushed her, smiling at her childhood friend.

"Nari, please. I've dealt with way worse at school."

Nari's eyebrows furrowed, the girl running a hand through her hair. "...Sorry. I just can't help but worry."

"Well, you shouldn't," Bakugou growled out. "Kanetsukabe can handle herself, there's no need to baby her."

Nari sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "I guess you're right," she mumbled, seeing Yoshiho was approaching with a medic trailing behind her.

"Alright, who's injured?"

Bakugou stepped forward, gesturing to Hitomi in his arms.

The woman placed a hand on Hitomi's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "Can you stand, sweetheart?"

Hitomi nodded her head slowly. "I can stand, but I can't walk…"

The nurse stepped back, gesturing for Bakugou to follow her. "Alright then, young man, come with me. We're taking her to the infirmary."

…

"Have you eaten dinner yet, sweetheart?" the nurse asked, rummaging through some cabinets.

Hitomi shook her head, readjusting the ice she was pressing against her ankle. "No, not yet…"

"Gotcha. Ah, found 'em!"

The older woman made her way over, kneeling by Hitomi's foot. She held up an ankle brace, nudging for Hitomi to remove the ice.

"I'll need you to wear this for the night," she said, securing it around Hitomi's foot. "You'll need to eat dinner first," the woman held up a ziplock bag, two pills of medicine inside, "and once you've got food in your stomach, you can take these. They'll heal you overnight thanks to my quirk, so you'll be all set for Christmas tomorrow!"

"Ah, thank you…" Hitomi took the medicine, stashing it in her pocket as the nurse got up from the floor.

"Can you walk?" the nurse asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Or do you need your boyfriend to carry you back for you again?"

Hitomi almost fell off the bench, waving her hands around frantically in surprise. "B-Boyfriend?!" she spluttered, her face pink.

The nurse tilted her head to the side, an innocent smile on her face. "Yeah, the boy with porcupine hair, no? He was carrying you like his bride, and so tenderly too!" The woman giggled, covering her mouth. "Young love is so sweet!"

"You're mistaken!" Hitomi stammered. "He's not my boyfriend…!"

"Oh, he's not?" the nurse asked. "Ah, my bad then. Still, do you need to be carried back?"

Hitomi tried willing her blush to fade, getting up from the bench slowly and making sure to keep as little weight as possible on her sprained ankle. "No… I'll be fine. I'll just make sure to be careful with it."

"Take care then!" the nurse called after her as Hitomi left, the bluenette shutting the door softly behind her. She leaned back against it, breathing a deep sigh.

Two people had been mistaken for her boyfriend now today. The difference was that with Midoriya, she'd laughed at the awkward idea, while with Bakugou, she wished oh so much that was the case.

Hitomi pushed herself slowly off the door, staggering back to the main lobby area.

But you can keep dreaming, she thought tiredly, and just enjoy the moments you can have with him now.

Bakugou had been sitting in front of the fireplace for an hour now, changed out of his snow gear and wholly pissed off. He was thankful the fireplace was in a secluded area of the lounge, allowing him to brood in peace as he tried warming himself up.

He listened to the crackle of the fire, the orange light dancing across his face as he finally tched.

He was angry. Angry at himself.

He'd said he'd take care of Hitomi. What an idiot he was. He said he'd take care of her, and now she'd gotten herself hurt because he was too hasty.

What an idiot he was.

"I've been looking all over for you."

Bakugou turned away from the fireplace to see Hitomi standing by the edge of the couch, changed out of her snow gear as well and holding some food and drinks in her hands.

Bakugou turned his attention back to the fireplace, trying to sink himself further into his seat to keep himself from staring at Hitomi's goddamn fucking adorable outfit. She was wearing an oversized mulberry sweater that completely encased her figure, paired with warm winter printed leggings.

"Whaddya want?" he growled, his arms crossed stubbornly.

Hitomi made her way over slowly, Bakugou noticing the brace on her ankle as she sat down next to him. The cushions bounced slightly as Hitomi leaned back against the pillows, pulling one of the two drinks out of the cup holder she was carrying. She held it out to him, Bakugou staring at it curiously.

"Here."

Bakugou squinted at it. "Huh…?"

He missed the way Hitomi's cheeks flushed slightly, the bluenette pushing the drink into his chest. "I said I'd get you a treat, didn't I?" she mumbled. "So, here it is."

Bakugou held the drink in his hands, feeling the heat through the cup.

Hitomi dropped a paper bag into his lap, the bag making a dull crinkling sound. "This too. I would've had you come with me so you could pick for yourself, but I couldn't find you anywhere nearby and wanted to hurry before you went to bed."

Bakugou stared at what Hitomi had bought him, before scoffing, hoping Hitomi couldn't hear his heart beating against his chest. "I'm not eating sweet shit."

Hitomi rolled her eyes, pulling her peppermint hot chocolate out of the cup holder and taking a sip. "It's not sweet," she mumbled into her cup. "The drink is warm mulled cider, which has mulling spices and ginger, while the food is gingerbread. They're spicy, just how you like it. Well, at least, as spicy as I could find…"

Bakugou's eyes narrowed, trying to keep the blood he could feel rushing through his neck from reaching his cheeks. His face could have been read as a hateful glare, which Hitomi saw it as and filled her with worry and concern.

"Ah… do you not like it…? Crap, I knew I should have-"

"It's fine."

"But…"

Bakugou scowled, drinking some of the cider to prove his point. He wiped his mouth, staring at the armrest of the couch. "It's fine," he repeated, mumbling into his hand. "It's sweet, but it's still got a kick to it… Which is fine, I suppose."

Hitomi stared at him for a few seconds, before smiling softly, satisfied as she leaned back in her seat. "I see. That's great, then."

She hummed quietly, Bakugou side eyeing her as the fire illuminated her face.

"Oh, I almost forgot…!"

Bakugou watched as Hitomi reached into her pocket, pulling out a ziplock that looked to be holding pills inside.

"Drugs?" was his immediate response.

KATSUKI. WHAT THE FUCK.

Sometimes his brain didn't work right around her.

Hitomi spluttered, her face flushing as she punched his arm. Hard.

"Bakugou!" she shrieked. "What the hell?!"

Bakugou scowled, rubbing his arm. "Lay off, Moon Face. It's obvious I'm not serious…!"

Yeah, you weren't serious. Just stupid.

God, he felt like he'd been turned into Kaminari when the dunce face overused his quirk.

Hitomi grumbled, turning back to the ziplock and opening it. "It's medicine. For my ankle, dummy. Apparently it'll heal me overnight."

Bakugou stared at the fireplace, giving a dull "Huh," in response.

Hitomi huffed, putting the pills in her mouth and downing them with her hot chocolate.

She sighed in satisfaction, holding her cup in her lap.

…

Bakugou and Hitomi had been sitting in silence for only 15 minutes before Bakugou felt a weight on his shoulder.

He paused, glancing slowly at his side to see Hitomi leaning against his shoulder, breathing softly as she slept.

It must be from the medicine.

Bakugou felt his breath catch, unable to keep himself from staring at her pretty face.

Her lips were turned up in a delicate smile, her cheeks squished up against his shoulder and rosy from how her hot chocolate had warmed her face.

...Shit.

Bakugou snapped his head to the ceiling, squeezing his eyes shut.

Don't stare, he berated himself.

Bakugou gulped, his grip tightening on his cup of cider. He could feel himself blushing, hating how flustered something as simple as Hitomi's face made him feel. He finally opened his eyes, only for them to widen as he realized what was hanging from the ceiling.

What the fuck.

Bakugou felt like he couldn't breathe, frozen as he stared at the mistletoe hanging above their heads.

Thank god neither of them had noticed it while Hitomi was still awake.

And thank god this was a secluded area of the lodge, so no one could point it out to them and peer pressure them into… into…

Bakugou could hear his heart beating in his ears, covering his mouth.

The action caused Hitomi to stir slightly, the girl nuzzling herself closer against his shoulder. Bakugou went rigid, clenching his jaw as his eyes bored into her sleeping figure.

Just one wouldn't hurt, right…?

Bakugou gulped, removing his hand from his face.

Just… a peck.

He shifted slightly, adjusting his sitting position so he was facing Hitomi a bit better. Hitomi didn't move, still sound asleep. Bakugou brushed some of her bangs back tenderly, leaning forward slowly.

Bakugou's eyes closed as he kissed her forehead softly, lingering there for a few seconds before he pulled away. Bakugou leaned back in his seat, his heart feeling like it was buzzing in his chest. Bakugou tried to ignore the feeling as he reached into the paper bag to finally eat the gingerbread Hitomi had bought him.

He took a big bite out of it, trying to ignore the fact he'd just kissed Hitomi's forehead like she was his fucking wife or some shit.

Bakugou continued to eat his snack, his heartbeat finally starting to settle after a few minutes had passed. He was almost done with the gingerbread until-

"You two sure are comfortable."

Bakugou practically felt his heart leap into his throat, choking on his food as he looked over his shoulder behind him.

"WHAT THE-" Bakugou covered his mouth, so as not to wake Hitomi and coughed into his hand. He hacked out the gingerbread crumbs lodged in his throat, shooting Nari a menacing glare. "God damn it, Pudding Head, don't just creep up on people like that!" he snarled.

Oh, fuck. She better not have seen what I-

Nari shrugged her shoulders, a sly smirk on her face. "Not my fault you didn't notice my footsteps. Thought the high and mighty Bakugou-san would've at least heard that."

Bakugou scowled, turning back around to face the fireplace. "Piss off, you-" He was cut off as Hitomi slid off his shoulder, her body falling over so that her head rested in his lap instead. Bakugou would've gasped, but no sound came out, the ash blonde only staring at Hitomi's sleeping figure in shock.

What the fuck.

Nari leaned over the backrest of the couch, giving Bakugou a grin. "Quite comfy, I see."

"Wha-! I'm not-!" Bakugou finally growled, crossing his arms and turning away so Nari couldn't see his face. He was trying his damndest to ignore the weight in his lap. "I'm not comfy, you pudding bitch! Stupid Moon Face is the one who's getting way too cozy!"

Nari tilted her head to the side, squinting cheekily at Bakugou. "Then why don't you leave? It's already 8:30, and Mimi's told me before you like to sleep early like an old man."

Bakugou opened his mouth to speak, before Hitomi stirred slightly, rolling over in his lap so she was facing towards him instead. He flinched, his ears turning red.

"Heeeeh?" Nari hummed by his ear. "I see~!"

Bakugou spluttered, shoving her face away. "Fuck off, you scrawny dipshit! I'm only still here because the fire is warm! Moon Face is the one who just decided to sleep here like a dumbass!"

Nari grinned. "Are you sure it's not because you don't wanna wake Hitomi up? You sure it's not because you don't wanna leave her yet?"

"If I left her…" Bakugou growled, "some sleazy scumbag could do something to her because she decided to sleep out in public like an idiot!"

Nari's eyebrows raised into her hair. "You're…"

She fell silent, which made Bakugou shoot her another menacing glare. "I'm what?"

Nari waved him off. "I guess even you would be worried about others. It's not surprising, I suppose, especially since it's Hitomi you're concerned about."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing!"

Bakugou scrutinized her, Nari's knowing stare unnerving him.

"There you are."

Nari and Bakugou looked to see Yoshiho was making her way over, her hands stashed in her pockets. "I've looked everywhere on this floor, so this is the last place to check. Have you found..." She trailed off as she finally approached, taking in the sight of Hitomi sleeping on Bakugou's lap.

"Oh. There she is."

Nari grinned, stepping back from the couch. "Bakugou-san's gonna watch her for now, so he'll take her up later!"

"Oi!" Bakugou snapped. "Who the fuck said I was-"

"Our room is 505. Just take her up whenever you're done down here."

Yoshiho stared down at Bakugou, her usual stoic expression on her face. "We're relying on you to watch over her."

Bakugou huffed, rolling his eyes. "Keh! I'm not incompetent, you fucking paste face!"

"But she hurt her ankle when she was with you on the ski slopes."

Bakugou's face turned red. Whether it was from anger or from embarrassment, Nari and Yoshiho didn't know.

"Fuck off!" he griped. "I know that, you emo bitch!"

Yoshiho rubbed the back of her neck, sighing. "I know. I know you didn't mean to let that happen to her either, so I trust you." She gave him a small smile, the sight disillusioning Bakugou since he'd never seen such a thing on her face before. "I know you'll take good care of her."

Bakugou turned back to the fireplace. "Hmph."

"We should get going," Nari giggled. She gave Bakugou a small wave, turning to Yoshiho. "About time we get ready for bed."

Yoshiho nodded, her smile dropping as she started to leave.

Bakugou felt Nari's presence lingering behind him, tilting his head back. "So are you gonna get a move on or what?"

Nari stared down at him, a smirk on her face. She held a hand up to her mouth, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know, the next time you and Hitomi are under mistletoe…

Make sure she's actually awake, so you can kiss her for real, 'kay?"

Bakugou balked, unable to form words as Nari skipped away, hugging Yoshiho's arm as they made their way to the elevators. After a full minute, he could finally process Nari's words, his entire face flushing as he slammed the armrest with his fist.

"...FUCKING PUDDING HEAD!"

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

The class exploded into cheer as party poppers erupted and sent streamers and confetti into the air, Hitomi clapping her hands and laughing lightly. Nari whooped, throwing her arms up into the air while Yoshiho was silent, her arms crossed like always with her usual deadpan expression on her face.

The class was in the penthouse's large common area, the tables covered completely with plates of food.

Hitomi remembered Uraraka had fainted at how fancy the whole place was, and had nearly wanted to faint herself. Of course Yaoyorozu hadn't spared a single expense, getting the class the most luxurious space in the entire resort to reside in.

Hitomi sat back in her seat, recalling her, Nari, and Yoshiho's shared room. It was huge, with a queen-sized bed for each of them, a large Victorian bathroom, a walk-in closet, and there was even a gigantic flat screen TV mounted to the wall above their fireplace. It was reasonable to assume all the rooms in the penthouse were just like theirs.

Hitomi remembered waking up that morning in their room, dressed in her pajamas with her ankle fully healed, confused on how she'd gotten there. According to both Nari and Yoshiho, Bakugou had carried her up to their room at around 9:30 the night before, grumbling about how heavy she was and how "something could've happened to her" if he hadn't watched over her back at the ski lounge.

It made Hitomi's heart race at the thought that Bakugou cared so much.

She shook her head, trying to keep herself from daydreaming and bringing her attention back to the party taking place.

It was Christmas day, around late noon, as everyone was all tuckered out from their snow day the day before and couldn't celebrate until they'd gotten their proper rest.

Sato had displayed his culinary skills once again, cooking the class's entire feast. Yoshiho had decided to help out too, surprising the class as she presented them with various dishes.

"Woah!" Kirishima exclaimed, shoveling more of Yoshiho's steak into his mouth. "This is amazing! Koatsu-san, where'd you learn to cook like this?!"

Yoshiho stared down at the redhead, watching as he, Kaminari, and Sero all snarfed down her cooking.

"I live alone, so I had to learn. It's unhealthy to live only on instant foods."

Hitomi watched as an airy smile appeared on Kaminari's face, the blonde swallowing his food. "Delicious! I'd say it rivals even Bakugou's cooking!"

"Huh?!" Bakugou growled. He grabbed a fork, stabbing it into a piece of Kaminari's steak and eating it.

Hitomi watched as he chewed, the furrow in his eyebrows relaxing slightly.

"...Hm. It's not complete shit."

Yoshiho's eyebrows raised into her hair. "You think so?"

Bakugou gave her a curt nod, Hitomi smiling at the sight. She was afraid, especially in Yoshiho's case, that Yoshiho and Nari wouldn't mix well with her classmates, and would feel left out. Thankfully, it seemed as if they were fitting right in, the class welcoming them with open arms. Nari was even playing Just Dance on Hitomi's Switch with Mina right now.

Speaking of which…

"Wow, Nari!" Mina exclaimed, wiping the sweat off her brow. "You're really good at dancing!"

Nari grinned, tapping the floor with her toes to adjust her house slippers. "Thanks! I really want to become an idol, so I've been practicing for a long time."

"An idol?!" Jirou exclaimed. "Don't you need to become a trainee?"

Nari nodded, gesturing to her legs. "That's right. I'm hoping to get scouted soon, maybe this school year or next. Hopefully my quirk will raise my chances!"

Midoriya held up his hands, moving them in motions as if he was writing in his notebook again. "Oh, that's right! You have a spring quirk, which would help increase your mobility and help you perform more complex dance moves!"

Hitomi sighed, smiling as Nari laughed with the others. The rest of the Bakusquad was still complimenting Yoshiho's cooking, and Hitomi was glad her friends fit right in.

Hitomi was glad her class was so kind.

…

By the suggestion of both Iida and Yaoyorozu, Class 1-A had decided to hold a secret Santa gift exchange, with Nari and Yoshiho included. That way, no one would feel dejected or left out. Now that it was Christmas Day, and everyone had eaten, it was time for the exchange to take place.

Hitomi shot up from her seat, her wrapped present in hand as her eyes scanned the common area. Everyone was up and about trying to find their own gift recipient, and Hitomi's eyes were finally able to hone in on Tooru's floating clothes. She made her way over, poking the invisible girl in the back to get her attention.

"Ah, Hitomi!" Tooru exclaimed, her clothes turning around to face the bluenette. "Are you my…"

Hitomi smiled, holding up her gift. "Yup, I am! Merry Christmas, Tooru!"

Tooru took it from Hitomi's hands, the present looking as if it was floating in the air as she tore the wrapping paper off. She gasped in surprise as she realized it was a plush blanket with an adorable polar bear pattern printed on it. Tooru unfolded it, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Hitomi!" she squealed, Hitomi feeling her arms squished to her sides in what was likely a hug. "I love it!"

Hitomi patted her back, letting Tooru pull away as the invisible girl twirled around, the blanket twirling with her.

Hitomi smiled as Tooru thanked her one last time before running off, likely to give her gift to whoever was her recipient.

I suppose now I should just sit and wait to find out who's my Secret Santa…

Right as she was about to make her way to the couches, someone tapped her shoulder, stopping her. Hitomi glanced behind her, Aoyama staring expectantly at her.

She turned to face him fully, tilting her head to the side. "I'm guessing you're my…"

Aoyama nodded, pushing his gift into Hitomi's arms and striking a flamboyant pose. "That's right! You've been graced with me as your Secret Santa, dear Kanetsukabe! Don't be hasty now, go ahead and open it!"

Hitomi giggled at Aoyama's over the top nature, ripping the wrapping paper off of her gift. She burst out laughing at what it was.

"R-Really, Aoyama…?" she snickered, staring at the photo of himself. He had a rose in his mouth, sparkles photoshopped into the background around him.

Aoyama struck another pose, his mouth in a wide grin. "Well? Well? Isn't it just the best?!"

Hitomi continued to laugh, giving him a nod. "Sure, yeah. It's great."

"Well, it doesn't just stop there, Kanetsukabe! Look closer, mon amie."

Hitomi's giggles finally died down, the bluenette realizing the photo was sitting on top of a book. Hitomi moved the photo out of the way, gaping at the title.

A Beginner's Guide to Romance: How to Woo Your Crush 101.

Hitomi had accidentally spilled her feelings about Bakugou to Aoyama and someone else a few months back. She had been frustrated, and in the spur of the moment, blurted out the identity of her crush in front of the two of them. Surprisingly enough, Aoyama hadn't said a word to her about it since then. At least, not until now.

"A-Aoyama," Hitomi stuttered, feeling blood beginning to rush to her cheeks. "What's this…?"

Aoyama wagged a finger at her, a smirk on his face. "A guide, my friend! You want to win the affection of your love, non?"

"L-Love?!" Hitomi spluttered, pulling the book to her chest so no one could see it. "He's not my…"

Aoyama patted her shoulder, giving her a bright smile. "I wish you luck in winning his heart. Bak-"

Hitomi covered his mouth, stopping him from saying Bakugou's name. "Aoyama…!" she berated him, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Not here! Don't say his name…!"

Aoyama nodded, prompting Hitomi to tentatively remove her hand from his face. Aoyama placed a hand on his chin, a knowing glint in his eye. "He would be a fool not to notice your sparkle, mon amie."

Hitomi laughed sheepishly, cradling the book as she gave him an embarrassed smile. "Right… Thanks."

…

Once the Secret Santa gift exchange had finished, there were still a few more presents Hitomi had for her close friends. They were small, little knickknacks or trinkets that weren't costly so she didn't completely blow her allowance.

The Bakusquad (plus Nari) had tackled her in a huge hug when she presented them with their gifts, everyone toppling over in a huge cuddle pile with Hitomi squished at the bottom.

There was a mix of "thank you's" and "I love you's" among other things from the group, Hitomi blushing profusely at everyone's kind words. Once they'd finally broke their cuddle pile, there were only two presents left for Hitomi to give.

Yoshiho had been sitting at the kitchen table, quietly reading through the list of songs on the heavy metal CD Jirou had gotten her as her Secret Santa gift. When Hitomi had come over, presenting her with the small rose keychain she'd gotten her, Yoshiho had given her a small smile, humbly saying "Thanks."

All that was left was one more.

Hitomi cradled the thin wrapped box against her chest, wandering around the penthouse common area. Her eyes were searching for that spiky ash blonde hair she knew so well, but he was nowhere in sight. Hitomi strolled past the living room, going back into the hall where everyone's rooms were. She knocked on the door of the room he shared with the boys of the Bakusquad, waiting for any indication anyone was inside. The room was eerily silent on the other side, leaving Hitomi to assume no one was there.

She sighed, stepping back. She turned to head back to her room, wanting to put her gift for him away and hopefully just give it to him tomorrow morning. Right as she was about to grab the door handle, her silver eyes fell on the end of the hallway. Hitomi recalled Yaoyorozu mentioning it led to a door that opened to the balcony if you turned the corner there, and found her legs drifting towards it.

Maybe he's…

Hitomi stopped in front of the door, seeing the silhouette of Bakugou's hair through the glass.

Ah.

Hitomi grabbed the doorknob, swinging the door open softly. Bakugou was seated on one of the patio sofas, typing away on his phone. Hitomi made her way over slowly, the soft patter of her slippers against the tile catching his attention.

"The party's inside, y'know."

Hitomi stopped beside him, watching as he sent a message (she guessed it was to his parents) before he switched his phone off, stashing it in his pocket. "I've had enough social interaction for one day."

Hitomi hummed, cradling her gift closer to her chest as she watched him take a sip of his water. Before she could hesitate, she plopped herself into the spot next to him. She felt Bakugou's stare boring into her, her arms tightening around the gift she'd gotten for him.

"...So why are you here?" he huffed. "Aren't your friends inside?"

"Nari and Yoshiho could be your friends too, if you'd just let them already."

Bakugou rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat. "I see enough of Paste Face at our license course lessons. And Pudding Head is loud."

"All of your friends are loud, dummy. Just like you."

"Not you," Bakugou shot back. "You're quiet as fuck. It's like talking to a tree."

Hitomi whined, poking his shoulder. "Hush! Trees don't talk, but I do! So you can't make that comparison."

Bakugou pushed her hand away gently, before resting his foot against the edge of the coffee table. "Sure. Believe what you want, Moon Face."

Hitomi puffed her cheeks out, pulling her legs up against her chest. "Hmph."

"You also never answered my question."

"Huh?

Bakugou rolled his eyes again, pointing over his shoulder at the balcony entrance. "Why are you here and not with everyone else? Pay attention."

"Ah… that's…" Hitomi blushed, her attention turning back to the wrapped present in her arms. She shifted in her seat so she was facing him, holding the gift out to him. "This is for you, actually."

Bakugou raised a brow. "You're not my Secret Santa. Four-Eyes was my Secret Santa."

"This isn't for that," Hitomi mumbled, feeling shy. She pushed the gift towards him, staring at the wrapping paper. It was orange, his favorite color, with a simple white Christmas tree and snowflake pattern for the design.

"I got extra gifts for all my friends," Hitomi said quietly, her blush deepening. "And… that includes you." She gestured to the gift again, pushing it up against his arm. "Take it."

Bakugou stared at the gift in disbelief, not uttering a single word. He took it silently from her hands, staring at it blankly.

"D-Don't just stare at it…!" Hitomi stammered. "Just open it!"

Bakugou scoffed, beginning to peel the wrapping paper away. "Wow, impatient much?"

Hitomi's cheeks became an even darker shade of red, watching as he discarded the wrapping paper and began opening unfolding the thin cardboard box. "I need to know if you like it or not...!"

She scooted closer, holding her breath in anticipation as Bakugou finally uncovered what was inside. It was a set of comic books, 3 or so, with a burly and stoic-looking man on the cover.

"I don't know if you actually read these," Hitomi began, "but… that guy on the cover has the same symbol you have on all those skull shirts of yours, right? So I just thought…"

Her eyes finally trailed up to his face, only to see he was wearing a stunned expression.

Hitomi faltered, feeling disappointment bubble in her chest. "Oh, do you not…"

"Kanetsukabe." Bakugou glanced at her, giving her a hard stare. "Where did you find these?"

"Eh?" Hitomi sat back in her seat, fiddling with her hair. "I just found it at a thrift store when I was looking for everyone's gifts…"

"Do you have any idea how rare these volumes are?"

Hitomi scratched her cheek, looking sheepish. "No…? I don't really read that sort of thing."

"They don't print these volumes anymore! And you're telling me you found it at a fucking thrift store?!"

"Um, yes?" Hitomi clasped her hands together, smiling brightly at him. "Wait, so then, does that mean you like it?!"

"Wha-!" Bakugou's eyes widened, the ash blonde abruptly turning his head away. He spoke quietly, Hitomi barely able to hear him even though they were alone on the silent balcony.

"...I suppose. You got something I actually read, which is lucky for you I guess."

Hitomi couldn't keep herself from blushing, a dopey smile on her face. "That's great!" She settled back into her seat, staring at the stars dotting the sky. "I'm glad you like it, really."

Bakugou only grunted in reply, before proceeding to flip through the pages of one of the comic books. Hitomi chuckled lightly at his eagerness, finding it endearing. She watched as his eyes scanned the pages, feeling that familiar fluttery feeling in her chest.

God, she was in deep.

…

The two of them had sat in silence for about 10 minutes or so, Bakugou reading through one of the comics while Hitomi simply stared at the night sky, admiring the stars. Hitomi could feel her eyelids begin to droop, a sign she was getting sleepy. Right as she yawned, Bakugou snapped the book shut in a huff, snapping Hitomi out of her daze. Hitomi lowered her hand from her mouth, staring at Bakugou fondly.

"Finished already?"

"No."

Hitomi stretched her arms up into the air, feeling the crick in her back relax. "Well, I don't know about you, but I think I'll actually head to bed." She rose from her seat, beginning to make her way to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bakugou."

"Hold it."

Hitomi stopped, watching in curiosity as Bakugou got up from the couch, holding the comics at his side. She watched as he made his way over to her, reaching into his pocket. Hitomi was taken by surprise as Bakugou shoved a small box into her hands, making her stumble back slightly.

Hitomi blinked, staring at the small blue box. There was a single silver ribbon wrapped around it in a bow. "What is this…?"

Bakugou rubbed the back of his neck, his mouth in a slight scowl. "How dense can you be? It's a fucking Christmas present, Moon Face."

Hitomi felt blood rush to her cheeks, yet she was too tired to feel embarrassed. "You… got something for me…?"

Bakugou scoffed, turning his head away from her. "It was just an extra that came with the gift I got for my old hag! Quit reading so much into things!"

"Oh…" Hitomi laughed bashfully. "Right. Sorry about that."

"...Thanks."

That woke Hitomi up. At least, just a bit.

"What?"

Bakugou brushed past her, stopping in front of the door. "...For the gift," he grumbled. "And for keeping me from freezing to death yesterday. I'm… sorry… I let you get hurt, even though I promised your pudding head friend I wouldn't let that happen."

Hitomi stared at him, watching as he scratched the back of his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm all better, see?" Bakugou glanced at her, watching as she stamped her foot to prove her point. "It's no worries."

Bakugou turned back to the door, his hand hovering over the handle. "Right."

Hitomi stepped forward, stopping right next to him. "While we're at it, I guess I'll say thank you, for the present! Even if you didn't mean for it to be for me, I'm grateful for it anyway."

Hitomi closed her eyes as she smiled adoringly at him, missing the way Bakugou's cheeks flushed ever so slightly. Bakugou pushed open the door, stepping into the hall as he let his bangs cover his face.

"Yeah." He hesitated for a moment, before mumbling quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "...Merry Christmas, Kanetsukabe."

Hitomi was taken aback, for only a second, before deciding to dismiss her surprise. "Merry Christmas, Bakugou!"

Bakugou gave her a curt nod, before making his way down the hall and disappearing into his room. Hitomi watched as the door closed behind him, before finally turning to the small cardboard box in her hands. She undid the ribbon, pulling the top off. Her eyes widened as she saw what was inside.

It was a bracelet, with gems representing the planets of the solar system and some small stars weaved together with a silver chain. Hitomi glanced at the door of Bakugou's room, before looking back at the bracelet.

He'd said it was an extra that came with something he'd gotten for his mother. And knowing him, it wasn't a lie. But this…

It felt so personal, so specific to her.

From the things Bakugou shared about his family, Hitomi could garner his mother wasn't as into science and space as she was.

That meant he'd gone out of his way to choose something for his mother that would come with something Hitomi would like.

Hitomi closed the box, her cheeks bright red and the fluttery feeling in her chest becoming stronger.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, like when he'd gotten her those earrings for her birthday.

But she knew one thing was for sure.

Hitomi Kanetsukabe was completely, utterly in love with Katsuki Bakugou.

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed that ridiculous amount of Bakutomi content. Honestly these side stories are all just an excuse to write as many Bakutomi stories as I want. 😂

I wanted to finish drawing screenshots of Hitomi with people other than just him, but I just wasn't fast enough. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I'll finish them eventually!)

I hope I made that one Dekutomi shipper happy with some crumbs XD

Aaaand finally some Nari characterization! She's gotten the least attention out of my three OCs, being a mostly flat character while Hitomi and Yoshiho have changed and gotten development (I'm also planning something special for Yoshiho that I'll post here once I finish writing it ;) ) So I figured it was about time I did something about it!

Blood, sweat, and tears went into this one-shot, and I literally posted this the minute I finished writing it (I did not edit this monstrosity). So I really really hope you enjoyed it!

Happy holidays!