Chapter Text
When he got into U.A, he knew he was gonna be a great hero.
It was when he found out the link between Deku and All Might that he wanted to beat him even harder.
When he studied and gave his all, he was always sure he was gonna ace it.
It was in 2nd year when he wanted to be the number one hero even more.
He used all his strength when he wanted to win.
He makes sure his dreams are all possible and reachable.
He’s willing to do anything to reach the top.
And his plans are full. There’s no more steps or paths to take to reach his dreams. His page of dreams is full. There’s no more space. It has all the things he needs and wants to do to be number one-- the biggest dream he wants to accomplish.
Or so he thought.
When Bakugou thinks of something he wants, he gets it.
Beat Ponytail and Glasses on a test- DONE IT
Get more recruits than Half-and-Half and Deku- CHECK
Sneak out of curfew without getting busted- YES (It took him lots of attempts to accomplish)
Make pizza from scratch in the middle of the night- YEP
Beat Eraserhead in a practice match- HE FUCKING DID
Win the 2nd Sports Festival with daddy’s boy going all out on him- DAMN RIGHT
Beat Deku- in a match HE DID IT
All that’s left is to graduate and get a step closer towards his dream.
But what the fuck is his problem now?
He’s been feeling down ever since their final class ranking was announced. He was second. A number behind Deku. He was congratulated by his friends of course, and a mini party was held in the dorms to celebrate the upcoming end of terms-- everyone was invited.
He wasn’t disappointed that Deku bested him-- Ok. Maybe he was. But he knew he wasn’t gonna beat him this time anyway. It was fine. I could beat that nerd’s ass next time. There’s always a next time. So he didn’t take the lost so badly.
What hit him hard however was the congratulations Deku received.
And the one he didn’t.
They were just normal “congratulations” from everyone and some “I’ll do better next time” from Iida and Yaomomo. He got those too. He gave them to Deku too. Everyone congratulated him and Midoriya. Even Midoriya congratulated him (he didn’t say it back). Everyone but her.
Just as the results were posted, everyone looked for their own first. Bakugou knew he was always on the top list so it wasn’t very hard to find. A round of ‘Aw!”, and “Woah!” were heard after everyone finished assessing the list and thus began the congratulations. Bakugou didn’t really care about how many of his classmates smile at him in the halls or greet him everyday. He didn’t care if nobody congratulated him today.
But everyone did.
Everyone except for a certain round cheeks.
He just grunted and muttered thanks at everyone crowding his desk. Kirishima’s voice who was complaining about him not teaching him and accompanying him to the library when he asked him to were all whitenoise as his eyes secretly drift to her.
She was standing in front of Deku’s desk in a determined pose. He could hear her say, “You did great, Deku! I’ll do better next time!”. He silently watched as the nerd chuckled at her, and Iida started a new topic.
Ok, now congratulate me. He thought. He wished. He wants.
He wants her to congratulate him.
But it never happened. And Bakugou was sent into a bad mood all day. He didn’t bother showing up at the party. “I’m gonna go when I’m first on the list!”, he yelled at Kirishima who was outside his room forcing him to come out.
“But this is a party to celebrate the whole class. Not just Deku”, Kirishima almost facepalmed from behind the door. He was being petty all day. Not eating lunch, glaring at everyone the whole afternoon, and even slamming his door harder as they arrived back in the dorm.
Bakugou scowled. It was gonna be about fucking Deku anyway.
Kirishima sighed and knocked on his door one last time. “Alright, I’m going. Just remember we only have a year left after this and we’re all going on separate ways”.
“So hang out with us while it lasts”. Kirishima’s sound of footsteps were heard as he left the halls and joined the party. That left Bakugou staring at the ceiling with a dumbfounded face.
He only has a year left before he leaves this stepping stone.
He only has a year left to get recruited by Miruko and become her sidekick in two years.
Actually, he only has a year to settle his feelings about Uraraka.
He chuckled at himself as he covered his eyes with his right arm.
He knows when he decided Todoroki and Deku were his rival to beat. He remembers when he decided he hates ice cream. He distinctly remembers when he agreed Kirishima was his bro for life. He labeled classmates from ‘small fries’ to ‘rivals’ but he hasn’t even settled on what he thinks of Uraraka.
She’s strong. He knows that. She was the first classmate he respected in their first year.
She’s determined like any other aspiring heroes.
She’s independent. Everyone thought so.
But what does Bakugou think of her? He doesn’t know.
He isn’t sure whether she’s a small fry, she is definitely not. He couldn’t put her as a rival besides half-and-half and Deku because he couldn’t make his body hate her in any way.
He needs to decide. He needs to sort his thoughts on her to finally fix his plans for after next year. After next year. After their last year.
“Fuck this”, He stood up from his bed and grabbed his black hoodie. He needed a new place to think.
--
Bakugou found himself under a tree near their dorm after jumping off the balcony. He couldn’t pass by the party. He needed to think. He didn’t need extras disturbing his mind.
He stared at the sky as he thought of the girl in question.
Uraraka Ochako.
He didn’t really like her since she was always sticking to Deku’s side. She fought well against him during the first sports festival. She ranked fourth this year and he wasn’t able to battle against her. He grinned as he remembered clapping when Uraraka won against Monoma and laughed when he heard her trash talk him back. It was fun.
So she’s fun?
Bakugou frowned and shook his head as he reorganized his thoughts.
She’s doing better in academics. She ranked 9th on the list this morning and that’s better than Pikachu’s 20th. She never really had unnecessary attention when it came to class recitations or activities but she was great when it comes to tactice. She almost had him in their match last year- the match he couldn’t forget. He thought she had the idea from Deku but it was hers all along.
Deku.
Of course she’d congratulate him. He’s her best friend. They’re friends.
But she fucking congratulated purple freak who came in 6th and not the first runner-up.
Bakugou blinked and looked down at his feet.
Am I jealous?--
He is.
--of fucking Mineta trashbag? The smallest fry of my list of small fries?
Yes
He punched the ground beside him with his right arm and inwardly cursed himself for being jealous. It was a normal emotion to have once in a while. But he wasn’t used to having it for reasons aside from being powerful or using one’s quirk better than him.
He’s jealous of Deku getting congratulated by Uraraka. He’s fucking jealous of Mineta getting congratulated by Uraraka for coming in 4 ranks below him!
“Fuck!”, he whisper-yelled. He didn’t want anyone coming out to see him when he didn't join the party. He didn’t want her to see him so frustrated with her not saying one word to him.
Why is he jealous?
Why am I jealous?
Could it be because a girl didn’t congratulate him? Yaomomo, the hottest girl, congratulated him-- and she doesn’t like him too much. Ashido congratulated him with a hug, she’s the wildest among the girls (or according to Kirishima). Even Tsuyu congratulated him. Jirou was even impressed.
Is it because Uraraka is the cutest and he needed validation from the class’ favorite bubbly girl?
Maybe.
Or Maybe I just need someone cuter and hotter to congratulate me.
That always worked for Kaminari.
He pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened an unread message.
T hat Camie girl from the License Exam | 1:18 pm
“Heard from Todoroki that you ranked 2nd. Congrats!”
Nope. That did not work. Is it because she used the word ‘2nd’? Yeah. Maybe.
He angrily typed back a message before checking the other unread messages.
His mother, Kirishima, Mina, Sero, and no fucking Uraraka. He huffed as he shoved his phone in his pocket before staring at the sky again.
What is she really? Why is she working him up this badly?
“Bakugou?”
He slightly gasped as he turned his head at the person who spoke. It’s her.
She was wearing a white shirt with wide pink stripes and white shorts. Her now medium length hair is tied to a ponytail and her round cheeks still bloomed roses in them.
“What are you doing here?”, she didn’t bother asking him permission, she sat beside him and leaned on the same tree he’s been leaning on since the past few minutes. He scoffed. “I could ask you the same thing”, his eyes roamed to the two cups full of strawberry and chocolate ice cream in her hands.
“I was gonna eat these out here since they decided to watch a scary movie and I don’t really like Jigsaw”, she shrugged. Wimp. “Are you kidding? Jigsaw is the best. It’s got everything that I like. Gratuitous violence..”. She waited for him to finish his list but nothing more came out of his mouth. “I thought you were listing things?”. He side-eyed her and nodded. “I was. I’m done”.
She laughed and looked down at the cups she’s holding. “Would you like some?”, she offered him both cups to choose from and he eyes them both suspiciously, He hates ice-cream. “I love sprinkles so I put lots on both”, she giggled. She noticed him frown at the desert on her hands and she let out an awkward laugh. “Oh. Is it too sweet for you? You can just say n-”.
Bakugou took the cup with strawberry ice-cream and tasted it. “Too sweet?”, she watched him take another spoonful and shake her head. “You could’ve just said no if you didn’t want it”.
“No”, he said. Uraraka blinked at him. He looked at her and said it again. “No. I like ice-cream”.
He didn’t but he decided he likes it now.
Uraraka slowly smiled and began eating hers.
“So what are you doing here?”, she asked. Bakugou clicked his tongue and looked away. Well he isn’t gonna answer that question honestly. “I was thinking of whether I should put you in my list of small fries or rivals”, he mentally kicked himself for his thoughts and continued eating. Uraraka began eating hers while she waited for his answer.
Bakugou kicked a stone near his feet and mixed his ice cream. “I was thinking”.
“Thinking”, she echoed. “What’s there to think about?”, she took another spoon of ice cream and ate it. “We’re gonna be in our third years soon. The exams are done”. She rested her right leg on her left and looked at the sky. There were plenty of stars out. “We’re closer to our dreams by a year again”, she chuckled.
Bakugou watched her smile at the sky as she continued to eat her ice cream. Our dreams, huh?
Bakugou slouched on the tree and stared at the stars as well. “What do you plan on doing after leaving this dump?”, he asked. She giggled and lightly slapped his arm.
Was that supposed to hurt?
It felt warm.
“This place is great, silly”. Nope. This place is a dump full of extras.
“I wanted to assist Recovery Girl for a year before finding an agency but I was told I could just do that next year and even get extra credit and fast track my career”, she shrugged. She played with her half-melted ice cream before eating a spoonful of it. “I hope I get scouted by a great agency next year though”, he could feel her smile without even looking at her.
So she has plans.
“Kirishima told me you had your life all planned out”, she was looking at him now. He frowned and inwardly cursed Kirishima for sharing his secrets. (It wasn’t even a big deal). He continued to eat his ice cream and sighed. “Shitty hair must have told you lies”.
Uraraka thoughtfully hummed before shaking her head. “He just said you have your life all planned out. Nothing more”, She tilted her head as she scraped the remaining ice cream off her cup. “Good for you, Bakugou”, she took the last bite of her ice cream and placed the cup away from her.
Bakugou glared at her. “You don’t have plans?”, he asked, almost as if Uraraka’s choices offend him. Her choice not to congratulate him did.
Uraraka looked at him confusedly. “What? I do. I just told you my plans”. He couldn’t help but furrowed his brows at her. That’s it? That’s all her plans? “You don’t have anything in your list after getting scouted?”. It was like asking a person why they like Hawaiin Pizza, or asking a non-fan about his or her thoughts about your idol. For Bakugou, it was like asking a person he respected if she really plans on wasting her gift.
Uraraka pouted and pulled her legs to her chest. “I do have plans after that”, she murmured. Bakugou had to force himself to not express his sigh of relief. Instead, he tilted his head to her side. “Tell me”.
Her brown orbs met his rubies and her smile reflected the moonlight but Bakugou swore the sun would be ashamed if it saw it. “Don’t laugh at me”, she warned. Bakugou could only nod mutely as he took in the beauty in front of him. He’s trying to memorize this sight of her and keep it for the rest of his life.
But what is she to him?
“I want to help as many people as I can. It’s fine if I’m in the bottom of the list and rank, I just want to help people as I’m able. But-- after that”, she took a deep breath and paused.
“I want to get married”.
He froze.
“I want to get married and have a family a few years after I go pro”. She dreamily looked at the sky and stretched her arms as if she was measuring the stars. “I know it’s not wise for a hero to have one but-”, Bakugou wasn’t able to move as he watched her take a deep breath and lower her arms. “I also want to enjoy life and have a husband who will love me for who I am until the end”.
A family.
He didn’t plan that.
Bakugou Katsuki haven’t even thought of it. It never crossed his mind.
“How about you? Still planning on beating Todoroki and Deku?”, she smiled at him and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. He still couldn’t believe he never thought of having a family.
“Bakugou?”, he blinked a few times before realizing Uraraka is now worriedly looking at him. “Are you ok?”, she asked with concern. He shook his head with a small smile before looking down at his hands on his lap. “Of course I’m beating those two shits. I’m aiming for the top after all”. She smiled as she stared back at the sky again. Silence was dense but it didn’t bother either of them. He’s quite enjoying his moment with Uraraka.
Is she enjoying this moment too?
“You know, everyone thought you were asleep”. He looked at her with a smile of amusement printed on his lips. “Yeah? I’m really not into boring parties”, he chuckled as he pulled on the grass from the ground. “The party was fun, Mr. Im-too-cool-for-your-shits. Everyone thought you were so uptight about your holy sleep schedule that even Kirishima couldn’t force you to come”, she rolled her eyes and began picking small stones and throwing them at his shoes.
It didn’t hurt. He was even enjoying it.
“Did you think that?”, he couldn’t help bust ask. She hummed as if she was picking the right words to use. “I thought you were having a party of your own alone”, she beamed.
He gave her a bemused look which she just laughed at. “What does that mean?”, he folded his arms to his chest and the girl began laughing at him. “You beat Todoroki, Yaomomo, and Iida this year. I thought you’d be glad!”.
Bakugou blinked and thought of what she said. He was too focused waiting for her to congratulate him; he didn’t even process the fact that he beat his rivals this year. She noticed.
“Yet here you are sitting with me. Thinking abou-”, Uraraka paused and raised her brows at him. “What were you thinking about?”.
What was he thinking about?
I was thinking about you.
“I was thinking about you extras”, he gruffed. Uraraka laughed and patted him on the back. “Aw, already missing us, Bakugou? We still have a week before summer starts!”.
“It’s not that!”.
She tilted her head waiting for him to explain but he just couldn’t say anything.
“You’re not mad at Deku fo-”
“No. This doesn’t concern him”, his voice slowly faltered into a whisper and she pursed her lips into a thin line as she looked down to think.
“Is it personal?”
Bakugou sighed. He rarely shared. He rarely talked to her about himself.
Yet…
“My plan in life requires me to categorize you”, he started.
“I had you all categorized yet I can’t seem to place one of you in the right box!”, he defeatedly sighed and closed his eyes to think. His mind is a mess. All his goals are a mess. He couldn’t even remember what he plans on having for breakfast tomorrow. This girl is making him crazy.
He waited for her to say something but nothing came. He opened his eyes to look at her and she was just smiling at him instead.
“That’s because your categories set out for us are either judging us for being weak, or hating us for being strong”.
He felt like an idiot hearing these words from her. She’s not complete right afterall. She doesn’t hate his rivals for being strong- he.. He- he respects them for being strong that’s why he’s gonna beat them.
“I don’t hate anybody”, he murmured. She smiled at him and nudged his side with her elbow. “I know”, she smiled at him so brightly that he was fooled summer already started. “What you’re missing is the category for people you like”.
What?
“What?”
“People you like”, she repeated. “You know, the people you respect enough to not hate and not consider as rivals?”, she shrugged. He still looked dumbfounded so she rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Friends, Bakugou!”.
“Oh”, he thoughtfully tapped on his knees as he thought of who fits in the category the best. Kirishima is the first one of course. He’d be mad if he knew he wasn’t in the category since it never existed before. Maybe Sero and Mina? Camie if she doesn’t improve her combat style.
And Uraraka?
“How about you? Do you have any categories?”he didn’t even realized he asked. She hummed and nodded before laughing. “Snobs and friends”, she proudly said.
“Which one am I?”, he was honestly anxious to ask but he did it anyways. “Snobs”, she laughed when he scowled and waved her hands defensively. “I’m kidding!”. “Yeah, like I’d be in your friends category”, Bakugou scoffed and looked at the cup of melted ice cream in his left hand. He didn’t realize he still had it.
“You’re in my ice cream category”.
‘What?”, he defended her once when Kaminari called her crazy for calling cookie batter an ice cream flavor, but now…
“Ice cream category. You’re solid now but I feel like once we leave U.A, you’d disappear and melt from my world”.
“That’s stupid”.
“I was told it was poetic, thank you very much.”
“Whoever said that is stupid”
“Kaminari would be offended”
Bakugou laughed for the first time that day and she was smiling as he watched him do so.
“Never thought you’d actually look so happy today”, she clapped her hands and smiled at him. “You ranked second and you skipped lunch and a party! I only ranked 9th!”. He frowned at her and placed a finger on her forehead. “Hey! 9th is a good number”.
“Not any better than 2nd”, she sighed.
“You’d do better next time”. He meant it. He believes in her.
She smiled at him before standing and brushing her shorts. “Well I hope so. I’m trying to get a scout from Gang Orca or Miruko too and they look at rankings and academics before combat and ability”.
He wanted to join Miruko’s agency.
“Study hard and you might beat whoever’s ass you need to beat to get the credit”, he looked up at her with a smirk and she laughed. “Well I’d have to kick your ass then”.
She moved to pick up her empty cup of ice cream and looked at Bakugou again.
“I kinda want to see how Jigsaw goes. Wanna come with me?”, she gestured at their dorm’s entrance and Bakugou only shook his head. “Nah, those losers don't deserve my time. Have fun though”.
“Still have something to think of?”, she giggled.
He stared at her just smiling at him and he felt his heart have its own mini big bang inside him. It’s like all his questions got solved in just a matter of minutes talking with her. He enjoyed her company.
“No. Just re-evaluating my life plans”.
She blinked at him before laughing again. “Ok, well, don’t stay up too late. You’re always welcome to join us”. With that, she returned back into the dorm and Bakugou was left to think of the answer to his question.
What is Uraraka to him?
Uraraka is neither a small fry or a rival. She isn’t a friend like Kirishima and he definitely doesn’t want her to be an ice cream. He doesn’t want her to disappear.
Uraraka is a new dream.
His new dream.
And he’d do his best to spend his life seeing her smile forever and hear her laugh everyday.
“Bakugou!”. Uraraka ran towards him and stopped to catch her breath. “What?’, he worriedly asked. He was about to stand up when she held up her hand to stop him.
“I just wanna say congratulations”, she smiled at him still catching her breath from running.
“You went all the way back here just to tell me that?”.
“Well I had to say it before I congratulate you on being the number one hero”, she giggled. She waved him goodbye before running back to the dorms again.
Yep. Definitely a dream worth putting above his old one..