Katsuki Bakugou hates birthdays. It's just the day you were born. Why does it need to be celebrated? There are better things he can do than stuff his face full of cake and dance on those stupid mats. He could be studying, training, hell, he could be teaching those dimwits math. But with Midoriya's loudmouth and classmates who are so thoughtful it makes him wants to rip out his heart and throw it off a cliff, it's inevitable he'll have to celebrate.

He's counting down the days till he must enter the dreaded dorm and hear the class scream with those stupid ugly party hats and the salty, calorie dense junk food.

Bakugou hasn't even made it one foot into the common room when Kirishima waves and greets him, handing him his favourite type of toast and English breakfast tea without milk or sugar. He's not a sucker for the bitterness unlike the other weaklings of the class.

"How'd you sleep?" One of the too many daily questions Kirishima asks.

He sits up abruptly, drenched in sweat and fear screaming at him to run.

"Why does it matter?"

"Gotta make sure my bro's sleeping well."

Bakugou increases speed towards an empty table near the edge of the ugly green common room. Mornings are the worst for him. Too many people to deal with at such an early hour. Kirishima is okay, he'll admit.

He slides into the seat and munches at the toast, gulping down the tea. Coffee doesn't fit into his diet.

"Are you excited for the weekend? I really miss being able to see my parents every day after school," Kirishima insinuates (?).

"If you hadn't been so weak you wouldn't have gone and caused all that trouble."

"Fuck off."

"You seriously don't miss your parents?"

"No."

"Why?"

"My reputation is ruined because of you."

"Stop fucking trying to get all up in my business, Shitty Hair."

"Hey! My hair isn't that different from yours!"

Bakugou gets out of his seat abruptly and storms towards the door.

"Wait up for me!" Kirishima exclaims.

They walk in comfortable silence towards the empty classroom which soon starts filling up.

Aizawa-sensei doesn't hesitate to get straight to the point when he enters the classroom. "I have an assignment for all of you." the class groans and shares whispered thoughts. "Each one is catered towards a skill you each independently need to improve. Every week you'll get another assignment to improve this skill. Come up in seat order and I'll explain what you've been given."

Bakugou walks up to Aizawa-sensei's desk. "Your assignment is to hold two nice conversation with different people."

"Huh? that's stupid."

"You need to work on your social skills, Bakugou. In order to be a successful pro hero, you must be able to talk rationally with other heroes to relay messages easily and with civilians in order to not distress them further in an already stressful situation."

"So? It doesn't justify the stupidity of this."

He ignores the comment. "One of the people you must talk to has to be either Todoroki or Midoriya."

"Huh? Why those idiots!?"

"Being able to talk to people who aren't on your social radar will benefit your people skills too."

Bakugou rolls his eyes and flounces towards his seat. He falls back in it and grumbles incoherently under his breath.

"What did you get?" Kirishima asks.

"The rag wants me to talk to Todoroki 'kindly'," he mocks.

"It can't be that bad. I have to expose myself to my biggest fear."

"I'm not scared of anything," Bakugou boasts.

Kirishima gives him a meek smile. "Can I ask a favour of you?" he asks cautiously.

He stays silent, waiting to hear out the idea.

"Can you come with me on the weekend-"

"Yes," Bakugou interrupts.

"But you haven't even heard me out."

"I've made my decision now shut-up."

"Thanks anyways bro."

----

When the lunch bell rings, Bakugou immediately stomps over to Todoroki's desk, slamming his hand down on it. Todoroki looks up with his stupid eyes. "What is it, Bakugou?"

"I need to have a stupid fucking conversation with you."

He raises an eyebrow.

"The stupid assignment."

Todoroki nods and settles back in his chair. Bakugou thinks a stream of curse words, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't ever speak of this fucking conversation again," he exclaims.

"Are you coming, Todoroki?" Midoriya calls out from the doorway.

Stupid fucking Deku.

"I'm settling something with Bakugou," Todoroki says.

"Okay. See you in the cafeteria."

They were alone in the classroom, more ideal for Bakugou, not having the entire class know about treating Icy-hot with respect.

Why is that such a difficuly thing for you to do?

"What stupid assignment were you given?" Bakugou asks strained.

"I need to make a list of all the good and bad things about Endeavor. But I'm struggling to think of any good things."

"He has a cool Quirk," Bakugou offers.

"I guess."

"What's your favourite colour?" he grumbles.

This is fucking stupid.

"Blue because it's the opposite of everything to do with my father."

"He's that bad, huh?"

He nods.

"The old hag's a bit on the rough side, too," he admits.

Stop talking, fucker.

"Is your dad like that too?" Todoroki asks.

"He's a coward, that's what he is. Can't do anything."

You're saying too much. Leave.

"You must be rich because of their job, right?"

"Are you rich, icy-hot?"

"Only when I steal Endeavor's credit card."

Bakugou breaks down laughing. "You steal his credit card!?"

"Of course. Why else would I go home on the weekends?"

After a long while laughing, Bakugou wipes the tears from his eyes and catches his breath. "I should go now before lunch is up," Todoroki explains.

He packs up and leaves the classroom.

Maybe Icy-Hot isn't as much like Deku as he thought.

Bakugou walks into the lunchroom, immediately spotting his usual table with the dumbasses who won't ever leave him alone. They're all talking to each other lowly, leaning over the table to whisper things.

If this is about my birthday, I'm going to make them eat shit and die.

He slides into the booth beside Kirishima and they stop their previous conversation. "Hey, Kacchan," Denki greets.

"Don't call me that!"

"But Midoriya does."

"Exactly. You aren't as bad as that shit head."

Denki bites his quivering lip. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

He rolls his eyes.

"What are you guys gonna do this weekend?" Mina asks.

"Bakubro is going to help me with my assignment."

"How'd you convince him to do that?"

"I don't know, he just kinda agreed."

"Shut up!"

Stop being so aggressive.

"Bakugou really has a soft spot for you," Sero says.

You're only a second choice.

"No, I don't!" Bakugou snaps.

Say it all you like. It didn't work with the Old Hag, did it?

"It sure seems like it."

She slams the door closed, screaming at Katsuki. "Why'd you do it!?"

"I'm going to take a shit," Bakugou grumbles and hurries out the cafeteria and down the empty halls.

"Why?"

He stumbles through the bathroom door, glaring at the few students there until they run out of the bathroom. He turns the tap on and stares at the running water, hands clasped around the sink.

"I asked you a question!"

"Fuck!" he shouts at the water.

He looks at his reflection.

"I didn't do it!"

"Do you think I'm fucking stupid!" She boomed.

"Honey, calm down," Masaru quivered.

"I'm an adult. You can't fool me."

Silence.

"Come here."

He didn't move.

"I said come here!"

She stomped up to him, pulling him by the hair and throwing him against the wall.

Small explosions erupt from his palms.

"I didn't!" He shouts and aims an explosion at the mirror. The mirror shatters and flies towards him. The efforts to protect himself were in vain. His arms managed to be attacked. A large piece embedded in his hand.

Once the shower finished, he hissed painfully, looking at the door only to see two students with their phones raised. "What the fuck!" Bakugou shouts.

The two boys stumble before making a run for it. Bakugou runs his good hand through his hair before studying the damage at the farther unharmed area of the mirror. He has a large gash on his left cheek and small scrapes along his arms. The shard in his hand is a large spike. It'll leave a bold scar.

He stuffs his hands in his pockets and keeps his head low as he walks up the stairs to Recovery Girls office. Apart from the few weird glances he receives, the trip went by smoothly until he enters the office and spots Aizawa-sensei filling out a pile of injury forms.

When the door falls back on the door frame, Recovery Girl spins around on her chair. Noticing it's one of her more frequent visitors, she sighs. "What happened?" she says with her used voice.

"It doesn't fucking matter what happened. Just sort me out or whatever."

Aizawa-sensei looks up at the familiar tone. "Bakugou?"

"It seems to be a small gash. It only needs a few stitches."

Bakugou pulls out his pulsing hand, blood pouring out from the sides of the glass.

"Small gash my ass."

"Oh dearie, that must have hurt."

He clicks his tongue and sits on one of the beds. Aizawa-sensei stands beside Recovery Girl who deducts how to deal with the issue.

Bakugou scoffs, wraps his fingers around the shard and pulls it out quickly, keeping a pained sound locked in his throat.

"You were taking too long."

Recovery Girl sighs and mutters something about immaturity.

"What happened, Bakugou?" Aizawa-sensei asks.

"It's none of your business."

"Seeing as I'm your homeroom teacher, I have to file up any instances where a student got injured, which includes the reason."

Bakugou scrunches his face for a short minute.

Give them the bare minimum.

"I exploded a mirror in the bathroom."

"Why?"

"Because everyone was being annoying."

Aizawa gives Bakugou an unbelieving look before sighing. He slouches back in the seat beside Recovery Girls desk and scribbles on a fresh incident form, probably still warm from the printer.

Recovery Girl returns with general anaesthetic and stitches.

She goes through the gruesome process and lets Bakugou leave with only ten minutes before the next class.

"Why don't you just heal it or something?" Bakugou asks.

"Because then you'll never learn your lesson."

"Come on! This is bullshit. We have training next period."

"You can go to the gym and spend the hours there," Aizawa explains.

He storms out of the room.

By the time he returns to the classroom, he deduces he has no energy to face his classmates' questions and Kirishima's concern. Standing outside the ridiculously tall door, he takes a turn to the nearest staircase and skips down.

The bell rings just as he enters the changing room.

The gym is empty to Bakugou's surprise, but he takes the opportunity to let out his imprisoned feelings through sweat and aching muscles and probably heart failure.