Setting the scene: Bakugo is chilling on a bench outside when Uraraka comes up to him with a gift...
"Happy birthday, Bakugo."
Shit. This is exactly what he had worried about.
Shoulders tensed, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed angrily, Bakugo snaps his head up from his book to glare at-
Oh no.
She gave him a small wave.
Not her.
She places the box on the empty spot on the bench next to him.
Anyone but her.
She waits for his response, smile still present and blinding.
Shit.
There she was, Cheeks puffed out in a grin and a very obvious present sitting next to him.
Uraraka Ochako was giving him a birthday gift, and she was one of the only people he couldn't say no to.
And before you ask, no, he didn't know why. As far as he was concerned, she was a random classmate who had no relation to him whatsoever. They fought once. He beat her. That was supposed to be it.
But lately, he's found himself acting differently around her.
When he sees her in the hallways his shoulders tense and his palms sweat, like he's anticipating something horrible.
When she waves at him from across the classroom his chest constricts and his breath falls short in his throat.
When he watches her kick ass in training, he almost smiles.
And when she needs anything, he always gives it to her.
And he can't stop.
So how's he going to tell her that he doesn't do birthdays? That he's done his best to keep his birthday a secret for this entire year and that he hates the attention and free stuff?
Looking up at her adorably happy face, Bakugo winces.
He probably won't tell her any of that.
But he can still try.
"What the hell is this?" He begins, holding the box up and waving it around as if it wasn't obviously a present for him.
She doesn't seem to mind his crabbiness though, only rocking back and forth on her feet happily.
"It's a birthday gift! Because it's your birthday!" He blinks at her suspiciously and she blinks back.
"I even said happy birthday..." she deflated a bit, almost as if she truly believes that he's clueless enough to not know what's happening.
That kinda pisses him off. Just a bit.
He tries a different approach, averting his gaze from her sparkly, twinkling eyes and crossing his arms defensively.
"It's not my birthday."
Ah yes. Lying. Everyone's second choice.
Uraraka frowns at this. "Yes it is."
She sounds sure for about twenty percent about that sentence, backpedaling a bit as she observed his stiff posture.
"Isn't it...?" He doesn't answer, and that just sends her into a deeper spiral of condition.
"I was almost positive it was April 20th..." the girl pulls her phone out and murmurs something about 'birthday' and 'calendar'
That snaps his gaze back to her rather quickly.
"Why the hell is my birthday in your calendar?" He snaps, because if she doesn't give him some lame excuse his heart is gonna do The Thing that it does when he thinks that she might- that maybe-
That she might what, Bakugo?
He shakes his head like a wet dog and growls.
Yeah, he's not gonna answer that one.
"Aha! So it is your birthday!"
She lets out a cackle of some sort of lame victory and points a finger in his face enthusiastically.
It was like she had just caught some perp in the act of a crime, her little 'aha!' Stance almost making his lips quirk up.
Instead of acknowledging the way she so effortlessly looks like a cute little chipmunk, the blond rolls his shoulders and looks away. "Round Face..." he begins, hoping his voice is scarier than it feels.
It probably isn't considering the fact that she continued on and didn't turn around and leave.
"For your information Bakugo, I have all of the class's birthdays in my calendar. It's not only you." She waves the tiny ass flip phone around carefully, his eyes lazily trailing after the way it hangs between her pink fingers.
"Why?"
She looks at him funny, her head tilted in mock confusion. "Why is it not only you? Or why do I have them?"
"What-" he slaps an irritated palm to his face.
Why would I be the only one in your phone, cheeks?
Bakugo decides to ignore the rush of feelings at the thought of him being the only birthday in her calendar.
Taking a deep breath, he rolls his eyes. "No, why do you have our fucking birthdays on your phone? Weirdo." The boy huffs as he leans back further on the bench. Maybe if he was lucky it would swallow him up and he could forget about the way her face makes his heart hurt.
"I have your birthdays in my calendar so I can give you guys gifts! I know this may come as a shock to you, but I personally like to take good care of my friends, Bakugo." She wiggles her eyebrows at him and he lets out an unimpressed scoff.
"We're not friends." He smirks against his better judgment.
She shakes her head cheekily.
"I never said that."
He scoffs at her.
"Yes you did-"
She cuts him off.
"I said my friends. As in, I consider you a friend. It doesn't have to be mutual for me to call you a friend." The girl gives a self-satisfied nod and winks, her cheeks puffing up in that cheery mood she always seemed to fucking be in.
His eyes narrow at her argument, and they stare at each other. She silently dares him to try and prove her wrong, the blond doing his best to hold her gaze before huffing indignantly and crossing his arms.
That was the best 'fine, you're right.' She would get out of him, and she was well aware that it was a reluctant surrender.
Moving on from her small victory, Uraraka's wide-eyed gaze fell onto the present next to his lap, untouched and enticing.
He's still glaring at her, though, so she takes a small step towards him and nudges his knuckles, the action snapping him back to reality and dusting his cheeks pink.
He looks at her in a confused manner before she lets out a small squeal and says: "Open it!" As she practically vibrates with excitement.
Bakugo is still trying to wrap his head around the situation.
Here, on one hand, was Round Face. Her face was round. She was Deku's friend. She had guts. She was not Bakugo's friend.
On the other hand, was this box.
This box in his lap that she had given him, decorated in his colors, with his name written out on the card... for his birthday.
Why would she do that?
Why would the girl that has been turning his world upside down for the past god knows how long give him a birthday gift?
He didn't know.
But he wasn't about to question it and scare her off.
Growling a bit, Bakugo's rough, calloused fingers undo the ribbons in long strips of work, pulling the top off of the box to reveal something wrapping in tissue paper.
He looks up at her, and she gives him an encouraging nod.
God, her face is so cute.
Uh.
He would address that later.
Clearing his throat, Bakugo took the tissue paper apart piece by piece, still going until orange cloth caught his eye.
He paused.
Then he took it out.
In the box was a soft, knitted scarf with a small chili pepper embroidered on the end, and it felt so right in his hands.
Maybe it was because it came from her.
Willing his voice forward in his throat, Bakugo looks back up at her in awe.
"Did you make this?" He murmurs.
She lights up at the question.
"Yeah! I know you like orange, and I'd either have to be dumb or blind to not notice your knack for spicy food, so..." Her cheeks look a little pinker than usual, and she smiles sheepishly as she rubs the back of her neck. "I hope you like it, Bakugo. Happy birthday."
And with that, she's walking away.
Too soon.
Too fast.
And before he can even stop himself he's slipping his fingers around her wrist and tugging her back to him.
Uraraka jumps a little, but soon melts back into his touch and turns around to catch his eye curiously.
And he really has no reason to stop her.
He has no reason for enjoying the way his hand feels against her skin.
He has no reason for the desperate feeling he has whenever she's around.
So he does all that he can and grits his teeth, looks away, and mutters, "T-thank you."
He can't help but feel he lost his chance at something he didn't know he wanted, because all she says is, "Of course!" And then skips away.
Authors note
Alright I know I know, it's a day late. Buuuut,,,
Happy birthday Bakugo!!
God I love his character so much. I can't even begin to express how much I would literally die for him.
Anyways.
I had some trouble writing this and I don't like it all that much, but I had to do something for his birthday or else I would legally have to die.
I hope y'all enjoyed this one, don't forget to com,ent, vote, and request! Lots of love ❤️