Throughout that month, Bakugo fell hard into practice and training again. And naturally, his days turned twice as better as Eijiro joined him in train-days.

And after that day, he became more at peace with Todoroki and Natsuo... And Koji and Kat got to know Kirishima and Todoroki better. 

She switched between the two almost every day after school. Some days she'd join Bakugo, Todoroki and Natsuo in their jogs, training, and work-out while others she'd join Kirishima with Kat during his and his team's training and practices as well.

*

"What's up, guys...!" Kirishima began happily. "Let me introduce you guys to these guys-!"

The group gathered around quickly, and of course; Koji's extrovert self became giddy with joy as Kat's shy self curled up a bit.

"This is Koji and Kat!" Kirishima introduced with a wide smile, "it's chill if they hang out around here for a bit, right?"

They exchange handshakes and bright, excited smiles. Aoyama goes insane over Koji's long, colored hair as others approach Kat's shy self, to ask if his hair was dyed as well and compliment his eyes or outfit.

They quickly get to work with their warm-ups.

●

Bakugo's work-out day surprisingly goes smoothly.
He feels calm... and concentrated in the workout. And training with people who he'll actually be playing in the finals has great advantages.

"Todoroki," Bakugo called out, "when someone throws the ball to you, you have to look at who's around you-- you do this every time," he begins.

Once again, surprisingly, he keeps his calm.

"Instead of focusing to score a touchdown, see if you have a better chance to pass it to someone else,-- you've lost so many points from being tackled down by trying to freeway yourself to the base-" he claims.
"I'm working on it..." he sighed, "let's try again."

He nods curtly, approving of the cooperation.

"Let's go, boys-!" Natsuo hypes up, "impress me!"

Bakugo grins largely at the claim, "your leader says the same!"

And they have fun. Tremendous amounts of fun.
They find themselves in that state where their breath is short and their adrenaline is hyper, jolting through their bodies through sheer shocks of energy and excitement, and their lips are tugged into a never-ending grin... they call it the best type of fun.

Bakugo and Todoroki begin to see their old days merge into the present... the times that they actually enjoyed a day together, without ugly fights, or arguments or violence...

Just smiles and determination.

'Eijiro would be proud of me...'

●

"Kats is gonna flip when he sees the new uniforms--" Koji blurted out through her hand. The group is laughing, from her comment and from excitement,-
And from how still, their uniforms are revealing.

"I'm sure Shinso will love them too--" Kirishima teased, nudging Kaminari on the elbow. His face turned a deep red, which earned more laughter from them.

"Didn't we ask for normal shorts-?" Sero asks.
"The school said they would try their best to fit our suggestions into their pattern of uniform..." Ojiro spoke up.
"Which is super odd-- 'cuz why is the school themselves giving High school guys booty shorts-?" TetsuTetsu steps in.

"Valid point--" Kaminari states, laughing as well.

They fall silent, suddenly.

"Who's putting it on first?" Sero asks.

Aoyama steps up boldly and confidently.

●

Bakugo is always happy when he comes back from practice.
There's nothing better than seeing his boyfriend after a long day is always pure ecstasy for his heart.

Today, however, he walks into an overly giddy Koji and Kirishima, and a chuckling Kat. Kirishima seems like he'd just gotten out of the shower and his hair is wet and fluffy, as Koji's is braided into a long fishtail, (by Aoyama), while Kat seems to be his comfortable self.

He immediately starts with; "What happened."

They burst into laughter as Kat's chuckling increased. 

"And oi, Kat-- Todoroki's here, he said to tell you, in case you wanted to hang out." He claims, pointing off behind him. He nods and shines him a smile before excusing himself from the room.

"Kats, prepare yourself-" Koji heaves through broken laughter.
"What the hell's going on, you two are red from so much fucken' laughter--" 

Their laughter is always contagious, it leads to Bakugo falling into soft laughter as well. He hooks an arm around Kirishima's waist and tugs him into his arms, to see if he could push some words out of him.

"What'd you do-- I have a feeling it was you-" he chuckled. Their laughter increases.

Bakugo simply loves this moment.
Kirishima's face is red with laughter, his eyes are teary and his smile is huge... his heart is touched so simply.
And Koji, of course, hearing her happiness is always a joy for him. To know her and his boyfriend are getting along so well means the world to him.

"We--!" Kirishima begins, exhaling laughter still, "we got new uniforms!"

He perks up a bit. "Oh, that's cool... I guess...?-- Why's it so funny?"
"They're super--" Kirishima continues, clutching at his stomach.
"They're pretty, they're pretty--" Koji claims, laughing as well.

"I can't understand a word you two are fucking saying,-" Bakugo chuckled.

Until they calmed down enough to speak normally, Bakugo gathered that;

"We got new uniforms"
"They're still as revealing"
"They look cool but they're tight"

And he finds himself nervous, quite honestly, when Koji convinces Kirishima to put his on.

"You're gonna flip." Koji stated with a grin.
"A fucking table, yeah, if I don't understand what's the laughter for-- their last uniforms were already super fucking revealing, you're telling me these ones are worst-?" He begins, "'cuz I'll tell you now!" He begins, loud enough for Kirishima to hear, "I'll have a fuckin' talk with whoever the fuck is putting these together for you guys--!"

"They're a bit better than the last ones," Kirishima can be heard faintly.
"Just still revealing," Koji shrugs, "to be honest, they look hella good."

And Bakugo shuts down when Kirishima walks back in.
Koji is a massive tease towards the unresponsive Bakugo as his eyes are solely on Kirishima-

"H-..Ho..ly--"

"AahhHH-! Kats is red--!" She teased. Kirishima covered his face and ducked away in embarrassment and fluster. He shuts the door behind him and stands there, using his pompom to feel a bit more "covered".

"You look great-!" Koij smiled, earning a squeaked and shy "thanks" from Kirishima.

Bakugo is mostly focused on his muscles bulging through the thin, elastic fabric. He's never noticed how Kirishima has nice curves.
Well, he's noticed it. He's just never stopped to stare.

"Well, say something Kats--" Koji smirked.
"Sshhhhuuut your face-" he responds half-absently.

Kirishima dares to be bold and sit closely next to Bakugo. He smiles cutely and innocently, as Bakugo falls into a deep pit of fluster.

"I've never seen you like this-" Koji chuckled, "Kiri, you got some talent-- for leaving him in this state-" 

The two laugh quietly as Bakugo covers his face. 

"Any comments?" Kirishima asks in a purposefully soft, honey-drowned tone.
He looks up at him with a weakened gaze, feeling his face stay in that hot state. 

"Y-You look good in blue--" he stammers messily.

"Is it uncomfortable?" Koji asks, moving Bakugo's fluster aside.
"No, actually--! It's much better than the last one,-" he responds, looking down at the uniform, "it feels more well-made too, it's not itchy." He shurgs, "of course I would've chosen some more... loosely-fitting clothes, but... if it's what the school--"

"What the fuck were they on when they decided on the shorts-" Bakugo groaned. They laugh again at the reaction.
"TetsuTetsu said the same thin--"
"I don't care about that douche-" he groaned again. 

Koji and Kiri fall into a normal conversation and in a good sign, Kirishima forgets that he's wearing the uniform. Bakugo, of course, is invited into the conversation multiple times... and Koji's smirk only increases.

"Kiri, he's gonna eat you alive-" she comments in a baffled, teasing and laugh-packed tone.

Bakugo turns as red as a tomato again. "I- I'm not--!? Wh-!? St-Stop it!"
"Crap, I forgot I was-"

Bakugo's hands smack up to his own forehead and he groans again. They slide down to his face, and he sits there, defeated in fluster.

"You're so fucking-... ugh..." 
"Ooooohhh is your boyfriend hot, Kats--?"
"Koji,-" Bakugo begins, rising more laughter.

"I'll go change, I shouldn't even be wearing it anyways...-"

"Wait." Bakugo steps in. "You're gonna go out there in that tight-ass uniform, with that bitch out there?" He asked, "I don't think so.-- Sit your ass down or change in here-"

"Wha--!? Katsuki, Koji's here-?!" He began.
"I'll cover her eyes." He grumbled, "she--"

"Wait,-? Who's out there?" Koji asks.
Kirishima sighs quietly. He does return to the bed, only to be tugged into Bakugo's arms and lap. He exhales a shy chuckle and turns his attention towards Koji.

"A classmate of ours...- she's... uh,--"
"She's eyeing my fucking boyfriend." Bakugo grumbled, "gave him a fucking panic attack and is all over him, as if I'm not even fucking here-"
"Alright, hold on-" she steps in. She sets a hand on Bakugo's knee and flashes him a calm gaze. "Calm down...- we don't need to get mad here, it's a safe zone..." she delivers softly. "And, Kiri,- is she a friend or something? Does she know you're taken?"

"That's... the thing, her and I never really talked. At all, basically,- we just heard her tell it to the girls, how she thinks of me...- she's obvious too, and Kats doesn't like it..." he explains in a genuine tone, "I think she.. walked in...? While Kats and I kissed? During the holiday dance-... and Todoroki texted me that night saying she was looking for Kats and that she was pissed..." he mumbled, "I... freaked out... thinking she was gonna spread the word and got scared it would reach my... parents..."

The room fell silent at the mere mention. Bakugo's arms squeeze around him a little tighter.

"Are they... not accepting--?"
"Koji," Bakugo steps in quietly, "it's... not a good topic..." he mumbled in a weak tone. 

By their expressions alone, Koji knows to leave it untouched. The hand that once laid on Bakugo's knee moves to Kirishima's hand. Her eyes fall soft but encouraging.

"Who you are... doesn't define you as a person." She begins, "and I hope, Kiri, that you never allow someone to take the bright personality that you have away from you. Be who you want to be, not what others want to shape you into." 

She relates to him... so extremely much.

"I know how it feels..." she whispered, looking down.

That sentence was the trigger for him. His eyes become a stinging red.

"Y-Your parents too--?" he whispered weakly.
"Everyone," she mumbled, "Except this guy..." she exhales a weak, broken chuckle as she throws a weak punch onto Bakugo's knee. "My life was... not the prettiest... but I'm happy with the true person I am today."

Bakugo's eyes close tightly as the past begins to wash over him.
Images of each person from his little family group when they were younger...
Koji's neglected and unsupported self...
Todoroki's abused self...
And even Natsuo's and Kat's experience with school... 

He calls it unfair. Everything that's happened to them, he calls it extremely nasty... extremely unfair...

Koji and Kirishima join in a tight hug. Suddenly, they feel closer to one another...
Kirishima can see why Bakugo is so protective of her.

"That girl..." she begins, "I'd love to meet her..." her tone isn't in the least bit harsh. It's soft, and genuine. "I wanna meet her, talk to her for a bit... calm down the storm she's trying to give off..." 

And Bakugo immediately finds it to be a good idea.

Koji is someone who, again, gets along with anyone extremely easily.
And because of her past trauma, she connects with people. She has such a wise way of delivering words... and she prevents what she fears easily;
Fights.

"Would you introduce me to her?" She asks softly.
He nods quickly, but immediately steps in, "pl-please-- I, man, we met like, yesterday... I don't want to seem like I'm pushing you into my problems--? You don't have to do that,- I could deal with it myself--"
"It's okay...!"

She shines him a specific smile... it screams 'hero', it's extremely genuine... she's someone who truly looks proud of her smile.

"If you're helping Kats... and making him the happiest he is... then let me do this for you," she claims, "and besides, this isn't anything too big,"

Bakugo and Kirishima would love to disagree-

"O-Okay... alright," he nods slowly, "I'll change... and we can go downstairs? Make a night lunch, chat and hang out until you and Kat have to head back to your dorm buildings..." Kirishima nods, "that sound okay to you, Kats?" He asks softly.

Bakugo holds onto him for a second longer before slowly releasing his grip. He nods and shines a quick, broken smile.

"Yeah...--"
"Cheer up, bub..." Koji begins with a soft smile, "everything's okay..."

He sighs quietly--
And shines a small smile.

"That stupid nickname again..." he chuckled weakly, "turn, ya dumb nut... he's gonna change..."

●

The night turns perfectly nice again as they head downstairs, to sit in an window-aired kitchen with two joined tables, where Todoroki, Bakugo, Kirishima, Kat, Natsuo, and Koji sat in. The skies are already dark and the air breezing through the open window is nice and chilly; the perfect late afternoon for the group.

Kirishima stuck to wearing Bakugo's clothes for the evening since it was all that was available at the room once he changed. They naturally began to grow a bit more cuddly as the clocks count up in time.

"Her name's Ashido," Kirishima begins quietly, so his voice can be mostly heard by Koji, "she's probably in the common area with the rest of the girls..."
"Okay, cool...-! I'll just walk in and maybe strike up a conversation...- I got it from here," she smiles, pushing her chair out. "'Scuse me guys, I'm gonna head out for a bit,"

"Heading back to the dorms?" Kat asks calmly.
"No no, just... go watch some TV maybe, hang out with the girls," she shrugs, patting his shoulder. "Have fun without me," she chuckles.

Kirishima and Bakugo exchange silent glances, before Kirishima lays his head against his. Todoroki pushes his chair out as well and glances around the table, expressing a calm, content look.

"I'm gonna head out, too... I promise Midoriya I'd spend the afternoon with him to watch some movies," he claims in a calm tone. They nod and wish him a good night, and the table is left with four. 

Three seconds of silence passes, and Natsuo speaks up.

"Aight- real talk, where'd Koji head off to," he begins, rising quiet laughter from them.
"She's just hanging out with the girls," Kirishima responds.
"Then why is my 'Koji-trouble' senses tingling--"

They laugh more. "She's just being herself." Bakugo claims, waving off the conversation.

'Being her patient, good self...'

●