Chapter Text
Some people make smart decisions.
Others agree to spar with Bakugo after a full day of school, soreness, and emotional trauma.
Whose bright idea was that?
Oh right. Mine.
Now I was standing in UA’s training room, heart pounding in my ears, watching him warm up like he was ready to commit actual murder.
He cracked his knuckles, sparks already dancing at his fingertips.
Great. I was about to get blown up by a guy with anger issues and perfect shoulders.
Oh God—there I go again. His amazing body physics are becoming a real problem.
“Took you long enough, idiot,” he barked, not even looking at me.
Is this guy for real? I just walked in, and he's already barking at me like a damn guard dog.
“This was your idea,” he added, stretching his arms out. “Don’t start crying when I knock you on your ass.”
“Bold talk for someone who ended up in the hospital last time,” I shot back, rolling my shoulders. “You sure you’re even healed yet?”
He gave me a look. “Try me.”
And just like that, the countdown started.
Are you being serious right now?
It hasn’t even been a full minute since I stepped into this hellhole—also known as the training area.
It's not too late to back out... I mean, I might sound like a—
"Weak and useless. Just like I thought."
The Queen of Misery’s voice cut through me like ice.
Fck this bitch.
Before I could finish the thought, the buzzer rang.
The countdown was over.
And the fight had already begun.
Before I could even breathe, Bakugo came charging straight at me, explosions already forming in his palms like he was ready to blow my entire existence off the map. I barely dodged the first blast, stumbling to the side as heat from the explosion grazed my arm. I didn’t even get the chance to think—I just moved. The second I caught my footing, I summoned water from the air, not a lot, just enough to form a sharp whip that cracked toward him. He dodged it, of course. Show off. He always had to make it look easy.
“I thought we were sparring, not trying to kill each other,” I yelled, trying to breathe, heart already going 100 miles per hour.
Bakugo just smirked like this was a warm-up for him. “You started this, idiot. Keep up.”
I rolled my eyes and launched another wave at him, this one slicing through the air harder, faster, sharper. It slammed into him just enough to make him stumble, and I swear I saw his smirk twitch. I was ready to fire off another when my hand started shaking a little—not from nerves, but from pressure. That familiar weight in my chest started building, and my stomach dropped.
No. Not now.
The air around me started to feel thicker. The water I was pulling from the room wasn’t smooth or easy anymore—it was heavy, cold, angry. I could feel her. Crawling into my head again like she owned it.
“You’re wasting my gift.”
Her voice was like poison slipping through my ears. My head pounded instantly, and I staggered back a step.
I clenched my jaw. Not now, not now, not now.
“Shut up,” I muttered under my breath without thinking.
“What?” Bakugo paused, caught off guard.
“Nothing,” I snapped, trying to pull it together.
I could tell he noticed something was off. His eyes narrowed just slightly, but instead of yelling or mocking me, he just stood there, like he was analyzing every move I made. He knew something wasn’t right. I launched another hit just to distract him, but the water didn’t go where I wanted—it veered off, wild and too strong. It hit the wall behind him so hard, a chunk of the cement broke off and fell to the ground.
We both stared at the crater in the wall.
He looked back at me slowly. “Was that supposed to hit me?”
I didn’t know what to say. “No... maybe. I don’t know,” I said, feeling my hands tremble again.
“You’re losing control.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking.”
I looked down. Damn it. He was right.
I hated how calm his voice was. Like he was walking on thin ice, but not blaming me for it. Like he understood. That pissed me off more than anything.
“I said I’m fine!” I snapped louder this time, heat rushing to my face. My fists clenched, water swirling around my arms like it couldn’t decide whether to listen to me or the Queen. My heart was pounding, and my mind felt like it was being split in two.
“Let me show him what you’re capable of,” she whispered again, sweet and cruel at the same time.
My chest burned, and the symbols in my eyes started flickering. I couldn’t see clearly. The room twisted for a second, and everything felt wrong—too loud, too fast, too much. It was like drowning in my quirk.
Then I heard his voice again. But not yelling.
“Then prove it,” Bakugo said, and it wasn’t angry or sarcastic. It was quiet, serious.
“Control it.”
That hit different. Something about the way he said it. Not as a challenge. Not as a threat. Like he was telling me, I could.
I forced a breath in, focused everything I had, and shoved the Queen of Misery back where she belonged. Not today. Not in front of him.
The symbols in my eyes faded. The water around me calmed, slowly falling to the floor. I wiped my face with the sleeve of my shirt, chest still rising and falling too fast, but it was better. I was okay.
Bakugo didn’t say anything. Just watched me like I was some bomb that might go off again. Maybe I was. Still, I lifted my arms, tightening my stance again.
“You still wanna go?” I asked, raising an eyebrow even though I was barely standing straight.
That damn smirk returned to his face. “Thought you’d never ask.”
We clashed again—explosions meeting waves, steam rising in the air. He was faster, but I was sharper. I moved with precision, aiming to tire him out.
He feinted left, spun right, and swept my legs out from under me. I hit the mat hard.
“Ow,” I groaned, breath knocked out of me.
Bakugo stood over me, hands on his hips, clearly satisfied.
“Called it,” he said smugly. “You’re down.”
But I wasn’t done.
Before he could gloat anymore, I surged water from beneath us, just enough to knock him off-balance. He slipped, arms flailing for a second—
And landed right beside me with a THUD.
We both blinked.
I turned my head to look at him. He turned to look at me.
Our faces were… way too close.
Like, “I can hear your heart beating” close.
Neither of us moved.
“I win,” I whispered.
He scoffed, but didn’t get up.
“…Maybe,” he muttered.
The room was quiet. The steam from our quirks still hung in the air, and my heart was pounding louder than it should’ve been.
Then, his eyes dropped to mine again—sharp, unreadable.
“You ever lose control like that before?” he asked suddenly.
I froze.
He saw it. Of course he did.
“…Sometimes,” I admitted. “Lately more than before. It’s like… It’s not just my power anymore.”
He was quiet, which was weird for him.
Then, softly—softer than I ever thought Bakugo could be—he said, “Then we’ll train more. Until it’s only yours again.”
I stared at him. Did he… care?
He cleared his throat and looked away like he was the one embarrassed now.
“Don’t make it weird,” he grumbled.
Too late.
Did Katsuki Bakugo… show affection for once? Was he nicer than he seemed?
So many questions were spinning through my head, and I couldn’t stop replaying what had just happened.
What I had just witnessed wasn’t like any normal moment. This was with Bakugo.
And it felt… weird. Different.
I never expected him to show any kind of emotion, especially toward me of all people.
But for a second, it was like the yelling and explosions disappeared.
And what was left… was just him. And me.
And whatever the hell this thing between us is becoming.
“Sooo, whatcha think, do you think I am worthy of practicing with you?
A moment of silence had passed, “you're not a worthless extra,” he said and walked away. To be fair, coming from him is a huge compliment. I did it…I DID IT