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A gentle breeze stirs the cool night air - not quite enough to be cold, just a light early autumn chill. Ryumi shivers and draws her wings tighter to her back as her phone buzzes in her pocket. She sighs, pulling it out as she trails behind Bakugo in the darkened street.
Hey, did you still want to study tonight? It's getting late.
She pauses just long enough to type out a quick reply.
sorry, something came up - if you're still awake when i get back, sure
She frowns as she tucks the phone back in her jacket pocket. It's not really a lie, though she doesn't like being evasive with him either. But... she also knows he most definitely wouldn't approve of what she's up to, and would probably try to stop her.
Bakugo notices she's slowed. "Hurry up Scales. Not turning tail are you?" He barks, not bothering to actually look at her.
Ryumi huffs. "Obviously not." The idea that she'd be scared of someone like Bakugo is patently ridiculous. She's dealt with jerks like him for as long as she can remember - and she's been setting them straight for almost as long.
"Then quit texting Icyhot and get moving." He gives her a quick sideways glance and starts moving again.
She can't help but let out a low growl. It's not just about how he treats Shoto - well, a lot of it is - but also Midoriya, and... Well, just about everyone in class, honestly. Guys like Bakugo have always pissed her off, even if he's not quite as bad as some of the others.
"That supposed to be intimidating?"
She doesn't respond. They walk in silence the rest of the way, having slipped out of the dorms under cover of darkness to properly settle things without Aizawa stepping in for once.
Finally, at a secluded spot in one of the training areas, Bakugo lifts one hand, small explosions crackling along it. "So let's hear it then. What's your problem, Scales?"
Despite him almost spitting the nickname at her, it actually has less malice behind it than the bullies from her middle school days. Bakugo is an asshole, but he's not CRC.
"My problem?" A breathy laugh slips from her as she flexes her fingers and spreads her wings wide at her back. "Your problem is that my boyfriend has a damn name and you don't use it."
Bakugo rolls his eyes. "I don't waste my time on the names of extras. Especially ones that think they can get away with beating me using half their strength!"
He takes a step forward, clenching one raised fist as smoke curls out between his fingers.
Ryumi's tail flicks - at once slow and snappy, like an angry cat's. "You don't even remotely understand what he's going through, you--"
"Fuck what he's going through!" Bakugo throws his hands behind himself and a blast propels him toward her.
The instant she sees him move, her scales are out. Not full dragon form, just her arms and legs, but she curls her hands into fists to keep from using her claws - just as her mother taught her so many years ago.
An open palm is thrust at her face, but she spins, putting her wing in the way of the blow. The shockwave is small, a warning shot, despite Bakugo's insistence on using full power. After getting caught fighting Midoriya, he must realize the need for subtlety if they're actually going to have a proper fight.
At the same time, she throws her fist into his shoulder. She'd been aiming for his jaw, but he twisted at the last second. Still, with her increased strength it's a decent hit, sliding him back ever so slightly.
"Use your claws, coward!" He shouts before rushing back at her, feinting to one side. "You think I'm not worth taking seriously?"
Ryumi takes the blow on her left arm - that side is still weaker after the injury she got at camp anyway. "No way, I don't try to kill people with my quirk." She corrects him as she squints her eyes against the smoke and jams her elbow into his flank. "My parents raised me better than that."
"Fuck off." Bakugo grunts in pain, though it hardly seems to slow him down, as the second the last syllable has left his lips he's already moving again. He blasts upward, trying to get above or behind her.
"Please." With a beat of her wings she's back on him, though she doesn't exactly want to get into a grappling match. Even her reluctant grasp on his arm draws a trickle of blood. "You feel how sharp they are, don't you? One well-placed slice or a dozen poorly placed ones and you're bleeding to death."
"If you can hit me." Bakugo sneers. He angles the palm of his free hand and the explosion slams them both back into the ground, Ryumi landing hard on her back. "You think you can win like that?"
"I do!" She roars, rolling to her side and kicking with a surge of strength that tosses Bakugo off of her. Before he even finishes falling she's back up, though her shoulders and wing joints are still screaming at her from the impact. "Because I beat dozens of twerps just like you with even more of a handicap than this. And we both know that if Shoto hadn't given up, he'd have beat your ass into the ground just as easy!"
"Shut up!" He yells back, staggering to his feet again where he landed, a thin red line trailing along his right arm and dripping onto the pavement. His face is set into a furious snarl, and he runs at her again.
"You know I'm right!" She purposely leaves herself open, and when he thrusts his palm at her, she grabs his hand and twists his arm backwards in an attempt to lock his joints.
"Fuck you!" He kicks at her knee and breaks out of her hold. The blasts he fires are getting stronger as the fight continues - Midoriya said something about that once, how his quirk gets more intense and powerful the longer he fights. "Fight me for real!"
Ryumi snorts as she beats her wings, pushing the cloud of stinging smoke back into Bakugo's face. "...You're just like him, you know that? Obsessed with power, not caring who you hurt, looking down on everyone..." She takes a breath, glaring at him as he emerges again from the dark. "You think you're the next All Might but really you're just the next Endeavor!"
"I'll kill you!" He puts his arms back and launches himself right at her again. She sets her feet and prepares herself.
"Both of you, stop it! What are you doing out here?"
Aizawa? Ryumi wants to look, but she can't take her eyes off her opponent.
"Fuck, how did you--" Bakugo stops mid thought and mid stride. His eyes go blank and jaw slack.
Cautiously, without fully taking her attention away, Ryumi turns.
"Shinso? But you sounded like--"
...
There's a fuzzy feeling in the back of Ryumi's mind, like she was doing something, but can't quite recall what. She blinks and as her eyes come back into focus she sees Bakugo looking equally confused and with a slow drip of blood running down one arm. Her own pain hits her soon after, the aches and scratches of a fight she's starting to remember.
"You guys in class A... You never learn, do you?" Shinso runs a hand through his hair and sighs as he removes a mask-like device from his face. He waits a second while the other two throw each other baffled looks. "I'll do you a favor. Aizawa sensei is coming out here to train with me. If you don't want to get caught, you should probably make yourselves scarce."
Bakugo clenches his fists and takes a half step forward, apparently reluctant to end their fight.
Ryumi rolls her eyes and moves back. "You still piss me off, but I'm not willing to get stuck on house arrest with you just to make my point."
"Smart." Shinso comments as she walks by.
"What did you say?" Bakugo growls, and more crackling sounds can be heard as explosions fire off on his palms.
Shinso shrugs, tugging on a scarf that looks remarkably like Aizawa's. "Your funeral."
Bakugo stands there, curling and uncurling his fists, breathing heavily, before finally throwing a large blast out to the side. "Fine! But don't think this means you won, Scales."
"Whatever helps you sleep, asshole." Ryumi rubs her aching shoulder and walks off into the night. Same time next week then.
They part ways on the way back to the dorm. Easier to sneak back in and avoid arousing any suspicion. She checks her phone, remembering it had buzzed again shortly before the fight.
Okay... Is everything alright? You don't usually change plans on short notice.
She sighs, thinking for a moment on what she could possibly say, a full forty minutes later, that could reassure him without actually...
"Hey..."
She half jumps and nearly drops her phone. It's Shoto, waiting on the steps to the dorm. "O-oh. Hey." She puts her phone away and rubs another sore spot on her left arm. So much for sliding back inside unnoticed.
"Are you okay?"
"...Yeah, just fine. Nothing to worry about." She starts up the stairs, stumbling just enough to undermine her words - even though he can't see as clearly as she can in this darkness to notice her more obvious injuries.
He rushes over to help steady her. "Come on, Ryumi..."
"Fine. Just... not here, okay? You know you won't be happy about it though."
The hallways are mercifully deserted at this late hour, though she knows not everyone is asleep just yet. She can faintly hear the music from Jiro's headphones even through the door to her room, and there's light coming out from the crack under Midoriya's door. He's probably studying.
As soon as they get into Ryumi's room, she grabs the first aid kit off the top of the dresser and sits down on the edge of the bed. Shoto lingers by the door to get the lights before coming to sit next to her.
Seeing how beat up she is, the worry on his face deepens.
"You should see the other guy." She jokes, making an attempt to lighten the mood just a little. And it's true, frankly. The only one who actually drew blood was her - even if only by accident.
"...You were fighting Bakugo again."
She shrugs. The bruises, scrapes, and scorch marks speak for themselves - thankfully her scales do a good job of preventing anything worse.
Shoto sighs heavily, deep sorrow filling his mismatched eyes. "It was about me again, wasn't it? I know it bothers you, but please..." He rests his hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you getting hurt over something stupid."
Ryumi wants to correct him, to insist that he's not 'something stupid,' but instead she takes a long, slow breath, stretching her wings a little. Unfortunately, she has to cut the motion short as she hits another sore spot.
"Sorry..." She mumbles, her gaze falling to the floor. "He was getting on my nerves, and he wanted a chance to fight where sensei wouldn't stop us. So we had a little... unsanctioned brawl."
"You know he really doesn't bother me. I promise." Shoto brushes his hand along her arm, lingering on her still fresh scar from their last encounter with the League. The ragged line of seared flesh, a reminder that she'd nearly died for him. "I... I appreciate that you're doing this because you care, but..."
"I know... I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I knew you'd be against it. I just..." A tight frown creases her face. "He's so irritating. Sometimes I feel like I need to beat some damn respect into him."
Shoto reaches for the first aid kit, and she hands it to him. The little scuffs aren't really worth fussing over to her eye, but she also knows it'll make things easier if she just lets him tend to her.
...And a part of her doesn't mind. There's something almost nostalgic about the idea of being cared for. A reminder of... perhaps not happier times, exactly, but... more innocent times.
She sighs as Shoto taps the disinfectant wipe ever so gently against each little scrape and scratch. "I swear that boy must be a masochist. Kept yelling for me to use my claws... I don't think he realizes how deadly these are." She flashes her claws out on one hand and regards them, edges glinting in the light.
"You didn't, right?" A brief fear arcs across those caring eyes of his.
"Of course not. I'm not a complete idiot." Ryumi smiles weakly at her own joke, putting her claws away and rolling her shoulder in obvious discomfort. "He didn't hold back, obviously... but I at least have my scales to blunt his attacks. He wasn't even wearing his hero gear, I'd have cut him to ribbons if I was fighting for real."
He rests his left hand on the shoulder that's hurting her, lightly activating his quirk. Not enough for flames, just some heat to ease the pain.
"Thanks..." She sighs again, looking over her arms and legs, sort of mentally taking stock of everything. "You remind me so much of my dad right now, you know?"
"How's that?" Shoto tilts his head to the side, waiting for her answer.
"He was always so sweet, relentlessly caring. Even when he was exhausted from work, if I was hurt, even something small..." A wistful smile is drawn out by the fond memories of her parents - even if those moments were usually preceded by a beating from the children of CRC members.
"Sounds more like you than me."
That snaps her attention back to the present, and she bops him with the edge of her wing. "Hey, don't sell yourself short. You're always super thoughtful... Perfect boyfriend material." She winks.
Shoto's cheeks flush instantly at the comment. It's been a couple months since they made things official, but he's still so adorably shy.
Ryumi decides to go easy on him and change the subject.
"I've always been like this, you know. My mother's blood runs strong." She moves her other wing out in front of her, regarding it. The assertion is a partial lie, but the truth of that matter - of how she was when she was young, of what changed and why - isn't one she feels that she can safely share. Not even with him.
"You may be right, I get my caring nature from my dad, but I've also got her temper and inability to let things slide... Especially if someone is hurting people I care about." She turns to him, proudly displaying her fangy grin. "We're dragons. And dragons are fierce protectors. It's in our nature."
She takes a deep breath, relieved that she didn't break or bruise any ribs too badly during the fight. "It's more than that though, I also... I can't stand bullies. Guys like him - they just infuriate me." She pauses, considering. "...I'm guessing, knowing how your dad is... You probably had a tutor, or went to private school, yeah?"
Shoto nods, still gently massaging her shoulder as he listens to her.
"And you probably remember that my apartment isn't in the best part of town."
He nods again. He's probably starting to see where this is going, with her having alluded to the matter before, but apparently she's feeling chatty tonight, and he's always a good listener.
"Well, you might not know - you wouldn't really have a reason to - but kids can be real assholes to each other. It's... It can be extra tough for kids with mutation quirks." She runs a hand along her wing, subconsciously hitting the spot where her scales change color, like always. "I was picked on, frequently. Even after the other kids started to get their quirks."
"A lot of times it was just words, you know... Freak, lizard, stuff like that. But not always. Mom got sick of me coming home beat up, she wanted to teach me how to defend myself."
"Dad was against it, obviously. I... Don't know if I told you before, he was always... Well, everyone in his life, his family, friends, co-workers, they would all joke that he was wasting his strength quirk by going into medicine instead of becoming a pro hero." She's not sure why she's going on about her family so much, why this night has sent her back to that time. Whatever the reason, it has her all sentimental and smiling softly, just the way her father always did. "He never cared though. He had... principles. He wasn't a fighter, he was a healer. He never wanted to be personally responsible for bringing more suffering into the world."
"...Even he couldn't hold out forever though. When mom's talk with the administrators of the school failed to change things, dad reluctantly gave in because he was tired of having to patch me up and console me when I'd come home."
"I had to promise not to use my quirk in a fight, even though the other kids were happy to torture me with theirs. Mom was a good teacher though. By the time I started middle school I could put kids twice my size into the floor - no quirk, no problem. I was a force to be reckoned with."
"And Bakugo?" Shoto asks cautiously. He doesn't look as concerned as before, though it'd still be hard to say he's happy with the night's events.
Ryumi lets out a slight chuckle. "Compared to back then? Nothing to worry about. At least here I can use my quirk for defense without fear - back then I wasn't allowed even that, lest the brats try to use it against me, claim I attacked first."
"I even had a kid pull a knife on me once, that's the fight that left my shoulder screwed up." She tips her head toward her right side, where his hand is still resting. "Just the one cut, he wouldn't have even gotten that much if he hadn't jumped me like a coward."
He shakes his head slowly. "I understand where you’re coming from, I just... I worry about you."
"Hey." She bats her wing into him again, then uses it to tug him closer. "I thought we agreed that I can handle myself."
A reminder of one of their first long conversations, of the night they became friends, when Shoto had been afraid that he hurt her.
"I know you can." His shoulders fall slightly, a little bit of her levity finally breaking through to him. "I have plenty of experience with that by now."
Ryumi's grin widens. "See? So you know I'll be fine."
Once again, he shakes his head. "But there's no need to... It's not like he'll change anyway. And it doesn't bother me. It's a pointless risk."
"Shoto."
"Ryumi."
They stare at each other with looks that are at once intense and playful.
The moment hangs there until Ryumi finally shifts to face him, taking his hands in hers.
"You're worth fighting for. Okay? I know you don't like it, I know you don't want to see me hurt." She takes a breath. She knows at least some of it is because of the way his father treated him, but she doesn't say it, not now. "But... you're worth it. I love you, so don't say that you don't deserve respect, alright?"
He doesn't respond right away, but as she watches, she can see his eyes start to turn watery.
She releases his hands only to pull him into a tight embrace, ignoring the ache of moving her wings to wrap around him. With shaking hands, he pulls her closer, laying his head on her shoulder.
"You're my treasure, and you matter. Anyone who says otherwise is gonna have to deal with me."
Shoto squeezes her once more, then pulls halfway back to look in her eyes. He sniffles, tear tracks on his cheeks, though a sort of wry smile is threatening to peek out. "...Even my father?"
"Of course!" She grins, delicately separating his bangs where the colors had gotten mixed up during the hug. "I'd even have fought All Might during his prime, if it was for you."
A faint laugh escapes him. "Thanks... My loyal knight."
"Anything for my prince.”