𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔢

word count: 1647

Midoriya POV

"Y-you wanted to talk, Todoroki-kun?"

He stands across from me in the tunnel-type hall leading from the stadium to outside. A spring-time breeze passes between us and his hair swirls around his face.

"Midoriya," he begins. "I have to tell you how I feel."

"I-"

"I never used my left side in battle... because of my bastard of a father. But when push came to shove, and your team attacked mine, I used it. I wanted to win without it, because then I'll have denied him everything... but I only won the calvary battle because I used it against you." He pauses and takes a breath. "I broke my own pledge because of you. And I'm going to use my fire against you if we have a tournament together. I'm breaking the promise I made, because of you... but I'm okay with that."

"Todoroki-kun? What are you saying?" Where is he going with this?

"I'm telling you that you've opened my eyes about everything... because if it weren't for you, I would never be able to succeed. You changed my mind, and..." he stops. "I love you for that," he finishes simply.

"Huh?" I falter. He loves me? A love confession? What do I say to that? I can't accept it, because Kacchan owns my heart.

"Todoroki-kun, I'm glad you feel differently about your quirk..." I hesitate. "...but there's someone else I love," I finish with a whisper.

His gaze remains steady, and I wonder briefly if he has any emotions at all. "I understand," he says quietly. "Thank you for hearing me out, Midoriya-kun." He walks away.

Bakugo POV

I stop before turning the corner when I hear Icyhot's voice.

"...only won the calvary battle because I used it against you. I broke my own pledge because of you. And I'm going to use my fire against you if we have a tournament together. I'm breaking the promise I made, because of you... but I'm okay with that."

He must be talking about his left side, I realise.

"Todoroki-kun? What are you saying?" I hear the response — he's talking to Deku.

"I'm telling you that you've opened my eyes about everything... because if it weren't for you, I would never be able to succeed."

Geez, this guy rambles a whole fucking lot.

"You changed my mind, and..." he stops. "I love you for that," I hear him confess. What the hell? I unexplainably feel like crushing Icyhot to pieces, even more than usual.

"Huh?" Deku gasps. "Todoroki-kun, I'm glad you feel differently about your quirk..." he trails off. I strain my ears as much as I can, but I can't hear his final mumbled response.

"Thank you for hearing me out, Midoriya-kun."

I clench my fists. I just wanna get out of here. I turn back the way I came from and go to find some food, or something, anything, to take my mind off what I just heard.

Damn it. Why is it bothering me so much?! To hell with them both. They can be a stupid shitty couple, for all I fucking care.

—

"One on one battles — epic tournaments progressing in rounds to determine the four winners of the U.A. Sport's Festival!" Present Mic trills. "It's all so exciting! Our first match is between our high-ranking Izuku Midoriya of the hero course and a lay-low-type guy, Hitoshi Shinso of general studies! Let the first tournament beeeeeegiiiiiiiiin!!!!"

I cross my arms in my seat next to Dunce-face. Time to watch Deku get crushed. This should be good... Monkey dropped out after being on Purple-mop's team, claiming memory loss after his quirk. What kind of quirk is it?

Purple-mop doesn't make any attack. Instead, he says calmly, "Your friend with the tail is pretty stupid, going on about his 'pride'. No time for that, not if you fools really want to win this," he drawls.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY FRIEND?!" Deku shouts. Suddenly, he freezes in his tracks.

"It's my win." Eye-bags smirks. "Now walk out of the ring like a good little boy."

Deku obeys.

"What's this?!" Present Mic shrieks. I lean forward in my seat, interested. "Midoriya's following orders like a tame puppy! It must be... Hitoshi Shinso, Quirk: BRAINWASHING! By verbally responding to him, he can control his victim's actions!"

"Woah — Midoriya's got no hope!" Kaminari gasps next to me.

A villainous quirk, I consider.

"Must be nice to be so blessed, huh?" Purple-mop asks Deku, who can't respond. "I couldn't get in to the hero course because of my quirk... everyone always said I'd end up a villain," he voices my opinion exactly. "But even with a quirk like mine... I have dreams of becoming a hero. Now..." he grins maliciously. "Bow out for me."

BANG!

Deku breaks the trance and smashes his finger into the ground, shattering the bone along with his dazed state. He spins around to face Eye-bags.

"Wha- how did you do that?!" The purple-haired guy shouts in bewilderment, his calm facade gone.

Deku doesn't answer. He charges at Shinso with a punch.

"SAY SOMETHING, GODDAMNIT!" He yells.

Mouth clamped shut, Deku continues to drive Purple-mop towards the edge of the ring with forceful kicks, but not using his quirk.

Eye-bags' foot slips over the marker. "Shinso is out of the ring! Midoriya advances to round two!" Midnight announces.

The crowd goes ballistic, standing to their feet to applaud the end of the first match. I stay seated, arms crossed.

Kaminari stands on his seat and whistles between his fingers. He turns to me. "Bakubaku!" That damn nickname. "Have the decency to at least applaud!"

I huff. But I stand up, and clap my hands together in an even beat, slower than the rest of the crowd.

Deku, still standing in the ring, scans his eyes over the crowd, taking in the praise. His eyes land on me. His face erupts into an enormous grin when he sees my clapping.

—

The other extras complete their rounds, most of them quick with a predictable outcome. Then, it is my the final match — my turn. I'm up against Round Face.

I take my place in the ring. "You're the floaty bitch, right? I If you're gonna back out, do it now," I growl. "Crying later won't cut it."

She gives me a steely glare.

"STAAAAART!"

She runs at me from beneath, and I give her a full on blast. I see her on the floor. Time to finish this off for an easy win. "Now die," I snarl, throwing another explosion, and—

"A FUCKING JACKET!" I yell. "I'm coming for you, you bitch!"

She runs at me from low again and again, and I repeatedly knock her away with explosions. Still, she's relentless.

"Shouldn't we stop this?" Murmurs rise up from the crowd.

"Fools," Aizawa takes the microphone. "Maybe Bakugo wouldn't notice from his position, but those of you in the audience who haven't seen her plan are too naive. By going in from beneath each time, Uraraka has kept her opponent's attention on the ground and created..."

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I rage. The bitch made all the shards of rock float, using the smoke from my blasts as a smoke-screen?! This must have been fucking Deku's idea!

"I'M WINNING THIS!!" Pink-cheeks shrieks. "REEEEELEASSSEEE!"

The chunks of rock fall simultaneously from the sky.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" I yell . I channel all my energy, power, and sweat into the strongest blast of nitro-glycerin that I can manage. Flame and smoke fills the air, accompanied by the smell of burning. Rubble rains down over everything.

"No!" she cries. "I can still... I can..." she goes limp and flops to the ground. "D-dad..." she squeaks out, before her eyes flutter shut.

"Uraraka is out! Bakugo moves onto round two! And that concludes the first round of the tournament!"

—

I stomp up the stairs and see Deku standing at the top of them, in my damn way.

"LOOKING TO DIE, SCUM?" I demand.

"H-h-hi, Kacchan, n-no, I'm just going to the prep round, because I'm up next... w-well bye!" he hurries away, but I stride up the remainder of the stairs and grab the back of his shirt, wrenching him toward me.

"Was that your idea, that goddamn self-sacrificing scheme of hers?" I snap. "Stop fucking everything up for me, dweeb! Quit busting me up with your damn ideas!"

"N-no... Uraraka came up with that by herself..." he stutters, then regains his composure. "So if it's a problem, it was Uraraka who 'busted you up'."

I glare at him. That plan... she came up with it herself? It seemed like one of his nerdy schemes. Damn.

"Stupid Deku," I murmur.

Taking a hold of his wrist with one hand, I clutch the front of his shirt and pull him in close, so close.

"K-kacch—"

I crash my lips onto his, cutting him short. Pressing myself against him, I can feel his entire body stiffen in surprise for a moment, before sinking deep into the kiss. He lets out the softest of moans, and I take the opportunity to slide my tongue in between his supple lips.

His hands wrap around me, pressing onto my back. I slide my own hands into his tangle of emerald hair... it is unbelievably soft.

I break away, forbidding myself to let whatever this is go out of control. Stepping back, somewhat reluctantly, I look at his face, flaming crimson. He moves a shaky hand to touch his lips reverently. "W-wha..."

"Don't talk back to me," I growl. "Or I'll do it again." I spin on my heel and stomp away.

I just kissed Deku. And I fucking liked it.