Ashley rushed to get to the arena where the sports festival was taking place. On the way there she got updates on her phone as she sat in the back seat of the cab she was in. She'd seen Kirishima's battle with that other hardening guy, who might as well have been his brother, as well as the previous rounds where she saw her brother and Todoroki do well in, obviously. It was time for Todoroki's fight with Midoriya, she'd noticed that the whole time he had held himself back only using his ice quirk. As the battle started on her small phone screen she noticed they had almost arrived at the arena. She watched live as Midoriya seemed frustrated with the half and half boy for his holding back of power. Ashley watched anxiously as the cab arrived to her destination. She jumped out of the car, handing over the fare to the driver before running with all her might into the arena. She flew through the hallways, dodging the few people walking by and as she reached the middle floor audience entrance she almost threw herself on the barrier as she stopped herself from falling on to the second level.
"IT'S YOUR POWER, ISN'T IT?" Midoriya yelled to the iced up boy. They both looked in rough shape and as soon as Midoriya asked the question that made Todoroki question everything he his eyes found her. The link was immediate and intense, she could see everything in is mind; from his father's abuse to the accident with his mother to all to resentment for his father and his power. She softened her anxious face and smiled at the boy who was fixated on her, it seemed to all last an eternity but in actual fact it was a matter for seconds. You're not him.
That was it. Fire engulfed the boy, the shocked gasps of the audience who were taken aback from the overwhelming power of the flames. Within a few seconds the boy was visible through the ocean of red and orange. The attention was taken away for a few seconds by Endeavour's "encouraging" words for his son's sudden acceptance of his own quirk, to which Ashley grimaced. She watched as the two boys exchanged a few words before Todoroki stomped him right foot down, which cause ice to form and the air to chill. What happened next happened so quickly that if it weren't for Cementoss and Midnight's intervening Midoriya would have probably been burnt alive. Both boys raised their arms to wind in the power and as it released locks of stone formed between the two as the air seemed to explode. The blast was stronger than Bakugo's own, the wind was warm and strong. As the dust cleared it was clear. Midoriya lay against the back wall of the arena, out of bounds, and Todoroki stood in the same spot where he had been, the left side of his uniform jacket burnt off. He stood there with his eyes wide open and his breathe fast and heavy; once he processed what had just happened his eyes found Ashley's once more, who stood grasping the barrier smiling back at him in relief and pride.
"Todoroki wins!" Midnight announced and the crowd went mad. Ashley felt a jolt of excitement as her smile increased. Without another thought she ran out to the hallways toward the student quarters where the infirmary and green rooms were. When she ran round a corner her face was met with a soft but firm cushion and when she looked up she saw the blue purplish hair.
"Hitoshi!" she exclaimed, "I haven't seen you around I ages, you did really well in the festival." she told the boy who stood in front of her, his eyes filled with a soft sleepiness.
He gave her a single bow of the head, "Thanks... could have done better..." he said almost whispering in his low and raspy voice.
Ashley smiled at him and shook her head, "The festival means nothing for your power. Both Kirishima and Ida has really string quirks and neither of them placed." she explained to him. He stood facing the girl as she reassured him. She was the one that found him 2 years ago and encouraged him to apply to UA in the first place. Sure, he was place in general education but it's a whole lot better than he ever thought.
"Shinso." a man's voice called from behind Ashley which made both turn their attention to him, him being Aizawa. "A word, please?" the teacher asked the boy. Ashley smiled at her father, knowing what he wanted to discuss with him. She had urged him to train Shinso privately for years and after his progress in the festival he was on board.
Shinso nodded and walked away with the teacher. Ashley stood smiling in their direction before remembering where she was headed. She ran down the hall to waiting room one where Todoroki would have been asked to prepare and wait from the final. She got to the door and threw the door open to reveal the empty room. She walked in and closed the door behind her; she took in everything that had happened in the mere 5 minutes she had been at the festival. The sound of the door sliding open made her turn to meet the half and half boy's eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he shut the door behind him and took a single step forward before he was enveloped into the girls arms. She held onto him for dear life, her arms around his neck and her head placed firmly in the nook between his neck and shoulder. Todoroki froze not knowing what had happened.
"You did it, you used your fire." he heard her whisper to him, muffled against him. He melted, she was the final piece to him letting go of his resentment towards his quirk. He snaked his arms around her waist delicately almost scared for her to notice. He didn't hold her tightly, though he wanted nothing more, but as he placed his hands flat on her back he felt the same warmth he had felt that first night in the rain. He was about the speak when the sound of the door sliding open made them both jump out of their skins. They turned to see Bakugo stood there looking as annoyed at the world as ever. Both teens hoped they had broken away before he could have seen them.
He stared at the two, who had jumped feet apart, blinking for a few seconds. "WHAT THE ARE YOU DO- THIS IS WAITI-" he yelled as he shifted his eye between the signs around the door and the two. He mumbled to himself realising he had the wrong waiting room and took one last suspicious look a the two, but as he didn't feel like having a chat he just scoffed and stomped down the hall. Ashley and Todoroki stood staring at the door after he left, hearts pounding and lumps in throats. Ashley sighed, as she tried to catch a glimpse of the boy beside her without moving her head.
"I uhm should go." she said stumbling over her words. She took a few steps to the door before she stopped and turned back to the boy. "And um..." she started the boy's attention fully on her. "Kick my brother's ass, ok?" she joked, a smile hitting her lips once again. Surprisingly, he smiled back and even gave a signle tone laugh through his exhale. Ashley rolled her eyes at herself for feeling the butterflies when he did and without another word she left him to prepare.
The air lay thick in the arena, as the audience sat quiet in anticipation and the two boys faced each other. Bakugo seemed even more irritated than usual as he glared over at Todoroki, who seemed quite calm at the moment. As the siren rang for the battle to start Bakugo didn't wait one second more to propel himself toward Todoroki and deliver an earth shaking explosion. Luckily Todoroki was fast and used his ice to slide out of the way, rolling onto the ground to fluidly stand up once more. He sent growing peaks of ice toward the explosive boy, hoping to catch him or at least slow him down. The constant back and forth went on for several minutes, neither boy letting themselves be caught and Todoroki had reverted to only using his ice once more.
In the audience stands, Ashley watched the boys fight with an increasingly nervous aura. She watched their back and forth and knew either way this went, it wouldn't end well. The two boys seemed to close the distance and their fight became more and more close combat. Bakugo slid along the floor covered in ice and as he closed in on Todoroki he lost his balance and almost tripped over himself which allowed Todoroki to grab him as he slid passed. Bakugo was never going to let him have the upper hand so he twist around to try and push Todoroki down by his shoulders but was met with equal force back at him. The two stared down with Bakugo's eye seeming to burn through Todoroki's.
"What's your problem?" Todoroki snapped, Bakugo was usually angry but this was much more.
"YOU TELL ME, ICY HOT." Bakugo bit back as he tried to push Todoroki to the ground but failed.. "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SMART SNEAKING AROUND..." he continued to comment. Todoroki's eyes widened, knowing where he was going with this. "...YOU SLEEPING WITH MY SISTER YOU ASSHOLE?" He finally asked, fully believing he already knew the answer. Todoroki's eyes didn't deny it, wider than a deer caught in the headlights. Bakugo was going to snap again as he finally managed to push the ice user away from him. "LIKE HELL AM I HAVING YOUR STUPID ASS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY FAMILY." he finally commented. Todoroki, being glad he wasn't speaking loud enough for others to here, hadn't replied until this moment.
"How bout you focus on the fight?" he yelled over to him.
Bakugo smirked almost evilly as he prepped for another explosion of his. "YOU WANT ME TO FOCUS? HOW BOUT YOU STOP HOLDING BACK AND USE YOUR STUPID LEFT SIDE LIKE YOU DID WITH THAT IDIOT!"
Something snapped in Todoroki as his inner conflict grew stronger. His eyes looked up into the stands to find Ashley where she was earlier, at the barriers, looking down directly at him and it clicked. Please. She mouthed but the reason Todoroki could hear her is she was using her quirk like before. Todoroki raised his left arm as Bakugo came flying towards him. Fire ignited his arm for all of 3 seconds, that until the memories of pain, abuse and loss came rushing back to him, and they disappeared.
Ashley caught her own breathe as she saw it all unfold in his head, "...I'm so sorry..." she whispered to herself as she watched Bakugo close in on him and deliver the largest explosion he had delivered to date.
"WOAHHHHHH THAT WAS INTENSE! THE WINNER IS..." Present Mic announced and as the smoke and dust cleared the audience stands filled with gasps as they saw Todoroki's passed out figure on the rubble of the back wall of the arena. "...IS...IS...BAKUGO!" Mic announced and most of the audience erupted into cheers. Ashley stood at the barriers looking down at the scene of her brother refusing to take the win based on the fact that Todoroki hadn't used his full power against him. She smiled sadly at the boy who lay blacked out on the ground. You tried.
The award ceremony went on with Tokoyami in 3rd, Todoroki in 2nd and Bakugo in 1st place, still refusing to accept it. He had been tied and muzzled to avoid him imploding the whole arena. Ashley left to meet Aizawa to fill him in on the meeting, though the whole time she seemed distracted by something.
"Is something the matter?" her father asked her as they cleared the booth he had sat in with Mic. Still looking quite dazed she shook her head.
"I'm fine... just a little tired I guess." she replied to him. "I was thinking, as there's no class tomorrow, is it cool if I stay at Mina's tonight?" she asked the bandaged up man.
"I see no issue with that. Just make sure you get to your training on time." he told her. She nodded ans smiled back at him and with that they left.
Later that night Todoroki lay on his bed, Recovery Girl had done a number on him when healing him and he was exhausted. The whole house echoed at every small sound and even though he was exhausted he was still wide awake.
Tap tap tap
The sound came from the window which made Todoroki jump out of his skin and that didn't happen often. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared in the direction of the window wondering if he had imagined the tapping. He stood up and walked over the the window and clear the curtains to reveal Ashley crouched into the large tree branches that stood parallel to the house. His eyes widened and he opened the window.
"We have a front door, you know?" he said to her as she climbed into his room. Ashley laughed nervously at his comment as she closed the window behind her.
"I didn't want to wake people up or... run into anyone..." she told him.
"Well, nobody is actually in..." he responded, she looked at him and her eyes opened in surprise.
"You're alone? After the festival?" she asked him, a sad tone to her voice.
He nodded at her as he looked down at the floor, "Conflict of schedules, I guess." he said. It made sense.
They stood in silence for a few time stretched seconds until Ashley decided to speak up. "Y-you did really well... I didn't know if you...uhm were actually going to use i-it, your fire quirk I m-mean." she was adorable when she was nervous and stumbled over her words. He resisted the urge to take her face in his hands and kiss her and simply nodded.
"T-thanks... neither did I." he told her. She knew the battle within him was complicated, but to be honest so was hers. That's when it happened again, their eyes met directly and they were lost.
"I-I'm sorry I used my quirk on you... twice..." she said, the gap between them becoming smaller and smaller.
Todoroki shook his head slowly as he drew nearer to her, "I-I'm somewhat glad you did." he told her still being pulled in towards her.
"That's good..." she replied, those final couple of inches closing as he nodded back at her and their lips connected. The kiss started off soft and sweet, like it had been many times before, but a sudden urge filled both of the teens and it almost turned into two hungry wild cats attacking their prey. His arm swing to her back and pulled her in closer. Her hands reached into his hair and held on for dear life. So much desire overcoming the both of them, it seemed like it would never end. That's when Todoroki broke from her and took a step back. Ashley was caught off guard as the moment was cut short.
"W-we should stop... or I won't be able to hold myself back anymore..." he whispered to her, his eye avoiding her and firmly toward the ground. He went to take one more step back to be able to control himself when Ashley reached to grab his arm and stop him from moving any further.
"Then don't."