Once upon a time, young Asui Tsuyu had dreamed of becoming a hero. She would use her quirk to save people and show them that no matter how weird or useless a frog quirk sounded, it was just as strong as any other quirk. However, her dream ended early, when her mother died, leaving behind a heartbroken father and three younger brothers. The kind and responsible Tsuyu couldn't leave them behind to pursue her dream, and when the train to Tokyo stopped at the station, she didn't board, turning her back on UA's entrance exam.
"Asui-san, the new strains should be arriving today. The delivery was delayed so you'll have to stay on late for them." The president of the Tokyo aquarium wiggled his fins nervously, and Tsuyu sent him an encouraging smile.
"Of course! It's no problem at all!"
Asui Tsuyu was a marine biologist, who worked at Tokyo's prestigious aquarium, dedicated to preserving wildlife. That night they were set to receive a shipment of highly poisonous fish and the ever responsible Tsuyu stayed overtime to care for the delivery process.
The empty hallways were dark, as most of the lights were turned off to allow the fishes to rest. Familiar with the layout of the building, she walked past the darkened displays, making her way to the back, where deliveries were made. Dutifully, Tsuyu made sure the temperature and conditions of the temporary tanks were adjusted for the proper living conditions.
While waiting for the truck to arrive, she checked her phone, browsing through the latest news. Her feed was full of heroic tales, and Tsuyu smiled as she followed her favorites. She hadn't ever met any of them in person during her time in Tokyo, but she enjoyed Deku's earnestness and admired Dynamight's powerful personality.
Tapping on a video that was only a few minutes old, she admired the dynamic duo fighting together against a villain. She noticed that it had happened only a few blocks away from the aquarium and for a second she wondered if she could quickly walk over and see if any of them were still there, but remembering that she was waiting on precious wildlife that could arrive at any second, Tsuyu relinquished the idea.
Sighing sadly, she checked the time. It was already 9 pm and no sign of the driver. Tsuyu considered calling the director, but at that moment a van began pulling into the small parking area. Relieved, Tsuyu stood up, watching the car slowly make its way to her. The driver had his face hidden underneath a cap, which Tsuyu found odd, considering it was nighttime.
"Perhaps he has a quirk he wishes to hide." Tsuyu turned towards the water tanks, opening them. She understood the potential complications any quirk could provide and had long stopped judging anything as weird.
The driver stopped by the edge of the curb, and Tsuyu waited for him to open the door. As soon as the side of the van slid open, she noticed the secure, locked safe that held the poisonous fish. It had been a demand from the government, that any potentially dangerous aquatic life be transported inside a safe.
Tsuyu took the safe out, bringing it closer to the water tanks. Being the trusting person she was, she turned her back to the driver, focused on the safety of the animals. She still remembered the code and worried about the potential issues that may have arisen due to the delay, Tsuyu quickly punched it in. The safe opened, revealing all the glowing purple fishes swimming slowly and peacefully in a portable aquarium.
She was about to thank the driver when something cold touched her neck.
"Don't move, this is a gun." A rough voice sounded behind her. Tsuyu felt the fear rise inside her heart. "Put your hands up." Tsuyu slowly raised her hands. She considered her options and was about to try something reckless when another voice echoed.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The coldness in her neck pressed harder and Tsuyu whimpered a little.
"If you try anything, hero, I'll shoot her."
Tsuyu felt relieved that there was a hero there but was still worried about her status as a hostage. She wished she could look behind her, and see who her savior was. In the tense silence of the moment, her eyes wandered to the peacefully unaware fishes in the tank.
The glass reflected the figure standing on top of the van and Tsuyu recognized him. Thinking quickly, a plan formed in her mind. She knew he was fast, if she could buy just one second, he'd surely save the day. Closing her eyes, she sent out her long tongue to smack her assailant. She missed him, but she managed to distract him enough. Two loud explosions rang and Tsuyu grabbed the tank of fish, leaping away to safety. Using her quirk she held on to the ceiling as the two men struggled underneath. Dynamight's movements were too smooth, and the driver-turned villain was quickly rendered unconscious. With his hands on his hips, he looked upwards at her and Tsuyu met his sharp red eyes with her scared black ones.
"You can come down now." He rested a foot atop the bad guy and Tsuyu jumped down. In the confusion, the aquarium had a small web crack and before it could start leaking, Tsuyu ran to the reserve tanks.
Carefully and slowly she transferred the fish under Dynamight's gaze. Once they were all safely stored, Tsuyu finally properly faced her hero.
"Thanks for saving us, kero. These little ones are poisonous so I guess he wanted to take them for some nefarious deeds." Tsuyu croaked. She brought a finger to her lips, nervous to stand underneath Dynamight's intense gaze.
"Hm. Good to know. Make sure that's locked up safely." He bent down and hauled the man on his shoulder. "I'll take him to the police." With a short nod, he began walking away. It was only later, as she was locking the door to her office that she realized she forgot to ask for his autograph.
.
.
.
Bakugo stared at the building in front of him with a scowl. He wondered what he was doing there, thinking he was an idiot. Sure, she was pretty, but was it worth it to spend his precious free time there on the chance that he might see her again?
Growling lowly he entered the wide-open doors, following the crowd of children and parents. Once inside he quickly simmered down, admiring the large displays, and the wide variety of life that resided within them. He knew fishes existed, but they'd never been more than food to him. Now he realized how many sizes, colors, and styles they came in. He took his time walking past all the different displays, even stopping at a couple of them.
He followed the pathways, his original intent completely forgotten until he bumped into her. His battle instincts came forward and he quickly stabilized her before she could stumble. She fixed big black eyes on him, looking surprised.
"Sorry." He muttered.
"It's ok."
He noticed that she looked even prettier under proper lighting. Her hair was long and silky, of a pleasant deep green. Her nose was small and petite, and her mouth wide, as if she was someone used to smiling. Embarrassed to look at her curious face he looked down and noticed the small card that hung from her neck.
Her name was Asui Tsuyu and she was a lead marine biologist. Realizing that they'd been silently staring at each other, Bakugo quickly thought of anything to say.
"Do you know if there are any uh, orcas?" Bakugo cursed himself. He sounded like an idiot.
"Ah yes, our large species section is this way. I can show you." She smiled at him and began walking away. He followed her obediently cursing himself. He was always a headstrong person, but now he was behaving like a bigger idiot than Deku.
As he followed her, he noticed her body was shapely, and to distract himself from any potential lewd thoughts, he focused on the bow made by her hair. He noticed her fingers were long and that she wore raised shoes.
He wondered what her quirk was. She had done something weird with her tongue and had stuck to the ceiling with a wide jump. In his life as a pro-hero, he'd never seen a civilian act in such a cool-headed fashion and use their quirks in creative ways. Usually, all they did was cry, scream and cling to him.
"Here we are, kero." She pointed towards a huge water tank where a large black orca swam lazily. He was reminded of his time at U.A. and Gang Orca.
She began walking away from him, and Bakugo watched her go, wondering what to do with himself.
His first reaction was denial, but after two weeks of being mad at himself for constantly thinking about her, he returned to the aquarium, buying a frequent customer pass. He never talked to her, happy to just sit lounge around, watching her and the marine life around him.
I'm posting my first multi-chapter Katsuyu fic! Make sure to come back every week for the updates!