Chapter 20
Stu(dying)
Akatsuki (10:35 AM)
Ready when you are
Akatsuki (10:37 AM)
Also we're taking the train
Saturday had arrived. Rei had slept in as long as she dared, or rather, she had remained bunched up underneath the blankets of her bed, too invigorated and nervous about the day's plans that she was unable to return to sleep. Cursing herself as she flipped around in her bed every few minutes, she was eventually resigned to getting up and preparing for the day, rolling out of the bed with a thud and a groan. She took her time getting ready, brushing and fluffing her hair out after washing her face, wandering to her drawers and closet and pulling through outfits with disdain. What was she going to wear? Something nice-no, not something too nice. She didn't want to seem like she was overdoing it. Casual then. It was easy enough to eliminate half of her wardrobe, most of it consisting of athletic and bummy clothing.
Eventually she settled on a pair of white shorts with a sleeveless, black, high necked tunic top, a recent addition to her wardrobe since shopping in Shibuya with Reina and Hotaru. The chiffon top probably wasn't the best idea, since the material wasn't the most breathable, but Rei was determined to wear it. Of all the things she had, it was probably the nicest but most casual item she had.
She scowled. Why was she panicking over a study session? Stupid self.
Picking up her phone and yanking the charging cable a bit more violently than usual due to her own irritation, she breathed in deeply before sending her message to Bakugou. Tossing it onto her bed she began to restock her backpack, stripping the contents down to only what she would need to study. It was a few minutes before she received a response, phone vibrating cheerily before Rei picked it up with dread.
Bakugou (10:58 AM)
Too damn early
His message was enough to put a grin on her face. Typical. Punching another message back, the smile never left her face as she continued to move around her room, pulling together more supplies. Wallet, money, train pass. The phone vibrated again, a much faster response this time. Rei opened the screen to see what he had responded with, punching out her own reply while multitasking.
Akatsuki (11:00 AM)
Hurry up. I'm hungry
Bakugou (11:01 AM)
Then eat something now
Akatsuki (11:02 AM)
I'm eating at the cafe. Hurry your ass up
Bakugou (11:02 AM)
I'm gonna kick your ass
Akatsuki (11:03 AM)
I'll be outside in five
There was no response to her last message, so she tucked her phone into her pocket. Grabbing one of her new pairs of shoes, she pulled out the black athletic shoes from their box in one hand, using her other hand to grab her bag and slowly make her way down to the foyer. It was late enough in the day that both Reina and Hotaru were awake, the former looking much more put together while the latter was still dressed in pajamas, clearly able to exist and operate in the world of the living because of the mug of coffee in her hands. The two of them looked up as they heard Rei's quiet descent thumping on the stairs, smiles on their faces.
"Good morning!" Reina was chirrupy as usual, a beaming ray of sunshine. "Heading out already?"
"Bakugou just woke up, so he'll be a little longer."
Reina scowled. "Shame on him, making a lady wait."
"Sounds like someone had the right idea for a weekend." Hotaru was hilariously barely coherent still, eyelids blinking slowly and blearily as a hand covered her mouth as it stretched open in a yawn. Rei only rolled her eyes at the two of them, sitting down and tugging the shoes onto her feet.
"Just a study session, nee-san."
"I know. Still."
Hotaru smacked Reina playfully on the arm, sending a dry look at her girlfriend. "Let her have some peace, especially since I can't."
"Aww, but you were up already!"
"Not nearly enough."
Standing up and readjusting her pack, Rei ran through her materials again, double checking to make sure she had everything. There was a grin on her face, listening to the two banter back and forth. It was heartwarming to watch the two of them, so clearly in love even despite their differences. Rei wasn't sure that she would be able to have the endless patience that Hotaru did for Reina's early wake up times, especially when she occasionally forced her partner awake. Especially on the weekend. Rei shuddered at the thought.
Finally certain that she was ready and giving her bag a triple check before finding satisfaction in her preparations, she turned back to her guardians. "I'll be back before dinner. I'll text you."
"Please do." Reina waved cheerily from the couch, Hotaru simply lifting a hand and giving a weary smile. "Have fun!"
She could hear the way her words were laced with insinuations, enough to make Rei roll her eyes as she turned away, opening the door and slipping through. The air was already hot, making Rei thankful that at least she was wearing a sleeveless top. Locking the door and making her way toward the street, she fiddled with her phone aimlessly as she made her way to stand outside the gate to Bakugou's residence.
There was a text from Yaoyorozu that she had just received, wishing her luck with a suspicious looking smiley face at the end of the text. Rei had told her best friend everything about her plans for the day. What was there left that she didn't know, at least that was current? Of course the text was much too kind and uplifting and encouraging, though much more tame in comparison to Reina's wiggling eyebrows and flirtatious looks, but Rei still sensed that there was a similar nature to the text. Huffing under her breath, she punched at the keys almost angrily, thanking her friend and skirting around any promises to text her later.
She wasn't so distracted that she almost missed hearing the front door of Bakugou's house open, perceptive hearing just picking up the sound and making her look up in curiosity. Tumbling through the doorway came a familiar mop of messy ash blonde hair, the door slamming behind him as he muttered curses under his breath. Tugging his bag over his shoulder he practically stormed out of the front yard to stand in front of Rei, clearly fuming about something that had just happened. Rei only blinked, taking in his appearance as he slowly began to calm down. "Morning."
He muttered something that sounded like a good morning, although it was obscured as he stooped down to fix his shoelaces, apparently having stormed out the door so quickly that even his shoes weren't yet properly fixed on his feet. "Where're we going?"
"Kumo City."
"Hah? For a cafe?"
Rei scowled darkly, glaring down at the boy with eyes following him as he stood to his full height. "It's my favorite. Be thankful I'm committed to paying for you for helping me out."
Red eyes rolled, but the answer seemed to pacify him enough. Taking the lead, Rei began walking down the road, the two of them falling into step. It was almost as though they were heading to school, although the lack of uniforms was a clear reminder that this was not normal. She couldn't help but look at him from the corner of her eye, taking in the casual heather gray t-shirt and dark wash jeans with his usual shoes. Never before had she been so thankful that she had listened to her intuition and dressed as casually as possible, even while straining a bit to look a bit more presentable than her usual. At least she didn't feel like she was terribly outdoing him, what with the plain color scheme that she wore. With a sigh of only slight relief she tucked her phone back into her pocket, hands digging into her shorts nervously.
The trip passed in mostly silence. Rei was too nervous anyway to say anything, only taking the lead as soon as they reached their platform and taking off into the streets of the city she had not long ago called home. Everything seemed familiar but somewhat distant now, the streets filling her with a sense of nostalgia. Was that even possible? She had only been gone for a few weeks now; was that even enough time to create such a sense in her? But it was undeniable as she looked around in fondness, spotting the all too familiar navy blue house on one of the street corners that stood out like a sore thumb. The small yard was filled to the brim with a variety of plants, a jungle nestled in the heart of suburbia. It put a smile on her face as she looked at the house as they passed. It didn't go unnoticed by her companion.
"Why Kumo City?"
It was a fair question. From what Rei had ascertained about Mustafu, there were plenty of small shops and cafes and small coffee shops that they could have gone to. It didn't make much sense to travel all the way to the next city over, and technically the next prefecture over. But Rei only smiled, the nostalgia filling her with a sense of peace that nothing could overcome. Breathing in deep, she exhaled slowly before answering. "I lived here, up until a few weeks ago. Trust me, this cafe is worth it."
They were in fact coming up on said cafe, the small shop and its glass panes glistening in the early afternoon light. Rei pushed through the door first, the familiar jingle of a few small bells sounding as she pushed the manual door open with a smile. Much to her delight, Mamaru was adjusting the display at the front, the woman lighting up at Rei's entrance.
"Well, if it isn't one of my favorite customers!" Her eyes lingered on Bakugou briefly before completely focusing on Rei, smile never wavering. "And a friend! What'll you be having today?"
"The usual for me." Turning to Bakugou, she gestured for him to step forward and order. He seemed to be caught off guard at this for a moment, having been looking around the space with vague interest. Giving him time and privacy Rei broke away, scouting a table in the far corner. There were a few other patrons in the shop, most appearing to enjoy their coffee in either solitude or quietly conversing with companions, mugs wrapped in their hands in their small worlds. Putting her bag down at a table in the far corner she rummaged around for her wallet, pulling it out and returning to the register just as Bakugou had apparently finished ordering. She handed her card to Mamaru, the woman ringing her up with a strange twinkle in her eye. Rei only blinked as the total appeared, a frown on her face. "That's not what it should be."
"Employee discount for my favorite. I seriously miss your help. Any chance you're looking for a summer job?"
Rei smiled wryly, signing off on the tab. "School training trip, unfortunately. I'm sure you'll manage without me."
The woman sighed dramatically. "But it's so lonely! I do miss you, my dear. Give Reina my love too, and tell her to visit soon." Rei only dipped her head with a serene smile, heading back to the table as Mamaru waved her away. She would be back later with their order anyway. Turning back, she watched as Bakugou began to pull out his notes, a surprisingly determined look on his face. With a hard swallow she quickly made her way back to the table, pulling out her own materials to catch up with his own.
"You worked here?"
Rei looked up in surprise. He had heard that? "Yes," she began tentatively, not sure how much information she wanted to give, or how much he wanted to hear. But he only looked at her blankly, Rei accepting it as his own motion for her to continue. "I started in middle school. My mentor got me a job here."
"Was that even legal?"
At this Rei's lips twitched, a devious look on her face. "That's need-to-know only."
He apparently found her comment amusing, a small smirk fluttering across his face for a moment before returning to its serious demeanor. "Let's start with math."
Switching gears, Rei turned serious to match his own attitude, face focusing. "I have pretty much everything until this past week's lessons. You?"
"I've got it all."
Rei grinned. "Alright Mr. Hero. Show me your notes."
He flipped his own book around, Rei passing her own in exchanged. For a few minutes the two poured over one another's works, flipping through the pages, although Bakugou moved a little more quickly than Rei. At least reading was easier than processing the lectures. She was broken from her concentration as Mamaru brought their drinks and snacks, a chocolate croissant for Rei and a tiramisu for her study partner. Picking up the hot latte eagerly she sipped the frothy beverage, peering over the rim of the mug as she stared at the notes, being more careful than usual not to spill anything.
"I don't get it."
Bakugou's growling voice make Rei look up suddenly, peering at him in confusion. His brows were furrowed, pure confusion on his face. It made Rei confused herself; what was so perplexing about her notes? Surely she hadn't written anything embarrassing in the margins, had she? But he flipped through a few more pages, peering closely at her neat penmanship, as though looking for some sort of flaw. "How are your notes this good, but you're so bad at the midterm?"
Her reflexive reaction was to answer with a sarcastic comment, but her lips froze right as they parted, words halting on the tip of her tongue, unable to spill over. Immediately she closed her mouth, zipping her lips together and pressing them into a thin line. Sitting up straight, she backed away from his notes, sitting back in the chair as she sipped at her drink, watching him reservedly with sharp golden eyes. "That's… a personal question."
"Huh?" He peered at her, squinting as though it would help him to ascertain a better answer. He seemed adamant, undeterred by her vague explanation. With a sigh she set the cup down on the table, although she didn't release it.
"I'm not good at lectures. I'm good at reading and memorizing the information from the books, but the lectures are what get me." It was an admission of weakness, something that she had known for a while. It was a secret between her and Reina, something that she guarded closely. But she found herself opening up, even if just a bit. He deserved to know why she had asked him to study. "That's why I asked you to study. I've already compared notes with Momo, and there's no way in hell I'm asking Iida for help."
At her mention of the top two ranked students in the class Bakugou bristled, clearly agitated at being reminded how he was currently ranked below the two model students. But learning Rei's true intention seemed to lower his irritation at least marginally, enough so that he didn't act out, aside from a scoff and a toss of his head. "Whatever. Just look at my notes and ask me what questions you have."
It was as good as it was going to get. He didn't ask any more questions, didn't insult her ability to learn. Thankfully, that was all Rei needed. The nerves were subsiding, allowing her to focus a bit more clearly on the task at hand. With a bright grin she nodded her head. "Okay."
The day unexpectedly flew by. Their drinks and snacks had been drained quickly, Rei buying another coffee about halfway through their study session to perk herself up a bit more as her brain began to slump. Not only that, but she had missed Mamaru's espresso. There was something about the coffee served here that was just better than anywhere else. Even after working for the woman for a few years Rei had never figured it out, the woman simply winking every time she asked and proclaiming it was a trade secret, keeping it a mystery so that people would keep coming back. She didn't think that it was anything terribly fancy at this point, but the shop baker and owner had a point, and it was an effective strategy. After all, she had dragged her study partner from the next prefecture over mostly on a selfish whim, proving Mamaru's point as to how good it was..
Strangely enough, Bakugou was a rather effective tutor. After calming down from his irritable morning start he had been solemn and focused, a stark change from his usual irritable demeanor where he often yelled at others. Every time Rei asked a question he was startlingly patient, explaining things in a calm manner that was effective and rather soothing for Rei. It was a bit different that Reina's style, although that was probably for the better. Learning from different people with different approaches would only help her in the long run. Most of the difficult concepts that they had learned over the past week had become markedly clearer in Rei's mind, Bakugou's notes occasionally describing and hitting some details that she hadn't written down in her own set. While her mind was now spinning from an information overload, she was content. At least she wouldn't be cramming in the last week before finals.
She had finished eleventh in the midterms. She would have been fine with the outcome; it was a far leap from where she had begun in middle school, as she had ranked closer to the absolute bottom of not only her class, but the entire grade. Finishing dead center in the middle of the pack was a feat in and of itself, especially considering that she was surrounded by some of the best and the brightest. But the anger had begun boiling since the release of their rankings, simmering until it heated her entire body up. She had finished two places behind Mineta, the absolute disgusting prick that she detested with a burning passion and utter disgust.
How had such a vile pervert finishing in ninth? Her pride wouldn't have it. Rei had wanted to hit the books as soon as possible in order to ensure that she had enough time to perfect the information she did know.
Disgusting. In any case, that was only one major part of her motivation to rank higher and do better on the final. Of course she also wanted to do better for herself, along with being able to prove to Reina that she truly was improving. That was all important too. But there were few motivators in Rei's life like petty ambition and the complete desire to academically pummel people she didn't like. It wasn't impossible either; ninth or eighth place was surely attainable, if she worked hard.
It was such a far reach from where she had been not a few months prior. She had wanted to keep in the middle of the pack, to mind her business, to not stick out too much and to maintain the status quo in order to get where she wanted to go. But instead she found herself striving to be the absolute best she could be. She had friends in high places, who pushed her to improve herself even more.
And yes, spiteing Mineta was part of it too.
But there was only so much information she could cram into her head. It was time to get moving, at least physically so, so that she could refresh herself. Stretching her arms high into the air, Rei scrunched her face tightly for a moment before widening her eyes and blinking rapidly. Sniffling, she set her hands back down on the table. Bakugou looked up at her in confusion and surprise, waiting for her to speak.
"Let's get up and move. We've been here for a while, and I need to get home before dinner anyway." She was rather reluctant to leave. Studying with Bakugou had been rather pleasant. She wouldn't lie either; she wanted to spend more time with the handsome boy in a casual manner, her heart fluttering in her chest as he looked at her with a serious but surprisingly peaceful expression. But he only nodded his head, snapping his notebook shut and beginning to gather his materials.
"You said you lived here." His remark caught Rei off guard, hands pausing as she packed her notebook into her bag. It slid from her fingertips, but her hands lingered over the opening for a moment longer before she gathered her wits about her and continued to pack up. She frowned. It was a strange thing to say.
"Yeah," she drawled, slowly trying to figure out what he wanted. "Why do you ask?"
Bakugou only shrugged his shoulders, putting his pencil case away. "Show me."
Golden eyes blinked once. Then twice. "Huh? Like, around the neighborhood?"
He only shrugged again, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at her impassively. Rei bit her lip in thought, gaze averting as she considered his request. It was strange, no doubt. But she found herself wanting to humor him, if anything, then she could spend more time with him. She tried not to think too much into it. Nodding her head once, her face smoothed over. "Okay. Let's go."
They bussed their dishes away, Rei waving to Mamaru as they departed, the woman entertaining a few guests but tossing a brief wave back at one of her favorite customers. The door jingled as they left the air conditioned space and emerged into the warm, humid weather. Rei sighed, swinging her arms around a few times to get her body moving. "Right. Let's go…" she trailed off, thinking. Where would they go? There really weren't any other places she could go, that she ever really went to besides her middle school or the cemetery. Neither seemed like good places to take a guest. That only left...
Turning down the street, she took off. She hadn't thought that she would ever go back, but perhaps it would bring her a bit more closure. The thoughts silenced her, bringing her to a brooding place. Bakugou didn't seem to mind or voice his opinion, simply falling into step with his companion for the day. He looked around casually, red eyes scanning their surroundings in a lazy fashion. Rei barely noticed, so absorbed in her own thoughts.
The route back to the orphanage was so instinctive, Rei barely had to think about it, her feet carrying her to where she needed to go. Her eyes were slightly glazed over as she thought about the other children. Where had they ended up? Where were they now? Did they think about her? Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over her. Had she even spared them any thoughts over the past few weeks? As much as she wished she had, she found that she had barely spared a sliver of curiosity for their wellbeing, so absorbed in her own life that she had completely forgotten about her roots. It was shameful. How could she forget the very people who raised her, who were so formative in her youth?
And yet, she couldn't find it in her heart to be completely ashamed. She was a different person now. Not so evolved from who she was back then, but certainly something had changed in her. It was U.A. and all the friends she had made, the people she had met along the way. It was Momo, the sweetest girl who proved Rei wrong about everything she had assumed about those born into wealth, the one who reached out when she didn't have to. It was Midoriya, the gentle yet determined boy whose knowledge and smarts he readily shared with others without reserve, his perseverance and wits subtly pushing Rei to become better every single day. It was the blonde boy walking next to her with his stubbornness and pride, in the quiet moments where he let his walls down just a bit to let her see something new. Rei wasn't perfect, but she thought that she was a better person now. She was on the way to achieving her goals.
She was changing, metamorphosing. One day, she would spread her wings. Perhaps she would then be completely unrecognizable, her transformation into a hero complete. It was a good thing, perhaps.
Rounding a corner, Rei slowed for a moment, drawing Bakugou's attention. Her head looked forward and slightly to the left, eyes unseeing. The house wasn't in plain sight, but she knew exactly where it was, seven houses down from where she stood. Would it be the same as she remembered? Shaking her head with a sigh, she pushed onward and resumed her normal gait. Golden eyes peered cautiously, lying in wait for the familiar sight to appear. Only when she stood in front of it, stopping and standing outside the metal gate, did she truly allow reality to sink it.
It had only been a few weeks, but there was a different air about the building. Emptiness. Devoid of life. Haunted. Those were the feelings that burbled in her chest, a strange twist of aching nostalgia pinching her nerves and settling deep inside the recesses of her mind. The front yard already had the telltale signs of weeds spurting up from some patches, the flower pots wilting simultaneously. There could have been residents inside, someone to buy the house after its brief vacancy, but Rei knew in her heart that no one was here. The feeling in her gut told her that it was still completely empty. Crossing her arms across her chest, she cupped her elbows, not quite tucking her arms away. She felt forlorn, now seeing the aftermath.
Bakugou shifted next to her. "What's this?"
An empty smile raised the corners of her lips, eyes staring almost blankly. "This was my home." She watched as he walked forward, lifting a sign that had been placed on the gate, carefully monitoring him and his reactions as his brow furrowed, reading the sign quickly. It was after he finished reading that he turned back to her with a bit of surprise on his face.
"An orphanage? Closed?"
She could see all the unspoken questions underneath his fragmented thoughts. Shifting her weight to her right leg, she tilted her head to the side, eyes looking to the wall that surrounded the vacant lot with feigned disinterest. "The headmaster was using it as a cover. Stealing funds, getting some of the more talented kids into quirk trafficking, the girls into… even less savory work." Golden eyes narrowed as anger coursed through her. There was no doubt that she was glad it was over, but everything that had happened to those older kids…
Suddenly Bakugou was standing in front of her, looking down into her eyes with a look of severity. It was chilling, Rei freezing in place. She hadn't seen a look like this aimed specifically at her before.
"Did… were you okay?"
Rei blinked. Now that she was looking back into his red eyes, she saw something more subtle hiding behind the frosty anger. Concern. Looking away again, she shook her head. "No. He… couldn't touch me, not after I got into U.A.." She shifted her weight. "We all knew. The middle and older kids, at least. We had an idea of what was going on. There was nothing we could really do about it. Orphans aren't really welcomed with open arms anywhere else in society."
This he seemed to understand better, although he still bristled, anger brewing and bubbling beneath the surface. "You hid everything."
"Who wanted to know?" Regaining her confidence, she looked back to meet his gaze. "No one asked. I didn't want to tell."
"So you pushed everyone away."
Tilting her head, she conceded to his point. "I did. I didn't come to make friends. But everyone is so damn persistent." She growled out the last bit of her sentence, rolling her eyes playfully. Truly, secretly, she was thankful. Rei had been changed, for the better. Still, she couldn't help taking a jab at her study partner, golden eyes glittering. "But you're one to talk too."
To her surprise, he didn't even flinch, her words barely even getting a reaction out of him. Grunting in vague assent, he moved away from his place in front of her to stand back at her side, turning his gaze up toward the house again. For a moment the two of them simply stood in silence, staring at the empty lot. So lost in the silence, Rei's heart started when Bakugou spoke again.
"I'm learning who's trash and who isn't." He spoke in a begrudging tone, as though he was having difficulty admitting his response. "There's a couple people who aren't bad."
Rei grinned, nudging him playfully with an elbow in his side. He swayed a bit at the unexpected jab, although it had been soft instead of forceful. Rei didn't look at him, but her words were directed toward him anyway. "What, am I one of those people?"
"What do you think?"
His voice was laced with aggression, although Rei knew it was playful. Still, it made her heart flutter, a genuine smile on her face softening as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I hope so."
"Hmph." Crossing his arms over his chest, he tossed his bag over his shoulder again to readjust where it had begun to slip. "At least you're not that dumb."
"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, idiot."
Rei grinned. If there was something she could count on, it was their banter. It was a fixture of their friendship. At that thought, the smile slid from her lips. It felt like ages ago that she had asked companion why he wore such a gentle look on his face when he looked at her, something that both unnerved her and made her chest fill with warmth. He had told her that she would figure it out.
If you can outwit that Deku, you can figure it out.
Her arms wrapped around herself even tighter. She had figured out enough to make the decision that she didn't want to press it further. There was so much that was already going for her, so much in her life now that she cherished, things that she had never had growing up as a lonely orphan. She didn't want anything to change, not in the slightest. Even if it meant that they lived in a grey area, she wanted to preserve what they had. But was that fair for him?
"You said," she began, but she trailed off, still unsure of how she wanted to go about this conversation. He had turned his head to look at her head on, arms relaxing as his hands made their way into his pockets. Brow furrowing for a moment as she concentrated, she finally released a sigh, face smoothing over as her eyes closed. "You told me, that if I could outsmart Midoriya, then I could figure out why…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. Shaking her head, she pushed on. "To be honest, I'm scared. I've never had friends before. To think that something could change…"
Bowing her head, she looked at the ground. She didn't want to disappoint him. Would he walk away? Fear gripped her heart, preparing for the worst. Silence. Then he finally spoke.
"It's fine."
Rei's head snapped up, eyes wide. Had she just heard him right? Red eyes stared down in acceptance, filling Rei with relief. "I can't make you do anything," he continued, "so just…" His fist clenched in his pocket for a moment before releasing. "I'll be here. It's fine."
His answer almost made her change her mind on the spot. Even in disappointment, he found a way to be kind and supportive, something that certainly wouldn't have happened to anyone else. But Rei only bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. A blonde head only nodded solemnly, turning back to face the building ahead of them.
"Thanks… for being honest with me." Red eyes narrowed, although it seemed to be more reflective instead of actively angry. "I know I'm kind of a shit. Mom won't let me live it down. Can't have everything go my way."
"Sorry."
Shaking his head, he turned back to Rei. "Don't. You need to decide what you need to do. I can't change that."
His honest brought a small smile to Rei's lips, bringing her normal personality bit by bit. "Didn't know you had it in you to be polite."
Her witty comment earned an eye roll as he turned away from the house. "Don't fucking tell anyone."
Rei laughed, the usual dismissive and arrogant Bakugou returning. "Let's go home."
Nodding, he adjusted his position to stand next to her again as they walked back down the street. From the outside they were just two classmates, walking around town after studying with one another. But underneath the layers they knew, even without words, that there was something between them. Rei wasn't ready yet. For now, they would leave it be.
It seemed to be a victory for Rei. But a voice deep down told her that things wouldn't last forever.
Midoriya I. (4:32 PM)
Tsuki-chan! Are you up for another spar in preparation for finals?
Midoriya I. (4:37 PM)
I mean, I know you're busy!
Don't feel pressured!
Please let me know!
Akatsuki R. (7:59 PM)
Sorry for the late response
If you can help me with Hero Laws & Ethics
Tomorrow works for me
Midoriya I. (8:12 PM)
Great! Meet at my place again?
Akatsuki R. (8:15 PM)
Sure. Time?
Midoriya I. (8:17 PM)
9:30 AM? Otherwise the beach will get crowded
Akatsuki R. (8:35 PM)
9:30 works.
See you tomorrow
Midoriya I. (8:37 PM)
See you tomorrow!
Bakugou (8:14 PM)
I need your English notes
Akatsuki (8:15 PM)
* Please
Bakugou (8:16 PM)
Screw you
Bakugou (8:16 PM)
Throw them over
Akatsuki (8:17 PM)
I'm not throwing them
Bakugou (8:18 PM)
I'll fucking catch them
Akatsuki (8:18 PM)
Are you going to ask nicely
She had just sent her last text and set her phone down, returning to reviewing what Law and Ethics notes she had written down from class in order to know what questions to ask Midoriya the following morning. She wanted to at least be solid enough in what she did know in order to understand what she needed to learn or where she was lacking in her knowledge. With a small sigh she flipped the page, hunching over her desk and twirling a pencil in her fingers.
Plink.
Her ears picked up at the sound of something hitting her window, but she ignored it, thinking it to be a bug or something else that was irrelevant. Rolling her shoulders and settling back into things, she looked back to her notes, picking up where she had left off and rereading the last line.
Plink.
Plink.
Scowling, she got up out of her seat and marched over to the window, yanking it open violently upon seeing Bakugou across the way standing on his balcony. In his hands he held a small handful of rocks, arm raised and poised to toss the next one her way before she had wrenched the glass window open to glare at him openly. He met her gaze with a scowl of his own, lowering his hands as he stood near the railing. "Oi! Give me your notes!"
"Screw you," she seethed, slamming the window shut, intent on returning to studying. But as soon as she walked away the sound of small pebbles hitting her window continued, much to her rising ire.
Storming over to her desk and nearly throwing everything around the surface in her search for the proper notebook, she snatched her English notes from the desk and grouchily moved back to the window, opening the window up right after another rock clinked against the surface. With one hand she pulled herself up onto her window's ledge, blasting forward and landing on Bakugou's balcony in the blink of an eye, much to his surprise. Scowl still plastered across her face she smacked him over the head with her notebook, earning a hiss of pain as she watched unforgivingly.
"Ouch, damn it!"
"Oh, suck it up. It didn't hurt that much."
He moved to grab the notebook from her hands, but she sat down on the ledge of his railing as she merely lifted her hand up high above and behind her, moving it out of reach. He glowered, reaching forward again but she merely switched the notebook in between her hands, smacking his own hand away with her newly freed one.
"Damn it, stop being so difficult!"
"Ask nicely!"
"Just give me your notes!"
The spat devolved into a slapping fest between the two of them, Bakugou trying to get his way and snatch the notebook out of her hands while Rei fended him off valiantly, smacking his hands away whenever he got too close. Hissing and growling like two feral cats, red eyes sent scathing looks toward the girl in front him, the irritation growing and bubbling underneath his skin. Rei met his own looks with her own unamusement and determination to have her way, a scowl on her lips as she fended him off. Occasionally if he got too close she would swing a leg out and try to kick him, nothing terribly painful and never aiming for any of his more delicate areas, but she managed to land a few hits on his torso and the outer portions of his legs.
It went on for nearly a full minute. Finally, Bakugou was beginning to descend upon his last wits. With one final growl he slammed his hands on either side of Rei, shoving his face in front of her as he attempted to level her with a solemn and stoic look. It was effective enough, Rei freezing at his sudden proximity even as she held the notebook high above and behind her head, leaning far backwards in an attempt to create some space.
She didn't even have a chance to teeter on the ledge, didn't even think about falling backwards, as one of Bakugou's hands snatched her free wrist, holding her in place and preventing her from tipping too far away from him. The two stood at an impasse, neither willing to back down, staring at one another and daring the other to give in first.
"Katsuki! What's going on?"
Rei froze in horror at the sound of Mitsuki, suddenly ready to fall backwards into the yard and scramble away at a moment's notice. But Bakugou only turned his head away from her for a moment, shouting at the door as he tightened the grip on her wrist and making sure that Rei couldn't escape. "Nothing! Just practicing!"
His mother yelled something else before the voice melted away, clearly taking her leave. Rei sighed in relief, but tensed up again as Bakugou turned his full attention back toward her. He snarled, though his voice was soft now that they had nearly been caught. "Give me your notebook, or I'll let you fall."
"Ask nicely, or I'll fall and run away."
"Why are you so insufferable?"
"Why do you willingly spend time with me if you think I'm insufferable?"
"Damn bean sprout." His words earned him another smack over the head with her notebook as she raised her eyebrows in response, daring him to say it again. "The hell?!"
"Be nice."
"I'll beat you up the next time we fight."
"I'll run away faster than you can find me."
"You sayin' that I'm stronger than you?"
"Yes, but I'm also saying that I'm smarter than you."
He growled, rolling his eyes. "Just give me the notes."
She bopped him over the head one more time just for one good, final, measure, though ti was more gently this time compared to the others before she handed the notebook it to him. To her horror he chucked the book into his room, though he at least tossed it like a frisbee to ensure that it landed flat on the floor. Still, her jaw dropped at his irreverence for her work, about to snap something else witty at him when he grabbed her other free hand, pinning her down to the balustrade that she sat on. Moving closer he leaned in close enough to press against her legs, daring her to try and escape, a daring grin suddenly coming across his face.
Rei couldn't help but flush both at his closeness and indecency as well as her own bubbling emotions that threatened to burst from her chest. Pulling a mask over her face she rolled her eyes, tossing her head to the side in an effort to ignore the strangely close and intimate eye contact that he had initiated. "You have no idea how to treat a woman, do you?"
"You sayin' you don't like it rough?"
Her jaw dropped at his audacity, mouth hanging open for a moment before she regained her composure and looked right back into his eyes, leaning forward toward him as she whispered seethingly. "I swear to whatever god is watching right now that I will flip you over this balcony and onto your ass on the ground down below if you don't watch it."
He snickered at her violent response, but respected her wishes for now and backed away. Still he held on to her hands for a moment longer before tapping his fingers in her palms, flipping his palms up in question. Rei had half a mind to ignore him and go back to studying in retribution for all the harassment he had just put her through, but even through her grumbling she eventually acquiesced to his request, starting to massage out his arms and his hands.
She was a softie at heart. She couldn't say no to him.
It didn't help that secretly, deep down, she actually enjoyed it when he got aggressive with her.
Ugh. Gross.
Calming down from their mock spat, the two of them began to relax in one another's company. Rei even had a small smile on her face as she worked, focusing on her task with all her heart. Bakugou's own eyes watched her working, flickering between the space in between them at her face.
"Hey." Rei looked up, blinking at the softness that had come across his face once again. "Study with me tomorrow."
She paused for a moment, Midoriya's request popping up into her head. She had half a mind to tell him that she was just busy, but lying had never been her style. Even if it meant keeping his ego somewhat intact. "Sorry," she eventually shrugged in a mixture of sympathy and apathy. "I've already made a deal with Midoriya."
"Huh?!" Wincing internally, Rei watched as his softness morphed into confusion and then frustration. "Why Midoriya?"
"Because he's top ranked when it comes to Hero Laws and Ethics. God knows how much detail he knows about that stuff. And more than just that," she leveled him with a smooth look, finality in her voice, "I'm allowed to ask others for help, not just you."
"Tch." Bakugou tossed his head to the side, clearly annoyed. "Whatever."
"And I'm sparring with him tomorrow too."
"What?!"
Tossing him a more casual glare, Rei raised an eyebrow as she finished up massaging Bakugou's left hand, grabbing his right without much hesitation as he lifted the appendage to meet her halfway. She pressed into his palm a bit more aggressively than usual, making him wince from the pressure. "He asked me first," she cut in before he could make any comments or curses, "so I agreed."
"Then fight me. Tomorrow."
"Huh?" She looked at him blankly, blinking as she paused in her movements. "Tomorrow?"
"Come over when you're done. I'll give you a real spar."
Rei muttered under her breath as she squeezed his hand, shaking her head as she half spoke to herself. "Somehow I don't doubt that."
"Unless you're a coward."
Golden eyes flashed upward, daring him to say it again. "Seven o'clock."
His lips quirked up, clearly satisfied at having won this battle. "My backyard. Don't be late."
Finishing up with his hand, Rei let it drop from her grasp, crossing her arms over her chest and looking up at him with disdain. "I wouldn't dare. Now let me study."
"Whatever." Red eyes watched her carefully as she twisted around on the ledge, jumping off and making her way back into her room. As soon as she turned around to look through the window one last time she could see him grinning deviously in her direction. Flipping him off before closing the window, she finally turned away with a sigh, settling back down at her desk. Where had she been?
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
Midoriya groaned as he found himself being flung back into the sand, clutching his stomach with one arm as he slowly picked himself. Sitting up and scratching the back of his head before attempting to dust all of the sand off of himself, he winced from the landing. "Ah, that's a move I haven't seen in a while."
A few meters away, Rei had also pulled herself off of her back and was now sitting on her knees, turning around to face her sparring partner. She was breathing hard, the sweat rolling down her face from their exertion. It was well into the afternoon now, but they had managed to find a clear space on the beach to fight in a rather uninterrupted manner. Placing her hands on her hips and heaving a sigh, she made her way to her feet, crossing the distance between the two and offering a hand to pull Midoriya up. "Whaddya mean?"
He grabbed her hand enthusiastically, hopping back up to his feet. The two of them had decided to fight without shoes, since Rei had vividly complained about hating the way that sand always got into everything and never came out, but when the sun had gotten too hot on the softer sand they had made their way down to the waterline where the sand was compacted and tough. It saved their feet, but it also made getting knocked down a bigger pain in the butt. They would both be covered in bruises after this. "During the sports festival, you managed to knock Iida-kun out of the ring by twisting under him and kicking him over you, right?"
Rei blinked at his memory. Leave it to the hero enthusiast to remember everything that his friends did while fighting. "Right. I'd forgotten about that."
"Do you think I could do that too?"
Tilting her head, Rei considered his question. Fighting Midoriya when he had begun to get a decent grasp on his new move Full Cowl took sparring to a whole new level. It was so much different from when they had last sparred before the sports festival, where he had wanted to try and avoid using his quirk completely. It wasn't like fighting a civilian, since he was sharp and already understood basic combat moves, but fighting against Rei, who had been fighting and dueling with others since she could remember, was almost like the difference between a grasshopper and an owl that was swooping in for its next meal. Before this spar the difference in their strengths had been drastic. Now, though, Rei was actually being pushed.
"Most people wouldn't," Rei began to answer his question, eyes glazing over as she thought about the conditions for the move she had just pulled, "considering the fact that most people don't have enough strength in their legs. But if you used Full Cowl while doing it, it should be easy."
"I see!"
"However," she leveled him with a sharp look, "you'll have to be careful with your damage output. It's a powerup type essentially, right? As you get stronger, you might not realize it until you get to the move, but with too much power you might just shoot them straight up into the air."
Midoriya looked startled at the idea, as well as the fact that she had thought about his own quirk so carefully and so quickly, but that only made him think more carefully. "I see. Then, can I try it a few times with you?"
Blinking, Rei raised an eyebrow while folding her arms over her chest. "That doesn't sound fun for me."
"Ahh, sorry! You're right! Forget that I said that-"
"But," Rei interjected, cutting him off with a wave of her hand, "we can make a deal."
"Huh?" It was Midoriya's turn to blink in confusion, looking at his friend. "A deal."
This time a scowl came across Rei's face, arms tightening over her chest. "Information. I'm fighting Bakugou tonight, and I need everything you can give me."
"Huh? Fighting… Kacchan?"
"Don't ask too many questions. I already don't like this."
But Midoriya just blinked as he stared at Rei, taking in the way that she scratched the back of her head sheepishly, looking away and out to the water as she placed her other hand on her hip. Did she look… embarrassed? That was rather uncharacteristic of the stoic girl, and something told him that there was more to the story than she was letting on. But he let it slide, deciding not to call her out on it and instead nodding his head. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything. Nervous tells, tendencies, habits. Anything that you can tell me."
It was a strange request, and Midoriya's face fell as he looked to the ground. "To be honest, I don't know what I can tell you that you don't already know. When it comes to Kacchan, I sometimes feel like I don't know him anymore. And you..."
He frowned. His thoughts drifted back to the capture the flag exercise that they had done in hero basic training, how Kacchan and Rei had been paired together. They had both complained about their pairing at first, nearly throwing a fit as sparks had flown the moment their eyes met after the announcement, but clearly neither was as unwilling as they made themselves out to be, since they had cooperated strangely well. The duo had come flying at Midoriya and Tsuyu, fists flying and the two of them reacting to one another's movements and needs. Sure, they hadn't been perfect, but neither had Midoriya and Tsuyu. Bakugou in particular was limited in his quirk usage given the fact that Rei was so close. But the two of them worked together to mitigate those downsides, instead turning them into powerful wins for the two of them.
As far as Midoriya was concerned, there was almost no one that Bakugou would get along with. In fact, he was almost certain that the number was still zero, until that training exercise had happened. Even after the class had finished, he had watched the two of them communicate, bickering and Rei slapping her partner's arm without the latter seeking retribution. That had probably been the most strange, as well as the most telling.
There was indeed history between Midoriya and Kacchan. But competition and enraged feelings and egos had widened the gap between them, making them more enemies and rivals than friends in the slightest. Bakugou was closed off, though he was now showing signs of letting down his walls, even if it was just by an inch. And now, it was clear that it wasn't his childhood friend that he was opening up toward.
It was the golden eyes girl that was now standing in front of him on the beach, with sweat beading along her brow and a penchance for quiet, but dry humor at times. The silent one that was slowly breaking out of her shell, day by day. Somehow, she was the one that was tearing down Bakugou's walls before anyone else, and if Midoriya had to hazard a guess, the same was happening for the reverse statement.
At the rate they were going at, the two of them would be a devastating combination in the field if they continued to work together.
"Midoriya." Rei's voice was soft, making him look up to her face again. But strangely enough her facial expression looked rather intense, a bizarre dichotomy of how gently she was speaking mixing with the raw determination to win. "Anything helps. Please."
She wasn't begging. In fact it seemed more like a demand. Would Midoriya ever be able to figure his classmate out? Swallowing hard, he nodded slowly. "Ah, sure."
Immediately after he gave his answer, Rei's face smoothed over. "Good. Let's start practicing that move then. I'd rather get this over with and start healing for later."
Emotional whiplash: that definitely seemed like the right word here. But Midoriya was reminded of just how competitive Rei had become. She began walking away, creating distance between the two of them as Midoriya watched her in confusion and caution. After all this time, he never could figure out what she was precisely thinking. At least she was kind, and unafraid to talk now, though she was still reserved. But that wasn't enough, not if Midoriya wanted to see more of her true self.
Strangely enough though, she seemed to be picking up some of Bakugou's more brusque attitudes when it came to pushing for her way...
So caught up in his thoughts, he barely noticed that Rei had stopped her trek and had turned around, crouching slightly as she shook her hands out. He stiffened, taking a hesitant step backwards. "Ah, Tsuki-chan, what…" He received no answer. Rei began barreling down the stretch, eyes narrowed as Midoriya flinched, hands raised as realization dawned.
"W-wait! I need a moment-"
"No time like the present! Think fast!"
Grabbing his fists in her own hands, his sparring partner effectively put an end to any attacks he could do with his hands as the duo collided, Rei's momentum literally sending them flying through the air. Gritting his teeth Midoriya began to power up Full Cowl, using Rei's grasp to pull her over his body just as they began to descend toward the sand. So focused in attempting to control his quirk and bringing his knees into his chest in preparation for the kick, he forgot about the hard sand beneath his back until his landing, jolting with surprise and accidentally letting go too early, kicking up as he bounced on the ground.
He realized his mistake too late, until Rei's hand slid away from his own in a heartbeat as she grunted from the blow. Shouting for Rei, he watched as she was launched high up into the air, the trajectory messed up from Midoriya's startle and sending her higher up than anticipated, instead of keeping her momentum more forward and over his body. He scrambled to get up from the sand, rolling over after impact and struggling to his hands and knees, but Rei had already begun her descent, landing in a crouch with relative grace before Midoriya could even offer his help.
"S-sorry!"
But Rei only waved her hand, standing up to her full height before glowering at him. "Were you even trying to focus?"
"Sorry! I got caught off guard by when I landed on the sand that I accidentally lost focus…"
He scratched his cheek sheepishly as Rei only sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "That's something you have to get used to. I can't really compare, since I just kick as hard as I can, but Full Cowl's going to have more bite than me. That's something to work on on your own."
"Right!"
"Although, if you're fighting all out or with a villain, it probably won't matter…" Shaking her head of the thought as she waved a hand in dismissal, she turned her golden eyes back to Midoriya, a bit of amusement at the thought still lingering. "Anyway, if you want to spar with me, you're gonna have to tone that down."
"Right! Sorry!"
"It's fine. Let's just finish up here. Then you can tell me more about Bakugou and we can study."
"Alright! Let's do our best, Tsuki-chan!"
"Mm. Right." Sliding into a stance, she grinned ferally, a look that was oddly familiar, though not on her face typically. "Your move!"
Sparring with Midoriya had turned pretty brutal, but after a while the sun became too hot and Rei wanted time to heal up as much as possible before her next fight later that evening. Switching in the afternoon to academic studying, the duo crammed their brains with as much as they could learn from one another, Rei being rather helpful with math for Midoriya while he assisted her with the more minute details of hero laws. It had been a morning and afternoon filled with learning, trial, and error, and eventually the day came to a close. Wanting to at least get a shower in before getting completely beat up again, she thanked Midoriya and his mother for the help and the snacks before taking off back to her own house.
By the time she got home it was nearing fifteen minutes before her call time. Reina and Hotaru peered at her from over the couch as she yanked off her shoes, trying not to spill the remaining sand everywhere. "Are you sure you don't want dinner before you go?" Her mentor sounded slightly concerned at Rei's plan, since she had made mention of her plans that morning and had been texting her updates throughout the day. With Midoriya's mother basically cramming fruit down both her son and his friend's throats, Rei didn't want to risk throwing up during her spar, and had mentioned Reina to eat without her for the evening.
"Yeah, I'll eat when I get done." Skipping steps as she ran up the stairs, she hustled into her room and dumped her gear onto the floor, grabbing a spare change of clothes before throwing herself into the shower and scrubbing her skin clean. She was in a rush; Bakugou would chew her ear off if she was late, and she already wasn't looking forward to this evening.
That was a fat lie. She was looking forward to finally being able to fight him one on one and give him a piece of what she had. She was practically vibrating with energy, even if she was tired from the day.
Quickly washing the sand and grime from her body, she struggled to pull on a black tank top and leggings, grabbing her phone and satisfied upon seeing that she had five minutes left. The only thing left to decide was her point of entry.
She was tempted to just jump out the window and press her face against his sliding glass door in an attempt to startle her next sparring partner, but that left her with a number of awkward situations. What would she tell Reina and Hotaru if she was too injured to get back into the window and had to come through the front door? More than that, what would she say if she saw Mitsuki and Bakugou's dad?
Oh yeah, no, I usually just jump out my window to talk with your son, so I just decided to jump over and climb into your backyard. Nice to see you again, by the way!
Yeah, no. That wasn't going to fly with anyone, least of all Rei herself. And she was sure that Reina would absolutely ground her for doing something not only so foolish, but so invasive to someone else's space. So steeling her nerves and gathering her wits about her, Rei marched down the stairs, out the door, and over to her neighbor's house.
The seconds she spent standing in front of his door after ringing the doorbell felt like an eternity, like minutes turning into hours. Eventually the door swung open, revealing a very surprised Mitsuki, though she smiled brightly at the young girl in front of her. "Oh, Rei-chan! How are you doing? This is a surprise!"
Rei smiled, bowing in greeting. "It's good to see you again, Mitsuki-san."
"Oi, hurry up." Suddenly appearing behind his mother, Rei's eyes found a rather grumpy looking Bakugou, dressed casually in a black shirt and sweatpants as his hands dug into the pockets rather aggressively. His red eyes were filled with aggression, though it looked more like anticipation for the fight rather than anger at her, and immediately Mitsuki became suspicious.
"Oi, Katsuki? What do you think you two're doing?"
"Mind your own business, ya old hag!"
Rei blinked as Mitsuki slugged her son over his head, turning fully toward him and yelling. "Watch your language, you ungrateful shit!"
"Like hell!"
Raising her hands in front of her, Rei smiled, though it threatened to turn into a grin what with the way Bakugou's mother treated her son. "It's fine. He invited me over to spar, since finals are coming up."
The two of them turned back to their guest, Bakugou looking stern but with a bit of gratefulness for his classmate's quick thinking and explanation. Mitsuki seemed rather pleased at this, instantly brightening up again and all but forgetting her son's crude comments. "Oh, in that case, please come in! I'll leave you two to it, so please put my son in his place!"
"Like hell that'll happen!"
She yelled something else in return as she made her way back into the house, but Rei was particularly busy sliding off her shoes and carrying them in her hand so that they could walk through the house. Bakugou scoffed, turning away and taking the lead wordlessly, escorting Rei to the backyard. His shoes were already in the back, clearly prepared for what was about to come. The two tied their laces a little tighter before standing up, Rei taking in the space.
It was pretty rare for places to have any yard space, so to see the amount of room that Bakugou had was impressive. It was at least six or eight times bigger than their classroom at U.A., leaving plenty of space to romp around in and run. On the edge of the perimeter there were a multitude of trees that prevented others from looking in, as well as most likely providing shade during the day as well as a barrier to cut particularly strong gusts of wind. If she had to wager, Rei would have guessed that the yard had been filled with trees at one point, but considering Bakugou's quirk and how much he probably trained and practiced any spare foliage was more of a hindrance and a liability.
All in all, it was perfect for training. Rei's began stretching her arms and legs out as she moved around, Bakugou doing much the same as he mimicked her movements.
"So, what are the rules?"
"Huh?" He looked at her incredulously for a moment before snorting, rolling his eyes. "Don't wreck this place. Don't be a wimp. Don't half-ass anything."
"Your third rule contradicts the first, but sure." Before he could retort, Rei only rolled her eyes back at him. "I'm joking. I get it."
He huffed, but said nothing else as he began to put space in between them, walking to one side of the yard. Rei naturally began walking in the other direction, hopping up and down as she went to get her blood flowing before turning around and dropping into a battle stance. Opposite of her, over halfway across the yard, Bakugou did the same, his telltale smirk coming onto his face.
"Ready?"
Rei had no time to respond as he explosively burst forward, quickly covering the ground between them and flying directly at her face. The sound of his explosions no longer startled her, but her heart jumped at the sudden movement, a frown coming onto her face. That was hardly fair. But there was no time to complain, and even if she did, her sparring partner would only tell her to suck it up and start fighting.
Kacchan relies on his arms, not just with his quirk, but his his hits. Although, over the past couple of months, I would say that he's gotten more… flexible. Both in a literal sense, but also with using his full body. I think it's because he's started using his quirk to change his momentum in quick instances, so he's working on ways to minimize openings by striking out and also countering balance issues.
Diving and rolling over to the side, Rei had just enough time to change her momentum and wind up for a kick with her legs, keeping in mind Midoriya's notes. Her downward kick was blocked by his arms making an 'x' shape over his head, faltering for a moment before holding as Bakugou found his ground, pushing her away. Bouncing back Rei kept herself low, aiming to sweep out Bakugou's legs as he came charging at her. With her back turned toward him she launched herself toward his head, twisting in the air as she sailed over him and grabbed his outstretched hand that aimed to deliver an explosive blast at her as she went over his head. She grabbed his wrist, redirecting the explosion and holding tight as she went to pull him off balance and send him into the ground.
It worked. He hadn't expected her to be so quick at catching his hand out of the air, making him faster as she continued to grab his wrist and drag him backward over himself. He landed on the ground with a thud, though his free hand stabilized him enough so that the wind wouldn't get knocked out from his lungs. As Rei rounded for another kick to his head he rolled away, crawling to his knees before bursting forward again.
This time Rei couldn't dodge, and she narrowed her eyes as Bakugou collided into her, her hands slapping against his as he pushed her backwards, her feet sliding over the dirt as though she was skating on ice. Quickly she slapped his hands away and to the sides to ensure that he wasn't about to hit her with a direct blast to the face, beginning their close combat fight. Bakugou began to go on the offensive, swinging punches left and right while Rei continued to back up as he pushed onward, deflecting and redirecting his blows with a careful eye and quick thinking.
Compared to you, Bakugou's blows take longer to land, though he probably has some strength on you as well. So he'll be slower than you, most likely. But remember that if he does one move for too long, that usually means he's going to test something out or lure you into a trap.
On and on they continued in close quarters, neither willing to back down. Finally, Bakugou feinted a jab at her face, making Rei bring her hands up to block him. Her eyes widened as he grinned even wider, hand faking out and making its way for her abdomen instead. She barely managed to drop her hand in time to smack his upturned fingertips, but the damage was done; firing an explosive blast into her side, Rei dropped to the side, rolling away in pain and trying to create some distance between the two of them as she grimaced. It hadn't had deathly intent, but it definitely hurt.
"You can't run!"
Golden eyes narrowed. She wasn't running. Dropping onto her bottom and rolling onto her back, she pulled the same maneuver she had on Midoriya earlier in the afternoon, Bakugou already bolting in her direction and hands reaching for her face. So enticed by the fact that his opponent was finally down on the ground, he was stunned when she sent him flying over her head and further into the ground a ways away, sputtering as he tried to roll over and flip himself back up to his feet.
With a groan Rei grabbed her wounded side, but she flipped up to her feet with gritted teeth, golden eyes narrowed in outright anger at her sparring partner. Damn it, that had hurt! But Bakugou only grinned wider, hands crackling away with small scale explosions. "Oi, don't tell me you're done yet!"
"Screw you," she spat viciously.
Her frustration only seemed to goad him on as he laughed, dashing forward. "That's more like it!"
She prepared once more for an assault to the face, watching as Bakugou's hands crackled viciously as she raised her own hands up to defend. But her defense slid once more as instead of a punch being aimed at her face, a knee had snuck around and jabbed its way into her stomach. The blow sent her flying backwards as she tried to recover, but Bakugou was faster; catching up to her in mid air, he caught her wrists and twisted his body to the side so that she couldn't pull the same maneuver twice, slamming her into the ground with a gasp before pouncing on top of her. She tried to squirm away and kick him, but he was too fast, pressing her into the ground as he leered over her face, a wicked grin plastered across his lips.
"You done?"
"Get off!"
"Not until you say I win."
"Whatever. You win." With a huff she relaxed her body for a moment, the fight finally over, but she continued to glare up at the victor's face. "Get off of me. You're freakin' heavy."
"Hah! You're just a twig!"
"I'm not! Call Kaminari a twig, not me!"
"You're bitter you lost."
"Get off of me and I'll show you what else I got."
That seemed to pique his interest as he rolled off of Akatsuki, standing up and creating more space between them as he left his opponent to pick herself up off the ground. She groaned as she dusted herself off, regretting the choice of wearing a tank top instead of some sort of sleeved shirt. The ground wasn't completely devoid of small pebbles and other debris, and she was sure that her shoulders were getting cut up from all the squabbling and rolling around they had done in the dirt. But those were minor problems, and she would heal quickly.
Readying up once more, she slid into a stance, watching as Bakugou did the same. "My turn." Mirroring the previous start of their fight, Rei took off running toward her opponent, not giving him enough time to ready. She watched in satisfaction as he blasted off toward her with a greedy look on his face, clearly satisfied at his first win and ready for the next victory.
But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. At the last second before he could deliver his punch she dropped down, sliding on her knees and shins as Bakugou went flying over her top. His eyes widened in surprise, both at the unexpected move and her complete flexibility to be able to lower herself so quickly and so far. Body stiffening, he was unable to do anything as her hand snaked around his ankle, yanking hard and sending him face first into the ground. In the blink of an eye and the time it took for him to land on the ground and quickly orient himself, Rei had already dug a foot into his back, pulling his arms upward and back and threatening to dislocate them if he made a single move.
He growled. "That's fuckin' cheap!"
"Your turn now," Rei breathed steadily as she pulled his arms a little harder, forcing him to say the words.
"Ow! Alright, alright! We're even now!"
"Close enough." She was probably never going to actually get him to admit that she had actually won, but his admission of their even score was enough to satisfy her. Dropping his arms down to the ground she backed away, creating space between them again as he hopped up to his feet. His face was comically smeared with dirt, though Rei knew better than to laugh; if she wasn't careful, she would look like that next.
The backyard brawl continued on for hours, neither willing to give it up. The two continued to trade victories and losses, alternating as they went along. Every time Rei lost she would suck up the pain and ready up again, mind racing to come up with a new and creative way to catch her opponent off guard. Bakugou would only grimace, face focusing and turning completely serious every time Rei managed to one up him. Neither wanted to lose, to be the first one to give in to the other.
But the battle eventually had to come to a close. Rei had swept her leg out at Bakugou's own, the latter jumping in anticipation. What he hadn't expected was for Rei to launch herself forward to grab his ankle again, yanking him to the ground. The duo rolled over one another, fighting for dominance before Bakugou eventually came out on top, straddling Rei's own body and holding her arms down on the ground as he sat atop her triumphantly. Both parties were breathing hard, sweating from the exertion.
"That's... nine to seven."
Rei only groaned, flopping underneath him and relaxing even as he continued to hold her tight, unconvinced that she had truly given up. It had become a tell of their fights, the battle never over until one of them verbally acquiesced and articulated their defeat. Rei had learned that the hard way after she had believed Bakugou to be defeated, only to have him attempt to throw her off by sticking an explosive hand in her face and continuing the fight for another minute. But she no longer had the motivation to continue on, no matter how much her pride ached. Their score was as good as it was going to get. Bakugou had won.
At least, for now.
Slumping underneath him, Rei lazily glared up at her partner. "Fine. I give up."
Strangely enough, he didn't move. For a moment they simply stayed where they were, Bakugou looking down at her with an indiscernible look on his face. Unnerving. And yet, strangely flattering.
Rei raised eyebrow. "Can you get off of me?"
He acquiesced, picking himself up off of her carefully and dusting himself off while Rei got up from the ground, mimicking his motions. Rolling her shoulders around, she winced at the pain from getting slammed into the ground, her joints stiff from the tussle. She would need to take another shower, not just to get the dirt and gravel out of her skin but to calm her joints down.
"Your moves are predictable."
Her knee jerk reaction was to snipe back at him with a witty comment, but she bit her tongue. After all, this was preparation for their fights to come. Willing herself to listen for the wisdom within his sharp words, Rei managed to keep a straight face instead of rolling her eyes. "Fine."
"Practice feinting," he continued, much to Rei's surprise. "Leg sweeps will only work so many times, but if you can feint a move to the upper body it'll give you more time to take them out."
That… made sense. Blinking, she crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him with a neutral expression. "Thanks." For a moment she debate whether to say anything else, but oddly enough he didn't immediately take off, instead concerning himself with his shoes. "You're still a little stiff. If you work on your flexibility, some of your moves will be more surprising."
Grunting, he nodded his head once. It was enough. The two made their way back through the house, Bakugou escorting Rei to the front door. Silence lingered between the two, mostly from exhaustion from their exertion, but there was a bit of awkwardness as Rei began putting on her shoes again, bowing hesitantly as she exited through the front door.
To her surprise, he followed her out, standing in front of his house as he watched Rei leave. She turned around to face him one more time, lingering for a moment as her eyes traced over his face. Guilt lined her eyes. What was keeping her from him, aside from fear?
"I'll wait."
His voice was quiet, but it was enough. The two of them knew what Bakugou meant when he said it. Rei's face softened, a small smile on her face. "I'll catch up. In both senses."
Red eyes rolled, feigning exasperation, but she could see the amusement in his face that he tried to hide. "In your dreams."
He had no idea.
Rei smiled, waving a hand. "Good night."
"Night."
AN: Uniqlo just released their new manga line and honestly? I'm not even mad that I'm getting ads for men's shirts flooding everything now. The Bakugou shirt is subtle and I'm in love. If y'all love some cheap, comfy, and awesome shirts, check them out. Also, in general, Uniqlo owns my life fashion wise irl. Usually I don't get their collab shirts (ALTHOUGH I'M STILL MAD THEY RAN OUT OF THEIR MOOMIN COLLAB LINE AND THE GUDETAMA-HELLO KITTY SHIRT I WANTED), but I couldn't resist this time...
We've reached 200k+! (throws glitter into the air) I tried making this chapter a little beefier in honor of the landmark. Originally it was about 8k words, but I decided to add in a little spar at the end. Someone reminded me that Bakugou and Rei haven't actually officially fought until this moment (unless you count the special episode), so here we are! Here's to more of my lumpy potatoes fighting and arguing with one another!
I was reminded of ship names, and this isn't it, but I was tickled by the fact that you can do (a)katsuki with their names. I promise that was not planned, although I find it hilarious that I did that now. ILikeFoxes suggested Reigou as a ship name... any other contenders?
As I mentioned before, I've rough drafted through chapter 30. There's a TON of editing that needs to happen before they get released, but I'm satisfied with the fact that I've actually written stuff and gotten most of the hard parts out of the way. Chapter 31 is going to take a while though, because it needs to be perfect. I'm sure you'll see when we get there. You all are going to probably hate me for where I'm taking this story after the camping arc, and I apologize in advance. But I'm excited to write it, simply because it's really going to test my ability to convey emotion and accurately portray and convey the things that I want to. This story is for you, but it's also for me to practice my writing skills, so please bear with me!
Holy cow, so many of you reviewed last chapter! Thank you so much!
dragontamer64: I do try to have at least one funny line or something in each chapter I write, especially if it's fluff! I enjoyed pulling out that line with Momo and her reading romantic novels, so I'm glad you enjoyed that as much as I did. And please do send any drawings or sketches my way! I would be honored, and I would love to see what you come up with! I love it when people do anything artsy with things that they love. I also hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter again as well! We'll be getting into the final exams starting in the next chapter.
yaoi4adollar: Eheheh, study date! We'll also be hitting the Kirishima study session in the next chapter, so please look forward to that as well. We'll be hitting some of the more canon plot things soon! Thanks for reviewing as always! I know you've been reviewing really consistently and I really appreciate it!
CocoaFirefly: Ahh thank you! And no need to worry about writing anything elaborate. Simply seeing that you took a little bit of time to say that you loved this chapter really makes me happy and makes my day a little brighter. I know a lot of people write a lot but I love the short reviews as well and value them!
Anseo: I'm so happy that my updates can make your day a little brighter! Writing a softer, more emotional Bakugou is something that I've really thought hard about and worked hard to ensure that it's not overdone. I think it's impossible canonwise for him to be so angry all the time; even the most intense people in life have times where they have to relax or have down time, but few people get to see it. I try to make sure that it's visible, but still behind walls as well, so I'm glad you find it natural! And I'm so honored that this is your top Bakugou pairing... wow wow wow wow wow that makes me so happy :D
N3mm: Feeling feels in high school is such a wild time, because they feel so strong and like you're going to explode. I really tried to capture that, and I'm glad you find it tangible and realistic. And yes, I agree that the future doesn't bode well for them if she keeps her feelings in for too long... And unfortunately/ fortunately, yes, I do have some twists planned. It's going to be... a time. Mwahahaha! But on another note if you do draw anything please let me know and sent it to me! I would absolutely love anything you do, if you do at all. No pressure!
Blackenflames: The fluff, the fluff, the FLUFFFFFFF! I'm glad you love the fluff. I personally myself have mixed feelings about fluffy chapters, but I guess it also depends on the mood of when I'm writing. Thanks for the review!
ansegiel: Yay, thank you! I know we're going to have a bit more fluff in a future chapter in a couple weeks or so, but I will try to write more fluff later as well. The chapters that I'm currently working on are a little intense, so I could probably use a fluff break soon... Though does editing this chapter count as fluff exposure? Lol!
NotRob: Omg, thank you for saying that! Yeah, part of my hope that this pairing would be one of those things where it's like... it makes sense? But barely. It's more odd than anything else. It's definitely not one of those pairings where one is extremely happy and bubbly, but I think as we start getting into more character development we'll see more of their colors and things will be even more strange. Thank you for the review!
ILikeFoxes828: Thank you! And that ship name is honestly pretty good! Better than anything I could come up with. Do you have a brother that reads this too? I'm honestly still in shock that people like reading this story, so every time I actually hear of a real person that reads this I'm like, "... huh. Interesting." Thanks so much for reviewing so much as well! I really appreciate it!
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Thanks for reading, and thanks for being here for the 200k+ milestone!
Edit #1 (6/5/19): Added chapter titles for chapters 1-20