Chapter 12

Hotaru's P.o.V

"Seriously?! Seriously, Bakugou?!"

Sero and Eijirou's laughter rang through the room. I was one of the first to show up to class as my anticipation to see everyone again had gotten the better of me. Internships were fun but now they were over and Kamihara had told me if I ever needed anything, to give him a call. Now, back in my classroom with my fellow classmates, I turned my head to face the front door and witness something I never thought I would.

"Stop laughing! My hair's gotten used to it, so it won't even go back after I wash it..." Katsuki growled, fist clenched and ready to knock someone out. I walked over. The sight bestowed upon my eyes was truly worth the pain my sensitive ears went through. I couldn't control my laughter as I joined Sero and Eijirou.

'Oh, this is rich,' even Kiyo was laughing.

"Shut it, Lizard Girl!" Bakugou shouted. I managed to calm down as I whipped away tears. I was forced back into a laughing fit when Katsuki's hair spiked back up.

"There. Back to normal," I attempted to calm myself down once more. Katsuki clicked his tongue before averting his gaze and making me smile.

"It's good to see you, too, Katsuki," I admitted.

"So, Hotaru, how was your internship? You had Edgeshot, right?" Eijirou asked. I nodded, my smile growing into an even bigger grin.

"I did more mental training than anything; learning to clear my mind so I can use more power," I explained briefly. I saw Sero's eyebrow raise as he joined the conversation and stood next to Eijirou.

"I saw on TV that you saved this little boy from a few robbers," he added. I shrunk a little, my nervousness growing.

"Yeah...Weren't they wanted for some pretty big heists?" Eijirou asked. I put a hand behind my head as I felt my sweat roll off my forehead.

"Eheh...I guess they made the decision to go small for once and it came back to bite them in the ass," I forced a smile that showed my fangs. The redhead in front of me grinned.

"Sounds awesome," he gave me a thumbs up. I glanced over to Bakugou.

"I also saw Bakugou while patrolling. So, overall, it was pretty good," I shrugged. Bakugou crossed his arms and looked away from me.

'Is he...blushing?' Kiyo asked. I shook my head and smirked before listening in on the conversation happening between the rest of the class.

"The ones that changed the most, or went through the most, were you three, right?" Kaminari looked towards Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya.

"Oh, yeah! The Hero Killer, right?" Sero asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hero Killer?" I thought out loud, interest now piqued.

"You seriously don't know?" Kirishima gave me a puzzled look. I shrunk a little out of embarrassment.

"N-No..."

"Stain The Hero Killer has taken out tons of pros. If you think about it, he's kind of cool," Kaminari explained. I tilted my head slightly.

'That didn't sound right...' Kiyo deadpanned.

"Cool?" I asked, making sure my confused tone was clearly audible.

"Kaminari!" Midoriya's eye widened. I sighed.

"I'm just glad you guys made it out okay," I faced the trio with a worried look. As the rest of my classmates congregated over by Iida, Midoriya, and Todoroki, I sat back with Katsuki. His hair had flattened out once again.

"So...Did you get stronger?" I asked as I stifled my laughter. Katsuki frowned.

"That bastard did nothing for me," he growled. I knew he was talking about Best Jeanist and I smiled.

"If you want, I can show you what Edgeshot taught me. I think a little headspace might make you less...murderer-like," I gave him a wary look. Katsuki flinched.

'I have a feeling that's not the problem,' Kiyo grumbled.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! I don't need-What the fuck are you doing?"

I had reached out and touched Katsuki's hair. It was like putting myself in a trance and then I suddenly was free. Kind of calming, too...

"I can't help it! It looked so soft," I pouted. I was right. It was like a kitten's fur. Katsuki's cheeks turned red and he hesitated. I like to think that he actually liked it for a moment. My hopes were dashed when he pulled away.

"Don't touch me," he hissed. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, chill. I'm just messing with you," I help up my hands defensively as I watched Katsuki's eyes narrow. I walked back to my desk as Iida had begun to tell us all to get into our seats before class began. That was one thing I didn't miss...

After School...

"Katsuki, wait up!" I called. Katsuki had left before me and now I was catching up to him.

"What?" he grumbled. I smiled and grabbed his hand.

"Let's walk home together," I suggested. He stared at me for a bit.

"Why?" he asked warily. I pouted.

"Because we live close to each other and no one else does," I let go of his hand and frowned.

I shrugged, "But we don't have to if you don't want to." I began to walk away from the blonde. He sighed.

"Fine," he groaned. I giggled as I walked back to his side. There was a moment of comfortable silence in which I tried not to laugh, but I just couldn't help myself.

"What's so funny?" Katsuki asked.

"You usually would have yelled at me by now," I pointed out. He paused and narrowed his eyes, looking away from me.

3rd P.o.V

"Whatever," Bakugou grumbled.

Hotaru had tried so hard to be friends with him, but why? He noticed she had started talking to him more. She tried so hard...Why should he care?

'She's weak. She couldn't even hold her own against that Hot-N-Cold freak. You're stronger and can do better than her,' he thought, trying to bring himself back down to Earth.

But she was always with him for some reason. During the USJ attack, she insisted on walking home with Bakugou, and she even let him into her house once. Why the hell would she let someone she didn't even know that well into her house? She talked to him when everyone else was fawning over that useless Deku's fight with the Hero Killer. Hotaru always seemed to make sure he was never alone and he just realized that. Maybe it was being away from everyone for so long that caused him to think of his friend, but he honestly didn't know how to take it.

"Uh...Are you okay?" Bakugou was pulled back from his thoughts as the purple-haired girl spoke up. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he scoffed as they continued walking. Hotaru smirked.

"Come here. I wanna show you something," she grabbed Bakugou's hand and, for some reason, he felt a stinging sensation in his cheeks.

"Where the fuck are we going?" he furrowed his eyebrows as she pulled him away from their path and into the woods. The goddamned woods.

'Well, at least I can kick her ass if she tries to kill me,' Bakugou thought as he begrudgingly followed the girl.

"I was late for my internship, one day, so I decided to take a shortcut through the woods. I found this," she smiled as she sped up, now at a full-on sprint. Bakugou had to speed up a little, too.

"Okay...Here!" she grinned as she soon came to a stop and took deep breaths. There was a large wall of moss and vines blocking their path.

"What the-" "Go through it, idiot," Hotaru odered. Bakugou rolled his eyes at the comment but went in anyway. His jaw fell as he looked around.

"Beautiful, right? I didn't even know such an organic place like this would be so close to the city," Hotaru muttered quietly. Right in front of them was a pond surrounded by a few different kinds of flowers, moss, and even a stone bench. Bakugou didn't know what to say. He watched as Hotaru walked over to the bench and sat down.

"Are you just gonna stand there or what?" she asked. Bakugou rolled his eyes, causing her to giggle.

"So, where the hell are we?" he asked as he sat down next to her. She smiled as she looked towards the water.

"I think it used to be owned by a lady named Shimura Nana. I couldn't find anything about it and what little I did find, came from the little old lady who owns the land now," she explained. Bakugou followed the direction of her eyes to the water that was about a foot away from their feet. She sighed, feeling that now was a good time to vent.

"Whatever God is up there is trying to test me, I'm sure of it," Hotaru giggled. Bakugou narrowed his eyes.

"I get born into this world and almost instantly saddled with a power I never asked to have. I go through excruciating pain so that I can what? Shoot blue flames and listen to a voice in my head that clearly only wants to use me to escape from its prison?" her smile faltered a bit.

She sighed, "I managed to get into a good school and have a chance at a fresh start, but I was too scared to try. Then, our class gets attacked by fucking villains!"

"I missed the entirety of the Sports Festival and have to go home to a mother that clearly doesn't want me. My deadbeat dad went a-wall years ago...No one wants to stick around," Hotaru's sniffles caused Bakugou to look over to her. She had tears streaming down her sombrely smiling face. It may have been the wrong moment, but Bakugou and his impatient self couldn't wait any longer.

"Why do you keep following me around?"

"Huh...?"

"You heard me! Why?!" he furrowed his eyebrows. Hotaru whipped away her tears.

"I thought we established this," she had just made Bakugou even madder.

"Just answer the fucking question!"

"Because I'm trying to make friends for the first time in my life," she spat with venom laced in her words. Bakugou clenched his jaw.

"Why do you keep talking to me?! There are plenty of idiots in that stupid class to talk to," he growled.

"Is my presence hurting your ego?" Hotaru stood up and pursed her lips. She crossed her arms and frowned.

"Is the almighty Bakugou Katsuki wondering why you have decided to grace me-a mere peasant girl and lower life form-with being in your court of fools?" she spat.

"Start making some fucking sense!" Bakugou shouted. Hotaru turned around with grit teeth and an angry expression.

"I don't need to explain myself to you. Don't know why my existence makes you so pissed off, either," she gave Bakugou an over-the-shoulder glare. She turned away from him once again and began to walk away. Why was this boy so persistently angry and stupid? She mentally cursed herself for thinking she could open up to him.

Then she tripped over a rock.

"Shit..." she mumbled under her breath. She braced herself for the impact of her body on the pond water...but it never came. She peeked one eye open, staring at her reflection in the water that was only inches away from her face. She looked over her shoulder and realized Bakugou had grabbed her hand and saved her from her watery demise. His scowl was still there but was quickly replaced when he sighed.

"I don't know..."

Hotaru felt a tug on her arm. She was pulled up to her feet with such force that she fell into Bakugou's chest.

"I don't know what to think anymore. You're weaker than me, you have no confidence in yourself, and you didn't even try to use your quirk during the start of school...Yet you're friends with me..." he refused to look at her. There was a moment of silence, in which Hotaru unconsciously focused on the rise and fall of the blonde's chest.

"I don't get you, Lizard Girl."

Hotaru, still close to Bakugou, widened her eyes. The blonde had put his arms around her.

"You've been through hell, yet I see you go out of your way to talk to me every day..." he held her tightly. Hotaru's jaw dropped. Hugging Bakugou felt so...right...to her. She began to cry. Her tears wouldn't stop, so she just let go. She relaxed, letting her arms fall to her side as her tear-stained face buried itself in Bakugou's chest.

"I-I missed talking to you," she sniffled. Bakugou's cheeks turned red when he realized she was crying.

"Stop crying, damn it!" he shouted. Hotaru only cried harder.

"I can't!" she wailed.

...

Yeah...I'm confident in this chapter! I kind of got impatient and decided to push the two closer. I hope I didn't overuse the excuse of them being away from each other for so long.