All too soon that song died away and went into a different beat. After quenching her thirst she had fully intended to go back onto the dance floor.

Until she spotted her dirtied up suit on the ground bringing her face first into reality. She hadn't realized until the contents of her cup had exploded all over her arm that she had crushed the cup she had been holding onto.

Erity needed a space to think. Without another thought she went into the orb. But instead of staying inside the floating orb she walked out to the platform and climbed up onto the roof.

The wind blew cold air, easing the strain on her mind. Making her somewhat more relaxed. She gazed up at the night sky, at the bright stars and moon above her.

"What happened to you?"

Erity had not heard Katsuki climb up the ladder at all. "I just felt like I needed a break."

"No." He came up and sat down beside her. "I'm not asking about that. I want to know about this." He picked up her discarded uniform. "What happened?"

Erity glanced away sadly to stare at the moon and unconsciously rub her scars. "We were young and just figuring out how to use our quirks. My best friend and I took turns practicing on each other. My friend had a love quirk."

"Let me guess, they followed her around like lovesick puppies."

"Until she couldn't stand it anymore and told them all to jump off a cliff. Of course she wasn't serious but we watched in horror as they all followed her command."

Bakugo's eyes widened in horror.

"We found out later her quirk was related to that of a Siren. Didn't matter if you were male, female, or a panda. Once she got under your skin you were basically a mindless puppet. But somehow…I managed to get out of her hold. Which lashed back and caused her great pain. Emiko never forgave me after that and swore she'd make the rest of my life a living hell."

"Geez."

"She basically tortured the people I cherished most. The worst part is is that she told them to jump, maim, shoot or physically harm themselves only when I made eye contact with them. Everyone I laid eyes on became a victim. The only choice I had was to run somewhere she wouldn't be able to hurt me."

Erity took off the bandages over her arm. She heard him gasp at all the damage.

"By that point it didn't matter if I lived or died anymore. I had no clue where up, down, or right or wrong was. I was a complete wreck. Even failing to take my own damn life."

"But then I saw something that changed my life completely. It was a video of your run in with the sludge villain. I mean yeah, you were captured and saved by All Might, but that's not what snared my attention. It was your eyes that spoke to me. The determination, the furious fire you held in that gaze and your refusal to give up, had me captivated. I was mesmerized."

So was he by this conversation

"I watched that video so many times. My one glimmer of hope in this world. That one video somehow got me slightly back on track." She touched her sliced up skin. "I stopped doing this to myself."

You could hear a pin drop from the quietness around them. Despite being outside.

"I figured that would be the end of it. Just some random guy I found a video to watch, who had no idea how much of a bright light he became in my darkened life." She paused. "But I was wrong."

XxxxxxxxxxFlashbackxxxxxxxxxx

The sky outside her room seemed so dark as Erity watched the clouds come rumbling in. She sighed. Rubbing her sliced up arm and wincing.

She glanced down to stare at it with a troubling gaze. It has been at least a few days since she had done any more damage to herself. Here she was wondering if that video she saw was just a fluke.

Sure it happened, but there was no way she'd get the same emotions from watching it a second time.

Right?

Wrong.

Erity couldn't believe how much this kid, no…this young man was helping stop the voice of doubt in her head from tearing into her.

Those eyes practically sought out the camera, she felt him search her very soul. As if he was reaching out to her, in his own way. Telling her she still had a purpose, that she had a reason to live, All Erity had to do was push the walls down. And move forward.

So that's exactly what she did. Albeit very slowly. At times it was very difficult to believe in herself, especially knowing Emiko was out there waiting.

A depressed and deflated Erity would go right back to watching her favorite video. His face always managed to cheer her up.

Until one day it didn't. Because Erity couldn't deny the fact that she would very much like to find him, meet him, thank him. But he could literally be anywhere. She'd be searching for the rest of her life.

There was also the possibility that the video she watched may have been old and the person filming decided to randomly post it. Or there was another factor. He may not even be alive anymore.

Erity didn't want to dwell on either one of those. But her mood was declining rapidly. She didn't want to stay confined to her room anymore.

So she ventured out into the hallway where most of the others were. Though they mostly muttered to themselves or stared at the wall. There was only about 6 or so others that had their wits about them.

They were all in front of the TV right now.

"Just in time. The Sports Festivals are about to start." One of them said to Erity.

"I'll pass." Erity said. "I've had enough teenage drama to last me a lifetime." She said staring out the window.

'Now for the introductory speech!" A female voice was saying on TV. "And for the student pledge we have Katsuki Bakugo.'

"This kid looks kinda familiar."

"Hold up." Someone else said. "Hey Erity, isn't that your boyfriend on TV?" As they had all seen her watch that video on numerous occasions.

"Oh wait, you're right! The kid who got captured by the sludge villain."

"What?" She scoffed. "No way." She turned around. "Don't be-." She gasped and her eyes widened as she gazed into those fiery red eyes of his once more. No mistake about it, this was absolutely the same guy. Except instead of being held captive he was walking with that same energy of determination. And for the brief second his eyes had focused on the camera, Erity felt he had somehow yet again struck something deep inside her. She smiled, gazing at the screen. "Katsuki." She finally had a name to go with his face.

"I just want to say. I'm gonna win!"

And while everyone around her as well as the people surrounding his stage had booed him. Erity smiled even wider and gave a small chuckle at the way Katsuki had cared very little at the way everyone else was harassing him. Head held high and epic swagger off the stage.

"Go Katsuki go!" She cried. She settled in to listen to what the commentators were saying. Some guy named Preston Mike, or whatever.

"As you can see Katsuki Bakugo clearly has one goal in mind, the rest of the students however seem to be less than thrilled. Perhaps they'll try to knock him off his high horse."

"Bakugo has shown how resourceful he is when it comes to combat." Another commentator was saying. "Those who try to aim for the top like Bakugo does might get knocked off themselves when they encounter his quirk. The more he sweats the more he can use his nitroglycerin-like explosions."

'What did he just say?' Erity asked herself internally while gasping outwardly, holding her breath and not daring to believe it. She gazed at the screen which still held his stats.

"Well would you look at that." The guy on the couch said gazing over at Erity. "He needs sweat in order for his quirk to work, while you can take that very power away from him."

"Yeah. I heard." Erity's heart felt like it was in her throat. It seemed that her power complimented and hindered him at the same time. But what really got her going was the fact that Katsuki was another person with a sweat based quirk.

Which helped her feel like less of a freak. People that heard what her quirk was always gave her sad, pitying and disgusted looks.

Erity wasn't going to let that bother her ever again. She realized her face was hurting from all the smiling she had been doing in the moment of watching Katsuki prevail.

Erity knew there was three parts to the Sports Festivals. So even though he Katsuki didn't win this challenge he'd be able to move on to the next. She could tell he wasn't satisfied as his gaze turned towards the boy who was in first place.

Wasn't that the same kid who tried to fight off the sludge villain to get Katsuki out?

Interesting.

The commentators were right though. Katsuki certainly was strong. Most people Erity knew with an explosive quirk often times were too scared to use it, for fear of hurting others or causing extreme damage.

XxxxxxxxxxxEnd FlashbackxxxxxxX

"During your match with Uraraka, I stopped taking all my medication." Erity told him. "After you won, I quit going to therapy. And I worked so hard to get myself back to being me again. So that they'd let me out, and I'd be free to come and meet you without worrying about a target on my back. You gave me a reason to live, and saved me without meaning to. I know this may not mean much, and I don't expect my feelings to be returned, but somewhere along the way I fell in love with you."

"What happened to you being free?" She heard him gasp and clear his throat. She smiled

"Halstead tore up the paperwork. Said I'd never leave. And didn't believe that some "bratty boy" was going to change me."

"That guy's a moron. Bastard doesn't know what he's talking about." There was a few moments of silence. "So you won. I'd congratulate you if I didn't think it would go to your head." He side eyed Erity, smirking and elbowed her in the ribs. "I may have been a jerkwad to you afterwards though."

"You're still a jerkwad."

"Hey, I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you, don't be pissing me off!"

"I'm only kidding Katsuki." She nudged him in the ribs this time scooting just a tiny bit closer.

"All I ever wanted was to go up against someone who gave their all in a battle without holding back or being scared of going up against me at all. But…I didn't just want them to go all out. I wanted someone that would rise above me so I could climb the ladder to success. I was stuck waiting, but no one wanted to risk the level of success that I was yearning for. They were happy going with the flow at the pace of a freaking snail. I hated it. It pissed me off."

'I'm sure it did.'

"And then you come along and I didn't know what the hell to think. I was more peeved at myself for falling into your trap. I lashed out. But I wasn't prepared for the way that you handled it. You waited until I was the one who gave in. I mean what the hell? No one ever does that! And they've never walked away figuring that I could get my own ass out myself, or realize that I'd be peeved if they even offered their hand." He took in a breath. "What you did meant more to me than you could possibly imagine. Because of that, you now have my respect."

"Does that mean I can do this?" Erity put her head on his shoulder.

"Don't push your luck."

Erity smirked and removed herself. She felt Katsuki nudge her so she looked over at him.

"What gave you the impression that I had asked you to get off me? I never said that." He nodded his head towards his shoulder. Erity gladly put it back. And felt butterflies as his arm snaked around her waist pulling her closer.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just trying to get more comfortable."