Battle Plans And Bad Dreams
The door slammed before Estelle marched upstairs like a woman on a mission. Her lips tilted up in annoyance, her fingers gripping the collar that Tokoyami had given her as her mind flurried across different solutions. Making her way to the map in her room, the female didn't get very far before being stopped by a familiar voice.
"Lunch is ready."
"Yeah, yeah," Estelle grunted, clearly uninterested as her eyes trailed over the map, her face tilted thoughtfully as she regarded her next moves.
She didn't miss Katsuki's growl of aggravation as thumping sounds got louder as he stormed his way over to where she stood. Giving a lengthy sigh, Estelle placed her hand on the map, pulling it from the wall before turning to the glaring pomeranian. Leaning her head back to groan from the stubborn expression lining his face, she slumped in defeat as she added, "Fine, but I'm taking this with me.
"Whatever. Now get that cute butt moving!"
Letting out a chuckle as his quirk rang in her ears, Estelle raised her hands defensively, one palm still wrapped around the thick paper. "Alright, alright!"
Following the male down the stairs and greeting the rest of the class, Estelle sat in her seat, immediately placing the large map on the corner of the table. It was too big, though, half of it hanging off the wood, but Estelle didn't seem to care as her eyes focused on her assignment. She paid no mind to the others as she worked, one hand still feeding herself as the other scribbled onto the map so quickly that the scratching sounds were audible.
"How's your day, Estelle?"
Glancing up at the map absentmindedly, Estelle made sure to answer. "Training the spirits has been going well. Our numbers are improving now that the spirit realm is aware of Nyx's treachery. But Nyx is a pain in my ass."
"Isn't he always?" Kaminari remarked.
"True," Estelle muttered, "I wouldn't be surprised if wide-scale attacks started soon."
The students froze at her admission, their eyes widening as they looked over at the concentrated girl. Izuku was the one to speak, his body leaning over the desk from curiosity as he questioned, "The attacks right now, they aren't the worst of it?"
Losing her focus, the pen paused as Estelle looked up from the table. Frowning, she explained, "What he's doing right now is equivalent to a siege on a base. In my world, battling sides would attack each other bases or towns to communicate strength and power. The more land you lost, the less likely you would win the war. You weaken the opponent if you do that because losing a base means countless deaths - lessening the number of opposition."
"So, why is he attacking cities rather than bases?"
"Because I have none. It's unorthodox, but I can't just set up bases around the country because I have to worry about civilians. The safest thing to do would be to hide my comrades until I have to respond. On the other hand, Nyx doesn't care about civilians, so he has bases all around the country."
"So, that's what he's doing? He's attacking random cities to draw your soldiers out because there would be no other way to weaken you?"
"Exactly!" Estelle answered with a small, proud smile as she looked at Momo. "There's no other way for him besides to get me to retaliate. I haven't been able to attack many bases of his, mainly because civilians surround them. He's done it on purpose, which is smart because if I want to hit it, I'll need to evacuate the area."
"Which gives him enough time to catch onto what's happening. Genius!"
Nodding, Estelle smiled again, noting how intrigued they were by the process. Before she could open her mouth to respond, something on the map caught her eye. Yanking her sights to the specific spot, the class watched with bemusement as she started circling the cities like a mad woman.
"Eat first, Estelle," Katsuku reprimanded, eyeing the spoon in her hand, which hadn't moved for the last five minutes.
"Shh, it can't wait."
"Tch."
The class bit back their smiles at the vexed scowl on the blonde's face. Katsuki continued to get more riled up as time went on, his eyes nearly setting her spoon on fire from how frustrated he was at the fact she had stopped eating. The deathly stare beaming off his face was evidence enough, and their breaths stopped when he finally had enough and stood up.
With bated breaths, they assumed Katsuki was about to throw her pen across the room, but to their utter astonishment, he reached for the spoon in her hand. Their jaws dropped as they observed the utensil leave Estelle's hand, the woman barely realising what was happening, and had moved towards her bowl with a clink.
They nearly topped over when the spoon headed towards her mouth, and Estelle did not react to his move. She leaned forward, her mouth expecting and accepting his movements without backlash. They could only choke when her mouth closed around the metal, her eyes still lingering on the map with concentration as she bit and swallowed.
He was feeding her.
What the hell were they watching right now?
Katsuki quickly noticed their stares and shot them all a glower, causing them to look away bashfully. They couldn't help but sneak a few peeks to catch more glimpses of the scene, utter incredulity still lining their bodies at the image of the explosive blonde feeding her with a picture of calmness.
Had he done this before? How was he so calm about it? They couldn't wrap their heads around it.
Katsiki could only smirk as Estelle opened her mouth for more, too distracted to realise she had finished her plate. Feeling an achievement with that fact, he dipped into his own to keep the steady stream of food going. He didn't mind fattening her up since food was stored energy that Estelle would soon utilise, so he kept going.
Once the meals had emptied both plates, Katsuki grunted, "Alright, you're done."
Startled by his interruption, Estelle broadened her eyes as fullness hit her like a truck. Groaning, she whined, "Jeez, I feel like a balloon."
"Hah! You haven't hit the ceiling yet," The blonde chortled back.
"Maybe not, but I will pop."
"Ah, shut up, brat. It was good for you."
Standing up, Estelle waddled her way to the living room, feeling ridiculous as she plopped down onto the floor. She had been hoping to return to her room, but in her current state, Estelle was surprised she even made it this far when her stomach was holding the weight of the world. Deciding it didn't matter much, her attention focused back on her work with avid intent.
The students didn't take long to follow her, trickling in one by one after they had cleaned up and finished their food. Mostly, they let her be glad that she was there with them in general. Some time had passed before her attention was taken from her work. Sato, sitting behind her, spoke up in question, his eyes curiously watching her this whole time.
"So, what are you working on now?"
"I'm arranging squads to separate locations and beefing up defence on area's Nyx is likely to hit."
"How can you figure out his next plan of attack?"
Pursing her lips, Estelle muttered, "Well, I have to think about it from his point of view. Strategising like the enemy allows me to figure out countermeasures. The intel from the other heroes usually helps to fill in any blanks."
Estelle tried to explain by pointing to the black markers dotted all over the map. "These are Nyx's bases, or at least the ones we know of. These areas are under his control because I've not made any offensive moves to get the land back. The safest thing for him to do would be to focus on areas around his territory to bolster the likelihood of success and mitigate the damage of failure."
"So you place squads around his base rather than attack it? Therefore keeping him within the confines of one area and preventing his soldiers from spreading?" Shoto inputted, his brows furrowed as he pondered on the new information.
"Exactly! This means I know where they all are, and once I can attack, I'd hit them where it hurts every time. It doesn't solve everything, though, because he could be thinking about my strategy and willing to risk attacking outside his safety net, effectively drawing out my men."
"...And weakening your stance," Katsuki finished.
"If he won, yes."
"Woah, that's a lot of thinking."
"Ugh, tell me about it," Estelle groaned, slumping as she stared at the map in aggravation. This stuff always gave her a headache, but it was a natural part of the war. There was nothing Estelle could do about it.
Katsuki wasn't in the living room when she returned to the dorms after a mission. When she noticed he wasn't present, she first headed into her room, partially to get out of her gear and see if he had made himself comfortable in her dorm. Perking a brow when she noticed he wasn't there, Estelle headed back down to see if he had shown up.
He wasn't there.
Pausing on her way to the dining room, Estelle turned into a statue once the realisation kicked in. She was searching for him. She stayed there, motionless as the recognition settled in her mind, and an uncomfortable twinge within her gut as she fought with herself on the next move.
Should she pretend she never did that? Or keep looking, regardless of how the knowledge felt? It's not that she didn't want to find him, but why was she hunting for him in the first place? Estelle wanted to scream at herself for being so unknowing, but she had never previously searched for someone like this. It felt weird.
Deciding to push onwards, Estelle's eyes landed on the only figure in the room. Double taking, she noted how he was hunched over the table, his eyes focused on the sheet of paper in front of him as he disregarded the sound of the door closing behind her.
She didn't move, taking a moment to observe him as his lips puckered in annoyance. His ruby eyes seared into the paper like it was his mortal enemy, his jawline becoming more pronounced as it jutted forward from such a focused expression.
She was probably staring for too long, but her eyes couldn't seem to depart from him in what seemed like strange fascination. Because the longer she observed him, the less tight her body felt. She had experienced it before, but never to this extent. Usually, when she entered Height's Alliance to find the class greeting her, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from her. It was a comfort Estelle took selfishly, knowing that one day she would return home with nobody to greet her by the door.
But, standing there and just examining him, Estelle didn't just feel weightless like a cloud in the sky. Estelle felt like she had been flung over the moon, freed without a worry that she wouldn't be caught before hitting the ground. It felt like she was standing next to a fireplace in a freezing room, cuddling around it like she was desperate for the warmth emanating.
It felt utterly domestic.
She wondered if this was what it was like to come home to a partner. She had heard soldiers talking about it, going home to their wives and children after enduring such harsh conditions. It was what they fought for every day - to return home safe and sound to their families. If this was the feeling, Estelle could understand their desperate need and determination to make it home. She could understand why their dying words always spoke of their loved ones.
She wondered what it would be like to have people like that, but Estelle knew it wasn't possible for her to achieve, trying to push it away from her mind before she could think about it further. Her world wouldn't allow it. She shouldn't even bother.
The sound of a pen brought Estelle out of her daze. Her eyes redirected to the frantic writing of the male before her. Katsuki still hadn't noticed her presence, so taking a few steps forward, her mind's urge to be a little more selfish rang out loud. It felt so comforting; Estelle wanted to drown in it, to stop thinking so much and simmer in what felt like heaven. It sat right in front of her, so close to her reach that she couldn't help but want more.
It surged her legs to move closer, her arm already raised, yet her mind had no clue what it was trying to accomplish besides getting closer to his vicinity. She ignored his startled jump when her hand touched his shoulder, clearly stunned from his focus, and he tried to look up at her.
Sliding her arm around him so she was effectively hugging him around his shoulders, Estelle awkwardly stood in the embrace as Katsuki stilled. It was an odd position, but Estelle didn't know how hugging worked when she wasn't standing in front of him, so she was internally praying that it wasn't wrong.
Katsuki didn't seem to care in the slightest. Eyes wide, the irritated expression lining his face beforehand had utterly disappeared as he looked up at her in a way that made her heart clench. He was taken aback by the outward show of affection, his eyes sceptically trailing over her.
It was as if Estelle had just gifted him the world, and he was doubtful it was real. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the knowledge made her throat tighten, her grip following suit. Estelle couldn't help but soak in the enamoured expression, wondering what it would be like to give him everything. She could do it if he continued to look at her like that, like a miracle in the making.
His body soon melted under her embrace, a grumble leaving his lips as he made no movement to stop her actions. Estelle gave an achingly sweet smile that seemed to covey her innermost thoughts as her free hand trailed upwards, landing on his locks with ease as if he were a child being consoled.
Katsuki felt as if something had lodged into his throat. Estelle's presence was usually solid, unwavering by his side to the point that he could never imagine it empty. This time, it was like a pillow, pulling him in a way that made him want to curl up next to it and fall asleep. He wasn't used to it, being given a comfort so deep it twisted his very essence.
Despite the grip on his throat, he forced his words out, the harshness of his voice present as he asked, "The hell is that for?"
Estelle didn't have a reason, and it only became more apparent after he questioned her that there was no excuse for her actions. She wouldn't lie to him, so Estelle made no comment as her thumb rubbed into his scalp in a way that made him groan. It was strange, the feeling that she should let go and pretend she had never done anything was so present in her mind, but no part of her wanted to leave.
Lifting his head up again so he could get a better view of Estelle, Katsuki felt his heart skip beats, a rush of dopamine hitting his brain so hard that he nearly shuttered from it. Estelle's guarded eyes were nowhere to be seen, and his breath hitched from the overwhelming softness of it all. He had only ever imagined what she would be like if she admitted her feelings, but sitting in this chair, Katsuki didn't need her to say anything. He could see it all within her eyes, and he soared higher than his quirk could ever take him; he fucking flew to the heavens.
He could feel the heat radiating from his own face, so Katsuki forced his eyes to glace away as the thundering of his heart rushed through his ears. God, it made him want to engulf her whole, and he couldn't believe he was feeling such a way from a simple hug she had initiated.
Sue him; it's not like this happened every day.
Estelle took a moment to peek at the paper lying on the table in front of them. She immediately clocked the diagrams and where his frustrations were stemming from. Perking up a brow, she murmured, "A winter suit?
The blonde ignored her question, his limp arms finally moving to action as he twisted his body around to wrap himself around her midsection. Pressing his face into her stomach, he grunted, "Tch, yeah. But we can talk about that later. Just keep hugging me, dammit."
Letting out a light laugh, Estelle shook her head fondly, her eyes sparkling from the light as she answered, "Hm, okay."
"I didn't tell you to stop playing with my hair."
"You're so bossy."
"Bite me."
Estelle left her bedroom; the last sight of Katsuki was the image of him lazing around on her bed as he raised a middle finger. Estelle had refused to ignore her patrols, annoying the blonde as he stared at her like she had murdered his whole family. His mutterings about her paranoia only seemed to prolong his attempt at keeping her within the bed, but Estelle gave him no chance to win as she pulled herself out of the warmth of the covers.
Whilst she was flying over the school grounds, Estelle had expected it to be an easy night, but as she watched a figure running through fake buildings, she was instantly on high alert. Not taking any chances, Estelle darted to the ground behind the individual, the darkness of the night making it difficult to identify them.
But, as a street light shed some of the green with its hair, Estelle instantly relaxed, knowing it was just her classmate. Though, why was he outside at this time? Running as if his life depended on it?
She noticed how his feet pattered on the ground harshly, like every step was a mission for his body, and he was blissfully unaware of her presence as he continued to run. Lifting her own body a few feet from the ground, Estelle stayed a few metres behind him for a moment, taking in the fact he was breathing too heavily; he must have been out already for quite a while.
Estelle picked up her speed and batted her wings even though she didn't need to, hoping the sound would notify him of her arrival. He had completely ignored the warning, maintaining his speed without his quirk. Eventually, she went in front slowly, hoping he wouldn't have a heart attack from the sudden heat whipping by him.
Her hope died instantly when he screamed, "Waaah!"
And it went six feet under when he landed on his butt from the shock.
Deadpanning at his reaction, Estelle took a few steps forward before lending him a hand. The green-haired male stared at it for a few moments, clearly letting his brain catch up to him before finally accepting the help. Estelle remained quiet as she helped him back up to his feet and continued in silence as Izuku shuffled on his two feet, uncomfortable about the new development.
Unsurprisingly, Izuku was the first to break, his voice filled with uncertainty as he wobbled out, "Uh, what brings you here?"
Giving him a stern look that made the student wince, Estelle answered, "I should be asking you that. I was patrolling, and I saw what could be an intruder running through the school grounds. I wasn't expecting it to be you."
Izuku scrunched up his face as if he had eaten something sour before rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. "Yeah, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I was trying to clear my head,"
Furrowing her brows, Estelle took a moment to scrutinise him thoroughly before coming to a conclusion. It was evident from how her body relaxed, and it eased Izuku's anxiety for a moment before she smashed it to pieces. "What's wrong?"
"Wahh! Nothing! Nothing is wrong! Why would anything be wrong?!"
Deadpanning from the panic overtaking Izuku's entire body, Estelle grunted, "Well, it's not like I've seen you out here running before. Something has shaken you up, so spill it."
Slumping, Izuku found no excuse she could muster up that would satisfy the otherworldly female. She was perceptive, and not much slipped by her. Sighing, Izuku felt his defeat hit him like a truck as he muttered, "I just...had a bad dream. That's all."
Estelle felt her heart soften from his meek tone, her eyes visibly cushioning him as she took him in. He looked exhausted, like he had been put through the wringer and was expected to jump back into the fray. It was totally unlike him, and it sparked up a plethora of concern within Estelle that she almost didn't know what to do with it. She could only imagine what would catch the male off guard so much that he felt he needed to run it out of his system.
Keeping her tone neutral, Estelle shrugged as her body turned to look out at the fake city around them. She didn't want to pressure the boy; it would be his choice to speak and only his. "Wanna talk about it? I know a lot more than most about bad dreams."
Estelle kept her eyes away from him as she allowed him the time to come to a decision. She already knew his choice when she felt the vibrations of him stepping closer to her. "Well, it wasn't a bad dream, at least I don't think so. It seemed more like...a memory."
Jerking her head to him, Estelle couldn't keep her stupefaction from view, her eyes widening as her heart fell to her feet. A memory? Did that mean...he was struggling? Maybe she had been entirely wrong about the boy. Biting her lip, she failed to hold back her clenching fists as her thoughts ran wild. She couldn't fathom him having to experience something so horrible that it terrorised his sleep. Izuku didn't deserve to go through something like that.
Izuku seemed to have noticed her reaction, his eyes widening as he realised his wording might have been incorrect. Feeling hysteria rise to the surface, Izuku waved his hands frantically as he tried to reassure her that she had the wrong idea. "No! No! Not like that! Honestly! I'm okay!"
Estelle visibly slumped in relief, her shoulders hunching over as she finally let out the breath she had been holding in. Silently thanking the sky that she was wrong, Estelle turned her head to him in curiosity. "What do you mean?"
"I don't think it was my memory. I think it was memories from the previous users of One-For-All. I've never had them before, and it was terrifying."
Tensing up again, Estelle let out a visible frown when she noted how that wasn't much better than her previous thoughts, but it was still something. There were seven users before All Might, which meant seven lots of potential memories. That could take a toll on the mind, and if this was the first time, Izuku would struggle regardless.
Placing a hand on the teen's shoulder, Estelle felt understanding simmer in her bones as she forced him to look at her. "Of course, it would be scary. Nobody had the gall to tell you, or this is the first instance of it ever happening. You have every right to feel the way you feel. From what I know of your quirk, it was designed to bolster enough strength to fight All-For-One. If this is happening now, it could be that your power is trying to tell you something."
Perking up, Izuku's eyes sparkled in recognition as he leaned forward. "The memories I saw had All-For-One in them!"
Nodding, Estelle disregarded her stomach, which was knotted in uneasiness. If he saw memories that surrounded the enemy, he was bound to see things that could impact his health. It would be a shock to the system. Hell, Estelle seeing her own memories made her want to throw up and tear her body apart. She hoped Izuku could power through that and come out the other end okay.
In her heart of hearts, Estelle knew it wouldn't be painless for him.
Giving a soft smile of encouragement, Estelle continued as if she hadn't been silent until the last minute. "Then keep listening to it, and don't stop talking to us about it, especially All Might. We'll help you figure it out, whether it's an aspect of your power going awry or if it's decoding the memories. Whatever it is, you don't have to handle it alone."
Izuku stilled under her words, his eyes perking up with a childlike innocence that punched directly into her gut. Tightening her grip on her shoulder, Estelle did everything she could to not bowl over it. "You'll help?" He brightened, a layer of consolation under the surface that didn't help Estelle's state of mind.
"Absolutely. For however long I'm here."
The answer seemed to dim some for the sparkle within his eyes, making Estelle want to revert hers to the ground from how honest it was. For Izuku, he was doing everything he could to bite back his response that desperately wanted to leave his lips. He didn't want her to go, but it wasn't the time to bring it up.
"Thank you, Estelle! Really! But you don't have to if you don't want to! I know you have a lot on your plate already!"
Estelle seemed to freeze under his thoughtful words, her mind being launched back to her moment with Momo, who had so truthfully stated something Estelle hadn't even been aware of at the time.
"You don't have to feel the need to pay your debts, you know, because none of us ever did anything with the expectation of getting something back."
And Katsuki.
"You have a whole pride behind you."
"Do you really think of the class as my pride?"
"It wasn't me who said it."
Forcing her mind back to the present, Estelle quickly shook her head. Even though she felt indebted to them, it wasn't why she had offered. Seeing Izuku alone and scared made her want to cover him up in blankets and hide him from the world. But she also felt an undercurrent of fury buried beneath her veins, knowing that he was suffering and would continue to for a long time. This wasn't going to be quick by any means, he had his own battles to fight, and he had taken that role on when he accepted All-Might's quirk.
Estelle didn't want him to suffer alone in that burden. Estelle knew precisely what it was like to carry the world's weight. Though her journey was much darker, she desperately hoped Izuku's journey didn't go down the same path. So, if she could help it, she would be there for him. There was no doubt about it.
"I want to."
Stunned, Izuku stared at Estelle in disbelief before tears began to well up. Estelle winced at the look, knowing she had accidentally set off his waterworks as he started to make puddles on the ground. Uneasy as he wailed like a baby in front of her, Estelle stood there like an idiot as Izuku moved into a deep bow, a broad smile beaming off his face as tear tracks lined his cheeks. "Then I would very much appreciate it! Thank you!"
Turning a fierce red, Estelle waved her hands around as she tried to get him back to a standing position. "Don't worry about it! It's fine!"
"Seriously! I can't thank you enough!"
Estelle relaxed, sighing as she gazed at the joyful student in front of her. Folding her arms, the words left her mouth before she could stop them. "But, can you make sure to do something for me?"
The softness within Estelle's tone immediately caught his attention; his demeanour finally returned to his usual sweet self as he straightened up. "Sure, what is it?"
"Just...I don't know how bad the memories are or how bad they'll get. So, it might not even matter, but...Whatever you see in them, don't keep it bottled up. I know what it's like to wake up in cold sweat, unable to break away from the past that tries to swallow you up. It can become deafening, isolating and easy to drown in. You may be seeing memories of seven people. That's a lot for the mind to handle. So-"
"I will. I promise."
Stopping from the easy agreement, Estelle stared at Izuku with stunned eyes as he looked back at her with such gentle understanding it made her want to hide.
"You should also take your own advice. I'm sure it'll be a big help to you as well! But would it be okay to talk to you about it? It would be nice to speak to someone who might understand what it's like. If that's okay with you, of course!"
With a soft smile, Estelle placed a hand on his head and ruffled, "Yeah, I'm working with Hound-Dog currently. It's going well so far. I will be happy to lend you an ear, and if I'm not there, you have people around you who can take my spot if necessary. You'll never have to be alone in this."
"Seriously, thank you. For thinking about me, really, you're a good friend."
Flushing, Estelle sputtered, unable to find the words to respond with after such a meaningful talk. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and said, "It's nothing; now you should go and get some rest. You've got a busy day tomorrow!"
"Ma'am!"
Feeling a laugh bubble over at his purposeful callback, Estelle gave one last ruffle to his head before taking her to leave. The smile remained on her face the whole journey back.
Izuku watched as Estelle continued to get smaller in the distance, feeling much better as he moved to run back to the dorms. The male didn't need to keep running anymore; he felt at ease after their talk, the heavy weight on his shoulders feeling much lighter than before now that he was reminded he didn't have to carry it alone.