Izuku Midoriya watched with enthusiasm as Uraraka and Aoyama did their best to hold out against Thirteen, although he grew worried as they were caught in the pull of the black hole quirk and holding on for dear life. Tsu had joined him just before the match started, coming alone since Momo needed to eat for her recovery. The frog girl became worried as well seeing no way out for their friends.

"If they don't do something, they are gonna fail this." She croaked out in fear.

Izuku had no idea how they were getting out of this before Aoyama said something to his partner, causing her to lose her grip and fly straight towards the teacher. Luckily for her, Thirteen had to turn her quirk off to avoid actually killing her, giving the gravity girl to leap onto and capture the teacher.

"Great job Uraraka!" Izuku cheered out in excitement seeing her pass. "She adapted to the change and used it to her advantage!"

Recovery Girl only sighed as she watched the match. 'Technically the only reason is Thirteen won't actually seriously harm her, but I guess a capture is a capture.'

Looking back to the screen, Izuku was curious to what was said between Aoyama and Uraraka, his friend looking suddenly flustered when talked to. Before he could say anything else however, the door behind him opened up, revealing both Tenya and Momo walking into the room. His face immediately lit up as they approached. "Iida, Yaoyorozu! That was amazing in your matches!" he said in glee.

"I appreciate the praise, Midoriya! It was quite difficult, but Ojiro and I were able to overcome the challenge together!" Tenya responded with a few chops.

Momo giggled at Tenya's answer before nodding back to Midoriya. "Thank you. It was much harder than I thought it was going to be, though. We barely passed."

Izuku could see the small frown on her face as she turned away, probably knowing the teachers were still not going all out against them and while weighing compressed weights. He disagreed with her being upset, his large smile returning once again. "But you were amazing. Both you and Tsu worked so well together, and you never gave up. Your training with Edgeshot really did pay off."

Looking back up, Momo couldn't help but smile at the look he gave her. He always found a way to make her happy, something she truly couldn't get tired of. "Thank you. How has everyone else done so far?"

Izuku's smile faded as he looked back at the screen. "Uraraka and Aoyama just passed. Actually everyone has passed so far. The only one I am worried for is Kirishima."

Momo looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? He was with Katara. Did she not pass either?"

"No no, sh-she made it through the gate. Before she did though, Kirishima was captured by Cementoss Sensei. So… I don't know if he passes."

"Hmm…" Tenya crossed his arms as he pondered the idea. "It is quite a mystery. It's a shame since they were so close to both making it together. Perhaps I can talk with her about it. I still haven't been able to congratulate her."

"She's… a little busy." Izuku answered, still confused what was going on with her, Tokoyami and Todoroki. While the other two looked at him with confusion, he knew it wasn't his place to discuss it yet.

The door to the waiting room opened up, revealing Katara as she came out and shut the door behind her. She pressed her back against the wood, taking a deep breath as she tried taking in everything that just happened.

She had been worried about Tokoyami after their incident yesterday, realizing something had been brewing inside of him after he had been acting distant. It wasn't just her thinking it either, since she heard the others say something was bothering him as well. Hearing what he said about Shoto in the hallway confirmed her concern, but why he was upset with the two of them growing close was something she had never expected to hear from him. She brought a hand up and rubbed her arm as she frowned to herself.

To hear Tokoyami had feelings for her… she truly never expected that. They were good friends, but she never knew he liked her that way. If he did, he hid those quite well with him being so quiet. Her heart ached when he told her why he was so reserved, listening to how he was tormented just because he was born differently. Her anger grew as she imagined seeing those kids around him, wishing she could have been there to put them in their place for doing something so horrible to her friend.

"Friend…" She whispered out, her anger giving way to sadness once more.

He was a friend to her, a great friend in fact. But a friend is what he was. Even after hearing his doubt within himself about his appearance, Katara sat there and really looked at him. Sure he was certainly different than a normal person, yet that wasn't what bothered her. She even told the truth about his feathers being cute. But… in terms of personal feelings, she just didn't feel that with him. Even for a split moment then she pictured actually being with him, and she just didn't feel something stir inside of her. She let out a deep sigh, hoping he was able to really accept her answer without affecting what they already had.

"Katara…"

Hearing her name called, Katara looked up to see Shoto standing down the hall looking at her, his face etched in confusion. "Hey…" She quietly answered as she stood up and walked towards him.

"Is he okay?" He asked, earning a small nod from Katara.

"Yes, he just… wants to take his time in there."

Seeing her depressed face, Shoto looked back towards the door for a moment. "What was bothering him? He… called himself-

"Shoto…" Katara cut him off, not wanting to hear that insult right now. "He had old feelings come up that he had to get out and talk to someone about."

"And they had to do with you?" he questioned, noticing her look away at that. "He said he was upset that me and you had become friends. Was that really all?"

"Well…" Katara sighed and rubbed her arm again. "It's not my place to tell. If you need to, you can talk to him soon. He wanted to say something to you after school as well."

"He did?"

"Yeah…" Katara answered with a nod as she walked by. As Shoto followed her, she couldn't help but go back to what Tokoyami said for why he became jealous. She glanced over her shoulder and looked at Shoto close behind, realizing why Tokoyami thought what he did. She then felt her mind spinning, a sudden feeling coming over her as she looked forward again, rubbing her thumbs against her fingers as she began thinking of things she didn't expect. She pushed those thoughts aside however, already flustered with what she heard with Tokoyami that she didn't want to add any more confusion to her mind right now.

They made their way to the observation room, opening the door to see the others turn to face them. Tenya immediately beamed a massive smile, bursting across the room to face her. "Katara! I have been waiting to give you a proper congratulations on your match earlier! It was truly a spectacular performance!"

Seeing his excitement brought a smile to Katara's face, always happy to see him so ecstatic. "Thank you. It was really tough, actually. I almost got caught too."

"But being the genius that you are, you had a plan ready just in case!" Tenya declared as his arms chopped erratically.

Tsu placed a finger to her chin as she thought about his comment. "I think genius is a strong word. I still wanna challenge you to that spelling contest. Ribbit."

A few of the others glared at the comment, although Momo and Midoriya couldn't help but giggle slightly. Katara's eyebrow twitched at the grog girls sarcasm. "Okay… I admit it, I am not good with school work."

"I think… that is an understatement." Momo added in giggling, rolling her eyes playfully at the glare she received from the waterbender. "Although, you are still better than those two on screen."

"HAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!"

Katara's eyes went wide when she hear a maniacal laughter coming from the screen, looking up to see Principle Nezu crashing a wrecking ball in the facility chasing Mina and Kaminari. "Uh…. What's happening?" she asked.

Recovery girl sighed, having disconnected her ear piece from hearing the principle screaming like a mad man for too long. "Principle Nezu is having a little too much fun with these two."

All eyes went back to the screen as the students in the zone ran helplessly to avoid being crushed by debris, left trapped inside the labyrinth with no place to go. What made her shiver for some reason was the laughing from the principle, the normally cuddly looking creature acting like some crazed maniac (either this was him acting good, or he was letting loose) as time ran out of their match. The group inside the media room stared in both shock and amazement how the so called "Match" played out.

"They couldn't do anything against him." Shoto quietly said as Mina and Kaminari pouted on screen. "He wasn't even near them and he beat them so easily."

"Yeah. They are both close distance fighters, and not the best at strategies. This was the worst match up for them." Midoriya commented before he looked over to Todoroki next to him. "By the way, you did good in you match. Aizawa sensei is pretty scary sometimes."

Shoto looked down to the ground in shame, still frustrated in how it turned out. "Yeah…"

"Uh…. By the way…" Izuku twiddled his thumbs as he pondered asking what was on his mind. "Is… Tokoyami okay? He's seemed… a little off lately."

Luckily for the pair of them, the only one close enough to hear the question was Katara, the waterbender looking back and giving a small glare to Midoriya. The green haired teen shivered slightly, the look not of anger, but simply saying 'not the best time to ask.' Luckily for both of them, Shoto gave a basic answer to get past it.

"He's had a lot on his mind. I will talk to him after school."

Both Katara and Izuku were surprised by the response. Shoto didn't fully know what was happening, but he knew it was something he had to figure out on his own after what he heard from Tokoyami. The door to the room opened once more, giving the perfect distraction to change the subject for all of them as Uraraka ran inside.

"Oh, Ashido's and Kaminari's match is over?" she said in surprise.

Momo nodded as she analyzed the screen. "Yes. They had no option against the principle and time ran out. His plan was flawless."

"Seriously? That's a bummer. So far we have all been able to pass."

Katara frowned at the ground and crossed her arms. "I'm still not sure about Kirishima though."

"Oh…" Uraraka had completely forgotten what happened in the first match, feeling bad now that she left him out. "I mean… you still got through the gate, which is what they said was supposed to let us pass."

"Yes, but being captured before your partner makes it was never discussed. I fear that could be grounds for a failure." Tenya added.

"I know…" Katara rubbed her hand on her arm as she sighed.

"But… you did good passing Uraraka!" Izuku said happily trying to bring the mood up. "That was clever using Thirteen's quirk against her."

"Oh, well…" Uraraka laughed and tried hiding her embarrassment. "I mean I was taught to make every situation work for me!"

Tsu raised her eyebrows curiously at her friend. "What were you and Aoyama talking about just before you let go?"

The look on the gravity girls face went from happy to absolute shock in that moment, her mind replaying that random question her partner asked her.

'You were thinking "What would Deku do right now, weren't you? Do you… Like him?'

"N-N-Nothing at all! Nothing at all important!" Uraraka screamed out, her face deep red as she flailed her arms out at nothing. "Nothing important!" The others all stared in confusion to the girls sudden rambling, watching as she turned around to hide her burning up face. All Except for Tsu who saw the same exact reaction a week ago.

Turning back to the screen, the group inside watched as the last few matches progressed. Jiro and Koda struggled for sometime against Present Mic's voice quirk, but luckily Koda had been able to overcome his fear of bugs and used his anivoice quirk to control a swarm to crawl through the ground and overwhelmed the terrified teacher. The sight was quite disgusting to everyone watching (Except for Tsu couldn't but lick her lips at all the tasty critters on screen.)

The next match with Shoji and Toru ended quite embarrassing after the Teacher Snipe was handcuffed by the invisible girl, accidentally moving his arm and…. Bumped her invisible and uncovered chest. Even the second to last match was filled with surprise, watching Mineta screaming in horror as he ran away from Midnight while Sero passed out from her quirk. While they expected the match to end with him flailing in fear and hiding in terror from the seductive teacher, they were shocked when he came out with a piece of Sero's tape to his mouth blocking the scent from hitting him and even sticking Midnight's whip and hand to a boulder pinning her there. Somehow… the one everyone thought would fail first actually pulled it off and made it.

And now… it came down to the final match of the test.

"I guess it is time for me now." Izuku took a deep breath and clenched his fist. He felt several of the others turn to him in concern, knowing how the one person who didn't get along with Midoriya, let alone anyone, was the one he was partnered with. He however kept a smile on his, showing he was ready to move forward with his challenge. "I will see you all after the test. Let's all pass this together!"

Before anyone could say anything to him, he ran out of the room and towards his field, leaving the others in worry about what was going to happen. Katara sighed as she looked over to Tenya, his own eyes filled with concern since they all knew Bakugo despised Midoriya more than anyone. Uraraka clenched her fists, wishing she could at least say something to him before he left. Momo however rubbed her arm as she watched the screen, hoping he remembered what she told him from before.

Exiting the building and jogging his way down the dirt road, Izuku tried keeping his composure as he made the trek to the city testing site. Outside, he looked calm and ready to get to it. On the inside however, he was a trembling mess. First it was dealing with All Might, his idol and teacher himself having to be the one he faced off with his testing. Someone as strong as him was going to be impossible to actually beat in a fight. Which made being partnered with Bakugo that much more difficult. He knew Bakugo was never one to listen to anyone, especially if it was him saying something. And he knew he was set on beating anyone in his way, something that would only make it worse.

There was something he learned however… something from someone he had grown quite close to.

He paused as he reached the entrance gate to the testing zone, locking eyes with Bakugo standing there. As usual, a scowl was etched onto the teens face watching his partner show up, looking back to the open gates in front of him. "Finally decided to show up, Deku?" Bakugo growled out.

"Y-yeah. I watched the rest of the matches. It s-seems almost everyone has passed." Izuku forced a smile out, only receiving a scoff from his teammate who walked forward.

"Like I care who else makes it through. As long as I pass that's what matters. And I for sure am not going to be failing this test."

"Well… then we need to come up with a strategy then. If we can avoid All Might, that will give us-

"You can do whatever the hell you want. Hide, cry, I don't give a shit. I am going straight through All Might and winning this thing!" Bakugo yelled out as he stomped inside.

"What?!" Izuku gasped out and ran after him. He knew Bakugo was stubborn, but hearing his plan was absolutely ridiculous. "You can't be serious! You know there is no way you can beat him!"

"Just shut your mouth, Deku! Just because you drool over All Might doesn't mean I'm going to cower down!"

"Th-that has nothing to do with it! You know he is the strongest hero, and we wouldn't stand a chance in a head on fight! We have to work together and think of a way around him!"

Clenching his hands inside his gauntlets, Bakugo gritted his teeth as he looked back to the teen next to him. "And work with a weakling like you? You actually think I would lower myself to that?"

"If you want to pass this test, we have to. You have to listen to me and-

Izuku gasped as he watched Bakugo's gauntlet swinging towards him, barely able to jump back in time to avoid being hit by it. His wide eyes looked as Bakugo was glaring harshly at him, almost growling out in frustration.

"You actually think I'm going to listen to shit from you? Just because you got stronger recently, you think you can tell me what to do? Coming from the loser who was always in my shadow, and you think you can just follow me here and tell me how to win this thing? I don't need you or anyone to tell me what to do!"

The sweat dripping down Izuku's neck was usually enough to tell him to back off and keep his mouth shut. He knew that Bakugo always snapped at anyone, but with himself it may actually lead to something physical. He slightly shivered as Bakugo stomped off away, thinking back to all those times growing up when he was pushed around by his once childhood friend. He would always stay silent after to keep himself out of trouble, just like someone quirkless should do as he was told countless times.

But he wasn't a quirkless weakling anymore.

"Will… will you fight a stronger opponent with no hope of winning?"

Bakugo froze mid step when he heard that, his eyes widening at the familiar words. He slowly turned back and stared daggers at the teen behind him. "What did you just say?"

While he felt a bit terrified by the look he received, Izuku clenched his fists and glared back. "Will… are y-you going to try and fight even though you know you can't beat him?"

"You…" Bakugo's felt his hands spark up as he bared his teeth. "Where the hell did you hear something like that from?"

"Are you?" Izuku shook slightly, but he held his ground and stared down the furious teen. "How do y-you think that will turn out? You will fail!"

"Deku…" Bakugo began walking back at the green haired teen, his body tightening in anger. "Did you hear some shit from Ponytail and-

"SMASH!"

The powerful shock wave ripped through the street, nearly knocking both of them off their feet as something large crashed into the road ahead of them. Their eyes widened in shock as the massive figure of the hero stood up from the concrete, his large smile beaming down at them.

"You two were talking so loud I could practically hear you across the training ground! It made it far too easy to find you!" All Might chuckled as he looked at the stunned faces beneath him. "Any hero would be foolish to give their positions away!"

Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat, stepping back as the tall hero stared him down. His partner however didn't share his hesitation, blasting forward straight at the pro. "Kachaan, wait!" he called out.

"Come on, All Might!" Bakugo roared out and pushed his glowing hands forward, "Let's do this!"

The pro chuckled at the sight of this student coming at him, disappearing in a blur of speed much to Bakugo's shock. Before he could even register, a powerful fist landed straight into Bakugo's back and sent him straight to the ground. "Kachaan!" Izuku yelled out as he watched his partner bounce on the ground.

Grunting from the pain, Bakugo glared up and released a powerful blast at the hero, only to watch All Might quickly spin his body around the attack and clench a large hand around his face. All Might laughed as he picked the teen off the ground and held him in the air. "It's quite adorable that you- OW!"

All Might was cut off as Bakugo's hand let off a barrage of explosions to the pro's face. The attacks weren't really damaging, but more shocking than anything. 'He's attacking instead of freeing himself? Determined, isn't he?' He said to himself.

Slamming him into the ground, All Might then turned his attention to the still frozen Midoriya watching the fight. In a blur, the top hero appeared behind the gasping teen. Don't think I haven't forgotten about you, young Midoriya. This is a match for both of you!"

Yelping out, Izuku jumped back to gain some distance between his opponent… only to slam into Bakugo who was rushing forward once more.

"Damn it Deku, what the hell are you-

All might leaped into the air and grabbed both teens by their legs, spinning them around and chucking them into separate buildings. Landing back onto the ground, All might looked back and forth between the two crumbling sections as each teen crawled up from the rubble. Internally he felt a sense of pity having to do this to Midoriya, but he knew if he didn't push these two, they would not overcome the problems they both had with each other.

The students in the observation room all struggled to watch the match in front of them. As both Midoriya and Bakugo crawled out from the rubble, Katara grimaced as she stared to Midoriya slammed once more by All Might and bounce across the ground. What made her mad however was Bakugo completely ignore his partner, not helping him off the ground and instead went to attack once more. Even when a powerful shot to Bakugo's stomach sent him careening into another building, he still got up and attacked once more. "They aren't going to pass this…" She said out loud.

While Uraraka shivered at the thought, Tenya frowned and nodded. "Agreed. This match is going by extremely poorly. They are not communicating well at all."

"Hmm…" Recovery Girl sighed and leaned in her chair. "Midoriya respects and is terrified of All Might too much to want to fight him. Bakugo instead sees it as a challenge to overcome, and is too stubborn to try anything else. A pair like that is bound to be extremely difficult to deal with any situation."

While the others watched in confusion how they were going to get through this, Momo only clenched her fists as she thought back to the other night earlier this week.

Walking around the table in the great hall of her home, Momo smiled as she slid the chairs back in place after her friends left from studying. It was the night before the exams started, everyone trying to get one more study session in before testing began tomorrow. She herself was feeling confident with the written portion of the exam, instead using this time to help everyone else make sure they were up to speed. It helped even more that both Midoriya and Todoroki were not in need of much help, instead both of them giving aid whenever it was needed. Although… Midoriya was up helping anyone in need, where Todoroki mostly focused on helping Katara.

"Hmm…" she sat curiously for a moment, that fact sticking out to her for some reason. "They have been spending a lot of time together. Not just at school, but-

Suddenly her phone went off cutting her thoughts off, pulling it out and widening in surprise when she saw the ID. "Midoriya?" While they had in fact text back and forth more recently, it was always a pleasant surprise when he called. She answered it and put it to her ear. "Hey Midoriya. How are you?" she answered happily.

"H-hey Yaoyorozu. I just got home and think I forgot my notebook there."

"Really?" She stood up in surprise and walked over to the stack of extra notebooks she brought out for everyone and skimmed through them, coming across one she realized didn't belong. "Oh it is here! It must have gotten mixed up with the others. I'm sorry."

"N-no no you're fine! I j-just wanted to make sure where it was." his voice stuttered over the line. "Y-You can just bring it tomorrow. I'll be okay without it."

Smiling, she sat back down in the chair and leaned on her arm. "Well, aren't you so smart Midoriya, not needing notes before a test? I'm jealous."

"You? Y-you are the smartest person in class! If anyone can pass an exam without notes it's you. Why do you think everyone has been asking you for help?"

Momo couldn't help but feel herself blush to his compliment, noticing he had been doing that more recently without even realizing it. She was grateful he was on the other side of the line so he couldn't see the flustered look on her face. "Well, thank you, Midoriya." She responded. "I was just finishing cleaning up the hall."

"Oh god, we left without helping you! That was really selfish of us! I'm sorry! I should have made sure that-

"No no it's okay…" She giggled at how excited he got. "I just organized it. I'm already done."

"Oh… O-okay then. B-but next time make sure to ask next time. I will gladly help."

Smiling once again, Momo leaned forward on her arms as she felt warm with how kind he was. He always wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of… unlike a certain classmate she was stuck with during internships. The thought made her frown, sighing out and adjusting the phone by her ear. "If only I had someone like you at my internships, and not deal with Bakugo."

"Yeah… y-you mentioned before how you Kachaan was there with you."

Momo felt a strange feeling in her stomach hearing Izuku call him that, still confused why he would after how she saw Bakugo treated him and everyone else. "He just… I don't get him sometimes. He acts like he doesn't care about anything or anyone. He will scream and yell, wanting to fight at the drop of a hat. But… then…"

After a few moments of silence, Izuku's voice rang through the speaker. "But...what?"

"I don't know. There are times when… he truly does seem like he wants to do something heroic. Watching him there, I saw things he did that I never expected to see or hear from him."

"Really? Y-you told me a little but not much of what happened with him."

Rolling her eyes, she gave a small chuckle and sat back up in her chair. "Where do I start?"

Coughing, Izuku clenched his stomach after crawling back up from the ground, looking over to see Bakugo hunched over on the ground. He could see him struggling to get back up, knowing if this continued it would be the end for the both of them. He had to do something now. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and clenched his knuckles.

"One for All, full cowling… six percent!"

The one percent difference from his normal max sounded small, but the strain on Izuku's body was immediately felt. He powered through it however, bursting forward in a green flash and scooping Bakugo off the ground and taking off down an alleyway.

"What the hell!?" Bakugo growled out in shock and fury. "What are you-

"We need a plan! Something different!" Izuku yelled out as he darted through the darkened alley and down another, bouncing across the ground to give some place to hide. "We need to-

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Bakugo thrashed around causing both of them to fall, glaring as he crawled back up from the ground. "When the hell did I ask you to help me?!"

"You shouldn't need to ask for help…" Izuku grunted as he stood back up. "A hero… doesn't need permission to help someone in need."

"I wasn't in need of your help, Deku. I am going to do this shit on my own!"

"Then… Y-you are going to fail." Izuku took a breath as he clenched his fists. "You… don't want help thinking you are better than everyone else. B-but… there are times when a hero needs help from others."

Bakugo's eye twitched when he heard those familiar words, baring his teeth and stepping forward. "That damn Ponytail was talking to you about our week, didn't she? She's too stubborn to just mind her own business. I don't care what that bimbo has to say about me or-

"Don't…" Izuku growled out suddenly, feeling something burn inside for some reason. His eyes locked on to Bakugo, a feeling growing in his stomach after he heard him insult her. "Don't call her that."

"Huh?" Bakugo raised his eyebrow in confusion to the look on Deku's face, one he hadn't seen before. He actually looked… angry. "What the hell's your deal? Just because you check out Ponytail's tits doesn't mean I have to listen-

Before he could even register, Bakugo was slammed into the wall, looking down in surprise as Izuku gripped the front of his outfit, his eyes locked in a harsh glare up at him. "Don't talk about her like that!"

"Deku…" Bakugo's jaw shook in fury as his hands sparked, infuriated he was actually shoved back. "You get your hands off me now."

"Kachaan…" Izuku's hands shook slightly as he squeezed the costume on Bakugo's chest. "I… I will take insults from you… j-just like I have all these years. But don't you say anything like that about her!"

Seeing the look of anger on Deku's face was a shock to Bakugo, but he still glared back and grabbed one of the hands on his chest and yanked it off. "I don't fucking care what you say about me. I-

"You don't care what any of us say to you. You… you have always been like this. Thinking you are too good to listen to anyone but yourself. Yaoyorozu told me how you were so strong, how you refused to give up against Edgeshot in your training even when you knew you couldn't win. She… actually respected you in that way."

Bakugo eyes widened in surprise when he heard that, sitting silent as his partner's hand shook against him.

"You are so strong. You always have been Kachaan. But you are so… s-so damn stubborn sometimes! She told me how even if it means failing, you will lose just to prove your ego! How you don't want to work with someone even though it could help you win. But she told me how even after the annoying tasks Edgeshot gave you, you pushed through them just to have the chance to fight after. Th-then think of this test as one of those tasks he gave you, it's annoying now, but something better is afterward. S-so if you don't want to listen to me… fine. But you should listen to Edgeshot at least. If you want to be a hero, listen to what he taught you and we can get through this!"

The alleyway remained silent for several moments as the yelling stopped. Izuku took a few breaths as he came down from his outburst. His eyes softened after he finally calmed down, not really sure what came over him. He saw red for a moment, looking up to see Bakugo staring at the ground. After a couple seconds, Bakugo's eyes slowly came back up, a mix of anger and frustration mixed in his gaze.

"Deku…"

Before he could say anything, Izuku was caught off guard as Bakugo's gauntlet covered hand slammed into his stomach. He buckled over and released his grip, gasping from the wind knocked out of him. He panted as he looked up to see Bakugo glaring down at him, his fist shaking rapidly.

"Don't you ever put your hands on me like that again…" He growled out and walked down the alleyway, gritting his teeth in fury for having to say this, "… If you… want to pass this shitty test… then… we… have…"

'Fuck… I can't believe this shit!' Bakugo shouted inside his head, knowing even though he didn't want to run, there was no way to actually beat All Might in a head on fight. Even if he wanted to surpass him one day, he just wasn't there yet. And even when he tried to avoid it, the many things he heard during his week with the ninja hero were ringing inside his head the whole time during the match. His fist shook in frustration for having to say what came out of his mouth next.

"If you want to pass this test, then we have to…"

Izuku stood up in surprise from what he thought was going to be heard, swallowing as he was shocked to actually hear Bakugo ask for help. "Kachaan, do… you want to work tog-

"NO! IF YOU WANT TO PASS THIS TEST, THEN YOU CAN FOLLOW MY LEAD! I'M JUST CARRYING YOU THROUGH THIS SHIT, GOT IT?!"

Well, it was close enough to asking for help.

All Might turned to the side as an explosion destroyed the building's face to his right, grinning as he watched Bakugo burst through the rubble straight towards him. "Well, I was looking for you two after you disappeared, and now you come for me instead? Not so wise, Bakugo!" All Might criticized and brought his fist back.

"I do what I want to, All Might!" Bakugo yelled and released a massive explosion forward, too far away to actually strike the hero, however, instead only illuminating the area in a bright light.

"Hmm? What was that, Bakugo? You are far too distant from me for that kind of attack." All Might chuckled and swung his arm hard enough to disperse all the smoke around him, watching as Bakugo rushed him for another attack. He casually crossed his arms stifling the majority of the next blast, the power not near enough to really tickle the massive pro. He Sighed in amusement as more and more blast struck his body. "Are you simply trying to distract me so Young Midoriya can escape? Either way, I'll take you down and hunt him afterward!"

Charging forward, All Might watched as Bakugo's hands came towards him and prepared another blast. "Another attack like that won't do you more than tickle me-

"Stun grenade!"

A blinding flash erupted out from Bakugo's hands instead of an explosion, catching All Might by surprise and causing his eyes to burn. He skidded to a stop and clenched his eyes closed, but he already saw only spots from the burning sensation. "Taking my vision away?" He groaned out loud.

"Deku, now!"

"Huh?" All Might uncovered his eyes to Bakugo's call, but his vision was still blurry so he could only hear the building next to him crash, unable to see Izuku slamming through the upper floor and sending down a large section of the wall down towards the hero. Due to his instincts, All Might threw his hands up to shield whatever fell his way, luckily catching the massive concrete chunk before it slammed into his head. Even as strong as he was, he strained slightly from the three ton wall above his head. "Grr… not bad! Trying to use this to slow me down?" He grunted out.

"No… that was just a distraction!" Bakugo yelled out from his left, pointing his gauntlet straight at All Might's side and pulling the pin.

Izuku's eyes went wide when he saw where Bakugo's attack was aimed. "Wait, thats-

BOOM!

"GAH!" All Might gasped out from the powerful blast striking straight into his injury, pain shooting through his body from the sudden strike. He fell to his knees in the massive explosion, struggling to keep from gripping his side instead of holding the wall above him. 'Damn it! Does… he know my weakness?!' He screamed internally, the attack at point blank range sending a cold pain through his core.

Seeing his chance, Bakugo launched himself off the ground towards the exit in the distance, glaring up at his partner standing still. "Hurry the hell up, Deku! That shit won't hold him!"

"B-but…" Izuku shook in worry as he looked down to All Might below, trembling underneath the concrete wall. He could see the section of All Might's outfit smoking, thankful it had not ripped to expose the wound underneath. What worried him more was how Bakugo knew about that spot. "How did-

"Deku! Get your ass moving!"

"uh, r-right!" Izuku activated full cowling and took off after Bakugo, silently apologizing to All Might as he caught up to his partner. "K-Kachaan. You said about using the wall to hold him! You didn't say about attacking him!"

"You think that wall is enough, dumb ass?! We had to slow him down, somehow!"

As he jumped along side Bakugo, Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat. "So, y-you hit his side? W-why did you…"

Grunting, Bakugo increased his pace on the street. "When he fought that creature at the USJ, he winced every time that thing hit his left side more than anywhere else. Obviously he's sensitive there!"

Oh… uh, I d-didn't notice that." Izuku forced out hiding his worry, all while Bakugo scowled to himself as he remembered a certain line from Edgeshot.

'You need to put your ego aside when a battle becomes too much for you. Look at your opponent and observe them. If they have a weakness, use that to your advantage. Strike them where it hurts to give yourself a fighting chance.'

Gritting his teeth, Bakugo hated the idea of having to target an injury, instead of just beating someone. He also felt pissed since he used the same trick he watched Yaoyorozu use on Edgeshot to blind him. He knew however that All Might was not going to make this any easier for them so he had not choice but to do that. "Just hurry up and go! That shit won't hold him long!"

"You are correct!"

The sudden gust between the pair caused them both to gasp, eyes shooting open as All Might appeared there. Before they could even move, his hands reached out and gripped both of their heads slamming them into the road. The pro hero grunted as he stood up, shifting his side as he blinked a few times before looking down at the downed teens.

"That was a surprising trick there, Bakugo. Your initial attack was to weaken the wall, and then you attacked me from a distance simply to distract me before Midoriya pushed that destroyed section onto me. Add an attack while I am stuck there was mighty clever, but you should have made sure your opponent was down!"

All might reached down and grabbed Midoriya by the shirt and threw him across the street into the side of the car hard enough to break the windows. He then went to re grip Bakugo before a large explosion shattered the street, the falling rubble surrounding an enraged Bakugo glaring up. "You should make sure yours is down as well!"

"With pleasure!" All Might yelled out as he slammed his fist into Bakugo's incoming hand and shattering his gauntlet instantly before quickly bringing his knee into the teens stomach. Before Bakugo could even cough out in pain, he was struck with a quick back fist and crashing through a nearby window.

"K-Kachaan!" Izuku gasped out as he crawled off the wrecked car. He was shocked to see All Might gone from that spot in a blur just before the car behind him suddenly shook. He spun around and gasped when he saw his idol standing on top of the roof of the vehicle.

"So, Young Midoriya…" All Might's voice was low enough so only Izuku could hear, but possessed a tone that sent a shiver down the teens spine. "Did you tell Bakugo about my injury there?"

Shaking, Izuku stepped back and rapidly shook his head. "N-N-no! I did not! He saw when you fought the-

He couldn't say anything else before the monstrous hand of All Might reached down and clasped his throat, gasping as he was lifted off the ground. He stared in terror into All Might's eyes, unsure what the hero was thinking before he chuckled. "Against a normal opponent… that is actually very clever. However… I am no ordinary villain!"

Izuku screamed out as he was flung across the street crashing through the building wall and skidding across the ground next to Bakugo. Both teens gasped out as they looked back around, the towering figure of All Might staring down at them. "You young heroes are against a ruthless villain. What are you going to do now?!"

"Oh my god… Deku…" Uraraka shook as she watched All Might walking through the crushed wall, feeling a cold feeling in her stomach.

Katara shivered as she watched as well, never imagining All Might to seem so terrifying. "He's actually hurting them. He's taking this too far!"

While she somewhat agreed, Recovery Girl sighed and adjusted her seat. "He is pushing them to figure a way out."

"But he is actually hitting them through buildings!" Katara shot back.

"All Might could really hurt them. Ribbit…" Tsu shook as Bakugo tried to attack again, only to take a strong punch to the chest and slam into the wall behind himself. She wasn't close to Bakugo, but even she felt horrible watching him slump onto the floor.

"At this point… I don't know what else they can do." Shoto huffed out, "All Might is not giving them any chance."

Staring in terror, Momo felt her stomach tighten at what was on screen. She knew this was a test, but to watch her close friend being hurt like this made her blood boil. She wanted to go and help him, seeing him trying to flee out of the way as All Might charged again. Before he could exit the building, she gasped in horror as he was kicked outside and smashed into the side of another car.

"Oh my god, Izuku!" She cried out as he slumped down from the dented metal.

The others all stared in worry of what was going to happen… All except Uraraka who stared wide eyed at Momo from the side. "Did she just say...?"

Gasping for air, Izuku hobbled to his feet as he yelped in pain. His back and shoulder were screaming in pain from the hits he had received already. Another explosion rocked the street, forcing him to look up to see Bakugo flying through the sky, and All Might jumping through the smoke after him.

"Die!" Bakugo raised his remaining gauntlet up to attack, but All Might spun his body and slammed his foot into the item shattering it.

"No more gear for you, young Bakugo!" All Might jeered and gripped Bakugo's face slamming him into the street below. He internally did feel bad inflicting this much damage to his students, but he knew if he didn't push them, they wouldn't learn anything. "You are beaten Bakugo. You should stop before you are hurt anymore."

"Sh-shut up…" Bakugo growled out and slowly raised his hands towards All Might's chest. His hands sparked out as his veins constricted. "I will never stop… until I beat you!"

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion as large as the one he used with his gauntlets erupted from his hands, forcing All Might off of him to avoid being caught point blank once more. Bakugo felt his arms spasm from forcing his maximum blast, but he still stood up from the ground panting. "I won't… fail just because you are in my way!"

"Kachaan…" Izuku said in shock, watching as Bakugo's arms shook. "Your arms… if you keep forcing it like that-

"Deku!" Bakugo screamed out. "Get to the damn exit now!"

Before he could retort, Izuku's eyes widened as All Might jumped through the air towards them, only for Bakugo to release another massive explosion at him. "Go, damn it!" Bakugo screamed as his arms shook uncontrollably.

Seeing his only chance, Izuku activated full cowling and burst towards the escape gate. All Might swung his arm pushing the smoke away, looking down to see his protege making his way down the street. "Trying to get away? Not so fast!" He yelled out and punched the air, launching his body through the air towards his student.

Seeing their foe launch down the road, Bakugo knew he had no choice but to catch up, aiming his palms behind himself and maxing his quirk once more. He screamed out in pain as he launched into the sky after All Might, feeling as if his arms were about to rip off. He still pushed through, flying in the sky and latching onto All Might's neck. "You are my opponent, All Might!"

"Huh?" All Might spun around throwing off the teen and smashing his body into the pavement, feeling the teen go limp as all his air was knocked out. "You have heart… but what are you going to accomplish besides hurting yourself?"

Izuku skidded to a stop when he heard the crash, looking back to see his one time good friend helpless on the ground, unable to run any further seeing him on the ground. "K-Kachaan…" He gasped out, feeling his body turning back on its own. He didn't know why, but his feet began moving, forcing himself away from the gate… and back towards All Might down the road. Without even thinking anymore, his quirk forced his body to launch through the air, his fist brought back and aimed at his idol.

"All Might, get off him! Smash!"

The number one hero was stunned to see Midoriya flying through the air just as his students fist crashed into his face and pushing him off Bakugo. All Might shook his head from the punch, immediately sensing that was a real hit Midoriya used on him. He glanced back to see Midoriya picking Bakugo off the ground, smirking and reaching towards both of them. "You gave away your chance to come and safe your friend, Midoriya?"

"No…" Izuku legs clenched as he held onto Bakugo tight, his eyes focused on the exit. "He hurt himself to give me a chance. I can't do any less to get us both to safety!"

BOOSH!

The street shattered as the two teens burst off the ground, speeding through the air in the blink of an eye. All Might sat shocked as he watched them blast through the escape gate, his hair still swaying from the powerful wind created from the movement. It only took All Might a moment to see the pair of students collapse onto the ground outside, Midoriya's right leg shaking in pain and the exposed injured leg.

"He… used One for All at 100% in his leg to escape fast enough. He injured himself to make sure they got out." While he was frustrated Midoriya hurt himself again, he couldn't help but laugh in amusement. "You gave up a chance to get out yourself because you saw him in need, and you injured yourself to go faster since you knew I would be too fast otherwise. You are crazy Midoriya, and I can't wait to see how you grow stronger!"

"Amazing! Midoriya was able to do something incredible! That was outstanding!" Tenya cheered out in glee.

Katara sighed in relief seeing he was able to pass. She was getting worried watching the match progress that there was no way Midoriya was going to get through it, but he was able to pull through. "I can't believe it. He actually made it through. I didn't think All Might was going to hit them like that though…" she mumbled out.

"Yeah… All Might really tried to hurt them." Tsu chimed in.

Recovery Girl sighed and walked towards the exit, knowing she was for sure going to be healing them soon. As she walked through the door, Shoto took a breath as he stared at the two on screen, Bakugo now unconscious on the ground while Midoriya clenched his now broken leg. "He didn't hold back his power…"

Katara nodded, frowning seeing her friend in pain. "He actually went back for Bakugo. He didn't try and get through himself."

"Yes, but they passed the exam. That is what is important!" Tenya chopped the air enthusiastically while the others stared in worry.

While they sat in both worry but relief, Uraraka felt her stomach tighten thinking back to what she heard earlier. She thought she could have been mistaken, but it was a clear as anything to what was said. She glanced over to see Momo's reaction to the match, maybe even ask what she actually said. To her shock however, the black haired teen was gone from the room, having silently left the room just after the nurse had left. Her eyes then turned to the ground, her mouth forming a small frown and gripping her arms.

"Okay, I may have gone a little too hard."

"Too hard?" Recovery Girl glared up at the deflated All Might after she finished treating Bakugo, the teen still knocked out. "His body has several fractures throughout, not mentioning the strain on his arms from him pushing his quirk too far. And normally I would have been upset with Midoriya for breaking himself again, but with how hard you were attacking I don't really blame him for trying that hard to get away. He also has damage through out from the hits he took"

Frowning, All Might sighed in shame and looked over to his successor, the teen's leg wrapped up in a thin cast. "I'm sorry, Midoriya. I… I was just trying to get you and Bakugo finally work together and figure out a plan. I should never have hit either of you that hard."

"I-It's okay All Might. I know you would never mean to on purpose." Izuku gave a small chuckle. He looked over at the unconscious Bakugo and sighed. "He actually was the one who came up with that strategy. And… he noticed your side was sensitive when that Nomu fought you at the USJ."

All Might winced at that, seeing the fear in Izuku's face before he rubbed his injury. "I know you didn't tell him, Midoriya. As much as I try, some are going to catch on eventually that there is something off. As long as One for All stays a secret, that is what is important."

Swallowing, Izuku looked down and rubbed his arm where it was still sore and nodded. "I will keep it safe, All Might. I will."

Smiling, All Might walked over and patted his students shoulder. "You are still young, but I can see the greatness inside your heart. You will be a great hero one day, Midoriya."

Hearing that almost brought Izuku to tears once again, taking a deep breath and looking out to the setting sun. Before he could say anything, the knock came to the door catching all of their attentions. While All Might was cautious who it was and reactivated his muscle form, Recovery Girl chuckled and walked towards the door. "Let us give him some privacy All Might. There is someone who begged to come and see him."

"What?" Izuku sat up when he heard that, watching as the door opened up and made his heart jump when he saw who it was. "Y-Yaoyorozu?"

"Oh my god, are you alright?!" Momo yelled in shock as she ran inside the room, passing both teachers without even looking up at them. "Your leg! Are you in pain?!"

"Uh… y-yeah I'm okay." Izuku forced a smile out before noticing both All Might and Recovery Girl silently exit the room leaving him alone, feeling his throat tighten as he looked back at her. "I'm okay don't worry."

"Don't worry?" She glared down at the cast on his leg and the wraps on his shoulder. "You got hurt so much in there. How can I not worry?!"

"Uh…" Izuku gulped in surprise to her reaction, feeling similar to when she called him back at the hospital. "D-don't worry about it! Just a little time with Recovery Girl and I will be back to normal!"

Frowning, Momo crossed her arms and gave a small glare towards him. "I thought you were done being crippled by your quirk. I hate seeing you like this, Izuku!"

"I know. It just-

Izuku's eyes shot open when he finally processed what she said, his heart hammering inside his chest as he looked back at her. "W-w-what? Y-you said-

"Ever since the festival where you couldn't continue. I… I just hate seeing you hurt like this." Momo's hand gripped her arm as she looked away. "You can't worry me like that. If you keep getting hurt like this I just don't know how to deal with it. I wish I couldn't worry as much, but I can't help it."

Midoriya could barely hear what she had just said, still reeling from what she said before. "You… you called me… I-Izuku…"

Momo's eyes shot open in surprise, not even realizing she had said it. Her own heart ramming in her chest now, turning to see his blushing face staring at her. Her face burnt up in a hot mess, spinning around and covering her mouth. "I- I'm sorry! I didn't even realize I said that! I just… it just… slipped and…" her hands shifted and covered her eyes, feeling her whole body heat up in embarrassment.

While he was blushing, Izuku couldn't help but feel a warm tickle grow inside his chest. Hearing her say his given name was a surprise, but it felt… nice to hear it, especially the way she said it. He looked down at his bed and swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to keep the cheeky smile off his face. "I-it's okay, Yaoyorozu. I… actually d-don't mind if you call me that."

The breath in Momo's chest felt trapped as she heard those words, turning back slowly to see Izuku looking right at her. His cheeks were just as red as hers, but he still wore the genuine smile she had seen so many times. "You… don't mind being called that?" she hesitantly asked, watching him give a small nod.

"No, I d-don't mind," Izuku shifted his body sitting up more, reaching up and rubbing his head chuckling. "I… It actually felt kinda good hearing it."

Once again she couldn't help but smile back, unable to keep herself from feeling warm inside from how he was. She slowly walked over and sat down on the bed next to him, slowly rubbing her hands together before looking back up to him. "Well… okay then. I can call you that. But then you should do the same for me."

Izuku's eyes burst open at the offer, feeling his neck sweat immediately. "Uhh… I-It's okay! You don't need to do it to make it fair for both! I c-can keep-

"It's not about being fair. It's…" Momo blushed once more and looked away, trying to control the smile wanting to form on her face. "I would like it if you… did the same for me."

Listening to her bashful voice was truly surprising to Izuku. Normally she was the confident one in class, always able to speak up whenever called upon with no hesitation. When she talked to him lately, however, she noticed how she was more bashful and hesitant, reminding of himself just not as bad. But it wasn't a bad thing. In fact, he thought it was… adorable.

Swallowing, he gave a small smile and blushed himself. "O-okay. I can c-call you that… Momo."

Both teens turned deep red that moment, breaking eye contact while they took in what they were talking about. They had completely forgotten about his injuries, instead focusing on their hearts pounding inside their chests. They were both too distracted to notice Bakugo stirring to the side a few moments ago, his eyes slowly opening up as he realized where he was. He looked over to his side to see the other two in the room talking, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth in annoyance. He remained silent however, instead turning away and looking at the other wall.

He thought back to the outburst he heard from Midoriya in the match, still boiling inside from being grabbed like that. He scoffed internally because it was he said something about Yaoyorozu, but he still chose not to say anything. While he was made for even being touched like that… He tried hard to deny it, but he earned a little respect for Midoriya after that happened.

Exams for class 1-A had finished, allowing the students to get changed and go home for the night while the teachers went over the results. While many were ecstatic at how the day went, several were already depressed since they knew they failed the practical portion. After hearing before finals this meant they weren't able to go to the summer training camp only added to their pouting moods, now simply thinking about hearing the bad news tomorrow.

One however was feeling down not because of how the test ended, but with what was going on inside his head. Leaning against the wall outside school, Tokoyami sat silently as he waited here, having not said a word to anyone since he got changed and left. He pondered over everything that had happened in the last few weeks, trying to calm the roller coaster of feelings stirring inside his chest, although no matter what he did it all ended up the same.

Disappointment.

He sat silent, turning his head when he heard footsteps approaching. His chest tightened when he saw Shoto approaching, looking down to the ground and taking a deep breath. "So you came…" He quietly mumbled.

"Yes," Shoto responded as he came to a stop, "Katara told me you wanted to talk to me."

Tokoyami frowned to himself before taking a breath, staring down to the ground for a few moments. "I… I'm sorry for earlier. I almost cost us the exam for my behavior."

Shoto stared at the bird teen in silence, not caring about almost failing since they passed anyway. His thoughts were on the outburst he had heard in the match. "What you had told to me in the match...Why did you say something like that?"

Clenching his fist, Tokoyami closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself, breathing in and out slowly to keep his composure. "Growing up, it was… Difficult for someone like me. You don't know what it's like for people like me to get through school. The comments people make and how they treat you. It's not something that normal looking people can understand. So what I said earlier, it… it wasn't meant to be at you."

Shoto sat in silence, actually knowing about the mistreatment of some simply based on their appearance. What confused him though was what this had to do with him as Tokoyami continued.

"Katara was one of the first friends I had in a long time. She was always kind and generous to anyone, and saw beyond my looks as a person. That is…" Tokoyami's fists shook in frustration, closing his eyes and turning his head away. "...I assume you feel the same way since you have been spending so much time with her lately."

Giving a small nod, Shoto thought back to how she helped break open his shell, making him see his mistakes and want to change. "Yes. She made me see what a fool I was and forgave me for how I was. I never She is actually my first friend ever."

Tokoyami looked up in surprise at that, not expecting the son of the number two hero to be a recluse. He sighed and rubbed his neck. "She had been helping you in training with your quirk, and you were getting closer every day. That is why I felt angry when she was spending time with you more than anyone."

"But Why? Why would you be upset at Katara or me?"

"Because I like her."

…

…

…

The only sound for a few moments was the gentle breeze rustling the trees, both teens in silence as they stared at each other. Shoto was caught off guard by the statement, not expecting to hear that at all. The slight tightness in his stomach also surprised him, unsure why he felt that before looking away. "You… have feelings for her?"

"Yes. I have felt that way for a while now. She says she cares for me as well… but she doesn't feel the same for me as I do for her." Tokoyami grunted and laid his head against the wall behind him. "I don't know why, but seeing her suddenly spending time with you I… I felt angry."

"But why?" Shoto questioned, earning a furrowed look from Tokoyami.

"Because it seems that she has feelings for someone else."

Shoto suddenly felt his stomach clench, his heart beating faster for some reason hearing that. He had been spending time a lot more with Katara recently, and never once did he hear her mention about someone else she was growing close to. He was about to ask who it was, but the stare he received made his eyes go wide and mouth fall open in confusion. "What… you think she and I…?"

Tokoyami gave him a curious stare. "Haven't you spent a lot of time together alone?"

Shaking his head, Shoto looked away. "She and I have been training. She's a friend and nothing more."

"Nothing more? Then why does she call you by your given name?" Tokoyami huffed out, growing confused why he was explaining this.

"She and I have become good friends during our internships. After we began training, we were talking and thought it… seemed fair to call me by that after everything." Shoto sighed internally knowing he couldn't tell how Kairi wasn't her real name. "But she prefers Katara herself, which is why I call her that still. We are just… friends though. Why would she have feelings for someone like me?"

Tokoyami was now the one confused. He could have sworn he saw the looks they gave each other was different. Spending so much time together, and even them smiling more when they were together. For someone like Todoroki, it was an obvious change to anyone who knew him for a single minute back when school started. But… was he wrong? Was he simply caught in his own mental frustration he started thinking of things that weren't there? Would she call him by that name as simple as he heard? Was he creating things in his head just to make up a reason why she never saw something in himself?

Shaking his head, Tokoyami knew it didn't matter at this point. Whether Katara felt anything for Todoroki or not, it didn't matter. Tokoyami knew she was still a good friend to him, but if she didn't feel anything for him, he had to respect her choice. "Alright. Well, I apologize for assuming that. I should have known for sure before thinking you and Katara were… closer than that."

"Yeah. It's alright." Shoto quietly responded.

As Tokoyami rubbed his head in exhaustion, Shoto was now the one confused. He said what it was between them, both he and Katara just doing things together as friends. But when he told that to Tokoyami, he didn't know why a sudden tightness formed in his chest. His stomach felt light as well when he was told Katara must have had feelings for him. He felt his neck sweating, completely in shock to why he felt like this. Rubbing his hands, he looked up to the sky as he pondered to himself. While they were friends now, Shoto knew there was no chance that someone like Katara would actually like him. He was fortunate enough to even have her accept him as a friend, so to have her see him in something more was ridiculous.

He closed his eyes to ignore those thoughts, to ignore how she somehow made him feel calm whenever they talked together. How she made him relaxed about being who he should be. How whenever they talked now, he couldn't help but admire the deep blue eyes that looked back at him with so much kindness. How Her soft features were so warm yet so fierce whenever she stood up for someone or something. Her tanned skin that added a unique beauty to her face and fit body when he saw her at the beach. It wasn't like things like that changed their friendship

Still… he couldn't help from his stomach tightening for some reason.

Walking into her room later that night, Katara yawned as she sat down on her bed. After she got home, she had dinner with Tenya and Madoka while Tensei was taken to the hospital by his father for another check up on his injuries. The two teens ended up spending a majority of the time going over how their final exam ended up going, with Tenya's enthusiastic antics causing the two ladies to laugh along with his descriptions. Madoka was so happy to hear how both of them had passed, wishing she could have been able to see them in action. When she asked about their friends however, Katara's mood dipped slightly.

Her mind had begun replaying the exchange she had with Tokoyami. She had decided to keep that dilemma to herself, not in the mood to have others chiming into it at the moment. Not long before dinner finished, she received a text from Tokoyami, apologizing for how he acted to her earlier and hoped she wasn't upset with him. She of course wasn't mad, only wishing he could have come to talk to her instead of doing that again. She laid back on the bed and sighed, still feeling horrible about what he said happened when he was younger. Clenching her fist, she wished she could have been able to meet him earlier, just to show he was a person and not a creature. Maybe then he wouldn't have got jealous she was with-

"Wait…" Her eyes widened, for the first time really thinking about what he said. "He said was jealous because… I was spending time with Shoto." she began thinking to the other things he said, and one line suddenly springing up inside her mind.

'The way you look at him… you never have towards me.'

"Does he think that… me and Shoto…?" Katara took a breath and shook her head, immediately denying the idea. "Why would he think that? It's not like we like each other that way."

The moment Katara said that, an odd tightness formed in her chest, one that made her breath quicken. She stared up at the ceiling in disbelief, not understanding where this feeling was coming from. Sure she had grown quite close to Shoto, in fact he was probably one of her best friends now. She had been spending a lot of time with him recently, but it was for training. It wasn't like she ever looked at him in that way, even when she invited him to the beach with everyone else. When she saw him entering the water, looking at his cut stomach and muscular arms. Even when his body became hidden in the water, she gazed into his dual colored eyes, drawn into the deep gray and soft turquoise hues as they-

Katara's breath caught in her throat when she realized what she was just thinking about. Her body felt warmer suddenly, crossing her arms across her chest as she rolled onto her side. She then thought back to the moment they were playing football, after he had tackled her and they ended up on the ground together. She remembered how close their faces were, his hands wrapped on her waist as they stared at each other for several moments longer than normal friends should have. she blushed once again thinking about how flustered she felt, tucking her knees in trying to ignore those him entirely. as she tried thinking of something else, she began to realize how much she actually did think not just of him, but how she did feel better around him as well.

"It's… just in my head." She tried telling herself, feeling that same ache return inside. She frowned and grabbed one of the pillows and pulled it into her chest. She sighed and pressed her chin into the top of the pillow, closing her eyes and trying to go to sleep. Without realizing it, her thoughts went back to the night at Endeavor's agency, remembering when the two of them were sitting together. As she fell asleep, her mind imagined warm feeling she felt that night, holding onto the pillow much like she held onto her warmth from her friend next to her before passing out.

Notes: OHH! development now, folks! And we have reached the end of season 2!

Testing is over, but there are many other challenges coming for our characters! But it seems they are finally seeing their feelings come forth! So, yes... as you can see, the relationships here have been set. While many have been calling it for a while now, there's no point in denying it anymore who Katara has feelings for. Hence why the story character tags have been updated as of today.

Special shoutout to BBbeaver and EMTAcademia. you guys have been amazing for bouncing story ideas off of and love your stories. you should all go give their crossovers some love.

...

Wait... are we not finished with season 2? we are close enough to call it that, and because i got some fun stuff planned now to blend this and the next arc.

Now as I promised last time, time for a story update. gonna shorten it instead of doing an actual chapter. not gonna cheat you people.

It's been a journey writing this story this last year. I wanted to create a story with Katara since she was my favorite character from the show, and most MHA crossovers due either Zuko or Toph. it was time Katara got some attention now. And that is why i had her move in with the Iida family, to add a new dynamic that most stories don't delve into. That is also why had this occur, to add the emotional trauma from the Stain incident. Ideas like that were planned from the very beginning, including who becomes the one to get to her heart. Ever since ch. 2 i had made the decision, many of the reasons i still haven't revealed why yet.

Now things i never planned was how much tension formed between Tenya and Katara, the story simply flowing that direction as i went. Other things included was the ship with Momo and Izuku. Another was the tension formed with Tokoyami and his feelings. As it got to the USJ incident, i realized how much i was setting them up to work together, so it became apparent something may have grown between them.

Now, in all honesty, the story arc coming up now is what I have been the most excited for. Yes. Even more excited than the Stain arc. many of the mysteries of the story i have held off... until now. this is where the twists and surprises truly come out, hoping to shock each and every one of you when it occurs. And spoiler... a completely original arc is coming soon, one I have planned from the very beginning and hope to give you all the story I have been planning.

Thank you all for the continued support, and can't wait to see your thoughts.

Till Next time!