Chapter 1: Grow a pair and fight!

Introduction

V/O (All Might): Woah! Looks like we're in for a super synopsis!

V/O (Bakugou [interrupting]): Hey, old man! This is my story! What do you think you're doing narrating my preview!?"

V/O (All Might [stammering]): O-oh, sorry, young Bakugou! I'll just leave you to it and see you in the story! PLUS ULTRA!"

V/O (Bakugou [still shouting]): HOLD IT! [All Might stops] Why are you assuming you're part of this story!? Didn't you see the title?! It isn't even about you!

V/O(All Might): But…because I am here, there is hope! How could it not be about me? It's my catch phrase.

V/O(Bakugou): Was your catch phrase. The only hope you're giving out is when you leave the room.

V/O(Bakugou and All Might stare at each other): …

V/O(All Might): Ahem. Well then… Young Bakugou, what is this story about?

V/O(Bakugou[Looking away from All Might, regretting his word choice]: It's about some girl who bumps into me. She's pretty pathetic looking and is running away from some evil bastards.

V/O(All Might): O-oh! I see! Maybe you are the one giving out hope in this story!

V/O(Bakugou): Tch…whatever. The title will make sense later.

V/O(All Might): Are you saying you don't know why this story is called Hope?

V/O(Bakugou[yelling]): I NEVER SAID I DIDN'T KNOW! TITLES NORMALLY DON'T MAKE SENSE TILL LATER IN THE STORY! STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS!

V/O(All Might[sweat drop]): So sorry, Young Bakugou! Shall we finish up the preview so the story can begin?

V/O(Bakugou): Don't tell me what to do!...I decide when this preview is over.

V/O(Bakugou and All Might stare at each other): …

V/O(Bakugou): Fine, it's over…

V/O(Bakugou and All Might): Plus Ultra!

"Those damn idiots!" Katsuki Bakugou huffed as he angrily navigated the bustling foot traffic of Manami City. The 17 year old aspiring hero from U.A. had his hands shoved into the pockets of his baggy shorts. His black and red skull t-shirt clung to his chest, making him rather uncomfortable. Sweat streaked down Katsuki's face, sliding off his chin and hitting the pavement, practically sizzling as it made contact with the ground. The unseasonably hot spring had driven everyone from their homes in search of relief from the heat, and the throngs of pedestrians only served to agitate the young hero more. The sounds of cars flying past not only added to the noise, but also to the heat of the already humid air.

"It's their fault I've gotta be out in this in the first place! I could be training right now!" he growled, catching the attention of several people walking on the sidewalk, all of them clearing a path before Katsuki as he made his way along, an enraged Moses in a Red Sea of tank top and sun skirt clad families fanning their faces and licking their ice cream. All he could think about was the conversation that led him to a place so far away from U.A..

. . . Two Days Ago . . .

"Bakugou, we're going to the beach Sunday; you should totally come with us, man!" Eijiro Kirishima, Katsuki's red-headed, shark-toothed classmate and unilaterally recognized best friend, put a hand on Bakugou's shoulder, inviting him to go out.

"And why would I do that?" Katsuki replied, disinterested, "Sounds lame."

"Don't be that way," groaned Kirishima. "You can't spend your day off training on Sunday; there's a heat advisory! You gotta cool off! Come with us."

"Yeah, right; I'm not going." Katsuki turned away from Kirishima.

"Wow, Bakugou, who would have thought you'd be embarrassed to be in a bathing suit in public?" Denki Kaminari, Katsuki's other classmate, poked, teasing Bakugou. The electric jokester wouldn't admit it, but he liked Katsuki's explosive, over-the-top reactions, even though his antics always backfired on him.

"WHO SAID I'M EMBARRASSED!? I'LL KILL 'EM," Katsuki turned quickly and scowled at Kaminari, showing him his clenched fist.

"Well, why else wouldn't you come to the beach with us on a hot day? Plus, this isn't the first time you've refused our invitation. It's okay if you gained a few pounds; no one's gonna notice," Kaminari laughed.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YA STUPID BATTERY!" Sparks began to fly from Katsuki's hands as he tensed up.

/He didn't deny it.../

Kirishima and Kaminari froze for a second, staring at Bakugou who was staring back at Kaminari, ready to attack him, making him jump back.

"You're way too mean, Bakugou! Fine, you can stay here while us REAL guys go and cool off at the beach."

"ARGH!" Katsuki set off blasts from his hands. "Fine! Text me the location! I'll go to the damn beach," Katsuki strained before he pushed Kirishima's hand off his shoulder and started to sulk away.

"Bakugou, we aren't going together?" Kirishima asked, watching his friend leave.

"Since you're wasting my time Sunday afternoon, I gotta do all my shit in the morning now," Katsuki scoffed and continued to walk away.

. . . 42 minutes ago . . .

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Katsuki yelled into the phone.

"We're here, but where're you? Kirishima asked, looking around the station.

"WHERE YA TOLD ME TO BE! IN MANAMI CITY." Katsuki squeezed his phone, and the plastic casing creaked in his grip.

"What are you yelling about? We were supposed to meet in Mayami City."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT KAMINARI'S TEXT SAYS!"

"Kaminari, what did you send Bakugou?" Kirishima looked at Kaminari with concern.

"I sent him the right….." Kaminari paused, staring at his text messages to Bakugou. He froze.

"I CAN HEAR HIS FUCK-UP FROM HERE!"

Kirishima pulled the phone away from his ear. There was no need to put Bakugou on speaker. Kaminari timidly approached the phone so Bakugou could hear him.

"I'm sorry Bakugou….I sort of used too much electricity before I texted you. Even though I fried my brain, I thought I would type just fine..." Kaminari started but was interrupted.

"AND WHY THE HELL WOULD YA THINK THAT?!"

"Easy there, Mr. Grumpy! I said I was sorry."

"SORRY?! DUNCE FACE! TRY SAYIN' THAT TO MY FACE WHEN I SEE YOU BACK AT U.A.!,'' Katsuki hung up the phone and screamed, shoving his phone into his pocket while making small explosions from his other hand, drawing confused and thrown-off attention from the few passerbys.

. . .

If Katsuki had not fallen victim to Kaminari's idiocy, then he could have been at U.A., being more productive than wasting his time in a city, far away from the dorms in 101 degree weather.

"I'm gonna murder that idiot," Katsuki grumbled. He slung his oversized duffle bag that carried all the things he was bringing to the beach from one shoulder to the other and continued his way down the noisy, crowded sidewalk, wasting time until the next train came, which wouldn't be for some time, yet.

Katsuki had no destination in mind– rather, his plan was just to wander aimlessly, attempting to stay clear of the crowds until he could head back to the station. Despite trying to avoid hoards of civilians, they seemed to always be in his path no matter which turn he took. With that, he was forced to listen to their meaningless chatter.

"That movie was so sad!"

"I couldn't stop crying!"

"Why don't we eat at that new restaurant? I heard they have delicious curries."

"That's fine. Anywhere is better than out here!"

"Moooom! Ice cream! Ice cream!"

"Don't cry, sweetie. I'll get you another one as soon as we finish up here."

/So noisy…why is every street this packed! This place is so run down…there really–.../

"...a ten year old girl at the time, was abducted 7 years ago today. The villain group who took her is still nowhere to be found…." Katsuki stopped in his tracks, interrupted by this new, electronic-sounding voice. The words hit him like a long-lost acquaintance suddenly showing up at the door, unannounced. He knew this story. He looked up to find himself in front of a flashy store window; a large television sat in the window, playing the news. "Police have put together a composite of what the girl could look like today. If you see someone that looks like her, please report immediately to the police and steer clear. The villains most likely have groomed her, making her a threat..."

Katsuki stared at the aged up digitized drawing of the girl. She was petite, and definitely resembled a teenager his age. She had long wavy blonde hair with a few pink streaks through it. Her eyes were a light turquoise. That was the only justice given to this depiction. Her expression was definitely influenced by their assumptions. Her eyebrows were furrowed in irritation and a frown of indifference was painted on her face, one a villain would wear. It was definitely a contrast to the picture of the ten year old girl next to it, who was grinning ear to ear holding up an All Might stuffy next to her. His eyes shifted to the ten year old picture.

/That girl...I remember seeing her in the news years ago…. /

Katsuki was 10 years old when that first news report aired. He was running around the living room with his All Might action figure, pretending to save all the poor toys strewn about the room. His mother, who was cooking in the kitchen, had made a comment about the poor child who was taken.

"It's fine, mom! All Might will save her!" he said, jumping off the couch into the chaos on the floor. He had believed at that time that if any hero would find her, it would be All Might.

Being grown up now, Katsuki knew consciously there was no way one hero could save them all, even if All Might was the greatest hero in the world. But to think no hero had ever found her or had any leads after all these years. The police had a point. There was a good chance that the girl herself would be a villain by now. Katsuki sighed, then took out his phone to check the time.

"SHIT! I've been wandering for an hour! I gotta head back to the train station now before I'm stuck here for another hour and a half." Katsuki continued down the street for more than a few paces before he remembered he was going the wrong way.

"DAMMIT!" He shouted in frustration, his spikey blonde hair stood up even more as he executed an about face and marched-stomped, really- in the direction of the train station. Whispers of those nearby filled the air.

"Is he okay?"

"He's scary..."

"Keep going; not our problem."

This irked Katsuki even more. It took everything he had left in him not to yell at them to mind their own business.

Just then, the air got cold. Pressure fell, noticeably. People looked up to the sky, faces brushed with concern and wonder as they stared on in awe. Overhead, dark, violent clouds formed; it happened so instantly. The rain fell heavy and warm, and yet the heat remained oppressive.

"THEY'RE SO DEAD!" Katsuki screamed, and, unconsciously, explosions fired off in his hands. Those nearby jumped away with a start. He growled and thought about the quickest way he could shield himself from the rain while also getting back to the train station. He knew if he found cover and waited for the storm to stop, he would miss the earliest train home and have to waste more of his day, hours from the dorms and pissed off for agreeing to go out.

Katsuki took off at a fevered dash down the maze of alleyways, guessing at which precise street to take, but heading, generally, toward the train station. The noises of the city faded away as Katsuki made his way down the backstreets, and now all he heard was the torrent of rain slamming off the pavement and the trash littered around. The alleyway was cramped and narrow, cluttered by errant debris and perfumed in an aroma of fresh fallen rain and hot wet garbage.

/This day needs to be over!.../

Katsuki splashed his way around a corner. Suddenly, a force hit him in the chest, and he toppled forward, his fall broken by a girl with disheveled blonde hair and tattered clothing, who now lay beneath him.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Katsuki yelled, having reached his limit for other people's bullshit today. He twisted his face into a scowl and stood up before, however begrudgingly, thrusting down an open hand to assist the girl.

"I-I'm sorry...I'm sorry.." She muttered, trembling. She took his hand and stood. A pitiful sight to behold, the girl made herself small, and kept her eyes locked on the saturated pavement. The way she froze in fear was utterly primal, like a mortally wounded prey fell before an apex predator: hopeful for mercy, or, failing that, a quick death. She looked to be Katsuki's age, but mostly in the face and eyes; her body was underfed, weak, and covered in frayed, discolored bandages.

Katsuki's hostile expression softened to a neutral gaze.

"What's wrong with you?" Katsuki questioned. He wouldn't admit it, but seeing this girl in such distress after he yelled at her was making his stomach knot up. It was an extremely uncomfortable position to be in. He watched as the girl kept her eyes on the ground beneath, listening to her repeat over and over again that she was sorry, as if she wasn't talking to him anymore but to someone that wasn't there.

/Is she scared?...All she did was bump into me…What's wrong with her?...Wait, she looks fami-.../

"I think she went this way!" Katsuki heard a high-pitched male voice amidst the downpour of rain. Footsteps colliding with the puddles on the ground made their way toward Katsuki and the girl. Katsuki's concerned expression shifted. He bared his teeth in a wide, terrifying grin, finally passing his breaking point for the day. A confident snort escaped him.

The girl broke out of her trance to look up at the boy. She flinched. The teen in front of her looked as though he was going to kill someone—actually, he looked like he was going to go on a mass-murdering rampage, leaving no stone unturned and leaving nothing but ashes in his wake.

"Oh, so you're being chased? Perfect timing. I can blow off steam on idiots that deserve to get their asses handed to them for this shit-fest of a day." Katsuki cracked his knuckles and took a step toward the coming footsteps. He positioned himself, throwing his hands back, his palms facing forward. Crackling bursts of small explosive fire danced in the palms of both hands. The sparks swirled up around the rain that came down. The light from the smaller explosions reflecting off the flurry of raindrops illuminated Katsuki in a reddish, orange hue.

The girl stared at Katsuki in awe and fascination. There was something oddly soothing and calming about the unholy color scheme that surrounded Katsuki, like he could conquer the gods. These feelings quickly changed to fear and sheer distress as she realized he was about to actually fight. The problem wasn't the fight itself, but who he was about to fight that snapped her back to reality. As much as this boy scared her, she couldn't let him meet his demise. As she quickly reached for Katsuki's arm, a few of the sparks dropped onto her. She winced in discomfort. She pushed through and grabbed his arm.

"NO, WAIT! YOU CAN'T!" The girl cried, looking right up at Katsuki, her expression pitiful and pleading. Katsuki turned toward the girl with contempt for suddenly grabbing and yelling at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing! Let–" Katsuki started to say but the moment his crimson eyes locked with her sapphire ones, he froze.

Katsuki's heart began to race, furious and incessant. His body quickly and urgently cried out for, demanded, oxygen, but, no matter how much air he tried to take in, he couldn't catch his breath. His soaked body felt frozen and tense. Katsuki wanted to move, but could only clench his fists that were trembling. The rain, crashing down around him, sounded louder than a minute ago, and felt heavier and harder on his body. No matter how hard he tried, nothing in his head was coming together. He felt like his body and mind were failing him, his body wanting nothing more than to just collapse to the ground in a ball.

/I'm scared? No way…./

The girl's eyes widened for a brief moment before suddenly looking away from Katsuki. She grew pale and let go of him, taking a few steps back before freezing into place.

"What the hell did you do?" Katsuki's voice cracked. He had a frightened, yet irritated, expression on his face. He tried to slow his breathing in an attempt to calm himself down but to no avail.

"I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean to... I'm sorry," she whimpered, gripping the bottom of her torn dress with her hands. They were shaking uncontrollably.

"The hell does that even mean!? Oi…explain, damnit!" Katsuki strained, trying to get the words out without choking on them. Before there was anytime for the girl to answer, he could hear another set of footsteps approaching them. A shiver raced up his spine.

"Come on...we have to find her," a hoarse, low voice responded. This new voice was probably the voice that matched the footsteps, meaning he was close to them.

/Shit... In this state, I'm at a disadvantage in a two on one fight with bastards whose quirks I don't even know...I can barely move…/

Katsuki clenched his fists tighter, engraving indents into the palms of his hands. His lips twitched as he stared into the empty alleyway with fascinated horror, waiting for the threat to appear. His whole body felt heavy, like gravity had it out for him, unable to move and this feeling only added more apprehension and fear.

/Come on...Come on, come on, come on! Think, dammit!.../

His mind continued racing and racing. No matter how much he told himself to calm down and just think, nothing would come together. Panic had a hold on him as his gasps for air became irregular and tougher to get. His heart rate began accelerating, pounding faster and harder until it drowned out the rain falling around him. All he could hear now was his heartbeat. His vision started to waver, his body at it's limit as he was unable to calm his heart or get enough oxygen.

/I can't pass out…dammit…I can't…/

And then, as the world started fading and he began to lose his balance, Katsuki's hand brushed against the girl's shoulder. In that moment, only for a second, Katsuki felt in control of himself again.

/We hide…/

"This way," Katsuki mustered and grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her with him around the corner. He crouched down behind a Dumpster with the girl behind him, and the smell immediately got to him. He held his mouth to try and muffle the loud, forced gasps of air he was taking, each making him more fearful, and more than a little nauseous.

The girl was in shock from suddenly being grabbed and pulled. She stared at the puddle in front of her which reflected the shocked and fearful expression on her face: a funhouse mirror of anguish.

/He moved without hesitation…He was panicking a second ago because of me…Did he shake off my quirk?...Wait, no…He's still panicking…Who is this guy?/

The girl looked up from the damp ground, eyes now on the back of the young boy who was helping her. This was the second time she actually took a good look at him. The first time, he was terrifying, like a hungry wolf ready to rip apart his prey until there was nothing left – a boy to steer clear of. However, this time he was completely different. His back was big, almost like a knight's shield guarding her from any threat that would come near her. His shoulders were broad and pushed back, making his pose that much more impressive, and, as if calling out to her, "I'll protect you." His soaked t-shirt clung to him, slightly outlining a well trained, muscular body. It felt safe; it made her feel safe.

/…A hero…/

Just then, a loud crash made her nerves return all at once. The girl gave a small shriek before grabbing onto Katsuki's shirt and burying her face into his back.

/Please don't find us…/

Katsuki twitched at the sudden close-contact from his new found nuisance. She apparently decided that touching him was an acceptable thing to do right now, and, effectively, choosing that death by Katsuki himself was world's better to her than going back to her captor–at least that's what Katsuki thought.

The girl was holding on tight, so tight he could feel her trembling. He bit down on his lip to keep from yelling at her to let go of him. Any loud noises at this moment would result in them being found, and that was something that could not happen. Not right now when he was still paralyzed by this invasion of fear.

"It's a stupid trash can…relax, you stupid crybaby," Katsuki muttered.

/Why the hell's she grabbing onto me!?...What's her damn pr-.../

Another loud crash broke Katsuki's thoughts and made him flinch and tense up. A small, pitiful sound slipped out of his own mouth – the ultimate betrayal. The girl gripped harder.

/Damn these freakin' feelings!…I shouldn't be feeling this way!…/

Katsuki couldn't believe, after telling the girl to relax, that he would get worked up over the same thing. His face felt warm, and he hated it. He hated this situation. He hated this girl. And he hated this day. Mostly, he hated Kaminari for sending him here.

Katsuki let out a quiet, frustrated sigh, in a final attempt to calm himself, though at this point it was just wishful thinking. He could hear voices near them, bickering.

"Can't believe she escaped….that bitch is going to get us killed if we can't find her," the first voice complained followed by the same crashing sound. With the pursuers being closer, it was clear that the high pitched male had been kicking over trash barrels in pure rage.

"Just keep looking! Let's go this way!" The footsteps crescendoed, louder and closer. At their closest, Katsuki and the girl held their breath, aching for the threat to pass. Then, as suddenly as they had approached, the footfalls faded, presently disappearing entirely. Katsuki gasped for air, deeply regretting that breath the moment he did so.

The girl let go and sat back. The two of them remained still, not saying anything. The rain began to ease up some. This did not help Katsuki find any relief and the furthering silence between them only made it worse. He was the first of them to break the silence.

"Talk. Your quirk... is sharing your feelings, right?" Katsuki asked between each putrid gulp of malodorous air, his chest tight. He looked directly at the tormented girl. She kept her gaze down on the ground, and nudged some litter with the toe of her well-weathered shoes. As she toyed with the trash, she nodded.

"Yeah. That's my quirk," she responded, her voice wavering.

"Does it work the other way?"

"N-no…I can only pass my own feelings…well…" She paused for a moment before continuing, "I can pass along any feelings I've had before…that I know of…"

"How long?"

Katsuki assumed that there wasn't a way to stop her quirk and that he would have to wait for it to run its course. The girl thought for a moment, passing the trash to her other foot.

"It lasts five minutes."

She stared at the ground and stopped kicking the litter. Tears began to well up in her eyes, only noticeable now as the rain had rather suddenly subsided. In her estimation, nothing good ever came from others knowing her quirk and now some boy she just met knew about it.

She waited for Katsuki to regret meeting her and just leave her by the trash. She tried to convince herself that she should appreciate the help she got; he had already done so much for her.

/This is for the best...I should thank him and go. I shouldn't get him caught up more in my mess.../

She tried to stand up, but couldn't get herself to move. No matter how many times she tried to tell herself that she needed to leave, she knew, deep down, she wanted him to save her from all of this and that was keeping her glued to the ground.

"So I'm like this for another four minutes...great…." Katsuki leaned back on the crusted over Dumpster. He was unable to calm his pounding heart and stiff body. Bouts of nausea came in large waves. It felt like torture already. He dug into his bag and pulled out aloe cream.

"Here, for the burns," Katsuki said, holding out the bottle for her to take.

She stared at the bottle for a second before taking it. She squirted cool aloe on the speckled burns on her arm. It felt refreshing, and did provide her some relief.

/…He's too nice…I can't get him caught up in this…/

She tried again, but couldn't move. She just sat there, staring at the bottle as if her eyes could burn a hole through it. Her face scrunched up in both frustration and sadness, tears impending.

Katsuki sighed, staring at the pathetic, broken girl. He knew she looked familiar, and with the circumstances, there was only one person she could be.

"You're that girl who got kidnapped seven years ago, right?"

Although he was going through some intense emotions, Katsuki's demeanor was calm. The girl started to look up but quickly looked away, in shock and trying to avoid eye contact. She nodded.

/…Why hasn't he told me to beat it yet?...And he's asking me all these questions… Why …/

Katsuki glared at her harder, definitely showing her he was tired of waiting and to speak up already. Hikari flinched, although she wasn't looking directly at him, she could feel his impatient gaze at her. She began to twiddle her fingers, coming up with the words to explain her situation to him.

"My name is Hikari Nozomi… when I was ten years old, I was abducted by Gloom, a villain group that hides in the shadows." Hikari gave a side glance to Katsuki, who was still glaring at her. She could tell he wanted more information. As much as it was difficult to divulge what she had gone through, she felt she owed it to him after dragging him into her mess.

As for Katsuki, he really couldn't care less about her backstory, but needed a distraction. After all, it didn't matter what happened to her. Once the quirk wore off he would have to bring her to the police station anyway. Being with villains for so long had to have influenced her. Stockholm syndrome was something they covered in great lengths in his Villain's Studies Course. For all he knew, she could be playing him right now–though he really couldn't come up for a reason behind it. The fear he felt from her felt so raw, so real. And the way she latched onto him trembling... She'd have to be a world class actress to be lying right now. Katsuki kept his eyes on her as she continued.

"Their leader, Despair, took an interest in my quirk and felt I could be useful to him. He threatened my family and village to not say a word about them, and my quirk. For the last six years, I have been tortured and put through a lot to enhance the negative effects of my quirk. I was watched 24/7 so escaping or even killing myself weren't options I had." Hikari's lips began to quiver as she pushed out the words.

/Come on…just leave me here…/

/Save me…/

"I got lucky today. I was able to make one of the guards regret keeping me locked up….so I used my quirk and he unlocked the door. And here I am," Her eyes sunk as tears began to form.

/Why…why haven't you left me yet…/

/Save me…/

"...I hate it...I wanted to use my quirk to give people hope when situations are tough...to bring happiness...instead all I ever do is hurt others…."

/It hurts…all I ever do is cause others trouble…/

/Save me…/

Hikari started to cry. Large tears fell heavy onto her lap. Her cries were comparable to that of a young child who lost everything that was precious to them.

Katsuki's eyes widened a bit as he stared at her. He felt his own chest tighten up again. She was definitely broken, frail, so delicate that touching her would make her shatter into pieces. There was no way she could have been influenced by the bastards that took her. Although Katsuki couldn't really prove this wasn't all an act, this moment right here made him think otherwise. All he could see was a broken girl who just wanted to be free from her captors.

"Despair….he's really strong… and scary….if you hurt his lackeys…he'd have shown up with his partner and killed you…I couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of me...I couldn't let you die for me…" Hikari mustered out in between sobbing fits.

/Just leave me here…/

/Save me…/

She wiped the tears from her eyes, aggressively as if frustrated with herself. She let out a strained sigh.

"…who am I kidding…who'd I be able to help anyway…I was with villains for years…no ones going to trust me…and I've hurt too many people…and I'm weak…and I can't stop crying…there's no way I can be a hero now…"

/Just go…/

/Save me…/

"IDIOT! STOP CRYING!"

This made Hikari jump and she did stop crying, abruptly. Katsuki paused for a moment to collect himself. His face went chalk-white.

"Look, you aren't gonna make anyone happy if you're stuck on how much of a screw up you are. Stupid...you can always use your quirk for good.. So grow a pair and stand up and fight, ya damn crybaby," Katsuki huffed, then turned away from Hikari to release all the contents of his stomach, which consisted of leftover spicy fried rice and hot pepper chips from this morning. This left an intense burning sensation in his throat and a puddle of red death next to the Dumpster. The smells were compounding now, layered and complex.

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise as she sat still, staring at Katsuki in awe. He wasn't abandoning her but instead lecturing her. A small smile formed on her lips and a quick chuckle escaped them. The sight of this teenage boy she just met, telling her to get over herself and then throwing up was amusing, and definitely something she didn't see coming. He acted like a complete asshole, but there was some encouragement behind his words, a kindness that she was devoid of for so long.

/How can someone ridicule people while being so kind?…/

"Do you always insult people to try and cheer them up?" Hikari sniffled, smiling a little.

"Shuddup! You're lucky I can't shake off your damn quirk or—" Katsuki was cut off by another stream of vomit erupting from his mouth.

"Yeah, I get like that too, sometimes," said Hikari, and she rubbed Katsuki's back tenderly. Katsuki felt an intimacy of caring he'd never felt before, a closeness and an actual concern. He chalked these feelings up to Hikari's quirk.

"Whatever; stop touching me," Katsuki grumbled.

/She's really messing with me.../

Hikari stopped.

"Embarrassed?" She smiled softly, hitting Katsuki's ego where it hurt most.

"LIKE HE-" Katsuki held his mouth and swallowed, sending waves of burning and nausea from the revolting taste in his mouth and new level of sourness in his stomach. "Like hell I am! Stop pissin' me off before I puke twice-thrown-up rice on you!"

He looked defeated and agitated about it. She couldn't help seeing him as a cat that was forced to take a bath: pissed off, soaked, and on guard. Hikari stifled a laugh, something that she hadn't experienced in a long time. She nodded and sat a few feet further away from Katsuki in case he got triggered by her muffled guffaw.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, Hikari's quirk effects on Katsuki ended, leaving him feeling better but completely exhausted. He looked over to Hikari, who slightly looked over, realized he was looking at her, then looked away, avoiding eye contact. He scowled at her, then sighed. He took the oversized sports bag that was slung over his shoulders and threw it in front of him, making a small splash in the muddied water in front of him.

"Okay, get in the bag."