Sudden Passion

It was too quiet. Apart from the rustling trees, the woods were filled with solemn silence as Estelle completed her patrols, and now that she was aware her guardian was alive, she knew the root cause.

He was building an army. He couldn't do that if Estelle was outside every day, killing the dark spirits before they even began their mayhem, that was too easy. He was cautious but still readying himself for the next move. Estelle knew it would be a while before he struck, but the rumbling under the surface put her on edge.

Whenever she came by a ghoul, they would say the same thing. Something was off, and the tension could be felt even by those who had no idea what was happening. It made it more challenging to help them pass on; their minds focused on the chaos around them.

Nyx seemed to know where the bridge was located, and Estelle couldn't deny that fact pissed her off. How did he manage to do what she couldn't? It didn't make sense, but Estelle knew that there was probably something she was missing. She hated being in the dark, especially when she should have figured it out ages ago.

The ghouls didn't know who he was, but they recognised him by his statement red outfit. Her world was dreary, and it was difficult to find colour within the shades of green, so he stuck out like a sore thumb. Estelle knew it was his intention; he wanted the beings of her world to terrify at the sight of the outlandish colour.

Feeling like she was making no progress, Estelle decided to end the day early so she could train with Tokoyami. She hadn't spoken to the class much since she had found out Nyx was alive, and she couldn't deny the slight feeling of guilt.

She was doing what was best for them.

Strolling into the living room, Tokoyami was already standing by the entrance, ready to go. Nodding to her in greeting, he declared, "We'll leave once you've eaten."

Shaking her head with pursed lips, Estelle softly muttered, "No, it's okay. I'm not hungry anyway; let's go."

"I implore you. Health comes first."

Estelle knew the male was right and nodded in understanding. Turning around to the kitchen, she was greeted by Bakugo storming into the room with a plate of food. Exasperated, Estelle pivoted to meet Tokoyami with a defeated look. "You knew he was cooking," She accused, her finger raised at a point.

Innocently shrugging his shoulders, Tokoyami mumbled, "The man is scary when he's on his warpath. I would prefer not to listen to his ranting and raving because you didn't consume his food."

"Tch, let me guess. She was trying to run?" Bakugo guessed once he reached the duo, an annoying glimmer in his eyes. The blonde didn't even give them a chance to respond before slamming the hot dish into Estelle's hands.

Wincing slightly from the heat searing into the crescent moons on her palms, Estelle moved towards the couch to dig in. She could practically feel the thumping footsteps of the aggressive male behind her, and when she sat, she ignored the male standing at attention in front of her. Pushing his leg so she could reach the table, the male let out a rumble as he pursed his lips.

Seating her plate on the table, Estelle scowled when her hand was snatched away from reaching the utensils. Their eyes clashed in a battle of aggravation and stubbornness, refusing to back down from their vexations. "Just when I thought I would stop seeing bruises on your face, you do this."

Rolling her eyes, Estelle simply shrugged before tugging her hand away. Unfortunately, the blonde retaliated with a tighter grip and yanked her forward. Startled by the sudden transition, Estelle lurched from the couch so she was inches away from his nose. "Stop that!" He demanded gruffly, his eyes searing into her soul.

"I don't even realise I'm doing it," Estelle grumbled, irritated that he dared tell her what to do.

"Well, pay attention!"

Estelle's lips dropped at the simplicity of his words, and she shook her head as she internally dismissed him. It seemed he had caught onto that fact, as indicated through his growl. Feeling a moment of fury as he viewed Estelle turning back to her seat, Bakugo shot his hand out to keep her dark eyes on his. Tangling his fingers in her hair, Estelle took a harsh breath when Bakugo pulled her skull back to confront him. His eyes lit up with rage as he seethed, "If I don't stop seeing self-inflicted wounds, I'll make sure you regret it, you brat!"

Estelle didn't utter a word, the silence saying everything she could not voice. Her eyes stared into his, and Bakugo suddenly tensed once he realised their position. Unexpectedly hyperaware of the close proximity, the blonde flickered his eyes to the strands of hair within his fingers. Bakugo loved playing with her hair; it was clear from the first night they ever spent together. Bakugo never guessed he would gain a different type of satisfaction by gripping onto it, but he couldn't deny the knowledge that he didn't love it any less.

Leaning his body forward to lightly press against hers, Bakugo's eyes slowly trailed back to hers with hidden intent. It seemed like a simmering trail of his eyes sparked a blaze within her, her skin tingling wherever they landed. The warmness that usually surrounded the duo sparked, and they both tautened from the sudden change. It didn't feel like how it used to for Estelle; usually, Bakugo emanated a feeling of safeness.

Not to say that Bakugo wasn't safe now, but it was so much more. The sudden frenzy her heart lept into wasn't typical. It was like a shift, his eyes bearing into her own with a hardness that made her sit straight. Their breathing seemed to fall into sync, slightly heavier as their minds refused to stray from the other. It felt right, strange, and Estelle tried to bury the feeling of the coiling in her core. The rush through her veins wasn't like anything she had experienced before. The closest she could describe it was like the adrenaline in a battle, lit ablaze and ready to tear spirits apart.

Bakugo's hand tightened further within the shift between them as if he had recognised it and wasn't sure what to do. The flickering tension between the two usually laid dormant, and it was only now it began to crackle in flame.

Estelle ignored the rush to her neck as she brought her face even closer. Their noses were millimetres away from touching as her eyes held defiance from the male in front of her. She had no idea where the sudden courage had come from, but she mentally prepared herself for battle. Tilting her head upwards, her hair still tangled within his grasp, she snarked, "And what would you do, big boy? Do you really think you could intimidate me?"

Bakugo's body smouldered from her brashness as his other hand crackled and popped by his side. Suddenly feeling like he was burning from the inside out from the new atmosphere, he had to lick his lips as they dried up from the shuddering heat.

Stunned as Estelle raised her hand up to his chin, Bakugo felt like he fell into an inferno from her following words. They seemed to slip past her lips smoothly, like a croon that settled in his bones. He didn't even bother to hide the reddening of his cheeks. "You seem lost for words. How adorable."

Trailing his heated hand up her thigh and onto her hip, Bakugo pulled Estelle closer as the boiling fervour settled in his stomach. It was too much. The intensity with which her gaze seeped into his skin made him feel like he was under the sun, writhing and squirming to get away, yet holding no longing to leave. He wanted to drown in her dark eyes and her stupid smirk that sat snugly on her pretty face.

It was different, new and too much for his body to handle. Their bodies were tense, frozen as he held Estelle within his embrace. Still, as they endured the suffocating rush through their veins. They couldn't move if they wanted to; it was as if the skies would fall if they were to break apart.

It was as if they were trapped in a bubble of heat that could burn the world down.

Bakugo always knew she had a firey flame inside of her. It had come out in spurts during their time together, but this. There was a lot he liked about Estelle. She would always win a fight. Estelle was strong in everything she did. She allowed him to witness her vulnerability and actually let him help. But, her confident moments always ignited a frenzy within him, and her words only fanned the flame. Estelle was confident in herself and the havoc she could create in the world and within him.

It felt intoxicating for him. Like Estelle was crawling her way to his heart, with every intention of leaving it.

Looking at her at that moment, Bakugo wanted to close the gap and devour her whole. She looked breathtaking with his fingers tangled up in her hair and the fire in her eyes. He couldn't help but think that the picture was missing something. Something only he wanted to do.

He wanted to bruise her lips.

Gosh, how much better would she look once he marked them up. Panting for breath in the aftermath. Red from the piercing kiss he would lay on her. Forget anything else he had ever thought. That was the picture he wanted to be ingrained into his brain.

Growling, Bakugo wondered how she could look so collected at this moment. Was she not feeling the same boiling intensity that he was? Was this really one-sided?

Untangling his fingers from her hair, Bakugo slowly trailed his hand to her neck. The sun within his entire being fuelled the sweatiness of his hand, but he couldn't find it within himself to care as his eyes fell ensnared to the girl in front of him.

Bakugo's heart skipped a beat as a glimpse of Estelle slipped through the cracks, feeling the hitch in her throat. The red flush was only there for a moment before it was pushed back into a box, and the confrontational blonde could have slumped from the disappointment curling in his stomach. He wanted to see it all; he wanted to feel it all. Everything that Estelle tried to hide he wanted to see. He hated that she still consciously chose to hide from him; it made him want to scream in aggravation.

It was enough to tell Bakugo it wasn't just him that could feel the sizzling tension between them - locked in their own world that they couldn't break out of. Despite the red flush of his cheeks, Bakugo closed the gap even further as he moved to whisper into her ear.

Stilling slightly from the hot breath next to her face, Estelle tried to hold back another flush as his growl practically vibrated through her ear and body. "Don't test me, my fearsome lioness, because I always get what I want."

An electrical shock jolted down Estelle's back as her eyes widened slightly in surprise. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Feeling confused, Estelle gazed back at the blonde in question but was only greeted by a wide smirk that turned her stomach upside down. Shaking his head with a chuckle, Bakugo skirted around her with a stare that felt like it held a thousand unspoken words.

Turning around, her tongue seemingly twisted in her mouth, she faced an embarrassed Tokoyami facing the door. Awkwardly coughing, Estelle quickly pulled herself together before sitting back down to eat her food.

"So..." Tokoyami muttered as he turned around, getting her hint.

"Shut up."

Raising his hands in surrender, Tokoyami chuckled, joining her on the couch.

Walking into the broken and beaten building, Estelle kept her body low as she avoided the dark spirits. She had been circling the area for the last week in hopes of covering the whole place in her scent, effectively driving the creatures wild but also shielding her when it was time to infiltrate.

The plan was successful as the dark spirits trampled about the area and completely missed her as she slowly trekked by behind the walls. Ducking her head low, Estelle cursed when she realised a Skyraider was scouting just above her. The beaked creature flapped its wings chaotically, leaving gusts to hit her face, and Estelle focused on her earthbending to ensure there were no spirits close to her on the ground.

Deciding to take the risk, Estelle kept moving forward, albeit slower, the thought of her destination thrumming through her bones. Estelle slumped in relief before turning around with hope in her eyes, sliding past the large metal doors hidden at the back.

There were roughly ten light spirits in the room, all chained to thick metal bars and plastered markings. Relief hit Estelle that the intel Iris had given her was correct and that she had a chance of getting these spirits out of here. Bowling over at the sudden emotions she was experiencing, Estelle realised that she was thanking the gods in utter gratitude. Rushing forward to deal with the first binding, she let the smile slip through as those imprisoned stared up at her.

The spirits held their stares of ecstatic relief as they gaped at their help; broad smiles bore on their faces, and they began to chatter in enthusiasm. Taking the time to break their chains, Estelle was relieved that the markings didn't prevent her from doing so. The elves and the dwarves seemed to be his go-to, which was understandable since their abilities in the craft were brilliant for any purpose.

Still, Estelle didn't want to think about what they had to deal with in the cold room. Standing up, Estelle explained the details of the current situation before guiding them back out. "Follow my lead, I can fight them off if I have to, but the longer Nyx isn't aware you guys are gone, the easier it will be to help the others."

"There's more?"

"Yeah, Lieutenant Iris has found a couple of bases, mostly underground."

"Shameful! It is like the dragon Aite all over again! That disgusting spirit will get what's coming to it! Thank the gods you are here."

"I'll need all the help I can get," Estelle murmured back, uncertainty covering her face as she stared back at the smaller beings. She couldn't force them to work with her, but she also knew she wouldn't be able to do this alone.

"Well, you have our hammers and tools. Just say the word," another dwarf smoothly stated behind her, head raised up with seriousness.

Relief once again settled within Estelle's bones. Nodding in appreciation, she voiced, "Thank you, follow me."

Strolling back into Heights Alliance later in the evening, Estelle was exhausted. She had spent the rest of the day helping Iris set up camp for the rest of the spirits. But, now that more hands were on deck, the ball should start to get rolling for the future souls that have been held captive.

Now that she knew light spirits were in this world, her main priority was getting as many of them out of the prisons Nyx had created for them. She knew she would have to be quick, and if possible, it may even work out in her favour.

She didn't want to be too hopeful, so Estelle had to remind herself to manage her own expectations. Nevertheless, she pushed the thought to the side as she strolled into the living room. The class were scattered about, lazily lying around as they watched Kaminari frantically smash a plastic thing in front of the television.

Pushing her curiosity to the side for a second, Estelle raised her greetings as she slumped onto the couch. Bakugo seemed to teleport to her side, his attention focused on his phone as one hand trailed up to play with a strand of her hair.

The class beamed at the female, happy she joined them out of her own will. Grinning, they watched as Estelle flustered slightly under all their gazes. The otherworldly girl tried to ignore them, but she could feel the budding security that surrounded her as soon as she walked into the room. She tried not to pay attention to the fact that her shoulders relaxed when she entered or that she missed them all slightly.

"Yo, Estelle! Look, I brought my game console down for the weekend! You should give it a try!"

"Hm? Oh, no. I shouldn't."

"What?! Why? Come on! I know you'll love it!" Kaminari whined back, disappointment lacing his tone as he slumped.

"Yeah! Go on, Estelle! We've missed you, Have some fun!" Kirishima added, shifting away from Sero as he spoke up.

Sighing, Estelle lowered her head to hide the smile growing on her face. Feeling her heart full from the words, she nodded in agreement as she made her way to the electric blonde.

"Yeah, awesome! I'll show you how to kick some butt!"

'Button, button, button, button, button.'

"She's really going for it!"

'Button, left, right, button, up-down, button.'

"Woah, she crashed right into that kart!"

Snarling that the kart managed to pass her, Estelle pressed harder on the buttons as she tried to beat her opponent.

"Estelle?"

'Button! Up! Down! Button, Button!'

"Is she...okay?"

'BUTTON, BUTTON, UP, DOWN LEFT, RIGHT.'

"I'm...not sure."

"Gahh! You bitch!" Estelle snarled, placing the remote to her right with a huff in her breath. Pouting slightly, Estelle was greeted by Bakugo's chuckle as he grinned down at her. Surprised, Estelle's eyes trailed back to the other couch where Bakugo previously sat. Quaking her brow in curiosity, she wondered when he moved to sit next to her again. The thought escaped her mind pretty quickly once he spoke.

"You can't be the greatest at everything you know."

"Says you!" Kaminari screeched back, causing Estelle to let out a laugh of mutual agreement.

"The hell! I'm the best at everything! I'll show you! Dunce face!" Bakugo barked, his hands sparking in fury as he stood up and marched towards the blonde.

Turning a shade of white, Kaminari brokenly turned to Estelle before the blonde reached him and muttered, "Please help."

Shrugging, Estelle answered with a deadpan as her hands picked up the remote. "I don't control him. Good luck."

"Yeah! That's right! She won't save you!" Bakugo manically added, his explosions beginning to impede her vision of the television screen.

"Wahhh!"

"Just stay away from the television, Ruby."

"Yeah yeah!"