Freezing Temperatures

Estelle scowled to herself as she huddled underneath her blankets. The tremors wracked through her body as she retreated into herself. 'It's so fucking cold,' she moaned as her arms huddled into her chest.

During the evening, the heating had broken, causing Mr Aizawa to stroll into the common room with numerous extra blankets and the disappointing news that it wouldn't be fixed until the morning. Estelle and the class could already feel the chill settling into their bones, and she wasted no time retreating to her room, piling blankets onto her body. She forcefully closed her eyes to get her mind to rest, but the frequent shivers stopped her, and she was getting increasingly irritated as the night drew closer.

Estelle wrapped the duvet around her whole body and sat up with a huff before shuffling down to the kitchen. She had gotten used to the warm liquid because of Ruby, and she couldn't deny its effectiveness on troubling nights. The only irksome part of the trick was that she would be constantly reminded of the loud blonde when she heated it up, leaving her to pout to herself in the aftermath.

Estelle was surprised to find all her classmates in the living room rather than in their dorms. When she flickered her eyes over to glance at them, she noticed they were all huddled together as if they were in the mountains trying to survive a snow storm. The picture humoured her, and her lips automatically tilted up as she strolled past them. Furrowing her brows for a moment, Estelle speculated if they had decided to have a sleepover.

"I thought you were going to sleep?" Momo called out in concern as Estelle zoomed past like a woman on a mission.

Feeling her teeth chatter, Estelle could only mutter, "s too cold."

Reaching the kitchen before her classmate could respond, Estelle dialled back in surprise to the sight of Bakugo already heating milk up. His glare seemed to seep through the liquid, and she wondered if his eyes were doing the work. Seeing him whirl around to the sound of Estelle's chuckle, the blonde relaxed with a scowl. "You should have stayed in bed. I was going to bring you a cup."

"Oh, but why?" Estelle dialled back, her head tilted as her lips pursed.

Ignoring the eyes, stating that it was apparent, Estelle moved to peer over his shoulder to peek at the stove. Raising her brows in surprise at the fact he was telling the truth, Estelle glanced over at the blonde staring at her intensely.

"You can't seriously be that cold," He grunted with narrowed eyes, ignoring her question as he scanned over her trembling body.

"I hate the cold, always have, always will."

"Tch, come here."

Without complaint, Estelle huddled into the heat by falling into his arms with a satisfied groan. She was jealous that he always seemed warm, and in her desperation to keep the heat, she muttered, "Be my personal radiator."

Snorting, Bakugo rubbed her back with both hands as if he was attempting to soothe her. "If you fall into me like that all the time, ill be whatever you want."

Blushing red from the words, Estelle flustered within his embrace. The immediate urge to panic and withdraw was on her face, but the heat forced her in place. Practically feeling the internal battle, Bakugo clutched onto her tighter with an inward curse. He was too forward; he didn't want to scare her off.

They stayed silent as they gripped each other as if fully taking in each other's presence. Estelle hated and loved it at the same time. Her usual internal battle was in full force. 'But he's so warm.'

Sighing, Bakugo was the one to break the bubble. His arms dropped in disappointment as he turned around to turn off the stove. "You ever had hot chocolate before?"

Shaking her head, Estelle mumbled back a quick, "No."

"Well, first time for everything. Come, it's a little warmer in the living room," Ruby voiced, holding the two cups when he was done pouring and stalked forward without her. Her body followed immediately, her eyes not straying from the warm beverage in his hands in longing. He was quick to put her cup on the table before her as she plopped onto the couch beside him. Hurridly shifting the duvet around her to have a free arm, she leaned over to bring the cup to her lips. Ignoring the scalding on her tongue, Estelle continued to drink the beverage in relief.

Grunting when her head moved forward, the noise of his thump rang in her ear for a moment before he yelled. "Stop that! You're burning yourself! Just wait a few minutes, you crazy woman!"

"But it's so cold!" Estelle whined back, feeling indignation in her bones as she pouted.

The classmates sitting around the room whirled to her in disbelief. The baby-like tone was utterly different from what they were used to, which caught them all off guard. It was soo different, but they grinned in amusement from the shift. It was just another sign that Estelle was getting used to them as the days went on. Then again, they knew the blonde had a large part to play in that. A few of them couldn't help but be jealous of their close relationship.

"Tch, just come here whilst you wait. I'm not babying you tomorrow when your burnt mouth hurts," He scowled with the resolution, his eyes narrowed as he watched the female beside him.

"You never baby me," Estelle defended, her pride yanked to the forefront from his words.

"Tch, yeah, right."

"You baby me?" Estelle repeated in confusion before getting hit by the memories of him comforting her. Flushing from the smug expression, Estelle stuck out her tongue before flopping onto him for some more warmth.

"Estelle, Bakugo, we decided we're having a sleepover!" Kaminari cheered, a broad grin on his face matching the rest of the class watching.

"Hah! Why the hell are we doing that now?!" Bakugo yelped, making Estelle wince from the blaring noise. His hand quickly trailed back to her hair as if he was apologising and comforting her all in one move. The female relaxed in answer, giving a soft, pleased hum as she continued to bunch into him.

'He totally babies her,' The class realised with enlarged eyes. The scene was too cute to be accurate, and they were surprised at how gentle his hands were. It felt bizarre to see him; the usual explosive personality remained but was muted in her presence.

"We can huddle together for warmth, plus our body heat can warm up the room!"

"Plus, my quirk will help," Shoto murmured, his sleepy eyes trailing over the duo with a blank expression.

"Tch, fine. I'll get my blankets," Bakugo grumbled, clearly annoyed that he had to leave the female on the couch. Gently moving her to stand, the blonde gave her a delicate glance as he observed her huddle into his seat as if to soak in the warmth he left behind. The class noticed the gesture, but it didn't linger for long as he began to stomp out of the room with a force that made them all wince.

Beginning to shiver once again, Estelle felt pathetic as she waited for her radiator to come back. Estelle never had to enter the cold climates very much in the spirit realm, mainly because everyone hated it. But, she was paying for that now as she never got the chance to get used to it. When she joined the humans, she had to wear multiple layers to survive in certain areas. Estelle would probably call it her greatest weakness.

One time, she was struggling so much out in the mountains she set herself on fire to soothe her shivering body. She could remember the screeches of fright as human soldiers turned to face her and practically fainted from seeing a girl literally on fire and completely fine. The memory amused her, and she recalled it had broken the tension between her and the other members of the military squad.

Estelle would have used her fire ability if she could, but she was worried that she would unintentionally set something alight. It was different on a mountain surrounded by ice; that wasn't a worry she ever bothered with. But she wouldn't risk it, not with her classmates.

Peeking her eyes up when a shadow loomed over her, Estelle moved back in bewilderment as Shoto stared down at her with a soft smile. "I can help warm you up. Here, lay on my heated side," he offered as he sat next to her.

Knowing he would be warm, Estelle didn't bother to waste time before clustering into his side. Groaning in relief, Estelle could have cried with how comforting it was. Bits of steam came off him as he used his quirk to a small degree, and Estelle was grateful he even considered offering her.

Not even realising she was humming in consolation, Estelle continued to snuggle into him, her head rubbing his shoulder like a cat getting petted. The action made the two-toned male flush, but he didn't utter a word as he embraced Estelle.

"What the fuck?!"

Jolting slightly, Estelle barely looked at the blonde as she gripped Shoto's arm. Only when she felt the looming shadow over her that she perked an eye open. Finding the blonde fiercely glaring at the duo, his body leaned over tensely. Estelle kept her expression neutral as she held onto the other male.

If it was any other situation, she would have let go, especially with the frown the blonde was giving the pair of them. But, her heart refused to, warming front the heat that surrounded her in reprieve. It was too good, and she automatically knew that she would be staying in a place that had a sun every day when she got back home.

"Get the hell off her icyHot!"

"She's cold," Shoto mumbled innocently, staring at the blonde with defiance.

Hearing his growl of annoyance, Estelle could feel her eyes beginning to close in the secure warmness. "Shh, Ruby. Let me snuggle."

Whirling to gaze at her in disbelief, Bakugo slumped with a pout as he folded his arms. "The hell? Your choosing this idiot over me?"

"For tonight. Shoto's warmer."

"Tch. Whatever," He hissed back, his eyes glaring into Shoto's with an intensity that was returned. Scoffing, Bakugo halted his instinct to hurl his body at Shoto with furious abandon. Holding back the rising annoyance and anger as he stalked over to another couch, he laid his blanket down with growing tension and ire. Landing on his makeshift bed, Bakugo flopped back onto the pillows to continue his glaring match with IcyHot.

Sharing a back and forth, Bakugo held a mixture of a scowl and a pout as he folded his arms. He had hoped to cuddle with her tonight. Hell, he was even excited about it, knowing that she wouldn't hesitate to curl into him.

That damn idiot just had to get in the way.

He could have committed murder for that.

Instead, he was watching them cuddle like lovers. And he was not happy about it, mainly because the two-toned male had recently asked the damn girl out on a date. The picture annoyed him, and the fact it annoyed him only annoyed him further. He was annoyed, period.

Forcing himself to focus on the ceiling, he couldn't help it when his eyes trailed to the duo throughout the evening. His tense shoulders relaxed at the lovely picture of Estelle's face, and he knew that even though he hated it wasn't him. She was comfortable and was given the luxury of heat she needed to get some sleep.

Nobody else really knew the gravity of Estelle's struggle in the darkness. She was lucky to sleep without interruptions, jerking awake with a lack of air and a profound sense of terror that he somehow managed to keep up with. It was like instinct for him; he had expected to get fed up with it. As much as he didn't want to, he could understand how comforting someone every night could be draining, but he never felt that way. His body instantly knew, jolting him awake to make sure she was okay.

He despised how she was terrorised in the night, but he adored it when she relied on him. How he seemed to become the stable pillar that reminded her that she was safe and she was okay with him. He also noticed how they had increased alongside her workload, and he didn't have to ask to understand how much Nyx's plans were affecting her. He was concerned, and there were occasions when he would ask her about it in hopes of preventing her from pushing it away. It was a fifty-fifty chance with Estelle. Sometimes she would whisper what she had seen in basic terms; other times, she would completely shut down and cuddle into him.

He had a sense Estelle was purposely careful with her words when she did speak up. He didn't know if she was doing it for his sake, so he wouldn't be tainted by the gory details, or if it was for herself, unable to say the words and acknowledge the horror that it actually was. Either way, it was a hell of a lot of progress. She talked to him more than ever before, confiding in him, and Bakugo treasured it. He didn't care that his sleep schedule had been ruined because every vulnerable moment made Bakugo's resolve grow for the woman he saw behind the mask.

Sometimes, she would stay in her dreams. Fear in her closed-eyed face. Other times, she would wake up unable to breathe. And others, she would hold onto Bakugo tightly as he hugged her, half asleep as he murmured comforting words. He could never guess how the night would turn out, but their increase still continued to rest on his mind.

He didn't have to do much on those nights she was stuck in her head. Just telling her where she was seemed to calm her enough to pull herself back together. He knew she was embarrassed by it, primarily since he had managed to witness it all. But he didn't care. He wanted to be there, happily joined her in the evenings, uncaring that his sleep became interrupted as hers did.

His mind would sometimes drift to the scenario of her going to him, needing him to be there for her. He would imagine her showing up in his bedroom, a pout on her lips as she awkwardly stated she wanted to spend the night with him and sleep better. He thought about it more than he'd ever like to admit. As strong as she was, no matter how much he valued it, he wanted to be a support to her.

Flickering his eyes to Estelle on Shoto's shoulder, he felt nothing as she huddled closer to him. The memory of her admission a week ago rang out in his brain. He may be slightly jealous, but he knew he had no reason to be. Fixing his blankets, he forced his body to turn around before the sight became ingrained into his brain. The class followed suit, shuffling noises filling the air as they waited for their minds to shut off. Bakugo didn't even have to check to know Estelle was already out like a light.

Bakugo wasn't shocked when he jerked awake. His eyes still closed, his arm raised to reach over and console the girl who was whimpering in her sleep. Confusion settled in his bones when his hand hit the back of the couch. Furrowing his brows, Bakugo forced his eyes to open slightly, only for him to realise Estelle wasn't sleeping beside him.

Looking around with half-lidded eyes that he struggled to keep open, Bakugo found Estelle across from him and sighed in reassurance. He had forgotten entirely about what happened a few hours ago.

Estelle was still in Shoto's embrace, but it was unmistakable she did not have a good night's rest from the light whimpers ringing out of the room and the subtle squirming. Her movements jerked him from the couch immediately, and his eyes caught the sight of Shoto beside her. He could tell the half-and-half male was panicking by the look of unease on his face, and his hand was raised up with uncertainty as he wasn't sure what to do to help.

He could have laughed if he wasn't so concerned for Estelle. The ignorant male, clearly uncomfortable with the new development, had no idea what to do.

Only when he lowered his hand to touch her that Bakugo leapt from his position. The action caught Shoto's attention, and the blonde was gifted with a glare, but he couldn't find it within himself to care as his eyes focused on the whimpering female. Reaching them quickly, Bakugo let out a whisper of a snap. "You're doing it all wrong. Move."

As much as the words grated the half cold half hot male, he was well aware he was out of his depth. He wouldn't base Estelle's health on his own pride, so shuffling out of the couch without waking her, Shoto stood as he surveyed the scene.

Bakugo didn't waste a second to lay where Shoto previously rested. His voice, uncharacteristically soft as he leaned down, only furthered the ache of longing in Shoto's soul. "Just a bad dream, whatever it is, isn't your reality anymore. You're with me at UA, sweetheart."

The observing male dropped his jaw from the nickname that left Bakugo's lips. Suddenly feeling like he shouldn't be watching, Shoto couldn't look away, a mixture of curiosity and machoism underlying his actions. What surprised him even more, was that she was considerably calmer, even asleep. Bakugo had detected this with a quick scan, and so with ease, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Pulling her into his embrace, both Bakugo and Estelle seemed to breathe a synchronised sigh of relief. The female's body appeared to slump into him as if he was a personal shield for her memories. Shoto couldn't help but wonder if he had done what Bakugo did, invading her space constantly, he would have been the one in his position.

He never realised how in tune Bakugo was with Estelle's actions. He practically leapt from the couch the first nano-second a sound left Estelle's lips.

'Did Bakugo do this every night? Why?'

The amount of consideration on his face seems out of place for Shoto. He wasn't used to seeing a controlled Bakugo, but as he looked back at his memories, he realised that Bakugo acted differently with Estelle. Unlike him. Looking at them now, Shoto knew Estelle, and he made the right decision to stay friends. Bakugo seemed to fill the gap Estelle needed; he seemed to fall into the role wholeheartedly. He cared for her a whole lot.

It was incredibly transparent with how he looked at her like a prized gem. It was like he would give her every part of himself and ask for nothing in return. His eyes even made Shoto's heart skip a beat, so adoring, so gentle as he moved a piece of hair from Estelle's face. He could only relate it to his mother, how she used to look at him with such love and care in her good moments before the incident. He knew it wasn't the same since they weren't family, but the levels of love looked similar. Shoto clenched his fist, his heart feeling unfathomably full from seeing such a scene.

His heart suddenly ached for the blonde, the memory of Estelle's adamant words of returning back home ringing out in his brain. It was hard to compute, especially knowing what was right in front of her. She had a class who worried and considered her daily, she was free to live her life without any restrictions, and she could be an average teenager without fear of being controlled.

And she would have Bakugo. A man who seemed to be head over heels for her without even realising it himself. Or, at least that's what Shoto guessed.

Staying silent, Shoto turned around to make his way to Bakugo's blankets. As much as he would prefer not to sleep in Bakugo's sheets, he didn't want to wake Estelle up. Nodding to the blonde watching him, Bakugo's shoulders relaxed at the unspoken words. The evident reassurance was on his face as he rested his head against Estelle's chest with a soft smile.

'She's yours,' It seemed to say.

'Damn right she is', Bakugo thought back.