Snow

Estelle stood on top of the building, her sights exploring the city in front of her. The vibrations of footsteps alerted her whole body, and the female tensed stayed silent until the movement finally stopped, signalling that whoever had arrived was standing a metre behind her.

"Why are you here?" she finally asked, a little surprised that they weren't the ones who had spoken first.

"Saw you out here all on your lonesome. Thought I would stop by and say hi," The male stated casually.

Large red wings cast a shadow on Estelle's face when she turned around. Tilting her head, inquisitiveness in her veins, she commented, "I've not seen you around much; is the League keeping you busy?"

The question seemed to bring the male back to reality, his casual yet irksome smile that usually lingered on his face dimming from the question. Estelle wasn't used to it, but it was becoming more frequent for the hero the longer he played as a double agent. The job weighed him down, but no matter what happened, his perseverance stayed, never allowing him to tumble and fall despite his burden of holding the country's weight.

She admired him for that and could feel her respect grow for him the longer he stuck by his post. Jobs like this were never easy, yet his refusal to relent made it clear that he took his career seriously. It was one thing to be a double agent, but it was another to encapsulate yourself in the role, doing whatever was necessary for the intel the Commission desperately needed.

"It's not good, Estelle."

Estelle nodded as if it was wholly expected, which it was. The hero wouldn't be this run down over a simple question if it wasn't bad, but still, she hadn't expected it to start happening so quickly. There was no need for him to take on the role if there wasn't a danger currently brewing underneath the surface, but Estelle didn't know how destructive the aftermath of his mission would be.

Keeping her tone light despite the dark conversation, Estelle prodded, "Mind letting me in the know?"

"I still need to get all the details, but the League is planning something big. You heard of the attack in Deika City?"

Taken aback, Estelle was suddenly reminded of the news that was playing when she was visiting Nona. She hadn't thought much of it then, but she did remember questioning where all the heroes had been. "That was them?"

"Yeah. I've been invited to join a meeting; I'll likely have more information then. But, with more intel comes more danger. It's doubtful you'll see me for a while."

"I see. You'll have to manage your conversations carefully," Estelle stated, her tone severe as she pondered the dangers of being stuck within the enemy's hideout. It was the worst place an individual could be; there was no safety net, no guarantee they would make it out alive.

Her third in command, Libra, had suffered the aftermath himself.

The mission had gone horribly. The final battle was among them, and the spirit was a master at getting into places undetected. His mission had been to infiltrate the most extensive base Aite's army had, and when the sirens blared, he would come out of hiding from the river to drown every last one of them.

Unfortunately, he had slipped up and had been caught in the water. Estelle and her squad had waited at a distance for moons, nearly giving up when the sirens concluded. She could remember the bone-chilling moment when his screams finally reached her, and Estelle was forced to decide whether to leave him to fade or to continue her fight. She luckily didn't have to make that call because as Libra's voice began getting hoarse, water rushed out like a tsunami as giant as these tall buildings. There was so much power, and he drowned every last one of them.

Estelle wasted no time handling the drowned beasts, her body roaring at her to reach him, only to find him on the verge of fading. His torture was extensive, and without realising it, he blew the whole base apart in the aftermath. Despite keeping his life, Libra had never been the same. His level of water output had depleted entirely from the trauma, and Estelle knew he would likely never use his power again. The war ending was a gentle reprieve, and she had hoped he wouldn't need to use it again. Unfortunately, life wasn't fair.

"Yeah, so I want you to stick to Endeavour wherever possible. If it's anything urgent, I'll let him know."

"Good plan."

Simmering in the sudden silence, Estelle could tell that Hawks was in deep contemplation. The downturn of his lips remained as he hesitated on his words. Estelle immediately saw that he was unsure how she would take it, and the thought made her tense.

"Estelle.."

"Hm?"

"We'll really need you for this. I got a bad feeling."

Pausing at the purse of his lips, Estelle turned her head away as her heart fell from the news. She had been preparing her class the whole time she was aware of the trouble brewing beneath the surface. Is it still not enough that the heroes of this world couldn't handle it themselves? Or do they lack so much faith that they desperately want to rely on someone strong to come in and fix it for them all?

All Might was a rarity, but Estelle had noticed the reach he had compared to the other heroes. He was miles ahead, and the reason behind that was because of the nature of One-For-All. But, the rest of the heroes had become lazy, mainly because All-Might had scared off the worst villains. Now that he wasn't here, all he had done was prolong the inevitable.

Sighing, Estelle shook her head, repeating the statement she had vaguely informed him about. "The League had informed me they would stay out of our way whilst I handle the spirits. That's at least a few months."

"Do you think they'll stick to their word? They are villains, you know? Plus, even if they did, a few months isn't a lot of time. You'll handle the spirits and be gone before we know it."

Feeling the tiredness in Hawk's voice, Estelle felt empathy for the male. He was smack dab in the enemy's hideout; if anyone was to know how bad it was - it would be him. Regardless of his statement, which echoed that of the world, he was stating it for the right reasons.

Despite the hopeful desperation simmering in her soul that he could be wrong, Estelle stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder. Giving him an earnest smile, she soothingly stated, "I'll help as long as I'm here. I'm sure you guys will have it handled."

Hawk's face only seemed to grow wearier from her words, his shoulders slumping as he stared out into the city. "You don't know that. What if it isn't enough?"

Her shoulder blades tensed to brace from the arrow sticking directly into her heart. She had never thought about the possibility of the enemy being too powerful for them to handle; she refused to believe it. It may be her selfishness, but she wanted to leave knowing they would all be safe. She also didn't want to become a shield for more people. Estelle felt like she had taken enough hits already. Her mind was a fucking mess; she couldn't think about it.

Knowing she would fall under the weight of worry and despair if she tried to unpack the box that was this whole situation, Estelle could only provide temporary relief with her following words. "We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. For now, I trust that the heroes can handle it."

"Yeah. I hope so, Estelle."

Taking a step back, Estelle was glad that he had lightened a little since Estelle hadn't outright rejected the idea. Though he looked like he was about to hit the floor and sleep for days, she didn't want to keep him any longer. "Good, now get some sleep. You look exhausted."

"Concerned, are you? I'm flattered."

"Shut up."

"I'll see you later, general alien princess. Remember what I said."

"Yeah, yeah. Stick to the old brute."

Hawks laughed as he flew away, leaving Estelle to watch his departure with worry lining her soul. She desperately hoped he wasn't right. She didn't want to know the details of what could happen. Hawks wasn't the type of guy to express his concerns easily, which meant that whatever he had seen so far had caused him to flounder like a lost bird.

The thought of it made her body cold.

Estelle leaned over to pick up her cup of tea whilst she observed the two students and All-Might converse about the new development with Izuku's quirk. Letting out a noise of pleasure as the beverage moved down her throat, Estelle completely overlooked them for the time being, placing her cup back down to reach for the plate in front of her.

Taking a bite of the cake, Estelle knew it would be inappropriate to interrupt the conversation by complimenting the taste. Katsuki had texted her earlier to meet with them at the office, and when she arrived, he had tea and cake by his side. It probably wasn't a good idea since Estelle disregarded everything they were saying to keep feasting on the delicious delight.

"...I'd say this is uncharted territory for everyone," All Might finished, twirling the kettle in his hand like it was some crystal ball.

Deciding it was probably best to lend an ear, she listened as Katsuki grunted in response, commenting, "Great, this idiot scum is the first one to go out of control."

Observing how Izuku melted into the couch from Katsuki's annoyed tone, Estelle diverted her eyes to the blonde, chiding him like a stern mother before reaching peak annoyance herself when he blatantly ignored her.

"That's enough."

Katsuki dismissed his teacher, persisting in the conversation as he directed his glare back onto the green-haired male. "Think harder. You must have noticed something that triggered that new power."

Furrowing his brows, Izuku shook his head. "I don't think so. The man I spoke to said that now was the time. So, maybe something is going on in the world that's making this happen?"

Estelle stilled, her spoon pausing before it reached her lips as the conversation earlier in the day vibrated through her mind. Still contemplating, Katsuki added, "If that's true, could it have something to do with All for One?"

The League of Villians is the central organisation on which the Commission keeps its eye. From the sounds of it, they were planning something big. Could the two aspects be interconnected? Estelle hoped not, but her gut instincts told her they were.

"Wasn't All-For-One part of the League of Villians?" Estelle abruptly questioned, speaking for the first time since she entered the room. Their heads had twisted to her in surprise, and Estelle made sure to keep her expression blank in an attempt to contain her hypothesis under wraps. She hadn't realised that she had interrupted them, the gears in her mind turning too quickly to pay attention to every word.

She ignored how Katsuki narrowed her eyes at her, an obvious question within them that she forced herself to miss. Estelle could tell he wanted her to communicate her thoughts with their eyes meeting, but the shutters were on, which worsened his suspicion as he continued staring at her.

All-Might, who was startled by the question, nodded. "That's right. He was the boss of the organisation before Tomura Shigiraki took his place. Why do you ask?"

Lifting and then dropping her shoulders, Estelle diverted her gaze to the cake in her hands, too many thoughts in her mind to give a good answer. Instead, she mumbled, "No reason. I was just gathering extra details."

The response seemed to satisfy Izuku and All-Might, who had already turned away from her to converse amongst themselves. Katsuki, on the other hand, remained, his eyes scrutinising her for a few moments before he pursed his lips in frustration. He was doing everything possible to subtly figure out what was going on in Estelle's mind, but the female had everything under wraps to the tenth degree.

Slumping in relief when he finally gave up and looked away, Estelle knew that whatever Hawks was dealing with was confidential. She couldn't reveal highly classified information, even if she trusted them to keep their mouths shut. The number one hero didn't even know Hawks was undercover right now.

If All-For-One had been a part of the League of Villians, Estelle's previous assumption had been a hundred per cent correct. She hated that she was right, especially since it meant much more trouble brewing than she knew. The two quirks have battled for who knows how long; if Izuku was getting new powers, it was likely because it was preparing him for battle.

He needed to be ready, and Estelle would do what she could to ensure he had a handle on his powers. Suddenly, he had been brought up on her list of priorities, but Estelle was not planning on going easy on him; he would suffer under her training.

A deep urge pulled at her to reveal what she knew, but Estelle had no right to part information that wasn't hers to give, not yet, at least. She still needed to get all the intel; Hawks was meeting up with the League soon, and hopefully, they will have enough to work with.

'Could I tell Katsuki?'

Scowling at her inner thoughts, Estelle understood that she couldn't play favourites. It wasn't fair to tell the blonde and not tell Izuku, especially when Izuku was smack dab in the middle. Still, she would like to have someone in the know before she left, and if Estelle had to choose, it would be Katsuki she would leave it with. She could trust him to provide it at the right moment, but presently, it was too risky.

She would have to wait and see what else Hawks comes back with. She'll think about it more later. Right now, she had some cake to finish.

On the way back to the dorms, Estelle noticed that the skies had begun to snow. Glaring at the flecks of thin ice landing on her sour face, Estelle noted how the cold season was now in full swing. It only made everything more irritating; flying became annoying, fighting was frustrating, and everything felt bitter.

She already missed summer.

A hand slowly covered her own, warming her cold palms instantly to the point that Estelle wanted to crowd around the heat. It was only a moment later that a gravelly voice whispered into her ear. "What the fuck did the snow do to you?!"

Biting back the childish need to complain and stomp her feet, Estelle grunted as she snarled into the bitter air. "Everything! Snow is a pain in the butt. It has no benefit!"

The head leaning down towards her ear whirled back from the response, and Estelle darted her eyes to the blonde, glaring at her in displeasure. "Hah? You never had a snowball fight or nothing?!"

Raising her brows, Estelle eyed him in bewilderment at the term. "A snowball fight? What? Do you battle to the death? That sounds like a cruel way to go."

Taken aback, Katsuki snorted at her wild guess before shaking his head with a chuckle. "Tch, just you wait."

Pouting from the lack of an answer, Estelle diverted her eyes to the front when she noticed that Izuku had run ahead. Furrowing her brows at the fact he was moving like he was being chased, Estelle looked at Katsuki in question.

"What?! I told the little runt to beat it!"

Biting back her laugh, Estelle failed miserably once Izuku swivelled his head to look at them before picking up the pace. How he had managed to achieve such a distance without his quirk was beyond her, but she couldn't deny that the situation highly amused her.

"Stop looking at him."

Feeling the hitch in her breath, Estelle snapped her head to Katsuki as her mouth turned slack from the demand. Katsuki was solemn; it was evident by the stern look in his eye that he wasn't playing around. Estelle could only stare in perplexity as she wondered why he would ask such a thing from her. Scanning his features thoroughly for an answer, the flecks of snow covering him immediately caught her attention.

The cold was beginning to make his nose and cheeks slightly rosy, almost like a cute blush he would acquire whenever Estelle complimented him. A few flecks of snow danced on his lashes as they fluttered, the light hitting them in a way that made him seem almost ethereal. Estelle had never found anything beautiful in the cold, certainly not in the snow.

But looking at him, she wondered if she was searching in the wrong place.

"That's better."

Feeling her heart skip a beat, a broad smirk lined his face, filled to the brim with satisfaction and glee. Estelle gulped as she forced her mind to work, the heated ruby gaze turning into a makeshift furnace within her body. "Whatever. You have your exam today, right?"

His lowered lids continued to watch her, continuously reigniting the electricity shooting down her spine as it reminded her of their heated kiss the other day. Regardless of his expression, he grunted, "Tch, yeah."

Lightening her tone in hopes it would convey that she wasn't as impacted as she most defiantly was, Estelle chimed. "Well, I would wish you luck, but you don't need it."

Grinning over Estelle's confidence in him and his abilities, Katsuki finally relented in his stare as he preened. His fist raised high as he shouted, making her chuckle and nod. "You're damn right I don't! I'll beat them all to hell!"

Hoping not to boost his ego too much, Estelle snarked, "Unless they beat you first!"

Halting for a moment, Katsuki had forgotten he was still holding Estelle's hand since he had accidentally yanked her back a step. Disregarding his apology for her last words, he yelled, "Hah?! Like hell would I lose! I'll show you, brat!"

Estelle was thrown into another round of laughter as she observed the pout on his face. Opening her mouth to prod at him further, she was stopped by the shiver that raked through the blonde's body. "You should take a scarf with you while you're at it. Otherwise, you'll freeze before you get there."

"Pfft, the cold won't kill me."

"But I will if you come back ill."

"You concerned for me?"

Flushing, Estelle sulked as she turned her head away from his obnoxious grin. "No! I'm concerned for myself. I don't want you coughing all over me tonight."

"Is that an invitation?"

Sputtering, Estelle nearly died on her own air. Despite the frostiness, Estelle hissed, turning a blistering red, "You'll end up there anyways!'

"My, my. So confident that I'll be sharing a bed with you."

Unable to handle his teasing, Estelle's voice was loud as she clamoured, "You know what I mean, dammit!"

Laughing, Katsuki bowled over as he clutched his stomach with one hand, the other still holding Estelle's tightly as he lost himself within his humour. His gruff vocals made the sound so much sweeter than ever before. As irritated as Estelle was, she couldn't stay mad at him.

Entering the forest, Estelle failed to hide her smirk as her feat passed the entrance into the camp. The land was beginning to be covered in snow, yet it was warm in the bubble. These spirits hated the cold, just like she did, so she wasn't surprised that they had selfishly put up some charms to mimic the summer weather.

They clearly didn't regret it either, holding wide grins on their faces as their clothing was thin on their bodies. Most of them raised their hands in salute as Estelle walked past, her eyes monitoring the largeness of the field, which only continued to grow. They were steadily improving their numbers, but Estelle knew she didn't have Nyx's exact numbers. She could estimate, but since he had full access to a portal, the number of dark spirits could triple within a minute. They needed more manpower, but Estelle could do nothing but wait for her comrades to trickle through.

Now, it was time to put proper planning in place.

Walking into the same hut she had spoken to the four spirits, Estelle found that the spirits she was looking for were already waiting. They stood up at the sight of her, their hands raising to their chests in respect before taking their seats.

"Anything new to report?" Estelle asked, walking to the front of the table before taking a seat. Her eyes trailed over the map of Japan, scanning the thick paper for any sign of change.

"Their attacks are still scattered, but they're becoming more frequent. Our scouts have noticed increased activity in the south. They haven't struck yet, though."

"So, they're planning to then," Estelle concluded, eyeing the nods surrounding the room.

"It means we'll have to kick some major butt soon!" Iris called out eagerly, her wings shimmering behind her.

Estelle pondered for a moment, leaning back on her chair before deciding her words. "You all have noticed how this differs from last time, correct?"

"Despite the fact it's a lot tamer. I'm assuming Nyx is acutely aware that this world is full of supernatural beings. Not strong enough to take him on, but enough to be an annoyance."

Nodding, Estelle muttered, "True. But that's not what I'm referring to."

The spirits gazed at her in question, silent as they waited for her to continue. Estelle sighed in response, a little disappointed they hadn't figured it out. "I'm talking about how the battles are taking place. He's drawing us out as much as possible to dwindle our numbers, yet the fights aren't heavy. He could easily overwhelm us, but he has made no large offensive attacks. It's nothing like Aite, an all-out war no matter the battle, which means..."

"He's playing it safe for now."

"Exactly. It's a manipulation tactic for us to have confidence we shouldn't. Nyx is probably also mindful that his bases are surrounded by humans who could leak intel. Attacking them would give us too much information. Aite fought with brute strength; he could with the desolate lands. Nyx is more sly; he's smarter."

"It doesn't matter. Regardless of the games Nyx is trying to play, he will eventually begin wide-scale attacks. He knows Spirits are looking for the gate to reach you and help. Prolonging the inevitable would only ensure his failure."

"Right. This leads me to my next concern."

"What is it?"

"We never had to split up over this much of a distance. You could have run to the next battlefield if you needed to. This place is a whole-ass country, which means we cannot communicate by simply having a messenger."

"I see; that is a problem. What does that mean for us?"

"It means that each squad will be on their own when it finally gets serious. I'm still looking for an effective communication method without the technology you all hate. I will likely employ the heroes to be our messengers. But, the backup will be slow; too many human cities will fall."

"At least the majority of them will still have their lives. Are you sure you want us to protect them? It will slow our kill count down."

"Would you protect your children on the battlefield?" Estelle instantly shot back, only to be greeted with silence. "That's what I thought. The supernatural humans will do most of the work in getting the others out safely. Just kill the ones who get near them; you won't need to talk to them."

The spirits around the room collectively sighed in relief, glad they weren't forced to interact with the emotional beings so much. They were so much more expressive than they were, and they had no idea where to begin consoling them.

"Have you found suitable land yet?" Wolf questioned.

Shaking her head, Estelle muttered, "No, I'm still looking for places to minimise destruction. It may just be that we will have to allow cities to fall. Either way, I'll do as much as possible to minimise the impact on them."

"You are different," Abel commented, his tiny head tilting thoughtfully towards her.

"Huh?"

"You allowed our villages to burn. You had never concerned yourself with such things. Why are they any different?"

Estelle's face fell as the truth hit her, but she forced herself to not let it show as she answered. "We have brought the battle to their world, unlike the spirit realm, which continues to battle relentlessly against the dark. It has been like that for centuries; we are no longer in our domain. We are in someone else's. That is the difference. Besides, villages were our bases. What else could we have done when under attack?"

"Hmph, sure," Wolf grunted, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the wall.

"If you continue to undermine me, Wolf. I will put you in your place. Do not forget who is general," Estelle snapped back, relieved when he simply ducked his head in submission.

Estelle finished the remainder of their conversation before standing up to find the spirits doing the same. Estelle nodded, observing those around her who raised their hands in a salute, "You have done well. Dismissed."

It was evening by the time she returned to the dorms. Shuffling flecks of snow off her body, the female was stunned when she turned around to find the class. They were bundled up, wearing oversized winter coats, scarves and gloves, yet the glow on their faces captured her attention the most.

"What are you all doing?" she examined, curiosity lining her eyes as she peered at their clothes.

"Estelle! We've been waiting for you!" The class cheered back, disregarding her question as they huddled around her.

"Huh? Why?!"

"Bakugo told us you've never had a snowball fight! We got you some gloves and a hat! Let's go!"

Feeling like she had just entered a hurricane, the outside suddenly greeted Estelle. The hand which dragged her outside the door finally let go, and the female found herself unable to argue, her bewilderment focused on the situation. Estelle could only stare like a dumb mammal as the blonde strutted up to her with determination.

Tugging her hands up, Katsuki was steady in his movements as he shuffled on her gloves and aggressively placed the hat on her head like she was a child. Pouting when he nearly pulled the fabric past her face, the ruby-eyed huffed as he secured the cap, the cold air leaving his lips effortlessly like wisps of white. "Stop pouting! You look too adorable, and I'll blow you up. Come on!"

Estelle paused before moving, her eyes squinting at his figure as she noted his lack of clothing. "Katsuki! You'll get a cold; where's your hat and gloves?!"

Sadly, Estelle never got an answer, a white ball of snow colliding against her temple to the point she nearly lost her footing. Completely thrown off guard from the ambush, Estelle wiped the flecks of ice away as her eyes were gifted the sight of the grinning blonde, his smile capturing all of her attention for a moment before it drifted behind him. Finding the class crowded together, they avidly observed the scene with growing excitement, their bodies buzzing with giggles.

Unable to garner the will to continue her worry, Estelle watched as Katsuki lurched over to grab his knee, his voice filling the air as he cackled to his heart's contents. "Hah! You should have seen your - Ooof!"

Stunned, the blonde realised he could only see white. Shaking the snow off his face like a dog drying himself, Katsuki barely heard the laughter behind him as his sights took in the beauty of Estelle. Copying his previous action, Estelle fell into a round of joy, snow clinging to her glove as she pointed at him. Unable to stay irked that she cut him off, a smile grew as his body flung to the ground to make another ball.

"Last one standing wins! No quirks or powers allowed!"

"You don't even have to say it, Deku! I'll be the one who wins this damn thing!" Katsuki howled back, his mind already setting him up as a target once he got Estelle back.

The students deadpanned, eyes shifting to Izuku like he should have known better. The green-haired male blushed under the attention, his head wincing when he realised what he had done. Accidentally setting off his childhood friend's love of competition was one thing, but now the fire had sparked, and he wasn't going to back down.

The students eased at Estelle's calming tone, their eyes turning to her thankfully as she spoke. Unexpectantly, Estelle only stoked the flames, and they nearly turned white from the betrayal. "I may not like the cold, but I love a challenge. Let's see how you fare against me, Ruby."

Katsuki's cheeks nearly split open from the menacing grin plastered across them, finding himself eager to have something else to hold over her besides rock climbing. Estelle bested him in many things because of her experience, but at least with mundane tasks, he would still get to taste victory every so often. "Oh! You are on!"

The class instantly scattered with his words, snowballs flying left and right as a few started ducking between the potted bushes. It didn't take them long to start teaming up, hidden remarks of accomplices and sounds of betrayal sounding the air as everyone attacked.

"I trusted you! That's so not manly!"

"Sorry! But Mineta said I could look at one of his magazines!" Kaminari yelled, running away.

"Don't worry, Kiri! I have your back!" Ashido cried, rushing towards his bush like a woman on a mission.

"It's payback time!"

Estelle and Katsuki were in their own world, throwing their snowballs with so much force that they winded each other. It was a ferocious back and forth, and the students wondered if their lives would be at stake if they interfered. Eventually, one by one, they decided to go plus ultra, picking their winning bet as they rushed over.

"Estelle! I wish to join your squad!" Iida chopped, ducking behind her as she lurched to a standing position to throw another ball.

"Welcome to the team!"

"Yoooo, Bakugo! My man! Let me help!" Kaminari smoothly talked.

"Shut up and start throwing!"

"I like you better, so I am here."

"Glad to have another ice user on the team. Give them all you got!" Estelle smiled, turning away from Shoto as she made another ball.

"The betrayal still cuts deep, man; I'm not sure I can join this team," Kirishima dramatically voiced.

"Put those muscles to good use, and throw, dammit!"

"Fine!"

"Ma saucisse! I will dazzle them so much that they will not know where to throw!" Aoyama crooned, his body held up in a pose as he waited for an answer.

"Blind them, my comrade! Blind them!"

"Finally! Someone who acknowledges the beauty of my sparkle!"

"Attack!"

"Fall back! Fall back! Regroup!"

"We are soldiers! We never falter in the face of battle!"

"Wow...she's really into this," Ochako murmured, leaning over to whisper in Izuku's ear.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"She's not the only one," Izuku squeaked back, his face red from the close proximity.

"You morons better pick up the pace!"

"Will you guys stop making a racket and go to bed?" Mr Aizawa stated, his eyes tired as he stood on the front porch, utterly exasperated at the snow-covered students.

The class groaned, Estelle included, slouching as they went inside. The teacher sighed in response, internally aware they would continue for days if they could have an official winner. "It's way past curfew. If I hear one complaint from you, it's detention."

"Sir!"

The teacher made no further comment as he turned to leave the corridor, the students unfurling their winter gear at the door so they wouldn't get everything wet. Water dripped to the floor, but nobody made a comment about the mess, wide grins on their faces as they avidly discussed the match that occurred.

"Oh, man! We didn't get a winner!"

"Ah, oh well! It was fun!"

"Tch, says you!" Katsuki growled, a pout on his face as he dumped his jacket near the heater.

Estelle shook her head in response, her smile not leaving her face as she gave a light chuckle. Even though his competitive nature was at play, she could see the light in his eyes reflecting the agreement he never needed to say. The class noted it, cheerful as they moved on to remove their hats and gloves.

Katsuki was by her side when her jacket was removed, his grumbles being the only sound between them as he dumped her things besides his own. Turning around to face her, he murmured, "You look exhausted. Let's get you to bed."

Opening her mouth to argue that she wasn't a child, Estelle quickly closed it when she realised he was right. Giving a slow nod, she noticed that she hadn't felt much of the cold outside, and it was finally beginning to sink in. Shivering unconsciously in response, Estelle felt Katsuki's arm curl around her shoulder to give her some of the warmth she was missing.

Giving him a small smile of gratitude, Estelle felt the first flicker of a flame ignite as Katsuki's lips pressed against her temple briefly. They began to move to the elevator, her shoulder leaning against his chest as he tightened his arm around her. "So, how was your first snowball fight?"

Feeling herself brighten at the question, Estelle chimed, "It was fun!"

"Was it as death-invoking as you thought it was?"

"Hey! Sue me for not knowing what a snowball fight was!"

Katsuki leaned his head back and laughed, the elevator door chiming shut in front of him as the students watched on with bewilderment.

"Did they...even realise we were still here?" Sero wondered aloud.

"Nope!"

"God. I don't know if I want to barf or cry at how cute that was!"

"Both are acceptable," Shoto answered.

...

...

...

"He-he said, let's get you to bed. Does that mean...t-they sleep together?!" Mineta moaned, practically foaming at the mouth as he stared at the elevator like it was one of his well-kept pictures.

"You are disgusting."

"I nearly got killed for copping a feel, and he gets to do it whenever he wants?!" The tiny male continued to cry, landing on his knees as he crawled to the elevator with drool on his lips. He had never made it far before Tsu's tongue was tightly wrapped around his body, suffocating him quickly.

"Y'know, if Bakugo and Estelle were here, they would tell you to squeeze him harder."

Tsu squeezed harder, the sounds of Mineta's choking satisfying everyone in the room.