Amethyst. (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

PART 11 - Frostbite and Fury

The air was thick with tension, the excitement of the crowd a distant hum in the back of my mind. I had slipped away from the noisy arena for a moment of peace, needing time to process everything that had happened so far. The adrenaline of the last fights still coursed through me, but more than that, Hawks' words still kept echoing in my head: Give everything, or you and your loved ones are in danger.

I tried to shake it off, but the weight of his warning lingered like a suffocating cloud. Leaning against the cold stone wall of a secluded corner of the festival grounds, I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe.

But of course, the silence didn't last long.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing all alone?" a rough voice broke through my thoughts. I knew it even before I turned around.

"Katsuki," I muttered, glancing over my shoulder. He stood there, arms crossed tight, his usual scowl fixed on me. I didn't need this right now.

"You always sneak off like this to mope?" His tone was as sharp as ever, but something was different. His eyes weren't just filled with irritation—there was... curiosity?

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Bakugo?" How did he even find me?

For a second, he didn't answer, just stared at me with that intense gaze of his. Then, he spoke—quieter, but still demanding. "Why'd you defend me out there?"

That caught me off guard. I straightened, facing him fully. "You mean during the fight with Ochaco?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. I don't need you or anyone else sticking up for me."

I sighed, feeling the weight of his scrutiny. "You don't get it, do you?" I locked eyes with him, refusing to back down. "I didn't defend you because I thought you needed it. I did it because you fought Ochaco seriously, without holding back. You respected her enough to give it everything."

Bakugo blinked—just for a second, but it was enough to show I'd thrown him off balance. "Tch. Whatever. Like I need to hear that from you."

I raised an eyebrow, sensing his frustration. "So you're mad that I said it in front of everyone, or because I'm right?"

For just a flicker of a moment, uncertainty flashed in his eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by that familiar hard glare. "Don't act like you know me, Frostburn," he snarled, turning away.

Before I could respond, the loudspeaker crackled to life overhead. "Next up, in the third round of the UA Sports Festival... Katsuki Bakugo versus Y/N Todoroki!"

My heart stopped. Bakugo and me? We were going to fight.

He whipped around, his eyes locking onto mine with a new, burning intensity. The vulnerability that had briefly surfaced vanished, replaced by a fierce determination. "Great. Just what I needed," he muttered, voice low and dangerous.

The air between us shifted, growing taut with tension. "Bakugo, I—"

"Don't you dare hold back, Frostburn," he cut me off, stepping closer. His voice was lethal, his eyes blazing. "I don't give a damn why you defended me. But if you go easy on me out there... I'll crush you."

I clenched my jaw, meeting his challenge head-on. "I wouldn't dream of it."

For a moment, we stood there, the space between us thick with unresolved energy, like the calm before a storm. Then, without another word, Bakugo turned and stormed off, leaving me standing in the echo of his threat.

I exhaled slowly, trying to steady myself. This is it. No way I could be holding back now.

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