Smoke and Embers | Bakugo x reader fanfic

Sport Festival (2)

After my fight with Iida, the adrenaline still coursed through me, and I could barely contain my excitement. 

People congratulated me left and right, praising my quirk and my victory. 

"Never fail to impress!" Jiro beamed, and it was hard not to let their enthusiasm fuel my confidence. I had done it—my first victory and it felt incredible.

I sat with Bakugo and Midoriya in the stands. I couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie as we watched the other battles unfold. 

The arena was alive with energy, and I leaned forward, my heart racing as the next match began.

"All of his tactics and defenses are way too predictable..." Midoriya commented scribbling notes like he always did. "If he had just changed his approach—"

"Yeah, yeah," Bakugo interrupted, leaning back with his arms crossed. "If he had a brain, he'd realize that sticking to the same moves is a one-way ticket to getting blasted!"

I chuckled, watching Midoriya's earnest expression as he tried to defend the competitor. "Come on, Kachhan. They still got some time to figure it out."

"Speak for yourself!" Bakugo shot back with a smirk, a hint of playfulness dancing in his eyes. "I never had to figure things out. I was born ready to win!"

"Born ready to brag, more like," I teased, nudging him with my shoulder. 

As we continued to laugh and critique the matches, the final battle wrapped up, and a hush fell over the crowd. 

Everyone turned their attention to Nezu, who was displayed on the large screens around Ground Beta. His expression was a mix of excitement and mischief.

"Congratulations to all competitors!" Nezu announced, his voice ringing out over the crowd. 

"As this is a mock sports fest, you may have noticed we ran things a bit differently, seeing that putting the students through the course was pointless. So instead, for this year's mock sports fest, everyone who won in their last battle must all compete with each other—the last one standing will be declared the victor!"

My heart dropped, realization crashing over me like a wave. I exchanged a glance with Bakugo, and I could see his trademark smirk grow wider.

"Oh, great," I muttered under my breath. I had known there was a chance I'd have to face Bakugo, but now it was inevitable. My heart raced as I thought about the pressure of going up against him—and everyone else in our class.

I took a deep breath, letting the heat rise in my chest and ignite the fire in my eyes.

"That's what I like to see, Steam-Queen!" Bakugo shouted, his voice booming with excitement. "I'm not going easy on you!"

"You better not," I shot back, my competitive spirit flaring in response to his challenge. There was no backing down now.

Izuku panicked and immediately started mumbling a game plan.

But Bakugo and I just began arguing about who would beat who.

~~~~~~

We were all lined up on the perimeter of the arena, a mix of exhaustion and pure adrenaline crackling between us. I glanced around, seeing familiar faces filled with the same intensity I felt.

 Ochako, Mina, Koda, Deku, Todoroki, Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Jiro—and, of course, Bakugo, who was practically vibrating with anticipation.

The bell rang.

I barely had a second to blink before Bakugo's voice roared through the stadium. "Outta my way!"

With an explosion that echoed through the arena, he launched a massive blast straight down, sending a wave of energy radiating outward that nearly blew half the class straight out of bounds.