Something Like a Star (B. Katsuki)

Eleven: New Familiarity

    "It's yours! Your Quirk, not his!"

     Such a simple sentence. A simple sentence that changed him in so many ways.

     Why did I say that to him?

     Nadoka was in the nurse's office again. Though, this time she was in a lot worse shape than she'd been before.

     Her body was littered with various burns as well as a few new cuts and bruises to add to her collection. She was very sore and thanks to the burns she was very hot, her skin practically radiating heat. But in a way, she didn't mind the pain. She was happy.

     She was happy because she got through to him. She managed to convince the steadfast son of the number two hero to use his fire side; to let go of his quarrels and spite for his father and embrace the power that he possessed. She honestly didn't remember much from the match, just that she'd taunted him and danced around his attacks, never once leaving the defensive play, before screaming that one sentence that somehow changed everything.

     His flames extended past the top of the arena. They could be seen for miles around. Everyone in the arena was suddenly sweating from the intense heat he produced. They licked at Nadoka's skin with kisses that stung and bit and burned.

     And they were absolutely beautiful.

     Nadoka knew the moment she walked into the ring that she would not be coming out a winner. Part of her knew it was because Todoroki was powerful and she was still tired, and part of her knew it was because she didn't really want to.

     She could've had a chance. Todoroki's heavily frostbitten skin proved that. She could've pushed her already tired body and she could've taken a win. But she gave it up for him. She gave it up because she knew that giving him the chance to accept himself was more important than her coming out on top in the festival. The poor boy had a lot of things to think about.

     When Nadoka woke from once more passing out, this time outside the ring, she found that only one of her friends was waiting for her. She refused to acknowledge that she was disheartened upon not seeing that familiar head of blond hair, but the red hair that was there lifted her spirits nonetheless.

     "Hey, Ei."

     "Hey there, Doka."

     "Where's Katsuki?"

     "In the ring, fighting it out with Todoroki-kun as we speak."

     And it was then that Nadoka heard the first of many muffled explosions echo from the ring, sounding like nothing but small cracks of thunder from where they laid. Nadoka tilted her head to the side as she sat up. "You're not watching the match? Whoever wins will be in first place, you know."

     "Placement in the festival doesn't matter to me, Nadoka. I'm proud of Bakugou and I hope he does well, I know he'll do well, but I don't need to watch him. I'm confident in his abilities, and I'd much rather be spending my time taking care of my other best friend, who has stupidly been to the nurse's office unconscious twice in the past two hours." There was a small smile on his face as he spoke, and Nadoka felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as she scratched the back of her head.

     "Katsuki's gonna kill me, isn't he?"

     Kirishima chuckled. "Nah, not so long as I'm around. He knows better."

     Nadoka giggled, her voice soft. "Thank you for being here with me. I'm glad I didn't have to wake up alone."

     There was a moment's silence as Kirishima pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and sat down on the end of Nadoka's cot, the two of them facing each other with identical folded legs beneath them. He gently reached forward and took Nadoka's left hand, holding it in one hand while the other lightly traced over the bandages that covered her worst burns and cuts. He hesitated, his touch featherlight. "You could've won, candy. Todoroki was getting weaker, and he hadn't managed to put a single scratch on you. And yet, you encouraged him to use his fire. You encouraged him to come at you with everything he had and not to hold back, knowing that you couldn't beat him if he did."