***THE TIMELINE HAS BEEN ALTERED FOR THIS FIC! I HAVE EVENTS OUT OF PLACE BECAUSE ANGST AND FICTIONAL FREEDOM! Forgive me x***

*The Next Day*

After the press scare, our heroics class had been postponed, and everyone had been sent home early. I had attempted to find Bakugou, but he had left in a hurry, leaving me to mope about the grounds waiting for Aizawa. Now, we were preparing to gather on ground beta, everyone dressing up in their costumes.

“(Y/N), where’s your outfit?! Don't tell me it isn't ready yet?!” Mina exclaimed, fixing the faux fur around her shoulders. I knew I couldn't just come out and tell them that I wasn't permitted to have an outfit. I wasn't even supposed to be allowed to have a hero name or participate in most practical training, but, thanks to my brother being the teacher, I was able to get away with a lot. Being an ex villain was rough.

“Oh...uh, yeah, they're taking their sweet time with it…” I sighed, trying to sound annoyed.
“Are you gonna go with something low-key, like your brother, (Y/N)? Or something flashy?” Momo queried, pulling her long, ebony hair back into her high ponytail.

Good god, how can the school allow that outfit?!

Averting my eyes from her clearly visible chest, I rubbed my arm awkwardly.
“I'm not good with attention...so it's definitely gonna be dark…” I said quietly.

“Kero! You naturally seem to gain a lot of male attention though!” Asui pointed out, letting her tongue lol from her mouth cheekily.

“Yeah, I honestly thought Denki couldn't get any stupider...but then I saw him talking to you and just wow…” Jirou snickered, her headphone jacks curling over her chin. I hid my face and started off towards the exit, not wanting to start talking about my apparent charms.

“Kirishima even talks about you non-stop, though! It's so cute! He said, and I quote…” Ururaka skipped to my side and lifted her finger whilst clearing her throat. “She's so damn cute, I feel like I have to punch the wall to feel manly again!” Cringing, I threw my head back and groaned in exasperation. I knew my cheeks were glowing at this point, and the girls weren't making it much easier.

Why?! Why are these boys so hormonal?!

“Don't even get me started on how Bakagou stares at you during class! Though...I'm not sure if it's seething hatred or pent up lust!” Mina giggled, now prancing about on my other side.

Great...now I'm trapped between the two sweetie pies…

“It's hatred...definitely hatred…” I mumbled, though I wasn't sure of that myself. After the incident during the stampede, I kept finding myself thinking back to the way he protected me. His actions had me at an emotional stalemate.

“Speak of the devil…” Ururaka whispered once we emerged onto the grass, causing me to look up and see Bakugou approaching. His hero costume was fierce. The strange, firey headpiece was interesting, to say the least, but the large gauntlets attached to his wrists were quite intimidating. His bare arms made my throat scratchy, and my saliva turned thick.

Holy hellfire, have mercy on my soul…

“No outfit, brat? Doesn't surprise me...why bother when you're as pathetic as you are…” He muttered spitefully, his eyes flickering behind his black mask.

“There's no need to look flashy, you overcooked hot pocket...unlike you, I have no need to overcompensate…” I retorted firmly as I stood my ground.

“Damn, son...you got burned!” Mina laughed at the ashen blond, who was balling his fizzling fists.

“I WILL MESS YOU UP, YOU-”

“Young (Y/N), would you please come and speak to me for a moment?!” All Might cut him off, completely ignoring the altercation and waving me over with his beefy, bara arms. Almost happily, I did as I was told. I didn't exactly want to get my ass handed to me by the ticking time bomb.

“Let me guess…” I started once we had moved out of earshot. “...Shota doesn't want me to participate? Neither does Principal Nezu, or Midnight, or Hizashi, or-”

“I'm the one in charge of this training session, thank you, Young (Y/N)! I know I'll be chewed out for this, but I want to see what you're made of!” His teeth were almost blinding, but I was too shocked to even form an intelligible response.

“Wait...e..excuse me? Y..you're...I...Made of...ehhh?” I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands and blinked. “You're actually trusting me?” Nodding, the pro bent down so we were eye to eye.

“I have faith in you! You know the rules, and I know you wouldn't intentionally harm anyone! Your brother is just scared, and that's mighty understandable, but you need to experience this stuff to become a hero! If things get risky, I'll end the session!” He explained a little too loudly for my liking, but my chest swelled with excitement.

I can finally participate in a group session! Shit, I hope I don't go overboard…

After the incident during the spar against Bakugou, Aizawa hadn't allowed me to participate in practical lessons. People had started asking questions, and I just had to blame it all on my back, which I didn't find fair to Bakugou at all.

“I...I'll try not to let you down, sir!” I puffed out my chest and saluted, earning myself an amused chuckle from the number one hero.
“Good good! Now, EVERYBODY GATHER AROUND! TODAY WE-”

I kind of zoned out for a while after that. I really had to keep my focus on controlling myself, otherwise I knew I wouldn't be given another chance. The only parts I heard about the lesson was that we would be working on indoor combat, and we'd be split into seven teams of three, heroes against villains.

Villains, huh? Yeah, even All Might isn't gonna let me play that role…

“Uh, (Y/N)?” I recoiled as I felt a finger tap my shoulder, almost putting up a fighting stance before I realised it was my favourite little shrub boy. “S..sorry! I didn't mean to startle you! It's just...we're in a team and thought we could, uh, think of a strategy!” He almost backed behind Ururaka, who looked a little concerned.

“Shit...sorry...my head was in the clouds, I guess...I'm not good with physical contact…” I twiddled my thumbs sheepishly. “So...we're heroes, huh? Who are we up against..?”

“Well...we were supposed to be up against Bakugou, Iida and Kaminari...but...Sero thought that it would be a good idea to…” I followed her gaze and nearly popped a vessel snorting. There was Kaminari, stumbling around with his underwear pulled up over his head, sticking his thumbs up with the dorkiest expression on his face.

“Plus Ultra wedgie…” I whispered to myself as I tried to contain my laughter. I had only heard rumours about how his brain short circuited, and from the way both the ground and Sero’s armour were charred, I could only come to the conclusion that he'd blown a fuse.

“Yeah...so it's three against two, now…” Ururaka mumbled, sweatdropping at the thought.

“It had to be Kacchan...he's gonna kill me…” Midoriya whimpered, and I immediately felt bad for the poor thing. It didn't take a genius to know that there was some serious bad blood between the two, and I knew Bakugou wouldn't hesitate to blow the freckled boy to bits.

“Don't worry your shrubby little head! I'll make sure I keep my sights on him!” I smiled at the nervous student, and he gave me a weak one in return.

“Thanks, (Y/N)...wait...shrubby…?”

“Come on! Let's go kick some BBQ butt!”

--------------------------------------------------------

Of course, we had to be first. The second we set foot through the door of the building, I felt nervous.

Shit...focus, (Y/N)...conceal, don't feel… (lmao frozen)

We had decided that Ururaka should be the one to go after the device, a bomb prop that was hidden somewhere in the higher levels, and that Midoriya and myself would deal with Bakugou. When we parted ways, I could feel the fear radiating from my green haired partner, and it wasn't making me feel any better.

“Hey...it'll be fine, okay?” I tried to keep his chin up, but I knew my words wouldn't help much. Especially not when they were followed with a mighty roar echoing down the hall, closer than we had expected.

“DEKU, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!”

Jesus, what did the little shrub do to that damn fire hazard?!

We flattened ourselves against the wall and listened for footsteps. When we heard nothing, we continued on our way, silent and slow.

“I..I think he's go-”

“FOUND YOU, YOU DAMN NERD!” If we hadn't dropped to the ground as quick as we did, our hair would have been blown off our scalps, as a large explosion shot over our heads. There, standing menacingly at the end of the corridor, was Bakugou. His lips were curled in a hideous snarl, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Even if I was scared, it didn't stop me from doing my job. Eyes open, I activated my quirk, rendering his useless.

“Tape him! Quick!” I whisper-shouted to Midoriya, who took a moment to register my words before taking a run at the blond. I could see his fist pull back, ready to strike, but what I didn't expect was for him to be flipped over onto the ground, a loud thud as his back hit the concrete.

“You always start with a right hook, Kacchan! I spent my time studying every hero, including you!” I didn't even realise that Midoriya was running back in my direction, grabbing my arm and pulling me with him in retreat.

Don't touch….don't touch…

“STOP TOUCHING HER, YOU SHITTY BASTARD!” Bakugou’s voice was distant now, but what he said made me tense up.

Why do you even care?!

“I'm sorry! I panicked!” My partner wailed, still grasping my wrist as we ran.
“I..it's fine...but...could you...maybe let go? Please..?” I spoke through my teeth, trying to sound as calm as possible. Immediately, he released me, continuing to apologise while I attempted to keep my cool.

“Guys! I found the bomb! And Iida’s doing some really weird, villainous monologue…” Ururaka’s voice crackled through our earpieces, and I felt relieved.

Okay...we've got this...she just needs to touch it…

“DAMMIT DEKU!” Relief turned to fear at the drop of a hat once I heard the thunderous crashes of our enemy growing nearer. We came to a skidding halt when we reached a dead end, near a large window.

“We're cornered…” Midoriya whimpered, turning to face the way we had come.
“You think of something and I'll hold him off, okay?” I said before taking my stance in front of him. Before he could respond, Bakugou was there. Panting and fuming, he didn't leave any time for hesitation as he rushed towards us with blazing fists.

“MOVE, YOU DUMB BRAT!” He roared, but I didn't obey. Instead, I activated my quirk and stood my ground. Even without his explosions, he came at me, swinging back and sending a brutal punch my way. I dodged, but almost lost my footing, letting him slip out of my sights for a fleeting moment. In those few seconds, he managed to release a pin on one of his gauntlets, taking aim at Midoriya and sending a white-hot flash of flame in his direction.

“He knows I'm here! Sorry, guys! Also, what was that noise?! Are you two okay?!” Ururaka’s high pitched voice was falling on my deaf ears. I was too shaken by what I had seen in Bakugou’s eyes. It was something deadly.

“Your fight is with me, you char-grilled loser!” I hissed as I swept my leg under the boy, causing him to fall flat on his ass.

“STAY OUT OF THIS, YOU FREAKIN' EXTRA!” Again, just like I had in the sparring match, I felt something sting at my eyes.

Gravel?! Are you shitting me?!

That didn't stop me. As soon as I heard another crackle, I dove in front of the glowing blur and punched out, striking something hard, which was most likely one of his gauntlets.

“I SAID STAY THE HELL OUT OF IT!” It was basically a complete repeat of our first battle. He blew me away with an explosive burst, sending me flying back into the concrete wall. This time, however, there was a lot more force behind it, and a debilitating pain shot through my back and up into my head.

“Young Bakugou, calm yourself!” All Might’s voice was loud and concerned, but I knew it wasn't going to work. I could hardly see, especially not now that something warm and sticky was dribbling down over my face. Hazy words echoed from both boys, and I knew things were getting bad. I could feel my body twitch and simmer, getting close to releasing the one thing that would tip the session over the edge from risky to downright dangerous. Whatever happened next, I wasn't quite sure. I heard Midoriya shout something to Ururaka before a mighty explosion lit up the building, debris showering over me and forcing me to try to move.

“YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

“Bakugou, STOP! NOW!” My sight was returning, but the moment my eyes fell upon the boys silhouette, I knew I had to act. Midoriya was in front of him, about to collapse, and I could see the blur of light coming straight from Bakugou’s palm.

You idiot..!

Finding imaginary strength in my legs, I ran. I ran straight towards the explosive boy and took a leap, in both courage and the literal sense.

“CALM DOWN!” I cried out, and the moment I pressed myself into his chest, I allowed my arms to wrap around him tightly. My body began to glow, a bright violet hue, encasing both myself and the teenage boy.

I'm gonna get killed for this…

Slowly, I felt his body relax, and his arms dropped to his sides as though he had been turned into a ragdoll.

“C..calm down...just s..stop..” I kept my eyes closed, they were stinging and burning, and my entire body felt like it was about to fail.
“Wh..what the fuck..?” Bakugou’s voice was soft. No anger, and no brutality. It was just that. Soft.

“Y..you were scaring me…” I whispered, knowing I was losing consciousness. “...j..just stay...c..calm…” Slowly, my arms lost their grip, and I slid down, almost to the sharp, hard ground, but something caught me. The last feeling I was aware of before falling victim to my exhaustion was something incredibly warm curling around my body.

No...it's...hot…

-------------------------------------------------------

*BONUS: All Might POV*

“H..Heroes win!” I managed to break myself out of the initial shock of what I had just witnessed. I couldn't say the same for my students though, as they were all gawking and slack-jawed, staring at the viewing screen.

“What...just happened..?” Ojiro was the first to speak up, sounding absolutely dumbfounded.

“That light...what was that?” Toru murmured, her hovering uniform turning in All Might’s direction.

“It almost looked like she used some kind of calming quirk...to stop him from losing control...but...I thought she shared the same quirk as Mr Aizawa..?” Momo studied the screen, but I quickly turned and pointed to the door.

“Be right back, Young Heroes! I shall go congratulate the victors!” I left in a flash, panic settling in.

Shota is gonna kill me..! How the heck am I gonna explain this?! At least she diffused the situation…

Before I knew it, I had come to a stop behind Bakugou, who was standing with an unconscious (Y/N) in his arms, looking confused and shaken. Midoriya was also unconscious, laying on the ground with twisted limbs. I had really made a mess of things.

“Young Bakugou, it's time to review the results. I'll run Young (Y/N) and Young Midoriya to the infirmary.” I reached out to take the injured girl, but he flinched away, clutching her closer to his chest.

“She…” His voice was hoarse, and still not completely stable. “...she doesn't like being touched...I'll take her…” Without letting me say another word, he turned and started to walk away. I could only watch with concern as he took each step, a new air of caution buzzing around him as he tried to keep her from being knocked around any more than she already had been.

That boy...and that girl...let's just hope nothing bad comes from all this…

My phone began to buzz in my belt.

“A phone call, is here! A phone call, is here!” Hurriedly, I retrieved the awkwardly small cellular device and brought it to my ear.

“Hel-”

“I'm literally going to kill you.” The dark, spine-chilling voice hissed from the receiver.

“S..Shota...I can explain..!”

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

***I don't know how to feel about this chapter...this was the idea I had that got me to write this fic in the first place haha - also, introducing quirk number 3! Serenity! All shall be explained in the next chapter***

***2022 edit notes: I regret giving her multiple quirks. Top OP. I scream. Aaaa.***