KINESTHESIA [BNHA x reader]

7- Preparation

Class had finished, and you and Izuku stayed behind to research some heroes. "Man, that fight from this morning is all over the news." Eating a bag of snacks you had packed after offering one to Izuku, you chewed thoughtfully. "I still can't understand how you manage to still get to class on time even after going to see villain fights like that in the morning." He laughed lightly. "I like to call it motivation." 

Bakugo walked towards you both, and tried to grab Izuku's notebook only to grab air, you having already snatched it from him. "This has some valuable stuff you know. It would be shame if you ended up blowing it up. I kind of like the page he has on that Godzilla hero."

He glowered at you. "I don't know what you're thinking Deku and Attercop, but we're not done." Opening the book and doing some light reading, you answered him. "We kind of are though. I don't really feel like putting up with you today, and if I don't want to talk" You made eye contact with him. "-then you know we won't." 

You grabbed him, and before his 'friends' could show up, you had pulled him to the door to try and skip the entire interaction shown in the episode.

"Tch, even if you do make it to UA High Attercop, you'll never be better than me. After all you're just a stupid itsy bitsy spider." You smiled with your eyes closed, opening the door. "That's great, that's great, let's see about that later though okay?" 

Bakugo tilted his head back to see Deku. "You know if you wanna be a hero that badly there actually might be another way-","SORRY, WE'RE NOT INTERESTED!" Hearing his words, you panicked, shoving him out of the room and swinging the door closed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, you leaned against the door to keep it closed, hearing Bakugo's screams of anger from the other side. Glad that's over. You went back to join Izuku a few minutes later, having noticed the silence of Bakugo. 

Izuku stuttered. "Wa-was that really a good idea?" You shrugged, sitting back down in your chair with your hand as a prop for the side of your head. "You know how he is. Letting him talk would have just escalated things." You handed him back his book and he opened it. "You're probably right."

One thing that hadn't changed over the years was Izuku's general disposition. Despite your best efforts to keep Bakugo from degrading or bullying him like he did in the story, Izuku never gained complete confidence concerning Bakugo. Like the original plot, he never built up the confidence he needed to stand up to his peers. 

He seemed to have a slightly better way of thinking and state of mind, but other than that, nothing much at all had changed personality wise.

Neither of you had joined clubs (you because you wanted more time to practice things that you couldn't learn from school activities, and Izuku because even if he was interested in any particular group, he likely wouldn't get along well with the other members), so the pair of you tended to have a few hours of free time before having to head home.

Izuku scrolled the internet to see more about the villain attack as you pulled a small red spiral notebook out of your bag. Clicking your pen, you checkmarked a box under a column marked with an E and in the row marked with the week's date. 

"Fun. We have endurance training today." Sighing, you rubbed your face in your hands. "Why did I have to choose a career that involves physical exercise..."

Izuku smiled at you as he scratched his cheek. "I feel pretty much the same way about all of this, even if I do know why I'm doing it." 

Dropping down to the desk and laying your face on it, you shook your head. "I hate everything. My back is still doing that weird aching-for-no-reason thing from the Monokuma Tai Chi yesterday..."

He leaned back in his chair, responding, "At least you have good stamina for long runs. Just thinking about them makes me sweat." 

Cartoon tears fell from your eyes. "Boy are you kidding me? When we run like that my asthma makes me feel like I'm breathing through a straw that's coincidentally stuffed with something impossible to breathe through."

Over the years you developed a system for practice together, deciding to focus on mainly one type of exercise each day, like strength building on Monday, battle practice on Tuesday, balance training on Wednesday, etc.

The two of you dropped your things off at home and quickly got changed before meeting at the usual place for endurance training, which was a small area where the streets to your houses met.

Wearing a sporty shirt and shorts, you waved to Izuku who was coming to you in a green tracksuit. Today, you had decided to cut planks, situps, and other like exercises from the itinerary to instead have a long run and cut the workout short.

Chatting throughout your time running, your mind wandered, double checking what you knew about the events of today. 

As long as you finished earlier than usual, Izuku would still go home around the same time, and most likely be within the range of time the sludge monster was still in the sewers beneath that tunnel. 

Once you were halfway though the time you wanted to run, you turned around to head back. After about forty minutes, you checked the time and had arrived back at the original spot. 

You and Izuku slowed to a stop, panting. Drinking some water, you looked at him. "Like I said earlier, I think we should end the practice here."

He glanced at you, blinking, before taking a drink from his bottle. "Why today? I'm not complaining about it, it's just surprising coming from you."

You shrugged as you did some breathing exercises to bring down your heart rate, replying ,"It just seems like we've worked hard enough to deserve a break every once in a while." 

You felt a small sting in your heart as you said those words. Damn, Saitama would be so disappointed in me right now.

Izuku stood up and did some cool down stretches. "I guess so. I have some things I could use time for back home anyway." 

You smiled. Plan progressing smoothly so far. "I'll see you later then!"

Going your separate ways back home, you couldn't but feel at least a little anxious that you being here might have resulted in Midoriya missing All Might or vice versa, and that he would never inherit one for all.

Slapping your face, you shook the thoughts out of your head. All you could do at this point was wait. Wait and not suspiciously in any way skulk around the streets where the big attack with Katsuki would take place in a couple hours. 

Without taking the time to head home to grab anything, since you didn't know when the crime would occur, you walked to the place near the alley you were sure was the location of the sludge incident.

Having been here a few times before for research, you'd become rather familiar with the stores in the area. Knowing it might be a while, you entered a cafe and ordered a slice of cake. Paying immediately, you took your food and sat at a small table by the windows.

As you began to eat, your eyes searched for any telltale signs that they had arrived.

After years of preparation, of training in the most difficult way, nothing more could be done. If you made it past this flag, you would continue to work hard, and everything else would work out in time as well.

 As it stood, you were only an inch away from the main event, and all you could do, was wait.

(1329 words)