Stuck With You | Katsuki Bakugou x OC [Book One]

Heroes Rising (Part One)

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December inches on by, continuously reminding Kira of the frigidity the end of the year brings with never-ending snowfall and frozen fingertips. Despite the chill, she proceeds with her training, Shinso open and understanding as they take it one step further each time. Aizawa is always there and a part of Kira wonders if she's being a hindrance on the both of them. However, Shinso's also improving. As a way of thanking him, Kira and Shinso have started sparring, though a part of her wishes it's someone else instead.

This way, Shinso can also improve his hand-to-hand skills, using his binding cloth to assist his skills. Kira can tell that Aizawa has taught him well - his movements are swift and everyday that they've shared with one another, his improvement is obvious. Not only that, he's opening up to her. When he first introduced himself to the hero course students, he was stern and concise. He had no intention of making friends and wanted to dedicate everything to becoming stronger and more confident with his Quirk.

"But, we're not friends just because we've fought before. I don't subscribe to that sort of sportsmanship. We're still competing to be the best and I'm already countless steps behind. I need to prove myself."

Kira always thought that Shinso would be the type of person that never smiles, even if they find something particularly humorous, but recently, she's noticing a change and she's actually excited, not just to keep training, but to simply see Shinso again. Perhaps associating with someone outside of her class is the reason behind her strange exhilaration. He's a fresh face, an unbiased opinion and it's invigorating. Kira never realises how stressful and tense her home life has become. All her friends back at the dormitory have witnessed her Atomic Power several times. They've witnessed her losing control of her power and how overwhelming her true strength really is. Shinso saw it at the Sports Festival, but that's it. Not up close.

After Kira and Bakugou's conversation regarding her provisional license and his shiny All Might collectible card, Aizawa and Shinso came to collect her again and she left Bakugou alone on the veranda. He must have noticed the way her face lit up at seeing Shinso again, how fulfilled she's been feeling lately. All she knows is that Bakugou watched her leave, his eyes burning into her back.

Lately, when Shinso triggers her Atomic Power via his Brainwashing Quirk, Kira allows herself to really feel it. Every time it's taken over her body, she's tried to fight it, but her absent father's words course through her, his voice never fading. 

"Embrace it."

She allows memories and emotions and feelings wade through her, memories of him, the one person who she can't seem to ever forget, the person whose eyes glow brighter than anything she's ever witnessed, brighter than her own Quirk. The way he acts around her, his perserverance, his uniqueness. She allows her mind to soak in the good and the bad, the harmony and the arguments they've shared. 

And she feels it. She feels her Atomic Power succumb to her wishes, it's ferocity slowly but surely diminishing, but- it still isn't enough. Aizawa has to step in, like he always does, cancelling her Quirk for her as she drops to one knee. Her clothes are singed at the edges, her skin feeling like it's on fire.

"Kiriya?" Shinso rushes over. He hasn't done that before. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine," she says breathlessly, holding up a hand to stop him in his tracks. "Don't come any closer," she adds. "My Quirk-"

"We've been training together for a few weeks now," he interrupts and Kira notices his brows slightly pinched in concern, strange on a face that's usually so inscrutable. "Your Quirk doesn't scare me."

Kira gets to her feet, her legs trembling at her overuse of power. "Be that as it may," Kira says, as she brushes imaginary dirt off her arms. "My Quirk can still hurt you."