Rivalry (BNHA/MHA x Reader)

Four: Prepare

Speaking of which, could you even become a hero? Sure you quirk would be good for rescue, but you hadn't exactly mastered your quirk yet. Not like Katsuki had. Every time you trained together, you marveled at his power. He was strong and he'd learned to use his quirk creatively, like he'd been encouraging you to do. But you still couldn't beat him. Every time you sparred, he won. A part of you was discouraged by your constant defeat. But another part of you burned with determination to beat him. You closed your eyes, thinking about ways to use your quirk other than defensively and outside that one move you used on your first day of training. Slowly, sleep took over your body.

You woke up to a text from Izuku, apologizing for being so distant and requesting to meet up that day. You grinned and immediately accepted. You knew he hadn't been ignoring you, after all, the two of you were best friends. You jumped out of bed and changed your clothes, responding to his text. 

Y/N: Can we meet up at the park? 

Izuku: Sure!

There was a park near you house that you and Izuku often went to during middle school. The two of you would sit there and talk for hours after class and it was something you treasured. It'd been a while since the two of you last went and you were filled with excitement. You quickly got ready to leave the house and strolled down the street.

It was sunny outside, a little breezy and the streets were almost empty. You looked down at your feet as you were walking, staring off into space, when you ran into someone. On instinct, you quickly formed a shield between you and the other person and the shock wave pushed them back a few feet. 

It was a familiar face. She looked up at you after finding her balance and her face lit up. "No way! Y/N?" You smiled. "Hey, Uraraka." She took a few steps towards you. "Sorry about that... its muscle memory from training." You apologized. She shook her head. "Its all good! Your quirk is so powerful, I almost fell over! Plus, those are some amazing reflexes." She beamed. "Thanks! I've been doing a lot of training for the entrance exam." You explained. "Me too. I hope it's not to difficult. Don't really know what to expect though..." She said. 

"Yeah, but I'm sure if we try our best, we can both make it and become great heroes!" You said, trying to bring her spirits back up. She grinned with determination. 

"Yeah!" 

You waved goodbye and continued down the street. You were nearing the park and saw Izuku's messy hair in the distance. "Izuku!" You called out to him. He turned around and smiled. He was sitting on one of the two swings, your usual spot. You sat down on the other one. 

You took the time to notice that his body looked less scrawny and his muscles were definitely more defined. You assumed he had been training his body for the entrance exam and found yourself admiring his determination. Sure, you were determined to become a hero, but not like he was. It was not only his ambition, it was his dream. And even though for him, it seemed so out of reach, he still managed to cling onto that dream and build around it. He really did want to become a hero more than anything.

"How're you doing, Y/N?" He asked. You thought for a moment, debating whether or not you should tell him about your training with Katsuki. You decided that you would, but also justify it. After all, Izuku still considered him a friend, right? 

"I'm good... been training a lot with Katsuki--" 

"K-Katsuki?" He interrupted. You forgot Izuku was used to hearing you call him Bakugou. He knit his eyebrows together and looked at you, questioningly. "Y-yeah. He said I could call him that... after all he finally started calling me Y/N instead of L/N." You explained. "Oh... I see." Izuku said. He looked down at his hands. You noticed they were calloused. "...What about you?" You asked. He didn't look up at you. "I've been working out a lot... for the entrance exam." He said. You grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, it's paying off! You definitely look a lot stronger." You said. He smiled. "Thanks." 

You'd known Izuku well enough to guess that he wasn't telling you something. A small part of you was slightly hurt, maybe even offended that he was keeping secrets. But, you also understood that he didn't have to tell you everything and you respected his privacy. Besides, if he wanted you to know, you would know. You decided not to ask him about it. 

The two of you spent the afternoon chatting, like you used to before you were both busy with training. It felt nice, finally getting to spend some quality time with him. When it was time for you to head home, you stopped before parting ways. You stood outside your front door and glanced at Izuku. Before going inside, you pulled him into a tight hug. His cheeks were coated with a bright red hue. "Don't be so distant, please." You said and pulled away. He smiled. You turned to go inside, but before opening the door, you hesitated. "It's been a while... I missed you." You said. A few seconds of silence went by. 

"I missed you too, Y/N."