Camie nearly whistled.
"Shit, Baku, it's ya boy."
Katsuki was currently trying not to curse the world and everything in it because shit, he was nowhere near ready for Deku to see him again. Not like this, only two weeks into school. Not as inexperienced and ill-trained as he was so far. This was- he couldn't-
Yet, Deku was still staring right at him. And Katsuki was sure he'd nearly forgotten how to breathe.
I'm going to give it my best shot, even though I'm nowhere near ready to face you, but... I missed you. And you're...
He swallowed, trying to steady himself again, but it was so hard under the force of that firm green gaze which might as well have been trying to stare into his soul.
You're so much more amazing in person, Deku.
"Alright, I'll go over some of the specifics of today's practice." Aizawa started again, the three pros shuffling behind him. Katsuki's heart was still racing, threatening to beat out of his chest the longer Deku stared at him, and he forced himself to look away in the hope that the horrible pressure would leave him be. It was only a squeeze on the shoulder from Camie that grounded him, and he wished he wasn't so grateful for it.
God, I... I feel so weak in front of him right now. This isn't what I wanted...!
He bit his lip and just tried to focus on Aizawa's words.
"You all will be split up into teams of four, as I mentioned before. From there, each group will participate in two matches, fighting against a different hero in each one. The objective of this training will be to capture or immobilize the villain, who will be played by one of the heroes present. However- if you let anyone on your team be put in a position where they would be captured or killed in a real fight, you fail. There will be a fifteen minute time limit in place per round, and the environment will be different for each fight. Understand?"
A murmur of yes, sir rose amongst the crowd as Aizawa nodded and continued. "I'll tell you your groups now, so pay attention. After I tell you who's on your team, head out to change into your hero costumes and regroup in front of the entrances to the training grounds. We'll split up from there." He turned towards the guests, and dipped his head. "You three go ahead and head out there. I'll meet you when I finish up."
The heroes all gave their agreement through an ever-so dignified thumbs up and left the room again, leaving the students alone with Aizawa once more. Katsuki tried to not think about Deku's lingering eyes on him as he left the room, doing his best to focus on the task at hand. That was what was important right now.
"Alright, I'm going to give you your groups now. The first three groups will go ahead and head out first, as you'll be in the first matches. Because we have twenty students, not every group will be going at once, so the people not fighting will be observing the other matches until it's their turn. Now, to start off with..." Aizawa cleared his throat. "First against Uravity will be Team A with Todoroki, Shinsou, Shouji, and Hagakure. Then, first against Valiant will be..."
Not me, not me, not yet...
"...Ashido, Iida, Tokoyami, and Aoyama."
He nearly breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned back in his chair.
"Next, first against Gale will be Team C with Camie, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, and Bakugou."
"Oh, guess we get to be together?" Camie seemed a little excited now. "And against Gale, too... Baku, I'd pay for him to crush me with those arms."
"Gale, huh?" Katsuki crossed his own arms, glancing back to see an enamoured smile over Camie's face. "Yeah, they are pretty nice."
"I know you're an ass man, blondie." Camie teased. "Valiant's pretty cute, isn't he? Cute face, nice ass. He's perfect for you."
Katsuki rolled his eyes and snorted. "He's not bad, but I wouldn't say perfect. You go around assuming everyone with a decent ass is gonna be the fuckin' love of my life. That ain't how this works, y'know."
Well, I mean, he's really nice looking and all, but he's just... my hero. Plus, he ain't interested in that shit.
"Fine, fine, don't admit it." Camie patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "It's okay, babe. I know it's hard to admit that you're head over heels for him. You'll come around one day."
He made a fake choking noise in return, but let himself laugh a little. If nothing else had come out of him being at U.A., he'd finally seemed to make a half-decent friend or two.
"Alright, better get going." Katsuki stood from his chair, stretching out. "I know you wanna be first in line to see Gale, after all."
"Ooh, you know it!" Camie followed suit, a finger coming up to her lip. "Then, we'll be the first ones to smash that pretty face in too. Isn't that what we do now, Baku?"
"Oh, hell yes." Katsuki grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go."
It was a short trip from the classroom to get changed and head down to the entrance to the training grounds, and along the way, Katsuki and Camie ran into their other two teammates. Kaminari was a bit glad to have been found by the group, supposedly having lost his way already, while Yaoyorozu seemed a little uncertain and a bit unhappy with the group she had been assigned to. It probably hadn't helped that he had walked up to her in the middle of Camie rambling about a few not-so safe-for-work fantasies involving her and Gale that Katsuki couldn't help but entertain.
Yaoyorozu took one look over the lot of them and sighed. "Let's just... get going, I suppose."
In no time they rejoined the big group of students and heroes, though their guests were stationed a bit further away from the class, talking amongst themselves. It was the first time Deku's eyes hadn't been fixated on him since he arrived, and Katsuki found it a bit strange to see him so far away like this, despite only ever seeing him on TV or in magazines for months. But, now...
I might get to fight Deku. I might get to spar with Deku.
More than anything else, he was excited. Despite knowing just how strong Deku was from personal experience, this was the kind of training he needed. If nothing else, there was no way he'd go down without a good fight. Already the fire was pumping through his veins, revving him up with excitement. This first round was just that- a first round. And though in no way was it something to be taken lightly, it also wasn't the main event. Hopefully.
But, for now, his attention had to be on Gale. Even if it wasn't Deku, he knew from occasional news reports and internet headlines that he had also been making some serious impact among the new wave of heroes, and was quickly rising to the higher ranks alongside Deku and others like Uravity. She too had shown some incredible tactics and moves in recent times, relying more on strategy involving the surrounding environment to secure victory in a fight. It was fun to watch her perform at times, and she did often work alongside Deku, so it wasn't as if he was unfamiliar with her.
But, anyway. Gale.
"Team A." Aizawa's voice came from behind them, along with the remainder of the students. "You'll be starting in the south end of Ground Alpha. After you're done with round one, Team D will replace..."
Katsuki tapped his foot, trying to think about strategy as Aizawa got them situated. His usual simple explosive power likely wouldn't cut it here due to the literal blowback of Gale's quirk, and getting anywhere close to him would definitely be a challenge. As much as he hated to admit it, this might be one fight he couldn't take the lead on. Well. Physical lead, anyway. Though, the challenge then would be getting Yaoyorozu to work with him effectively...
"...and Team C, you'll be starting at Ground Delta, west side."
Delta...?
"So, we'll be in a more arboreal environment..." Yaoyorozu murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "There's a decent amount of cover, at least. I'll be able to use my quirk with a relative amount of stealth..."
They started heading towards Ground Delta as Yaoyorozu seemed to continue thinking to herself, wrapped up in her own thoughts and plans. Camie wound up walking on one side of him, Kaminari on the other.
But, the lack of transparency was kinda annoying.
"Oi." He started, furrowing his brow. "You gonna share with the class, Ponytail?"
Yaoyorozu broke out of her trance briefly. "Huh? I mean, we need a plan, don't we?"
"Yeah. Exactly." Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna share or not? If there's gonna be a goddamn plan, don't we need to, y'know, be aware of it?"
Yaoyorozu frowned a bit, a little annoyed. "Yes, but- I don't have all the details worked out yet."
"We're not all stupid!" Kaminari groaned. "Look, I'm not a total dumbass!"
"That's right." Camie nodded. "He's dumbass number one, and I'm number two."
Katsuki sighed, ignoring his teammates. "Tell me. We don't have all day, right?"
And as soon as the words left his mouth, the group found themselves in front of Ground Delta's tall gates.
Yaoyorozu pursed her lips. "No, we do not."
"Team C, go ahead and enter." Came Aizawa's voice over a nearby speaker. "Your time starts now."
Katsuki tilted his head up. "Well, no time to be hanging around here. Let's go."
He stepped through the gate, and as soon as the rest of the group was in, the gate shut behind them and they were closed into an arena of leafy trees, thriving bushes, and the occasional run-down shack.
And, of course-
"ALRIGHT!" Came the booming voice from who-the-hell-knew-where. "Give me your best shot, kids!"
"What- wait, where is he?" Kaminari craned his neck to look around the area, only for a sudden blast of wind to rocket through the trees and tear the group apart, and it was all Katsuki could do to blast himself back up to his feet and search to make sure they hadn't gotten too separated.
"Here's a new damn plan!" Katsuki yelled as his teammates got back up to their feet, only about ten or so feet away from each other. "Find where he is first, got it? And oi, Piss Hair, don't use all your goddamn electricity in one go!"
If no one else will take charge, I will!
"Okay, then where should we go?" Camie, despite her occasional ditzyness, was doing a fairly good job at keeping an eye on the surrounding area. "Should I bring out an illusion, or-"
"I don't think that would help right now." Katsuki grit his teeth, every nerve on end as he tried to pinpoint the wind's origin. "Gale ain't small, so I don't think he'll be too hard to find, but-!"
"If that's what you're thinking, then try again!" Another round of roaring laughter swept through the air, wind whistling through the trees. "This wind is at my will! I can bend it to my liking, you know!"
Think, think! How do you fight someone you can't see?!
A strong gust knocked him to his knees before he could figure out the answer.
"Baku, we're gonna be too separated at this rate!" Camie called after him. "We gotta regroup!"
"Think I don't know that?!" Katsuki bit back, frustrated as hell. "Shit, Ponytail, can you get us a shield?"
"A shield would just blow away!" Yaoyorozu snapped. "And I can't exactly make a wall!"
"Then what was that plan you had earlier?"
"Well, I was going to—!"
The wind came again. Again.
Katsuki coughed, dizzy as he got back to his feet and searched for his companions. Camie was gone. Kaminari was gone. The only one he saw was-
"Bakugou, come here!"
Yaoyorozu.
A few explosions landed him in front of her, eyes wide when he realized what was in her palm.
"Here. Take it." Her voice was strung out with tension. "If nothing else, we can-"
"Contact each other. Yeah."
Katsuki hooked the small device over his ear, relieved when it crackled to life. "Okay. That's something."
"And I would have gotten this done earlier if you had let me think for a moment." Yaoyorozu pursed her lips. "Bakugou, you're strong, but you didn't let me speak...!"
"Yeah, cause we didn't have ten years to get this shit going." He shot back. "We need to find the others, don't we? Come on, we can't be sitting on our asses all day. We need to-"
"Listen to me, okay? Even- even just a little." Yaoyorozu's voice had grown a bit sharper. "I'm sorry. I should have gotten this taken care of earlier. But, at least-" She reached a hand out towards him, two more small headsets in it. "If you find them first, give them this. And, just-" she swallowed. "Talk to me. Please. I want to be a part of what you're doing."
"Fine, fine." Katsuki got back to his feet, scanning the area. "I'll take left, you go right. If you find them, put them in contact with us. That's step one."
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Right. Let's go."
He dashed off, twitching at just the sound of leaves rustling beside him. He had to find his teammates, and quick.
Oddly enough, though, the wind hadn't come as soon as he thought it would.
Unnerving as hell.
"Bakugou, do you read me?" Yaoyorozu's voice buzzed in his ear. "I haven't found them. No sign of Gale, either. I'm a little worried."
He couldn't quell the anxiety building within him either, but did his best to quash it down.
"I haven't seen any of 'em." He clenched his fists. "We don't have that fuckin' long, where did-"
"Baku!"
A streak of black spandex and light brown hair sped towards him, frantic. "Gale, he-"
"What happened?" Anticipation wound tight in his throat.
Camie paused, stopping to catch her breath. "Gale nabbed Kaminari. He's being tossed around up in those air currents, and I highkey have no clue how to get him down, fam."
Wait. One team member has been caught, sorta, so does that mean we already-
"The alarm hasn't gone off, so I guess we're still okay?" Camie fiddled with her hair. "Kami was letting off a lot of electricity, so he's still trying, anyway. Props to him. Boy's doing his best."
He's still struggling, so that means we have a chance!
Katsuki dialed into the headset again as he reached for a spare. "Dumbass number one got caught by Gale. He's still fighting. I'm with Camie, and we're going to head towards him."
There was a small gasp of alarm from the other end. "Yes, got it!" Yaoyorozu replied. "Should I head towards Gale himself, or meet up with you two first? We only have about six minutes left. Oh, and please put Camie into the comms system as well!"
"Got it." He handed Camie the earpiece, and quickly instructed her on how to put it in. "We should be ready to go. How far away is Gale?"
Camie scratched her chin, then pointed a bit to the right. "Over that way, boss. I kinda just made an illusion and ran off, y'know? Wanted to find you before we went after Gale again. I'm good with distractions, but you've got the big guns."
"Right, got it." He quickly informed Yaoyorozu of Gale's position, trying to formulate a plan. "Meet up with us first, Ponytail. Don't wanna get any more separated than we already are."
"Ah, right! Yes, I'll head back over towards you. There aren't a whole lot of landmarks along the way, though, so I hope we can make it up to Gale safely and get Kaminari down."
"We'll figure that out when you get here." Katsuki's nails dug into thick gloves, tough enough to bruise. "Won't be long now."
A stifled laugh came from the other end. "Yes, Bakugou."
What was that laugh about...? Eh. Doesn't matter.
Thankfully, Yaoyorozu managed to meet up with them in only a minute's time. "Okay. Lead the way, Camie."
And with that, they were off.
"I still have no idea how you guys wanna go about getting him down, or even just getting close." Camie reiterated as they pushed through yet another mound of scratchy weeds. "These winds are all over the place."
"Gale is, essentially, a walking tornado." Yaoyorozu paused. "He can sense movement with his winds too, correct? So we need to be careful about approaching."
Right, right... wait, maybe we could...
"Oi. Can you make another illusion of yourself?" Katsuki quipped. "Might serve as a decent distraction so I- we- can get close and wrestle that dumbass down."
"Ooh, right on it, sir!" Camie winked. "I can get all three of us if you want, actually. Might be fun, you know?"
"Yes, that would work wonderfully." Yaoyorozu answered. "Alright, and once that's out, we can... ah..."
Katsuki stood up a little straighter, stretching out. "We'll need a frontal attack at some point. I'll go up there myself and face him."
"Hm, you gonna be okay like that?" Camie frowned. "That boy's a hunk. No offense, babe, but he's got way more muscle than you."
"Do you have a better idea?" Katsuki grit his teeth. "Come on, we only have three minutes or so, we need to-"
"Yes. Do that, Bakugou." Yaoyorozu interrupted. "Do that, and get Kaminari down. Maybe your explosions won't be enough to stun him, but that electricity will! Oh- wait!" A sudden flash of realization crossed over her face. "I've got something."
She pulled an object from her arm, thin and shiny. "Here. Copper wire. Conducts electricity well. If you can get a loop or two of it wrapped around Gale, then with Kaminari's electricity, it should stun him enough for us to go in and call it a victory...!"
Now, that- that was excitement in his veins.
"You got it. After Camie's distraction, I'll go in for a physical blow." Katsuki reiterated. "We make sure Piss Hair isn't in idiot mode, then get him to shock Gale. If we need backup, you two can come in."
"Mm, now you're talking!" Camie giggled. "Let's show him, boss."
Perfect replicas of the team wandered out through the bushes in the most natural fashion Camie could manage, some unintelligible conversation happening between them. Admittedly, he still didn't know all that much about Camie's quirk, but it was clear there was more than a little strain on her for producing that much movement all at once.
She's giving it her all, I can't be falling behind that!
"Mm, alright." Camie's voice was a little shakier than before. "They're close... Baku, you gonna go?"
"Hell yes." He grinned, and charged through the brush.
"Bakugou, remember! Gale's strong. You're just trying to get Kaminari down and wrap the wire around Gale. Don't take any unnecessary risks!" Yaoyorozu reminded him, her voice a little calmer now.
"Yeah, yeah."
He burst into the clearing that Gale had taken up residence in, immediately catching sight of Kaminari whizzing through the air. Lightning tore through the sky as Gale's booming laughter thundered down.
Make sure he's distracted, make sure he's distracted!
"Oi!" He shouted, met with a mirrored yell from close by. "Hey, lookie here!"
Katsuki blasted himself up from the ground, speeding through the air and praying that Kaminari's lightning wouldn't hit him. That Camie's illusions would cause enough confusion for him to get a hit or two in.
But if I get caught in that wind, it's all over!
Katsuki barreled towards Gale in a streak of white rage, tossing his worries out with the trash.
He's close, he's close!
The radio crackled.
"Baku, he's looking at you!"
"Bakugou, look out!"
There was a split second as Gale turned towards him, all smiles and brimming with passion.
"That's some fire you've got!" The hero's grin ran from ear-to-ear. "I like it!"
Gotta turn, gotta-!
No time to think strategy now.
Forty-five degrees left. Thirty degrees down. Medium-strength blast through a half-curled palm.
He smirked. "Like it, huh?"
The incoming fist would have grazed his gauntlet, but-
"Then, how do you like this?!"
Katsuki swiveled to his right and let loose a point blank, ear-splitting explosion. Gale's massive form staggered back just enough for the winds to wobble around him, and soon enough, a panicked scream erupted in the background.
C'mon, Sparky. Shut up.
"Someone get him!" He demanded, trying to refocus himself. "I've got the wire, someone get-"
"I've got him!"
He didn't have to look to know that Yaoyorozu had rushed up behind him and readied herself to catch Kaminari- what he did know, however, was that the quickly-recovered pro hero in front of him was a very near and very real threat.
"You're smart! I like that too!" Gale praised, stepping forward. "But don't go fooling yourselves, okay? It'll take more than-"
He cackled, maniacal grin rising up onto his face. "Oh, I've got more than that!"
One. Two. Three. Each blast slung him further around Gale, the thin strip of wire curling free from his fingers to form a small, yet tight grip around his opponent. Nothing that would ever keep him down, but enough to do its actual job.
"Eh?" Gale released another whirlwind, blowing the group back fifteen feet or so. Katsuki's boots dug into coarse soil as grass fluttered down through the air. "You aren't just messing around, are you? Keep in mind that you're done for if you let up!"
"Look, look." Kaminari rolled his shoulders back, head cocked up. "Maybe I'm not the sharpest one here, but I don't need accuracy to hit this target!"
"Bakugou, get back! I filled him in. Camie's going to send out an illusion of you, and I've got a shock-proof blanket on hand!" Yaoyorozu commanded, leaving no room for argument. And as much as he wanted to charge in and use his fists to finish this off, he relented.
"On it."
Katsuki dove back into the bushes, running back through the foliage to meet up with his slightly-hidden teammates. "Quick, under here!" Yaoyorozu motioned, and Katsuki threw himself to the ground and under the thick blanket she'd lifted up, rolling into a spot right alongside the already present Camie. It wasn't but a few seconds later that Yaoyorozu got herself under the blanket as well, letting it drop on top of them. Then, in her next breath-
"Kaminari, go!"
There wasn't a verbal response, but the resulting electrical blast was more than enough to let them know it had happened. A still silence spread as the aftereffects of the shock wore off, yet the three of them were still holding their breath.
"That probably shorted his comms unit... we should head out there and make sure everything's okay." Yaoyorozu murmured, and absentmindedly, Katsuki couldn't help but be surprised at how assertive she had been throughout the latter portion of the match.
"Right. Yeah."
They threw off the heavy blanket and dashed towards the scene of the crime, and Katsuki couldn't help but feel a wave of relief when he saw Kaminari's slightly-stupid looking face smiling back at them.
But just as they came up to their teammate, the sound of bulky, shifting gear yanked their attention away.
"You... you kids really think that's going to be enough to get me down?" Gale huffed, sparks still dancing around his gloved fist. "Heh... well, it was a good attempt, but not quite! After all, I'm still-"
The ring of an activated speaker rung out through the ruined playing field, and even Gale looked up.
"Attention, everyone. Time's up."
Katsuki and everyone else in the area stopped dead in their tracks.
"Huh?" Camie sounded as confused as the rest of them felt. "Wait up, boss, who won?"
"I mean, I think I got him pretty damn good there at the end, wouldn't ya say?" Kaminari grinned, giving them a slightly-stable thumbs up.
"Yeah, after we had to fetch your dumb ass from the air." Katsuki snorted, yet couldn't help but fear that it hadn't been enough. That they-
"And, though it's mostly on a technicality, Team C wins." Aizawa droned over the loudspeaker as cheers erupted from the group.
Yes...!
"Pft, and you all doubted my skills? C'mon, you couldn't have done this without me. Just look at that win!" Kaminari grinned, and threw up what Katsuki hoped wasn't a pair of finger guns.
"Ah, I'm glad it worked out...! Somehow..." A small, hesitant laugh fell from Yaoyorozu's lips, though she looked far more relieved than anything else.
"I can't- I can't believe you shrimps got me!" Gale erupted. "But, I'm glad! I think! That means you're on the right track, yeah?"
"Hell yeah!" Camie threw back, and went up to him for an awkward high-five. Katsuki prayed she hadn't gone in that close just to check out his muscles. Yet, it wasn't but a moment later that the loudspeaker came back on.
"We'll discuss the match later. For now, meet back outside the school entrance. We've set up a temporary recovery station in case anyone has wounds that need to be tended to. Hurry up. Your next match will be starting in twenty minutes."
"Oh... that's right, there's one more match..." Yaoyorozu's brow creased, contemplative. "I wonder who it is we'll be up against. Hm... both Uravity and Valiant pose very different threats, yet still very dangerous ones."
Katsuki had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything too much about Deku right then and there. "Yeah..." He paused, trying to calm his nerves. "Yeah, Valiant's strong."
"You'd know it, babe!" Camie giggled. "What's his muscle mass again? Or, um, the ratio of his arm to leg strength?"
"Well, it's―!" No. Stop. Don't you dare finish that sentence. Dammit, Camie.
"Oh, fuck you!" He yelled instead, an odd mix of embarrassment and the too-strong temptation to blurt out the answer melding together in his head. He turned away, trying to shake back the strange bit of anxiety that had come over him.
But... if I do face him...
"We should get going. I think Kaminari needs a visit to the recovery station before the next match." Yaoyorozu said, and he snapped to attention. "The exit is this way."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go." Katsuki mumbled, not wanting to face any of his other teammates right now. Trying to take control of his ever-building anticipation and excitement was just about all he could do, yet, there was still a chance he wouldn't even be going up again Deku.
It could be Uravity, still could be Uravity... but, do I really want it to be her?
He pushed the thoughts out of his mind for now and trudged towards the exit. It was a relatively short walk to the recovery station, and with Gale out of the picture now, the whole team had to shift their focus to the next opponent.
"Man, I hope it's Uravity." Kaminari murmured with a long, dreamy sigh. "Hey, do you think if we win she'd go on a date with me? Hm?"
"Psh, sorry, she's way outta your league." Camie said, elbowing him. "If anything, I'm the one she'd go out with. You're just kinda..." She trailed off, glancing over at Kaminari's janky grin. "...you."
"And what's that supposed to mean!?"
As the round of squabbling broke out behind them, they arrived at their destination. Thankfully, though, it wasn't too hard to pry Kaminari away from Camie's incessant teasing and get him over to treatment quickly. Katsuki found an empty spot along the side of the tent and pulled off his gauntlets before sitting down, glad that he hadn't sustained much injury in the fight. Now, if he had to, he could save his strength for-
"Good, you all managed to make it over here." Aizawa interrupted as he entered the tent, looking across at the group. "You all barely managed to scrape by with that victory. Had the timer not gone off, or no one had been there to catch Kaminari, you would have all failed miserably."
Katsuki clenched his fists, but remained silent. I know it could've been better. That was a shitty performance. I should have done better.
"...but, you all did do a considerably better job than both Groups A and B." Aizawa muttered. "At least you all came up with a functioning plan. Group B failed in the first five minutes, and Group A lost, though it was close."
"The first five minutes?" Yaoyorozu's pitched-up voice was barely held steady. "Even though their team was a very capable group..."
"They were fighting De- Valiant." Katsuki's nails dug into his palms. "Of course they went down fast. It's- it's him."
His heart was racing, pounding, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.
Yaoyorozu seemed more than a little nervous now. "So, are we fighting Uravity or him?"
"Hm? Oh, you talking about me?"
Deku had a too-bright smile across his face when he walked in, and it didn't look as if he'd even been scratched. "If so, I'd love to go up against the team that gave Gale a hard time. Let's see..."
He's... he's...
Deku's gaze scanned the room with clear intent, and came to an immediate halt on Katsuki.
"Ah, I see..." Deku chuckled. "Yes, this will definitely be fun."
Katsuki couldn't look away, not even as those green eyes bored holes in his skull. But- the corners of Deku's lips had twitched up, and there was a hint of fond warmth in that stare.
"Well then." Deku dipped his head. "I'll meet you at Ground Beta, okay?"
Katsuki's throat went dry, yet somewhere within him, his flame was burning a bit brighter than before.
"Yeah- yeah." He swallowed. "I'll meet you there."
And as Deku left, he couldn't help but feel like- as if-
That smile... he smiled at me.