Shoto bowed his head as he and Izumi walked to school together. She hadn't spoken a word to him since they'd sparred during early morning combat training and even then it was to curse at him.
"Baka..." she muttered at him for the hundredth time since they'd left the estate. He held his bandaged cheek where she'd punched him good and hard, guilt flooding back.
"I said I was sorry."
"You can keep on saying it but you still did it... or should I say didn't." She emphasized and his head sunk lower.
"I forgot... you could have reminded me to put one on."
"I was too busy being..." she flushed and looked away from him. "You know... a girl."
She was being stubborn, she knew. The truth was she had half forgiven him when they woke up for training, but then he decided to be stupid.
~Flashback~
Endeavor narrowed his eyes on his two interns with a two of them stood an arm's length apart refusing to look at each other. Izumi had put on a t shirt shirt instead of a tank still feeling self conscious and irritated. Shoto was shirtless, and his sweats hung low on his hips, a thin sheet of sweat already on his skin from cardio.
"I don't know what it is you two are disagreeing on but this is good timing. Today you'll be doing hand to hand combat against each other without the use of your quirks. Shoto don't hold back. She'll have the advantage as that's her primary weapon. I suggest you use whatever openings she gives you.'
"I believe I've done that already," Shoto grumbled and had Endeavor raising a curious brow and Izumi flustering. She quickly raised her hand.
"Sensei! I can't use my quirk but other than that I don't have to hold back, right?"
"You don't, you can have at it all you like. I'll stop the fight when I feel a winner is declared."
Izumis eyes when uncharacteristically sinister and her smile wicked.
"Alright then..." She didn't wait for a signal she just launched. Her fist connected straight into Todoroki's face. "Jerk!"
~End of Flashback~
She sighed heavily. She didn't lose her temper often, but when she did she noticed she lacked control. She'd hit him way harder than she meant to... or at least had planned to.
"You're lucky your dad remained oblivious. I'm already regretting the lecture from All Might if he ever finds out."
"Unless you plan on telling him yourself, I don't think he'll know." Shoto grimaced. He could feel the snags in the relationship already starting to tangle and it was making him uncomfortable and nervous. "Not like he has a sensor about such things."
"You've a point... so let's just forget it happened."
Shoto made a sound of distress and grabbed her hand. "No.... I mean." He trailed off his face contorting with guilt and sadness. " Do you... really just want to forget what happened last night. Was it that bad?"
Izumi stared at him her lips pursed in an irritated frown. She raised a hand and flicked her fingers on his forehead.
"Baka, I don't mean that. I mean let's forget the part where you forgot to use the protection. I mean we should have just stayed in the hot spring."
"Oh...that." Embarrassment flushed his face.
"Yeah that... let's just move past it. Not like we can do anything about it now." She sighed heavily and adjusted the strap on her backpack. "I'll take partial responsibility since you had a point in I could have reminded you, and we'll both just have to face the consequences of it."
"Consequences..." He watched her walk ahead of him. His eyes found themselves roaming from her head to her toes and reminding him just what lay underneath. She'd pulled her hair up into a tail that swung at her neck, but he could remember it loose and free on the white fabric of her pillow. Her hands were bandaged from practice, but he could remember holding them, feeling them curl and scrap along his back. Her eyes were what he remembered most, those wide expressive eyes that softened and moistened as she whispered his name. He couldn't regret last night, but at the same time he knew what they had done could affect both of their careers, especially hers. If she ended up pregnant... "This is bad."
"Yeah it's bad... but like I said we'll ignore it for the time being." She hoped her amazing luck would hold up. "At any rate we probably shouldn't do it again anytime soon. Internships start tomorrow and I'd like to stay focused. At the very least we got it out of our system."
He tensed up at that his head lowering again. Got it out of their system... was that all it was to her? He tried shaking it off and he looked back up. No, even if it was he shouldn't be complaining. He wasn't a girl, he could handle just... how did that saying go? Scratching an itch? Yeah he could handle that... and in the long run they were together, she was his girlfriend, and he'd just have to be patient and make her see that she made the right choice in choosing him over Bakugo.
"Izumi..." He took her hand pulling her back to him. She had only a moment to register the fact she was in his arms being held from behind. His face buried in her neck and he let out a soft sigh. "I love you."
Her heart melted every time he spoke those words to her. She felt flutters and jolts her in her belly and along the skin. His touch was still so fresh in her memory, and despite how the night had ended she couldn't regret giving that part of herself to him. He'd been so attentive, so gentle, making sure she felt as much pleasure as he had.
The way he made her feel last night was a memory she'd never forget...
Had Kacchan ever made her feel this way? Thinking back on it he had made her feel all kinds of emotions, but his change of behavior left her so dizzy with them it was hard to keep up. With Todoroki, aside from a few pitfalls, it was like floating. She felt happy, excited, and loved.
They were two completely different personalities, but if she had to guess on how she felt about both of them, she had to say she loved them. What was the difference in that love though? She'd chosen Todoroki because she liked his patience, his understanding and his ability to talk her through a crisis... even though she loved Bakugo first, had loved him since childhood, his rash and explosive personality made it hard to keep up with his emotions as well as her own.
The fact she was even thinking about Bakugo after last night made her feel guilty and ashamed. She turned into his arms to face him, and curled into his hold. She felt his breathing calm and she took a deep breath of her own, taking in his scent and warmth.
"Shoto..."
"Get a room you two!" Speak of the Devil, Bakugo's voice shouted from behind and he stomped over snarling. "Honestly do you two HAVE to hang all over each other, it's friggin annoying."
"So says the pot to the kettle." Todoroki said with irritation crossing his face. He let Izumi go and the three of them stood in a circle. Izumi felt the tension between them and groaned.
"Who you calling a pot? What's with that damn weak insult?"
"It's a figure of speech, you idiot." Todoroki's brow twitched in annoyance. "You were far worse with the PDA, and made everyone in class uncomfortable."
"I was not!" Bakugo snarled at him the two bumping heads.
"Were too, now back off Bakugo before I get angry."
Izumi left them at the front gate to argue. She wasn't dealing with this, couldn't deal with it. She always ended up getting dragged in the middle of their petty disputes.
Determined to ignore them she went to the classroom and smiled as she walked in greeting Uraraka. "Good Morning, Ura-chan."
"Morning, Midori-chan! Where's Todoroki-kun?"
"Him and Bakugo are arguing as per usual." She said with a grimace, setting her bag down before walking to Uraraka's desk to mingle. "Forget about that, though, are you excited for internships tomorrow?"
"You bet! I'm pumped!" Uraraka thrust her fists out in mock punching. Iida walked into the classroom, and both Uraraka and Izumi look at him, and felt the tension rising. "O...Ohiyo, Iida-kun."
"Good Morning, Uraraka, MIdoriya, are you excited for the internships?" He offered a smile. Though he did his best to hide it, Izumi knew that his brother was still preoccupying Iida's mind. After the Sports Festival, while her injuries were still healing, she'd heard on the news about the crisis in Hosu. Ingenium had been injured to the point where he was forced to retire... but when Izumi went to ask Iida about it the following day at school he brushed it off, telling her he was sorry for worrying her and the situation was under control.
Even though they were friends, Iida didn't feel comfortable telling her the truth. She supposed that was her own fault. She'd been so preoccupied with her own problems, she hadn't been there when Iida needed her most. Now she was paying the consequences for it.
Todoroki and Bakugo stood at the doorway, and immediately both noticed the pained look on Izumi's face as she looked at Iida. Though he seemed to talk normally with Uraraka, there was a tension, and an off look in his eyes Todoroki immediately recognized as pent up anger and frustration.
"She blames herself." Todoroki murmured and caught Bakugo's attention. "She'd been upset and conflicted during the festival before Iida got his call, and she wasn't able to offer up any moral support. Now Iida's been tense and distant and won't talk with her. He's not acting like his usual self and it's making her quietly suffer."
"Humph... we'll see about that." Bakugo strut up, he held his hand lowand caused a tiny explosion that had Izumi shrieking in surprise, her skirt flying up and flashing underwear. Bakugo blinked when he saw the green panties with the All Might logo. "You're seriously still wearing those? Are you a little kid?"
"KACCHAN!" Izumi raised her fist shaking with anger, but before she could strike Iida was up and shouting at him.
"Bakugo-kun! That's disrespectful behavior. How dare you make light of Midoriya chan's virtue? Do you have any morals or respect towards-"
"There you are..." Bakugo raised a hand patting Izumi on the head despite her flustered and angered face. "That's the annoying class rep everybody loves."
Izumi blinked in surprise at that, and saw Iida pause in his rant to stare curiously. He looked at Izumi, their eyes meeting for a minute and he lowered his head his glasses shadowing his eyes from view.
"Bakugo..." Todoroki growled cracking his knuckles. "I was an idiot to think you would actually act rational for a change."
"You wanna dance, Icy Hot?" Bakugo lifted an exploding fist. "Bring it!"
"Enough horseplay!" Aizawa shouted over the arguments as he walked into the room."Class is starting, so in your seats the lot of you!"
~Battle Field Omega~
Hero Basic Training was a twisted version of paintball. Everryone wore their P.E. clothes, and each student was given a watch device that kept count on the amount of hits that were taken, and given out. None of the hits could be lethal, but so long as you managed to physically touch or hit your opponent, the point counted.
The mountainous landscape of training ground Omega left a wide open ground that had rocks and jagged pathways perfect for the exercise. For Bakugo it gave him the freedom to fully use his quirk without worry of property damage or pitfalls. It was hit or be hit.
He had decimated half of the class already, leaving a good ten points each on Pervert Mineta, dunce head Kaminari, and Invisigirl Hagakure. The sight of Izumi's glowing form had him smirking wildly. Next victim in sight...
He leapt up his hands lighting with power as he bounced along the rocks. He followed the zip and path of her form, and saw her glance back at him. The path cut sharp and came to a halt. Caught you, he thought and raised his hand ready to dish out points, but had to gasp when she suddenly leapt, braced her feet on the wall and pushed back to face him head on.
The instant he hesitated he felt the shock of her punch knock him back. He corrected himself in midair but then saw Todoroki behind him, gliding across the ice. He dodged quickly avoiding an ice attack and Izumi's fist kicked the ice away, the two of them facing off now.
Bakugo landed and watched as Izumi zipped and dodged around Shoto's ice attacks. The two were completely focused on each other, barely acknowledging him.
"You're not gonna catch me like that Shoto!" Izumi grinned at him and used the rock again to kick off and rise over him. She blasted away his next ice storm and flipped down and spun her leg out to catch him across the back and he fell onto his hands and knees.
"Right back at you, Izumi!" He shouted at her, and Izumi noted he'd frozen her shoes and when she landed she slipped and grunted. He flicked her forehead, the attack showing up on their wristbands. "Payback from this morning."
"I hit you a lot harder than that this morning." She sat up and watched him melt her shoes back to normal.
"Yeah, well I earned it." He smiled at her and helped her up.
"Earned what? When did you guys fight this morning?" Bakugo sneered at them and the two glanced over having nearly forgotten he was there.
"Uh... we sort of had an argument this morning." She stuck her tongue out trying to be cute and dodge the question. "He said something stupid and made me mad, and I hit him."
"Usagi..." Bakugo said in a low warning growl. "I can tell when you're lying or giving me half truths. Now spill it!"
"Now's not the time, Kacchan..." She said it in serious tones. "We're in the middle of class, it can wait."
"Like hell it can! Tell me right now what you're hiding from me!" Bakugo shouted and strut straight up to them. He thought of all the different possibilities of this sudden connection the two of them had. They were gonna spend a lot of time training together during the internship, but the growth in their relationship, and from watching them fight against each other showed him they'd spent more time together than they were letting on.
"Kacchan..." Izumi started but Todoroki held his hand up and spoke first.
"She told you she was taking extra lessons right?" Todoroki explained his eyes narrowing and he was ready to step between Bakugo and Izumi and protect his girl. "I'm also taking the same lessons."
"Usagi's mom..." Bakugo started as he snarled. "Said she was staying with the person she's getting lessons from to help with commute. If you're taking the same lessons..." Bakugo's eyes sharpened with realization and his hands suddenly made for the grab and he yanked Todoroki to his toes shaking him. "These lessons she's taking... your old man is the one giving them isn't he? That's why she's been coming to school beat up and bruised!?"
Todoroki shoved him back his temper flaring.
"It was her decision to-"
"I don't give a damn about what she decided! You know very well what your old man does, how he trains people, how he treated his wife... don't look at me like that I overheard you guys talking at the Sports Festival I know all about your pathetic past!" He shoved him when Todoroki just gawked. "You know full well what he's putting her through and you just let it happen!?"
"Kacchan you're making it sound as if Endeavor is beating me on a daily basis, that's not what's happening. I'm learning, Endeavor has been training my body to withstand things I would have never been able to handle before. I've grown strong with his help." Her eyes narrowed. "You're just pissed because I'm a girl and that's not how this works!"
"If that's the case then why the hell have you been hiding it?!" Bakugo sneered.
"I hid it because I didn't want people to know I'm living at the Todoroki household!"
That fact sunk in and Bakugo's hands popped. He thrust his arm out and blasted Todoroki off his feet and smacked his body against the rock.
"KACCHAN!" Izumi stepped up to help but Bakugo held up an arm to block her.
"That explains it.... That explains everything. Why I fell behind, why you chose to be this ass hole's girlfriend rather than stay single like you made it seem you would. It all makes damn PERFECT sense now!"
His eyes lit with temper.
"I'm not having it. You may have her to yourself for the moment, Todoroki, but this internship only lasts for another week, then the playing field levels again. I'd given in because I'd believed she really had fallen for you... but I'm not giving her up. I refuse!"
He whirled around, snatching Izumi by the front of her shirt and kissing her full and hard on the lips. Izumi's eyes popped open her hands fisting on his chest as it reawakened the familiar stirrings and pleasures from their relationship.
Todoroki leapt from his spot on the rock and simply punched Bakugo across the face, the anger in his eyes lethal and savage.
"You want a fight? I'll give you one!"
Bakugo took the hit and returned it with one of his own. The quirks were left out as the two boys punched and kicked and proceeded to beat at each other. Izumi backed up and away, her heart tearing in two at watching them go at each other like this.
"Alright that's enough!" All Might shouted out and landed with a thud grabbing each boy by the back of their shirts. "The exercise is over you two."
"Stay out of this, All Might!" Bakugo twisted and punched his fist out onto all Might's chest exploding with anger. "This jerk has it coming!"
"I said enough... whatever your petty grievances are this is not the way a hero acts upon them." He waited until Bakugo lowered his fists before setting them both down again. His eyes looked at Izumi and he sighed heavily. "Everyone get dressed, class is dismissed."
~League of Villains~
Shigaraki Tomura stared at the picture of Izumi from the U.A. Sports Festival. The little bitch had been preoccupying too much of his mind since the invasion at USJ and it was annoying him. She'd stood in front of All Might, like a cub trying to defend it's much stronger and more capable papa lion. She'd attacked him, her power comparable, but not as devastating as All Might's. The fact that his master believed she may become a threat to him left a bitter taste in his mouth and he was tempted to tear apart the picture and let the pieces disintegrate in his hand.
Still when he moved to crunch the photo in his hands, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He set it down on the counter, staring at that face, sneering at it with dislike and confusion.
"Shigaraki... I've located the Hero Killer." Kurogiri stepped into the room behind him, and glanced down at the picture. "Shall we go make our negotiations?"
"Might as well..." Shigaraki tapped a finger over Izumi's face, imagining her at USJ. She's been frightened, but fierce, facing them down with the bravery that matched the greatest of heroes. He could still feel the strands of her hair between his fingers, and the way she's trembled when he let one disintegrate between his fingers. His smile came wickedly. The next time he saw her, he'd make that cute face of hers contort with fear and agony. "Let's go."
~Day of Internships~
Yesterday had ended awkwardly, and even though Shoto stayed quiet and walked home with her as per the usual, she knew his temper and emotions were on a simmer. The two boys had gotten a lecture about letting outside indifferences affecting their performances in class and Izumi had been pulled aside by All Might for a lecture of her own.
"It's not your fault that they're letting their emotions cloud their judgement and behavior, but you've got to stop ignoring the situation and put a stop to it. Otherwise you'll just end up being put in the middle over and over again and wind up getting yourself and both of them hurt. If you can't take responsibility, then I suggest you end things with Young Todoroki."
He had a point. It was her fault the two of them were constantly at odds with each other. If she had kept herself out of the equation and remained focused on her hero training then they may actually get along...
...but the thought of cutting things off with Shoto just because she couldn't handle the responsibility felt cowardly, and wrong. She needed to find a solution to this without backing out of the commitment she'd made. Shoto was her boyfriend, he was the one she'd chosen to be with.
Izumi looked to Bakugo who was looking through his costume case to make sure he had all his equipment. His eyes were focused now, his mind on the task at hand. In the end Bakugo was always aiming for number one, for his goal to be a hero. It was time for them to do the same. Romance and love triangles could wait.
"Shoto..."
Shoto glanced over at her when he called her name.
"Hmmm? What is it?"
"During the internship I want us to act as partners rather than lovers." She looked back at him her eyes sharp and stern. "First and foremost we're heroes. The job comes first."
"Yeah," he'd pretty much had come to the same conclusion himself. "I look forward to working with you." He held his hand out in truce. Her lips curved and she slapped her palm in his.
"Let's do our best."