My Hero Academia: Stone Cold.

Battle Scar.

Ari glanced over at Uraraka who struggled to get up from the floor, she knew she had to take her out of the game, it would've been too tedious. Bakugo struggled to get out of her grip but she was a four-hundred pound lioness, he couldn't move. 

"Ari look out!" Ejiro warned, Ari turned her head to see Uraraka coming towards her to touch her but she lowered herself onto Bakugo to keep her from doing so. The blonde boy couldn't breathe now, "GET OFF OF ME!" He screamed. 

She stood up, giving him a growl and irritated wave of her head, this would be harder than she thought. She had to focus on Uraraka again, forgetting that she could tag Ejiro in. She pounced on Ochako, knocking the wind out of her. Se turned her attention back to Bakugo but there was a flash of yellow fire in her vision and a burning pain in her side. She fell to the floor and looked up at Kirishima's worried face. 

He did the noble thing, seeing Ari so injured and tapped out for her. Bakugo's team won and All Might picked up Ari in his arms. "No worries, Arinna. We have the best nurse there is in this school." Her uncle said softly. 

Kirishima followed All Might from a distance, the last time he tried to figure out what was going on he was told to stay in class. This time Ari was really hurt and wanted to be there for her. 

"You can stop pretending you're not following me, young Kirishima." He told the redhead. 

Ejiro's shoulder's dropped and met up with him in the halls, "You can stay with her until she is healed okay? I'll make an excuse for you."

"Thanks." He looked at her singed side, bruised and black. "Will she be okay?"

"Yeah. I should be thanking Bakugo, he didn't disembowel her with that blast."

"Right, he could've done that easily."

"Mhm." He glanced over at the worried boy. "Recovery Girl can heal her quick but she might be alseep from the drained energy. Can I trust you with watching over her?"

"Of course you can, Sir."

"I'm very protective over my neice, so be sure to keep her safe." He made eye contact with him, he wasn;t just talking about watching over her recovery. 

"She's your neice?"

"Yep." He winked. "Its our secret, okay?" 

"uhh..y-yes! your secret is safe with me." He nodded. He followed the hero into the infirmary where he laid the lioness down upon the bed where Recovery Girl came to inspect the wound. 

"Well, its nothing I can't heal but...she will have some scarring afterwards."

"Okay, Kirishima will be here watching over her if that's alright."

The old woman looked at him, "What class are you in after this?" She asked. 

"English." He replied. 

"I would suggest that you start whatever assignment he will have for you, All Might will send it to you. Won't you All Might?" She looked up at the towering man almost scoldingly. 

"Yes, of course. just sit tight and I'll be right back." All Might went off to talk to Present Mic and Kirishima sat down in a chair next to the bed as Recovery Girl tended to her battle scars. He stared at the lion face that was Ari's. Even in this form she was beautiful, he reached out to pet her mane and felt how soft her fur actually was. He was petting a lion!

How many people wanted this chance to be up close to a creature like this? to touch it? He had gotten permission from the girl who didn't like to be touched, to touch her. He felt honored to be the one she trusted enough with such a powerful thing. Touch is what bonded people, comforted people, excited them. He was entrusted with all of that?

Who ever that blonde boy was back at the theater, he must have broken her heart. If she didn't like to be touched...he must have broken his bond with her. His touch no longer comforted her or made her happy. Ejiro's eyes went blurry from the tears in his eyes, who would hurt someone so much that they were afraid to be touched?

"You can trust me, Ari." He whispered. "I will respect you." He gently took his hand away but her paw laid upon his hand, keeping it in place as she slept. He held her paw tightly, seeing that she didn't want to stop feeling the contact. She slept for most of the day, Ejiro slumped over the bed exhausted as he waited for her to wake up. 

All Might and Recovery Girl watched the two, "They look so darling together. Should we wake them up?" He asked. 

"No, let them rest. They both had a hard day."

"I am a bit concerned that Ari is still a lioness." All Might replied. 

"Didn't you say that she stays that way when she feels intense feelings?"

"Yeah, mostly anger though."

"I don't think she's angry." Recovery Girl said hearing the Lioness purr happily. 

"Oh, my God." All Might smiled. "I haven't heard her purr like that since...it happened."

"I didn't know lions could do that." She looked up at him. 

"This one can. Its nice to hear it again."

"Let's leave these two alone. They'll wake up when they're ready."

They both left the infirmary and the two slept away until the sun started to set in the sky. Kirishima felt a wet tongue in his hair and woke up to seeing Ari licking his hair.

"Hey!" He laughed. "You're up."

Ari gave an excited noise and licked the side of his face, "Hehe! thanks for the bath!" He giggled, wiping his face of the slobber. He stood up and looked at her, "Are you able to walk?" He asked seeing the white bandage around her waist. She nodded and hopped off the bed, following him out. "How long do you have to stay a lioness?

Ari made a noise, and bobbed her head. 

"That's right you can't talk in this form, let's get you to your room. It's getting late."

Ari playfully ran down the hallway, growling in protest, Kirishima just chuckled. "What are you doing?"