Ticked Off [Boku No Hero Academia]

29: REVELATIONS

Discord Server, if you wanna get aggressively reminded to take care of yourself by like five people at once: https://discord.gg/DSBF4dP

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"Again," Izuku commanded, pacing around the mat where Shouto and Tenya sparred.

The pair got back into place, panting heavily and sporting light bruises and scrapes from the previous rounds. Tenya was first, jolting forwards and pivoting on one foot, reaching out with a hand that Shouto caught, making the most of his advantage by shifting a leg back to balance himself before twisting the attacking arm and following through with a kick to the other boy's gut. He wheezed out a breath, but he'd been quick to learn that there were no breaks on the battlefield, wrenching his arm free and dropping into a forward roll towards his opponent and bringing back an elbow to try and take out a knee. Shouto stumbled out of range and both of them backed up, examining subtle body language to predict the enemy's next move, just like their classmate had taught them.

Izuku himself couldn't help the proud smile that graced his face, although it was a little muted since he'd gained a split lip in a previous spar with Shinsou. His friends tussled once more, clashing and dodging and retaliating like it was some peculiar dance. While it wasn't good to spar with the same people so frequently lest an accidental routine was acquired, it was invaluable to know your allies' every possible move when fighting together so the villains didn't stand a chance. Despite it only being a few months of training together, all three had improved exponentially, sparring with skills and strategies far beyond their age.

He glanced sideways and Shinsou stepped next to him, flexing his bandaged arm experimentally before bringing a bottle of water to his lips. It was a testament to the tired boy's commitment to see how much he'd bulked up since the Sports Festival, with wider shoulders and his muscular arms displayed in a lilac tank top; he'd even grown a few inches, much to Izuku's chagrin.

There was a thud as Tenya managed to flip Shouto on his back and pin him to the mat until he yielded. Both boys looked exhausted, barely managing to stand up straight as they heaved for breath. The scent of sweat permeated the air and it was starting to get too hot and stuffy inside the gym, but their allotted time was nearly up anyway.

"Great job, both of you! There were great recoveries on both sides." Izuku beamed at them, handing over towels and water bottles to stop them from dying. "Shouto-kun, I think you need to learn to be a little heavier on your feet against enemies bigger than you so you can't be overbalanced as easily. Tenya-kun, the opposite applies to you – be a little lighter so you can move quickly against smaller opponents!"

"Thanks," Shouto muttered, pressing his face into the towel.

"You're right, Izuku-kun," Tenya added, taking a hefty swig and brushing his damp hair back with a hand. "I'll take that into account, next time. Thank you."