Protecting You (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

Chapter 12- Betrayal

Edited 5/15/23

Midoriya's fight against a boy named Shinso was first. You didn't know what to expect but you were fully prepared to cheer for your friend and new ally, Midoriya. Still reeling from the information All Might and Midoriya shared with you, the lingering turning in your stomach was easy to hide with the pending fight ahead of you. You were starting to think that the people here at UA were underestimating who you were...because they clearly weren't as concerned about the situation as you were.

Midoriya would be here, practically on display for the entire world to witness his quirk with no distractions. Would he act similar enough to All Might that it would make it clear he was the successor? Would an eagle-eyed viewer notice their close mentorship?

Would the villains recognize your own quirk in action? What if something happened in the arena right now? More attentive than usual, you settled on keeping your mind on protecting the class over your own performance in the event. All Might may have been weaker, but he wasn't retired yet. 

Midoriya took a deep breath in and out before entering the stage where he would be battling. Katsuki sat next to you with a disinterested expression on his face, but you knew that deep down he wanted Midoriya to win against this 'unknown' student. Midoriya stood on the stage, legs nearly frozen as his wide emerald eyes scanned the colorful rainbow array of the audience. 

The roar of the audience was nothing against the silent shock you felt when you saw the lavender-haired boy from earlier standing on the opposite side of the stage from Deku. 

"That's Shinso?!" You exclaimed loudly. Katsuki glanced over at you, red eyes connecting with yours.

"Why does it matter?"  He asked in a bored tone. Your expression, however, seemed to shake that careless demeanor away to something of a more concerned variety. 

"That dickhead was talking mad shit to me earlier. Deku had to talk me down." Katsuki smirked and snorted.

"That little shit always ruins everything. I'd like to see you ripping that troll doll's head off." Your expression shifted to one of mischief, a smirk of your own growing across your lips.

"You would have if you weren't ignoring me when building your team." Katsuki's eyebrows narrowed as he threw his head back in a groan. You felt a bit of a tingle watching it, your mind going elsewhere.

"How many fucking times do I have to apologize for that bullshit?!" You extended your hand to him as his own was resting on the stadium seat armrest. Your hand gently layered over his, the blond instantly calming as his eyes shot to you.

"I just like teasing you sometimes Kacchan~..." You placed emphasis on the nickname as you spoke his name softly in a high pitch. The silent response that you received from that was one you weren't expecting. Katsuki turned his calloused hand upwards, curling his fingers with yours. Neither of you said a word or looked at each other, but the heat that lingered on both of your faces did all of the talking.

~~

Katsuki refused to ever let go of your hand. 

Match after match went by, giving you an opportunity to rest a bit but also study the other classes and their members. Midoriya barely won his match, Kaminari completely lost his, and Todoroki won his. Watching your classmates duel was fun, but the anxiousness of what the best next move to make was getting to you as your match drew closer.

With your battle against Iida, you had to think critically regarding how to beat him without exhausting yourself or your quirk too much. He had incredible speed and that mega burst of energy that would be difficult to counter with the timing of your quirk. Iida could keep coming at you and you could dodge with your ghost quirk, but your teleportation quirk would be completely neutralized by his speed. This was a test of stamina and despite your experience, a certain level of natural talent could rival you. You have seen Iida in action and his ability was nothing to scoff at, especially when his speed and physical strength out-performed your own in this case.