Chapter 6:

Tender of the Flame

…..

UA looms closer and, like most people (read: Izuku), Kagami tries to get shit done

Alternatively, a segway through winter

…..

"...You're gonna tell the folks, aren't cha?"

The junkyard was eerily quiet after the ringing of my ears had dulled, tense as I waited for my brother's inevitable explosion.

I was left in suspense when the characteristic swearing didn't rent the air, blinking when I was firmly (but not roughly) propped up against Katsuki's shoulder as he fished in his pocket for, presumably, his phone.

"Old Hag-! Meet us at the fucking hospital, Kaga was a-"

"Isn't that a bit," I croaked, mentally flopping around for the right words and nearly speaking in fucking English of all things, "Extreme?"

Katsuki locked his phone with such drama, I could just imagine the sassiness had it been an old flip phone one. "You rattled your fucking brain, dumbass."

I frowned, eyes drooping when arms curled around my back, another looping under my curled legs and hauling me up. "I'll take that as a yes."

Katsuki ignored me.

We passed by the car, bonnet still up but stained deep black with scorch marks, the engine completely burnt out. Honestly, it was kinda a miracle I hadn't set the entire fucking thing up like a bonfire.

I doubted Izuku meant for me to try electrics out quite this way but, then again, that boy was ridiculously reckless too. Well, that's only when he's fighting, right? Does it apply to my dumbass self sticking my finger in the kinda-but-not-really-proverbial socket?

"Oi, Kaga," I was sharply jolted, my forehead under Katsuki's chin and curled up in his arms. "Don't you dare fucking fall asleep."

"Why…?" I slurred against the skin of his neck, absentmindedly noticed the reddening and swelling of blisters but not quite remembering why they were bad. I was so out of it, there wasn't really I hope in hell I could leash my Quirk.

Katsuki bounced me again, a deliberate movement since we were heading up a straight stretch of pavement, and my eyes opened a little more. "Concussion, you fucking idiot. You dented a shitty skip."

"Oh."

"Yeah, fucking oh."

"...Are we going to the hospital, then?"

"...Yeah."

Well, shit, I really was kinda sleepy now and Katsuki was really warm and he smelled the same as ever, cinnamon and matches and sweat (and a little bit like lighter fluid but, well, I smelled the same so I barely even noticed anymore) and it reminded me of sharing beds and blankets. When my eyes drifted shut, head throbbing with every beat of my pulse, it was with a garbled groan.

The peace lasted another thirty seconds before Katsuki started pinching my side, where his arm was supporting my back.

"What did I just fucking say? Don't. Fucking. Sleep!"

We got to the hospital around twenty minutes later and Katsuki strolled right on up to the front desk, the receptionist glancing up from frantically typing on her computer when Katsuki kicked the side of the wrap-around unit.

For my part, I had my eyes clamped shut against the absolutely merciless emergency room light, cold white squares set into the low ceiling and glaring down like the dicks they were.

"Oi! My stupid, shitty sister needs a fucking doctor-!"

"Name?"

"Kagami!"

I garbled a groan, head lolling back despite the sharp lance of pain. He'd texted our folks? What a dick move, tch.

"Kagami, you little brat!"

Ahhh, Kaa-san~

It was actually dad who reached us first - judging from the frantic clicking, mum was still wearing her stilettos -, coming up behind my twin's shoulder and flapping his hands frantically.

"You were electrocuted!?"

Things, as you can imagine, went downhill from there. And, considering the shittiness of my day already? Pfft, that's really saying something.

The doctors were immediately summoned at the first hint of electrocution, and then I had my vitals tested. Normally, if you were able to get up and walk away from a nasty shock like that...well, it happens to people everyday and they're fine. However, because I'd been sent flying, bashed myself and passed out, they were being careful. Add on that it was Quirk related - I wasn't being charged of misconduct or even a record being taken to ruin my chances at UA because of the passive nature of my Quirk...as far as anyone here knew, it had been an accident - and I was there a good few hours. Granted, most of that was just waiting around but, hey, that's the nature of hospitals.

Unfortunately, the waiting periods were the perfect time for an inescapable ambush and our parents took every advantage of this-

"Kagami, how could you?" it was the disappointment in my dad's voice that had my eyes fixed on the floor.

"I-er, I just thought…"

"Oh, we fucking know what you thought," Kaa-san sniped, legs crossed and arms folded.

The waiting room - I was waiting for a doctor to examine my head, with concerns for possible concussion - was beige and bland and hummed with quiet activity. The chairs were hard with dad to my left, Katsuki to my right and our mum opposite me.

My twin had refused to talk to me since the folks had arrived, avoiding even looking at me with jaw set and brows furrowed. However, my head was still throbbing, neck as weak as a pipe cleaner, and Katsuki had wordlessly wrapped an arm around my shoulder to support my skull.

"You're so irresponsible! I fucking thought Katsuki was going to be the problem child-" whoa, I knew it was bad when my brother didn't even twitch at that, "-but you've certainly proved me fucking wrong!"

I, on the other hand, did flinch.

"You don't seem to care about your own health! What if you'd fucking died, Huh?!"

-Katsuki was nice enough to hold his ire until we were back home.

I know, I was surprised too.

I was dumped on his bed - yep, he didn't even take me to mine - and had to grab the edge before I pitched off again. Above me, Katsuki turned on the lamp, pulling his hoodie over his head and glaring at me through his messy hair.

"Thanks for the lift-" I started, only slightly sarcastic.

"What. The. Fuck, Kagami?"

My mouth slowly closed, polite smile fading. "Ah."

Scarred, calloused hands ran through platinum spikes and my brother started pacing, his face in shadow with the yellow desk lamp behind him.

"What the fuck were you thinking? Extra training with a fucking car?! What if you'd scrambled that stupid, oh-so-fucking-clever brain of yours, idiot!"

"Hey, it was just a test and aside from the whole hitting my head bit, I'm fine! The doctors said I was fine!"

"That's not the point, Kagami!" My brother raged, jerking to a stop and spinning to stare down at me. His eyes, in the dark of his room, blazed maroon and his chest heaved. Fuck, if I didn't know better I'd say he...he...was upset.

I blinked, lips parting.

Like...upset upset. Like he didn't know what to feel or do and his eyes looked a little shiny and, fuck, but I knew we loved each other but Katsuki was never this open and-

Honestly, I wasn't sure I could cope if he started getting emotional. There was something very, very scary about that possibility. Because Katsuki was a constant, bullheaded and daring but never truly afraid. I'd seen him defensive and triumphant, terrified and angry, but everything connected to uncertainty or fear had always been tightly controlled. When he'd been attacked, that had been a desperate will to live.

Suddenly, I wondered how I'd looked when he'd found me. Smoking and conscious, my head bleeding and the car sparking and-

I sat up, hunching over when my vision spun and glanced up to hold my brother's burning gaze.

"I want to be stronger."

His nostrils flared, mouth pinched and jaw visibly popping.

"You've never doubted your Quirk, Katsu. I can't even touch our parents without hurting them! Do you know how that fucking feels?! To just hurt people but not be any good in a fight? How can I help Victims or save people if all I do is hurt them? I wanted to know what would happen if I faced robots. Something that won't let go just because I catch fire. Something that doesn't have a pain tolerance. So, go on. fucking scream at me for being reckless and careless. What's done is done."

The room was silent for a long second and I finally sat back, chest heaving and eyes traitorously prickling. My eyes closed, neck as weak as a pipe cleaner and waited for the inevitable explosion.

It...didn't come.

One eye peeking open to see what was taking so bloody long, I found myself staring at my brothers face, so strikingly similar to my own.

Today was apparently a day of new discoveries...I'd never seen Katsuki so...conflicted before.

However, Katsu was Katsu and the anger in those ruby eyes was impossible to restrain.

"You're a fucking idiot, Kaga. I've said it before and I'll fucking say it again: I'm gonna win." He leaned in close, shoving me to the side so that he could plonk himself down next to me. We were both fully dressed, in trackies and tees, but I wasn't too fazed. Neither was Katsuki. "You fucking promised to be number 2-" ("er, not exactly, bro-") "-so don't be so fucking insecure, you're not like that."

I hid my smile in the swell of his growing shoulders. How...sweet.

"Don't be so fucking stupid again, asshole."

"You're a dick."

My parents, funnily enough, were nowhere near as, erm, accommodating as my twin.

"Grounded!"

"Nani?!"

"For two weeks!"

"Ehhh?!"

I gaped, giving Katsuki a disgusting view of my half-chewed cereal. He wrinkled his nose, ramming his heel into my foot under the table and turning back to his own breakfast. "But-bu-but that's not fair!"

Kaa-san's hands slammed down on the table, shaking the cutlery. Katsuki's glass fell over and spilt the last of his water down his trousers, setting him off on a storm. Over the racket, mum continued.

"I don't give a shit! I told you to take it easy, to be fucking careful, brat! And you went and not only started a car but gave yourself a fucking electric shock with it! Grounded, Kagami!"

Mouth flapping and hands extended beseechingly, I turned to dad. "Papa, can't you-"

The usually stressed but sweet brunette wasn't in a forgiving mood either, lifting a hand to stop my protests in their tracks. "No, Kagami-chan. You were incredibly foolish-"

"-you could have died, brat!"

So, yeah. Breakfast was tense, even more so when kaa-san reminded Katsuki it was his turn to make the bentos and my brother flipped his shit. Fair, considering he'd made them yesterday and Kaa-san had just soaked his uniform.

Auntie Inko had probably heard from mum and then passed the news onto Izuku because low and behold, who was waiting to - nervously, as standard - ambush me?

Our little forest-headed Hero himself.

"K-Kagami-chan! A-are you a-alright? Kaa-san-"

"Oh," I sheepishly rubbed my throat, running a finger under the edge of my bodysuits high collar with a grimace. "Yeah, I'm fine...hit my head a bit but I'm all good! Just a scab!"

"It's all my fault though! I was the one to suggest you experiment with electrics-!"

"Easy, easy, Izuku-kun," I soothed, slipping an arm through his and leading us through the yard. Absently, I noticed that Izuku had grown another inch. Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

"Don't you want to hear what I learned?"

Like candy from a baby, I grinned, tucking my crap into my locker and then filling Izuku in on what happened whilst he organised his own.

"-your own combustible abilities seem to have triggered those of a current and maybe even bolstered your own powers? It's fascinating because the base of your Quirk is friction even though, like most Quirks, they rarely follow more than the basic science of it, so the extra charge of electricity heightens your attack power. However, your body isn't suited to handling that kind of energy so, not only did it hurt but you failed to maintain coherency or conscio-"

"It didn't hurt." I interrupted, twisting to meet my friend face on. It...it didn't. Hurt, that is.

"Ah!" Izuku only seemed to gain speed from the interruption. "So, maybe the extreme heat your body has adapted to protect you from your own Quirk has also inhibited the effects of electrocution. If youweretochargeacurrent, pairedwithyournaturalfriction-basedfireabilities, youmight-"

Izuku's rant, devolving as per usual into unintelligible mumbles, was interrupted by the loud ring of the bell.

"Class time," I groaned, quickening our pace down the corridors.

The day at school, and therefore giving them space to clear their heads, and the lack of any lasting effect didn't deter the folks and they were no more forgiving when the two of us returned.

And so, for the next two weeks, I wasn't allowed to train. It was a much simpler schedule, a far cry from what I was used to, and without the gym and personal Quirk training, I'd never looked forward to karate and fencing more. Those classes we paid for so the folks had made an exception.

In fencing, my new style was going well. Or, rather, I felt a little more capable.

As soon as class was officially over, sensei and I would hang back and discuss my new style. I'd been the one to suggest a broader weapon, something heavier and possibly double-edged. It was a bit risky considering I didn't have anything like that to practice with and...as a Hero, having a deadly weapon?

Yikes, I was glad I had years of practice under my belt, even if it was considerably less in this life. I'd need precise control not to, ya know, maim or kill someone. I'd been a bit of a pacifist before but, seeing as that really wasn't gonna work here, I'd like to at least keep my kill count at zilch.

Sensei, two weeks into learning how to fight a little less like this was the Olympics and more like Wesley in The Princess Bride, had declared, hands cupping his chin as I altered my sets, that I needed spontaneity.

Before he lunged.

Scrambling back and forcing myself out of the automatic En Garde crouch, I could only dance around the wacks of his foil. For a man who, I'd discovered, studied fencing whilst attending University in France, sensei was very good at fighting like a lunatic and not the stiff and perfectionistic man I'd been studying under.

When I realised he was trying to crowd me into a corner where I'd be forced to cede the match, I decided that a looser style meant looser rules.

As in, none.

Quick as a flash, I ducked under his next swing, swiping at his legs with my own and hurrying to press the side of my own blade to sensei's chest when he hit the floor with a resounding smack.

Sensei had been impressed. So impressed he'd insisted on all but smacking me down for another two hours, forcing me to duck and weave and flat-out run away.

Never let it be said that sensei wasn't a prideful man.

School had been considerably less rewarding when, as I'd basically hyper fixated on preparing for the future, I'd neglected preparing for the future.

As in paying attention in class.

Now, I know, I know, I was a Uni student! Surely, I'd breeze through middle school content like it was a joke! I'd be top of the class!

ERR-ERR! (think of the "wrong-o" buzzer noise, those of you without an imagination.)

Can I say something here? Good, because I'm gonna. I was a University student getting a degree in History. Not only were my memories already beginning to blur (obsessing over the timeline of this manga had kept certain events clear in my mind, yes, but at the loss of other memories), but I hadn't studied certain subjects in years. I'd been at the top of all my classes at high school because, not to sound like a dick, I was naturally pretty clever. I'd had to work hard at maths, though, and even in Life Two… I was not gonna be coming Top anytime soon. Add on my hatred of writing Japanese?

Yup. I was a pretty piss-poor student.

Not low enough to be of any danger getting into UA (I mean, Mina and Kaminari and Kirishima had got in fine!) but I was average, although I'm pretty sure everyone knew I was much cleverer than my spazzy writing would suggest.

Katsuki was top of the class...Izuku, Izuku was second.

Part of me was tempted to assume that Katsuki wasn't aware because, surely, he'd lose his tits. But, then again, there really wasn't a way that my competitive little shit of a brother wasn't absolutely aware of both my standing and Izuku's ranking. Anyone else, besides his sister and the boy he hates? Inconsequential in Katsuki's book, overconfident lil ass.

I was low-key (okay, high-key) looking forward to UA when he wasn't All That anymore and had to acknowledge people's skills besides the two of us, haha!

But, regardless, school wasn't a walk in the park. Yeah, maybe I should be embarrassed that my brother was so much smarter on paper than a girl with memories spanning 15+ years in full-time education but meh. I wasn't exactly diligent.

Katsuki, however, was.

"Let me sleep…"

I was unceremoniously smacked up the head before Katsuki continued drilling his finger into my uncompleted math sheet.

How would you smack someone ceremoniously? Like...a ritual? Or in a church or around a ceremonial bonfire? Do you think you can get a licen-

"Kaga! For fuck's- do your homework, you lazy ass!"

"You're a dick."

"You're gonna fucking fail...tch."

"No I won't, don't be so bloody melodramatic~"

"Tch."

"Don't 'tch' me!"

"Oi, brats! No bloody fighting at the table- if I have to replace it for a second time, you two will be paying for it!"

"What! That's not fair! Katsuki should pay for it, he doesn't even bloody spend his allowance and he's the one who breaks shit-"

"Don't fucking swear, Kagami!"

"Er, maybe that would be a bit more meaningful, Mitsuki, if-"

"I ain't paying for shit-!"

"You're full of shit-!"

"No. Fucking. Fighting!"

…...

After the incident with the car, Katsuki had become a little more...in tune? With my moods.

Nothing so obvious to install worry, nothing anyone but our folks and, more than likely, Izuku had noticed. But he didn't brush me off as much, his eyes would sometimes follow me, careful and...thoughtful.

Sometimes, when I cracked a joke at the gym, he'd tease me back.

"Touch down!" I cheered, as if I actually knew shit about sports, when I finished my last set on the shoulder press and lowered the bar back into its holder.

Behind me, Katsuki snorted around the rim of his water bottle.

"Hole in one~" He sniped with a roll of his eyes.

A burst of bright laughter escaped my chest, mouth stretched into a beatific grin whilst my mind froze in shock.

It had been ages since Katsuki did anything but ignore or snort at my silliness. Like. Ages.

He still hadn't turned around though and I knew, for all his physical prowess, it was being social that tripped my twin up. So I played it cool, jabbing a playful elbow into his ribs and letting him take my place opposite the mirror.

But I smiled for the rest of the day.

Once our folks let me back in training, with another speech about prioritizing health over anything else, I was literally back to the drawing board.

My dad had been more than happy to dig out my Quirk file, even without my explanation.

The patient's Quirk stems from her skin glands. A secretion of extremely flammable sweat, akin to nitroglycerin, is activated upon a force applied. The effect is not limited to the general area surrounding the main glands but extends over the entirety of her skin.

[see note- epidermal cells instead of regular glands. Possible that patient's skin contains goblet cells under all epithelial]

Force applied:

Artificial friction: increase in temperature just beneath the skin. Possible that initial ignition is internal response to external stimuli.

Skin on skin: instant increase in heat, second subject submitted to burns. Severity of effect, direct correlation with amount/contact length.

[Patient becomes increasingly distressed, burns now open flames]

I flipped the file closed without bothering to flip the page. I knew what I'd find anyway.

Katsuki and I had been in the same room, with different doctors but not separated on our parents' insistence. We were twins, they'd argued, and they wouldn't make one wait for the other. Neither could the doctors make they choose between who to be there for.

After I'd started crying, the tests had quickly derailed when I set the bedcover on fire, huddling in the corner until dad, crouching a foot away, could calm me down enough to get myself under control.

It had been horrible and a little traumatising and I doubted I'd ever forget it.

The file, despite only being three pages in a slightly thicker wallet, felt heavy in my hands.

...lips pursed, I flipped open Katsu's for comparison's sake.

….

Hunched over our computer in Katsuki's room, I typed as quickly as possible, aware of the impatient glare burning a hole into the side of my skull and that my extremely reluctant brother could go off at any point.

Not that I wouldn't drag his ass back immediately. I'd didn't believe in that bullshit about guys not taking any interest in joint presents and I wasn't about to start now.

"What are we thinking, then? I mean, she liked the bath soaps from last year but then she saw the shirt on sale two weeks later and didn't shut up about it for ages…"

Katsuki was silent for a long moment, elbows on knees where he was sat on his bed and chin propped up on his fist. "What about shoes?"

"Shoes?" I twisted in the desk chair to grimace at the other boy. "She has so many, though...Papa was complaining the other day that there's no more space for another pair of courts."

Scarlet eyes, barely visible through the tufts of hair falling to brush his cheeks, rolled. "The Hag always chats shit about her damned volleyball, right? If we get her some new pumps, maybe she'll stop talking my fucking ear off and do it."

I clapped my hands together, flames sparking briefly and the sharp noise made Katsu's shoulders jerk in shock. "Excellent! If she's out of the house, then we'll get out easier too!" I twirled the chair back, feet raised to extend the spin and patted off the lingering flames at my wrists. "Brother-mine, that's the Tea."

Click, click, click-

"Yellow or blue?"

"Urghhh…"

In the end, we agreed on the buttercup yellow ones - Kaa-san's favourite colour this season - and I managed to make Katsuki cough up half the amount and spring for shipping. Which was fair because I was saving up for some more fashionable pollution masks so I didn't look like Kakashi or a renegade doctor. Katsuki was saving for another figurine.

Yeah, I'd say my need was dire-r.

Whilst we were at it, I put my refined Google-ing skills to use and tracked down the nearest volleyball court. Which was, luckily enough, just one train stop earlier from where my fencing class was. It was an indoor thing and you could either book sessions for your own team or sign up of one of the existing ones. It was a bit pricey but, after paying for our karate and gym, and my fencing, we figured it was only fair to return the favour. It was expected too because, of course, adult classes were more expensive. Tch.

If I kept all my extracurricular up throughout UA, I was gonna be so skint…

But, with the hullabaloo of present buying set aside, Katsuki and I could withstand our mother's teasing about procrastination a little better. I wasn't sure about my twin, but I'd been breaking a sweat every time she trash talked some new trend in the magazines out of fear that, when we did buy something, she'd troll it without meaning to. As it was, I was supremely confident in our taste.

Heaven knows I wasn't the most fashionable person recently.

Okay, so, funny story. Or, rather, it would be once I'd acquired suitable emotional distance.

Katsuki and I had a list of chores that we split between us every week. I was an okay cook, better at 'Western' baking, but Katsuki was rather fantastic at it. So, (I liked to think it was because he wanted to give us both the most delicious lunches and not as a slight to me, ahem) Katsuki tended to make our lunches, with Kaa-san giving him a break every once in a while. I, on the other hand, did our laundry.

And, last week, I'd made lunch. Katsuki had gone really hard in the gym the previous night and was out like a light the next morning and he really didn't have time to fuck about in the kitchen. So, whilst he was rushing through the shower, I cobbled together something for our bentos.

It was only fair, then, that Katsuki did a turn with a wash. So we were even, yeah?

Only the idiot boy didn't realise that my gloves had to be hand-washed. And he didn't realise that they were reversible either. Dove grey on the outside...lime green inside.

So now all of my whites were mint green.

It really wasn't my colour, making me look vaguely ill. I was unhappy about that, to be honest.

And Kaa-san had taken it as a personal insult that her own flesh and blood hadn't known how to treat fabrics (Papa had been rather disappointed too).

So, on top of having quite a good portion of my wardrobe look like hospital scrubs, I now had to deal with one bratty twin brother who was getting lectured every night on how to handle silks and the incredibly important difference between true velvet and velveteen.

The boy could grump and groan however much he wanted, though, but I wasn't so foolish as to think he wasn't absorbing every bit of information. Katsuki was very unprejudiced about knowledge like that. I mean, he'd always paid attention to how I did my hair and my nails and my makeup; I had little doubt he could imitate me just as well.

I didn't know if, in Canon, Katsuki had known this shit, had paid attention. Oh-ho! Maybe Kaa-san and Papa had been really fucking excited about the offer from Best Jeanist and that's why he'd picked that internship! Oh fuck, haha!

Regardless, we were both paying for his ignorance. Ahhhhh...it would be hilarious-

-in a while.

But my new minty wardrobe wasn't a-okay so, after our next karate lesson, I insisted we go shopping.

It was the last week of November and the weather had turned accordingly.

Katsuki had had the opportunity to practice his drumming that morning (checking the time, I'd tapped his screen to see the text in his notifications) but he'd not said shit.

Hiding a smile in the high collar of my quilted bomber, I promised myself that we'd be back before three so he could still go.

…..

Our mum turned 38 (I know right?!) in the first week of December. The sky was the palest blue, devoid of a single whisper of cloud, and Katsuki had a cold.

I know, pfft. He actually seemed to be insulted, above everything but angry and miserable, as if he couldn't believe the germs had fucking dared.

Cackle as I might, I wasn't a total tosser so I'd spend quite a few days shovelling dad's chicken noodle soup into Katsuki's yelling mouth and diluting meds into his water (because heaven fucking forbid you try and get him to take them without argument! Urghhhhhhhhh-). I'd been the poor soul to slap wet flannels to his forehead and pick up all his used tissues and make sure he wasn't a self sabotaging idiot.

I swear to god I hadn't gone through thick and thin with that boy for 1.5 decades for him to ruin it all by trying to go on a morning run. In. December.

Fucking stupid fucker-

"Kaa-san, happy birthday!" I beamed, kicking my brothers ankle when he failed do anything but sit, blanket I'd forced on him double knotted around his shoulders, and look petulant.

The third blonde at the table, smirking red lips that matched her nails and ankle boots, snorted into her tea at the scene.

"How are you so youthful looking and cool?" I whined, flopping into my own chair and dragging the orange juice closer.

Blonde brows spiked but our mother was obviously pleased, preening just a bit. "Aren't brats supposed to complain about how ancient their folks are?"

I grimaced around the rim of my glass, batting away Katsuki's hand when I'd get it down. There was no way I was catching his bug. "You're gonna be a young grandma too."

Dad and Katsuki simultaneously breathed the wrong way.

Kaa-san, for her part, immediately cackled, red lips stretched wide. "Should I be beating anyone up? Tryna tell me something, kid?"

Katsuki's fist took that moment to explode and, aware that he was using my blanket, I punched him between his shoulders, hard.

Just to help his cough, promise!

Under the pretence of rubbing his back with false sympathy, I leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"If you think, little brother, that you can bang your chest and pull any restraining, overprotective bullshit… I'll punt you all the way to Hawaii~"

Katsuki wrenched away from my grip, face flushed from a mixture of anger, embarrassment and fever, but my work was done so I straightened, smirking. The expression, I've been told, is rather creepily like Kaa-san's so the weariness in my twin's gaze was warranted.

"If you bloody well try it, I'll return the favour but a hundred times worse. Every embarrassing story, every time you vomited out of spite as a kid...I'll even carry around naked baby photos."

The flush was definitely getting worse now. "I've got fucking worse on you, Kaga!"

And I grinned. "Bring it, Bitch!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm the fuck down you two. I'm trying to fucking unwrap gifts here!"

She was chuffed with the shoes - winking at the buttercup shade - and claiming the membership was the perfect chance to 'cramp my style' on the train to fencing. I wasn't fazed, having long gotten over the teenage angst of 'Urgh, moooooooom, you're so uncool!'.

Resting on our laurels, Katsuki and I shared a triumphant look (Katsu's was more condescending, as if I hadn't had to wrestle him in class to team up and it was all him). Which immediately dropped when Kaa-san spent the entirety of dinner - dad cooked hotpot and coconut buns - reenacting one of her last college matches, where she, er, won?

Fuck, I couldn't even tell you what role she played! (There were different positions, right?)

Kaa-san and I watched a trashy Korean Drama that night, something so eye-searingly cliche that dad had almost tripped getting out of there and Katsuki had pretty much hissed like a vampire. Which was stupid because dad was the biggest movie crier I'd ever seen. Ever. Like, as in both lives.

Katsuki, something of a film snob, was still growling as he grumpily brushed his teeth later.

Then, as December unfolded, the winter tests came. They were something of a final hurdle before our final exams and graduation and all three of us, myself and the boys, were...um. Well, we tried to cope in our own ways.

Ever know how to do something, something familiar that should be old hat by now? But, when it comes down to it, you're still a quaking mess?

That was me with tests. They never got easier.

Katsuki - surprise, surprise, blah, blah, blah - got the best in most subjects. But. But he did have a habit of flipping his shit on the occasions when he was beaten. Like now, come to think of it, snarling like a rottweiler with my own test (the one he'd said I'd fail, ironically enough) smudged in his face.

He ripped it off, lip curling and unamused, only to stare at my full marks English exam. No-one else was as good.

Behind me, rummaging in his own locker, Izuku ducked behind the open metal door. The sweetheart had come third, unwittingly aided by my propensity to hum English songs, and hadn't waited a second to congratulate me. Genuinely, too.

Wow but Izuku was a much better person than me. And Katsuki, heh.

"What. The. Fuck. Kaga?!"

"I'm just that awesome," I smirked, pretending to file my nails before pausing and rifling through the pocket of my bag to pull out an actual file and doing them for real. Izuku had painted them Clementine orange during lunch yesterday so there wasn't much to do.

Katsuki squinted down at me. "You didn't cheat...right?"

"I'm disgusted by your lack of support!-" I wasn't, really, because I trolled the teachers enough that his doubts were pretty valid. But, still. I didn't have to fake smarts to aggravate them. And, anyway! If, for arguments' sake, I did cheat, it wasn't going to be in a bloody English test, that's for sure! "Of course, I fucking didn't; I listen to bloody English music, you dick!"

Katsuki had the second highest score with a mark of 87. Ouch, his pride.

Then again, in the real world, he had to get used to disappointment so…I basked in my success for the rest of the day. Then, at three and still radiating satisfaction, we got our final homework sheets.

And Katsuki insisted, as we tossed our bags in our rooms and sat down at the table to get the work over and done with, that I speak my thought process aloud as I worked.

Despite everything I knew about Katsuki being extremely independent and aggressively self-absorbed, I wasn't too surprised. It wasn't the first time I'd had high marks in English homework (actually, I had a near perfect grade in the class, only ruined because of some "it just sounds right" grammar logic that I struggled to actually put into comprehensive reasoning). But, I think our looming applications to UA and our graduation from middle school were playing on my brother's mind. He'd been even more studious than usual, almost like on the homestretch with the finish line in sight.

So, really, as the only person he'd ever willingly shared with and relied on, I wasn't shocked. I was just...just a bit warm.

As for my own thoughts on the looming end of school?

My mind still lingered on my little bout of electrocution. I hadn't been allowed near anything like it since but... I thought of the flames clawing up my arm and roaring towards the sky…

Even if I found an exposed wire, a miracle most likely, I'd not exactly be able to get a lot done. One measly robot, no matter how cool the takedown, was worth fuck all in the exam.

So...it was back to the drawing board.

Because there was no way I was giving up.

Having a Quirk didn't suddenly make you a demigod. Sure, Katsuki had a strong ability and he hadn't struggled much with it, besides learned the 'on/off' switch, as it were, but that really wasn't the case for most people. Uraraka was violently ill if she pushed her limits and poor Momo had to know the structure of what she was making inside and out.

I hurt people with mine.

But, Todoroki had lost his mother, been scarred and lived in an abusive household all because of power.

Tokoyami, I could imagine, must've struggled terribly too.

All things in life worth having had to be worked for.

So electrics weren't the route for me, that was fine. But my power was strong, I knew that.

….I just had to be a little cleverer.

…...

The December holidays hit with the speed of a freight train and brought with it a fuck tonne of snow. It blanketed the city in marshmallow drifts, the foggy sky almost the same colour as the grey Tower blocks and businesses until I felt like I was in some mysterious scene, like in Up.

With the holidays, like the chaotic mess of Christmas, came the aggravation of gift shopping.

Now, I loved shopping.

What I didn't like was getting shoved and elbowed whilst doing it in the mad crowds.

I knew if I dragged Katsuki along, I'd be fighting a battle on two fronts instead of just one. And we'd both just be miserable. Leave that sourpuss to his own present hunting.

So, naturally, if I was looking for a taller shoulder to hide behind and a ray of sunshine to pull me through the experience, I went along with Izuku.

Izuku had, thankfully, failed to grow much more over the winter. However...All Might's training and the greenette's own work out regime meant that he was still growing...across the way.

Seriously, holy fuck. Between Katsuki and Izuku, I looked like the cheese in the sandwich. They were getting pretty built for two teens.

I told myself I wasn't jealous. I had my own six-pack...this is fine!

The mall was heaving and, using Izuku as my personal meatshield and battering ram, I was viciously glad that I was shorter for once. People didn't see me; ergo, I wasn't getting hit!

Crowds, try as I might, still made me panic.

It was just… such a close space! And I was touch-starved and dangerously flammable to boot. A moment of distraction and a touch and…

Crazy Girl Sets Shop Alight in Christmas Rampage-

Uh-huh. Fantastic.

Well, we'd been at it for almost three hours, most of it spent in queues or the checkouts, and it had been a damned good haul so far.

I had leather hiking boots for Katsuki, the kind with fleece and insane grips. Some plush wool for Papa so he could do some more casual knitting (making scarves was something he did on occasion when planning for the next season was driving him insane. He was still creating something whilst soothing his own tension with the rhythmic finger motions, so it helped with the anxiety). Kaa-san got a nice new watch and Auntie Inko some China pink rose earrings. Izuku's present...well, I'd have to get it when Kaa-san went out next weekend. I didn't think I'd manage to hide it from him here; he was far too clever for that, it would be a game of careful elimination as soon as I entered the right shop!

Izuku was giggling, telling me about how Mt. lady started throwing shade at a stalker on Twitter this morning when someone started calling my name.

"Bakugou-chan! Bakugou-chan!"

For a second, I thought I must have heard wrong. I mean, I was hardly Miss Popular and I couldn't think of anyone who'd be calling out to me off the top of my head-

"Er, Kagami-chan?" Izuku, my mitten hand tucked into the crook of his elbow, turned to me. The red wool hat, that contrasted strongly against those wild curls and wide eyes, was really very festive. I reached up with my left hand, elbow weighed down with bags, to push my fluffy earmuffs aside to hear clearer. "There's a boy calling you?"

Brows furrowing, I glanced around on bemusement. "What boy-Oh!" A familiar head of brunette hair, black in the limited daylight, bounced closer as the older boy jogged over. "Miharu-kun!"

Fuck but I hadn't expected to see him here. Wasn't the rich neighbour a good while away? Surely the snobs had their own shopping district without the knockoffs?

My occasional-fencing partner smiled, a genuine quirk to his lips. He was never too expressive, much too introverted for that, and I wondered in the back of my mind if, thinking of Todoroki, it was the plight of pretty richer boys.

Nope...that wasn't a good comparison. Bugger, nevermind.

Miharu, oblivious to my mental distraction, was speaking. "Gift shopping, Bakugou-chan? And-"

"Oh!" I blushed, sending Izuku a mental apology for being such a ditz. "Miharu-kun, this is my best friend, Midoriya Izuku." I squeezed the younger boy's bicep with a grin when he beamed at the intro. God, but he knew he was my bestie. Dork, I laughed fondly to myself. "Izuku-kun, this is Miharu Kotaro. We go to fencing together!"

The older boy, who, I'd learned, was three years our senior and not four like I'd first thought, turned pale eyes to Izuku. Who promptly blushed so hard he almost steamed in the cold air.

I watched on with winged brows.

"I-I-I-I-I-" hell "-I-I'd best b-be going, Kagami-chan!"

My jaw dropped. Nani?

But, suddenly, Izuku was a whirlwind of swiftness, gently but quickly extracting his arm from mine and getting a good grip of his numerous bags.

"Izuku-" I squawked, earmuffs ascue and wrapped in a padded coat and puff-ball matching mittens and muff like a snowman. "What-"

"Kaa-san needs me back!" Emerald eyes were popped wide, stark against his heavily flushed skin. What the fuck is he-

I glanced at Miharu, his café skin and pearlescent eyes and the shine to his hair like tempered dark chocolate, and-

Ohhhhh….Oh, Izuku...pretty boy smiles and-

Well. Izuku had excellent taste. Miharu was lovely and indeed very pretty.

An unattainable older guy too? Izuku, my god.

"Are you sure? We should go get coffee together!" Izuku's wide gaze asked me why I enjoyed torturing him. "Auntie won't need you back for a while, you must've read your watch wrong! She said four, and it's only two!"

"There's a street vendor," Miharu piped up, smiling gently, "just a street over. Their hot chocolate is great, apparently, if you want to keep walking?"

"That sounds fantastic!" I beamed, looping arms with one of Izuku's again and gripping on tightly this time.

Miharu turned kind eyes to the other boy and I dug an elbow into his ribs. It's effectiveness was questionable, though, because of all the layers.

Apparently incapable of functionable speech, Izuku just nodded rapidly, a bit like a bobblehead.

I smirked, smug as an obese cat.

"So...Miharu-kun," I drawled, taking it upon myself to get the ball rolling. "What do you want to be when you're older?"

I peered around Izuku to see him.

And, yes, I had maneuvered the two boys to walking together. I mean, I had the most bags so arguing that walking on that side of me was difficult was the easiest thing in the world. Heh.

I'll admit to being excited but...Izuku had very little friends at school.

Like...me. And that's it. But, I mean, he was my only friend there too, so.

Wow. If I included Miharu and my own twin, that ranked me up to grand total of...drum roll...three friends!

So, call me a busybody, fine! But, being attracted to him or no, Miharu could be a good friend to Izuku. I didn't know how he viewed Quirklessness and I wanted to hope for the best. But people were ignorant.

Didn't mean we stopped trying though.

(Also, FYI, Miharu was almost 17- there was no bloody way he'd look at two short middle schoolers and think "damn, I should date one!" because that would be weird. Puberty was such a fucking trip that a two year age difference was really equivalent to a four year one. Just sayin')

"A Police Officer, Bakugou-chan."

I could almost see Izuku perk up with interest, the both of us turned to the brunette.

"I-I-I-Is your Quirk useful for that, Miharu-san?" Izuku piped up, breathless and with a faint tremble to his arm in mine. I squeezed it, proud of him for speaking up. The Quirkless boy glanced back at me, mouth crooked and bashful.

Precious bean.

It turns out that asking about his dreams for the future was a good call because, damn, Miharu was passionate. After two years of fencing together, I'd already guessed a lot of the details. But...well...I didn't like talking about my Quirk, especially when sensei had had to warn the other students about being careful with contact. It wasn't taboo but Miharu had quickly picked up that the topic didn't exactly make me smile so we just...glossed over it.

Miharu's Quirk was, undeniably, super interesting. I'd only wish for an off button. His eyes were, technically, all pupil. Why they were white then didn't add up in my books but, hey; I was shit at science. Don't look here for any explanations. They could process light so well, though, that everything around him appeared to give off a faint glow. Like a strange camera, I guessed. The 'magic' (it was part of every Quirk, I'd eventually realised. Half science and half magic was the only way my brain could cope, especially with weird ones like mine and One for All) was that this somehow let him detect movement a second before it happened, like a backwards echo.

I didn't know about anyone else but...what the fuck? Talk about PTSD to Naruto.

It was undeniably awesome to think about because...Miharu and I were damn near equals with a blade.

I'd cracked the tension, my work done, and Izuku couldn't help but grill the older boy on his vision. Emerald eyes burned with intelligence and I really wasn't surprised to see the pleased slant to Miharu's mouth. Izuku's approach could intimidate some or, for those more like me, be ridiculously gratifying.

When we found the stand, I was the one to interrupt their ridiculously technical discussion for their orders.

Which Miharu proceeded to pay for.

"That's! That's not - necessary-" Izuku flapped, bags at his feet and red glove stuffed in his pocket for his wallet.

"My treat!" Miharu smiled, his widest yet, with soft crinkles appearing around his eyes.

Something shivery and fond trembled in my belly. Oh bugger.

When the brunette turned back to the counter, I shot a glance at Izuku, who was trying to put the last of his bags in his backpack and surprisingly succeeded.

Throwing a quick glance back at Miharu, I bent to hiss in Izuku's ear under the pretence of helping him.

"Oh god, why'd he have to be cute?"

The effect was immediate, the green-eyed boy flinching away from me violently with cherry cheeks and blank-with-panic eyes fixed blindly ahead.

Pressed for time before our drinks arrived, I snatched his arm and reeled him back in. "Easy, easy there, Izu-kun; Miharu is 17, we can look but not touch." The Midoriya whined like a broken record and, rolling my eyes, I gave him a quick shake. "Cool it, buddy! Nothing wrong with two friends both having great taste!"

Well. I felt pretty awful for the younger boy. I least I had vague memories of what crushes felt like. Enough to feel pretty comfortable with them, at least.

Might I also add that knowing someone is completely unattainable can be the safest way to figure this stuff out? No pressure to act. Not having to navigate their emotions on top of your own. So long as you're realistic and don't actually fall in love...pretty fucking useful, especially if it's attraction to a gender or an identity you'd never felt like that towards before.

The rattle seemed to ground the greenette, face settling into something much more composed. "There we go!" I grinned, twisting just in time to accept my drink from Miharu. "Thanks!"

It was then that I felt my phone buzz and, clicking my tongue, I juggled my load to reach into my pocket.

Where the fuck is the charger?

Never let it be said that Katsuki wasn't a master conversationalist.

I left it in your room! Last night

It's not fucking there!?

ASK DAD

"Everything alright?"

I blinked up at the two boys. "What? Oh! Yeah, it's just Katsuki - my brother," I added when Miharu merely blinked.

The brunette smiled again, small and wry, with snowflakes catching in his dark hair. "You have a brother?"

"A twin," I corrected him, sipping my drink with no thought for the scalding temperature. "Do you? Have siblings?"

"An older sister," he grinned, one of the biggest smiles I'd ever seen on him. It was obvious he loved her. I wondered if Katsuki ever looked so pleased to say he had a sister. "She's studying physics in Tokyo, wants to be an engineer. Her Quirk is like mine but she sees how things move, not the actual movement itself. It's hard to describe but it's pretty complex."

Eyes wide, I stared up at him. Izuku, for his part, looked desperate for a notebook or, failing that, any type of writing utensil. He'd scrawl up his opposing arm if he could. I knew from experience. "That sounds...well, amazing? But also kinda distracting? Can she...turn it off? Doesn't it get tiring?"

Maybe it was because being Quirkless was normal for me but...I think I'd hate to have such a Quirk. Sure, mine was a curse and not a blessing but...god, can you fucking imagine having to deal with that?

Miharu merely shrugged, clearly unfazed and took a gulp of coffee. As one, we crossed the street towards the Station, grey sky having slowly begun to darken as the afternoon slipped away. "No, and I see what you mean but we've never seen the world any differently?" He twisted towards us, blinking the dark lashes that framed his eyes as if to illustrate his point. Izuku's arm was a little stiff in mine. "I don't know about you but I barely remember life before my Quirk... I mean, we were only four!"

The two of us were rigid as boards and my good mood soured. Even necking the last of my cocoa failed to warm me.

"Ha...yeah," I coughed, smiling as genuinely as possible and not daring to look at Izuku. "Never known any better."

"What train are you getting, Bakugou-chan, Midoriya-kun?"

I blinked rapidly, twisting to crane my neck at the nearest display and pressing my shoulder more firmly to Izuku's. "Platform 2, for the both of us."

"Ahhh, I'm platform 5...it was nice seeing you, Bakugou-chan," I was treated to another soft smile before Miharu turned to the boy beside me. "A pleasure to meet you too, Midoriya-kun."

"...you t-too, Miharu-san."

"We should do this again?"

I agreed, dipping my head and shoulders in the gentlest bow and held my grin until the brunette was up the stairs and off to catch his train.

"You okay there, Izu-kun?" I immediately asked, leading us both towards our own platform.

When our train pulled up, heaving with shoppers like the two of us, we were forced to cram into the carriage. Izuku, good friend that he was, stepping into Katsuki's role and braced my head down.

"Well?" I prompted, staring straight at the floor for good measure. Unfortunately, this meant I couldn't read my friend's expressions as well.

"Y-yeah...I'm fine." And I believed it because, one, I couldn't detect a lie and, two, Izuku was remarkably steadfast like that. Sure, he wept and struggled but the boy was so very human.

Urgh. Way to sound like an alien creep there, idiot.

I opened my mouth. And closed it.

I'd put the poor guy through enough. Let's not break his mind by prodding at crushes.

The train was really too busy for much talking, humid and gross from body heat and melting snow, and my thoughts turned inwards.

This body was...strange. I'd never felt like I was older than my peers, an adult with kids, just more mature and with a much more solid sense of self. This body had developed like a normal child's and I'd felt every stage. I'd been highly emotional as a kid, my brain struggling to learn and understand and I'd grown. I didn't feel physical attraction either, the hormones there but...I'd never had a crush. I'd known how to do shit, like what walking was supposed to feel like and what was happening around us. What was expected of us. I knew how sex had felt and I remembered dating and getting drunk but...it was with a sense of detachment.

That wasn't to say I didn't feel an emotional attachment to before but it was different. This body didn't have the same reactions as my old one. And I was only just entering puberty, give me a break! This body didn't feel emotions before it's time. I wasn't a young teen lusting after others and neither was I a 20-year-old (now, technically, 34 years) stuffed into a child. I was Kagami.

And Kagami was conflicted.

(Third person was for dramatic effect, I'm not bonkers.)

Miharu was...nice. He was from a richer family but still relatively modest. He was friendly and easy to talk to. Pretty too, if I thought about it. His dark hair and rich Terracotta skin emphasised his pearlescent eyes and, considering how much older he was, I could almost forgive him the half-foot height difference. I knew all of these things, accepted them as barefaced fact.

Did it mean I liked him, liked him?

I'd...had this issue before. Dating someone because they were nice and pretty but...there hadn't been a spark and I'd ended it really quickly, feeling worried that I would never be able to commit myself to someone.

Fuck but I was jumping the gun! I bump into a friend, who buys us coffee and we walk together to our trains, and Izuku obviously agrees and suddenly I see him in a new light and suddenly I'm having an existential crisis?!

Nuh uh, no fucking way was I getting into those mind games. God, it's just like that texting game where you start stressing because they haven't replied or what if you send too many emojis?

Ahhh...speaking of-

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, grimacing at Izuku apologetically for the elbow I dug into his belly. And... Ooooh, 10 texts from Katsuki!

None of them were very fucking surprising. A few telling me to fucking answer, another about how his charging cable was obviously lost so he'd taken the liberty of nicking mine until I fucking returned it (the expletives were his, this time) (I was, honestly, a little touched he'd even told me instead of just taking it without a word like usual) and then another about being late to dinner.

I messaged that I was on the train now, omitting my exact company for the sake of my peace of mind even though he definitely knew who my favourite shopping partner was. I tucked my phone away before the dots formed an actual message.

Despite Katsuki's warnings, I did make it back for dinner. I'd said goodbye to Izuku where our walk divided, hugging his tightly and making him promise to message me, before I'd scurried on home alone. The house was roastingly warm when my key released the lock and I'd rushed to peel off my layers, shouting my greeting and running upstairs to stash my stuff before the meal was served.

We were having steamed dumplings with a miso and eggplant broth. Katsuki, naturally, ruined his with a fistful of chilli, from the bowl Papa had taken to leaving at his son's elbow. What a bloody masochist.

"Hey, Kaa-san...how do you know you like someone and aren't just flattered or in a friend way?" My idle words disrupted the gentle clack of utensils on crockery.

And then they registered.

Katsuki immediately started choking, fist to his mouth and Kaa-san's palm between his shoulders as he almost coughed up a lung when his mouthful went the wrong way. He was scarlet, other fist popping sparks where it was braced on the table edge.

Not a-bloody-gain!

I rolled my eyes, dipping the last mouthful of dumpling into my broth with utter serenity and utterly done with Katsuki heaving like a plague victim every time I mentioned feels.

For once, I ignored the opportunity to take the piss. I was actually serious. I remembered having crushes before but...Miharu confused me. I liked him but did I like like him?

…..those kinds of memories were super blurry, okay?!

"Well, brat, who's the heartbreaker?" Kaa-san, still smacking her youngest, grinned. It was very toothy, like a shark.

I shrugged, a slow and rolling shift of my shoulders. "I'm just curious…!"

Dad was looking pretty pale too, pouring two glasses of water and sliding one to my brother before knocking his back like a shot.

"Oh really? Hmm?" Mitsuki leaned closed, a hellish glint in her eye. Was she enjoying the general suffering or feeling protective? God but I could never tell. "Whatever you fucking say brat but, well," and, suddenly, she was sitting back, arms folded on the table and expression curious. I was gonna get whiplash one day, I fucking swear. "Do you feel nervous or jittery?"

"Can we, er, discuss this after dinn-" Dad piped up, swirling his second cup of water like it was whisky.

Apparently two minutes was Katsuki's reboot time.

"What the fuck?! You have a bloody crush?!"

I shot him a pitying glance. "Really, Katsuki, do try to keep up. That's what we're trying to fucking work out, idiot!"

"Tell me it's not shitty Dek-"

My chopsticks snapped in my fist, catching fire through my gloves. "Call him that! I fucking dare you! And anyway, I already told you that Izuku-kun is just a bloody friend! Pull your head out of your ass or these-" I waved my flaming handful towards him as dad tried to get me to drop them into an empty saucepan he'd grabbed from the counter. "-will be joining it!"

"So!" I clapped my hands, stubbornly ignoring how they were still wreathed in cherry red flames, and turned back to my mum. "I don't think I feel nervous but he's always very nice and he smiled loads and he bought me and Izuku coffee so do you think that was just friendliness?"

"Well…it's difficult to say. It could be that he was making an effort but boys are fucking stupid." Katsuki whipped his head to scowl at her. "They don't fucking know what they're doing half the bloody time. How old is he?"

"Umm," I speared a dumpling on my single surviving chopstick, even if it was charred, and ignored how my twin slammed his glass onto the table. Beside me, dad started massaging his temple with his free hand. "He's from fencing."

"All those brats are older!" Kaa-san smirked, ruby eyes carefully examining my expression. "Bit too much, though, Kaga."

"I know," I grinned before shooting a glance at dad from the corner of my eye. "He's just so pretty."

Dad groaned, elbow on the table and palm to his forehead. Katsuki, opposite me as usual, suddenly decided that choking just wasn't getting the reaction he hoped for.

"O-o-older?"

His gaze bore into mine, angry and hard and fucking rude.

"Thanks, Kaa-san," I rolled my eyes at her before turning an arch brow on my brother. "What?"

The wind dropped from his sails and he slumped back, mullish and with a definite pout.

"There, there," I dared to reach and pat his hand, eyes boring lasers at the skin where we touched and my efforts were rewarded; no blisters. "I'm not dating anyone, you loon."

"Whatever," he grumbled, red eyes hooded. "Don't fuck about."

I took that as nicely as possible, quite chuffed with myself for ignoring the insinuation that I would screw with people's emotions. Tch. As if I would. (Fourteen years old, boy-o, what are you getting at?)

Tch.

In bed that night, I stared at the ceiling. Unlike most nights when I couldn't sleep, I wasn't plagued with fears of the future or the timeline. No nightmares, of falling planes or faceless family members asking me why I was forgetting then so easily, or Katsuki choking to death as Heroes watched on.

Tonight, I was thinking about Miharu.

Isn't it funny how such a tiny thing can have your mind spinning? I had little doubt it was my new and inexperienced hormones muddling with my head, I was never this fucking tepid, but wow, those fuckers were effective. I'd already come to the conclusion I didn't like Miharu that way and I was still thinking about it.

Maybe it's because my old memories of this sort of thing had started to blur and mingle. Maybe it's because it had been over a decade since my brain had been fucked with this way.

Maybe I was just a chronic overthinker.

….

The early days of January could be summed up in a single word.

Soggy.

My hair, a chaos of spikes, wasn't the type to go foofy, thank fuck. But it did get a bit grim, weighed down with the humidity and knotted in the high winds. Katsuki, much to my relish, suffered a very similar fate. Minus the whole having-to-spit-your-hair-out-when-it-blows-in-when-you're-talking-thing.

So, sick of the state of her hedgehog children, Kaa-san dragged us to the hairdressers.

At this point my hair was brushing my collar bones, spikey in a rocker-chick way that I hadn't committed my aesthetic too so I just looked a little messy.

However, I loved getting my hair done, the entire experience. Nothing better than kicking back and getting your head massaged. So, Kaa-san settled on the sofa in the corner with a gossip rag in her grasp (how she maintained a manicure was beyond me, I was completely notorious for chipping 0.2 seconds after painting mine) and I all but melted into my own styling chair.

Katsuki had had to be wrestled into his, one of my hands stretched across to clamp down on his forearm like a prison manacle. The truly nightmare-inducing curve to our mother's lips had something to do with it too.

He sat and stewed, teeth bared and the hard muscles of his shoulders twitching with tension. Needless to say, he terrified the salon workers, flinching as they combed his hair and glaring when they pulled out their scissors.

I honestly thought he was going to break something and I liked this salon.

Hana, the girl currently debating whether to straighten or curl my hair at the end of our session, was lovely. And her hair was a cloud of deep aquamarine water that shifted and morphed styles around her shoulders.

And dammit! I needed to concentrate incase she accidently touched more than my hair!

"You're gonna be ba-alllld!~" I sang, eyes meeting Hana-san's in the mirror and nodding at the length to trim she was gesturing to. "Scalped like an egg!"

Katsuki roared beside me, head now stuck in the sink they'd wheeled behind him but I just grinned. "Fuck you, Kaga!"

The other customers looked really uncomfortable but...some things just can't be contained.

Like my brother, for example. Hehehe-

Thinking about his internship with Best Jeanist, I almost cried with laughter, cheeks puffed and stomach cramping from the force of holding it in. Holy fuck, I can't wait!

In the background, mum started complaining about how she couldn't take us "two monsters fucking anywhere".

I chortled, uncaring for the stares after so long but amused by the wary looks she herself was garnering. And not just because of her bright yellow leather jacket and airbrushed complexion.

Katsuki, upon my advice that I was flattered he'd taken, had wound up with a subtle undercut, the spikes on top of his head still brushing his brows in a fringe. It was more organised, less hedgehog-crazy-person and more an intentional messiness. He looked good.

I waltzed out after him with a rather different look. My Bob was even shorter, brushing my jaw that faded into a closer shave in the back. From behind, I probably looked even more like my brother and the thought was pleasing. It was angular and modern and, with my side parting and electric blue eyeliner that Izuku had bought me (he'd put together a bag of goodies for my gift and I loved him for it), I looked so cool.

Squeeeeeeeee!

Even Papa had blinked, smiling, when he'd first seen us come in and, if you had a fashion designer's (not really but yes really) approval, you'd done fucking good.

Miharu had eyed the new style with surprise on class that week and Izuku had fanboyed a little at school.

Before almost running a mile when I suggested he should get an undercut himself, to show-up my brother and all.

Honestly, though, can I just express the fact that everyone here would like divine with an undercut?!

(Although, Kirishima would look even better with long hair-)

…...

By February, the finals were looming and, as both a blessing and a curse, my extra sword lessons advanced to using poles to imitate a heavier weapon.

Miharu, slightly more freely spoken since Christmas, had begun to linger behind after class had ended to help. Sensei had been reluctant, understandable since I wasn't even paying for this extra hour, but gave in when the older boy pointed out that double teaming and saving a victim scenarios would prove really helpful. To both my practice as a Hero and his as a future Police Officer.

So the brunette joined us, acting as either a civilian I had to protect or a second villain to keep me on my toes.

It actually worked very well the first two sessions. Miharu was taller and broader than me, weaker than Sensei but sprightlier too, and it was a good combination to the mix. I struggled to heave him around, and not just because I had to be careful, when he played slow and helpless. And he was always dashing between sensei and I to land low blows on my ribs and knees.

I was very, very bruised but I'd definitely improved.

So much so that I'd invited Izuku to join but, much to my disappointment, he refused. I knew he was busy, god if I didn't know, but I was getting stressed…

(Pfft, as if it wasn't obvious)

...what was All Might teaching him? I knew he'd pass the exam but…well. I wasn't looking forward to the aftermaths of every Quirk use. I didn't know if I'd influenced anything enough that Izuku had a better understanding of difficult Quirks, from watching me struggle, or if his solid foundation of karate would change his style.

I could only cross my fingers at this point. I couldn't intrude...I just had to hold out until UA, when he 'reveals' his powers and I can take a much more proactive role.

A hand gripped my wrist, jerking my guard away and pulling me off balance.

"Focus!"

A hard tap to my ribs, the work of a low swinging staff, and I wrenched my arm free, jumping back a few feet (fuck yeah, anime!) to try and get some breathing room.

It was a two against one and I didn't have time, dammit, to angst over Izuku right now! Fucking focus, Kagami!

Sweat dripped down the curve of my spine, soaking through my jumpsuit to my tee-shirt and making it cling under the protective gear. I was so fucking glad the materials were breathable and I was glad for my thinner gloves. It may have been lashing it down outside, but I was roasting, gasping on every breath and heart pumping so hard I could taste blood.

I was glad for my cooler outfit.

Up until Miharu tried to grab my wrist again and I stepped back, twisting in his grip to try and loosen-

The glove caught fire, scarlet like hell itself and staggeringly hot, encirling my wrist.

Right where Miharu was holding me.

"Ahhhhhhh-" I screamed, leaping back and away and the older boy, the heat having taken a moment to fucking register, yelled right back, eyes watering and cradling his hand in a mirror of my own position.

"Okay, stop!" Sensei barked, a blur of efficiency as he sprinted towards the bathroom and reappeared a moment later with a handful of sopping paper towels. "Hand!"

Jaw popping from how tightly he was clenching it, Miharu gingerly extended the limb.

My fire had yet to burn itself out but it was smaller, lapping flames that flickered mockingly over my unblemished skin. I was too warm, too sweaty, too-

Oh god. Oh god, I'd hurt someone.

This wasn't like Kamui Woods. Miharu was a civilian and a friend and I wasn't in a bad situation. This was supposed to be controlled and safe and-

I'd been lulled into a false sense of security. Because my gloves were fingerless and starting fires by clicking fingers and touching my face had desensitised me in it's own way.

"Oh my god, Miharu-kun-" My mouth flapped uselessly, eyes unable to shift from the angry blisters already bubbling across the delicate tissue of his palms and the insides of his fingers. "I'm so sorry-"

"Calm down, Bakugou-chan. It's fine. These things happen. Do you need to use the sink?" Sensei interrupted, twisting from pressing the makeshift compress to Miharu's hand, and nodding to my fire.

Mute, I shook my head, clamping my fingers directly where Miharu's had been and forcing the fire gone.

"Good. Now, the both of you wait here whilst I get the first-aid kit."

The burn was ugly, a splotchy red rash that looked even worse against the sodden tissues.

As soon as sensei was out of sight, in the office, I was twisting, running towards our bags at the foot of the ballet mirror and digging out my spare gloves. My lightweight ones were ruined, the fingers the only things really remaining intact, and I was quick to rip them off, shoving my pale hands into replacements.

"I didn't realise your Quirk was quite so...strong." His words were quiet, solemn and shaky with an attempt at humour poorly tagged on the end. Somehow, that he was trying to make things better, I only felt worse.

Crouched by the mirror, I could see him gingerly fold to sit cross-legged on our practice mat, still holding his hand to the sloppy mess of tissues.

I almost shrivelled but forced myself not to move, spine straight and chin up as I sat back on my haunches. Miharu had every right to be angry or sad or even sympathetic and I wasn't gonna crumble on him and make him comfort me. "Yeah. I, I'm really really sorry. I can't turn it off," my lips quirked mirthlessly, "and it's sweat-based so fighting only makes it stronger." My voice was even but I knew I wasn't fooling anyone.

"I think I'd best call your parents, Miharu-kun." Sensei called, emerging from the office with the green box in his hands. Quickly and efficiently - so much so I wondered how many kids he'd patched up before - the older man wiped the area down, smeared burn cream and then told the teen to let the injury breathe.

"Are you gonna call mine too, sensei?" I muttered.

Calm eyes flicked to me. "Let's see Miharu-kun off first, no?"

I stood when the other two also rose, bowing as low as possible with arms ramrod at my sides. "I'm deeply sorry again."

Miharu stepped closer, feet entering my feild of vision, and tapped a single cold finger to the crown of my head. Ichiro-sensei moved a little to the side to make the call. "Has this happened before? It was only an accident, Bakugou-chan."

Guilt squirmed in my stomach like live snakes as I straightened. "No, actually," I frowned into the middle distance as I wracked my brains. The only incidences I'd had had been with Katsuki and he'd only ever cried angry tears...that his Quirk didn't make him as fireproof as me. It had been an insult, apparently. But most of my incidences had been with the inanimate and that had been more than enough to traumatise me into paranoia. "I don't usually...touch people."

Pale eyes flick over my face, carefully blank as two creamy pebbles. "And this applies to your entire body?"

Helpless, I huffed a laugh through my nose, mouth twisting. "Yeah, even where you don't normally sweat like your arms and feet. My Kaa-san's Quirk effects all of her pores so my dad thinks I'm more like her than the doctors originally thought. I'm sorry again."

It was quiet for a long moment and, behind us, sensei hung up on the phone.

"Miharu-kun, your family is sending a car around for you shortly. Bakugou-chan, perhaps you should freshen up whilst we wait?"

The words aimed at me were not meanly meant or meanly said and I didn't even blink. Coming from a family where we all had interesting pores, washing hands and faces and pits in the sink was just plain natural.

I'd hurt someone. And this wasn't just Katsuki in a fight because my brother always gave as good as he got. This was a boy who'd always been nice to me and had wanted to help but had been hurt anyway! He didn't have a natural resistance to fire like the Bakugou family.

It was a miserable thought but I told myself I'd have to get used to this hot curl of guilt in my stomach. There were, undoubtedly, going to be more people burned. Whether I would be distracted in a fight or not concentrating or whatever. I'd grown...comfortable in my boundaries with my folks and the Midoriyas. I hadn't had an incident in the dojo and the only other person I'd burned had been Kamui Woods.

Miharu was gone by the time I'd come out, walking down the steps but somehow knowing to turn back, catching my gaze with an awkward smile before he was hustled into the silver car on the curb.

"Shall we continue?"

"Sensei," I pursed my lips, "shouldn't we stop?"

The tall brunette quirked his head, black eyes assessing as he turned back inside and strode to pluck his sparring pole from where he'd set it aside. "It was a training accident and not the first, not the worst, to happen under my supervision. You are children and such is life in a society of Quirks. Now, shall we begin?"

I swallowed hard but picked up my own staff. "...ready, sensei."

He beat me down. Hard.

"Focus, Bakugou-chan! You're scared, I can smell it! Don't just dodge, you need to take advantage of every single opening-"

Thwack, thwack, thwack-

Groaning, I pressed one hand along my ribs whilst the other awkwardly lifted the stave in front of me, held diagonally in an attempt to shield myself.

"Have you given up then?"

My arm dropped from where it had curled protectively over my middle and, with Bo staff clutched in both hands, I swiped at sensei's knees-

Having learned this trick before, Ichiro-sensei jumped over and backwards, so that I wouldn't have the reach and time to impede his landing-

I threw myself after him, coming in low and swinging the staff like a bloody baseball bat where it smacked into sensei's with a bone-jarring crack.

My hands were numb, my forearms shuddering with the force of our blows. These sessions hadn't just help me, but my teacher at well. We were both learning this new style - fuck, we probably should call it something - and it had really begin to show. It wasn't like just fighting with staves or incorporating acrobatics (that neither of us knew). It was fencing...without the manners. There were patterns, inspired by my Katas and the fencing sets, and, honestly, I wasn't sure it was quite like anything else I'd seen.

Sutoraiku, Sensei liked to yell at me; 'Strike!'.

Well...at least it wasn't cliche like 'pouncing tiger' or something-

"Good, Bakugou-chan." Ichiro-sensei finally called, backing away to rest his hands on his hips. His face was scarlet, as was mine, and we were both breathing heavy.

My hands ached, fingers sore and cramping from holding the Bo staff so tightly.

"Hesitation, Bakugou-chan, will only cause greater harm in a fight. Sometimes things happen, as you saw earlier with Miharu-kun, but you will only learn from this experience. Class is over, until next week."

Swallowing hard, I dipped into a low bow. "Yes, sensei." I turned, peeling off my fencing jacket and stuffing it into my rucksack by the wall. It was cold out but I'd run to the station, slipping a light hoodie over my shoulders and leaving the studio. My staff slung diagonally through loops on my kit bag to rest along my back a meter long and heavy.

The rain had stopped, streets dark and my breath misted before me as I set off down the steps. Dusk had fallen but the heavy clouds, still threading rain, decreased the lingering sunlight to barely anything. Despite that, it wasn't yet dark enough for the street lamps to come on. The run was brisk and kept away the chill, the train busy as everyone made their way home. I kept to myself, as usual, pulling my hood over my head and ducking my chin into the collar until my cheeks were protected too.

I really hoped Miharu would forgive me, that he wouldn't look at me in class like everyone did at school...no one bothered me at the studio, all too busy with their own friends or the lesson at hand and it was a breath of fresh air at times.

But, most of all, I hoped Miharu wouldn't scar.

The house was quiet went I came in, with the main lights off and the smaller lamps on, creating pools of softer yellow light. It had an effect reminiscent of candles.

From the bright line of light under the office door and the murmur of conversation, I could well guess that my parents were still absorbed in work. They were expecting me, expecting me to bound in and babble about all the things we'd worked on and our plans for next week. Like usual.

I took the coward's way out and, creeping up the stairs and into my room to ditch my shit, texted Papa that I was home before I locked the bathroom door and all but throwing myself into the shower.

The water was icy cold and my jumpsuit was soaked as I slowly peeled it off. I felt better doing it this way, as if every brush of bare skin was a fire hazard and the water was the only thing stopping it.

Thump, thump-

"Kagami?" Dad's voice sounded muffled through the door. "What happened at class?"

I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat and my voice echoed strangely when I replied, "Nothing, Papa."

I squeezed a drop of shampoo into my palm, the creamy soap almost the same colour as my sun-deprived skin. I hated it, lily white and sickly. Like a bloody alien. God but I just wanted to be tanned and strong and tall again, the girl who could hug and touch freely and who'd snorted when she laughed.

"Are you sure, Spitfire?"

"Yeah?" I phrased it like a question, knowing feigning confusion was my best bet at getting the affable man to back off.

It went quiet after that and I slowly rinsed my hair, slicking the spikes with conditioner before rinsing again and washing the sweat from my limbs.

The towels in the cupboard were hot and stiff, fresh from the dryer probably, and I wrapped one around my head and another under my arms. I hadn't grabbed a bodysuit, stupid really, so, unlocking the door, I zipped across the landing and shut my door firmly behind me.

Only to leap out of my skin when I turned to find Katsuki sat on my bed.

"Fuck!" I choked, hand at my throat and the other gripping the knot of my towel. "Wha-?" I spluttered, breathing deeply to calm my racing heart and, when I'd chilled a bit, frowning at my twin's expression. He looked...serious.

"Your shitty sensei called."

Stomach dropping, I immediately twisted to glance at my shut door, as if his words would magically summon our folks. "Oh?"

Katsuki's eyes were half lidded and his palms were loosely clasped, elbows on spread knees. "I picked up, don't fucking worry. Said the oldies were out."

I turned back, pushing an escaped strand of hair behind an ear. "Thanks. I guess."

My brother snorted softly, nodding towards the dresser and then pointedly turning to stare at my closed curtains on his other side.

Against my will, my lips quirked in vague amusement. He was so adorable like that.

With Katsuki turned away - eyes closed for good measure, I'd noticed - I slipped on my underwear, a cycling suit and then flannel pjs over the top. Elbow-length gloves and knee high socks and then a cotton pollution mask, I finally told Katsu his eyes were safe as I pulled my damp hair into a topknot.

When his red gaze landed back on me, taking in the full outfit, I was prepared for a derisive comment.

What I wasn't prepared for was a warm hand curling around my fingers and, with a single insistent tug, pulling me to topple into his lap.

"Er," I coughed, chin near his shoulder and legs over his. "Katsu-"

Still so weirdly quiet, aside from a low "tsk,", my brother's arms came around me in a solid embrace and I decided to shut the fuck up.

It had nothing to do with the lump in my throat, nope.

When I managed to find words, a while later, they were mumbled through my mask and into the skin beneath my twin's ear. "I burned him. I burned him and I wasn't even scared. I thought...I thought I'd finally got a grip."

His jaw was set. "You didn't mean to so don't fucking wallow, Kaga. If the punk is so fucking great, he won't say shit, alright?"

Huh, well, you can't say he didn't have me pegged by now. As much as I understood him, Katsuki knew me.

He didn't pinch me or shove me off or make any move to actually move.

He'd turned on my fairy lights, strung up everywhere in my room with the switch boxes arranged like a circuit board near the door, I realised abruptly.

My floor was cleaner, the bed made when I knew I had left the duvet kicked aside and with my pyjamas thrown about and my wardrobe open (now closed). Katsuki was a closet mother hen, don't doubt it.

"Have you told 'em?"

Katsuki didn't reply but that was answer enough.

(I told them in the morning and Papa hugged me gently and Kaa-san pet my hair and I saw my own sadness reflected back at me.

Miharu did end up scarring and he couldn't fence until his palm was healed.

Katsuki started grabbing my wrists and hands more, as if to prove a point.)

…..

When school started back up again, it didn't just signify a rekindling of my suffering in the classroom.

We sent our applications off to UA.

Katsuki, as with almost everything, was so overwhelmingly confident that it bordered on clairvoyant certainty. In his books, anything but acceptance, even before we'd been admitted to the entrance exam, was incomprehensible. Whilst I was pretty confident too (We all had good grades and strong Quirks, which, in Izuku's case, wasn't even a thing yet) and I thought we could really do it.

Izuku had been shaking, trembling fingers white at the tightness with which he'd held the papers and the poor guy had even kissed them before sending them off.

I hadn't told Katsuki he'd done it. Apply, that is. It wasn't that Izuku was my first secret, of course not, and Izuku hadn't ever said he wasn't going to apply. At school, the green-haired boy was under my protection and I'd proven more than once since that summer that I was willing to throw hands for his sake.

Izuku had even, stutteringly, defended himself a couple of times. I could say how proud I was. Bullying was a difficult thing. It did things, psychologically. And it was all well and good for people to say you should ignore them and they get bored, but children could be cruel and persistent.

I'd kicked chairs and slammed doors in faces more than once.

It was more that...well, Katsuki hated him. He was resentful, jealous as fuck and even more paranoid than that. He'd been genuinely hurt that I'd stood by the younger boy in the summer.

I wasn't gonna rub his nose in that. So I'd been discreet. Nothing secret or illicit, Izuku deserved more than that, but I hadn't flaunted it either.

I'd told Izuku as much, awkward and worried about his feelings, at we'd eaten lunch months ago. He'd been incredibly earnest and, somehow, that had made my heart ache with fondness. He was better than anyone deserved.

That being said, some friction was unavoidable. I'd been going to Izuku's place more than he'd been coming to ours by a huge margin. It wasn't fair to make Katsuki hide in his own house, so it was simply easier that way. We'd go there after school, text on the days Izuku was training with All Might (four times a week, one of which was directly after our karate class, oof) and make so is much as we could.

But, following up to exam season and our applications, I invited Izuku round.

He was a little nervous, it having been a over a month since he'd last been, but I'd swung my arm around his shoulders (setting us off a weird angle) and frogmarched him to my room.

Which I'd cleaned.

No need to make his head exploded at the slightest glimpse of bra. He hadn't been desensitized like Katsuki.

Speaking of-

Katsuki, snarling under his breath, had stomped upstairs to his room at the sight of Izuku's emerald curls coming up the patio. In contrast, Kaa-san was inordinately pleased to see Izuku and, as we ascended the stairs, had immediately called up Into for an inspired catch up.

"Ta-dah!" I flourished the stencil dad had drawn up for me - no, I was not ashamed - which showed my hero design with a model outline and everything. The perks of designer parents.

"Is this-?" The younger boy breathed, holding the page so delicately you would've thought it was spun sugar. "Wow!"

I beamed. The folks had really done well.

It was a basic black jumpsuit, encompassing everything below my jawline, with a face mask I could pull up over my nose if I wanted. The wrists, elbows, shoulders and all joints essentially, had a gold mechanism fitting into them. The material itself was a breathable Lycra which would, theoretically, absorb my sweat as I wore it, encouraging the skin to keep producing it too. Then, as soon as I sparked a light, I would be the next human torch.

It was a terrifying concept, especially considering the involuntary nature of most of my fires. The function of the gold fittings was as both protection on elbows, knees, wrist support etc., but also as an emergency fire-stop.

I could, if I couldn't get myself under control fast enough, release nitrogen into the fabric and, theoretically, fire-extinguish myself. Well. Until I started sweating again.

"What do you think?"

Emerald eyes glittered at me over the top of the page. "Amazing!"

And then he lost me, spewing out a million and one facts about fire Quirks that I probably should be known too.

After Izuku had worn his own breath out a bit, I dared to voice my own question. "So...how are you feeling for the Entrance Exam? Less than two months now." Even just looking at him, the two rods I'd use would be... 'nervous'.

And 'jittery', I guessed.

Izuku opened his mouth, lips twisted a little in uncertainty, and I felt myself perk up a little. Was he going to… spill?

"Nervous, I think, Kagami-chan…"

I tried not to visibly whilt.

I didn't expect anything less but I can't say it didn't suck a little. What the hell was I even gonna do when he showed his Quirk? Should I do a Katsuki and demand answers... minus the whole hatred and mocking me thing of course...? Was I supposed to act betrayed?

Honestly, I part of me was annoyed that Izuku was getting a Quirk.

He'd come so far and could do so much more as a Quirkless Hero. He'd just- he'd blow the bigots out of the water and I wanted him to show them all!

But I knew I had no right. Izuku had suffered his whole life by being Quirkless and he needed One for All. There was a shit storm ahead and I couldn't ask him to go through that without every weapon in his arsenal.

Izuku would be thrilled to get that power and I'd be thrilled for him. Maybe… maybe we could do something about Quirkless bigotry at the same time?

Well...we'll see.

When Izuku pulled out his own sketch, I almost dislocated my wrist trying to get my hands on the goddamned green bunny sketch. There was no way in hell I was letting him muck that up again-

January was drawing to a close when Kaa-san and Papa were sent into their annual flurry of panic about the ever-looming Spring Season. "The designs aren't ready!" was frequently wailed down the phone.

It was an annual thing. The lambs are born, the snow melts, and Fashion Armageddon reigns the Bakugou Household. No biggie.

February brought with it, beyond a truly disgusting amount of rain, the exam season and Izuku became something of a revision fanatic. I could only chalk it up to his internal panicking about One For All. Couldn't really blame the poor guy for being desperate to get the highest scores possible. Well, I couldn't. Katsu certainly could. However, thinking about the Physical Quirk exam, aka Robot Smash, I'm not sure how helpful those scores would really be in the long run.

Katsuki was another sickeningly avid worker and the amount of time he spent on his homework… on guilting me into joining him, as boring as it is… he owed me.

Who fucking cares if good grades for me were a, spoiler alert, good thing for me! The fucking audacity-

We sat the exams.

The maths exam had been a study of willpower. The temptation to set the hall on fire, chalk it up to a stress-related accudent and have to resit, therefore buying myself time to purchase a cheat sheet online? Truly a feat that the only damage was my snapped pencil. God, I hated fractions.

English? I asked for extra paper and still finished first.

I suppose it was karma.

On the last day of the exams, Katsuki and I were eating bananas outside of the testing rooms. Bananas and chocolate bars, actually, because it's an old exam tradition from before I've found myself keen to keep hold of.

Also, I like bananas and chocolate. Weren't they supposed to aid with energy and smarts? Something like that. And fuck knows I needed as much help as possible.

By the end of the day, our tests were finished and ready to be whisked off for marking. After what felt like an age, and was really only a week, we all recieved a letter during First Period that listed the entrance exam dates to the various high schools. And, low and behold, right at the top of the page:

UA.

Fuck yeah.

With only a week left, Katsuki and I, like lots of kids I was told, were pulled from school for last minute 'preparations'. As it were, Izuku had been disappearing even more - frantically training, I could only assume - and the time off school seemed to be the perfect excuse for the you get boy to make himself akin to an endangered species.

I was in no way okay with the occasional protein shake selfie at stupid o'clock before another 18 hours of radio silence.

Then, one night, I bumped into Auntie Inko at the local corner shop on an errand for Kaa-san.

"Auntie!" I blinked, more surprised than I had any right to be to see that familiar head of emerald.

The older woman turned, smile already curving thin lips as she lowered herself from her tiptoes, having been trying to reach the top shelf. "Kagami-chan, what a lovely surprise!"

I reached to help, bracing a hand on a lower shelf and craning for the fucking tin from hell. Or heaven...considering the direction, is all. I think I almost popped something by the time my scrambling little fingers closed around it…Inko's, er, taller than me.

By an inch! Good fucking god, I hadn't grown since I was twelve…!

It was fine, it was cool, it was fine… I'd just pray for a later growth spurt! I still had time!

"Umm… Kagami-chan?"

I snapped out of my depressive funk when Inko gestured for the tin of bamboo shoots in my hand. "Ahhh! Sorry!" I passed them over, shifting to the side so we could stroll down the aisle together. "I guess I'm just a little out of it."

"Because of the exam?" Inko smiled knowingly and I sheepishly rubbed my neck, ignoring the second glances I got for the fire flickering at my throat. In a Quirk society, people still found something to stare at. "Izuku-kun is the same."

"How's he coping?" I laughed. "His dream within reach!"

"He's terrified and, I suppose, so am I… it'll break his heart if-"

I settled a hand on her shoulder, twisting to let an older gentleman past, and tried to smile as reassuring as possible. "Izuku will do great, Auntie. I have every faith in him."

Guilt twisted my stomach behind my smile. Inko didn't even know what was coming-

But it wasn't my place to tell her, nevermind that I wasn't supposed to know either.

My phone beeped and I back away quickly. "Sorry, Auntie, but Kaa-san has dinner on and she needs this oil now! I'll see you for tea on Saturday! Say hi to Izuku for me!"

Inko blinked rapidly before that familiar, maternal smile warmed her face. "Good evening, Kagami-chan."

….

In the days leading up to the Entrance Exam, Katsuki trained like a demon and I matched him blow for blow. We skipped karate and I let sensei know I wouldn't be coming in for fencing. The instructor understood and wished me the best, passing on Miharu and some of the other boy's 'good luck's.

On the day before the exam, Katsuki and I limited ourselves to light exercise and stretches, so that we'd be loose and limber for the next morning but not overtired or sore.

Kaa-san opened the door when a delivery for dad arrived, hissing swears (which were actually triumphant instead of a complaint about how much the fucking parcel weighed) and staggering into the living room to dumping it on the coffee table. Which creaked ominously.

Just coming in from the garden, where we'd had a light spar (honestly, it was a normal fight but without Quirks and, compared to Katsuki's opinion of normal matches? Yeah, it was light), panting lightly and flushed, I padded closer to the mysterious box.

"Something new for Papa again?" I guessed, head cocked as I took in our mum's smug expression, her hands on hips and legs strong.

"Masaru! It's here!" Dad's office door opened and there was the shuffling of his house slippers on the wooden floors, before the man himself appeared around the corner. Suddenly, a scowl warped mum's smooth face. "About bloody time too! Almost too late, I'll have to file a fucking complaint-"

Nodding along, dad fished the pen from behind his ear, stabbing it through the thick, brown parcel tape securing the tabs and dragging it through the seam. The box opened to reveal a bunch of package paper, crumpled up to protect the contents.

Half a step behind me, Katsuki leaned to watch over my shoulder as our folks started babbling about the difficulties of getting hold of the office, apply for my extenuating circumstances (well, that was fucking news to me, I shared a blank glance with Katsuki out the corner of our eyes), even as they fished through the fillers to bring up-

"Ta-dah!"

Katsuki and I turned back to our folks, both of them holding a black tank top and thigh-length cyclist shorts each.

"Er-"

"It's for you to wear to the exam! Both of you!"

"What the fuck?" Katsuki and I said in tandem, mine spoken dubiously with my brother jerking his chin back in (angry) confusion.

"Don't tell me you want us in matching outfits, like some weird kind of Team Bakugou moment?" I groaned, scrubbing bare hands over my face and closing my eyes against the warm flames bathing my skin. The fires went out as soon as they started, tiny and controlled and they didn't even bother me anymore. It was a fact of life. Good news though? My skin was just as clear as Kaa-san's (fuck you, period breakout! Try it, I dare you!).

"No! They're fucking Hero issue fireproof, brats!" Kaa-san jerked a thumb at me. "Kagami's Quirk would see her naked in the middle of an fucking exam surrounded by strangers, and fucking hormonal ones too, so the school provided these. The second pair is officially also Kaga's but it was only recorded down under 'Bakugou', so there will be no shitty shenanigans on my watch kids! Those teen's will have to fucking go through me."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

"W-will Katsu even fucking fit? He's so much taller than me!"

Unfortunately, it was true. My younger twin had the audacity to tower a solid 8 fucking inches over my 5ft ass

The Bastard?!

I was actually...so relieved, Katsuki's height aside. After the incident at the beach...well, I'd not really thought about what will inevitably happen to my clothes when I push my fire to the max.

Naked in front of my future peers, on screen for the watching teachers and with the possibility of Grape-Head watching?! I don't fucking think so-

"You guys are the best!" I squealed, slapping Katsuki between the shoulders and shoving his outfit into his hands. "Let's try them on!"

Seeing as I'd worn a bodysuit and gloves since I was four, the stretchy material wasn't foreign.

My bare arms were.

I had tan lines, especially now that I was older and had started shifting between styles of gloves, and it wasn't like I wasn't used to seeing my own skin, ghostly pale with bluish veins.

Before, my grandmother had had Spanish roots and her deep, olive undertones had persisted in my mother, my sisters and I.

I'd never been this pale…(except once, when I'd been violently sick and it was like a ghost was staring back at me in the mirror). It was different, in my room getting changed or when I was bathing.

In the light of day…

"Oh, Kaga," Papa turned from where he was loitering at the foot of the stairs, Hazel eyes soft when they caught sight of my bared arms, the skintight shorts clinging to just above my knee. "Let's see you,"

I carefully sidestepped the hand reaching to touch my shoulder, lips quirking up in a wiry attempt at a smile. "No touching, remember?"

Kaa-san, still waiting by the sofa, sighed.

"Are you sure, kid?"

I frowned, concentrating on my arms (Katsuki had one said that activating his Quirk was like forcing heat into his palms, so I'd always tried the opposite) and slowly dragging a hand up my left one, from wrist to shoulder.

The flames that sprung up were tiny, millimetres tall and disappearing almost as soon as the area had ignited.

"I'll ask Katsuki when he comes down." I bit the inside of my cheek.

Speak of the devil and, a scant second later, we all heard the opening of Katsuki's door.

When his thighs, much more tanned (and hairy) than mine appeared at the top of the stairs, I immediately diffused the solemn atmosphere by, you guessed it, bursting out in giggles.

"Oh my fucking god, someone grab a bloody camera!"

"Shut the fuck up, Kagami!" Katsu howled, stomping down the stairs and slinging around the end of the banister to fling himself at my hunched form.

Instead of dodging, I just grabbed his hands, lanced our fingers, and took the resulting explosion with barely a blink. Katsuki's hands, at the very least, wouldn't burst into flames. And blisters? He'd deserve it.

"Oh hell, that's a very cheeky amount of thigh there, Katsu! Are you sure you're publicly decent?"

My brother merely snarled, the tank top skimming low at the collar and stretched tight over his chest and much broader shoulders. His shorts, well...where mine covered my entire thigh and came up to securely mould against my trim waist, Katsuki's left considerably less to the imagination. And, seeing as they were already skintight? I think you get the picture.

"W-we," I howled, arms weak in my mirth and barely holding off my snarling brother. Sensing a fight, I started backing up towards the garden door. "We got these to protect my m-modesty-" wheezing, I kicked open the door behind me as my twin popped another explosion, "-and instead, we just put Katsuki's in danger!"

If I wasn't mistaken, mum had started laughing too.

We'd made it out onto the lawn when my arms gave in, pitching me towards the taller blonde's chest with tears streaming down my cheeks.

I had about one second of safety, cheek cushioned just under Katsuki's collarbone as I wheezed through the stitch in my side.

And then hands wrapped around my upper arms, bare skin on skin, and threw me away.

My arms burst into flames, cherry red and licking up to bath warmth across my shoulders and neck. I-I hadn't been paying attention so the fire seemed even stronger, spreading towards my underarm sweat glands and my inner elbow, as if it could ignite itself-

That my Quirk could grow stronger like that was...terrifying.

I hadn't really experimented too much since my electrocution, hyper-aware of my family's watchful gaze, besides the usual sparks between my fingers. Could...could firepower build up or was this just last of maturing? Like when Katsuki created new techniques-

My brother batting the flames from his hands, palms already stained an angry pink, before throwing himself towards me with a snarl.

The effect was rather ruined by his hilariously skimpy attire.

A punch met my forearm, skirting it to the side in a secure block. The thump of flesh on flesh was new though, and my arm once more lit up scarlet on impact.

I immediately backed away.

"Katsuki," I cautioned, low and serious. "The exam is tomorrow and we could injure ourselves - burns aren't gonna go away overnight-"

A handful of grass, clumps of dirt and all, was lobbed at my head. Behind us, Kaa-san's laughter abruptly cut off at the damage to her garden.

"Oi, you're gonna fucking fix that, brat!"

"Fine, Kaga," Katsuki ignored our enraged mother and stepped back. Despite the angry blush still staining his ears and high on his cheekbones, the red scorch marks trailing over his fists, he was grinning. Combing grass from the bangs tucked behind my ears, I was immediately set on guard. "Rematch, Saturday."

If the exam went as fucking awful as I feared, I might need the distraction.

My grin stretched and wide as his as I stooped to pluck the clump of turf and toss it to my twin, who ducked and jammed it back into the ground. Behind us, Kaa-san growled that that didn't count as fixing it.

"Deal."

As one, we headed back to the house, our parents crowding around the door. "Oh, and Katsuki?" I blinked, twisting to smirk up at my twin's mullish expression. "If you ruin your top tomorrow, at least you won't be flashing nipple to the other-"

Katsuki swiped at me, growling when I ducked inside.

"Kaga!"

…

A/N- the fic….is not abandoned! See, I'm updating and everything. Anyway, I hope you all like this belated update and up next is UA! Thanks to everyone who commented/reviewed, and to all my readers out there. You all rock.

P.S- I haven't done science in five years and it shows so don't take it too seriously? It's just fan fiction