Midoriya vs. Todoroki

Katsuki waits with his heart racing with a combination of anxiety and anticipation. The next match will determine whether or not there's a possibility of facing Izuku in the final round. That and–well, Izuku came out of the Sports Festival with more injuries than anyone else last time. He hopes that doesn't happen again, but knowing Izuku, it probably will. Katsuki clenches and unclenches his fists. Next to him he hears Kirishima or Kaminari say something about him.

"The fuck do you want?" He asks, turning to glare at them.

Kirishima puts his hands up in defense–he has some common sense. Kaminari blunders on.

"You always seem kind of tense before–what was his name? Your friend. Green hair? That guy. You seem tense when it's his turn to fight."

Katsuki grinds his teeth. "It's 'cause he's a piece of shit who gets injured a lot, and I have to drag his ass home whatever condition he's in."

"Oh, why's that?" Kaminari really, really needs to shut up. "It almost sounds like you're–"

Thank god Sero has the sense to clap a hand over Kaminari's mouth. Otherwise, he might have a murder charge on his head by now. Katsuki glares at the three idiots sitting near him and hopes his face looks more angry than embarrassed. He can feel them assuming things, and knows that they, or rather Kaminari, will bring it up again.

"We've lived in the same apartment building forever. My mom would murder me if I just left him lying around somewhere."

"Your mom?" Sero sounds innocently curious. Or he would, but there's a glint in his eye that says otherwise.

"Yeah, now fuck off."

Katsuki shoves them away. He can still remember training with his mom. She did not go easy on him. At all. Of course, he never got seriously injured, and she would always make sure he took care of the injuries he did get. But, there are probably more than a hundred times when he thought he was going to die. Katsuki shrugs off the uncomfortable feeling he gets when he remembers those times, then looks down at the arena again.

The next match is starting.

Izuku enters from one side, and Todoroki from the other. Only Izuku's right hand is bandaged, but there are probably still bruises left other places. Katsuki shifts in his seat. Even in the other time, Izuku's strength was enough to stand against Todoroki for a decent fight. This time, by some means–Katsuki doesn't know exactly how–Izuku has a better control of his power.

The two stare each other down. The tension in the air is palpable. Across the stadium, Endeavor leans against the wall as he observes. Somewhere else, All Might is surely watching.

Todoroki lifts his right hand, and ice flies toward Izuku, creating a trail of bluish white in an instant. Izuku dodges, but the ice follows him. The moment he sets his foot down, he propels himself forward and sends his fist out to shatter the oncoming attack. 

Izuku is mainly a close-range fighter, but Todoroki's ice can reach anywhere. If Izuku wants to win the fight, he'll have to move in closer. Katsuki thinks of the conversation he overheard between the two combatants earlier in the day. Even Katsuki can tell that Todoroki's situation isn't exactly healthy, and he's not exactly handling it well. And that means Izuku is probably going to try and fix it. Scratch that, knowing Izuku, he is definitely going to try and fix it. Dumbass.

Todoroki has a wall of ice raised behind him, to prevent him from being easily blasted out of the designated area. Izuku stands at the opposite side, about as far away as he can get. Another rush of ice is sent toward him. This time, he doesn't try to dodge, but leaps forward to meet it, punching forward with his right hand again. Again, the ice shatters. Izuku braces himself when he lands, his left hand going to his right wrist. With the bandages on his hand, it's impossible to tell if there's damage yet or not–or how much.

Todoroki uses his ice only again and again. His resolve to use only one side, one half of himself, is clear. Izuku shatters the ice each time, but Katsuki can see his movements changing. He's not slowing down per se, but the way he holds his right arm is changing. The next time he shatters Todoroki's attack, the bandage rips and falls away. Even far away in the audience, Katsuki can tell he's taken a fair bit of damage. Idiot Izuku. His hand might not be completely wrecked, but it is definitely wounded.

This time, when Izuku lands, he doesn't immediately have to block another attack. Todoroki stands, still on the opposite side of the arena almost exactly across, and his right hand is raised, but he doesn't send his ice again.

"Todoroki, I can see you shivering," Izuku calls out, loud enough for it to even reach the audience–or at least, Katsuki.

"Since quirks are just another physical function, they all have limits. If you use your ice that much, even you get affected by the cold, right? But that's a problem that's easily solved if you use your other half!"

Izuku clenches his right fist and raises it high in the air, showing the audience the state of his self-inflicted injuries–evidence of what he chose to do, not what Todoroki enacted upon him.

"You haven't even managed to put a single scratch on me! Don't you think you're being arrogant to use only half when everyone else is giving everything they've got?"

He lets his fist come down and holds it level in front of him. A show of power. What he's willing to do to win.

"Todoroki Shouto, this is my challenge–come over here and fight me properly!" 

Katsuki can't see his face, but he knows how Izuku's eyes light up when he's serious, how his features settle into an expression that says he'll bet all his resolve on something. He can feel a rush of something through his chest. Like wings. There's a hint of jealousy, too, that Izuku is focused solely on prying into the consequences of Todoroki's tragic past, but he swallows that down. There's a hint of admiration, too. Izuku's determination always amazes him.