Valerie and Bakugou had begun syncing their movements naturally. Bakugou's explosive offense paired well with Valerie's lightning-fast strikes, but they still hadn't figured out how to combine their quirks.

"We need to fuse our quirks," Valerie suggested. "If we can synchronize a move, it could be devastating."

Bakugou crossed his arms. "How do you plan to fuse lightning and explosions?"

Valerie thought for a moment. "When I fully transform into lightning, I become pure energy. If I can harness my lightning while you detonate an explosion at the same moment, it could amplify both attacks."

Bakugou stared at her. "That sounds insane." Then, a smirk. "Let's do it."

They practised for hours, failing more often than succeeding. But by the end of the session, there was progress. Valerie's lightning combined with Bakugou's explosion, creating a thunderous shockwave that left them both winded.

"Not bad," Bakugou said, though his pride was evident. Valerie gasped for air giving him a thumbs up, "Just needs more practice...." 

-----

During the 5th week, Bakugou noticed Valeries lack of hand-to-hand combat, "You are way to sluggish and relying on your quirk can get you in more trouble. Especially when you overheat!" Valerie nodded at his comment, "We'll focus on Hand to hand next week. For now, lets focus on the team move." 

They continued to work on their ultimate move, trying to perfect the timing. Valerie would launch herself into the air, becoming pure lightning, while Bakugou would set off a series of explosions that catapulted her across the gym.

The first few attempts left them crashing into walls, but eventually, they got it. Valerie's lightning form zipped through the air, guided by Bakugou's controlled blasts.

"This is it," Valerie said, panting but grinning.

Bakugou was breathing hard, but he nodded. "Yeah. It's getting there. but we need more control"

Valerie smirked, "You still think 'Explosive God Shock' is the best name for our team attack?" Bakugou tensed at the tease in her voice, "Damn straight!!! What shitty name have you got???" Bakugou stood in her face, challenging her. She smiled while rocking on her heels. 

"Storm Surge" 

Bakugou growled... "that doesn't suck..." 

"I Knew you'd like it!" Valerie cheered, now she had to figure out her ultimate move.

----

The final week of their training was focused on perfecting Valerie's ultimate move. After days of trial and error, they had figured it out: Valerie could become lightning, and Bakugou's explosions could launch her across the battlefield at blinding speeds.

But there was one final hurdle—Valerie had to hold her lightning form longer.

"I need you to hit me with your quirk," Valerie said suddenly during one session. "If you blast me with enough force, I can stay in my lightning form longer."

Bakugou hesitated. "You're insane. You'll get hurt."

"I can take it," Valerie insisted. "I need to push my limits."

Bakugou clenched his fists. "Fine, but don't blame me if you get fried."

With a deep breath, Valerie transformed into lightning, and Bakugou unleashed a massive explosion directly at her. The surge of power hit her like a wave, and for a moment, she thought she might collapse. But instead, she held. Her lightning form stabilized, and she zipped across the gym, faster than ever before.

When she reappeared, Bakugou's face was lit with awe, though he quickly masked it with a scowl. "Not bad," he muttered.

Valerie grinned. "Thanks."

The bond between them had strengthened, but so had their powers. Now they were ready for whatever the next challenge would bring.

Hours had passed and they were facing off with intense quirk attacks. Suddenly, when Bakugou charged at her with an intense blast, Valerie's thought's wondered how to block it when suddenly, there was a shield between them. 

"What the fuck!?" Bakugou blasted back at the new form of energy. 

Valerie wiped the sweat from her brow, staring at the protective Electro-Sphere Shield she had just accidentally generated during their training session with Bakugou. Her electric energy pulsed in the air around her, shimmering in blue and silver streaks. She hadn't meant to create it, but somehow, it had happened—an entire sphere of pure, charged energy enveloping her like a protective cocoon.

Bakugou stepped closer, squinting at the electrified field. "What the hell is that?" he grumbled, his curiosity barely hidden beneath his usual roughness.

"I...I think it's a shield," Valerie said, her eyes wide with excitement. She couldn't believe what she'd done. "It feels like an extension of my quirk, but I don't know exactly how it works yet."

"Let's find out," Bakugou said with a smirk as he launched one of his smaller explosions directly at her.

The explosion hit the sphere, but instead of rattling Valerie or damaging the shield, the energy vanished—completely absorbed, as if erased from existence. Bakugou's eyes widened in surprise. "No way," he muttered. He hit the shield again with a larger blast, and just like before, the energy disappeared on contact. "It's like it's... erasing my blasts."

Valerie blinked, trying to process what was happening. Bakugou stared intensely at the shield, a sudden thought crossing his mind. He buried it quickly but couldn't help thinking of Aizawa and how his quirk could erase others' powers. Was this just a coincidence, or was there more to Valerie than even she knew?

He buried the thought for now. There would be time to investigate later.

"This is insane," Valerie murmured, stepping out of the shield as it dissipated. "I can't believe this is part of my quirk."

Bakugou grunted, folding his arms. "You'd better perfect it. A shield that can absorb attacks like that could be a game-changer. We can test it more during our next session."

Valerie's ears perked, "Next session? We are being tested tomorrow, our 6 weeks are up?" Bakugou felt his ears heat up, he didn't want their training to stop, he actually enjoyed her company and training in the gym with her gave him an excuse to avoid game nights and weird stuff with the said 'Bakusquad' 

"You are far from ready, you lack control and your still not better than me. we have a long way to go before you can even compare to me!" Bakugou rushed. 

Valerie smirked, "Oh yeah? I think you wanna spend more time with me. Just admit it!" 

"Shut it Sparkle! Let's fix that shitty move of yours!" 

They resumed their training, now focused on Valerie's ultimate move, Thunder Step. Bakugou watched as she zapped across the gym, moving with lightning speed, disappearing and reappearing in a flash of blue light. Each time, she became faster, her control sharper. She could teleport short distances, evading Bakugou's attacks effortlessly.

"Not bad, extra," Bakugou grunted as Valerie finished a perfect Thunder Step, avoiding his explosions. "But you still need to work on your follow-up. Moving fast doesn't mean shit if you can't hit your opponent."

Valerie smirked, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I'm working on it. That's why we have our ultimate move, remember? the more we use it the more I can learn from it"

Bakugou nodded. They had been working on their combined attack, Storm Surge, for weeks now. Each time they trained together, they refined their teamwork and timing, blending her lightning with his explosions. They were finally getting close to perfecting it.

As they finished up their last training session, Bakugou leaned against a wall, watching Valerie cool down. He approached her with a smirk. "We've been focusing so much on quirk training. Let's do some hand-to-hand combat. Your defences are good, but you need to get better at close-range fighting. Lucky for you, I'm feeling generous and will allow you to surrender if you ask nicely"

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you think I'm not good enough up close?" Valerie stood up in his face challenging him. She felt confident, her heart racing. Bakugou made her feel invincible and she loved it, she loved the person she was around him, she loved hi-

WHAT THE FUCK AM I THINKING

Bakugou grinned. "Guess we'll find out."

They squared off, circling each other in the gym. Valerie attacked first, going for a quick strike, but Bakugou easily countered her, pushing her back with a fierce block. The two of them clashed repeatedly, punches and kicks exchanged in a fiery blur of energy. Valerie's quirk crackled as she moved, and Bakugou's explosions flared in response. But it wasn't until Valerie misjudged a move and slipped that things took a surprising turn.

Bakugou caught her as she fell, his body instinctively shifting to avoid hurting her. His hands gripped her waist, steadying her, but Valerie squealed with unexpected laughter, squirming in his grasp. "S-Stop! That tickles!" she gasped.

Bakugou blinked in surprise before a wicked grin spread across his face. "Ticklish, huh?" he said with a low chuckle, digging his fingers into her sides again, making her squeal louder.

"Bakugou!" she shouted between laughter, trying to break free. But he didn't stop, relentlessly tickling her until tears of laughter streamed down her face.

"Say you surrender!" Bakugou teased, his hands not relenting.

"Fine! I surrender!" Valerie gasped between giggles.

"You have to ask nicely!" His hands continuing.

"I surrender! P-please s-staaahp K-k-Katsuki!" Her voice gasped his name.

He finally stopped, watching her as she caught her breath, her cheeks flushed from laughter. For a moment, the gym went silent. Bakugou's hands were still resting on her sides, and their eyes met, the air between them suddenly thick with tension.

Valerie's laughter faded, her heart pounding in her chest as Bakugou stared down at her, his gaze unusually soft. She found herself leaning in slightly, and Bakugou did the same, the space between them shrinking. Their lips were only inches apart when—

"Valerie!" Mina's voice rang through the gym, breaking the moment.

Bakugou jerked back as Mina barged in, completely unaware of the tension she had just interrupted. "Movie night! Let's go!" Mina said cheerfully, grabbing Valerie by the arm and pulling her toward the door.

Valerie threw an apologetic glance at Bakugou as she was dragged away. He stood there for a moment, fists clenched in frustration, silently cursing Mina for ruining the moment.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath as he watched Valerie disappear from the gym.

---

Bakugou stormed into the dorms, his mind swirling after the close moment with Valerie during their hand-to-hand combat session. He wasn't used to feeling this unsettled, and it was driving him nuts. He scanned the common area and instantly spotted her—sitting beside Jirou, looking relaxed, laughing as they prepared to start a movie. There were bowls of popcorn, candy, and soda scattered across the table.

Kirishima's loud voice pulled Bakugou from his thoughts. "Oi! Bakugou! Come join us, man! We're just about to start the movie!"

Bakugou scowled. "I don't watch dumbass movies."

Kirishima grinned, unfazed by his friend's attitude. "C'mon! We need you or else Mineta is going to take the last seat, and the only seat left is next to Valerie."

That caught Bakugou off guard. His eyes darted to the couch where, sure enough, the only empty space was right next to her. He tried to protest, but Kirishima wasn't having it, practically dragging him over. With a deep growl, Bakugou slumped down into the seat, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. He could feel the warmth of Valerie sitting so close, but he refused to acknowledge it.

Valerie glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Didn't take you for a movie night kind of guy."

"Shut up."

Mina stood in front of the TV, a mischievous grin plastered on her face. "Guess what we're watching tonight, guys!" She lifted the DVD cover, and both Bakugou and Valerie's eyes widened in horror.

"An action-horror movie!" she squealed.

Valerie groaned inwardly, slumping into the couch. "I hate horror movies," she muttered, mostly to herself.

Bakugou sneered, though he wasn't any more thrilled. "Why the hell are we watching this crap?"

The lights dimmed, and the eerie music started. Despite her earlier confidence, Valerie jumped at nearly every intense scene, gripping the edge of her seat. Bakugou gritted his teeth, trying to ignore her small squeals, but he felt her tense beside him. At one particularly terrifying jump scare, Valerie instinctively cowered against his shoulder.

"Damn it," Bakugou muttered under his breath, but he didn't push her away. His hands found their way to her arm, gripping it tightly as his eyes stayed glued to the screen, even though he was just as tense. He didn't even realize how tightly he was holding her.

Each time the tension in the movie rose, they both stiffened, both hating the horror that filled the screen. Soon, Valerie was hiding behind Bakugou's arm, and Bakugou...well, he found himself leaning into her, trying to find solace in her long, raven hair, the scent oddly comforting.

From the other side of the couch, Mina and Jirou exchanged knowing looks, clearly noticing how close Valerie and Bakugou had gotten. Mina waggled her eyebrows at Jirou, and they quickly got Denki's attention.

Denki, grinning mischievously, snuck up behind the couch, eyes locked on the perfect moment. He leaned in close, right behind Bakugou and Valerie, and then—

BANG!

"AAAAH!" Valerie screamed, practically launching herself into Bakugou's lap. Bakugou jumped out of his skin, his fight-or-flight instincts kicking in as he reached for an explosion that never came while pulling Valerie into his chest.

"WHAT THE HELL, DUNCE FACE?!" Bakugou bellowed, his heart racing. He glared daggers at Denki, who was now laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

"Y-You should have seen your faces!" Denki wheezed, doubling over in laughter.

Before Bakugou could blow the whole place up out of sheer frustration, he stood, grabbing Valerie's arm without a second thought. "We're leaving," he growled, yanking her up from the couch and marching toward his room.

Valerie, still dazed from the scare, barely had time to process what was happening before she found herself being dragged down the hallway. "Bakugou! Wait—where are we going?!"

"Anywhere that's not here with those idiots," he spat, still seething from the prank.

He didn't stop until they reached his room. When the door closed behind them, they were both still shaken, and the silence felt heavy. Bakugou ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat.

Valerie leaned against the wall, catching her breath. "You didn't have to drag me away," she said with a soft chuckle.

Bakugou finally turned to her, his gaze softening, if only slightly. "Yeah, well...they're annoying as hell. I'm not dealing with that crap."

Valerie smiled, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal. "Thanks, though. I really hate horror movies."

Bakugou let out a gruff sigh, slumping down onto his bed. "Yeah, me too." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "But don't go getting used to this. I'm not gonna babysit you through every damn movie night."

Valerie laughed softly, feeling warmth in his gruff attempt at comfort. Her eyes roamed his room, "Your room is surprisingly neat for a boys room" 

Valerie paced his room,"I can't believe Denki did that," she muttered, running a hand through her hair. "What an idiot."

Bakugou chuckled softly, the tension in the air beginning to ease. "Yeah, he really scared the life out of you. You ended up in my lap."

His eyes darted to hers, a flicker of warmth shining through his irritation. 

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their earlier interactions hanging between them. Bakugou shifted uncomfortably, his expression a mix of frustration and something softer. "You know, I enjoy having you around. You... you're not a weak extra."

Valerie's heart raced at his words, her breath catching slightly. "I feel the same way. Training with you has been... incredible. We really do make a good team."

Bakugou glanced away, a slight flush creeping to his cheeks. "Yeah, we're strong together." He took a step closer, their eyes locking for a brief moment that felt electric.

She could sense something deeper brewing beneath his words, a moment where he might finally confess the feelings that lingered just beneath the surface. "Bakugou, I was wondering if-"

"I mean, it's not like I'm going to go easy on you or anything!" he blurted, his voice rising defensively. "You need to keep training hard! We've got to crush those villains."

The disappointment washed over Valerie like a cold wave, her expression faltering. "Right, of course. I get it." She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Training comes first, right?"

Bakugou noticed her change in demeanor, the way her light dimmed slightly, and he felt a pang of regret. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that," he said, his tone softening. "I just—"

"It's fine. I should head back to my dorm anyway," Valerie interjected, her voice steadier than she felt. "Goodnight, Bakugou."

"Yeah, night," he replied, his heart racing as he watched her turn to leave. Just as she reached the door, he called out, "Wait! Valerie!"

She turned back, a flicker of hope in her eyes that quickly faded when he couldn't find the words to finish. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably, frustration bubbling inside him. "Just... D-don't forget to brush your teeth before bed, that damn soda is harsh teeth."

"Right," Valerie said, forcing a nod and covering her mouth in embarrassment. "I'll be sure to practice dental hygiene, that explains a lot though, thanks Bakugou."

As she walked out, the door clicking softly behind her, Bakugou leaned against the wall, growling sharply. Why couldn't he just say it? The urge to confess his feelings gnawed at him, but fear and pride kept him from doing so. Now he has her feeling insecure about her damn teeth! her perfect little teeth....

He buried his face in his hands for a moment, cursing himself for his inability to just be honest. He knew he was starting to care for her, maybe even more than he wanted to admit, but for now, he remained trapped in his own stubbornness, wrestling with emotions he couldn't quite articulate.

*****

ooooo he wants to kiiiisssss her, he wants to hoooold her

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