The day after practical exams, Class 1-A gathered in their homeroom with a mixture of exhaustion and relief. Recovery Girl had worked overtime healing various injuries—Katsuki's burns from overusing his Quirk, Midoriya's broken fingers, various bruises and sprains from everyone else.

  Aizawa stood at the front of the classroom, looking even more tired than usual. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes like bruises, and Boa noticed his capture weapon was positioned more defensively than normal—ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

  "Congratulations on passing your practical exams," he said in his characteristic monotone. "You all showed growth, though some of you—" his gaze swept toward Katsuki and Midoriya "—have more growing to do in the teamwork department."

  "I WORKED WITH DEKU, DIDN'T I?!" Katsuki exploded.

  "Barely. And with significant reluctance." Aizawa's expression didn't change. "But it's progress. Now, for your next challenge."

  The class leaned forward with interest.

  "UA's first-year students will be attending a summer training camp in the mountains. One week of intensive hero training in a secure, remote location." He clicked a remote, and a presentation appeared on the board showing a forested mountain area. "You'll be working on your Quirks, physical conditioning, and rescue techniques in a natural environment."

  "A TRAINING CAMP!" Ashido squealed. "That sounds amazing!"

  "It also sounds suspicious," Todoroki said quietly. "Why announce a 'secure, remote location' for training? Given recent League activity..."

  Aizawa's jaw tightened slightly—the only indication that Todoroki had touched on something significant.

  "The location will remain confidential until departure," he said. "And yes, before you ask, security will be extensive. Pro heroes will be on-site at all times, and the area has been thoroughly vetted for potential threats."

  "When do we leave?" Yaoyorozu asked.

  "One week. Use this time to prepare—both physically and mentally. The training will be rigorous." Aizawa's expression grew more serious. "I also need to emphasize: do not discuss the camp's location or timing with anyone outside this classroom. The fewer people who know the details, the safer you'll be."

  A heavy silence fell over the class.

  "You're worried about the League," Boa said. It wasn't a question.

  "I'm always worried about the League," Aizawa replied bluntly. "And yes, their recent activity has put all of UA on high alert. But that's exactly why this training camp is necessary. You need to be stronger. All of you."

  He dismissed them for lunch, and the class dispersed with a mixture of excitement and unease.

  In the cafeteria, the atmosphere was more subdued than usual despite the exciting announcement.

  Boa sat at her usual table with Katsuki, who was aggressively eating his lunch while clearly deep in thought.

  "You're worried about the camp," she observed.

  "I'm not worried. I'm being realistic." He stabbed at his rice. "The League attacked us at USJ. They've been escalating. And now we're all going to be in one remote location? It's a perfect target."

  "You think they'll attack the camp?"

  "I think they'd be stupid not to try." Katsuki's jaw clenched. "Which means we need to be ready. Really ready."

  Boa nodded slowly. His tactical thinking had improved significantly—he was looking beyond just the immediate training to potential threats.

  "We should train harder this week," she said. "Prepare for multiple scenarios."

  "Damn right we should." He looked at her, his red eyes intense. "Every evening. You and me. We push each other until we can't stand anymore."

  "Agreed."

  Ashido and Kirishima joined their table, both looking excited despite the underlying tension.

  "Isn't this great?!" Ashido said. "A whole week in the mountains! Fresh air, training, bonding time!"

  "And potential villain attacks," Kirishima added, though he tried to sound upbeat about it. "But we'll be ready! Right, Bakugo?"

  "Obviously."

  "You seem more cooperative after the practical exam," Boa observed to Katsuki. "Working with Midoriya changed something."

  "It didn't change anything!" Katsuki snapped. "Deku's still an annoying nerd. I just realized that sometimes using annoying nerds as tactical resources isn't completely useless."

  "That's character growth!" Kirishima said cheerfully.

  "IT'S NOT CHARACTER GROWTH! IT'S STRATEGY!"

  Despite his protests, Boa noticed that when Midoriya passed their table, Katsuki didn't actively threaten him. Progress indeed.

  That evening at Training Ground Beta, Boa and Katsuki pushed themselves harder than ever.

  "Again!" Katsuki shouted, explosions propelling him through the air as he dodged another Slave Arrow barrage.

  Boa was panting, sweat dripping down her face. She'd fired five full Slave Arrow attacks in the past fifteen minutes—more than she'd ever attempted in rapid succession.

  "I need... a moment..."

  "No breaks! If the League attacks, they won't give you a moment!" Katsuki landed and immediately charged at her. "Defend yourself!"

  She enhanced her legs and dodged his explosive strikes, countering with a Perfume Femur that he barely blocked. They moved across the training ground in a deadly dance—his explosions creating chaos while her petrification tried to catch him.

  "You're getting faster with the Slave Arrow formation," he observed between attacks. "But you're still telegraphing it. The bow motion is too obvious."

  "How do I make it less obvious?"

  "Practice until it's muscle memory. Until you can form it without thinking." He blasted toward her. "Like this!"

  His explosion came so naturally it seemed like an extension of his body rather than a deliberate technique.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Boa tried again, focusing on making the bow motion smoother, more integrated into her fighting style. Kiss the finger, draw the bow, release—all in one fluid movement.

  "Better," Katsuki acknowledged. "Keep that up."

  They trained until the sun set and the automatic lights kicked on. Even then, they continued, pushing past exhaustion into the space where real growth happened.

  "Katsuki," Boa said during a water break, "what if the League does attack the camp?"

  "Then we fight. Together." He looked at her directly. "We've gotten stronger. Both of us. But we're strongest when we work together."

  "Like at the Sports Festival."

  "Yeah. Like that." He paused. "I've been thinking about combination attacks. Specific techniques designed for us to use as a team."

  "What kind of techniques?"

  "Your Slave Arrow has huge range and area coverage, right? What if I use my explosions to launch you into an elevated position, giving you even better sightlines? Or I create a smokescreen with precise explosions while you fire through it—enemies can't see the arrows coming."

  Boa's analytical mind immediately grasped the potential. "Or I petrify the ground in strategic patterns while you use the stone surfaces as explosion platforms—they won't crack or give way under the force."

  "Exactly!" His excitement was visible now. "We complement each other. Your precision and my power. Your range and my mobility. If we actually train these combinations..."

  "We become a genuine hero team."

  The phrase hung between them, heavy with implications. Hero teams were partnerships—professional, certainly, but also deeply personal. They required trust, coordination, and a level of synchronization that went beyond just tactical cooperation.

  "Yeah," Katsuki said quietly. "A team."

  They spent the next hour experimenting with combination techniques:

  Petrification Platform: Boa would petrify sections of ground or walls, creating solid stone surfaces that Katsuki could blast off of without destroying them, giving him unlimited explosion points.

  Smoke and Stone: Katsuki would create explosive smokescreens while Boa fired Slave Arrow through the cover, making the petrifying arrows invisible until impact.

  Elevated Barrage: Katsuki would use a controlled explosion to launch Boa upward, giving her a bird's-eye view to rain Slave Arrows down on multiple targets.

  Stone Cage: Boa would petrify the environment around enemies—ground, walls, obstacles—creating a stone cage that limited movement, while Katsuki would blast any escape attempts.

  By the time they finished, both were completely exhausted but satisfied.

  "We're going to be unstoppable," Katsuki said, lying on the grass and staring at the stars.

  Boa lay beside him, too tired to care about proper decorum. "We still need to work with the class. Individual strength isn't enough."

  "I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

  "Growth rarely involves things we like."

  "When did you get so wise?"

  "I've always been wise. You just didn't listen."

  He snorted but didn't argue. They lay in comfortable silence, recovering their energy.

  "Boa?" Katsuki said after a while.

  "Yes?"

  "When the League comes—because they will—I need you to promise me something."

  She turned her head to look at him. "What?"

  "Don't try to protect me. Don't sacrifice yourself for me. We fight together, we survive together." His voice was unusually serious. "I can't... I need you to promise."

  The vulnerability in his words struck her deeply. This was Katsuki Bakugo, who never admitted needing anyone, asking her to promise mutual survival.

  "I promise," she said. "But you have to promise the same thing. No reckless heroics. No charging in alone."

  "Tch. I'm not reckless."

  "Katsuki."

  "...Fine. I promise." He reached over and found her hand in the grass between them. "We survive together."

  "Together."

  They stayed like that until curfew forced them back to the dorms, hands linked, watching stars appear in the darkening sky.

  The next few days passed in a blur of preparation.

  Aizawa ran them through intensive rescue drills, emphasizing teamwork and crisis response. All Might focused on combat scenarios against multiple opponents. Ectoplasm created dozens of clones for them to practice crowd control.

  Boa trained with various classmates during the day—helping Kaminari improve his directional control, learning ice-skating techniques from Todoroki that improved her mobility, teaching Yaoyorozu about the psychological aspects of combat presence.

  But every evening, she trained with Katsuki, refining their combination techniques and pushing each other to new limits.

  "Your Slave Arrow count is up to sixty arrows now," Katsuki observed during one session. "That's crazy growth."

  "And your explosion precision has improved significantly. You can create targeted blasts within centimeters of allies without harming them."

  "Had to learn that for the practical exam. Couldn't blow up Deku even though I wanted to."

  Despite his words, Boa noticed Katsuki was less hostile toward Midoriya now. They weren't friends—might never be friends—but there was a grudging respect forming.

  On the day before departure, Aizawa called a special class meeting.

  "Tomorrow, we leave for the training camp," he said. "I'm only going to say this once: stay alert, stay together, and trust your training. The camp will push you to your limits, but that's the point. You're training to be heroes, and heroes need to be able to function under pressure."

  He paused, his expression grave. "That said, if anything feels wrong—anything—you report it immediately to a teacher. Don't investigate on your own. Don't try to be heroes yet. You're still students."

  "Sensei," Iida raised his hand. "Are we expecting an attack?"

  "We're always expecting an attack. That's what being a hero means—constant vigilance." Aizawa's gaze swept across the class. "But yes. Given recent League activity, we're taking extra precautions. Just focus on your training and let the pros handle security."

  After dismissal, Boa packed her things for the camp—hero costume, training clothes, personal items. She was methodical, analytical, making sure she had everything she might need.

  A knock on her door interrupted her packing.

  Katsuki stood outside, hands in his pockets, looking uncharacteristically uncertain.

  "Hey," he said.

  "Hey." She stepped aside to let him in.

  He looked around her room—she'd been at UA for months now, but it still remained fairly sparse. Functional. A few photos from the Sports Festival that Ashido had insisted on printing and giving her. Some books. Nothing personal.

  "You ready for tomorrow?" he asked.

  "As ready as I can be."

  "Good." He sat on her desk chair. "Listen, about what I said the other night. About surviving together."

  "You don't need to explain—"

  "Let me finish." He ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling with something. "I've never had someone I... someone who matters like you do. And the thought of the League targeting you, hurting you..." His hands clenched. "It makes me want to destroy everything."

  Boa felt her heart rate increase. "Katsuki—"

  "I know we're not officially anything. I know we're figuring this out as we go. But you need to understand—you matter to me. More than anyone ever has." He met her eyes, his expression raw and honest. "So yeah, I need you to promise to survive. Because I don't know what I'd do if..."

  He couldn't finish the sentence.

  Boa crossed the room and took his hands in hers, pulling him to stand. "I promise. And I need the same promise from you."

  "You have it."

  They stood close, hands linked, the air between them charged with unspoken feelings.

  "We should probably define what we are," Boa said softly. "Before the camp."

  "What do you want to be?"

  "I don't know. I've never... I don't have a reference for this."

  "Me neither." Katsuki's thumb traced circles on the back of her hand. "But I know I want you in my life. Permanently. As more than just a training partner."

  "As more than friends?"

  "Yeah. More than that." He stepped closer. "Is that what you want?"

  Boa's analytical mind tried to process this logically, to categorize and define. But emotions didn't work that way.

  "Yes," she said simply. "I want that too."

  "Good." He smiled—a real, genuine smile that transformed his usually aggressive features. "So we're... what? Dating? Together? What do we call this?"

  "Does it need a label?"

  "Probably. People will ask."

  "Then we're together," Boa decided. "Partners. In training and in... this."

  "Together," Katsuki agreed. He leaned down, his forehead touching hers. "After the camp, after whatever happens, we'll figure out the details. But for now—"

  He didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he closed the small distance between them and kissed her.

  It was brief, chaste, tentative—neither of them had experience with this. But it was real, and it mattered.

  When they pulled apart, both were slightly flushed.

  "Well," Katsuki said, his voice rougher than usual. "That was..."

  "Yeah."

  They stood in awkward silence for a moment before both laughed—quiet, surprised laughter at the strangeness of it all.

  "I should go," Katsuki said. "Before curfew. And before Ashido or someone comes looking and makes this weird."

  "It's already weird."

  "True." He headed for the door, then paused. "Boa?"

  "Yes?"

  "Tomorrow, at the camp—we're going to be the strongest duo there. And if the League shows up, we're going to destroy them. Together."

  "Together," she agreed.

  After he left, Boa touched her lips, still feeling the ghost of that kiss. She'd spent nine years building walls to keep everyone out, convinced she'd never need or want anyone close.

  Now those walls were gone, and Katsuki Bakugo had somehow become the most important person in her life.

  It was terrifying.

  It was wonderful.

  It was growth.

  She finished packing with a slight smile on her face, ready for whatever tomorrow would bring.