Mina sat on the couch next to Izuku, while Kirishima was in a nearby chair. The pink girl had stood up to talk animatedly about the news report she and her boyfriend had just watched. They were hero students, and license holders at that. This was par for the course. However, Mina still found it insane and had to vocalize about it.
"What kind of first date did you take this girl on, Kirishima!"
"Chill. It's not like we were looking for trouble. It just kind of…"
"Found you?" Mina sighed. It all seemed rather cliché, but she supposed it would be apt.
"I was actually going to say, it found other people. Tam and I just introduced ourselves." The red-head smiled bashfully, flashing his sharp teeth at his friends. "Next time will hopefully be more peaceful. Might be moving too fast, but she told me about this fishing spo park near where she lives. Apparently, she used to go there with her family all the time."
"Oh. That's good. Glad you two are going on a second date."
"I guess. But how is that romantic? You signed her petition and you fought bad guys!"
"Easy, Ashido. We can't all have storybook romances like you did with Midoriya. Running up to him like an excited puppy with no control of its legs and pouncing on him."
"I did not pounce on Izu!"
"I mean…not the first date." Izuku smiled sheepishly. He still remembered that day on Dagobah Beach. It really did set the tone for what would be their relationship. He wouldn't have changed it for the world and was happy his friend seemed to have found someone too.
"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Mina pouted, playfully of course.
"Yeah. Tam-chan is great. Did you know she interned with Miruko? Cute, nerdy turtle girl and buff, awesome rabbit lady. It's like that one fable. Aesops Rocks, I think."
"Dude, that's not…" Mina placed a palm against her forehead. Kirishima wasn't a total idiot. In fact, he tested better than she did. He could be a numbskull at times, however. Still, Mina listened, as did Izuku.
"You're a fan of Miruko too?"
"Should I be jealous, Izu?" Mina cocked an eyebrow, looking at her boyfriend with suspicion. She had no real reason to question the boy's fidelity, especially given how loyal he was. She just enjoyed messing with him.
"I…I swear, it's nothing like that! I swear! I just think she is a great hero and her theme is rather fitting for her quirk, and her warrior personality combined with the gentleness of a rabbit is an interesting- "
"I would offer you a shovel, but you seem to be digging yourself deeper just fine." The pink girl poked Izuku's nose and stuck her tongue out. "Just kidding babe. I know. She is pretty bad ass. And hot. I wouldn't judge you. Too much" The pink girl winked. She giggled at her boyfriend's fluster as their friend laughed as well, ending on a yawn.
"Anyway, I'm headed to bed, you two. I need rest." Kirishima stretched his arms out and headed for his room, turning to face his friends over his shoulder as he did so. "Night, dudes."
"Nighty night!" The curly-haired couple said in unison, though Izuku's timing was off.
As soon as Kirishima got to his room, he had crashed on his bed, exhausted from the events of the evening. He texted Tatami good night as well, gaining similar greetings and well wished in return. The boy let his hair down and passed out with a smile on his face.
X
A week had passed, filled with classes, training exercises, and interactions with friends, including more texts with Tatami. The weekend arrived with a yawn before everyone knew it. Kirishima had decided to go for some fresh air when he had talked via phone to Tatami. After their first date, the two had agreed on a second one. The red-haired boy was headed to the station and Mina had decided to tag along and offer her guidance in the ways of romance. Her friends likely needed it. Izuku was meeting with All Might about something, possibly some training of some sort. Mina knew she would see the boy eventually. Besides, this gave the pink girl the chance to give some one on one advice to her horn buddy. They had known of each other since middle school yet hadn't properly talked often until UA. This was a good opportunity to see how the boy was doing, and more importantly, gauge just how well this next date would go.
The acid girl had yet to properly meet Tatami and wanted to get the chance to meet her. If her friends had found love, the acid girl wanted to be there to see it with her own eyes.
"Why are you tagging along again?"
"That eager to be rid of me? Worried I'll make her jealous?"
"No, I. I'm just going on a date. I don't need a chaperone."
"I want to gauge how out of your league she is. Besides, I'm still shocked you're dating a girl. "
The boy rolled his eyes and gently nudged her away. This girl was like an annoying sister sometimes, he swore. "Piss off. I'm bi. Not like any of the boys in class were available anyway. And things didn't work that way with Tetsutetsu, so here I am. At least he's still my bro."
Mina would have teased back. Her friend made things so simple for her in situations like this. However, even a silly girl like Mina could take things seriously. She had learned to do so more over time, from classes and from dating Izuku. She had fought off a villain and her own fears, to save two friends before UA. Recapturing that spirit was certainly something the girl wished not to take for granted. "Is this girl a rebound, Kiri?"
"No? I mean…I almost called off the first date. I didn't want to do stuff like this when I wasn't ready. I don't want to be unfair to her, you know?" Kirishima sighed, looking down, then up as he walked
"Fair, I suppose. Just treat her right, ok?"
"Of course. What kind of-" Kirishima responded, aiming to put his friend's concerns to rest, as well as his own. He was worried about it as well. Was she a rebound? Was he using her? Should he have turned her down? Would that have hurt her less? Worse? He shook it off and decided it was best to go in prepared for a good day. Mina had cut him off mid-sentence.
"If you go on about manliness, I will personally break into your room and melt your goofy fucking wall scrolls." The acid girl held out her palm, pooling up a small amount of weak slime in her palms, discarding it with the flick of a wrist. It wasn't actual acid, but the point was made.
"Why are you so cruel to me?"
"Because I care. Speaking of which, you know how you go on about things being manly all the time? Like you were about to just now?"
"Yeeeeah?"
"Never say that to a woman." Min
"You're not making this easy, Ashido."
"That's because I am your friend, Kirishima. I do this because I care. Now, what are you two doing today?" A pink arm wrapped around Kirishima's shoulder, the other limb gesturing dramatically at the sky in the sort of eccentric manner the boy would come to expect from his classmate.
"Fishing."
Mina just stared at her friend, not sure how to respond at first. Everyone did their own thing, she supposed. She was used to her and Izuku being the first couple in their class and, outside Setsuna's short and disastrous triste with Hatsume, the first of their year at UA. Others had sought them for advice, but now there were other couples as well. It was romantic and wonderful, though the girl still felt the urge to help out her friends in any way she could, even if they mostly figured things out on their own. Her brow furrowed, and her grin turned to a frown.
"... Ok. Maybe she should decide what you two do on dates from now on."
"It was her idea. It's a hobby of hers."
"Oh God you're screwed." Mina laughed, shaking her head with an amused sigh. She really did want her friend and the girl he was seeing to be happy. She didn't know Tatami as well, but she did know Kirishima, and he could use this. She assumed his date needed a win as well. Everyone did these days, in a post All-Might world.
"Gee, thanks." Kirishima rolled his eyes and craned his neck. He was used to the teasing, especially as the two caught up more after middle school and became closer.
"Any time. Again. Just worried for you, man."
"Relax. Pretty sure neither of us are ready for that step yet, Ashido. We just started."
"Horn buddy, I will punch you."
"My skin is hard as rock. And please don't turn into Tokage and make the joke I know you're thinking of."
"Then ill push you into a lake and see how well your skin helps you there. Might actually be the most interesting thing that happens all day" Mina gently shoved her friend. She would have given him a noogie, but that was an ancient Ashido ritual reserved for siblings and significant others. Kirishima was neither. Besides, his hair wouldn't make the gesture satisfying enough, though the fussing the hard boy did over it would come close. "Also, don't worry. That would be too easy. Low hanging fruit isn't as tasty. Anyway, I hope you do well on this date, dude. You need all the luck you can get." She teased.
"Are you trying to help or give me an anxiety attack?" the redhead pouted, puffing out his chest and placing his hands on his hips. Mina knew how strong and brave and loyal he could be when he wasn't hung up on guilt and insecurity. However, in this case, the girl could not take her friend seriously. More teasing was in order.
"Given how 'manly' you are, I'd assumed pure testosterone would have destroyed all the anxiety."
"There's nothing "unmanly" about admitting your feelings, Ashido. You have seen mine up close and personal. Besides, I used to have feelings for Bakugou. I think I can only go up from there."
"I mean, granted. You can't get lower than 'The molten burning magma underneath the dirt. Unless you wanted to go to the center of the world, but his ego is big enough."
"Nah, I'm good. I would rather not dig myself a deeper hole."
"So, where is this girl supposed to meet you anyway?" she asked, bringing her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose.
"We're headed to Kuroudu City park, which is near here. Meeting her at the train station in half an hour."
"Kiri? OH! KIRI!" a voice rang out from feet away. Kirishima's head jerked in the direction of the sound.
"Tam?"
Mina couldn't help but smirk, covering her mouth so she didn't burst out laughing from pure joy.
"Oh my god, you two have nicknames for each other!"
"You're never gonna drop that are you, Ashido?" Kirishima's shoulders slumped as his friend teased. She was clearly going to enjoy this way too much and there would be so many questions after he got back to UA. Turning his attention to his date, the boy's expression perked up as his bright smile shined through. The girl came walking towards him, wearing a pale-yellow tank top with a picture of a turtle on it and a small skirt with various sea life depicted on the pattern. Once more, she was wearing crocs, this time the same color as her top.
"Tam-Chan! What's up? This is my friend, Ashido. Her boyfriend is doing Midoriya stuff, so she decided to come along and say hi to you."
"We need to start using Midoriya as a verb." Mina snorted. Kirishima met her suggestion with a nod and a grin.
"Yeah we do."
After coming down from that particular bout of silliness, the pink girl turned her attention to her friend's date. She just kind of looked at Tatami, and then looks at Kirishima. Her eyes darted between the two before her mouth opened.
"Kirishima, she's cute! What the hell is this? Since when did you know cute people? Besides me and Izu, of course."
The two spiky haired teens bushed, averting their gazes, especially Tatami, whom had sunken into her body slightly at the sudden flattery.
"I mean, yeah. What else did you expect?"
"I'll be perfectly honest with you. I had no idea." Mina shrugged.
The spiky redhead sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Tatami tried to compose herself. It took her a few moments to overcome the mix of
"Hi, Ashido. I'm Tatami. I saw you on tv when you were in the Sports Festival. You did a good job against the sparkly guy."
"Thanks. Shame I didn't get further after that." Mina sighed before having realization. "Wait a sec - Weren't you at the Provisional license exams?" A snap of the fingers and a beaming expression followed as Mina remembered more about this girl and how they had met before.
"Yeah. I was there. I'm from Ketsubutsu. Ms. Joke is my homeroom teacher."
"...How often does she talk about Aizawa?" Mina Smirked, curious about the relationship between the two pro-heroes and teachers. She had heard the stories and was fascinated. In fact, the girl had sometimes let her curiosity get the best of her, landing her in hot water any time questions were asked of her homeroom teacher's love life. Ms. Joke, Present Mic, Mandalay. Mina had asked about all and had been threatened with detention each time. That never stopped her investigations, however. They just made her craftier.
"Not often. She only brings out the photo album once a week. She drew cat ears on every photo of him. And whiskers." Tatami gestured with her hands as she spoke, miming the art of her teacher. Mina could not stop smiling, charmed by this girl's gestures and her personality. The pink girl was tempted to say she was too good for Kirishima, but that would be going too far. She would wait until they were further along.
"Oh, I think I'm gonna like you."
"T-thank you. I'm flattered. I think I'll like you too. Any friend of Kiri's is a friend of mine! If they want to be, I mean. Um... Is it weird to ask for your autograph? Your class is really cool..."
Kirishima's hurried his date along and waved goodbye to his friend. "Okay we go now. Thanks, Ashido."
"W-wait! I didn't get her autograph!" Tatami protested, taken by surprise at how sudden they were departing.
Mina shook her head and smiled with a wink, calling to the pair as they boarded their train.
"Hey, no worries, Tam~ I'm sure we'll see each other again! Have fun you two~"
The sharp-toothed duo took their seats and reclined, Kirishima offering the window seat to Tatami.
"I like her. She was friendly." The spiky-haired girl chirped, kicking her feet happily, anticipating the park and the fishing they would both do there.
"Yeah. She can be a pain, but I've known her since middle school. You'll see her again next time you visit UA campus. You'll meet her boyfriend too. He's kind of like you, getting excited about heroes and talking about them. Dude is a certified fanboy.
"That would be great! His fight against Todoroki was one of the highlights. I also heard the two of them and Ingenium's younger brother encountered Stain! That's crazy!"
"Yeah. It was nuts. Trouble just has a way of finding us, I guess." The boy chuckled, feeling a small discomfort in his gut. It wasn't a wrong statement. It came with the territory, he supposed. However, it always seemed to be 1A, and 1B in a case or two. They always got this extra attention, and not in a good way. The sturdy hero hoped this date would be free of that. Whatever came of this date and the next one, they would have to see. He just hoped it could be as close to normal as possible.
"Well, you seem to face a lot of nutso stuff, but I wouldn't be on a date with you if I wasn't prepared for that right? Or studying to be a hero. Or both."
Tatami's earnest smile and friendly demeanor calmed Kirishima's heart. Whatever happened, they would get to it when it happened. For now, all that mattered was having fun with this girl. The day would be a good one, he could feel it.
X
"So, have you gone fishing before, Kiri? I can walk you through if you haven't." the spiky-haired girl asked as she baited her hook, dipping her toes in the water of the lake. It was a lovely day, birds chirping and waves gently rocking and lapping at the dock. Kirishima sat next to her and prepared his pole as well.
"Not in a while, but I would go on camping trips with my family every summer and we used to go fishing. The first one I ever landed was half as big as me. It was a great day." The hardening boy smiled, plopping his line in as Tatami did the same.
"Same! Oh my god! We have more in common! That's the coolest! Um…sorry. Getting excited. Don't want to scare the fish. My bad." The teenage girl yelped in excitement, then timidly quieted down. She had forgotten herself in the moment, and what they were there to do. She sat silently, taking two soft drinks out of her bag and placing them between herself and Kirishima.
"Feel free to have one of these. We'll be here a while."
The red-haired boy smiled and picked up one of the bottles, opening it up and taking a swig.
"Thanks. Fine by me, Tam."
The girl played with one of her earrings and smiled. As much as she loved pro-heroes and buffets and karaoke, this was the kind of date she could get behind. She wanted to get to know Kirishima better and sometimes a more quiet, peaceful setting was the best way to do that. At least, in her mind. She wasn't the most experienced with things of this sort, but she had plenty of friends and had been to this park with them. She wasn't the most popular girl by any means. Not a lot of people knew her name and with her seemingly unimpressive quirk, she was often just there. Still, the girl had a decent social life and was on a second date now.
Second date. Tatami blushed at that thought. She really hadn't known the boy long, but in the short time she had, she was getting along famously with Kirishima. He was kind, funny, and outgoing. He seemed to have something about him, maybe something on his mind, but he seemed nice enough. She remembered the way he looked at the winner of the sports festival, the first year the class A kids at UA had participated. There was a solemn, bitter melancholy in Kirishima's eyes when he observed Bakugou. Tatami meant to inquire more about that, but it seemed rude to do so that night. Admittedly, the girl had mostly forgotten about it, but it did reemerge briefly in that moment.
"Gotta say, Tam. This is not what I expected from a second date." The spiky-haired boy said softly, waiting patiently as his bobber floated on the surface of the water. He wasn't totally patient. Part of why he didn't fish often, but it was a pleasant and welcome suggestion.
"Oh…Do you not like it? Sorry, I should have asked. I just sort of suggested it and you said yes, but…" the girl trailed off as she sunk into her body slowly and grew quiet. Kirishima gently patted her head, tousling her hair.
"Nah, it's fine. I am actually pleasantly surprised. You sure know how to treat a guy, don't you?"
"Oh, well thank you. I try. I mean OH!" The collapsible girl blushed and stammered at first, perking up when she felt her pole jerk. She had a bite on her line and quickly pulled and reeled. Kirishima similarly felt a jolt of energy, even as his own line went without so much as a nibble. Meaning not to scare the fish, he softly pumped his fists to cheer his date on.
"Alright, Tam! Nice! Let me grab the bucket."
There was a pale blue bucket nearby that Tatami had brought. It was something newer to the market: a collapsible bucket that was easier to transport when empty. The boy popped it into shape and filled it with water, presenting it to the girl right as she landed the fish: a Japanese bass.
Holding up the fish triumphantly, Tatami smiled with her sharp teeth. Kirishima had taken out his camera phone and taken several photos of the girl, posting it to his social media after gaining the go ahead.
"Nice! Mind of I post this?"
"Wha? Oh! Um…well, sure!"
Sweet! Thanks, Tam! That's a good-sized fish. Let me put him in the bucket."
"Him? Could be a female."
"I dunno. I'm not an icky…Itchy…ech…"
"Icthyologist?"
"Yeah. Fish expert. Not one myself." The hardening boy snapped his fingers in confirmation and exhaled, offering a smile as his hand brushed through his hair. He took the fish afterward and put them in the bucket, watching the small creature swim about in confusion before calming down and staying in place.
"I…may dabble. I kind of…really like sea creatures. And lake I guess. I used to enjoy going to the aquarium a lot with my family, any time we went on vacation."
Kirishima chuckled softly, looking at the fish in the bucket, then at Tatami. Her legs dangled over the edge of the dock, swinging back and forth. It was sure to scare the fish, which was counterintuitive, but he was certain she knew what she was doing. Besides, it was charming to see her so relaxed. This girl was one of the sweetest the boy had met, and given how friendly his classmates were, with the addition of Eri in the dorms, that was a hard honor to win. And yet, Tatami did somehow. She even gave the guys a run for their money. Most of the boys were fine but they were either straight, taken, or it didn't work out. "I take it the turtles were your favorite, huh?"
"I…no! I mean, maybe…the sharks were my favorite too. I just liked going and pressing my face against the tank, but I was told not to do that, so I stopped. I…may have also used my quirk to play peek-a-boo with a tortoise when I was five…I was little, ok!"
The Ketsubutsu student blushed as she sunk into herself a little. Her timid nature combined with excitement over topics that interested her reminded the hardening boy of his friend Izuku. What's more, everything about her mannerisms and her story had him as red as his hair.
"Jeez, how adorable can someone get?"
"Eep! A-a-adorable?"
"Easy, curly tucker. Just stating facts. You used to play hide and seek with a turtle using your quirk. The same quirk you use any time you're embarrassed. Is cute as hell." Kirishima offered a warm smile and a nudge at his sharp-toothed compatriot.
"I…thank you…I'm glad you think that…Um…curly tucker?"
"Yeah. You curl up in a ball with your quirk and kind of tuck yourself in like a turtle. It fits."
These words further flustered Tatami and left her at a temporary loss for words. Her attention turned back to her rod, which was jerking heavily. By the time she pulled at it, however, she had lost her fish. Kirishima's rod had been pulled by a particularly hungry fish that he had lost as well.
"No! I lost my fish! Darn it!" she pouted, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Thanks, Kiri. You and your silly nicknames…"
"If it's any comfort, I lost mine too. At least you landed this dude. What do we want to do with him?"
"Yeah. I suppose. Normally I just catch and release. Want to do the honors? It will be like alien abduction. They can tell all their finny friends about what happened today." She smiled at him, cheeks still filled with a rosy pink.
The wind blew gently through her hair, making the sides move gently like fins. It was almost poetic in a way. Not like a haiku or one of those limericks Kirishima used to share with his middle school friends. It was like one of those poems he read in school, but much better. Her fish earrings swinging in the breeze completed the moment.
"Goodbye, fishy! Be free! Same time next…um…time."
"Tam?"
"I thought it was Curly Tucker now?" the toothy girl chuckled, gently punching the boy's arm. "Wait, that didn't hurt did it?"
"…My skin can harden." Kirishima cocked an eyebrow, teasing back. Mina joked earlier about him digging holes, but this girl did it like an expert; an adorable, dorky expert. The day was still young, and he already wanted a third date. Was he rushing forward? Should he think things through better? He shook his head and decided to go less with his brain and more with his gut and heart. If he was wrong, he would back off. It was worth a shot, the red-haired boy pondered. Sometimes, you just had to do what felt right and go with it.
"Right. Anyway, what's up?" The curly girly tucked herself in, a response that her date could probably now set his watch to.
The boy grabbed her hand, blushing madly. Was it a manly reaction? He didn't care. What was a man but a person. And people were vehicles for feelings. He looked her n the eye. It was too soon for a kiss, probably. But he did want to show how fond he had grown of her.
Her face turned bright red as she looked at their hands, then his face, and back again several times. She almost jerked her hand away in surprise, but it was so warm, it was like her fingers were melting into his.
"Just thought this would be nice."
"Oh. It is. Really nice. I…want to keep fishing?" the girl asked bashfully as she blushed.
"We have the whole day ahead. No rush. Let's try and see if we can catch some more finny friends." Kirishima smiled, finding her personality infectious.
"You said it too!" Tatami's face lit up as she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. It was so firm, yet comfortable. She could get used to this buff lump of flesh and bone. Her eyes shot open as her head shot up. "Oh, um, sor- "
"Hey…. didn't I say no rush? I don't mind, Tam." Another reassuring smile melted the Ketsubutsu students heart and worries away.
"Thank you, Kiri…. hey Kiri?" the girl rested her head on his shoulder once more and stared off, hesitating before she bit the bullet and asked a question. It was silly and sudden, but it was on the tip of her tongue.
"Yeah?"
"Um…. sorry if this is quick. Slow and steady. Like a turtle. You know, with any relationship. Not that we're in one. It's just a couple dates, but…"
"Tam? Breathe. Calm down, ok?" Kirishima's hand gently brushed her hair, causing her to relax, shivering slightly at the feel of his hand.
"Right. Um…Can I call you Ei? Y'know… Short for your first name? If not, I'll- "
"Ei's fine. I call you Tam and not Naka, right? "Kirishima paused, feeling his heart beat faster as his face flooded with red. He had been worried about rushing things and taking time, and here she was with the same concerns. He supposed they were on the same wavelength and if anything came up, they could just communicate. Were they a couple now? He could always ask later. For now, all that mattered was this moment and the girl he was sharing it with.
"Ei's fine, Tam."
"Thank you." The girl snuggled up to her spiky boy and smiled, content in the peace and beauty of the lake and the park that surrounded it. Nothing else mattered right now. Just the two of them, sharing this moment. The rest was irrelevant, even the fish that kept nibbling at their hooks.
