I actually planned for this story to be a one-shot, but then I ended up writing a cheesy epilogue :\
"That was really dumb," a voice says as he opens his eyes to white light. He lets his pupils dilate for a couple of seconds before he's finally able to make out the features of the person speaking.
Jirou's seated by his bed and as his gaze wanders around the room, he notices a heart monitor and standard gray cabinets pushed against one wall. I'm in the hospital? His mind is fuzzy when it comes down to the details, and his eyes remain fixed on the spiking line on the screen opposite him. Is this some sort of prank? A dream? How in the world is he still alive?
He hears a slight sniffle and his attention snaps back to his friend, only now noticing the swollen patches around her eyes. Jirou, queen of dry remarks and blank-faced stares, is crying and he's utterly speechless.
"That was a really dumb thing to do," she says again, but this time sobs break apart the words. "I-I knew the moment I woke up w-what you did. I knew I w-wasn't supposed to wake up, and then I did, and then y-you didn't." He gives her hand a small squeeze, savoring the feel of her warm skin against his own. He never thought he'd see her again, let alone be able to touch her like this and that's enough of a miracle for him.
She slides her fingers out of his grasp and he frowns at the sudden chills it sends through his body. Jirou scrubs at her face quickly before staring him dead in the eye.
"Kaminari, I don't think you were conscious when Recovery Girl came in earlier. She was the one who found you about a minute after you short-circuited a-and if it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be here," she whispers, but he holds his breath waiting for the rest of her sentence. "But y-your body was so far beyond repair, it was all she could do to revive your most basic organs." She inhales sharply and Kaminari nearly squeezes his eyes shut in anticipation. "If you use your Quirk again, you might kill yourself."
So he's Quirkless. He shouldn't be surprised but there's no denying the cold feeling in his stomach. Honestly, though, what did he expect after pushing his body so far past its limit? Now his organs were irreparably damaged and the next spark might incinerate his entire system. But it beats being dead, right?
"K-Kaminari, I'm s-so sorry," she chokes out and he's puzzled for a moment. "I know how badly you wanted to be a hero a-and now you can't-"
"Lighten up," he says, propping himself up on one elbow. "It was my decision, not yours so stop beating yourself up over it." His cheerfulness seems to unnerve her and she shakes her head at him, tears still streaming down her face.
"Are you listening?" Her voice is hoarse and desperate as she grabs his shoulders. "You can't be a hero anymore." He sighs in response and lets the smile fall off of his face.
"Jirou, I know," he says quietly as she lets him go, rubbing at her eyes once more.
"I-I don't know how to make it up to you," she sniffles, and he grins.
"An invitation to the fall dance might be a nice start," he says, folding his hands behind his head now. Jirou pauses mid-sob to glare at him and the look loosens up the coldness in his stomach. It suddenly feels like mini sparks are shooting throughout his chest and he double checks that he hasn't accidentally activated his Quirk. "What? I did save your life, after all."
She smiles at his intact foolishness and shakes her head.
"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"
"Nope!" he reassures her happily, and he hears the faintest laugh escape her. He savors the warm feeling of just… aliveness that she brings him, as she begins to give him the rundown of their classmates' status.
He might have lost his dream of a hero, but now he has a new one-and it has a girl with earphone jacks at the center.