The Sports Festival

The day of the Sports Festival finally arrived. It was early morning and UA was buzzing with activity. In a secluded corridor of the stadium, Eijiro stood facing Orine, who was slumped against the wall, her body trembling and tears in her eyes.

"I-I don't think I can do this," she whispered.

"I think you can," he said, softly. "You've come a long way. Just think of all the times this week that you were able to use your quirk on objects I was holding."

"Yeah, but… it's different because you can use your quirk if I lose control of mine. What if I have to face someone who has no way to protect themselves? What if I do damage that Recovery Girl can't repair?"

"Listen to me, Orine." He placed his hands on her shoulders, calling her gaze up onto his own eyes, hoping to display his support. "If you start to panic and think that you won't be able to control your quirk, then you can withdraw from the match at any time. You know your limits better than anyone."

"But everyone will be watching me. Including agents from all over Japan. If I quit…"

"Then you'll get another chance to prove yourself later," he promised with a smile. "But for what it's worth, I believe in you."

Her eyes widened and her cheeks took color at his words.

"Remember what we practiced. Remember that there are all sorts of things you can use your quirk on that won't injure someone. If there's debris in the arena, you can use that. If not, then what's your secret weapon?"

She fidgeted and looked down at his chest. "That won't really work, Senpai… it's silly."

"Hey, no it's not." He tilted her chin back up with his knuckles. "In a real fight, you use anything you can to your advantage. Including…?"

She blushed harder. "Shoelaces…" she whispered.

"That's right!" He grinned. "If you root someone to the spot with your quirk, it's game over for them. Just make sure you try to keep to your opponent's blind spots and stay behind them whenever you can."

She nodded and pinched her eyes shut. The action caused a stray tear to run down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb, making her gasp.

"No tears, alright? You've got this! I'll be cheering you on the whole time!"

She nodded vigorously. "Okay. Th-Thank you!" Without warning, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

Before he had a chance to react, she released him and quickly broke away. "You can count on me, Kirishima-senpai!"

He smiled as she fled from the hall.

She's got this.

A prickle of something strange crept up his neck when he realized his thumb was still damp with her tear. He swiftly wiped the moisture away with his shirt as the prickling sensation intensified. He suddenly remembered Ashido's warning from the other day.

It's not like that. I was comforting her as her mentor. She's like a kid sister to me. I'd never do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Hana.

And yet… he wondered how he would feel if another man wiped tears away from Hana's cheek—or if she threw her arms around someone else like Orine had done to him. The thought made bitterness rise in his throat.

Ashido was right. I need to stop this.

Thankfully, the Sports Festival marked the end of his training sessions with Orine. And next week he'd start participating in his work-study with Fat Gum again. He wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone's feelings after this and he could turn his attention back to his strained relationship with his girlfriend.

It's time to be a man, Eijiro.

The morning sunlight shone through Hana's bathroom window, casting the room in a natural glow that she rarely got to see. She was usually up and ready for work before the gray glow of the sunrise filtered in through the small window. Sundays were the only day she didn't have to wake before dawn, and she often took full advantage of this fact, sleeping in past the time when the bright shine radiated in the bathroom.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she finished braiding her hair in the mirror. Her heart pattered in her chest, filling her with adrenaline that felt out of place for the situation. She shouldn't have been this nervous to see her boyfriend but her bodily reactions begged to differ. She was tense, excited, nervous, kind of sick… So many emotions flooded through her veins at once that she felt like her heart could burst with the pressure of them.

She was excited to see him, finally. It had been six weeks without being graced with that shark-like smile. Without the warmth of his chest and arms, and his masculine scent, and his lips, fingers, tongue…

She shuddered as a different sort of excitement churned inside of her. It had been six weeks since they… And the last time had been there at her apartment and it had been… so good.

Amidst these happy, bold feelings, however, were other emotions that were less enticing. There was a good amount of guilt due to the way she'd been neglecting him over the weeks. And even a splash of anxiety when she worried that maybe he wouldn't be as excited to see her as she was to see him.

Maybe I've disappointed him too much. What if he's mad at me and just hasn't been showing it?

That was a risk she'd chosen to assume when she decided to surprise him with today's visit. She'd thought about telling him that she had the day off but ultimately decided that he would be more appreciative of a surprise. She'd let him down so often lately that he probably wouldn't even believe her if she'd told him she could see him today. It was better this way. She would let her actions speak for her.

She took a deep breath as she tied her favorite pink ribbon onto the end of her braid. Seeing it in her hair made her chest swell with joy. She didn't get to wear it every day anymore, especially since she cut her hair constantly at work. It felt good to have it where it belonged. Looking at her reflection and seeing it there felt right.

She was pleased with her appearance. A flowy, light pink blouse that went well with the ribbon, blue capris, and beige heels made her feel like something plucked out of a spring fashion magazine. She had her job to thank for that. Her fashion style had already improved leaps and bounds since she started working for Best Jeanist full-time.

Eijiro will like this, won't he?

Who was she kidding? That boy had fallen in love with her when all she wore was the hideous UA High uniform. Anything was an improvement from that. And, all things considered, Eijiro was immensely easy-to-please. She was at as much risk of getting his blood pumping in a burlap sack as she was in a bikini.

I feel like something is missing from the look.

She tried to remember the things James told her about good fashion. Something about how the right accessory could tie a look together and elevate it beyond expectations. This memory caused her to look at the glasses resting on the shelf next to her sink. They were the blue-tinted sunglasses James made for her during their first meeting and they would go perfectly with her outfit.

She donned them, allowing them to perch on top of her head while she admired her reflection a moment longer.

Okay, Hana, now you're just stalling.

She glanced at the clock. The Sports Festival would be starting any minute. She needed to hurry if she planned to watch any of it with Eijiro.

She walked from the bathroom into her living room and had just dropped her phone into her purse when it rang. She answered immediately and on impulse, for some reason thinking that it would be Eijiro on the other end of the line. She was surprised when she heard someone else's voice.

"Good morning, Kanzashi."

"James?" She pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the unknown number on her screen. "How did you get my cell number?"

"Well, you see… there's this little thing called 'the employee call sheet,' which is kind of posted in the staff room at the agency, so…"

"...Oh," she said. "I guess… it makes sense to have each other's numbers since we work so closely on projects together."

"My thoughts exactly," he replied. "Are you… enjoying your day off?"

"I was just about to," she said, cautiously, "but something about your tone tells me that won't be the case for long."

He made a sound that was almost like a chuckle, but it sounded muffled. "I have good news and bad news, co-worker," he said, voice carrying a strained edge to it. "What do you want first?"

"Bad news," she said, instantly.

"The bad news is that I woke up with a fever and cough, so I can't go into work today," he said. He followed this up with a cough which might have been for added effect. "Which means… you'll have to go to work today after all."

Hana felt her heart drop. She leaned against the wall as the dread and disappointment nestled in her stomach. "What could possibly be good news?"

"The good news is that the only thing you need to go in for is the pitch. I already asked if you and I can be excused from the staff meeting and room preparation when I called in this morning. I know it's not the whole day like I promised, but you won't have to go into the office until 4:00."

She didn't say anything as the news weighed down on her.

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding genuine. "But you should still be able to go to the Sports Festival, right? It ends at 2:30ish?"

"Yeah," she said, defeatedly. "It's better than nothing."

"Look, let me make it up to you when we're back in the office. We can talk to Jeanist together about reducing our hours or adding another member to our team. I can tell this is taking a toll on you."

"I…" she let out a shaky breath. "Yeah. Maybe that's a good idea."

"Okay." He coughed again, louder this time. "Still try to have fun today!"

"I will," she said, straightening up. "Oh, but, James…?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated, suddenly not sure if she should ask this. "You're sick… Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything? I don't know if you live with anyone who can take care of you, so if you need me to get you anything, then…" she trailed off.

"That's cute," he laughed. "It feels like… I just got promoted from coworker to friend! You're actually caring about me, now."

She blushed and rolled her eyes.

"I can see you rolling your eyes right now," he commented.

"James," she snapped.

He chuckled again. "I appreciate your concern, Kanzashi. I'll be okay. I know a few American natural health remedies involving whiskey that are sure to at least make me feel better."

"I hope that was a joke."

"It was. You're just too serious." He let out a long breath. "Have fun, don't worry about me, and I'll see you Monday if I'm up to it, alright?"

"Okay. Bye James."

"Later."

She hung up and slipped the phone into her purse.

This was just her luck. She had wanted to spend the entire day with Eijiro, not have it cut short by work in the afternoon. Would it even be worth it to go there for a few hours just to go through the hassle of coming back to her apartment to change and then commute to work?

She gripped the straps of her purse tightly. "Of course, it's worth it," she said to herself. "I miss him. Even if it was just for an hour, it would still be worth it." She wasn't going to cut corners anymore or make up excuses out of exhaustion or stress. She was going to see her boyfriend, no matter what.

With this newfound determination, she left her apartment and headed straight for the UA Sports Festival.

Eijiro sat in the stands with his arms crossed over his proudly puffed chest, grinning as Orine made it through the first two challenges of the festival with ease. She was good at tripping up her opponents by knocking things down around them. And she managed to get through the race by using her quirk to leave a bus-sized crater in the ground that stumbled at least two dozen other students.

They'd be starting another round of team battles soon, and the partners she'd found couldn't have been better for it.

"Looks like all those after-school training sessions with your biggest fan paid off," Sero gibed next to him.

"That or his mistress is hoping for some praise later on," Kaminari taunted.

"She's not my—whatever." Eijiro shook his head.

"Maybe she'll ask the famous Red Riot to sign her cleavage," Sero added.

"Hey, do you think she has a Red Riot body pillow?"

"That's enough taunting him," Yaoyorozu said, coming to his rescue. "Maybe if you two were as invested in your own pupils as Kirishima, they wouldn't have been knocked out of the competition in the first round."

This shut the two of them up and made Eijiro laugh.

"I think you did a great job teaching her, Kirishima," Midoriya said. "I think you have a knack for it!"

"Thanks, man," he grinned in response.

"Ooooh, you know what I think?!" Hagakure chimed in. "Just imagine how great of a teacher you'll be to your kids one day! That's so cute! Just thinking about it makes me swoon!"

He felt heat touch his cheeks at this comment.

"Honestly, Kirishima would probably make the best dad out of everyone in our class," Jiro said, thoughtfully.

"Hey! I'm right here, you know?!" Kaminari pouted.

"Yeah?" Jiro's face was deadpan. "What's your point?"

"What's all this talk about Kirishima being a dad?" a new voice asked.

For a moment, he was confused. He thought Ashido or one of the other girls had joined the conversation. His body reacted before his brain could catch up. He was suddenly on his feet, abruptly turning around as his lungs sucked in a sharp breath.

"Hana?!"

He wasn't imagining it. His girlfriend stood in the aisle, one arm wrapped nervously around herself, a soft smile on her lips. Her hair was glowing blonde and her eyes shimmered with joy as she looked at him.

"Hana! You're really here!" He closed the space between them instantly and pulled her roughly into his arms. She inhaled sharply as he clutched her tightly and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair and skin. It was everything he'd been so desperate for in the past six weeks. Her body warm and soft and perfect in his arms again. Quenching him, healing him, restoring him.

"Eijiro," she whispered.

"God, I missed you so much," he said against her neck, before cupping her face and pressing his lips needily against hers.

She whimpered against his mouth and it just made him want to kiss her deeper, longer, endlessly. He might have tried if not for Yaoyoruzu loudly clearing her throat.

"E-Eijiro," Hana whispered. "PDA."

"Right," he released her with a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, got a little excited."

"Geez, keep it in your pants, dude," Kaminari snickered, earning him a smack in the head from Jiro.

"Yeah, Kirishima," Mineta said, voice seething with envy, "just because you have a bombshell girlfriend doesn't mean you have to rub it in our faces."

"Let's sit down," Hana said, her hair turning completely pink. "Please."

He immediately plopped onto the bench and patted the spot next to him. Hana sat down as well, scooting close so that their arms touched and she could lean her head on his shoulder. He interlaced his fingers with hers, breathing a sigh of happiness at the contact.

"I thought you were working today," he said, quietly.

"James got me some time off," she explained. "And I wanted to see you."

She wanted to see me. She still wants to see me.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" he asked. "I would have… dressed nicer, put my hair down, got you some flowers or something."

"I wanted to surprise you," she said, sweetly. "It's been so long since we've been together."

You're telling me, he thought.

He was so astounded by the fact that she was here with him, finally, that he was lost for words after this. His senses all seemed to malfunction, until the sensation of her body against his arm and her hand in his were magnified, overpowering all else. He completely forgot about the festival. He couldn't hear the din of the crowd or see anything beyond her pink ribbon, her fingers, her thigh against his.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" she asked.

"Because you're so beautiful," he said, without hesitation. He faced her more directly. "You look extra pretty today." He reached out and touched the sunglasses perched on her head, then pulled them down to rest on her nose and grinned. "I don't think I've seen you wear sunglasses before. Looks cute."

"Really?" She blushed and tugged on her braid.

"Yeah," he said before resituating them on her head. "But I like looking at your eyes more."

"Sh," she chastised. "You're so embarrassing."

He squeezed her hand. There was so much more he wanted to say to her now that she was here. So much he wanted to do and share and ask about. He opened his mouth to start talking, but then her eyes went to the arena.

"So, there she is," she said, eyes twinkling with amusement. "The product of your weeks of hard work."

Orine, his mind supplied. He'd almost forgotten that she was competing right now.

He turned his gaze back down to where the teams were locked in combat. "Yup," he said proudly. "She's pretty amazing, right?"

"Not to toot your own horn or anything," she teased, rolling her eyes. "But… yeah, she's holding her own."

She was right. Orine was taking advantage of the field. Her eyes were focused, capturing any movement that occurred above her head and quickly deciding whether or not she should use her quirk. She brought down rocks and disabled gear, slowing down her opponents enough to give her teammates opportunities to strike.

At one point, Orine was knocked down by a stray piece of debris. She skidded on the concrete and flipped over just in time to see an opponent running at her, hand charged with electricity.

Eijiro stood up, tension building inside of him at the sight. One hit from that guy's quirk and Orine would be paralyzed for the next hour or more.

"C'mon, Orine!" He balled his hands into fists. "You've got this!"

He watched as Orine steeled herself. He knew the expression of serious determination on her face.

"Come on…" he said, teeth gritted in anticipation.

As soon as the other student was within her range, she reached out with her hand, activating her quirk. The effect was instantaneous. Her attacker suddenly cried out and fell flat on his face, skidding two feet across the ground and away from his shoes, which currently weighed as much as two cars.

Orine grinned, scampered to her feet, then ran back to her teammates. She had bought the opening she needed. This act gave one of her teammates the time needed to score some points.

"I told you the shoelace thing would work!" Eijiro yelled, even though there was no way she could hear him over the crowd.

The match came to an end and Orine's team was qualified to progress to the one-on-one battles.

Eijiro sat back down next to Hana, grinning ear-to-ear. "She did it!" he declared.

"I'm so proud of you, Eijiro," Hana said, a gentle fondness to her tone that made him feel lightheaded. "You're a great teacher."

His chest swelled at her words.

"Your friends are right," she mused. "You would make a good dad."

"Are you thinking about our future together, Hana?" he asked.

"I meant it in an objective way," she said, though the corner of her mouth was pulled up in a smile.

An intermission followed while the festival participants prepared for the next battles.

"I should go congratulate her!" Eijiro said, standing up. "Come with me, Hana!"

She stood up but shook her head slightly. "That's something you should do on your own. It would mean more to her. I'll just get some snacks for us in the meantime."

"You sure? I could pick us up something on the way back. I know how much you like takoyaki!"

"That's sweet, but I really don't mind."

"Aw, stay here with us, Kanzashi!" Hagakure hopped up and down. "It's been forever since you used to hang out in our dorm all the time! We want to know how grown-up life is!"

Hana blushed and pink streaks worked through her braid. "I-I don't know… Do you really want to talk to me?"

"We'd love to, Kanzashi," Yaoyoruzu answered.

"In that case…" she looked at them with a smile. "I'll stay."

Eijiro grinned. This was exactly the way things should be. Hana here beside him, his friends supporting and encouraging her, everyone relaxed and happy and energetic.

This is all I've wanted for six weeks. This, right here. Nothing could take away from this moment.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, high-pitched voice shouting over the chatter of the crowd.

"Senpai! Seeennnpaiii!"

He caught sight of Orine pushing through people and vaulting over benches to reach him.

"I did it! I did the shoelace thing and it totally worked and I can't believe I'm actually doing a one-on-one battle, isn't that so cool senpai?!"

"Heck yeah, Orine! You beasted it!"

"Did you see who I'm facing next?! I have a great idea for beating her, do you wanna hear about—" she stopped abruptly. The smile dropped from her face and she stopped walking so suddenly that she almost tripped over a step.

Eijiro tried to make sense of the sudden change in behavior. Orine wasn't looking at him anymore. Her green eyes were fixated on something to his right. He followed her gaze… to Hana.

"Oh yeah!" Eijiro slipped his arm around Hana's waist, realizing that Orine must have been surprised to see her there. "Han—I mean Kanzashi came by to watch the festival, too! We were both cheering for you!"

Hana gave a small wave. "Congratulations. You looked really cool out there."

Orine stared at her, mouth slightly ajar. "Oh," she mumbled. "Thanks."

"Hey," Eijiro released Hana, then clasped his hands together. "You said you have a good idea for beating your next opponent? I have my composition book, too! Let's head to one of the waiting rooms and talk about your strategy!" He stepped toward Orine but she took a step back.

"No," she said, quickly. She waved him off with her hand. "No, that's okay. I, um… actually, I think I need some time alone before my battle. I need to… clear my head."

He frowned, watching the way her whole body seemed to shrink as if she wanted nothing more than to evaporate into the air around her. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You look like you might be more nervous about the match than you realized. I can get you hyped up if you—"

"I said I'm fine!"

He winced at her volume but didn't argue further. "Alright. Well, you have my number if you change your mind."

Orine nodded while refusing to make eye contact with him. "Bye. Have fun with…" she swallowed whatever she was going to say. "I'm glad you guys are here together. Cheering me on." With this strange sentiment, she turned heel and ran back up the steps.

"Oof," Kaminari snickered. "Wifey one, mistress zero."

"Shut up," Jiro hissed.

Eijiro looked at Hana, wondering if she understood what was going on better than he did. He found her with a troubled expression, eyes lingering on the doorway Orine had disappeared into. "So, that's how it is," she said to herself, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"What's up?" he asked. "Do you know why she was acting weird?"

She rolled her eyes, then giggled. "I'm not surprised you can't see it. That girl has a crush on you. A pretty serious one by the looks of it."

"That's what everyone's been trying to tell you this whole time," Sero said.

"What? No, Orine's just my fan," he argued, although now that Hana was backing Ashido's words, he was really starting to doubt himself.

"She's as much your fan as you are mine," Hana commented.

Eijiro didn't know how to respond to this. He didn't want to acknowledge that his pupil's emotions were anything but chaste feelings of adoration. But at this point, if even Hana was seeing it…

It doesn't matter. After today, my training sessions are over with her anyway.

"Just… try not to get her hopes up," Hana suggested, carefully. "Now that you know, anyway."

"Of course!" He nodded, seriously. "I'm not gonna lead her on or anything! I have you."

Hana's smile was tender. "You have a big, loyal heart, Eijiro."

He grinned, despite the fact that the topic of conversation had made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure why, but his mind kept flicking back to that morning. His hands on Orine's shoulders, his thumb on her cheek. It was small but he knew he was feeling the queasy sensation of guilt.

He rolled his shoulders back as if to ward off the gross feeling. Then, he grabbed Hana's hand and tugged. "C'mon, let's get some food!"

"But I was going to stay and catch up," she said, teasingly.

"Yeah, but you and me have some catching up to do, too." He meant it jokingly but saw a brief flash of guilt touch her face. "I'll buy you takoyaki~" he sang, hoping to lift her spirits again.

It worked. She cast him a loving glance before releasing his hand so that she could lead the way. "I'll buy you some takoyaki, since I happen to make loooaaads of money now."

"Aw, don't rub it in, Hana!"

"Better catch up to me soon, high schooler," she said over her shoulder with a long-lashed wink.

He laughed before chasing after her to find snacks. "Don't get too far ahead of me! I'm slow!"

"Tell me about it," she giggled.

I mean it, Hana, he thought. Don't leave me behind.

A/N: Aw, reunited at last! Nothing can go wrong!

I have to agree with you guys about being on Kirishima's side up to a point. I think it's clear that Hana is the cause of the problem but where Eijiro starts to fall apart is in how he's dealing with the issue*cough* Orine *cough.*

Samuel Okine, as for whether The Ribbon: Untied is coming to a close, I can't really say. There are still 8 chapters that I've written after this one, which will bring this post-graduation arc to a close. I have more ideas to continue the story but haven't yet decided if I have the motivation to continue it beyond that point. I might want to get back to a large project I abandoned a few years ago. I have a Fairy Tail fic called One Sweet Dream that I've been working on the sequel to. I'm about 30 chapters into the sequel but haven't published any yet and I kind of want to return to that story for all the fans that have been waiting for a few years for the continuation. I'm also toying with the idea of writing a Shinso fic for My Hero Academia but I don't know if I want to open that can of worms, lol. Lastly, I'm also attempting to work on an original story. The future is uncertain!

I hope you're excited for next week~ We're due for some good ol' purple-haired fun if you know what I'm saying. ;)