Author's note: I'm more following the flow of the story by now than creating it, I guess. Usually, it is a good thing, so I won't overthink this too much, it doesn't do any good to me in general.
Well, I just know that I want to tell a lot of their firsts together, so here in another one!
See you soon! I'll try to follow the weekly update, but I have an important task to do regarding work, so I might delay it a little.
Take care !
It was supposed to rain on days like this.
But the weather didn't seemed to catch the mood, as the rays of the April sun shone through, basking the memorial in a warm light. As if the passed away heroes encouraged the world to go on form the afterlife.
The ceremony was brief, each heroes attending dressed in their hero costumes, the only sign of they mourning being the black armband on their left arm.
After all, they could be needed at any moment, pro and students alike: that's why Principal Nezu's speech had been very short, thanking the heroes for their service and reminding the next generation to stand proud and to stick to their values, and to never forget to trust their own judgment.
Students and heroes who were willing to do so deposited flowers, messages or candles, and Class 1-A went as a whole as Denki put the framed drawing of Midnight in front of the memorial, along with a notebook full of letters addressed to the fallen heroes.
The minute of silence was followed by an acoustic version of "Hero too", that Kyoka had recorded with Present Mic a few days prior. He had sought her after school, looking tense and tired, his usual loud voice just a whisper: she immediately agreed, feeling the need to express her feelings in her own way.
Everyone then scattered away gradually, Kaminari and Jirou leaving the last, fingers intertwined, silently standing and replaying the memories of the last few days.
Denki was with her during the recording in the radio's studio, playing the guitar alongside her, mouthing the words. They did as they never saw Present Mic's tears, knowing all too well how Midnight's death affected him.
She was shaking by the end of the song, as he held her close in comfort. In the end, she didn't really took the time to grieve, and it was hitting her with quite the delay.
That night, she cried in his arms as they were laying in his bed, their infamous playlist playing in a loop at a low volume. He held her head against his chest, caressing her hair, singing to her in the warmest and softest voice possible. They fell asleep tangled in each others, her hand balled in fists against his night shirt, his hand draped against her waist in a protective manner.
She had been the first to wake up, cold shivers running through her spine while her face and waist felt warm. The moonlight illuminated the room she didn't recognize at first, her hazy brain wondering where she was as panic began to rise. Her eyes registered a blond mass of hair, and the memory of the previous night came back in an instant, making her flush immediately.
She breathed deeply, taking in his sleeping face, a tiny drool drop hanging from his parted lips. She refrained a giggle, afraid to wake him up.
The phone's battery had died out, the room engulfed in a comfortable silence: she was relaxing progressively, his arms still encircling her.
He stirred a bit, his fingers brushing against her shirt, sending another kind of shivers on her skin.
His eyes fluttered open, glazed by sleep, his arms feeling strangely numb. Adjusting to the faint light, his gaze feel on the amused face of Kyoka, as she was comfortably snuggled against him.
The furious blush took over his whole face, embarrassment shining through his features.
"I'm so sorry, I'm not falling asleep that easily usually, and.."
She shushed him with an index on his lips, as she scooted closer.
"Rambling again, Pikachu… "
"You're not uncomfortable? I mean…"
"Never been so comfy in my life... But maybe you're the one uncomfortable, with a dead arm", she said with a slight hoarse voice, nuzzling his chest.
He suddenly pulled her against him, hiding his face in the crook of her neck, making her yelp in surprise.
"You're deadly Ji… I swear, how could you be so cute while waking up…", he muttered against her skin, trying desperately to hide his flustered state.
Really, it was too much for his poor heart, the level of intimacy being more than he could bear. Between sleeping next to the girl he liked more than anything, holding her this close and witness her waking face, he felt his heart frying instead of his brain.
Ever since their first date, they adjusted to their new status, getting used to the affection's displays, daring a bit more to talk about their feelings and desires. Kyoka was more at ease with the whole intimacy thing, but she didn't held it against Denki, knowing too well his confidence issues. But he still managed to take her by surprise, all of her efforts for keeping her cool crumbling with his words and the feeling of his lips against her skin.
"You're one to talk, always sputtering the most blush inducing things…," she replied with a muffled voice, "need to breathe by the way..."
"Oh, sorry!"
He loosened his embrace, his arms rubbing slowly along her back, his forehead pressed against hers. A laugh bubbled inside their respective throat as the looked at each other's face, and they went on a low laughter fit, to not disturb their classmates. They each rolled on a side of the bed, catching their breath.
"Really, your dorkiness is contaminating me, I swear."
"I'm sure you're enjoying every second of it", he grinned slightly, while stretching and trying to regain some sensations in his arm.
She stuck her tongue at him playfully, and stood up to grab a bottle of water.
"I walk you back to your room?"
His voice held an unsure tone, as if he was reluctant to let her go and not daring enough to ask her to stay. She tilted her head to the side, confused.
"Who said I was going back?"
"You're not afraid that… ya know…"
She sighed and walked back to the bed, fixing her eyes on him. "Denki, I trust you, so trust yourself more. If I'm uncomfortable, I'll tell you, promise: so don't second-guess yourself all the time."
He reached for her cheek, swiping softly his thumb against her skin, and leaned on to kiss her forehead.
"I'll do my best."
She hummed in response, a yawn falling from her lips.
He got under the covers and scooted away, letting her climb back on the bed. Sleep claimed the both of them quickly, a new sense of peacefulness spreading in their mind.
...
They made the journey back to the dorms hand in hand, the campus devoid of any presence. The civilians that were welcomed hardly came near the students dorm, fears and worries lingering in the air on a daily basis.
Everyone was keeping to themselves, trust in heroes still damaged as more rumors were running wild concerning Midoriya, making him a villain at the beck and call of All for one, or even worse, a Nomu. Suspicion was cast on the student body too, affecting some students morale. The class stuck together more than ever, along with 1-B: never complaining, patrolling and fulfilling their duties, never blaming anyone in the process.
They took the habit to meet twice a week to talk about their situation, creating a space and a time to speak freely about their current issues, searching for solutions together.
The girls kept a close eye on Uraraka, but she was determined as ever, trusting Deku and focusing on going beyond her limits. She had confided in them during one of their girl's night, revealing the depth of her feelings and the choice she made some months ago to push them away.
"It's strange, because it's like I'm mourning something that never existed in the first place," she had said, the sadness obvious in her voice but not in her expression, "and yet… Hope is still there. I don't know what to feel anymore."
Several girls had had cried that night, especially Momo who shared the same feeling than Ochaco, the latter smiling and thanking them for their support.
Since then, Kyoka was more determined than ever to keep her relationship hidden, and Kaminari was dead set on this too: maybe their friend would blame them later, but it was the most sensible thing to do for now. So they enjoyed these little times alone where they could be themselves as a couple attached to the hip, the normalcy fueling them to go forward, hoping that they all be reunited soon and that their friends could be as lucky as them.
Denki opened the dorm front door, Kyoka's hand still enclosed in his, as they stepped together in the lobby. They headed to the elevator in silence, and he pulled her close to him as soon as the door closed, leaning in to kiss her softly. She lost herself in his warmth, sensing his need for comfort. He was a more a hug person and he rarely initiated anything else, but since their talk the other night, he acted less hesitant about their relationship.
I'm the luckiest girl in the world...
The telltale jolt of the cabin separated them, as they were already arrived on the 4th floor. She had to patrol with Mina soon, and they had their usual meeting with Class 1-B tonight, leaving them with few moment to spend together.
They stepped out, his left arm slowly dropping from her shoulder, her hand catching and squeezing a last time his own.
"Take care on your patrol, okay?"
"See you tonight!"
She turned around after blowing him a kiss, heading to her side of the floor to get ready.
A fake cough echoed in the corridor, freezing her in place.
"That was quite an interesting sight, Kyoka…"
This mischievous tone was well known around UA, belonging to the biggest gossip ever…
Jirou gulped lowly: there was no way she could escape this, so she fished her phone out to send a short text to Kaminari.
Mina saw us.
She was up for a hellish afternoon…
...
She had managed to make Mina swear to keep everything for herself in exchange of a rundown of her history with Denki, with his consent.
Patrol was usually a casual thing for her, and always ended without a problem: but this new data was tying her stomach in knots, as she chastised herself for her carelessness.
Well, their carelessness, as he had put it.
Anyway, she had to honor her part of the deal, and after a call to Kaminari about what he was comfortable to reveal, she headed to the dorm's entrance, geared up and ready as she could be to face her friend.
Mina was patiently waiting for Kyoka, reviewing their briefing's note: they had to regularly change patrol routes to avoid falling into a predictable pattern, and the incoming security stroll was a case of itinerary shifting.
Which means they wouldn't be able to have the long chat Mina was eagerly waiting for…
She would be lying if she said it surprised her. Denki's affection was obvious for a long time, he always had a soft spot for the hearing heroine. Kyoka was harder to read, but something seemed to happened during the culture festival, her usual sarcastic self mellowing a bit toward him.
She had seen it coming, but it wasn't the main reason she was happy about discovering their relationship: it gave a little bit of hope in a dreadful era, and she was just glad for Denki. The resident Pikachu was a ray of sunshine, one of the best guy to hang with because he was sensible, and he was a killer hairdresser and nail painter. He deserved to be happy with the girl he obviously pinned for.
So when Kyoka finally showed up, she energetically waved at her, smiling.
Her dark-haired friend waved back, less enthusiastically, but a little smile hanging on her lips nonetheless.
They checked a last time their route and went on, keeping their focus on the surrounding.
Mina finally spoke up after a moment, albeit in a low voice.
"So, how are you faring, since the last group talk?"
Kyoka was taken aback, expecting a more direct approach. But she tended to forget that Mina knew how to be sensitive, and that she deeply cared for the girl's well being.
"Well… I manage, even I broke down last week, while recording the song for Midnight-sensei."
Mina's brow rose, as she waited for more explanation.
"I didn't take the time to mourn or wrap my head around what happened with Gigantomachia, since I was worried for everyone else, especially Kaminari… And it kinda struck me after recording."
"It's true that you were watching over all of us since then, and with Deku's disappearance, I saw how you always has an eye on Ochaco."
"I wasn't as injured as y'all, and since my internship with Gang Orca and what I told everyone last time, I guess I matured a bit, so it just felt right to support everyone."
The pink-skinned girl squeezed Kyoka's shoulder affectionately. She remembered how she dropped by every day at the hospital, always bringing her her favorite snacks, nail polish or sending her dance videos she thought Mina would like on the day she couldn't visit. Even if she knew she was spending the most of her time watching over Denki, Kyoka always had a thought for them, even if she had been struggling with the emotional scar of seeing a civilian die in front of her.
Mina always wondered how she dealt with it at first… but she had a hunch it was related to a blond-haired young clown.
"It must have been tough to deal with it alone all this time", Mina said with a pensive yet knowing tone in her voice, a tone that hinted where she wanted this conversation to go.
Kyoka inhaled and exhaled, bracing herself for the questionning.
"Yeah, that's why I couldn't have done it without Kami."
"You're together since then?"
"No, but we got closer since the festival, and… I can't speak for him, since I don't really know for how long he has liked me, but my feelings grew deeper since then."
Mina kept a squeal at bay, her excitement to hear more quite obvious. Her puppy-eyed face came in Kyoka's line of sight, and she sighed loudly, surrendering.
"I had his back when he struggled with some problems, and he had mine when shit happened during the internship. It just felt natural to go to him and talk about that as we were getting closer, and one day I just realized that he was more than a friend, but I wasn't ready to… ya know, confess and all that."
She paused as she recalled the battle and how she had acted on sheer impulse, grabbing him and calling him by his firstname.
"And during the battle, I just couldn't… hold back what I was feeling I guess. And then he was comatose, and I just decided to go with it when he was recovering. He shared my feelings and tadaa, we're together since."
Mina deadpanned. "Wow, that was so cute at the beginning and you had to end it like this," she said dramatically, "details, details, miss!"
"Really, there's nothing much to say, since we're keeping it low key."
"Yeah, I meant to ask why you're doing the whole secret thingy, though. It's not like being in a relationship is forbidden or anything."
"We just thought it wasn't the right time to be open about this, with everyone grieving and Ochaco's situation. It would be insensitive of us to boast and be happy."
"Nobody asks you to boast, but for one it makes me happy to see that there is still good things even if the whole hero world is struggling. Kinda bring hope, you see? And you're not the type of girl who'll be OK with the all the PDA in the first place…"
"Yeah, I'd poke him with my jacks right away," Kyoka chuckled lightly, and her gaze clouded with a hint of tenderness as she added," and I don't think he is in that kind of things too. He's much more timid than you think…"
"Huh… Spill the beans, darling, it is getting interesting…"
Kyoka groaned inwardly at her carelessness. This one was on her, so she fed Mina with a short retelling of their "confession" that seemed to satisfy her bouncy friend, who couldn't resist squealing at how cute their love story had been.
They were nearing the end of the uneventful patrol, and it could have been a lot worse conversation: Mina never overstepped the boundaries, and genuinely enjoyed the fact that two of her friends found each other. They had to stay focused on their task anyway, so the topic was dropped as soon Mina had the details she wanted.
The dorm was in view, and Mina jogged toward the front door.
"Oh, and Kyoka? It is good to see you smiling like that, and I'm glad to know that you care for Denk's that much."
Kyoka blushed, muttering "I'm the one who is cared for…" under her breath.
The Acid girl turned gracefully around before saying in a serious tone, "But trust me on this: no one will be upset or mad if you officially get open with your relationship. We're family, remember?"
Kyoka nodded, the idea of freely holding Denki's hand appealing her more and more. If she was honest with herself, she felt a greed growing since their first date, as she wanted everyone to know that he was hers. It was true that she wasn't a touchy-kind of person, but she had these urges to hold him, to be close to him not as the friend she was but as his girlfriend.
She had chosen the secrecy, but wasn't it out of fear?
Mina winked at her, "And it could help set more ships to sail, so give it a thought, okay?"
She watched her classmate hurrying in the dorm, dumbfounded. Truly, this girl was paradoxical as ever. But Kyoka was glad that they had this talk: she felt a little bit lighter.
...
"So, how did it go?"
"Could have been worse, really," she replied while switching her phone to her other ear, as she grabbed her water bottle, "I managed to keep her clear from the most intimate things."
She heard him laugh on the other end of the line.
"I was talking about the patrol, but glad to hear that the grilling wasn't as hard as expected."
She grinned "Yup, no charcoal Kyoka for now. But.. I'd like to ask you something."
Denki stayed silent, a hint of worry seizing his mind, the one that made him doubt himself, and her in the process. He exhaled and said in the most confident tone he could muster, "What is it?"
She had felt his worry in the silence, felt his effort to ground himself, and a rush of affection coursed through her veins.
"Would you mind if we stopped the whole secret thing?"
"Huh? I mean, I'll go along with whatever you want to do about it, but why the change of heart?"
"Mina asked me about it... and she said something that made me wonder if it really was the right thing to d, like it wasn't a bad thing and could bring a bit of joy and hope."
She paused and tried to gather her thoughts, while he replied "You know, it doesn't have to be right or wrong. It is more about what you are comfortable to do. I agree that the timing seems wrong, but if it is something that is bothering you, it is better to talk it out, right?"
She groaned lightly, "You know, you always seems to say exactly what I need to hear. It's getting frustrating."
"That's what you like about me, admit it!", he cockily replied, her compliment dissipating his previous uneasiness.
"Getting confident, Pikachu?"
"Only thanks to you, Ji. Anyway, I follow you whatever your choice is. I admit that it is sometimes frustrating to not be able to treat you like my girlfriend, but I don't want to do anything you're not..."
"Comfortable with, I know. You have the right to be a bit selfish too, ya know?"
"I'm sending back these words to you."
She could see his tongue stuck out in a childish manner, making her laugh.
"What about announcing it at our group talk tonight?" she asked.
"So soon?"
"At least, everyone will be here, it will be less bothersome. I want to stop being afraid of their reaction: they are friends, not strangers… That's what I thought after talking to Mina anyway."
"All right then, should we plan our grand revelation, then? Are we getting Momo make confetti and decorations for it?"
She laughed, uttering a "Nope Dorkbolt!" between two snickers.
...
Class 2-A and 2-B were gathered in the common room, plates of cookies baked by Sato and liters of fragrant tea brewed by Momo displayed on the coffee tables.
Denki sat near Kyoka, his mind not fully registering the events that happened the past month.
He never had felt this whole in his life, surrounded by the friendship and care from his classmates whom he trusted more than anything, able to build a relationship with the most amazing girl his path crossed, growing out of his unhealthy habits day by day.
Even if the world he knew was shifting, he brimmed with a sense of confidence and trust in the future he never thought he would felt. He knew it was thanks to the hardships they all overcame, thanks to the heroes that guided them, thanks to her support.
Sometimes, the usual nagging voice resurfaced, whispering to him that it will eventually come to an end, that he didn't deserve all this happiness, that he was a fake kind person that used people's misery to feel good about himself.
It happened earlier, while on the phone with Kyoka, when he thought she was breaking up with him. His insecurities were the biggest ordeal in their relationship in his opinion, and he felt hyper aware of this problem. He hadn't talk about it to her for now, but he knew this was a conversation bound to happen if he wanted to stay by her side and make it work.
Kyoka had just finished talking about her delayed grieving, as Ochaco took her turn to explain her mixed feelings about Midoriya's actions, feelings that she struggled to get out of her head. His hand brushed lightly against hers for a second, as he comforted their friends.
"It took me some time, but I guess I have forgiven him. I mean, we all know how reckless he can be, but he never did anything without a good reason, and that reason is always how he cares about people."
The whole assembly let Denki's words sink in, when Bakugou grunted "Yeah, that dumbass probably thought of protecting us, but it doesn't change the fact that he dismissed us as allies."
"I feel like he felt responsible for Tomura's action, ribbit."
"I guess that the nature of One for All had a role in his decision too, so I think that it must have been a hard decision to make," added Tenya in his stern tone,"I still can't resent him for it, since I trust him to do the most sensible thing."
"I'm sorry I couldn't get any lead on my father," said Todoroki in a dim voice, his eyes cast downward, "Principal Nezu said he'd contact us if anything happens on his end, but he doesn't seem to be successful either."
Momo silently nodded as she offered a cup of tea to Shoto, along with a reassuring smile.
Kyoka and Denki exchanged a glance, as the atmosphere grew heavier.
He lifted his arms in the air to stretch, and casually dropped his right arm on Kyoka's shoulder, earning a confused look from her as he tightened his embrace.
"Well… on another note, I… or rather we have an announcement to make…"
Panic began to pool in Kyoka's gut: it wasn't suppose to be like this, the timing was….
Fuck it.
After all, there never was an absolute good way to do things, so she braced herself for the incoming questioning looks and whatnot. She had decided to do it anyway, so she would be as brave as him and trust Denki on this, since he had this knack to defuse tense atmosphere.
Their classmates took in the sight of a madly grinning Denki and an embarrassed Kyoka, as he side-hugged her tightly.
"I'm the lucky boyfriend of this rock star!"
She rolled her eyes playfully as she gently poked his cheek with her jack.
"Really Pikachu… That wasn't the smoothest way to deliver the news…"
Momo and Eijirou smiled, as the latter pulled a thumb up. Denki knew how much his friend wanted him to be out in the open with his relationship, even if he understood their decision.
The electric boy watched Bakugou's light knowing smirk, as he muttered an "about time" to himself, and Mina's wink. Sero blinked twice before throwing an arm around Denki, breaking the hug with Kyoka, ruffling his hair while scolding him for not talking about it sooner, as Mineta's voice echoed around the room, the only word in his mouth being "traitor!"
Tetsutestsu and the other boys gathered around him, congratulating and expressing how envious they were.
Todoroki was lightly smiling, watching as Momo approached her best friend to offer her congratulations. She somehow didn't seem that surprised.
Iida's voice boomed next to him, irritation lacing his tone, "Really, is all this agitation necessary?"
The half-and-half hero sighed: Tenya was really a good friend, but he needed to relax a little.
"Is seeing two of our friends happy necessary? I guess so. It is comforting in a strange kind of way," replied Shoto, his eyes still lingering on the tall silhouette of their vice-representative.
"Don't be a spoil sport, Rep'! We all need a little love in these harsh time!" exclaimed Mina before jogging to Kyoka, who was also surrounded by the girls.
Kyola was overwhelmed by questions, and had trouble to focus. Her friends were all happy for her, even if some of them, mostly from the class 2-B wondered why she chose Kaminari.
"You don't know him like we know him, ribbit," replied Tsu, "for example, maybe Monoma has a good side we fail to see, because we don't spend the same amount of time with him than you."
"If it's the case, he is failing at showing it to us too…," sarcastically said Kendo, "anyway, if he makes you happy, I'm glad for you Jirou."
She replied with a smile and a nod, as Hagakure was asking her for details.
Ochako plopped next to her on the couch, and Kyoka tensed a bit. She then was engulfed in a tight hug. Jirou froze, and whispered a low "sorry…", as Uraraka shushed her.
"Thank you for not holding back."
"I did… I was afraid of hurting you."
Ochako flicked her index finger on Kyoka's forehead as she broke the hug.
"If anything, it gives me courage to go on, because you are both showing me that love can be in a hero's life. Someone had to open the path, and I'm glad you did it."
Kyoka felt like crying, as her eyes crossed Denki's amber ones: they had a matching smile with a gaze glazed with relief.
"Tomorrow is totally a girl's night!"
She mouthed a "sorry" to him, as he smiled his million watts smile at her. It didn't matter, for she was his, and he was hers.