Bottom-Up
A cozy, snow-cloaked morning gave way to immediate work for class 1-A. Having completed a delightful breakfast, wherein Momo had taken great joy in personally serving her friends tea, it was straight to training in the property's extensive surroundings. Due to the natural shrouds of foliage across every acre, everyone found their own group or point of solitude to begin refining their skills, taking the purpose of their retreat to heart under the watchful eye of the Big Three, who were happy to step in and provide their own suggestions, a rare opportunity for the upperclassmen.
Well, save for Tamaki, who simply stood nearby with his temple against tree bark, glancing at the energetic Kirishima out of the corner of his eye.
Far off from most of their classmates, Izuku, Ochaco, and Tenya were beginning their routine, the same as it had been for the past week. The trio stood apart from one another, facing away, and a significant distance between them. Two were waiting, the third taking deep breathes in concentration.
It wasn't long before One For All made its presence known, its energetic aura springing to life on its current wielder's body. As the wisps of green energy crackled about, Izuku shifted gears, moving on to the real test. With Full Cowl at maximum efficiency, he triggered Solidarity, instantly feeling the reservoir of power within him pouring outward like a fountain, sensing the others nearby. It made the ninth holder grin, thinking how natural this felt by now.
Iida and Uraraka quickly felt a foreign but familiar force enter their frames, experimentally balling their fists and flexing various muscles. Confirming the energy's hold, Tenya shouted for his friends to hear. "Alright, one step at a time."
"Got it!"
In perfect synchronization, the trio walked the directions they were facing, gradually increasing the distance as Izuku maintained the connection between them. Ochaco could feel the urge to move faster, to utilize the boost she was receiving, but stuck to the program, calmly walking away from her friends. Tenya, far more restrained with instinctual speed, was slowly becoming more and more impressed, the seconds and steps passing by without any break to their link.
Eventually though, Izuku found himself slipping from his connection, the power of One For All torn away and rushing back to him. He allowed the energy to fall back into his reserves; no need to blow his limbs off. The three friends turned around, looking to see their final distance. Izuku's eyes widened in both awe and joy, witnessing a far-off Ochaco cheering and jumping in place, while Tenya excitedly waved his arms above him.
"Incredible, Midoriya! This is nearly double from only a few days ago!" the class rep shouted, then rushed back towards his friend upon seeing the other two's joyful reactions. The three met in a triumphant high-five, laughing to their progress as a team. Once that was over however, it was time for the next phase.
Per Iida's insistence, the trio had quickly begun testing the boundaries of their Solidarity coordination after Izuku's natural affinity for the quirk became apparent. The most straining of these was going for a run through crowded terrain. In this case, the woods. Izuku had to maintain their link while also dodging incoming obstacles, while Ochaco used her own Zero Gravity to essentially pinball around the foliage, and Tenya had to carefully regulate his own power in conjunction with what Solidarity was lending him. All this while staying within the range of their connection.
The exercise became easier over time, as Izuku widened his sphere of influence and became accustomed to subconsciously leaving his new power on. Ochaco actually noticed her nausea was less severe while empowered, giving her more focus on the weightless acrobatics before her. Tenya took the role of leading their group through the area, giving himself more experience in coordinating a team.
In this particular situation, the ground was covered in snow, as were the tree trunks. Izuku and Ochaco both took a handful of face-dives in the fresh deposits after slipping up on the frozen slush. Iida had the benefit of having trained running on snow in the past. Once they finally made it through their run, the non-speedsters fell back onto the frozen deposits, breathing heavily.
"That's… so much… harder… on snow," Uraraka panted out. The true owner of One For All's power groaned in agreement next to her. Winded, but still standing, Iida hand-chopped away while addressing his friends.
"Therefore it makes for excellent training! The seasons will change no matter what villainy we must thwart, it is our duty to be prepared for any scenario." While his companions did agree with him, they were still envious of his superior maneuverability. Before Tenya could go on however, the sound of boots rapidly rushing through snow caught everyone's attention. They were then caught by surprise as a large figure soared over them and ultimately plopped down amidst the downed Izuku and Ochaco, splattering everyone with additional frigid fluff. As the three students shook it off, they bore witness to a baffling sight.
Mirio was energetically waving his arms and legs in the snow, laughing away.
"Uh, Togata, what are you doing?" Izuku inquired, finally getting to his feet, but keeping his expression nice and pale. Ochaco did the same. Mirio suddenly stopped flailing his limbs in synchronicity, looking up at the three with abrupt realization.
"Oh! I thought you two were making snow angels!" Ochaco covered her mouth as she struggled not to spit out her strangled laughter, leaving Iida to remain stiff and uncertain and Izuku to continue standing there with a blank look.
"N-no… we were just tired from training." Their actions clarified, the upperclassman was quickly on his feet in no time, though that smile never left his face.
"Ah, I see! Well, since we're on the subject, I'll bet our little friend would love to try it herself." The shock of Mirio's antics finally fading, the trio of younger students tilted their heads in curiosity. The sound of soft snow crunching drew their eyes towards the direction Togata had come flying from, eyes widening upon seeing the little girl quietly making her way towards them.
"Eri!" Izuku and Ochaco shouted in unison, grins rivaling Mirio's springing to their lips. The child gave a small smile back to them, waving a mitted hand. The four hero students moved to meet up with her, with Izuku bending down to be at level with her.
"Here to have some fun in the snow?" The horned-girl nodded, her face gaining more brightness by the second. Uraraka mirrored her friend's movements, her excitement spiked from Mirio's suggestion.
"Hey, Eri, want to make snow angels?" The youngest of the group blinked, tilting her head.
"How do you do that?" Izuku pointed to his senior.
"You do what Togata was doing."
"You jump at the ground and flap around?" The ninth holder chuckled nervously.
"Eh, well you don't have to jump." Ochaco leapt back to her full height and took a few steps back.
"Let's just show her, guys." With that, she promptly let herself fall backwards onto the buildup of flakes. Izuku and Mirio, liking the idea, followed suit, plopping down with their limbs spread about. The three looked to their fourth upon not hearing a third drop. "You too, Iida." The bespectacled class rep adjusted his synonymous lenses.
"I'll pass, thank you. It's not my cup of tea." Uraraka was about to shoot him a pout, but Mirio was quick to intervene.
"But a hero has to impart joy to the kiddos! You've got to show them how to smile and laugh!" Tenya flinched, then his eyebrows went up.
"Ah, of course. You are correct! Very well…" He stiffly allowed himself to slam onto his back like a plank, arms and legs tucked. "I shall join the demonstration."
Ochaco glanced at the curious red-eyed girl from her position. "Now you move your arms and legs up and down together." She and the others all began moving, carving out numerous angles with their fours limbs, all while Eri watched on in wonder. Iida, true to form, made his motions as mechanically as possible. A minute or so later, the group got back to their feet and stood away from their creations, allowing Eri to take them in.
"Does it look fun?" Uraraka asked. The little girl looked up to her, thinking, then nodded. "Give it a try." Eri looked around for a moment, seeing that the area around her was clear, then, mimicking the others, let herself quietly fall back onto the snow, her hair spilling out into a crown around her head. That, combined with the gentle flapping of limbs that came next, was nearly too cute for Ochaco to bear, Izuku actually having to steady her with a hand on the shoulder.
Eri stopped when she felt she'd succeeded, climbing out of the impression in the ground and looking down hopefully. Upon seeing the small figure that reflected her outline, she smiled, then looked to the others. Everyone either clapped or cheered, or both.
"Way to go, Eri! That's perfect," Uraraka exclaimed. Mirio suddenly motioned to the rest of the clearing they were standing in.
"Want to make some more?" he asked enthusiastically. Eri held up her balled mittens.
"Yes!"
For the next fifteen minutes, the five filled the entire area with dozens upon dozens of imprinted angels. So furious was the students' laughter that it didn't take long for Eri herself to begin giggling, which, naturally, only made them laugh harder. It was soon after that Iida excused himself from the merriment, far too formal to take such matters as they should be taken. He nevertheless stayed close and smiled fondly at the rest as they used up every available inch of untouched snow to create another 3-D reflection. Izuku and Ochaco seemed to have forgotten all their exhaustion from earlier.
The group stood proudly before their masterpiece, with Mirio holding Eri up on his shoulders so she could get the full view. She marveled at the expanse of 'wings', enjoying the magic of winter as a girl her age should. One more part of her childhood that Izuku was happy she recovered. As their time passed by, Iida cleared his throat, gathering the attention of his classmates.
"Well, this has been excellent, but we really should return to our training. Don't you agree, Midoriya, Uraraka?" Although reluctant now with how much fun they were having with Togata and Eri, the pair in question nodded, shaking off the last of the snow that had accumulated on their coats. As Mirio set his passenger back on the ground, he gave the trio an inquisitive look.
"Oh? And what kind of training might that be?" Ochaco suddenly clapped both hands on Izuku's shoulders, as if displaying her pride in him.
"We're practicing with Deku's new qu-uh, ability!" At this, the upperclassman's eyes widened.
"Whoa! You mean that crazy whip thing you told me about?" Izuku smiled but shook his head.
"No, it's another new power that just manifested a few weeks ago. I call it Solidarity. It lets me share the stockpiled power of my quirk with other people nearby." Togata gave an amusing flinch of shock.
"Holy cow! Seriously!? That's awesome! How does it work?" Figuring a demonstration would be best, Izuku grinned and began activating Full Cowl. He took a quick assessment of his senior, making sure to not mutter it out-loud. Mirio was well-built, more so than he was, as well as physically larger. He let Solidarity kick in, letting 30% flow over to the waiting vessel. Mirio was at once surprised, looking himself over as a dim glow encompassed his form.
"Amazing!" He experimentally threw a few punches into the air. The others could actually feel the air displacement, despite being a few feet away from him. "How much do you give out?" he asked glancing back at the ninth wielder.
"Well, I can handle about 20% without my bones breaking, even then it's stressful on them. Uraraka can handle a bit less than me, and Iida a bit more." Mirio winked encouragingly at Ochaco.
"Well hey, don't you worry about being behind these boys in power. Hado still floored me and Tamaki when she wanted to." Oddly, Iida shifted so that his eyes were hidden by the glare of his lenses, while Izuku looked to the side.
"She… doesn't need it…" the One For All user mumbled.
Mirio blinked in confusion, while the girl in question gave a very mischievous grin. Suffice to say, the added power and speed from Solidarity, combined with her Gunhead Martial Arts, made Ochaco extremely dangerous up-close, which, to the boys' misfortune, was their combat style of choice. Hitting hard and fast meant little when a single, nimble dodge was followed by a harsh face-plant into the floor. Their upperclassman seemed to take the hint, giving his best laugh for their situation. "Ah, ok then! So, how much did you give me just now?" Thankful for the shift in topic, Izuku brightened.
"30%. I figured you could handle more than we could. How do you feel?" Togata threw a few more practice swings, then flexed.
"Feels great! Like I could jump up a skyscraper." Seeing there were no ill effects, Izuku made a mental note to later see just how much of One For All his senior could take. The idea alone sprouted several more within seconds. But that was for another time. Mirio's questioning had reminded him of a preexisting idea he'd created the day before. He allowed his quirks to die down, then looked down to Eri, who had watched the exchange with interest.
"Solidarity had me wondering something the other day." Everyone listened expectantly. "Eri's quirk accumulates something to make it work, we found that out from Monoma. Since mine is the same way, I think we could help her learn to control it by using Solidarity as a medium." His classmates were stunned.
"You mean, giving her some of your power so she can practice with hers?" Ochaco surmised. Izuku nodded.
"Yeah." He immediately noted the concern on his friends' faces, although Eri's was more curiosity, as it had been the moment her quirk had been brought up. "I know, it sounds crazy, but listen. If Eri can use my power to activate her quirk, then I can essentially control how much output she can produce." Mirio, who had his hand under his chin, hummed in thought.
"I think I get what you're saying. If you only give her a small amount, then her power won't be able to go crazy because there's just not enough. You could cut it off at any moment." Izuku nodded again, happy his theory was understood.
"But Midoriya…" Iida's scrutinizing voice cut into the consensus. "You're assuming that her own accumulated power won't trigger in response to her quirk activating. What then? We can't know if she'll be able to distinguish between the two sources." The One For All user winced, not able to counter the concern. Togata seemed to share the mood, folding his arms with a frown.
"Even if the theory is good, we shouldn't test it without Eraserhead around." The thought was left hanging in the air, the students trying to think of any details Izuku may have overlooked. Aizawa would be visiting at some point of course, but he really wanted to start helping the girl as soon as possible.
"Wait."
All eyes fell on Uraraka, who looked to be piecing the last of her own sentence together as she spoke. The Zero Gravity user faced her greenette friend. "Deku, when you give us power, it's more than that." Intrigued, the boy waited for her to continue. Ochaco placed her hands over her chest. "I can feel, well, you. There's a warmth, something familiar there, like your spirit is there with us when you lend your power." Izuku's mouth fell slightly open, surprised at hearing this. His friend turned to their third. "Iida, you can feel it too, can't you?"
Tenya paused to consider the notion. "Why, yes, I suppose I do. At first I believed it was the psychological rush of having so much power flowing through me, but over time I've felt its imagery become focused. Midoriya's heroic nature is buried in there, cheering me on as I use the gift he has bestowed."
Izuku could only stare back at his two friends. He recognized that he could feel the presence of others when using Solidarity, but now he was being told they could feel his as well.
How much about this quirk do I really know?
"You should give it a try, Deku." The ninth wielder looked back to Eri, patiently watching the older kids have their discussion. He glanced at Mirio, who shrugged, but wore an encouraging grin, seeing no harm in testing the idea. Finally nodding to them all, Izuku knelt down to the girl's level and gave her a smile.
"What do you think, Eri? Can I lend you some of my power, like you did for me?" The red-eyed angel was taken aback by the request, obviously not expecting such a turn. However, she recalled what she and the boy had sworn to one another, her lips pursed in a hard line of resolve.
"Yes!" she affirmed with a nod. Izuku returned the gesture, then initiated his quirks, feeling the energy wafting outwards. Eri was in much better condition than she'd been months ago, but by no means was she as durable as a hero course student. He allowed the absolute bare minimum of One For All's power to flow through Solidarity's channel, a drop from a bucket. Even this amount was a shock to Eri, who gave a light gasp as she felt the power touch her, then embrace her a second later.
It was so little that she didn't emit a glow like the others who'd been affected by the ability, but her facial expression gave it away all the same. Eri slowly placed her hands on her chest, her eyes drooping to half-open, and cheeks regaining some of their color that the winter weather had sapped away.
"It's so warm." She looked Izuku in the eye. "And happy." The successor felt his heart squeeze a bit. "It's not scary… like mine." Although that last part was a bit heartbreaking, it was clear she could distinguish the elements within her.
"Yep, she can tell them apart," Ochaco declared, giving a thumbs up. Iida and Mirio nodded in approval, watching Eri give a hopeful look to her heroes. Seeing this, Izuku ventured a step further.
"Eri, do you think you can turn on your quirk?" The very notion seemed to snap the girl out of her reverie, suddenly reserved once more. Noticing immediately, Izuku just kept smiling, then reached over and gently took Eri's hands in his.
"Don't worry, you don't have enough power to hurt us." To anyone else, this would be somewhat of an insult. To the cautious Rewind user, it was a golden reassurance. She shook off her nerves as best she could, then nodded. Everyone fell silent as the young girl took a deep breath, Izuku softly giving her a verbal nudge. "Just remember what you felt when you took that leap, what you wanted to do, that feeling of being someone who saves others." Eri closed her eyes.
A kind and gentle quirk, that's the only thing Deku ever called my power.
I can be free to do what I want, that's what Lemillion said.
I can use my power to stop people's pain. I can use it for smiles, like my heroes.
She squeezed her eyes tighter, feeling the warmth of Izuku's presence.
Please, I want it to be kind!
*zzt*
The students around her gasped and instinctually took a step back. Eri was nearly startled, opening her eyes to see what was wrong. Iida was already turning to his friend with concern. "Midoriya!"
"O-oh, right!" All at once, Eri felt her power slip away. Not like last time, when it was abruptly cut off my Aizawa's Erasure. No, she simply 'ran out of fuel'. The slight buzzing at her forehead stopped, she felt normal again. The students' reactions had her worried.
"Wh-what did I do?" Rather than see the group continue to look surprised, they all morphed their expressions into ones of joy.
"Eri, you did it!" Izuku cried. "You turned on your quirk!" The little girl blinked.
"I did?" Ochaco nodded fervently, the most enthusiastic of the bunch.
"Yeah! Your horn grew a little bit, and then started to give off sparks!" She then wheeled around to her friend. "And they were green, like yours, Deku. She was using your power!" This news had Eri feeling her cheeks warm up. She'd done it, she'd actually used what was given to her. Next to her, Mirio raised up a fist.
"Woohoo! She's got this!" A cough interrupted the three's celebration, attention moving to Iida.
"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. This was merely the first step." Unfortunately, he was correct, something the hard-working hero course students could admit. Izuku returned his focus to their youngest, looking eager to help her more.
"Ready to keep it up, Eri?" Feeling practically elated just by the small step she'd made, the Rewind user gave a firm nod.
"Let's keep going!"
Izuku whipped out his notebook like a magician, examining his notes as everyone got into position, spread around Eri. Using the theoretical range they'd taken from the hideout inspection, they'd now attempt to see if Rewind's focus on Deku was a fluke, or if it was truly omnidirectional. While he was reading, he simultaneously sent out power to the girl, letting her practice activating her quirk while he looked for any details he'd missed, his friends throwing out words of encouragement to their smallest companion.
Since it was clear Rewind was contained within her horn, Izuku knew she wouldn't have to spread it throughout her system as he did with One For All. A bit of concentration on her part allowed her to focus the energy within the extremity, achieving a consistent activation after a few dozen attempts. The more positivity the others sent her way, the better her focus. She wouldn't let them or Deku down; they'd made a promise to do better.
Once Eri was confident enough to try the next phase, everyone held out a hand towards her, the rest of their bodies outside of the given range. Izuku sent over the power she'd already grown accustomed to, then, within a few seconds, her horn sparked to life. With a smile of encouragement from Izuku, she felt out the energy gathered at her forehead, then, she pushed.
The gathered students suddenly felt the contact, the strange, numb feeling of Eri's influence licking at their outstretched hands. Izuku had assured them that at the level of power he was feeding her, her Rewind wouldn't be able to accelerate. They were being put in reverse, but it was seconds at a time.
"This kinda tickles," Ochaco giggled, moving her gloved fingers around. Izuku couldn't help but smile at her, but then looked over to their trainee.
"Okay, Eri. Just like with our fight, see if you can focus all of the effect on me." The little girl nodded, her face scrunching up just slightly as she willed the sphere of her power to narrow, trying to set its effects solely on the One For All holder. Unfortunately, even after a minute, no one felt anything change. Izuku cut the connection, letting Eri relax.
She didn't take it as well as the grownups. Her frown was difficult to see as she hung her head, but the sound of boot crunching snow caught her attention, as did a hand resting on her shoulder in the next moment. "Don't worry, Eri," the greenette at her side began. "We're gonna hit some walls as we go. We've just got to keep at it." More encouragement, enough to convince her to try again.
This time, Izuku considered it may be too strenuous to try long-distance right away. He alone stood right beside her in their next attempt. Again, Eri triggered Rewind, fully enveloping Izuku while the others watched on. Unlike his friends, he was used to the sensation and was even able to keep pace with her reversion during their fight with Overhaul by surging more and more of One For All's power.
Here they were taking it slow, building upon what they'd learned of Rewind to help its owner seize control. Even so, after another trial, the results stayed the same. Eri couldn't draw the influence to just the boy next to her, letting the power fade away as Izuku severed the link. The successor pondered on what they might be missing, as the others gathered around.
"Yo, Midoriya!" Mirio suddenly called out. "I think I've got an idea." As an upperclassman, he instantly received his juniors' full attention. "Maybe before we get her to focus the power on one target, we should she if she can pull back on the range." His suggestion had merit, and soon enough, they stood in position again, Eri's horn sparking.
It took several dozen tries, throughout which the girl gained quite the adorable determined frown, according to Ochaco, but everyone was pleasantly surprised when they felt Rewind's reach leave their fingertips, as its originator pulled the power towards herself, a little at a time. They experimented for the next hour or so, finding how close to herself she could keep the flow. Eventually, with great satisfaction, Eri smiled up at the four people standing right next to her, horn still brimming with Solidarity's provided energy.
As with their previous testing, the process of giving only one target Rewind's effect was proving a failure, as Eri simply extended her sphere of influence when trying to reach out to only Izuku. For this conundrum, Ochaco was the one providing a solution.
"Maybe Eri just needs to physically touch you. That's basic for a lot of quirks."
In a moment of eureka, the group cheered upon putting the idea into action, as the direct contact of Eri's little hand on Izuku's arm caused an immediate reaction, the presence of her Rewind fading from everyone else, the ninth holder alone experiencing the numbing reversion. This was, of course, only if the girl concentrated. Contact was the conduit, but her will was the valve.
As the celebration wore down, Iida reminded them of what hurdle awaited next. "She's managed turning it on, range, and focus, but now comes the last step: turning it off." Everyone calmed, glancing at a rather nervous Eri. This was the one aspect of quirk usage that she had never accomplished consciously. Izuku would not always be there to provide power, and, consequently, cut it off in case something went wrong.
"Alright, no need to rush, Eri," Mirio started with a wink and shimmering smile. "Just picture a quick turn of the faucet and you're done." The girl nodded, signaling she was ready to begin. As always, Solidarity provided the fuel, with Eri igniting the power moments later, now able to do so easily. She let the reversion field expand first, letting the energy tingle everyone around her, then drew it back in, almost like a breathing exercise. Once the effect was contained to just above her skin, she moved to killing the power entirely.
This proved difficult immediately. For this test, Izuku had to maintain a flow of power to her; it was her job to let that power sit idle instead of fueling her Rewind. She had little knowledge of metaphors, but considered it akin to pulling a magnet away from a metal surface. If the magnet was pulled far enough away, it wouldn't attract to the material.
Eri struggled greatly with the mental separation. It was like stumbling in the dark, looking for the light switch that may or may not be there. As upsetting as it was, she eventually conceded, frustratingly shaking her head. Izuku took the hint and cut off his quirks, finally allowing Rewind to sputter out. He and the others could see the girl was saddened by the failure, simply standing there with her head hung. One For All's inheritor made his next move instinctually.
Eri gasped lightly upon being gently embraced by two arms.
"You made amazing progress today, Eri. We're all so proud of you." The little girl's sense of defeat was put on hold, as she peeked over Izuku's shoulder and saw his three friends giving her bright smiles of agreement. "This was just the first day, you'll be in control in no time." Despite the warming words, Eri couldn't help but let her lips tremble and let a few tears fall, before burying her head into the ninth holder's shoulder. He at first thought their praise hadn't worked, but then felt her arms slip in-between and hug his middle, as well as her head nodding. He smiled, holding her a bit closer for a moment before letting her go.
"I'd say it's about time for lunch. Let us go round up the rest of our classmates." Iida's declaration sat well with everyone, as Mirio yanked Eri up and over onto his shoulders again. He made a mad dash for the house, during which Eri's happy cheer could be heard. The three first-years they'd left in the dust laughed after them, then moved to follow.
Izuku set his notebook down on the desk corner, leaving it open to Eri's page. He smiled fondly at the impressive amount of info he'd added after today; another whole page.
Following lunch, the class had moved to studying, with the indomitable Momo Yaoyorozu leading the majority of their class in extensive coverage of their subjects. A few chose to group together with their usual friends, but always kept an ear open to their class's top-tier mind. The lot of them were packed into the small library on the second floor, which even had a fireplace nearby, adding a peaceful aura to the room. Not wanting her to be left out, Izuku provided Eri with his own hero notebook to practice reading, her eyes remaining glued to it for nearly the entire session.
The rest of the day played out no differently than a typical scene at Heights Alliance, with everyone off doing their own thing, hanging out in the living room, visiting the personal gym, or holing up in their rooms.
It was dark outside now, just before midnight. Izuku figured most if not all of his classmates were already asleep. He'd remained up to review the information now sitting before him. Tomorrow they would continue with Eri's training alongside their own, hopefully finding the key to reining in her quirk, as well as practicing more of what they accomplished earlier. The more natural each step of her power became, the more comfortable she'd become with using it. Getting past the psychological barrier was likely the most important part of her training, especially when they'd move on to her using her own reserve of accumulated power.
Sighing, One For All's wielder backed away from the notebook, figuring it was time to hit the hay. Upon pursing his lips however, he discovered he was quite parched. He made his way to the door and slipped out into the corridor, quieting closing it behind him.
The house remained dimly lit by a few scattered lamps along each wall and staircase, giving Izuku a clear path down to the first floor and eventually the kitchen. Momo had insisted everyone be liberal with whatever snacks, drinks, or ingredients were present in the pantry and refrigerator, with Kaminari joking they could probably fit a few bodies in the massive cooler. The pantry seemed to have been left open by someone, but the boy just walked past and opened the fridge.
Izuku grabbed a can of green tea, deciding to just empty the drink then and there rather than take it back up to his room. He drained half the beverage before setting it down on the nearby counter, realizing he'd left the fridge open. Stepping over, he gave the large door a solid shove and closed the appliance.
"Deku?"
Normally startling, the soft voice only caused Izuku to turn to the exit to the main hall, recognizing it immediately, and replying with a soft smile and off-handed wave. "Oh, hey, Uraraka."
There was a slight delay in Ochaco's approach following the greeting, but she nevertheless walked over and grinned at her friend.
"Guess I wasn't the only one who was thirsty." The greenette shrugged, then joined her as she leaned against the counter. "You look like you haven't even gone to bed yet." Izuku shook his head.
"No. I was staying up a bit to read over our findings for Rewind. There's still a lot of work to do, even with everything Eri managed today." Ochaco hummed in agreement, taking a sip of tea before setting it back down and replying.
"Don't forget about us, though. You've got a lot to work on with Blackwhip." The mentioned quirk's owner chuckled.
"Yeah, that's going to be a whole different challenge," he admitted, taking another swig of his drink. The two remained silent for a while, absentmindedly quenching their thirst in the warmly-lit kitchen. After a while, Uraraka seemed to gather her thoughts.
"Hey, I was wondering, the three of us could head into town tomorrow after training. Get some last-minute Christmas shopping done." Izuku perked up at the idea, nodding.
"That sounds great. Yaoyorozu did say it was a nice little village with a bunch of family owned stores. I'm sure we'd find plenty of cool things." Ochaco was overjoyed with the agreement, flashing him a big smile.
"Cool! I'm looking forward to it." Izuku watched her, likely internally planning out their trip, admiring the way the light reflected off her eyes and cheeks. He was apparently staring for a while, because Ochaco blinked at him curiously.
"Everything ok, Deku?" The boy snapped out of it, turning away and rubbing his neck.
"Oh, yeah, sorry, Uraraka. W-we should get back to bed." Again, Ochaco's reaction seemed a bit delayed, but she nonetheless agreed with a rapid nod.
"R-right." The two reached down and grabbed their now empty drinks.
Only to suddenly grab the same can.
Both students froze, eyes moving from each other, to the can, back to each other, repeated a few more times, and, just once, to each other's lips. Recognition that they'd been drinking from the same can was marked by the crimson coloration rapidly blooming on their faces, worsened by the fact that in the time they'd been processing all this, they were also technically holding hands.
With the speed of lightning, Izuku yanked the can free of Ochaco's grip and tossed it in the nearby recycling bin. "Letsgetbackupstairs!"
"Yeahyou'reright!"
The two booked it out of the kitchen, but had the common sense to not run and create a bunch of noise in the main hall, swiftly making their way to the stairway back to the rooms. They took their time with the steps, which weren't as well lighted as the rest of the path. On the bright side, the time it took for them to climb up allowed them to clear their heads, slowly relaxing away the embarrassment from moments ago.
By the time they'd made it to the top, there was still a subtle awkwardness, but at least the two could face each other for a wave goodbye.
"So, um, goodnight, Deku," the Zero Gravity user managed to say, avoiding her friend's eyes.
"Y-yeah, goodnight…"
Izuku trailed off in his reply, like something was bothering him. Or rather, noticing that something was bothering his companion. As Uraraka nodded and turned away to continue on to her room, he found the right ending.
"…Ochaco."
The girl stopped in her tracks. She swung back around to stare at him, stunned. Surprisingly, she gazed back at the remnants of a nervous grin, now morphing into a full, bright, Deku-smile that she always enjoyed seeing. Ochaco slowly moved to fully face him again, a hand sliding up to rest on her chest, feeling the shifting heartbeat underneath. The two stood there for an amount of time they couldn't even calculate, just taking one another in. Eventually, Uraraka felt an urge to move, not away in embarrassment, but towards the boy before her. Her arms twitched in a desire to reach out and-
*crunch*
All traces of serenity faded.
*crunch*
This noise, followed by a distinct munching, drew the pair's attention to the stairs they'd came from. Standing just a few steps away from the second floor was Mina, holding and consuming a bag of chips she'd likely raided from the pantry. The girl's golden eyes were intently staring at the two friends, her expression blank except for the slightly puffed cheeks from her stuffing her mouth.
*crunch*
"G-goodnight!" Izuku and Ochaco shouted at one another, then took off in opposite directions. Both managed to slam their doors shut before catching their breath, then collapsed against it behind them. As if synchronized, they took a minute to calm themselves, made their way to their beds, and simply allowed their bodies to plop down, staring up at the ceiling.
Both had a light blush.
Both smiled joyfully.
I'll admit, this time I was just being lazy. Oh and, don't worry, guys, we'll be getting back to the action bits soon.
Hestia is Bestia: A tall order, but I'll do my damnedest to fulfill it.
HankFlamion18: Thy graciousness knows no bounds.
patrickthenobleman: Glad I gave a believable bit of philosophy there. It is a favored subject of mine. And yes, bad guys will be making their move, soon.
Sentinel07: Haha, I love nailing the transitional chapters! Thank you.
The Keeper of Worlds: Your theories are such a pleasure to see, I thank you for putting them here. And quite accurate they are to boot!
Keradon: I will take this very, VERY, seriously. It may be hard to please everyone, but I'll go in guns blazing for our main dishes! Your support is most appreciated.
Buried legacy: Ooo, very nice inclusion. I'll keep it in mind.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!
next chapter: Bridging Feelings