NeonHorizon: I know it's a little late for a Valentine's Day chapter...


It was Valentine's Day. This was, by no means, a special day for him. In the past, every Valentine's Day passed without any sort of special event. He followed his everyday routine and the morning slipped by without merit. This year was to be like any other.

Over a month had passed since he last paid a visit to the café "Good Coffee" and with each day that passed, the layers of darkness rebuilt themselves. The spark, the flickering flame of goodness that had begun to form at his core, was gradually shrouded in bleakness once more until it was almost forgotten. It was like the darkening of clouds from their fluffy, pure paleness on a spring morning to storm clouds before a disaster.

Kurogiri only knew the spark was there when he thought about them. Misora and her daughter. Christmas Eve, when he had rescued the child purely on reflex. Christmas Day, when he spent the holiday with them. New Years, when he had last seen them. He felt the spark when he thought of Misora's smile. Of when she called him her hero.

There was goodness somewhere deep down, beneath the thick layers of obscuring shadow, but he had difficulty finding it on his own. He needed help. He needed to be guided back to it if he ever wanted to feel it surface again.

This was an impossibility and he was aware of it. He had a job to do. His duty to All for One and Shigaraki was greater than his own desires. It was odd. Before Christmas, he could not recall ever wanting anything so badly.

Currently, Kurogiri was in the bar. Standing behind the counter, idling while Shigaraki attempted to stack playing cards. Waiting for a task to be given to him. Waiting for Shigaraki to demand something, as he often did.

Time seemed to move at a snail's pace as he watched the red-eyed villain's house of cards steadily grow to an almost impressive height before the twitch of a finger sent them fluttering to the floor. Shigaraki stared down at the mess for a moment before releasing a frustrated sigh and scratching at his neck.

Across the counter, the younger villain resigned to checking something on his phone and his eyes widened. His posture became a little more hunched forward as he gripped it tightly with four fingers. "That's right. It came out a few days ago, didn't it? I don't even have it yet. I'll fall behind. I can't allow it."

"Is something wrong, Shigaraki Tomura?"

"This." He held the phone so the screen faced Kurogiri, his eyes narrowing again into a glower as his free hand scratched frantically at his neck. "I want this. I didn't preorder it because I thought I had more time. I want you to look for this."

Kurogiri was given no option to say "no", not that he would ever refuse a request from Shigaraki. Though this now meant he could leave the bar. He may not be able to interact with Misora and her daughter, but he could at least walk past the café and possibly catch a glimpse. It might reignite that spark buried deep in his core.

As he departed, he resolved that he would find the game Shigaraki wanted and he would get it at any cost. If it would placate the villain and prevent a possible future tantrum, then it would be in his best interest to acquire it. Surely someone could be persuaded to give him a copy of the game if the stores were sold out.

Thankfully, he could get this done quickly. It was a small task to open a warp gate near a game store location. It seemed that fate was smiling on Kurogiri that day because the clerk informed him that there was only one copy of the game left and he soon had it in his possession. This meant he would have extra time before Shigaraki could expect his return. The red-eyed villain had gone to scout out other game stores for a copy on his own so it could be a while before he returned to the bar himself.

Fate. Everything falling into place, the universe truly smiling upon Kurogiri. Valentine's Day seemed to be his lucky day. As he approached the end of the alley, facing the café "Good Coffee", he saw that he caught them during a lull in activity. Misora and her employee were there; the woman working behind the counter and the young man serving a customer that was seated near the window.

With so few people, he was able to take a moment to simply watch. The instant he saw Misora's face, it all came flooding back to him. That moment when she called him her hero. Rescuing Michiko, spending the holidays with the mother and child. The gratitude, the warmth.

The flame that had been flickering in his heart began to burn brighter and he could feel the layers of shadow starting to ease away. It was a painfully slow progression and things were still quite murky, but Kurogiri was at least able to enjoy the feeling of goodness that was resurfacing now.

Even from this distance, he could see the faint glint of her necklace. The charm necklace he had gifted to her on New Year's. Seeing that she wore it, he could feel it increasing. Goodness. Light. Acceptance. Gratitude. All things he seemed only capable of feeling with her and Michiko.

It was perplexing. Whatever the layers of shadow were hiding, whatever was at his core, he was unable to place what it was. Not quite just a feeling that was hidden, but it felt like something vital. If he tried to focus on it, tried to identify it, Kurogiri found that it brought him only frustration. It always eluded him.

His glowing eyes narrowed as he pondered why it was that Misora and Michiko made him feel this way. Why they were so accepting, so fond of him. Of course, over a month had passed since he last saw them. This was only partially due to his duties to All for One and Shigaraki. A few times, he had the opportunity to stop by the café since he was out running errands and he had opted to avoid them.

This would have to be enough for him. To simply see the café and look back on the few memories he made with the mother and daughter. Surely she would be upset that he had avoided interacting with them. Explaining his duty to All for One was out of the question. She would be disappointed.

Kurogiri was watching her, simply allowing the warmth and light to flicker at his core, when Misora happened to look in his direction. He saw her mouth fall open and uncertainty set in. It was unclear if she was angry, frightened, or simply surprised. It was only when her lips spread into a bright smile that he realized she was delighted.

She turned to say something to her employee and dusted her hands on her apron before making her way toward the café door. Kurogiri turned and prepared to take his leave. This was only meant to be a brief viewing; not a visit.

"Kurogiri-san, wait!" Her voice pierced the air, pierced through the layers of darkness around his heart, and it forced him to turn to her once more. Misora's pale blue hair was held back in a wavy ponytail with a few loose strands hanging in her face. When she smiled, there was such relief in her warm magenta eyes. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Regaining his composure, he gave her a quiet greeting. "Misora-san. Good afternoon. I didn't mean to intrude-"

"No, no! I was actually really hoping that I would see you today. Oh! I'm sorry. You're probably working right now, right? I won't keep you-"

"I am currently on a break." This should be an adequate answer. Yes, he could spare a small amount of time for her, but he would need to leave to resume his role as caretaker soon.

It was strange. If this was someone else, he was sure he would turn them down. Reject any notion of wasting time with them when Shigaraki was relying on him. However, he was intrigued by Misora. The strange things he felt, the odd spark that was just out of his reach of comprehension. He wanted to know what this was and why Misora and her daughter were able to bring forth that flicker of benevolence.

She tucked a stray lock of wavy blue hair behind her ear and beamed up at him. "If you have a minute, could you come into the café?"

He looked toward the café and saw that the customer that had been at the window seat was now leaving with a carry-out coffee cup. It was still risky since her employee was there, but this was difficult to resist. Just standing here with Misora smiling up at him was enough to add fuel to the spark in his heart.

"Yes. I have a few minutes to spare," he finally replied. Kurogiri followed her at a short distance, adjusting the crocheted red scarf he wore around his neck.

Her employee was now sweeping the floor and gave him a practiced smile with a nod. "Good afternoon, sir!"

"Yes. Good afternoon, young man." Kurogiri replied with an equally polite greeting, attempting to keep suspicions low.

"I wasn't sure when I'd see you again, but I guess my luck today must be good." Misora went behind the counter and crouched down to get something from a shelf beneath the countertop. "Or maybe you're the one with the luck today," she added, a sheepish tone to her voice. "Ta-da!"

Kurogiri's glowing eyes widened slightly as she straightened with a box in her hands. It was a cake box with a small envelope on the lid. He stared at it curiously as something odd occurred. It had only happened once before, with her, but his pulse felt like it was doubling. Like his heart was beating twice as fast.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Misora's voice and smile held an immense amount of warmth and she leaned forward, her hands gently adjusting his scarf. "I'm glad you came today; this way it won't be stale."

"This is…a gift for me?" He was hesitant to ask. Kurogiri had never once received a Valentine's Day gift. Mostly due to the fact that his interaction with women was extremely minimal; only when he was running errands for Shigaraki and he was forced to speak with a female clerk. Of course, he never received any sort of gift from All for One or Shigaraki. Yet this was the second gift Misora was giving him.

She nodded and tapped a fingertip against the lid. "Go ahead and open it. I want to know if you like it."

"Yes. Of course." Kurogiri was a little more interested in the card. As he lifted the envelope, he saw Misora tense. There was a rush of pink to her fawn colored cheeks, making her dark freckles that much more noticeable. He set the envelope into his vest's inner pocket, saw her relax, and it made him more curious.

The lid of the box was lifted and it revealed a homemade dark chocolate cake with what looked like little violet and black roses made from icing. As he stared at the flowers, he realized that she had made them with the intent to mimic the color of his warp gate. She had made this cake just for him.

"Misora-san. I am at a loss for words," he admitted.

"I know that I can't really repay you for saving Michiko's life. There isn't much I can do anyway; I'm just a café owner. But I wanted to do something special for you. This is something I can do. Kurogiri-san, I appreciate everything you've done for us. You really are our hero."

What happened next was unforeseeable. Nearly indescribable. Misora leaned up, through the man's smoky exterior, and her lips touched his cheek in an appreciative kiss. Light. Kind. The closeness bringing the smell of caramel and sweets. The second her lips made contact with his cheek, it caused a bizarre reaction.

The dark smoke rippled violently and Kurogiri's glowing eyes clenched shut as it felt like that thing at his core was trying to force its way through the veil of shadows. A bittersweet agony flared in his head and he bit back a shout. For a moment, everything cleared and he could see it. For a brief, terrifying moment, he knew what was at his core.

When Misora leaned away, she saw a brief ripple before the dark smoke rushed back to fully cover him. The woman stared up at him with wide magenta eyes, the pink hue of her cheeks spreading over the rest of her face as she lifted a hand to cover her mouth. "Kurogiri-san?!"

He bowed his head, smoky hands planted on the countertop as it was torn away from him. The fire that had roared to life at his core died down to a flicker the second she pulled away and with it went the terrifying truth that he saw. Kurogiri lost it as soon as it faded away; he was now unable to grasp it again. Unable to see it or even recall what it was.

"I must take my leave. Thank you for the gifts, Misora-san." He grabbed the cake box and opened a warp gate to leave. Before stepping through, he paused to look toward her again. The flicker grew stronger when he saw her flushed face and the sadness in her eyes. He did not want to leave her, but he knew this was dangerous.

Back at the bar, he set the box down on the counter and cut a slice for himself as well as Shigaraki. Kurogiri needed to focus on his duties to the villain and their master. Staying at the café would have put Misora and Michiko in danger and he needed to consider what had happened and why.

Shigaraki returned and settled across the counter from him, grumbling that he was unable to get a copy of the game. He ate the slice of cake with no question about where it came from and offered no words of thanks when Kurogiri gave him the game. Instead, he began to immediately play it and demand another slice of cake.

Kurogiri obliged and ate his own slice of cake in silence. It was not overly sweet and not overly bitter. He admired the black and violet roses again as he imagined Misora working to decorate the cake.

She had made the smoke clear. Not just from his head and heart, but from his body. It was both amazing and frightening. It made no sense. He could not understand why she had such an effect on him. Her quirk involved effecting the solidity of surfaces so he began to wonder if perhaps that was what she had done, but it was still a little too peculiar. He had never had something like that happen before.

Once Shigaraki had gone to his room to doubtlessly spend the next few days playing his new game, Kurogiri retrieved the envelope from his vest pocket. It was light so he doubted it contained another a gift. He found himself hoping that she had not put money into it.

Opening the envelope, he found a neatly folded letter. The words written in somewhat messy handwriting. His name at the top of this endearing letter in which Misora had poured out her heart. Thanking him profusely for saving Michiko's life and for making their holiday full of good memories when it would have otherwise been dark and sorrowful. Misora ended the letter with the words "You're my hero, Kurogiri-san."

It felt like there was a light pulsing within his chest, trying to push its way through the thick layers of darkness. He placed the letter down in front of him on the counter as he read through it again and felt the pulse grow stronger. The beat of his heart, the determination of that thing at his core as it struggled to resurface.

Kurogiri folded the letter neatly and tucked it away into his vest once more, wearing it over his heart. He casually picked up a glass and began to clean it. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to recall what it was. That disturbing truth that he had seen for a brief instant when she kissed his cheek. Whatever it was, it was buried too deeply now. He knew now that he would need Misora if he wanted to grasp it once more.