** Possible warning needed **
** There is a small dissociative episode. I know that there are different experiences for different people with it, but this one is similar to the ones that I have. (Though, it's typically just the sensation of touch to certain things that ground me, for example, my pets' fur or fuzzy blankets. I thought that being grounded by a loved one being near and playing with their hair would be similar as well as really sweet.) **
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"For today's Basic Hero Training, we will be doing a playful exercise! A rescue training race!" All Might's voice boomed over the class as he posed dramatically in front of us, signature smile and all. "This training field has a vast area of factories. Everything is built in a way that creates the perfect industrial maze! You will be split into groups, participating one group at a time." The large man suddenly started pointing to Katsuki as he raised his voice just slightly, making sure to be heard, "And let's keep property damage to a minimum if we can."
"Stop pointing," He grumbled under his breath, and I couldn't hold back a snort which earned me a sharp glare that I just shrugged at.
All Might explained the rules to us, then quickly grouped us together. Team one looked pretty interesting – consisting of Midoriya, Ida, Ojiro, Mina, and Sero – though I was really curious about what Midoriya was going to do to stand a chance without hurting himself. I heard a few of our class murmuring their doubts, and about how much of a disadvantage he was facing. Eijiro was rooting for Sero, of course, while some others mentioned Mina and Ojiro.
"Deku'll come in last," Katsuki grumbled with a small smirk, only to get his arm swatted by me. "The fuck was that for?!"
"At least attempt to support our classmate. You could've just kept that comment to yourself even," I huffed, "Who knows, maybe he'll manage without injury this time."
He 'tch'd at me then glared toward the training ground.
Yukime stood off to the side, arms crossed over her chest, and wearing her gym uniform since she apparently still didn't have a hero costume. Her lips had curled up into a smug grin as she put in her opinion, "I think you guys will be surprised. Deku's more than a few broken bones and strength."
Right as she finished speaking, the race started, and four of the racers immediately took off. Sero was in the lead for all of ten seconds before Midoriya was soaring past the other boy, and his body was arcing with small bits of what looked like green electricity.
"Woah!" I gasped, stepping forward an excited smile forming as my mind tried to wrap itself around his quirk's new strength, "That's awesome! Go, Midoriya!"
The class was buzzing with excitement over the green-haired boy's progress…only for him to misstep, making him do a strange somersault that was caused by him trying to catch his balance, then basically do a belly flop onto the landing space. My hands clapped over my mouth and I shook to hold in a laugh, much like this morning when I was graced with smooth hair Katsuki.
I noticed Yukime sputter loudly before her palm met her face and she groaned, "Well fuck, Deku…and you were looking so cool!"
I broke at her comment, laughing loudly, "He was , but that wipe-out was so fantastic!" She shoved me playfully, laughing along with me.
The next group was a group of six: Yukime, Tokoyami, Shoji, Tsu, Aoyama, and myself.
"Shoot…Oh! Ida!" I rushed over and tapped his lifted hand, grateful that he knew exactly what I was aiming for. "Thank you!"
"Start!"
My calves heated up rapidly as I shot off with my opponents, though I decided to only use the quirk in bursts, primarily as soon as I kicked off each new surface. Focusing on keeping myself in the middle ground, I used the pipes and walls like springboards to keep me moving forward. Taking the high ground would be useful, but it would also make me an easy target for any airborne villains, while the low ground would be expected.
Noticing a few pipes that crossed over my path in just the right way that would normally block it, I smirked. This is where flexibility comes into play. Thankfully, I could tell where I would be able to get through, I just had to make sure I made the right twists and turns with my body.
A sharp cat-call whistle sounded as I rushed on to the more open space once I was past the pipes, making me glance up to my right with a grin.
"Looking really good there, Copy Cat," Yukime called from where she was skating from a small ice ramp before creating another, only it went slightly higher which allowed her to fly up further before she would shoot a burst of powdery snow with a hand – the whole thing looking really close to Katsuki's quirk mixed with skiing moves – to propel herself forward again. "Kinda jealous of those boys of yours later on!"
Three things happened at once: my face instantly turned tomato-red, my foot missed the pipe I had meant to push forward with in a similar way to how Midoriya had slipped, and suddenly Ida's quirk was completely gone.
My hip grazed the pipe I missed, sending a small jolt through my nerve endings, but thankfully not enough to hurt much…because the random beam that ran horizontally that I was currently hurtling down toward was going to be the thing to hurt like hell when I slammed into it. Luckily, the pain from my hip had caused me to yelp, which drew Yukime's attention back to me in confusion only for her expression to rapidly turn into concern.
"Shit, Hana!"
I heard ice crackling as it built up near me, then cried out in surprise when I landed on an ice slide that took me semi-gracefully to the nearest roof.
Tumbling when I landed, I heard feet join me a second later, "Oh my God, I didn't mean to distract you that much!" She leaned down to help me to my feet with a sheepish smile, "Didn't realize you could lose the quirk that way, too. I feel like an ass."
"You're good, I promise. It takes a lot to lose a quirk through distractions, but…it happens," Then I smirked before surging my quirk which made us both light-headed and dizzy, though I'm way more used to it, so I can function better than others that are affected, giving me a head start back into the race just as Tsu passed by us with a ribbit.
Launching myself just like she had just been doing moments ago, I called over my shoulder, "We're even now! And thanks for the ice!"
"You little…" Yukime quickly caught up with me while laughing, and we basically kept neck and neck with each other until the end.
Sadly, Tsu was the winner, but All Might complimented me on my adaptability for the quirks I used and Yukime for turning back to catch me before I was hurt. She did get reprimanded slightly for being the cause of my fall, due to the fact that I could have been seriously injured, though.
The next group was primarily stuck to the ground but was still pretty interesting to watch. When it came to the last group, though, it was essentially a race between Katsuki and Todoroki.
"It's like the sports festival all over again," I groaned, watching my soulmate shout violently at the stoic boy who was ignoring his words, only focusing on being first to the rescue. In the end, the two somehow collided yet still tied for first.
All Might gave a few last-minute pointers to each of us before dismissing us to change back into our uniforms then head back to our classroom. A quick comment of "Keep focused on your borrowed quirk as well as the task at hand." and I was on my way to the changing rooms.
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Boys Locker Room…
The boys did their best to change quickly, but aching muscles made movements slower. Conversation quickly began about what each believed they should improve on even after their training with pros.
Kirishima sighed as he slid off the gears that he wore, rolling each shoulder afterward. "I really need to figure something out for mobility."
"Dude, it totally sucks being stuck to the ground when there's people like the mobility experts that can just fly overhead without a care," Kaminari groaned as his hero costume's shirt slid loose from his arms and into his hands. "I'm kinda…really jealous!"
Suddenly, Mineta was calling out to Midoriya of all people, which drew confused glances between many of the others in the room, lightly paying attention to what the grape-haired boy was going to say.
"Midoriya! I found the best thing a man can ever find in a locker room, a gift from our upperclassmen!"
Midoriya left his costume halfway on, the upper half dangling at his waist. "What is it?"
Like lighting, the short teen pointed at a small hole that was just barely visible behind a poster that was falling off the wall. "They had to have worked really hard to get this here without being caught! And think about what's on the other side of this wall! The girl's locker room !" At this point, he was practically drooling.
The rest of the males froze, some minds instantly curious, but their morals overruled their hormones…mostly.
Mineta ripped the remains of the poster from the wall and leaned in. "Imagine it! Yaoyorozu's giant boobs, Ashido's sexy shape, Uraraka's fantastic body, Asui's surprising boobs, Aizawa's perfect curves, and Himura's…"
Before the perverse teen could finish his last rushed comment, the wall was lined with long spikes of ice pointed directly at him that branched out from the hole in the wall.
"Go ahead, fucker! What were you saying about my body?! I'll give you a fantasy that'll make us both happy, lemme crush your skull like the stupid fucking grape it is with my thighs. That'll end everyone's suffering!" was shouted through the wall by a furious Yukime Himura, "Oh, and Jiro's got a great figure, too, you're just too shallow to see it. She looks fantastic in a thong, by the way!" Another loud voice was heard, though the words weren't clear because it was quieter.
Kaminari stumbled, clattering into the lockers with a blissful look on his face, similar to when he short circuits, "I can die happy," He sighed earning a few exasperated sighs and shaking heads.
Todoroki was eyeing his sister's ice with a ghost of a smirk, only for his eyes to drift to Midoriya's shocked form as he panicked about how close the ice was to Mineta. What Midoriya hadn't taken notice of, was the small layer of ice that had frozen the grape-head's feet to the floor. Yukime had truly thought of everything.
Kirishima was grateful that he had only been holding one of his shoulder gears when this had happened because, at the mention of his soulmate being oggled by the short boy, his hands had unconsciously hardened into their stone-like claws then clenched into a death grip on the solid gear which thankfully refused to give under the pressure. Bakugo was facing a similar problem without realizing it, his hands were wrapped around his costume top like he was wringing Mineta's neck, and small plumes of smoke were drifting up from the folds of the heat-resistant material as he glared directly at the locker in front of him.
"Oh! Last thing, Yaoyorozu is already on her way to Mr. Aizawa. Your little disgusting self is staying right where you are until someone gets there." Yukime called through the wall again, "You don't deserve to be in the hero course simply because you can pass a few tests. You are disturbing, and there are plenty of people in other courses that would be a better fit than you would."
At that, the ice on his feet thickened noticeably, and the rest of the boys quickly finished up changing before leaving Mineta by himself.
When Kaminari hesitated by the smaller teen, Mineta tried to beg the blonde to help him out, but he shook his head. "Dude, I get that temptation, I really do, but I wouldn't try to peep through a hole in a wall. That's pretty messed up." He patted the other on the shoulder, then left him to his punishment.
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"Only a fucking warning, seriously," Yukime scoffed as she swung her feet while sitting on Mina's desk.
I couldn't help the chuckle and eye roll at her comment. "I mean, if something like that happens again, he's gone, so… I feel like that's a good punishment."
"I would've made him into a grape shaved-ice if it wouldn't have ruined my chances at being a hero," She grumbled.
The other girls around us laughed lightly, but Jirou turned a ridiculous shade of red, "Why'd you have to bring me up, though?"
Yukime looked absolutely beside herself, hand resting on her chest like she was scandalized, "Because all women are sexy, including petite ones. You're super hot, and if you're ever in the mood, hit me up!" She offered with a smirk, tilting her head slightly.
A loud clatter was heard from across the classroom, and we all looked over to see Midoriya staring at our group that was hovering around Mina and Tsu's desks. It looked like he was just about to turn to get to his desk only to trip up at his soulmate's words, stumbling into my empty desk. His face was ridiculously red, mouth hanging open slightly, and a tiny trickle of blood coming from his nose. It was like in anime, and I started to laugh at the thought.
"Midobro~! Welcome to the dark side!" Kaminari cheered, leaning back in his seat with a smirk, his arms slinging up and hands twining together behind his head.
Scattered laughter was heard, but others only shook their heads at the Pikachu boy.
"Settle down, and get to your desks." Mr. Aizawa walked into the classroom with a notebook that he promptly opened to a specific page. Right when he glanced across the classroom to make sure everyone was here and seated in the desks after the short shuffle of movement, he paused and eyed Midoriya as he sat down, still bright red in the face. "Clean up the nosebleed, Midoriya."
"Y-yes!" was the response he got with a small voice crack.
Our teacher took a deep breath, eyes closing like he was rethinking his decisions in life. On his exhale, his eyes slowly opened then looked down at his notebook. "So, your summer vacation is almost here, and it would be completely irrational for you to just sit around the whole break…"
Quiet groans and muttering filled the room only to immediately stop when he went to speak again.
"Which means I've been put in charge of deciding what you will be doing during the break. We have arranged to have a summer training camp in the woods."
My classmates basically all cheered, but I could hear the ' however ' that he hadn't gotten to yet.
"However …" There it is. "Anyone that fails the finals is going to stay here for summer classes that are better known as Hell."
One could easily feel the chill that ran through some of my classmates, while others weren't worried at all.
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"Would you…just calm down."
"I don't think you understand what is going on in my brain at the moment, Hitoshi," I sighed for likely the thousandth time tonight, "I may be pretty good with subjects I like, but – despite the fact that my dad is a teacher, I'm not that great at studying! Things enter my head then vanish sometimes," I adjusted my phone on my shoulder only to huff then set it on my desk on speaker, with perfect timing apparently because right after I pressed speaker, he started to chuckle at my comment. My heart stuttered and I felt my cheeks start to warm up at something so simple.
"I'm sure it's not that bad. Yeah, you're pretty scatterbrained and have the attention span of half a fly-" Now he was having too much fun at my expense, and I pouted at my phone.
"I can just go back to my studying attempts if you're just gonna be that way," I griped halfheartedly while looking at my stupid math.
He had the nerve to fake gasp at me, "And leave you alone? Nah, I have plenty of time. My finals are going to be a breeze, so I don't need to stress. Might just go to sleep early, because I can."
The nerve of this guy!
"Goodnight then, Shinso." I huffed, though I wasn't able to keep the tiny smile from my face. I started to feel awkward when there was a long pause, though.
"Back to that now, huh?" Hitoshi's voice had dipped lower and quieter toward the end, which I didn't think he could manage considering he was already trying to keep his voice down since it was starting to get late. Next thing I knew my phone screen lit back up, showing a request for a video call.
"Oh…I'm in trouble…" Picking up my phone, I propped it up against some books to get the angle right before pressing to answer it. The sight that greeted me was equally flustering and frustrating. "You cannot be video calling me to rub it in that you're relaxing in bed…seriously?" I laughed incredulously, though my cheeks were absolutely burning from how red my face was.
Hitoshi shifted in his bed so that he was now propped up on his elbow, and shrugged, making the phone wobble slightly with the motion. "Not my intention, Aizawa," His lowered, grumbling tone sounded almost dangerous, "Just saying goodnight, I guess." This time he shifted the phone a little closer and the light from the screen lit him up more. His hair was even more disheveled than normal, and I could see that he wasn't taking this as a joke like I thought he would. His expression was as blank as it had been when he came to our class before the sports festival.
"Oh, wait…no, Toshi I didn't mean to…" I was trying my best to backtrack and correct my mistake, "I thought you could tell I was just kidding. I'm sorry. I guess I'm still no good with my tone… Please don't be mad."
Deep purple eyes flickered back to the screen as the corner of his mouth curled up just slightly and his face softened, "Toshi?" I just barely caught a small chuckle, "It's fine. It's my bad, too, since I kind of overreacted. Just...I said you could use Hitoshi for a reason, so no more Shinso, even if you're joking around, alright? I do think I'm going to try to sleep now, though, seeing as we have class tomorrow and it's nearly eleven. Maybe I'll actually be able to pass out around four or something."
A glance at the time in the upper corner of my screen told me he was right about the time, and I mumbled a quiet 'ew' at that. "Yeah, I guess I need to get to sleep, too. G'night Toshi." I smiled kind of shyly considering I was still looking at a section of his bare chest along with his slightly more ruffled than normal bedhead.
His tiny smile grew slightly, "Goodnight Hana."
The call disconnected and I let my head fall into my hands. Neither of us is great with socializing sometimes, but I seriously felt bad for making him think I was mad over his banter. Snatching up my phone I opened my texts and sent another apology,
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Me: I'm sorry again for being rude…
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Troll: lol it's good Hana. You'll just have to make it up to me
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My eyes went wide and I blushed. "Hana, no! Get your mind back where it should be!" I lightly slapped my cheeks. I can get the guy some coffee or make some cookies or something.
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Me: alright, I got an idea. Meet me at the gate in the morning, k?
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Troll: alright
Goodnight again attack cat
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Me: lol goodnight
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I rushed out the door the next morning tucking a few small bags of cookies into my backpack and told mom goodbye right before closing the door behind me. I had stayed up a little later last night making some simple chocolate chip cookies to make up for last night, and for the other two boys because I just knew that only bringing something for one wouldn't go over well with the others – also possibly some for myself for lunch…maybe.
After a little while, I spotted some familiar red spikes in the distance, so I slowed down as I reached him. "Morning Eijiro." I grinned up at him, though his answering smile was way more blinding than my own.
"Morning Hana!"
As we started toward school, I nervously glanced at him before asking, "How's studying going for you? I'm seriously thinking I might have an attention problem."
He laughed, then shrugged, "I get that. I'm having a lot of trouble with the math work, but I'm doing what I can!"
"Me too," I sighed, "It's like looking at a completely different language, and I just can't wrap my head around it. I'm looking forward to the practical portion of the test. Hands-on learning is way easier for me."
He nodded and flung his hands out in front of him, "Exactly! Hey, do you think anyone would do study groups?"
My brows scrunched up in thought, "I don't really know, the only two rational choices are Momo and Ida, though Momo might be overwhelmed by the others asking for her help, too. Ida has high grades but I doubt he'd be good at getting the message across for me. It'd be like translating difficult equations into impossible computer code or something."
"Gotta admit that he definitely has the passion for studying, though! His grades are probably first in the class, or at least second."
"I wonder if Yukime would tutor anyone. She was the one that got to do the speech thing at the sports festival, so maybe she has the highest scores in practical and written tests?" I thought that was the classification for the speech but wasn't sure.
Eijiro looked thoughtful for a moment, "I dunno… What about Bakugo?! We know for sure he has a crazy smart brain. I bet he'd be willing to tutor the two of us at least!"
I looked at him like he had grown another head suddenly, "We are thinking of the same person that calls practically everyone a dumbass, and has only enough patience to fit on the tip of a needle, right?"
At my comment, Eijiro burst into laughter, "Yeah, that guy!"
"Good luck with that! I'll let you ask, he's less likely to laugh in your face."
"Whatever! He totally wouldn't turn us down, that wouldn't be very manly at all!" He paused suddenly, then nudged my arm, "We have a visitor."
I looked up to see we were getting close to the gates of the school, and as I expected, Hitoshi was leaning against one of the sides looking boredly up at the sky.
"I told him to meet me so I could make up for a misunderstanding last night," I explained then called out to our purple-haired soulmate, "Morning Hitoshi!"
His eyes snapped down to land on me, lips immediately turning up at the corners for a moment only to slip back to his guarded mask when he noticed Eijiro beside me. "Morning."
I rolled my eyes at him as the three of us walked together to the lockers, "You'd think by now you'd be trying to get to know the other two members of this group, at least a little, Hitoshi."
His only response was a hum, and I could hear Eijiro shift a little uncomfortably on my other side. I sighed and turned on a customer service voice, "Here, I'll start it for you! This is Eijiro Kirishima, his quirk is Hardening, his idol is Crimson Riot, and he's super manly."
I held my arms out like I was showing him off on a showroom floor which made his face turn red while he rubbed at the back of his neck. I then turned to Hitoshi this time, "This is Hitoshi Shinso, his quirk is Brainwashing, he would never abuse that power, he has insomnia just like me, and his veins are filled with coffee." Said boy rolled his eyes at me, but I could see the small blush and even smaller smile.
"There, you're beginner friends," my tone went back to normal as I switched out my shoes, "Now, I have your apology gift for my lack of social ability, Hitoshi." I pulled out one of the bags of cookies with a smile. "I might not be great with math or cooking, but I can bake pretty well!"
I could see Hitoshi's eyes light up slightly, and his tiny smile returned, "So, you baked cookies because you called me Shinso instead of my given name?"
I went to pull the bag back only for him to snatch it away with a small laugh before I could, "Ok, ok. Thank you, Hana," His laughter made me smirk smugly.
"You're welcome. Now get to class!" I proceed to nudge him toward his locker so he could get his own shoes.
He shook his head at me, then eyed Eijiro again. "I'll text you later then, Attack Cat. It's…good to officially meet you, Kirishima." He nodded to the redhead then left us at my locker.
Eijiro shook his head but he was grinning happily, so I felt fantastic about how I handled that situation. His grin only grew as I offered him his own bag of cookies.
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Apparently, we weren't the only members of the class that had concerns about the test. Kaminari was freaking out as he shouted about not having studied. Mina was laughing sheepishly while standing beside our friend that was having a meltdown and admitted to her own lack of studying.
"I can try to help you two," My offer was hesitant, "but I don't know how good the help would be."
Kaminari gaped at me for a second before groaning, "Even the teacher's kid can't help me! I'm doomed!"
"Ashido, Aizawa, Kaminari," We turned to see Midoriya looking at us with a determined expression and his fist clenched in front of him. "Let's all work our hardest so we can go to the summer camp together!"
"How could anyone fail as long as they have been taking notes and paying attention." My jaw dropped at Todoroki's blunt comment, and Kaminari clutched at his chest.
"I'll have you know that I know for a fact I'll be fine with everything except math." I couldn't help but defend myself.
"Just ignore Shoto," Yukime added from her desk, "I'm sure someone will help Pinkie Pie and Pikachu."
At that exact moment, Momo decided to offer her tutoring abilities to anyone needing help.
Just as I took a step her way, I was pulled back by the neck of my uniform, making me choke slightly then cough from the abrupt force.
"Where the hell d'you think you're going?" was growled behind me, and I only rolled my eyes.
"I'm going to ask Momo for tutoring." That should have been obvious.
"Tch, like hell you are," He scoffed, and I looked at him confused.
"Oh, dude, did Bakugo just offer to tutor you?!" Eijiro gaped at the two of us, though I could see a smile tugging the corners of his mouth up.
This time Katsuki growled his reply, "I didn't offer to do anything, Shitty Hair!"
"He wouldn't be able to tutor us in math very well, though, Eijiro. We'd end up like Sero was when he laughed at the Jeanist-makeover if we even spoke." I grinned at Eijiro. I had a hunch and was hoping it went the way I thought it would.
I could practically hear Katsuki's teeth grinding together in his frustration. "By the time I'm done tutoring you two idiots, you're gunna wish you were dead," he snarled.
"Sweet! Knew we could count on you, Bakugo!" Eijiro grinned at him.
I snorted quietly at his awkward statement, though. "I highly doubt I'm gunna wish I was dead, but I'm glad you're up for tutoring us!"
He made a noise of disgust, leaving us to walk with the rest of the group to go to lunch.
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When Midoriya told the class what a class B girl said about the test, and I was stumped. Robots? That wouldn't make any sense. They shouldn't even use them for the entrance exam for every student, much less for an important test like this one. It did seem like a good method for students like Kaminari and Mina, who were currently cheering about it, though. Then there was the awkward 'war declaration' between Katsuki, Midoriya, and Todoroki…again. I had let my head fall into my hands, mentally escaping the confrontation.
Then there was the issue of trying to figure out when to get Eijiro, Katsuki, and me together for tutoring. When we agreed to meet up on Sunday, I ended up just being a jittery nervous mess as I stared at my closet. It was just tutoring. Not a date. We would be at a library – that honestly sounded like a terrible idea considering Katsuki's tendency to have…outbursts. Sighing, I just threw on comfy clothes – aka grey camo cargo shorts that reached past my knee and a dark purple shirt – leaving my hair down and it just looked like a fluffier version of dad's, and went to grab a snack before I left.
Mom eyed me, her look turning from 'What are you wearing?' to 'Oh whatever' quickly. "I blame your dad for your lack of fashion sense, but at least your closet's not eighty percent black clothes."
"I choose comfort and practicality, not those unreasonably priced clothes that you and Hizashi attempt to buy me," he grumbled from the couch, "Besides, I return most of the things you do buy for me to wear, and put the money back in the bank."
I burst out laughing and shook my head at him, though I didn't miss the small look the two gave me as I did. Something was still up with them, but I still didn't know what.
"Well, I'm gunna go meet with Eijiro and Katsuki for tutoring. We'll probably take a while, but I should be back well before dark."
Dad slowly sat up, looking annoyed. "Be careful around Bakugo, Hana, his temper and attitude are getting worse. I understand that he's…important to you, and honestly," he paused, thinking over his words carefully, "The boy has amazing ideals and drive for his dream, it's admirable, but that doesn't change the fact that he has a ridiculously short fuse at the moment for some reason."
I nodded, "Got it, dad."
Mom's whine brought our attention to her in confusion. "It's not fair, your dad knows all of your soulmates and I don't." My face was abruptly squished between her hands, "Why won't you bring them here to have dinner or something?!"
"Um…first, because I'm not exactly dating them, so that would probably be kinda weird like I was pressuring them or something," I said after pulling her hands from my face so that I could speak, though I could feel my cheeks getting slightly warmer, "Second, you guys would embarrass me so much!"
"Me?! Embarrassing?!" Mom gasped, her eyes wide and flicking between me and dad, only to pout a second later at our deadpan expressions, "Even your facial expressions are the same still, yuck. Fine, but when you do start dating them, I expect them to come over for dinner with us, missy!"
"I'm leaving now!" I rushed for the door, sliding on my shoes quickly, then shouted over my shoulder, "I'll only bring them over if dad says it's ok, by the way!"
I laughed at mom's loud groan because I knew dad was less likely to want them all in our house.
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"I cannot believe you two got us kicked out of the library," I sighed, combing my hair out of my face with my fingers only for it to fall back moments later.
"We didn't get kicked out, those people just wanted to bitch about nothing," snapped Katsuki from where he was stomping along in front of Eijiro and me.
"We may as well have been kicked out," Eijiro moped from my left, his backpack hanging from his shoulder, "I feel bad for being so distracting, and for that poor kid. That whole thing was totally not manly!"
I snorted and shook my head, "It was a good thought, but I think tutoring with Katsuki should always be done somewhere a little less…restrictive? We could study in a park, or maybe a food place?"
Grumbles were heard from the explosive boy again, but we paid him no attention.
Eijiro smiled at me, "There's a restaurant around here, we should be able to talk like normal there, and we can get drinks!"
After finding the place, we found a table by a window, me sliding in first then Eijiro while Katsuki sat across from us.
"What do you guys want to drink?" asked Eijiro after the waitress sat cups at the table.
Katsuki asked for Coke, and I took a moment to think before asking the redhead to get me Pepsi. He smiled happily, then left the two of us alone. I felt nervous randomly and reached for Eijiro's bag at the exact moment that two guys walked up to our table.
"No way! It is you!" The first guy laughed in disbelief, staring down at Katsuki who just eyed the guy like he really didn't want to talk to him.
"We saw you at the Sports Festival, Katsuki!" the other guy exclaimed excitedly. I eyed him curiously, considering he had just called him Katsuki, he should be close to him, right?
Katsuki clicked his tongue, shouting, "Eh, shut up you two!"
"Um…Katsuki, you might want to keep it down a bit more, ok?" I muttered, but this drew the other two's attention to me which made me slightly anxious. I did get fixed with a small glare, but I wasn't worried about his crappy mood.
"Oh! Are we interrupting a date?" First-guy said, though his smirk looked disbelieving.
"Ha?! Why the fuck would I be on a date with anyone?! I've got better shit to focus on."
My stomach clenched and my heart sank at his comment, but I did my best to roll with it. "Actually, he's just helping me study."
"These friends of yours, Bakugo?" Eijiro joined us again, sitting down each of our drinks then giving the other guys a smile, though it was lacking its usual energy.
"You were at the Sports Festival, too. That's cool!" the second guy lit up at this, and I bristled at the fact that I hadn't been recognized from the event like they had.
"They're extras from middle school," Katsuki's voice was quickly sounding more like it did at the start of the year, making my brows furrow. "Now go back to your own fucking table!"
Two chuckled, First-guy responding, "Same as ever, huh."
Eijiro jumped in telling them to stay and catch up, but I felt uncomfortable with these two boys around. Katsuki started to argue, but then the second guy looked at Eijiro with narrowed eyes.
"What's up with you, man? Never would have thought someone nice like you would want to be friends with Katsuki."
Katsuki snapped, "What the hell do you mean by that, you asshole?"
Eijiro ignored him but sat up a tiny bit straighter and his shoulders tensed slightly. "Bakugo might have a bad attitude and be a total foul-mouth, but he has real determination. He's a very passionate and manly guy!"
"Stop saying fucking weird shit, shitty hair!" growled Katsuki.
Again he was ignored by almost everyone at the table, but I jumped in to respond to him, "He's just complimenting you, you know that, Katsuki."
"Hey! What was Bakugo like in middle school?" Eijiro perked up excitedly, curious about our soulmate and wanting to change subject. I was curious too, but I also figured he was kinda like he was when we first met him.
The first guy chuckled lightly, "Oh, well, kinda like he is now, I guess."
The second guy snorted, "Yeah, with loads of self-esteem. Like the world revolves around him and only him!"
I clenched my fists and bit my lip to keep from snapping at them. Katsuki didn't try to restrain himself, though.
"Why you little shits, I'm gunna crush you!" he went to stand, fist balled up and starting to lift to pull back for a punch. Instinct made me lean over the table, both hands grabbing onto his one and my eyes meeting his as well.
"Woah, man," the second guy exclaimed, sounding kind of nervous, "That's not really hero-like, especially if you're still wanting to be Number One in the future!"
Katsuki growled, yanking his arm back and away from me, so I sat back down in the seat. "Shut the fuck up! You're shit friends, and you should stay out of my way!" He then shoved one of the guys out of the seat before storming off.
"Heh, seems like that guy will never lose his short temper." The guy he had shoved huffed while dusting himself off and sitting back down.
The first guy shrugged, "I dunno man, he really has calmed down since middle school. He would've hit anyone instantly at the smallest thing back then, now here he is tutoring people and calming down because of a girl!" he leaned against the table to look around Eijiro at me, "You sure you aren't dating him? Or maybe he has a thing for you."
I blushed rapidly and shook my head, "Oh, no, Katsuki's just one of my…best friends!"
The second guy looked at us curiously, "UA is sure changing him, then. So…what's he like at school now?"
Eijiro hummed and looked like he was thinking over his reply, so I decided to give my opinion, "He's definitely got a short fuse, just about everyone knows that, and he can be super arrogant." I paused and a small smile grew on my lips as I thought about my explosive soulmate. "He's also really got strong convictions, and when he thinks about his goal to be number one, he goes at it full force. It's really amazing, and helps me want to do better myself."
Eijiro nodded along with his own grin, then gave his answer, "Like Hana and I said, he's really sincere, and I think being around him is great. Yeah, he kinda fuels my drive to be stronger, too! He's so capable of being an awesome hero, and I think anyone can recognize that if they just take the time to watch him."
The two guys looked thoughtful for a moment, seemingly taking in this information. While they processed things, Eijiro suddenly asked about Midoriya. The two looked at us with slightly awkward expressions. Oh, this was going to be interesting. I remembered our first interactions while doing the fitness test, how Katsuki had reacted to Midoriya being in U.A. and shuddered.
"Pretty sure he lost his mind when he heard about Midoriya getting into U.A. He used to-" Second guy was kicked by First guy, "Alright, we kind of bullied Midoriya… a lot back then because he was quirkless."
First guy added, "I guess he has one now, or always had it? Not sure, but it was obvious that there's one now since he was in the Festival. The whole thing was pretty awesome!"
Second guy nodded, "It was really impressive, not gunna lie."
"It seems like you guys regret what you did back then at least a little, huh," I said kind of quietly, but they both heard me. The looks they gave me confirmed that fact.
Eijiro had tensed up again at the mention of bullying but then said, "I think Midoriya would be really excited to hear that you guys thought he was amazing. He might get totally embarrassed, though." He and I chuckled a little at the image of the greenette being red in the face at any praise.
"We never could bring this up in front of Katsuki, though. Like, one time, I brought up that I thought he was being a little harsh, and he almost blasted my head off," First guy said and rubbed at the back of his head as if he was remembering the exact moment he had brought up. "I can't imagine what he'd do hearing us say Midoriya was amazing in his fights! He'd probably lose it."
"Kind of like how he was when he fought that copy girl. He was really harsh for no reason, but she was really impressive fighting him without a quirk, even if it was pretty idiotic," added Second guy, and I laughed, drawing both of their attention.
"He did exactly what I expected him to do, though, he didn't hold back against me. I wanted to prove myself to the public as well as to myself. I do have a lot that I'm still working on to improve both my quirk as well as my physical abilities. My goal is really simple: to be an amazing hero, no matter what my ratings are or whatever."
Both boys were wide-eyed and staring at me in shock. "Holy crap, you're that girl! No wonder you were able to calm Katsuki down!"
"I don't need calming down, and I heard that shit a second ago. Who the fuck thinks that that useless nerd is amazing? Are you fucking blind?! I'll blast your shitty vision back into your heads!"
"Hey, Bakugo, relax dude!" Eijiro looked kind of nervous and exasperated as he spoke to Katsuki.
"Fuck you, shitty hair! I need to teach these shitty 'friends' a fucking lesson!"
"Same old Katsuki," Second guy muttered, "Totally losing his cool when Midoriya is brought up."
The blonde growled, suddenly launching himself at the boys that were quickly trying to run away, which toppled our drinks, the glasses falling to the ground and breaking.
I stood up instantly, snapping at my soulmate, "Katsuki! Stop it!"
I noticed Eijiro had stood too, and was holding Katsuki back. That's when we heard the whispers and comments being made around us. People were bringing up the Sports Festival, how he was tied up, bringing up something about a slime villain also. The gossip seemed to fuel the furious fire in Katsuki, who looked like he was shaking with his rage.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! ALL OF YOU! MIND YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!"
My eyes were flickering around from random face to face, and I shrunk in on myself, my own face turning bright red in embarrassment. Just as the manager started to argue with Katsuki, I couldn't take the attention anymore.
"We're sorry. We're leaving, now." I muttered just loud enough to be heard by the small group and the man, before tossing everything into Eijiro's bag, then walking out with the others. The two boys quickly excused themselves from us, leaving just my soulmates and I to trudge back to…who knows where at this point.
"I don't know why you idiots brought up fucking Deku," Katsuki suddenly grumbled, which was apparently all it took to send me over the edge.
I let out a loud frustrated groan, then took off Eijiro's backpack and handed it to him. "I'm over this. I'm going home to actually study, and next time, I'm just going to ask Yukime for help."
"The fuck? No, you're not!" Katsuki bit back after wheeling around to glare at me.
I looked at him tiredly, "You know, Eijiro and I were in there telling those guys how impressive you could be, and that you were less temperamental than they remember. Guess we got proved wrong." I shrugged then turned, offering Eijiro a small smile before walking off mumbling about taking a nap.
When I got home, mom sat up from the couch where she had been laying down watching some tv show.
"Well, that wasn't very long. Is everything alright, sweetie?" she asked tentatively while I took off my shoes.
"We got kicked out of both the library and the restaurant we went to. Today was a train wreck," sighing, I flopped down on the couch beside her and used her legs as a pillow. "Don't wanna talk, wanna nap."
Mom was silent for a moment then suddenly her quiet humming broke through the frustrated thoughts brought on by the failed attempts of studying. I immediately recognized the song she used to sing to me at bedtime or when I was upset when I was little. Almost instantly all of the nerves and tension from the chaos earlier were gone, and I wiggled my shoulders slightly to cuddle closer to one of my favorite people, though I wouldn't openly admit that.
.
.
Third person...
It only took a few seconds and Hana had fallen asleep with her head resting on her mother peacefully. Sayuri smiled fondly down at her, smoothing over her hair gently and taking in how much she resembled Shota when her bright-purple eyes drifted closed. Overall, Hana may have taken a some attributes from Sayuri, but her determination, her attitude, and her messy waves – despite being brown instead of black – were all Shota.
Sayuri sighed deeply, eyes drifting up towards a framed photo that was mostly hidden behind others on a shelf of the entertainment center, and couldn't keep her thoughts from wandering as well. There were also times when Hana reminded her so very much of…
"Yuri," Shota's sudden voice caused Sayuri to jump slightly, her attention now on her husband and successfully pulled from the past for the most part. His eyes followed her previous gaze, then returned to her. "Thinking about Oboro again?"
She tried to keep her mind in the present, but her heart ached at the thought of the light-blue-haired young man in the photo she had been staring at. "I can't help it, Sho, ever since she started classes and made friends…I see traits of his in her, somehow."
Shota stayed silent, moving to the large window at the back of their home, his gaze automatically drawn to the large clouds overhead. After a moment of thought, he spoke up again, "That's impossible, Yuri, we both know it."
Her deep sigh sent a chill down his spine, making him feel uncomfortable about his soulmate sinking into her darker thoughts, "As straightforward as ever, honey. Well," Sayuri slowly and carefully shifted Hana from her lap to the couch, then stood to stretch, "I have some paperwork to do for Hizashi, some big names are going to be coming through the station, and I'm so excited!"
Shota could hear the exact opposite tone in her voice, she was sinking, quickly losing control in her own mind. Turning from the window, he strode from the living room and down the hall to intercept her before she could make it into their bedroom. Once his hand had wrapped around her wrist he felt the telltale trembling. Shota's instinct took over, moving past her only to gently guide Sayuri into the room and close the door quietly. Her eyes were locked straight forward, tears rapidly pooling in them as the connection between her body and her mind was falling apart.
Sayuri's dissociation had become a frequent occurrence ever since their third year at UA and had gotten even worse later that year when the two soulmates found out that she was about twenty weeks pregnant. After years of struggling with it, Sayuri seemed to suddenly be perfectly fine. Shota knew better. It had taken Sayuri hiding almost everything to do with Oboro Shirakumo and a strong case of 'forgetfulness' for her to get to that point. There was no way her method was healthy, and her husband had told her many times that it was irrational, which simply led to a big argument every time. Though, at some point, time spent with Hana seemed to be an effective way of warding off the episodes with her tired, purple eyes yet bright smile.
Slowly, Shota pulled Sayuri to their bed, setting her down gently as she drifted through the haze of her mind. He sighed deeply and climbed into the bed beside her, easing his head into her lap and tapping her hand three times. Her way of grounding herself was a bit…odd and embarrassing if he had any say in it. The taps reminded her that he was there, and then he lifted her hand to thread her fingers through his dark hair, smoothing them through the waves for her. To ground herself, she found that essentially petting Shota's hair was relaxing and grounding enough that it almost always worked to bring her back.
"This will never not be embarrassing," the man grumbled once he felt her hand sluggishly moving on its own, "Nor will it ever make sense to me. Feeling better yet?"
Sayuri hummed, still drifting back, then a tired smile graced her lips. Shota will always bring her back, no matter what the situation. This time her hand moved to gently massage his temple for a moment which earned her a small satisfied groan, then she shifted to rubbing at the rough stubble along his jaw.
"It works," She whispered after a while before dipping down to kiss her husband's cheek softly, "and you love the attention." Shota simply chuckled and let her continue on.
.