Author's note: And here is the following wagon of the fluff train…
I couldn't help but take into account the whole Hero society crisis: I really like this part of the lore in the last anime season, I really feel like it expand the series universe and add a deeper tone to it.
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! I noted that the chapters keep getting longer: I thought of cutting off the last part of this one, but I decided against it, this scene being in my mind since the beginning of the week.
Until next time !
The spring sun shone softly the day he finally got discharged.
He was glad, really, happy even, as he never felt this loved and cared for, thanks to Kyoka and his classmates. But unease was in the air: first, Midoriya was still unconscious, even if his physical condition was stable. The whole class was worried about him, Ochaco only leaving his side when duty called her. There was still a lot of rescue and reconstruction missions ongoing, and with the heavy losses the Heroes had endured, they were often on the field, going on with the flow
Second, the aftermath of the battle had scarred the whole hero society, the revelations about Dabi's background and the retirement of several Pro-Heroes casting a dark veil on the hero world as a whole. He had felt it on TV shows as he was still bedridden, and some of his classmates had witnessed it directly while trying their best to deal with Gigantomachia's rampage side effects. The anger and resentment were palpable, and it was with this strange mixture of opposite feelings that he departed from his hospital room with Fumikage, some of their classmates waiting for them to finally return to the UA dorm.
...
He checked for the fourth time his appearance in the bathroom mirror. He told himself to stay casual, but the newfound development in his relationship with Jirou got him on edge. It was silly of him, he knew, but he wanted to look good for her, to make her proud: he couldn't help to wonder if she felt the same, if she also was self-conscious about their "date".
They would simply go shopping and grab something to eat at the nearby mall, since they were still under strict curfew and rules, due to both UA's becoming an emergency center and Midoriya's disappearance...
Honestly, he could relate with Izuku's choice. He could understand. But a part of him resented him for keeping this to himself this long and not sharing his burden. Was the bond they built that fragile, for him to not request their help? He had thanked him for being open-minded and praised him for always thinking about his friends in his letter, so why did he shut him out? Why did he encouraged him to gain confidence in himself, as he obviously chose not to trust them?
He sighed loudly: it wasn't the time to think about it, and he knew that he took the whole situation too personally. They'd all decide on their course of action tonight: a crisis gathering had been organized by Iida and Yaomomo, and the whole class was already set to do something anyway.
There was no way Class 1-A would left one of its member alone, and they would drill this in Deku's head if necessary.
He took a final glance: his hair were stylishly messy as usual, and he opted for a fitted black pair of jeans, and a short-sleeved logger shirt with a yellow tee-shirt underneath. He still had to put a pair of white sneakers on and to chain his wallet to his back pocket, and he'd be ready to meet Jirou in the lobby.
She checked herself another time in the mirror.
Okay, let's be casual, let's be cool, she repeated herself over and over.
But she was failing at keeping her calm. Her first date with Kaminari, as simple as it was, made her nervous and excited at the same time.
The few days after his release of the hospital had been hectic, and they hadn't spent a lot of time together. Maybe it had been the best thing, to have both time to ponder about the whole relationship thing.
They just talked about keeping a low profile, confiding only to Eijirou and Momo, making them swear secrecy. The class had a lot to deal with, so they really thought it wasn't the time to expose their happiness in front of everyone, especially with one of their friend silently hurting because of a certain green-haired departure.
Momo had been elated when she awkwardly broke the news one night. Ever since the end of the battle, she had confessed to her friend that she was nearing her limit, her feelings overflowing too much. Momo had encouraged her to act on them, telling how proud of her she was for not running away from it. So when she announced that Kaminari was returning her feelings, she got caught in the biggest hug she ever gave her.
But Kyoka had seen the sadness clouding her friend's eyes, knowing well what caused it. Todoroki's had been greatly injured physically, but his mental state worried the vice class-representative, the news regarding his family all over the country.
"You know that you can do something for him, right?"
"I feel like nothing I could do would ease the pain he must endure," replied the long-haired girl in a low whisper.
"You're there for him, Yaomomo. Don't underestimate how much this means. You won't give up without putting a fight, right? Besides, don't underestimate him either: he came a long way since last spring."
Momo chuckled. Kyoka really came a long way to chastise her like that.
"You're right. There are different ways to fight and I've let my emotions get the best of me. Thank you for reminding me that."
"Anything for my best friend. We're not really allowed to lose hope, but when it's too hard, I'll be here for you."
The memory played in her mind, as she hoped for the best conclusion possible for her best friend's feelings. She had felt a bit guilty to shove her happiness in the face of someone who was in the same boat than her, and for a longer time. She had been so lucky that Denki liked her back, that he was willing to give it a try. Todoroki was a lot harder to read, and had a different background, a different weight on his shoulders. Whatever happened, she'd be there for Momo along the way.
She took her wallet and phone, and headed out of her room, the butterflies in her stomach fiercer than ever.
...
Eijirou winked at him as their path crossed in the common room, raising his thumb up. Denki smiled awkwardly and settled down on an armchair, trying to get his breathing under control.
It was different from an anxiety attack, but jarring nonetheless, with all this warm and tingling sensations in his stomach.
He jumped at a slight touch on his shoulder, only to meet her eyes, full of mirth.
"Earth to Kami, earth to Kami!", she playfully said, smirking.
"Oh, sorry, I was kinda lost in thought", he sheepishly replied while scratching his right cheek.
"I figured that much. Ready to go?"
He got up, taking in her outfit: she was coolly cute, with her deep purple skirt over black leggings, her usual low boots and a long-sleeved top that was revealing a bit of her shoulders.
He smiled at her, extending his hand.
"After you milady," he theatrically said, as she ignored his hand, mouthing a "Dork" at him. He lowered his head toward her ear, softly whispering "you're so cute, Kyoka."
A furious blush expanded on her cheeks and ears, as she lost her smirk, replacing it by a smile.
"Thank you, HandsomeBolt."
She jogged to the front door, her smile widening. Two could play this game, and the sight of his reddened face was definitely worth it.
...
They strolled leisurely toward the mall, their hands sometimes brushing against each other, joking along the way.
The day was sunny with a light wind blowing, the sakura trees slowly blossoming: Denki felt like relaxing for the first time in a while, Jirou's presence having this soothing feeling he couldn't explain.
"So, what kind of frame are you looking for?"
She pondered for a while, visioning the drawing in her head.
"Nothing too fancy, your art has to be put forward. But I want something that remind me of you...", she whispered the last part softly, wishing that he wouldn't hear it. The words came naturally, but her natural shyness resurfaced easily.
His pinky linked with hers briefly: so he had heard her. Well, it was the truth, so no need to overthink it.
She would have took his whole hand in hers if they were not public figures, but they both agreed to stay discreet in the campus and everywhere else. Instead she squeezed his pinky and let go, as she glanced at his blond mane highlighted by the sun.
He grinned, his eyes filled with a secretive joy.
"Oh, I'll have to pick a frame too, maybe you could help me with it?'
'You're talking like I'm a frame expert or something", she chuckled.
"Well, you're pretty good at a lot of things, so why not choosing frame?"
"You're the one with an eye for artistic things, ya know. I'll be more in your care than the other way around."
"So let's agree that we're both awesome at art, and that we'll find the best frames ever, together!" he exclaimed while pumping his fist in the air.
She rolled her eyes, letting out a faint and sarcastic "yay" as they neared their destination.
The decorative store was a maze where you could find anything, stored in random order that didn't made any sense. Knickknacks were found in every corner of the store, along with plants, cutlery, mugs, luminary... They had yet to land their eyes on the frame section, and settled on finding it themselves, politely refusing each hand offered to help by the staff.
Truth was they were having fun imagining how some items would fit in their classmate's room, decorating Bakugou's room with a zen theme, Kyoka pointing some weird pink figures that would go well with Denki's haphazardly bazar of a room.
He found her a flashy guitar shaped clock with strass in retaliation, when they finally found the real purpose of the whole trip.
They examined several shelves, when she casually asked him why he needed a frame too.
"I want to display my drawing of Midnight on the memorial that will be opened soon. Kind of a way to pay my respect."
She nodded silently, as she replayed the day he finished it in her mind. He was nearing his release day, and asked her too bring some colors pencils: her costume wasn't that colorful, but it didn't feel right without it. She offered to rewrite the sentence in a neater handwriting, as he silently watched his work nearing its completion. She remembered the single tear that rolled on his cheek as he hugged her, exhaling "it's perfect like this".
Her eyes stopped on a simple black wooden frame, adorned with small red circles on each corner.
"Kami? What do you think of this one?"
He stood behind her, observing the frame she had taken.
"Definitely a frame expert. It was made for the piece I drew."
"You're totally exaggerating, Dorkbolt."
"OK, maybe a bit, but it really is a great one. Well, my turn now! You wanted something simple: do you plan to fix it on the wall or to put it on a shelf or something?'
"I'd rather have something to put on a furniture."
She sighed in relief as he left out the last criteria, and watched him with an amused smile as he took a focused look while browsing through the different kind of frame.
A few minutes later, he jogged back to her with a lopsided grin and a very proud glint in his eyes.
"Hehe, I think I got the perfect one..."
"Feeling confident, huh? I'm a very demanding girl, ya know!"
"Tadaa!"
He was brandishing a bi-colored wooden frame, with a simple design. The top and bottom sides were painted in a very deep purple, who leaned towards black, as the right and left side were a warm yellow.
She cocked her head to the side, taking in his stupidly bright and smiling face, and sighed dramatically.
"Right, it's perfect too."
"Told ya we were the best frame experts!"
"Yeah, yeah, we mostly were fortunate that the store had such a huge variety at disposal in the first place.."
"Well, you could see it in this light I guess... or try to recognize we rocked this mission."
She snickered, the combination of his silly face and enthusiastic speech winning her over. She bumped her fist with his extended one, as they made their way back to the checkout.
...
They wandered on the mall, searching for a small place to eat.
Little did he knew that she already planned everything or their meal. She knew he would want some hamburger, so she browsed the net beforehand to get some good addresses. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to a little patio, where an American food truck was parked.
"Let's grab some good old American burger!"
"Huh? How did you know that..."
His eyes widened in recognition: she had planned for this, remembering how he sometimes complained about how he missed his favorite food while recovering.
He could have hugged her right on the spot if they were alone, so he settled for a smile and a mouthed "you're the best".
They took their order and waited for it, sitting on the nearby aluminum table, chatting quietly as the midday light shone trough the glass dome.
It was a relaxing atmosphere for the both of them, nice smells invading their nostrils, a warm brightness encasing them, the small garden adding a calming touch to the whole scenery.
Suddenly, loud voices echoed in the patio, as two men in their thirties neared the food truck. One of them pointed the two teens, voluntarily speaking loud enough for them to hear.
"Hey, aren't they UA students?"
"Yeah, it's the electric man, Charge something, and the music girl Earjacks."
Kyoka could feel a weird tension rising in the air. They weren't hostile, but not friendly either, the way they uttered their hero names being condescending at best. Her eyes drifted to Denki's face, as he clearly felt the same sensation as her. He winked at her, exhaling very slowly.
"We're better than this, Ji. Let's handle this the hero way", he whispered softly.
She nodded, sipping her Dr Pepper slowly, engaging them in a new topic to ease the growing ambient discomfort. She joked about the small cactus he bought for Kirishima, just because it resembled their friend's hair.
"At least, he won't have to bother with being stung by one of the spine."
She chuckled, as the cook called for her, their food ready. She glanced at him and got up confidently, stopping Kaminari in the process, as he was standing up too. He silently plead her with his eyes, whispering a "let's go together".
She briefly nodded, as they walked calmly to the truck, talking about trivial things. They avoided any eye contact with the two men as they neared the counter.
"Well it must be nice to take a day off while people are struggling because of hero's mistakes…", snarled one of them, staring intently at Kyoka with disdain.
His companion snickered without saying anything, eyeing Denki with a vicious glint in his eyes.
Both of them ignored their malicious sneer, and feigned relaxation as they waited for the cook to finish setting up their trays, focusing on each other.
She could feel his urge to retort, as he could feel the strain on her jaw as she lightly gritted her teeth.
Yes, the Hero society was far from perfect.
Yes, they had to bear what came with their choice to be part of it.
But these people were being unfair, unknowing of their fear and pain.
The two men visibly weren't taking well the fact that they were being ignored, as they were marching toward them, calling them out.
"Oï, give those kids a break, will ya? They're only sixteen for god sake!"
The firm voice of the cook echoed through the patio, as he handed them their food.
The others stopped on their track and turned to him aggressively.
"Only stating the truth! Why are they here when some of us lost loved ones? Lost our home?", replied one of them, glaring at the cook.
"Yeah, they were safely holed in UA while all hell broke loose!"
Jirou and Kaminari turned toward them at this sentence, looking them straight in the eyes, memories of the battle flashing in their mind.
They just silently stared at them, with the less animosity possible, even if their heart ached with the venom dripping from those words.
Kyoka's hand reached for Denki's one in support, as the sight of his closed eyes and unmoving face appeared in her mind.
She was seeing Bakugou's and Midoriya's unconscious forms, as they struggled for their lives.
She recalled every single breakdown her classmates endured, each one struggling with guilt, shame, remorse, inadequacy, fear.
Her eyes were glazing with unshod tears at the memories, but she wouldn't cry in front of them.
She wasn't allowed to, because it was included in the hero destiny. Hero tears were meant to be shed in the shadows of the slider, when the show was over and the audience out of sight.
"You were there, dont'cha, kids?" asked the cook sympathetically, fixing his eyes on the other two, daring them to utter another word with his glare.
They sheepishly nodded, the voice of Kaminari just above the sound of a whisper.
"Yup. Did all we could, but wasn't enough…"
He felt a pang at his ribs, a ghost pain running through his chest.
He could've done so much more to help.
Maybe he could have made the difference and maybe prevent Midnight's death.
Maybe...
A rough hand ruffled his hair: the manager smiled warmly at him, thanking him.
Denki got out of his daze, a cocked eyebrow expressing his confusion.
"I don't know a lot of kids who would be able to put their lives on the line for our sake. So thank you, and sorry for the hell you've been through."
"You don't have to thank us or feel sorry: we tried our best to do what we had to do", said Kyoka in the determined voice, looking directly at him with a smile, "after all, we were just taking responsibility for choosing to become heroes." This time, she turned her dark eyes to the men who had stayed silent since then, who averted their eyes and turned on their heels, leaving the area without looking back.
"Damn right missy! Your meal is on the house, by the way!"
Kyoka turned a wide gaze toward him, as Kaminari shook his head vigorously, protesting against it.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that dumb shit, kinda ashamed for them. Christ, you're just kids, how could you be responsible for every evil on this damn Earth?"
They both looked at each other, reading the same thing in the other's eyes: relief. One tear rolled down Kyoka's cheek, as she realized how much she wanted to hear someone say those words to them.
Denki wiped it gently with his thumb, his own amber gaze clouded, his lips trembling slightly as he smiled.
"Besides, how dare they disturb your date? People have freaking' no manners!"
They instantly blushed and let go of each other hands, the cook barking a heartfelt laugh. He motioned for them to go eat their meals, and they chose to go and fetch their stuff, to settle down nearer from the cook: it was one of the best lunch they had in a while.
...
They waved goodbye at the food truck's manager, who shouted at them to come back soon. It was time to head back to the dorms: they couldn't be out of UA for too long, as they could be called for an emergency, and to be honest, their encounter at lunch left them with a bittersweet feeling.
They had a really good time after, the cook having the same musical interests as them and a great sense of humor that lifted their spirits up.
But they wanted to go home, they needed to go home to spent some time by themselves before planning their actions in the night with everyone. The whole ordeal had triggered a fierce sense of protectiveness, toward each other but regarding their beliefs too, and an unspoken need for comfort appeared as they strolled back to the dorms.
The companionable silence that engulfed them left them each with their own thoughts, and their own feelings.
Denki was torn between a sudden shyness and his desire to reach for her hands, to hold her. It was still a new feeling, a new step in their relationship, and he wasn't sure to be able to read the mood, to know when it would be right to go a little further. He didn't want to scare her… or maybe to scare himself more: because since their "confession", he found himself wanting to get closer, to experience how she'd felt against him while cuddling, how her lips would taste…
And it scared him shitless, how fast it was going, how fast he was harboring that kind of thoughts after only few weeks, as he was discovering another part of himself: Kyoka was the first girlfriend he ever had, the first serious relationship he built, and the one he dread to ruin by going too far, too soon.
This mixture of happiness and fear had lived within him for some time, and he had a hard time to talk to her about it…
Kyoka felt relief growing inside her, as the date went on. It was simple, but it was like them, all laughs and care and understanding. But the urges she had for a while were making their way up, and she struggled to keep them at bay, refraining to casually touch him, or kiss his always smiling lips. She had been attracted to people before, boys and girls alike, but it had never been that intense.
Everything in him appealed her, from his sunshine colored hair, to the melted amber of his eyes, his carefree smile, the way he cared too much, his sometimes brutal frankness, his warm embrace, his hidden faraway look when he was thinking too much, how he seemed to understand her wordlessly, hell, even his Whey mode drew her in.
Line, hook, and sinker…
She was falling hard and didn't mind it one bit, since it was for him.
Before they knew it, the dorm's door were in front of them, both being so overly self conscious that they didn't feel the time passing by.
He opened the door for her, and she entered silently, him following on tow. They got to the elevator, and he prepared himself to part ways with her, when she cut him off.
"Mind accompanying me to put your masterpiece in his hard won frame?"
"Yeah, sure!"
Ah, here it was, the warm churn in his guts, the tingling goosebumps on his skin. It wasn't the sensible thing to do, but he couldn't help it. As they entered the room he spent so much time on practicing playing the guitar, it was as if he never went there before, a whole new meaning establishing itself all of a sudden in his mind.
Shit… Can't breathe…
Unaware of Denki's inner battle, Kyoka went to her desk to retrieve his gift, carefully putting him down on her desk. The care she showed in manipulating it, the soft smile playing on her lips, the playlist she put on her Bluetooth speakers.
These three events woke him up from his hamster-like train of thought, as she turned to him, motioning him to come near her.
It would be like his from now, the unease, the intimacy, the strange surge of desire, the fear of hurting the other… It came with their newborn bond, and he had always wanted this, if he was honest with himself.
He finally walked toward her, helping her unboxing the frame and removing the back panel, for her to place the drawing neatly and replacing the panel back. She displayed the frame on her desk, and reached to grab his shirt, yanking it toward her. Her head collided with his shoulder, as he tentatively tangled his fingers in her hair, holding her close.
She let out a sigh she wasn't aware of holding.
"I never really thanked you for your gift I guess…"
He exhaled, kissing the crown of her head slightly.
"No use. I've got everything I wish for."
"Eh… Cheesy… But can't say I don't like it".
She could feel the low rumble of his chest as he chuckled, and she sneaked her arms behind his back, closing the little gap that remained between them, her jacks hearing his heart beating faster.
"Doesn't it feel weird to you? I mean, the whole relationship thing…", she asked in a muffled voice, her face still held against his thorax.
"To be honest? I was just freaking the shit out mere seconds ago…"
She tilted her head to look at him.
"Seriously?"
"I mean… Being in your room has kinda another vibe to it, right?"
She jacked him in his ribs, as a pained "ouch!" echoed through the room
"I didn't meant it that way, promise! It is just more intimidating, and my mind was running around in circles because I've wanted so bad to hug you the whole day, and I didn't know how you would feel about this, and I was scared to…"
She suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him down, and brushed lightly his lips with hers. As he leaned in, she applied more pressure, deepening the kiss slowly.
He hugged her closer, one of his hand burying themselves further in her purple locks, a soft hum in the back of his throat as he lost himself in the feeling. He responded bit to bit to her moves, opening his mouth slightly to run his tongue against her plump lips, her hand balling to fists as a moan escaped her. She parted her lips, and their tongues met and melted together, igniting a new flame in both of them.
They both inwardly marveled at how hat felt so right, so natural, their bodies and mind moving in sync along the way.
He rested his forehead against hers as they parted, catching their breath.
"You were rambling…", she mischievously said, flattening out his shirt in the place she grabbed him.
"Remind to do that more often, if you plan to shut me up like this", he replied with a wide grin on his slightly reddened lips.
She snickered as she stood on her tiptoes, reaching for his mouth again.
