Author's note: I'm happy that I was able to somehow keep the rhythm, even if I still had this report to translate. Well, I needed a breather and writing just was the right thing to do!

Anyway, I hope I'll be able to publish more chapters after the incoming week, since I'll be in vacation (with work to do nonetheless, but I'll be able to decide on my schedule!

A shorter chapter, with some characters that are brought to the front by the fact that I'm mainly following the main story line with some twists.

As always, I hope you'll enjoy it and see you soon !


Denki was patiently waiting for Kyoka, leaning on the wall in front of Recovery Girl's office, his earphones on while he drummed absentmindedly on his thigh. They had fallen on this pattern, one waiting for the other on their respective weekly appointments for counseling.

He had to check frequently for any side effects of his brief time in coma, and since he opened up about his anxiety attacks, the healing heroine booked a moment for him each Friday afternoon after school since December.

Kyoka was seeing her since March, on Aizawa-sensei advice. A psychological support unit was discussed, to help heroes and refugees on these difficult times, Recovery Girl being overwhelmed with demands.

She closed the door after bowing, and turned to him. He was lost in thoughts (or in his music), and didn't seem to notice her as she slowly strolled toward him. She sneaked quietly on his right side, and seized his free hand abruptly, making him jump in fear.

She was grinning, proud of her stunt, as he removed his earphones, blushing.

"Geez, good thing we are in front of the infirmary, I could have a heart attack," he wheezed lightly, dramatically clenching his shirt near his heart.

"Yeah, as if you were that surprised…"

He winked and properly took her hand in his, as they took their leave and headed toward the dorm.

"Well, how was your session?"

"It went okay I guess. I don't really know how it is supposed to be, but she told me I seemed less agitated about the whole thing, and that we could try to lessen the medicine's frequency. I just had a lecture about my love life in the end…"

"Oh… Guess she got wind of our relationship because I had the same kind of talk last week…"

"And you're telling me this only now? I could have prepared myself better if I knew."

"To be honest, I was kinda embarrassed, and I didn't really think that it was that relevant, since we're not, ya know…"

It was her turn to blush, and one of her jack flew to poke his arm.

"I get it, I get it, not the place," he chuckled while rubbing the area she just poked.

They got out of the building, the afternoon sun still warm on their skin. Some of the students glanced at their intertwined hand, the girls usually giggling once they were farther away. The word spread faster than expected, but they didn't mind as an unknown weight had been lifted of their shoulders. And as Mina said, the only thing they allowed themselves to do in public was holding hands or short hugs. Except that, they were acting the same as they were before around each other in the campus.

She had been expecting quite a change, but the natural flow of their relationship since the beginning remained the same, like everything was meant to go at the right pace. They were just more openly expressing their affection when they were comfortable to do so, always reading the mood of the other or asking for it. Of course, they had experienced awkward moments, like when she fell asleep on Denki's bed, or when he had tried to kiss her while she was fighting back a sneeze... It didn't end well, even if they had laughed about it for days after.

He still managed to make her blush or embarrassed her with his dorkiness, and she still brought his shyness out by some display of affection.

So when the girls sometimes taunted her by asking the worst thing there was in her relationship, she couldn't find any flaws: they just fit well together, bringing the best out of the other, reaching an understanding that made them forgive the small mishaps that happened on the road.

"Hey, are you okay with staying at our spot for a bit? The weather's too nice to go back now…"

His voice pulled her out of her musings, as she nodded her assent. They settled near the tree where Denki took refuge during his breakdown 5 months ago, her head resting on his right shoulder as they enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"You know, I always wondered when you started to, you know… see me as more than a friend…", she asked in a hushed voice.

Nearly right from the start.

It was the first thought that entered his mind, automatically. But the words were stuck in his throat, not knowing how to say it or where to begin. He was sure she would freak out if she told her she had always been special: they were dating for a month for god's sake, who wouldn't be scared of hearing such heavy words after so little time?

"Wow… I didn't think it would be that much of a question…", she said after a minute without a sound from him..

"It is just that… I'm afraid that my answer would be…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Denki, as always."

She had failed to keep her tone neutral, her slight irritation seeing him still doubting her getting the best of her.

He froze on the spot, his mind blank as the ghost of his fears seized his heart. He had foreseen it, the strain his hesitation created obvious now. He knew he had made progress, and that it took time, and that…

But it didn't stop the insecurities to surface on a regular basis, even if it wasn't as intense as before. Right now, a fierce battle rattled his brain, his heart siding with telling her the truth while the fear fueled every worse case scenario possible playing in his head.

He suddenly grabbed her left hand more forcefully, as he breathed in and out slowly. She understood immediately and rubbed her thumb slowly on his skin, in an attempt to soothe him, and quell her rising guilt.

She knew he could pick on little details and worry about it, creating anxiety out of them. And she had been careless in the way she put him on the spot, instead of letting him took his time to arrange his thoughts.

He would never blame her for it, endorsing all the guilt, and she wasn't letting him do so.

She hummed a slow melody, never stopping her gentle caress on his hand, making the weight of her head on his shoulder a little heavier. It kept him grounded, she knew, and she would have hugged him if not for the realization she had been the catalyst of his crisis. It just… didn't sit right with her, not until she had properly apologized at least.

His grip loosened a bit, his breathing evening slightly. The internal storm began to clear as soon as he felt her touch, reminding him of what he had decided to do since that day in the hospital. He had been well aware of the consequences, getting out of his comfort zone being an everyday trial since he was trying to halt his unhealthy habit.

Losing self esteem had been so easy, but rebuilding it seemed to take ages and he often got frustrated with himself for falling in the same traps over and over again.

Doing the right thing once is a thing, not repeating the bad one is an other deal...

He exhaled once, twice, thrice, a little less shakily each time. She would have the best from him, as he had swore himself on that battlefield. He let his own head rest on top of hers, intertwining their fingers closely.

"Sorry, I've let this mess take over."

"I'm the one who should apologize. I don't know why I felt hurt by the silence, and I should've known better than put pressure on you."

"You can't repress your own feelings for my sake, Kyo. I… I've been aware that my current status is not easy to deal with, and I don't want you to feel guilty or to censor yourself."

"It's not that hard to deal with, so don't fret too much, okay?"

He nuzzled her hair with his nose in response, and pressed his lips on the crown of her head.

"I'll try, I promise, if you keep speaking your mind. After all, I love the brutally honest Kyoka as much as the other sides of you."

It was her turn to freeze for a second, before pulling her head back from his shoulder. Her onyx gaze bore in his golden eyes, a quizzical glint in her eyes. Denki looked at her, a strange sense of calm replacing the previous maelstrom in his gaze.

The dreaded word escaped his lips naturally, and he couldn't bring himself to regret it. After all, she had asked him for how long he felt something for her. That was a start, and he had promised to be honest, after all.

She was shivering in the warm sun, as his eyes mirrored anything but his sincere feelings.

He took a deep breath, and leaned forward a bit, his forehead brushing against hers. Her uneasy expression stirred something in him, making his last fear crumble.

"I guess you always were special, and my feelings just grew with time, getting deeper since the festival. So... yeah, you heard right. I love you, the whole you."

His face got encased suddenly by both of her hands, as she launched herself on his lips, straddling one of his parted leg in the process. He let out a muffled yelp, as his back hit the tree trunk softly. They soon lost themselves in the dance of their lips against each other, Kyoka pouring every single feeling she had in this kiss as her answer to his words. Her right hand seized the nape of his neck and her fingers weaved themselves in his hair, deepening further the kiss, their lips parting to let their tongue meet feverishly. A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat, as she let out a small moan that surprised her.

Soon enough, they entangled themselves, puffing small breaths, eyes in a daze. She positioned her hand on his cheeks, her thumbs rubbing his skin agonizingly slowly.

"So it was that... I knew that I liked you, a real lot, but something has been nagging me for some times..., " she whispered in a husky voice that sent chills along Denki's spine, "I was freaking out about the need I had to be feel close to you on every level… "

Kaminari took in the soft expression on her face, her puffy lips, the warmth on his skin as he regained his breath. His mind was still foggy from the fierceness of the kiss, his hand now resting naturally on her waist. He would usually have freak out of embarrassment from their position and his boldness, but right now, nothing else mattered more than her.

He was hanging on her words: he had a clue that the kiss was her answer to his confession, but deep inside him, he wanted to hear it from her, a need he didn't thought was this strong.

Since the moment he realized how much he loved her, he convinced himself that he would be fine if she could just be in his life, as a classmate or fellow hero.

Than, he gradually expected more, hoping to be a simple friend, a close one, and then…

Why didn't I allow myself to dream bigger?

Because right now, he knew that he wouldn't settle for less than being her partner forever.

"I supposed we're both becoming quite greedy...", he uttered in a raspy low voice, running his thumb on her back.

She nodded and smiled, and leaned in so her mouth hovered over his ear.

"I'm ready for any consequences coming at us… I just love you this much, Denki…"

He reached for her cheek as his other hand gripped her hip, grounding her against him, locking their gaze together. He brushed a thumb on her lower lip, gulping slowly as he felt like bursting from happiness.

"God, I can't thank the universe enough for putting you on my road."

"Me too…", she said as she sat comfortably on his lap. He sneaked his arms around her tightly, kissing her neck softly from time to time, both of their heart feeling more free from admitting the truth.

...

As they put a foot in the dorm, a wave of tension wafted by them, their classmates running around on the common room.

Eijirou glanced at them while passing, motioning for them to hurry.

Shoto was in the middle of the room, his phone in hand.

"Endeavor is in the principal's office. We are allowed to pay him a visit…"

Everyone's brows immediately flinched in a determined fashion, their eyes meeting in a silent approval.

"Let's go, we've got a Number One Hero to grill!", barked Bakugou as he took the lead, heading to the dorm's door.

On the road to the administrative quarter, Ochaco forced herself to calm down, as a rising bubble of hope was making its way inside her. She trusted Izuku and understood his decision to an extent, as it was his way to express the care he had for everyone of them. Even so, it was a far too harsh way to fight All for One. And it stung that he dismissed them that much. She had been surprised to agree with Bakugou in this one, but she knew that deep down, every single one of their classmates had their ego bruised at one point, even if the worry took over quasi-instantly.

She sighed: the more she strove to be a hero, the more she seemed to realize how human she was, the greatest force not being the Quirk but the mental fortitude to endure every single hardship and deal with emotions.

And as dedicated Deku was, he couldn't handle it alone. Heck, they were all under counseling and they even initiated the group chat to cope with the aftermath of the war.

She looked at Denki and Kyoka who walked ahead of her, as they were having one of their silent conversation. Everyone could tell how close they became, raising the suspicion that they were together in the process. She sometimes envied the connection they had, understanding each other without talking. She thought that she had that kind of thing with Deku, but his departure questioned her belief.

But one thing that she learned from their girl's night was that nothing was built without communication. So rather than being envious, she would reach for him and try to understand him better. Kyoka glanced back at her, cocking her head to the side interrogatively: Uraraka simply gave her brightest smile, one that reached her eyes, as she jogged to meet with them.

...

"So, Deku is in Kamino, assassin on his toes…", stated Iida on his usual serious tone.

"We get rid of whatever villain wannabe and drag his sorry ass here, simple."

Tenya groaned at Bakugou's language, but the nod the majority of the class members was enough to get the current state of mind of everyone.

Uraraka sighed. "I agree with Bakugou's idea, but we can't brush off a negative reaction from him, since we're not going along with his plan."

"Ochaco-chan is right, ribbit. We don't really know his emotional state with all that transpired lately," added Tsu with a concern frown on her face.

"We have to focus on the assassin first and foremost. I'm sure we'll find a way to reason him together." Shoto's deep voice echoed in the room as he adjusted something on his costume. "We must anticipate, sure, but we lack information to properly devise anything more than that."

"Yeah, like he said!," boasted Dynamight as he got up from his seat in the common room," time to kick some ass!"

They all got up, costumes and mind ready to bring their friend back and take on anything the villains would be throwing at them.

Denki couldn't help but feel the need to shake Midoriya up from his self-sacrificial trip. In a way, he was just acting like him, putting others first. They weren't that close in the first place, but he had a lot of respect for his perseverance and hard work. The blonde haired hero wished he could be as reliable as Deku in the future, showing empathy and caring as much but without neglecting his own feelings and happiness.

So when they shit hit the fan and that the only way to bring him was to literally knock some sense in him, he knew exactly what he had to tell him. They all launched themselves toward the shadow of their friend, trying to reach him as he attempted to run from them. As soon as Bakugou blast away the smoke, every single one of them tried to stop him, getting in his way and expressing how much he meant for them, how much he had taught them.

Kyoka blocked his retreat by channeling a wall of sound as memories of the Cultural Festival flowed: Denki had been the catalyst, but Midoriya's help to organize everything had been crucial too. So she screamed at him how happy she had been to share this, as Deku kept on going on about how he needed to get away to protect them.

Ojiro jumped after Kyoka, noticing how battered Deku was as he tried to restrain him. Relentlessly, class 2-A harassed him, showering him with memories and kind words, using their Quirks at the best of their ability to restrain him.

Tsukuyomi grabbed him with Dark Shadow and send him flying, as Momo created a machine to still him and putting him to sleep.

As Deku broke free, Denki grabbed him with all the force he could muster as Shoji caged Izuku with his multiple arms covered in insulating tape.

"For fuck's sake, listen to us Midoriya! You're my friend, you're family even, and you matter!", Chargebolt screamed as he readied his Electrification, set to fire as soon as Fumikage could drop Dark Shadow to trap the both of them.

"Please, stop this self-sacrifice crap, because it won't bring any happiness whatsoever, I know that too well."

He released his Quirk, Midoriya escaping at the last minute, and the building collapsing from the sheer force of their combined powers.

Denki howled in frustration, shouting "We just want to be with you!" in the empty sky, the chilly air the telltale of Shoto's Ice wall.

They gathered around the wall, as Shoto chastised Deku for walking right in All for One's plan.

"You can't keep up with this fight!" The scream that escaped the green-haired hero echoed in everyone's heart, the stillness of the battlefield letting it sinking in for a second before the fight resumed, Froppy and Grape Juice trying to stop him.

"You're the one who can keep up anymore, Izuku…"

"Let us in: we can support you, one way or another."

"Stop shouldering everything by yourself, idiot!"

"It's ok to be scared, ribbit!"

"I don't want to lose anyone else…."

A rain of screams filled the air, a litany of wishes and support directed to a trapped Izuku whose sole escape route was in the air. And even there, they still managed to reach for them, stubborn as they were… Maybe, just this time, he could indulge himself…

...

They finally were at home, everyone safe and sound in the warmth of the dorm, a mouth-watering scent filling the air while they were in the common area, Izuku comfortably seated and surrounded by almost everyone.

He made a mental note to personally thank Uraraka… Her speech still resounded in him, her warm tone and empathetic words engraved in his memory. He was so obsessed with being strong enough that he had forgotten that it was alright to have weakness and to share worries and burden. He always admired her, but her growth had been dazzling in the last months, and he couldn't help himself: he was drawn to her cheerful smile and bright persona.

Denki and Kyoka entered the room with platters full of plates filled with curry, as Momo brought drinks alongside them, including her infamous tea.

"Bakugou's special curry on the menu tonight!" said Kaminari's enthusiastically, "Nothing is better to refill our batteries!"

"We're not all walking generators, y'a know…", sarcastically retorted Jirou, as she threaded carefully between the armchairs to reach the coffee table.

"That was the point of the joke….", he deadpanned while delivering some plates to his classmates.

Deku chuckled at their banter: it was good to be home, where some things never changed.

As the electric boy displayed his plate in front of Midoriya, he smiled too.

"Glad to have you back home, Izuku-kun."

"Thank you… Denki-kun," replied the green-eyed hero, his voice getting faint as he uttered his classmate's first name. They weren't that close, but Kaminari's action spoke for him, and the sound of his first name said by a friend was always a pleasant one, that made him flush of embarrassment.

"No need to be shy! I meant it, you know, about the self-sacrifice thing. It really won't do any good to anyone. Make sure it is the last time you pull that kind of stunt, I know that some people will really be hurt if you do it again…"

Izuku shot him an apologetic look, fully aware of who he was talking about. He had realized his mistake and promised himself to take better care of himself. He was dead set to resume his fight and risk his life for saving the world and his friends, but he won't fight alone anymore. He had so much apologies to make, but for tonight, he just wanted to bask in this comforting feeling and rebuild the bonds he was carelessly severing until today.

"You said that you knew from experience. Would… would you mind telling more… maybe later? If you're okay with it, I mean… because…". Deku began to stutter as his rambling began. Denki put an open hand in front of him to stop his speech.

"No prob', my only condition is for you to rest before: don't let the others grill you too much!"

Kaminari winked at him and took his seat next to Kyoka, who smiled at the exchange as she dropped her head on the boy's shoulder once he had sat down.

Things seemed to be the same, and something was amiss in the same time. He wondered what happened between his two classmates, but since nobody seemed to react, it must have been during his absence.

It was just a comforting sight, something that brought a little light…

And maybe something to wish for in the future.