Big thanks to my beta, xSteleAliniax

"So, how did it go after we left?" Mirio questioned curiously the next morning at the shoe lockers.

Tamaki grunted, shrugging his shoulders and attempting to hide the blush he felt creeping up his neck. Did Mirio really have to start in on him so early? He was so damned tired, and he wondered briefly, as he adjusted the bottom hem of his pants, if Ume had had as much trouble sleeping last night as he had.

Probably not, he admonished himself. Just because it had been an important day for me, didn't mean someone like her would feel the same way. That was wishful thinking—to believe that someone like me would make the same impact on a girl like that.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, when he stood back up, she was there. All radiant smiles and shining pink eyes, her hair gleaming like silver silk in the early morning sun. The very definition of bright eyed and bushy tailed.

No, he thought sourly. Definitely not important.

"Good morning, Tamaki," she greeted lightly, brushing by him on her way to her own shoe locker a few rows down. "Mirio," she added, throwing a grin to the duo over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

"Good morning, Tamaki!" Mirio exclaimed in a horrible impression of their silver-haired classmate. "So you're on to given names now?"

Tamaki groaned and shoved his head into his locker, desperate to escape but knowing it was useless. Mirio was relentless. He had been hounding Tamaki to talk to Ume since the beginning of their first year, when he had realized that his friend had a crush.

"Dude, this is a good thing!" Mirio assured the anxious boy, hauling him out of his locker by his shirt collar. "I know you like to think otherwise, but social interaction with people other than me and Neji is good for you!"

Tamaki slumped along, allowing his friend to drag him towards homeroom while he moped.

"What's good for our little kitten?" Nejire asked inquisitively as she caught up to them halfway down the hallway.

"Ume and Tamaki are on given name basis, now!" Mirio practically shouted, dragging his friend forward to clap him on the back as if he had won a prestigious award.

"Oh, really?!" Nejire squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Are you going to ask her out? I bet she likes udon! There's that place down by the train station that has great noodles and they have mochi! We already know she likes mochi! I can ask-"

"Can you guys k-keep it down?" Tamaki choked out, gripping the strap of his bag and hunkering back down into his shoulders as he glanced around. "Please?"

Nejire pouted. "Sorry, Tamaki. I'm just excited for you."

Tamaki wanted to melt into the tile floor beneath his feet. He knew his friends meant well, but that ball of self-doubt that had made its home in his chest kept him from appreciating it.

They're making a big deal out of nothing. Ume is just a nice person, it's not like she likes me back.

Classes were especially difficult for Tamaki that day. He was usually able to resist the temptation of looking over towards the window and the shimmering curtain of silver silk that beckoned to him. But after finally interacting with Ume the day before, he was finding it more difficult to ignore the unconscious shift of his gaze.

She knew he was an anxious person. How could she not with an amazing quirk like hers? And she had gone out of her way to make him feel better, even bending rules to do so.

A memory popped into his head as he continued to struggle to keep his gaze from wandering. It was during their first few weeks at UA, before he really knew Ume at all. Despite that, there had been something about her that drew him in. Maybe it was her bold words, or maybe it was just her. Either way, he could remember every word from that day and the shy, cute smile on her delicate face as she presented them with her hero name for the first time.

"I want to be a rescue hero. I want people to know they can rely on me in any situation to keep people calm and happy," she had said, staring down at the board clutched in her petite hands as she stood at the podium at the front of the class.

Her hair had been shorter then, halfway between her chin and shoulders, and she had flicked it behind her ear exasperatedly when it had fallen into her face. The sunlight from the window caught the strands and they had shimmered like a rainbow caught in a prism.

"I understand that hero work isn't all rainbows and happy endings," she'd continued as if having read his mind "But I want my hero name to stand for that idea. To give people hope, like a rainbow after a storm," she finished fiercely, then flipped the board to face the class.

Spectrum Hero: Chroma

"Wonderful!" Midnight had lauded, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "It's clear you've put a lot of thought into this and I think it's a splendid name!"

Ume had blushed prettily, bowing slightly to the pro before dashing back to her seat. Tamaki's eyes tracking her the whole way.

A flash of silver brought him from his thoughts and he realized he had been staring, chin propped in his hand. Blushing furiously at the idea of being caught, he turned his head back towards the front of the class.

Great. She probably thinks I'm a creep now.

Lunch was a welcome reprieve from the struggle of keeping his eyes forward. Ume always sat at the end of a table by herself on the opposite end of the cafeteria from Tamaki and his friends. He usually spent his lunch experimenting with different food combinations that could improve his quirk, and sneaking glances at the back of Ume's head when Mirio and Nejire weren't paying attention.

She wasn't in her seat today, he realized, his dark eyes darting around the room in search of her silver hair. He froze, fists clenched on his knees when he noticed her approaching their table.

Oh no. She's going to ask me not to stare at her. She saw me looking and it creeped her out. Good going, Tamaki. You-

"Would you guys mind if I sit with you?" Ume asked, blushing as she stared down at her tray. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tamaki slump, eyes on his tray and ears red. "Nevermind, I'll just-"

"The more the merrier!" Mirio crowed happily, gesturing to the empty seat next to Tamaki.

"Thanks," she murmured, glancing up to give him a small smile as she slid onto the bench next to Tamaki. Her leg bumped his as she got settled and he jerked away like she had burned him. Ume scooted so that she was almost halfway off the end of the bench to give him space.

Too close! He's going to think I'm so weird. Why did I ask to sit with them? God, this is so embarrassing.

"Ume!" Nejire squealed from across the table, catching her attention as she bounced in her seat. "Are you ready for endurance training this afternoon? Do you want to partner up? These two always leave me high and dry! Hey! What conditioner do you use? Your hair always looks so shiny! Do you like udon? Or soba? I told Tamaki-"

Ume's head was spinning from the rapid fire questions, and she pushed back from the table as Nejire leaned towards her, bright blue eyes wide.

"Neji," Tamaki mumbled from beside her, eyes still on his tray. "Stop. C-calm down."

Nejire blinked owlishly at her friend before beaming at Ume.

"Sorry! I just get excited about making new friends!"

Friends. Ume flushed but just nodded her head and smiled at the other girl, before agreeing to be her partner during their hero training that afternoon.

Ume listened with interest as Mirio and Nejire held an animated conversation regarding support items across from her, slowly eating her rice. She glanced at the boy next to her and extended her quirk curiously. He was nervous, as always. But curious, too. She noticed his strange assortment of food and realized he was quirk experimenting.

"Have you ever thought of trying takoyaki?" she asked him quietly.

He looked over at her, eyebrows raised and chopsticks poised halfway to his mouth.

"Uh. N-no," he sputtered, cheeks flushing brilliantly pink. "W-why?"

It was Ume's turn to blush, wishing she hadn't braided her hair before lunch so she could hide behind it.

"Oh, well. You know," she managed to say. "I thought maybe the tentacles could be good."

"That's so smart, Ume!" Mirio enthused suddenly, causing the two classmates across from him to startle in their seats. "It's like a built-in capture weapon!"

"Y-yeah. I guess that would be pretty useful," Tamaki agreed quietly, flashing a very small smile towards Ume. "I'll definitely try it."

"Here, you can have some of mine," Ume offered, fumbling with her chopsticks for a moment before picking up a small dough covered ball and dropping it onto his tray.

Tamaki felt his blush deepen and fought the urge to just crawl under the lunch table and hide. He saw Mirio grinning widely at him from across the table and fought back a groan, feeling almost like he was going to cry.

Why is she being so nice to me? It's not like I can help her with her quirk. So, why help me with mine?

"Thanks," he finally managed to say, picking up the small octopus filled ball of dough and chewing it hesitantly.

The texture wasn't the best, but it didn't taste awful. He'd try manifesting the tentacles during hero training later, and if it worked well he would add the item to his diet. He told Ume as much, trying not to stutter over his words when she smiled and her freckle spattered nose wrinkled.

"Would you want to go shopping some time?" Nejire grunted as she struggled to perform another chin up.

"Uh, sure?" Ume replied hesitantly from below.

"The boys never want to go with me, and it's not very fun by myself," the periwinkle-haired girl pouted, dropping down from the bar. "I think we could be good friends, Ume!"

Ume returned her classmate's brilliant grin tentatively, but it quickly dropped when a flash of movement caught her eye from the other side of the gym.

What on- Was that Mirio?!

"Ume?" Nejire prodded, looking concerned.

She merely pointed, slack-jawed, at their blond classmate, whose laughter echoed around the gym as other students stopped to watch as well. He was being swung through the air, gripped by a set of tentacles wielded effortlessly by Tamaki.

"Hey! Your idea worked!" Nejire said happily, bouncing on her feet. "Gosh, he's awesome, huh?" She hummed, smiling widely.

Ume flushed, proud that she had been able to help Tamaki expand his quirk, and felt a small smile pull up the corners of her mouth as she watched him. His quirk was amazing, and she wholeheartedly believed that he would be an amazing hero some day.

"Yep. Awesome," Ume breathed, feeling her blush deepen.

Ume scribbled furiously at her notes at the end of class. Usually, she took her time to make sure they were neat and legible, but today she had to hurry up and finish before he left. She read over her notes one last time, ensuring she hadn't forgotten to add anything, then closed her notebook with a snap and shoved it into her bag before looking a couple of desks over and back.

"Hey, Tamaki," she called softly.

She saw his ears turn red as they poked out from beneath his indigo hair and felt her cheeks flush in tandem. He slowly lifted his head from his arms to reveal a pink face, and his purple eyes met hers uncertainly.

"Would you like to walk to the station with me?"

She saw his brow furrow, and his blush deepened as his eyes darted quickly down to his desk. He nodded slowly and glanced back up at her bashfully in time to see her small smile.

"Great! That's great!" she said, unable to reel in her enthusiasm.

She grabbed her bag and stood from her seat, waiting for him to do the same before they left the classroom to stop at the shoe lockers. She took her time changing into her shoes, taking a moment to practice some deep breathing to calm her nerves. Tamaki was nice, he was quiet, but he was really nice. This was fine. It just made sense logistically, they used the same station, so why not walk together?

She left the row of lockers to find the indigo-haired boy hovering near the entrance, and smiled widely at him. She ducked her head and blushed when he held the door for her.

Ume's hair was refracting in the afternoon sun, faint rainbows bouncing off the leaves of trees as they passed, and Tamaki found it soothing. They were both quiet as they walked—Tamaki with his hands shoved into his pockets and Ume clutching her bag straps. His phone dinged in his pocket and he pulled it out to find a text from Mirio.

M: Where'd you go, buddy? Me and Neji waited forever!

Should I tell him? He's going to freak out. I'm freaking out.

T: I'm with Ume.

His phone dinged again before he could even return it to his pocket.

M: GET YOUR GIRL, LOVERBOY!

Tamaki felt himself blush furiously and glanced at the girl walking next to him, she was smiling to herself, her pink eyes trailing over shop windows as they passed. He felt his own smile curl up, and knew his cheeks were the same color as her brilliant eyes.

T: It's not like that.

Mirio's next text was simply a slew of kissy face emojis and hearts. Tamaki sputtered and quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket as Ume looked over at him curiously. His ears burned as her pink eyes traced up and down his form before settling on his face.

"Is everything ok?"

"Y-yeah," he muttered, trying to rub the blush from the back of his neck. "Just… Mirio being Mirio, you know?"

She giggled, eyes leaving his to peer into shop windows again.

"He can be a bit, uh, over the top sometimes, huh?" she said quietly after a minute.

Tamaki hummed in agreement, not wanting to say anything negative about his friend. Mirio was a really good person, and he had helped Tamaki a lot, but he couldn't help but agree with Ume's sentiment.

"He seems really nice, from what I know of him," she continued after a minute. "Sometimes, people like Mirio and Nejire are just a bit much, with my quirk and everything. I can usually shut other people's emotions out, but…" she trailed off, shrugging, before flashing him a smile.

He returned it slowly, tentatively. Silently hoping that the constant worry and weight in his chest wasn't too much for her. It didn't weigh him down so much when she was around, but it was still there. Reminding him that he wasn't enough, that he never could be.

"Does it… hurt? Feeling all of that at once?" Tamaki asked quietly.

"Not physically," Ume replied after a beat of silence. "Sometimes, it's just too much and… it's easier to spend my time alone. I don't… really have a lot of friends. People either don't trust me not to manipulate them or it gets hard to shut them out after a while, and I start to feel overwhelmed."

He didn't know what to say. He had only ever seen her use her quirk to help people, how could anyone think she would use it maliciously? He wanted to comfort her, but couldn't find the words. He understood not having many friends—it was hard to make friends when you'd rather hide in a corner or melt into the floor than talk to people. So, he settled for sidestepping to close the space between them and bumping his elbow against hers gently, hoping she understood. As he did, he missed the wrinkle nosed smile she sent him as he hid behind shaggy hair and scrunched shoulders.

"Tamaki? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Mom," he called as he toed off his shoes at the front door.

"You're home early. I thought you were going with Mirio and Nejire?"

"I changed my mind," Tamaki explained as he entered the kitchen where his mother was preparing dinner. "I walked a friend to the train station instead."

Tamaki's mother was short, with a stern face but a kind and caring disposition. He had inherited her hair and eyes but the similarities stopped there. She always said he was the spitting image of his father, who had died before Tamaki had even had the chance to really remember him. Tamaki was convinced his father's unexpected death was the cause of his mother's stern appearance. Her face seemed to be constantly lined with worry, usually worry reserved for him. She was the reason he wanted to be a hero. He didn't want her to worry about him anymore. If he was strong enough to save people, maybe she would realize that he could be strong enough to take care of himself.

Currently, the petite woman stood in front of the sink, arms crossed and brow raised at her only son as he fidgeted near the refrigerator, fingering his tie.

"A new friend?" she prompted, trying to hide the excitement in her voice.

Tamaki shrugged, picking a spot on the floor and staring at it.

"Well, what's their name?"

"Ume," Tamaki murmured, feeling that cursed blush climbing up his neck.

"A girl?" his mom asked, surprised.

Tamaki nodded again, pulling his tie away from his neck with one finger, suddenly feeling too hot.

"Is she pretty?"

"M-mom, it doesn't matter!" Tamaki choked out. "She doesn't even like me like that."

His mother sighed and moved forward to gather him in her arms. He slumped forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"She'd be a fool not to."

"How is he today?" Ume asked her mother quietly as she sat down next to her on the couch.

She glanced at the woman, her dark brown hair was styled pin straight and fell around her ears in a fashionable bob, but looked dull. Her pink eyes weren't quite as bright as her daughter's, the concealer under them not quite enough to cover the sleepless bruises.

"Better than yesterday," her mother sighed, pulling her daughter into her side for a one-armed hug. "He's upstairs resting now."

Ume nodded, knowing that no words would be enough to comfort her mother. What words were there, when your husband of 18 years was wasting away before your eyes?

"I'm surprised you're home so early. You've been staying after school quite a bit," her mother mused after a few moments of silence.

"One of the boys in my class uses the same train station, so we walked together today. And I wanted to spend time with you," Ume replied, snuggling in her mother's side to hide her pink cheeks.

"A boy, huh?" her mother prodded, and Ume could hear the smile in her voice. "What's he like?"

"He's nice, but he's really shy and quiet," Ume answered, her own smile quirking her lips up as she thought about their hero training earlier that day. "He has a pretty awesome quirk."

"Is he cute?"

"Yes," Ume whispered, tucking her chin to her chest and letting her hair fall to hide her flaming blush.

"Invite him for dinner sometime. Soon," her mother urged gently. "I'm sure you dad would like to meet him."

Thanks for joining me! See you next week!

xSteleAliniax: Thank you! I'm so grateful for you and all of your support!

9: Thanks! Hopefully you stick around! C: