Prompt 3 - Unexpected Valentine

Kirishima never really liked Valentine's Day.

Not because it was full of couples, or the overly sweet smell of chocolate, or the anxiousness in the air. It was because it was just a glorified popularity contest shoved into a singular day to make insecure guys feel ashamed that they're not as friendly, handsome, or mysterious as their classmates.

Kirishima knew he wasn't unattractive, and his personality wasn't disagreeable. Heck, he even took pride that he showered more than Mineta and Kaminari. It was that he was as handsome as Todoroki or Bakugo, as pleasant as Midoriya or Ojiro, or even mysterious like Shoji or Tokoyami. He was...average, and his Valentine's gifts even reflected that. He would always get more than 2, but less than 5. Granted, this would only be his second high school Valentine's Day but the issue remained that he only ever got 'friendship chocolates,' and they were a sparse number at best. He didn't even stand out enough for his friends to remember to give him a damn giri choco.

Sure enough, his day started with the girls fluttering about in the UA dorm common rooms handing out chocolates to whichever friends they saw first that day. It was when he was finishing breakfast that Asui approached him and gave him a small gift-wrapped box. "Thanks, Tsuyu-chan," he gave her an appreciative smile which lit the frog-girl's face alight with joy.

"You're welcome, Kirishima-kun! I'll see you in class!" Asui was the first to give him chocolates last year, too. She proudly gift-wrapped her chocolates to hand out to the entirety of class 1-A last year, and Kirishima expected no different this year. Asui was just too gracious of a person.

The second person to give Kirishima a box of chocolates was Yaoyozuru. Like Asui, she made sure to give out some to everyone in class. She had caught him at the school gates, excitedly handing them to him before hopping to the next recipient of her chocolates. Kirishima smiled awkwardly as he noticed her rush ahead, almost tripping on her own feet, to reach Todoroki at the school doors. If her box for the hot/cold quirk user happened to look a bit more intricately wrapped than the others, Kirishima would happily plead the fifth.

The third and fourth chocolates came from Shiozaki and Kendo from class 1-B. Having found them with Tetsutetsu in the halls on the way to class, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu gratefully accepted the boxes from them.

The fifth chocolate was sitting innocently on his desk when he sat down for class. He later found out that Jiro was the culprit. Something about hating to be called out for something so corporate as participating in Valentine's Day.

It was the sixth chocolate that gave Kirishima pause.

Five. Five was his universal limit. He never got more than five chocolates.

But there, sitting in his shoe locker, was a letter with a small bag of chocolates sitting on top of his street shoes. Crazier still, they looked homemade. Kirishima carefully picked up the bag and letter, curious if someone had placed them in his locker by mistake. His locker did sit between Bakugo and the pretty boy from class 1-C. All doubt left him, though, when he saw his name on the letter's envelope.

To Kirishima Eijiro

Ok, today was officially weird. Chocolates from six people and a letter? That was just unheard of for him! Opening the envelope, Kirishima skimmed through the contents only to have his face heat up in a blush.

In a mad dash, he switched to his street shoes and made his way out of the school, bag of chocolates and letter clutched in hand. Kirishima rushed past all the students leisurely making their way back to the dorms, and took a sharp turn down the road opposite the school buildings.

Hori's cafe. A small little bakery not too far from the school. It was a popular spot for the girls of his class, particularly if they wanted to escape the testosterone that the boys always exuded. Kirishima skid to a stop right outside the little shop, and waited to catch his breath. Maybe running at full sprint wasn't the best idea…

"Kirishima?"

So much for catching his breath. Kirishima looked up to see Uraraka exiting the cafe, watching him with worried eyes. "U...Uraraka…" A small smile graced her features as he stood up straight. "I, uh...I got your letter…?"

The blush that surged over her face was all the confirmation Kirishima needed. "Oh, ah...yeah," she laughed nervously while patting her inflamed cheeks. "Sorry if I'm being a burden! I just...with Valentine's Day I figured...I mean…" Kirishima couldn't believe it! Uraraka Ochako was tripping over her words...over him! Last year it would've easily been Midoriya she would be reacting this way towards. To a certain few, they still expected her to do so.

A lot can change in a year's time, though. Krishima and Uraraka's friendship for one. He couldn't help but recall the hours of after school joint training, their late night conversations about horrible movies, their almost daily attempts to drag Bakugo out of his comfort zone and to the nearest social gathering with their friends. Kirishima was proud to call her a close friend. He was also adamant about keeping his feelings platonic. He was also completely shitty at keeping then platonic. He has assumed Uraraka only saw him as a friend.

"I just…" Uraraka took a deep breath to steal her nerves. Looking him right in the eye, her blush still very visible, she grabbed his hand and said the one phrase he had only ever dreamed he'd hear. "I like you, Kirishima."

Kirishima received six chocolates on Valentine's Day in his second year. It was also the first year he'd received honmei chocolates. It was the first year he was excited for White Day because he had romantic chocolates he could return.

Valentine's Day wasn't too spectacular, but Kirishima would be damned if he ever let Uraraka think that way.