Real quick, I just wanna mention something.
So, uh, if you read TLH, or any other work of mine, please don't message me with insults and hate. Constructive criticism is fine, but just saying stuff like "OC's so fucking stupid I can't stand her" or "I fucking hate this fic. I'm so glad OC's suffering" is kinda… not cool? I guess? And I know it seems silly to get worked up over only a couple comments like that, when there's so many of you amazing people who have stuck by me and my story, and been so vocally positive about it. But idk, it just gets to me, call me overly sensitive lol, I just wanted to say something about it, sorry.
(Btw, melon-pan is a type of cookie. A sweet bun wrapped with cookie dough. Despite what the name would have you believe, it isn't melon flavored. Also, in Japan, gifting someone homemade sweets can be seen as a romantic gesture.)
Okay, onto the chapter.
"Each student dormitory holds one class." Mr. Aizawa explained to them as they all entered the building. "Girls are on the right, and boys are on the left. The entire first floor is a common area. That's where you'll find your kitchen, baths, and laundry rooms."
"Wow." Hitomi whispered, looking around wide-eyed.
The common area was lovely, with hardwood flooring, dark green carpets, light green walls, and forest green furniture. Tall windows, high ceilings, bright lights, and nice atmosphere.
Hitomi felt at home.
"There's even a courtyard!" Sero crowed excitedly.
"So spacious and new!" Mina giggled.
"I'm living in a mansion." Ochako fell to the floor in bliss.
"Uraraka!" Tenya shouted.
"It smells so clean." Hitomi murmured, tail wagging. Despite what you may assume, she actually liked the scent of cleaners and disinfectant. Just so long as they weren't overpowering. But she was eager for when it would change from clean and new, to an amalgam of her friends' scents. Chances were, she would find comfort in it.
"Doth mine ears deceive me?" Mineta whispered. "Our baths… are located in the common space?" He swallowed. "Is this heaven?"
A furious aura surrounded Mr. Aizawa. "They're separated by gender. And you will behave yourself."
The color drained from Mineta's face. "Yes sir."
"The living quarters start on the next floor. Four boys and four girls on each level. Everyone gets their own room. You should be comfortable. You've got your own AC, toilets, fridges, and closets." Mr. Aizawa showed them around a bare room as he listed off everything.
"We have balconies?! Wow!" Izuku marveled at the sliding glass door, and the space outside of it.
"This room is about the same size as my closet at home, but I'll manage." Momo mused.
"It's the size of my house!" Ochako fell again.
"Uraraka!"
"It's cozy." Hitomi smiled softly.
"These are your dorm assignments." Mr. Aizawa passed out sheets of paper, each with a print of the layout of Heights Alliance. "The belongings you sent ahead have already been placed in your new rooms, so spend the day unpacking and getting settled. I'll tell you more about your next few lessons tomorrow. For now, get to work."
"Yes, Mr. Aizawa!"
…
Hitomi sat on her bare bed, staring blankly at the stacks of boxes around her.
The room was cute and surprisingly spacious for a dorm. But it felt intimidating for some reason.
She could hear her friends goofing around and having fun while unpacking. And wished she could borrow some of their energy.
Hoisting herself up, Hitomi moved to first open the box with her beddings and pillows. But… she struggled enough with fitted sheets normally, so how was she supposed to manage while also balancing on crutches?
...How was she supposed to unpack anything with her hands busy holding her up?
Suddenly disheartened, Hitomi felt strangely close to crying. She didn't understand why something so trivial was upsetting her so badly. Tomorrow she would have her cast off and be able to walk unhindered, so she could just set up her things then.
She heard something fall, followed by whines from Kaminari and cackles from Mina at his misfortune.
But tomorrow, everyone else would already be finished moving in.
Something stung painfully in Hitomi's chest. She sniffled, heading for the door
She might as well acquaint herself with the rest of the building for now.
Among the furniture already in the living-room, the kitchen was stocked with food and dishes. Not only with the usual essentials, but plenty of miscellaneous things as well, much to Hitomi's relief.
Opening a bottle of green tea that she found in the fridge, she scoured the cupboards and drawers, slowly coming up with a plan as she located all the needed ingredients. There were a few aprons hung on a hook, and she snatched one up. Her hair was tied up by the scrunchie she kept on her wrist, and she finished preparing by washing her hands thoroughly. Sitting down at the island counter, so she wouldn't have to balance on her crutches, Hitomi got to work sifting flour and cocoa powder.
…
"The fuck?"
"Oh, Katsuki!" Hitomi cracked a smile, cocking her head. "How's your room coming along?"
Katsuki didn't answer, staring at the dozen cookie trays littering the kitchen's counter space.
"The fuck, Saito?"
Hitomi blinked, peering around her small army of cookies cluelessly. "What's wrong?"
Katsuki's eye twitched. With a tick of his jaw, he stomped over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, grumbling something Hitomi couldn't catch even with her heightened hearing.
Suddenly, Kaminari came skidding into the kitchen on his house-slippers.
"I smell cookies!"
From behind him, many of the other boys came out from the hallway, each one wearing some combination of their gym uniforms, and pajamas.
The sight made Hitomi check the clock, shocking her with how late it had gotten. She hadn't even noticed the lack of light shining in through the windows, or the peaceful chirping of crickets outside.
"What's all this?" Eijirou scratched the back of his head, leaning in closer to the island counter.
"Is that melon-pan?" Sero joined, he and a few others migrating towards the delicious smells.
"Mm!" Hitomi pointed her spatula to a stack of already full tupperware containers holding cooled ones. "There's vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry jam filled." There was another kind in the oven, but that batch was off limits.
"I thought I smelled something baking." Ochako commented, herself and the rest of the girls joining the others in the living-room and kitchen.
Kaminari let out an excited whoop, and reached for one sitting on a cooling rack. "These look grea— Ow!" He reared back, cradling his hand with a pout.
Hitomi threateningly waved the silicone spatula she used to slap his hand. "Don't eat the pretty ones. They're not for us."
"Who're they for, then?" Kyoka arched a brow, a slightly scandalized blush dusting her cheeks.
"Awase. From 1-B."
"Why?" Momo and Katsuki asked, both sounding oddly tense.
"For saving Momo's life." Hitomi started putting away the last of them, distributing all the ones that came out the best into a different container meant for Awase.
"Oh." Momo mumbled, her cheeks flushing sheepishly for some unknown reason.
Katsuki shook his head, once again muttering something unintelligible, and marched out of the kitchen and back down the hallway. It seemed he was done dealing with them for the night.
"If you're finished, then you can join us." Mina clapped her hands with a mischievous grin.
Hitomi cocked her head, standing with her crutches. A glance at the oven timer told her the last batch still needed to proof for a while. "Join you with what?"
"Well, the girls and I have been talking." Mina nodded to Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka, she then shot a smirk towards the boys lounging in the living-room. "And we came up with an idea… Let's go around and see who has the coolest room!"
Hitomi tensed. And she wasn't the only one.
Izuku shot to his feet, waving his hands in denial. "Ah, I don't think—"
"Awesome, so Midoriya's first!" Mina chirped, turning on her heel and flouncing back towards the dorms.
Hitomi winced in sympathy, reluctantly following behind the herd of curious and/or terrified teens.
But halfway to Izuku's door, Hitomi stopped in her tracks. Blinking slowly, she caught up with her brain finally, as she only then noticed—
How long had Katsuki been calling her by her name?
…
Izuku's room was precious.
"It's All Might everywhere!" Ochako marveled.
Hitomi nodded along, amused by all the red, white, and blue filling the room.
"You're such a fanboy!"
"Well, I admire him…" Izuku stood by his desk, face searing red. "This is embarrassing."
Hitomi opened her mouth to console him, when she spotted something on his wall. Along with his many posters, there was a frame holding a piece of notebook paper, with three signatures scrawled across.
She smiled softly at it.
"Does this mean… they're judging our rooms, too?" Kaminari whispered to Sero and Eijirou.
"Probably, could end up a good time." Sero mused, though he sounded tense.
Finished with Izuku, they all migrated back out into the hall, finding Tokoyami blocking his door.
"No way." The avian boy soundly denied them.
But Mina and Ochako muscled him out of the way.
Hitomi blinked, squinting as her eyes adjusted to night vision. The only lights in his room were dim and purple, giving off a mysterious ambiance.
"So scary!"
"You fiends." Tokoyami stood slumped, defeated.
Hitomi shuffled over to him, patting him on the shoulder. "It's nice."
"Oh man! I had a keychain like this when I was in middle school!" Eijirou held up a metal ornate cross.
"So this is how boys like to decorate?" Mina commented skeptically.
"Please leave." Tokoyami looked as if the life had been drained from him.
Izuku spotted something in the corner. "A sword?! So cool!"
"Get out!"
Everyone gave in and moved onto the next one. Aoyama's was… interesting.
"Aren't you dazzled?" He struck a pose, flaunting the sparkling decor. Every fabric shimmered, every smooth surface shined, and many mirrors hung on every wall.
"Can't say I'm surprised." Sero mumbled, leading the group back out.
"Honestly, I expected more." Mina shrugged.
Hitomi hesitated after them, lingering in the middle of the hallway, nose twitching. With furrowed brows, she glanced back to Aoyama's room, doubting whether or not she actually caught an overwhelming scent of shame coming from inside.
"This is turning out to be really fun!" Ochako bounced on. "The last person on this floor is—"
The girls all peered back toward a door secreting a purple aura. Crazed eyes glowed as the owner beckoned them inside.
"Hey, come on in, girls. I've got so much to show you." Mineta crooked a finger.
"...So, the third floor?"
Hanging toward the back, Hitomi pursed her lips at the staircase before them. It wasn't even that tall, but she knew she would struggle with it nonetheless. Just when she was about to instead head for the elevator again, the two walking just ahead of her, stopped and noticed her plight.
"D-do you need some help, Saito?" Koda wrung his hands.
"I can carry you up if you want." Mezou kindly offered.
Hitomi flushed, ducking her head meekly. She felt ridiculous, having to be aided with something as simple as traversing stairs, but she didn't want to fall too far behind and worry anyone. With a sigh, she reluctantly nodded. Her crutches were passed off to Koda, while Mezou hoisted her onto his back.
"Thanks, Mezou, Koda." She mumbled sheepishly, ears tucked against her head.
"It's no problem." Koda assured her. "A-and feel free to call me Kouji."
That brought a genuine smile to her face.
Thankfully, no one noticed her delay, and the boys set her down and returned the crutches before anyone could spot them helping her. She dearly appreciated their efforts to salvage her pride.
"Ooh, it's so bare in here!" Ochako commented— though not mean spiritedly, on Ojirou's room.
"Please tell me you just haven't unpacked yet." Mina shook her head.
Hitomi tensed, staring at the floor. "The room's fine, guys. What's the big deal?"
"If we're done here, then let's go." Ojirou practically pleaded.
Tenya's room was also strangely plain, yet so… Tenya.
"Whoa! It looks like a library in here!" Ochako gawked at the wall-to-wall bookshelves.
"That's the class rep for you." Mina shrugged.
"You'll find nothing odd in here." Tenya stated with a confident smile.
...That just made it sound like he hid something very well.
Then Ochako spotted the shelves housing dozens of pairs of his glasses.
"You have so many glasses!" She borderline cackled.
"Of course I do! I expect them all to be destroyed during training!"
Hitomi nodded along. "That's why I don't ever wear mine. Can't really wear contacts either." She shuddered, recalling her doctor's stern warning to never transform with contacts in. They could get misplaced, and when she shrinks back down… eck.
The girls' reaction to Kaminari's room wasn't one Hitomi understood.
"Really?" Momo, Ochako, Mina, and Kyoka all leveled him with unimpressed looks, to match their tone.
"This is the store in the mall that I'd avoid." Kyoka ruthlessly added.
It did actually kind of look like a store, but Hitomi liked all the clutter. It showed character.
"What? It's perfect!" Kaminari protested.
"I like it." Hitomi started.
"See! Saito agrees with m—"
"It looks just like Nori's room, back when he was in middle school."
Hitomi didn't understand why this made Kaminari deflate.
Next was Kouji's room, and they were all in for a surprise when they entered.
"He has a rabbit! It's so cute!"
Hitomi's eyes sparkled, and she dropped down to her knees in front of the fluffy white darling. "Bunny. Cute bunny. Bunny."
"I think Hitomi's in love." Mina snickered.
Spotting the name inscribed on the rabbit's bed, Hitomi almost melted.
"Their name is Yuwei? Like UA? That's so precious!"
Kouji flushed at the attention he was garnering from all the girls.
"Hey, no fair. We don't get pets. You're trying to buy the judges' love!" Kaminari accused.
They basically had to drag the girls out one-by-one, to continue with the competition. A few of them left still sulking.
"Man, this sucks. I feel so judged right now." Kaminari grumbled.
"Hey, what a coincidence, I don't feel that great either. At all." Ojirou agreed glumly.
"Same here." Tokoyami stood with his arms crossed.
"Et moi." Aoyama added.
Hitomi frowned sympathetically. "Come on, guys, all that matters is that you like your rooms. The girls just didn't get your styles."
Unfortunately, this didn't seem to do much for morale.
"Easy for you to say. The boys are the only ones who are getting picked on." Mineta sauntered over, leaving his room to finally join them. "They said it was a contest to see who has the coolest dorm room. Well, what about them?! We have to see the girls' rooms to tell which one's the best. Their interior design skills should be held at the same standard as ours. Maybe even higher! Show us those dorms!"
Thunder rolled, with a flash of lightning illuminating the night sky. Hitomi flinched, gripping the handles of her crutches so tightly they creaked.
"I'm into it!" Mina agreed without a problem.
Oh boy.
"Okay, so like, what are the rules? Are we figuring out who has the best taste in the class, or just the overall coolest?" Mina pressed on.
Hitomi felt lightheaded.
"We're doing this?!" Kyoka sputtered.
"This doesn't have to be a contest." Ojirou chimed in.
Sadly, no one paid him any mind.
"Let's take the elevator this time." Mezou casually suggested, pressing the button.
Hitomi could have thrown him a parade. She was so lucky to have such great friends.
"Let's see, who's all on the fourth floor?" Ochako mused aloud as the last part of the group exited the elevator. "It's Bakugou, Kirishima, and Shoji, isn't it?"
"Where is Bakugou?" Tenya questioned.
Hitomi had been wondering the same thing.
Eijirou sighed. "Uh, he thought this was lame, so he went back to his room to sleep. I could use some Zs, too—"
Mina zoomed past him. "We'll do your room next then! You can sleep all you want after!"
The redhead caught up to her, sliding in front of the door before she could open it.
"Not that I care, but you might not get what I'm goin' for." Eijirou sounded like he very much did care. He let them in with a sharp toothed grin. "A den of manliness!"
Hitomi found herself drawn to the punching bag in the middle of the room. It looked brand new, and she had a feeling it wouldn't stay so pristine for very long.
"I thought Kaminari had issues." Mina deadpanned.
"So bold! Makes me wanna work out!" Ochako pumped a fist.
Hitomi nodded along hastily to reassure him. "Mm! It looks great!"
"You get it!"
"Next up, Shoji!"
Out in the hall, Hitomi gave his shoulder a commiserating pat.
"You're not gonna find anything interesting here." He warned them before opening the door.
For half a second Hitomi perked up, assuming Mezou hadn't unpacked yet, but—
"Uh, more like nothing at all, dude." Mina arched a brow.
"So you're a minimalist, huh?" Shouto assumed.
"I've just never understood why someone would wanna fill their room with junk."
Hitomi sagged, a depressed aura hovering around her head.
The fifth floor started with Sero's room, which turned out to be rather nice.
"Exotic!" Mina raved.
"It's lovely!" Ochako cheered.
"Smells nice." Hitomi added, knowing no one else would really appreciate something like that. But it seemed like he used incense.
She was also slightly jealous of the hammock he had.
"Sero, I didn't peg you for someone who'd like this stuff." Kyoka admired.
Sero chuckled proudly. "Yup! That's me, always the wild card!"
"On to Todoroki!" Mina led the march.
"Let's get this over with. It's late." He let them in.
"Whoa." Hitomi blinked.
"Wah?! So Japanese!"
"It was even built differently!"
How… how did he pull this off? Hitomi gaped at the tatami mats and the shoji door replacing his glass one out to the veranda.
"We've got these kinds of floor mats at my home." Shouto casually explained. "They're much more comfortable than hardwood."
"This isn't your house!" Kaminari seemed offended by the impossibility of the room.
"How did you remodel this entire room in just one day?!" Mineta interrogated.
"With hard work." Shouto calmly stated.
"You are a beast."
"Pretty boys always have tricks up their sleeves." Sato grumbled as they all filed out.
"Okay, next! The last of the guys is…"
Sato twitched. "...Me."
Hitomi could smell something baking, and was shocked when she realized that Sato's room was the origin of it.
"Anyway, it's a pretty boring room." Sato sheepishly said.
"All of them are after Todoroki's." Eijirou sighed.
"Something smells good, though. What is it?" Ojirou picked up on the sweet scent too.
Sato gasped, rushing into his room. "Oh, crap! I forgot about that!"
Hitomi quickly checked her phone, relieved to see there was still time for the melon-pan to proof.
"I finished unpacking really early, so I started to bake a chiffon cake. I thought we could all eat it together." Sato opened his small convection oven. "It hasn't been iced yet, but, want some?"
"Yeah!"
"The strong guy's an expert baker?!" Kaminari and Mineta sputtered.
Polishing off the extremely delicious cake, the group doubled back to the third floor.
"Now it's our turn, ladies!" Mina flounced along.
Hitomi swallowed, the cake suddenly not sitting right.
"Ah, man, that's so many rooms. Shouldn't we turn in?" Kyoka tried reasoning.
"Come on, Jirou, live a little!"
Much to the girl's chagrin, Kyoka let them in, cheeks pink.
Hitomi didn't get why she was so nervous. Her room was absolutely amazing. The red and black checkered ceiling was her favorite detail.
"Whoa, you've got so many instruments!" Kaminari blurted.
"Can you play all of these?!" Ochako excitedly asked.
"Yeah. At least a little." Kyoka admitted, tapping her jacks together.
"Your room's girlier than this." Kaminari joked, nudging Aoyama.
"Because I've got style!"
Kyoka shot her jacks out to stab the two blondes.
"We're done here." She hissed.
"Now's your room, right Mo?" Hitomi saddled up to her best friend.
Momo sighed, fidgeting slightly. "Yes, I suppose it is. The thing is… I maybe miscalculated a few things." She slowly opened her door. "My room's a little bit more cramped than I intended. And maybe not as creative as some of yours."
Hitomi couldn't help but give her friend a look when they saw inside.
"Momo, seriously?"
The ravenette ducked her head.
"That bed is huge!" Kaminari exclaimed judgmentally. "You can't even walk in here!"
It was true. Her bed was king sized, with a four-poster bed-frame. It took up nearly the entire floor space.
"It's my furniture from home, so I thought it'd fit. I had no idea how small these dorm rooms would end up being."
With that reminder that Momo was incredibly rich, the few who could manage to get inside the room, came back out.
"We can do mine next!" Mina enthusiastically led them to her room.
"Ta-da! Isn't it super cute?"
Hitomi liked the combination of black, purple, and hot-pink she had going on, paired with animal print. It suited her.
Then Ochako's came right after. The brunette was very obviously embarrassed to be compared to Mina's. Her room was much like Ojirou's, actually, but with a more personal touch.
"Yeah, it's not very interesting, I know."
Hitomi bumped her shoulder with a smile. "It feels home-y."
Ochako relaxed.
"Next is Asui." Izuku observed.
"Wait, where is Tsu?" Sero glanced around, only just noticing her absence. "I haven't seen her."
"Oh, she wasn't feeling too good." Ochako explained, ushering everyone back out into the hall. "So she's in her room."
"Well, we shouldn't bother her." Kaminari easily moved on. "She can show us later when she's feeling better.
Hitomi frowned with concern, reluctantly moving on to what she had been dreading.
"I-I really don't think—"
"Come on, Hitomi! It can't be worse than Kaminari or Kirishima's!" Mina lightly pushed her out of the way, careful not to tip her over.
Hitomi tensed as the pink girl started to turn the knob. "W-wait!"
The door swung open.
"Let's see what…" Mina trailed off.
Hitomi lowered her head, biting her lip, refusing to look up and see anyone's faces.
"Hitomi…" Momo put a hand on the small of her back.
"I don't get it, why didn't you unpack?" Kaminari cluelessly scratched his head.
Both Tenya and Izuku seemed to piece it together first, stiffening and sharing a look.
Hitomi swallowed, plastering on a smile, lifting her head. "It's not a big deal. Let's just go back downstairs—"
"Your leg." Momo breathed, catching on as well.
"You couldn't unpack." Ochako frowned.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Izuku gently asked.
Hitomi felt so small under all their gazes, and forced her smile wider. "It's really fine! I-I'll have the cast off tomorrow, I can set up my things after that."
The group all traded looks that Hitomi couldn't decipher, and was unable to distinguish individual smells in the crowded hallway.
Then, Eijirou clapped his hands with a firm nod.
"Alright. All in favor of postponing the competition, and helping Hitomi with her room, say aye!"
"Aye!"
Hitomi stared, her hollow smile falling, replaced by an awed parting of her lips.
"That's— you don't have to—"
"I've got a hammer in my room!" Kaminari ran off to get it.
"I have thumbtacks!" Mina hurried back to her own room.
"I'll retrieve my level!" Tenya chopped his hand in the air before darting away.
"We'll need something sharp to open these boxes." Ochako stepped inside, moving toward the closest box.
"Oh! I have an All Might letter opener!" Izuku eagerly said, running all the way back down to his room.
"That's adorable!" Ochako squeaked once he was out of earshot.
"Come on, you just sit and tell us where to put things." Eijirou ushered her down onto her bed.
Hitomi stared at her friends, too stunned to do or say anything. The others returned, toting the items they went to retrieve. They all bustled around, smiling as they worked. When asked something, Hitomi would give a soft, somewhat dazed answer. She struggled to wrap her mind around how she had managed to get these people to care about her to this degree. It was incredible.
Her phone chimed, breaking her from her reverie.
(Nori!)
(NS) How's the move going?
—
Hitomi peered around.
Momo and Ochako were putting her clothes away into her dresser and closet— after ordering Mineta to sit in an empty corner away from them. Sato, Mezou, Eijirou, and Ojirou were moving her furniture to the desired places. Tokoyami, Mina, and Kyoka were carefully unfurling her posters and putting the thumbtacks to use. Tenya, Shouto, Kouji, and Aoyama were unboxing and shelving her manga collection. And Sero, Izuku, and Kaminari were setting up her television.
She blinked, surprised to feel something warm and wet roll down her cheeks. Slowly looking back down at the screen, she typed with trembling fingers.
(Nori!)
(NS) How's the move going?
(HS) Amazing.
—
…
Katsuki was going to murder someone. The victim being whoever thought it was a good idea to bother him at 8:43 fucking PM.
Tiredly rubbing his eyes as he stomped across the room, Katsuki snarled as he swung his door open, his free hand raised and crackling.
But no one was there.
He faltered, positive that he'd heard someone knock. If it turned out that Sparky was being a wise-ass and knocking just to ditch, then he was actually going to—
Katsuki spotted something in his periphery, just as he was about to slam the door shut. Looking down, he stared blankly.
A tupperware container, housing some of those stupid-ass cookies. A bright pink sticky-note was stuck to the lid, the color what caught his eye.
Katsuki scowled, intending to leave the cookies where they were, and go back to bed.
But then they were in his hands. And his door closed much softer than he meant for it to.
Gruffly muttering to himself, Katsuki took the sticky-note and read it.
Katsuki! These are thanks for saving me back in Kamino. -If it wasn't for you- Anyway, I asked around about what kind of sweets you like, and thought you may enjoy this recipe! Have a nice night!
—Cherry.
Katsuki scoffed. By "asked around", he was willing to bet she just asked Deku. That nerd probably had shit like that memorized.
He decided that whatever was inside the container wasn't worth the time he would need to add to his work-out routine to burn it off. They probably weren't even his taste anyway.
He opened the container.
Seriously, why the hell would she think to thank him with junk food? He knew her Quirk needed her to eat plenty, but it wasn't the same for everyone else.
He picked up a cookie.
Could she even bake? He'd never had any of her cooking before. They could be absolute shit for all he knew.
He took a bite.
...So, she could bake. No big deal. And it also wasn't a big deal that they were cinnamon. Or that they might just be the best melon-pan he'd ever had. Or that she made them—
None of it mattered. None of it.
That was what Katsuki kept repeating, as he picked up a second.