The spring sun dipped lower in the sky, casting warm golden hues on the pavement as Katsuki and Emi walked side by side down the familiar route to the Bakugo household. Emi had changed into a comfy hoodie and leggings after class, her hair tied up messily, while Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets, still in his uniform with the sleeves rolled up.

"Your mom's really making dinner again?" Emi asked with a teasing smile, glancing at him. "She doesn't mind me just showing up?"

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "She invited you, dumbass. Told her you'd probably show up whether I liked it or not."

Emi laughed softly. "You're the one who told me I'm coming over more."

"Tch. Shut up," he muttered, though there was no heat in his voice.

They walked in a comfortable silence for a few more seconds, the familiar hum of the city around them.

They turned the corner and walked up to the modest Bakugo home. As soon as they approached the front door, it swung open.

"There you are!" Mitsuki Bakugo stood with her hands on her hips, grinning broadly. "Emi! You look like you've been eating properly. Come on in!"

"Hi, Mrs. Bakugo," Emi greeted, bowing politely. "Thanks for having me."

"You kidding? We're celebrating tonight! First and third place in the Sports Festival? Damn right I'm proud!" She gave Katsuki a hard slap on the back as he passed. "And you! Try not to blow up the dinner table this time!"

"I never blew up the table—Dad dropped the damn curry!" Katsuki yelled back as he kicked off his shoes.

Masaru popped his head out of the kitchen, smiling softly. "Welcome back, you two. Hope you're hungry."

Emi's eyes lit up as the scent of homemade food wafted through the house—rich, warm, and completely different from the quiet emptiness of her own apartment. It smelled like home.

They all gathered around the table as dishes were placed out—katsu curry, miso soup, stir-fried veggies, and even a celebratory cake Mitsuki made herself.

As they ate, the conversation flowed—mostly Mitsuki teasing Katsuki, Emi laughing until her stomach hurt, and Masaru quietly encouraging them both.

"So, Edgeshot, huh?" Mitsuki said, raising a brow at Emi. "That's a real pro. Sounds like he taught you some good stuff."

"He did," Emi nodded between bites. "And I didn't get thrown around nearly as much as Midoriya did."

"Ha! That kid's all limbs and bruises," Mitsuki laughed.

Katsuki didn't say much, just kept eating, but every so often, his gaze would flick toward Emi—making sure she was laughing, smiling, eating enough. When she noticed, she didn't say anything. Just gave him a small, grateful smile.

When the night wound down, Emi helped clear the dishes and thanked the Bakugos for dinner.

Dinner had been loud, full of laughter, teasing, and the kind of warmth that Emi hadn't realized she missed until it surrounded her.

Mitsuki was in top form—scolding Katsuki for scarfing down his food too fast, bragging about both Emi and Katsuki's Sports Festival performances, and making sure everyone was sure they were full.

Masaru had made tea afterward, and the four of them now sat around the low table in the living room, the hum of the TV on low in the background. Katsuki and Emi were sitting right next to each other, just a couple inches apart with Emi leaning towards him, and his parents kept giving knowing looks to each other every so often. The soft pitter-patter of rain had slowly grown heavier against the windows, and a distant rumble of thunder rolled overhead.

Emi glanced outside, frowning a little. "Huh. It really started coming down."

Katsuki noticed her expression and muttered, "You afraid of a little rain now?"

"No," she shot back playfully, "but I'm not exactly excited to get drenched walking home in it."

Just then, a loud crack of thunder echoed through the neighborhood, followed by the unmistakable flash of lightning. The power flickered briefly, the lights dimming for half a second.

Mitsuki didn't miss a beat.

"Absolutely not," she said, setting her cup down with a thud. "You're not walking back in this mess."

Emi blinked. "It's okay, really. I can just use my Quirk to—"

Mitsuki waved her off. "I don't care if you could float home on a cloud. You're staying the night. We've got a spare futon and Katsuki's old blankets. You'll be fine."

Emi opened her mouth to protest, but Masaru smiled warmly. "She's right. We'd feel better knowing you're safe and dry."

"I—I mean, if you're sure… I don't want to impose," Emi said softly, cheeks flushing a bit.

"You already imposed when you showed up and ate half my curry," Mitsuki snorted. "So what's one night?"

Katsuki stood up, grumbling as he grabbed an extra futon from the hallway closet. "She said you could stay. Don't make it weird."

"I'm not making it weird," Emi insisted, though the heat in her cheeks betrayed her.

Later, after the blankets were laid out in the living room and Emi had borrowed a pair of Katsuki's oversized pajamas, she curled up under the covers. Katsuki had dropped onto the couch behind her, scrolling through his phone with one leg lazily hanging off the side.

"Thanks for lending me some clothes," she said quietly into the dim room.

He didn't look up. "Tch. Just don't snore."

"I do not snore."

Katsuki smirked. "Guess we'll find out."

Thunder rumbled again, but this time Emi didn't flinch. She felt safe here—warm, dry, and oddly at peace.

"Katsuki... just know how grateful I am. It feels like I'm apart of a real family"

Bakugo just stared at her for a beat before he rubbed the back of his head looking away, "Listen, my parents love you. They wouldn't stop talking about how proud they were of you for getting third in the Sports Festival and me getting first. And even more proud of us getting interships with top pro heroes. They'll support you and be there for you.." he trailed off. His cheeks were pink and he was mumbling. I could tell the sappy stuff made him uncomfortable, but I smiled nonetheless.

"And you?"

"Huh, what about me?"

Smiling to myself I asked "Do you care about me?"

Looking at Emi with wide eyes and blushing, Bakugo gulped. "Hey! How bout you just go to sleep huh?!?" Quickly flopping over and facing away from her in the couch ignoring her question. Quietly laughing Emi just looked at Bakugo for a beat, before deciding to crawl over to him and place a small kiss on the back of his head. He stiffened after she kissed him but then relaxed still saying nothing.

"Goodnight Katsuki" Emi whispered "And thank you again"

Thinking she wasn't going to get a response she laid back down when she heard him mumble "Goodnight..Emi"

And as the storm raged outside, she closed her eyes with a small smile, the sounds of the Bakugo household settling in for the night around her.

Sunlight peeked through the curtains, filtered and soft from the leftover clouds drifting across the morning sky. The scent of something warm—eggs, maybe miso soup—floated through the air, coaxing Emi slowly from sleep.

She blinked groggily, feeling the unfamiliar weight of Mitsuki's borrowed pajamas and the slight stiffness of sleeping on a futon on the floor. For a moment, she didn't recognize the ceiling above her… until she heard the familiar sound of Katsuki's gruff voice from the kitchen.

"Ma, stop putting so much soy in it!"

"It needs flavor, you brat! You think flavor just magically appears?"

"Its gonna be too salty and Emi's gonna throw it up!!"

Emi sat up, her hair a little wild from sleep, and chuckled quietly to herself. The warm chaos of the Bakugo household had already started.

She padded toward the kitchen, the sleeves of Mitsuki's borrowed shirt flopping past her wrists.

Katsuki noticed her first. "You look like a drowned raccoon."

"Good morning to you, too," she said with a mock glare, rubbing one eye. "Did you two always yell this early?"

"This is our inside voice," Mitsuki chimed, placing a bowl of steaming rice in front of her. "Sit. You're staying for breakfast."

Masaru, quiet as ever, gave her a gentle smile from across the table. "Hope you slept well. Sorry if Katsuki snored."

"I do not snore," he grunted, sitting across from her with a mouthful of egg.

Emi grinned as she sat down. "Actually, you do. Just a little. Right after you rolled over and threw all your blankets off, right on top of me."

"Tch—should've made you sleep outside," he muttered, cheeks tinged pink.

Mitsuki cackled from the stove.

The morning rolled on with steaming bowls of miso soup, laughter, and the kind of casual banter that only came from people who were genuinely comfortable with one another. Emi felt a little strange at first—like she was intruding on something personal—but that feeling faded quickly. Here, in this loud, honest house, she was welcome.

As they finished eating, Katsuki stood and grabbed his uniform jacket from the back of the chair. "C'mon. Let's get ready. We can walk to school together"

"You don't have to" Emi thought maybe he didn't want people asking why they had walked together, especially since she spent the night.

"I know."

He held the door open for her after they were dressed and teeth brushed, and she stepped outside into the crisp post-storm morning air. The puddles glistened, birds chirped faintly in the distance, and the sky was just starting to clear into a pale blue.

As they walked in comfortable silence, Emi glanced over at him and smiled. "Your family's really… nice."

Katsuki scoffed. "You say that like they didn't yell your ears off."

"They yelled with love," she teased. "But really. I always feel so happy there. And its never quiet" I said with a little smirk at the end.

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He knew what she meant. It was always quiet at her apartment.

"Thanks for letting me stay."

He glanced at her, his expression unreadable for a second. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered, "Yeah, whatever. Just don't make it a one-time thing."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You can come over whenever. For dinner. Or whatever. If you just..don't want to be alone" He cleared his throat, still looking straight ahead. "You don't need a storm as an excuse."

Emi's heart fluttered at his words. She smiled softly, walking a little closer beside him.

"Okay… deal."

"Ugh, I can't believe finals are already creeping up on us," Kaminari groaned as he trudged into the room. "Didn't we just survive the Sports Festival?! Can't we get a break?"

"You're just mad because you know you're gonna fail," Jirou jabbed playfully, flicking his arm with one of her jacks.

"Hey! That's not entirely true! I study… sometimes…"

"Not enough to pass a hero course quiz," Mina teased, dancing her way over to her desk.

Emi walked in with Bakugo just behind Midoriya and Uraraka, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Its been a struggle balancing everything," she admitted sheepishly.

"You and me both," Uraraka sighed. "I've been trying to juggle homework, internship reports, and training—I haven't even touched the textbooks."

"You mean you're not one of those secret geniuses like Iida or Yaoyorozu?" Emi teased lightly.

"Afraid not."

Iida was already seated, flipping through notes like his life depended on it. "These finals are critical stepping stones for our growth as heroes! Preparation is the key to success!"

"Someone's extra fired up," Kirishima said, slapping him on the back as he passed. "You're gonna study right through the exam if you're not careful!"

"Some of us don't need to study," Bakugo muttered as he entered, hands in his pockets. "I'll ace all of it."

"Spoken like someone who yells his way through math problems," Sero said with a grin.

Emi passed by Katsuki on her way to her seat and smirked. "Sure hope your written answers don't explode off the page."

"Tch. You wanna see an explosion, keep talking," he shot back, but there was no heat in his words—just the usual spark.

Aizawa walked in behind them, looking as sleep-deprived and unimpressed as ever. "Settle down," he said, already pulling his sleeping bag out from the podium. "Finals are coming, and you're all acting like you didn't know that since the first day of the term."

Groans rippled across the classroom.

"We'll be reviewing practical skills and holding study sessions later this week. If you fail the written or combat portions… you'll be attending summer school."

The mood immediately plummeted.

"SUMMER SCHOOL?!" Kaminari shrieked. "Noooo, not like this!"

"Oh God," Mina whispered dramatically, slumping over her desk. "My dreams… my pool days… gone…"

Emi leaned toward Midoriya. "Is it me, or did the room get ten degrees colder?"

"Definitely not just you," he whispered back.

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "You all sound pathetic. Study. Train. Win. It's not rocket science."

Emi raised an eyebrow. "Spoken like someone who's never touched a study guide."

"I'll pass just to shut you all up."

Aizawa yawned and zipped into his sleeping bag. "Focus. Or none of you are making it to the training camp."

And with that, Class 1-A buckled in for what would undoubtedly be a long, stressful stretch before finals.

The storm outside rolled in heavy, rain drumming against the windows while thunder rumbled in the distance. Katsuki's bedroom was lit by the warm glow of his desk lamp, papers and textbooks spread across the floor where three teens sat cross-legged, knee-deep in notes, pencils, and one very overwhelmed redhead.

"This is the part where I give up and accept my fate," Kirishima groaned, flopping onto his back dramatically. "Just… let me go out swinging, guys."

Katsuki, sitting against his bed with a textbook propped on one knee, let out an aggravated sigh. "You're not dying, you moron. You're just failing basic physics."

"Yeah, well, failing still hurts," Kirishima whined.

Emi chuckled softly, sitting cross-legged on the carpet with her own notebook open. "You're not failing. You're just… retaining things at the speed of drying paint."

"Gee, thanks, Emi," Kirishima said with a lopsided grin. "Way to boost my morale."

"Hey, it's still progress," she teased. "You got the last three questions right."

"That's because I walked him through them," Katsuki grumbled, pointing at the page with his pencil.

Kirishima groaned. "Yeah, through sheer verbal assault."

Emi smirked and leaned over, gently bumping her shoulder into Katsuki's. "He's trying, Katsuki."

"Tch. He better try harder. If I gotta waste my night listening to this crap, it better be worth it."

Kirishima snorted. "You say that, but I saw your mom bring snacks in earlier. You're secretly enjoying this."

Katsuki shot him a glare. "I enjoy not watching you crash and burn. That's it."

Emi grinned, twirling her pencil between her fingers. "You're actually a softie deep down, huh?"

"Don't test me, wind girl."

Kirishima sat up again, finally flipping to the next page. "Alright, alright, back to the grind. Let's go. Next question."

Emi leaned over his workbook, brushing some of her hair back as she scanned the problem. "Alright. Think about the law of conservation of momentum. If you're pushing against a villain mid-air, what happens to your trajectory?"

"Uh…" Kirishima blinked, then brightened. "Oh! Equal and opposite reaction?"

"Exactly!" Emi said.

"See?" Katsuki said, mouth twitching with the hint of a smirk. "Not totally brain-dead after all."

"Victory!" Kirishima cheered softly, raising his pencil like a sword.

From downstairs, they could hear Mitsuki shouting at her husband to take the trash out, and the sound of pots clanging in the kitchen. The homey noise contrasted the tense studying vibe, making everything feel… oddly comfortable.

Emi leaned back against Katsuki's bed, looking out at the dark, rainy street. "It's nice in here," she murmured, almost to herself.

Katsuki glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing how at ease she looked despite the storm. "Better than studying at school with the peanut gallery yelling around us."

"Way better," Kirishima agreed, flipping to the next problem. "Alright, let's keep going. I think I'm on a roll now."

Emi smiled and reached for another sheet of paper, her voice soft. "Let's make sure you pass this, Eijiro. Then we'll really have something to celebrate."

Katsuki gave a low grunt of agreement. "Yeah. No way I'm tutoring you through summer school."

Kirishima laughed. "Got it. For the sake of all our sanity, I'll pass."

Thunder grumbled low and steady, and rain still hammered the Bakugo household in sheets as the three teens finally gave up on studying. They lay sprawled across the floor, surrounded by open notebooks, half-eaten snacks, and one particularly stubborn redhead who had insisted they finish at least five practice problems before calling it a night.

Now, blankets had been thrown over their makeshift sleeping area, pillows hastily dragged from the hallway closet by Mitsuki, who muttered something about "damn kids not catching colds in her house." She didn't argue when Emi and Kirishima asked to stay—it was too late, too loud outside, and clearly they were just trying to pass their damn exams, which, in her book, counted for something.

Katsuki lay in the middle, arms folded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling in his usual quiet brooding way.

Emi curled up on his right side facing the wall, blanket pulled up to her shoulders, her breathing softening with sleep. Kirishima had claimed the left, already out cold, one arm tossed over his eyes to block out the light from the hallway.

At some point during the night, Emi turned toward the center of the floor. Instinct, maybe. Or comfort. Her hand brushed against Katsuki's chest, her head gently coming to rest on his shoulder. And without fully waking, Katsuki shifted toward her, an arm lazily draping around her back.

By the time the morning light started peeking through the curtains, the two were tangled together, quiet and warm, Emi's cheek against his collarbone, and Katsuki's chin tilted toward her hair.

"…Whoa."

Kirishima's voice broke the silence, drowsy but amused. He'd blinked awake to find the pair comfortably wrapped around each other like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Am I third-wheeling in my sleep now?" he whispered with a grin.

Katsuki stirred at the sound, his brows pulling together as he blinked slowly awake—and then immediately froze.

Emi shifted slightly, groggy. "Mmh… Katsuki?"

He looked down at her, eyes wide with surprise. She blinked up at him, blinking the sleep away—and promptly turned a deep shade of pink when she realized just how close they were.

They both shot upright, practically in sync, and Emi grabbed her blanket like it was a shield.

"Uh—sorry, I—I didn't mean to—"

"I didn't—!" Katsuki scowled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Damn storm."

Kirishima burst out laughing. "You two are adorable. You know that, right?"

"Shut up, shitty hair!" Katsuki snapped, face red.

Emi buried her face in her blanket. "Kirishima, don't start."

"I'm just saying," he grinned, dragging his pillow over his lap like a throne. "I call best man right now. You know, for the wedding."

Katsuki picked up a balled-up piece of notebook paper and threw it at his face.

Emi just shook her head, laughing softly despite the heat in her cheeks.