Archive of Our Own

Week Four

Something was wrong with Kaminari.

It wasn’t just Kyouka that could feel it; the whole class could too. Not that she asked them, that was crazy, but she could see it in their faces. They sent him worried looks. Tentatively greeted him in the hallways; tried to sit next to him in the common room when he wasn’t wedged between Kirishima and Sero or sprawled out on their laps like a cat. They asked him how he was feeling, what he was doing later, if he needed more juice and each time, without fail, he passed it off. Forced a smile that didn’t light up his eyes or make the air around them crackle with excited discharge. He’d laugh and grin and carry on with the Nightcare.

But it was all a lie.

Kyouka didn’t think it was possible to tell the difference between something fake and genuine just by looking at a person’s eyes; that was like some super cliché romance shit that you read in books or fanfictions. That wasn’t Kyouka, that had never been her, so how could she tell? Maybe, in the back of her mind, she’d been more attentive of him than she’d realised. Or, at least attentive enough to notice that the light from his eyes was gone. Not the one caused by electricity that made his eyes and hair glow, no, that was there as clear as day. It was the light that had always been there – the one that made Kaminari Kaminari that had faded until he seemed…

… Hollow. Like someone had drained him from the inside and left a shell. He had trouble meeting her eyes and though his words hadn’t changed (he still peppily greeted her in the hallways, which left her stomach in knots), it was his tone. It was closed off and as empty as his eyes.

She was losing him and didn’t know why.

Christ. Kyouka wanted to hear his voice again; hear that laugh in her ear that made her knees weak and feel his arm around her. She wanted Kaminari back, the Kaminari that she knew – not this shell that served as ChargeBolt. ChargeBolt was the one who kept up a happy façade and welcomed people into the Nightcare with open arms, shared juice and talked out people’s problems. ChargeBolt was sensible.

Kaminari wasn’t. He wasn’t afraid to show something other than happiness, not annoyance or upset or playfulness; the Kaminari that braided her hair, messed around with his friends and sat out on a balcony sipping tea and watching the stars. ChargeBolt and Kaminari were simultaneously the same person and two different people at the same time, and Kaminari – her Kaminari – had disappeared.

God, this was embarrassing. All these thoughts and – and pining; she sounded like some lovesick –

No. No, she wasn’t lovesick. She was interested, that’s all it was.

Since that Saturday night, nearly a week ago now, she hadn’t gone back to the Nightcare. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, she couldn’t. Not when she knew she’d see ChargeBolt there with his hollowness and not the guy that had buried himself under her skin. So, she’d stayed away, far away, and contented herself with watching him from across the room playing scenarios over in her head. What had happened? Was it something she’d said? Something she’d done? Was it even her? It was like solving a difficult puzzle she didn’t even remotely know the answer to.

The truth behind this all? Kyouka missed him. She missed him every time she stared at her ceiling during a sleepless night, when she wrote out a text to him and deleted it again. She missed his touches and his smile and his smell and everything that Kaminari had to give.

And tonight, tonight was one of the nights she missed him most.

The November chill had really begun to set in; frost covered the walkways and crept in under the balcony doors. Even with a crap tonne of blankets and jumpers and socks and their thick school uniforms, everyone could – well. Everyone except those lucky bastards with quirks that warmed them up, they were completely indifferent, but the rest of them would huddle under their blankets at night with heaters or around the kotatsu in the common room trying not to die of hypothermia. What was worse? It was just going to get colder.

Ugh.

She couldn’t stop shivering. Even wrapped in two blankets with pillows stuffed in the crack of doors wasn’t helping - all she could do was lie there, grit her teeth and try to tough it out. Kyouka felt the cold so easily, and she wasn’t helping herself by refusing to wear warmer clothes. She was comfortable in shorts and skirts and leggings; all her favourite shirts were thin. Kyouka knew it was stupid as hell (she was told five times a day), but she couldn’t bring herself to wear anything else.

Especially the things Tooru said she’d pick out for her on their shopping trip tomorrow.

… Was Kaminari awake? What was she thinking, of course he was. He was a freaking superhuman who could stay awake the whole night and not be full of regret the next morning; he and Tokoyami. Didn’t he say something about his quirk keeping him warm? Vibrating atoms? Kyouka remembered the warmth of him pressed against her side, the smell of blackcurrant and burning that radiated off him in waves. He’d been so warm, and his arms had been so comforting – more than she ever thought they’d be – and she missed them.

Tonight was going to be a long night.

Unable to stay in bed a moment longer, she got up; grinding her teeth together as the chill hit her full force like a fucking wall of ice. She grabbed her thickest hoodie (and as an afterthought, her stuffed puppy) and opened the door to her room. As always, the hallway was dark; save for the silver moonlight that cast shadows along the walls and the carpet, and the faint light from Kaminari’s room that flickered and stretched like golden fingers.

ChargeBolt or not, she needed to see him.

And save her toes from frostbite.

Kyouka sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, counted to ten, padded across the hall. She reached up to knock, biting on her lower lip nervously. What if he didn’t want to see her? That was stupid, he’d always been welcoming, but… Dread was welling up in her chest; a stone settling itself in her heart. He’d looked so hollow and she couldn’t –

Someone was in there. Her hand froze an inch from the door, nerves sliding down her spine to accompany the uncontrollable shivers. Their voices were so low that she’d nearly missed them but now she was listening, she could kind of make them out. Kyouka should have expected this; the last times she’d visited him were a blessing, because somehow, they’d managed to be alone, even with eighteen other people in the building. This was bound to happen eventually but still…

Who was it?

Without a second thought, she gently pressed one of her jacks to the hinge of the door and listened.

“ – told you, it was hopeless. This was all so – so damn hopeless.” That was Kaminari’s voice, she’d recognise it anywhere. But that tone – it made her heart constrict because it sounded so… sad. His voice was croaky and scratchy like he’d been – like he’d been crying. What the hell was going on?! “Every time I look at her, I can’t get it out of my head and I know I shouldn’t treat her differently because of it but I – ”

“Bro, calm down, take a deep breath.” Lilts and a slight lisp – Kirishima. “You’re jumping to conclusions! Just because she said that doesn’t mean – ”

“Kirishima, I love you and everything, but you don’t know her like I do.” There was a pause, then a small huff of breath as someone sat down on the beanbag. “… I’m sorry. I’m just – I’m being...”

A soft chuckle. “Don’t worry, man, it’s okay. You’re one of my best friends, s’not like I’m gonna scream at you or chuck you out.” A creak as the other sat on the bed. “I just think you shouldn’t give up, and not because of the competition either.”

… What the fuck was going on?

A billion questions ran through her mind at once, going into overdrive. Who was ‘she’? What were they talking about? Why was Kaminari so sad? What conclusions? What competition?!

Kyouka bit down on her lower lip and inched closer to the door. Was this the reason for Kaminari’s mood? She needed to know because he was hurting and she –

It was that exact moment that the floor decided to fucking creak.

Panic shot up her spine as the voices stopped immediately and a brief silence followed. In the back of her mind, she knew it was irrational thinking – it wasn’t like they’d be angry if she stopped by the Nightcare. But on the other hand, it was such a private moment and because she hadn’t knocked they’d undoubtedly know she was eavesdropping –

Before the door to his room could even open, pure adrenaline had given her fucking Sonic speed (or Iida’s speed, but they were pretty much the same thing anyway) to fly down the hall and behind the stairwell door. He was there – bathed in a golden light, his eyebrows low and his eyes… They were rimmed red and glassy.

She had to bite down to stop a gasp as her heart throbbed.

Kyouka watched through the small panel of glass on the door as he frowned and turned back to Kirishima (who was sprawled out on the beanbag with his hair in a messy ponytail), shrugging in tandem before he went back inside. It was then that she noticed Kaminari also had his hair in a short ponytail and –

And -

He looked – he looked good. Really good. Why didn’t he wear it like that more?

When she was sure they weren’t listening anymore, the sudden tension melted from her body and she sighed; her forehead hitting the glass lightly. That was close, she could’ve been overhearing something very private, and the last thing she wanted Kaminari to do was shut her out completely. Even if he was pushing everyone (apart from Kirishima apparently) away, something told her that he didn’t want to be heard or seen. Not in that state.

Great, now she couldn’t go back to her room.

She shivered, hugging her puppy close to her chest and rubbing her socked feet against her calves to try and generate some warmth. It was freezing here; even through the fabric, the floor was icy, and, in the light, she could see little puffs of condensation whenever she breathed.

The kotatsu. She could sleep there.

Kyouka turned and made her way down the stairs, breathing in and out slowly as the dark swallowed her up. The only comfort was the faint light from her floor and then the floor below from Tokoyami’s dorm, so at least she could see vaguely where the steps were and where she was going. It was a right pain in the ass –

Her foot slipped on the flooring and she could barely let out a yelp before she fell down the last few steps to the ground floor; her knees bearing the brunt of the force and then her palms as she landed.

Fucking ow.

Kyouka hissed through her teeth and moved from the awkward position to sit, stretching her legs out in front of her. Her knees were protesting and sore and her palms were throbbing from having to catch her entire weight. Jesus Christ, this floor was dangerous, she could have broken her damn…

Wait.

Frantically she looked around, patting the floor like a fucking crazy person because her puppy was nowhere to be seen or felt. Anxiety bunched in her chest in waves and suddenly she couldn’t breathe because she’d had it ever since she could remember and now she was alone in the dark and with skinned knees and palms and her only source of comfort was –

Suddenly, the door in front of her opened.

There was a beat of silence, the air heavy with tension because who the hell was that if Kaminari was in his room and no doubt the other was having the exact same thoughts. For a split second, she thought that it was Shigaraki or one of his minions having broken in, and her jacks went on the defensive instantly.

Then there was the smell of gunpowder and the stairwell lit up; small pops filling her ears. She stared for a moment or two, utterly perplexed and confused and scared, before she growled. “You asshole, say something next time! I could’ve stabbed you!”

Bakugou sneered, keeping the door open with his previously outstretched hand (maybe she should have said something first, he could’ve blown her up) and continuing to let off small explosions in the other palm. The light was small but powerful; illuminating the ground floor stairwell and even some of the dark common room. Why hadn’t he switched a light on? “The fuck you doin’? Gymnastics?”

“Shut up.” Now she could see, she looked around one last time. Kyouka couldn’t see it anywhere, it was like it vanished into thin air. Tomorrow, she’d have to find her puppy tomorrow, because like hell she was telling Bakugou what she’d lost and getting him to help her. She’d never hear the end of it.

A sharp throb had her attention again, and Kyouka looked down at her knees. Skinned and bleeding - fucking great. A quick check of her palms confirmed the exact same. Out of everyone to have found her – everyone in the entire Heights Alliance – why did it have to be Bakugou?

This really was going to be a long night.

“… You fell down the stairs.” Bakugou’s voice again, and she looked up at him with an icy glare. He had that supercilious grin on his lips, the one that made her want to deck him in the jaw. At these times, as annoying as he was, she could relate to Monoma on a spiritual level.

“Fuck off.”

With a groan, she pushed herself into a standing position; wincing as the many cuts began to throb and undoubtedly bleed some more. Walking was painful, but like shit she was asking him for help; even as she struggled past him into the common room and then into the kitchenette. The streetlamps and moonlight gave everything an eerie glow, but it was enough light to make out a few shapes. “Why have all the lights off anyway?”

She didn’t have to look to know Bakugou was behind her – she could smell him. The gunpowder that always came with his presence was strong, especially after he used his quirk. “’I was trying t’sleep. You woke me up by throwing yourself down the fuckin’ stairs.”

“I slipped,” she bit back, rummaging through the cupboards for the First Aid kit and trying to ignore the sting as she did. Where the hell did they keep this stuff? “Why were you sleeping here? You go to bed before toddlers do.”

Bakugou was silent for a second, before he huffed and pushed her out the way; finding the kit easily and then inclining his head to the counter. “Sit. Pikachu was busy, so I came down here instead. Got a problem?”

Kyouka eyed him suspiciously as he took out some gauze and a bottle, awkwardly jumping up onto the counter and stretching her legs out. He was down here for the same reason she was, then. No doubt he’d heard Kirishima talking to him and had decided to leave them to it (which made him a better person than Kyouka for once, since she’d almost got freaking caught).

Bakugou grabbed one leg and then began cleaning it with surprising gentleness; expression blank and uninterested. It wasn’t a huge surprise – Bakugou’s secret kindness was famous – so she didn’t comment on it and instead let him do what he needed to. Unlike Kyouka, he was just in a tank top and boxers; one of those lucky bastards with the quirk that warmed them up. She could feel it already; his palms were like mini heaters by themselves.

Would Bakugou know what the matter was with Kaminari? He was a good friend of his – alongside Kirishima that was. How much did he know? Could she ask him?

“What’s wrong with Drooly?”

Kyouka recoiled. “What?”

He barely glanced up. “Don’t make me damn well say it again.”

“No, it’s not that, I – ” She stared at him, speechless. He was asking her? “I was… I was about to ask you the same question! Hasn’t he told you anything?”

“Why d’ya think Shitty Hair’s there?” This time, he looked up at her, his eyes narrowed like he was searching for something in her expression. Searching and not finding it, because his gaze dropped again. “That idiot has a habit of keeping shit to himself.”

… Now that Kyouka thought about it, Kaminari was always there for everyone else. He was always up, had juice, had everything to hand to cater to their every need. But who was there for Kaminari when he had a nightmare? Or when he needed to talk? Or needed a hug and no one took him seriously?

She felt sick.

Sick and selfish.

“Oh.”

The silence stretched out as he worked on the other knee and her palms, but all she could think of was him. Wonder if he had nightmares when he slept, or wished he had someone to wipe his tears away like he did with so many others. Oh God, what if he hadn’t? Why hadn’t he mentioned anything before?

That idiot has a habit of keeping shit to himself.

How had she never noticed?

“How are things with you and Kirishima?” Kyouka searched desperately for a topic to distract herself. Not that she wanted to forget about it completely; this wasn’t the right time or place. He needed to talk whatever it was about out with Kirishima – the competition and whatever it was about this girl… A pang of jealousy filled her heart but she shoved it down ruthlessly because he – he could do what he wanted. It was like he belonged to her or something.

Bakugou stiffened. His shoulders became rounded and tense; jaw set in a firm line. Interesting. “The fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not in the mood for this – you like him, so what? Big de – ow!”

“My bad,” he purred after ‘accidentally’ digging one of the pads into the cut on her palm too hard. Asshole. “What’s it to you anyway?”

Kyouka half-heartedly kicked his leg before chewing on her lower lip. It wasn’t really any of her business. “Nothing. Just wondering.”

“Stop wondering.”

“No.”

“Tch.”

Bakugou finished cleaning her up and stepped away; dumping the dirty pads in the trash and then putting the kit back. Kyouka couldn’t help but think he looked softer in a way – his attitude had started improving over the past few weeks. That was probably both because he and Midoriya thrashed out their problems and the fact that Kirishima was doing wonders to his aggressiveness. At the start of the year, she wouldn’t have even considered the possibility of Bakugou cleaning up her knees and palms but here they were.

He’d been aggressive over the past week or so, but that had died down now. Either he’d taken his problems out on someone or he was too exhausted to give a damn.

She watched him walk back to the sofas before hopping off the counter; following him to the kotatsu in the middle of them. After some fumbling and rearranging and cursing, she was curled up with the dull thrum of the electric heater as background noise; slow but sure warmth seeping into her bones. Bakugou was lying across one of the sofas; arm cushioning his head and limbs splayed out comfortably and God, was she jealous – he had a lifetime supply of warmth. She remembered Midoriya talking absently about him having thick skin too, but then again, that must be fucking awful for summer.

“Guessin’ you’re sleeping here ‘cause Drooly’s busy.”

Kyouka lifted her head slightly to look at him. In the glint of the dark, his eyes were low and simmering; fixed staring at the ceiling. Unreadable in times when he wasn’t angry. Unpredictable. “… Yeah. I didn’t want to disturb him.”

Silence fell on them and Kyouka shifted uncomfortably. She wanted to ask if he knew about the competition – would that be barking up the wrong tree? “I heard them talking about a competition.”

“You spied on ‘em.”

“No!”

She swore she could see his lips tilt up faintly. “They got some shitty competition going on with Cotton Candy Head. Heard them talkin’.”

“What’s it about?”

Bakugou was silent for a moment. “You got a thing for Drooly?”

“Huh?” Where had that come from?! “What are you – no, I don’t!”

That bitter taste was back. Why was she lying? She knew she had something for him, an interest in dating him if he asked, so there really was no point to her lying about it. She did have a thing for him.

“Funny. Didn’t peg you for a liar.”

She froze. “What?”

Kyouka looked up at him again, only to see he had his eyes closed. His chest was rising and falling steadily; there was no way he’d fallen asleep in the space of three seconds, but he was sure trying to make it seem that way. Conversation over, she guessed.

Was she that easy to read…?

She settled down again, this time her gaze on the window into the blackness of the night. The streetlamp flickered and the distant lights and noises from Tokyo were distorted here, but the dull buzz and hum finally allowed her to let her eyes slip shut and drift into an uneasy sleep.

Tomorrow, she’d ask him tomorrow. Everything could wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

“Okay, is this everyone?” Ashido’s overly peppy voice rang over the chatter; muffled slightly by a thick, pink scarf wound twice around her neck. Everyone was dressed the same (minus the pink) – wearing two or three layers with an assortment of hats, gloves and scarves because it was Goddamn freezing.

“I’m missing!” Sero called out from next to Denki, his grin widening when Ashido glared at him.

“Sorry, smartass,” she quipped as Iida did a quick head count just to make doubly sure that all seventeen of them were present (minus Bakugou who flatly refused, Kouda who was sick, and Todoroki who visited his mother on weekends). Well, twenty supposedly, but there were a lot more than that; Aizawa was a safety precaution and Present Mic seemed to have invited himself on Aizawa’s behalf. As an extension of that, Eri was coming along, so naturally Mirio was, followed timidly by Amajiki. B had also got wind of their little outing too, and, with permission from their homeroom teacher and Aizawa, a small group consisting of Tetsutetsu, Honenuki, Kendou and Tokage were joining them too.

All in all, there were nearly thirty.

So much for a quiet outing.

“Please remember the safety procedures we went over last night!” Iida exclaimed, gesturing wildly and nearly smacking Yaoyorozu in the face. “For the sake of everyone else, I’ll say them again –”

“It’s alright, I’ll just tell them on the way,” she interrupted, placing a hand on Iida’s shoulder and gently steering him away. Thank God she was there to keep him in check – they’d be subjected to hour long lectures and explanations if she wasn’t.

“Bro, is he always like that?” Tetsutetsu whisper-shouted next to Kirishima on Denki’s other side, looking a little incredulous.

“Yeah, bro. Aren’t Kendou or Awase like that?”

“Nah! Man, he takes his job seriously.”

“That’s his milder side,” Sero huffed over the top of Denki. “You should see him when we have class debates or presentations. You’d think he was running for President or something.”

“Hey, hey, Aizawa’s got an announcement!” Present Mic’s voice carried above the talk that started up once again, effectively capturing everyone’s attention.

Aizawa gave him an annoyed look. “I’d like to remind you all before we go that you have to stay in groups at all times. Preferably groups of four or more. We’ll be out for three hours for safety measures. Yamada and I will be walking around, and if we aren’t, we’ll be buying coffee since I’m barely awake. If you get in trouble at any time, come find us immediately. Understand?”

“And remember, kids! Look out for tall, shady men that aren’t Aizawa walking ar – oof!” His voice was cut off immediately by an elbow to the ribs and another annoyed look, despite the snickers that erupted throughout the crowd.

They broke off into their own groups when they started walking; Denki sticking with Sero whilst Tetsutetsu and Kirishima walked slightly ahead, excitedly talking about something or another. Honenuki was walking with them, unsure of where to fit since he wasn’t with his own class, so Denki turned to him. He’d never spoken to the guy before (and to be honest, he was really fucking scary looking) aside from the incoherent shouting during the Sports Festival. From what he remembered from Kendou’s musings, he was one of the recommended students, so it couldn’t hurt to at least try and make conversation. “Uh - I’m surprised Monoma let you come, dude. Did he threaten to disown you or something?”

Honenuki snorted a laugh, glancing at Denki with those beady eyes and that permanent smile. Christ. “He ain’t happy ‘bout it. Went on a huge rant about betrayal or something, but I dunno. I tuned out when Kendou used her quirk.”

“He sounds like a delight,” Sero chuckled, sounding as mildly frightened as Denki felt. “What’s his problem, anyway?”

He shrugged. “Who knows? The rest of us don’t got one – even me, and I hate losing - but he’s still pissed. Tokage reckons he’s jealous that you guys get more action than us.”

“He shouldn’t be,” Sero and Denki said in tandem. Monoma seriously thought all that shit was a blessing? Sure, it’d get them noticed with pro heroes, especially if they appeared in the newspaper or on TV, but the repercussions were awful. The Nightcare probably wouldn’t even exist if they didn’t have villains being thrown at them every few weeks.

Maybe none of this would’ve happened with Jirou either.

Despite promising Kirishima he’d try and not think about it today – after he’d had a breakdown to his friend last night over everything that had happened – he found his eyes drifting to her. She was with the all the girls, who were buzzing with excitement over what they were going to buy, and seemingly engaged in a heated discussion with Hagakure. Even if her words seemed cold and cutthroat, there was a glimmer in her eyes that he knew.

She was happy.

Denki’s head snapped back round when a choking feeling grabbed his chest and throat. Shit. He’d been trying to treat her the same as he always did, but it was so difficult knowing what she’d said that about him. Kirishima had suggested he tried to pursue things anyway, but… Would Yaoyorozu have come to him if she thought there was a chance? He understood why she did it, she was concerned about Jirou as her friend and Kaminari as a classmate who could get his heart broken. A part of him wished that she hadn’t, though. He’d rather live in ignorance than have this feeling in his chest that wouldn’t go away.

He startled at a hand on his shoulder, his gaze snapping round, only to realise that it was just Sero. Even with the smile he was giving him, he looked worried. Very worried. All Denki could do was wave it off and force a smile back because as much as he liked Sero, the only person he’d ever be willing to talk about it with was Kirishima.

It was something they shared a kinship with at the very least.

The rest of the walk to the station took Denki’s mind away from her temporarily; with the others in their weird mix of a group actively making jokes and taking digs at each other. Maybe they sensed he was feeling down, or maybe that was just what happened when you put the five of them together, but either way, it worked with giving him relief from that heaviness that seemed to have taken over his chest in the last week.

But, like all good things, the laughter came to an end. The station was crammed when they reached it – even being a Sunday. Middle Schoolers taking advantage of their day off, friends meeting up, workers who had shifts today, and then everyone from U.A. stuffed in the space like sardines in a can; waiting for the train to take them to the shopping district. Even with the proximity, Denki wasn’t worried; everyone around him he knew and if they did get separated, he was bound to end up with at least one of them. What’s the worst that could happen?

“Perfect Sunday,” he heard Honenuki say dryly, no doubt not appreciating being sandwiched between Tetsutetsu and Satou. Huh, despite the appearance of a damn skeleton, he didn’t seem too bad. “Buy me that Kit Kat, Tetsu, or I swear to God I’ll bury you.”

“The plot thickens,” Denki said smugly, pressed against his shoulder. “He never had the money at all.”

“Stop getting me into trouble, you ass!” Tetsutetsu growled from in front, throwing a playful glare over his shoulder. It was that moment that the train pulled into the station, and the clamour of people around him packed tighter as the doors open. It was going to be a squash; their group was near the back, so for the fifteen minute journey it was going to be absolute hell.

Well, whatever.

“Keep together, kids!” Present Mic’s voice boomed above the crowd as everyone pushed and pulled as they began to file onto the train.

“Move over, man, your elbows in my face,” he whined at Sero when they finally managed to get on, packed tightly together. Christ, this was why he hated trains on Sunday’s. He was sure that his commute before they got the dorms was a lot better than this; and even then, it had been uncomfortable as fuck. Had train journeys ever been comfortable?

“You make it sound like it’s easy!” Sero protested, trying to manoeuvre his arms away. “You’re short, so you - ”

“Eri!”

Denki’s head snapped round immediately.

Mirio – standing above the average height – was in the middle of the train, panic written all over his face. He was looking out of the carriage doors and gesturing wildly, and when Denki turned his gaze the other way, he saw her; little Eri getting swept up in the crowd pushing to get off the train, her eyes filled with tears and the look on her face beyond afraid.

Oh shit.

Denki didn’t even think as he pushed past the few people by the doors and jumped off the train. All he could see was her – her eyes big and frightened, getting pulled away from the people that were supposed to be protecting her. Here she was getting left behind and there was absolutely no way in hell that Denki was letting that happen - not after everything that she’d been through – she didn’t need something else giving her nightmares. She was safe in the group but alone? Thoughts of that creep Shigaraki filled his mind, along with Overhaul’s cold eyes behind a mask and the fear in Kirishima’s eyes when he’d come back from that battle -

“Hey, hey!” He cooed when he reached her, scooping her up to his chest. “Don’t cry! I’m here, look, let’s – ”

“Kaminari!” Denki looked to the side and there was Midoriya – panting and out of breath, having jumped off the train too – already pulling on his arm because the train doors were closing. Even as the two of them pushed and shoved their way back through the crowd, he knew there was no way they were going to make it. The train doors were almost shut and -

Suddenly, two arms shot out; one made of steel and the other rock hard – Tetsutetsu and Kirishima! They were pushing the doors open with gritted teeth and Denki knew they had seconds before the doors closed again and a half hour wait if they missed it. They reached the doors and Denki wasted no time in pushing Eri inside – straight into Kirishima’s arms – and just as the doors were forced shut and the train began moving.

And there he was, standing on the platform with Midoriya.

The two of them watched, side by side, as the train pulled away; taking all their classmates and friends and teachers with it. In that moment, Denki didn’t even feel fear or worry; just an overwhelming sense of accomplishment that they’d gotten Eri on the train. She was safe.

“… Well, this is… A little problematic.” Midoriya’s voice broke his thoughts as the train sped off into the distance. He turned to look at Denki, a wry smile on his lips. “I guess we’re here until the next train comes.”

Denki sighed.

“So, you’re telling me your hair’s completely natural?” Denki turned his head slightly to look at Midoriya curiously. That was a surprise in itself; he’d assumed it was dyed. Even with quirks altering appearances, there was no way that a strength enhancing quirk could make someone’s hair green. Blonde, grey, brown, and black were most common, followed by purple, pink, and red, but others – like green – were rarer. “I thought you dyed it or something!”

“Tsuyu’s hair’s green,” Midoriya pointed out, huddling closer to Denki’s side when a gust of wind blew through the station and made them both shiver. Since it was freezing, the two of them had joined their scarves and coats and made a small den to keep out of the cold whilst they waited. It was better than standing there and contracting hypothermia.

“Yeah, but frogs are green, dude,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “I seriously can’t believe people call you plain. I mean, sure, your hair, eyes and face shape are pretty common, but your hair colour and your freckles aren’t.”

“Thanks, I think.” He chuckled, tapping away at his phone. Three minutes after the train had left, both their phones had blown up with messages from everyone – asking if they were okay, telling them to stay where they were, yadda yadda yadda. Denki felt like a kid all over again. “Thanks for that. Jumping off the train, I mean.”

Denki shrugged. “I didn’t even realise until I was there, to be honest. Instinct, I guess.” Ever since the License Exam, his reflexes had become much faster and a lot more refined. Most of the time he hadn’t a clue what the fuck he was doing until it was done, like his body moved before his brain had a chance to think.

“I get that,” Midoriya said in a voice that was a little closed off, pocketing his phone again and staring straight ahead at a billboard. Hawks’ face stared back. Something seemed to be on his mind, Denki could read people well enough to know that. Should he ask? Midoriya wasn’t exactly someone who liked talking about his feelings outside of those he was close friends with.

It seemed like Midoriya had other thoughts. “It was my fault. She held my hand, and someone pushed me and I – and I let go. I let go of her hand.” His voice was taught and strung tight with emotion; guilt and an overwhelming sense of… disappointment. He understood his connection with Eri – aside from Mirio, he had the closest bond with her – and so this was undoubtedly a huge deal for him.

“It’s not your fault,” Denki murmured before he even had time to think about what to say. “You’re not a superhuman – everyone screws up. She’s not gonna hate you for it.”

Midoriya let out a long breath, curling into himself tighter with his knees against his chest. “I know she won’t, but I told her I’d protect her. I can’t protect her if I can’t even keep hold of her in a crowd. It’s probably stupid, or I’m overthinking, but I feel like…”

And there he was, muttering under his breath with absent eyes. Denki knew he wouldn’t be able to relate – he hadn’t nearly been in as much shit as Midoriya had – but he had to comfort him. It was the ChargeBolt side to him; the side he’d been using to keep himself together and not break down in shreds.

“Hey,” he said gently, knocking his shoulder into Midoriya’s. “You can’t protect everyone all the time. I know it’s difficult, especially since Eri’s little, but it’s not just you here. You’ve got the whole class – even Tetsutetsu who helped us back there by helping wedge the door open – and Mirio and Amajiki. Hell, even Present Mic and Aizawa! Let us help you, okay? You don’t need to do this by yourself.”

Denki watched as Midoriya swallowed thickly, the glassy sheen in his eyes fading. That seemed to have done the trick. “… Yeah, you’re right. I’m – I need to rely on other people. It’s just difficult because I want to be the one to save everyone.” He seemed to realise that he was rambling because his smile turned apologetic. “Sorry, I’m making you listen to my problems. Let’s talk about you instead – how have you been feeling?”

“Hah?” He was more than a little taken aback by the sudden change of topic. People had been asking that a lot lately – it seemed like people could sense when he wasn’t feeling great. Mildly put. “Um – yeah, I’m great! Why do you ask?”

Denki knew, the second that Midoriya looked at him, that he wasn’t taking that for an answer. “Kaminari… You don’t have to tell me – not that I expect you to! It’s your decision who you tell, but everyone’s worried that you’re not telling anyone.”

… Oh. Well.

“Everyone’s worried?” He asked quietly. Sure, he’d picked up on the fact that they’d been asking him a lot more questions than usual and being a nicer, but… He didn’t think he had that much of an effect on everyone. It made his heart beat a little quicker, a small smile curving his lips.

For the first time in a week, he felt a little lighter.

“You hadn’t realised?” Midoriya sounded surprised – looked surprised too when he turned towards him. “You’ve been acting a little, um… A little distant. I can’t really speak for everyone, but at the very least, Kacchan’s worried - I know him well enough.”

They’d really noticed? He’d tried his best to hide it but apparently his best wasn’t enough. “Oh, well, uh… Yeah – it’s something stupid. I’ll be fine soon!”

Midoriya’s eyebrows furrowed, and the two of them looked up in joint surprise as the train came in. Had half an hour passed already? It hadn’t felt like it, but then again, Midoriya was always good company.

The two of them struggled to their feet, switched their scarves and coats back, and then got onto the train. It was significantly less packed now that there wasn’t a class and a half of them to get on, but even so; there weren’t any seats for them to sit down and only one handle to share. A small bicker ended with Denki hanging onto it as the slightly taller and less muscular one and Midoriya holding onto his arm to steady himself when the train took off.

It wasn’t difficult to see when he was thinking; Midoriya did it so often that just by standing near him you could tell. If he wasn’t muttering, he had this faraway look in his eyes, which, if you didn’t know him, was terrifying as hell. “What’s up, dude?”

He blinked and looked at him, like he just realised he was there. “Oh – nothing. I was… Can I ask you something?”

“Hit me.”

A smile. “I don’t know how to word this. Um. Okay. You… like someone, don’t you?”

Denki arched an eyebrow, ignoring the throb in his chest. He’d hoped that he wouldn’t have to discuss this kind of thing, but if Midoriya needed an answer to something, he wasn’t going to push him away. Especially since he seemed to be purposefully avoiding her name (it was the worst kept secret now, like Ojiro and Hagakure), and he had an inkling who this was about.

“Yeah.”

“Right, so – uh – I was wondering how you’d go about… Showing interest? Or knowing if they were interested? I mean, I was asking because you seem to know a lot about it – well, more than me at least because I’m about as good at flirting as a rock.”

Oh, thank God. Todoroki had a chance.

Assuming this was Todoroki they were indirectly talking about.

“Has he shown he’s not interested?”

Midoriya’s lips pursed. “Well, he hasn’t not shown interest, but he hasn’t really shown interest either. He’s kind of difficult to read.”

Yep, they were talking about Todoroki alright.

Denki couldn’t help the grin that spread across his lips, he really couldn’t. They clearly liked each other, just like Bakugou and Kirishima, and Ojiro and Hagakure. The bunch of them were as dense as each other, honestly.

“Why don’t you just ask him directly?” He offered, deciding not to use Todoroki’s name since Midoriya hadn’t used Jirou’s. “I doubt you’ll be turned down.” Midoriya was so cute being this oblivious – half the school would willingly date him, and here he was, oblivious as a fucking fish.

His cheeks burned crimson, one of his hands coming up to scratch his cheek nervously. “I – I – I don’t think that’s a good – I can’t – ”

“Calm down, dude,” Denki laughed, using his free hand to ruffle through his curls. “If you’re not comfortable, just leave it and let the magic work itself! I’d say try flirting, but I don’t think you’d be good at that. Maybe spend more time together? Y’know, from experience, people have less of a filter at night.”

Midoriya inhaled sharply, nodding. “Yes – yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I’ll do that.”

Denki wasn’t exactly sure which part he was talking about, but before he could ask, they were at the station. On the platform was the entirety of the class plus the others (Eri now safely perched on Mirio’s shoulders), all looking worried and switching between their phones and the train. Out of everyone, everyone he could’ve made eye contact with, his eyes found Jirou’s first and he swore for a split second that her expression lit up.

Then Midoriya was pulling away, and Denki quickly grabbed his sleeve. He had one more question for him.

“I got a question for you really quick – do you have any idea what’s up with Bakugou? His moods on a rollercoaster at the minute and Kirishima’s worried sick.”

Midoriya was surprised; his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “I…”

It slowly dawned on him. “Don’t worry, I know about his Tinnitus. Is it that?”

His expression relaxed. “I’m sure that’s a big part of it. Whenever his Tinnitus worsens, he gets… A little more on the aggressive side.” The doors opened, and he gave Denki a smile, turning to move… Then paused. He looked back over his shoulder at him. “I don’t know for certain because – well, he’s changed, but I think he has something on his mind, too.”

Denki watched him get off, only hesitating briefly before following him. Something on his mind? Something… To do with Kirishima perhaps?

Well, if his hunch was right, then it’d been long enough. Jeez, their pining was bordering on annoying -

Oh shit, the competition! He’d completely forgotten about it – with everything that had happened and then with dealing with people’s problems… If Bakugou had finally realised his feelings towards Kirishima, then he’d pretty much lost.

It wasn’t even about the money anymore – it hadn’t been for a long time. It was more the fact that Ashido would be asking Jirou out in “the most embarrassing way possible”, and if she really meant what she said…

Fuck. He was in some serious trouble.

Fear had shot down Kyouka’s spine the second that those doors had closed.

Even from standing near the back of the train, just behind Amajiki (who was trying his best to juggle his anxiety and calm down a frantic Mirio) she’d seen the way he’d hurriedly stuffed Eri into the car; his expression far from worried. In fact, he’d looked… Happy. Satisfied. Brighter than she’d seen him in days.

Even if he was on the other side of the doors, standing there with Midoriya. Alone, on the platforms, when they weren’t meant to be separated due to all the safety issues. Well, whatever. If there was anyone that could take care of themselves if a villain decided to spontaneously appear, it was those two. They were far from pushovers – Midoriya especially.

Kyouka felt like she and Ashido were the only ones who thought that, though; everyone else seemed worried sick.

“What if a villain attacks them?!” Tooru seemed the most worried here, and she didn’t miss the slightly jealous look from Ojiro who was stood nearby. Was she doing that on purpose? It was difficult to tell. “They’re stuck alone on that platform!”

“That was so brave of them – so strong! So awesome!” Tokage was cooing, resting the side of her head on Kendou’s shoulder. “Did you see the way Kaminari pushed her in? What a cutie!”

… Great, now she was feeling a twinge of jealousy. Why was it grating on her so much – it wasn’t like any of the other girls couldn’t have opinions on him. They could like him, crush on him and… Damn, who was she kidding? She wanted him all to herself, as selfish as it was.

“They’ll be fine!” Mina waved a hand dismissively, busy typing on her phone. “Have you seen Midoriya? I’m more worried for the villains!”

A few chuckles from around them, including from Mirio, who seemed to be calmer now that Eri was in the train with them, and with Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, Sero and Honenuki by the looks of it. But when she looked up (from where she could see, since everyone was a lot taller than her), Eri was in the air.

“Yo – help us get this little sweetheart back to her big bro, okay?” Kirishima was saying, a huge grin on his face. Eri seemed to giggle, still sniffling and her face flushed, and then suddenly she was being passed over their heads. Ochako made sure to touch her when she neared her and Tsuyu and she floated the rest of the way – straight into Mirio’s arms.

“Hey, kiddo!” He was grinning, even if he had been in full out mom-mode a few minutes ago. “We’ll be with Midoriya again real soon, ‘kay?” And then, in one swift motion, she was up on his shoulders.

“My heart,” Tokage wheezed, hanging onto Kendou, who started patting her back and smiling gently. “I want kids so badly – do you want kids, Jirou?”

Kyouka visibly startled, looking at her with wide eyes. Why ask her of all people? “Uh…”

“I don’t think that’s the right question to ask while we’re so young,” Momo – ever the life saver – interjected. “Maybe ask again in a few years.”

“Killjoy,” she grinned playfully, before going back to Kendou; leaving Mina on her phone, Ochako and Tsuyu nearby, Tooru cooing over Eri and accidentally stepping on Amajiki’s toes, and Kyouka and Momo alone.

“Kyouka…” She looked up at her name, frowning at the expression on Momo’s face. She looked – troubled. Worried. Upset. “Um… May I talk to you about something?”

… This was strange. “Sure, what’s up?”

“It’s about Ka – ”

She was abruptly cut off when the train stopped, the clamour and chaos starting up again as everyone filed off the train and stood on the platform. Kyouka met Momo’s eyes again but the moment seemed to have passed; now she was caught up talking with Tooru and Ochako about something or another. Well, she could ask her later what she was talking about. If she remembered.

Now to wait.

Two hours, several lectures, a handful of shops and one bathroom break later, Denki found himself outside a coffee shop with a handful of bags.

So far everything had gone great – with regular check-ins in the class group chat (and a tonne of death threats from Bakugou for spamming when he was trying to sleep) and jokes and laughter and trying on a bunch of different clothes… Kaminari was starting to feel like himself again. He hadn’t realised just how much he’d stuffed down his emotions, not until he found himself taking digs at Sero and Kirishima, laughing about his own failures when he tripped or when something looked awful on him that they’d made him try on.

What was even better, he’d found a new friend in Honenuki – as scary as he’d been to begin with, his dry humour coupled with a competitive streak had his sides hurting. First appearances weren’t everything, clearly, and Denki had decided that the second Honenuki – after being challenged by Sero - had come out the changing room in six-inch heels and done a full spin perfectly.

Really, some of these class B kids were something else.

“Think they have Honenuki’s Kit Kat?” Kirishima asked, amusement clear in his voice. They’d stopped by the shop so Sero could grab a drink and Tetsu x4 could grab the promised Kit Kat, leaving the two of them standing outside with all the bags they’d collectively purchased. Mostly clothes for class A’s trip since they weren’t allowed to wear their hero costumes; thick jumpers, sturdy boots and an assortment of gloves and scarves that would keep them warm for the entire night.

But man, was it going to be hell.

“Well, he hasn’t come back yet,” Denki shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his head back to look at the ceiling. “I guess they have! I hope so anyway.” He didn’t want to sit through Honenuki’s hunger-fuelled annoyance for a minute longer. Christ, he was on par with Bakugou.

A weight around his shoulders had him jumping out of his damn skin; head whipping around immediately and nearly impaling his damn eye on one of Ashido’s horns. “Hi guys! What’cha doing?”

“Fucking hell, I nearly died – don’t do that!” Denki hissed, still reflexively putting his arm around Ashido’s waist and resting his cheek against her.

“How do you always find us?” Kirishima grinned on her other side, wrapping his arm around her neck and Denki’s shoulder. “We’re waiting for a Kit Kat.”

“A what now?”

“Honenuki was promised a Kit Kat.”

“… Right. Well! I’m here and bothering you because a certain little Missy wants to ask Kaminari something.”

Denki’s eyebrows furrowed. “What? Who…” He froze when he looked up and saw her, standing a little bit away with a blush on her cheeks and her arms crossed across her chest. Embarrassed. His heart thumped against his chest and gave a horrible throb because even just standing there like that, with her gaze averted and her hair framing her face and wrapped up in seven layers…

Jirou was gorgeous.

“Kyouka, what are you doing? Come over here!” Ashido called, leaning heavily on Kirishima so that Denki could escape under her arm and stand there, staring at her. He’d had no problem tearing his gaze away before so why now, why couldn’t he stop? It was like every fibre in his body was pulling him towards her. Like she was the sun and he was a lonely planet, gravitating towards her because he just couldn’t help it.

Jirou gave her an annoyed look but moved closer all the same, so now that she was a meter or so away from him. “Um… Yeah. There’s – there’s somewhere I wanna go and I thought that you might… Y’know. Want to come.”

Denki blinked. And blinked again.

She… She what?

“Isn’t that cute?” He heard Ashido whisper to Kirishima, but he didn’t need to look to know that his best friend was having a minor meltdown. Only Kirishima knew how much what she said had affected him, only Kirishima knew, and Ashido was not helping in the slightest.

Denki opened his mouth to reject. To say no, to pass it off, say he was feeling ill, but what came out of his mouth was; “Yeah! Of course!”

There was a beat of silence where they just stared at each other, and then she smiled. She smiled at him, and his heart melted. Everything that had happened, all the hurt and pain and everything awful that had happened; just that look at him and it was gone.

Fuck, why had he stayed away from her in the first place?

“Brilliant!” Ashido chirped, waving them off. “Go have fun! I’ll keep them occupied!”

Denki opened his mouth to say something, to say this was a mistake, and then Jirou lifted her hand. Slowly, gingerly, like she was afraid. She held out her hand to him.

And, like the Goddamn fool he was, he didn’t hesitate to take it.

“The – the toy store?”

Kaminari looked confused, more than confused; completely perplexed. Kyouka had to bite down on her lip to stop a snort of laughter bubbling up, despite the fact her heart felt like it was about to explode. He was still holding her hand, he hadn’t let go. Not once, not even when she pulled him too roughly or too quickly. Denki held on like it was a lifeline.

It was like nothing had happened at all, like the week where they’d barely spoken or looked at each other had meant nothing, and they were back where they were. Back at square one.

She wanted to ask. There was nothing she wanted more than to ask why he’d been ignoring her, why he couldn’t bear to look her way. But every word she wanted to say, every question she was itching to ask, died in her throat. Why? Kyouka was afraid. For the first time in her entire life, she was afraid of losing someone. She wanted his time, even if it was just for a little while, without anyone else around. Like hell she was going to say the wrong thing and risk losing him.

… Holy shit, when had she become this soft?

“You’re the only person I could think of,” she mumbled, shrugging indifferently. It was true – he was the only one crazy enough to come along with her. The person she knew who wouldn’t judge her for something this weirdly spontaneous. And maybe a large part of her had also wanted his attention after hearing Tokage call him cute.

Kaminari was quiet for a second, before he grinned. This time when she looked in his eyes, she saw it – the faintest glimmer of light. Like a lightbulb flickering on, and her heart jumped. “Gotcha. No problem! Let’s go!”

Now he was dragging her into the store.

“Where do you want to go first? Anything Disney? Or maybe – ”

“Stuffed toys.” That was the reason she chose the store in the first place. When she’d gone back to find her puppy the next morning (with Bakugou nowhere to be seen) it was gone. Completely vanished.

And – and sleeping without her puppy was lonely. So, as much as it pained her to, she’d come here to get a new toy. Deep in her heart, she knew that Kaminari wouldn’t judge her for that either.

“Stuffed toys?” He repeated, and there was something in his tone. Something like recognition or… excitement. What did he have to be excited about? “Cool – let’s go!”

Then he was pulling her away again; past all the smaller children’s things, all the cute figurines and mugs and whatever else those little demons could get their grubby hands on. She was tempted to ask how he knew where he was going but this was Kaminari – he probably had a sixth sense when it came to these kinds of things. Which was a blessing, because who knew how long it would be until the other girls or Kaminari’s group came to find them? Then the moment would be over, and she wouldn’t have this time with him because he’d push her away and –

“Here! Take your pick!”

Kyouka blinked. Everywhere – the walls, the ceiling, the floor – was covered in toys of all shapes and sizes. Dogs, cats, bears, birds, elephants, monkeys; everything that her heart could ever desire. Oh God, this was her one weakness aside from music and musical instruments. When it came to stuffed toys, she had no impulse control whatsoever.

Shit.

It was only now that he let go of her hand, and she hated the fact that hers felt empty. Like it was mourning the warmth and the weight of his palm against hers like she was a lovesick puppy.

Which she wasn’t.

No way.

“How’s the trip going?” His voice rang through the air tentatively. Was he afraid of something? What did he have to be afraid of?

“Um, it’s okay.” She went to the opposite side of the aisle, looking through an assortment of puppies. Not a single one was like her old one and most of them were pastel coloured. Who had a pastel coloured dog?! “Tooru dragged me to half a million stores to try and get me to buy something warmer. I bought a sweater just to shut her up about it.” It was a nice sweater too; beige fleece on the inside and a dark, deep purple on the outside. She’d only chosen it because it had the words ‘ROCK ON!’ in block capitals on the front.

He chuckled. “We went to some places and bought clothes for the trip. Why we aren’t allowed to wear our hero costumes, I have no idea.”

“You know not all of us have quirks that keep us warm, right?” Kyouka said stiffly, glancing over her shoulder at him as she moved on to the cats. “We’d freeze in our hero costumes.”

“Right, I keep forgetting.” Kaminari caught her eye over his shoulder, before he went back to looking through some stuffed monkeys. “Is it me or do they have more pastel coloured toys than, y’know, normal ones.”

Oh, so he’d noticed it too. “Yeah. I guess they’re more popular with kids than teenagers looking for them.”

They both giggled quietly, still on opposite sides, before a silence fell over them. It… Wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest. She supposed that was from the amount of time they’d spent together, even if they’d gone for a week barely talking. That felt like it didn’t matter in the slightest, not anymore.

“I’m kinda surprised.” His voice again, and this time she looked at him properly.

“How so?”

Something caught her eye, just by him. Kyouka didn’t even hesitate in walking over, plucking the toy off the shelf and looking it over fondly. A stuffed owl; speckled white with big amber eyes and faux fur so soft that she had to restrain herself from rubbing her cheek against it like a damn animal. This one – she was drawn to this one for some inexplicable reason. This one she had to get.

“Never thought you’d be the type to like stuffed animals! They seem too cute for you.”

Kyouka hesitated, fire flaring up in her chest. She turned her head to where he was standing next to her, glaring. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He froze when he heard the tone of her voice and looked down. “I – wait, what I meant was – ”

“Too cute for me?”

“No! What I mean is, they, uh… You’re not like everyone else! You’re so tough and different that I thought this was too much for you or something!”

Even though he was flailing – she could see the panic in his eyes – something unpleasant settled itself in her chest. Too cute for her? Too tough? Too different? Too much? Was that how it was?

“Whatever.” She turned away from him, owl in hand, and made to stalk to the other end of the shop to pay for it when he suddenly grabbed her arm.

One of Kyouka’s jacks came up immediately, only to see that Kaminari already had a hand in front of his eyes. “Let go.”

“No.” His tone was stubborn.

“I said, let go.”

“What’s your problem? I didn’t mean to offend you!”

“My problem? What’s your problem?”

“What are you – ?”

“Let go!” She yanked a little too hard and he tripped right into her; so now he was half hanging off her shoulders with his forehead level with her chin in such an awkward position that in any other scenario, would have been horrific.

Except it was the way he was looking up at her.

His eyes were half-lidded; tongue darting out to wet his lips. His breath coming out in shallow pants of frustration. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t seem to take her eyes off his lips; like she was transfixed. “Get off.”

“Kinda can’t,” he murmured back.

“Yeah, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”

With every sentence, he seemed to be leaning closer. With every sentence, she wasn’t moving away, and his lips were right there, and she was going to –

“Kyouka!”

The two of them ripped apart in an instant; Kaminari straightening and dusting off his clothes, Kyouka pretending to look around at the toys and act like her heart wasn’t beating as fast as a rabbit’s. Holy shit, she nearly kissed him. She nearly kissed Denki Kaminari on the lips with her own lips.

“What?!” Her voice broke and she winced because now it looked like they were caught doing something scandalous, but at least it was Ochako and not Tooru or Mina. That would have been a thousand times worse.

“Um…” Ochako hesitated, looking between the pair of them, before she smiled. “The rest of us were looking for you and Kaminari. Should I tell them I couldn’t find you, or…?”

“No.” She didn’t even look at Kaminari as she stomped past, joining Ochako at the end of the aisle. “Let’s go.”

“But – ”

“Let’s go.” This time, she didn’t wait for her; already making her way to the entrance of the shop. She’d forgotten her owl – it had fallen out of her hand when Kaminari unexpectedly fell onto her – but she didn’t have the heart or mind to go back and get it. She was too proud for that.

“Kaminari, are you coming?” Kyouka heard Ochako ask behind her, only to be met with a dismissal.

“Ah – nah, I’ve got something I need to do.”

Something he needs to do? Well, whatever, he could do what he wanted.

She just wished her heart wasn’t throbbing so painfully.

Much later that night, after a hard day of shopping and laughing and drinking coffee like sophisticated adults, Kyouka finally climbed the stairs to her floor.

Everyone else had gone to bed hours ago, but yet again, she’d fallen asleep under the kotatsu. It was cold, so cold, and without her puppy she felt bare; like there was nothing to protect her from the things that could be lurking in the dark (as ridiculous as it was). It took her three times as long to finally get there.

And she was exhausted.

Kyouka opened the door to the third floor, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Why hadn’t anyone woken her up? She didn’t care if they thought she was “cute” or “needed her sleep” or whatever, the walk back alone in the dark was awful. Especially without something to ground her.

That’s when she saw it. Under the pale moonlight, just in front of her door. A small shape with a small square on it, and, as she moved closer, she realised what it was.

It was the owl. The owl she’d dropped.

Confused beyond all fucking reason was definitely the words she’d use right now, even as she picked up the small toy. It was as soft as she remembered; the amber eyes glowing in the dark and the white illuminated by the moon. The small square was a note, and when she held it out to make out what it said, she scoffed.

God, he was such an idiot.

Even if he was an idiot, even if she had snapped at him despite not wanting to, even if she had been a bitch when all she wanted was to hold his hand and spend time with him… He was there for her. Through all of it.

And, as she hugged the owl to her chest and disappeared inside her dorm, a smile on her lips, all she could think of was him.

Sorry for being a dick – I didn’t mean what I said! Take this as a token of my apology. See you tomorrow, you stuffed toy lover.

• KD