Chapter Text
Summer had been a seemingly endless roller coaster. With hints of fall being around the corner beginning to show, Kaori felt a part of herself relax, a bit of tension that had sealed itself away in the corners of her mind finally dissipated.
I managed to make it out alive after all.
She reflected on the events of the last few months while she slowly woke up. Things hadn’t gone back to the way they were before summer had begun, not that she necessarily wanted them to. Overall, the passing season had been rather bittersweet to the lilac haired hero in training. She had walked away with a handful of losses and a few wins so far. Kaori rolled over onto her side, a fond smile breaking onto her face as her eyes fell on the sleeping face before her.
I might not have had a lot of wins, but the ones I did get were pretty big ones.
“Quit staring at me brat, it’s hard to sleep with you watching me. My face is the same as it was yesterday.” A gruff voice complained as muscular arms pulled her tighter. The girl could imagine crimson eyes would be rolling at her if the ash blonde had bothered to crack them open. Bakugo’s voice sounded rougher than normal, his chastising tone had a harsher texture to it in his tired state.
“Mmm that’s true, still handsome as ever from what I can see.” She complimented, softly pressing a kiss of apology to his forehead for waking the sleeping boy. The explosive teen merely grunted, tucking his face into Kaori’s neck, brushing his nose against her scent gland.
“Go back to sleep, it’s still too early.” He coaxed her, face still at home against her neck. Kaori brushed a hand through deceptively soft blonde spikes as she let out a yawn. Her alarm was likely to go off soon, the ash blonde had just been working himself ragged between his normal routine and his new remedial lessons. His current state of exhaustion had caused him to cherish every last minute of sleep he could manage without ruining his set schedule.
A content hum reverberated in the explosive teen’s throat as his body prepared to go back to sleep. Kaori glanced at the clock, the blonde would only get to enjoy the peace of slumber for another 10 minutes before he would need to make his way back to his own room.
The lilac haired girl continued to play with her boyfriend’s hair as he slept, unwilling to attempt falling back asleep herself. As of late, her dreams had been less than sweet, she often jolted awake in a panicked state, waking the boy beside her in her fitful state.
Admittedly, Bakugo had been a trooper, slinking his way into her room almost every night to provide her with comfort and understanding when needed, regardless of how exhausted he had been. Kaori wasn’t sure if or when the nightmares would end, all she knew was that Katsuki had promised to be there whenever he could to ground her.
She continued to entertain herself until the last few remaining minutes of silence ticked away. The quiet was broken by the sound of a familiar alarm, followed by a displeased grunt as Bakugo's hands moved to turn off the noise. Kaori let out a yawn as the ash blonde grumbled under his breath, his crimson eyes peering at her in the fading darkness of the early morning.
“Didn’t go back to sleep did you?”
“Wasn’t tired.”
It was an automatic reply, one that held an edge of defensiveness to it. An ash blonde eyebrow raised as the boy gave her a doubtful look, he let out a huff as he pressed their foreheads together. When he spoke, it was in a gentle tone.
“You’re a terrible liar Kai. I know it’s been hard, but you have to try and sleep, you’ll end up sick if you don’t rest.”
The lilac haired girl grimaced, she knew Katsuki was right. The problem was falling asleep, it had only become harder the worst her dreams had gotten. Calloused fingertips raked through her hair, skimming across her scalp. A firm kiss was pressed to her lips as the ash blonde prepared to get up.
A gruff greeting was whispered against her lips as the explosive teen broke their kiss. Kaori let out a soft giggle, wishing the boy a good morning as well. A smirk was sent her way as he got to his feet, the boy expertly padding his way silently out of the room to head to his own on the floor above.
The young hero hopeful rolled her neck as she stretched out her body. She would need to get out of bed soon, Aizawa had asked them all to assemble downstairs before breakfast for an important announcement. If she was to be on time, Kaori needed to get herself up within the next few minutes, that way she could complete her normal morning routine beforehand.
The lilac haired teen got up with a sigh, shuffling around her room to grab her shower caddy so she could make her way to the bathroom. With everything she needed in hand, she made the trip downstairs to get herself together.
The normally quiet bathroom was bustling with all the girls in the dorm, each trying to get through their morning ritual in time to return back downstairs for the meeting. Kaori shot Jirou a grin as the girl greeted her, combing away her bedhead.
“Any idea what this meeting is about?”
“No clue, just knew I needed to get up earlier if I was going to be alert for it. I’m normally stumbling my way through breakfast with Katsuki’s help until I get my coffee.”
The purple haired girl grinned, she had seen Kaori’s lack of awareness in the early morning hours plenty of times. The aerosol quirk user scrubbed the sleep from her eyes as she washed her face. Her next task was removing the knots from her waves. After finishing the last of her hygiene tasks, she made a quick trip to her room and back, skidding into the common area just as their teacher appeared.
“Cutting close brat.” Her boyfriend teased as she settled next to him. The girl responded by sticking her tongue out at him, an admittedly childish response. Glancing around the room, Kaori noticed she was one of the few students not dressed in their UA track pants. By far, her own pj’s stuck out the most, black and white plaid pj pants matched with her yellow ZOMG Persona 5 tank top.
The last thing the lilac haired teen had expected to hear was that a reporter would be shadowing their class for the day. Kaori immediately became alert, not trusting the listed motive for the visit. She looked at the charming reporter with distrust, most of the remaining students seemed to be on board with the man’s presence.
“So what are you all up to now normally?” Taneo Tokuda, as the reporter introduced himself, asked. Their class rep informed him it was breakfast time. Tokuda urged them to enjoy their breakfast, advising them to simply ignore his presence.
“Why do I feel like I’m the only one in favor of laying low for once?”
“Tch, that’s hero life, you’re always in the spotlight.”
“I know that Suki, but we’re still heros in training. We just got ourselves out of the press recently. Think about it, how many students have gotten this sort of coverage prior to their official hero debut before? It just seems like the wrong way to go about things.” Kaori explained, taking the food Bakugo handed her. The ash blonde settled next to her with his own meal, fixing her with a thoughtful look for a moment.
“We’re just different than any students UA has seen before, we’re stronger, prepared to take on bigger challenges. We’re bound to surpass the old guard in time.” The explosive teen claimed, nudging her to begin eating. The girl sighed, maybe he was right. The lilac haired girl picked at her food, choosing to hide behind Bakugo when the reporter made his way to their table.
The man got an up close shot of the ash blonde, which was the last photo he’d get at breakfast as Bakugo scared him off. Normally Kaori would admonish him for such behavior, but truthfully, she wanted nothing to do with the reporter’s pictures or questions.
Luckily, Tokuda seemed to hold little interest in her after Kaori managed to accidentally bind him while training. Bakugo had taunted her into a match, something that was far from new for the pair. The grumpy boy had positioned himself too close to the watching reporter, the lilac haired teen’s pheromones ended up affecting them both due to the close proximity.
Yellow-green eyes had gone wide when desires besides Bakugo’s filled her mind. Her eyes cut to the reporter for a short moment as she discovered what Tokuda was up to. A quiet clearing of a throat pulled her attention back to the two males in her quirk’s vice grip.
“I’m so sorry.” The girl bowed her head quickly, trying to be respectful to their visitor. She shot a look at her boyfriend who only scoffed, smirking as Kirishima called out to him. Tokuda became sheepish as her teacher joined them.
“Oh no, it’s my fault for intruding. I should have been more careful around anyone using their quirks, I’ve been a reporter in this city long enough to know better.” The reporter bowed, excusing himself to check out other students.
“I take it he is lying about why he’s here then?” A bored voice asked. Kaori smiled at her teacher, nothing got past Aizawa. She nodded carefully.
“Yes, but he has no ill intent for any of us. He’s more so satisfying his curiosity and looking for a shred of hope.”
“Don’t you mean a symbol of peace?”
“You knew Sensei?” The aerosol quirk user had been genuinely surprised about that. For two people who struggled to keep their emotions from their faces, All Might and Midoriya had done a fair job of not letting on about their relationship. It did help that the green haired boy was a self admitted fanboy of the former number one hero.
“From the very first day, All Might isn’t what I would describe as sneaky, Midoriya either. Keep this to yourself, confronting him is only going to expose everything to more people. Let the problem child figure this one out on his own, he has to learn to do it someday. I’m sure Bakugo will do the same.”
“Wait, what does Katsuki have to do with this?”
“You’re telling me you didn’t notice that he purposely moved closer to Tokuda? He wanted you to bind him, make sure he wasn’t up to anything too fishy. Come now Anzai, I know I’ve taught you to be more observant than that.” The tired man gave her a half smile as he quietly chided her. Her time spent as his mentee, mixed with his time under her mother’s care, had given Kaori a unique relationship with the underground hero. She enjoyed her time working with Eraser Head, if she hadn’t already had a place saved as Midnight’s sidekick, she would have wanted to work for her teacher.
“I’ll remember to pay more attention next time.” The lilac haired girl retorted with a sigh. Aizawa hummed in acknowledgement, the pair’s eyes had been looking out at the rest of the class. The aerosol quirk user knew with her appearance, completely fading into the background wasn’t going to be easy. Yet, the ragged looking man had taught her how to blend as best as possible, allowing eyes not to immediately fall to her when she entered a space.
“Get back to it Anzai, you don’t want the class to think your health isn’t holding up.”
Kaori agreed, thanking her teacher for his help. She didn’t have to inquire about what the tired man meant, she already knew her classmates had been keeping a close eye on her since the summer camp incident. Their concern was re-ignited when they learned of her frequent check ups at the hospital. After all, Jirou had suffered through the same poison, but she hadn’t needed to be monitored like the future temptation hero was.
“It’s just a precaution guys, relax.”
The aerosol quirk user had addressed everyone’s worries after they had learned about her trips. While that quelled their questions, she still felt worried eyes on her from time to time, especially the golden eyes of Mina and the bespectacled ones of their class rep. Iida had been a lot less obvious than her pink haired friend, but his pointed reminders of getting rest or staying hydrated, while handing the “extra” orange juice he just so happened to have on hand to her gave him away.
Katsuki had been by far the most worried, knowing that there were things ailing her that were much worse than a physical limitation. The ash blonde had come off much more nonplussed, sometimes facing the wrath of Mina or Uraraka. Kirishima was a welcomed presence in those moments, relieving the tension and managing to get the parties to relax, or in Bakugo’s case, to at least stop screaming.
Kiri’s a saint
The girl chuckled to herself as she moved across the training grounds, getting flagged down by the redhead himself to join the powerhouse duo. A cocky smirk was sent her way as she approached the explosive teen.
“Finished filling in Aizawa?”
“Your cunningness, nor your impeccable bullshit meter never ceases to amaze me Suki.”
“Tch, you’ve been squirrelly around him all day. The only way you were going to relax was to know just what he wanted, you satisfied now brat?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s get to it.”
X
Kaori hurried back towards the dorms. Her check up had gone smoothly, her immune system was bouncing back nicely, her progress was proving to be quicker than expected by the doctors examining her. The news had the girl in an uplifted mood.
It was in these good spirits that she crossed paths with All Might, who gave her a warm smile upon spotting her. She grinned back at him just as fondly, waving at him as she approached him. Kaori came to a stop a short distance away, craning her neck to look up at the taller man.
“Good evening Anzai, did you just get back from the hospital as well?”
“Sure did, I’m pretty certain I have the time slot after you, my mom does insist on being there after all.”
“Oh, I hope I haven’t made things difficult for you. Eraser suggested requesting her, it’s rare to hear him talk so highly of someone.” The golden haired man admittedly sheepishly. The student chuckled, gaining trust from Mr. Aizawa was a feat in itself, nevertheless his favor. Kaori waved him off.
“Not at all, it’s comforting to know you’re in good hands. You’re still needed around here after all.”
At her statement, the radiant eyes of the worn man seem to spark. A gentle smile covered his face before he dropped his head, embarrassed.
“I’ve been feeling pretty useless lately, mostly like I’m just in the way now. Like everyone is trying to baby me at every turn. It’s nice to hear someone still thinks I’m useful.”
“It’s only because they care about you. You gave a lot of people a scare back in Kamino, it’s only natural for them to worry, they just want the best for you. If you ask me, their concern for you is a good thing, just shows you’re important to a lot of people. I can understand how it feels, watching those you care for worry so much. We owe it to them to take care of ourselves and do our best to continue to get better.”
"You kids have become wise beyond your years. You’re right Anzai, that is the best way to thank everyone.” The former pro agreed. Kaori nodded, giving him a confident smile. All Might’s eyes travelled upwards, taking in the darkening sky.
“You better head back to the dorms before it gets much later, I’m sure it’s almost dinner time by now.”
“Yes, if I don’t hurry I’ll probably find my portion already gone. Have a goodnight All Might.” The lilac haired girl said her farewells before making her way to the dorms. On her way, she passed the reporter who’d hung around her class all day. Tokuda acknowledged her as he approached, a knowing look on his face.
“I appreciate you keeping what you saw earlier to yourself. You could have easily warned your classmate and I would have been left leaving empty handed.”
“I have a responsibility to use my best discretion with what I see in the absence of malice. Midoriya can handle himself, even if he doesn’t think so at times. I assume you found the hope you were searching for?”
“I did, not only with Izuku Midoriya, but in a few other surprising places. This new generation is something else, seeing you all up close has given me more to have faith in than I expected, though I do still plan to be the first to write about the next symbol of peace when the time comes.”
“I look forward to reading what you have to say when that time comes. Safe travels, Mr. Tokuda.” Kaori bowed her head slightly at the man. He nodded, back, giving a short wave as he began to move. The girl smiled to herself as her dorm came into sight. Kaori was glad to know things would finally be back to normal, or as normal as they ever were. She decided to keep what she had learned to herself, knowing broaching the subject would only worry her green haired friend.
Deku might be the next symbol of peace, but I have faith that each of us can become someone’s beacon of hope when they need one.