Chapter Text
Like gathering the lights of galaxy, something dazzling fell into my heart.
Even on days I am frightened, a feverish heat I want to share won’t disappear.
[Mirai Notes wo Kanadete, by Re-Vale]
Akiko ran, climbing the emergency stairs of that building, even jumping several steps at a time to hurry up. Fear and worry tightened her chest, she could hear her heart pounding and felt a pang in her stomach from all that anxiety she was feeling. When Akiko arrived in front of the emergency exit, she opened it without hesitation and called out, in a fearful and worried tone, that name.
The wind ruffled her long white hair as she tried to calm her breathing. Her green eyes rested on the sight of that rooftop, settling on the figure of a woman with long, dark blue curls tied in a high ponytail.
-Kanna! I'm glad you're well! But now we have to leave... there's a villain.-
Oda Kanna interrupted her in a bored tone, stating that she could observe the battle from there. When the woman turned, Kanna was smiling at her, but it didn't reach her dull and empty golden eyes. Akiko wasn't used to that kind of smile. It gave her goosebumps.
-...Kanna?-. She whispered, hesitantly.
What was happening to her dearest older sister? Why was she looking at her with a smile so vicious?
She tried to take a few steps closer, but Kanna snapped her fingers: Seiryuu emerged from the fabric of her shirt, roaring at her before she could realize it. Akiko found herself hitting her back on the concrete wall, completely soaked in blood - her own blood - from the arm that Seiryuu had just taken away from her. She was in shock, confused and disoriented.
Her sister's words hit her even harder than the attack of the blue dragon itself.
-Now hurry up and die. You're just an obstacle.-
Yuuka Akiko woke up with a start, drenched in sweat and uncovering herself from the blanket. Raising her torso, she sat on the bed, gripping the scar in her left shoulder tightly. Her short hair felt all sticky from sweat. She tried to take deep breaths, trying to calm down: she wasn't on the roof of the Oda Society, but in her dorm room at UA.
"It was a nightmare... just a nightmare…".
Akiko didn't remember that nightmare often lately, but Akiko believed it was the small realization she had last evening of having passed the "point of no return of the second timeline". She hated being stuck in this sort of time loop with her sister, but Akiko had long ago decided that she would capture Kanna and throw her into the maximum security prison of Tartarus - there would be no another leap into the past, no third loop.
Taking a deep breath, Akiko turned to look at an old poster taped to the wall showing her biological mother - Yuuka Natsumi - as Jade in the stage play of "Jade Tiger".
"It'll all be fine...". Slowly managing to calm down, Akiko remembered her ambition and the people who had helped her get to this point. She had decided to enter her hero academia to become someone who saved people no one else could reach - a hero who took pride in bearing the name Jade. Initially Akiko believed she had to hurry: she wanted to quickly and absolutely show Kanna that she could do it... but since the sport festival had ended, Akiko had understood that she could advance slowly, at her own pace, towards the realization of that future. Now that the cultural festival was over, along with everything that had happened in between these two school events, Akiko felt a lot more confident than before.
She smiled absentmindedly at the poster, before looking down and seeing the time on her phone: half past four. Akiko let out a big sigh, throwing herself back and lying down again: her eyes, however, were wide open and she would hardly go back to sleep. After a few minutes wasted contemplating the void with her gaze fixed on the ceiling, she decided to get up to start her daily morning run earlier than usual; a habit she picked up thanks to her mother, which she found difficult to eliminate. Akiko didn't do it every day like Setsuna, but she tried to do it at least three or four times a week.
Getting up, Akiko calmly got ready and silently walked down the stairs and out of her class' dormitory. She began to warm up her muscles slowly, with all the tranquility at her disposal, breathing and enjoying the morning air and view.
That peace was interrupted by Bakugo Katsuki swinging open the front door, who woke up earlier, just like her, and had just crossed the threshold. Akiko tried not to show her surprise, but her tiger ears gave her away, as did her tail.
-G-good morning-.
He glanced at her quickly. -‘Morning.-
Akiko stood there, not knowing what to do as he began to warm up his muscles. Lately Bakugo had gotten into the habit of running in the morning with her, but the boy had made it a point to point out that she had absolutely nothing to do with that and he only did it to train and keep himself fit, or something else about the fact that they just run the same road within the school territory. Not that Akiko understood why he looked so red and flustered, but in the end she was happy to have company during the morning silence.
"He came this morning, as well...". She wasn't sure if she would see him there because last night she had made him irritated and Akiko still didn't understand why, but at least Bakugo didn't seem that way anymore.
-What's up?-. Bakugo suddenly spoke, making her jump. Before answering she started playing with the tip of her tail, her cheeks taking on a light pink color.
-Well... I thought I wouldn't see you this morning, seeing how angry I made you yesterday.- She admitted, making him stiffen. -I'm sorry, but I still don't understand what offended you.-
-The moon is beautiful, isn't it?-.
Bakugo immediately froze on the spot upon hearing that, slowly turning towards the girl and trying to figure out if he had heard correctly.
-Hah?-.
-Look, Bakugo! There will be a full moon tonight... I love it, you know?-.
Bakugo sighed, remembering what happened last night, along with the realization he had a little later, thinking about it better alone in his room.
-Of course, you like to put your finger on the wound.-
Akiko's tail curled downward, but he didn't give her time to respond. Indeed, looking away, Bakugo stood up, having finished warming up.
-I'm not, weird cat.-
Immediately after that whisper, he started running. Akiko was initially surprised, but her ears perked up and a small smile made its way onto her face. She started running too and, in a few quick strides, she caught up with him, maintaining the same pace. Soft pink still colored her cheeks, while the tip of her tail moved upwards, showing happiness. Katsuki, on the other hand, looked at her from time to time, taking note of the energy and happiness that she openly displayed.
For the whole time they remained silent, as usual, but Akiko found it quite comforting: the anxiety and fear that had followed the memory she had dreamed had now completely disappeared, thanks to those few words from Bakugo Katsuki, along with his company.
This made her go through the rest of the day with more energy than usual. After the cultural festival, classes resumed as usual, and that same afternoon, Akiko went to the support class lab. She had promised Miyuki Ryo to stop by: that day, indeed, the girl had finished building what Akiko had asked of her. She had even improved her shooters, as well as created some protective boots (which were able to allow Akiko to change direction in mid-air and stay floating slash jumping in the air) and the visor, simple to wear, to identify and recover the discs she threw, with a built-in map.
At first, Akiko asked Miyuki for a very simple visor and something that would allow her to fly (and be able to reach Endeavor, improving her mobility) but when she saw the final result, she had to try them immediately.
-The boots work with that strange energy you create.- Miyuki explained, while unwrapping a small strawberry lollipop from which to take some sugar. -You just need to accumulate energy on the sole of the foot and you will create a support capable of expanding mobility, as required.-
Akiko's eyes lit up as she did nothing but thank her: somehow, Ryo always managed to build her exactly what she needed, even when she herself wasn't able to express herself well.
The senpai adjusted her glasses. -Treat them well, please. Now you can go.-
Akiko opened the door to leave, giggling happily. -Thanks again, Miyu-. Her ears perked up, catching sounds in the distance that worried her. Without finishing the sentence, Akiko sprinted away, leaving Miyuki stunned with Power Lowder and Hatsume Mei curious as to why she left in such a hurry.
-She also forgot the shooters.- The hero pointed to the objects on the ground, making the bespectacled brunette snort and bend down to pick them up.
-I'll go and bring them to her.- She warned the professor, then whispered that she would make her pay if she hadn't run off for something important, as she went out to join her.
Meanwhile, Akiko had heard the sound of someone falling down the stairs nearby and so she hurried to reach them. In an instant, Akiko caught them in her arms, landing with her knees bent at the end of the staircase. It was a girl, who now had a completely white face.
-I caught you just in time. Are you okay?-. Akiko immediately became worried about her, to which she immediately blushed and nodded her head. Smiling at her, Akiko let her down without noticing her shyness.
-Thank goodness!-.
It was at that moment that Miyuki Ryo appeared from above the stairs, calling out to her. -Don't forget my babies again.-
Akiko immediately apologized and quickly told her what had happened.
-Don't be sorry, I saw. I can put two and two together.-
-Err… Here-.The other girl interrupted them, regaining the attention of the hero student. -For you, it’s to thank you-.
Akiko moved her ears, curious to see two candies appear in her palms after pinching her cheeks, which the girl held out towards her.
-This is my quirk. Eat one tonight and you will have a nice, relaxing dream… I know how hard it must be for the students of the hero course-.
Akiko's gaze lit up, before listening to other details.
"What a particular quirk..!”.
**
That same evening she found herself alone on the sofa in the dormitory: Mina and the others had recently left her to return to their room, but Akiko was too busy with what she was writing in the notebook in which she jotted down the stories she loved to write. She had decided to quickly finish what she had imagined and then would go to sleep in her room; unfortunately, Akiko was afraid that the idea would go away as quickly as it had arrived. And her memory was terrible, she would regret it then.
At a certain moment she stopped her pen and stretched a little, deciding to take a break after finishing the main pieces of the whole story. With her ears, Akiko heard Bakugo's familiar footsteps approaching her after passing through the kitchen, but she didn't pay much attention to it as she remembered the candy the girl had given her that afternoon.
-Mm? A new story?-
Akiko turned curiously towards Bakugo and widened her eyes when she saw him intent on reading. She immediately tried to take the notebook back, but his reflexes were quicker and he moved, placing the glass of water on the table and sitting sprawled on the other sofa.
-Come on, Bakugo! It's embarrassing!-
-Hah! As if it's the first time I've read something of yours.- He blurted out, all calmly, continuing to read. Akiko moved from the sofa, sitting next to him while she wanted to make him understand that that plot was different from the usual one-shot chapters that she usually wrote and made him read.
In the end, however, Akiko had to give in with a sigh and her cheeks still red: since Mina and Jiro had discovered her little hobby, somehow the rest of the class had known about it too. Bakugo was one of those who waited for her updates; he was also particularly touchy. Bakugo would definitely pout if she didn't immediately mention a chapter she had just finished.
"Aah, how embarrassing!". Wanting to get rid of that feeling as soon as possible, Akiko discarded the handkerchief that held the candies to seek the help of sugar.
When she put one in her mouth she was hit by the aroma of chocolate and immediately relaxed. Remembering that she had another one in her hand, she held it out towards the boy.
-Want one? Someone gave them to me today.-
Bakugo eyed her and hesitated for a moment, but agreed in the end. As soon as he put it in his mouth as well and the aroma of the orange hit him, Bakugo actually noticed how good it was. Soon after, out of the corner of his eye, he saw how Akiko struggled to keep her eyes open.
-If you're sleepy, go to your room.-
-No... it's okay, I don't feel like going yet.- She answered slowly, yawning a little.
-Do as you like...-.
But now Bakugo too was suddenly taken by sleep: perhaps caused by the aroma of sugar?
Bakugo didn't know it, but he barely had time to notice how Akiko had fallen asleep on his shoulder before he too closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His head tilted slightly, resting on Akiko’s.
**
-Hey, Aki. Wake up.-
When Akiko opened her eyes and was struck by the image of Todoroki Shoto dressed as a prince, surrounded by nature, she thought she was dreaming. So, she just closed her eyes again and pretended nothing happened. "I'll wake up any minute."
Too bad Shoto had started pinching her cheek and kept telling her to wake up.
-Yes, yes... I'm awake! Enough!-.
Akiko rubbed her eyes, startled by the thought of Shoto pinching her cheek to wake her up. Not that the situation she had just found herself in was all that different.
-Is everything okay, Akiko?-.
-Did you have a bad dream, by any chance?-.
Unfortunately it wasn't a dream. Why would she have dreamed of Shoto dressed as a prince pinching her cheek, Midoriya and Ochaco dressed in strange clothes straight out of a fantasy book, who were now looking at her worriedly? Not that she was dressed all that differently.
Akiko blinked several times, eyeing her maid-like clothes a bit, before nodding thoughtfully. She didn't understand anything anymore.
-Perfect, then. If we start marching, we will soon arrive in the lands of the dragon tamers.-
Akiko looked up and saw Iida Tenya, who was even wearing some nice armor. "Oh, Iida The Knight is here too."
-Are we sure that the clan leader will listen to us?-. The sorceress Ochaco looked thoughtful, to which Midoriya the adventurer replied that the Demon King's troops would also strike his lands and, furthermore, the clan leader was an old acquaintance of his and perhaps he would have agreed to listen to him.
"Demon King? Dragon tamers? Wait...!".
Akiko suddenly connected those small details together: noting the clothes and roles in which the group was formed, she concluded of having ended up inside the story she had just created.
"How is it possible?". When Akiko then realized that it must all just be a strange dream, she felt much better. Subsequently, her mood lowered as she noticed that she no longer had tiger ears and tail; looking at those normal human ears, thanks to the clarity of the river's reflection, made her feel very strange, as did the detail of no longer having a tail. How did people keep their balance without one?!
But the worst part was that, according to the roles her classmates had taken in her dream... she was the maid of the disinherited prince Shoto.
"As soon as I wake up, I'll eliminate her as a character, or at the very least make her a bodyguard instead of just a maid!"
Slightly piqued by that detail, she followed the group without too much hesitation, raising the hood of the red cape she was wearing, to hide those strange human ears from view.
"Who knows when I'll wake up…".
When they found themselves in front of the clan leader of the dragon tamers, Akiko understood many things and at the same time none. She understood that her mind had made Bakugo Katsuki as the clan leader, she understood how divinely those clothes suited him, even if she found the tattoo with the letter K on his shoulder a bit tacky. She understood that that dream wasn't so bad... but Akiko also understood that that Bakugo Katsuki was not the fruit born from her mind, but the real Katsuki. Her hero, friend and classmate.
And that also meant she understood absolutely nothing about what was happening - could the dreams be shared with anyone?
Akiko didn't really believe there was proof to the contrary, but in front of her she had Bakugo Katsuki, who seemed particularly irritated, so it would be better if she found quickly a solution.
-Where the hell are we?!-.
Yes. As soon as possible.
-That's a good question.- Akiko began, when Bakugo had literally grabbed her by the cape and talked to her aside, once they saw each other. -Technically it's my dream, so I should be the one asking you why you're here.-
Bakugo glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. -Yeah, because you're usually always so reactive during a dream, am I right?-.
Those words made her stiffen: she hadn't thought about it at all, too caught up in seeing her friends act like characters in her story.
-Don't be a know-it-all, I know!-. Akiko tried to dissimulate, in vain by the way, judging by the smirk on his face. Then suddenly, she remembered a detail. -Oh, the candy! It must be that girl's quirk!-.
At his questioning look, Akiko quickly explained how she had saved her and, in exchange, had received those sweets for "relaxation and comfort after a full and tiring day”.
-She added that if I gave the candy to someone and we ate it together, then our dreams would unite, or something like that. Like the other one would join me, if I ate it first, and vice versa.- Akiko smiled at that beautiful discovery. -I forgot about that, haha. Well, we just have to wait until we wake up, or the effect of the candy wears off!-.
Bakugo crossed his arms over his chest. -And when will it be?-.
Akiko started to open her mouth, but then closed it again after a few seconds.
-I don't know. She didn't tell me.-
-You..!-.
At that moment, their "chatter" was stopped by Midoriya, Ochaco, Shoto and Iida, who wanted to know if the clan would help them against the advance of the "Demon King”. Bakugo was visibly irritated by the situation, but somehow kept the story going by agreeing. Especially, after the pleading looks Akiko gave him. And like that, they entered the village of the dragon tamers clan.
-Why is Deku the main hero?-.
Walking side by side, Akiko noticed the side look Bakugo was giving Midoriya.
-I don't know how my subconscious works, and you shouldn't complain anyway.- Akiko continued, telling him that his was still a good character important to the plot of the story. -And at least you're the leader of a whole village. I ended up being Shoto's maid.-
At the sight of her pout, an amused smile escaped Bakugo's face, and when Akiko noticed it, the pout only grew.
-I see my bad luck amuses you.-
-Think about this, you could have been his horse.-
Akiko paled and Bakugo couldn't stop laughing.
**
That dream seemed to never end. The Demon King's army had, in fact, suddenly attacked out of nowhere and they even had to fight without their quirks, because those characters they had ended up with, possessed other abilities than their usual quirks. It was really annoying and not at all relaxing, especially for Akiko, who played the maid who only had cooking skills. Yet again, she made a mental note to change that character as soon as possible.
-If you consider this a relaxing dream, weird cat, I don't want to think about what your nightmares are like.- Bakugo teased her a little, seeing her tired.
Evening had fallen and they were inside the clan's village celebrating the victory of the battle with a sumptuous banquet. Akiko cracked a smile, looking away from the food that looked tempting.
-Battle aside, it is. Relaxing, I mean.-
In that world there was no Kanna to capture, none of her loved ones could be in danger. And above all, there was Bakugo by her side. She could breathe a sigh of relief, if only for a short time.
Akiko looked him straight in the eyes. -I know we should wake up, but I gotta admit I would like to enjoy it some more.-
Bakugo looked at her for a long time and finally almost laughed. -And instead, I say you can't stand this world for a second longer. You don't want to run away from that psychopath, right?-.
Akiko was startled, clutching her hand in the cape she still wore. Her green eyes showed deep surprise mixed with his confident red ones.
-You don't care much about consequences like throwing her in prison or making her realize what she did wrong. You just want to win against her, don't you?-.
Akiko felt hit home. It really seemed that that boy understood her much more than she could imagine; or at least, much more than herself. Instead of hiding or playing dumb and ignoring, as she usually would have done, however, the expression that came across her face was particularly relaxed and softened, even.
-It seems I really can't lie to you, Katsuki.-
His name. Bakugo didn't think it would sound so harmonious coming from her lips. The boy's eyes widened at the sight and he felt a strange frustration towards that hood that continued to cover her face and did not allow him to see her properly. So he grabbed it, pulling it down and Akiko couldn't help but mutter a surprised exclamation, starting to blush at the idea that Bakugo could see her "very strange" human ears.
He raised an eyebrow when he saw her covering her ears with her hands. -What are you doing?-.
-I-I could ask you the same thing!-. She replied rather sheepishly. -Why did you take off my hood? I keep it up for a reason!-.
-Don't talk nonsense, it can't be that bad.-
Inexplicably for Akiko herself, Bakugo grabbed her hand to move it and, with his free one, moved her locks behind her ear. She was now completely red and shrouded in embarrassment under his attentive gaze on her: Akiko had never felt as she did in that moment. Her heart had never beaten so fast. Could he hear it, by any chance? Akiko hoped for a negative answer.
-Yep, they're strange.-
When he commented on it, Akiko felt like a vein was about to burst on her forehead. -Hah?! Strange?-.
Bakugo released her from his grip and looked away. -But you exaggerate as usual. It's not that bad...-.
Akiko didn't know what to say, surprised once again. "Is that a... compliment? Really?"
For a moment she wondered if she was dreaming, and then stopped because that was exactly what was happening to her, but at least that Bakugo wasn't a figment of her imagination. Because she was in a dream, but that conversation wasn't. She could very well feel dizzy from all those strange thoughts.
The comment that followed, however, made her think again.
-But it's true that it's strange to see you with human ears and no tail. What do I pull now? -.
-Hey!-. Akiko recovered immediately, replying in kind that he should stop treating her tender and delicate tail like that.
Looking at her sideways, Bakugo noticed her newfound calm and serenity and, internally, rejoiced.
For the moment he enjoyed the sight, doing nothing other than poking her to observe her reactions. Although it was much funnier when those ears and tail of hers completed the picture. Without it, Bakugo felt like something was missing.
And yet, the thought that Akiko was fine the way she was… he would never tell her that. Not now, at least.
Definitely not at that moment.
Bakugo would just enjoy the dream and nothing else. And when they would wake up, everything will be back to normal. Akiko would go back to calling him by his last name and he would tease her every now and then.
Of this, Bakugo Katsuki was absolutely certain.
**
When he opened his eyes, Bakugo immediately saw the ceiling of the common room and remembered falling asleep on the couch. The first thing he felt was relief when he realized that the effect of that strange quirk had vanished. Looking down at the strange weight he felt above him, his eyes immediately widened and his heart immediately increased its beat irregularly. Akiko was still dozing and lying on top of him, with their legs intertwined and her face resting on his chest. He perfectly felt how her arms were hugging him and her tail was all wrapped around his arm, which was completely rigid as was the rest of his body.
Strangely, he didn't find that position uncomfortable at all.
"Shit-!". Even though Bakugo felt the strange urge to stay in that position a little longer, he knew he had to get away from her before anyone saw them.
-Oh, guys, he woke up!-.
Bakugo didn't even have time to finish that thought before Kaminari's voice was registered in his brain and he immediately wondered why the hell he hadn't heard them before. Of course he knew why: he was so taken by the sight of the sleeping tiger-girl in his arms, that he hadn't noticed anything else nearby.
Bakugo turned slowly and mentally cursed as he saw practically half the class awake, standing there in the common room. From the way they were grinning, he realized that Kaminari and Ashido had taken some photos with the phones they were holding.
"Shit". Bakugo Katsuki unconsciously tightened his arms around Akiko's figure. "Don't wake up now, weird cat."
Back then, I hated every beautiful things (always alone) but everything is connected to this moment.
I have to keep running.
I’m not close to my dreams
[Dakara, hitori ja nai, by Little Glee Monster]