Chapter Text
“That was the longest school semester I think I’ve ever been through,” Sora complains.
“Tell me about it,” Sero says. “I don’t think any hero class has dealt with as much bullshit as us during my lifetime. I wonder why.”
“It’s Midoriya’s real Quirk,” Kaminari says knowingly.
Sora turns to look at him. “What?”
“I didn’t tell you guys? Me and Ashido figured out that Midoriya’s superstrength is a secondary aspect of his real Quirk: Villain Attraction.”
Sora, Sero, and Kirishima share a look.
“Y’know, he makes a good point,” Kirishima says.
***
The first day of summer vacation, the Class 1-A girls hit the pool. Sora mostly elects to sit by the edge.
“You should actually come swim,” Ashido says.
“Fire Quirk, remember,” Sora replies amusedly. “Me and water don’t get along. I prefer to stay dry when possible.”
“Then why’d you come with us?” Hagakure asks.
“Because I wanted to spend time with my friends, duh.”
“I heard the guys were coming to do some endurance training,” Jiro says. “That’s what Sero said, anyways.”
“Ooh, maybe we’ll be able to drag a couple of them in for some water volleyball.”
Sora chats with her friends, letting the sun warm her whole body. If nothing else, at least she gets some sun time. After a while, Sora lies back, just basking in the warmth.
“Hey, guys!” Ashido says. “Glad you could make it.”
“Hey,” Kaminari replies. “I didn’t know you girls would be here.”
Sora snaps up so fast, her back cracks. She pointedly ignores Ashido and Hagakure’s giggling. Just like Jiro had said, a bunch of the guys had showed up.
It doesn’t take long for the girls to drag the guys into all sorts of games and tomfoolery, despite Iida’s protests. Sora sits on the edge of the pool, let her feet dangle in the water as she calls out alternating taunts and encouragement to various players.
“Hey, Tanaka,” Kaminari says, swimming up to edge. “Aren’t you getting in? We’re about to start a game of Marco Polo.”
Sora considers it for a second before sliding into the water. “Sounds like a blast. Literally, if Bakugo’s involved.”
Ashido and Hagakure are laughing so hard they’re doubled over. Iida’s kicked up a fuss, worried about them. Sora ignores them all, focusing on not jumping out of the cool water like a cat.
“Hurry up, Tanaka,” Sero says. “We’re all waiting on you.”
“Give me a minute,” she retorts. “Phoenixes are made of fire, remember. It takes me longer to adjust.”
After a couple minutes, Sora’s comfortable enough to join the game, although with the agreement that A) she doesn’t have to go deeper than the five foot zone and B) nobody tries to dunk her.
The first few rounds end with Sora barely missing being tagged, mostly because her class is mean and abandoned her in the five foot zone with the tagger every round. That’s where her speed and stealth come into play. And her complete willingness to grab anyone who gets too close and use them as a human shield. After the fourth or fifth round, other people start hanging in the shallower side, making things a little more fun. Probably because Sora would drag them there anyways.
Eventually, they decide to take a break from the game and chill. A few people get out to get drinks and snacks, but Sora stays in. She doesn’t want to waste time having to readjust. Instead, she chats with her classmates from in the water.
Someone starts giggling behind her, but she doesn’t pay it much attention. Not until that someone jumps on her with a squeal, shoving her under the water.
Sora thrashes. She can’t see. She can’t hear. She can’t breathe. Surface. Get to the surface. Where’s the surface?
Someone grabs her and pulls her up. They don’t let go once she’s surfaced, and she clings to their arms, trying to stabilize herself. She presses her eyes shut tight, taking a few deep breaths.
“I’m done,” she says. “I’m getting out.”
“Okay. Do you need help, or are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replies.
Sora’s eyes snap open. She glances up at Kaminari, who’s still holding onto her. Well, turnabout’s fair play after all. Although his mental breakdown was a lot less public and a lot more warranted.
Focus, Sora. Time to be functional. She makes sure her feet are firmly planted before she lets go of Kaminari. He waits another half-second before releasing her. Sora makes her way to the edge of the pool, pulling herself out as quickly as she can.
Over not far from where Sora had been, Shinso, Sero, and Iida are tag-teaming as they yell at Hagakure and Ashido. They must have dunked her. She warned them. Kaminari makes his way over to the group, joining in on the lecture.
“Are you okay, Sora?” Tsu asks. “That looked like it shook you up.”
“I’ll be fine,” Sora replies. “There’s a reason I told them not to dunk me.”
“Well, I think that group is going to make sure they never pull something like that again,” Jiro says, pulling herself up beside Sora.
“I can’t believe they would do that,” Yaoyorozu says, scandalized. “That’s such a cruel thing to do.”
Sora shrugs. “It’s pretty normal, actually. Pretty much every time I swim with others, I have to tell them not to dunk me, and there’s always at least one person who thinks it’d be funny to do it anyways. And everyone always says ‘I thought you were just being picky’ or something, like it really matters why.”
“I don’t give a damn what you thought!” Shinso yells. “You--”
“That was most unbecoming of hero course--” Iida lectures.
“I know you guys are better than this, so--” Sero shouts.
“What the hell possessed you--” Kaminari yells.
The four voices overlap one another, turning into an unintelligible mess.
“I don’t think Ashido and Hagakure can even understand what they’re saying anymore,” Sora muses.
“Eh.” Jiro shrugs. “They get the gist.”
***
Sora spends the rest of their scheduled pool time lying in the sun. The four lecturers go on for roughly ten minutes before the first one of them-- Sero-- runs out of steam. Kaminari, Iida, and Shinso all look like they have plenty more to say on the subject, but if Sora’s right, they probably would have used up all their pool time.
Hagakure and Ashido catch Sora in the locker room while they’re changing.
“We’re so sorry,” Hagakure says. “We didn’t realize that would happen! We were just trying to play around!”
“Will you ever forgive us?” Ashido wails.
Sora chuckles. “It’s fine. Honestly, I think the guys were angrier about it than I was.”
“I didn’t think they were ever going to stop,” Hagakure agrees.
“We definitely learned our lesson.”