Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aizawa walked up to the front of the class, his usual serious demeanor in place. "Alright, listen up. I’m not repeating myself," he began, reading off a piece of paper in his hand. “We’re having a Halloween celebration—” He paused, then crumpled up the paper with a sigh. “ Scratch that. We’re hosting a Halloween event that’ll be open to the public. The principal has already booked the venue. Unfortunately for you, this isn’t for fun—you’ll be working.” Groans echoed through the classroom, but Aizawa continued. “There are several roles. We’ve got the haunted house, customer service, face painting…”

Kaminari started zoning out halfway through Aizawa’s announcement, lost in his own thoughts. By the time Aizawa finished and the class erupted into chaos, with everyone scrambling to choose their roles, he hadn’t realized what was happening. “I AM DOING FACE PAINTING!” Mina shouted, her voice rising above the others. “NO WAY, I AM!” someone else called out, equally as determined. Kaminari was still torn between wanting to be part of the haunted house or wandering around in costume to scare people. Deep in thought, he didn’t notice Shinso sit down beside him until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey. What do you want to do?” Shinso asked. Kaminari’s face momentarily soured, catching Shinso off guard. Worried he had said something wrong, Shinso quickly pulled his hand back into his lap. “I don’t know,” Kaminari admitted after a pause, his expression softening. “I mean, the haunted house sounds fun, but scaring people while walking around sounds awesome too! What about you? What are you thinking of doing?”

Shinso exhaled, relieved that Kaminari wasn’t upset with him. “I’m not sure yet either. I helped with the haunted house last year. It wasn’t too bad, and at least I’d know what I’m doing if I did it again.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Kaminari nodded, considering it . “But only three-ish days to decide? That’s hardly enough time!”

“We’re in a bit of a rush, so we’ll have to make do,” Shinso replied with a shrug. “And by the looks of it, the class is already deciding who’s doing what. We’ll probably know by tonight.” He gave Kaminari a thumbs-up before getting up from the seat.

“Alright, everyone, back to your seats. You can figure this out later in the dorms,” Aizawa’s voice cut through the chatter. Shinso stood and waved at Kaminari before heading back to his seat. Kaminari waved back, then forced himself to focus, determined to stay on task for the rest of the lesson—though his mind still wandered occasionally back to Halloween and what role he would end up choosing.

-

The rest of the class passed without incident—or at least that’s how it appeared on the surface. In reality, Kaminari spent most of the time scribbling down the pros and cons for each Halloween event role. He wanted to make sure he wouldn’t regret his decision later, weighing every option carefully. And while he was lost in his thoughts, part of his mind kept circling back to Shinso. He was trying to guess what Shinso might choose, hoping they’d end up spending the holiday together. Halloween with Shinso and their friends? That sounded perfect. When the final bell rang, snapping him out of his daydreams, Kaminari joined the rest of the class in packing up. The room buzzed with conversation. Half the class was excitedly discussing what roles they wanted, while the other half admitted they still hadn’t decided. Eventually, everyone agreed to let Iida and Yaoyorozu organize the groups. It was easier that way, and no one could argue with their leadership. This let Kaminari let out a sigh of relief.

As Kaminari slung his bag over his shoulder, Sero appeared at his side, grinning. “Hey, dude. Feels like we haven’t talked in forever.” Kaminari smiled back . “You’re so right, man!”  Before Sero could reply, Bakugou’s voice cut in from behind them, sharp as ever. “Hate to break it to you idiots, but you were yapping each other’s ears off just yesterday.” Both Kaminari and Sero turned to look at Bakugou, who merely shrugged, his fiery red eyes indifferent.

“Always gotta ruin the moment, huh, Katsuki?” Sero teased, though he didn’t seem too bothered. Kaminari chuckled, shaking his head at the blonde’s bluntness. Bakugou just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just don’t drag me into your nonsense.” Kaminari laughed as the group began walking toward the dorms.

When they arrived at the dorms, everyone naturally broke off into their usual groups. Some students were crowded around the large flat-screen TV, immersed in games, while others gathered at the dining table for a study session. A few went outside to squeeze in some extra training. Kaminari, Sero, Mina, Shinso, Midoriya, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu were part of the study group. Within the group, they divided into smaller clusters, with some tackling math while others focusing on English. After a few minutes of focused studying, Sero was the first to crack. He groaned dramatically and dropped his forehead onto the table. “Numbers don’t make any damn sense!” His voice was muffled by the wood, but his frustration was clear. Mina, never one to miss a chance to join in, raised her voice. “Right?! Why do we need math when we’re training to be heroes?” Yaoyorozu, ever the voice of reason, responded calmly , “Math is essential for our education. We can apply it to a lot of different situations.”

“Yeah, but not hero work,” Sero grumbled, lifting his head. “When’s the last time anyone needed to graph a polynomial in the middle of a fight?”

“I gotta agree with Hanta for once,” Jiro added, twirling a pen between her fingers. She had also been struggling to learn the math lesson from today.

The rest of the study session was peppered with complaints, mostly from those struggling with math, but overall, it went smoothly. As the sky began to darken, signaling the approach of dinner time, they all started clearing the table. It was Todoroki’s turn to cook, and while his food wasn’t quite on Bakugou’s level, it was still a solid contender for the top spots—at least a close fourth. By then, everyone knew that Yaoyorozu and Iida were preparing to announce their Halloween roles. They had been texting one another, finalizing their decisions while making sure that no one could use their quirks to cheat—like Shoji, Jiro, or Hagakure, who could easily eavesdrop or sneak a peek. The anticipation for the announcements was growing, but for now, dinner was the main event. Shinso caught Kaminari’s eye from across the room, and they exchanged a knowing look. Whether they ended up working together in the haunted house or doing something else, Kaminari felt a sense of excitement bubbling beneath the surface. This Halloween was shaping up to be something special.

Halfway through dinner, Yaoyorozu cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “ Alright, everyone! Tenya and I have finalized the roles for our Halloween celebration. A few of us will need to work in multiple groups since our class size is, well… limited.”

Iida stood up beside her, serious as ever . “Yes. Please listen carefully, as I’ll be listing each assignment only once. First, the students in charge of cooking and baking for the food stands: Rikido, Momo, and Katsuki.” He then continued , “Walking around in costumes to entertain guests will be Ashido, Ochaco, and Koji.”

“For Customer Service, we have Tenya, Mezo, and... Minoru, along with Eijirou and myself,” Yaoyorozu added, a little hesitant at Minoru’s name. “And as for face painting and fun activities, Tsu, Toru, and Ochaco will take the lead.” The girls grinned and exchanged high-fives.

“For security, we’ve assigned Hanta, Mashirao, Fumikage, and myself,” Iida said, finishing with a nod. “Finally, the haunted house team will include Denki, Hitoshi, Kyoka, Shouto, and Izuku.”

Yaoyorozu clapped her hands together. “If anyone needs help gathering specific supplies for their assignments or has particular costume ideas, I’d be happy to assist with creating them.”

“Just don’t overwhelm her,” Iida cautioned with a stern glance. “There are people that are going to volunteer and help out in different areas as well. Don’t feel like we are alone in planning this big event.”

With that, the room filled with excitement, and everyone began celebrating their roles. Dinner wrapped up smoothly, and after cleanup, the students started gathering in smaller groups to brainstorm ideas. Kaminari, Shinso, Jiro, Midoriya, and Todoroki had gone up to Todoroki’s room to discuss how they were going to do the haunted house.

“I should probably mention,” Todoroki said, looking a bit awkward, “I’ve never really celebrated Halloween before.”

“That’s fine! We’ll help you!” Midoriya assured him. “First, we need to decide on a theme.”

“Right. I can handle the music for whatever theme we pick,” Jiro added confidently. She was known as the ‘music girl’ for a reason.

“What if we go with a Corpse Bride theme!” Kaminari suggested, his face lighting up.

“ Corpse Bride ? The movie from 2005?” Shinso raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, that one!” Kaminari replied. He grabbed his phone and placed it in the middle of their small circle. On the screen was a poster of the movie

“But that’s not really a Halloween movie,” Jiro said skeptically. “It’s a good movie though.”

“Maybe not technically, but it’s got the right vibe! It’s not too scary for kids, and it’s an amazing movie!” Kaminari insisted.

Jiro shrugged. “I mean, the soundtrack would work great for the haunted house. What do you guys think?” she asked Shinso, Midoriya, and Todoroki. The boys nodded, agreeing idea of doing the Corpse Bride theme.

Todoroki had never watched the movie before, but seeing how the title had Bride in it he asked, “Wait… the movie has a bride, right?”  

“Yes…” Midoriya’s eyes lit up. “Wait! Who’s going to be the bride?!” he said, catching onto what he meant.

Everyone glanced around before their eyes landed on Jiro. “Count me out,” Jiro deadpanned, waving them off.

“Then I’ll be the bride,” Kaminari volunteered. “I’d make an amazing bride!”

“Riiiight,” Jiro drawled. “But who’s gonna be your groom?”

“Easy. You can be Emily, and I’ll be Victoria,” Kaminari said with a grin, deflecting the question. He had wanted to say Shinso, but it felt too intimate. And he hadn’t wanted to throw Shinso under the bus.

“That doesn’t answer the question, but whatever.” Jiro rolled her eyes. “But okay. I’ll be Emily.”

“I’ll be Victor,” Shinso offered.

Kaminari looked over at him, his heart starting to race. How could something so small get such a reaction out of him? Before he could start blushing like a madman, someone started talking. “You even look dead like him,” Todoroki said with a perfectly straight face while he was staring at the poster for the movie, causing everyone to burst out laughing. Jiro snickered through her wheezing . “You’re unintentionally hilarious!.”

“I have to agree, Shoto,” Midoriya chuckled . Todoroki raised an eyebrow, uncertain what he’d said that was so funny. Midoriya gave him a reassuring pat on the back.  

“Alright, so who would Izuku and I be?” he asked, looking at Kaminari. Kaminari squinted at the two as if trying to envision them as any of the characters from the movie. “What are you doing?” Shinso asked, noticing Kaminari’s intense focus.

“I’m just trying to figure out who they could be…” Kaminari suddenly burst out laughing, making everyone in the room glance at him as if he’d lost it . “Sorry, sorry! I just imagined Izuku as the maggot in Emily’s eye!” he chuckled, struggling to keep a straight face. Jiro and Shinso soon joined in, filling the room with laughter, while Todoroki looked at Midoriya in mild confusion.

“There’s… a maggot in Emily’s eye?” Todoroki whispered to Midoriya.

“We’ll watch the movie later, don’t worry,” Midoriya whispered back with a smile.

Kaminari wiped a tear from his eye, recovering. “So… Do you guys want to be main characters or just stick to background roles?”

“I’m fine being a background character,” Midoriya said.

“Same here,” Todoroki added.

“Great, let’s start searching for costumes and decorations!” Jiro said, pulling out her phone. Everyone else followed suit, diving into their phones or laptops. After a while, Todoroki looked up. “Do we even know what space we’re working with?”

“Oh, shoot! Let me text Momo and check, ” Jiro said, quickly typing a message. After a few moments, she got a response. “She said it’s an actual house—a small one, but a whole house.”

“We get a whole house?” Kaminari’s eyes widened with excitement.

“Kind of the point with a haunted house ,” Shinso teased with a smirk.

Kaminari stuck out his tongue, scrolling through his online shopping cart. “Hmm, maybe we need to rethink the Corpse Bride idea. A whole house might need a stronger theme.”

“Told you so,” Jiro said, chuckling with a shit-eating grin.

“Alright, alright. What other themes could we do? Got any ideas, Izuku, Shoto?” Kaminari looked expectantly at them. The two fell silent, mulling it over. After a moment, Todoroki spoke up. “I don’t think a movie theme is necessary. We could just stick to what’s generally scary—like clowns and suffocation.”

Jiro tilted her head. “Want to expand on that?”

Todoroki continued, “Growing up, I remember hearing people talk about fears. A lot of them were terrified of clowns or the idea of being unable to breathe and spiders. For the spiders, we’d need Koji’s help though.”

“Not a bad idea,” Shinso agreed. “For the suffocation effect, we could create a narrow hallway that makes people feel closed in, and I could add dim, flickering lights for that dizzying effect.”

“Flickering lights?” Kaminari asked, intrigued.

“Kind of. The lights would flash in a way that messes with depth perception, making it feel more suffocating. We could also have a heartbeat sound that gets louder as people go through,” Shinso explained. Jiro and Kaminari exchanged impressed looks, then turned back to Shinso with wide eyes. “More ideas, please!” This made Shinso blink back in surprise.

“Uh… well, we could have someone dressed as a clown and chase people towards the hallway. Get their adrenaline going with a fake weapon, like a chainsaw or an ax,” Shinso suggested.

“Do you think we’re allowed to use quirks?” Todoroki asked.

Midoriya grabbed his phone looking through text messages in the class group chat, trying to find more information. “I don’t see why not. Why do you ask?”

Todoroki’s eyes gleamed. “I could alter the temperature in certain rooms—maybe make the narrow hallway warmer with my fire or make specific parts of the house colder with my ice.”

“AND WE CAN MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE IT’S HAUNTED!” shouted Kaminari.

“We’d have to be careful not to overdo it,” Jiro cautioned, jotting down notes in her dark purple-covered notebook. “But that could be great. We’ll make the hallway one of the last parts of the house so it’s easier to help anyone who gets too scared out of the building.”

“Yeah, if we can use quirks, I’ll help with lighting effects,” Kaminari added. “And maybe a few electric ‘shocks’ here and there.”

“I’ll help with the heavy lifting and building,” Midoriya offered, though his voice carried a faint note of disappointment. The ambers of OFA were slowly burning out as time passed. He knew he couldn’t use his quirk to help with this Halloween’s scares, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to help.

“Same here,” Shinso chimed in with a supportive smile.

“Alright, sounds like a plan. Let’s call it a night and meet up tomorrow to finalize costume parts and decorations,” Jiro said, stretching as she stood. They all nodded and started to head back to their rooms. The three of them walked together in comfortable silence. Then Jiro waved goodbye and turned toward her dorm, leaving the two of them alone.

“We should probably get some rest,” Kaminari said, brushing his hair back. “We have school tomorrow after all.”

“If we didn’t, I’d say let’s stay up playing games,” Shinso replied with a soft smile then yawned.

“Ugh, school’s the real horror here. If you can’t sleep, come find me in my room. But for now, good night, Toshi,” Kaminari said with a soft sleepy smile as he headed for the stairs. “Night, Denki.” Shinso waved as he turned down the hall, already looking forward to their haunted house plans.

⌛🌕☀️⌛

The morning started with alarms blaring throughout the dorms, a constant, chaotic melody that made Kaminari groan and bury his head under his pillow. As he tried to block out the noise, there was a loud knock at his door, followed by a familiar voice shouting, “GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED, DENKI!” Kaminari tried ignoring it, but the yelling continued. “GO AWAY, HANTA!” Kaminari yelled back, hoping Sero would take the hint. But, of course, he didn’t. A second later, Sero was inside his room.

“Wake up, dude. I know how much you love sleeping in, but sad for you, we have school,” Sero said, tossing Kaminari’s uniform at him. “Now put this on. We’re already running late.”

“Fine, fine, I’m getting up,” Kaminari grumbled, stretching and rubbing his eyes. “Just get out of my room, would you? Unless you want to see me naked”

Sero threw one of the pillows on Kaminari’s bed at the blonde’s head. Turning around and shutting the door behind him, leaving Kaminari to fix his bedhead and button up his uniform. We looked at his bed and made a mental note to make it later. When he finally made it downstairs, most of the class was already sitting down eating breakfast, stomach grumbling. Sero waved him over, gesturing to a plate of scrambled eggs waiting for him.

“What’s this?” Kaminari asked, confused.

“It’s breakfast. You’re always forgetting it, and as heroes-in-training, we need the fuel,” Sero replied, stuffing his face full of bacon.

“You’re a lifesaver today, bro.” Kaminari grinned, sliding into the seat next to him.

“Yeah, yeah, just eat your food,” Sero said, rolling his eyes but smiling.

The morning classes went by smoothly, with everyone buzzing about the upcoming Halloween festival. By the end of the day, Aizawa handed out papers to each group. The sheets were for planning the event; each team needed to write down their ideas for the festival and get it approved. “Just a reminder, this is due in two days,” Aizawa said, heading back to his desk, already absorbed in a stack of papers that needed grading. Once Aizawa granted permission for the groups to meet, Midoriya, Shinso, Kaminari, and Jiro gathered at the back of the classroom where Todoroki awaited. They dove into finalizing the details for their haunted house, adding last-minute ideas. Jiro was eager to play the creepy clown who would chase visitors toward the narrow hallway, adding an element of suspense and terror. Shinso decided to go all out in a zombie costume, hiding in the ceiling and popping down to startle anyone who dared to look up. Todoroki planned to dress as a vampire king, using his quirk to randomly adjust the house’s temperature, creating eerie chills or uncomfortable warmth to intensify the atmosphere. Midoriya would be a ghost, his role enhanced by playing faint screams and unsettling sounds through hidden speakers.

Kaminari grinned as he announced his idea: he’d be a “ dead biker ,” complete with a fake blowtorch to chase guests down the halls. Jiro was writing down everything on the paper that Aizawa gave them. Once they finished, the group started bickering over who should turn in their Halloween paper. They wanted someone who was Aizawa's favorite to do it, hoping their plan would get the green light without too many changes. Jiro suggested Midoriya—he was a known favorite, after all—but as the others debated, Kaminari slipped the paper to Shinso with a mischievous grin. “Here, you take it.”

“Huh?” Shinso raised an eyebrow. “Why me?”

Kaminari gave him a deadpan look. “You’re really asking? You’re his kid.”

Realization dawned on Shinso, and he muttered an “oh” before heading up to Aizawa’s desk. Handing over the paper, he said, “Here’s the plan for my group.” Aizawa scanned it, nodding in approval. “Not bad. Just make sure the weapons are fake; I’d rather not spend the festival dealing with injuries.” Shinso cracked a smile, replying , “I’ll make sure Denki doesn’t get his hands on an actual blowtorch.” He returned to the group, and Jiro immediately pounced with, “So, what did he say?” Shinso shared the teacher’s feedback, especially the part about fake weapons. Jiro excitedly whipped out her phone and showed everyone the spooky decorations she’d found online. Kaminari joined in, adding his favorite picks. Before they knew it, their shared cart tallied up to a whopping 45,950 yen (around 300 USD, and around 6,011 pesos.). They all exchanged worried glances.

This time, Todoroki was the one who broke the silence . “Don’t worry—I’ll cover the decorations and costumes.” He had caught on to why they shared worried looks.

“What? Are you serious?” Jiro asked, her voice slightly anxious. “That’s a lot of money for a one-time thing.”

Todoroki nodded calmly. “ Yeah, Tenya, Momo, and I already talked about it. We decided to cover the expenses for the festival. It’s technically my father’s money, anyway. He wanted me to experience as much of a normal school life as possible, so when my sister mentioned the Halloween festival, he saw it as a ‘good cause.’” As he spoke, his voice softened, an uncharacteristic warmth slipping through.

Midoriya placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad he’s making an effort.”

“It’s a start,” Todoroki replied quietly, a hint of a smile on his face. The others nodded, offering sympathetic smiles, and together, they dove back into their Halloween plans with newfound excitement.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and the following morning, Aizawa surprised the class by taking them to the site where the Halloween event would be held. The space was enormous. Most of the students were left in awe, marveling at the towering structures and sprawling grounds. A few, though, felt a nervous flutter as they began to grasp just how many people might attend this massive event. Some of the students began to wonder aloud who would be helping them pull off something this big. Aizawa explained that a group of retired pro heroes would be volunteering, along with some civilians they had rescued during the war and others who were simply grateful for the hero's work. It was a touching revelation; many students found themselves getting teary-eyed at the thought of being surrounded by so many people who truly valued their efforts.

Their classmates from other UA courses soon appeared, adding to the buzz of excitement. Aizawa explained that each course had its own role: some were in charge of rides, ticketing, games, food stands, and even additional security. Together, the different classes brought a powerful sense of unity to the day. It wasn't just a Halloween festival - it was a chance to celebrate their hard work and connect with the community they'd fought so long to protect.

⏳ ⏩

Two weeks of preparation passed by in a blur, and with only three days left until the festival, the excitement was filling the building. The class buzzed with talk of costumes and plans to show them off. It was Mina who had the brilliant idea of hosting a runway-style fashion show to display their costumes, and the suggestion was met with unanimous enthusiasm. Bakugou, predictably, declared that his costume was “going to be the best.” The class just shrugged him off with giggles coming from a few students. For the first time in a while, everyone felt genuinely at ease; it had been too long since the whole class gathered just for fun, without the looming shadow of a crisis hanging over them. The next two days flew by, and soon enough, it was October 31st—the morning of Halloween. This year, the holiday fell on a Saturday meaning they didn’t need to go to school today. Normally Kaminari would take the chance of sleeping in, but today he was nervous about the festival. 

At 7:47 am, there was a knock at Kaminari’s door. “Come in,” he called, busy laying out his costume on the bed. Mina and Sero walked in, smiling widely.

“Aren’t you just so excited? This is gonna be amazing!” Mina beamed, plopping herself onto the beanbag in the corner. Sero claimed the desk chair with a smile. “Yup,” added Sero.

Kaminari eyed his costume, his excitement tempered with a hint of regret. “I might’ve made a poor choice with this costume,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh no, why?” Mina straightened up on the beanbag. She couldn’t tell if Kaminari would back out from the event or was just nervous. She was ready to give him a pep talk.

Kaminari sighed. “It’s all leather—and it’s freezing out. I’m going to be shivering the whole day.” Just then, Kirishima, Bakugou, and Shinso joined them, piling into the room with their usual energy.

“You’re an idiot,” Bakugou scoffed, settling himself at the head of the bed with Kirishima beside him. Shinso leaned casually against the closet door.

“Thanks, Kats,” Kaminari deadpanned. “It’s a little late to swap jackets now. I’m going to get frostbite”

“Why not just ask Shoto to warm up the space around you? I doubt he’d mind,” Shinso suggested, throwing Kaminari an understanding look.

“Eye bags has a point,” Bakugou added. “Half-n-Half does it for everyone who doesn’t have some kind of heat-based quirk.”

“Really?” Mina responded. She hadn’t known this of the two hair-toned boys.

Bakugou nodded. “Think about it. Notice how the classroom’s warmer when Shoto’s around in winter?” The group fell silent, piecing it together. “Holy crap. Now I feel bad for never thanking him,” Sero muttered.

Bakugou shook his head. “He doesn’t want your thanks. That’s how he shows he cares—without needing any recognition. Just being his friend and standing by him, that’s all he’s ever wanted.”

Kirishima looked at Bakugou, eyebrows raised. “You sure know a lot about him, don’t you?” Kirishima hadn’t meant for it to sound like he was jealous, wincing once he finished his sentence. Bakugou crossed his arms, his gaze softening just slightly. He knew what Kirishima meant. “I knew about his shitty family situation” he hesitated for a moment before continuing. ”Before…his older brother’s… Dabi’s?... Touya?.... announcement to Japan…. Back then, he didn’t talk much, but he spoke through his actions….He trusted me with his past, so I shared mine with him too.”

“You knew about his family life and didn’t say anything?” Sero’s voice was laced with surprise and just a hint of disappointment as he looked at Bakugou. 

Bakugou shrugged, his expression hardening. “Yeah. I overheard a conversation I wasn’t supposed to.” He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing slightly as if recalling the memory. “Didn’t say anything because it wasn’t my business to share. Figured that should explain why I was such a jerk to Endeavor for no damn reason. Guy deserves it.” Bakugou paused, taking a steadying breath . “I get that it’s not my place to forgive or hold a grudge for someone else’s trauma… but hell, I’ll never respect him. Shouto’s a good person for even wanting to forgive that piece of shit.”

“Wait, hold. We can unpack that later. But, your past?” Mina asked, her voice soft.

“There’s a lot you guys don’t know about me, Pinky,” Bakugou replied, a flicker of anger mixed with sadness in his voice . “I wasn’t as ‘put together’ as I pretended to be when we first met. This isn’t about me nor Shouto.”

"Welp! Good thing we're all here now, helping each other!" Kaminari said, his voice bright and hopeful. He’d seen Bakugou’s demons before, being one of the few Bakugou had opened up to during their late-night conversations. Initially, it had been a test of sorts, but gradually, they'd built a mutual trust.

“Denki’s right," Sero added with a smile, sensing Kaminari’s cue to shift the mood. "We’re all here, and we’ve got a festival to kick off! It’s Halloween, people!"

With that, they all split off to their rooms, the excitement filling the air as they got ready. Kaminari, in a last-minute decision, grabbed a can of black hair dye and sprayed it over his blonde hair. It turned out patchy, so he grabbed an orange can and added more color, blending it until it looked like his hair was licked by flames. Finally, he started on his skeleton makeup, darkening the hollows of his eyes and painting cracks along his jaw. By the time Kaminari was done, his reflection creepily smiled back at him like a haunted specter, flames “flickering” in his hair. He had made sure to use glow-in-the-dark spray paint and paint for his hair and face. He needed to be seen at night. Soon, the living room was filled with a mix of gory makeup and creepy costumes. As Kaminari made his way down the stairs, he took in the sight of his classmates dressed in full costume. Everyone looked amazing. The transformation was complete, and there was an air of excitement buzzing through the group. When the last person descended, they all piled into the bus, eager and jittery, ready for the festival. The grounds were like something out of a storybook: lights wrapped around trees and tents, displays and decorations dotting the entire area. Though the sun was still up, it was easy to imagine how the lights would look in the evening. Class 2-A was the first to arrive, with the other classes following soon after. The students were permitted to explore before the gates opened to the public.

“Isn’t this gorgeous?” Hagakure shouted, her costume choice of the Headless Horseman looking particularly eerie with her quirk keeping her invisible.

“It’s amazing!” Uraraka joined, dressed as Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls. “I’ve never seen a festival this huge!”

As the students wandered, Todoroki, Iida, Yaoyorozu, Bakugou, Midoriya, and Tokoyami were more focused, on memorizing emergency exits, fire extinguisher locations, and first-aid stations. The tour ended quickly, and over the speakers, an announcement played: “We’ll be opening to the public in five minutes. Repeat, five minutes to opening.”

“Alright, everyone remember to watch out for guests who might get too scared,” Jiro reminded, her chainsaw prop resting against her hip. Her haunted house group gave her a quick nod. The haunted attractions weren’t scheduled to open until sunset, so for now, they had time to wander with the other costume festival-goers. Kaminari grinned at this; he’d be able to play both roles he’d hoped for. With the gates opening a ton of people started making their way in. 

As the haunted house group drifted into the crowd, Kaminari suddenly grabbed Shinso by the wrist, dragging him off to meet the guests. Some were fans, some were aspiring heroes with endless questions, and others thanked them for their hard work earlier in the year. Then, through the sea of faces, they spotted Kaminari’s family, and not far off, Shinso’s younger sister as well. Kasai and Eri, excited to see each other again, clung to each other instantly. Then saw their older brothers.

“Hitoshi! Denki!” the two young girls called, running up to the boys.

“Wait—your big brother’s Hitoshi/Denki?!” Kasai and Eri shouted in unison, eyes wide with excitement.

“Hey, you two,” Kaminari laughed, crouching down to their level. “What brings you both here?”

“I wanted to see you! It’s so cool here, and your makeup looks awesome!” Kasai exclaimed while Eri nodded, grinning shyly.

“Alright, girls,” Raika called, pointing toward a ride nearby. “Look, the line is short!” Kasai and Eri waved goodbye, reluctantly running toward the ride, Raika and Katsuhi waving at the boys as they followed.

“Looks like our sisters are best friends now,” Shinso remarked. Kaminari chuckled. “Guess that means more hangouts at each other’s houses.”

“Think it’s time to head back to the haunted house?” Shinso asked.

“It’s not, but,” Kaminari yawned. “Feels like a good time for a nap.” Rolling his eyes with a smirk, Shinso led the way back to the haunted house. Inside, the couch they’d purposely distressed to look old sat in the dim living room. Shinso took a seat, and Kaminari quickly plopped down, laying his head on Shinso’s lap. 

“You’re my pillow now. Nighty night,” Kaminari murmured, settling in. Shinso gave an amused sigh, letting him get comfortable as he scrolled through his phone for a while. Not long after, Todoroki and Midoriya returned to the haunted house, glancing over at the scene.

“He’s asleep?” Midoriya asked quietly, taking a seat on the other end of the couch with a warm smile.

“Yup,” Shinso said, popping the "p" for emphasis.

“Couldn’t sleep last night, huh?” Todoroki asked, glancing at Kaminari’s relaxed expression.

“Doesn’t matter if he’s tired or not—he’ll sleep anywhere, anytime,” Shinso replied, gently running his fingers through Kaminari’s hair. They all settled into a comfortable silence, waiting for the haunted house to open. Midoriya and Todoroki sat on the other side of the couch and occasionally Kaminari would turn around to get more comfortable. After a while Bakugou and Kirishima walked in, Bakugou looking like he was on the edge of an explosion, sparks flickering from his clenched fists.

“Katsuki?” Todoroki asked cautiously, looking up from his phone.

“Shut it, Icy—” Bakugou cut himself off, taking a deep breath. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

"Need some ice? Or maybe a little cooldown?" Todoroki asked, forming small ice crystals on his palm. Bakugou eyed the frosty offering, paused, then muttered , "Please," before stepping over and sinking to the floor in front of Todoroki. He let Todoroki's cool hand glide through his hair, visibly easing the tension in his shoulders.

Midoriya caught Kirishima’s attention and signed, What happened? He hadn’t seen Bakugou this upset in a while. Kirishima just shrugged, signing back, Found him like this. Ashido and Sero were with him, looking just as mad.

That’s odd  

Midoriya thought, glancing at the door. Where are they now? Kirishima shook his head. Ash said she needed a moment to cool off. She’s probably coming. Hanta is with her.

Just then, Kaminari stirred awake, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He looked up at Shinso, noticing the intense mood that had settled over the group. Shinso only shrugged, his expression saying he didn’t know what had happened either. At that moment, Mina and Sero entered the room. Mina immediately made her way to Bakugou, sitting beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. Sero took a stand next to Kirishima, who gave him a concerned look.

Kaminari decided he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Alright, what the hell happened?” he asked, his tone breaking the silence.

Sero looked at him, then let out a sigh. “Un hijo de puta happened,” he muttered in Spanish, which made Kaminari’s brows shoot up. Sero was pissed.

(Translation: A son-of-a-bitch happened)

“Como?” Kaminari asked, his expression turning serious.

(Translation: Like?)

“A guy was hitting on Ashido,” Sero explained. “That’s not the problem. She told him to back off and that she had a boyfriend, but he hit her with the ‘he doesn’t have to know’ line. I was right there. Told him I’m the boyfriend and he still didn’t fuck off, and then Katsuki showed up. I’m not sure what was said, but I don’t blame him for wanting to explode the guy’s head off.” Sero’s voice was tinged with anger as he spoke, words spilling out quickly. “That damn guy didn’t catch a hint.”

“Who was the guy?” Todoroki asked, looking ready to intervene.

“We’re not adding more to your list of ‘illegal chores,’ Half-and-Half,” Bakugou muttered softly, his head buried in his arms, knees drawn tightly to his chest. “Doesn’t matter; some of the pro heroes stepped in and handled it.”

“Thank you, Suki,” Ashido murmured, her voice soft as she squeezed his arm. Bakugou only let out a frustrated groan, avoiding her gaze. Kaminari stood, pulling Sero aside and lowering his voice. “Was that all that happened? Don’t lie to me.”

Sero glanced back at the group, sighing. “One more thing,” he admitted, voice tight. “I do know what was said. The guy called Kats some form of “villain.”....” Sero paused, running a hand through his hair, and then lightly started tugging at it. ”I threw a punch, so that’s when the pro heroes stepped in. Thankfully, no kids were around, and they let us off with a warning.”

Kaminari’s eyes narrowed. “Who was he?”

“Didn’t catch his name, and we’re not going to find out,” Sero replied firmly. “We’re here to celebrate, not hunt down some asshole.” Kaminari exhaled, shaking his head but nodding. Sero gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before they rejoined the others.

“You can take your hand off now, Icy-Hot,” Bakugou muttered. “I’m fine…..just.”

“Stressed?” Midoriya finished for him, his voice gentle.

“Yeah. That,” Bakugou mumbled.

Kaminari slipped into the room next to the living room and returned moments later with a bowl of snacks, setting it gently in front of Bakugou. “Maybe you’re just hangry.”

“Last thing I am is hungry,” Bakugou grumbled. “Spent half the day making food for this event—it killed my appetite.”

“Well, eat some anyway,” Kaminari insisted, giving him a gentle nudge. “You worked hard; don’t let some jerk ruin today for you,” Bakugou grunted in response, but a small, appreciative smile flickered across his face as he took a small bag of spicy chips.

“It’s like my grandpa always said: ‘No te enojes con la comida, no te hizo nada.’” Sero chuckled, his voice tinged with nostalgia. He shot a glance at Bakugou. “Just a little wisdom for our hot-headed chef here.” Bakugou rolled his eyes, though a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Idiot. Not everyone here speaks Spanish,” he grins. Sero froze, noticing the blank stares around the room; everyone but Kaminari and Bakugou looked confused. Rolling his eyes at Sero, Kaminari stepped in, translating, “He said, ‘Don’t get mad at the food; it didn’t do anything to you.’”

Mina and Kirishima turned to Kaminari, surprise in their voices as they asked, “Wait, you understand Spanish?”

Kaminari grinned, leaning back with a casual shrug. “Yeah, didn’t I ever mention it? I’m half-Japanese.” He chuckled as their surprise deepened. “I guess you can fill in the rest.” As everyone absorbed this revelation, Bakugou chipped in with his own smirk. “I learned Spanish to be better than y’all. Also, I’m like a quarter Dominican?” he added, casually . “Got it from my mom’s side.”

Mina’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding! You’re both bilingual?”

Bakugou shrugged, brushing it off. “I mean, what’d you expect? Gotta stay sharp.” Despite the usual gruffness, there was an almost uncharacteristic hint of pride in his tone, not to show off, but genuine pride. “Ahh. Not bilingual. I can understand four languages.” 

Kaminari laughed, nudging him. “Guess we both kept a few secrets, huh, Kats?” Bakugou rolled his eyes but didn’t protest, while the rest of the group besides Sero stared at them.

“ Yeah, now that the cat’s out of the bag, let me just say—Katsuki, Denki, and I all speak Spanish. And we have this amazing Spanish playlist.” Sero grinned widely. “Also, I’m pretty sure that’s why I’m one of Mrs. Kaminari’s two favorites.”

“Dumbass,” Kaminari shot back, playfully smacking Sero on the head. “She doesn’t even have favorites.”

“If she did, it’d be me,” Bakugou interjected with a smirk, popping a chip into his mouth. Kirishima turned to Bakugou, brow furrowed. “Wait, why didn’t I know you were a quarter Dominican?” Bakugou shrugged. “It’s only like a quarter. Barely even counts.”

“Yeah, well, that quarter lets you cook in the summertime bro,” Sero laughed, nudging him. “You get hella tan.”

Mina pointed between Sero and Bakugou, crossing her arms over her chest. “Hold up—why didn’t I know you were a quarter Dominican and you’re half Mexican?” She looked between them, half-pouting. “You two have been holding out on us.”

Sero just shrugged, grinning slyly. “Oopsie poopsies.”

Todoroki raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. “Anyone else want to surprise us with their family history?”

Mina leaned back, chuckling. “Not that you don’t already know everything about mine.”

Kaminari popped a sucker out of the candy bowl, unwrapped it with a quick twist, and chomped down on it. “We should turn the rest of our ‘I didn’t know that’ moments into a game after the festival,” he said, grinning. Sero looked disgustingly at Kaminari biting right into the sucker. “You’re a monster,” he muttered, grabbing a handful of candy and stuffing it into his pockets. “But that actually sounds fun.”

“What are you guys even supposed to be in those costumes?” Todoroki asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at their interesting collection of outfits.

Sero pointed to himself, grinning. “Mexican Spider-Man, obviously.”

Kirishima puffed out his chest proudly. “I’m Crimson Riot! My favorite pro hero.” He’d spent most of the month perfecting his costume, asking for Bakugou’s help to add some extra details for a personal touch.

Mina shrugged, brushing some fake cobwebs off her dress. “I just went for the classic dead look. Found an old dress, tore it up, and added some fake blood.”

Bakugou, still seated in front of Todoroki, gave a quiet cough. “I… was gonna go with something like that,” he mumbled, nodding to Mina’s costume, “but I’d rather not look, uh, dead. Doesn’t suit me.” The room grew silent, and Midoriya shifted uncomfortably in his seat. They all understood the weight behind Bakugou’s words, though no one dared to speak it aloud. Bakugou glanced around and, with a small, apologetic smile, shrugged it off. “So, instead of... that... I went with a weird-looking pirate look,” he added, finishing his statement.

After a pause, Kaminari broke the silence with a goofy grin. “Alright, Mexican Spider-Man, Crimson Riot, a zombie queen, weird pirate, ghost, another zombie, vampire king and myself let’s have a fun night! We have around an hour until this haunted house is going to be filled with screams!” Sero started laughing, barely able to contain whatever joke he was about to make. Kaminari instantly knew what was coming and smacked his arm before he could say it. “Anyway! Let’s make sure everything is set and ready before we open,” Kaminari announced with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“We already did that while you were napping on the couch,” Jiro said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. Kaminari yelped, jumping behind Sero in surprise. “You were here the whole time?!”

“Pretty much,” Jiro smirked, crossing a few more things off her clipboard. “I came in a couple minutes after you knocked out and started drooling on Hitoshi.”

Kaminari flushed bright red, quickly steering the conversation in a new direction. The group spent the next hour chatting, laughing, and building excitement for the night ahead. Then, the speakers crackled to life, announcing that the haunted house would open in five minutes. With eager waves and goodbyes, Kirishima, Sero, Bakugou, and Mina headed off to join their assigned groups or wherever needed help.

☀ ▶️💤

As the moon started to rise the cold wind started blowing around the house, making Kaminari shiver slightly in his leather costume. Just then, he felt a comforting warmth spread through the area and glanced around to spot Todoroki, who gave him a subtle wave. Kaminari grinned, mouthing, “Thank you, ” before diving back into his role, eagerly scaring groups of teenagers and kids who passed through the haunted house. The festival ran until midnight, the hours filled with screams, laughter, and an energy that could only come from the thrill of Halloween. By the time Aizawa signaled it was over, everyone was drained. He gave them a rare smile and told them they could head back to the dorms, reminding them to be ready to help with cleanup in the morning. They all piled into the bus, too tired for much talking, and made their way to the dorms, where most showered and collapsed into their beds, exhausted but satisfied with the night.

💤

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the gaps in Kaminari’s blinds, landing square on his face. He groaned, turning over and burying his head into the pillow, trying desperately to hide from the sun. Sleep still clung to him, and he willed himself to drift off again, but it was no use; he was fully awake now. Resigning, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand and squinted at the screen. 8:53 a.m. Greattttt, he thought, rolling his eyes. I barely got any sleep and still woke up early. What could be worse? Just as he closed his eyes again, determined to stay in bed a bit longer, his phone buzzed in his hand. He lazily blinked down at the notification. *Cleaning will start at 11 a.m*. Kaminari sighed, dropping the phone on his chest and covering his face with his hand. I hate today. Kaminari sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he looked around his room. It was mostly clean already, so that wasn't going to help pass the time. He thought briefly about tackling some homework, but it was the weekend—why waste it on that? He picked up his phone from his lap and scrolled through his recent messages with Shinso. He wanted to text him, but hesitated, worrying it might come off as clingy since they’d only seen each other a few hours ago.

“Ughhh, this sucksssss,” he groaned quietly, letting his head fall back against his pillow.

“What sucks?” a voice came from the doorway, startling him. Sero stood there, freshly showered and looking amused.

“Do people not knock anymore?” Kaminari shot back, sitting up straighter.

Sero shrugged. “I knew you weren’t naked. Anyway, you might want to think about a shower yourself.”

“Huh? Why?” Kaminari asked, confused. Sero simply pointed at him, then toward the mirror. Kaminari looked over and realized he was still in his costume from the night before, his hair a mess and traces of makeup smudged across his face.

“Oh… right,” he muttered, suddenly self-conscious. “Guess I passed out as soon as I hit the bed.”

Sero smirked. “Yeah, figured. How about breakfast while you clean up? I’ll whip something up.”

Kaminari’s eyes lit up. “You’d do that? Surprise me—I’m starving!” he said, making an exaggerated puppy-dog face.

Sero rolled his eyes. “Fine. But you owe me, dude,” he grumbled, heading to the kitchen.

Kaminari gathered his shower stuff and headed to the bathroom. By the time he was done scrubbing off his makeup and washing out the hair dye, the bathroom was steamy, and his face was pink from scrubbing. He dried off, pulled on a fresh set of clothes, and returned to his room, tossing his dirty laundry into the hamper.

-

Meanwhile, Shinso had already been up for a bit, having managed to actually sleep well for a change. Waking to find his room still dark, he realized he’d forgotten to open the blinds the night before. A glance at his phone told him it was only 9:03 a.m. He stretched, feeling his back pop, then made his way downstairs, craving breakfast. In the kitchen, Sero was at the stove, flipping a slice of French toast.

“What’s cooking?” Shinso asked, glancing over as he grabbed some juice from the fridge.

“Classic French toast. Denki begged for breakfast,” Sero replied, stirring his mix and grinning. “He asked me to make something as he showers.”

“He didn’t shower last night? ” Shinso chuckled.

“Nope.” Sero let out a pop on the ‘p,’ clearly amused. “He crashed the second he hit his bed, and that’s after the nap he took before the haunted house opened.”

“Guy sleeps more than anyone I know,” Bakugou chimed in, leaning against the counter as he joined them.

“No kidding,” Sero snorted, setting the first slice on a plate.

“Quite the opposite of ‘sleepless’ here,” Bakugou said, nodding at Shinso with a hint of a smirk. Shinso gave him a look. “They say opposites attract, right?” Bakugou said with a while grin plastered across his face. Sero smirked, clearly seeing an opportunity. “ You know, maybe it’s time to ask him out already?” he nudged, voice light but knowing. Shinso immediately stiffened, scrambling for an idea of how to change the topic, but Bakugou cut in. “ You’re scared of rejection, huh? ” he said bluntly, though his tone held a surprising softness.

“Damn, bro,” Sero said, giving Bakugou a light smack. “That was harsh.”

Bakugou just shrugged, unfazed. Shinso rubbed the back of his neck, mumbling, “He’s… not far off, honestly.”

Sero threw an arm around Shinso’s shoulders, grinning. “Hey, no worries! I’ll get his dream date all set up for you. You two would be adorable together!”

Before Shinso could even reply, Kaminari’s voice came from the staircase as he walked in, “Who would be adorable together?”

Shinso practically jumped, his face flushing. Thinking quickly, Bakugou covered for him. “We were talking about Shoto’s older sister Fuyumi and someone she met at work, ” he lied smoothly.

“Oh,” Kaminari nodded, seeming relieved to hear something normal. “How’s Todoroki’s family doing these days?” he asked, glancing at Bakugou.

“Doing better,” Bakugou said with a small smile, steering the conversation away from Shinso.

The chatter drifted from there, and soon other classmates joined, chatting and eating their breakfast. As 11 a.m. neared, they all knew it was time to head back to the festival grounds to help clean up. Once they arrived, they split into groups for cleanup duty. Jiro took the living room, Midoriya and Todoroki covered the downstairs areas, while Shinso and Kaminari were assigned to handle the upstairs.

“Just you and me, huh? ” Kaminari joked, tossing a grin at Shinso as they headed upstairs together.

“Looks like it,” Shinso replied, trying to hide the smile tugging at his lips.

“Alright,” Kaminari said, glancing around. “How about we split up? That way, we can cover more ground and finish faster.”

“Not a bad plan, Denki,” Shinso replied, gesturing to both sides of the house. “Which side do you want?”

“I’ll take the right,” Kaminari said with a grin. “It’s got most of the electrical stuff. Wouldn’t want you getting shocked.” He gave Shinso a cheeky wink.

“Ha-ha, hilarious,” Shinso deadpanned, rolling his eyes but smiling. “Alright, see you when we’re done.”

Kaminari nodded and made his way to the right side of the house, surveying the decorations they’d spent so long putting up. Now, faced with the task of taking everything down, he began to regret how extensive they’d gone. He sighed and got to work, carefully unplugging all the lights and electronic decorations.

-

Meanwhile, Bakugou, Kirishima, and Sero roamed the area, offering a hand to groups that needed extra help. “Katsuki,” Sero started, prompting Bakugou to glance over. “ Do you think Hitoshi will ever tell Denki he likes him?”

“Wait, Hitoshi likes Denki?” Kirishima asked, surprised.

“You didn’t know?” Sero raised an eyebrow, and Kirishima just shook his head.

Bakugou scoffed. “I thought it was obvious. Eyebags isn’t exactly subtle, and it seems like Denki’s into him too. They flirt in a more genuine way than he does with Hanta here.”

“So, what’s the problem?” Kirishima asked, brows furrowing.

“Eyebags is scared that Dunce Face will say no. Dunce Face….I don’t know what he is doing,” Bakugou replied, shrugging.

“That’s where we come in!” Sero said with a grin. “We’ll make it happen.”

“Nope.” Bakugou’s response was instant.

“No?” Sero and Kirishima echoed, confused.

“We can give them a nudge, but we’re not doing it for them,” Bakugou said firmly. “Denki’s got to figure this out on his own. And don’t tell Ashido—she’d start planning their wedding or something.”

“That’s so boring, but fine,” Sero sighed, raising his hands in defeat. “I’ll keep it from Ashido, and I won’t plot anything.”

“But… we could nudge them a little, right?” Kirishima chimed in. “ Like, set up situations where they’re alone together in romantic spots.”

Bakugou raised an eyebrow. “What are you even talking about, Eijiro?”

“You know,” Kirishima continued enthusiastically. “Like ‘double dates’ or something! We take them somewhere nice, somewhere that’s got a romantic vibe. The couples will all naturally pair off, so it won’t be too obvious, and it’ll push them together.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes. “What are you, writing a romance manga?”

“I mean, it’s not like we’re forcing them,” Kirishima argued.

“But it’s pretty obvious,” Sero admitted. “Maybe we just let them figure it out… until Christmas. Then, I’m hanging mistletoe right above them.”

Bakugou narrowed his eyes. “You think you can make it that long without planning something?”

Sero laughed. “Oh, definitely. I’ll keep it subtle —until the mistletoe comes out.”

“Sure.” Bakugo said as they continued walking. “What happens if one runs away?”

Sero’s face grew into a wide smile, “Then bless the gods I was born with the quirk I have! As long as I don’t answer Hitoshi’s questions he can’t brainwash me to let them go! And Denki can’t use his quirk in fear of shocking Hitoshi!.”

“You are evil.” responded Kirishima while chuckling.

-

“AND WE ARE DONE!” Kaminari announced triumphantly, dropping to the ground with a dramatic sigh. “No more cleaning!”

“It wasn’t even that bad, Denki,” Shinso replied, plopping down beside him at the top of the stairs.

“We way over-decorated! Sure, it looked amazing on the night of, but cleaning it all up?” Kaminari groaned. “Should’ve faked being sick!”

“You complain too much.” Shinso chuckled, shaking his head. “Come on, we should go downstairs and see if they need any help.”

“Ughhh, but I don’t wanna…”

“Then I’ll drag you down the stairs, Denks.”

Kaminari sat up, mimicking Kirishima’s voice with a smirk . “In the wise words of one Eijiro Kirishima: ‘That’s not very manly!’”

Shinso rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll carry you down— bridal style. ” He smirked, clearly daring Kaminari to argue.

“Sounds like hea—” Kaminari’s words cut off as Shinso effortlessly swept him off the ground, holding him close. Kaminari flushed a light shade of pink, eyes wide. “You were serious?!”

“Yup. Now we’re going to help the others.” Shinso started down the stairs, barely breaking a sweat as he held Kaminari, who suddenly seemed very quiet.

“Oh hey, you two.” said Jirou

Shinso simply nodded as he carried Kaminari over to the living room and finally set him down. “Finished upstairs?”

“Yep,” Shinso replied, dusting off his hands . “What about Shouto and Izuku?”

“They finished and went to help some of the others. I was just waiting for you two so I could lock up this house.” Jirou finally looked up from her phone, giving them a curious look. “What’s up with you, Denki?”

Kaminari shot up, his face still pink. “Nothing! I’m fine, let’s go help everyone clean!” And without a second thought, he grabbed Shinso by the wrist and dashed out the door, practically dragging him down the hill. By the time they reached the bottom, Kaminari was panting, catching his breath.

“What happened to ‘no more cleaning’? ” Shinso asked, eyeing him with a playful smirk.

“Haha… yeah, uh… change of heart or something.”

Shinso raised an eyebrow. “Is this about me carrying you? I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“NO!” Kaminari yelped, louder than he intended. Shinso blinked, surprised, and took a slight step back. “Sorry, um… hang on.” Kaminari paused, clearly wrestling with his thoughts as his face grew darker and darker red. Finally, he looked up. “Okay, no, it didn’t make me uncomfortable. Actually, I… I liked it. A lot? Like, it felt nice being held.” He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, does that sound weird? But, um, yeah… I liked being held. By you, specifically.” He couldn’t meet Shinso’s eyes, his cheeks now a deep shade of red.

Shinso stood there, staring at him, his own face tinted with pink. After a moment of silence, Kaminari shifted uncomfortably. “Say something?” Kaminari whispered, voice barely audible.

Shinso gave a soft chuckle. “Well… good. Because I liked it too.” His voice was low, steady, and somehow comforting. “So, maybe next time you don’t have to wait for an excuse to be close.”

Kaminari’s eyes brightened, the tension melting into a genuine smile. "Guess that’s a deal then.”

“So… about helping the others clean?” Shinso said with a smirk.

Kaminari groaned, throwing his head back. “Aaaand moment ruined!”

Shinso chuckled. “I think it’s still a pretty good moment.”

Kaminari blurted, “Ilikeyou.” The words tumbled out so fast it was a blur.

“What?” Shinso tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. “What did you say?”

Kaminari cleared his throat. “Uh, I said we should go help. You know, clean.”

“Did you really?”

“Nope!” Kaminari’s face flushed, his gaze darting anywhere but Shinso’s.

“Denki…”

Kaminari sighed, the pink tint on his cheeks deepening. “Okay, I promise I’ll tell you… when the time’s right.”

Shinso’s eyes softened, and he extended his pinky with a small smile. “Promise?”

Kaminari grinned, linking his pinky with Shinso’s. “Pinky promise.”

❄️ 🦃

Time Skip to November 13th. 

❄️ 🦃

Kaminari paced in tight circles around his dorm room, his feet softly thudding against the floor. Bakugou sprawled on the bed near the wall, watched him with an exasperated look.

“Alright, quit it. You’re making me dizzy with all this pacing,” Bakugou said, crossing his arms. “What’s got you all riled up, anyway?”

Kaminari stopped mid-step, looking at Bakugou as if he’d asked the most obvious question in the world . “Rude. But fine, I need your opinion because, out of everyone I know, I actually trust you the most….with this type of shit. I don’t feel like opening up an old can of worms to someone new.”

Bakugou raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Are you…dying?”

“No!” Kaminari’s expression was pure horror. He took a breath and lowered his voice. “Look. I want to ask out Hitoshi.”

Bakugou’s expression remained unimpressed. “And the problem is…?”

Kaminari threw his hands up in frustration. “I thought you’d get it.”

“Maybe I would if you explained it better?”

Kaminari groaned. “Fine. I want to ask him out, but I’m kind of…holding myself back? It’s not even that I’m afraid of him saying no. I’m panicking because he might say yes!”

Bakugou blinked, waiting for him to continue. “Alright, try that again—why would him saying yes freak you out? Isn’t that the whole goal?”

“It is! But I’m just… not a dream guy, okay? What if things go wrong? Like, what if I lose control of my quirk and hurt him? Or I push him away whenever I’m going through it, and it just ends up being a mess?”

Bakugou sat up, giving Kaminari a serious look. “Then talk about this stuff with him. You’re not gonna ruin him by being human. It’s called communication, genius—it’s worked for everyone else. You aren’t going to be the exception to that rule.”

Kaminari stared down at the floor, gripping his arms tightly. The urge to scream, cry—anything to break through the overwhelming wave of emotions—was rising. He knew Bakugou was right, but his own thoughts felt louder than reason, wrapping around him with the same painful conviction. Deep down, in every situation, he always assumed he was to blame. Bakugou watched him, his gaze softening. “Look, Denki. I don’t know Hitoshi on a personal level, but he’s got his own problems like the rest of us. Neither of you is perfect. There’s never gonna be a perfect moment, either.” Kaminari opened his mouth, then closed it, afraid that if he spoke, his voice would break.

Bakugou stepped closer. “Hey, I’m not gonna judge you for crying. I know how your brain works. I just don’t believe there’s anything you could do to make Hitoshi hate you. I mean, unless you, like, kill his family or something, but we both know you’re not doing that.”

Kaminari gave a weak, watery chuckle but then faltered. “What…what if he just gets tired of me?” A tear slipped down his cheek. He’d heard that phrase so many times as a kid; he’d come to expect it, even fear it.

Bakugou’s expression softened even more as he got up and pulled Kaminari into a hug. Kaminari clung to him, his fingers gripping the back of Bakugou’s shirt as if it were the only thing keeping him steady. “You know what?” Bakugou murmured. “From everything I’ve seen, I think that’s almost impossible. He cares about you, Denki, romantic or not. That guy’s got your back. And if it turns out he doesn’t, there are plenty of other fish out there. But personally, I think this is your fish.”

Kaminari squeezed him a little tighter. “Thank you… I’m sorry.”

Bakugou scoffed. “Don’t be. You don’t owe me any apologies. I told you I’d be here for you, and that’s what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes. “I can do whatever I want. Now, want me to help you plan out your big move? Because, heads up—you’re on a deadline.”

Kaminari tried to frown. “What?”

“Hanta and Eijiro gave you guys till Christmas. If nothing happens by then, they’re stepping in.”

Kaminari couldn’t help it; a smile crept onto his face. “Of course, that sounds exactly like them.”

Bakugou let Kaminari hold onto him a little longer. Finally, Kaminari stepped back, wiping away his tears with a shaky laugh. "Now I feel stupid for crying.”

“It’s not stupid,” Bakugou replied, shaking his head. “Now come on, let’s figure out what you’re gonna do. ” He led Kaminari to sit beside him on the bed.

​​“Right... I mean, I want it to be special," Kaminari said, thinking aloud. "The place I really started to realize I liked him was in Eijirou’s room… and before that, at the joint training with Class B. Those places mean a lot to me, but I can’t just ask him out there. I want it to feel, I don’t know… memorable. Like, sunsets are pretty?”

“Cliché as hell.”

“Cut me some slack, Katsuki!” Kaminari said with a dramatic sigh, flopping backward onto the bed. “I just don’t want it to be random, like some casual ‘I like you’ over text or on a random Tuesday afternoon.”

Bakugou mulled it over. Winter had set in, which didn’t give them many options . “How are you two with the cold?”

“Uh, Hitoshi’s usually pretty warm. It’s kind of weird… And I mean, I can warm myself up with my quirk if I REALLY have to, but my hair gets all spiky, so I only use it when it’s life or death. Why?”

Bakugou shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “How about taking a walk at night to see the winter illuminations? It’s romantic enough to remember, not too over the top, and—who knows—if everything goes like it would in one of those romance mangas, he’ll keep you warm. Or maybe a snow festival, but that’s outside, too…”

“The illuminations don’t sound bad.” Kaminari’s voice was soft, his eyes still a little red.

“You should get some rest. Want me to head out so you can call it an early night?”

“Actually, I don’t want to be alone right now…” Kaminari trailed off, glancing at Bakugou.

Bakugou knew what was coming. “I can stay until you fall asleep if you want.”

“Thank you Kats.”

“No problem.”

Kaminari looked at Bakugou, hesitating, and then finally spoke up. “Actually… could you invite Eijirou over, too? I’d like to spend time with both of you.”

With a faint smile, Bakugou pulled out his phone. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, as they traded lighthearted stories and snatches of overheard conversations from the day, Kaminari changed into his pajamas and got cozy under the covers. Soon, Kirishima arrived, bringing a bag full of Kaminari’s favorite snacks, foods, and drinks.

“Eijiro, you’re an angel sent from up above!!” Kaminari practically launched himself off the bed to hug him.

“It sounded like you needed to be spoiled by us man!”

Kaminari grinned, gathering the bags and setting them on the floor. Then, with a mischievous smile, he gave Kirishima a nudge onto the bed. “We’re gonna have a movie night. No, you can’t say no. Yes, I am going to put on the same movie I have for the last 9, movie nights.” Bakugou and Kirishima shared a smile, settling in with Kaminari, who finally seemed to relax. Kaminari hadn’t made it even halfway through the movie before he started snoring. Bakugou and Kirishima carefully made their way out of bed and turned off the TV. Leaving the blonde to snore rather loudly in his room. 

-

🌃 🟪

-

That same night, Kaminari was hanging out with Bakugou and Kirishima, while Shinso made his way over to Class 2B’s dorms. He passed a few students chatting in the common area and headed straight to Monoma’s room. Without hesitation, he opened the door, flopping onto the bed with a tired sigh.

“Neito.”

“Hitoshi,” Monoma responded, spinning his chair around. “I certainly hope this is important. Some of us have a reputation to uphold—gotta show Class 2B is intellectually superior to Class 2A.”

“Cut the crap, Neito. I need your help.”

Monoma studied Shinso’s face, a grin creeping onto his own. “Goodness! You look awful. What happened to you?”

“Neito. Please.”

Monoma rolled his eyes and relented. “Fine, fine. What’s up? Not like I was really working, anyway.”

Shinso sat up on the bed, his feet dangling over the edge. “How do I ask Denki out?”

Monoma blinked in surprise, staring at Shinso as if he expected him to say more. “Wait... You’re not already dating?”

Shinso shook his head slowly. “Nope. We’re... friends? We’re definitely close, but we’re not, you know, dating .”

“Huh,” Monoma muttered, leaning back. “Well, you sure had me fooled. Alright, maybe start with something classic? Buy him flowers or something he’d like?”

Shinso groaned. “You’re hopeless.”

“I’m hopeless? This isn’t exactly my expertise, you know.” Monoma waved a hand dismissively. “Alright, let’s break it down. What kind of vibe are you going for here? Do you want to make it obvious that it’s a special moment? Or something more relaxed?”

Shinso thought about it. He wanted it to be memorable and special, to show Denki just how much he meant to him, even if they were just friends for now. He knew Kaminari wasn’t a fan of winter, always catching colds when the temperature dropped.

“It’s bad timing, with the weather and all. Denki hates the cold,” Shinso mused.

Monoma snapped his fingers. “Then plan it indoors! Go to a cozy café—maybe a cat café? They’re warm, and, well, cats. Or better yet, make it festive. Does he like Christmas?”

Shinso smirked, surprised. “That’s actually a good idea. And yeah, Denki loves Christmas and pretty much every holiday. He’s big on celebrating with people he cares about.”

Monoma chuckled. “He does have a cheerful energy about him.”

Shinso raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing negative! Just… it’s refreshing to be around people who see things so positively.”

A hint of understanding passed between them, and Shinso softened. “You know, if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Monoma smiled, his usual sharpness fading. “I know. I’m just learning to accept that I don’t have to prove myself to everyone anymore. Feels kind of nice.”

“I’m sure if you stopped being such a jerk around my class, they’d warm up to you in no time,” Shinso said, a slight smirk tugging at his mouth. “Especially Izuku and Denki—they’d refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Monoma chuckled, the sound surprisingly warm. “Now there’s an idea. Though I’d probably need to start with some more fleshed-out apologies to Midoriya and, well, Bakugou.”

Shinso snorted. “Izuku would accept it. That guy’s too forgiving for his own good. As for Katsuki… yeah, good luck with that one. That guy might just be the most stubborn guy I know.”

“Yeah, well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Monoma shifted the conversation back. “What about you? Want to add anything to the café plan? Make it a little grander?”

Shinso hesitated, his gaze falling to his hands. “Honestly… I don’t know what ‘grand’ would even look like for me. I’ve never really celebrated anything with someone special before, let alone… you know, romantically. I just don’t want to screw this up. I keep worrying I’ll say the wrong thing… or be the wrong thing.”

Without missing a beat, Monoma grabbed an eraser off his desk and threw it, hitting Shinso right on the shoulder. “ Hey! I won’t let you talk about yourself like that. You’re a good guy, Hitoshi. And from what I can tell, Kaminari doesn’t just like you—he loves you. There isn’t a single bone in his body that would hate you.” Shinso blinked, caught off guard by Monoma’s earnestness. He hadn’t expected this. “Look, if you say something wrong, you work it out. You apologize. That’s what people do.” Monoma’s gaze softened, a rare look for him. “You are not the ‘wrong thing,’ alright? Denki looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars. You’ve got a chance at something real here. Don’t waste it.”

“Thank you, Neito”

“You’re most welcome.”

====================================

[November 24 - Morning]

Kaminari cleared his throat dramatically, standing up as if addressing a crowd. “I have gathered you all here today. For I—”

Before he could finish, Sero chimed in, grinning. “Love you, dude. But seriously, tone down the theatrics.”

Bakugou gave an approving nod, barely looking up as he ate a piece of chicken from his soup.

“Ugh, you’re all terrible,” Kaminari pouted, but a hint of a smile broke through. “Anyway. I finally figured out how I want to tell Hitoshi I like him... more than a friend.”

Sero raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Mina elbowed him sharply before flashing Kaminari an encouraging smile. “What he meant was, how can we help?”

“Thank you, Ashido.” Kaminari’s face lit up. “I just need a little distraction. I want to pull Hitoshi aside, just the two of us, and tell him. So if you guys can keep the others entertained for a bit, that would be perfect.”

His friends exchanged looks, Sero throwing a wink, and Bakugou giving a reluctant thumbs-up.

“Consider it done,” Mina said, smiling back at Kaminari.

“Do you know what you are going to tell him?” asked Kirishima.

Kaminari sighed. “No, I don’t have a word-for-word plan for what I’m going to say. Just a general idea. If I try to script it, I’ll just overthink everything, and then I’ll start believing whatever messed-up outcomes my brain comes up with.”

“You’ll be fine,” Bakugou said, setting his bowl down on the nightstand. “The only way it’s going sideways is if one of you makes it more complicated than it needs to be.”

“Gotta agree with Blasty on this one,” Mina added, her voice carrying a subtle edge that sounded almost like a warning. Kaminari felt a chill run down his spine at her pointed look.

“N-No overcomplicating here!” Kaminari replied, laughing nervously as he tried to shake off the nerves.

====================================

[November 25 - Night]

The night of the party had arrived, and Yaoyorozu had graciously opened one of her family’s houses for the celebration. Students from Classes 2A and 2B mingled with others from different courses and schools. Inside, some were clustered around board games or deep in conversation, while outside, a spirited group enjoyed the freshly fallen snow, building snowmen, hurling snowballs, and even sledding down a slope in the yard. Shinso stood alone on the balcony, his gaze scanning the groups below when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Hello, Hitoshi.” Monoma’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to see his friend smirking at him.

“Oh, hey, Neito,” Shinso replied, a little caught off guard.

“Don’t look too thrilled to see me,” Monoma teased.

Shinso shook his head with a small chuckle. “It’s not that…I just haven’t seen Denki since he and Hanta joined that snowball fight.” He leaned over the balcony railing, searching the snowy yard.

“Why not go join them?” Monoma asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Snow’s not really my thing,” Shinso admitted.

“I didn’t think it was his, either,” Monoma pointed out, folding his arms.

Shinso’s eyes softened as he spotted Kaminari, laughing and ducking under a barrage of snowballs. “It isn’t,” he said, unable to hide a growing smile. “But he’s so ridiculously happy when he’s out there, you’d never guess it. Hates the cold, yet joins any winter-related activity known to man.”

“I’m guessing it’s not the snow that’s got you brooding, but the fact you were planning to tell him something important,” Monoma said, glancing up at the sky and watching snowflakes drift down and settle on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shinso turning a faint shade of red. “Ah, I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Maybe,” Shinso sighed dramatically. “I just…”

“Want to find the perfect moment to tell him you’re in love?”

“Yeah.”

“There’s no such thing as a perfect moment,” Monoma said matter-of-factly. “Perfect moments aren’t found; they’re made. Want me to mind-control him over here for you?”

“No, let’s not go there, Neito,” Shinso replied, giving a half-smile. “Last thing I want is people getting the wrong idea and giving you hell for it.”

“Fine, suit yourself. I’m off to find Kendo.”

“Alright. Catch you later.”

“Goodbye! But if you haven’t confessed by the time I see you next, I’ll use your quirk to get him here!” Monoma teased with a grin, giving a quick wave before disappearing down the hall.

Trust me, I know you’ll step in if I chicken out, Shinso thought, half-amused, half-nervous.

He leaned on the balcony railing, looking down at Kaminari, who was now almost completely dusted with snow from the fight below. Just then, Kaminari glanced up and caught Shinso’s eye. A bright smile spread across Kaminari’s face, and he waved enthusiastically. Shinso could feel a blush spreading to his cheeks.

You’re the reason I take risks, Denki, Shinso thought, smiling softly.

He was so absorbed in watching him that he didn’t even notice a snowball lobbed his way. It missed by a wide margin, its throw weakened by the height difference.

“Was that supposed to hit me?” Shinso called down, faking offense.

“Maybe!” Kaminari shouted back, laughing. “Wait right there—I’m coming up!”

Shinso chuckled, his heart beating a little faster. What’s this goofball up to now?

A minute later, Kaminari stood in front of him, a bit out of breath and red-faced from the cold.

“Hey, Hitoshi!”

“Hey, Denki. You didn’t have to sprint, you know. I’d would’ve waited.”

“Nah, it’s fine!” Kaminari dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “So, are you enjoying your night?”

“It’s been… quiet. Nothing huge has happened, which is rare.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Shinso smiled. “Considering how chaotic our lives can be, I’d say this is a very good thing.”

Kaminari laughed, inching closer to Shinso as they leaned over the balcony, looking down at their classmates still caught up in the snow, building forts and throwing snowballs under the starry sky.

“It’s nice to see everyone like this, isn’t it?” Kaminari said softly. “No worries about the future, no regrets about the past. Just… living.”

Shinso smiled, his eyes fixed on the snowy scene below. “It really is. Honestly, I didn’t think things could feel this bright,” he murmured, leaning a little further over the railing.

“See? Things are only getting better! Let’s try to keep this positivity train going!” Kaminari beamed.

Shinso chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll give it to you, Denki. You might actually be right.”

Kaminari grinned, his eyes lighting up as he noticed something. “You know, you’ve got snowflakes all tangled up in your hair right now.”

“Tonight, I don’t mind the snow,” Shinso replied, glancing back at him.

Kaminari’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Oh? Someone special keeping you warm, maybe?”

A faint blush crept up Shinso’s cheeks as he looked away, his voice soft. “Something like that.”

Kaminari’s smile faltered for a second. “So… who’s the lucky person?” he asked, his voice bright but tentative. Don’t be jealous, Denki. He isn’t yours, he reminded himself.

Shinso smirked. “Someone.”

“Come on! I don’t even get a hint?”

“Well… blonde.”

Kaminari froze, his mind racing. “Blonde?” He hesitated, barely mumbling, “Monoma?”

Shinso snorted. “Not quite.”

“So… they’re in our class?” Kaminari asked, his heart pounding.

Shinso only shrugged. “When the time’s right, you’ll know.”

“Aw, come on,” Kaminari pouted, masking his worry behind a playful whine. He laughed, but inside he was desperately hoping. There are a lot of blondes, but… could he mean me?

Shinso’s smirk turned playful. “Alright, let’s make this interesting. How about a game? If I win, you wait. If you win… I’ll tell you.”

“Ohhh, a game, huh? So… do I get to choose?”

“Go for it.”

Kaminari thought for a second, then grinned. “How about… rock, paper, scissors? Simple enough.”

“If that’s what you want.” Shinso chuckled.

“Best two out of three—just to keep it suspenseful,” Kaminari said, trying to sound nonchalant. But his heart was thudding so hard he was sure Shinso could hear it. The first round went to Shinso, who smirked slightly. Kaminari let out a sigh of relief at his best-of-three rule. The second round, however, went to Kaminari. It was all down to the third.

“Alright,” Shinso murmured, his voice soft but intense. “May the best win.”

Kaminari rolled his eyes, grinning despite himself. “Yeah, yeah.” He tried to keep his cool, but his hands were trembling . I just want to know…

Shinso looked at Kaminari, his eyes warm. I think this is my perfect moment. I’ll let him win.

On their final throw, Kaminari won. He let out a victory laugh, his face lighting up. “ You see that? Too good! Now, Mr. Mysterious—who’s the light of your life?”

Shinso took a deep breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he met Kaminari’s eyes. "Well… the person who’s standing right in front of me.”

"Standing in front of you? You mean…me?!" Kaminari’s voice shot up in excitement before he quickly slapped his hands over his mouth. “Me?” he mumbled through his fingers, wide-eyed.

Shinso chuckled and nodded.

“Are you serious? Me?” Kaminari asked again, his voice almost a whisper.

“Want me to say it out loud to believe it?” Shinso's smile softened even more.

“Please.”

“Denki,” Shinso began, his voice steady and sincere, “the person I like is you. I don’t know exactly when or how I started feeling this way, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’m glad I met you.”

Kaminari just stared, his cheeks flushed bright red.

“Denki? You okay?” Shinso asked, concerned.

“No—I mean, yes!” Kaminari finally let out a breath, grinning from ear to ear. “I was just planning on confessing to you, if you can believe it! I even had this whole elaborate plan...but that doesn’t matter now. Because I know you like me back.”

“So… you do like me?” Shinso asked, his voice quieter but hopeful.

“Obviously, you dummy,” Kaminari laughed, leaning forward into Shinso’s space. Shinso welcomed him, opening his arms and wrapping them around the blonde, pulling him close.

“I thought you were just naturally flirty,” Shinso teased. “Didn’t realize it was for me.”

“Nope, all of that was genuine flirting. So…did it work?” Kaminari grinned, his eyes shining.

“Maybe. Guess we’ll never know,” Shinso said with a smirk before placing a gentle kiss on the top of Kaminari’s head.

Kaminari pulled back just slightly, eyes bright with an idea. “Hey, want to open an agency together after graduation?”

Shinso blinked, a bit taken aback. “An agency? We haven’t even graduated yet!”

“So…is that a no?” Kaminari pressed, looking at him hopefully.

Shinso chuckled. “No, it’s not a no. I’d love to.”

“Good.” And with that, Kaminari leaned in and kissed him, sealing the promise. Shinso was surprised, but he returned the kiss with a quiet smile.

“There,” Kaminari said, pulling back slightly. “Promise sealed!”

Shinso grinned. “Then promise to stay by each other’s side, no matter what?”

Kaminari tilted his head, smirking . “Want another kiss to seal it?”

“Possibly,” Shinso murmured, his own smirk growing as he pulled Kaminari closer again.