Morning didn't stay quiet for long it never did. By the time Class 1-A made it outside, the air already buzzed with leftover energy from yesterday half the class talking over each other, the other half pretending they weren't tired. Kaminari stretched his arms over his head as he walked, shoulders loose, steps easy. "Man, if this is another lecture, I'm clocking out early," he muttered.
"You're always clocked out," Sero said.
"Yeah, but today I'd be officially clocked out. Big difference."
At the front, Aizawa stood waiting, looking exactly as done with everything as usual. The class settled eventually. "Same exercise we did a couple days ago," Aizawa said, voice flat. "Roles are swapped. Teams remain the same." A ripple of reactions followed. "Seriously?" someone groaned. "Oh, we're so winning this time," another voice chimed in.
Denki perked up slightly. Villain role this time. "Villains will defend," Aizawa continued. "Heroes will engage and secure. Adapt based on prior performance." His gaze flicked across the class briefly. "Try not to repeat your mistakes." Denki snorted under his breath. "Yeah, no pressure."
"Teams, move out." The shift was immediate. Students broke off into their pairs, energy picking up again as strategy started flying some of it useful, most of it not. "Alright," Jiro said beside him, flipping one of her jacks idly between her fingers. "Same plan as before, but we don't rush it." Denki grinned. "What, you don't trust me to go in headfirst?"
"I trust you to do exactly that."
"Wow. Rude."
She rolled her eyes, but there was something lighter in it today. "…Just stick close," she added, glancing at him briefly. "It worked last time." Denki nodded easily. "Yeah. We make a good team." Jiro paused just for a second then looked away. "…Yeah," she said. Denki didn't notice.
Across the field, you stood with Mina again, though this time Mina was already pacing like she had a master plan brewing. "I'm telling you," Mina was saying, "we lure them in, split them up, and then boom total domination." You nodded, listening. "Or," you added gently, "we keep it simple and control the space."
"Simple is boring."
"Simple works."
"Boring."
You smiled slightly. Denki caught that just for a second. "Focus," Jiro said, snapping him back.
"Begin."
This time, Denki didn't hesitate. "Left," Kyoka Jiro said quickly, already moving. "Got it," Denki followed, sparks flickering faintly across his fingertips. They moved through the mock buildings faster than yesterday less guessing, more instinct. More in sync. "Movement ahead," Jiro murmured, pressing her jack briefly to the wall. "One set light." Denki frowned slightly. "Just one?"
"…Yeah."
They rounded the corner and there you were. Alone. Denki blinked. "…Wait where's Mina?" You shrugged slightly, already shifting your stance. "She had a plan."
"…That bad, huh?"
"Very."
Denki laughed before he could stop himself. Jiro didn't. "Focus," she said, stepping forward slightly. "She's still the target." You tilted your head just a little, eyes flicking between them. "Both of you?" Denki grinned. "Don't worry, we'll go easy on you."
"Wow," you said lightly. "That's confident."
"Yeah, I've been practicing," he shot back.
"Getting trapped didn't discourage you?"
"Hey!"
A bubble flickered into existence near your hand. Denki pointed immediately. "Okay, no that's illegal now. You used that already."
"You walked into it."
"You made it."
You smiled causing Jiro's grip tightened slightly at her side. "…Kaminari."
"Yeah?" he said, not looking away from you.
"…Focus."
"Right, yeah focusing," he said, immediately not focusing. You took a small step back. A bubble expanded outward not to trap, but to deflect, hovering just enough to block space between you. Denki stepped forward anyway. "Still think you can catch me?" he asked.
"You're already walking into it again."
"Strategically."
"Of course."
Their movements circled light, testing, not full force yet. More like playing. Jiro noticed and something in her expression shifted. "…Kaminari," she said again, sharper this time. He didn't catch it because you moved. A quick flick of your wrist two smaller bubbles launched forward. Not to trap to distract. Denki dodged one easily. The second one grazed his arm, bouncing off harmlessly. "…Okay, that's new," he said, impressed. "Still think it's just bubbles?"
"…No, I take it back. That's actually kinda cool." You smiled again. Jiro stepped in fast too fast. Her attack came from the side precise, timed Not reckless. Not careless but targeted.
"Hey-" Denki started, turning the ground beneath all three of you cracked. It gave out completely. Denki dropped. You moved fast. A bubble snapped into place and suddenly everything stopped. Denki blinked. You were right there. Inside the bubble.
Close.
Way too close.
"…Okay," Denki said slowly. "This is becoming a pattern." You let out a small breath, clearly trying not to laugh. "I didn't plan that."
"Sure you didn't." There was no room to step back. No room to... Yeah. Denki became very aware of how close you were. Your shoulder brushed his slightly as the bubble steadied. "…Sorry," you said automatically. "No! no, it's fine," he said quickly. "It's uh teamwork."
"Right. Teamwork."
There was a pause neither of you moved. There wasn't anywhere to go. Denki glanced at you then immediately looked away. "…Do you always do this?" he asked.
"What?"
"Trap people and then save them?"
You smiled slightly.
"Only when it works."
"Wow. So this was all part of the plan?"
"Obviously."
He huffed a quiet laugh. The bubble shifted slightly as you adjusted it. You instinctively steadied yourself causing your hand to brush lightly against his arm. Denki froze. "…Okay," he said under his breath. "Now you're doing that on purpose."
"I'm not!"
"You totally are."
You laughed quieter this time a little more flustered. "I'm trying to keep us from falling."
"Yeah, yeah. Very convincing."
There was a slight pause. "You didn't hesitate," you said. Denki blinked again. "What?"
"You reacted faster," you added. "Before you even hit the ground."
"…Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "Guess I'm learning." You nodded. Soft. Certain. "I told you." That same line. Same tone. Denki's chest did that tight feeling again. "…Yeah," he said, quieter now.
Another pause.
"Still think you can distract me?" you asked. He looked over at you really looked this time. "…I mean," he said, a grin slipping back in, "you seem pretty distracted right now." You blinked then narrowed your eyes slightly. "That's because you're talking."
"Wow. So it is working."
"…Maybe a little."
There it was. That tiny shift. Not just joking. Not just playing. Something else.
Above them, the sound of movement Jiro landing nearby. The bubble wavered slightly both of you leaned instinctively closer again and stopped. Too close. "…We should probably move," Denki said. "Yeah," you agreed quickly. Yet neither of you moved for a moment.
Realizing it you both looked away at the same time. "…Right," Denki cleared his throat. "Hero stuff."
"Right."
But the moment still lingered. Even as the bubble started to rise. Even as the fight wasn't over. Because this time it didn't feel like just a coincidence It felt like something building.
The bubble rose slowly not fast enough to feel like escape. Neither of them said anything at first the space between them hadn't changed. If anything it felt smaller. Denki kept his eyes forward this time. "…So," he said after a second, voice a little lighter than he felt, "you do this with everyone, or am I just special?" You huffed a quiet laugh, still focused on keeping the bubble steady. "You keep falling into it. I'm adapting."
"Wow. So it is personal."
"Maybe you make it easy."
He glanced at you just for a second. "…I don't know," he said, a small grin tugging at his mouth. "You seem pretty distracted right now." You looked at him. Really looked this time. "…You're talking again," you said.
"Yeah," he shrugged. "Working, isn't it?"
"…Maybe a little."
That same shift. That same almost not joking tone.
Before either of you could say anything else a loud crash split the air. The bubble wobbled. Both of you snapped your attention upward. "Got you now!" Mina voice rang out, bright and chaotic. "Stay still!" Jiro shot back, sharper than before. They were already mid fight. Acid splashed across the ground in quick arcs, cutting off space, forcing movement.
Jiro countered fast precise, controlled, sound based attacks pushing back just enough to keep distance. But she wasn't holding back the same way. There was more edge to it now. More pressure. The bubble drifted higher. Denki shifted slightly, peering over the edge. "Wow. Mina's really going for it."
"She always does," you said.
Another sharp movement a misstep Mina surged forward. Too fast. Too unpredictable. Jiro blocked but not cleanly. Acid splashed near her footing, forcing her back then another cutting off her movement. "Wait-!" Jiro started too late. Mina closed the gap. Got her. "YES!" Mina shouted, already celebrating. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Now It was just you and Denki. The bubble hovered at the edge of the broken floor, lowering slightly as you adjusted it. Denki dropped lightly as it settled. You followed and for a second neither of you moved. The noise from Mina's celebration faded into the background. "…Guess it's just us now," Denki said.
"Looks like it."
"Still think you can get out this time?" you asked. Denki huffed a quiet laugh, rolling his shoulders slightly. "Yeah," he said. "I've been practicing, remember?"
"Mm. I'll believe it when I see it."
A bubble flickered to life near your hand again. Denki pointed immediately. "Hey no, I see that don't even try it." You moved fast. The bubble expanded Denki stepped forward right into it.
It snapped around him. For a split second neither of you said anything. You blinked. "…You just walked into that." Denki looked around at the bubble. Then back at you. "…Yeah," he said. No struggle. No immediate attempt to break out. You tilted your head slightly. "…You're not even trying." He shrugged, one shoulder lifting. "Maybe I wanted to see if it still worked."
"It clearly does."
"Yeah," he said, glancing at the surface lightly. "Still unfair." You stepped a little closer. Not close like before. Just closer. "You could get out if you tried," you said. Denki met your eyes for a second longer than before. "…Maybe," he said. Mina's voice carried faintly from across the field, still celebrating something. Neither of you looked. "…You hesitated," you added quietly. Denki huffed a soft laugh, looking away briefly. "Yeah, well… happens."
"That's not like you."
He glanced back at you. Grin smaller now. Less automatic. "…You don't know me that well yet," he said. "Maybe not," you said.
"You could've gotten out of the first one faster too." That landed. Denki stilled slightly. "…Yeah," he admitted. No joke this time. Just honest. The bubble shimmered faintly between you. "…Why didn't you?" you asked. He didn't answer right away. He didn't know what to say. He could've said. Timing, strategy distraction but none of those felt right. So instead he just shrugged. "…Guess I'm still learning," he said.
Your expression softened slightly. "Yeah," you said. "You are." There it was again. That same tone. Denki let out a quiet breath, then tapped lightly against the inside of the bubble. "Alright," he said, a little more lightly now. "You gonna keep me in here forever, or…?"
You smiled. "Maybe."
"Wow. Harsh."
There was a small pause between them.
"…You win, by the way."
You blinked. "…What?"
Denki gestured vaguely at the situation. "Pretty sure this counts."
"It doesn't count if you're not trying."
"Who says I'm not?"
"You're literally standing still."
"Strategic stillness."
You narrowed your eyes slightly. "…That's not a thing."
"It is now."
You huffed a quiet laugh. The bubble shimmered again then popped. Denki stepped forward as it disappeared. Free and he didn't attack. Just stood there looking at you. "…You're weird," you said. "Yeah," he said easily. "I've been told."
From across the field "WE WON!" Mina's voice rang out again. Denki glanced over. Then back at you. "…Guess that settles it," he said. You looked at him for a second longer like you were trying to figure something out. "…You could've taken that," you said.
Denki shrugged. "…Maybe." No follow up. No explanation. Just that but somehow that said more than anything else could've. Mina came running over a second later, already mid celebration. "We totally crushed that oh my gosh, did you see!" Denki stepped back slightly, giving her space. Letting the moment dissolve. But his gaze flicked back to you once more he didn't look away right away.
Because even if he couldn't explain it yet didn't have the words for it. He knew one thing. He hadn't tried as hard as he could have.