Denki had been sitting in your living room for exactly seventeen minutes and thirty two seconds.
Yes.
He counted.
Not because he was impatient. Definitely not because this was technically your first date and he felt like his heart was trying to chew its way out of his chest every time he looked toward the hallway.
He bounced his leg nervously from where he sat on your couch, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket while soft winter light filtered through the windows beside him. Outside, snow still rested peacefully along rooftops and sidewalks from the storm the night before, making the entire neighborhood glow pale silver beneath the cloudy afternoon sky.
The house smelled faintly like vanilla and laundry detergent. It was warm and comfortable. Which honestly wasn't helping Denki survive this situation at all. From somewhere upstairs came the sound of a drawer slamming shut followed by your muffled voice yelling: "I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR."
Denki blinked toward the ceiling. "You own clothes!" he yelled back immediately.
"That's not helping!"
He snorted quietly to himself. Then froze when he heard quick footsteps coming down the stairs. Denki straightened instantly and then you appeared. "This one?" you asked nervously. Denki's brain shut down immediately.
You stood near the bottom of the staircase smoothing your hands awkwardly against your outfit while avoiding eye contact with him completely. The sweater you wore looked soft enough to melt into, sleeves covering part of your hands while your hair framed your face in a way that made Denki forget how breathing worked for a second.
Floating nervously around you tiny pink bubbles drifted softly through the air. Denki felt his soul leave his body. "You look pretty." The compliment came out way too fast. Your eyes widened immediately. "So it's ugly."
"What?! No!"
You groaned dramatically before turning around again. "I'm changing."
"Y/n wait-"
He was too late. You were already running back upstairs while Denki dropped backward against the couch cushions with both hands over his face. "She's gonna kill me." Upstairs, another closet door slammed open. Then shut. Then opened again. Denki could hear you muttering to yourself from the second floor while bubbles continued floating occasionally down the staircase like physical manifestations of your panic.
Honestly?
It was adorable.
Ten more minutes passed before you returned downstairs again wearing something completely different. "This one maybe?" Denki looked up. And physically stopped functioning. Again. The second outfit somehow looked even prettier than the last one. The color made your skin glow warmly beneath the afternoon light while the necklace he bought you rested gently against your collarbone.
His necklace.
Denki's face immediately heated. Meanwhile you stood there anxiously waiting for an answer while nervously playing with your sleeves. "Well?"
Denki blinked rapidly. "…I think I'm having a medical emergency."
Your cheeks turned bright pink instantly. "Denki!"
"What?! You're making this impossible!"
Bubbles popped wildly around your head now in quick embarrassed little bursts while you covered your face halfway with your sleeves. "You hate it," you mumbled.
"How did you get that from what I said?!"
You groaned loudly again before spinning toward the stairs. "Nope. Changing again."
"Y/n."
"No."
"Y/n."
"I can do better than this."
"You literally can't."
But you were already halfway back toward the staircase again before Denki suddenly stood up from the couch. And before you could disappear upstairs for the millionth time his hand gently caught your wrist. You froze instantly. The bubbles around you popped softly into the air. Slowly, you turned back toward him. Denki stood closer now, still holding your wrist gently while looking at you with an expression so soft it immediately made your heart start stuttering all over itself again. "You know I'm gonna think you're beautiful no matter what you wear, right?"
Your entire face went pink. Denki smiled a little at your reaction before continuing more quietly: "You walked downstairs and my heart stopped like… five outfits ago." Even the bubbles around you seemed stunned.
POP POP POP.
A dozen tiny pink bubbles exploded around your head at once while you stared at him in complete embarrassment. Denki realized what he'd just admitted approximately three seconds too late. His own face immediately turned red. "I DIDN'T MEAN THAT IN A WEIRD WAY," he panicked instantly.
"You literally meant it in the weirdest way possible."
"Okay maybe a little weird-"
"A little?!"
Denki started laughing helplessly while you tried covering your burning face with both hands now, bubbles continuing to float wildly around the living room from your flustered emotions. But even through your embarrassment you were smiling. Denki noticed immediately. That smile was becoming dangerous for him.
For a moment neither of you moved. You stood there with your face half hidden behind your hands while tiny bubbles drifted lazily around the living room, catching the soft winter sunlight coming through the windows. Denki still held your wrist gently without even realizing it, and somehow that tiny detail made your heart flutter harder than it probably should have.
Everything suddenly felt… different. Lighter. Softer. Like the air between you had changed after the kiss. After this date. After everything. Denki finally rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, laughing under his breath. "So…" he started carefully. "Can we stop the fashion show before I emotionally collapse?" You lowered your hands slowly, trying and failing to hide the smile still pulling at your lips. "You're dramatic."
"You made me dramatic."
"I did not."
"You literally walked downstairs looking like that." His hand motioned vaguely toward you.
"Like what?"
Denki opened his mouth. Then immediately closed it again. Because the honest answer was 'Pretty enough to ruin his day.' Dangerously pretty. The kind of pretty that made him suddenly understand why romance movie characters forgot how to speak. Instead, he sighed dramatically. "Like I should've prepared myself emotionally."
Your face heated again instantly. A few tiny bubbles escaped near your shoulders. "You're laying it on thick today."
Denki grinned. "I'm on a confidence streak."
"After one kiss?"
"One kiss changed me."
You laughed before lightly nudging his shoulder as you finally walked toward the couch again. "You're impossible."
"And yet…" Denki said way too proudly, "you still agreed to go on a date with me."
Your cheeks betrayed you instantly. Unfortunately for you Denki noticed everything now. The blush. The little smile you tried hiding. The way your fingers fidgeted with your sleeves when you got nervous. He noticed all of it and somehow that only made him like you more. You grabbed your coat from beside the couch while trying very hard to regain composure. "Okay," you said, clearing your throat dramatically. "Before your ego gets any bigger, where are we even going?"
Denki froze immediately.
Oh no.
OH NO.
Because suddenly he realized he had spent so much time panicking over asking you out… that he barely planned the actual date. Your eyes narrowed slowly. "…Denki."
"I have ideas!"
"You don't know, do you?"
"I know emotionally."
"DENKI."
He burst into laughter while quickly grabbing his own coat off the couch. "Okay okay, listen," he said between laughs. "I thought maybe we could just… wander?"
You blinked. "Wander?"
"Like a cool date thing!"
"That sounds suspiciously like no plan."
"It's winter break!" he defended dramatically. "We can figure it out as we go." You tried to look unconvinced. But honestly? That sounded kind of nice. Especially with him. "…Fine," you sighed dramatically. Denki immediately pointed at you triumphantly. "YES."
"But if we end up lost-"
"We won't."
"Cold?"
"Impossible."
"Bored?"
Denki stepped closer then. Just enough that your breath caught embarrassingly fast. His expression softened. "That won't happen," he said quietly. Your heart stumbled all over itself again. Because suddenly it wasn't teasing anymore. Not joking.
Just him.
Looking at you like spending time together was enough. And before you could even recover Denki reached toward your scarf. "You put this on wrong."
"What?"
"You're gonna freeze."
Before you could protest, Denki carefully fixed it for you, fingers brushing softly near your neck while adjusting the fabric more snugly around your shoulders. The moment felt embarrassingly domestic. Quiet. Warm. And dangerously sweet. When he finished, he stepped back looking weirdly proud of himself. "There."
You blinked at him. "…You're kinda good at that."
"My mom says I'd survive adulthood."
"That is not the same thing." He laughed then held his hand out toward you casually. Like it was the most normal thing in the world. "C'mon." Your eyes dropped to his hand. Then back to him and immediately tiny bubbles started floating again. "You're doing that thing," Denki said softly.
"What thing?"
"The cute nervous bubble thing."
"Stop noticing things!"
"Never."
You groaned dramatically but after one second...two you finally slipped your hand into his. Denki smiled so hard it should've been illegal. Outside, snow still blanketed the sidewalks while winter air curled softly against the windows hand in hand the two of you stepped out into the cold together.
Toward your first date.
The cold hit immediately.
Sharp.
Crisp.
The kind of winter cold that turned noses pink and made every breath come out in soft clouds. But somehow it didn't feel nearly as freezing as it should've. Maybe because your hand was still in Denki's. Maybe because neither of you had acknowledged it yet. Like if either one of you pointed it out, the universe might suddenly remember you were both supposed to be embarrassed.
Snow crunched softly beneath your shoes as the two of you walked side by side down the sidewalk. Denki kept stealing glances at you. Every time you somehow looked prettier. The scarf wrapped around your neck. The way your breath puffed softly into the cold air. Tiny bubbles drifting around you every now and then whenever your hands brushed too much or your thoughts got too loud.
Meanwhile you were fighting for your life. Denki apparently had decided to become unfair overnight. His hair looked softer today beneath the gray winter sky. His coat fit him way too well. And every few seconds he'd squeeze your hand absentmindedly like he'd already gotten comfortable holding it. "So…" Denki said suddenly.
You looked up. "So?"
His expression turned dramatically serious. "What's our first official date rule?"
You blinked. "…We have rules?"
"We need rules."
"No we don't."
"Yes we do."
You sighed dramatically. "Fine. What are the rules?"
Denki held up one finger. "Rule number one." He paused for effect. "No ditching me for snacks."
You gasped. "That happened once."
"You abandoned me for takoyaki."
"It smelled good!"
"You left me emotionally vulnerable."
You laughed so hard you almost slipped on ice. Denki caught your arm instantly. His hand wrapped gently around your sleeve to steady you. Suddenly both of you went quiet. Because now he was close. Really close. Close enough that you could see snowflakes melting faintly into his blond hair. Close enough that Denki could notice the way your cheeks had gone pink again.
"Oh~," he said quietly.
"What?"
"You're blushing."
You immediately turned your face away. "No I'm not."
"You totally are."
"I'm literally freezing."
"You blush when you're nervous." Your bubbles betrayed you instantly. Three tiny ones floated right past his shoulder. Denki looked up at them then back at you. "Oh my god," he whispered dramatically. "The bubbles ratted you out."
"Denki!"
He laughed so hard he almost lost his own balance this time. Eventually, after far too much teasing and zero actual planning, the two of you ended up wandering into a small shopping street decorated for winter. String lights hung above storefronts. Holiday decorations filled windows. A tiny cafe near the corner had soft music drifting outside while bundled up people wandered through the snowy sidewalks carrying hot drinks.
Denki shoved his hands into his pockets dramatically. "Okay," he announced. "Serious question."
You looked over. "What?"
"What kind of date person are you?"
You blinked. "What does that even mean?"
"Like…" he motioned vaguely. "Arcade date? Café date? Wandering around until something interesting happens date?" You thought for a second. Then smiled softly. "…I kinda like this."
Denki paused. "This?"
"Just walking around." Your hand squeezed his slightly without thinking. "Talking." The smile on Denki's face softened instantly. Because somehow the answer made his chest feel warm even in the cold. "…Yeah," he said quietly.
"I kinda like this too."
For a second standing beneath winter lights with snow drifting softly around you neither of you noticed the tiny photo Mina had just secretly taken from across the street. Across the street, hidden poorly behind a decorative holiday sign, Mina clutched her phone to her chest like she had just witnessed a divine revelation. "They're holding hands," she whispered aggressively.
Beside her, Sero sipped from a hot drink completely unfazed. "Yeah. We noticed."
"No, but LOOK at them."
On the other side of the snowy street, you and Denki had stopped outside a small shop window decorated with glowing winter lights. Denki leaned down slightly to say something near your ear and your entire face turned pink almost instantly.
Mina grabbed Sero's sleeve violently. "HE DID THE LEAN."
"The lean?" Sero repeated.
"The LEAN."
"Please lower your voice."
"I HAVE WAITED MONTHS FOR THIS."
Meanwhile, completely unaware you were being monitored like endangered wildlife, you stood beside Denki staring through the window of a tiny café. Warm yellow light glowed inside while people sat around drinking hot chocolate and laughing softly together. The windows had fogged slightly from the warmth indoors, making the entire place look impossibly cozy against the snowy afternoon outside.
Denki noticed your expression immediately. "You wanna go in?"
You looked over quickly. "Huh?"
"The cafe."
His smile softened slightly. "You've been staring at the cake display for like thirty seconds."
Your face heated. "I was not."
"You literally looked emotionally attached to that strawberry cake."
"It looked good!"
Denki laughed warmly before gently pulling you toward the entrance by your joined hands. "C'mon then." The second you stepped inside, warmth wrapped around both of you instantly. The smell of coffee, sugar, and baked pastries filled the air while soft music drifted through the cafe speakers quietly in the background. Snow tapped gently against the windows while people talked softly around little tables decorated with tiny candles and winter flowers. Your shoulders relaxed almost immediately and Denki noticed.
He noticed everything. The way your eyes wandered around curiously. The tiny bubbles floating near your head again from excitement. The way you unconsciously stepped closer to him when the cafe got crowded near the counter.
It made his chest feel stupidly warm. "Okay," Denki said dramatically once you reached the register. "Order whatever you want."
You narrowed your eyes suspiciously. "Whatever I want?"
"Yes."
"You say that like you're rich."
"I have exactly thirty two dollars right now."
You laughed immediately. "Denki!"
"I'm serious. Choose carefully. We're financially vulnerable."
The worker behind the counter laughed quietly while you covered your smile with your sleeve. Eventually the two of you settled on drinks and pastries before finding a small table near the window. Snow continued falling softly outside while warm light glowed across Denki's face from the hanging lamps overhead. You almost forgot how to think for a second. Because he looked… Soft.
His blond hair looked fluffy from melted snow. His cheeks were still slightly pink from the cold outside. And every time he smiled at you now, something warm twisted painfully inside your chest. "So," Denki said casually while unwrapping his straw. "How does it feel?"
You blinked. "How does what feel?"
"Our first date."
Your heart immediately malfunctioned. Hearing him say it out loud suddenly made everything feel ten times more real. Judging by the grin spreading across Denki's face, he absolutely noticed your panic. "You're doing the bubble thing again," he pointed out.
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
"…Unfortunately."
Denki physically clutched his chest dramatically. "Wow. That was basically a love confession."
"It literally was not."
"Agree to disagree."
You laughed despite yourself, shaking your head while tiny bubbles floated around your cup now. Then for a moment the teasing settled. Denki looked at you across the little cafe table while snow drifted outside behind you, and suddenly his expression changed. "You know…" he started quietly.
"What?"
Denki smiled faintly into his drink. "I think this is the happiest I've been in a really long time." The words hit you harder than he probably realized. Because he sounded honest. Suddenly all the noise in the café faded into the background while you stared at him. At the boy sitting across from you holding a warm drink between his hands looking at you like being here together mattered.
Your expression softened before you could stop it. "…Me too." Denki went still for half a second then smiled.
The rest of the date passed by almost too quickly.
One moment the two of you were sitting together inside the café laughing over Denki nearly burning his tongue on hot chocolate because he "got impatient," and the next you were wandering through snow-covered streets again with linked hands and matching smiles that neither of you could stop wearing.
The day became a blur of warm little moments after that.
Denki dragged you into an arcade where he loudly declared himself "naturally gifted" at claw machines before immediately losing almost all his money trying to win you a tiny plushie. You laughed so hard watching him spiral into competitive frustration that your bubbles floated everywhere around the machine while Denki pointed accusingly at it like the claw personally betrayed him.
"You saw that, right?" he said dramatically. "It cheated."
"The machine outplayed you."
"You sound like Bakugo."
"That's the meanest thing you've ever said to me."
By the fourth attempt, Denki finally won the plushie. The second it dropped into the prize slot, he celebrated like he'd won a national championship while nearby strangers clapped sarcastically for him. Despite all his complaining the first thing he did afterward was hand the plushie to you.
Like it belonged there naturally.
Like he wanted everything he won to somehow end up in your hands.
After that came wandering through little winter shops, sharing snacks because Denki kept wanting "just one bite" of everything you ordered, and stopping every few minutes because one of you saw something the other had to look at. At some point, your hands stopped feeling shy together. The nervousness slowly melted into something softer.
You leaned into him more naturally now. Denki stopped hesitating before pulling you closer whenever crowds passed by. Your laughter came easier. His smiles became softer. Somewhere between the snowfall, warm drinks, arcade lights, and stolen glances it stopped feeling like a first date. It started feeling like the beginning of something.
By the time evening settled over the city, snow had started falling again. The sidewalks glowed beneath streetlights while soft winter wind drifted through empty streets. Your footsteps crunched quietly against fresh snow as Denki walked you home once again, your scarf wrapped tightly around your face while the plushie he won for you stayed tucked safely beneath your arm. "I still think the machine cheated," Denki muttered.
"You spent fifteen dollars on one plushie."
"And I'd do it again."
"That's concerning."
"It smiled at me."
"You're talking about the plushie or me?"
Denki looked at you paused dramatically. "…Both."
Your face heated instantly. "You flirt too much now."
"I unlocked confidence."
"You unlocked a problem."
Denki laughed softly beside you while your shoulder bumped against his. Eventually your house came into view at the end of the snowy sidewalk, warm porch light glowing softly against the evening snow. Almost immediately both of you slowed down like neither wanted to reach the end yet.
The same thing happened outside your house all over again. Stalling. Pointless conversations. Finding reasons not to say goodbye yet. Denki shoved his hands into his pockets while looking down at you beneath the falling snow. "So…" he said softly.
"So…" you echoed again.
The two of you burst into quiet laughter immediately. "Wow," Denki snorted. "We really do that every time."
"It's your fault."
"It's our thing now."
Your heart fluttered stupidly hard at that. Our thing. The snowfall thickened slightly around the two of you while warm light spilled across the porch steps beside you. Then Denki stepped closer. This time neither of you got nervous enough to pull away. His expression softened while looking down at you, blond hair dusted lightly with snowflakes again. "…I had a really good time today," he admitted quietly.
You smiled instantly. "Me too."
"No like," he laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "A really good time." Something about the honesty in his voice made your chest ache warmly. Before you could answer, Denki suddenly opened his arms awkwardly. Like he was nervous about it. "…Can I hug you goodbye or is that too much?"
You stared at him for half a second. Then immediately stepped forward into his arms. Denki almost short circuited. But a second later his arms wrapped around you tightly, warmth surrounding you instantly while snow continued falling softly around the porch light. Unlike before this hug lingered.
Your cheek rested against his chest while Denki held you close enough to hear how fast his heart was beating beneath his coat. You smiled softly against him. "Your heartbeat's kinda crazy right now."
"So is yours."
"…Oh."
"…Yeah."
Neither of you moved for another few seconds. Not until the cold finally forced a quiet laugh from both of you. Slowly, Denki pulled back just enough to look at you again. That look. The one that made you feel warm all over. The one that looked dangerously close to love. "…Text me when you get inside," he said softly.
You nodded. "I will."
Then finally reluctantly the two of you separated. But even as you walked toward your front door, you could still feel his warmth lingering around you. Standing beneath falling snow with pink cheeks and a lovestruck smile he couldn't hide Denki realized something terrifying. He couldn't imagine his days without you in them anymore.