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A Princess and Her Knight

G | BNHA | Words - 1.6K | Izuocha | for Gravity Between Us Volume 2

AO3

Summary: Princess Uraraka and her friend Midoriya, a knight in training, have known each other for many years. Somewhere along the way, they fall in love.

Uraraka breathed deeply as she stared into the full-length mirror before her. She straightened her jewel-encrusted tiara and smoothed her gown.

This was it. Midoriya’s knighting ceremony.

—————

Many years ago, at the young age of ten, Uraraka met a boy named Midoriya.

It was funny to think how shy he had been back then—a contrast to the confident man he had grown into today. That Midoriya had hidden behind his father’s legs, peering out nervously.

Uraraka’s head tilted. Was she really that scary?

“Go on,” his father said with a gentle nudge. Midoriya didn’t budge, shaking his head vehemently.

Uraraka ran over and grabbed the boy’s hand. “Come with me,” she said, ignoring his protests as she dragged him to the castle gardens. Uraraka had been alone for many years, and this was her chance to finally connect with someone her age. She wouldn’t let this opportunity escape her grasp.

When they reached the fountain, she let go and sat down on the edge. As Midoriya rubbed his hand, frowning at it, she patted the stone next to her. “Please sit,” Uraraka said, giving him her best smile. Midoriya seemed to relax, visibly releasing a breath of air.

“I’m Ochako,” she said, holding out her hand.

Midoriya’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he took her hand and pressed a kiss to it.

At her look of confusion, Midoriya dropped her hand and quickly scooted backwards. “I’m so sorry! Is that not what you wanted me to do?”

Uraraka laughed, hiding her mouth with her hand. “You’re a bit odd, but I think it’s cute.”

For reasons unbeknownst to her ten-year-old mind, Midoriya’s face flushed bright red as he ducked his head. Now he was hiding from her again.

Uraraka thought carefully, tapping a finger on her chin. What could she possibly say to get him to open up?

Oh! “Do you want to be a knight?”

It was as if a switch had flipped. Midoriya sat up ramrod straight, eyes bright with wonder as he grinned. “Of course I do! What they do is absolutely incredible! Can you imagine? Fighting off the kingdom’s enemies, keeping people safe, being a hero. It’s everything I could dream of.”

Midoriya babbled on, his arms waving around as he did. Though hidden behind a shy exterior, he was full of life and hopes and dreams. The way he talked about wanting to be a hero for the people filled Uraraka’s heart with joy.

He slapped a hand over his mouth. “I’m so—”

“Don’t apologise,” she said. Uraraka pulled Midoriya’s hand away and beamed. “Like I said before: I think it's cute.”

They spent hours sitting at the fountain. After Midoriya opened up, they connected easily. By the end of the day, they promised to be friends forever.

—————

Over the next few years, Midoriya practically lived in the castle. As his thirteenth birthday approached, Uraraka watched fondly as Midoriya grew more excited. In a few days’ time, knight training would commence.

“I probably won’t be able to spend as much time with you,” he said anxiously, twiddling his thumbs.

“I know,” Uraraka whispered, smiling sadly. It hadn’t quite sunk in until Midoriya said it aloud. “Between my lessons and your training…”

Even when she became queen and he was officially knighted, there was no guarantee things would ever be the same again. Midoriya could be stationed anywhere in the kingdom, far away from her.

Sensing her melancholy, Midoriya wrapped his arms around her. Uraraka hugged him back, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. And that’s when it hit her.

Hastily, Uraraka pulled away from the hug. For a moment, she wasn’t able to speak, squealing and bouncing up and down.

“Ochako? Are you okay?”

“You can be my knight!”

Midoriya’s eyes widened. Every member of the royal household had a personal knight. Uraraka was still a child, but once she turned eighteen, she could choose whichever knight she wanted.

Uraraka squealed once more, though this time in surprise as Midoriya picked her up and twirled her, the skirt of her gown swirling around.

“I would love to,” Midoriya said once he let her down. He took hold of Uraraka’s hand, softly pressing a kiss to it as he had on the day they first met. “I promise to become your knight, and to always be by your side.”

Uraraka’s face heated at his words, heart beating fast.

In hindsight, Uraraka’s feelings for her childhood friend should have been clear. Nearly a year passed before realisation struck.

—————

Midoriya was well into the start of his training and, as predicted, their time together had dwindled. She’d also started her own training in order to become a competent ruler of their small kingdom.

Sometimes, Uraraka was able to watch him from her balcony when she was supposed to be studying.

Those occasions were made even better when Midoriya spotted her watching him. Uraraka had the nagging feeling he always worked extra hard when she did—like he wanted to show off for her sake. It always made butterflies swirl in her stomach, reminding her that part of the reason he was training so hard was to spend his life by her side.

(It was also quite hilarious to see him get bonked on the head with a wooden sword for spending too much time waving at her.)

On the day Uraraka finally gained clarity about her feelings for the young squire, it was on a rare occasion where they could spend the whole day together. Wanting a break from the castle, they decided to visit the marketplace.

Their little escapades usually worked out well, but not today.

“Watch out!” Midoriya shouted, pushing her behind him.

Uraraka stumbled backwards, clutching her hood to hide her identity. Metal on metal clashed as a blacksmith swung his newly forged axe down to determine the feel of it, Midoriya blocking it. The weapons hit at an awkward angle as the axe glanced off Midoriya’s sword and sliced down his arm.

“Watch it!” the blacksmith yelled. As they moved away, Uraraka heard him mumble something about annoying kids.

Wincing, Midoriya leaned against the nearest wall and pressed a hand against the gash.

Uraraka’s breath caught in her throat as she realised she could have been injured if not for Midoriya’s quick reflexes. Though she tried to speak, only sobs left her lips. Midoriya smiled warmly, reaching out to wipe her tears.

“It’s okay,” he said with a weak smile.

She shook her head, gesturing to his right arm. The wound wasn’t bleeding too much, but Midoriya was clearly in a lot of pain. “It’s not that bad, really,” Midoriya reassured. “It’s not too deep, but it might leave a scar.”

Uraraka cried harder.

“Ah! I’m sorry! Hey, think of it this way—I can look at it and know I’ve already protected you, and I’d do it again a thousand times over.”

And that was the moment Uraraka realised she was head over heels in love.

From that day on, small gestures that once seemed so mundane such as holding Uraraka’s hand as she walked up the stairs set her heart on fire. Hidden glances as she watched Midoriya train from her balcony made Uraraka feel like she was about to melt.

Everything she loved about him before, she loved tenfold. His determination to become her knight, his bravery, his kindness, his laughter, his habit of rambling on and on, the cute freckles he got during the summer.

All of him.

But she kept it to herself out of fear he didn’t feel the same. Sometimes, Uraraka got the sneaking suspicion that he did. She couldn’t get her hopes up, though.

At least she knew he’d always be there for her as her knight. Even if he didn’t love her the same way she loved him, Uraraka was content knowing they would spend their lives together.

Which brought her to the present, where she nervously stood before a gathering of nobility in the throne room on the day of Midoriya’s knighting ceremony. No longer in his training gear, he kneeled before her in a long, deep green cape and a suit of armour embellished with the kingdom’s crest.

With a smile and a deep breath, Uraraka lifted the knighting sword. “Do you swear to protect this kingdom until your dying breath, and swear your allegiance to me?”

“I swear.”

Uraraka tapped the flat of the sword onto Midoriya’s shoulders and cheers filled the room.

Without warning, Midoriya swept Uraraka into his arms and dashed out of the room. She giggled at the shocked faces they passed.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he ran down the stairs, a hand on her tiara so it wouldn’t fall off.

He grinned. “To where it all began.”

When they reached the fountain, Midoriya set her down in the very spot where they had first become friends. It was peaceful, with only the sounds of trickling water and the soft breeze to accompany them.

“I made a vow to myself to not tell you this until I was knighted, and now that day is here,” Midoriya held her hands and pressed a kiss to the back of each. “Ochako, I love you.”

Tears of joy pooled in Uraraka’s eyes as a feeling of utter euphoria washed over her. “I love you, too,” she whispered, watching his expression shift to pure joy. “And now we’re both crying.”

He laughed, quickly wiping both their tears away.

“Ochako,” Midoriya leaned closer, “may I?”

Instead of responding, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. They’d already spent enough time pining for each other, and she didn’t want to waste another second.

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carry me, sy-on boy!

G | Spy x Family | 690 words | Damianya

AO3

Anya trudged her feet along the floor as she and Damian exited the library, letting out a yawn.

They were on their way to the front gate where her Papa would be picking her up after today’s after-school tutoring session. This arrangement of theirs had been going for a few months now, though progress had been slow at first. Then sy-on boy finally figured out Anya found things easier to understand if you related them to Spy Wars.

And for some reason, he insisted on walking her to the gate each week. Anya was perfectly capable of walking all by herself, but he wouldn’t budge. She’d attempted to read his thoughts to gain an understanding.

But all Anya had heard was ‘to spend more time with her’ and ‘to make sure she’s safe’ immediately followed by ‘what the hell am I thinking?’ and ‘why should I care?’

Needless to say, that had only served to further her confusion.

Eh, whatever. At least she was making progress on plan b.

They walked out of the building in companionable silence, but Anya could feel her body getting tireder by the second. Another yawn escaped her lips as she looked at the boy beside her and was struck with a brilliant idea.

“Carry me, sy-on boy!”

Damian blanched. “What? No way! You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Please?” Anya used her ultimate move—puppy eyes. Mama always told her Anya’s cuteness was her greatest weapon, and she wasn’t afraid to use it!

‘So cute,’ Damian thought as he inhaled a sharp breath.

Heh. Anya resisted the strong urge to smirk.

‘But it’s too… coupley! We’re not even dating!’ Anya winced slightly at the loud volume of his thoughts which quickly turned to images of the two of them holding hands as they visited cafes, the movie theater and the amusement park. ‘NO! Now is not the time!’

Anya tilted her head and frowned. Sy-on boy’s thoughts were always so conkydinkary. She didn’t have enough energy to try and dec-eye-per them today.

Damian cleared his throat. “The front gate isn’t even that far. You’ll be home soon, anyway.”

“But Anya is tired now,” she responded, forcibly dragging her feet.

“We were studying, not running a marathon!”

“Both are things that make people tired,” she countered, smirking as he failed to give a rebuttal.

A few paces later, Anya stopped and slouched forward, her body feeling heavy.

It took Damian a few more steps to notice she wasn’t walking alongside him anymore. He paused and turned to look at her, concern laced into his expression. Biting his lip, he glanced around. The other students had either gone back home or to the dorms, which left them completely alone.

‘It’s still embarrassing,’ she heard him think. ‘Me, a Desmond, carrying a commoner! What did she mean by carry, anyway? Bridal carry?’

Anya watched as Damian’s cheeks flushed bright red, feeling her own do the same when the image of herself in a wedding gown briefly flashed into his mind. He tried to shove the thought away, but it was firmly lodged in his mind.

“Uh, sy-on boy?”

Shaking his head, Damian finally snapped out of the fantasy. A faint pink still dusted his cheeks as he softly spoke. “Okay. I’ll carry you.”

“Yay!” Anya’s eyes lit up with joy as she sprinted over and jumped on his back. The sudden weight almost made them topple to the ground, but Damian managed to hook his arms under Anya’s legs and correct his balance in time.

“Hey! Be careful, you idiot!” He exclaimed, his level of fluster rocketing into the stratosphere.

Her only response was to giggle mischievously.

Damian raised a brow. “I thought you said you were tired?”

Anya’s jaw dropped dramatically as she quickly leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed her body. She closed her eyes.

“Tired again.”

Damian rolled his eyes, though at this point his thoughts were just unintelligible mush. Anya could feel the quickening rate of his heartbeat from where her hands were draped across his chest as he continued to walk again.

“You are unbelievable.”

‘But I think it’s adorable.’

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Hi guys! I can finally share my art piece for @kmjr-mini-bang I join hand to create a beautiful steam punk fantasy illustration for @cece-ta story! You can read her fic here

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a way to make her stay

G | BNHA | 4.2K words | Kamijirou Mini Bang, in collaboration with @ktyillustrationandart

AO3

Summary: Upon arrival in the Kaminari Kingdom, travelling bard Kyouka meets a mysterious yet flirty stranger named Denki. For some reason, she can’t help but feel like she’s heard that name before…

Jirou glanced around in awe as she walked through the front gates of the royal city of the Kaminari Kingdom.

Gears whirred around her, moving both lifts and sliding platforms. Steam puffed into the air to power the mechanical contraptions littered throughout the city. Methodically placed metal pipes whistled as the wind blew through them, creating a gentle melody that made Jirou’s music-loving heart sing with joy.

The royal city was mostly built upon a steep hill, with many layers connected by both the platforms and steps. At the very top, a grand, stone castle loomed over the city with a flag displaying the kingdom's insignia proudly waving high in the sky.

Jirou had heard about the mechanical city from people she’d met on her travels across the lands, but none of what they said compared to seeing the real thing.

Smiling to herself, Jirou stepped onto a separate section of the pathway at the side of the road that moved on its own. She stumbled a little as it carried her. Having never experienced anything quite like it, it brought her a sense of childlike wonder.

A little further down the road, Jirou hopped off the ground… slide… thing (she didn’t know its name and couldn’t even begin to guess) as soon as she spotted a clothing store. Stumbling a little, she almost collided with a middle-aged woman carrying a basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Sorry,” Jirou curtly apologised.

“Don’t worry about it,” the lady responded with a warm smile, “the escalators take a bit of getting used to.”

Escalators. Yeah, Jirou never would have guessed that correctly.

She clipped open one of the pockets on the bag resting on her hip, and pulled out a small coin pouch. After her long journey, she was running out of money. However, her current outfit was looking a little worse for wear. On top of the various mud stains, there was a rather obvious tear at the waist of her blouse. She’d already seen someone cast a judgemental look her way.

As she walked up to the shop, eying a gorgeous pair of black and purple gloves displayed in the window, Jirou’s eyes caught sight of a beautiful mural painted on the wall of the building next door.

She marvelled at the pure artistry of the piece which depicted what looked to be the royal family if the golden, jewel-encrusted crowns adorning their heads were anything to go by.

The beaming young boy (Prince Denki, according to the lettering beside him) looked to be a few years younger than her, Jirou mused. He had dazzling blond hair with a black streak that looked oddly like a bolt of lightning. Jirou had thought people were joking when they mentioned the peculiar colouration of the prince’s hair, but after seeing Prince Shouto of the Todoroki Kingdom she supposed nothing was too far fetched.

“Hello, there! Are you interested in buying any of our garments? They’re all sewn in-house!” a bubbly voice called out. It pulled Jirou out of her thoughts as she looked back at the clothing store to see a young girl with bright, curly hair and an even brighter grin to match.

A short while later, after changing into an outfit put together with the help of a kind seamstress named Mina, Jirou stepped back into the street. Adjusting the shoulder strap of her dress, she made sure it lay comfortably underneath the outer layer on top.

Jirou wasn’t usually one to wear such a garment, but she found the leather corset making up the top half mixed with the burlesque skirt to be a flattering look on her. It also paired nicely with the gloves she’d spotted earlier.

(That and it was purple, which Jirou had claimed as her signature colour long ago.)

During Jirou’s time spent in the shop, the sunny sky had darkened to a deep orange and purple hue.

She cursed inwardly and bit her lip. So distracted by the architecture, she had forgotten to find a place to rest!

Much to Jirou's imminent relief, a bustling tavern a little further down the road had a sign out front stating it doubled as an inn for short stays.

‘Perfect,’ she thought.

–––––

After sorting out her accommodation for the night, Jirou slumped down with a heavy sigh into a seat at the only empty table in the room. She placed her pint of beer down and unstrapped the lute slung over her back, nestling it between her aching feet.

She had been without rest all day, what with finishing her travel into the city via foot in order to ensure she had some money left over, and then walking around the city.

Stretching out her legs and arms, Jirou took a moment to relax and leant back against the cold wall behind her. Her eyes fluttered shut.

If it weren’t for the noisiness of the tavern's guests, she might possibly have fallen into a deep slumber. But she’d never slept well with high levels of noise.

(That, and Jirou felt she deserved a nice drink. As a treat.)

“Hey, there! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? About two years, right? How’ve you been?”

Her eyes snapped open. A young man shrouded by a large cloak sat in the seat beside her, his face scarcely visible due to the hood obscuring his head.

Jirou’s palms clammed up as she tried to recall meeting him, but her mind only came up blank.

The stranger nodded his head to the left.

Jirou’s eyes followed the movement, spotting a group of men whose smiles turned to snarls.

“They were talking about you in ways I’d rather not repeat,” the mysterious stranger explained with a wince and a shake of his head. “Women are a rare sight in this place, but unfortunately creeps like them are not. And the only way to get them to back off is to make them think you’re ‘claimed’ by someone else”

Jirou’s nose crinkled as she drank a large gulp of her beer. “Disgusting,” she spat.

“Disgusting, indeed,” he agreed. “They should hopefully stop now, though.”

“Thank you.”

The stranger blanched, his expression morphing to one of amusement.

“Hey, no need to thank me. Any decent guy would have done it. I’m Denki, by the way,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

The name felt familiar somehow, but she brushed it off. Jirou met so many people throughout her travels it wasn’t odd to think some of them might have the same name.

As her hand clasped his, Jirou felt a jolt of electricity flow through her body. She flinched at the contact, not noticing Denki do the same. “I’m Kyouka Jirou.”

“A pretty name for a pretty face,” he said with an exaggerated wink.

Jirou barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes. “What, are you gonna press a kiss to my hand next? Drop a pick-up line that’ll sweep me off my feet?”

“Ah, well, I can’t deny how tempting that sounds,” he flirted, leaning closer to her. From this distance, Jirou could make out flecks of gold in his eyes that matched the strands of hair visible from underneath the hood of his cloak. “After all, you are the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen.”

A blush rose to Jirou’s cheeks as she quickly snatched her hand back. Her mouth opened to say a quick retort but Jirou found herself rendered speechless.

Seeing her state of fluster, Denki laughed. “Maybe I ought to hold back on that. I think you’re about to pass out.”

“I am not!” She denied.

With all her travels, she’d never had time to think of relationships. Honestly, Jirou couldn’t even recall a time when a man had flirted with her so casually, so forgive her brain for shutting down!

“Okay, okay,” he raised his arms in mock surrender, laughter trailing out. “But seriously, are you not from these parts? I’m pretty sure I’d remember a face like yours.”

She raised a brow. “In all seriousness, you say, and then proceed to flirt with me again,” Jirou smiled despite it and took another sip of her drink. “I’m from the Yaoyorozu Kingdom to the east.”

“Oh, wow,” he said, eyebrows raising. “That’s really far from here. Why come all this way?”

Jirou inhaled a deep breath and bit her lip. She’d always found it nerve-wracking to talk about her music with others despite it being her life’s greatest passion—not to mention her usual way of making a living. Reaching down, she picked up her lute and placed it on the wooden table.

“I wanted to play music and I wanted to travel the world, so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone? This kingdom is my last stop on the way home. It’s taken me a few years, but I’m proud to say that I have travelled all over the known world.”

Denki stared at her, smitten with amazement. His eyes lit up with wonder as he buzzed with so much energy he was practically vibrating in his seat.

“You good?” She questioned amusedly.

“Sorry, I just… that’s so cool! I wish I could travel to other kingdoms,” he explained, staring up at the ceiling as he looked as if he’d gotten lost in his own little fantasy. “There’s so many places I want to see, and you’ve probably visited all of them! I’m kinda jealous, honestly.”

“Then just do it,” Jirou said, trying to keep a straight face but ultimately failing. “If it's the money you’re worried about, don’t think about it too much. I’m not exactly well-off myself but I managed to find work everywhere I went.”

“Oh, no, you’ve got it all wrong! The money isn’t an issue for me,” he paused, wincing. He frantically shook his head and waved his hands. “That came out wrong, but basically you could say my parents are a bit… strict. Same reason I’m wearing this stupid cloak right now.”

“Hey, it’s a cool getup.”

“And I trust your judgement wholeheartedly,” Denki said, making Jirou’s heart flutter once more. He flopped forward, head meeting the table as he stared up at her and whined, “but I hate having to wear it just to get a drink.”

“Then don’t?” Jirou said with a short laugh. “A little rebellion never hurt anyone. Your parents are just uptight. It’s not like you’re a prince or something.”

Denki sputtered out a laugh, banging a fist on the table as he covered his mouth with his hand. He inhaled a shaky breath and held up a single finger in the air to signal he needed a moment to calm down. Just as he was about to compose himself, Denki broke out into another fit of giggles.

It was almost infectious, and Jirou found herself beginning to laugh too despite not understanding what was so funny. He was so loud, people were beginning to stare at them.

“What?” She asked.

As Kaminari let out one final wheeze, he wiped a tear from his eye. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Nothing,” she repeated. Jirou looked at him in disbelief. “You were laughing that hard over ‘nothing’.”

“What, am I not allowed to laugh?” Denki asked, pressing a hand over his heart. He huffed dramatically, tilting his head up at the ceiling. “I’m hurt by your words, Kyouka.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Thank you!”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

The conversation continued on, with more flirting on his end and more teasing jabs from Jirou. All the aches and pains in her body were pushed to the back of her mind as Denki spoke, his mere presence soothing.

Jirou had never connected with anyone so fast, not even as a child. They clicked together perfectly, and Jirou found herself crossing her fingers and praying for the conversation to never end.

But unfortunately, midnight crept up on them. People had already started to trail out, the noisy atmosphere traded for a more intimate one of seclusion.

“How long are you thinking of staying here?”

“I’m not sure,” she hummed. “It depends on what kind of work I can get. There’s usually someone in need of entertainment, so I’m never truly out of options. I need to save enough to make the journey home, though, and it’s quite a long one this time.”

If her estimations were correct, it would take Jirou roughly two months for the journey itself. Some of it would be by train or carriage, but those options were becoming increasingly expensive these days, so a lot of Jirou’s travelling was now on foot if possible. Hence all the aches and pains.

Denki tapped his chin repeatedly, his nose scrunching up.

“Is that you trying to think?”

He shot her an unamused look and then smirked. “And here I was about to help you.”

Jirou leant her elbows on the table and propped her head on her hands. She put on her best look of innocence. “I take back what I said. You’re the most intelligent person I’ve ever met.”

“Okay, now you’re pushing it,” he said, smiling anyway. “Your arrival is in perfect time! I know of a little something you might be interested in. It comes with the perk of provided accommodation, too”

“Go on,” she said, intrigued.

Denki waved over the barkeep and asked the man for paper and some ink which he happily obliged.

Turning so his shoulder blocked Jirou’s view, Denki quickly scribbled something down. Jirou tried to take a peek but he only shifted to block her view even further. Once finished, he rolled it up and placed it in her hand.

“Go to the place written on here at this time. I’ll make sure someone is waiting there for you,” he took a step away before stopping, “Oh, and don’t forget the lute.”

Jirou blinked at the piece of paper, staring at it for a few seconds before looking up to see Denki almost out the door. She sputtered out a garbled, “what?”

As he reached the doorway, Denki looked back her way. “You said you were looking for work, didn’t you?”

His response only left Jirou more perplexed. She shrugged it off and unrolled the paper, eyes scanning through Denki’s surprisingly neat and fancy handwriting—not at all what she’d expect from someone that goofy.

The castle? How would some random guy be able to get her a job there of all places?

Jirou’s eyes narrowed. He had been wearing that cloak all night. His explanation was that his parents were strict, but she got the feeling there was a little more to it than that. His name was Denki.

Jirou knew it was familiar, but why? Where had she heard it before?

Her breath caught in her throat.

The mural! Prince Denki.

There was no way she’d just spoken to a prince! Jirou had insulted him! Multiple times!

Besides, the boy in the mural looked to be about fifteen years of age and the Denki she had just met was at least twenty, just as she was. Though there was the possibility that the mural was outdated. Jirou bit her lip, foot tapping against the floor as she internally deliberated it. Maybe it was the prince, or maybe it was merely a coincidence.

Either way, she would get a concrete answer tomorrow. For now, what Jirou really needed was to sleep.

–––––

Jirou glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand before assessing her surroundings. She was close enough to the castle by now that it should be the right place, but she found it hard to keep track when climbing up the hill via the lifts. There were many of them spread across the land and Jirou wouldn’t be surprised if she had stepped on the wrong one at some point.

Her worry was for nought, though, as a man with black hair wearing garments with the kingdom’s insignia embroidered on them approached.

“Are you Kyouka Jirou?”

Jirou nodded slowly and tightly clutched her bag strap. “Uh, yeah. I was told to come here. Something about a job?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve been waiting for your arrival,” he replied with a toothy grin. At Jirou’s panicked look he raised his arms and said, “Don’t worry. You’re not late. My name is Sero, and I’m an aide to the royal family. I’ve been sent to escort you inside. Follow me.”

He led her further up the path to another platform, though this one had royal guards stationed by it. They moved aside as Sero waved at them, exchanging a quick hello. Jirou raised a brow. These guards were certainly much friendlier than some that she’d seen during her travels to the other kingdoms.

As soon as he and Jirou were standing in the middle of the platform and the gate was shut behind them, Sero whistled a short tune. And then, they were moving.

“The tune changes every day,” Sero informed her as the platform stopped on top of the castle wall. He held the small gate at the front open and stepped aside to let her through. “It’s a safety thing.”

Jirou simply nodded and followed along as Sero led her inside. They walked down a flight of twisting stairs before reaching a long corridor. Many gorgeous paintings covered the walls, most depicting different locations within the Kaminari Kingdom.

Glancing to her left, Jirou was met with the view of the city. She could vaguely make out the forms of people on the streets below.

“We have arrived! Just step through here and give them your best performance.” Sero said with a flourish. He gestured to the doors in front.

Her best performance?

Taking in a deep breath, Jirou pushed the doors open. Her heart pounded in her chest as she was met with the sight of the royal family sitting on their thrones, including a person who was undoubtedly the Denki she had met the previous evening.

Unlike the dark cloak from before, he wore a long white overcoat embellished with gold. A glistening crown adorned his head, the same gold tone as his eyes.

Jirou found herself smiling dumbfoundedly as Denki—or would it be more respectful to call him Kaminari?—waved as discreetly as possible.

She may have figured out his identity the night before, but it was another thing to have it confirmed. It was almost surreal to think Jirou had called a crown prince insufferable to his face.

“Welcome. You are Kyouka Jirou, I presume,” Jirou briskly nodded at the Queen’s words. She gulped, sweat pooling in her palms.

In all her travels, Jirou had never actually met royalty face-to-face, not counting last night’s encounter.

“You see, our composer recently fell ill and has unfortunately had to take an early retirement. Music is very important to our kingdom, for it is the heart of our festivities,” she explained. “The palace staff were going to start their search for someone new but my darling son here recommended you. He says he heard of you from one of the palace staff, but I’m not sure that’s entirely true.”

The Queen let out a small bout of laughter as Denki glanced out of the window, guilt written in his expression. It seemed he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought.

“Anyhow, anyone who receives such a glowing recommendation from my Denki deserves to have their talent heard. This isn’t how we would usually go about this, but are you willing to perform for us?”

“Of course, your majesty!” Jirou said, eyes widening as giddiness struck her heart.

Her gaze met Denki’s as she held her lute and took in a deep breath. He nodded at her, a determined fire in his eyes. It was a small show of faith—one that instantly calmed Jirou’s nerves.

And in all the excitement, she forgot that Denki had never actually heard her play.

—————

Gnawing on her lip, Jirou paced up and down by the doors to the throne room. After watching her perform and asking a few questions, she had been sent to wait outside as the royal family deliberated.

Normally, Jirou would be able to keep her composure when it came to waiting to see if she’d been hired. But these were unusual circumstances.

She froze as the door cracked open slightly. Denki slipped through the gap, beaming as their eyes met. He gave her a little wave as he had done earlier.

“So,” he said, drawing out the ‘o’ sound.

“So you really are the prince,” she responded.

Jirou stopped fiddling with the strap of her bag and took a step forward. From the closer proximity, she could see the black bolt of lighting in his hair—exactly the same as it was drawn in the mural. Fascinating.

“Cutting straight to the point, huh, Jirou?” He said, adjusting the crown on his head. “Sorry I hid it from you. It was for my own safety,” Denki’s eyes widened as he quickly started waving his hands about. “Not that I thought you were dangerous or anything! It’s just… y’know?”

“Yeah, I get it. I gotta say, everything you said last night makes so much more sense now.”

Denki snorted as a laugh bubbled from his throat.

Jirou’s heart fluttered at the sound, and she found herself wanting to hear his laugh over and over again.

Woah, woah, woah. Hold on a second there, brain. Where the hell did that thought come from?

“You play beautifully,” he complimented, eyes softening. He reached forward, tucking a stray bit of hair behind Jirou’s ear. “As I knew you would.”

Heat rose to her cheeks, and there was undoubtedly a blush dusting her face.

Regaining composure with a quick cough into her fist, Jirou leaned back. “Flirt.”

“Charming, aren’t I?”

Jirou rolled her eyes endearingly. There was absolutely no doubt this was the same guy from the tavern. He was such an incorrigible flirt, though deep down Jirou truly didn’t mind it.

“Will this make you stay here longer?” Denki asked, his expression hopeful.

Jirou raised a brow. She crossed her arms and leant into his space until their faces were mere centimetres apart. She smiled as his cheeks tinted to a shade that likely matched her own.

Giving in to the temptation to tease Denki as retaliation for last night’s comment about her being likely to pass out from his flirting, Jirou questioned, “Why are you so desperate to make me stay?”

He audibly gulped and then shrugged. “When we spoke last night, I felt like there was some sort of… connection between us. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I really want to know you better, Jirou, so when you mentioned work and music, it felt like fate.”

Denki took her hands in his own, his passionate gaze piercing her soul. Slowly, she intertwined their fingers and smiled.

“I think I felt that connection, too.”

“Yeah?” He asked, eyes glowing with happiness.

“Yeah,” she breathed.

Just as Kaminari opened his mouth to say something more, the doors to the throne room burst open once more. Sero walked through, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he realised he’d interrupted their moment.

They jumped apart which only made the royal aide chuckle, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked directly at the prince.

“Sero, don’t you dare.” Kaminari warned, pointing a finger. Jirou could tell by the smile Kaminari could hardly hold back that his words weren't truly meant as a threat.

Sero raised his arms and tilted his head. “Don’t jump to conclusions, your highness. I was just going to say that I see you’re already acquainted.”

Jirou’s eyes narrowed at his wording, a sudden lightness in her chest. From Sero’s phrasing, it sounded like her audition had been well received. Could that mean…?

“Congratulations, Jirou,” Sero said, winking as he pulled out a scroll which was definitely not in his hand a second ago along with a round piece of metal branded with the kingdom’s insignia identical to the one pinned to his shirt. “Welcome to the palace staff. We’ll be providing accommodation for you in the west wing, so please inform me as to when you’d like me to escort you to collect your belongings.”

Inhaling a shaky breath, she took the offered items and clutched them to her chest. It seemed she would be staying far longer than anticipated.

Her parents would likely miss her, but they had always expressed that they only wanted the best for their daughter. When she next wrote to them, Jirou knew they would understand.

Grinning, she looked over at Denki. “How about you give me a tour first? It seems like we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other, just as you wanted.”

Denki wordlessly offered his arm which Jirou looped her own through.

“Have fun, lovebirds! Don’t get too cosy, though. Royal marriage requires courtship first!”

Jirou laughed as Denki stuck his tongue out at Sero, the aide returning the childish gesture.

There was no denying the air of budding romance around them, but marriage was way off. Settling down wasn’t something she’d envisioned for her near future, but Jirou wouldn’t be surprised if she found herself wanting it soon.

[cece-ta]

Jirou is left tongue-tied by a mysterious stranger in this fic by @cece-ta!

All summaries and posting dates can be found here! This preview is for team 4

[cece-ta]

Caught in the Rain (With You)

G | BNHA | Words - 1.5K | Todomomo | Bookstore/University AU

AO3

Summary: After the bookstore closes for the day, Yaoyorozu ends up stuck under the canopy outside while waiting out a storm. She finds herself in the company of a young man who happens to get stuck with her.

“Excuse me, miss. We’re closing in five minutes.”

Yaoyorozu startled and bowed in apology. She carefully placed the book in her hand back onto the shelf, making sure to slot it in the same place she had taken it from.

After making sure the shelf looked tidy, Yaoyorozu went to the counter with the two books she had chosen.

Plus Ultra bookstore was a quaint little place filled with shelves upon shelves of literature of varying genres. Yaoyorozu often found something to her liking whenever she visited, though she wished that could be more often. University classes and studying ate up a lot of her time, so she was thankful it only took a few minutes to walk to the store from campus.

As she neatly tucked the two books into her backpack, making sure to say a quick thank you to the owner, Yaoyorozu noticed a young man who looked to be her age waiting behind her. His hair was parted evenly down the middle, one side a deep crimson and the other as white as snow. Heterochromatic eyes stared back as Yaoyorozu smiled out of politeness, the left one surrounded by an angry-looking burn scar. All in all, the young man was objectively very handsome.

Yaoyorozu shook her head. What would her mother say if she caught her ogling a boy so openly?

With that thought in mind, she hurried out of the store.

Only to find it was raining. Hard. Droplets came down in a heavy downpour, collecting into puddles that rapidly expanded in size and splashing off the ground. Yaoyorozu was only kept dry by the awning displaying the store’s name above her head but the pavement below her feet was already getting damp. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance as thick, dark clouds rolled by above.

Yaoyorozu bit her lip. If she were to walk back to campus in this weather, she would get thoroughly soaked. There was also the possibility of hypothermia to consider, not to mention the written draft of her research paper would be in ruins. It was a risk Yaoyorozu found herself unwilling to take. But what was she to do to solve this dilemma?

The store owner rushed past her and got into a car parked a few metres down the road, slamming the door behind him.

There!

Yaoyorozu opened her mouth, but just as she was about to call out and ask for a ride (she’s been a regular customer for a few months now. A small favour shouldn’t be too much to ask for) he drove away. She sighed, body slumping forward ever so slightly.

Maybe she should risk it. The research paper wasn’t due for a few weeks. But her backpack wasn’t waterproof, so everything in it would end up damaged if not destroyed.

She would just have to wait it out! She could be patient.

“Are you okay?”

Yaoyorozu jumped, letting out a rather unladylike squeak as her hand shot up to cover her mouth. The boy from inside the store stood to her right, his head tilted inquisitively.

“Pardon me,” she said, clearing her throat. “I hadn’t realised you were there.”

His brows furrowed. “Sorry I startled you.”

“No, it’s okay. I get lost in my thoughts sometimes.” Yaoyorozu said reassuringly. All the boy did in return was nod.

Not much of a talker, was he?

Yaoyorozu fiddled with her thumbs, watching the rain splatter from the ground and onto her knee-length boots. It showed no signs of easing up any time soon. She glanced to her right. The young man hadn’t moved. He flicked his hand up, checking the watch on his wrist.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why were you at the bookstore?” She asked in an attempt to pass the time. He blinked back at her as if not expecting the conversation to continue. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing.

“To buy a book,” he said, glancing down at the one in his hand.

Yaoyorozu giggled but that only seemed to further his confusion. “No, no. That’s not what I meant,” she said with a smile and a shake of her head. “I meant to ask why you’re buying a book.”

The boy whispered a very quiet “oh,” before holding the book up closer to his chest with the front facing toward her. The cover showed an illustration of a young couple, their foreheads resting together and their eyes closed. The couple’s hands were held together against their chests. The title was printed at the bottom, the words in a beautiful, swirling cursive.

Yaoyorozu raised a brow. A romance novel? A peculiar choice for a young man, but some people like things you wouldn’t expect, she supposed.

(Her roommate Jirou, for example, also enjoyed the romance genre, though Yaoyorozu was sworn to secrecy.)

“It’s for my older sister,” he explained. “It’s her birthday soon, and this is the newest novel from her favourite author.”

“How sweet of you,” she whispered, smiling softly. She didn’t have any siblings of her own but the idea of one buying a book for her birthday made her heart sing with joy. This boy clearly cared for his sister, going as far as to pay attention to her favourites.

“What about you? I saw you bought two,” he said.

“One is for a research paper I’m working on and the other is from a book series I’ve been enjoying lately,” she replied, excitement laced into her voice.

“What series is it?”

When she relayed the name to him, his eyebrows darted up ever so slightly. Yaoyorozu supposed it was equivalent to the average, more expressional person gasping.

“I’m also a fan,” he said, lips curling into a barely-noticeable smile. Her eyes widened. “Which book are you up to?”

“The seventh.”

“Me too.”

“What a funny coincidence! You can borrow it from me when I’ve completed it,” she kindly offered. It was the store’s only copy, so she knew he would have to go out of his way to order one from somewhere else otherwise. The local library likely wouldn’t have it in stock yet since it was a small place and the book only released the previous week.

He nodded. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

Yaoyorozu involuntarily clapped her hands together—a habitual way of showing her excitement. As she began to gush about her love for the series, he listened intently, chiming in occasionally. Yaoyorozu couldn’t be any more delighted to have finally found someone to talk about it with.

As their conversation continued, she learnt also they both had the same taste in literature. Yaoyorozu herself had always loved to read. It was a great passion of hers, one of life’s many joys. In fact, it was the very reason she chose to pursue literature and education degrees. It was her goal to pass down that great love for reading to the next generation. In turn, he informed her he was studying at the same university, though a medical degree, not literature or education. To save people’s lives, he said, and to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps. Yaoyorozu thought it was very admirable.

A key difference between them, though, was that he didn’t live on campus. His siblings’ shared apartment wasn’t too far away, so he lived with them instead of at the dorms like most other first years.

Noticing the sound of the rain had gotten quieter, Yaoyorozu held out a hand. It was thinner now, almost a drizzle. Much more preferable for walking in.

“I should be able to get back to campus without getting drenched now,” she said, readjusting the straps of her backpack and making sure it was shut properly. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Just as Yaoyorozu took a step forward, he called out to her.

“Wait,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, the simple white case slightly battered at the corners. “We should exchange numbers.”

“Oh, you’re absolutely right,” she said, smacking her forehead. How could she be so careless?

Yaoyorozu stepped back under the cover of the awning and took off her backpack, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears as she reached into the back pocket. Pressing a finger to her phone, she unlocked it with her fingerprint and opened it to the contacts page.

As Yaoyorozu exchanged it for his and quickly typed her name and number, she realised something. They’d been so caught up in their conversation, they skipped the introduction step entirely. She didn’t even know the boy’s name, yet it already felt like they’d known each other for a long time.

She took her phone back, quickly glancing down at the screen.

Shouto Todoroki.

Yaoyorozu hummed happily. Looking up, she saw an identical expression adorning his face. She hadn’t noticed it before, but when Todoroki smiled there were cute dimples on his cheeks.

“I’ll be sure to contact you when I’ve finished reading the book,” she promised, a blush rising to her cheeks.

As Yaoyorozu waved to him and set off back to the dorms, Todoroki smiled softly and nodded. “I look forward to it.”

[cece-ta]

6 Sentence Sunday

Week 17!

—————

Without warning, Uraraka dropped down from the ceiling. She yelled out a battle cry as Kirishima screamed a manly scream. Landing on top of him, Uraraka pinned him to the ground using a martial arts technique she had learnt back during her internship with Gunhead. With his arms restrained behind his back, Kirishima could do nothing but squirm as Uraraka uncapped her pastel pink marker using her teeth.

“Isn’t this a bit much?” He asked, his voice rising a few octaves.

—————

This is from a WIP titled ‘the elimination game’. I’ve written most of it but there’s a few small changes I want to make, so I’m not sure when it’ll be done

[cece-ta]

6 Sentence Sunday

Week 16!

—————

“So?” Kirishima asked with a slight laugh and a shake of his head. “I don’t get that cold. I just gotta get my blood pumping first and then I’ll be all toasty! Very manly, don’t you think?”

“I hope you get frostbite,” Bakugou said, causing Kirishima to sputter.

—————

This is from a drabble titled ‘the height of fashion’. Not sure when I’ll post it but here’s a little sneak peek

[cece-ta]

The Wrong Hoodie

G | Words - 553 | BNHA | Izuocha

AO3

“Hey, Ochaco?”

Uraraka was broken out of the immersion from the movie she had been watching by Asui’s voice. She picked up the TV remote and paused it. As she did so, Asui sat down beside her.

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure that’s yours?” Asui asked, pointing to Uraraka’s torso area.

Uraraka glanced down to inspect the hoodie she was wearing. She lifted up a sleeve and flapped her arm a little bit, noticing that it was a tad too long on her. That wasn’t particularly unusual, though. Uraraka loved the comfort of oversized hoodies and sweaters. There was just something inexplicably nice about being swaddled in the fabric.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is,” she said with a frown.

“And where did you find it?”

Uraraka’s eyes narrowed. “On the floor of my room… Tsu, what are you trying to say?”

Asui croaked out a laugh and pointed at Uraraka’s chest. “Take a closer look.”

She looked down at her green hoodie again. “I don’t see what—“

Wait.

Since when did Uraraka own a green hoodie? Pink, blue and white, sure. But green? Not to mention the writing on the front that literally spelled out the word hoodie in hiragana.

Oh, gosh.

This was Deku’s hoodie! She was wearing Deku’s hoodie!

Gasping loudly, Uraraka felt blood rush to her cheeks. That was a thing couples did! They weren’t a couple!

Her head whipped around as she looked around the common room. A few other classmates were gathered in the kitchen area, but thankfully none of them were Midoriya himself.

“This is so embarrassing,” she squeaked.

Uraraka covered her eyes with her hands (while also making sure to hold up her pinkies so she wouldn’t float away) and shook her head as Asui comfortingly patted her best friend’s back.

“How did Midoriya’s hoodie end up on your floor?”

Uraraka peered out through the gaps between her fingers and sighed. She lowered her hands, resting them on her lap as she twiddled her fingers.

“I told Deku I was having trouble with the chemistry homework at lunch the other day, so he offered to help,” she said. ”We were in my room and it was in the middle of that heatwave last week, so he took off his hoodie. He must have accidentally left it there.”

“Why didn’t you turn on the AC?”

“I… forgot,” she smiled awkwardly.

“Ochaco,” Asui sighed. She shook her head in amusement.

“Hey, Uraraka!”

At the sound of the familiar voice she did not want to hear right now, Uraraka’s muscles tensed and her eyes widened. Slowly, she turned to see Midoriya standing behind her.

“Hi,” she said, her teeth clenched.

She watched in trepidation as Midoriya’s eyes trailed down from her face to the hoodie she was wearing. His round eyes narrowed slightly before lighting up in recognition.

“Is that my—“

“Gotta go! Love you, bye!” Uraraka yelled, catching the attention of everyone else in the room.

“Lo—what?”

She sprinted away, repeatedly pressing the elevator button before stumbling inside and hitting the button for the third floor. As the doors slid closed, Uraraka caught sight of a very confused-looking Midoriya. Breathing a sign of relief, she leaned back against the wall as her eyes drifted shut.

She could worry about how to return the hoodie to him later.

[cece-ta]

Someone call @cece-ta​! The dorm power went out again…

[cece-ta]

distracted, and it’s all your fault

G | Words - 1.2K | Fairy Tail | Nalu

AO3

Lucy hummed as she looked through the binoculars the client had let her borrow, not spying any suspicious activity. She placed them back down on the boulder she was partially hidden behind and sighed.

The team had taken a job that required them to keep a lookout for a group of bandits that had been terrorising the local town recently. They were suspected to have a base camp not too far into the forest.

Today was a day of celebration in the town—some sort of annual event similar to Magnolia’s harvest festival—so the mayor requested for them to locate the group and then hold them off if they attempt to attack during the festivities.

It hadn’t taken too long to locate them. Happy and Carla were keeping watch from above while Erza, Wendy and Gray took the south. That left Lucy and Natsu to the north of the bandits’ base camp with the town about half a kilometre behind them.

“Anything happen yet?” Natsu asked, nudging Lucy’s shoulder with his own.

She shook her head and tapped a finger to her chin. “I’m honestly not sure if anything will, at this rate. The mayor told us these bandits have been attacking in the dead of the night when there aren’t many people around, so it would be against their MO to rush in when the whole town is gathered in one place.”

“So basically what you’re saying is I don’t get to beat these guys up?”

“Sorry,” she said with a shrug. “Not this time.”

Natsu pouted, leaning up on the boulder, his knees on the ground practically touching hers. From her position beside him, Lucy got a good look at him. Her eyes roamed from the bulging muscles of his biceps, down to his perfectly chiselled chest, and up to his sharp jawline. The longer Lucy stared, the more her mind began to wander.

It was dangerous territory, something she preferred to leave unexplored.

As she finally reached his eyes, Lucy saw Natsu staring straight back at her. Lips shifting into a smirk, he raised a questioning brow. As he leaned closer, her muscles tensed up and she felt like her face was about to set ablaze.

“Something got you… distracted?” He teased, chuckling as he gave her his usual bright grin.

Lucy scowled, keeping her mouth sealed shut. He could be worse than that damn cat sometimes.

As Natsu leaned even closer, to the point where Lucy could feel his breath fanning her face, she lurched back and yelled what was quite possibly the most embarrassing thing she’d said in her life.

“Stop being too attractive!”

Lucy’s eyes widened as she registered what she’d just said. Her brain to mouth filter had completely flown out the window! And knowing what Natsu was like, he would never let her forget about this.

Oh, gosh, what if Happy found out? She’d be doomed for eternity!

In the distance, there was a muffled shout. Lucy yelped as Natsu suddenly pushed her down so they were both fully hidden behind the boulder.

Unfortunately for her, that also meant her head ended up against Natsu’s chest with his arms tightly wrapped around her midsection. Lucy’s tank top had ridden up slightly, meaning it was skin pressed against skin, which only served to worsen her state of fluster.

Slowly, Natsu peered up over the boulder. Lucy bit her lip, trying not to let her mind wander off as it had before. The last thing she needed right now was to be caught ogling him again.

Stupid Natsu and his stupid, handsome face!

“Looks like they didn’t spot us.” Natsu said, leaning up a bit further.

Lucy heaved a sigh of relief as Natsu let go of her. She hastily pulled her tank top down so her midriff was no longer exposed.

“Can… can we pretend that didn’t happen?” She asked, pointedly looking away.

“What? You calling me attractive? No way!”

“I didn’t say that,” she tried to deny, closing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. After a few seconds of silence, she opened them again to see Natsu giving her an amused look as he obviously tried to hold back a laugh.

“I’m pretty sure you did.”

“Something must be wrong with your hearing then.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Lucy, you and I both know my hearing is far better than yours.”

She winced. Yeah, that wasn’t her best work. Lucy bit her lip as she tried to think of another excuse—a more plausible one this time. For a writer, she sure was short on ideas.

Come on, Lucy! Think!

“Hey, Lucy,” Natsu said as he repeatedly poked her arm. She batted his hand, but he continued to do it anyway. Lucy’s cheeks puffed up adorably and her lips pursed into a pout. “I know what I heard. You think I’m attractive!”

As he continued to tease her, Lucy’s eye twitched in irritation. He was lucky she thought he was cute.

“Fine! Yes, I think you’re really attractive! Is that really such a big deal?”

Lucy heaved in a few deep breaths, chest visibly rising and falling as she felt his gaze pierce her very soul. She gulped.

That dangerous territory had certainly been breached now, and there was no turning back.

“Well, I don’t know if I’d call it a big deal,” Natsu responded with a chuckle. He crossed his arms and placed them behind his head. “I think you’re attractive, too, but you don’t see me getting all embarrassed about it.”

Lucy sputtered as her eyes almost rolled into the back of her head. In her sudden state of breathlessness, she struggled to form her words. “I—you can’t,” she tried to say. “You can’t just say that so casually!”

“Why not? Geez, Lucy. You’re acting really weird today.”

“I’m weird?” Lucy jeered. She pointed a finger at him and jabbed his chest. “You’re the one calling me attractive when we’re not a couple!”

It was truly some sort of miracle that the bandits hadn’t heard them this time.

Natsu quirked a brow. “I’m pretty sure you’re the one who said it first.”

As her mouth opened and closed with only a few strangled noises escaping her throat, Natsu laughed. He slapped a hand on her shoulder as Lucy’s cheeks puffed up once more. If they weren’t trying to stay hidden, she would have Lucy kicked him into the stratosphere by now.

She sighed, picking up the binoculars and leaning up on the boulder again. They were here to do a job. She needed to focus.

And then, so quietly Lucy almost missed it, Natsu mumbled, “But what if I want us to be a couple?”

Her head whipped to the side as her jaw dropped open. Natsu? Asking if they could be a couple? The same guy who never seemed to show any interest in romance?

But he only got that look on his face when he was serious about something. Besides, he did just admit he was attracted to her.

“I… wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

Natsu stared deeply into her eyes. “You mean that?”

She shyly nodded, inhaling a shaky breath.

Without saying another word, Natsu reached over and clasped Lucy’s hand with his own. Their fingers intertwined, slotting together perfectly. Natsu gave Lucy’s hand a small squeeze and smiled gently. It was a simple gesture, but an intimate one all the same.

She squeezed his hand in return and gave him a smile of her own.

That dangerous territory had been breached, and Lucy couldn’t be any happier about it.

[cece-ta]

5 cats is 4 too many

G | BNHA | Words - 680 | Kamijirou | Aged Up

AO3

Summary: Jirou arrives home one day to find out her boyfriend has impulsively adopted five cats

If there was one thing Jirou had always appreciated about Kaminari, it was the amount of love he had to give. He was practically bursting at the seams with it, whether that love be directed at her, his friends or his family.

But sometimes, Jirou thought Kaminari loved a little too much.

Such was the case today.

The day had started off perfectly normal with each of them heading out to their respective hero agencies for a long day of hard work. They parted with a kiss as always, telling each other to stay safe.

Her day had remained relatively uneventful with no major incidents to speak of.

So when Jirou opened their apartment door to see Kaminari standing in the middle of the living room surrounded by animals that had most certainly not been there that morning she was rather confused.

“What is going on here?” Jirou questioned, slipping off her boots in a hurry. She hung her bag up on the hook on the back of the door, gaping at the sight before her.

“I may have accidentally adopted like five cats,” Kaminari said with a sheepish grin. He scooped one up into his arms, holding it like a baby and waving its paw. “Look how cute they are!”

The cats weaved around his legs, jumping on and off the coffee table and sofa. There was already a (thankfully empty) glass knocked onto the rug. It was only a matter of time until one of them clawed the curtains, and they weren’t exactly cheap to replace.

Jirou let out a loud sigh and shook her head. She crossed her arms, her leather jacket straining.

“How the hell did you ‘accidentally’ adopt five cats?”

“You know how that new animal shelter opened up a few streets away?” Kaminari said, already waving his arms around as he had a habit of doing whenever he spoke. Jirou nodded. It was on her route to work. “So I was on my way back home, right? And I thought ‘hey, why not check it out’, so I did.”

“And now we have five cats.”

“And now we have five cats,” he repeated with an awkward laugh.

Kaminari reached down the pet one on the head, giggling when the cat kicked his finger. “That tickles!”

Carefully making sure not to step on any of the felines wandering around the room, she made her way over the couch. Jirou sat down, flinching when one of the cats unexpectedly jumped up to sit beside her. It stared at her with its big green eyes and tilted its head to the side.

Tentatively, she held out a hand. The cat sniffed and then butted its head against it, letting out a soothing purr. Jirou felt herself smile softly.

“See, they’re not so bad, right?”

Jirou nodded. She could probably get used to this. They had been thinking of adopting a pet at some point—though the plan was for one, not five.

Noticing the pinched expression adorning his girlfriend’s face, Kaminari put the cat he had been holding down.

“Sorry I didn’t ask you first,” he said, sitting down next to her. Kaminari took Jirou’s hand in his and rubbed his thumb across her palm. His eyes softened as his voice lowered to almost a whisper. “My impulsivity got the better of me again.”

“I get it,” she reassured him. “This wouldn’t be the first time you’ve made a stupid decision. Not that most of the things you do aren’t stupid.”

Kaminari choked out a laugh, poking her in the ribs as he pouted. “Hey, I’m getting better at controlling my impulses.”

“If you call randomly adopting five cats controlling your impulses, then yeah.” Jirou teased.

She didn’t mind it, really. It was just part of what made Kaminari who he was.

Jirou leaned her head on his shoulder. Kaminari wrapped his arm around her, leaning into her warmth. She smiled contentedly, watching the five cats continue to explore the room.

“As much as I like cats, we’re not keeping five of them. One will do.”

“Aww.”

[cece-ta]

White as Snow

G | Words - 686 | BNHA | Todoroki Siblings

AO3

Today was one of the rare occasions when Touya took a break from his training—not that the rest of his family knew about that, of course.

To them, he had stopped it years ago. To them, he wasn’t good enough to continue his father’s legacy and surpass All Might. To them, he was fragile—nothing but a failure. But Touya was way too stubborn to let that dream go! His father had told him he would be the one to do it, so that was what Touya would do! If he had to endure a few burns along the way, then so be it. It was never going to be an easy journey.

Thunk!

He blinked in surprise, forcibly knocked out of his thoughts as he crashed down to the ground. Landing on his back, Touya let out a groan as the snow beneath him began to soak his winter coat. As he sat up, a small clump of snow slid off his head.

“I got you!” Natsuo, who had thrown the snowball, shouted gleefully.

Touya glared at his younger brother as Natsuo pointed and laughed at him, and their sister worriedly bit her nails. Fuyumi had taken a step forward, torn between running over to help and staying next to their pregnant mother who was watching over the three kids from the veranda.

“Hey, look! Now all your hair is white.” Natsuo pointed out.

As he glanced up, more snow fell off Touya's head and into his lap. It quickly melted, leaving a wet patch on his leg.

Over the years, Touya’s hair had been changing from red to white. Nobody understood the reason behind the change. It hadn’t happened to anyone on either side of the family before. Natsuo was right, though. Touya’s hair was closer to being one colour than it had been for years.

He rolled his eyes and quickly batted the rest of it out. “Ugh! I don’t want that! It makes me look like an old man!”

“Are you saying I look old?” Natsuo asked.

“Well, yeah! Only old people have white hair,” he responded, sticking out his tongue, which was the totally mature thing to do, of course. Touya was the eldest, he would know.

Tears began to well up in Natsuo’s eyes.

Oh, great.

“How rude!” Fuyumi yelled. She clutched at her own white hair, giving him an angry little pout. Touya thought Fuyumi couldn’t look seriously angry, even if she tried. “We’re younger than you.”

As Touya sneered, he caught his mother giving him a look. She shook her head. Even without words, Touya got the message. She only gave him that look when reprimanding him for whatever apparently wrong or bad thing he’d done at the time (it usually had something to do with upsetting one of his siblings, as was the case right now, or annoying his father). He rolled his eyes. Whatever. He wasn’t entirely wrong, anyway.

“I’ll get you back for that, Natsu!”

After running around the garden and chucking a few more snowballs at each other, Rei called them inside. Touya trudged after his mother and younger siblings as they headed to the living room, glancing at the clock hanging up in the hallway on the way. Only three more hours, and then he could sneak off for more training.

As he dropped down onto the sofa, Fuyumi and Natsuo quickly huddled either side of him.

“Hey!” Touya yelped as they tightly clung onto his arms. “What do you think you’re doing? Stop clinging to me!”

In response, they only giggled and shuffled up even closer. Touya groaned, mumbling something about them both being annoying.

“But you’re warm!”

He sighed, but ultimately relented and shifted to sit more comfortably so they could all watch TV together.

Partway through the movie, Touya glanced over at Rei. His gaze shifted down to the big baby bump her hands rested upon. Though his mother looked happy, Touya felt wary. He couldn’t help but have the nagging feeling that something was about to go very wrong for him very soon, all because of that baby.

[cece-ta]

6 Sentence Sunday

Week 15!

—————

“Something got you… distracted?” He teased, chuckling as he gave her his usual bright grin. Lucy scowled, keeping her mouth sealed shut. He could be worse than that damn cat sometimes.

As Natsu leaned even closer, to the point that Lucy could feel his breath on her face, she lurched back and yelled, “Stop being too attractive!”

—————

This is from a mostly-finished WIP titled ‘distracted, and it’s all your fault’. I had fun writing this lol

[cece-ta]

A Slip of The Tongue

T | BNHA | Words - 2.2K | Kiribaku

AO3

Summary: While doing some extra training in gym gamma, Kirishima accidentally calls Bakugou hot instead of manly which makes him react in a way he wasn’t expecting.

“AP Machine Gun!”

Bakugou’s muscles flexed as he rapidly fired off a series of large explosions, one foot placed behind him to brace himself from the impact. As the noise died down and the smoke cleared, he heaved in a deep breath and placed one hand on his knee. He wiped away the sweat building on his forehead with the back of his other hand before checking to make sure his new hearing aids were still in place. He’d already broken one pair by accidentally standing on them and did not want that to become a regular occurrence.

“Great job, dude!”

“Yeah!”

Bakugou grinned and turned to face the part of the gym where his friends were sitting and watching, their praise fueling his ego. Kirishima, Kaminari and Sero clapped and cheered for him as they always did during their training sessions.

Bakugou had dragged Kirishima along—something he’d been doing more often as of late—so they could help each other create a new move with the other two tagging along uninvited as always. He had found it rather annoying at first (not that he still didn’t) but their presence was to be expected at this point.

“Well?” Bakugou asked. He dropped down into a crouch before sitting on the cold, hard floor, exhausted. “You supporting cast better have been impressed!”

It was the first time Bakugou had managed to pull off that move in the exact way he wanted. He could practically feel pride rippling through his very core.

“We’ve been promoted!” Kaminari said with a grin, turning to Sero and frantically batting the other boy’s arm with the back of his hand. “You hear that? Blasty really cares about us.”

Sero nodded, his expression completely serious. He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye and sniffled. “Truly a day for the history books.”

Bakugou glared in their direction, threateningly letting off a small cluster of explosions in his left hand.

They were slowly becoming immune to his furious looks much to Bakugou’s dismay. Whatever. Just because they tagged along, it definitely doesn’t mean he wants their actual opinions or anything. If he wanted actual feedback, he’d train with Deku instead. The damn nerd never stopped analysing everything, so he may as well be put to good use sometimes.

Kirishima laughed but shook his head. “Ignore these idiots.”

“Hey!”

“You know I love you, man,” Kirishima continued, patting a pouting Kaminari on the shoulder as Bakugou resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sero snorted.

Kirishima turned his head to face Bakugou again, slammed his fists together in his signature pose and grinned. “Amazing as usual, Bakugou! You looked super hot!”

Bakugou choked on his saliva as sweat rapidly pooled on his palms. He shrunk into himself, hiding his face in the collar of his sports jacket as blood rushed to his cheeks. He opened his mouth to yell but found himself unable to speak. The lack of control over his brain made his teeth grit as his jaw clenched tight.

What the fuck did Kirishima just say? And since when did Bakugou’s mind shut down over a simple compliment?

The laughter from the joke about being upgraded faded out as Kaminari and Sero looked back and forth between Kirishima and each other. Kaminari pointed, mouthing something to Sero that Bakugou didn’t catch due to the angle of his head.

Kirishima smiled awkwardly, sitting up straight instead of slouching like he had been before. Tilting his head, a look of puzzlement struck his face.

It was only when Kaminari stuck two fingers into his mouth and wolf whistled that the silence broke.

Through his red-tinted vision, Bakugou saw Sero burst into another fit of laughter as the whistle echoed through the large, open room. Kaminari joined in his friend’s joy, clutching at his side as he attempted to whistle again but only managed to make what sounded like a fart noise instead.

“What?” Kirishima questioned, sounding desperate.

His flummoxed question only made their laughter ring out even harder to the point Sero was rolling on the floor. And unlike earlier, the tears in his eyes were real. His amusement only seemed to be feeding Kaminari’s and vice versa as the two became increasingly louder.

Bakugou was tempted to turn off his hearing aids, but his mind wasn’t exactly functioning right now. At all. Instead, it was just an endless scream of ‘fuck’. Not even over and over again. Just one endless, drawn-out scream.

Eye twitching, Bakugou finally broke out of whatever mental hold being called ‘hot’ had put over him and stood up. As he paced towards the other three, his heart thrashed in his chest. It wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar feeling, but it was one Bakugou had no idea how to control.

Though he’d been denying it for months—if he had to pinpoint a specific time, it would certainly be Kamino—, his reaction here had only confirmed to himself the thought that had been on his mind for months now.

He was falling for Kirishima.

It was a dilemma most high school kids went through at some point, but Bakugou and Kirishima were hero course kids. And he had his goal of being number one to focus on. It was unachievable without putting in any work, hence all the late night training sessions.

Which he had been inviting Kirishima to more often.

To spend time alone with him for hours on end.

Bakugou stopped walking, his muscles tensing.

Oh, fuck. He’d really screwed himself over, hadn’t he?

“What?” Kirishima asked once again, starting to laugh despite seemingly being unaware as to why. “Was it something I said?”

Kaminari inhaled a huge breath of air, holding up a single finger as he tried to compose himself. A few seconds later, he cleared his throat.

“Dude, you totally just called Bakugou hot.”

“No, I didn’t,” he said with a dazed look of bewilderment. He looked at Sero as if waiting for him to refute Kaminari’s statement. But when silence was the only response, Kirishima’s frown deepened.

Had this fucker seriously just put Bakugou through a minor crisis and not even realised what he’d done? The nerve of him.

“That is some deep denial.” Sero commented, throwing his arms up in a surrender position when Kirishima looked his way, nostrils flaring.

“I called him manly like I always do!”

“The hell you did!” Bakugou finally yelled, his voice coming out slightly strained. He crossed his arms defensively.

“Uh oh,” Kaminari whispered, clutching Sero’s arm as Bakugou walked closer until he stood right in front of them.

Giving them all a clear view of how flustered he was.

“Oh, shit,” Kirishima whispered slowly, eyes shining with realisation. And then, louder, “Wait, are you blushing?”

An odd mixture of rage and embarrassment pulsed through his veins as Bakugou briskly turned his entire body away and gritted out the word, “No!”

“Hey, hey,” he heard Sero whisper, probably nudging Kaminari with one of those weird elbows of his. “We know his weakness now.”

Bakugou let out a grunt of irritation, whirling around and setting off a few small explosions.

“Oh, Bakugou, my saviour,” Kaminari said in a ridiculously high-pitched voice, completely undeterred. He placed a hand on his forehead and swooned, dropping into Sero’s lap as his eyes fluttered shut. “You’re so unbelievably hot!”

Bakugou promptly stuck up his middle finger at Kaminari. Despite still feeling angry, the rate at which he was sweating slowed to the point he was no longer at risk of destroying the entire gym. Something about Kaminari being the one to call him hot had the opposite effect of Kirishima saying it.

Kaminari cracked open one eye, still dramatically flopped all over Sero. He raised a brow and grinned as his eyes lit up in a way that meant he had a bad idea. Oh, what now?

“Hey, Kirishima? I think it's just when you do it,” he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows before sitting up and inhaling a deep breath.

“No–”

“Bakugou and Kirishima sitting in a tree,” he sang, Sero joining in partway through. Bakugou’s palms sparked as Kirishima’s face turned as red as his shitty hair. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

Letting out a guttural yell, Bakugou pounced. His hand lit up as a gargantuan explosion blasted out. It narrowly missed the other two boys as they scrambled to dodge it. Given that they still had at least a little bit of self preservation, they then high-tailed it out of the room.

“Wasn’t that a bit much?” Kirishima asked. He hadn’t moved at all, his entire left side hardened and his sleeve singed.

“Asshole,” Bakugou murmured.

“You know he means well. It’s just really funny to see you get angry.”

“I’ve built up enough sweat to let off an explosion that big again, you bastard!”

Kirishima held his arms up as he slowly stood up, laughing breathily. He brushed off some dust from his trouser leg as he opened his mouth to say something but immediately closed it, looking apprehensive. He bit his lip as he struggled to verbalise whatever thought was bouncing around his brain.

Bakugou frowned in concern. “Spit it out.”

“I said it by accident, but I do actually think you looked really hot doing that new move!”

Bakugou’s eyes widened as his body froze and he took a step back. Blood rushed back to his face. “The hell? You—you can’t just say stuff like that!”

“What? That I think you’re really hot?” Kirishima threw his head back and cackled. “Dude, I am so calling you hot all the time now!”

“Don’t you fucking dare!”

Kirishima took a few steps closer to him, getting right up in his personal space. From this close, Bakugou could probably count the number of freckles faintly painted across his nose and cheeks. He mentally slapped himself. Now was not the time!

“Or maybe I should call you handsome?” Kirishima smugly teased, obviously enjoying the reaction he was receiving. “ Or cute? Nah, you’re too hot to be called cute.”

Bakugou was about to blow up the entire school at this rate, and UA wasn’t exactly small by any means. His entire body felt like it was on fire.

If this is what having a crush felt like, then he wanted out. Right now. Especially if it meant getting your feelings played with.

“Don’t say shit like that unless you mean it!” He roared, struggling to catch his breath.

A look of confusion flickered across Kirishima’s face. “What makes you think I don’t?”

Bakugou stuttered out a few unintelligible syllables, unable to form a coherent response. His heart was thumping so rapidly it felt like it was about to burst. The feeling was similar to the rush of adrenaline pulling off an ultimate move gave him but was all too different at the same time, and Bakugou hated that he didn’t know how to handle it.

Kirishima sheepishly rubbed his cheek and smiled, averting his gaze. He blushed. “I know Kaminari just joked about it, but… in all seriousness, seeing you giving it your all out there and being super manly even if it's just training really makes me want to kiss you.”

“You— what?”

“Never thought you’d be the type to react like this,” Kirishima said, laughing heartily. He smiled, his eyes softening as he looked at Bakugou in a way that made the breath in his lungs escape him all at once. “I like you, Bakugou,” he confessed. “This isn’t exactly how I thought it would happen, though. I was actually thinking of more of a life or death villain fight situation, not me having no brain to mouth filter. Though I guess it was bound to happen one day…”

Kirishima trailed off until his voice was barely a mumble, placing a hand to his chin as he got distracted by his own thoughts.

“That’s so fucking stupid,” Bakugou said, barking out a laugh.

(Though he would never admit it aloud, a confession mid-battle actually sounded weirdly appealing.)

“Yeah, I know,” he snickered. They fell into silence, Kirishima giving him that same soft look again, somehow conveying all of his love into a single glance.

Unsure of what to say, Bakugou stayed silent.

At Bakugou’s lack of a response, Kirishima’s eyes went wide as he quickly waved his hands in the air and said, “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, dude. I totally get it! You’re really focused on your goal of becoming number one and dating me would probably get in the way or something…”

Kirishima had really been paying attention, hadn’t he?

“Oh, fuck it.” Bakugou declared. As Bakugou grabbed Kirishima by the collar of his shirt and smashed their lips together, Kirishima pumped his fist into the air in a show of victory before kissing him back. Bakugou could feel Kirishima’s smile through the kiss as he grinned back. Their teeth clacked together awkwardly but Bakugou couldn’t bring himself to care as Kirishima gently ran his calloused hands through his hair.

Kirishima said he wanted a kiss, so he was getting one. And it will be the best damn kiss he will ever have in his life. Who gives a shit if this means Bakugou will be distracted from his lifelong goal? There’s plenty of time left until graduation. Nothing is stopping him from having both.

Who knew a slip of the tongue would be all it took for their feelings to be admitted?