#and satou like every other gay has been through this

[minamotosousuke]

how could I have been so blind. how was I not aware of this clip before now

[starymintss]

Please enjoy an essay on why mitsukou has so much fucking potential and why they’re great together

by Elena~

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a connection like the one that mitsukou shares. This ship literally has true canon potential. I have hope and believe that we may be victorious in mitsukou becoming canon- I mean god dammit guys they are “SEMI CANON”-

kounene obviously won’t be endgame. In Houkago Shounen Hanako Kun (the spin-off series) they played a game in which the person who pulled a king card was able to get to command a person that was playing the game to do something no matter what. When Kou pulled his card- he literally decided he wanted his brother Teru who was there and Nene to have a romantic connection (hence- him saying and I fucking quote, “This will make senpai happy!”) He could’ve done it to his own benefit- to maybe earn a kiss or do something of his own benefit. But he didn’t, instead choosing to make his senpai happy.

Besides Hananene is basically canon already like what the fuck

As for Mitsuba he’s a gay coded character and hasn’t denied the guys aren’t his type. Some people who deem Mitsuba straight might use the scene where he tells Kou “Is this a love confession? Sorry but lame earrings aren’t really my style.” That still does not confirm that Mitsuba doesn’t swing that way. A really great piece of evidence is the bonus comics at the start and end of a manga- one titled, “Tell Me, Mitsuba Kun,” in which Kou asks if he ever had a crush on other girls- Mitsuba responding that there are simply no other girls cuter than him. In another bonus comic he says the same thing again when he tells Yokoo and Satou he wants to fall in love. When asked to name some girls he thinks are cute, he asks if it's possible that he was the cutest one of all. On the other hand, Kou has stated that he likes someone with a pretty smile (do I have to explain that) which is a pretty open explanation of his type (not denying or confirming he doesn’t like guys). Obviously as a Mitsukou shipper I can point out different actions that I’ll admit looks pretty gay.

It’s not the fact that it’s very common in manga like this that there’s the straight couple and then the other two people in the group are automatically paired together- they are so much more than that. They have a deep connection, and both Kou and Mitsuba are somewhat aware of that themselves. Mitsuba is willing to protect Kou from harm- he’s willing to stop him from getting himself hurt for others because Mitsuba cares, and he knows that he’s too reckless and caring and fearless for others in a way that isn’t healthy?

Kou likes to be everything for everyone and the reader can see in chapter 64 that Mitsuba really did try to talk to him about the behavior. Yes it’s weird to see Mitsuba actually show true concern to people--because it’s his character to be a jerk and an asshole, but that doesn’t mean Mitsuba is incapable of not having true genuine feelings for people he seems as his friends.

Obviously, Mitsuba trying to talk to Kou didn’t happen due to other events that occurred. But I think a lot of people agree that the moment would’ve been so beautifully written and truly played an extremely important part in Kou’s character development.

As for Mitsuba, Kou is generally a sweet guy. It’s stated he will give up his life for anyone, it was what he was taught growing up as an exorcist and a fighter. Those words do not fail his actions, and anyone can see Kou will die for literally anything which is really messed up. He’s 14 for fucks sake.

Someone against Mitsukou could use that as an argument but we see here in the manga that there’s simply something different about this said connection. Kou is first introduced to Mitsuba in chapter 30 something, and he remembers who he is after Yokoo tells him--what happened to Mitsuba that was ultimately the end of his life. Mitsuba does again by his rumor being changed, and being stabbed by Hanako- but it’s the fact he cries and loses sleep and just cannot let him go for anything that moves me. May I point out that he actually decided to process the photos even after Mitsubas death? He didn’t have to do that. Not at all. But he did anyways. It’s seen that Kou wants to find a way to help Mitsuba get away from Tsukasa and help him fit in more- he wants to be a friend. (Note: after he’s reintroduced to Mitsuba; this Mitsuba being a pure apparition with no memories.)

Mitsuba is deeply insecure about himself, and feels he doesn’t fit in. He’s lonely, and doesn’t have friends even as a ghost. But Kou is there. He’s there to be by Mitsubas side.

The deep connection the two of them have is strong and that’s especially shown in the picture perfect arc. At the beginning Kou first sees Mitsuba as a human and obviously it’s freaking him out because-he’s a ghost you know. But once him and Nene meet Shijima Mei, and are told they must kill Hanako (Amane) and Mitsuba, it’s disturbing to them. At this point in the series literally everyone know Hanako and Yashiro share a connection as lovers. I mean- its the couple that the series revolves around. But Kou is deeply disturbed because he doesn’t want to kill Mitsuba. Yet- Mei also reassured them that things will be alright since after all this is a fake world and there’s no need for hesitation. But it’s still affecting Kou and he’s carrying this information on his back as he learns beside Mitsuba in school and has fun with him while cleaning the pool. At night, when the two of them are walking on the school building and watching the stars from the window, Kou confronts Mitsuba about this (note: by now Kou knows that Mitsuba knows). Mitsuba goes on to reveal his true form, and uses his powers to show Kou the past. He tells him about how he learns about his past self. And he states to just feel so… “envious”

Mitsuba grows angry with Kou- because he can see how he’s looking at the true Mitsuba with such a gaze the fake Mitsuba knows he won’t ever get.

Things lead to one another and he smashes the window in fury. (“It’s that Mitsuba you want, right?!” And I dare you to tell me that doesn’t sound like a fucking quote from a bittersweet romance novel.)

Kou insists on getting Mitsuba out of there. And can I please just point out that Mitsuba says: “What are you doing?!” He asks Kou if this isn’t what he wanted- if this isnt the life they want to live from here on out where they can be happy together along with their friends. This reminds me of a direct parallel to Hananene, in which Hanako is confused as to why Nene wouldn’t want to stay here, and Nene tells him that this isn’t what she wants. Kou says the same thing to Mitsuba.

Kou drags out embedded feelings Mitsuba has as they fight, and he says quotes that are really important to their development. Things such as:

“But… who else is there?! Who else could grant my wish?! Even you, Minamoto- Kun!”

“You see… even you don’t care about me. It’s that “Mitsuba,” isn’t it?! I don't even MATTER!!”

“I’m Mitsuba’s fake, but let’s just call it real! This is a world where the “Mitsuba” you were unable to save can live happily! That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Even if it’s only in this world, be my friend, and stay by my side… I’m just thinking scary things. Over there, I’ll be jealous.”

I think the Picture Perfect arc really shows how desperate Mitsuba is to have friends- to fit in with everyone else and to just feel like he belongs and matters. Kou tries to tell him that isn’t true... he’s willing to do everything to let him know that he is so much more than what he deems himself as. He’s so much more than a “fake” of what used to be his original friend, there's so much more to do than wish wishes and hope things will just go the way you want things to go. There’s a better way than to look to evil to bend and defy the laws of existing.

There’s the famous quote Kou says- the “How about I die too. So that we can be together forever.” And how he decided right there this this fake Mitsuba- this apparition who very much will never become human- is worthy. He’s worthy of his life; this is more than the whole “I will die for every life” because Mitsuba is dead- he’s immortal as a ghost. But a human like him... in Mitsubas words someone who will never understand something as ugly and as horrifying as a apparition born from a real persons soul and lesser about to disappear spirits- Kou will give his life up just to know the hell he goes through. Even if it’s just a glimpse- even if it’s just for a second Kou will do anything to just fulfill Mitsubas wish for him to stay by his side. He will do anything for Mitsuba.

I think writing this out also makes me realize they both have their walls up. Kou has his walls up to try and hide his true feelings- his deepest fears and insecurities- feeling as if he isn’t good enough. Mitsuba has his walls up to do the same. He portrays himself as a guy that he deems will get him friends. He hides the ugliness in himself- hides the fact he’s a total fake; doesn’t belong anywhere and his deepest insecurities.

But the two of them together help each other in such a way that it’s unable to truly analyze every single moment they share together.

They help each other but teach the other to bring their walls down. That it’s okay to talk about your feelings and that you don’t have to be everything for everyone. That you don’t have to give up everything you have living- your health and your literal life- for someone. That it’s okay to feel like you don’t fit in. It’s okay to feel like there’s just no other choice of getting what you want and therefore doing the wrong things. That people will love you just for you; what happened in the past put aside.

Mitsuba and Kou are in love.

The end. 💖

[jacksgreysays]

Hisoka!AU of DOS, Rokudaime(whoever you pick to end up with that job in this verse), A Steady Hand (NOTE: For Hisoka!AU, see Recursive forum pg 489 #14,655 - Snapshots From The Past Of Hisoka by donahermurphy pg 489 #14,665 - A Meeting While Fleeing The Garden & Desert by Tirfarthuan pg 491 #14,716 - A Name & A Gift Passed On by Tirfarthuan)

A/N: Thanks for the biblio [1+2, 3], dona--I did not know who Hisoka was before this, so those helped a lot! I did, also, have to reread the Lone Wolf 'verse since from what I understand Hisoka is an AU of that 'verse specifically? If not, please let me know.

Anyway, on rereading Lone Wolf 'verse, here are the facts that I gleaned:

Danzo is Hokage

Hiruzen died of "natural causes" several years before canon

Kakashi "betrayed the village" somehow and is being called Comrade-Killer more prevalently than canon

Asuma is probably dead

Yuuhi Shinku isn't an entire dick (since Uchiha Uzume can think about him without an automatic insult attached)

Shin is still alive (but very slowly dying)

and Kurenai is helping the Uchiha at the very least cover up a meeting with Kakashi outside of the village.

The facts of the Hisoka!AU are:

Shikako was taken to be ROOT

in order to protect those she cared about she mentally/spiritually maimed herself to the point where she no longer counted as "a Shikako" to Gelel

her partner for the final exam was Sai

she escaped/convinced Sai that the point of the final exam was to fake her death and became a fishmonger on the coast of Wind

when Shikako!Prime leaves via Gelel she "wakes up" from said previous mental/spiritual maiming

Kakashi finds her and they're a lovely wolf and cub pair who aim to kill Danzo (and get rid of their loneliness and maybe heal)

... okay, now that I typed all that out, did you mean Hisoka!AU of canon DoS instead of the Hisoka!AU of the Lone Wolf 'verse? Because those are different things, I think. But I kinda figured Hisoka!AU was intrinsically tied to the Lone Wolf 'verse, so, uh, here's a couple of ideas I had in mind:

1) Akimichi Chouza as Rokudaime.

Because after the absolute worst sort of "warmongering, self-cannibalizing, Konoha first" bullshit that Danzo spewed, the village needs someone who recognizes that being the village leader means making and protecting a home worth living in, not just a harsh taskmaster sending his soldiers out to die.

I considered Shikaku!Rokudaime for a similar sort of reason, but it's not as thematic and, also on a personal level, he can't. In a Hisoka!AU, he has to reconcile the fact that he gave one of his children--willingly or not, even if Danzo wiped his memory later--to a man who he already knew would exploit her horrendously. Maybe he didn't know the full extent of ROOT's training (surely not the final exam) but the fact that he was apprehensive and still went through with it is not a good look.

Even if Hisoka and Kakashi do not return to the village proper (and part of me is like, hey! They shouldn't! And I will go into that more in a little bit) he has to make amends to at least her, if not both of them, and he can't be Hokage and bound to prioritize the village over her if he ever wants to succeed.

Chouza, on the other hand, is the only one of the three who never made that decision (I'm still a little side-eyeing the Yamanaka clan, because surely a clan whose whole deal is KNOWING WHEN MENTAL SHENANIGANS IS GOING ON should have seen that with Fu, especially since he was allowed to keep his name and also, probably, had to have clan training to learn the clan jutsu, but maybe it wasn't Inoichi who made that deal? Maybe it was his predecessor. Either way, still mega sketch. I'm a little hand-wavy with Shibi and the Aburame because I headcanon that the Kyuubi largely wiped out what power they had the most out of any of the clans and they were like. Desperate to survive. And didn't have allied clans to bolster them.) And yes, probably that's because as far as fighting styles are concerned, they rely on their clan jutsu which is very recognizable and thus not great for ANBU (in the same way that I imagine the Inuzuka aren't often recruited into ANBU) but it's still a notable fact. The Akimichi are trustworthy pillars of the village and have been since the beginning.

And it helps that of the Nidaime's team, Akimichi Torifu was one of two of the full six who didn't turn into an old corruptible asshole. Sure, we don't necessarily know what happened to him, but he wasn't specifically seen as an old corruptible asshole so I think he's winning. It reflects well on his clan as a whole. Also, given my headcanon of the Akimichi actively cultivating their ties with civilians and also possibly the Daimyo's family they have, alongside military might, financial and political clout.

Anyway, while a possible Tsunade as Rokudaime would have similar vibes (and does, you know, match canon and have those canon reasons for working) in terms of "healing the village" etc. etc. This is a Tsunade whose most bitter cynicism was proven right? And there's no inspirational Naruto to convince her otherwise. And also, Tsunade shouldn't HAVE to clean up Danzo's mess. Like, the minuscule obligation she had to clean up Hiruzen's mess does not apply to Danzo. (It's a little like... Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were raised to be the ultimate team to take over for Hiruzen except they didn't know it and were dysfunctional. The fact that Hiruzen's death was by Orochimaru's hand and between her and Jiraiya she is the better choice is the only reason why she has that slight obligation to go back to Konoha. Whereas, with Danzo? FUCK THAT NOISE. That's a mess the village needs to resolve on their own. THEY'RE the ones who let it get so bad. THEY'RE the ones who need to deal with it)

And also, another reason why I don't really want Tsunade as Rokudaime is because I kind of like the idea of Kakashi and Hisoka sort of orbiting/paralleling her and Shizune. Like, there's a not-so-secret society of Konoha expatriates who aren't actually missing-nin and both love and hate the village and Tsunade is exasperatedly fond of those two disasters whereas she is sickened by the village. Maybe one day it will have fixed itself enough that she'll go back and visit and whip their Medic Corps into shape, but that is not any time soon!

Also, also, also, and I don't know if you remember this, dona, but in your In Which Someone Attempts to Kidnap Shikamaru, Instead, Inoichi brings up something called the Regency Protocol with Ino in regards to Danzo kidnapping Shikako and brainwashing Shikaku to forget and originally I thought it was some kind of Ino-Shika-Cho contingency plan where the three clans take over the village BECAUSE DANZO IS KIDNAPPING AND MURDERING CHILDREN AND THE SANDAIME WAS LETTING IT HAPPEN ON HIS WATCH? And of the three clans, the Akimichi really do have the traditional fighting prowess to wear the hat, so that's part of this too.

I just think an Akimichi Hokage would be pretty chill about it. Like. They wear power well and are good at managing people without crushing them in the fist of tyranny.

---

2) Maito Gai as Rokudaime.

This one actually for similar reasons as Chouza. Although, in terms of lineage, Gai could be Shichidaime, not that we're particularly holding to that Hokage teacher-student lineage so much.

In terms of semi-parallels where canon goes Tsunade to Kakashi, that means Gai also is a candidate. And in regards to showing the village/world a new kind of Hokage, he's as far from Danzo as one could get. He's straightforward and kind and draws out the potential from everyone and honestly real great but also wouldn't send someone into a mission he himself wouldn't do. Obviously, being a Hokage would mean delegating and sending shinobi on missions, but he would never send them out to die just because. Yes there are risky missions, but he would send those best suited to succeed with every tool available to them so they can succeed. Whereas Danzo would just throw bodies at a problem and kill the survivors for not doing it good enough.

The main difference between a Rokudaime Gai vs Rokudaime Chouza is that Gai's Konoha would rely less on the clan system. Of his three students, two were not from clans and the third is from the Hyuuga Branch (AND YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING FINALLY ADDRESSED BY A HOKAGE BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK). Yes, his sensei was Akimichi Chouza, but neither of his teammates were clan either. A Konoha under the rule of Rokudaime Gai is a Konoha that builds up those who don't have the same infrastructure as clans, who strengthens civilian-born and clan-born alike, who make sure that talented civilian-born students aren't only noticed by predatory old men who can sweep there existences under the rug.

Because truly one of the many ways that Danzo's weird self-hating megalomania harmed the village was by draining away the talented civilian-borns of Konoha. He who hated that the Shimura were a near-civilian clan, committed the worst crimes against those who could have proved that bloodline wasn't everything. He was so obsessed with the power of the Sharingan that it became a self fulfilling prophecy. Any talented non-bloodline student who could have proven a challenge were stolen and smothered before they could prove themselves.

Because imagine this: one day some random student with the ubiquitous last name of Satou or Tanaka or Honda beats Uchiha Itachi in a spar. Maybe its an accident. Maybe they got lucky. Maybe Itachi wasn't taking them seriously (after all, what could some no name civilian born do to him?). But those maybes don't matter. Satou or Tanaka or Honda gets in one good hit. Surprises the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Knocks him out.

The teacher takes a note of it. Talks about it in the teacher's lounge. One of Danzo's spies brings news of that notable spar.

By the next week--maybe even the next day--Satou or Tanaka or Honda is gone. No one beats Uchiha Itachi in a spar anymore. And ROOT adds another nameless, faceless soldier to its ranks.

BUT NONE OF THAT HAPPENS UNDER HOKAGE MAITO GAI. Because it is civilians that make Konoha a village and not just a loose coalition of clans. Because a name and a bloodline are not necessary to make a person great.

3) And here's the angsty/semi-bleak option: Yuuhi Kurenai as Rokudaime.

And I wrote a little bit for it, but I'm a little... mreh... about it because it does revolve a lot around the various men in her life which I'm not exactly proud of, tbh, but aaaaaaaaaagh this is endemic to a lot of Naruto fic. D:<

Yuuhi Kurenai is nobody's first choice.

(She was Asuma's first choice, and he was hers, and that had nothing to do with either of their fathers. Except now Asuma is--)

Her father wanted a son. A proper heir. Someone to elevate the prestige of the Yuuhi clan.

(In another universe, Yuuhi Shinku will think the only way his daughter can benefit the clan is through marriage, not her own merits. In this universe Yuuhi Shinku is a little bit more open minded enough to make do. He's still a dick, but not as much of one as he could've been. This puts Kurenai in an interesting position.)

The Uchiha clan are pursuing another ally with a little more fire power, a little more name recognition, and all the intimidation and influence that entails.

(But look at where that got Kakashi, exiled and with his reputation in tatters. Look at Gai who so eagerly and overtly wants to follow. Look at Asuma who--)

The rest of the village would prefer someone who didn't look so much like the clan of would be traitors. Someone who didn't have black hair and piercing red eyes. Someone who didn't specialize in genjutsu, an art for liars.

(Oh, but they were fine quietly suffering under a man who lied and stole and murdered. A man who manipulated and cheated and framed others for his crimes. A man who ruined everything he touched and Asuma tried to stop him, gods, but then he--)

And the world doesn't quite know what to do with a Hokage like her. Or a Kage that is a her, for that matter.

Yuuhi Kurenai is nobody's first choice.

But that's fine. She can make do.

She can make miracles out of nothing.

So the thought process to get to a Rokudaime Kurenai went kind of like such. Obviously, the Uchiha would prefer an Uchiha Hokage. However that largely depends on whether they succeed in their coup or not. There's the distinct possibility that Kakashi plus Shikako!Prime or Kakashi plus Hisoka will just kill Danzo and then leave, forcing the rest of the village deal with the consequences... AS THEY SHOULD... and thus also sort of cutting the coup off at the knees.

If the coup doesn't succeed (whether out of failure or because Kakashi and a Shikako kills Danzo first before they're prepared to do the rest of the coup) then if the political climate actually matches the one they perceive themselves being in (although, I don't think the Uchiha are as hated as they think they are, but its hard for them to see that isolated as they've been forced to be) then they're unlikely to get an Uchiha Hokage especially if news of them actually seeking an alliance with Comrade-Killer Hatake Kakashi comes out. Much less the aborted/failed coup. 

Anyway, no Uchiha Hokage without a successful coup... although, if there were a successful coup, the three Uchiha I would think would be even feasible would be Fugaku--boring, bland, but that's what they know. Shisui--friendly, well liked by those outside the clan, has an international reputation. Mikoto--this is largely based on fanon/headcanon, but she was ANBU Captain? That's pretty neat.

But, uh, to get back to the no Uchiha Hokage... Kakashi's reputation is still in tatters. Maito Gai could be a good option, but while his lack of clan is a good thing for future Konoha, he doesn't quite have the political backing necessary to get there. (Namikaze Minato was an undisputed war hero. Maito Gai hasn't quite proven himself that level yet)

If its brought up that the Ino-Shika-Cho were compromised (ie, Shikaku would have worked closely with Hokage Danzo as the Jounin Commander and also one of Danzo's top ROOT agents is Yamanaka Fu) then even Chouza's candidacy would be suspect.

The village wants Tsunade. But Tsunade does not want it. I have no fucking idea what Jiraiya has been up to, but if he didn't want the hat after Hiruzen died he sure as fuck won't want it after whatever Danzo's done with it.

The Hokage's Council is suspect. Yuuhi Shinku, for all that he is similarly important to the infrastructure of Konoha while also not being part of Danzo's corruption (in another universe, he very well would have been, desperate for power), isn't actually that strong and is old, besides. (The village has had enough of old men entrenched in positions of power telling them what to do).

But he does have a daughter. Genjutsu specialist, yes, but with potential and room to grow. And Sarutobi Asuma loved her (and, fuck, what a shitty campaign to run on, the would-have-been-widow of the Sandaime's son, but you know Shinku would be ruthless in pushing that. Remember, not as much of a dick in other 'verses, but still a dick) so she has that tether to the old regime, tentative as it is.

No one really has any major objections, but no one is really all that gung-ho about it either (except for maybe Anko who will punch all detractors in the face and may very well be a one woman Hokage's Guard).

Kurenai least of all. Because she doesn't want to be Hokage, but she'd rather step up and do it than watch her village tear itself apart even further. And maybe she doesn't know who she is just yet, and maybe it sucks that she's going to have to discover that while also being Hokage, but gods she's going to try her best because at least she knows what Danzo was doing was wrong and that there's no way she can do worse than him unless she just actively slaughtered children in the street.

...

Hm, yeah, kinda bleak ending. But as I said. The Rokudaime Kurenai one is the angsty-bleak option. I mean, it gets more hopeful, but it is a struggle I think for both her and the village.

I know its not a proper ficlet fill, dona, but hope you enjoyed this brain storm / meta anyway. :D 

[pocketsbigger]

From the manga Onna Doushi de Kodomo wo Umukoto ni Shimashita (The Journey to Lesbian Motherhood)

[Transcription below]

The term “LGBT” has been popping up more often lately on TV and in newspapers. But I think there are still quite a few people who really don’t understand what it means. So I’d like to use this column to explain some basic things about LGBT people, as well as about myself (Higashi Koyuki).

LGBT is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. It has gradually taken root in Japan as a general term for gender and sexual minorities. The concept is to use words in a positive sense in order to reclaim terminology for stigmatized minority groups.

L (lesbian): a woman who falls in love with a woman.

G (gay): a man who falls in love with a man.

B (bisexual): a person who can fall in love with any gender, or regardless of gender.

T (transgender): a person whose gender is different from the one assigned at birth.

Note: they may be diagnosed with gender dysphoria (or previously gender identity disorder, the Japanese equivalent of which is still in use). Some transgender people choose to physically transition through hormones or surgery, but not all.

In Dentsu University Lab’s 2015 survey of 69,989 people, 7.6% respondents self-identified as LGBT. That’s one out of every thirteen people, which mean there could be two or three in a given class of students.

Or, in other terms, that means there are more LGBT people in Japan than there are people with the four most common Japanese family names (Satou, Takahashi, Tanaka, or Suzuki). There must be some out there who think they never met an LGBT person, but I doubt any Japanese person can say they’ve never met a Satou, Takahashi, Tanaka, or Suzuki. It’s not that we don’t exist, it’s that we always can’t be open about it.

When I tell people I’m a lesbian, they think that means I want to be a man. This is a common misunderstanding. Being a lesbian means I love women as a woman. And you can’t know a transgender person’s sexuality unless you ask them. They aren’t all straight.

“Sexuality is a spectrum” as some say, and you can’t determine a person’s sexuality by just looking at them. Everyone is different.

I’m one of the “L”s in LGBT: a lesbian. I first fell in love with a girl— a fellow classmate— in the spring of my second year of high school, and started to worry that I was different from everyone else. I didn’t tell anyone about it. Not my parents, my teachers, or even my friends from school. I had a lot of worries about it, including whether I would ever be able to get married or have children.

But now I understand when it comes to sexuality, there’s no right way; look at a hundred people, and you’ll see a hundred different expressions of human sexuality. LGBT people may be smaller in number, but we’re not abnormal or sick. It’s really nothing to worry about.

The Japanese government still does not recognize marriages between two people of the same legal sex. But we can still hold weddings and live together like other married couples do. And raise children together, of course!

In a recent survey (NHK’s National LGBT survey, conducted in October 2015), 96 out of the 2,600 LGBT respondents said they had children. And I’ve seen plenty of other lesbian couples raise kids, with more on the way.

There are all sorts of people out there, and all sorts of families, too. Instead of being bound by what’s considered “normal” by society, you should feel free to just be yourself. I hope that, in learning about LGBT people, you will come to share that sentiment.

[end transcription.]

[leavesandcurses]

for the @bnhasecretsanta2019 project, and my partner, erizen! here’s an ao3 link, too. i chose to do momochaco out of the choices I was given...

“Look, it’s snowing! Yaomomo, come look at this!”

Momo jolts slightly, turning her attention to the voice calling her name. She falters, her cheeks heating up as she catches sight of Uraraka bouncing up and down, face pressed to the window. Momo peers outside, and yes, it is snowing quite strongly. The small flurries coming down obscure the horizon with an endless view of powdery white. It’s not particularly odd, given the time of year.

“Is it?” She murmurs anyway. Momo weaves between the classroom desks until she’s standing at Uraraka’s side, watching the tiny pieces of snow dance down from the pale-grey clouds with her. It is beautiful, which is a bizarre thought: Momo has never been overly fond of the cold, something she’s always attributed to her Quirk’s function — her body needs more lipids to ward off the side-effects of the cold, so Creation reaches its limits much quicker than in the summer months. However, her… what Jirou has referred to in passing as her ‘big gay crush’ on Uraraka may be the variable that’s changed her opinion on such weather. From an abstract standpoint, it’s incredible how something as simple as deep appreciation-turned-genuine admiration can change so many of her worldviews.

Momo allows herself a smile when Uraraka brightly exclaims the brilliance of the snow again, pumping her fist up and down excitedly. Chestnut brown bangs swinging back and forth with the exaggerated movements, eyes bright, smile stretching wide… like this, Uraraka is more beautiful than any of the works of art in her family home.

It’s adorable. There’s just something wholly-lovable about Uraraka Ochaco’s bubbly, bright, boisterous attitude; something Momo wishes she could have for herself, the confidence and strength of character seeming out of reach. But Ochaco… it’s admirable how strong she is. Despite everything Momo is confident in about herself, she wants to be more like Uraraka — fierce, strong, dependable.

“Class is over. Get out.” Aizawa drones from his sleeping bag. When he slouches to the floor, already asleep, Momo steals a glance at Uraraka. Her cheeks, perpetually pink, have gained dimples from the force of her smile. Wrapped up in her thickly padded winter coat, it’s hard to see the little pink pads at the tips of her fingers — a feature Momo knows she can ruminate over for hours at a time. She wonders what they must feel like to hold.

Momo comes back to with a start, subtly shaking her hand to disperse such… contextually inappropriate thoughts from her head. She heads back to her desk to collect her bag and coat, slipping both on. The warmth is a relief — there are no shortages of thanks in her mind to Aizawa for suggesting the girls of 1-A wear trousers during the winter months. Not only has it kept her, and the others who chose to wear them, warmer but has also warded off Mineta’s lecherous attempts. With a quiet yawn, Momo

“I love the snow!” Uraraka exclaims happily, clapping her hands together, “It’s so fun to mess with people on snow days, I wish the day wasn’t over! Oh- if we had training right now, Todoroki would beat us all hands down ‘cause of his Quirk- you could even beat Bakugou! There’d better be snow next week, too!”

There’s a second of silence. Momo raises her eyebrows and purses her lips, looking over to where the volatile blond is trying — and failing — to contain his explosive vulgarity. The detonation doesn’t exactly come as a surprise to anyone.

“THE HELL’D YOU JUST SAY, ROUND FACE?! I’LL FUCKING DESTROY YOU AND THE ICY-HOT BASTARD! YOU TOO, DEKU!”

Midoriya’s distinct cry of, “Kacchan?!” breaks through the clamour — it startles another series of laughs from Uraraka. Momo raises her hand to her mouth, chuckling also. One would think Bakugou would run out of aggression at some point, but… apparently not. Poor Midoriya.

“I’d like to see you try.” Todoroki mumbles, stoic as ever. With that, he briskly leaves the classroom.

“Wait up, Todoroki-kun! You said you’d let me borrow your notes!” Midoriya calls, running after Todoroki with Iida hot on his tail.

“SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU SHITTY NERD, I’LL KILL YOU-” Kirishima, smile apologetic, ushers (shoves) Bakugou from the classroom. Momo winces at the echoes of explosions in the halls. Uraraka, now snorting into her hands, is a sight pretty enough to knock the air straight from her chest, even as she calms herself, waving Momo a tiny goodbye before jogging out of the class, presumably after Iida and Midoriya.

“Didn’t I tell you all to get out?” Aizawa grits out. Momo’s spine straightens automatically at the tone, legs unconsciously carrying her to the room’s boundaries. As she walks down the hallway towards the exit that will take her back to Height’s Alliance, she hears a series of rapid footsteps. Surprised, Momo turns around to see Jirou running to catch up with her, and puts aside the mild disappointment fluttering in her heart that it isn’t Ochaco.

“Hey, Yaomomo.” Jirou waves calmly, expression tranquil. “Wait up.”

Momo stops where she is, taking the brief pause to fix her crooked coat. Jirou smiles serenely, fingers drumming against her thigh to a tune nobody else can hear.

“Jirou-chan. Is everything okay?” Momo asks. In the pale light filtering through too-large windows, Jirou’s smile morphs into a knowing smirk. Her eyes narrow.

“You’re gonna ask her today, aren’t you?” Jirou prods Momo’s side jokingly, eliciting a quiet yelp from her. She shoots a glare at Jirou, who holds her hands up in surrender. Her annoyance has nothing to do with how that comment made her heart stutter, face heating up again.

“Sorry?”

“Yaomomo.” Jirou deadpans. “Come on. The tea shop? You said you were gonna take Uraraka after class today. I won’t let you back out now. You were so determined about it yesterday…”

“But…”

When a pair of hands land on Momo’s shoulders, she looks up to meet Jirou’s steady gaze. “Don’t worry about it so much. It’s Uraraka. She’s easily one of the friendliest people in our class. Besides… she thinks you’re cool. I’m telling you, it’s not out of the question that she likes you back, besides,” A sigh, irritated though good-humoured, “you didn’t hear her spend like, fifteen minutes rambling about how amazing you were during our last training exercise. Not to mention that time she decked Mineta for- you know, making that comment about you.”

Unwittingly, Momo buries her face in her hands with a miserable exhale. She remembers that well; she hadn’t heard the comment, but she did see Uraraka storm towards him like an angry pink angel before punching him out of the training session. But… to hear that she could be impressed by her… it sounds too good to be true, really; Uraraka being impressed by her, even though she’s awkward and klutzy and-

“There’s nothing for you to worry about.” Jirou says, voice firm and reassuring. Momo blinks, eyes damp, and inhales deeply.

“Do… do you really believe that?”

Jirou’s smile softens, becoming something more open and honest. “Yeah. I really do. You got this, Miss Top-Recommended student. Let’s get back to the dorms. I’ve got your back.”

With that, Momo slows her pace to keep beside Jirou, shivering when they exit Yuuei’s main building. The snowflakes cascading from above set a stunning scene, paint bleeding down a canvas in pristine rivulets, and despite her once-dislike, Momo can’t hold back a small laugh when one of the microscopic works of art lands on her nose, a pinprick of cold.

“I never knew you liked the snow.” Jirou says, and a childish part of Momo rears up in unrelenting glee. There’s something about the snow that lifts every inhibition, lifts the weight off every person in their class. Momo watches, fond, as a snowball hits Todoroki in the back. She laughs outright when he launches one back at his attacker, sending Midoriya to the floor. Then it’s chaos unfiltered, Bakugou flying across the campus to bombard Kaminari, Tokoyami and Aoyama forming a united front, Satou and Sero charging Shouji.

Uraraka, arms full of snowballs, expression caught open in the happiest grin Momo has ever seen, descending on a terrified-looking Kirishima.

It’s Jirou’s quick intervention that stops her from slipping on an obscured patch of ice. Hand braced against her chest, Momo breathes a relieved thanks before upping her pace, eager to get away from the ice for a while.

The dorms are a breath of — blessedly hot — fresh air, shivers dying down in record time as Momo hogs up to her room. She waves cordially at Todoroki, who dips his head in lieu of words, and enters her room. It’s a quiet affair, changing from her uniform to her casual clothes — a turtleneck sweater to accommodate the colder weather, for sure — and tucking her bag away in her wardrobe. After that, Momo makes quick work of the questions set by Ectoplasm.

With a mild huff, Momo stands with a stretch, sighing when some of the ache in her shoulders vanishes. Now is as good a time as any to head down to the common room — to ask Uraraka if she would like to go with her to the little cafe.

She’s already asked Aizawa, earlier in the week — he’d signed the permission slip that would allow Momo off-grounds for a while, and allowed her a plus one.

So all that’s left to do now is hope Uraraka decides to come with her. Though, if what Jirou said stands true…

With that strengthening her resolve, Momo leaves her room. It’s a quiet, long walk, peaceful somehow — though she suspects that may have something to do with how the majority of her classmates are messing around outside in the snow. It’s falling heavier now, the thick white on the horizon swallowing up more land. There is some mystical, ethereal quality to it.

Momo pauses, her heart in her throat when she catches view of a familiar, lone silhouette standing in front of the tall glass panes of the common area. The bright light reflecting off the snow gives the room an ethereal feel, tranquility untouched by the chaos outside.

“Um… Uraraka-chan.” Momo calls. Her voice, though soft and hesitant, sounds all-too loud in the empty room. Uraraka blinks, whirling around- wide eyes alight with interest. Momo takes a breath to calm her rabbiting heart, before pushing forward.

“Yaomomo, what’s up?” Instead of allowing herself to become flustered by the beaming smile being directed at her, Momo reaches down to clasp one of Uraraka’s hands in both of hers. In the poor lighting, she misses the way Uraraka’s cheeks pink.

“Would…” Recalling Jirou’s words of reassurance, Momo steels herself and bites the bullet. “Would you like to come with me to have some tea later?”

“Tea?” Uraraka blinks. “Where?”

“Th- there’s a small cafe, not too far from campus. It’s a wonderful little place- I think you would like it. It’s very… homely. I have permission from Aizawa-sensei, and he said I could take a plus one… I was wondering if you would like to join me.” A whooping yell comes from outside, piercing the silence. Momo takes her breaths steadily and evenly, too-fast heartbeat proving too much to handle. With Uraraka’s hand in hers… it’s a miracle she doesn’t have Todoroki’s Quirk, otherwise she would have been on fire by now.

“Oh.” With a sudden, broad grin, Uraraka claps her hands together. “Sure! What time should I come to your dorm to meet you?”

Momo blinks, struggling to process the information. Then, with a jolt and a happy laugh, she takes a step closer and points outside to the snow.

“Oh-! W-well, I’m ready to leave when you are… I figured you would like to leave now, while it’s snowing. You said you love it- right?”

“Yes, I did! Thank you, Yaomomo!” Uraraka surges forward, throwing her arms around Momo. She stumbles slightly with the force of it, before returning the embrace shyly. With the sunshine smile on Ochaco’s face and the floral scent of the shampoo she uses filling Momo’s senses, this may as well be her personal heaven. When they part they’re both flustered; grinning stupidly, but pink-cheeked.

“Right! I’ll go get into something warmer- um, I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

“Alright.”

Momo walks slowly back up the stairs to get to her floor, eyes once more falling to the snow. The thin layer on the floor is growing thicker with every passing moment; the cold weather seems determined to stay as long as possible. With an imperceptible shrug to herself, Momo opens her door. She’s quick to grab her thickest coat and hat, tucking her purse away into a small handbag. Then every second takes an eternity, which is surprising given that Momo has always been proud of her ability to keep her head about her.

When she hears a knock at her door, she nearly jumps in her urge to open it. Slightly flustered, she comes face to face with a warmly-wrapped Uraraka Ochaco.

“Let’s go!” She declares. Momo nods, and suddenly believes in every time that Jirou called her weak for Ochaco’s smile.

The change from warmth to ice-cold air is startling enough to register as a physical impact when the leave the dormitory building. Momo shivers.

“Wow, it’s really getting cold!” Uraraka exclaims, a sentiment she can echo, as they walk. They avoid the violent zone of snow-warfare as much as possible — yet somehow, on the way to the Yuuei Gate, they still bump into a small pocket of their classmates.

“Uraraka-chan, where’re you going?” Midoriya, out of breath, calls. He, Shinsou, Todoroki and Iida are all red-faced with exertion. It seems to give Uraraka a burst of energy, as she hastily pats some snowballs together and, using her Quirk, passes them over to her friends. The sinister grin on Shinsou’s face makes her double-take.

“Yaomomo’s taking me out! We’re getting some tea together!” An explosion and a familiar yell rocks the calm, prompting Uraraka to cheer, “You keep fighting Bakugou, Deku-kun!”

Momo laughs at the overly energetic way Midoriya thrusts his fist into the air, barely avoiding clipping Shinsou’s disgruntled face. “With Todoroki-kun and Shinsou-kun and Iida-kun on my team, we’re gonna beat him!”

“Have a good time, Uraraka. Take care of her, Yaoyorozu.” Shinsou says. He snags the snowballs out of the air, tucking them into the folds of the capture weapon around his neck. His expression is eerily reminiscent to the one Aizawa-sensei gets before dropping another ‘rational deception’ on the class.

Iida turns to them, tearing Momo from her thoughts, a wide grin on his face. “Enjoy yourself, Uraraka-chan, Yaoyorozu-san!”

“We will! See you later, Iida-kun!” Uraraka waves, and then the small group are running back into the fray again. Momo watches Uraraka whirl around, a bounce in her step as they resume walking towards Yuuei’s entrance.

The walk is a scenic one. The trees lining the worn path are draped in a shimmering white, reflecting the street lamps’ amber hue. It’s a novel sight, something from a romance manga she read as a child, so stunning with the muted rush of wind across the skies and the dim skies. Beside her, Ochaco is in a similar state of awe, mouth slightly parted in wonder as she takes in the scene.

“I’m sorry I took so long to get changed earlier, Yaomomo.” Uraraka says, holding up her hands to show the fingerless gloves pink; they’re unbelievably her. “I couldn’t find my gloves in my room, I kinda panicked…”

“That’s alright, Uraraka-chan.” Then, without thinking, “You look wonderful.”

A beat passes. Momo wills her legs to not betray her as the realisation of what she just said kicks in — she’d just called Uraraka Ochaco wonderful. To her face. She just called her crush wonderful right to her wonderful face-

She nearly misses Uraraka’s blush as she stammers, eventually managing to get out, “I mean…”, which is about as useful as her unintended, incredibly genuine compliment-

“You look really pre- nice too!” Uraraka blurts. Her red face is impossibly endearing. “I mean, with your hat — uh, is that new, by the way? — it really suits you, you look great too!”

Momo nods. The hat is new; a pleasant blend of wool and cashmere. It retains warmth very well, but it doesn’t quite explain why her face is so overheated. She’s familiar with embarrassment, how inept it can render her, but again… it doesn’t explain why a breeze could take her away right now.

With a shuddering breath, Momo makes the executive decision to change the subject, swiftly and smoothly.

“I never used to like the snow too much,” she murmurs. Briefly, Ochaco looks almost put out by the revelation, “but someone changed my view on it quite recently.”

The indirect statement takes a second to sink in. When it does, there’s a bounce in Uraraka’s already energetic steps, a wide grin making itself at home on her face. Momo glances down. Sure, Ochaco may be a fair bit shorter than her, but… she’s brighter, livelier. That energy and infectious joy…

“It is beautiful. Snow. I… I’m almost ashamed I never saw it before.” A gentle nudge of a breeze rolls through the road, bringing fresh waves of snowflakes with it. It’s amazing, truly, that none of the crystalline patterns formed are identical. Even now, with years of practise using Creation under her belt… Momo knows she can’t make something quite so intricate.

“My parents and I used to play around together all the time when it snowed.” Uraraka says. Momo looks at her, takes in the fondness warming her cocoa-brown eyes. “I have a lot of fun memories of it. So I hope I can share some of it with you!”

“You already are.”

They’re silent for a while. Momo focuses on her steps, making sure there isn’t too much give in the snow with every footstep, listening closely to the rushing winds. The biting chill against her cheeks is bitter, almost painful in a way, but it’s tolerable for the way Ochaco reaches out, awe in her eyes as she reaches out to touch the larger falling clumps of snow.

It isn’t long before they’re at the small shop. Momo reaches out and pushes open the antiquated door, a swell of warm, cozy-smelling air rushing to greet them. It’s an eye-watering contrast.

“Oh, wow!” Uraraka exclaims, “You were right Yaomomo, this place is so nice!”

“I hoped you would think so.” Momo fondly replies. She’s quick to hold Uraraka’s arm, gently tugging her towards the back of the little shop. There’s a small table, discreet and out-of-sight; it’s the one Momo always sits at as a regular customer. The cinnamon-scented air is a brush of nostalgia; an old, happy memory unearthed to bask in. Absently, she passes Ochaco a pristine, neat menu to pick from as she settles in.

“Oh- everything is, um…” Uraraka trails off. It spurs Momo to look up from her menu and check on her friend; she wears a surprisingly disheartened expression. Momo frowns.

“Uraraka-chan? Are the teas not to your liking?”

“Oh! No, it’s not that I don’t like them- it’s, uh, something else, it’s-” Uraraka rubs at her neck. A nervous gesture? Momo’s brows furrow further, concerned until Uraraka murmurs under her breath, “It’sjusteverythingissuperexpensiveandIdidn’tbringalotofmoney.”

She blinks. “Pardon?”

“Um… I didn’t bring a lot of money.” Uraraka admits, like she’s confessing to some heinous crime. “Everything is… really expensive.”

“Oh.” Momo stills, a swell of upset nestling in her heart until a thought strikes her. “Well- you don’t need to worry, Uraraka-chan! I’ll pay for your tea, and whatever else you’d like to eat.”

It’s a simple offer — it’s not like she doesn’t have enough money to cover herself and Uraraka’s bills, she does, and with ease at that. But…

“What?! Yaomomo, I can’t make you do that!” Uraraka exclaims, eyes wide. She waves her hands back and forth, head shaking from side-to-side. Momo lets her hand fall to the table, and locks eyes with Ochaco.

“Uraraka-chan. It’s my treat to you. You don’t need to worry about paying me back, either.”

Uraraka’s stubborn frown refuses to fully dissipate, so Momo slides next to her to read the menu, together. With a fond smile, she points at one of the items.

“The lavender tea they do here is wonderful. My mother used to take me here a lot when I was a child. Apparently, I would get this one every time.” She explains softly. Slowly, the tension leaks from Uraraka’s frame until, almost defeated, she leans against Momo’s shoulder.

“Um… I’ll defer to your expertise, Yaomomo.” She pokes at the menu. “What do you recommend?”

“Hmm… I prefer the golden tips imperial tea they serve here, but… I feel like you might have a taste for something more floral. Maybe some jasmine blooming tea?”

“Blooming tea?” Uraraka asks, eyes finally free of their oppressive cloud, replaced by shining curiosity.

Momo nods. “The jasmine flower is dehydrated. The longer it brews for, the more hydrated the flower becomes! It opens up, like a blooming flower. I think you might appreciate it.”

“O-oh, that sounds awesome! Yeah. I’ll have that one, please!” Uraraka declares, a bit too loud in the quiet cafe. Momo nods, and beckons a member of the wait staff.

The minutes after ordering are spent in a peaceful chatter. Momo listens closely, attentive, as Uraraka explains her recent Quirk training; Asui’s developing techniques, Iida’s new Recipro-Burst limit, Midoriya’s increasing limits, Todoroki’s dual-Quirk practise. The enthusiasm in her voice as she talks is palpable enough to jarr Momo into sharing the details of her own training with Creation, and of Jirou’s strengthening firepower. It’s a pleasant way to pass the time; it has her heart fluttering with every exclaimed compliment and energetic praising.

“Oh! I think these ones are ours!” Uraraka gushes, staring eagerly at the tray of drinks. Momo’s spine straightens, a polite thank you reflexively slipping out. The waiter nods, bowing slightly, before leaving them to their beverages.

Momo watches, a laugh light on the tip of her tongue, as Uraraka gawks at the slowly opening flower. It always is a spectacle, no matter how many times she watches it; a small wonder contained within a teapot. While waiting for Ochaco to have the opportunity to enjoy her drink, Momo sips at her own. As always, the extravagant taste of the golden tips imperial tea is enough to take the tension and worries of Hero training from her shoulders.

“This is really nice,” Uraraka mumbles into her mug, pinky fingers raised, “I don’t usually get to have stuff this fancy.”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to take you places more often, then.”

A small blush paints Ochaco’s cheeks; Momo draws little attention to it other than her own occasional, sneaking glances. It’s not exactly something she can help… eyes alight with fondness, face red from a mixture of the chill outside and Momo’s words… it’s impossible not to stare. It’s a mix of past and present joy, this little store; the affectionate overtones of this tea-date bleeding into sunny childhood memories.

Momo savours every second of the experience; the taste of her favourite tea enriched by the bubbly chatter coming from the girl sat across from her. Uraraka, after having finished her tea, taps her fingers against the glass teapot the jasmine flower is suspended in, sending it floating into the space between them.

She finishes up her own tea soon after, quickly paying off their bill. A quick glance outside reveals that the snow is continuing to fall.

“It’s getting late… we should get going soon.” Momo murmurs. Across from her, Uraraka nods. Once they’re ready to leave, fully wrapped up and prepared to face the continuing snow outside, Momo pauses. It’s enough to garner Ochaco’s full attention, as she turns around with a question in her eyes. You got this, Jirou’s words echo in her head. Momo wills her heart to slow its racing.

“Um… would…” Momo begins, then is stopped by the breath wedged in her throat. Her heart pounds in her chest, palms sweating.

“Yaomomo?”

Taking in a deep breath, Momo steels herself for the second time today. “Would you like to come out with me again…? Maybe next Sunday…?”

For a second, she’s uncertain. Uraraka’s expression is more contemplative than certain, and it strikes the anxiety hidden in Momo’s heart. That moment passes when a wide, happy smile brightens her face, and she bounces on the spot.

“It’s a date!”

Momo’s voice dies out into a squeak worthy of Midoriya-level embarrassment at the same time Uraraka turns bright red, arms flailing wildly. She nearly knocks over her cup in the process. She only begins calming down after her hands come to shield her cheeks from sight. Momo can imagine they’re still that endearing shade of red.

“I didn’t- I mean- I’d really love- like to- oh my god. Um. Uh. Yeah! I’d. I’d really like that. Um. So. Is this- uh. A, um…”

“A date?” Momo finishes, voice unbearably high and nervous. Barely resisting the urge to run away from the conversation, legs quaking, it takes her all to simply remain upright.

“Uh-huh.” Ochaco murmurs, “Y-yeah. Is… is it?”

With a voice steadier than she feels, Momo whispers, “If you want it to be.”

Uraraka takes a step forward, legs just as shaky as hers, and clasps one of Momo’s hands. Even though her thumbs aren’t making contact, Momo’s body is weightless, tethered to the Earth not by gravity but instead by the grip of the girl holding her. The pink pads at the ends of Ochaco’s fingers are a lot softer than she imagined.

“Yeah.” Uraraka whispers. She meets Momo’s eyes, shy but confident as ever, and she thinks she might be in love, “I’d… I’d really like that.”

[purplepersnicketywrites]

Kiribaku + Coffee Shop AU!!!

there are So Many things you can do with a Coffee Shop AU. the universe is vast, infinite, brimming with potentialahem

so, i’ve technically sort of done a coffeeshop au before (Everybody Knows That Cats Are Independent), though the coffee shop isn’t totally totally focused on all that much, haha. and there’s the daemons thing.

SO FOR THIS

a less oft seen version is Coffee Shop Coworke- NO NO WAIT

COFFEE SHOP RIVALS

they work…. for different Coffee Shops. on the same road in a busy shopping district, just on opposite sides (i’ve seen this in real life with a couple of ice-cream parlours. can’t help but think what kind of WAR that is)

*cracks knuckles* y’all want coffee puns???

Kirishima works at Fourth Grind

and i’m bringing it back because it made me ugly-laugh when i came up with it:

Bakugou works at Best Beanist

so i figure there’s probably like, some of the class working at one, some at the other. for maximum chaos it’s not all bakusquad at one and dekusquad at another. probably some of the class as customers from other local shops who’re there for the Drama to be Regulars at different places. class B? ehhhhhhhhhhh maybe. okay let’s see:

Fourth Grind crew:

Kirishima

Mina

Kaminari

Deku

Iida

Regulars:

Jirou

Aoyama

Satou

Ojirou

Hagakure

Best Beanist crew:

Bakugou

Asui

Uraraka

Sero

Todoroki

Regulars:

Shouji

Tokoyami

Yaoyorozu

Kouda

Anyway yeah, they’re RIVAL SHOPS

So what happens is, Kiri and Baku are really into the rivalry, and no one else is that invested but they let them do their thing. They yell at each other across the street as they’re opening up.

Baku: EAT SHIT, FOURTH GRIND EXTRASKiri: SORRY, WE DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR BEAN STORAGE

and so it goes.

They start seeing each other in The Wild. Bakugou nearly walks into Kirishima in their local supermarket and they stare at each other with the kill bill sirens going off in their heads, but they don’t want to make a Big Scene in the supermarket by like, brawling or something.

Bakugou accuses Kirishima of having poor taste in coffee. Kirishima says that the taste doesn’t matter as long as it’s quick to make and can buy him extra time. They seethe.

And they keep running into each other, getting into petty squabbles, and going back to their coworkers to Complain. Everyone else is like ‘good, keep your arguments out of work hours’.

The thing is, the further they stray from Coffee Opinions, the more they seem to actually agree on? It’s like they have similar interests or something. How deplorable.

They’re sniping at each other at the supermarket again when some other guy comes up and starts a different argument with Bakugou - probably a rude customer from the coffee shop - and the thing is that Kiri and Baku have the same opinion on that, and they argue from the same side for once and crush the guy.

He leaves, defeated. Kiri and Baku nod at each other and continue doing their own things, minus the sniping.

Now, meanwhile, all the other Fourth Grind and Best Beanist employees? They’re friends. They hang out together. They all earn minimum wae doing basically the same job and they’re gonna have a party to try and get everyone to de-stress a little.

Baku: ew socialising? with the ENEMY?Uraraka: the company is our enemy, BakugouSero: yeah! rail against the corporate scumbags! not the other beleagured workers like usBaku: i can do bothTodo: are you afraid of a party?Baku: wtF NO i just hate partiesTsu: there will be free foodBaku: …I’m in

Kiri: hey i need to find the Worst Possible Outfit, MinaMina, over the phone: this is to annoy Bakugou, isn’t it?Kiri: i’ve never PLANNED to be in the same place as him before. i gotta go all in. it’s gotta be memorable. which pair of crocs should i use?Mina: just ask him out alreadyKiri, spluttering: WHAT NO I DON’t- WHAT- I- NO MINAMina, sighing: i’ll be there in five

So the party is happening. everyone’s chilling. there are some other people some of the workers have invited, it’s a relaxed atmosphere.Bakugou and Kirishima are staring daggers at each other from across the room

Baku, internally: WHAT IS HE WEARING WHAT THE FUCKKiri, internally: Mina is a LIAR I do NOT have a crush on him,,, that’s ridiculous we are EnemiesBaku, marching up to Kiri: ARE THOSE FUCKING CROCS?Kiri, noticing suddenly that Baku is wearing Relatively Nice Party Clothes instead of work uniform or random casual clothes: forgets words for five whole secondsBaku: OI ARE YOU DEAFKiri: NO I’M GAY

Kiri’s panicking internally. Why is Mina always right? But Bakugou just loses it laughing. Kiri is… extremely mega triple gay.

Baku, still amused: well i guess that explains your whole outfitKiri: thanks, i put it together for youKiri, internally: i did not authorise that sentenceBaku: fuckin hell, you want me to tear my eyes out?Kiri: that was the aim, yep.

They actually manage to hold a pretty civil conversation after that. Kiri might have been flirting a little (by accident) but he kept it subtle.

After the party, he goes into Full Gay Crisis Mode and complains to Mina at work. She consoles him. And rolls her eyes.

Kiri: what do I do? ? ? we’re COMPETITORSMina: i can ask Tsu for his numberKiri: why does your girlfriend know Bakugou’s numberMina: Mina: Asui TsuyuKiri: …FROM BEANIST?Mina: WHY DON’T YOU KNOW THIS? Kami: why doesn’t he know what?Mina: that i’m dating a Beanist, apparentlyKami: oh lmaoKiri: IT NEVER CAME UPKami: why forKiri: none of your-Mina: he likes BakugouKami: huhDeku: who likes him?Kami: Kirishima, apparentlyMina: it’s trueKiri: unfortunately…..Deku: you like….. Kacchan. Blond Kacchan. Angry Kacchan. Kiri: yes and it sucksIida: WH Y ARE YOU ALL IN THE BACK IT’S NOT BREAK TIME???

Kiri goes through like, three crises after learning that Mina's girlfriend is from the Other Coffee Shop. he declines asking her for Baku's number, and says he'd prefer to get it himself

things continue on mostly like before except now when Kiri and Baku see each other and find something to argue about, it's no longer as hostile. they're just bickering because they enjoy bickering, and Kiri keeps flirting with Baku (mostly by accident at first)

the problem is - he can't get a read on the other guy. is he reciprocating? is he oblivious? is he ignoring it?

meanwhile Bakugou goes home every time they meet and frantically googles stuff like'i hate this guy but i don't want to punch him any more''what does it mean when you want to see someone so you can fight with them when you don't actually want to fight with them''is seeing a colour and being reminded of someone psychic warfare''what stage of anger affects the heart and stomach''why am i happy to see my arch enemy'

Google: i diagnose you with Crush

Bakugou is Furious that google could come to such a conclusion. So furious, in fact, that he rants about it to his coworkers, who all sort of look at each other with resigned expressions.

Uraraka, Todoroki, Tsu and Sero: ...you have a crush on Kirishima?Baku: NO I JUST SAID THAT I DON'T AND GOOGLE IS WRONG(Tsu, texting Mina: Bakugou has a crush on KirishimaMina: oh sweet)Ura: it's okay to have feelings, BakugouBaku: SHUT UP I DON'T HAVE ANYTodo: i find that hard to believe.Baku: YOU DON'T HAVE FEELINGS YOU REPRESSED BASTARDSero: oh so you're not repressed, Bakugou?Baku: OF FUCKING COURSE NOTSero: so you DO have feelingsBaku: FUCKTsu: alright Bakugou, you don't have a crush on Kirishima.Baku: ExactlyTsu: but you do look forwards to seeing him and spending time with himBaku: ...Tsu: you think about him in a variety of unrelated situationsBaku: ..I...Tsu: and your stomach goes fluttery when you doBaku: .........fuck

So Baku has his own Gay Crisis to work through.

The next time they see each other in the wild, Bakugou's like: okay. act normal.

Baku: HEY KIRISHIMAKiri: BakugouBaku: ....Kiri: ....Baku: ....Kiri: uh what's up?Baku: NOTHING I HAVE TO GOKiri: ...???Baku, internally: nailed itBaku, internally: wait no i didn't wtf happenedBaku, internally: I HAVEN'T MOVEDKiri: dude are you okayBaku: i'm fine.Kiri: ... are you?? leaving?????Baku: i changed my mindKiri: oh okay.Baku: ...Kiri: ...Mina and Tsu, who happened to be on a date, saw Bakugou stomping up to Kirishima and decided to watch from a bush Mina pulled them into: wow they're bad at this

It’s the most awkward interaction they’ve ever had, because both parties know about their own feelings and they’re trying to work out what the other thinks and they’re just. Staring at each other.

Bakugou decides to bite the bullet.

Baku: KIRISHIMAKiri: ah! dude, i'm right hereBaku: date meKiri: whatMina and Tsu: !!! oh he just went for it okayBaku: Date. Me.Kiri: what. I mean, YES but? ? what? ???? ?

They exchange numbers and just sort of... grin at each other for a few more minutes. Idiot boys. Then they part ways and start textin each other and arrange a date.

It goes really well. They actually do get on when they’re not trying to find things to pick at each other about. And Kiri is definitely flirting and Baku is flirting back and it’s just an all-around success. Baku walks Kiri home and they smooch outside his door.

They show up to work the day after the date both of them are like 'hhhhhh' the whole time because the date was so fun and they’re both still pretty giddy about it.

Bakugou is noticeably less crabby and actually tells Uraraka she's doing a good job at one point

Ura, crying slightly out of fear of the unknown: who ARE youTsu: Kirishima's boyfriendBaku: not yetSero: but soon?Baku: fuck yeahTodo: so you DO have a crush on him.

meanwhile Kirishima is sparkling all over Fourth Grind. like, beaming. radiant. clearly head-over-heels.

Kami: what happened?Mina: Bakugou asked him out and they went on a dateDeku: sorry did- did you say Kacchan asked him? not the other way around?Mina: yeah i was there it was hilariousIida: please,,, please wait until your breaks to discuss these things i can't hold the line all by myself

and the rest is just mushy happily-ever-after stuff. they bicker about their tastes in coffee, of course, but the rivalry has turned into Competitive Flirting and now they yell sappy things and stupid pick-up lines at each other when they’re opening up instead of insults

[hey-hamlet]

BNHA AU Ideas : Choir Group

Also on AO3! 

TL;DR:  Sometimes a family is 2 adults and 2 kids. But sometimes a family is a choir full of hero hopefuls.

(aka, what if everyone knew eachother from a choir group? what soft musical stuff can i cram into this au?) 

yagi does the allmight on the down-low

he had to leave broadway cause all for one ruined his organs

everyone in 1 a knows that yagi is all might but hes trying so hard to keep his secret so they just ignore it

izu wants to be a hero but hes scared of people so he joined a choir when he was smol

bakugou joined cause he wanted to beat izuku, they bonded a bit n its a more friendly rivalry

all of 1a was in the choir before ua, they are all shook that their class is just other choir kids

big three are the current choir leaders n izu was so proud they are the us big three too because he knew them when he was smol, baku n izu are the youngest in the top level

todoroki joined to spite his dad hes really good tho

mina lives for the dance group

iida is a baritone he sing low n hes a good boy, they are very proud of him cause hes one of the youngest in baritone, hes v proud too

ochako is an alto and I love her

monoma is a tenor n katsuki wants to kick him out of his section

tsuuyu is an alto too because i want someone to be a soprano but tsuuyu its too nice to be

jirou is a blessed alto

yaomomo is a soprano the poor girl

izuku is a soft alto boy! He had such a good upper range they thought hes be wasted in tenor

shinso is a soft tenor boy and has a singers crush on izuku

"oh my god hes just so fucking good he can dance too what the fuck guys. hes the only male alto im fucking shook he has the range of a god"

in their final year todo is the choral leader, bakugo is dance leader and izu is choir leader

villains are too scared to attack when they sing

aizawa was in the top level when izu joined

he was dance leader while in ua too because it was "only logical" he have a physical hobby (mic loved choir n aizawa loved seeing him that happy)

izu thought he was fucking amazing n thats why he wanted to join

n then he sees erazerhead n mic on tv when hes 8

yells to his mum "mama!!! thats zashi!! n shouta!! he had the dance solo when i joined" n inko doesnt know if izuku is right or not but she nods along and smiles anyway

first day of ua izu sees shouta n just gasps

"iTs HIm"

bakugo looks over

"oh my fuck it is isnt it"

aizawa is shook and confused

bakugo just sighs "its your fault deku is a fucking choir gay i hope you know that. you just had to be fucking competent didnt you"

all 1a student know each other from choir n they all have a big hug fest before the quirk test

"oH mY god its a soprano without a stick up her ass what are the chances" "jirou be nice to momo i know you hate sopranos but they have done nothing to you"

mineta exists in this au, as the only one not in choir. hes confused and then expelled the first day

aizawa is glad he was terrible because now he has his lil choir class, not that hed ever fucking admit it

1a harmonizes their bus songs and they learn all their choir repertoire on the bus trips around as  aizawa conducts

durring the usj izu n tsuuyu hum together to stay calm

izuku n todoroki are actually singing together durring their big fight, everyone in the audience is shook

its just because they are trying not to cry

because izu n todo have the "its your power" convo before the fight cause they are already friends, so izu is just trying to make him feel better about the argument he had with his dad

todoroki feels a lil more comfy so he brings up his flames n izu weeps n gives him a hug before they keep fighting

they sing stronger than you jokingly at the end of their fight

izu wins but only justttt. him n todo hug n laugh as they leave the field. yagi cries a lil for his boys.

izu n baku’s fight n it ends in a draw because they blow eachother out of the ring n they are both salty as

they have a dance battle refed by aizawa later (baku wins, izuku gives him soul custody of the medal)

enji would have a stroke

yamada was singing along the whole time other the speaker. Aizawa muted him but he just used his quirk

tenya had lots of good friends n doesnt hunt down stain, he n 1a go to hatsume about leg braces for tensei

tenya teaches tensei his choir choreography so he can get used to his braces

the boys do run into stain but they were minding they own business

they singing while they fight to stay in time n stay brave

stain is very confused but hes bopping along

todo starts it cause it made him feel better during the sports festival cause izu is crying

"you guys are true heros im so sorry about this but i really need to kill native"

"thanks i guess? but we gon fucking boop to you drop bitch"

"ToDorOkI nO"

"iida hes trying to kill us we can call him a bitch"

stains huming the song they were singing as he carted away to fucking jail

"what a goddamn boop, they heros of music"

training camp is the same time as choir camp n 1a is shook n they are conflicted. aizawa gets training camp moved back a week

(the villains still attack but they tried to assault an empty camp first n thats funny)

the fight through the earth beasts is just 1a singing literally every song they know theyd finish a song, n theres a second wait while everyone races to think of something they all know before they scream out the title n start them all off

they sang bohemian rhapsody 5 times

1a arrives at traing camp like

"we just had fuck choir camp you dont scare us"

1a wasnt joking they arent phased by the summer camp. 1b is crying

bakugo gets kidnapped n just hums softly

shinso made it in after the festival because aizawa thought he was promising n it was another choir boy zawa has to protect them no hes not going soft zashi shut up

"bitch you villains have nothing on ms king fuck she had me shook"

the bakugo rescuse is the same but its more of 1a n no one was trying to talk them out of it very well

"its dangerous, dont get hurt" "we wont" "yeah ok"

they hold hands while they watch the allmight fight cause they are too scared to let go

then they run back onto the field to allmight after the fight n they hug n cry a lot

they go with yagi to the hospital n sing dumb songs together while he gets a checkup

izuku doesnt have to stop to wipe his nose, n bakugos voice doesnt shake n todoroki is pitch perfect of course (kiri and momo are ugly crying unabashedly. tenya is trying to find tissues)

bakugo totally doesnt hide his tears n growl that thy need a shitty nerd to lead them so they dont get to good

he yells at everyone cause he was scared but he can’t make himself be too mean cause they are his smol kids

mic smiles n mutters that aizawa has really gone soft on this class n aizawa just hides his face in mics shoulder n pretends he wasnt scared out of his mind for them

all of them grab his hand

izuku hugs bakugo saying they all need the future dance leader, after all no one else is as good as him

aizawa wants to be mad but hes proud that his kids didnt get hurt and were smart n improved so much

in the dorms they draw up a birthday list n anyone whos birthday has already been gets a new birthday

they wake them up at 6am you sing happy birthday n they birthday kid gets to pick the music on the bus n in the kitchen

bakugo n sato bake

iida, shinso n izuku are harmonizing while trying to eat breakfast but its bean 5 minutes n they havent eaten anything

bakugo shoves toast into izus mouth as he walks past to make himself some coffee

izuku sings around the toats

bakugo groans n sings over him

"i Just wanTed Coffee"

"BitcH we gOttA hArmoNiZe"

ochako, mina n tsuuyu are going over their dance infront of the couch, satou n tokoyami are gently sparring around bowls of oats and fruit

aizawa is humming as he cuts up some fruit for him and mic

sero sticks sheetmusic to the walls with his quirk so they can go over it as they do other stuff

shinso plays the goddamn switch piano as a backing track n bakugo is mad that hes impressed

yagi visits n tells them all hes so proud of them n listens to their sing their favourite songs with them n listens to izuku gush about new musicals almost as much as he talks about heroes

bakugo saltily adds on little bits of info

shinso n izuku dramatically reinact musicals together as they spar, (obedient servant is their fave beat eachother up song)

they get out musical soundtracks n people call dibs on the songs they want to fight to, aizawa mans the speakers and acts as the ref as bakugo n izuku fight to alexander Hamilton

ochako n todoroki fight to my shot cause it means a lot to both of them

the kids not fighting are singing the song on the sidelines. aizawa sings along too but he wont admit it

( he n izuku sing a lil duet for the room where it happens, mic claps n yagi cries)

no one fights for the last song cause everyone is busy singing n crying. - aizawa only cried cause he had dry eye ok nothing more

bakusquad always fights over the jefferson n layfette parts, they all wanna sing them solo

izuku starts with history has its eyes on you, looks at yagi n then starts to cry

yagi starts to cry too

he n yagi hug n leave training for a min to get icecream

izu grabs yagi n full cowl jumps to get icecream, makes yagi carry the icecream n jumps back

they eat icecream as 1a finishes up the musical sparring n they try not to cry some more

todoroki is still 100% conviced yagi is izus dad, hes just also conviced neither of them know it

yagi is very proud of his boy and very proud he didnt cough blood over his icecream

mic was his section leader when he was still in choir n zawa was the dance leader n they made the best duo

they were low on time due to hero training to they learnt their songs as they fought, w mic playing them through his phone as they beat up villains

they wouldnt let midnight practise with them because the fights finished too quickly so they didnt get a chance to sing

yagi wasnt in that particular choir, or any choir really but he loved to sing, would hum to victims to make them feel better and sung on tv for fans and charity

he starts teaching at the choir after the retires from hero work because he misses working and he really thinks the kids are delightful

yagi is a good choir dad n cries at all the concerts, n at the gigs, n when ever they do well really

they get nicknamed the hero course choir because so many ua students go/have gone

there are normal highschoolers of course but the ua students wont be outdone and are the best in the class

aizwa tells vlad they sing during sparring for breath support and stamina, and then decides thats actually a good reason n makes that the official reason, ignoring "it makes them smile" and "these kids have had enough intense fights"

[dreamykrimi]

Sweater Weather: Yuletide

Hello and Merry Christmas everyone! I’m so sincerely sorry that I don’t have the full fic for this ready in time for the holiday, but I’ll have it up as soon as I can. Here is a teaser, as apology and as a pick me up in celebration of Christmas. Hopefully you guys are still with me, here! 

A little background: this fic does not directly follow Cider Sweet. There is a fic in between tentatively titled To Be Okay (subject to change, because I’m fickle that way), that will deal with the aftermath of Shouto training with Endeavor, and that one is still in progress. I’ll be posting Yuletide in it’s completion before that one comes out, but I’ll reorder the series so that To Be Okay comes first. Until then, I hope you enjoy this!

There’s a muted quality that comes with the powdered layer of snow covering the ground. Everything is muffled and awash in pristine white. Shouto watches a pair of rabbits bound through the snow drifts, barely distinguishable in their winter coats, and considers calling Izuku over to see his friends.

Izuku stands near Asui a few yards away, both bundled up tightly in the most hideous sweaters he’s ever seen with scarves pulled up over their faces. It seems that Asui is also weak to the cold, and the two of them have decided to stick close. For the past ten minutes he’s been thinking of going over and offering himself up as human heater for the two of them, but if he leaves now Yaoyorozu will frown at him in that way that's meant to look disapproving but really just looks sad.

“A little higher please, Todoroki!” she pipes from the other side of the tree.

Shouto sighs, his breath a thick fog around him as he lifts the string of lights above his head for Yaoyorozu to grab. She teeters precariously from her perch on Kirishima’s shoulders, but Kirishima steadies her with a firm grip on her knees. Snow crunches under his boots and he kicks aside a chunk of ice as he circles the tree with them.

In the courtyard outside of the dorm and directly in the line of sight of the largest window in the common area, there is now an enormous pine tree, courtesy of one of the 1 B students with a plant based quirk. Class 1 A had been tasked with decorating it by some kid called Monoma, who had insisted that his class had done the truly difficult part and so it was only fair that- Shouto’s getting a headache just thinking about it.

He wonders again why they couldn’t have left this part to Shouji and Satou, easily the tallest of their classmates, but they had already been put to the task of baking sweets for the class. And besides that, Kirishima had jumped at the opportunity.

“We’re the Christmas tree appreciation club, bro! Our time has come!” he’d said.

Shouto just wants to go and hold his boyfriend’s hand already.

Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. The word bounces around his head and his stomach flips. Even a month later and it hasn’t worn off in the slightest; it still makes his heart skip with nervous energy and affection.

He looks again to where Izuku is, now with Uraraka pulling his hat down further over his ears and rubbing up and down Asui’s arms. Uraraka must have been kicked out of the kitchen, probably for rough housing with Bakugou if the batter clinging to her hair is anything to go by. Why are his closest friends the most ridiculous people he’s ever met? he thinks, with probably too much fondness. Asui seems happier for her presence, though. Barely peeking up over her scarf, he can see the girl’s cheeks flush more than the cold would account for as her eyes crinkle sweetly.

His eyes slide over to Izuku again, his own freckled cheeks pink in the chill. Shouto feels his heart speed up a beat. They are still painfully slow at everything, but since the snow set in they’ve both become much less shy about touching. It’s still hit or miss when their friends are around to see, but Izuku’s aversion to cold weather has driven him to curling into Shouto’s left side at every opportunity. It always takes him by surprise, how powerful the urge is to wrap his boyfriend up in warmth at the first sign of cold. He thinks he's in danger of becoming a doting partner. Izuku’s hands are always cold, no matter what he was doing before Shouto warms them, and it would worry him, it does worry him, except that means that Izuku seeks him out and puts those cold hands in Shouto’s pockets.

Izuku laughs at something Asui says, but his laughter breaks off as he shivers.

He could fix that right now, if he weren’t figuratively and literally tied to this ridiculously huge tree in the courtyard. The strings of lights not in his hands loop loosely around his shoulders and even down his leg, and while he had allowed it as a way to keep them from getting tangled, he may have underestimated the dual purpose of it. Now he can’t escape.

“Okay, I think we’re ready to test the next string. Ready Kami?”

Shouto pulls a face and squints in preparation.

Kaminari laughs at him and touches the end of one plug to his tongue, and Shouto is awash in light, every bulb around him glowing bright and blinding and goddamnit why is this tree so fucking big that it needs twelve strings of lights.

He hears more than sees Jirou slap Kaminari hard on the back of the head until he spits the plug out into the snow.

“Gross, Kaminari! Do you have to put it in your mouth?”

“Tastes good!” he defends, but it only earns him another shove.

Shouto blinks the spots from his vision now that the lights have gone dark around him. Jirou’s sweater is probably the least ugly of the bunch, especially next to the yellow tinsel disaster Kaminari wears. It’s a simple blue with a star of David made of silver glitter on the front and some kind of punk rock shoulder spikes that look horribly out of place. Still, it has nothing on the sweater he’d seen Sero wearing, the same blue but with a menorah hooked up with actual blinking lights poking through the fabric and bedazzled words loudly proclaiming “Lit.”

Shouto has a brief moment of wishful thinking for calm, tame, blue, even if it meant he had to wear flashing lights. Anything, really, anything but this god awful red and white striped monstrosity. It’s not even a little soft, and it’s been getting glitter on everything he touches since he’d been wrestled into it.

“I’m not even religious,” he’d complained under his breath when Uraraka had shoved it at him weeks ago.

“It’s a candy cane! Candy canes aren’t religious, they’re just delicious! I’m sure Deku would agree it’s fitting!”

He’s going to have to start building up an immunity to statements like that, or else Uraraka will soon have him doing her bidding at every turn. As though sensing his thoughts on her, Uraraka turns and flashes him a thumbs up, her own bedazzled sweater twinkling with every move. Shouto tries to show the full spectrum of his distaste in the small moment of contact before Izuku steals his attention.

It’s really not fair. The theme was ugly holiday sweaters, but Izuku just looks unfairly adorable. Even with layers and layers of shirts below it making him puffy and lumpy, the green blob his boyfriend makes in the snow makes him feel floaty and warm. He looks like a Christmas tree, green hair, green eyes, green sweater with every square inch covered in tinsel, glued on pom poms, or lights. It’s a mess, and it looks itchy as all hell, but Shouto wants to touch it anyway. Izuku gives him a shy wave with his mittens.

“Hey, peppermint prince! Can you stop ogling your boyfriend for a hot second? We need you over here,” Kirishima says as he makes his way around the tree, Yaomomo still balanced precariously on his shoulders. Shouto sighs steam and goes to follow, but Kaminari chooses that moment to grab up the plug again and too late, he feels the string of lights tighten around his leg.

His momentum carries him forward and he wobbles before careening downwards. Kirishima shoots a hand out to steady him, but he can’t support both him and Yaomomo, and so the three of them tumble in a heap into the thick blanket of snow at their feet. The crunch of snow beneath his cheek is a bitingly cold insult.

Shouto growls and grumbles but Kirishima’s laughter overwhelms the sound, and Yaomomo isn’t far behind. He sits up slowly, grumpy at the cold wet spots on his knees, and starts to detangle himself from the lights. Kirishima’s rough hand pats snow off of his back and Shouto returns the favor without much thought, tugging him back when Kirishima tries to get up before the largest clump is free of his spiked hair. Jirou is kneeling in the snow next to Yaomomo, and they’re grinning at each other.

Without meaning to, Shouto turns his head to find Izuku again, only to come nose to nose with the boy.

“Sorry Shouto,” he whispers for only him to hear. “I should have caught you.”

The cold feels very far away all of a sudden.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shouto mumbles with warm cheeks. Next to him, Kirishima rolls away and goes to rub his knuckles over Kaminari’s head for his recklessness.

Nimble fingers pull away at the last of the lights trapping him leg, and Izuku gives him a shy smile with slightly blue lips and Shouto is taken by the image of leaning forward and kissing them until they’re pink again and god sometimes he forgets just how very, very gay he is for freckles and curly hair and everything Izuku. The ugliest sweater in the world couldn’t keep his heart from racing in his chest when Izuku looks at him like that.

The moment comes to an abrupt halt when a snowball smacks Shouto directly in the face.

“S-sorry Todoroki! I was aiming for-”

Kaminari’s words are cut off with a choke as Izuku hurls a snowball almost dead on into the boy’s mouth.

“Ack! Brain freeze!”

Izuku makes a sinfully devious face of triumph that lasts exactly as long as it takes for Uraraka to toss one at the back of his head.

“Ah! Cold! Cold cold cold!” Izuku scrambles to rub at his neck, shivering violently when a chunk falls down the back of his sweater. Shouto chokes and Izuku turns to him with exaggerated betrayal. “Don’t laugh at me! I just defended your honor!”

“Aww Deku, you’re like his knight in shining armor!” Uraraka says whilst rolling another snowball.

Izuku goes very red, sputtering and waving his hands in denial and Shouto goes ahead and slaps the snowball out of the air before Uraraka can nail his boyfriend with snow again.

“Oi, timeout, we have to finish this before it gets too dark!”

“Can we please not be sitting in the snow now?” Jirou snarks, and Yaoyorozu lifts her easily to her feet.

Izuku gulps and nods vigorously, and they help each other to stand. Shouto warms his left hand and lets it sit on the back of Izuku’s neck for a moment, and the boy leans into him.

With their clothes just damp enough to let the cold in, they’re a little more careless about where they hang the lights, eager to go inside where the rest of the class is waiting with food and hot drinks. That’s not to say that there aren’t several more sneak attacks in the time it takes to finish, and Shouto is watching Izuku’s blue lips with increasing frequency.

Finally, Kaminari hooks up the extension cord, which is really three cords plus one extra long cord made by Yaomomo, and the tree lights up, a little lopsided perhaps, but it looks fine to him. He likes the way the colored lights look on the snow, how it sparkles, and how it bounces off of everything until the courtyard is bright enough for him to count the freckles on Izuku’s nose. His boyfriend is grinning excitedly next to him, and Shouto decides that it was worth it. He also decides that Christmas lights reflected in wide green eyes is one of his favorite things.

When they’re finally filing into the dorms they’re all just a little bit colder than they want to be, but the mood is light. It’s hard to be surly when every inch of the dorm building is decked in holiday decorations. It’s all a little over the top for him, but he appreciates how everyone’s smiles become a little bit brighter at the sight of colored ribbons and wreaths and hanging ornaments. His attention, however, sticks on Asui and Izuku, who are especially shivering.

Uraraka takes Asui’s hand and pulls her toward the kitchen where Satou is handing out hot cocoa, so that takes care of one of them. They fall to the back of the group and Shouto takes advantage of a brief moment out of sight to hold his hand out to Izuku. The boy looks up and gives him a grateful grin as he holds Shouto’s left hand in both of his. 

“Your lips are blue,” Shouto murmurs, not really sure what he’s offering, but offering just the same. Izuku looks shy when he presses cool lips to the back of Shouto’s warm hand, holds it there for a moment. Shouto’s spine tingles and he tries very hard not to let his hand over heat. 

As soon as Izuku moves to release him, Shouto brings Izuku’s hands up to his mouth and blows warm air over them until Izuku lets out a happy hum. Shouto leaves a warm kiss along his knuckles before he lets go.

Izuku giggles nervously and holds the hand to his chest.

“Hey lovebirds, better watch out for mistletoe!” Kirishima says over his shoulder as they enter the common room, which, now that he looks, is a veritable minefield of holly and mistletoe hung together indiscriminately. He resolves to stay out from under the doorways.

“You too, Kirishima-kun! Ashido-san was talking about trapping you and Kaachan tonight,” Izuku says and pokes at the center of Kirishima’s back, between two of the glittery poinsettia pinned to his red sweater.

“Oh, that’d go well.” He rolls his eyes.

Shouto says nothing, but Izuku laughs at the quirk of his eyebrows.

Satou comes through carrying a large tray of desserts, Shouji not far behind, each of his extra arms balancing a tray or basket. Suddenly it makes sense why Satou would ask for Shouji's help; he must be able to stir three things at once, and still have an arm to spare.  

As they settle in among their other classmates, Izuku excuses himself and hastily pulls Iida into a rapid fire conversation. Shouto lets him go knowing that he’ll make his way back eventually, and fills a plate with as many sweets as he deems polite, maybe a few more than is polite if he’s being honest, before retreating the the edge of the common space. He lets himself relax against a wall as he munches, and soon finds himself joined by Tokoyami. His sweater is dark and at first glance it seems non denominational, but looking closer it does have the word Yule across the shoulders and a star on the front. Or is it a pentagram?

Somehow it seems rude to ask.

They both seem to enjoy the bustle best at a slight distance, and the calm between them makes it easy to pick up the conversations going on around them- a guilty pleasure he knows Tokoyami shares from their occasional time in the library. At the snack table, Uraraka begrudgingly admits that Satou’s sugar cookies are just as good as hers, and Asui helps herself to some kind of treat that looks a little like a fried pancake with candied nuts. Shouto looks down at his own plate to study an identical one.

“They’re latkes,” Tokoyami says next to him.

Shouto makes a noise to acknowledge him and bites into it.

“Holy fuck,” he says softly.

If it was Izuku standing next to him, he might moan at the taste. But it’s Tokoyami, so he only nods appreciatively.

The room is steadily filling with students, baked goods, and uglier and uglier sweaters. It’s as though the entire student body had set out to find the greatest contrast to the glittering decorations covering every inch of the common area. Music fills the space between conversations and Shouto settles his back against the wall and chews on a sugar cookie shaped and iced to look like a candy cane. He frowns when he sees how well it matches his sweater and drops it back on his plate, picking up a jelly filled donut instead.

Bakugou enters the room like he owns it, as per usual, and without thought Shouto seeks out Izuku with his eyes. He’s a fair distance away and preoccupied with Iida near the (smaller, better decorated) christmas tree, and he lets him be. Instead he shifts his gaze to track Bakugou’s movement towards where Kaminari is mercilessly ribbing Kirishima for his flower covered sweater.

“Hey, ugly it may be but this baby got me a phone number!” Kirishima proudly holds out a slightly crumpled napkin, black numbers scrawled in bubbly handwriting.

“Whaaaha who gave you a number when you’re dressed like my granny’s garden?!”

“The girl behind the counter at the coffee shop on fourth!” He beams.

“This should be interesting,” Tokoyami mutters next to him. They both watch Bakugou’s approach, out of Kirishima’s and Kaminari’s line of sight as they bicker.

“Dude, you should give it to me!”

“What? No way!”

“Come on, you’re in love with Bakugou anyway!”

Tokoyami makes a sound like cooing laughter and Shouto hits the panic button in his mind.

“Shh! What the hell is wrong with you?” Kirishima hisses.

The human equivalent of sticking a fork in a toaster seems unrepentant, but then, he’s also blissfully unaware of the looming danger.

If he lights himself on fire right now, he could set off the fire alarm. It would ruin the holiday party, but his best friend would be alive and decidedly unexploded. Shouto watches carefully, ready to do just that, but Bakugou’s face doesn’t look any more murderous than usual. In fact it’s almost blank as he comes up right behind Kirishima and Kaminari, who are grappling over the napkin with the phone number written on it.

Uraraka, two feet away and chatting enthusiastically with Tsuyu pauses mid sentence, taking a little gasp of air as she closes her eyes. Without breaking stride Bakugou snatches the napkin from Kirishima’s outstretched hand and shoves it under Uraraka’s nose right in time to catch her sneeze.

“Achoo! Whew. Thanks, Bakugou!”

“Cover your diseased mouth,” he grunts, but there’s something horribly satisfied in the expression he wears as Kirishima and Kaminari both moan dramatically.

“That's so not manly,” Kirishima whines.

Shouto and Tokoyami are both speechless as Bakugou continues on like nothing has changed. That is to say, with violent enthusiasm and a hostile humor. Kirishima seems unaware that he must have been in hearing range for Kaminari’s slip, and Bakugou… Bakugou has the two of them in matching headlocks, shouting about one thing or another. Kirishima is laughing brightly in his hold and Shouto sags against the wall as the crisis is- probably?- averted.

Shouto wonders if Bakugou is holding onto Kirishima a bit tighter than usual, he holds him longer than he does Kaminari, roughing up his hair until it falls around his face and the boy groans in protest. Is that Bakugou’s version of a lingering touch?

“What must he be thinking, to overhear such an ill fated confession?” Tokoyami muses.

Shouto shakes his head. He’s closely tied to not one but two people with strong connections to this ticking time bomb of angst, but he can honestly say, “I have no idea what goes on inside of Bakugou’s head.”

[aro-aizawa]

Class 1-A LGBT Headcanons

(Insp. by @eijirou-kun‘s post)

Aoyama: Asexual biromantic. He’s all about looking great for himself, will dress flamboyantly and likes the idea of cuddling a significant other because he’s weak for blanket snuggles. 

Ashido: Pansexual with a female lean. She loves people of every gender, she’s easy to fall into relationships. She gets 20 second crushes all the time, especially on retail workers. But once she’s in a relationship, you bet your ass she’d be the best girlfriend. She’d be bragging all about her s/o all the time, buying little gifts they like and surprising them with cheek kisses from behind. Best gf.

Asui: Lesbian. She’s always shy and admires from a far. Despite her blunt tendencies, she gets really bashful and beats around the bush whenever she’s talking about anything closely resembling something of a confession or affection. After a solid year or so in the relationship she mellows out but if her s/o surprises her with affection she has a tendency to become flustered. 

Iida: Asexual. He’s not sure where he falls on romantic scale, boys? girls? who knows, definitely not him. He likes the idea of cuddling and kissing people, wants to settle down and raise a family, but he’s a strong believer in the adoption system so he’d rather adopt than make his own. 

Uraraka: Bisexual with female lean. She’s the bubbly affectionate type who whines when she can’t cuddle her s/o even if they’ve only been separated for about two minutes. Loves being the big spoon when cuddling always. 

Ojiro: Flexible. He’s not the kind to crush on anyone really, he’d classify himself as aromantic, but he likes hugs and cuddles too much, not so much kissing. So he doesn’t use a label. If someone developed a crush on him though, he’d definitely go for it, developing feelings over time.

Kaminari: Agender pansexual. Loves to flirt and is super obvious, uses pick up lines like greetings especially to his friends. Says things like “no homo” then laughs until he chokes, turns around to flirt with the nearest person in sight. Often gets turned down, but he’s chill. Would love to have a significant other one day though. 

Kirishima: Gay. He’s the biggest gay in the class, and loves being open about his sexuality. Used to be afraid to come out of the closet but once he came out he’s all over the place. Super shy though, he’ll often change clothes right in the corner of the changing room not looking at anyone because if he makes contact with another guy whilst changing he’ll burst out in a bright red blush. 

Kouda: Genderfluid aromantic. Values friendships to an alarming degree, he’s ride or die all the way, if you become his friend he would probably kill a guy for you or help hide a body. He’d be super freaked since he’s a precious flower child, but he’s loyal to a fault. Would definitely take a bullet for you.

Satou: Demisexual. It’s hard for him to crush on anyone, he’s very unsure in any relationship unless he trusts them completely. Has a simple guide that practically makes the potential s/o his best friend, so he hasn’t gotten very far in relationships. Thinks his standards are high, but really all you need to do is be considerate of his feelings, give him cakes and be kind to everyone, also being patient and not too touchy-feely would help. He’s not 100% comfortable with PDA.

Shoji: Gay. He’s a true romantic, loves to write poems waxing about his big gay crush. He gets sad because he’d like to be the little spoon sometimes, but it’s hard to do with his size.

Jirou: Biromantic asexual non-binary. She’s the chill one, she doesn’t really broadcast how gay she really is, but if you asked her she’d tell. Doesn’t really think her sexuality or gender is a big deal, but the moment someone kicks up a fuss about it she’d be in their face and using all her tricks to make them uncomfortable. 

Sero: Pansexual. Flirts through old memes, they’re usually very obscure so one has to be an experienced memer to understand them. Falls head over heels if anyone manages to decode them. Bonus points if they flirt back in memes. Extra bonus points if they’re gay memes. 

Tokoyami: Trans gay boy. He used to get teased when he was young that he wasn’t feminine enough but came out in middle school, hasn’t transitioned yet but he’s patient. He’s the mysterious gay, everyone knows he’s got a gay crush at all times but he’s always vague about what they’re like. Usually describes them in random ass song lyrics that no one remembers and most of the time they’re inaccurate anyway. 

Todoroki: Closeted gay. His closest friends all know his sexuality and are really supportive but he’s not out because he’s worried what his family would say. Mentioning his sexuality above any tone but a whisper always makes him nervous. Once he’s out though he’s really obvious and wouldn’t miss a chance to gush over his crush or s/o. 

Hagakure: Agender heterosexual. She’s the biggest supporter of her friends’ love lives, often neglecting her own until someone manages to crush on her. If you need someone to be your fake s/o to make someone else jealous she’d go all out, best wingman too. You’re 5 times more likely to get a date if you’ve got her supporting you. She’s open to exploring her sexuality in the future, but she’s good for now.

Bakugou: Lowkey gay. He never really came out, but he’s just always been that way and doesn’t think its a big deal. He’s quick to admit that someone’s hot to himself, but he can never admit he has feelings. Would probably be the kind of guy to throw a box of chocolates at his crush on valentine’s day and knock them the fuck out.

Midoriya: Asexual homoromantic. Shy bean who just wants cuddles and kisses and is the kind of guy who’d give his boyfriend flowers every single day. Showers his boyfriend in affection and love, he can dish out affection with ease but the moment that its thrown back at him you’ve got a flustered mess. You just have to wink at him and he’s down for the count. 

Mineta: Who?

Yaoyorozu: Homoromantic asexual. She gets flustered by holding hands, but at the same time she can’t be in the same room with her girlfriend without holding hands. Taught herself to be ambidextrous because she’s that often studying and holding hands, at random moments she’ll drop everything to kiss her gf’s hand or cheek. Loves kissing at random moments.