Chapter Text
Nejire had told you at lunch that she, Mirio and Tamaki would be visiting your class. She didn’t say why, only that it was going to be “super exciting” and that you should “act surprised even though you won’t really be surprised,” which was very on brand for her. Still, knowing they’re coming doesn’t prepare you for the moment the door slides open and the three of them step inside.
Mirio enters first, practically radiating sunshine. Nejire bounces in behind him, her arm twitching at her side the second she spots you and her grin wide as she just barely stops herself from waving. Tamaki trails in last with his shoulders hunched, his eyes fixed on the floor like he’s hoping it'll swallow him whole. The class collectively stiffens, whispers rippling through the room as Aizawa introduces them as “the Big Three,” the top students of U.A.
You try to keep your expression neutral, but your chest warms at the sight of them. It’s strange to see them here in your classroom, in front of your classmates who have no idea how many lunches you’ve shared with them, how many late-night calls you've had with Nejire or how often you used to go to Tamaki's house to study. You catch Mirio’s eye for a moment, and he gives you a tiny wink. It's subtle enough that no one else notices, but enough to elicit a grin from you.
Aizawa gestures for them to speak, and Tamaki tries first. You know how hard this is for him. He’s told you before that public speaking makes his brain feel like it’s melting, but unfortunately you can only watch with quiet sympathy as he stumbles through a mumbled sentence before shrinking himself and turning to face the wall behind him with a groaned "I want to go home!"
Hado jumps in next and rapidly fires off questions at random students, completely derailing the work study explanation you assume she was supposed to give. You can practically hear Aizawa aging. Then Mirio steps forward, and everything shifts. After a failed call-and-respense, he smiles at the class and places both hands on his hips, his posture relaxed in a way that somehow makes him look intimidating. “Well,” he says, “maybe it’s easier to show you than tell you.”
You blink. Show? Before you can take a guess at what he means though, he points directly at your class. “How about I fight all of you at the same time?” Your homeroom teacher releases a long-suffering sigh, but doesn’t make a move to stop him. And that’s how you end up standing in the training room with the rest of 1‑A, watching as Mirio stretches like he’s about to go for a casual jog instead of fighting twenty-one teenagers at once.
You’re already bracing yourself, but nothing could have prepared you for what happens next. One moment he’s standing there smiling, and the next he’s gone. Not gone as in he ran away too fast for your eyes to track, but actually gone. In a blink he's disappeared, his gym uniform on the ground where he once stood. You whip your head around in an effort to track him as he reappears behind Kirishima, phasing straight up from the ground like a ghost. Kirishima barely has time to harden before Mirio punches him in the stomach and sends him flying.
You’ve never seen Mirio’s quirk before, and even though you’ve heard Nejire gush about how “he’s basically unstoppable when he gets serious,” nothing she ever said could have prepared you for the reality of watching him move like this, dominating your classmates with the kind of confidence you previously thought only a seasoned hero could have. He phases through Sero’s tape. He drops through the floor to dodge Mina's acid, then pops up behind Kaminari and flicks him in the forehead so hard he spins. Mirio weaves through your classmates like water slipping through fingers, smiling the whole time. The joy in his expression makes it clear he's loving every second of it.
You try to anticipate Mirio’s movements, but there’s nothing to read. No tells or patterns. He simply vanishes and reappears wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Sudden absence followed by sudden presence. You knew he was strong, but it seems you've completely underestimated your upperclassman. This is the kind of quirk that could counter almost anything if used correctly, and you can’t help wanting to understand it. You’re so hyperfocused on trying to predict where he’ll appear next, that you almost miss the moment he disappears again.
You turn your head just in time to see a blur of Mirio-shaped movement right beside you, your mind choosing that moment to finally process the fact that when Mirio phases through the ground, he's doing so without his clothes. Completely and unmistakably, absolutely naked right in front of you.Your brain, which had been running at full analytical just speed a second ago, slams to a complete halt.
Your eyes go impossibly wide and a squeak escapes your throat as you keep your gaze pointedly locked on his face. Mirio, who is somehow still smiling like this is the most normal thing in the world, winks at you as if he hasn’t just appeared in the most compromising state imaginable. Using your shock to his advantage, he wastes no time punching you on the stomach. It's a gentle hit compared to what he did to some of your classmates, but still strong enough to knock the air out of you and send you stumbling backward onto the floor. Your back hits the ground with a soft thud as the blond disappears below again, a sharp ache blooming under your ribs as you wheeze.
You lie there for a moment and clutch your stomach, trying to remember how to inhale. Your face is burning so hot you’re surprised the floor doesn’t start melting beneath you. But even though you’re winded and embarrassed plus mildly grossed out by the nudity situation, you can’t stop the warmth spreading through your chest. Because that was Mirio. Your friend and upperclassman, whom you just watched him overpower half your class with nothing but skill and a quirk you’re only now beginning to understand. You’re overwhelmingly, stupidly proud. You groan softly, pressing a hand to your stomach, but you’re smiling anyway. Because damn… your friends are incredible.
You slip into bed and settle back against your pillow with a long exhale, letting the last of the day’s adrenaline drain out of you. The idea of work studies had always felt distant before, something you upperclassmen talked about and you’d eventually get to experience. But now that once distant idea is real, and it’s close enough to touch.
You can’t help wondering how it'll be, which kind of hero you’ll get to shadow and what kind of challenges you’ll face. The thought sends a small spark of excitement through your chest. There are so many potential agencies and so many pros, so many paths you could take. Your and Manual's quirks complement each other, and you let out a yawn as you reminisce how natural it felt to work with a pro who understood water the way you do. You wonder if he’ll take you again for the work-study.
The dorms are peaceful at this hour. There's no shouting or footsteps in the hall, just the natural hum of the building. Your muscles ache and your stomach still twinges a little from where Mirio tapped you, but even that makes you smile, because it’s a reminder of how far you still have to go and how lucky you are to have people like him, like Nejire and Tamaki, like your classmates and Ruby, pushing you forward.
You close your eyes, letting your thoughts drift lazily between the present and the future, between what you’ve done and what you hope to do. There’s so much ahead of you. So much to learn and grow into, so much to become. You breathe in slowly, letting the warmth of that feeling fill your heart. Tomorrow will come soon enough. But for now, wrapped in the glow of possibility, you let yourself drift toward sleep with a small, hopeful smile.
The next afternoon Class 1‑A trickles into the common room after classes, everyone settling into their usual spots. Your arms sting from today's training, but it’s more of a warm reminder of your hard work than anything painful. The room is comfortably loud, full of overlapping conversations and laughter. You’re just starting to zone out when Aizawa walks in. He doesn’t raise his voice or clear his throat, but somehow the whole room quiets anyway. Everyone straightens a little in waiting.
“Tokoyami,” Aizawa starts without fanfare. “You’ve received an offer for a work study; it’s from Hawks.” Tokoyami stiffens, and Kaminari lets out a low whistle when his classmate humbly accepts the offer. You feel a small rush of happiness for him. Hawks is a huge deal, and Tokoyami deserves this opportunity. Aizawa waits for the noise to settle again. His eyes sweep across the room. “Kirishima.” The boy in question looks up in surprise, leaning forward a bit as his teacher continues. “Amajiki from the big three wants to see you.”
Kirishima’s jaw goes slack for a second before he breaks into a huge grin. “No way, that’s awesome! I wonder what a guy like that wants to talk to me about.” He looks like he’s trying not to bounce in place, and Aizawa lets out a sigh before continuing.
“…and [Name] as well.”
You blink at him, wondering if you misheard. Kirishima turns toward you with the same stunned expression he had a moment ago, only now it’s mixed with an even greater deal of excitement. Aizawa looks past you then, addressing Ochako and Tsu to tell them Nejire called for the two of them. He adds that you should all go visit the upperclassmen tomorrow, but you’ve already begun to stand. Kirishima straightens too, still looking a little dazed.
As the two of you walk toward the hallway, he leans closer and lowers his voice. “I didn’t think any of the Big Three even knew who I was. This is crazy.” You laugh softly. “Same. I wasn’t expecting this at all.” He shakes his head, still grinning. “I mean, Tamaki Amajiki. That guy seems shy, but i'm sure he's incredible." “You’re incredible too,” you compliment him automatically. Kirishima seems taken aback, rubbing the back of his neck with a shy smile. “Thanks. Still feels unreal though.”
The two of you step outside into the cool afternoon air, the golden light of the setting sun painting the courtyard. You can feel the nerves building in your stomach but there’s excitement there too, a warm and hopeful feeling that rises up to your chest. Kirishima walks beside you with a spring in his step, both hands shoved into his pockets. “Do you think he’s gonna offer us something big?” he asks. “Like, maybe he wants to recommend us for a work study. That would be insane.” You nod, your heartrate picking up speed. “I didn’t even let myself consider that possibility until now.”
“Yeah, same,” he says. “But he asked for both of us. That has to mean something, right?” You look ahead at the buildings coming into view. They’re taller and a little more polished than yours, with wide windows glowing softly from the inside. The sight makes your stomach flutter all over again. “I hope so,” you say quietly. Kirishima bumps your shoulder with his. “Whatever it is, we’re going in together. That already makes the whole sitch pretty awesome."
You and Kirishima step through the front doors of 3-A’s dorm, greeted by the quiet hum of conversation from students lounging in the common room. A few third‑years glance your way, their expressions curious but not unfriendly. You ask one of them if they’ve seen Tamaki, and they point you toward the elevator with a small smile. “He’s probably in his room. He’s usually hides up in there around this time.”
You thank them and step into the elevator with Kirishima. The doors slide shut, and the small space fills with a soft mechanical hum. Your pulse is racing now, and you can tell Kirishima’s is too from the way he keeps shifting his weight from foot to foot. He glances at you with a crooked smile. “I’m nervous. In a good way, but still nervous.” “Me too, but I’m moreso excited, actually.” The elevator begins to rise and the two of you stand side by side, waiting to see what waits for you on the next floor.
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Kirishima's whole body is vibrating with glee as the two of you walk down the hallway. The air in the corridor feels lighter than it did when the two of you walked in, and he keeps replaying Tamaki’s words in his head, each sentence hitting him all over again with the same force as the first time. He glances at you, and the sight of your smile sends another rush of excitement through him, so strong he has to jump a bit just to let some of it out.
“Fatgum,” he says again, because saying it out loud helps him believe it. “We’re actually gonna be working with Fatgum.”
The laugh you release is bright, and Kirishima feels his heart swell. You look so happy, your eyes shining as you walk beside him, and he can’t stop talking because if he stops he might explode from everything he’s feeling. “I mean, I know I brought up the idea before, but I didn’t think he’d actually recommend us. He said it so casually too. Like it wasn’t a huge deal." You ruffle his gelled hair, wiping the product that gets on your hand onto his sleeve as he huffs indignantly. “Both Tamaki and FatGum believe in us. He wouldn’t have picked us if he didn’t.”
You smile at him, and he swears the hallway gets brighter. He tries to focus on the elevator doors ahead, but another thought hits him so suddenly he stops walking for a second. “Wait,” he says, turning toward you with wide eyes. “I didn’t know you knew them. Like, actually knew them. You called him Tamaki and he didn't seem phased by it at all.” You blink at him, smiling sheepishly. “Well, yeah. I’ve known the Big Three for a while."
Kirishima stares at you like you’ve just revealed your secret identity. “You’re on a first‑name basis with the Big Three?! T-that’s insane! I didn’t even know Amajiki talked to people outside his year...” You laugh, and Kirishima feels that familiar warmth in his chest again. “He’s a good friend.”
“A good friend,” Kirishima repeats, still trying to wrap his head around it. “Man, you’re way cooler than I thought.” You raise an eyebrow but instead of teasing him the way he expects, you tilt your head and say, “You didn’t think I was cool when we went on that super romantic mall date together?”
Kirishima stops breathing. His face goes red from the base of his neck all the way to the tips of his ears. “I did think you were cool,” he blurts out, a slight crack in his voice. “I thought you were really cool. I still think you’re cool. I didn’t mean it like that!” You laugh, and the sound is so light and easy that it makes his stomach twist.
You say it casually, like the mall outing is just a fun memory now, something sweet and harmless that you’ve moved past, and he tries to laugh along with you, but his heart is pounding because he remembers every second of that day. He remembers how nervous he was, how hard he tried to play it cool after the cheek-kiss in the photobooth. He remembers going back home afterward and lying awake for hours, replaying every moment like it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He still feels that way, even though it was so long ago. Kirishima forces himself to start walking again, hoping you can’t hear how loud his heartbeat is. “I just didn’t know you were friends with the Big Three,” he says, trying to sound normal. “That’s all. You’re already cool. You’re just… cooler than I realized.” The elevator arrives and the two of you step inside. Kirishima leans back against the wall in an effort to calm down, but the excitement keeps bubbling up again and again. “I’m so pumped to work with Fatgum,” he sighs dreamily. “He’s awesome. And he’s strong in a totally different way than Amajiki. I feel like we’re gonna learn so much.”
You nod quickly. “Yeah. And Tamaki said he’ll be with us the whole time. That makes me feel a lot better.” “Same,” Kirishima says. “He’s shy, but he’s solid. I trust him.” The elevator hums quietly as it descends, and he looks at you again, taking in the way your eyes shine with excitement. You’re practically glowing with anticipation. He feels something settle deeper inside him, something that feels like determination and hope and something else he doesn’t want to dig back up yet.
He’s glad he gets to do this with you, that he'll get to spend more time with you. When the doors open and the two of you step out into the lobby, Kirishima feels ready for anything. Fatgum and Amajiki. Real hero work. This is the start of something big, and he can’t wait.