Archive of Our Own

“Kaminari, the answer for seventeen?”

He’s snapped from his reverie by Ectoplasm, who is looking at him expectantly with one eyebrow raised. Kaminari blinks once, before looking down to his sheet, trying not to look guilty. He skims the questions until he reaches seventeen like he has the answer written, an act that he knows he won’t be able to keep up, because he’s only answered the first two questions.

He pauses, but unlike the movies that he watches in his spare time, no one whispers their help. He’s left to sigh, hunching over himself slightly. “I didn’t, uh… I didn’t get to that one yet, sir.”

“You had twenty minutes to finish the worksheet. Has anyone else not got to question seventeen?”

Kaminari hates the shame that flushes through his chest when there’s no answer from the class. He’s chewing on the inside of his mouth and wringing his hands together, working up the courage to offer an apology, when there’s a loud scoff.

“It’s ten point seven.” Bakugou answers from his left in a confident voice. It makes him sink lower in his seat.
“Is your name Kaminari?” Ectoplasm responds, and it’s clear that he isn’t quite off the hook. He shakes his hands out before rubbing his eyes, trying to look at the next question in the event he’s asked for the answer to eighteen to make up for it.

“Do I look like a dumbass?” Bakugou growls, and try as he might, Kaminari cannot focus enough to comprehend the next question. He slumps back in his seat, dejected, even as Ectoplasm reprimands Bakugou and continues the lesson with a warning about paying attention.

-

His mood doesn’t pick up by lunch, even when Kirishima ruffles his hair and Sero offers him one of his favourite snacks. In fact, it worsens, because he realises that he’s forgotten his lunch money, again, on account of him running late in the morning. He could run back and get it, but he doesn’t have the energy.

He waits for the others to get back after being designated table keeper, scrolling through his Twitter timeline without actually reading anything. He looks up when someone arrives, Bakugou, holding two trays. He sets one in front of him.

“Um… What?”

“Shitty Hair said you forgot your money again? Tch, dumbass. You’ll be even more useless in training if you don’t eat.” Bakugou rolls his eyes as he speaks, then sits down opposite Kaminari with his own plate.

“Oh. It’s for me?” He asks, tilting his head, almost shocked by such a gesture coming from Bakugou, of all people.
“What did I just say? Eat and shut up.”
Kaminari looks in wonder for a few moments before he begins to smile, picking up the chopsticks and eagerly digging into the meal. “Thank you! I’ll pay you back!” He says through a mouthful of rice, and though Bakugou looks at him in disgust, he doesn’t say anything insulting.

The rest of their friends arrive shortly after, happy to gather around the table and start eating.
“Oh, I heard we’re being paired with Class B for training today!” Kirishima starts the conversation, getting everyone’s attention.
“Really? I hope so! I need to practise my new acid attack on someone!” Mina exclaims, accidentally elbowing Sero after an exaggerated fist pump.

Kaminari doesn’t pay too much attention after the first few comments, finding the food on his plate more interesting. That is until he’s kicked under the table. It’s hard, and it hurts, and he knows immediately who it is.
“Ow, that hurt!” He frowns over at Bakugou, who has the audacity to look mildly confused. It makes him pause. “What?” He asks, slightly more nervous as his gaze drifts to Kirishima.

“I asked if you wanted to have a study session tonight! The homework Cementoss gave us made my head hurt before I even looked at it.”
“Uh, sure, bro!” Kaminari doesn’t remember picking up any homework in his first class, and he hopes that he’d stuffed in his bag without really thinking. The thought of studying doesn’t excite him, but he supposes there’s more chance of him getting it done if he’s around others.

“Cool. My room?” Kirishima asks, but before Kaminari can thoughtlessly nod in agreement, Bakugou looks up from his food.
“My room. S’easier,” he grumbles, to which Kirishima agrees happily for the both of them.

Once lunch is over, the group make their way to the lockers to change into their hero costumes. Kaminari gets lost in a conversation with Kirishima as he’s changing, more than happy to gush about a new game that is releasing in a few days’ time, already planning some gaming nights.

The designated training hour passes quickly, and by the end of their multiple mini-battles, Kaminari fights both exhaustion and an oncoming migraine. He knows that trying to do any homework in this state will be futile, but he doesn’t bother speaking up. Not when he’s sure Ectoplasm will have it in for him for the next few days.

As soon as he gets back to the dorm after school ends, he takes a painkiller in the hopes it’ll at least hold off the worst of it until after he’s finished studying. Bakugou isn’t in the best mood after he’d been beaten by Tetsutetsu in a solo battle, so Kaminari can only pray that the volume will be kept to a minimum.

“Oi, come up when you want,” Bakugou grunts as he passes him in the kitchen to grab some water from the fridge. Kaminari hums in agreement, looking around the common room for any sign of the rest of the group, but apparently, they’re all off either already studying (unlikely,) or in their rooms winding down. He doesn’t see a point in prolonging anything, so he tails Bakugou back up to his room after picking up his bag.

“What are you going to do first?” Kaminari asks as he’s let into Bakugou’s room, kneeling before the table in the centre of the floor. There isn’t a lot to be distracted by other than the few All Might themed pieces of memorabilia that decorate shelves otherwise filled with books. It’s helpful, at the very least, because Kaminari tends to get extremely distracted when they try and use Kirishima’s room to study, far too many interesting trinkets to be left ignored.

“You didn’t get anything done in math, right? Do that first, the classwork. When you understand that, the homework is easy.”
It’s easy for Bakugou to say, in one of the class's top positions, but Kaminari nods anyway and pulls out his workbook and the corresponding textbook. “Um, what page was it?”

“Hundred and sixteen,” Bakugou replies, taking a seat opposite Kaminari on the floor, phone in hand. He doesn’t offer any further assistance, leaving Kaminari to find the page and read over the questions again. Number three doesn’t look any easier from when he’d looked at it in class, and his eyes drift over to the next page. There’s a triangle with one too many lines crossing through it, each with angles and different fractions. When will he ever need-

“Focus,” Bakugou mutters, and it makes Kaminari jump. He looks up, but Bakugou has his eyes on his phone.
“I am,” he sighs, rubbing over his eyes before hunching over and rereading the question again. It’s in the same format as the first two questions, but considering he’s almost ninety-nine percent sure he has the wrong answers for those, it doesn’t help. He pinches his lips together, a familiar feeling beginning to surface.

“Read out number one to me,” Bakugou sighs, and Kaminari loathes the way he can practically feel Bakugou’s eye roll.
“No, I’ve got it,” he says, even though he really doesn’t, lifting a pencil from his bag to try and work it out. He gets as far as re-writing the question and simplifying a few of the easier parts, before he’s stuck. He closes his eyes, counts to ten as slow as he can manage, and wishes that he’d concentrated more in the previous lessons where these equations had been explained.

“Oi. Just read the first one out loud. Sometimes reading it out loud helps.”
Perhaps Bakugou is trying to aid him, but the shame that dwells transforms to a mild irritation. “Why? So you can call me stupid for not understanding it again, because it’s so fucking easy?”
Kaminari doesn’t look up from his page, sinking into himself slightly as he realises just who he’s trying to argue with.

“I wouldn’t be sat here if I wanted to make fun of you. This is hard shit, just because I understand it doesn’t make it easy for everyone. Just read me the question, I’ll tell you how to solve it.”

A frown pinches at his eyebrows, and when Kaminari looks up again, Bakugou is watching him. He doesn’t look angry, nor does he look amused. He wears a serious, yet calm expression, and Kaminari slowly rules out the possibility of being shouted at. He heaves another sigh before pulling the textbook closer, reading the first question out loud.

“Okay,” Bakugou nods, “so why did you divide those if you’re trying to find a common value?”
Kaminari blinks, looking down to his worksheet and his barely legible scribbled answers. He feels something click in his mind. His mouth drops open and he rushes to fix the mistake, taking a moment to rethink his answer before writing it down. When he looks up to Bakugou, there’s a small smile on his face, barely visible.

“I did it! Hah… I- Wow, I’m so stupid, how didn’t…” He looks back to the textbook, then to his old answer. It’s incredible, really, how obvious the mistake seems.
“Don’t worry about that now. Try the second question again.”

Kaminari then adjusts his answer for the second question, and after getting a nod from Bakugou, feels something akin to pride. He shouldn’t, not when everyone else in the class found things at this level beyond easy, but he does. He blasts through the next few questions; doesn’t even realise he’s talking aloud to himself until he reaches the tenth one. The look on Bakugou’s face gives it away, and a blush rises to his cheeks.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, leaning his head on his arm, using the end of his pencil to try and erase one of the last questions. Bakugou snorts.
“Don’t worry. Keep going.”
That Kaminari does, albeit a little slower as the questions get harder. He’s thankful that his migraine hasn’t decided to make an appearance yet, but he’s sure it will soon if the dull throbbing is anything to go by. He manages to reach seventeen before the questions seem to morph from hard to literally fucking impossible.

“Read it out loud,” Bakugou tells him, once again making Kaminari jump. He doesn’t expect him to still be watching.
He reads the question out loud, and as he does, realises that it’s mostly the same as the others but with longer wording. Not waiting for Bakugou’s response, he tries to solve it, and gets further than he expects, but draws blanks when he gets to the answer.

“Same as before. What you have here is exactly like the first few questions. Find a common value from those. You did the hard part.”
Kaminari blinks in wonder, feeling something a little deeper than gratitude at the help. He feels slightly bad that he’d assumed Bakugou would take his anger out on him just because of a loss on the training grounds. First year Bakugou might have done, but not third year Bakugou.

“Stop looking at me like that, finish the questions and we’ll take a break.”
Kaminari blushes once again after realising he’s been staring, quipping back a short, “you? You haven’t even done any work…” but it’s soft, and he doesn’t mean it.

He finishes the rest of the questions without much extra effort, beaming when he finally throws his pencil down and stretches, “fuck, I’m done.”
“Like fuck you are, take five… The others should be here soon, anyway.”
While he knows full well that this means bad news for his concentration, he cheers anyway, lifting his pencil again to tap it against the table.

“Thanks, Kacchan,” he says, means it despite the nickname that he knows will rile him up. He feels content, at least, looking at the finished sheet in front of him. To his surprise, Bakugou doesn’t shout his response, only clicks his tongue and moves a leg to kick him under the table. Kaminari laughs, letting himself fall backwards into the carpet, looking up at the faded green stars that cover the ceiling.

He hears Bakugou stand but doesn’t pay too much attention, letting his brain relax for a few minutes. He rocks his foot against the leg of the table, the sound helping him relax even further. He’s sure that if he closes his eyes now, he’ll fall asleep.

He’s yanked from his peace by a few knocks on the door, sitting up as Bakugou walks over to open it. He beams as Sero, Kirishima, and Mina filter in, one after the other, settling around the table after throwing down their workbooks.
“Dude, can’t we just play Mario Kart instead?” Kirishima asks before he’s even sat down. He gets a clip on the back of the head from Bakugou.
“No, we’re in my fucking room for a reason. If you don’t plan on actually working just leave.”

Mina and Sero both “ooh” under their breath, watching Kirishima physically deflate. Kaminari just laughs, pulling his knees to his chest as he sets his classwork back into his bag and takes out the math homework. He isn’t ready to start, watching as all of his friends get themselves ready around the table.

He feels a sharp poke to his shoulder after a few minutes, when the talk has died down and work actually starts to get done. He looks up from where he’d been watching Sero to meet Bakugou’s eyes, who just drops beside him and crosses his legs, motioning to his homework. Kaminari sighs, but does make the effort to lift the paper and read over the questions.

“This is too hard,” Mina complains, already thumping her head down on the table in despair.
“You haven’t even written your fucking name yet,” Bakugou chides, ignoring Sero’s snicker.
Mina groans, “but I read the questions! Look at six and tell me that it isn’t impossible!”

Kaminari dutifully glances down to the sixth question, and at first glance, it does look extreme, but-
“It carries on from question five, read that one before,” Sero mumbles.
Kaminari hums, watching Mina for only a few seconds longer before settling over his page. He hopes that he’s able to concentrate as well as he had when it was only him and Bakugou.

It’s a little more difficult, but he seems to be the only one having problems. He gets distracted by Sero’s pen tapping one too many times, Bakugou having to nudge him each time to help him refocus before he snaps at Sero to either “write with the fucking pen or put it the fuck down, fucker.” His mind never wanders too far thanks to Bakugou being beside him.

It doesn’t, however, make the questions any less difficult, and it’s proven by the third one, an equation far too long for the numbers not to blur into one. When Kaminari glances over, Bakugou is already past halfway down his page. He frowns, looking back to his own paper, then up at everyone else’s.

He’s about to start feeling sorry for himself when Bakugou nudges his knee again, “don’t do that. What part don’t you get?” He asks, and leans over into Kaminari’s space to look over the questions that he’s answered so far. All three of their friends look up, Kirishima raising an eyebrow at Kaminari, who ducks his head under the attention to stop a blush from rising to his cheeks.

“Um, I guess just… I don’t even know where to start,” he admits, keeping his gaze firmly downwards. Bakugou stays silent for a few moments before clicking his tongue at the three pairs of eyes. “What the fuck’s so damn interesting, hah? Keep fucking working.”

Kaminari doesn’t look up until Bakugou taps his knee, then his paper, “it’s the same as the other questions,” he says, clearly giving him a hint, but even as Kaminari looks over the question again, he shrugs, the numbers swimming in his vision.
“It’s so long,” he sighs, rubbing his eyes before shaking his hands out. Bakugou hums in response, doesn’t say anything as he snatches the paper from the table to scribble on it.

Kaminari tilts his head slowly, before a slow smile creeps onto his face. “Are you doing it for me?” He asks, all but ready to start celebrating when Bakugou turns to glare at him. His smile turns to a pout immediately, slumping down when he receives the paper back. The question has been rewritten, spaced out with symbols much more outlined. It wasn’t much of a change, and to anyone else it may have looked like Bakugou was trying to make fun of them, but-

Looking over the rewritten numbers, Kaminari finds himself lifting his pen. It still takes him a while to work out the totals without a calculator, but he manages, and looks up with a smile to find Bakugou still watching him. Kaminari swears he sees a small smile on Bakugou’s lips before it drops.
“Hm, see? Isn’t that hard, is it?” Bakugou says, moving back over to his own paper. Kaminari pinches his lips together to hold back a smile,

“It is,” Kirishima answers in place of Kaminari, ignoring Bakugou’s growled “who fucking asked you” in favour of complaining some more. Kaminari doesn’t listen, and for once focuses on the numbers in front of him, determined to complete the worksheet, if just to prove to Bakugou that he can. He rewrites every question as he gets to them and works through them.

It doesn’t matter to him that everyone else has already moved onto their Japanese homework when he finishes, because he’s proud of himself. He’s sure that a few of the answers are incorrect, but the fact that he’d managed to make it to the end of the page is enough to satisfy him. He nudges Bakugou silently, and when he looks over, he motions to his completed page. Bakugou’s eyes drift between him and the page before he smiles, just barely, and gives an approving nod.

Kaminari exhales, falling back into the carpet as he relaxes. He’s reminded of the migraine that now begins to make itself known. He waits for Bakugou to poke at him, or for the others to start complaining at him, but it doesn’t happen. When he closes his eyes to the scratching of pens and soft sighs, exhaustion both physical and mental hits him. He probably shouldn’t fall asleep on Bakugou’s bedroom floor.

“Hey, thanks for the help, Kacchan. I think I’m gonna have an early night guys,” he says, stretching out before forcing himself to sit up. Sero snorts.
“You haven’t known an early night in your life.”
Mina hums, pointing a finger over at him, “you’re just going to game all night again, I’m calling it!”

Kaminari smiles, shaking his head and he collects his papers from the table and sides them into his bag, “I’m serious, my head will explode if I try and study more.”
It makes them laugh, and it’s clear that they’re only teasing; they’re all aware of his quirk overuse induced migraines.

“You haven’t eaten, you can’t fucking sleep,” Bakugou cuts in, giving Kaminari a look so stern that he almost shivers beneath it.
“Ah, I’m not actually hungry, but I have snacks in my room, just in case…”
Bakugou gives him an incredulous look but doesn’t push further, even though Kaminari can visibly see the urge. He smiles in reassurance as he stands, “thanks, guys. See you all tomorrow!”

They share their goodbyes with a little teasing, Bakugou only offering a grunt in return. As Kaminari slips from the door and softly closes it behind him, he feels his smile widen, happy in a way he can’t pinpoint. He practically skips down to his room, all the while thankful for Bakugou, for turning his previously shitty day into one not so bad.

-

A few weeks pass in a similar manner, training becoming ever more intense in preparation for their end of term examinations. Stress runs at a constant high for everyone in the dorms, and Kaminari finds himself right in the centre of it when, for the third week in a row, forgets that it’s his day on cleaning duty.

He doesn’t mean to forget, knows distantly that every Thursday is his scheduled day, but he does most weeks. Apparently, according to Iida, there shouldn’t be an excuse due to the rota taped on one of the kitchen cabinets. It’s clear that some people are starting to think he’s purposely ignoring it, and Kaminari can see how.

“Look, I’m sorry. I forgot to look at the rota and I didn’t even realise yesterday was a Thursday,” he tells Momo when she corners him after class. At the very least she’s more understanding than Iida, who seems more and more annoyed every time it happens, like he expects the kitchen to explode if there’s a few dirty dishes in the sink.

“It’s okay, I’m not about to shout at you. But, if you don’t want to do it then I don’t mind taking your day, rather than, y’know, everything getting a little out of hand.”
Kaminari’s urge to roll his eyes goes as quickly as it comes, leaving him with a small ball of guilt. As often as he does forget things, being an inconvenience to the people he lives with isn’t something he wants to be known for.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind doing it, I swear, I just… Forget to,” he sighs, fiddling with the bottom of his blazer. “I’ll do it tonight.”

Momo smiles at him, “okay. Don’t forget then,” she winks, before turning to catch up with Jirou and Uraraka who are waiting for her at the end of the hall. Kaminari looks away from their gaze, chewing on his bottom lip as he makes his way to the stairs at the other end of the hall. He tries not to think about it, throwing out some electricity between his fingers just to simulate something that requires attention.

“Oi, hold up,” someone calls from behind him, and if Kaminari hadn’t recognised Bakugou’s low tone, he wouldn’t have bothered turning at all. But he does, pauses and looks back, just to make sure he is the one Bakugou is calling for. There’s no one else in the hallway.

“What?” He sighs, turning back to the stairs, now expecting another comment about his forgotten chores, maybe even a rant about cleanliness and being organised. He doesn’t move, keeping his eyes on the floor as he feels Bakugou walk up beside him. “I’m not really in the mood to be shouted at again right now, so it would be great if-”

“Shut up,” Bakugou mutters as they start walking, “I’m not gonna do shit. What did she say to you?”
Kaminari starts throwing his electricity again, being careful to keep it contained, “what?”
“Smartass, what did she fucking say to you just now?”
“Momo? Why does it matter?” He asks, not very willing to tell yet another person, especially if Bakugou wasn’t already aware. Why sign himself up for a headache?

“Just tell me,” Bakugou snaps, but in none of his usual harsh tone, sounding more fed up than anything. Kaminari sighs, readying himself for the worst.
“Just, that I forgot to clean again. Asked if I still wanted to do it, and she offered to do it instead… But I’m doing it as soon as I get back. It’s fine.”

Bakugou clicks his tongue, “she can mind her fucking business. If someone else fucking brings it up, tell them to speak to me about it, alright?”
Kaminari frowns, glancing over in curiosity. “Um, why though?” He questions, subconsciously walking a little closer to Bakugou when they pass Ectoplasm in the stairway.
“Because we were playing Smash, weren’t we?”

Kaminari shakes his head in disbelief, “I’m the one that suggested it.”
“And I’m the one that kept winning, what’s your fucking point?”
Kaminari smiles at the response, letting up with the electricity as they step outside, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Sero had you beat a few times.”

Bakugou only snorts, and they walk back to the dorms in comfortable silence. When they get there, Kaminari walks straight to the kitchen to start the hot water and begin washing the dishes, dumping his bag on the counter.
“Sparkplug, come to my room when you’ve finished that.”

It makes Kaminari jump, not realising Bakugou had followed him into the kitchen, before he curses his own reaction and blushes, “hm?”
Bakugou gives an amused grin before motioning his head to the stairs, “my room later, okay? I know you didn’t get many notes in Modern Lit.”

Kaminari doesn’t question how Bakugou knows this. Literature had been their first class of the day, and was right after his encounter with Iida. It had put him in such a foul mood that he’d sulked for the entire hour and hadn’t listened to anything that was said at the front of the class.

“Okay,” Kaminari nods, looking over to Bakugou with a small smile. “Thanks, dude.” He hopes it sounds as sincere as he means it to be.

He cleans as fast as he can without looking like he’s trying to rush it, being extra careful to make sure everything was in place and counters cleaned before he steps back to admire his work. It’s been twenty minutes, but he thinks he’s done a good enough job to get a pass. When he grabs his bag and heads to the lift, he gets a thumbs up from Momo, who comes from the direction of the stairs. He smiles back easily and steps into the lift, pressing the button for Bakugou’s floor.

He taps his fingers against his palm as he waits for the lift to stop and the doors to slide open. When he reaches Bakugou’s room he knocks twice on the door, pointedly ignoring the feeling that pools in his stomach, something akin to excitement.
“It’s open,” Bakugou calls out to him, and Kaminari hesitates for a moment, not wanting to disturb anything, before cracking the door open slowly.

“Hurry the fuck up and close the door,” Bakugou huffs, sprawled out on his bed, wearing sweatpants and a black tank top. He’s throwing something small up and down in one hand, the other motioning over to the table, where his workbook is out.
“Thanks, Kacchan,” Kaminari beams, walking over to the table and sitting himself down, “I’ll be super quick. Were you planning on going to the gym or something?”

He looks over as he gets his notebook out to start copying the notes, watches Bakugou sit up and check the time on his phone. “I was, so you’d better be quick.”
Kaminari shoots him a thumbs up, settling over the table to start copying the notes, trying to be as quick as he can. He doesn’t actually read what he’s taking down, but Lit is one of his better subjects, so understanding it later it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Silence stretches throughout most of the time he’s hurriedly writing, but Bakugou stands as he reaches the end of the second page, and sits down opposite him at the table. Kaminari looks up for just a second before refocusing, and he finishes writing with a triumphant smile, hand cramping slightly. “Thank you,” he says, pushing Bakugou’s book across the table, smiling over at him.

Bakugou just hums, closing the book and setting it on the floor, “didn’t you feel like taking the notes in the first place or what?”
“Ah, um… I guess no,” Kaminari replies, remembering that the reason he was in this situation in the first place was because of his own unnecessary sulking. He should probably apologise for wasting Bakugou’s time, especially considering he’s pushed back plans. Just as he opens his mouth to do exactly that, Bakugou waves a hand.

“I get it. Don’t you have anything to keep you from getting distracted?”
Kaminari frowns, meeting the red eyes that are staring at him, filled with what looks to be curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean,” Bakugou shrugs, “you get distracted easily, I don’t just mean today. You don’t have anything to help?”

Kaminari blinks at him, surprised that someone like Bakugou, infamous for not caring about anyone else, has picked up on it. Sero had been the first, and was the whole reason Kaminari realised he had a disorder at all. He hasn’t told anyone else, and he’s sure Sero wouldn’t have either.

“Um- I… I don’t… Do I need anything?” He asks, realising that maybe he shouldn’t be as surprised as he is. Bakugou is smart, one of the smartest in their class, so it was probably only a matter of time before he realised that something wasn’t quite right.

“You don’t need anything, but some things are supposed to help. Here.”
Bakugou then throws something over the table, and it lands in Kaminari’s lap. He blinks down at it, the worry of it being something dangerous only lasting for a split second before he pulls a cube from between his legs. It’s black, each side holding different yellow buttons or switches. A fidget cube? He’s wanted to try one for a long time, but has only ever found them in overpriced stores when he has little money.

Kaminari doesn’t say anything at first, looking at each side curiously before placing his thumb on a yellow joy-con, rotating it a few times. He feels a small smile picking up as he turns the cube, pressing down on a switch, clicking it back and forth. He does the same to each other side, to the audible button, and then over to the rolling silver ball, smile never leaving his face as he drifts back to the joy-con when he’s done investigating all of the sides.

It’s overwhelming, almost, and when he looks back up at Bakugou, there’s a similar smile on his face. A thank you doesn’t feel like enough, and as his eyes gloss over, Kaminari drops the cube to launch himself around the table and throws his arms around Bakugou, uncaring of the consequences.
“Thank you, thank you,” he babbles, holding to him tightly. He tries his best not to cry when he belatedly realises that Bakugou had brought it specifically for him, to help him.

“Oi, get off,” Bakugou protests, but the usual threats don’t come, and he doesn’t shove him away. Kaminari clings a little harder for a few extra seconds before pulling back, not wanting to push his luck.
“I’m serious, Bakugou- How can I… Let me do something in return, please!”

“I don’t want anything, Sparky. Just see if it fucking helps, yeah?” As much as Bakugou sounds like he wants to be annoyed, all Kaminari can focus on is the small smile that lifts the corners of his mouth.
“I will, I will…” He beams, crawling back over to his side of the table before lifting the cube once more, clicking down on the joy-con a couple of times. He takes a deep breath to calm himself down, head still giddy from the gift.

“Get out now, I need to train,” Bakugou says, and they stand at the same time. Kaminari knows that he doesn’t need to say anything, that Bakugou can tell how appreciative he is, but he thanks him one last time anyway. Kaminari laughs as he gets shoved out of the door, positively shining with happiness on his way back to his room, the little cube in his palm a reminder of the source.

-

“You don’t get an opinion, you think everyone is cute,” Sero grins, covering his ears when Mina squawks in protest and attempts to defend herself. Kaminari and Kirishima both laugh, much to Mina’s building irritation.

They’re in Sero’s room on a Friday night, movie playing unforgotten in the background as they catch up; they haven’t had a get together like this in a couple of weeks due to lack of time. Kaminari is stretched out in the hammock, thumb rolling the joy-con of his new cube lazily as he marvels at the turn in conversation.

“Shut up! I’m allowed to appreciate pretty people. What about you then, who’s your type?” Mina asks, settling back against the wall from where she and Kirishima are sat cross legged on Sero’s bed. Sero seems to think for a moment before half shrugging, “someone funny. I don’t really care about appearances.”

Kaminari and Kirishima share a humoured look, both knowing full well exactly who Sero’s type is. Kaminari bites his tongue to stop a laugh as Mina keeps talking, oblivious.
“Bullshit you don’t, everyone does to some extent! Whatever. Kiri, don’t you fancy anyone?”
Kirishima hums, thinking about the question for a moment before shrugging, “not really.”

“You’re all boring,” Mina whines, crossing her arms. “Well I think Bakugou is the best looking. Am I wrong?”
Sero scrunches his nose, and Kirishima looks like he’s about to object, when Kaminari hums.
“I see it. He may shout a lot but he’s fit, you can’t deny that…”

The way three heads shoot around to stare at him makes his eyes widen, “did I say something wrong?” He asks, laughing nervously, thumb working the cube a little faster. Mina’s face breaks into a wide, knowing smile.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time recently with him,” she points out.
“Yeah? He helps me with homework,” Kaminari says, not fully understanding the expression Mina wears.
“And you think he’s fit, right? Denki! You so have a crush on him!”

Kaminari splutters, then chokes on his own spit as Kirishima elbows Mina. It takes him a moment to recover, in which a furious blush spreads across his cheeks, “I don’t!” He protests, but it sounds weak, even to his own ears. It makes him pause, focusing on the feeling of embarrassment that slowly coils with the fluster within him. Does he?

“Mina, don’t,” Kirishima warns before she can even say anything about it. She doesn’t need to. Kaminari lays back in the hammock and stares up at the ceiling, holding onto the cube a little tighter. He could admit that Bakugou was attractive, and conventionally his type too, but that doesn’t mean Bakugou feels the same way back.

“It’s fine. Uh, maybe I do. But it isn’t like he’d ever think the same way, so it’s probably stupid of me to start talking about it, right?” He does his best to sound nonchalant, even as his heartrate increases tenfold at the admission. He has a crush on Bakugou. He definitely has a crush on Bakugou.

“How long have you kept it a secret?” Sero asks, a little more reserved than Mina, who’s struggling to push away Kirishima’s hand from where it’s now pressed against her mouth.
“I guess I didn’t realise until just now…”

Because how could he not? Bakugou is everything that he wishes he is himself; strong, motivated, passionate, even helpful. Not many people see the kinder, more compassionate side of him. The side that only comes out when they’re alone together. The way Bakugou presses his foot against the side of his leg to prompt him to keep working, or the gentle reminders not to get too distracted. It’s easy to ignore, to pretend that everything between them feels normal. Sometimes Kaminari thinks he sees the same look in Bakugou’s eyes that he feels himself. A gentle softness, one that says “I’m comfortable with you” without words.

It’s still unlikely that Bakugou feels the same way.
“Would you ever tell him?” Kirishima asks, finally letting go of Mina. Kaminari turns his head towards them again, and they look almost sad.
“I doubt it… I don’t want to ruin the thing we have now, y’know? It’s nice, to… To be around him. I don’t want to ruin that.” Kaminari realises as he says it that he considers Bakugou his safe place. Because while Sero knows about his ADHD, Bakugou actively helps him with it. Makes things easier to do, makes him feel like he isn’t completely alone.

“Uh, I think you should tell him, dude,” Kirishima says, “because, I didn’t tell you this, but I think that he probably feels the same.”
Kaminari doesn’t know what to do with that information. He knows that Kirishima is the closest to Bakugou, and that he wouldn’t lie purposely to either of them. Maybe it’s all happening a little too quickly. His thumb switches sides on the cube to mash at the silent buttons.
“I’ll think about it,” he says, “can we talk about something else?”

Sero steers the conversation away without hesitation, and Kaminari is left to sit and wonder about the possibility of Bakugou liking him in the same way. In a way that isn’t strictly friends. The fear of losing him is almost enough for Kaminari not to want to open his mouth. Though knowing that what he feels for him is a crush, of all things, something like hope does spark within him.

-

“For the last time before I take it from you, Kaminari, concentrate on your work or you’ll get a detention. You shouldn’t be spacing out like this, not with three weeks until your final exams.”

Kaminari barely refrains from rolling his eyes, forcing an apology through clenched teeth as he tries his best not to snap the pencil he’s currently holding. He isn’t even doing anything distracting, not making a single noise (because he knows that everyone around him is trying to concentrate, even if he can’t.) Ectoplasm truly has it out for him because of his cube, the cube that had been helping him focus up until the moment he’d been spoken to.

Now he isn’t in the mood to work at all, much less sit quietly. He’s so annoyed, so tired of being picked on, that with every look Ectoplasm throws at him, his anger piles higher. He does try and keep his head down, even if it’s just to colour the corner of his page. His thumb works furiously yet silently on the joy-con, and it’s enough to settle him just enough to continue his work.

The questions are so much harder than usual, and the font size doesn’t help at all, but Kaminari works through a question in the methodical way Bakugou had taught to him just recently. He glances up after he finishes it to check how much time is left, but apparently his checking is the last straw.

“Give it here,” Ectoplasm all but snaps at him, walking down the aisle to stand in front of his desk. Kaminari moves back, about to protest when another voice speaks up.
“Sir, Kaminari-kun isn’t distracting anyone,” Midoriya says, in an effort to help his case. As much as Kaminari appreciates it, he knows that Ectoplasm likely won’t listen. He’s tired.

“Thanks, Midoriya, but he just hates me,” Kaminari says, uncaring about any punishment that may be given as all attention shifts to him. He all but throws his cube into Ectoplasm’s outstretched hand, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Kaminari, I do not appreciate the use of toys in this classroom. If you have no intention of studying, leave my lesson immediately.” As he speaks, his fist closes around the cube. Kaminari can hear the crush of plastic beneath his palm, and it’s enough to crush something within him too.

He doesn’t speak as he stands, barely hearing the angry exclamations on his behalf from his classmates, ignoring Bakugou’s outraged shout. Tears of anger swim in his vision as he walks to the door and throws it open, not even bothering to pick up his bag on his way out. He doesn’t know where he’s going, breathing rapidly picking up as his chest constricts.

“Hey, hey. Shit, fuck. Denki, breathe for me, breathe…” Bakugou’s voice speaks in his ear suddenly. A hand reaches his own and presses it against a broad chest, before two settle on his shoulders. “Breathe with me, okay?”
Kaminari can feel Bakugou’s breathing, and he pushes his hand more firmly against the movement as he tries to follow along, panic seeping in when he has trouble copying. He chokes on a sob and looks up at Bakugou, who hushes him yet holds him a little closer.

“It’s okay, everything is okay. Take your time and breathe with me, nice and deep, I’m right here.”
The reassurance is comforting, at the very least, but it still takes a little while for Kaminari to catch his breath. It’s only once he’s halfway calm does he realise that he’s clutching onto Bakugou’s blazer, hands shaking. Fresh tears spring to his eyes in embarrassment as he opens his mouth, to apologise. Bakugou is faster.

“Hey, shh… It’s okay. It’s okay, I promise.”
Kaminari can’t help himself as pushes forward to hug Bakugou as tightly as he can manage, hoping more than anything that he won’t be pushed away. Bakugou’s arms wrap around him without hesitation, rubbing his back as he cries silently into his chest. It’s a nice feeling, having the warmth of another body pressed against his own, and it’s enough to ease his cries, rubbing his cheeks free from tears before he can pull away.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpers, arms falling from their hold, though Bakugou makes no move to let go himself. “That hasn’t hap-happened before. He- Kat, he took my…”
“Hey, I know. I know, and it isn’t your fault. I’ll have that motherfucker out of here, mark my words, okay? It’s fine…”
Kaminari heaves a deep breath, sniffling as he nods along, only to jump at the sound of a door sliding open. His heart jumps at the possibility of it being Ectoplasm, but-

“What’s all the- Oh, trouble children. You want to come in?” It’s Aizawa, leaning against the doorway of the staff lounge, sleeping bag at his ankles. Kaminari hadn’t realised how far he’d walked from the classroom, but he’s glad nonetheless, the sight of Aizawa filling him with comfort immediately. He nods, but doesn’t move from Bakugou’s hold, not until the arms around him drop and instead wrap around his waist.

They follow Aizawa into the room, thankfully empty, and Bakugou ushers him to sit down. The sofa is so comfortable that Kaminari sinks back into it without even thinking.
“Drink?” Aizawa asks, moving over to the desk that holds a kettle and coffee maker. Kaminari shakes his head, and Bakugou asks for some water, sitting beside Kaminari, seeming to marvel at the soft cushions for a moment too. Kaminari giggles softly, and simply shakes his head when Bakugou gives him a confused look.

“What happened?” Aizawa asks, passing a bottle of water over to Bakugou before sitting on the chair opposite them. He holds a mug of steaming something, likely coffee. Kaminari chews on his bottom lip, not quite sure where to start, if he should start at all.
“Ectoplasm is a fucking asshole,” Bakugou starts for him, and while Kaminari doesn’t always approve of disrespecting authority figures, it makes him smile a little.

“I’d like for you to explain how,” Aizawa says, looking completely and utterly calm. Kaminari has never felt so safe in a room. He sits up a little straighter.
“He- I use a fidget cube that Bakugou got for me to help concentrate… And he took it off of me and broke it and said I was distracting everyone…”

“He fucking broke it for no reason, look, the whole class can vouch for it. He shouldn’t break shit that’s valuable to someone even if it was distracting everyone!” Bakugou pulls the former cube from his pocket and puts it on the table in front of them. It’s mangled and barely recognisable.
Aizawa hums, “he shouldn’t have. If you say that this one is valuable, I’m sure Eri would love to fix it for you, so don’t worry about that…”

Kaminari’s eyes widen, a weight lifting from his shoulders that he didn’t even realise was there. He breaks into a smile, nodding eagerly at the opportunity. Bakugou grunts from beside him.
“He shouldn’t have broken it in the first place. He’s always on his fucking case, all the time. It gets annoying listening to him rattle on about concentrating when he’s the one distracting the entire class just to be a dick.”

“Okay,” Aizawa nods, “I’ll let the principle know as soon as I can. Kaminari, may I ask why you use a fidget cube? I know that you said it helps you concentrate, but I think you know what I’m asking.”
Kaminari does, and he takes another deep breath. It makes him a little nervous, to admit it to someone that isn’t a close friend. Hell, he hadn’t even admitted anything to Bakugou. He thought he was normal up until a year or so ago.

“I… I think I might have ADHD.” The words feel foreign on his tongue, and he tries not to freak himself out. Bakugou’s hand reaches over to squeeze his knee, a silent comfort.
Aizawa nods, “okay. Would you like to be tested? Being diagnosed means that you, if you would like, have access to medication, supplies like your cube provided by the school, support groups… Even little things like teachers being aware of it that will make your life a bit easier.”

Kaminari doesn’t have to think hard about this one, nodding immediately. “Please,” he says, relief filling him completely. When he glances over to Bakugou, he’s watching him too, with what Kaminari thinks, and almost hopes, is a proud expression.
“I’ll get that sorted with Recovery Girl and Hound Dog for you. Is there anything else that you want to talk about while I’m here?”

Kaminari’s gaze falls to the broken cube as he thinks, “can I not… I don’t have to tell everyone, right?” He asks, frown settling as he imagines the reactions. He doesn’t want pity, nor does he want people thinking that he isn’t capable or reliable enough.
“It isn’t something to be ashamed of,” Aizawa tells him, taking a sip from his cup, “but you don’t have to tell anyone until you’re ready.”

Bakugou shifts beside him and ends up a little closer, their knees now touching despite the sofa being easily big enough for at least five people. Kaminari finds himself leaning into the warmth, and Bakugou’s hand squeezes his leg again.
“Okay… Thank you, Sensei,” he says with a small smile. Aizawa waves him off.
“No need to thank me, kid. Here, would you like me to take the cube and return it to you tomorrow?”
Kaminari nods, “if- If Eri doesn’t mind.”

“I’m sure she’ll be delighted to have something real to practise on. I’ll speak to the principle and Recovery Girl tonight, I’ll let you know in homeroom tomorrow the specifics. For now, you’re both free to stay here until after your class is over.”

“Thank you so much,” Kaminari says, nodding his head in appreciation. Bakugou even does the same, and Aizawa gives them both a rare smile.
“I’ll get going then,” he says, reaching over the table to take the broken cube and pocket it, “don’t cause any trouble.”

Kaminari bites back a laugh as Aizawa leaves, sliding the door shut on his way out, leaving him and Bakugou alone. Kaminari repositions himself sideways on the sofa, legs curling under himself as he rests his cheek on the back cushion.
“Thanks,” he says again, looking over into the soft red eyes that he’s come to love. Bakugou shakes his head, not breaking eye contact.

“Shut up,” he mumbles, “do you feel okay with everything, getting tested?”
Kaminari appreciates the check in. “Definitely. I guess I never considered medication and whatever before, but if it helps even a little, I want to try it.”
Bakugou hums, leaning a little closer, “don’t go getting too smart, I’ll have to tutor someone else.”

“You wouldn’t!” Kaminari gasps, but feels his heart race just the same. Bakugou smiles, and he’s sure that if he were standing, his knees would feel a little wobbly.
“Nah, I wouldn’t. Here,” he says, passing the bottle of water over to Kaminari, smile remaining on his face. Kaminari allows himself time to appreciate the sight before accepting the water.

“Come with me to the appointment?” He requests.
“You don’t have to ask,” Bakugou replies.

-

“Hey, focus,”

Kaminari sticks his tongue out, sighing as he looks over the history textbook, “this is so boring compared to you, though,” he grumbles, “looking all fed up and angry…”
Bakugou raises an eyebrow, “keep talking and I’ll kill you.”
Kaminari sticks his tongue out again, throwing an eraser at him for good measure before going back to the reading. It’s fairly easy to understand, but the sheer amount of words on the page put him off, gaze drifting automatically to Bakugou whenever he finishes a paragraph. He receives a warning the first few times, and now just does it for the attention it brings him.

“If you so much as look at me with that stupid expression, I will kick you out and never invite you back in.” Bakugou sounds serious, but Kaminari catches the twitch of his lips that give him away.
“Like that would stop me, I’d climb in your window,” Kaminari grins, propping his chin in his hands.
“The fall would kill you before I could, that’s no fun.”

Silence stretches across a few long seconds as Kaminari imagines the scene before laughing, “no! I’d get Sero to help, he’d swing me straight inside! Don’t act like you don’t love my company!”
Bakugou snorts in response, closing his own textbook as he checks the time. They’re half an hour past their usual end time already, but neither had mentioned it yet.

“Who said anything about that, you annoying little shit?” Bakugou teases, only for Kaminari to point an accusatory finger at him.
“Liar, liar, watch out for your pants, dude, I have a feeling they’re gonna-”
“The only fucking thing that’ll be going up in flames is your stupid head of hair, Sparky.”

Kaminari, despite all evidence, loves spending his evenings like this, in the company of someone that doesn’t mind him being him there. Someone that likely, hopefully, feels the same way, though they technically haven’t spoken about it yet.
“You sure? I can start a fire or two if you want,” Kaminari smiles, allowing a thin spark of electricity to bounce from his palm and flicker the light above them.

“Yeah, yeah, pack it in,” Bakugou smiles, “finish reading that page and I’ll let you out.”
“Hey! Don’t make it sound like you have me hostage!”
With a roll of his eyes and a click of his tongue, Bakugou gives him the finger, “I do. Read now.”

Kaminari feels the fight leave him as Bakugou moves around the table to sit beside him, legs pressing together from foot to thigh. Perhaps not the most friends-only studying position, but it does enough to refocus Kaminari now that Bakugou isn’t trying to be a distraction. He uses his finger to trail the lines as he reads them.

He’d started taking his medication at the beginning of the week, and the difference it’s making for him already is incredible. Though the effects are staring to wear off now, as they always did in the late evening, Kaminari can still concentrate enough to get work done without too much trouble. It only took Bakugou encouraging him for his attention levels to peak.

“Done,” he chirps, finishing the last sentence on the page. He hears Bakugou hum in approval, and when he turns to the side to meet his eyes, his face is a lot closer than he expects. Kaminari blushes, tipping back slightly, just enough that he feels able to breathe. Bakugou grins at him, then one of his hands comes to settle at his back.

“Feel ready for the mock test tomorrow?” He asks, Kaminari studying his blonde eyelashes as he blinks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replies honestly in a small whisper, “maybe… Maybe I need some good luck though.”
Bakugou barely tilts his head, eyes flickering downwards for a split second, “you doubting yourself?”
With a little shake of his head, Kaminari sits straighter, leaning closer. He can feel Bakugou’s breath on his nose, can smell his spiced deodorant and natural caramel-like aroma. “What if I was?”

Bakugou lifts his spare hand to cup his cheek, and Kaminari feels his heart jump, surely missing at least three beats. Leaning in closer feels like the only right decision, and he chases the instinct eagerly.
“I’d have to remind you just how great you really are,” Bakugou whispers, before leaning in the rest of the way.

Kaminari grips onto Bakugou’s tank top like his life depends on it, eyes closing at the first contact. The initial kiss is short and sweet, and everything he wants his first to be. The second is filled with confidence, and the third more experimental, Bakugou softly nipping at his bottom lip as they part. Kaminari knows that his cheeks are flushed a deep pink, but Bakugou is in a similar state.

They catch their breath, still holding on to one another. Kaminari has to actively stop himself from accidentally discharging some of his unshed energy, and only after they pull apart does he shake his hands out. Bakugou looks down at him with such a fond expression that Kaminari thinks he may be dreaming.

“I’ve liked you for a long time,” Bakugou admits, taking the first plunge.
The unfamiliar territory does little to faze him, and as Kaminari pushes himself into open arms, whispering a soft, shy “I like you too,” he thinks that perhaps his life isn’t so bad after all.

-

Exams are over, finally, after months of preparation, testing, and rigorous training. They’ve done it, the infamous trouble class of UA, all of them predicting passes with flying colours. There are three weeks until the final graduation ceremony, and everyone is making the most of the free time before they’re all needed in the wider world as pro heroes.

They’re in Kirishima’s room playing Mario Kart at midnight, not an uncommon occurrence in their last few days of relaxation. Kaminari laughs at Sero as he’s hit by a blue shell before fist bumping Kirishima with the hand not currently fiddling with his cube, who’d thrown it from back in eleventh place.

Attention drifting back to Bowser Jr on screen, he’s in time to watch as the character turns the corner too wide and hits the grass, slowing the kart down completely. It takes a green shell on top of the bad driving for Bakugou to shout, jostling Kaminari as he curses “whoever the fucker in fifth is.”

“I can’t believe we’ve done it,” Kirishima admits, cutting between Bakugou’s complaints. Kaminari hums gently in acknowledgement, eyes never leaving the screen where he watches Bakugou drop down to eighth place.
“It’s mad,” he agrees, “three whole years being here, living together, it’s going to be so weird being alone.”

“You, alone? Fat chance, not with loverboy over there,” Mina chimes in, and while Kaminari doesn’t immediately reply, he feels Bakugou’s arms tighten around him. He bites down a smile, because Mina isn’t often correct when it comes to claims like this, but he’s confident, for once, that this time her words hold truth.
“You know what I mean though,” he mumbles, as Bakugou drops his chin on his shoulder from behind, either sulking about his drop in position or starting to feel tired.

Kaminari takes the controller from him silently after setting his cube down, and while there isn’t much he can do halfway through lap three, he’s determined to at least beat most of the NPC’s.
“Oi, it’s Bakugou’s turn, that’s cheating!” Sero calls, crossing the line in first place. Bakugou clicks his tongue.
“You got first, motherfucker, what else d’you want?” As he speaks, he curls his arms tighter around Kaminari, who melts at the attention despite trying his best to ignore it in favour of the game.

Sero only rolls his eyes, Kaminari managing to finish just behind Mina in fourth. They all laugh at Kirishima in twelfth place until he gets a bullet, which takes him to an easy ninth.
“Cheap,” Bakugou mutters, burrowing his face in the back of Kaminari’s neck.
“You’re one to talk, you cheated,” Kirishima accuses, though Bakugou only snorts, making Kaminari shiver.

“That was fun,” Sero says, the final results ceremony playing on screen from their races. Kaminari pays less attention, twisting in Bakugou’s hold to press a quick kiss to the side of his head. In response, he’s given a tighter squeeze and a gentle nuzzle. It’s rare for Bakugou to be affectionate around other people, so Kaminari embraces it without question.

“Wanna play something else?” Mina asks them, “We haven’t played Smash in a bit.”
Kaminari lifts his phone from the floor to check the time, for Bakugou’s benefit more than his.
“Ah, it’s late. We should probably crash for the night.” He doesn’t know when he’s started speaking for Bakugou, but it feels so natural that he does it without even realising; Bakugou hasn’t complained, so he assumes it’s fine.

“Tomorrow I’ll beat you for sure!” Kirishima beams, and even if everyone knows otherwise, Kaminari still laughs.
“Sure thing, bro. Love you all, see you tomorrow.” He pats Bakugou’s arm gently before wriggling free, standing after gathering his things from the floor. He motions for Bakugou to stand also, holding out a hand for him to take.

He says another round of goodbyes as Bakugou stands, then walks him to the door. “My room or yours?” He asks once they’re outside.
“Hm, mine,” Bakugou answers, dropping hands to instead wrap an arm around his waist. Kaminari beams, leaning into him as they walk one door over. He opens the door as quietly as he can when they get there, both slipping inside the dark room.

“Get changed, we can shower tomorrow,” Bakugou says, yawning into his elbow as he takes his hoodie off; Kaminari’s favourite one, black with an orange X. He’s about to drop it into his laundry basket when Kaminari snatches it from his hands, the moonlight providing just enough light to make out silhouettes.
“Nope, I wear,” he grins, hurrying out of his own shirt so that he can put the hoodie on. Bakugou only shakes his head, though Kaminari knows that he’s smiling.
“You’re a thief,” he mutters as he changes into some pyjama bottoms. Kaminari pays him no mind, wriggling from his jeans before skipping over to the bed and launching himself into the covers without a second thought.

He receives a shove after Bakugou finishes changing, moving over upon request to give Bakugou more space before propping himself up on his elbow. “Hey?” He whispers, waiting for Bakugou to mirror his position.
“Hm?”
Kaminari doesn’t say anything as he leans forward, connecting their lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. Bakugou reciprocates, one hand settling at his hip before they pull apart. Kaminari traces the blush on Bakugou’s cheek with his thumb before rubbing over his cheekbone.

Bakugou’s eyes droop, and Kaminari refrains the urge to audibly coo at him. It’s one of his favourite looks on Bakugou, calm and sleepy, hair ruffled from the previous day with his fringe pushed back. His heart soars as Bakugou lays against his pillow and pulls him a little closer. “Sleep.”
Kaminari follows suit and lays down properly, Bakugou’s red eyes glow slightly in the light that filters through the curtain. He can’t bring himself to look away. He’s ethereal.

“I love you,” he whispers breathlessly, accidentally, too caught up in his awe to realise that he’s said it out loud until he sees those red eyes widen slightly. Before he can begin to overthink, Bakugou squeezes his hip.
“I love you,” he answers, hand moving up to rest at the back of Kaminari’s head, starting to play with the ends of his hair. Kaminari has never felt so elated, nor so sure of anything in his life as he puffs out a small, relieved sigh. He still asks, anyway.

“Us?”
“Yeah, Sparks. Us.”