A/N: Alright guys! It's time to end this story with some cute dance fluff, the thing I've been promising you for a while now. Thank you for sticking with me all the way through this! It means a lot and I hope you guys enjoyed it.
Chapter 7: Time to Make Memories
Ochako pulled at the hem of her dress, frowning. The red and pink dress, with the skirt poofing out in a way that looked like an upside down flower, was gorgeous and fit her perfectly. Apparently the torture that was the fitting was worth it. But she didn't feel quite comfortable in the dress. Sure, she knew it was hers and the school had covered Best Jeanist well for it. But, god, she thought, feeling the soft fabric. It was probably worth more than most of her clothes combined.
"You look nice, Uraraka," Momo said from behind her. The dark-haired girl was in an elegant red dress that just added to her aura of sophistication and beauty. And then she had added a necklace of what looked like small emeralds and Uraraka wondered if Momo was attending a school dance or a party for a head of state.
"Thanks, Momo," she said. The gathering in Momo's room had been nice, mainly because the other girls distracted her from the increasing number of butterflies in her stomach. Momo had even let her a simple but beautiful necklace to wear, something she said added to her look. "Just kinda nervous is all."
"I know the feeling," the dark-haired girl said as she checked her hair. She smiled at Ochako and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry so much about it though. Things will work out well for you two, I'm sure of it."
Ochako felt her face flush and she stammered. "W-w-what? W-what do you mean?"
Jiro snorted from the bed where she was on her phone, wearing a simple looking blue dress but with a similar short jacket like her costume. The other girls had left earlier, with Mina and Toru going to help welcome people to the dance, while Tsu just ran to grab something from her room. "Uraraka, we're not idiots."
"Plus, Todoroki overheard Izuku talking about how he and you are going to dance together." Momo smiled, both soft and apologetic. "But even then, the signs were there."
"We were just a bit wrapped up in our own drama." Jiro grinned, a distinctly mischievous one. "But that's all done and wrapped up. So now we can tease you."
"Jiro! We're supposed to support her." Momo sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, Uraraka. But, honestly, don't worry about Izuku. You and he are incredibly close. A simple crush, even on that isn't reciprocated, will not ruin your friendship. He's too nice for that."
Ochako offered a smile as thanks. "I, uh, well thanks."
"Besides, you look awesome," Jiro said. She smirked and raised an eyebrow. "I doubt he'll be able to think straight."
"Jiro!" Momo exclaimed, her hand to her chest like she was scandalized by the thought. "Do you honestly think Izuku could be so dirty-minded?"
Ochako blushed again and glanced down at her chest. It….it wasn't scandalous, right? No worse than Momo's or Mina's dresses at least. The door opened and Tsu walked in, looking at the room. "Did I miss something?" she asked. "I could hear Momo from outside."
"Momo doesn't think Izuku will….'appreciate' Uraraka's dress," Jiro said with a small smirk. "I beg to differ."
"That's not what I said!"
Tsu looked at Ochako closely, finger on her lips before nodding. "I don't think he'll be like Mineta but he'll probably blush at first. That's how he is."
"Please, keep trying to figure out how my crush will think about my dress," Ochako groaned. "Definitely helping with the nerves."
Jiro's smirk vanished, replaced by a grimace. "Sorry, Uraraka. Wasn't thinking about that. My bad."
Momo reached up and brushed a strand of Ochako's hair to the side, her fingers feather soft. "You have our support, Uraraka. No matter how much we may tease we only do it because we care for you." She stepped in front of Ochako and smiled brilliantly. "You got this."
"Momo, since when could you give relationship advice?" Tsu asked, a devious glint in her eyes. "Did you and Todoroki finally go out?"
Momo's face quickly resembled her dress as she spluttered. "I-I-I," she stammered before sighing. "Yes."
Jiro laughed. "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Oh my god you should be so glad that Mina isn't here. She'd be having a fucking heart attack!" Ochako giggled at that; she could see Mina fainting from the news at the very least.
A phone beeped and Tsu checked it, a light blush on her cheeks. Ochako focused in on that; she still didn't know who it was that Tsu clearly liked but maybe she would tonight. "Izuku and Tokoyami both texted me. Izuku to ask if I'm with you and Jiro, Ochako, because apparently he's been trying to text you and Kaminari wanted to know if you were here, Jiro." Tsu gave what Ochako could recognize as a devious look to Jiro. "And then both he and Tokoyami are asking if we're on our way over."
"Let's get going," Jiro said, hopping up. "Todoroki and Izuku are probably worrying their butts off about you two."
"Todoroki doesn't worry," Ochako joked as she made one last quick check. She looked as good as she was gonna, she figured. "At least not in the way we can see."
"The floor will probably just be iced over a bit," Tsu added as the girls left the room. Everyone but Momo chuckled, and Jiro poked Momo's red cheeks, teasing in her in a high voice about how cute she was.
They found the boys waiting by the dance area, kinda off to the side and out of view of the entrance, gathered in a loose group. Todoroki, Izuku, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Iida were just chatting idly together but stopped when the girls got close. Kirishima let out a low whistle and grinned. "Well, ladies, don't you look fabulous!"
Ochako laughed. "Thanks, Kirishima. You guys look pretty good too." And they did. Kirishima made his red suit with blue shirt work, though she figured his confidence could make anything work. Todoroki looked almost aloof in his white suit, with a dark shirt beneath, while Iida looked like how she would always imagine he would in a suit. Kaminari's looked a lot like his costume and felt more casual than the others, something that worked for him.
And then she saw Izuku and she felt her heart flutter. He looked so cute, standing there in his green suit. Was that a bowtie? She blushed but she couldn't help smiling. He looked so nervous in a way. Cute as hell, but he kept fidgeting, tugging on his glove or straightening the already straight bowtie.
"I'm gonna go inside," Jiro said, walking by Ochako. She winked. "Go knock it out of the park." Ochako stammered but Jiro was already gone, walking inside, followed by Kaminari. The two began to talk amiably and….did they just hold hands for a second?
"I'll see you inside," Tsu said, snapping Ochako out of her thoughts. "I'm gonna find Tokoyami."
Momo shot Ochako a smile as she walked towards the entrance, Todoroki just gliding up next to her seamlessly. He seemed to just belong next to her, and Momo turned to smile at him, slipping her arm around his.
Kirishima looked around and grinned again, this one feeling almost more wolf-like. "Come on, Iida. Let's go find Bakugo and the others."
"Why would I wish to find Bakugo?" Iida said, but he followed anyways, waving back to Ochako.
"Maybe he's disturbing the peace?"
"Not on my watch!" Ochako and Izuku chuckled as Iida power walked into the dance, Kirishima turning around to flash them both a thumbs up.
Silence blanketed the area between them. Ochako took a deep breath and stepped up closer to Deku, smiling. She couldn't stand the silence, she needed to say something. "You, you look really nice," she said finally. "Your bowtie is cute."
"Iida taught me how to tie it," he said, smiling back at her. The silence and the awkwardness with it dispersed. "Though, it was a bit hard to follow his movements." They both chuckled at that. "You look amazing by the way."
She blushed and smiled. Heart, be still please. "Thanks, Deku. I'm glad you like it." She did a mini twirl and laughed.
Deku chuckled. "Why wouldn't I?" he joked. Her blush deepened and he didn't even seem to realize what he said. A few moments passed and Deku kicked his foot against the ground absently before speaking again. "So, uh, before we go in, I-I have something for you." He was staring at the ground but she could see pink touching his cheeks. "Well, my mom got it but uh….that sounds kinda lame doesn't it?"
"Not really," Ochako said, smiling gently. "It means you have a pretty kickass mom, Deku. So, what is it?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic box, holding it out for her. Ochako looked at him and took the box gently. Inside was a pink, beautiful flower attached to a clip with a small band of silk in the box as well. "My mom said you could wear it on your wrist or your hair." She looked at Deku, who looked up at her, his cheeks bright pink.
She smiled. "Well, I think it would look nice in my hair. Do you," she took a deep breath-she could do this, "do you mind helping me out with that?"
"I-i, n-no of c-c-course not!" Deku stepped up and gently took the flower out of the box. He reached up, getting really close, and began to fiddle a bit with her hair. She held her breath, trying to ignore the flood of butterflies in her stomach, or how fast her heart was beating, or how close he was and how he smelled nice and for fuck's sake! After what felt like hours he stepped back, his face even more red but he smiled at her. "There. It looks….you look amazing."
"Better than before?" she teased. His eyes shot open wide and he began to stammer, trying to say anything. She giggled and lightly socked him in the shoulder. "I'm joking, promise." She was about to ask him if he was ready to go to the dance but then she remembered her promise to herself. She wasn't going to be shy with her feelings anymore. "Hey, Deku, before we go, there's….there's something I need to tell ya."
He tilted his head and gave her a quizzical look. "What is it?"
A fist tightened as she forced herself to do it. "It's….it's hard to explain. Can I show you though? That might help."
"Anything that helps you is all good with me." Deku, how are you so sweet? Ochako felt her breathing quicken as she walked up to him and then, not leaving herself time to think, kissed Deku's cheek.
Kaminari looked back behind him as he and Jiro walked towards the entrance to the main ballroom. "You're trying to set someone else up?" he asked, his hand next to hers but not holding it. Neither of them were the type to enjoy even small moments of PDA and besides, it was kinda fun keeping his friends in the dark.
Kyouka quirked an eyebrow up. "And you don't want them to date?"
He scoffed. "I'm pretty sure everyone wants them to date, Kyouka. But still, not all of us are doing something about it."
"Well, that just makes me special, doesn't it?" She flashed him a quick smile, her eyes twinkling. Kaminari found himself grinning back. Man, he was lucky as hell to have her.
The two mixed into the crowd and Kyouka slightly pulled him over to the right side where Mina was welcoming the students. Aoyama stood on the left, his sequin suit sparkling in the light. Or was that just him? It was really hard to tell. "Don't want Aoyama to know?" Kaminari teased. "Embarrassed to be seen with me?"
"Oh shut up, Jamming-whey," Kyouka said, her tone just as teasing. "I'd just rather deal with a knowing look than Aoyama."
Kaminari was tempted to point out that Aoyama seemed to have already seen them and had winked at Kaminari, the sparkle nearly blinding him. But, he decided to give Kyouka her sense of peace. After all, that's what good boyfriends did and he was the best. In the class. Probably. Assuming there wasn't a lot of competition currently.
They reached Mina and her grin looked like it was going to split her face in two. "Well, well, well. Have fun you two! Kaminari, be a gentleman!"
"Thanks, Mom," Kyouka grumbled, but she was smiling as she walked by. Kaminari flashed a thumbs up to Mina and gave her a grin. He loved Kyouka and all, but he also loved teasing her and getting her flustered. Mina was pretty good at that. As long as Kyouka never learned of his support for the teasing things would be fine.
Even if she learned, he figured, things would probably still be fine.
When they entered the ballroom he felt her hand slide into his and shot her a quick grin. "Just dark enough to make you feel better?" he teased. Though, he did feel better about the small display in here than anywhere else. It felt right.
"Maybe I don't want you getting lost in the crowd like an idiot," she countered, weaving into the crowd. The ballroom had definitely been decorated by Aoyama; the random sparkles screamed him. But, Kaminari had to admit; it looked good. Fancy without being overdone, or so he thought.
"Aw, someone cares." Kyouka sighed and jabbed half-heartedly at him, but he could see the smile on her face. "So, wanna dance first or get something to eat?" He had spotted the side dining room as soon as they had entered and he had been trying to figure out what they might have been serving.
The music, which had been more poppy and not really either of their tastes, changed to a more alternative song, which elicited a couple of groans, though everyone else continued to dance without a care in the world. Kyouka turned to look up at him and grinned. "I think dancing while the gettin' is good, you know?"
"Dancing it is," Kaminari said with an equally big grin on his face, pulling her behind him onto the main dance floor. The two of them began to dance, not holding onto each other or even trying to sync up their steps. They just moved, goofing off and laughing at each other. Every now and then he would step forward to grab her hand or she would bump into him with a cheeky grin. While Kaminari was thankful for the dance lessons for pushing them together- which he was sure Mina would lord over him- he didn't really need any of the lessons. With Kyouka, he could just move and be. And she would do the same.
Both of them stepped up at the same time and he kissed her forehead, real fast. No need to make a scene. She smirked but rolled her eyes. "Not what I was hoping for, idiot," she said, before reaching up and kissing his lips. She pulled back, her eyes sparkling bright and her cheeks ever so pink, but her smirk daring him to say or do anything. They danced back from each other, but he knew what her look was saying as clearly as if she had told him. Match me if you can.
Fuck yes. Kyouka rocked.
Tsu was having the time of her life and she was doing it with her boyfriend. That word still felt funny to say or even think but she loved saying it. Mostly to Tokoyami when they were alone and mostly because it was fun watching him blush- she was still amazed he could blush through his feathers- and get all flustered. To think just a couple of weeks ago she was crushing on him and nothing more. Now, they were together, and official couple. Not even dancing, just together.
"You look very nice, Tsu," Tokoyami said as he looked at her from across the table. The two of them were just sitting together, waiting for a song they felt ready to dance to. Tsy blushed and looked down at her simple grey dress. It had a turquoise sash tied around her waist, sure, and the headband with the flower was cute, but compared to the other dresses hers felt more plain. Tokoyami nodded solemnly. "Indeed, you remind me of dew at dawn catching the first light of day."
She couldn't help it. She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Tokoyami, you can say the sweetest things and be a complete dork, you know?"
He blushed and looked away for a moment but then smiled. "I believe you have told me that many times, dear Tsu." Despite all her teasing, Tsu did truly love his little moments of poetry. She had been the one who suggested they started dancing together to practice, mainly because it seemed like a good excuse to be with him. He, however, had been the one to confess after a few sessions, about a week ago or so. The poem he had written had caused her to laugh for what he had said felt like an hour. She was sure it had been no more than fifteen minutes and that was including the time it took for her to kiss him. Her favorite line had been the one about how his heart had been a void of pitiless darkness till she brought her light to fill it.
It was one of the cutest and dorkiest things she had ever read.
"Well, it is true," she said, smiling at him. He always got her to do that, just smile without hesitation. "So, how do you like your first dance so far, Tokoyami?"
Tokoyami seriously considered his surroundings and shrugged. "It holds the touch of Aoyama, the interesting boy. All in all though, I enjoy it." He smiled and gave her a kind and confident look. "And yet, I cannot wait to dance away this sweet night with my beautiful lady."
Tsu leaned across the table and gave him a peck on his forehead, smiling. "I'm a beautiful lady, hm? And why do you think that, my handsome gentleman?"
He looked her dead in the eyes and his expression became solemn. "You are gorgeous in many ways, Tsuyu Asui. The light that you bring with you, that inner glow you possess. Your unflinching manner in presenting your feelings, that smile of yours that can light up even my dark heart." He closed his eyes and smiled softly. "Truly, how could anyone not see you and be awestruck? You are a creature of the brightest and most amazing light I have ever see-!"
Tsu shut him up with a passionate kiss, pulling him to her over the table, her cheeks wet with tears. This. This was why she loved this darkness loving, poetry writing, sweethearted dork. She had friends at U.A., something that, until Habuko, had been something she didn't think she could have. But even then she hadn't thought anyone would like her. Her, the blunt, forward, frog-like girl. Who would have liked her as more than a friend?
And yet, this dark, brooding, adorable bird-boy did. And she loved him for it.
When they pulled apart his feathers almost seemed crimson he was blushing so hard. She was probably blushing too, and they had no doubt caused some kind of scene. But she didn't care; it had to been done. "Well," Tokoyami said, "that was exciting."
"Couldn't help it," Tsu said, sitting back. She smiled though; he looked completely dumbfounded. The song was changing as Present Mic switched over to something a bit slower and more acoustic sounding, their style. "Now then, shall we hit the dance floor, boyfriend?"
Tokoyami snapped out of his fugue and smiled, standing up and offering his hand. "Let's go, girlfriend. Time for us to join the evening's festivities!"
Having the ability to control both fire and ice was truly an amazing power, Todoroki thought as he and Momo danced together to acoustic music. Truly, it offered him a lot of possibilities. And yet, all Todoroki wished he could do was keep from overheating without accidentally icing over the whole dance floor. Such a small feat seemed nearly impossible and it was infuriating him.
"Just breathe, Todoroki," Momo said into his ear. She had stepped in close when he hadn't paid attention and now her mouth was very close to his ear, something he couldn't help but pay attention to. "Aren't you having fun?"
He smiled and squeezed her hand in his. "Momo, do you even need to ask?" He pulled her in close and held her, just for a moment before they pulled apart to keep dancing. This girl was something else, he thought not for the first time. Just thinking about her calmed him in his times of stress and their date….well that had been a very fond memory to be sure.
Still, he was a little upset with himself for nearly icing over the table when he kissed her. That….that was a bit disappointing.
But, as he danced with her, he found himself captivated by Momo. She was so elegant, her dress not adding to her beauty, only highlighting it. She moved with grace and fluidity and her smile was bright to the point of blinding. He felt like a clumsy fool trying to match her moves, and yet he did. Step for step they stayed in line with each other, moving together. Even when he stepped wrong, she matched him and gave him a small smile. With each smile Todoroki had to resist the urge to kiss her. And that was getting harder as they continued.
"I've been looking forward to this," she said softly when they came close together.
"How is it?" he asked. "Am I meeting expectations."
A soft laugh came from her and her eyes twinkled. "You're more than exceeding them, Todoroki." She was the one to squeeze his hand this time and he felt his smile grow.
The song began to wind down and the two flowed off of the dance floor as a more energetic pop song came on, Present Mic telling everyone to make some noise. "Refreshments?" he asked as they walked to a table.
She laughed again and nodded. "You want me to come?"
He looked at her with a straight face, one eyebrow raised. "I'm pretty sure I know what you like." And then, a small smirk. "Unless you can't bear to be without me."
Momo blushed at that but her smile grew. "Oh, you caught me. Well, I think I can handle being without you for just a spell but please hurry back." Todoroki let out a soft chuckle as he hurried to the dining area.
As he piled two plates with some snacks and grabbed a couple of drinks he thought about Momo. Well, he had been doing that a lot lately, but still. He couldn't help but think about her. She was downright amazing and he was lucky to have her. Lucky to be with her, he corrected himself. He didn't own her.
What would Mother think of her? He thought, and then he froze. Almost literally, a layer of frost covering his cup. He gulped and tried to push away the thought. It was much too early for that, right? Todoroki needed advice but the only people he trusted that much were Iida or Izuku and they were both no doubt as clueless as he was. Maybe Fuyumi could tell him something about that; she had a boyfriend didn't she? Of course, she had brought him to meet Father and that….that probably hadn't been a good idea.
"Todoroki?" He looked up, snapping out of his thoughts to realize he had somehow walked over to Momo carrying the cups and plates. She looked up at him, concerned. The way her brows furrowed when she was concerned, he realized, was incredibly cute. "Everything okay?"
"Just lost in thought," he said as he put the plates and cups down. He sat in the chair next to her and held her hand softly.
"Anything big?" she asked, grabbing a small piece of fudge with a smile.
He debated not telling her. But that was ridiculous. He knew, sooner or later, that he wanted to introduce her to his mother. Not to show her off, not to act like she was some big accomplishment. But simply because he wanted his mom to meet Momo, this wonderful, beautiful person whom he cared deeply for. "Just wondering. I know this is probably a bit too early but would you want to meet my mother?" He smiled sheepishly. "I know it sounds silly but I think she would love you and I….you're an important part of my life now, Momo. And so I want you to be involved more with the rest of my life." His eyes widened and he blushed deeply. "Uh, that was….that was maybe a bit much."
"Not at all," Momo said softly. She kissed his cheek, her lips feather soft. She smelled of vanilla and lavender and he loved it. Todoroki turned to face her and found she was smiling, her eyes a little watery but glowing bright. "I'd love to meet your mother. It may be fast for others, but we're not others. We're us."
Todoroki smiled and kissed her. Not hard, not with all consuming passion. Just a gentle, loving kiss on the lips. "You know, you're right. We are us. The rest of the world can just deal with that."
Ojiro had always thought of his tail as both a useful addition to his body but also something that could very easily get in the way. Especially with dancing. The dance lessons had helped him with get better at making sure he paid attention to it. That way he didn't slap Sero in the face. More than two times, that was.
And yet, on the dance floor that night with Toru, he found himself not worrying at all and not having any issues. Toru had dragged him onto the dance floor the moment they had arrived and they danced through any song that came on. The slow dancing they were doing now was a favorite of his, holding onto Toru's gloved hands and just swaying together.
"Spin me!" Toru squealed and he happily did, twirling her beneath him before pulling her back in, grinning like an idiot. "Ojiro," Toru sighed, nuzzling up against him. He blushed but held her tight, just swaying to the
"Toru," he said, smiling. "You comfy there?"
"Shh," she said. She looked up at him and he could see her smile. Her eyes were twinkling, for sure, and he could see her with perfect clarity. He often wished he actually could, but even if he never saw her face he would like her all the same. She was Toru, invisible or visible. "Let me enjoy the moment, you big cutie."
"Says the cutest damn person here," he countered. "Besides, it's not over yet, Toru. We have plenty of dance left. And then there's another dance next year and then the year after."
She pushed back from his suddenly, meeting his eyes. He frowned but then smiled as he realized she was grinning ear to ear, her ballroom gown shimmying as she did a little dance there. "Ojiro! That's so cute!"
"What?" he asked, still smiling but also extremely confused. Had he said something cute? He….he didn't think he had. "What did I say?"
"You basically said you want us to be together for years to come," Toru said, pushing back up against him and continuing the dance. "You want to stay with me for forever and ever huh?"
He felt his face heat up but smiled and leaned down to kiss her head. "Well, I don't know about forever and ever. I mean, we're not immortal and I'm a bit too young to think that far ahead. But, why I would I ever want to leave a girl as awesome as you?"
Toru squealed and kissed him on his lips quickly, her lips tasting like strawberries. "You are the cutest guy in this room," she said. "No! The school! The city! AH! You're the best, Ojiro!" She leaned up and rested her head against his chest and he smiled as his tail reached around to gently pull her in.
Ojiro rested his head on hers. He closed his eyes and swayed there with her. He wished this moment wouldn't end, that it could keep going on forever and ever. Just the two of them there, in that ballroom, alone but surrounded by people, dancing.
And then the music ended, only for a pop song to start playing. Toru practically leapt away, grinning and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Ojiro! Time to move your body!"
He smiled. Eh, every moment with her was worth keeping for ages. He could do with this one too.
The moment Kirishima entered the ballroom he started looking for Bakugo, weaving his way through the people hanging around at the tables or just standing at the edges of the dance floor. He found Mineta, both smiling and sobbing as he looked at the girls. Little dude looked like his heart was going to give on him. He also found Kaminari and Jiro though he didn't say a word; the two looked like they were having fun just dancing. He found pretty much everyone he knew from the class, except for Izuku and Uraraka especially, but still no Bakugo.
It took a couple of songs, with Kirishima questioning what Present Mic was doing with the constant genre jumping, before he found Bakugo standing in a corner, somehow hidden away from him during his first search. He made his way over, grinning. Sure, he liked Bakugo and his heart was beating a bit faster than normal. But that was something he could handle.
For now, all he wanted was to get his friend to have fun.
"Bakugo!" he called, finally reaching the blond boy. "I've been looking for you, man! Did you just get here?"
The explosive boy raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Yeah. Didn't want to get here too early and let Sparkletwit out there bother me." Kirishima mentally raised an eyebrow; he must have been in a good mood. Normally he called Aoyama far, far worse. "You've been looking for me, huh?"
Kirishima grinned and nodded. "Yeah! I wanted to make sure you were having fun!"
"And you think you can make me have fun?" The challenge was evident in his voice but Kirishima relished challenge. Especially when it meant getting Bakugo to do something.
"I have a better chance than everyone else, don't I?" Bakugo snorted but didn't counter him. Kirishima pointed back to the dance floor with his thumb, grinning at Bakugo. "How about this? I think a faster song is going to come on up soon. You and I go out onto the dance floor and compete against each other."
Bakugo smirked and tilted his head to the side. "You're challenging me to a dance off? Come on, Kirishima, you should know better than that."
"Maybe I don't," Kirishima said innocently, but he knew Bakugo was hooked. "But yeah you're right, don't wanna embarrass you in front of the whole school, you know?"
Bakugo's eye twitched and his whole body shook for a second. "You think that's going to get me to do this stupid thing?"
Kirishima started walking to the dance floor as a faster rap song began to play. He turned to face Bakugo, who was following him, and opened his arms wide. "Come on, Bakugo. Face me like a man!" The light-haired kid stomped forward, grumbling about something or another. But he wasn't scowling and he seemed to relish the moment. Kirishima had him good.
The two collapsed at a table, sweating like crazy and breathing heavily. Kirishima had loosened his tie and Bakugo had just thrown his jacket somewhere in the crowd. Behind him, Kirishima could hear the crowd muttering and cheering their names, even over the music. Their dance battle had been the stuff of legends, a battle of man versus man for the right of best breakdancer. The crowd of people had just parted before them and encircled them as they went at it. Kirishima had went in with his all and felt wiped. His arms hurt… well that's what he got for trying to spin himself around multiple times.
Still, Bakugo had been just as intense as Kirishima, doing moves Kirishima hadn't thought possible for someone so muscular. But damn, Bakugo was even more agile than his fights let on. It was gonna be close and the crowd hadn't been able to decide it. Which kinda blew. He had wanted to beat Bakugo pretty bad.
"God….damn….it," Bakugo groaned, wiping his brow. He grinned, a decidedly wolf-like and vicious expression. His eyes danced in the low light and though it was terrifying to look at, Kirishima found himself smiling right back. This was what he liked in Bakugo; that drive and determination. "You put up a good fight, Kirishima."
"Hell yeah I did. Did you see the crowd though? They were stunned," Kirishima flashed his teeth in a grin to match Bakugo's. "They were freaking stunned. I'm pretty sure some of the girls were hoping we'd take off our shirts."
Bakugo threw his head back in a barking laugh. "Psh. They'd be so lucky to see us shirtless." He smirked. "Besides, we'd drive them crazy with how ripped we are."
"Too manly to handle," Kirishima agreed, nodding solemnly. "Truly our bodies would bring them to tears of both jealousy and awe."
"Damn straight." Bakugo's smirk turned to a more kind looking smile and he raised an eyebrow. "So, when both of us are back to full you think you wanna try again? Put on a show for these folks?"
Kirishima eyed Bakugo, trying to decipher any possible meaning behind his words. Was he hitting on him or had he just genuinely enjoyed their dance battle? Kirishima shook his head and smiled ruefully. He was probably overthinking things. "Sounds good to me. Though, this time you'll get your ass handed to you. I held back."
"The hell you did, asshole," Bakugo laughed. "Now, I'm hungry. You want some snacks?"
Okay, that's something new, Kirishima thought but, eh, why let something good like this go to waste. "Of course I do. I don't care what, just pile it high with food." Bakugo nodded and got up, walking off to the side room. Kirishima stayed at the table, watching his friends dance and enjoy themselves while he caught his breath. Kaminari and Jiro were dancing again. He was pretty sure the two of them thought they were being subtle but man, Mina was probably freaking out right now. Except he could see her in the crowd dancing like a goof with a bunch of the others, just jumping around to the rock music and clearly laughing. Looks like she and Aoyama were relieved from door duty. Sero was with her, and he was clearly enjoying himself, along with Shouji who was using his arms to dance with Sato and Aoyama at the same time, the three of them bouncing around. Even Iida, strange, robotic Iida, was dancing and grinning.
A flash of green caught his attention and Kirishima turned to face the entrance and he nearly swore when he saw the couple walking in.
Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka holding hands, their faces pink but the brightest and cutest fucking smiles on their faces. The class wide pairing that they all shipped, hell, some had even set up bets on if they would get together….it was real and they were walking in right now. Oh fuck yes. Kirishima bolted up and practically ran onto the dance floor to find Mina. She was going to flip out. And besides, now Bakugo owed him five bucks.
When Uraraka kissed his cheek, Izuku's mind went blank. All of the thoughts he had up until that moment- worrying about her, wondering why she was so close, enjoying the lovely cinnamon scent of her- all of that washed away when her lips touched his cheek. He felt like the world itself fell away leaving just him, her, and the tingling feeling her lips left behind on his cheek. Time itself became meaningless as he thought a single thought. The girl he had liked since becoming her friend, the girl who he thought of as perfect in every way. She had kissed him.
Uraraka had kissed him.
That sent his mind into overdrive and the world came tumbling back into place, his face growing warm as his heart began to beat faster and faster. Butterflies crowded his stomach, threatening to almost double him over in their intensity. Even though it was dark he felt like light was trying to blind him, like the warmth spreading from where her lips touched him was a fire trying to consume him. And he had never felt happier.
She had said something. Shit, he hadn't noticed or heard. "I….Uraraka?" he said, both for her to repeat and because his mind was still trying to deal with too many things at once. It was a jumbled mess, even with his heart screaming at his mind to get used to what happened.
"Sorry, Deku," she said. Everything he had learned from watching TV or books told him that she should've been looking bashfully away, not wanting to meet his eyes. But Uraraka stared right into them, her expression nervous but determined. "But I needed to let you know and I didn't….I didn't trust myself to say it." She smiled shakily, her lips trembling. He could see her eyes beginning to water and he knew if she cried he would too. "I like you, Deku. Really, truly like you and I needed to tell you. I couldn't hide it anymore." She gulped, an audible sound, and her resolve seemed to be breaking down before him. It took her a bit of time before she said anything, maybe a minute, with Izuku's mind using the time to recover before anything else could happen. "I'm….I'm okay if you just want to be friends, too. Honest, Deku. I get it and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you but it felt like the only option left to me. The only thing I could have done! I really like you and I want you to know. Even….even i-i-if you d-do-don't feel the same." Her cheeks were practically glowing pink and he was worried she was going to cry. But still, Uraraka's eyes never looked away.
He needed time, needed time to get his thoughts in order. He knew he liked her. That was something he had known for a long, long time. But he didn't want to hurt her by saying something stupid, something hurtful. So he needed the time to think of the perfect romantic response, the one thing guaranteed to sweep her off of her feet and make her feel loved.
His heart decided that, no, that was stupid and he stepped forward, taking her hand into his, meeting her eyes. He smiled, trying to convey every ounce of love he felt for her into that one expression. Every reason why, everything he saw in her that was amazing and great, he wanted her to see it all with that one smile.
Uraraka's eyes widened and she slowly began to smile.
"I like you, too," he said. And that was all he needed to do. All he ever needed to do.
She broke down and pulled him into a tight, rib crushing hug. Her face was buried into his chest and he felt her shaking and crying but also heard her laughing with sheer delight. Before he knew it, he was crying too, tears streaming down his face as he held her tight, his hand in her hair as he cried and laughed too. Releasing all of the stress he had ever held about this, all of the worry, the fear….all of it came pouring out as the two of them stood there, in the shadow of the ballroom, holding each other close and breaking down with tears and giggles.
It felt like hours had passed when they both ran out of tears, finally stepping back from each other to smile. Izuku felt both mentally drained but elated and he didn't want to let go of Uraraka. Not yet. The girl in question smiled at him, her eyes red from the tears but her smile was beautiful. "I don't know what to say right now," she said, a small peal of laughter accompanying her words. "But I guess, well what is there to say?"
Izuku nodded, his smile never wavering. "I….yeah exactly. I'm pretty sure we both want the same thing going forward."
Her eyes sparkled and she nodded. "Yeah. We are going to have the best dates, Deku. Just you wait."
He chuckled and stepped in close. "I can't wait." He squeezed her hands tight and looked at the ballroom. "We should probably go in soon…."
"Probably," she agreed. And then she leaned up and kissed his lips. And Izuku kissed her back, his heart moving his body like it knew this would happen. The kiss was quick but it left him even redder somehow and his smile even bigger.
"Okay, I think that makes not dancing worth it," he joked. She laughed and hugged him a second time. He squeezed her tight though this time he was the one to step back, releasing one hand. "We should probably go in. Don't want to worry the others."
"Lead the way then, Deku," she said, a sparkle in her eyes. And so they walked into the ballroom together, hands together, their sides practically glued to each other as they tried to be as close as they could. Izuku couldn't bear the thought of having her go away from him, of not feeling her by his side.
They made it to the edge of the dance floor before a camera flash stopped them cold. Izuku covered his eyes, blinking the light away. When he saw what happened he almost wished he hadn't.
Somehow he had been to distracted by the thoughts of being with Uraraka- okay not somehow, he admitted, it was bound to happen- that he had missed his entire class gathering nearby. Mina was in front, her phone in hand and the biggest smile on her face. Kirishima was at her side, grinning while some of the others stood loosely by. Kaminari flashed him a thumbs up and a wink while Momo and Todoroki simply smiled at the two of them.
"I….what the?" Izuku stammered. "Mina? Kirishima? Guys? What are you doing?"
"I knew it!" Mina cried. "I knew you two liked each other! My perfect pairing! Finally my work is done! Finally!" She laughed and took another picture. "You two are so cute, oh my god. I just….I just can't."
"Mina," Iida said, walking over to her and grabbing her arm. "Leave these two be. Come on everyone! Disperse!" Mina cried as Iida dragged her away, though not before giving Uraraka and Izuku a smile and a thumbs up.
"What the fuck is going on?" Bakugo growled as he made his way through the dispersing crowd of 1-A students, some of whom, Izuku noticed with dismay, were exchanging money. Todoroki and Aoyama seemed to be cleaning house. Bakugo stopped when he saw the new couple, his expression unreadable. Then he shrugged and carried on over to Kirishima, carrying two large plates of food. "Fucking finally, you nerds."
Izuku and Uraraka made it to the dance floor after that without any other incidents except for the odd mention of congrats from various people. Sato even seemed to have been crying with a huge smile on his face when he said it, why though, Izuku had no idea. But when the chaos finally settled down to something as close to order as Class 1-A and U.A. ever got, he finally managed to dance with Uraraka. Not as a friend or a partner. But as her boyfriend.
It felt like gliding on air at times. He was clumsy, his nerves getting to him every now and then as his mind took control, but whenever he messed up, she played along and they laughed. During the upbeat, energetic songs they danced together facing each other, just being two happy kids, trying to stay as close as they could to each other. One of his favorite moments was when a swing-like song came on and they started doing their best impression of swing dancing together, probably looking like damn fools but enjoying every moment.
But the best moments, by far, was when it was a slow song and they swayed together. Sometimes she would rest her head against him as he held her but more often than not, her arms would wrap around his neck and they would dance together, staying at each other's eyes. Every now and then he got brave enough to lean down and kiss her cheeks or head.
As the last song began to end though, a slow, beautiful tune, he leaned down and kissed her lips muttering three words. I love you.
She kissed back and as their lips separated she smiled and whispered back.
I love you, too.
As they walked up the stairs, Izuku wondered about the possibilities of what would happen next. The dates they could go on, the fun they could have. He couldn't wait. As they reached his floor, the hall mostly empty, he turned and smiled at his girlfriend. "Well, I can't tell if I should walk you to your room or not," he laughed awkwardly. Uraraka tilted her head to the side, frowning with a glimmer in her eyes.
"Maybe you don't have to," she said simply. "See, I was thinking maybe I'd stay in your room tonight. After all I'm super tired and I don't know if I can walk up anymore stairs." Her smile teased him and she looked so damn cute.
"What about pjs?" he asked.
"You have some long shirts right? I'll just wear one." She shrugged. "If you're not okay with it I'll just sleep here." He laughed, and moved quickly to pick her up in his arms. She gasped and giggled. "Deku! What do you think you're doing?"
"You said you were tired," he said in a straight tone. He began to walk towards his dorm, carrying her bridal style. "Besides, I don't know if I'm quite ready to have this night end just yet," he added quietly.
"Same here," she said softly, kissing his forehead. "So then! Let's have a sleepover! Forward, Deku!"
He laughed and began to run down the hall, carrying her as she clung to his neck, laughing like crazy. At that point, he didn't care if he woke anyone up. He didn't really care that he was probably breaking a school rule. All he cared about was that he and her were together.
Tonight had spawned amazing memories, he knew, but there was no time to sit and simply bask in them. He had more memories to create, more things to enjoy.
They had memories to create.
A/N: So, biiiiiit longer than I meant it to be. I was almost worried I was going to have to split this chapter up but hey! I said I was ending it and dammit, here it is! The end! I hope everyone who stuck around to this little end note thing liked it. I know I had a freaking blast writing this and all the support and love I got was just….the greatest thing you guys. Thank you so so so much! As for what's next, well, I have an AU fic planned for them where they're college aged, they meet for the first time, Toshinori is an author and a bookstore owner, and Iida and Izuku work for him….I know it sounds kinda silly but trust me on this! It'll be cute, promise! So if you guys liked this, feel free to check out the new story whenever I post it. And finally, thank you again! You guys are the best!