Chapter 33

Return

After the incident, we met up with Todoroki and Yaoyorozu and went with Kacchan to the police. Kacchan was quiet.

We were all quiet, after that night. Kacchan was safe and alive. But Akatsuki was still nowhere to be found.

So, after more than half a day, we headed home with more questions than answers.

We had done all we could. It was officially out of our hands now.

All we could do was wait for her to return to us.

The first thing Rei wanted to do upon awakening was take a shower.

It was the second thing she had smelled, the first of which being the typical scent of a hospital. Antiseptic and cleaners were strong in the room, as well as a general staleness that came with being in a hospital. Perhaps it was the stiffness of the curtains that were cheaply made and barely kept out any light, or the synthetic material of the chairs that were placed around the bed so that they were easy to clean. In any case, it smelled like a hospital, which was frankly a relief.

At least she was alive, and safe for that matter.

But the second thing that had hit her nose was her own stench. She hadn't been able to shower for… well, who knew how long now. It certainly didn't help that she had been running around, sweating like a madman during the final night of the training camp. All that sweat had dried on her body and left her feeling rather disgusting again. The only difference was that it had been who knew how many days since she'd been able to shower, unlike training camp where at least she got to use the hot springs style baths.

Unfortunately, a shower was nowhere near in sight, although a nurse promised her that a sponge bath was in order now that she was awake as well. That didn't sit well with Rei. What was so bad that they were preventing her from getting out of bed for so long?

This was apparently the third time she had woken up. The first time she had emerged from her apparent coma, she hadn't done much more than open her eyes and immediately fall back asleep. The second time she had awoken, she barely remembered hearing doctors talking above her when she had opened her eyes. This time, the reason behind her awakening was the pain. A burning sensation in her back had her crying out and choking from the sensation, the doctors immediately responding and administering another dosage of whatever painkiller they were using on her that also made her immediately fall back asleep.

What was that saying about the third time being the charm?

At least on the third time she had awoken, the pain was down and her mind was astonishingly clear compared to the previous two times. A nurse had come to check her vitals and ask about pain levels, to which Rei had responded that things were minimal. Truth be told, her back still hurt plenty, but it was more dull than before and she felt as though she had slept long enough.

She wanted answers.

Unfortunately, the nurse had little to help her with. The only answer she had received was that she had been in the hospital for nearly six days already, and that she had suffered numerous traumas to her body. No shit. That much was obvious, from Rei's foggy memory and the pain she was currently in. She was beginning to notice the pain in her arms, legs, and her torso as well, vaguely remembering that at some point, she had withstood a punch from All Might himself. Groaning, Rei sank back into the pillows completely.

But it wasn't for long. A knock at the door sounded a minute later, forcing Rei fully awake once more. Aizawa entered the room, along with a police officer and another blonde man wrapped in bandages and a sling. The final entrant was unrecognizable to Rei's memory, yet somehow familiar, but she managed a nod to all of them as they filed into the room.

"Akatsuki-san, good to see you awake."

Rei bowed her head, noting her limited range of movement and the way that her back pinged and tightened. "Yes, sensei."

Aizawa gestured to the other two. "This is officer Tsukauchi, as well as…" He trailed off, all eyes on the third figure as he stepped forward toward the bed.

"Young Akatsuki, it is good to see you alive."

Squinting, Rei blinked a few times before the voice finally registered a bit. The way he talked, the way he looked at her… "All… Might… sensei?"

"Ah, that's right." Aizawa folded his arms over his chest, sinking into a chair that sat near the foot of the bed as Tsukauchi helped All Might pull up two others. "You weren't awake when it happened."

"When… what happened?"

The three men looked at one another, All Might simply clearing his throat for a moment before it devolved into a true cough. He looked away hesitantly, clearly embarrassed by something, leaving the other two to pick up the loose ends. In the end, it was Aizawa who continued. "All Might's true form is this here. He's thus announced his retirement from hero duties, though he'll still be teaching at U.A. for now."

"I… see…" Rei frowned, looking away from the three for a moment and down at her hands. She scrounged her memory. All Might had fought with that villain, All For One. He had fought All For One because…

Her hands clenched into tight balls.

Was it her fault, that All Might was retired?

The detective's voice broke Rei out of her reverie. "We understand that you must have some questions. Hopefully you've guessed that we have some as well."

Rei finally looked up, willing herself to move on. Questions now, thinking and musing later. Nodding, she folded her hands into her lap. "I do."

"Let's start with you then," Aizawa suggested, slouching in his chair. "What do you have for us that we can answer?"

"Bakugou."

His name left her lips faster than she could even consciously articulate a question. Brows furrowed in concern, Rei sat up a little straighter. "Where… how is he?"

"Safe. He sustained little to no injuries. He's currently at home under house arrest for his protection."

"And… everyone else?"

"Also safe. There were a few injuries from the training camp, if that's what you're referring to, but nothing fatal and nothing terribly serious." The way that Aizawa's eye twitched at his last statement had Rei thinking otherwise, though she quickly realized why. Midoriya, that beautiful idiot. He had been in a severe condition when they had parted. But if he was alright…

Rei sighed, leaning backward again. "Good." She licked her lips, pausing for a moment, trying to figure out how to articulate her next question. "How long was I… captured?"

"A little over two days."

The knowledge felt like a punch to her gut. Everything came flying back. The League of Villains. Their hideout. Bakugou. And then…

All For One.

The room.

Shifting in the bed, Rei looked to the window. "Where's Reina?"

"We've set her and her partner up in a hotel room not too far from here," Aizawa answered smoothly, though his gaze had hardened at the way that Rei had begun to tense up. "We'll send them in as soon as we're done here."

Black hair shifted as Rei nodded in response. "I think… that's all I have for now."

Tsukauchi sat up, as did the two others. "Please ask any more questions you think of," the detective spoke in a calming manner, "but we will move on to our questions for now. This may be difficult, so we apologize in advance. We must hear your story now."

Swallowing hard, Rei nodded again. "Go ahead."

"When you were captured, what happened? Tell us everything, in as much detail as possible."

"I was trapped by one villain's quirk. It was like I was trapped in something. The first thing I remember was being released inside some sort of bar."

Tsukauchi had taken out a notepad, scribbling down notes furiously as Rei spoke. Aizawa and All Might both had their eyes turned onto their student, watching her carefully. Unable to meet their gaze, Rei's eyes turned downward toward her hands again, gaze going blank as she recounted her tale.

"Was Bakugou there?"

Rei shook her head. "I didn't see him."

The detective nodded. "Continue."

"I… I tried to fight. But I realized I was outnumbered." She looked up to the detective. "Shigaraki Tomura, he was there. So was the warp gate, the same two from the USJ incident."

He nodded, scribbling down another note while gesturing for her to continue. Gaze returning downward, Rei spoke. "There were others. But then, there was a voice coming through a television. I… coughed up this gray stuff, and I was transported to-"

Her voice cut out, lips remaining parted. Golden eyes unseeing, she stared forward blankly, breath hitching. Tsukauchi had paused his writing, three sets of eyes turned towards the young girl in concern.

It was Aizawa who broke the silence. "Akatsuki?"

Exhaling, Rei shuddered, closing her eyes as her brow furrowed, as though in pain. A tear rolled down her cheek as her mind raced, arms wrapping around herself as she fought to stave off the cold she felt in her bones. It was like she was transported back into that room once again, the darkness consuming her.

"... He was there. He told me things. I-I didn't want to be there. The dark, the… cold."

"He?"

Silence. She didn't want to say it. But she had to, for the record to be clear.

Swallowing hard, she bowed her head once more.

"All For One."

Everyone stiffened at the villain's name. No one had expected the mastermind himself to make a play. But this was not something that could be faked. Who in their right mind would want to?

"Akatsuki."

Rei shuddered at her name, but looked in Aizawa's general direction. Her eyes were still glazed over, and they didn't quite meet his own, but somehow he could tell that she was listening. "All For One has been captured. He's sitting in the highest security prison cell as we speak."

Somehow, the knowledged helped. Rei breathed a sigh of relief. The villain was locked up for good. He could no longer metaphorically touch her.

And yet, she could feel his whispers gliding across her skin, even from all that distance and space.

The three adults could only watch as Rei began to fold in on herself once more, a shudder going down her spine once more. The assurance had both meant everything and nothing. There was only so much they could do for the wounds that could not be physically healed.

Tsukauchi cleared his throat, flipping over his notebook to a new page and continuing to scribble away. "Apologies, Akatsuki-san. There isn't much left now. Was there any information that he gave you that might be of use to us?"

"Yes." Her voice came out as a whisper. She faltered again, but her hands clenched at the sheets in resolution. She would do this. "He knew about me. My quirk. He knew my mother and father. He… knew about the orphanage. He said that he had planned for me to end up with him, one way or another."

Looking up, it was the first time since the beginning of their conversation that she met Tsukauchi's eyes in particular, let alone all of them. Her voice began to shake as she spoke, desperation sinking in. "I was so scared. I didn't want to be a villain, but he said… He said…"

"He said?"

"My father." Her thoughts were beginning to jump around, her words trying to match her thought process. "He was there, in the warehouse. He was a nomu." The tears began to fall more quickly now that everything was coming back to her. "All For One said that I would either join him or become a nomu. He left me in that room! I didn't move. I didn't want to breathe wrong."

"Young Akatsuki…"

"I don't know how long I was there for. I didn't move the entire time. When Gang Orca found me…"

She broke off, unable to go one. The tears were streaming down her face now, a torrential downpour. She was shaking, arms wrapped around her body tightly as she sniffled loudly in the quiet hospital room. Even Tsukauchi had stopped writing, setting his pen down on the pad and watching the young girl with pity.

They let her remain there for a minute, quietly sobbing to herself. Then, Tsukauchi stood up, tucking the pad away.

"I think we're done here. That's enough for now, Akatsuki-san. Thank you for your time. You're a strong girl."

Rei only sniffled again, nodding gratefully at the detective. The man motioned for All Might to stand up, the latter being broken out of a stupor and racing to his feet. Instead of following the detective, however, he came to stand near the edge of Rei's bed, placing his one free hand gently on her shoulder.

"You did well, young Akatsuki. You're incredibly brave."

"All Might…"

But before she could say anything, he simply smiled and patted her on the shoulder, effectively cutting her off. "We will see you at school, when you're better." With a wave he finally followed Tsukauchi out the door and beyond view, leaving a confused Rei with a weary heart behind in her bed.

Turning her attention to the final inhabitant in the room, Rei wiped her tears away hastily. Aizawa was still sitting in his seat, though he was hunched forward and leaning on his elbows. His fingers twitched and twiddled in his lap, a strange sight to see from the usually collected and severe looking teacher. With the last of the tear streaks gone, Rei settled back into her bed. "Aizawa-sensei."

He hesitated briefly before speaking. "I apologize," he began, "for not taking better care of you."

Rei blinked in confusion, but waited for her teacher to continue. "But the past is behind us. You have a decision to make."

"A decision?"

Aizawa nodded. "Your attendance at U.A.. We realize that… your experience was difficult. If you wish to withdraw from U.A.'s hero program, we would be able to transfer you to another course, or another school if you would wish."

She needed no further explanation. The year thus far had been filled with unexpected twists and turns regarding villains and their dastardly pursuits of U.A. and All Might in particular. Class 1-A had the misfortune of being a particular target. Hardly anyone would be able to blame her if she left the hero program, after what she had experienced.

But was that what she wanted? Aizawa stood from his chair. "We don't need an answer right away. Take your time deciding. Consider all aspects before making a decision."

"Sensei."

Aizawa paused, staring down at his student. She looked so small, so terrified in the hospital bed. She looked nothing like the young woman that he had been training for the past few months, the one that secretly gave him hope in the future of Class 1-A. Here she looked broken, and he partially wondered if she would ever bounce back.

"All Might… is he like that because of me?"

He was silent for a moment before responding. "All Might made his own decision. Don't take on more responsibility than you already have." He decided on responding honestly, though perhaps that wasn't the best route. If possible, Rei seemed to deflate even more than she already had, looking even more fragile than before. Her eyes glimmered with further tears, and Aizawa sighed internally to himself.

"Get some rest. I'll send in your mentor when she gets here."

Rei muttered her thanks, sinking back into the bed with a discontented sigh as she heard the door close. Left alone with her thoughts, her mind began to wander once more.

An option to withdraw from U.A., huh? That was really something. It spoke volumes of how serious the situation was, how much they imagined Rei was impacted by the events of what had happened. And she was, truly. But was that enough to warrant a dropout from the program she had worked so hard to get into?

On one hand, it was appealing. She could get away from the notoriety, the fame that 1-A had earned over the past few months. It wasn't like she couldn't become a hero from other programs either. If she wanted to, she didn't even need to become a hero any longer either. Just thinking about having to face villains once more left her on edge and on the verge of tears simultaneously.

But wasn't that something she could fix? And what about her dream? All For One had mentioned that he had kept tabs on the orphanage where Rei had been raised her entire life. Surely there were other locations like that, with other kids who were being taken advantage of and being preyed upon by other, less than savory figures. Rei wanted to become a hero in order to protect those kids, to shield the helpless from the bullies of the world. Now that she had gotten a taste of what the field was like, would she back down?

It was truly impossible to tell. Rei was glad that Aizawa had given her some time to think about it. But as her mind drifted to Aizawa and the other men, her thoughts began to shift to All Might.

Aizawa's answer hadn't been reassuring. In fact, Rei only worried more about All Might and his condition. Had Rei truly caused the great hero's downfall from the number one position? Wasn't it her fault, if she had been the one that was captured, the one in the hands of the villain? She had been there during their fight, had been on the fringes of it and had even been injured based on the collateral damage of their brawl.

Was she responsible for All Might's end?

The thought was enough to tear her apart. Perhaps it was the right thing to withdraw from the hero program. The guilt was already eating her away. Shifting further into the bed, Rei closed her eyes, exhausted from the tears she had cried.

What was she going to do?

"Aside from that, the next family we're visiting might be difficult-"

"Oh, sure! I'm counting on you."

"Oi! Don't hit me, old lady! I'll kill you!"

"Shut up! It's your own fault for being so damn weak! You got caught, and now you're causing everyone trouble!"

The Bakugou household was… lively, to say the least.

Aizawa and All Might both stared on blankly, a bit awkward at the sight of Bakugou and his mother so openly fighting and bickering with one another in front of the two U.A. staff. They appeared to be on the verge of a fist fight, with Katsuki's father doing his best to try and deescalate the situation, without much success.

So this was where Bakugou got his infamous temper and foul mouth from.

Trying to reenter the situation and break up the fight, Aizawa leaned forward in his seat. "Is it… really alright?"

"Hm? Oh!" Mitsuki slapped Bakugou one more time over the head, forcing him into a bow in front of his teachers. He grimaced and growled again, but this time did not rear his head in retribution, instead electing to remain quiet. "The dorm, right? We'd actually be grateful." Mitsuki's face twisted in concern and with a touch of something else, though it was unidentifiable and unclear. "Katsuki's reckless and really good at everything, and he was blessed with a good quirk too. Growing up, he had people fawning over him from a young age, so he ended up like this. He kept getting praised for shallow stuff."

The look that Bakugou shot his mother might have murdered someone on the spot, but she continued her explanation to Aizawa and All Might. "That's why I was really happy to hear what you said at the press conference. It made me think that this school was really watching him quite closely. I was worried for a while and wasn't sure how it'd turn out, but he's back safe and sound now, so-"

She broke off, taking time to ruffle her son's hair affectionately. Bakugou still looked like he wanted to murder his mother, but the look was slowly softening, bit by bit. "You might be in hot water for a while," she continued with a smile on her face, "but I trust you all and leave him to you." Looking at her husband, she smiled brilliantly. "Right?"

The two parents nodded, sharing a secretive smile before turning back to the teachers and bowing. Mitsuki's hand was still pressed down firmly on her son's head as she forced him along with them, the trio bowing deeply toward Aizawa and All Might. "He's a hopeless guy," Mitsuki continued, "but please train him hard and make him a good hero."

For a while the room was quiet, everyone taking in what had just been said. Eventually Bakugou was the first to wiggle free of his mother's restraint, huffing and folding his arms over his chest while sagging backwards into his seat, a scowl plastered across his face as per usual. Mitsuki, however, sat up straight once again, a bit of a timid look on her face. "If you are able to," she began, speaking slowly but articulately, "can you tell us anything about Akatsuki Rei's condition?"

At her words, Aizawa and All Might tensed. They shared a look before turning back toward the family in front of them, surprised at the question. This was the first meeting where someone had asked about Akatsuki. Aizawa leaned forward, a frown on his face. "Most of the details are still confidential, but Akatsuki-san is safe and recovering."

"Recovering?"

Raising an eyebrow, Aizawa continued. "May I ask why you ask?"

"Oh, we've met on one occasion. Seeing as how she's staying with our neighbors, we were a bit concerned. We haven't heard anything from Reina-san and Hotaru-san for the past few days, and we were concerned. Also," she grinned widely, "my son here has been anxious for news as well, not like he'd say anything as arrogant as he is."

"Oi! Shut your mouth you old hag!"

"Oh, like I haven't heard that one! Stop pacing around the house and ask questions when you have the chance!"

The duo devolved into another bickering session, all until Masaru generously provided an out for the teachers and offered to walk them to the door. All too readily agreeing, the group parted way, and the teachers quickly ejected themselves back into the humid August air. Bugs chirruped in the bushes around the residential district, and Aizawa wiped his forehead as he pulled out his phone to check their route.

"Next is…" he squinted at the phone, blinking a few times before discerning the names they had left. "Not Akatsuki. She lives next door, but we've already broken the news to them. Midoriya lives close by, right?"

"All Might."

The sound of his name had All Might turning around as Aizawa continued toward the car, not caring about the ensuing conversation. Bakugou had slid on a pair of slippers and had begun walking outside of the house, red eyes curiously devoid of anger. His face was surprisingly neutral, something that was a rare sight to see indeed. Curious, All Might turned around to face his student.

Bakugou stared at his teacher's face for a few moments, scrutinizing it carefully before speaking.

"What is Deku to you?"

All Might paused before answering diplomatically. "He's my student. An aspiring hero like yourself."

"Oi, Katsuki!" His mother's voice rang from inside the house as she screeched from deep within. "The police said not to go outside!"

He gave no indication that he heard his mother, but after another moment Bakugou turned over his shoulder and began shuffling back into the house at the same leisurely pace that he had used to meet All Might outside. "I see," he muttered just loud enough for his teacher to hear. "If you don't want to tell me, then that's fine. Thanks."

Secrets, secrets, and more secrets. First, no one tells him anything about Akatsuki Rei's condition. Then All Might refuses to tell him the truth on the connection between the now ex-pro hero and that damn Deku.

It wouldn't do well to dwell on it. But neither was it Bakugou's type to leave something alone if his mind fixated upon it. Akatsuki would tell him-

What would she tell him? Probably to let it lie. Well, at least now he could think more about what she would do and how she would probably rip him a new one for trying to hold on so tenaciously to the link he was missing between All Might and Deku. She would probably tell him calmly and nicely at first, but then her brow would furrow deeper and deeper as she realized that he wouldn't be listening. Then she'd probably say something sarcastic or biting, and then roll her eyes at whatever his response would be.

The thought almost made him smile, but it was crushed by the fact that none of these things would happen without her here. Briefly he looked up to the house next door, to a familiar window that he often caught himself watching recently for any movement. There was nothing except for blinds that were partially opened and obscuring any clear view, though there was no movement from within the room as it had been for the past few days. A scowl lingered on his lips as he trudged back indoors, disappointed at the fact that two things were going against his favor.

At least if Akatsuki were here, he could ask her about her opinion. Would he ask her about her opinion? Maybe. She was trustworthy enough to know his thoughts. He wanted to text her, but he didn't want to seem needy. That aside, she hadn't yet responded to the first text message he had sent as soon as he got home.

Are you okay

His fingers had lingered over the keys for a while, writing and deleting and rewriting nearly seven different messages before finally settling on something neutral. That aside, he needed to know. He needed to know if she was alright.

He needed to know if she was safe.

As the days passed and the response was lacking, his concern grew. And this time, there was nothing that he could do about it.

"KATSUKI!"

Damn it.

"I KNOW!"

A fractured spine, three broken ribs, and one dislocated shoulder, all in addition to the hamstring injury she had sustained from the training camp as well as the various cuts and bruises that had littered her body. Fortunately, it was nothing permanent; with time, she would make a full recovery. The doctor said that she had been lucky to be alive, given the fact that, upon her arrival to the hospital, her regenerative quirk had been operating at a minimal level. Even so, if it weren't for the fact that she had a regenerative quirk, she would have been in a much worse state. Thankfully, her regen powers seemed to be operating at normal levels once again, though it was certainly a scare that they seemed to have quit working for a while.

Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Rei had almost died. So far, she had said nothing about her visit to the afterlife, and especially nothing about seeing her dead best friend. It was probably the wisest decision, seeing how everyone was already sensitive around her current mental state and was doubting her wellbeing at every turn. Maybe her healing had slowed because, for a while, she had basically been dead.

But who knew? Frankly, she was lucky to be alive. Even if she didn't know what the future held, being alive at least meant that she could make decisions about her path.

Being dead certainly limited those options.

So she tried not to think too hard about anything.

Easier said than done.

Aizawa's admission weighed on her mind. Rei wanted to say with absolute confidence that she was going to stay at U.A., that she was well enough to continue her hero studies and that she wanted to be a hero. And she did, in a way. But this experience had opened her eyes to the world, specifically the hero world that she wanted to get into.

She knew that the road was a dark one, but never had she imagined that it would be this dark, and so soon.

Then again, no one had expected the road to be this difficult this quickly. No one could have predicted it, and it was certainly out of the ordinary. But things had happened. There was no mistaking that fact.

Life happened. Time moved things along.

It was overwhelming. Even with nothing to do in the hospital room, aside from sleeping and healing, Rei was mentally exhausted. The decision laying before her was not an easy one. Once she made her decision, there was no going back.

So instead she slept on, trying to block out the world and the way that it continued to turn.

Just a little more time.

She awoke gently, to the sensation of a hand softly stroking her hair. Roused from slumber once more, Rei blinked away the sleepiness from her eyes, turning her head to the side and searching for the source.

For the first time in days, a true smile lit her face.

"Reina!"

Her mentor smiled back, tears in her grey eyes. "I'm here, Rei. I'm here."

Rei leaned into the affectionate gesture, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"No, you're not. We're both here."

"Hotaru?"

A figure shifted from another seat near the foot of the bed, drawing Rei's attention with a smile. "How are you feeling?" Hotaru asked, her melodic voice soothing Rei's anxieties.

"Like shit."

"Language," Reina chided, sending a mock glare to Rei. It only deepened the smile on Rei's face.

"You're both here."

"And we're not leaving. At least," Reina looked at Hotaru cryptically, "not for a while."

Rei looked between the two in confusion, squinting her eyes at the severe look that passed between the two adults. "What are you not telling me?"

Silence. Eventually Hotaru sighed, caving in. "Even once you heal, they might not let you out of the hospital. Not until they know that you're sane and mentally sound."

Upon hearing the announcement, Rei sighed. It wasn't much of a surprise, nor was it disappointing to hear. Instead, all she could feel was…

"You look relieved."

A smile spread across her lips. "I am. I know I'm not doing well. To hear that I won't be leaving until then… Well, that's fine with me."

Reina reached over to squeeze Rei's hand, not too tightly but not lacking firmness either. "You're taking this rather well."

"I did almost have a meltdown when Aizawa-sensei, All Might, and the detective came in for questioning."

"We know." Hotaru stood up, scooting her chair closer to Reina's side in order to be closer to the two girls. "That's why you're being assigned a therapist."

"And guess who?" Reina's grin gave it away.

Rei's jaw unhinged. "You?"

Hotaru nodded. "We figured that you'd be more comfortable telling me things than a stranger. Of course, if you'd prefer to not talk with me, that can be arranged. It might be strange, since we know each other fairly well already."

"No." The smile came back to Rei's face. "I would like that. You both know me well."

"Well it's a darn good thing! The hospital and U.A. staff was ready to fight us on it, but we were able to convince them otherwise."

"Just know that, if you change your mind, I won't be offended. It's your call."

All Rei could feel was thankfulness for the two women in her life. Speaking with a stranger had its perks, but speaking with Hotaru was even more comfortable. Rei knew that Hotaru had experience with counseling kids, especially those from troubled situations, and though her experience was admittedly limited when it came to counseling in regards to the realm of hero work, Rei was more than happy to make do. She trusted Hotaru, trusted the advice she would receive.

Suddenly, things got quiet once more. Reina and Hotaru exchanged looks rapidly, a series of emotions flickering on their faces, much to Rei's confusion. Eventually she grew sick of being left out of their silent conversation. "Alright, what's going on now?"

Hotaru inclined her head, her lips twitching upward secretively. "The honor's all yours," she said cryptically to Reina, who only nodded seriously before turning to Rei. The nerves began to churn in Rei's gut at the severity of the situation, sitting up straighter in her bed than before. Noticing Rei's posture change, Reina shook her head.

"It's nothing serious."

Hotaru scoffed, but remained silent. Seeing her reaction only made Rei more suspicious. The black haired girl raised an eyebrow at her mentor, gesturing for her to continue.

At this Reina immediately became sheepish, shifting in her seat almost uncomfortably. It was probably the first time Rei had ever seen her mentor be so tense. "Well, we were going to do something special, or something that was social media worthy-you know those really cute unveiling videos and stuff that you always see, and it kind of makes you want to cry?"

"You're babbling," Hotaru teased, making Reina flush.

"Right. Well, I'll get to the point."

Rei grinned. "Will you?"

"Oh, hush, you. Don't you want to know what I have to say?" Rei fell silent, though the wry smile remained on her lips for a few moments longer. Reina was still flustered, her hands twisting in her lap as her fingers fidgeted. "Anyway, what I mean to say is, we started the paperwork a while ago. Of course, it helps to have friends in high places, and finding out what we did about your… parents… only sped the process up."

The mention of Rei's parents made her stiffen up. "My parents?"

"We heard from the debrief," Hotaru mentioned quietly. "Not to mention the DNA tests they've been running on those creatures. They found them pretty quickly."

"Right. In any case, what I'm trying to say is…" Reina swallowed hard, spitting her words out quickly.

"How would you like to become family, officially?"

Time slowed. Rei could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She wondered for a moment if she had heard right. But with the way that both Hotaru and Reina were looking at her expectantly, with both trepidation and barely contained excitement, she knew that she hadn't heard wrong.

Still, she had to voice her doubts.

"Are you serious?"

"If you want. I mean, you don't have to, since you're basically almost old enough to live on your own and be an adult, but-are you crying?"

Rei couldn't help it. The tears came down unhinged this time, without reserve.

She choked out a laugh. "It's funny," she sniffled. "I thought I was done crying, but I didn't think that I'd be crying happy tears now."

"Good." Reina sighed in relief, the tears welling in her own eyes as well. "Good, good. I mean, not good you're crying, but-I was so nervous, you know?"

"You nearly choked it," Hotaru joked, walking around the room and finding a box of tissues for the teary eyed trio. "But you managed."

"Yeah, I was really nervous! I don't think I've been that nervous for a while, at least since my first press conference."

"You're serious?"

Rei still couldn't believe what she was hearing. But Reina's smiled solidified it all.

"Serious, serious. Of course, there's small things to take care of, like if you want to change your last name, as well as your part in the family inheritance and stocks, but other than that-"

"Stocks?" Rei choked, eyes wide.

"Yeah, but don't worry about that! That's a later problem." Reina squeezed her hand once more, a jubilant smile on her face. "Your first problem to tackle is getting out of here and getting back to school, little miss hero."

School. Her conversation with Aizawa came back, haunting her and making her look down in shame. What would her decision be?

"You know," Reina started, making Rei look back up to her face, "We'll support you with whatever decision you make. But before you give up, haven't you already given so much to make it this far? What do you see in the future for yourself?"

It was strange, how moments before she had been told to not think about the future, and then moments later was told to do the exact opposite. But truth be told, when Rei closed her eyes even in the hospital bed, she saw herself standing with her classmates. She saw herself graduating from U.A., finishing in the commencement ceremony. She saw herself asking Chirasaki for a job at his hero agency once she was done.

Like she had told Haru, she saw herself standing side by side with Bakugou, the two of them taking on the world.

In order to get there, she had to stay in school. It was in that moment she realized how futile it was to think about her decision to stay at U.A.. Her mind was already made up.

"I know," Rei smiled softly. "I know what my decision is."

Reina and Hotaru smiled back, knowing looks on their faces. "Good. And we'll be by your side all the way through. Now, more than ever."

Room decorating.

What a joke.

The noise was a nuisance as everyone clambered up and down the hallways, taking in each other's rooms and chattering away loudly. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the boys and girls all took off into the elevators and into the next wing.

Finally, some peace.

He had been ready to go and sleep, when he saw it.

New Messages (4)

Akatsuki Rei (9:55 PM)

I'm alive

Akatsuki Rei (9:56 PM)

That sounds terrible when I say it like that

Akatsuki Rei (9:56 PM)

I'm guessing you're okay too

Akatsuki Rei (9:57 PM)

Text me when you can

Bakugou Katsuki (10:15 PM)

Give me a fucking heart attack why don't you

You didn't respond for days

Bakugou Katsuki (10:15 PM)

Where are you

Akatsuki Rei (10:18 PM)

In a hospital in Hosu City

Sorry I didn't have my phone

Bakugou Katsuki (10:19 PM)

Whatever

You're alive. That's all that matters

Akatsuki Rei (10:20 PM)

The great Bakugou Katsuki is capable of caring? How novel

:P

Bakugou Katsuki (10:21 PM)

Tell anyone and I'll roast you alive

Akatsuki Rei (10:21 PM)

But seriously, are you okay

Bakugou Katsuki (10:21 PM)

You're the one in a damn hospital

I'm fine

Akatsuki Rei (10:22 PM)

Seriously? No injuries?

Bakugou Katsuki (10:23 PM)

Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself

Akatsuki Rei (10:23 PM)

Sorry, I can't help but worry. You were kidnapped too.

Bakugou Katsuki (10:23 PM)

And stop apologizing, dumbass

What about your injuries. You're in a fuckin hospital still?

Akatsuki Rei (10:24 PM)

I will, you absolute hard headed walnut

Akatsuki Rei (10:26 PM)

Nothing that won't heal.

Fractured spine and ribs, and some other stuff.

Tomorrow I'm finally going to be able to try walking

Bakugou Katsuki (10:27 PM)

Fucking hell Rei

Akatsuki Rei (10:28 PM)

What?

Bakugou Katsuki (10:29 PM)

All that and you're suddenly gonna start walking?

Wtf

Akatsuki Rei (10:30 PM)

It's my quirk. I heal fast.

Bakugou Katsuki (10:31 PM)

You're a fierce beast

Akatsuki Rei (10:32 PM)

Ahahahahaha

The mighty Bakugou is complimenting me?

Bakugou Katsuki (10:34 PM)

Of course you idiot

You're one of the few I can tolerate

Akatsuki Rei (10:34 PM)

Hahahaha

Akatsuki Rei (10:35 PM)

I miss you

Bakugou Katsuki (10:37 PM)

Hurry up and come back to school

Everyone's moved in already

Too many idiots in such close quarters

Akatsuki Rei (10:38 PM)

Do I count as one of those idiots?

Bakugou Katsuki (10:39 PM)

They're all idiot idiots

You're better than all of them

Akatsuki Rei (10:40 PM)

Doubtable, but I appreciate the differentiation

Bakugou Katsuki (10:41 PM)

Just accept it

Akatsuki Rei (10:42 PM)

Seriously, though. I miss you, Katsuki

Bakugou Katsuki (10:43 PM)

Then hurry up and get back

Akatsuki Rei (10:45 PM)

I'll do my best

I'm off to sleep again soon

Bakugou Katsuki (10:46 PM)

Good night

Akatsuki Rei (10:47 PM)

Good night

Because of the severity of her injuries, the nurses and doctors monitored Rei's condition day and night for nearly a week. But by the sixth day it was clear that things were making a turn for the better. Her spine only ached from time to time as a result of the bruising that still hadn't healed, and the rest of her was almost completely mended. Well, as best as she could be. She was nowhere near one hundred percent, but she was getting close.

At any rate, the most important part was that her quirk was still intact. Her healing rate had returned to normal.

Things were beginning to look up again.

All except for one, itty bitty, tiny detail.

Physically, she was fine. She was close to being cleared from the hospital. It was nothing except for high praise and commendations from the hospital staff that Rei was ready for reentry back into the world.

But the nightmares were never far behind.

It hadn't been every night, but on occasion Rei's mind would slip back into that dark room. She would wake up in a cold sweat, often hyperventilating, mind racing as she would jolt from the darkness and into an only slightly more illuminated room. At least the hospital room was illuminated by low lights around the base of the room, and the hallway more often than not carried the gentle thrum of activity like beeping machines and rustling papers. It was enough to pull her out of her stupor and make her realize where she was: safe, out of harm's way.

She had spoken with Hotaru about her dreams. Thankfully, the older woman had been kind, and had concernedly spoke about various medications to help her. But Rei eventually turned them down. The medications would metabolize too quickly anyway.

This was a demon she needed to face on her own.

But aside from the nightmares, it was only time before she was redesignated and ready to head back out into the world. The day that finally came was warm and beautiful, and Rei couldn't help but inhale deeply as soon as she stepped out from the hospital. It was good to be out, to return to normal. Getting back into the swing of things would definitely be helpful.

Except that the routine had changed. Reina and Hotaru had already sent her belongings over to U.A., where they had been set up in her dorm room for her. The duo had gained clearance (something that had been extremely difficult to get, and would have been impossible without Aizawa's help and a stack of doctor's notes), and had set upon themselves the task of making sure that everything was in place by the time Rei returned.

Rei was thankful. According to the doctors, she was to avoid rigorous physical activity for another few weeks, although she already had plans to mostly disregard that note. When she had absolutely refused to accept the crutches they had wanted for her to use, the nurses had sighed and begrudgingly given her a back brace that kept her rigid and stiff. It was uncomfortable, and rather itchy at times, but her ego had accepted it as a proper trade off for crutches or even a wheelchair.

Even despite all the supports that were weighing her down, nothing could stop the lightness in her chest as she and her family made their way back to U.A.'s campus.

Things would get better. She would seize the future around its neck with her bare hands and bend it to her will in order to fashion it into something worth while.

With these thoughts and motivations in mind, it was with speed that Rei made her way to U.A.'s campus, ready for the next chapter in her life.

But along with changes came goodbyes.

The front steps of U.A. were surprisingly devoid of life. The only person in sight was a stern and sleep deprived Aizawa standing at the front entrance, waiting for Rei's arrival with his hands shoved in his pockets and his eyes watching his student carefully, looking her over for any signs of weariness or weakness. Rei stood up straighter as soon as she saw him, even though her back pinched a bit at the motion. Stubbornness kept her upright. She didn't want to look weak, not when she had made her decision.

"So, we won't be seeing you for a while. Not with this dorming system in place."

Rei turned to Reina and Hotaru, smiling warmly. "I'll call you. I promise."

"You'd better facetime us, or we'll come crashing through U.A. ourselves!" Hotaru laughed a bit at her own threat, a broad smile on her face.

Reina's brow furrowed as she looked over Rei once more. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Positive." Rei's smile widened. "You'd better call me once the paperwork goes through."

"And you're sure you're ready to change your name?"

It was a decision that had been rather difficult. There was something to be said about keeping her old name, something that called out to her. It was a reminder of her past, of who she had been. It reminded Rei of everything that had happened to her, that had made her and moulded her into the person she was today.

But now was time for a rebirth.

Now was the time to begin anew.

Rei's grin turned up sharply. "I think Fujiwara Rei has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Reina smiled in return. "It does sound rather nice."

"Good. 'Cuz I like it."

"Me too."

For a moment the three all stood facing one another, taking it all in. It was Hotaru who moved in first, extending her arms to the sides to bring in the other two girls for a group hug. Reciprocating the gesture, the trio all bunched together one final time.

"I love you both."

Two pairs of arms squeezed Rei tighter. "We love you too."

It couldn't last long enough. Rei wished that they could stay that way forever. It was almost too sudden, learning that she and Reina would finally become family officially before they were separated as Rei moved into the dorm system. But life was often cruel, and at least this was not so cruel as things among others.

Finally pulling away, Rei gave one last smile, adjusted the light backpack she wore on her back, and walked away towards her homeroom teacher. He said nothing as she approached, simply nodding and turning to lead her into the campus. Rei fell into step, noticing that he was walking slower than normal, most likely pacing himself to make sure that Rei didn't overexert herself. She wanted to roll her eyes at the gesture, but she refrained. She was thankful anyway. It was tough enough standing straight up at attention. Walking at a pace faster than they had assumed would most likely be the end of her at the moment.

"Training is over for the day." Aizawa started off in his monotone voice. "You might have heard that we're having both hero classes go for the provisional license exams."

Rei blinked, her footsteps halting for a moment before she hobbled a few steps to catch up with her teacher. "I… didn't know."

"For the past week and a half, we've been having everyone train on creating an ultimate move. I'll be leaving it up to you if you want to take the exams with everyone. It'll be grueling, and you're supposed to be healing, but I sincerely doubt that you planned to be bedridden for the next month anyway."

Rei smiled sheepishly. "No, sir."

"Then you'd better train hard. Not so hard that you'll break yourself, but you have some catching up to do."

"Yes, sir."

"Your classmates have also had the opportunity to improve and tweak their costumes. You won't be able to receive any upgrades until after the exams, but if you have any ideas, then you should send them down to the support department."

He fell silent for a moment before sparing a glance over his shoulder for the briefest of seconds. He seemed to contemplate something for a while before continuing.

"Based on what I've seen, you'll be behind your classmates. Furthermore, you'll be out for a while with your injuries."

Rei lowered her head. "Yes, sir." She spoke with dejection. It hurt to be reminded of her shortcomings.

But not for long, as Aizawa continued. "If you want to catch up, you'll need additional support. As it stands, I currently have time in the afternoons after class during the semester."

Blinking owlishly, Rei stared at the back of her homeroom teacher's head. "Sir? Is that an offer?"

"Frankly, you'd be doing me a favor if you agree." Ah. She should have known that there was some other motivation other than altruism. "I'm going to be helping train a student from the general studies department who's showing promise. He has little battle skill, and you'll need to work your way back up from near the beginning."

"Yes, sir." Rei's heart glowed with enthusiasm. "I'll do my best."

"I expect nothing less from you."

Extra lessons sounded like a nightmare, but Aizawa himself had offered. What other chance did Rei, or anyone, have to work this closely with Eraserhead himself? Briefly she wondered just who the general studies student was that had caught the attention of the teachers in the hero department. It was a shame that she didn't know anyone in the general studies department… or the support department… or actually, now that she thought about it, even in Class 1-B.

That would need to change, sooner or later.

The rest of the walk was silent, and Rei took the time to memorize the routes around the campus. They had begun walking past the dorms, and she was busy watching for pathways and landmarks to help guide herself among the expanse of identical looking dorm buildings. It didn't help that they were so far apart from each other; trees were densely packed in between the dorms, giving each building privacy and a sense of seclusion from the rest of the world. It was beautiful and scenic, yet it made for a longer walk that was currently killing Rei's back.

Eventually they made it to Class 1-A's building. It was sunset, and just about dinner time. Aizawa gestured for Rei to walk up to the door, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"I have business to take care of. I'll let you get reacquainted with your peers. Be ready for a day of training tomorrow."

Rei smiled a bit hesitantly. "Yes, sir."

Aizawa nodded and stalked off down the road, heading toward the main campus. Rei watched him go, a little nervous now that she was on her own.

She was going to see her classmates again. What would they say? It felt like it had been so long-

"Ah, Akatsuki-san?!"

A voice cried out, and Rei's breath hitched in recognition. Turning around toward the dorm building, she saw none other than Midoriya, standing in his gym clothes on the front porch. His jaw was slack, as though caught off guard at her appearance.

Rei managed a wave and a small smile at Midoriya's astonishment, walking slowly up toward the door. "Midoriya-kun. I'm glad you're safe."

At the sound of her voice, Midoriya visibly relaxed, jumping down from the porch and jogging up to meet her. "Are you kidding? I'm glad you're safe! We've been so worried about you, especially since you were the only one that didn't show up on move in day…"

Blinking, Rei looked deep into those green eyes of Midoriya's. How she had missed his energy and his enthusiasm. It was good to be back. "So, everyone else is safe?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "There were some injuries, but yours was the most serious. Oh!" He startled, as though suddenly remembering something. "Speaking of which, how were your injuries? Was it bad? Are you still hurt?"

Rei shrugged her shoulders, as though to say it wasn't a big deal. "The most serious was my spine, but with my quirk, I'm healing quickly."

Midoriya sighed in relief, a bright smile on his face. "That's good to hear. Everyone'll be glad to see you!"

"Midoriya-kun! Dinner's ready!"

Both black hair and green hair swung around as the duo's heads turned toward the front entrance. Standing there was a bright eyed Uraraka, who's astonishment and excitement immediately showed at the sight of their golden eyed classmate. "Oh! Rei-chan!"

Rei smiled, waving her hand sheepishly. "Guess I made it in time for dinner?"

The two of them started walking, Midoriya taking off a few steps ahead of Rei before pausing and turning around. His eyes widened at Rei's slow pace. "Ah, sorry!"

"It's fine. I know I'm slow." Rei huffed in irritation at her own slowness. "Stupid back."

"Does… it hurt?"

"No, it's fine."

"Here, let me grab your bag!"

"Ah, really, it's fine." But Midoriya was already lifting her bag off her back, slinging it over his shoulder with a grin.

"Seriously, take it easy! You still need to heal, right?"

Rei scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can't happen soon enough. I want to take that license exam too."

Midoriya's eyes widened. "You're seriously thinking of taking the exam still?"

"I have to. Otherwise, I'm dead weight here."

He opened his mouth to say something, but Rei had already climbed the steps to the dorm and had pulled the door open with a bit of a struggle.

"Akatsuki-san!"

"Welcome home!"

Rei blinked in astonishment as the entire class swarmed the foyer, Yaoyorozu and the other girls in particular taking the lead and immediately launching themselves into a group hug around Rei. Stuttering, she winced at the sudden tightness as someone squeezed her around the waist.

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry!"

"Ah, Rei-chan, are you hurt?"

"Oh no! What's wrong?"

Immediately the group backed up a bit, giving Rei a bit of space. Wincing, she smiled a bit, though it turned out to be more of a grimace. "I'm fine. It's just my back hasn't healed yet."

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Ashido attacked Rei again, though this time more gently wrapping her arms around Rei's upper back. "My bad! But we're so glad you're back!"

Rei's lips twitched upward. "So am I. I've missed a lot."

Yaoyorozu stepped forward and grabbed Rei's hands. "Don't worry! We'll all catch you up."

"C'mon, let's eat now!"

The group immediately shifted towards the dining area, while the rest of the class took turns welcoming Rei back to the class. Her heart warmed at the thoughtfulness of everyone, relishing in the feeling of being missed. How could she have ever thought to have left this place?

As the room began to settle down and the girls dragged Rei towards their table, a tuft of ash blonde hair caught Rei's eyes. Turning her head, her eyes widened as her own eyes clashed with cherry red, taking in the grumpy look on his face. Still, she could see the softness in his eyes, the concern as he looked her up and down, taking in the stiff way that she moved around the rest of the girls.

Smiling warmly, she nodded in his direction, satisfied as he nodded back. They would speak eventually. Just not now. Not with everyone here.

The moment was broken as Kaminari and Kirishima slammed their trays down next to Bakugou, earning a crabby screech from the explosive boy. Still, neither of them seemed to care, instead settling in and taking the yelling in stride. At the same moment, the girls all sat down at their table with their food, everyone launching into a conversation as they tried to catch Rei up on everything that she had missed.

Picking at her rice and soup, Rei smiled as she listened, taking everything in. Everything had changed, and yet in some ways, nothing had changed at all.

This was something she could get used to.

She had the entire second floor to herself.

The entire.

Second.

Floor.

Rei knew that there were boys on the second floor, but there was no way to get to them, given that they had to ride separate elevators to their wings. Frankly, that had been a smart move on the building designers' parts, given the fact that they had a disgusting purple grape boy in their class with less than savory plans when it came to the girls of their class, or just women in general.

Still, it was rather lonely. There was no one that she could talk with without having to take an elevator ride, no other room that she could crash when she was bored or needed help with something.

It was after dinner, and Rei was finally finished adjusting everything in her room to the way that she liked it. Completely unpacked and ready for the rest of the school year in the building, she sat at her desk, contemplating her next move.

She wanted to talk with Bakugou, but he hadn't responded to her last text. She couldn't technically go over to the boys' side, since it was getting close to curfew.

Pushing back from her desk, she stared out at her balcony and to the tree line.

Wait.

The balcony.

Rei grinned.

Slipping on a black jacket over her tank top and leggings, she tucked her phone into her pocket and slid the door open quietly, thanking every lucky star when it opened silently. Closing the sliding glass door behind her, she carefully climbed over the railing and slowly dropped herself down over the side, dangling for a moment before dropping completely and landing silently on the balls of her feet. She winced at the impact as it rippled up her spine unpleasantly, noting to herself to take it easy on the way back.

In the darkness she snuck around the building, using the treeline as cover and watching out for any sort of surveillance bots that sometimes lurked around. By the time she got over to the boy's side, she stared up in silence, contemplating her next move.

Which one was Bakugou's room?

Scowl on her face, she pulled out her phone, sending a quick message out. She waited for a minute, ears alighting upon hearing the quiet sound of a door opening and footsteps padding out onto the balcony.

"You there?"

Bakugou's whisper fell down on her sensitive ears, and Rei grinned. Stepping out from the treeline, she looked up before scowling once more. "Why're you so damn high up?"

"What?"

Shaking her head, she jumped up and down lightly, warming herself up. He was on the fourth floor. This was going to take a bit of improvision.

Crouching as far as she could without injuring her back, Rei launched herself upward to a second floor balcony, quietly grabbing onto the handrails and pulling herself up. She repeated this action again, this time launching upward and diagonally to the next balcony over to the left, this time wincing as her back screamed at her. Bracing herself for a third time, she just barely managed to pull herself up, a pair of hands grabbing her arms and hoisting her into the air to help her up. With a grin she leaned on the railing, shooting a smile toward the boy in front of her. "Thanks."

"Hurry up, idiot." He motioned for her to come inside his room, not bothering to wait for her to climb over the railing before walking inside. Rei proceeded carefully, mildly surprised at the orderliness as she moved over towards the desk.

"It's clean."

Bakugou snorted. "Please. You've been inside my room before."

"Not this one." Rei slid the door shut behind her, heaving a sigh and massaging her back out as she winced. "That was rough."

"You're still injured."

Rei shrugged, sitting down at Bakugou's desk as he gestured for her to take a seat, sighing in relief at the sensation. He continued to stand near her, arms folded over his chest. "It'll be fine. I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Hmph. You've got that right."

For the first time that night, Rei studied the boy across from her closely. There were no injuries that she could see, and nothing seemed off save for the stiff way that he held himself tonight. Brows furrowing, Rei tilted her head. "You're stiff."

"Idiot. You're worse than me."

"No." She shook her head, looking over at him in concern. "You're… tense."

"Of course I am." He sounded angry, arms folded over his chest. "We get kidnapped, and then no word from you for days? Then suddenly you're here, like everything's alright? Give me a break."

Rei bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He looked like he was going to say something else, but the words choked up in his throat. He looked to the side. "Damn it."

"What happened on your end?"

"That Shigaraki bastard thought that he could sway me over to his side. Idiots, all of them." Bakugou spat out violently, pacing away from her. "You?"

"I…" Rei looked away, turning her gaze toward the desk. Silence filled the room. It felt like hours had passed before she dared to look back. When she did, all she saw was concern, a tinge of nervousness, perhaps from the way that she hesitated.

She wanted to hide it all.

But she also wanted to be brave and face it.

So she did. She spilled everything. It kept coming, like a dam that had finally broken. She unearthed everything to him, all the way to her fears, her concerns, her nightmares. Sometimes her words were smooth and steady, and other times they were rushed. Sometimes there were no words that came. When she had finally finished whispering everything she felt exhausted, as though she had just run a marathon. She was leaning forward on the desk, Bakugou leaning against the surface and standing next to her seat, his arms still folded over his chest.

Silence. Then he finally spoke.

"You… had it bad."

Rei shrugged. "Not as bad as some."

"Don't trivialize it. You… suffered."

Golden eyes lifted in weariness. "I was so scared for you, you know? He kept mentioning you."

"Whatever. Not like those league villain scums could keep me there anyway." But it was clear that her words had gotten to him, his biting tone of voice lacking the usual fire that it held when he spat out his curses of the villains.

It was all Rei could take. Standing up from her seat, she whispered. "Sorry in advance."

Bakugou had no time to react as Rei slid her arms around his waist, her face pressed into his shirt. The tears came once more, a mixture of fear and relief urging them onward. She needed catharsis, a purge of these emotions.

He was safe.

She was safe.

They were alive.

A pair of arms wrapped back around her, careful to avoid squeezing her too tightly. Rei sighed in relief, relishing the moment.

"We're alive," she spoke in a muffled voice, speaking into his chest.

"We're both fine," he agreed.

Rei snorted at that. "I'd have to disagree with that just slightly, but I'll roll with it for now."

She could almost feel him rolling his eyes down at her. "Whatever, idiot."

Finally feeling better, Rei pulled away, shivering as Bakugou's hands slid over her arms as she backed up. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she sniffled. "Okay. Catharsis over. I'm going to sleep now."

"Only you would break curfew for a hug."

"Idiot. I just wanted to see you were safe with my own eyes." Tossing her head to the side, she sniffled again. "Being told is one thing, but seeing it for myself…"

Bakugou rolled his eyes again. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Rei couldn't help the cheeky grin on her face. "Oh, so you're not below the law either."

"Idiot."

"You're an idiot too."

"Whatever."

"Fine, be that way."

It was like a blast from the past. Rei couldn't hide the smile from her face as they playfully bickered, folding her arms across her chest and tossing her head to the side. Looking back at Bakugou, she smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Katsuki."

At the sound of his name his eyes softened. "Idiot," he whispered. "I didn't do anything."

"You're here for me. That's all that matters." Rei began to make her way to the sliding glass door, pulling it open and peering outside to look for any security bots before stepping onto the balcony. "See you tomorrow."

"Rei."

Turning around, Rei blinked at Bakugou's sudden closeness. She flinched as he flicked her nose, muffling her grumbling and settling for a harsh glare. Bakugou grinned, leaning forward into her face as he whispered.

"That's for worrying me."

Rei rolled her eyes. "I'll kick your ass."

"You won't."

"Bet."

"You've got a broken back."

"Still doesn't mean I won't kick your ass."

"Go to sleep."

"Jerk."

"Idiot."

Sticking her tongue out childishly, she hopped over the balcony's edge and began the process of lowering herself slowly down to the ground, dropping from ledge to ledge and muffling her landings as she went. She winced every time she landed, the reverberations going up her spine, but she brushed it off and continued on.

When she got to the ground, she looked up one final time to see Bakugou watching her carefully with concern in his eyes. She stuck her tongue out again, earning another eye roll as he turned over his shoulder and went back inside. A grin on her face, she darted around the building and climbed back into the safety of her own room.

For the first time in a week, she slept soundly without nightmares.

AN: Would anyone be interested in a Shinso/OC story? (I'm debating if I actually want to write it, but I might just do it...)

I did promise that I would try to update once a month, so here we are! This chapter was kind of difficult to hammer out for some reason. I kept sweating out the reunion with the class, but I finally managed to finish it tonight. Please forgive me if I have some grammatical errors and spelling issues! I tried to get this out as fast as possible.

I'm hoping to have another AU sort of story for Christmas time, so we'll see if I get it done!

Please tell me how you're enjoying the story so far!

As always, thank you for your reviews:

dragontamer64: Oh no! I hope you're feeling better, since I know you wrote this review a little while ago. Life is so wild. I actually just got done with a vacation, but I was on the go the entire time and I forgot my computer charger at home so I didn't have any time to write T.T But here we are! I can't believe it's basically December... we're coming up on the one year anniversary of this story! Isn't that crazy?

Vedahzii: Rei is indeed alive! And so am I! Haha, I understand what you mean about writing. It's important to balance life and doing other fun things with writing as well! I totally get that writing should also be fun, but at the same time, it's like pulling teeth at times. Keep at it!

Guest: Hopefully this was a bit fluffy enough! I know this story is more like a slowburn, but if I go too quickly I feel like I'll have nowhere to go later as well. I'm trying to think about the longevity of this story, so please bear with me!

bluefrost15: Haha, notification whiplash, but hopefully in the best of ways! Sorry I skipped the dorm room arc, but we're on to the licensing exams now! And I'm so glad your read this again! That's seriously such high praise for me; I know what it's like to binge my favorite stories, so you binging this story again makes me so happy!

LeenaPPt: There's a little fluff I added here, but I'll try and write more AU chapters so we can have more fluffy things as well! Thanks for the review!

LuckwithLions: I'm really glad that you loved the stuff with Haru! It was honestly really fun to write, but I didn't know how everyone would like it or appreciate it. I'm glad you liked it though! Thanks for the review!

SebatadeS: Aw, thank you! I can't say that I've worked super hard on this the entire time (because the first few chapters just kind of... happened), but I've been trying to keep up with the standard I set at the beginning. Thank you thank you!

artfully: Thank you! It's always good to hear feedback about earlier chapters. I have plans to go back and edit those soon, so hopefully that'll be a good revisit for me!

TishaLiz: Ahhhh thank you! Wow, such high praise! I'm glad you enjoy my writing style, and I'm so glad you enjoy this story as well! Thank you for the review!

Uno: Yay! I love binging stories, so hearing you say that you binged this story makes me so happy! I love that you love Rei. She has honestly been so fun to write, and hopefully develop as well. Here's to another update!

Thank you so much everyone for your reviews!

Happy holidays!

I hope to update this before the end of the year, but if not, then have a happy end of 2019!