Last night I was able to hear Kyouka sing to me. For me. I made her promise that it wouldn't be the last time, too, because it very well might have been the sweetest sound I had ever heard. And I realized, while I listened to her voice and her guitar, that every moment I spent with her made all the pain and turmoil in my past dissipate into nothing but a bad dream. Wherever she was was where I was meant to be, and the only thing I regret was that I didn't find her sooner.

Being here with her, and Shota, Eri, and the other kids in class 1a- even Bakugo- and being on the path to become a hero was somewhere I never imagined I'd get to. And somewhere I was so grateful to be. I had a home, and a family, and both a home, family, and love wrapped into the little angsty bundle that was Kyouka. I rolled over in her bed to face her sleeping form and smiled softly to myself as I reached out a hand to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face. She shivered and I pulled the sheets up over her shoulders. What a warm bed, hers was. And made even more so by her presence in it beside me. I never wanted to leave her side.

"Morning, love," Kyouka spoke quietly as her eyes fluttered open. This new title of mine caused her to blush as it left her mouth, as if it felt unfamiliar and strange on her tongue and came about unintentionally. Still, it appeared to have the desired affect, as I felt butterflies materialize and wreak havoc in my chest whilst I shrunk beneath the comforter to hide my reddened face. She giggled, then her smile was dampened a little by an air of seriousness. Kyouka placed a hand on my cheek and squinted as she looked into my eyes. "Are you alright? After, y'know," She brushed her thumb along my temple. "Be honest." I smiled.

"I'm fine, really."

Kyouka brought back her hand and sighed out of relief as she sat up in the bed.

"Good. And I want you to know that that was the end of all that." She looked back at me and I nodded. She was right. Last night did feel like a sort of conclusion, some closure, to my time with villainy. No matter how shocking. I wasn't just fine. I felt good. A little shaken, but at peace for the first time in a while.

"You been awake long?" Kyouka asked as she stretched her arms above her head, changing the subject with ease. As she stretched she seemed to spot her song book still open on the covers and quickly became flustered, snatching it up and closing it before tossing it to the bedside table. Then she turned to look back at me as if nothing had happened. I held in a laugh.

"Not too long." I answered, smirking at her embarrassment.

"You sure? You haven't been up for hours, staring at my beautiful face?" She asked, voice laced with heavy sarcasm. I smiled and sat up beside her.

"You joke as if that wasn't exactly what I was doing." I retorted.

"Ehh?!" Kyouka made an astonishingly accurate impression of a tomato as she turned, eyes wide. Mission accomplished, I thought. I can't be the only one red in the face. "W-well. We should get to breakfast." She said, changing the subject once again. An art she'd mastered.

"Hm?" I looked over to the clock, and sure enough, we were late. "Ack! We gotta go!" I threw the covers off of myself and rushed over to Kyouka's dresser before looking back to her for permission. She nodded, grinning, in signal that I could borrow clothes.

"You know," She began teasingly as I rummaged through her drawers for clothes I knew she wouldn't miss too much. "People are always late to breakfast, it's not too big a deal."

I grabbed a tight fitting, sleeveless black t-shirt and green cargo pants, figuring I'd have time to drop by my room before class to get my uniform, before running over to the door. "Maybe, but I hate being late!" I called as I began down the hall to the bathrooms to change. Kyouka chuckled after I'd left.

"Cute."

"You're back." I said, trying to keep from imploding from the cuteness that was (y/n) in my clothes, as she rushed in my door.

I figured I should have mentioned to (y/n) before she left my room that she was wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and undergarments. But, as she had returned not visibly embarrassed, I figured no one had seen her on her way to the bathrooms. Everyone was probably already down in the dinging hall anyway.

"What an astute observation." She responded.

"Wow, you're grumpy when you're late." I laughed as I slipped on my shoes and walked over to meet her by the door.

"I am not." She frowned.

"Mhm, sure." Just as I reached for the doorknob, (y/n) grabbed my free hand in hers. I looked back, surprised, but she didn't meet my gaze.

"It's okay, right? Holding your hand." She mumbled, eyes still trained behind us. I squeezed her hand and opened the door.

"It's perfect." As we stepped out into the hall I pulled (y/n) into my arms by her hand, embracing her and planting a lingering kiss on her lips. "I love you." I spoke. Unbeknownst to her, those three words were filled with the most honesty with which I'd ever spoken in my short life.

"And I love you," I responded. "Now let's go." Become heroes together.