Chapter Text
“All of which makes me think the best solution might be to have heroes traveling from primary school to primary school doing quirk counseling,” Momo concluded.
“That makes sense,” Jirou replied, absently stirring her noodles with her chopsticks, her gaze just over Momo's left shoulder.
“Of course, it would have to be the right heroes. Approachable, compassionate, good with kids, free of any prejudice, etc.”
“Totally,” Jirou said. Her distant tone gave Momo the suspicion that she had stopped listening a while ago.
“Plus, that way if the kids are villains, the heroes can arrest them right there before they commit any crimes,” Momo continued in the same tone.
“Sure, of course.”
“Or, we could simply ship all Japan's five-year-olds to Antarctica to be raised by penguins.”
“Yeah, that could work.”
Momo decided it was time for emergency measures. “Furthermore, Iida-kun and I have decided that the only music allowed in the dorms from now on should be ska.”
Jirou’s eyes snapped into focus. Her expression was both horrified and appalled, as if she had caught Momo sacrificing Midoriya-kun on an altar of skulls. Momo smiled. Jirou's horrified look fell away, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Ugh, sorry, Yaomomo.”
“You can just say if I'm boring you, you know,” Momo replied, tilting her head.
Jirou shook her head. “No, that's not it at all. I'm just distracted today.” The punk girl sighed and looked away to Momo's right, no doubt actively trying to avoid giving away the object of her attention.
Momo didn't have to look over her shoulder to know who had distracted Jirou. Even if she didn't know the ‘Bakusquad's’ usual table was in that direction, the purple-haired girl was an attentive and caring friend. Only one person had ever been able to pull her attention away from Momo. “Did Kaminari-kun do something to upset you?”
Jirou gave her a tired look. “No. I'm just worried about him. His grades have been tanking lately, and he seems really distant.”
“Hm.” Momo considered her words, taking a mental inventory of her recent interactions with Kaminari. They hadn't seen each other much in the last few weeks. All the hero students had been busy with work studies and taking part in the reconstruction effort. Momo's quirk was well-suited whenever specialized parts were needed to restore vital infrastructure, so she had been particularly in demand. Besides, everyone was taking more time for family now that the dorms were optional. “Well, he hasn't been attending our study sessions, but otherwise he's seemed normal to me. Have you tried talking to him about it?”
Jirou wrinkled her nose. “You know how he is. He just pretends like nothing is wrong. Especially around me. I guess I'm extra fragile since All for One took one of my jacks.” Her remaining jack shrugged to emphasize her point as she attempted to feign indifference.
“He knows you aren't fragile. If you were, he wouldn't hide behind you when Bakugou-kun gets mad at him.”
Jirou gave a little snort. It was adorable.
“He's probably trying to avoid burdening you with his issues,” Momo reasoned.
“Well, it's not working,” the other girl huffed.
“I mean, it's Kaminari-kun. Are you surprised he didn't think it through?”
That provoked a little smile from her, at least. Jirou was a kind person, but she really seemed to enjoy mocking the poor boy. Momo hummed for a moment before slipping a hand under the table and activating her quirk. She pulled a compact mirror from the lipids of her leg, then carefully positioned it between the two girls so that she could get a glance at the electric boy.
He was grinning as usual, having an animated discussion with Ashido-chan and Kirishima-kun. She smiled. Maybe Jirou was just projecting her own melancholy?
“Watch,” Jirou said, looking over her shoulder again. As the discussion continued, Kaminari seemed to drift out of it. He was still smiling, but as soon as his friend's attention was off of him the joy disappeared from around his eyes. When someone addressed him directly, he would act like everything was normal, but the longer Momo watched the more she could see the bags under his eyes and the way his shoulders slumped wearily.
“I think I see what you mean,” Momo said, frowning. Ashido elbowed him then, directing his attention to Jirou's staring eyes, no doubt adding some ribald comment. Their pink classmate had been rooting for one of them to finally confess to the other and she wasn't shy about it. Kaminari grinned and waved at Jirou as Momo quietly shifted the mirror to reflect her own face, pretending to check her hair. She caught Jirou waving sarcastically back out of the corner of her eye.
“I'll check in on him for you after school. He might be more willing to open up to me.”
Jirou gave her an appreciative look, eyes wide. “Really?”
“Of course,” Momo gave the girl her most reassuring smile, the one Yagi-sensei had them practice every night for homework. “It's my duty as vice rep. Besides, Kaminari-kun is important to you, and you're important to me.”
“Thanks, Yaomomo.” Jirou smiled even as her cheeks reddened. Of course she blushed when Momo mentioned Kaminari was important to her. It was such a cute expression, her heart nearly skipped a beat.
“You're very welcome, of course. That's what friends are for.”
—
Checking in on Kaminari proved more difficult than Momo had anticipated. She had been waylaid on her way home by a first year student who had been looking for an autograph (they were collecting one from every member of 2A) and had felt it was her duty to offer them some advice on life at U.A. By the time she had returned to the dorms, Kaminari had already made himself scarce.
Only a few of her classmates were in the common room. Midoriya and Ochako sat at one of the tables, their textbooks open but ignored as they chatted. Sato was in the kitchen, pouring batter into his favourite cupcake tray with a look of zen serenity. Surprisingly, Ashido and Mineta were watching television together on the couch.
Momo decided that the last pair was best left alone, if possible. She approached the first group instead. “Hello, Midoriya-kun, Uraraka-chan.”
“Hey Yaomomo!”
“Hello Yaoyorozu-san, did you want to join us? We were just talking about Tamajiki-senpai's debut as a full fledged sidekick. He's got this new move where-”
“I think we were actually talking about math, before we got distracted,” Uraraka said, smiling.
Midoriya blushed. “Sorry.”
“Thank you, but I can't right now,” Momo said. “I was wondering if either of you knows where Kaminari-kun might be?”
They both shook their heads. She'd expected as much. Midoriya would still be an invaluable source of information, though. “Maybe he's with Bagukou-kun?”
“I don't think so,” said Midoriya, who always knew where his rival was. “Kacchan and Kirishima-kun have leg day today, and he complained that Kaminari-kun has been skipping it.”
Uraraka gasped at the heresy. Midoriya nodded gravely. “Maybe Bakugou managed to drag him along today?”
“We would have heard the explosions,” the green haired boy noted.
“Hm, okay. Thank you anyway. I'll leave you to your studying,” she said with a smile.
“Oh, you can just borrow my phone charger if that's all you need,” Uraraka said, reaching for her bag.
“Um, no, thank you,” Momo waved at the pair as she walked away. They were turning back to their textbooks, though she didn't expect it to last long. She decided to try Satou next.
“Hello, Satou-kun,” she said.
“Mm. Hey.” He said distractedly. He ran a finger along the inside of his mixing bowl and popped it inside his mouth, closing his eyes as he relished the flavor.
“Have you seen Kaminari-kun?”
There was no response. Satou took a deep breath before opening his eyes. It was another moment before he noticed Momo was waiting for a response. “Oh, sorry, Yaomomo. I was, uh…”
“... Lost in the sauce?” Momo asked. She wasn't entirely sure of the origin of the phrase, but she had heard Jirou use it. It seemed appropriate here.
Satou chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, exactly. I've been engrossed since we got back. Trying to make the most of my kitchen time before I get exploded out. Did you need something?”
“That answers my question, actually. Have a good evening!”
“You too!”
She had put it off long enough. She walked to the living room, passing Midoriya and Uraraka again on the way. He was already back to gushing about someone else’s quirk while she listened contentedly. Being in love did strange things to a person.
Mina and Mineta were watching some drama, each of them sprawled on separate couches. The short boy had a few small bruises on his face. Only when she got close did Momo notice that the acidic girl was holding something unusual. Her eyebrows shot up. “Ashido-chan, is that a gun?”
“Oh!” Black eyes met hers, and a Cheshire grin formed beneath them. “Hey girl! Don't worry, it's one of Snipe's air guns, nothing deadly. Tell her what it's for, Mineta.”
“Mina is making me a man,” Mineta intoned seriously.
Pop .
“Ow! I was just joking. Okay, sorry, I mean, Ashido-san is helping me break some childish habits.”
“So, you shoot him whenever he says or does something… Perverse?” Momo asked.
“Yup!”
Momo considered it for a moment. “...Let me know if you need more compressed air. Have either of you seen Kaminari-kun?”
“Ah-huh. We invited him to join us, but he says he isn't into k-dramas anymore.”
“The poor fool,” Mineta said, shaking his head and pressing his hand to his chin. “There is no better way to learn the secrets of romance.”
Momo glanced at Mina, raising an eyebrow. The pink girl shrugged. “I'll allow it. What did you want him for?”
Momo hesitated. These two were Kaminari's friends, and they cared about him, but they could also be indelicate. Ashido wasn't nearly as insensitive as Mineta, but she was a bit of a gossip. She didn't think she should trust Jirou's concerns to them, at least not yet. “Well, we haven't talked much in the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to… hang out.”
Ashido pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing. She turned her gaze to Mineta, who met her expression with a raised eyebrow. She raised her own eyebrow, tilting her head towards Momo. He shrugged. She put her hand to her chin and furrowed her brows. He tilted his head the other way. Finally, the two of them shook their heads dismissively, their silent conversation apparently over.
They turned back to Momo, who crossed her arms. Ashido, shameless as ever, just grinned at her. “He went upstairs right after we got back.”
“Have fun,” Mineta said.
Pop .
“Ow! What did I say?”
“That one was for staring at her boobs.”
“I was looking at her face! I'm short, they're in the way!”
Pop pop .
“Owww!”
“Two for lying,” Mina said, spinning the pistol with her finger through the trigger guard.
“That's not what we agreed on!” Mineta protested.
“I got the gun, I make the rules,” Mina said, her grin returning.
Momo took the stairs to the boy's dorms, shaking her head at their antics. It was a little worrying that Kaminari hadn't been interested in joining them. It was the sort of nonsense he usually found entertaining, and those two were among his closest friends.
She made her way to the third floor and knocked on his door. There was no response, so she tried again. On her third attempt, she pleaded “Kaminari-kun? It's Yaomomo. I'll leave you alone if you want, but please let me know you're there.”
The door to the next room opened, and Iida strode out. He looked abashed as he gave a small bow. “I apologize for eavesdropping! However, I thought you should know that I have not heard Kaminari enter his room.” The corners of his lips twitched downward. “He's not usually quiet.”
She gave him a small smile. “No need to apologize, Iida-kun. Sorry to bother you. Do you have any idea where he could be? I know he came upstairs.”
“I am afraid I do not,” he replied, punctuating his statement with a chop. “However, if you need a phone charger, you may borrow mine.”
She felt her own lips twitch into a frown. “No. I wanted to speak to him. It's a personal matter.” She knew she could be straightforward with Iida.
“Ah, I see. I will not pry, then.” He adjusted his glasses. “Have you checked with the rest of the so-called ‘Bakusquad?’”
“Sero-kun is visiting his family and Kirishima-kun and Bakugou-kun are at the gym without him. Shinsou-kun is doing his makeup work studies, so I'm not sure where else he could be.”
“Puzzling. I suppose you have already asked Jirou if she knows?”
She nodded. “She's with her parents too. Otherwise, I would just ask her to use her quirk to-” wait. She smiled at Iida. “Nevermind, I know where to check. Thank you, Iida-kun.”
She waved and stepped quickly to the stairs. A minute later, Shouji was answering his door. The tall boy looked down at her silently. “Hi Shouji-kun. I'm sorry to bother you, but I can't find Kaminari anywhere. I was hoping you could use your quirk to find him - and please don't offer me your phone charger.”
He blinked, not moving. A voice came from one of his arms. “Have you tried the roof? He hangs out there sometimes.”
Momo frowned, confused. “But, we aren't allowed on the roof.”
They stood in silence for a moment.
She sighed. “Right, sorry. I'll check there. Thank you.”
He nodded, closing the door.
Because of the characteristic H shape of the Heights Alliance building, Momo actually had to go back down to the third floor to access the central roof. The door was supposed to be locked, but she and Iida had been trusted with a building-wide keycard for emergencies. Kaminari, of course, had his own way to bypass electronic locks.
Shouji was right. She found him there on the roof, leaning with one shoulder to the boy's dorms, staring at an angle towards the horizon to the west, watching the pink and purple hues of the sunset, earbuds in. He glanced towards Momo, apparently hearing her approach over his music. His face was blank. No big grin, fake or otherwise. She wondered if he was waiting for a scolding. She probably should give him one, but that felt wrong.
Following her instincts for once, she simply sat next to him silently, gently took one of his earbuds, and placed it in her own ear. She recognized the song. It was from Deep Dope's second studio album, one of Jirou's favourites. The raucous sounds of punk music seemed like a strange choice for watching the sunset.
Kaminari gave her a small but genuine smile and looked back towards the horizon. After another couple of songs - he was playing through the album - he finally spoke. “I have to use the girl's dorm building to block the sun. Otherwise I can't help looking directly at it.”
“I'm glad you're protecting your eyesight,” she said diplomatically. He nodded. “You weren't easy to find, you know. I asked everyone and no one knew where you were.”
He turned his head back to her, furrowing his brows. “Why didn't you just text me?”
Momo blushed, hanging her head. “I… Didn't think of it. I might be an idiot.”
He chuckled. “You're the smartest human in the whole school. It's reassuring you can still make silly mistakes. What did you need me for? Your phone dead?”
Momo was happy the mood had lightened. She didn't want to bring it down again yet, so she avoided the purpose of her visit. “No. Speaking of silly mistakes, did you see what Snipe gave Ashido-chan?”
He laughed harder this time, nodding. “Yeah, that's going to end terribly, but it will be hilarious. We should get her a little tin sheriff's badge or something.”
That inspired her. A little present would cheer him up. She called upon the power of Creation, visualized a simple design, and pulled it from her calf. It was a simple tin badge shaped like a star. A chibi version of Ashido's face was emblazoned in the centre, with the words ‘Mineta wrangler’ curving around it.
Kaminari's face lit up like the sun when she handed it to him. He threw an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into a half hug. It was warm and pleasant, if a little improper. She smiled despite herself. “Thanks Yaomomo! This is amazing. She'll absolutely love it. I think Sheriff Mina will even eclipse Admiral Ashido.”
“...Admiral Ashido?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s uh, really into ships. Ask her about it if you ever have nine hours to burn."
His smile had turned wry, his eyes rolling towards the skies. Momo was confused. She doubted Ashido was a naval history buff, but she couldn't imagine what else he might mean. Still, this was a good opportunity to gently inquire. “I was surprised you didn't want to spend time with the two of them. It should be fun to watch it play out, and those two are your best friends.”
He looked uncomfortable. He started fidgeting with the badge, turning it over in his hands. “I'm just kind of sick of talking about romance and dating. Besides, Mina and Mineta are great, but you and Jirou are my best friends.”
That warmed her heart to hear, even though she was certain the gift had a lot to do with it. “You say that, but you haven't made out with either of us,” she joked, hoping to get another laugh from him.
He blushed furiously instead. “Wow, okay. I mean, first of all, Mineta and I didn't really ‘make out.’ We just kissed a little. Platonically. The pocky game doesn't even count.”
“Mhmm. And with Mina?” Momo deliberately kept her tone light, even though she felt herself tense. Ashido had insisted it was just friendly experimentation, but if Kaminari had secret feelings for her, Jirou would be devastated. That would be terrible. Momo would have to console her. She would hate for that to happen. Wouldn't she?
“Okay, Mina and I totally made out,” he admitted. “But that was also platonic.” That was good. She didn't understand why she felt so strangely relieved and upset. Maybe she was just uncomfortable with the topic. “Anyway, you totally dodged my question earlier. Why were you looking for me?”
Well, honesty seemed like the best policy. She needed to be open with him if she wanted him to reciprocate. “Jirou-chan and I are worried about you. You don't seem like yourself lately, and your grades are slipping. If there's any way we can help…”
He frowned and turned his gaze back to the horizon. “I'm fine, really. I appreciate the concern, but I'm just adjusting to the new normal.”
She nodded. A lot had changed since the war. It was hard to let go of that state of terror, to adjust to being safe. “Okay. Maybe you could start joining our study sessions again? Just so Jirou doesn't worry so much?”
He sighed, but nodded. “Yeah, alright. For Jirou.”
The two of them stayed there for a while, watching the sky change colours.