Controlee

11. Destruction

Rule 25: Better not to pretend you're not a danger to others.

Otsuka's hand rested comfortably on the new cuff in her pocket. It had been waiting for her on the table before she'd even woken up, which was pretty incredible considering she'd only texted Mags an explanation of the cuff situation last night. Honestly, she'd stared at the thing for ten minutes before Yamada had found her there and asked if she was ok. Her grin must've been manic when she looked up at him because he'd looked very nervous. In reality, she'd just been happy, unbelievably happy. The new cuff was a sign that she was being allowed to stay at UA, they weren't going to bring her back to the control school! Despite what she'd done, they were letting her stay!

She took a deep breath, relaxed herself, and focused on that comforting shape and the soft weight of it. The door slid open easily, letting her into her classroom. Like before, Iida was the only one inside. He gave his loud and sharp greeting before returning to his stiff silence.

Otsuka gave a weak response before sitting down in the back of the classroom and laying her head in her hands, trying to get some sleep since she'd missed out on a lot last night. She just wanted to drift off, forget about yesterday if she could. She was never going to be able to look Kirishima in the eye, glad as she was to be allowed to stay at UA, being stuck with him in a classroom was going to be awful. And her class probably hated her for-

Too late for that now. She just kept her eyes closed like her class wouldn't have to exist if she couldn't see anything, and ignored the slightly dizzy sensation she felt as her mind actually started to wander into the dream realm.

She startled at a tap on the table right in front of her and found herself face to face with a grinning Kirishima. Otsuka froze, almost tempted to rub her eyes to make sure she was seeing things correctly. Kirishima had come to her, seemingly willingly since there was nobody forcing him to be beside her (not that she knew anyone who'd do that). Seeing him, she was completely unable to bring a single word to her tongue, let alone string together an apology.

"I just wanted to thank you for yesterday!"

Wait... backtrack. Repeat.

... Thank you... for yesterday...

Thank. He wanted... to thank her? To thank her? For almost killing him? He said thank? Thank?

Thank?

Thank is a very strange word.

"Whatever you did, it left me super energised, all that plus I don't think I've slept so well in years. So thanks!"

Otsuka blinked. He was definitely saying 'thank you'. He definitely wasn't saying anything else.

He was...

This was...

She pinched herself, hard, and withheld her instinct to blurt out an 'Ow'. This wasn't a dream.

This was really, actually, seriously real and most definitely happening.

She wanted to apologise for yesterday, she wanted to say he was welcome for whatever good might have come from it (something good came from it, what the fu-). She wanted to say anything.

"Uh, I-I don't think I did-"

"Your quirk is really awesome, you know!"