There was no more peace and quiet on the isolated property that was supposed to provide shelter for the students. "Why does everyone look so silly?" Kaede looked down at Eri, who was following her all the while Kaede was clarifying important matters. "What do you mean sweetie?" "I mean everyone. They look all sad and tense. You look tense." Kaede didn't want her own mood to transfer to Eri. "It's not so bad, I just need a minute to adjust to the new situation and then I'll be happy again." "Promise?" "Promise." It was easier to talk like that. There was so much to do, and so little time. "Eri, can you find Areza and give her this?" Eri took the note proudly in her hands. "Yes, I'll help!" Kaede looked anxiously after the girl. This was no place for Eri. Actually, it was no place for any of them, they were all too young. When a shadow peeled out of the wall behind her, she thought it was over. Millions of little stitches ran through her body, urging her to finish quickly so she could help the others, but she quickly recognised the figure. She pushed Katsuki against the wall and stared into his eyes. "You shouldn't sneak up on me. Especially not when we're about to have a fight-" Now he pressed her against the wall and gently pressed his lips to hers as she melted into the kiss. "What's wrong?" He paused at her lip, nibbling at it as he searched her eyes for an answer. "This is not the time Katsuki." "Oh, I think it is. It could be our last moment." Concern was written on her forehead. "You really think so?" He broke away from her lips but still held her hands. "Idiot, of course not. We'll defeat those bastards and then we'll go back to school. All these extras here are getting on my nerves." She laughed. "I needed to hear that, thank u." He rolled his eyes. "I thought you were smart enough to know that." "Well, the others don't see it as optimistically as you do." "I'm not optimistic, that's stupid. I'm realistic." "If you say so." "I can say so much more." He leaned against her forehead and she smiled gently. "You don't have to say anything. Let's just enjoy the silence together." You could say they had forgotten they were standing in the middle of the corridor in a building full of people. The silence didn't last long. "Do you think it's time to let the others know?" He opened his eyes. "I'll kill them if they bug us, so yeah, I don't care. How are you going to tell the extras?" She grinned. "Oh I won't tell them." Confusion flashed briefly in his gaze, but Kaede pulled him close and pressed her lips to his. He forgot his thoughts, thinking only of the person in front of him whom he wanted to touch. The kiss felt like an eternity and yet it was too short. Kaede broke away again and looked to her right. "What's there?" Annoyed, Katsuki looked in that direction too. "Toru was just there. She'll tell the others. And you know what's best?" "Mhh?" She beamed so much that he forgot to be in a bad mood. "Maybe they'll get so into it that they'll forget about the fight."
Kaede and Katsuki entered the room side by side. Together they stared at the chaos. "...you have to give me the 50!" "But we all found out at the same time." "Toru knew first." "No, Eijiro." "Just give them the money guys." "You're just saying that because you lost." "I'm saying that because it's the longest bet I've ever participated in." "They just needed time." "But I thought they were faster! That's unfair, just because they're so slow!" "Guys?" They turned to Kaede as if she were a rabbit and the others foxes. "Find a room!" Mina threw a pillow at her. "We're not doing anything." "Exactly! You weren't doing anything! How long has this been going on without us noticing???????" The question lingered until Kaede meekly replied, "Since the day we were buried at Hawk's mission." "Kaede!" "I know, I know-" "Girl, you're making me rich!" "I- what?" Mina turned back to the table where Hanta and Kyoka were still looking over a list. "Then Mina does get more money, shit." Kaede pulled Katsuki over to a sofa as he seemed to be losing his patience once again. Kaede cleared her throat. "Guys, I'd like to make an announcement! Katsuki and I are getting married." It was hilarious. Not only because the others at the table froze and went completely quiet as if they were rethinking their whole existence, but because katsuki had gone completely pale and was staring at Kaede as if she had lost her mind. He only relaxed when Kaede grinned. "Just a joke to get you to stop betting on us." Mina threw herself on top of her, a pillow in her hand, which she pressed against Kaede's face. Katsuki pushed them both away from him so they ended up wrestling on the floor. "Don't worry Katsuki, I'll let your lover live" "Tch, shut up." "Bakubro, be happy you don't have to keep it a secret anymore." He sat next to Eijiro with his hands clasped. "We didn't make a secret of it, you extras were just blind." "Rude." "What did you say!?"
Even if it lightened the mood a little, the thought of an imminent fight remained. As everyone made their way to the dining hall, no one paid attention to Kaede and Katsuki among all the people. Kaede felt his hand close around hers and intertwined her fingers with his. She just nodded, unable to do anything else. The students stared at her. Kaede understood at that moment that a hero not only saves in battle and heals afterwards, but also builds before. "Don't look at me like you're little children." Their eyes widened. "Why are you looking at me so shocked, it's the truth. Eri is more mature than you at this moment. It's okay to be scared and it's okay to doubt, but you are not allowed to hesitate. Hesitation will not only cost you your own life but also the one you might have saved." They seemed to understand what she meant. "I take your pessimism quite personally too, I must say. Do you not trust in my abilities, or better yet. Don't you have faith in your own abilities? We have a plan that involves each one of you, each one is important to the whole, so we look out for each one. I will not allow anyone to get lost along the way, understand? Looks that way. So to the plan..."
She felt the tension, but she accepted it. Maybe it was a good thing. "Katsuki?" He answered over her comm. "What?" She had to smile because he sounded just as annoyed as ever. "I just wanted to hear your voice." He was silent for a moment. "Are you crying?" "Huh no." "You sound like it." "Really?" "Yes." "Now I'm in a bad mood." "Bad moods are better than crying." "I wasn't crying." "I love you." She replied without hesitation. "I love you too." A voice she couldn't identify spoke through the comm. "You guys are so sweet!" Then a very large number spoke at once, so that a shrill sound rang out until someone muted them all. Then Tenya spoke. "Next time you want to talk privately you should make sure you BOTH have your comm set to private." Mina also called through the comm. "Thanks for the conversation guys!" Areza reported from inside the building. "I should tell Eri everything we're picking up on the comms, but I think I'll leave that out." Kaede would have liked to sink into the ground. At least they couldn't see how red she was. "You're an idiot." She didn't even contradict him. "You are an idiot and always have been and I couldn't help but worry about you every time. I worry about you now too, but it helps me to think about all the shit you've done and survived." "Like what?" "Well, you were bound to forget. Do you remember the training camp? You were an idiot to follow me through the portal, but you did it for me. And when we escaped I couldn't save you, that bird had to come." "Isn't that what we were talking about then?" "Yes, exactly. You sat next to me and you talked and my heart beat louder than ever before. You were there for me when I didn't fuckin' feel like it, and not just once. All the time. You're there when I don't even realise I need you. But I do, Kaede. I need you, and I don't think I can do without you again." "But you were there for me too Kats. No matter how many times I let you down and lost control, you forgave me. No matter how many times I lost myself and overdid it and forgot who I was, you reminded me. You were there when I didn't want to be there myself." "That sounds weird." "I think it sounds philosophical." She exhaled. "Remember in training when Aizawa said I had to save myself before I could save others?" "Yes?" "I don't think he was right. I didn't save myself, you did." "And how do you think I did that?" "You showed me that I myself am in control of whether I repeat my mistakes. You showed me what love is and now that I know.... I don't think I can live without you either Katsuki." "Then we know what we have to do, right?" "We will survive. Live." "I was going to say we're going to send those bastards of villains back to whatever shithole they crawled out of, but we can do both." "They're coming."