Third person pov
Kirishima was absolutely vibrating with excitement. He could not, for the life of him, sit still. He'd spent all morning agonizing over what to wear. He'd changed about six times before one of his moms burst in the room and picked his outfit for him. It was embarrassing to think about, but he couldn't deny that it looked far better than any of the things he'd thrown together on his own. She'd almost said no to his Crocs, but the look on his face must've deterred her from doing so, because she'd allowed him to leave the house without a word. Normally, she put up more resistance when he tried to leave the house in his favorite pair.
Now he sat at a table at a cafe. Harper was five minutes late, but he wouldn't care much even if she stood him up. The novelty of being asked out by her of all people was elating enough as it was. Though, he did think he'd cry for a day straight if she by chance didn't show up. He didn't think that was the case. She'd texted him that she may be a few minutes off their scheduled time, but that she swore she'd be there. Kirishima was 101% sure Harper was trustworthy. Plus, she'd see him in class. Not making an appearance would only make things awkward, right?
Harper was special. Way different than other girls. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he did. The moment he saw her, it became clear. She was the only girl for him! She'd proved to be stubborn, and sleep-deprived, and generally blunt to anyone who tried talking to her. The brunette actually came off as rude to people who didn't really know her, but Kirishima could see past all that. She was someone who cared. Harper put other people before herself, and not a lot of people did that these days, even within the hero community. It was incredibly alluring in his eyes.
So knowing the girl of his dreams would be showing up any second to trust him with something she hadn't told anyone else in class, he couldn't get himself to stop buzzing. He continuously shifted, trying not to grin to himself. This wasn't just a date, and he knew that! It was a serious conversation they were going to have. There was a lot he didn't know. Some things about Harper didn't add up, and that had become abundantly clear in Hosu. He hoped it wasn't anything too earth shattering. The redhead knew better than to hope, but he couldn't help himself! He was totally taken with this girl, so it was only natural he'd be praying for the best. Right?
Harper didn't really enjoy running, but was sprinting down the sidewalk anyway. After telling them she had a date out of nowhere, she'd rushed off to the bathroom and slid out the window to get away. Kurogiri and Dabi had of course scrambled after her, but she wasn't an idiot. She'd locked the door. Of course, dropping an entire story down and into some bushes had left her a little scratched up, but knowing Kirishima, he'd probably find it endearing. Now she was just trying to lose her new bodyguard and the EX. Warp Gate villain that seemed to have decided to attach himself to her at the hip. He was like a toddler who was too attached to their mother. It was ridiculous.
She knew ditching them was dangerous. Villains had their eyes on her, and she was rushing out here with no protection whatsoever. It's not like she could help herself. Harper doubted Kirishima would appreciate an intimidating man covered in scars and someone he knew to be a villain hovering around while they tried to talk. Besides, this 'date' would be hard enough as it was. She had secrets to spill, and some of them weren't going to be to his liking. The mind-reading thing was dicey, and the fact that Sero was a traitor was even more so.
Harper slid around the corner. She wasn't wearing anything fancy. Yeah, the girl had tackled her hair with a brush, and had ditched her usual sweat pants, but it still wasn't much. Jeans and a T-shirt didn't really qualify as 'date' material in her opinion, but it's not like showing up in pajamas would've been acceptable. Was this even a date? She'd offered it to be, but knew shit was going to hit the fan the second she started hashing out all her secrets. Kirishima was a great guy who liked her-- for whatever reason, she still didn't know-- but lies were lies. Harper had been hiding a lot of important shit. If worse came to worse, she'd blame Nezu. Half of this was his fault anyway.
Kirishima's thoughts were loud enough that Harper saw him before he saw her. They were going absolutely haywire as he stared down at his hands, which were folded on top of the table as he mulled over their meeting. She was glad he wasn't in overly-formal clothes, instead dressed in something more casual, like she was. She'd have died if he'd showed up in a button up while she was over here in a faded graphic T-shirt and a pair of jeans that probably needed to be washed. Whatever. At this rate, Kirishima was going to have better luck finding a date on Tinder. This would top the worst for catfishes. Her entire life and background was fake. Sure, her looks weren't, and her personality was as painfully genuine as it got, but the skeletons in her closet were worth a second glance or eight.
"I wonder what she has to tell me. I hope it's nothing bad. I'd probably still love her even if it was. No, I definitely would. Yeah! We're soulmates. I'm definitely sure. How else is it possible that I fell in love at first sight? It's got to be fate." Kirishima mulled as Harper approached, trying to catch her breath. Thank god she'd remembered to put on deodorant. "Having a crush is hard! I've never had one this bad before. I guess Harper is just different. I doubt she'll ever like me, but- Oh, she's here!"
"Hey." Harper greeted as he looked up, pulling the chair across from him out. The redhead looked stunned by her sudden appearance, blinking wide-eyed at her as he processed. Harper wiped the sweat from her brow. "Sorry I'm late. Had to lose my protection detail. You know how cops are."
"R-Right." Kirishima sputtered out, still gaping. "Wow. She's here. Holy shit, she came! Of course she did. She said she would. She looks so cute. Holy shit, she's in casual clothes. Not a school uniform, or her hero costume! This is totally fucking insane! Wow, I need to calm down. Deep breaths. Play it cool. We're just two friends, meeting up to have a nonchalant.... a-a nonchalant... holyshitwe'reonadate-"
"Right, alright. I'm sure you're wondering why my sorry as asked you to meet with me in the first place." Harper blew out a puff of air as she plopped down. Wow, off the a great start. That's totally what anyone and everyone in love wants to hear from the person they adore, even if their crush is extremely misplaced. Harper would have to convince Aizawa to assign Kirishima some extra lessons in judgement. His decision making skills appeared to be fairly shot in some regions. Namely the romance ones. Who saw a scruffy teenage girl with bags under her eyes and clear mental issues and decided 'Oh, hey! I'd hit that!'?
"I-I mean, a bit." Kirishima cleared his throat. "Shit, I keep stuttering. Why am I this nervous? Oh, god, did she ask me here to break up with me?! Wait, we're not together... did she ask me here to get with me, and then break up with me?! Holy shit, that makes so much more sense! What did I do wrong? Was it the donuts? I knew I overstepped. Dammit-"
"Look, it's pretty serious stuff. I haven't been completely... honest with you, or the rest of our classmates." Harper gave him an odd look. She would've assumed he'd think she was here to tell him she was a lesbian, if nothing else. Not that she was, but that's where her mind would immediately jump were she in his position. The reality of what she had to say was far more serious. Her tone and expression must've conveyed that, because he suddenly looked a lot more composed. At least that was something. She was fucking tired, having visited the hospital so she could see Iida and Tensei both get released. The younger of the two had hugged her for a solid half hour and cried on her shoulder while she tensely patted his back. Kurogiri had gotten antsy in that time, and Tsukauchi ended up climbing into the back seat to put him a choke hold so he wouldn't warp into the hospital and give himself away.
"Yeah, I get it. I've been thinking about it a lot, but you can trust me! I've totally got your back." He gave a sharp-toothed grin, and Harper detected no lies. This guy was too earnest for his own good. He was about to get a real wake-up call. The can of worms she was about to pop open couldn't be closed again once the top was off. She was severely regretting her decision to spill the beans rather than bullshitting her way through, but he'd seen too much. It was this or killing him. The latter of those two options really wasn't a possibility unless she fancied the cell between Sero's and Stain's. Besides, what did she have to lose from telling him? Worst case scenario, he told the rest of the class and they decided to hate her. It's not like she gave two shits. Kirishima's thoughts persisted. "Okay, no more games! This is serious! I've got to keep my game-face on. Harper is counting on me."
"Let's cut to the chase so we can grab some food. If you don't decide to walk off on me after this." Harper's words made him perk up considerably. Harper wanted to go lay down in the middle of the road and wait for a semi to run her over. "I don't have a reflex quirk. That's just some bullshit Nezu had me say to hide the actual power I was born with when he brought me in. I'm not a transfer from another hero school, either."
Kirishima's face blanked out for a second. She couldn't blame him, as what she'd just put out there was anything but what he'd probably been expecting. His entire mind stalled for a good moment or so before it kicked back into gear again. It sputtered to life like an old lawn mower, the thoughts coming in slow jolts before revving back up again. "Wait, that's not her quirk? And she's not a transfer? That actually... sort of makes sense now that I think about it, but why?Why would Principal Nezu bring her in if not to transfer from another school?"
"After the USJ attack, it became very clear there was a traitor amongst either the student body in the Hero Course, or the teaching staff. That's why he chose me to enter UA under guise of a student. And I am a student, now that I've caught the traitor. So it's not like I'm faking you out there. I really am going to become a hero." Harper folded her hands under her chin as Kirishima flinched, the gears in his brain moving. He wasn't an idiot. He grinned and acted like a goofball, but he had a good head on his shoulders. It didn't take him long to connect the dots. When he did, she could see the color drain from his face.
"W-Wait, so Sero..." The redhead trailed off, a sinking feeling in his chest. This was more serious than he'd thought, but it all made sense. Harper had really put herself in the League of Villains' spotlight just to protect them, despite not knowing them? A-And Sero, someone Kirishima saw as a friend.... "I can't believe it. Sero was the traitor this whole time?! I let him into my house! I... I hung out with him, and ate lunch with him everyday. And it was all fake?! Holy shit... Holy fucking shit! No way!"
"He's been detained, yes. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but if the traitor knew, he'd obviously report back to his superiors and all that bullshit." Harper sighed heavily, lowering her gaze to the table. "Before I caught Sero, I caught the janitorial staff planning a bombing at the Sports Festival. This got the League's eyes on me. I then caught the gardener, and they kidnapped me. Kurogiri grabbed me right off the damn street."
Kirishima's gaze shot to meet hers, and one of his hands moved forward almost as though to grasp her for comfort. Like she'd drop through a portal right at this very second if he didn't. He stopped himself, his eyes urging her to continue. "This is intense. She's been through so much for UA. I don't even care that she lied! It's not like it was her idea. Besides, it's better that way. What if there's another traitor on staff? If everyone at UA knew her quirk, the villains would too. We'd have no upper hand. Speaking of her quirk..."
"It was just Shigaraki and Kurogiri who met with me in this dingy old bar. One thing you've got to know about Kurogiri is that, before he met me, he felt no emotion. None. He joined the League because someone promised him he'd be able to feel again, but they never delivered. So when I used my quirk to push emotion into him as a distraction, he was pretty taken aback. It allowed me to escape at the time, and I didn't really know what I'd done, or that my diversion had caught his attention. I was too scared shitless to care." Harper rolled her shoulders, leaning back in her seat. So far, so good. Only she hadn't dropped the actual bomb yet. The fact that Kirishima's secrets weren't secrets at all.
"So he was looking for emotion, and you gave it to him with your real quirk... is that why he's with you now?" Kirishima seemed to come to the resolution all on his own, realization dawning on his face like a wave crashing over him. "That makes so much more sense. That's why he grabbed her at Hosu. He wanted her to give him emotions again with her quirk, and then switched sides when he got what he was looking for. That's why he was so emotional. He hadn't had emotions for... well, I don't know how long, but probably a long time!"
"Exactly. He has the ability to feel guilt now, and isn't a bad guy. I trust him." Harper shrugged, letting out a deep breath of air. "Anyway, I lied when I was kidnapped. Told them about my fake reflex quirk, and told them that Tsukauchi Naomasa, the detective I now live with and who was present when UA's maintenance staff was arrested, was my father. And that I disappeared at the time of the arrests to see him. They bought it, Nezu changed my files. My parents went to stay somewhere else."
"Whoa, so you've been separated from your parents too? That's... That's terrible. Don't you miss them?" Kirishima frowned. "Don't cry. Crying isn't manly unless it's happy crying. Harper is just... she's just so cool! This is why I'm in love with her. She's a badass, and she cares about others. So womanly."
"Yeah, but I'll see them again eventually. I have a decent idea of where they probably are." Harper took a deep breath. No sense beating around the bush, right? Kurogiri was getting closer and closer too, and Dabi was probably with him. The emotional bond she had with the Warp Gate User was getting shorter by the second, meaning he was approaching. "Look, Nezu brought me in due to the invasive nature of my quirk. My quirk... doesn't let people keep secrets from me. It's why I interned with the police, because it's useful for interrogations. It's the reason I get headaches, and why I'm so cynical all the damn time. I can't turn it off. It's been on since I was four, and... yeah, I can read minds."
Again, Kirishima stalled. Harper held back a wince, bracing for the worst, but hoping for the best. She could only watch him very slowly process what she'd just said. All the loose puzzle pieces he had scattered about his mind slid into place. His crimson eyes gradually grew wider, his lips parting in surprise and a vibrant redness climbing up his neck. His thoughts were going rapid fire. "She can read minds. That makes sense. Badass. The coolest quirk ever. She knows I'm in love with her. She just heard that. She's hearing all of this. She's been hearing all of it! Wait, she didn't reject me! Wait, but that would've given her quirk away. Oh my god, she probably thinks I'm such a creep! I am a creep! Holy shit, I'm freaking out. She probably hates me and thinks I'm a pervert. Someone kill me. With a rocket launcher. Twice."
"You're fine, Kirishima. Why do you think I asked you out on a date? Nobody likes me. I have to shoot my shot when I see a goal." Harper assured awkwardly, and he looked even more mind-blown. His eyes were absolutely popping out of his sockets as he gazed at her, his breath stuck in his throat. Harper's nose scrunched up. How the fuck did she deal with this? "Too soon? Eh, what the hell. At least you don't seem to hate me like most people do. Yes, I just heard you say you love me. It's sort of flattering actually. Weird, but- don't pass out. Fuck man, it's fine. I don't care if you have a picture of my on your phone. Okay, it being your wallpaper is questionable, but I'm not here to stop you from living your life."
"Oh my god, you're replying to my thoughts." Kirishima wheezed, finally seeming to find his voice. He took a deep breath, still looking as though he'd just been told he was a father of three. "That's... holy shit. Holy shit."
"Not the best quirk, but it gets me the information I need. It's a piece of shit to deal with, but..." Harper trailed off, brows furrowing as her eyes found something behind Kirishima. She squinted. Way down the street, sprinting down the sidewalk, was without a doubt Kurogiri. He was in a hoodie and jeans. Getting him into casual clothes had been a battle, but Harper had threatened to pull his Game Cube privilege and he's readily resigned. He looked odd, rocketing towards them with a very frustrated and sweaty looking Dabi on his tail. Kirishima seemed to calm down slightly when he saw her distracted expression, twisting around to see what she was looking at.
"Are they your bodyguards?" Kirishima sputtered, eyes going wide. "It would make sense that they'd be watching her. After getting Kurogiri, the League's got to be out for her blood!"
"I may have ninja-ed my way out the bathroom window to come here alone." Harper shrugged and stood up. "Let's try and lose the little shits."
Kirishima whipped to face her. Harper half expected him to awkwardly refuse and cut their 'date' short, but his eyes were alight with excitement at the prospect. He totally just breezed past the load of information she'd dumped on him. He was, seemingly, over it. It was what it was, he supposed. Literally. Harper just shrugged and cracked her back. If that's how he wanted to see it, she wouldn't stop him Kurogiri and Dabi were a block down, but they'd need to move before he finally spotted them and dropped a warp gate under her. Kirishima grinned wickedly at her when he realized she has being serious. "This is the best day of my life. She can read my thoughts, but like, oh well. What am I going to do? She already knows everything anyway! I have nothing to lose!"
"Make sure to weave unless you want to get warped." Harper jerked her head to the side. "Let's go find a place that sells donuts."
"Sounds like a plan!" Kirishima exclaimed happily, and then they were off. Kurogiri noticed them and a gate almost immediately formed before them, but Harper's emotional bond with the ex villain allowed her to get a vague idea of where he'd be using his quirk. She yanked Kirishima to the side, and they shot down an alleyway as Kurogiri warped closer. The redhead pulled her over a gate that formed in the slight space between them, and Harper was already getting ready to give up on running. She wasn't in shape. This was a shitty idea.
It had gone better than she thought. Harper wasn't social, but having allies was good. Especially one she could have during class. It was almost nice to have a peer who knew. One who could look at the insanity surrounding her, and understand it with a nod of their head. Though it was still shocking and not really orthodox, at least someone who didn't hate her knew. It felt... good. She had friends now, but this felt different. She hadn't realized how heavy lying was until she'd stopped. Her conscious felt lighter now, as lame as that was.
"Hey, only Tsukauchi knows this, but it burdens me everyday." Harper said breathlessly as they ran. "In the spirit of transparency... Endeavor is a furry."
Kirishima tripped. As if on cue, a huge hole opened up beneath them, sending them plummeting down. It all happened so quickly that Harper couldn't really help herself. She burst out laughing.