I know that I say things like this all the time, but please understand that I am so thankful for your dedication and commitment to reading this story. Thank you all so much.
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The news reporter waited patiently for the nod of the cameraman. When it finally came, she smiled and held the microphone to her face. “The crowd outside UA grows larger as we wait for the students to exit. Just this morning, the academy held its graduation ceremony for the first year students. While they continue the ceremony for the second and third years, the youngest class was given permission to leave as they please.” She turned, her black pencil skirt shifting as her legs move. “As you can see, many news stations from around the world have come to watch the students-- Oh! Here they come!” Her brown eyes widen with excitement as the camera pans to the school’s open security gates.
A large line of general studies students walk out, many of them smiling and cheering. A certain boy in specific only rolled his lavender eyes while trying to get out of the crowd as soon as possible. The business course students walked out after them, then followed by the teenagers in the support course. From within that group, a girl with bright amber eyes and pink hair stood out. Not because of the odd colors on her top, but because of the hover machines sending her higher than all of her classmates. They only ignored her as she received an uproar, continuing their way to the streets.
Finally, the hero course students. Class A and B walked out with huge smiles on their faces. Everyone from the crowd had recognized them, and the cheers seemed to get louder. Bakugou looked around the citizens, spotting his mother and father. Mitsuki smiled, her crimson eyes shining with pride. Next to her stood the boy’s father. The brown-haired man was in shambles, though he looked so proud.
It wasn’t only Bakugou’s parents who were there. Sero’s grandmother, Midoryia’s mom, Jirou’s parents, Tsu’s family; everyone was there for a reason. The air was filled with emotions, all of them positive.
That day had been a great break from all of the legal things you had to do. You were there to witness Shoji’s graduation, and left with the parents and families to flood the streets. Shoji’s eyes searched the crowd for his parents and you, finally waving once you both were spotted. From the look in his eyes, you could tell there was a smile underneath his mask. He deserved it, the whole ceremony and everything. He’s come such a long way from what he once was. Even though you weren’t there for all of it, you were there for a lot of it. It was great to see him finally completing his first year of high school.
From your capture to right now, it had been almost a month. You were forced to talk to countless police officers and pro heroes, which was exhausting in itself. Though it may have been hard for you, there were people who made you feel as though it never happened. For example, Aizawa never treated you any different. You weren’t given some special treatment, or a luxury pass on his attitude. He didn’t want to single you out, nor did he want it to seem like he was picking favorites.
Your friends treated you the same, too, but kids like Mina and Kirishima showed their relief for your return in so many ways. They had taken you out to eat, invited you over constantly, visited you at work, and practically third-wheeled on a date you went on with Shoji. Though, neither you nor the dupli-armed boy seemed to mind. Yaomomo had given you a bouquet of roses she bought, and Iida gifted you books that you said you’ve always wanted to read. Even Bakugou found something for the two of you to do together. Though it wasn’t necessarily fun, he helped you train. He brought you out into the woods on the outskirts of the city and showed you all the things he likes to do when he trains. At first you thought it was going to be difficult, given that the usage of your quirk still makes you anxious. He somehow found a way to get you to use it in a way that made you feel comfortable.
When you and Shoji had some alone time, you even showed him how your quirk worked on a glass of water. The substance that fell out was more like plastic, rather than Jell-O. It was impressive to see how much you’ve learned about your quirk in such a short span of time.
After the day of graduation, the students all had a full seven days of break. The first week of April would be when the students start going back to school, so they were all exhausted. However, they know that their second year was important. Aizawa had been keeping track of the student’s and their scores in the quirk apprehension tests. They were asked to take one at the end of the year as well. They’re places didn’t change much, though Midoryia came in a much higher place. Shoji had placed seventh, dropping down only because of Midoriya’s score. He was extremely proud of himself or being able to keep up with the rest of his classmates.
After some training, Aizawa had asked you to take the same test and compare your scores to the former first years. When you had taken it, Ectoplasm had been the one hosting it for you. He said that your scores from the last one had improved, but not greatly. Out of the class you were aiming to get into, you ended up coming in last place by a landslide. Realistically, that’s what you expected.
Though, Ectoplasm pulled you aside and began to speak to you about joining class 2B. Sure, you wouldn’t be with the class you wanted to be with, but your scores fit them better than anything. Out of twenty-one, you would’ve ranked seventeenth. Not exactly the best, but it was reasonable given that you hadn’t truly worked for your strength. Training with Bakugou would occasionally make you realize you have to start working harder for what you want.
So, in the week you had off while Nedzu began to finalize the decision, you asked to work with Ectoplasm. Shoji was asked personally by the mentor to assist in your training because of his connection with you. He’d also have an opportunity to better himself with this training.
It was currently a Saturday, and you woke up earlier than you would’ve liked to. Your mentor has asked you to meet him in the lobby of your apartment building at around nine in the morning. You agreed to it, honestly not having any other choice. The current time was seven in the morning, and the idea of showering came to your mind. It was soon dismissed, though, given that you might need one after the day is through.
From next to you on the bedside table, your phone began to vibrate. The caller had a blank picture and two simple blue hearts as their name. A smile comes to your face as you reach for the phone. “Hey, Handsome.”
There’s a stutter on the other end. “Oh, hush. I was calling to make sure you were awake. Did you forget about Ectoplasm?” He asks, the sound of honking horns coming from his end causing his voice to sound choppy.
“Uhm, no. I had an alarm set for eight, but I woke up like three minutes ago. Why are you making sure I’m up now?” Your body cracks like a glow stick as you stand, causing you to groan and contort your face in a cringe worthy manner.
The outside noises stop as you hear a door close on Shoji’s end. “I’m asking because I just got to your apartment. I tried to call you two other times, but you don’t have your ringer on, I’m guessing.” He huffs.
All you can do is chuckle and roll your eyes. “Shut up, it’s on,” you trail off with a grin, “sometimes.”
“You’re unbelievable.” He huffs, stepping into the elevator. “I’ll talk to you in a minute.”
You walk to the bathroom and look at your attire. “Okay.” He hangs up the phone after a couple second pause.
The fact that he randomly shows up to your apartment doesn’t seem to surprise you like it used to. Of course, it still warmed your heart to see that he cared so much about you. Making a trip from the dorms to your apartment was no easy task, but he always did it with a smile on his face.
A knock sounded at your door, causing you to smile and walk over to the large, wooden blockade. You twist the deadbolt before swinging it open with ease. On the other side stands a tall and handsome young man. His black tank top fits well with his camo sweatpants and black pair of combat boots. “Good morning.” You hum, moving out of his way to let him in.
He smiles and nods, walking through the door. Like always, he kicks off his boots and sets them by the door. “Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?”
You nod with a smile on your face as Shoji walks over to the curtains. His hands grip them tightly before sliding them wide open. The sunlight floods into the room, outlining your boyfriend’s silhouette in a godly glow. For a moment, you gawk. Sure, you get to see him like this at any time you please, but it’s still hard to comprehend that this man was all yours.
“Mezo,” You start, taking a few steps closer to him with your arms outstretched, “c’mere.” You pout like a child, your bottom lip coming out just a little bit. Your hands wave dramatically as he walks over slowly.
His head cocks to the side as he goes to grab you. “Is something wrong?” With ease, he scoops you up like it’s nothing. A set of limbs rests under your arms, his elbows resting on your hips. The last two grab your thighs and legs and wrap them around his torso.
“No, nothing’s wrong.” The feeling of Shoji’s hands on your body brings you an odd amount of comfort. “I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me.” You smile, kissing his cheek before nuzzling your face into his neck.
The boy smiles, his eyes shining as you speak. "Oh, really?" A sensation comes over the boy as his heart skips a beat. “You’re too cute, you know that?”
You huff, crossing your arms while using his like a chair. “Uhm, no. You’re just a softie and a complete sucker for my love and affection.”
A smile comes to his face, his eyes squinting just slightly. “You’re right.” The feeling of his covered lips against your cheek makes you smile. He leans over and allows your legs to hit the ground once again, your socks sliding slightly on the floor.
“So, what do you know about the training we’re going to be doing with Ectoplasm?” You ask, turning towards your bedroom. With a wave of your hand, he slowly follows a few steps behind you.
All six of his shoulders rise and fall in unison. “Not really. He wasn’t very descriptive with the details.”
“Have you ever worked with him? Like, one on one?” You question while stretching your arms upwards. Shoji stops at your door frame, resting his back against it so he can’t see you.
He thinks for a moment, looking out of your room and into the small hallway that leads to the kitchen. “Yes, once. He created clones of himself with his quirk and ended up assisting the whole class with combat training.”
You nod in understanding, though you know he can’t see you. Just to make sure he isn’t looking at you, you wave a hand at him to see if he has a reaction. Luckily, he doesn’t, so you remove your light t-shirt and replace it with a long-sleeved Under Armor shirt. The fabric is tight along your skin, but exposing your arms during training would make you feel uncomfortable and insecure. Hopefully it’s not too much trouble. The bagginess of your sweatpants soon disappears as you slide the loose fabric off your skin. They fall to the floor before you kick them towards the laundry basket. “Should I wear leggings or yoga pants?” You ask aloud, rummaging through your closet.
“Because you don’t have a hero costume, maybe leggings would work best. Maybe even a pair of shorts. It’s not cold outside, so they’d probably work best if you were looking at the comfort aspect of your training.” He states, looking down the hall a little bit. His true pair of arms stays folded along his chest, where his tentacles lay motionless at his sides.
You laugh softly to yourself, trying to brush off the feeling of discomfort in your body. “I only own like two pairs of shorts, and neither of them are meant for a workout.” From the closet, you pull out a pair of plain black leggings. They slide onto your body nicely, covering your scar-lined thighs.
Shoji looks up at the top of the door frame while extending a mouth out to you. “Why only two pairs? I thought you said you liked to lounge in them when no one’s here.” He ponders for a moment.
Your shoulders rise and fall. “That’s the only time I’ll ever wear them. I don’t like wearing them in front of people.” The leggings around your body feel snug and comfortable as you walk past your towering boyfriend. He looks at you with a confused look, following you down the hallway and into your kitchen. “I don’t like my legs.” You state bluntly, opening the fridge before grabbing out a gallon of milk.
“Why not?” Shoji asked as if he was genuinely confused.
“You’re not seriously asking that, are you?” You ask, baffled. All the boy across from you does is cover his chest with his arms. His muscles flex as he cocks his head to the side. “Don’t look at me like that.”
The boy laughs softly, walking towards you with his arms outstretched. Your body is soon wrapped in warmth as he hugs you close to him. The affection he showed when the two of you were alone was plentiful, though was very rare around other people. The most he would do when you were surrounded by others is hold your hand. Never would he hold you close to him, nor try to kiss you. Occasionally, he would let you rest against him while watching a movie with friends in the dorm rooms. It was nice to receive attention from someone, especially from a boy you cared so deeply about.
His hand had snaked its way under your chin, lifting your whole head to look into his eyes. “I’m not going to push, it seems to be a touchy subject. You’re beautiful to me, remember that.” His clothed lips press against your forehead with a small hum, causing you to smile and wrap your hands around his built torso.