Momo walked into the common room, met by a familiar sight. In the midst of the seating area, her classmates mingled mindlessly, flipping through books, scrolling through their phones.

It reminded her of the Christmas party. The lack of color and smiles opposed her once overjoyed friends.

"I wanted to cook a big dinner tonight," She said, rubbing her arm as she poised herself on the armchair beside Mina and Sero. "Celebrate our internships, ya know?"

"That sounds nice," Uraraka smiled, sitting beside Deku as they both read a book on hero history.

"I went to the store and got groceries with Tsu." Momo peered down at the plastic bag hooked on her fingers. The thing rustled in her grip as she stared down at the ice cream she'd gotten everyone for dessert.

"It feels wrong to have another big dinner without her," Kirishima muttered from the chair in his lonesome.

"Yeah," Jirou agreed, crisscrossed on the ground, rocking back and forth as she held her ankles. "Even if she was sad those last few weeks, y/n always managed to make me laugh."

"She makes you laugh!?" Kaminari was flabbergasted, jaw-dropped, and all. Momo scoffed out a smile at the doe-ness with which he gazed at Jirou. "Even I can't make you laugh."

"You don't make anyone laugh Denki," Sero muttered, lazily falling onto Mina's shoulder.

"I totally do!" he countered, fussy. "Don't I, Jirou? You think I'm funny, right?"

"Shut up, dingus," Jirou said, blush striking her cheeks as Denki leaned in close to ask the question.

From his spot, cozy beside Uraraka, Deku watched his friends, some gathered on the floor, the couches- some in the kitchen, others resting in their dorm rooms. The mention of your name still struck him somehow.

In this very room, he'd once found you desperately clinging to sanity as you clung to a knife. Both you and Kacchan were having a hard time back then. It felt like an eternity ago.

Though the boy missed you; He missed your sarcastic wit, relatability, the quiet and not quiet moments of your friendship. A part of him, of One for All, missed the sight of you even more. Nana maybe.

Whatever it was made his heart ache.

"You alright, Deku?" Uraraka blinked up at him.

"Y-yeah," he responded, quickly nodding. Her proximity fled his nose with the scent of roses, something fruitful too. It made him more antsy, nervous, at the same time calm when her warmth brushed his side. He couldn't quite explain it. "I had just had a little meeting with All Might earlier and was thinking about it."

They'd discussed the matter of One for All and learning other quirks, separate from Black Whip's. Float was next. Nana's. The mention of your grandmother, learning her quirk didn't help very much with his missing you. The fact that he had to interact with her more didn't sate her fear for your wellbeing either.

"Was Bakugo there too?" Sero asked.

"Huh?"

"You house arrest boys came back together, so I just assumed." He said, hunching his shoulders.

"Oh, well- yeah- but-"

The door to the stairwell swung open, a boy whizzing by so quickly to the doorway, only blurred colors of clothes and hair caught everyone's attention.

"Kacchan?"

"Bakugo?"

The guy nearly ran out the door without his shoes, quickly stopping, stumbling back to the cubbies and grabbing them as quick as he could. Sweat trailed his forehead. The pulse in his neck visibly throbbed, even from afar.

"Dude?" Kirishima got up from the couch, brows furrowed, and all. "Where are you going?"

"She's gonna do something stupid," He muttered, breathlessly, tying his laces. A burner phone stuck out in his hand. "I gotta stop her-"

"What are you talking about? Wait! Aizawa said we couldn't leave the dorms today!"

Kirishima and Denki both grabbed the boy by the shoulders, barely able stop his trek to the doorway. Deku stood, along with most of the students, but no one dared take a step.

"Get off me!" Bakugo yelled. There was no ire in his motions, no angry frown weighing his forehead, not even a shred of aggression in that voice.

Deku walked towards him. His feet carried him right past the boy fighting against his friends' struggling grips. They poised him right in his way.

"Kacchann," He whispered.

Bakugo looked Deku right in the eye. He'd only seen panic in them like this once.

The boy had no clue where you'd gone. Though, for a long time, he suspected, from the way Todoroki and Kacchann often gazed at one another knowingly, they had their ideas. Maybe it was a secret that floated between them and used the tension as a carrier.

Deku's eyes widened. "You know where she is."

Remorse bit Katsuki's lower lip with his own teeth. But he'd have to come to terms with that later.

"I have to go. She's-"

The front door clicked, unlocked from the outside. The metal's shift alone silenced the entire room. Bakugo stilled, Kaminari and Kirishima's hold faltering. That second that went by before the door finally opened was an eternity. When it did, the winter air flowing in gracelessly, three people filled the entryway.

***

"Shoto," you breathed, walking out onto the cold, dry street from the hero commission office.

Aizawa and Endeavor trailed behind you, keeping lookout for any reports that may intercept you. Although, to be fair, it wasn't like you were very recognizable anymore.

The boy standing, as always, with the liveliness of a stick figure, found you instantly. In the midst of grey, short black hair, and a bittersweet smile unlike any other caught his attention.

Shoto smiled back. With far more relief than you could've expected.

"Hi," He said once you were within earshot. The upturned nature of his lips only intensified as you ran across the sidewalk and jumped into his arms.

"I'm so sorry Sho."

Your voice found its way to his heart before his ears. The sidewalk so populated with passerbyers, cars trailing against the wet roads- they couldn't take his attention away from the hands clutching at the back of his shirt and your head curled against his chest.

"What for?" The boy chuckled, rubbing a hand gently up and down your back.

You sniffled, eyes meeting his again with utter dread. Fingertips, cold and worn, reached for the hair now growing to his ears.

"I wasn't here to cut your hair."

And what a you thing it was to be in tears over such a thing.

"I like it long," Shoto said, hunching his shoulders once, patting your hair now probably the same length as his. "It doesn't bother me."

You nodded, wiping your nose.

"I'm also sorry for- ya know- just-"

"Yeah." The boy held your hands in his, warming them as much as he could. "I know."

Letting you go after that letter was one of the hardest undertakings of his life. You'd written the truth, where you were off to, what you were going to do, what you needed to do. You didn't leave out how much Shoto meant though, his place in your life- his irreplaceability.

When you looked at Tenko in those final days, he looked like a corpse once holding the soul of a sibling long lost.

Shoto. He was the one you'd had all along, waiting for your return. He had no idea the gratitude you felt for that.

"I must look like hell right now," you laughed.

As if he didn't notice yet, the boy took a tiny step back. He took in your apparel: disheveled shoes, practically torn pants, and shirt, sunken under-eyes, waxen and sallow skin from lack of sleep, food, and care. Cheeks stained with streams of your homecoming too.

"Yes, you do." He agreed, making you chuckle once more. "But even in tears, you seem happier now. A little older." He added, taking you in one last time and this new aura you beheld. "You grew, y/n."

Atomic fluttered inside you at the words, smile unfaltering.

"Yeah, I think I did."

"Mm," Todoroki nodded, taking your hand in his, opening the car door. "Let's go home. I've got so much to tell you."

"Really?"

"Yes. My internship with father was a great success. Bakugo and Midoriya came with me. They even had dinner at the house."

"How'd that go?"

"It was disastrous."

"Oh no," you couldn't help but say that with humor.

"Bakugo saved Naoto from a villain. Both of them were unscathed, but Bakugo did say father smelled like an old man. I've never thought about it, but now that he points it out-"

Endeavor and Aizawa settled into the two front seats.

Shoto stopped for a moment, looked at the two of them, at you by his side. He had to take it all in again. That you were here. That you were back. In the flesh, alive, and almost well.

He had to take in the wonder on your face. The thanks shinning in their gaze as he told you of his adventures, perhaps happier once than you'd been subjected to on your journey.

So rather than ask questions, questions you'd undeniably had been asked and would have to be asked enough, the boy squeezed your hand, smiled some more.

"Would you like to hear the rest of my stories?" He asked.

"Yeah," you said. "Tell me everything."

***

"I have to go. She's-"

The front door clicked, unlocked from the outside. The metal's shift alone silenced the entire room. Bakugo stilled, Kaminari and Kirishima's hold faltering. That second that went by before the door finally opened was an eternity. When it did, the winter air flowing in gracelessly, three people filled the entryway.

And one of them was you.

No one said a thing. Everyone simply stared. Aizawa held the door open. Todoroki stood just behind, at your side.

If it was possible? Bakugo felt his heart start beating again at the sight. As if it'd stopped dead after you parted in that hotel room. Needed the feel of yours nearby to regain its rhythm.

No one said a thing. Everyone simply stared.

The comfort of your home was right over the barrier of that doorway. After so long, surprisingly, it felt just easier to cross it than ever before.

"Uh," you shyly scratched the back of your head before shutting your eyes, smiling wide. "Hi."

"Y/n!"

The whole room exploded. Everyone in the common room, the floor, those who heard commotion from the kitchen, they all sprang up. The quiet was stomped on by the sprinting of your classmates as they ran to the door.

They all yelled your name at once, ran to you at once.

Aizawa put his arm out in front of you.

"Everyone calm down! If you suffocate her you're grounded- I mean you get detention! Back up!"

Of course, the children ignored him, pouncing over his arm like eager toddlers.

"Y/n-y!" Mina was the first to hug you, arms wrapped around your waist, her head tucked under your arm as she bent for room. Jirou did the same around your shoulders, Tsu, Uraraka, even Momo finding someplace to hold on.

"You're okay," Jirou breathed with relief.

"We're so glad you're safe."

"I thought you'd be gone forever."

"We missed you so much."

"You bastard," Sero, the tallest among them, grabbed your head, tucking his on top of it, hugging the mass of needy friends around you. "You're alive."

"Everyone move!" Kirishima'd never been pushy before.

But one of his best friends finally returned. He wasn't about to miss out on welcoming her home because of a bunch of greedy, impatient hoggers.

"Kiri," You breathed.

Everyone had changed since you'd been gone. Grew a little, changed a little. But him, he'd somehow, stayed eternally the same. From the day you first met to now, none of his kindness was gone.

"How dare you not hug me first?" he kidded, taking you in an embrace over the rest of the hoard yet to let you go.

"Y/n! Oh my god, your hair," Denki yelled, palms slapped to his cheeks, eyes wide as you smiled at him over Kirishima's shoulder. "It looks great!" The boy threw his arms up. "Hug me!"

And you did. You hugged them all, listened to relief whispered, and yelled. Though you'd never expect they be this forgiving, you came to realize as each friend, one after the other nearly sang with joy, that they never thought your leaving was a sin at all.

Or if they did, that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that you were back.

None felt that as strongly as the boy, green hair and eyes doing all the talking for him when he walked up to you.

"Izuku," you said, seeing that he'd grown more than anyone else.

He didn't say a thing. Instead, he just let out a breath of disbelief and met your embrace. He hugged you tight, the connection of your powers mingling overhead.

"How's Nana?" you breathed.

"She missed you."

Atomic reached with careful touch. One for All grazed his fingertips, the memory of the woman who set him free within it. Atomic could've cried. He reached, for those few moments you and Deku remained connected, holding Nana's hand as he did when she passed.

"You're okay?" He asked, letting you go, everyone still hovering. Mina grasped your sleeve, Jirou peered over your shoulder, Denki jumping up and down without a care for personal space.

"Yeah, yeah I am- I'm so sorry-" you said, looking around you. "For worrying you all."

"It was you wasn't it?" Kirishima said, seeing the back of your head, putting it together. "Who saved us that night from Dabi?"

The remorse from that night, hearing him yell for you as you ran away, cowered in fear- it still haunted you. You looked over your shoulder, nodded to his question.

"I should've known," The boy sighed, head dipping.

"Kiri, I can't say it enough, I'm so-"

"You're so brave." He interrupted, Sero coming to his side.

"We would've gotten fried if it weren't for you. " He put his elbow on Kirishima's shoulder, shaking his head in disapproval. "You still gotta teach me those moves, ya know. How else am I supposed to fend off fire zombies in the future?"

"Sero," Kirishima hushed and though you thought it was for his humor, both boys and everyone else actually took a step back, away from you.

You failed to understand why until you turned around.

Framed by the light from the far windows, Katsuki stood a few feet away. Neutrality took his features. He remained quiet, onlooking, rather than joining in. He didn't take a step, instead staying still, hands in his pockets, gaze pinned to you.

So, you took a step. Without hesitance, you walked to him.

"Hi," you said. You'd seen him not so long ago, but the finality of seeing him now was so much more overbearing. When he didn't respond, just kept looking at you, you sighed, thinking of those texts you sent when you thought the rest of your life would be spent in a prison. "Are you mad?"

He nodded, expression unchanged.

"Okay," you said, nodding back. "If you wanna yell at me, that might help with the guilt anyway, so-"

Katsuki interrupted you. Not with words, but with an act just as telling. His hand found the small of your back, pushed you into him so hard, the wind knocked out of your lungs. The bones of your shoulder blade and hip near pierced his palms with the intensity at which he held you.

The whole city could've been watching instead of the class; He didn't care.

That night in the hotel room may have tethered old, broken bonds, but this? You coming back to him? It sealed them.

"You don't ever leave again." He breathed, chin on your shoulder, hands wrinkling the material of your shirt.

"Never," you agreed. "I promise."

Katsuki sighed, stone body and mind relaxing, probably for the first time since he read that letter in the stadium.

Deku and Kirishima were the first to smile at the sight, knowing their friend well enough to see the healing your presence brought home. Sero rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same, tucking Mina's hand in his as she laughed joyfully too.

"Can we be dating now?" Katsuki muttered.

You fake gasped, tapping his back playfully.

"I thought dating was for kids."

Katsuki pulled away instantly, frowning so big, it brought hilarity to heavy air.

"It is!" He yelled, grabbing both your arms. "You know what I meant!"

"Did I?" you looked up, feigning thought. "Well since you asked, I'll just call you my boyfriend."

"Don't even think about it! Why would you suggest such a thing!?"

"Actually you suggested it first."

"Bite me, Headset!"

"Where?" you smiled, raising your eyebrows once, and gliding your teeth over your tongue.

"Aannd- they're back," Kirishima grabbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

"That was quick." Deku chuckled.

"Thank god," Sero crossed his arms. "Maybe now he'll be an ass again and stop being so depressed, I was seriously getting annoyed."

"Bakugo!" Kaminari yelled, running up to you, pulling you away from Katsuki. "You get way more time with her than any of us! Shoo!"

Everyone, once again gathered, guided you towards the kitchen. They may have been overjoyed, but that didn't diminish your need for water, food, a shower, some clothes.

"Do you wanna talk about what happened?" Momo asked. "Why you were gone?"

"Um, is later okay?" you asked.

"Yeah!" Uraraka yelled, skipping behind you. "You wanna hear about our internships?! They've been so fun!"

"I'd love to."

"Perfect!" Kirishima cheered. "Let's start cooking for tonight and share our manly stories."

"Y/n, you don't touch the ice cream till you've had a meal, you hear me?" Denki scolded, pointing a finger as you chuckled.

The only souls left in the common room were Deku, Todoroki, and Bakugo. The three, along with a teacher tired above the rest, stared at the mass of high-energy disappearing into the other room.

"She's actually back," Deku said, disbelieving.

"Yeah," Aizawa agreed. "She is."

Once everyone was gone, the four of them let out exhales heavy enough that they all almost fell over.

Todoroki leaned back against the wall, head thrown back. Deku propped the weight on his arms on his knees, Bakugo actually going so far as to sit on the ground, wiping his hands over his face.

"She's exhausting," Deku whined.

"Tell me about it. I think I've had more heart attacks due to her antics than any of you." Todoroki finally sat down, feeling like he could fall asleep just from the solace of your return.

"The fact that she's insane and outsmarts us every time doesn't help," Bakugo groaned into his palms.

"She changed though," Todoroki said. "You can see it right? There's something different about how she carries herself."

"I've known the girl longer than any of you," Aizawa said, standing back up straight. He had another child to tend to. Couldn't just rest because he'd finally wrangled one of his teenagers.

"When you go through things, sometimes you avoid it so long, you forget to feel the pain," He explained. "She was forced to remember everything. That's a lot of darkness to trek through." Thinking of the first time he picked you from the rubble as a child versus today, when he picked you up again and brought you home, the man actually felt hope. "Maybe she just finally made it out the other side."

***

"We're gonna be second years soon," Jirou pointed out, a plate resting on her knees.

"Once it's warm again, yeah." Tsu agreed, layers upon layers snuggling her body unfit for the cold outside.

You sat beside them, freshly showered, dressed in clothes untorn and dry. Katsuki's hoodie (the one that'd become yours nearly three months ago) welcomed you when you stepped out of the shower, neatly folded on the bed along with a pair of pants and slippers. Whether it was Katsuki, Shoto, maybe even Mina or Jirou who set it out, you weren't sure.

But the moment you stepped downstairs, wet hair framing your forehead, growing out every which way, you finally felt home.

"Maybe you guys'll be," you kidded, on your third serving of whatever dish Momo and Sato cooked up. It was delicious, but go almost a week without eating and you'll stuff anything down your throat. "Who knows the amount of homework I gotta catch up on?"

Sitting square between Jirou and Midoriya, you gazed out at the common area turned dining hall. Warm lights against the darkness coming from outside caressed the soft colors of the room. Kindling lively conversations, the dinner set out across the tables made for clanking utensils, some stained shirts or two, and very well fed teenagers.

Setting your plate down on your lap, you sighed. "Plus I don't think going to live with villains and stealing some shit counts as an internship."

It was meant as a joke, albeit a slightly depressing one.

"I stole a coat once by accident!" Denki said, pointing his fork up with pride, sitting on Jirou's other side. "Walked right out of the store with it."

"That's nice, Denki." You laughed. His cute attempt to cheer you up spread about your friends.

"Yeah, you're not alone, y/n." Sero added, sitting on the floor in front of Mina, head resting back on her knees. "Remember that time Iida tried to kill a guy?"

Poor Tenya quickly blanked behind his glasses even sitting quite a bit aways. His shoulders slouched, a self-deprecating aura drawing dark lines of shame over his head.

"Aye, welcome to club buddy," You cheered, extending your fist in his direction.

"Please don't welcome me," He muttered. Out of politeness, he shook your fist rather than bumped it.

"You gave the commission really useful information though, right?" Mina leaned forward to see you over the rest of the students.

"Yeah you may have done some wrongs, but unlike most people, you're actually trying to right them."

"Thanks, Jirou." you said. You'd forgotten just how forgiving and optimistic these people really were.

"We're still mad at you for leaving like that." Jirou muttered as you went to rest on her shoulder, flicking your forehead.

"Yeah, you put yourself in a lot of danger, missy," Mina piled on.

The two collectively gave a scolding expression.

"Y/n," Momo's tone took a more stern approach. She took a look at your plate, disapproving. "Eat your vegetables."

Not even complaining for a second, you stabbed every ugly green thing with your fork and shoved the stuff in your mouth. If you hold your breath you can't even taste them- also pleasing people who acted maternal was always a thing for you.

"Guys," Sero interjected as you swallowed, "You're acting like her moms-"

"Shut it, celofucker, let me have this," You bit under your breath at him.

He must've missed the fact that even being lectured, a smile lit your lips.

"Motherless behavior," The boy rolled his eyes.

"Exactly. So shush."

"Oh shit, I forgot, sorry."

Both of you stared at one another. The silence lasted all of two seconds before you broke into laughter simultaneously. Made for quite a sight. You and Sero, per usual, keeling over, hugging your stomachs at something anyone else would've probably found inappropriate.

Your ribs hurt you laughed so hard.

Denki and Kirishima followed that up by chasing one another for the last dumpling. You proceeded to make bets, the entire class watching in anticipation as if it were a televised boxing match.

Katsuki ate in silence, eventually tugging both Kirishima and Denki back down, silencing them both with a thump on the head. The dumpling went to Shoto who skillfully stole it for himself while the other two were running around like toddlers.

Everytime you and him made eye contact you smiled. Everytime you and Katsuki made eye contact, he frowned so you stuck your tongue out, made a face here and there. Though you couldn't see it, he only smiled once the whole night, just barely.

It was the first time he heard a chuckle escape your lips, a wound inside him healing at the sound. After that, he ate, listened to his friends talk amongst themselves. Thought back on the year almost over; all its trials and tribulations and its gifts.

It went nothing like Katsuki could've expected. It tore him apart, put him back together, taught him plenty, and let him know he still had more to learn. Peering at you again, behind the steam of platters and the hum of voices, he saw the face of the girl he first met when he turned around in his chair that first day of class.

He noticed the earphones around her neck, the unique way her nose bent, how her hair caught the light. He noticed her now. The same nose, the hair a little different perhaps. She'd been torn apart, put back together, learned a lot, and still had more to learn.

The longer he gazed out, catching her smiles and little mannerisms like rocking back or biting her lip, the more Katsuki saw his future bloom.

He saw it in her. In the people around her. In himself.

That was enough to keep going.

"You okay?" You asked, looking at Deku, who like Katsuki, had been rather silent staring out at his class.

"You did change." The boy spoke, softly. "I can feel it."

Your expression warmed, features gone gentle.

"So did you." You whispered, nudging his shoulder, looking out at the same sight.

"We're so blessed." Deku breathed out with a sadder sort of smile. "Aren't we?"

"Yeah," you agreed, feeling the love and the courage of those around you. "We are."