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Hitoshi’s evening is interrupted by a smiling face popping out of the water near the rock where they’ve perched, beaming like the sun. They’d taken note of the group of swimmers nearby, but they’d—wrongly, apparently—assumed they were far enough to avoid being bothered. It’s hard to be too upset, though, when the guy greeting them starts in with a straightforward and upbeat, “You’re cute! I can’t believe you’re out here on your own. D’you wanna come hang out with my friends and I?”
Hitoshi hesitates.
They glance over towards the boy’s friends—splashing as they play a game of volleyball in shallow ocean waters. It doesn’t look awful, although it strikes Hitoshi as a rather terrible idea. They’re lucky enough that Aizawa was willing to take them in after their parents were killed; to hope for any more kindness from humans isn’t wise. They’d be better off politely declining the invitation and retreating to the safety of home.
Something stops them, though.
“I promise they’re all super chill,” the boy continues. “But no pressure! You just looked lonely, and I’d hate to leave you here without offering some company. I’m Kaminari, by the way!”
“I tend to stick to myself,” Hitoshi tells him. Which isn’t a lie, but is also not an outright rejection. They wonder what Aizawa would tell them to do—or what Eri would say. She’d probably tease them for attracting the attention of a pretty boy, which would turn Aizawa off of the whole thing completely even though he has been encouraging Hitoshi to make more friends. Because apparently Aizawa’s friends do not count as Hitoshi’s own, despite the fact that they text Kayama far more than Aizawa does.
Kaminari’s face falls—albeit only slightly, but enough for Hitoshi to pick up on. “Oh. Well, that’s fine—“
“Wait,” Hitoshi hears themself say, as Kaminari turns to leave. Something like fear is settling heavy in their chest—the memories of how humans treated them and their parents never having fully left them—but they fight through it. Because Aizawa wouldn’t encourage them to do anything that might put them in danger, and one afternoon with some other kids on the beach shouldn’t cause too much trouble.
They don’t even have to know the truth of what Hitoshi is.
Kaminari looks over his shoulder, hopeful, and Hitoshi feels any lingering resolve break beneath his hopeful expression.
“I’ll join,” they agree.
“YES!” Kaminari cheers.
Hitoshi slips off of their rock, joining Kaminari in the water.
“I’ll race you,” he challenges.
“You’re on,” Hitoshi agrees. Kaminari doesn’t have half a clue what he’s just sentenced himself to.
Hitoshi wipes the floor with him, of course, but Kaminari doesn’t seem upset by the defeat. His friends are mostly nice, too—though Bakugou unleashes a hoard of insults on them before begrudgingly admitting he doesn’t mind if Hitoshi joins in.
They play volleyball for a while longer, and then Mina insists they go for a boat ride before the sun fully sets, despite the grey clouds gathering in the distance. Kirishima points out just that, but Mina is not swayed, so. They end up on a boat out in the midst of the ocean waters. It’s strange to be on the other side of this situation, considering Hitoshi is typically the one watching ships pass by, but…they can’t say they hate it. Not when Kaminari is at their side, excitedly chattering about fish and storms and how boats work and anything else that comes to mind.
Hitoshi finds they’re happy to just listen to his voice.
(Another strange twist of fate—it’s usually Hitoshi’s voice being hailed as beautiful and drawing everyone’s undivided attention.)
Even when rain starts to drizzle, cooling the air and dampening their clothes, Hitoshi is happy to remain out on the deck with Kaminari as he dances in it. Mina joins in, and she drags Kirishima and Sero along with her, and Hitoshi thinks they may be starting to understand what the appeal in the whole friends thing is. The laughter spilling out from the others is lifting their spirits simply by association and proximity.
“Look!” Jirou cuts in suddenly, pointing somewhere behind Hitoshi.
They turn, and find a rainbow standing out vividly against the sky as the sun begins to break through the clouds.
“Woah,” Kaminari mumbles. He’s suddenly next to Hitoshi, somehow. Not that they mind. He looks over, and Hitoshi meets his gaze in time to hear him say, “Pretty.”
Something tells them he isn’t just talking about the rainbow.
“Yeah,” Hitoshi agrees, and they aren’t talking about the rainbow either.
Cautiously, Kaminari reaches for their hand, and Hitoshi allows him to link their fingers together. They turn their gaze back towards the sky with a smile tugging at their lips.
For once, they dare to hope that the good fortune they’ve found will last past today.