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No one ever talks about the night after the heroes save the world.
Ochako and Himiko had kissed, and it had saved Etheria, and for a second Ochako’s love and her power had become one. They hadn’t needed words then. Himiko had given her her blood, had told her that she finally understood how her love for Ochako would change her for the better if she let it, and when the response to her declaration had been a kiss, she’d seemed to be content with that.
But against all odds they’d both survived it, and now they were sitting at the dining table in Bright Moon. It was awkward in a way that Ochako didn’t know how to solve.
“So, are the two of you a thing now?” Eijirou asked with an easy smile.
“What makes you—Oh.”
They’d been touching the whole time, she realized now, and Katsuki’s gaze turned smug when neither of them moved away. They were flush against each other all the way from their intertwined legs to their shoulders. Impossibly, Ochako wanted to get even closer.
She was allowed to want, now.
“So? Need a room?”
“I can still kill you, you know. I kept the knives,” Himiko said.
“Himi-chan!”
“I won’t!” She bared her teeth in a harmless version of the battle grin she’d given Ochako hundreds of times over the past few months. “But I can.”
“But you won’t,” Katsuki concluded.
“What do you mean, you kept the knives?”
Katsuki and Himiko snickered together at Eijirou’s shocked face.
Something between them had mended after he’d been taken by Horde Prime, and Ochako still wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew she’d find out eventually. She was just happy to see her friends get along.
Her friends .
The word tasted like a lie. Himiko’s hand was so warm against hers.
Their pinkies were touching, so were the palms of their hands, but it was just shy of what Ochako really wanted.
“Etheria’s the only place that has magic now,” Himiko said. “The crazy dude really liked that.”
“I don’t wanna leave Bright Moon—” Katsuki started.
Eijirou put a hand on his shoulder. “And you shouldn’t have to! I’ll stay with you!”
That made sense. Ochako had already started making travel plans the second Himiko had even alluded to leaving, so of course Eijirou would feel the same way.
“—but I’m not letting that bastard win.”
“Ochako-chan?”
“Are you staying with us, then?” she blurted out, unable to stop herself.
“No, I’ll go back to the Horde. Stop being silly, Ochako-chan, you won’t get rid of me even if you want to.”
“It’s not like there’s a Horde to go back to,” Eijirou said.
He’d obviously meant for it to be a lighthearted comment. For him, it couldn’t be anything but. He hadn’t grown up with Kurogiri’s shadows haunting him and candles stuck in tasteless rations passing for birthday cake. He hadn’t had to make that a home, so he could see it for the heartless evil it was.
At last, Himiko closed her hand around Ochako’s.
“I think we should go to bed, it’s a big day tomorrow,” Ochako said, and Eijirou immediately took the hint.
He squeezed her shoulder and she shook her head in response. I’m fine, it’s okay.
This time instead of dragging Katsuki he snuck an arm around his waist. It was just as effective. Ochako could’ve sworn the tips of his ears turned red, but the boys were gone before she could properly ask if the two of them were a thing now.