Hitoshi Shinsou | Pro-Hero AU | 172732014

Prom Night Lights | The End

They say that milestones are worth celebrating - your first steps, your first words, your first classroom filled with bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kids. And then there are the firsts that hurt you - your first experience with fear, with doubt, with shame and hate. They are what make up the building blocks of life. But now, this was the first of many firsts to follow - school graduation from one of the most prestigious academies in Musatafu.

And your hands were sweaty.

"Hey, we're going to be fine," assured a whisper beside you, finding that smile on Midoriya's face.

"Yeah, yeah of course. We'll be fine," you agreed, chuckling nervously, hoping that alone assured your anxiousness.

"You could give Bakugou a run for his money," whispered Kaminari beside you with a grin.

"Not funny."

"I mean, come on, you're sweating bullets and we haven't been called to the stage."

You pouted at Kaminari while you clenched your fists, keeping track with every breath you took. It was a simple walk, shaking hands, accepting your paper then off you went. Classes have been practicing and rehearsing days before, and yet you felt the nerves brew in your gut. The words that echoed from the microphone became a drone and a buzz in your head, paying more attention to the voices that crept in instead - the panicked thoughts of your classmates around you from every course. It was loud, cacophonous until you honed your mind into somewhere familiar when the applause rippled through the seats.

"We'll be fine," uttered a calm voice, your eyes turning towards him.

You only wished you shared this with one other person who sat down the aisle in the graduating hall. Searching amongst the chairs, you eyed a mop of purple hair, his tired eyes staring back at yours through the applause. You swore you saw a smirk on his face through the crowd before your class was called to attention.

You felt proud to stand alongside Hitoshi Shinsou, a fellow classmate of Class 3-A while each of you turned to make the trek to the stage, ready for the world.

——

The ceremony took longer than many of the students expected - almost three hours at best while you made your way to Heights Alliance. Walking through the school and watching the younger freshman go about their day reminded you of your growth, learning to hone your Quirk and become not only a better Hero, but a better person. Despite Aizawa's strict regimen, some of the time, you thanked him inwardly for being not only your homeroom teacher, but a role model and someone to aspire to.

Still, graduation was a coming-of-age. You wondered if you deserved it. There had been some thoughts about your acceptance into the Hero course, how you got through by the skin of your teeth, and then your conversations with Shinsou growing with him during the years here at UA. Although he earned his right to be in the Hero course, let alone in 3-A, there was always that conversation about how either of your Quirks would help society, especially after what had happened in the War that felt like a lifetime ago.

A sad smile pulled at your lips with the thought weighing heavily. You had put in some applications for agencies, but still considered your fit into their agendas. After all, who needed a mind reader?

"Well, if it isn't the runt of Class 3-A," called a brutish voice from afar. You eyed the student, not recognizing him until you spotted the buttons on his shoulder.

"Hey, we're talking to you," called out another next to him.

With a quick glance of your eye, you discovered they were General Studies students, but not ones you recognized from Shinsou's former class. Perhaps they were from other classes, you thought, while you quickened your pace. You cursed yourself inwardly about walking alone to Heights Alliance, even though it wasn't too far from the major school grounds. You kicked yourself harder wondering why you declined an invitation by your classmates to hang around the auditorium. You had thought getting to your dorm earlier would help your nerves for tonight.