And He Never Wanted to Leave

The Extreme Quiet

A/N : Ever since chapter 342 of the manga dropped, I haven't been able to get this out of my head. So I wrote it down - the interaction we need from these boys before the war goes down.

Title based on lyrics from Jenny of Oldstones.

* * * 

I'll sing it one last time for you

Then we really have to go

You've been the only thing that's right In all I've done

Run, Snow Patrol

* * *

The air in Troy is sterile.

That's the only word for it.

It's too new, too clean.

In actuality, it's probably no different from Heights Alliance when they first moved in, but it's missing something.

Hope, maybe. Or the promise of tomorrows. The anticipation of memories waiting to be made.

There is anticipation here as well, but it's of another kind entirely. It hangs heavier. Sharper. A hospital full of bright needles and empty beds, waiting to be filled. It's all cold concrete, and it echoes as they pad through the hall, nothing soft or warm to dampen their feet or their pounding hearts.

And it feels both too much and not enough like their old dorm, like a cardboard cutout, like a disposable one-use version, which it essentially is, right? Because all it needs to do is get them through the night, because tomorrow everything's going to hell. And their footsteps are still echoing through the entryway and the tension is so fucking palpable that—

"I don't want this to be my final resting place... but it'll do."

It's Sero that breaks the silence, with a grin that doesn't begin to reach his eyes.

Satou and some of the other extras grumble about the appropriateness of the comment.

Mina giggles, and it doesn't sound quite right.

Kami buzzes. Literally buzzes. It's a low hum and Bakugou feels it more than he hears it. Tastes it even. Like copper and ozone.

Kirishima doesn't react at all. Unless tightening his jaw and grasping his box of belongings a bit tighter warrants the word. And perhaps it does, because Bakugou goes out of his way to bump shoulders with him, to look him in the eyes, to see those eyes soften at the attention paid to them.

"I wanna room next to you again," the redhead blurts out.

Bakugou scoffs. "Why wouldn't you? We're using the same assignments, aren't we?"

Kirishima shakes his head. "Some people are talking about mixing it up. They wanna be close to their friends. I think Midoriya, Todoroki and Iida are planning on getting rooms together."

"Figures," Bakugou huffs, passing their classmates filling up the elevators and heading toward the stairs. "Those morons are always making things more complicated."

Kirishima follows him. "I think it's nice, actually. Especially since..."

He doesn't finish the sentence. He doesn't need to.