"Sorry i took a while "

Break

The figure's ominous words echoed in my mind as the ground trembled beneath us. Deku and I pushed forward, sprinting through the collapsing facility. Just as we reached the exit, a massive chunk of debris came crashing down, threatening to trap us inside.

"Move!" I shouted, throwing a blast at the ceiling to clear the way. The explosion sent dust and rubble flying, but it bought us enough time to slip through the collapsing entrance.

We stumbled out into the open air, the cold night breeze hitting us like a wave of relief. I bent over, trying to catch my breath, while Deku fell to his knees beside me, panting heavily.

"That was too close," he muttered between breaths.

"Yeah, no kidding," I replied, wiping the sweat from my forehead. My heart was still racing, adrenaline flooding my system. I could feel the exhaustion settling in, but there was no time to rest.

Behind us, the facility continued to collapse in on itself. The masked figure had been buried beneath the rubble, and despite their threats, there was no sign of them now. For a brief moment, the danger seemed to have passed. But I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over.

"Think they're really done for?" I asked, looking over at Deku.

He frowned, his eyes still focused on the crumbling building. "I don't know. But we can't let our guard down."

The pro heroes regrouped, checking in on us as they worked to secure the area. Recovery Girl would probably be called in soon, but for now, the worst seemed to be behind us.

After a quick debrief with Aizawa-sensei, we were given the all-clear to return to the dorms. The night was cold, and the adrenaline that had kept me going was finally wearing off. Every muscle in my body ached, and my head was throbbing from the intensity of the fight.

By the time we made it back to UA, the hallways were quiet, most students already asleep or recovering from their own missions. The lights in the common area were dim, casting long shadows across the room.

I collapsed onto the couch, sighing in relief as my muscles finally relaxed. "That... was a long night."

Deku sat down beside me, his own exhaustion evident in the way his shoulders slumped. He still had dust and debris in his hair, his uniform torn in a few places from the fight. But even though we were both battered and bruised, there was a quiet sense of victory between us.

"We did it," he said softly, leaning back against the cushions. "I mean... we really did it."

"Yeah," I replied, letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "For now, at least."

The silence between us was comfortable, the weight of the night finally lifting. I glanced over at Deku, who was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Despite everything we had been through, despite how tired and beaten we were, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth bloom in my chest.

I nudged him gently with my elbow. "Hey."

He turned his head to look at me, his expression soft. "Yeah?"

Before I could stop myself, I leaned in, pressing my lips to his in a slow, gentle kiss. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then he melted into it, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. The tension from the mission, the stress of the fight-it all seemed to fade away in that moment.

When we pulled back, I rested my forehead against his, both of us breathing heavily, but for a different reason now.

"I'm glad you're okay," I whispered, my fingers lightly tracing the side of his face.