The Quiet of Us (Denki Kaminari x OC)

Post-Dinner Debrief

After walking Aiko to the door and sharing their first kiss, Kaminari returned to his apartment feeling like he was floating on air. As he closed the door behind him, the grin on his face was impossible to hide.

Back in the living room, Kirishima, Sero, and Bakugo were still lounging around, half-heartedly cleaning up the remnants of dinner. They looked up when Kaminari returned, immediately noticing the dreamy expression on his face.

"Well, well," Sero said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. "Someone's looking awfully happy with himself."

Kirishima grinned, crossing his arms. "You walk her out, or did something else happen out there?"

Kaminari flushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just walked her out, man. Relax."

"You sure?" Sero teased. "That blush says otherwise."

Kaminari rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips. He was about to change the subject when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he saw a message from Aiko:

"Just got home! Had a great night. Thanks again for dinner :) "

The smile on his face widened as he read her message, his heart doing a little flip. He quickly typed out a reply:

"Glad you made it home safe! I had a great time too :) We'll have to do it again soon."

As he hit send, he realized his friends were all watching him intently, smirks plastered across their faces.

"Oh man, that's the look of someone deep in it," Kirishima chuckled, shaking his head. "What'd she say?"

"She just said she made it home safe," Kaminari replied, trying to downplay his excitement but failing miserably. "And that she had a great night."

Sero grinned. "And now you've got that goofy smile on your face. Dude, you're so far gone."

"You're like a lovesick puppy," Kirishima added with a laugh.

"Shut up," Kaminari muttered, still smiling as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

The teasing continued for a moment before Kirishima leaned forward, his tone becoming more sincere.

"Alright, jokes aside, man—how are you feeling? You've been really into her for a while now. Where's your head at?"

Kaminari paused, thinking for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "Honestly? I'm down bad for her. Like, really bad."

Sero snickered. "We could tell."

Kaminari chuckled softly, but there was a seriousness in his eyes as he continued. "It's more than just liking her, you know? I really, really like her. I feel like I've never met anyone like her before. She's calm and grounded, but there's this strength about her that just... I don't know, it makes me want to know more. And tonight, when we kissed, it just felt... right."

He leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "I'm in deep, guys. I don't think I've ever felt like this before."

Kirishima and Sero exchanged knowing glances, while Bakugo, who had been mostly silent up to this point, let out a grunt.

"Tch. Then what the hell are you waiting for?" Bakugo said, his voice rough as usual. "If you're that into her, just ask her out already. Quit dragging your damn feet."

Kaminari blinked, a little taken aback by Bakugo's bluntness. "I mean, I don't want to rush things—"

"Rush things?" Bakugo scoffed, crossing his arms. "You've been talking about her non-stop for damn weeks. You finally kiss her, and now you're still overthinking it? If she likes you back, what's the holdup?"

Kaminari opened his mouth to respond, but Kirishima quickly jumped in.

"I mean, Bakugo's got a point," Kirishima said, his tone more gentle. "You've been taking things slow, which is great, but if you're feeling this strongly, there's no harm in letting her know."

Sero nodded in agreement. "Yeah, dude. You guys have been hanging out a lot, and she seems into you. If you're both on the same page, why not just go for it? Ask her out on a real date."

Kaminari hesitated, chewing his lip. "I don't know. I just don't want to mess things up. It's been so great getting to know her, and I don't want to scare her off."

"You're not gonna scare her off," Sero said confidently. "If she didn't like you, she wouldn't have kissed you back tonight, right?"

Kaminari thought about it for a moment, the memory of their kiss still fresh in his mind. A soft smile crept across his face. "Yeah... you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Sero replied with a grin. "Look, just ask her out officially. Take her on a date, have a good time, and see where things go from there. You've got nothing to lose."

Kaminari nodded slowly, his confidence growing as he thought about it. "You guys are right. I'll do it. I'll ask her out on a real date."

"There you go!" Kirishima said, clapping him on the back. "That's the spirit."

Even Bakugo, though still gruff, gave a small nod of approval. "About damn time."

Kaminari couldn't help but smile as his friends encouraged him. The doubts that had been swirling in his mind began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of excitement. He liked Aiko—a lot—and if tonight had taught him anything, it was that the feelings were mutual.

"Alright," Kaminari said with a grin. "Next time I see her, I'm asking her out on a real date."