|| She's Perfect || BNHA x OP! Reader ||

55.5 - The Strongest Thing, D. K.

"Why are you awake?" I asked, stepping into the kitchen at 2:11 a.m.

Denki Kaminari was standing in front of the open fridge in pajama pants and a Pikachu hoodie, eating shredded cheese directly from the bag.

He jumped. "Oh shit—! [F/N]! I wasn't doing anything suspicious!"

I stared at him, then raised an eyebrow. "Cheese?"

"I'm stress eating."

I crossed my arms. "You're not even eating it on anything."

He shrugged, sheepish. "Shredded cheese is versatile. And comforting."

I laughed despite myself, walking over to sit on one of the stools at the counter. "Rough night?"

"Not really," he said, shutting the fridge and flopping into the seat across from me. "Just... my brain's zapping around too much."

I rested my chin on my hand. "Funny. You're the electric one, and I'm the one short-circuiting."

He smiled, a little tired around the edges. "You too, huh?"

I nodded. "Ever since Kamino."

His expression dimmed slightly.

"I can't stop thinking about everything that happened," I admitted. "Everything that could've gone wrong. How close we came to losing Katsuki. How close we came to losing each other."

Denki's usual energy softened. He looked at me, serious for once.

"I know," he said. "I still have dreams about it. Sometimes I'm back in that forest and you're the one who doesn't make it out."

I went still.

He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't usually tell people that part."

"Why me?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Why do you tell me that?"

He smiled faintly. "Because you never laugh when I'm scared."

I looked at him closely—at the boy who always played the clown, who shocked himself senseless just to make the class laugh, who flirted with everyone but never meant it too seriously.

Except with me.

Maybe I should've seen it sooner.

The way he always stood a little closer to me during group missions. How he'd dive between me and a villain without hesitation even though he couldn't take a hit like Kirishima or blast like Todoroki. The way he looked at me when I wasn't paying attention.

Like I was the only thing anchoring him to the ground.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

He nodded quickly. "Anything."

"Why did you tell me you liked me?"

His face turned red. "Uh. I mean. Because I do?"

I raised an eyebrow.

He groaned, dramatically letting his head fall to the counter. "Okay, okay, I know I joke around a lot, but that wasn't a bit. I meant it. I've always meant it."

I smiled. "You just don't usually sound serious."

He peeked up. "You want serious?"

I nodded.

He sat up straighter, exhaled, and looked me dead in the eyes.

"I love you," he said.

I froze.

"Not in a goofy, flirty way. Not because you're hot—though you are, don't get me wrong—"

"Denki—"

"Let me finish or I'll lose my nerve."

I shut my mouth.

"I love you," he said again, quieter this time. "Because you see me. Not just the surface me. Not just the 'Haha Kaminari fried his brain again' guy. You see the part of me that's scared. The part that doesn't always feel like a real hero. And you never make me feel like I have to prove I belong. You don't laugh at me."

Something in my chest cracked.

"I watch you all the time," he admitted. "You're so strong. You carry everyone. You fight like hell and never ask for help. But you should."

I looked down at my hands. "I'm not good at that."

"I know," he said. "But I want to be someone you can ask."

He reached out, hand warm against mine. I looked up.

"I want to be that person for you. Not just when we're joking around. Always."

I stared at him, heart pounding.

"I was going to wait," I whispered. "To figure things out. To make sure no one got hurt. But I realized something tonight."

"What?"

"That when I'm hurting, I look for you first."

He blinked. "Wait..."

"That when I feel like I'm falling apart, it's your stupid jokes that glue me back together."

His eyes were wide now.

"That when the world feels too heavy, your voice is the one that makes it light again."

I leaned forward, my free hand sliding over his.

"And I love you, too."

Denki made a tiny sound, somewhere between a gasp and a static buzz.

"I'm not perfect, despite it all," I said. "I get scared. I bottle things up. I push people away. But when you look at me, I don't feel like a burden. I feel like I matter."

"You do," he said, voice breaking. "You matter so much."

He stood up, pulling me with him.

"Is it okay if I kiss you now?"

I nodded.

He kissed me like he meant it. Like he'd been holding it in forever and finally got to exhale. His hand slid behind my neck, the other resting on my waist, grounding me like a live wire that had found its match.

We broke apart only when we had to breathe.

"Wow," he whispered. "That was... Wow."

I laughed. "I think you shorted out my brain."

"Good," he said, grinning, eyes brighter than I'd ever seen. "Now you know how it feels."

I shoved him lightly. He caught my hand and twined our fingers together.

"Does this mean I get to call you my girlfriend now?" he asked.

"You're lucky I like you," I teased.

He smiled. "Yeah. I am."

We stayed there for a while, in the middle of the kitchen under the dim light of the stove vent, hands clasped, hearts racing.

And when he pulled me in again, softer this time, I knew I'd made the right choice.

Because loving Denki Kaminari wasn't about lightning bolts or dramatic declarations.

It was about laughter in the dark.

A hand held tight in yours when you're scared.

And the kind of spark that doesn't just light up a room—

It lights up a life.