"Maybe" | Denki Kaminari [COMPLETED]

Chapter Nine: Sunrise

The following weeks were a blur of preparation for the UA Sports Festival, which would test our quirks, strategies, and teamwork. After meeting with some of the teachers, I was informed of two things: first, if the League of Villains tried to contact me again, I was to work with the heroes, and second, I would be allowed to practice and use both of my quirks.

"I can't do it," I said, sitting back in my chair defeatedly. "I can't alter your emotions."

"Don't worry. These things take time." Denki, despite his own need to train, was spending every day helping me train with my quirk.

"I don't have time. I have less than a week before the Sports Festival." I ran my fingers through my hair nervously. "I'm keeping you from you're own training. You don't have to stick around. I'm not going to accomplish anything."

"For me, training is simple," he said. "Don't worry about me."

"Well, this isn't getting us anywhere," I said.

"It will eventually." He shrugged and smiled.

"This isn't some magic trick I can learn overnight," I said, frustrated. "Things like this take years to master. I've had two weeks!"

"You don't master it. You're just trying to understand it."

I rolled my eyes in frustration as my voice increased in volume. "I wish you would stop acting so happy about this!"

"Fine!" he shouted back in anger. "I'll just leave you to do this on your own, just like you do everything else. You obviously don't want me here!"

We both froze, eyes widening. I had never heard him yell, let alone get angry.

"What did I--I didn't mean..." Denki stuttered, "I didn't mean anything I just said. I don't know what came over me."

I slumped to the ground and put my head in my hands. "I knew I couldn't control it," I muttered. "I never should have tried to use it."

"Kaiya, this isn't your fault."

"I just altered your emotions, Denki," I said. "I was so angry and tired and sick of not being able to control my quirk that I just lost control. I transferred my anger to you."

"Does that mean..." He sat back down, still looking nervous, like he might accidentally hurt me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired and a little drained," I said. "It's usually the other people that are affected. Then they regret everything and blame it on me."

"They?"

"My... friend wasn't the happiest person to begin with," I said, choosing my words carefully, "so when I accidentally unleashed my personal anger and pain on him, he was overwhelmed and did things, he--did things. He regretted what he did and blamed it on me and I haven't spoken to him since. I don't want that to happen to us."

"It won't," Denki said. "And even if it does, I won't blame you."

"I would. I would blame me," I said, my voice breaking. 

He sat down on the floor beside me and pulled me into his arms. He didn't say anything as I cried.

When I woke up with tired eyes that refused to open, I was comfortable. When I finally managed to crack my eyelids, I found myself still on the floor by the kitchen table with my head on Denki's chest. Almost unconsciously, I snuggled closer into his embrace.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Denki whispered, obviously having been awake for a while.

"It's not morning till I wake up," I objected. "Wake me up for the sunrise."

I felt his chest rumble against my ear as he laughed. "It's nearly 6:30."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"I'm going back to bed."

"You're going to miss the sunrise."

I squinted at my watch, waiting for the numbers to come into focus. "You're right," I grumbled. I rolled off of him and stood up, flipping up the hood of my sweatshirt to hide my messy hair. "Are you coming?"

"Uh-huh," he yawned as he stood and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up on end even more.

The first weekend after the announcement for the Sports Festival, Denki had found me on the roof of the apartment building. I loved sunrises, so I always tried to see as many as I could. Now Denki had become a part of that.

"Why do you like sunrises so much?" he asked me as we climbed the stairs to the roof.

"They're pretty," I said.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"I kinda thought there would be some symbolic backstory thing, not just 'they're pretty.'"

"There isn't. I just like sunsets."

When we reached the rook, I laid down the blanket I had brought and sat on it, hugging my knees to my chest. Denki sat next to me, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"You didn't have to stay the night, you know," I said.

"I texted my mom. She didn't mind. In fact, she's glad I found a girlfriend."

"You did not."

"I did. And she already loves you."

"Does she know about me being a former villain and all?"

"No," he said, smiling. "But if she did, she wouldn't care."

My phone vibrated in my pocket. When I turned on the screen, I saw nearly a dozen texts from Mina.

"What does she want?" Denki asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Dunno." I clicked the image she'd sent. It took a moment to download, but when it did, I almost laughed.

"So we're official now?" I asked.

"What?"

I showed him the screenshot Mina had sent me. It was a picture that had been posted on one of his social media accounts that showed me asleep on his chest with the caption "I love her more than all you haters <3."

Denki's eyes widened. "Maybe?"

"Is your account public?"

"Yeah. Is that bad?"

"I hope the League sees it," I said, smiling. And I hope he sees it, too.