explosivedges
UA's ice rink runs on strict rules.
Figure skaters leave at four.
Hockey players take over.
And rivals stay on opposite sides of the ice.
Midoriya Izuku never meant to break that rule.
Lost in music and motion, he skates long past his allotted time-long enough for Bakugo Katsuki to notice. Long enough for irritation to turn into something far more dangerous. Katsuki lives for speed, impact, and control. Izuku skates like he's chasing a feeling he can't name.
They clash on the ice and in the halls, enemies by habit and rivals by reputation. But late practices, shared rink hours, and neon-lit nights begin to blur the lines between competition and connection.
Set during their final year at UA, After the Lights Should've Gone Out is a slow-burn story about thin ice, unspoken longing, and learning how to fall-on ice, and for each other.