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When Tokoyami and Tsuyu started dating, one of their first conversations was about love languages.

They started dating during the winter of their 2nd year at UA, when Tsuyu was the one who asked Tokoyami out.  It was quite the shock- Tokoyami never expected Tsuyu to like him back, and he was even more awestruck when she’d been the one to initiate their relationship.

And just like anything else, a good relationship takes time to form- it always has to start somewhere. And it started very small. It had taken quite a bit for Tokoyami to work up the courage to share things with his new girlfriend- to be more emotionally open and candid about his own thoughts. It started off slow, but Tsuyu didn’t mind- she had her own worries and self-expectations, after all. She wanted Fumikage to be comfortable with her, and she pushed him to be more vocal for his sake.

“ If there’s anything that makes you happy, ” she had said, “ I want to know about it. And if there’s anything that I do to make you uncomfortable, I want to know that, too. A good relationship has communication, ribbit. ”

Tokoyami’s feathers had puffed up. “ You could never make me uncomfortable, Tsuyu. I’ve never been in a relationship before, so I’m not sure on how to behave. ”

“ I haven’t either. But now, we can discover it together. ” She had assured him by giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “ I want to hear from you, Fumikage. And you’ll be hearing from me, too. It goes both ways, afterall. ”

Tokoyami had smirked at her words, feeling a sense of playfulness arise. “ Good thing I like hearing your voice, then. ”

(Tsuyu was never one to compare herself to her friends, especially in this regard- it made her feel guilty. But she was always the blunt one, and it had to be said. Compared to the other relationships that blossomed in Class 1A, their relationship was the most solid. Kaminari and Jiro had broken up and gotten back together three times. Midoriya and Ochako were fumbling around each other for the longest of time, and Tsuyu couldn’t stop the “finally” that escaped her lips when she was told they were finally together a year after graduating. Mina and Kirishima had a good relationship throughout high school, but they did take a few longer breaks during the time when they tried to cement themselves into the hero world. Now, not every relationship is perfect, and they’re all beautiful in their own ways, but she was very happy to have such a good relationship with her boyfriend.) 

But then, they graduated. 

Their chapter at UA was over- it was time to become a real hero, despite the fact that each and every student had already done more “real hero-ing” than some newer pros. Tsukuyomi went to work under Hawks, Froppy under Selkie. For almost a whole year, they didn’t see each other- their agencies were so far apart, and crime was still running rampant. It was expected, after all. The life of a hero was already hard enough to balance; having a relationship in the midst of it only called for more sacrifices.

But they made do. Texts and facetime would have to be enough, and understanding for bouts of unread messages was plentiful.

At one point, Froppy wanted to be more than Selkie’s sidekick, as much as she loved the job. Tsukuyomi was being groomed to become Hawks’ full time partner , and she felt like she was falling behind (Tokoyami constantly assured her this wasn’t the case, that the perfect opportunity would arise and she would take her rightful place as a debuted pro hero).

And as luck would have it, one appeared. 

It had been about 3 years since the famous class had graduated high school. All of them have made progress in becoming full-fledged heroes, some more successful than others, but it was Yaoyorozu that had come up with the idea and one of their bimonthly class get-togethers.

“A joint agency?” Tsuyu asked, touching a finger to her cheek.

Yaoyorozu nodded energetically. “What if we reunited once more as an agency? Remember when we did that on Nabu Island? All of us together made for a very efficient team. There are many pros to this idea! It would be very enjoyable, we already work well together, we’d be able to solve more crimes, and- this next reason might be selfish- but it could collectively boost all of our ratings if they see the infamous ‘Class 1A’ is back together again.”

“Oh my gosh, we’re like a boy band! We’re getting back together!” Kaminari gasped. “That’s such a good idea, Yaomomo! I’m so down! It’d be awesome to work professionally with you all!”

“There could be some downsides.” Iida mumbled, hoping to see every angle to make the best decision. “It’d be hard to get everyone on board, especially those of us who prefer to be solo or already have a solid career.” He glanced over to Bakugo and Tokoyami respectively. “And I don’t want to risk any of us getting mad at each other for being in close proximity all of the time.”

“Dude.” Jiro deadpanned. “We all lived together for 3 years. We got through that, didn’t we? We still meet all together every other month. Not to mention we’ve all matured.”

“Oh come on, Iida! Don’t be so negative!” Ashido chided, before gasping and turning to address the class. “Oh! I just had an awesome idea! Just because we’re all in the same building, doesn’t mean we need to take the same cases! Remember ‘Team Rainy Day’ from high school? Certain jobs can call for certain pair ups! We could delegate certain teams, or put people together on the fly if called for.”

“That’s… Actually a pretty good idea, Ashido.” Midoriya commented. “All 20 of us wouldn’t need to take a case, so that would be an efficient way to spread our boundaries. And we can still be affiliated with other agencies; team ups happen all the time. Solo work wouldn’t be that hard to work out either.”

“Exactly! Just think of it as a base of operations for all of us! A place to hunker down. We’d always have each other’s backs! Just like we did back then. And don’t act so surprised, Midoriya. I’m not that stupid anymore.” Ashido stuck her tongue out, and the green-haired man shook his head with a smile.

“I really like this idea, ribbit.” Tsuyu, along with most of the others, looked pleased with the proposition. “This is how we can make our unique mark on the world.”

“Heck yeah!” Kirishima whooped. “We’re young! Let’s take some risks!” 

“And cost surely won’t be a problem.” Todoroki mentioned, to which Yaoyorozu nodded enthusiastically. “There’s no better way to spend! We’re helping others AND joining forces once more!”

Tokoyami looked at Tsuyu and squeezes her hand. The Rainy-Season hero could tell that he was just as enticed as everyone else, no matter how nonchalant he looked. And he was. This could be Tsuyu’s big break as a pro hero, and a way for them to spend more time together. How could he not be on board? 

The former class president stood, his own excitement evident. “I say we put it to a vote!”

20 hands fly up. And with that, their base was born. 

But they needed a name. 

Since there were 20 of them, nobody wanted to name it after one person (as much as Bakugo tried to make it his hero name). They wanted it to truly mean something. Something that portrays what it means to be a hero. Something that would bring a smile to the people that they saved. Something, no matter how hard things got, would make Japan feel safe. 

It took a while to create something they could all get behind, but they finally came to a consensus; the first test that if they were going to do this, they would do this right- with everyone in mind.

“United Legacy To Reach them All”

Or in simpler terms: U.L.T.R.A.

-

Despite being in the same building, Tsuyu and Tokoyami didn’t see each other very often. Even when they had just graduated, their choice of heroics brought them into different shifts: Tsuyu taking the day and Tokoyami favoring a night.

It was hard to find time together, but not impossible.

They never needed much to satisfy their relationship. The communication was there- being fostered ever since the beginning.

“ Hey, Tokoyami, what do you know about love languages? ”

They had been dating for about a week when Tsuyu brought up the question. He was quick to respond.

“ I never thought I’d be the one reminding you to call me something different, since I’m the one who usually stumbles, but you can call me Fumikage, Tsuyu. And to answer your question, not much. I know that they’re ways couples predominantly show love to one another, but it’s not something I’ve actively chosen for myself. ”

“ Well, ” Tsuyu had said, “there’s 5. How about we research them, make a list from what we prefer least down to our favorites, then compare it? We can rank them to see what works for us. ”

“ A solid plan, my dear. ” Tsuyu always got (and still does) flustered when Tokoyami called her a pet name. “ Let’s get to work. ”

5. Acts of Service

Doing things for the other person is nice, but as independent heroes, it wasn’t… needed, per say. But every once and a while was nice.

And sometimes, absolutely necessary.

The building where their future agency would reside has been bought, so Tsuyu moved from the coast into the city to prepare for this new era of life. It should have been a peaceful move.

During a quick run to the store, there was an attempted kidnapping on the street. Tsuyu immediately jumped in, despite having no protection or upper hand due to the lack of her gear. Until on-duty pros showed up, she managed to save the girl and hold off the villains simultaneously. It was a nasty fight, eventually attracting news coverage. Finally, licensed heroes showed up. They didn’t recognize her, being new to the city, not wearing her uniform, and having not been debuted, but once she informed them about everything they thanked her for stepping in. While they took over and continued the fight, Tsuyu brought the child to the police station. Once the little girl was safe with the authorities, she finally relaxed.

Sort of. She got a text on her phone quickly after.

Fumikage Tokoyami <3: Come to my apartment when you can.  

She’s known where he lived even when she was still working with Selkie. With a quick glance at her map, she realized it wasn’t far. But she wasn’t going to ride public transportation. She’d gotten hurt during the fight, and she wasn’t going to bleed over a bus. So she walked instead.

She didn’t even need to knock on his door- the moment she reached his doorstep, the door opened and he ushered her inside. His coffee table was pulled forward, covered in different medical supplies.

“Sit.” His voice was gentle, but stern. He was worried.

There was a towel already on his small couch in anticipation for her. When she didn’t move right away, he plucked her up in a bridal carry and sat her down himself.

“What- Fumikage, it’s okay!”

“I saw the news coverage.” Tokoyami unrolled some bandages and began to wrap her bleeding thigh. “It’s not okay.”

“Okay, it’s not. But I wasn’t going to do nothing.” She crossed her arms. “And I can wrap my own wounds.”

“Let me, Tsuyu.” His hands never stopped moving in between his supplies and her, tending to anything he saw was out of the ordinary. “You shouldn’t have walked here. Are you feeling dizzy?”

She sighed in acceptance, leaning back against the couch and focusing on her doting boyfriend. “No, no I’m okay. It really wasn’t that bad.”

He wet a cloth and rubbed away the dried blood that had dripped from her mouth down her neck. Behind him, the TV was still on, showcasing the heroes talking about what had gone down. They didn’t mention her name.

“I told them not to. They didn’t know who I was, anyway.” She answered the unspoken question when his head turned to stare at the TV in disbelief. “What matters is the girl, ribbit. And she’s okay.”

Tokoyami cleaned up his supplies quietly. “I’ll take you home and help you finish unpacking.”

“You don’t need to, Fumikage.”

“I’m not going to do nothing.” He used the words she spoke not 15 minutes prior. “Besides, we’re all meeting to check out the new building tomorrow, remember? It will be good to get this done. We want you settled in before we all get busy again.”

“Alright, alright.” She moved to stand up, but he held her down. “Fumikage…”

“At least eat something first. I have the ingredients for miso soup, would you like some?” He was already moving away from her to his small kitchen. “I’ve practiced so I won’t mess it up this time.”

Tsuyu huffed good-naturedly. “Alright, that sounds good, thank you. Then we go unpack?”

“Then I unpack.”

“Fumikage, no .”

Despite her arguing, he got most of her unpacking done. He went back to his apartment late that night, telling her he’d see her tomorrow with the rest of their class.

Early that next morning, all 20 of them met at a local transit station that was close to their new base. Once everyone was there, they took off. Tokoyami and Tsuyu led the pack up front with Yaoyorozu, the rest of the class noisily following behind them. When they stopped in front of the building, the Creation Hero inserted her key into the lock, the loud “click” silencing the batch of young adults. This was it. 

Before Tsuyu or Yaoyorozu could do anything, Tokoyami reached for the door and opened it, gesturing inside with a flourish of his hand. “Ladies.”

Both of them smiled. “Thank you Tokoyami, for keeping chivalry alive and well.” Yaoyorozu laughed into her hand before walking inside. Tsuyu gave him a quick peck on the cheek before following Yaoyorozu. The rest of the class filed in after that, but his action didn’t go unnoticed. Kaminari batted his eyes at Tokoyami, hands clasped together under his chin. “Oh, thank you, kind hero!”

Tokoyami gave him a deadpan stare as Dark Shadow shoved him away. The Stun Gun Hero yelped, stumbling back into Bakugo, who angrily pushed him through the threshold. The two nodded at each other, acknowledging the assist.

“Damn, call me single in 3 languages, why don’t you?” Sero sighed, being the last one to walk through the door. Tokoyami followed behind him, patting him on the shoulder as the door closed. 

Walking into what would soon be The U.L.T.R.A Agency with the entire class was surreal. The building was bare and empty- a symbol of a beginning of a new era for our young heroes. Iida was quick to sort everyone into teams, and the renovations began.

It took about 3 full months to set up the entire space. Painting, setting up furniture, fixing the lighting- everything to make it the perfect workspace for 20 young pro heroes. With quirks like Tape, Electrification, Zero Gravity, and Dupli-arms (to name a few) the process was generally quick. This was their first test for working together, but also a challenge. Competition was still high among the friends, so they had bet who’s team could get their area of the agency done the quickest. It was a big space to work on, but with the sections and heroes evenly split, it made for an interesting wager.

Unfortunately, even after graduating, the Class 1A curse followed. Things always have to go wrong. 

Dark Shadow kept Tokoyami steady and close to the ceiling from under his hero cloak, not dreading the bright lights that were about to turn on as he would have in high school. “Alright, test it out, Kaminari!” He yelled down to the electric user, who held a thumbs up. Poking an electrical box with a finger, they waited for the lights to flash.

Nothing happened.

“Ugh.” Tokoyami glowered. “I don’t know why it’s not working.”

“Come back down, Tokobro! We’ll recalibrate it and try again.” Kaminari cupped his hands around his mouth to get the message across. Tokoyami joined him a moment later.

“This is annoying. It shouldn’t be this hard, should it?”

“It’s okay. None of us are exactly experts. I’ll take a look at it.” Kaminari patted him on the back. “I do need some extra wire, though. Think you could get some from Yaomomo?”

“Last I heard, she was downstairs in the lobby. I’ll go find her.” Tokoyami bowed and went to find the stairs, sighing as he went. This hasn’t been going in his favor. He and Kaminari have been working on the upper floors’ electricity, and the 3rd floor was being particularly difficult. It’s been 45 minutes, and he was starting to get upset. 

To add insult to injury:  because renovations were happening everywhere he walked, old nails were jutting out of most surfaces. He himself didn’t get scratched, but one particularly sturdy nail tore through the length of his cloak, leaving a considerable hole.

He froze. “You’ve got… to be kidding me.”

“ What’s the- ohhhh. Yeesh. ” At his low tone, Dark Shadow appeared and instantly winced. “ Yeah, we’ll need a new one. ”

“But we can’t-” Tokoyami tried to take a deep breath in. “-we need it now. How are we supposed to help Kaminari if I can’t fly? And what about patrols? When we go out with Hawks, I-I can’t be stuck on the ground, I-”

He opened the stairwell door that lead to the lobby and immediately stopped, gripping the doorknob. 

“ Fumikage? ”

The lobby had a lot more people working in it. There was music playing, people were chatting and laughing, tools were making lots of noise-

It was too loud.

His phone chimed, but he didn’t hear it. Dark Shadow took his phone out of his pocket. “ Hey, Denki said that Yaomomo’s already up there. We can go back. ”

Seriously? He just- he had to go back up 3 flights of stairs without accomplishing anything? And his cloak was torn, and he still didn’t know how to fix the lights-

Too loud. Too overwhelming. He needed to recharge- he’s been around people all morning and afternoon. He had to get out.

Dark Shadow flew in front of his face, sensing his rising discomfort. “ Let’s go outside, okay? It’s quiet out there. ”

Tokoyami was trying to get breath into his lungs, but it wasn’t going through his beak fast enough. “Okay.”

Doing his best to stay hidden, and blatantly ignoring anyone who said hello to him, Tokoyami didn’t stop until he made it outside. Fresh air blew through his feathers, and while the sun did make Dark Shadow shrink slightly, he was at least away from all the noise and people. He sat on the floor, trying to get his breathing under control. Why did he have to get overwhelmed so easily? Why couldn’t he turn off his immature, introverted tendencies? Why-

“Fumikage, I saw you come outside and- oh my gosh, Fumi-”

He was looking down, so didn’t see Tsuyu, but he heard her. A few seconds later, she kneeled in front of him. “Okay, can I see your hands?”

He gave them to her. 

“Breathe in…” She sucked in her own breath, giving him an example to follow. He did it, albeit shakily. “And out. Don’t do it quickly, just nice and slow. Okay?”

He breathed out, and she rubbed her thumb along the roof of his hands. They inhaled and exhaled a few more times together before she spoke again.

“Better?”

“A bit.”

“Did you come out here for some space away?”

A nod.

“Okay. I’ll let you have that space then-”

He clutched her hands. “No. You can stay. Needing space from others will always exclude you.”

Instead of getting up as she intended, she fully sat down at his side, sandwiching his hand in between her two big ones. “Overwhelmed?”

“...Yes. The lights won’t work, my cloak ripped so I can’t use it, and I wasn’t expecting it to be so loud downstairs. I’m sorry.”

“No, Fumikage, you don’t need to apologize.” She affirmed quickly. “One step at a time. Your cloak ripped? Let me see.”

He shrugged it off for her and she ran a hand over the rip. “I can fix this easily. Let me go grab a sewing kit. You can stay out here and take a break, alright?”

“What about-”

“Kaminari will understand. And this will take a half hour tops.” She stood up, and within minutes came back with a sewing kit, sitting back down beside him and immediately getting to work.

“Annnnd, done.” Just like she said, it only took thirty minutes. She held it up to him, showing the neat line of black stitches. “We can call and get you a new cloak made, but this will last you until then.”

Tokoyami stared in awe. “You didn’t need to- I mean, I was probably just overreacting.”

“No, Fumikage.” She lowered it so she could look at him. “I wanted to. And it’s not something you owe me for, okay? It’s been done.”

“Okay.” He looked back at their forming agency. “Can I work with you for a little bit?”

Tsuyu smiled. “Of course you can.”

4. Gifts

It’s not that Tokoyami and Tsuyu don’t like spending money on each other. It’s just not something that makes or breaks the relationship. And when something was given to the other, it was smaller. More personal.

The U.L.T.R.A Agency, by no means, is based in a small building. Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and Iida (not a single one of them would allow the others to fund the whole thing themselves, even though they easily could) pitched in and got a large building with all the space and resources a thriving hero agency would need. Training floor, office space, emergency dorming, infirmary, lab- you name it. One of the most frequently visited areas was their top-notch kitchen, specifically the glorified coffee bar that was located in it.  

Tsuyu was never one to drink too much coffee, but now that she was working to debut as a pro hero, her sleep schedule was less than desired more times than she’d like. Her boyfriend was quick to recommend the drink, but it was always too bitter for her taste.

That’s where Tokoyami stepped in.

His normal shift lasted from around 8pm to 6am, protecting the late nights and early mornings dutifully as the Jet Black Hero. Tsuyu wouldn’t come in until 7am, yet every time she arrived at the agency and went to her desk, a large mug was sitting on the surface. Its contents were always warm.

The first time it had happened, Tsuyu wanted to call him and tell him how much she loved it. But he was asleep already, and the last thing she wanted to do was bother him, so she had to keep her happiness to herself. It had come with a note that read:

“ For my wonderful Evangeline. I hope this suits your tastes; I bought it the moment I laid eyes on it. The flavor was much harder to find, but a small task I was eager to put upon myself. May this vessel wake you up or settle you down- whatever you need it to do, it’s yours. ”

(Tsuyu still has that note)

She loved it, obviously, for a few reasons:

First off, it was a dark blue porcelain depicting a lake at night, complete with water lilies and fireflies. It was beautiful, and it reminded her of the romantic scene in The Princess and the Frog, the first movie she and Tokoyami had watched together. Granted, it was before they dated, but it still meant so much to them both. Everyone in that agency knows that they’re not allowed to touch it. Okay, MAYBE Ochako. And of course the one who gave it to her. But she has used it everyday since.

Secondly, when she took her first sip, she was delighted to find the flavor of strawberry hit her tongue. Tokoyami knew she had an affinity for strawberry milk, so he had managed to find a flavored creamer to balance the bitterness. It was delicious.

He knew her too well.

The coffee bar was constantly stocked with the ingredients to make her drink, thanks to a certain someone. It certainly wasn’t something that came in a basic coffee set, so whoever was selling it had quite the loyal customer in Tokoyami. Tsuyu felt bad at first; the mug was one thing, but a good quality creamer wasn’t cheap, especially as prices add up. He was quick to calm her, saying it was a worthy investment, especially when their friends liked to use it too.

It was something she could easily make herself, yet every morning, it was warm and waiting for her. She knew all too well that it meant Tokoyami spends an extra hour at the agency, waiting until she was yet to arrive to make her pick-me-up. Something told her that he didn’t care in the slightest.

But she had to make it up to him.

It’s a known fact: Tokoyami and Tsuyu have some animal attributes infused in their genetics that affect them past their quirks. Tsuyu can croak, Tokoyami can chirp. Neither of them like the cold. It’s in Tsuyu’s nature to feel calmer near water.

And Tokoyami? He has a weakness for shiny things.

Every time Tokoyami finds a random little rock, pretty piece of glass, or trinket that piques his interest, he picks it up immediately. If he likes it, he’ll tuck it into his utility belt for his collection. If he doesn’t, he discards it. It’s always a quick decision process- the picky little thing. Tsuyu loved it when Dark Shadow showed her their finds. He kept all of it in a jar that sat atop his desk.

She actively looked for anything that would fit in her boyfriend’s jar. She’s found sparkly pebbles that glint in the sun. A small, jewel-like pendant that had fallen off a necklace. Multicolored stained glass shards. A glass frog paperweight. (That one didn’t fit in the jar, but he used it, so it was a win). She could always spot them among his treasures.

She looked on patrol, and she looked when she was out and about off-duty. As much as she loved to look for these beautiful things among the dirt, her focus always belonged to hero work. There was one eventful day where she came back empty handed.

Froppy was on a solo patrol near the city’s outskirts, and when something suspicious caught her attention, she wasted no time in tracking it down. Her insight led her right to some trigger traffickers. She engaged, and they engaged back. As quick as the fight was, all of that trouble landed Froppy in the hospital. Nothing too serious, just a fractured ankle. The villains were stopped, which was all that mattered. And even better, that solo fight was Froppy’s official hero debut. Most of the fight was secluded, but civilian cameras have a way of finding any fight. The news talked about her literal leap into hero society for a couple days, thrilled that another prized 1-A student had gotten the chance to go big. She had finally made it. She was no longer just a sidekick- Japan saw her as The Rainy Season Hero.

It was a shame that she had to stay off her feet for a while after that.

Rather than staying at her own apartment, she stayed at U.L.T.R.A, just so she could still get work done (and so the others could make sure she didn’t sneak out to patrol. She wasn’t Midoriya level stubborn, but it was still worth supervising.)

Paperwork was time-consuming, and she took phone calls for the agency, but she still had time to fill. That’s when the dynamic duo of Shoji and Hagakure introduced her to origami.

It was incredible to see how a 6 armed man and a woman who couldn’t see her own hands folded the colorful paper with such ease. In their free time, they taught her different items to make, and she started to get invested in the art.

Soon enough, everyone had 1 or 2 paper creations made by Tsuyu herself. Shoji and Hagakure got more, since they taught her their ways. And because she couldn’t collect treasures anymore, Tokoyami became her main recipient to make up for it.

Tsuyu didn’t have a favorite flower, but Tokoyami did: the bat orchid. It was a black/purple plant with what Tsuyu could only describe as whiskers growing out of it. The petals were large and added to the namesake shape. All in all, a very interesting choice.

But that didn’t stop Tsuyu. After a week and a half filled with hundreds of failed attempts, she made one out of paper. It turned out better than she thought, and he loved it. Dark Shadow wore it like a hat, which called for an adorable photo.

She didn’t stop there. Tsuyu made him origami swans, retractable ninja stars, and even a red feather out of folded paper cubes. Many of these little figurines sat on his desk, right next to his jar. But surprisingly, what took her the most time was paper rings.

It’s not that she struggled with it; they were much easier than the bat orchid creation. She just didn’t stop at one. Even after her foot healed, she made them for him. Tsuyu soon was able to fold the little bands with her eyes closed. Most were simple, but some had paper stars folded into them like a little diamond. She used mostly purples, blacks, reds, and greens: their colors. It wasn’t much, just something silly. 

With The U.L.T.R.A Agency just a month old, there was a time period where everyone worked overtime to get the agency up and off the ground. Even though Tokoyami and Tsuyu went weeks without seeing each other, there’d be a new paper ring for him to find, and it would always get his beak to lift just a little bit. Shoji has reported to her that he wears one on his thumb around the office, which would make a smile return to her face, too. 

But there was one night he finally said something about it.

“Tsuyu, why do you keep making these?” He asked her in curiosity. She had come with a small pile this time, and Dark Shadow was wearing them all on his claws. She giggled at the sight before answering her boyfriend’s question.

“I don’t know. It’s fun I guess, ribbit. And I like giving them to you.”

“Hm.” Tokoyami responded quietly. They sat in silence after that.

“...so? What are you thinking about?” Tsuyu prompted, scooting closer to him. To her confusion, for the first time since they started dating in high school, his feathers puffed up significantly; a strong blush.

“W-well… The thought occurred to me just now.” He grabbed Dark Shadow (“ Hey! ”) and pulled off one of the new rings, holding it in between his thumb and pointer finger. “These are rather dull.”

Oh. Well that was blunt. Tsuyu wasn’t hurt by it, per say, but she wasn’t expecting… that. Years of communication with him told her that he still had something else to say, but she couldn’t predict what was coming next. So she waited for him to continue. 

“Entirely at the fault of my bird genetics, I prefer things with shine. An ironic interest, given my pull to the darkness. You know this, and even feed this desire. I wouldn’t dare to go near anything even remotely close to Aoyama-level, but do enjoy the way metals, and dare I say sparkly items, glint in light. Paper doesn’t do that.”

Tsuyu played with the ends of her hair. Did he not like them?“I could find a different material if you’d-”

“That is not the point I’m making.” Tokoyami cut her off, and her eyes widened. He hardly does that. “I-I know we haven’t talked about it yet, so forgive me if it’s too forward but…” He gulped. “Despite my attraction to shiny things, I would not hesitate to put one of these folded creations on your left hand, if it meant you would be mine for as long as I live.”

For a moment, Tsuyu couldn’t breathe. Was he-

He was saying that-

Fumikage Tokoyami just brought up the idea of MARRIAGE. TO HER.

And Tsuyu, in all of her calm mindedness and poise, responded with a measly “...oh.”

“But not soon.” Tokoyami hastily added. “After all, you just made your pro hero debut a month ago. You’ve just begun to grow. Never would I want to hold-”

Tsuyu leaped into his arms, clutching him tightly. He reciprocated. “You’ve never held me back a day that I’ve known you.”

A sigh of relief. “Good.”

“But uh…” She cleared her throat. “Yes. This is definitely something we can talk about in the future. And for the record, that was… very sweet.”

“ Told you she’d like it. ”

“Silence, Dark Shadow.”

“It kind of reminded me of a song from an artist that the girls and I listen to sometimes.”

Tokoyami rolled his eyes. “Ashido has been trying for years to get me to listen to anything made by that singer, and I refuse. Not my genre. But I promise I didn’t intend to copy anyone.”

“Oh, I know, Fumikage. I know.”

3. Words of Affirmation

Tsuyu: the blunt one. Tokoyami: a wordsmith.

Both of them had a way with words that got the other blushing. And it didn’t take much to do so.

Despite being on the less-talkative side, especially compared to some of the… loudmouths in Class 1A (i.e. Bakugo, Ashido, even Iida and Midoriya in their own ways), they did their best to be open with one another, eventually communicating in little words.

When they were apart, they would text each other as often as they could. Long distance had never been a problem, and it wasn’t going to start now, even if they were technically not a long-distance couple anymore. Every break he had, Tokoyami would bring up how she was on his mind. Just like in high school, Tsuyu always knew what to say to keep him going. Simple sentences and brief words of encouragement went a long way, especially when their schedules didn’t correlate. They were each other’s biggest supporters. 

And other people could see that, too.

Tsuyu was having a girl’s night with Uraraka- they had just watched a movie and were going out to get some dessert, when her phone rang. 

“Someone’s calling you, Tsu.” Uraraka took a glance at Tsuyu’s phone, which was lying face down on the table. The green-haired girl shrugged as she dug through her bag for some yen. “It’s probably not important. Can you check to see who it is, Ochako? Ugh, I know I have my coin purse in here somewhere-”

“It’s Hawks.”

Tsuyu’s bag fell from her grasp and she immediately reached across the table to take her phone from Uraraka. The U.L.T.R.A Agency has been running for about half a year now, and it’s been standing strong in its fought-for position as a trustworthy agency. Tokoyami still worked with Hawks on the regular, and currently was on some sort of stand-off with him against some B-tier villains. If Hawks was calling her, then…

Lord, please let him be okay, please please please-

“Hey Froppy!” Hawks’ signature bright tone and smile met her as she picked up the face-time call. He seemed too happy for something to be wrong, but she had to ask anyway.

“Hawks. Is something wrong with Fumikage? Is he hurt?”

“Nah he’s fine. A-okay. So, how’s your day been?”

“...good. What are you-”

“By Macbeth’s wrath, did you actually call her Hawks?!” Tsuyu could hear Tokoyami’s voice in the background, and then immediately saw the camera shake as Hawks tried to keep his phone away from his ex-mentee. Tsuyu was carried upwards and saw Tokoyami reaching for the phone. No matter how many years passed and no matter the fact that Tokoyami grew much taller after UA, Hawks was just tall enough to hold the phone over his head, out of reach.

“Oh, you’re okay. You had me worried for a moment.” Tsuyu nodded to her best friend, who breathed a sigh of relief, before looking back at her phone. “How’s the mission going?”

“Great! We’re just chilling right now, and let me tell you-”

“Hawks, stop it. Don’t you even-”

“SOMEBODY!” Hawks loudly continued to speak over Tokoyami’s frantic attempts to get him to stop. He brought the phone level with his face again. “Will not stop talking about you. Like we’ve been waiting for at least 2 hours, and he manages to bring you up over and over, no matter how many times I change the subject.  Always saying how beautiful you are, how you’re an amazing hero who deserves more recognition, how he’s certain most of his happiness comes from- HEY NOW YOU DON’T NEED TO-”

Hawks suddenly left the camera’s view and the phone shook like it was knocked through the air. Tokoyami’s face suddenly entered, and Tsuyu smiled.

“You better not have broken my phone!” Hawks yelled off camera. Tokoyami turned to face him and the angle changed to show that the Wing Hero was being pinned down by Dark Shadow. “You can afford another one!” Tokoyami yelled back, rolling his eyes before looking at Tsuyu again. “I’m sorry about that, my love. I’m going to kill him for making you worry like that.”

That was another thing Tsuyu loved about Tokoyami: his voice.

Tokoyami’s voice had a lovely, deep timbre to it. Every time he spoke to her, words laced with adoration, her heart quickened. She’ll flat out say it- his low voice was hot . ‘Love’ was the pet name he used for her the most, followed by ‘dear’ or ‘darling’. Nothing special or crazy, but it wasn’t the name that made her feel special. It was the word before it. ‘My’. She was his, and he was hers. Never did she have a doubt in her mind that it was any different.

“Oh, don’t do that.” Tsuyu huffed in amusement. “Will you be released soon?”

“I hope so. The police are running their own investigation on the location and asked us to stay for any extra assistance.”

“Were you successful?”

A nod. “It ended up being a hostage situation. We managed to get every civilian out.”

“I expect nothing less from the Jet Black Hero.”

“Hm. It wasn’t my best night, however. A rather peculiar turn of events. A couple of the hostages got hurt; nothing dangerous, but a mistake nonetheless. I think the pain contributed to their initial reaction of fear when Dark Shadow came to round them up.” He paused to take a breath. “And then one of the captors ended up having a heart attack.”

“Oh, wow. Is he-”

Tokoyami shook his head and looked away. “He was alive when we handed him off to the paramedics. I just… didn’t think Hawks and I would have to take turns delivering chest compressions to keep his heart going. All the hostages were out at that point, but I didn’t want him to die.”

She could tell that Tokoyami was a bit frazzled over the night’s events. Some time during his explanation, Dark Shadow had let Hawks go, and the hero had walked back into frame. He put a hand on Tokoyami’s shoulder. “I kept telling him that I’ve been in the field for a heck of a long time, and even I haven’t needed to do anything like that. There are always new things to expect as a hero, but you handled it well. You did all you could.”

Tsuyu nodded along to what Hawks was saying, but Tokoyami merely shrugged. “Fumikage, could you look at me please?”

He did immediately. 

“I’m proud of you for staying calm throughout this whole thing. Hostage situations on their own are already stressful enough, not to mention the extra incident. You’re very strong.”

Tokoyami’s control over Dark Shadow in the darkness and his own negative emotions have grown exponentially. But because of the unpredictable line of hero work, losing control would always be a threat. Everyone close to Tokoyami knew that, and he himself was critically aware. So that was the first thing Tsuyu addressed, before continuing. “You are a wonderful hero. You and Dark Shadow are beings of protection, and because of you, tonight was successful.”

“But-”

“No buts. Sure, they may have been scared initially, but I can guarantee their minds were quickly changed when they saw how Tsukuyomi saved them with his impressive skills and big heart. And you went above and beyond tonight, no matter how many little mistakes you feel you’ve made. Okay?”

Tokoyami’s beak twitched upwards. “Okay.”

“And there it is again!” Hawks gestured at Tokoyami dramatically. “I tell him he did a good job, no reaction. You reassure him, and bam: Instantly okay. You’re doing wonderful things for my bird brother here, Froppy. I should call you more often.”

“Hawks.” Tokoyami sighed in annoyance and rubbed the space between his eyes. Tsuyu laughed. “Text me when you’re heading back to your apartment, Fumi. And by the way, Ochako and I are getting ice cream. I sent you a photo.”

Tokoyami pulled out his phone and opened their text stream. Tsuyu knew the moment he saw the Tsukuyomi-color-palette ice cream (2 scoops of blackberry and 1 scoop of apple, the photo complete with Ochako making a silly face in the background) because his eyes softened. He showed Hawks the photo and the hero gagged. “Okay, too much cute romantic bs. My single behind is gonna go over here now. Just give me my phone when you’re done.”

“ That looks so good! ” Dark Shadow’s face went right up against the camera. “ Can we get some next time? ”

“Sure, ribbit.”

“Alright, well I’ll let you go now. Tell Uraraka I said hello. I’ll be sure to text you once I’m home. And Tsuyu?”

“Hm?”

“Japan is fortunate to have a hero like you among them, and I am even more lucky to have a hard-working, beautiful partner such as yourself. I love you, enjoy your relaxing evening.”

Uraraka ‘aww-ed’, but Tsuyu paid her no mind. “I love you too.”

2. Physical Touch

Physical touch was what helped spark their relationship back at UA. Being near enough to hold each other was something they both missed dearly, so they made it count every time they were together. The couple favored the little and quiet things of life- sentimental actions were more fulfilling than grand gestures.

One day, Tsuyu’s shift started later than usual, so the couple decided to go out to breakfast. Tokoyami was quite the trooper after his long night-shift, even going as far as suggesting they take a walk once they finished their meal. It was a wonderful day out, so she agreed.

Tokoyami stood up and held his hand out for her. Without hesitation, her hand slipped into his, fingers curling around each other like muscle memory. Hand in hand, they chatted while casually perusing the streets, taking their time making it back to the agency.

That’s one small detail that made Tsuyu feel like they were meant to be. Large hands came with her frog mutation, something she’s come to terms with long ago. Her hands are much bigger than most of her friends- especially the girls- but her hand fits perfectly in Tokoyami’s. Like a puzzle piece. 

She loved it. She loved him.

Because here was a man who fought for a living. A man with a fearsome quirk and a fearless persona, hands covered in calluses and scars from the many battles he’s been in since high school. Hers were the same. 

Yet he was careful with every civilian he saved, but was especially gentle with her. It was how he showed he cared. He always had a fear that he might hurt her on accident, but she’s been slowly working that irrationality out of him. She knew he’d never do such a thing. And if being near to him would make him see that she would never be afraid, she’d spend eternity at his side. She’d do it regardless.

“Can you believe U.L.T.R.A has been open for a year now?” Tsuyu swung their hands in a slow rhythm, arms brushing against their sides. “Time really flies, ribbit. Who would’ve thought so much could happen?”

“We’re blessed that this endeavor was successful in what’s slowly become the long run.” Tokoyami agreed. “Fighting to protect people beside those that mean the most to me is most enjoyable.” He pulled their combined hands up, bending his wrist so his beak could rub against her fingers. “Fighting with you especially.”

Tsuyu smiled sweetly at him. “We’re a great team. All of us.”

“Ah.” They stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for cars to pass before entering the street when the signal changed. “I’ve heard rumors that Mina is wanting to throw some sort of party to commemorate the milestone.”

Tsuyu hummed. “That sounds like her. But will we all be able to get off for one night?”

“It shouldn’t be too hard. We’re all spread out enough that there are other heroes who can cover for us all.” As they stepped up onto the sidewalk, Tokoyami walked behind her to take her other hand, putting him in between her and the busy street. Tsuyu smiled at the notion, but something else caught her attention.

“Fumikage, are you excited for a party?” She teased him with a faux shocked expression. The bird-headed man rolled his eyes playfully. “I don’t think excited is the right word.”

“But you’re looking forward to it, ribbit.”

“I am. It’s not an occasion we should miss. And I can’t deny that it won’t be fun.”

Tsuyu’s hand broke free so she could snake her full arm through the crook of his elbow, pressing against his side. “You really are wonderful, Fumikage.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I did anything to merit this particular compliment.”

“Of course you did. Watching you grow through our time at UA, then seeing you thrive with Hawks, and now being a part of your hero journey with U.L.T.R.A… I’m happy to see you more confident.”

The agency building was coming into view now. “You can say sociable, you know. Because you’re right, I’m not as secluded as I was back in high school.” He yawned wide, his left hand coming up to cover his beak. “Unfortunately, my sleep schedule has not gotten better since those days.”

Tsuyu shook her head. “Oh, I didn’t want to sound mean, ribbit. You being an introvert isn’t something I want or expect you to change.”

He stopped walking and stepped in front of her, one of his hands coming up to cup her chin and gently turn her head so she could look at him.

Even with all of his callouses, his fingers felt soft against her face. It was at that moment she realized how touch starved she was with the differences in their schedules. She missed being able to curl into his side after a long day. She missed when Tokoyami would come up behind her, slouching down so his beak sat on her shoulder, arms wrapping around her midsection with a quiet “hello”. The way he was staring at her while his hand slid to the base of her neck sent her brain into a tizzy. Oh, how she loved that feeling; it completely overshadowed her confusion over why it was happening in the first place.

“God has blessed me with a girlfriend who loves who I am, because there’s not a thing I wouldn’t change in a heartbeat for you.” His thumb moved back and forth across her skin, as he was able to tell how she missed being this close to him. “And I wouldn’t get mad at you for telling the truth. I don’t expect your bluntness to change either.”

Tsuyu closed the gap between them. Green bangs were squished against black feathers as their foreheads met. “It’s a good thing we’re in agreement, then.”

That was something that was uniquely theirs: the forehead touch. Tokoyami started it back at UA when Tsuyu couldn’t sleep after a nightmare, and the pattern stuck. During blackouts, snowstorms, and everything in between- it became their token sign of affection. Something more intimate than a kiss.

They’ve… experimented with how Tokoyami’s beak works over the years. Tokoyami might not be able to kiss normally, but he does nuzzle his beak against Tsuyu’s skin as a substitute. Tsuyu’s kisses do plenty, anyway (Tokoyami has mentioned how his beak was sensitive, and unfortunately, lipstick is sometimes hard to remove from its surface)

But nothing means more to them than their forehead touch.

When they were working solely for Hawks and Selkie, they didn’t see each other for a whole year at first. The day that Tsuyu picked Tokoyami up from the airport for a few days vacation, she couldn’t stand still once she saw his black feathers among the crowd. She ran towards him, arms open wide as she leapt forward, desperate to be in his embrace again. He dropped his bags to catch her, shifting with the momentum and clutching her tightly. Head buried in his chest, she let out a watery chuckle, a few happy tears staining his jacket. In a simultaneous movement, their foreheads met.

“I’m sending positive thoughts from my mind to yours. This way they’ll travel faster, I’m sure. Let our energies mix to spark a calm anew, and the bliss of peace stay steadfast in you.” Tokoyami began it quietly, and Tsuyu quickly joined in. Their mantra of support. It meant that they’d always be there to love and support one another. It made them one- whole and happy to be in each other’s presence, knowing that they were the source of each other’s peace.

An older woman ‘aww-ed’ as she passed them. They stayed like that for a while.

And if they simply didn’t have the time to meet fully- to melt into each other’s beings as their heartbeats smoothed together (it was sadly quite common. A hero’s life never stopped), they got into the habit of a quick touch of their own forehead followed by the skimming of the other with the index finger. 

When Tokoyami did it for the second time, it caught Tsuyu off guard. (The first, if you recall, was the day after the power outage and Tokoyami used the method to show Tsuyu his solidarity in front of their class, not wanting to draw attention to him or her. She thought it was a one time thing.) In their third year at UA, they were having a mock hero’s conference, the kind where multiple heroes meet to discuss an important mission (i.e, the Overhaul meeting). The class was a success, but Tokoyami had to leave right after for a patrol with Hawks, so he sped past Tsuyu, touching her forehead after touching his own.

“Um.” Tsuyu had croaked in confusion . “What was that?”

Tokoyami stopped his quick pace to turn around. “Pardon?”

“What you just did. What was that for?”

“Oh.” His eyes had softened as he held up his pointer finger. “Positive thoughts on the go. Quick and easy.”

“Oh.” It was Tsuyu’s turn to use the little word of understanding, and she had smiled wide while saying it. “Alright, ribbit. I like that.”

And they kept doing it. Yes they preferred the full contact, but the warmth was behind it all the same. In between shifts, gestures across the room, even sneaky games where one would try to tag the other first.

Tokoyami never noticed this, but Tsuyu eventually started to use her left ring finger rather than her pointer.

“Awww, look at you cuties! Doing your cute little head thing.”

Their attention was brought back to the present and to the front doors of the U.L.T.R.A Agency, where Ashido was tucking her phone back into her pocket. Oh, she definitely took a photo. Tsuyu smiled at her friend, while Tokoyami gave her a deadpan stare. “Really, Mina?”

“Whaaaat?” She held her hands up in mock defense, a cheeky smile on her face. “You’re just so adorable. Ah, young love.” Her hands fell down to her heart dramatically. 

(Kirishima and Ashido have done the forehead touch a couple of times in front of others, and Tokoyami and Tsuyu were told soon after that people were copying them. All in good fun, of course.)

“Tsuyu’s older than you, you know.” Tokoyami stepped away from their close position, but his hand found hers again quite quickly. Tsuyu couldn’t help but glance down at their conjoined hands. 

“But you’re not!” She fanned away non existent tears with a flourish of her wrist. “Baby Angryami is all grown up…”

Tsuyu laughed. “Okay, okay.” Standing on her tiptoes (They both grew, but Tokoyami would always be much taller than her) she purposely made a loud ‘mwah!’ while kissing Tokoyami on the beak. His feathers fluffed slightly, and Ashido gasped.

“At least get a room first! Can’t be doing this out here.” Waggling her eyebrows, she opened the front door. “This way, lovebird and lovefrog!”

Tokoyami rolled his eyes and yawned once more. With a gentle huff, Tsuyu pulled his hand and led him inside. “Alright, you. Time to get some sleep. I’ll see you later, Mina.”

The pink woman saluted and closed the door. Tokoyami plopped onto a couch they had in the main lobby, head leaning against the soft fabric. “That was a long patrol.”

“You’re a trooper for that, Fumikage. Mine starts in 45 minutes. I’ll leave you to rest.”

He raised one arm to sit on the couch’s backrest. “Stay with me for a bit?”

“I suppose I can.” She complied quickly, sitting next to him and scooting into his side, allowing his head to droop and rest on top of hers. “I’ll be here until you fall asleep.”

“But what if you’re late for patrol, love?” He murmured, shifting his legs into a more comfortable long-term position.

“Oh, I won’t be. You’ll be out soon, I can tell. Now,” She gently pushed his eyes closed. “Sleep.”

He sighed with contentment. “As you wish.”

1. Quality Time

Any moment they could be together was worth it all. It didn’t matter what they were doing- fighting, simply existing-when they spent time together face to face, it made everything better. With how little they saw each other, you’d think it wouldn’t be so highly valued on their list. But it blew every love language out of the water. 

U.L.T.R.A was nearing its 2 year mark, and so much had happened in between then.

An important change, and the only being noted as of right now, was the one in Tsukuyomi and Froppy’s patrol schedules. Night and day met together to make dusk. In an attempt to work together again, twice a week the two young pros took the midday shift and teamed up.

“Froppy.” Tsukuyomi greeted her formally, but his tone was playful. “You look wonderful in your hero costume today.”

“Why thank you, Tsukuyomi.” She returned the jest with her own proper response. “I look forward to patrolling with you. But I must deny your advances. I’m taken.”

“Are you now?” Tsukuyomi lifted an arm to rest upon the outside wall of the U.L.T.R.A Agency, placing it well above her head. He leaned forward, and Froppy’s blush stood out against the green of her costume. She found herself pressed against the wall and staring up at him. “Well, this will make for an awkward team-up, I’m afraid.”

“Okay, okay. That’s enough. We actually have to work.” Froppy tried to sound stern, but her blush didn’t go away. Tsukuyomi backed away with a lovestruck look in his eyes. “It doesn’t feel like work when it’s with you. Lead the way?”

Froppy nodded, quickly using her quirk to climb up the wall in preparation to leap to the next building. She looked down from about 50 feet up. “Are you not coming, ribbit?”

“ Geez, can a guy not admire a heroine’s work ethic? ” Dark Shadow crowed, preparing to grow large and dive under Tsukuyomi’s cloak. “ We’re coming, we’re coming. ”

Without warning, Tsukuyomi shot upwards, picking Froppy up securely around the waist and bringing her up into the air. A startled ribbit escaped her lips, but she was grinning. At a certain altitude, she pulled away and began to freefall. Her tongue flew out of her mouth, sticking to a nearby building. Momentum set, she bent her legs before releasing her tongue and extending her body all at once, twisting through the air and landing on the roof with flourish. From the skies, she heard clapping. 

“Oh, stop it.” She leaped to the next building, scaling down it to be closer to the ground. Tsukuyomi flew next to her and she stuck to the brick and eventually hopped onto the sidewalk. 

“What? You’ve gotten adept at reacting to a freefall. Is that not worth commending?” He released Dark Shadow’s hold on himself, but the quirk stayed everpresent. “Knowing you’re prepared for anything makes me feel better as a hero and a boyfriend.”

Froppy adjusted the goggles on her head and bumped his hip with her own. “I had a good teacher.”

“Surprising, considering mine.” Tsukuyomi quipped dryly as they walked their patrol route. He was leagues faster than Froppy was, but he always stayed close on their patrols- on foot and in air.

“Don’t say that, Hawks might hear you.”

“Good. He knows it’s true.” Tsukuyomi stepped to the side to let a blind civilian continue walking in a straight line. “Are there any areas we need to check particularly due to crime rates?”

Froppy hummed in thought. “I think Sero said something about the North side.”

“Alright. We’ll extend our route to cover the entire area. Is that alright?”

Froppy smiled. “Roger that, Tsukuyomi. It’s just more time I spend with you.”

Dark Shadow perked up next to them, head darting about in the air. “ I hear something. ”

The two were on alert immediately, dropping the flirtatious behavior. “What and where, Dark Shadow?”

“ About 3 blocks down past the business district- ”

With an incredible leap, Froppy cleared a crosswalk and jumped onto a building, frog-climbing up to get past the multiple large buildings of the business district quicker. “Explain on the way!”

“Dark Shadow!”

The quirk grew large, surprising the pedestrians around him. They took off quickly, catching up with Froppy who had already jumped to the next building. “ It’s a bus going haywire! ”

“I see it.” Tsukuyomi called out. “Froppy, handle the civilians. I’ll stop the bus.”

“Ribbit!”

Jumping down from their path among the clouds, they split off. Froppy landed in the street and yelled for everyone to clear the way. The intersection was busy, and she dodged a car that ran a red light. That was a different issue. “The street isn’t safe! Please move away from the road! A rogue vehicle is inbound.” Cars screeched to a stop and honked, but when they saw it was a hero, they listened. “Leave the cars! Your safety is what’s important!”

Tsukuyomi landed on top of the bus with a thud, stumbling as the bus hit a parked motorcycle on the side of the road. With the speed it was going, especially down a narrow street, property damage was an issue. Moving towards the front, he dug Dark Shadow’s claws into the metal roof and leaned over to peer into the window.

There were at least 50 people inside, all panicking. The few that saw him relaxed, and a young boy leaned up against the glass with a slack jaw. He shook his head quickly, signaling that he could get hurt with his head so close to the window at this speed. He was pulled away by his mother.

Looking down the interior of the bus, he saw the bus driver. Still conscious, but frantically pushing buttons. So it was a failed break. And the emergency wasn’t working either. 

“Hold on and brace yourself, I’m going to help you!” Tsukuyomi yelled. They couldn’t jump in front and stop its inertia- it would hurt the people on the inside. Looking ahead, he saw the bus was getting closer and closer to the intersection Froppy was trying to clear. It wouldn’t get there, not on his watch.

He flipped off the back of the bus and sent Dark Shadow forward. The quirk grew and grew, fueled by the cloudy day. Filling up the space around them, it shot forward and enveloped the bus, pulling backwards to slow it down to a stop. Tsukuyomi grit his teeth, concentrating on keeping Dark Shadow’s cord taut without actively ripping through the bus. Froppy had cleared the street, and Tsuyukomi was surprised to see that she had made her way to where he was, shooting out her tongue and wrapping it around the bus as well. Slowly and with a metal screech, the bus slowed down. The descent was calm enough where no one on the inside was thrown and no cars left in the street were crushed. They did it.

Once completely sure the bus had stopped and wouldn’t move, the two heroes let go and ran to check if everyone was alright. They helped everyone off the bus, taking the compliments and thanks from the people.

“Thank you, Tsukuyomi and Froppy. You saved us once again.”

“It is our pleasure.” Tsukuyomi dipped his head in respect, taking the hand of the older man and telling him to watch his step. “Are there any injured individuals on the bus?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

The bus driver himself got off last, clearly shaken. “I’m so glad you were here. I-I don’t know what happened. The bus isn’t that old, its breaks should have been fine! Especially the emergency!”

“When was the last time it was checked? I’m sure this was nothing of your doing.” Froppy said calmly, putting a hand on his shoulder. The driver’s lips pursed in thought. 

“Last month. And there have been no issues with it until now.”

“Can you tell us what happened?”

“I clocked in about 2 and a half hours ago. This is one of our slower buses, but I was still keeping my rounds timely while following the speed limit. But a while back, we hit something. It made this awful noise and it rattled the whole front compartment where I was, but I bet my passengers felt it too. I guess it screwed with the brake system. But I didn’t see anything in the road before I hit it.”

“Hmm. We’ll check it out and let you know, ribbit. Luckily there was no major damage. Thank you for keeping it in control as long as you could.” Froppy shook his hand, and the man smiled. 

“Thank you. You two handled that wonderfully.”

“Well,” she glanced at her partner with a smile. “We'll do whatever it takes to keep you all safe, ribbit.”

“Mom! Mom! Look-” The three adults turned to see the boy from earlier with the biggest smile on his face. “It’s Tsukayumi!”

“Tsukuyomi, dear.” The lady said, laughing. “Go say hi!”

Not needing to be told twice, the little boy ran up to him, talons clicking on the concrete. Yes, talons. Tsukuyomi couldn’t see it before, but the boy’s (who appeared to be 8 or 9) lower half resembled an owl: feathery legs, talons for feet, and tail feathers sticking above the band of his shorts. He had owlish eyes, too- which were even wider at the sight of the hero. He was a mutant.

“You saved us! And you were so cool- you looked in the window like a ninja and did this flippy thing! I watched you do it! And Dark Shadow covered the whole bus and made the inside dark, but I’m not scared of the dark so it was awesome!” As he talked, he gestured wildly. “My mom was scared I was going to get hurt, but I told her that the coolest hero ever was stopping the bus so we’d be fine!”

Tsukuyomi stared with a small smile through his ramblings, unsure about what to say. He knew he had some fans, but this was the best interaction he’s had so far. He was so pure. 

Froppy watched the whole thing, warmth growing in her heart. And then, she nearly broke at what the boy said next.

“You see my legs? I’m kinda like you! My friends call me a bird centaur! But-but with your head, we make a full bird!”

“Oh my God.” Froppy whispered into her hand, unable to handle the adorable sight in front of her. This little boy saw a hero that looked like him. Tsukuyomi became a role model for him to latch onto. The bus driver chuckled at her reaction.

“Thank you.” Tsukuyomi said quietly. Froppy could tell he felt overwhelming gratitude. She saw the crack in his resolve at his innocent loyalty. In his words, it was “too bright for his dark soul”. He got on one knee for the little boy. “We do make a full bird. I’m very happy to know I have a supporter like you. And I’m glad you and your mother are safe.”

Dark Shadow ruffled the kid’s hair. “ You’re the coolest bird ever! And we know Hawks. ”

The boy gasped. “I am?!” He gave the Jet Black hero a sudden hug. The man froze, but soon gave in and returned it. Froppy saw the mom take a photo, and damn it, she was asking for that picture.

“He’s good with kids, ain’t he?” The bus driver leaned in to whisper to Froppy. She nodded. “Most don’t think it matches his dark and mysterious brand, ribbit. But he’s very gentle with them. It took him a while to learn how to speak with kids, though. Him and his big words.”

“I have trouble understanding sometimes too.” The bus driver adjusted his glasses with a smile. “You two make a great addition to U.L.T.R.A. And couple.”

Froppy blushed and bowed in thanks. She loved when people brought up the thing all 20 of them built with their bare hands. But it was always special when civilians commented on her and her paartner. Their relationship was not a secret, but not many civilians brought it up to them in person. She looked back over to the sweet scene that was coming to an end, with the boy waving goodbye and running back to his mom. Tsukuyomi waved back, keeping his hand up for a few seconds longer than necessary.

Yeah, he was good with kids.

-

“That was an eventful patrol. Great job, my love.” Tokoyami pulled his cloak over his head, revealing his black shirt and nicely toned arms underneath. “Is there anything you want to do for the rest of the night?”

That was another good thing about working together. Once they were done, they had the same break to do whatever they pleased. 

“Well, you have that book you’ve been wanting to finish. And I personally want to watercolor paint a bit.” She finished tying her long hair into an updo, her signature green bow now atop of her head. “So how about we do that together?”

“Sounds like a date. I’ll go prepare our supplies.”

In a few short minutes, they set up shop in a recreational room that the agency had. The lights were dim, there was soft lo-fi music playing in the back, and they simply… existed together.

Tsuyu and Tokoyami sat across from each other at a wooden table, legs tangled together underneath. Tsuyu’s paint containers were strewn about the table; there were many colors for her to choose from, and Tokoyami would rearrange them for her as she needed them. He had an elbow propped on the surface, eyes skimming through his horror book. He was about ¾ through, but it was something he’s kept on the back burner for some time.

It was something to appreciate, doing separate things together. It felt very domestic, and domestic was a wonderful thing to experience in a quick-moving life. 

Tokoyami stiffened. “Tsuyu, the supposed antagonist of the book was just found dead. Impaled through the neck akin to Frankenstein’s monster’s bolts.”

“Wow, Fumikage. Who do you think did it?”

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t expecting this twist.”

She took a quick glance at the cover. Oh, that title didn’t sound promising. She didn’t know how Tokoyami could sleep after something like that. “Dying from a neck wound seems bloody. And symbolic.”

He hummed. “True. Perhaps I’m missing something.” He looked over the edge of his book. “What are you painting today?”

“Something for Kyoka and Denki.” She held up her canvas to him. Soundwaves and lightning bolts were in the process of being created, but it looked like they were going to meet in the middle to create a heart. “It took me a while to get a background color that would highlight both purple and yellow.”

“I think it looks nice.” Tokoyami went back to his book. “An artsy activity might be fun to incorporate at our 2-year agency party, especially with other pros joining us this time.”

“Ochako’s running it this year since Mina’s been busy wedding planning, so I’ll ask her.” Tsuyu continued to stroke her brush lightly over the page.

He put his book down. “I forgot that she and Eijiro were getting married. When is-”

“2 months from now, Fumi. We have time.”

Tokoyami sighed. “Okay, good. The 1st couple of our class to be married, and it’s arriving quickly. How’s bridesmaid work going?”

“So far so good.” She put down her paintbrush to look at him, the flow of conversation making its way into their quiet time. “My biggest job is making sure she eats and keeping an eye on the time during the big day. Right now I’m just helping her sort RSVP’s.” 

“A perfect job for you.” He leaned forward. “The real question, who do you think is next?”

Tsuyu smirked at his curious tone. This was a conversation that never seemed to die from highschool days. “Ochako and Izuku, definitely. He asked her dad the other day.”

Tokoyami’s beak parted slightly. “He did?!”

“Mhm~” Her excitement shone through her voice. “I distracted her while he did it. I bet he’s going to go ring shopping soon.”

“Wow.” Tokoyami ran his hand over his beak. “Good for them.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, your art reminded me of something.” Tokoyami smoothly moved into a new topic. “You know the museum near Aiichi?”

“Of course. I took Satsuki and Samidare there a few times.”

“They have this new art exhibit opening. Apparently it’s quite modern. Would you like to go see it with me? We could go out for dinner afterwards too. It’s been a while since we’ve done something fancy together.”

Tsuyu beamed. “I’d love to.”

“Perfect. I’ll book reservations for both. We’ll play it safe and say 3 months? After the 2-year anniversary and our friends’ wedding.”

“Sounds great. I look forward to spending this time with you. As I always do.”

With a satisfied nod, Tokoyami buried his beak back into his book. Tsuyu returned to her painting.

How she wished moments like this could last forever.

       0. ?????

He told her to meet him at the museum. Usually they go together for these kinds of things, but Ochako needed help with paperwork right before their date, so he adjusted to her. 

Her heels clicked against the stone stairs leading up to the great doors, echoing across the empty courtyard. Strange, the museum was still open for quite a few more hours. The sun was just setting, after all. So where was everyone?

She opened one of the double doors, expecting him to be there waiting for her, but he wasn’t. The museum was empty. 

There was, however, a paper chain. A long paper chain suspended about 2 feet in the air, leading to a nearby sector of the museum. The new exhibit. Tokoyami was probably there.

So she followed the paper chain.

Upon running her hand on its length as she walked, she came to a realization that made her freeze. This wasn’t just a paper chain. She squinted at the individual loops. Some had little stars stuck to them, all alternating colors between purple, black, red, and green. 

These were the paper rings she’s given Tokoyami over the years. He kept every single one, and made them into this chain.

Having spent too much time gawking at the paper, she continued to follow where the chain lead, two new powerful emotions stirring in her heart. Was this...

The chain stopped, tied off at another door. There was a sign, newly made, that described what kind of exhibit it was. 

The Beauty of Natural Art: Surround Sight

Surround Sight? She’s heard of surround sound, but not sight. This must be the modern aspect Tokoyami mentioned. She walked in, anticipation growing.

The room was dark. She just kept walking forward, hoping that her presence would trigger some sort of light so she could see where she was going. Nothing happened.

But she did see something move in the darkness. 

Any other person would be afraid of glowing eyes appearing from the void, but she knew very well that those yellow eyes belonged to Dark Shadow.

“ Hiya, Tsuyu! ” She could see his eyes get closer and closer until she felt a shadowy beak nuzzle against her cheek. “ You wanna see some art? ”

“Absolutely, ribbit. But in the dark?”

“ Of course! You know what Fumi says, revelry in the dark. ”

At the quirk’s words, the room lit up, revealing that it wasn’t just a room, but a dome. A dome covered in screens. And right now, the dome was changing. So that’s what Surround Sight was.

It was like a light show, flashing pinks and yellows as the screens displayed magnificent sunsets. There was music playing softly in the background, accentuating and adding feeling to the beautiful imagery she saw. Her mouth gaped in awe as she spun in place, hoping to catch everything. The sunsets morphed into a clear blue ocean, the lights changing accordingly. Natural Art… it was showing her all the beautiful phenomena that nature gave them. Oh, this was spectacular. 

“ Look Tsuyu, I’m like a dolphin! ” Dark Shadow floated close to the screens, twisting in the air to copy the leaping movements a sea creature would make. She laughed. 

The images changed again, this time to a snowy midnight mountain landscape. The full moon shone large and bright, making everything glow. She hated the cold, but she loved how ethereal it looked on the dome. She kept spinning, catching the insane detail of evergreen trees, a frozen river, and little animals. Suddenly, the sky lit up with greens and pinks: an aurora borealis. Tsuyu gasped. It looked so real… like she was actually there seeing it happen. “Wow… This is beautiful.”

“ It’s not over yet! ”

Midnight skies painted with light melted into the mysterious depths of space. She saw bright stars and painted galaxies. The music swelled as she saw constellations dance in front of her eyes. Space was amazing; she didn’t realize there was so much there. It made her feel small, but a good kind. The screens began to focus on Earth, zooming in until the planet was large and in front of her. Everything else was pitch black with tiny dots of light. 

“ Hey, look! Let’s try to find us. ” Still in front of the screens, Dark Shadow pretended to expand the image with a large claw. It worked, and there was a sudden blur as clouds whizzed by on the screens. The music began to change too, distorting and sorting itself into-

Tears dotted at Tsuyu’s eyes. The dome portrayed another scene at night, this time at a lake. A tree rested aside the lake, the water lapping gently at its roots. Water lilies peppered the surface, their pinks and whites contrasting the deep deep blue. A crescent moon’s reflection shone in the water. As the music got louder, fireflies flew onto screen.

She knew that song. She knew that scene.

It was the view on her special mug, and the soundtrack of “Evangeline” tied it all together. There were no more words to describe how beautiful this all was. The music made it all better, it felt like she was in the movie, falling in love and dancing with the man of her dreams. 

Speaking of which…

Dark Shadow flew down from his high place, holding a claw out to her. “ Want to dance? ”

She beamed. “Of course.”

It wasn’t much of a dance. Dark Shadow… doesn’t have legs. And even if he did, all he did was spin her a couple times. When her vision focused, she realized her back was facing the lakeside scene. In front of her now was an ornate mirror, painted with many colors and outlined in gold. She couldn’t help but get closer, not noticing that Dark Shadow had disappeared. 

She saw her reflection. The light from the huge screens shone silver on her purple dress and glinted in the glass. She couldn’t help but notice how big her smile had become while watching this all happen. Then, her eyes flick down to a sign underneath the mirror. 

You are the greatest work of art.

“Oh, Fumikage…” She covered her mouth with her hand. After a moment of appreciation, she looks over the mirror and around the dark room. “Alright, where are you? That was a lovely surprise, you can come out now!”

“It’s not over yet.”

The deep voice she’s come to know and love came from behind her, and she turned around excitedly, ready to leap into her boyfriend’s waiting arms.

She didn’t.

Tokoyami was in no position to embrace her. No, he was down on one knee with a small, open black box in his hands. 

He didn’t even speak right away. He let Tsuyu take in what was happening. Maybe he was fully processing it at that moment, too.

“A year and a half ago, I said that I would take one of your paper rings and use it to wed you. I meant it. But you deserve much more than paper.”

Even her tears seemed to be frozen in place. 

“Tsuyu, you are my world. You are the light in my life I could never shy away from. Forgive me for being selfish. We already work together, fight together, but my heart can’t help but want more. I want to do life with you. I want to love you in every way possible, because you, Tsuyu Asui, are my Evangeline. And in the life we currently live, I’ve found myself trying to hold onto moments that I’m unsure we’ll experience again. Being heroes is our lives, and our lives are uncertain. But amidst fighting to protect what’s right, I know one thing: you are my certainty. And I’m certain with what I’m about to do. Tsuyu Asui…

Will you marry me?”

She didn’t look at the ring. She didn’t look at the dome that surrounded the two of them. She couldn’t see well at all, considering that the dam broke and overjoyed tears began to fall. How she’s waited for this moment. “Yes. Yes, Fumikage Tokoyami, I’ll marry you.”

Tsuyu felt the ring slide onto her finger. As soon as he did so, he put the box down and stood with her, foreheads meeting like they always have. Among the river of tears currently sliding down her cheeks, she could feel a singular one fall from his eye.

She was his. He was hers.