(Kirishima POV)
Kirishima stared at Mina's bed.
Her only bed.
The bed she had not mentioned was the only option when she insisted he stay over.
"You don't have a spare?" he asked, already knowing the answer but still double-checking, just in case the universe decided to be kind for once.
Mina grinned, tossing a pillow at him.
"Do I look like someone who has a guest room? Kiri, c'mon."
Kirishima sighed, catching the pillow and holding it like some kind of shield against reality.
"Okay, but, uh—sleeping bag?"
Mina raised an eyebrow.
"Did you bring a sleeping bag?"
Kirishima groaned, rubbing his face.
"I was not expecting this to be a full sleepover situation when I left my house."
Mina hummed, clearly thrilled at his predicament.
"Well, guess you're stuck sharing."
Kirishima blinked.
Stared.
Waited for the punchline that never came.
"You're serious?"
Mina laughed, flopping back onto the bed like this was the best thing that had happened all week.
"Dude, it's fine. It's literally a bed. I won't kick you off unless you start taking up too much space."
Kirishima looked at her.
Then looked at the bed.
Then looked back at her.
"This is so dumb."
Mina beamed, tossing another pillow straight at his face.
"And yet, here we are!"
Kirishima caught it—barely—before dragging a hand down his face.
"Fine. But if you shove me off in the middle of the night, I swear—"
"No promises," Mina cut in, clearly having way too much fun with this.
Kirishima huffed, but deep down, he knew—
This was gonna be one memorable sleepover.
"So… you've done this a lot?" Kirishima asked, still standing awkwardly near the bed, arms crossed, not fully committing to the situation yet.
Mina, already curled up with her pillow, raised an eyebrow.
"You mean sleeping?"
Kirishima sighed.
"You know what I mean. Sharing a bed. Sleepovers. All that."
Mina grinned.
"Duh! Jiro, Momo, Hagakure—we've had tons of sleepovers. I am a certified expert."
Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck, still eyeing the mattress like it was a trap.
"Yeah, but—" He hesitated, tilting his head slightly. "You've never had one with me."
Mina blinked.
Then smirked.
"True."
Kirishima tensed slightly, waiting for her to say something ridiculous, waiting for her to make this way harder than it needed to be.
She didn't.
Instead—she patted the empty side of the bed.
"Alright, rookie. Get over here. Time to officially be a sleepover guest."
Kirishima stared.
Mina watched, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"You gonna stand there all night, or…?"
Kirishima groaned.
"This is ridiculous."
Mina beamed.
"And yet—here we are!"
Kirishima sighed dramatically, but finally—finally—sat down, muscles still way too tense for a guy trying to relax.
Mina eyed him.
"Wow. You actually don't know how to do this, huh?"
Kirishima threw a half-hearted glare her way.
"Excuse me for not having a degree in sleepovers."
Mina laughed, reaching for her blanket, tossing part of it over him without asking permission, because of course she didn't.
"Okay, here's the deal—you take the edge, I get the middle, nobody gets kicked off in the middle of the night."
Kirishima raised an eyebrow.
"You get the middle?"
"I have sleepover seniority, dude. You're lucky I'm even sharing the blanket."
Kirishima shook his head, but a small grin broke through his face.
"Alright, whatever, Sleepover Master. But if you steal all the pillows—"
"Not my fault if you fail at sleepover survival."
Kirishima huffed, but this time—he actually relaxed a little.
And Mina?
Mina noticed.
And that?
That made this night feel a little different.
Kirishima barely had time to process what was happening before a pillow smacked him straight in the face.
"Welcome to sleepover war, rookie!" Mina declared, already grabbing another pillow, eyes glinting with mischief.
Kirishima sputtered, tossing the pillow back at her with way more force than necessary.
"You could have warned me!"
Mina grinned.
"Where's the fun in that?"
Before he could argue, she launched another pillow.
Kirishima caught it just in time, rolling his shoulders, focus narrowing like this was some kind of battle strategy.
"Alright, Pinky. You asked for it."
Mina cackled, dodging as Kirishima swung his pillow like it was a weapon of mass destruction.
The war escalated—pillows flying, laughter ringing through the room, neither of them holding back.
Until—
Mina lost her balance, tripping over the blanket and crashing straight into Kirishima's chest.
They froze.Their laughter halted instantly.
Mina's hands were pressed against Kirishima's shoulders, his arms instinctively steadying her, their faces close—way closer than before.
Kirishima swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how warm she was, of how her breath brushed against his skin, of how neither of them moved right away.
Mina blinked.
Then—her lips curled into a tiny, knowing smirk.
"You good?"
Kirishima cleared his throat, backing up way too fast, his entire brain short-circuiting.
"Y-yeah, totally! All good!"
Mina chuckled, stepping back but not looking away.
"Relax, Kiri. It's just a sleepover. Try to survive, yeah?"
Kirishima huffed, grabbing a pillow but refusing to meet her gaze.
"I was until you turned it into warfare!"
Mina laughed, the tension breaking instantly.
And somehow—somehow—Kirishima knew this sleepover was going to stick with him for a long, long time.
Mina was prepared.
Like, ridiculously prepared.
The second their pillow fight ended, she sprang into action, digging through her cabinets like she was on a mission, pulling out every possible snack known to mankind.
Kirishima sat on her bed, arms crossed, watching with mild amusement as she shoved chips, candy, and three different kinds of drinks onto the blanket beside him.
"You always stock up like this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mina smirked.
"Sleepover master, remember?"
Kirishima snorted, grabbing a bag of chips and immediately opening it, because apparently fighting for his life in a pillow war had made him hungry.
Mina flopped down beside him, stealing a handful of chips from his bag without asking, because of course she did.
"You ever had a sleepover before?" she asked, casually popping a chip into her mouth.
Kirishima hesitated.
Not because he didn't want to answer.
But because… he really hadn't.
Not like this.
Not with a girl.
Not with Mina.
He scratched the back of his head, trying to play it off.
"Uh, not really? I mean, I crashed at Sero's once after a party, but that was just passing out, not, like, an actual sleepover."
Mina blinked, then grinned way too wide.
"You're telling me this is your first real sleepover?"
Kirishima groaned, covering his face.
"Don't make it weird!"
Mina laughed outright, smacking his arm playfully.
"Kiri, this is historic!"
"Oh my gosh."
Mina ignored his suffering, immediately sitting up like she was planning something ridiculous.
"We have to make this count."
Kirishima sighed, but honestly?
He wasn't mad about it.
Because she was right.
This was new.
And weird.
And kind of exciting.
Kirishima barely had time to react before Mina launched into full sleepover mode.
First—the snacks were organized like some kind of battle supply.
Then—the blankets were adjusted for maximum comfort.
And finally—she grabbed her phone, eyes glinting with pure chaos.
"Alright, rookie," she said, grinning wide, "it's official sleepover bonding time."
Kirishima blinked.
"That's a thing?"
Mina scoffed, scrolling through her phone.
"Obviously. This is the part where we learn deep, emotional secrets about each other."
Kirishima raised an eyebrow, reaching for another handful of chips.
"What, like truth or dare?"
Mina beamed, setting her phone down.
"Exactly."
Kirishima hesitated, not because he was scared—but because… okay, maybe he was a little scared.
Mina sensed it instantly, her smirk turning slightly smug.
"Ohhh, you are nervous. Kiri, come on, you have to play now."
Kirishima sighed dramatically, wiping his hands on a napkin before settling back against the pillows.
"Fine, fine. Who goes first?"
Mina grabbed a coin off her desk, flipped it expertly, and pointed at him.
"You. Truth or dare?"
Kirishima thought about it—briefly, quickly—then shrugged.
"Truth."
Mina leaned forward, elbows on her knees, grinning like she was about to change his life.
"Okay, okay—big question. Have you ever had a crush on someone in Class 1-A?"
Kirishima froze mid-chip.
Mina cackled.
"Omg, that's a yes!"
Kirishima sputtered, choking slightly, turning away to compose himself.
"It is not!"
Mina snatched his pillow, dramatically throwing it at him.
"Kiri, I know a guilty face when I see one!"
Kirishima groaned, hiding his face behind the pillow. .
Mina was grinning way too wide, eyes sparkling with pure evil.
"That's a yes," she said again, singing the words like she had just unlocked the greatest secret of all time.
"It is not!" Kirishima protested, his voice way too defensive for someone trying to lie.
Mina gasped dramatically, hands clutching her blanket like she was physically holding onto the weight of his confession.
"Who is it?"
Kirishima froze.
Oh.
Oh, she was going all in.
Mina scooted closer, eyebrows raised, her excitement only growing.
"Kiri, you have to tell me."
"I do not!"
"You do!"
"Nope, absolutely not happening!" Kirishima grabbed a pillow, smacking himself in the face just to avoid looking at her.
Mina giggled uncontrollably, nudging his arm.
"C'moooon! Just say it! We're bonding!"
Kirishima sighed deeply, dramatically, defeated.
Fine.
Fine. Whatever.
If she was going to drag this out forever, might as well rip the bandage off now.
He exhaled slowly, gritted his teeth, and—
"Mina."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Mina blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
She shrieked.
Kirishima flinched, fully panicking, bracing for whatever the hell was about to happen.
"Oh my gosh," Mina cackled, grabbing his arms, shaking him violently. "Me? ME?!"
Kirishima covered his face, groaning into his hands.
"Kill me. Now."
Mina laughed even harder, absolutely thriving in his misery.
"Ohhh, this is historic!" she yelled, flopping onto the bed, kicking her feet, rolling onto her side like she physically couldn't contain the energy.
Kirishima slumped back, blanket over his head, praying the earth would swallow him whole.
"I hate this sleepover."
"No, you love it."
"I literally hate it."
Mina snorted, nudging his leg with her foot.
"Aw, Kiri, that's so cute! Why didn't you ever say anything?"
Kirishima peeked out from the blanket, glaring weakly.
"Did you see how you just reacted? This is why!"
Mina grinned, completely shameless, zero regrets.
"Fair."
(Kirishima POV)
Silence settled between them.
Not awkward silence.
Not the kind that needed to be filled.
Just… real.
And for the first time since arriving at Mina's, Kirishima felt it—really felt it.
The weight of this moment.
The weight of everything they had been avoiding.
Mina had been beside him for years—through stupid childhood games, through training, through every messy, chaotic moment that led them to where they were now.
And he had liked her—always.
Had known it somewhere deep down, but never fully let himself believe it.
Because she was Mina.
She was brilliant, unpredictable, impossible to ignore, and he had never wanted to risk ruining what they had.
But tonight?
Tonight was different.
Mina sat across from him, arms crossed loosely over her stomach, legs folded, her usual bright energy somehow gentler.
She wasn't teasing anymore.
Wasn't dragging the confession out just to mess with him.
She was watching.
Waiting.
Like she had something to say but wasn't sure how to say it.
Kirishima swallowed, his pulse unsteady, his fingers gripping the edge of the blanket like it could somehow ground him.
"Mina," he murmured, voice quieter than usual.
She met his gaze immediately.
Her expression didn't shift.
Didn't falter.
Just held steady.
"I—"
Kirishima hesitated, exhaling slow, dragging a hand through his hair.
"I don't even know when it started," he admitted, barely above a whisper, eyes locking with hers like he was trying to memorize the way she looked in this exact moment.
Her lips parted slightly, shoulders tensing just a little.
Kirishima pressed forward, unable to stop himself now.
"I just know that whenever you were around, everything felt… better." He huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "I mean, you were always dragging me into trouble, but—"
Mina snorted, shaking her head.
"Like you weren't all for it."
Kirishima grinned, relaxing just slightly.
But the moment didn't break.
Didn't disappear.
Mina inhaled deep—slow, careful, shifting so she was just a little closer.
"You know…" she started, voice just as soft, her fingers tracing over the blanket absentmindedly.
Kirishima waited.
Watched.
Held onto every single second.
"I think I always liked you too."
Kirishima froze.
Mina exhaled, lips pressing together like she was finally admitting something she had been holding onto for way too long.
Kirishima blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"You—what?"
Mina rolled her eyes but smiled—genuinely, softly, warmly.
"Don't make me say it twice, dumbass."
Kirishima felt his chest tighten, his pulse hammering so loud he was surprised she hadn't heard it yet.
Mina had liked him.
Had liked him this whole time.
And suddenly—everything made sense.
Mina slumps into the pillows, yawning as her eyes heaved. Without realizing it, she whispers the words, "I love you…" before falling asleep.
Kirishima stared at the ceiling, willing his heart to calm down, to stop hammering, to just let him breathe properly for five seconds.
But how was he supposed to?
How was he supposed to relax when Mina had just whispered the one thing he never expected to hear tonight?
"I love you…"
The words lingered.
Hung in the air.
Sank deep into his chest like they were meant to stay there forever.
He turned his head slightly, glancing toward her—soft, peaceful, completely unaware of the absolute crisis she had just thrown him into.
She had already fallen asleep.
Like nothing had happened.
Like she hadn't just completely wrecked him with three simple words.
Kirishima exhaled slowly, adjusting the blanket, staring at her—really staring—taking in the way her breathing was steady, the way her hand was close enough to reach but not quite touching his, the way she had looked at him earlier like she had been holding this in for way too long.
Because this wasn't new, was it?
She had felt this way.
He had felt this way.
For years.
And suddenly—it all made sense.
Kirishima let himself relax, shifting just enough so their hands touched—barely, but enough to feel the warmth of her skin against his.
He smiled.
Breathed.
And whispered just loud enough for himself to hear—
"I love you too."