Kai's POV
Three days after her debut, Yu texted me.
Free tonight? I need to vent to someone who isn't a hero.
I smiled at my phone. Perfect.
I'm free. Same cafe?
Actually... there's a bar I like. Quiet. Private. You look old enough to get in.
She sent me the address. A place in a nicer part of the city. Not flashy, but classy.
See you at 8.
Can't wait.
I showed up early. Found a booth in the back corner. Ordered a drink and waited.
She arrived exactly on time.
But she looked different than she had at the cafe. Tired. Worn down. The confident hero persona was nowhere to be seen. She was wearing civilian clothes, jeans and a loose sweater that somehow still showed off her figure, her blonde hair down instead of styled.
She spotted me and made her way over, sliding into the booth across from me.
"Thanks for coming," she said.
"Of course. What's wrong?"
"Everything." She flagged down a server and ordered a whiskey. Neat. "This week has been a nightmare."
"Talk to me."
The words poured out of her like water from a broken dam. Her debut had been great for publicity but terrible for her reputation among other heroes. They thought she was an attention seeker. A glory hound. Someone who cared more about her image than the work.
"Death Arms called me a 'booth babe with a quirk,'" she said, downing half her whiskey in one gulp. "To my face. In front of other heroes. Like I was some kind of joke."
"That's bullshit."
"I know it's bullshit. But it still hurts, you know?" She stared into her glass. "I worked so hard to get here. Years of training. Years of being told my quirk was too destructive, too impractical, too hard to control. I figured it out. I made it work. And now that I'm finally a pro, they treat me like I don't deserve to be here."
"Their opinion doesn't define you."
"Easy to say." She finished her drink and signaled for another. "Harder to believe when everyone's looking at you like you're a fraud."
I reached across the table and took her hand. She looked up, surprised.
"You're not a fraud, Yu. You're a hero. You have the license, the quirk, the skills. What anyone else thinks doesn't change that."
"You barely know me."
"I know enough." I squeezed her hand gently. "I know you spent your debut helping people while other heroes stood around waiting. I know you're sitting here, three days into your career, still fighting even though it hurts. I know you're stronger than you give yourself credit for."
Her eyes glistened. Not quite tears, but close.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because you deserve it."
"You don't even know me."
"Then let me get to know you." I held her gaze. "The real you. Not the hero. Not the image. Just Yu."
She stared at me for a long moment. The bar noise faded into background static. It was just us, in our little booth, something shifting between us.
"Okay," she said quietly. "Okay."
We talked for hours.
She told me about her childhood. Growing up with a quirk that made her parents nervous, that broke furniture and cracked walls whenever she lost control. Learning to suppress it, to hide it, to be small when every instinct screamed at her to be big.
"I spent so long trying to take up less space," she said, her third whiskey warming her up, loosening her tongue. "And now my whole power is about taking up more space. Funny how that works."
"Do you like it? Being big?"
"I love it." Her eyes lit up. "When I'm giant, I feel... free. Powerful. Like nothing can touch me." The light dimmed slightly. "But then I shrink back down, and I'm just Yu again. Just another girl trying to make it in a world full of people who are better than her."
"You're not just another anything."
"You keep saying things like that."
"Because they're true."
She shook her head, but she was smiling now. A real smile, not the practiced one she used for cameras.
"You're dangerous, Kai Hayashi."
"How so?"
"You make me want to believe you." She leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her face closer to mine. "I don't usually trust people this fast. Especially guys. They usually just want one thing."
"And what's that?"
"The giant woman fantasy." She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't believe how many creepy messages I've gotten since my debut. Guys wanting me to step on them, crush them, pick them up and..." She waved a hand. "You get the idea."
"That's disgusting."
"It's the job." She shrugged. "I put myself out there, I get the weirdos. Part of the deal."
"Doesn't mean you have to accept it."
"What's the alternative? Hide? Tone down my image? Let them win?" She shook her head. "No. I'm going to be exactly who I am. And if some creeps can't handle that, that's their problem."
"Good."
"Good?"
"That attitude. That fire." I smiled at her. "That's what's going to make you great, Yu. Not your quirk. Not your looks. That refusal to let anyone else define you."
She stared at me. The bar was quiet around us, most of the other patrons having left as the night wore on. We were alone in our corner, the dim lighting making everything feel more intimate.
"Kai..."
"Yeah?"
"I want to kiss you."
My heart rate spiked. I kept it off my face.
"Then kiss me."
She leaned across the table and pressed her lips to mine.
It was soft at first. Hesitant. Like she was testing the waters, ready to pull back if I showed any sign of rejection.
I didn't.
I kissed her back, my hand coming up to cup her face. She made a small sound against my mouth and leaned in further, the kiss deepening.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing harder.
"Wow," she whispered.
"Yeah."
"I don't usually..." She laughed nervously. "I don't do this. Pick up guys in bars. Kiss strangers."
"I'm not a stranger anymore."
"No. I guess you're not." She bit her lip, a gesture that did things to me. "My apartment is nearby."
"Is that an invitation?"
"Do you want it to be?"
I answered by kissing her again. Harder this time. More urgent. She responded in kind, her hand fisting in my shirt, pulling me closer.
"Let's go," she breathed against my lips.
I threw money on the table and took her hand.
We were out the door in seconds.
Her apartment was nice. Modern furniture, big windows, tasteful decorations. I barely noticed any of it.
The moment the door closed behind us, the energy changed. We stood in her entryway, the city lights filtering through the windows, neither of us moving.
"I don't usually do this," she said again. "Bring guys home."
"We don't have to do anything you don't want."
"That's the problem." She stepped closer. "I want to. I really, really want to."
"Then what's stopping you?"
"I'm scared." She laughed nervously. "Stupid, right? I'm a pro hero. I fight villains. But this... you... it scares me."
"Why?"
"Because I like you." She looked up at me, vulnerability naked in her eyes. "I actually like you. And I don't want to mess this up by moving too fast."
I cupped her face in my hands. Gentle. Tender.
"Yu. We'll go at whatever pace you want. If you want me to leave right now, I will. No hard feelings."
"I don't want you to leave."
"Then what do you want?"
She took a shaky breath. "I want you to kiss me again. And then... I want to see where this goes."
So I kissed her.
Soft at first. Just lips brushing against lips. Giving her time to adjust, to relax, to let go of her fears.
She sighed against my mouth and pressed closer. Her hands came up to rest on my chest, feeling my heartbeat.
I kept the kiss gentle. No rushing. No pressure. Just connection.
When we finally broke apart, she was breathing harder.
"Bedroom?" she whispered.
"Only if you're sure."
"I'm sure." She took my hand and led me down the hallway. "I've never been more sure of anything."
Her bedroom was spacious. A king-sized bed dominated the room, covered in soft white sheets. Made sense for someone whose quirk could change her size.
She turned to face me, her back to the bed. In the dim light filtering through the curtains, she looked almost ethereal.
"Kai..."
"Yeah?"
"Be gentle with me? At least at first?"
"Always."
I kissed her again.