After everything was done, Dante was getting changed in the boys changing room.
Izuku sat on a bench, half dressed and staring at the floor, he looked to be lost in thought. His hands were clenched slightly, face very focused. Whatever was going through his head, it looked serious. Probably some All Might stuff.
Across the room, Dante pulled his uniform over him, gritting his teeth as he moved. Every muscle felt stiff, his stamina was a joke and he'd just gotten shown up by some loser with elbow tape as his superpower.
He slammed his locker shut a little harder than necessary.
No one said anything, but a few eyes glanced his way. He didn't care. His mood had been foul for the past 4 days, the race just made it worse.
Dante felt so angry all the time, but why?
Fully dressed, Dante slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out without a word.
He was so pissed off for some reason.
His thoughts were constantly spiraling, he had so much going on, izuku using his power seamlessly, falling behind, the truth about his parents. He clenched his fists and his vision narrowed.
Then,
Thunk.
His should slammed into someone as he turned a corner. His body subconsciously snapped forward, tense, aggressive and ready to lash out.
"Bastard… watch where you're—"
He froze.
"Kendo?"
Her eyes widened for a split second, shocked, then softened when she saw his expression. "Whoa, hey—"
Dante's face twitched. He immediately looked away in shame, jaw clenching. "…Shit. I'm sorry."
Kendo tilted her head. "You okay?"
He just exhaled sharply through his nose and leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. He hated that she had to see him like this. He looked vulnerable, it made him feel lesser.
She stepped closer, voice soft. "You seriously looked like you were about to kill the next person who looked at you funny, especially with your natural delinquent like look…"
A small sigh escaped his mouth. "I've done worse…"
Kendo crossed her arms, pretending to mull it over. "Hm. Yeah, probably not. Still. That attitude isn't gonna do you any good you know, you should calm down a little. Come, let's walk together."
He scoffed but didn't argue, he pushed off the wall and they started walking together.
"Did something happen?" She asked curiously, catching the look in his eyes.
Dante looked at her, "I just feel like I'm falling behind a little."
She bumped his shoulder lightly. "You're still recovering from whatever the hell happened during your internship. Cut yourself some slack dude, you're like the strongest guy I know!"
He grunted. "I need to hurry up and get better so I can start training again."
Kendo looked at him for a while. "Then get stronger again. Get strong enough so that you won't need to recover ever again."
They walked in silence for a moment until she finally added with a teasing smile. "Come on, grumpy. Let's go to the beach. I'll make sure no one bumps into you and accidentally starts your villainarc."
Dante rolled his eyes and picked up his pace slightly.
Outside, the sky was already orange. Students had already started to leave, laughing in clusters. But the world was quiet when they walked together, it's like Dante blanked out completely and Kendo was the only person on his mind.
Dante glanced at her sideways. "…Thanks."
Kendo looked surprised. "For what?!"
He shrugged. "For keeping me grounded, thank you for calming me down."
She smiled. "Okay okay let's just get to the beach!"
…
…
After about 20 minutes of walking the scent of the ocean washed over them and the sound of gentle waves was a lullaby against the noise in Dante's head.
Kendo grinned, her usual confidence soaked down into something more playful, trying to cheer Dante up. "I'll race you," she said suddenly, slipping off her shoes and socks, stuffing them into her bag. Without waiting for a response, she reached out and grabbed Dante's wrist.
"Wait—what are you—" he started, but she tugged him forward, running barefoot in the sand toward the water.
Her laughter rang out as she charged into the water, not letting go of his hand. Dante stumbled after her, boots sinking into wet sand, his frustration and exhaustion forgotten as the cold water splashed against him. She let go of his wrist just as the waves hit their knees and spread her arms wide, spinning once before facing him, soaked and laughing. Her features were even brighter in the setting sun, the orange glow matching her hair.
"Beautiful…" Dante muttered beneath his breath, the waves drowning out the sound of his voice.
He blushed, realising what he just said. He had never called anyone beautiful before, nor had he even thought anyone was necessarily beautiful. Until he met Kendo.
"You need this," she said between breaths, splashing water at him. "You're always fired up. Time to cool off."
Dante blinked, stunned. By her. Her hair was clinging to her face, clothes were damp and sticking to her skin, her eyes were bright with joy and she looked genuinely happy.
He stood still as she stepped toward him again, grinning like a kid. "What's wrong? Scared of a little water?"
He shook his head, slowly walking toward her and let a rare smile cross his face. "I'm not scared. Just… wondering if I was dreaming."
She raised a brow. "You hit your head or something?"
"No," he muttered, voice strangely docile. "Just not used to feeling this… free."
Kendo paused. Then her smile softened. She gently flicked some more water at him and said, "Then hold onto that freedom."
And Dante did. For the next twenty minutes, they played like children in the sea. Splashing around, diving, chasing eachother through shallow waves. Dante forgot about his anger, his frustration. About his parents. About the pain in his chest. In the moment, there was only the wind, the water and her.
Eventually, they collapsed back onto the sand, soaked and breathless. Kendo leaned against his shoulder and for the first time in a while, Dante felt fine. He let it happen. He let her rest.
And that's when it hit him.
First, he felt completely fine, his skin returned to his normal shade and he didn't feel anything like before.
And second, he realised h th ag he didn't just admire Kendo's personality or appreciate her presence. He needed it. Needed her. Not because she made him feel better, but whenever she was around, he always felt free.
He looked at her, really looked and thought, 'am I really in love with her?'
It scared him a little, but he didn't really mind it.
Kendo looked at him, then grabbed a strand of his hair. "You need another haircut, come over tomorrow, I'll give you one."
Dante flushed red. "You? Why not…"
"My mother? Oh well, I wanna learn too." She grinned.