The night was nearing its end—3:00 AM, to be exact.
The Class 1-A reunion party had been a full-blown event. Even after hours of drinking, dancing, and reminiscing, a few people still lingered, reluctant to call it a night. Others were already excusing themselves, stumbling out the door, some leaning on their sober friends for support.
Among them, Jirou let out a deep sigh, her gaze falling on a completely wasted Kaminari, who was now babbling incoherent nonsense.
"Yo!~ Jirou~" Kaminari slurred, swaying on his feet.
Jirou rolled her eyes but stepped forward, throwing his arm over her shoulder to support his weight.
"What is it, Denki?" she asked, already bracing herself for whatever nonsense he was about to spill.
Kaminari giggled, his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.
"Heheh~ you know… I have a huge crush on you," he blurted out, eyes half-lidded. "But I can't say that aloud… it's embarrassing."
Jirou paused. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly masked it with a fake sigh of frustration.
"Is that so, my battery pack?" she mused, pretending to be unimpressed. But the small, amused smile tugging at her lips said otherwise.
Kaminari, clearly too far gone to notice, continued his drunken rambling.
"You're so pwetty I wuv you…" he slurred before his eyes rolled back, and—bam—he passed out, his full weight now pressing against Jirou.
She let out a chuckle, adjusting her grip to keep him from toppling over.
"Oh, what am I going to do with this lovable Pikachu?" she murmured to herself before tightening her hold on him.
"Let's just get you home."
Before she could move, a loud drunken yell interrupted her.
"I'LL DRIVE YOU!"
Jirou turned her head just in time to see a very intoxicated Kirishima, his shirt completely unbuttoned, standing up with one arm raised. Behind him, Bakugou was passed out on the table, completely dead to the world—his position declaring him the undisputed winner of their drinking contest.
Jirou blinked. Oh hell no.
Mina, standing nearby, yanked Kirishima by the ear before he could take another step.
"You can barely stand, dumbass!" she scolded.
Jirou sighed. "Sorry, Kirishima-kun, but Mina's right."
Kirishima groaned, staggering. "Oh, come onnn—I'm fin—"
Thwack.
Before he could finish, Mina chopped him at the neck, and he collapsed instantly.
"Nope. You're coming with me." Mina huffed, effortlessly dragging him away by the collar like a scolding mother.
Jirou watched them go before shaking her head with a small smirk.
"Idiots," she muttered, then turned back to Kaminari.
"Come on, Pikachu, let's get you home before someone else tries to be a hero."
"Jirou-san, let me drop you guys off," came a voice from behind.
Jirou turned around to see Izuku standing there, car keys in hand.
"Ah! Midoriya-chan," she greeted with a tired smile. "What about Uraraka?"
Izuku gave a reassuring nod. "She'll be joining us. Her parents' home is on the same route, and Todoroki-kun already went ahead and handed me his car keys."
Jirou exhaled, grateful. "Thank you, Midoriya."
With Kaminari still leaning heavily against her, she carefully helped him into the backseat. Soon, they were on the road, the city lights flickering past them as the party faded into the distance.
During the ride, Jirou and Uraraka chatted, mostly about her pregnancy—her excitement, the weird cravings, the way Izuku was fussing over her every second. It wasn't long before they reached Uraraka's parents' house, and with a quick goodbye, they dropped her off.
As they continued driving, silence settled in the car. It was comfortable but heavy, like something was lingering in the air.
After a moment, Jirou glanced at Izuku. "So, how are you feeling, Midoriya? I mean… with the baby and all."
Izuku let out a small chuckle, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
"To be honest, Jirou… I'm kinda scared," he admitted. "What if I'm not a good father? I want to give the baby everything I didn't have."
Jirou smiled softly. "Don't worry, Izuku. You're going to be a great father, and I mean that."
Izuku sighed, his shoulders relaxing just a bit. "Thanks, Jirou."
After a pause, he hesitated before asking, "What was it like?"
Jirou blinked. "Was what like?"
Izuku glanced at her nervously. "Having Hana. Becoming a parent."
Jirou leaned back against the seat, a nostalgic smile crossing her lips.
"It was a rollercoaster," she admitted, chuckling softly. "Kaminari and I had no idea what we were doing at first."
Izuku listened intently as she shared their experiences.
"Like, once, Kaminari nearly bought an entire stock of pickles and ice cream because I kept craving them."
Izuku laughed. "That sounds like him."
"Oh, and my mood swings?" Jirou smirked. "Not my best moments. Kaminari practically learned to dodge me when those hit."
Izuku chuckled, shaking his head. "Sounds intense."
"It was. But in the end, it was worth it. No matter how chaotic it got, when I first held Hana in my arms, everything else faded away."
Izuku smiled, a bit of his nervousness easing.
"You're gonna be fine, Midoriya," Jirou reassured him. "You and Uraraka are going to be amazing parents."
Izuku exhaled, a warm, grateful smile on his face as they continued down the quiet streets.
Outside, the city slowly began to settle, the first hints of dawn creeping over the horizon.
They reached Kaminari's home, the quiet hum of the car fading as Jirou stepped out, fishing for the house key. Izuku, still carrying a barely-conscious Kaminari, followed behind her.
Jirou unlocked the door, pushing it open. "Put him on the couch," she instructed, already making her way towards Hana's room.
Izuku nodded, carefully laying Kaminari down as he let out a sleepy mumble. Jirou, meanwhile, peeked into her daughter's room.
There she was, sleeping peacefully, her small chest rising and falling with soft breaths. Jirou felt a wave of warmth wash over her.
'Where's Tetsuo?' she wondered, glancing around.
Just as she was about to check another room—
"WHAT THE—!" a voice shouted from the hall.
Jirou sighed. "Guess no need to search."