#ghostrock

         Even after their first date, Hearth's mouth was filled with sawdust, her brain slowed and heartbeat erratic, just at the mention of Kirishima Eijirou's name. They were officially considered a couple, Kirishima made that clear when he began spreading their news like wildfire. Still, Hearth flustered easily, and she was relatively enclosed when it came to their relationship, unlike her partner.

        It didn't help that they exchanged looks of smiles and grins when they assumed no one was looking. Constant hand holding, close proximity whenever they could manage, and soft voices when speaking to each other in the company of others. Their mannerisms were admired and talked about by many of their classmates.

        Mina always made a big show of talking about the two when Hearth wasn't present. The girls especially liked noticing the small things they did. Hearth had managed to catch a whisper of their words only once.

        "I saw it too," Hagakure had whispered to Mina and Uraraka giddily, "I bet they've done so much other things. Still, Hearth-san's face lit red so quickly!"

        "It was only a brush of hands, too," Uraraka responded, grin hidden behind a hand. "She's so soft. I've seen them kiss before, she never blushes like that."

        Hearth continued listening, deciding best not to interrupt. When the class had started, she was a bit dismayed, but thinking noticeably about the conversation she'd ease dropped on. She never expected anyone would notice her small reactions.

        That was when Hearth began to notice her own behaviour as well. That day alone, she'd looked away from Kirishima's gaze to fiddle with her fingers, cut out of mid-conversation to collect her thoughts, and even found herself rehearsing conversation starters as she got her things from her locker before she was to meet her boyfriend again to walk home together.

        The next morning, after fussing all night, she came to the conclusion that maybe she was a little soft. Kirishima never had those reactions. His grin seemed to never waver when they made eye contact. Not even when Hearth had mentally shut down, he always waited patiently for her to recover.

        Still, when she arrives at school, she wants a change. Hearth is not a soft woman, she's a strong hero who will one day never have to twiddle her thumbs nervously or sift out of conversation awkwardly. 

        "Morning," Kirishima greets her, meeting her side easily and making to walk behind her to her desk. That's what happens nearly every morning, and he'd simply assumed today would be an average day for the two of them.

        With a straight face, Hearth reaches forwards and grabs Kirishima by the collar. Planting a rough kiss on his lips, she counts to ten before she lets him go. By then, he'd recovered and went to lace his hands in Hearth's hair hesitantly, but she'd pulled away before Kirishima had gotten the chance. 

        Wolf whistles echo from the guys and excited cheers emit from the girls, or at least, most of the students. Hearth tries her best to keep her chin up and her expression casual as she makes her way to her seat. Kirishima trails behind her, eyes still wide and eyebrows raised.

        Kaminari bounds forwards, expression giddy as he goes to go tease his two closest friends. Instead, Kirishima brushes him off and sends him a look. It was a knowing look, and even someone as dense as the blond had caught his subtle change in attitude. The others had seen the exchange as well, and nervously disperse from their crowded stature to go about their own business. The classroom is now much quieter than usual as they speak among themselves, glancing at Kirishima and Hearth, trying to see what was new about the unpredictable couple.

        "What was that for?" Kirishima laces an easy chuckle into his words to try and cut through Hearth's monotone expression.

        "You usually kiss me first," Hearth explains, though is unable to make eye contact. Instead, she opts for staring over his shoulder, biting the inside of her cheek. "I thought I could do something different today."

        Kirishima leans down quickly, pecking Hearth on the cheek. It's much more natural than the kiss Hearth initiated, she realized with a sinking feeling. As well as that, she can't help the heat that blooms to her cheek after the action, much to her frustration. "You don't have to change anything," Kirishima tells Hearth, just above a whisper, though still low enough for only her to hear it. "I know you get embarrassed. We can talk about whatever's bothering you later, if you want."

        Hearth finally opts for eye contact, a grin on her face. "Oh, really?" She asks, "Maybe over coffee?"

        "Hm," Kirishima sits at the desk across from her, finally. "I dunno, maybe a couple cookies would seal the deal?"

ODND Presents: AFOD 21 - Staking Out A Claim Episode 21 of A Fistful Of Dice, our Deadlands Campaign. In which our posse meets a grizzled old prospector. Also, we will be doing our 3rd annual TTRPG Meowrathon on July 8th – 10th. Visit www.meowrathon.com to learn more

ODND Presents: AFOD 20 - Home On the Strange Episode 20 of A Fistful Of Dice, our Deadlands Campaign. Highlights of this episode include Clem talking to himself, Franc getting high, Bartholomew shooting at shadows, and Allie throwing a bone. Intrigued yet? View Original Post and Listen to the Episode Here: https://bit.ly/AFOD20 Click here for the RSS Feed.