Your Hand in Mine ((TOGATA X MIDORIYA X OC))

23

Rin hummed to the song playing through her earbuds as she trekked through U.A.'s courtyard. The subtle autumn breeze rustled her thick hair as she walked, and a small smile graced her features as she ventured into Musutafu to meet Dante at a small cafe in town.

She had been looking forward to begin the preparations for the school festival, and had pep in her step as she thought of what exactly she'd be doing for her individual performance. Her mind raced with ideas, so much so that she was anxious to see what Dante would bring to the table.

It took Rin fifteen minutes to track down the cafe, and once she had, she spotted Dante's head of black hair seated in a booth across the lobby. He perked up once she approached and stood up to greet her.

"Hey, Shorty!" His grin was wide as he held his palm up to her. She high-fived it with a giggle. "Togata tells me you needed some help with something for the festival! What did you have in mind?"

Rin was grateful for him cutting right to the chase, and took a seat across from him upon his gesture to do so. He seemed eager to hear whatever it was that she wanted to say, and his excitement helped to ease her own nerves.

"My class convinced me to participate in the beauty contest," Rin began with her small hands laced in front of her on the table. "I was thinking of performing a song, and I was wondering if you'd be able to help me write something."

"Oh yeah, for sure!" Dante's grin only grew encouragingly. "He told me you could sing. Have you ever written a song before?"

"Well... not exactly," Rin pursed her lips. "It's sort of a part of my Quirk. When I sing, I can tap into the feelings of whoever's around me, just enough to use Siren to control them. I've never really sung for anything else before."

"Oooh, I get cha," he nodded in acknowledgement and glanced off to the side as he pondered. There was a brief silence before he looked at her again. "Then let's figure this out. What kind of song do you want to sing?"

"What kind?" She tilted her head to the side, questioning.

"Yeah, y'know, a ballad, something poppy, blues?" He threw out some examples, and when Rin returned it with a quirked brow, he laughed. "Alright, tell ya what. Why don't you go home tonight and just write your feelings out, and we'll meet back up here same time tomorrow and figure it out from there?"

"We can do that." Rin nodded with a wide smile, and Dante laughed again.

"Great," he offered his hand to her as he stood up. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "C'mon, I'll walk you back to the dorms."

Rin nodded in agreement, and the beginning of their walk was had in silence. Rin would occasionally glance over at him from the corner of her eye, and every time she did, he had the same absent smile on his face that he always seemed to; it made sense that he and Togata were friends — happy people attract happy people, Rin had realized.

"So," he said. His voice made her jump. "You and Togata, huh?"

The teasing tone of his voice made her blush. "Y-yes. What about it?"

"Oh, nothing," Dante waved his hand dismissively. "I just think it's cute, is all. All that guy would do is talk about you. And I'm not exaggerating either, literally for a straight week. Fish Girl this, Fish Girl that. 'Man, she was so cute, you should have seen her'! This was after you and the green haired kid split, by the way."

Rin listened to Dante ramble on with a crooked, embarrassed smile on her face. She knew Togata had talked about her to Amajiki and Hado, but not to this degree, and not to Dante. For some reason, hearing about it from him made the back of her neck sweat.