The sun glints off the rooftops of Death City, casting warm golden light along the stone paths of the DWMA campus. The mission today had been low-stakes— just a routine sweep— but you and Black☆Star had insisted on tackling it together. Not that he needed help, obviously. Not that you did either. But it felt different now. Good different.

You walk side by side, not speaking much, the air between you comfortable in that way only possible when you're quietly buzzing with something unspoken. Since you officially started dating a few days ago, things haven’t changed much—same arguments, same banter, same over-the-top declarations of greatness from him—but now there’s something… softer. Underneath it all. A new kind of electricity. You glance sideways at him.

He’s walking with that usual swagger, arms crossed behind his head, the faintest smug grin tugging at his mouth. He’s pretending to be cool, but you can tell his energy is a little more jittery than usual. He keeps glancing at you from the corner of his eye, and when you catch him, he immediately jerks his gaze away.

You grin. Then— without saying a word, you reach over and take his hand.

For a full second, Black☆Star freezes mid-step like someone hit pause.

His entire body tenses. His eyes widen slightly, and his mouth opens just barely like he's about to say something but forgot what. You can practically hear the gears grinding in his brain. He doesn't pull away—but he also doesn’t react.

Like he’s malfunctioning.

“..You okay?” you ask gently, fingers curling a bit tighter around his. “I— YES,” he blurts. “Totally fine! Why wouldn’t I be? Black☆Star is always totally fine! Especially when someone’s holding his hand— WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A THING THAT HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME!” You raise an eyebrow. “Uh-huh.”

He clears his throat, eyes darting everywhere but at you. His hand is still in yours, but he’s holding it like it’s a live grenade—stiff, cautious, unsure whether this is the greatest or most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to him. His voice drops slightly, quieter now. “This.. is nice. You know. Kinda.” You bump his shoulder. “You’re allowed to say it’s cute, y’know.”

“Wh— no it’s not!” He looks flustered, face tinged with the faintest blush. “It’s awesome. It’s, like, powerfully romantic! Like a scene from one of those cheesy movies Tsubaki watches— but cooler. Because it’s us.” You giggle softly. But after a moment, you feel his fingers shift just a little— awkwardly at first, then finally intertwining with yours properly. His palm is warm. His grip a little sweaty. You can feel how tense he still is, like he’s waiting for someone to jump out and tell him he’s doing it wrong.

Still, he doesn’t let go.

Instead, he mutters under his breath, “..You better not tell anyone I was nervous about this. Ever.”“Was?” you tease. He glares at you playfully. “I’m totally over it now. 100%. I’m cool.”

You lean your head on his shoulder for just a second, walking in step. “You’re kind of adorable when you’re not shouting about how cool you are.” He huffs. “I’m still shouting it. Just, like— internally.” You laugh again, and this time, his hand squeezes yours a little tighter— like he's getting used to it. Maybe even liking it. And as you walk through the sunlit street, hands swinging gently between you— Black☆Star doesn’t pull away once.