Impossible (Mha fic)

Chapter 56

Aoyama is feeling very uneasy and he would like to brush it off and not come off as a nervous wreck, but it's hard when he realizes what he has done and what that could mean for the future. His sparkle isn't sparkling as it should and he's worried it may be obvious even when no one pays him much mind. He fidgets with his hair, his belt, his glasses, anything to distract him from the terrible churns in his stomach that slowly get worse with each passing moment. He's done a terrible thing unbefitting of a hero in training and it disgusts him. But what choice does he have, right? Do it and watch the devastation unfold, or don't and lose everything and everyone he cares about. It's a lose-lose situation and he'd rather lose and keep those close to him than lose and be alone.

It's just this once, they promised.

Everything is fine, he shouldn't worry, he'll be too obvious and that'll make it all worse.

It's fine.

"Hey"

The person who greets him has him jumping out of his skin and his stomach twisting in painful knots. He tries not to be stiff when he turns to face her and tries to keep his smile in the face of brown eyes kept neutral and unreadable. Zena smiles back at him, small and friendly and in no way suspicious of anything that may be going on. It almost has him sighing in relief but something nags at the back of his head and her presence makes it worse.

"Bonjour mademoiselle Renard" he greets in turn, sounding as exuberant as he always does and holding that closed-mouth smile and that almost knowing look in his eyes.

"Très fluide" is Zena's reply and Aoyama falters for just a moment.

She speaks French? He didn't know this and it's not surprising seeing as he hasn't been around her as much as some of his classmates. It's hard for him to interact with them and he never knows what to say. And when he speaks French he gets weird looks because no one ever understands a word that leaves his mouth.

"Tu parles français?" He asks and tries to reign in the sudden excitement that overtakes him.

"Comme vous pouvez le voir" Zena responds easily. "Been speaking French for years, my friend, a bit of Russian here and there and some other stuff"

His nervousness melts away when he speaks to Zena and he knows he should not be so relaxed around the one who can make things worse for him. Does she know? Has she told anyone?

"You're nervous friend," she says just as he thinks that and she rests a hand lightly on his shoulder with a smile that does little to reassure him. "I would be too, but you're making it far too obvious"

She knows and he knows she knows. He's frozen in his place with those words and the hand on his shoulder squeezes lightly.

"Vous leur avez dit?" - did she tell them?

"j'ai fait quelque chose" - she's done something.

She's done something?

That feels far worse than knowing she's told on him and she walks away with those words, pocketing her hands in her cargo pants and shouting at Bakugo for calling Mina names she does not tolerate. She acts so casual and unbothered and it's unnerving - frightening - because he now knows that she knows and she likely knows everything. And she's done something about it, but what? If she had told someone he doesn't think he would be standing here right now, ready to board the bus for their trip. So if she had done something, what exactly had she done and how badly will this blow up in his face?

"Alright everybody, settle down" Izuku calls for order at the front of them all, standing near the open door of the bus with a chart in hand.

He's envious and amazed all at once when he looks at the green-haired boy. Here he is, a quirkless person in the hero course and skillful enough to prove his worth in this class. He's quirkless but hasn't let it stop him from reaching his goals and the confidence he has in his abilities makes it hard for Aoyama to even look at himself in the mirror.