A hero isn't hope

Simple and Clean

Izuku rubbed his always tired eyes. It wasn't that he was staring at her, more like gazing past her as he thought about what they had shared earlier. Ochaco was so close yet Uraraka was always too far away. 

"Midoriya, you weren't paying attention again, were you!" Mina Ashido was sitting across from him. It was lunch and he was eating with his friends. Mina was pouting at him because he had zoned off as usual as she was saying something. 

Izuku was sitting in the middle of one side of the table with Todoroki and Momo on either side of him, with Uraraka in the middle of the other side with Mina and Bakugo on either side of her.  

"H-Huh? Oh sorry Ashido, um, what was it you were saying?" Izuku apologized with his freckled smile, getting off the hook. 

Mina shook her head, trying to suppress a smile that was growing from his contagious one, "Tch, we were talking about how much we missed our times at the dorms and want to do something to scratch the itch! Like a sleepover!"

It was subtle but Izuku and Ochaco connected eyes, knowing that the other was thinking of how wrong it would be to sneak away while everyone else was asleep. But before anyone could notice, they both went back to acting like they were supposed to.

"Yeah Deku, doesn't it sound fun? We can have a blanket fort contest!" Uraraka was just as excited as Mina, the pink duo sharing the same energy like always.  

Deku scratched his cheek as he looked at them with a somewhat perplexed expression, "Yeah that does sound nice, I guess but quick question, where do you plan on having this sleepover, considering everyone in our class... and their strong personalities." Izuku had a sweatdrop thinking of how his home would be destroyed if it took place there.  

Mina and Uraraka shifted their attention from Izuku to the girl sitting next to him, who was hearing music, having not paid attention.         

"Everybody finds lo-," She would have kept singing but felt the eyes on her. She took her headphones off, glancing at Mina and Uraraka with a curious tilt of the head, "Is something wrong?" Momo asked. 

Mina and Uraraka explained their plan of having a class sleepover at her huge house.                       

"Oh, that sounds lovely." Momo enjoyed the idea and agreed that her house would be ideal. 

"Hey, how come you get mad at me for not paying attention, but Yaoyorozu gets a free pass?" Izuku gestured with his hand in between him and Momo. 

"Oh, I'm sorry Midoriya." Momo innocently apologized, blinking away with those big kitten orbs.       

Mina crossed her arms with a huff. "Because Midoriya, you're always so busy that it's hard enough to relay information to you so it doesn't help when you're always zoning out at like that, geez." 

Izuku chuckled, ruffling the back of his hair, "I guess you have a point, sorry."   

Mina kept her arms crossed with a pout, wanting to be upset with Midoriya because he didn't understand that it was important to her, 'He's always finding an excuse to not hang out, just to go run himself ragged. Why does he think he always has to be the one to save the day?' And Mina didn't know why it upset her, she never used to even notice Midoriya until he came back.  

"Ah, but thanks for worrying Ashido, I haven't been taking enough breaks, huh?" His chuckle turning into a soft smile.

Mina wanted to be strong but faltered and her anger shifted to concern as she uncrossed her arms, playing with one of her horns. "Well, I mean out of everyone who deserves a break..." She mumbled.  

Uraraka was with Bakugo but was too aware of what was going on between her Izuku and the overly friendly Mina, even if neither of them were aware of it. But the one that Ochaco always grew anxious of was, 

"Oh, Midoriya I just love this song recommendation. I haven't stopped listening to it since you introduced me to it." Momo had placed her hand on Izuku's shoulder to get his attention, giving him a smile in appreciation. 

And it always hurt Ochaco when Izuku smiled back with those enamored emerald eyes.  

"You like it? I figured I had to tell you about it ever since you told me how much of a Utada fan you became after kingdom hearts, I thought Kyoka would have told you about it." 

"Jiro and I have rather different taste when it comes to music, although I appreciate her knowledge of the subject." Momo explained with a small shake of the head, giving her spiral ponytail a lively bounce. She had put the song on repeat, listening to it from the beginning again, giving Izuku one of her headphones for him to listen to it with her. 

Kacchan had his arm over Uraraka's shoulder and brought her close so he could whisper into her ear, "I have to intern today, but after..." Implying the rest in his voice. 

Uraraka gave the typical giggle, as she broke away, not really giving him a yes or no. She was still trying to pay attention to the conversation between Deku and Yaoyorozu. 

"To be honest, I don't know why but it kinda of reminds me of you," Izuku mentioned off to the side, but Momo didn't hear him because of the noise around them and the referenced song playing in her ear. 

"Oh, I love this part," She had closed eyes starting with a hum before singing in a quiet voice like she was before. 

Izuku was tense but was acting as normal as he could because the hand that was on his shoulder had seemingly fallen to his lap and Momo didn't seem bothered. She was cresting her hand over his pant leg during the soft parts of the song while she would softly squeeze him as the crescendo came. 

And all Izuku could do was endure it. 'Why does she always do these physically intimate kinds of things?! And why does she always act like she doesn't notice or that it's even a big deal!' Even though they were close friends he honestly never knew how to act around her. One moment she could be the arm's distance, stern, responsible, protective, Yaoyorozu, the next she would be the must-be-protected, delicate, innocent Momo that didn't know the meaning of Izuku's personal space.

"Midoriya," The usually quiet Todoroki spoke up for the first time. 

"Hm, what is it Todoroki?" He was struggling with the Momo thing but focused on his friend as best he could. 

"I was just thinking of Mina's point, if you want you can take today off, Bakugo and I can handle things, get some rest." 

"Oi, don't lump me in with your sympathy." Kacchan got involved at the mention of his name yelling at Shoto with shark eyes before growing his cocky grin, "But if you can't keep up anymore, then I'll gladly take your place, Deku."

Izuku appreciated Todoroki's words but shrugged them off, giving Kacchan a smirk, "Thanks, but I have no intention of slowing down, Kacchan." 

"If that's the case, I guess I have to be competitive as well." Todoroki spoke with a nonchalant care, just content working with his friends.  

Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto were having their usual rivalry bickering, with Kacchan looking for the fight and neither of the other two backing down in their own way. 

Ochaco, Mina, and Momo all showed their playful annoyance, Ochaco had an awkward giggle with a sweatdrop, Mina rolled her eyes, and Momo let out a sigh with sagging shoulders.

"Well, don't worry we'll be right behind you guys, supporting you!" Ochaco spoke as the other two agreed with nods and smiles. 

For the rest of lunch, the three musketeers and the three maidens spent time together as if their relationships were simple and clean.