Chapter 2

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"Dude, why would you say that?" Eijiro yelled at Katsuki with a stern look.
"It was an accident, for fuck's sake!" Katsuki shouted back with a hint of that fiery anger he was infamous for. "I just was trying to..." He growled. "Me and my goddamn mouth... I should go talk to him."
Hearing Katsuki say something like that was still quite a shock to Mina. She knew he had calmed down a bit over the years (she liked to think she played some part; she had always found ways to get him to have fun whether he liked it or not), it was still somewhat surreal to see him actually worrying about Izuku.
"No way man, you'll probably just say something else dumb. I'll talk to him." Eijiro insisted.
"Oh like you won't screw up, rocks for brains?" His friend spat back.
"Guys, stop." Mina was tempted to watch them go at it, but there was no time for that. "Let me do it." The pair simultaneously turned to look at her. "I mean no offense, but I think I'll do a much better job than either of you."
Her two classmates eyed her for a moment before Katsuki finally spoke.
"...Yeah, probably," he admitted.
"Good point. You've always been good at cheering him up," Eijiro noted.
"I'm good at cheering everyone up, Eiji," Mina boasted with a wink and a smile. "I'll be right back."
As she headed off in the direction Izuku had went, though, her face grew more serious.
Her questioning Eijiro about his relationship was both genuine curiosity (She NEEDED to meet his new partner now) and a way to check if Izuku really was still bothered by the breakup. Based on how he'd reacted just now, it was more than clear what the answer was. But hadn't Ochako said he had agreed ending their relationship was a good idea? If so, why was he so torn up about the whole thing? Mina doubted Ochako had lied.
It didn't take long for the curious girl to find her quarry. Not too far from the living room was a glass door that led out to a deck overlooking the small hillside the house had been built on. Izuku stood with his back to the door, leaning over the deck's railing. Mina slowly turned the handle on the door and opened it, stepping outside.
Izuku didn't hear the door opening behind him. He was too wrapped up in his own head, muttering to himself as he vocalized his thoughts. While he had managed to stop freaking out and calm down a little, there was still a lot of his mind.
"Still talking to yourself, huh?" He jumped a bit as Mina's voice startled him, then quickly turned around. "Guess old habits really do die hard."
Mina shut the door behind her as Izuku silently stared at her. Then he sighed lightly, turning back to look out at the sunset.
"I should have known you'd come after me," he said, earning a small chuckle from Mina.
"What can I say? I worry easily." She paused, then said in a more serious tone. "...Mind if we talk?"
Izuku's first instinct was to say that he did in fact mind. He had come out here to be alone, to collect himself. But if there was anyone he could see himself comfortably talking about this with, it was Mina. She was Ochako's best friend and honestly had played a big part in getting them to start dating in the first place.
Plus, she had a knack for helping him feel better whenever he was down. Having a mutual friend in Ochako meant the two of them had gotten fairly close over the years. Her peppy attitude had gotten him out of a slump or two in the past.
"No, we can talk," Izuku finally answered, prompting Mina to walk up beside him. She set her glass down on the railing, noticing he had done the same with his own, and took a moment to look him over.
Izuku had really grown since she first met him. He was of course taller, though Mina had managed to outgrow him by just a few inches, but also a lot bigger in a muscular sense. He was built a lot like Tenya or that guy Mirio now, with a broader torso and shoulders and thicker arms and legs. In short, he looked much more like a man now, though his face retained that cute boyishness Mina had always loved. He'd even maintained the same hair style, much like her.
She felt a small warmth in her cheeks as she realized she was probably lingering on his chest a little too long. It wasn't like she could even see anything; the guy had on a dark green suit jacket with a white dress shirt under it, and pants to match. Everything was covered, though she did like the adorable little red bowtie he had on.
Pushing aside her clear attraction for now, she leaned on the deck in the same way her companion was.
"Ochako told me everything." Izuku reflexively clenched the railing for a half second, but quickly relaxed. "Well, her version at least. Said she thought it would be best for you guys to split up, and it didn't take a lot to make you agree. That true?" Mina decided not to mince words, which Izuku appreciated. Even if it stung just a bit.
"...Yeah, that's about right." He had definitely been caught off guard when Ochako brought up the notion of breaking up at first. "What else did she say?" Might as well see how much she knew.
"That she did it because the real you wasn't quite the same as the you she had made up in her head."
"...Yes, that's also true." Izuku sighed again as he recalled her words. "How did she put it... That she had forgotten I was Izuku, not Deku. If that makes sense."
"Yeah, I get it," Mina said.
"Uh... Anything else?" There was a reason Ochako had started to think Izuku wasn't same guy she had fallen for. The real issue with their relationship.
"Yeah." Izuku gulped. "She felt like, well..." Mina hesitated, noticing Izuku's sudden apprehension. "That you never actually had real romantic feelings for her. Not the way she had them for you, anyway."
She could see him tensing up as she said this, his grip on the deck tightening again as he shut his eyes for a moment. There was a pregnant pause before he finally spoke.
"...She... She was right," he admitted. "I... I guess I never really liked her that way. I just..." He trailed off, shaking his head.
Mina frowned, now starting to get why he was so upset about this.
"I... I didn't mean to lead her on, I just... I do care about her, and I'd never dated anyone before. So when she asked me out, I just... Said yes without really thinking about it," Izuku explained, staring ahead. "I mean, we were friends, and she liked me... So that meant I had to like her back. At least that's how I saw it."
"You didn't want to upset her," Mina surmised. Izuku nodded.
"That too. Plus, well... I'd never had a girl be interested in me like that before."
Mina felt a small tightness in her stomach as he said this, but it lasted only a moment. That wasn't true, but... He had no way of knowing that, did he?
...Woah, where did that come from? She hadn't thought about her old crush on Izuku in ages.
Yes it was true, Mina had feelings for her green-haired classmate at one point. It had started as a simple "oh wow he's cute" when she first laid eyes on him, but it slowly grew as time passed. It wasn't until their first culture festival, however, that she acknowledged it as a full-fledged crush. That had been the first time she'd hung out with him alone, and it made her come to terms with some things.
The only reason she never wound up asking him out was, well, Ochako. The day Mina discovered that who her friend's secret crush was, everything changed. Her feelings for Izuku were nothing major. To her, she was a cute, kind-hearted and brave guy she wanted to get to know more. But Ochako's feelings were on a whole other level. At the time, Mina felt it was true love, and she wasn't about to get in the way of that. And so she gave up her little crush, opting to aid her best friend in her quest for romance instead.
Seriously, what prompted this? Was it because Izuku was single again? The fact that she was just checking him out? The wine?
It wasn't like she still liked him that way. That was years ago, and she had moved on. Hadn't she?
She thought back to her talk with Ochako. Her friend had said a couple odd things, and she seemed really insistent on having Mina talk to Izuku...
Had she known...?
"Ashido?"
"Ah!" Mina yelped as a voice cut through her thoughts. She glanced over at a slightly startled Izuku. "Uh... S-Sorry! I kind of spaced out there. Think I've had a little too much to drink," she lied.
Ugh. She was supposed to be having a heartfelt talk with a friend, not reminisce about old crushes.
"Sorry, you were saying?"
"Well, I was saying I've never really had a girl like me like that before, and I think I was just so excited that I didn't think about it. I just..."
"You wanted a girlfriend," Mina finished Izuku's thought, now focused on the task at hand again.
"...Yeah, pretty much." Izuku paused again, leaning forward even more and resting his head in his arms. "Then I guess I just never questioned my feelings for her."
"Well, it's not like you had another relationship to compare, you know? It's tough figuring out what liking someone that way feels like."
Mina understood why Izuku had done what he did completely. She knew all too well how the excitement of being in a relationship could make someone act without thinking.
"I know, but I just... I don't know, I can't help but feel like I hurt her. I-I didn't mean to, but I made her think we were in love when, well..."
"Anyone ever tell you you blame yourself way too much?" Mina asked, half-smiling. She stood up straight, closing the distance between herself and Izuku. "Look, Midoriya... Ocha's a big girl. She liked you, yes. Really liked you. And believe me, I was super bummed to hear you guys broke up. But it's not like she won't move on."
Izuku lifted his head off his arms as he looked at her.
"And I mean, it's not like you guys had a bad relationship. You had a solid year together, and it you're still on good terms! That's way more than a lot of people can say." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "You not liking her as much as you thought doesn't make that time together any less real."
Izuku's eyed looked at the ground as he let those words sink in. It was true that he enjoyed being with her, if only because it made her so happy.
"And look, as much as I don't want to believe this... I don't think you guys would have stayed together even if you liked her." This statement made Izuku's eyes snap back up to look at Mina with shock. "I know that sounds bad but Ocha... You could never have been the version of you she had invented. Trust me, I've been there." Izuku tilted his head slightly at this, but quickly realized what she was referring to.
Eijiro really looked up to Mina, idolized her even. The fact that he had changed his hair to look a bit like hers showed that. But Izuku knew better than anyone else that oftentimes your idols aren't quite the people you thought they were. Had that affected Eijiro and Mina's relationship the same way it seemed to have affected his and Ochako's?
"Plus, think about what Ochako would want. Do you think she'd you want you moping around for her sake?" Mina took her hand off his shoulder and folded her arms as she said this.
"I..." Izuku stood up straight as he trailed off.
...Holy crap, why had he not considered that?
He had been so busy beating himself up about how he'd let Ochako down that he never bothered stopping to really think about she'd feel. Of course she wouldn't want him feeling sorry for himself like this!
"...You're right." The freckled boy shook his head, smiling a bit. His mind was clear again, and it made him realize just how silly he was being. "God, I feel really stupid now."
"Aw, don't be like that. It was sweet of you to worry about." He stumbled back a bit as Mina playfully punched his shoulder, giggling. "You just care too much for your own good sometimes." Izuku let out a small groan as he rolled his eyes slightly.
"I swear, if I had a yen for every time I heard that..." He said in an exasperated tone. Mina's snorted a bit as her giggling broke into full laughter. Izuku looked at her with a stern face for a moment, but his mouth started twitching. Soon his own laugh joined Mina's. They calmed down after several seconds, both of them staring at the other.
"...You're amazing, you know that right?" Izuku propped an elbow on the railing and rested his cheek in his hand. It had only taken her minutes to talk him through something that had been gnawing at him for days.
"I do," Mina answered with a wink, earning another round of laughter from both of them.
"Really though, I... Thanks. I needed this." He smiled warmly at her.
"Hey, what are friends for?" She returned the gesture, giving Izuku a fluttering feeling in his stomach.
Something about Mina's smile had always gotten to Izuku. He couldn't quite explain why; it just radiated joy in a way that was downright infectious. Same with her laugh.
"Besides, you're a lot cuter when you're smiling like this," she added.
There was a time a comment like that would have floored Izuku. He'd sweat and stutter and possibly even run away. However, he'd matured a good bit over the years, and his reaction was less dramatic.
"Oh, um... Thank you?" he spoke quietly, looking at his feet as a noticeable shade of crimson crept onto his cheeks. Mina's smile widened a bit at this; he obviously still wasn't used to flirting. She liked this more subdued, shy awkwardness.
With the serious discussion over with and Izuku back to his normal self, Mina decided to have a little fun. She was initially hesitant to try anything with Izuku given the circumstances, but those memories of her old crush were beginning to change her mind. Besides, what was the harm in messing with him a bit? If he wasn't interested, she'd stop.
But given what she'd seen him doing earlier...
"You're very welcome," she said, picking up her wine glass as she relaxed against the railing a little.
Izuku could immediately feel the change in atmosphere. There was a noticeable difference in Mina's tone and posture just now. He stared at her, picking up on the fact that her eyes were slightly narrowed as she looked back. Her smile was a little more subdued, looking almost playful.
It was a subtle but effective transformation. He wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat as he continued to stare. That fluttery feeling in his stomach returned, stronger than before.
"See something you like?" Mina suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow. Realizing how he must have looked studying her the way he was, Izuku shook himself a bit.
"I..." He stood up straight, clearing his throat as he felt his face heating up. "Sorry, I was just..."
"Staring longingly into my eyes?" This was too easy. Izuku responded to her jest by looking back out to the hillside, inhaling deeply. She giggled playfully, rolling the stem of her wine glass back and forth along her fingers a little.
Izuku was not sure what to make of this situation. This behavior had come completely out of nowhere. Did she want him to play along? Did HE want to play along?
The flustered boy could be a bit oblivious, but he even he could tell what Mina was doing here. He just couldn't decide what he thought of that. Part of him wanted to just go back inside and forget this had happened, but another part of him wanted to see where this went.
"...Maybe a litte," he finally said with a nervous chuckle. "They're very, er... Unique." Mina's eyes sparkled a bit.
"Unique, huh?" The fact that he had responded to her tease like that was a good sign. Now to go in for the kill. "Oh and by the way, you're not as sneaky as you think."
"Huh?" Izuku looked at her again, unsure what she meant. Her mouth twisted into a Cheshire grin, which worried him greatly.
"I saw you checking out the goods earlier," she said, winking as she waggled her rear just a bit.
There was a heavy silence as Izuku processed her words and gesture. It took a few seconds for it to click as he recalled how he had caught himself admiring Mina's outfit a little too much earlier.
For a moment his eyes glazed over as his face turned ghost white. Then he felt his temperature spike as his whole face turn beet red.
"Wh...Buh... N-No, I..." It was just like the old days. Sounds that were supposed to be words tumbled out of his mouth as he frantically tried to think of something, anything he could say. "W-Well, that's... No, you see... I was just..."
Mina watched gleefully as the panicked boy tripped over his words, his hands flailing about.
"You were just what?" She asked coyly, which did nothing to help his mood.
"I didn't... I wasn't trying... Uuuuugh..." Izuku slumped over the railing in defeat. He had been caught red handed, and there was nothing he could possibly say to convince Mina that she had the wrong idea. "...Okay, yes I... I was staring." He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "I mean, I wasn't trying to it just... Happened." Like that made it any better.
The ashamed hero expected to be slapped, yelled at, or possibly even tossed off the deck. What he did not expect was for Mina to laugh. Not that that was much better.
"Wasn't trying to... Oooooh you are just precious," she said, shaking her head. "Midoriya, look at me." There was a hint of authority in her voice, but it was still somehow gentle. Reluctantly Izuku turned his head a little so he could see her. Much to his surprise, she was still smiling at him. "Relax, I'm not mad."
"You're... Not?" Izuku had seen how Mina had reacted to Denki and Minoru's antics over the years. She seemed to have little patience for that kind of stuff.
"Nah, not really," she replied, taking a sip of her drink. "I mean, I don't blame you. I have a pretty awesome ass." She patted it once for emphasis. "And I have worked very hard to keep it that way." Izuku felt steam coming out of his ears as she went on.
"B-But I... Th-That's not the point!" He cried, standing up again. "Just because you have a nice butt doesn't mean I can just... Oh god." Realizing what he said, he put a palm to his face, groaning. Mina threw back her head in laughter.
"Alright, yes. That's doesn't make it okay to stare. Buuuut..." Mina suddenly drew closer, placing her free hand on her hip. "Maybe I like the fact that you were staring. It's okay then, right?" She punctuated this last bit with another wink.
"I... O-Oh." Izuku's mind was racing. "I guess so...? But I mean, I didn't know that..." Even if she wasn't mad, it didn't make him feel any less gross.
"No, I guess you didn't." Seeing how regretful he was made Mina think that he was probably telling the truth when he said he didn't mean to. There had certainly been times where her eyes wandered on their own. "Well I'm sure you'll find some way to make it up to me."
"I..." Izuku exhaled deeply through his mouth and looked out at the sunset once again. He was walking down a very unfamiliar road right now, and he had to decide if he wanted to turn around and forget this had ever happened, or keep going and see where it led.
Mina was interested in him, that much was certain. The question was, was he interested in her? He wasn't really sure. Yes, she was attractive – incredibly so – and yes, she made him feel kind of funny inside, but how much of that was just his brain coping with suddenly being single? Regardless of how he ultimately felt about Ochako, he had still enjoyed being in a relationship. After a tough day of hero work, nothing beat a nice long cuddle on the couch. Just knowing you had someone you could be that close with, physically and emotionally, was something he missed.
Making a decision, he tried to relax a little as he turned back to Mina.
"So... Is there a reason you liked that I was looking?" He wasn't exactly good at playing this game, but he'd give it a try.
"Well..." Mina glanced to the side as she took her hand off her hip and started playing with one of the curls in her hair. "It's just nice knowing someone like you thinks I'm that attractive."
"S-Someone like me?" He stammered just a bit, but kept a cool face. Mina giggled, finding his obvious inexperience with all this charming. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh you know. Cute, funny, sweet... Single." She paused as the last word left her mouth, mentally kicking herself "Oh, shoot... Sorry." Given how Izuku was feeling just a few moments ago, that didn't exactly feel appropriate to say.
This time, it was Izuku's turn to laugh.
"It's fine." In truth the word did sting a little, but only for a nanosecond. "I mean, it's true after all." Seeing she hadn't offended him, the pink flirt quickly settled back into her role.
The two gazed at each other wordlessly, drawing ever so closer. Both their heartrates were accelerating as the tension in the air grew and grew. Mina then rested her free hand on the deck railing and slowly slid it forward until it was atop Izuku's.
This first contract served as something of a wake-up call for the nervous boy. The reality of where this was all potentially leading fully started to set in, and with that came a new feeling.
He drew his hand back almost reflexively, much to Mina's surprise.
"Huh?" She noticed Izuku tense up a little, his expression looking almost afraid for a split second. Then he let out a sigh.
"I-I'm sorry, Ashido, I just..." He gulped. "I just... I don't know about this."
"About what?" Mina felt her heart sink a little. She thought she'd had him, but it seemed he was still having doubts.
"This," Izuku answered, gesturing between the two of them. "What we're doing here. I..."
"What's the matter?" Switching back to "caring friend" mode, Mina's voice softened.
"Well, I just... I mean, after what happened with me and Ochako, I don't know if..." The prospect of another relationship was exciting but scary. His mind was all over the place, and he didn't know how he truly felt about Mina at this point. What if they started dating and he realized he didn't actually like her? He couldn't go through that again.
"Don't know if you're ready for a relationship?" She was really good at finishing his sentences. He nodded, prompting a small yet encouraging smile. "That's alright, I understand. I... Honestly don't think I am either."
"Huh?" If that was true, why had she done all this?
"I mean, I might be? I don't really know yet. But..." She placed her hand on Izuku's again. "This doesn't have to be a relationship. Not... Not yet, anyways."
Izuku kept his hand where it was as he tried to understand her words.
"You mean, we just..." He paused, not wanting to make any assumptions about where tonight could go. "You're saying you're okay if this is just a... A one-time thing?"
"I'm saying I want to be with you tonight, but just... As a friend, you know?" Mina rubbed her finger and thumb over Izuku's hand. "If something comes of it, great. But if not... Well, I'm fine with that too."
Her freckled friend contemplated this notion. Was it really okay for them to do this sort of stuff without being a couple? He supposed it wasn't an issue if they were both fine with it, and she clearly was. But was he?
Well, he knew being with Mina made him feel good. And he couldn't deny the prospect of getting a little more intimate with her was rather enticing.
Izuku suddenly reached across the railing and grabbed his half-filled glass of wine. He stared at it as he thought about what he should do for a few moments longer.
Then, taking a quick breath, he downed the rest of his glass in one fell swoop, slammed it down, then turned to Mina as he wiped his mouth.
"I am going to look at your butt so much tonight," he said with his best attempt at a "sexy" smile.
"..."
"..."
Mina's response was to stare blankly at him, blinking a few times. Izuku's expression slowly faltered as he watched her lip start to twitch.
"Pfffffffhahahaha!" Unable to contain herself, the pinkette doubled over with laughter. "Oh my god, what was THAT supposed to be?"
"I... Was being sexy!" Izuku cried, deflating a little as his line attempt at wooing her seemed to completely backfire. Mina steadied herself on the railing as she calmed herself down, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Ooooh... Oh wow. Honey, if that's your idea of sexy..." Izuku almost seemed to pout as she shook her head. Polishing off the last of her own drink, she set it down and reached out to rest her hands on his arms. "More importantly..." Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer and spoke in a hushed voice. "You won't just be looking at it, babe."
She pulled his arms towards her, guiding his hands to her waist. He instinctively gripped her sides, swallowing as he did. Then she ever so slowly took his hands and pushed them further south until they were on her hips.
"...Go ahead," she invited, winking. Without really thinking about it, Izuku slide his hands behind her hips, each grasping a cheek. Mina felt a tingle in the base of her spin as she felt him squeeze a bit. Her eyes lit up as she gazed longingly into hi
Without another word, she firmly grabbed Izuku's cheeks and pulled him into a deep kiss. He didn't even try to fight it, pressing himself closer to her warm body as he groped her rear. The only sounds were the brushing of cloth against cloth and the loud smacking of lips. A soft, muffled sound escaped Mina's lips as she opened her mouth slightly, inviting Izuku in. He accepted the invitation, slowly sliding his tongue inside. He met hers, and they began wrestling a bit as they savored the taste of one another.
Unfortunately for the horny heroes, they were barely able to get started when the door suddenly opened.
"Hey, you two have been gone awhile, wanted to make sure-OH GOD."
The pair went rigid as they pulled away from each other, though their hands stayed where they were. They simultaneously turned to see a very flustered looking Eijiro covering his eyes.
An eerily long silence followed before the couple's faces both turned a deep crimson.
"E-Eijiro, what the hell!? " Mina cried.
"K-K-Kiri..." Izuku couldn't even speak right.
"Um... I'm just gonna go." Eijiro pointed back inside with his thumb, and slowly backed up without uncovering his eyes. He closed the door, then walked off at a hurried pace.
Mina was first to recover, more annoyed than embarrassed at this point. Just when things were getting good...
Izuku was still in a haze. Ignoring how he felt about being caught in such a compromising position, he was a little shaken by how quickly things had escalated just now. It was very different from what he had gone through with Ochako.
But... He didn't really mind. Maybe it was the wine loosening him up a little, but he was oddly comfortable with how things had gone.
"Well... That was... Something," Mina huffed, shaking her head. She looked back to Izuku, giving her a loving smile. "You alright?"
"I... I think so, yes," Izuku answered with a nod. "Uh, h-he won't tell anyone, will he?"
"Who, Eijiro? Nah, probably not. Assuming he knows what's good for him." Her new partner for the night let out a huge sigh of relief.
Part of him felt a little weird that Mina's ex had scene him doing... That with her, but considering Eijiro was in another relationship now he figured it didn't bother him much. He was probably just surprised.
With the mood completely dead, Eijiro's presence reminded the couple that there were in fact other people they had come here to talk to.
"Alright, we've been out here long enough," Mina said. As fun as this was, she'd never forgive herself if she blew off the rest of her friends much longer. "What do you say we head back inside and, uh... We'll figure out what we wanna do after the party's over?" Mina suggested, snuggling up against Izuku and drawing a circle on his chest with her finger. He responded by turning his head up and softly brushing his lips against hers. Mina let out a small happy squeak at the gesture.
"Sounds good to me."
The two walked back into the house, Mina's arm wrapped around Izuku's..

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