A/N: Update—sorry everyone! I accidentally deleted this chapter a little while ago. I definitely did not forget all your votes and comments! Here it is again. I might be missing some parts I needed to italicize, and I'll probably double-check later. Once again, thank you, and I apologize.
I just double-checked and fixed some stuff, hence the additional publish.
I know it's been a long wait, but it's finally out! This took me a while, so I appreciate each and every one of you who reads, votes, and/or comments. Thank you, and constructive criticism is always welcomed and encouraged! I'm honestly not too proud of this chapter, so especially so this time.
Now, as for the next chapter, I have midterms next week, meaning it might be a little late. I have a lot of studying to do. On the weekend I have a friend's fifteenth birthday party and will be spending most of it either hanging out with friends or playing softball. Of course, I will still try to get the next chapter out as fast as possible! I can guarantee it'll be a good one!
~+~+~
Izuku woke up worn, worlds away from well-rested. Running his usual leisurely jog, he didn't have the necessary stamina he needed to live up to his typical standards, a pace he thought he'd easily be able to maintain a long time ago, and would've if he'd slept. Today was just not his day.
Upon reentering the dorms, common room still quiet and barely lit up by the slowly rising sun, a notification popped up on his phone. It was a message. From Uraraka.
Yeah, that'd be nice. Can we talk in person? Tonight, maybe?
He'd almost forgot. Last night, in his very own hazy fog of sleep deprivation and discomfiting dreariness, he'd texted her unknowingly, instinctively, asking her, begging her, almost, to do the impossible. It would've been hard for her to be ready to talk—too much to take in.
But he'd be glad to talk with her, clear up any misconceptions. There must've been many, multitudes of millions of them.
But that was only if she really was ready, of course.
Sure. Sounds good. Just let me know when.
Her replies were never slow. In fact, they were almost always extraordinarily fast. She hated keeping people waiting, and Izuku, especially, was no exception. Okay.
Izuku shivered a little, brushed his bangs back and ran his hands through his hair. He had absolutely no idea how to approach such a conversation, a conversation so imperative, so intimidating, so crucial and key, or where to even begin. Apologizing might've been a good first step, seeing how much of a fool, a tool he'd been, and that, along with an explanation, was the least she deserved, especially after all that he'd done to her. He'd be an ass not to do so.
Izuku made a big breakfast, once again allowing a little leeway, treating himself to something sugary, something sweet, something he wouldn't normally eat. He opted for pancakes this time, fluffy forever his all-time favorite. And as he reminded himself of all the regrets he had, the things he'd stupidly said to Mina yesterday and all the days before, the words he wished he could but knew he'd never be able take back, he accidentally let a little too much maple syrup slip, the pancakes irreversibly drenched.
He didn't mind, though. He liked them that way.
He'd made five, able to cut into the top two.
"I don't know, Ashido. Sounds like a you problem."
All of a sudden, his words came back to haunt him. He regretted them so, so much, almost more than he regretted anything else in his life, as they were so uncharacteristically unlike him. He was just so mad, he guessed, in that moment, so sick of everything that'd happened, that he had to let it all out somehow, use whatever he could as his outlet. He hadn't done anything inherently wrong, per se, and if Mina had just let time run its course, he wouldn't have even had to have such a crude conversation in the first place.
But that didn't make it okay. It wasn't okay. It would never be okay. For at least a little bit of the weight to be lifted off of his shoulders, he'd have to say sorry.
Hopefully that'd fix things. Make her hate him a little bit less, make up for at least one shitty thing he'd done. The list was long.
And he owed her. For a lot of things. Yes, he'd be a dunce to say she didn't mess up, but admittedly, he did too.
This was the least he could do.
Izuku finished his breakfast, mind once again on Uraraka. He was terrified, truly transfixed on the fact that he had nothing to offer, no plan. He'd be going in blindly.
Maybe he could ask for some advice, vent to someone, beat himself up over all of the dumb decisions he'd made in peace—just him and one other person, someone he could trust—for every last ludicrous thing he'd done, everything that brought him shame to his name, everything he wished to take back. And as of right now, there were a lot. His words, some of the things he'd said, and maybe, if it counted, falling for Mina and keeping quiet about it until it was too late. (He definitely did not regret the falling-for-Mina part, but hiding it from Uraraka was undoubtedly debatable.)
And so, in a frightened frenzy, he texted the only person he knew he could. He was honestly pretty sure he was the only person willing to listen to him at all.
~+~
Dagobah Beach was especially sandy for the dawn of a new day during a relatively relaxing week, and it was all because of the wind—breezy, airy, rough and sharp like the dead of winter barely beginning into spring. Running toward his confidant, Izuku had to keep his eyes closed to prevent from going blind, having to kick stray grains of sand out of his shoes every once in a while in order to stop his socks from getting caught on nearby shards and seashells. They were sharp, digging deep into his skin, and honest to God he wished he'd picked a better spot—not the bitter, blustery beach at 6:00 a.m.
Hurtling toward his Hero, hands high up in the air, Izuku frantically waved all over the place. "All Might! You have no idea how glad I am to see you!"
"Is that right, my boy? What's got you so worked up so early in the morning?"
He froze, had no clue where to begin. "Oh, everything. I just have to get it off my chest."
"Alright, then. Go ahead. You did say it was an emergency."
Izuku scratched his cheek. "Well, sort of."
All Might reacted overdramatically—and a little sarcastically—with histrionics. "And to think! I had so much work I could've gotten done—"
"No, no, no!" Izuku started, hurrying to try and correct himself. Yet another mistake to mark down in the books. His cheeks were red, knowing what was ahead. "It's not like that! It just doesn't involve... Heroics. And I was thinking, y'know, since you're really only my mentor for that, this wouldn't be a big deal to you, but, um, it's a big deal for me."
"Midoriya, listen"—putting a firm hand on his shoulder, All Might gave his successor a simple smile, the kind of smile Izuku had admired ever since he was a boy—"I am your mentor for that, but that's not all. I'm here to help you with anything you might need. Life problems, friends, school work, anything. If it's a big deal to you, then it's a big deal to me. So, tell me. What's on your mind?"
Izuku took a deep breath, clenching and gritting his teeth and even breathing through them as well. When they suddenly started to tingle, he stopped. He decided he'd never do that again.
His face grew hotter with each passing moment, the embarrassment too hard to handle, but he knew now was the time, if any, to let it all out, everything, every last emotion he'd suppressed inside for the last few weeks.
"Well, um, where do I start? It kind of has to do with these two girls—"
All Might choked. "My boy, my knowledge in that area... is a little lackluster. But I always knew this day would come! You are growing into quite the fine young man, after all—"
Izuku screeched at the top of his lungs, loud enough to scare the neighboring seagulls pecking away at old gum wrappers and soda cans and the sea turtles nesting nearby. "A-All Might? What's that supposed to mean?"
All Might let out a loud laugh. "Oh, definitely not what you're thinking, my boy. I'm just surprised, is all. And very excited! Romance is an incredible thing, even for us Heroes."
Silence. Izuku was honestly a little uncomfortable.
"Go on," his mentor beckoned.
And so he did. "Well, they're both in my class..."
"Let me guess: does one of them happen to be Young Uraraka?"
Izuku lit up like a wildfire, a candle in the darkest of nights. "H-How did you know?" Izuku asked, inching away from his once-trustworthy mentor and, oddly, his best friend, frightened that he knew too much. Maybe he'd been secretly spying on him. "I mean, I thought"—he twiddled his thumbs—"we weren't being too obvious."
"Oh, no. It's been quite apparent to me that she's had a crush on you for a while."
"W-Wait, really?"
"Yup! No doubt about it! Now, who's this other girl?"
Izuku was hesitant. Mina would be All Might's last guess. She'd be anyone's last guess, as, from an outsiders' perspective, society said they should've had nothing to do with each other, polar opposites in every which way, and he hoped the shock of it all wouldn't scare him too much. "Well, um..."
"Let me guess," All Might started. "Young Asui?"
Izuku shook his head.
"Yaoyorozu?"
Once again, another no.
As the situation became more and more out of hand, All Might still cold as to whom it could be, Izuku exerted himself a little more, spoke up. "It's... Ashido. Ashido Mina."
All Might coughed, bit his tongue. "Oh, my boy! I never would've guessed!"
"Yeah... Me neither. It's kind of a long story."
"Well, if you'd be willing to tell me, I'd listen."
And so Izuku reiterated the rest. "Well, uh, Uraraka and I... We kind of prematurely started this relationship. We decided we were gonna go to the dance together. I was excited, and I... I thought I liked her, but then, somehow, I ended up befriending Ashido in order to help me learn how to dance since I really didn't know how to and didn't want to look dumb in front of Uraraka, and, I guess, in some crazy turn of events... Things kinda went downhill from there." Izuku stopped, took a pause, went over his words with wide eyes. "Well, not downhill, per se! It's not like it was a bad thing! Just... maybe a bit problematic."
All Might nodded, ushering him to go on. Izuku concurred. "I started developing feelings for her." Izuku was getting serious now, fiddling around with the zipper caught on the fur of his warm winter jacket as, instinctively, he suddenly got this urge to hold his hands to his heart, to ease the pain and his wildly hammering heartbeat, as neither of which had any inclination of stopping. He thought about the things they did together, how he slowly began to fall for her, and he realized without a doubt that it wasn't anything he'd regret. These feelings, this specific one, was deep, embedded in his bones, awakening new emotions he never knew he had the capability to feel before. It was warm and fuzzy and almost reminded him of something sweet like honey, so abnormally saccharine that it was hard to handle all alone, a feeling only she was able to give him. "And not just any feelings. Real feelings. I-I think. I don't really know. And I started to think less and less about Uraraka."
There was a sudden shift in Izuku's tone, his emphasis and inflection, the long-gone tranquility he'd once had in his words. In the spur of the moment, he'd become more flustered, more somber. "Ashido and I b-both realized we liked each other. We tried to keep quiet, keep our feelings under wraps, but Uraraka found out. And... We made sure to respect her that whole time. We didn't do anything she wouldn't have liked." Izuku hid his face in his hands, covering his mouth upon realizing his subtle white lie, looking away. "Well, for the most part.
And Uraraka was conflicted. I dare say she was mad. All Might, what do I do? I haven't talked to her in days. It seems she wants us to work this out tonight, but I don't know what to say, or where to even begin."
All Might blinked a few times, certainly expecting anything but that. "Young Midoriya, my boy, you've gotten yourself into quite the situation now, haven't you?"
Izuku nodded.
"First of all, how long were you and Young Ashido aware that you had feelings for each other? I think that's imperative in determining what to do."
"Just a few days. And Uraraka found out on her own accord. I... stupidly didn't tell her."
All Might straightened up, straying away from his slouching and standing slightly taller. Despite no longer being a Hero, he still liked to keep a good image. "Now, my boy, I may not be too knowledgeable when it comes to women, but let me tell you this, and I'm going to have to be honest: It sounds like you messed up."
"Yes! Definitely! I can admit that now. But, if I'm being honest, Ashido did too. I can say that, since, well, at this point, it's kind of common knowledge."
And so, All Might's inquiry seizing the rest of story out of an already-vulnerable Izuku Midoriya, he continued with the more minor details his mentor was yet to know. The kiss, the party (although he had to be careful around such a sensitive topic), exams, and some of the dumb stuff he'd did and said yesterday that was beginning to make his blood boil. Not only that, but even some of the stuff he'd said weeks ago. Maybe even months. It was all wearing him down, eating away at him bit by bit until he'd whittled down to dust.
"Well, that's certainly more dramatic than anything that happened to me in high school." All Might laughed, reminiscing on some of his most memorable moments. In his mind, anyway, high school was a lot less stressful, a lot less strenuous than becoming a full-time Pro Hero. Izuku certainly didn't have that to look forward to.
"But, in all seriousness, Young Midoriya, which girl catches your eye? Which girl would you rather be with? I think it's important to establish that first."
Lilac at the tip of her nose, gracefully dotting her cheeks, radiant pink skin, vibrant personality and black yet beautifully bright eyes—the decision was easy. For Izuku it wasn't even a question.
"Ashido. Ashido Mina, without a doubt."
"Wow, my boy. You really feel for her, huh?"
Izuku smiled, nodded. "Yeah."
"Sounds like love."
It took a moment to hit him. Instead, he simply stood there, staring down at the ground, cheeks becoming redder and redder by the second as All Might's words slowly started to sink in.
Everything that'd happened, everything that'd gone on between those two, him quietly developing feelings for her in the background of their quickly growing friendship—it was all a dead giveaway.
And although he couldn't have even thought of admitting it before, he certainly could now.
He was falling in love with her.
He had fallen in love with her.
He was in love with Mina Ashido.
His face caught fire. "L-Love? I—"
All Might found this funny. He covered his mouth to keep Izuku from noticing his uncontrollable laughing. "It happens to the best of us, kid. It happened to me when I was your age."
"Really? I-I knew I liked her, but love? That's too big of a word. I-I don't know. All Might, are you sure?" He couldn't stop stuttering.
"Why, more than sure! Does your heart ever beat faster when you're around her? Maybe even hurt sometimes?"
Reluctantly, Izuku nodded.
"Then that sounds about right," All Might replied. "Looks like I hit the nail on the head." There was a break between breaths. "Now, as for what to do. Well, tonight, when you talk to Young Uraraka, be honest with her. Tell her how you feel. Don't beat around the bush. And it's clear to me that you didn't mean to hurt her. Make sure she knows that. She'll respect you a hundred times more.
And she may still be mad. Knowing her, she probably will. But I get the idea that she's a very understanding person, so maybe there won't be any bad blood between you two. Actually, I doubt there will be any at all."
Izuku interrupted. "But, All Might, what if she never wants to speak to me again? I mean, she's one of my best friends. I'd be heartbroken."
"Young Midoriya, understand this: If anything, she'd be the one heartbroken. She is the one heartbroken. She has every right to do whatever she wants in regards to what you say to her, as you really did make quite the big mistake. But I highly doubt it. If you have any more worries after tonight, come see me. I'm sure you two will clear things up."
It took a second for Izuku to process those words, but once he did, he smiled. "All Might, you really are a lifesaver."
"Of course, my boy! I'm here for anything you need. Now, as for Ashido, I think you should deal with her later. I'm not gonna do this whole thing out for you. You're gonna have to figure some things out on your own. If you have any trusted classmates, ask them. But I'm sure Young Ashido will be understanding, since she does seem to be quite fond of you. Now that I look back on it, I failed to notice how much you two hung out in recent months."
"You... pay attention to me at school?"
"Why, of course! You are my successor, after all!"
Izuku smiled at that, bowed down. "I can't thank you enough, All Might! Thank you! For everything."
"Oh, my boy, there's no need to thank me. It was actually quite entertaining, if I'm being honest. The highlight of my morning!"
And with that, All Might extended his hand out for Izuku to stand up, offering a fist bump significant for "you've got this," Izuku willingly giving one back. They decided to call it a day, Izuku more than sufficient with his newfound advice, confidence no longer a word eradicated from his dictionary. It had been for quite a while.
Izuku thanked All Might one last time, waving a subtle goodbye. All Might waved back. Once he was out of sight, Izuku plopped down on the sand, letting out a loud sigh. He picked at nearby seashells, smiling at the sea and the birds and the bright blue sky hanging overhead. He thought maybe he was losing his mind.
He concluded that he just mixed the relaxation. He was so infatuated with it, the beautiful scenery surrounding him, that he just had to smile. One of the things he missed most about not having a love life was the ability to catch some free time, the ability to unwind.
And, speaking of, how did he, of all people, even end up in such a melodramatic dilemma? He wasn't particularly striking or special. He was actually pretty plain-looking; nothing about him really stood out. The least he could say was that he had a good personality. (Well, for the most part. He screwed up sometimes.)
Oh well, he thought. Even if I don't see it, they must see something in me I don't.
That made him happy.
Hopefully Mina sees something. She has to. She can't like me like this for no reason.
And then he was walking on air.
~+~
Class that day—if she had to describe it in one word—was awkward.
Almost everyone was quiet, much to Aizawa's surprise. He was able to get through his lesson a lot more easily than usual, no longer having to interrupt his most chatty students to tell them to quiet down. It was actually kind of nice.
But, for the rest of Class 1-A, it was anything but nice. Unbearable, even. Lunch was the least pleasant part of the day. Mina sat in her usual seat with her big group of friends, those who now knew of her unbecoming crush and had questions. Apparently they didn't think to ask them last night, when there wasn't the possibility that people could overhear.
She peeked back at Izuku every once in a while, wondering whether he was thinking of her. She sure wished he was. She was, without a doubt, thinking of him. He'd practically consumed her. In just a matter of weeks, he'd become the first thing on her mind.
Of course, that was outside of school, her family, her Hero work, and her friends. She was still her own separate person.
If it wasn't obvious enough to everyone around him—including Uraraka, who had decided to sit a few seats down for today—Izuku was off in space. Eating in relative silence, he kept on looking down, and every once in a while, over to the side of his seat where Mina was. Then, he'd take a quick peek back at Uraraka, feeling weirdly guilty wondering whether or not she'd noticed. Sometimes he'd catch her staring, and maybe even Mina as well.
It was an all-day battle. That tension never did break, all throughout school and after school and even on their march back to the dorms. The three of them were easily able to stay away from each other without even exchanging a word.
Izuku texted Uraraka something he always thought he'd be too scared to say. Does seven sound okay? He knew she knew what he meant.
Yes. Meet me at my room.
Izuku double-checked to make sure no one was around, peering from behind or over his shoulder or sitting a little too close for comfort. Then, he mustered up the guts it took to respond. Okay.
~+~
Time came and went, and suddenly it was seven. It'd had flown by way too fast. Izuku couldn't believe it. Tentatively, he knocked on Uraraka's door.
She opened up, cheeks rosy red, ushering him in after a few seconds of weirdly waiting around. There was this dark cloud hanging over their heads, creating an especially awkward atmosphere. Neither wanted to say something.
Izuku went first. "Well, um—"
"So—"
They paused. They felt weird interrupting each other. Uraraka cleared the air. "You go first."
"N-No, you go."
Uraraka scratched her head. "O-Okay... Well, so, apparently you and Mina, huh?"
"Um, yeah, I guess."
"Okay." She cut right to the chase. "Deku, I just... need answers. I mean, I'm gonna start off by saying I didn't ask you to the dance on a whim. I really, really like you. A lot. And, if you don't feel the same way, just let me know. You should have told me a long time ago."
"Uraraka, I was genuinely excited when you asked me out. I did think I'd fall for you. I got butterflies in my stomach every once in a while when you were around, and I seriously did want to go to that dance with you. Honest."
"So, then... you and Mina. How can you say that but still end up falling for her? Well, actually, before that: do you like her back, or is it only one-sided?"
Of course, Uraraka had already heard all of this. But from an untrustworthy source. She wanted to hear it from Izuku, as he was her ride-or-die, her day one, her tried-and-true confidant.
Izuku looked away. He'd seated himself in the swivel chair situated by her desk, her things all nice and organized, pens and pencils in little cup holders and cheap makeup sitting in order of color beside her mini mirror. She sat comfortably on the edge of her bed. He really wished he could spin around a few times, get the jist of it and the jitters out, but he couldn't deny that that would be rude.
He scratched the nape of his neck. "Uraraka, can I be honest with you?"
"Of course."
"I don't say this to hurt you. In fact, that's the last thing I want to do. I'm sure Ashido feels the same way. But... her and I... We had something. I couldn't tell you why it happened. It just did. We didn't do anything, we swear. We'd certainly never kissed before last night, not even close. In fact, that was actually... my very first kiss."
"I kind of assumed so, judging by your reaction."
He paused, continued after Uraraka's slightly, actually-kind-of-necessary interruption. Something, or someone, had to derail the tension. "And, well, we only established we had something, that we were more than friends, a few days ago. This wasn't a long-time thing, and I was going to tell you, but I was just genuinely so scared of hurting your feelings since, at least I know now, they meant a lot. And I should have gone to you sooner. I know. None of this makes it okay."
She reached over, took his hand.
"W-What're you doing?" he asked.
"Just... hold on for a sec. Before I yell at you, get mad at you, I want to savor this moment. I'm gonna miss you after this. Being with you, at least, even if we weren't totally truthful with each other."
And so that's exactly what she did.
And then, just mere moments later, she yelled, spewed words at him at the top of her lungs. "Deku, you let her! You let her kiss you, and even I could tell you had no intention of pulling away. You were seeing me. You should've! Easily could've. It was the right thing to do. And you only hurt my feelings more by not telling me!" She began to tear up. "Even if you don't like me like that, we're still best friends. These are the kinds of things we tell each other."
"I know, and I realize that now," he said. "I acted like a tool. Even All Might basically said it outright earlier this morning," he mumbled, that last part just a beat in his last breath. "If I could fix it now, I would. I don't know how to say I'm sorry without feeling like it's not enough. Uraraka, you deserve the world. You're such a kind and genuine person, and you don't deserve to be treated the way I treated you. You deserve better than me."
She shook her head. "No, Deku. I think you're misunderstanding. You're not the only one who screwed up. Yeah, you did something bad, awful, even, but so did I. I forced this relationship upon us too fast. I never noticed you were uncomfortable. I was always the one pushing for us to talk, to grow closer when you were never ready for it. And, in that case, I made a mistake, too."
"No. That's not your fault. You never would've noticed. It's my fault for not speaking up."
She smiled. "Deku, I appreciate it. I really do. But you don't have to. Stop taking the blame for everything. It makes you look weak."
He gasped, the realization tough to take in. He knew he sometimes gave off that aura, but to hear it out of Uraraka's mouth really hit hard. "But— It's true! It was my fault!"
"Yeah, let's be honest here, it really was mostly your fault. But let's not fight over apologizing."
He nodded.
She suddenly took on this somber, serious tone. "But, yeah, I think that's the end of the road for us. Neither of us could be truthful, and because of that this whole mess is getting out of hand. Looking back on it, it'd probably have been better if I'd never asked you out in the first place."
She couldn't help but notice this surprised look on his face, mouth hanging open, agape. Frantically, she waved her hands wildly out in front of her, as if to let him know that wasn't what she meant. "We can still be friends! It's just... gonna take some time." She ran her hands through her caramel-colored hair, twirling her finger around a few loose strands as she let go. "I mean, I did—and still do—have a huge crush on you, and it'll take a little while to move past that, if you know what I mean. And... I'm still pretty angry at you."
Izuku knew how hard it was to be friends with someone you loved. He went through it—the whole nine yards—with Mina.
"Yeah, I get it," he said. "Well, um, it's still kind of sad to hear that. B-But I do get it! I acted like an ass! Do you want me to stay away from you, or..."
"Yeah. Honest to God you probably should. I know I'm not showing it, but I'm still pretty upset about this whole thing, pretty mad, and you being around might just push me over the edge.
A-And I'm not saying we can't get this cleared up! I mean, we kind of already have, I guess, but I'm just saying that maybe we shouldn't talk for a while. I think it'll be better for the both of us. Allow us to let off some steam."
Izuku wanted to let the tears fall, and in any other situation he would, but right now he was just too embarrassed. "Uraraka, thank you. I don't deserve all this. I screwed up big time; you're way too kind."
He was right. He didn't. Even Uraraka could admit that. Yet she'd held her ground for far too long—long enough, she guessed—and now, she thought, it was probably best to move past things, let time run its course. She couldn't hang this over their heads forever. "Honestly, I probably am. I might still hold a grudge. Is it okay if I do? Hold a grudge? Just for now?"
"Yes. Even I have a grudge against myself."
They both had a good laugh at that. "Oh, and one last thing," he started on his way out the door. They'd already said their goodbyes. "Please don't take this out on Ashido. Whatever you do."
She looked away. "I-I know, and I'm trying, but—"
Izuku gave her his most pacifying puppy-dog eyes. "Please."
"Deku, it's not that easy."
"I know, but can you at least try? She messed up bad, and you have every right to be mad, but this isn't entirely her fault."
Uraraka was beginning to get a little hotheaded. "What, so you're saying it's yours?"
"Yeah. Kind of."
There was a pause. Uraraka gave herself a minute to calm down. "Okay, well, I think it's time I head out now. Just, even if I am mad at Mina, don't hate me, okay?"
Izuku's eyes turned soft. "I would never. I'd just... rather not see her upset, is all."
He added one more thing. "And, I know I never said it outright, but I really am sorry for all of this. You deserve better."
Barely being able to hold the waterworks back, Uraraka began to tear up. "Yeah."
And with that, Izuku left, softly shutting the door behind him as to not stir her or make her think he was mad. His presence managed to resonate with her all the way down to the end of the hall, even as he hopped on the elevator and left her all alone there and walked back out into the common room with all of the rest of his classmates, probably chatting up a storm like usual or grabbing a bite to eat. Just like that, she'd lost her first love. Anger, frustration, sorrow and sadness—all of it building up inside of her, along with that grudge, she was still perplexed on how she managed to hold back tears.
~+~
Mina had a lot on her mind. She threw her arms back over the edge of the couch, the cushions just a bit too short for her. If she, 5'3", considered them short, how did they fare for everyone else?
She nodded her head back. There, standing before her, was Izuku.
He wasn't looking her way. Thank God. But he did notice when she couldn't help staring at him for a little too long. She looked away.
Embarrassing.
She decided, despite all of the shit that'd happened, that she'd at least try to talk to him. Maybe she could break the tension. "Do you wanna watch something?"
Izuku had begun to walk faster. His assumption was that Mina wouldn't want to say a word. Halfway through his dash toward the kitchen, he turned back around. "Hm?"
"On TV. I can get up, if you want."
Izuku slowly but surely stepped back toward her, this the last thing he was expecting. He would've never reached out to her on his own accord, the awkwardness a bit too much, but he was kind of glad she did—it was comfortable, in a way, natural. "No, I'm fine. I'll watch whatever you wanna watch."
He rested his elbows on the back of the couch, her head between his hands. Maybe he should've moved over a little.
But to be honest, he didn't really want to.
She flung him the remote. He caught it just in time, her toss a little too over the top. He turned on a channel about the history of Heroics, one of his all-time favorites, and as he looked down, just to see Mina's reaction, he noticed she did not look amused. Oh well, he thought. She brought this upon herself.
Staring blankly at the small screen TV in front of him for the first five minutes, just standing there idly as she suddenly got more and more sucked into the intricacies of the informatory TV show sitting before her, the show she'd so quickly scoffed at just moments earlier, he decided it was about time he better back off. The tension was all too much, eating away at them like a boatload of incoming school stress or a hiccup in their beloved Hero work, their training thrown off course. In his mind, there wasn't much worse.
"You can put what you want back on."
Mina looked up at him. "No, it's okay. I like this."
"Really? Because you made a face earlier like you didn't," he said, knowing very well that she probably thought she'd gotten away with it, pulling a fast one on him and spinning her words a bit, spinning the truth. She most certainly did not.
"Correction: I like it now."
They both smiled. The moment Izuku realized this—this happiness, this love he felt for her—was beginning to reach unprecedented proportions, he once again threw on his facade, the corners of his lips turning down in a slow and stiff, almost precise kind of manner. He once again looked down at her. She wasn't hiding it, so why was he? He was embarrassed, he guessed.
He liked seeing her happy—especially after all that'd happened. Knowing that it was him who made her so energetic, so full of life—so animated, so exhilarated, so ecstatic—carried him up to cloud nine, high enough for even him to start smiling himself. He couldn't pretend, couldn't hold back anymore. He was happy. Happy for her. Happy to just be around her.
And he could tell that she was too.
"Uraraka doesn't hate me," Izuku said, almost completely out of the blue.
"That's good," Mina started, smiling.
"Mhm," he mumbled. He breathed a sigh of relief, needing to get that off of his chest. She didn't pry any further.
Izuku flushed red, looked down at the top of Mina's fluffy head. She must have sensed his heat, because she immediately looked up at him as well. They were now facing each other.
She blushed. Lilac and lavender were beginning to get old. They were so used to getting embarrassed, flustered around each other by now.
She stared into his eyes for a second before looking away. It took everything she had in her to stop thinking about him, stop thinking about his lips and that kiss and how she'd never be able to kiss those sweet, lush little lips again.
Or, at least, with him finding an immediate excuse (Iida calling, apparently—of course Iida would call instead of using text or FaceTime) to walk away without even saying goodbye, an excuse to get as far away from her as physically possible, it was sure beginning to look that way. The odds were not in her favor.
Kirishima gave her that same raised eyebrow, the questionable one he liked to use, abuse, whenever he'd seen something he very likely shouldn't have, one that could have meant many things. He'd been in the background this entire time. How could she not notice?
Not that she really cared. It was Kirishima, after all. But if Kirishima saw, then how many others did?
Half the class, apparently. Although, thankfully for her, they weren't watching very attentively, surely not as attentive as she would have first assumed. They had other things to do. She'd say she'd gotten lucky, but if she admitted as such, her string of good fortune would likely fade away.
~+~
Izuku had made progress. He was proud of himself, proud for speaking up on his behalf and opening up to Uraraka and beginning to do damage control on this whole fiasco and at least getting a little somewhere, even if it was just something small. He had not a single clue how Mina was faring (he'd be a lot less stressed if he did), but he did know, however, that finally—A miracle, he thought—if the remaining hours of the rest of the rest of the day went well, he'd be able to rest easy that night.
~+~+~
A/N: So, what did you guys think? Enjoyable, or not so much? This chapter is iffy in my opinion, but I hope for you guys it was a good read! Thank you again, and you can surely look forward to the next chapter!