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The train is always crowded on the way to U.A. and today is no different.
It’s possibly even more crowded, with everyone doing last-minute Valentine’s Day shopping and trying to get to work and school on time.
Izuku shuffles out of the way and yields his seat to a mother and her two children that board the train, gripping the handrail as he scrolls through local hero alerts.
It was a rare occasion that he had to take the train, his commute usually consisting of walking five minutes from the 3-A dorm to Aizawa’s classroom, but he had spent the weekend with his mom and had to trek back to campus this morning.
It was a rare weekend that he was off-campus, usually, he spends his free time with his best friends Iida, Todoroki, and Uraraka, the latter of which halfway through their second year had gotten over whatever was causing her to avoid him, and they were back to being as close as two could be.
“ Well ,” Izuku blushes as he thinks of the unfairly cute gravity girl, “possibly too close .”
Heres a little secret, one Midoriya keeps as religiously as the origins of his quirk.
The green-haired One for All wielder is hopelessly in love with his best friend and has been for nearly a year and a half.
Not that he has told anyone.
As soon as he realized his feelings, he did what anyone who has been bullied for years and has deep-seated emotional trauma and insecurities would do.
He suppressed the shit out of them.
Izuku is broken out of his recollections by the sound of an argument between the two children that had boarded with the mother.
“ I know you took my legos! Admit it!” the little girl accuses.
“I did not!” the boy, assumingly her brother, petulantly insists, “you probably just lost them again like you always do.”
“Ito, Hana, please,” the mom pleads, “please don’t do this now.”
The woman looks tired, and Midoriya can sympathize with her. His class had to do training with kids as part of their rescue routine, and corralling children became the bane of their existence.
“I know you took them, I left them on my bed and they were gone when I came home,” Ito argues, ignoring her mom.
“I did not,” the boy, Hana, sticks his tongue out at her.
“Did too.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not.”
“Did too,” the girl argues, “and I can prove it!”
“Tell mom the truth!”
The girl draws her arm back, hand glowing a vibrant blue as she attempts to slap her brother.
Attempt being the keyword.
Right before her quirk can connect, the train car jerks and the little girl begins to fall.
Midoriya’s heroic instincts kick in, and he catches her before she hits the ground, in the process, however, the girl’s glowing hand slaps his arm, and an odd feeling washes over him.
Passing the girl off to her mom, Midoriya makes sure they are okay, before straightening and giving the children a winning smile.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman apologizes, “they shouldn’t have been fighting in public like this, I should have controlled them better.
“It’s okay,” Midoriya assures, smiling reassuringly, “your kids are only mildly annoying.”
…
That…
Midoriya blinks in surprise at his words.
That was not what he had meant to say.
“Ohmygod I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say that,” the green-haired teen frantically apologizes, mortified.
“It’s okay,” the mother assures, a stricken look on her face, “it’s my daughter’s quirk.”
“Oh?” Midoriya asks, intent on learning more about the mysterious quirk affecting him.
“It lowers inhibitions and causes the affected to speak the truth they are thinking, rather than what they mean to say,” the mother explains apologetically.
The look on the tired woman’s face tells Midoriya that she’s felt the effects of her child’s quirk many times.
“You’re in for a rough day, kid. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright,” is what Midoriya tries to say, but what comes out is, “this is a mess.”
He winces at his deadpan delivery, and apologizes, “Sorry, ma’am.”
It’s fine, the lady waves off, ushering her kids off the train as it rolls to a stop, “it’ll wear off in twelve hours. Good Luck.”
“Twelve hours, huh?” Midoriya mutters to himself.
“ It’s not like I have any important secrets or anything,” he thinks sarcastically, his relationship with All Might, the Stain incident, and his feelings for Ochako springing into mind.
“ There’s no way this can go wrong.”
“ Okay ,” Midoriya thinks as he pushes open the door to the 3-A classroom, “ I just have to make it through the day without saying anything I regret.”
“Hello, Midoriya!” Iida says as he spots the green-haired teen, voice loud in the mostly silent classroom, “how was your morning?”
“Fucking awful.”
Midoriya winces as soon as it comes out of his mouth.
Iida gasps, thunderstruck at his friend’s language, and begins lecturing Izuku on proper comportment of heroic behavior as Mina and Hagakure fall out of their chairs laughing.
“ Failed step one,” Izuku thinks .
Iida’s further scolding is interrupted by Uraraka and Tsuyu’s entrance into the room, drawing the pair’s attention.
Uraraka looks adorable as usual, her bubbly attitude and bright smile accentuating her natural beauty.
There's something subtly different about her hair today, Midoriya thinks as he pointedly tries not to stare at his friend, a slight blush gracing his face, it looks really nice, and he decides to tell her.
That is his first mistake.
It isn't unusual for Midoriya to compliment his classmates, he was a friendly guy and his fellow heroes in training were fairly awesome. Not a day goes by that at least one classmate doesn’t get complimented by the green-haired teen, excepting Bakugou and Mineta for obvious reasons. However, Uraraka, Todoroki, and Iida get the lion’s share of his affection, being his best friends.
Todoroki gets complimented on the expanding control of his fireside and how well he handled new and terrifying social situations. Something Izuku can relate to.
Shitty childhood squad unite, Izuku wryly jokes.
Iida gets compliments quite often, usually about the efficacy of his scolding of Mineta and Kaminari or how polished his glasses are.
Uraraka gets complimented a lot. It's actually kind of obvious now that he thinks of it. A passing compliment about her clothes or her makeup. Praise of a new martial arts move perfectly executed, cheering her on as she ups her quirk’s weight limit once again. It's once a day at a minimum that he compliments Uraraka. It has become so commonplace that no one sees anything out of place. Which is handy for him as he hides his affections.
So when he opens his mouth to tell Uraraka that she looks nice, he’s completely surprised when a far too sincere, “You look beautiful, Ochako,” comes out.
Ochako squeaks, a surprised, “Eh?!” escaping her mouth as her everpresent blush spreads across her cheeks.
Midoriya panics and does what comes naturally.
He rambles.
“Ah! I’m so sorry,” he apologizes, not noticing everyone moving to their seats, “I didn’t mean that! Wait no I did mean that. Not that I’m saying you’re not beautiful you’re very pretty I was just trying to say that you look nice and I like what you did to your hair and-”
“Ahem.”
The blush rapidly fades from Midoriya’s face and his shoulders slump as he resignedly asks, “Aizawa is right behind me isn’t he?”
At Uraraka’s nervous nod, he turns around and is confronted by the permanently exhausted face of his homeroom teacher.
“Midoriya,” the Erasure Hero deadpans, “if you’re done making a fool of yourself, then sit down.”
“I’m never done making a fool of myself, Sensei.”
The glib comment rips it's way out of his mouth before Izuku can clench his jaw shut, and he tenses, waiting for his teacher’s reaction.
The man just mutters what sounds like, “I don't get paid enough to deal with this problem child,” under his breath as he shuffles over to his desk, pulling out his trademarked yellow sleeping bag and cocooning himself in it. Promptly falling asleep.
Midoriya follows his teacher’s lead, heading to his desk, successfully suppressing a comment on Bakugou’s explosive behavior as he passes the spiky blonde, and presses his forehead into the desk, drowning out Iida and Yaoyorozu’s attempt to corral the class.
“I just have to get through today,” he thinks, thoughts drifting to a certain gravity quirked girl, “and not do anything too dumb.”
“Hey, Deku how are you feeling,” a voice calls out as the class mills around in front of training ground Beta, Midoriya adjusting the fit of his new gauntlets on his hero costume, “you were acting a little odd earlier?”
Izuku turns to see Uraraka jogging towards him, her skin tight hero suit doing nothing to help his predicament, especially with the… bouncing that was happening.
She looked...
“Hot.”
“ Curse you, you stupid brain.”
“What was that?” Uraraka asked, head tilted confusedly.
“I’m feeling hot,” he quickly amends, glossing over his sort-of compliment.
“You are looking a little red,” the gravity girl comments, reaching up and pressing her hand to his forehead, “and you feel very warm. You might have a fever. You should go see Recovery Girl!”
He is certain that’s from the blush spreading across his face as he resists the urge to mewl and lean into her touch.
So he’s a little touch starved, it’s no big deal.
“Keep telling yourself that,” he thinks wryly.
His voice absolutely does not crack when he says, “I’m fine!” And anyone who says otherwise is a filthy liar.
The look on Ochako’s face tells him she’s not convinced, but she drops the subject as All Might calls the class to order.
The rest of foundational heroics goes smoothly, except for when he tries to say “it’s all right now,” to a play acting Iida and a pun slips out instead.
The look of consternation on his armored friend's face was discernible even through his helmet when he said, “it’s all knight now.”
As he troops back to homeroom with the rest of his class, he begins to think that maybe he can get through the day without saying anything too incriminating thanks to this quirk.
Maybe he’s gotten off scot-free.
Stepping through the doorway, he takes in the sight of Mina, Hagakure, and Jirou scheming something, perched on some desks.
The acid quirked girl turns to him, a mischievous grin on her face, and exclaims, “Midoriya! I have a question for you.”
“I just had to jinx it didn’t I.”
It’s not that he doesn’t like Mina. She’s a wonderful person, and a great hero in training, she’s just a tad… gossip inclined.
And the spotlight of her attention shining on him is nothing but trouble while he’s affected by this truth quirk.
“So Midoriiii,” the horned gossip croons, edging into his personal space, “You’ve been acting weird today. Something on your mind?”
“Could there be,” she boops him on the nose, “Love in the air on this Valentine’s day?”
“Nope,” he tries to say.
“Yes.”
Mina gasps theatrically, shooting sly glances at Ochako, who hasn’t noticed their conversation yet, and teasingly asking, “Who could it be? Maybe… me?”
“Sorry Mina,” Izuku says, thinking “Don't say anything bad don't say anything bad,” “but you’re not my type.”
“Stupid fucking quirk.”
The girl blinks in surprise, something oddly like hurt in her eyes, and Midoriya rushes to correct himself.
“I mean you’re very pretty and funny and smart, and your hair looks like it would be fun to play with and oh gosh I’m rambling again it's just that I’m already interested in someone I’m sorry.”
Midoriya is nearly out of breath at the word vomit, the effect of Ito’s quirk spilling all his thoughts out into the classroom.
The ever-present twinkle is back in Mina’s eyes, as she processes his words.
“Someone else, you say,” she remarks slyly, “I don't suppose you could tell me who?”
Midoriya tries to resist, tries to clench his jaw shut and obfuscate his answer, but the truth quirk won’t let him.
“Yes,” he grits out, “I’m hopelessly in love with Uraraka.”
The room is oddly silent in the wake of his declaration, and he turns to see the entire class looking at him, his statement had come during a lull in the collective conversation of 3-A.
It's Uraraka’s face that draws most of his attention though, naturally, and he turns to see an unreadable look upon her face.
“...Deku?”
There's nothing he can say, and in the silence, Uraraka turns and flees the room.
Mina gives him a shove, and he lurches forward, looking back at the ping skinned girl who mouths, “Go after her.”
Midoriya stumbles out of the classroom and comes upon a familiar silhouette pacing the corridor.
Embarrassed and pacing back and forth nervously, Uraraka clamps her hands onto her flaming face as she sees him, accidentally activating her quirk and floating into the air as she begins rambling.
“Deku I know Mina probably just tricked you into saying that and you’re probably confused and caught up in the whole Valentine’s Day attitude with everyone’s emotions running wild and love being in the air and I know that you were just kidding it’s just-“
“I wasn’t kidding,” Midoriya interjects, reaching you and grabbing her ankle, keeping his friend from floating away and cutting off her panicked ramble, “I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”
At her confused look, he rubs his neck sheepishly, and explains, “I got hit with a truth-telling quirk on the train earlier and it’s honestly been an incredibly confusing day.”
Taking in the bewildered look on the green-haired teen’s face, Uraraka stuffs a fist in her mouth to stifle her giggles as he continues.
“The truth of the matter is that I’ve felt this way for years. Basically, since you slapped me as I tripped on the day of the entrance exam I’ve had this feeling deep in my chest. I pushed it off, called it friendship, platonic love, but I can’t lie to myself anymore.
Midoriya looks up, eyes closed in apprehension but with a soft yet brilliant smile.
“Uraraka Ochako, I love you.”
His friend and love interest is silent for a moment, and Izuku dares not open his eyes.
“I know.”
“Do you just…” Midoriya blinks in surprise at his best friend’s deadpan reply, “did you just Han Solo me?”
Uraraka laughs, a brilliant tinkling of bells that rings out as she deactivates her quirk, falling into a princess carry in Midoriya’s waiting arms.
“I did,” she grins beatifically up from his firm embrace, “I like you too, Deku!”
Midoriya cannot help but beam back at her.
“Did you mean it,” Uraraka asks, suddenly bashful, self-doubt filling her features.
“I did,” Midoriya swears, “how can I not, Ochako? You’re an amazing person anyone would love, and you’re my best friend. I can’t help but fall for you, you’re like gravity, drawing me closer.”
Midoriya stills, before a silly grin steals across his face, and he shifts one of his arms free to poke cutely at her cheek.
“Get it,” he jokes, “you’re my gravity. Cause you know… your quirk.”
Uraraka groans at his pun, shoving his hand away playfully, “I take it back, I hate you, get your cute face and your puns away from me.”
“Awww come on,” Midoriya whines jokingly, “don’t pun-ish me this way.”
Uraraka slithers out of his arms and makes a pointed show of strutting away, ignoring him.
“Come on Ochako,” he calls, “don’t be punreasonable.”
“One more,” she growls, skirt flaring out as she spins and stomps back towards him, slamming her finger into his well-muscled chest, “and they’ll never find your body.”
“That one was basically punintentional,” Izuku defends, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“You’re dead to me.” She glares up at him, the corner of her mouth twitching up slightly, betraying her hidden mirth.
Midoriya is suddenly struck by how close they are, breath mingling in the same space, eyes gazing deep into each other.
His eyes dart down to Uraraka’s lips, before quickly shooting back up to meet her eyes.
He swears they are closer than they were before.
Mustering up some of that Plus Ultra courage, he gingerly wraps an arm around her waist.
“Is this okay?”
His voice is soft and oddly deep, and it's Ochako’s turn to glance at his mouth as she nods, biting her lip.
Midoriya surges forward, and their lips meet.
Time seems to still.
And their kiss is...
Awkward.
There are no fireworks or stars behind their closed eyes.
Their movements are just a little too forceful, their lips just slightly out of place.
It's obvious that neither of them has done this before.
The taste of Uraraka’s strawberry lip gloss floods his tongue as her hair tickles his face, the scent of her shampoo surrounding him
It was very Uraraka.
And their awkward kiss is very very them.
It was perfect.
They pull away suddenly, gasping for breath, hands tangled in each other’s shirts and hair and they press their foreheads together, breathing heavily.
“I love you too, Izuku,” Uraraka whispers, the casual use of his first name sending shivers through Midoriya.
“I have for a long time, but I was too scared that you wouldn’t feel the same way,” she hugs him tighter, “and I wanted to focus on heroics, so I tried to push you away.”
Izuku remembers the period of time after their first year’s final exams, where uraraka had avoided him for several months, before inexplicably rejoining their friend group one day.
“But you kept drawing me back in,” she chuckles softly, a smirk on her face, “Like gravity.”
Whatever Midoriya is going to say next is cut off by the classroom door slamming open, most of their classmates standing in the entrance.
“It's about time,” Mina exclaims, seeing the couple’s embrace and closeness, “Jirou you owe me 2000 yen!”
The other students clap and cheer, Hagakure bouncing up and down next to Mina, Jirou smirking knowingly, and Kirishima wolf-whistling.
“You bet on us?!” Midoriya and Uraraka exclaim in unison, flabbergasted at the new info.
“You two were painfully obvious and oblivious,” Todoroki deadpans, collecting a wad of cash from Iida.
“Et Tu, Todoroki?” Midoriya groans, playfully horrified at his friend’s betrayal.
“I am glad that you two have found each other,” Iida arm chops Mineta who is about to make an unsavory comment, straightening his glasses, “But I ask that you refrain from PDA during class hours!”
“Of course Iida,” they laugh, arms still wrapped around each other.
“Come oooooon,” Mina heckles, kiss already, we’ve been waiting for this for years!”
The other students begin chanting, led by Kirishima and Hagakure, “Kiss Kiss Kiss Kiss Kiss.”
“How about it, Gravity Girl,” Midoriya asks, turning back to his best friend and pulling her close, “You up for a kiss.”
In lieu of an answer, she simply pulls him down, pressing their lips together as their fellow heroes in training cheer.
Ochako smiles against his lips, and whispers, “I love you.”
“I know.”
At her squawk of indignation, he bursts out laughing, uraraka quickly following behind.
“Well well,” he quips, hoisting her up on his shoulders and following his classmates towards the dorm, “How the tables turn.”
He can feel her playful pout as she threads her fingers through his hair, holding on for balance.
“And Ochako?”
“Hmm?”
“Happy Valentine’s day.”
He grins, his mind and the truth quirk in full agreement.
“And I love you too.”