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The air thrummed with the sounds of violent pop music. There was a rapper enumerating the sexual acts he wanted to perform on some girl, and the girl was responding enthusiastically, and the whole thing just made you feel like you'd rather be sleeping in your room.
You really had nothing against the music. It was catchy and fun, exciting. The only problem was that you would have liked it quieter, as it was one in the morning. The rapper kept showing off their prowess, and you stared dumbly at your classmates dancing joyously to it.
You managed to smile at Mina dancing; she was the focus of the entire common area, her movements graceful and powerful. She made eye contact with you and smiled. You sent her a supportive thumbs up. Ochako saw you from where she was floating a disco ball that Momo had made. She waved, gesturing at your dress and beaming.
“Hey, Y/N.”
You stopped in your tracks, looking up at your classmate.
Denki wiggled his eyebrows at you. “Nice dress. You look like an angel, huh?”
You felt your cheeks heat.
You'd gotten dressed in the dark when you'd heard the music, pulling on one of Ochako’s dresses that she'd left in your room after the two of you had done makeovers. It was a sweet, virginal white dress that Ochako said looked cute on you. You honestly had thought there was a villain attack because of the noise and put on the first thing you found.
“It's a little too pure for my tastes,” said an uninvited Mineta, materializing at your hip. He eyes your cleavage, which was decorated with white lacy ribbons.
You stared down at him, opening your mouth to say something (which was pointless, because it wasn't like you'd actually tell him off). But Bakugo, passing by, said, “Tch. Like a girl like that would be into you.”
You looked at him in alarm (was that a compliment? From Bakugo? ), but he was already walking away, avoiding Kirishima, who was trying to get him to dance. Denki yelled, “Wait for me!” and hurried after his friends.
You twirled quickly away from Mineta before he could say something to make you punt him like an extremely misogynistic football.
“Wait, Y/N— I can totally see up your—”
Your lacy skirts whirled, and you hurried down the hall towards the closest bathroom.
The music grew softer the further you hurried from the party. You weren't sure how Aizawa-sensei hadn't shut the party down, but you supposed he felt proud of your class after the recent villain capture, maybe even felt you were entitled to your fun.
Either that or All Might and Present Mic had convinced him to leave you alone for the night.
You sighed, finally by yourself. That Mineta. Some day you were going to snap at him— the whole reason you were fleeing the party in the first place was because he was following you around. Why was he such a creep? You were literal adults now, and he acted like a middle schooler slash future sex offender.
With a violent sigh, you grabbed the doorknob of the bathroom and slipped inside.
But the bathroom was already occupied.
Izuku Midoriya looked up at you, his face streaked with tears, from where he sat hunched up on the floor.
You stared, frozen against the door.
His eyes were wide, and he turned red so quickly you felt concerned. “Y-Y/N?”
You weren't sure if you should bolt or what. You were stupidly surprised that he knew your name, even though you'd been in the same class for years.
You had never been particularly close with Deku— he kept a strange distance from you that you had no choice but to respect. Honestly, you didn't want to make him uncomfortable.
“I'm so sorry,” you said, covering your mouth and trying not to look at him. “I'm sorry. I can just—”
“Y/N?”
Mineta’s creepy voice sounded from outside of the door.
You froze. You heard the doorknob turn, but you must have locked it when you came in, because it didn't give. You shuddered.
Izuku’s eyes trailed over you, visibly taking in your shudder. His mouth pressed into a line.
“You don't have to respond. I'm just going to picture everything you're doing,” singsonged Mineta.
Your face heated. Oh, you were going to punch Mineta, your sweet reputation and shyness be damned. What else were you supposed to do in this situation? You squeezed your eyes shut and prayed that Mineta would just go away. He continued talking, saying inappropriate things that you tuned out.
Then you felt a presence near you. Thinking Mineta had somehow found his way inside, you jumped, eyes fluttering open.
Izuku jumped back from you. He'd stood up and had one— surprisingly muscular— arm reached behind you onto the doorknob.
“Don't,” you whispered, and your hand found his arm. You thought he was going to let Mineta in.
His eyes went slowly from your hand to your eyes. Mineta was still creeping outside, now comparing your breasts to different fruits.
“I can make him stop,” promised Izuku, and you had the thought that he smelled good before the green-haired boy was yanking the door open and leaning past you. Emphatically, he said, “Y/N’s with me.”
You thought you heard an engine revving as Mineta spluttered and ran away. Your entire face was on fire as Izuku pulled back from you, shutting the door.
You stared into his eyes, shocked.
“Th-Thank you?”
“I, uh— does he do that a lot? To you?” asked Izuku. He stepped back, rubbing at his eyes which were still puffy from tears.
You didn't know how to answer that. So you changed the subject. “Are you okay?”
Izuku was embarrassed. “Yeah, I— it’s not a big deal.”
The two of you stared at each other. Izuku took a sip of the water bottle he must have smuggled in here. Was he hiding from the party, too? His sweatshirt sat on the counter; it looked like he'd been camped out for a long time. You wanted to thank him again, but at the same time, didn't he realize…
“You know he's probably telling everyone we're…” You winced, too shy to say the actual words, “... hooking up in here, right?”
Izuku choked on his water.
You bit your cheek to keep from laughing. You supposed it was surprising for him to hear Class 1A’s sweetheart being even remotely forward. Your personality was quite shy and gentle, but really, people thought you were a lot more delicate than you actually were, likely because of your quirk. Your ability to temporarily remove all ill-intentions from an individual by touching them made you come across as some sort of angel. You wished you had more moxie, like Mina and Ochako.
“That wasn't my intention,” said Izuku nervously.
You sighed. Slowly, you slid down the door, wrapping your arms around your legs. You rested your chin on your knee, unsure of what to do.
You didn't know how to talk to Izuku. You were sure he didn't like you.
Izuku looked down at you, tears still drying on his face.
“Is there anything I can do to h-help?” You asked quietly about his tears, heart racing. “You saved me.”
“No, I just convinced our entire class that you’re h-hooking up with me in a bathroom,” said Izuku, clearly annoyed with himself.
“I could do worse,” you whispered, face burning. “I could be theoretically hooking up with Mineta.”
A huff of air escaped Izuku. You realized you'd made him laugh. You smiled.
You took him in, his adorable freckles and wild hair, the muscles of his arms and chest beneath his shirt.
You noticed that he looked uncomfortable, probably because you were staring at him. You crawled away from the door (and closer to him), gesturing as you said, “If you w-want to leave—”
“I don't, really,” said your classmate. With a sigh, he sat down on the floor next to you. You felt your pulse flutter.
His eyes trailed over your face, lingering on your lips. Then they dipped to your cleavage, tracing the neckline of Ochako’s pretty dress before roaming your legs.
Then he looked away, flushing again. You were sure you'd imagined the glances.
“So we’re trapped in here?” You said, breaking the silence, voice small.
Izuku nodded.
You bit your lip, looking down at your hands in your lap. You didn't know what to say to him; he was too intimidating, All Might’s favorite, and he was nice, too. It was too much.
The two of you sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, you couldn't take it anymore. “D-Do you not like me?”
He looked at you alarmed. “What? Who told you that?”
Your face was hot. “No one told me... You get along with everyone in class but me. Even Bakugo, and he's… mean.”
“He just has moments,” said Izuku. You looked at him. “He can be nice,” he said, fidgeting with his hands. “I don't mind him.”
Was that implying that he minded you?
“Was it something I did?” You whispered.
“You didn't do anything. I swear you didn't,” said Izuku.
You looked glumly at the floor.
“You don't believe me,” said Izuku.
“It's not just that,” you said, poking at your pig slippers. They didn't match Ochako’s dress at all. “You're so nice. Everyone says so. For you to find something wrong with me—”
“Y/N. Everyone says you're the nicest person in the world. And where is this even coming from? I didn't realize you even—” He cut himself off, and you looked up in interest. His green eyes were emerald in the dim lighting. “I didn't realize you even knew I was alive.”
You stared at him, and he coughed awkwardly.
“You're a person,” you said slowly, confused. “Of course I know you're alive.”
The two of you stared at each other a little longer than socially acceptable.
“You know,” you said, unable to stop yourself from talking, voice quiet, “If I had to be trapped in a bathroom with any guy in our class… I would still pick you.”
His face was instantly red. “Th-That’s really n-nice of you to say. W-W-Why—”
“Well, you've got Kaminari and Mineta, who are… flirtatious.” That was as nice as you could say it. “Bakugo who would probably challenge me to a duel. Iida would somehow find a way to lecture me about the party even though I didn't start it. Sero would make dumb jokes. I don't... know how to interact with any of them.”
Izuku stared at you with wide eyes. It wasn't often that you spoke your mind like this. Something about him made you feel safe to be yourself.
“So it's by default,” he said to himself.
“Not really,” you said. You looked down at your skirts. “You're, uh, not creepy.”
You could feel him staring at you. “Not… creepy?”
He probably thought you were stupid. You wished you had a mind erasure quirk. If you couldn't erase his memory of this awkward conversation, you could erase yours.
Outside of the bathroom, the music was still blasting. You and Izuku sat uncomfortably.
“You don't have to stay in here with me if you don't want,” you said, glancing at him. He really was handsome. You'd never looked at him before, not really. He looked like the kind of guy you read about in books.
Izuku scratched the back of his neck. “I, uh. Don't like parties.”
“Really?” He was considerably popular, with his own group of friends and the respect of your entire class. You supposed that didn't really translate into being an extrovert.
“I… get overwhelmed,” said Izuku. Then he coughed again. “Sorry. You don't care.”
“I get overwhelmed too, Deku,” you said. His gaze shot to you. He looked stunned. “I'm glad they're happy and I want them to stay that way, but everything about parties just… freaks me out.” You paused. “What?”
“You— you called me Deku,” said the boy.
Your brow furrowed. “I—I’m sorry?” you squeaked.
“It just… sounds different coming from you,” admitted Izuku, looking down at his lap.
You didn't know what that meant.
The air between the two of you was awkward, yes, but it was somehow very charged. You were hyper aware of his tanned skin, the freckles on his arms, exposed thanks to his tank top. Your eyes trailed over him slowly.
“Y/N?”
You jumped. “S-Sorry.”
“It's alright,” said Izuku gently.
The two of you sat in silence for who knew how long. The party lasted for several hours, but it didn't feel like several hours for you as you sat with Izuku. At some point, you must have fallen asleep, shivering, because when you awoke the next morning, you were covered with his sweatshirt like a blanket. The door was locked, and he was gone.
You didn't see Deku a lot in the weeks following the party. The rhythm of classes and training took over your life, and you worked hard with Ochako to make your quirk stronger. You were really inspired by your best friend, because when she'd first come to UA she'd been unable to use her quirk without feeling ill. Now she could float her own body. You trained hard to be like her; you focused so hard on using your quirk that you could almost pretend you weren't looking for Izuku all across campus.
“Okay,” said Ochako, wiping sweat from her brow, her trademark smile on her face.
You collapsed to the floor of the training room.
“It's impossible. I'm useless,” you said.
Ochako frowned. “Aw, come on, that’s not true at all. You totally could have changed my intentions. I just didn't have any bad ones,” she said. She looked behind you and waved at someone. You were too exhausted to look at who it was.
Grumbling to yourself about your useless quirk, you adjusted your tank top, your neon pink sports bra showing itself too much. You frowned, sitting up and trying to fix your boobs, and that's when you made eye contact with him.
“D-Deku,” you stammered. Your hands were still hoisting the straps of your bra.
Let go of them, you said to yourself. Y/N. Let. Go. Of. Them.
You released your bra straps with a horrible snap. Your face was on fire.
Izuku politely averted his eyes. You wanted to spontaneously combust. Ochako saved the two of you by asking, chipper as ever, “Are you using this room next, Deku?”
“Uh, yeah,” said the green hero. You scrambled to your feet, suddenly very insecure about your body and the way all your limbs were attached to it.
You opened your mouth to say that you were leaving, but you decided quickly that it would be best to run away. Doing an Irish goodbye, you fled the room.
Not smooth at all, Y/L/N, you thought at yourself as you fled.
You'd wanted to thank Izuku for helping you the night of the party. He'd defended you from your creepy classmate, and in the weeks after the party, Mineta had skirted around you like he actually thought that you and Deku were dating.
Actually, there was a small problem. It wasn't just Mineta who was convinced that you two were dating. Mina had burst down your door with Ochako the day after the party, asking, her eyes wide, “Deku?”
“What?” you’d asked, alarmed, thinking he had broken into your room.
“He is kinda cute,” Mina had said. “But in the bathroom?”
God, you were mortified even thinking about it now.
“I-In the bathroom?” you'd stammered, not understanding.
“Was he big?” whispered Mina scandalously.
Ochako elbowed her. “Mina!”
Mina was undeterred. “Was he any good?”
You had clarified that nothing had happened between the two of you with a lot of waving of hands and heated cheeks. Mina had looked crestfallen, but she believed you.
You'd noticed people skirting around you, but you were too anxious to come out and announce that you hadn't had sex. Plus it kept Mineta from trying to stick his hand up your skirt.
Did Deku even notice your classmates’ attitude? He was a smart guy, but he wasn't always the most savvy with relationships. He hadn't dated anyone the entire time you'd been at college with him.
Presently you hid in the kitchen of your dorm, stress baking chocolate chili cookies. You still wore your gym clothes, which were tight and hugged your every curve. You gathered ingredients in a frenzy, mixing frantically.
You'd snapped your bra at him. He probably thought you were insane.
Once the chili powder and cocoa and other ingredients had been mixed for the dough, you started balling up the cookies and placing them on a tray. You had just put them in the oven when he spoke.
“Y/N?”
You almost flung an oven mitt out of fear. You turned around slowly, mitt dangling off of your hand, and stared at him.
“What are you making?” asked Izuku.
You were very aware of your tight clothing. And your tank top was dipping low again.
“I— well— I decided I was going to—” You told yourself to get it together. You took a deep breath and said, placing the oven mitts on the counter, “I bake things when I get scared to calm myself down.”
Izuku’s brow furrowed. Then a horrible expression crossed his handsome features. “I scared you?” He asked anxiously.
You didn't want to lie, so instead you asked, eyes averted, “I thought you were using the training room.”
Izuku frowned like he knew that you were trying to distract him. “I was supposed to train with Todoroki, but his dad called him to work last minute. And please don't distract me. I feel like—” He shifted awkwardly. He really looked good in his gym clothes. The smell of rich chocolate and spicy chili filled the room from the oven. “I’ve been wanting to find you since the party. I feel like I make you uncomfortable, and I don't want to. I'm sorry if I did something to—”
“You didn't,” you said, taken aback.
Izuku bit at the inside of his cheek.
“Honestly, I'm just not great at talking to men,” you whispered, staring at your hands. “There's a reason why everyone thinks I'm so… innocent.”
Izuku seemed to bite his cheek harder, and you felt your face heat impossibly hot.
Why would you use the word ‘innocent’ about yourself when talking to this man? What was wrong with you? Like you were some sort of princess? Or a fucking nun?
“Not that it's about… that ,” you continued to talk, babbling, trying to allude to sex. Your voice got quieter and quieter. “I just don't know how to talk to men. Which you can probably surmise from this conversation. Oh my god, I've been talking for seven hundred years.”
Izuku exhaled. For a second, he didn't say anything, and you expected him to bolt. But he didn't. Instead he said, “I'm not going to hurt you, Y/N.”
You felt those words hit you somewhere deep inside. It was a surprise.
“O-Okay,” you said, turning away to hide how affected those words made you feel. You busied yourself with eating a handful of chocolate chips and not looking at him.
“I honestly mean it,” said Izuku earnestly. “I think you're really cool and I don't want you to be afraid of me.”
You looked back at him, heart racing.
He scratched the back of his head. “Ah, sorry. Was that weird to say? I just meant that you're…”
You waited.
“You're nice,” said Izuku, his face turning red.
You felt your own face on fire. “Th-Thank you,” you said. A million people had called you nice, but it felt different coming from him.
“Is someone making cookies?”
Mina rounded the corner, then stopped short to stare at the two of you.
You felt your ears heat. Just you and Deku, in the kitchen together baking cookies. Mina grinned.
“Look at you two, baking together,” she said, her tone telling you there was a zero percent chance she'd believe this wasn't some sort of date.
“Y/N is the one who's making the cookies. I'm just keeping her company, sort of,” said Izuku, still red.
“Sort of?” Mina raised an eyebrow. You wished she wouldn't.
Both Izuku and Mina stayed with you as the cookies baked. You were too nervous to hear any of the polite conversation they were making. You did hear Mina ask if the two of you had gone to the gym together because of your clothes, and Izuku stammered, “I hadn't n-noticed her clothes.”
Which had to be a lie.
Because you'd snapped your fucking bra at him.
But he was a gentleman. By the time the rest of your classmates materialized, summoned by the smell of cookies, your good opinion of Izuku had swelled to impossible heights. He was so nice.
Days passed. You kept to your schedule of avoiding him. He was too nice for you, too good for you; you had to avoid him. Sometimes he'd wave at you in passing and you'd squeak and walk in the opposite direction.
Your friends noticed.
“Really, Y/N, just ask him out,” said Mina, exasperated one night as you all painted your nails together. Ochako sat on your bed, painting her nails pink.
“It's not like that!” God, you were so embarrassed.
Mina rolled her eyes.
“He's really nice, Y/N,” said Ochako encouragingly. “You know he's really nice. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
“I don't have a crush on Deku,” you insisted, your firm as tone as you could make it. “We're too old for that. Crushes are for high-schoolers. I'm an adult.”
“Have you ever even dated anybody?” asked Mina.
You felt your cheeks heat. “Th-That’s not the p—”
“She channels all of her romantic energy into baking,” defended Ochako. She seemed to realize that was somehow insulting, and she said, “Sorry.”
You deflated. I mean, how could you be mad? It was true. You were too shy to talk to men, just like you'd told Deku.
“You don't even have to date him. Just hook up tell me what he's like. I bet he's twisted,” remarked Mina calmly, eyes sparkling.
You spluttered. “I'm going to steal your intentions and then your kneecaps if you don't stop harassing me.”
Both girls looked at you.
“My kneecaps?” asked Mina. She looked horrified for a moment, and then she snorted.
Ochako burst into laughter.
Your technique of avoidance worked up until one day, when in class with Aizawa-sensei, the new training exercise was announced.
“The hero-sidekick exercise will last two weeks during class time. During this time, you will act as heroes and sidekicks in the real world, solving minor crimes and learning how to work with each other. This assignment isn't about showing off. It's about teamwork and doing tiny jobs.”
Your whole class stared at the teacher, who had recited that entire monologue in a monotone voice. He almost seemed ready to fall asleep, which was nothing new.
Fear was brewing in your stomach. Not Mineta, you thought as the purple haired boy eyed you. Anyone but Mineta.
Aizawa-sensei started to read off pairs. Ochako got assigned the hero role with Iida as her sidekick. You were happy for her, really, but there was a brick in your stomach as you waited to hear your name.
Then…
“Izuku Midoriya in the hero role with Y/N Y/L/N as the sidekick,” read Aizawa-sensei.
Your stomach clenched. You saw Mineta look disappointed, at least. And Mina was sending you gleeful glares from the other side of the room. You wanted to turn into a mole and scamper away.
Why a mole? You thought, annoyed with yourself. You weren't even sure you knew what a mole looked like. Did moles even scamper?
After class, Izuku materialized in your path.
“Y/N!” He said, beaming. It somehow made your heart hurt, to look at his smile. Was he that happy just to talk to you?
“Hi,” you said shyly.
He pulled you out of the way of the people leaving the classroom. He only touched you for a moment, but your skin sang at his touch.
“I'm so excited that we get to work together for this! Your quirk is amazing,” said Izuku energetically. “To be able to alter someone's intentions, their will, even temporarily, with one touch… I guess it’s a form of an erasure quirk, but there are connotations behind mere erasure when you think about the depths of alteration. If you trained, you might be able to alter someone's intentions permanently, don't you think?”
You stared.
Izuku turned red as a tomato. “Ah, I'm sorry. I just get excited, is all.”
You were bewildered. You hadn't realized he knew anything about your quirk.
“It's fine,” you said, dazed. “I just didn't realize… You're really observant, you know that?”
“I've been told,” said Izuku, abashed. He seemed to recover quickly, though, saying, “I don't think you have my number. We should probably set aside a time today to get to know each other's quirks. So that we can work effectively together. Are you free?”
You could feel yourself start to sweat. You wanted to run away. Instead you let Izuku put his number into your phone. He added a smiley face next to his name.
“I'll text you once I'm done training, okay?”
The idea that this man was going to text you made you feel faint. You nodded.
Then Izuku left, you were left standing confused, clutching your phone to your chest.
Izuku :): hey y/n! i just got done training. do you want to meet in the common area?
You had a heart attack when the text came in that night. You'd been staring at the phone obsessively, like you were either willing him to text you or willing him not to. You had gotten exactly none of your homework done, you were so jazzed up. You almost dropped the phone when it buzzed. With shaking hands, you texted him back.
Y/N: hey :) aoyama is performing a musical number in the common area
Izuku :): still?
Izuku :): he was doing that when i left for training
You covered your mouth to hide the fact that you were grinning like an idiot. It wasn't even that funny. What was wrong with you?
Y/N: i don't think he's even introduced class rep to all of the main characters yet
The engine hero had been trapped listening, last time you checked. Jirou was enabling Aoyama, providing him with a microphone out of a sheer desire for chaos that you wouldn't have thought of her.
Izuku :): should we save iida?
Y/N: ochako tried and got herself cast as the love interest. i think aoyama made her wear a costume
You had abandoned your best friend as she'd gotten sucked in earlier, going full Brutus. You'd refused to make eye contact with Aoyama and scurried away just as Ochako received the sparkly garment.
Izuku :): oh my god
Izuku :): well i don't want to make you uncomfortable but i guess we can meet in my room?
Izuku :): or your room if that makes you feel better
Izuku :): we can leave the door open if you want
Izuku :): or i can ask someone to sit with us to make you feel safer
Izuku :): oh my god that was like a million texts i'm so sorry
You had to put your phone down and take deep, guided breaths to keep from hyperventilating. He was so sweet. The sweetest person in the world, actually. You wanted to scream.
You stared at yourself in the mirror, checking your appearance. You wore a white blouse and a frilly pink skirt, and you'd styled your hair so that it would look good for your meeting. You wore rose perfume and shimmer on your cheeks. Was that too much? Were you trying too hard?
Your phone buzzed again.
Izuku :): i’m sorry!!!
Laughing softly to yourself, you replied.
Y/N: izuku we were alone in a bathroom together for hours
Y/N: there is literally not a single situation where i would ever feel unsafe with you
Was that too bold? It felt too bold. But you couldn't take it back. It already said that he'd seen it.
You watched the typing bubble appear.
Izuku :): i just don't want you to feel uncomfortable
Y/N: i know i come across like a mouse with an anxiety disorder but i promise i can handle a lot more than you'd expect
It was easier to be bold over text.
Izuku :): i don’t think you come across as an anxious mouse but i do believe that you're tough :)
Izuku :): do you want me to come over?
You grabbed a pillow and screeched into it.
Y/N: no i can come to your room
Y/N: be there in a sec
You put on your pig slippers, giving yourself one last look in the mirror. You looked good enough, you guessed. Your stomach was swimming with butterflies. Would he think the pig slippers were childish? He'd already seen them. He hadn't commented on them in the bathroom.
You made your way to Izuku’s room. You could hear Aoyama howling an operatic number into Jirou’s microphone, and you were very, very glad that you weren't Ochako and Iida right now.
You raised your hand to knock at Izuku’s door, feeling impossibly nervous, but the door swung open before you could. You squeaked, jumping back.
You and Izuku locked eyes.
“I made a noise like an anxious mouse,” you said, aghast. You were going to run away. Maybe even change schools. Move to another continent.
Izuku laughed, but the sound was warm. “It's okay,” he reassured.
He had to have just showered, because his hair was damp and his skin was glistening. A droplet of water ran down his throat, and you wanted to lick it.
What?
You were so startled by your bizarre thoughts that you almost missed it when Izuku invited you bashfully inside.
You stepped into the room on autopilot. You took in the room to avoid looking at him. He left the door open.
He had a lot of All Might merch, which you thought was really cool. You had several Mirko figurines and even a plushie in your room. It always surprised people when they found out you were her fan, given your personality. But you thought that anyone could be anyone they wanted in this world, and Mirko was who you aspired to be: brave and powerful and cool.
You pointed to a chibi All Might figurine. “He's so tiny. The people he rescues must be microscopic.”
That's so stupid, Y/N. Why would you say that?
Izuku laughed. Warmth swelled in your chest.
“Your room is nice,” you said, talking nervously. “You, uh, keep things really neat.”
“I cleaned it before I text you,” said Izuku. You looked at him in surprise. “Not that I was expecting you over. Not like that. I just didn't want it to be messy in case you— well, I didn't want it to be a mess if you—”
He stopped talking.
You studied him. He really seemed to think you felt like he was going to attack you. Probably because you'd basically told him you were afraid of men. It was very sweet and also very stupid. The day Izuku Midoriya intentionally made a woman uncomfortable would be the day the world ended. Maybe not even then.
You took mercy on him and changed the subject. “What do you think they'll have us doing?”
Izuku seemed glad to talk about the project. He pulled out his desk chair for you. “Well, I think the point is that we don't know. But I can't imagine it's anything too dangerous because of the lesson’s purpose.”
“Yeah, we’re supposed to get used to the doldrums of hero life, right?” You sat in his chair. He had a picture of him and what had to be his mother right next to his computer. Your heart fluttered at the sight. “Your mom is really pretty,” you said without thinking.
You saw his face turn bright red out of the corner of your eye. He hovered near the open door.
“Th-Thanks,” he said.
“Sorry I was snooping,” you said, embarrassed.
“You're not snooping. It's right in front of you,” said Izuku.
You couldn't stop looking at the photo. In it, Izuku was much younger, his eyes wider. He looked so innocent.
“You look so tiny,” you said without thinking.
What grown man wants to be called tiny, you unbearable ditz?
You kept talking, pretending you hadn't said anything. “So what do you think our strategy should be?”
You couldn't look at him. You got the sense that he'd moved closer, and your heart raced embarrassingly fast. He smelled good, like cedar and sandalwood. You couldn't think of an intelligent response.
Dig deep, Y/N.
“Well, obviously I'm not the combat-oriented one,” you said slowly. Your stomach clenched with nerves. “I think we’re probably better off letting you do the physical stuff if that's okay. I'd just embarrass myself. I can subdue someone’s bad intentions for up to an hour. You get them pinned, and I essentially sedate them. I know that's not really helpful.”
Izuku went to say something, and you blurted.
“Not that we’ll really be fighting anyone, it sounds like.”
“Why would you say that it's not helpful?” asked Izuku, interrupting your embarrassment. “Erasure heroes are amazing. Like Aizawa-sensei.”
“Aizawa-sensei can fight,” you said. You glanced at him.
He frowned. “You can fight. You beat Kirishima in hand to hand last year.”
Wait. Why did he remember that?
“I was just lucky. His quirk makes it so he has to touch me to fight me. It was barely an accomplishment.”
“Well, I disagree. I couldn't have beaten him.”
You looked at him, startled. “That's not tr—”
“Everyone's quirk had strengths and weaknesses,” said Izuku. “Your strength is that you're a guaranteed win against a contact-oriented quirk.”
Why did he know so much about your quirk?
“I…” You were at a loss for words. You shifted so that you were facing him. He looked away from you.
“And you can fight well. I've seen you training with Uraraka.”
“I guess,” you said, dazed. You shook your head to clear your thoughts. “You're still the brawn of the operation, though. If that's okay with you.”
“It's fine,” said Izuku. He seemed worked up about something, but you didn't know what.
Echoes of Aoyama’s newest musical number (which sounded suspiciously like ABBA) drifted in through the open door. Neither one of you seemed to know what to say.
“Can I ask you a question?” you asked, feeling brave, like Mirko.
“Of course,” said Izuku, looking back to you, his eyebrows furrowed.
“You're aware that Mineta thinks we’re dating, right?”
Izuku’s eyes widened.
You had to look away from him, all of your bravery gone, just like that. He was going to think you had a crush on him. This was so embarrassing.
“He… what?”
You rushed to explain, face burning. “Well, ever since the party, all of the guys in the class have been avoiding me and the girls are asking me…”
You stopped talking.
“Asking you what?” said Izuku, mystified.
There was literally no reality where you were going to tell him your friends were asking you how he was in bed. Literally none.
“Just asking me about you,” you said feebly. “I'm sorry. I know it's stupid. But you didn't seem to have noticed.”
“I hadn't, actually,” said Izuku. You bit the inside of your cheek.
“I've told my friends that we're not, obviously,” you babbled. “I can tell the guys. It's just. Mineta was leaving me alone and—”
“So he does bother you a lot,” interrupted Izuku.
You looked at him. “What?”
“He's fixated on you,” said Izuku, and he looked somehow… mad.
“It's not that big of a—”
“Yes, it is,” said Izuku.
His eyes met yours, and he saw your surprise, and he seemed to come back to himself.
“Can I ask you something, honestly? And you'll tell me the truth?” asked Izuku slowly.
“O-Of course,” you said, flustered.
“Do you think he would go back to bothering you if he found out we’re not dating?”
You opened and closed your mouth several times. You felt backed into a corner.
You both knew the answer. It was the reason you hadn't rectified the rumor in the first place.
“Well, I'm not going to ask you to lie,” you said, like that was obvious.
“Why not?” asked Izuku sharply.
You stared at him. He held your gaze, and you felt your skin start to heat.
“W-W-Well—” You had no idea what to say.
“I don't want him harassing you,” said Izuku. Then he looked away, abashed. “I don't want him harassing anyone. You can have a crush on someone without being creepy.”
You bit the inside of your cheek. “You don't need to protect me. If I needed to, I could make him stop. At least temporarily.”
“But you won't,” said Izuku.
You bit your cheek harder. “I don't want a reputation as someone who uses her quirk to be taken seriously. Especially since it eventually wears off.”
Why were the two of you even discussing this? It was bizarre, what he was seeming to imply. That he wanted to lie and pretend he was your boyfriend to keep Mineta away from you. Why would he do that?
“I just don't understand where this is coming from,” you said. “You don't even like me.”
Izuku sighed. “Again. Who said that? Who ever actually said I dislike you? You haven't done anything wrong.”
Should you answer? “Well, you’re really close with the rest of the class, is all. And you never… well you never talk to me.” You winced. “Which is fine. I’m not for everyone—”
“Y/N, I never talk to you because you're intimidating.”
Your gaze jerked up to look at him. “What? No. That’s—”
“Do you even understand how powerful of a quirk you have?” asked Izuku. “You might be able to permanently alter someone's intentions someday with one touch alone. And you have the appearance and personality that makes people allow you to get close to them. It's amazing, but it's scary. You're scary.”
“And you don't think you’re scary? You beat up Overhaul. Overhaul,” you emphasized.
“Eri helped me,” said Izuku immediately. “I would have died if she hadn't—”
“You broke through Shinsou’s mind washing, and you used to break your own bones to use your quirk, Deku. You don't think that’s scary?”
He was staring at you.
“Yeah, I’ve been paying attention to you, too,” you said, embarrassed. “Which is why I know you don't want to do whatever scheme you’re concocting when it comes to Mineta. What, you’re just going to lie? And say that we’re— that we’re—” You couldn't say it. “What if you get a crush on someone?”
“That's not going to be a problem,” Izuku muttered. You didn't know what that meant. “I understand if you don't want to. If you don't want to be associated with me. But since you don't want to defend yourself and I'm assuming you'd be angry if I settled this with him personally—”
“Please don't,” you said. Even worse than the girl who throws her quirk around is the girl who gets people to fight for her.
“Well, I can't just let you get harassed,” said Izuku abruptly.
The two of you stared at each other. It didn't appear that you would reach an agreement, and you were determined not to cave.
“How about a compromise,” you said slowly. “ You don't lie that we're dating, and I don’t say that we’re not.”
“Schrödinger’s dating scenario,” muttered Izuku.
You had to bite back a laugh.
“You really don't have to do this,” you said again. “I'm fine. I can handle it on my own. I shouldn't have let the rumor spread in the first place.”
Izuku frowned. “How much trauma do you honestly think it gives me to know that people think I'm dating a pretty girl?”
You felt your cheeks heat. Izuku seemed immediately embarrassed that he’d said that, and the two of you looked awkwardly at the floor.
“You're smart, too,” babbled Izuku. “I remember you placed second in our first exam, right after Yaoyorozu. And you're tough. You fought Aizawa-sensei in training and you almost won. And you danced at the festival with Mina and Ochako. What… what am I even talking about?”
He was so embarrassed, but you only found the babbling more endearing. You really hadn't realized he paid that much attention to you. You'd thought he just didn't like you, but it sounds like he was scared of your quirk. Which was fair. You guessed it really was pretty scary.
To alleviate his embarrassment, you said, “I think we have a pretty good strategy.”
Izuku nodded enthusiastically. “It seems good to me. If you want to leave—”
He wanted you to go. You fumbled in your pocket for something, trying not to lose your nerve. You pulled the chocolate chili cookie out of your pocket, it safely sealed in a little bag with flowers on it. You shoved it into his hands.
“I made them again. I thought you might want to try it,” you said, abashed, looking everywhere but at his face. “Everyone else seemed to like them.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but your panic overrode your manners and you hurriedly fled the room.
All night you wondered if he’d tried the cookie, and if he liked it.
The project started the next day. You fiddled with your costume, a pretty white costume with shiny fabric that Mina said made you look like an angel. Given that your hero name was Halo, the comparison made sense, even if it embarrassed you.
You were very self-conscious about how the costume fit your body so snugly. Izuku had seen you in costume a thousand times, but this felt different.
He averted his eyes from your breasts valiantly. Or so you thought. Maybe he just didn't care what your chest looked like. Either way, the rest of your class was eyeing you two as you gathered for your assignments. Mina smirked at you and made a kissy face when Izuku wasn't looking. Ochako elbowed her. She never elbowed anybody unless she was protecting you. You really loved your best friend.
You and Izuku were assigned to patrol the outskirts of the city, which were one of the safest areas, practically suburban. The two of you rode silently in the car until you breached the silence to talk more strategy.
“I did research last night of types of crimes committed in different parts of the city,” you said awkwardly.
Izuku looked at you. “You did?”
You nodded. Somehow you kept talking. “The most reported crimes in our sector are loitering and illegal parking.”
“So we’re supposed to chase loiterers into their illegally parked cars?” asked Izuku, sounding amused. It was different from his usual vibe. You felt your body heat up.
“Kindly,” you said.
“Well, we won't have a problem with that with you,” said Izuku immediately. “You've got a very comforting nature.”
You felt a jolt, like you'd fallen. You couldn't ask him to clarify, because the two of you had arrived, and then there was no time to talk.
For the first week of the assignment, the two of you moved in perfect tandem, helping old ladies cross the street, giving directions, and reprimanding jaywalkers kindly. Honestly, it was hard to focus. Sometimes you could feel Izuku’s eyes on you, and you automatically and idiotically arched your back and pouted in what you hoped was a seductive manner. You probably looked insane.
But you did focus on your assignment. It was hard, but you did it. It wasn’t until the start of the second week that you really had anything to do.
You noticed it first. You nudged Izuku, gesturing imperceptibly at a suspicious man loitering near the bank.
Izuku’s entire demeanor changed. The man wore a long trench coat— Oh, come ON, you thought— and was glancing around shiftily. He wasn't subtle.
“He could be a distraction,” Izuku said quietly, which was what you'd been thinking, too.
“We should tell Aizawa-sensei before engaging,” you said. In case this is too much for us.
This wasn't the assignment. You sent your location to your teacher with a small message about suspicious figures near the bank.
You had the thought that maybe you should hang back, and that was when the gun shot went off.
Izuku moved faster than the speed of sound. One second he was with you, and the next he was across the street subduing the suspicious man who'd tried to pull a gun. You flew after him, crouching to touch the man’s face.
You could feel every intention inside of him. He was an angry man, who blamed everyone in the world for the problems he had created himself. He intended to destroy things, anything, just to make the rest of the world suffer. You sucked the intentions out of him like drinking venom from a snake bite. Once Izuku saw that the man was dazed by your quirk, he darted inside of the bank, where the gunshot had gone off. You hurried after him, slower and more cautious.
All you could think was that this wasn't the assignment. Would Aizawa-sensei be mad at you for engaging? You both had your licenses.
The inside of the bank was chaos. A man with two guns for hands stood on a counter, leering at the hostages that his cronies had gathered up.
The criminal noticed the two of you right away. He leveled one gun at Izuku and the other at you. Surprisingly, you weren't scared. You just had the thought that anyone who points guns at college students in fancy costumes really had some work to do psychologically.
And it got worse.
“Oh, you brought desert,” he said, leering at you. You almost didn't notice. The hostages were quivering in fear, a man with ice blades on his arms and a woman with knives in her elbows loomed over them.
Izuku’s jaw worked. “You don't have to do this.”
You knew the placating wouldn't work. Even without touching the man, you could tell that he wasn't going to go down easy.
“He’s not going to listen to you,” you said quietly to Izuku, heart racing.
The safety clicked off the gun pointed at you. “You're damn right, little girl. You gotta boyfriend? With an ass like that?”
“Did you stage this entire scene just to harass women? Couldn't you just do that online like a normal incel?” snapped Izuku. He was uncharacteristically mad. You supposed it was the stress of the situation. Also he hated it when women got harassed.
“What are you, her husband?” scoffed the villain. He looked back to you. “You know, I might just take the money and you as well. You look like you'd be nice and submissive in—”
Izuku was gone in a flash, so fast that you thought he'd flickered out of the mortal plane. He reappeared next to the man with the ice blades, taking him out in one quick movement. You ducked instinctively, narrowly dodging a bullet from the lead man. The girl with the knives went for Izuku, but you couldn't focus on him, because the gunman was after you.
It really was a terrible plan, if he’d had a plan at all. You could have gotten close to the blade villains. Fighting someone with long range weapons was not going to end well for you. But you understood that Izuku had gone to save the hostages first. You would have done the same.
You ducked as the gunman fired at you again.
“Don’t make me kill you, baby,” he sneered. You wanted to bite him. Instead you ducked under his arm and tried to smack your hand against his chest. He sidestepped, and you stumbled. “Is that all you've got? It's a good thing you're pretty, bitch.”
You didn't let the taunts affect you. That was what he wanted, to get inside your head. You tried to strategize. Izuku was still defending the hostages.
“You're too hot to be a hero, babe. Don’t worry your pretty little head over anything. Girls like you are only good for one th—”
You tried to lunge at him, but the gun fired. The bullet came so close to your ear that you could hear and feel it whizzing past.
It barely registered. There had to be other people in the bank securing the money. You wished you at least knew how many.
The man was getting angry that you weren't getting riled by his taunts.
“Are you fucking stupid, bitch?” he demanded, trying to crash one of his guns into your skull. You dodged. That pissed him off.
You tried so hard to come up with a plan for how to get close to him. Should you pretend to be seduced by him? No, he couldn't possibly be that stupid to fall for that, and there was also the issue of your dignity.
You could try tricking him some other way. You looked behind him towards the entrance and said, with manufactured relief in your face, “Endeavor!”
The man glanced behind him in fear for just a split second, but that split second was all that you needed. You shoved both hands flat against his chest, toppling the both of you off of the counter as you took his intentions.
The man realized quickly that he'd been tricked, and while his anger was apparent, he couldn't access his intentions to hurt you or anybody else. You rolled off of his body and stood.
You didn't risk a glance over at Izuku. You trusted your abilities, but it didn't hurt to be careful. You looked down at the man, who was glaring at you.
“How many others are there?” you asked forcefully.
He said nothing. Actually, no. He said plenty of vulgar things about your body, but he didn't list his conspirators.
You leaned down, feeling vengeful. Maybe it was the effect of being terrorized by Mineta for so long, but you couldn't tolerate the harassment any longer. Your foot found his throat.
“Do you want me to permanently remove every single one of your intentions, you fucking degenerate?” you hissed. You didn't even know if you could do that, but it made the man’s eyes widen.
Izuku materialized at your side. His grip found your arm, and you could feel his presence close to you. “Are you okay?” He asked you, his eyes on the man.
Of course you were okay. You were going to stomp this man’s throat in.
It was good that Izuku pulled you gently off of the villain. Otherwise you might have gone berserk.
Aizawa and some other pro-heroes showed up immediately after that, thanks to your message. You were ushered out of the building as Aizawa stormed into the belly of the bank with backup. You and Izuku waited outside, with EMTs trying to convince you to use shock blankets.
“It's a good thing Eraserhead was in the area,” said one of them anxiously.
“No, it's a good thing that girl was,” said another, gesturing at you. You jolted. Izuku’s hand was still on your arm. “You were really impressive. What’s your name?”
Your teeth were starting to chatter, and you were cold. “H-Halo,” you said. You were almost embarrassed to say it. You'd wanted to crush that man’s throat. “And Deku did all of the work.”
“We both did the work,” said Deku, taking a blanket from the EMT. He draped it over your shoulders like a cape and led you away from the building. You shivered.
Once you were away from earshot, you found yourself confessing, “I w-w-wanted to hurt him.”
Izuku studied you. “But you didn't,” he said softly.
You shook your head. “That doesn't matter. I wanted to hurt him. I'm not a hero.”
Izuku watched you silently for several long moments. “Do you know why you wanted to hurt him?”
You looked at him. “Are you going to tell me?”
He looked troubled. “I can't. I wish I could, though. But I do know that it doesn't matter. If you wanted to hurt him, he'd already be dead. You're the scariest thing I've ever seen.”
You had to force a weak smile at that. “I really scare you, huh? A college student in a frilly pastel costume?”
Izuku smiled.
It was easier to hang around Izuku after that. Everyone already thought you were dating, so no one asked questions when you slipped into his room late at night.
The rest of your training exercise went well. Nothing of note happened, which was the point. All of your classmates wanted to hear about the bank heist; apparently the guy you had subdued was the leader, and that fact had everyone swarming around you, which you hated.
“I heard you punched him,” said Kaminari, awed.
Izuku’s arm was suddenly around you. “Sorry, everyone. Y/N, can I talk to you alone?”
You allowed Izuku to lead you to his room, face burning. Someone whooped.
Once his door was closed, he asked, concerned, “Are you okay?”
“It was barely an experience,” you said, not for the first time. “I stepped on a man’s throat. So what. I don't understand what the big deal is.”
Izuku read your frustration, handing you a pillow to scream into. Once you were done, you sat down on his bed. Then you realized what you'd done, and you leapt up.
“It's fine, really,” he said, his voice soothing. “You can sit there. I'll stay here.”
You hesitated before sitting carefully back down. His blankets were really soft.
“And honestly, I think it's more that someone as sweet as you slammed a man hard enough to bruise his spine before stepping on his throat,” he said.
You bit the inside of your cheek. “He was harassing me. Mirko wouldn't put up with that.”
“She absolutely wouldn't,” agreed Izuku. “Seriously, Y/N, I thought it was cool. And you didn't break anything on him, and now he's in custody. You're being too hard on yourself.”
You wanted to believe him. Instead of furthering the topic, though, you asked, “How are you handling it? I know you've fought scarier villains, but I still feel like I should ask.”
“Me?” He looked confused that you were even asking. He contemplated it. “I'm fine. Honestly. I am sad that the project is almost over, though.”
You felt your face heat. You really needed to do something about your temperature regulation when you were around him. Maybe this was a new quirk.
“We did work well together,” you admitted. You caught his happy grin out of the corner of your eye, and your stomach flipped.
“Right? I feel like we did a good job,” he said.
“It was definitely a better pairing than me and, say, Jirou. Neither one of us is suited for close combat,” you said.
Then the conversation devolved into you two making pairings and guessing how well they'd work together. You agreed that Aoyama and Bakugo would be hysterical and most likely result in first degree murder.
“I honestly think I would be helpful to Tokoyami, because if Dark Shadow’s intentions got too out of hand, I could touch him and fix it,” you said.
Izuku frowned.
You felt your heart drop. “Did I… did I say something wrong?”
He worked hard to get the frown off of his face, waving his hands. “No, no. You're fine. I'm just tired, is all.”
“Oh!” You hopped up from his bed. “I’ll, uh, let you sleep.”
“You really don't have to—”
You ran away.
The last day of your training was slow. Ever since Aizawa and the other heroes had busted the bank robbery, it seems the villains were steering clear. This lulled you into a false sense of security. This was why you didn't sense the bullet or process the sound of it in time.
But you didn't get shot. In one moment, you were splayed on the asphalt near a convenience store, Izuku’s body on top of you from his tackle.
You were dazed. Izuku wasn't. He straightened up, and the man that you now saw fired his gun again.
What does he even want? You thought stupidly.
Izuku’s whips emerged from his body, and he tried to get the gun away from the man, all the while trying to deescalate the situation.
“Whatever it is, I'm sure talking about it is better than shooting at people in broad daylight,” he said. “Why don't you tell me what you want, and I'll—”
The man fired the gun, again at you, but this time you dodged, rolling to your feet. Instead of scaring you, you felt yourself get annoyed.
“Do I know you?” You snapped. A small crowd was forming as people stared, which was not good. You two could take this guy, easy, but a crowd meant casualties.
The man twirled his gun. “You think the League doesn’t know about the mind witch? You're too useful to be a hero.”
So they were trying to kidnap you?
“So they sent one guy with a gun?” you said slowly, “Because you know I have to get close.”
“Well,” said Izuku. “I don't.”
You stared at him, shocked. The only thing that registered was how scary he looked as his black whips shot out to capture the man. The gun fell, going off. Several people yelled, but no one ran.
Then the others arrived.
It was the cremation villain and another villain you didn't recognize. The fire made the air sear but you didn't buckle. Your mind raced as you tried to come up with the best plan. Dabi leered at you.
Well, you couldn't touch him. Obviously. So what should you do? Run? No. Civilians surrounded you. They would get hurt in the fight.
You held your fists before you hesitantly.
The cremation villain laughed. “Oh, you're really gonna fight me?”
“No.” Izuku materialized between you. “You're fighting me.”
The man with the gun was knocked out, his gun tossed away from him. Your eyes immediately went to the unknown villain that had come with Dabi. They looked perfectly normal. You had no way of knowing their quirk.
Your eyes drifted to the civilians, and the villain saw you looking. In one horrible movement, they took a hostage.
You held your hands up. “No! Hey! We can talk. I'm amenable to talking. Just let them go.”
They didn't move. You saw out of the corner of your eye fire shoot at Izuku. You thought he dodged. But you couldn't focus on him.
Knives emerged from the villain’s knuckles. They pressed them to the whimpering civilian’s throat.
“Hey.” You didn't dare step closer. “I'm not giving you my quirk. I'm not. But maybe we can work something else out. But you have to let them g—”
There was a shout of pain, and it sounded like Izuku, but you couldn't look. It broke your heart, but you couldn't look. You felt yourself get angry.
You focused your energy on the villain. Their quirk seemed to manifest knives. Maybe you could stop it without touching him. You didn't really think it was possible, but you have to try.
“You can't do shit without touching me, and we’ll get your fucking quirk either way,” crowed the villain. A blast of blue fire singed by your ear. You dodged automatically.
You felt the anger grow. “I said I'm not giving it to you.”
The villain’s knife dug into the woman’s throat. It leaked blood. She whimpered. “We don't really need your permission.”
Your anger was massive, bigger than your body, the size of All Might. You focused all of your energy on channeling your quirk. “I'm giving you one last chance to let the woman go.”
The villain sneered.
And you exploded.
Or, your quirk did, actually. Transparent, blurred lines exploded from your body, shooting into the villain. It was like your veins were lightning strikes outside of your body. The knives disappeared, and in that moment, that very confusing moment where the villain was shocked, you surged forward and socked them right in the face.
The civilian fell away from the two of you. You fell on top of the villain, cracking your knuckles across their face over and over again.
“Why. Won't. Any. Of. You. Listen. When. I. Say. No!”
You felt hands on your arm. You weren't sure how time was passing. Your knuckles were bloody.
You went to remove your attacker’s power, then Izuku said, “Y/N.”
You fought his hands off of you and grabbed the unconscious villain by the throat. “Leave me alone!” You screamed.
Izuku started to pull you away from the villain. You became slowly aware of sirens. Civilians were watching, their hands over their mouths. Blood spattered your pretty white suit.
Izuku’s hands were insistent on you. You thought to look for Dabi, but he was gone. Izuku pulled you so that he faced you. He looked into your eyes.
“Y/N—”
You passed out.
You woke up in the nurse’s office.
Nothing hurt. Physically, you felt better than you'd ever felt in your entire life.
Recovery Girl told you that you hadn't taken any damage during the fight other than some light bruising on your knuckles. She attributed your invigoration to you no longer “suppressing your quirk.” Apparently, she theorized, you'd been suppressing it for years.
“Why would I do that?” You asked.
Recovery Girl considered you. “I'm sure you already know.”
Ochako, Mina, and Izuku had been waiting for you outside your room when you returned to the dorms. Two days had passed since the fight. The entire class accosted you as you materialized. You noticed Mineta kept a massive distance from you, but it barely registered.
“You've got a decent right hook,” admitted Bakugo.
“We shouldn't praise excessive violence as heroes!” said Iida aggressively. His eyes met yours. “But of course we are glad you are safe.”
You smiled weakly, instantly shy. As you slightly cowered, you thought it was a far cry from when you'd gone full avenging angel on that villain. “Th-Thanks… I just… want to be alone. I'm sorry…”
But even once you slipped away from your class (who were playing the fight on the TV and commenting on Izuku’s technique and your assault), your friends were at your door. You felt your stomach flip. You had to explain that you were tired, which none of them believed. It was obvious you wanted to forget the whole ordeal. Izuku in particular looked like he wanted to talk to you, but you dodged him artfully.
Finally alone in your room, you stared at yourself in the mirror for a very long time.
Why would I do that?
I'm sure you already know.
You remembered telling Izuku that you didn't want to be the girl that uses her quirk to help herself. You had qualms about taking Mineta’s intentions, which was why Izuku felt the need to pretend to be your boyfriend. Izuku, who had always said that you were scary.
Maybe you knew that all along. Maybe you knew you were terrifying, and you were trying not to be.
“This is ridiculous,” you said, staring at a stuffed cow on your bed, splayed across the strawberry sheets. “I am not the kind of person who scares people.”
But you looked down at your knuckles. They were healed by Recovery Girl, but you imagined the phantom bruises and blood.
Why had you attacked that man like that?
You felt guilty looking at your cow, at your fluffy sweater strewn over your chair, and the pictures of you, Mina, and Ochako pinned to the wall. All of this stuff was cute and innocent and you had, apparently, according to the news, fractured a man’s orbital socket.
A sob escaped you.
You didn't deserve your stuffed cow. You were evil, and you didn't deserve the name Halo.
You sunk to your knees, wrapping your arms around yourself as you turned into a ball crouched down low. You shook your head.
Why weren't you in prison? You were dangerous. You were cruel, and—
“Y/N?”
Your head shot up. You were startled to feel tears on your cheeks.
“Go away, Izuku,” you said feebly.
There was a beat of silence. “I'm coming in.”
You just buried your head deeper in your arms. You heard the door open and shut, and you felt him crouch beside you.
“Let's get you on the bed, okay?” He said soothingly.
You didn't know what else to do but comply. Izuku helped you stand, his hands ghosting over you. You took one look at the stuffed cow and let out a sob.
“What is it?” Izuku was alarmed.
You couldn't look at him. “M-M-Mr. Moo. I don't d-deserve Mr. Moo.”
Izuku’s eyes landed on the cow. His lips pressed together. Purposefully, he grabbed Mr. Moo and placed him in your arms. You cried harder.
“You do deserve Mr. Moo,” he said firmly. You shook your head. “I promise you do. Hug him for me, okay?”
You couldn't disobey him. You hugged your stuffed animal, and the sensation did make you feel marginally better. Izuku didn't sit next to you on the bed; he knelt between your legs, peering into your eyes anxiously.
“Do you want me to get Ochako?” he asked.
You shook your head. “I'm sorry. You can leave. You don't have to—”
“I came here because I was worried about you, and you're my friend,” said Izuku plainly. You met his eyes and he seemed to grow bashful, scratching the back of his head and looking away. “I won't stay if you don't want me to, but…” He hesitated. “I don't like that you're struggling. Why would you say you don't deserve the stuffed animal?”
You hugged Mr. Moo closer to your chest. “I'm not sweet and innocent. I'm evil. I beat up that villain.”
It was easier to talk to Izuku than it should be. And he smelled really good.
“It's like I unleashed something inside of me that's angry, and I'm scared of it. I don't have anything to be angry about.”
“That's bullshit. You have everything to be angry about. You're a pretty young female hero, and even your peers don't seem to know how to act around you,” he said.
You stared at him.
“You hurt that man because he was just another man who was trying to invalidate your consent.”
You kept staring.
“... what?” You said finally.
“I… notice things about you,” Izuku said frustratedly.
You couldn't comprehend that sentence. “But why…” You tried so hard to understand. “Why?”
He pulled back from you slightly. “It doesn’t matter.” You got the feeling that it did. He pulled back even further.
“Izuku.” You reached for him, your fingers grabbing at his shirt. You looked into his eyes.
He looked away from you. “Don't. This isn't the time for this. Not right now.”
What did that even mean? “You were running away.”
“I was,” he said.
You set your jaw. “I don't want you to.”
He looked at you, hesitating. His gaze softened. It occurred to you that tears still trailed down your cheeks. Without thinking, Izuku swiped his thumb across your cheek, wiping your tears. You let go of his shirt in surprise.
He didn't jerk back. His eyes held yours.
“You’re special, Y/N,” he said quietly. “And I think you're amazing.”
Then, he pulled back, rising to his feet. He pointed at Mr. Moo. “You keep hugging him. I'm going to get Ochako.”
You opened your mouth to argue, dazed, but he was gone.
There was another party. This one was worse. It was to celebrate you and Izuku. It happened a few days after you healed, and you found it possible to avoid attention.
“Y/N!”
Hagakure appeared before you, wearing a cute black dress. You smiled at where her face should be.
You tried to back away. “Hey, I was just—”
“Yaomomo made you a tiara,” said Hagakure excitedly.
Oh no. Absolutely not. There was a zero percent chance that you were ever putting on a tiara.
“Tell her to wear it herself. I'm sure it'd look better on her anyway,” you said as you tried to run. Pop music thrummed through the walls.
“It would look good on you, too,” said Kaminari. He seemed to remember that you had broken a man’s eye socket and said, “Respectfully.”
Was this how things were going to be now? Were men going to be afraid of you?
Honestly, you didn't hate it.
“I was just going to—”
“You should dance!” cheered Mina, appearing to wiggle.
You took several steps back, waving your hands. “Oh, I don't dance.” You couldn't help but notice that the other guest of honor was missing.
“You can dance with Todoroki! You know, he said that your quirk was impressive. Impressive.” She leaned in close to you, advancing to say, “Come on. He's the hottest guy in our class.”
“He lights himself on fire, Mina,” you said flatly. “Of course he's hot.”
Mina was not affected by your wit.
But you had an idea for escape. “I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back, okay?”
And then you walk-ran down the hall to the bathroom. You burst into the bathroom, and got hit with intense deja vu.
Izuku was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, looking anxious. His eyes locked on yours. You shut the door quickly.
You didn't know what to say. “You really don't like parties,” you said stupidly.
“Y/N,” he said, eyes wide.
“Yeah. Sorry. I can—”
“Don't leave.” His words were desperate. You looked at him, concerned.
“Okay.” You locked the door and stepped slightly closer to him before sitting down on the floor. Your frilly blouse caught his eye, and he stared for half a second before looking at your tight pants. “Izuku.”
“Sorry.” His face was bright red. He looked back up to your face. “You look really…”
He swallowed. He didn't finish the sentence.
You were worried about him. “I can go back out there and ask them to turn it down.”
“No. It's better with you here.” He didn't even seem to realize he'd said that.
You didn't know how to respond.
You had gotten pretty close with the green-haired hero over the past few weeks. You'd always noticed him, but he'd seemed too attainable, too good, too perfect and kind. The fact that you'd caught him staring at you multiple times now was so humanizing.
“’Zuku,” you said softly. “Can I ask you a question?”
He looked away from you like he knew what you were about to ask.
You channeled all of the Mirko in you.
“Why were you so ready to let people think you were my boyfriend?”
He was silent. He was silent for so long that you didn't think he would answer.
“I've had feelings for you since our entrance exam,” he said finally, and all of the breath left your body. You looked at him, shocked. His jaw worked. “You threw a rock at a machine going after Ochako even though you had no way to fight it yourself. Then you took the intentions of a group of boys who were trying to bully Asui. You didn't seem to care if you passed the exam. You just wanted everyone to have a chance.”
You stared at him hard. “... oh?” You said faintly.
“And you're beautiful, and all of the boys in our class know it. I didn't realize Mineta was targeting you, but I have heard Kaminari talking about wanting to ask you out for years. Even Todoroki admitted you were beautiful.”
You couldn't breathe.
“And it makes me mad,” said Izuku roughly. “It makes me so, so mad, and I can't explain why. You don't belong to me. We didn't talk until recently. I just— I just feel like—”
He looked like he was going to have a panic attack. “Izuku, stop.”
He looked like he was going to cry. You moved closer, aware that your roles had shifted and now you were comforting him.
“I like you, you idiot,” you whispered.
His head jerked up. “What?”
“You heard me. Please don't make me confess twice in a bathroom.”
He laughed at that. “I confessed in a bathroom, too.”
“And you did it beautifully,” you said with mirth. Hesitantly, you took his hand in yours. You could feel his calluses and scars.
“You don't have to lie,” he said suddenly.
You squeezed his hand. “I'm not lying. I wanted to kiss you in your room when Aoyama was singing. And I wanted you to think I was pretty in my costume.”
“I did,” Izuku said quickly. He flushed. “And having moments where you— where you're attracted to me doesn’t mean—”
“Do you trust me?” You asked bluntly.
His eyes met yours. “Of course.” He said it so fast.
“I know how I feel about you. When you put Mr. Moo in my arms and talked to me so gently, I…” You swallowed. “I realized you're the only person I would have believed when they told me I'm not a monster. You're the only man I would have stayed in the bathroom with at that first party. And I don't know why. I don't know how we got here. I must have been noticing you, too, all along. I remember when you cut your hair shorter and tried to style it. Everyone made fun of you, but you looked really cute.”
He looked surprised. “That was several years ago.”
“I wanted to run my fingers through your hair and mess it up again,” you confessed.
The two of you stared at each other. He shifted, and then he was facing you. His eyes were wide. “Can I touch you?” He whispered.
Your heart gave a thrill. You were far too anxious to respond. You were drunk on his confession, high and soaring.
“You can touch me, ’Zuku,” you said.
He made a small noise.
He pulled you to him, wrapping his strong arms around you, pulling you into his lap. He handled your body like he had known it his entire life. His touch left you searing.
He said your name breathlessly, his body hard against you. “You’re not real.”
You buried your face in his neck. “I'm real. You're not real.”
“I'm real.”
His hands found your back. His fingers traced down your spine, and you shivered. “You smell so pretty.”
Then, shocking you, he moved down your body, his hands finding your hips as he pressed his face between your breasts. Your heart spluttered, but you liked it. Actually, it was the best thing that had ever happened to you.
You whimpered.
He laughed softly against you. “You're really cute, you know. And it's actually a problem. I can't stop thinking about your cute little bed and your cute little pajamas. You're going to drive me crazy.”
Your face was on fire. Your hands threaded into his hair. He pressed a kiss between your breasts, and you shivered again.
“’Zuku,” you pleaded, not sure what you were pleading for.
“I'm not going to fuck you in a bathroom. You deserve better than that,” he said.
At the word ‘fuck’, your entire body throbbed. It wasn't a word that you thought Izuku Midoriya used.
“Be my girlfriend,” he said suddenly, intensely.
You laughed softly. “Okay.”
He nuzzled between your breasts. “Fuck. Shit. Fuck, Y/N. This wasn't how I wanted this to go.”
You trailed a hand down his back, rubbing him gently. “But it's how it's going. And I want you, Izuku. I want to be with you. You're the only person who understands… well. Who sees that rage in me and understands why it scares me.”
“Fuck. I want to say something deep to that but the only thing I'm thinking about is how tight your clothes are and how you're sitting on my lap,” he confessed. “I— I want you so badly. I don't know if I can… I should go to my room.”
You held your breath for half a second. “I'll come with you.”
He groaned. His arms wrapped around you tighter.
“Fuck, Y/N. I’m going to lose my composure.”
“Not once have I ever thought of you as composed, ’Zuku.”
You didn't know where the boldness came from. You guessed you just felt safe with him. He barked out a laugh.
“Come here.”
He rose, shifting you off of him and helping you to your feet. You looked into his eyes once you both stood, breathless.
“This is real?” He whispered.
You couldn't take it anymore. Your arms around his neck, you pulled him down until his lips crashed against yours.
He made a small noise of surprise, but he didn't try to pull back.
He tasted like spearmint tea, green and alive. His lips were soft, slightly chapped from him biting them. You felt your soul swell within you. His arms wrapped around you, and he lifted you up off of your feet. The two of you crashed against the bathroom wall. His arms were under your ass to keep you up; your legs wound around him. You would say you didn't know what you were doing, as you didn't have much kissing experience, but your body seemed to know what to do.
He parted your lips, and you tasted him, your entire body on fire.
“I'll take you on a real date, to a real restaurant. And I can take you to the bakery in town and buy you one of everything. You can critique each one because I know you like to bake,” he said against your lips between kisses. “I'll buy you another stuffed cow. I'll buy you a hundred stuffed cows.”
“That's a lot of cows,” you said against him. Then you laughed. “Do you really want to talk about cows when we’re kissing?”
“Fuck. No.” He kissed you, and you bit at his lip. He suppressed a whine, which you found adorable. “I just want to do this right. I want you to feel safe.”
“Izuku.” You pulled back to make eye contact. “I feel safe. I want to go to your room.”
He groaned.
He carefully set you down on the floor after that. Your hand clasped in his, the two of you peered out of the bathroom for possible witnesses.
The party roared down the hallway to your right. Luckily, Izuku’s room was to the left.
“We're just gonna have to gun it,” you said.
He squeezed your hand. Then, with you giggling, the two of you rushed from the bathroom, sprinting down the hallway to his room. He threw the door open, and you hopped inside into the darkness. He followed you, shutting the door behind him.
The two of you made eye contact and then started laughing.
“I feel like a teenager,” you said, grinning so hard that your face hurt. It felt magnetic, with him in the room. You could sense the contours of his body even in the dark, like you two were parts of the same soul, chained to the same orbit.
Izuku came closer to you, sweeping your hair out of your face with a loving brush of his hand. He looked down at you.
“I think you’re the most amazing thing in the entire world,” he said.
You got embarrassed and buried your face in his chest. You clung at his shoulders, pressing a kiss to his chest. “I feel so safe with you.”
He was intoxicating. You pawed at his shirt.
“Please,” you begged.
He seemed to be fighting very hard not to give into his impulses. Too bad for him, you had no self-control. All of the feelings you had ever felt about him were coming out, a spilled dam. All of the times you had thought to yourself, Wow, that Izuku is very handsome and kind. How had you ever not realized you were into him?
You dragged him by the shirt backwards to his bed. “Please,” you said again.
His hands encapsulated yours. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
You shook your head. “You’re not going to. You couldn’t.”
He seemed to quiver. “Promise?”
You kissed his exposed collarbone, the skin that was visible in the neckline of his t-shirt. “I promise.”
He shuddered.
And then he was all movement. In one second, you were flat on your back on his bed. You couldn’t remember moving, but you didn’t feel scared, not at all. He was over you, his arms towering over both sides of your head. He already looked affected.
Your hands moved of their own accord, sliding under the hemline of his shirt to feel the ridges of his abdomen. You whimpered.
Izuku looked amazed. “You really… you find me attractive?”
“I can’t be the only one,” was what you said. Then you said, “Take it off.”
Immediately you were embarrassed by your forwardness. You looked away, and you sensed him shifting. When you looked back, he was finishing pulling his shirt over his head with one arm. Your heart stopped.
He was beautiful. How had he ever gotten so beautiful?
You ran your hands over him. The hard muscles of his back made you want to whimper again, but you had some self control. Your eyes took him in hungrily.
“You’re so pretty,” you said, your voice thick. You were very aware of the light dusting of hair on his lower abdomen leading down to his…
You felt like it wasn’t fair that he was the only one undressing, but you were too shy to take off your top. What if he didn’t find you attractive? What if you were shaped weird?
Izuku pressed a kiss into your neck, and you realized those worries were stupid. This was Izuku. He would never judge you for something like that.
You wiggled to try to get out of your blouse. But your hands were shaking too hard to get the buttons at first. Izuku noticed and laughed, and that gave you the strength to get it together.
You let the blouse fall away onto his bed. His eyes drank you in. You felt him trace the curve of your breasts.
“Oh, fuck,” he said, then he was on you. He pressed a million kisses on the swell of your breasts, and that gave you the confidence to reach around your back to unclasp your bra. Izuku slid the bra off of you himself, and then he latched onto one of your nipples with his mouth.
Your back arched, and you made a high, keening noise. You felt impossible heat between your legs.
Izuku’s tongue swirled around your one nipple while he cupped your other breast, squeezing lightly. You fit in his palm perfectly.
The two of you were so close together that it was impossible to separate your bodies in your mind. You ground against him without thinking, and then when you did realize, you didn’t have the presence of mind to be embarrassed.
“I want you,” you gasped. “Please. Right now.”
Izuku pulled back from you. He didn’t seem to be able to wait, either.
The two of you shed your clothes as fast as you could. He made a noise when he saw how wet your panties were before you discarded them.
“That’s for me?” he asked, amazed.
You pulled him down to you. “It’s all for you. It’s always for you.”
He kissed your jaw, your cheek, your nose. You were aware that he was naked, and that his body was beautiful, but it was just the fact that his soul was so close to you that had you gasping.
His fingers brushed against your core, and you moaned.
“I haven’t even touched you, Y/N,” he said.
“I know,” you whined.
He pressed a kiss to your cheekbone. Then his fingers parted your folds, and he found your clit like he’d found it a million times before. He traced circles around it, then rubbed it tantalizingly slow. You felt like you were gushing.
Your hand caught at his wrist, stopping him. “Please fuck me,” you said.
“You make it so hard to be good,” he said in response.
“You don’t have to fuck me,” you said. “I can just stay here and do it myself.”
You hadn’t meant it as a threat, but it seemed to instill some sense of pride in him. He positioned himself between your legs, holding his dick in his hand.
“You don’t have to fuck yourself when I’m right here,” he said fiercely.
Then he started to sink into you.
You both groaned. His arms shook around you. You got the sense that he was trying very hard not to come. You didn’t move, so as to make it easier for him.
Then your eyes met. You bit your lip. “’Zuku,” you mewled.
“ Fuck.”
He pushed all the way inside of you, and you gasped.
He was so big; you felt the stretch inside of you, and you were reeling.
“You’re so good and I want to be inside of you all of the time and I don’t know why I didn’t just tell you how I feel about you and–”
He cut himself off as he started to slowly pound into you. He snapped his hips against yours, and you whimpered. The tip of his dick brushed effortlessly against that special spot inside of you. It was like your bodies had been made specifically for each other.
You locked your legs behind his back.
That seemed to destroy the last sense of self-control he had. He began pounding into you harder, and it was all you could do to hold onto his sheets.
You were aware that you were moaning. You weren’t even trying to be quiet. Hopefully the sound of the party would keep anyone from hearing you, but honestly, you didn’t really give a shit. They could hear you getting the shit railed out of you, so long as it was by him.
Izuku reached down to rub at your clit as he fucked you. And that was too much. It felt too good, you were almost scared that you would get lost in that feeling forever. You cried out as you came, clenching down on his dick. He grit his teeth but kept fucking you.
“You can give me another one,” he said, still rubbing at you.
You wanted to protest, but you didn’t. Because you believed him. This was special. This was magic. You could give him another one.
He shifted, changing angles inside of you, hitting you in a different way. Your moans got louder and louder.
In just a few minutes, you came again, clenching down on him even harder. He fucked you through the orgasm, then he tried to pull out for his own, but he didn’t quite make it.
Izuku came halfway inside of your pussy. He groaned loudly, the sound sinful and beautiful. You wanted to hear it every day for the rest of your life. He fucked into you shallowly, riding through his orgasm, then he collapsed on top of you.
Your hands found his lower back. You stroked him.
“I shouldn’t have come inside. I’m sorry,” he mumbled into your hair.
You shook your head. “I don’t care.”
He made a noise of protest, but suddenly you were too sleepy, and he seemed to be as well. Izuku pulled out of you, turning on his side and pulling a blanket over the two of you.
“They’ll all see me come out of your room tomorrow morning,” you said tiredly, even though it didn’t matter to you in the slightest.
Izuku smiled. “Good.”