Chapter Text
You admired Shota Aizawa a good deal.
Transfering over to a new school in a new country meant you had to do your fair share of research beforehand. A good bit of that time was spent looking up whatever info you could get on your would-be instructors and school staff. Thankfully, heroes were pretty much celebrities in this day and age, leaving you with an abundance of resources to work with. Thank God for all those Hero websites and blogs.
Though you had a feeling a fair share of them weren't as accurate they claimed to be.
(You stare at the headline for a minute, a hundred emotions coursing through you.
Present Mic Pregnant with Nicolas Cage Lovechild?!
“...Alright,” you concede, face carefully blank as you slowly inch your laptop shut, “that’s enough internet for today.”)
Upon learning the name of your new homeroom teacher, you did your best to learn what you could about the man. He was apparently a bit of a mystery, keeping to the shadows for the most part and taking down villains under the cover of night (much like a certain bat-themed hero from back in the states). His only public appearances were made before the Hero Association and at press conferences concerning his students last year.
As helpful as your research had been, however, it was only after meeting the man face-to-face that things were put into perspective.
Shouta Aizawa was a lot of things. He was stern, he was always brutally honest, and so rough around the edges he could put a pineapple to shame. But he was a good guy at the end of the day— One who clearly cared for his students and those around him.
Even if he had a really weird way of showing it.
Like forcing poor ol' you to participate in what was basically an hour of P.E. first thing in the morning.
The frown on your face felt like it’d stay there forever, your expression twisted into one of barely suppressed irritation. You were currently in the locker room, peeling your dirtied and sweat-drenched tracksuit off your body after an hour spent running and jumping and punting baseballs outside.
One hour .
When your instructor had dragged your class over to the school’s P.E. grounds, announcing that you'd be participating in an apprehension test instead of attending the school's entrance ceremony, you'd actually been rather excited. Meanwhile the rest of your classmates seemed to deflate at the news— something that left you befuddled at the time. A morning spent outside under the warm sun sounded way more entertaining than being cooped up behind a desk, looking over class syllabus after class syllabus. You had no idea where your classmates' sudden dread had emerged from.
Now you knew.
Shouta Aizawa, despite being a good guy and an excellent hero, was also the type of maniac to put his students through ONE HOUR of grueling workouts just to see if anyone had slacked off over the break.
You were admittedly pretty put off by the fact the whole ordeal had been so long, but who could blame you? Especially after learning your instructor had pulled the same stunt last year, but that one hadn’t lasted nearly as long. 20 minutes to an hour was a huge leap, even for a school as hardcore as U.A. High.
You didn't even want to think about what Aizawa had planned for third year...
Adjusting the last bit of your uniform, you close your lucker shut and turn to throw your ruined tracksuit into a hamper stationed nearby. The locker room was by now empty, the rest of your classmates having already gotten dressed at a much faster rate and long since out the door.
A good thing too because the last thing you wanted was for anyone else to witness you cursing out your Sensei.
Oh well. No use in complaining about it now , you thought with a sigh. What's done is done, and you wouldn't waste your time whining to Aizawa. You got the feeling the man would be less than impressed by that course of action, and you were already far from his good graces.
At the very least, your Sensei had been decent enough to give you and the rest of your class the day off. The halls were barren as you exit the locker room, the rest of the school no doubt still in class. You briefly consider making a beeline for the lunch room, but ultimately think better of it. For one, you had no idea if Lunch Rush would even be there so early (lunch officially wasn't until two hours from now), and secondly...
You needed a nap. A nice, long, undisturbed nap.
"Nap first," you decide with a nod, marching purposefully in the direction of your class dormitory. "Then food."
Minutes later and you arrive on the other side of campus. What you expect to see is an empty courtyard, quiet save for maybe a few of your classmates out and about.
What you end up finding is pretty much the opposite.
Three different moving vans are parked on the wide stretch of concrete before your dorm building, a fair bit of distance set between each as to provide room for the students milling about. You spot a few familiar faces in the crowd and immediately recognize them as your classmates. Multiple bodies crowd around the vans, some treading up the ramps set out behind each vehicle and into the large hatches in the back, and eventually reappearing with some manner of box and/or household item in hand.
The air is alive with noise, from the sound of shuffling shoes along concrete to the commotion of overlapping conversation and a few barked orders— You were surprised nobody had come out to complain about the commotion just yet.
From across the way, you watch in silence as a handful of your classmates work in tandem to unload the vans. It takes a moment but soon you find order within the chaos. Some students were responsible for unloading cargo from the trucks, hefting heavy-looking luggage down the ramps into the arms of what you dubbed the Ground Team(™). Those part of the Ground Team(™) would then take the cargo into the dorm building, where you assumed the rest of the class was.
It was a simple system, but it clearly got the job done.
As fun as it was watching your new classmates exercise such excellent teamwork, though, you realize that just standing around like a dope probably wasn't the most helpful thing to do. And so, with a growing sense of vigor, you step towards the nearest student— A large boy with many arms. He's heading towards the back of the nearest truck when you catch up to him.
You immediately recognize him from when you introduced yourself to the class earlier that morning. At the time you couldn't help wonder who's bright idea it was to sit him in the front row because DAMN was the fucking guy TALL!
Even more so standing up than he was sitting down.
You have to physically crane your neck upwards just to make eye contact with the guy. A sliver of intimidation crawls up your spine as you realize his eye (yes, just the one) is the only part of his face you can actually see, the rest of him hidden behind the blue fabric of his mask. A single, dark pupil stares down at you, the other hidden behind pale grey bangs.
Mr. Tall and Mysterious remains silent as you introduce yourself. It's only after you offer your assistance that he speaks, his voice deep and stoic.
"I think we’re good out here," He explains. You nearly deflate at the indirect rejection, but then the other uses one of his many arms to point towards the dorm building's front doors, left ajar for easy inside access. "But we might still need a hand sorting out everyone's stuff. Just head inside and check in with Iida. He'll give you something to do."
"Iida...?"
You watch, enthralled, as that hand morphs into a grinning mouth. "The big guy with glasses and killer calves. He's standing in the middle of the living room and shouting orders, you can't miss him."
As rude as it probably was, it takes a while for you to stop gawking at the newly formed mouth, the surprise slowly ebbing away the longer you stare. Eventually the corners of your lips twitch upwards. You shoot your own smile, first towards the grinning appendage, then up at your towering classmate and say, "That helps a lot. Thanks… Um…?"
"Shouji." That mouth morphs back into a hand, and you accept the handshake it offers.
"King. Cool quirk, by the way."
That earns you a smile from beneath the face mask, if the shifting of the fabric is anything to go by. "Thank you."
You depart from your classmate shortly after, bidding him goodbye as you lightly jog up the steps leading to open doors of 2-A’s dormitory building. A few others pass you on the way, offering you quick smiles or just simple, short eye contact before going on their way. Thankfully none of them try to stop you for conversation.
Stepping into the living area, you take a moment to eye your surroundings. The whole place is swamped in boxes and furniture and suitcases galore. A handful of students mill about the room, some organizing cargo into piles while others head upstairs with full arms. A boy stands tall in the center of the chaos. His voice is loud, nearly shouting as he directs his classmates, and you let your eyes assess his figure for a second.
Big guy. Glasses. Killer calves (well defined AND there were literal exhaust pipes protruding from the skin? You make a mental note to ask him about his workout regimen.)
Iida.
Careful to avoid stepping on any stray boxes or duffle bags, you maneuver your way towards your loud classmate. You manage to catch his eye once you enter his field of vision. He turns to you fully, and you pause as those blue eyes zero in on you instantly.
"Good evening, new classmate! What an unexpected surprise!"
“They live here too, dude,” Kaminari snarks as he passes by. The blonde turns to send you a wink, only to stub his toe on a box full of dumbells.
"Oh... Right! Of course!" Iida says matter-of-factly, his cheeks tinting as he (and the rest of the room) ignore the wailing blonde only a few feet away. The tall boy clears his throat. "I hope you can excuse me, I'm not the best at meeting new peers. I can assure you that I'm working on it, though!"
You shake your head, a small smile on your lips. "That's okay, I don't mind." You make a show of glancing around the room, eyes skimming over the countless luggage littering every surface. "So what have you guys been up to lately?"
"Ah, yes!" Iida perks up, his head smoothly turning side-to-side as he scours the area. "Since Aizawa Sensei dismissed us from class ahead of schedule, the move-in crew didn't have the chance to deliver our luggage to our rooms. I thought it unnecessary for them to go through all the trouble now that we're here. My classmates and I are currently processing our belongings. The team outside are responsible for unloading everything from the vans, and once it's brought in here, the rest of us sort through everything and carry it up to the designated dorms."
"Sounds fast and efficient. That's really impressive."
"Thank you! Though I can't take full credit for this operation. I may be responsible for keeping things moving, but Yaoyorozu is truly the mastermind behind it all!"
"I wouldn't expect any less from our class representative."
"Indeed!"
Rocking on your heels, you shoot your classmate an expectant look. "So... What should I do?"
But Iida merely shakes his head. He holds a hand up with the palm facing you and his fingers held tightly together. "There's no need, King. Your dorm has already been set up, from what I recall. It's your first day as an official part of our class, and as class deputy I must insist that you relax in the comfort of your room for today. You require rest after the stressful morning Aizawa Sensei has put upon you."
A small part of you is embarrassed that your exhaustion from the apprehension test was obvious enough for Iida to see.
The larger part of you, however, is touched. This boy was obviously a stickler for the rules, someone who wanted others to pull their own weight, yet he was kind enough to let you go rather than force you into working with the others. You got the feeling it wasn't something he did often. Lucky you!
But as nice as a nap sounded right about now…
"No offense, Iida, but you seem pretty tired too."
It was nice to know that you weren't the only one the apprehension test took a toll on. As tall as he stood before you, it was hard to ignore the rigidness of Iida's posture. How it was possible for someone’s shoulders to be tense AND sag at the same time was a mystery to you.
"You'd be sacrificing quite a bit of time helping us," your classmate explains, polite but stubborn. "I can't ask that of you."
"Well it's a good thing you didn't ask. I offered." You smile as you stare at the other, your gaze eager yet unrelenting. Eventually, Iida sighs.
"I get the feeling you’re going to help out even if I tell you otherwise," he says, and you release a guilty chuckle as he hits the nail on the head, "Although I will admit that having an extra set of hands should speed up the process... Okay then, you may help!"
You try not to seem too satisfied as you grin at the boy. "Thanks, Iida. I'll try not to mess anything up."
"Of course. I have faith in your abilities."
Hopefully not too much faith, you comment internally, cautiously stepping over an errant (and for some reason heavily bedazzled) lamp as Iida leads you over to a nearby pile of boxes, luggage and the like.
"As you can see, each item is sorted into one of four piles. Each pile corresponds to a different floor of the building," Iida explains as the both of you come to a stop before one of said piles. With robotic movements, your classmate bends down and plucks up the closest thing— A yellow duffle bag with little bunnies hopping across the fabric. A line of pale tape stretches along the side of the bag, and Iida runs his finger along the handwriting etched onto it with black marker. "This pile is for the third floor, as it says here. You'll also find a name written below the number. My classmates have written their names on their dorm doors as well, which should make it easier to deliver things to the proper room."
Iida turns to you then. Placing the duffle bag in your grasp, he meets your gaze with imploring eyes. "Any questions?"
"Just one." You glance downwards, and your head gives a curious tilt at the glinting exhaust pipes sprouting from your classmate's calves. "Do those hurt?"
"Ah, only when I have to pull them out. Good luck!"
And with that, Iida swiftly turns on his heel and marches over to the nearby kitchen area, chopping furiously as he reprimands another student. "Satou! You can restock the kitchen after everyone's luggage has been dealt with! When did you even find the time to buy all these ingredients?"
The large boy standing guiltily near the pantry only shrugs. "I had some coupons saved up over the break."
"I admire your efforts in saving money but unfortunately that does not answer my question."
Meanwhile, you barely give the exchange any thought, too busy standing stockstill and wide-eyed in the middle of the living area.
Only when he has to pull them out...?
God, you regret asking.
Thankfully you manage to shake off your disgust surprise and get down to business. You deliver the cute rabbit duffle up to its rightful destination, matching the cute, meek handwriting to the one on the door. You continue with your task for a good few minutes, carefully transporting all sorts of knickknacks and personal items up the stairs and into the barren rooms above.
One neon pink, leopard-print rug
A box full of dumbbells.
Two guitar cases— One a pure, sleek black and the other littered with stickers of what you could only assume were punk rock bands.
Three large, thick blankets, each in some variation of green.
Two separate crates of tatami mat style flooring (who the hell was replacing their floorboards?).
A stack of encyclopedias.
A plastic container full of colorful baking supplies.
Three industrial-sized bags of rabbit food.
And finally your current item-to-be-delivered: That overly bedazzled lamp from earlier. Though if you were to be completely honest, out of all the items you've delivered so far, this one had to be the most difficult to deal with.
Your eyes nearly squeeze shut with how hard you squint at the stupid thing. Even as you held it out at arm's length, you still weren't safe from its glittering ways. With all those plastic crystals littering every perceivable crevice, all it took was the slightest sliver of light to hit it and suddenly your retinas were being stabbed with the power of Vitamin C.
The damn lamp was an actual eyesore!
Having the sun glare back at you full force made it hard to see where you were going. Even more so when walking up a flight of stairs.
Luckily, you only had to deliver the lamp to the second floor. You slowly tread up the steps, paying little attention to those who happen to pass by, holding the lamp away from you as if it was about to explode. It takes a while before you finally reach the top of the staircase.
You're too focused on not blinding yourself to notice the rushed steps heading your way—
Suddenly you're squinting no more, your eyes blown wide as something heavy knocks into your front. You manage to grip the lamp close before it can fumble out of your grasp, but you don't get much time to pat yourself on the back for the save before realizing your center of gravity is off...
And the world is tilting...? Oh, nevermind, you’re just falling backwards.
Oh shit , WAIT A MINUTE—!
Your free hand shoots out in some sort of fight or flight response, blindly, desperately grasping at whatever you can reach. And then suddenly you're clutching onto something.
Whatever it is lets out a strained noise as you grab onto it.
For a second it feels as if whatever you're holding onto is about to fall too, but thankfully your saving grace grows sturdy before you meet your end. A moment passes and you use it to catch your breath from the sudden scare. Your feet remain planted just on the edge of the stair's top step while the ceiling stares back down at you, your body nearly horizontal as your weight leaves leaning backwards at an awkward angle.
A strangled sound catches your attention. You’re calm enough to realize you're not the one who made it. Your head tilts down, away from the ceiling, to peer at the person standing before you.
Forest green curls. A constellation of freckles spread out along sun-kissed skin. Large eyes blown wide as they can go, emerald irises surrounding pupils full of shock and panic.
"Oh," you breathe. "Hey, Broccoli Boy."
The surprise in those green eyes is quickly snuffed out by confusion. "Is that… Do you mean me?"
“Aww, no fair! I want a cute nickname too!” Another voice whines from down the hall, away from your line of sight.
"Lemon Head and Broccoli Boy," a different voice lists off with humor. "Man, it's like you're gathering your own crew of manly fruits and veggies! Now I want a nickname!",
“No way, I was here first!”
A grunt has you shifting your focus back towards the boy in front of you. His face has gained more color in the last few seconds, those freckles standing out against those blushing cheeks. He has his eyes trained downwards and you follow his gaze to find your hand clutching the front of his shirt in an intense grip.
Ah. No wonder you hadn't fallen.
It strikes you that you're not the only one kept at a weird angle. The weight of your body has your classmate's upper half bending forward, nearly tipping over himself as he indirectly dangles you above the steep steps behind you.
(You're not sure what impresses you more: Broccoli Boy's strength or the fact his shirt hasn’t torn already.)
"Sorry," you offer as you shift your weight, unrooting one foot to set it down onto the step behind you, regaining your balance and turning yourself upright once more. All the while keeping the lamp secure in your occupied arm. You release your death grip on Brocoli Boy’s shirt, wincing at the clump of wrinkled fabric that your hand leaves behind. He was definitely gonna need to iron that out later.
Broccoli Boy's features blur together with how furiously he shakes his head. That blush is still present as he says, "N-No, please, don't worry about it! It's my fault for bumping into you! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I'm so sorry!"
Your classmate bows down in apology, but you just pat his shoulder kindly. "Don't sweat it, buddy, it was an accident. I'm just glad you... Caught..? Me?"
Broccoli Boy laughs, a bashful sound. The edges of his mouth lift up as he moves a hand to ruffle the back of his curly mane.
The moment is interrupted by the sound of nearing footsteps. The both of you turn together to find two figures approaching from down the hall, both eyeing you and your classmate with curious yet friendly eyes.
"Midoriya, bro, good going with the shirt!" The one with red hair praises as he pumps a fist in the air. His shark-toothed grin is bright and merry, so much so that you nearly find yourself returning the gesture— Especially when those ruby eyes shift to you. "And the way you reached out to grab it— Whoa! Your reflexes are like lightning! Super manly!"
His companion nods enthusiastically from beside him, her short, pink locks bouncing at the motion. "Yeah, it was like watching a Hallmark movie! Super romantic! It's a classic setup, y'know— Person A almost trips over themselves but then Person B comes in and catches them, and then they stare into each other's eyes and instantly form a connection..." She sighs wistfully.
"Romantic?" You chuckle, your cheeks warming at the insinuation.
"I-It wasn't romantic , Mina! We almost fell down the stairs!" your green-haired companion insists with furrowed brows, his earlier blush returning with a vengeance.
"Well obviously ," his classmate says in light exasperation. One hand lands on her cocked hip while the other wags a finger at the two of you in disapproval. "You guys didn't even introduce yourselves yet! I mean that's literally Meet Cute Etiquette 101, helloooo!"
"It wasn't a... Oh." Realization dawns upon Broccoli Boy. He turns to you, and you nearly jump with how quickly he bows down once more, looking embarrassed but determined all the same as he rises to meet you gaze head on. "I'm Izuku Midoriya!. Again, I'm really sorry for bumping into you but I hope we can be friends!"
You nearly open your mouth to respond, but not before the guy with scarlet mountain peaks for hair grabs your attention with that loud voice of his. Jabbing a thumb at his chest, he introduces himself with a bold grin. "Name’s Eijirou Kirishima! I'm super pumped to meet you!"
"And I'm Mina," your female classmate adds with matching enthusiasm. Her mouth tilts into a smirk as she sends a wink your way. "But if you're still giving out nicknames, Cutie, then you can call me whatever you want."
Kirishima laughs boisterously, those sharp teeth of his on full display as he holds a high five up for his friend. “Kaminari should take lessons from you!”
“Please,” Mina gloats as she slaps her hand against the boy’s, “what I have can’t be taught. Also the boy hangs out with Mineta. He’s beyond help.”
“Fair.”
The others turn to look at you, then, and your smile turns sheepish. "I was only using nicknames because I didn't know your names..." A smirk slips onto your lips as you return Mina's wink. "But if Bubblegum Babe here insists, then I guess I can't refuse."
Your pink-skinned classmate squeals in delight, those golden irises popping out against the black of her scleras. "Oh we're SO friends now, it’s official! No takebacksies!"
Mina's eyes suddenly narrow, squinting as she stares back just a tad. You and the others watch in concern as the girl points at the object still in your arm. "Not to sound judgemental but that hideous thing's not yours , is it?"
"Calling it hideous sounds... awfully judgemental," Midoriya points out as he sideeyes his classmate.
"Well am I wrong? I mean I can't even look at the thing! Literally, it hurts my eyes!"
Kirishima merely nods in agreement, his bright red eyes barely visible as he squints.
You smile in apology, willfully ignoring the glint in the corner of your eye as you tuck the lamp in your grasp under your arm, hoping your body will help shield your classmates from the bedazzled monstrosity. "Yeah, it's kind of a nightmare to deal with. I'm supposed to be delivering it to the owner's room, but I can barely walk straight without going blind. Pretty sure it's part of the reason I bumped into you earlier, Midoriya. Again, my bad."
The other student shakes his head. "It's fine," he assures. He eyes the gaudy piece of furniture, a small smile worming its way onto his face as he meets your gaze. "But I'm pretty sure I know who it belongs to. One of my dorm neighbors, actually."
"Knew it." From the way Kirishima grins, elbowing his pink friend beside him knowingly, you guess he must know exactly who the other boy was referring to.
Mina only rolls her eyes. "Who else would willingly own something like that?"
"...Should I be worried?" You ask cautiously, feeling out of the loop as the others exchange amused looks.
"Maybe a little," Midoriya admits as he starts walking down the row of dorms on the right, motioning you to follow. You do so, not minding one bit as Kirishima and Mina tag along. Sending you a nervous look over his shoulder, the green-haired teen continues, "You, umm, wouldn't happen to have a pair of sunglasses on you, would you?"
Your brows furrow in confusion. "No...?"
"Oh... You might have to squint, then."
Moments later and the four of you arrive near the far end of the hall. You come to a stop outside the dorm second farthest from the stairs, though unlike the other rooms you've visited so far, the door to this one is firmly shut. The name Yuuga Aoyama is tapped to the door in extravagant cursive, and you eye the twinkling, silver ink that sparkles under the light. You then send a brief glance down at the lamp tucked under your arm.
Glitter pen.
Bedazzled lamp.
What next, a disco ball?
You open the door, and Midoriya's warning to squint is remembered too late as a blast of light assaults your retinas. You end up stumbling back and, to make matters worse, the lamp drops from your hold and crushes your foot. Midorya tries to console you as you clutch your hurt limb, the boy growing nervous as you spew curses left and right.
“ACK—! JESUS FUCK!” You shout while clutching your hurt foot. “I HATE THAT STUPID ASS LAMP!”
“Ooh,” Mina marvels, eyes sparkling as she watches you hop around on one leg. “English cusswords!”
Kirishima sends his friend a curious look. “What’re they saying?”
“Fuck… Ass...”
“...That’s it?”
Mina shrugs. “I was failing English last year, remember?”
“Bro. You seriously need to expand your vocab.”
Midoriya ends up delivering the lamp in your stead, tottering into Aoyama’s dorm with a strong squint while you furiously rub at your eyes. Mina and Kirishima do their best to console you, though you assure them you're just fine. (Not that you can say the same for your peepers. You're pretty sure even the backs of your eyeballs are dry.)
"I'm so sorry!" Midoriya apologizes as you all head back towards the stairs. Worried, he chews at his lip while watching you attempt to blink away the dark spots dancing across your eyes. "I-I should have warned you better, I didn't think Aoyama's room would be that bright!"
Behind you, Mina huffs in light irritation. "See? I told you guys we should have put up some sorta warning outside their room! One of these days some poor soul’s gonna wander in there and come out without working eyeballs!”
"Brokoyami went in there a bunch last year, and his eyes seem just fine,” Kirishima points out. At the weird looks the rest of you send his way, the redhead only shrugs. “What? I can give out manly nicknames, too!”
"Okay, Kiri, no. And anyways, Tokoyami was probably too busy starting at Aoyama to go too blind."
"Staring at Aoyama? Why?"
"Weeeeell," Mina starts, and you don't even need to turn around to sense the mischievous smirk spreading out across her face. "Crows DO like shiny things, if you get what I mean... Wink wink, nudge nudge!"
"Huh... Maybe he should try asking Aoyama to switch wardrobes!" Kirishima chuckles, the implication behind his friend's words bouncing right off his spiky head.
A long, quiet sigh. "Friends with a himbo. Woe is me."
"What's a himbro? Sounds like my kinda guy! We should totally hang sometime!"
"...Nevermind."
You glanced over at Midoriya, your vision now returned for the most part. He’s sending you not-so-discreet looks of concern.
“I’m fine,” you assure, snickering at the startled look on the boy’s face once you catch him in the act. "My eyes still kinda sting, but I’m sure it’s fine. I think we're almost done sorting all the luggage anyways."
You start down the stairs, only to stumble when your foot misses the next step by an inch or so. Midoriya's hand on your arm thankfully stops your fall.
You turn to the boy, taken aback by the way his emerald eyes shine with resolve. "I'm sure you can take care of yourself just fine, but just in case... Maybe I should stick around you just a little longer?” He swiftly backtracks at your wide-eyed expression. “J-Just to make sure! And only if you're okay with it!"
That last part is squeaked rather than said, and you just barely stop yourself from giggling at the boy's expense.
"That sounds super chivalrous of you, Midoribro!" Kirishima grins, fist clenched in determination. "Count me in!"
Mina sends her friend a flat look. Then she turns to you, her features doing a 180 as she sends you a sunny smile. "But hey, I'll come too! As if I'd pass up the opportunity to spend more time with a total cutie!"
A chuckle escapes you. You glance away, humming loudly as you mime thinking really hard about it. "Well, I guess if you guys really don't mind..." A grin slews itself across your face as you look back towards your classmates, a twinkle in your eyes.
"Last one to deliver the most stuff to floor five has to buy the others cookies from the lunchroom!"
And with that, you bolt down the stairs, leaving the other three to gawp after your retreating form.
"Hey!" Mina complains as she and the boys spring into action. She bolts down the steps with her tongue stuck out towards the other two as she passes by.
Kirishima frowns as he thunders after. “Unmanly move there, Ashibro!”
“Okay, now I HOPE you lose, Kiri!”
“Um, guys—”
"NO RUNNING IN THE DORMS!"
"Sorry Iida!" Midoriya shouts in apology as he and his friends clamber into the living area. The distraction is all it takes and all too soon, the broccoli-headed boy finds himself stumbling over his own feet. The floor looms closer as he falls—
Midoriya blinks down at the hardwood just barely touching the tip of his nose. He turns his head to find you grasping onto his shirt for the second time that day, but by the back this time.
The boy can’t help but smile as you send him a knowing wink.
"Psssst! Midoriya!"
You and your classmate glance over to find Lemon He— Uhh, Kaminari (plus a few others) watching the scene with wide eyes. The "blonde" cups the sides of his mouth, as if the action would help quiet his unusually loud whisper. "Trade spots with me real quick?"
"...What?"
"C'mon, man! I've got this really killer pickup line that I've been dying to use and this is the perfect set up!"
"Um, Kaminari, I don't think—"
"It goes like, 'Oops! I think I've fallen for y—'"
"SHUT UP KAMINARI!" The whole room collectively shouts.
You end up being the one losing the bet, much to your utter disappointment.
Maybe you were still winded from Aizawa's earlier apprehension test, or maybe that peek into Aoyama's room had affected your vision more than you thought. Either way, the others are ecstatic and don't hesitate to remind you of the stakes of your bet.
"Get me an M&M cookie, and I swear I'll love you forever," Mina sings as she passes by, winking once more before heading up the stairs to deliver a bag marked for the fourth floor.
"I like white macadamia nut!" Shooting you one last grin, Kirishima quickly follows after his pink friend. "Sweet and hard, just like me!"
You hear Mina sigh. "Context, Kiri. Context. We'll see you at lunch, Cutie!"
You playfully roll your eyes at the pair. Hands on your hips, you let your gaze sweep over the expanse of the living area and the handful of students left in it.
During the duration of the bet, it seemed the rest of 2-A had already made some serious headway dispersing the rest of the cargo to the rest of the building. Those unloading the moving vans had long since migrated inside to help with the efforts. Now there were only a handful of items left on the first floor and a majority of students had already left to set up their own rooms, leaving only you and a few others to deliver the remaining things.
You bend down to pick up the box of records on the ground before you— The last item marked for the third floor. Box in arm, you shoot a smile at the boy standing patiently beside you. "What about you, Midoriya? Any cookie preferences I should know about?"
"Chocolate chips are fine with me.”
"You sure? You can pick something else, I don't mind the price."
Clutching the handle of a nearby suitcase, your classmate's lips tilt up earnestly. "No, it's fine! I like chocolate chip."
"If you say so." Shrugging, your eyes wander down to the suitcase in the other’s possession. It's mostly blue, with lots of little chibi All Might's striking various heroic poses all throughout. You snort when you spot the name taped to the front. "Someone's a fan."
At this point the shade of red creeping up the other's face was a familiar sight. Midoriya was easily flustered, you found. "We-Well I just admire him a lot, that's all!"
"I'll say."
"But just the normal amount of admiration! I mean he IS the Number One Hero here in Japan, so it's only natural that I'm such a fan! And sure, we do share a special bond since he's kinda like my mentor, but he's a teacher here at U.A. so I'm not really the only one he's mentoring at the moment and also that special bond I mentioned earlier well I wouldn't really say it's SPECIAL special I just meant it in the sense that me and him spend a lot of time together NOT THAT THAT'S ANYTHING TO BE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT IN ANY WAY I JUST MEANT—!"
"Oooooookkkaaayyyyyy," you drawl with wide eyes, slapping a hand down on the other's shoulder in an attempt to sooth his frantic (and definitely not suspicious) meltdown.
Rambling put to a halt, Midoriya's cheeks turn even warmer as his eyes meet yours. His embarrassment is clear as a strangled noise squirks free from his throat.
"S-Sorry," he squeaks, "I just... Like All Might a lot...?"
You spare a glance down at the suitcase beside the boy. "Uh, yeah, I could tell. Now come on," you usher as you start making your way towards the stairs. "We've still got a little while before lunch, right? I think I'll take a nap in the meantime. What about you?"
"I'll probably give my mom a call once my room's set up." Grateful for the change of subject, Midoriya smiles fondly. “My mom will probably freak out if I don’t.”
"Shit," you curse as the two of you clamber up the first steps. "I should probably do that too. I was gonna do it this morning but, uh... Well, Aizawa Sensei woke me up at six a.m., believe it or not."
The other releases a dry chuckle. "Yup, that’s out Sensei."
Soon enough the both of you arrive on the second floor. Midoriya steps out into the hall, towards his dorm room, while you continue up the stairs. You shoot a quick grin down towards the broccoli-headed boy as you hike onwards, calling out, "See you later, neighbor!"
Your classmate stops outside his door. At his confused expression, you motion towards the room just across the hall from his own.
You try not to laugh too hard as the boy's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
Double checking the details scrawled onto the box in your arms, you clamber up the steps before eventually reaching the third floor. It doesn't take long before you find your destination. First room to your left, the name on the door matches the name written on the box. As you step towards the room, recognition sparks within you at the sight of all the band stickers slapped along the door's surface.
You decided to knock instead of just barging in, assuming that the owner was already inside. Moments after you do, the door gently swings open.
A familiar face greets you.
Confused, you quickly eye the name on the box in your arms. You stare at the girl standing before you. "Yaomomo?"
Yaoyurozu responds, just as surprised, "Oh, hello. It's nice to see you again."
Your lips curve up in a slight smile. "Same here, uh—" Lifting up the box in your arms for emphasis, you ask, "You wouldn't happen to know a... Kyoka Jirou, would you?"
The girl's eyes briefly widen in understanding before she gives a small nod. Turning her head, she glances back into the room and she calls out, "Kyoka, the last of your things are here! Would you like me to bring them in for you?"
"No thanks, babe," a voice calls from further inside the room. "I'll be there in a sec. Lemme just finish setting up my drum kit real quick— Shit!"
The sound of something heavy hitting the ground emits past the doorway, followed by a few muttered curses. Yaomomo smiles, her head shaking fondly as she turns back to you. "I saw you helping out with the luggage earlier. Thank you, by the way. You really didn't have to, nobody would have held it against you if you felt like relaxing in your dorm instead."
"Iida said the same thing, actually," you recall with amusement. (Great minds think alike, you suppose.) "And like I told him, it's no problem. It was a class effort, and last I checked, I count as part of the class."
Yaomomo's eyes gain that familiar sparkle. "Yes, you are."
Suddenly, your attention is stolen away by the shuffling of approaching feet.
"Sometimes I hate that bass drum," grumbles a familiar voice. Someone makes their way from behind your vice class rep, the tall girl stepping over to make room as the shorter girl comes to a stop just beside her.
Dark eyes immediately meet yours. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey." You lift the box in your arms, once again drawing attention to it. "This is for you," you explain as Long Earlobes takes the package gratefully.
"Oh, let me introduce you two!" Yaomomo pipes up. Bright-eyed, your classmate motions towards Long Earlobes with one hand, the other placed gently upon the shorter girl's shoulders. "You already know who King is, Kyoka. And King, this is my wonderful partner, Kyoka Jirou. Isn’t she just lovely? I'm incredibly lucky!"
Long Earlobes, or Jirou as you now know her, grows pink at her girlfriend's kind words. "Babe, c'mon. I'm the lucky one here."
"That’s not true."
"What? Says who?"
"Me. I’m the class Representative, afterall. My word is law.”
A snort from the shorter girl. “You sound like a dictator.”
“Oh?” Yaoyurozu hums playfully as she leans her head atop the other’s. “Are you saying you wouldn’t love me if I was a dictator?”
Jirou rolls her eyes but can’t help how the edge of her lips lift up. “I guess not.”
The two exchange fond looks, giggling quietly to each other...
Meanwhile you're standing across from them, feeling like the ultimate third wheel as both girls seem to forget about your existence altogether.
“Okay… Cool." You jab a thumb in the direction of the stairs behind you. The smile plastered across your face is a tad awkward as you say, "So, I'll just get going then. Great meeting you, Jirou."
Your classmates turn bashful at the reminder of your presence. Yaomomo seems to be the least bothered out of the two, that bright smile only turning a tad sheepish even despite the color on her cheeks, meanwhile her girlfriend is flustered enough for the both of them.
You thought Midoriya was the only one capable of turning that pink.
Apparently you were wrong.
"Right, um, sorry. Thanks for bringing my stuff. Nice meeting you too..." Jirou's shoulders bunch up, her introvert showing as she all but tries to hide behind the box in her arms.
"Forgive her," Yaomomo says in a near whisper, both hands soothing over her partner's tense shoulders. "She's a bit shy."
"Momo!"
The taller only shrugs, gently plucking the box from the other's grasp before disappearing back into the room. "I'm sorry if the truth hurts you, Kyoka."
"Oh my God—" Jirou grumbles out something unintelligible as her girlfriend leaves. She sighs before lifting her gaze up to meet yours. Despite being red in the face, she summons up enough courage to say, "So... I heard you ran into Kaminari earlier."
You hum. "You mean before or after class?"
"...You ran into him more than once?"
"Well yeah. We, uh, 'met' out in the hall before homeroom. He rated me a 7 out of 10."
The girl across you narrows her eyes. The air around her seems to darken as she asks in a low tone, "And after class?"
You purse your lips.
Hmmm… Jirou was giving off serious chokehold vibes right now, and you had a strong suspicion that Lemon Head was the one in danger of being on the receiving end. Keeping silent could mean saving him from his friend's(?) wrath...
You smile. "He tried to use a pickup line on me, actually."
(Lemon Head had it coming. Rating people on their looks was gross.)
((No, you weren't salty about the rating he gave you. Who said that? Shut up!))
Yaomomo returns, stepping beside her glowering girlfriend with a curious glance. "Kaminari?"
You blink. “How'd you know?"
"Call it an educated guess."
You leave for your own dorm shortly after— Though not before Jirou promises to ' take care ' of Kaminari for you… You made a mental reminder not to get on the girl's bad side. Yaomomo had even invited you to join them both for lunch, but you had politely declined. You already had lunch plans.
Arms spread, you allow yourself to flop backwards onto your mattress. With a content sigh, you spend some time sorting through the events of your (so far) very eventful day. Finally meeting your classmates, that stupid apprehension test, working with the others to get everyone's luggage sorted, making new friends, almost losing your eyesight and then admiring the quality of glitterpen Aoyama had used for their door...
Not to mention that one weird conversation that followed after.
( "The last time I tried to ask where they got it, or at least what brand, they just responded in French and tried to feed me cheese!"
"Tell me about it!"
"Preach, man."
Mina and Kirishima look to their green-haired classmate with nods of understanding, and you hesitantly join along, not wanting to be the odd one out.
Ah yes. That very relatable moment when your classmate speaks French and proceeds to feed you cheese. So annoying. You hate it when that happens .)
A quiet buzz draws you out from your reminiscing. Lifting your head, you glance over to where the screen of your phone is alight with notifications. You scoot further up the bed to reach it as the sheets beneath you crinkle.
Clone: Uncle Keone is back and very, very drunk.
Clone: [sobbingdrunkuncle.jpeg]
Clone: He won't stop crying about Lani. Please help me.
You: Why are YOU the one deeling with him? Where's everyone else?
Clone: *Dealing.
You: Leave the annoying shit to Niko pls
Clone: Mom's on patrol, Mami's out at her bookclub, Niko's probably in some dark corner playing Minecraft and I'm in the kitchen because I was waiting for a pizza.
Clone: Doorbell rang a while ago. Spoiler alert, it was NOT the pizza guy.
Clone: Just a drunk, sad uncle.
You: What the hell
You: The pizza never came???
Clone: No, it did.
You: Oh cool what kind
Clone: Veggie Lovers, obviously.
Clone: WAIT
Clone: We're getting off track.
Clone: Just call Lani, please. Tell her to call or something bef
Clone: Oh fuck, nevermind, he's already crying onto my pizza...
You: Actually I hear adding a little salt to veggie lovers is supposed to make it taste better
Clone: JUST
Clone: CALL OUR COUSIN
Clone: DAMN IT
You: OKAY jesus fine
With a good-natured eyeroll, you swipe your thumbs across the screen a couple times before opening up another text thread.
You: Call your dad pls
LAMElani: (・・ ) ?
You: He's drunk and misses you a lot and won't stop crying on Sammy's pizza
LAMElani: "wont stop crying on sammys pizza"
LAMElani: (⊙_⊙) lmao that sounds like some kinda euphamism
You: EW??
You: NO????
You: Just call your dad god damnit
LAMElani: i legit got off the phone with him like 20 mins ago??
LAMElani: wdym ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)
You: I think you missed the part where I mentioned he's drunk
LAMElani: siiiiiiiiiiiiigh
LAMElani: ヽ(ー_ー )ノ ok then
You: Pls don't type the word out like that
LAMElani: hope my HOT DATE wont mind me being a little late to call dear old father
LAMElani: oh yeah did i mention i had a HOT DATE cuz i do (๑˘︶˘๑)
You: Fantastic
LAMElani: ok imma go call dad up real quick
LAMElani: dont be surprised if i dont pick up any calls/texts later ill probs be too busy catching hot puss ok BYEEEEE~ o(>ω<)o
Dropping the phone in your hands like it was on fire, you swiftly recoil back on the bed, your face contorted in pure disgust. Panicked, you swipe at your device on the mattress and watch it fall to the floor a few feet away. You fall face-first onto your pillow with a shudder.
You were seriously gonna kill that woman one of these days.
Toying with her blonde locks, Pony walks through the halls at a much slower pace than usual.
It was just after class, and the entirety of 2-B was heading for the dorm buildings to set up their rooms and before heading to lunch afterwards. The walk through the halls was a slow-going process as the majority of U.A. seemed to have the same idea, the spacious hallways overflowing with students all heading in the same direction.
The students of 2-B kept huddled together as they made their way through the fray. Their conversations were drowned out among the lively commotion of the crowd around them, though none seemed to mind much. Pony was especially thankful. The unintentional distraction allowed her and her friend to nearly disappear, the two of them falling behind without anybody really noticing.
"Should we tell them?" The blond asks. Her tone is uncertain as she watches her classmates stroll up ahead, and her eyes flicker from the back of one head to another.
Beside her, Rin looks just as lost. "I... I don't know. Maybe we won't have to? They'll probably find out for themselves eventually, right?"
"But what if they don't? I mean, not to name names or anything but like, some of them aren't exactly detectives!"
"Yeah. Good point."
"And besides," Pony continues, her hands wringing at her hair anxiously, "what if they DO find out but also find out that we found out before they found out? Then they might get mad at us for lying to them! I don't want them to be angry with us, Rin, Kodai literally just started talking to me in full sentences!"
Rin blinks. Right, he was just going to… Skim over that first part for now. He shrugs, trying to sound confident as he says, “It's not technically lying if we don't say anything...?"
But the excuse sounds lame even to his own ears.
The flat look his classmate fixes on him is no help. "If we're not telling the truth then it's still lying, Rin."
The boy tries not to deflate too much at being called out.
Pony scoots closer, avoiding collision with another, much larger student whose head looked suspiciously like a Lego block. "I think we should tell them," the blonde states as she comes shoulder-to-shoulder with her friend. "They deserve to know. And plus I’m like, super bad at keeping secrets anyways."
Rin meets the girl's pleading blue eyes head on. He concedes with a nod, ignoring the distant voice whispering doubts in the back of his mind. "Alright, but we’re not telling them today. It's too soon."
"Right. Umm… What about tomorrow?"
"Still too soon."
"The day after?"
"No."
"The day after after?"
Rin shakes his head with a sigh. "You're not getting any warmer, Pony." The boy glances down at the tip of his dress shoes for a moment, silent as he ponders to himself. "We should also think about, uh... You-Know-Who's feelings, too."
Pony perks up at the (not quite) mention of your name. Resisting the urge to tease her classmate, the blonde merely asks, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it doesn't seem like they're aware about the both of us being their... You know. And I'm not sure it's fair to tell the others without at least consulting them about it first. That’d be…”
“Pretty crappy?"
Rin nods wordlessly.
The subject of soulmates had never come up between the three of you in the past, but to be fair, nobody had been in a rush to bring it up (at least not as a group. Pony seemed pretty adamant to talk about it when you weren’t around). Rin was obviously aware of his own reasons for dancing around the subject, but you, on the other hand…
Your reasons were unclear.
With a thoughtful nod, Pony hums as she watches her classmates turn a corner some feet away. She moves to do the same, her shoulder finally parting from the boy walking beside her as she does so. Those blue eyes of hers turn sad as she murmurs, "Gosh, you're totally right. I didn't even think about what they might want… Ugh, I’m a bad friend."
"Hey, no you’re not," Rin assures. He pats his friend's back in an act of comfort. "I hadn't thought about it until now either," the boy admits guiltily.
"...Let's wait a month."
"What?"
Rin nearly trips over his own feet as his classmate suddenly grabs him by the arm and drags him over to the nearest wall, away from the hustle and bustle of oncoming students. The blonde stands before him, her brow frowning in determination. "One month. We wait one month and then tell them."
"Our classmates? Uh, I think we might need a little longer than that."
"No, I mean Bestie! Or You-Know-Who ," the girl gruffs in a crude imitation of the other’s voice. Rin frowns in indignation.
"I don't sound like that."
"You totally do."
"W-Whatever!" Waving away the sight of his classmate's forming smirk, the boy with slitted eyes raises a brow at the other. "Why one month? What are we doing in that time?"
"Getting them warmed up to our classmates! If we can get them to bond with the others, then maybe it'll make it easier when we eventually drop the news!"
"...And if we can't do it in a month?"
"Then we wait another month. And then another one after that if we need to," Pony explains. Her smile is sincere as she gazes into her friend's eyes imploringly. "We'll take as much time as we need, wait however long it takes. No rushing things. I promise."
A small laugh escapes Rin as he shakes his head, the corner of his mouth turning up. "You're being surprisingly smart about this."
"Hey!"
"But alright, we'll wait a month," he agrees. After a moment of thought, he adds, "isn't one month a bit too optimistic, though? I mean, do you seriously think (____)'s name isn't going to be mentioned around our classmates at all for the next few weeks? Them transfering over to U.A. isn't exactly small news..."
Pony purses her lips at that. It was true that your arrival had caused a bit of a stir among the student body (and faculty too, she's sure of it). Though your name hadn't been made public, it would only be a matter of time.
Especially knowing how NOSY certain students could be--- Pony's classmates included.
"I guess we'll just have to hope for the best...?" Pony offered her friend with an unsure smile and a meek shrug.
Rin gave the girl an unimpressed stare. "This isn' another homework assignment we're talking about here, you know."
"HEY!"
Ignoring her indignant look, Rin figures it's his turn to take the blonde by the arm, tugging her along as they continue their way down the hall to catch up with the rest of their classmates. He wonders if their absence has been noticed by now. Hopefully their classmates won't ask too many questions if that’s the case. Rin was pretty good at thinking on the spot, but Pony...
Well, she wasn't exaggerating about being a bad liar.
The two make their way forward, the halls still bustling with students but not nearly as crowded as before. Keeping pace with the boy beside her, Pony ponders aloud, "So like, what do you think their Soul Connection is? Do they have our names on their skin like we do?"
Rin shakes his head. "I don't think so. They would have said something on day one if that were the case."
"Really? You think so?"
Rin remains silent at that. His expression remains the same, even as that voice from before starts to whisper even louder, its voice rising as it comes to the forefront of his mind.
Either you truly were oblivious, or just really good at pretending to be…
(He hopes it's the former.)