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It starts with an innocuous suggestion from the vice class representative. It's lunchtime on a Saturday, so the common room is fairly empty - most students go out for lunch at the weekends, often with the family members they're living away from for the first time. Among the remaining students are Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Ashido, Iida and Kirishima. The latter two have spent the morning exercising, while Ashido's been showing the other two the wonders of reality television. The door slamming open heralds Iida's arrival, ripping Todoroki's eyes from the episode of Terrace House they've all been engrossed in.
"Phew!" Kirishima exclaims happily, towel slung over his bare shoulders. "Nothing like a good run to get the juices flowing!"
Ashido screws up her nose.
"Indeed!" Iida booms, wiping his glasses on the hem of his shirt. "What are we all up to?"
"Watching Terrace House." Ashido gestures vaguely at the tv, "The rich kids never watched anything good. I bet you haven't either, Emergency Exit." she snorts, seeing the blank look on Iida's face.
"All these men are terrible." mumbles Todoroki, eyes locked on the screen.
"Oh!" Yaoyorozu jumps, clapping her hands together briefly. "I meant to ask you something, Iida, as our class representative." She casts about for a minute, before pulling a notepad out of the couch cushions.
"Some of us were thinking about arranging a training exercise with some of the Shinketsu High kids from the provisional license exam," She says, tone suddenly business-like, leafing through the notepad. "A couple people brought it up - I have the names down here - but I was thinking we could run a proper poll of the class before bringing it up with Aizawa-sensei."
Nobody misses the look that passes over both Kirishima and Iida's faces at the mention of Shinketsu High.
"Excellent idea!" Iida yells, even louder than usual, and Kirishima butts in, a little too rushed, "Because they're so strong!".
"Yes, that is the idea." Yaoyorozu says warily, eyeing the two as she makes a note on the pad. "I take it you two are in?"
Iida and Kirishima having left to shower and change, and Ashido's attention turned back to the incredibly awkward attempted kiss occurring on screen, Yaoyorozu sighs a little and settles back into the couch.
"What was all that about?" she murmurs, as Ashido kicks a leg into her lap.
"Inasa Yoarashi's hot." Todoroki replies flatly, and winces as the kiss attempt goes from bad to worse, to the delight of the hosts.
"Oh." Yaoyorozu says lightly, leaning into Ashido's shoulder just a little.
It's a few weeks before the training day can be arranged, what with the conflicting schedules of both schools, and ultimately most of class 1-A, some of 1-B and a handful of Shinketsu High kids gather in a gym on UA's campus after hours, supervised by Aizawa and a Shinketsu High teacher. They're fully aware that they're only there on the off-chance someone tries to settle a score from the provisional license exam, so Aizawa's brought along what is almost certainly a stack of papers to grade, if Kaminari's nervous glances are anything to go by.
Inasa had come in like a hurricane, clearly ecstatic at the opportunity to train with the UA students, dragging with him six or seven classmates, each looking distinctly windswept. An observant onlooker might have noticed Iida perking up at his entrance, becoming a little more animated in his gestures, a little louder in his proclamations, and stocking up on orange juice. They might also have noticed Kirishima punching clean through a slab of concrete with his hardened fist when he noticed Inasa look his way. That one was a little harder to miss. Bakugou certainly hadn't, his eyes narrowing, teeth grinding. Ashido almost cries laughing.
"Is it just me, or is Kirishima, like, seriously fired up today?" Kaminari asks, deftly shaking sparks from his hands. Sero twists to look over his shoulder, taking his attention off the Shinketsu meatball guy he's been trying to trap to glance in Kirishima's direction. What he sees is little more than a blur of shattered concrete and flying fists, and he lets out a low whistle.
"Wonder what's got him so wound up.".
At roughly the same time, Iida skids to a halt only to launch himself into the air from a standing jump, engines roaring. Midoriya gapes, his attention completely diverted. He knows Iida's been trying to work on his manoeuvrability in the air, but he hasn't ever... thrown himself into practice with such enthusiasm before - it's almost reckless. Uraraka gasps, and throws herself up to him to help out, leaving Midoriya on the ground a little lost for words. That is, until he hears a snort behind him, and turns to see Todoroki watching Iida with barely concealed amusement. A whisper in his ear, and Midoriya blushes. At least now he knows why Iida's been acting strangely.
Late that night, on the train home from UA, Inasa Yoarashi stretches his tired legs and leans back against the seat. The carriage is almost empty, his classmates having all gone their separate ways. The sound of the train is just a gentle hum, fluorescent lights oddly soft in the twilight. His mind wanders back to their UA opponents, in particular a young man whose passion and devotion to his school was deeply admirable and plain to see.
He was cute, too.
Inasa pulls his collar up around his face, and tries not to think about powerful engines, and a man silhouetted against the sky.
The next few weeks are, frankly, hilarious.
A couple days after their training, the UA students who had participated had all added Inasa Yoarashi, as well as a few others, as contacts in their phones, out of courtesy more than anything else. At least, this is what Iida told himself, drafting and re-drafting a text to Inasa. The novelty of Iida's crush had mostly worn off, and though Bakugou was still acting, in a word, pissy about Kirishima's brief infatuation, the group had largely moved on. Unfortunately, the people who loved Iida most weren't going to let him off the hook that easily.
"Let me see!" Uraraka grabbed fruitlessly at Iida's phone, held high above his head. "I need to know what you're gonna say to him!"
"Uraraka, even I don't know what I'm going to say to him." Iida lets out a noisy sigh, worry pinching his brow. "We've only talked once. I don't know if he even remembers who I am."
"Well, why don't you assume he doesn't?" Midoriya says thoughtfully. Uraraka shoots him a dirty look.
"From what I know of the guy, he's straightforward and earnest, like you. He probably wouldn't appreciate any, uh, intricate... flirting?"
Iida's shoulders slump in relief. Uraraka uses the opportunity to snatch Iida's phone and select Inasa's contact.
"Alright, since either of you attempting to flirt is gonna be an ugly affair I vote Iida just acts like himself!" She says, handing Iida's phone back.
"Seconded."
Iida sighs again, and starts to type.
Inasa's phone buzzes.
Any self-respecting hero-to-be keeps on top of his communication. He's clear and well-written, responds to any correspondence as soon as possible, and maintains an appropriate tone. While Inasa's style of communication tends to veer a bit towards the "overexcited", he tries to stick by these rules, despite his classmates stubborn adherence to less polite language. For once, he's gratified to see a like-minded individual has texted him, albeit one he's never talked to before. As he reads the third text (marked "cont." and numbered for convenience and clarity), he finds himself smiling, and an image leaps unbidden to his mind of a young man speeding across the track. He shakes his head a little, finishes reading, and begins to formulate a response.
"So how long have you two been talking?" Todoroki's smirk is a little too knowing, one eyebrow raised as if he knows all the intricacies of romance, and did not learn everything he knows from watching The Bachelor.
"It's all perfectly above board, I assure you." Iida replies, tone clipped, as if Todoroki had accused him of drug smuggling. He fidgets with his glasses before continuing.
"We've just been getting to know each other a little - it's important as a hero to maintain good relations with your peers - co-operation - Todoroki, please stop laughing!"
"Stop teasing him." Midoriya mumbles, nursing a cup of tea. "It's fine to have a crush, Iida. You don't have to explain yourself."
Iida buries his head in his hands, ears burning.
When the two agree to meet, or rather, to "participate in a bonding activity to bridge the gap between our distinguished schools" (except it's just the two of them and they're visiting a museum of heroics), Tensei realises he's never seen his little brother so nervous.
"It's completely irrational to be worried!" The younger Iida shouts, as if to dispel his own anxiety.
"Right."
"It's simply a - an interest meeting!"
"Okay."
"..."
Tensei sighs. He wheels himself a little closer to his brother and reaches out a hand.
"Listen, you don't have to, but could I see your messages with him? I'll tell you if you have anything to be worried about."
Iida glances at his older brother uncertainly, but digs his phone from his jeans pocket and hands it to him.
It's just about all Tensei can manage not to burst out laughing reading the letters the two have been sending each other. Jesus. They're perfect for each other. He schools his face into a neutral expression (a skill hard won from attending UA at the same time as Present "I Bet I Could Scream Loud Enough To Shatter Glass And I'm Going To Try It In This Greenhouse" Mic) and gives Tenya his phone back.
"You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Tenya. He wants to meet you. The real you. You're going to be fine."
He sees his younger brother visibly exhale, and smiles.
When Iida and Inasa meet, they call out, wave, there's a brisk jog to close the distance, a firm handshake that lingers a little too long, an enthusiastic discussion of their plan for the afternoon, and a determination to carry out that plan come hell or high water.
Inasa values passion, and he doesn't believe in hiding his emotions out of fear. He's refreshingly blunt, to Iida, and he finds himself completely and wonderfully sure of where he stands. They do not believe in inappropriate "PDA", so they hold hands only on the walk back to the train station, where the path is deserted. Each finds his hand remains pleasantly warm long after he's returned home.
Iida lays out the precise terms of their relationship in a series of 19 texts for Inasa's approval, which Inasa subsequently prints out and displays on the wall of his bedroom, certain lines neatly highlighted - the ones that made him smile. The Shinketsu High student visits UA often, supervised visits given the security risks, which for any other couple would probably have been more of a problem. Instead, after declaring to the world that his passion for his boyfriend (Iida chokes) outweighs his passion for his school, Inasa gives Iida a chaste peck on the cheek, spins on his heel and marches back to his school, where he enrols himself in detention for engaging in a public display of affection and for disrespecting Shinketsu High. Iida requires an hour in the nurse's office to recover. He is extremely, extremely happy.