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February
Izuku applauded himself of looking ridiculous on his first day at college, and he hadn’t even finished high school yet! This was just a general introduction. Not that many people were paying attention to him slipping and sliding over the frozen grounds, most of them were wrestling with the same issue. The campus hadn’t prepared themselves for the change in weather, though they at least could have put on a safety warning.
There was a yelp, and Izuku saw someone go down, dragging her friend down. If he didn't fear for his life, he would have laughed.
He was halfway across the campus; arms were thrown out for balance when he lost his footing. After flailing for a few seconds, unsuccessfully managing to gain balance, Izuku fell backwards.
Instead of falling on his bum, which Izuku had expected, he fell against somebody. But instead of dragging this person down, as he just had seen happening, he just leaned against someone’s solid chest, their arms wrapped around his chest to keep him from slipping.
Looking up, his gaze was met by a pair of startling eyes. One was a grey, and the other was turquoise, surrounded by a faded, red mark. It reminded him of spilt wine.
“You’re okay?” the person asked, breaking eye-contact.
Izuku nodded.
The person helped him to get back on his feet before letting go. Feeling like it was impolite to not at least thank them, Izuku carefully turned around.
This guy hadn’t any right to be out here. He was criminally beautiful, pale skin, mesmerising eyes and fluffy, pink hair sticking from underneath his beany. He was dressed pretty light for the weather, though his boots seemed much better fitted for the treacherous ground than Izuku’s sneakers.
“Thank you,” Izuku bowed carefully. “For catching me.”
The guy offered him an awkward smile. “It’s fine; the ground is slippery.”
As if I didn’t know that , Izuku’s mind supplied, but he didn’t voice that.
Checking his phone, Izuku realised he was going to be late at this rate.
“I have to go,” he blurted out, trying not to make a too abrupt movement. “Thanks!”
Izuku caught a brief glimpse of surprise but had no more time to take it all in. He hoped that he would make it in time without slipping for the second time. He doubted that the next time there was a pretty guy to catch him.
He managed in time. Actually, he was one of the first people. The rest was still trying to cross the campus to get there. It made him regret not talking more to the pretty guy. When else would he get such an opportunity?
April
Izuku was back on the college campus, now for an introduction for his major, and this time he didn't fear for his life. The campus was bustling with students, the weather was warm and sunny, and he was going to meet potential classmates. And, in the back of his mind, he wondered if he could meet the guy from his first visit again. Maybe he attended this college? And how many people looked like they just straight got off the front page of a modelling magazine.
But there was no pink-haired student insight, and Izuku saw through his introduction feeling slightly sad. However, his disappointment was nothing compared to the excitement he felt. He finally could go to college, away from his high school, moving on his own and getting a bit of freedom. He had been fortunate to have a pretty solid scholarship (mostly because he had good grades), and a place to stay out close to campus.
Chatting with some of his future classmates, Izuku didn’t pay an awful lot of attention descending the stairs. In true Midoriya Izuku fashion, he took a miss-step, slipping. Why did Newton hate him so much? He worked hard, he loved his mother and tutored a few kids in high school. He didn’t deserve to fall so often.
Maybe he should have latched onto one of his future classmates, but he was too kind for that. He wasn’t going to drag anyone down with him.
However, instead of cracking his skull open on the stairs, he was caught by a pair of strong arms. They had hooked themselves underneath Izuku’s sweaty armpits (poor person).
“Be careful,” the person grunted, steadying Izuku on the step.
“Thank you,” Izuku said, turning around to meet his rescuer.
It was the same guy as before. He was wearing a plain t-shirt with the logo of a high school in the corner. Izuku didn’t recognise it, but that probably meant this guy wasn’t a college student yet. Which meant meeting again was a bit weird. Without the beany, his hair, dyed pink as the middle part was glowing a little red, was put up on a bun. Why was this guy so handsome?
“Do you fall often?” the guy asked. Seconds later, red started to stain his cheeks.
For you? Always , his mind said, but Izuku just managed to smile awkwardly. “Not often, no.”
The guy looked like he wanted to say more, but instead of words he just stared at Izuku. He probably thought that Izuku was a complete idiot.
Squeaking, Izuku bowed in apology, blurted a goodbye and caught up with the rest.
“You know him?” one of the girls asked.
“Not really,” Izuku admitted, wishing that the conversation would change the topic. “I met him last time I was here.”
“I think he likes you,” another girl said. She looked back at where the guy previously stood. “He is still looking at you.”
“He probably thinks I’m an idiot for tripping twice.”
July
Izuku had yet to move into the dorms, but he had decided to explore the local shopping mall in the city. It would be useful to know where to find what, especially he would be drowning in work once college started. He wasn’t ready to underestimate it quite yet, as he needed his scholarship.
Checking out the different shop windows, keeping in mind what he deemed interesting and what wasn’t—his eyes immediately were drawn to the comic book shop—he didn’t notice the ‘slippery’ warning, left behind by the cleaning crew.
Losing his footing, he was quite sure that he was so lucky the third time around. He would finally lose his battle against Newton. Maybe it was fate that decided that he had to fall on his bum at least once this year, and the previous times he had been caught didn’t count.
Turned out, he was lucky third time around. He fell against someone’s chest; an arm curled around his chest.
“Are you okay?” the person asked, and Izuku’s heart basically stopped. No way that it was actually the same guy.
Once he was steady on his feet, Izuku could confirm it was the same guy. He was dressed in a muscle-top and shorts, showing off a well-built frame. His pink hair, this time freshly dyed, was put up in a ponytail. Even sweating he looked beautiful. Though maybe Izuku had a little crush on the guy, despite barely knowing him, and his judgement could be slightly clouded. He might as well be some stalker, seeing as they met so often.
“Ah, yes,” Izuku said. “I’m prone of falling.”
For you, his brain supplied, but Izuku did an excellent job strangling that part of his brain.
“I,” the guy grew flustered. “I was—I wanted—”
The guy spluttered on for a while, before bowing and basically running away.
Izuku stared after him, wondering if he had been that awful to scare off this guy. Looking down at his clothes, he wasn’t wearing anything odd. He was wearing a tank top and shorts, perfect for the warm July weather. Izuku decided to think that the guy had somewhere to be, and couldn’t waste more time on him. That at least didn’t make him feel bad.
August
He was finally moving into the dorms. Well, not technically. He was just checking out his dorm room, figuring out what he could bring along (he probably had to leave a lot of his comic books behind) and what he had to buy though he should have opted to go another day because it has been pouring and he had been huddling into a way too large poncho.
As the elevator was out of commission, and even if it hadn’t Izuku wouldn’t have trusted it with his life, he jogged up the flights of stairs. He had been unfortunate enough to be located on the sixth floor. Though that also meant he had a single room which might be worth it all. It could be lonely, but it also meant he wasn’t stuck with a messy roommate. He on his own was messy enough, and he would rather keep his geekiness to himself.
On his way to the fifth floor, he saw a figure climbing the stairs ahead of him. It probably was a guy, but the long raincoat and hood hid most of it. Perhaps a student like him checking out their dorm room.
Apparently, when Izuku wasn’t messing around with Newton, other people had to take the blame. Fall. Long story short, the person in front of him slipped, their bright yellow boots failing them. (Not that his red sneakers ever saved him).
Without thinking much—he hadn’t a lot of time to think anyway—Izuku caught up with the person, grabbing the railing and wrapped his other arm around the person’s chest and pull them close. He finally understood how the pink-haired guy felt, it was a bit awkward (and weirdly intimate).
“Are you ok—” Izuku’s voice hitched as he made eye contact with the person he just saved.
It was him. The pretty pink-haired guy who had saved him three times from falling on his arse. What were the odds that they met four times? Exactly the four times Izuku was in town nonetheless? It was either fate, or this guy was a stalker, but seeing as the guy looked genuinely shocked and flustered, he probably wasn’t a stalker.
Unable to properly even think about the words to speak, not to mention actually saying those words out loud. So Izuku just steadied the guy and slowly let go.
“Shouto,” the guy said, his face growing redder by the second.
“What?”
The guy needed a few tries until words came out.
“That’s my name.”
Oh. Oh . Did that mean that Shouto was interested? Or was he just being polite as clearly, they would attend the same college? The few seconds he wasted on pondering over it was enough for Shouto to start fidgeting.
“Excuse me; I shouldn’t have—”
“I’m interested,” Izuku blurted. Shouto halted a few steps ahead.
Their gazes met, Shouto’s eyes filled with surprise. “You are?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Shouto just stared at him, slowly pushing his hood off. His hair was tied in a low bun, strands falling around his face. He looked the same as he had done the last time, same eyes, same hair colour, same wine-coloured mark around his left eye. He was still beautiful.
“This?” Shouto said slowly, pointing to his wine-coloured mark.
“Honestly, I don’t mind it.”
Izuku hadn’t put a lot of thought into it. It didn’t deter much from how pretty the guy was, and he found it hard to believe that there were people who actually judged the guy on something like a birthmark. They all had their marks, scars and little quirks, so it wasn’t as if Shouto was a special snowflake.
“I have freckles all over me, it isn’t just the face,” Izuku gestured to his freckles covered face. “And I have scars. So it doesn’t bother me.”
Shouto smiled softly. “I like your freckles; they’re cute.”
Izuku decided to be the better person and not going into discussion with Shouto about this. Because they would be standing here for hours and looking at their mutual interest in one-another, Izuku would like to at least exchange numbers.
Taking out his phone, he climbed a few steps, unlocked his phone, and shoved it into Shouto’s hands.
“Let’s exchange numbers. I mean, college won’t start until September, and I’m not from around here.”
He hoped that he wasn’t overstepping any boundaries.
“Can I at least have your name?”
No way. Feverishly retracting their conversation, Izuku realised he had never introduced himself. His mother would have a fit if she realised how bad his manners were.
“Midoriya Izuku.”
They exchanged phone numbers in silence, though Izuku was quite sure he was producing noise as he was basically vibrating on the spot. He hadn’t any success in dating during high school—mostly because he was awkward. Not that this had changed much, Shouto just didn’t know nerdy Izuku yet. He should treasure this as long as possible.
“Do you want to—”
“I know a coffee shop where we—”
Both laughed. Izuku couldn’t help but adore Shouto’s cute little smile. What was his mother going to say? She would be over the moon to hear that he is finally going on a date.
“I would love to.”