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The Student Hero Exchange Program had captured Uraraka's attention last semester. When she had been nominated to participate in the three-week program, she was a little stunned.
"M-Me?" She pointed to herself when Aizawa-Sensei handed her the letter. She still couldn't believe it. "My grades are nowhere near as high as some of the other students in our class." She looked up from the paper. "I know I'm not one of the Big Three for our class either. Wouldn't it make more sense for Deku, Bakugo, or Todoroki to go? Wouldn't one of them be more suited for--?"
"They have their own positions stationed in other areas of the world as well." Her sensei yawned and cracked his neck. "Every student in Class 1A has been assigned to different schools." He scratched the back of his head. "You and Iida have been assigned to the States."
Uraraka's mouth dropped as she felt excitement building up inside of her. "Iida will be with me?"
"Mmhm," Aizawa grunted. "We want all of you to be paired up with someone we thought you would work along well with. Considering how much progress you and Iida have made since spending more time together, the faculty decided that this would be best for you to visit the same site."
She could feel her heart grow warm in her chest, that warm tingly feeling spreading throughout the rest of her body. Her cheeks glowed a bright pink as her eyes glistened with excitement. This would be her first trip to the States, something she had dreamed about since she was a little girl, though she had never admitted it outloud. A trip to the States would be so expensive, there was no way her parents could afford traveling there...
"I'm very excited, sensei, but I'm not sure if my family could pay for the--"
Aizawa raised his hand to stop her. "There is no need to worry about cost. The school will be funding your whole experience. Travel expenses, meals, board, everything. Money should not be an issue while you are gone." He lowered his hand to her shoulder. "The main concern here is to focus on seeing how other schools train. Our students should take in other cultures' ways of harnessing and improving their quirks. That is the core of what this program is about."
Uraraka sighed with relief and gave him her biggest smile. "Yes, sir! Iida and I will wear our school's name with pride!"
"Ha," a tiny genuine chuckle came from Aizawa's lungs. "He has rubbed off on you, Uraraka."
Uraraka blushed. "I can't deny that...Thank you for this opportunity. Have you told Iida yet?"
Her sensei nodded. "Mmhm, you can make arrangements with him now."
Flash forward to a month later, and Uraraka was here, swaying back and forth to the beat of a song by an American artist.
Her pink dress twirled with the move of her hips as she sipped on her fruit punch. UA graciously paid for her dress. She normally couldn't afford an outfit this lavish but based on how much importance this dance seemed for this particular high school, UA had no problem in offering monetary compensation.
"U-Uraraka..." Iida's voice said beside her.
"Hmm?" She turned to face him. Her hands shot up to her face to hide the surprised look that was more than evident on her face. "Y-You look so handsome! Are you wearing contacts?"
A deep red flush brushed over Iida's cheeks and spilled under the collar of his suit. He looked rather dapper, if Uraraka did say so herself.
His hair was slicked back, glistening with probably a little too much hair gel, but that made it all the more endearing.
The suit he wore was ironed to perfect. Not a single wrinkle, accentuating his firm, muscular figure that Uraraka appreciated so much.
And then there was what he looked like without his glasses. Those deep blue eyes that would make any ocean jealous stared back at her, no longer framed, just pure and unhidden.
"M-My host family recommended I try them...I must say," he coughed, "they were quite hassel to put in."
"Hehe," Uraraka giggled at his confession. "I think you look very distinguished, Iida."
The blush on his face deepened as he let out another cough. "Yes, well, I have to make sure the UA and Iida family names are not tarnished."
"Mmmhm," Uraraka winked. "What do you think about me? Does my dress live up to the UA name?" She did a tiny twirl before grabbing him a small cup of punch.
"Of-Of course you do," Iida took the cup from her with a shaky hand and chugged the punch down in one swallow. "Oh my, I didn't realize how thirsty I was. I think I'll have another."
Iida and Uraraka lingered by the snacks and beverages before one of their American classmates came up to them.
"You guys!" This student had bright blonde hair and piercing purple eyes. She was wearing the biggest smile. Her name was Jenny, quirk: supernatural strength. "They are getting ready to announce the Valentine's Day Sweethearts Award!"
"The what?" Uraraka threw her cup into the recycling bin next to them.
Jenny sighed sweetly. "I told you about this earlier! Our school gives out an award to the cutest couple at the dance every year."
"Oh?" Iida arched an eyebrow, slightly more comfortable now. "Is this something all American schools do?"
The blonde girl shrugged. "I dunno, I don't think so. You mostly do those for prom king and queen, but our school loves this type of stuff!" She grabbed both Uraraka's and Iida's hands. "Now come onnnnnn!"
The two friends didn't have a chance to protest. With Jenny's incredible strength, there was no beating her in this situation.
The loud music started to fade as bright lights directed themselves to one of the school staff members standing on a stage. The rainbow of colors twirling around the gym made it feel like they were in a crystal ball. It felt magical, even with the silly heart balloons floating everywhere.
It seemed to be a pretty standard set up from what Uraraka had seen in movies.
"Alright, alrighty, everyone, settle down," now that Uraraka got a good look at him, it was her homeroom teacher, Mr. Popper (whose quirk was to shoot popcorn from his hands at will!). "We had stations set up around the school for people to vote for the couple they thought would be most deserving of the Valentine's Day Sweethearts award."
The students cheered around them. Jenny was still holding their hands as she shot her arms up. "Wooooo!"
Uraraka laughed at the excitement and joined them. "Yeahhhh!"
Iida just blushed as their peers settled down.
"Now, the couples did not have to be romantically involved, although we know how much you high schoolers love drama..."
The crowd laughed in agreement, some of the students elbowing each other in the ribs or pushing two people together as blushes dusted their faces.
"So, without further ado, the winners of the Valentine's Day Sweetheart award goes tooooo...." Mr. Popper pulled out a bright pink envelope from his pocket and tore it open. A big grin split his face in two as he announced, "Ochako Uraraka and Tenya Iida!"
Uraraka's heart stopped beating for a moment. Her eyes snapped to Iida's.
The heat radiating from Uraraka's cheeks must have been enough to give third degree burns. Iida's to match.
"The couple will now have the first dance of the slow dancing portion of our evening."
The crowd cheered for them before the music started.
"Yeah, Iida!" One boy shouted.
"Finally!" A group of girls cried in chorus.
"It's about time, Uraraka!" The girl who sat next to her in English class laughed.
The UA students had their jaws hanging open as they sputtered out half sentences to try to get out how they felt about the situation.
Jenny giggled at their expressions. "Oh come on, you two." Jenny squeezed their hands once before putting their hands together. "It's been obvious since you got here that you both like each other."
"JENNY!" Uraraka and Iida scolded in unison.
"Hehe, just accept it and dance with each other!" Jenny pushed them to the center of the dance floor.
"Iida, I--" Uraraka stumbled over her words as she tried to figure out what to say.
"It-It's okay, Uraraka..." Iida looked down and gave her a nervous smile. "To be quite frank...um...Well, this is something I have been meaning to talk to you about for a while...and...well..."
Then the music started to play.
Uraraka could tell the music was playing. She could tell lyrics were being sung and a slow-beat thumped in the bass, but all she could hear was her heart beating rapidly and the words slowly making their way out of Iida's mouth.
"Would you have this dance?" Iida bowed with Uraraka's hand still in his.
"Ooooooo!" Their peers' giggling just hardly registered in the corners of Uraraka's awareness.
At this current moment, it was just her and Iida. She beamed. That warm tingly feeling was back and it flooded to every portion of her body.
"I would love to," she gave Iida's hand a squeeze as he grabbed her waist and started to dance.
Uraraka couldn't tell you what song was playing.
She couldn't tell you when the other students started dancing next to them.
But she could tell you that Iida's cologne smelled of spice and summer rain.
She could tell you his heart had the ability to beat just as fast as hers, if not faster.
She could tell you that she had never felt more at home than with her head slowly resting on Iida's chest as they danced together there in that now seemingly small gymnasium.
She could tell you that Iida Tenya was the boy she had been falling for since their first day at UA.
And now she could tell you that there was nothing she wanted to do more than hold onto this moment forever.
No villains.
No quirks.
No other students.
Just Iida's hands holding her tight against him as they danced to a song she didn't know the name of.
"Um...Uraraka?" Iida's voice rumbled in his chest.
She perked her head up. "Yes, Iida?"
"The song stopped..." his blush was back.
Uraraka looked around to find everyone filing to the sides of the gym, gathering their coats and getting ready to leave.
"Oh!" She took a step back. "I-I didn't realize..."
"I hadn't either..." Iida tried clearing his throat. "It would appear that our classmates saw something in us that we did not."
"Mmmhm," Uraraka tucked her hair behind her ear. "I must have been silly to not see the signs, Iida...I'm sorry if I've made you feel like I didn't--"
"Oh no, you did," Iida chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Honestly, I've been too much of a coward to discuss my true feelings with you...Can you believe it? I was willing to go and take Stain on all by myself like a reckless fool, but telling you how much I adore you? The idea was terrifying."
Uraraka continued to blush. How long could a person blush for? However long it was, she was sure she could beat the record. "So...What does this mean for us?"
"Iida, I'm heading out. Can you get yourself back to the house by yourself?" Iida's host family's student asked.
"Yes, Billy," Iida confirmed before directing his attention back to Uraraka. "I believe this means that we are a couple now." He grinned, eyes shining like the sun. "Unless you disapprove?"
"No! I mean yes! I mean-I-I want us to be a couple!" Uraraka giggled. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around Iida's neck, earning her an "oof" from the man in her grasp. "I really, really like you, Iida." Uraraka confessed, bringing Iida down so that she could whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
She could feel Iida smiling against her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her to embrace her fully.
"No need to be sorry, my dear...Oh my.."
Uraraka pulled back and let Iida stand straight. They were still blushing. "Did you just call me your dear?"
Iida's face was fifty shades of red. "I-I-I did, but I don't have to! It just slipped out!"
"Hehe!" Uraraka giggled as she grabbed his hand and started to walk in the direction of the exit. "I like it! I'll have to think of something for you, won't I?"
Iida responded with a chuckle as he readjusted his grip in her hand. "Yes, we have plenty of time to figure out those tiny details."
They walked out of the gym hand in hand. The night air was cold but the stars looked like perfect crushed crystals in the sky.
It was a perfect night.
Valentine's Day was quickly becoming Uraraka's favorite holiday.