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Even though it’s hard to see out here, Uraraka connects her fist to the dead center of the target she pinned on the tree. There’s no moonlight filtering through the trees of campus forest, and the lanterns buzz. Something about how they flicker insist that they may cut out any second. That's anxiety talking though. The lights are fine.
Uraraka’s shoulders remain parallel to her hips, but she keeps her posture fluid. There's sweat trailing down her neck, only to be absorbed by the crimson straps of her tank-top. She shudders out a breath tinged with annoyance. Why? Her punch was perfect.
(Note to self: Shift shoulders back at impact?)
Uraraka backs up her sneakers (note: ask her the brand later, the stark white is unfamiliar. Did she get new ones?) which slide through the soil. Maybe she’s securing her stance. She undulates her shoulders, cocks back her necks, as a breeze snakes through her hair. Uraraka stops.
She turns her head, toward… oh shit.
Izuku snaps his notebook shut when she points her gaze at him. His pen slips from his fingers and hits the dirt by his shoes. The tall lanterns above him flicker, but he can make out the amused-exasperation wash over her.
"Deku?" she asks, her voice lilting up in question.
“Was I mumbling?” he asks. She gave him permission to watch her practice, and agreed to him taking notes. Though Uraraka had rolled her eyes and made a comment about Izuku having an addiction to rule breaking, which rude. But if they get caught ignoring curfew, Izuku plans on throwing himself under the bus, telling whomever catches them that he insisted Uraraka come along. Luckily, All Might’s on call right now for misbehaving students. But so is Vlad King, and he’s less forgiving than Aizawa on these things. Something that a year ago, Izuku may have thought impossible.
“No,” Uraraka says, “well yes, but it doesn’t bother me. You know that.” She approaches him, with swaying arms. She’s said that before, but Izuku thinks she might just be saying it. Todoroki has said it's soothing, which must have been an attempt at sarcasm, that Todoroki failed to apply a sarcastic tone to.
“Then what’s wrong?” He asks. She unravels the powdery wraps on her hands and glances at his notebook in his lap.
She pauses for a moment, then sits beside him, not worried about staining her light-colored bike-shorts on the dirt. "Nothing really," she admits. She looks at him, her face covered in shadow. But he makes out a smile. “You started a new notebook?” she asks, pointing at the fourteen on the notebook. It’s the same brand as the others, but a vibrant orange. He’s been pressing stickers to the cover of this one too. He used to have a rule not to, not wanting to make his analysis notebooks appear less professional, but he doesn’t feel that pressure anymore. Besides, the stickers are only of his classmates. He can’t believe they have merchandise nowadays, it’s surreal.
“Yeah,” he says. He deliberates on it, before passing it over. She flutters through the pages with a thumb. It used to stress him out, having others see his notebooks. But his classmates have taken photos of the pages he makes of them or those they have a sparring match with, just to learn. Iida says it’s one of the most inspiring tools at the class's disposal. A hyperbolic compliment— they can literally ask All Might any question they want.
“I’m trying something new. A more journalistic approach.” He’s been inspired by field journals and commonplace notebooks. Somehow, Izuku’s notebooks have inspired others to start their own. And the internet tag #Deku’sherohandguides have inspired him to start new styles of hero analysis.
"I'm trying something new too, I want disguise my punches better." Izuku watched Uraraka punch the air playfully, her actions displaying exactly what she was talking about. Izuku attempted to stifle a chuckle, but he had a feeling that he didn't do so particularly well.
Uraraka turned towards him with a smile, walking backwards down the sidewalk. "Don't you think I can do it, Deku-kun? I'll take all the villains by surprise!"
"No, I'm sure you can do it," Izuku couldn't help the chuffed laugh that slipped out with his words, "But it might do you well to find someone else to help you; I've been moving away from punching as a whole and even then, my punches were focused on power, not surprise. Why not practice with Ashido? She has a much better handle handle on the element of surprise than I do!"
A moth fluttered between them in the lamplight as Uraraka puffed her cheeks out. "Come on, Deku-kun, you know how I fight and my limits better than Mina-chan! Besides, I know you know what you're talking about; it's all in those notebooks of yours!" She struck a little pose as she continued to walk backwards on the path.
"My notebooks aren't that good!" Izuku caught himself before his voice could rise too high, face flushing with embarrassment. Another moth fluttered through, this one lighting for a moment on Izuku's hair.
Uraraka rolled her eyes. "Yes they are... wo-whoa!"
"Uraraka!"
"I'm okay," she said, despite obviously not being okay, "Just fell. Oh, my new shoe is going to be so dirty."
At a certain junction on campus, where the sidewalk formed a three-way intersection, in the negative-space corner between two of the directions, there was what could only be described as a pothole. It was obvious enough during the day, but in the dark? While Uraraka had been walking backwards? It was hardly surprising that she'd fallen into it. Even worse, it had rained yesterday, and while most of the ground had dried, the pothole collected water for some time, creating almost a small pond no bigger than half a meter across, if that.
"Here, let me help you!" Izuku reached for Uraraka's hand, ignoring her attempts to wave him off. His hand clasped around hers, and she clasped back despite her protests.
The moth on Izuku's head flew off.
Uraraka's hand felt strange against his, all rough callouses and unfamiliar wrinkles, suffused with dirt and particles of tree bark that caught strangely on the patches of smooth scarring that Izuku had. His awareness both expanded and narrowed, the world outside of them flickering away like the moth had a moment before as he became hyperaware of every millimeter of skin connecting him to Uraraka.
His breath hitched and grew heavy, his face flushed so bright it felt to be burning. Uraraka's face, across and down, shone so brightly pink as to be near-glowing, lips parted just enough that Izuku could see the moist tip of her tongue.
His grip tightened, locking the two of them together.
In reality, Izuku hesitated not a single second, yet when he replayed that memory in his mind later it seemed to go on forever, that moment of the two of them joined together so. But Izuku had only to blink and Ochako was back on the path, water sloughing down her leg and seeping out of her shoe to form a puddle beneath her foot.
She looked down at her pants and started to reach down to brush as much water off as she could, when she stopped. Her gaze shifted to their hands, still connected and Izuku's unrelenting grip. It took him a moment to register that she was waiting for him to let go, and even longer to actually do so.
When he did it was like releasing a hot iron, and he felt the flush heat his cheeks. "I'm so sorry," he shouted, feeling more awkward than he had in the last year.
This time she was able to use both hands to try to shake as much water out of her uniform as she could, blush evident on her cheeks even as she looked down. "It's okay, Deku," she told him, and he must have been going crazy because he was sure he heard her whisper to herself, "I didn't really mind." Which... he definitely heard her wrong, right? She wouldn't...
Yeah, no, he definitely misheard.
Once he had calmed down enough to not share appearances with a tomato, he noticed she had removed her shoes. He did offer to wring them out for her, to which she gently reminded him that even if he could (ouch) it would ruin the shoes. There was no arguing with that logic, he supposed. He still felt awkward just standing there watching her, but there wasn't much he could do to help without crossing personal space boundaries.
So instead, he stood around, bouncing on the balls of his feet trying not to make things even more uncomfortable, which he was pretty sure he failed at).
After a moment of trying to dry herself off Uraraka looked at him, something like sympathy crossing her face before she smiled softly. "You know how you can help me," she asked him after a moment, apparently realizing his dilemma.
Izuku looked up quickly, "Hmm?” He wanted nothing more than to be helpful.
"Distract everyone so I can get to my room to change without anyone asking me why I'm soaked?"
With an enthusiastic nod Izuku agreed. He could do that, protecting people was his dream. They walked together toward the dorms.
Now how do i do that Izuku thought. Most of his classmates would go to bed near this hour, but there would still be probably half the class in the common room. Quickly he listed a few options. Easiest would be to just break the curfew in front of the dorm window. It would get everyone's attention for a few minutes, including vlad's, long enough for Uraraka to get to her room unnoticed.
But Izuku didn't want to get into trouble for something that he could easily accomplish with another plan. Second option would be to do something flashy or stupid, like starting a fight. But Izuku didn't want that either since it would hurt someone, and they would probably figure out something is weird about him starting a fight.
Then it hit him. Tonight its game night.
....
Denki and Todoroki where sitting on the common room couch playing a match of hero smash brawl. Watching them was Kirishima, mina and Toru. In the background Jiro was listening to some music on the other side of the room, near the kitchen where Momo, Sero and Sato where baking "losers muffins."
Izuku entered the dorms and quickly made his way to the stairs, past the kitchen. He took a glance at the people baking muffins and his glance met Sero's . Izuku gave him a small smile, and was met with Sero's saying: "Look, Denki is just too lucky to beat."
Izuku gave him a reassuring smile and continued to the stairs. With Sero going back to his punishment for losing the competition, cooking muffins for the rest.
A few minutes went past.
Then everyone heard loud footsteps stomping down the stairs. The familiar face of Bakugo appeared and stomped right towards the tv and game console. Behind him followed Izuku, with a face that mixed embarrassment and worry. At least it looked like it.
He yelled out to the current players, who paused the game to se who was storming at them, that "As soon as you two are done me and Deku have to settle something."
"That's not what I meant Katchan, I just meant that..."
"WHAT? that I cant win against you on this stupid game eh?, I will beat you so hard you will never want to show up to game night again!" Bakugo said in his usually tone of voice.
With everyone's attention at Bakugo's latest outburst, Uraraka took the opportunity and snuck up the stairs. It had become a bit of a common occurrence for Izuku to say something in a way that he didn't mean to, Bakugo taking it as a challenge, and then dragging Izuku along to prove him wrong.
At least that's what everyone in the room thought had happened, but Izuku just smiled on the inside when he noticed Uraraka getting up the stairs without anyone noticing.
Hopefully. He hoped no one noticed her. Todoroki was looking at Izuku with a raised eyebrow, his mouth a straight-line, but a more curved downward straight-line, but not enough to qualify as a frown.
"You hate smash," Todoroki said, his eyes slowly landing on Kacchan. "You refused to play when Midoriya had that five game streak." That was a good point. Izuku didn't think about that when he asked Kacchan for help. He just wanted everyone to keep their eyes on the game, not Uraraka.
Kacchan rolled his eyes, "I allowed him the victory that one time. So when I steal it today, the victory will be fucking irrefutable."
"Ah," Todoroki replied, clearly unconvinced. He turns back to Izuku, and Todoroki gaze washes over him, like he's searching for something. Todoroki must see something despite this, because his straight-lined mouth becomes curved mildly upwards this time (again, it couldn't qualify as a smile).
"Speaking of weirdness," Kaminari said, looking over his shoulder. "Why you acting like you're old self, Kacchan? Is it past your bedtime already?"
"It is past his bedtime," Todoroki said. "It's ten."
"Closer to eleven, actually," Jirou added, watching them with an amused expression. "Yo, Midoriya. I like the leaf in your hair. Adds pizzazz."
"Also the mud on your ass," Sero called out from the kitchen. Oh no.
"You broke curfew." Todoroki was not asking a question. "Where is Uraraka?" Double oh no.
"We… broke curfew," Izuku admits with a sigh. "Yeah."
"Thank fuck," Kacchan mutters as he folds over the back of the couch like a cat searching for head scritches. But Kacchan would be the kind of cat that would scratch the second someone so much as tried. "I am not playing Smash. You're on your fucking own Deku."
"I knew it," Todoroki says, even voice, and yet his mouth is turning into a real smile this time. "You were covering for them."
"So while covering for Uraraka's ass, you forgot to cover your own," Kaminari laughs. "Classic."
"Is it bad?" Izuku asks as heat rushes to his face. This is what he gets for sitting down on the loam of the campus forest, still damp from the previous rainy days. He hadn't even considered that. Hopefully it doesn't look like…Izuku winces, as he face palms his burning cheeks and nose. This sucks.
"Yeah…" Sero's voice is closer then before. His hand clasps on Izuku's shoulder. "Like I'd say we caught you red handed but… I would go upstairs and change dude." On the couch Kaminari begins to wheeze with laughter. Well, Izuku hopes the floor will open up and swallow him whole right about now. He starts for the elevator, now not needing to worry about being caught. The doors slide open, and he hurries inside.
....
In a fresh pair sweatpants and a clean T-shirt, Izuku hears a knock on his door. It's quiet under the susurration of his ceiling fan.
"Deku?" Uraraka calls out. "You in there?" He swings open the door, revealing Uraraka in strawberry sweats, otter slippers, and a pastel-yellow tank-top with a lacy hem and a small bow on the seam.
"Hey," he greets, opening the door wider.
"hey," she repeats, eyes slowly meeting his. "I heard the plan didn't go so well." She laughs softly.
"Well the class can keep a secret." He thinks of Iida. "Probably. Sorry though, I know you don't like—-"
"—It's fine, I wanted to thank you though. Heard about—-" she cuts herself off, and he feels his cheeks heat up again. He is never gonna live that down. "You really are amazing, Deku." He failed though?
"So are you," he says. She's pretty in the mustardy light of the hall way. "Always."
She smiles, and it's painfully warm. Her cheeks are flush. "Not like you. You're always, you always want to lend a helping hand. I like that about you." Her own hand finds his, her pinky crooked up. "I like a lot of things about you."
"You do?" He likes so many things about her. All the things really. She's his best friend, and yet, those two words feel too small. "I—" She squeezes his hand, and his heart feels like it's turning to goo.
"yeah. Also—-" her warm smile melts into a wicked one, "I challenge you to a game of Smash."
The fluttering doesn't fly away, like the moths near the lamplight, but with them comes a bubbling sensation of competition. It's nice. Amazing even. "Oh, you're so on!"