Chapter Text
Izuku considered himself blessed.
His life had done a one-eighty. Things hadn’t been easy back in middle school. They had been utter shit, to be frank. Now, he had friends. Best friends. Even teachers who actually liked him. He had Ochaco, his first-ever friend. He had a Quirk, which, thanks to it, gave him the opportunities he had now. There was a morbid thought that things wouldn’t have turned out so well if he’d remained Quirkless.
He still had the extra toe joint. It was a friend Izuku had no choice but to accept. He didn’t like thinking about its existence; that just made him recall all the times he got shouldered in hallways and tripped by purposely placed shoes and all those horrible words that, even today, he could not live down. He didn’t want to think of what he could’ve done if he hadn’t been chosen by All Might, if life had gone a different direction. So, he didn’t think about it.
“Deku, are you coming?” Ochaco waved her hand in his face.
Izuku snapped out of it. He was in class, one of the few students left in the classroom. He was standing up with his textbook in his hands and mouth of his bug open. “Huh?”
“You were spacing out. I said are you gonna come with Iida, or do you have training later?”
“Oh! Yeah, I'm coming. Sorry. Was just thinking.”
Ochaco had an effect on him. She sometimes made him nervous when she got too close. His heart would gallop in his ribcage, and he’d feel the instinctive urge to hide behind his hand. He’d never had real friends before, let alone one that was a girl. In middle school, he was too nerdy and weird for the girls. They just laughed at him when the boys played sick jokes on him. Heck, most used to have crushes on Katsuki. Back then, everybody loved Katsuki. Things with Katsuki now were… complicated. They always had been. It was just that Izuku could stand up to himself now. Kind of. He used to coward from him; now, insults went in one ear and out the other. Though he would flinch when Katsuki sounded so loud Izuku would worry he busted his eardrum. But back then the girls loved him, said he was hot, and dumped all that chocolate for him on Valentine’s Day Katsuki scowled at. Izuku was… Deku. The old Deku. The Deku who couldn’t do anything. He imagined he’d never have real friends.
And now he had real friends. Now, he was Deku who does his best, as Ochaco said. And that’s why, she didn’t just make him feel nervous, but, sometimes, relaxed as well. He could be himself near her. He could see her wide smile and hear her chipper attitude and just feel himself smile. It was strange to see the contrast between then and now. Izuku thrived here. He loved it here. And he was sort of, maybe, forming a crush on his best friend. He was too afraid to touch that part of his insecurities.
They stopped by the grocery store for snacks and food. The kids at the dorm took turns helping each other make dinner, and they needed to be sure they had enough in the main kitchen fridge for everyone to have breakfast. It happened to be Tenya’s turn, so Izuku and Ochaco offered to go with him and help him out.
It was during their walk home, each person with two grocery bags, that they came across the man stumbling his way in their direction. He seemed disorientated, mumbling a song to himself. His face was flushed like he was angry, but his expression was of a sleepy one.
He stumbled, and Izuku quickly dropped the groceries to catch him. His two friends were already by his sides, concerned.
“Sir!” Izuku exclaimed with worry.
“Are you alright?”Tenya asked. “Do you need assistance?”
The man simply laughed joyously. He put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, and with his other, patted Izuku on the cheek. “I know you,” he slurred. “You’re the Hero boy. From – festiv… fest… Yes. You. I seen you.”
“I think he’d drunk, guys,” Ochaco said, her brows furrowed.
The man pulled himself up and swayed on his feet. “I know all yee’s. Yes, Little Heroes. But you.” He jabbed a finger in Izuku’s chest. “You hide things. I know. I hide things too. I know when’s people hide things. You make me nervous.” He was talking with a smile.
“Do you remember where you live, sir?” Izuku asked him, trying to ignore the creepiness of what the man said.
“I see it in your eyes,” continued the man. “You got anger in there. You’re one of those too nice peoples. See–” He swallowed a burp. “See, too nice people are the best kinds of people to be angry, little Hero boy.”
“I think we should call a police officer,” Tenya recommended.
“No need, no need,” the man waved them off and started walking past them, waving his hand dismissively. “I know where the train’s at. Have a good day.” His stance straightened. He was suddenly walking normally now.
Izuku didn’t think too much of it. The kids just watched to make sure the man did reach the train station, which he did.
***
He remembered middle school. He remembered kids laughing when Katsuki poured cafeteria milk over his head. Izuku had to run to the bathroom, stick his head in the sink and turn the tap on. There were already boys in that bathroom. They looked at him, at how he looked, at what he was currently doing, and snickered. Izuku’s face was all wet, so he went ahead and cried the whole time he washed his hair. He turned the tap off and shook his hair like a dog. In the mirror, his eyes were red-rimmed. He took tissues and rubbed the snot off his nose.
Stupid.
He was stupid.
He remembered that day
It was the day somebody had poured a thin layer of water on his seat, so when he sat after coming back from the bathroom, his pants got wet. When he stood up and touched his bottom, a kid yelled, “Deku pissed himself!” Everybody started laughing before they even looked.
The teacher told him to sit down and pay attention and sighed. Izuku was more of an inconvenience than anything.
Teachers were like that. He wasn’t their favorite. His mumbling sure put him on some of the teachers’ shit lists for sure.
the kindest adults at that school had been the janitors. Who else had gotten him out of a locked closet where they stored the classroom’s projector at the end of last period?
The memories had come to him in his sleep. He woke up two hours earlier than his alarm. He felt like shit, like he had gunk stuck inside his lungs. He was all too aware of how flat and hot his bed was. He didn’t manage to go back to sleep.
***
Ochaco wasn’t one to wonder about cute boys. She’d had friends in middle school who fawned over the popular boys. She didn’t get it. It was like she was missing something. Then she met this plain-looking boy, Izuku. At least, she thought he was plain. That tracksuit he’d been wearing during the exam hadn’t let her see much. Turned out, he was well-muscled. He just happened to have a bit of a baby face.
She couldn’t pinpoint when he’d gone from plain to cute.
That was a bit of a problem.
Whatever could she do with a cute Izuku?
Whatever could she do to get the girls off her back?
Mina, in particular, hadn’t let go of what happened during the Joint Training Battle. She kept urging Ochaco to go for it. Ochaco understood Mina was just looking out for her. But confessing crushes just didn’t seem like a thing that she had space for in her life. She wasn’t even sure he’d like her back. She told Mina so. “You two are so dense,” said Mina. Ochaco was still surprised she’d managed to think up such a plan to calm him down when his Quirk did whatever it did. He’d obviously been in pain from that happening, his crunched-up face crying tears of agony and frustration and fear. He’d been so scared. Then he went still. So still that it scared her, thinking she might’ve broken him when she told Hitoshi to brainwash him. She’d slapped him out of it, then, seeing the pink mark she left on his cheek, had instantly regretted it.
It looked like he had no idea what actually happened to him. She wasn’t even sure how a strength enhancement Quirk could do that. It had been scary. She couldn’t imagine being in Izuku's place, suffering through a Quirk that not only broke his bones, but, as soon as he got a handle on it, it decided to grow a second head.
Izuku surprised her a lot. He was a gentle guy. Sweet, yet, still had a bite to him. How hard can he bite, that was hard to say. She’d see him go all out. But was that really his all out? Especially now that his Quirk had somehow mutated into something that could even take him out.
That boy always had her worrying.
***
Something was off about him today. “You look tired, Deku,” she told him while having breakfast in the common area with some of her classmates. The early risers had already eaten and were taking their time getting dressed for school or checking their social media on their phones.
He yawned. He had bags under his eyes. He was standing there in his black shorts and white shirt that said T-SHIRT. “I don’t think I slept well last night.” He rubbed at his eyes.
It wasn’t just the sleepiness. There was something about his voice. It was monotone, like he didn’t care to put up a happy face today. It must’ve been a bad night for him.
She kept her eye on him at school. He wasn’t as engaged. His pen didn’t move; it hovered over the page uselessly. He didn’t bother to rise his hand once. It was an easy detail to miss if she hadn’t been paying attention.
And Snipe-sensei paid attention.
“Midoriya,” the teacher called.
Izuku flinched.
“Can you repeat what I just said?”
“…Sorry, Sensei, I wasn’t listening.”
The atmosphere instantly thickened. The whole class turned their heads. Even Denki who was busy making doodles snapped out of it and gave a tiny, whispered, “Huh?” When did Izuku of all people not pay attention? And it was Heroics class, too!
“Hmm.” Snipe simply hummed, taking a moment to digest this situation; one of his best students spacing out. He let it slide. “Eyes on the board, Midoriya,” he redirected.
“Yes, Sensei. I’m sorry.”
Ochaco wanted to believe he was just sleep-deprived. She wanted to. But something about his voice, how Aizawa-like it sounded, put her off from that idea.
Something else was going on with her friend.
***
Izuku wasn’t a big fan of teachers. They weren’t big fans of his, either, which was the whole point why he didn’t like them. Not one teacher from his middle school had bothered to rescue him from the vultures even though he got good grades for them. Kids grabbed his notebooks and tossed them around, waiting for him to get close enough until they threw them to the next person, all of them laughing. He was the butt of the joke. He got used to that. It didn’t make it any less embarrassing. Teachers either ignored or told him to sit down, flippantly assuming he was a class clown putting on a show.
He liked his teachers at UA. They put their lives on the line for him. But was it really just for him? There were other students with him, after all. Would the teachers have cared if it was just him? Maybe so. He had a Quirk now, so suddenly everybody cared. Would they stop if they knew he still had the toe joint? Looking back at how people reacted to it, most likely. Quirk or no Quirk, his feet meant he was technically Quirkless but also not really functionally. Would his teachers, his friends look at him and rethink all the fun moments they’d had together?
“Midoriya, can you repeat what I just said?” Snipe snapped him out of his trance.
He’d noticed. He’d realized Izuku was not at all listening. Hard to listen when all you could think about is debating whether or not your teachers and friends would still like you if they knew more.
In that moment, something in Izuku’s chest burned. This was the first time Izuku ever zoned out. Kids in his class did that all the time. Denki and Hanta, mainly; and yet, Izuku did it once and he got called out in front of the class. This wasn’t fair. Why him? He’d been good until now.
Snipe was a good guy.
But for a minute or two minutes, Izuku hated him.
And he could tell, without Katsuki turning around, that he knew something was up.
After class, Katsuki finally swiveled to glare at him. “The fuck’s up with you?” It was less of a demand for answers and more of a statement of shock.
“I didn’t sleep right,” Izuku stated.
Katsuki stared. It was obvious he didn’t believe him.
***
In the gym, Aizawa got them to play freestyle dodgeball. He selected the teams beforehand and split them in half. Ochaco got to be with Izuku, while the other team got Katsuki. Ochaco kept floating the balls at first, until everybody saw the balls above their heads realized how dangerous that was, and started aiming for her. Izuku caught onto what she was doing and kept guarding her, grabbing the incoming projectiles and aiming them at the most random target. He’d be looking left, but as he threw, switched to aiming right, not giving anybody time to register where he was about to throw.
“I hate this!” Denki cried, then squealed in terror when a ball shot in his direction. He dodged it by curbing his body into a C, the ball just missing his spine. “I hate this so much!”
Katsuki held the red ball like it was a baseball, a sharp grin on his face. “Eat this, losers!” His palm exploded, sending the ball rocketing.
Eijiro was strong, but not that fast. He only had enough time to shield his face, activating his Quirk and crossing his arms in front of his face. The ball hit his sharpened arm and popped, deflating with a fart.
Aizawa blew a whistle. “Kirishima, you’re out,” the man informed lazily.
“Oh, man.” Eijiro took his leave and sat with the other students who’d been hit earlier, namely Yuga, big Koji and Rikido, and poor Toru who was still trying to get one of the dodgeballs to unstick from her leg, no thanks to Minoru purple ball.
Tenya was fast. Too bad he was on the other team. He was an expert at dodging; not so much when it came to aiming.
“Let’s beat them, Deku!” Ochaco hyped, taking a battle stance, her palms open and ready to snatch a ball through the air again with all five fingertips.
“Hm!” Izuku gave a firm nod. A ball came at him. His limbs flashed with green energy, and his arm quickly snatched the ball.
There was a brief, panicked “Crap!” from Hanta.
He was at the corner of the arena. No place to go but left or back up. It looked like Izuku could take him out now. In fact, Ochaco suspected he’d been about to if Katsuki hadn’t opened his mouth and said: “Yeah, the only way you'd ever beat me is in your next life!”
They heard it happen before their eyes registered what happened. The ball smacking Katsuki straight in the face was a clean rubbery slap that hurt their ears and echoed throughout the gymnasium, only interrupted by the squeaking of running shoes. It was so loud, so unnecessarily brutal, that Katsuki’s head snapped back. It was amazing that he didn’t actually fall backward. He managed to still keep standing. Everyone held still. Some uttered a sympathetic “Oooof!” because that sounded like it hurt a lot.
Somebody had hit Katsuki.
Izuku had hit Katsuki.
Izuku stood with a slight crouch, legs parted, shoulders stiff. He was breathing roughly, sweat darkening the front of his shirt and under his pits. Green sparks zigzagged up his arms, his hands open, clutching at nothing. His face was crunched into a manic snarl, his gums visible. His eyes were intense and sharp, unblinking, staring right at Katsuki.
Ochaco determined, that massive throw had been deliberate.
“Damn! Midoriya, what a shot!”
“Did you really have to go that hard?”
“That sounded like it hurt.”
Hanta cringed, his face as white as sheet. “Sheesh. I’m glad that wasn’t me.”
Katsuki looked too stunned to speak.
Until Aizawa blew the whistle. “Bakugo, out.”
“Like hell I am!” he growled. Blood ran down his nose. His mouth twisted into a devilish grin. “You want a fight, Deku? I’ll give you a fight.” He crouched, eyes never leaving Izuku. He grabbed a ball next to his foot.
Aizawa said, “Throw that and you’re seeing me after class. Drop it. I won’t warn you again.”
Katsuki hesitated. His throwing arm flinched. He dropped the ball. “This isn’t over, Deku.” And by that, Ochaco assumed he meant the next exercise they’d have some time this week.
Denki yelled, “Sensei, why aren't you stopping us from hitting each other in the face?” He looked disturbed now knowing that was always allowed.
His teacher said, “I could tell you it's to prepare you for the real world, but the real reason is you'd do it anyway.”
Ochaco couldn’t stop looking at Izuku, at how furious he looked. It was scary, knowing it was directed at a classmate, even if it was a tough classmate like Katsuki. Izuku just… He was a sweet guy with his friends. He could get too excited, yes, and his determination was contagious to the point that they all needed a teacher to calm them down, but his anger, his genuine rage, was always directed at bad guys. Seeing him like this? It was scary. Everybody else around her started joking around. They were brushing this off. She couldn’t do that. She knew him too well to just brush it off.
She tried to think of all the reasons why he’d lose his temper.
That was a hard puzzle. Izuku tolerated Katsuki’s worst behavior. He’d even tolerated a smack to his face during the exam where he got paired up with him against All Might. And Katsuki hadn’t been that bad today.
So why the sudden animosity wafting out of Izuku?
“Deku?” she called to him.
The rage on his face evaporated. “Oh. Yeah? Sorry, I got carried away.”
It was like what happened was no big deal.
She kept her eyes on him.
***
He couldn’t help himself. Katsuki’s words rang in his head like an alarm bell, vibrating the air and stirring the fog in Izuku’s mind. He’d been half-sure Aizawa would’ve pulled Izuku out for that ball stunt. It was just his luck Aizawa did not care too much about in-exercise injuries. It didn’t mean the man was not watching him like a hawk now. Honestly, Izuku’s instincts had been telling him to keep going, don’t let him forget what Katsuki did. Ochaco had pulled him out of it. Hearing her voice, the hint of uncertainty in it, he couldn’t help but put on a smile for her. Otherwise, he would’ve grabbed another ball. That ball slapping his childhood bully in the face had sounded so satisfying. There was a surge of something within his chest. Pride. He didn’t have much of that.
Who knew revenge tasted so good?
They did a tug-o-war game next. He had Minoru on his team. No matter how much strength the other team had, they could not do anything against that purple ball sticking the end of the rope to the floor.
It would’ve been a fast win if Izuku also didn’t have Katsuki on his team this time. The blond was still pissed, of course. His nose had gone red from where the ball had kissed his face. Gosh, Izuku wanted to relive that moment again.
But, as much as he wanted to, he knew that was not a good, let alone appropriate, idea.
“We’re not finished yet, Deku,” Katsuki growled in front of him, hands holding the rope. “Just wait till you’re up against me.”
Izuku felt a vein pop in his head. He kept his mouth shut.
Katsuki continued. “You’ve won just because Racoon Eyes distracted me.”
Izuku grit his teeth from throwing words.
Katsuki kept going. “You think you protected your girlfriend’s honor or something? Pathetic.”
That’s when Izuku threw the exercise out the window and kicked Katsuki’s legs – his teammate’s legs – from underneath him. That sent Katsuki falling on his ass.
“What–!” Katsuki looked up at him with more confusion and surprise than rage, his mind still not comprehending what actually happened.
Aizawa blew the whistle. “Midoriya, a word.”
Nobody was laughing this time. They were more confused than anything. Those closest to the scene had just watched Izuku, of all people, kick out a teammate’s legs. It was no accident. He did not say sorry.
Wordlessly, he let go of the rope and headed over to his teacher.
“Care to explain what that was?” Aizawa waited.
So now Aizawa decided to intervene. Not when Katsuki kept bothering him throughout. “I’m sorry, Sensei. It won’t happen again.”
“That’s not what I was asking. I saw you hit a teammate. That’s not something you do.”
“Kacchan does it all the time.”
Aizawa raised a questioning brow. “Not an excuse. I can see you’re still railed up. Are you going to tell me what happened?”
Izuku looked away. “Kacchan said some things that made me angry. I’m sorry, Sensei.” That was not a full explanation, but what good would a full explanation do him? It was clear his teacher didn’t care if Katsuki antagonized him. Everybody was accustomed to Izuku just taking shit. For some reason, standards were different for each student.
He’d hoped UA teachers would be better.
He believed Aizawa was better. The man had risked his eyes and life for them.
But it didn’t seem to be enough.
Why were teachers like this?
Aizawa stared. He stared for an uncomfortably long time. “I don’t know what’s going on with you today. Whatever it is, don’t let it cloud your judgment. You can’t let words get to you.”
Sure. Said the teacher who paired him up with Katsuki to face off with All Might.
“I can’t do teamwork with a reluctant teammate, Sensei.”
His teacher looked to be trying to decipher Izuku with his dry eyes. “Was Bakugo refusing to work with you?”
“No, but he doesn’t cooperate with me, Sensei.” He should shut up. Complaining to teachers never ended well. It was always his problem to fix. Midoriya, play nice with Bakugo. Midoriya, pay attention. Midoriya, stop with the mumbling, you’re distracting class. Midoriya, sit down; behave yourself. Midoriya–
“Tell me, what was it that got to you during the dodgeball exercise.”
Izuku bit his lip. So his teacher was aware Katsuki had gotten on his nerve.
Aizawa took his silence as confirmation regarding his earlier observation. “You’re not yourself. What happened?”
“Nothing, Sensei.”
“You honestly want me to believe that lie?”
“I said nothing happened, Sensei,” he said louder than he meant to.
His teacher’s gaze burned. Izuku wanted to dig himself a hole and hide in it.
“See me after class,” said Aizawa.
Izuku instantly wanted to protest, wanted to demand, Why me? instead, he said, “Yes, Sensei.”
“I’m giving you a second chance. Don’t mess it up.” Aizawa directed his attention to the class. “Start over.”
Izuku wanted to say more. He wanted to say, Why do you pull me over but not when Kacchan misbehaves? Why don’t teachers like me? Granted, he did kick Katsuki. So maybe Izuku did deserve to be reprimanded. Looking back at his middle school life, the number of times he’d gotten hurt by kids who knew scrawny little Deku couldn’t do much, it just didn’t seem fair.
What was ever fair to Izuku?
***
Ochaco listened to her teammates discuss the incident. Everyone was staring in the direction of the teacher and Izuku presumably getting scolded.
“So did everyone see what I saw?” Kyoka said.
“That was so unlike Midoriya,” Mashirao said in a low voice.
“What did Bakugo say to him?” Denki asked Izuku’s team. “Must’ve been really bad if Midoriya felt like doing that.”
Eijiro rubbed the back of his head. “I… might’ve heard wrong but… I heard something about Midoriya’s girlfriend’s honor?”
That just made everyone turn their heads to Eijiro.
“Sorry, guys, I didn’t hear the context. Besides, sounds like it’s none of our business.”
On the other team, Minoru who crying angry tears. So maybe the girlfriend thing was correct. That Izuku had kicked Katsuki over a thing the latter had said about Izuku’s girlfriend.
Izuku’s girlfriend. Izuku had a girlfriend. When had he gotten a girlfriend? How come he’d never mentioned her before? What kind of girl was she? Ochaco started sweating more than she already was. A sinking feeling in her gut made her lose interest in the tug-o-war game. It was an ugly feeling. It hurt. She’d been looking forward to lunch. Not anymore. She didn’t feel like eating. It was stupid. It was childish. It was just a girlfriend. She shouldn’t be so bothered about it.
But she was.
She was a teenager with a crush. And now she knew her crush was taken. That girl was one lucky girl to have a boy like Izuku. He must’ve liked her a lot if Izuku felt like kicking Katsuki for saying something mean about her. It even looked like he was ready to snap at Aizawa.
“I said nothing happened, Sensei,” Izuku firmly said.
And everybody heard that.
Ochaco caught a glimpse of Tenya staring at his friend from afar with a look between stern and worried.
She heard someone whisper, “What’s wrong with him?” the tone was one of concern and curiosity.
Another asked, “Bakugo, what’d you say?”
“None of your business!” Katsuki snarled, refusing to look at where Izuku was, just to make sure to avoid any eye contact with him in case Izuku turned around.
“Must’ve been really bad if it got Midoriya to get pissed at you.”
“I don’t know, guys, it feels like Midoriya woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Remember Snipe’s class?”
“Oh yeah, you’re right. He was kind of out of it.”
Mina nudged her. “Ochaco, know anything?”
Ochaco thought about it. “Hmm. He did say he didn’t sleep well.”
Him admitting to it was a big red flag in itself. He never admitted what bothered him. Not when he thought it would give anyone a reason to worry.
“Start over,” Aizawa instructed them.
***
Izuku stayed behind when everyone else went to go shower and head for the cafeteria. He stood before his teacher, looking down in shame, feeling bitter about the whole thing.
Aizawa didn’t look angry. Granted, it was hard to get a read on the guy.
“Do you know why I asked you to stay behind?”
“Because I kicked Kacchan.”
“No. I don’t care about that, though I am curious why you felt the need to sabotage your own team.”
That got Izuku to look up.
“You have been acting differently lately,” said Aizawa. “Irritable. And your eyes tell me you haven’t been sleeping.” This wasn’t just about the tug-o-war. This was the dodgeball thing, too, and maybe Snipe told on Izuku spacing out.
“I’m sorry, Sensei. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.”
“Any particular thing happened?”
Yes. A nightmare. A memory. “No, sir.”
Aizawa didn’t say anything for a moment. He stayed like that, letting the silence stretch. It was his way of saying, You’re not a good liar, Midoriya. “Whatever this is, will it keep affecting your progress in my class?”
“No, Sensei. I promise I’ll get better sleep tonight.”
“Know the student counselor is also available for issues you feel like you can’t come to me for. As an expert in sleep deprivation, is it safe to say what you’ve got is more than just that?”
Why couldn’t Aizawa just drop it?
“It’s nothing, I promise,” Izuku insisted.
Another moment of silence, of Aizawa silently regarding him. Izuku shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, itching to leave.
“Go join your friends in the cafeteria,” his teacher said. “Any problems, any issues you’re having, either go to Hound Dog, or come to me directly. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Sensei. Thank you, Sensei.”
Even as Izuku left, he felt his teacher’s eyes on him.
He couldn’t ever figure that man out. Aizawa was observant, but he wasn’t psychic. He made mistakes. Teachers fucked up. They fucked up a lot. Izuku would know. Adults lied a lot too. Why shouldn’t Izuku? In the hallway, Izuku stops. His eyes feel hot. His vision blurred. Why was he crying? Damn it, there was nothing to cry about. He acted badly and Aizawa told him off.
Aizawa told him off, like all his teachers told him off.
He’d liked Aizawa. So this? This hurt.
***
At lunch, Izuku didn’t touch his katsudon. Didn’t say anything. Not until Ochaco called him.
“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, blinking.
“I asked if you felt okay?” Ochaco repeated sympathetically. “Maybe you can get a note from Recovery Girl. Or maybe she’ll let you sleep a little in one of the beds she has.”
“I agree,” Tenya said. “You’ve been very tired lately. I was surprised to see you behave the way you did with Aizawa-Sensei. That surprised me. I can’t say I approve of this behavior.”
Izuku looked between her and Tenya with a stunned expression that melted into fondness. “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t sleep right and it got to my head. I can’t believe I raised my voice at Aizawa-Sensei. It won’t happen again.”
“I’m curious, and please don’t feel like you need to disclose anything if it’s too personal, but what had Bakugo told you to elicit such a reaction?”
Izuku blushed. “It’s… something stupid. Don’t worry about it.”
Something about a girlfriend, Ochaco remembered. Judging how Izuku had reacted, he didn’t think it was stupid. He took it to heart. It gave her an idea, a taste, of what Izuku would be like as a partner. He held romantic relationships in high regard, it seemed.