Chapter Text
Izuku usually used the first few moments of a day to predict the outcome of one. If he felt energized and ready to go and the sun was out, he would assume the day would be a good one. Or if he was content and there was a slight drizzle outside, he’d go about his day thoughtful and at peace. On days where he missed his alarm, or his washing wasn’t dry, Izuku would most likely have a bad day.
He didn’t know what his day would look like when he tripped on a black bra on his way to the bathroom.
Izuku, having fallen flat on his stomach, just laid there for a moment and turned his head to the side to see through the open doorway to Ochaco’s room. More articles of clothing were scattered around on her floor, ranging from shirts to socks to more pieces of underwear. The wearer herself was at the center of the cyclone of laundry - the wardrobe.
“Morning, ‘Chaco,” Izuku called from the floor, still trying to process what was happening.
She threw a wave over her shoulder, not turning around. “Hey, Izuku. How’d you sleep?”
He shrugged as he laid there. “Can’t complain.” He most definitely could since he slept like shit. “Hey, babe?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Mind explaining why your bras are in the hallway?”
At this, she turned around to explain herself, but saw him lying on the ground and asked, “Mind explaining why you’re lying there?”
Izuku pushed off the ground, grabbing the bra from where he had tripped and tossed it on her bed. “Just felt like it.” He crossed his arms, nodding to the clothes
around them. “Did a tornado fly through here?”
Ochaco sighed, running a hand through her chestnut hair. “I’m looking for that shirt I bought for Toga. Y’know the slasher merch one? I wanted to give it to her as a little present for moving in.”
Carefully, Izuku stepped over the clothes to walk over to his friend. The light from the morning sun filtered in through the window, warming his skin. He decided today would be a mixed bag. “Usually, other people get someone a housewarming gift, not the person who’s already moved in.” As he got closer, he peered into the top shelves that Ochaco hadn’t reached just yet, looking for the shirt.
“Did you get her anything then?” The words came out in a sigh, meant to be condescending.
He looked down at her, smirking. “I’m giving her my room.”
Ochaco hit him lightly on the arm. “You moving out and her taking your place is not a housewarming gift.”
Rubbing mockingly on the place of impact, Izuku retorted, “Agree to disagree. I’ve warmed the bed plenty for her.”
His friend raised her arms above her head to stretch, her white tank top lifting slightly revealing her stomach as she did so. “Who are you kidding? I’d like to believe my girlfriend would prefer to sleep in a bed with me in it, not you.”
“Ouch.” Izuku resumed searching the shelves as Ochaco moved over to her bed. “Where was it last?”
Ignoring the pile of clothes already covering the bed, she threw herself on it. “Who knows? It’s probably lost forever, just like my hopes and dreams of having a perfect moving in day for her-”
“Found it.”
Ochaco sat up straight as if struck by lightning. “No, you didn’t.”
Izuku reached over to the very back of a high shelf, his shoulder aching as he did so. Maybe if he hadn’t gone as hard as he did at the batting cage yesterday, he wouldn’t be feeling it as much now. He picked out the shirt from the bottom of the pile and unfurled it in his hands. The merch design was blood dripping down the blade of a knife with one drop shaped like a heart. It was cute and simple and definitely the perfect gift for Toga, who loved slasher films and loved her girlfriend. Ochaco definitely made a good purchase.
He threw it over to her and it hit her square in the face. “You should have more faith in me. And maybe organize this thing,” he gestured at the wardrobe with his hands, “so it doesn’t happen again.”
Izuku watched as Ochaco took the shirt off her face and smiled as she looked at it. Joy was written all over her face. She and Toga had been going out for a year, pretty much ever since they met each other at college. Izuku could remember the phone call he got one afternoon from Ochaco claiming she was going to marry this girl. Then a week later, she finally asked Toga out and they had been together ever since.
“Do you think she’ll like it?” Ochaco looked up at him, her voice quiet.
Rolling his eyes, Izuku walked over and sat next to her, placing his arm on her shoulders. “She’ll love it. And she loves you and she’ll love living with you.” They rocked side to side as some birds chirped outside, Ochaco placing her head on his shoulder which still ached. “Stop worrying,” Izuku chided, kissing the top of head.
At a glance, it would look like the two of them were dating. Both of them were well aware, and ended up joking about it constantly. Toga would even join in, which would confuse new friends and send them into a spiral trying to figure out who was dating whom. But considering they were both homosexuals in their own right, it would be life’s biggest plot twist if they started dating. The real reason they were so close was because of a few things. First, they became friends in high school when they were placed in the same class. Secondly, they stuck by each other when some difficult times befell both Ochaco and Izuku. Thirdly, they kept in touch when Izuku attended a different college his first year. And finally, when Izuku had to leave his college due to… unforeseen circumstances and lost his housing, Ochaco cleaned out her spare bedroom without a second thought and practically moved him in there herself.
Ochaco was also the reason he was returning to college. Nothing anyone could say would make him change his mind. Not his mom, not his other friends or professors. But Ochaco knew exactly what to say: “How are you gonna prove them wrong if you let them do this to you? How are you gonna prove me wrong and let them do this to you?”
She barely had to give him an elevator pitch for her college, UA. Partly because it was awesome, mostly because Izuku already knew all about it. UA was actually his first choice for college, but his mom got sick just before he applied which made him choose something a little closer to home. After finding his mom a carer and promising to visit as much as possible, Inko Midoriya sent her son off to college. Again. Hopefully, for the last time.
Simultaneously, they let out a sigh before Ochaco spoke, “I’m gonna miss you.”
Izuku squeezed her against him. “I’ll miss you too. I guess I’ll just have to come over all the time.”
This made his friend laugh, her cheeks becoming pinker than they naturally were. “Can’t wait.”
With one final squeeze, Izuku stood up from the bed and made his way out of Ochaco’s room. It was around seven in the morning, and it was the first day of the new school year. Even though she didn’t have any classes that day, Ochaco had insisted on taking him around campus and accompanying him to all his classes. Izuku definitely knew she had an ulterior motive, but he was happy to play along. Both of them had to get ready soon, which was Izuku’s intention until he had tripped in the hallway.
“Remember to look good!” Ochaco called out to him.
“When have I ever looked bad?” He replied as a joke.
He could hear her scoff behind him. “Literally yesterday when you came home with your hair like-”
Before she could finish, Izuku picked up some shorts that were on the floor and threw them at her. Perhaps a little hard because it knocked her back onto the bed.
“Sorry, ‘Chaco. I just couldn’t have you insult my style like that,” he laughed.
Instead of responding, Ochaco just stuck a middle finger up in the air as a goodbye. Izuku blew a kiss back and turned to walk down the hallway to the bathroom. On his way, he kept an eye out for stray items of clothing that would send him to the floor. Again.
Safely reaching the bathroom, Izuku closed the door behind him and placed his palms on the sink, leaning against it as he looked in the mirror. His reflection still surprised him, which was a little weird to say. The Izuku he was used to was smaller, paler, and kinder. The Izuku that was staring back at him was tan and taller, but his freckles still peppered his face. His hair was still curly and just as green as it had always been, the only difference being the fact he had a hair routine now. His build was different, too. He had started working out in high school, but in his senior year, he grew another four inches and suddenly, his muscle fell into all the right places. He remembered Ochaco laughing when he became confused as to why so many girls started hitting on him.
Reaching for his toothpaste, he tried not to look so closely at the white scars that flecked the skin of his arms. Some were from accidents as a kid from when he fell over on some rocks or sticks. Others were from last year which were a little less pleasant to think about.
At first, he had kept his arms covered. He had kept most of himself covered, actually. He had felt so small, despite his height, and walked around like he was no taller than the weeds that grew next to the sidewalk. He couldn’t look at himself without his eyes burning and his head spinning. It took a long time for him to see the rest of himself rather than just his arms and just that part of himself. He was more than that, and he promised himself he’d always be more than that.
Spitting out his toothpaste, Izuku finished up in the bathroom after cleaning his face and trying to do anything with his hair. It was no use, though. Despite the curl care, his hair never willingly looked good. Sometimes it happened by accident, and Izuku knew it would be a great day. Today was not that day. Today. His first day at a new college with new people and a new roommate.
Ochaco’s door was closed on the way back to his room, and he hoped she was also cleaning up the mess of clothes. It was a long shot, but he had hope in his friend.
Izuku’s room looked so empty. Not that it ever looked full, considering this wasn’t his apartment. Ochaco always encouraged him to make himself comfortable, but he’d never be comfortable here. Don’t get him wrong, he loved Ochaco and the fact that she had let him live with her. But ever since he was little, Izuku had wanted his own space that was his. Ochaco’s apartment was hers, his house was his mom’s. All he wanted was his own space. And although he was going to be sharing a college dorm with another person, it would be his.
Having some forethought, past Izuku had left out an outfit for him to change into before he packed all his stuff away. His favorite denim jacket, a white shirt, jeans and his red converse. Pulling the black pajama shirt over his head, Izuku ignored the tug in his shoulder and replaced it with the white one. His jeans replaced his tracksuit pants and he completed the look with his shoes. A normal college outfit, he thought to himself as he looked in the mirror. Now let’s see if I can have a normal college life.
~\-/~
Izuku knew it was a nice school. Ochaco had told him and he’d seen pictures and heard stories. But holy shit was UA a nice school.
Architectural miracles stood in place of normal campus buildings. Sleek metal combined with an insane amount of glass made the most beautiful science building he had ever seen. And the library stood tall with three floors of modern majesty. The gardens and stone paths weaved together around the campus, cutting through infrastructure with the environment. Even the administration building, which was where they were now, took Izuku’s breath away. Standing tall with UA’s logo, it was like he was being called to it. Izuku wondered if he would have felt like this last year if he had come here instead.
Starting off the tour, Ochaco had taken him straight to admin so he could get his ID and student email all sorted, as well as confirm that all his credit points had transferred over from his last college. This ensured that he wouldn’t have to start as a first year, and could instead begin his second year straight away.
The sun hit Izuku’s face as they stepped out of the building. There were people walking to their classes and talking to their friends. He could hear laughter coming from somewhere in the distance. The atmosphere was so different from his last college that it made him smile a little.
Noticing, Ochaco jabbed him lightly in the side. “Hey, are you even listening to the great history of UA? This is life changing stuff.” Her fingers played with the drawstring of her pink hoodie as they walked down the path.
“Oh, I bet.” Izuku rolled his eyes. “Tell me, will this magnificent history matter to me in the long run?”
She paused. “No. But, you should still listen to me.”
Nodding, he agreed, “You’re right, you’re right.” Izuku pulled out his phone to check the time. He had about ten minutes before his first class and Ochaco had to take him there. Apparently, all of the education classes were in the same building, which made things easier to find. It was a little further into the campus, closer to the garden-lined square that sat at the center. But they still had a few minutes before they actually needed to head over there. They could go to the cafeteria that was more food court than cafeteria, or check out the gym, and Izuku really wanted to see the baseball field that-
“Ochaco, is that you? I didn’t think you were coming in today!” Someone called out to them and Izuku looked over to see who it was. It was a boy around his age with red hair that stuck up almost comically. He was tall and tan and looked like he could lift a car, and he had the biggest smile on his face as he waved at his friend, his teeth looking pointy from a distance.
Ochaco waved back and started walking over there, and Izuku assumed he should follow. “Hey, Kirishima. I don’t have class today, I was just showing my friend around.” They reached the boy and she introduced the two. “Izuku, this is Eijiro Kirishima. Kirishima, this is Izuku Midoriya. He just transferred here from another college.”
Izuku went to shake Kirishima’s hand, but the other pulled him into a hug instead, causing him to tense. “Nice to meet you, bro. Any friend of Ochaco’s is a friend of mine.” Despite the tight embrace, Izuku knew this wasn’t his full strength which made him a little nervous if he was honest.
He cleared his throat, lightly patting him on the back. “Thanks, I appreciate that. It’s nice to meet you too.”
Upon seeing the discomfort on his face, Ochaco put a hand on Kirishima’s arm. “What did I say about hugging people you just met?”
The redhead let go of Izuku’s shoulders allowing him to breathe normally. “Sorry about that. I’m a hugger so my friends have to remind me that some people aren’t.” He smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Oh, that’s OK. It just takes me a while to warm up to people, that’s all,” Izuku explained. It wasn’t a lie, but not the whole truth either. Taking a conscious effort to not touch his arms, Izuku continued, “How do you guys know each other?”
“Ochaco and I met last year within the first week. We were in the same intro to health class and we were sat at the same desk.” He smiled down at the brunette who was rolling her eyes at him.
“Yeah, and you kept forgetting a pen and had to ask me for one every lesson. I felt like I was peddling office supplies.”
Kirishima laughed, and it was the kind that could only be done with your whole chest. “I remember the day I found all of them on my roommate’s desk. He couldn’t understand why I was so nervous you would think I was hoarding them.”
Ochaco waved it off. “You gave them back. That’s all that matters.”
“But yeah, that’s how we met,” Kirishima summarized. “The story’s pretty much the same with all our other friends. Meeting in class and then kinda just making one big group.” Pausing, he looked over his shoulder. “Actually, some of them are over there by the bench if you wanna meet them? No pressure, though. It is your first day.”
Izuku looked past Kirishima to see three people in a heated conversation. He couldn’t tell what it was about, but one of them looked like they were really passionate about it. But they looked like nice people, and Ochaco had previously endorsed all her friends positively. Well, almost all of them. Apparently, there was one that might be a little hard for Izuku to get along with.
But when he glanced down at her, there was only quiet excitement in her eyes. She would tell him if there would be a problem with any of them, so he looked back at
Kirishima and smiled. “I’ve got some time.”
Those teeth shone in a grin that stretched ear-to-ear. “Great! Just don’t worry if they start arguing about something in the middle of a conversation. They’ve been watching too many contradictory Youtube videos and it’s starting to cross over to the point of no return.” Kirishima went to grab Izuku’s shoulder, but thought better and just led the way over. Ochaco grabbed his arm for the boy and practically dragged him to the three people she called friends.
As they got closer, he could hear snippets of dialogue. “... you can’t seriously think you have a point…” and “... don’t ignore the science of it just because you don’t understand, Jirou…”
“Guys, can we quit the debate for a sec?” Kirishima interrupted, inserting himself to prevent more back talk. “We have some company that I’d like to work out with, and I can’t do that if you scare him off with your crazy talk.”
He seemed to give a pointed look to a specific individual with canary yellow hair, who looked to have a problem with his insinuation. “It’s not crazy if I’m right.”
A short girl standing next to him rolled her eyes, her dark hair moving as a breeze drifted by. “Kaminari, you can’t put metal in the microwave.”
“Yeah, and don’t say that you wanna make an electro-magnetically charged fork because that is not how that works,” spoke the girl on the other side of him. “You should really take a physics class. I think it would benefit you.” She was twirling a strand of pink, curly hair around her pointer finger. Her golden eyes glistened with amusement as sun rays filtered through the tree above them, patches of light landing on her brown skin.
Before the conversation could escalate any further, Ochaco cleared her throat. “As much as I would love to hear more about this, I have someone I’d like you to meet. This,” she referred to Izuku, “is my friend Izuku Midoriya.”
He gave a small wave, silently hoping that no one else gave him a hug. “It’s really great to meet you all. ‘Chaco has told me so much about her friends.”
Kirishima patted the boy to his right on the back. “This is my roommate, Denki Kaminari. He’s the one hoarding all of Ochaco’s pens.”
“For the last time, I didn’t know they were hers,” Kaminari reasoned, turning to Izuku. “Hey, man, it’s good to finally meet you. Ochaco here has been talking you up non-stop for the past few weeks.”
“Good things, I hope?”
“Only the best,” he guffawed, extending a hand for him to shake, to which Izuku took gladly.
Kirishima turned his attention to the dark-haired girl with aux headphones resting around her shoulders. “This is Kyoka Jirou, and that,” he pointed to the girl with pink hair and bell bottom jeans, “is Mina Ashido.”
Jirou gave him a small but genuine smile while Mina grinned widely. “Welcome to UA! You’re gonna have the best time here, and with us hopefully.”
Izuku smiled back at her. “Thank you. We’ll have to catch up when I settle in.”
Mina puzzled, “I thought you lived with Ochaco?”
“Up until today that was the case. She kicked me out.”
Ochaco slammed her elbow into his side. “I did not, you ass. You moved out voluntarily.”
Rubbing his side, Izuku shrugged his shoulders. “Potato, potahto.”
“So where are you living now?” Mina chimed in.
“I have a meeting with the dean about boarding here later this afternoon,” Izuku explained.
Jirou raised her brow at his statement, confused. “You didn’t secure boarding earlier?”
Izuku didn’t really know how to explain his situation to people he met two minutes ago. It might all just be a little much. After all, he could still hardly believe it himself. He did live on campus at his old college, but considering he had transferred at the last minute, it was a miracle he was granted this opportunity by the dean of UA. Apparently the dean at his old college put in a good word for him, taking pity on Izuku. He didn’t know how to feel about it at the time, but without it, he would be hard pressed for a place to live. The only downside is that he had been told there were no more singular dorms available, and he would have to share with another guy. Izuku was pretty nervous about that, considering the last close male relationship he had had didn’t turn out so well.
So Izuku decided to keep his explanation simple. “A friend of my family put a good word in for me, so I was able to get in at the last minute.” Their reactions didn’t tell him whether or not they believed him, but no one asked any questions so he let out a breath.
Ochaco pulled her phone out of her pocket and nudged where she had previously hit him, causing him to wince. “Hey, we better get you off to class.”
“I totally forgot about that.” Izuku turned to his new acquaintances. “I’ll get Ochaco to give me your numbers if you don’t mind? I’d love to meet up again.”
There was a resounding yes from all four people, Kirishima adding, “You and I are gonna be spending a lot of time in the gym, my friend. Especially now that you live on campus.”
“Can’t wait, Kirishima. Bye, guys. I’ll see you around.” Izuku waved as he and Ochaco exited the little circle they had made in the shade of the tree.
They were nice, Izuku had decided. No, they were more than nice. They were friends, even if they weren’t his yet. They talked about stupid stuff that didn’t matter and laughed with and not at each other. Even though he knew Ochaco played a role in their reaction to him, Izuku could tell they were genuinely good people. Something Izuku was short on in the last year or so.
Ochaco continued to talk about UA history and the specifics of his lecture building, but Izuku only really noticed the warmth of the sun on his face and the smell of freshly cut grass that drifted by. He saw the light reflecting off the windows of the arts building and watched as tree branches swayed gently in the wind.
This is what college was meant to feel like. Safe, happy, alive.
Free.
~\-/~
Izuku was back in the admin building by two that afternoon. Ochaco had gone to meet up with Toga since she wasn’t needed in his meeting with the dean, wishing him luck on finding a good roommate. He had thanked her for accompanying him to his two classes, both introductory with minimal content as it was the beginning of the semester. Of course she had said it was nothing, but Izuku appreciated it nonetheless.
“Izuku Midoriya?” The elderly woman at the reception desk called his name out, jolting him to his feet. Standing, he walked over to her and she pointed him in the direction of Dean Nezu’s office, saying he was ready for him.
Upon opening the door, Izuku’s first thoughts were that it was a regular office. But if he looked closer, he noticed that all the items on the desk were at a perpendicular angle to every other thing. There were no photos to be seen, and there was a faint smell of sanitizer that hung in the air.
Then there was the man sitting behind the desk, presumably the dean himself. White hair crowned his head and thin rectangular glasses sat on the bridge of his pointy nose. Izuku couldn’t help but picture a mouse in his stead.
“Ahh, Mr. Midoriya. Please, come sit,” Dean Nezu addressed, gesturing to one of the two leather chairs in front of the desk.
Picking one, Izuku said, “Oh, please call me Izuku, sir. Thank you so much for making time for me.”
The dean waved it off. “Think nothing of it, my boy. My colleague spoke fondly of you and well I…” he trailed off, “... I wanted to help.”
Izuku pressed his lips together, nodding slowly. “I appreciate that, sir. I know you don’t make exceptions very often so the opportunity for a second chance means everything.”
“Second chance? No, no. This is no exception and this is no second chance.” The dean leaned forward in his chair, leaning his arms against his desk. “This is your first chance at UA, and you deserve the best chance to succeed.”
Strangely, the words touched Izuku, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, there are a few things to hash over. Firstly, are you aware of the fact you will have a roommate?”
Izuku answered, “Yes, I was told there were no more single dorms available.”
“Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed. But, we have done everything we can to make you more comfortable this year.” Of course he was referring to what happened the year prior. Some details will never escape him. “Here at UA, we accept donations from sponsors, companies and families. If the latter ever wishes to enroll here, they will find more lavish living situations than our regular dorms which are still quite impressive. These dorms often have the capacity to house two, and so we asked if any of them would welcome a roommate. One did.”
Although he was a little confused at the class system regarding boarding, Izuku was thankful that anyone said yes at all. “Really? How nice of them.”
Dean Nezu seemed to think for a moment. “Yes, very. Anyway, here’s your keycard. It’s room 402 of the Detroit dorm building.” He slid a shiny card across the desk and Izuku tucked it into his wallet. “Please, don’t lose that, otherwise you will have to pay for another. Have you had someone show you around campus? Or would you like a guided tour set up?”
Izuku shook his head. “My friend Ochaco Uraraka gave me a tour today. She showed me the Detroit building, so I can find that easily.”
“Hmm, Ochaco Uraraka…”
“Second year aviation course. She’s on the volleyball team, too,” Izuku described.
The dean snapped his fingers in recognition. “Ahh yes, I do know her. A very bright girl, indeed. She’s a good friend, I presume.”
He smiled warmly. “The best.”
“Well, then. If you’re able to settle in yourself, then I have nothing left to say. Do you have any questions, Izuku?”
Catching himself going to say no, Izuku asked, “Does UA have a baseball team? I forgot to look on the website before I came in today.”
“Why, yes we do. Are you interested in joining?”
“Yes, sir.”
Baseball had been a part of Izuku’s life ever since he was five years old. He and his mom would watch it all the time during the on-season, and he spent the off season swinging a bat around with his childhood best friend. The memory brought a bittersweet feeling to Izuku’s heart. Even if they had drifted apart over time, they would
always have those days and nights of planning to enter the college and major leagues together. In hindsight, it was a silly wish, but it was theirs, and that’s all that really mattered at five years old.
Dean Nezu expressed, “I’m fairly certain that try-outs are at the end of the week. I’m sure they would appreciate another player.”
“Thank you, I’ll be sure to stop by,” Izuku said gratefully.
He rose from his seat, telling the dean there was nothing left to know. Placing a hand on the door handle, Izuku made to leave before he heard Dean Nezu call behind him, “I hope that UA can be your home, Izuku.”
Looking back over his shoulder, Izuku said quietly, “Me, too,” closing the door gently behind him.
~\-/~
As Izuku rode the elevator up to the fourth floor of the Detroit dorm building, anxious thoughts started swimming in and out of his head. He had forgotten to ask who his roommate was. What if they didn’t get along, or if they had a problem with Izuku’s collection of action figures? But the one thought that bothered him the most was what if this was just a repeat of last year? Could he really be that unlucky? Izuku’s arms started to itch and he went to scratch them before gaining some clarity. He was better than that, he was better, he was better.
The elevator dinged and he stepped out onto the landing just in time to see the occupant of dorm 401 step out of his room. The first thing Izuku noticed was how the boy’s hair was half white and half red, split straight down the middle of his head. The second thing he noticed was the piercing blue of his left eye as they made eye contact, the kind that could freeze you if you looked too long. The third thing Izuku noticed was the burn scar that covered the left side of his face, the coloring indicating that it was an old injury.
“What?” The guy’s voice was relatively monotone as he asked.
Izuku just cocked his head to the side slightly. “Do you dye your hair?”
Seemingly surprised by his question, he simply said, “No.”
They passed by each other as Izuku headed to the next dorm over and the boy walked to the elevator. But suddenly controlled by impulse, Izuku whirled around and
asked, “Is the guy who lives here in the dorm right now?”
The boy looked back, not bothered by the question. “No, he’s at baseball training like he is every Monday and Thursday. Why?”
So Izuku’s roommate was on the baseball team? Maybe they would get along. “Well, I’m moving in with him, so I just wanted to check if he was here or not.”
“You’re moving into the dorm?” The split-dye boy had a small smile on his lips as he continued, “I wonder how this will go.” He simply called the elevator and stepped in without another word after that, leaving Izuku in front of dorm 402.
Perplexed by his introduction to his new neighbor, Izuku swiped the keycard against the lock, pushing the door open once he heard the click. Golden rays of sunlight spilled in from the wall of windows at the other end of the space, drenching the furniture in honeyed light. To his right was the living room which had a white sofa and a brown leather armchair, both of which faced the T.V. that hung on the wall next to him. To the left was an incredibly nice kitchen and he placed his wallet on the marble kitchen island. On either side of the wall of windows was a door, the one on the left being slightly ajar. Next to the refrigerator was a hallway, with storage and what looked like a bathroom and laundry. Whoever his roommate was, his family had to have been rich enough to get a kitchen and a laundry in his dorm. Izuku assumed the layout was the same for his neighbor.
His red converse carried him over to the windows. Below, he could see a few students walking the paths that weaved between trees and bushes, either coming from or going to class. It was a nice view, considering it was a housing quad. He could see the other two buildings, the Texas and Oklahoma dorms, all of them looking in on a considerable size of land. In the center was a water fountain with multi-colored lights illuminating the water as it exploded out of the fountain.
This dorm was way more than Izuku needed or deserved. It wasn’t lost on him how lucky he was to not only be given boarding in the first place, but to be allowed to live here was insane. Izuku couldn’t thank his roommate enough for volunteering, whoever he was.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Izuku glanced to his left at the open door. One part of him wanted to respect the person’s privacy and leave it alone. But the other wanted to know everything about him. He stepped toward it slowly, thinking about what could be behind those doors. Did he have baseball memorabilia on his shelves and favorite jersey on his wall? What was his major? Was he messy or clean?
Just as he reached for the door handle, all the thoughts ceased to consume his mind. Why? Because there was a click at the door and Izuku knew this was not the best way to introduce himself. Quickly, he shuffled away from the door and tried to stand normally but he forgot how. Izuku also forgot how to breathe, and his breath hitched as the door swung open.
His roommate stood there at the door, staring at him, and the only thing Izuku could think was: No fucking way.