Chapter 3: To the Winners go the Spoils
1930, Saturday evening.
To everyone's surprise, Mineta had proven to be Number One Plus Ultra Halo Player. He seemed to have a natural affinity for the game; strategizing, in the context of Halo, seemed to just "come to him". Mineta would never tell the other guys, but he couldn't seem to reproduce this talent during any of their hero training and the very thought filled him with anxiety and self-doubt. Sometimes, he told himself, the identity of "class pervert" was better than no identity at all; at least the girls in his class were noticing him now.
And so, not one of the boys of class 1-A had expected Mineta to pick a respectable restaurant. So, when the miniature grape flavored hero had led them in the direction of a higher-end noodle house, lots of sighs of relief and thumbs-up were shared. In the case of Kaminari and Ojiro, money even changed hands.
Kirishima was seated between Midoriya and Kaminari and feeling almost like he was a new man. His impromptu nap on the couch in the common room of Heights Alliance had seemingly been the best thing he could have done for himself. As he had walked beside his friends towards the restaurant, following the strutting Mineta, his strides had been long and confident, his head held high, his breath came easy and unlabored, and his head was clear.
"So, if Mr. Aizawa used his Erasure on Hagakure, do you think she'd turn visible?" Mineta asked Kaminari, whom he was seated on the other side of. Kaminari swallowed a big mouthful of noodles, gulping them down in his haste to answer.
"Probably. Invisibility is her Quirk, right?" he cast a sudden shrewd eye towards his pint-sized classmate. "…. why?"
"I mean, she'd turn visible and be naked, right? Mineta's eyes began to glaze over. "What do you think her boobies look like?"
"And no more speaking lines for you." Ojiro's tail came up from behind to cover Mineta's mouth. The tiny troublemaker struggled, albeit in vain, angry muffled sounds emanating from him.
"Mmmmmmm mmph mmmm?" (What do you think this is? Some kinda TV show?)
Across the table, Todoroki and Tokoyami were discussing, to put it politely, the fascinating topic of who would win in a fight: All Might or 5 T-Rexes. Tokoyami was pro-dinosaur and he was losing the friendly discussion.
"All Might is too fast. Even if they could hurt him by biting him, they could never catch him."
"Yes, but the five of them could form a strategy to corner him against a wall."
"Dinosaurs don't form strategies! How are we still having this conversation?"
"Yeah, Tokoyami, aren't you the dinosaur guy?" Shoji had entered the conversation. Tokoyami raised an eyebrow.
"Dinosaur…guy?"
One of Shoji's tentacles formed a grinning mouth. He winked one of his main eyes at Tokoyami.
"Well, you're a bird, right?"
At the far end of the table, Sero and Sato were discussing the, ahem, practical uses for duct tape.
"Is that true? Can you wear duct tape like a band aid?" Sato.
"Oh, totally sure! You can also use it a bike helmet."
"I'm sorry, but what the actual heck, Sero?" Ojiro.
"No, hear me out, dudes. My cousin made, like, this 20-layer thick wad of duct tape and wore it one time when he was riding to the store and apparently he ran headfirst into a wall and it…." Sero's voice trailed off as he realized. "Holy crap, that makes no sense! I'm sorry, guys, I forgot my own outrageous lie!"
"How are things at home, Sero? Getting enough to eat? Doing your homework? Anything we need to talk about?"
A roar of laughter interrupted any further protests from Sero. Back down the table, Tokoyami was holding his wrists up to his chest, his hands waving up and down as he did his best baby arm T-Rex impression. He even added his own sound effects in the form of a menacing hiss.
"I can't roar, guys! I'm a bird!"
"HA! He admits it!"
Tokoyami resumed eating his ramen, trying to gain back a smidgen of the dignity that he had lost. He happened to raise his head at the exact right time to see Kirishima rubbing his temples, the redhead's teeth clenched, his free hand clutching the table and shaking, making the closest dishes tingle as they rocked side to side.
"Oh, Kirishima." Midoriya had noticed as well. "Is your head hurting you again?"
And, just like that, Kirishima was the center of attention.
"Dude, I thought you told me that was a one-time thing." Kaminari.
"It was…I mean it is….I mean….thanks, Midoriya." Kirishima spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes still screwed tight. Midoriya sweat dropped.
"Perhaps you should go see Recovery Girl?" Todoroki. Kirishima groaned into this hand.
"The nurse? Noooooooo, man, this is nothing."
"I agree with Todoroki on this one." Shoji jerked one of his tentacles in Todoroki's direction, who eyed it wearily. "It's clear that you're not well."
"Guys I'm FINE!" Silence fell over the table. Even Sero and Sato put a temporary truce on their Who-Can-Eat-More-Wasabi contest (spoilers it's Sato) to glance down the table. "Thank you for your concern, but I. AM. FINE."
"Ok, man, if you don't want to talk about it." Kaminari gave his friend a pat on the shoulder, which only served to send two thunderbolts screaming through Kirishima's head.
"I. Don't."
Suddenly displaying both a surprising consideration for his friend's feelings and complete disregard for tact, Kaminari turned his attention across the table.
"Oi, Todoroki, does Momo have a thing for your father?"
2100, Saturday night, Heights Alliance common room
While she could certainly function without it, Mina loved her new phone. She had cracked the screen on her last phone after she dropped it when Kaminari had stolen up behind her and grabbed her by the hips. That was the day she found out she could run faster than Kaminari.
"Jiro." A shuffle was heard before the annoyed looking eyes and furrowed brow of Kyoka Jiro appeared over the back of a chair.
"Who would win in a fight: Todoroki or five Kaminari's?"
"Todoroki." Jiro's answer came even before Mina's mouth had finished forming the last syllable. Mina held up one finger.
"You didn't let me finish: Todoroki or five Kaminari's who were capable of working together."
"You mean like they had gained sentience?" Jiro pretended to think for a second, rubbing her chin in what she imagined an inquisitive manner.
"Todoroki still." Jiro's head slowly sank back beneath the back of her chair. But Mina wasn't done.
"Jiro, how is Kaminari like a pinky toe?"
When there was no response, Mina spread her arms wide and delivered the punch line in a singsong voice.
"Because he goes whey whey whey all the way home!"
From behind the chair came a muffled snort. Mina raised an eyebrow; unbeknownst to her, Jiro had both hands covering her mouth as she fought the laughter, tears of mirth streaming down her face. Mina's joke had been terrible, but Jiro's mind was running through a rapid-fire montage of Kaminari's Greatest Hits, ranging from that time he went stupid at the USJ, to the time he went stupid outside their dorms when Bakugo had hauled him off into that bush, to the time he went stupid trying to charge up everyone's phones at once.
"Ahem."
Jiro slowly allowed her eyes to drift upwards past the bare pink legs, past the yellow sweater, to meet the gaze of Mina Ashido. Who standing in front of her. And was positively beaming.
" Oh, Jiro! That is so cute!"
Jiro gulped. Busted.
"So, when are you going to tell him?"
"What are you ta- oh no no no no no no!" said Jiro, shaking her head rapidly side to side, as the realization hit her like math problem hit Kaminari.
"Oh yes yes yes yes yes yes!" said Mina, her head bobbing rapidly up and down, at the same time.
The door behind the two girls hissed open, revealing Ochaco and Momo Yaoyorozu, the former of whom was apparently in the middle of an animated story. A squeal of delight sounded seconds before both girls were seized by the acidic girl and hauled over to where Jiro was attempting, unsuccessfully I may add, to burrow into the overstuffed chair cushion.
"Guys, just guess what I caught Jiro doing!"
"Was it involving her earjacks?" Ochaco. Both Mina and Momo shot her puzzled looks before the dark eyed girl spoke.
"Umm no."
"Oh, thank god!"
Jiro's head resurfaced over the back of the chair, but, before she could speak, Ochaco was already explaining herself.
"Hey, Mineta asked the question and I just happened to be unlucky enough to overhear."
The three other girl's faces first displaced looks of confusion, which switched to suspicion, then to dawning realization, and finally to outrage. Jiro lifted on of her earjacks.
"With this thing?" She mimed wincing. "Ow."
The four girls looked at each other's disgusted faces and burst out laughing. Ochaco flopped down onto the couch opposite Mina, who immediately laid her head in the brunette's lap. Momo alone was still standing.
A light bzzzzz was heard; it echoed throughout the large room, on repeat, as Momo pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She glanced at the display and seemed to be taken aback.
"Oh? It's Todoroki."
Momo answered her phone and began, much to Mina's disappointment, to walk to the far end of the room. Sighing, the Alien loving girl turned her attention to her brown-haired classmate, who was absentmindedly twirling her finger around one of Mina's horns.
"Soooo what were you two doing?"
Ochaco let out a mighty yawn; Mina hear the girl's jaw crack and winced.
"Momo was actually helping me with a few costume ideas. I've been meaning to upgrade it for a while now."
Jiro smiled knowingly.
"You mean ever since Midoriya upgraded his." It wasn't a question.
Ochaco knew she was busted. Best to come clean. Own it, girl!
"Yep. Don't want to get left behind!"
"So, have you asked him out yet?" Jiro asked in a "too casual to be real" voice. 'Kinda blunt' Mina thought 'But cuts right to the juicy stuff.'
She was not prepared to hear Ochaco give a sniffle and certainly had not expected to feel a tear or five fall onto her cheek. She glanced upward just in time to catch the net batch of tears full in the face. Wiping her mouth, she sat upright and wrapped her friend's shaking form in her arms.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"I d-d-don't think that will m-matter!" Ochaco sobbed. She buried her face in Mina's shoulder who then loudly cleared her throat in the direction of Jiro's chain. When the dark-haired girl made eye contact with her, Mina nodded towards the brunette in her arms. Jiro rolled her eyes before heaving herself to her feet, shuffling over to the couch, and depositing herself on Ochaco's other side. She began to awkwardly rub her classmate's back.
"I t-thought I'd been so obvious!" cried Ochaco, her voice slightly muffled. Mina increased the pressure slightly, one hand gently running through Ochaco's chestnut hair.
"Ochaco? This is Midoriya we're talking about. That boy wouldn't recognize an 'obvious hint' even if it was from All Might." Jiro clutched her chin again, a slow and lewd smile on her face. "Although…"
"Jiro!" Mina's voice was full of mock outrage. "We are here for Ochaco!"
"You think so, Jiro?" Ochaco extricated herself from the arms of her pink-pigmented peer. Her eyes were red, but they had an almost 'Not-Ochaco' hopeful glint in them.
"Invite him to something…invite him to help you with costume ideas tomorrow! That gives him an excuse to check you out!" Jiro snapped her fingers as she made her point.
Ochaco leaned forward, her hands hidden between her legs, her bottom lip pulled behind her top row of teeth.
"Yeah…that might work." She exchanged glances at the girls sitting either side of her and smiled a sad smile.
"I know you told me to stop apologizing, Mina, but -"
"Ochaco…" hissed Mina in a warning tone.
"But – "The smile began to waver. "I'm tired of being reduced to this blubbering mess every time I talk about him. So –" She took a deep breath "- I'm sorry you guys had to deal with me being a blubbering mess!"
"Oh honey, anytime!" Mina grabbed Ochaco in another tight hug. Jiro sat next to them, her face downtrodden and one hand on the opposite elbow. Mina suddenly extended the hug to include Jiro.
"That's what friends do, Ochaco."
The three deepened their hug, content with each other's company. That is, until…
"Now kiss!"
The three broke apart, knowing full well just who had arrived; sure enough, there stood Mineta, the Grape Hero himself who quickly excused himself with an extravagant (or his idea of extravagant) bow and raced past the couch and towards the door, a fuming Ojiro hot on his heels.
"I SAID no more speaking lines for you!"
"And the boys are back." muttered Jiro, obviously annoyed.
"Heeeeeey, girls!" Kaminari came running up and threw himself into the waiting embrace of the adjacent couch, kicking off his shoes as he did so. He snuggled right up to the edge and treated the trio to a dazzling smile. Jiro grinned right back at him.
"How was your night, Whey Man?"
"Oh, it was ever so wonderful, dearest Jiro."
"Dude, stop talking like that. You're really freaking me out."
Kaminari hung his head before raising it back up, clapping his hands together and extending them in her direction.
"Why must you hurt me?"
"KAMINARI!"
Kaminari jumped to his feet and began putting on his shoes.
"And with that I think I should be hitting the ol' dusty trail."
"You get back here, Kaminari!"
Mono Yaoyorozu swept past the trio, her eyes glued onto Kaminari's rapidly retreating form. Her eyes told the girls that she wasn't taking any prisoners. Kaminari let out a yelp and double-timed it through the door, Momo hot on his heels. Jiro patted Ochaco on the back.
"I love you, but I really want to see Momo lay a beat down on Kaminari. Later!"
Ochaco nodded and allowed her body to lean back into and be partially absorbed by the couch. From her new position, she raised her hand, which barely cleared the top of the couch.
"DEKU!"
"Oh, hey Ochaco. Mina."
Midoriya seated himself on the adjacent couch recently vacated by Kaminari. A second later, Kirishima flopped down beside him. Exhausted as he was, Kirishima was forcing himself to be social (Because that's what a man does!).
He half-raised a hand in greeting. Ochaco nodded her head in acknowledgement. Mina, on the other hand…
"Hiiii, Kirishima! Did you get my tex – "
"Deku, let's hang out tomorrow!"
Ochaco blurted out the words before covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes as big as saucers, and a shocked look on her face, which was as red as the setting sun had been earlier that evening. She quickly looked at her feet.
"I mean…I wanted to work on my costume…and I know you're really good at this…" She paused, took a breath, and seemed to gain her composure. "So, help me out, dammit!"
"I m-m-mean…if you're s-sure…. yeah, ok."
Suddenly, Mina's phone vibrated in her hands. She glanced at the screen and grinned.
Kirishima 3
This is both adorable and awkward. Can we invent a word just for these occasions?
Mina giggled before quickly typing out a reply.
Mina
Adorkward? Shes been pining ovr him all day lol.
Mina XOXO
Kirishima 3
Really? Midoriya hasn't mentioned her at all.
Mina
U think hell actually take the hint or ask someone to join them tmrrw so they arent alone?
Mina XOXO
Kirishima 3
Knowing Midoriya? Probably invite the whole class. That a new phone?
Mina
Yes! Thx 4 noticing!
Lol do u think he likes girls?
Kirishima 3
You mean do I think he is gay? Nah, just awkward. And who cares?
Being comfortable with yours sexually is manly!
Mina
Lol u dork.
Kirishima 3
Hey, you like spicy ramen, right? I couldn't finish all mine.
Kirishima looked up from his phone, glanced at Mina, who was still engrossed in hers, and caught the tail end of the conversation between Midoriya and Ochaco.
"– and apparently he's barely been eating."
"Midoriya!"
Midoriya and Ochaco jumped. Startled, Mina dropped her phone on the thick cushioning of the couch. She finally looked up to see Midoriya and Kirishima glaring daggers at each other. The latter slowly rose to his feet, swayed a bit, shook his head, and stood tall.
"I told you not to tell anyone!"
"They're our friends!"
"Yeah, but it's my business!"
Kirishima suddenly felt a familiar lance of pain shoot through his temples and into his occipital lobe. He clapped a hand to the side of his head. His other hand was held at his side; as Mina watched, it began to twitch and spasm. Kirishima narrowed his eyes at Midoriya.
"Great. Just when I got rid of it. And now my arm is going too! Just…let me deal with this!"
He pushed past Midoriya and started for the door. Without glancing over his shoulder, he pointed his finger back towards his three classmates.
"Your ramen is on the table there. Night, Mina. Ochaco."
As the doors hissed closed behind their obviously angry friend, Mina spun to face Midoriya.
"First question: What? Second question: the hell was that about?"
A/N alright so this is beginning to get interesting! I'm so excited to start bringing this more towards the idea I had in my head. A big shout out to Myherogal22 (because 4 out of my 5 reviews are from her). But seriously, I'm glad you like this as much as I like writing it.
