8

And to bloom

"Ugh, I told myself that wouldn't happen." Izuku pushed himself up, off the bed. He honestly didn't plan for that to happen with Mina... AGAIN. He sat up on the bed, looking down at his hands on his lap. He didn't want to rush things with Mina. She was unique, nothing like the rest of the girls in his class, not even like her best friend Toru, the school gossip. Mina was spunky yet intimate. It was an intoxicating allure he couldn't get enough of. "I used to think Mina was just into those superficial things like trends and social media. I feel so stupid for judging a book by its cover. I never took the time to see her thoughtful and considerate side..." He had decided he would make it up to her even though she wasn't even aware of it.

"I can't believe I did that with Izuku, again. I told myself to take it slow with him but now..." Mina rolled over, throwing her blanket off. She stared up at the ceiling. She was contemplating her recent actions with Midoriya. She didn't want to mess things up with him. He was different from the rest. He wasn't squeaky clean like his friend Iida the class president nor was he like Todoroki who kept to himself, not causing trouble. Izuku was a problem child with a cinnamon bun glaze, hiding his true nature. She chuckled to herself. "Heck, he snuck into my room last night. The Izuku I thought I knew would never do that." Her smile faltered a bit thinking of why that might be.

The both of them ignored the first thoughts of the morning and prepared for the school day.

Yesterday, Bakugo had a conversation with Kirishima. The manly redhead didn't outright admit it and it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it but Bakugo was able to get the gist of it. Kirishima had a thing for Ashido. Bakugo didn't sleep well for reasons he didn't want to admit. He had given advice to Deku not knowing it was about Ashido and because of it, he had a hand in hurting his friend's feelings. He didn't know what was right or wrong in this situation, all he knew was that he was going to talk to Deku.

Yaoyorozu felt horrible, last night she had snuck away with Uraraka to her room. She had cried to Momo about how she always thought she and Deku would end up together and how she regretted holding back her feelings for him. Momo would have never assumed that the advice she gave Ashido would end up being about a relationship with Midoriya. Yet, she should have expected for a newly formed relationship to change the dynamics of the classroom. As the vice-president, she took it upon herself to talk to Midoriya about Uraraka's feelings.

The morning in the living quarters flowed smooth enough, everyone was more or less getting along, minus Kirishima and Uraraka but they were passive about it and it went unnoticed. Izuku and Mina kept to their respective friend group, both were still ashamed of how quickly they slept together again, specifically after they agreed to take things slow. They did glance at each other and share a shy uneasy smile in greeting.

Although, as the class was heading to school in groups, he took her off to the side, breaking her away from her group. He didn't explain why, he simply held out his hand for her. She only had to glance at it for a second before she burst out into a grin, happily clasping her hand with his. They walked at their own pace, letting the other students pass them by. They were full of the cute puppy dog love found in every early relationship. She would show him cool or funny things on her phone. He would mention any interesting facts he knew about the topic at hand and sometimes he would accidentally ramble on while Mina giggled before interrupting him. They would have kissed after the moment but they were too embarrassed, unlike last night.

They broke apart during the school day. Like usual she hung out at the back with her friends and he was up in front like a focused bookworm. Mina peeked over at him and his nerdy attitude, she smirked to herself knowing how much of a brute he could be, remembering how rough his strong arms held her. Izuku got goosebumps, having felt someone stare. He leaned back on his chair, taking a glance at her, not trying to make it obvious. He saw her showing off some dance moves and thought about how energetic she was, then the image of her only able to quake in his arms flashed in his mind like a secret only he knew.

They both found each other after class, walking back to the dorms holding hands, acting like a naive couple that couldn't even kiss. No one except them knowing how intimate they have already been.

And yet,

The both of them ignored the dichotomy of the innocent mushy days they had to the passionate nights they shared.