23

"Emotions are just trinkets anyways."

"I made it!" Midoriya cheered as the door behind him closed. It was Monday and he had just gotten to the workshop. He had to sneak past Mina and Toru who were looking for him. Lunch was going to be an ordeal. He sighed, sagging his shoulders. Even if they came in here they knew it had to be for their hero suits only. "Although I do give Todoroki a pass all the time." He was ruffling his hair, walking farther in. In the back of his head, he had been dreading this. "Good morning Hatsume." He tried with his best normal voice.

"Good morning!" She sang like usual. The usual sounds of clunking metal and turning wrenches. "I just made coffee!" She added, she skated to a corner of the workshop were they had a sink, fridge, microwave, and coffee maker.

"Wow, she's getting really good at that." Seeing her use the original air trek. "Well, she did invent it." 'I just gave us another trademark strike!'

"Here you go." She zipped up to him, handing him a mug.

"Ah, thanks." He reached out for it, accidentally holding her fingers. She flinched slightly, but the look in her eyes begged him to drop it. So he did. He took a sip. "This is really good!" Taking another sip.

"Thanks, it's just the usual."

Izuku took another sip before plopping on to a rolly-chair. "Yeah, I probably just needed this." He let out with a big sigh. "This weekend was... rough." He dropped his head back, looking up at the luminescent lights, before closing his eyes.

"Really? I actually enjoyed myself."

"You did? I wouldn't figure you for singing." He tried to recall. 'Wait did she sing?' He honestly couldn't remember, he was tired that day and there was so much tension he couldn't focus through all of it.

"It's good to let the brain rest, and to step away from your work from time to time before it makes us stagnant." She took a sip of coffee cupping the mug with both her hands. She let out a warm breath after the sip.

He brought his head back down to her, staring with a raised eyebrow. "You're not as energetic as usual."

"Like I said, I need some downtime." She acknowledged her calmer demeanor.

Izuku did too. He mulled it over in his head before trying to approach the subject with her. The fact that she knew he shared nights with Momo and what almost happened between them before Uraraka interrupted. He cleared his throat, leaning forward on the chair, the wheels slightly edging back. "Hey, Hatsume, I know you said that it's none of your business but um, where I go-, who I'm with, I mean...-"

"Yup, just like I said, none of my concern!" She sang out again, getting up from her chair and turning around, walking back to her work. "That's right we planned to properly test the new version of your gear today, right?"

'She did the same thing last time, completely telling me it's nothing but turning away too quickly and saying it too fast.' Izuku was chewing on his bottom lip, a little frustrated. "Y-Yeah, we should, but er, Hatsume don't you think you're overdoing it, working on my gear, it's just a side project and we're already overloaded as it is. B-Besides you just said so yourself, you needed a break."

"Don't be silly, getting your gear up and running is one of my top priorities!"

"Eh? But why?" He placed his coffee mug aside and stood, walking to her.

"I already told you, for when you become a hero again, don't forget you were originally my client!"

"Yeah, I know that but I work with you now. And a part of that involves worrying about you."

"Well you shouldn't worry, I'll be fine when you run off again in the middle of the night!"

"So, it does bother you!"

"I'll actually have more room for my babies when you transfer departments again."

"W-Wait, Hatsume..."

"I'll be a lot more efficient without you pestering me about safety procedures or getting sleep, you hypocrite." She sang that last part out.

"H-Hatsume... Are you mad because of what I do at nights or because I might transfer back to the hero course."

"...Friday night, when I got those weird readings, you were doing something heroic, right?"

Izuku let out a throaty gasp. He narrowed his eyes, staring to the side before taking a breath. "Yeah."

Her goggles were on her forehead, shading her eyes. "See, it's already happening." She took a gulp, before quickly returning to her normal attitude. "So I have to make sure your equipment is ready in time." She fully turned to him, her cheerful smile plastered on her face.

But she blinked, and it slipped out, trailing down her cheek.

'Hatsume doesn't want me to be a hero?' But she was bound by her moral obligations as a part of the hero support she provides. 'Then that day when we almost kissed. It was the same day we were doing field training with the hero course, and I was keeping up with them! She was already starting to feel like she was losing me..!' Izuku's eyes were wide with parted lips, figuring it out. 'But then what about Momo, why doesn't she care about that?' He took a heavy breath having to ask. "Hatsume, the day we had field training, after school, when we were about to... What was that?"

"Midoriya, we should really run some tests on your gear." She tried to act like her casual self but it was breaking.

Izuku began to take some steps closer to her, standing in front of her. "You knew about me and someone else, but you still..."

"Midoriya, just drop it." With a shaky breath.

"But you didn't do it..." Izuku's eyes softened seeing the truth in her eyes. "Because you were scared?"

"Yes, alright! I was scared, happy?" She scoffed, turning back around, spinning with her air trek.

"Hatsume, I... I don't understand. It's always been like you like me but then you don't at the same time..."

She shivered, hugging herself. "I'm not... Like others. I don't think about holding hands or exchanging gifts. I never pictured myself in a physical relationship, I just can't... But when we work together and create something, together, I, I don't know." She shrugged, dropping her arms beside herself, turning back to him, yet staring down, almost ashamed. "That's always been my form of intimacy... for us." Admitting it, a secret she kept for herself.

"I... Hatsume..." His eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes had a weak squint. He didn't know how to feel. 'But this isn't about me, it's about her.' He cleared his throat. "So if I leave the support course, you'll lose that..."

She simply nodded still not lifting her head.

He wiped his face, running his hand up and through his hair, ruffling it. "I don't know if I'll be a hero again... But even if something does change, that doesn't mean I'll stop working on projects with you."

"... You won't?" Raising her head up at him.

"Of course not." He placed his index finger on her goggles, slightly pressing it. "I thought you of all people would understand."

"Huh?" She cleared a sniffle, regaining some cheer.

"You're not the only one who gets excited when we work on something together. We're partners!" He reinforced the statement with a firm push with his index finger, then flicking the goggles before backing his hand off.

She was staring at him with confused eyes. "You don't think it's weird, how I view intimacy?"

"Nah, I mean that's why you call them your babies right?" He joked, feeling the elevated mood.

She also giggled. But it wasn't her crazy laugh when working or her snorting chuckle. It was an honest giggle. She kept her smile as she accelerated straight into him.

"Oof!" He coughed as she tackled him into a hug. "That's a first." He rasped out, trying to catch his breath.

"I just feel comfortable." She let out with her signature singing voice, staring up at him.

"Me too, Hatsume." He gave her a smile back. Both enjoying the tranquility

"Oh my God..."

"Midoriya... and... Hatsume!"

Izuku's eye twitched at the sounds of their voices. 'No, anyone but them!' He turned to the door. "Ashido! Toru! It's not what it looks like!" 'Why does this always happen?!'

He attempted to run after them after they fled with the gossip. He barged out into the hallway, staring down both ends but not seeing them. 'After all the crap I've been through, I am not going down because of those two gossips!' But he knew they had escaped.

'I'm gonna die at lunch.' He sagged his shoulders, accepting fate.

At least I had a positive outcome for once.