Izuku Midoriya didn't ask for this. Or, did he?

As a child, this would have been his dream. This would have meant the world to him. His unrequited love requited. That would have been the perfect ending to any tale. No longer would he hold an aching heart or would he endure troubling tension. If this had happened many years earlier, all the angst and awkwardness would have been graciously spared. This could have been...would have been...amazing.

But, now, Izuku realized life sucks.

Izuku had endured many years of bullying and downgrading to know that life isn't all great. Life isn't a pristine package of your wildest dreams. Because, if it was, Izuku would call for a refund and would exchange many major aspects of his life by the age of three. But, life isn't something you can buy and return. Reality doesn't always follow your hopes and dreams, Izuku learned.

Yes, his dream of becoming number one hero is becoming closer to reality than ever despite its initial impossibility. Izuku, of course, was grateful for that, but this is different. Not all dreams should come true, right? Imagine if the League of Villains got their wish. It would be the end of the world as we all know it. Only certain dreams should and possibly will reach reality. Izuku knows that he can't wish someone to love, or even like, you. He wasn't even sure if tolerance was on the table.

But, in all seriousness, life isn't worth the torment of hoping someone would change just like that. No matter how much you may cherish them, they will just remain that aching sore in your side. Izuku had learned to accept that since life just doesn't work the way one wants.

Until it does, and Izuku wasn't having it. Because, seriously, who would have thought that in a million years that his number one rival, Katsuki Bakugou, would just confess to him.

In the boy's bathroom.

Then cower in shame.

In the corner of a urinal.

So, yeah, no, Izuku did not ask for this.

"Good morning, guys!"

The sun had reached above the horizon, and the students of U.A. were scattered around the cafeteria enjoying. Izuku looked up to find a smiling Uraraka plopping down on a seat in front of him and Iida.

"Good morning, Uraraka," Iida formally greeted his friend. Izuku too gave his welcome, albeit muffled as he was in the middle of eating eggs. Uraraka only giggled in response as she twirls her fork. Followed by the tapping of her feet and failing to retain her cocky grin, it was obvious that there was something she wants to say. However, being Uraraka, she impatiently waited to be acknowledged.

Good thing, Izuku was here to tolerate this kind of nonsense. It was pretty much routine at this point. "You seem happy today, Uraraka."

"Haha, only a little bit," she gently laughed. Her smile only grew wider. "But, since you're asking, Deku…" Izuku didn't recall asking any questions. "I'm super excited for this afternoon's exam! I'm definitely going to pass it!" She pumped her fist into the air.

"That's good to hear, but…" Iida paused. "You do know that this is only a practice exam?"

"I mean, yeah, but that equates to success, right?" Izuku and Iida just stared at the poor girl. "C'mon, think about it, you guys. This practice exam is like a tiny victory for us. All year, Mr. Aizawa has been making us take each exam as if our lives were on the line. With this practice exam, I don't have to suffer from an anxiety attack. I call that a win."

"But…," Iida began, and Izuku already could predict what will happen next. Iida would refute Uraraka's claims with facts from highly reputable sources that he somehow cataloged in his head. Of course, Uraraka would debate back but citing with her heart. It would go on and on until Uraraka incidentally changes the whole conversation. On some days, Izuku would add himself in the debate. But, usually, he enjoyed sitting on the sidelines, sharing a laugh or two at their banter.

Being friends with Uraraka and Iida for over a year had caused some days to be rather predictable. However, Izuku wouldn't have it any other way. With the League of Villains or some wannabe supervillains always showing up at the worst of times, always disturbing their could-have-been slice-of-life adventures, Izuku enjoyed moments of normalcy whenever there was the chance. And, there was nothing Izuku would do then to savor these moments.

Unfortunately, the universe doesn't care for Izuku's needs and wants.

"Okay, but what if Yaoyorozu recreates the same snow cone Todoroki made with his quirk? Will they taste different, or will there be some kind of changggggg-"

"Hey, Uraraka, are you alright?" Iida waved his hand in front of the blank Uravity. Her eyes had widen and started to twitch as she stared off into the distance. "Are you feeling ill?"

"Hey, earth to Uraraka?" Izuku tapped on her shoulder, wondering what she is looking at.

"Uh, huh," Uraraka returned. "I-It's just...it's Bakugou. Doesn't something seems off with him?" She pointed directly behind Iida and Izuku.

Something wrong with Kacchan? Anxiety hit Izuku, turning him into a worrisome (lover) friend who cares (deeply) for the wellbeing of his (crush) rival. But, that instantly resolved itself because... Nope, this is just Kacchan. Whatever the problem is, he is just exaggerating as usual… Izuku turned his head to find that this was not usual. He found Kacchan stumbling into the cafeteria, trying to grab his breakfast without being seen.

There were a lot of things wrong with this picture. Izuku would never admit this extensive knowledge of Kacchan comes for the act of "stalking," rather he will say it comes the act of "paying extremely close attention to a person that one simply admires and wants to be." Typically, Kacchan (always irritated for some trivial reason) is the first one to arrive. He briskly ate his breakfast, hoping to leave early. But, then, Kirishima showed up and spurred a surprisingly civilized conversation with the hothead before class starts.

But, today was nothing of typical, and everyone noticed it.

"Take a look at Bakugou."

"Perhaps, he had a bad night's sleep?"

"You think?"

"Wait, didn't he had a run-in with a villian last night?"

"That could explain it."

"How could it explain his hair? It no longer resembles an exploded palm tree."

Izuku too heard about the incident, and was reasonably worried about his childhood friend. But, it wasn't like he could just go up to Kacchan and say "Hey, are you okay? I heard you got tangled with some villains and don't know if you wanted to talk it out" without resulting in deafening eardrums from curses and insecurity. Of course, when Kirishima asks, all was well.

But it wasn't like Izuku was jealous or anything, he was glad that Kacchan allowed at least one person to take care of him.

But, knowing Kacchan, Izuku assumed that he was probably just a little embarrassed from the attack. This wasn't his first (nor will it be his last as Kacchan's aggressiveness would inevitably lead) rundown with villians. However, this didn't explain the extreme changes of his behavior. His Kacchan would never stumble around, carefully avoiding people like the plague. He would have simply shoved them aside, showing his prowess. He would…

"Did he got hit by a quirk?" Izuku muttered aloud.

Kirishima tried to get attention. "Hey Bakugou, over here, dude."

Izuku curiously watched as Kacchan reacted. Did he just jumped? Was he startled? No, Kacchan would never jump as if he was scared. Maybe, he just jerked his head awkward. Yep, that was most probabl-

Oh my gosh, did he just wave?

And, lo and behold, Kacchan did do a slight wave at the Red Riot, catching him completely off guard, but still graciously waved in return. But, Izuku tried to reason again, Kacchan couldn't have possibly waved. Kacchan doesn't wave. He must have been swatting the air for bugs. Kacchan hates insects after all. Yep, that makes sense. That's the perfect explanation for it all.

In the midst of his thought process, Izuku failed to realize that he was staring at Kacchan for over a minute. The moment this fact registered, Izuku was expecting to see a furious glare with a biting tongue. But, it wasn't that. It was something way worse.

Kacchan was blushing. At him.

What the…

"Is Bakugou blushing?" Of course, Kaminari stated this out loud, allowing everyone at range to hear, whipping their attention to the flustered Kacchan who...with later video evidence provided by Mineta...turned completely red, dropped his food, and made a mad dash out of the cafeteria.

What the…

"It has to be a quirk! Place your bets."

"We are not betting on our classmate, Kaminari. Bakugou might really need our aide."

"Do you think he got possessed?"

"Perhaps, a quirk made him lose all his memories?"

"But, he seems to remember Kirishima, though."

"It could be hypnotism?"

"Or, someone who shapeshifted into him?"

"And, fail that badly. All they had to do is scream to get the job done."

Izuku couldn't listen to what his classmates are saying, or even register Uraraka constantly nudging his shoulder. The scene of Kacchan blushing at him was set on endless replay in his mind.

Nevermind, constancy in his life. Normalcy was dead.