25

Humility

Izuku and Kyouka were sitting on the same bench in the park, the cherry blossom leaves long since scattered away. The small pond had a few lily pads.

Jirou was hugging her legs up against her chest. A bloodshot eye pout. She hit her forehead repeated on her knees. "Fuck, I knew this was gonna bite me in the ass." She shifted the weight of her head on either knee a few times, raising it and taking a deep sigh. "Izuku, um, what you said last night, you really do mean it right? You know, (gulp) that love thing?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, slightly confused. "Y-Yeah I do, why are you suddenly bringing this up? I know you're upset but what does this have to do with that?"

"And that's not gonna change, r-right?"

He tried to keep his demeanor. 'Kyouka is definitely more stressed than I imagined she would be..?' He nodded his head, "Yeah, Kyouka." He laid his hand on her knee, squeezing it. She pulled back her hood and stared directly at him after his sentiment. Her anxious face calmed down seeing his reassuring eyes.

"Okay." Straightening her face to remain serious. "I need to tell you something Izuku. It's about me and Momo. Fuck this is hard." Trying to clear her throat. "It's really mostly about me, but it involves her too." She ran her hand through her hair, before shaking it, sprinkling off some drops. She stared down at the hand on her knee, then his attentive eyes. She broke her eyes away for a sec before reaffirming her confidence in herself, him and their relationship, and met his eyes again. "Izuku, the thing is, y-you're the first guy I've been with..."

Izuku nodded. "You're my first girlfriend too, Kyouka."

She shook her head with some frustration. "No, I didn't mean it like that... I've had a girlfriend before." Keeping her eyes on his reaction.

"...O-Oh." His eyes widened, they were obviously taken back, but eventually took that in. "So you mean, you're, um?" Not knowing how to word it.

She nodded her head with closed eyes. The pressure of coming out was difficult enough but to your own boyfriend. She rested her head back on her knees. His warm hand was rubbing her knee gently to let her know he was still there. "I guess this is the part where you say something cheesy like usual." Jirou tried to joke off the serious issue, because of her own insecurities.

"I-It must have been hard to tell me... I'm shocked, yeah, but I don't want to let that change anything between us. I still definitely mean what I said yesterday... I love you..." Maybe she needed to hear it from him again, maybe he needed to tell her again.

With closed eyes losing doubt, her lips rose like the flower, with a blossoming giggle. "Like I said, cheesy." Letting themselves take a break from the conversation in a cuddled quiet rain drop serenade.

After the rain completely faded out she continued. "And about Momo." A reluctant sigh, staring across the pond. "Actually, I think this has probably affected everything we've been through so far. You know how you and Uraraka were? I mean before we started dating." She turned her face back to him.

He nodded. "Y-Yeah..." He didn't like to admit but, "There was something there, even though, we-, I never acted on it."

She turned back to the pond. "Sorry, it's just easier to talk looking this way." He said he understood and whatever helped her she should do. "Me and Momo were like that too, except I acted on it, but we never got anywhere. It happened a little bit before we started dating but there was never any closure between us... I think that's why I overreacted when I saw you and Uraraka kissing... I felt guilty for not telling you and I was scared shitless. I thought karma was fucking me over because of how I treated Momo."

Izuku's eyes widened. "That's why it was so unusual."

Jirou turned back to him, with a tilted confusion. "What do you mean?" Rubbing away a sneaky tear that was escaping after she expressed a buried truth.

"When you told her we were dating, that day we walked to school with her. It always felt like there was something more to it because of how you both acted so tense but I never imagined that you two were kind of intimate." Izuku recalled the same day that Momo found out about their relationship, she held him back before class, 'asking me to promise that I wouldn't hurt Kyouka...' He bit back his tongue now knowing it was a promise asked by someone infatuated with Jirou who lost and not a friend only wanting to protect her.

"I was hoping you didn't notice that." Jirou mumbled, feeling a wave of guilt. "I'm sorry, I should have told you everything that day. I feel like we could have avoided so much unnecessary bullshit."

Izuku couldn't deny that but, "You shouldn't apologize Kyouka. Telling me something like this must of been scary... So I can understand why it took so long. Trust takes time to build."

Their hands found each other and interlocked on the bench. "I do trust you, Izuku." Leaning her head on his shoulder. "And love you." She felt his damp sweater sleeve on her cheek but didn't care. She went back to staring at the pond. After a long pause, she added. "I think Momo will get some closure after this."

"Did you?"

"Yeah even though it kind of sucks right now..."

He chuckled lightly at her constant cursing. "I bet she feels the same."

"Yeah."


Jirou was whistling a tune in the limo. Momo was giving her a ride back to her house. "It sure is cozy, back here." But they were sitting side by side, thighs grazing each other. Both pretending it wasn't an awkward attempt at flirting.

Momo smiled. "Yes, I made sure to have room for everyone in our class." Polite like always, letting out the motherly aura.

"Must. Protect." Jirou mumbled with strained eyes.

"Nani?" Momo had a confused smile, being mindful of her strange words.

Jirou shook her head. "My bad. Nevermind, it was nothing."

"Oh, I see." Momo kept her lips up. Jirou was her closest friend. She couldn't help but think of a conversation she had with Midoriya the other day. 'Fun at the arcade.' She nodded her head and decided to follow her own advice. Momo was about to ask Jirou if she wanted to go. She attempted to clear her throat.

"Jirou I was wondering if-"

"Hey, Momo I wanted to ask-"

Both at the same time.

They both stopped and tried to let the other go first.

"Momo I was just c-curious, is there anyone you like yet? We have been going to school for a while now." Scooting closer to her.

Momo tensed. Jirou was closer than she ever had been. "Who I like?" With clattering teeth.

"Yeah, anyone in particular?" Tilting her head, leaning her hand above the seat behind Momo, closing in.

"Eh, w-well T-Todoroki is smart, um M-Mi-Mi-" not able to say Midoriya. She was going to say he was nice, and then Momo was going to list out every student and a brief quality.

"Todoroki, huh?" Jirou had a crooked smirk at Momo's flustered state. "Think I can change your mind?" Her other hand clasped her chin.

Gulp.

Both with closed eyes, leaning close. Barely any physical contact.

"We have arrived." The driver informed through the intercom. The car stopped and they broke the trance.

Momo's eyes fluttered open. 'That was so...' with dazed thoughts.

Jirou opened the door. "Bye Momo, I'll see you tomorrow!" She rushed out, closing the door not looking back. 'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I probably scared her off!' Jirou mentally scolded herself, she never intended to act so brave, she just wanted to be a slight tease to get her interested, then play it off as joke.

"Huh?" Momo's cloudy thoughts cleared as the door shut. She glanced through the window at Jirou. The limo began to leave from view. Momo placed her fingers on her lips. 'Jirou kissed me...'

The next morning, Kyouka was staring at the ceiling. "Why am I like this?" Momo hadn't texted her at all since they did that. They had plans today, but now she wasn't so sure. "Fuck why did I try to kiss her!" She took a deep breath and let it out. "Whatever, I can't just stay like this." The birds were chirping, welcoming the morning. "I need some fresh air." And she wanted to play her guitar.

She left her house and found a nice spot in the park next to her home. She made sure it was tuned with her humming, playing some notes. It always helped soothe her. 'I needed that.' She sighed content, before opening her eyes and seeing him staring at her.

"M-Midoriya?"