I had the worst idea of my life when I woke up the next morning. I was thinking about the speech we'd have to give in front of the whole student body. I thought about how nervous Deku would be. After what he said yesterday, I had no doubt that people were gossiping about him. They'd point fingers at him, whisper to each other, and giggle. He would feel so targeted.

I wished there was something I could do to protect him from that. If only I could convince the principal to change his mind. That would never happen. I had to do something to keep them from laughing at him, something to take the attention off him. Then my horrible idea came to me. The worst idea ever, the pinnacle of stupid decisions.

I left early for school and stopped by a drug store on my way there. I bought a few cans of spray-on hair color, picking the brightest and boldest colors. I shoved them in my backpack and went to class. We were supposed to start the day with our assembly so Deku, Monoma, and I had to meet the principal in the gym five minutes before the first bell.

Deku was in the classroom too, dropping off his backpack before the assembly. He looked visibly nervous. I nodded to him in greeting. He spoke first. "You ready?" He asked.

"Almost." I replied.

"I don't even know what to say. So many people will be looking at me…"

"Relax. They won't be looking at you." I assured him.

"How do you know that? Kacchan… I said some stuff in class yesterday-"

I cut him off. "I need to go to the bathroom. If I'm late to the gym, cover for me." I said, taking my backpack and leaving.

I knew Deku needed more from me. He needed a hug, he needed reassurance and comfort. There just wasn't time for that. As I walked briskly down the hall to the bathroom, I saw Candy Cane walking towards me from the opposite direction. He stepped in my way, forcing me to stop. I scowled at him and he returned the expression.

"The fuck do you want?" I growled. "Is this your first time in a hallway? Never learned how to go around people?"

His stare was cold and calm as always. "Midoriya's in trouble because of you." He stated bluntly. "That fight yesterday, the assembly today, this is all because of you."

I clenched my fist. "Hey, I wasn't even at school for that, you prick. Now move." I demanded.

He didn't even flinch or bat an eye at my demands. "You've seen the video, haven't you?"

I looked away stubbornly, refusing to answer.

"I'll take that as a yes. And I'm sure you know how I feel about Izuku. I like him for the same reason you do. He's kind. He can forgive anything, he can see past any flaw, he can find the light in even the darkest person. Deku accepted me and treated me well when no one else would. He understood me when everyone else just jumped to conclusions. I know he did the same for you. But there's a difference between me and you. I have balance, and you have passion. It's that passion of yours that he likes so much but it's also that passion that destroys everything and attracts enemies. A balanced person isn't as exciting but they're safer. They wouldn't let Izuku get hurt because they wouldn't get into those situations in the first place. I can put my head before my heart. What can you do? Punch a hole in the wall? Who does Izuku deserve to be with?"

He delivered his questions in such a way that they penetrated their victim cleanly and with precision. Everything he was saying was true. All of it. I was passion and he was balance. Izuku should be with him. It made sense that way. Deku would be safe, he would be happy, he wouldn't have to deal with all the destruction that followed me. But on the other hand, I was a selfish person. I had Deku now and I wouldn't give him up. I wanted Deku, that's all I cared about. I took my aim and fired back at Todoroki, sparing nothing. If he wanted to fight, then I wouldn't show mercy.

"Woulda, shoulda, coulda, right, Todoroki?" I asked savagely. "It's fun to play make believe, isn't it? Didn't you ever play dollar Valentine in grade school? You fill out a questionaire about your likes and dislikes then they pair you with the person who, in theory, is your magical soul mate. How often do those work? Why don't those perfect fantasies ever manifest themselves in reality? So yeah, you have a point. Deku would be perfect with you. But here's the more important question… Which one of us does he love?"

In an instant, I was shoved against the lockers hard. Todoroki held my shirt in his bundled fists and started at me with violent eyes. "You think I don't know that!? I'm well aware of how he feels… I know he chose you over me. Just know that when you've burnt everything to rubble and you have nothing left to show for your passion but destruction and pain, I'll still be here. I'll be here waiting and I will take him from you, Katsuki. You can be his first love but I'll be his last." With one last, hard, shove against the lockers, Todoroki released my shirt and left. I watched him go, surprised by what I had just witnessed. I didn't know there was another side to the him. I brushed the wrinkles out of my shirt and thought to myself, 'I have to be careful of him… He's more than I thought.'

I tried to shake off our confrontation as I went into the bathroom and pulled out the cans. The more I thought about it, the more I hated the idea. I closed my eyes and imagined students gossiping about and laughing at my boy. That was the encouragement I needed to push down on the release and spray bright pink paint into the center of my head. 'Stupid Candy Cane…' I thought as I picked up different colors and filled in sections of my wild hair. 'He's mine. He always will be. If I can do this for him, I can do anything for him so just fuck'n try to take him from me.' I could do anything for him. If he wanted me to get a nine-to-five job, I'd get one. If he wanted me to build him a nice house, I'd build one. If he wanted a big wedding, he'd have the biggest. My dedication was unmatched.

I threw the cans away and strolled out into the hall, my hair looking like a clown wig. People noticed. Everyone I passed gasped, pointed, and gossiped. There was no way a single eye would be on Deku today. I didn't mind taking all their attention. After all, I was passion, right? This was in my nature.

I went directly to the school gym where Monoma, Deku, and the principal were all waiting for me. Their initial reaction was stunned silence. Then, the principal gathered some words for me. "Katsuki Bakugo! Wh-What… What on earth have you done to your hair!? Do you think this is funny!? Young man, there will be serious consequences for this! This is a direct violation of this school's policy! I can't believe the nerves you have!"

I tuned him out and looked to my favorite greenette. I smiled at him reassuringly. He gave me a 'what have you done?' expression and shook his head before finally giving in and rewarding me with a little chuckle. He emanated love.

"Do you think this is funny, Mr. Midoriya!?" The Principal asked.

Deku tightened his lips and shook his head. "N-no sir."

"You're right it's not! I don't know why you had to pull a stunt like this now of all times, Mr. Bakugo, but the students are already gathering so we'll deal with this afterwards. You all have three minutes to prepare yourselves to speak. , if you try to pull anything else during this assembly, I will give you an automatic suspension. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." I responded with a nod.

He stomped off to set up the microphone, clearly tired of my shit. I smiled at Deku. "Don't be nervous, okay?"

He giggled. "The only thing I'm scared of is being caught in photos next to you. What the hell did you do?"

I shrugged, my hands in my pockets. "I was just feeling artistic today."

"You did this for me, didn't you?" He guessed.

Again, I shrugged.

He smiled warmly. "I guess I owe you. What do you want?"

I thought about that for a while, shifting my weight on my feet. "I'm going to ask you something on Saturday. I want the answer to be 'yes'."

He blushed and gave me a little nod. He made his fingers into a little heart and I did the same. The principal gestured for us three to come out from the back room and stand in front of the countless students in the bleachers. The second we walked out, the room erupted into discussion about my hair. I smiled. I actually didn't care. I was fine with it. I had Deku's approval and that was all I wanted. They could laugh and point all they wanted, it was worth it to see my boy smile.

The principal started off. "Students, I have gathered you all here this morning so that we may all learn and grow from troubling incidents on our campus. As many of you know, this semester, the sophomore class has unfortunately struggled with bullying, harassment, and violence. This school does not stand for such behavior and we expect better from every one of our students. For that reason, I have asked three of our sophomore students who are personally familiar with these issues to speak to the shortcomings in our student body and the appropriate solutions. Please listen respectfully. Comments and concerns will be discussed after the students have had a chance to speak." He announced before gesturing for Monoma to come to the microphone.

I watched the blonde's expression. There was no shame, no embarrassment, no sincerity, nothing. He was like a robot, performing a task for a reward. "Fellow students, my name is Neito Monoma of class 2A. I would like to apologize for propagating rumors about my fellow classmates." He took a long bow. "I recently transferred from class 1B to 2A and I found that I didn't understand the humor of my older peers and I struggled to acclimate to the culture of my new class. I misunderstood jokes and when I joked, it was often misunderstood too, leading to some misunderstandings. I'm sincerely sorry to all those who were offended by these misunderstandings, it was never my intention to offend anyone. I hope that you can all forgive me so that, from here on out, we can get along as peers and enjoy a comfortable classroom atmosphere." He turned to me and smiled sweetly. My jaw clenched and my stomach churned.

He turned back to the audience, wearing his deceivingly innocent smile. "There's never a good reason to spread rumors. You should all respect your classmates, even when they live lifestyles that are different from yours or make choices that you wouldn't have made. When I made derogatory comments about homosexual couples, it was because I didn't understand that lifestyle. I ask that our friends Katsuki and Izuku will be patient with all of us and will help us learn about homosexuality so that hurtful misunderstandings like this don't reoccur."

Everyone clapped for him. I couldn't believe this. He basically called everything a misunderstanding, outed Deku and I in front of the whole school, and insinuated that it was our fault for not explaining ourselves to everyone. That little prick was so good at playing the game. He knew how to manipulate people perfectly.

I went to the microphone next. After what Monoma had said, I was sure everyone was curious about Deku and I. I didn't want Deku to have to answer their prying eyes. I cleared my throat as I looked out at the countless faces. If Monoma could play the game, so could I. I could manipulate this crowd just as well as he could. "I sincerely hope that myself and all of you can come to forgive Neito for his truly offensive use of slurs and stereotypes." I put my hand over my heart, pretending to be touched. "I'm so thankful for his apology, I hope we can start on the road towards healing. I'm sure none of you are unaware of Neito's unfortunate misunderstandings so I'd like to start by dispelling some rumors about myself. Firstly, I am not a drug addict. I have never willingly purchased nor ingested nonprescription drugs. I have never been and will never be in a gang. I am, in no way, affiliated with the profession of prostitution, and I have never had any sexual contact on school grounds. I am mentally stable and I am not a dangerous person. I have been enrolled in multiple high schools but I was forced to leave those schools due to bullying-related violence. I sincerely hope that I do not have to face a situation like that again."

I turned my head and smiled at Monoma. I'm not sure but he seemed a little ticked off. "And lastly, there's one rumor that you've all heard that is true. I am dating Izuku Midoriya." I announced. Immediately, there was whispering in the crowd. The principal told them all to quiet down before nodding to me to continue. "I don't know what I can teach all of you about my life choices. We behave like any other couple and have the same interests so please just treat us like you would treat any other couple. I sincerely apologize for becoming offended by Neito's jokes. To help clear up these understandings, I ask everyone to please learn from Neito's mistakes. As he has learned, the words 'fag' and 'queer' are not appropriate in jokes. The terms 'gay' and 'queer' are both fine when spoken in serious and respectful situations."

Again, the crowd gasped and whispered. "Did Neito really use those words?" I heard someone whisper. My job was done. I bowed and stepped away from the microphone.

I gave Deku a little reassuring smile as I passed him. He approached the microphone. I could tell by his posture that this was brave Deku, the Deku who was passionate and blunt. He started off with a low, apologetic bow. "There is no place or time when violence in appropriate. Please forgive me."

He raised his head and spoke into the microphone. "It was wrong of me to use physical violence against Neito Monoma. When a classmate is offending you, it's best to honestly tell that person that how you feel and ask them to stop. I would never suggest using violence at school or anywhere else. I'm sorry to everyone who was frightened or felt unsafe because of my choices. In my case, I did confront Neito Monoma verbally at first but he continued to perpetuate harmful rumors about Katsuki and use slurs that I found offensive. In cases like this, I encourage all of you to confide in a teacher or parent. I let my anger get the best of me and resorted to violence. To ensure that something like this never happens again, please be respectful of each other's romantic relationships and avoid the use of slurs. Again, I'm sincerely sorry for my actions." He finished with another bow and came to stand my me. I could tell that he was proud of himself. I was proud of him too.

The principal took to the microphone and started mumbling on about how everyone should learn from us and how he expected better behavior from everyone. In the end, most students left realizing that Monoma wasn't a sweet or innocent person. We were dismissed and told to go back to class. As everyone exited out the gym doors, a little hand pulled my sleeve. I looked down to Deku who met my eyes, looked to the locker rooms, then back to me. 'He wants to go to the locker rooms? Why?'

Still, I gave him a little nod and went with him. We slipped into the locker room without anyone noticing. He led me by the arm to the section of the locker room with showers. "Take off your shirt. Quickly." He directed in a quiet voice.

My face flushed beet red. "Wh-what?" I stuttered. 'H-he wants to do something like that? Here? What's gotten into him!?' I wondered as he tried to unbutton my shirt.

"Come on, I don't want it to get wet." He said.

'Get it wet!? What the hell is he imagining?!' I pushed his hands away from my shirt buttons. "Hey! Qu-quit that…"

"Come on, it's not like I haven't seen you shirtless before. We can't take forever, they'll notice if we're too late to class."

"Deku! Hey!" I protested, but he kept trying to pull my jacket off. Finally, I took his wrists and forced them up beside his head. He looked at me with big eyes, blushing pink.

"Kacchan…? What are you doing? Are you… trying to flirt with me? Now?"

"What!? No, I'm trying to do the opposite! You're the one desperate to get me undressed!"

I watched as Deku silently processed what I was saying for a moment before the realization hit him. "Oh… Kacchan, I'm just trying to wash your hair. Didn't I say that?"

I let go of his wrists, looking away with my face tinted bright pink in embarrassment. 'Deku's a good boy, of course he wouldn't be trying to do something like that, you idiot.' I scolded internally. "No, you didn't."

"Oh…" He paused in silence before emitting a giggle. "Sorry… that must have been really weird, huh?"

A smile crept onto my face and I chuckled too. "Yeah…" I admitted with a nod.

"You're not even my boyfriend yet, don't get so big-headed." He teased.

"Yet?" I asked with a smirk.

"Get your shirt off, come on, we don't have time for you to stand around and ramble." He said, changing the subject and turning on a faucet. I could see that he was blushing.

This fancy school had removable shower heads and ever pressure gauges. I pulled off my jacket and shirt, setting them aside where they would stay dry. Deku gently but quickly rinsed my hair then dried it off. I quickly dressed and we left the locker room, my lightly tinted hair dripping onto my jacket.

When we arrived in class, we were met with everyone's quiet stares. Mr. Aizawa spoke up first. "You washed it out?" He asked. "Hm… too bad, I thought it was funny. Have a seat." With that, he picked up a stack of papers and started fingering through them. Everyone was shocked. Mr. Aizawa seemed like such a hard ass yet he thought my clear violation of school policy was funny? I had a strange feeling that Mr. Aizawa liked me but there was really no way to be sure.

Strangely enough, class proceeded like normal. When people started gossiping about the assembly, Mr. Aizawa shut them up with a glare. By the end of the day, it was forgotten. All the gossip now was about a senior girl who may or may not work at a hostess bar. Fuck if I cared, I was just glad that things were back to normal… kinda.

Deku and I walked back to my house. I couldn't remember the last time we'd done this. It felt so comfortable and fun. Mom and Dad were at work so we went up to my room and just relaxed as per usual. We hardly spoke at all, we didn't have to. There was so much talking and business at school, it was nice to just do nothing. Between Deku's ramblings, I caught him asking a question. "Kacchan… I was thinking about what you said at the assembly…" he muttered. "Why did you tell me that you hadn't seen the video?"

I was quiet for a while. I had used too many details in my speech, I had clearly seen the video. "I didn't think you wanted me to see it." I finally said, my voice soft.

"Kacchan… were you always like this? Did you always think of me this much? You pretended to not see the video so I could save my first 'I love you'. You colored your hair like a madman so people wouldn't stare at me. Even now, you're sitting on the floor in your own room so I can be more comfortable." He laid on his belly on the bed and lazily played with my hair.

I wanted to spend every day of my life with him like this. "I dunno…" I replied. "Nothing has ever really mattered as much as you so… yeah…" My cheeks were warm.

"You're right… I really hoped you hadn't seen it… you deserve to hear something like that in a special way."

"Something like what?" I asked, feigning ignorance again.

He chuckled softly. "Thanks~"

I smiled back. I loved Deku.

Things were fairly normal the next day at school. At least, they were better than I had expected. Before the assembly, we had just been two guys who walked together a lot but now, we were the most famous couple on campus. People noticed when we walked by. They looked but not much else. No one said anything, no one gave us any trouble. I don't think anybody really knew how to react yet. In class, Kirishima approached me before first period while Deku was gone to the bathroom. "Hey dude." He greeted with a big smile, sitting backwards on a chair.

"Hey." I returned in a flat voice.

"So you and Midoriya are an item now?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Guess so."

"Cool, cool." He said. I could tell he wanted to ask me more about it but didn't know how. I sensed the questions sitting on the tip of his tongue. 'So you're gay now? Since when? How come I didn't know? Since when do you like Midoriya? You guys are polar opposites. Do you guys kiss? Do your parents know? Is it serious?'

He was too uncomfortable to ask those questions and I was too uncomfortable to answer them. "Thanks for sending me that video." I said.

"Yeah, of course. If I'm being honest… I was really surprised by what Midoriya said… I didn't know it was that serious."

I nodded. "It surprised me too." I admitted. I didn't know that he was as crazy dedicated to me as I was to him.

"You guys seem good together though. If anyone gives you shit, send 'em my way, okay?"

I scoffed in amusement. "Will do, Captain Crocs."

"They're comfortable and practical." He defended.

"Nah, man, they look good on you. You pull off foam flippers well." I teased.

"Whatever. That fact that you found even one person in this whole nation who puts up with your shitty attitude amazes me. Good for you." He joked, both of us chuckling as he returned to his seat. I looked around the room. Monoma wasn't at school today, thankfully. I met eyes with a girl in my class. I think her name was Momo. Apparently, making eye contact prompted her to get up from her desk and come talk to me.

"Hey, Bakugo-san." She greeted. I nodded back. "I'm Momo, president of the yearbook club. After hearing you at the assembly yesterday, I was thinking that it would be great to give you and Midoriya a feature in the yearbook."

I knitted by eyebrows together. "Us? Why?"

"We always have a page about school sweethearts and we've never had a queer couple like you guys before so I was just thinking that it would be cool if people could see a relationship like that in the yearbook."

I rolled my eyes. Was I a celebrity now? I hated it. "Thanks but no thanks." I grumbled, opening my notebook to randomly flipping to a page to show her that I wasn't interested. The last thing I wanted was to be paraded around like a circus animal to be admired and scorned. I didn't want attention, I didn't want to be the kind of gay person who marches in parades and acts flamboyantly to make a statement. I just wanted to be a regular guy in high school.

"I don't mean to be pushy… but you should consider other students who might have those same preferences but are too afraid to come out. Most students here have never seen an openly gay couple in real life. I don't think you can underestimate the impact that your openness can have in this school and this nation."

I rubbed my temples, annoyed. I didn't want to be an influencer. I didn't care if there was a gay revolution in Japan or whatever. "Look… you probably have these just and noble intentions and all but… I don't really think this will go as well as you want. Parents will call the school, lawyers will get involved, yearbook club will be disbanded. And you're not the only one who would take heat for this. Izuku and I will have to deal with the backlash too. We're happy to just be forgotten so, again, thanks but no thanks."

Deku walked into the room, smiling cutely as he approached my desk. "Hey Momo-chan~" He greeted. "What are you guys talking about?"

She immediately explained her proposal to him, hoping he would be more willing than I. His expression fell as he listened. By the end, he wore a polite but uncomfortable smile. He was a much nicer person than me and new how to handle the situation more delicately. "You're such a considerate person, Momo-chan. I'm so glad I get to be in class with someone like you. The fact that you consider these things makes me really happy that you're president of our yearbook club… but… please understand that Katsuki and I are kind of uncomfortable with that idea. Let's talk about this again next year, okay?"

She couldn't argue with his impenetrable niceness. She said she understood and went back to her desk. Deku sat down. "People are talking about us." He whispered to me. "Even in the bathroom…"

"Ignore them." I said, flipping through my notebook.

"I'm trying but… It's kind of embarrassing."

I thought about that for a minute. "If you want… I can tell them that we broke up." I offered. I didn't like that solution but it would save him from all the attention.

He shook his head. "No. People will forget, new gossip will come around, and everything will go back to normal eventually." He promised. He looked around to make sure Monoma wasn't around before continuing in a hushed voice. "My…my germ thing is directly tied to anxiety," he touched the tips of two fingers together to demonstrate their connectedness, "so when I'm more anxious… it's worse. Can you… can you just stay close by? I think it's getting bad again."

I met his eyes and nodded. When I glanced at his hands, I saw that they were ashy and red. Did he make them that way by washing them too hard? Is that why he was in the bathroom? "If it's really bad and you need to leave… just… tap your foot." I said.

He nodded. Class began. I couldn't help but constantly glance at Deku throughout the lesson. I was on edge, nervous about his nervousness. He seemed uncomfortable, twitching a little now and then, but overall, he kept it together.

Shit fell apart when, by the end of the class, someone in the back of the classroom began coughing. First, I noticed his muscles stiffen. He became smaller as if there were a jaguar prowling around the room. Next, his twitches came more frequently and I saw that his face looked pained. Was he trying to hold his breath?

The coughing continued along with hoarse throat clearing. Each twitch seizure became more noticeable until people started to wonder about it. I looked down at his foot just as it began to tap against the floor. Without thinking, I jolted out of my seat, drawing everyone's attention. I had acted without thinking and now I was put in the predicament of having everyone's attention but nothing to say. I wracked my brain for a moment before stammering out an excuse. "I… I need to go to the nurse."

Mr. Aizawa seemed completely unamused by my disruption. "Pray tell, Mr. Bakugo, what for?"

"I'm going to throw up." I said. The people around me leaned away cautiously.

Mr. Aizawa sighed in annoyance. "Fine, go. Stay behind after class too. I want to talk to you."

"I don't know where the nurse's office is." I said. "This is my first semester here."

He seemed really peeved with me. "Midoriya, go with him." He demanded.

Deku nodded and got out of his desk. We left the classroom. Once we got out into the hall, the greenette finally started taking deeper breaths. "Idiot. You need to breath." I scolded.

He nodded, embarrassed. "I'm sorry that I'm like this…" He said.

Guilt set in. "Don't be sorry. I'm sorry, alright? You're not an idiot…" I was, as they say, 'whipped'. Around Deku, I was as gentle as a kitten.

"You've never seen me have a full panic attack before, Kacchan… I'm scared of what you'll think, I never want you to see that."

"Stop that." I said.

"I'm really messed up… You just don't see that yet… When you do, you'll hate me." He started to twitch again.

"Deku. Stop." I said sternly. "Don't tell me how I feel. I like you now and I'll like you then too, alright? You could punch me in the face and I'd still like you. Stop stressing yourself out. Out of everyone in the world… I'll always be on your side."

He stopped walking. I looked at him and noticed that we were at the boy's restroom. He wouldn't meet my eyes, he was ashamed. I hated that he was so miserable. I didn't know what I could do to make it better. "Do you need to go in there?" I asked quietly. He nodded. "Okay… let's go."

"I want you to stay out here." He said. "The coughing… I can still feel it on me. I need to wash up but… I don't want you to see that…"

"Deku…" I gently touched his arm but that seemed to make things worse so I pulled back, giving a little nod.

He went into the bathroom. It took him twenty minutes to be satisfied with the cleaning. He wouldn't meet my eyes when he came out of the bathroom. He knew I was looking at his red skin, his wet collar, the scratches on his neck and hands. I couldn't help but wonder if it really got worse than this. 'If this is just a bad day… then what's a panic attack? I thought I knew Deku but there's still more that I have to learn.'

I felt helpless and pathetic. Everyday, I busted my ass to protect him but it still wasn't enough. There was something I couldn't fix, an enemy I couldn't overwhelm. He needed help, he needed a way out but I couldn't give it to him. I had no choice but to watch him suffer.

My heart ached. "Are you okay?" I whispered, my voice only a breath.

"I'm sorry…" He responded.

No… I couldn't let him stay like this. I couldn't let him wallow in self-hatred. I couldn't let him return to class only to do this again and again. "Deku, I'm going to take you home." I promised.

He looked up to me with his big, teary, doe eyes. "What?"

"Your room is your safe place, right? So if I take you there, everything will be better?"

He considered it. "We can't just leave school… we'll get in trouble."

"You won't get in trouble, I'll take care of it." I promised.

He bit his bottom lip, holding back tears. "Then… please… I want to go home."

I led us to the nurses' office and told her the same lie, saying that I had the stomach flu and needed to go home. I said that I had given it to Deku too.

Deku actually looked sick. He looked like he could worry himself to death and that red flesh indicated a high fever. She called Aizawa and had him excused for the rest of the day. As for me, she didn't quite believe it. I told Deku to go wait at the school gates for me. The trusting boy did as I asked.

When I was alone with the nurse, I pleaded with her, telling her that I was nauseous and feverish. My selling point was going into the nurse's bathroom, sticking a finger down my throat, and gagging into her toilet. My mouth was bitter and my throat burned but it was okay because she finally subsided and had me excused too.

I met Deku in front of the school, wearing a reassuring smile. "She let you go?" He asked, surprised.

I nodded. "I'm pretty good at faking illnesses, just ask my mom." I didn't want him to know what I had done, he wouldn't have approved.

"Does your mom like me?" He asked as we began to walk.

"Yeah."

"Are you just saying that?"

"No, she likes you." I promised. "Dad does too."

"Really? My dad told me that he likes you too. He doesn't usually ask me if I'm dating or like anyone or anything but after you left my house on Monday, he asked me if I wanted to date you. I told him yes and he said that wasn't a bad idea. That's the most supportive he's ever been of a crush."

I blushed a little. "That's good, I guess." I said.

"Mom likes you too."

"Bullshit. Every time she sees me, I've just gotten you in trouble."

"If you don't believe me, you could just ask her yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "As if. That's so embarrassing."

Deku laughed. It seemed like he was calming down pretty well. "I wish it were Saturday already, school is just dragging on this week, right?"

"Yeah, me too." I could've stopped right there in the street and asked him to be my boyfriend. He would have said yes. But Deku deserved better. He deserved a relationship like those in romance mangas. He deserved heart-felt confessions, gifts of flowers, special anniversaries. He deserved those magical, tingly feelings. Even though I was kind of a loser, I could still give him that.

I dropped him off at his house then walked myself home and started planning our aquarium date. I bought the tickets online and memorized the map so I would know where to go. I found out what food options were around there and located all the bathrooms in the aquarium so that, if Deku got anxious, there was somewhere for him to go. It seemed like everything was going to go perfectly. Little did I know, there was one thing I couldn't plan for. One thing that would mess up everything.