"Ummm... hey, Izuku?"
"What's up Pyrrha?"
The two of them were alone at the moment in their dorm room. Weiss and Nora headed out to grab some supplies they all needed for their pancake breakfasts next week... or more on the point, Nora declared she would make sure that the team had what was necessary to make pancakes and dragged Weiss along because, "the acquisition of pancake material is a great bonding exercise for partners."
It would have sounded like a lame excuse to Izuku and everyone else if it weren't for the fact that it was perfectly reasonable that Nora would think like that. So he and Pyrrha just waved Nora and Weiss goodbye while Weiss, after initially putting up an effort to resist being dragged off, ended up just accepting her fate when Nora, after meeting resistance, just picked her up off the ground and carried her off.
'It always astounds me how incredibly strong Nora is…' Izuku admitted, 'it certainly makes the idea of sparring against her kind of scary.' He then stared over at his shoulder, a small amount of ache still there, 'Still, not like it can go worse than having a bullet tear through me, right?'
He looked over to Pyrrha, who was dressed a bit more casually than her full armor get up or her school uniform, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, as she fiddled with a strand of her hair, her eyes deep in thought as she bit her cheek before speaking.
"So... you know I'd never intentionally hurt your feelings right?"
"Well... of course. You're way too nice for something like that Pyrrha. Why are you asking though?" She smiled a bit at first before she returned to that slightly constipated expression on her face, as if she were trying to force herself to speak up.
"So... it's just that... you know, I'm just kind of curious is all. It'd be alright if I asked questions that you weren't uncomfortable asking right? You'd know that I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings on purpose, right?"
"... Yeah. Pyrrha, what's this about?" She seemed to be really working herself up to ask whatever was on her mind as she sat there, the Invincible Girl taking a deep breath to gather herself as she looked over at Izuku.
"I was just wondering... what's it like? You know... growing up thinking you were... Born of the Moon?" She seemed to catch herself at the end there, catching a slip of the tongue that Izuku would've been all too familiar with before it could even exit her mouth. The both of them sat there for a moment, a slight silence permeating the room as Izuku's own cheeks went a bit red.
"Oh... right. That." Immediately Pyrrha's face turned scarlet as she raised her hands up.
"You know what this was a bad idea, I'm sorry. Please, just forget I even asked about that it was totally inappropriate I was just really curious and I'm really sorry, like, really, really so-"
"Pyrrha! It's okay." Izuku quickly threw his hands out in a placating gesture as he tried to help her calm down, Pyrrha just slamming her mouth shut as she hid her face behind her hands.
"I'm sorry it's just... you don't meet people like that often, or at least, you don't knowingly meet them... and the way Bakugo and you talked about it in the forest, it sounded like you both thought that was the case... I just was really... curious... oh, I'm sorry, this is awful, I shouldn't be asking about this."
"No, really, it's okay! I asked you about Mistral and about how you fought and stuff before, turnarounds fair play right? Plus, I know you're not trying to hurt me by asking." Izuku scratched the back of his head. He supposed being Broken would be a point of curiosity with most people. Of course, he was still trying to put up the front that he was never actually broken and it was just his Aura being too weak to manifest normally or be seen. Still, the fact that he and Kacchan spoke so openly about it and with such certainty probably made it the next closest thing Pyrrha would ever know.
'Who wouldn't be curious about such an odd condition,' Izuku almost inwardly slapped himself on not expecting this, 'People, being born without the ability to manifest their Aura, a loss so tangible that it can be measured. While it wasn't the Stigma it used to be, that just made it a curiosity.'
'I can't fault Pyrrha for wanting to indulge in her own curiosity.'
"It's not exactly an equal thing Izuku. That was just some small talk or stuff you should know as my partner or stuff that I could easily share... this is pretty personal. I really shouldn't ask... but, I just..."
"It's a weird thing and you're curious, I understand." Again Izuku spoke softly, his hands waving her down as his partner slowly but surely calmed down.
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
"Really it's okay Pyrrha. You don't mean anything by it and... yeah, if I were in your shoes I'd be curious too." Izuku smiled as reassuringly as he could, placing his hands on his lap. "Please, you've already told me stuff about you. Let me give back a little bit. Feel free to ask anything you're curious about."
"... You're sure?" Izuku saw her green eyes looked a little uncertain, his own emerald eyes just beaming back as he tried to convey his seriousness.
"Absolutely. I promise I won't get upset or anything." With that Pyrrha took a bit of a breath as she placed her own hands on her lap. It was clear that Pyrrha was still nervous about this as she twisted her ponytail around, but it seemed like she was ready to at least go forward with her curiosity. Izuku knew how she was feeling.
'Heck, I'm nervous most times I've met new people or come across situations he wasn't totally prepared for. Not to mention all the times I've,' he blushed as he remembered Toshinori's words, 'nerded out,' he shook his head, ' so I need to meet this nervousness with patience as I wait for Pyrrha to organize her thoughts.'
Eventually the green eyed tournament fighter took a breath as she finally seemed ready to go ahead.
"... You say you haven't had your Aura for a long time now... and I can tell that pretty easily." He winced slightly as he nodded, Pyrrha still messing with her hair. "... You wouldn't have been able to get into Beacon if you only attended a combat school for as long as you've had Aura... that's just not how the system's designed. So I'm guessing..."
"Yeah... I tried to become a Huntsman even before I realized I could have an Aura... when I thought I couldn't." Pyrrha nodded slowly, a small amount of disbelief on her face.
"It's just... I can't imagine it was easy. I can barely even imagine the combat schools..." Izuku saw her button her lip up before she said more, though she just smiled softly, if in a slightly strained manner.
"Would let someone Broken into their school in the first place?" Izuku saw her face go beet red as she said that and Izuku quickly rushed in to cut her off before she could apologize. "Pyrrha, I understand... and well, they did. It was pretty clear they didn't think I'd actually become a Huntsman but... well, if mom and I were willing to spend the money I guess they couldn't say no." He scratched at the back of his head. "As for the other question... it wasn't. A lot of training exercises were especially hard because I didn't have an Aura, even if the instructors would usually give me an out before I hurt myself... to say nothing of the spars I'd take place in. You thought it looked bad with Owari, it was even worse before I had Aura." One hit. All they had to do was get one hit on him that could draw blood or bruise him and he'd be out of a fight. It was for safety reasons of course; without an Aura he could've died.
"That... wasn't the hardest part of it though." He admitted as he looked off to the side. "I didn't exactly endear myself to a lot of my peers or teachers, thinking I was some Broken kid who wanted to be a Hunter. Most people thought it was a joke, that someone like me would even try... and they weren't shy about letting me know it." Pyrrha tensed up slightly, a clear amount of conflict in her eyes.
"That's terrible Izuku... but... there had to be people... I mean... it couldn't all just be people taunting you. There had to be some people who'd... want what was..." Pyrrha shook her head. "No, that's not the right way to say it, not with how you've turned out."
"It's okay. When people thought I was broken... yeah, there'd be those who'd think it'd just be best if I gave up, if only for my own safety. Not everyone was cruel... or at least, not intentionally so." Pyrrha looked down to the side a bit, still toying with her hair. "I still gave it my all because it was my dream but... even then, deep down, I understood viewpoints like that." It was silent for a moment, the air stifling somewhat before Pyrrha turned to face him.
"For what it's worth... even if it was dangerous, I'm glad you didn't listen to people who would've asked that you stop." Pyrrha tried her best to smile at that and Izuku, well, he just returned it.
"Thanks... I am too. But, well, I had help in making sure I'd end up here." Izuku scratched at the back of his head.
"... Speaking of dangerous..." Pyrrha fiddled with her hair a bit as she looked at him. "It's... kind of unusual for people to develop Semblances so early, you know?" He freezed up as Pyrrha said that, his face going pale for a moment as he viscerally began to feel that he'd already been caught. Before he could start to spiral into that well of panic, she continued. "I mean... unlocking your Semblance before you've even had your Aura for a while is just such a rare thing. It speaks to the strength of your own Aura that you've managed to do so early and that it's such a... strong Semblance." Izuku inwardly sighed in relief as Pyrrha continued.
"But... most people think the usual pattern of development is for a reason... your Aura can help protect you while you're learning to control your Semblance and use it... in your case though..."
'Yeah... in my case, One For All does a Hell of a number on my body... and the worst part is that I don't think it'd get better 'just' by getting a stronger Semblance. My body is just too weak to handle One For All.'
"I know you tell us not to worry and we have the kit in case something happens... but, Izuku... I do worry. Are you going to be okay with such a dangerous Semblance?" He couldn't help but smile at her worry as he just nodded.
"Yeah, I think I'll be alright... I just... gotta get better at controlling it is all. I'll eventually get the hang of my Semblance... it's just that I haven't had the advantage of having it and my Aura for years, so I have to build it up slowly. I'll get there... and I promise I won't do anything too risky until then... but you have to know that if something like what happened in the Emerald Forest happens-"
"You won't have a choice... I know." Pyrrha smiled slightly as she shook her head. "I guess I'm just a bit worried is all. I've never actually seen a Semblance 'hurt' its user before..."
"I promise, it'll be alright." It had to be alright, after all. He had to succeed Toshinori. He had to master One For All. No matter how hard it was, he had to keep moving forward with his training if he was going to be the kind of Huntsman he always dreamed.
"... So..." Pyrrha coughed a bit as she rounded about. "... You know what, this one is 'really' stupid. You actually had the ability to have Aura and just didn't know it, it's not like..."
"Pyrrha, just ask." Pyrrha nodded after a moment and turns to Izuku.
"... So... having such a weak Aura... I mean, I hear people who're supposed to be Born of The Moon don't feel... whole? Like I said, it's silly to ask, but..."
"Did I ever feel that way?" He shrugged a bit as he said that. "It's... a weird feeling... I mean, growing up I never felt like I lost out on anything. I was just... weak in Aura, so maybe that was it." Honestly, it was weird to think about. He didn't 'feel' broken. He didn't feel like there was something missing in his life. Izuku was just Izuku, Broken or not. Then... " But... when I finally... manifested my Aura... I just... I felt overwhelmed. I felt like it was something I was always meant to have... something I was missing out on my entire life. Like an old friend I didn't even know I had or whose company I was yearning for. Comparing myself between then and now, I really don't understand how I felt like that. To have this power rushing through me, healing me... protecting me. It feels as natural as if it's always been there. As if it was always meant to be there."
"That... sounds pretty wonderful." Pyrrha admitted, a soft smile on her face. "I wouldn't have worded my own awakening quite so profoundly... I felt different but no so different... it sounds like it was quite the experience for you."
It was, it really was. In all honesty, while he hadn't felt the full effects of One For All till he summoned it forth, when he first felt his Aura pouring through him... he actually cried.
For once, it was a time when Toshinori hadn't reprimand him for doing so either.
"Izuku... thanks for telling me. It was personal and I was just curious but... thank you for indulging in my curiosity. If there's anything you ever feel like you need to know or want to know, just ask, alright? It's the least I can do at this point."
"Actually, there is something I'm a little curious about asking, if you wouldn't mind indulging me?" Pyrrha just nodded vigorously, a quick 'Of course' said with very little hesitation as he placed his hand on his chin. "What made you decide to become a... tournament fighter, right?" Pyrrha actually blinked as he asked that. She didn't seem too surprised by the looks of it, perhaps expecting some variation of a question like that. However, perhaps it was the way he asked it that surprised her. "I mean, I don't understand much about the Mistrali Regional but I assume it's some kind of sports thing right? I mean, obviously if you won something like that you were good at it but... I dunno. It just doesn't seem like something that's up your alley Pyrrha. You're a very calm sort of person and, well, aside from maybe Yang the only person who I could imagine being a competitive fighter is Kacchan... and those two aren't exactly calm." Pyrrha nodded her head in agreement as she tapped her chin.
"I suppose I see your point. Yes, it might seem a bit odd but... well, hmm..." Pyrrha was clearly wracking her brains for a moment, trying to think of the best way to discuss this, as she looked back to him. "Something you have to understand about Mistral is that, in spite of what things about it are amazing, it's amazingness is distributed... poorly. There's a very well connected, very rich class of people who spend most of their time thinking about art, culture and sports, all those things like that and... yes they do run the Kingdom as best they can but... well, we have earned a reputation for being a haven for crime for a reason." Pyrrha brushed at her hair a bit with her fingers as she looked to the side. "A lot of people in Mistral don't have those sorts of opportunities and so take up work with the criminal elements, using that as a means of advancing themselves... so in Mistral, either you're born into your wealth, you're good at something the wealthy take immense glee in or... well, the less said about the alternatives the better." Pyrrha looked to Izuku. "There is the Hunter's Academy, don't get me wrong, and it has been growing these past couple decades thanks to Toshinori's rise in popularity but... well, even with Toshinori, not everyone ends up wanting to risk their lives as a Hunter."
"I was... born with a fair amount of talent for fighting. I was born stronger than a lot of people my own age, even boys... and I'm sure you've noticed that I'm... kind of taller than all of our friends..." He saw Pyrrha blush a deep shade of crimson at that, as if it was something she was slightly embarrassed about. "I suppose it adds to the 'Invincible Girl' image that even in terms of stature there aren't a lot of people my age who stand above me." She said that with a slightly sardonic chuckle before continuing. "Anyway... I was young when I had my Aura unlocked. Back then, I was very taken with the idea of Toshinori and being a Huntress, as most children are. So my parents were willing to indulge... after all, if I became a Huntress, that would be one way for me to make a living. To say nothing of my talent for combat once I unleashed by Semblance... it was taken notice of immediately."
"It wasn't as if I could say no when people involved in the industry approached me. Earn a lot of money and in doing so help my family by doing what I do best? And I was still technically enrolled in the Academy. 'Technically' mind you, if my knowledge of things actually involving Hunters tells you anything... well, I couldn't say no. So I got involved with the Mistrali Tournament scene and the rest is history. I was never beaten and I ended up not only attracting the initial contractors in the industry who liked what they saw, I also ended up gaining other sponsors like Pumpkin Pete's."
"You mean the cereal with the bunny mascot?" Izuku tilted his head to the side as Pyrrha nodded.
"The very same. It's... not very good for you." Izuku nodded in ready agreement.
"Yeah, when I was going through my training to prep for Beacon I was on a pretty strict diet."
'Thank you Toshinori,' he couldn't help but think to himself. At that Pyrrha actually smiled, an amused tilt to it.
"Well then I guess we have something in common." He could see Pyrrha shift a bit nervously in place as she said that last part, combing strands of hair behind her ear. Her discomfort was slowly becoming apparent even to Izuku. As much as she said he could ask anything, it was pretty clear that she'd came up onto a limit.
"Well... thanks for telling me Pyrrha. I appreciate it." He smiled warmly as he reached over and picked up a text book. "How about we do a little bit of tutoring while we wait for Weiss and Nora to come back? Something to pass the time?" Pyrrha nodded in ready agreement as she picked up her own textbook.
"Yes, let's."
As Izuku approached the door to his dorm, he stopped himself before he reflexively entered it. It'd been some work to slowly ingrain that habit into himself, especially after spending his most of his life with his own room. But it was necessary. He didn't want a repeat of the first night again. He raised his fist to the door, and rapped his knuckles on it.
"Hey, it's me, Izuku. Anyone in?"
"I am but it's fine Izuku, I'm decent." He nodded at the sound of Weiss' voice as he entered the dorm room, Weiss having turned in her seat to watch him enter. "Thank you again Izuku. What brings you back to the dorm?"
"Well it's getting to be a habit at this point, thankfully." He said with a smile as he closed the door behind him. "And nothing much. I just got done with a quick meeting and I figured I'd do a little bit of studying in private. Get some peace and quiet, you know? This first week's been a bit of a change for me compared to Mountain Glenn, so I'm just trying to settle in for this weekend."
"Sounds quite reasonable. Very well, don't let me stop you." With that Weiss turned back to her desk, scribbling on a piece of paper as she did so. Izuku looked over her shoulder a bit and saw that it was a plain, letter-sized sheet of paper set out in front of her, some text written in Weiss' very prim and proper handwriting set on the paper as she continued to work away.
"What about you Weiss, what are you up to?" She paused a bit as he asked that, turning her head to look at him with those cool blue eyes. She studied her leader for a moment before visibly relaxing and shaking her head.
"Oh it's nothing much. I remember Pyrrha saying something about you calling home at the start of the week and I just remembered that I've failed to send correspondence home to my own family back in Atlas. I figured I'd correct this mistake." Izuku's face lit up a bit as she said that, a smile on his face.
"Oh that's nice. Anything about us in there?" She freezed up a bit as Izuku said that, her eyes glancing over to the sheet of paper as she coughed into her fist.
"Oh just a little but. Not much really." Izuku nodded understandingly.
"That's cool though, I told my mom about you girls as well... I think she'll really like you." and he returned the cough, remembering the fact that his had mom fainted over the phone and the... 'talk' the two had about proper behavior around girls and not wanting to be a grandmother.
Izuku still couldn't get past the whole holding hands thing for what it was worth.
"Well, it's nice you included us while catching up on your family. Don't let me stop you." Weiss just nodded a bit numbly as Izuku said that, Izuku collapsing onto his bed as he popped open one of his text books to quickly study.
Weiss turned in her seat for a moment before returning to her work, looking down at the page of text she'd written. Izuku hear her start to mutter a bit, something catching his ear about 'well... should I really say it like that' and '... there really isn't much about wondering how she's doing and if she's alright in here...'. Weiss just sat there for a moment, staring at the one-page letter before she sighed, running a hand through her hair.
Izuku saw her turn in her chair a bit as she looked back at him, a curious expression on her face.
"Tell me Izuku... when you talked to your mother... how... frank were you with her about us? How much did you talk about us anyway?" Izuku blinked a bit as Weiss asked that, tilting his head to the side.
"I pretty much just told her the truth." Izuku saw Weiss grimaced as he said that, though he was not sure why. "That I was made the leader of a team and that my teammates were all pretty amazing Huntresses... and that I was kind of nervous to be in that position." The grimace gave way as Weiss just blinked for a moment, coughing into her fist as she turned to face her own letter.
"Well, I mean, obviously you would be. Nora, Pyrrha and myself are, as you say, rather strong Huntresses in our own right. Plus the initial night was... rather nerve-wracking." She coughed loudly into her fist again and, even as his own face went red, he swore he saw her ears turn a bit red.
"Y-Yeah... in fact, a lot of the conversation revolved around my team before we got to catching up..." Mostly because he had to assure his mother that he wasn't going to end up a teenage father and that she wasn't going to be a grandma anytime soon. "But I was fine with that. It was the biggest thing to happen in my life at the time; being made team leader, having Pyrrha as my partner, having you and Nora as teammates. I was really lucky and I wanted my mom to know."
"... Yes. Of course... but, I mean, it isn't 'all' the truth, right?" Izuku quirked his head to the side as Weiss poked her pencil into the paper. "I mean... I was being rather... rough with you the evening before. I wasn't putting my best foot forward and you now know why. Nora was... hyper-active and... well, the less said about the shower incident the better. And Pyrrha, while amazing, is a little... passive, don't you think? I'm just saying, if you wanted to tell your mother the truth, wouldn't you include that?" Izuku tilted his head a bit as Weiss phrased it like that.
"Well... I mean, I mentioned it sure, but to me that wasn't what I wanted to leave her with an impression with... and it's really not that I had a problem with any of that. I understood that you might be uncomfortable with a boy, and I just thought Pyrrha was nice. Sure Nora's a ball of energy but... that's what makes her Nora." Izuku shrugged a bit as he leaned back in his bed. "I mean, I doubt my mom would like to hear that kind of stuff about my teammates, and I don't want her to think badly of you guys. So... I didn't lie but I didn't focus on it."
"I see..." Weiss poked her pen into her paper again as she thought. "Your mother sounds quite nice Izuku." He smiled a bit as he nodded.
"She is... she tried her best to be supportive of me and my dream even when we all thought that I couldn't manifest an Aura..." Izuku left out the night the family all actually found out. Just like he didn't want his mother to think badly of his teammates, he didn't want his teammates to think badly of his mother. "My dad wasn't around a lot, always working... but he sent money home. And mom stayed home to raise me. She worked really hard at it too... I don't think I'd be the way I am without her being there for me." Weiss nodded slowly as he said that.
"It... it sounds really nice." She spoke in her usual tone, though it sounded slightly strained.
"Well... I think it was anyway." Izuku nodded his head to look at her back. "Why are you asking all this Weiss? Is it about the letter?" Weiss paused for a moment before continuing.
"It... is. My family is a bit more... exacting Izuku. They have... standards I'm meant to live up to, and anything that might go awry with my education or my team would be of interest for them to know... my sister is a Huntress herself and Headmaster Ironwood's right hand woman at that. I want to send back something that speaks the truth but... you all don't deserve to be spoken of as harshly as I might be expected to, given the situation. After all, I'm a Schnee. Exact details and an understanding of my position is paramount."
"... I didn't even think about asking Winter how she was doing in the first draft of this either..."
"Well... why not just say the truth?" Weiss blinked as she looked back at Izuku, scratching his head sheepishly as he look around the dorm room. "You're on a team with Pyrrha Nikos and she's as skilled as people talk about. She's also... very well-mannered in private? Your teammate Nora is super strong and super reliable, and she's always full of energy and... optimistic. Me... I've got nothing..." Izuku kind of muttered to himself before shaking his head. "And even though you haven't been made leader, I come to you a lot for advice and to help me brainstorm ideas because I know you're reliable and invested as much in this team as the rest of us." Weiss blinked as he said that, a soft smile coming over her face.
"That's all very nice Izuku and I suppose it is all true enough... but it's all a little too nice don't you think?" he just shrugged as she asked that.
"Just because you have to be detailed doesn't mean you can't say nice things. They just have to be true, right?" Weiss chuckled slightly though she doesn't immediately go to reprimand or correct him.
"I suppose that makes sense in its own way..." She turned back to the letter as she prodded her pen against it, a slight frown on her face.
"And Weiss... it sounds like you and your sister are really close... or at least that you hold her in high regard. If you haven't spoken to her in a while... I dunno, I'm sure she'd like to hear about how you're doing. Pretty sure you'd like to know how she's doing too." Weiss humed slightly, sounding very slightly like she was agreeing with him, before he moved forward. "Hey think about it like this; if you put her on the spot by asking how she's doing, then you can treat her to the same feelings you're having right now, right?" At that Weiss honestly choked as she turned to him.
"Izuku! I couldn't do something just to make my sister uncomfortable! That's... that's just not how things are done." he flinched back a bit, nodding his head.
"Sorry! I guess I just don't know much about having siblings. It just seems to me that you might want to make these letters with your sister fun, rather than being another source of pressure you have to put on yourself here at Beacon." Weiss actually paused as he said that, but he took it as good a sign as any that he'd probably overstepped slightly. "A-Anyway... I think I'll go ahead and head to the library, let you have your privacy on this. Sorry for butting in..." Izuku quickly gathered up his textbooks and such, Weiss giving him a slightly distant nod as she turned back to the page in front of her.
"I'll talk to you later Izuku..." She said in a slightly distracted manner as she gave a wave. The last thing he heard before closing the door behind him was the sound of a sheet of paper being crumpled up and thrown in the trash, a new one being slid onto Weiss' desk.
"Izuku... do you have a minute?"
Izuku looked up from the library book on Aura he picked out today as he looked at his new guest. He'd spent the last couple hours here in the Beacon Library working away at his notes on Aura, trying to supplement his own experimentation with more official books and tests done on the subject in the hopes that it'd help him along with his own progress. It had been involving work, with stacks upon stacks of books lining up around him as he took in all the information he could... at some point Izuku imagined he probably started muttering to himself, if the way people sat some distance away from him was any indication.
Izuku's eyes met amber ones as Blake Belladonna stood before him, a book at her side as she looked down at his own pile.
"Oh hey Blake! I guess it'd make sense to meet you at the library. How have you been? Did you just arrive?"
"... Actually I've been here for the better part of an hour. There was this book I wanted to take notes on real quick so I thought I'd stop by to chat but... well, you looked a bit busy at the time. Figured I'd drop by and say hi before I left though."
'... Oh Gods, I was muttering again wasn't I?' He blushed a bit, the red rising on his face as he shook his head a bit.
"S-Sorry Blake, I was just a bit wrapped up in this." Blake smiled slightly as she looked through his stack of books again.
"I can tell... lots of books on Aura here. You never rest, do you Izuku?" He chuckled slightly as he scratched at the back of his head, ruffling his very messy hair as he did so.
"Yeah but... well, you know by now. I have to work harder if I'm going to catch up. That spar showed just how far behind I was... if I was faster I could've caught up to Owari before he had the chance to shift his weapon or throw down his trap... more Aura could've allowed me to tank his hit without having it pierced or having to stop the fight. There's a lot I need to improve on and Aura's just one thing... but it's an important thing." Izuku chuckled a bit as he scratched his cheek. "But I figure I've been working at it really hard this entire week... my team would probably worry if I kept this up too hard, so I'm taking a break by writing some notes."
"'Some notes' he says... only you would call this 'some notes' Izuku." Blake said with a shake of her head as she looked down at his pile of books. "Anyway, I really don't want to disturb you if you are working hard at this, so if you don't have a minute-"
"Oh no Blake, I'm fine, please, I can spare a minute." He put his writing stuff and books aside as he tried to make space for Blake, a bit of a task considering just how many books he'd pulled up to him. The black haired young woman just nodded as she took a seat once he'd cleared the way, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"First things first... I never got the opportunity to thank you Izuku." He blinked a bit as she said that, Blake setting her book to the side of the table as she brought her hands up and folded them. "It... was a bit of a shock, seeing you punch out that Giant Nevermore... but more than that was seeing you and Pyrrha run up to Tenya and say that you were there to help us. We weren't sure if help was coming or if we'd have to outrun the Nevermore ourselves... and, to be honest, while Tenya was confident, I had my doubts. To see you of all people come to help... and then seeing you destroy that thing yourself, at the cost of shattering your arm? That was... that was a sight. One that I've never said thank you for. So... thank you."
"Blake you really don't have to thank me." He smiled genuinely as he said that, his emerald eyes shining. "I mean, that's what being a Hunter's all about right? Helping people who need it, even if it doesn't involve you? I wasn't going to just let anyone who was there be hurt by that thing... and besides, I only needed to do that in the end because my plan put you guys in danger. It was my responsibility so I had to do something about it."
"That's... we agreed to your plan Izuku. It was as much on us as on you... and it wasn't a bad plan. You don't need to hold yourself down like that." Blake said somewhat firmly as she shook her head. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about... and I didn't want to just thank you." Izuku quirked an eyebrow a bit as she looked at him with those amber eyes. "Like I said, it was a surprise that I saw you come to save us... because... well... I kind of... wrote you off." Izuku flinched back a bit as she said that and he could see her 'wince' at it.
"When I first met you and saw how nervous you were... well, aside from how skittish and scared you seemed, I thought you were trying to hit on me for a start." His face went beet red as she said that but she barreled forward. "But when I realized you were just bad at talking... I didn't think you'd be passing the test. I... wrote you off as someone too scared or too skittish to really be a Hunter." She lowered her head a bit as she rested her chin on her folded hands.
"And then... you saved my partner and I. And the next day you take out a Boarbatusk in one blow... and then... you communicate these ideals of what being a Hunter means to you. How important that is... how... how much you want to save people and how you're willing to do whatever it takes to be a hero. It... it made me realize that I'd jumped to conclusions. I took one look at you and saw a nervous, scared hu... boy... and I decided that's all you were. I judged you before I even got to know you... and... that isn't fair. That isn't the ideal I want to live up to, because I know I'd hate it if someone did the same to me."
"So... I'm sorry Izuku. I shouldn't have written you off. I should've actually gotten to know who you were before I decided that you weren't worth being a Hunter... when, really, you're probably trying your best out of most people here."
"Well... you weren't wrong to think that way Blake." He saw Blake look up at him, thoroughly surprised at his statement as he just sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "We didn't know each other for more than... what, one conversation? And one conversation I spent half of stammering and stuttering at you? I'm not sure if you've noticed Blake but... I'm not the best at meeting new people... or talking to people... or not weirding people out, especially when I start going on a rant and start muttering to myself..."
"You do need to work on your people skills a bit..." Blake admitted with a slight smile, a chuckle escaping Izuku's lips as she shook her head. "Still though, I shouldn't have judged you, like I said-"
"You didn't do it maliciously, Blake." Blake blinked as Izuku, of all people, interrupted her. "It sounds to me like you were focusing on qualifying and just trying to get into Beacon like most people. I'm certainly not going to feel insulted that you were more focused on that than trying to get to know me... heck, I didn't get the opportunity to talk to everyone who was taking the test." He smiled at her, a slight nod coming from him as he did so. "I think you're being too hard on yourself Blake. Sure, we didn't start off immediately as friends, but I know without a doubt that if I'd been the one in trouble that you would've come to help me."
"You... you really don't know me that well..." Blake admitted, a slight blush on her face from the certainty Izuku spoke that last bit with. "You can't know for certain... or at least, not that for certain. I'm not exactly the heroic seeming type if you haven't noticed."
"Maybe... but nobody's what they seem like at first glance. Or at least, most people aren't. Knowing a person takes effort... and after you stood by the rest of us in that forest, took part in my plan even if it meant sticking around and risking your neck... I think that I know enough to be certain that you'd help if Pyrrha and I were the ones in yours and Tenya's position." She actually seemed a bit taken aback by that, her mouth slightly open as she blinked at him. "And... well, I appreciate that you, as that kind of person, thinks so highly of me now Blake.
"So how about this: we start from the beginning." He held out his hand as he gave her the best smile he could. "Hi, my name's Izuku Midoriya and I'm here to be the best Huntsman I can be. Nice to meet you!"
Izuku stayed there, awkwardly holding his hand out and smiling, as Blake just gaped at him for a moment. Before he withdrew back into his cocoon of awkwardness from just how silly he must have looked, Blake... chuckled.
"... I can't even ask if you're being real or not. Seeing is believing at this point with you." He saw her gently smiled back as she reached a hand forward and, with practiced grace, shook his. "Blake Belladonna... and I'm trying to be a Huntress because... I want to help people too."
He just smiled back and nodded as, slowly but surely, a new understanding was formed between the two of them. Izuku kept his focus for as long as the handshake held and maintained it even after Blake gathered up her books and departs. Once she'd out of eyesight and hearing, he immediately collapsed onto the table, blushing fiercely.
He just touched a girl's hand.
'AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'