Girls Night In

Estelle was not amused as she gazed at her female classmates. The female students were crowded around her with a mixture of hopeful and determined grins as they shared eye contact.

They wouldn't take no for an answer.

"No."

They wouldn't take no for a final answer.

"Estelle! Come on! You don't really spend much time with us girls! Please!" Hagakure whined loudly.

"Why would I want to sleep in the same room as you all. What's the point?"

"A sleepover is just what we need? We can talk about normal stuff, do our nails and watch movies!" Tsu cheered.

"No."

"What? Why not!?" Ashido whined

"Because I am tired."

"You're always tired! Please! We'll even let you choose the movie!" Jiro added.

"Talking animals?"

"Yes! Whatever you want," Momo agreed.

Silence.

"Okay. For the movie."

It was the best they were going to get. But it was a win for the girls, so they let out their cheers of enthusiasm as Estelle watched them with a dead look.

Hearing Bakugo chuckle at her response made the female turn towards him with a glare. "What's so funny?"

"Your face."

"That's ironic since your whole existence is a joke," Estelle deadpanned.

"Grrr! You brat! Come here!"

Pushing her hand on his face to stop him from barreling into her, Estelle kept her features expressionless as she watched him. "I read online that people tend to dislike hearing the truth. Is that why you're so riled up?"

"Hah!? Lioness, I'll kill you!"

"Was it something I said?"

Hearing another growl, Estelle relaxed her arm, thinking he had given up. She was completely wrong since his weight landed right on top of her before she could stop him. Falling back as Bakugo spread on top of her, Estelle was greeted with his face centimetres away from hers.

"I've got you now! What do you have to say for yourself?" Bakugo screeched as he pulled Estelle's cheeks, so she looked like a chipmunk.

Glowering, Estelle muttered, "That you don't like honesty."

"No! Say it right!"

"That you wear your trousers too loose."

"You brat! No, I don't! Try again!"

"That you are the rock climbing master, bitch."

"No...but I'll take it!"

Hearing the guffaws behind them, Estelle and Bakugo turned to face the rest of the students. The light chuckles fell into full-blown laughter as Estelle glared at them, her cheeks still pulled apart aggressively.

"This is on you, blondie", Estelle mumbled out through her stretched mouth.

"Tch, you started it."

Estelle was eventually cornered at dinner to begin their sleepover. Hoping they had forgotten, Estelle groaned as she banged her head on the table.

"She's excited."

"Yeah, no shit," Bakugo grunted back.

"Come on! Let's get going, Estelle! Oh, I'm so excited!" Ashido cheered as the girls grabbed her arms.

The grumpy Estelle stood up from her seat before getting dragged away. Giving somewhat pleading eyes to the blonde in front of her, Estelle was greeted with a smirk before she lost sight of him.

'That asshole!'

They decided that they would all do the sleepover in the common room, considering their dorm rooms were too small. The other girls had explicitly explained to the boys that they weren't allowed to enter once the event started.

Flopping on the couch, Estelle watched as the females grabbed their essentials. Estelle's attention was piqued only when Ochako sat next to her with a bowl of white fluffs. "What's that?"

"It's popcorn; try some!"

Picking up one of the pieces, Estelle noticed that the texture was strange. Popping the snack into her mouth, she munched with a contemplative expression.

"How is it?"

"It's salty like my personality."

Laughing, Ochako shook her head at the otherworldly girl. "I mean, do you like it?"

"It's different, but it's not bad."

"Cool! We can share while we watch the movie!"

"If that's okay with you."

"Don't be silly. Of course, I'm okay with it!" Ochako beamed.

Ochako really admired Estelle from the first moment she met her. The distant girl was so strong, so confident in her abilities that it drew the teen's eyes to her whenever she was in the room.

Yet, Estelle didn't flaunt her expertise. During the sports festival, she didn't use her full strength. If Oachko was honest, it probably bugged the whole class that she never put her all into it. It was only when they realised Estelle was miles ahead of them that they understood; Estelle was giving enough to give the students a fighting chance - like a trainer.

Ochako really respected her because Estelle had traits she strived for. She wants to be as strong as her, independent, and a leader. She wants to be a hero like her. It didn't excuse her flaws, which were more mental than physical. But regardless of them, Estelle never seems to give up even with everything thrown in her direction. She persevered, and Ochako was grateful that Estelle seemed to recognise her desires because she was now being trained under her.

Realising she had been staring at Estelle for too long, Ochako swung back her head to look at the tv. The movie was about to start as most of the girls settled into their spots. They were watching Madagascar again since it was Estelle's favourite.

"Why do you like this movie so much?" Jiro wondered as the animals talked in the background.

Contemplating the answer, Estelle responded. "I love animals."

"That's it?" The girls questioned with a sweatdrop.

"Well, yes, but I also enjoy their journey. The animals never realised they were locked up until they were older, and then they made their way back to their true home. They find where they belong."

"Estelle..."

"Shhh! Zebra is talking!"

'She doesn't even know his name!' The girls internally thought with a sweatdrop.

Estelle was surprised when slow movement reached out for her hand when the movie reached its end. Startling, Estelle realised Hagakure was there. "Do you need something?"

"I wanna paint your nails!"

"What's the point in that? They'll get ruined when I leave for work."

"So?! There is beauty in this! So let me do it!" Hagakure shrieked.

Wincing at the loud noise, Estelle decided that it wasn't something she needed to make a big deal out of. Nodding in assent as she raised her hand, Estelle heard Hakagure squeal in victory as she pulled out the nail polish.

"What colour do you want?"

"Black like my soul."

"No way! I think you'll suit red!"

"It would hide the blood on my fingertips. Go ahead."

"Estelle!" Hagakure blurted out with a shocked laugh. The teen's eyes were broadened as she tried to figure out if Estelle was joking or not. It was only when Estelle let her grin slip that the question was answered.

The movie had reached the credits, so the girls flicked the lights back on as Estelle patiently waited for the teen to finish painting her nails.

"Ochako, how has your training been going with Estelle?"

"It's been great! Estelle is quite tough, but I've gotten stronger!" Ochako beamed as she flung her fist into her other palm.

"Good, because we will be slowing down," Estelle grunted.

"Huh? Already!?" The bubblegum female replied back in shock. She had hoped for more time with the girl, as training with Estelle was like no other. The otherworldly female refused to stop pushing her past her limits, and Ochako had seen more results than ever before.

"Yes, there are many classmates I need to train. That doesn't mean you're stopping altogether; I've created a training regimen for you."

"Really?!"

"Yes, you will continue to grow when I'm not there. I will still check on you and alter anything needed. But, you have to follow my words to the maximum."

"Of course, I won't let you down, Captain!"

"Good. Hagakure, you are next."

"Huh?! Why?!"

"For all intents and purposes, your quirk shields you from human sight. You're strength and agility is that of a normal person. You need more skills under your belt, and I will teach you them."

"What type of skills?"

"Non-lethal weaponry and hand-to-hand combat."

"Oh, cool! No way!"

"Why do you not train us all at once?" Momo questioned.

"You are all different. Your training may not be the same as everyone else's because it's tailored to the individual. I could easily chuck you into one group, but I find that it doesn't stick as well."

"Ah, I understand."

"Alright, Alright! Enough about training! Let's do something else! How about a game of truth or dare!"

Estelle turned her head down to examine the drying paint on her nails; Hagakure seemed to have done a decent job staying within the lines. Raising a brow, Estelle innocently asked, "What's that?"

Taking a few moments to understand the game's basic premise, Estelle nodded in defeat at the implications. She would just have to stick this out for now; the girls seemed happy, and Estelle didn't want to ruin that for them. One night was the least she could do.

"Great, who wants to go first?"

"I will," Tsu croaked out with a raised hand.

"Truth or dare?!"

"Truth, ribbit."

"What's the worst gift you've ever received?"

Lifting a finger to her mouth, Tsu pondered the question before giving her usual blunt honesty. "There was a boy from middle school who gave me a frog tank as a gift."

Bursting out into laughter, Momo questioned further. "What on earth for?!"

"I think he thought I was more froglike than I was. It was awkward to try and explain that no; I didn't live in frog tanks," Tsu explained further before being cut off by the howling females. Estelle cracked a smile herself as they all pictured the scene.

Turning to Momo, Tsue asked, "Truth or dare."

"Truth,' Momo responded quickly. Estelle tilted her head in confusion; nobody wanted to do a dare. So, what was the point in the premise?

"Do you like showing so much skin in your hero costume? It's entirely your choice if you want to, but I noticed that you seem uncomfortable sometimes."

Startled, the elegant teen stuttered on her words before giving a defeated sigh. "I honestly would prefer to go without. I'm not ashamed of my body, but what Estelle said a while back was akin to my sentiments. Female heroes are too sexualised within society, and sometimes we get by without merit. But my quirk needs skin to make materials, so I just have to make do."

Estelle's back straightened up as Momo spoke out her thoughts. She had been thinking about Momo's hero outfit for some time as she had caught her uneasiness at the beginning of the year. She had some ideas and was going to wait until training to voice them, but she figured now would be a good idea since the topic had come up. Cutting her off, Estelle asked, "What if you didn't have to? If there was a way, would you do it?"

Pondering, Momo was quiet as she thought about her answer. "Yes, I believe so. Why do you ask?"

"Because there might be a way to do it."

Stunned, Momo stood up as she faced Estelle with a prominent gape. "No, that isn't possible! I looked! But, I had to give up when I couldn't find any!"

"Are you doubting me?" Estelle questioned, her face slightly darker than before.

"No! No, it's just- I tried. If there was a choice, I would have taken it."

"Are you aware of how Mirio Togata's hero costume works?"

"I'm aware that it allows him to keep his clothes on."

"It permeates alongside him because his hair strands were implemented into it. By using his DNA, the quirk registered the hero outfit as part of him-"

"And therefore allows the hero costume and his quirk to work as one!" Momo exclaimed, her hands raised in shock as she had a lightbulb moment. "I never knew that was possible!"

"I believe if you were to do the same thing, you would have the same effect. Plus, you would have even more space to create bigger and better things because your body would be a conduit rather than the showing skin."

"Amazing! Truly amazing!"

"It's fine", Estelle awkwardly stated, rubbing the back of her neck as she tried to shake off the stares around the room. "We can talk about the details later and get something into the support lab, so it's ready for your training with me."

"Thank you, Estelle. Truly."

"Don't worry about it, really. Stop. Thanking me is weird."

"Of course! Of course! Anyways, Jiro, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she muttered, causing Estelle's confusion to only grow.

"What's the worst thing you've overheard with your quirk?"

Estelle felt a little disgruntled that Jiro had probably overheard many conversations in her lifetime. Thankfully it was only once where it happened to Estelle, but there was an uneasiness knowing that Jiro could probably listen to her conversations whenever she wanted to. Shaking her head, Estelle scolded herself for her thoughts. Jiro was a kind girl; she wasn't the type to do that; she was in the hero course.

Jiro's eyes widened as she witnessed the horrors she had experienced growing up. Turning slightly red, she turned her face away as she answered. "I, uh. I've heard my parents in their bedroom by accident. I've also heard people in public places talk about stuff that should never be said in public. People have no shame."

The girls' imagination ran wild as they thought about the stuff Jiro could have heard. Grimacing, the girls didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified over it. Estelle cut the silence short by letting out a chuckle of her own. "Let me guess, you're traumatised for life."

Nodding at Estelle's comment, Jiro watched as Estelle let out another chime of amusement with a smile. The girls, who were now aware that it was okay to see the humour in the situation and laughed as they tried to probe further.

"Give us details! What was it!?" Ashido cried.

"People...like to talk about their toilet troubles. Or, what they get up to in bed."

Doubling over, Estelle couldn't stop it from leaving her lips as she viewed the expressions on everyone's faces. That was what they get for letting their curiosity run.

And on it continued. The girls threw out their own truth questions as the time progressed. Estelle hadn't even realised how much time had passed as people spoke about their most embarrassing moments or hidden truths. The humour slid around the room as the girls found most of the stories funny. Feeling much more relaxed together than they had ever had before, Hagakure was the one to turn to Ochako for another truth.

Honestly, Estelle was surprised that questions hadn't been directed at her. She was thankful for that, as she feared it would just become an interrogation about her and her life. Maybe, that's why they didn't.

Estelle was right. The girls wanted Estelle to get to know them rather than as people she had to answer to all the time. They wanted her to live in the moment with them, laugh, and just have fun. They didn't want it to be a forceful questionnaire on Estelle because they realised that's the majority of their time together. It was just filled with questions directed at her.

How could they expect Estelle to spill out her life if she didn't know them? It was a ridiculous notion when you thought about it more.

"So, what's going on between you and Midoriya?" Hagakure questioned with a grin that Estelle could hear in her voice.

"Wahh!" Ochako cried, immediately floating up into the air as she tried to formulate a coherent answer.

Watching Ochako beam bright red as she tried to bring herself to ground level, Estelle furrowed her brows at what Hagakure was alluding to.

"Come on! There's no shame in telling us!" Ashido probed.

"No! Nothing at all; we're just friends!" Ochako cried as she tried pulling herself together by slapping her cheeks.

Estelle only got more confused by the answer. Of course, they were friends? What else could they be?

"Alright, alright, girls. Let's not pressure her. If she has feelings for Midoriya, she can tell us whenever she wants to," Momo calmed, the majority of the girls turning to face the stern teen with a pout.

Ignoring her, Ashido turned to Estelle. "What do you think? It's undeniable, isn't it?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Estelle muttered, feeling like she was missing something.

"Awe, come on! Don't play dumb!" Hagakure yelled out.

"I'm serious."

Stunned, the girls turned to Estelle with gaping mouths as Ochako fell from the air and onto the couch with a thud. Momo stepped forward from the rest and softly asked, "You are familiar with romantic relationships, yes?"

Tilting her head as she ransacked her brain, Estelle answered. "Well, yes. Somewhat. I realised it was a thing when I saw soldiers meeting their wives a few months before I arrived here. But, from what I heard, it's a contractual agreement of partnership and heir. Why would Ochako and Izuku talk about partnerships and heirs at this age?"

Stunned, the class females had no idea what to say to that.

"Wait! So, they don't date or marry for love!?"

"Love?" Estelle responded, more confused than before.

Numerous voices rang out as they tried to comprehend Estelle's words. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Estelle sat back as she tried to understand the new concept.

Sitting by her side, Momo gazed at her with understanding. From what she had seen so far in Estelle's memories, she wouldn't have been introduced to it because she was caught up in a world full of death. It wouldn't make sense for her to know what romantic love was.

"Estelle," She murmured, her eyes flickering back to the other students sternly in a hidden warning to settle down. Getting the message, they all took their seats with expectant expressions.

"You loved Kiko, didn't you?"

"Of course", Estelle answered back without pause.

"That kind of love was more familial. You both called them precious ones you wanted to protect."

"Yes..."

"Romantic love is similar in a way. It's like a partnership, but it's reciprocated. You care for each other, protect each other, want to be near each other, and have a special bond. It feels different, and from what I've heard, nothing else feels like it."

"I see. So, it's like a partner for life."

"That's right!" Ashido chimed in, "But it feels different! Your heart will race when you're near them! You enjoy spending time with them! They make you flustered and queasy inside, and all you wanna do is be near them!"

"That sounds like a co-dependent relationship."

'How does she know what that means, but not romantic relationships!?' The girls wondered with a sweatdrop.

"You can be independent and be in love with someone."

"I see, so you were saying that Ochako and Izuku could be in a courtship for marriage?"

"That term is really outdated."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, so if you like them romantically, you usually become girlfriend or boyfriend. If or when they decide to take the next step for marriage is up to them."

"Interesting."

"Actually, Estelle. What's going on with you and Bakugo?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Estelle answered, feeling a flip from the sudden change in question.

"Well! Is it familial? Romantic? Friendship?" Ashido jumped up, her face in Estelle's bubble.

Moving back, Estelle looked uneasy as she scanned the interested females around the room. "We are merely acquaintances."

"What? No way! There has to be more than that! Acquaintances don't cuddle!"

Feeling overwhelmed, Estelle held a blush on her face as she tripped over her words. She was thankful when Momo placed a hand on her shoulder and reprimanded the class. "She only just found out what romantic relationships were! Give her time to breathe!"

Sighing in relief, Estelle was thankful for Momo changing the subject. But, internally, she wondered what Ashido's words meant.

'They must be looking for something that isn't there.'

"Anyways, Estelle! Truth or dare?!"

"Dare."

"Ooooh! How exciting! I dare you to show us a dance move!"

...

"What?"