Everlong

The station platform was quiet, save for the dull hum of the city and the occasional soft chime of arriving trains. Izuku Midoriya stood near the edge, looking down at his arm sling with an unfamiliar feeling, pride.

He hadn't been able to see his classmates' quirks in action because of the stunt he'd pulled today, so why couldn't he stop the smile that had been forming on his lips? The events of the whole day replayed in his mind over and over again, almost to an overwhelming degree. It wasn't until Midoriya felt something vibrating in his pocket that he was broken out of his dazed thoughts.

He checked his phone, cradling it in his hand like it might explode.

Three unread texts. A text from Iida, full of formal concern and encouragement. One from Uraraka, her cheerful personality shining through even through text.

~ Hope you're feeling better Deku! You did amazing today! Text me back as soon as you can, kay'? :P

Then a text from Mineta…

~ Bro. You made her GASP. You're a total stud, don't try to be humble about it. I see you, Midoriya… ;)

Midoriya's face turned a shade of red so intense he could have easily been mistaken for a tomato.

He brought his hand to his forehead and muttered, "What does that even mean… Gasp? Who gasped?"

He wanted to ask Mineta who he was talking about, although part of him was afraid to find out. His thumb hovered over the screen, but every draft he typed out felt a bit like an overcompensation. 'Haha thanks man,' felt too casual, and he didn't want to encourage Mineta. 'Please stop' felt too mean. 'I'm going to throw myself into traffic' felt too real.

Eventually, all Midoriya could do was simply stare at his screen, dumbfounded.

That's when it happened.

"Ahem."

A voice pierced through the fog of his overthinking. It gave Izuku a sensation similar to being pulled out from underwater. He blinked, almost startled by how close it was. He turned to find a familiar face; purple hair, half-lidded eyes, hands in her pockets like she hadn't just shattered his brain with a simple onomatopoeia.

The green haired young man's phone flew out of his hands the second he made eye contact with his classmate. The device almost fell onto the train tracks in front of him, but he managed to touch it with his free hand, bouncing the phone a few times in an attempt to catch it. Eventually, he grabbed hold of it with his arm completely outstretched. Midoriya froze in place the second he got a grip on his phone, earning him a few judgemental mumbles from some people behind them.

Izuku's brain was going into critical meltdown, his words completely abandoning him. He couldn't hide how red his face was getting as he straightened his posture in an unnatural way.

"J-Jiro!" The one word he could barely manage to say.

Midoriya covered his face with his hand in shame. This must have been the fastest anyone has turned a normal situation into a painfully awkward one. He braced himself for the worst.

Instead, she smirked up at him.

"Hey, weirdo." Jiro said in a teasing tone, pausing when she got no response from Izuku. "You know, I get it if you're an All Might fan. But now that he's our teacher, having him set as your wallpaper is kinda strange."

Midoriya lowered his hand slowly, finally realizing that he'd been holding his phone when he covered his face.

He quickly shoved his phone in his pocket. "Oh… U-uh, I…"

She raised an eyebrow and gave a lazy half-smirk. "Relax, I won't bite."

Midoriya tilted his head to the side, suddenly feeling like he was being inspected. His eyes flicked around. Was this a prank? Was Kacchan hiding somewhere nearby? He half expected his childhood bully to appear behind her, screaming, 'HAH! Got you, damn nerd!'

For a second he genuinely expected it. But no one jumped out. No one was laughing at him. Jiro seemed to be here in earnest.

"...You okay?" She asked, her smile waning slightly. "You look like you're going to self-destruct or something. Did I interrupt something important?"

"No! I-I was just texting back… I wasn't expecting anyone to sneak up on me like that…"

Jiro shrugged. "Maybe don't zone out in public then."

Midoriya paused, then laughed, a little too loudly.

Jiro looked at him, a little amused. After a moment, she glanced at the sling on his arm. "By the way, your fight against Bakugou? It was pretty rockin'. The way you flipped him and blasted the ceiling? Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how you even survived that."

Midoriya blinked. "You really think so?"

She nodded, suddenly very focused on the floor. "Yeah, I mean, you kind of broke yourself in the process, but still… going toe-to-toe with someone like that takes courage. I… respect that."

That was possibly the nicest compliment Midoriya had ever received from a girl. Actually, from anyone that wasn't All Might. He smiled, genuinely, feeling something in his chest loosen.

"You're actually… really easy to talk to," he said without thinking.

Jiro blinked, then laughed, caught off guard. "Wait, what?"

"I just mean… You don't talk too much, and when you do, it's not loud or overwhelming or… sorry, I'm just making it weird…"

She folded her arms and let out a deep sigh. "Dude, you apologize way too much."

"Uh… sorry?"

"There!" She pointed at him, "You're doing it again."

He winced. "I can't help it!"

Jiro studied him for a second, and he could sense a subtle shift in her expression.

"You're weird," She finally said. "You'll like… fight a guy who's actually trying to explode you, then turn around and look like you're about to cry when someone gives you a compliment!"

Midoriya opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Going from the toughest, cutest guy in class, to-"

They both froze.

Midoriya could feel his soul leaving his body. He stood completely still, staring at her like she'd just confessed to being a super villain in disguise.

Jiro immediately realized what she'd said. Her eyes widened just a hair before she tried to hide it behind a cough and a hard pivot.

"Anyway." She said, turning halfway away from him. "I usually take the train alone…"

"Wha-?"

"I just like it better that way… You know. Earphones, space to think?..."

Izuku nodded quickly in agreement. "R-right. Yeah, of course. That makes sense. I should, u-uh… yeah, okay."

A silence followed between the two of them.

Jiro pulled her phone out of her pocket, "See you around, Midoriya."

She walked toward the platform edge, jamming her earphone jack into her phone. Midoriya just stood there. Like someone had pressed pause on everything around him.

Just as quickly as everything stopped, Izuku was brought back to reality as the scene dissolved into static. Red lights stung his eyes as he blinked, trying to focus.

He stood in the middle of a darkened hallway, surrounded by the faint scent of ozone in the air. Jiro lay behind him, barely conscious, her breathing shallow. Her jacks were twitching involuntarily.

Across from him was the one responsible for her pain.

Tall, armored, and eyes smirking beneath a dark half-mask. Blue eyes gleamed behind yellow flashes from the gauntlet pulsing on his arm.

"A hero in training, huh?" The villain said, amused. "You look like you're fresh out of middle school!"

Midoriya didn't flinch. He knew who this was now. He'd memorized every page of his notebooks front to back, all he needed was to put the pieces together to finally realize.

"You're Bypass. You used your quirk to steal from those auctions last year, stopping an armored train and getting away with the valuables before the pros could even notice…"

Bypass raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Didn't think I had fans."

"I'm not a fan, but I've read up on you before." Midoriya said firmly. "Your quirk is called circuit break. You manipulate and reroute electronic systems within a short range, hijacking them. And anyone with a tech-based quirk in the area gets... hurt."

He risked a glance back at Jiro. Her arms were tight over her ears again. Her knees were tucked toward her chest like she was trying to disappear into herself.

"Gotta say, I'm impressed, kid." The villain tilted his head mockingly. "They say U.A. students are built different, but you… you're unique. Giving me a lecture on myself while your friend over there is getting static waves sent straight into her skull."

"Stop it…"

"Go home, kid. I'm not even using my full range, just a light buzz. Can't have her passing out before the real fun can start. Of course, if you'd like, I could… turn it up a notch?"

Midoriya clenched his fists. He could feel a dull ache in his arm from the injury to his arm yesterday. He didn't care though. His breath came faster and tighter as he took a step forward.

"Please. Don't."

"Or what?" Bypass laughed as he raised his arm and pointed his gauntlet towards Jiro. "Come on! Let's see how many volts she can take before she fries!"

"NO!"

The surge came before Midoriya could restrain it. One For All crackled throughout his arms and legs as he prepared to launch himself forward, fury overcoming hesitation.

But something wrapped around him mid-sprint. A scarf.

It yanked tight across his torso, pinning his arms down and halting his momentum just short of a punch to the villain's jaw. A familiar, exhausted voice followed.

"Control, Midoriya. Did you learn nothing from the assessment tests?"

Midoriya blinked, his rage dissipating as the scarf slackened. Eraserhead stepped beside him, eyes glowing an intense red as his quirk was activated. Bypass froze, his gauntlet flickering, then dimming entirely.

"Come quietly," Aizawa said dryly. "and I'll only break a few of your bones for hurting my students."

Bypass muttered a curse and stumbled back toward the swirling mist that was already beginning to open at the far end of the hall. From within it, Kurogiri's voice called sharply.

"We are done here."

"Yeah, yeah..." Bypass gave Midoriya one last look. This one seemed less amused, more curious. "See you next time, kid. Maybe work on that punch."

And then he vanished into the fog.

Silence returned, except for the faint sound of Jiro's breathing.

Midoriya stumbled back toward her, kneeling despite Aizawa's presence. His teacher didn't stop him, instead cursing to himself silently.

"Damn. I didn't see the other one…" He whispered. "I can't believe I let them get away…"

Izuku reached out to Jiro, unsure if he should touch her, until she moved first, grabbing his sleeve.

"Jiro," he said softly. "Are you okay? It's safe now, they're gone."

She opened her eyes slowly, like she was waking up from a painful dream.

"…Midoriya?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Jiro stared at him, unfocused. "Maybe now's not a good time, but… I wanna say sorry…"

He blinked. "For what?"

She smiled weakly. "The train… I was so awkward. I didn't say sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who made it awkward…"

She continued staring at him for a moment. The next instant she broke into a quiet fit of laughter, holding her head like it was causing her pain.

"Look at me, now I'm the one apologizing… I guess… we can both be a couple of sorry losers then."

Midoriya quickly joined in her laughter. "Deal."

Something in his chest loosened. It was like something that had been holding him down these last few days had suddenly lifted. He let himself exhale for the first time in what felt like forever.

Their homeroom teacher walked towards them, not seeming to care about their little moment just now.

"Come, let's join the others."

Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day after the incident with Bypass. From what Jiro could gather, both her and Midoriya had been questioned extensively regarding what had happened. The details were a blur, but Kyoka had managed to give them some names she had heard, as well as the important bits of the villains' conversations.

The principal seemed particularly disturbed by the implication that this attack was more of an organized scouting operation, rather than the actions of a few random villains. Jiro didn't want to think about all of that though. After all she'd been through, all she wanted to do was come home and give her parents a big hug.

She stood in front of the campus grounds, staring at the huge main building of U.A. high. The rest of the students were sent home a while ago, so she was standing there alone. She had tried denying the ride home offered by faculty, but they insisted after what happened today.

She was just waiting for that ride to arrive before she was approached by a timid, green haired boy who looked just as weary as her. She was surprised for a moment, before rationalizing that he must have been questioned for just as long as her, and he just happened to be released at the same time as his classmate.

Before, Jiro would have reacted to this encounter with hesitation, mixed with a bit of blushing. But after their shared experience during the blackout, she was glad he was here.

Midoriya stood beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers.

"Hey."

Jiro looked at him, smiling at the simple conversation starter.

"Hey yourself."

They didn't say a word for a minute. For most people this would probably have been an awkward moment, but Jiro actually liked quiet moments like this, neither of them feeling the need to break the silence with unnecessary conversation. Jiro got the feeling Midoriya felt the same way. His posture was relaxed, and he wore a peaceful look on his face.

Finally, the green haired boy decided to speak up.

"How do you feel?"

Kyoka tilted her head to the side, playing with her earphone jacks absent-mindedly. "Better. But, I don't know… It's almost like I can still feel that asshole's quirk messing with my brain. I know it's all in my head, but…"

Midoriya kicked a rock away half-heartedly. "It must have been terrifying. Thank goodness Mr. Aizawa showed up, or-"

Jiro smirked, nudging Midoriya's shoulder playfully with her own. "Thank god you showed up, dude! I was…"

She took a deep breath as she cut herself off, pushing back the feelings welling up in her chest. She wanted to tear up so badly, to cry into his shoulder. She couldn't bring herself to do it though. Feelings like this eventually passed, she just had to tough it out.

"I would have died if not for you Midoriya." Kyoka eventually said. "You know, I doubted you at the beginning, writing you off because of our first impression…"

Izuku winced, clearly still not happy with thinking back on that moment.

"...But you still stood out to me for some reason, and I guess you still do now."

The horn of a car in the distance sounded when she finished her sentence. It was likely the ride she had been offered, which meant she didn't have much more time to talk.

When she looked at Midoriya, his face was the slightest shade of pink, and he remained quiet.

"I still have so much I want to talk to you about." Jiro continued, pulling out a slip of paper she had kept in her pocket for this very conversation.

She slipped it into Izuku's front jacket pocket, who still seemed too uncomfortable to speak.

"Please, don't be a stranger." She said as she ran off towards the sounds of the car. The purple haired girl stopped when she was halfway across the courtyard, staring at Midoriya with a huge grin on her face. "I owe you one, you weirdo!"

With that final comment, she disappeared around the corner of the gate, leaving Midoriya looking dumbfounded.

The whole day felt surreal to Izuku. Actual villains had attacked him, but that was still only the second most terrifying thing that had happened.

Midoriya placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart race at a mile a minute. This wasn't the same type of nervous feeling he usually got from social interactions with girls though. This was different.

He pulled out the small piece of paper Jiro had slid into his pocket. As he read the numbers slowly, he smiled when he noticed a small doodle of a musical note at the end.

"Deku!" A voice called out from the gate.

Izuku quickly slipped the paper into his back pocket as Uraraka came running towards him.

"You're okay!" She cheered as she tackled him in a bear hug.

Midoriya hadn't seen the other students for long before he was taken to the teachers for questioning. All he knew was that they were told he and Jiro were alright, but other than that, nothing. It was hours after the students had been released, so this encounter was the last thing he had been expecting.

"Uraraka!" Midoriya sputtered, "Y-you waited for me?"

Uraraka squinted and looked at the green haired boy with a pouty look.

"Of course I did! Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"No no!" Midoriya sputtered, his mind still racing from the previous conversation. "It's just dangerous out here, what if there are still villains around?"

Uraraka laughed as if he'd said something ridiculous. "If it's not safe at U.A then we've got bigger problems, Deku…"

Midoriya smiled. He was glad he had a friend to walk home with at least. He wouldn't have minded being alone with his thoughts for a while, but he was also curious about what had happened while he was gone.

Ochaco told Midoriya that Iida hoped he was okay, but he couldn't stick around to wait for him due to a family matter. The other students were fine as well. Most were just worried about the students who weren't in the cafeteria.

"How is Jiro?" Ochaco asked, her eyes locked onto Izuku's when she asked the question. "Do you know?"

Midoriya's face got a bit flustered as he remembered their conversation. It was almost as though her phone number in his back pocket had gotten heavier as well.

"She's… okay." He managed to say. "The attack was just a bit hard on her…"

Uraraka stared at the ground as she walked for a bit, like there was something about that response that bothered her.

"Have you thought about the class representative thing?" She said as she avoided eye-contact.

Deku was taken aback. He had almost forgotten about the class rep vote. It seemed so insignificant now, but he supposed it was something he would have to deal with tomorrow during class.

"I haven't thought about it actually. But now… I think I'll just give the position to Jiro."

"Deku…"

"I know what you're gonna say, but it really doesn't bother me! I'll just be the vice rep anyway, it's not a big deal."

Uraraka was clearly still bothered by his attitude towards the position, but she seemed to be choosing her next words carefully.

"Okay… But what made you run out of the cafeteria alone during the blackout, Deku?"

Izuku was confused, but he played along. "Nothing. It was just a feeling. Like I needed to do something."

Uraraka sighed. "Why can't you see the potential that I see in you…"

Midoriya started to blush. Ochaco noticed this, and a hint of a smile played on her face at the reaction.

"Just think about what you've done at school only three days in, and maybe you'll see what I see."

They were already at the train station, which surprised Izuku. It had only felt like they were walking for about a minute.

Uraraka smiled with her hands behind her back as she walked onto her train, which went in the opposite direction of Midoriya's. "We should hang out sometime! I'll ask Iida and Mineta. It's long overdue!"

Midoriya smiled and nodded sheepishly, waving as the doors to her train closed and sped away.

It was strange, but the green haired boy appreciated the faith his friend had in him.

Izuku smiled to himself and pulled the strip of paper out of his pocket, staring at it again before inputting the numbers into his contacts list. He wanted to talk to Jiro right away, but wondered what he should even say.

After a moment, he decided not to overthink it like with everything he's done in the past. He typed up a draft, and before he could doubt himself any longer, he hit send.