metamorphosis | various bnha

2.8 - ¿1 of them?

summary - iida is vengeful, ochako is flustered, and [first name] is finally reunited with her favorite hero.

...

"Iida-kun seems... off," you uneasily told Izuku, away from the other students. "Is he alright?"

He had been distant. Not physically, no, but he just wasn't there. He would stay quiet during lunch, only speaking when he felt obligated to. He was more erratic too, shaky. You noticed his leg impatiently tapping under the lunch table, as if he was anticipating something, when you ate with the trio. He was pretending to be perfectly fine, and it bothered you. You weren't the best of friends, of course, but still. It hurt to see him like this.

You wanted to be someone he could confide in. You wanted to be seen as reliable.

Izuku slightly shrugged, but you could see the heavy worry making his face sag with stress. He and Iida are close, aren't they? "He's been different since the Sports Festival... I might not be the person to tell you this, but his brother, Ingenium, got attacked during the Sports Festival. By Stain. Didn't you see it on the news?"

"Oh. I don't really... watch the news that much anymore." It was true. Heroes didn't interest you in the same way they did before. Some heroes were sick, you realized, when you saw one posing like a savior for the news after beating up a teen for pettily stealing a pack of gummies and a box of cigs. Yes, some criminals deserve to be beat up, but for stealing some gummies? Shouldn't they have just tried talking to the kid? Maybe you're more empathetic because you yourself are a shoplifter, but still.

You were going to be better than that.

"I hope he's alright." You glanced at the aforementioned boy's direction. That must be hard for him. Iida really, really looked up to his older brother. He was proud of his heritage, coming from a family of Pros and all.

You then tried to lighten the mood. "So, Gran Torino, huh?"

After talking to Izuku, you couldn't help but walk up to Iida before the trains boarded. Even though you weren't as close to him as Uraraka and Izuku were, he's still your friend. You closed the distance between your bodies, giving him a sudden, assuring hug. His muscular form stiffened against your soft body, and only relaxed when you let go and stepped back. He was silent as his bespectacled red eyes searched your face.

You looked at him, confused. What was he looking for? Genuinity? You felt so vulnerable under his piercing red gaze. You didn't know that he felt the same.

He then did something you didn't expect from him.

He desperately pulled you back into him. His arms briefly wrapped around yours. He smelled good. Like expensive cologne. But there was a horrible lingering odor that hung around him like a dense fog. You could sense it – smell it, even with the help of your antennae. The pheromones he was emitting – it was despair. He smelled so sad and spiteful; it was almost unbearable.

You would bear it though.

You hugged back, of course, and gave him a slight comforting squeeze. He rested his warm cheek against yours before pulling away and letting you out of his quick grasp.

"Thank you," he whispered, his face strangely tense and solemn. "Thank you, [last name]." It was unsettling. Yes, he was usually pretty serious, but not like this. He was never this... gaunt.

"Good luck," you quietly told him. "Stay safe on your internship." He was heading to Hosu, where the Hero Killer Stain was last rumored to be. It made you feel anxious. What if he gets attacked too? Or maybe he's planning on getting attacked, to encounter Stain – to get revenge for his brother.