Embarrassment and Excitement

Innocent Infatuation

The school day had ended, some students were leaving class, others were chilling back and talking for a bit. Mina and Toru were talking as Izuku was leaving with his friends. Toru had invited her out as Izuku passed by them.

"Sorry, I can't make it, I have after-school duties today. Ugh, it sucks I know." She apologized with clasped hands, yet also peeked at his reaction, although she couldn't get a good view from her position.

His eyes widened slightly, trying not to show he overheard. As he was leaving with Uraraka and Iida, he began to break away from them. "Uh, I just remembered th-the school librarian told me the book I was waiting for finally arrived. I'm gonna go check it out, and probably read a little bit there okay? I'll see you guys back at the dorms." He excused himself from them as he headed for the school library.

The sun was beginning to set and most students had made their way out of school. Mina was walking to the main entrance slightly dejected. 'I don't know if Midoriya heard me, even if he did why am I expecting something?'

The sunlight was basking on the front entrance and the glare made it hard to see for her as she walked outside, she raised her hand up to her face to shield herself as her eyes adjusted. She headed to the steps, about to walk down them.

She tripped.

She didn't notice him sitting on the steps and stumbled over him, causing them both to fumble onto the ground in a tangled tumble. His book and her school bag fell beside them. She was on top of him, almost as if he had instinctively caught her even without his quirk.

"Ow, what the frick." Mina was on top of him, getting her bearings, rubbing her head with one hand, supporting herself up with the other. She looked down at who she tripped over and her actions froze as they locked eyes.

The wind quietly whistled in the silence, sweeping a few leaves, scattering around them before settling. It was a few seconds in reality but to them everything was drowned away by their closeness. She blinked and the stalled time seemed to reset.

"H-Hey, Ashido." He had an uneasy smile, this wasn't how he hoped it would turn out. He had actually gone to the school library to check out the book and was reading it as he waited, he got so engrossed in it that he lost track of time and his surroundings.

"M-Midoriya?" She had her eyes wide and planted her hands on the ground next to either side of his head. 'He's here! Did he hear me after all?!'

"Uh, Ashido, shouldn't we get up?"

"Oh, right."

They fixed themselves and gathered their things. They were standing in front of the school entrance, it was still rather awkward, given that the memory of yesterday was still fresh in the mind. Yet they both wanted to trudge through the awkwardness.

"I, uh, heard you talking with Hagakure about staying late and you know." He rubbed the back of his hair, staring up and away, not able to look at her as he explained.

She had crossed her arms and smirked as he finished talking. "So what, got bit by the love bug yesterday?" She said it in a tease, hiding her genuine interest in possibly having something with him.

He jittered a little but found the words. "I mean... I'm here, right?" Asking himself as much as he was asking her.

That caught her off guard. She was expecting to be able to pick on his nervous goody-two-shoes personality but his boy-scout honesty was too sincere. Suddenly, she felt like the nervous one. 'Damn him and his precious cinnamon bun nature!'

She played with one of her pink locks of hair, twirling it around her finger shyly. "Yeah, you are huh? You know, I was hoping you'd hear."

"W-Wait! You were?" His cheeks grew red as she giggled, that was the teasing she was looking for.

"C'mon." She clasped his hand, feeling the atmosphere grow comfortable around them.

"Huh? Where?" He curled his fingers around her hand, tightening the bond, letting himself be led by her.

She was walking ahead of him at a brisk pace with a skip here and there. She glanced back at him, her hair had swept across playfully, her horns had a certain liveliness to them, her pink skin had bloomed to the sunset and her big toothy smile was just as bright and beautiful.

"I don't know!"