𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 ~ 𝓲𝔃𝓾𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓪

dr. kudo

"Well," Midoriya said before taking a bite of his sandwich. "Is your name on there?"

"Yup!" she yawned, staring at the list of names on her phone. "Right at the top, in bold." The pair sat near the headboard of Mina's bed, peering over her phone together. The clock hit 12 around two minutes ago, and departures were out. She invited Midoriya and Kirishima to see the list together, but the red-haired boy bailed at the last minute. He sent a sorry text along the lines of, "I just don't think it would be manly of me to be sneaking in and out of your bedroom." Granted, he didn't say that, but that's what registered in Mina's brain.

She didn't mind too much; it was more time to spend with Midoriya. Her freckled friend was letting his guard down around her more now. She was 80% sure his awkward-around-girls-he-doesn't-talk-to phase was over now. After all, they were friends, and he was now in her room, on her bed, eating the tamago sando she had made for herself when she came back. She would've dressed better if she knew it would be just the two of them earlier. She looked down at the battered U.A. Athletics T-shirt and her hot pink Hello Kitty shorts and cursed under her breath. Midoriya looked better dressed for bed with a white t-shirt and All Might pajama pants.

Her mood had improved somewhat, and she and her mom had a healthy, well-needed talk. She had set some boundaries; surprisingly, her mother wanted to respect them. With some time apart and therapy, things could be good for them. It was nice to get some answers about the truth behind her parents' relationship and divorce, even if it just made her emotions towards her father even more complicated.

"For someone who spent weeks preparing for this, you don't seem excited," Midoriya said between bites. "This sandwich is so good. I can't believe you made this!"

"It's just crushed boiled eggs and mayo. There's nothing special about it." She bit back a smile, trying to hide the blush from his compliment. "And I am happy; I'm just tired after today." She hid her face with her palms and gently massaged it with her fingertips. She hid the yawn she had held back and used the tears to moisturize her eyelids.

"Oh yeah, didn't you see your mother today? How did that go?" Finished with his sandwich, he balled the wrapping up in his hands. "Where's your trash can?"

She pointed to the can by the door while she pondered her response. She didn't want to get too heavy with her answer; no one likes trauma dumping. Besides, she had only mentioned her mother in passing; Mina couldn't just dive into the complex dynamics of their familial bond. She had to keep it light; she opted for a swift summary. He shot the wrapper naturally and made a small "yes" motion. The bed gave a faint creak as he crawled over to his friend. They were closer than before, but she didn't pay much attention.

"It went better than I expected," she shrugged. "I mean, you never know what to expect with my mom, but-" Midoriya nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"We had a good conversation; we got our feelings out; that's all I had hoped for." She grinned.

"Well, I'm happy for you, for both making the track team and seeing your mother." He assured her in a soft, reassuring tone, barely above a whisper. His voice was gentle, softer than his typical tone. She could be mistaken, but Mina was confident it was the same voice he used for his girlfriend. She shifted her weight to the hand behind her, bringing herself close to Midoriya. Somehow, they always found a way to be in each other's personal space whenever they hung out. The soft brush of shoulders, fingertips slightly touching, stealing glances, and being inches away from each other was exhilarating. She secretly hoped he enjoyed it, too. Only when she was alone could she entertain these feelings for Midoriya? They could exist alone from prying eyes and the glaring red flags. She didn't dare meet his eyes at this moment- she could feel her cheeks burning.