Invisible Insecurities

III: Fighting Sharply

She was at her desk as heroes poured into the room. Izuku sat beside her taking notes as heroes came up to him and gave their numbers. “Are you nervous?”

“No.” She shook her head and stared at her fingers. She was practicing her quirk. Massaging the muscles. He noticed it.

“How far have you gotten?” He down at where her fingerprints sit.

“Just past my finger tips.” She mumbled out and set her head down on the table. Her heart is racing, “not as far as you did it.” She flipped her head and looked over at him as he wrote.

His eyes were dull against the notebook, she sighed and the paper blew up a bit.

“You're facing this way?” She nodded, but he couldn't see her nod.

“Yes.”

He smiled and went back to doing his work. More heroes entered the room and he filled out more papers. But he was their age.

Yet, he's a part of this function?

Odd.

“Midoriya,” she followed his eyes and noted his frown. She looked, All Might's Sidekick, Sir Nighteye. “It has been a while,” hostility, “since you and I've seen each other.”

Behind him are two young heroes, BubbleGirl and a man with a cartoonist face. “Yes it has.” Izuku didn't like this name and the party that followed. “Do you have your sheets?”

BubbleGirl walked around and slipped them their packets. He read through them briskly, and stamped each page.

A green seal made up of small words. She couldn't make them out entirely.

“They're about to start relaying the mission.” The other ones walked off and left Sir.Nighteye standing one in front of her teacher. There was something between them, animosity, deep animosity. “That includes you.”

“I already read the briefing, as did my interns.” He pulled up a chair and took a seat beside Izuku. “I find in that you're still quite angry.”

“I'm at work.” Izuku was getting louder. “My anger for an outside issue does not effect the quality to my work.”

Sir smiled palely. He didn't mean it, not whatever he smiled for. “Ah, tsk tsk tsk. That is a shame, anyhow, you and your student will be monitored after this raid. Nezu wanted me to provide an overview of your effectiveness for him.”

His pencil slapped against the table, her head rose quickly. She started breathing again, Izuku sighed.

He looked at her, not her eyes. Just barely down, between her eyes and her cheeks. “Sorry Tooru.” His attention turned away…her heart's beating didn't stop.

But it softened.

Though, still raging on her ears. “Sir. Nighteye, Principal Nezu has already informed me. So please be on your way.” His throat was straining.

Veins blaring even underneath his skin, showing themselves adamantly.

“Don't talk like one of them,” he countered and placed his hand on Izuku’s shoulders…lightning found the table attractive. Bouncing about. “You're not.” She didn't know what he was referencing.

She only knew Izuku for a day. Sir. Nighteyes’s smile fell, grim, his face was grim and accepting. “Even when you want to be.”

Izuku looked down, clenching his jaw.

“To them,” Sir. Nighteye lifted his hand and pointed behind his shoulder with his thumb, “you're just a-”

Izuku raised his hand, “I get it Sir.”