|| She's Perfect || BNHA x OP! Reader ||

55.6 - The Strongest Thing, M. A.

The dorm lights were off, but I heard music drifting from the common room—low, soft, lo-fi beats coming from someone's phone speaker.

I followed the sound.

And found Mina.

She was dancing.

Alone.

Slowly, quietly. Barefoot in the dark, the moonlight painting silver streaks in her pink hair as she swayed side to side, eyes closed. The kind of dancing that wasn't for show—just for feeling.

I stopped in the doorway, struck dumb.

She looked... peaceful. Like she wasn't carrying the same weight the rest of us were, like the trauma and stress of our hero training hadn't touched her. But I knew better.

Mina smiled because she chose to.

She laughed because she wanted us to feel safe.

And I'd started to realize—too late, maybe—that the way she lit up a room wasn't just a quirk of personality.

It was survival.

And she'd done it for me more times than I could count.

"Are you gonna stand there all night?" she called without turning.

I blinked. "How'd you know it was me?"

She grinned over her shoulder. "Your steps sound like you're thinking too hard."

I walked in, kicking off my slippers and sinking into the couch. "I didn't know you danced like that."

Mina shrugged, spinning in a lazy circle. "Helps me clear my head. Everything's so loud during the day, you know? Sometimes I need to just... move it out."

I watched her in silence, the music thrumming through the quiet. It wasn't flashy. It wasn't a performance.

It was her.

Raw, beautiful, unfiltered her.

"I've been thinking about you," I said, surprised to hear the words aloud.

She stopped, blinking.

"Like... recently?" she asked carefully.

"Like for a while now," I said. "And I think it's time I stop pretending I haven't."

She stepped closer, her eyes wide now—not panicked, just listening.

"You remember when we first met?" I asked. "You walked right up to me like we were already friends. Called me 'cutie,' showed me a picture on your phone, as if we'd known each other forever."

Mina laughed softly. "Yeah. You looked a little overwhelmed."

"But you made it easy," I said. "To breathe. To laugh. To want to be here."

I stood now, nervous, but I didn't let it stop me.

"You're the one who made me feel like I was allowed to be human. That I didn't have to act strong all the time. And somewhere along the line... I started looking for you first. Every time I felt off. Every time I needed to laugh. Every time something good happened and I wanted to share it."

Mina's hands were clasped in front of her, her mouth slightly open.

"I don't know when I started falling for you," I whispered. "But I don't want to ignore it anymore."

She stared at me for a long moment, stunned silent for once.

Then: "Holy crap."

I laughed, breath shaking. "Is that... good?"

"I thought I was imagining it!" she said, stepping closer. "I told myself there was no way you could actually feel that way. That I was just crushing too hard and making it weird."

"It's not weird," I said, heart pounding. "It's you. You're smart and strong and the bravest person I know."

"I'm brave?" she said, voice thick. "You literally ran headfirst into a Nomu for me!"

"I'd do it again," I said. "A thousand times."

Mina laughed through tears now. "Wow. Okay. Okay, I need to sit down."

She dropped onto the couch, covering her face.

I sat beside her, not touching her yet. Giving her space.

"I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner," I said. "I think I was scared of ruining what we had. But I realized I was already hurting myself by not saying it. And you."

She peeked at me between her fingers. "I've had a crush on you since, like, week three."

My jaw dropped. "You have not."

"I have! You helped me pick up my books in the hallway and smiled like I hadn't just spilled literal chili on my shoes."

"That was cute."

"It was disgusting!"

"I still thought you were cute."

She laughed, that bright, bubbly laugh that had pulled me out of so many dark days.

And then—suddenly—she leaned over and kissed me.

It was quick. Just a press of lips and warmth.

But I felt it all the way to my toes.

When she pulled back, she looked almost nervous.

I kissed her again.

Slower this time.

When we broke apart, our foreheads touched.

"So... what now?" she asked.

I smiled. "Now we figure it out. Together."

"You sure you want this?" she asked quietly. "I'm kind of a lot."

"I want all of you," I said. "Every ridiculous, beautiful, sparkly bit."

She beamed, eyes shimmering.

"Well," she said, "guess I finally get to call you my girlfriend for real instead of just in my daydreams."

I grinned. "You have daydreams?"

"So many. I'll tell you everything. But only if you keep kissing me like that."

"Deal."

We curled up on the couch, the music still playing softly in the background. She wrapped her arms around my waist, her head on my chest, and for once... I didn't feel like the world was spinning too fast.

I felt grounded.

Held.

Safe.

Mina Ashido wasn't just the life of the party.

She was my light.

And now—finally—I got to be hers, too.