Something Further than the Universe

Chapter I ~ Dance Partners

This is a very long first chapter—3700 words. I didn't feel like splitting it up, though, and most of the chapters will probably be like this. Mostly because I'm planning on posting this on fanfiction.net as well.

Also, I got a sudden inspiration to write an IzuMina fic, as Mina is my favorite character and I ship these two, and I worked for a while on this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

~+~

Izuku had gone outside feeling confident, sure he'd figure it out one way or another, but when he tripped over his feet for what could've been the thousandth time that night, it dawned on him: he couldn't dance to save his life. He probably couldn't dance to save the world for that matter.

At first he blamed it on the moonlight. It was ruthless, ruthless enough to prevent him from seeing his own two hands a few feet from his face. He used that as an excuse, that it was too dark for him to see, but eventually he fell so many times that he just accepted the inevitable. He didn't have the knack for dancing.

But the problem was that he needed to learn how to dance, and soon. Because U.A.'s end of the year dance was coming up, and he'd been asked on a date.

It came out of the blue when she did it, too. That afternoon was like any other, he was still cramming his backpack while the rest of the class had left already to head back to the dorms. And then, as usual, he found Uraraka waiting for him outside the doorway because she was courteous, and that was something she did everyday.

But what caught him off guard was when she just said it. Before he even took a step forward, too, and when Mr. Aizawa was just barely out of earshot. "Will you go to the dance with me?" He had to do a double take because she said it so fast he wasn't sure he heard her right, and he didn't think someone could see him as more than a friend.

But when he watched her stand there, gazing at her shoes, he knew he had in fact heard what he thought he heard, and he might've exploded from embarrassment right on the spot. He was sure he'd say yes, though, once he calmed down, and he did. Uraraka was sweet, and he thought she was a really cute girl. But he wasn't in love with her or anything, not even close.

He decided to focus on the here and now, pushing all his doubts to the back of his mind, and let the sound of the music wash over him. He tried to figure out where to place his feet, but in his attempt he only ended up falling face first into the ground.

Mina always hated the common area once the clock hit nine, because there was absolutely no one to talk to. She had a lot she wanted to say, and yet at the same time she wasn't exactly sure what. She just knew she'd start running her mouth to whoever she saw, as long as they were somewhat trustworthy.

She thought she was out of luck until she heard the sound of soft music seeping through the walls, almost like the stuff they played at ballroom dances. Were those even a thing anymore? She didn't think so. Curiosity took her to the windowsill where the sound was coming from, and she lifted it and peeked her head out just enough to see the outskirts of the building. There was a lot of green. The grass, the leaves growing on the trees, and a mess of green hair that could only belong to one of her classmates. It blended in so well she could have missed it.

Even though she didn't really talk to Izuku, she was just glad she wasn't alone. Besides, he was hard-working and friendly and seemed like the kind of person everyone got along with, even if he came off as a little weird sometimes.

What really peaked her interest, though, was that he was dancing. Or at least trying to, because his dancing skills were so atrocious she wasn't even sure she could call it that.

She was filled with this nagging curiosity she couldn't shake (why the hell would Izuku be trying to dance at this time of night?), so, following nothing but her instincts, she headed outside and let the music lead her to him. He stumbled like a baby learning how to walk, and as someone who danced during her freetime, she was disappointed. So disappointed that she thought it was best to go over and help him.