No Rose is Without its Thorns

Trial and Error

Hello, Hello! Welcome to the new chapter! I apologize for the delay, but here it is! I'm actually really happy with this one, tell me what you think!

The months passed fast, and soon it was August, the month of exams. Within the 7 months that Nezu had been running UA, Izuku had met almost all the heroes and had figured out the ins and outs of the building. He honestly wasn't as fond of the heroes as he thought he would be, especially after years of obsessing over them. Some were too clingy and touchy-feely, while others seemed to be completely fake. That wasn't the only thing that had changed about him. He found people tiring, and was a lot timider than he ever was before. There was also the nightmares and the constant tightness in his chest. He figured these were all side effects of being trapped in the facility, though he didn't think much of it. It was just who he was now.

He was lying in his bed, unable to sleep once again. His grey digital clock flickered the number 5:27, making him sigh. Nezu slept until 6 every morning, and Izuku didn't want to throw him from that schedule by accidentally waking him up. The bright stars and a little crescent moon that decorated the walls of his room provided him with just enough light for reading. He stood up slowly and quietly crept across his plush beige carpet to the large oak bookcase that stood against the wall of his spacious room. He examined the shelves carefully, searching for his favorite book. And there it was, the worn yellow paperback sat on the top shelf, wedged in between two larger hardbacks that he'd probably only read one or twice. He stood on the tips of his toes and grabbed hold of the spine, bringing it down to hold in both of his hands.

He walked back to his bed and covered his legs back up with his blankets before propping himself up against the backboard of his bed. Once again, as he had done at least 3,000 times before, he took a moment to savor the fact that he could do this. He could lie in his own bed under soft, warm covers and read his very own book at any time. He was truly blessed. He opened up his book to his favorite page and began to read his favorite passage. At first, he found it odd that Nezu would get him a book full of poems about love, but Izuku had grown to adore the simple little rhymes. He could spend hours reading and rereading every poem in that book, but it was reaching 6, and today was an important day. He would need to get ready soon. Today the Recommendation exams were taking place, and Nezu had wanted Izuku's opinion of the candidates. Izuku himself had taken his own private test weeks before due to his unique situation and was going to be attending class 1-A in the fall, and so he figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a look at his possible classmates.

He took another peek at his clock. 5:48, late enough to begin getting ready for his venture of the day. He grabbed the bookmark that sat idly on his bedside table and carefully slid it into his book and closed the cover. He carried it back to the shelf and placed it right back to where he got it earlier and made his way to his closet. He carefully examined his freshly pressed formal wear, trying to decide which outfit to wear. He didn't plan to actually be seen by any of the other students, but like hell he would leave his home without his armor.

He decided on black slacks, a white button up, and a light blue tie. He paused for a second before taking out a cream colored sweater and threw it on over his shirt and removed his tie. Something simple and elegant. He inspected his outfit in the mirror for a minute before deeming it worthy for the day. Despite them clashing entirely with his outfit, he threw on his bright red sneakers. Nezu had bought him them as his first pair of shoes in years, and he cherished them. Not to mention that Nezu had an almost matching pair except for the color and a few other minor details. He checked his clock one last time, satisfied as the screen flickered a bright 6:00. It was time to begin the day.

Nezu was very eager for today. Not only was he going to meet the first official students of his first year as principal, but Izuku would get his first opportunity to examine his future classmates. This would be an important step for him. Not only would he get to exercise his observation skills, but he would be able to get to know his peers a bit. He had no doubt that Izuku planned on staying hidden, but that simply would not do. He was a young man and should be out making friends! Nezu was a big enough bear creature to admit that he hadn't been adamant enough on insisting Izuku got out more, but it was never too late to throw him into society!