Something Further than the Universe

Chapter XIV ~ A Question of Right or Wrong

A/N: I know, it's been way too long. I'm really, really sorry to keep you guys waiting, but I had some real life problems I had to deal with before getting back to writing. Luckily that's over now, at least for a little while (I don't know what the future entails, so I'll let you guys know if anything comes up), but anyway, here's a new chapter. Not my proudest work—it could use a lot of improvement, as could most of this story, but I tried my best. I've sacrificed sleep three nights in a row for you guys, so I hope you appreciate this! I'd love it if you'd leave a comment with some feedback and/or constructive criticism!

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It'd only been a day since they'd been to the beach, but Izuku was already somehow sick.

The brink of twilight on a beautiful Sunday evening—there couldn't have been a better time for Class 1-A to prepare a delightful and delectable, almost fine-dining kind of dinner. Beef brisket and katsudon, curry and rice stew, all of it fitting for finishing off the last of their celebration. After all, making it through Final Exams was an accomplishment.

Mina, in line to grab some food with all of the rest of her classmates, was caught up in the conversation behind her.

"Dude, Midoriya, you okay?" Kaminari asked, eyes on Izuku as he stared down at an empty plate. "Your face is all red."

With a faraway look in his eyes, there wasn't any way she could deny that Izuku had fallen into a fog. Even from a distance, she was able to come to the conclusion that his chest was rising and falling a lot more heavily than usual, and judging solely by his slow response, he seemed a little feverish. He shook his head, almost as if to be a wake-up call. "I'm fine. Just a little hot, is all."

For a moment, Mina wondered if she was the one imagining things. Peering down at her Hero hoodie and tight black leggings, a draft of cold air wooshed right over her shoulder at a temperature surely below zero, and she shivered.

Nope. It was him. It had to be him.

Kaminari, now even more engaged in the confrontation than before, kneaded his eyebrows. "You sure? You seem... off."

Mina nodded unknowingly, a little part of her grimacing as out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Uraraka creeping up behind the boy in question and placing a gentle hand upon his forehead.

His reaction was half that of shock and a shrug. "You're warm," she said, peering over his shoulder. "Really warm. Do you feel sick?"

He nodded.

"You look sick to me, Midoriya," Kaminari said, and Mina finally realized something: If Izuku catching a cold was anyone's fault, it was probably hers. The beach, the rain, them sitting too long in their sopping wet clothes—it was all to blame.

Yet she froze, her feet still stuck in place. What it took to go up and apologize to him had magically vanished into thin air; she didn't have the courage.

His classmates, his peers, those who cared for him, made it known they wished he'd get well. Offering their condolences, they bombarded him, almost uncomfortably so, and Mina, wanting to make sure they didn't suspect anything was awry, quickly followed suit. He gave her a special smile, one he gave no other, and his adorably speckled freckles and warmly red cheeks made her insides melt into a remarkable puddle of love. She wished these feelings would last longer, she wished they'd never end, exactly what she'd wished ever since she started to fall for him, but Uraraka led him upstairs before they had the chance to linger, the chance to stay. Was it right or wrong to be jealous, Mina wasn't sure.

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Izuku trudged through his dorm room door, Uraraka by his side barely being able to keep him steady. He'd felt like shit ever since he got out of bed, and now that the day was over, he was just so ready to roll around in his room and wrap himself up in a blanket that even resting his head on something as soft as a pillow would do. If he'd assumed correctly, it all kind of made sense, since his temperature had to have been above 38 degrees.