IzuMina Week 2020

Day 3-First Drink/Meaning of a Kiss

Break ups suck! Izuku thought to himself, taking a long drink of the brown liquid. It burned as it went down his throat, but he barely registered it. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts about the events of the last few days. And the eventually culmination of all the problems going on for the past few months.

Izuku was fresh out of UA High, and already beginning to climb up the Hero rankings. Of course, that could be said for most of his classmates. When they graduated, Izuku had taken the chance to ask out his long time friend, Ochaco Uraraka. She had happily accepted, and they began dating.

However, less than 3 months into the relationship, they realized that they weren't as compatible as they initially thought. They were still great friends, and were able to hang out and have fun like they did at UA. But, right at the 6 month mark of the relationship, they decided it was better to stay as just friends. No hard feelings, and any awkward tension between them had gone some time ago.

And yet, here Izuku was, at a local dive that very few people knew about, where he could be near anonymous, drowning away his sorrows. He wasn't sad because he had fallen in love and went through a terrible break up. No. The break up was mutual and light. It was that nagging feeling of failure that, even to this day, crept up on the One for All user from time to time.

Izuku had come so far since the day he met All Might, proven himself a Hero in the man's eyes, and started his journey to where he was now. But, he still had his doubts about himself. Especially when there was a looming expectation. Like he was meant to push through, succeed, regardless of the circumstance.

"If it weren't for the fact that I've never seen you drink before, I'd say you and that whiskey are good friends," a voice brought Izuku out of his reverie. He looked up to see the sly face of Mina Ashido, also known as the Pro Hero Pinky, and his former classmate at UA. Izuku returned the smile to her, not even buzzed.

"This is the first time I've ever drank alcohol, Ashido," he chuckled, as she took a seat next to him. "And I learned something about my Quirk very quickly just now." He paused for affect. "I can't get drunk. My Quirk, even in it's innate form, burns through it like water." He then turned to her. "So what brings you to this hole in the wall?"

Mina had to admit to herself that she liked the change in Izuku over the years. He had grown more confident, was able to joke around with even the likes of her, and had some of the best snippy one-liners she had ever heard. And yet, there was a part of her that missed the easily flustered boy she knew back in UA. Luckily for her, he did appear every once and a while...if the right buttons were pressed.

"This may come as a surprise," she said, "but, you, actually." Izuku looked at Mina a little confused (and slightly red around the ears). I still got it, Mina thought proudly to herself. "You didn't stick around very long to mingle with the civilians like you normally do. What's up? You can talk to me. We're friends, right?" Izuku chuckled.

"Yes, Ashido," he replied. "I do consider you a friend." He then sighed as he stared at his now empty glass, contemplating whether or not to get another drink. After a moment, he set the glass down.

"Do you ever wonder the meaning of some things?" he asked, before clarifying. "Like, something some people would consider small or trivial, but it just eats away at your thoughts?" Mina tilted her head, as she thought about his question. She gave a small 'hmm' before nodding.

"I mean, every now and again," she said. "I don't tend to dwell on stuff like that too much. Don't ever think I have the time. Which makes it weird that you do somehow have the time, Mr. Second-Coming-of-All-Might." They both shared a laugh at that, even though it wasn't very far from the truth with how things were going. After they calmed down, Izuku proceeded with the point of his statement.

"Ochaco and I never kissed," he said, which caught his pink-skinned companion off-guard a little. "We dated for almost six months, but never got to that level of intimacy. I think, deep down, we knew the relationship wasn't meant to be. So, I guess, our bodies subconsciously kept us from taking that step. Or, at least, I could see that happening. Could you?"

"Huh?" Mina said, plainly. "I guess I never really thought of it that way. I mean, you know I'm a very passionate person, so the guys I've dated, the handful of them, I have had at least that level of intimacy with. But, I do kind of see your point." She gave a small pause.

"When I've kissed these guys, there seemed to have been an...emptiness there, I guess. Like it became obvious that this wasn't meant to be. And my relationships lasted nowhere near the length yours and Ochaco's did, and I dated Sero for crying out loud!" Again, the two shared a laugh. Sero had meant well, even checking that it was okay with Kirishima that Sero ask Mina out. He was completely caught off guard by Kirishima's relationship with Tsu, which was still going strong.

"I guess that what they say about sparks is true, then," Izuku was saying, taking Mina out of her trip down memory lane. "It's too bad I'll never find out."

He hadn't meant the last part to be said aloud as he mumbled it, but Mina had heard it loud and clear. And it began to stir some old emotions up in her. Old emotions of the green haired, self-sacrificing boy in front of her. That she had pushed aside for Ochaco's sake.

"Who says you won't find out?" she said, slightly incredulously. "Just because things didn't work out with you and Ochaco, doesn't mean there isn't someone out there it couldn't!"

"Like who?" Izuku said, the conversation turning much more serious than he thought he'd ever have with Mina. Mina could have pointed out any number of girls. Recently single Momo, crazy inventor Hatsume, the rehabilitated Toga. Any number of the fangirls that were practically throwing themselves at Izuku as he was out on patrol, just passing by, or actively saving the world. Instead, a different response came.

"Like me?" Mina said, quickly covering her mouth as she realized what she said. Izuku now looked her straight in the eyes, and she could see the gears in his head start to turn. At one time, Izuku had seen Mina in that light, as he had Ochaco, Momo, Tsu, Hagakure, and Jiro. But now, he couldn't help himself.

He closed the distance between them and their lips met.

Sparks my ass, these are g*dd**n fireworks! Mina thought as she melted into the greenette. After a moment, he pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry," he said. "I don't want you to think that I see you as some sort of rebound. I really do like you Ashido. And that was...."

"Amazing," Mina finished, he face flushed lilac. "And I get it. I know you'd never see me that way." She closed the distance once again. "And you should call me Mina," she whispered.