Quirkless Isn't Hopeless (Complete)

School Days

Midoriya took a breath as he looked at the front entrance to school. His anxiety was growing in the pit of his chest and he couldn't shake that feeling away. Another step forward and the anxiety grew, clogging in his throat. He loosened his tie a little but that didn't help. He had half a mind to just turn around and run away, but he couldn't after he saw her standing there.

His shoulders relaxed and his breathing evened out. His lips twitched, almost smiling before his nerves reeled them back down. She hadn't noticed him yet, as she was focused on greeting students. Her eyes eventually peeled away from them to the approaching Izuku. Her eyes lit up before falling down as she bit her bottom lip.

"H-Hello, I-Izuku, er, M-Midoriya... Excuse me but I just don't know how to respond to you now, given the situation."

Izuku stared at her fidgeting expression. 'Wait this isn't the proper and calm Yaoyorozu, it's the delicate Momo.' Finding it strangely amusing seeing her at school.

"Hey, Momo."

"Y-Yes?" Not noticing he used her first name because of her own stress.

"Call me, Izuku. We're already here, okay?"

And that seemed to calm her. Her face relaxed and she wasn't biting her lip anymore, her face lifting slightly into a reassured smile. "Of course. I'm sorry I was being so silly, Izuku." Saying his name with some confidence. "But you should head inside, our dilemma is no excuse to be late." Returning to the proper Yaoyorozu.

"That's my girl." He smiled.

"And you're my pillar." She replied in step.

Midoriya headed inside, saying bye to Momo. As soon as he was out of view, his facial expression deterred, looking down. 'I have to talk to her about that but how can I when we're dealing with our friends finding out about us... It's so frustrating, whenever it feels like I'm making some progress, something happens and brings me back down...'

Momo took a glance at his leaving figure before facing forward again, her face falling. It was hard to keep her spirits up without him but she took a deep breath and puffed out her chest, putting the smile back on. "You can do it, Momo!" She cheered herself on, ready to tackle the day then the image of Tenya's, Todoroki's, and Uraraka's hurt expression flashed across her mind. "No, you can't." Her shoulders dropped with her head. "No, yes you can!" She pumped herself back up.

For the rest of the morning, Momo kept flip-flopping with her resolve.

Lunch.

Izuku was leaving the studio with his anxiety creeping over him more and more. The stares he was receiving didn't help. He didn't know if they were staring at him because of the bandages on him or if they found out about his relationship with the school idol. It was probably a mix of both. He wasn't wearing his arm sleeve because it was damaged, so he went back to his regular bandage. He also had bandages around his neck, one across his nose, and a square one on his cheek. 'I guess Mina was right, they do see me as a delinquent...' He clenched his fist, more and more thinking of his conversation with Aizawa and his mom.

But as he walked closer and closer to the lunch table they usually hung out at, his thoughts went to everything that happened over the weekend. Getting caught by his friends, the imprinted image of Todoroki's brokenhearted expression followed by Overhaul.

The lasting bruises on his body of being hit by his metal fists. The hazardous weather only adding to the escalation, terrified of every squeal of his shoe slipping, praying not to fall off the cliff. Not knowing if he was going to make it to sunrise. Izuku's breathing grew rigid and his legs were trembling along with his arms. He lifted his hand to his mouth as if trying to stop his breaths from coming out. 'C-Calm down Izuku Midoriya! You're just feeling the aftershocks of surviving, I have nothing to feel bad about.' Remembering he delivered two clean kicks to Overhaul's skull, giving him possible brain damage. His hand lowered to his neck, scratching at the bandages, reliving the moment his metal arm almost took his head off with a clothesline, as if it was still choking him. His eyes widened, finding it harder and harder to breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut. 'It's over, but I can't stop shaking... I can't...' "It's over!" Accidentally lashing out his crippling anxiety and guilty frustrations. His eyes instantly opened to the wide eyes staring at his outburst.

"S-Sorry." He tried to hide into himself before walking away hurriedly, fumbling a bit, trying to get away as fast as possible. But she saw his vulnerable state of mind and followed.

His steps slowed as he got closer to the chow hall. He inhaled a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.

"Are you alright?"

"Eh?" Turning to the person who was next to him. "Oh, Yui. Um, yeah, I'm good." He laughed off.

She reached out, grabbing his wrist, and feeling for his heart rate. "Liar." Noticing how fast it was. She lifted her eyes from his wrist to his face, staring up at him, intimately close, their breaths swirling like smooches. She lifted both her hands up to him, her cold fingertips tracing over his skin before cupping his cheeks and lifting his head.

"All-Might kept it held high no matter what."

His emerald eyes grew staring at her affectionately indifferent orbs.

Izuku wondered if Yui also had the ability to resize time and space because to him, that moment was an eternity he wanted to stay in with only her and him existing in it.

All his nerves were quelled by an action and a few simple words from her.

And it terrified him because of the thought that he was possibly more compatible with Yui than with Momo.

"Th-Thanks Yui, I needed that." His words conflicted with emotion. He pulled himself away from her captivating embrace. And the world seemed to start up again with the chow hall filled with noise and movement again. He recalled their conversation at the hospital. "But Yui, we do have to talk... about us." Now more than ever.

She brought her arms back to her self, tucking them behind her back, pushing out her chest, and tilting her head. "No. Let's go eat with everyone." Before turning away from him walking to the table.

He eventually followed. 'Why can't I pull myself away from her..?' He didn't want to acknowledge that maybe it was because he didn't want to.

They reached the table and all their eyes raised to him before settling. He was caught off guard, from their looks it was like they knew but nobody could talk about it. He gulped. "Hey, guys." But nobody really replied. He still took his seat, between Uraraka and Iida. No one was talking, maybe a comment here or there but only from the cheerful or clueless trying to get something going but always drowned out by the tension and blaring background noise.

Izuku took a peek at Momo. She could only stare down at her lap, doing her best not to fidget. Izuku grimaced with guilt, also looking down and reflecting. It wasn't until he felt a stare, he lifted his eyes and followed it.

It was Tsuyu.

But she averted her gaze as soon as they locked eyes. Izuku's eyes traveled to each of his friends, no one meeting his. His eyes fell down back to his lap, staring at his own hands. His eyes were wide and hollow as he came to a realization.

It was in the deafening silence that it became clear to me. There are some burned bridges that can never be repaired.