AMATEURS [Tenya Iida x OC]

Chapter 6 - The One with the Partner Project

Peri woke up disoriented.

Shadows receded up the walls, sun driving the night away. Groping around in the gray light, she found her glasses on her end table, and slid them on. Her phone was plugged in and charging next to her. She was still wearing her clothes from the movies... the movies.

Oh crap.

A sharp knock came from her door, and she hopped down from her bed, rubbing her eyes. Her mouth tasted like envelope glue. The knock came again, and she sighed, shuffling faster. She swung the door open, wiping the dried drool from the corners of her mouth with her sweater sleeve, and said, "Hmmm?"

Tenya was there, dressed in his school uniform, with two coffees in hand. "Good morning!" he said, grinning, "I brought you coffee!"

Peri squinted at him, at the outstretched coffee, back to Tenya, and then grabbed his wrist and looked at his watch. She was very late. "Merde! Fuck!" she groaned. She stole the coffee from him, took a scalding sip, and handed it back. "Give me five minutes."

"Sure," Tenya nodded, watching her disappear into her room and shut the door. He tried to hide his smile by sipping his coffee, but the image of her with bedhead and sleepy eyes was permanently etched into his brain.

Peri hopped out a few minutes later, dressed in her uniform and pulling on her other black boot over her matching tights. "Thank you for waiting, I'm so sorry," she said, "I haven't slept that well in... well, years." She reached for her coffee, and took a long sip as they jogged down the stairs.

"I could tell," Tenya laughed, "You were sleeping pretty heavily." He pushed the front door open and held it for her.

Heat flooded Peri's cheeks, and she dipped her head to pass under Tenya's arm, hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder. "Must have been during the movie, huh?" she asked, speed walking across campus. She didn't want to make Tenya late for class.

"Wait," he said, slowing to a stop, kneeling down on the ground.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING." Peri was on the verge of spontaneous combustion. She was not awake enough to process what was happening.

Tenya blushed, and held out his coffee for her to take. "If you hold this, I can carry you and run us to class." He bent down and cuffed up his pants to his knees so that they wouldn't get incinerated by his engines.

"Mon dieu," Peri sighed, jogging back to him and taking his coffee. "I trust you, Tenya."

He nodded, and said, "Put your arms around my neck." She did, crossing her coffee-full hands at the wrists. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded, and he stood, sweeping his arms under her knees and back.

Tenya sped off across campus, holding Peri close to his chest. She peeked an eye open at one point, looking up at his focused brow, his stern, set lips. The thought drifted through her mind that he was going to make a great Pro Hero someday, when he glanced down and grinned at her, sending her heart slamming against her ribs like it was a wrecking ball.

They arrived at their building in seconds, and Tenya slowed to a stop. He gently set Peri down and made sure she was steady on her feet before letting go of her hand. Flustered and not awake enough for flirting, Peri handed Tenya his coffee and walked toward the front door. "Thank you," she said, holding the door open for him, "Sorry I made us late this morning."

"Nothing a quirk can't fix," he grinned, jogging up the stairs. "Come on, Peri."

They walked into class a few minutes later, laughing and blushing. Their peers fell silent, watching them openly flirt. "Gross," Bakugo sneered, turning to talk to Ochaco and sliding her some money, "Put me down that Alarie is going to make the first move."