"Sorry, I don't mean to be a bother, but I was just wondering if I could, uh... Ask you if you wanted to hang out and, er, grab a coffee? Again, I don't mean to sound presumptuous-"
He bit his lip, waiting anxiously for an answer; he didn't want to seem forward- he wouldn't be able to pull it off. He's not Kacchan, he's not amazing at everything.
"It's okay." A short pause, then a chuckle. "I was just about to ask you myself, you know."
He was always usually so angry, with his signature frown and husky tone. But in Izuku's presence, he was happier, softer, kinder. And it made Izuku smile, to know he had that effect on the older male.
"Really? Then, can we..?"
Izuku Midoriya took a deep breath and smiled up at Kacchan. Katsuki Bakugou. His childhood friend, who had left twelve years ago, when Izuku was seven. He was back, and Izuku was over the moon.
"Yeah. Let's."
The blond glanced down, and he let a small smile grace his face. Izuku was elated; Kacchan held out his hand and Izuku took it.
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]