"You didn't have to lie for me, F/N." Midoriya mumbled to you as you walked to your next class together.

"It's no big deal." You shrugged. "I just wasn't in the mood to see Bakugou make fun of you today." There was a lot of truth to that. You had recently become somewhat protective of Midoirya. 'Maybe somewhat is an understatement...' To be honest, when Bakugou made fun of Izuku it took every ounce of self-control for you to not throw him out the third story window. You imagined that kind of anger restraint couldn't be good for your blood pressure.

"So you got made fun of instead." He said. A familiar little divot appeared between his eyebrows. The obvious indicator of Midoriya's guilt. It was becoming so easy to recognize his tenuous expressions now that you knew him better. "I feel bad." He said, probably knowing you could read it on his face anyway. You gave him a consoling pat on the back.

"Don't worry about it. Really. I wasn't even embarrassed. I just kept thinking about how funny Bakugou's face was when he took a bite of that muffin." You said with a wide grin. Izuku allowed you a half-compunctious smile.

"Oh. There's Ida." He observed down the hall. "I need to talk to him about something."

"Okay." You said, not wanting to leave him in his melancholic state quite yet. "But just think: Someday we can tell our grand children about the Great Muffin Travesty of '16." You said with a sense of grandeur. He laughed, his regret melting away. 'Good. He's smiling again. Mission accomplished.'

He waved to you as he went to speak to Ida. You returned it, hoping the rest of his day would go better than this morning. It was hard to explain, but something about Midoriya invoked a strong need to nurture. When he was unhappy the world seemed unstable and grey. You likened it to seeing a small animal in pain. You couldn't stand to NOT help it. Or maybe like a mother bear protecting her cubs. 'Okay, I really need to cut back on the nature shows...'

After the bell rang you bounced out of the classroom. You grabbed Izuku's Tupperware container, figuring you could return it to him later in secret.

"Psst!" You heard from behind a courtyard bench. "F/N!" You turned to see Ida beckoning to you. At first you felt a pang of anxiety. 'Am I in trouble? Did I forget my hall-pass? What? No. It's lunchtime, stupid.'

"Oh, hey, Ida. What are you up to?" You inquired casually. Up close you realized what it was that set your nerves on edge. His posture was rigid and his eyebrows were creased. He was in serious-Ida-business mode.

"I uh... I wish to speak to you about a personal subject!" He stated loudly. The sunlight glared off his glasses, rendering you unable to see the expression in his eyes despite your desperate squinting.

"Sure. What personal subject?"

"L-Lovers Day." He designated. You should have known. 'He must be wanting to ask about Uraraka. They always sit together at lunch and he seems to be particularly courteous to her. But maybe he's always like that.' You smiled at him in encouragement, sending him a nonverbal cue that he could trust you.

"T-tell me, F/N... What sort of things to you find romantic?" He sputtered awkwardly. You blinked, perplexed. Why would he be asking about you? Does he like you and not Ochako? 'This doesn't make any sense.' You decided to humor him, hoping to delve deeper into his motivation.

"Oh. Well nothing special I guess." You answered. "The usual, I suppose."

"Please explain." He urged you boldly.

"I- well- uh... Normal stuff like watching the sunset and walks on the beach and uh-" You paused, pondering. "Oh! I was always jealous of the girls who would get really nice love letters! They were always so personal and sweet!" You gushed momentarily before remembering who you were talking to.

"Fascinating." He exclaimed. You felt as though you were a tiny organism being scrutinized by him under a microscope. 'Actually considering how much taller he is than me, that comparison isn't that far off.' He continued: "So you seem to have an aversion to the standard courting methods of flowers, chocolate, or jewelry."

"No, I wouldn't call it an 'aversion'. I like all of those things too. It's just a bit less personal, you know? But I suppose if someone gave me my favorite flower or chocolate, I would definitely still like it."

"Ah, yes. I see." He nodded, adjusting his glasses. "So you appreciate any gift as long as it's personalized to your preferences."

"Exactly." You nodded, figuring he was grasping the concept now. "...Ida? Why are you asking me this?" Was he thinking of competing for you?

"I-er-ah! I was just curious!" He shouted.

You raised an eyebrow, not completely convinced. It was time to pry deeper. "You know, getting the inside information is not really fair to your competitors." You had him on the ropes now.

He jumped back. "I think you have misunderstood my intentions! ...Eh, wait. Competitors? Who do you mean?"

You weren't sure why but it felt as though the tables had turned. The energy shifted and now the interrogation was on you instead of him. You shut your mouth immediately. He stared at you intently, making you fidget.

"I didn't mean anyone in particular." You said, fighting to maintain a poker-face.

"Bakugou?" He inquired. That's not who you expected him to guess.

"Eh? Why him?" You asked, honestly curious where he got the idea.

"Well yesterday in the hallway you were staring at each other. And I think I heard him talk about getting you something."

"Huh..." You grunted in surprise. You had never thought about him that way. He was talented and handsome, sure. But he was also a huge pain in the-

"Do you like him?" Ida interrupted with an undertone of disgust.

"I'd like him better if he'd stop making fun of Izuku."

"Ah yes. Midoriya." He jerked his chin as if you had reminded him of something.

"What about Midoriya?" You asked apprehensively.

"Do you like him?" He asked again. You knew there was more meaning to the question, but you decided to act blasé about it.

"What's not to like?" You shrugged casually.

"That's not what I meant. Do you- that is... do you want him to win?"

You were knocked off guard by how shamelessly conspicuous he was acting. You looked down, suddenly finding the pavement terribly interesting. You weren't sure how to answer. Maybe deep down you kind of did want him to win. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of your lips as you remembered laughing with him this morning.

"Well?" He pressed, obviously noticing your transition from calm and collected to that of a simpering dork.

"What a leading question, Ida." You replied saucily, replacing your confident façade. "It wouldn't be right to pick a victor this early."

"I uh... suppose that's fair." He admitted.

"Anyway. It's stir-fry day for lunch. We should try to get a good spot in line." You said, gesturing him to join you.

"Oh. I'll be along shortly." Ida waved in dismissal. You made your way to the lunchroom, grateful that the awkward conversation had ended.