Chapter Text
Your breath completely leaves your body as you slam into a wall at the training grounds.
You hiss when you finally hit the ground, but now isn’t the time to dwell on the pain. You whip your head around, eyes frantically searching for your partner, Sato.
The mission was going so well- the two of you managed to rescue your target with relative ease. You were making your way towards the retrieval point when it happens.
You were too busy focusing on getting your victim to safety to notice the tell-tale flash of blond hair.
Togata’s always been great with surprise attacks, after all.
You hear a sharp inhale from your partner, and your body moves on its own. You throw yourself in front of Sato, and brace for impact. Something solid connects with your stomach, and then you’re hurtling through the air.
Togata’s laugh echoes through the training grounds, and the sound is infectious. If he hadn’t just sent you flying at breakneck speed into a cement wall, you’d be tempted to laugh with him. His contagious laughter is part of the reason you seem to be nursing a soft-spot for him. That, and his broad shoulders, pretty golden hair, and-
“Come on, heroes! You’ll have to do better than that if you wanna save the day.”
You can hear the broad smile in his voice as Togata taunts the two of you from wherever he’s hiding. You pay him no mind, opting to search for Sato instead. When you finally spot him, you heave a heavy sigh of relief. He’s managed to hang onto your target, meaning the mission is still at least somewhat salvageable.
The relief is painfully short-lived, however. A pair of tentacles wrap around Sato and drag him off.
“Nice one, Tamaki! You’re as cool as ever!”
“I’m just trying to help, it’s not a big deal…” Amajiki mutters.
As shy as he was, he never fails to get the job done.
Getting paired against two members of the Big Three had to be some kind of cosmic joke, but here you were. It wasn’t everyday you had to physically fight the man you had a crush on, but you’d rather die than let your feelings get in the way of your mission.
You take a deep breath, wincing at the pain that shoots through your body. There’s no time to think- if you don’t move now, Togata and Amajiki would get the drop on you, and the mission would be as good as failed.
If you could just get to Sato and regroup, you might just have a chance. You sprint off in his direction, humming the entire way and praying to anything that would listen that the soundwaves would reach Amajiki.
When you were younger, you’d thought your quirk was useless, unfit for a hero. When your quirk manifested, your parents thought it was mind-control. Whenever you cried, those in your general vicinity couldn’t help but comfort you. When you laughed, people rushed to make you reproduce the sound. When you yawned, people would doze off right in front of you.
It used to scare you, not knowing what it was that made people’s behavior change around you. You were beginning to think it was some sort of mind-control quirk as well, that you were simply bending people to your will. As time passed, it became apparent that it was nothing of the sort. You had the ability to pass emotions and feelings to people through soundwaves.
You were still unsure of yourself, even after being admitted to UA. It wasn’t until a certain bubbly hero exclaimed with a smile, “That’s totally awesome! You can calm down people when you save them, and make everyone happy! You’ll be like, the coolest hero ever!”
It’s that memory that pushes a grin to your face as you realize you have managed to reach Amajiki. He collapses as you close in on him, murmuring something about being sleepy. You free Sato and help him to his feet, taking the target dummy from him to give him a moment to catch his breath. You don’t speak, concentrating on making sure Amajiki stays down. As long as you stay focused, you should be able to hold him and Togata off long enough to get to the retrieval point.
The two of you hobble towards the exit- Sato has all of his weight on you, exhausted from the beating he took from Amajiki. Despite the pain and exhaustion settling in, you smile brightly. You were almost out, and this nightmare would soon be over.
Or so you thought.
Sato is once again wrenched from your side, this time due to a blow from a blonde hero that’s supposed to be sleeping. In mere seconds, Sato is unconscious, and Togata has you pinned to the ground.
“How- you’re supposed to be-”
Togata grins ruefully.
“Aw, sorry about that, Y/N! Your quirk is totally incompatible with mine, your sound waves pass right through me!”
You struggle in vain against him, trying to unseat him so you can get back to your mission.
“You were super cool back there, though! You took down my friend and rescued your partner in one fell swoop!”
He leans in, readjusting his grip to stop you from escaping. He doesn’t mean anything by it, he’s just trying to keep you restrained.
But he’s way too close. Close enough to break your concentration. It’s only for a brief second, but it’s enough to release your hold on Amajiki. He rushes over to Togata’s side after making sure your target is far beyond your reach.
“Damn it!” you spit out, knowing your defeat is all but guaranteed.
Togata’s grip on you is firm, and even if you did somehow manage to free yourself, Amajiki was right there waiting for you. You try not to think about Togata’s weight against you, but you can’t help the faint blush that creeps onto your face. You distract yourself by trying to come up with something, anything that might get you and Sato through this mission successfully. Unfortunately, you’ve run out of time.
The buzzer goes off, signaling your failure to rescue the target. The second it does, Togata practically leaps off of you, immediately ushering you to your feet. You wobble for a moment, and he grabs your shoulders to steady you.
“Are you okay?” he asks, frantically searching you for injuries.
You wave a dismissive hand, your pride getting the best of you. There was no way in hell you were gonna let him know how badly you were hurting.
“No worries, Togata! This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten beat up, and I’m sure it won’t be the last! Comes with the territory, right?” you force a laugh, but Togata doesn’t look convinced.
“My bad, I went a little overboard! You’re kind of intimidating, so I got kinda rough on instinct. I’m so sorry!” he looks down at you with his wide, piercingly blue eyes. You’ve always thought he looked like a golden retriever, and the puppy dog pout he’s currently giving you only reinforces the image.
You open your mouth to reassure him, but you’re suddenly brought up short. Did you hear him right? Did he just say that you were intimidating?
“Hey, are you sure you’re okay? I can take you to Recovery Girl if you want.” Concern paints Togata’s face as he leans in, examining your face.
“Seriously, I’m fine! I’m just, it’s… do you really think I’m intimidating?” It felt strange to even repeat the words back to him. What about you could possibly be intimidating to UA’s number one student?
“Oh, come on, Sunflower! If you’d gotten paired up against anyone but me, you totally would’ve wiped the floor with them! I mean, Tamaki is the strongest guy I know and you dropped him without even breaking a sweat! I was WAY nervous, ya know? You even jumped in front of Sato when I was about to hit him, it’s like you weren’t even a little afraid! It was awesome!”
He’s rambling at this point, and you can’t help but feel hopelessly endeared. You rub the back of your neck, smiling sheepishly.
“Oh, uh. I just wanted to save Sato, my body just sorta did that without my permission. I totally should have let him take that hit.”
Mirio throws his head back, laughing with his entire body.
“Spoken like a true hero!” He claps a hand to your shoulder, nearly doubled over with laughter. This time, you don’t resist the urge to laugh with him. You’re so caught in the sound of his voice that you don’t even notice that Sato is waiting patiently for you- the two of you have to go and get feedback from your teacher, after all.
By the time your laughter subsides, his hand is still on your shoulder. It lingers for just a second too long, and an awkward silence permeates the air. Before you can come up with anything to dispel the tension, Amajiki taps Togata.
“Um, Mirio? The teacher says we need to clear out so they can set up for the next group.”
“Oh! Guess we’re in the way, huh? Let’s get going then, I’m starving after that fight! See you later, Sunflower!”
Amajiki merely nods, trailing after Togata.
“Sorry about that, Y/N. You totally had to carry me through that mission, you might have won if you weren’t paired with me.”
You shake your head, vigorously.
“No way, man! Togata and Amajiki are just too strong- I don’t think anyone stood a chance against them.”
He nods in agreement, sighing as the two of you make your way out of the training grounds.
“Oh, by the way. Did you change your hero name to Sunflower or something?”
“Huh? No, it’s still H/N,” you reply, confused by his question.
“Oh? I guess Togata’s just really fond of you, then.”
Heat floods your face once more.
“Nah, he’s just like that, I think!”
***
You groan in frustration as you flop down on your bed, the day’s intense training hitting you like a ton of bricks. The sun offers only a faint orange glow through your window, but you can’t be bothered to turn a light on. Being a third year at UA was no joke- the teachers pushed you above and beyond your limits on a daily basis. Of course, you’re no slouch, you were actually pretty agile, and strong to boot. But some days, like today, the drills were enough to leave you feeling a little nauseous.
It wouldn’t be very plus ultra of you to get sick after getting beat up, you remind yourself with a grimace. You loved your life at UA, you loved training, and you loved that with every passing day, you were closer to becoming a pro-hero.
But today was different.
It hasn’t hit you just yet, but your period is swiftly approaching. It’s left you feeling weak and sore, and the rigorous hero-coursework was doing nothing to help. You didn’t like to show others any weakness, but damn, if the pain didn’t leave you with a bitter, overwhelmed feeling.
Besides, nobody packs a punch quite like Mirio Togata. Damn his stupidly sculpted muscles.
What fucking deity has it out for me today, huh? You curse to yourself.
A particularly sharp pain shoots through your abdomen, forcing you to curl into a ball. You whine, slamming your pillow into your face.
A second wave of misery washes over you when you realize it’s past curfew. For a brief moment, you consider going to see Recovery Girl- but then you remember she’s currently out on “urgent business”. Besides, you’d feel a little silly going all the way to her office, despite the fact that your pain is very real.
You heave a heavy sigh. You’d just have to tough it out till morning. Who knows, you think to yourself, trying to let a little optimism seep in. Maybe it won’t be so bad!
You’d be eating those words come morning time.
***
By the time you wake up, the cramps are nearly unbearable- actually, scratch that. They’re completely unbearable. You reach for your phone and call the one person you know will have your back in a situation like this- Nejire.
“It’s so early, Y/N-” Nejire’s groggy voice is cut off by a yawn. You look at the clock and wince. It’s only 7am.
“Ah, sorry, friend! I just wanted to ask you to tell the teacher I won’t be in class today.”
“Wait, why not? I thought your work-study with Miruko didn’t start back up until next month.”
“No, it’s not that. I just started my period and I literally think I might be on my deathbed.”
Nejire chuckles.
“Well, geez, should I go ahead and start planning your funeral, then?”
“Nah, you guys can just improv if I actually die.” You say, giggling. “No, but really, if you could just let Sensei know I won’t be in class, that would be fantastic.”
You can practically hear Nejire’s smile through the phone.
“I’ll do ya one better, kiddo! Since I’m up so early, I totally have time to go by Recovery Girl’s office. I can snag you a little something to ease the pain!”
You silently thank the gods for giving you Nejire Hado.
“You’re an angel, my friend.”
“Yeah, I know! Be back in a sec!” With that, the line goes dead.
You flop back onto the mattress and allow yourself to drift, the promise of relief enough to lure you into slumber.
***
Nejire glides through the dorm, taking care not to wake anyone on her way out. Just as she’s about to reach the door to campus, it swings open.
“Oh! G’morning, Hado! What are you doing up so early?” Togata stops in the doorway, sporting his usual award-winning smile.
“Heya, Togata! I’m just heading over to Recovery Girl’s office, Y/N’s-” she pauses for a moment. She can’t very well tell Togata that you’re on your period, so she opts to keep things vague.
“Y/N’s just in a little pain, so I’m going to get her some medicine since Recovery Girl is gone!”
Togata blinks several times before speaking.
“Oh. She’s hurt bad enough that she can’t go herself?”
Nejire can hear the concern creeping into Togata’s voice.
“No need to worry, big guy! She’s just a little tired, so I wanted to be a pal and get it for her!” she smiles. It’s only half-true, but hopefully her explanation would be enough to satisfy Togata.
“Does she- does she need anyone to check on her?”
Nejire laughs.
“Not you, silly! That’s what I’m here for! Like I said, there’s no need to worry! I don’t think she wants to see anyone right now. But never fear! Nurse Hado is on the case.”
Togata’s smile falters for a fraction of a second.
He chuckles lowly, bringing his hand to the back of his neck.
“I guess you’re right! I’d better head back to my room though, I’ve To-gata get ready for class!”
“Very funny!” Nejire calls over her shoulder as she skips to Recovery Girl’s office.
But the blonde hero can’t seem to undo the furrow in his brow as he returns to his room.
***
It feels like you’ve been asleep for less than two seconds when Nejire knocks on your door.
“Ugh, thanks again for doing this, Nejire. You’re seriously a life-saver!” you say, gratefully accepting the paper cup with your medicine in it.
“Anything for you, kiddo! Rest up so you can pay me back soon!”
“Sure, sure. I’ll buy you dinner soon, deal?”
“Deal!” Nejire beams at you before making her exit.
You nudge the door shut as you knock back the medicine she brought for you. You sigh, letting the effects of the drug wash over you. Normal pain meds would take a while to kick in, but the stuff here at UA is cutting edge.
Sleep claims you within minutes.
The rest of the day passes without much incident. You alternate between sleeping and watching reruns of K-Dramas. By the time you’re starting to feel like a human again, the sun has already sunk low in the sky. You wonder, idly, if Togata had a good day in class.
If you had your way, you’d stay in bed until tomorrow, but your stomach has other plans. You’re dragging your shoes on when you hear shuffling outside of your room. You have to stop yourself from laughing- leave it to Nejire to make you pay up sooner rather than later.
You make your way towards the door, ready to call your friend a greedy woman, but the words die in your throat.
Because Mirio Togata has just phased through your door and into your room.
“Oh! Y/N, you’re okay!”
The shock of seeing the object of your affections standing in your room leaves you speechless.
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry for barging in! It’s just- Hado said you were having a tough time, so I thought you might not be able to answer the door. I, um- I brought you dinner!”
A faint rosy color dusts Togata’s cheeks- it’s a miracle that you don’t swoon right there in front of him.
“Wow, Togata, you- you didn’t have to go through all that trouble!” Your brain can’t even begin to process what’s happening. Why was he here? Was he worried about you? And just what the hell did Nejire tell him? Despite your confusion, you can’t deny that the sight of Togata in your room is making your stomach do little somersaults.
“It’s no problem at all! Fatgum sent Tamaki here with a ton of food, and I thought you’d be super bummed up here without any dinner!”
A rush of fondness for Togata floods your chest, and you can’t help but smile at him.
“Thanks a lot, that’s really kind of you. I… really appreciate it,” you say, taking the bag from him. However, the moment the bag leaves his hands, he retreats towards the door.
“Hope you feel better soon!”
“Wait, Togata-”
He turns, fixing you with a curious look. You take a deep breath, willing yourself to get your words out without tripping over them.
“If you haven’t eaten already, do you wanna maybe eat with me? I’m still not feeling great, so I probably won’t be able to eat all of this anyways.”
He’s silent for a moment, and you start to regret asking him to stay before he finally answers.
“You’re not mad at me, then?”
What? You’re completely bewildered. You can’t even begin to fathom why you would possibly be mad at him for bringing you dinner, and you tell him just that.
“No, it’s not about the dinner- you’ve… been in bed all day because I hurt you, right?” his mournful gaze tugs at your heartstrings.
“That’s not true at all, Togata! What gave you that idea?” But even as you ask, you can feel the cogs turning in your brain. He mentioned running into Nejire, so he probably knew that she went to get medicine for you. That, combined with the fact that you weren’t in class today-
“I guess I was just kinda worried! You were kinda out of it yesterday, and then Nejire told me that you didn’t wanna see anyone this morning. I thought that was just a polite way of saying that you didn’t wanna see me.” He trails off, eyes downcast.
A frown tugs at the corners of your lips. Oh, that poor soul. Had he been feeling guilty all day?
“No, no, that’s not it! I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re really strong and all, but that’s not why I missed class! I’m just kinda… under the weather, is all. Nejire got me some medicine so I could rest up- I promise it had nothing to do with you.”
Togata perks up almost immediately.
“Oh, really? And here I thought I pummeled you half to death or something! I’m always careful, but when you didn’t show up today I totally thought I must have clocked you too hard!” he laughs, the sound filling your room.
You could really get used to that, you think.
“Man, Y/N! That’s a total relief!” he says, his body still shaking from his boisterous laughter.
“So, now that you know you didn’t accidentally murder me, did you want to join me for dinner?”
Togata beams at you.
“Course I do, Sunflower!”
***
An hour later, the two of you are situated on a quilt on the floor. The remainder of the food lies forgotten while an old horror movie plays from your laptop that’s perched on the edge of your bed. You decided somewhere around the thirty minute mark that watching movies with Togata is your new favorite thing.
He reacts to everything with his entire body- it’s insanely cute to watch. He yelps and flinches at every jumpscare- he even almost accidentally phased through the floor at some point. You fight to keep your focus off of Togata, and on the protagonist of the film, who is currently trying to talk to a ghost.
You were doing a pretty good job too. That is, until Togata takes your hand in his. His grip is firm, but not too tight. Your eyes fly to his face, but he is utterly transfixed by the screen. He looks absolutely terrified. Oh, you think to yourself, slightly disappointed. He’s not flirting, he’s just scared. You have to tell yourself that several more times to slow the rapid beating of your heart.
Hopefully, Togata doesn’t ask you any questions about the movie- because at this point, the only thing you’d be able to tell him is how soft his hands feel.
All too soon, the credits roll, and Togata releases your hand. It takes everything in you to keep from pouting at the loss of warmth.
“Gosh, that was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever seen! But you didn’t look scared at all, you’re amazing!”
“Ah, that’s just because I’ve seen it like a million times. The first time I watched it, I think I was even more terrified than you!”
Togata groans, clutching his chest. “Come on, that’s no fair! Next time we have to watch something you haven’t seen, I don’t wanna be the only scared one!”
Next time, huh? You definitely liked the sound of that.
“It’s a deal then,” you say, lightly punching his shoulder.
A silence falls over the room, and you suddenly find yourself to be very interested in a string that’s fraying on your quilt.
“Well,” Mirio says, stretching. “It’s getting kinda late, I should probably go.”
He stands, and then offers you his hand. You take it, and he pulls you to your feet.
“Hey, um, Togata?”
“What’s up?”
“Thanks for bringing me dinner. And for watching that movie with me, and- and for being worried about me.”
Togata grins at you, his smile reaching from ear to ear.
“Don’t even mention it, Sunflower! The food was totally free, and besides! I really like spending time with you!”
Your heart is practically singing at his words- you can only hope that Togata can’t hear it.
You grin at him.
“Ya know, it’s kinda worth getting, er- not pummeled to death by you. I’d have done it a lot sooner if I’d known we’d get to hang out!”
Togata smirks at you.
“As long as you don’t go causing accidents just to see me, I think we can come to some sort of arrangement here!” he laughs again as he makes his way to your door.
As he’s standing in the doorway, he turns back to face you once more.
“Goodnight, Y/N!”
“G’night, Togata.”
He hesitates for a beat, and then-
“You can call me Mirio if you want!”
Warmth floods your chest, as well as your face. You’re grateful for the dim lighting in the room, otherwise he’d totally be onto your not-so-little crush.
“Goodnight, then, Mirio.”