Being a student at U.A. High and inheriting One For All was everything Izuku Midoriya had ever dreamed of. The chance to become a hero like All Might, filled him with pride. Yet, as the weight of his responsibility grew heavier, he found himself caught in a whirlwind of expectations, pressures, and sacrifices. The idea of inspiring others thrilled him, but he sometimes longed for the simplicity of his old life, back when he was just Izuku, quirkless and full of wonder.

That’s where you came in. You didn’t see him as a future legend or the next Symbol of Peace. You saw Izuku, with his nervous muttering, sparkling green eyes, and kind, selfless heart. You were one of the few people outside his inner circle at U.A. who made him feel like himself. Every Friday night, he’d call you after school. Whether it was thirty minutes or three hours, those conversations became his escape from the noise of hero life. You’d talk about anything—school drama, quirks, the theories he couldn’t stop spinning in his head. He’d always say he called to relax, in reality he missed hearing your voice.

Though you were just friends, Izuku couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering when you laughed at his silly jokes or encouraged his wild ideas. He couldn’t help but wish for something more. It was terrifying to even think about—it felt selfish to want your love when your friendship already meant so much to him. What if it complicated things? What if he lost this connection that kept him steady?

“Do you think it’s silly,” he asked softly, his cheeks burning, “to want someone to stay close? To… never let them go?”

You paused, sensing the emotion in his voice. “Not silly at all,” you said, a smile evident through the phone.

Izuku swallowed hard, his heart thundering. The words of the song he’d been humming all week played in his head: “Don’t go wasting your emotion… lay all your love on me.”

But he wasn’t sure if he’d ever have the courage to say it aloud.