You and Izuku had been together for a few months now, but no one knew. That was… intentional.

If the teachers found out, they might think it was distracting, that it could interfere with your training or your judgment. If your classmates found out, well… they’d never let either of you hear the end of it. And parents? Izuku couldn’t even begin to imagine that conversation without panicking.

So the relationship stayed quiet. No one knew about the late nights spent talking until you both dozed off, or the way your hand fit perfectly in his. No one knew about the whispered I-love-yous, small and nervous at first, but growing steadier each time. No one knew how much it meant to him - to have something so genuine, so right, after everything.

The common room was its usual mix of noise and energy that evening. Laughter near the TV, a group buried in textbooks at one of the tables, a little chaos in every corner. Izuku sat nearby with a notebook open in his lap, scribbling notes more out of habit than necessity, his pen tapping nervously every few seconds.

When you walked in, his head lifted almost instantly. Just a quick glance - barely more than a flicker of his eyes - but it was enough to send his heart stumbling. He caught himself, ducked his head, and pretended to focus on the page again. To anyone else, it looked like nothing. But to him, it was everything.