A/N: thank for 50k! You guys voted on a bonus chap instead of art so here you go. Enjoy! Straight from Patreon

Shouto POV:

Midoriya always said college years were supposed to be our best years. And, well, Midoriya always knows best.

So, in the days leading up to our first day of college, I....well, I actually had trouble sleeping, because I couldn't stop thinking about what he said. I assumed that if I was about to start 'the best' years of my life, something big was going to happen on my very first day. My life would change, and I honestly didn't know if I was ready for that. After finally finding balance, I was afraid to encounter anything that might mess it up. I was afraid that one wrong decision would lead me back to that time. The time I was a prisoner in my own house, gasping for breath and retching from the overexertion of my muscles.

But, as I walk through the halls of UA University with my books in hand and Midoriya at my side, I realize...

There's no threat of change here. Everything....is exactly how it always was.

Denki Kaminari was still getting in trouble with Mr. Aizawa, and Eijirou Kirishima was still trying to beat Bakugo in an arm wrestle. And, Momo was still trying to confirm plans for tomorrow night, and I'm still trying to find a way to get out of them.

Sure, we didn't have uniforms anymore, and I suppose that was....different. But, there wasn't any big event that changed my life. There wasn't any giant moment where things felt different, and normally, I would be relieved. But, it was weird because that's not what I felt at all. As I sit in my seat for my first days of pre-requisite classes, with Midoriya talking about grass, and Momo chatting with Jirou about where she's taking me to dinner tomorrow, I let the world exist around me, staring at a random spot on the floor. Because...because...even if I was relieved....

Part of me felt empty that nothing had changed today.

I don't know, it wasn't that I wanted to change. No, I was very comfortable with my own life. Surely, I would have been uncomfortable if my entire life as I'd come to know it became uprooted from under me on this very day. But, it's just that...

If these are supposed to be the best days of my life....does that mean...this is as good as it's going to get?

That shouldn't be a problem, and I shouldn't be upset about it. Right? And I'm not upset about it. I'm just....I don't know....neutral about it? I don't know what I was expecting. Anything is better than being stuck at home training with dad until I puke. Anything is better than feeling scalding hot water sear into my face and looking into the eyes of my mother and seeing a stranger.

I should be remember that and be happy. I'm....well, I know I'm asking for too much by wanting more—I don't even know what 'more' is, because I've never experienced it. It's like this unreachable room that I can't unlock. But, then again, I never seem to be able to reach that emotion very often. A lot of the times, I actually think I'm broken, because I can't get happy as easily as other people can.

This, right here in this room....this is normal. This is good, and because it's something that everyone else is happy about, I should be happy about, too. I should accept it.

"Shouto, did you hear that?" Momo asked as the bell for class rang, causing me to come out of my head and turn to her in a daze.

"Oh. No. I wasn't listening to you." I said honestly, watching her smile fall as if I said something wrong.

What did I say? I was just being honest. I didn't mean it in a bad way.

"I...well, I was just talking about the restaurant my parents are taking us to tomorrow." She uttered a little quieter, waving me off as the professor walked in. "But, we can talk about it after class."

"Oh. Okay." I nodded, feeling the empty hole in my chest getting bigger.

It's not that Momo and I don't get along. I mean, we don't not get along. It's just...she doesn't really add anything to my life—and I don't think I add anything to hers either. The dates are a requirement of us dating, so I think of them as something on my to-do list. I'm sure she feels the same way.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as she reached across my desk, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as her fingers grazed mine. On instinct, I immediately pulled my hand away, looking at her a bit bewildered.

"Right..." She quickly retracted her hand, letting her gaze fall to the floor. "You...don't like to be touched. Sorry."

Empathy wasn't something I was good at, but the empty hole in my chest only grew as Momo had made it obvious enough to me that she wasn't happy. I...well, I didn't know how to fix that.

"It's....it's nothing to do with you." I said, quickly looking to my desk when she looked at me. "I just.....well.....I didn't grow up that way. So....I'm not used to it."

The sentence itself took a lot out of my brain. Even if it was true, the words don't always come as easily as I wished. I wish I was like Midoriya. He can't ever stop talking. Sometimes, I think he'll pass out from not taking a breath between words. It's a good thing I know CPR.

Momo wasn't satisfied by my words though as she reached her hand across my desk again, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up once more when she touched my hand. I wish she'd stop. But, since she was so upset last time, I forced myself to let her. Because it was normal, and I...I should probably try to be more of...that.

"Maybe over time, you can get used to it with me." She said softly, causing me to sigh.

Because, I didn't really care about 'getting used' to it. I...wasn't even really sure I wanted to.

"Um. Maybe." I simply said, unable to take her touch any longer as I quickly slid my hand out from under hers.

Maybe. Yes, maybe. But, now I feel pressured like I need to enjoy her touch because it's wrong to not want to be touched.

Class started and I realized the seat next to me was empty, noticing Midoriya was sitting in a different spot than usual. In high school, we always sat next to each other. I wonder why he wasn't sitting with me now? Maybe this is part of that change he's talking about. But...that was one thing I hoped wouldn't change...

Oh, well. It can't be helped. I suppose...it's just me...and Momo...

My future flashed before my dull eyes as the professor began to speak, and suddenly I felt stuck in the mud. With what? I'm not exactly sure, but part of me was...disappointed with how my first day of college was going.

It can't be helped. It...it just can't...

I swallowed heavily and pulled out my notebook, starting to take notes as class got started. Everything went how it normally did in high school, and my brain was starting to fall into autopilot...

Until the door opened halfway through class, and a person walked inside. I barely looked over at first until my eyes did a double take without trying, watching the person trying to sneak around the perimeter of the room so they didn't interrupt the lecture.

It was a woman, and she wore so much black, I could mistake her for a villain. Her hair was black, with blonde pieces in the front. She wore a black hoodie—and the hood was up, with black jeans, and converse. She also wore thick, black sunglasses even though we were inside, almost looking as if she was trying to hide something. And she had a lip ring. She did a quick look around the full room before zeroing in on me, making my heart jump when she started to come over.

Oh? She's coming over to me—why is she coming over to me? Is it because I made eye contact? Or maybe because she recognizes me as Endeavor's son? Or does she have something to tell me.

I didn't get the chance to think on it anymore as she approached me, with my mouth falling open with silent words before she passed me completely. Oh, I guess she wasn't coming over to me personally. A scent of lilies and oranges wafted into my nostrils as she walked by, and in my peripheral vision, I saw her slide into the empty chair next to me.

Looking around the room, I realized it was the only empty seat left. That must be why she came over. She's now my seat mate. Am I supposed to greet her? I never greeted anyone in high school, but these are 'the best days of our lives,' so maybe I'm suppose to do things differently now? But, she's also not greeting me, so maybe I don't greet her either. I continued to take notes distractedly as she rummaged through her bag and tossed a notebook and pen on the desk, before dropping her backpack to the ground with a plop.

Except, the bag tipped over and the girl cursed as some of her items spilled out of it, causing me to instinctively look down at the ground. It was some mints and a can of coffee, as well as...a pill bag? The pill looks like an Advil, but I'm not sure why she's carrying it in that little bag. She quickly clutched it in her grip and tossed it back in her pack, glancing at me over her sunglasses without a word. I didn't really understand the look, but it seemed like she was checking for something. Her eyes were pink.

She sighed in relief when I faced forward and continued taking notes, but I felt distracted now. By this woman and the way she stumbled in here like a whirlwind. She seemed like she might be one to cause trouble, and I don't know why I felt intrigued by that. This is a hero university, and I'm a hero now. Perhaps, I'm just looking for an excuse to put her in jail for something. She looks evil.

A few minutes went by and the encounter slowly began to leave my mind as I focused on what the professor was saying, before the woman's whisper caught my attention.

"Fuck." She groaned quietly in exasperation, scribbling rapidly on the page yet no ink came out.

She turned to me before I could even process it. "Hey, man. Can I borrow a pen?" She slouched over her desk lazily, holding out her black painted fingers to show me the used pen in her hand. "Mine died."

"Died?" I responded immediately, looking over at her in confusion.

I wasn't aware pens had a conscience that could be destroyed. This is the first thing I learned in college.

"Yeah, you know, like the ink ran out, or something. I dunno. It was my last one though. Sucks to suck, right?" Her head lulled to the side, shooting me a lopsided smirk that had me confused.

Regardless, I reached into my bag, unintentionally pulling out two pens instead of one. "Oh. Um....sure. Do you want black? Or blue?" I asked, seeing Momo look over at the two of us in my peripheral vision.

"Shouto, you shouldn't be talking while the professor is speaking." She whispered, causing the mystery girl in black to huff out something in annoyance under her breath.

"It really doesn't matter. Surprise me." She said, quickly ceasing her talking as Momo's side eye continued to burn into her. "And quickly, if you don't mind, so your girlfriend doesn't get her panties in a knot, apparently."

Surprise her—she said to surprise her? Is this really something people like to be surprised about? What color pen to choose? It could have fooled me, but now it seems like a bigger deal than I realized. College is weird. If this is a surprise, I don't want to choose the wrong option...

But, I couldn't make the decision as I stared at the pens blankly, and the girl noticed, sighing tiredly before choosing for me.

"Black, please."

I sighed in relief at having the choice made by someone else, immediately handing her the black pen.

"Thanks a lot. I owe you one." She nodded, rolling her eyes when Momo scoffed a bit impatiently for our consistent chatter. "And, you can chill out over there, miss princess. I don't want your man, I just needed pen, alright. Sheesh."

Momo gasped and looked at me like I was supposed to do something. But, now my mind had been thoroughly distracted, because this girl says she....'owes me one.' But, what exactly is the 'one' that she owes me? Am I supposed to receive a reward for giving her a pen? I didn't think it was a big deal, but maybe this is part of the college 'change' Midoriya was talking about. Maybe these types of things matter more than they did in high school.

Or, maybe it's the people that change. They're all new, and I haven't spoken to new people in five years.

Minutes went by as I thought about the girl's words, and I spent a lot of those minutes trying to form a question in my head to ask her, barely feeling it starting to form after minute six before her phone buzzed on her desk.

I looked over out of curiosity, accidentally catching sight of the notification on her phone.

Text Message From: Private

Tap to open iMessage.

Oh. Private? I wonder what the message said.

She already seemed to have an idea based on how tense she looks, almost appearing spooked once she saw the name of the sender. Her small jolt caused the new pen to slip from her hands and fall to the ground, and she started to lose her breath as she opened her phone and scanned the contents of the text in a panic.

"Um. Do you...want me to grab the pen for you-" I started off before she grabbed her stuff and abruptly stood up from her seat, seeming as if she wasn't even listening.

She swiftly navigated her way through the maze of seats, almost reaching the door without a word from anyone until the professor stopped his lecture and looked at her. "Stepping out again, Ms. Hidaka? It's your last semester of college now, I figured you would have known that I don't take absences in my lectures lightly." He said, causing the whole room to turn to the girl now.

With a sigh, she stopped walking, glancing at all the people looking at her before turning to the professor with the same smirk she gave me just a few minutes ago.

"Huh? Oh—yeah, sorry. I've just......been dealing with some stuff-" She started out before the professor capped his pen and cut her off.

"Really? I'm sure you'd love to share it with the class."

The girl shrugged lazily and gripped the doorknob, her eyes unseen over the black shade of her sunglasses. "Eh. No thanks." She said, causing the first years in the room to gasp.

The third year students in the room looked more amused as if this wasn't the first time this happened with this particular girl. Judging from the way the professor's jaw tensed and he looked at her with a familiarity, it seems he also knew she had a reputation for this kind of thing.

"Right. So, from the looks of it then, you've been dealing with too much partying more than anything else." He assumed, causing the girl's face to remain empty and unreadable.

"Sure. Right. That's totally it. You know me, the crazy party animal." She said without feeling, opening the door as she looked at the professor.

Momo put a hand over her mouth at her attitude, turning to Jirou with whispers I couldn't hear. And I didn't really care to. I was more focused on this mystery woman who seemed to be unafraid of most things.

"Quite a big mistake to make in your last year of school. If I were you, I'd be focusing a little more on studying and a little less on having too much fun. You'll never get a good job anywhere if you don't get your act together." The professor scoffed.

The girl chuckled lazily and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets, leaning back into the door to push it open. "Gee, thanks for the advice. It was definitely warranted. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some major partying to attend to at ten o'clock this morning." She snarked out with an over exaggerated bow, causing the third year students to chuckle. "See ya."

With that, she was gone, slipping out the door so quickly, it almost makes me question if she was ever here in the first place. But, the scent of lilies and oranges still lingers in my nostrils, letting me now it was, in fact, real.

I kept my eyes on the door, wondering if the woman would come back for some reason. But, Momo tapped my desk repeatedly to get my attention away from the door, causing me to look at her in a daze.

"Goodness, did you see the way she spoke to the professor? She's clearly just a general studies major." Momo whispered to me, looking around the general studies students in the room with a bit of discomfort. "I can't wait to get out of these pre-requisite classes soon and be around...our people. Don't you agree, Shouto?"

I couldn't say I did, but I didn't say that to her. I didn't say anything, because I didn't think there was much of a point. It was days ago that it happened, but for some reason the encounter hadn't left my mind. Of course, it was slowly starting to fade, especially because that woman never showed up to class again. Even when I got there early, and packed extra black pens in my bag. Just in case.

Overhearing some of the third year general studies majors, I think she switched classes after that day and went with a different teacher. And that's interesting, isn't it? How unafraid of change she is. I wouldn't do something like that. Especially not with all my friends in this class.

I wondered about the day I'd forget her. Just like I forget everything else. Well...

...maybe not everything.

***

A/N: hope you enjoyed the bonus chapter. I just wanted to show you guys that Shouto and Lani's paths did cross at least a few times before she graduated. And also give you a little inside look into how dry relationship with Momo.

Back to our usual update schedule next week!❤️