The scent of sizzling bacon and maple syrup pulled me from sleep. Sunlight peeked through the blinds, dappling the room in gold. I blinked, adjusting to the light, and then I saw her. Diamond, in her crisp U.A. uniform, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. She nodded towards the door before heading out, the swish of her uniform skirt a soft goodbye.
I showered quickly, the water a pleasant shock, and pulled on my own U.A. uniform. The crisp fabric felt good against my skin, and I couldn't help a small smile. Going to school always made me feel more normal, especially when things were so chaotic at home. Downstairs, the kitchen was a symphony of cheerful noise. My dad, Hizashi, was laughing with Kenji, his white hair with black tips bouncing as he gestured wildly with a piece of toast. Diana was on a Hero call, her voice sharp and professional, while Denki and Diamond were locked in a heated debate about some new video game. Hana, bless her heart, was a whirlwind of motion, flipping pancakes with practiced ease.
I slid into the seat next to Diamond. "Morning," I murmured, she turned to me her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Okay, Anos, be real with me. Which is better: Different Sides, or All Might World Suplex 2.7?"
I chuckled, shaking my head. "You know Different Sides is better. It feels like it's about the options. Izuku loves the all might world game though. "
Denki agreed, nodding furiously, "Yeah All Might World is okay but the amount of things you can do in Different Sides is intense!"
I pulled out my phone while we finished eating, and checked the group chat. My fingers flew over the screen as messages from the guys scrolled by: Marcus making some insane basketball play by play, Alex making jokes about some hero he saw, Anix sending memes, and even Katsume, normally so gruff, throwing in a few sarcastic comments. It'd been a while since I'd texted, mostly because of Dad's illness, and sometimes my mind felt…well, different, ever since I woke up here as Anos. They understood though and never held it against me, they are my closest friends. They don't know my real identity but I gave them a small cover story of me having a busy life due to helping my mom and brother.
I shook my head in fondness as we finished breakfast and headed out. I drove Diamond and Denki to school, music thumping from the speakers. As soon as we pulled up, chaos descended. Alex appeared out of nowhere, throwing his arms around me in a bone-crushing hug, fake sobbing about my extended absence. I laughed, patting his back. "Alright drama queen, I'm back."
Diamond rolled her eyes, but grinned all the same. We met up with the rest of our group - Marcus, Anix, and even Eliza Kirishima, who was always a ray of sunshine. It had been a while since we were all together and everyone was happy again. We made our way to the gym, since it was first period. Aizawa was there with All Might, standing like a grim reaper.
Everyone filtered into the gym, some whispering, some yawning, some clearly excited. He explained that my class would be sparring against Class 1-A as part of our training, starting the semester with a bang. My heart thumped with a mix of nervousness and excitement. I didn't want Izuku hurt, but I loved a challenge, and it would be interesting to see the first year's in action.
When class 1A came in, I looked at Izuku. He was a bundle of nervous energy, face flushed, animatedly chatting to Ochako, who was giggling, her eyes wide and adoring . I chuckled. He was still as awkward as ever when it came to girls. I scanned the rest of the class, and my gaze landed on Momo, her hair a river of dark silk, her hero costume sleek and elegant. She looked stunning. She caught my eye and gave a soft smile, waving at me. I couldn't help but smile back.
Aizawa announced we'd have 20 minutes to socialize, since something happened with class 1-B and 1-C, seems Shinso and Monoma got into it again. I decided to walk over to Momo. We talked about our classes, training and just life in general. Then she grabbed my hand, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink, and pulled me into the locker room, the door clicking shut behind us.
"There's something I have to tell you," she said, her eyes wide and earnest. My stomach flipped at her tone.
I nodded, a strange calm settling over me. "I'm listening."
She took a deep breath. "Anos… I… I like you. A lot. More than just a friend. I have for a while now."
I smiled, my heart swelling with affection. A part of me had known, sensed it, somehow. Without saying a word, I gently pushed her against the lockers, cupping her face with my hand. My fingers brushed a stray strand of hair away from her cheek, and then I leaned in, kissing her with a passion I hadn't known I was capable of. The kiss last about 2-3 minutes and we broke apart and I whispered in her ear "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"
She whimpered, and nodded as tears of joy came out. "Yes."
My heart soared. I kissed her harder, deeper, making her moan as my hands went to her waist. We kissed and held each other. Things escalated rapidly, but before too much could happen, I heard Aizawa's abrasive voice yelling at Bakugo to sit down. The moment was over. We caught our breath and walked out the locker room, trying to look as casual as we could.
My chest felt like it was going to burst. It was by far the best day of my life.