Disclaimer: I do not own nothing.

Hey all. I'm currently working on the chapter for A Lifetime of Apologies, but in the meantime, I ended up coming up with this little drabble, and I felt like it might be a decent one-shot thing to help, you know, keep the juices flowing. I don't plan on extending it past a chapter, unless people REALLY want to see another one, but for now, enjoy this little snippet!

Warning: Suicidal Theme(s) and mature thoughts ahead.

There's some romance, yes. But you can pretend it isn't, if you don't like that pairing, it could be friendly.

Also, sorry for the ending, I couldn't think of how to end it.

The level of observance in Class 1-A varied from person-to-person. Todoroki, for instance, was a very observant person, mostly due to his strong and silent nature, which allowed him to observe and react accordingly. Others, like Koda, somehow remained blissfully aware of certain things, despite the rather reserved role he had in the classroom. Mineta was a prime example of someone that should become less observant.

Then there was Midoriya, who, somehow, managed to notice something as small as a new type of shoe someone was wearing, even if it was the exact same kind, just newer. Not that it was a bad thing, mind you, as most of the students actually found it rather flattering, and once they realized how innocent Midoriya was about his passion, they tended to smile when they saw him fussing about some minor aesthetic change, such as a new hairstyle, or change clothing if they were outside of school.

Today was the only day Mina wished he wasn't so observant.

"H-hey, Ashido... forgive my asking but... are you alright?"

His question was innocent and everything she'd pretty much expected he'd ask as she tried her best to fake her typical jovial nature. Some of her friends, like Hagakure and Kirishima, were suspicious, but ultimately, they were fooled when Aizawa lashed out at her for disrupting homeroom during one of her more desperate ploys. The quiet, green-haired teen in the front, however, was unconvinced.

She couldn't miss his worried gaze, and she definitely couldn't ignore how his emerald eyes flashed back to her every so often, running up-and-down her body in an analytical way, scanning her body posture and taking mental notes on things as little as how her smile faded toward the corner of her mouth, or how her cheeks were faintly dusted with lilac, a sign she'd been either exerting herself, or maybe even thinking of embarrassing topics. But the lilac that also ran around her bottom eyelid blew her cover, and no amount of makeup or hiding her eyes with her hands could prevent the strategic All-Might fanboy from catching on.

Lying wouldn't get her anywhere, either. She knew he'd catch her in a heartbeat... but he was sweet. A cinnamon roll, as Kaminari sometimes called him. He'd let her lie, if it meant that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Even approaching her like this... it was unusual for him, and it definitely broke his shy streak, and for that, Mina couldn't help how her heart became just a touch lighter. He was honestly such a sincere person, it made her smile just by thinking about how much he cared.

Besides... telling him the truth... it could only help her.

"I... I've been better." Being able to release the façade was like shedding a winter coat in the midst of a heat wave. Anxiety and fatigue rolled off of her in waves, but the crushing feeling she'd been struggling under all day, suddenly seemed to lighten with the mere answer. "Things aren't so hot right now."

A flash of concern rushed through Midoriya's gentle gaze, and once more, Mina couldn't help the sad smile that touched her lips. He was too kind.

"W-would you... like to talk about it?"

Would she?

Truthfully, she didn't really know how to talk about the subject at hand. It wasn't something she'd ever learned in a class... and she had no idea how he'd react. Uraraka had defended him in the past, citing that he was a kind, and understanding person, and somehow, even through his nervous stuttering, he knew just what to say. She couldn't tell if that was just the brunette hyping him up as she practically lost herself in his presence, but Mina was willing to gamble on Uraraka's word. Just this once, anyways.

She checked her phone. Their ongoing lunch would serve as a perfect distraction from everyone, and prevent any eavesdropping ears.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she sat back down in her desk. In the back of her mind, she had no idea if anyone used the classroom when they weren't there, but she decided to ignore the thoughts, and focus on the present situation.

"My friend recently passed away." Izuku's breath sharply hitched, and she could see the emotion on his face. She decided to alter her statement slightly. "W-well... she wasn't my... friend, so to speak. She was a grade under me at my middle school, and we didn't really hang out but... she was kind. She was really sweet, actually. I think we were friends, but I don't know if she thought the same."

"W-why would she not think that?" Midoriya asked curiously. "You're a really nice person; anyone would be happy to be your friend!"

Mina snorted gently. Yeah, tell that to Bakugou... she thought idly. She didn't say it aloud though, refusing to switch topics. "She... it has a lot to do with the circumstances."

Anyone could see that Midoriya was slightly lost, but he did his best to remain even-faced and roll with the facts that he had on hand. He crossed his arms and subconsciously scrunched his face as he thought. "Circumstances...? Like, were you two enemies or rivals?"

'Leave it to the hero enthusiast to come up with rivals...' Mina thought to herself. She couldn't blame him though - she hadn't given him anything to go off of.

"N-no... she was just, different. I didn't mind, though. But... I know she had it really hard with the other kids."

Midoriya stiffened, as if remembering something, which did not go unnoticed by Mina. His eyes grew wide, but he tried to actively shake off the thoughts as he forced a dull smile onto his lips. It was... slightly sympathetic, she'd say. Bitter was too cold a word, and solemn didn't seem quite right. It seemed like he understood what she'd meant, but he didn't like that he did.

"So why do you not think she understood? If anything... she probably understood better."

The pink-skinned girl bit back the sniffles that she could feel building up, and tried to contain the tears that prickled at her eyelids. "S-she... I don't... know."

He caught on remarkably well for a teenage boy, Mina admitted, as Midoriya's face became worried once more, and he eased on his questions, giving her time to breathe heavily and try to shake off the memories that played in the back of her head. She didn't care that she was about to cry in front of one of her classmates... she just wanted to fix things.

"If you need a moment... j-just lemme know," Midoriya said quietly. He looked slightly out-of-place, which was not an uncommon look for him, but he looked even more awkward than usual, which was something, considering he always looked awkward.

Mina nodded and sniffled loudly, fumbling through a faint apology, which Midoriya kindly waved off. With the amount of times he'd put on the waterworks in class, or in hero-training, she realized he was probably the last person to mind that she was crying, which honestly soothed her even more than words could.

She tried to get her words together and try again, but her brain was stuck on the news again, unable to change routes. The tears came back, and one streaked down her cheek, causing Izuku's eyes to widen and his head to shift left and right, hoping to find someone that was better suited to help. He didn't realize, however, he was the best source of helping, and she couldn't contain herself any longer.

She jumped from her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder and releasing the raw pent-up emotion that was saddled on her back.

"S-she died!" Mina said in between sobs. "She's g-gone and she didn't... she didn't even ask for help!"

Mina hadn't exactly expected Midoriya to react when she'd rushed at him, so it didn't bother her that he was as stiff as a board, and unmoving. As long as he didn't mind her tears dampening his uniform (which, again, with his frequency of crying, she doubted that was a possibility), he was fine being in any position she wanted.

"What... h-happened...?" His voice was so faint, she barely even heard him. She knew he didn't mean to ask aloud - he probably just was so shocked by her out-of-character behavior, that he instinctively asked himself what he was thinking.

But even so, she whispered her response weakly, hoping he wouldn't suddenly pull away. "She k-k-killed... h-herself..."

The strangest thing happened.

Midoriya's arms fastened around Mina out of nowhere, and he squeezed her tightly, placing one of his hands on her back and gently rubbing circles, while his other hand went to her hair, and softly ran through her messy locks. Her head was much more comfortably positioned in his clavicle area, and she renewed her crying with gusto as he gently held her, whispering 'it's okay' in her ear over and over, with so much care in his voice that it felt like he would always be there for her.

Time no longer mattered; she just wanted to cry.

It was so strange for her - she only cried a few times in her life, and the last notable time was when she was fighting for her life at the USJ facility, when the League of Villains had captured and divided her and her classmates. She had been so terrified, so sure she was never going to see her parents again, that the fear had caused her to tear up. Once All Might had arrived, the tears flowed freely.

And now... she didn't even care how she looked... she just wanted to cry.

More time passed, and her tears slowly gave way to body-shaking hiccups and snorts mixed with frantic sniffles, but the hole in her heart seemed... substantially smaller, even though nothing had changed. The situation was the same it was previously... only, now she didn't feel overwhelmingly alone. She felt... sad, definitely, but she felt relieved that she'd released the pent-up emotion.

"It's hard, I know..." Midoriya said gently, relaxing his grip on her. His stutter was gone, but Mina hardly paid it any heed, her focus entirely on his softly-spoken words. "There's never an explanation for these things... but I know she was grateful that you were kind to her, even if she never came to you for help. It wasn't you. It was never you. When... when she decided this, it wasn't because she didn't trust you, that she didn't tell you. She didn't want to burden you. Or burden anyone, for that matter. That's why she never told anyone."

Mina hiccuped again. "W-why...? She... she wouldn't have been a burden..."

"It wasn't because of anything you did. When she made the choice, it was because she felt like a burden to everyone, and she wanted to escape that weight. Telling everyone would've only made it worse."

"How do you..." She trailed off.

Midoriya stiffened, but then relaxed slowly. There was indecision that flashed in his eyes, but ultimately, he spoke through the hesitance. "I... b-before I got my quirk I... had a hard time in school, too. It seemed... easier to relieve everyone's burden of having to worry about me. My mom was always so worried... and I just couldn't bear the thought of worrying her all the time..."

Somehow, Mina felt a wave of anger, fear, regret, and relief all flood through her system. Anger that people had the ability to crush a person's lifeforce and will until it was depleted enough to consider ending their life a reasonable action. Fear that once upon a time, the same boy that was holding her and helping her now, wouldn't be in front of her had he decided differently on any given day. Regret that she was, again, helpless.

But relief that he was still with her now.

The grip she'd previously held him with before, returned in full-force, and she didn't mind the slight 'yelp' that escaped his throat as she constricted him. He needed to know she wanted him to stay, one way or another. She also wanted to feel him - just to be sure that he was, in fact, still with her and alive.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled softly. "I didn't mean to... you know, throw everything on you like this."

Midoriya would've shrugged had he had the ability to, so instead, he just pat her shoulder and replied, "i-it's okay! I don't mind... really. I just want to help, if I can."

She nuzzled into his grip without thinking, taking in his warmth and using his body as a pillar, reminding herself that he was still with her, and vise-versa. "I appreciate it. I really, really do."

They stayed like that, unmoving. Neither party was sure how much time passed, nor were they sure what they'd do if someone walked in... the only thought in each of their brains, involved flashes of their memories, thinking about things they could've done differently. Every so often, Mina would shift slightly, repositioning herself in his arms, so that she was resting against his pectoral, and he'd shift his hands to different places, but never below the small of her back.

Any other time, she might have pressed him a bit, because first and foremost, she was a flirt. But this one time, she didn't care to tease him - she just wanted to bask in the warmth he exuded, and let herself feel a bit more openly, knowing he wouldn't judge her.

Despite neither Ashido nor Midoriya wanting to let go, eventually, a loud bell sounded throughout the building, and the two reluctantly parted. Midoriya's face was red, but no more than it usually was involving a girl. His eyes were barely red-rimmed, as he'd shed a few tears, but not enough to give away doing so. His hair was still poofy, and overall, he was alert, if not embarrassed. Mina, however, was clearly less alert, as her eyelids were lilac-rimmed and drooping, a sure sign that she was fatigued from the mass exodus of emotion that she'd released. Her hair, while also curly, was more trussed in the areas that Midoriya had run his hands through, and her appearance just didn't suit her.

"H-hey... I get it if you don't want to... b-but maybe you should head back to the dorms. I'll get any notes for you, and we can just say you were sick, okay?" Mina pondered the idea momentarily, and despite her reluctance in missing class (because despite her terrible record when it came to studying and even paying attention, she was just as involved with becoming a hero as everyone else was), she agreed quietly.

Besides; she knew she'd give away her feelings if prodded again.

She began walking toward the door, but noticed Midoriya matching her step for step, and she looked at him oddly. He blushed a deeper scarlet than he already was, and rubbed the back of his head. "A-Ah! I-I'm not... following you, sorry! I just need to get to class, too... b-but..." He paused, and closed his eyes tightly, as if fearing the next words that he spoke. "W-would you... like me to walk y-you back...?"

Mina smiled tenderly. He was FAR too cute. Far too nice.

"Okay." She said simply, with a smile etched on her face. It felt foreign, considering everything she'd been carrying around for the day, but... it also felt like a needed change of pace. No teasing, no faking... just a sincere, pure smile.

And for him, she even ignored how his shoulder would graze her from their close proximity, and she even ignored how their hands touched ever-so-briefly.

Mostly because, he'd gone out of his way to help her. But also because, well, it might have been her initiating the contact.

Three days had passed; after the first, Mina took a second day all to herself, where she reached out to her parents and spoke to them, along with her siblings. It was amongst one of the first times she'd contacted them since entering the dorms, mostly due to her independent nature, along with their business as a family. However, they were overjoyed to hear from her, and she found it really did help to talk to them... which, unsurprisingly, was something else that Midoriya had recommended.

Really, she owed that boy.

Today, however, there was no class, and she'd made up her mind about something she'd been debating since day two.

Visiting the family.

At first, it was something that popped into her head after Midoriya had dropped her off at her door. If he had... went through with it, and she'd known him like she knew him now... would she want to see Inko Midoriya? Would she want to comfort her?

Ultimately, she decided that, despite the paralyzing fear within, that she needed to visit the girl's family... at least once. She wasn't sure what she'd say when she arrived... but she needed to at least express her sympathies. She needed to help. Not because she was trying to become a hero. But because it was the right thing to do.

So she set off, lost in thought and nervous, but determined to at least do the right thing.

And when she arrived at the front gate, she suddenly felt her knees buckle underneath her second to last step toward the gate door. She still had no idea of what to say. She didn't know if they wanted to see her. What if they were mad? What if they swore at her, cried, and told her it should've been her? Could she even bear to hear those words?

She didn't even know if this was the right house - it had been a passing comment the girl had once made during class. Ashido had said they should hang out, but the girl never seemed to want to. And the plan fell to dust, lost in the wind of the brewing disaster.

The door loomed a few steps in front of her, growing in size, and seemingly daring her to knock and unleash the fiery hell that was burning behind its glossed surface. The house was nice - too nice. It didn't house the broken parents that likely hid within. It was a nice neighborhood. The last place a person would think someone was toiling away, lost in the maelstrom of their shattered thoughts, hoping to find some type of savior. It didn't fit the scheme. It didn't fit the stereotype.

It couldn't be right.

Before she even had the time to bring her foot forward, the front door came swinging open, and out came a familiar looking teenager.

"M-M-Midoriya...?" Mina breathed out, shock apparent on her face and in her words. He hadn't noticed her yet, as his head was turned to the family that stood in the hallway, tears in their eyes, but the look of eternal gratefulness on their face. With her quick reflexes, she dove out of sight, but still within earshot, and focused her hearing on the words being spoken.

There were sniffles, but they did nothing to mask the father's words. "Midoriya... thank you... s-so much... Naeko and I... you can't know how much this means to us."

There was a quiet shuffle, no doubt Midoriya awkwardly trying to reflect the praise he was receiving. "I-I'm glad I could help. You know... you should really thank Mina Ashido. S-she was the one who informed me. I just... hope that someone would do the same for my mom."

"You've a heart of gold, son. Never lose that trait."

"P-please... let me know if you need anything? I-I'm not that far, and..."

Mina frowned; Midoriya never left quested open-ended like that. From around the corner, she peeked, and she was slightly surprised to see Midoriya wrapped up in a hug that he obviously hadn't anticipated.

"B-become a hero... p-please." Mina froze up at the next part. "For her."

"I will."

Slowly, reluctantly, the hug was broken, and she retreated into her husbands arms, sniffling and hiccuping all the way back into his safe hold. Midoriya visibly wiped his eyes, but smiled, and bid them farewell with a deep bow. He turned and, in that moment, Mina realized he was coming right for her.

He rounded the corner, and - as fate had it - turned directly toward her. He yelped out in shock, but thankfully, the family had already retreated inside, making a few nearby pedestrians look at the duo in curiosity, but nothing more.

"A-Ashido?!" Midoriya asked in surprise. He reflexively had white strings of electricity dancing along his body as result from his quirk, and Mina jumped back, hoping to diffuse his fight-or-flight instinct. His hands dropped, and he exhaled heavily, all whilst dropping the power that he'd gathered surprisingly fast. "W-what are you doing here?"

She blinked, then sighed, dropping her head. "I came to... see them. But..." she then raised her head. "I could ask you the same question. How did you even find them?"

Midoriya sheepishly rubbed his head and looked away, as if being too embarrassed to reveal the truth to her face. "W-well... I ended up finding out by accident. They posted a small article about her... and the family left a place to drop off gifts. I... I decided to bring them flowers. And that turned into talking... and... yeah."

Despite the urge to smack her face for being so simple as to forget looking anything up online, Ashido admitted, Izuku was far too smart for his own good. But... more than that...

"You..."

He stopped rubbing his head, and looked at her.

"Y-you..."

A look of concern flashed onto his face as she began shaking in place, her eyes covered by her hair.

"You're... too kind!" She said, and for the second time today, he was suddenly smothered in a hug, unable to speak properly. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry - she had to keep it together. But... she couldn't hold back a single tear that slid down her cheek and splashed innocently on the ground. There had been no reason for him to do this. No reason for him to go out of his way to see these people he'd never once met, let alone heard of, until yesterday.

He could have turned a blind eye.

"Why?" she whispered, curiosity overpowering the raw emotion that caused her words to waver delicately.

Midoriya was quiet, before finally, he spoke slowly. "Because... someone once told me... one of the main principles of being a hero is... butting your head in."

They were silent after that. Most of that was Mina's fault, as she did practically assault Midoriya, but she couldn't believe how pure he was. His heart was gold and his soul was glistening, but what made it all the more impressive, was that if she hadn't discovered his little visit, she wouldn't have ever known. He wouldn't have told her, he wouldn't have told anyone. He would've been content just knowing that the family he'd just visited was happy - he couldn't care less about the limelight or compliments that would've come with telling anyone.

He just wanted to help.

"L-listen... I think you should go visit them."

Mina gently pulled back and looked at him with an ounce of curiousness highlighting her face. He was red-faced (not surprisingly), but there was something shimmering in those deep, emerald orbs of his. Something pure-hearted. Something kind. "I-I mean... t-that's why you're here, right?"

She smiled softly. "Y-yeah. I guess it is."

The hug was broken, and despite the reluctance Mina had in doing so, she knew that she had set out with a goal in mind. Besides, he looked uncomfortable enough, and while it was adorable, watching him flounder helplessly, she also decided to cut him a bit of slack. She began to walk forward, turning her back to him as she faced the door, but something in her heart made her stop. She couldn't let him go- not without a parting gift...

"H-hey, Midoriya?"

He turned around, curiosity written all over his face. She closed her eyes - she couldn't do it otherwise.

Before he could register what she was doing, she placed her lips on his cheek and gently pressed a tender kiss right on his face. His skin was soft, and she felt the creeping warmth (though, she wasn't sure if it was because of him or her), and she broke the kiss just as quickly, turning back to the door and walking toward it.

She could practically feel the steam coming off his body, but she couldn't look back, lest she want her own embarrassment to take over. And, she had a mission to accomplish. As she approached the door, she paused, steeled her courage, and peeked back, only to see Midoriya giving her a fleeting thumbs up from the gate. His face was beet-red, and his smile was shaky, but his eyes were sparkling, and inside those mystifying emerald depths, she could feel his radiating kindness, and it brought her courage.

As Midoriya watched her knock on the door, he finally slipped out of sight. But a hand went to his heart without him realizing, and as he peered up into the cloudless blue sky, he suddenly felt a wave of relief crash over his mind. He was glad he'd stopped to talk to Mina. He was glad he'd accepted All Might's offer to become the new symbol of peace. But most of all...

He was glad he hadn't given up.