Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, only my OC's.

A blur zoomed down the empty main corridor of U.A. Academy.

As fate would have it, little Kisaragi Miriko ran right into her middle school bullies during lunch her first day of the new year. She had overheard them talking about finding her after school, to "catch up with their favorite friend." Miriko was betting on them hopefully forgetting about her by the end of the day.

Of course, she was dead wrong.

Miriko caught a whiff of strong perfume as if the wearer had bathed in it before even leaving her desk. She, in turn, waited for them to lose interest and walk away. Miriko waited well past 30 minutes, leaving her the last student in classroom 1-C when it seemed like the group finally moved on and left. She took her chance to run off campus and straight to her father's agency. Miriko was naive, thinking that the group wouldn't trick her as they did. Now she was being chased like a little mouse by wily housecats.

"Too slow, ya little bitch!"

"Hurry up and get her already!"

A startled squeak escaped the young girl and her body reacted on its own, taking her down a random hallway. Luckily enough, her emerald eyes landed upon glass doors leading outside. She sprinted past them, and there stood the glorious U.A. Barrier, a welcoming sight. Her eyes gleamed with joy as she ran, her smile showing off her elongated canines. Miriko made it halfway to the entrance when she heard a sharp whistle cut through the wind. Her ears twitched at the harsh sound, and a sudden powerful gust threw her against the concrete wall. Her tiny body slammed and a distinct pop! echoed in her ears.

Miriko groaned as her body ached from the impact, her shoulder almost begging not to be moved. Against her desire to keep still, Miriko inhaled sharply and braced herself; she grabbed the elbow on her injured arm and pulled it forward, popping her shoulder back into its socket. She wanted to cry for that moment of pain, but her body already took to healing as fast as it could. A moment later, her sensitive ears picked up on the sound of several footsteps running towards her. Miriko grabbed her hurt shoulder and stood as tall as her little 5'3" body would allow her. Surrounded and back to the wall, she was cornered and couldn't escape.

"You're supposed to be the daughter of the #3 Pro Hero, and you only made it into general studies?" a girl's voice drifted over the group's chatter, almost like a command of silence to her followers.

"You ran away from us. You hardly got past the physical exam. What type of hero will you be with just cat ears, a tail, and no backbone?" A tall girl, with pretty blonde hair and bright orange eyes, wore a hero class uniform sneered as she parted the group in all her obnoxious glory — Harada Emi, little Miss Perfect as she liked to act. Even with her foul mouth and attitude, all the boys just swooned over the beautiful girl. Miriko thought she was a vicious snake.

"I'm more than just that!" Miriko growled. She tried hard to sound confident, but her soft, raspy voice betrayed her.

"Oh, yeah? Like what? Purring like a pussycat?" one of her lackeys said, and the entire group laughed at his little quip.

Miriko turned her glare to him and readied herself to retaliate, but someone had managed to yank on her tail hard. "Ow! Stop, that hurts," she yelped, squinting at the pain.

"You're living up to your nickname, Pussy."

Miriko cringed at the horrible nickname. It was a brand of shame that followed her since her first days of middle school. Everyone had found out who her parents were early on, thanks to Harada, and how she was to be the complete opposite of them. Shy, anxious, awkward. Not at all like a hero.

'How sad that two pro heroes like Panthera and Leopardess could create such a wimpy kid like Miriko.'

"Please leave me alone," she begged. The sound of faint footsteps reached her ears, and when she glanced past the group, she saw a short student with shaggy shoulder-length black hair walking over, their head down low and hands in their pockets. Now she wanted to cry. "Go away! I just want to be left alone," she yelled out to him, almost pleading.

"We're not going anywhere, pussy," someone had said. It was clear that the group hadn't noticed the newcomer yet.

"I think you should listen to her."

The group shifted their focus to the shaggy-haired boy, who seems to either not notice or not care that the air had turned even more sourer upon his presence.

"You sticking up for her?" One of the bullies laughed as he raised his hand. Some type of energy began to form in the palm of his hand.

A low pitched growl rumbled from her throat. She watched in disbelief as the male bully got ready to shoot a blast at the mystery boy. When he threw his arm back, Miriko reacted on instinct, reaching out with her good arm to stop him with her claws out. But in that same moment, the mystery boy's shaggy hair whipped out of his face, and the collar of his uniform rustled wildly against his neck. Miriko stumbled her attack, watching as the boy's eyes started glowing bright red. As the tall bully's arm extended out towards him, nothing happened. The glow from his palm just... disappeared.

"Hey, what happened? My quirk! It's not working, what the fuck!?" the bully screamed out, grabbing at his wrist.

"Dude, use your quirk!"

"I'm trying, dickhead!"

Amidst all the panic, the boy ran up to the bully. With a particularly well-aimed punch, he had the bully falling back into his friends like a wet noodle.

"Leave her alone; she hasn't done anything to you," the boy commanded. He looked to Miriko with mild curiosity. Her long nails hadn't retracted, even after pulling her hand back.

Harada made an unpleasant 'tch' with her mouth. Everyone in her group spoke up at once, not wanting to deal with this freaky quirk. They shuffled amongst themselves, throwing the fallen bully to his feet, and unanimously decided to flee. Harada watched as her friends practically ran away, huffing and clenching her fist. "I-I'm not finished with you, Kisaragi," Harada yelled to Miriko, spinning on her feet, chasing after her group.

All the while, the boy started to pick up her scattered belongings.

"T-thank you," Miriko stammered out, her shyness creeping back. He seemed so familiar, and then it hit her. They were both in class 1-C. He was one of the quiet ones, like herself. He was almost an inch shorter than she was, and his shaggy black hair was the same length as her straight hair. But his now black eyes looked tired, with dark circles staining his light skin.

The boy stared right back, slightly taken back as he stared at her eyes.

"I'm Kisaragi Miriko. You're in general studies, right? S-So am I," she stammered. Her round-tipped cat ears twitched, and the tip of her long black tail began to curve upward. The movement caught the boy's attention, causing Miriko's round cheeks to tinge a bright red. She felt scrutinized under his gaze.

"Can I touch your ears?" the request seemed to force its way out of his mouth, considering the bright pink blush that immediately covered his face right after.

"What?" Miriko nearly squealed, her shoulders hunching instantly.

"Your ears... can I touch them?" he asked calmly, with more control in his voice even if he did seem more reluctant. His eyes darted from her now red face to her little black ears, watching them flick back and forth.

"Oh, y-yeah! I'm sure that's o-okay. I mean - that's okay by me." The more Miriko stumbled over her words, the more her face grew hot. But she persevered, moving slowly towards the boy so he could pet her. This had to be one of the weirdest moments in her life thus far, and she was the daughter of two exuberant heroes!

"They're very soft," he complimented as he gave them a little stroke. Miriko tried to suppress her purr, but the scratches felt too good and ultimately failed to hide her enjoyment.

The sound didn't go unnoticed, and it made the boy grin. "I'm Aizawa Shouta. And yeah, we're in the same class," he said in a quiet voice.

"It's nice to meet you, Aizawa Shouta," Miriko smiled fully, no longer holding back. She would never forget this moment. His actions this day would resonate through her in waves.

"Y-your shoulder was hurt, right? Recovery Girl should still be here. C' mon," Aizawa said quickly, startling her. He pulled away and started to the building, trying to create space between them. His actions now confused the poor girl, but she followed after him anyway. They went down the empty halls in silence, walking right past the doors to the lunchroom. Miriko blinked, confused at her stomach growling. She didn't remember being hungry.

Then a bell rang, one she recognized to be the lunch bell. As a wave of students made their way to the lunch lines, Miriko sat alone at a table in the back of the lunch hall. All the students were still buzzing from excitement from the Sports Festival last week, the hottest topic being about the two general studies students who placed top 5 and earning themselves spots in the hero's course: Aizawa Shouta and Kisaragi Miriko.

Aizawa placed 3rd, and Miriko placed 4th. It was a complete shocker when they both plowed through each challenge. When the transfer was decided, it meant that two students were transferred out. Coincidently, one of those transfers was Harada Emi, and she was livid with the fact that she could be considered a lower rank than either of the two losers.

Harada spread a slew of rumors about how they cheated, and even though they weren't true, it didn't stop their classmates from socializing much with them. But both Aizawa and Miriko were reserved in nature, so the cold shoulder they received from their classmates didn't bother them any.

But that also didn't stop Miriko from being friendly with him, her developing crush egging her on. Unfortunately, any attempt at even a greeting only landed her a bored gaze and simple little nod from him.

Miriko did begin to wonder why she liked him to start with. Was she so starved for attention, friendship, that she latched onto the first person who paid her any mind? Her anxiety stuck its dirty fingers into her heart.

No, that's not true, she reminded herself. Aizawa... Aizawa was just a good person. He stuck up for her when no one else would. He didn't hold it against her or judged her for needing to be saved. He also didn't laugh at her when she told him in confidence that she wanted to be a hero.

Miriko had trained as hard as she could for the past month so she could do well in the sports festival. But she had no idea that Aizawa was also just as diligent in his training. He was impressive during each challenge and was his fighting style just wowed the young girl during the fighting tournament. Aizawa had the potential to be a true hero in her eyes.

Miriko sighed and began to eat her homemade lunch in silence, pushing the fog from her mind until the sound of lunch trays plopping onto the table shook her from her mind. She cautiously looked up to see two male students; one donned a coy smirk while the other a huge toothy grin.

"Hey, new girl!" The grinning boy greeted loudly. His blonde hair was slicked up like a cockatoo. Miriko quickly recognized him to be from her class, 1-A. He was rather loud but had this air around him that was so friendly and inviting. The blonde wore his grin like a trademark, as he should considering it was a very infectious and handsome one at that. He was also very tall compared to herself, and his uniform had a very punk rock flair. Miriko also took notice of the black hearing aid in his pierced ears and his new triangular glasses.

"Sup, new girly?" The other tall boy added, a lazy smirk spreading across his face as he spoke. This boy, also in their class, flipped his long, wild mohawk out of his face. His hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall of brilliant red, black, blue, and green. The boy seemed to eat, sleep, and breathe confidence. And Miriko was sure she had never seen someone with such a sure hand before. His quirk, which she learned was called Photosynthesis, sent out this beautiful beam of energy his body would harness from the sun. He was precise in his aim and could even control the circumference of the beam itself. He was a talented fighter on top of that, even better than herself. It was no wonder he made it into the hero course, and how he could easily beat Aizawa during their tournament match. But his onyx eyes were gentle. And he too had altered his uniform in a very rockstar manner.

"H-hello..," Miriko said back, eyeing them cautiously still. For all she knew, this could be some bully tactic sent out by Harada.

"We haven't introduced ourselves properly yet," the mohawked-boy began.

"I'm Present Mic!" The friendly blonde announced as he pointed to himself, almost bouncing on his feet.

"And I'm Solaris," The charming rocker tilted his head back in a sort of pose.

"Present Mic, Solaris.." Miriko repeated slowly. She was terrible with names, shit. She was terrible with faces.

"It's their hero names. His real name is Hizashi Yamada. And his is Kawabata Ondori," Aizawa appeared out of nowhere, setting himself and his food down on the table in between the two punks. The significant height difference between Aizawa and the two boys was comical, though she had no room to laugh.

"Oh, hello, Aizawa. Long time no talk," Miriko said sheepishly, the hint of a trill escaped her. Aizawa just replied with a little hum and began to eat.

"So I see you've already met Eraserhead!" Hizashi wrapped his arm around Aizawa's shoulder in a familiar manner. "I named him myself! He can erase the quirk of anyone he looks at! They get their quirk back once he looks away! Isn't that badass?" Hizashi asked Miriko. It was like he was doing commentary for Aizawa's biography.

"Isn't that cool? I know I think so," Kawabata winked to Aizawa placing his arm on top of Hizashi, forcing the smaller boy to carry his and Hizashi's combined weight. It seemed Kawabata was also on Aizawa's Ignore list.

"Y-yeah, it is," she replied with a growing smile.

Music came from nowhere, something slow and romantic. In the blink of an eye, couples flocked to the dance floor.

Miriko sat alone on the sidelines, flicking the little bell on her necklace. She didn't have a date to go with, seeing as no one asked. She wasn't surprised though as she knew most people didn't like her. Being targeted by bullying all her school years didn't place her high on the popularity list. And apparently neither did being friends with some of the most popular boys at school, she found out. Aizawa, Hizashi, Kawabata, and herself were always together, but no one ever counted her as part of the "Class A Trio." It stopped bothering her after the first few weeks the name emerged, thanks to the boys' steadfast support. Miriko was even good friends with Iida Tensei from their class and two guys from class 1-B through Kawabata.

A sigh left her mouth as she rested her head in her palms. Even if she did have a fantastic group of friends, it didn't stop the ache from seeing all the lovey-dovey couples enjoying each others company. It was bumming her out and had her wishing she could at least have one dance. Miriko was nearly consumed by sleep until she felt someone's fingers tapped her shoulder.

Slowly, she turned around to see a handsome and formal Aizawa Shouta, a blush searing through his cheeks. Miriko was taken back by sight. She may have seen Aizawa's cheeks tinge in embarrassment a handful of times since knowing him, but to see him with a full face of crimson red? She had never seen such a thing bother him so, whatever it was. Aizawa was always stoic, in charge, and to be completely honest, exhaustingly self-assured. His wavy mess of long hair was slicked back and pulled out of his face, and he was dressed in a simple black and white suit. Miriko immediately noticed his slight shaking. Is he cold? Miriko watched him open his mouth like he was going to say something, but then snapped it shut and sharply turned around, walking off as fast as he could.

"Aizawa?" Miriko left her seat and followed him, her heels clicking with each step. "Aizawa, where are you going?"

But he couldn't hear her over the band playing. When she nearly caught up with him, he had already escaped into an empty hallway where Hizashi and Kawabata seemed to have been waiting. They didn't notice her yet, so she pressed herself against the wall and listened in.

"I can't do it!" She heard Aizawa grunted, his frustration evident in his voice.

"Why not?" Hizashi spoke next. Miriko wished she could see them now, rather than hide away like a mouse.

"Damn it; I'm too nervous! I've never done this before, and you both know it!"

"Hey, it's not our fault you fell for her! Just go up and say 'care to dance?' It's just that simple." She heard Kawabata reply. She could hear his smile in his sass and tried hard to suppress her giggle.

"If it's that simple, you go and ask her for me!" Aizawa argued.

"Okay!" both rockers immediately agreed in unison, followed by footsteps.

"W-wait!" She heard Aizawa began to protest, but she couldn't stay any longer. Miriko could hear that the pair was heading her way, so she was quick to flee back into the main room.

Miriko hoped that she looked like she had never left that spot and eavesdropped on a very private conversation as she smoothed any wrinkles in her dress and caught her breath. Has Aizawa got a crush on me? A blush crawled up her neck and rested on her cheekbone. With her luck, she honestly doubted it, and her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. There is just no way.

"Hey, Kisaragi!" Hizashi shouted, using his quirk to grab her attention. Miriko nearly jumped out of her seat. The surprise noise had her nails extending immediately, digging into the table and her long tail frayed out. She turned around in her chair to see the two sharply dressed men waving to her, throwing her for another loop. Miriko knew her friends were good looking but, damn if they didn't clean up nicely.

"Keep your voice down, Zashi! What do you want?" Miriko snapped, her ears pinned down to her head. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to any of them as the night progressed.

"Will you dance with Shouta?" Hizashi cupped his mouth so he could whisper this time. Miriko could see his nails painted red to match his red leather jacket. The man even wore worn-out boots with his dress pants and shirt.

"He's too shy to ask you himself. So we're here to escort you," Kawabata shrugged with an accompanying bounce of his newly-pierced eyebrows.

"Okay," Miriko blurted out without hesitation. She quickly covered her mouth, as if that would hide her answer from some of her best friends. The rocker duo paused and glanced at each other before they broke out into huge grins.

"Plus, he has a crush on you," Hizashi added in a sing-song tone. Miriko's cheeks suddenly kissed pink as a spring rose.

So he really does like me, Miriko squealed internally as she stood up and took Kawabata's hand. Hizashi linked arms with her on the other side, and the boys escorted her to Aizawa, teasing and giggling all the way. Aizawa's back was facing the three when they reached them, which was probably for the best since Miriko could feel how hot she was getting. Her whole body had to be flushed red at this point from nerves and shyness. They pushed her forward and left them to their own devices.

"Good evening, Aizawa."

Aizawa turned around at the sound of her voice and with his hair out of his face, he wasn't able to hide his blazoned cheeks nor his wandering eyes. He gulped, taking in the sight of her in her dress.

Miriko immediately felt self-conscious. She had chosen a plain black gown her mother had to alter so it wouldn't drag on the floor. The years were unfair to her, unlike Aizawa, and she remained the same height since her first year. Her straight black hair had been painstakingly pinned back in a chignon. Her hair and black fur that covered her arms made her skin seem paler than what she was. She felt like a hot mess, nothing like the many other girls there.

"You wanted to dance with me?" Miriko asked, unease in her voice. Anxiety ate at Miriko's features as she took a step forward, fingers fidgeting in clasped hands.

Aizawa said nothing to her question, making Miriko feel even more dejected. That was until he gently placed a hand on hers, his fingers lightly tracing along with hers. Miriko's head snapped to his, and though his face was almost unreadable, she noticed the glint in his eyes; something burned behind those black pupils.

With their fingers intertwined, Aizawa led Miriko to the dance floor. His free hand gently landed on her waist as she wrapped hers securely around his neck. She could feel the tension melted from his shoulders when he took his first step.

Luck was with the tiny catgirl who was a natural fighter. Dance and combat have been intertwined for a long time, so it wasn't hard for her to catch on and mirror his moves. Their footwork was smooth, and every time he caught her gaze, she would blush furiously and focus on her feet.

But they both glided across the floor. Aizawa twirled and dipped her, looking for an excuse to lean in to get close to her. Miriko's focus was solely on him: his pitch black eyes sparkled in the light, his shallow breath and racing heart echoed in her ears, the way his tongue ran over lips.

Aizawa pulled her back up, and suddenly they were so close, their faces nearly touched. When they locked eyes, Miriko realized how she was unable to keep away from him. Since she met him, he never strayed too far from her mind. Her heart had shyly begun to sing his name. In that moment, a fire lit in her chest - so easy to ignite. The music came to an end, and the silent couple slowly made their way off the dance floor.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't good..." Miriko mumbled quietly; her heels were suddenly very interesting. She noticed that even with them on, Aizawa's 6ft frame still towered over her.

"You were amazing," Aizawa complimented, coming to a stop so that they were far away from the others.

"I stepped on your foot a couple of times! I am so sorry, Aizawa." Miriko cupped her cheeks, mentally threatening to tear them off her face if they didn't cool down.

He reassured her that it was fine, and an awkward silence fell between them. Miriko crossed her arms, looking around desperately for a distraction. Anything so that the deafening silence could vanish.

"The moon is beautiful tonight" she quickly blurted, staring out the nearest window.

"Yeah. I feel sorry for anyone who has a werewolf-like quirk," Aizawa said absentmindedly. Miriko nearly slapped her forehead before coming up with a remark, even if it was something simple.

"I feel the same. Imagine if there was some in the room now! There would be fur and drool all over the place," she added with a shrug. Aizawa let out a small chuckle before clearing his throat, asking for her attention.

"Miriko, I've been meaning to tell you something for a long time..." His nervousness was apparent; Miriko could even smell it on him. But Aizawa's gaze never faltered - they remained locked on hers.

"What is it, Aizawa?"

"I-I've...I...have, uh…. I like you, Miriko," Aizawa stumbled his words for the first time in... ever. And the sight teased a smile out of her.

"I know. Hizashi and Kawabata told me."

"What? They told you?! That's it!" Aizawa grumbled as he ran over to the table where the unexpecting friends sat.

At the sight of him storming off after their friends, a faint scent of spring flowers tickled her nose. Miriko blinked, a bright light temporarily blinding her.

The wind blew calmly through Miriko's hair as she glanced heavenward. She and Aizawa bathed in the afternoon sun after a delicious lunch. Four years of secret glances and hidden feelings, they finally made it to the end of their second date.

The breeze brushed against Miriko's ears and caused them to twitch. She was too preoccupied with the sky to notice Aizawa's half-hooded stare and his small, genuine smile. The one only meant for her.

"It's so nice and warm today!" Miriko exclaimed. She laid down and basked in the heat the sun provided. Aizawa looked to where she laid down and saw an opportunity to present itself to him.

"You can lay down too, you know," she giggled. Miriko reached for his hand and pulled him down beside her, a small 'oof' reaching her ears.

They laid there for a few moments until Miriko looked back at him. Aizawa was looking into eye eyes with such clarity that every else went out of focus. "I'm lucky to have you, Miriko," he admitted to her as he reached out to stroke her cheek with his thumb.

Miriko tried keeping her composure, though a thrill went down her spine. "I'm lucky to have you too, Shouta" Miriko admitted, her voice was quiet, but she smiled widely, incredibly happy to be around him.

Without thinking, Miriko leaned forward and touched her cheek to his. She couldn't hide her cringe and immediately tucked her face into the crook of his neck, further embarrassing herself. Who does stuff like this? Oh, my goodness, he's going to think I'm such a weirdo!

Aizawa's body went stiff at the contact, and for a moment they laid together frozen awkwardly. After a moment, he propped himself on his elbows.

Miriko mirrored his action, worried that she crossed a line he wasn't ready for. They stared at each other, faces flushed, as Aizawa slowly reached to touch her face.

He softly cupped her face in his hand, and this warmth flooded his body. Aizawa guided her closer until their lips were mere centimeters apart.

Purrs erupted from Miriko's chest as their lips connected in a long, gentle kiss; they both smiled as they blissfully melted into each other.

Until loud knocks jolted her awake.

A/N: I hope this revised version makes up for everything. Thanks, everyone, for sticking with me as I learn and get better with writing! My girl and Aizawa definitely deserved better than the slop I had written before, lol. I'll have the next chapter done very very soon, so watch out!

- V