The morning after was a blur of crimson embarrassment. Naked and tangled in the sheets with Shinso. Shinso. We'd… we'd had sex. Blame it on the damn lust quirk, but the feeling lingering, the lingering warmth in my chest felt like something more. Shinso looked at me, his face flushed, mirroring the heat rising in my own cheeks. The air hung heavy with unspoken words, charged with a tension I couldn't name.
I couldn't meet his gaze. Embarrassed, disgusted with myself, I felt like a twisted caricature of the composed mafia boss I was supposed to be. This wasn't me. What was happening to me?
"I… I'll be back," I mumbled, scrambling out of bed. I groaned, running a hand roughly through my disheveled green hair and headed for the bathroom. I needed to clear my head. I grabbed my phone, pacing as I dialed Stars and Stripes' number.
"Izuku? Everything alright?" Her voice was instantly alert, laced with the ever-present concern she held for me.
I poured everything out, stumbling over my words. The lust quirk, Shinso, the confusing feelings, the alarming sense of closeness. She listened patiently, offering no immediate judgment. When I was done, a heavy silence filled the line.
"Izuku… sometimes, even with a catalyst like a quirk, preexisting feelings rise to the surface. Feelings you might have buried, ignored… or simply haven't recognized yet."
My heart hammered against my ribs. I knew it, deep down. The blush intensified, scorching my skin. "I… I don't know what to do."
"Take it slow. Don't rush into anything. Trust your gut, Izuku. And most importantly, be honest with yourself. These feelings are just that: feelings. Nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to be feared."
After talking with her for a while longer, I felt a sliver of clarity, a flicker of hope amidst the swirling confusion. I took a deep breath and went back to the bedroom.
Shinso was dressed and sitting on the floor, playing Uno with Eri. My heart skipped a beat. Eri never came in my room. How did she...? I guess she was exploring. Eri giggled, slapping down a +2 card, sending Shinso into mock despair. A genuine smile tugged at my lips. This… this was nice.
"Eri, go see Mom for a bit, okay? I need to talk to Shinso," I said, my voice carefully neutral. She nodded cheerfully and scampered out.
I looked at Shinso as he got up. He approached me slowly, his violet eyes searching mine, and gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from my face. The simple touch was electric, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Hi," he murmured, a hesitant smile gracing his lips.
I shook my head, a goofy grin breaking through my earlier distress. "Hi."
He took my hand, his touch sending another jolt through me. We needed to talk about this. After a few minutes I brought it up and to my surprise, Shinso was open and honestly.
It was then that we talked for hours and decided to give it a try. I knew it wouldn't be anything that serious and was going to be casual. only a few dates and see how it goes from there. It's been now weeks and our dates have been very good. It wasn't that cringy or awkward like i thought it would be. I even introduced him to my mom. Inko loved him instantly and even now she wants us to move in together. After a few months we ran into a problem.