Later that day...
4:15 PM.
Ryuu checked his phone for the third time as he jogged across campus toward the library.
Shit.
He was late. Fifteen minutes late, to be exact.
Momo had sent him the location right after class.
It's one of the private study rooms on the third floor...and he'd somehow still managed to screw up the timing.
When he finally pushed through the library's massive double doors, he took a second to catch his breath.
U.A.'s library was huge, as always.
Rows of towering bookshelves stretched in every direction, the ceiling high enough to make you feel small.
The room appeared empty....there's no students in sight. But scattered textbooks and notes across the study tables hinted that someone had been there recently.
"Maybe they left in a hurry," he thought, as he spotted the stairs and took them two steps at a time.
The third floor.
He paused briefly at the landing, glancing down the quiet hallway. "I've never actually been up here before," he murmured to himself.
The private study rooms were tucked away on this level, quiet and secluded....perfect for focus, and maybe some personal time.
"Sorry I'm late," Ryuu said immediately, closing the door behind him. "I hope you weren't waiting too long."
Momo looked up from where she sat at the table, with textbooks and tactical diagrams already spread out in front of her.
"No, no problem at all," she replied with a small smile, setting down her tablet. "I got here a bit early anyway, so I used the time to organize our materials."
Ryuu let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and dropped his bag beside the table.
That's when he actually looked at her.
Momo wasn't in her usual school uniform that he was used to.
She'd changed into something casual
....it was a soft, cream-colored sweater that clung just enough to hint at the curves underneath.
It rolled up slightly when she shifted in her seat, exposing a sliver of pale skin at her waist.
Her dark hair fell loose over her shoulders, and she'd paired the sweater with a fitted skirt that hugged her hips and stopped just above her knees, showing off those long, toned legs.
Ryuu forced himself to look away before she caught him staring.
Focus. You're here to work.
"I've been analyzing successful rescue operations involving amplification quirks," Momo said, sliding her tablet across the table toward him. "The key seems to be establishing resonance gradually rather than attempting maximum amplification immediately."
Ryuu nodded, trying to focus on the data rather than the way her sweater clung to her curves. "That matches my experience. Sudden spikes in amplification can be overwhelming for me and my partner"
"Have you experienced negative reactions from any of your previous partners?" She asked, looking up from her tablet. Her red eyes locked onto his...he couldn't escape the confrontation now.
"A few times" he admitted. "Usually when I pushed too hard too fast, or when the emotional connection wasn't stable enough to handle the intensity"
"And with Ashido? You seemed to achieve remarkable synchronization very quickly"
The question carried undertones that made Ryuu shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Mina and I had built some trust before we partnered," he said carefully. "That made the resonance easier to handle."
But that wasn't the full story....they hadn't talked much before the exercise....but he didn't feel the need to explain that part. What he said was already close enough to the truth.
"I see" Momo said thoughtfully, making a note on her tablet. "So pre-existing emotional bonds are beneficial for quirk compatibility"
"They help, but they're not always necessary" Ryuu explained. "Professional partnerships can work too, if both people are committed to making it succeed"
"Good to know," she said with a smile so radiant it could've sent Mineta to the afterlife satisfied. "I'm fully committed to making this work."
As they got back to planning for the upcoming exercise, Ryuu started to notice a shift.
The longer they talked, the more Momo's demeanor softened....her tone warmer...even her gaze is less guarded.
And...maybe it was just his imagination, but he could've sworn her glances lingered a little longer than before.
Then she even start shifting her chair to get a better view of his notes, then leaning across the table to point out details on her diagrams.
Each movement brought her nearer, until he could smell her perfume and feel the warmth radiating from her skin.
"The amplification process itself" she said, her voice softer than before, "how does it feel from your perspective"
"It depends on the partner," Ryuu said thoughtfully. "Usually, there's this sense of connection....like I can feel their emotions and physical sensations more clearly."
"And from their side?"
"From their perspective?" He paused, choosing his words. "It's like everything intensifies. My sensitivity spikes...it especially on stronger Quirks, it gives me sharper awareness, deeper emotions. Almost like I'm tuned into everything at once."
Momo fell silent for a moment, letting the information sink in.
When she finally spoke, her voice was more thoughtful ....less composed than usual.
"It sounds intimate"
The word hung in the air between them.
"It can be" Ryuu admitted. "Which is why trust is so important. When the barriers come down and emotions amplify, things can get complicated quickly"
"Complicated how?"
Ryuu hesitated, unsure how much to reveal about his quirk's more problematic effects. "Amplified emotions don't always stay focused on the mission. Sometimes other feelings get enhanced too"
Understanding dawned in Momo's eyes. "Ah. That explains your caution around female partners"
"Part of it, yeah"
"And Ashido? Did she experience these... additional effects"
The personal nature of the question made Ryuu uncomfortable, but Momo's expression was genuinely curious rather than gossipy.
'Why is it so hard to talk to her sometimes?' he wondered.
'She's not even trying to pry... and yet it still feels like she sees too much.'
"*Sigh*, You'd have to ask her" he said carefully.
"But I'm asking you" she pressed gently. "As your partner for this exercise, I need to understand what I might experience"
She wasn't wrong. If they were going to attempt resonance, Ryuu owed her honesty...especially about the side effects.
"OK..." he said quietly. "She experienced heightened sensitivity beyond just her quirk enhancement. It didn't interfere with the exercise, but it was... noticeable"
"And you? Did you feel the same effects"
"Resonance works both ways" he admitted. "I feel everything my partner feels, including the amplified responses"
Momo leaned back in her chair, contemplating this information. "That must be overwhelming at times"
"It can be. Especially with partners I'm already attracted to"
The words slipped out before he could stop them, and Ryuu immediately regretted the admission.
Momo's eyebrows rose slightly, but her expression remained thoughtful rather than shocked.
"You're attracted to me" she said, it came off more like a statement than question.
"I think most guys in our class are" Ryuu replied, trying to deflect the personal implications. "You're beautiful and brilliant. It would be weird if I wasn't at least somewhat attracted"
""But you're already involved with Ashido."
"T-th—It's... complicated."
"Most worthwhile things are," Momo said calmly. "What matters is whether your feelings for her will affect our partnership."
"They won't," Ryuu insisted, his voice firm. "I can keep things professional."
"Even if the resonance amplifies your attraction to me?"
The question hit him like a cold breeze to the face.
Most people would've tiptoed around something that bold, but Momo didn't flinch. She met it head-on, her honesty as sharp as ever....and it caught Ryuu completely off guard...
"I'll manage" he said, though he wasn't entirely sure that was true.
"What if I don't want you to manage it"
The quiet admission sent heat racing through Ryuu's veins. Across the table, Momo was watching him with an expression that was equal parts vulnerability and determination.
"Mom-"
"I know you care about Ashido" she interrupted softly. "I'm not asking you to abandon that relationship. But I'm also not going to pretend I'm not interested in exploring what might develop between us"
Her honesty was both refreshing and dangerous. Most people would have played games or dropped hints, but Momo laid her feelings out directly.
""The exercise is temporary," Ryuu reminded her gently. "Whatever happens during resonance... it might not be real. It's just the side effects....heightened emotions, stronger physical reactions. That's all."
"Then we'll find out afterward, won't we" she replied with a small smile. "When the amplification fades and we can evaluate our feelings objectively"
Just as Ryuu opened his mouth to respond, his phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen....and paused. Mina's name lit up the display, catching him off guard.
*How's the study session going? Monoma finally stopped talking long enough for me to get some planning done*
Ryuu glanced at the message, then tilted his phone toward Momo.
Which she read it quietly, her expression thoughtful.
"She's checking in on you," Momo noted.
"She's just being supportive," Ryuu replied, though a part of him wondered if Momo was right.
"Text her back," Momo said gently. "No point letting her worry over nothing."
Ryuu typed back: *Going well. Momo's very thorough with her planning. How are you handling Monoma?*
The response came quickly: *He's annoying but harmless. Don't let Yaoyorozu work you too hard*
"She seems nice" Momo said after reading the exchange. "I can see why you care about her"
"She is nice. That's part of the problem"
"Problem how"
"She deserves someone who can give her their full attention" Ryuu explained. "Not someone who's constantly worried about quirk side effects and emotional complications"
"Have you asked her what she thinks she deserves" Momo asked pointedly.
The question hit harder than expected. Ryuu realized he had been making assumptions about what Mina wanted rather than simply asking her directly.
"That's what I thought" Momo said, reading his expression. "You're so busy protecting everyone else from your quirk's effects that you're not letting them make their own choices"
"It's not that simp-"
"Isn't it?" she interrupted. "Ashido is a capable hero-in-training who can make her own decisions about acceptable risks. I'm intelligent enough to understand the implications of partnering with you. Stop treating us like we need protection from ourselves"
Her words stung because they contained more truth than he wanted to acknowledge. His caution had become a barrier between him and genuine connections with others.
"The exercise starts tomorrow" Momo continued, gathering her materials. "We'll need to establish resonance quickly and maintain it throughout multiple scenarios. Are you prepared to trust me with that level of connection?"
"Yes" he said without hesitation.
"Good" she replied, standing and shouldering her bag. "Because I'm prepared to trust you with mine"
As she moved toward the door, she paused and looked back at him.
"For what it's worth, I don't think your quirk is something to be feared" she said softly. "Connection and trust are what make heroes effective. Your ability just makes those bonds stronger and more honest"
After Momo left, Ryuu stayed behind in the study room, replaying their conversation in his head.
Her honesty had been refreshing...blunt, even....but it left him rattled.
She wasn't asking him to forget about Mina. If anything, she was giving him space to see where things between them might go... and that was the part that unsettled him.
It made sense on paper. Momo was being mature and logical...
But logic didn't make things easier. How was he supposed to give his all as her partner, knowing it might hurt someone he genuinely cared about?
His phone buzzed again. A message from Mina lit up the screen:
*Want to grab breakfast tomorrow before the exercise? I could use some friendly moral support before dealing with Monoma again.*
Ryuu stared at the message for a moment, then typed back:
*Absolutely. Meet you at 7?*
*Perfect. Thanks for being there for me.* –mina
Her words were simple, but they hit hard. That quiet gratitude made his chest tighten.
He didn't want to lose what he had with Mina.
But he also couldn't ignore the pull he felt toward Momo.....or the fact that she was clearly open to exploring it.
He stuffed his notes into his bag with a sigh, muttering under his breath,
"Why does this feel more complicated than the actual exercise?"
The exercise hadn't even started, and already, his heart felt like it was being pulled in two directions.
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Author Note: Zzzzz....*snoring* you'll get your explicit scenes....laterrrr