[Third Person's PoV]
Everyone had their own pastries and drinks beside them as they studied together, exchanging notes and comparing what they had learned.
Melissa had settled beside the armrest of Tony's chair, happily feeding him as he worked.
Mineta and Denki watched them with resentment.
"Show-offs!" Mineta shouted, shaking his tiny fist in the air.
Denki nodded in agreement. "I want to be fed by a pretty girl while I study too! Is that too much to ask?"
Melissa turned back toward them and stuck out her tongue. "Maybe work hard, get a girlfriend, and she'll do that for you instead of ogling us."
"You know, you guys never actually shared how you got together," Mina said, her curiosity practically burning in her eyes. "I know you were childhood friends and all, but who asked who out?"
Her question immediately caught everyone's attention.
"Ohhhh! Share! Share! Share!" Toru chanted excitedly.
"Guys! We are here to learn and prepare for the exam—" Iida started, moving his arms robotically.
"Come on, Iida, you're telling me you're not the least bit curious?" Uraraka asked, raising an eyebrow.
Meanwhile, Tony and Melissa exchanged a look and smiled.
"Well… technically, neither of us asked the other out," Melissa admitted shyly.
"Huh? Did you guys just wake up one day and decide you were dating or something?" Jirou asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tony chuckled. "It was the day we got our acceptance letters," he said, a reminiscent smile on his face. "Melissa was acting all calm, but the moment they arrived, she practically tackled me."
Melissa blushed and shot him a glare. "That part was unnecessary."
Rolling her eyes, she continued, "Anyway, when we opened them, we were so excited… I kind of jumped into his arms, and he spun me around."
Tony and Melissa shared a sheepish smile before Melissa leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"We just… kissed. It felt natural. It felt right," she said softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
"AWWWW~~" the girls cooed.
"DIE, NORMIES!!" most of the boys groaned, with Mineta being the loudest.
Once their storytelling ended, everyone refocused on studying—at least for a little while—before it started getting late, and people had to head home.
"See you guys tomorrow!"
"Thanks for the study session, Momo!"
"You have my sincere gratitude."
"Invite us over more often!"
As the group trickled out, only Tony and Melissa remained. The maids and butlers began tidying up while Momo led the two of them away.
"So, what are you guys going to do?" Momo asked curiously.
"We're thinking of staying the night," Melissa said, hugging Momo. "A sleepover between us, if you don't mind."
"Really?!" Momo's face lit up with excitement.
Tony and Melissa internally grimaced—Momo was way too happy about such a simple gesture.
"I'll crash in my old room," Tony said with a stretch. "You two can have your little makeover session and do your hair or whatever."
"Tony, that's sexist," Melissa deadpanned, while Momo gave him a look of disapproval.
"You say that," Tony replied with an eye roll, "but I bet you 20 bucks you'll end up sitting behind Momo, brushing her hair while you two talk about whatever."
Melissa scoffed. "Tony, we aren't little girls."
…
Melissa sat behind Momo, both dressed in comfortable nightgowns, as she gently brushed Momo's long, silky black hair. Her expression remained neutral as the brush glided effortlessly through the strands.
"I seriously hate him sometimes, you know," Melissa muttered, continuing her slow, careful strokes.
Momo chuckled. "Haha, but this is nice, isn't it? Just like when we were little girls."
Melissa pursed her lips, trying to suppress a smile. "I suppose it isn't too bad."
After a brief pause, she became thoughtful. "So, what do you want to talk about? Boy talk?"
Momo groaned. "Oh, please don't. The last thing I need is you rambling about your relationship with Tony and what you two do in private."
"Rude," Melissa scoffed. "And I wasn't talking about me specifically. What about you? Anyone in class caught your interest?"
Momo blinked in surprise. "Why would you think that?"
Melissa smirked. "Come on, most of the guys in our class aren't half bad. None of them compare to Tony, of course, but still. You've known Midoriya for a while—maybe he caught your eye?"
"What?! No way!" Momo dismissed the idea immediately. "Besides, I'm pretty sure he and Uraraka have a thing for each other."
"Kaminari, then? Maybe you're into the eccentric bad-boy type?"
Momo shook her head. "No, but I do think he and Jirou make a cute pair."
Melissa grinned. "They totally do! I ship it."
"What about Bakugo?" she continued. "He's always yelling about murder and explosions, but looks-wise, he's not bad. Maybe you like the passionate, boisterous type?"
Momo sighed. "There's such a thing as too passionate and boisterous."
Melissa tapped her chin in thought. "Well, the only guy I can think of who might be worthy of my Momo is Todoroki. Maybe the cold, mysterious type is more your thing?"
"We don't talk enough for me to develop any feelings for him."
Melissa suddenly gasped and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Momo's waist. "Don't tell me—you swing for the other team?! If so, I totally support you."
"WHAT?!" Momo nearly snapped her neck turning to glare at her. Her face turned bright red. "No! I like guys, thank you very much!"
Melissa smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Ohhh? Then don't tell me... you've been secretly in love with Tony since we were little?"
It was meant as a joke, just a teasing jab. But Melissa froze as she felt Momo stiffen in her grasp. Slowly, Momo turned toward her with a guilty, almost fearful expression.
"L-Let's just move on from this topic," Momo stammered.
Melissa's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait… are you serious?"
"No! Of course not!" Momo frantically waved her hands, her face burning.
Melissa rolled her eyes. "Don't lie to me. First, you're panicking. Second, you stiffened the moment I said it."
Momo averted her gaze, shame and embarrassment washing over her. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
Melissa panicked. "Wait, wait! Why are you crying?! There's no reason to cry!"
"But… you're going to hate me," Momo sniffled. "I–I don't want to lose my best friend over this…"
Melissa immediately pulled Momo into a tight hug. "Momo, there's no way I could ever hate you! That's ridiculous. Sure, I'm surprised, but I promise you, this doesn't change anything." She gently patted Momo's head, comforting her.
"Really?" Momo asked hesitantly, eyes red from tears.
"Of course. You're being silly. Besides, Tony is handsome—I get why you might have had a crush on him."
Momo shook her head shyly. "It wasn't because he was handsome…" she mumbled.
Melissa raised a curious brow. "Oh? Then what was it?"
Momo looked down, fiddling with her fingers. "It's… because he was one of the first real friends I made."
Melissa nearly choked on her laughter. "Pfft—"
"Don't laugh!!" Momo whined, covering her face.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But come on, that's kinda sad when you think about it," Melissa chuckled, shaking her head.
Momo sighed, rubbing her temples. "Even as a child, I understood the way people looked at me. They didn't want to be my friend because of me, but because I was a Yaoyorozu. It was hard to tell who was genuine and who just wanted to use me.
"But Tony was different. He didn't need to impress me or have any ulterior motives. He was smart, came from a good background—he had nothing to gain from befriending me. But he chose to be my friend anyway. He never cared that I was a Yaoyorozu, and he always encouraged me to join in whatever he was doing.
"…But that's all in the past! I moved on, I swear!" she quickly added.
Melissa nodded, understanding. "I get what you mean. Tony was my first real friend when I was little, too."
Then she paused, narrowing her eyes. "But are you sure you've moved on? Feelings like that don't just disappear overnight."
Momo simply smiled. "Anyone who looked at you two knew you'd end up together. I wasn't oblivious to it. So I buried those feelings and moved on—it was for the best."
Melissa sighed dramatically. "Curse Tony and his playboy shenanigans…"
Momo blinked in confusion. "What?"
Melissa just shook her head. "Nothing, nothing."
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+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3
A/N: I made a Harry Pic so make sure to check it out.