No! I refuse to fall for one of Being X's ploys! Tanya thought furiously after her revelation. I will just act like nothing at all happened and everything will be fine! I am not going to develop another deep emotional connection! I can't! Being X will surely use it against me!

With her mind resolved on a course of action, she stood and changed into her sleep clothes before she climbed back onto the bed and promptly fell asleep.

She completely missed the small nutcracker doll that had appeared on her nightstand. Its eye winked and it faded from sight.

*

“Good morning.” Tanya said as she came to the school's from gate and saw Izuku waiting for her.

“Morning.” Izuku said and they walked into the school together like they always did.

Tanya observed him closely and he didn't look awkward, hesitant, or even shaky. She was pleased that he had decided to ignore that last kiss as well and put it out of her mind as they entered their classroom.

“So, what happened last night?” Tanya asked in a hushed voice.

Izuku lifted a hand and pointed... right at Bakugo.

“You're kidding.” Tanya said, surprised.

“He and his mom have been going to therapy for a long time.” Izuku whispered and leaned in close to not let anyone else hear. “One of the steps for managing their anger is making amends to past deeds.”

Tanya opened her mouth to respond, looked at Bakugo for a moment, then looked back at Izuku. “You better not tell me that you forgave him right away.”

Izuku smiled and shook his head. “It wouldn't be sincere if I did that. It wouldn't mean as much to him if it was that easy.”

“You're taking my advice.” Tanya said and he nodded.

“Bakugo needs to earn the right to be called Kacchan again.” Izuku whispered.

Tanya felt a little flutter in her heart. “Izuku, I... I am proud of you.”

“Thanks, Tanya. It means a lot to me when you say that.”

Tanya felt her cheeks flush. “It means a lot to me, too.”

Izuku smiled the same crooked smile that he had the night before and Tanya caught her breath. For some reason, she knew that was a smile that he had only for her. She also didn't know why that made her feel happy.

“Good morning, class.” The teacher said as he entered the room. “I'd take roll call except we have the same empty seats every day, so you're all here.”

A few of the students laughed.

“On to geometry and complimentary angles!”

Most of the class groaned while Tanya and Izuku gave each other matching grins. It was going to be yet another easy day for learning and another intense quirk analysis session. Izuku took out his latest journal, number nineteen, and they both flipped to the latest hero to appear on the scene, Sir Nighteye. He was previously All Might's sidekick and had been with him for years and now he had his own agency and was recruiting promising heroes.

“Do you know who his prospects are?” Tanya asked in a whisper.

“Bubble-girl, Four-score, and Slingshot. There is also a rumor about him having an eye on a student in another school.” Izuku breathed back. “If it's true, then he'll be in his third year at UA when we start.”

“No name, huh?” Tanya asked with a smirk.

“I can't go look for him during school hours, you know!” Izuku said a bit louder than a whisper. A few of the students around him glanced his way, then looked back at the teacher.

“We do have lunch off today.” Tanya suggested.

“I have the viewfinder in my locker.” Izuku whispered. “Roof race?”

“Roof race.” Tanya breathed back.

It was a little game that they played occasionally if they had separate tasks to do at lunch. One would do what they needed to do and the other would get the food. Depending on the length of the task, if you were back at the main stairs to the upper floors first, you had to go the long way. The other would get to take the shortcut. Surprisingly, Izuku was winning more often than not, which both vexed and intrigued Tanya.

Class continued into different subjects while Tanya and Izuku debated hero quirks. It was a normal thing for them, since the principal refused to advance his two trouble students, even though they proved that they were smarter than the teacher. He countered with 'you need the experience' and won the argument.

The lunch bell rang and the pair grabbed their things and ran from the room before anyone else had moved. They split up in the hallway after Izuku took Tanya's things and he went to their lockers while she made a mad dash to the cafeteria to get their meals.

Tanya's heart was beating fast as she ran to the counter and tossed a bunch of things onto her tray, slid it along and grabbed a few more things, then added four cans of juice before paying. She picked up the tray and balanced it with both hands as she took off around the other students that were just entering the room. She would never tell Izuku she was actually cheating a little by using her quirk to keep the food from sliding around.

She reached the stairs and saw Izuku's sticky note, grabbed it as she went by, and ran up the stairs. She took the shortcut and made it to the roof in record time. She came through the door and slid to a stop a few feet away from it, her breathing heavy.

“I was so close!” Izuku said from behind her.

Tanya laughed as much as she could with her trying to catch her breath. “I barely... grabbed this.” She said and passed him the note.

“I was... really close.” Izuku said and flopped down to sit on the bare roof.

“Get the blanket, you ignoramus.” Tanya said with a grin.

“Just... give me... a minute.” Izuku said and panted.

“Lazy butt. Hold this.” Tanya said and passed him the tray before she walked over to their stash and pulled out the blanket. She came back over to him and spread it out for them to sit comfortably on and to eat leisurely as they spied on the roofs of the other schools that could only be seen with the old army viewfinder or her quirk.

They had both agreed that her acceleration quirk literally accelerated the light closer to her to see things up close, which really shouldn't be possible. Even if Tanya used a 'spell' to do it, it was her mind that made the connection and let her quirk do it. It was definitely odd for her to have someone analyze her so well.

“Which direction?” Tanya asked.

Izuku turned to look and see where the sun was. “North-north-east.” He said and turned back to point in the right direction. “It's about six miles away.”

“Any intervening terrain?” Tanya asked as she cast the viewing spell.

“It depends if the new building construction is up yet.” Izuku said. “Last I heard it was delayed for three months.”

Tanya chuckled. “Their bribes to the city council... I mean donations... didn't work?”

Izuku laughed and took out the viewfinder. “Not with All Might rumored to be around here somewhere.”

“What? Visiting family or something?” Tanya asked and moved her viewing window over slightly. “I think I got it.”

Izuku set the coordinates into the viewfinder as she gave them to him. He looked through it and let his eyes drink in the entire roof. “He's a tall guy with blond hair and beady eyes.”

“Beady eyes? Really?” Tanya asked, a little surprised.

“It's only creepy if you've never read the cartoons in the newspaper.” Izuku joked and Tanya poked him with her elbow. “Yes, I was joking. Look, there's a fossil-type quirk at five points from center.”

Tanya moved her viewfinder to where he said and she gasped. “She's a velociraptor!”

“An anthropomorphic one. I bet she was bullied when she was younger, too.”

Tanya watched someone smack the girl on her snout. She let out a growl. “Not just then!”

“Go!” Izuku ordered and watched in fascination as his best friend ran to the edge of the roof, leapt over the eight foot high fenced in railing like it wasn't there, then she flew off at her best speed. He saw the circular blast of displaced air before he heard the sonic boom. “Awesome.”

*

Millie was having a bad day. Again. She had been tricked into coming to the school roof for lunch, only for the group of girls to turn on her and start antagonizing her by hitting her very sensitive snout. Tears were in her eyes and she tried to fumble for the large handkerchief that her mother had given her.

Suddenly, there was a short curly blonde-haired girl in front of her and slamming her fists and feet into the faces of every single one of the girls that had been harassing her.

“How do you like it when someone hits your sensitive noses?” The blonde-haired girl asked the crying and slightly bleeding girls that were now kneeling on the roof. “It's not very nice, is it? IS IT?!?”

“N-n-no!” Some of them responded.

“Then smarten up and act your age! This isn't grade school!” The blonde girl nearly shouted and glared at them. “If I ever hear of you doing something like this again, I'll come back and make sure you never do it again. Permanently!”

The girls let out sounds of terror.

“Get lost! NOW!” The blonde-haired girl shouted and the bullies scrambled to their feet and ran.

When the door to the roof closed, Millie was sure that she was dreaming.

“It's okay. I'll file a report and make sure something like this never happens again.” The blonde-haired girl said as she turned to look at her.

Millie expected fear, or maybe pity, or even a little terror. She never expected what happened next.

“Can I touch your dorsal feathers? They look really soft.” The blonde-haired girl asked.

Millie blinked her eyes several times and even turned her head from side to side to make sure she was really seeing a girl standing there with hope on her face. “S-s-sure.”

“Thank you.” The blonde-haired girl said and floated up slightly to run her fingers through the feathers on Millie's head. “I was right! They really are soft.”

Millie never had someone touch her willingly before, so she was completely unprepared for the tingly feeling that ran down her spine and right to the tip of her tail. She closed her eyes and shivered in pleasure as she let out a low continuous growl that sounded like a cat purring.

The blonde-haired girl laughed softly and it was music to Millie's ears.

“I'm not gay.” Millie said and opened her eyes. “But... oh my god... that feels wonderful!”

“I'm not gay, either.” The blonde-haired girl said and stopped petting her as she landed back on the roof. “No, wait. I'm kind of? Maybe? I've been a girl a lot longer than... no, I'm straight. Definitely straight. But... if I am, then if I'm a girl, wouldn't that mean...”

“You sound very confused.” Millie said and cut off the girl's rambling.

“I really am.” The blonde-haired girl said and then she held a hand out. “I'm sorry that I just felt you up and I don't even know your name.”

Millie let out a laugh that was half roar as she took the girl's offered hand and shook it. “That sounded both dirty and appropriate.”

“Thanks.” Tanya said and let the clawed hand go. “I'm Tanya Degraff, by the way. I'm your unofficial rescuer today.”

“Millicent Hasservan. My friends call me Millie.”

“Hi, Millie.” Tanya said and then smiled. “So, what's your quirk?”

Millie blinked her eyes a couple of times before she realized that Tanya was making a joke. “I can bite through solid food without hurting my teeth.”

Tanya barked a laugh and grinned at her. “My quirk is specific acceleration, which I'll show you in a moment when I flee from embarrassment.”

Millie barked a laugh. “I'll be shivering later when I remember this, too.”

“Just remember me kicking ass and you should be fine.” Tanya said and lifted up into the air. “Bye, Millie.”

“Bye! Wait! What's your number?” Millie asked.

Tanya took out her phone and they exchanged numbers. She waved and then shot off through the sky like a bullet.

“Wow.” Millie said as she watched her new friend disappear from sight.

The roof door opened and the gym teacher came out. “I heard there was a fight up here.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Millie said and pocketed her phone and walked by the man. She didn't look back and didn't see the fading face with beady eyes that had been in the wall behind her.

*

“Wow.” Izuku said as his best friend came in for a landing. “Just. Wow.”

Tanya laughed and punched his shoulder. “We need to eat.”

Izuku nodded and they sat down to eat. “I didn't see the guy.”

“Me, either. It was just a bunch of girls bullying Millie.”

“We can keep looking tomorrow.” Izuku suggested.

Tanya nodded in agreement and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

“So, what was Millie's quirk?” Izuku asked her with a grin, knowing full well the girl was going to ask the velociraptor that exact question.

Tanya snorted and then burst out laughing. “I asked her that! Did you see her face?”

Izuku nodded and listened as Tanya told him about everything that was said. “I'm surprised you didn't ask about the guy we're looking for.”

“Oh! Good idea!” Tanya said and used her phone to text Millie. It beeped at her and she read it. “His name's Mirio. He has a weird quirk that lets him phase through stuff.” She typed a bit more and put the phone away.

“We have English for first period this afternoon.” Izuku reminded Tanya and they shared a knowing smile. More quirk analysis time was in their immediate future.