A/N: Takes place after the war, reader is in the hero course, Iida’s eyes are red like in the manga because I say so, I tried to keep it as in-character as possible..
It was unlike Tenya to be so jittery.
He couldn’t help it, though. Not when you were standing right in front of him, in all your glory, looking better than he thought was humanly possible.
It had all started his first year at U.A. You were a classmate, another hardworking student on their path to becoming a hero. At first, you were simply admirable like the rest of the hero course students. Tenya had never paid anymore mind to you than everyone else. However, as the year went on his affections for you turned to be more than that of “just a classmate.” He adored you. His normally calm attitude seemed to vanish whenever you were near. You could turn him to goo just by looking at him. He was putty in your hands.
“Iida, you can go. It’s okay.”
You looked up at where he stood by the doorframe. He was still in his hero costume, but his helmet sat on a chair nearby. He seemed to loom over you.
“Nonsense,” he said firmly. “It is my responsibility as class president to ensure the safety of my classmates.”
“I’m in Recover Girl’s good hands.”
His cheeks were pink, and his eyes always seemed to meet every inch of your face except your eyes. No matter what, Iida never made eye contact with you.
The war had ended not even an hour ago. Iida was exhausted. Battered. Bruised. Aching. Hurting all over. Yet still, he ran to you. His big hands clasped you on the shoulders tightly. They shook.
“Are you hurt?” He had asked so adamantly. You couldn’t ignore the way it drove you a little crazy.
“Of course you are,” He nodded, his eyes dancing around the room. “I’m simply to make sure you get to your dorm safely.”
“Why do you do that?” You asked suddenly. His eyes flickered to yours, then away again. It seemed he was looking at your nose this time.
“What do you mean?” He asked slowly, almost nervously.
“You never look me in the eye, Iida.”
Tenya hesitated. His breath got caught in his throat. His heart was skipping beats. What seemed like thousands of questions raced through his mind. Were you catching on to his feelings? Were you upset? Uncomfortable? And most importantly, if he revealed his truest affections to you, how could you react?
“I do apologize,” he stammered stiffly. “I don’t mean anything impolite by it.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
You couldn’t help but be hopeful. Iida was the perfect guy. He was smart, polite, responsible, kind, and—in your humble opinion—incredibly handsome. Tenya Iida was completely and utterly tantalizing.
You watched him intently. He wiped his hands on the pants of his suit nervously—having already taken off some of his armor. He stood up straight and stiff and took a breath.
“(Y/N).” Slowly, he stepped forward. His soft red eyes finally met yours.
“I would…like to get to know you better,” he muttered softly. Then he sighed. “I would like to take you out. I would like to spend all the time in the world with you. And I,” he hesitated, “would like you to call me Tenya.”
At this point, Tenya was convinced he should turn around and sprint the other way. He had no way of knowing what was going on inside your head. Was the feeling mutual? Were you happy? Were you nervous? He could feel the beads of sweat dripping down his back. He pulled at the fabric around his neck.
You sighed loudly. A huge weight seemed to lift off your shoulders.