Dreams [Tourmaline x Mezo]

[NicTheDjinn]

Tourmaline didn’t dream like most people did.

There was no job he fantasized over that he wanted to do, there was no passion that he thought could turn to profit at a later date. He liked cute things, but that was hardly something he could make a career out of on its own, and he was very good at math for some inexplicable reason. Honestly, Tourmaline believed he would spend the rest of his life floating along, unable to find something suitable for himself that would feed that sensation everyone talked about when they had a job they loved. Maybe join the family business of entertainment, be an actor. Who knew? Certainly not him.

Then, he’d seen him.

Up until that point in Tourmaline’s life, every hero he’d seen was one that avoided violence when they could. One that would either end fights with villains in a single blow or simply capture them. He’d never seen a hero really fight a villain, really get into it with someone of equal skill or strength and need to fight with all their might, teeth bared and grinding down to the gums as they fought for the upper hand. He’d never seen a hero unafraid to show off their aggression in battle.

Gang Orca was an inspiration. His inspiration.

He used his strength to protect others, even when they were afraid of him for his appearance. And while Tourmaline wasn’t intimidating in the least, he could sympathize with doing something and receiving very little in return. But as long as people were safe and villains were captured, that was all that mattered at the end of the day. So Tourmaline turned his empty afternoons into training, studying and preparing for the U.A. entrance exam. He wasn’t special, never had been, and becoming a hero had never even crossed his mind, but his quirk could be put to good use instead of wasted on a civilian lifestyle at the very least.

His proudest moment was opening his U.A. acceptance letter, and now, he was here.

He sat in the common rooms, homework in his lap, struggling through a history assignment but just managing as he reread his notes for what felt like the hundredth time, the eraser end of his pencil being abused between his teeth, his hair loose and cascading over his back and the couch he sat on. It would be a nightmare to untangle later, but he was too wrapped up in answering his homework to care at the moment, wings fluttering in frustration whenever he had to read back on his notes again.

His wings froze for a moment and he turned his head up to meet the gaze of someone that had just walked in. Tourmaline’s gentle motions resumed, a small smile forming on his glossed lips, “Hi! Sorry, didn’t see you there. Just doing homework, did you want the couch?” not waiting for a response, he began collecting his books and papers to make way for the other to sit.

-----

Mezo wasn't normally one for flair or presence-- well, beyond what his stature and quirk provided-- and really, he wanted to be a hero simply because he believed he would make a difference, even if only a little. It was encouraging, seeing heroes like Gang Orca take the state by force, despite their outward appearances, and gave him hope that, maybe, he too could make a name for himself. Though, admittedly, being in 1A surely makes it a bit difficult-- a good many of his classmates were.... More aesthetically pleasing than himself, and most had unforgettable quirks as well. But, at least his classmates, for the most part, were genuinely good people, even if some come off as brash or cold.

However, there was one classmate he found himself inexplicably drawn to-- Tourmaline. The almost too pretty boy was a lovely character, exceeded expectations often, and had been kind to him in the past as well, seeming not to mind his appearance. Today, though, Mezo had told himself that he would make a genuine effort to get closer to the other, in the hopes of humoring his almost annoying longing for the other, and hopefully nip it with rejection if Tourmaline didn't feel the same. It was stupid, catching feelings just because someone was being genuinely nice to you, treating you like a normal person, but.... He couldn't help it. He'll learn if he was jumping to conclusions.

He'd been heading to the common room area to head to the kitchen, hoping to grab a bite, but upon finding Tourmaline struggling with his homework, his hair a gorgeous mess, he couldnt help how he stared at the other. His face grew hot when the other noticed him, and he soon came over without thinking much of it. "Ah-- I was actually going to grab something to eat, but that can wait a while.... What are you working on?" He asked, soon sitting next to the fairy boy once room was made for him. He looked over at the other's hair again, and hummed softly to himself. "If you want, I can work on fixing your hair while I help you? This section wasn't too difficult for me-- maybe I can make it easier for you?" He offered, seemingly to materialize a hair tie out of nowhere, the band around his wrist. "But if you'd rather have my company alone, that's fine too." Though his tone was even, the larger teen was honestly nervous. To think that he'd be almost as anxious now as he was back during the forest incident would be laughable back then.

Alas, young love was a terrifying thing in its own right.

-----

Tourmaline smiled as his large classmate slipped into the spot he'd made for him, an apologetic look crossing over his delicate features when the other mentioned getting food. He felt bad that he had distracted him or pulled him away from eating, but Mezo didn't seem to mind so he didn't dwell on it, just collecting his mess of hair to the side for him to work with.

"Thanks, it's just history though and I have everything I need I just keep forgetting... I don't have the best memory for this stuff. Ask me things about my favorite books and I can recite them from memory! But academics just don't stick." It's why he had to study constantly, even rereading what he wrote in class itself, just for the information to stick with him long enough to put on paper or fill out a test before it was gone again. It was... annoying, knowing that he was surrounded by so many people that were so smart and had gotten in just because they legitimately knew these things, and he'd just basically created a cheat sheet in his mind and blanked everything from then on. No one held it against him, he could tell, but other students and even teachers had wondered how he'd gotten in.

Tourmaline realized he'd just been sort of... staring at his assignment for a bit too long and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment, sitting up straighter and fixing Mezo with a small smile, "Sorry, went away for a second there. I'd love your company! And you're welcome to mess with my hair, it's a disaster. If you're up to the challenge, of course." He winked playfully, picking up his pen to see if he could actually remember the last sentence he read this time.