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"Do you wish you could change something about your body?"
Mina asks this without a real thought.
She just lays on the floor, sharing space with Shoto in the common area on a weekend evening. It's way too late, her thoughts too insecure and the boy on the couch next to her way to perfect to even know what insecurity means.
"Yeah."
Minas eyes widen. That's not the answer she expected. He is Shoto Todoroki, after all. At the beginning of their first school year, he got crowned Mr. Best-Looking. What could he possibly want to change?
"Really? But why? You look beautiful!"
"I do?"
"Of course! You have beautiful white red hair. Two eye colors. You have muscles but also a thin waist. You -" "have a big scar on my face."
Mina stills. Her eyes wander from the wall she was looking at to Shoto. His scar. Huh.
It's just part of his face. His beautiful face. She never... saw it as something that should be changed. It's simply there. Not changing anything about his beauty.
"Which is not something one would call beautiful. It's hideous. " Shoto continues, "Do you want to change something?"
A small laugh escapes Mina. "Of course!"
"Really?" It's weird how surprised he sounds. As if he could not believe that Mina wants to change something.
"I'm a woman. There is always something about me that is not good. My arms, my legs, my tummy, my muscles, my eyes, my lips, my ears, my teeth..."
"You wish to change all of this?"
"I don't know... maybe?"
Her eyes wander down her body. "I liked my body until... you know - the world saw me. People are judging my body instead of my work. They see my boobs and not my hard work of fighting for mine and many others' lives. They see the scars of the war but not the war I fought in! I know that people liked to call me scary because of my horns and eyes. Called me weird because of my skin color. And I was strong enough to fight against those three or four sentences from some idiots, but now it feels like the whole world has an opinion about every body part of mine. Like its a hobby of theirs to tear my body apart and find things they decide I need to change."
Silence spreads between them.
Mina pulls her sleeves over her arms, hiding her body behind her jacket. Hoping to hide her insecurities with her clothes.
She feels Shotos eyes on her. Embarrassed, she avoids his eyes, looking stubbornly down on her hands, which are covered by her sleeves.
She shouldn't have started this conversation. It was stupid. What did she think?
"I never," Shotos' voice is soft and hesitant like he himself is not sure what to say. "I never looked at your breasts, but I do know that you work hard to be a hero."
And aren't those the nicest words she ever heard? It feels good to be seen. Her hard work instead of her body.
Tears form in Minas' eyes.
"Thank you, Shoto", she murmurs.
"And for what it's worth, I don't think your scar is ugly. It's more... like a mole?"
Shoto frowns. "A mole? But...my scar is big"
"What I mean is that it isn't something that... ruins your face. It's more like decoration? Like people have beauty marks or freckles on their face. And no one would say that those "ruin" a face. Or that those are hideous. Because they aren't. They are simple part of a person's face."
"I'm not sure I understand."
A sigh escapes Mina. "Well, I'm shifty at explaining. That's the best I have. Just accept that your scar is beautiful, okay?"
"I..."
"Accepted?" Minas eyes pins Shoto, erasing ever complain he had seconds ago.
"Yes. Accepted."
Shotos frown easies, and something close to a smile appears on his face.
"I like your teeth. Accepted?"
Now it's Minas' turn to frown. "It's okay, really. You don't need to lie to make me feel better. I didn't want to make this about myself."
"I did not lie. I like your teeth. In our first year, you had an all teeth smile. I always liked it. When you started laughing behind your hand, I did not understand why. Momo told me that some people are insecure about their smile or teeth. But I like yours. Smile and teeth."
"Shoto," tears fall down Minas' cheeks. She was wrong before. Those words are definitely the best she's ever heard.
"You're crying? Did I say something wrong?"
"No. No." With a shaky laugh, Mina shakes her head, "I'm just really happy about what you said. Thank you."
"So you accept that your teeth are not something to feel insecure about?"
"Yes, I accept."
"Your eyes are pretty. Accepted?"
"Todoroki, you really do not need to do this."
"But I read it's a good thing to compliment other people and oneself. That's why I try not to frown when I see myself in the mirror, even though I dislike my scar."
"... and you mean it?"
Shoto nods. "I do."
Smiling, Mina gets into a sitting position. "Okay. I accept. Your eyes are beautiful, too. Accepted?"
Shoto hesitates. He never thought about his eyes. His problem was always his scar.
His eyes... They are unmatched. They aren't normal. They-
"Your eyes are beautiful, accepted?"
"Accepted," he whispers.
"Your shoulders are good the way they are. Accepted?"
"Accepted," she whispers back.
Their voices turn into whispers while warmth surrounds them.
Their insecurities are in the open, but for the first time, they have someone to tell them the truth. Have someone beside the ugly voice in their heads.
In each other, they find someone who understands.
"Your hugs feel comfortable, accepted?"Mina continues. How could she not when it feels so good.
"I...yes. Accepted. Your horns are very cool. Accepted?"
Mina chuckles weakly. "You spend more time with Kami and Hanta, huh?"
"I do. Your horns are cool. Accepted?"
"Accepted."
"I like this. It feels good. Are my hugs really comfortable?"
"They are. Really. We know you feel insecure about them, but I promise you, Todoroki, they feel comfortable. And we are all happy to hug or be hugged by you."
The smile Shoto sends her way is the brightest she has ever seen on him. And once again, she does not understand how someone could ever see him and think about his scar as something hideous.
This man in front of her is absolutely stunning.
"You know...it will probably take a while until you are able to see yourself differently, but should you ever falter and start to think bad about yourself, you can always come to me. I will shower you in compliments until there is no doubt left in your mind. No matter how many times a day. "
Mina walks up to him and holds her pinky up. "I pinky promises you that."
"I feel the same way. Should you ever need me, I will be there for you. I may not be as good with words as you, but you're my friend, and I'm happy to help."
Shoto holds his pinky up, and Mina interlocks them. "It's a pinky promise," she says with a smile.
Mina does not lose her jacket. Her body still stays hidden. Shoto still frowns at himself in the morning when he looks into a mirror.
Their insecurities do not vanish after one conversation. But it's a start.
They will continue working on themselves until the day Shoto is able to smile in the mirror, and Mina wears clothes because she likes them, not because she can hide her body with them.
And until those days come Mina and Shoto will relay on each other.
"Mina?"
"Yes?"
"I like being your friend. Accepted?"
"Accepted."