[Third Person's PoV]
Tony and Melissa sat in their seats in class, both looking dramatically different from how they usually appeared.
Melissa's skin practically shimmered under the classroom lights, her face glowing with vitality and satisfaction. She wore a radiant, almost ethereal smile, and her whole presence exuded an aura of pure contentment. Her posture was impeccable, sitting upright with the grace and elegance of a high-society lady.
Tony, however... His cheeks were hollow, his eyes sunken with dark, heavy bags sagging underneath. His hair was a chaotic mess, sticking up in strange angles like he had wrestled a hurricane and given up halfway through. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Tony Stark was running purely on fumes. A small, almost defeated sigh escaped his lips, as if a piece of his soul was leaking out with each breath.
'The only reason I'm still alive is because I'm practically a super soldier...' Tony thought bitterly as he let his forehead drop onto the desk with a loud, dull thud.
While Tony wallowed in his exhaustion, Melissa sat pristine and composed, practically looking down at him with amused pity.
Soon, students started pouring into the room, some practically sprinting through the door, desperate not to be late for their written midterm exams. The seats filled quickly, nervous chatter slowly dying down into an anxious silence as everyone got ready.
Once the classroom was completely settled, Mr. Aizawa shuffled in, looking as disinterested as always. Without much preamble, he began handing out thick exam booklets along with answer sheets to each student.
Tony lazily leaned back in his chair, twirling his pen over his forefinger at such high speed it became a blur.
'Honestly, I could finish this thing in five minutes flat… but then what? I'll just sit here bored out of my mind.'
Deciding to take his sweet time, Tony casually flipped open the exam and began answering at a leisurely pace, half-heartedly amused by how ridiculously simple the questions were for him.
Unfortunately, his relaxed, indifferent attitude had a very different effect on the rest of the class.
'IF HE'S STRUGGLING, HOW INSANELY HARD IS THIS TEST?!'
The shared thought echoed through the heads of nearly every student, their anxiety skyrocketing as they sneaked glances at Tony's unusually slow progress. Some were already contemplating whether dropping out was a viable option.
However, much to their collective surprise, as they dug into the test, they realized the questions were actually quite manageable. In fact, most of it was material they had painstakingly reviewed during their study sessions with Momo and the others. Relief washed over the room like a wave, and the tension eased enough that a few even managed small smiles.
Gradually, one by one, students stood up and handed in their completed tests, placing them neatly on Aizawa's desk before returning to their seats.
When Tony finally strolled up to submit his own exam, Aizawa raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly. Speaking in a low voice to not disturb the others, he said, "It's weird. I would've expected you to be the first one to finish, not one of the last."
Tony gave a lazy, mischievous grin and replied, "I was bored. Decided to see what it felt like to be stupid for once." He dropped the test onto the desk and sauntered back to his seat without a care in the world.
'GO AND DIE, YOU BASTARD!'
The unified, silent screams of those still frantically scribbling on their papers filled the room, each person mentally cursing Tony in their own unique, furious way.
Before they knew it, the school day came to an end along with the midterms, leaving behind a classroom full of exhausted students. Tomorrow, however, loomed larger in their minds—the physical exams.
As Tony made his way outside, he casually had an arm over Denki's shoulder and asked, "So… no one's down for some last-minute training?"
Denki shook his head with a sheepish smile. "Nah, man. We all agreed to take it easy today. If we overwork ourselves now, we might end up hurting our chances tomorrow. Better to rest up and go in fresh."
Tony chuckled, nodding approvingly. "Smart move, actually. Well then, I wish you all luck."
He patted Denki's shoulder once before heading toward the parking lot.
Waiting for him was his beloved motorcycle. With a casual hop, he mounted it and revved the engine to life.
Momo, looking a little embarrassed but determined, climbed onto the seat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a firm but shy grip. Her face was slightly pink, but she said nothing, focused only on the ride ahead.
Meanwhile, Melissa was already leading the way out, her own bike roaring ahead as Tony followed her closely, the trio heading back toward the safety of home,
…
Tony lounged comfortably on the sofa, one leg crossed casually over the other, a soft cushion resting on his lap with an assortment of snacks piled on top. He absentmindedly munched as he relaxed, appearing completely at ease.
Across from him, sitting somewhat stiffly on the opposite couch, were Melissa and Momo. Both girls wore expressions that hovered somewhere between awkwardness and anticipation as they waited for Tony to deliver his final verdict.
Clearing his throat and straightening slightly, Tony spoke, "First things first, we need to have a serious discussion about how this relationship of ours is going to work. What it looks like, how it functions, and, most importantly, the rules we all agree to follow to make sure it lasts." As he finished speaking, he casually tossed a grape into the air and caught it smoothly in his mouth, the action almost tauntingly carefree compared to the seriousness of the conversation.
Momo shifted slightly, her gaze flickering over to Melissa. After a moment's hesitation, she asked softly, "I never actually asked you… how did you feel about everything that happened yesterday? You aren't upset, are you?"
Melissa's expression softened immediately. She reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Momo's shoulder, her blue eyes shining with sincerity. "Honestly, Momo... I'm incredibly grateful to you. More than I can even properly express."
"What?" Momo blinked, genuinely surprised and confused by the heartfelt response. She was about to press further, but Tony, sensing the budding conversation that would follow, swiftly cut in to steer the conversation back on track.
"Alright. About the relationship..." Tony said, clapping his hands once for emphasis.
Melissa, realizing Tony's intention, nodded eagerly. "Right, right! So, just to be clear from the start—Momo and I aren't romantically involved with each other. No offense, Momo, but I'm just not into girls like that."
"None taken," Momo said quickly, giving a small, nervous smile. Her cheeks turned a soft pink as she glanced shyly at Tony. "The one I love is Tony, after all…"
Melissa smirked mischievously, the sparkle of playful teasing lighting up her face. "Although… I wouldn't exactly mind a little threesome between us here and there."
Momo's face erupted into a fierce blush, the poor girl practically steaming from embarrassment, while Tony just gave Melissa a long, unimpressed look before shaking his head in exasperation.
"Melissa, we literally just went on our first date. Let's slow down a little, yeah?"
Melissa blinked at him. "...We had sex on our first date," she said bluntly, her expression deadpan.
Tony turned his head away, grumbling under his breath, "We're American. It's different."
Momo looked like she wanted to sink into the couch from the sheer awkwardness, but Melissa wasn't finished yet. She arched an eyebrow at Tony. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Tony sighed heavily before explaining, "It means... well, culturally, Japan is a lot more reserved about this kind of thing. Public displays of affection, relationships, even just talking about this stuff—it's way more private. That's why, with Momo, I'm taking things slow. No rushing into anything big. We'll move at the pace she's comfortable with."
Momo's heart swelled with emotion at Tony's words. She looked at him with pure gratitude, appreciation glimmering in her eyes, and a soft, tender smile on her lips.
"That's fair enough," Melissa conceded, shrugging with a sheepish smile. She could tell Momo appreciated the care Tony was taking and decided to let the subject drop for now.
Tony nodded, feeling relieved the heavy topic had passed, and looked at both girls seriously. "To make this relationship actually work, the absolute most important thing is going to be communication and honesty. If either of you ever feels unsatisfied or uncomfortable with something—anything—you have to tell me. I'm many things, but psychic is not one of them."
Momo giggled softly and teased, "But surely someone like you could invent something that would make you psychic, right?"
Tony snorted, rolling his eyes in good humor. "If I really tried, maybe. But that's not the point. You both get what I'm saying, right?"
Both girls nodded immediately, their expressions earnest.
"Well, communication is the foundation of every healthy relationship, romantic or otherwise. It's not just ours," Melissa added, flashing a lopsided grin.
They spent the next hour in a surprisingly mature and open conversation. Each of them laid out their personal expectations, their hopes, their personal boundaries, and even some lighthearted "do's and don'ts." They discussed everything from emotional needs to future goals, building a strong and genuine framework for their unconventional relationship.
By the time they finally wrapped up the conversation, Tony slumped back into the couch with a satisfied sigh, feeling lighter for having cleared the air so thoroughly.
"So…" Melissa broke the comfortable silence with a playful smile. "Now what? Are we officially in a relationship? I feel like there should be more ceremony or something."
Tony scoffed. "What, you expect us to throw our hands together in the middle and shout 'Huzzah!' to make it official or something?"
Melissa's face turned slightly pink. "You know what? Yes. Yes, I do."
Before Tony could protest, Melissa leaned forward dramatically, placing her hand in the center of the room.
"To making it official!" she declared boldly.
Tony gave her a deadpan stare. "I'm not doing that."
Quick as a whip, Melissa turned toward Momo with a teasing grin. "Did you hear that, Momo? He doesn't want to make it official. Guess he just wants to make you his mistress or concubine instead."
Momo, blushing furiously but laughing shyly, placed her hand on top of Melissa's without hesitation, looking at Tony with expectant eyes.
Tony groaned loudly, covering his face with one hand before muttering, "You're both so weird. I just want that on the record."
Nonetheless, grumbling all the way, he reached out and placed his hand atop theirs.
With gleeful mischief, Melissa counted down, dipping their hand. "One... two... three!"
Melissa threw their hands into the air together and shouted, "It's official! Huzzah!!"
Tony visibly cringed at the sheer cheesiness of the moment, covering his face as if physically wounded. "That was so unbelievably corny…" he mumbled.
Both Melissa and Momo broke down into laughter, giggling uncontrollably at Tony's pained expression.
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