I Am Iron Man (MHA) Chapter 222: Midterm Party

[Third Person's PoV] 


As the others went off to change out of their superhero costumes, Tony and Melissa remained the only ones who didn’t need to. Their suits having been designed and optimized by Tony himself seamlessly adapted to both combat and casual situations.


“So,” Tony began playfully, draping an arm casually over Melissa’s shoulders, “what do you think? Should we throw a high school party to celebrate surviving the midterms?”


His tone was teasing, not entirely serious. It was more of a joke than a genuine suggestion—at least, that was until he saw the way Melissa’s eyes lit up at the idea.


“A party?” she asked, voice filled with sudden excitement. “Like the ones we see in those really ancient movies you always show me?”


“I wasn’t being seri—” Tony started to say, but stopped mid-sentence. The way Melissa’s eyes sparkled with wonder completely disarmed him.


“I never even considered going to a party like that,” she said, her voice soft and thoughtful. “The only kind of parties I thought we’d ever attend were those uptight, fancy business ones. Like the one where we met, remember?”


She glanced up at him, a little shy and uncharacteristically bashful. “Can we?” she asked quietly, her voice almost hopeful.


Tony opened his mouth to respond, hesitated, and then let out a light sigh. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head with a faint smile. “Sure thing. Knock yourself out. Let’s throw a high school party.”


“Yay!” Melissa cheered, beaming with joy. She kissed his cheek and spun around excitedly. “I’ll go inform the others!”


As she ran off, Tony shook his head with an amused sigh. “I guess it’s not too bad,” he muttered to himself, “especially since it’s only a half-day today after the exam
”


Later, Tony found himself standing just outside the school, leaning against his sleek motorbike. One hand was held slightly outward, palm up. Liquid silver surged from his fingertips, forming into a small arc reactor that glowed with pure white energy. Photon particles buzzed in the air as he activated his interface.


A holographic image of U.A. High materialized before him, expanding and shifting rapidly into a complex display of layered data. Tony’s enhanced mind processed the ever-evolving structures effortlessly, manipulating the school’s internal security systems and transforming it into a digital fortress.


The hologram twisted into incomprehensible shapes and formulas, incomprehensible to most—but not to him. His expression was focused, his thoughts a whirlwind of calculations and encrypted codes.


‘I should be able to finish the job Nezu assigned me before we leave for summer training,’ he thought.


“Tony.”


He blinked, pulled slightly out of his focus. Looking up, he saw Momo Yaoyorozu approaching him, her expression curious but wary.


“Melissa seemed really excited, talking about a party happening later today,” she said carefully. “Is that true?”


Tony gave a half-smile and shut down the hologram, withdrawing the reactive energy and letting the silver vanish beneath his skin. “Yeah. Think of it as my reward to everyone—for not making me look bad. And to remind them all that the reason they passed midterms is because I was class president.”


Momo chuckled softly and glanced around, then leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Well, Melissa does seem genuinely excited about it.”


Tony smirked, pulled her in closer without hesitation, and kissed her—firmly, confidently.


Momo gasped lightly, hands rising to press against his chest. “Tony—wait
 someone might see us.”


“That’s the point,” he replied with a scoff. “If you want to kiss me or show affection, don’t hold back just because there are eyes around.”


“But the others—” she started, hesitation in her tone.


“Momo,” Tony said, his voice turning gentle but firm. “We agreed to date, didn’t we? I’m not going to be openly dating Melissa and then pretend like what you and I have is some secret I’m ashamed of. One, it wouldn’t be fair to you. And two, do you really think I care what anyone else has to say about us? The only opinions that matter are ours.”


Her eyes softened, filling with emotion. She raised a hand to his cheek and stroked it gently. “I know you might not care. But
 I’m not entirely ready to tell the others yet. It’s kind of complicated
 and, well, weird. It’s going to be hard to explain everything.”


She looked into his eyes, her voice low and sincere. “So please
 just be patient with me. Alright?”


Tony studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll be patient. But don’t expect me to stop loving you out loud.”


Momo smiled at that, leaning into his touch. “Deal.”


As soon as Momo pulled away from Tony, she flinched slightly at the sudden loud bang of the front doors being flung open. Melissa was at the helm, marching forward with a bright grin, leading the rest of the group with cheerful determination.


Momo’s eyes widened in panic for a moment, fearing someone might have seen the moment she just shared with Tony. Her gaze darted across the group, scanning for any suspicious looks or raised eyebrows—but to her relief, everyone seemed blissfully unaware. She let out a quiet sigh and pressed a hand against her chest, feeling the fast and heavy thumping of her heart finally begin to settle.


Then, like a pair of rockets, Mina and Denki sprinted past Melissa in a whirlwind of enthusiasm, leaving a faint cloud of dust behind them. They skidded to a dramatic halt right in front of Tony, eyes glittering with excitement.


“Is it true?!” they asked in unison, almost vibrating with energy.


Tony gave them an unimpressed look and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m not even a little surprised that you two are the ones most hyped about this.”


“Why are you even asking Tony?” Asui questioned, tilting her head. “Melissa wouldn’t lie about something like this.”


“Thank you~!” Melissa said with a warm smile, clearly touched by the support.


“Because,” Mina replied, hands on her hips, “Tony doesn’t seem like the party type.”


“Oi!” Tony interjected, pretending to be offended.


“I mean, no offense, dude,” Denki chimed in, nodding seriously. “You’re cool and all, but you just strike me as the guy who’d say no to parties because they’re ‘inefficient’ or something.”


“That’s actually insulting,” Tony muttered dryly, folding his arms. “For your information, I happen to be the biggest party guy around. And yes—the party is happening. Since we live near the beach, it might even turn into a beach party. So bring swimsuits.”


Denki’s eyes instantly welled up with mock tears as he dramatically pulled Tony into a tight hug. “You’re the best person I know! I love you, man!”


Melissa’s eyes lit up with realization. “Oh! I didn’t even think about the beach. I’ll message everyone and let them know to bring beachwear,” she said, already pulling out her phone.


“You have five seconds to let go of me before I blast you with an unibeam,” Tony muttered, unamused, his tone deadly serious.


Still holding him, Denki placed both hands on Tony’s shoulders and whispered with reverence, “All the girls... in bikinis
 This is going to be amazing.”


The girls nearby—Momo, Asui, Jirou, Mina, and even Melissa—stared at Denki with the same unimpressed, deadpan expression. Jirou, still glaring at him with narrowed eyes, shook her head.


“Well, we should get going if we want to get ready in time,” she said flatly, turning on her heel.


The others nodded and began saying their goodbyes, all smiling excitedly at the thought of the upcoming party. Denki, still lost in his daydreams, practically skipped as he ran off, jumping and clicking his heels together like he’d just won the lottery. Tony couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected move.


Once the crowd thinned out, Tony swung his leg over his motorbike and started the engine with a low rumble, Momo climbing behind him “Alright, come on. We’ve got some serious prep to do before they show up. Luckily, with Friday helping us, it’ll go quick.”


“Right!” Melissa said, nodding as she hopped onto her own bike. As she landed, her body bounced slightly with the motion, and she adjusted herself with a quiet giggle.


Tony took the lead, pulling out of the school lot with Melissa right behind him, her hair whipping in the wind. There was a bubbling excitement building in her chest.


‘I wonder if we can find—or maybe even make—those red party cups they always seem to use in those old American movies Tony shows me,’ she thought with a grin.