A/N: Doing my best to keep up with my once a month upload schedule, and I am genuinely sorry about messing up there. By the time I got to work on this it was nearing finals week and then it was break and life happened and yeah. Sorry. Anyways, as always, I want to thank all you awesome people who keep reading my stuff and keep supporting me. You guys are awesome as all hell!
Chapter 10: Complications
Two Days Later
Tenya Iida had always been an excitable person. His friends and family had always made that clear to him and he had long since come to accept it. It was a part of him and a part of him he rather liked at that. He didn't see the value in suppressing what he felt, not anymore. High school him had done that more than a few times, but he was mature now. No, he wanted the world to know how he felt.
And today, he was incredibly excited. Finally, after months if not years of hard work, the Project was done. All the blood and sweat, the sleepless nights spent working on it, they finally paid off. Tenya took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, and then, with a grandiose air about him, threw open the door of Plus Ultra Books with a loud crash. Ikko and Emilia looked up at him, their eyes wide with shock, and Izuku poked his head out of the backroom.
"Tenya?" Izuku asked. "Um, you all good there?"
"Everyone!" Tenya said as he walked in. He adjusted his glasses, making sure they were set just so on the bridge of his nose and smiled at the others. "I have excellent news!"
"This early?" Ikko asked. "Seems early for great news."
"What is it, Tenya?" Emi asked, leaning against the counter.
"Indeed," Toshinori said as he walked down the stairs slowly. "I'm interested in hearing this excellent news myself, young Iida."
"The Project is finally done." Tenya felt a rush of pride fill him up as he said it, and his smile grew wider. Emi's mouth fell open and Ikko gapsed. Izuku looked utterly shocked, and then a great smile spread across his face. Toshinori smiled a little as well, and his eyes seemed to ignite.
"You're serious?" Izuku asked, rushing over, his eyes wide. "You got it done?"
Tenya nodded. "Plus Ultra Books is now the proud owner of the next door building, and the Ishidas have agreed. Renovations for the cafe begin in a couple of months!" Tenya clenched his fist and punched up towards the ceiling. "We've done it! Plus Ultra Books and Cafe is happening!"
The bookstore exploded into noise, Izuku giving Tenya a bear hug while laughing, Ikko and Emi high-fiving with giant grins. Toshinori gave Tenya thumbs-up. Tenya and Izuku had been working on the Project for almost as long as they had been working at the bookstore, and Ikko and Emilia had jumped onboard when they began to work more at the store. It had been years in the making, years of business negotiations, research into how profitable it would be for both sides, discussions with the Ishidas-the owners of a nearby cafe that they all frequented-and constant saving of money for this singular goal. But it was done. All of that hard work was done.
"We gotta celebrate!" Emi exclaimed. "I mean, come on! This is huge!"
Tenya agreed, but shook his head with a smile. "We do need to celebrate, but our first priority is still making the bookstore as excellent as possible! We need to work even harder now to make sure that the effort does not go to waste. We will be the preeminent bookstore in the city!"
Izuku laughed and walked back over to the others. "Tenya's right. Let's go, guys, we gotta keep working. But now, now let's go-"
"-PLUS ULTRA!" Everyone cried, fists towards the ceiling. Ikko and Emi laughed but went back to checking over the shelves while Izuku went towards the backroom again.
Toshinori walked over to Tenya, his eyes still shining bright. The man had looked weaker than usual when he first came down, but the news seemed to bolster him a bit. "I always knew you and young Midoriya would change this old store of mine," he said, resting a hand on Tenya's shoulder. Tenya smiled softly and stood up a little taller. Even years later, praise from Toshinori caused pride to fill him up. "Good job, young Iida."
"Thank you, sir," Tenya said. "I'm just glad we'll be able to finally do it."
"As am I," Toshinori said. "I honestly was beginning to doubt if I would still be around to see the day, but you all continue to surprise me day after day."
"From what I remember, sir, we had made a promise to you to make this bookstore the greatest in the city," Tenya said. "Part of that promise was making sure you would see it."
The older man's eyes softened, and his smile grew ever so slightly. "What did I do to deserve you two, young Iida?"
"You and I both know the answer to that, Mr. Yagi." Toshinori Yagi laughed and nodded to himself as he turned to head back up to his apartment.
"I suppose we do, hmm?" He chuckled again as he headed up the stairs, Tenya watching him go. He couldn't help but smile again at the older man, the one who had taken him and Izuku in. Who had given them a purpose and a second home. Tenya Iida would do damn near anything for that man if he was asked.
He blinked and focused back on the task at hand. The bookstore needed to get ready for opening! "Ikko! How is stock going? Everything had better be ready! Just because the Project done doesn't mean you get to slack off!"
A Few Hours Later
Izuku drained the last remaining coffee in his mug and looked at the bottom of it in disappointment. He had been at the store since opening and had been working hard all day, especially after Tenya's news. Even thinking about it got him excited, though he no longer got that rush of energy it had when he first heard it. But that didn't counter the exhaustion that had been plaguing him all day. The night before had been a tumultuous one, involving a lot of tossing and turning and plenty of waking up in a cold sweat. And he knew exactly what had been causing it; the dreams had been very vivid.
Ochako Uraraka. Ever since Izuku had talked with Tenya and Shoto about his apparently obvious crush on Ochako he had been haunted by thoughts of her and more importantly, asking her out. Several of the dreams and thoughts he had involved a recreation of his attempt to ask out Tsu, which, well, honestly wasn't that bad. But the rest involved various degrees of failure and embarrassment. The worst ones were the ones about the aftermath. Awkwardness ruining his friendship with Ochako, pushing them apart. Those always hurt the most.
But some of them were amazing. Izuku smiled softly as he put down his coffee mug, thinking about one of the corny dreams involving a Ferris wheel date. He did his best to stop himself from blushing, but it happened regardless. His cheeks grew warm and he knew they were glowing. Not that it mattered much; no one was in the back with him. The corny dreams were his favorite, if he was being honest with himself. He had no idea how dating actually worked. Sure, he had seen how his friends had dated and he had been witness to some truly awkward moments of couples being couples, but he didn't really know the mechanics of it. But those dreams, they made it seem easy even if he knew they were incredibly unrealistic.
He sighed and then chuckled quietly to himself as he finished marking down some notes in the inventory notebook. Honestly, his dreams felt a lot like the corny romances he had watched with the group back in high school during some movie nights. Everything seemed easy and perfect once the main couple got together.
And all he had to do was ask out Ochako. The nervousness set in again and he grew a bit jittery. It was just so nerve wracking to think about, in seriousness. Dreaming about doing it, about the two of them dating was easy because it was just harmless fantasy. No one could get hurt from that. But to think about him going up to Ochako and saying, "Hey, I like you. Wanna go out?" or something like that was just so much more real and held some much more potential for harm.
"Izuku?" He jumped and whirled to see Tenya watching him from the doorway, an eyebrow raised. His friend had rolled up his sleeves and he looked tired but energized.
"Tenya, what's up?" Izuku asked, giving him a sheepish smile.
Tenya chuckled a little and checked his watch. "Aren't you heading home soon? From what I remember your shift is almost over for today." Izuku blinked and checked his watch. His face grew red and he chuckled awkwardly.
"I, uh, I lost track of time, I guess." Tenya's smile widened a little and he nodded in understanding.
"Ah, yes, of course! I completely understand myself." His eyes grew a bit distant but then snapped into focus as he clenched his fist. "We have worked so hard, Izuku! Years of struggle, sweat, blood, and tears! And now look at us! We are rising to the top, and we have to continue to rise ever higher! We will, one day, be the most dominant bookstore in this city!"
Izuku smiled watching his animated friend, Tenya's arms moving in several directions quickly as he talked. "You know it, Tenya. We're going to make Toshinori proud."
Tenya smiled and nodded, his eyes flashing for a second. "Indeed." He extended a hand to Izuku. "Let's do our best, Izuku."
"Always." Izuku took his hand and the two gripped each other's hands in a tight handshake, determined smiles on their faces.
"We're going Plus Ultra," they said together, their grins wide. They had made the same promise, the same handshake, years ago when they started. Back then, when Toshinori Yagi chose the two of them to help his bookstore, chose them to know his secret, and to help carry on his legacy. They owed him.
Izuku let go of Tenya and the two laughed a little. "I'm going to head out then, okay? Don't stay too late, though. You need to rest, too."
Tenya opened his mouth, no doubt to argue with Izuku, but then he closed his mouth and waved his hands. "Point taken." Izuku laughed and grabbed his stuff, heading out of the backroom. Ikko looked up from the register and lazily waved.
"Peace, Izuku," he said, a new paperback in his hands. The teen read more than Izuku ever had, and judging by the titles, had gone through a good chunk of the store's historical fiction section.
"See you, Ikko. Get some rest later, too." Ikko snorted as Izuku left, as if the idea of rest with Tenya in charge was absurd. Which, Izuku admitted, it kind of was.
Izuku stretched as he walked away from Plus Ultra, his legs and back killing him. He had been there all day and the evening sun was beginning to set. The night air was cold, but the cold helped keep up him awake as he walked to the apartment. Shoto had texted earlier that he was out for the night, presumably with Momo, and so Izuku looked forward to crashing on the couch and just lazing about for a few hours. They didn't have a whole lot of food in the apartment; Shoto had promised to go shopping on his way back, and so Izuku ran through in his head what he was going to get for dinner. Pizza was always good, but he had been craving some Thai and Tenya was a big fan of Thai food himself.
He smiled to himself as he walked, hands in his pockets, realizing he was just trying to distract himself. He really did not want to think about Ochako and what he was feeling for her. And yet, he really did, and the conflicting emotions drove him crazy.
Though, he admitted, the fact that he was even thinking about possibly asking her out said a lot him as a person. It had taken him weeks to decide with Tsu to ask her out, and even then he backed away the moment one bad thing happened. With Ochako, it hadn't even taken him that much time to honestly consider what would happen if he asked her out.
If he did, he thought, if, how would he do it? He would have to say it somehow, and it should be in person. Asking her out over the phone, whether through a call or text, felt too impersonal, too distant for him. Izuku chuckled at that; he was actually shunning the methods that could have prevented some pain.
Then again, he thought, if he asked her in person there was a pretty good chance he would stumble and stutter. There was a definite chance that would happen. So, what other way could he do it in person?
Writing. He could write, or at least so Ochako thought. And if she liked his writing, why not? Maybe write a little note to give her when his words failed him, inevitably, and it would explain everything. Izuku considered the idea; it wasn't as good as asking in person with his words, but it was still pretty good. Good enough, he thought.
It was only when he reached his apartment building and started up the stairs that he realized he was already writing the note out in his head. Somehow he had decided, without his own input, that this was what was going to happen. He chuckled to himself, his cheeks warm. Well, it appeared he had made up his mind. This was going to happen.
As he pushed open his apartment door and chucked off his stuff, he grabbed the Thai menu to grab himself some food and a pad of paper and a pen. He had a note to write.
An Hour Later
Ochako took a deep breath as she walked into Plus Ultra Books. Was her heart supposed to feel like it was trying to escape her heart? That didn't feel particularly normal but she did her best to ignore it. She was on a mission, one she had never thought she would do. It was time, she thought, to ask out Izuku Midoriya.
Oh god why was she doing this? The last couple of days had been spent in agonizing thought and reflection, digging deep into her thoughts and trying to figure out if she was really, honestly, truly going to do this. Put herself out there and risk getting hurt like all those years ago. It was hard to shake that fear, the memory haunting her every step to the bookstore. But, Ochako had slowly made up her mind. She had even managed to talk with Tsu about it, a little, and she felt ready to do this.
Besides, she wanted this. Just thinking of Deku made her feel a little lighter, a lighter warmer. More than anything she wanted to feel that more, feel that all the time with him. And there was no sense in trying to deny that anymore. This was what she wanted, to be with him and to give herself a chance at happiness. No more hiding away behind her past, telling herself it was for the best. She was scared, her legs weak as she crossed the border into the store, but she held her head high, and focused on the feeling of warmth when she thought about Deku.
Tenya was passing by, talking to the teen Ochako had come to know as Ikko, but stopped and turned when he heard the door close. His eyes lit up and a smile stretched across his face when he saw her, and Ochako found herself smiling happily back. "Ochako! It's good to see you!" Ikko flashed her a smile and quietly slipped away from Tenya, easily avoiding his waving arms. "But what brings you here so late?"
You can do this, Ochako told herself. Did her legs always feel that weak? "I was hoping to talk to Izuku, actually," she said. Her voice was shockingly calm and steady for how much of a wreck she felt like. That was a nice surprise.
Tenya raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm afraid you just missed him. Izuku headed back a little over an hour ago." He tilted his head and seemed to be ready to ask her another question when understanding seemed to wash over him. He smiled, a bit softer and more knowing this time, and pushed up his glasses. "He's probably back in our apartment by now, if you want to talk to him. Otherwise I could deliver the message for you?"
Ochako's eyes widened slightly and she fought to hold the blush back. "No, no, no! It's, it's fine!"
"You could text him as well, I suppose," Tenya said, stroking his chin. "Though, I suppose it must be something rather important. Perhaps about your book?"
She had no idea if Tenya was just messing with her, but she saw the out and took it. "Yeah, that's it! I just wanted to talk about our novel. I'll, uh, I'll just swing by your place and tell him myself!" She laughed nervously and spun on her heels to head out the door with a quick, stiff stride. "Thank you, Tenya!"
He chuckled behind her as she left the store. "Of course, Ochako! Anytime!" Ochako was pretty sure he knew more than he was letting on but she left it be.
It took her a little while to realize that she was walking quickly towards Deku's apartment. She could have stopped, turned around and went back to her own apartment. Her plan failed, she had an out, an excuse. She could just try again!
No, she knew that was just a halfhearted excuse. If she didn't do it now, she never would. It was either now, or she never does it. This was her moment, her chance to finally go after something that truly made her happy, more than happy. It had been too long since she tried, and she was tired of hiding and running from her fears.
"Let's do this," she muttered to herself.
It didn't take long to reach his apartment building, and she anxiously texted him, Hey, Deku, I'm outside your building? I just wanted to stop by for a second, if that's okay. Could, uh, you let me in?
He replied almost immediately: Ochako! Yeah, sure, I'll be right down!
A few moments later, and the door opened up, Deku smiling at her from inside. His hair was a mess of green curls and he was wearing a loose open hoodie and sweats. He was adorable, she thought. "Hey there! You wanna come on in?"
She nodded and slipped inside. The two of them went up the stairs, Ochako trying to figure out what to say, if anything. "Sorry for dropping by with so little notice!" Of course that's what she settled on. Figured.
Deku glanced behind him, and she thought his cheeks were a bit pink. "It's no worries! Having you around is always nice, Ochako." The smile that followed the statement nearly made her legs give in. She had no idea if he was just being sweet because he was Deku, or if it meant something more, but it still made her heart soar.
They reached Deku's door and he unlocked it and held it open for her. Smiling, Ochako stepped into the apartment and kicked off her shoes. "So, what's up?" Deku asked as he walked over to the couch. He stopped halfway and whirled around to face her, eyes wide. "Oh, wait! Do you want anything to eat or drink? I have some Thai food in the fridge if you want?"
Ochako giggled and shook her head, not quite meeting his eyes. "No thanks, I'm good. But thank you, Deku."
He smiled and walked over to the couch, plopping down. "Well, what's up then? Everything okay?" Ochako nodded and walked further into the apartment but stayed near the kitchen counter. The nerves were starting to get to her, she could feel them rising up and taking hold. You can do this, she told herself.
"Y-yeah, everything's okay." She could see, out of the corner of her eye, Deku frown and get up. As he walked closer, her heart thudded faster and faster. I got this, I got this, I got this, she chanted internally. I'm not losing now!
"You sure?" Deku asked, looking at her closely. "It seems like something is up."
She opened her mouth slightly, then closed it. Then opened it again, closed it. Finally she looked up and met Deku's eyes. Her hands balled themselves into her fists and she took a deep breath. I can do this. "Yeah, everything's fine," she said. "I just had something I wanted to say to you."
Deku's eyes widened a little and a slight tinge of red colored his cheeks. "O-oh? What is it?"
This was it. This was her moment, her chance to finally do it. It felt like everything else faded into the background. All that mattered was her, him, and the next words she would speak.
"I like you, Deku. A lot."
And there. They were out into the air, free from her heart and exposed to him. Ochako wanted so badly to just turn and run, to hide in a hole for weeks. She wanted to look away and not meet his eyes, not see his reaction out of fear. But she forced herself to stay rooted in place. Forced herself to meet his eyes. The world seemed to get a bit distorted, like she was underwater, and she realized she could feel tears forming in her eyes. But she focused on Deku.
His eyes widened even more and it seemed like he didn't even fully register what she had said. Like he was just in shock. But then, like a switch had been clicked, his whole face went red, a deep blush overtaking him. He began to mumble to himself in a nervous, stuttering fashion. She couldn't make out most of the words. Deku seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped. He looked to the side, and his expression changed slightly, from shock to something like concentration. And then he turned back, and she realized he was smiling this small, trembling, impossibly perfect and Deku-ish smile.
"I-I like you, too, Ochako."
The world got even fuzzier and Ochako realized she was crying, and yet, she had never felt happier. She could feel the smile spreading across her face and her own blush got warmer and deeper. And she cried, tears falling down her cheeks. And she laughed, happiness and nervousness and more emotions than she could even keep track of, pouring out of her. "Ochako?" Deku asked, alarm filling his voice. "Ochako, are you okay?" She choked back her laughter and met his eyes, smiling.
"You like me," she said. She had heard the words, but even then. She could hardly believe it, hardly believe that someone like him would ever like her.
"And you like me," he said with a nervous chuckle. "I, I had been planning on telling you. But I just couldn't believe that you would….well, you know." That started another bit of laughter from her, just at the absurdity of it all. Deku looked alarmed again. "What? What did I say?"
"Here I've been," she said as the laughter died down, "thinking you could never have liked me, when you've been thinking the same thing." She shook her head and looked at him. "We're idiots, huh?"
He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, we are." He met her eyes and she could… it wasn't even seeing, so much as just feeling, the affection he had for her. At that moment, Ochako could have sworn that life was never going to get better.
Ochako smiled and then stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She didn't want to speak again, and just went with her heart. Deku opened his mouth to say something, and Ochako just wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him in tight. "I really like you, Deku," she said softly.
A moment later, she felt Deku's arms wrap around her as well and his head gently rest on hers. "I really like you, too, Ochako," he said.
They stood there for who knows how long. Ochako didn't want to think about it; she just enjoyed the feeling. Both of Deku, and of the happiness that just flowed throughout her. It wasn't so much a rush or a flood of joy either; rather, it was a constant, humming warmth that just spread throughout her. But eventually, the two of them separated. Their faces were glowing red, but they were both grinning like idiots. Somehow, Ochako noticed, their hands ended up grasping each other.
"That was really nice," Deku said with an awkward chuckle. Ochako nodded in agreement, basking in the moment. "So, uh, I guess we're a couple, huh?"
Ochako smiled and gently squeezed his hands. "I would certainly hope so, dork," she teased. "I should probably go soon, but do you want to….Go out sometime?" She didn't really know being a couple was going to work; it seemed to be different for everyone. But she did know all she wanted was to spend some time with Deku. "Like grab coffee or go for a walk or something?"
Deku smiled brightly and squeezed her hands right back. "One hundred percent. But….why don't you stay for a while? Just a bit?" His smile turned a bit sheepish, but he never looked away from her eyes. "I, uh, kinda wanna spend some more time with you tonight, if that's okay! I mean if you have to go you should go, and I don't wanna keep you from anything or something!"
She giggled and leaned forward, gently kissing Deku on the cheek. He immediately stopped talking and his blush, which had been subsiding, flared back to life. "I think I can do that," she said.
The Next Morning
Tenya yawned as he unlocked the door to Plus Ultra Books. He had worked late last night, as Izuku was fond of pointing out, and hadn't gotten too much sleep. His mind was too abuzz with thoughts of the Plan. Renovations, designs, so much to do and plan and so, so little time. Honestly, how did Izuku ever sleep himself?
Thinking of his close friend made him smile as he slipped inside the store, closing the door with a gentle click. Tenya had come home the night before to a smirking Shoto and a blushing Izuku. Apparently, Ochako had been over and Shoto had walked in on the two of them just holding hands and talking. Despite the minor nature of the act, Shoto said the two of them panicked. But, as Izuku confirmed, it meant that the two of them were dating. Tenya was happy for them; he liked Ochako quite a bit and Izuku was like a brother to him. Seeing the two of them finally admit their feelings for each other and just be together was a joy. Izuku deserved to be happy like that, Tenya thought. True, he himself had little to no luck with relationships as of yet, so he didn't truly know what that happiness was, but he could see it in Izuku. A powerful glow.
But, enough about romance, he thought to himself. He had a store to open up. Everything appeared to still be in its place from the night before, but he double checked anyways. Even if it was him who closed the night before, he figured it never hurt to be thorough. After sweeping through the store, he nodded, satisfied. Everything was as it should be. The floor was clean, the books were orderly, everything was as he wanted it.
Tenya checked his watch and walked up a floor to the break room, setting up the coffee pot and putting a couple of the bagels they kept in there into the toaster. He had some time, as he expected, before opening time so he should at least eat and get some caffeine in him. A yawn reminded him of how exhausted he truly was and he waited impatiently for the coffee to brew. Once it was ready he got himself a cup, with just a couple of sugar packets in it, and ate his bagel.
Once he finished his breakfast he got up and started up the stairs to Toshinori's apartment. It was custom for him and Izuku to check up on their boss and mentor every morning. Toshinori never complained, and Tenya was sure Toshinori knew it was out of worry. His sickness didn't appear to be getting worse, but it certainly wasn't getting better. They couldn't afford to just ignore it.
As he clicked his key in, and gently opened the door, Tenya found himself smiling again. Honestly, yesterday had been a truly amazing day, for him and the store and for Izuku. He was sure that Toshinori would love to hear about Izuku and Ochako.
Tenya pushed open the door and strode into the apartment. "Morning, Toshinori," he called out as he closed the door. "Business as usual, you know." No response came, and Tenya frowned. Toshinori did sometimes sleep in late, but it was rare. He walked further into the apartment and turned to head towards the bedroom when he looked into the kitchen.
Slumped on the ground, was Toshinori Yagi. His chest was moving, but barely, and a cup was on its side next to him, orange juice spilled out onto the floor. Tenya's eyes widened and he felt his heart begin to pound. No, no, he thought desperately as he rushed over. No! This is not happening! He and Izuku had both taken first aid classes, in case something like this ever happened, and he had emergency services dialed up before it even registered to him.
As the operator came online, Tenya found himself acting mechanically, trying to shut down everything but what was needed to help Toshinori. He told the operator what was going on, the address, everything that would help. Toshinori was breathing, which was good. It wasn't as bad as it could've been. But it was still bad.
When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs rushing up the stairs, Tenya stood to the side, numb. Everything had been going so right. Why did this have to happen?
Why?
A/N: Hey guys! Again, I'm so sorry about the late update. Like I said earlier, it was finals time when I got to work on this, and then break and then life happened and….well, you get the idea. But, here it is! I hope you guys like it, and if you do, please let me know in whatever way you can! It honestly means so much to me, and I make sure to read every review I get from you guys. Thanks again!