Chapter 12

The Lightning and the Flame

This is it MHA fans! The last chapter of the 'I Won't Leave You No Matter the Danger' story! I hope all of you enjoyed reading this story as much as I loved writing it but I would love any feedback you'd like to give down in the comments! Again, if any of you would be interested in the MHA + HTTYD crossover then let me know because that will tell me what you guys are interested in! I am going to post the first chapter of my second story later today so be ready for that as well! If you have any prompts you would like me to write a story on, then please either comment or dm me because I would love new ideas! I can also do stories on other fandoms if you would like, I have to have seen or read it of course but it can be anime or otherwise! I will also be posting this story and all future stories on Archive or Our Own as well of so if you have a preference, you can read on any platform you'd like! Thank you again to all of my readers, I am so grateful to both the haters and the supporters, you guys are the ones that push me forward! Now enjoy the final installment to this story!

Ochako stared up at the plain, unassuming door that she knew belonged to Izuku Midoriya. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty but she was excited. She wanted to stay with him this weekend as they used to, hanging out and making snacks while binging a show like Criminal Minds or Sherlock Holmes, trying to guess what happens by using crazy theories to come up with the most outrageous solutions. This time, she could feel it, was different but she wanted to make this trip with him feel as normal as possible. Taking a deep breath to boost her resolve and wiping her hands on her pants, Ochako stepped up to the door and knocked. It only took a few moments before a beaming Izuku stood in the doorway, his hair even messier than usual and his eyes bright with excitement.

"You're here!" Izuku exclaimed, moving to the side and motioning with his hand toward the inside of his home. Ochako smiled back at him, her nervousness forgotten and strode past him and into the house. She looked around as she stepped into a narrow hallway that opened up towards the back into what she assumed was the kitchen area. The floors were made up of smooth wooden planks that ran the length of the house in neat vertical lines while the walls simply complimented the space with a cream paint color. She peered down the hallway and immediately spotted Izuku's room which was labeled with a large sign in the shape of All Might's hair followed by a door that she assumed was the bathroom. Izuku walked up beside her and leaned down with his hand extended.

"Would you like me to take your things?"

Ochako smiled down at him and took a step back, bowing lavishly.

"I thank you, my lord, for this outstanding service."

Izuku bowed back without hesitating, a smile teasing the corner of his lips.

"Anything for the queen."

He then scooped up her bag and jacket before trotting off down an extension of the hall to drop it off in her room. He came back a moment later, finding Ochako in the living room.

"It isn't much, but it is home," Izuku said with a satisfied nod.

"It's perfect," Ochako said, spinning in a slow circle around the living room before plopping down on the couch. She sighed and ran her fingers over the soft couch cushions, relaxing fully into the comfortable seat.

"So, what should we do now?" Ochako asked, glancing at Izuku who was watching her with a bright smile.

"Let me think…"

Their clothes lay scattered all over the floor. The room was dimly lit and the curtains were drawn, the nearby streetlights casting weak golden rays into the dark room. The blankets were rumpled and the pair were comfortably snuggled up to one another.

"Wow, that was fantastic."

"I know right? That was really fun!"

"I'm glad you liked it, I was a little worried you'd be disappointed in me."

"Izuku..." Ochako turned to her friend and raised her eyebrow. "I would never be disappointed in you just because you choose a bad movie. I'm happy just to hang out with you! But this movie was not a disappointment at all, I can't believe I've never seen that!"

Izuku smiled and winked at her.

"Good I'm glad you liked it, Ochako."

Izuku yawned and stretched his arms above his head, groaning as his joints popped.

"I'm exhausted though, think it's time for bed?"

Ochako nodded. She was a little worried about tonight especially since she was sleeping in a new place but she had faith that she could be comforted by Izuku's presence alone, even if they were in different bedrooms.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired too," Ochako stood up, stretching her arms as well, her pajama shirt riding up to reveal a little bit of her waist, before rolling her shoulders and bending down to help Izuku up. Izuku took her hand and pulled himself up, stumbling back a little and brushed off his pants.

"Alright so, we do not have a guest bedroom and my mom's bed isn't the most comfortable so you can stay in my room if you want. Don't worry, I've cleared out most of the All Might memorabilia for you so it shouldn't be too cringy." Izuku rubbed the back of his head and glanced at the floor again, his cheeks gaining more of their ever present red hue.

"Thanks, Deku, but you really don't have to give up your space for me, I am fine sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, it can't be that bad can it?"

"No, I insist. You are not causing any trouble by being in my room. I've already put your stuff in there anyway."

Ochako shook her head but smiled at him.

"Thanks, Deku." They stared at each other for a moment until Ochako broke the silence, blushing. "Alright, well I better go get ready."

Izuku nodded and gave her a small wave.

"Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

The pair parted ways as Ochako headed into Izuku's room for the night. When she walked in, she was amazed at how much he had removed for her but the wall paint color, bedsheets, and wall art still screamed Izuku's name with the bright All Might theme. Even dumbed down, it was still kind of an attack on the senses but it was so him. She quickly got used to it and grew more comfortable in the space. She went to bed that night feeling a little less disturbed than usual.

The scream tore Ochako from her sleep so abruptly that she hit the back of her head on the headboard behind her when she sat up, jolting into a sitting position like a spooked rabbit. She had not been in a deep sleep but she had been in a deeper sleep than in the past few weeks so being shocked into a waking state like this left her disoriented and frightened. Ochako shot out of bed and nearly blasted through the door, racing to the kitchen where she found a large kitchen knife in a knife block on the counter. She whipped around and bolted to Inko Midoriya's room, knife raised over her head. She shoved open the door and stumbled into the room in her haste to get through the doorway. Her head whipped from side to side, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. Her eyes finally made their way to the bed where she saw Izuku. The green haired boy was flailing around, his arms raised into the air like a cat when it falls off of a railing and his legs had long ago kicked the blanket to the floor. His breathing was panicked and his mouth was open in a frozen 'O' shape. It would have seemed almost comical had it not been for the fear coursing through Ochako's veins. Ochako slowly began to approach him when he screamed again. The sound sent an ice cold shower down her spine but this time she actually heard the word that was interlaced with that scream.

"OCHAKO!"

Ochako abandoned all precautions and raced to his side. He screamed her name again as she reached him, unaware that she was right beside him. She could see the sweat beading on his face, the color drained from him like a blank canvas. She tried calling out his name first but when he did not answer she climbed onto the bed near his feet and climbed on top of him. Grabbing his shoulders, she shook him as hard as she could, her own breathing moving so fast that it burned her throat. His skin burned beneath her hands, she could even feel the heat rising from his shirtless chest, his body was feverish. It only took a few seconds before his eyes fluttered open, those bright green eyes full of worry and blinding white fear. She barely had time to release him and move back a little bit before he pounced on her. Ochako squeaked in surprise as his arms wrapped themselves around her body and pulled her as close to him as possible. Ochako felt the knife that had still been latched in her hand drop to the floor with a dull thud. Izuku buried his face in her neck and one of his hands found their way to the back of her head, grasping her hair and rocking her back and forth. Ochako just sat there stunned as Izuku rocked her, sobbing into her hair.

After a short while, Izuku sat back, his hands placed on her shoulders so that he could just look at her. His eyes roved all over her face, the intense worry and love in them making Ochako squirm.

"Deku, are you-"

She couldn't even finish her sentence as he leaned in and kissed her. His lips were sweet and soft but contained an intenseness that took Ochako's breath away. They fit on hers like the perfect puzzle piece and even though she was surprised beyond belief, she allowed all other thoughts to melt away and let her instincts take over. Ochako closed her eyes and savored the taste of him on her mouth. Suddenly, his warmth was gone and she had to put in real effort to avoid letting out a disappointed sigh. She opened her eyes and saw that Izuku was still holding her shoulders but he was avoiding looking at her face now. He was shaking and his skin was still heated above normal but even in the darkness, she could tell that the color had come back into his face.

"I-I-I I'm s-so s-sorry O-Ochako. I don't know what came over me, I just had this horrible dream but it wasn't real and I was just so relieved that I-"

Now it was his turn to be cut off mid-sentence as Ochako leaned in and kissed him back with the same passion as before but more ferocity. Izuku fell back onto his elbows as he released her shoulders and allowed himself to be overtaken by her kiss. They both closed their eyes as Ochako leaned into her actions. After a few moments, Izuku decided to take charge again and leaned forward, pushing Ochako back a little bit so that she was sitting on Izuku's knees. Ochako sat back a little and uncrossed her legs to wrap them around Izuku's waist, pressing her chest against his. Taking into account this new development, ignoring all doubts, Izuku tentatively inched his tongue out of his mouth and touched Ochako's lips in a hesitant question. Her answer was clear as day when she opened her mouth without hesitation, allowing him in. Their tongues were clumsy and hesitant at first but as the pair grew more lustful, they developed a rhythm that evolved into an elaborate dance.

One of Izuku's hands held her steady at the back of her head while the other found the way to Ochako's hip, his thumb tracing little loops on the skin that had revealed itself at the base of her thin nightshirt. Ochako was on fire, her skin burning with passion and her veins alight with her own self-kindled flame.

Izuku felt like lightning, the electricity generated from their passion causing every hair to stand up on his body as it raced through his bones and down to his very core. He felt like he could run forever at the speed of light, his body felt light and airy as if he were floating on fluffy clouds in the sky. Following his heart, Izuku decided to intensify the feeling of heat and electricity between them by activating One for All. Green streaks of lightning skittered across his skin, lighting it so that a dim green glow was cast around the room. He did not use the power behind One for All, he just created a little static between him and Ochako.

Izuku's electricity, both from his quirk and the kiss, kindled Ochako's flame into a roaring inferno, scorching her inside and out. To others, the kiss my have seemed like something simple, innocent, sweet, but to this pair of young heros, the kiss was everything they were and who they wanted to be. The kiss flushed out their fears as they poured themselves into every movement and every stroke of their tongues. It represented their frustrations and their longing and their comfort around each other. It displayed their relief to finally find peace.

Izuku and Ochako simultaneously rose up on their knees, their bodies pressed against one another and their limbs tangled together as each person tried to hold their partner as close to themselves as possible, afraid to let go. The moment passed after both an eternity and a third of a second, both heroes in training craving more but also a little overwhelmed. The pair broke apart and sat in silence, their heavy breathing being the only sound that filled the room. They waited, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before darting away to look at the blankets or the floor. Ochako suddenly cleared her throat.

"Well, that was... interesting."

"Was it a bad kind of interesting?"

"No! It was… it was…" Ochako cleared her throat again.

"Incredible."

Izuku smiled in the darkness and moved a little closer to her.

"I am really sorry about all of this, I didn't even ask you, and I just kind of jumped on you when all you were trying to do was help me out of a scary situation. I know you just told me you liked it but, I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable with all of this. Was I moving too fast?"

Ochako shook her head.

"I have wanted to truly kiss you ever since you kissed me for the first time back in the hospital. We've just both been really busy and a lot of traumatic things happened all at once. I have been such a mess for the past few weeks that I didn't think you'd be comfortable being with someone who is basically the walking dead during the day time with how little sleep I get at night."

Izuku swallowed loudly and moved even closer to Ochako.

"I, uh, had a dream about that night with the villain, where you almost didn't make it. I had a dream where I did lose you, where I couldn't do anything and even though I could feel how close you were to coming back to me, you were just out of reach. This dream scared me so badly, it is the dream I've been having consistently for the past few weeks, that when you shook me awake and I saw that you were alive and well, I just had to hold you close to me. I had to prove to myself that this part, you being here and healthy, was not part of the dream."

Izuku was now close enough to look Ochako in the eyes despite the darkness of the very early morning.

"Once I was one hundred percent sure that your heartbeat was not my imagination, I realized at that moment that I could not let another single moment pass where I let my doubts control me, that I could not let another moment pass by where I hesitated and missed the chance to do something with you that I almost lost entirely. You may be alive now but for those few minutes, you were gone and it was for those few minutes that my brain went through not only every moment we've ever had together but also all of the things in the future that I was sure would never happen."

Izuku was glad for the darkness as he blushed a deep red that could only be rivaled by red hot lava.

"Things like hanging out with you, kissing you, going out on dates with you, possibly g-getting m-married someday," Izuku gulped. "H-having ch-ch-children with you, rising through the hero ranks with you by my side. It is because of this sharp realization, that hit me harder than a bus, that I gained the courage to kiss you. I could not let another moment go by without letting you know how I feel and in that moment, I don't think words would have done the trick."

Ochako turned her body to fully face Izuku and raised her hand to cup his cheek. Izuku hesitated but soon did the same.

"Izuku, do not apologize for anything tonight. We have both been through a rough time these past few weeks and although that would not normally be a proper excuse for a surprise kiss on a girl, I believe that our relationship goes beyond that. We had connections way before this villain turned up, the traumatic event just gave us the courage to act on our buried emotions. I am so grateful to have you in my life, you have always given me the strength to fight. Hell! You were the reason I was able to hold up against that villain for so long! I just kept thinking about you, how you would think in that kind of a situation, how you would solve my kind of problem. But I also pictured your dazzling smile and your kind face along with the encouraging words that you always give me that mean so much to me despite probably being small and insignificant to you. Living through the torture would have been a lot more difficult without you."

Even in the darkness, Ochako could tell that Izuku was crying. Dropping his hands from her cheek, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a sweet but firm embrace. He was still shaking from earlier but it had been reduced to almost nothing and his breathing was a lot more steady.

"Ochako, you are the strongest person I know. I could not have gone through half of the stuff you did without caving or giving up. You are a flame that never burns out, holding your torch up high no matter how strong the blizzard around you gets. I could never do something like that. Although I am honored, I did not help you survive, you helped yourself by remaining true to who you are. You are the brightest flame in my life and I will fight to protect you from those howling winds for the rest of my life."

Now it was Ochako's turn to blush. She buried her face into his chest, his skin warm to the touch and his breathing a soothing rhythm that calmed her fluttering heartbeat.

"I love you Izuku."

Izuku's breath caught and Ochako felt her mind cringe, fearing the worst.

"I love you too, Ochako. I always have and I always will."

The pair released each other and looked at each other for a few seconds longer before Izuku crawled back to the back of the bed. Ochako continued to sit at the foot of the bed as Izuku leaned over and unplugged his phone, turning on the screen to view the time.

"Well, it is 4:00 am right now, it's time to go back to sleep, don't you think?"

"Together?"

"Of course," Izuku said, patting the space beside him. Ochako slowly crawled up to the spot where Izuku had motioned to and curled up there, bringing the blanket up to her chin. Izuku rolled over and curled his body around hers, his hand snaking over the bed until he found hers. He pawed at her hand once in a silent question and Ochako opened her hand. Their palms connected and she wrapped her fingers around his, happy to finally indulge in her feelings for the green haired cinnamon roll. Her eyelids started to droop and exhaustion began to set in. In no time the two teens were fast asleep, small smiles teasing at the corner of their lips as they allowed all of their worries to melt away into the night.

END