A/N: It is finally here. The finale that you've been waiting for. Thank you so much for your patience, lovely reviews and encouragement. I've been writing here for seven years and by far , you guys have been the best friggin' readers ever. Thank you for coming along on this journey and giving me an opportunity to tell my story. I hope you will show me the same support in the sequel ;) This chapter might not be what you were hoping, but I had to make some decisions regarding the plot, so I hope you will forgive me anyway. Thanks again and enjoy!
"Discuss?" Izuku asked, not sure where their conversation was headed. He was convinced that his mother would never tell him to break it off with Uraraka, she had been so excited just minutes ago, but now she was looking kind of serious and it threw him off.
"I know that this is your first girlfriend and that you are both young, but there are things that you need to be careful about." Inko started off so calmly that Izuku felt his stomach churn. Something was wrong – he could feel it all the way into his soul.
"We need to talk about sex and how you-" She put a comforting hand on her son's arm, not aware of the effect her words had on him.
"MOM!" Izuku all but screamed and flung himself onto the opposite end of the sofa. It felt like his face was on fire and he wanted to jump out of the nearest window. Since his mom lived on the fourth floor, a jump like that would be fatal unless he used his quirk to save himself. With the direction their conversation was taking, he wasn't sure he was going to.
"I'm not- We're not going to- We don't!" Izuku could have died from embarrassment right then and there.
"Hush, you. You're both teenagers and hormones can do funny things to your minds. I know that you're a responsible person and that you and Ochaco are going slow, but intimacy is a normal part of a relationship and I just want you to be prepared." Inko explained and smiled inwardly at Izuku's extreme embarrassment. Her son had grabbed a cushion from behind him and was using it to cover hide his face.
"Mom, please!" Izuku pleaded, on the verge of tears. He had resolved to be completely honest with his mom that day and he should have seen it coming that he would have to listen to 'the talk'. Izuku was a bright boy and he already knew how reproduction worked, so technically speaking he didn't need to have this conversation.
"No." Scratch that, Izuku didn't want to have the talk. For the next forty minutes, he tried his best to become one with the couch and tried not to die from sheer embarrassment. He would never be able to face Uraraka again and their relationship was only a few days old.
"I am telling you this so that you are prepared and know what to do, Izuku. I am happy that you are taking it slow and I want you to treasure Ochaco always. Just don't get scared of getting closer to her." Inko leaned over and dropped a kiss on the top of his head and got up to prepare dinner.
Izuku stayed on the sofa for a while, absorbing what his mother had told him.
Was he scared of getting closer to others? Sure, he had never been good at making friends before coming to UA, but Izuku thought himself decent at getting to know others. Maybe it was different when it came to having a girlfriend? He was pretty sure his feelings for Uraraka were quickly evolving into more than simply liking her. He also wasn't blind to the fact that he was physically attracted to her, she was a pretty girl after all, but would he be scared of intimacy? He had liked holding hands and kissing her, so that was okay, right?
A little ball of fur jumped onto his lap and yawned widely, before curling around itself and settling into a nap. Coco's warmth and slight weight on his legs made him smile and he remembered how happy Uraraka had been when she met the kitten. Maybe he should bring her over again? His mother had also been asking so many questions about Uraraka every time they spoke, she would probably be happy to see her again. But if his mom started asking her embarrassing questions or also gave her the talk, he would never live it down. Maybe it was a bad idea the first few months.
"Izuku, could you give me a hand with this jar?" His mother called to him from the kitchen and startled him out of his thoughts.
"Of course!" Izuku carefully lifted Coco off his lap, hating the fact that he had to disturb her sleep and went to help his mom. Luckily, the kitten was a heavy sleeper and didn't mind being jostled a little.
Dinner passed peacefully and after calming down, Izuku spent the time laughing and sharing stories of his friends back at the dorm. Poor Tokoyami had become victim to the other boys trying to do laundry and had found all his white clothes had been tinted blue. There had been another video game tournament and Hagakure had destroyed all of her opponents once again and was now the official champion. Uraraka had dragged the rest of the girls into the tournament as well, but they were all eliminated after a couple of matches. His girlfriend had spent nearly an hour pouting, much to his amusement.
"Uraraka-san told me that the girls got into an arm-wrestling competition a while ago and that Hagakure-san is crazy strong. She's also pretty fast and moves undetected since her quirk gives her stealth." Izuku explained while they did the dishes.
"Sounds like you have a lot of fun with your friends." Inko remarked and rinsed of another plate that she then handed to him. She had been pleasantly surprised when Izuku had insisted he help with the dishes.
"I do!" His smile was so bright that it made Inko's heart soar. Gone was the lonely, shy boy her son had been and here was this happy, young man who had found precious friends. She would have to thank Ochaco, Iida and Todoroki for helping Izuku overcome his demons. Actually, she had to thank the young girl for more than that. The brunette was probably a big part of why her Izuku had become so cheerful.
"Make sure you bring Ochaco next time you come home." Inko instructed him and returned to the remaining dishes. Izuku consented, but was left feeling puzzled.
On the way back from his mom's place, Izuku was supposed to meet All Might. His mentor had not been able to oversee his training as of late and they were going to discuss what the retired hero wanted to introduce Izuku to next. They had booked the gym until 9 PM, when most of the other students would have been done with their workouts.
On the train ride home the freckled boy spent his time thinking about what his mom had told him about not being scared of intimacy. Izuku had never had a girlfriend before – heck he wasn't even sure he'd had a crush on anyone before Uraraka, so he was in completely new territory. He didn't know how to be in a relationship. He knew that people went on dates and kissed, but surely there was more to it than that? He knew there was a lot of trust and friendship between him and Uraraka, but he also wanted to explore the romantic aspects and he wanted to make her happy. Izuku wanted to go on a date and hold Uraraka's hand the entire day.
He knew that his girlfriend liked animals so the zoo or an aquarium wouldn't be a bad idea. It had been a while since Izuku had been to an amusement park and he was certain Uraraka would love. She seemed like the type to go on thrill rides or the ones with free falls. Or they could pack lunch and go for a picnic in a park nearby. It would be great if there was one with a lot of flowers or a lake, so they could rent a boat. As for lunch, he could surprise her and make everything by himself or ask her to make it with him. He knew it was probably the hormones, as his mother had put it, but Izuku constantly wanted to spend time with her. They had seen each other as much as possible, but puppy love controlled his brain, so he felt that it wasn't nearly enough. That was also another reason why he wanted to go on a date, so they would be away from the dorm and their classmates. Their friends had been great overall and respected their privacy, but it would be nice to be out and not have to worry that anyone was watching from the sidelines or laughing at their shyness.
Izuku got off the train still deep in thought. A plan for their first date was slowly coming together, but he wanted to confirm it with Uraraka before finalizing it. He wanted to make sure she had a say in whatever they ended up doing, so that she felt included and not forced to play along.
He had been so focused on his planning that he didn't notice he had almost made it back to campus. The guards by the gate greeted him and granted him entry and Izuku pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. He was meeting All Might at the gym and had prepared his workout gear and bag beforehand. The aspiring hero broke into a run when he noticed he was cutting it pretty close. He had just made it inside after changing when the retired hero showed up in the otherwise empty gym.
"There you are Young Midoriya!" He called out and approached. All Might didn't have his arm in a caste anymore, but his gait had yet to return back to normal. He briefly surveyed the hall and was pleased to notice that the other students had already left. It made his job easier.
"Sorry I'm late." Izuku apologized, panting slightly. All Might patted his shoulder comfortingly.
"No worries. We should get right into it, there isn't much time left before you have to leave the gym." His mentor waved his apology off and handed him the new updated routines.
As All Might went over each exercise, its purpose and the benefits of it, Izuku couldn't help but feel that his mentor was watching him very closely. Ever since the day in the park where he had learned about Nighteye's foresight, Izuku had felt it even harder to talk to All Might about things that were on his mind. As his heir, the young hero felt that he should be able to tell his mentor everything and that it was holding him back that he hadn't been entirely honest with the former #1. For now, he would stick with the training and maybe he would be able to bring up some of his problems later.
"I see that your technique has improved once again, I'm proud of you." All Might praised him after he landed a particularly tricky maneuver. For now they were working on fine tune his fine control and improving maneuverability.
"Thank you…" He managed to huff out. Izuku used his wrist to wipe away sweat from his forehead. They had been going at it for nearly an hour and the teenager was reaching his limit. All Might seemed to also have noticed it and called for their practice to end.
"I'm happy to see you doing so well." The former pro commented once Izuku had caught his breath.
'Only in training', he thought wryly but wisely kept his mouth shut. All Might didn't know what he had been hiding so there was no reason for Izuku to be a brat. His mentor had been nothing short of supportive, it was Izuku himself who failed to reach out and ask for help. Why? Because it was embarrassing. Izuku had realized a while ago that it was the real reason he didn't want to confide in anyone. He was training to become a hero, but a few incidents had already shaken him up so much that he dreamt about them months later. How was that not pathetic? Izuku shook his head to get rid of the thoughts once he recognized the turn they were taking. He could have a pity party for himself later.
"Is something on your mind?" All Might asked tentatively, but with a knowing look in his eyes. Izuku felt like the former hero was staring right into the depths of his soul. It looked like he already knew what was going through Izuku's head.
"Um, there is something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." There was no use hiding it if All Might already knew about his nightmares. Maybe he could help put Izuku's mind to ease?
"Ah, of course. Here you go." All Might rummaged through one of his pockets and dropped a tiny foiled packet into Izuku's palm. He slowly turned it over in his hands a couple of times, trying to recognize it.
"What's this?" Izuku asked curiously. If he didn't know any better, he would think it was-
"A condom." Izuku dropped the packet as though it had burned him. All Might merely raised a brow when his protégé's face turned crimson and he started stuttering.
"N-no, I, uhh-" The poor boy tried to formulate a complete sentence but his tongue tied knots on itself. His face was on fire and he wanted to die.
"You and Young Uraraka are a thing now, right? I figured it was better to give it to you in the early stages, so you were prepared. I wasn't sure if you knew how to use them, so I wanted to instruct you first. Know that I wholeheartedly support you and that I am happy for you from the bottom of my heart, but if you are going to be having sex anytime soon, you have to use proper protection," All Might gauged Izuku's reaction. His face was red, but it could also be the effect of his workout, so the former hero continued without any remorse. "There are many things going through the mind when you are young and in love, and sometimes accidents happen. If they happen you have to take responsibility, but you are both still young so I will encourage you to always be safe and-"
"No!" Izuku managed to choke out. He had to bury his face in his hands to get the words over his lips, "We're not… having s-sex…" Saying it out loud was a thousand times more embarrassing than he had anticipated. First his mom, now All Might!
"Are you dating?" He asked Izuku patiently after picking up the fallen packet. Izuku managed to nod.
"Then you are going to need this," All Might placed the offending item back into Izuku's hand. "Listen closely, Young Midoriya. The first thing you want to do when the time comes is-" And so the poor boy had to spend another thirty minutes of his life listening to the talk about the birds and the bees.
"-going to be your first time, so be careful and do everything at your own pace. Communication is key, understand? Any questions?" All Might felt like he had mentioned every important part and figured Young Midoriya would ask if there was anything he had missed, he was a bright boy after all.
"No.." Izuku's voice was barely audible. Satisfied, All Might nodded and took his leave.
Izuku stayed for a while and fought to get his blushing under control. He still had to stretch and cool down, so he distracted himself while All Might's lecture echoed in the recesses of his mind. When the time came, Izuku was certainly ready in theory. His mentor and All Might had told him that sometimes things didn't go as planned and that he shouldn't panic. He had also insisted that Izuku kept the condom and explained to him how to get more, but Izuku swore that he would die of heart attack if he ever attempted something so embarrassing.
"Are you done?" A feminine voice behind him made him jump. Although he recognized her right away, Izuku hadn't heard her enter at all and his face turned red again when he saw Uraraka come to a halt next to him.
"Y-yeah, almost." He squeaked and hurried to his next stretching exercise so that his back was to her. He still had needed to do a couple more exercises, and it wasn't like he couldn't face Uraraka, his Girlfriend™, because of all the things he had learned about sex that day, no of course not – that would be absurd!
"I had a hunch you would be here." She laughed and the sound sent pleasant waves down his spine. His face heated up again when uninvited thoughts about what other sounds she could make popped into his mind. Izuku frantically waved his hands above his head, hoping to dispel the inappropriate thoughts.
"Yeah, All Might and the other teachers have worked out a new program for me to test. To gain more control. Um." He finished lamely, not daring to look at her. If she noticed he was acting strange, she didn't say anything for which he was grateful. He just needed to calm down, she was his girlfriend for crying out loud.
"I brought you this." Uraraka held out a bottle of water that still had condensation on the surface and he gratefully accepted it. As he unscrewed the lid and took a sip, she rocked back and forth on her feet.
"I missed you." She smiled shyly and came to sit down next to him. Yeah, he was not calming down anytime soon.
"H-how did revision go?" Izuku steered the conversation to a more neutral topic. He silently apologized to her for not returning her words and hoped she would forgive him, when he one day gathered the courage to tell her what had happened to make him so embarrassed.
"It went fine until-" Uraraka launched into an explanation and described a problem she had encountered in math. Being the bookworm he was, Izuku couldn't help but offer his advice on how she could solve it. They picked up Izuku's things and headed for the door, but once outside the cool wind felt so nice that they ended up staying outside for fifteen minutes. Izuku eventually brought up his plans for their first date and asked what she would like to do. Uraraka brightened instantly and enthusiastically took part. So far the plan was to go to an aquarium and eat lunch at a café. She also sounded pumped about watching a movie together or go bowling, and Izuku filed those suggestions away for future reference. He had also kept quiet about having a picnic in a park and decided that he would surprise her some time.
It wasn't long before they headed back inside, hand in hand, and both equally excited.
As it turned out, their date would have to wait. That night Ochaco and Izuku met up with Kirishima and Tsuyu on the first floor – all looking grave. The wait was finally over. Eri was getting rescued. They spoke in hushed voices, hoping not to wake any of their other classmates and decided on a time to meet before heading out. The four students split up, Tsuyu leaving ahead of Ochaco after briefly exchanging looks with her. Luckily, Kirishima was too tired to check if the others were following him and stumbled towards the elevator, yawning.
Izuku's stomach felt like lead. He had been so preoccupied with his personal life that he had thought very little about Eri. At least, he had tried not to think about her until the time was right and now he was feeling overwhelmed.
"Are you okay?" Uraraka appeared beside Izuku and put a hand on his arm. There was a frown on her face as she looked at him in concern. Izuku shook his head and took her hand, leading her towards the stairs.
"Not here." He replied quietly and headed for his room. It was the closest and hopefully, Izuku's neighbors were all asleep, so they would be able to talk a little more freely.
They made it inside without incident and settled onto the bed in silence, sitting side by side. Izuku leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs, putting his head in his hands and sighing deeply. Ochaco's hand came to rest on his back after a moment of hesitation. Izuku looked up from his hands and cracked a tired smile in her direction, looking worse for wear.
"Will you be okay tomorrow?" Ochaco asked fretfully. She knew how important this rescue operation was to her boyfriend and she also had a pretty good idea of how hard it was on him. The way he frowned as he considered her question didn't put her at ease.
"We have to succeed. No matter what." Izuku replied, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. Sighing again, Izuku moved to put his head on her shoulder and inhaled deeply. Uraraka's scent was a great source of comfort to him and he secretly wished she would stay there the rest of the night and bring him strength. As it was, he would have to make do with the support she was offering right now.
The dimness of Izuku's room served to hide the reddening of Ochaco's face from him. Instead, she reached for his hand and grasped it tightly in her own. She was having her own doubts at the moment, but chose not to voice them. She had faith that they would succeed, but she was also scared that Deku would end up getting hurt. It had happened so many times already and while she wished for nothing more than him being safe, the rational part of her also knew that no one's safety was guaranteed on this type of mission. The scariest part was the knowledge that Deku would stop at nothing until Eri was rescued.
The brunette glanced at him and was relieved to see that his face looked more relaxed than it had since they met up. The worry lines that had marked his face moments ago had smoothened, and left was the face of the boy she had come to love. After a few minutes, she felt his breathing slowing and his head slipping off her shoulder. She gently shook him awake and he lifted his head off her shoulder, looking at her blearily. Ochaco fought the impulse to kiss him in his sleepy state and forced herself to let go of his hand. She felt like kissing him now would be taking advantage of him, since his guard was down.
"I should go." She whispered, heart constricting at the sight of Deku pouting. She knew that she had to leave otherwise none of them would be able to fall asleep and Deku really needed to rest. She had to be strong for both of them.
"Alright." Izuku nodded and suppressed a yawn. He hadn't been that tired a little while ago, but now his exhaustion hit him full force. Both of the aspiring heroes were aware that every minute of rest counted. They couldn't afford to be selfish and lose sleep to stay up together – not that sleep would come easy. Still, it was better to at least attempt to rest.
Ochaco got up from the bed and slowly headed for the door. Izuku followed her and stopped when her hand stilled on the door knob. Had it not been for the sleep shrouding his mind and the darkness in the room, he would have seen her shoulders tense and noticed her inhale sharply before she whirled around and threw her arms around him. Surprised, Izuku took half a step back before supporting their combined weight. Uraraka was clutching him like a lifeline and had her face buried in his chest. Izuku's arms came around her a moment later and he felt her take a shuddering breath.
"Uraraka-san?" He attempted, unsure of himself. She lifted her head and locked eyes with him.
"Promise me you'll be careful tomorrow." The intensity of her words was mirrored in her eyes, but Izuku also saw fear and pain across her face and it made him want to kick himself when he realized that he was the cause of those feelings. She looked at him pleadingly, waiting for his response.
"I promise." He moved to take her face into his hands and planted a kiss on her forehead. Ochaco's hands came up to rest on his wrists and she took a few seconds to regain her composure before stepping back.
"Okay. Goodnight." She whispered as she opened the door and silently crept down the hallway. The door shut with a soft click and Izuku was left alone in his room.
He stayed in the same spot for a couple of moments, his gaze fixed on the door his girlfriend had closed. He had to do better. He couldn't keep worrying the important people in his life like that. All Might needed him to grow up more than ever and his mom could do without the stress of his frequent injuries. Uraraka shouldn't have to worry that he would do something rash.
With a deep sigh Izuku made his way back to his bed and fell into a restless slumber, dreading the outcome of his upcoming mission.
After the nightmare that turned out to be Eri's rescue, all involved heroes and students were finally released from the hospital and returned to their respective homes. Class 1A welcomed their classmates back with open arms and comforting words, but no amount of soothing could help with the casualties and losses that the young heroes had experienced. Although they had been affected by the events, the four of them knew they had to overcome their feelings surrounding the mission sooner or later.
Izuku had mourned the loss of Nighteye with everyone else, but it was still hard to grasp that Sir was no longer going to be sitting behind his desk at Nighteye HQ, filing away papers. He had died for their cause, for what was right and if his last words were anything to go by, his life had been good. Izuku spent a great deal of time thinking about what it meant when someone died. He didn't remember ever knowing someone who passed away before Sir Nighteye, but the hero's death had shaken him.
All Might, the never faltering hero, had been reduced to tears when he saw Nighteye at his deathbed. Seeing his mentor vulnerable and grieving had reminded Izuku how precious life was and that there was no guarantee that you would live to see another day. The aspiring hero had counted his blessings and made sure to hug his mother tighter than usual when she came to visit him in the hospital. Inko had obviously been scared, but she had also been relieved that Izuku wasn't injured gravely.
That had been a couple of days ago.
The four students had returned to their daily routine and were trying to get things back to normal. Izuku's nightmares had returned and he could feel himself distancing himself from his friends. The closer he was with them, the worse his nightmares became. The dreams he had been having about his mom, Uraraka and All Might were the worst. Izuku would wake up barely suppressing a scream and be completely drenched with sweat. He would yank away the covers and stumble into his bathroom, where he started retching. Those dreams left him shaking and dizzy, but he would crawl back to bed and try to forget them.
Ochaco had noticed right away that something was wrong with Deku and she watched him closely for a couple of days. He was barely eating and she could tell he definitely wasn't sleeping, but the way he closed in on himself hurt her more than anything. Even though she had a pretty good idea of what was going on, she wanted him to come to her and tell her what was bothering him, instead of having to guess it on her own. Every time she tried to ask him, he would insist that he was fine, but the dark circles beneath his eyes betrayed him. The brunette barely saw him outside of classes and meals.
Midoriya spent less time with his friends and they had all noticed it. Iida, Todoroki and Ochaco had spoken about what to do to prevent him from shutting himself off completely, but so far they had reached no conclusion. In the end, Ochaco decided to give him an ultimatum. Either he would go to Aizawa-sensei or his mother, or Ochaco would drag him in front of Recovery Girl and let the old lady crack open his skull and peer into his brain. When she told him this, his eyes had widened with realization and guilt flooded over him. They were sitting on his bed again after a long day, both tired after classes. There was still time left before dinner and Ochaco had had enough of Deku ignoring his mental health, so she had marched up to his room and dropped the bomb on him.
"I'm sorry, Uraraka-san. I haven't been a very good person to be around lately," he apologized. "I guess I'm still coping with everything that happened." His apology was sincere, but the brunette needed him to understand that he needed help.
"You are still recovering and that's okay, but you're doing the exact opposite of what you asked me to do a while back." Ochaco sighed and caressed his face. She smiled when he leaned into her touch. They were gradually getting better at handling loving touches from each other, but it was still embarrassing at times.
"What?" Izuku asked and tried to figure out what she was referring to. She moved her hand from his cheek and into his hair, where she started massaging his scalp. Izuku almost purred at the sensation.
"You asked me to rely on you and our friends, so now I am asking the same of you." Ochaco stopped her fingers from moving and locked eyes with him. She fought against the trance his eyes always put her in and tried her best to convey her message anyway.
"Oh." Deku had the grace to look ashamed. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked up at her through his bangs, "I did say that." He looked thoughtful for a moment, but remained quiet.
"So?" Ochaco prompted and retracted her hand. She leaned back against the wall and watched him. You could almost see the gears in his head turning.
A few moments of silence passed while he thought hard about what to do. When he realized that there was one thing he had been avoiding for a long time that he really should get done, he slumped backwards with a thud. Ochaco took his hand and squeezed his hand in silent understanding. Then she scooted closer to him and leaned against his side, closing her eyes briefly.
"I'll go with you." She offered. Ochaco smiled when she felt Deku drop a kiss on the crown of her head and whisper thanks. They spent the rest of the time talking about his reoccurring nightmares and what they were going to do about them.
Izuku hadn't expected to visit his mother so soon, but there he was, in front of the door and taking deep breaths. Today was the day. True to her word, Uraraka had accompanied him and was fidgeting beside him.
"What's wrong?" He asked and grabbed her hand, momentarily distracted from his inner turmoil.
"I'm nervous for some reason. It's the first time I'm greeting your mom after… becoming your girlfriend." She whispered the last part and looked away to hide her blushing face, but Izuku found it adorable and squeezed her hand to assure her it would be fine.
Once they both were ready, they entered.
"Mom, I'm home!" Izuku called out like he did every time. Coco was already waiting patiently in the entrance and Ochaco nearly squealed when she saw the feline.
"Welcome home." Inko appeared a moment later and engulfed them both in a hug. She had gone into protective-mother-hen-mode after their recent and her protectiveness had been extended to Ochaco after she learned that the brunette had also been involved in Eri's rescue.
"I'm so glad you're both okay." Inko squeezed them tightly, letting all her love wash over them. She felt both teenagers relax against her and was relieved that she didn't see any bandages anywhere.
"Yeah." Izuku replied quietly, meeting Uraraka's eyes when his mother let go of them. She nodded encouragingly and he swallowed nervously, mentally preparing himself. Movement near his feet made him look down and he saw Coco rubbing against his leg, offering her support.
"Actually mom, there is something we need to talk about…" He started slowly. Inko, bless her soul, took one look at him and nodded leading them both into the living room. On the way, she squeezed Ochaco into a side-hug and welcomed her into the family as though she was already her daughter-in-law. The brunette blushed and told her she would be in her care from now on.
They all settled into the sofa, Izuku in the middle with Coco on his lap and the two most important females in his life on either side of him. He took a deep breath and started telling from the beginning. It took time to get through everything and he spoke and spoke for ages. Some things he left out, which Uraraka couldn't fault him for, but overall he got everything off his chest and leaned back, entirely drained. He had been dreading this moment for months and now it was almost over.
Somewhere along the way, tears had started flowing down Inko's cheeks, but she had remained quiet while Izuku spoke. She had taken his hand when he had gotten to a particularly difficult part and she had been happy to note that Ochaco had done the same across the sofa.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone, honey." She apologized over and over again, weeping silently. It had broken her heart to hear Izuku describe his dreams and she had a feeling he didn't provide her with all the details. She felt that she had failed him once again by not noticing that he was hiding something for so long. Truth be told, she suspected it and Izuku was a professional and almost an adult so she had to respect the boundaries he sat – even if they meant she was kept in the dark.
"I'm sorry I kept it from you. I felt so weak and scared all the time." He replied and moved to wipe the tears from her eyes. The small gesture made Inko cry even harder and she pulled Izuku into another hug. As she held him close with one arm, she also reached over and took one of Ochaco's hands, squeezing it. The brunette's eyes were also brimming with tears and Inko mouthed her thanks to the young girl, who squeezed her hand back. Coco had fled from Izuku's lap into Ochaco's when she felt Inko move and was snuggled into the brunette, snoozing away peacefully despite the commotion next to her.
They sat like that for a few minutes, Inko promising that everything would be okay and she would take care of them. They didn't have to worry about anything, just leave it all to her, she would fix it. Ochaco missed her parents even more in that instance, but she was incredibly grateful that this kind woman was protecting her as well. It was nice to be cared for. It was also painfully clear where Deku's compassion and his need to save others stemmed from. Maybe Inko had been his biggest hero all this time? The brunette filed the thought away for later inspection.
It took some time, but Inko finally ran out of tears and excused herself for a while. She needed to compose herself and she had to figure out a couple of things, so she left the two teenagers alone and headed for her bedroom. Coco also abandoned them and followed Inko to console the distraught woman. When he heard his mom's door shut, Izuku slumped onto Ochaco's shoulder and had his arms around her. She had folded her legs under her so she could hold him better and watched quietly as his chest rose and fell.
His eyes were closed and she could see all the stress and tension on his face slowly melt away. His skin had been a little pale these past few days, but now his nose and eyes were tinged red from almost crying earlier. Opening up about his nightmares had been incredibly hard for him and Ochaco vowed to protect her precious boy at all costs. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead and was startled when his eyes opened. He lifted his head and looked straight at her, warmth returning to his gaze as he leaned forward.
"Thank you." He whispered and pressed his lips to hers in short, sweet kiss. He nuzzled her nose with his own before leaning back down. His thank you had spanned over multiple things, for being there with him, for supporting him always, for making him stronger and helping him move forward, but he didn't need to voice them all for her to understand. She already knew.
"Always." Ochaco replied and held him tighter. He smiled into her shoulder and stayed there. His warmth was comforting and his scent engulfed her and made her feel at ease.
They sat together in silence both deep in thought, but they were also aware that eventually they would be okay. It was going to be a hard, slow process but it was a challenge they would overcome together. Time would heal them and until then, they had each other to seek comfort from.
End.
Oh gosh was that super corny to end on? Anywho, my boy did it. He told his mom and we got some DadMight (hin: more to come). Don't kill me for not making them go on their date! You should know me by now lol, of course I made them suffer instead. Hope you all have an amazing week, peace out (=w=)/
