Where Golden Flowers Bloom

Chapter 14: Biscuit Love

SevenRenny

He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

He had a slight idea, thanks to the internet, but it was easier said than done.

Done in front of twenty-something cats, as well as the employees who knew him from his constant visits. Not the date most normally thought of. Then again, he didn't know much other than he liked his best friend, who was all too aware of this being an actual date and not a 'let's go out as friends' outing. They both either giggled awkwardly or tried to start some sort of conversation.

A grey cat with TAMA engraved into his fish-shaped nametag stared at them with his long body splayed out on their table, his intense green eyes switching back and forth. This was too exposed, not like the moment in the classroom with just him and her. It was easier to get words to flow when they were alone. He clumped up in public. The words hid into the cavern of his throat. Vocal cords refused to flinch.

"So…" she started, her attention on her hands. "Do you come here often?"

They both sat in silent, before each side snorted a laughed a little.

"That's not how I meant for it to sound," she managed between tight laughs.

"I mean, yeah?" he admitted, still smiling, the aftermath of a short laugh. His visit was free for the first hour, thanks to the stamp card he had for the café. Four stamped paw prints meant the forth would be a free hour instead of the usual payment for entry. He'd stacked-up on them, which came in handy for this particular day. The staff knew him, so when he set up an actual date, the staff – two, specifically – were eager to help him out in their own way, giving them their menus and whispering 'we have the Sweet Heart menu. Recommended for today!' it would've been sweet of Izuku wasn't such a shy boy.

They fell for the recommended Sweet Heart menu because neither knew how dates worked and this was heavily recommended for this day. After seeing the actual menu, they realized what they'd gotten themselves into. It was so pink and heavily decorated with hearts and cartoon sweets with smiley faces.

It screamed: In Love and Proud.

He cleared his throat, tugging at his collar and chuckling awkwardly.

She lowered her own Sweet Heart menu, just as flustered. "This is super cute. They really went all out with this, huh?"

"Yeah. It's cute," he commented, not sure where to focus his eyes; on her or the menu with colorful sweets?

"Do you… wanna try the... umm…" Finding it hard to say the title, she placed the menu down and pointed at it: Lovebird Set. It included assorted Mochi, one milkshake (the picture included two straws) and a packet of Pocky.

The name alone made him his cheeks heat up. "Oh… Y – Yeah, yeah. Sure."

The menu was designed for couples in mind, being as cute and sweet as possible. The mochi came in strawberry and rabbit themed matcha with tiny green strands for ears. The employee had to shoo Tama off their table, his oversized bell ringing. It was one long plate for the small Mochi balls.

"Is Eri gonna be okay with you gone?" she asked, picking the squishy snack with her chopsticks.

"Mom's looking after her today," he explained calmly, picking up a ball of his own. "She'd call if something happened. Eri promised she'd be brave today." She'd been getting used to not being his shadow twenty-four-seven. He planned to make a phone call to let her hear his voice. She was holding out with just his mom today, just so he could go on a date and be the teenager he never got to be; having his own time, being with the girl he liked, not being responsible for once.

It was nice.

"You're finishing them fast," he commented, seeing how she already went through the batch on her end. The plate was rectangle-shaped so they'd have to start from the ends and make their way to the center. She was getting close to his end. "Do you want some of mine?" without thinking, he held up one of the rabbit themed Mochi up to her. He hadn't planned how should receive it.

It looked like she was almost about to eat it off his chopsticks before realizing what that looked like and quickly stopped herself. They both stared at each other, then down at the Mochi, then at each other again.

His brain short-circuited. He froze like that with a blank look on his face because she was about to eat right off his chopstick.

"Uhhhhh…." was the only sound he managed to form.

He did not expect her to squint, take a quick breath, and actually take a bite off his the Mochi he still held. She used her own chopsticks so it wouldn't fall out of her mouth, her pink cheeks turning a bright red.

He came to understand it was easy to recognize if she was flustered by the shade of pink on her permanent blushes. Sometimes, they'd go so red he'd see a faint line across her face. She had a mouthful of Mochi, puffing out her already noticeable blush.

The café felt much hotter than when they'd first sat down. He hoped he wasn't sweating too hard.

She chuckled in an ungraceful manner. "Uh, thanks." Her wrist was quivering when she picked up a strawberry Mochi closest to her end and held it up to him.

He was about to die from how hard his heart clenched. He willed himself to lean forward and take it with chattering teeth. It was harder than expected. Never mind the taste in his mouth – he just plucked it off her chopsticks, and she'd offered it willingly.

With a surge of bravery surprising even himself, he pinched another Mochi off the plate

"Please, have another!" he offered it almost viscously, squeezing out every bit of bravery he had in him.

She was giggling while trying to eat it, hissing laughs between the gaps of her teeth and eventually almost using her hand so the Mochi wouldn't fall.

They weren't ready for how the milkshake. It was milky pink with a drizzle of chocolate and topped with ice cream, a strawberry, and two dried heart-shaped chocolates on top. The two straws both had red and white spirals. The cup had a cat face sticker.

Two straws. One glass cup.

They'd need to have their faces close to reach the straws. They spent the first few minutes talking of nonsense, each fiddling with the ends of their straws. They'd inch closer to the straws and wait to see who'd go for it first, eventually being face to face, each holding their straw, their eyes finally locking and their giggles dying down.

Tama, who had his front paws in their table, stood on his hind legs to observe the ritual.

Arms crossed to level themselves, elbows against the table, they finally drew their straws to their lips, their eyes going half-lidded, still looking at the other person in front of them, ignoring the jingling bells of roughhousing cats.

They never knew a cup of milkshake would force them to quiet down and just look at the other in silence. The awkward laughs had turned into a peaceful eye-to-eye study. His pupils had the intelligent green shades with that lively glint, grateful and adoring, looking at her like they were the only two people on Earth. This boy, plain yet complex, had caught her eye like no other person had.

She heard his hand graze the table, inching it over, his palm facing up. She snaked her own hand over the wood to lay it over his, feeling his fingers gently curl up.

She was a UA student, preparing for a path of cut skin and broken bones. She was also a high school girl, with friends and a crush on the sweetest boy she never predicted to find.

They panted cool air after releasing the straw at the same time, tired from constantly consuming the dessert without a break. The packet of Pocky looked intimidating when the employee sat it on their table like it was a receipt. The earlier staring competition had been tiring. Knowing how the Pocky Game usually ended, they nervously lingered, minds whirling, hearts stumping, throats cold.

"Do you... want to save it for later?" she suggested, already overwhelmed by the earlier few snacks.

"Yeah," he whispered an agreement; his eyes still half-open, the aftereffects of her eyes on his still lingering. Anymore heart clenches and his head would explode into a pink cloud. "I mean Yeah," he said more clearly, in case he'd said that in his head.

…

"And then the Ugly Duckling… the Ugly Duckling saaaw his… ref – reeflec – umm… "

"Reflection, honey."

"Reflection in the waaater. He – He saw a pr – a pretty bird," Eri elongated the words as she tried her best to read the text provided on the pages next to the water-colored pictures, her finger riding beneath every letter.

"Oh, you're doing so well, sweetie," Inko said. "You're a fast learner. Izuku will be so happy to hear you read so well."

He'd taught her the basics. Inko had taught him when he was little, and now he was teaching Eri. Inko loved her small family. It brought her to life. It had always been just her and Izuku. Her son had been a lonely boy who'd hide in his shell. He was forced to come out of it that day this little girl bumped into him. She'd latched onto him, like he was the only safe place to be at.

Her she was now, talking, reading, getting to know parts of the world alien to her. Safety: the thing children looked up to adults for, finally given to her by a teenager fresh out of a leg and wrist cast.

Inko didn't know how well Izuku would've handled the past few months without this little girl begging him to keep her safe. He was a protector at heart. It had been a natural calling to him, to do what he grew up wanting to do. If only the rest of the world saw how special her Izuku was.

It took a girl his age to spread the word.

He suddenly had friends, got invited into partied, and yesterday, he had informed her he was taking his friend on a date.

A date. His first-ever date. Her boy.

Inko had cried like a fountain. She knew something had happened during the firework celebration other than the actual celebration. Her boy had been flustered and dazed, sighing contently, staying on the couch to 'recharge' while staring up at the ceiling, still in his suit.

He was in love.

He confirmed her suspicion when he outright told her, asking her for advice on asking a girl out. She'd hugged him, crying and spewing words of pride.

She loved her Izuku. She loved that he found a purpose as a big brother.

But Inko also wanted him to be the teenage boy he never got to be; going to parties and having crushes, going on dates, finding himself, growing at his own pace.

Her Izuku, finally able to love, finally accepting he was worth loving.

The recognizable sound of her phone ringing had her standing hurriedly. Her phone was on the kitchen counter. "Just a minute, Eri. Here, let me turn the TV on for you." The hairs on the back of her neck pulled to stand. It was either Izuku (which was what she hoped for), Mitsuki (which would end up being an awkward phone call), or–

"Mrs. Midoriya, this is Investigator Takanobu from Child Protection Services."

That.

She did not want that.

"Yes, I'm here." Deep breaths.

"Good evening, Mrs. Midoriya. I'm calling to update you on Eri's files – the ones sent to the Nighteye agency."

"Yes, I remember." She sat down, a hand to her chest in an attempt to comfort herself.

"I'd like to inform you this call is being recorded. Is that fine with you?"

"Yes." Please, just tell me, even if I don't want to know.

"All information, including Eri's illustrations and a report written by Investigator Envision had been sent to the Nigheye agency. Sir Nighteye has accepted to investigate the matter. Please visit Sir Nigheye's agency within the week to discuss information. He's in his office around seven to ten in the morning. If you can schedule a time for the whole family to visit, that would be ideal. The more information, the easier it is. I'll give you their location. Do you have a pen and paper?"

"Just a minute, please." She hurried, grabbing the magnet notepad hugging the fridge she used to write down her grocery list. She gave the man on the other end of the line the okay to continue, scribbling down the address and directions.

"That would be it. Do you have any questions?"

She had a full list she suspected had vague answers. "What… What will happen to her?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry. Anything else you'd like to know?"

I don't know – would be the answer to most things. "No. Thank you. Goodbye, now."

He bid her a good day.

She had been having a good day until that call. She was foolish to tuck back the problem and hope it would slowly turn to dust. She hid her worries and assumptions in the darkest corners of her mind, because there was a possibility this little girl would be taken away if the situation was not as simple as domestic abuse like originally thought. Eri's biological parents were still missing, and no one was sure of how or why she'd been in that alleyway, barefoot with bandages hugging her torn limbs. There was a deeper story there – a story only Eri knew and couldn't tell.

There was Eri's case that had gone mostly ignored if Ms. Fujioka hadn't decided to dig deeper, and she'd only done so after setting her suspicions on Izuku.

Hopefully, this Sir Nighteye would be more understanding. Hopefully…

She never got to put her phone down. It rang again in her hand. Had the man forgotten to tell her something? She hoped not. Please, no more of this.

The caller ID swallowed her anxiety away. Izuku. He had such timing. She answered it, slowly walking out of the kitchen, deeming it safe to talk on the phone more openly now.

"Izuku, sweetie."

"Hey, mom. Just wanted to see how you and Eri are doing."

"We're doing swell. Eri's been reading me the story you gave her the other day."

"Really?" He sounded excited. "Can I talk to her? Before Ur – I mean, Ochaco and I go to the park." There was a feminine giggle in the background. He laughed as well, quickly slipping a half-hearted 'Stop it – she'll hear' to his now-girlfriend, assuming Inko couldn't hear with his hand over his phone.

Inko held back the urge to coo and fuss over the teenagers. Their date was going well, it sounded. "She's right here. Eri, its Izuku. I'll hold the phone for you." She held the phone just by the girl's ear. Inko assumed he was praising her for reading.

"Uh-huh," Eri said with a node, not realizing he couldn't see her do the action. "Umm…" She flipped the pages of her illustrated storybook. "Three." Three pages; all filled with large fonts that took up space.

Knowing Izuku, he was most likely praising her over her achievement.

She nodded again and said, "Okay." She looked up at Inko. "Big Brother says he wants to talk to you."

Time to take back the phone, then. "You're a good teacher, honey. I don't think I could've taught her this well."

"I just helped her with the basics. She learned most things all by herself, really." He didn't grasp how much he helped her in so many ways.

Inko jumped on the question that lingered for some time after he had left the apartment. "How's your date with Ochaco going?"

His laugh brushed the phone. "It's really great, mom." There was another voice in the background. 'Can you tell her I said hey?' Ochaco sounded somewhere near him. "And Ochaco says hey."

"Such sweethearts," Inko said, commenting on them in general. "Stay safe, you two."

"We will," they both said.

She ended the call, releasing them to do whatever their hearts desired.

"Mama Inko?" Eri asked on the couch, tugging at Inko's blouse. "What's a 'date'?"

How would she explain this to a child Eri's age? "A date is… you see… sometimes, if best friends like each other very much, they can ask to be together more. Being next to that person makes them happy, and so they go on dates, so they can be with each other for a day." She'd started out happy to explain, then slowly felt the residue of years' worth of loneliness, the kind that reminded her she had a husband but didn't at the same time. "And they go on dates, to see if being together will work."

Eri tilted her head curiously.

Inko chuckled and stroked Eri's hair back. "You'll understand when you're older."

…

Still at the cat café, Ochaco held up her phone, scrolling through her contact list to try one of the two she hoped were not busy. After Izuku finished his own call, he dreaded the other call they'd agreed couldn't wait unless she wanted her parents – or her dad, really – to have a heart attack over knowing of his daughter's updated relationship statues a bit late.

She hung her thumb over the button. "You ready?"

"Not… Not really but I'll do my best." He swallowed loudly, his collar suddenly too tight.

Two cats wrestled under their tables, weaving between the table's legs, occasionally bumping it. The black Persian named Mana she'd seen favor Izuku months ago had come back to sit on his lap for emotional support. Izuku gratefully accepted the offer, petting the cat's luxurious fur, then switching to using both hands when Ochaco pressed the button. Loose grey-black feathery fur fluttered about. It was impressive how the café managed to keep fur at the minimum.

Ochaco perked up when the beeping of the phone abruptly stopped. "Dad? Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kiddo," her dad greeted at the end of the line.

"Got a minute?"

"Always do if you're callin'."

"Seriously, Dad."

"Haha, yeah, I got time. Tell me, how're things on your end? School's not runnin' ya ragged?"

"It's hard but I'm doin' my best."

"That's my gal."

"Is Mom there, too?"

She heard him call out to her mother, bringing her over. "Is now. Want to talk to her or should I put ya on speaker?" So he did suspect she wanted to tell them something.

She glanced at Izuku. He had his palms together, looking down like he was praying. "Speaker?" she answered. Maybe tell both at the same time instead of telling it twice or have her dad tell it badly to her mother.

"'aright, show's yours. What's the news?"

"So… I wanted to tell you… I… uhhh…" She glanced at Izuku again. He was squinting now, hoping for the best. "I'm sorta… on a date? Didn't know when I should tell you I… kinda… have a boyfriend now… so…"

There was silence on the other end. The facial reaction on Izuku's face said he was having an internal crisis.

"…What was that?" her dad sounded legitimately confused, like he'd heard a foreign word. "Think I heard wrong."

She heard her mother laughe and probably scrolled him, then made a cooing sound. "Oh, baby, that's wonderful. Tell us about this boy."

"A boyfriend?" Again, he sounded lost, like he forgot what the word meant. She found it funny, coming from her dad.

"Yeah, I didn't know how I'd tell you guys about him," she admitted.

"And you're out with him now? Right now?" he asked, legitimately surprised.

"Yeah, he's…" She looked at Izuku, silently asking if she should keep going. He nodded feverishly, his hands still pressed together, shoulders stiff. "He's right here."

"Didn't I tell you?" Ochaco heard her mom tease her father. "How is he, sweetie? He being nice to you?"

"Give this ol' man a minute to take it in. That's one heck of a surprise. When? How? Who? Clear out my schedule for the week – I need to hear this."

She gave Izuku a reassuring smile. So far so good. "I… uhh… met him a few months ago…"

"Months? And I only hear of it now?"

"Met him months ago. We just got together," she corrected, wanting to laugh at her dad's reactions.

"Has he been good to you?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. He's really sweet." She saw Izuku smile and look down, flattered.

"Sure must be a catch if he caught your attention," her mom commented. "You never were interested in boys. But I never was, either, until I met your dad."

"Don't leave me hangin', now. Tell me 'bout him. What's he called?"

"Izuku. I met him at this café he goes to. I met his mom. They let me stay at their place for a bit. They were really nice."

"He been treating you well?" he asked, already expecting what she would say.

"Yeah, he's been nothing but nice."

"Good, good. Guessing he's right there?"

She locked eyes with Izuku. His shoulders tensed. "Yeah, he's here. Wanna talk to him?"

"Sure. Let's hear this boy."

She held her phone out to Izuku. You're up. Good luck.

Izuku's spine was so tense it was ready to bend him backward. "H – Hello, sir, Mr. Uraraka, sir. I'm – I'm Izu - Izuku Midoriya. Honored to meet you, sir."

The man chuckled on the other end, his voice muffled by the phone line. "Humble one, ain't ya?" He heard who he assumed was Mrs. Uraraka telling her husband to be nice. "So you're the chosen boy, I take it?"

"Chosen… I… Uhhh…" He didn't know how to respond. He took too long to think of an answer.

"Alright, I'll stop teasin' now. So, tell me, if you don't mind, you dated any gals before my daughter?"

"No, sir," Izuku answered in an almost military style.

"She the first you ever set eyes on?"

"I – she's the first I liked." Was he screwing up?

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen, sir."

"Your birthday."

"Fifteen of July."

"She found you in a café, I heard. Safe to guess you're not in the same school?"

Izuku's throat tightened. "No."

"How often do you see her?"

"A few times a week?" he asked Ochaco for confirmation, receiving a nod. "Sometimes less if she has a lot of work."

The father hummed in knowledge. "Your school far from hers?"

"I… I'm not going to school right now…" He feared what her father might think of him. He looked at her for permission to keep going. She made circular motions with her finger in a silent way to say 'It's okay. Go on.' "I… had a medical problem. They let me take my finals late." Explain before the man thinks badly of him. "I'll start school when I'm better."

"Ah. I see." The man took it in. "Must be tough. Best of luck to ya, boy."

"Thank you, sir."

"And one more thing."

"Sir?"

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"I like her. I want to ask if I can continue dating Ochaco." he surprised even himself. She looked both stunned and proud.

There was a bit of silence before Mr. Uraraka finally said, "You've got guts, boy. You got my seal of approval. For now. You treat her well, you hear?"

He couldn't believe it. "I will! Thank you, sir!"

"We better get to see you in person sometime," the mother said gently.

"We'll visit when we can?" he directed his eyes at Ochaco.

"I'll check my school calendar," she said. "Maybe I'll have time after my internship."

Izuku handed her back her phone. She got to chat for a minute more before ending it. They both sighed, she with satisfaction, him with relief. Maybe he should've said more? Tried to sound better?

"Stop worrying," she told him, reading his face. Or maybe he was mumbling again. "They're relaxed people. Think they like you already. "

He sighed again, trying to calm himself. Talking to strangers had always been hard. These were his girlfriend's parents. His adrenaline was still on high alert.

She took sympathy on him. "Wanna walk it off?" she suggested.

He'd paid the bill before the phone call. The Pocky packet was still sealed. Considering they paid for the full thing, she stuffed it into her backpack. The entry/exit door to the café was pushed open as they arranged their chairs back in place. The person who shuffled in wearing indoor slippers provided by the establishment was hulky and wide and–

"Koda?" Ochaco blurted out.

The tall boy flinched, unprepared to see his classmate here. He shyly waved a hello, preferring physical communication rather than vocal. A cat was standing on his broad shoulders, hind feet on one shoulder, front feet on the other, and body stretching behind the young man's head.

Izuku recognized him. "Oh. You were at the Sports Festival."

"We're in the same class!" Ochaco said, then remembered something. "Oh, yeah. Koda, no one found you at the party. You weren't at school?"

"I was," he spoke, his voice low, his eyes looking down. "I don't like crowds," he admitted.

Izuku empathized with this boy. "I understand. I'm Midoriya. Is this your first time here? "

The bigger boy nodded. "I knew of it some time ago. I think a lot before I make up my mind."

Izuku translated this to: I'm nervous about new places and need time to charge myself up to go in. "The people working here are nice. Did they give you a card, yet?"

Koji nodded. The cat on his shoulder made a wide-mouthed meowed.

Michi, the black Persian, rubbed against Izuku's bad leg. He had that smooshed-in face and rounded eyes, making him look sad.

"They like you," Koji told him, his voice still barely heard.

"I come here a lot. They're nice friends."

Animals told a lot. They were honest, which made communication easier with them than with people.

…

The flower park wasn't far ahead. It had changed a bit. Plants have been groomed and hedges trimmed and tidied up. Pink petals blanketed the pond. Perfume worthy scents mixed, attracting bees and beetles and nectar-loving birds. Each colorful section was planted in rounded fields curving around pavement in S-shapes. They sat on the bench, the same one they'd used the day they properly met.

"How far are your parents?" he asked, hunching over with his elbows on his spread knees, his hand clasping the other.

"Just outside Yokkaichi." A three-hour bullet train ride.

He couldn't picture himself living so far from home. He saw Eri and his mother daily. How homesick would he be if he was so far and unable to reach them for more than a day?

"I do miss them sometimes," she said sadly. "But I thought about that when I decided I wanted to be a Hero. I won't see them much but I want it to be worth it in the end."

"You sacrificed a lot for this," he said, sympathizing.

"They've struggled a lot taking care of me. They own a construction work company but they haven't gotten much work done. Resources and equipment and maintenance cost a lot and they haven't gotten much work done to bring money in. If I can finally be a Hero then I could help out and they don't need to stress about money and work anymore."

It was more of a personal reason. But then, most reasons were personal. Some Heroes wanted glory, or to feel good about saving a life and catching bad guys. Financial benefits were a common reason. Heroes had higher salaries due to the high risks involved. Average Heroes seen walking around with no fans bothering them had slightly higher-than-average pay. Heroes at the top of the popularity poll had celebrity status and major salary boosts. She was from UA, which would give her a head start, but would slap her with a weight of expectations.

"Yeah, I know it's weird. I'm being a Hero to help my parents," she admitted.

"I think it's nice, to help your parents like that." He placed his hand over one of hers flat on the seat.

Swans wrapped their long necks together, caressing, their wings raised.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"Wanna give it a try?" she patted the side of her bag.

It took him a few minutes of stupidly staring between her and her bag to understand. The packet of stick biscuits was in there. She pulled it out to confirm.

"I'd try," he managed.

She looked just as nervous, taking her time picking a good chocolate-covered cookie. She plucked one Pocky; half biscuit, half chocolate coating. "Umm… which side do you want?"

He scooted closer, his arm on the backrest of the bench to steady himself as much as possible. "I'm fine with whichever."

She ended up with the plain side carefully balancing between her teeth, the chocolate side pointing at him. It wiggled with every adjustment of her jaw. Her eyes were half-lidded, her blush warm. He grabbed her hand in his and took the bait, opening his mouth wide to catch the unstable cookie. He felt her breaths brush his nose. She was feeling his.

They held the Pocky, not doing anything with it, waiting for the other to start. He thought he heard a crunch. Either it was a crunch or she simply moved the cookie across her teeth and it happened to sound like a crunch in his head. It was enough to drive him to take a bite, inching forward with his lips, feeling her exhales intensely and hearing her breath.

Her hand traveled up his arm as she took an actual bite. He was getting railed up, feeling a flare of bravery. He nibbled his way to the center, stopping to catch his breath. It was hard to breathe. She whimpered at the sudden close proximity of their faces. He gasped between his teeth, his brows pinching in concentration. It would be a painstaking minute before they finally met. She pulled the bridge of cookie into her mouth, pulling him with it.

They just touched lips, a sorry excuse of a kiss, before his brain turned on again and he pushed forward, surprising her with an actual kiss. She yelped in her throat, her eyes going wide for a second, slowly closing, her mind melting away, turning off the world to just feel him. They slowly pulled away, sighing, catching their breaths. She chuckled and he couldn't help but smile.

Water rippled rings around wood that support bridges over the connected ponds. The air nearer to water was cool, the wood thumping as their shoes hit the platform. From the park, across the street and to the station, their hands remained connected.

She held both his hands as they waited for the train that would take Ochaco away. "I'll text you, kay?"

He knew she'd be busy with her internship and tired from her extra training with a Pro Hero. "Do your best," he told her. "I'll wait for you."

It was easy to forget she was a UA student, and a future Pro Hero. He saw her as his friend, his best friend, now his girlfriend. Was it a dream? Maybe. If so, he didn't want to wake up. It was real enough to make his heart go wild. If he had a tail it would wag so fast it would blur.

A line of people lingered behind them, looking at their phone, waiting for the train or the text or for someone to arrive. He wasn't sure why, but a line of stress cut through his happiness, leaving him blankly wondering what that was.

"Izuku?" she asked carefully, seeing the sudden concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I…" He heard it, like everyone went quiet and the Earth went mute for him to hear that one noise: a plastic rattling, like a travel bag's wheels running over pebbles. He caught a moving shape from the corner of his eyes. It was unclear if Ochaco was talking to him at that moment. He moved without thinking, ripping his palms away from her comforting hands and jolting to a clumsy, hurried run, tripping on his stiff leg, catching himself by slapping the train station's ground, getting back up – and just catching the runaway baby stroller before it could roll down the train tracks. The baby inside began to wail, unhappy about having the stroller stop so abruptly.

The action drew the attention of bystanders who only just realized what had happened. A woman came running in a hurry, her purse sliding off her shoulder as she went to grab the distressed infant, mumbling apologies. Izuku dropped to his knees as adrenaline seeped out of him, his heart ramming. Wind picking up from the train tunnel chilled his bones. There was a hand in his arm and he heard his name being called, asking if he was okay.

"Is the baby okay?" was what came out of his mouth.

The teary-eyed mother got on her knees and bowed, clutching her bundle, sobbing a mix of gratitude and apologies.

He finally managed to turn to Ochaco, who still held his arm.

"That was amazing, Izuku," she whispered in wonder.

TBC

Notes:

-Updates might be slow around (and just after) December. I have a few things to do around then.