1. To anyone who said it was Hawkeye, ten points to your house!

2. To the person who asked if I had certain people picked out for the gender and sexual identities...sort of? I definitely have headcannons, but I also wanted to keep it open ended for people to guess and choose someone to relate to.

Anyways, enjoy!

Izuku was practically skipping— no, scratch that, he was floating. Flying? Dancing? Using One for All at a trillion percent? Whatever, it didn't matter. All he knew was that he was so hopelessly, amazingly, desperately in love, and he was all too thrilled to show it.

He'd specifically asked for time off tonight months ago. Logically, he knew that being a hero never stopped, but just this once, he wanted it to. Sure, there was really no objective reason that today was special other than the fact that the calendar dictated it as such, but still. This time last year, he hadn't even known she'd existed. And now, on their first Valentine's Day together, he wanted to make it special.

The number one pro hero stepped back to take in his work. There was a table for two, lacy tablecloth, candles, roses and all. It was on top of a roof downtown, providing a beautiful skyline view. Getting the place reserved had been…awkward. Izuku still didn't like using his pull for his own uses, but for Asagao, he could easily justify it.

The soothing tones of the American artist Frank Sinatra were playing on a speaker in the corner, and Izuku checked his phone again out of habit. Todoroki said he'd be bringing their food in about an hour, which was just the right timing.

"Midoriya-kun, it's really no trouble," his best friend had said when he'd fretted over it for the millionth time. "What else was I going to do tonight anyways— third wheel on someone's date?"

Izuku took in a deep, calming breath. He wasn't nervous— well, not his usual kind of nervous. More like pressured. They'd been through so much. They'd almost known each other for a year now. He just wanted one night. One normal, simple, perfect night with Asagao where nothing crazy happened.

He shook his head of green curls. Worrying over it so much wouldn't help anything. All he needed to do was focus on Asagao (which was all too easy), and everything would be fine.

The hero took final stock of the situation. Candles, music, and a couple of blankets in case she got cold. Yup, this was going to be perfect.

Grinning widely, Izuku activated his quirk and shot off toward the clouds.

Her entire greenhouse was filled to the brim with pink and red, and for the first time in several years, Asagao didn't feel bitter looking at it. Valentine's Day had rolled around, bringing the usual influx of bouquet orders with it— as well as a date that she was all too thrilled for.

"It's a surprise!" her boyfriend kept saying every time she'd asked. That didn't stop her from constantly bugging him about it, even though she'd never managed to get a good answer.

The florist had been contemplating her outfit all week, and after deciding that she didn't feel like invoking the holiday's traditional colors, she settled for jeans, a white blouse, and boots. That morning when she'd stepped outside and felt the cold air, she'd also decided to grab a jacket just in case. Izuku had let something slip about being outdoors for a bit.

Her date outfit was stowed away in the back, ready to be tossed on just as soon as she was done dusting pollen off the shelves. Asa hummed a little tune as she closed up the shop. The flowers around her bobbed their petaled heads happily— even the asagaos didn't seem to protest her good mood.

When the shop bell jingled behind her, she didn't have to look back to see who it was. It was something she'd realized more after Izuku had opened up about his quirk. He had this…presence to him. There was this feeling of steady power that thrummed through the air around him. It wasn't intimidating or overwhelming, it just was.

Therefore, she didn't startle when muscled arms wrapped around her waist. "Love your outfit for our date," he murmured into her hair, tone teasing. "The soil on your apron really brings out your eyes."

Asa fought back a grin. "You're the worst."

"Mm, I try."

She finally turned around and was more than happy to find eager lips waiting for hers. The kiss was short and sweet and left her feeling like she was floating on cloud nine. If it wasn't for the very prominent windows on her storefront, she would've asked for more.

Instead, she settled for throwing the dusty pollen rag in his face, laughing when he stumbled back coughing. "An eye for an eye," she joked before turning on her heel. "I'll go get changed!"

"I'll finish up the shop!" Izuku called after her. She gave him a thumbs up before slipping into the back.

Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, it occurred to her that what had just happened was…normal. In a nice way, that is. Domestic? Maybe that was the word for it. He'd been helping her with things related to the shop for several months now, but it just— wow, they really had integrated so comfortably into each other's lives so quickly, hadn't they?

Changing into her date outfit and fixing her hair took about five minutes, and when she returned to find Izuku flicking off the lights in a pristine, perfectly in order shop, that warm, comfortable feeling returned. It was so strange to think that this time last year, he was only a part of her life through magazines and tv interviews. If she was being honest with herself, she was starting to get to the point of not being able to imagine going back to such a way of living.

(And if she was even more honest with herself, then she would allow her heart and mind to accept that Izuku had made it perfectly clear he had the exact same feelings, and then she could melt in the wondrous idea that they would always be together, but that was too soon, wasn't it?)

"All ready to go?" her boyfriend asked.

The florist stepped forward and laced their fingers together. "Yup. Where to?"

A familiar grin came onto Izuku's face. "It's still a surprise, Asagao. You'll see when we get there."

"Ugh," she groaned, throwing her head back. "Fine."

Her hero was snickering as she locked the front door, and Asa let her dramatics fall away in favor of a contented smile. Whatever he had planned, she was sure it would be worth the wait.

When the pair stepped out from the safety the niched shop door provided, they were immediately hit with a gust of cool wind. It took only half a second for Asagao to throw her arms around his waist in search of heat, and Izuku responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing tight.

"So how was work?" she asked routinely as they started walking.

"Oh, I, uh— I didn't have work today."

Asa lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Villains behaving on Valentine's Day?"

There was the rumble of an amused chuckle. "No, I just asked off a while back."

Again, that lovely, bubbly warmth filled her chest. Izuku rarely took time off— he'd admitted to her a few weeks ago that it'd been years since he took a proper vacation.

She half-wondered if he could feel the adoration trying to burst out of her when she nuzzled her cheek against his coat and said, "I love you."

Her hero pecked the top of her head. "I love you, too."

They continued their journey in comfortable silence, both letting their eyes wander around the bustling city streets. The sun was just beginning to set, casting everything in a soft glow of golden yellow, and Asagao had barely started to realize that their route seemed familiar to her when they turned the corner and she gasped.

"I used to come here in the spring as a kid!" she told him. Izuku laughed, but she hardly heard it.

In front of them was a beautiful wisteria garden. The flowers had been forced into a tunnel by a series of half-moon metal sheets, and though they weren't blooming, the spindly vines were decorated with little hanging lights. They illuminated the entire tunnel, and Asa turned toward Izuku with shimmering eyes.

"This is perfect, Izuku," she whispered. "I didn't know they did this in the winter! It's beautiful!"

His gorgeous green eyes were shining in the lights, gazing down at her fondly, when he shook his head. "This isn't the date, Asagao. We're just taking the scenic route."

If it wasn't for the many other couples around them, Asa would've pulled him down and crashed her lips against his. He was just so— how was he so amazing? This wasn't even the date, and it was already so wonderful, and—

"Don't worry," he murmured. "There'll be time for that later."

Asagao's heart skipped a beat. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him lean in. Izuku's voice was warm and promising, his breath tickling her ear, and she shivered. When he pulled back, she saw heat in his eyes and— oh, she must have been looking at him the same way.

She grinned shyly. He responded by pressing a far too chaste kiss to her lips.

They refocused on the sights in front of them without too much trouble. Their footsteps were slow, unhurried, a nice change of pace for two people who were so busy all the time.

All around them were other couples also enjoying the glowing tunnel, wrapped up in their own little worlds just like they were, and not at all paying attention to Asagao and Izuku. It was…nice. Normal, for once. She'd gotten used to having eyes on her wherever she went with Izuku, and to blend in for even just a little bit was a welcome relief.

"So," she said after a while, and he hummed to indicate he was listening. "Still not telling me where we're going after this?" They were nearing the end of the tunnel, and her curiosity was starting to get the better of her.

And again, her boyfriend just shot her a grin. "It only takes a few minutes to get there from here. I promise, just a little while longer, and—"

"AH!"

The couple whipped around. Back up the path of the tunnel, a woman was on the ground, clutching at her stomach. Asagao and Izuku rushed forward without another thought.

A small crowd was already gathering when they reached her. Another woman was next to the first, holding her hand and asking what was wrong. As soon as Izuku stepped through, the crowd shuffled back to give them space.

"What happened?" he asked, voice calm and steady.

"I-I don't know," the second woman stammered. "She was fine— we were about to go to a movie, a-and then she just fell!"

Asagao frowned. As she kneeled down next to the fallen woman, she asked, "Any known medical conditions?"

When the woman shook her head, Asa and Izuku made eye contact. The florist vaguely heard her boyfriend telling the other woman to call for an ambulance. Violet eyes were searching, trying to remember some of the first aid things she was taught in school. The woman was clearly breathing, but it was slow, and she almost looked…peaceful? That didn't make sense. If this was something bad like a stroke, then she wouldn't be that way.

And that's when she caught it.

There was a glint of silver. It just barely poked out of the woman's shirt on her side, right near the grass and almost completely out of view. Violet eyes narrowed, then widened.

It was a dart.

Wordlessly, she grabbed her boyfriend's hand. "Izuku—"

There was a scream.

"Everybody get down!" her hero yelled.

Asagao ducked, throwing her arms over her head uselessly. Something hard and warm covered her— Izuku. There were more screams, and then, silence again. When they looked up, a quarter of the crowd was passed out on the ground. And on the other end of the tunnel, advancing with no intention of stopping, was a person in a dark cloak.

"Shit," Izuku gasped. "Everyone run!"

Those that could did, but several stayed behind with their loved ones, crying out desperate pleas for them to wake up.

"They're not dead— you have to go!" Asagao shouted over the noise. A dart flew past her, narrowly avoiding her shoulder. Autopilot kicked in. She dug her hand into her purse and snapped on the gauntlet.

People were running past them. The cloaked figure was approaching. Izuku turned to her, green eyes darkened. "Asagao, you have to go, too. I'll handle this."

Violet eyes narrowed defiantly. "I'm not leaving you."

The hero mask cracked, worry shining through. "I need you safe."

"No," she countered, hand whipping out and grasping the nearest wisteria branch, "You need a shield."

On command, the wisteria connected to her, and it was all she could do to not fall down at the sheer force of it. It was such a big life, could she really—? No, she had to. Izuku was a lot of things, but immune to sleeping darts wasn't one of them. He was their best chance to save everyone here, and if he got knocked out, it was game over. He needed to protect everyone, and she needed to protect him.

He had his job. She had hers.

A wall of branches burst forth, groaning and creaking as they formed a protective barrier in front of him. Izuku's eyes were shining bright— she would never be able to name every single emotion that was in them.

But with him secure, Asagao just closed her eyes and focused.

Her mind space had never felt so chaotic. It was straining at the weight of the wisteria— shit, she really hadn't ever taken on such a big plant before. Even just the small section she was controlling weighed down on her, and Asa forced herself to turn the dial up on the gauntlet. She could take it. She had to.

There were echoes of screams from the outside world. She heard them, heard Izuku yelling— but she didn't open her eyes. She couldn't. She couldn't afford to lose focus. This was where she was needed right now.

There was a murderous snarl, and Asa felt her knees buckle as darts began to sink into the branches. It wouldn't hurt her like it had the others, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. They were like tiny thorns, digging and searing, and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out.

Another scream, the feeling of raw power bursting out, and then—

"A-Asagao? Asagao, please—"

Violet eyes blinked open blearily.

"Asagao, oh thank god!" Izuku's voice was watery as he picked her up. He cradled her close to his chest, and she leaned her full weight against him.

"It's over now, it's over," he murmured into her hair. "I, I can't believe you— thank you, Asagao, thank you, but please, never again, never—"

Sirens wailed in the distance.

Izuku had texted someone on their way home, but she'd been too exhausted to notice. When they trudged into his front door, he guided her upstairs, and when she slumped out of his hold and onto the bed, he didn't protest.

Asagao drifted off into a mindless daze. She'd been doing that for the past hour. It had taken a while to get everything sorted out, to pass on the information they had, to ask to be informed when those hit would wake up. The only thing that had kept her awake through it all was Izuku's steady hand on her back, never leaving, never wavering.

A gentle shake on her shoulder brought her out of her rambling thoughts. She opened her eyes. Izuku was in front of her with a covered dish in his hands. She blinked, and his eyes flicked away sheepishly.

"I— I had this whole thing on a rooftop, and Todoroki-kun brought it, and it…well, it doesn't matter," he decided. He lifted the cover, and she unwittingly breathed a happy sigh when she saw a massive salad decked out with chicken, fruit, and lots and lots of green.

Izuku handed it over, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he did. "You get refueled. I'm gonna shower real quick, and then I'll check you over, okay? Shout if you need anything."

Well, she didn't have to be told twice.

Time passed by irrelevantly as she stuffed one forkful after another into her mouth. Once it was finished, she no longer felt like she'd been hit by a bus, but she didn't exactly feel fantastic, either. Plus, she was finally coherent enough to notice how much of a mess she was.

Just as she began to pick at her once-white blouse, the door to the bathroom opened. "Ah, yeah, I'll— I'll buy you a new one." Asagao looked up to see Izuku in a t-shirt and sleep shorts, toweling off his hair. "I don't think any amount of dry cleaning is gonna get the stains out."

Asa nodded dumbly in agreement. He was probably right— he had more experience with this sort of stuff than she did. Her shirt was covered in a mix of dirt and blood (whose blood, she wasn't sure, because it couldn't be hers). The shoulder was ripped, one of the cuffs was torn off, and some of the buttons had come undone.

Sighing, the florist began to unbutton the rest of them. It didn't really matter. It was just a shirt, after all. It was only when it was open, though, that she realized that oh…the blood was hers.

Izuku rushed over to her immediately, eyes wide with horror. Gentle fingers went to her chest— but there were no wounds. Just marks of blood in places that felt vaguely familiar.

"The wisteria," she muttered in realization. "It took the shots for me. Maybe this is what happens."

When she glanced up, her boyfriend's lip was trembling. "I—" he sucked in a sharp breath. "First aid. I'll— I'll be right back."

He dashed out of the room. Asagao continued shrugging her shirt off, and then went for the rest of her outfit. It was all dirty, really, and she knew she had some pajamas tucked away in his closet to change into.

Asagao had just pulled a blanket over her mostly naked body for modesty's sake when Izuku came charging back in, first aid kit in hand. He knelt down and immediately got to work. The room fell silent, save for her occasional hisses of pain from the alcohol and his soft apologies.

She had just let out another hiss when a tear finally overflowed from his glassy eyes.

Asa watched it trail down his cheek. She didn't realize she was reaching toward him until she wiped it away, and he shuddered. Sad green eyes looked up into hers.

"I'm so sorry," Izuku whispered. "I hate seeing you like this. I wish you'd run, but— but I couldn't have done that without you, and I hate that, too, because I don't want you in danger. I-I…I just wanted one normal night, just one, but then something bad happened again, and I—"

Asa pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I think we need to stop having 'normal' as an expectation."

Another tear spilled over. "Maybe."

There was a moment where neither of them knew what to say. He was done cleaning her up, and now, his fingers simply glided over where the blood had been, Izuku staring at her skin dazedly.

Finally, Asagao cupped Izuku's face and made him look at her. "Normal is different for everyone," she said. "Our normal doesn't have to look like everyone else's."

The tears stopped. She could only describe the look on his face as awe, mouth dropped open slightly and eyes wide. Something was shifting in the air around them, and when he leaned forward, she closed her eyes and let him have her.

Strong hands took ahold of her thighs as their lips moved against one another. He lifted her into the air, and she was set back down again on the middle of the bed. Her hair pooled around her on the pillows, and the blanket that had been covering her began to slide off.

Izuku was surrounding her, one thigh slipped between her legs and his lips now trailing down her neck. But it wasn't enough. An unbearable heat was growing inside of her. She could tell it was taking him over, too.

But they took it slowly— almost painfully so. Like the gentleman he was, he asked before taking off each remaining garment of clothing. He told her to tell him to stop if she wasn't comfortable, to let him know what he could do to make things go as well as possible, and she just told him to please go ahead.

She woke up the next morning warm and happy. An arm was around her waist, and Izuku was still snuggled up to her, scrolling through his phone with a pensive look.

Asa shifted, and he instantly put his phone down. They greeted each other with a lazy kiss, both grinning sleepily.

"Morning," he murmured when they parted. "Sleep well?"

The florist nodded, curling back into his chest. "Mmhm. What were you looking at?"

Her boyfriend let out a deep sigh. "Email from the agency. Multiple media outlets are asking for you to do an interview as soon as possible."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Interview? Like on tv?"

"Yup." Asa made a face, and Izuku chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. What do you want to do?"

"Mm, I'll think of something. Right now, all I want to do is stay here with you."

"Yes, please."

"Here at Your Hero News Today, we have an exciting exclusive statement from Deku's girlfriend, Nakano Asagao! As you know, the couple was caught in the middle of a villain attack while going on their Valentine's Day date. Together, they were able to evacuate forty citizens, as well as ensure the safety of the fifteen who had been injured. Nakano-san declined our offer for an interview, but she says that this statement comes from the bottom of her heart.

'Dear citizens, I waited a while to say anything about the attack because I wasn't sure what to say. But after some time to think about it, I have a few words.

One, I've heard many people referring to the attacker's quirk as evil. This is odd to me, because a quirk is a quirk. They are not inherently good or bad, they just are. Those of us who have quirks decide how we are going to use them just like we decide how we will use any other ability we have.

Two, being a hero is a state of mind, not a matter of quirks, profession, identity, or anything else. I was in the right place at the right time to act. Anyone can do that, and if you find yourself in a situation where you can help, I hope you will.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help and am glad to hear that those injured have recovered.

Sincerely,
Nakano Asagao'

Well, that was certainly some speech! She definitely used her platform to make a statement! What do you think? Follow us on Twitter where we've posted her statement in its entirety and let us know your thoughts! For Your Hero News Today, this is Abe, signing off."

The end is nigh for this story (just two more weeks), but again: SHINSOU IS COMING SOON! And for those of you who wanted a sex scene- this is still rated T, so sorry.