Twin Bombers.
The Gathering Storm: Waiting.
I waited loyally, seeing Mom come in, "Hey champ, nice job, eh?" she asked. The buzzing of the fluorescent lights became mocking, I heard of Endeavor's injury, too. I guess we're even more similar now? I didn't answer, my silence making my answer for me.
I heard the tacking of a cane and slow, shuffling steps, "Lad?" Abner asked.
"Abner? Hey," I stated emptily.
"Lad, you made quite the ruckus…" he sighed, "I'm here to represent the family, seein' as her Grammae and Mama are at odds, and it's the last thing I need right now," he sat down, he was completely sober. The silence reigned through the halls, most of the other families looked over at Mom, Abner, and I. I shut my eyes.
"I… I…" I mumbled gently, still remembering the rusty, metallic scent of the boiling metal. Remembering the smell of glycerine, her beautiful face staring at me, smiling at me like all those times before. I curled into a little ball, sorrow tore my heart into ribbons.
"What if… what if Momo… doesn't wake up?" I mewed, I never knew the feeling of loss. Not the kind of loss of someone so important. One I killed myself. On purpose, to destroy a machine that could wipe out the whole of Hosu. I sat looking down at her, her chest slowly rising and falling, her beauty still there, patched with bandages, her eyes closed. Mom was gone, Abner was gone. I was left there, they tried to move me, but…
I glared at them. Three days, four, five, six, seven. I refused to leave. I refused appearances. I refused interviews. I refused every bit of fame and everything that'd make me leave her. Momo… Momo…
I'm so sorry.
"Mr. Bakugou? You doing okay, bud?" her doctor, Kuroiwa, asked. I looked haggard, and every morning I kissed her on the forehead. Momo loved books. So I read to her. Treasure Island, Around the World in 80 Days, War of the Worlds, The Stand.
"Doctor, please, she should be up by now…" I sighed, Kuroiwa patted me on the shoulder.
"She's lucky to have a guy like you," he huffed, "Most guys would move on,"
I grew stone-faced, my eyes narrowed.
Good Omens, Lamb, Coraline, Point Blank, Skeleton Key.
I waited, ever loyal, the hours grinding by. My eyelids drooped, trying to not sleep. I listened to her soft breathing. Her hair was longer now. Her beauty is even more accented by the moonlight. I took a deep breath. She was still asleep. It's been two weeks, Endeavor understood my worry. Just as I was about to sleep, just at that moment, I felt her curl around me, a restful sigh escaping her lips, her eyes slowly opening.
I opened my eyes and saw my Momo, awake. Her eyes shining in the gentle moonlight. She had scars like mine, and she was watching me, her gentle breath was sweet, dregs of glycerine in it. She smiled and patted my hair.
"You waited…" she sighed, her smile was so gentle. I started to cry, and she pulled me into her arms.
"Shhh… shhh… it's over… it's over…" she cooed, "It's over… it's all over…"
I looked at her silvery-blue face from the moonlight. Her long dark hair is a swath of black sky. Still smelling of glycerine. Smelling like me. She held me.
"I know… I know… let it out…" she sighed as I cried heavily, seeing the bandages around her chest through her gown. Her lips pressed against my ear, "Shh… shhh…" she soothed.
"I thought… I thought I…" I choked out, "I thought I killed you…"
"You didn't… you didn't…" she whispered, "you never would…"
"But… how? I thought…" I gulped, "I aimed right at you!" I hissed.
"You closed your eyes and aimed at that machine… you took off your band to aim," she said and I grinned widely, "So… you got scars like me, huh?" I asked.
Momo nodded, leaning forwards and capturing my lips in hers, her arms wrapping around me as I grew shaky once more. I pulled away, the silver light streaming in made her eyes glow a shade of royal blue. Something came out of her arm, and sitting there was a single Matryoshka, I picked it up.
"Don't open it just yet…" Momo cautioned.
"Wait, why?" I asked.
"Just hang on, you'll see," she answered.
"It's either going to be something really lewd or really pretentious, there is no in-between with you," I stated.
"Well, you had your birthday before me, consider this a late present," she said, "Go on, open it!" she urged, nudging me.
I popped it open and I saw something small in there, wrapped up, it was a hair tie.
"Huh?" I wondered.
"A hair tie, that way you can tie this spiky mane back…" she teased, "I'll be out in no time, you get back to being a hero," she assured me. The hair tie was a stretchy metallic string. I tied my hair back with it.
"Nah, I wanna stay, 'sides… we gotta settle a few things…" I sighed, motioning to the pile of work I brought her from Aizawa.
She groaned, "Awwwww… babe…"
"Sorry, Momo, Aizawa's orders!" I sighed, standing and stretching a little. My hero suit was more like interlocking pieces of latex and armor, my scarves were red. I wanted to stay, so I sidled into the bathroom, trying to clean myself up. I heard the bed shift, with Momo groaning and grunting, trying to make her way to where I was.
I heard her open the door, crawling over to me, whimpering and mewling as her muscles tried to strengthen again. I knelt and pulled her into my arms, her body shuddering. I felt more tears stream down my face, seeing the scar on her chest as she whimpered, clinging onto me, the water warm.
She looked up at me, "Is… is my scar ugly?" she whispered.
"Ugly? Hell no, Momo… I didn't mean to give it to you," I denied. The water soothed her hurting muscles, I gently washed her hair, now tapering down to mid-back. Her smile lit up the darkness and uncertainty of the last few weeks. The scar was slightly reddened, spreading down her chest like a breastplate of scar tissue.
"Do you like my hair this long?" she asked.
"Well… more hair to play with, more of you to love," I reasoned, Momo smiled and kissed me tenderly, her weight pushing me back against the bath wall, the steam from the water made me a little dizzy, I got a little sick after Wolfram. Her kiss was needy, hungry, I was losing breath.
"Hahh!" she moaned a little as I sucked in some breath, she laid against me, a slightly shaking hand tracing the well-oiled machine of my muscles. She was taller than me, even though I was five foot five now, but… now she was six foot one, leaning down, looking down, kissing me, leaving me breathless. She was so beautiful. So gentle and so softly breathing, hungrily kissing me I felt her gentle fear in my heart. Momo was so weak now. So fragile. She was begging me for more, but I didn't want to. She parted from me.
I washed her gently, her dependency on me a little odd, but then again, she was put through hell. Plus I liked her when she was a little princess-like. I wanted to spoil her rotten, then show her what happens to those who try to get in my way, but for this night…
She was mine to spoil, to pamper and cuddle. Her hair fanned out as her back was against my chest, her cheeks flaring up and her gentle panting moans as I massaged her atrophied muscles made me go wild. But I kept the other me, the conqueror me, back.
Once I drained the water, I felt her shift to face me, her dark eyes looking so pleadingly at me.
"Walk me back…" she whispered softly, kissing me again, her tongue wiggling my lips apart, "Mm…" she softly noted, I wrapped the towel around her. Instead of being in Hosu, we were around her neighborhood. I don't remember flying, but I must've broken the sound barrier. I was glad she was close to home, the hospital was a lot like a fancy hotel. I laid her on the bed after we clumsily strode along.
"Good job, honey…" I sighed, kissing her scar gingerly, feeling her yelp a little. I felt her curl around me.
"Gentle… so gentle…" she reminded, "Gotta be gentle, honey…"
I held her and she settled in next to me, her eyes slowly closing, "Goodnight," she said.
"Love you," I said.
"Love you too…" Momo yawned, closing her eyes. I never slept, not anymore, not when Momo wasn't strong enough to fight back right now. She meant everything to me. I won't let her down… not again I held her, hearing the ticking of the clock, I kissed her, listening to her breathing, listening to the quiet nightly noises on repeat.
I'm not gonna ever let go again, I'm not gonna let any villain get to her. Insomnia, you're my friend here.
A few days later, and I was helping Momo get better and better between patrols, I'd finally learned to be patient. I'd finally learned to wait. Momo was getting better and better, slowly but surely. She started tying her hair back again, her eyes gained that glow I loved so much. She smiled more and more... there were some nights where she couldn't sleep without me ignited or me curled up in her arms.
Today was the day I had a special delivery to make for Enji, he seemed a little too busy to make the flower delivery, so here I was, awkwardly walking into the facility his wife was staying at. I couldn't stay for long, I didn't know what Enji was thinking about sending me to deliver flowers to his wife. She didn't know me, but I asked for her room, saying:
"I got some flowers from Mr. Todoroki,"
They let me by once I showed them proof. He gave me the receipts if I needed to make deliveries to families of the people he saved. He was kinder, and it was so weird. One minute, he's stoic. The next, he's taking me out to lunch and talking to me like I'm his new son or something. Out on patrols, he'd become like a homing missile if I showed any signs of cramping or slow down.
In class, Shouto already told me that his dad is super attached to me and it's creeping him and his siblings out. I knew that, but... I went to the door and knocked softly, being answered by Shouto.
"Renaru?" he asked.
"Hey, uh... flowers, from your dad to your mom," I said, thrusting them forwards. Shouto accepted them and looked back up at me.
"Shouto? Who is that?" a soft voice asked.
"The old man's apprentice, Mom," he stated.
"Oh! Let him in!" Mrs. Todoroki exclaimed.
"S-sorry ma'am... I gotta go, uhm... check on my girlfriend," I mumbled, trying to escape. I already had two moms, Midnight and well, my Mom... I just didn't want to cut in on Shouto's time with his mom. I already had two dads too. Enji and my Dad. Even though the formerly abusive asshole was more present than the asshole who knocked-up Mom and left her when we were born, I knew that I wasn't going to be part of their lives.
So why was I sitting awkwardly in a chair, halfway listening to Shouto and Mrs. Todoroki?
Hell if I know. Maybe it's because she was so nice? Or she insisted on me coming in?
"So, I've heard so much about you from Enji's letters, he said that sometimes you take charge of the agency," she chuckled a little.
"Oh yeah, sometimes Moe and I have to knock him out, 'cause he gets next to zero sleep when he's working on a case he really wants to get done," I said, "Even then there's managing both him and I's appearances... ever since I destroyed the Jungle it's been appearance after appearance, talk show after talk show..." I sighed, knowing I had one tonight soured my mood.
"I feel your pain," she stated.
"Wait a sec, you were in the movie business, right?" I asked.
Mrs. Todoroki nodded, and I smirked.
"Okay then," I stated, "I gotta go, Mrs. Todoroki, it was nice to meet you, I'll make sure Enji doesn't keel over!"
That made Mrs. Todoroki laugh, I described the process of 'How to knock out a Flaming Muscleman.'
Step 1: Keep him from grabbing coffee.
Step 2: Get Super Soakers.
Step 3: Post up as he's raging about his coffee.
Step 4: HOPE AND PRAY THAT HE DOESN'T GET THE COFFEE!
Step 5: Profit.
Scenario A: Gets Coffee, punishes Moe, and me with a ton more work.
Scenario B: Doesn't get coffee, gets soaked, laughs about it, and goes home.
Scenario C: Gets coffee, gets soaked, and now we're both six feet under paperwork and subjected to Cat Crazy Endeavor.
CC Endeavor: Super hyper, super angry.
I was on a talk show appearance again, wearing my hero suit and waiting for my cue. The host was a younger guy with a reporting quirk, he was friendly and a closet fan judging by his reaction when I came in for our time.
"Tonight we have a very special guest. He's our Number Six hero, a man who needs no introduction: Renegade!" the host introduced, the audience clapped and I came out, shook his hand, and sat in the way too overstuffed chair.
"So... you're the youngest Pro Hero out there, yes?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm sixteen, got any bones about it?" I snarled, "Just kidding ya! C'mon man, ease up!"
The host went from a little frightened to starting to laugh. I had the floor.
"How do you feel about most of your fanbase being older and younger than you, Renegade?" he asked.
"Well... I don't have a care in the world about it, if you like me, that's fine. If you like Endeavor and I, well... that's fine too. I'm here to save lives, not to flex and posture," I said.
"Well... I'm afraid I have some news..." he sighed.
"What?" I gasped overdramatically.
"People have ships for you!" he exclaimed.
Oh... Oh NO! Enji warned me about this! Okay, okay, play it cool!
"There's the vanilla ship, Creatigade, which is you and your girlfriend, Creati," he stated, smiling.
"Yeah, those guys are nice people, nice n' respectful," I stated, "Not that there's anything wrong with any other ship,"
"Then here's one that's gonna make you probably hock up your lunch, RenZero," he stated. I went pale.
"Sir, get me a flamethrower..." I sighed, "Seriously?! Me and my brother?! How dense can that get?!"
"Okay, okay, back to more Pros," he segued, "The ship that's a rising star in doushinjis is Bunnybomb,"
"Bunnybomb?" I asked.
"You and Miriko," he explained.
"Oh, okay, ehhh... her and I only worked together once or twice after the Jungle Incident," I sighed.
"Then there are the REALLY weird ones," the host stated, getting excited.
"Okay...? What could be worse than RenZero?" I asked.
"Rendeavor," he stated.
"NO! NO! GO BACK! RENZERO WAS BETTER!" I yelled, "Endeavor's... like my dad! Seriously, that's just asking for trouble..."
"Rennight," the host stated.
"Considering that I had the BIGGEST crush on her when I was younger... I had good taste," I stated huskily, making the audience crack up.
"Rengum,"
"Uhh... okay?" I mumbled.
"Alright, alright... I'll stop, but what's the hardest thing to deal with as the youngest pro?" he asked.
"As you assaulted me with RenZero and Rendeavor, you know exactly what my brother and my mentor and I have to deal with..." I sighed, "Midnight just teases me about it..."
"So you don't like invasions on your love life, right?" he asked.
"Bingo, my girl just recovered from the Jungle Incident, and with the influx of Nomu attacks, all we wanna do is just cuddle," I reasoned, "Still, I'm glad that there's no shortage of work,"
"Big. FAT. MOOOOOLAAAAHHHH!" I yelled, "haha! I mean, my goal was to help my Mom out and get her to a better state o' living... so I guess that's fine..."
After the show, I was flooded with fans, signing and autographed merchandise, my detail had to shove me into the car. So here I was, going home back to Momo. Remembering that her mother started to pressure us to tie the knot. 'As much as I love the fact that you two are going steady, I think it's time we finalize it,' she'd said one night after we settled into a small house between UA and Endeavor's agency.
For ease of our commutes, of course. She was back earlier than me. She learned to cook, at least some things. I smelled the food and found her waiting for me at the door.
"Welcome back, darling..." she sighed, watching me ditch my boots. She helped me up and kissed me gently, tenderly, separating and taking off my suit, unwinding the sweat-stained scarves, and massaging my neck.
"So... my mother's already picked out a dress..." she sighed.
"Ugh, she's still trying to fast-track us? Any day now I'm gonna be a husband..." I sighed, not feeling ready again.
"Dear, it's for my protection, you're the sixth-ranked hero in the NATION, you ATOMIZED Wolfram, many people undersell your true strength..." she sighed, "Plus when we work together, we do well,"
"Babe... I know that your mother wants to protect you, but when Wolfram took you, I wasn't there. That just makes me even more worried," I huffed, hugging her.
"Mm... let's eat then, we'll think about it," she decided. Dinner was a quiet affair, soft music played and I didn't have much to say. Momo sighed.
"Listen, Renaru, I know with you being a pro and me still being a student we don't see each other much," she sighed.
"Yeah... I know," I huffed.
"Especially after Wolfram, you don't want to leave me... and I don't want to leave you," she admitted, "I want to stay with you.."
I nodded, I cleared the dishes and I pulled her into my arms.
"Tonight... let's just hold each other and never let go, okay?" I asked.
Momo nodded, holding me tightly. There was nowhere I would rather be.