Shimura arrived first to their date and immediately, it calmed all of Inko's nerves. Once she saw him in the large restaurant window, she rushed over towards him and sat down in the seat across the table. He looked nice. Really nice, actually. His hair held a softness that it never seemed to have before. He wasn't wearing that silly All Might brand workout suit, for once. Instead, he had a nice suit on and even though it didn't seem to be anywhere near his size, he still seemed to practically glow it in. It looked expensive, but that was likely because he worked for Japan's best hero. Who knew what kind of salary this man got!

"Y-you look nice, Inko!" He had a shaky smile on but she could see that he was being honestly with how red his cheeks were. "Are those little oranges?" He pointed towards her dress, his nervous expression slowly turning into one of curiosity.

She had to look down herself to make sure. "Yes! I got this dress a little while ago and I thought it was cute." She also thought that All Might would like it, but that didn't matter now. Shimura was enjoying it far more and that meant the world to her. "You look nice too. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to find anything with your proportions, but you pulled it off!"

He looked down just as she had, his cheeks flushing again. The honest surprise in his expression made her heart sink, but it was nothing new to her. She was aware of how low he seemed to see himself. He tended to get embarrassed if he talked too much or too little. He liked to gesture with wide motions but whenever he realized he was doing it, those long arms always ended up pinned to his sides or on the table. He was holding himself back, but she wasn't quite sure why just yet. Perhaps she could find out tonight.

"Have you already ordered?" She asked, looking around for a waiter. She was too short to see above the walls dividing their seating area from the rest of the restaurant.

"Ah, no. I wanted to wait for you. But don't worry! I've only been here for a few minutes." He gave an awkward laugh that she shared. He was still trying too hard to keep her happy.

"That's a relief." Was all she said as she picked up her menu. On instinct, she searched for things that Shimura could eat. There were a few, but most of them were appetizers. Perhaps they could get one meal for her and she could hand over her side dish? He didn't usually eat much anyway.

As she looked through for what she might want, her gaze slowly shifted upward until her eyes were on Shimura. He was thinking hard. She could tell because of the way his eyebrows -or, the place where they would've been if he had any- was furrowed and he was staring at the menu in front of him. It reminded her of someone, but she couldn't quite figure out who. That expression lit something in her chest that felt warm and safe. She liked when Shimura was lost in thought. A lot, actually. It was the only time he felt genuine and real to her.

"Are you two ready to order now?"

Both parties jumped at the sound of the waiter's voice. Inko looked away from Shimura, her face beginning to heat up as she stuttered out her answer. "Yes! Could I have the chicken alfredo with a side of miso soup?" The waiter wrote it down with a hum and then took her menu, tucking it under his arm.

"And you?" He pointed his men towards Shimura, who gave him a stressed look. Immediately, Inko spoke up.

"We're sharing, actually." She gave him a polite smile and handed over the other menu. Shimura relaxed visibly next to her, his gaze turning towards his hands under the table. With another nod, the waiter walked off and they were left alone for a little while. Well, as alone as they could get in a restaurant full of other people. "I figured you might just want my side of soup since you can't exactly eat large portions." She gave him an answer to the wordless question between them. "It was easier than wasting another meal."

"Ah, thank you." He nearly whispered it with how softly he spoke. "I appreciate the offer." Despite his showed gratitude, his expression stayed strained as he looked away from her, almost pointedly. Was he really not okay with her stepping in like that? She had thought that he was fine with her being assertive now and then, even mentioning it the week before. Of course, she wasn't always assertive and just speaking up to the waiter had her heart beating, but she had thought that it was the right decision. Maybe she should've told him about that plan first? Did he not want miso soup? Was that it?

"I, ah, apologize." Shimura started, his hand coming to the back of his neck in a way that rang some bells in the back of her mind, but she discarded that.

"For what?" Her concern grew with the way he frowned. He hadn't done anything wrong so far.

"I have to say that...I didn't agree to come for the same reasons you might've." He was still looking away, refusing to meet her gaze. It was frustrating, especially with how her heart sank. What had she misunderstood about this? "Don't get me wrong, in any other situation, I would've loved to come out here with you and just enjoy your company, but..." He didn't finish his thought. Instead, he just straightened his posture and looked into her eyes. She nearly gasped with how sad he looked. "I haven't been completely honest with you." He admitted.

Inko waited for him to continue, hoping that he would turn around and say this was some kind of joke to finally say the three words she wanted to hear. Or, at least she thought he wanted them. He obviously liked her in the same way she liked him, but every time she thought of trying to hold his hand or even say what she wanted, it just felt...too soon. There was something she obviously wasn't seeing and it needed to come out first.

"This may be a bit difficult to believe, if I'm being honest. I doubt I would believe myself either. But I need you to know that I'm being totally and completely truthful." The way he was drawing this out make her nervous. Worst case scenarios rushing through her mind as her brain tried to fill in what he might say. Was he some kind of villain? Was he not actually Izuku's trainer but some random guy that bribed her son to pretend he was? Oh how her heart twisted with that last thought.

"Shimura, I-"

"Inko." He interrupted her before she could even speak. "I can't say it here, but...maybe after? We can walk to somewhere more private and I can come clean."

She didn't like that at all. Reminders of past dates flashed through her mind. She had heard of several people being told the same thing before they were shoved into the back of some white van and never seen again. That, or they found out the guy they were with was actually a wanted criminal looking for a quit hook up. No matter how she tried to look at the situation, she couldn't see it ending with her being safe and him not trying to kill her.

"Wait! I'm sorry! That...sounded wrong." He was blushing again, his large hands covering his face. "Ah, let me try again." Clearing his throat, he pulled his hands away and looked at her once again. "Inko, you don't have to go anywhere with me if you don't want to. I understand if you don't trust me after I worded it like that. I just...this is a secret that I've been holding for a while. I can't other people around knowing, okay? I promise it's nothing too bad!" If Inko wasn't scared for her life, she might've laughed at the way he crossed over his heart.

For a while, she thought it over. Going with him might still mean she would get kidnapped. Perhaps..."Alright. Once we're done eating, we can go to the park close by. We'll stand under the security camera and if you try to hurt me, I will pepper spray you." She gave him a serious look, hoping he wouldn't play it off as some joke. She didn't mess around when it came to her or Izuku's safety and getting kidnapped would be playing into both.

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes wide. He looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it and nodded instead. "That's fair." He rubbed at his neck again. "I promise that you won't need to do that, though. I won't even touch you if you don't want." He held his hands where she could see them as if he were being held at gun point.

Inko was about to say something but she stopped when she saw the waiter coming over with their food. Until then, she would have to trust that he was telling the truth.

...

Dinner was far more tense than she had wanted. It completely took the magic away from their date and honestly, Inko wasn't sure if she could even call it that anymore. All she could think about was the fastest way to return home and how many things she would have to place in front of their door until she felt safe. She even considered asking Mitsuki to let her and Izuku stay over for the night, but the reminder that her son was, in face, the literal devil gave her second thoughts. She didn't need to worry about what Katsuki would be doing to her poor son on top of everything else. Besides, -as bad as it was to say it- Shimura didn't look strong enough to run after her, especially if she managed to get a hit on him first.

With both of their meals mostly finished, Shimura paid their bill -Inko was originally going to offer but she thought that he deserved to pay with how stressed he made her- they walked out of the restaurant. The sidewalks weren't as crowded as when she came to the building, but it was enough that if he tried anything, she would have several witnesses.

"I could lead the way, if you'd like." Shimura offered with a kind smile. It did help her relax, albeit only slightly. She gave him a nod and followed him away from the rush of the city towards one of her favorite places in Musutafu. It was the place that she felt most at peace and right now, she needed that.

Inko was thankful that the walk towards the park wasn't completely silent. He talked a bit about how long it had been since he last went on a date and in a way, she could relate to him. Finding love at such an old age was nearly impossible and ending up with someone who liked her in return...it was comforting to know he felt just as lost. The topic had her talking about her own dating experiences and they both laughed at some of the more awkward ones. The funniest ones always came after her years in high school.

"I never knew you went to Shiketsu High School." He commented, seemingly amazed. "I thought that only the rejects from UA went there." He said it as if it were something he completely believed. He must've been a UA alumni. Did he ever mention that before? It felt like she already knew that.

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but there were a few. I only went because it had better general courses. I never really wanted to be a hero anyway."

"I have to say, it was much harder to find the right hero school back then. I don't think Shiketsu even offered hero courses until I had graduated from UA. It's honestly surprising how much things have changed since then." He said it with an air of humor. Inko had never really bothered to ask him how old he was, but she could tell by now that it was more than her.

"The hero courses were pretty new when I went. I also got to graduate just before they made that stupid rule about dating other classmates." She huffed out, remembering how frustrating that was for some of her younger friends. "I mean, I get it. Dating can be a real mess and having to balance school work with a relationship is really hard, but come on! Making rules about it feel a little overkill! I'd rather just figure out for myself if I'm ready for a relationship than have my school decide for me."

Shimura laughed softly at her frustration, which only made her frown. She was about to ask him what was so funny until she suddenly stopped. Looking up at him, she saw a flash of bright, white teeth and golden hair. In her mind, she saw bulging muscles and a shark jawline instead of the sick man Shimura was. She saw someone that she had once dared to fall in love with but ended up having to forget because of how complicated their lives got. Her chest filled with conflicting emotions as she looked away. She felt warm yet cold. Jealous but grateful. Guilty but confident. Something about Shimura just seemed to make things worse and better at the same time and she had to figure out what it was or it would drive her insane.

"We're here." He announced, giving her a dopey smile despite how nervous he looked. He pointed towards the camera, as if saying that he promised to be on his best behavior. "If you want, you can get out your pepper spray." He said it with obvious hesitation.

Inko looked into her purse, thinking it over for a moment before letting go of it. "I'm sorry for getting to paranoid earlier. I don't think I'll need the pepper stray." She admitted with a flush. He was obviously a nice man. He wouldn't hurt her.

He relaxed with a genuine smile again. "I appreciate that." They shared a short laugh before things turned tense again. Shimura passed his weight between his feet, his hands typing knots into his oversized jacket until he finally let go. "Inko, I'm sorry that I haven't been completely truthful. I honestly wanted to say something but...nothing felt like the right move. Even now, I'm not sure if I should be doing this."

Despite how vague his words were, she nodded. "At least you're telling me. That can't be a bad thing."

He nodded, silently agreeing with her. "I like you. A lot, actually, but I understand if you want to leave after this. I really do. All I ask is that you continue to let your son train with, um, All Might."

This felt strangely familiar, like she had had this conversation before in the past. She didn't like it and the feeling of dread started to wash over her. "I already promised that whatever my feelings are, they won't interfere with Izuku's training." She promised All Might on the beach. She had wished that things were different back then, that they weren't so far apart. She still wished that now.

Shimura let out a breath, seeming to delate as he pressed forward. "With that...alright." She gave him a moment to gather up his courage. It was almost painful to watch and for a moment, she wondered if she should just put him out of his misery and call it a night, but he finally looked down at her again. "Inko, I am...I am All Might."

The world seemed to stand still as Inko watched him. He began talking again, but she couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything besides the rush of her own blood in her ears. It was like the different links in her brain were trying to connect, trying to comprehend what he had just said, but she couldn't. Nothing made sense and all she could think was that this was a joke. It was all a sick joke and she was going to wake up in her bed the next morning.

Her ears stopped ringing eventually and once she started to hear his voice, something snapped. All of those times when she felt like something was on the tip of her tongue finally made sense. When Shimura talked, it rang bells. When he looked at her, he felt like a different person. Every single interaction she had seemed off and now, she knew why. She was talking to someone she knew this whole time, but it was different.

"I really am sorry! I should've told you the truth earlier and it's still no excuse for my actions. I was wrong to leave you all those months ago and I was wrong for trying to come back into your life, pretending to be someone else. I don't deserve your forgiveness, I know. I just hope that you can somehow move on."

"You look the same." Inko didn't feel her lips move, but she knew the voice was her own. For a moment, Shimura -no, Toshinori- stopped. He looked like a deer in front of headlights and she couldn't blame him. "Your hair is the same." She spoke again. "The fluffy part in the back and the bangs in the front. Your hair is the same." All at once, other things began to pop out at her. "And your height. You're thinner, you stayed the same height. Your voice, your laugh, your gestures, everything! It's all the same!" She couldn't tell which interactions were with All Might and which were with the man in front of him. Which one did she save from lying in the alley way that night? and which one did she wash the dishes with last week? Which one was she on a date with at the moment?

"Inko?" His voice was soft, just like it had been at the beach. Soft and hesitant, as if he were talking to someone higher than him. Someone he didn't deserve to know.

"How could I be so stupid?!" Inko yelled out, not caring who would stare at them. "You were the same person! It was so obvious! You always did that thing, with your hands! When you talked about something interesting, you'd wave your arms in a circle motion! And when you smile at me, it's always with your teeth! And your hair!" She pointed a finger at him, the tall man's body jumping from her motion. "Your hair is the same! Everything's the same but I never noticed because I thought it was impossible! How could someone like you be the Symbol of Peace?!"

Suddenly, Toshinori's eyes got wider as he looked around. He bent down towards her, a finger over his thin lips. "Sh! Don't say that so loud! Do you want the whole world knowing?!"

"I don't care if the world knows!" Inko hissed back, suddenly angry. "You tried to get me to fall in love with you! Twice!" She could already begin to fill in the pieces. "Wait, if you're not Izuku's trainer, then who else is-"

"No one else is training him. It's just me." At least he was being honest now.

Her heart tried to pull with how sweet that was, her son getting a special time to train with his idol every day, but her anger shut that out quickly. "And your condition! Is that even real?!"

This time, his expression fell as he nodded. "I never showed up to our first date because there was a villain attack." He admitted it slowly, as if it was still too fresh to freely talk about. "It...It didn't go as we expected and I've lost a lot because of it. I know it's no excuse, I never should've left without saying something. I'm sorry for that."

Inko stopped, her anger simmering away as she listened. Who...who on earth could beat All Might this badly. If she could recall, he mentioned no longer having a stomach and a lung. Who...How? How was this possible? "Are they still alive?" She looked to her sides, feeling unsafe again. If there was a villain that could do this to All Might, then was the world still safe?

"Yes. I made sure that he would never hurt anyone ever again. No one has to die at the hands of All For One ever again." He said it with an anger she had never seen in him before. This person, All For One, had to be terrible to get a reaction like this out of Toshinori. Even the worst of villain didn't seem to faze him.

Reaching up towards that sad face, Inko pressed her warm hands to either side of his head. He leaned into her touch as if subconsciously. He deserved better than this. "Toshinori." She said it in a whisper, his eyes fluttering open again. "I...Thank you for telling me this. It couldn't have been easy." Something pressed at the back of her eyes but she refused to let it out. "You're a strong man and I...I owe you so much just for being the Symbol of Peace." He looked ready to argue but she stopped him. "Toshinori, I don't want to leave. You mean so much to me and Izuku especially. I want...I want you in my life. I want to be with you." She couldn't hold back as a few stray tears fell from her eyes.

His shaky smile made her vision blur but she shared it all the same. "Really?" His voice cracked softly. "You aren't mad?"

Inko huffed out a laugh, not letting go of his face. "Oh, I'm mad, just...I like you more than I hate you. Toshinori, I..." She swallowed against the lump in her throat, trying to find the strength to say it. "I love you." She whispered. More tears fell down as she watched his expression closely.

He laughed softly as his own hands covered hers, the natural warmth of them still there. It was still him, even if he looked different. "I lo-" His voice cracked again and he took a moment to compose himself. "I love you too, Inko."

They both let out a soft sob, completely caught up in their emotions. It was everything Inko wanted and it finally felt right. There were no more secrets between them, nothing shoving them apart. They could figure this out no matter how hard it got. They could be together.

Inko wasn't sure who started it, but all she knew was that as Toshinori's face slowly drew closer to her own, her eyes began to flutter closed and once their lips brushed each other in the most tender, love filled kiss she had ever experienced, something inside felt whole and right. She was exactly where she needed to be and that was in Toshinori's arms.

Author's Notes: We did it! We finally made them admit to their feeling and love each other! My goodness, did I love writing that part! If my family ever asks why I'm so happy, you'll know why. I can't thank everyone enough for reading and the continued support is amazing! Honestly, I have no clue if this is something people want to continue or if this feels like a good last chapter. Tell me what you think! I'm sure I can scrap up something to continue. In addition, this is my first serious slow burn and I have to say, it was really fun. There was a lot of frustration with characters and figuring out motivation, but your continued support helped me get through it.