Round 7: Player Profile Update.

I felt really good. Just wrapped in her vines, seeing her beautiful face in the morning made me feel happy. She stirred and shifted a little more, her eyes slowly opening. I smiled and hugged her.

"Nn, morning dear…" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. I got up and went to the dresser, already pulling on my uniform. Ibara wasn't a morning person at all. Her hair tapered down to her thighs, not tied back in the slightest. She smiled, pulling off her cloak, her back to me, looking over her shoulder at me with a shy curve to her eyebrows.

"Uhm, do you mind?" she asked.

"Not at all, carry on," I said. She got ready and went into the kitchen to get breakfast started. I followed her in there and saw her working on it, her extra vines tied back and I joined her in working on breakfast. We both got up rather early.

She was smiling, almost like the house game we played was real, I felt so happy and safe. I didn't need to worry about disintegrating a lot of things. A few of her vines wrapped around me.

"Huh. Seems like you can't let me go," I said.

"Because I don't want to," she said, pouting. She was so adorable and I felt blackwhip pull her against me from behind, with Daigoro snickering in my head and Nana sighing. I kissed Ibara's neck, trailing up to her jaw.

Ibara giggled, turning beet red, "Honey~ not now!" she whined a little. I teasingly hopped a little, kissing her on the lips because she turned to face me. She giggled a little, she didn't need to lean down, but I had to stand on the tips of my toes.

We continued to kiss and her vines worked on the food, she pulled back and her vines already set the table and all that. We ate and she wouldn't stop holding onto me with her vines as my whips intertwined with them.

Inseparable, just like we always wanted to be. On our walk to school Manga, Kikono, and Monoma joined us. They seemed pretty happy, "Man! We STUCK it to those 1-A nerds! No one's gonna recover from that!" Monoma yelled, "Thanks to our resident dusty boy! Seems like you two hashed out whatcha needed with a few… victory laps?" he nudged me and I blushed.

"Dude, no! I didn't… you know…" I sputtered.

"He came close, but he was so nervous!" Ibara declared, "I guess I'm- hm?" I sighed and kissed her on the cheek.

"She backed out, not that I wanted it either. I just don't know if I can do it," I admitted, "We're young and I'm not sure if those doctors even made me… able to even make a baby," I looked at Ibara, and she laced her fingers into mine.

"Regardless, I'm happy with it just being us," she said before noticing something in her hair, looking surprised, "A… a bud?" she mumbled, blushing heavily and trying to hide it.

"Ooh! Does that mean something?!" Kikono exclaimed. Ibara nodded and Manga made a little Chibi Ibara kissing a little chibi me. In her hair was the little flower. I looked away again, getting on the train with the others to the school.

The train ride over was fast, and when we got in, everyone practically tackled me with a ton of joy and just a lot of things. I carried them to victory, but… I never felt right after. They seemed too dependent on me, and my old hero suit was pretty much wrecked after the USJ, so I was mostly wanting to just take it easy.

But I couldn't. The more we waited to take on villains, there were always more coming out of the woodwork. I couldn't take a break when there were so many! So here I was, sitting in class, my eyes set on my notebook.

What would I call myself? I don't have anything special in mind, and I can't just use my quirk. Everyone knows that I have Decay, but not One for All, only Monoma and Ibara know. I sighed and slumped in my seat. I already had an internship in mind, but at the same time…

What would I call myself? Not something cliche, not something with no feeling to it. I need to think! I can't just call myself Tenko! Everyone knows I'm Tenko! Or… A Tenko. I don't know!

'Need help, kiddo?' Nana asked, 'Look, the name's just a name, I get that you wanna sound cool, but that shouldn't matter!'

'Well, judgin' by your past, you don't have much to go off there.' Daigoro sighed.

'I'm just a copy-pasted person meant to be a backup for a maniac.' I thought, 'I literally have nothing.'

'That's it!' Nana chirped, 'The Ashen Hero: Nihil! Both Decay and your background! Write it down!' I wrote it down on the whiteboard and sighed heavily. Not that I didn't want the name, it was certainly unique. I cracked my neck and smiled. It fit. At the start of class, Midnight came in and some of the guys almost lost their minds aside from me. She was pretty, but Ibara was gorgeous.

"Alright, alright, settle down boys!" she snapped, "I'm just here to make sure you little darlings don't end up with a bad name!" we all settled down as her eyes scanned through the list. I knew I'd be one of the last to go up, it was the fate I always had.

Kendo went up first, proudly displaying her name as Battle Fist. Of course Midnight liked it. Nothing as weird as anything anyone else would come up with. Manga went up with the name of Comicman. Something so fitting it made mine look like a joke. Mine was more of a villain name than a heroic one… Kojiro went up with a name that was oddly cute. It was the Glue Hero: Sticky. It was oddly fitting for the big guy.

Setsuna went up, smiling widely, "My name's the Splitting Hero: Raptor! Fits more in line with how awesome I am in combat, yeah?" she asked, Midnight nodded and she sat back down with a proud smile, looking over at me and winking.

She knew exactly why I was dragging my feet with Ibara, she knew why… Ibara went up next, the bud in her hair had bloomed into a chrysanthemum. I blushed and looked down at my board, I couldn't tell anyone. I'd never get to tell anyone. I was reconsidering again because… Ibara was too much of a liability. She knew my habits, what I liked, what I didn't like, my favorite foods, colors, everything. If the villains got her? They'd be able to tear me to shreds.

She knew about One for All. If they get her we're all dead. She was the perfect hostage. Ibara was my best friend, my girlfriend and I'm too scared to even let myself hold her tight and never let her go? What kinda pathetic shit is that?!

"My hero name is the Angelic Hero: Maria! Bringing salvation to those who need it," she said. I blushed, 'Why is she so cute, sexy, and sultry at the same time?!' I thought. Soon enough it was my turn, everyone was talking about how their names were so cool while mine barely had anything cool about it.

I sighed and got up there, flipping it around, "I don't have anything special like everyone else. Don't have a mom or dad, or anything really. Just me. So… I'm the Ashen Hero: Nihil." I said.

"Oh fuck off with the edgy shit! What, you listen to those voices in yer head for that shit?! That doesn't sound like the flaky little badass we know!" Togaru snapped harshly, "Fuckin' sit right back down, think of a better name, and stop bein' a nhilistic piece of dogshit!"

"I can't help but agree, that name's crap," Monoma sighed, "Dude, it's not that hard, come up with something like a nickname or whatever,"

I searched through my scattered memories, trying to find that lady again, that nice one, or the girl, or someone else. All I was met with was that man, he was angry, loud, and always made Decay go haywire.

I looked down at my hands, seeing the flaking energy and the sparks. The Ashen Hero was good, but the other part… what the hell could the other part be? I couldn't use One For All, or even Decay because that was the title, not the name.

Fine. Whatever. People are gonna find out sooner or later, All Might never keeps tabs on me anymore anyway. Who cares? They already know I'm a clone, so…

"The Ashen Hero: One For All." I muttered, "That's my name! The Ashen Hero: One For All!" I clenched the board, my hair billowing, "I'm tired of keeping it a secret, if that villain's still alive that killed my grandma, he's gonna know that this is my power, not All Might's, but mine! I'm tired of keeping all of this a secret, and we've been through so much, so… promise me, that you won't ever tell them anything if they capture any of you!" I urged.

"You guys are so important to me, and I trust you guys enough not to tell anyone about my power, but I'm keeping Nihil until that villain, and my clone are either behind bars or ash in the wind! Until everything is over, I'm Nihil, but you guys earned the right to know, Once those villains are gone- aah!" suddenly a sharp pain hit me in the head, like a hot spike just shot through it! I crumpled down, my power going a little wacky.

'Whoa!'

'Jeez!'

'Ow! What the hell are you guys doing in my brain?!'

'We're not doing anything, sweetie! It's just…Decay just joined in.'

'Wait… so… I'm in there?' I thought.

I woke back up in the infirmary with All Might, Gramma, and Ibara and the rest of my friends all gathered around me looking concerned. Gramma had been yelling at him non-stop.

"I told you, All Might, that was a stupid secret to keep, Tenko's been progressing a lot faster due to how he is," she sighed, Ibara was in the bed with me, vines wound around me protectively. The others all looked tense, Kendo, Manga, Monoma, and Togaru all looked at All Might.

"Ya know, if you actually gave Tenko a family, maybe he wouldn't've snapped so much. But'cha isolated him and fed his fear by doin' that," Togaru commented, "Nobody gives a shit about your power, old timer, what we give a shit about is our fearless leader almost tearin' himself to shreds!" the others nodded and All Might looked really caught out with his pants down.

"I know I made a mistake, but…" he tried to start off, but Ibara cut in.

"A mistake? A mistake?! How is this a mistake?! Tenko almost bled out, almost died being disintegrated, crippled by loneliness to the point of clinging to anyone near him and almost ritualistically wearing gloves! Leaving him alone… that's no way for anyone to live, and given that you are number one, why couldn't you just visit him from time to time?" she looked at me and hugged me tightly.

"I couldn't visit him because he was too much of a risk. If someone found out that Tenko and All Might were living together, who's to say he wouldn't be a target? Same thing for my power, I didn't know it'd take such a toll on him," he said.

"So you basically set him up with a nice apartment, enough money to take care of things, and said sayonara?" Ibara growled quietly, "That's it. That's it. All respect for you just went out the window," I grabbed her arm, and she turned back to me.

"Ibara, stop, okay? Don't blame him, if I was around him… it'd be a lot worse, I'm okay with being alone, never really liked being around people too much," I admitted, "I got used to having you guys around, but… I always wanted a family," Ibara smiled and hugged me tightly, her vines squeezing me too.

I guess it shouldn't have been so dramatic.

Ibara held my hand, her head against my shoulder, vines wound protectively around me. She was being extra vicious. Her eyes focused on me. She seemed a lot more cuddly than usual, more needy, too. Every kiss was long and every time she stayed away she came right back to me.

She opened the door for me and hugged me to her chest, letting me listen to her heartbeat. We were cuddling on the couch like always. I closed my eyes and just passed out. I don't know what happened. All of a sudden, I felt so drained. Like my stamina went to shit ever since the Sports Festival. I already knew which internship, hell, she was the only offer. Seems like the Rabbit took a shine to my power and wanted me on board.

So here I was, asleep, in the arms of the girl I loved so much. Still, what's with the flowers? They mean something, yeah? I sighed and opened my eyes, smelling something good in the air. Hearing the clanking of pots and pans.

I groaned, feeling really drowsy. I guess One For All took a bigger toll than I thought. I slept well through the weekend but now it's been a while. I got up and stretched, going to the kitchen and seeing Ibby cooking up a storm. I got behind her and hugged her, burying my face into her vines, they curled around me.

"Sleep well, darling?" she asked, I nodded, my arms around her waist. She smiled and leaned back, kissing me on the cheek and going back to what she was doing.

"What're the flowers for, Ibby? Some sorta quirk evolution?" I asked.

She blushed, looking down at the bubbling pot, "Uhm… it's a-" she mumbled. I leaned against her.

"Babe, I toldja my secrets, now tell me what that means, that little blossom on your pretty little head," I crooned, laying my head on her shoulder, "Or you won't get any kisses from me!"

"You monster! Anyway, it's a signal," she said, "A signal that…" she trailed off, blinking, "A signal that I want the person the flowers signify," she threaded her fingers through her vines, "A vow of love to stay with that person, my mother never bloomed for my father," she looked at me.

"That flower must be your favorite, right?" she asked.

"Well… I don't know, maybe it is? I wonder if the other me likes them," I said, "What happens if we don't like them at all?" I asked.

She grew a little worried, "Then- It's not you," she sighed. Wait, what?

"What kinda bullshit is that logic? Ibara, look, I like the flowers, it makes you look prettier! Not only that but you're a knockout! That Kaminari kid glares daggers at me every time I pass by Class 1-A! You're smart, beautiful, kind, good with kids- The entire package of a wife! Ah dammit! Where'd I put that thing?!" I dashed off to our room as Ibara's vines handled plating and all that. I picked up a ring from somewhere when I was little, it didn't tarnish or anything and I wanted to give it to the girl I wanted to marry. Ibara at this point would be mine. She's perfect.

I got it and slipped it into my pocket, how lucky! It was in a small box of things connected to Tomura and I's past. I don't know why but I kept the ring and that was it, but something told me the original owner would want me to have it.

Besides, I think they'd like me. Or at least two of them would. The man would just be mad at me. I sighed and looked down at it. 'Here's to the future, you guys watching?' I thought.

'Yeah!' Nana piped up, 'Wait, hang on, that was my ring!'

'Really?! Man, lucky me!' I thought, 'Okay! I'mma do it! As of tonight, Ibara's gonna be my girl forever! Hell, we used to play like we were husband and wife, so how 'bout we handle the steps to it first?'

'That's uhm… well, you…' Nana mumbled.

'Shhhhh! It's happening! Shut up!' another three voices clamored before shutting up.

'Wait a minute! How many of you are in there?' I thought.

'About eight of us, nine including you,' Daigoro sighed, 'A' course, a lot of us are basically rootin' for you and her to tie the knot.' I sighed and came out to see the table all set up and Ibara sitting down and waiting for me. I sat on the other side and we ate, I was waiting until the right moment, where we were both sitting close together to slip it on.

I was never the type for words, actions spoke way louder. So here I was after all of dinner, watching her working in the kitchen and helping her out. Then…

"Here," I slipped the ring on her finger, "Better with you than it is with me," I saw her face flush and she covered it with her hands, I kissed the hand with the ring on it. She was still standing there, until I noticed her hair was covered in yellow chrysanthemums.

"Uhm… WHAA!" I was yanked into her arms, being overwhelmed by a ton of kisses. The haze of their perfume makes my brain fog up. She couldn't stop, her vines weaving around me, pulling my body against her's.

Her hands held mine and I flinched, One For All was holding it all back. Ibara smiled.

"This flower that adorns my hair signifies death in some cultures, but also so many other things, so take this as my vow, Tenko, that I'll never leave you, these petals that're sure to cover our marriage bed once we come of age are my promise to stay forever," she said, "So, if you're certain that I'm to be your bride, then I happily accept that blunt, unromantic proposal of yours,"

"Wow. Harsh. I went outta my way ten years ago to find that ring an' you're callin' me unromantic?" I sighed, Ibara huffed.

"Well, forgive me for thinking you were Prince Charming…"

"Aw c'mawn! You love this dusty boy! Hell, I never wanted One For All in the first place, but if I hadn't gone with All Might, I'd never had met you," I admitted, "I'd be a drifter with no friends or anything other than my quirk,"

Ibara hugged me, carrying me to bed and laying down, curling around me and kissing me goodnight.

"Goodnight, my precious husband," she said.

"Yeah, 'night, Ibby," I sighed. We went to sleep, finally able to just rest together.