Chapter Twelve: The Funeral (Original)
Izuku stirred from sleep as a soft breath drifted across his face. Cracking one eye open, he gazed down at the sleeping form of the girl tucked into his chest. Smiling, he pulled her deeper into his embrace, savoring her warmth. He sighed in contentment. I could spend the rest of my life right here. He studied Ochako's face, lit beautifully with the first strands of the Sunday morning light. His eyes traveled across her soft brown hair, shooting messily in various directions, to her permanently blushing cheeks, set in a slight smile. Unsatisfied with only looking, he gently raised his hand to cup her face, and ran his thumb along her cheek. Finally, he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Shifting slightly, he layed back down, satisfied, and pulled her back into his embrace.
As Izuku pulled Ochako closer to himself, she began stirring from sleep. Her eyes slowly opened, meeting his instantly. Leaning up towards him, she gently kissed his cheek, before settling back down onto his chest. Her mouth curled into a sly smile.
"Hey." From the look in her eyes, Ochako was trying to be sensual. And she was succeeding.
"Good morning, my love." The instant the words left his mouth, he cringed. What? Who talks like that? For several seconds, her face was frozen. Cracks soon appeared in her resolve, and she turned away, onto her back, laughing. Izuku felt his face flush as he desperately tried to think of something cooler to say.
"God, you are so corny." Ochako's laughter subsided, and she tilted her head up to make eye contact once more. "Not that I'm complaining." Renewed cries of mirth flew from her mouth as she watched Izuku. Now completely distracted, he sat hunched over, mumbling as he brainstormed better romantic lines. Reaching up as she struggled to breathe, Ochako ran her hands through his hair. Getting a hand full, she gave the tangle a single, sharp tug. His attention quickly returned to the girl as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. She looked annoyed, but also amused. "Hey, look at me." Her sly smile returned. "I'm not done with you yet." Izuku felt his face reddening as his heartbeat increased. He noticed for the first time exactly what kind of position they were in. Ochako lay on her side before him, gazing up into his eyes. Wearing just what she had slept in, a black tank top and short shorts, she wasn't leaving much to his imagination. Izuku blushed harder as he remembered how hard they had been pressed together only minutes prior. Their eyes met, and he watched as a mischievous look crept into her eyes. Her smile widened, and he suspected she knew exactly what kind of effect she was currently having on him. Licking her lips slowly, she opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a shrill yell.
"Morning Daddy! Morning Mommy!" Diving onto the bed, Eri quickly crawled up onto Izuku's chest. Nuzzling herself into him, she looked up at her father, beaming. Chuckling at the combined view of Eri's innocent bliss and Ochako's obvious frustration, he ran a hand through the girl's silky white hair.
"Morning, Eri." Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her small horn. As she giggled in response, he sat up, stretching. While she didn't look happy to disengage herself, Eri quickly relented, sitting back. Looking down at his family, Izuku felt a sense of joy and contentment wash over him. A sense of... completeness. This. This is all I need. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing, and the girls followed suit. As Izuku found his own clothes to wear, Ochako checked on Eri's previously soaked outfit, and helped her dress. Each finished their preparations, and the family rendezvoused at the bedroom door. Izuku's eyes met Ochako's, and matching smiles appeared across their faces. He slipped his hand through hers, as the other wrapped around Eri's. Together, the Midoriyas left the room, ready to start the day.
Inko looked up from the kitchen table as the group entered. Izuku opened his mouth to greet her, but her expression stopped him. She looks... nervous? "Mom, is something wrong?" She jumped as he addressed her.
"Oh, uh.. no, son." She managed to mumble, as a nervous smile plastered her face. "It's just..." She loudly cleared her throat before continuing. "Ochako, how did you sleep?" The girl seemed surprised at the question.
"Oh, fine! Why do you ask?" Her face was still dominated by curiosity, but Izuku himself had moved past that particular emotion. As he pieced the question together with his mother's expression, his heart froze in his chest. Ah, shit. He remembered where Ochako had spent the night, and how his mother's path from her room to the kitchen would go right past-
The living room. Fuck.
Izuku felt his face warming, and Ochako turned as she sensed his tension. He watched, frozen by anxiety, as his expression served as the final piece of the puzzle. Her face froze, then quickly shifted to a look of embarrassed terror. Meanwhile, Inko had continued speaking. "I just noticed... that..." She was clearly having as much trouble as they were. She found the will to continue, but her voice fell to almost a whisper. "The couch didn't look slept on."
The room was still as the awkward silence formed an almost-physical wall between them. After a few agonizing moments, Ochako somehow found the will to speak. Izuku turned to her, completely dumbfounded that she was about to explain. "I... I stayed with Izuku." The pair looked to Inko, desperate for her reaction, While Eri looked about in confusion.
"What's wrong?" The little girl asked, appearing perplexed and slightly annoyed that everyone besides her seemed to know something. "Mommy and Daddy sleep together all the time." She crossed her arms with a slight huff, as Izuku felt his face burst into flame. Glancing over at Ochako, it was obvious she wasn't doing any better. Using every scrap of willpower he could muster, he slowly turned his head to his mother. Her gaze had fallen to the floor, and he could see the gears turning in her head. She looked up to them, pumping her arms in determination. He wasn't quite sure why, but the resolve on her face terrified him. Shoulders squared, his mother stood.
"Alright! I had hoped to have this conversation a couple years down the road, but here we go!" Her jaw set into a determined grin. "Eri, hun, go wait in the living room. I need to talk to your parents about se-"
"MOM!" Izuku wasn't sure how he could feel like he was simultaneously on fire and submerged in ice water. Nonono. She is not doing this right now. Whipping to Ochako for support, he saw that she had drifted to the floor, with her hands doing everything they could to cover her beet-red face. Turning back to his mother, he prepared to fight this battle alone. "I- we weren't- we haven't-" He couldn't seem to start a sentence. On any other occasion, his mother's smile would light up his world, but currently it was only a source of agony. Plowing past his weak denials, she continued.
"It's fine Izu! It's perfectly natural!" The elder woman encouraged, trying and failing to comfort her son. As she launched into a tirade on the nature of intercourse, the joys of companionship, and the importance of contraceptives, Izuku felt his knees give way. Finding himself on the floor, he mirrored Ochako, covering his face, and rode out the storm.
After what might of been the worst 30 minutes of their relationship, the couple found themselves alone in the kitchen. For a few moments, the only sound was their breathing. Always the braver of the two, Ochako found her voice first. "I- Uh.." It wasn't much, but her outburst had broken the ice.
"Yeah... let's go get Eri." Shambling into the living room, they collected their daughter, then their things. Inko had departed the apartment to purchase protection, and they both knew that had to be gone by the time she returned. Izuku was fairly certain that he would die of embarrassment if he had to experience receiving condoms from his mother. Gathering the visibly-confused Eri in his arms, he opened the apartment door, and silently ushered Ochako out. As they walked to the nearby bus stop, the uncomfortable silence reappeared. After his mother's insinuations, and the information she had supplied them, he knew that he'd need more time to figure out how to begin speaking to Ochako.
As they entered the dorms, Ochako glanced over to Izuku. Sensing her gaze, his eyes met hers for the briefest moment, before shooting to the ground. Muttering something about bringing the now-sleeping Eri upstairs, he quickly scurried away. Her face fell as she stared at his retreating form. Izu... don't shut me out... She willed the budding tears away from the corners of her eyes, and made her way towards the stairs. It wasn't even noon yet, but she was ready to collapse into bed. If any word perfectly encapsulated her morning, it would've been 'draining'. Her dreams of resting were quickly swept away as a pink mass collided with her. Before she knew what was happening, Ochako found herself being dragged away, towards what was likely an embarrassing death.
"OCHAKOOOO!" Mina yelled in glee as she dragged the protesting girl. Ochako struggled the best she could, flailing and thrashing desperately to escape the excited teen's grasp, but Mina was surprisingly strong. In a moment of desperation, she resorted to her quirk. Quickly laying her hand on the girl's back, she pushed hard against her now-weightless classmate. As Mina flew away, calling for backup, Ochako ran. After making it less than 10 feet, a lasso came flying from above her, entangling her legs.
"Now now Ochako, you mustn't struggle." Momo stood over her, the other end of the lasso in hand. Kyoka stood next to her, barely restraining her laughter.
"It's not like you have a chance of getting out of this!" The punk girl managed to say, between her snickers. "You owe us." Ochako sighed. She knew Kyoka was right. When the girls of class 1-A wanted juicy details, they got juicy details. Ochako briefly recalled the many times she had been on the other end of this scenario. I suppose it's my turn then. She raised her hands, first in surrender, then pressing them together to release her quirk. As the lasso came undone, pressure clamped down on her arms. Looking to the side, she saw a floating tee shirt behind her. Tooru giggled evilly, the other girls in tow, quickly moving Ochako towards her room.
Minutes later, Ochako found herself sitting on the edge of Tooru's bed, with the girl sitting behind her, hands on her shoulders. The other girls had formed a semi-circle on the floor in front of her, waiting attentively for her to begin. She was surprised that the other girls were as interested as Mina and Tooru, but Mina quickly solved that mystery for her. "Sooo.. Ochakooo..." Mina's voice was drawn out, a teasing smile on her face. "We all noticed you didn't come back to the dorms last night..." Shit. I figured it must've been this. A hundred plausible excuses flew through her mind, each tempting her with the hope of avoiding embarrassment, but after a moment, she pushed them away. I might as well tell them. She took a breath to clear her mind, and she was ready.
"Okay. I'm going to explain what happened, and I'll let you each ask me one question. I promise to tell you everything, if you promise to leave me alone after your question. Fair?" They all nodded their assent. "Good. Okay." She took another breath, and a small flush found its way to her cheeks. This is still pretty hard. "Eri and I went over, we headed over to a grocery store with him and his mother, spent some time in a park, ate dinner back at his place..." Her voice caught in her throat. Seeing her hesitation, the girl's excitement grew. Like sharks after blood in the water. Suppressing a small giggle at this thought, she took another steadying breath. "After dinner, we tried to watch a movie, but we were all pretty tired, so we went to bed. Then we just left this morning." Ochako held her breath, hoping they wouldn't hone in on the point she had glossed over. While she wanted to be open with them, she wasn't sure she could talk about sharing a bed with him. She sat back, indicating she was finished, and the girl's hands shot up instantly. Knowing what Mina's question would be, she decided to call on her first. Might as well get it out of the way. "Mina?" The girl jumped up in excitement.
"DID YOU KISS HIM!?"
"...Yes." The girls exploded into cheers and squeals. Tooru hugged Ochako from behind, shrilly screaming into her ear. Even with her preparation, she felt her face warm. Eager to move on, she called on the next girl. "Momo?"
"How did you get along with his mother?" Ochako smiled at this question. She could always rely on Momo to direct the conversation in a better direction.
"Great!" She beamed down at the circle of girls. "She told me to call her Inko, and she calls me Ochako!" She raised a hand to her mouth, trying and failing to suppress a giggle. "Also, she's just like Izuku when she's nervous. She's adorable." For a second, the girl's shocked expressions confused her.
"IZUKU!?" They screamed in unison. Even Momo had lost the composure she was known for. Only Tsu remained calm, a small smile touching her lips. "Soooooo..." Mina continued. "How long has that been going on?" Surprisingly, Ochako didn't feel embarrassed by this.
"We've been dating for a couple days now!" Another wave of screams washed over her. She laughed at the reaction, finally enjoying herself. When she got past the embarrassment, it was actually pretty fun to talk about her relationship with her friends. Still laughing, she pointed at Tsu. The she waited for the screams to die out, before clearing her throat. Ochako wasn't sure what it was, but there was a twinkle in the girl's eye that she did fully trust.
"Ribbit, where did you sleep?" Dammit. Her face was a mask of innocence, but her eyes sparkled. As they traded gazes, Ochako could see that she had already figured it out. The other girls fell silent as they contemplated the question for the first time.
"Uh..." Her hesitation spoke volumes. A collective gasp rang through the room. Five sets on hungry eyes bore into her. "In... his bed." She managed to croak out. After a frozen moment, the room erupted. Tooru had abandoned the bed, and was busy dancing with Mina. Momo and Kyoka were blushing furiously, and both looked shocked. Tsu sat calmly, eyes locked on Ochako. Meeting the frog girl's gaze, Ochako rolled her eyes. It wasn't that bad, I guess. Recovering slightly, Kyoka asked her question, not waiting to be called on.
"What did his mother think of that?" Ochako immediately retracted her previous thought, as her face heated. The girls had quieted again, eager to hear the answer.
"She... okay, nothing happened, alright? We just cuddled." She ignored a squeal from Mina and continued, closing her eyes in a grimace. "But his mom thought we... so she talked to us. About... you know." After several seconds of silence, she cracked an eye open. Her friends were all staring at her, eyes bugged out. After a few more moments, Kyoka broke, falling over laughing. She laughed, breathlessly, as the others looked on. Finally, she sat up, tears of joy streaming from her eyes. Standing, she continued chuckling as she left the room. Outside the door, her noise increased once more, and they sat, listening, as her cackles traveled down the hall. Ochako sighed. "Okay Tooru, what's your question?" She couldn't see the girl's face, but she could practically feel the evil smirk radiating from her.
"What's Midoriya's body like?" The other girls gasped once more, and even Tsu was blushing now. Ochako, however, wasn't fazed. Her mind instantly shot back to the morning, when he had been sitting above her, muttering away. She remembered the feeling of when something in his eyes had shifted, and his gaze had traveled across her figure. With the memory resurfaced, the feeling returned with all of its strength. He wanted me. A beautiful warmth rushed through her chest, and she remembered how her eyes had also drifted. The memory was perfectly preserved in her mind. Every crevice, every tantalizing angle, every defined muscle, as if she was still looking at him. Breaking out of her daze, she realized the other girls were leaning in close, awaiting her answer. A sly smile spread across her face.
"Amazing."
Izuku had been 15 minutes into his morning preparations when Eri finally stirred from sleep. Kneeling by her head, he gave her a quick peck. "Good morning, Eri!" Opening her eyes for the first time, she slowly appraised his image.
"Daddy? Why are you in your uniform?" It was clear she was still half asleep.
"It's Monday, sweetie. I'm going back to class!" He tried to sound more excited than he was. While he was happy to get back to the dorms and see his friends, the prospect of being shut in a small classroom with them all day made him nervous. A certain explosive blond's reaction to him worried him the most. I still haven't seen him since I ran off. Izuku had known Kacchan longer than almost anyone, and even to him the the boy was... unpredictable. Pushing his fears away for the moment, he got Eri dressed, and they made their way downstairs.
Arriving in the kitchen, Eri slipped her hand from his, and quickly gravitated to her mother's side. Seeing the girl, Ochako turned, searching for Izuku. Here we go. Due to the persistent nightmares, there had been plenty of time to think. There's no reason for me to be embarrassed of my feelings for her. And it's not like I haven't thought about her in... that way. Meeting her eyes, he smiled, and a flame lit in his chest as he watched her face rise. He took a breath, then strode towards her. Reaching her, he quickly leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He felt a small gasp from her mouth, before she returned the kiss in earnest. Standing up straight, he looked around, taking note of the shocked faces around him. Most of the faces showed a relieved joy, with a few exceptions. Ashido and Mineta were both crying, from joy and woe respectively. Kacchan's expression was blank, surprisingly without it's usual rage, and Izuku thought he had seen the slightest of nods. Sitting down next to his girlfriend, he pulled his daughter onto his lap, and they ate breakfast. As a family.
Ochako walked into the classroom, one arm supporting the small girl clinging to her chest, and the other hand in Izuku's. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she took her seat, placing Eri on her lap. She watched as Mr. Aizawa gave an almost imperceptible nod to Izuku, and as the rest of the class filtered in, he turned, beginning class.
Several times throughout the day, Ochako caught herself gazing at the back of Izuku's head, in partial wonderment. After recent events, it felt surreal to be back in class, on just another normal school day. She was ashamed to admit it, but compared to the worries of life, she struggled to find the importance of her classwork. Her mind wandered freely, and the day flashed by. As the last bell rang, she collected Eri in her arms, and went to meet Izuku. Approaching his desk, she saw that Mr. Aizawa had stopped him. Looking towards the door pointedly, he waited until the last student had left, before speaking.
"Uraraka. Could you take Eri outside? I'd like to talk to Midoriya privately for a moment." Silently, Ochako wrapped a single arm around Izuku's waist. Simultaneously, Eri let herself down, before hugging one of his legs. Mr. Aizawa appraised this response for a moment, and Ochako thought she could see his jaw muscles struggle to restrain a smile. After a short pause, he coughed, and continued. "Alright then, nevermind. Midoriya. The teachers are split on letting you know this, but I think it could be beneficial, and provide some closure." Ochako looked to Izuku, seeing the confusion on his face. Mr. Aizawa cleared his throat once more. "The funeral service for Haruo Kubo is tomorrow. If you want to attend, we will excuse the absence, and All Might has volunteered to go with you." The color had drained from Izuku's face. Ochako squeezed his hand.
"Izuku? Are you okay?" He looked to the ground, breathing heavily, before pulling her into a one-armed hug.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He looked back to his teacher. "Sensei, I'd like to go. The least I can do is pay my respects." Mr. Aizawa studied the boy's face for a moment, then nodded once. Without another word, he left the classroom. Izuku turned to them. "Ochako, can you look after Eri? I... I think I'm just going to get some rest. Before tomorrow." She could see the toll it was already taking on him.
"Of course, Izu." Leaning forward, she lightly touched her lips to his, before stepping back. "Just don't forget, we're here, okay?" He smiled, but his eyes still looked sunken.
"Yeah, of course." Kneeling down, he kissed Eri's forehead. "I love you both. So much." With a final look, he left. After giving him a few minutes, she took Eri's hand, and made her way towards the room's exit.
"Come on sweetie, let's go." She smiled down at the girl. "We'll see him tomorrow."
Ochako sat on one of the dorm's couches, Eri's head resting in her lap. Tuesday had flown by in a haze of anxiety, and she was now waiting for Izuku to return. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but the rest of the class seemed to know where he had gone. Several other students were waiting with her, wearing similar looks of worry. Tsu, Kaminari, Kirishima, Mina, and surprisingly, Bakugo, had joined her in the lobby. As the time dragged on, the knot of worry in her chest grew. He should've been back by now. The service had been scheduled to end at 14:00, and it was almost time for dinner. She sighed. Something's gone wrong. I can feel it. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, when the door finally opened. Six heads snapped to the entrance in unison, and Izuku walked in. His shoulders were stiff, and his gaze was fixed on the ground. Sitting up, she called out to him.
"Izuku!" Ochako's heart sank as he continued without even looking. Looking closer, she saw his hands were balled into fists, and he seemed to be trembling. Reaching the stairs, he exited the room as quickly as he had entered. She stood, moving to follow, but felt a hand on her arm. She turned, surprised, and saw Bakugo staring at her intensely.
"Uraraka." His voice came out low and hoarse. "Let me." She opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Seeing her hesitation, he continued. "At least at first." He gestured to the dorm's front door. Ochako noticed that the hinges were bent with the force Izuku had used. "You've never dealt with him angry. I have. I'll come get you in a bit." Ochako bit her lip. I want to be there for him... But I do get the sense Bakugo can help. After a short pause, she gave a single nod, which he returned. He turned sharply, and made his way up the stairs. The next several minutes were spent in a stiff silence. No one else had spoken since Izuku's appearance, and Ochako still stood, staring at the staircase. She checked her watch. He's been up there for 15 minutes... I'm going to go check.
Her pulse quickened as she approached his room. She was still halfway down the hall when she began to hear the cries. Racing to his door, she pulled it open. The room was pitch black, but she could make out the forms of the two boys kneeling on the ground. Izuku's hands were on the ground, steadying his shaking body as he sobbed. Bakugo sat across from him, hands on Izuku's shoulders. Ochako took a step into the room. While Izuku didn't seem to notice her presence, Bakugo looked up. He stood, resting a hand on Izuku's head for a moment, before leading her out into the hall. Softly closing the door, he took a deep breath, then turned to her.
"Bakugo, what happened? Is he alright?" Her heart and mind were racing with equal measure.
"It's..." The boy seemed uncharacteristically shaken. "At the funeral... he..." He gulped, then took a deep breath. His eyes fell to the floor, and his hands balled into fists. Droplets of blood dripped down his palms as his nails dug into the skin. "The Kubo guy, he had a wife... and..." His eyes squeezed shut.
"And a daughter."