Izuku's Time Traveling Babysitting Service
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Chapter Twenty-One
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Papa
"And all you need is to check on Nana so you can report in? Then, after that, you'll help us get Deku back?" Ochako measured the words out carefully, biting down on the pain in her heart. She missed Deku, loved Nana, and those combined in a strange alchemy within her.
The chemistry of her emotions roiled around one word.
Timeline.
The implication was terrible, and she wasn't sure where she'd find the strength to endure it. She couldn't, wouldn't ask. If anyone told her that her future with Deku wasn't assured, that Nana wasn't waiting for them someday, wanting Ochako to be her Mama and Deku her Papa, Ochako knew she'd weep herself to sleep.
No. Don't ask, she told herself. You need your strength for Nana.
Itsuka's hand pressed into Ochako's lower back as the two sat together. Ochako turned to look into the martial artist's eyes. How could she stand it, knowing that Ochako was Nana's mother, knowing that she'd watch them grow happy while remaining an aunt? Would sh-
No. Ochako smiled. Itsuka's supporting presence alone, despite what they'd heard together, told Ochako everything she needed to know. Itsuka wouldn't try to take Deku away or take advantage of some silly word like "timeline" to justify that kind of betrayal. Ochako had an ally, one she never knew she'd find, and gratitude filled her heart with warm butterflies.
"Exactly," Eri said with a nod and smile from her position across from Ochako and Itsuka. "We're responsible," she gestured back to Nozomi, standing against the wall alongside Momo and All Might, "and we want to take full stock of that and correct everything. Unfortunately, the solution involves a lot of over-correction, so we need to account for that to make things as simple for all of you as possible."
The raven-haired time traveler stepped forward. "What my sister is trying to say, in her roundabout way, is that we need to confirm exactly which Midoriya Nana this is. We think we know, but we need to know for certain before we contact her parents and summon anyone across any more timelines."
Ochako narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure what it was about this that bothered her or at least wasn't sure how to put it in words.
"How will you know which Nana this is?" Momo asked. Although Ochako was uncertain why Momo was here, she was glad all the same.
Nozomi turned her head to regard Momo. Ochako got the sense that there was something significant the three newcomers weren't telling her, especially with the warm, almost glowing looks of admiration Eri beamed at Ochako, making her feel self-conscious. Ochako had to wonder what her relationship with Eri was, or would be, in the future.
Wait, if we're dealing with timelines, am I something different to this Eri than the one Deku saved? Are they the same Eri? Ochako felt a tingling, painful sensation in the back of her skull as she pondered too many questions.
"Our watches are more advanced than the ones we pass out to civilian time travelers. We'll read her time stamp signature and immediately share that data with our headquarters, pinpointing her home timeline, date of extraction, and any time dilation variables made by her stay here. In short, we'll know exactly who she is and where she belongs," Nozomi spoke confidently, more like a woman than a girl, and that strength projected outward, reassuring Ochako.
She'll help us get Deku back. She has to!
"So," Eri said, her voice ringing with restrained excitement.
Ochako focused on her. It was like the horned girl wanted to say a million things but could only pick one or two at a time.
"Can we see her?" Eri fidgeted while asking. She sounded like she was a kid asking her mom if she could have some ice cream.
Ochako looked from Eri's face, unfamiliar, older than the little girl she knew, then over to Momo. When the raven-haired class rep nodded, Ochako decided to give in and offer Eri her trust, however frightened she was.
"Alright, but be quiet until she's completely awake. We don't want to startle her out of her nap," Ochako said with a smile.
"Of course," Eri practically glowed. Ochako swore she saw that exact expression before on Momo.
As Ochako turned towards Nana's little tent, Itsuka and Eri pressed in on either side of her. Ochako glanced to Itsuka, sensing her friend's tension. "It's alright," she whispered, meeting Itsuka eye to eye.
"I have a promise to keep," Itsuka whispered.
Ochako remembered that vow. Itsuka swore she'd never allow anything or anyone to stand in the way of Ochako's future with Deku and Nana. It seemed romantic when Itsuka first spoke the words, as though she'd fend off rivals for Deku's love, but now Ochako knew better. Itsuka intended to protect Nana from all threats, no matter what kind they were.
Best aunt ever. Ochako smiled at the thought. "Thank you, Itsuka."
Once Nana's aspiring aunt nodded, Ochako unzipped the tent. She still felt apprehensive, even with the explanation the two newcomers and Momo offered together. Still, they were her only tangible hope to bring Deku back. She needed to trust them and to have faith in Itsuka and Momo to step in. All Might, silently watching from his vantage in the corner, provided Ochako with an even greater sense of security.
As if in tune with her thoughts, the zipper moved sluggishly.
The tent opened like a flower with a slumbering little bee nestled inside, a mumbling, curled slumber-ball sucking on her thumb. Ochako never saw Nana do that before and almost whimpered, knowing it was a sign of her daughter's guilt and anxiety.
"Oh my gosh," Eri squirmed from side to side, whispering. "She is too adorable for words."
Earlier, hearing those words would have lit a fire inside Ochako. She would have glowed, smiled, erupted with joy, anything, but now she merely nodded, doing her best to hold herself together.
She had to be strong, to believe that Izuku would return. She needed faith that Nana's birth waited for her, marked on a calendar date in their future and that everything would go according to some comforting, predestined plan.
"Mama," Nana moaned, peeling one eye open. At that moment, the tiny green star outshone any emerald Ochako had ever seen, in person or pictures. "Is Papa back?"
Her maternal heart ached. Of course, the tough question, the one she didn't want to answer.
"Not yet, baby, but he's on his way," Ochako reached in and cradled her little girl, pulling her daughter into her lap. "But look who's here while we wait!"
Itsuka leaned in as well, scooting on her knees, as if ready to launch herself if Eri or Nozomi moved too quickly. Ochako felt her springlike tension as if it were contagious.
"Hey there," Eri cooed softly. "Do you know who I am, Nana?" Her fingers fidgeted, but she kept her hands on her knees. Ochako caught Itsuka watching those fingers the way a hawk stared down mice on a field.
Nana's cheeks puffed up while she squinted her eyes, staring at Eri with bleary confusion written on the child's face. Fresh tears stained her cheeks, and dried snot encased her upper lip.
Nana rubbed her eyes with tiny fat fists then looked again. "Cousin Eri? Is that you?"
Eri nodded enthusiastically, a bright smile dominating her face. "It's me, and it's a long story, but I'm here to see you!"
Nana let her gaze wander around the room. "All," she mumbled, "Might."
The emaciated man smiled. "I'm here, Nana."
How did such a simple phrase bring Ochako that much comfort? Maybe Deku infected her with his admiration for the Number One Hero.
"Aunt Momo," Nana mumbled. Her lower lip trembled.
"Oh, sweetheart," Momo stepped forward. "I'm here. We're all here for you."
"That's right, Nana," Ochako whispered into her daughter's ear. "We're all here for you, and we're going to bring Papa back to you." The words hurt, but Nana needed them. No matter what uttering them tore apart inside Ochako.
Nana looked between Momo, Eri, and then the one person not yet identified, Nozomi. "Aunt Momo? Why are you and Cousin Eri different sizes? Why is she big when you and Mama and Aunt Itsu are all little?"
Eri's smile lit up her face. "Oh, you are so precious. So, first off, yes, it's me, the big Eri, but I'm here on a secret mission, just like you are."
Nana's eyes flew open, wider than windows, as she stared into Eri's features. Ochako almost felt amused at how quickly those words woke her little girl up. "I'm not supposed to talk about that. Papa said so."
"Nana," Ochako combed her fingers through Nana's thick bedhead. "It's alright, don't worry about that now."
Nozomi walked a little closer. "Your mom is right, Nana. You don't need to worry about hiding your mission. We're part of it. We work with your Papa, and your Mama too."
Nana squinted at the unfamiliar face. She inhaled, puffing up her cheeks as if to intimidate Nozomi away.
Nozomi smiled, undeterred. "We were sent here as a favor to your Mama and Papa. In fact," she knelt a short distance behind Eri. "We're here so you can talk to them."
Ochako gasped. Was that possible? Could they do that? Itsuka leaned in, injecting herself deep into Ochako's peripheral vision.
Neither teen had time to ask any question, though.
"Really?" Nana's smile grew to match her enlarged eyes as she squirmed out of Ochako's grasp so she could stand. "Oh! Can we call them? Can I see them? Video? Right now? Can we? Please! Can we! I have to tell Papa that I love him! I forgot, and I want him to know! Papa needs to know!"
With each word, Nana's smile seemed more like a grimace, and her cheeks wobbled as fresh tears fell from her emerald eyes.
"Oh, my baby," Ochako scooted forward, hearing Nana's desperation, her grief, long before the first tears left her emerald eyes. She wiped Nana's tears and kissed her, smooshing the munchkin's cheek with her lips. "Papa knows you love him. Don't feel bad about that. He'll never forget that no matter how far away he is."
Nana tried to face forward, to stare at Nozomi, but gave in to the storm of emotions inside her and hid her face against Ochako's soft chest, burying herself in maternal comfort.
Ochako wrapped her arms around Nana, embracing her gently. She wanted her daughter to feel safe, secure but also free enough to turn and face this. She needed that freedom. Even if she wasn't brave enough to take it on her own, she was at least courageous enough to ask, and that was a big step for a four-year-old.
Ochako watched as Eri and Itsuka leaned in, but at the last moment, Itsuka backed off, giving Nana's "cousin" all the room she needed. Ochako already figured out that this version of Eri wasn't the one Nana knew so well. Nana, however, needed a bedrock of familiarity. Itsuka knew this, and so did Ochako, arriving at the same conclusion together, their conversation silent, as if they could share their thoughts when Nana was between them.
Offering a smile to Ochako and Itsuka, Eri rested her hand on Nana's back, petting her gently. "Tell you what, let me call your mom up. I mean, your big, original mom, and then we'll patch your dad into the call. How does that sound, Nana?"
Ochako heard Itsuka's short intake of breath, followed by stillness. Not Papa or Mama, but mom and dad. Would Nana catch that mistake?
Ochako almost sighed with relief when Nana pushed herself upright and extracted her face from her blouse. The little girl turned to face Nozomi and Eri. "You can call my Mama?"
Eri nodded and smiled, but a tear still left her eye. "I can. Would you like that, Nana?"
Nana nodded so vigorously that her cheeks wobbled. Her enthusiasm vibrated down to her core and out into Ochako's arms. She looked back at Ochako, her Mama, though only for such a short time, and the child sniffled, a guilty expression in her eyes.
Ochako kissed her baby on her forehead. "It's okay, Nana. I'm your Mama here, but you want your Mama, your big, adult Mama. So it's fine for you to want her more than you want me."
Nana wiped her nose across her forearm. "I miss my Mama," her voice shook as tears welled up in her eyes.
Itsuka dug into the backpack nearby for wet wipes and offered them over. Ochako was grateful for that, taking the wipes and focusing on Nana's face, wiping tears and snot away. "I know you miss her, Nana. I know she misses you too. She loves you, loves you more than even I do. Nana, anyone who knows you loves you, and that love grows every day, and she's loved you all your life!"
"She even loved you before that," Itsuka interjected. "Your Mama would like nothing better than to talk to you and to see you. We love you, and we're excited you get to talk to her, right Mama?"
Ochako's heart swelled. "Right! So, let's wipe up your face some more so you can be pretty for Mama, alright?"
Despite easily mixed-up words, everyone knew which Mama they were speaking about, but, more importantly, Nana knew.
She held still, letting Ochako get every trace of sleep and snot off her face. Once Nana's face was clean, Ochako kissed a few stray tears from her soft cheeks. "I love you, Mama," Nana whispered as if it were the most dangerous, heavily guarded secret in the world.
Ochako smiled and pressed her forehead against Nana's, falling deeper in love with this tiny gift from the future. "I love you too, Nana," she whispered. "Don't worry about me. Let's call your Mama."
Nana nodded and smiled, pushing her cheeks up into her eyes with the power of her grin. "Mama! I want to see Mama!" She turned to face Eri, practically jumping into the air.
Eri lifted her wrist, brandishing her watch in front of Nana before turning a small knob on the side. A holographic display popped up with more numbers and buttons than Ochako assumed a call would require.
Nozomi scooted in closer to her sister before raising her watch alongside Eri's. After pressing a few buttons, Nozomi's watch strobed with light towards Nana before producing a bright set of numbers, a long string that meant nothing to Ochako.
"Perfect! Excellent, Nana! The code's updated, Eri, here," the raven-haired girl offered her sister the display projecting from her watch as if presenting Eri with a guidebook. Both holograms looked like confusing arrays of numbers and symbols to Ochako. The teen mom nervously glanced to Momo and Itsuka, then to All Might, but all of them showed just as much confusion as she felt inside.
"Got it!" Eri beamed while entering the new information into her watch's interface.
"Core Word Connection Request. Access Code Accepted. Address Recipient: Midoriya Ochako, Variant 1749472B. Interlink Timestamp: Acquired. Establishing Temporary Timeflow Sync. Dialing Connection." The machine spoke with Hatsume Mei's voice but was monotone. Ochako briefly wondered where their Hatsume was or if she'd heard that there were more time travelers on campus.
"Pick up, Mama!" Nana jumped up and down in place, unable to contain the energy and excitement inside her tiny body.
Eri's watch erupted with a larger hologram, replacing a pad of codes and numbers with an entire scene. It remained unfocused at first but instead downloaded visuals one aspect at a time, starting with basic background elements. Ochako squinted, trying to decipher two shadowy figures in the foreground, but for some reason, the technology brought up their surroundings first.
Momo gasped. "The house, it's their yard, it's," she held her hand in front of her mouth.
"Home," Nozomi said over her shoulder for Momo's benefit.
Wait, Momo got to see this before? When? Ochako knew she and Momo would talk at length later. For now, the young mother, or future mother, she reminded herself, focused on the scene.
The yard was vast, more extensive than most home lots, and then Ochako gasped. The fence at the edge was tall but see-through and gave way to a precipitous drop, revealing a dazzling view, a cityscape of rising towers and roadways climbing up and away from the ground. Small crafts flitted from building to building, not content to use the roads far below, despite how lofty the options were so far from the surface.
The clouds felt close enough to touch.
A table and chairs manifested in the foreground, offering further shape and definition to the two figures occupying them.
Ochako didn't know she was holding her breath until she saw her older, pregnant self. The woman wore a refined but subdued kimono. She looked regal in it, somehow reminding Ochako of Momo during the last- no. No! That was one of Momo's kimonos!
Ochako glanced over to Momo, and from the glow in her class rep's gaze, Momo arrived at the same realization.
"Mama! Aunt Itsu!" Nana giggled, then sniffled. "I missed you!"
Ochako felt chills run along her spine when Nana's mother, her real mother from the future, spoke. "I miss you so much, Nana!"
The chill on her spine stopped, banished by Itsuka resting her hand on Ochako's lower back as the other teen positioned herself alongside Ochako as if forming a wall of love behind Nana.
"Hey there, Nana. How's my favorite hero princess?" Itsuka's voice rang out, clear as a bell, but it wasn't from the teen next to her. Ochako's breath caught in her throat. The two women in the hologram were seated almost the same way, with Ochako sitting up, supported by her friend and ally, Itsuka.
"Mama, you got bigger!" Nana shook her fists in front of her as if struggling to grasp what her eyes couldn't believe.
"You're going to be a big sister soon, Nana! I'm almost done growing the baby!" Midoriya Ochako wept and smiled. Ochako wanted to reach for her older self, console her, tell her Nana was fine, and everything would be alright.
For the first time, the person Ochako yearned for, wanted to see smile, wanted to make happy, was Ochako. "Hey, um, Mrs. Midoriya," Ochako bowed her head, feeling sorry for interrupting. "How far along were you when Nana came here to visit?"
The two women in the hologram shifted their eyes, taking Ochako in. Did they remember this conversation? Were they measuring how to respond, how to avoid too many spoilers?
The older Ochako smiled and rested a hand across her swelling belly. "I was six months in when your Izuku took Nana back with him. I'm eight months in, now."
There it was, the answer to the question Ochako didn't know how to ask in front of Nana. Two months. Nana was here for only two evenings, but for her parents, the separation already lasted for two months.
Ochako bit her lip. If time moved this far out of sync when they weren't connected, then another month would go by in the span of one evening. That meant that shortly after their call, Nana's mother would give birth. Ochako struggled not to gasp at the thought.
It was too much to wrap her head around, but Ochako pressed on for Nana's sake. "Nana, when your Mama says you'll be a big sister soon, she means it: it's going to be sooner than you think. The baby's almost ready to come out and meet you!"
How old would the baby be when Nana reunited with her family?
Nana turned halfway, then shifted her head, looking back and forth between her little Mama and her adult Mama. Her eyes took on a determined gleam, one Ochako recognized. She'd seen it before in Deku's gaze. Bottomless, pure conviction, tapped straight for the source somewhere deep in Nana's soul.
Nana's smile had a touch of mischief, though. "I'll teach her how to be the best hero princess, even better than me!"
Nana wants to see us all smile, Ochako realized. She's in love with our smiles.
"No one will ever be a better hero princess," Nana's mother, Uravity, smiled through her tears.
"No one," her friend, Battle Fist, the future Itsuka, agreed. "You're one of a kind, Nana."
"Aunt Itsu!" Nana sniffled. "I want to see you! I want to be the monkey in the middle again!"
Itsuka covered her mouth, a move echoed by her older counterpart, Battle Fist. Ochako glanced back and forth, observing matching tears in their eyes.
"You're still my little monkey, my wild little princess!" Battle Fist laughed, uncovering her mouth to show Nana a wide grin.
Ochako placed her hand on Itsuka's knee before giving it an affectionate squeeze. The two teens shared the same smile.
"When are you coming to pick me up?" Nana asked, breaking every heart in the room.
"I don't know exactly, Nana, but soon. I miss you so much, baby girl!" Uravity reached out tentatively as if to stroke her fingers through Nana's hair, but her holographic projection couldn't make contact. The realization was too painful.
Ochako's heart ached with empathetic despair. Her jaw trembled against her will.
"Ochako," Uravity directed her attention to her younger self. "Hold my baby for me, please! Hold her tight until I can see her again!"
Ochako scooted forward and gently placed her arms around Nana, a loose grip that gave the girl freedom to reach for her mother, despite how unreachable she was across the chasm of time. "I promise, I'm here for her. You don't have to worry about her!"
"I'm here to help," Itsuka interjected into their conversation. Ochako glanced her way and saw her friend staring forward, locking eyes with Battle Fist. The two smiled at each other, but Battle Fist said nothing in reply. Her only acknowledgment was a wink. What did that mean?
Itsuka swallowed and nodded. Somehow, that one gesture from her counterpart gave the girl more strength than she had before. Ochako decided to ask about that later.
"Mama!" Nana erupted. "I drew a picture of us! I wanted to show everyone my Mama!"
Ochako loosened her grip and turned, but Itsuka was already on the task. Before Ochako could ask how she knew where it was, the martial artist pulled the girl's coloring out of Izuku's backpack.
"Here," Itsuka handed it to Nana. Nana, in turn, proudly showed off her art like the masterpiece it was.
"Oh, it's all of us!" Uravity leaned forward to absorb every detail of her daughter's craft. Battle Fist scooted right in next to her, a proud smile on her face as well. "You made this for us, Nana? Is that how much you love us?"
Nana nodded vigorously. "I love you so much I'll never have enough paper to draw it!"
That was it. Ochako was ready to cry.
"Here's me, and here's Aunt Itsu, and Mama, here's you carrying the baby in your tummy! That's why you're the biggest in the picture! Oh, and here's Papa and our House!" The house was, of course, nowhere near large enough to fit everyone in the picture comfortably, but no one was going to correct Nana's artistic genius. Other than the pregnancy and everyone's coloring, there were no real clues of who was who, given that almost everyone was about the same size and shape.
Nozomi coughed.
Ochako turned her eyes, taking in Eri's calmer, older sister, or so she claimed. The hero in training didn't like the implications, though, that they were from a timeline that didn't have Nana. That thought stabbed into Ochako's heart like a dagger made of ice.
"I was wondering, Nana, if you'd like us to put your Papa on the line so you and your Mama can talk to him." Nozomi's smile, as small as it was, was warmer and more genuine than any expression Ochako expected from the reserved teen.
"You can do that?" Uravity asked, and Battle Fist echoed the question, though at a lower volume.
"Papa! You can call Papa! Oh! Oh!" Nana bubbled up with too much excitement to form a question or a coherent sentence.
Nozomi nodded. "I can, Mrs. Midoriya."
Uravity covered her mouth while her friend fetched some tissues from the table next to them. Ochako watched as her older counterpart dabbed her eyes, and she knew, with lead in her stomach, that the two lovers hadn't spoken since Deku's deployment.
A horrifying thought crept into Ochako's mind. If Nana and her mother were out of sync, with a whole month passing for Uravity for every night Nana spent with Ochako and Izuku, then how out of sync was Deku? How many months passed for Nana's father? How many more would trickle out from between his fingers before he could see his wife and children?
A worm of despair ate into her heart, nibbling there. How long would it be until she saw her Izuku again? She couldn't wait until he returned to their class with Mina and-
Ochako swallowed. How long until he returned with the child he had with Mina in that other timeline?
She shook that thought away.
How long would it be until she saw his face and reaffirmed her love for him? Worse, if time was out of sync, how long would it be for him before he came home? He's only been gone for hours, but what if it's more than that for him?
Ochako brought her mind back to the present, drawing herself out of the well her mind slipped into earlier. Nozomi raised her watch near Eri's while summoning a holographic display. Buttons. Numbers. Coordinates, from the look of it.
"According to my scan," Nozomi focused on her work, isolating one string from the other floating numbers. "We have thirty people deployed with the same timeline signature as little Nana here."
After enlarging one string, she smiled when the data next to it revealed a double helix, then zoomed out until a full display of chromosomes showed themselves. Half of them glowed, bright green in contrast to a subdued blue background. Nozomi grinned while Eri squealed. "We have a match! Dialing in now!"
The monotone variant of Hatsume's adult voice erupted into the room, this time from Nozomi's watch. "Front Line Word A7-B4-2785 Connection Request. Access Code Accepted. Address Recipient: Midoriya Izuku, Variant 1749472B. Interlink Timestamp: Acquired. Establishing Temporary Timeflow Sync. Multiple Timeline Sync. Confirming Enemy Communication Interference. Bypassing. Tertiary Priority Communication. Confirming Security Code for All Clear. All Clear Confirmed: No Combat at Synced Timestamp Location. Dialing Connection."
"Wow," All Might's voice was subdued, but his outburst attracted some attention. "You're extremely thorough."
Nozomi's smile was cocky, more a smirk than a grin. "We won't needlessly endanger our heroes, not even for this."
"That's good to know," Momo mumbled. The way she did it reminded Ochako of Deku.
"Papa! Papa, pick up!" Nana jumped up and down while holding up the picture she drew.
The hologram constructed a view of concrete, slitted windows, and hard-angled furniture. "It's a bunker," Itsuka whispered. Ochako didn't spare more than a glance her way. It was a stark contrast to the open sky, green lawn, and fantastic view that Uravity and Battle Fist enjoyed as their backdrop. Wherever Deku was felt like a cage: cramped, cold, contained.
The projection outlined his features as if he were a giant. That, however, was merely a trick due to perspective. Ochako inhaled sharply when Deku's enlarged face appeared over Nozomi's watch. Unlike his wife, Uravity, he answered the call using a watch instead of whatever device rested in front of her.
Noise filtered in. Shuffling. Walking. Talking. Sound inundated Deku from all sides.
"H-hello? Nana? Ochako?" Deku's voice was worn, deep, full of desperate hope.
"Papa! Papa! It's me, Papa! Can you see me?" Nana jumped up and down, waving her picture around like she was greeting him at an airport.
"Oh, Deku," Uravity pressed her fist to her mouth as a tear strayed from her eye.
Noise erupted from somewhere off-camera. Jokes. Laughter. Somewhere in all of it, Ochako made out the unmistakable sound of Iida yelling about something being inappropriate.
"Shut up, you damn losers!" a familiar voice roared. "Our Deku's talking to his wife and kid!"
Deku turned his face, nodding in gratitude before waving off someone in the distance. The brief profile burned itself into Ochako's eyes. His face projected quiet confidence, from hard, darkened eyes outlined by prominent cheekbones to thin cheeks that surrendered to a strong, chiseled jaw, decorated with a long scar.
He looked haggard, worn, but, Ochako admitted to herself, gorgeous. She didn't know until that moment that she had a soldier fetish buried, hibernating inside her gut. She yearned for him, to console him, to hold him and be held by him. Although Deku's eyes displayed exhaustion, they were also brilliant emeralds glowing with love for his wife and child. She knew just from his gaze that he'd done things he hated doing but that he did them all for good reasons.
Ochako wanted to reassure him but bit down on her cheek.
After all, he was married. Besides, Ochako reserved her love for the boy that would one day grow into this man. Be patient, she told herself. Love your Deku, not just any Deku.
No matter how hot.
"Hang on," he muttered apologetically to his wife and child. The scenery moved behind him as he stood, then walked, the image bobbing and swaying as he repositioned through a doorway into a small space, a packed room with stacked bunks.
Deku held his hand out, allowing the hologram's view of him to zoom out and more details to filter in, fleshing out his surroundings. He sat on the lower of two bunks while dressed in a sleek black suit of armor, the kind Ochako typically saw in science fiction films with heavy military themes. Immaculate, the gleaming armor contrasted starkly against his grimy, worn face. Moreover, the suit clung to him snugly, contouring to his muscular frame. It looked damn good on him.
Itsuka breathed heavily next to her but said nothing. Glancing over, Ochako watched Momo's chest rise and fall with deep, sighing breaths. Look, but don't touch, ladies. That future belongs to me.
Butterflies flew through her stomach at the thought, some descending lower.
As she refocused on the images floating in front of her, Ochako felt trapped when she locked eyes with Nozomi. The girl's all-knowing smirk told a tale of amusement as she took in not only Ochako's discomfort but Itsuka's and Momo's. Then, glancing their way again, she caught a moment of silent communication between her classmates. Their enlarged eyes said it all: can you believe how hot Deku is in the future?
"Ochako! Nana! Oh my god, I've missed you so much!" Izuku's tears wash grit and ash from his cheeks, carving clean lines into layers of sediment. Ochako felt heat rise in her face, despising herself for thinking about how attractive he was to her instead of what this family endured. How could she let herself idle on such selfish thoughts?
"Papa! Papa!" Nana crouched down then make a tall leap into the air. "I missed you, Papa!"
"Oh, Deku," Uravity inhaled shakily, fighting back tears. "It's been so long!"
Two months, Ochako reminded herself, assuming her math was correct.
Deku looked right and left, laughing and crying all the while as he took stock of the two most important people in his life. His eyes briefly passed over Battle Fist next to his wife and Ochako and Itsuka behind Nana, but his primary focus was his wife and daughter. "Are you both alright? You're both safe, and everything is fine? Ochako, you got out fine, you-"
Uravity dismissed his concerns with a waving, placating gesture. "I'm fine, Deku, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me, or mom, or even Itsuka, or my little passenger here. It took some doing, but they got us out through the blockade. So we're here at headquarters, which is probably the safest place in existence."
Ochako watched his shoulders sag with relief as though he finally released a huge burden from his back onto the bunk behind him. "Oh, thank god," he sighed, voice trembling out the words.
Battle Fist leaned in, dominating the display. "They're giving us all the VIP treatment as a way for apologizing about the, you know, the mix-up."
Nozomi glanced to the side and coughed. Eri scratched behind her head and laughed a little bit. Neither said anything, and Ochako appreciated that. Like her, they wanted to let the family reunite. Let this be about them, Ochako thought, not about any of us. We can wait. Deku is out there, but as long as he's safe, then we can sit patiently while this family waited long enough.
Let them have this.
Deku smiled, glad to hear they were all well. Then his eyes searched the scene. "Um, where is mom, exactly?"
Ochako raised her eyebrows. That was a good question.
"Yeah, Mama, where's Grandma?" Nana and other inquiring minds wanted to know.
Uravity laughed. Ochako watched Deku's eyes melt when he heard her joy.
Once her giggle-fit ended, the older version of Ochako finally explained. "Deku, your mom is in heaven, or at least her version of it. She's surrounded by Izukus all over the place, of all ages. All right, we're in heaven too, but don't worry, we only have eyes for you. She's helping at the nursery downstairs. They're watching after kids from timelines too young to defend against, well, against what's happening. Mom has her hands full with five different versions of you, all ranging from six to nine."
Ochako didn't miss the brief hint of darkness that crept into her counterpart's voice.
Deku, however, caught onto a different part of the explanation. His eyes darted back and forth to his wife and her best friend. "Wait, what? Heaven? We? I mean-"
Itsuka's lips parted as she watched the exchange. Then, her eyes grew wide with a realization that Ochako desperately wanted to ask about but now wasn't the time.
Battle Fist giggled. "Oh, Deku, never change. If you must know, yes, it's what it sounds like. There were attempts, but I never felt tempted. Goodness, I had offers, but no. I don't want another one, not when I'm after something better."
Uravity's smile was serene. "I already have something better."
Ochako wanted to feel that calm and content someday.
Deku coughed, then cleared his throat. His face contorted awkwardly between several emotions, but confusion won the day. "Wait, other versions of me are hitting on you? Both of you?"
Itsuka's barely open mouth twisted upward into a smile. Ochako finally caught on, and a tiny butterfly flittered into her heart. Was Deku jealous over the idea of someone else flirting with her? With Itsuka? No, it couldn't be, but what if, just maybe, he thought of her as his version of Itsuka? His Itsuka?
Uravity laughed, compelling Deku to smile. No matter how confused or distraught he was, Ochako watched as her laughter banished away his anxieties. "Don't worry, the last Izuku that gave me flowers was maybe ten years old. I help your mom out when I can."
Battle Fist laughed. "Yeah, but who would have guessed what a hopeless flirt you'd grow up to be?"
Deku raised a hand as if you fend off her attack, though his smile betrayed that they were only teasing each other. "Hey, no flirting for this soldier! I've got a great situation waiting for me at home!"
Uravity smiled like a cat staring down a mouse. "Oh, soldier. I like that." Her smile transitioned to a neutral expression then. Not severe, but demanding. Needing. "More importantly, Deku, tell Nana and I how you're doing."
Ochako watched Uravity glance to Nana, who in turn monitored the reunion of her parents with rapt attention. From the way she leaned in, Ochako knew herself well enough to know that Uravity had more questions for her husband, stress that she wanted to share, but the two parents had to filter everything for Nana's sake.
Hopefully, they'd talk again soon without Nana's innocent ears listening in.
Deku grinned while scratching behind his head. His smile could charm a snake. "I'm not exactly comfortable, and the work is hard, but now that you're somewhere I can reach you, I promise to call you with lots of details. Oh, Katsuki and Shoto are in my squad, but everyone else in my unit is from other timelines, so the names and faces are right, but the backstories are all cross-wired. There's two more of me in the unit, too!"
Uravity nodded. "Things are confusing like that here, too. Get this: one of my nurses is Recovery Girl, but she's young. I mean younger than us, Deku. Oh, and she's married to two people. That's somehow a lot more common than I would have thought."
Itsuka gasped, then covered her mouth in embarrassment when all eyes in the room glanced her way. Ochako mouthed a short question to her, but Itsuka merely shook her head. A smile emerged from behind Itsuka's fingers, only adding to Ochako's curiosity.
Uravity pressed on as if she were walking on thin ice. "So, Deku," she seemed nervous suddenly. What did she want to say? Did Itsuka's outburst knock her that far off balance?
Battle Fist pressed her palm reassuringly onto Uravity's back. Ochako watched as her counterpart glanced at her friend, asking a question silently with her eyes. What was going on here?
"Hey, Nana!" Deku carried on, unconcerned with whatever curveball his wife was preparing to throw his way. "Guess what?
Nana practically bounced back and forth. "What? What, Papa?"
Deku grinned a Katsuki grin. Ochako knew the expression immediately, the one that said You're All Extras and I'm The Shit. "I'm friends with more than one Uncle Kacchan here!"
Nana gasped then roared. "Uncle Kacha! There's more than one Uncle Kacha?!"
Deku nodded and smiled but shed a tear. "I'll get you their autographs, Nana."
Fear gripped Ochako's guts. Why would that thought make Deku cry? Oh no. He's had casualties in his squad. Of course, she had no proof, but Ochako knew.
Uravity dove in to rescue the conversation from Deku's emotional state. "So, Nana! Tell us about your trip. Anything exciting happen?"
"Thank you," Deku mouthed to her. She blew him a kiss in response. Whatever she was going to ask him, Ochako knew it would wait.
Nana fidgeted, then stood straight as if her spine received a shock, an electric memory, and only then it finally reached her brain. "Oh! Um, I had pancakes! Mama made them yesterday, but Aunt Kyo made some today!"
Nana's parents laughed. Of course, Nana brought up pancakes before anything else, Ochako thought.
Uravity's smile grew bigger. "Anything else, baby?"
Nana glanced back and forth between her Mama and Papa and bit her lip. "Oh, I drew a picture!"
Ochako smiled while Nana walked her Papa through the picture, showing off the house and everyone there. He examined it as closely as an art critic would a museum-worthy piece before giving it a rave review. "Perfect! You're a real artist, Nana! That belongs on our fridge!"
Nana beamed proudly. "Thank you, Papa!"
Ochako couldn't take anymore. The conversation paused while she leaned forward to whisper in Nana's ear, the two parents and their close friend watching the exchange keenly. "Your Quirk, baby, tell them about that."
Nana roared with excitement. "Oh! Ohh! I have a Quirk now!"
Both parents stared with wide eyes, smiling as their jaws went slack.
Deku erupted. "That's great! Oh my gosh, Nana, you got your Quirk! Oh, is it on film? Did anyone film it when she used her Quirk for the first time? What is it? What can you-"
Nana forgot about her picture, letting it flutter to the floor as she placed her fists against her hips like a triumphant colossus before declaring, "I make stuff float!"
Uravity gasped, bouncing in her seat as her legs shook underneath her. "My baby has my Quirk!" she squeaked.
Nana held up her hand and was ready to demonstrate-
Ochako lunged forward and grabbed Nana's wrist before lowering her arm gently. That was anxiety-inducing, Ochako admitted to herself, especially since Eri was within Nana's blast range. "Let's not show off while you're on the phone with Mama and Papa. We don't want the call to end."
Nana folded her arms and huffed. "I wanna."
"I know, baby," Ochako said reassuringly. "Let's show off another way."
Ochako tried to think the problem over when Itsuka leaned in. "Mina caught everything on film and shared it with Ochako earlier. Can Ochako send it back with Eri and Nozomi to you?"
The two teens glanced at the time travelers. Ochako felt a wave of relief when Eri nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! We'll treasure it forever!" Uravity shed several tears before Battle Fist handed her a tissue.
Ochako felt a cold pit form in her stomach. Neither of them remembered Nana's Quirk. That meant-
"Papa!" Nana strode forward, closer to the projections of her parents and away from Ochako's reach. "Papa!"
Deku smiled endearingly. "What is it, baby girl?"
Nana braced herself with a deep intake of air. "I'm sorry, Papa!"
His smile fell.
Everyone in the room, other than Ochako and Itsuka, glanced about. All of them shared a confused expression.
Deku proceeded calmly. "What are you talk-"
Nana breathed rapidly, her cheeks puffing with each blast of air. "Papa, I was bad! I told about the secret mission! Then the watch went bad! And you disappeared, Papa! I was scared, and you said you love me, and I didn't say it! Papa, I love you! I love you, Papa! I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Papa! I love you! And Mama! I love you! Mama! Papa! I love you, and I want to go home! I'll be good! I'll be good!"
Nana welled up with confusion and grief, then unleashed it all, weeping in the middle of the room. In that terrible moment, Ochako knew that her future daughter was lonely with a desperate sense of abandonment that she never shared before.
Deku leaned forward, instinctively reaching towards Nana. "Oh, hero princess, I know you love me! You are good! No one thinks you're anything but good!"
Uravity nodded, urgent longing painted across her face. "I know you love us, baby girl. We both know! We'll get you home with us as soon as we can! We will, and we'll show you how much we love you, Nana!"
"Hey, Ochako," Deku addresses the teen, not his wife, for the first time. Once she realized that, she sat up at attention, staring into his eyes. "Hug my princess for me, tight, like I do."
"For both of us," Uravity nodded.
"All of us," Battle Fist added.
"Of course!" Ochako fought back tears while reaching forward. She pulled Nana into a vicelike hug, doing everything she could to act as a proxy for the rest of Nana's family.
Ochako wasn't surprised when she felt Itsuka's arms wrap around her back, across her arms, embracing Nana like a second coat. Ochako peered up, meeting three pairs of smiling eyes. Each gave her a slight nod, assuring her that including "Aunt Itsu" was more than just okay. It was mandatory.
Together, Ochako and Itsuka bundled Nana between them, pulling her deeper into a communal, familiar embrace. Through her, they felt a connection with a larger family that branched out across space and time and were luckier to be part of it.
Nozomi and Eri smiled knowingly. Ochako wondered how big this family was. She banished that thought, closed her eyes, and pressed her cheek against Nana's head. Nana nuzzled her face into Ochako's.
"Monkey in the middle!" Nana blurted out the words at the same time as Battle Fist. That earned laughter from multiple people in the room and on the call.
Ochako opened her eyes to look up and around. Momo and all Might remained where they stood against the wall, behind the projections and the time travelers. Both wiped tears from their faces.
Uravity settled back into her seat. "Hey, baby girl, do you want to know how much your Papa loves you?" She winked across to Deku's projection.
Nana nodded wordlessly, smushing her cheeks against Ochako's face and arm in the process.
"Show her," Uravity urged her husband.
Deku pulled a photo of Nana from inside his uniform's wrist-piece. The projection was detailed enough that Ochako made out a smaller, plumper, even more adorable Nana. "I love you so much, Nana. I carry your picture with me wherever I go!"
Nana squealed with excitement, enough that Ochako felt a shock to her ears. "You love me that much, Papa?!"
Deku's smile melted Ochako's heart. She desperately wanted to find a way to pass Nana through time into his arms. "I do! I love my hero princess!"
Nana freed her arms from Ochako and Itsuka, raising them triumphantly. Itsuka had to move her face out of Nana's way after getting a tiny fist thrust against her nose. "I'm going to be a big hero princess, Papa!"
Deku laughed. "You are! I can already see that you'll be the best, biggest hero princess in the world!"
"Hey, you two, don't leave me out even if you are a Daddy's Girl," Uravity leaned in, reaching towards her daughter, her holographic hand waving in the air. "I love you, Nana, and I love you, Deku. I miss you both so much!"
Deku's hand joined with Ochako's, each projection overlapping the other, preventing their fingers from intertwining. "I love you so much, Ochako. And you, Nana, I love you both so much. You're both the best parts of my life!"
Ochako leaned forward as Nana scrambled for freedom, releasing her gently so she could reach for her parents. Nana's tiny hand occupied the same space as theirs, grasping at empty air. Ochako covered her mouth as she found back tears.
"When can I see you again?" Nana asked as she brought her other hand forward, gripping the air with frustrated fingers.
Deku turned his palm upward as if to hold Nana's and Uravity's hands in his. "The trip should end soon, baby girl. Papa and Mama might look a bit different, though. All this work is tiring Papa out. And Mama's going to have a baby soon."
Nana moved one of her hands, try hard to grip her mom's hand. "A baby what? Can I pick?"
Everyone giggled a little at that.
Uravity moved her hand as though to caress Nana's cheek. "It's a little late to pick, love. The baby is due soon." She glanced over to her husband. "Oh, and Izuku, do you want to know? Or should I just tell Nana?"
Deku gasped as he turned towards his wife. "Yes, I know we said no before, but if you know, I want to know!"
Nana jumped up and down, bubbly with excitement as her head passed through her Mama's hand several times. "I want to know too! Am I going to be a big sister? Or am I going to be a little sister?"
Deku and Uravity turned to her and blinked in sync with each other. "What?" they asked in unison.
Nana stomped on the ground. "Boys get bigger, and I want to be the big sister!"
Her mother and aunt giggled. "You'll be the big sister no matter how big your brother gets," Uravity said with a glowing smile.
Deku gasped. "It's a boy? A boy!"
She cried a little while nodding. "Yes, Deku, it's a boy! We're having a boy!"
Ochako watched the tears flow from Deku's eyes. They washed more than soot and grime from his face. The deluge washed away sadness, loneliness, and despair, sending them far downstream and away from his thoughts.
Ochako sighed happily. Of course, Deku cried, not just because of the situation but because of who he is deep down inside. Of all the things she saw that would change, Ochako felt relief that this wasn't one of them.
Ochako's happiness caught in her throat. Uravity's expression grew nervous, pensive. Battle Fist laid her hand gently across Uravity's fist, balled tightly in her lap.
"Oh my gosh, a boy, we can get out all my old stuff! My old pajamas and clothes, oh but we'll get new ones too, oh, and he'll need his room painted for him! I can get that done over a weekend! Ochako, we're having a son! Nana's going to have a little brother! Oh my-" as he rambled on, Deku must have realized that no one else was talking. Curiosity written on his face, he stopped.
"Ochako?" he asked.
"Deku, Nana," Uravity began while wearing a determined smile. "There's one more thing we need to talk about."
"What, Mama?" Nana asked.
Ochako swallowed hard in sync with Uravity. What was happening here?
Uravity inhaled a long, bracing breath before exhaling slowly. "Now that I'm about to deliver and we're going to have two full-time jobs living at home, I've asked Itsuka to move in with us."
Nana looked back and forth between, smiling at one projection then another, dancing from one leg to the other. "Yay! A little brother and Aunt Itsu! We're going to have a big family, and I'm the big sister!"
Deku laughed nervously. "Do you need that much help? I mean, um, we'll need a nursery again, so we're going to get stretched on space, and-"
Uravity's smile wasn't sweet but stern. "Also, Izuku: Itsuka's moving into our room. With us. You and me," she paused to lick her lip, "and her."
Deku stopped laughing and stared, jaw agape, eyes wide. He sat there in stunned silence.
Ochako didn't know that she was holding her breath until her lungs complained. Then, she slowly released a long breath while absorbing the enormity of Uravity's statement. Finally, Ochako locked her eyes forward, focusing on the family in front of her. She was too afraid to admit that she was fearful, unable to confess why she wouldn't look at Itsuka to her side or Momo off against the wall. Ochako wasn't that honest with herself, not yet. She needed more time to process this.
Deku finally found his voice. "Are you serious? Ochako, this-"
Uravity didn't let him continue. "I want this, for her, for you, for us. I also," she bit her lip and fidgeted, wringing her hand together. "I'm not going to sit and watch my best friend waste her life watching us eat while she starves or leave her in the cold while we're warm and safe in our… in our bed."
Nana transitioned to a dance of excitement in front of them all, shaking her fists and stomping around. The old saying that girls dance like birds and boys dance like monkeys didn't apply to Nana. "Yay! Big family! I win!"
Battle Fist shook with nervous energy next to Ochako, glancing over to her, then Deku, then Nana, then back again. She displayed her anxiety for all to see. Ochako felt for her and caught herself hoping that Deku would accept her. Wait, Ochako thought, is that what I should hope for in this situation?
Ochako felt a dagger of sharp pain at the idea of sharing Deku someday, but- she braced herself and looked over to Itsuka. The aspiring heroine's hand was limp next to Ochako's side. What was she thinking? Was she-
Itsuka's smile was small but growing. Tears streamed freely from her eyes.
Ochako paused. Was Itsuka her best friend? So suddenly? Would this bond last for the rest of their lives?
Ochako took hold of Itsuka's hand and gave her future best friend a comforting squeeze. Itsuka, jaw shaking, lips trembling, smiled for Ochako. "We'll talk," Ochako mouthed silently to the orange-haired martial artist.
"Okay, thank you," Itsuka mouthed back.
Turning her face forward, Itsuka's quivering hand still in her grip, Ochako caught Momo staring at their exchange.
"Are you sure about this, Ochako?" Deku proceeded cautiously. "I know we shared just that one time, but you were clear it was a one-time thing, and sharing could affect us, like what if-"
Nana pointed at her father's face defiantly. "Sharing is important! You always taught me to share! Don't let Aunt Itsu go hungry, Papa, or let her get cold!" Nana proudly announced her judgment of the situation, her verdict so obvious that she wouldn't allow any objection.
The adults on the call laughed. Finally, the ice broke, and tension eased.
Battle Fist wiped a tear from her eye. "Thanks for looking out for me, Nana," Aunt Itsuka said over Uravity's shoulder.
Nana threw her arms wide as if ready to hug her aunt. "I love you, Aunt Itsu!"
Battle Fist reached forward, one hand on her best friend's shoulder, sending her projected hand out the way Nana's parents did earlier. "I love you too, Nana!"
Itsuka's eyes widened when her future counterpart leaned in. She stared at the hand on Uravity's shoulder. Ochako glanced from Itsuka's eyes to the focus of her gaze, then gasped. Battle Fist wore a silver ring that gleamed in the holographic call-light.
Nana eagerly reached up to let her fingers wade through her aunt's, giggling. "It tingles!"
"It does," Battle Fist smiled.
Ochako gasped when Deku thrust his hand forward to join Nana's and Battle Fist's. "Come on, Ochako, you too," he smiled reassuringly.
"You must think I'm crazy," Uravity said as she joined them, the whole family, mingling their fingers in projected space across time, their images passing through each other, blending.
"I do, because yeah, this is crazy," Deku shook his head while staring at their joined hands. "What does this make us, Ochako?"
Ochako noticed a particular distinction there: what does, not what would.
Uravity smile while curling her fingers as if to grip his hand. "We'll worry about labels later. You're fighting… the world is too crazy right now for me to worry about what they'll call us. All I want is for us to be together, all of us. I love you. I trust you. I want this, Deku, for you, even for Nana and Itsuka. I want this. It's for us. All of us."
Uravity bit her lip before bowing her head towards him. "I'm sorry to jump this on you like this. But please, say yes."
Izuku wept while smiling. "I'll never say no to you, Ochako, so what I'm saying is, no matter how crazy this is, Ochako, Itsuka, I do," Deku said solemnly. "I accept. Let's all be a family when I get back. All of us. Together. No one's left out."
Ochako and Itsuka's grip on each other tightened.
"Yay! Together!" Nana giggled as she brought her other hand in, making waves in the images of her parent's fingers, blending the projections together. It wasn't clear where one set of fingers ended and the other began.
"Thank you, Deku," Uravity said. "And thank you, Nana! You're amazing, you know that?"
"I am?" Nana stopped and smiled.
"You are. You're the center of our whole family, the one that inspires all of us to do our best!" Uravity said, straining to reach her daughter. "I'll always love you more each day!"
"You promise, Mama? More?" Nana strained forward.
"We all promise, Nana," Battle Fist declared, running her hand, futile as the gesture was, down Nana's arm to caress or pinch her cheek. Of course, she could do neither, but the intent was clear to everyone.
"We'll love you forever, more every day than the day before," Deku said with a smile. "You're precious, and we all adore you."
"Then I'll love you more too!" Nana sniffled. "I'll grow big and hug you so much!"
"We'll all love each other more, Nana, every day," Uravity's smile reassured Ochako. She wasn't doing all of this for a stupid reason. This decision, this strange idea, somehow made her happy.
"All of us," Battle Fist echoed the sentiment. "We'll figure it out, and we'll love each other by putting in our best." She and Uravity shared a knowing smile.
Ochako bit her lip. It made everyone happy, and that's what made Uravity, her future self, happy.
A crashing sound echoed out from somewhere, and Ochako couldn't place it.
"Do you hear that, everyone? Deku's got two women waiting for him at home!" roared a familiar voice.
"Uncle Kacha!" Nana giggled and clapped.
Deku looked up in dismay to something or someone beyond the projection's reach. "What? How long were you there listening?"
Another voice rang in, deep but whiny. "Aw man, how come so many of them get lucky like that?"
Deku stood and rushed forward, causing the projection to wobble around him as the recorder struggled to keep track of his movement. Finally, he pushed someone out of the room before shutting the door securely. "Ochako, Itsuka, can we discuss the details of this another time? Please?"
Uravity laughed at his discomfort. "Oh, I don't know, Deku. We should talk about some of it in front of Nana, just some, though. She deserves to know."
Nana huffed. "I deserve it, Papa! Then I want to say hi to Uncle Kacha." She teased him, but her face was all smiles.
"So, Deku," Battle Fist addressed Ochako's future husband, or was it their husband together? "Don't think this is all for you. Ochako deserves to be spoiled. She can be the monkey in the middle while you and I check on the kids, taking turns, of course."
That thought, planted deep in her mind, an image of her caught between Izuku and Itsuka, made Ochako's ears heat up.
"Monkey in the middle!" Nana shouted happily.
Itsuka bit her lip. Ochako knew what she was feeling without asking. This was too much for her. She endured new hopes and emotions, all of them suddenly wedged into her heart for the past few days. Up till now, those were distant, not like Ochako's feelings, brewed for months on end by Izuku's constant selflessness and heroic drive.
Ochako had a front-row seat to Itsuka's heart as she processed in minutes what took Ochako most of their school year. Finally, Itsuka saw a future where she'd get exactly what she wanted, discovered she needed. Ochako watched Itsuka's love crystalize, gain definition and form.
It was frightening, and beautiful, and vulnerable, and brave.
Ochako gently squeezed Itsuka's hand, reminding her that they were still together, here, in the present. Itsuka wasn't alone to figure this out.
Nodding, primarily to herself, she decided: Ochako would be there for Itsuka, too.
"I think Nana's happier about me moving in than anyone else is," Battle Fist observed, bringing Ochako's attention back to the matter at hand.
"I think you're right, not that I'm not looking forward to, um, coming home and," Deku scratched behind his neck. "Well, having a repeat of, you know," he glanced off and blushed.
It was adorable.
It also implied a lot. Ochako suppressed the heat growing inside her, goals lit by the merest hints from Deku's words.
Nana didn't notice the awkward innuendos since she was busy shaking with excitement. "If we have even more babies, will be an even bigger sister? I want to be the biggest, best sister ever! I can be the big hero princess sister! I'll make pancakes! Every morning! Forever!"
"Forever?" Uravity asked. She and Battle Fist smiled, then laughed while Izuku looks on nervously.
"More babies?" he asked, but the women didn't reply to him.
Nana came first.
"We can arrange that, honey. I agree with you. We need an even bigger family," Ochako announces.
"Yay! I win again!" Nana practically howled in victory.
"Um, how big?" Deku's eyes grew large. The hand scratching behind his head froze. He was as still as a prey animal when a predator encroached nearby.
Somewhere off against the wall, Ochako heard Toshinori chuckle.
Uravity's smile was teasing, confident. Ochako liked that she could pull off a sultry glance even while carrying a baby to term. "Oh, I think I'm done making more, Deku. How many do you want, Itsuka?"
"Wait, what?" Deku glanced from his wife to their best friend. His eyes looked terrified, but his mouth up ticked, a keen, almost predatory edge creeping into his features.
Battle Fist's smile changed, becoming sultry like her best friend's. Paramour? Ochako wondered what their relationship was or would be. "I'd like two, maybe three. Let's see how I handle the first one before we decide."
"The first one?" Izuku's eyes grew wider as a stupid, nervous grin dominated his face.
Ochako giggled, reminding the adults that they had an audience. "It's good to see you'll never outgrow how cute you are when you're nervous, Deku."
"He does outgrow the stuttering, though," Momo observed quietly, but Ochako still caught it. The class rep glanced sideways at Nozomi. "Is your father like that, too?"
Ochako wondered what that meant. Who was Nozomi's father?
Nozomi's grin was mischievous. "Yes. Also, no. It's complicated. We'll talk later." She smirked and offered Momo a wink.
Ochako wondered about that. Could she find a way to get included in that conversation? What was Momo's connection to Nozomi and Eri?
"Deku outgrows the stuttering and a lot of the nervousness," Uravity smiled at Ochako. "I still see the boy I fell in love with when I look at the man he became. There are parts of him that hurt over the years, parts that you're going to," the elder Ochako paused.
"Parts I'm going to what?" Ochako asked, eager for this tidbit.
Uravity braced herself and placed a hand over her swollen belly. "It's going to take a lot of work, Ochako, just to keep him whole. Every Izuku endures a massive burden, and it crushes them. They all convince themselves that they can lift it alone," she said sternly, making sure Ochako understood the warning.
"They can't do it alone, not one Deku out there, no matter how powerful," Battle Fist added, helping to finish Uravity's thought.
"Never alone," Deku said with a smile. "Never again."
Never again? Ochako wondered what that meant.
Deku sighed, but his rugged smile never diminished. "I know you, Ochako," he said, making everyone doubt which of the two he was addressing. He turned his eyes squarely onto his wife, casting away any doubts. "I know this is your way of surrounding me with even more love and support, and I'm grateful. Don't get me wrong, this is still all new and scary, but I love you too much to say no to you, Ochako. Sometimes I think I love you too much for my own good. And Itsuka, I guess it's alright now for me to say that I love you too."
Uravity nodded. "It's fine, go ahead and say that to her. Let her know everything. I'd be upset if you didn't."
Deku's eyebrows lowered. "Everything? I never said anything-"
Uravity nodded. "I've always known. Now, you two be honest with each other. Be good role models for Nana."
Battle Fist reached towards him. "I've loved you for years, Deku. I just never wanted to say it out loud."
Deku was about to say something, then stopped. Whatever it was he was going to say, Deku chose something else instead. "I've loved you for a long time, too, Itsuka, too much, enough that it scared me, and like you, I never wanted to say it out loud. I didn't want-"
"I understand," Itsuka said with a smile. "We both stopped for the same reason. Ochako. We both love her too much to ever hurt her."
Nana reached up as if wanting her Papa to pick her up. "Papa! What about me? Do you love me too much?"
Deku's smile had the power to banish the night and bring in the dawn. "I'll never love you enough, Nana. You're me hero princess, and you'll always have a special place in my heart as my first, my little girl, no matter how big you get."
"That goes for me too, Nana," Uravity said to her daughter. "You're the best part of me, the best of your Papa and me. I'll always love you more than I ever loved you before."
Battle Fist, the best aunt ever, stepped in. "Hey, Nana, you know I love you more than anyone, right? You're my monkey, and I always want to be there for you."
Nana still looked like she was waiting for someone to pick her up, and it hurt to watch. "I love you! I love all of you! I miss you all so much! Please take me home! I want to see grandma and pick strawberries! I want to make choccy milk and eat mochi, and I want you to read me a story and let me sleep in your lap! I want to go home! I want my Aunt Itsu! I want my Mama! I want my Papa!"
Ochako scooted forward and gently wrapped her arms around Nana, absorbing her tears into her sleeves. Itsuka leaned in, joining Ochako's efforts as they surrounded Nana with love and warmth.
Eri kept one wrist in place so that the three-way call could continue but reached forward with her other hand, letting her fingers rest on top of Nana's. The child wrapped her tiny fingers around one of Eri's.
"Nana," Deku's voice was low, deep, and comforting. It hit Ochako like a heavy blanket, one that she wanted to wrap Nana up in. "I'll come home soon. We left you there so that this would all pass quickly for you, so don't worry: I can't wait to hold you up in my arms again."
Nana sniffled. "Will we fly again soon?"
Fly? Ochako wondered about that.
Deku nodded. "We'll fly, baby girl. We'll fly as much as you want."
"Oh, don't tell her that," Uravity lamented.
"Too late," Battle Fist observed.
Nana's smile pushed her cheeks till they dimpled. She wiggled one arm free of Ochako and Itsuka to point at her father. "You promised! You can't take it back, or I'll tell Uncle Kacha! Oh! Oh! Can I name the baby? I want my baby brother to have an awesome name!"
"Give her a centimeter, and she'll take all of Japan," Uravity sighed, but she smiled the whole time.
"You're not naming him something like Prince Explosion Murder, are you?" Aunt Itsu narrowed her eyes, and Nana's mother raised an eyebrow as she stared her daughter down with an accusing maternal gaze.
Nana shook her head fiercely, wobbling her cheek and sending her hair whipping into Ochako's face. "I promise, I'll come up with a good one, I mean it! Please?"
The adults did their best, but their winces escaped through their otherwise kindhearted expressions.
"Nana," her mother spoke softly. "Your brother… he's probably going to be born before we come get you. We can't just not name him until then, and I was hoping," she paused and turned towards her husband. "Izuku, I was hoping you'd name him. It's only fair since you can't be here for-"
Deku shook his head. "I named Nana. I can't-"
"No, I named her," Uravity spoke firmly. "I just picked a name you came up with. There's a difference."
Nana's efforts to jump up and down resulted in her body wriggling out of Ochako and Itsuka's embrace. "Papa! Call me, and I'll make names for you to pick from! Then, we can make it a surprise for Mama!"
"I'm right here, baby girl," her mother giggled.
Nana's cheeks blew up like a pufferfish. "It's still a surprise because you won't know what Papa and I pick."
Ochako and Itsuka glanced at each other, an exchange that the elder pair echoed. It was amazing how quickly Nana transitioned from being an emotional mess to wanting to do this herself and finally wanting to help her Papa pick a name. Were they all giving in to a four-year-old's con?
"Alright," Deku smiled. "I want more reasons to call and see your face, so yes, help me pick a name for your brother. Can you do that while you're there, Nana? Can you help Papa, a new mission?"
Nana launched her fist into the air. "Yes! A mission! I'll be such a big help, Papa! I'll come up with great names! I'll do it!"
A flashing red light illuminated Nozomi's face, an alert so some information on her watch.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Nozomi spoke up, startling Nana and making Momo jump a bit.
"Yes?" Nana's mother leaned her head to the side. "Oh! You're Nozomi. You're… you're His daughter, aren't you?"
His? Ochako glanced at Nozomi again. Who is everyone talking about, and why do they only use a pronoun to talk about him?
"His first," Nozomi smiled proudly. She turned to face Deku. "Captain Midoriya, by the time this call ends, you should have orders for your newest assignment. As part of my effort to make amends for how badly my sister and I botched this whole arrangement for you, we've asked for your squad to participate in the fix-it effort, which will rotate you away from," she paused.
Nozomi looked at Nana's hopeful, eager face. The raven-haired time traveler smiled at the child's innocent look of keen admiration. "My father requests that you join his unit as the rearguard, specifically to break away and protect two teenagers and one small child."
Deku sat up straight. "You mean, I'm going to-"
Nozomi held up her palm, signaling the adult to let her finish. "Yes, the young man you asked to help you with Nana, the Izuku from the world where I'm sitting. He needs careful extraction, as does Mina Ashido and their ward, Midoriya Toshinori."
Deku nodded. "I'll do it. When?"
Nozomi glanced at her timepiece. "Now would be good, sir. I know this call is important to you, but you're needed."
Deku looked at Nana, then his wife and their best friend. His eyes betrayed the pain he was about to inflict on himself. "I love you all, but I need to go. Let me sign off quickly. No slow goodbyes."
"Papa! No! Papa," Nana whined.
"The faster I do this, the sooner I get to see you again, Nana," Deku smiled warmly. "I love you, always have, and always will."
The door he shut earlier opened. "Sir," someone said off-camera, a voice Ochako couldn't identify. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're getting orders transmitted in-"
"I know, Lieutenant," Deku said as he stood up. However, he didn't hang up yet, instead choosing to take care of some last-minute confusion. He pounded loudly on the wall once he occupied the doorframe. "Everyone, put your five-star meals down and get your lazy asses up. We're redeploying! Time to vacate this resort and move on to the next tourist trap!"
Frenetic activity, loud complaints, and general chaos ensued, but Deku shut the door again, focusing on the call through his watch. As he brought it closer to his face, the projection zoomed in on him, making his head larger than life.
"Ochako, Nana, I love you both and I… and you too, Itsuka, I love you too. I promise to make up for all our lost time, you all hear me?" he pleaded, an edge to his voice that wasn't there before.
Nana saluted. It was clumsy and not even the proper salute, but it struck a chord in Ochako's heart. "It's a promise, Papa! I love you!"
Itsuka smiled and rested her hands on Ochako's shoulders. "I'll take care of Ochako for you, Deku. We all love you, just be careful and be safe."
Uravity reached towards him, her projected fingers running through his cheek. "You're the love of my life, Izuku. Every day, in my heart, you save me over and over again. Please, be careful with yourself and come home to me, to us, all of us."
With his face taking up the entire projection, the lone tear he shed was a giant diamond, a brilliant display of his love and longing. "I love you. I promise."
Katsuki's unmistakable voice cut in. "What's the deal, Deku? What hellhole are they sending us to-" but the blonde bomber's voice cut off before he could finish asking his question.
Deku ended the call.
"Papa," Nana spoke mutely. "Papa!" she yelled.
Ochako's jaw trembled while reaching for Nana, pulling her into a hug. Why did Izuku, her Izuku, need careful extraction? What was going on?
This time, it was Itsuka that gave Ochako a reassuring squeeze. That simple gesture of support reminded Ochako to take heart.
Before Ochako could respond, her older, very pregnant future decided to give her a few tips on handling Nana, as well as talking to Nana directly, calming the poor girl down. Uravity fought back tears while addressing Nana and her younger counterpart, and Ochako knew that sharing this advice was as much for Nana's benefit as it was to get Uravity's mind off the fear roaring inside her.
Those tips helped her put Ochako's anxiety for her, hmm, boyfriend? Future husband? What was the label she should use for Izuku, for their newly confessed love? Still, the distraction was good for both versions of her.
Ochako wasn't sure how quickly she and Deku would advance along the various titles couples called themselves, but she hoped to make those labels with him.
Her mind went blank momentarily when she glanced at Itsuka, the girl who stood by her side throughout her grief for Deku's disappearance and who volunteered to help with Nana since before they all knew who her future mother would be. Itsuka, who loved Deku, the man he'd become, but swore to stay away and to protect Nana's future existence at all costs.
A label they would make together, Ochako said to herself, rolling the thought in her head like a pebble needing polish. Yeah, that sounded nice. Terrifying, but nice.
Deku, please be safe, she repeated the mantra in her head, echoing the sentiments shared by the family she wanted to become. Please come home to me, to us.
She squeezed Nana into a hug with one arm while tightening her grip on Itsuka's hand, pulling her into the hug as well.
All of us.
"Papa's coming back," Ochako said in Nana's ear, but they reassured her as well. "Deku's coming back."
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A Note from the Author
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Happy Father's Day, everyone! Alright, fine, I didn't make it in time for the holiday, but I tried! I missed it by only a few hours!
Here it is, the second half of the monster chapter I posted last time. If not for the fact that this was a single scene, I might have broken it up again. However, I couldn't. I needed to hit every note in here.
Now that this is up, and I'm returning home, it's time to focus on my novel again. The new goal? I plan to hit 80,000 words by the end of August. That means I need to produce 30,000 words each in July and August. I only have 20,000 words right now, but those words were edited several times over. Now it's time to write like the wind, to draft this at the same speed I draft fanfiction.
After that's done, I'm taking a vacation. I'll stop writing for just a bit and catch up on comments. I'll pause and assess my progress and adjust my goals. I'll also, of course, work on Babysitting again.
Until then, feel free to drop by on Discord or on Twitter!
Discord: /25BTet3
Twitter: darklogic2
Thank you all for reading my increasingly long collection of words. I hope to see you all again when I release the next chapter!