Note: Please be sure to read Green Tea Rescue chapters 1 - 34 to understand what is going on. This story spins off from Chapter 34 so everything before is still canon.
When Ochako bolted out of the room, Himiko was left to lay on the bed and laugh. Of course someone was just going to barge into the room as things started to get good. She had gotten the teachers to back off so fate threw her a curveball and sent Ochako's mentor instead. It was hilarious, albeit in a twisted horrible sort of way. Still, it wasn't as bad as the other pitch fate had thrown at her.
She was in love with two of the most hopeless, wonderful, dorks the world had ever created. Two dorks that were in love with each other but couldn't tell. Izuku had been so certain no one could love him that he was too afraid to look for the signs. Ochako was so blinded by her responsibilities to herself and Izuku that she couldn't tell the boy loved her, so she wasn't willing to even confess in fear of the distraction it could cause.
And neither of her crushes seemed to feel the same way about her. Of course, she could push the issue. Ochako seemed open to at least some physical fun and she was sure Izuku would latch onto any and all emotional love and support she gave him once he accepted it.
Himiko frowned at that. It didn't really sit right with her. She loved them but she also loved that they loved each other. Pushing herself onto them now, it made her worried she might come between them, which she was not going to do. She loved them too much to risk that.
So if getting to them first isn't the answer… Maybe I should go about it the opposite way?
Himiko smiled. A wide manic smile. That's it! There's no way those two are going to confess to each other any time soon. There's too much shit screaming in their heads that they can't even hear their own hearts! But I hear them. So it's my responsibility to fix this mess and get them together!
Himiko squealed, kicking her feet in the air as she bubbled over with excitement. She would help Izuku and Ochako tell each other how they felt. She would make sure they got together and were happy. And then, once that happens, I'll find me a spot next to them and then the three of us will be one big happy family!
She imagined kissing both at the same time, getting kissed by both at the same time; her touched and rode, licked and tasted, tasting and licking, sandwiched between them or piling on top of one of them. The many, many exotic fantasies she could imagine made her gasp in excitement.
Sprinkled in those moments were other images, too. Kinder, gentler images: a shoulder to rest on, an ear to listen, or just the three being around each other. A family.
Himiko sighed; she was getting spoiled by their dorkiness. Such mundane fantasies got her just as excited at the idea of all the sexy times she could have with them.
Though, if she was honest with herself, maybe a little mundane in her life wasn't a bad thing.
God, I fell in love with a couple of goodie-goodies that would consider holding hands to be second base and I'm already starting to think like a damned normal person. They're rubbing off on me… I suppose that's better than me rubbing off on them. Though, Ochako was kinda already nuts when I met her. She's one bad day away from sending someone to the sun.
Himiko laughed at the idea.
But ignoring that, what do I do with these two? I suppose the quickest solution would be to go grab Ochako, drag her to Izuku's room, and not let either of them leave before they finally tell each other how they feel.
Himiko had to admit, she loved the simplicity of the idea. Then, after they had confessed to each other, she could make her feelings known. Ochako already knew so it would really be just letting Izuku in on it.
So Himiko laid on the bed and stewed in her options. There were some major hurdles with going direct with this. Izuku just wasn't very emotionally mature. He needed time to grow and understand he was loved. She could walk him through that steadily until he was ready to confess but that would take time and none of them were guaranteed any time. But what better way to grow and understand love than by having two people showering you in it constantly?
She could see what she was about to do blowing up in her face. It was almost a back stab, Izuku had been adamant Ochako not learn about his feelings from her. Buuuuut, I haven't told Ochako that Izuku is in love with her and if I bring her in and she confesses first, or if he confesses, then I never broke my promise.
Swinging her legs off the bed, Himiko jumped up and made up her mind. Exiting the room, she almost ran over Ochako, "Oh! Toga, I was just comi—AH!"
Himiko grabbed hold of Ochako's wrist and started running down the hall, dragging Ochako behind her as she stumbled and tried to keep up, "Toga?! Where are we going?!"
"Izuku's room!"
"Why?!"
"Oh you know why!"
Ochako blinked before bursting into a red blush, "Wait, WHAT?!"
When Himiko burst into his room, pulling a floating pink Ochako balloon along, Izuku wasn't sure what to think, let alone say. He had long come to the conclusion that whenever those two interacted there was always going to be a weirdness and mystery he was never going to understand. When Ochako defloated herself and touched the ground, she immediately grabbed Himiko and shoved the two into a far off corner and began to yell at Himiko in the quietest whisper Izuku had never heard.
Himiko began to whisper-yell back and soon both girls were in a heated discussion with both of their hands flailing about so much that Izuku wasn't sure they weren't about to throw down. There were also a few times they pointed at him, which was confusing.
"Um… are you two fighting?"
A chorus of twin "No!" came from the two before the turned back towards each other and went back to their fight. Finally, after some more pointing and whispers that Izuku swore was a curse every other word which couldn't be right because Ochako never cursed, Himiko threw up her hands and yelled, "Listen! Either you talk or I'll talk for you. How about that?"
Ochako's eyes bulged before narrowing into slits, "You wouldn't dare!"
"Bitch, after everything we talked about, you think I'm going to keep fucking secrets?!"
Izuku felt his heart freeze. Toga talked with Uraraka about secrets and now she's mad… Oh god, no.
"Wh-What's going on?" Izuku forced himself to speak. He had to be overthinking this. There was no way Himiko would have broken a promise. She wouldn't have gone right to Ochako after their talk.
Ochako turned to try and talk to Izuku, "Deku, it's nothing you need to worr-"
Himiko, however, pushed her aside, "We've been talking about you. Bringing her up to speed on everything. So just give me a second to talk some sense into this girl and then we can have an actual… talk…?" Himiko trailed off when she got a good look at Izuku. Ochako also saw Izuku and stopped fighting against Himiko. Izuku looked distraught, fear surrounding him and panic in his eyes that was painful to look at.
"Deku?" When Ochako reached out to him, Izuku took a step back, almost tripping on his own feet. That step shocked Ochako to her core. Izuku twisted his head away so he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he looked right at Himiko.
"You… You talked with Uraraka about… me?"
Himiko blinked. She could feel her own heart clench as her mind tried to figure out what had Izuku freaked out and looking so betrayed. Then her brain finally put it together and her clenching heart started beating in a panic, Oh! OH FUCK!
"I didn't break my promise!" The words screamed out of Himiko's mouth as she realized her mistake. "Izuku, please. I swear I didn't break my promise! I didn't… we didn't talk about that!"
Ochako looked back and forth between the two, at a complete and total loss. She could see that Izuku had calmed down a little bit but he was still worried and looked ready to bolt out of the room.
"Izuku, I swear. I would never… I would never do anything to hurt you."
The tone in Himiko's voice, the pleading in her eye. Ochako didn't know what they had talked about but it was clearly important. Important enough to make Himiko drop all pretenses and not act like a cocky crazy person. It was almost as alarming as seeing Izuku so panicked.
"Okay… Okay Toga. I… I believe you. But I still don't understand what's going on." Izuku didn't look betrayed anymore but he was still ready to bolt.
There was something going on and he wasn't sure he wanted to be anywhere near it. Himiko had brought Ochako into his room right after their talk. He was still trying to get all his emotions back under control. Trying to deal with unintentionally revealing he was in love with Ochako and the fact that Himiko had not only told him she loved him but had kissed him.
Thinking about that was making his heart all the more difficult to control. The excitement of that moment twisted his stomach with butterflies and guilt. The joy in knowing he was loved but the guilt that he was letting his heart think about Ochako and Himiko. It made him feel like a two-timing jerk.
Himiko looked at Izuku, then glanced over at Ochako, easily able to tell the other girl was about to let loose and if she did, her plans would probably go down the drain because Ochako had the 'protect Deku' glint in her eyes and that would just cause so many problems. So she got ahead of it and went for broke, "Let me say something. Please. Because before my plan goes to shit I really, really need the two of you to listen to me."
Ochako's eyes narrowed while Izuku mouthed the word 'plan'. Fortunately, neither said anything, which was good for Himiko since Ochako had a basic idea of what she was up to. It seemed the sight of Izuku being so distressed had made her forget why she had dragged her all the way here.
"We almost fucking died this week. And only a couple of weeks ago we almost died again because of the League of Villains. I mean, fuck, this is Izuku's third try seeing if the Grim Reaper is going to snatch him up like a little green piece of candy."
Izuku shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck, "I mean it's only the second time I've-"
"I'm counting the Nomu and Shigaraki as two separate times. So Mr. Stain makes three for you."
"Technically, it's five now. He ran into that sludge villain twice. Attacked once and then ran at him the other time," Ochako added, making Izuku pout.
"Fucking hell, Izuku," Himiko groaned into her hand, "And that was to save Baku Bitch, too, wasn't it."
"Yup."
"Can you get to the point, please," Izuku begged, not liking how this topic was turning on him and not liking to think that in the span of a year he had almost died five times.
"My point is, tomorrow isn't guaranteed to us. Hell, that black cloud jackass could pop in here right now and drop another Nomu on us for all we know." Izuku gulped at that, "Life is too fucking short to hide behind secrets. Especially between people like us - like you two. You may think keeping our feelings inside is mature and helpful," Izuku and Ochako tensed, "But let me tell you from experience: it's not. It eats away at you. Being honest and open about what's here," Himiko tapped her heart, "That's being mature. That's being helpful, not just to yourself but to each other."
Himiko watched the two look at everything in the room but each other, neither noticing how embarrassed and flustered the other was. They were too concerned about themselves and trying not to let their emotions show, too focused on pushing their feelings down.
"So none of us are leaving until we do just that."
Ochako shook her head, "Toga, this… Miruko is here to pick me up so I don't have time for-"
"I love you," Himiko cut Ochako off and left the girl's mouth opening and closing as her voice was ripped from her. Izuku's eyes went wide as he stood in utter shock.
"Ochako," Himiko turned to look at Ochako and gave her her full attention, "You are so brave and strong. I can tell you're a girl that doesn't put up with anything and you'll always stand by those you care about. No matter what. We've butted heads so much when we first met but you still wanted to be my friend even though we both didn't trust or really understand each other. You're just so amazing and when I look at you, I see fucking Athena in front of me. A Goddess of war and beauty."
Ochako's face flushed red as she stood in stunned astonishment. She couldn't even bring her hands up to cover her blushing cheeks, she was just too startled at the openness Himiko was showing. True, Himiko had already kissed her and then some. If Ochako was being honest with herself, she had kissed her back. There was something about hearing Himiko's feelings that awakened and stirred up a lot of feelings she had only had for Izuku before.
Speaking of Izuku, it hit Ochako that Himiko had just confessed her feelings for her in front of Izuku. Himiko had told her she had confessed to Izuku but she had never said she had told Izuku she was also in love with her. Looking over, Ochako could see just how shocked Izuku was, confirming that this was all news to him. He looked stunned and a little sad.
Izuku was trying to catch up, desperately trying to make sense of it. Toga loves Uraraka? But didn't she say…? No, it must be because I didn't say anything to her. But she knows I love Uraraka, too… No, I told her I was not going to act on this. I stepped aside. That's right, I stepped aside so I can't say anything about this. Plus, Toga is right. Uraraka is amazing so I guess it makes sense she would fall in love with her. Yeah, this is for the best. They're both strong and beautiful and amazing, so of course they would get together. They'll be happy together. This is how it should b-
"Izuku, I can tell what you're thinking so you better stop right now." Himiko turned back to Izuku, who blinked in shock.
"Huh, I was just-"
"You were thinking that 'hey lets support my two friends getting together' or 'this is for the best.' Right? Well let me make something crystal clear. I fucking love you, you green, dense dork." Tears welled up in Himiko's eye as she kept going, her voice quivering from barely contained emotion, "You saved my life - you burst into my life and yanked me onto a new path by your kindness. Your single act of selfishness made me dedicate the next months of my life to finding a way to see you again. You made me go so far as to risk everything by going to U.A. on the off chance that they'd even agree to my wishes. In the future, I'm sure everyone will see you as this larger than life hero but to me? You'll always be this skinny little dork that decided to stick his nose into an alley when he didn't have to. Izuku, after what you did for me… to me, how could I do anything else but love you?"
Izuku's legs started to give out. He stumbled back until he found his bed and sat down. His mind was racing and coming to conclusions that he just couldn't grasp, "Wait. But, but that means you, um… That means you…"
"Love both of you," Himiko finished with a big toothy smile.
"But that's against the rules." Izuku isn't sure why he said that but it still spurted out of his mouth all the same.
Himiko rolled her eye and blew out a raspberry, "First, rules are for nerds and people not smart enough to not get caught breaking them. Second, who the fuck says I can't be in love with two people? It's boring wanting just a boyfriend or just a girlfriend. I'm a greedy bitch. I want both. I want both of you."
Ochako flushed while Izuku curled into himself, turning several shades of red. Himiko just smiled, "See? A little honesty can be so empowering and freeing. If I kept my feelings to myself they'd gnaw at me and drive me crazy… er… crazier than I normally am. And if something happened and I never got a chance to say them, then I'd regret it for the rest of my life." Himiko looked at Izuku as he flinched at her words, fear was creeping up and draining the color of his blush. It was heartbreaking to see but Himiko knew why.
Living for so long not believing he could be loved, it was a paralyzing feeling. She hoped that her being so open would help him break away from those fears. Maybe if he had more time to figure himself out he could but, as he was now, it was going to take more than just her words to get him to open up.
Himiko looked over at Ochako. She had hoped that she had made it obvious that there was nothing to fear here in confessing how she felt but Himiko could see that she needed to be a little more direct. She needed to completely dash any hangups and worries Ochako had. She also had to make sure she didn't break her promise to Izuku and outright tell Ochako that Izuku was in love with her.
So, in a voice low enough that she could hear but not Izuku, she said, "You know the two of you think a lot alike. You respect what the other is trying to do and wouldn't dream of doing anything to get in the other's way. You and Izuku, you two are a lot alike, except he has all those things weighing him down that we talked about. Things that he's going through."
Ochako looked over at Himiko, her face scrunched as she thought about what Himiko was saying. Himiko sighed and finished with, "After everything we talked about, do you really think I'd bring you here for this - this whole thing - if I didn't know something. I love you guys too much to just hang you out to dry."
Ochako took that in. She took everything that had happened within not only the last few minutes but also what she and Himiko had talked about and done in her room. Himiko, for all her talk about openness and love, was hiding something from her. Something about Izuku that had almost sent her best friend into a panic. It must have had something to do with his feelings of not ever being loved. But if that was the case, Himiko could have just come back here by herself and tried again. No, Himiko had brought her here bBecause she wanted her to confess, too. But she knew why she wouldn't do that. Those kinds of feelings would just get in Izuku's way as he…
Ochako stopped thinking as something in her mind and heart clicked. A simple thought that made her oblivious to everything else except her own heartbeat quickening, Unless not knowing would be a bigger distraction. Unless Himiko knew something that she didn't but wasn't allowed to say. Something Deku absolutely didn't want me to know. Because he didn't think it would be… That I would also be… Oh my god.
Ochako, wide-eyed, looked at Himiko, who just smiled and nodded as she stepped back and gave Ochako a clear and unobstructed path to Izuku. Slowly, Ochako walked forward until she was standing in front of Izuku.
He was still flustered and in shock. Himiko had already told him she was in love with him and he was still shocked to his core hearing it again. Of course, hearing Himiko pretty much say she wanted both of them probably wasn't helping, either. The idea was crazy right? Exciting? Ochako wasn't sure, she was also really mixed up, but for the moment she pushed all that aside and focused on Izuku.
Looking at Izuku, it dawned on her just how much emotional damage had been done to him. Years of it: A friend that had betrayed him and turned everyone else against him and a father that didn't want anything to do with him. Inko had been the only one to stay by her son's side. It was no wonder Izuku had so many issues. And, after dealing with it for so long, he had become so good at hiding it. He hid it from himself, believing him not being loved was normal, and from others who just saw him as dense and perhaps not interested in love. Ochako clicked her tongue in frustration; she hated she hadn't seen this sooner and hadn't been able to tell just how hurt her best friend really was.
"D-e-k-u," Ochako started, making her voice as sickly sweet as she could, "I can't hide my feelings for you anymore. I love you." Ochako paused and then added, huskily, "and I want to kiss you so much it hurts."
The memory of her joke from so long ago bubbled up like a bad rot and made Ochako feel sick. She remembered laughing at how flustered Izuku had become and now she felt like throwing up or punching her past self. Of all the things she could have done, that joke had to have been the most cruel. In a single act, she reinforced Izuku's own self views about love.
You fucked up. You're not going to do that again. Deku's hurting and you've let him hurt for way too long. You kept your feelings to yourself because you thought it was for the best. Clearly that was a fucking mistake. Well, Ochako, time to fix it.
Taking a breath to steady herself, Ochako still wasn't sure what she was going to say. She had no plan. So deciding to hell with plans she just opened her mouth and started with a simple, "Hey."
Izuku snapped back to reality and looked up at Ochako. His face was still rosey and his eyes had a little shine to them. Izuku was always ready to have a good cry and the emotional rollercoaster he was on was getting him ready for another, "Oh. H-hey, Uraraka."
"Is it okay if I sit down?" When Izuku nodded, Ochako sat down on the bed, so that she was right next to him. She smiled at him, which he returned shakily, "So, Deku… Kinda a crazy day so far, huh?"
Izuku laughed, "That's… putting it mildly."
"First, you told Toga about One for All," Izuku's eyes widened and he looked over at Himiko, who shrugged with a smile. Ochako brought his attention back to herself, "Toga came right over and let me know you talked about One for All and even All for One."
Izuku rubbed his hands together, "You're not mad I chose to tell her, are you?"
Ochako shook her head, "Not a bit. I think you did the right thing letting her know."
"So that's what you two talked about before coming here?"
Ochako nodded, "That and a few other things. She told me she confessed to you," Izuku's cheeks went red, "And that she kissed you." Now they went scarlet. He shifted around in the bed but didn't deny anything, "Yeah, she… Toga, um… said she was in love with me after she, um… kissed me."
Ochako smiled, "Thats a little out of order but I don't think Toga's one for doing things the 'right' way." When Izuku nodded, both she and Himiko laughed. "You know, when she came to talk to me, she did the same thing to me."
Izuku's head snapped up and he looked at Ochako with wide eyes, "She did? She… she kissed you and confessed?"
A blush crept across Ochako's cheeks as she recalled that. She nodded, "Yeah, she did."
Izuku glanced over at Himiko and then back to Ochako. Yes, he had heard Himiko confess to the two of them but now learning that she had kissed Ochako, too, he couldn't help but wonder if it had been anything like the kiss she had given him. He could see Himiko, cupping Ochako's cheeks, and pulling her in to press their lips together. Soft and gentle. It was not a bad image to have in his head.
"Deku. Did you like the kiss?"
The image of two beautiful girls kissing was lost as Izuku came back to reality, "I… Huh?"
Ochako could see Himiko stiffen in the corner of her eye but she didn't turn to look. She had a point she was making and if she let up now, she was afraid she'd lose her courage, "The kiss you two shared. Did you like it?"
Izuku had an answer to that. He had an immediate answer to that but actually saying it to Ochako felt strange. This was the girl he had fallen in love with. To answer a question about kissing another girl that had done things to his heart felt… really strange. But no matter how strange, he was not in a position to lie. He doubted he could even if he wasn't a nervous mess at the moment, "Yeah. Yeah I really did. I just…"
"Didn't know what to say. Right?"
Izuku nodded but then stopped, "Wait, how?"
"I told you. Toga and I talked."
Izuku started to frown and look over at Himiko but Ochako kept going, "I liked it when she kissed me, too." And Izuku's attention was right back to Ochako.
"You did?"
Ochako smirked, "Yeah, she's… a really good kisser."
"...Yeah. She is."
Ochako was pretty sure she saw Himiko swoon but didn't check, "it's nice, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
"Knowing that someone loves you."
Izuku tensed, "I…" Izuku wanted to say yes. His mouth moved to say 'yes' but he couldn't make out the word. It still hadn't sunk in that someone actually loved him. Ochako watched him carefully, nodding, and reached out with a hand to take a hold of one of Izuku's.
"I get it, Deku. It's still hard for you. Isn't it? You still don't really believe that you'll ever find love." Izuku was shocked to hear that from Ochako but he recalled again what Ochako kept saying: she and Himiko talked. It was pretty obvious now that Ochako knew what he and Himiko had talked about. Maybe not everything. Not that he had fallen in love with her. But it seemed the rest was fair game as far as Himiko had been concerned.
He wasn't really sure how he felt about that. He didn't think she was trying to be mean or anything when she talked but it still felt icky that she had gone immediately to Ochako and talked. Of course, it might have had something to do with her confessing to the both of them. Izuku wasn't really sure.
"Deku," Ochako gripped Izuku's hand tighter, "I wish I had known what you were going through. If I had, I wouldn't have waited so long to do this."
"This?"
Ochako took a breath, and opened her heart, "Toga's right. Holding things in, it doesn't do anyone any good. I thought I was being responsible. That I was looking out for you because you're carrying so much weight and didn't want to add to it. But I was wrong."
Ochako turned and reached out with her other hand to grab Izuku's. Holding both of his hands in her own, she tilted them both around so they were facing each other. "Deku, I… The night after the villain attack, after I saw you di… I saw you almost die, I couldn't sleep. I had to go see you again. I needed to make sure that you were alright. That you were still with me, because… because even the whisper of the thought you were was too much for me to bear. So came and just… watched you sleep. Seeing you safe, after everything… it awakened something in me. I realized that losing you would have been like losing a part of myself. Because, Deku, you mean so, so much to me. Before then I knew it but I didn't have the words to describe what you meant to me. But that night my heart finally got through to me. It finally gave me the word I needed to understand why losing you would have hurt me so much. Deku, that night, I finally said the words to myself and now I get to say them to you. Deku, I love you."
Saying those three words, it was like a great weight had been lifted off Ochako's shoulders. She was still scared, worried she could be making a mistake. There was just so much going on in their lives now that she couldn't still help but be afraid adding anything else would cause their precariously balanced lives to come crashing down. But at the same time, she knew she had done the right thing. More so than believing Izuku needed to hear this, it was because she needed to say it.
Himiko had said nothing good came from hiding how you felt and Ochako knew all too well the dangers of keeping her feelings bottled up. She had kept silent when she had returned to school and those feelings got mixed up in her own personal fears, resulting in a nasty fight with Himiko. Who knew what kind of fears her feelings of love could get mixed into next, now that she knew about All for One? No, telling Izuku was the right thing, of that she held no doubts.
But then she heard the sobbing.
Deku, that night, I finally said the words to myself and now I get to say them to you. Deku, I love you.
For Izuku, the world and everything he thought he knew about it came crashing down. In less than an hour, not only had Himiko shattered what he was convinced was his reality by confessing to him not once but twice, but Ochako had then come in and finished the job, ripping the word apart and leave Izuku lost and not sure what he was supposed to do. He wasn't supposed to hear those words. He had accepted it.
Even after Himiko had said them the first time, Izuku had begun to put everything back into place surprisingly easily. Himiko was special and how she viewed the world was special. So the kiss and words could be explained away as a one time thing, a moment of insanity after coming so close to death. But then she said them again and, while Izuku was left reeling, Ochako came in and finished the job.
Not only had Ochako said she was in love with him but that she had been in love with him for some weeks now. Perhaps even longer, just she herself hadn't known it yet.
What am I supposed to do?
Izuku's head screamed at him that this was wrong. Maybe Ochako was just joking again, though he dismissed that immediately. If she did know about how he viewed his reality regarding love, she wouldn't make a joke like that. So she must be serious, which was even worse.
His head told him this was bad, that she was letting herself be distracted. She had goals she had to achieve. She had a family she wanted to provide for. She couldn't afford to be distracted. And he, as her friend, had to tell her this. It was the responsible thing to do. It was the right thing to do. Even if she shared his feelings, he had a duty as her friend to turn her down.
Izuku's heart, however, wouldn't let him say it. His heart reached up and strangled his throat, preventing those words from leaving. Ochako had told him she loved him. On a day where the impossible had already happened twice, it was happening a third time. He had heard the words 'I love you' and Izuku's heart was not going to let that slip away. His world was shattered and his view of himself was now turned on its head. Nothing made sense but, while Izuku panicked and even his own heart was unsure and scared, Izuku's heart still came to a conclusion.
This was terrifying. Izuku didn't know how to handle anything that was happening but despite all of this, he knew one thing: the destruction of his perception of the world and of himself was not a bad thing. Because he, Izuku Midoriya, was loved. This wasn't some lie and it wasn't a fantasy or some dream. This was real. The girl who had shown up in his life and had offered him her hand as a friend and had given him the first glimmer of hope he had ever had in years was sitting right next to him now, holding his hands and telling him she loved him.
His world be damned. His ideas of right and wrong and his responsibilities to others were tossed aside. Every argument Izuku's head came up with was ignored and violently disregarded. His heart was bursting and it was not going to be silent any longer. Unfortunately, it still had to get through years of emotional baggage. It had to expel so much negativity out of Izuku's body and soul, so the first thing out of Izuku's mouth was a loud, gasping sob.
Izuku's head fell and pressed against his and Ochako's hands as he just wept. He choked out gasping sobs as he cried and cried. With his head lowered, he didn't see the startled look that came from Ochako or Himiko. Himiko was halfway across the room while Ochako tried to pull her hands back to help lift Izuku's head back up, "D-Deku it's-" but when she tried, Izuku wouldn't let her hands go. He had latched onto Ochako and held her where she was.
"T-this is real, right?"
Himiko stopped and Ochako sucked in a breath. The mixture of fear and hope that poured from Izuku's words told them everything they needed to know.
"This isn't a dream or… or something. This is real. This is real, right?"
Ochako gently pulled a hand free from Izuku but didn't move it very far. Making sure it was still brushing against him, she pinched the top of his hand before returning her hand into his grip, "Feel that?"
Izuku sucked in a shuddering deep breath, "Yeah…"
"You're not dreaming, Deku. This is real. How I feel for you is real," Ochako leaned down so that her lips were right next to Izuku's ear, "I love you, Deku."
Izuku shuddered and more tears fell from his eyes. But his sobs changed; they were no longer haggard and rough. A new tone joined them, though it took everyone in the room a second to make out the new sound. Even Izuku himself wasn't really sure what his body was doing anymore. But when he raised his head and looked up into Ochako's eyes, all became clear.
Izuku cried as he let his fears and worries flow out of him and he laughed as he experienced true and utter joy. The two sounds miggeled and clashed but not against each other. It was a symphony of the raw emotion of a young man as he came to terms with his new world. So crying and laughing, Izuku sat up and with his head held high, he smiled brightly. "Uraraka I-"
Izuku's head fought and his last fleeting fears fought to close his throat and prevent him from saying something that could hurt him. Ochako had already confessed and had been the braver of the two and had opened her heart to him but fear was irrational and it clung to Izuku despite everything. Izuku wanted to say the words. It was just the last shred of his old fear that kept him from doing it. Because once he said it, there was no going back.
It was the gentle touch of Ochako's hands on his cheeks that banished that last fear. Her thumb lightly rubbed his cheeks as she brushed away the tears and there was the pressure of only three fingers along his jaw while her pinkies were held out to prevent him from floating away. But as far as Izuku was concerned, he was flying; soaring through a sky filled with joy, hope and, above all else, love.
Ochako smiled and Izuku's heart finally burst free, "I love you, Uraraka."
Himiko fucking squealed and Ochako's eyes began to brin with tears of her own. They made her eyes sparkle and shine beautifully while her smile had grown wider, so Izuku had two thoughts cross his mind. One was that he had no idea what to do next. And two, he began to wonder if Ochako's lips had always looked so pink and inviting.
I want to kiss her. I want to kiss Uraraka… Is that too bold? Maybe I should hug her… What comes after telling someone you love them?! Think brain! Wait, no brain was telling me not to tell Uraraka I loved her. Forget brain. Heart! What do I do next, heart?
A soft chuckle from Ochako refocused Izuku's attention back to herself, where her smile had taken a little of a mischievous smirk, though her lips were still pink and plump and begging to be kissed.
"Deku," sSomething she was going to let Izuku know for sure, "you can kiss me if you want." Ochako had a pretty good idea what was running through Izuku's head and if that meant she would have to hold his hand a little, well, she was more than willing to do just that.
"I-I can?"
The sheer amount of excitement in Izuku's voice made Ochako snicker and blush. That Izuku was so excited at the idea of kissing her definitely was doing things to her heart and ego. Off to the side, Himiko had broken out into a fit of laughter but she was watching them both very closely.
"Yes, Deku. You can."
With the confirmation of consent and going off his limited experience of just one kiss, Izuku reached up and cupped Ochako's cheeks, closed his eyes and leaned in. Ochako leaned in, too, closing her eyes and puckering.
Both immediately bumped noses and Himiko fell over cackling.
However, neither Izuku nor Ochako were deterred. They fumbled around a couple more times before their lips met and a spark ran through both of them. Izuku marveled at the softness of Ochako's lips while Ochako lost herself in the surprising heat of Izuku's.
Compared to their first kisses with Himiko, Izuku and Ochako's kiss was very chaste and lasted for just a few seconds. For them though, each second was a moment of utter bliss.
"That has to be the most Disney approved kiss I have ever seen. You two are so adorable," Himiko snickered, yet smiling at just how cute the two were.
Izuku and Ochako pulled back but swayed as they were both still a little drunk on the feeling. Which again, Himiko just loved. When they did come back to their senses, they turned back around so they were sitting on the bed properly with their hands between them clasped together. Their skin tingled at the touch. Both were fidgeting in excited embarrassment, though they hadn't separated from each other very far, so their shoulders and legs kept brushing against one another. The constant contact fueled their nervous excitement until both were bright red and close to vibrating through the hospital blanket. Izuku still had tears of joy falling down his cheeks, though they were beginning to slow at long last.
The sight of the two was mesmerizing for sure. It was a sight Himiko wanted to sear into her heart and mind. It was just that adorable, though she also wanted to be a part of it, too. So slowly and now filled with a nervousness all her own, she stood before the two and asked, "Can I join you?"
There were so many different meanings to those four words but for their first step in figuring it all out, Izuku and Ochako took the easy one first. With small nods, they motioned to an empty spot on the bed, welcoming her to join them. Immediately, Himiko pounced on her opening.
Literally.
Himiko leapt onto the bed, making the springs creek loudly as she snuggled up right next to Izuku, who gulped and reddened at the close and intimate contact. He didn't tense up too badly, though, and didn't feel like he was trying to pull away from Himiko. In fact, every time she made contact, he would push back against her. A few times when she brushed up against his leg with her, rubbed their shoulders together, or let their hands touch, he would follow after her when she pulled away, while she was just shivering with excitement.
Her shivering came to a stop though when as she was fidgeting Izuku was able to curl a few of his fingers around hers so she wasn't able to move away. That hold was enough for Izuku to work her hand fully into his.
So there Himiko sat, coming to terms that Izuku had reached out and held her hand, Holy crap this is incredible...and I'm swooning over hand holding. I'm corrupted.
So there Ochako also sat, watching Himiko get very close to the boy she had just confessed to and watched her rub her leg against his. They brushed their shoulders together and then, in a bold move she never thought she'd see Izuku do, he took Himiko's hand into his own and held it. She watched Himiko blush and sway, her eye becoming lidded as she looked at Izuku with obvious love and Izuku looked like he was on top of the world.
Still nervous, yes. Oh, it was so obvious that he was nervous but he was still smiling. He was smiling while holding onto another girl's hand, Himiko's hand, and to Ochako's absolute shock, she didn't mind it at all. In fact, she was happy just how happy they were. And when Himiko turned to look at her and smiled at her, reaching out her other hand across from Izuku, Ochako smiled back and took Himiko's hand into hers as well. She felt the same electric excitement in that hand as the one that was holding Izuku's.
So there Izuku sat, between two very beautiful young women who had now both told him they were in love with him and that he had both kissed. He was now holding their hands, feeling them brush up against him, and he marveled at the feeling. He marveled at just how complete he felt with them. How right this felt and how happy that made him feel. He loved this. He loved that he could be so close to not just one incredible person but two.
The touch, the simple feeling of their skin against him was something he never realized he had been missing and, now that he had it, it dawned on him just what he had been without for so long. It also dawned on Izuku that he was completely out of his depth and had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to be doing now or what to do next.
"So… What happens now?" Izuku almost wished he had kept his mouth shut. He felt both Ochako and Himiko stiffen at his question so he knew the moment was over but he still felt like it was an important question to ask. Because he - they - needed to know exactly what this was and what it meant for the three of them. And since it was Himiko that had set everything up, both Ochako and Izuku looked over at her for an answer.
Himiko, doing a spectacular impression of a deer caught in headlights, grinned sheepishly and answered, "I dunno."
"…"
"…Deku please lean back so I can smack Toga upside her head." Himiko threw up her hands defensively while Ochako proceeded to slap at her with all the seriousness of a splash fight, "Aren't we all here because of your idea! You don't get to just say 'I dunno' like that!"
Himiko caught Ochako's hands with a laugh, "We're here because I literally said fuck planning and went for broke."
Izuku, stuck between the two since Ochako had not waited for him to move, asked, "Go for broke? Toga, what exactly was your goal then?"
Himiko stopped fighting with Ochako and sat still for a few moments before she reached out and took their hands, "This. I want this. Izuku, the moment I kissed you, I realized I just couldn't keep my feelings inside anymore, for either of you. So, after I told Ochako, I decided I wanted to be with both of you. I love you both. So I thought, if you were together, that you might welcome me along, too. I knew you guys loved each other and, after our kiss," Izuku and Ochako both blushed, "I was hoping that you two felt something for me, too."
Izuku and Ochako looked at each other, eyes searching to see if they had an answer. Izuku gulped nervously but decided that now was not the time to hide, "I do…" Himiko's breath hitched as Izuku kept going, "It's like… it's like I'm experiencing everything I felt for Uraraka all over again. When you're near I feel…really good. Like I'm…"
"Complete," Ochako finished. Izuku nodded. Ochako looked from Izuku down at the hand Himiko was holding, "When I couldn't see you after our fight with Stain, it was like the USJ all over again except this time, I couldn't do anything. I was so… so scared that I had failed you. That I hadn't been fast enough. And when those thugs came to take you away…"
"I was ready to go to war." Izuku finished. "I guess when you put it like that…"
"Sounds like the long way of saying love you, too, Toga," Ochako said with a brilliant smile.
Izuku, face red and hot, nodded, "Y-yeah. We… we love you, too."
Himiko had tears running down her cheeks as she was overcome and frozen with emotions. Joy and bliss mixed up inside her. Mirroring each other, Ochako and Izuku both reached up with their free hands to wipe the tears away.
That touch was all that was needed to launch Himiko up and into the two, wrapping her arms around their necks and driving them into the bed. Sprawled out on the two, Himiko began peppering both with as many kisses as she could, an assault of butterfly kisses that covered lips, cheeks, foreheads and noses.
Izuku was completely floored by the sudden assault and quickly overheated, small whiffs of smoke rose up from his mouth as his eyes spun around and around. Ochako was much more composed, catching a few of Himiko's kisses with ones of her own, earning a happy moan from Himiko. When they separated, they both looked down at Izuku and laughed.
"Poor Izuku can't really handle all this affection very well, can he?"
Rolling off the two, Himiko lay on one side of Izuku while Ochako took the other. Ochako reached up and ran her fingers through Izuku's hair while Himiko ran a hand up and down his chest. Her fingers tracing along the contours of Izuku's muscles.
"If you think about it… he probably hasn't had a lot of positive experiences with physical contact," Ochako observed.
"Touch starved and skittish… There are a couple of people I could stab for that." Himiko expected an immediate 'no stabbing' from Ochako but one glance at the other girl made it pretty clear she wasn't totally against the idea.
Ochako thought for a few seconds, then shook her head, "I think our time would be better spent getting Izuku used to being touched." Ochako's fingers drifted from his hair to down his cheek as she spoke.
"And to be able to touch, too. He's still so shy and afraid."
Ochako agreed, "Yeah but we'll take care of that together."
Himiko loved the sound of that, "Together."
When Izuku came back to his senses a few seconds later and looked up to find both Ochako and Himiko looking down at him, he wondered if this was what it was like for the desserts under the glass at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Not that he minded. If Izuku was being honest with himself, he actually liked getting gazed down on by the two. The smiles they had, the pink on their cheeks, and the sparkles in their eyes were just memorizing. If this was what a dessert saw, he probably wouldn't mind getting eaten by them.
Actually, Toga already drinks from me, so…
Izuku chuckled at his own bad joke, which made Himiko and Ochako smile even more, "Welcome back, Deku."
Himiko poked him gently, "What were you laughing about? Thinking about something naughty?"
Deciding he didn't want to let them know about his silly thoughts, he made up something quickly, "No no. Just thinking how weird but nice it is you two can be so close to each other without getting all competitive. You guys pretty much became rivals when you met, always seemed ready to go. Got better after your fight, at least. This is… This is really nice."
Himiko collapsed into the bed, her face in the blanket while Ochako rolled over and covered her face with her hand. Both then started laughing up a storm.
"Competitive?! Oh my god, Ochako. Rivals?!" Himiko was glad her face was smothered in the blanket to soak up all the tears of laughter she was shedding.
Ochako was also beside herself, laughing so hard her sides hurt, "Since day one? Oh, you got that right."
Izuku blinked a few times and then sat up, "Wait? What'd I say? Did I miss something?"
"Yes!" Ochako and Himiko said as one. Ochako rolled back around and sat up, doing her best to control herself, "Deku, why do you think I immediately had my guard up around Toga?"
"Um, because there was another girl in class that looked like she could take you in a fight? Like how any hero rivalry starts?"
Himiko broke and just rolled off the bed. Ochako tried to hold it together but it was just so hard, "No… And I won that fight, so that was never a worry to begin with."
On the floor, Himiko called out an offended "Hey?!"
Ignoring her, Ochako pointed at Izuku, "I was on guard because the moment I met her, she sat on you and then proceeded to grind herself on you. Not to mention she was ready to kiss you then and there."
Izuku was shocked, "Wait, you were upset because of that? Why?"
Deadpanned, Ochako shook her head, "How would you feel if Mineta suddenly started groping me in the middle of the hallway?"
Izuku answered immediately, not with words but with a low, dangerous growl. Himiko felt a shiver run through her body and bolted up from the floor so she could get back up on the bed and be as near as possible to the young man that had just made that sound. Ochako gulped and tried not to think too hard on just how sexy that sound was coming from Izuku's throat and how much she wanted to hear it again, "Y-yeah. See, I did not like this random girl jumping all over and touching my Deku."
The aggressive Izuku vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced with a stuttering mumbling mess. That sounded like Ochako had claimed him. He kinda really liked the sound of that.
Himiko leaned onto his shoulder, smirking over at Ochako, "And I didn't like that this stuck up stick in the mud was getting between me and my hero."
"Wait…" Izuku recovered after hearing Himiko also claim him, "Wait, so you two were… fighting over me?"
There's no way it was tha-
Ochako reached over and patted Izuku on the head, "Congratulations Deku. You figured it out. We weren't being competitive over anything in the hero classes. We were fighting over being close to you."
Himiko giggled, "So how's it feel to be so goddamn sexy you can drive two fine girls like us wild?"
Izuku responded by squeaking which just sent Ochako and Himiko into another laughing fit. While they carried on, Izuku tried to wrap his head around the fact that they had been fighting because they had been in love with him which somehow led to them being in love with each other and him, which was just insanely wonderful to think about so he focused on that as much as he could. That led him to start blushing and fidgeting.
"What are you thinking about, Deku?"
"This. Us… In love… How we're in love and just… How I really like this."
Ochako and Himiko smiled at one another and then leaned forward, planting a kiss on each of Izuku's cheeks at the same time, "We really like it, too, Deku."
"Hmmm yeah we do," Himiko moaned in agreement.
Beep beep beep!
Ochako jumped as her phone started ringing. Scrambling, she dug it out of her pocket and with one look winced, "Oh crud."
"Is everything alright, Uraraka?"
Ochako nodded, "Everything's fine. That was just Miruko texting me, wondering how much longer I'm going to be."
Himiko blinked, "Oh yeah, she did come to grab you, didn't she?"
"Yeah… I really need to get going." Despite saying that, Ochako was not in a hurry to get off the bed.
Izuku, seeing her reluctance, reached out and took her hand, rubbing it supportively, "We can't… forget why we're here, Uraraka."
"Yeah… I know," she said as she slowly got off the bed with Izuku close behind.
Himiko added, "Hey, it's not like we can't pick this up as soon as internships are over. We're together now, so I imagine we're going to be spending a lot of time… together."
While that sounded incredible for Izuku, it did make him think about something, "Wait… What are we going to do when we get back to class? What do we say?"
Himiko just shrugged, "We can just say we're polyamorous. The three of us are dating and if any of them have an issue with that I can just stab them."
"Can we just do that?... Wait, no that's a bad idea" Izuku immediately corrected.
Himiko thought about it a little more, "...Teachers might have something to say. They haven't exactly told me I'm not allowed to date but, all things considered…" Himiko hated that her fucking past was getting in her way. She supposed it was just her dealing with the consequences of her action but just because she understood it didn't mean she had to like it.
"Who says we have to tell anyone anything?" Ocahko countered. Both Himiko and Izuku looked at her. "I mean, we're still figuring this out ourselves right now. Why would we want anyone else getting involved now?"
"So lie?" Izuku asked but Ochako just shook her head.
"No. We just don't bring it up and just act normal. If someone figures it out, we can let them know if we want but, until then, lets just give ourselves some time to… to see how this goes. To give us a chance to become closer without anyone poking their noses into our business."
Himiko tapped her chin, "You know, I know you two have been closer for longer. If you two wanted to be the public face of our relationship, just say you two are dating… I don't mind being the dirty little secret of-"
"No."
"Absolutely not."
The swift rejection of the idea startled Himiko. Izuku crossed his arms sternly, "We are not going to do something like that to you."
Ochako mirrored him, crossing her arms as well, "You are not some mistress. You're our girlfriend. End of story."
Himiko swooned, making both Izuku and Ochako smile. Both reached out and Himiko took their hands to help her off the bed. The three then stood, hand in hand with each other.
"Okay then," Himiko said, "We'll do this together."
Authors Notes:
Hi hi hi! The promised day is here! The prophecized OT3 is here at last! The only OT3 that requires you to read roughly 500,000 words from another fic. So what exactly is this fic. Basically, it's a spin-off of Green Tea Rescue from chapter 34. Near the end, Himiko made a choice. In this fic, Himiko makes a different one. Now I'm only uploading the first chapter here. The other six chapters will be on my ao3 profile because they will be rated MA (Explicit) here. So can't post them.
As always I am open to all reviews, comments, and critiques.
A huge thank you to my beta reader!