Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any of its characters. The "Flufftober 2021" prompt list is by Flufftober2021 of Tumblr. I can't believe All Might's had two ex-husbands, one wife, and like six million secret admirers by the time he's hit his fifties. What a mad lad…
One Less Lonely Girl
(Flufftober 2021 Day 19 - "Flowers")
The first time Inko got a modest bouquet of flowers, no one had been there to give them to her.
Seeing the flowers had been quite the surprise. Her hand had tucked away her apartment keys into her palm. One brow lifted, and curiosity wormed through her chest.
On her doormat was a bundle: two hibiscus roses, one iris, and three blue violets. The mix of red, purple, and blue had been a sight for sore eyes, and after gently carrying them into her apartment, Inko found a note attached to the side of the bouquet.
I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person to give you this, the shaky handwriting had said. Because of the new class schedules, I haven't had much time on my hands. Thank you for trusting in me. I will take good care of young Midoryia. ~Yagi Toshinori
Her heart had melted at the kindness, and Inko had put the flowers in her favorite vase. They brought cheer to her that night, and when she woke up the next morning, the sight of the five blossoms gave her the goofiest smile throughout her work shift.
The second time she had received flowers, Yagi had been there.
She had just kicked off her shoes with a relieved sigh, eternally glad that her twelve-hour shift had ended, when she heard a soft knock on the door. Inko had turned, face painted with curiosity, and opened the door she had stepped through not a moment before.
When she opened it, she had found Yagi outside. His eyes had strayed to the new bouquet. "I hadn't meant to catch you right as you were coming home, Midoryia-san," he said, tucking a hand behind his hair. A bashful look crossed his face before he looked up to meet her eyes. "I… figured the absence of young Izuku was hitting you hard, so… I brought a gift."
In his hands sat a violet, two lilies of the valley, and one gardenia.
Inko had smiled, nearly missing the soft yet sharp intake of air Yagi had taken, and lifted the bouquet out of his gently trembling hands. The scent of the flowers had been intoxicating, and she had lifted the blossoms up to sniff in the sweet perfumes.
"Thank you, Yagi-san," she murmured. With a smile, the shorter woman had tilted her head and invited him in for a cup of warm tea. Even if she had been exhausted by her work, the flowers had given her a tiny boost of energy, and her warmed heart had urged her to ask if he had wanted to stay.
Yagi had denied, shaking his hands and looking off to the side with pink coloring his cheekbones. He had business back at the school, he had said, and with a soft goodbye, he had walked away. His clothes fluttered in the cool night's breeze, revealing much of the thin frame the former Number One Pro-Hero had.
Inko had felt a touch of disappointment at the sight of the man's back. A part of her wanted the man to come in, and the mothering side to her wanted to help the man that aided her son with warm company and good food.
But, if he had business back at UA, then who was she to stop him from doing his work?
Over the coming weeks, he had shown up on Saturdays, just after her work shifts, with a new bouquet of flowers in his hands. Daisies and daffodils were a particular mainstay, but red carnations, pink camellias, and calla lilies dotted the bundles of flowers.
Along with the flowers, Yagi had begun spending time with her.
He could never replace her wonderful son's company, but his presence was a comforting force that kept her from too much worry. Yagi drank tea with her, updating her over Izuku's progress in school. The man smiled often when he was with her.
Sometimes he wasn't able to stay long with the blood he had a tendency to cough up. Inko did what she could to help him through the rough patches, but there were times when he just needed to head home to get the medication he needed.
Yagi also returned the favors whenever he could do so. Inko had invited him over at one point, and the man had cleaned the kitchen while she had napped on the couch. She hadn't meant to fall right asleep the moment she laid back on the couch, but waking up to Yagi's small smile and a clean kitchen stuttered her heart in ways she hadn't felt since she had met Izuku's father.
Whenever he was over, they talked about a variety of things besides Izuku's progress in school. They spent hours talking over what their works were like; what kinds of entertainment they enjoyed; what their favorite things were… Anything under the sun.
At one point, Inko had stepped fully into the 'Mom' role and shared several of Izuku's toddler and young child stories with Yagi. The next time he visited, he had chuckled as he told her about Izuku's mortification at the information that had been shared with his personal hero.
Yagi's Saturday visits were highlights of her weeks, and she looked forward to each and every one.
And then one day, her shift ran over.
The hospital hadn't meant for it to happen. One moment, Inko was just about to clock out, and the next, she was urgently rushing to help several other nurses care for a horde of new patients. A villain attack had happened nearby. Heroes had made it in time, but there were plenty of injured people that needed immediate medical attention.
Her twelve-hour shift morphed into a fourteen-hour one. It would have gone onto sixteen, but thankfully the night-shift staff had taken over enough for Inko to slip away.
By the time she got home, she was exhausted to the bone.
Outside her door though, was Yagi.
He sat outside her door, back and head leaned against the door. A bouquet of roses, red and in full bloom, sat in his lap. Sunken eyes had stayed shut. Steady breaths of air lifted and dropped the thin chest.
"Yagi-san," Inko said, tapping his shoulder. A tired smile slipped onto her face as blue eyes opened. "My shift went over at the hospital. I'm so sorry, and you didn't need to wait for me." Concern took over. "I'm sure that the wall is very uncomfortable."
Yagi cleared his throat, rising slowly to his feet. He took great care to not damage the bouquet, and when he reached his full height, he held out the bundle of roses to the shorter woman.
"It's okay, Midoriya-san," he cooed. Color rose on his cheeks, contrasting with the bright blonde hair. "I am… more than happy to wait for your company."
Inko's hands took the bundle from the sturdy hands (a lot steadier than they had been a few weeks after Kamino), and with a delicate movement, the woman lifted the flowers to her nose. Rich perfume drifted up from the roses. Warmth filled her chest, spreading out from her heart to her limbs until the woman was bubbly with emotion.
Softened eyes lifted to the nervous man's gaze.
"Would you like to come in for dinner, Yagi-san?" Inko chuckled, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm afraid I don't have too much energy to cook, but I would be honored if you joined me for a meal."
"If that is what you wish-"
"I would also be happy if you came by more often." A soft blush rose on her cheeks. "For more meals and tea." She was hesitant to voice her true thoughts, but from one look at Yagi's smiling face, it was clear he thought the same. "I enjoy your company plenty, and you don't have to come over if you're busy, but I would love to spend more time with you beyond what we already have…"
Her heart stopped stuttering when his hands cupped over hers.
"As you wish," he murmured, and his gaze melted into something far shyer and loving.
From then on, flowers, and Yagi Toshinori, became a steady presence in her life.
Song Inspo: "One Less Lonely Girl" by Justin Bieber (that much was obvious H).
I'm so glad I was able to do something for this lovely ship, because H, I am soaft for these two ;-;. Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! :D