Rhapsody in Green

by Imperium42

It all started out innocently enough. Three years after Class A graduates from U.A., the girls find Midoriya on a dating app, and decide that the best way to help Uraraka end her streak of bad luck with Deku is to find out for themselves what the number three hero looks for in a woman. Nothing goes as planned when it comes to romance, though. Dekubowl plus Kendo, Setsuna, and Toga!

2. Luxuriant Symphony

Chapter 2: Luxuriant Symphony

"I'm going to keep moving towards the top floors, the fire's still rising! Do you have a head count for how many people are left inside yet?!"

Midoriya Izuku winced as a tongue of searing flame licked past him, but forced himself to continue upwards all the same, sparks of green lightning flying from his body as he scaled the rest of the skyscraper in a single leap and burst in through a wide glass window on the highest floor amid a gust of wind. A quick glance around the room confirmed it was another lab of some sort, and as he set off towards the hallway, Iida Tenya's voice rang out loud and clear in his earpiece.

"Around twenty, according to their personnel logs! Most of them should be concentrated up near you, but I'm going to keep checking floors ten through twenty! I'll let you know if I find anyone else!"

"Affirmative! Keep those engines hot, and stay safe, Ingenium!"

"You do the same, Deku!"

The laboratory was filled thick black smoke and crackling orange flames, but the respirator built into Izuku's mouth guard filtered most of it away, and with a flick of one finger he punched a hole of wind pressure straight through the cloud and out the far window, clearing most of the air in the room. He'd been catching up with Tenya over lunch when they both got the call ten minutes ago- an accident in one of the R&D labs of a major bioengineering firm had started a chemical fire, which by now had grown into a raging inferno. It was rapidly swallowing the sixty-story building from one of the middle floors up; thanks to the volatile nature of the compounds that had caused it, it couldn't be put out by water or other conventional means, and getting close enough to try and smother to it meant risking fatal exposure to toxic gases and compounds. Even a barrage of Deku's standard wind pressure attacks had only slowed it down. Right now, they were focusing on rescuing everyone they could while they waited for the arrival of hazmat team better suited to deal with the blaze.

"Hello?! Is anyone there?! Call out if you can hear my voice!"

A faint cough sounded from the other end of the room as Midoriya searched signs of life, and in a flash he darted over in a burst of quirk-enhanced speed. Part of the ceiling had collapsed under the heat of the blaze, and two scientists were pinned on the floor beneath it, their lab coats streaked black by smoke and ash and torn by shattered glass. They were barely conscious on account of the smoke and chemical fumes, but one lifted her head up at the sound of his approach, and smiled weakly through her tears. She tried to speak, but it ended in a fit of coughing, and Deku smiled reassuringly beneath his mouth-guard as he wrapped his hands around the segment of metal and concrete and heaved it up and off of them with all the effort of lifting a block of Styrofoam.

"Try not to talk, it'll only be another moment before you're breathing clean air again! Don't worry, it's alright now- because I'm here!"

With that, Izuku wrapped them around his shoulders, burst back out through the window, and leapt across to the nearest rooftop, where he'd deposited several other survivors in various states of consciousness; a paramedic team was already setting up on-site. As he set her down on the gravel, though, the woman tried to speak up again, and managed to wheeze out a few strained words this time.

"They're keeping the others… in the fabrication room. Please… save them."

They? Keeping them? Midoriya raised an eyebrow, but before he could question the woman she fell into another fit of violent coughing, and a pair of paramedics swooped in to carry her over to the triage tent after hurriedly thanking him for his efforts. Shouts of dismay from the street below drew his attention back to the problem at hand as the fire spread up another floor, and without a moment's hesitation, he leapt back across and into the doomed building. A rapid search found no more signs of life in what was left of the lab, and the hallway leading to the other end of the floor was completely blocked off by flaming debris. Praying silently that his filters would hold up for a few more minutes, Deku drew back his fist and punched a hole straight through the wall and into the next room over. Once the dust from the shattered concrete and cinderblocks had cleared and he'd stepped through, a scene all too familiar to Izuku by this point in his career began to play out.

"So you're finally here, eh? Took you long enough, hero! I knew starting that fire would get your attention."

It was all Midoriya could do to keep an exasperated sigh from escaping his lips when the villain greeted him, the barrel of his pistol trained on the standard group of hostage scientists tied-up and gagged at the center of the room. His quirk was anyone's guess, but his appearance was relatively unique, at the very least; he had the head of a bird, with a crest of ornately colored feathers and a yellow beak that tapered to a sharp point. Sort of reminds me of what Tokoyami would look like if Aoyama were his stylist, Deku mused, tuning out the rest of the villain's monologue as his eyes flitted about the room to assess the rest of the situation. There were three henchmen, each armed with guns or blades of their own. They were dressed just like the scientists- probably disgruntled employees with a criminal agenda, by the look of it, but no indication of a dangerous quirk. There was no sign of explosives or a trap, and the ten hostages looked to be unharmed, aside from the obvious horror on their faces. Thankfully, this room had been insulated enough from the smoke and fumes for them to breathe freely- for now, at least. In the middle of the chamber, the boss of the operation looked like he was finally wrapping up his speech, and Izuku tuned back in.

"…and once I defeat you, this whole country will finally respect me! Everyone who doubted me will remember the name Raptor! Now get on your knees and-"

The villain never finished his sentence; once he'd decided on his attack strategy, Deku sprang forward and swept through the four villains in the span of a heartbeat, starting at the center with Raptor and moving outward to his henchmen. I should really catch up with Tokoyami sometime soon, Izuku thought wistfully to himself as he sank a finishing uppercut into the last gunman's chin. I wonder what he's been up to at his agency. He and the other three villains collapsed to the floor in unison a moment later, with a series of satisfying thuds. Once he was certain they were down, Midoriya moved on to the hostages, undoing their bindings in a flash and tearing the tape off their mouths as gently as possible.

"We're saved!" One cried in jubilation, but behind his reassuring smile, Deku wasn't so quick to celebrate- a tremor rocked the building just moments later, and the floor began to shift ever so slightly to one side as the sound of groaning steel reverberated through the air. The hostages' faces instantly reverted to panic, and every one of them turned to him in unison.

"There's no need to fear," he called, loud enough for them to hear his voice over the sounds of raging fire and creaking metal. "This isn't anything I haven't dealt with before! The most important thing you can do right now is stay calm."

At the same time, though, Ingenium's voice was crackling through his earpiece, worry clearly audible in his tone.

"Deku, did you get everyone out of there yet?! The structural integrity of the tower has failed, the top half of the building is seconds away from collapse!"

There were at least ten scientists- more than he could carry in one go- and if Iida was right, there wouldn't be any time to make a second trip. At times like this, Midoriya tried his best to think what his mentor would have done, analyzing possible solutions at lightning speed. Before he could arrive at one, though, another tremor shook the room, stronger than the last, and Izuku was about to dive toward the civilians to protect them when another familiar voice came in over the radio.

"Looks like you two needed a bit of assistance. Is fire too much for you to handle these days, Deku?"

"Not when it comes to yours, Coldflame." Midoriya couldn't hide the grin on his face as he glanced out the window and watched Todoroki at work; Shoto had propped up the upper half of the skyscraper with a massive wave of ice, and he was currently putting the finishing touches on a long slide to carry the civilians down to safety. "You were in town, huh? Took you long enough to get over here."

"I was having lunch at my favorite soba stand, I had to prioritize."

"Speaking of priorities," Izuku replied, busting a hole in the wall with one swift kick and ushering the hostages towards safety, "let's catch up after we get these people out of here, or we're gonna-"

"Discussing personal matters during an active hero operation is highly improper!" Tenya interjected, and Deku almost chuckled at the inevitable rebuke.

"Right you are, Ingenium. Let's wrap things up."

Twenty minutes later, all the injured civilians were being treated or on the way to the nearest hospital, a government hazmat team was dealing with the remnants of the fire, and Todoroki's ice had stabilized the building enough to keep it from falling to pieces until someone with a better quirk could repair the damage.

"Not too shabby," Midoriya declared proudly, his hands on his hips as he watched the four amateur villains being led into police cars. The three U.A. alums were relaxing on one of the nearby rooftops as the clean-up process began, their jobs done for the day. "Feels pretty nice to team up with you two again."

"I could've been more efficient in my duties!" Iida protested, shaking one fist in the air as he inspected the burn damage on his leg armor. "It took me three minutes and seven seconds to clear ten floors, Midoriya- that time is unacceptable! I need to make dramatic improvements to my corner braking for climbing stairs at high speeds!"

"Well you saved almost two dozen people just on your own," Todoroki replied with a shrug, "so it doesn't seem to me like you're falling behind at all. You're right though, Midoriya. It's been a while since the three of us have spent time together. I'm glad I happened to be in the neighborhood."

Izuku couldn't help but notice that Shoto had matured noticeably since he graduated U.A., both physically and otherwise. He wore his hair a bit longer now, tied up in a two-colored bun during work hours with two long strands draping down past his chin, and his face had a harder line to it than during their high school days. His costume had changed a bit as well since he went solo last year, with a sleeker design and a darker material and color scheme. He seemed somewhat tired as well, though, more taxed and worn than usual. Midoriya wasn't sure whether it had more to do with the stress of Todoroki's dogged work ethic in recent months- an attempt to break into the top ten from his current ranking of fourteen- or the fact that his nearly two-year relationship with Yaoyorozu still showed no signs of revival.

"Me too," Deku replied enthusiastically, pushing the thought out of his mind. "Say, are you guys up to anything after this? I've got a meeting with Tsukauchi's team later tonight, but I'm free until then. We could go down to the pier like we used to after classes!"

"While that sounds lovely, I have a conflict, unfortunately." Iida stood and removed his helmet, making his trademark chopping hand motions as he spoke. "I have a date with Nejire after she gets off work today- we're going to a special evening exhibition at the Museum of Nature and Science! I have to get back in time to look my best for her."

Tenya's relationship with the most inquisitive member of U.A.'s Big Three hadn't come to fruition until a year after his own graduation, when the two met on an assignment and quickly developed a mutual interest. While he'd been as shocked as everyone else when they first went public, it made a certain sort of sense when Midoriya reflected on it- after all, Iida was the only one he knew who was patient enough to handle Nejire's tirelessly inquisitive personality. On the other hand, Hado found his earnest nature and extreme embarrassment when it came to matters of romance incredibly adorable, according to Mirio's latest report on the situation.

"Oh, really? That sounds fun! How about you, Todoroki?"

"I'm afraid I'm also busy, sadly. I promised Fuyumi that I'd come over and spend some time with her kids today, my mom is going to make gyudon." As he talked, the hard lines on Coldflame's face softened, and his eyes began to slowly light up again. "My dad might come by too, he's been moving his schedule around all day trying to get the time off. I can walk with you to the subway station, though. I think we're going in the same direction."

"Sure thing. Let's head out!"

The smile never left Izuku's face as they made their way downstairs and said their goodbyes to Iida, but on the inside, he wasn't sure what to feel. He was happy for his friends, of course, elated that Tenya was in a loving relationship and that Shoto's family was finally whole again. But at the same time, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that they were experiencing something he was missing out on, something he'd lost when Hatsume left him with little more than a note and a voicemail in explanation. It felt like their lives had continued to move forward since then, but his had remained fixed in place, stuck in limbo. On one hand, he was the number three hero in the country and the new Symbol of Peace, more famous than any of his former classmates by a mile. He had more money than he knew what to do with, a constant stream of interview requests, an army of dedicated fans who mobbed him and snapped dozens of selfies with him at every event, many of them fully decked out in Deku-brand merchandise. But on the other, he felt more isolated from his friends than he ever had before, both by the demands of his busy work schedule and by the parade of paparazzi who followed him around during much of his free time, monitoring his every move.

He couldn't deny that he'd been feeling more lonely than usual after two of the best sidekicks at his agency both found new partners in the span of a few days after a mission in Nagoya, and although he felt a bit ashamed whenever he thought about it, he'd ended up making a dating profile in a moment of weakness. Using his real identity was too risky, though- he had enough unwanted attention already- so to avoid flatterers who were only after his status and money, he'd changed his name and edited his photos, removed anything that might identify him as Deku the hero. Since then, he'd only used the app on a few rare occasions, and he still hadn't messaged anyone, too anxious about what he'd say to even begin typing. He'd received more than a few suggestive pickup lines from the women he matched with, but still hadn't responded to any. The other night, he'd been drinking at a pub with Aoyama, Kaminari, and Mineta, of all people, when he accidentally swiped right on Kendo Itsuka, formerly of Class B- not that he didn't find her attractive, of course, but he actively tried to avoid people he knew, mostly out of embarrassment about the fake name and profile. When they matched a few minutes later, the resulting scandal had all three of them giving him wildly different advice on how to successfully woo the country's number nine hero.

So far, though, nothing had happened, and as he glanced down at his phone's notifications while he and Todoroki waited for a street crossing signal, he was perfectly content for things to remain like that. Then a message popped up on the blank screen from a classmate he hadn't spoken to in at least half a year, and his eyebrows hiked up in surprise. Yaoyorozu Momo, the message's header read, with her hero name, Creati, in parentheses. The text itself was practically a paragraph long, so much so that his phone split it up into multiple messages. The more Midoriya read, though, the more his shock and confusion grew. 'Dear Midoriya,' Momo wrote, her style as strangely formal as he remembered, 'I hope you've been well these past few months! I also hope you can forgive me for doing a poor job at keeping in touch with you- you're a valued friend of mine from my days at U.A. and the time we spent working together afterward as heroes, but things have been so hectic lately with my agency that I've unfortunately fallen out of contact with many of the people I care about.'

What is she getting at? Izuku wondered, his eyes narrowing. Does she need money? No, no chance of that. An inter-agency partnership, then? Or maybe help with a difficult mission? Time was quick to prove him wrong on all counts as he scrolled further down.

'I would love to catch up with you sometime soon, and to hear how things have been going for you! Would you be free any night this week to grab dinner together? If that's agreeable to you, of course, I understand that you have a busy schedule! Maybe you could fit me in for coffee sometime if that's the case? Even half an hour would be fine, I don't want to waste your time! Just let me know- thankfully, our agencies aren't too far apart, so it should at least be a short commute! Respectfully, your friend and classmate, Yaoyorozu.'

"Huh," he muttered aloud, as the light turned and he and Todoroki began to cross the street alongside a mob of other pedestrians.

"What is it?" Shoto asked curiously, glancing over at his phone; Izuku barely closed out of the app in time, and quickly stammered out an alibi.

"I-I was just, uh… my mom needs me to pick up some groceries."

"Ah, I see. Want to go to the Kame Yu by the station together? It would probably good for me to bring Fuyumi some wine or mochi as a present. That's what most people do when they go to each other's houses, right?"

"Nah, that's okay!" Rubbing the back of his head with one hand, Izuku dropped his eyes to the ground, searching desperately for an excuse. "I, uh… I was just gonna go to the store over by her place."

"Are you sure?" Shoto watched him with earnest eyes- as usual, he still wasn't very good at picking up on deception. "I know one of the assistant managers at this Kame Yu- Kira, I think his name is. I saved him from a villain a few months back, so he always gives me a discount. I'm sure he'd give you one too. And your mom's new house is only two subway stops away from here, right?"

"That's… true, yeah."

Half an hour of pretending to shop for Inko later- Midoriya felt too guilty to do anything else- he parted ways with Todoroki at the station, and sat down on the crowded train with a bag of unneeded groceries at his side. Well, I guess it'll make a nice surprise for her, at the very least, he thought, shooting his mom a quick text that he'd be dropping by for a few. Immediately after that was done, though, he switched back to his conversation with Yaoyorozu, reading over her message again with wide eyes to make sure he hadn't misunderstood anything the first time. She just wants to catch up, he reassured himself, as friends, that's all this is. The most beautiful girl in the hero course didn't just ask you on a date, so stop reading too much into it. Just as Izuku was starting to believe that interpretation, though, doubt began to creep into his mind anew anew. But if that's all it is, then why did I feel like I had to hide it from Todoroki? They've been apart for over a year, I'm sure they've both moved past it like mature adults.

Deep in contemplation, Midoriya had begun to subconsciously mutter his thoughts under his breath as he stared at the screen of his phone, and he didn't even notice the group of high school-age fans watching him excitedly until a camera shutter clicked just a few inches from his face, and he broke out of his trance all at once. After a few minutes of signing autographs and posing for pictures, he got out at the stop for Inko's house more exhausted than ever, and glanced down at his phone to find that she'd responded to his text. 'I'm so excited to see my baby boy!' The notification read. 'I'm actually out at the mall right now, but I'll be back in a few! Do you want me to pick up anything for you? I could get us some milk tea from that café you like!' The text was punctuated with plenty of his mom's signature goofy, smiling emojis, and Midoriya grinned as he typed out a reply and pressed the send button. 'Sure, that sounds great!'

It took Izuku a few seconds to realize the gravity of the mistake he'd just made. For a brief, blissful moment, he kept walking down the street with a smile on his face, unaware that anything was wrong. Then he glanced back down at his phone, saw Yaoyorozu's name at the top of the screen instead of his mom's, and froze in his tracks. No way. Did I just… He blinked, hoping his eyes were deceiving him, but when he opened them again, nothing had changed- he'd sent the text to Momo instead of his mother. After a few moments of nearly hyperventilating on a quiet street corner, he managed to calm himself down, and continued on through the rows of houses toward the one he'd bought for Inko with his hero salary. Okay, so you didn't get to plan out the reply like you wanted, but it's fine, Izuku, everything's fine. This is basically what you would've said to her regardless. You're just agreeing to meet up with an old classmate, what's wrong with that? It's the same thing you did today for lunch with Iida! Before he knew it he was muttering again, and with no one around to stop him, he continued to do so all the way up to his mother's doorstep. As he reached down to fish the spare key out of the flowerpot to his right, though, his phone buzzed again, and Midoriya couldn't help but begin to panic anew when he read Yaoyorozu's reply.

'Excellent! How does 8:00PM tomorrow night work for you? I was thinking about the following venue for dinner, I've attached their address and website below! It's only two blocks from your agency, so hopefully it's convenient for you! Let me now if it you'd prefer somewhere else, though, I have a whole list of backups prepared!'

---

Given her upbringing, Midoriya had a feeling that the place Yaoyorozu selected might be a bit on the fancier side, but nothing could have prepared him for the moment for the moment he stepped out of the gilded elevator doors and into the marble-floored lobby of the single most high-class restaurant he'd ever set foot in. To be fair, the fact that it was located in the penthouse of a skyscraper should've tipped him off, along with the elegant font and design of the website. The first thought that struck him when he saw the tuxedo-garbed maître d' was how woefully underdressed he was, a suspicion that was only confirmed when he glanced inside: The main room was dimly lit, and the tables were occupied by patrons who all looked like they'd just gotten out of the opera. It was a sea of neat suits and fine silk dresses, a stark contrast to his simple grey cardigan and khaki pants. Thankfully he'd worn some of his nicer brown leather shoes, but that wasn't anywhere near enough of a comfort to ease the intense wave of embarrassment currently washing over him.

Half of him wanted nothing more than to turn around, walk back into the elevator, and make some excuse about traffic to Momo while he ran back to his agency to change, but he'd already made eye contact with the maître d', who stepped toward him and glanced down at the reservation list without missing a beat.

"Mr. Midoriya, I presume? Ms. Yaoyorozu has already arrived- I can show you to the table, if you'll just follow me."

"S-sure, yeah."

Izuku tried his best not to make eye contact with any of the other customers as they made their way to the back of the restaurant, but they watched him all the same, murmuring quietly to each other as he passed. Whether they were talking about his inappropriate attire or his hero work, he wasn't sure, but he recognized several of them out of the corner of his eye, including at least one cabinet minister, the chief of the Tokyo Police Department, and a world-famous violinist. His face went red for an entirely different reason when they finally reached the table, though, and Midoriya laid his eyes on Yaoyorozu. He'd always found her physically attractive- that much was just common sense- but the way she looked right now was on an entirely different level. Momo had let her hair down from its usual ponytail, and gently curled it so that it formed a series of waves as it fell down past her shoulders. It contrasted well with the soft lavender of her sleek, ornately patterned dress, which showed just enough of her shoulders and back to send a shiver up Izuku's spine. She stood up the moment she saw him, a wide smile on her face as she strode over to greet him.

"Midoriya! I'm so glad you could make it, it's so good to see you!"

"Yeah, it's great to see you too!" He paused in front of her after that, unsure how exactly to greet someone he was seeing again after so long. I can't just sit down, she got up to come over to me! Do I shake her hand? No, of course not, that's stupid! Should I bow, then? Or-

Momo wrapped him in a hug before he could decide on a course of action; Izuku felt himself faint a bit on the inside when her chest pressed against his, and the intoxicating scent of her fragrant perfume filled his nose. He hesitantly returned it, and when they broke apart after a brief moment that seemed to last much longer, they were both blushing fiercely.

"Sorry about that," she said as they both took a seat, grinning sheepishly. "I was just excited to see you again, and I wasn't sure what the proper gesture would be… oh, here's the wine!"

A young brunette waitress dressed in a neat tuxedo to match the maître d's greeted them with a wide smile, and began to uncork a bottle of red wine with an elegant label.

"I hope you don't mind if I went ahead and ordered a bottle," Momo continued, "it's a sixty-year vintage Bordeaux, the best they have on offer! Would you care to do the honor of tasting it?"

"Uh, yeah, of course!" His mind racing to even comprehend how much the best wine at a restaurant like this might cost, Izuku held out his glass, glancing frantically at Yaoyorozu to make sure he was doing this right. If he'd been paying closer attention to the waitress, he might have noticed the strangely intense look in her eyes as she poured him a sip, or the way her fingers were wrapped tightly around the bottle like she was clinging onto it for dear life. But he didn't, instead focusing on the blood-red liquid in his glass as he lifted it up to his nose and swirled it about like he'd seen experts do on TV. This is what you're supposed to do, right?

"What sort of notes are you getting?" Momo asked with genuine curiosity, and Midoriya froze, trying desperately to hide the panic on his face. Notes? Does alcohol count as a note? It just smells like wine!

"Uhh… they used some… really nice grapes, I think."

"Ooh, is there any hint of Malbec? My parents own some of the vineyards that produce that variety."

"I… um…"

"I can pour the lady a taste as well if she'd like!" The waitress offered, saving Izuku for the time being as Yaoyorozu eagerly accepted, twirling the glass like a master sommelier.

"Oh my, there is Malbec in here! And I'm getting some lovely whiffs of black tea and sour cherry- do you smell them too, Midoriya?"

"Yes, of course!" He replied instantly, grinning like he'd known so all along.

"Well, it seems we've stumbled upon an excellent blend, though I hope I'm not speaking too soon. Shall we taste it together?"

Izuku couldn't help but feel like he was in an old romance movie as they clinked their glasses and drank in unison- all that was missing was a cloud of cigarette smoke and a band playing slow jazz in the background. Is this how Momo catches up with all her friends? I know she's wealthy, but still! Everything about the situation felt like a date, but he did his best to ignore that fact for the time being, just as he was doing his best to look at her eyes and not the rather low-cut neck of her dress, or the curves of her body. To be fair, the wine was actually quite good- definitely some of the best he'd ever tasted, despite the fact that he usually preferred whites. Once the waitress had poured them both full glasses, he continued to sip at it eagerly.

"So, uh… how much do bottles like this usually go far?" Midoriya had plenty of money to throw around at this point in his career, but he still hadn't been able to shake the frugal instincts of his past. His apartment was relatively small and modest, and he rarely indulged in excessive spending when he could help it.

"Oh, if you're asking about the bill, don't worry- tonight is on me, Midoriya."

"W-what?! No, Yaoyorozu, there's no way I could ask you to do that! I have tons of cash to spend, at least let me get half!"

"It's no problem at all, I promise." She seemed to realize all at once how much she was flaunting her wealth, and her face flushed scarlet again as she stammered out an explanation. "It's just that… I asked you here, not the other way around. It wouldn't be proper for me to expect you to pay in a situation like that! And besides, the owner of this restaurant is a friend of my parents, so it's best if my name is on the bill."

"That's… fair, I guess." Izuku still felt a bit uneasy about the situation, but he relented all the same, and resolved to press forward. "So, speaking of how you asked me here… It's great to you see you, but it definitely has been a while. Did something happen at your agency? Not that it's a problem if that's the case! I'd be more than happy to help out with anything you need! I don't know why we haven't partnered up more often, to be honest, I've always admired your quirk so much, it's so versatile for attack and defense! I was wondering earlier today how you go about making refinements, whether it's just a matter of learning more chemistry or…" He caught himself rambling a bit too late, his finger drifting through the air to take down observations on the page of an imaginary notebook. She laughed good-naturedly when he tried to apologize, sipping at her wine as she waved a hand in the air.

"No, no, you're fine! I'd almost forgotten how passionate you were about this type of thing, so it's nice to have a reminder. It makes me feel like we're back at U.A., running quirk drills for Aizawa."

"You know, I saw him just the other week! We teamed up on an assignment to take down some smugglers over in Chiba- even three years on, it still feels so surreal to treat him as an equal coworker."

"I can imagine! It was the same for me when I worked with Present Mic last year, I kept calling him 'sensei' by accident! Is Aizawa still the same as ever?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe it."

For a few minutes after that, the small talk flowed between them relatively naturally, and Midoriya was on the verge of forgetting all about how terrifying this entire experience had seemed a short while ago. Then the waitress stopped by to ask if they were ready to order anything, and Izuku practically recoiled in horror when he opened the menu and saw the prices, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. There didn't seem to be a single entree under ten thousand yen, and even the salads and appetizers were more expensive than most of the entire meals that he generally had, drinks included,. Momo noticed his distress rather quickly, and indicated politely to the waitress that they needed a few more minutes.

"Is something wrong? Like I said, I'll cover it all, so don't worry about the prices!"

"No, it's not that. Well, it kind of is, but not just that. You said you wanted to catch up as old friends, but… we've never interacted in this sort of place, is what I guess I'm trying to say, around this sort of people." He rubbed the back of his head anxiously with one hand and gestured around the room with the other; to prove his point, a new group of tuxedo-clad guests had just entered, with one of the princes from the royal family at the center of the entourage. "All this expensive food and wine and all these celebrities and politicians… I never really come to places like this, never really mingle with this type of crowd except at official ceremonies. It's not a bad thing, just… just a little overwhelming, I guess, for my first time seeing you in so long. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb here, and not only because I'm underdressed by a mile."

"You're completely right. I'm such an utter fool." She flushed crimson in embarrassment, and cradled her head in her hands. "I just wanted to impress you, I suppose, but I didn't think at all about what setting you would be most comfortable in, just about myself and my own preferences! I can't believe I was so inconsiderate…"

"Impress me?" He frowned, confusion crossing his face. "Yaoyorozu, why would you think you need to impress me? I already think you're amazing!"

If Momo had been embarrassed before, he wasn't sure how to describe her expression after that comment- to say she was flustered was a grave understatement, but amid her panic she managed a few words.

"Y-you don't have to say that, Midoriya, not when you're such an inspiration yourself! I could never hope to compare to you! I-if you want to leave, I understand, I hope you don't think less of me for insulting you like this."

"You still underestimate yourself, huh?" Before his mind could catch up to his body, Izuku had reached out across the table and grabbed hold of her hand- not because of any rational course of action he'd formulated, but because she was clearly in pain, and it felt like the right thing to do.

"Of course I don't think less of you, Yao… Momo." Calling her by her first name felt like the right thing to do as well, and the combination seemed to shock Yaoyorozu into silence, though the blood didn't leave her cheeks. "And I'm not leaving- at least, not without you. Why don't we cork this wine and take it somewhere we can relax a bit more than here? No offense to your parents' friend, of course! This is a lovely place, but I can't even pronounce half the stuff on the menu."

"Well… I… sure!" After a moment for the surprise to wear off, Momo visibly perked up again, and the smile returned to her face. "W-where did you have in mind?"

"Well, uh… we could always go to any of the shopping or food areas downtown. They're probably pretty packed at this time of night, though. My apartment's a mess right now, so that's off the table…"

"Oh! Then how about my house?"

"You mean your apartment, or your parents' estate?" Midoriya had been to the Yaoyorozu manor once or twice during high school, always as part of the group study sessions that Momo hosted during midterms and finals. It never failed to awe him with its sheer size and opulence, with dozens upon dozens of rooms to explore and servants that popped out of nowhere to fulfill guests' every need.

"The latter! You've visited before, so perhaps you'd be more comfortable there! But don't worry, my parents aren't home. Father is abroad on a business trip, and mother is off to the hot springs in Hokkaido with the other members of her tea ceremony club. We'll have the whole place to ourselves!"

Then she realized how what she'd just said sounded, and they both realized simultaneously that Izuku's hand was still draped over hers. They both went red again and quickly broke eye contact, glancing down at their wine. Her skin felt unbelievably soft and smooth against his callused palm, so Midoriya hesitated slightly as withdrew his hand, and looked back up at her face. It's just a visit, going there doesn't necessarily mean something is going to happen. Calm down, Izuku.

"That sounds nice to me. Are you sure they won't mind if we leave a bit early?"

"I think it'll be alright, we still spent a good amount regardless." Momo beckoned over the waitress, who approached them with her usual enthusiasm and pulled out a pen and notepad.

"Ready to order, then?"

"No, I think we'll actually take the check." She held out a metallic black credit card and gave the girl an apologetic smile. "Something came up, unfortunately. Hero work."

"What?" The waitress's pen dropped to the floor, and her eyes widened. "Y-you're leaving already? The night's just getting started, though."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It really is a lovely vintage, though. I think we'll be taking it with us."

For a few brief seconds, the she looked a good deal more distressed than an ordinary server would be about her customers leaving, but the waitress quickly regained her composure, and flashed them a wide, toothy grin as she leaned down to grab the pen.

"Of course, I understand. Have a lovely evening, you two."

She turned around just in time to conceal the fact that she'd snapped the pen in two inside her fist, soaking her palm in ink; Izuku shook his head sympathetically as the girl made her way back to the kitchen, unaware that her face was contorted in silent rage.

"She really wanted to keep serving us, huh? Must have been looking forward to your tip."

"I suppose I do have a reputation for being a bit generous," Momo replied sheepishly, corking the bottle and sliding it into her purse. As soon as they had her card back, Yaoyorozu stood and started for the door, but Midoriya caught her by the shoulder and gestured in the opposite direction, toward the glass doors that led to the penthouse's balcony.

"It's about a twenty minute drive, right? Probably longer with traffic. I think I have a better plan, follow me."

Izuku had just struck by an idea that he probably would've dismissed on any other day as too risky and presumptuous, but tonight, everything felt like it was clicking so well that it seemed like the perfect opportunity. When she followed him out into the cool night air, Momo seemed confused at first, the uncertain expression on her face illuminated by the bright neon lights of Tokyo's skyline after dark.

"Do you want me to call over my family's private helicopter? I suppose it could probably land on this building's roof, although I doubt it's entirely up to regulation standards…"

"I had something a bit different in mind, actually." Midoriya stepped up to the balcony's edge and extended one arm towards her. "How about I fly you there? It may not be the type of personal chauffeur service that you're used to, but it's a hell of a view."

"I… oh my." Yaoyorozu held a hand to her mouth in surprise; for a moment, Izuku was worried that he might have taken things a bit too far, but then she stepped forward, a nervous grin on her face. "Are you sure this is alright, Midori… Izuku? Technically, you'd be breaking the rules by using your quirk for your own personal benefit in a non-emergency situation. Not to mention the damage to the economy that we're causing by not driving."

"I think the economy will survive," Midoriya replied with a grin, once he'd mentally recovered from the fact that she'd just called him by his first name. "Besides, it's not against the rules if I'm using it to help someone in distress. Would you say that you're in distress right now, Momo?"

"Well, I…" After a few seconds, she caught on to what he was asking, and returned his grin. "Yes, I'm very much in distress. Might you be so kind as to save me, Deku?"

"Anything for a citizen in need."

With that, he took her gently into his arms, making sure to hold her head against his chest so her eyes and mouth were protected from the wind. It was even more intimate of a position than he'd expected, and keeping his breathing steady was a strenuous task as he stepped up onto the edge and leapt into the night sky amid an expanding cone of air pressure. She let out a loud gasp of shock on takeoff and tightened her grip on his back, just as most people did, and for a moment he was worried that she might throw up from motion sickness- it had been known to happen. Thankfully, though, her expression remained calm, and their eyes briefly met before he was forced to focus back on the cityscape ahead, sending another chill of excitement up Izuku's back. Is this actually happening? He couldn't help but wonder as he shifted his arms to better protect her exposed shoulders from the cold. If all of the past two days has been a dream, it's definitely the best one I've ever had.

Talking to each other over the shrill whistling of the wind was mostly out of the question, but somehow the silent embrace that they shared over the course of the short trip was made even more special by that fact. He nudged her in the side when they burst through the low-hanging ceiling of clouds, nodding for her to look down and take in the view below; the look of genuine, wide-eyed wonderment on her face made Izuku's heart pound even harder in his chest than it already had been, and he began to silently pray that she couldn't feel it through his cardigan. Then, before he knew it, they were already over the Yaoyorozu manor, and he had to remind himself to slow down before landing so her body wouldn't be shaken half to pieces by the impact. Thankfully, the estate's proximity sensors picked up her DNA on descent, so no burglar alarms sounded like he feared they might when he touched down in the driveway and eased Momo to the ground.

"So, what did you think?"

"That was amazing," she breathed in response, her eyes still wide with excitement and her voice giddy as they strode up to the front door together. "I'm sure you can fly even faster than that on your own, it's incredible how you've adapted to such intense velocities at such high altitudes!" Then Yaoyorozu saw her severely windswept hair reflected in one of the glass window panes and went red all over again, hurriedly producing a brush to straighten it. "I look like such a mess, I hope you can forgive me."

"Mess is the last word on my mind when I look at you, Momo." More and more confident by the minute- admittedly, is was partially the wine speaking- Izuku was starting to like the sound of her first name, how easily it rolled off his tongue. But when she recovered enough from his compliment to fling open the ornately carved front door, and Midoriya followed her into a foyer even more spacious and staggeringly opulent than he remembered, complete with a massive gilded chandelier and a velvet-carpeted grand staircase, suddenly he felt like a second-year high schooler all over again, faced with an impossible final exam. She paused when she noticed him gawking, and for a moment a worried look crossed her face again.

"Is it still too much? I thought this setting might work better for you, but perhaps it's been too long since you've been here…"

"No, no, this is fine!" He quickly replied, holding up his hands. "It's more than fine. I just don't know if I'd ever be able to get used to coming home to a sight like this."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go somewhere else?" Yaoyorozu asked after a moment, watching his face carefully. "I wouldn't mind if we…" She trailed off in embarrassment when her stomach growled loudly midway through her sentence, and Midoriya shot her a knowing look.

"Trust me, this is perfect. Sounds like getting some dinner should be our first priority though, I almost forgot that we never ate anything. Remind me, where's the kitchen?"

"The closest one is over this way!" Slipping her shoes off at the doormat, she waited for Izuku to do the same before leading him down a hall to the left, flipping on light switches along the way. The kitchen was just as sleek and modern as he remembered, but a quick inspection of the stainless steel fridge proved that Momo's parents didn't have much in the way of leftovers at the moment. Before he could even propose ordering in, though, Yaoyorozu was already scrolling through her phone's contacts.

"Just a moment- I'll call the staff over! They can prepare practically any dish you'd want! I've been craving their chicken Florentine in particular lately, some Italian food sounds delicious right now."

"Wait, Momo, hold off on that for a minute." Izuku had just opened the pantry, and was staring at shelves full to the brim with luxury imported ingredients, stretching back for the length of a master bedroom. "Have you… ever actually cooked for yourself?"

"Well… unless you count failed attempts, no." She grinned sheepishly, and leaned against the counter. "I never even came close to touching an oven until I moved out and into my own apartment. Todoroki tried to teach me a few times, but the result was always disaster. It's ironic, isn't it? My quirk means that I know the ingredients of practically any inorganic compound that you could think of by heart, but when it comes to food, I couldn't even begin to tell you what goes into making ramen or katsudon."

"Wait, so what have you been doing for food since you guys split up, then?"

"I go out to eat most nights," she replied, in a confused tone that suggested this answer was perfectly obvious. "When I'm feeling lazy, I tend to order meals, I suppose. And sometimes I come over to visit my parents when I'm missing their chefs' cooking."

So rich, Midoriya thought to himself, his eyes wide. To be fair, he was more than wealthy enough to practice the same type of lifestyle if he chose to, but he still cooked most nights to save money out of pure instinct.

"How about I try my hand at showing you the ropes?" He offered, mostly on impulse. "I might not be able to make as fancy of a dish as your chefs, but I know one or two pretty good tricks."

"That sounds lovely!" Momo exclaimed after a moment or two of initial surprise at the proposal. 'Please, though, keep your expectations for me low… I've been known to set off fire alarms."

"Ah, a little risk just makes things more exciting. I'm sure you can't be that bad of a student, given your academic record."

In truth, Izuku owed everything he knew about cooking to his mother, especially the tricks, and his range was generally limited to what she made at home. He'd been experimenting a bit since getting an apartment, though, and with the wine running through his veins, he felt bold enough to attempt making Italian food for what would be perhaps the third time in his life. Pouring himself another glass for good measure, an action Yaoyorozu quickly mimicked, Midoriya took a long sip before plunging into the pantry and returning with two armfuls of ingredients. Florentine sounded a bit too fancy to manage, but he felt reasonably confident about his ability to make a passable chicken parmigiana, and began to assemble the necessary components. Deciding that it would be better to hold her hand through the more difficult tasks than risk explaining to her parents why they'd burned the kitchen down, Izuku flipped the oven fan to its highest setting while Momo ran upstairs to change into something more easily cleanable in the event of spills or stains.

"Alright, now we're going to bread the chicken." He began as soon as she returned, wearing a turtleneck sweater and sweatpants embroidered with her initials, her hair back up in its usual ponytail. Thankfully there's not that much you can mess up on this step, and there's no possibility of starting a fire. Just follow my lead."

Five minutes later, Momo had demonstrated that it was in fact possible to mess up the step in question, in a variety of new and creative ways, though to her credit the kitchen was still fire-free. After several rounds of trial and error and a good deal of mutual laughter, though, she finally mastered the simple process of dipping the chicken in beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs thoroughly enough for them to move on, and they celebrated by taking another sip in unison. Once the chicken was in the pan and surrounded by tomato sauce- she'd only spilled a few tablespoons or so on the counter before he had to guide her hands in pouring the rest- they moved on to the pasta itself, and Izuku carefully showed her the basics of setting the water to boil and slowly pouring in the noodles, with as much literal handholding as figurative. By now they were a great deal more comfortable touching each other than either of them had been during their awkward hug just an hour ago, another factor contributing to Midoriya's persistent hunch that this was all still an elaborate dream.

"So I just stir it like this?" Yaoyorozu asked as he crouched down to peer through the oven window at the progress of the chicken, glancing over at him expectantly.

"Huh? Oh, let me see." As Izuku rose back to his feet, though, he didn't think to check where Momo was standing; it took a moment for him to realize what had happened when the side of his head bounced off of something soft midway up, and Yaoyorozu let out a small noise indicating surprise.

"O-oh! I'm so sorry!"

"No, that's okay, it was an accident!"

Neither of them moved away, though, so their blushing faces were only a few inches apart as they each stuttered out a mix of apologies and reassurances. Then they both drew quiet, and it occurred to Midoriya then that he should probably kiss her. Shit, this can't be a dream, he realized, a solitary drop of sweat rolling down his brow as he tried to build up the nerve to lean in. If it were, this wouldn't feel so terrifying. As perceptive as ever, Yaoyorozu seemed to realize what was happening, and inched towards him ever so slightly, her gaze flitting between his mouth and eyes.

Vrrrt. Vrrrt. Vrrrt.

Buzzing noisily on the counter, the alarm Izuku had set for the noodles on his phone interrupted them before they could close the gap, though, and they both came back to their senses with a start.

"I'll, uh… I'll get those," he murmured, hurriedly turning back to the pot while Momo glanced around frantically for anything else to occupy her time with.

"I-is there anything else I can help with, Izuku?"

"Sure, we can drain the pasta together!"

Now they were a bit more apprehensive about touching each other, though; it took a few minutes to build up the same level of intimacy again. By that point, the meal was ready, and romance rapidly fell behind food on their respective lists of priorities.

"It's actually edible!" Yaoyorozu cried in excitement as they dug in, wiping a tear of happiness away from her eye.

"More than just edible, I'd say," Midoriya countered wryly between sips of wine. He needed every bit of liquid courage he could handle if he wanted to try something like that again. "See? You're not a bad chef yourself if you try."

"I guess I just needed a proper teacher," she replied; Izuku cringed internally at the pointed emphasis on the word 'proper', thinking back to his time with Todoroki yesterday. "But to be fair, you did most of the hard work."

"You were great moral support, though!" Midoriya responded reassuringly, a widening smile on his face. "I think you have a lot of potential! Maybe… uh, maybe I could come by and teach you another recipe sometime?"

"Sure! I…" Suddenly Momo trailed off midsentence, and a conflicted look crossed her face for a few moments before she continued. "I'll have to… see how my schedule looks. But… I think I'd like that."

"Me too."

Once they'd finished dinner and washed the dishes together- another first for her- they were faced with the awkward question of what to do next. They both knew what they wanted to do, but after their previous near-miss, neither of them was bold enough to make the first move. Thankfully, though, the Yaoyorozu mansion had no shortage of distractions, and after a brief tour of some of the facilities, including an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool, tennis and badminton courts in the basement, a gym that was easily three times the size of the one Midoriya went to, and a billiards lounge complete with a fully stocked cocktail bar, they finally settled on watching a movie in the theater room, which featured an antique 35 millimeter projector and an expansive archive of the classics.

"So… do you have any recommendations?"

"You're my guest, Izuku, you pick! Everything here is good, mother and father have excellent taste in film."

Midoriya swallowed, glancing nervously about the massive shelf of carefully labeled film reels, sorted by genre, director, and title. While he was very familiar with American superhero movies, there didn't seem to be any present- he hadn't seen or even heard of most of these, but he vaguely recognized the name 'Hitchcock' in one section, and picked one from that row at random.

"Excellent choice!" Momo cried, practically bouncing with anticipation. "Vertigo has always been one of my favorites from the late 1950s! What do you think about the ending?"

"Oh, well I… this'll actually be my first time seeing it." Izuku admitted, his cheeks flushed red. "Sorry, I'm pretty uncultured compared to you."

If possible, that only seemed to increase Yaoyorozu's excitement; as soon as she loaded the reel into the projector and set it to play, she took him by the hand and led him to the couch, a thrilled look in her eyes.

"My family and I have seen practically everything in that entire library at least twice, it's such a rare treat to be able to introduce a newcomer to Hitchcock! I'm very much looking forward to hearing your impressions afterward, Izuku!"

As the reel started, and the film's intro began, though, its cinematic and narrative merits were the last thing on Midoriya's mind- much more pressing was the beautiful woman he was sitting only inches apart from, their shoulders practically touching and their fingers still loosely intertwined. It was exactly the scenario he'd seen a hundred times in TV shows and movies, the boy and girl sitting in a theater together, the tension between them steadily rising. They always kiss in the end, but how am I supposed to know when the right time comes? How long in the movie do I wait? Will I seem desperate if I try at the beginning? Or will she get impatient if I wait until the end? Why are my hands so sweaty?!

He nearly started muttering to himself out of instinct, but was brought back to reality when the music swelled and Momo shifted in place beside him; her gaze was fixed intently on the screen, so he decided to follow her lead for now and see if the opportunity arose naturally, like earlier. As things turned out, though, the movie was engrossing enough that he completely forgot about his romantic aspirations within a few minutes, fascinated by how different the centuries-old cinematography looked from what he usually watched. They took turns sipping wine straight from the bottle as they watched- an insult to the vintage, perhaps, but Yaoyorozu let it slide. Momo occasionally gave commentary about the history and significance of the setting, actors, and director, all of which he listened to with interest, wishing he'd brought a notebook to write things down. By the time he remembered that he was supposed to kiss her, the movie was almost over, but he was too invested in the plot to risk missing a single scene.

Just minutes later, she ended up making the first move- at the height of the climactic twist, Yaoyorozu let out a soft gasp and cuddled up against Midoriya's chest, laying one hand delicately across his stomach. Whether it was intentional or simply out of reflex, he wasn't certain- her eyes still hadn't moved from the screen, so he quickly judged that pulling her away from the film was still unadvisable. For now, he sufficed with wrapping an arm around her shoulders, an act that prompted her to nuzzle even tighter against him as they watched the ending together. The scent of her perfume returned with a vengeance, so intoxicating that he was hard-pressed to keep his eyes on the screen until the credits began to roll. Hatsume had never been one for girly fragrances, or perfume in general, for that matter- even on date nights, she typically still smelled vaguely of metal and grease from whatever project she'd been working on that day. Not that Midoriya had minded, of course, but a year of that as the norm made what he was experiencing right now doubly intense. Resolving that now was finally the time, he turned to face her, and she did the same. Before he could lean in to execute his plan, though, she began to speak in the same giddy tone as earlier.

"So what did you think?! Tell me everything."

She really was serious, he realized with a start. Why does this feel like a test?!

"Well, um… I really found the characters interesting, the actors were great! Scottie in particular was really believable. And the genre was so different from what I'm used to… I tend to mainly watch sci-fi or action movies. Maybe next time I could show you one!"

"That sounds nice." Her voice momentarily took on a hesitant tone again, but it quickly faded. "What themes and messages do you think Hitchcock was trying to convey, though? Father and I always get into debates about which societal issues Scottie's obsession represents."

Oh god, it really is a test! After a few minutes of minutes of fumbling through a rudimentary analysis of the film, Midoriya finally seemed to have said enough to satisfy Yaoyorozu, who stood and strode over to turn off the projector before he could work up the nerve to try and lean in again. Wait, did I fail?! Trying his best to shove the fear that he'd somehow messed everything up to the back of his mind, Izuku rose to his feet as well; he grunted and lowered himself into a stretch when one of the calf muscles he'd strained yesterday began to cramp slightly, and Momo giggled at the sight from across the room.

"Still sore from all that hero work, I see. How about we do something a bit more… physical?"

"I… uh… what do you…" Midoriya's brain promptly short-circuited the moment he processed her question- thankfully, the room was dark enough that she couldn't see how beet-red his face had turned. I didn't think she'd be so forward… but if she's asking, then… "Y-yeah, sure! That sounds… nice!" He took a tentative step towards her, only to freeze in confusion when she turned around and began to walk down the hallway.

"Come on, the sports area is down this way! Let's try the bowling alley!"

Oh. Obviously that's what she meant, Izuku you idiot. There you go again, making rash assumptions. Get your mind out of the gutter. He let out a slight sigh of disappointment in himself before following after her. Unlike the old films, though, Midoriya was relatively familiar with bowling; he'd gone a few times before, usually with Uraraka, Asui, and Iida back in his U.A. days. At a birthday party during middle school, Kacchan had once caused a minor incident when he cracked a bowling ball in two with his quirk after Izuku pulled ahead of his score for a few frames- Bakugo still won in the end, of course. But regardless of that unpleasant memory, he was beginning to genuinely look forward to playing against Momo for the first time- until she immediately scored a strike with her first throw, that is.

"Wow, that was amazing! Your technique was perfect!"

"Oh, you don't have to flatter me, Izuku! The angle could've been slightly better."

Even a strike isn't good enough?! He wondered, beginning to panic slightly as he stepped up to take his turn. It would be simple for him to to add enough strength to his arm with One For All to send the ball plowing straight through the pins in a flash, but seeing as Yaoyorozu wasn't using her quirk to assist herself, he decided to follow her lead. When he leaned down to toss the ball, though, the sweat on his hands made it slip loose of his grip just a fraction of a second too early, and he could only watch as it careened into the gutter, complete with a sad sound effect of defeat from the monitor above.

"Just, ah… slipped." He called back to her with a nervous chuckle- she nodded politely in response. When his second throw only managed to knock down two pins at the far corner of the lane, though, he couldn't exactly use the same excuse again. "It's, ah… been a while for me. Just need to get back into the swing of it. Sorry. I promise, I have bowled before."

"It's not a problem at all, Midoriya. Maybe this time I can teach you- watch me carefully, particularly my arms."

Try as he might to look for something special about her throw, Izuku failed to intuit what exactly she was doing different from him as she proceeded to score another strike, aside from simply aiming better. Is this going to be another test?

"That was, uh, really impressive. I'd like to learn more about your stance, though. Where did you learn to bowl like that?"

"Here, of course! Father in particular is a wonderful teacher, he occasionally participates in a semi-professional league with his colleagues from work when he has the time. Whenever he was busy or away for travel, I'd often come down here as a child and practice against his previous scores, sometimes for hours. I admit, it was a bit of an obsession of mine for a while. I finally managed to tie his record after a few months, but since those days, I haven't played too much against other people. I tend to take some of the fun out of the game, or so I've been told. I actually came down here hoping that I'd gotten rusty."

"That story is… a bit lonely, isn't it?" He stepped toward her with concern on his face, and laid a hand on her forearm. "You shouldn't have to be alone when it comes to what you're passionate about."

She froze in place at the edge of the lane, and looked up at him with flushed cheeks and curious eyes. By the time Izuku realized how else what he'd just said could be interpreted, and opened his mouth to correct his phrasing, she was already kissing him, and he reciprocated eagerly. She was much more hesitant and gentle than his memories of Mei, who had preferred to practically choke him with her tongue. Not that he had minded that either, but he quickly adjusted to Momo's tempo, wrapping his arms around her back as she ran one hand through his tangle of green and black hair. They went for nearly a minute before breaking apart, and even then, they only exchanged a brief smile before resuming. After a while Izuku slid a hand under the hem of her sweater, and she took a step back out of instinct when his callused palm ran across her smooth stomach. Before he could go any higher, though, a blaring electronic screech sounded overhead- her foot had crossed the line into the lane itself and triggered the alarm. In their surprise and haste to move backward, they tripped over each other and ended up tumbling into the lane together in a tangle of limbs. After a few moments of initial surprise, their laughter quickly drowned out the sound of the alarm, until Yaoyorozu produced a remote from her palm and finally turned it off.

"I never thought something like this would happen in my wildest dreams," Midoriya sighed, laying down beside her on the waxed beige wood and stroking her cheek with one thumb. "Not with you, that is."

"Oh, so you dreamed about me, hm?" She giggled and poked him playfully in the side. "That's very interesting to hear, Midoriya Izuku. I wonder just what you wrote about me in those notebooks of yours."

"N-no, not like that!" He cried frantically, his eyes wide as she continued to laugh mercilessly. "I swear, I never… no, I just meant… I always found you attractive, but… you were always just so perfect and gorgeous, and brilliant. I admired you, but I never thought I had a chance at… at something like this."

"And why wouldn't you have?" She planted another brief kiss on his lips and reached back to let down her ponytail, running her other hand along his chest.

Because I could tell you liked Todoroki, Izuku almost said, then thought better of it- it was probably best not to bring up ex-boyfriends in the midst of a moment like this.

"Well, because I was too shy back then, for one. For another, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't find you pretty intimidating. You were so smart and capable, I felt for a while like I didn't even…"

"Were smart and capable?!" She interjected with a tone of faux horror, a wry smirk playing about her lips. "How rude of you, Midoriya! And to think I was gracious enough to invite you into my home!"

Izuku started to apologize out of instinct, then gradually began to match her expression, and pulled her closer to him.

"How can I make it up to you?"

"I can think of a few ways."

They began to kiss again, even more passionately this time, and Midoriya slid his hand back under her sweater to finish what he'd been interrupted doing the first time. Bigger than Hatsume's by a sizable margin, they were just as soft as he'd imagined, and squeezing one elicited a gasp of pleasure from Momo. The whimpering sound that she made when he reached his other hand beneath her waistband and began to gently probe about with two fingers was enough to drive him halfway to insanity, and when she reciprocated by grabbing onto his groin, he couldn't help but let out a low groan to match her. To say that she was already soaking was an understatement; when Midoriya withdrew his hand, it was glistening with moisture, and she looked up at him with an embarrassed grin on her face.

"So, is that a good start?"

"I'd say so."

"So, bedroom, or…?"

"Here is fine."

"Uh, do I need to go grab a…"

A small pile of neatly wrapped condoms emerged from her palm in a flash of multicolored light before he could even finish his sentence, and Yaoyorozu chuckled.

"Don't worry, that's never a problem with me. Do please continue making it up to me, though."

"I think I can do that," Izuku replied, grabbing the waist of Momo's sweatpants and pulling them down past her feet as she fumbled hastily with his belt.

The sex itself was also vastly different from what Midoriya had grown accustomed to with Hatsume- after all, she was still the only girl he'd ever been with, up until now. To say that Mei's frenetic energy in the workshop carried over to the bedroom was an understatement; she liked it fast and aggressive, with plenty of name-calling, choking, and the like, along with the use of plenty of babies specially designed to enhance both of their experiences. Now, as he made love to Momo on one of the lanes of her parents' bowling alley, Izuku was in entirely uncharted territory in more ways than one. Just as with their kissing, he was steady and cautious at first, waiting for her to direct him. It turned out that slow and intimate was her preferred pace, if her moans of pleasure were any indication, and the revelation was a breath of fresh air.

They didn't exchange many words initially aside from softly muttered profanities, but as time passed and they switched positions more than once, shedding the rest of their clothes along the way- she created a mattress pad to compensate for the hard wooden ground- they gradually began to speak to each other amid the sweaty, passionate embrace. At first, it was a simple exchange of the usual compliments about the other's skill and physical attributes, about how good it felt and what they wanted each other to do. It soon grew past that, though, into a sort of impromptu conversation about their feelings and the future.

"I never want this night to end," Momo was saying as she positioned herself on top of him and began to steadily rock her hips back and forth. "I don't know why I never… mm. Why I never… thought about you like this before."

"I don't want it to either," Izuku gasped in response, wrapping a hand around one of her breasts and sliding the other down to the spot just above where they were thrusting into one another- she had to bite her lip to stop from crying out when he found it. "I have a meeting first thing tomorrow, but I don't think I'm gonna make it home tonight. I don't think I want to."

She laughed again, a sweet, lilting sound that he found himself liking more and more, and leaned down to kiss him again, deeply and aggressively. Midoriya couldn't help but let out a groan at the sudden shift of her hips; he wasn't far away from finishing now, but neither was she, judging from her heavy breathing and the way her red-flushed face was slowly twisting in pleasure the longer she rode him.

"My bed has more than room enough for two. I can make you a suit or whatever else you need to wear in the morning. You're staying right here in this house no matter what, for the next few hours, at least."

"I guess I still have a lot of making up to do, huh?" His voice was growing hoarse and his breath hitched; their limbs were a tangle, and their bodies felt like they were slowly becoming one.

"Yes you do, Izuku. Don't think you've won me over yet. You're going to be making this up to me… for a long… oh, fuck…"

"Momo… shit, I think…"

They both finished together, in a loud, mutual cry. For a long time afterward, they lay there together, her body draped across his, sharing the silent afterglow of the moment. She'd nearly fallen asleep when he stirred, and finally decided to ask her a question that had been nagging at him all night.

"Hey, Momo."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you really text me yesterday? Not that I don't believe you wanted to catch up, but… why now?"

Her face partially hidden beneath sweat-soaked locks of silky black hair, she remained silent, and it took Midoriya a few moments to realize that there were tears welling up in her eyes.

"Whoa, Momo, are you-" He sat up and reached out a hand to comfort her, but she was already standing by then, gathering up her clothes and moving toward the door. "I-is everything okay? Did I do something?"

"No, it's not you." She paused at the entrance to the hallway, her back to him; he could hear her sniffling. "It's me. I wasn't supposed to… god, Izuku, I'm so selfish. I thought I… I thought I could…"

"What are you talking about?" He rose to his feet and took a step towards her, but she held out a hand, and he stopped in his tracks. Is this about Todoroki? Does she feel guilty about moving on? His mind was racing with possible explanations, but nothing seemed to fit how suddenly this had come on.

"It's nothing you need to worry about. Like I said, it's not your fault. I… I'm just an awful friend, that's all you need to know."

"No you're not! Whatever it is, I'm sure we can talk through it, I-"

"It's not that simple. I just… I need some time alone, to think about things." She sounded calmer now, but her tone was one of resignation- she'd already made up her mind. "I'm sorry the night had to end like this, Izuku. I promise, I really did enjoy myself. I hate acting this way without a proper explanation, but…" She sighed, and cradled her head in one hand. "There's a guest bedroom I can show you to if you'd like."

"…Okay. If you're sure that it's alright for me to sleep here. And that there's nothing else I can do to help."

"Of course it is. And I'm afraid not. This is something I have to deal with on my own. Come on, this way."

His clothes bundled in one arm, Midoriya followed Yaoyorozu down the hallway and into the bedroom, where she left him after a few more brief words of parting. As much as he tried, though, he couldn't force himself to fall asleep that night- his thoughts were a ceaseless jumble of guilt, confusion, and despair, too loud and persistent to allow any hint of rest.

He left quietly at 6:00AM, without so much as a sound. As he strode across the dewy morning grass, the towering mansion slowly faded behind him into a haze of mist until it couldn't be seen at all, and it for a brief moment, Izuku wondered again whether it really all had been a dream. Part of him hoped it was, because the reality was much more worrying.

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Thus concludes the Momo chapter! This one ended up being a lot longer than I intended initially, but I hope you enjoyed her chemistry and interactions with Izuku! Also, just in case it wasn't clear enough, the waitress was Toga in disguise, but thankfully her plans were foiled due to Deku's sheer awkwardness. I'm not sure yet if all the chapters will be this length, or whether there will ever be sequels to some of these dates- that'll be determined at a later date as the story evolves. I hate to have to end Momo and Deku's date like this, but it seems appropriate for her to feel guilty about betraying Ochako by catching a case of the feels. Let me know what you think in the reviews, and who should go next!