Dragon Rider
Chapter 7: Commitments
A/N:
Welcome to Midoriya Izuku Dragon Rider! This story was originally on AO3, and as the original author I felt I should add it here so I could listen to it with text to speech. This story had some technical issues in the transition from AO3 to , but they're being fixed now, and most likely already are if you're reading this A/N. I do have a patrat, where you can support me and my work. I use the same name on AO3, here, and patrat, so look me up at /Tireddiver, if you'd like to support. There are no extra chapters or anything, cause I don't want to hold the work hostage or anything, it's just so you can support me as an artist.
Italics- thoughts
Bold- the ancient language
Bold Italics? - thoughts in the ancient language
==Dragon Rider==
Momo knew it was silly to be as nervous as she was. All Might had never been one of the stricter professors. All the same, she found herself with a ball of nerves tightening in her stomach as she approached his office. She'd never been here before. She'd considered coming to his office hours, but they hadn't covered anything that she really struggled with yet in Foundational Hero Studies.
Classes were due to resume tomorrow, and All Might had wanted to meet before then. She'd only been back on campus long enough to drop her things off in her room before making her way here to the main building.
Momo found herself hesitating outside his door. It was plain, with not even his name attached to it. With a shake of her head, she reminded herself that she had an appointment to keep and that tardiness was unacceptable. Screwing up her courage she knocked.
"Come in young Yaoyorozu!" All Might called boisterously from the other side of the door.
Momo proceeded inside and then found herself blinking in surprise. The room was the same as any office, with little in the way of furniture besides a desk, chairs, and some bookshelves. What made her pause was that every available inch of wall space was covered with motivational posters, all of which stared All Might himself.
"I find they help me remain focused," All Might chuckled, and Momo blushed at being caught staring. She turned her attention to the hero, noticing he was in his hero costume as he gestured to one of the seats in front of him. "Why don't you take a seat?"
Momo nodded and quickly sat in one of the seats in front of his desk. Despite her embarrassment she refused to shrink into herself and remained poised in her posture.
"Soda?" All Might asked as he pulled two cans of Coke from a mini fridge behind the desk, putting one in front of Momo without waiting for his answer.
"Thank you," Momo nodded, quickly popping the tab and taking a sip of the bubbly drink. She really preferred tea, but the soda worked better for her quirk, so she drank her fair share.
"Not at all," All Might laughed, thankfully it was softer than his usual laugh which would probably have hurt her ears within the small office. "Now, I wanted to talk to you about Hosu."
"Yes, sir," Momo said as she gave a stiff nod. The police had agreed that she acted within the proper bounds of her authority, but it was still a little too close to vigilantism for everyone's taste.
"You did a wonderful job standing up to that villain," All Might complimented, causing Momo to blink in surprise. "But I must know, what was going through your head?"
"My thought process?" Momo asked, making sure she understood.
"Yes," All Might nodded.
"Not much of anything," Momo confessed with a slight blush as she remembered how she had heard the voice of Izuku in the heat of battle. "It was mostly instinct."
"That's exactly what I expected," All Might nodded, his smile somehow growing serious without losing any of its sincerity. "You see young Yaoyorozu, it has long been said that the greatest of heroes are those who found themselves acting before their mind has had a chance to process what is happening, whose bodies move without thought, and I have been looking for a young hero just like that."
"Why?" Momo asked as she felt her brow furrow. Was that why he had come to UA?
"You see I have a secret young Yaoyorozu," All Might confessed. "One that only a handful of people know, and I ask that what I am about to show and tell you to remain between us. Do I have your word?"
"Of course, sir," Momo nodded instantly.
"No hesitation," All Might chuckled. "I like that!"
"You see young Yaoyorozu," All Might continued, his voice softer. "I am growing older."
"That's true," Momo nodded, her brow furrowing at the thought.
"I was injured many years ago, and that injury is weighing on my mind these days."
"An injury?" Someone had injured All Might?
"And so, I have begun the search for a successor," All Might told her, not acknowledging her question. "Someone who will carry the mantle of the symbol of peace when I am gone and continue to tell the people that everything is fine, because they will be there."
"But you're the strongest man alive," Momo denied as she shook her head. "Even if someone took on the mantle no one could do all that you do."
"I may have thought similarly once," All Might chuckled bitterly. "But the world is full of those who surprise us, and there is always someone stronger."
"But even still, why tell me all this?" Momo asked as she continued to try and wrap her mind around this conversation and the thought of someone strong enough to actually hurt All Might. "My quirk may be powerful, but it's nothing compared to yours."
"Don't sell yourself short young Yaoyorozu," All Might told her with a shake of her head. "Your quirk is one of the most powerful I have ever seen, and its versatility alone makes you one of the most dangerous people I know."
Momo felt her face heat with blush at his words.
"But there is a second meaning to being my successor," All Might continued. "You see, this amazing quirk of mine, it was not originally mine, but passed to me by my teacher."
"Passed?" Momo repeated.
"Yes," All Might nodded. "A sacred torch passed from one generation to the next, to be used to help light the path of justice and fight against darkness. The sacred gift of One for All."
"One for All," Momo repeated again, feeling more and more dazed at the idea. A quirk, All Might's quirk at that, capable of being passed from one person to another.
"And I want you to be the next bearer of this awesome power," All Might finished.
"Why me?" Momo asked.
"Because I see the good heart and heroic spirit you possess," All Might told her. "If One for All is to continue to do good, then it must be wielded by someone who possesses these qualities in spades. Someone like you."
"But what about the others?" Momo pushed as her heart pounded in her chest. "There's a whole school of hero hopefuls. I can't really be better than all of them!"
Despite her clearly growing apprehension, All Might chuckled, and Momo felt her insides twist in embarrassment. "Who's to say?" All Might shrugged with a rise of his shoulders. "There are others who might be worthy, but you are the one to prove to me that they are. It is to you that I am offering this awesome power and responsibility."
"Can-can I think about it?" Momo asked, she still felt far away. Making a decision now was a recipe for disaster.
"Of course," All Might agreed with a kind smile. "But don't take too long."
==Dragon Rider==
Momo wandered through the school, still processing everything. It was just too much. How was she supposed to make a decision? This would change everything. How could she bear such an overwhelming burden? How could she stomach passing it off to someone else?
The familiar sound of steel on steel drew her out of her thoughts. She had managed to make her way to the training rooms and from the sound of it, someone was already inside.
She poked her head in and felt a small smile when she saw Izuku was inside, spinning as he danced around a practice robot with his green sword swinging. She hadn't gotten to see too much of the blade, what with the sport's festival and internships. Izuku wielded it beautifully.
With a light leap and one last flick of his blade, Izuku sent the head of the robot he was sparing flying through the air. He landed gracefully on his feet as he sheathed the blade.
"Hello Momo," Izuku greeted as he turned, apparently having already noticed her presence.
"Hello Izuku," Momo returned as she steppe more fully into the room. The room was kept fairly cool so as to be more comfortable for activity, but in her casual clothes for the early summer heat, it was a tad chilly.
"Have you come to practice?" Izuku asked.
"No," Momo shook her head. "I was lost in thought."
"I see," Izuku nodded. "Perhaps training would help. I often find a break and some activity can help clear the mind. Or if you prefer, we could go get tea and speak of whatever it is that is weighing upon you."
Momo considered it for a moment, grateful for Izuku and his friendship giving her someone she could count on, even if she couldn't actually tell him what it was that was bothering her.
"Training," Momo decided. She'd have preferred tea, but it would have been awkward given that she'd have to dance around the subject. She created some workout clothes. "Let me just go get changed."
Ten minutes later and with a newly created sword in her hand she found herself standing opposite an equally armed Izuku. The two of them slowly circled each other. Each matched every step of the other in perfect sync.
Momo knew better than to let him get the first move. His speed was too great for her to match, but she could trick him into matching her rhythm by setting the pace.
Momo lunged forward, her sword going straight towards Izuku's stomach, but her sword was swiftly swatted away. She blocked his counterattack, his strength causing the blow to jar her arms harshly.
Needing to let her arms regain feeling Momo sent a kick at Izuku's chest that forced him to disengage and hop backward. Momo tensed and untensed her arms as she tried to force the blood to flow faster.
The two of them quickly fell back into their pattern of circles.
"So, what was it that had you so introspective?" Izuku asked.
"You're trying to distract me," Momo deflected.
"Not particularly," Izuku denied with a shake of his head. Momo lunged forward again, this time going for a downward slash at his shoulder that he caught with his blade. "Though if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to."
Momo was about to answer when she caught a kick to the stomach that sent her back on her ass. She rolled into a backward summersault and flipped herself back onto her feet. The motion made the battered muscles scream, but she fought through it.
Momo was panting as she glared at Izuku, who watched her with fierce eyes. She was very used to those eyes being calm oceans of emerald green, but this wasn't the first time she had seen the fierce battle focus that they now held.
Momo rushed forward and when her swipe was caught, she learned from her previous mistake and continued to push the attack. With each strike, Momo took a step forward and Izuku took one back as he caught or deflected her attack. Momo's breaths were getting shorter and shorter as she pushed herself, but Izuku remained infuriatingly steady throughout her onslaught.
Momo disengaged and leaped backward and out of his reach. Izuku let her go without pursuing her. She let her eyes sweep over him, looking for anything that could give her an advantage. He stood there looking the part of the elven warrior she knew he practically was as he carefully watched her back.
She couldn't beat him like this. He was stronger, faster, and had better stamina. She needed a flaw to exploit, and at this point, she needed to make one.
"Do you ever worry about if Jade made the wrong choice?"
Izuku blinked, but his guard never lowered. "Once," Izuku nodded. "But I trust Jade with my life. I will trust in his choices."
Momo's brow furrowed. She had asked a random question, the first one to pop into her head, but even still she'd not only managed to ask a rude question, but one that's answer had her thinking back on All Might's offer.
Could she put that same level of trust into All Might? He was the number one hero, but even still Momo knew that she didn't. He was desperate and probably dying, his vision was clouded.
Momo was ripped from her thoughts as Izuku lunged forward. She caught his blade with her own, the two sliding against each other and sending sparks into the air until their guards knocked together and Momo and Izuku found themselves practically chest to chest, only their swords between them.
"All Might offered it to you," Izuku whispered, his hot breath splashing across her face as his words barely reached her.
Momo froze as she processed his words. Did he know?
"H-how?" she whispered back.
Izuku spun around her, the flat of his blade slapping against the back of her leg and sending her down to one knee. His strong hand grabbed her shoulder and held her up as she felt the blade come to rest against her throat.
"I would trust you with my life Momo," Izuku told her softly, speaking directly against her ear and sending goosebumps down her arms.
Momo felt her breath hitch at his words.
Then the blade was gone and Izuku had taken a step back. Slowly Momo stood back up and held her sword back in front of her.
She did her best to calm her rapid heart and her racing thoughts.
"He offered it to you," Momo realized aloud.
Izuku only nodded as they began their circular dance once again.
"You turned it down?" Momo asked, already having realized he must have, but not knowing why.
"There are things you don't know about me," Izuku's voice was soft as he said it, but his words still sent a jolt through her.
It was obvious in a way; they had only known each other for a handful of weeks at this point. They were friends. He may well have been the best friend she could remember having. It was jarring to think he had kept something hidden. And it hurt. Illogical as it was, it hurt to know.
Momo rushed forward, heat burning through her blood. She took a swipe at his head, but as he raised his sword to catch it she dropped low and swiped instead at his ankles.
Izuku leapt over her blade, but she dropped her sword and didn't stop her forward momentum, colliding into him as he was still in the air. She didn't pause as they fell, scrambling and hurriedly putting him in an arm bar.
She panted as they lay on the padded floor, holding his lithe arm firmly against her body as her legs pushed down on his chest.
Izuku blinked in surprise as he took in their positions. "I don't know if you can break my arm or not," he pointed out.
"Do you really want to test it?" Momo asked through gritted teeth as she felt him flex against her hold.
"No," Izuku confessed with a shake of his head. "I suppose that's your point then."
Momo released him and the two of them got up off the ground. Having vented her frustration, she was a bit upset with herself for having reacted so strongly, but there was little that could be done about it.
"Will you tell me?" she asked as she held herself up proudly.
Izuku looked at her with a piercing gaze. He brought his sword back up into a ready position and the two began to circle once again. He seemed to be considering it, and she was fine with waiting for him to come to a decision.
"My bond with Jade makes me ageless," he told her.
Momo's feet froze and she blinked as her mind processed. Ageless. A fantasy term, but one she knew. Not immortal. Ageless. He would never age. The world would pass around him, and he would continue on, unchanging unless he fell to illness or battle.
Momo's mind was racing. She was full of so many questions. Was he really only 18 or did he only look 18? He must have been, Bakugo had known him from their youths. Would he age anymore or look this young forevermore? If he did, when would he stop? Would he try and separate himself from everyone? Would he try and separate himself from her? Was he already holding himself back?
Momo's emotions were everywhere. A knot tighter than almost anything she had felt before twisted at her insides as she rushed forward almost in desperation, unsure of what she was about to do.
The sound of steel meeting steel rang out as their blades met. Their blades pressing against each other, Momo took a step forward, staring straight into Izuku's emerald eyes. Just seeing the look of resignation hidden within beneath the combat focus settled her resolve.
"I don't care," she told him.
"What?" Izuku gasped.
Momo was already moving. She let her blade slide past Izuku's, ducking beneath his sword as it was freed from the force stopping it. She spun directly into another swipe, aiming at his hip, and expecting for him to meet her blade with his own.
Instead, she found him within her guard, his long fingers wrapping around the wrist of her sword arm. He held her arm out, fully extended, and stepped in closer.
"What?" he asked again.
"I don't care," she repeated, but the fight wasn't over.
She cocked back her free hand and punched at his face, only for him to catch her hand and hold this one out as well, forcing them chest to chest.
"But- "
She cut off whatever he was going to say by harshly bringing her knee up. It was a dirty move, but it felt less mean than breaking his nose with a headbutt.
It didn't matter anyways, he swatted her knee away with his own, sending her foot flying off to the side. She tried to correct it and reclaim sure footing, but he pushed his advantage and they tumbled to the padded floor beneath them where he quickly held her legs down, pressing his knees into her thighs.
"How can you not care?" Izuku asked as his face hovered just centimeters above her own.
"Because I know you," she told him.
Despite what secrets he may still be holding; she was sure of that. Izuku was the person who she had shared tea with after long nights. He was the person who had helped her pull herself out of her own worries. He was the person she had been falling for from the first time she met him on that rooftop.
She didn't let him say another word. She leaned forward and met his lips with her own. They were soft and warm, tasting of a mix of some fruit and the sweat that drenched them both. The gentle kiss deepened as Izuku, who had frozen in shock, melted against her, his body pressing down and fitting against her.
When the kiss broke, they were both panting for breath. Izuku rested his forehead against hers with closed eyes and Momo couldn't help but smile. This was exactly like one of her novels.
"I still don't know if this is wise," Izuku whispered, his breath splashing against her face and sending a shiver down her spine.
"Shut up and kiss me," Momo whispered back, and she felt a thrill when he listened.
==Dragon Rider==
You've been awfully quiet, Izuku thought.
He'd been dealing with the smug satisfaction wafting off Jade's very presence ever since what happened in the gym.
I assumed you wanted some privacy, Jade returned, the falsely innocent tone ruined by the previously mentioned smugness only growing.
What are you even doing? Izuku asked, changing the subject and not even caring that he wasn't being subtle.
Nothing, Jade chuckled.
Izuku knew that he was sunning himself on the green, but he could sense something else happening. Jade could smell a group of people. He could hear them speaking in whispered murmurs amongst themselves. Then one broke off and began slowly approaching. Izuku watched curiously as Jade let them approach. Then, as they drew close to his head, he opened a single eye and stared at the now frozen blond girl that stood before him.
With a startled squeak, the girl fell backward and rapidly backed away.
Izuku rolled his eyes as Jade chuckled to himself and went back to this nap.
Izuku walked into the common area of the dorm and found Momo sitting at the table with a cup of tea for each of them. He couldn't help but smile at that. Despite all of his worries, he still felt a spike of joy as he thought about Momo and their new relationship. Which he supposed they still needed to work out the details of.
Taking his seat and giving Momo a smile, he took a sip of his tea.
"Have you decided yet?" Izuku asked her.
"Yes," Momo nodded. "I would like for us to proceed through the standard relationship steps, meaning that we would now be boyfriend and girlfriend."
Izuku huffed through his nose.
"Oh," Momo blinked. "Are there other terms you'd prefer? I really would prefer the commitment those terms imply though."
"That's fine," Izuku nodded. "It just isn't what I was asking about."
"Oh," Momo blushed. "You meant about the other thing."
"Yes," Izuku chuckled.
"What do you think I should do?" Momo asked.
"It doesn't really matter," Izuku shook his head. "This decision is yours."
"But I trust you and would appreciate your perspective," Momo pushed.
Izuku couldn't help but sigh. "I think you should take it," he told her.
"Really?" Momo asked in surprise. "But you didn't."
Izuku smiled at that. "You aren't me," he pointed out. "And the main reason I couldn't take it is that I do not trust myself with that kind of power. But as I said, I trust you with my life. I have no doubt that you would use that power for good and not abuse it."
Momo thought on his words and then nodded to herself. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll tell All Might then."
"Good," Izuku smiled.
The two of them sat in silence for a minute, enjoying their tea and the other's company in the quiet common area. They were the only ones in there at the moment, the others off enjoying their last day before classes resumed.
"So," Momo broke the silence. "Ageless."
"Yes," Izuku confirmed with a small nod, trying to keep his voice steady. "And you're sure you're okay with that? Okay with being with me, knowing that we will never grow old together?"
"G-growing old together?" Momo asked as her face flushed a deep scarlet. Izuku smiled at her reaction but waited for her to calm and regather herself. When she finally answered, she still sounded flustered. "I-I think you're getting ahead of yourself Izuku."
Izuku felt his eyebrows knit together. "It's something you should consider," he pointed out. "If it's a deal-breaker, better to end things now."
"No!" Momo answered fiercely. Izuku blinked at her in surprise, seeing her practically glaring at him. "I'm not letting you get away that easy."
"Besides," she continued, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "I think I'm getting the better end of this deal. After all, I'll be the one with the eternally beautiful man."
"Beautiful?" Izuku repeated softly.
Momo's blush returned, though not as fiercely as before. "Yes," Momo nodded before she took another sip of tea to hide her smirk.
