AN: I wanted to write a spooky one-shot for Halloween, but uh, this isn't it. Anyway, enjoy some canon-compliant fluff? We all know those kids are going to be emotionally wrecked after the final battle.
Setting is post-final-battle, alludes to a few minor spoilers for the Paranormal Liberation War Arc and the Final Battle Arc.
Feedback welcome.
Let Me Be Your Hero
XX
All for One was finally, truly gone. The damage he left behind was another story.
The weeks immediately after the fight against Shigaraki, All for One, and the League of Villains were intense. Not fighting intense, but disaster response intense. There had been no time to really address the state of things since the Jaku Hospital incident and the panic that immediately followed. People had been displaced, lives upended, casualties and collateral damage, and now that the biggest threat was no more, the heroes found they were needed to help pick up the pieces.
And the students of U.A. found themselves needed just as much as the remaining Pro's.
The schools continued to operate as shelters for those whose homes had been damaged, but the defenses and hardware used to secure them started being repurposed to rebuild the damaged parts of the city.
The students of U.A. mostly moved back to their homes to be with family, assuming it was safe to do so. However, that hardly meant they were not working. Aizawa-sensei had indicated that U.A would not be reopening as a school anytime soon, but that the principal was doing his best to figure out a strategic course that would give them credits for their roles in all of this, so that what was left was merely academic.
It was the last thing on any of the students' minds.
Midoriya Izuku smiled as his mother hugged him. "Are you sure you want to go back out? You just got home…"
The young hero nodded, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face. "Yeah, I mean, I said I was going to drop off some supplies at the local shelter, but I smelled so bad after all the work today that I thought the least I could do was come home and shower first…"
Inko smiled, reaching up to smooth his hair which still magically failed to stay down even while damp. "I doubt anyone would have faulted you for showing up a little stinky, sweetie."
The boy blushed, looking down at the floor. "Well, you know, after not bathing for a few weeks while on the run, I kind of want to make sure no one thinks that's a habit…"
Despite the joke, the words still stung for his mother to hear, and Izuku immediately regretted it when he saw the pang of sadness on her face. "Ah, sorry! Bad joke!"
Inko wiped at the tears threatening to fall. "No…it's okay. I'm okay. Just… I'm glad you are taking care of yourself."
Izuku gave her a wobbly smile. Right.
XX
A short trip later and the Successor of One for All was walking back from the drop-off point, feeling as accomplished as he could for the day. Some part of him, that was fueled by a terrible combination of benevolence and guilt, insisted he needed to do more. The sun wasn't fully set, there was still so much damage to address… He shoved those thoughts aside, repeating the mantra the teachers at U.A. had made him (and others) agree to.
'I will take care of myself, so I can make sure I can take care of others.'
They literally made him promise and swear his license on it and it was enough that it was keeping him in check, albeit barely.
He was eating. He was sleeping. He was not working more than…roughly twelve hours a day.
He also wasn't talking about the nightmares, the tremors, and the cold sweats, either.
So caught up in his thoughts, he realized he hadn't been paying attention to where he was walking. He stopped, looking around to get his bearings on his location, then did a double-take as he saw a familiar hero costume walk into the small grocery store in front of him.
His brow furrowed, watching Uraraka Ochako, or rather, Uravity, walk inside, stopping to pick up a handbasket. She must have been stopping to get dinner ingredients on her way home.
He paused. 'On her way home…'
Uraraka lived by herself, and he felt a sharp twinge of guilt strike him. The school had been insistent on everyone going home so they could have the support of family through all of this. She didn't have that luxury. Her parents lived far away, right? And of course she wouldn't go back home when there was Hero work to be done…
And now that he thought about it, when he saw her last (which was admittedly a few days ago) she had seemed withdrawn more than he had expected. They communicated by text regularly, but there was no way he could read through texts how she was really feeling.
Frowning, he made up his mind and trotted towards the entrance of the store.
He found her quickly enough, perusing the produce, and doing his best to not sneak up on her, he cleared his throat. "Uraraka-san?"
She jumped, despite his best efforts, wide brown eyes looking up–and he swallowed, because the redness of her eyes looked like she might have been crying earlier. After a moment of confusion, her surprise melted into a soft, weary smile. "Deku-kun!"
"Hey… sorry, I saw you walk in and wanted to say hi. Are you just finishing up for the day?"
"Oh… yes. It was a long day of moving rubble and lifting support beams, but we managed to get the whole block done. Now I'm just…" She paused, gesturing to her basket, "About to go home and make dinner."
The way she said it though, it made a chill run through him. There was an obvious sadness to it, like she did not want to be home alone. And he also knew she would hide it, because she was kind of like him, and "-want some company?"
They both froze, her in surprise at his offer, and him surprised he'd actually said it. He swallowed. "I-I mean. Y-you don't need to feed me. Just t-thought, we hadn't seen each other in a while, and you're living by yourself right? Maybe having a friend over would…"
"...I'd like that." He almost missed it, it was so soft. She glanced down, a hint of a smile on her lips. "If it's… if you really don't mind, that would be huge for me. I'll feed you, if you don't mind dinner being simple."
He lit up, a soft smile touching his features. "Yeah, but let me help out. We can make it a team-building project. How about that? We can convince Principal Nezu that it should be part of our credits."
That got an honest laugh out of her, and to him, it was a beautiful melody.
XX
"Hey, mom. I'm sorry, I won't be home for dinner. Don't worry–I'm fine! Just… I have a friend who I think needs a little support right now."
He checked his phone again once they got inside her apartment to make sure she saw his message and smiled at the warm reply.
"Are you sure your mom's okay?"
He looked up as Uraraka placed the vegetables on the counter, and hurried to finish removing his shoes so he could help. "Oh, yeah, she said it's fine!" 'And told me to make sure you got all the support you needed…' Too bad he wasn't exactly sure what that entailed.
He quickly crossed the small apartment, stopping to hover just outside of the kitchen area. The apartment was tiny and sparse, but he paid it little mind as he shifted almost impatiently behind her. He didn't like not being helpful. "What can I do?"
She gave him a tired smile. "Chop some vegetables?"
They talked as they worked, Izuku cutting methodically, while Uraraka took care of the rice. Both caught each other up on the work they were doing, highlighting the feel-good moments, and skirted around the sad parts. The kitchen space was small, and they had to make use of their actual teamwork communication skills to avoid bumping into each other. It turned out to be closer to a real school project than either of them expected. It got a few awkward chuckles out of each of them when accidental elbows met ribs and the like.
Once they sat down to eat, Uraraka apologized for her cooking, to which Izuku took a bite and gave her a funny look, saying it was just fine. They otherwise ate in silence, both seeming to lose themselves in thought.
What she probably didn't realize was that his thoughts were around her. It bothered him that he wasn't sure what more he could do to help. He'd managed to get a few smiles out of her, but he knew that paled to whatever was going on in her heart. And he was certain he had a few ideas, given how he felt when no one was looking.
She looked tired. Pale. Sad. He hated it, and the moment she put her chopsticks down, he stood up and swooped around to grab her dishes, ignoring her embarrassed protest.
"Teamwork project," Izuku cheerfully called, walking to the sink.
"How is this teamwork?" She asked, a hint of exasperation leaking through. It made him grin, because that was a hint of her usual energy that had been missing, and he looked up over at her cheerfully as he turned on the hot water. "I clean, and you're gonna go clean up. You're still in your hero costume."
She paused, glancing down, before her cheeks darkened just a little. She had completely forgotten… "Why didn't you tell me before now?"
"Hey, this isn't my fault!" Izuku squeaked, ducking his head. "I just thought you were really hungry and wanted to eat first!"
He was pretty sure he caught her smiling as she stalked off down the hall.
XX
When she came back out, he had finished the dishes and was sitting on the sofa, going through messages on his phone. He looked up, smiling at her as she approached in loose cotton pants and a t-shirt. She must have held a record for speed showering, because he only heard the water run for a few minutes.
She plopped down beside him, a polite distance away as she reached for a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She held it tightly to herself in a false embrace. "You don't have to stay longer…"
Locking his phone screen, he looked up at her with wide, earnest eyes. "I want to, if you do."
She tucked her legs up under her and turned to him. "I do. It's… nice… to have someone here for a little bit."
Warning alarms went off in his head as he saw a tear gather and fall down her cheek. "Ah!" He turned to face her, holding up his hands. "Ura–"
She shook her head, reaching up to wipe at her face. "It's fine. I'm just… I'm happy you're here, Deku-kun. And then I feel… I feel guilty for being happy, for taking from you, because you already give so much." The tears were falling now, and Izuku's lips parted in despair at seeing one of his best friends start to unravel. "I just… I don't want to be selfish, but these few weeks have been so hard, and you're the Hero I look up to the most, and…"
He sucked in a breath, expression frozen at her words. He felt his throat tighten, eyes starting to burn because he was trying very hard to not cry, himself. This wasn't about him! She shook her head, wiping again at her face. "I'm sorry; I'm sorry. This isn't what I–"
"U-Uraraka-san," He interrupted, lips trembling as he tried to smile. She looked up, and he thought he might get lost in the open vulnerability she was displaying. Swallowing the knot in his throat, his voice came out a near whisper. "May I hug you?"
It was… possibly the bravest thing he had ever done, at least on the Deku Bravery Scale. Fight villains? Just another Tuesday. Save the World? Slightly anxiety inducing, but he could power through it. Ask a girl if he could hug her? He was pretty sure he was going to go into cardiac arrest.
He was also pretty sure the only reason the offer slipped out of his mouth was because she was trembling and crying in front of him, trying her best to hold it together, as they all were but she had been doing it alone, and–
"Oof!" He grunted as she threw herself into his chest, his eyes wide as he found himself looking up at the ceiling as he tipped backwards, his back hitting the cushion propped up against the armrest. He could feel her shake as she buried her face against his shoulder, fingers curling into the fabric of his hoodie. Slowly, hesitantly, his arms came up and circled around her shoulders, and he pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head.
It had been for her, but the moment he pulled her close, he felt the weight of the world crash down on him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, teeth clenching together as his own tears began to fall.
They cried together, desperately clinging to each other. Her body wracked with sobs, and his face red with ugly tears running down into her damp hair. Neither cared how they looked to the other in that moment, both pouring out all the built up sadness, anxiety, and despair they felt. Everything was too much. It all hurt, but this moment was a cathartic release, and he was happy to give her this space to unfold, as much as he was happy she was not judging him for falling apart with her.
He wasn't sure if it was minutes or hours when they both finally calmed down. He became aware that he was staring at a crack on her ceiling, fingers running up and down her back in a soothing manner, imitating what his mother would do for him when he was younger. He'd drawn up one leg, propped in a way that let him cradle her to him, and had it been any other situation he was certain he'd be red from his face down to his toes.
Her breathing had slowed, now accompanied by an occasional hiccup or sniffle. Finally, she lifted her head and looked up at him. They both had puffy, red eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, and quivering lips. She spoke first.
"I'm sorry… I kind of got your hoodie gross…"
He glanced down at the wet spot on the fabric before looking back up at her. Swallowing, he weakly replied, "I kinda got your hair gross."
She gave a half-sob, half-laugh, to which he echoed with a wobbly giggle. Slowly, she pushed herself up, and he let his hands drop down from her back, holding them suspended at his sides like he wasn't quite sure what to do with them.
She smiled down at him, then looked down to realize she was being cradled between his legs. He became acutely aware at the same moment, a flush erupting from his neck all the way to his hair as he watched her face turn pink. Izuku squeaked, "Ur-Uraraka-san, I am so s-sorry!"
She shook her head rapidly, scrambling off of him. "N-no, this is my fault! I'm the one that threw myself onto you–oh, I-I-I mean not like that, just…um. I'm going to go clean up my face!" She hopped off of him and rushed off to her bathroom, leaving the blanket fluttering down on his legs.
He watched her go before burying his face in his arms, trying to melt himself into the sofa.
XX
Ochako stared at herself in the mirror of her bathroom, trying to pull herself together in more ways than one. She was not too embarrassed that she broke down crying, largely because she realized during all of it he had, too. However, she still hadn't meant to just tackle him like that. Not exactly how she wanted their first hug to go.
She paused at that, hanging the wet cloth on a hook after she finished cleaning her face. They had hugged. A desperate, needy, comforting hug born under the pain and stress of everything, but they had hugged.
He had initiated it.
Laughing a little at the irony, she walked out of the bathroom.
He was still on the sofa when she got back, though it looked like he had cleaned himself up in the kitchen while she was gone. He smiled softly at her, cheeks still a little pink. "Hey…"
She smiled back, and it felt a little less forced this time. "Hey…"
Crossing the small distance, she plopped back down beside him on the sofa but blinked when she felt the blanket drape across her legs. Looking over, she saw him pull his hands back and glance at her shyly. Now able to think past all the negative feelings she had been suppressing for days on end, she remembered just how beautiful this boy was, inside and out.
"Hey, Deku-kun?"
He made a questioning noise and looked at her, green eyes watching her softly. She smiled in response, and he stiffened as her fingers wrapped around his hand, gently squeezing. "Thank you. Once again, you're my Hero."
He sucked in a shaky breath, eyes glimmering in the low light. "Uraraka-san…I could say the same for you. So many times, you've been the Hero I needed. This is the least I could…" His eyes crossed as she pressed a finger to his lips, hushing him.
"You stop that."
He squeaked, still staring down at her finger. She pulled back, continuing. "I think…tonight. We both needed support. From our Heroes."
He lifted his eyes back up to her, and she was certain she could get lost in that sincere intensity. But she continued. "Deku-kun, I think you're amazing. And you shrug it off. And before you say anything, I know you think I'm amazing, too. And …and maybe I shrug it off, too." She glanced away briefly, awkwardly. "But, that's not my point right now. My point is…we can both be each other's hero. At the same time. It's allowed. Don't think I don't know you're not giving yourself the care you need. You've been like this since the entrance exam."
His lips pulled into a nervous smile, but he didn't deny it.
"So…" She said, slowly. "Let me be your Hero, too."
He looked up at her, brows gently dipping in confusion. Wrinkling her nose, she gave him one of her best smiles. "Deku-kun. Can I hug you?"
Confusion melted away into embarrassment, before it was replaced with a warmth that made her heart swell. A smile tugged at his lips, and shyly, he held out his arms.
He laughed as she tackled him again, but this time the tears that followed were different.
