Want It Here (An Earth 2018.14512 story by Mugiwara N0 Luffy)


Sparks flew as a torch welded metal. Peni stared at her latest contraption with deep concentration, absently grabbing a handful of chips and shoveling it into her mouth. Sunflower blasted in the background, keeping out any unwanted noise. It was a good distraction from the onslaught of thoughts that had been raging through her mind of late. Putting all of her mind into a piece of tech was the best that she could do to escape it all.

"Harry, lift it up, please?" Peni said, pushing her work goggles up and looking at the SP/der mech. The robot gave her a thumbs up, lifting her latest invention into the light. Peni's eyes narrowed, inspecting the quality before grinning.

"Okay, I think that's just about done! Now…" The moment Peni said that, stray thoughts of a green haired boy immediately entered her mind. Red dusted her cheeks and she immediately began to sweat. "A-Actually, I think there could be room for improvement! Lower it back down, Harry!"

The mech's emoted face flashed into a deadpan expression, staring at Peni for a moment.

"Wh-What? Don't give me that look! I-It can be improved!" Peni said defensively. The mech's emoted face changed to a rolling eyed expression before obeying Peni, lowering it for her to look at.

"Maybe since she has horns, I could add, like… horns or claws to it?" Peni thought aloud, clearing her throat as she tried to retreat back into work mode.

"Coming in~!"

Peni hesitated, looking away from her latest tech at the lab door. Mina Ashido skipped inside, arms raised up with a cheery smile. "Where's my favorite spider girl at?"

"Hey, Mina! Over here!" Peni called out, greeting the pink skinned girl with a smile as she raised a remote and turned the music off. "I have something for you!"

"Really?! Sweet! Let me-" Mina walked over before stopping in place, eyes turning to plates. "Wh-What is all that?!"

"Huh? What?" Peni asked innocently.

"Don't 'what' me, girl! I'm talking about all that!" Mina exclaimed, motioning with her hands. Peni peeked past the SP/der mech, looking at a pile of tech that was almost as tall as it now. Peni felt sweat trail down her forehead, giving a hesitant laugh.

"O-Oh, all that? Pssh, it's nothing. Those are all Mei-chan's inventions!"

The SP/der mech's emoted face deadpanned again, shaking its body in denial.

"Don't even try that, Peni. I know you and Hatsume keep your junk in different piles," Mina smirked, jerking a thumb to the other side of the lab. At the left corner, a huge pile next to a workstation was identified by a small sign that said 'Mei's latest babies! 3'.

Peni's lips became a thin line, unable to think of a good excuse before breathing out. "Okay, yes, they're all mine. Happy? But forget about that! Look at this!"

Mina approached Peni in question, the shorter girl reaching up and taking her latest project from the mech and holding them out toward Mina. "Tada! I give you the newest in the lineup of acid shooters!"

They were fairly simple in design, two metal wristbands with an extra compartment of glass to contain the liquid. "Now, you'll be able to store your acid up into a decent quantity with these and shoot them out with pinpoint accuracy of up to fifteen meters!"

"Ooh~! Fancy!" Mina said with a giddy grin, taking the armbands and fastening them to her forearms. She put on a comical serious face as she aimed forward, eyes narrowed.

"They're able to reduce their size into regular wristbands with a flip of a switch! That way, in case you need to take things up close and personal, they won't get in your way!" Peni demonstrated her point by flicking a small switch just above the wrist, the shooters reducing to metal bands.

"Oh, that's so cool! Thanks, Peni!" Mina said, grinning at her tech savvy friend. She spared a look down at the gauntlets again before blinking. "Though… your color scheme is off. This wouldn't really go with my hero suit, you know?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Peni said as Mina handed them over.

"Well, you know I like a certain aqua and pink leopard pattern. But you made them bone white and green. Kinda like…" Mina trailed off, a metaphorical light bulb turning on in her head. A sly grin slowly spread across her face, one that sent chills down Peni's spine as she anticipated the pink girl's next words. "Kinda like Midoriya's costume…"

"Wh-Wha~t?! No! That is completely… utterlly…" Peni looked down at the gauntlets, hoping to deny the idea. Inspecting the shades of paint, she paled as she realized that the color scheme was much like the green haired teen's costume of choice.

"Th-They're not!" She exclaimed, turning back to her pile and tossing the gauntlets into it.

"Hey, I still want them!" Mina cried out in worry.

"They're fine. Made them with a strong titanium alloy…" Peni grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Mina looked at Peni from the side, a small smirk playing on her cheeks.

"So~. Midoriya been on the mind?"

"No! What makes you say that?!"

"Because my gauntlets aren't the only thing matching his costume."

The three, including SP/der, shifted their gazes back to the pile. Much to Peni's embarrassment, the inventions all had strikingly similar color schemes.

"Th-That's… just… coincidence?"

"Uh huh. Sure, girl," Mina crossed her arms, the mech mirroring the movement and giving a disbelieving raised brow emoted face. "I mean, it's not like it doesn't make sense. You guys have been hanging out a LOT lately. No shame in admitting it."

Peni shifted uncomfortably in place, rubbing the toes of her shoe in one spot awkwardly. "Well… I guess… since it's you… m-maybe the thought's been crossing my mind… about him… or us… whatever."

Mina's response was immediate, the pink girl squealing loud enough that it made Peni flinch. She immediately wrapped her arms around Peni, trapping the smaller girl in a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you, girl! Oh, you two would be so cute together! Not to mention you already make the perfect team together!"

"H-Hey, let go! I-It's not like anything's gonna happen…" Peni grumbled, being set down by Mina soon after. "I'm not gonna say anything… and neither are you!"

"What, why~?" Mina cried out in disbelief. "You should totally confess!"

"No way! We're good friends as is, why make it weird?!" Peni retorted.

"Because if you wait too long, some other girl's going to swoop in and take him!" Mina pointed out, causing Peni to recoil at the intensity of her friend. "You're the Spider-Man of this world, girl! What if you have a frenemy that acts like Black Cat? You really want those two meeting somehow and having her sinking her paws into him?! No pun intended."

Peni's lips turned into a thin line, giving the suggestion some thought. The sight of a white haired woman in skintight leather clothing putting her hands all over Izuku entered her mind. Of course, knowing the green haired teen, he'd likely just stand there paralyzed as it happened. But it was still happening. Peni felt her left eye twitch, the sight ryling up something in her.

"No… No I wouldn't."

"Good! Then it's time to buckle down and mark your territory! Again, no pun intended!" Mina grinned, pumping her fists in excitement.

"I… I guess, b-but… I still want to know how he feels first…" Peni rubbed her arm. "What should I do?"

"I can see why you'd want that… but don't worry. I have the perfect person in mind for getting the info you want," Mina smirked, rubbing her hands together deviously. "Just let big sis Mina handle it!"

"We're the same age…"


Izuku stood in front of the industrial training grounds, adjusting the wrist of his gauntlets distractedly. They were gauntlets specifically designed by his close friend, Peni Parker. One For All's power output, Peni suggested a pair of gauntlets that would help absorb as much of the force and divert it to help take stress off of his arms. She had spent a long time in her lab trying to come up with the design that would remain intact despite multiple uses.

She especially seemed to get into it when she heard about the armband that Melissa Shield had made him. She almost seemed scornful to see him use it, but quickly got into inventor mode to create something that would replace it.

I really owe her for that… He thought fondly, his cheeks turning a faint red.

"Yo, Midoriya!"

Izuku looked up, seeing Sero Hanta approaching with a kind grin.

"Hanta-san! Hey!" Izuku greeted, pulling his attention away from the gauntlets as he turned to the Tape Quirk user. "Thanks again for your help!"

"No problem, man! It's good practice for me too, after all," Sero gave him a thumbs up, putting his helmet on. "We'll stick close for this swing session, cool?"

"Oh, okay! We're not going to race this time?" Izuku asked with minor surprise.

"Nah, not today. At least not until the end. I uh… I just kinda wanna cruise today, you know?" Sero excused with a sheepish chuckle. Izuku didn't seem to notice, giving a small smile and a nod.

"That's fine. We're not always going to be moving around cities at top speed anyways I suppose," Izuku nodded, pushing his faceguard up. "I'm ready when you are."

"Sweet, let's go then!" Sero nodded, the two taking a running start before jumping through the air. Tape shot through the air and collided with metal while electricity crackled around Izuku. From there, the two sailed through the air, Sero going at a steady swing while Izuku tried to stay close as he hopped around. The industrial training ground was a good place for working on his all around mobility as it forced them to make small maneuvers through awkward spots and shifting sizes. Sero had become a great partner and adviser when it came to using his boosted speed on the fly.

"So, Midoriya…" Sero said as they swung through the air, passing through an easy area of the training ground.

"What's up?" Izuku answered, eyes focused forward as they approached a more difficult area.

"I notice you and Parker-chan have been hanging out a lot lately…" Sero offhandedly mentioned, causing Izuku to slightly tense. He almost missed a step on a nearby pipe.

"H-Have we? I-I didn't notice…" Izuku trailed off, hoping to sound casual. It was a bit of a lie though, as he knew that he had gone out of his way to see her several times. B-Because we're friends.

"So~ do you like her?"

"Wh-What?!" Izuku blurted, his attention shifting completely to Sero. Having lost his concentration, he lost his footing, sailing through the air and going face first into a long standing pipe.

"Oh, crap! You okay, Midoriya?!" Sero quickly reversed his swing, flinging himself back to where the green haired teen had crashed.

Izuku slowly slid down the pipe, one arm hugging it to keep from falling off completely. A pained groan escaped his mouth as he rubbed his face. "I-I'm okay, but… ow."

"Heh, sorry about that. I guess asking that kinda question when we're swinging through this place wasn't my brightest idea," Sero rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"It's alright…" Izuku activated One for All, launching himself up to an area with solid footing. "Sh-Should we keep going?" He asked, a bead of sweat trailing down his head.

"Oh, so we gonna forget the question now?" Sero asked with a mischievous grin, the inquiry quickly making Izuku begin to sweat as his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"O-Oh, right… haha…" Izuku scratched his cheek with his index finger awkwardly, looking to the side.

"Come on, man. Ain't no shame in it if you are," Sero laughed, slapping him on the shoulder.

"W-Well, we're good friends and-and she's fun to hang out with b-but we're-I mean I don't think-I mean she wouldn't-I-I don't think I-"

"Whoa, chill out man. Breathe," Sero told him, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Just relax."

Izuku did as he said, taking a deep breath and calming his nerves. His eyes cast to the ground, rubbing his right shoulder in thought.

"I mean… I-I… I do, yeah."

"Hey~, congrats man!" Sero said with a proud smirk. "You planning on confessing anytime soon?"

"No… no, I don't think I will."

Sero blinked, confusion crossing his face. "Oh… why not?"

"Well… we're good friends, you know? A-And we both have a lot on our plate. W-We're both working to become heroes, s-so I don't know if it would work out… Plus, I…. I don't know what I'd do if she didn't feel the same..."

Sero rubbed the back of his head, nodding slowly in understanding. "Huh… Yeah, I guess I get that… But don't you think that maybe that would work against you guys?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Izuku asked, looking back up at Sero.

"Well, maybe I'm not the best judge on this, but I think that Peni might like you back," That made Izuku's face become red again, his heart skipping a beat. "And if that's true, you both probably can't stop thinkin' about that. It's just gonna get harder on you both as you keep hangin' out. It's not just gonna go away."

Izuku could see the logic behind that, his lips tightening into a thin frown. "So… what should I do?"

"Easy. Throw all your cards on the table!" Sero declared, causing the green haired teen to gawk at his bluntness. "Don't let fear stop you! You're plannin' to be a hero, right? You gotta be able to get over your fears to do that!"

Izuku didn't know what to say to that. He never would have even thought of being so forward about his feelings with Peni. So many doubts and fears ran through his mind, thinking of all the possible terrible outcomes that could come of it. "B-But what if she-what if I…. How would I even tell her? I-I don't know if I can say it straight out like that!"

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out!" Sero laughed before looking at his phone. "I hope you do, because they're probably getting close."

"'Close'? What do you-"

"Yo~! Sero! Midoriya! You guys here?!" Mina's voice echoed through the industrial training grounds, causing Izuku to blink in question.

"A-Ashido-san? What's she doing here?"

"Bringin' Parker-chan, of course! Come on, let's go see them!" Sero urged, grinning back at Izuku.

"Wh-What?! So soon?! Right now?!" Izuku gawked, looking around in panic for a way out. "I don't know if I can-"

"Oh no you don't!" Tape suddenly wrapped around Izuku, the green haired teen's jaw dropping in disbelief as Sero pulled him forward. "Let's go and say hi!"

"W-Wait, Hanta-sa~n!" Izuku cried out as he and the tape Quirk user started to swing through the air and back toward the entrance. There waiting for them was Mina and SP/der, the two waving kindly as Izuku and Sero approached.

"There you two are! Alright, Peni! Time to come out!" Mina called out, Izuku and Sero landing safely on the platform in front of them. The mech's emoted face turned into a question mark as nothing happened.

"I-I'm fine from in here, thanks…"

"Come on girl, don't get cold feet on us now!" Mina groaned out, Izuku raising a brow at her while Sero helped undo the tape. "Alright, if you're gonna force it… Harry, would you mind getting her out?"

The mech's face emoted into a smiley face and gave a thumbs up.

"Harry, don't you dare-" Peni didn't get a chance to finish as the top hatch opened, the petite girl screaming as she was ejected from the suit. Peni rolled forward, landing flat on her butt. She jumped up and turned back to the mech, pounding on the hatch. "You traitor!"

The mech simply emoted into a whistling face, looking away.

Peni groaned, running a hand down her face. Mina grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, pushing her forward suddenly. At the same time, Izuku had been pushed by Sero. The two stopped themselves just two feet away from each other, their faces lighting up like Christmas trees.

"O-Oh, hey P-Peni-chan…"

"M-Midi-kun… hi…"

An awkward silence immediately followed, both shifting in place. They both looked away, Izuku shaking in place as he scratched his face while Peni failed miserably at whistling.

"Ohmygod, these two awkward children…" Mina sighed quietly from the side.

"Let them do it in their own time," Sero chuckled, though he was slightly worried about the start of things.

After a long moment of avoiding each other's gaze, their eyes finally met, locking onto one another and rendering them still as statues.

I-Is this really happening?! Am I-are we-how did we get here?! Izuku screamed internally, his head swimming as his anxiety built up.

D-Does he know?! Is he being awkward because he knows?! Oh god, he's going to reject me, isn't he?! Peni also similarly screamed in her head.

After another moment of silence, their thoughts and fears finally started to come to a head, both clenching their eyes shut. And relying on their fight or flight instinct, Izuku and Peni came to a decision simultaneously:

H-Hanta-san's right… I-I've gotta overcome my fear and say it!

S-Screw it, I'm just gonna come out with it! If he knows, then there's no running either way! I'll do it!

"I really like you!"

"You're really cute and dorky and I like you!"

Izuku and Peni blinked, opening their eyes and looking at one another in disbelief. Their minds became quiet as the only thing echoing in their ears were the words that the other had said.

"Y-You-" They spoke at the same time. "B-But I… I-I mean…"

They both became quiet for a moment, allowing the information to process.

"So… does that mean we…" Peni started hopefully.

"That we're… you know… t-t-together..?" Izuku tripped on his words before swallowing hard. "O-Only if… you really want to be-"

"Yes!" Peni suddenly cried, shocking Izuku stiff as she leaped forward and tightly hugged him around the neck. She quickly hopped back, coughing into her hand. "I-I mean… I would, yeah. Do you?"

Izuku took a moment to shake off his disbelief before giving her a genuine smile. "Y-Yeah, I would."

Peni gave a bright smile and nodded furiously. "O-Okay then, w-we're a thing then!"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Aww~, this is so precious~!"

Izuku and Peni tensed, looking to the side as they suddenly remembered their audience, both of them blushing in embarrassment.

"This is so much cuter than I could have ever hoped," Mina giggled.

"No kidding! It's almost like watching elementary kids confess," Sero laughed. The SP/der mech nodded along in agreement.

"A-Alright, you guys got your show!" Peni exclaimed, glaring cutely at them as she hushed them away. "L-Let's get out of here already! I-I'm still gonna make you pay for earlier, Harry!"

"Come on~, give the spider a break! He was just doing his duty as your best friend," Mina defended, her and Sero turning their backs to her as they headed for the exit with the mech close by.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just go!" Peni groaned, waiting for the three to get some distance ahead of her and Izuku. She peered back at him, offering a gentle smile as she scratched her cheek.

"S-So, ready to go?" She asked, offering a shaky hand out to him.

Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat, summoning his courage as he slowly reached out and linked his fingers with hers.

"O-Okay… let's go."

The End


The Reaction

"A~nd that's how we became a couple!"

Peter stared at Izuku and Peni with a scrutinizing gaze, the two sitting across from him, having met him in a ramen joint by UA. Peni was holding their hands up to emphasize her point, fingers linked together while she had a bright and blushing smile on her face. Izuku was laughing awkwardly, but nodding in agreement with Peni.

It took him a moment to process this information, absently reaching forward and sipping from his drink. "Okay… this is… hm."

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "D-Did we do something wrong?"

"Not particularly, no, but…" Peter trailed off, his eyes trailing to the side.

"Hey, it should be fine! Didn't you date girls plenty of times when you first started out?" Peni accused, a pout forming on her lip.

"That's… not what it is…" Peter sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Peni and Izuku looked at one another in confusion, tilting their heads in question as they waited for him to explain. "Okay, look kid. You can date whoever you want. You two honestly do look completely adorable together. Like two cinnamon rolls. But uh…"

He puckered his lips, trying to find the right words. "In a very strange but technical sense… Peni is still an… alternate version of me. Obviously, we're nothing alike, but… still a technical alternate version of me."

Izuku and Peni took a moment to absorb his answer, looking at one another in thought before looking back at the original Spider-Man.

He's right…

Peni and Izuku had very differing reactions. Peni broke out into a fit of laughter, finding the idea to be completely hilarious. Izuku, meanwhile, sat there in completely stunned silence, unsure what what to do with that information.

"Oh, come on, Midi-kun! It's kinda funny!" Peni said, shaking his shoulder.

"H-Huh? Oh, I-I guess…"

Seeing his hesitation, Peni's laughter halted as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Hey… you're not thinking of breaking up with me just because of this, are you?"

"Wh-What?! No-no not at all!" Izuku dismissed vehemently, waving his arms. "I-It's just… strange to think about is all! I wouldn't do that though, I swear!"

Peni had her doubts, immediately shifting her glare over to Peter. "I swear to god Peter-san, if you just cost me my first cute boyfriend, I'll destroy you!"

"H-Hey, someone had to address it!" Peter said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I-It's fine, Peni-chan! D-Don't worry!" Izuku said, grabbing her shoulders and trying to sit her back down.


Note: So yeah, that was a snippet by Mugiwara N0 Luffy, the famous writer for the Persona 5/My Hero Academia fic Thieves Can Be Heroes. I greatly appreciate that he wrote this, and I highly recommend you guys read both Amazing Fantasy and his fic for some MHA goodness!