9

Hopeless

Izuku lifted his hand to his face, wiping the salty drops away. He recalled All-Might offering him his quirk, the ridiculous amount of training he put himself through, getting accepted into the hero course, learning and fighting with everyone... Being a hero to someone.

And all of it was taken away from him, so easily.

"What's wrong with me... It's been almost two years, so why can't I..?" He rubbed his eyes, asking himself, filled with frustration. Everything changed after he lost his quirk. Everything changed with Uraraka. She looked at him and his arm differently. Scared, confused, unwanted praise and unwarranted pity, and yet, the worst was how she would look away.

He took a deep shaky breath. He forced a smile like he learned from All-Might, staring at his statue. "Thanks for listening, like always. It's pretty late, I'll see you later All-Might." He left a final prayer, before walking away.

He yawned as he grinded on the rails of a busy street, that separated traffic, and pedestrians. He lifted his arm and moved it around. "I got most of my strength back, faster than I thought, maybe I'm just not used to it, yet." He placed his index finger and thumb on his chin, starting his infamous ramblings, freaking out some of the pedestrians.

It sprinkled on his hair, "huh?" He glanced up, it tapped his head. He held out his hand. "It's raining?" He dropped his arm, leaning forward. "I should get going." He dashed off the railing, grabbing a lamp post, spinning up it like a windy flag. He darted at the edge, kicking off into a flip, high up, his legs guiding the upward draft. He corrected his body upright with a spin, landing on the edge of a building.

After skating over a few buildings, Deku began to debate out loud. "Should I head to Momo's or home?" He easily vaulted over a huge gap between main streets. He thought of Tsuyu's words. He skidded over an air vent. He nodded, "She's right, today I should just head home."

He hopped down to a low-level building with shelter. He pulled out his phone. He decided to send her a message. He clicked on the chat thread. His eyes widened before narrowing. It was her message after the training exercise. "I never replied did I?" His lips twitched into a weak smile. He put his thumbs to the keyboard.

Sorry, I was caught up with something, I'm on my way.

The weather raged as he approached her house. He lifted an eyebrow. The gate was already opened. He skated up the pathway, raising his arm to block the heavy droplets. His view was blurred from the misty, whirling, rain.

He could make out a shadow at the front porch. His eyes grew, he dropped his hand, grinding his skates to stop, in front of her. "Momo?!" Grabbing her soaking shoulders. "What are you doing out here?"

"I, I don't know!" She giggled, placing her cold hands on his chest. "I was waiting for you! When I saw your message, I opened the gates and waited!" She was nervous after he didn't reply, it was the first message she ever sent during school hours. She thought she ruined the balance of what they were until he did actually reply.

"Let's head inside." Izuku urged guiding them in. They made a loud racket of squishy noises going through the door.

It was calm. The lights strung throughout the ceiling gave a warm mood. Deku closed the door after leading her inside. He turned back to her after shutting it. He didn't have time to react. She pressed him against the door, leaning her body on him. Their soaking clothes sloshed and squealed with their motions. She lifted her head up to his, he was about to say something but she didn't let him. His red boots almost kicked back on the door. She kept capturing his lips like a drug she couldn't get enough of.

"Momo, we're gonna get sick." He breathed out after she gave him a chance to use his lips yet after he spoke, she abused his lips again. He gnawed on her wet bottom lip, before letting go, traveling down to her throat, leaving a trail of warm kisses against her cold flesh. She let out a high pitch breath of pleasure after he sucked on her collar bone and bit it, leaving it bruised.

"Y-Yes, you're right, w-we should do something about that." She whispered trying to be polite but it came out naughty with her heavy panting.

Her pale fingers were running through his damp hair, sprinkles of water fell off. Her hands traveled down to his cheeks. He shivered at the cool touch of her fingertips. She rose her lips at his action. She planted another kiss on him, moving her lips at a slower pace. His hand found its way up to her neck, burying his fingernails into the roots of her hair, his other sneaked under her wet-stuck blouse, his fingers running across the small of her back. She also shivered because of his actions.

They were both chilled from the weather. Their embrace of wet clothes and skin heightened the cold, but they couldn't break away, because they found warmth within the other's lips.

They finally broke apart, trying to catch their breaths. Midoriya reaffirmed his earlier statement. "Momo, c-clothes?"

"Oh, oh right." She hummed, pressing her lips against his, yet dragging her body back, walking in reverse. He followed her motion, keeping an eye out.

They fumbled, laughing as they made their way through the halls. They both placed their hands on the door to her room. They shared a mutual sigh of enjoyed company before opening the door.

"Um, a-after you?" He motioned.

She lifted an eyebrow. "Hm, suddenly so shy?" She slipped her hand off his jaw, leaving a final touch with her index and middle fingers, walking inside.

"N-No, it's just..."

This.

He paused in the middle of the doorway. Her room only carried natural light, meaning the weather was bare to them. The hallway's warm light gave a pleasant contrast to her room. Grey midnight clouds gave a fake shine, illuminating through her windows, it gleamed off her skin, radiating the delicate solitude of rain.

"I-zu-ku..?" She called out. He refocused, making eye contact with her. She was staring over her shoulder to him. His eyes widened seeing her blouse drop, hearing it make a squishy impact. His breath went slightly rigged after seeing her smooth back with only her bra. She smirked at his actions. She placed her fingers on the waistband of her skirt. She turned her face away from him as she leaned forward, sliding it down her long legs, she raised up a foot, flinging it away. She took a step, straightening her curvy body. She climbed up on the bed, she crawled on all fours like a cat, circling back to face him, sitting up on her knees, purring out, "...Come on."

He always fumbled after her.

She giggled, hiding her mouth with the back of her hand. She would think that after the many nights together, his embarrassment and shy attitude would disappear. She didn't mind though, she enjoyed the view of him attempting to take off his shirt, subconsciously biting her lower lip, his abs had a light glisten from the rain and she wanted a taste. Izuku struggled but pulled off his soaking shirt, dropping it by her clothes. His pants were relatively dry. He climbed on the edge of the bed, in front of her.

She stopped his further attempts. "Izuku."

"Yeah?"

"You're gonna get a rash." Placing her hand over his elbow, over his damp bandages.

His breath hicked. He caught himself glaring to the side, placing his hand over hers. "Momo..." Asking her to understand.

"Don't get sick over something so silly." She whispered almost harshly, but the weight of worry was there.

She placed her forehead on his chest. "You're not Deku to me."

His body went rigid. "H-Huh?"

She rubbed her sniffling nose on him. "You're Izuku, not Deku, just Izuku... My Izuku. And I worry, I want to for your sake. So please let me worry."

He remained still for a while. Yaoyorozu in the embrace, not backing down, until she felt him help her peel his bandages. Slowly, she unraveled his arm.

After he was exposed, Izuku glanced to his left, avoiding eye contact. His arm, it was permanently damaged with pink and purple charred skin, running from his shoulder down to every finger. His veins, faded scar tissue from his last use of one for all.

"Izuku."

He didn't want to but forced himself to face her. He caught her expression and stopped. All he could see from her face were owl onyx orbs twinkling an affectionate liquid on the surface.

The moon, it had pierced the grey clouds, even if for a moment and in that moment they shared eye contact reflecting the sky. They both lifted their right hands, placing it on the others cheek, mirroring each other.

"This is real, right?"

"...Of course, it is..."

Her shoulders rose as she tilted her head into that everlasting smile he began to cherish. At first, her smile was so confusing but now, it was the only thing that made sense to him.

Her real smile...

They used their hands to guide the other's face closer to each other. Their lips were lingering, almost tasting each other. Their eyes were shadowed as their bodies enveloped together. The rainy melody played a tender acoustic and the air was an intoxicating aroma of the cold weather, their body heat, and hot breaths. She ran her hand down his cheek, around his neck. Her lips enticed his with a playful smooch as she leaned back to the bed. He followed, placing a hand on the sheets, helping her lay down. He paused on top of her. She pouted her lips, confused at his action. Her legs were naturally snuggled against his waist with anticipation.

"What is it?"

"No, it's nothing."

He took in the sight of her adoring face, laying on the bed with the atmosphere portraying a luminous glow to her. A midnight beauty only he experienced.

"I was just remembering this."

Inhale and exhale into the night.

The train tracks thudded along. She happily tapped her fingers on the school bag on her lap. She had natural joy, enjoying the window view. Her tongue was sticking out with her smile like always.

It was everyone's favorite lily pad hero, Froppy! She was a little more joyful than usual. She was patiently excited for school today. "I hope Midoriya looks better!" She croaked. She glanced down at her school bag bashfully.

Until she recalled the last time she helped change his bandages.

"Hm, Midoriya can I ask?"

"Um, ask what Tsuyu?"

"I get it if it's not my business but why didn't you come yesterday, with everyone? Kyouka said you never replied to her invitation."

"I didn't? I thought I did... I was studying with Yaoyorozu. Sorry, I thought I replied."

"Momo has been struggling, I'm glad she asked for some company... something about her has been off lately. I tried asking but she shrugged me off. I hope you helped her."

More and more lately, Tsuyu was thinking that there was more to it, a lot more. She started growing suspicious after the few times she saw him speed by on his air trek to school, but from the direction of Yaoyorozu's residence area.

Tsuyu ignored those downcast thoughts, opting to take the view from the window again.

Seeing him skate past the train.

Tsuyu stared for a few seconds before going back to staring at her lap.

"...Ribbit..."

I guess Midoriya didn't take my advice after all...