16

High Octane

Izuku hesitantly took a seat besides Uraraka and Iida at the lunch table. He felt like he was the only one facing the tension. Uraraka was a cheerful airhead like always, Iida couldn't process the mind game. Izuku glanced over Uraraka's shoulder to Tsu. She was having a conversation with Mina and Toru as if she was deliberately ignoring him. He pretended not to notice. 'I have to talk to her, probably the most out of everyone.' His eyes trailed over Uraraka again. 'And her, even though she said she wants to be friends again, last night was...' After she helped retape his bandages, there was a moment of them simply staring at each other, before he broke it, telling her good night.

He pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the two in front of him.

Momo and Yui.

"K-Karaoke huh? Sounds fun."

"Oh, it's so great to hear that you'll join!" Yaoyorozu displayed that formal preppy attitude with Yui indifferent to the situation. She took a small mouse bite of a huge cupcake she obviously used her quirk on.

'They're so opposite... Wh-Why do they look like best friends?'

They both giggled playing with a Matryoshka doll. Izuku's eye twitched. He knew Yui was messing with him like always in a fun teasing way, that she knew would get under his skin in the most unnoticed manner, yet Momo's felt strategic like she mastered the art of acting natural while analyzing the enemy.

'Wait, that makes me the enemy?! Nani?!' He bit back his own thoughts. 'Wait, she's probably just being self-conscious...' Like how he felt with Todoroki. He glanced at her and Yui. "Ne, you planned this, right Yaoyorozu? You're pretty amazing." He tilted his head with a genuine smile, after a moment, he placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his palm.

Momo slightly stuttered, trying not to stare down shyly. He was staring at her with curiosity and earnest endearment. She wasn't mentally prepared, 'for a counter attack of positive encouragement! Oh, Izuku!' Half of her brain was planning a retaliation and the other half was dreaming of riding off into the sunset with him. "O-Oh, No it's nothing, Todoroki came up with the idea, I just helped set things up." She tried to pass the conversation to Todoroki.

He was still trying to whistle.

'Well, A for effort...' Momo sweatdropped.

"Here." Yui pulled a piece off her cupcake, offering it to Izuku.

"Ah, Thanks Yui." He took a bite like it was nothing. Yui retracted her hand, bringing the rest of the piece to herself, taking a bite and finishing it. Completely Nonchalant.

'A-An indirect k-kiss?!' Momo mentally squirmed.

Izuku snuck a glance at Momo. His eyes widened before softening. He could see the gears in her head move, trying to figure out her next step, from her careful facial expressions and twitching pout. 'Over analyzing Momo is c-cute.'

Everyone was going on with their conversations around her. She was trying to process what she just saw. What did it mean? She never could understand Yui's actions. 'And why does Izuku seem so close to her?! Ugh, he probably works on her suit.' She was trying to focus on the facts laid out. She was trying to. A vein almost throbbed. She couldn't concentrate because she could feel his stare on her. She couldn't take it and confronted his eyes with her best glare, but it instantly broke. She was waiting for something snob or a smirk, but he was simply staring with those emerald orbs that would always reflect the constellations in their quiet moments of endearment.

She gasped knowing that, that was hers. Like her smile belonged to him.

Everyone else became a blur in the background as they shared eye contact. Momo's hand raised to her uniform blouse, over her bosom. Her cheeks were tinted pink, as she stared away, playing with the button over her chest. His eyes followed her actions. His breathed pitched, nobody seemed to notice them. His eyes widened as she unbuttoned it. She spread her fingers, opening up the fabric giving him a clear view as her cleavage heaved up and down.

She hid it just as quickly satisfied with his reaction, she easily redid the button with her slender fingers. Izuku lifted his eyes up to her face. She had the same hand she used up to her lips, saying shush with her index finger and a wink.

After having been damaged by 'Over analytical Momo,' his defenses were destroyed by the reappearance of 'Playful Momo!'

Izuku dropped his head on the table.

Uraraka broke off her conversation from Tsuyu to turn to the sound. "Eh, Deku? What's wrong?"

After a few seconds of silence, "I forgot to get lunch..."

Izuku sighed leaving school. He had stayed late again working on suits. The sun had already set, leaving the hue of purple and orange hazed by the sky and clouds.

He grinned to himself. He had officially left school campus meaning he could do it. He strapped on his new air trek, excited.

"Yosh, let's do this." He readjusted his mask guard and gloves one last time before taking off. He had read the new manual Hatsume gave him, it was basically the same concept, except more speed, emphasis on drifting, and some added air propulsion, meaning air kicks and turns.

Izuku began to slide down a slanted empty street. "It feels so smooth." Instead of feeling every bump and skid, this felt like it waved right over it. He swerved in a S formation, feeling out the gear. He did a 360 drift to straighten himself down the road. He began to build up speed, leaning forward, keeping his feet close and knees bent. He was reaching the bottom of the slope. He leapt onto a railing in between a set of stairs leading up to a train stop. He used it as a ramp, blasting up into the sky.

"Wow." He was higher up than he ever had been. For a moment, he was suspended in air among the clouds. He stared off into the ocean of condensed water vapor, the setting light glistened off into the horizon. He began to fall before he could take it all in.

He fell forward spreading out his body for hang time. "This is pretty amazing too." Seeing the city from way high up. He was able to lessen the velocity of his fall by keeping his feet aimed down to reverse the force. He was reaching a skyscraper but not falling directly at it. He kicked off the air, giving him a boost to it.

"So much more mobility." He awed at Hatsume's invention. He was spiraling down the walls of the building. He had a glove on the wall, helping him keep stable and maintain speed. He glanced at the city ahead of him. He held an excited smile behind his mask. He removed his glove from the wall, getting ready to throw caution to the wind and soar. He kicked off with both his feet with a high powered thrust. His body flowed with the city, grinding off building edges, swinging off traffic lights, treading over windows without leaving a mark. He ignited the night sky with his burning trick-kicks.

He was riding on a train track bridge, slowly grinding along. "It's getting late." He debated about it for a moment, then took out his phone.

Izuku: I'm on my way

He had his thumb over the kiss emoji not knowing if he should add it. He felt it was reaching so he added a smile instead.

He was about speed off but didn't after he heard loud skirmishing and yelling. It was coming from the ditch under the bridge. Izuku jumped off the rails with a spark, flipping over the bridge, landing with a corkscrew and splash. Last night's rainwater was still flowing through.

"N-(burp) Nani?!" He sloshed at the sudden appearance of a green haired mask wearer. "Wait *Hiccup* I remember you." He pointed out with a knife, taking a swig of his bottle.

Izuku's eyes widened, and his muffled breath came out condensed from the cold night. There was a faint red trail flowing over the water going downstream. Izuku's orbs narrowed down at the cause. "K... Kyouka?!" He swiped his arm to his mask guard, dropping it around his neck, confused.

She raised her head from the gravel on the bank side. She struggled to make eye contact, clutching her shoulder. "Izu... Izuku?!" Just as surprised as he was. She was on an undercover solo op, but blew it. He was the last person who should have been here.

Izuku turned his attention to the person towering over Kyouka. "Sakaki..." He gritted. One of Overhauls former members.

"Oh, memberlittleo'lme?" He slurred, stumbling towards Deku. "What *hiccup* what you gonna do? You ain't got that quirk that beat us last time."

"Oi, Izuku get out of here, get help!" Jirou yelled out, he looked stunned.

Izuku stumbled back a bit, he began to feel the effects of his quirk. The uneasy of being intoxicated. "I'm not just gonna leave you here!"

He gulped but began to raise his arms.

"Oh (burp) this is gonna be *hiccup* fun." He played with the knife in his hand.

"No, Izuku don't be an idiot!"

'She's right. I was only able to beat him last time cause of One for All.' Izuku shook his head. 'No, it's not the time for self-loathing! Kyouka's right there! She's..! She is..!' Izuku cast aside his anxiety, and acted without thinking. "Get away from her!" Izuku charged but instantly began to stumble.

"Oopsie." He giggled out with a slur. As Izuku closed in, Sakaki slithered around him slicing him with his blade.

Izuku gritted his teeth as the blade cut the side of his stomach. Izuku tried to rebalance himself and do a spinning roundhouse kick but was off the mark.

"Almost got me!" Sakaki teased. "But it looks like you lost your balance." He leapt onto Izuku's shoulders like a monkey, before kicking off his chest in a backflip, making Izuku fall with a splash. Izuku rolled back, trying to get back to his feet. 'It's so unsteady.' Too unsteady. He bit his bottom lip hard.

"Oi, oi, oi?" He giggled with burps and hiccups. "Frustrated? Must be how he felt after what you did!" He chugged down the bottle of alcohol, throwing it off to the side, it crashed with a high pitch. He rushed Izuku in his belligerent drunken stupor.

'It's still unsteady.' He hated it. He hated this. This familiar feeling. Sakaki swiped his blade. Izuku tried dodging, but the blade would always slash or gash him. Izuku couldn't rely on his air gear in this unbalanced state, a mistake could cost him his life. He cartwheeled out of a hook attack. Sakaki pressed with a sloppy combo of his fist and blade. Izuku tripped up and helplessly blocked the attack he couldn't evade. Yet, he couldn't focus on the pain, there was only one burning emotion in him. Frustration. Not at the situation or Sakaki per se. He was angry at the fact that this sensation of sloshed was meant to be a feeling of unease. 'After growing up my whole life without a quirk.' He held a scowl at Sakaki, dodging with better timing. 'Then, the greatest hero All-Might placed his trust in me!' Izuku clenched his bandaged fist, after stepping into his guard, swatting away the wrist with the knife with his left hand. Izuku punched Sakaki across the jaw. 'Not only was he my hero. He became my mentor, and someone I wanted to be proud of me!' Izuku knew he couldn't put his full force into it because he was hindered from Sakaki's quirk and his right arm was never at full strength anymore.

Sakaki stumbled back, rocked by the first hit the kid landed. "Don't get ahead of yourself, punk!" He zigged, before zagging with a shuffle side kick into Izuku's chest.

"Gwhaaah." He tried to suppress his cry of pain, coughing out spit. 'But then everything changed after I got my hero permit...' Izuku crashed back but rolled back to his feet. He stomped both his feet down, stopping his momentum. 'I met someone I had to save no matter what!'

Sakaki followed up with his serpent approach and strikes. 'And I did save her! And I would make that choice again and again!' Izuku began to feel out his moves better, even if he was unbalanced he could still predict his attacks, or at least try. Sakaki charged with a stab, Izuku prepared except it was a feint. Sakaki busted Izuku's bottom lip with a hard knuckle.

'And I had to face the consequences, even now... These past two years have been an ocean of anxiety and depression.'

But that was a feint too. Izuku grabbed Sakaki's arm, forcing him to fall along. Izuku locked his legs around his neck and the arm he grabbed, dropping them down with a triangle choke hold.

"You're quirk is nothing compared to the unsteadiness of life!" Izuku yelled as Sakaki struggled to get free, trying to use his knife but couldn't get a proper stab, quickly losing all feeling, dropping the blade.

Izuku felt Sakaki's quirk slipping away, but didn't release his submission until he was sure Sakaki was out.

He splashed on his back, laying on the shallow stream. He heaved his chest up and down. He was staring at the night sky. "I'm not," he took a tired breath, "I'm not Deku!" He finished with a smile.

"I'm Izuku."

She had been waiting.

It was late. She wasn't going to deny it, seeing his text message caused her heart to thump louder.

But her beat slowed down the longer he took.

She hated how she was on the verge of sleep, straining to stay awake, waiting for him.

Buzz. Buzz.

Her eyes instantly reawakened. She scrambled to get her phone. It was him. She took a breath to calm herself before answering. "H-Hello?"

"... Hey, um, I'm outside." His breath was raspy, taking heavy breaths.

She didn't seem to notice. "O-Oh, I'll be right there." She clicked, heading straight there. She didn't know if she wanted to be angry with him or make love. 'Both?' She didn't care she just knew it was going to be passionate and only about them. 'No one else is important right now.'

She reached the front door not knowing if she was going to start an argument or pounce on him. She yanked it open letting her instincts chose.

"Izuku-...!" She stopped seeing him battered and bloody.

And do you know what this idiot said? "Sorry, I'm late?" Before resting his head on the crook of her neck out of exhaustion.

Her onyx orbs were vivid before growing a liquid surface, hugging him. She didn't care about all the problems right now, she only had one thought.

How grateful she was that whatever happened to him didn't kill him, and to make sure he recovered. She ran her hand through his hair, nurturing him.

He seemed to be awake because he lifted his head up to her. He subconsciously captured her lips, moving them with hers in natural rhythm.

She tasted blood but ignored it. She reciprocated but was also the one who broke it off. She nestled him into her bosom, encouraging him to rest.

She whispered as she embraced him.

"...Idiot, let me take care of you."