18
Ballads for the broken hero and lonely heroine
"Ne, Izuku?"
"Yeah, Momo?"
"I know it's cheesy but what's your favorite moment of well, us?"
"Hm..."
"Mine would probably be today even though it was horrible at first... Or... That day you let me unwrap your bandages. Yeah, definitely one of those two."
"... Actually, mine would have to be that day... When I saw you playing the piano."
"Oh, I haven't thought about that for a while."
"Yeah, but we talked about it, um, before the first time, when we were studying? Y-You said, adorable."
"That's right, we did. We laughed about it, as well, before we... I think I have my happiest days with you."
And she squeezed the hand interlocked around hers, snuggling closer to him.
And he squeezed back.
Izuku yawned. He barely got any sleep after yesterday and now here he was waiting for the train. He was just too tired to use his air trek today. They had planned to meet up for karaoke.
His eyelids lowered, drowsy. He rubbed his eyes and blinked hard a few time to try and wake himself up. The cars rustled by with that buzz playing in the background. Through that noise, he heard shoes shuffling over sidewalk gravel. He glanced his head over to the sound. His eyes widened slightly even with the heavy lids. "You're kidding me." He mumbled quietly.
Tsuyu, Uraraka, and Hatsume were walking along happily. "Oh, Deku!" Uraraka waved noticing him. They all stopped, reaching him. They greeted each other like usual. Midoriya and Tsuyu still had that out of natural vibe. He tried to not let it affect him.
"Hatsume, I didn't think you'd want to come?" He smiled at her, pleasantly surprised at her appearance. She felt like the friend by his corner right now, not like Tsuyu anymore. Or Uraraka.
She didn't hesitate to grab his wrist and drag him away. "Don't mind us, just have to talk about important equipment." Hatsume excused.
"Yeah, sure." Uraraka was slightly confused but ignored it, starting a conversation with Tsuyu.
"Hm, H-Hatsume? What's up?" After they were out of earshot and she let him go.
"What happened last night?!" Her voice was mixed with concern and curiosity. "You're readings were fluctuating at ridiculous amounts even though you weren't using your gear. Your GPS marker wasn't moving either."
He rose an eyebrow confused, taking in the info. "W-Wait a minute, h-how do you know that? D-Don't worry nothing happened but how do you know?"
"Your gear has always been synced to my laptop. Hey, don't change the subject, I was w-" She stopped herself before rushing it out, "Worried."
Izuku was staring down with wide eyes. "Don't worry it was nothing, I promise." He voiced out dry. 'Has-, has she always known about me and Momo?'
She seemed to buy into his words but noticed his drained physical state. "Okay, so how were my babies?!" She disregarded the earlier conversation.
"Eh? Oh, they were amazing! H-Hey now you're changing the subject!"
"Great we can do a proper analysis at the workshop on Monday!" She spun on the heels of her shoes about to head back.
"W-Wait a minute, Hatsume." He reached out. He bit his bottom lip before asking. "A-About the GPS marker, er, where I go every night with the air gear-"
"None of my concern!" She sang out, although she wasn't facing him.
"O-... Oh." Izuku dropped his hand back to his side. They walked back to the group as the train arrived. Izuku was staring at the ground analyzing the newfound info. 'Wait if she's known this whole time, then what happened at the workshop before Uraraka caught us, could have been intentional.' He raised his eyes staring at her pink locks of hair before going back to the ground. 'She's never been good at expressing herself emotionally... What's been going on in her head? How has she been able to work beside me so casually?'
They boarded the train with Uraraka going out of her way to sit next to Deku, separating him and Hatsume, who was sitting with Asui, in the seats behind them.
Uraraka began the conversation like always. "Hey Deku isn't it great that I could get Hatsume to come?" She shoved his shoulder innocently.
Izuku snapped out of his thoughts, took a second, before facing her. "Hm, o-oh yeah? How'd you manage that?" Always playing the part of her friend.
Uraraka gave out a deflated sigh, airing out like a balloon. "I promised to try out some of her new inventions..."
Deku had a sweat drop but kept a polite smile. "Yeah, her babies can be rough."
Uraraka tried not to let it bother her but she didn't like how he called Hatsume's inventions, babies as well with the same enthusiasm. "Er, thanks for the encouragement."
Deku chuckled. "Sorry, sorry but don't worry I'll be there, I kind of have to be for precaution."
"Oh great."
"No, I didn't mean it like that." Deku tried to defend. Uraraka was trying to keep secret how much she was enjoying their bantering, playing along, being careful.
Tsuyu was staring at the back of the heads of the two sitting in front of her, she didn't know how to feel seeing Izuku act like Deku. Hatsume was staring out the window, while casually tinkering.
After the conversation got quiet Izuku stared out the window like Mei but instead of tinkering, he was dotting absent notes on his pocket notebook. He had hard eyes at the window for a moment.
'This is how it's always been right? Why does it feel so off?' He tightened his grip around his pen, tapping it on the paper.
'Uraraka, Hatsume, Asui...'
Momo, Kyouka, and Yui.
They were walking towards the planned meet up, just as Izuku's group got there. He was the first to notice them, but the last to greet them. Izuku couldn't help but stare a little longer at Momo than he intended too. She was wearing a turtleneck sweater that would threaten to show her belly button, skin-tight jeans with a red belt, and sneakers.
'Casual Momo is..!' He couldn't even comprehend how good looking she was without trying.
Momo had also stared at Midoriya for a moment. She wanted today to be for confronting him about Yui but after yesterday she had to be more rational. Last night she had to acknowledge that there was always the possibility of losing him. 'Oh Izuku, I should have just asked you about Yui and not go so far as to trick everyone.' But she had been self-conscious for the past few days. She was going to fix this. Today would be a simple ordinary day with their friends.
"I believe Todoroki and everyone else is inside already." Yaoyorozu was checking her phone, before she slipped it into her back pocket, albeit with a small hop struggle that Izuku couldn't ignore. "Well, shall we then?" They all agreed and she led them inside with that motherly aura, taking care of her chicks.
Izuku had straggled to the side a bit. 'It's been a while since I saw Momo like this.' It was strange. Like this, she was nurturing and protective. 'But at nights, she's so quiet and fragile...'
He felt a poke to his side as they were walking. He lifted his zoned out thoughtful eyes to her. "Yo, you good?" Kyouka's ear jack pulled back from him. She had an eyebrow raised with some concern.
"Hm, oh yeah." He shook his head, rubbing his tired eyes with his thumb and index finger. "It's just been a while since we all hung out you know?" He threw her a small smile.
She scoffed with her earjacks swaying. "That's an understatement but stuff like that happens all the time." She crossed her arms behind her head. "People get busy, times change." Hitting that somber note.
"You got that right." He took a moment to acknowledge that. "Hey, what songs are you gonna sing?" Trying to go for a more cheerful subject.
"Oh, I don't know." She was leaning the back of her head on her arms, she turned to him. "Probably Gorillaz."
They began talking about music they both enjoyed, throwing their sarcastic notes around too like they always did when they hung out.
Then they had reached the karaoke room.
"It's a little cramped, ne?" Yaoyorozu had a polite sweatdrop and closed eyes. Midoriya couldn't help but sigh in agreement, sagging his shoulders.
There were three couches in a U-shape with a table in the middle. It felt a lot like their lunch set up at school.
Uraraka and Iida were next to Izuku, sitting on one of the side couches. Momo was on the one opposite him, with Todoroki on one side, and Kyouka and Yui on the other. Asui was next to Uraraka and Hatsume was next to Iida. Toru and Mina were sitting next to Todoroki of course, trying to casually flirt with him, but all of it going over his head like always. Kaminari and Mineta were goofing off on one side of the middle couch, Tokoyami and Shoji were on the other side being cool and quiet. Surprisingly enough Bakugo was sitting in the middle with Kirishima and Sero.
"So, who wants to go first?"
Izuku: Shandy - Tk from ling tosite sigure
It was first pushed by Todoroki, then Uraraka got on bored and eventually, everyone was urging Izuku to go. He reluctantly sighed but agreed. 'I still haven't gotten over my anxiety.'
He had picked his song and was waiting for it to start, his hands nervously curling on the mic.
He heard the initial notes. He parted his lips subconsciously licking them before taking a breath. He closed his eyes not able to meet anyone for his timid reasons.
And he then he just sang.
Momo gasped hearing his voice. 'It sounds so sad...' Placing her fist over her bosom, parted lips, and twinkling owl onyx eyes.
He kept his eyes closed. He could only do this if he ignored them. He had to ignore them. But the vision played in his thoughts.
Laying on the hospital bed. His right arm in a cast... again. Recovery girl not knowing to berate him or console him. Mirio profusely apologizing for not being there like a proper upper classmate should have been, even shedding a few tears. The most painful was All-Might, in his skeleton skinny body, telling him he did the right thing.
'It was okay that I lost One-for-All? How? How could he tell me that was okay?!' It reminded him too much of the day when he asked his Mom if he could ever be a hero. 'They have always apologized for the things I couldn't accomplish...'
Those many empty days were he simply stared out the window with one thought. 'I can't be a hero anymore. I can't be a hero anymore. I can't be a hero anymore. I can't...'
I can't.
I...
I-I, I... I.
I am not a hero.
Izuku slowly lifted his eyelids, not fully open, just scanning around the floor, slightly going up to everyone's legs and laps, his voice cracked slightly, out of nervousness his eyes lingered to her. His eyes were raising more and more. He stopped at her lips, not able to meet her eyes.
But she was smiling. That smile.
He closed his eyes again, not thinking of the past, thinking of her.
Momo: Sakura Nagashi - Utada Hikaru
Momo saw Izuku open his eyes while he sang, she could tell he was searching. She could feel his eyes trying to reach hers but too afraid, so she did what she could. Smile for him, because of him.
It was her turn and her thoughts continued to wander over to the person sitting across from her. She was tenderly holding the mic waiting.
Izuku yawned. It was the weekend and he had woken from a nap that he thoroughly needed because of the support course's demand. He still lived in the 1-a dorms even though he was transferred to the support course. All the dryers were being used, so he hung up his clothes and sheets on the roof side of the boys' dorms. He had woken up and decided to check on them. He rubbed the back of his head opening the door to the roof. It was tranquil, he hadn't realized the sun had set leaving a haze of sun tinted clouds over the horizon. His ears perked to the soft piano keys. He subconsciously began to walk to the sound. It was coming from the roof across. From the girls' dorms. He was standing next to a blanket he hung up, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Yaoyorozu..."
Her eyes were closed as she played the melody on her piano. Her shoulders and wrist would motion along to the rhythm. The spiral of her ponytail fluttered along like scattered cherry blossoms.
The wind blew causing his blanket to ruffle and smack him. He let out a grunt, smacking the blanket back, trying to calm it, not realizing that the music had stopped.
"Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu had her head tilted, confused. Why was he wrestling with his blanket?
Izuku cringed out blank eyes. "Eh, n-no it's not-, I didn't mean to stare! Y-Your song I mean-! I j-just came for my clothes and you were-, actually I should be doing that!"
Momo's confusion shifted to adorable enjoyment in his actions. She patiently waited as he rambled on, getting his clothes.
"L-Like I said sorr-"
"Midoriya?"
"Hiee! Y-Yes Yaoyorozu?"
"Did you like it?"
Izuku's eyes were fixated for a moment. He stared across the building at her as she leaned on the railing waiting for his response, with a smile. A smile he didn't understand.
That was the first time I ever saw a glimpse of it.
Izuku couldn't take his eyes away from Momo. The song, it was the same. As she was finishing she opened her eyes slightly, catching his. He gasped. She closed her eyes as the song came to a close.
Even after it was over Izuku couldn't look away.
"Hey, Yaoyorozu?" Midoriya reached out as the group began to leave and break off.
Momo was caught off guard, for Izuku to act so outwardly around everyone. "Er, yes, Midoriya?"
Midoriya scratched his cheek, glancing to the side before facing Yaoyorozu again. "I just thought, um, you know. Y-Your song, it was, h-how you sang it, I mean, i-it was really beautiful!" He rushed out with shut eyes. Yaoyorozu gasped aback. Before she could reply to Midoriya, he was already taking off. "Today was fun, so see you guys later!" Blasting off with his air gear suddenly not tired out of shy embarrassment.
"M-Midoriya?!" Yaoyorozu didn't know why she was so flustered as to accidentally reach out for him. She quietly pulled back feeling her cheeks heat up. Why was this bothering her but not in a bad way, in a squirmy good way? 'Midoriya complimented me.' Her eyes widened, she looked towards the direction he left from, before staring down at the hand she reached out with.
She had confused orbs of clarity.
'It was because that was Midoriya. M-Midoriya told me something only Izuku would tell Momo...! If that's the case what is he, Midoriya not Izuku, to me? What's Yaoyorozu to Izuku?
Wh-What's Yaoyorozu to Momo?
What are we?
Who am I..?'