A/N: Hey look! A Hizashi POV chapter!

8D

Greener Grass

Chapter Four

From the Other Side

Todoroki Hizashi was in love. There was no other word for it. He'd fallen in love with a girl-who definitely had a past-at first sight-well, actually at first punch, which, by the way, ow-like he was the lead character in some weird romance manga. And she was so out of his league it was laughable. If she'd had an even slightly cruel personality it would have been dangerous but... But he hadn't gone in completely blind, he liked to believe.

It all started on the roof of a building in the middle of the night, across from a drug lab...

Which totally sounded like the summary of one of those edgy romance manga's, fuck his life.

But, anyways, he'd finally caught up to Knight Owl there on the roof, struggling to catch his breath (curse his weak lungs! Curse them!), only when he'd looked up, he'd seen a vision. A green-haired, green-eyed, sweet-faced vision, and his freshly caught breath had left him in a stunned whoosh that only needed his flames to be any more obvious fuck his life. Fortunately, the Vision had apparently been in shock, no doubt from his fearsome Mentor's sudden appearance (Hizashi could count on all four limbs the number of times Knight Owl had scared the crap outta him and still need more digits). Unfortunately, her first reaction to his attempt to calm her down was to throw one hell of a right hook and break his nose.

And then he was in love.

And that love only grew brighter and stronger and deeper as they sat on that roof and talked. As she told him he would be a Hero. That she sincerely believed in him and encouraged him and...! Hizashi was fifteen (almost sixteen!) and in love so deep there was no coming back from it. And, frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted to come back from it.

"Focus, Zashi," Knight Owl had growled, more than once, the rest of that night, as Hizashi had been left floating on rainbow-colored clouds with gusty, sweet sighs and big, soft doe-eyes.

"The hell happened to the kitten?" Infra-red had asked when they returned; Knight Owl grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face as he moved towards the coffee machine.

"He met a girl."

"Oooooooh!" The Night Vision Hero coed, her bright red visor lighting up with glee. "A girrrrrrl, huh?" Hizashi could only offer a goofy, doe-eyed grin.

"She broke my nose," Hizashi could only sigh dreamily even as the other Heroes and Sidekicks laughed at him. He didn't care, though, they were always laughing at him for one reason or another.

(Usually about his costume. Actually, mostly about his costume.)

That night, when he retired to his room, he dreamed of green eyes and tousled green hair and bright, fierce expressions, like she had fire in her soul just like he did. And, when he woke up, he knew he had to check on her, because, as embarrassed as he was to admit it, he'd only figured out that Inko-Chan was pregnant when he was leaving, too distracted by her eyes and smile and words and heart to even realize that there was something... Not wrong with her, babies were never wrong, but different.

And, in that area, at that time of night? A pregnant teenager alone and so close to a known drug-lab? The increase of Villains and Vigilantes and crime? He was worried, for her and her baby, and his thoughts tended to spiral down into intense fretting at the best of times if he didn't get to "mother" the object of his worry (Also, screw you Touya, he was not a mother hen! ...Only he totally was, but like hell would he let his eleven-year-old cousin mock him!). So, during the day, in his "off" hours, he kinda, sorta, maybe, just a little bit...

Stalked her.

For four days.

...Yeaaaaaaaah...

But, it was for a good reason! And it proved to himself that Inko-Chan was well worth every sort of regard. Seeing her every day, even at a distance, surrounded by what the rest of the world saw as the dregs of society, radiating kindness and acceptances and open-minded care... Seeing her treat everyone around her like they were more than worthy of acknowledgement, so different from the people he was raised amongst. The Todoroki family had always had... Very traditional views on Quirks and people in general. His Uncle was especially strict on his views of how certain Quirks should be... Handled. And here, seeing these people smiling and laughing and treating this girl he knew he loved so well, and being treated well by her, and so easily...

Inko-Chan was the opposite of everything his parents and family would have approved of, and, Hizashi could admit that that very fact was a major factor in him finally gaining the courage to ask the girl out. Of course, he was side-tracked rather quickly by her Quirk, then his worry, then her little breakdown-which was most likely propagated by her hormones, which in absolutely no way gave her emotions or thoughts or feelings any less validation! In fact, Hizashi honestly believed that it gave them more validation, because the hormones didn't change her feelings, after all, they just tended to make her express them. There was a saying that he wasn't sure actually fit the situation, but was the closest he could think of:

Drunken Words are Sober Thoughts.

Anyways, once he'd managed to get the both of them back on track (the baby was distracting, all babies were distracting, but added to the fact that Inko-Chan let him touch her baby-bump...! Well, it took a while for his brain to restart.), he'd finally, finally managed to ask her on a date and, well, she'd not only said yes, but her reaction gave him plenty of hope that he wasn't the only one helplessly infatuated (in love).

And Hizashi, he was walking on air, counting the hours until their date. The other Heroes and Sidekicks teased him relentlessly, but not even the snide, back-handed comments from his Uncle during the short family get-together on Wednesday could lower his mood! Nothing could!

...Until the night before the Date. When his worldview shifted for the second time. When an alley, an unconscious mentor, a trio of Villains, and a single moment with a girl on a rooftop turned his heart over in his chest.

(Again)

He'd done his research on the criminal elements of the locally known "Shadow Zone". He knew that Feather Touch was the most liked Vigilante. He knew that Feather Touch was never a close-range fighter. He knew that the Vigilante travelled the roofs. He knew that he preferred to knock his enemies unconscious, avoid getting involved with police or Heroes, and would flee as soon as the deed was done.

And he knew that Feather Touch and Inko-Chan were one and the same.

Because, Hizashi had watched Inko-Chan for several days. He'd gotten a chance to examine her Quirk up close. He knew how she moved. He knew she preferred the rooftops when she wasn't with Mimi-San. He knew that her Quirk worked on small objects best. He knew she would rather kill or die than endanger her baby. And he knew that she never did anything without having a truly heartfelt reason for it.

Standing in the train station, waiting for her, Hizashi examined what he knew, examined his own feelings, and examined his options. And, meeting her eyes, seeing the resignation in her smile, the forced straightening of shoulders, the gentle cradling of her stomach as she moved towards him, Hizashi let out a slow, shaky breath, and chose the only option that was acceptable.

Walking through the crowd, Hizashi met her halfway, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a steady, firm embrace, tucking her face once more into his neck, and bowing his head so that his forehead pressed against her shoulder. He held her close, and felt more than heard the catch in her breath. Expression serious, voice quiet, he spoke.

"It's going to be okay," he told her calmly, simply. "I'm here for you."

"Both of you."

A/N: I'm not crying you're crying