Chapter 18

The rest of the weekend was uneventful and it dragged into the week. She didn't see Ground Zero or Bakugou again. Izuku and herself had made a habit of walking to work together. But for the most part they kept their interactions simple.

This lovely Wednesday evening Rin stepped on the scale in the Might Agency Gym.

She thought working out would be good since she wasn't getting her daily exercise anymore. When she first stepped on the scale she was 64kg.

'Fucking America being special. What's that in pounds?'

She had to download a converter on her phone to do the math.

"Isn't your quirk linguistics?"

She turned to see Izuku watching her. He had a smirk on his face. A rare sight.

"You and I both know that this is mathematics and not language. I wish my brain could translate this shit though." She was motioning to the scale.

He snickered at her antics.

"What brings you to the Might Gymnasium? Mostly only heroes train here? I mean all employees have access but I never usually see others here."

Rin was wearing fitted fitness tights with a sports bra and tank.

"Well I don't get my daily dose of fitness anymore so I thought I'd try to get something in. But I really don't know anything about working out."

Perhaps it was because her clothes were hugging her curves perfectly but he mostly genuinely wanted to help.

"I could help train you. Maybe some sparing and weight training to help with toning. Running around the gym too."

"Okay, let's get started with running then."

With that they started to run and Izuku was surprised with the pace that she had. He should have expected with how toned her legs are. She was running next to him and he saw how she suddenly sped up and was a few feet in front of him.

He quickened and they were side my side again.

Rin saw this and smiled. Little did Midoriya know. She was REALLY good in track in school. With that she ran even quicker and before you knew it that's how the next 20 minutes went. They took turns trying to surpass one another.

"You're a lot faster than I thought you would be." He was out of breath.

"I'm sure I'm good at a lot of things you don't know about." She couldn't help the comment as she smirked at him.

Midoriya thought back to All Mights comment about him thinking with a different head. And his next comment was definitely coming from that one.

"I guess I'll have to find out one day just what your good at."

Rin was both impressed and shocked with his statement.

"Wow! Izuku can use his big boy words." She lightly pushed him into the gymnasium wall. When doing so he caught her arm and brought her with him.

"Well I am a big boy when I need to be." His voice was husky and he raised his eyebrows with them.

The meaning to his words weren't missed by the female. She felt like they were having a bit of a moment and was a little confused. Didn't they just say the other day about having boundaries.

She had to be blunt. "Izuku, what are you doing?" She analyses their position. He was in front of her with just a few inches between them.

Midoriya couldn't help but watch her a bit closer. All Might was right. It's not technically that he had feelings for the female as much as he felt the pending desire to be intimate with her.

"You're right. We already said that we needed to be distant." He backed up from his friend.

Rin watched the disappointment in his eyes. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

He shook his head in defeat.

"Okay, well I have to go. I'm meeting with a Mei Hatsume."

Midoriya's confusion showed on his face. Mei was specifically a hero costume designer.

"Thank you for the workout. We should do it again." With that she left to meet the hero support worker.

She had a specific reason for meeting the costume consultant but the last time she talked to Izuku about Ground Zero he ended up avoiding her. The idea of telling him that she wanted a copy of the hero costume didn't seem like it was going to play well.

After Rin had changed in the locker room she was on her way to her appointment.

To say that she was nervous was an understatement.

"You're Lynn Samson right? You had an appointment."

Walking into the office with machinery and unfinished projects all over the place she knew she was out of place.

"Yes. That's me."

"What kind of baby can I make for you today. Quirk enhancements at my specialty."

Rin already sensed that she was going to disappoint the woman.

"I'm actually here about the Children's Charity Event. I wanted to talk about a costume being made."

Watching her face fall wasn't a surprise but it still sucked all the same.

"Ohh, who was it you wanted to go as."

"I wanted to go as Ground Zero but I don't want the arm grenades. That's not necessary."

"Okay. I'll get your measurements and will have it done by the end of next week for you. Just before the event."

"Thank you. I know it's not exciting work for you but I really do appreciate it."

When the weekend came Rin had felt like it came too soon and not soon enough all at the same time.

When she got a surprise knock on her door with Izuku and some curry takeout she was more then happy.

They sat on her bed/couch and played cards.

"I went to go visit my mom last weekend for the first time since moving out." Izuku was starting small talk.

"How did that go? I have a feeling that you're close to your mom."

They started another game after Midoriya had clearly won. Rin had decided not to pay too much attention to the game tonight and just bond with her friend.

"It was a little strange just to start with. It was weird to have to knock on the door to see my mom. And apparently her and her boyfriend were about to get down and dirty."

"I'm sure that wasn't pleasant for you. Other than the obvious awkwardness. How did it go?"

She watched Izuku out of the corner of her eye to make sure she wasn't over stepping anything.

"It went well enough. My moms boyfriend put some things into perspective for me."

Rin kept flipping her cards in time with her friend she listened to him speak.

"Soo, her boyfriend? Is he just a boyfriend or is he step dad material"

Their game of war had come to a halt and Rin felt like she stepped in a land mine.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I was trying to not bring up a sour topic."

Midoriya waved his hands side to side. "No. No. It's not you. It's just that I'd never thought of it before." Rubbing the back of his head, "Can you keep a secret?"

"I can keep your secret as long as it doesn't put your life in danger." She meant it as a joke but the look on her friends face told her a different story. "Is it a secret that could put you in danger?"

"It could and I know I said secret but it's more like it's just not open for all to know."

Rin watched her friend seem a bit conflicted, "You don't have to tell me."

"I actually had been wanting to tell someone. Bakugou knows but he wasn't too happy with it so I never have anyone to really talk to about it. You're someone I could. Anyways, my moms boyfriend is All Might."

"Mr. Yagi?! Really?"

Izuku's laughter was contagious and had Rin laughing too. It was pleasant and heartwarming. It made me feel like everything was going to be okay.

"It's so strange to hear you call him that. They've been together for 2 years now and it's not hidden that they're together. We don't go about telling people either though. With my job and him being my mentor and his big name we don't want to put anything on the spot and people to be assuming."

Midoriya started to shuffle the cards and re-divide the deck.

"You still never answered the dad question."

"I know. It feels a bit more complicated than just the dad/not dad thing. I guess he has always felt like a dad for me and he has always been there for me like a dad would. But the thought of the 3 of of being a family feels a bit different."

"Izuku."

"And would I start calling him dad. I've noticed that he has started to use my first name more too. It would be embarrassing if I were to call him dad and to make him uncomfortable or or if he doesn't see he in that light."

"Izuku!"

"He did once say something to me about being a father. It had me and my mom crying at the dinner table. I'm"

Midoriya felt the hot sting across his face and instantly fell silent.

He couldn't help but lift his hand to his cheek and feel the tingling sensation. The burn of her hand lingered across his face. His other cheek didn't share the intense feeling. He had to shake the desire to ask her to slap the other cheek so it could bare the same sensation.

Now was not the time to be asking for those things. Those types of questions messed up his last relationship and he didn't want to go back to that. He wasn't dating Rin but he knew that if he asked the pending question he could lose the friendship they had.

"You were doing the thing again. I'm sorry that I touched you after I said I wouldn't but I tried the nice way."

She watched him feel his face on confusion and that his eyes widened a bit.

"You're not sorry for slapping me though." Izuku pointed out.

"No. I know I should be sorry. I've had to learn to get over the guilt with slapping people. You'd be surprised how common a kink that it." Rin giggle at the memory , "How about we call an end for tonight?"

She looked up at her friend and could have been sure he was blushing. His one cheek was red from her slap but his other appeared to also be bright.

"Do yooou have a smack kink Izuku?" She said in a sing song voice and leaned in a little. Her cat like grin captured Midoriya. Teasing her friend was easy.

"I-I don't really want to talk about my kinks with you."

Rin registered the tone in his voice and felt rejected. Every time she felt like their friendship was one step closer she would then take a step back.

Just earlier he was telling her about his daddy issues and now he was angry she'd found a kink of his. Either way she needed to respect his wishes. She didn't have to like it but she needed to respect it.

"Okay then. You can go now." Her words were laced with thorns.

Izuku in that moment understood that by leaving the house he would be putting a strain on his friendship but by staying he would have to explain himself. Neither he wanted to do but he chose what would be easier to fix.

Rin watched as her friend got up and left the house. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't pissed off that he just left. She did tell him to leave but she had hoped that he'd stay.

She sighed and walked over to her backpack. After emptying the contents she grabbed the glove inside it. She was going to destress one last time before returning it.