My Hero Academia: Call Off Your Ghosts

Author's Note: TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR TOGA HIMIKO. Minor gore and major character death. This is a horror-romance story. Total coincidence that I'm posting on Valentine's day, but I'll take it. Enjoy.

"I'm so glad that you were able to take a day off."

Ochako smiled at her mother, wanting to return the warmth she was feeling at the truth of the words. "So am I," replied Ochako. She looked down at the warm cup of tea in her hand, the fragrance unbearably delicious. A dark red pomegranate brew with a cinnamon kick. Her favorite. "I'm sorry that I don't make more time for you."

"We understand," said her father, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Our daughter the pro hero; the famous Uravity. When I go out, I see kids in Uravity costumes, or t-shirts. I have to resist asking for a picture of each one."

Ochako's mother leaned in and fake whispered, "He has asked for a few though." Ochako laughed at that. She gestured around the house and Ochako saw lots of pink. "Not that I'm one to talk, but they make so much cute merchandise of you I just need to collect it."

"Mom, you know I can send you free samples, right?"

Her mother puffed out her chest. "You're worth our money, and I want you to know that."

"Thank you," said Ochako, fighting back tears. Her mother and father were much too kind. "I really appreciate it." She took a long sip of tea to help steady herself.

"Sorry to make you sad on your day off," said her father, siting back in his chair. "You've always got such a big smile on your face on the TV while saving people, it's hard not to be proud. It's all we ever wanted for you."

"Getting to use my Quirk to save people is a dream come true," said Ochako. She thought back to her childhood and the sad or fake faces that had always greeted her. When she saved someone, she was always rewarded with a smile, and that made her smile. How could it not? "But enough about me, how have you two been? You haven't been pushing yourselves too much, have you?"

"Of course not," said her father, averting his gaze. She glared at him. "Just ask your mother. I'm only doing as the doctor tells me."

"Mom?"

"Well," said her mother, also averting her gaze, but with a broad smile on her face. "I don't think we've done anything too far from the doctor's orders, you know?"

Ochako let out a heavy sigh before digging into her parents. They had such a habit of pushing themselves. They didn't know how to take it easy. She admired that, but she didn't want to see them hurt. As a hero she made more than enough money to support them. They didn't need to stop working or being active, but she would like them to take it easier. Just a bit.

"What about you?" asked her father. "Have you been dating anyone?"

Ochako blushed. "Don't change the subject! This is about your health."

"And this is about your happiness," said her father gently. "I promise I'll take it easier; I don't want to worry you. But your mother and I have each other for support. It would be nice to know you have someone like that."

It was Ochako's turn to avert her gaze. "I have you and all my friends. I barely have a day to myself. I like it like that."

"That's all nice," said her mother, "but what about someone to support you more deeply? To share your life with."

"I don't have anyone like that," replied Ochako. "And I'm not really looking. Being a hero keeps me busy."

"Are there any other heroes you might be interested in?"

"There aren't," she said. Not anymore. "Everyone I know is happily married. I just went to Deku and Bakugo's wedding last month. Can you believe it took them this long?"

Her mother gave her one last look before sighing and taking a sip of her tea. "Well, if you're happy then there's no reason for us to bother you, is there?"

"It's not a bother," said Ochako quickly. "I really, really do appreciate it. I'm just not there in my life yet."

"And that is all we need to know," said her father with a proud smile.

Ochako's heart swelled at the praise. Their love was so pure and uncomplicated. She couldn't get enough of it. She was the luckiest person in the world.

"I'll secure the perimeter," said Shoto as he created an ice wall to keep civilians out.

"Thanks," said Uravity, removing her own gravity and leaping like a bullet towards the rampaging villain. "I'll take this guy down quick."

"You're never going to take me, Heroes," said the large, beefy villain. His arm transformed into a cannon and a heavy ball shot out of it right to Uravity. She touched it and removed it's gravity as well, halting it's momentum. She then returned her own gravity and kicked the ball back towards the villain. With a panicked look he shot a second projectile that struck the first. Uravity returned gravity and the pair exploded on impact. She rushed into the smoke cloud, dodging and weaving.

"Just come quietly," said Uravity. "No one needs to get hurt."

"Only you will," said the villain. Another canon ball flew through the smoke, but Uravity easily avoided it. She heard another half dozen shots in quick succession, but none got close to her.

In a moment she was upon the villain. Instead of firing at her he swung his canon arm. She quickly touched it, removing his gravity and tightened her grip. Then she twisted and flung him over her shoulder. Once the screaming villain was past the top of the arc of her throw she returned his gravity and slammed him into the ground. "Zero-g Arc Toss!" yelled Uravity, unleashing her signature move. The villain didn't move from his spot on the ground, although he did groan. Out for the count.

"Good job," said Shoto as the smoke faded. All around the ice perimeter he'd made was starting to melt, although the cannon balls were still caught in their own ice pillars. He quickly crafted ice restraints for the villain, also making sure to cap the canon. "Swift like usual."

"Thanks," replied Uravity, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes. "Good work securing the perimeter."

"Who thought a villain would start attacking people while we were having lunch?"

Uravity laughed. "That's just our luck, isn't it?" She looked at the villain, feeling momentarily sorry for him. She thought briefly about Toga Himiko, something she tried to avoid if she could. Many laws had been passed over the past few decades to help address the root cause of crime and villainy, but sometimes it wasn't enough. She couldn't help but wonder if she could be doing more.

"Shoto! Uravity!" said a newscaster, drawing both heroes' attention to her. She had a mic in hand and a camera over her shoulder. "That was a brilliant take down of a rampaging villain, would you mind answering a few questions?"

"Not at all," said Shoto. "But we should probably move from the middle of the street."

"I've got it," said Uravity. She touched the villain and started to float him out of the path of traffic. Shoto melted the cannon balls, and she did the same for them.

Once they had everything clear, the reporter jumped right into her questions. "We're coming up on the twentieth anniversary of the defeat of the League of Villains," said the reporter. Uravity couldn't help but flinch slightly. She should've expected this line of questioning and hoped no one noticed her reaction. "Firstly, for Shoto, you're the one who defeated Dabi, do you have any words on that?"

Shoto's expression was uncharacteristically warm as he replied. "That I was able to talk Dabi down and have him surrender is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. He was a victim who lashed out at the world. I regret that he didn't live long after, but I'll forever cherish the time we had together as brothers."

The reporter teared up a but. Uravity couldn't blame her. "That's so heartwarming. A story of redemption and brotherly love. Just what we'd expect from the number four hero." The reporter turned and Uravity's heart started to pound in her chest. "Hero Uravity, you're the one who defeated the villain Toga Himiko and you helped land the final blow on All For One, what words do you have for the audience?"

Uravity took a deep breath and exhaled it before responding. "I didn't defeat Toga Himiko," she said. "I failed to save her. I should have known All For One would be willing to kill his own allies…" Another deep breath, tears in her eyes as she remembered the moment. The scream as jagged blades pierced flash. "That I was able to help Deku remove a major threat to humanity is the least I could do." She remembered the feeling of removing All For One's gravity, the surprise on his face. When Deku had sent the old man flying into space, she couldn't help but smile and laugh. The weight of the world briefly gone from her shoulders.

"That sense of caring and bravery is why you're number three," said the reporter, wiping some tears away.

"Villains are people too," said Uravity. "If I can be known for nothing else, I want it to be for promoting that."

"A sentiment you embody," said Shoto, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I try."

It was late into the night when Ochako arrived at her apartment. There had been a tunnel collapse shortly after the interview and she'd spent the last several hours rescuing people. Everyone had made it out alive, but she was beat. But first, she needed a shower.

Ochako undressed slowly, her body sore from what she'd put it through. Relief settled in when she stepped under the warm shower stream, and she let out a sigh. This was bliss. As the water ran down her and washed away the grime of hero work, she allowed herself to drop her Quirk. Flesh melted away and washed down with the water down the drain.

Himiko stood in the shower for almost half an hour, allowing herself freedom she hadn't had in several weeks. A moment to herself. She loved being Ochako, more than anything in the world. The people in her life, the chance to make a difference, it was all she wanted anymore. But tonight, was the one night where she needed to be herself. It was only fair.

She dressed in comfortable planet print pajamas and pulled a large box from her closet. A scan of her thumbprint and the box unlocked. She set it up on her bed, opening it to reveal a small shrine, Ochako's smiling face from twenty years ago staring at her. Next to it was tucked an envelope of pictures she took every year to catalog how Ochako aged. She only got more beautiful.

"Ochako," said Himiko, lighting a stick of incense and placing it below the picture. "I'm sorry I don't talk to you more often. But I hope you know that I'm not trying to run. There's just so many great people in your life who deserve to be happy. For you to make them happy. I like to think that that's what you would want."

She took a deep breath, unable to fight back the tears or sobbing gasps threatening to overtake her. "You've given me a life that I could never have dreamed for. To be the person I love the most in the world, and to be loved. It's more than I deserve."

Memories of Ochako pushing her out of the way of All For One's blades came to mind. She felt her throat go hoarse from screaming as the pair fell to the ground behind a destroyed wall. As she sobbed at that gentle smile and that hand weakly holding hers.

"I made it," said Ochako.

"You did," said Himiko, her tears falling into the open hole in Ochako's chest. "You didn't need to."

"You deserved it."

"Why?"

"Because you do," said Ochako. "Even if I didn't love you, you deserved to be saved."

"Wait, do you…"

"I wish I could've spent more time with you."

Himiko's faced was covered in snot. All around she could hear Deku and the other heroes fighting for their lives. "Same. I wanted to spend my life with you."

A soft smile. "That sounds nice." Ochako's eyes fluttered closed. "I think I would like that too."

And then was gone. Himiko could hear the stillness in Ochako's heart. She hadn't thought as she'd reached into Ochako's chest and took her heart in her hands. She'd licked the organ, savoring the tastiest blood she'd ever had. Then, she'd taken Ochako's love into herself. Her Quirk had activated immediately and Ochako knelt by her own body. She'd never felt a transformation so thoroughly. She was Ochako, and Ochako was her.

"I did what you would do," said Himiko to the shrine. "I saved our friends. I became a hero. Everyone knows how great you are. They love you. Your parents are happy and healthy. Your friends have found the loves of their lives. We needed to give a few of them a push, though. This is what you would want, right?"

Ochako didn't say anything to her. Just smiled, frozen in a moment from right before her death. As Himiko mourned, she felt a second heart beating in her chest. The beating moved to the small of her back and peeled away from her like a flap of skin being pulled off. Arms wrapped around her, and a body pressed against her back.

"Is it okay if I spend the night with you?" asked Ochako, her warm breath tickling Himiko's ear.

"Of course," said Himiko, hypnotized by her love's warmth. Ochako let go of her and packed up the shrine once more as Himiko shed her final tears.

Ochako rejoined her side, wiping away the lingering trail of tears. She made Himiko stare into her gentle eyes and loving smile. "You're so cute when you cry," said Ochako. She kissed Himiko's cheek and pulled her into the bed. They didn't exchange anymore words as the cuddled together in each other's warmth under the covers. Himiko fell asleep to Ochako's smile, trying not to think about how it would be gone in the morning. This moment was all that mattered. All that would ever matter.