Yo, fellow Heroes. Rio here with another My Hero Academia oneshot, and it's a special one this time. This is the first of a 2-part IzuOcha holiday set that I've been working on, and I'm happy to present this one for you all as my gift for the holidays. It took me about a week and a number of revisions to get this fic down, and…I think I'm satisfied with what I came up with. Hopefully what I've written would suit as a good enough present for you all this holiday season. For those of you who have been following me and reading my fics, from my first fic, to my newest ones, thank you all so much for your support for all this time. That there is what I consider to be the best gift I could ever ask for, and I am truly touched that so many of you enjoy my work despite the mistakes. I got a few more things to say, but I will save them for the author's notes. Until then, enjoy the story, everyone, and I'll catch ya all later.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.
MHA: Green Tea Holiday Tales
Christmas with Him
Hmm… It's snowing now, huh? I guess the weather report was right. We really are having a white Christmas this year…
Ochako Uraraka had a soft smile on her face as she stared out of the window in the comfort of her dorm room, watching the gentle snow fall from the sky as she sat on her desk with a pair of knitting needles in her hand and a multitude of yarn scattered on her desk, with the red one being in use at the moment finish up what looked like a scarf. The flakes were big, and with how cold it's been lately, it was definitely going to stick. She wouldn't be surprise if the entire campus will be blanketed by the white, powdery fluff by the next day; Christmas. It was a prospect that she actually was hoping for.
She was a big fan of white Christmases, after all.
The girl let off a fond sigh at the window before returning back to her task, the clicking of needles permeating the plain room as she added the finishing touches of the crimson muffler. Knitting had been a favorite pastime for her ever since she was young. Originally, like most of her habits from the past, it was a way for her to save money; why go out and buy stuff like scarves and mittens if she could just make them herself for less overall cost? Her mother was the one who taught her how to knit, and she had enjoyed every lesson she had. It was a method of bonding between the pair, and every time she knit, she often fell back on the happy memories of her and her mother knitting ugly Christmas sweaters for them and her father to wear for the fun of it. It was their family tradition…
The memory of her parents, however, brought a frown on her face, and slowed her sewing to a snail's pace. It was near Christmas again and she had always spent it with her family; making mochi with her mother while helping her father decorate the Christmas tree, setting up lights in her bedroom, singing carols of all kinds with her parents, and celebrating her birthday almost immediately after the festive holiday with cake and hugs. This year, however, would be different. Due to some complications with the weather and a multitude of villain attacks, the road to her home was closed off temporarily, leaving her with no way to return for Christmas. It devastated her when she was told the news, and ended up crying in front of her friends, much to her embarrassment. They had understood her feeling, thankfully, and didn't think less of her for wanting to be with her family for the holidays. At the time, she was afraid that she was going to be all alone in the dorm while everyone left to be with loved ones. Sure, some of them were willing to stay with her or bring her along to their family homes, but she didn't want to be a burden to any of her classmates, nor their parents, if she could help it.
However, one particular person was persistent, desperate even, to bring her over to his place so that she wouldn't be all alone. She tried to turn down the request, she truly did, but he didn't back down, and after a long conversation, she agreed to spend the holidays with him. The smile on his face when she accepted his request was something that was going to stay in her head forever… It was rare for her to see him that truly happy, and knowing that it was her that brought it out, for simply letting her stay with him, made her feel happy for the first time since being told the news of her disrupted travel plans. She was happy to have someone like him by her side, and even now, she was wondering what she did to deserve him…
I really hope he likes this gift, though. It took a while, but I think I manage to get it down exactly how I wanted it. She thought as she set her needles down and held the muffler up with both hands, inspecting it for any missed stitches, and pausing with a smile at the English initials 'I.M' added on the tail ends of the crimson cloth. Excellent. It's ready. Just need to box it up and give it to him. Hah, who would've thought that a Christmas special from an old martial arts anime would give me the perfect idea for what to give to him? …Though thankfully I'm a much better knitter than that violent tsundere girl in the show. I wonder why it's so hard for her to admit that she really likes that weird pigtailed guy…?
*knock knock*
"Uraraka? It's me. Just wanted to know if you're all set for when we leave. Can I come in?" A familiar voice called out from behind her door, causing her to perk up considerably as she turned to the source of the voice with a massive smile.
"Coming, Deku!" She chirped, grabbing a decorated box from underneath her desk, sealing the muffler in it, and placed it inside her suitcase beside her desk, the box barely able to fit due to how full, and small, the storage unit was. Frowning slightly at the sight of it, she sighed and shook her head briefly before she rushed to the door and happy opened it to see the smiling form of her best friend and boyfriend, Izuku Midoriya, holding a pair of steaming mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream and wearing a red Santa hat; a little something that she found for him during their last date.
It has been quite some time since the two friends had gotten together and Ochako enjoyed every second of it. She enjoyed the time she spent with him, whether it was a date at the beach or a training session in the gym. The pair supported each other and their respective dreams, confided in one another and shared each other's secrets, and both constantly encouraged one another to do their best in whatever challenges they faced. They weren't a perfect couple by any means; they had no experience when it came to relationships, so many mistakes were made, and the occasional argument had occurred now and then, but they were determined to make it work and take everything in stride. Thankfully, though, they were making good progress, even with all the drama and difficulties that had become the norm in their lives. Ochako couldn't be happier with her new relationship with Izuku, and she knew he felt the same if his adamant decision to bring her to his home for Christmas was any indication.
"Hey. Sorry to bother you, Uraraka. Sato made some hot chocolate for whoever's left and gave me a cup for you since I was on my way to see you. You weren't busy, were you?" Izuku asked as he entered the room and handed her a cup.
"Not really. Just working on a personal project of mine since I already finished packing. It's pretty much done, though, so it's all good," Ochako assured as she grabbed her mug, taking a long sip out of it and hummed in satisfaction after she finished. "So yummy~. Sato really does make the best hot chocolate, huh?"
"Um… Uraraka?" Izuku called out, prompting her to turn to him and raising an eyebrow at his shaky smile. It looked like he was preventing himself from laughing for some reason. Before she could ask what was wrong, he lifted his hand and pointed a finger at her face, then at her mug, before covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. Confusion growing, she moved her free hand to her face, and gasped in shock when she felt something soft and creamy on her upper lips.
"Wah! Oh, darn it, not again!" She cried out as she hastily removed the foamy mustache she accidentally made, just as Izuku finally managed to control his laughter.
"Haha… You didn't have to do that. It looked good on you. Honest." He teased with a light smile, a rare occurrence from the usually timid teen that she had come to both love and loathe.
"Oh yeah, well let's see how you like it!" She announced, swiping a bit of cream off her chocolate and pressed it on his nose with a 'boop', startling him. Satisfied with catching him off guard, she stepped back to admire her handiwork, and began sputtering out in laughter when his deadpanned expression mixed with the white nose and red Santa hat became too much for her.
"…Again? Really? What's with you and booping my nose like that?" He asked with a false-annoyed while as he wiped the foam from his nose, smiling wryly as he did.
"Hey, you laughed at me with my foamy mess, now it's my turn," She teased with a grin of her own and playfully sticking her tongue out at him, making him shake his head in response as she plopped herself on the bed and gave it a pat to the empty spot beside her.
"Alright, alright. Fair enough…" Izuku laughed, getting the message and joined her on the bed before taking a sip of his own, looking at her in wonder. "So…are you looking forward to Christmas with me and Mom tomorrow? I know it's not the same as spending the break with your family, but we're happy that you accepted my invitation. I know Mom's really excited for you to come, tonight."
"Definitely, Deku! I'm so happy that you were persistent in having me over. I definitely would've been lonely staying here by myself. Really…thank you for letting me stay," Ochako said kindly, placing a hand over her guest's own hand and gave it a soft squeeze, a small, grateful smile on her face as she stared at him.
"…It's no problem. I'd do anything for you." Izuku responded in kind, returning the squeeze with one of his own, before a look of curiosity formed on his face. "By the way…what kind of project are you working on? Does it involve hero work or something similar?"
"Nah, it's nothing like that. It's just a little thing I do to pass the time when I'm not swamped with homework or hero business," She explained as she took another sip of her chocolate before giving her mug to Izuku for a bit. She then reached under her bed and pulled out a box. Smiling at Izuku's curious expression, she opened it to reveal several knitted hats and scarves, all seemingly handmade. Izuku let off a startled gasp at the sight of it, and Ochako couldn't help but smile proudly at her handiwork.
"Oh wow! That's a lot of scarves and hats! Where did you get all of them?" He asked, looking at the girl in surprise.
"I made them. Knitted them all by myself." She stated with pride as she pulled out a pink wool cap and placed it on her head whist pointing at her desk, which still held her knitting gear. "Whenever I need a new scarf or hat to keep me warm, I try and find time to make some instead of going off to buy replacements. The yarn I need is much cheaper and easier to find, and I can be really creative in how I design my stuff. My mom taught me how to knit when I was a kid and I think I've gotten pretty good at it, if I do say so myself."
"Oh wow…! That's pretty cool, Uraraka. I didn't know you knew such a handy skill. Do you make other stuff besides hats and scarves?" Izuku asked, his eyes shining with a mix of curiosity and amazement that it brought out a small bit of laughter out of her as she removed her hat and placed it on her lap.
"Well, I can make mittens and sweaters but I'm not that good at them. The mittens take a long time to make because I have to tailor them to my quirk, and I need Mom's help when it comes to making sweaters, but they always end up super awesome when we're done. Even the ugly Christmas ones that we make for everyone as a joke. I think you'll like them, they're seriously funny." Ochako said with a grin as she returned the box back under her bed and took her mug back, happy to be the cause of her boyfriend's excitement.
"I can't wait to see them! I hope I get to wear one of your handmade gear sometime!" Izuku exclaimed before realizing what he said and turned away from Ochako with a nervous blush on his face, much to her confusion, before speaking up once more in a soft tone. "Ah. U-Um, not that I'm expecting you to make me something, you know! Y-You don't have to if you don't want to, of course! It's just… I think it would be nice to wear something that you made, I guess… It…probably feel really good, since it was created by your hands… I promise to take good care of it, too. I-If you actually do it, I mean…"
That earnest, hopeful look on his face brought a small smile on Ochako's face. Even after all this time, he still had trouble with the romantic part of their dating life. In fact, it was only up until recently that he was finally able to initiate their kisses without looking like a tomato in the process. She loved it when he tried to act romantic, even when he was failing miserably at it, since it showed how much he meant to her. Normally she would tease him a little when he was acting in such a manner, enjoying and laughing at his flustered reactions, but she decided to forego it for today, since it was Christmas Eve. Instead, she turned her head to her suitcase, staring at it for a brief moment, before focusing her attention back to Izuku and smiled softly at him.
"No worries, Deku. You'll be getting something from me soon enough. Ya just have to be patient for a bit." She assured, leaning up to his face and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, making his blush even brighter, much to her amusement.
It was at that moment, however, that Izuku's phone went off, startling them both. Flustered, the teen reached into his pocket and pulled out his device, his eyes going wide as soon as he saw it, and turned to Ochako with an apologetic expression.
"S-Sorry, Uraraka, but I have to take this. I might be a while, too. Do you mind waiting for me in the common room? We'll head out when I'm done with this." Izuku requested, looking quite nervous to the gravity girl, who could only stare at him curiously before slowly nodding her head
"…Sure, Deku. Go do what you need. I'll be downstairs when you're ready…" Ochako agreed, confusion welling up within her even after hearing his thanks and feeling him pecking her cheek before rushing out the room, leaving his mug behind. It was truly odd to see him act like that, but couldn't dwell on it for too long. It was nearly time to go, after all, so with a shrug to herself, she grabbed her suitcase, along with a thick pink sweater, the wool hat that was on her lap, and the now empty mugs before proceeding to head downstairs.
…I wonder what that was all about? Deku was acting super weird just now… She thought as she made her trek, a perplexed expression on her face as she let her curiosity of her boyfriend's actions loose. He looked super nervous about something, too. I haven't seen him act like that in a while… Did something happen? Is his mom sick…? Nah, that can't be it. If she was, he would've told me. Geeze…now he's got me all worried. I hope everything's ok…
*Boom! Boom!*
"ELECTRO-DOLT, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE SO THAT I CAN KILL YOU!"
"LIKE HELL AM I GONNA LET YOU DO THAT!"
"Huh?" Ochako grunted, surprised by the sounds of shouting and explosions coming from behind, and turned her head to see a couple streaks of yellow before she suddenly got blindsided by a couple of reckless, and familiar, teens, the small trio tumbling down the stairs in a spectacular fashion before crashing into the common room, leaving the poor girl dazed with her eyes spinning, wondering what just happened.
"Shoot! Sorry, Uraraka! Didn't see you there! Trying to get away from Explodo-king here! I'll make it up to you after break soseeyagottagobye!" Kaminari apologized, his words going faster as he spoke, before he got up from the floor and bolted from the ground, Bakugo following suit and looking angrier than before.
"Not enough that you went and ruined the presents I had to get for my damn folks, but now you had me crash into freaking Doll Face, too!? You're dead when I catch you! Do you hear me!?" The explosion teen exclaimed, making the poor girl's ears ring by how loud he was shouting as she let off a soft groan on the floor.
"Oh my… Young Uraraka, are you ok? You are not hurt, are you?" A kind voice spoke up to the downed girl, prompting her to look up to see the former number one hero kneeling down at her with a hand down to help her up, which she accepted gratefully.
"I'm ok, sir. Just a little dazed, is all. Nothing broken what so ever!" The girl assured as she stood up, grabbing her slightly open suitcase from the floor before noticing a few white shards on the ground and winced at the sight. "Well…other than the mugs."
"Oh my. That looks dangerous. Best to clean that up before anyone steps on the broken pieces." Toshinori muttered, procuring a small hand broom and dustpan and proceeded to sweep up the little mess that was made with ease, all while Ochako was looking at him oddly.
"Uh… Sir? Not to be rude or anything…but why did you have that stuff with you on hand?" She couldn't help but ask as she pointed at the cleaning supplies in her teacher's hands.
"You'd be surprise by how much mess I've had to clean today, Young Uraraka. Everyone scrambling to leave for home for break has left everyone a little scatterbrained at the moment. A trend that you seem to be following as well if your open suitcase is any indication." The man stated, pointing at said suitcase with his broomed hand before walking over to a nearby trash bin to toss the shards.
Blinking a couple times at his words, Ochako turned to her small case to see that, indeed, it had popped open during the fall. Eyes going wide she looking up and down the stairs to see if anything had fallen off, but found nothing of note. Frowning at the lack of any of her possessions out in the open, she walked back down to her suitcase and looked down at it curiously.
Huh… Looks like nothing fell out. That's good at least. I don't know what I've would've done if I had dropped anything important. Especially Deku's present. The girl thought in relief before an odd feeling began forming at the back of her head, causing her to continue staring at her pack curiously. …Then again, it can't hurt to check to see if I really am missing anything. Just in ca—
"Uraraka!" A worried voice called out to the girl, causing her to jump in surprise as a hatless Izuku rushed down the stairs and to her side, startling her in the process. "I heard a crash just now and Jiro told me that Kacchan's chasing Kaminari for breaking his parents' gifts! Are up ok? Did you get hurt? He didn't blow you up for getting in the way, did he?"
"I'm fine, Deku. We just stumbled down the stairs together. Only thing that broke were the mugs, and they didn't cut me. Its all good," Ochako assured, giving her fretting boyfriend an easy smile as she absentmindedly zipped up her suitcase.
"She is correct, Young Midoriya. I checked her before cleaning up the broken shards of the mugs and I can assure you that Uraraka has not sustained any injuries what so ever." Toshinori confirmed, walking up to the couple with a bony smile of reassurance, allowing Izuku to let off a sigh of relief.
"Ok, that's good…" The timid teen muttered before looking down at Ochako with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about earlier. Had an important call that I had to take and I couldn't ignore it. Hope it didn't bother you."
"Don't sweat it, Deku. I understand. You got everything taken care of, though, right?" Ochako asked.
"I did. I even got my stuff during the call, so I'm ready to go when you are." Izuku said, holding up his suitcase with a smile.
"I'm good, too! Let's go and see your mom. I can't wait to see what she's done to the place!" Ochako asked eagerly, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet at the prospect of the possible decorations that were in her boyfriend's home.
"Haha. Sounds like you two are going to have quite a bit of fun during break." Toshinori announced, patting the couple on the shoulders. "You two enjoy yourselves and stay safe, you hear?"
"We will! Thanks, All Might!" The couple assured, giving the man wide smiles, before turning to each other happily and unaware of the teacher's curious gaze as he stared at the floor.
"Well, time to go to my place. Shall we?" Izuku asked, holding a gloved hand out to Ochako, who stared at it briefly before looking up to him brightly.
"Of course! Lets!" She exclaimed, reaching into her pockets quickly and put on a set of thick mittens before grabbing the offered appendage excitedly, prompting the pair to leave to their destination, missing a certain former hero looking back at them with a perplexed, and mildly concerned, expression.
Along with a long, partially opened red box with a few pieces of crimson string sticking out of it in his hand…
-Later, Midoriya Residence-
"Well, here we are. Good thing we made it here before the snow got worse, huh?" Izuku asked as he and Ochako made it to the entrance of his home, having just arrived as the once gentle snowfall now became much heavier, reducing visibility quite a bit.
"No kidding. I love snow, but this is kinda ridiculous," Ochako laughed, looking back at the raging snow behind her and shivered a bit, scooching herself closer to Izuku in order to keep herself warm.
"I agree. Let's hurry and get inside. I'm sure Mom's worried about us, right now." Izuku said, holding her close and using his free hand to reach the door. Before he could grab the handle, however, the door suddenly flew open, revealing a teary-eyed Inko Midoriya looking at the stunned couple in surprise.
"Ah! I thought I heard you two just now! Oh, thank God, you two made it! When the weather report said that the snow was going to get worse, I got worried and rushed to the door to see if you two made it! I'm so glad you made it here safe!" The mother exclaimed, waterfalls of tears falling from her eyes as she went and embraced the pair tightly, utterly happy that her son and his girlfriend had managed to get home.
"Haha… We're home, Mom. Sorry for making you worry." Izuku said in a strained tone, returning the hug with one hand.
"Yeah. And thanks for letting me stay with you. I really appreciate it, Inko, even if I being stubborn about it before…" Ochako said as she also returned the hug, feeling a little guilty at her past rebuttals now that she was in the arms of the lovable woman before her.
"Oh, it's no trouble, dear! I am well aware and proud of how independent you are! I assure you that you being here is more than ok. You are not a burden to me nor my little Izu, and you never will be." Inko assured, ending the embrace to stare at the young heroine softly with Izuku silently nodding along in agreement.
Ochako couldn't help but tear up slightly at the words. She had heard them before from both her and Izuku in the past. Multiple times in fact. However, it didn't lessen the effect it had on her. She was feeling a little overwhelmed by emotion, and wanted to hug the woman before her, but had to restrain herself lest she ruin the presents in her hand, so she simply nodded with a bright smile on her face along with a soft thanks, which made Inko even happier if her wider smile was any indication.
"You're welcome, sweetie. Now, let's head inside. I have plenty of piping hot cookies and some tea made to warm you up! Hurry in, you two!" The woman insisted, causing the couple to laugh a little at her energy, before accepting the invitation and entered the home.
Once inside, they were greeted by decorations of all kinds in the small apartment, ranging from little holiday trinkets and snowflakes on the walls, to brightly colored lights on the ceiling. There was a decorated tree sitting in the corner of the room, and pinned to the wall beside it were a trio of red stockings with the names 'Inko', 'Izuku', and even 'Ochako', written on them, the last one causing the girl in question to gasp in surprise while the mother turned to her with a warm smile.
"As soon as Izuku told me you were coming, I went and got one for you. I want you to feel like you're part of the family during your stay here, sweetie." Inko explained, gently squeezing the teary-eyed girl's shoulder, before heading into the kitchen to grab the snacks.
"…You going to be ok, Uraraka?" Izuku asked softly as he took off his coat and gloves and placed them on a nearby coatrack, taking Ochako's snow gear as well after she took them off.
"I'll be fine. It's just… Your mom's super awesome, ya know? She really does go above and beyond, doesn't she? I can see where you get it from." Ochako explained in a quiet tone, a wavering smile on her face as she stared at her host, who nodded back at her with his own smile.
"Yeah… She is pretty awesome, huh. I'm lucky to have a mother like her…" Izuku agreed, the pair taking off their shoes and proceeded to head further into the home. "You're staying in my room for the break, so you can put your suitcase there, if you want. You remember where it is, don't you?"
"I do. Kinda hard to forget such a geeky room, after all." She said with a teasing grin, getting a chuckle out of him in response, before grabbing his suitcase along with her own. "I'll go ahead and put our stuff in your room. You go and catch up with your mom. I'm sure she'll love to hear about everything you've done so far.
"Are you sure? I can put away my own things, if you want. You don't need to do this." Izuku asked, backing down, though when Ochako shook her head in response to his request.
"It's all good, Deku. I can handle a couple suitcases no problem. See?" She assured, demonstrating her point by touching both bags and making them float before grabbing them by the handles with one hand. "No worries, here. Go have fun with your Mom. I'll catch up."
"Alright, if you're sure." Izuku relented with his own headshake, looking amused by her antics, before the pair entered further into the home to their respective destinations.
As Izuku turned to the kitchen to talk to Inko, Ochako made her way towards the familiar sight of Izuku's bedroom door, smiling at the All Might theme nameplate that was hanging on it. Giggling at the ridiculous design, she opened the door and was greeted by the familiar sight of All Might memorabilia of all makes, shapes, sizes. Despite seeing it all before, she couldn't help but sweatdrop a little at the reminder of how much her boyfriend practically worshiped the former hero.
Still worships, if I have to be honest. She thought in amusement as she released her zero gravity from the suitcases, letting them fall on the bed before heading to her own suitcase with a hum and rifling through it for a certain package she hid in it. Not that I blame him, really. All Might really is a super cool hero, especially after everything he's done for Deku. He even gave him a chance to achieve his dream at the cost of his own fame and power. If that doesn't show how much of a good person and wonderful hero he is, I don't know what wi… Wait a minute…
Ochako's thoughts trailed off as she realized something was off. As she was shifting through her suitcase, she had yet to feel Izuku's present at all. Panic flowing through her, she fully opened her case and began frantically rummaging through it, throwing her clothes every which way without care and inadvertently making them float. Tears began welling up in her eyes as she practically emptied her entire suitcase of its contents, with no hide or hair of the present at all. It was then that she recalled her stumble back at the dorms, and realized in horror of what must've happened.
CRAP! The present must've flown off my case when Kaminari and Bakugo crashed into me! Why didn't I see it when I was looking around the stairs!? How far did it fly off!? WHY THE HECK DID I NOT BOTHER TO CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS STILL THERE AFTER I FELL!? The girl thought hysterically before forcing herself to stop, taking multiple deep breaths to calm down and released her hold over her clothes, letting them all fall on Izuku's bed, and took out her phone to check the time. …Ok, the trains are still running. If I hurry up and leave now, I'm sure I'll be able to—
"Uraraka…? Is everything ok?" She heard Izuku called out, startling her greatly to the point where she practically jumped to the ceiling, surprising the young man as well.
"Deku! Wh-What are you doing here!?" The girl exclaimed, silently wondering how things could get any worse.
"I-I just wanted to see how you were doing! I didn't mean to scare you! Honest!" Izuku explained in a desperate manner before a concerned expression formed on his face, making Ochako wince once she saw it. "…What happened, though? Why are your clothes all scattered around my bed? Were you looking for something in your suitcase?"
"…I was, but I think I know where it is! Deku, is it ok if I go back to the dorms really quick?! I promise I won't be too long!" Ochako begged, hoping that he would allow him to go, but grew even more worried when she saw the uncomfortable look on his face.
"Um… Uraraka? I…hate to tell you this, but the trains shut down early today," Izuku said with a touch of guilt, practically shattering the poor girl's world as he went on to explain. "You see, the snow outside has started to get even worse. It's practically a blizzard now and a warning's been made to keep people who don't have a Quirk to combat the weather inside. The train we took was actually the last one because of that, and now all other trains are closed as a result… Meaning we can't go back to the dorms for anything. Even if we wanted to…"
"No… You got to be kidding me…" Ochako whimpered, feeling tears welling up in her eyes once more as she collapsed on her knees and hugged herself tightly in despair. "Of all the rotten luck… Why did this had to happen today of all days…? I can't believe this…"
"Uraraka…?" Izuku called out, prompting the girl to look up at him, and gasped a little in surprise when she saw him kneeling right in front of her, his eyes full of compassion and concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Uraraka… It's ok. You don't need to be upset. I'm sure whatever it is you lost, we can get it back soon. It's really important to you, I can tell, so the first chance we get, we'll go back to the dorms and look for it. I promise…"
"…No, Deku. It's ok. You don't need to go that far…" Ochako assured, feeling incredibly guilty for how she acted before letting off a tired sigh and leaned into him, her head resting on his chest and feeling somewhat better when she felt his arms wrap around her. "Seriously, though. It's fine. I was just being silly and overreacting to something stupid. Don't sweat it, o—"
"Uraraka…"
The deep tone Izuku used to say her name made her stiffen in surprise, not expecting him to call her out so suddenly or fiercely. It was then that she realized that she couldn't hide anything to him anymore. He knew her too well, even before they got together. There was no use keeping her feelings down anymore, he wouldn't let her. Instead, she relented; allowing herself to be honest with both herself and her best friend, and hoped that he wouldn't judge her too harshly.
"…It's your Christmas gift, Deku. The thing that I was looking for like a madwoman was the gift I got for you…" She finally confessed, frowning when he felt her boyfriend stiffen in surprise by the revelation. "It probably fell off when the guys knocked me down the stairs, but I didn't realize I lost until we got here. As soon as I noticed it wasn't here…I freaked out for the most part, and when you told me that the trains shut down early because of the weather, it felt like my whole world shut down… The gift I got you, something that I worked super hard to get it perfect, is back at the dorms with me having no way to get it back. For all I know, someone could've found it and either kept it or put it in the school's lost and found, and with us being in break, now, I doubt I'll be able to get it back ever again…"
She then let off another sigh, holding back tears as she continued to explain. "Like I said, it's a really stupid reason to be upset. I just wanted to celebrate my first Christmas with you…both as your best friend and your girlfriend. I wanted it to be amazing… To be special… When you first asked me to stay with you for the break, I was super happy, but I didn't want to burden you and your mother or mess up any traditions you two might've had. You didn't give up, though, like always…and eventually you wore me down, and you have no idea how grateful I was that you convinced me to be with you. I wanted to repay you for that by getting you an amazing gift… Something to say thanks for everything you done… And now I can't even do that… Sorry for being such a downer right now, Deku, but I can't help but feel a little stupid about all this. Feels like I really screwed up our Christmas this year, huh?"
"No! You didn't screw anything up at all!" Izuku suddenly shouted, making Ochako flinch in his grasp. "Oh… Sorry for shouting, but you're wrong, Uraraka. You didn't mess up Christmas for us, and it's definitely not stupid for you to be upset about this! If what happened to you happened to me, I'd be acting just like you! You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself for feeling like this, it's completely natural! And besides… Even if you weren't able to get me a present this year… It's ok. In fact, it doesn't really matter me if you were able to get me a gift or not… Do you know why…?"
Ochako couldn't answer that question, at least not vocally. She was too caught up in his words to speak properly, so she simply shook her head, urging him to continue, and what he said in response was not something she expected him to say…
But was something she definitely needed to hear.
"Because you are here… With me… And I am more than content with that… Ochako…" Izuku answered, his face becoming red as soon as he said those words while Ochako's own face started to heat up immensely in response. "I… When you found out you couldn't go home for the break, you looked so upset… So devastated… It hurt me to see you that way, and I wanted to make you feel better, but I didn't know how. At least not right away. Then everyone began suggesting you stay with them or they stick around in the dorm with you, but you kept turning the offers down, saying that you didn't want to bother them. You even turned down my offer initially, but I didn't want you to have a lonely Christmas… I didn't want you to be alone the whole time, so I kept trying, hoping you would say yes…and by some miracle, you did, and it made me super happy that you accepted my invitation. Honestly, I consider that to be my gift from you… To be able to spend the break with you. I don't need anything fancy from you to make this Christmas to be special… All I need is you…"
The moment those words were said, Ochako couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around the sweet boy before her and hugged him tightly, muttering 'I'm sorry' and 'thanks' over and over again as she let herself cry from his words. She felt his hold on her tighten and couldn't help but respond in kind. What he said truly touched her, warmed her heart, and made her fall for him all over again. It was rare…truly rare, for him to say such things with such conviction. She knew he cared, she could see it in his eyes and actions whenever they were together, but to actually hear him say such things…it was more than she could ever imagine. And saying all of that on Christmas Eve of all days…? It was the most romantic thing he had ever done for her, and while she still felt bad that she left her present back at the dorm, it wasn't as bad as it was initially. Like him, she was happy to be spending Christmas with each other, and she was going to make the most of it for now on…
"Ah… That's right… I left it here…" She heard him mutter before he ended the embrace, and was now looking at her with a mix of sheepishness and anticipation. "Um… Uraraka? I… I know what I said just now…about not needing any presents to make this Christmas great…but I did get you something. I left it here after I convinced you to stay over so that I wouldn't lose it… And… I want you to open it now. Is it ok…?"
"…Yeah, Deku. It's ok. I'm sure I'll love whatever it is you got me…" Ochako assured with a soft smile, feeling much better than ever before as she watched him light up and rush over to his desk, opening it up and pulling out a rectangular box from it, before heading back to her with a shaky smile.
"Um… Well… I know how barren your room is back at the dorms. A-And I know why you keep it that way! B-But I figured that… Well… Maybe you might want a little something that help make the place a little…brighter I guess. So here! I hope you like it!" Izuku all but shouted in the end and practically shoved the present onto her, making her blink a couple times in surprise before looking down at the box curiously.
Hmm… It's not heavy. I wonder what he got me. Hopefully it's nothing too extravagant. I'd feel super guilty if he did… She wondered as she slowly opened the box. As soon she saw its contents, she gasped in shock, and slowly picked up, being ever so gentle with it so she wouldn't break it.
It was a silver picture frame. A simple, yet classy one with an infinity symbol on the top and bottom of the frame. Within the frame, however, was a pair of images that instantly made her well up again. One photo was of the two of them in their hero attire, beaming proudly at the camera while holding up a hand each in the 'V' pose. The other one was of them in in normal date attire; her in her 'MHA' shirt and jacket combo with her hair up and him with his green polo and matching open sweater, both of them hugging each other and smiling softly at the direction of the camera. She began to tear up as she recalled the time when the images were taken; the first after a successful patrol and nabbing a bunch of villains with Deku, where she convinced Tsuyu to take a picture of them after being let go for the day, while the second was from a trip to a photo booth during one of the more fun dates they had, with the embracing image being the last one they took. Both of these images were their personal favorites; the hero one being Izuku's while the date one was hers, but to have full versions of them in the palm of her hands? And being given to them by her boyfriend of all people? It was nothing short of amazing to her.
"I got that idea from that old anime Christmas special that Kirishima had us watch a while back. You know, the one with the martial artist that changes gender when hit with water? When the main guy gave the tsundere girl the frame with the picture of their friends, it gave me the idea to do the same thing. I wanted to make it more personal, though, so I used our two favorite photos of us, instead. I hope you like it." Izuku said, making Ochako's eyes go wide when she realized that they both had the same source of inspiration, and couldn't help but let out a choked laugh.
"Are you kidding?! Of course, I do! This is so awesome! Now I can see this and remember all the fun and excitement we had on the days we took these whenever I need a pick-me-up from studying! I love this present so much! Thank you, Deku!" She exclaimed, giving her startled boyfriend the tightest hug she could muster and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, giggling at his surprised squeaking while a few remaining tears fell from her face.
"Oh my…! What's going on here…?" A shocked voice spoke up, making the couple jump slightly before turning to the door, where they saw Inko looking at them with wide eyes and a hand over her mouth, and immediately scrambled away from each other in embarrassment and surprise.
"Oh… Hi, Inko. Um… Sorry about the mess, here… I was…looking for something in my suitcase and I kinda went overboard. I'll clean it up in a bit, though. No worries." Ochako explained, scratching the back of her head nervously as she and Izuku stood up from the floor, both red in the face by what just happened.
"It's fine, dear, as long as you're ok. And I see Izuku has already given you his present. You must've been so happy when he gave it to you if that hug and kiss I saw now was any indication." Inko said with a kind smile, her words bringing a blush to the girl as she recalled her bold action, but she couldn't help but smile as she heard the words.
"Yup. And he was super sweet about it, too! You raised a wonderful son here, Inko and I'm happy he chose me to be his girlfriend!" Ochako confessed without shame, her words making the mother gasp in happiness and her boyfriend sputter a little before her mood fell a bit as she eyed the thrown clothes and sighed. "…I just wish I had my present for him. I dropped it back at the dorms and I didn't notice until I got here, which is why everything's like this. I worked really hard on it too, and now I won't get the chance to give it him…"
"Oh, sweetie… I'm so sorry to hear that…" Inko said softly, walking over to the girl and gave her a gentle hug.
"It's ok… Deku and I already talked about it and I'm starting to feel a little better now because of it. He knows just what to say to make me happy. He's my hero, after all…" Ochako confessed, returning the hug and softly giggling when she heard her boyfriend's startled grunt, knowing full well that he wasn't expecting her to admit that.
"I bet. He's my little hero as well, and I couldn't be prouder…" Inko agreed, letting go of her hold on Ochako and gave her son a tight embrace as well, before suddenly ending it with a look of surprise on her face. "Oh my, I almost forgot! Speaking of heroes, one of your teachers, Mr. All Might, showed up just little bit ago asking for you two!"
"All Might was here!?" The couple exclaimed, justifiably surprised by the visit from the former hero.
"Yes, but he didn't stay long. He just wished to know if you two managed to come here safely along with dropping off a few things. He got a present for both me and Izuku, which I placed under the tree, and handed me another one to give to you, Ochako. He told me to give it to you as soon as possible, but he didn't tell me why before he departed. Give me a moment to go and get it." Inko explained, her words making the pair stare at her in shock before rushing out the room, this time holding a rectangular box in her hands.
A box that Ochako knew all too well.
"Wh-What!? That's Deku's present! That's the Christmas present that I got for him! All Might found it!?" The girl explained, her eye bugging out at the sight of the missing gift and missing Izuku's own look of surprise.
"Oh my, this is my son's gift? I had no idea… I suppose that's why All Might didn't want me to keep it under the tree…" Inko mused, staring at the box for a moment before turning back to Ochako with a kind smile and placed the parcel in her arms, right next to the frame. "Here, sweetie. You know what to do with it. Go ahead and take your time, as well. I'll be in the living room if either of you need me. Take care, you two."
With all that said and a loving kiss on the crown of her head similar to her own mother's acts, Ochako watched as Inko did the same action to her son, wishing the both of them a Merry Christmas before leaving the room, closing the door as she departed. Now alone with her boyfriend again, the gravity manipulator started to process what had just occurred; Not only did Inko showed up and made her feel better, but All Might of all individuals arrived as well, albeit without her knowing and only for a brief moment, with her present for Izuku, no less. It was like something out of a fairy tale to her, it was so unbelievable. She couldn't help but smile brightly at the turn of her luck, and hug both the box and her new frame close to her chest, before turning to Izuku happily.
"Well, Deku, looks like you're getting that present I got you after all! Go ahead and open it, if ya want!" She chirped, handing the stunned teen the crimson box and watched in anticipation as he stared at it with those big eyes of his. She couldn't remove the eagerness in her face as he saw him slowly open his gift, and the look on his face when he saw what she got him made her smile so wide her face began to hurt, but she didn't care. She was truly happy to have successfully surprised him with her gift, and the expression he had was something she was going to treasure for a long time to come.
"Uraraka…" He muttered her name softly as he turned to her, holding the crimson muffler gently in his hands.
"Hehe… I promised the next thing I make was for you, didn't I? I just didn't say I was already working on it. I manage to finish it this morning and I even put in your initials on the ends in English! Check it out!" Ochako explained, showing off the best, in her opinion, feature of the scarf, enticing a soft laugh and pleasant smile from Izuku as he did what she had asked, and let off a small sound of amazement in response.
"Oh wow… This is really awesome, Uraraka! I bet this had taken a long time for you to make, huh?" He asked, turning to her with an impressed look on his face.
"Kinda, but it was worth it to see you light up like that! I actually got the idea for the scarf from that same martial arts show we saw together. The one that gave you the idea for the photo and frame! I guess great minds think alike, huh?" Ochako pointed out, holding her treasured gift proudly like a trophy and getting a laugh out of Izuku.
"Can't argue with that," He agreed as he wrapped the muffler around his neck, making it nice and comfortable before presenting himself to her. "So… How do I look?"
"You look perfect, Deku! I knew red was the right color for you!" Ochako praised, looking quite proud of her work and how well it suited the super-strength teen.
"Haha… Thanks." Izuku said softly, looking down at his present with a small smile and gentle hold before returning his attention back to her with a fond gaze. "I love this gift, Ochako… I know I said you didn't have to get me anything…but it does mean a lot that you care about me enough to hand-make your present to me. I have no idea what I've done to deserve someone like you…but I'm lucky that you chose me to be with…"
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Deku. It was all you. Your personality, your actions, pretty much everything you've done drew me in to you, and while I did resist initially to preserve our friendship and focus on our future…I'm glad I took the plunge and confessed. And so…so happy that you feel the same way…" Ochako said kindly with shimmering eyes, feeling a little emotional and gripping her gift closer to her chest as she spoke, before walking slowly up to Izuku and gently grabbed his new scarf. "Hey… Izuku…?"
"Y-Yes, O-Ochako?" He questioned gently, understandably taken aback by her use of his first name. She rarely called him that, after all, but she felt it would fit the situation, and gave the young hero, her hero, the warmest smile she ever had.
"Thanks for the gift…and Merry Christmas. I love you." She finally said before pulling him down by the scarf and captured his lips with her own in a sweet kiss. It was short, almost chaste in a way, but no less meaningful, as all their kisses in the past were. There was a rush that she might never get used to, but it was enjoyable all the same. After a few moments, she ended the kiss, her face red but her smile brighter than ever, and as she looked up to her boyfriend, she could only giggle softly at his dazed expression and face as red as his new muffler.
"Ah… Y-You're welcome. I…love you too… A-And Merry Christmas as well, I-I guess," He stammered, looking quite bashful and shaking his head slightly to recompose himself, much to her amusement. "Um… I'm glad you like my gift so much. I like seeing you so happy like this…and I…think you'll find your birthday gift just as enjoyable…if not moreso…"
"Oh, Deku, did you seriously went and got me a separate gift just for my birthday? You didn't have to do that…" Ochako asked, now feeling a little guilty for making her boyfriend essentially go through double the effort to please her.
"I know, but I want to. You're worth the effort. You're my hero, too, after all." He said smoothly, making Ochako blush again before leaning into his chest with an embarrassed groan.
"No fair… When the heck did you get so cool and charming?" She grumbled, feeling him laugh and letting off a content sigh as he began rubbing her head affectionately.
"Advice from Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. They're surprisingly knowledgeable about this stuff despite their own romantic issues with each other," Izuku confessed, earning a sputtering laugh out of Ochako as she imagined the creation and hot-and-cold heroes trying to give her boyfriend dating tips while simultaneously hiding their own feelings for one another.
"Yeah…those two are pretty obvious, huh…?" She said after calming down from her fit before she felt her phone vibrate in her skirt. Letting go of Izuku, she checked the caller ID and smiled brightly once more once she saw who it was. "Oh hey! It's Dad. I bet he and Mom are calling to say Merry Christmas! Sorry, Deku, but can you give me a moment? I won't be long."
"Sure, Uraraka. Take your time. I'll be in the living room with Mom, if you need me." Izuku said, a soft, yet odd smile gracing his lips as he gave her the ok, before leaving the room.
While grateful for his understanding, she couldn't help but be a little confused by that smile of his. It was almost…knowing, in a way. As if he was aware of something that she didn't. Something regarding her parents, of all things. She shook her head at the thought, though. While her folks and boyfriend did get along, the young man still got quite nervous if he spent a long time with either of her parents, especially her father. She didn't blame him, though. The man could be a bit overwhelming at times, even to her, but she loved him all the same. In the end, it didn't matter. Right now, she had her parents on the other line and she couldn't wait to talk to them.
She had quite the Christmas story to tell them…
Author's notes:
And that was the Christmas Special, everyone. Took me a while to find a good rhythm for it, but I think I got it done well enough. I also think I made it more than apparent that the next part of this set will be for Ochako's Birthday, which is on the 27th, so look forward to that, lads. I've had quite a bit of fun writing all these fics and I hope you all will enjoy them as much as I've enjoyed making them. Also, as referenced in this story, the gift ideas that Izuku and Ochako had for one another were, indeed, inspired by an anime Christmas special that I watched when I was younger, specifically Ranma ½. It's an old show, yes, but it still fairly good with lots of episodes and movies, well done voice acting in both English and Japanese, and an all around decent watch. Check it out if you guys are able to.
Now, before I head out, I just want to give a big shout out to the guys over at the IzuOcha server for their support and encouraging words. They are all wonderful people, and if you guys want to hang out there, go head and join, if you wish. With that said, thanks for reading my work, everyone. I hope you heroes have a fantastic holiday break with your families, and I will see you all on Ochako's Birthday for the next instalment.
Take care, and remember: Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!