I AM HERE AND I AM LATE! Rio is back with the second part of my MHA holiday special. Terribly sorry for the late update. Things have been quite hectic for me lately and it took a lot of time for me to get it all sorted. Things are still a mess at my place, but hopefully everything will turn out well enough. I deeply apologize for the quality of this work as well. I was in quite a rush to get this done, and there might be a few errors here and there as a result. Hopefully it's still good enough of a read for you all. I will come back and fix this, and my other fics, up whenever I have the chance, but until then, here's my present to Ochako for her birthday in all it's messy glory. Enjoy the story and I will see you all at the author's notes.

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.

My Hero Academia: Green Tea Holiday Tales

Birthday for Her

"So, you two manage to make it here safely, right?"

{We did, thankfully. We had a few complications on the way here thanks to the weather, but luckily that dragon hero our daughter's interning for helped us out immensely. We're really grateful to her and to All Might as well for setting us up for a hotel room last night. Even when retired, that man is still a great hero.}

"Yeah. They are great, huh. Ryukyu's been helping me a lot ever since Nighteye…well…you know. And All Might's been a major help to both of us since the beginning. He even stopped by my house on Christmas Eve to drop off a few things, including something that Ochako lost back at the dorm. She was really grateful for that."

{Haha, we know. We were actually informed about everything a couple days ago by our daughter herself. It was quite a tale, let me tell you.}

"E-Everything? Does… does that include…what I said to her…before All Might…"

{Of course! you know as well as I do that she doesn't skip on the details when it comes to you and what you've done for her! You're all she ever talks about, these days!}

"R-Really?"

{Of course! Don't sound too shocked, boy. She loves ya, after all, so it's not all that surprisin'!}

"Ah… Right… Hehe…"

{Still not used to hearing the word 'love' so constantly, eh, boy? Reminds me of myself when I first started going out with my eventual wife. Guess we're more similar than we thought, eh?}

"Haah, I-I guess, sir."

{None of that formal talk, boy! I told you to call me Dad! You and my girl are in it for the long haul after all!}

"Ah! Um, u-understood sir-er, I mean, D-Dad!"

{Relax, son, I'm just teasing ya. Speaking of my girl, is she nearby? If she is, then we're in for an earful once everything's said and done.}

"Actually, She's not here. Mom took her out for the day for a bit of a girl's day out so that I can set everything up without her knowing. Took a little convincing from us, but we manage to get her to go."

{Haha! I can imagine! My little girl's quite stubborn when she wants to be!}

"Yeah… She is, sometimes, but that's what makes her so amazing… Among other things…"

{Spoken like a true man in love, son. I knew there was a reason why I like ya. Well, it's time for me to hang up. The weather's clear, but who knows how long it'll last. My wife's off checking us out of the hotel right now, so we're booking it to your place as soon as we can. See ya soon!}

"Th-Thanks, Dad! Have a safe trip!"

*click*

At the sound of the dial tone, Izuku let off a soft chuckle and shook his head before at the nearby window in his room, watching the grey clouds with a sense of content as he pulled up his recently obtained crimson muffler closer to his face to keep with a smile on his face. It has been a few days since Christmas Eve, the day he brought his ever-excitable girlfriend over to stay for winter break, and it had been an enjoyable, if slightly nerve-wracking, time for them both. Due to the weather, the couple had spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas day indoors, simply sticking close to each other to stay warm while sharing stories and hot chocolate with his mother Inko all the while. Although enjoyable, it did result in the woman gushing at how adorable the pair was, wondering if a wedding was going to be planned right after graduation, and teasing Izuku about sharing his bed with Ochako during their stay, which resulted in much stammering and cherry-red faces from the couple.

They shared a bed before, they've been together long enough to be at least somewhat comfortable with the idea so long as nobody said anything out loud, but it was usually reserved for Ochako's room, as she confessed that sleeping in her boyfriend's arms while also being stared at by multiple faces of All Might creeped her out quite a bit, especially the ones that could talk.

"Hmm… Maybe I can store some of my merchandise to help make her feel comfortable. A few posters and some models might be a good start. Or maybe I could replace them with other heroes instead to balance everything out. If I do that, though, then I'm going to have to buy more merch, and I'm not sure if I have enough room in the dorm… Maybe if I bring some stuff back to my room, it will help, but I don't know what I can swap out…" Izuku began mumbling under his breath, debating to himself on what he should do with his multitude of All Might memorabilia before suddenly growling and shook his head. "No… Can't get distracted. Got to get everything ready for her before she and Mom get back… Now where did Mom say she kept the cookbook?"

Finally focused on his supposed task, the young man walked out of his geeky room, removing his scarf and placing it on his desk, right beside a special silver picture frame. He paused for a moment, staring at the two photos of him and Ochako in the frame with a small smile on his face, before exiting the door. He still couldn't get over the fact that the both of them got their ideas for each other's gift from the same show. It really was quite a coincidence. Some may even say it was fate, but Izuku himself wasn't much of a believer of it. His short time with Nighteye proved that fate can be changed…

The young man shook his head to rid himself of the negative thoughts that were about to fill his mind before stopping at a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a large cookbook from it. Thinking of his late mentor always brought his mood down, but the pain wasn't as bad as it initially was. He was slowly and surely getting over it, and he was aware that Ochako was affected by the man's death as well, since she was the one who carried his dying body to the surface to get him aid… It took a while for them, along with Kirishima and Tsuyu, to recover from the incident, but a few pep talks from each other, their friends, their teachers, and even their parents, helped them move on, and they were grateful for their aid.

At the mental mention of parents, the young man couldn't help but recall a certain memory from the end of Christmas. It was something that both warmed his heart…and made it hurt at the same time.

After all, even when being with a loved one and a person who considers you family, it wasn't the same as spending Christmas with your own family…

-Flashback, Christmas night-

"Hmm… Sounds like Iida's having a fun Christmas with his family. That's great. It's good that his brother's able to spend the holiday with him and enjoy it, even after what happened to him." Izuku mumbled to himself as he stared down at the phone with a smile on his face, happy that one of his best friends was enjoying himself on the festive holiday.

"Oh, Izuku. There you are. What are you doing here in the kitchen and not at the living area with Ochako?" Inko asked, her voice carrying a touch of confusion that caught the young hero's attention.

"Ah, sorry, Mom. Just had a talk with Iida and I had to take it here so that I wouldn't disturb Ochako. He's enjoying Christmas right now and spending time with his brother. It's been a while since I've heard him sounding so happy, and I'm glad he's having fun, even after everything that's happened to him and his older brother…" Izuku explained easily, his words making his mother smile as she walked closer to her son and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, which was covered by a certain handmade scarf.

"That's good, sweetie. It's nice to hear that your friends are enjoying Christmas as well." Inko said with a soft smile of her own before looking over to the direction of the living room, specifically the couch, with a fond expression. "Especially a certain someone who's staying with us. You did the right thing bringing her with us for the break instead of letting her stay in the dorms by herself. No one deserves to be sad an alone on Christmas…

"I know. That's why I brought her. There was no way I was going to leave her after she told me about her ruined trip home. She deserves so much after everything that's happened… I just hope she'll like what I have planned for her birthday in a couple days…" Izuku muttered, looking over at the couch and eyeing the small tuff of brunette hair that he was able to see.

"I'm sure she will, sweetie. She enjoyed today well enough, didn't she? Her birthday is going to go well. I know it." Inko assured, gently patting her son's head. "Now, it's getting late. Why don't you head off to bed? You need your rest if you want tomorrow to go well. And don't forget to take Ochako with you. Poor girl exhausted herself today and I doubt she'll be comfortable sleeping on the couch."

"…Alright, Mom." The young hero sighed as he got up from his chair and quietly made his way to the couch. Once there, he was greeted by a sight so adorable he felt his heart clench at the sight of it.

Ochako was passed out on the couch; one hand on her belly, the other dangling over the edge, and her usual bedtime mittens on to prevent any sleep-floating from happening while using an odd looking pink handmade sweater her parents sent her for Christmas as a blanket. Her loungewear was disheveled, her hair was a mess, and there was a bit of drool leaking from her mouth, but to Izuku, she looked so damn cute he could barely think straight. He didn't have the heart to wake her, but he knew he had to, lest she wake up sore from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position.

'I told her making a snowman half the size of the apartment complex would be exhausting… I didn't even know there was that much snow in the area until she floated it to us. That snowball fight and snow angel competition we had at the park didn't help either. At least she had fun in the end, and the landlord liked it a lot, too. You always know how to brighten someone's day, don't you, Ochako?' Izuku thought fondly as he continued to stare at the girl in his couch, trying to burn the image of her sleeping form in his memory before reluctantly reaching over to her and shook her arm, getting a soft whine out of her in the process.

"Mmm… Five more minutes, Daddy…" She muttered, getting another chuckle out of Izuku as she snuggled closer into her makeshift blanket before letting off a soft snore.

"Hmm… She's really out of it, this time. Looks like I have to carry her to bed, again…" Izuku mumbled to himself before kneeling down to her and gently moved her in his arms with little effort, a ting of red on his face as he felt her snuggle up to him.

"Ooh, Izuku, that's so adorable…!" The young man heard a faint, gleeful whisper, and turned his head to see his mother standing nearby with a massive smile on her face and her hands together as if in a prayer, and he couldn't help but laugh sheepishly at her actions.

"Yeah… She has that effect on people. I'm lucky to have her…" Izuku stated, his tone soft and affectionate as he looked at the girl in his arms warmly, silently amused by his mother's quiet squeal, before turning back to him. "I'm going to tuck her in before heading to sleep. Do you remember what you have to do for the plan, Mom?"

"Of course, dear. You can count on me. I'll make sure she and I are away long enough for you to get everything ready. It's been a while since I've had a girl's day out, and who better to spend it with than my future daughter-in-law?"

"Mom…!"

"Relax, Izuku. I'm simply teasing. I am proud of you for doing all of this for her, though. You remind me so much of your father when you act like this. Just try not to stress too much over everything tomorrow and everything will turn out well. I know it." Inko assured, making her son smile in response.

"Thanks, Mom… I really appreciate it. Have a good night." Izuku said kindly before heading into his room, hearing his mother wish him a good night as well as he gently closed his door and placed the slumbering girl on his bed, blinking when she suddenly began to giggle.

"Hehehe… Mama, this sweater is so ugly…! Thanks for…making it…for me…" Ochako muttered in her sleep as soon as she was on the bed, further snuggling up to her sweater with a wide, slightly drooly smile on her face, making Izuku chuckle quietly at her actions.

"Wow… She really does love her parents, huh…" He mumbled, patting her hair affectionately and giving her a soft kiss on her forehead. As soon as he did, she began muttering in her sleep again, talking about her parents once more and how much she loved and missed them. It made him feel a little bad, knowing that despite his attempts to make the girl he loved happy today, it still didn't change the fact that her family was not able to be with her outside of a Christmas phonecall and a traditional ugly Christmas sweater that was handmade and mailed to her by her mother. It was more luck than anything that it even arrived in time, and when she got the sweater, she ended up bursting in tears mixed with happiness and sorrow; overjoyed that she got a present from her parents, but upset that she wasn't able to thank them in person.

It pained him to see her so conflicted, but if things go right, then he wouldn't need to worry about her happiness and guilt for much longer…

"Just wait a little bit more, Ochako… In a couple days you are going to have the best birthday ever, and I will do whatever I can to make sure it goes well. I'll make you truly happy on that day. I promise…" Izuku whispered, gently stroking the sleeping girl's cheek before letting go, a small blush on his face before going down to the futon he laid in his room.

He just had to wait one more day to put his plans into motion. It was going to be a tough task, especially since he was doing it himself, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the day would be perfect for Ochako.

If anyone deserves to be happy, it was her, and he was going to make it happen, because she was worth all the time and effort.

-End Flashback-

"…Just you wait, Ochako. I promise that you'll have the best birthday ever. I know you'll love it," Izuku muttered, a soft smile on his face as the memory of Christmas night passed. Now more determined than ever, he shifted even harder in the drawer, smiling widely as he pulled out the cookbook he was looking for. Placing it on the counter, he began leafing through the pages, looking for the perfect cake to make for his girlfriend.

"Ah! Here we go! This should work!" He exclaimed happily, finding a recipe that would be perfect for Ochako. Reading over it the list of ingredients, he nodded to himself before heading towards the refrigerator to search for what he needed.

This shouldn't be too hard. It's been a while since I've actually baked something, but it shouldn't be too hard to get back into it, even if it has a few layers on it. The young man thought to himself as he pulled out a few of the items he needed, namely some strawberries, milk, and some leftover icing that his mother used for the Christmas cake she made. If he had to be honest with himself, he would've preferred to make his one icing for the cake, but he didn't really had the time to make it due to wanting to have everything a surprise for Ochako, so he simply told his mother to make extra for today instead. Nodding to himself at his forethought, he then went over to the other cabinets to gather the rest of his ingredients, happy to see that everything was all accounted for.

"Perfect. All I have to do is follow the recipe and everything will go smoothly." He said to himself as he grabbed the various products, such as vanilla extract and baking soda, and placed them on the counter, before pausing for a brief moment to stare at the direction of the apartment front door in curiosity. "…I wonder how Mom and Ochako are doing right now, I hope they're having a great time together."

-With Ochako and Inko, shopping district café-

"…"

"Dear? Is something wrong? You barely touched your tea."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Inko. Just got distracted by something. I'm ok."

"Ok, dear. If you say so."

Ochako gave the kind woman before her a reassuring smile before talking a sip from her cup, hoping to put both her and the mother at ease. It had been a few hours since she and Inko had started the 'birthday girl's day out, as Inko called it, and while she did enjoy it, she found it a little odd by how insistent her host was in having a day to themselves. She didn't really mind, she enjoyed her company and was fun to spend time with, but what she found odd was how nonchalant her boyfriend was in allowing his mother to essentially steal his girlfriend for the day, and on her birthday of all things. When the day started, she honestly thought that Izuku was going to be the one to take her out all day to have fun, but instead, it was another Midoriya who did so, while he stayed behind, saying he had to take care of a few things first but promised to be home when they arrived. All in all, she couldn't help but be suspicious of what was going on, and it seemed that her attitude regarding that was catching Inko's attention.

She really needed to learn how to hide her emotions better…

"Ochako?"

"Huh?" She grunted out, becoming immediately nervous when she noticed that Inko was staring at her once again with a concerned expression. "Oh! Sorry, Inko. I guess I'm not all there, today, eh? Sorry I'm not making our outing all that fun."

"Don't be sorry, dear. It's perfectly natural to feel this way. I'm aware that I am no substitute for my son nor your own parents. I'm happy that you did agree to spend the day together with me, though, so I'm grateful for that." Inko said, a small, sad smile on her face that immediately made the birthday girl distressed and guilty at her words.

"N-No, Inko, it's not that! I'm happy to be with you! Honest! I just…! Just…" Ochako began before looking down in shame. "…Yeah. I do miss my parents. And I did want to spend the day with Deku. Sorry for making you upset, ma'am. I really did enjoy the day with you. Honest. It's been a while since I've had fun like this. It's just…"

"It's the first time you're spending not only Christmas, but your birthday as well, without your parents. I'm aware. Izuku told me how close you are with them, and its so good to see that you love them as much as you do. To the point where you're training to be a hero so that you could provide for them. It's such an admirable trait, you know. I can see why my little boy loves you so much…" Inko said warmly, making the girl blink at her in surprise before she looked down again, this time in mild embarrassment and with her rosy cheeks darker than normal.

"Um… Thanks, Inko. I'm happy to hear that…" Ochako muttered, taking a tentative sip from her cup, before looking at the woman curiously. "…Speaking of Deku, can you tell me what he's doing? I've known for a while that he's been planning something for both Christmas and my birthday ever since he got me to stay with him, but he's been very tight-lipped about everything. I'm hoping he's not doing anything too drastic or extravagant. I don't want him to overwork himself for me…"

"Even if he is overworking himself for you, I know for a fact that he would say that it was worth it just to make you happy. It's the kind of person he is, and I know you're aware of that." Inko said, giggling slightly when Ochako let off a slightly exasperated groan. "You don't have to worry about Izuku wearing himself out, though. I know what he's planning, but it isn't really that stressful to him. It's actually something he used to do with me from time to time in the past, so there's nothing for you to worry about."

"Really? Can you tell me what it is?" Ochako asked eagerly, hoping to learn something new about her boyfriend.

"Sorry, dear, but I've been sworn to secrecy. You'll find out about your surprises when we're done with our outing," Inko said with a giggle, making Ochako groan in annoyance before perking up, the last bit of the mother's words replaying in her head.

"…Did you say 'surprises'? As in more than one?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion when she noticed the portly woman suddenly began to pale for a moment before attempting to give her a reassuring smile that looked way too similar to Izuku's on nervous grins.

"D-Did I say that? You must be imagining things, dear! Oh! You finished your tea! Let me go pay for our drinks and head out! Please give me a moment!" She said in a hurried fashion before practically rushing out of the table and towards the counter to make the payment, making the girl even more suspicious.

"…Deku, just what the heck are you plannin'? Must be somethin' big if ya got your mother involved." Ochako muttered to herself, her accent slipping out as she stared at her host with a flat expression before letting off a sigh. "I really hope he doesn't go overboard like he did for Halloween. I'm still feeling guilty that he spent so much money for our costumes and the contest, even if we did win a free date to the movies in the end. I guess I'll just have to take Inko's word that he's not doing anything extravagant, I guess…"

-With Izuku, Midoriya residence-

"Aaaand there! Perfect! Ochako's going to definitely love this!" Izuku said, stepping back from his project with a bright smile to admire and inspect his work.

It was a massive three-layer cake that appeared to have came out of a bakery. It was a white cake baked to a golden brown with pink buttercream icing with multiple cut strawberries scattered all around it and even a bit of strawberry syrup drizzled around to give it a bit of flavor and presentation. It may be simple in design, but it was a masterpiece that took the young man the majority of the day to get done, and he was happy with the work he put into it. It was perfect in his eyes, and nothing short of what Ochako deserved, in his opinion.

"Hah. That was pretty fun. I forgotten how much I liked doing stuff like this. Maybe I can convince Sero to let me help him out with his sweets some time to get in some extra practice." Izuku mused to himself, mumbling about the different kinds of confectionaries he and the Sugar Hero could come up with, when he heard the sound of his door being knocked, making him turn to the direction of it curiously.

…Who could that be? It's not Mom and Ochako, they won't be back for a little while longer. And it's too soon for Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka to get here. He thought to himself as he took off his apron and set it on the counter next to the cake before heading towards the door. Once there, he opened it, and was greeted by the sight of a few someones he was not expecting to see until the end of winter break.

"Midoriya! Good to see you're still here! Will you allow us to come in?!" The booming voice of Iida asked, making the timid teen stumble back in surprise, while also noticing that Tsuyu, Mina, and Kirishima were also among the guests that had suddenly arrived, all of them holding a present of some kind in their hands and smiling at Izuku.

"H-Huh? O-Of course you can come in! I'm just surprise you're here! I had no idea you all were coming to visit!" Izuku exclaimed as he moved out of the way to let his classmates in.

"It was Iida's idea! He wanted us do something for Uraraka's birthday, but we wanted to keep it a surprise from both you and her since he said you already had something planned. We felt bad that she wasn't able to go home for break, so we decided to surprise her with a visit for her birthday." Kirishima explained with a roguish grin, getting a surprised look from Izuku.

"Yup. The others wanted to come, but they had other plans for break that they couldn't bail out on. They did get a card and signed it for her, though. It's pretty awesome!" Mina explained cheerfully as she brought out a space-themed birthday card and opened to show the names of the other members of 1-A inside, even Bakugo's angry scrawl, making Izuku blink a couple times before a warm smile began forming on his face.

"…Thanks, guys. It's good to see you all here. I know Ocha—I-I mean Uraraka would definitely be happy seeing you all here and the card. She's out with my Mom, right now, but when she gets back, I know she'll be surprised by your visit" Izuku said kindly, gesturing everyone to the living area after they took off their shoes.

"There's no need to be formal around here, Midoriya. It's your home and we're all friends, so take it easy. Ribbit." Tsuyu said before looking over at her fellow green-haired buddy curiously. "…Were you in the middle of baking? You got some flour on you."

"Huh? O-Oh yeah! I was finishing Ochako's cake just now! It's in the kitchen if you want to see it!" Izuku explained in a rare tone of pride that surprised his fellow heroes-in-training, before leading them to where said cake was, and the quartet couldn't help but gape at the massiveness of it.

"Dude… Did you seriously make this on your own? Holy crap, you can give Sato a run for his money with this thing!" Kirishima exclaimed, letting off an impressed whistle.

"Indeed! You have a knack for baking, Midoriya! You and Sato should definitely collaborate on a baking project for all of us at the dorm to enjoy in the future!" Iida said, looking at his best friend with pride.

"I was actually thinking about that when you guys showed up. I'm still a little rusty with baking, though, so I doubt I'm at Sato's level, but I would like to work with him on something when we go back to the dorms!" Izuku agreed.

"If you call this rusty, then I can only imagine what you can make when you're in your prime…" Mina muttered, staring at the cake analytically before nodding in approval. "Gotta say, though, it looks and smells super amazing. I bet Ochako's going to love it."

"…Looks more like a wedding cake than a birthday cake, if you ask me, but I suppose it's the thought that counts." Tsuyu said bluntly, her words making Izuku flustered immediately as soon as he processed her words.

"W-W-Wedding! B-B-But we just started dating a few months ago! I-Its too soon to be thinking about things l-l-like that!" Izuku exclaimed, flailing his arms around wildly as he back-stepped towards the table that held his cake, completely unaware of his own movements, much to the horror of his classmates.

"Midoriya, cease your movements now!" Iida shouted at the top of his lungs, making his poor friend jump back in surprise and hitting his spine on the table, making him yelp in main before falling to the floor while holding his back, not noticing that his large cake was toppling towards him.

"Shoot! I got it!" Kirishima exclaimed before jumping into the kitchen and gabbed the falling cake from the base, preventing it from going over but leaving his hand prints on it as a result…and forgetting about the other layers of the cake until the slipped off the base, striking Izuku on the head and making him covered in icing and strawberries as a result.

"…Oh crap. Midori, are you doing ok there?" Mina asked as she and the others kneeled down to check in on their cake-covered friend, frowning when they saw him trembling.

"…This figures. I had a feeling that today was going too well. I should've guessed something like this was going to happen." Izuku mumbled, a cloud of depression raining over him as the others looked to each other, wondering what they could do to make him feel better.

"Midoriya, I'm sorry for what I said about the cake. I was just saying what was on my mind at the time. It looked really good. Honest. I didn't know it would make you embarrassed." Tsuyu croaked apologetically.

"It's not your fault, Asui. I should be used to stuff like that by now. Kaminari and the others always teased us when the wedding is. I thought words like that wouldn't affect me as much as it did. Guess I was wrong." Izuku assured as he slowly got back up, with Iida and Kirishima helping him on the way.

"Hey, don't think about that stuff, man. You've gotten much better than when you two first got together. You invited your girlfriend to your home for break after finding out she couldn't go to her own home. If that ain't a sign of manliness and progress in a relationship, I don't know what is." Kirishima said with a grin and thumbs up before wincing when he saw the icing that was still in his hands. "Oh… And…sorry for not being able to save the cake. You can blame that on me, since I wasn't quick enough to get it."

"Do not fret, Kirishima. With how the cake was created, it would've been difficult for you to rescue the entirety of it on your own. I should've assisted you as well to prevent such a travesty to occur." Iida chimed in, bowing deeply at both Izuku and Kirishima for his lack of aid

"It's fine, you guys. Don't apologize. Ochako warned me not to go overboard with her birthday, after all. I guess this is someone's way of proving that point. I can make another cake for her as soon as I get this mess cleaned up." Izuku assured as Tsuyu approached him with a towel to wipe the remains of the top layers of cake off of him.

"Who said you need to bake another cake, Midori?" Mina spoke up, causing everyone to turn to her curiously as she pointed at the remaining piece of the cake. "The base is still ok, and it's pretty big, too. With just a bit of icing to fix up Kirishima's handprints and a bit of creativity, we can salvage this cake to use for Ochako's birthday instead!"

"…Brilliant, Ashido!" Iida exclaimed readily, making the others flinch at his loudness once more. "Such a simple, yet ingenious idea! You may have saved this birthday yet! Midoriya, do you believe you have enough baking supplies to do as Ashido suggested?"

"H-Huh? I… Yeah, I think I do, but…" Izuku trailed off, looking at the remaining layer with uncertainty. "…While I'm ok with making cakes, I'm not that good with decorating them. I…can't think of anything to make her cake presentable."

"Then allow us to help with this, son! It's the least we can do after everything you've done!" A booming voice announced, making everyone jump in surprise before they turned to the source of it, all of them going wide eyed in surprise by who spoke to them.

Especially Izuku.

"Wh-What!? Y-You're here already!?"

-Mid Afternoon, Midoriya residence bottom floor-

"So, dear, how did you enjoy your day with an old woman like me?" Inko asked kindly, she and Ochako walking up the stairs of the complex with a few bags in their hands.

"You're not old, Inko! You're as young as ever! And I really did have a lot of fun with you today, even though I brought the mood down earlier!" Ochako assured, giving the woman a kind smile to placate her.

"…You're too sweet, Ochako. Just like my son. I bet your parents are lucky to have a daughter as wonderful as you." Inko said warmly as the couple reached the door, setting the bags down to get her keys as the birthday girl nodded in agreement, her smile turning somewhat sad at the mention of her parents.

"Yeah… I'm lucky to have parents like them. And Deku's lucky to have a parent as strong as you, Inko. I can't even imagine how hard it must've been raising a child all on your own. It must've been difficult." Ochako pointed out, grabbing the bags that Inko placed on the floor with ease to help her out.

"I'm not that strong, dear, but it's nice to hear you say that," Inko said kindly with a hint of melancholy in her tone, making Ochako look at her in surprise before she entered into the home. "Hurry inside, Ochako. Its not as bad as these last few days, but it's still very cold out. You don't want to get sick on your special day, do you? I'm sure my son is waiting for you inside."

"O-Oh! Coming!" Ochako exclaimed, rushing into the home and quickly took off her shoes before noticing something odd in the apartment immediately. "Hey… Why are the lights off? Did we get a power outage?"

"I'm not sure. Izuku didn't say anything when I called him earlier. Must've happened recently." Inko answered, a tiny smile on her face that was hidden in the dark as she walked further inside. "Come on, lets look for my son. I'm sure he'll have the answer to what's going on. You can place the bags to the side if you want."

"…Alright, if you say so." Ochako relented, setting the parcels down and followed the woman as well as she could, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness.

Walking in the quiet, shadowed apartment was making her both nervous and suspicious, especially since during the entire time of their outing, Izuku had not called her once. In fact, he didn't even call his own mother, it was her that called to check up on him, and while it was reassuring, it didn't really answer anything, especially when Inko was being quite vague about what she and her son was talking about. She had been suspicious about the mother-son pair for a while now, ever since the talk at the café, and she felt like she knew exactly what was going on.

They've set up a surprise party for me. I know it. It has all the signs and everything. She thought as she continued to follow Inko, rounding the corner with the woman and making it towards what she assumed was the kitchen. I told him not to go overboard with this stuff, but I guess this is just how he works. I hope he didn't hurt himself getting everything set up. I swear, if he injured himself in any way while preparing everything, I'm gonna—

"SURPRISE!"

The moment those words were said, the lights in the apartment suddenly came to life, blinding the girl temporarily and making her yelp in surprise. As soon as she manage to calm herself, she blinked a couple times to adjust her eyes, and after a moment, was greeted by the sight a decorated kitchen; streamers and balloons hanging in the air, a small banner that said 'Happy Birthday' suspended in the air, and, most importantly, a few of her friends from UA, all of them with bright smiles on their faces and making her very confused.

"H-huh? G-guys? What the heck are you all doing here? Shouldn't you be at your houses right now?" She couldn't help but ask, looking rightfully lost at their appearance.

"We're here for your birthday, silly! We wanted to surprise you, so we got together and smaller the trip over here as soon as you decided to stay with Midori for the break. We even manage to get some decorations in at the last minute! He didn't know we were coming either, so we managed to pull off a double surprise!" Mina explained with a massive grin, making Ochako well up at the thoughtfulness of her friends.

"We got you presents as well, ribbit. And the ones who weren't able to make it signed a birthday card for you, sending you their regards." Tsuyu chimed in, pointing at the presents beside the refrigerator while Kirishima pulled out the card and happily gave it to the birthday girl, who gasped in shock from the sight of it.

"Iida was the one who came up with the card theme, while I went and got the others to sign it. It took a bit to get some of the others, mostly Bakugo, but I got it done. Hope you like it!" The hardening hero explained, opening the card to show the names of the others, making Ochako smile widely as she grabbed the card and held it gently, reading the names of the others as she tried her hardest to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.

"I see you enjoy the gift, Uraraka, but it's not over yet. After all, there is still Midoriya and his contribution. Can't forget him." Iida spoke up, walking up to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder as she looked at him curiously

"…Deku?" She said softly, looking around the kitchen for the only other person left that should be inside the apartment. The only Midoriya that she saw, however, was Inko, who was smiling sweetly as she approached her and grabbed her in a warm embrace.

"Izuku's here. He just wants to make sure your gift was ready. Sorry for keeping you from him, but this was something he's been planning for some time. I hope you're not upset." She said kindly, ending the embrace to stare at Ochako apologetically.

"It's fine, Inko. I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. I knew you two were up to something since back at the café. Both of you can be very bad when it comes to hiding stuff." Ochako said, giggling slightly at the look of disbelief on the mother's face.

"Actually, I think I've gotten better at it, Ochako. At least well enough to hide this from you."

Recognizing the voice and giggling at the rare tone of pride, Ochako turned her head to the direction of her boyfriend's voice, and became so surprised that she nearly fainted from shock.

There, right before her, holding a large pink decorated cake with candles on top, was Izuku. The young man had a proud smile on his face, looking quite happy as he stared at his stunned girlfriend. Beside him were her parents, the both of them having massive grins on their faces as they placed a hand on Izuku's shoulders and waving at their daughter, who was slowly snapping out of her shock and started to cry a little.

"Ma…Mama? Daddy? You… You're really here? Is…is this a dream?" Ochako whispered, trying desperately to stop her tears from falling, but to no avail.

"Of course this isn't a dream, honey. We're here, and it's thanks to your boyfriend here." Mrs. Uraraka said kindly as Mr. Uraraka began laughing loudly as he slapped Izuku on his back, making him stumble slightly but managed to not let the cake fall again.

"You got a real keeper here, Ochako! This guy went and convinced your mentor and teacher to bring us here so that we can see you! I don't know how he's done it, but he did, and now we're here to celebrate the day you made me and your mother the happiest people alive, just as we always done! Happy birthday, sweetheart!" The jolly man stated, he and his wife moving in front of Izuku and spread their arms out. The moment they did that, Ochako lost what little self control she had left, and rushed into her parents' arms without shame. She was crying tears of joy as she reunited with her parents As this occurred, Izuku manage to move away from the emotional family and placed the cake on the table, proud that was able to move the cake without dropping it again, and look at his mother and friends with a smile.

"…I never seen her so happy before. I knew she missed her parents, but I didn't think she'd act like this." Mina muttered, smiling softly at the embracing family before her.

"Ochako's always been close to her parents, just as I'm close to my little siblings. I'm not surprised she would act like this. You definitely made this the best birthday ever for her, Midoriya." Tsuyu croaked while giving Izuku a nod of approval.

"It's nothing, really. I just want her to be happy. And nothing makes her happier than being with her parents… Any of you guys can do it." Izuku shrugged, not seeing what he did was anything special, when he was suddenly trapped in a one-armed hug by Kirishima.

"Are you kidding, dude? There's no way any of us can pull off what you did! You freaking made her day with bringing her folks over! Give yourself a bit of credit." He stated, Iida nodding rapidly at the words.

"Kirishima is correct, Midoriya! Be proud that you have brightened Uraraka's birthday into a day she will never forget. You have worked hard to make it happen, so bask in our praise and congratulate yourself on a job well done!" Iida stated with utmost confidence that Izuku could only stare at him in utter surprise.

"Listen to your friends, dear. You really did plan this whole day from start to finish, and it turned out well. I remember the small accident that you told me about, but even that was taken care of rather quickly. I'm proud of what you have accomplished, sweetie, and I know Ochako is more than happy that it was you who did all this," Inko said in a sure tone, making Izuku look at her oddly before he was suddenly knocked out of Kirishima's hold and into a surprise embrace from Ochako, who was still crying a little, but the brightest smile was on her face as she squeezed her boyfriend tight.

"Deku! Thank you so much for doing all of this! My parents told me about everything that you planned out! I had a feeling you were going to do something big, but I never imagined that you'd actually find a way to bring my parents here! How in the world did you manage to do it!?" The birthday girl asked.

"Luck, mostly. I'm honestly surprised by how well things turned out, really. Had an issue with the cake, but your parents showed up just in time to help me fix it while the others decided to decorate the house a little for you. It took a while to make sure everything was set, but it was all worth it in the end…since I got to see you this happy." Izuku stated, smiling warmly at the girl holding him before wrapping his own arms around her to complete the embrace.

"…You made the cake, too? Seriously?" Ochako asked softly, pushing him away slightly to look up at him in disbelief.

"He did, and holy crap was it huge! Asui said it looked more like a wedding cake and, thinking back to it, she wasn't wrong. Sad that Midoriya ended up wearing most of it in the end, but he and your folks manage to fix it up in the end." Kirishima stated as he gestured to the cake on the table, making Ochako stare at the nicely decorated cake in question before shaking her head a nd looked back at her boyfriend lovingly.

"…Deku, you are just something else, you know that? Thank you for doing all of this. Really. I love you so much." She said softly before pulling him into a kiss, causing the others around them to cheer or coo at the act, but she didn't care. She was too happy. As was he, for making this birthday a rousing success in the end.

"…I love you too, Ochako. And happy birthday." Izuku responded after the kiss ended in a slightly dazed tone before shaking his head to snap out of it. "How about we get started on the cake? I may be a bit rusty with my baking, but the parts that fell on my head tasted good enough. I'm sure the rest if it will taste even better, since your parents helped out with it."

"Hehe, I bet. Sad that I couldn't see the original, but I'm happy with this one." Ochako said before turning to Izuku with a look of utter determination. "You really set the bar high this time, Deku. Now I'm going to have to work just as hard, if not harder, to make sure your birthday goes as well as mine. And I don't want to hear any arguments from you! You already done so much for me today, so it's my turn once July comes around the corner. Ya got that?"

"…I got it." Izuku nodded, surprised by the change in her girlfriend's mood, but didn't argue with it. He knew how stubborn she was when it came to such things, so he simply allowed her to do as she wanted. If he wanted to go so far for her birthday, it's only fair that she was allowed to do the same.

"Good! I'll hold you to it!" She chirped, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before practically bouncing off of him and rushing over to their friends, who were all wishing her happy birthday and giving her hugs while her parents and his mother walked over to the cake to get it ready to be served.

As all this was happening, Izuku couldn't help the massive smile on his face. It was rare for him to feel so accomplished, but seeing his girlfriend, the one who changed his world, be so happy and carefree because of him, made him feel on top of the world. Not since completing his initial training to gain All for One did he felt even remotely this proud. The best part was that he did most of everything on his own. Sure there were some bumps here and there, but in the end, he was successful in making Ochako the happiest girl in the world, at least for a day. He wasn't a fool; he knew happy days like this were few and far between, especially as they grow older and further risk their lives for others as Heroes. It didn't matter in the end, though. He will overcome the trials the future will have, as will Ochako. They had each other. They had their family and friends. They had their mentors. And whatever difficulties they will face, they will do it together.

For now, though, he'll relax. There is nothing more for him to do today but simply be with his girlfriend on her birthday. And that, for him, is more than enough.

"…Happy birthday, Ochako. And here's to many more to come."

Author's notes:

Sorry that this was a day late, everyone. Internet has been not kind lately and it delayed this chapter by quite a bit. Not to mention some hectic events going on at my work kept me busy for a while. Thankfully, I manage to get it done. I hope you all enjoyed it! With this, I will be focusing my efforts on finishing Trials Volume 1. I am going to go on a massive editing spree as well, thanks to the reveal of Joker's real name, so those of you who read my Persona 5 fic along with my MHA fics, get ready to see some changes coming.

There's not much left for me to say happy late birthday, Ochako Uraraka. Here's to another year for you and I wish you all the happiness in the world. And to you who have read my stories, thank you so much for letting me take your time. I'm happy that there are people who are willing to read my stories. Take care, you wonderful Heroes and Tricksters, and I will see you all in the new year!

Until we meet again, farewell. And remember, Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!