Chapter 17: Crossing Families
A/N: I gave Ochako's parents the names Kenji and Mayumi respectively, I didn't want to keep referring to them as 'Pa' or 'Ma' or as Ochako's Mom and Dad as I felt it would write me into a corner or create awkward situations FYI. Enjoy!
Ochako
"Welcome to Musutafu!" Ochako greets her parents, injecting as much enthusiasm she can into her voice without coming off as fake. Worried.
Papa pulls her into one of his famous bear hugs, lifting her up into the air as if she's using her quirk. What's left of a beard tickles at her cheeks, bubbling up a fit of giggles out of her. "There's our little Ochi!"
"Not so little anymore Pa, set her down before you go embarrassing her!" Mama scolds him, noting the stares they get blocking the exit out of the train station.
'This is it; it's finally happening!' Ochako reminds herself.
Not that the reality of this all makes it any easier to accept!
Papa sets her back to the ground, auburn eyes immediately going into alert mode searching the area.
"Where's that boy ya kept speaking of? Aren't we supposed to be meeting with him?" He questions, mouth setting into a firm line of annoyance not seeing anyone who matches Deku's description throughout the crowds.
"Later on this week Dad, there's no need to rush it!" Ochako blurts out too fast to not sound suspicious and weird, gesturing for them all to get a move on back to Gamps and Gamma's place.
Papa's stare could burn holes into the back of her neck if he had such a quirk, but he says nothing more on topic thankfully.
Because as it stands there isn't much he can do right now but to follow her lead before he loses her to the rising groups of people mingling about the station. Once fully outside a burst of late autumn air hits them and Ochako finds herself unable to hide a smile seeing her parents in awe of the towering skyscrapers, of influxes of people constantly on the go, of the gold to scarlet foliage that litters the parks and city streets they pass.
"You weren't kidding when you said it was a concrete maze." Mama breathes out, tugging on her arm to stay close.
Papa whistles his agreement beside her, snapping a few photos of gleaming billboards to a few Heroes on patrol. "The guys back home won't believe how chaotic and busy this place truly is! Everything you see on T.V. doesn't compare to the real deal!"
Ochako laughs, her supposed 'culture shock' and star struck excitement over being in the city have long since passed. So much has changed for her since she left Mie, so much she's seen and been involved in...
'It's fine, Deku will show them there's nothing to fear about him and his quirk. Lately, he's just been placed in situations where he couldn't use it's potential to do good making him look bad when it's the complete opposite.' She determines.
Still, her heart is beating harder at the inevitability of her parent's wariness.
"Welcome, Welcome! Gamma here has been cooking up a feast since practically dawn! Kenji you look like you haven't had a hearty meal in weeks, Gamma and I are going to change that; don't you worry!" Gamps greets them eagerly, ushering them all inside.
The apartment indeed smells now of peppers and seasonings, a blending of the regional flavors of Mie and what can only be found here in Musutafu/Tokyo areas.
"We hope our little Ochi hasn't been causing you too much problems." Mayumi begins, already moving to grab an apron to help out. Gamma shoos her out before she can even reach for one of the cutting boards, tsking at her behavior.
"You and Kenji have been awake for hours, go on and head to the guest room to get some sleep and unpack!" She orders, not taking no for an answer despite Mama's insistence that she shouldn't cook all this alone.
Ochako waits a moment before trailing after her parents to the bedroom because she knows their earlier conversation won't be so easily dropped. There is the risk of getting caught, but she uses her quirk to float just enough off the ground for them to not hear the padding of her feet following. She presses herself against adjacent wall as soon as they're both through the door, trying to tune out the noises of the kitchen.
"This Sunday for sure. I'm not going to let Ochi delay it any later than that! You saw the headlines Ma, pushing this back any further risks us seeing more of those nasty articles published with our daughter on the front page too." Papa bellows, leaving no room for argument.
Mama motions for him to hush and through the crack in the door Ochako sees her press a hand against his chest. "We need to trust in Ochako's word dear, promise me that; okay? We'll get this all sorted out before we head back home."
But Papa stays silent so Ochako alone whispers it instead for her.
"I promise to put your fears at ease."
-X-
Izuku
"It's because you weren't following instructions that you're in this mess, constantly running into danger and you don't even have a Hero license yet! I taught you all there is to know about the human body from top to bottom from common disorders to the way the body heals after a major injury. Infliction's purposes aren't for only causing damage and yet you to continue to use your quirk that way." Chiyo reprimands him.
Her words are biting and cold, tearing into him as she lists out one by one the damages and problems he's put on himself and others. Her neat gray bun seems slightly looser, frazzled and his stomach drops knowing it's partially his blame for making her worry over him and Uraraka.
'She's right, but I don't want to heal a villain, I'm not thinking about such a thing when they're about to kill an innocent victim. Still there has to be a way I can better utilize Infliction than how I currently am.' Izuku grits his teeth, forcing himself to focus.
Nothing he says right now will make his case look better anyways.
"There's nothing heroic about not having a balance on your actions, on the repercussions of using your quirk. The good you have done gets all but blotted out by the media when you push Infliction and your body too far." Chiyo warns, continuing on.
He thinks then of Iida still in the hospital just now starting to work with physical therapy, of his brother and the injuries too severe that not even Recovery Girl or the best doctors in Japan can heal...
His chest constricts, balling up his palmy hands. This room feels unbearably hot despite the AC running at full blast and chill of the rain this morning still damp on his back. He came here early to get her advice on next steps, but so far all she has had to say to him is everything he has been doing wrong.
He can't blame her though, everything that has happened is a result of his own naivety, of rushing forth into situations putting everything else on the back-burner resulting in situations he hadn't foreseen or made note of.
Chiyo slams her cane down, finally turning away from the board to look at him. "Alright, I've said my peace; you can give me your viewpoint on all this now."
He reiterates then over what All Might told him, of his Mom's stipulations on his quirk, and mainly how he can blend One For All and Infliction better if she has any suggestions.
"You know I don't know much when it comes to those power quirks, that's Yagi's expertise or even Torino's field. I recommend you follow up with Torino to get an idea of how to keep these quirks of yours under control." Chiyo recommends.
'I'll have to make time in my schedule to find Gran Torino, hopefully he won't still be mad over the gala fiasco.' Izuku decides. Already he can picture him prepping him through a series of drills until his muscles are sore and bruised.
It's going to take awhile to fully rebuild his trust.
Midway in heading to class before the first bell does he catch sight of Uraraka by the windows, gazes meeting and he watches as she stiffens just briefly as pink washes against her cheeks making his own face burn at all the memories between them. Right, he still needs to properly fix all the problems he's created for her even if Uraraka claims he isn't completely to blame for all that's happened.
"Are you free this Sunday?" She asks abruptly, meeting him halfway in his approach to her.
Before he can respond he gets the acute sense they're being watched, glancing from the corner of his eye down the hall. Even in the shadows, Mineta and Kaminari aren't doing a very good job of hiding.
'Date?! Is she asking you out?!' He reads their lips to himself and immediately feels his voice go dry. He could use Infliction to force them to go away, but neither he nor Uraraka need the extra attention upon themselves from his quirk. Instead, he grabs her hand twisting them in the direction of the stairs ignoring their stares to the sweat dampening his palms.
Sunday is typically the one day he allows himself a break, to rest his mind and body for the week ahead.
But Uraraka has done so much for him and he recalls then what she mentioned to him regarding her parents...
They still want to meet him.
-X-
Elsewhere-Toga
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
That has been the main question thrown at her since yesterday.
Twice asks it again for perhaps the 10th time this morning, looking over her attire one last time. True to his name and personality, Jin has been hovering beside her switching between praising her decision one minute before contradicting himself the next minute saying it is dangerous to put herself so close into enemy territory.
Toga waves off his concerns each time, sunny yellow orbs twisting in the direction of U.A.
'This is my best chance to see Ochako and Izuku again, to truly be a part of their world if even for a bit and bond over the taste of their blood!' The very thought elicits a light squeal out of her before she quickly calms herself.
Because Katsuki Bakugo most definitely doesn't squeal, nor does he ever really smile!
Time to properly get into character.
It is his blood that Mr. Compress managed to secure that is her ticket to getting into U.A. and if her main goal of seeing Ochako and Izuku again fails, well then at least this is a chance to get some info on what the Heroes are playing next to stop them.
"Call me if anything pops up and don't try to do anything crazy on your own; that's my department!" Twice warns before she takes off.
Raindrops slide and pelt over her coat, blinking them out of her vision. Normally the rain is a perfect cover, grays and blacks from the overcast of the sky aiding in making it harder for people to notice her until it's too late, but these droplets will leave puddles and the last thing she needs is to create track marks that can lead back to her.
'I'll only have maybe 5, 10 minutes max once I take Bakugo's form. Got to make it count!' She reminds herself gleefully.
Security is marked everywhere as she expected, smoothing out her own handmade U.A. uniform hoping for now nobody questions her identity until she can properly blend herself in. She lingers by crowds of students not paying her much attention to ask who she is, waiting until the opportunity is right to slip away.
Morning classes seem like they're about to go into session hearing an overhead bell ring out, just as she sees familiar green and chestnut hair by the stairwell. She falls back into the shadows, lucky her to stumble on what clearly seems to be a private conversation!
"-It would only be for lunch, no maybe brunch or something! That's okay with you and your mom, right?" Ochako questions, trying not to stumble over her words.
"That's fine! Mom and I usually spend our Sundays just reading or catching up on some household chores so this will be a nice change of pace!" Izuku remarks.
"Umm, I know it's abrupt in all to ask this of you so I'm sorry once again! I'm also sorry in advance for any difficulty or embarrassing questions Papa is going to ask you and your Mom about." Ochako mentions.
"Questions like what?" Izuku asks, voices growing quieter as they start to head back into the halls.
Toga strains to hear her, stepping just slightly out of her hiding space.
"Ah, nothing major I hope! He'll ask about your quirk I know that for sure, but he may also ask if we're dating or-" Her voice is cut off by the slam of the stairwell's door plunging her back into silence.
'It's so cute watching my friends be so nervous around each other! Love really does make your heart beat faster, make your blood pump harder through your body...' Toga smiles, removing the glass vial from her pocket.
Bakugo's blood has long grown cold, but it's been so long since she's partaken in blood of any kind that it slides down her tongue like a warm meal or drink.
Should she follow them back to class? No, her cover will be immediately blown upon seeing the real Bakugo already in his seat.
So she goes the opposite direction instead, 2nd year and 3rd year's schedules vary from the 1st years it seems because as soon as she heads down what appears to be the 2nd year wing does a boy's hand roughly grab her by the shoulder twisting her backwards.
The first thing that invades her nose is the smell of sweat, sweat and those gross stale cigarettes that she is always reminding Jin to not smoke around her.
"Hey, you're that little shit from the 1st year who thinks he's so great! Just because a few Pro-Heroes noticed you and you did well in the Sports Festival doesn't mean you can lurk in the upperclassmen halls!" The boy hisses giving her a full taste of his rancid breath.
"Oh, and what type of quirk do you have that makes you think you're such hot shit?" Toga questions back haughtily with a laugh, enjoying everything from the angry flush to his pale skin to the vein that starts to throb in his neck.
That would make for a perfect spot to jab her needle...
"Bastard, I'm not going to go easy on you like all the faculty have. My Scald quirk will boil your skin inside and out!" He growls. There's nobody here to stop him from knocking some humility and respect back into this freshman.
Her 5 minutes are about to be up she knows at feeling her disguise begin to melt. This boy just wants to play with her, doesn't he? Well, she can transform into him next, that will at least let her explore around this school a bit longer.
Her knife gleams even in the dull lights of the bathroom, twisting his hand before he can punch her and stabbing straight into his carotid artery. A brilliant scarlet red leaks out onto the tile and Toga instantly grins taking in the sight of all this blood that is hers and hers alone for the taking. Licking her lips she guides him into a stall out of sight while clamping a hand against his mouth before his scream can echo out.
If she does this just right and fast enough she can clean up the body and area before anyone even realizes he's missing. Shigaraki would be proud of her efficiency, or mainly the information she soon stands to gain.
"Alright, let's get closer then. Just you and I!" She purrs.
-X-
Izuku & Ochako
"So you're the boy that's the reason behind why my daughter keeps ending up in the papers, huh? I was honestly a bit worried over Ochi's taste in men based on all the descriptions I heard of you." Kenji begins, looking Izuku up and down. Funny, he would've pictured him as taller or at least a bit more scruffy looking than the quiet, freckled face boy in front of him.
"Um yes sir, that's me." Izuku responds unsure what else to say to that, side eyeing Uraraka who gives her Father a steely glare in return.
"Papa, you promised me you wouldn't say anything embarrassing!" She hisses, about ready to use Zero Gravity to make him float off into space.
Or maybe she should make herself float away from this whole situation. How can it only be 1 minute in and Papa is already asking these annoying questions?
Mayumi nudges her husband none too gently before he can say anything else, Ochako giving her a thankful look. "Now dear, let's save the interrogation style questions until we've all gotten some food in our systems."
"Since you two are new to the city Ochako wanted me to recommend you all places to try and one of the best places I could think of was this little hole in the wall by the shopping district of Musutafu called Asago. Normally they only serve breakfast meals, but they've recently expanded to serving lunch and dinner menu items. I've really enjoyed the soba noodles and yakitori they serve." Inko adds in to help clear the air.
Mayumi perks up at this, practically looping her arms through her Inko's. "Really now?! Well Pa and I have been craving to test if Tokyo-style noodles truly are better as some of our friends back in Mie have said, but we'll be the judge of that! And afterwards we can walk off all this food in those department stores you mentioned; I want to get a few souvenirs before we head back." She cheers.
Inko laughs at her eagerness, she could see where Ochako got her bubbliness and energy from.
Asago is minimally packed luckily for a weekend and they take a seat by the window, taking in the afternoon rush outside.
As soon as they all finish ordering, Kenji goes straight back into his questioning.
"So your plans are both to be Pro-Heroes, right? How do you plan to fix your image Izuku knowing how some of the public already feels about you?" He inquires, dark eyes watching him thoughtfully.
He ignores his daughter and wife's pointed glares. His express purpose for this trip is to make sure his one and only child is safe no matter how harsh his questions may sound.
"I plan to train more on working through the limitations of my quirk, to not be so quick to rush into situations without analyzing the villain's quirk first along with their allies." Izuku explains.
Kenji nods, rolling right on to his next question. "And what about my daughter? I assume you care about her, right? She keeps ending up in those so called 'situations' with you. Now I know as a Pro-Hero you'll face hazardous crime scenes eventually, however you're both still students at this point in time and you've put her in danger that could've been avoided had you waited for the authorities or a Hero to reach the scene."
"Papa-" Ochako starts, clicking her tongue but Izuku holds up a hand to stop her.
"...I understand your fears Mr. Uraraka. It's weighed on my mind deeply especially since gala incident. I would never want to do anything that would put Uraraka in any further harm of a villain or myself. Uraraka is the reason why I don't think of my quirk Infliction as so poisonous and evil, why I think of my old nickname of Deku as so terrible anymore, why I feel much more confident and happier than I ever felt back in middle school." Izuku states, swallowing to not stammer over any of his words.
'Deku.' Ochako opens her mouth to speak, but her stomach is fluttering and the everything she wants to say remains coiled in her throat. So instead she reaches to clasp at his hand beneath the table, hoping somehow that all she can't say aloud is conveyed in the warmth of her touch. He lightly squeezes it back, silently returning the gesture of understanding and support.
Kenji doesn't speak for a long moment, gaze shifting between Izuku and Ochako. As much as his daughter has denied it, he can see in her eyes this affection and love for this boy across the table. He returns his stare to his plate at seeing Izuku's return of the gesture maybe without even realizing it, Ochi is growing too fast for him...
"Ouch!" He scowls, burning his tongue on his tempura. He needs to focus on his food, reaching for his water to stop the sizzling sensation.
'Heal his mouth.' Izuku watches him, concentrating on the burnt edges of his lips to the increased swelling of his tongue. A moment later he no longer needs to guzzle down his water, blinking as he taps a finger to the mouth.
Onyx meets verdant, puzzled. "Did...Did you just do that kid?"
Nothing he had read about his quirk mentioned it could do more than just damage.
Izuku nods, hoping as well his mother isn't mad about using Infliction in public. "Yes, well I didn't want you a singed tongue or swollen lips to ruin your meal."
Kenji only shakes his head, true smile rising upon his lips since this lunch started. 'I'm starting to see what Ochi mentioned now.'
"You're making it hard to dislike you kid." He chuckles.
-X-
Inko
"Have a good day dear!" Inko smiles, sending Izuku off with a wave. She follows him out the door to take in the crisp morning air, sky still a light pinkish-violet as sunlight pours in from the horizon trickling out against trees and buildings.
For once, it's a been a peaceful calm week in their home.
No crimes on the news involving her son, no police or emergency personnel coming to her door in the dead of the night, and most of all no having to witness her son coming bruised, bloodied, and haunted by just how cruel humans can be with their quirks.
"Don't forget I'm going to be out later than normal with Gran Torino, I should be home by 8:00 or 9:00 pm." Izuku calls out behind her and she nods, promising to make an extra large tonkatsu bowl for him when he returns home.
This peace won't last forever, it comes with the territory of living in a big city and her son wanting to be a Hero that eventually this calm will be broken...
'Stop thinking negatively.' She reminds herself, watching Izuku head off until he is completely out of sight before turning back to head inside.
She's neglected the household chores after spending the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka. The kitchen and living room need to be dusted and mopped before the grime truly starts to stick.
It's near midday though the doorbell interrupts her flow, pausing in her scrubbing to indeed make sure she heard things right.
'Was Izuku expecting a package?' She didn't imagine he was buying anymore All Might memorabilia after meeting the man in person.
"Mrs. Midoriya?" The postal worker asks once she finally opens the door. Inko nods slowly and the man sighs in relief, perhaps worried he had gotten the wrong address at how long she had taken to get to him.
He gives her a document to sign and then practically pushes the parcel into her hands. Nothing about it strikes out at her besides the fanciful white ribbon tied around the cardboard.
She waits until she is alone again before looking at the sender, breathing in slowly as she takes in the fanciful cursive of her name. She traces a thumb against it, heart racing into her ears.
This is for her.
She recognizes such penmanship, from the way he always adds extra swirls to her name in a way to try and draw it out to the way the ink smudges the ends of the paper due to how his hand was positioned. It always did make her laugh, the memories seem like only yesterday instead of years ago...
"Hisashi." Inko whispers his name, her husband sent this.
It could only mean he was returning back to Japan soon.
-x-
I'm trying not to let writer's block and my own stresses keep me from getting chapters out, apologies on the delay. I hope you all had a safe and warm Thanksgiving and continue to safe during this holiday season! Let me know your thoughts as always.
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!