"Everyone saw it?! I wanted to keep it a secret!" Izuku shouted on their 'face sharing' website the boy found recently. "I mean, just my family is bad enough, now every single parent saw it!"
"Sorry, but your mother called mine and she made the connection to the rest of us soon afterwards, so you're not the only one embarrassed here." Asmodeus sighed. "Viole and Lily are still trying to get me in a dress ,and in just an hour I'm going to have to wear frills for a 'mother daughter' experience."
"The only bad parts are just my siblings laughing whenever I walk by, and that's nothing I haven't heard before." Gaako shrugged. "The real bad part is how they fell in love with, um, what did you call him/her/it?"
"Dekiru. It means 'you can do it', literally the opposite of Deku." Izuku rolled his eyes. "I'm just glad I don't remember any of it."
"I thought it was cool. And also I'm taking parts of it to the grave, Kerori made me promise." Eiko's sentence was the most concerning.
"Dekiriryu was nicer than Deku, but I still didn't like her." Clara complained. "But Izuku-kins is back, and his horn is bigger!" He wanted to point it out but felt the topic would be awkward.
"Yeah, I woke up with a bigger horn and a tail. I'm almost terrified of what comes next." Izuku blushed. "At least it's nothing like my first time going to Skvader. I just hope Ameri doesn't mind the new appendage later."
"Oh, you hanging out with her later?" Asmodeus us. "Why don't we try to forget everything about Demdols and Wicked Phases and gather together to eat somewhere or something?"
"Oh, no...It's just going to be me and Ameri this time...We're going on a date...our first date..as a couple."
"Oh wow, congrats." Gaako smiled. "Never thought you had the balls to go for it until later in the year." Yes, his conversation with Izuku when he was freaking out, the one he spent a while talking to him, a heartfelt conversation with much emotion, gone with a single skirt concert … How charming.
"I just kind of learned that no matter how bad I do it won't be worse than Kuromu and Gyari." Why was that relationship so bad? "And I figured I should give it a try, I mean, worse comes to worse we can still be nakama."
"Ha, you're so naive it's almost cute." Asmodeus had to give a laugh. "If there's anything I've learned from my mother, it's that once you break through the barrier of romance, you can never go back to any other casual form of relationship without something awkward always getting between you."
"Don't start acting like a jerk now, Azz, Izu's too lovable to hate once you get to know him." Eiko defended her now unavailable crush. "And you haven't been there for girl talk, Ameri's crazy for him just like me." Crazy was really underselling the insanity. "You have nothing to worry about Izu, you'll charm her like always."
"And if you don't, I'll be there to play with you! Lady Red Hair will suffer if she takes away your smile!" And Clara armed herself with a mallet once more. He was actually getting desensitized to her threats now, she should think about upping the ante. "Just make sure to have super fun when you're together!"
"Wow, and here I thought we'd have to fight you to get you to sit this one out." Gaako spoke with surprise in her voice. "Since when are you cool with Ameri and Izuku hanging out alone?"
"I still want to play with Izuku-kins all the time, that hasn't changed, not one bit!" Clara shouted, once again proving that someone can in fact be more dense than Izuku when it came to romance. "But Lady Red Hair wants to do something that makes Izuku-kins happy, so I shouldn't stop her from doing that nice thing."
Wow, that was probably the most mature thing Clara has ever said. Were they sure SHE didn't get the temporary personality change at the demdol games? "Thanks guys, I'm glad I have your support." Izuku bowed his head.
"No problem, Izu. Just make sure to tell me everything about it in immense detail. I need to update my notes for the TWP."
"What was that bzz, I think my signal bzz is cutting out bzz, can't hear bzz, any bzz." Izuku's screen cut off as they all starred.
"Izuku-kins is in trouble!" Nope, he didn't need to worry about Clara, the same old idiot as always.
Ameri double checked the board she took a picture of on her phone, using her knowledge of Izzy from experience, knowledge from tea parties, and conversation from Deku/Dekiru/Whatever, she made a long and complex chart. She had a plan and strategy for everything that could happen on this date.
On the off chance he was sore from the activities from the games, they could lounge around in cafes or sit on benches in the park to watch the sunset. Thanks to his love of heroes she could use comic spots for them to read together, or merchandise of other heroes (excluding her father and his grandpa) to purchase.
There were of course the food options she needed to get down just right. Mamadoriya was absolutely pivotal in that regard. For breakfast dates, she would go to his house and discuss school plans while Opera prepared a buffet for them. Izzy's appetite was limitless as long as he was talking about something, so maybe she could use this as an opportunity to make something for him, baring Opera unbanning her from the kitchen.
Lunch and Dinner were also quite simple. Izzy would choose Katsudon no matter where they went out to eat, which means she would do the same and make it 'their special meal', so whenever he ate it by himself, he would always think of her specifically.
Thanks to the music festival, there were more musical opportunities such as karaoke, which was pretty popular in Izzy's original home from what she recalled. Bring in some nice nostalgia, maybe even a piano to help cultivate his skills, and she could live out every girl's fantasy of having a boy create a song for them!
And the coup d'etat, ending the date with warming each other in the cool night, just like Rin and Kokaru from First Love Memories. Sure, Izzy said it was just fictional fluff created for en masse romance, but it still could give her ideas … also she really liked holding him like a push toy. Sure she wanted him to hold her but at this point she's grown used to it. Maybe Gaako was right about the 'dom rush' a girl in a relationship got.
The point was that she was prepared for anything and everything, no amount of surprise that was the 'midoriya luck' would get to her. She would persevere and give them a perfect date, unlike the disaster of the Water Park. SHE COULD DO THIS!
"Ameri!" She blinked, turning to the boy of her dreams. "Are you okay, I've tried to get your attention for three minutes now." Oh, maybe she was a little too prepared.
"Sorry, just making sure I'm ready…" She looked at her boyfriend (yaaaaaay!), and saw something different. "Ah...did you do something new with your hair?" She made a small attempt at a joke, noticing the larger horn that once before barely breached out of his green locks, now was about a foot long curving upwards.
"Actually yeah, it got messed up during the event and I was trying to give it a sideways look-you meant the horn didn't you?" She nodded with a giggle. "It grew out the day after, my head feels like it's always weighing heavily to the left. Oh, and I have a tail now. Kinda weird, right?" Plan omega is a go.
"Of course not, you want to give it a test run? I know some balance based activities we could try, like tightrope walking." Scenario two hundred and thirteen! She was prepared for everything!
"Huh, that actually sounds fun, and I can always use 'fractal' to catch us if we fall. No need for a net." His boldness meshed perfectly with her planning! They would be the perfect couple by the time the new school year started!
"There there, sis, I've got you." Haruno patted the girl on the back.
"But he was so … unappealing. What girl would be interested in video games?" The girl complained. "And his jokes were all so corny!"
"Come on, you'll manage to get a date one of these days." Haruno tried to reassure her. "Besides, it was Lied, that guy always tries to get a girl."
"Maybe you're right … but it hurts seeing other happy couples when I'm trying so hard. Like, look over there!" She pointed at a tall red head and a bushy green haired-oh, Midoriya!
"Careful now Izzy, you lean to the side your tail points in." President Ameri and the honor student were a good five feet away from them, though that didn't count the fifteen feet above the ground they were, walking on a tightrope. Not exactly her first choice of location for a date, but she wouldn't judge.
"Why is it the same side as the tail, shouldn't it be opposiiiiite….." The boy corrected himself from almost falling. "Alright, same side it is. One step now … easy does it." Weird, the boy acted like he never had a tail or something. "No wonder I barely have control when I fly, I'm using my shoulders to point in the direction I want to go."
"Don't worry, I've crashed and burned many times before I realized how important my tail was."
"How many years did it take for you to get the hang of it?"
"... Four." That was fast, usually it took nine years.
"Lovely." The boy grumbled, before finally making it to the end, noticing them. "Oh, Haruno, hey there." The hero waved at them. "How've you been? Haven't seen you since the Music Festival."
"I've been good, taking my sis to get ice cream, was on a Sabbath with Shax, which was her first mistake." She scolded the girl.
"When you said he was bad at trying to get women I didn't expect eighties pick up lines!"
"So the eighties are a thing here too? Should've known." Midoriya rolled his eyes.
"I mean we have a calendar, why wouldn't we have an eighties?" Azazel asked him.
"I'll tell you about it later. Let's just say it's cheesy no matter what world you live in." The couple laughed, oh they laughed so joyfully. They looked so happy. "Don't feel bad about it. Lied already has a girl he likes, he's just trying to find the confidence to actually talk to her."
"Wait, so he asked me to the sabbath despite liking another girl!?" Her sister looked enraged. "The creep, I should run back over there and tear his head off his scrawny short little neck!"
"Now now, ice cream, come on." She didn't want Ix to find out her sister did it, that was a wrath her family didn't need. "So you actually asked him out, Ameri? Didn't think you'd get the chance with you, Oni and Valac constantly fighting it out."
"He asked me out, found a confidence booster lately." She smiled and patted his head. "What about you?"
"Just watching the Demdoll games, we got super inspired to find a romantic partner after the fabled threeway of Dekiru, Gyari, and Kuromu." Haruna stated. She herself planned on asking out the man of her dreams soon.
"SHUT THE FU...Good. For. You." Ameri gritted her teeth. "Hope Picero can make you happy." She absolutely believed it.
"Good luck on your date!" She waved, taking her sister with her. What a lucky girl. Damn that Rookie Party. At least Picero would always be there for her now.
Izuku couldn't believe it … so many shirts with his face on it. "This is going to haunt me, isn't it?" He asked Ameri.
"You've always planned on being a hero, what did you expect?" Ameri laughed at him teasingly. Yep, his face was on dozens and dozens of T-Shirts, although the worst part of it was the fact that it wasn't just Skvader mode with its own branding. "I wish Dekiru didn't get so popular as well."
"You and I both, I don't even know how that happened. That's supposed to be me with no inibitions, what sick part of me wants to wear something that … sensual?" He didn't want to think about that. "But besides that this hoodie is nice. I just need to figure out a fun word to spell out on the back … maybe I could own up the bunny thing and-"
"If you're trying to make a pun hoodie, the answer is no."
"Just a thought. My humor will just have to go unappreciated."
"The fact that you think it's legitimately funny is humorous enough." Ameri was laughing at him, but hearing it was like applying a soothing balm he didn't know he needed. He was making his friend happy… his girlfriend happy.
"I'm glad you think it's funny." He spoke as they walked together, his hand reaching hers … above his head. "Wow, I kinda forgot you were so tall after a while." He smiled. "I admit, I've always liked that about you."
"I-Izzy!" She was blushing, just like when they read First Love Memories together. How did he keep missing that?
"I mean, it's true. I get to look up at your face, and feel… safe around you." He kept going, a part of him enjoying how flustered he could make the normally confident girl.
"You … feel safe." She repeated, looking red. It was nice to see someone else embarrassed for a change. At least until she leaned down and hugged him. "I'm glad I can make you feel that way."
"I'm glad it's you." Izuku whispered in her ear. "My Nakama are fun, but you're the only one I can count on to be stable, strong, and level headed all the time. I, I've never been more grateful to have you in my life…."
"Izzy, can we stop for a second and just be silent." She asked as he could feel something slither on him. "You're making me very … flustered and … hot." Okay wow, too far, way too fast!
"Yep, okay, silent it is." They simply stood like that, wrapped around each other, her tail on his waste, squeezing and holding him in place. He felt safe..protected in her embrace. More safe than he's ever felt in either world.
He… He belonged in the Netherworld. Demon, Human, whatever the heck he was now, his true home was here..right by his family... his Nakama… his Ameri. "Thank you for being you … you know Azz said a crazy thing about how if you break up you can never go back to normal without awkwardness."
"He did now, did he?" Suddenly she squeezed him a bit tighter. "Well don't worry, we'll just have to never break up." That should have given him more danger signals rather than a wave of comfort, but he's way too used to danger at this point.
Henri watched his daughter come back in, finishing some reports by the table. "How was your day?" He asked his darling little princess.
"It was the best day I've ever had in my life." His princess spoke with those swooning eyes that have been there since the deviculum… oh shit, she was with Midoriya all day, wasn't she?!
"Did you … happen to meet anyone?" He asked.
"I met Haruno, she was taking her sister back from a bad sabbath." Oh, that had to sting. "Izzy tried to stand up for Shax though." So they WERE together all day. Was it … no, please don't tell him it was a date! "We were practicing how to properly use tails for balance…." Okay, just helping out an underclassman, that's all it was…"And we just sat together in silence, hugging each other…"
"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MARRY MIDORIYA!" Her eyes widened at his shout.
"Marriage, who said anything about marriage, with those frilly white dresses, delicious cake, beautiful bells..." Oh it was getting worse. It seems the time has come, he needs to be one hundred percent honest and try to nip this in the bud.
"Ameri, please sit down, we need to talk." She looked confused at his calm tone, but complied anyway. He let the silence hang before he dropped the news. "The Midoriyas are human."
Ameri looked at him with a straight face, obviously trying to keep her composure from learning such a mind boggling revelation. "Izzy has a tail and a horn now. I'm pretty sure that makes him a demon."
"I felt his facial structure, which is human, along with Ms Midoriya's pulse, they're both human. They also have an overabundance of perfume that masks their scent, it's why no one has found them appetizing." She went a bit green, but no other reaction. "Also there are reports about a 'healing blood' Midoriya has possessed, or did I imagine you suddenly getting better at Walter Park?"
"But… you told me human blood was deadly, Izzy's was actually quite soothing, as disturbing as that might sound." Curb your anger, she's in denial of her companion's true origin.
"Yes, it is deadly … if they have a quirk. I have a suspicion that Midoriya is a quirkless human." He stated, making his daughter look more shocked. "But because of this he believes that his magic ring and grandfather's influence makes his life better than it was there. I've done a background check as well, there is no information about them throughout the continent. We're spreading the search, but I highly doubt it'll yield evidence."
Ameri kept being silent, her face was scowling, obviously in the anger stage now. As much as he would like to unleash her anger on the bastard, he needed to keep him alive. "You can't say anything about it father. You remember the Demon King Prophecy, right?"
"I know the prophecy and double checked it … as much of a savant he was, it seemed Derkila made the fatal mistake of trying to cultivate a human as the next Demon King. If ANYONE found out too late, the level of disaster that will overtake the netherworld would be catastrophic. Every demon alive would have given an arm or leg in a free for all to eat them."
"Then he'll overcome it. He can do anything he sets his mind to." Ameri stated plainly.
"Ameri, you know the power of Romantasist! Even if we try our absolute best, we can't overcome everything, when that's our literal magical capability." There were some mountains that couldn't be climbed … he learned that one the hard way. Lost an entire group because he was too cocky in his own capability.
"I-ugh!" Ameri stood up and walked back and forth, obviously fighting the grief stage… "I've known the entire time. I've always known Izzy was human." She what?
"And you didn't trust me." The silence hung. For the first time in all of Henri's life, he was angry with his daughter.
"I didn't trust you because I knew the moment I confirmed it, you'd send him back and ruin his life all over again! He has nothing up there! Nothing but the scoffs and jeers of idiots who knocked him down before he could even have the chance to stand!"
"And I have to worry about the lives and society of an entire world!" He stood up in rage. "I have had to make choices to lock away quarantined Demons that could have infected hundreds, I have had to send away those who knew too much and could never see their families again! I have had to make choice after choice for the wellbeing of others! I would and will always choose demons over humanity!"
"Izzy cares about demons just as you say you do, he doesn't even like humanity! He hates it! They've told him to kill himself like it was a joke just because of something as stupid as biology!"
If it was any other situation, Henri would've chalked up what Ameri just said as her mind getting over imaginative, just as the Azazel line tended to do, but knowing Inko Midoriya's own worries about her son, as well as the self-sacrificing nature of the brat, made him hesitant to argue back her point.
"But you know what? He'd still find a way to save both humans and Demons, he'd find a way because he cares so much about life in general! Why would I ever choose to give up someone that caring, that virtuous, that loving over some demon that wouldn't bat an eye if I were to die right now!? If it wasn't for Izzy, EVERYONE at Walter Park would've died because he was the only one who chose to give a damn!"
"Do you think I wouldn't have cared if people died?" He spoke silently, far beyond normal rage.
"Yes. I've never seen a demon care as much as Izzy does. Tell me, if it were me or a whole bus full of children, who would you choose to save?"
"... Go … to your room … now." He placed pressure on the room, a sign he taught his daughter when she was younger … he was actively restraining himself from hurting someone physically.
"I'm heading back to the dorms. I'll see you next week." Ameri leapt out the nearest window, not bothering to tell it to his face as she spoke. He let himself breath, feeling his whole world falling apart … this was the worst day.
