Inko Midoriya sat at her desk, hunched over her laptop as she busied herself running a financial report. She was humming along with the peaceful flute music playing on the radio until her peaceful routine was broken by the sound of her cell phone.

Frowning, she picked up the phone and froze at the sight.

Restricted Number

Oh no. Has something happened to Izuku? Ever since the forest camp and Kamino, she had been worried. Sure he was staying at the dorms now, but he had a penchant for attracting trouble. Nervously accepting the call, she placed the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Inko Midoriya, I regret to inform you that your son is about to be kidnapped."

Izuku let out a heavy sigh as he left Gang Orca's hero agency. It had been a stressful day of work studies. After a series of back-to-back villains in the morning, they were called in to handle a large bank robbery gone wrong. It was just so much, and it all pointed to a new organized criminal element forming in the area.

He'd have to ask Ochako about it later and see if she knew anything.

Speaking of Ochako…

With a serene smile on his lips, Izuku pulled out his cell phone to see if his girlfriend had responded to him yet. He sent her a message earlier asking if she was free that evening because right now he'd love nothing more than to spend a few hours relaxing with her.

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"I guess she must still be busy," Izuku sighed. Like him, she was doing a work-study under Ryukyu, alongside Himiko and Tsuyu. Hopefully this wasn't a sign of how his evening was going to go. "Maybe she'll get back to me on the way home?"

Resigning himself to the ninety-minute train ride ahead of him, Izuku tightened his grip on his costume case and began his journey toward the train station.

Izuku had gotten halfway to the train station when fate decided to play a cruel trick on him.

As he walked past an alleyway, he suddenly felt someone run into him, and it took all his effort to not go crashing into the ground. Turning his head quickly, Izuku realized who he had collided with, and inwardly groaned.

Of all the rotten luck! Of course it had to be…

"Who is this? How dare you try and stop me, Gentle Criminal?"

By the time Izuku was done cursing his fate, Gentle was standing several feet away and posing with his faithful companion la Brava at his side. Realizing who he ran into, Gentle let out a dramatic gasp and pointed at Izuku. "It's you! My fated rival! Quick, la Brava, get the camera!"

"Camera?" Izuku let out a weary sigh. "I'm not in the mood today. Can we postpone our fight?"

Gentle looked offended as he shook his fist at Izuku. "How dare you ask to 'postpone'! Our meeting must have been preordained by the stars themselves! You cannot simply 'postpone' such a conflict!"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late as Gentle had already launched himself off of one of his trampolines, his fist reeled back and ready to strike. Instincts taking over, Izuku dropped his costume case as he raised his fists, One For All already surging through his body as he crossed his arms in front of him to block the incoming attack.

Gentle let out a cry as his fist impacted. "Ow! Have you been working out since we last fought?" He asked as he fell on another trampoline and backflipped backward to a safe position.

Izuku didn't take the bait - clearly, he was supposed to step on the trampoline right in front of him. Instead, he sidestepped around the space. "Of course! You know my dream is to become a great hero!"

"I remember," Gentle placed his hand on his forehead. "You are seeking the dream I was so cruelly denied. Which is why we are fated rivals! I must continue to test you to see if you are worthy of becoming a hero!"

Izuku felt adrenaline kicking in, suppressing his exhaustion as he prepared to counterattack. He knew Gentle's game over their multiple skirmishes, and he needed to focus if he wanted to win quickly.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'm sorry for this," Izuku said as he leaped sideways, landing on the wall of a nearby building. Using it as a springboard, he launched himself across the alleyway, changing his angle of attack before pushing off the wall a second time, aiming directly toward Gentle.

"Oh, how clever," Gentle said as he threw out a hand.

Izuku realized what was going on a second too late and got caught in the membrane, inching closer toward his foe. He saw Gentle's eyes go wide as Izuku approached, genuinely worried that his elastic air membrane would not survive One For All's power.

Until Izuku suddenly stopped.

"Just kidding!" Gentle smiled. "Of course I knew my Gently Rebound would be strong enough to stop you."

"Why me," Izuku groaned as he felt the air barrier snap back, sending him flying into a wall. With a groan, he detached from the wall, only to land with an ignominious thud on the ground.

"My my, as much as I'd like to continue there's too many people here," Gentle said as he tossed Izuku's costume case next to him. "How about we take this elsewhere?"

Izuku was about to protest when he suddenly found himself surrounded by a sea of blue - he had been caught by Mr. Compress' quirk!

Being inside one of Compress' marbles always felt surreal no matter how many times it happened. Time and the outside world seemed to stop, and he simply existed, suspended in a sea of blue. But soon enough the experience ended and he felt himself freed from the quirk, only for gravity to reassert itself and drop him unceremoniously to the floor.

Pushing himself to a sitting position, he looked around. He had been dropped into a dark room, and his eyes didn't have time to adjust to the dimness.

Suddenly, a spotlight appeared, showing a familiar silhouette.

"Izuku Midoriya," an indistinct gravelly voice spoke. "Today is your unlucky day."

"It hasn't been the greatest, no," Izuku admitted as he pushed off the ground to stand and face the figure.

"You've managed to attract the attention of the wrong people, and now you must deal with the consequences."

"C-consequences?"

The lights in the room suddenly turned on, revealing the smiling form of his girlfriend - Ochako Uraraka - dressed in a black suit. "You've got to deal with the Shadow Lord of the Underworld for the rest of the night," She said, her voice returning to normal as she gave him a bright smile.

Izuku gave his girlfriend a crooked smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "You know, as far as your kidnapping attempts go, that wasn't your finest moment."

Ochako's smile was quickly replaced with a pout. "Yeah well… You didn't give me a lot of time! After I got your text I had to put something together on short notice!"

"You'll have to work on that," Izuku teased his girlfriend. "There's a new villain group in Yokohama, so I'm pretty sure I'm in for more long days."

"Mmmm," Ochako gave her boyfriend a playful smile as she stepped closer to him. "I'll be sure to put together some plans that I can use on short notice, then."

"I'm looking forward to it," Izuku replied before he pulled his girlfriend into a hug. "Missed you."

Ochako let out an embarrassing squeak, surprised by Izuku's sudden boldness. Quickly recovering, she gladly returned the hug. "Missed you too. Your work study's going that badly?"

"Sort of," Izuku hummed as he felt his girlfriend's soft hair pressed against his face. "Today was exhausting - this new group really wants to make a name for themselves. It's making them aggressive."

"Mmmm, I know the type," Ochako said, "probably don't know the first thing about villainy. Too bad they've attracted the attention of Deku, huh?"

"I guess so," Izuku said. "I do have a way of attracting a lot of unwanted attention."

"And here I thought you liked it," Ochako said before pulling away from her boyfriend. "But they're tomorrow's problem. I managed to get us reservations for sukiyaki in Fuefuki."

"You know you don't have to go that far," Izuku rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course not, but only the best for my partner-in-crime," Ochako said with a playful smirk. "Besides, it's a fancy restaurant, and you know what that means~"

Izuku sighed. "I kind of figured when I saw you in a suit."

"You know you love it," Ochako teased as she spun around slowly.

Izuku would never say it out loud, but she was right. Dr. Garaki had prepared a whole wardrobe of tailored suits for Ochako in anticipation of All For One eventually asserting control over her body. Much to Garaki's dismay - and Izuku's thankfulness - the procedure failed and Ochako remained firmly in control. However, the suits remained behind and he had to admit that Ochako looked stunning in them.

Unfortunately, if she was in a suit, that meant…

Ochako pointed to a side room. "One of your suits is waiting for you, along with a hot shower."

"Do I have to?" Izuku complained weakly.

"You know the rules," Ochako said playfully. "If you want to see me in a suit, that means I get to see you in a suit!"

"Can I at least change after dinner?"

"Of course!" Ochako replied as she leaned forward. "I'd rather we cuddle in something more comfy."

Izuku smiled warmly at his girlfriend. Leaning in, Izuku gave Ochako a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you for doing this." Feeling better already, he walked off, looking forward to a hot shower and a relaxing evening.

In a quiet alleyway, a smoky black cloud appeared before quickly expanding into the shape of a portal. Without any announcement or fanfare, Ochako emerged from the Warp Gate. Turning around, she watched Izuku emerge before the portal collapsed on itself, disappearing just as suddenly as it appeared.

"Welcome to Fuefuki," Ochako said with a smile as she offered Izuku her hand. "Where we're just a young couple enjoying an overly fancy dinner, courtesy of my rich aunt."

"That sounds nice," Izuku admitted as he took her hand. Stepping out onto the street, Izuku discovered they were on the edge of a rather small commercial district. "This town isn't very big, is it?"

"It's not," Ochako said. "But their inn and hot springs are famous tourist destinations!"

"And you just happened to get reservations-"

"At the inn's restaurant, yep!" Ochako smiled proudly.

"What about the hot springs?" Izuku asked, his face heating up.

"Umm… Did you want to go to the hot springs?" Ochako asked, her own blush spreading.

"N-no!" Izuku insisted. "I was just curious. Yep! Just curious!"

"Good," Ochako said as she recovered. "Himichan would never let me live it down if I took you there!"

"I… yeah," Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Should we get going?"

"Yeah," Ochako smiled warmly at her boyfriend. "Let's go."

Hand-in-hand, the couple walked down the street of the sleepy town. As they walked, Izuku had to admit that this is exactly what he needed - even if he was in a suit.

"Here we are," Ochako announced as they stopped in front of an inn. The entryway was painted dark red and built in the style of a traditional Japanese building. Despite standing out against the modern architecture of the surrounding town, the design felt warm and inviting.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

After checking in (under a fake name, of course!) Izuku and Ochako were led to a private room in the inn's restaurant. After seating them and taking their order the hostess left, giving the couple some privacy.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Izuku asked as he reviewed the menu.

"Of course!" Ochako insisted. "What's the point of having access to all of my resources if I don't plan on using them?"

"Don't you need them for emergencies, though?" Izuku said. "Like if All Might's successor were to try following in his footsteps and dismantling your empire, for example?"

Ochako laughed before she leaned into his side, a playful smile on her face. "I'd say keeping his successor happy counts as an emergency then. Don't want him to have a bad day and get any silly ideas."

"I guess you're right," Izuku slipped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "Just like how I've gotta keep All For One's successor from getting too bored."

Izuku felt Ochako shaking as she giggled. "Nope, who knows what I might get up to otherwise."

The two sat that way, catching up on each other's day until the wait staff returned. As they heard the door slide open the couple bolted upright in a desperate attempt to compose themselves. Fortunately, the woman in a kimono pretended to ignore them as she wheeled a cart into the room. The couple shared an embarrassed glance as the woman prepared the firepit in the center of the table. As the fire roared to life they turned their attention toward their host, excited to watch their meal being prepared.

"That was really good!" Izuku admitted as he stood up and stretched.

"It was!" Ochako agreed as she pushed herself upright. "Auntie Kaina has made it for us a couple times but," Ochako looked at the empty plates on the table, "this was better."

"So what's next on the agenda?" Izuku asked.

"That's up to you," Ochako said as she grabbed Izuku's hand and led him to the exit. "Do you want to walk around town before we head back, or are you to get out of your suit?"

As they stepped out into the early twilight of fall, Izuku had to admit that he wasn't ready to leave just yet. Looking at his girlfriend, he tightened his grip on her hand. "Why don't we get dessert before we head back?"

"Sure!" Ochako agreed. "This time you're paying."

"H-hey!" Izuku protested.

"You saw how much dinner cost! Almost forty thousand yen!"

"No fair," Izuku sighed. "Ok, but I get to pick what we get."

"Deal!"

Turning down the street, the pair returned to the shopping district. As they passed through, Izuku had to admit he was slightly disappointed that there wasn't a hero merch store, but he wasn't surprised. The rogue thought led him to start wondering who the local heroes were until he spotted a small food stall tucked between two buildings.

"There," Izuku squeezed his girlfriend's hand to get her attention.

Ochako looked at where Izuku was pointing, and then back to him. "Taiyaki? I thought you didn't like that?"

"I- had some bad associations with Torino," Izuku admitted as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But what better way to fix that than sharing some with you?"

Ochako let out a small gasp as her blush spread. It was a small change but it was enough to make Izuku feel warm. Giving her boyfriend a bright smile, Ochako bobbed her head. "Let's get some taiyaki then!"

A few minutes later and the pair walked away from the stall, a bag filled with a half dozen of the treats in Izuku's hands. Stopping, Izuku opened the bag and fished out the first taiyaki before he offered it to Ochako. "For you."

"Such a gentleman," Ochako teased as she took the treat. Opening her mouth wide, she took a massive bite. A content look settled over her face as she chewed the dessert, savoring the taste. Finally, she swallowed and let out a content sigh.

"So they're good?" Izuku asked nervously.

"No, they're horrible," Ochako rolled her eyes playfully before shoving the half-eaten treat into her boyfriend's face. Izuku sputtered, getting some filling on his nose before he successfully opened his mouth and managed to take a bite himself.

Izuku's face brightened as he savored the taste of the taiyaki. Swallowing, he looked at Ochako. "This is good!"

"Yep!" Ochako giggled. "You got something on your nose though."

"Whose fault is that?" Izuku countered.

"Yours!" Ochako said with a playful smile on her face. Reaching out, she used her middle finger to swipe away at the topping, cleaning his nose before wiping her hand on a napkin. "Why don't you try the next one?"

Nodding his head, Izuku reached into the bag and grabbed another one of the shaped desserts. Taiyaki in hand, the pair started walking, content to walk through the cozy shopping district while they finished their treats.

After they finished with dessert, Ochako sent a message to Kurogiri and the pair returned to her hideout. Once there, Izuku and Ochako split up to change. As Izuku entered his private guest room and opened the dresser, he couldn't help but wonder how lucky he was.

For two hundred years, All For One and One For All were at odds with each other, fighting a shadow war across Japan as one brother tried to reclaim his brother's quirk for his own. Six years ago, the latest iteration of that conflict came to a head as All For One faced All Might in single combat. After two hundred years, the conflict ended when All Might seemingly killed All For One, at the cost of taking a grievous wound himself.

If things went differently, Izuku very well could have been caught up in the next generation of the war, facing All For One himself - or his chosen successor.

Instead, he was dating her. And he couldn't be happier.

Despite her upbringing, Ochako was a kind and caring individual, with a bright smile and a beautiful laugh.

And there isn't anyone he'd rather be working with to tear down the system that had hurt both of them.

Finally deciding on a tee shirt, Izuku changed out of his suit, carefully laying it on his bed before he exchanged it for his chosen shirt and a pair of shorts. Feeling more comfortable, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway only to see his girlfriend walking toward him. Much like he did, Ochako had changed into a simple black shirt and shorts, while retaining her artist's gloves.

Stopping, Ochako smirked as she saw the shirt Izuku had chosen. "Property of Ochako Uraraka, huh?"

"Technically I'm still your hostage," Izuku said with a nervous smile.

"Hmm, you're right," Ochako said thoughtfully. "Whatever shall I do with you."

"How about the arcade?" Izuku asked. "I was going to ask my girlfriend if she wanted to play video games tonight. Too bad I was kidnapped before then."

"Yes!" Ochako brightened at that idea. "I can't wait to kick your ass in Hero Fighter!"

Izuku gave his girlfriend a determined look. "I'm not going to make it easy on you."

"You're on!" Ochako grabbed his hand. "Let's go!"

As they raced off looking for Kurogiri, Izuku once again decided that he much preferred this life to a life where he would be fighting All For One's successor.

"Damn it, Izuku!" Ochako growled as she lost the match.

"I warned you," Izuku said as he shot her a playful smile.

Ochako responded by glaring at her boyfriend and slamming another token into the machine. "When did you even have time to get so good?" She grumbled.

"I still wake up early on my rest days," Izuku explained, "so I'm up before everyone else even when I'm not jogging. It's the perfect time to go down into the common room and practice."

"No fair, abusing the fact that I like sleep," Ochako pouted as she began to scroll through the list of characters, applying more force than necessary to her joystick before she selected Fat Gum from the list of characters.

"Don't you have something to help with that?" Izuku asked playfully.

"Of course," Ochako said curtly. "But I'd rather sleep instead!"

"I guess you'll have to find another way to get practice in," Izuku said as their match began.

"That's easy, I'll just kidnap you more often," Ochako said cheekily as Fat Gum advanced toward All Might on the screen.

Izuku sputtered at her response, his grip loosening on the controls just enough for Fat Gum to grab All Might and slam him into the ground, taking a full third of his health bar away. "You know, you could always just ask to play games with me."

"That's no fun," Ochako complained as she blocked Izuku's counterattack. "Besides, if we play in the common area we have to deal with everyone else."

"I've got a television at Mom's," Izuku pointed out. "I could always bring that to the dorms and we could set up a console in your room."

Ochako hummed as she focused on the game, narrowly squeaking out a victory before she turned toward Izuku with a bright smile on her face. "Sure! Plus it'll be so much easier to just kidnap you and drag you to my room than catching you outside of UA."

Izuku laughed nervously at the implication as he focused on their match. While he knew Ochako kept the League away from UA grounds - mostly - he hadn't ruled out having her use Himiko and Tsuyu, or their other classmates, to enact one of her schemes on school grounds.

Taking her cue from Izuku, Ochako suddenly went silent as she focused on the screen, the two treating the match just as seriously as a life-or-death battle against a villain (or hero!). Izuku managed to win the second round, and he swore he heard the plastic of the joystick crack from the pressure Ochako was applying, but he wasn't about to be intimidated. Unfortunately, he tried to get greedy in the final match - hoping to play into Ochako's weakness - but she learned from their previous bout and she punished him for it. As All Might fell to the ground and the victory animation played, Ochako whooped for joy.

"Take that!"

"Our score is still tied," Izuku pointed out.

"Well then, we'll just have to keep going," Ochako smirked at Izuku.

"Yeah, we will," Izuku smiled back before he slid another token into the machine, ready to continue.

Several hours later, the two finally emerged from the arcade into the darkened streets of Mustafu.

"So am I finally free?" Izuku asked hesitantly, almost afraid that their night was over.

"Almost, there's one more place left," Ochako said. Pulling out her phone, she sent a message to Kurogiri and a portal opened up in a nearby alleyway. "Let's go!"

Taking his girlfriend's hand, Izuku followed her through the portal, only to emerge in an empty parking lot. Looking around, he discovered that they stood outside the Observatory that sat at the edge of Mustafu. He gave Ochako a confused look. "Why here?"

"I wanted to see the stars with you," Ochako said as she began to tug the gloves off of her hands. "I hope that's ok."

In the dim light, Izuku saw the blush on Ochako's cheeks spreading. Despite her usual demeanor, he could tell she still felt selfish wanting to do this one thing for herself.

How could he possibly say no?

"Of course it is," Izuku said as he held out her hand. "It's important to you, so it's important to me."

Ochako gasped and looked at Izuku with a bright smile on her face. "Thank you." She leaned in to kiss her boyfriend, before taking his hand and removing his gravity.

Izuku floated there for a moment while Ochako removed her own gravity before looking at him expectantly. Using his free hand, he activated Blackwhip. Wrapping a tendril around a lamp pole, he rocketed them toward the top of the building. The couple soared into the air until Izuku used his quirk a second time and pulled them down to the rooftop.

Taking her hand back, Ochako pressed her fingers together. "Release!"

Izuku felt a sudden lurch as he silently landed on the roof alongside his girlfriend. While waiting for her to put her gloves back on, he looked up at the sky - only to see the sea of stars overhead.

"I didn't know you could see so many out here!"

"That's why the observatory is so far out," Ochako explained as she once again slipped her hand into his. "To get away from the light pollution of the town."

"I guess I never really thought about it," Izuku admitted.

Gently tugging on Izuku's hand, Ochako lowered herself to the ground, laying down on top of the domed structure. Izuku quickly Izuku followed suit. "I never really had much at the orphanage," Ochako snorted. "Why would I? They basically saw us as spare bodies for All For One anyway. Who cares about how we felt?"

Ochako looked at her free hand, and Izuku knew that even with the glove, she was staring at the hole in her palm, a permanent reminder of what she was supposed to become. "So that's why you watched the stars?"

Ochako turned toward him, the sight of her boyfriend dispelling the anger in her eyes. "Yep! Most nights I would sneak out and use my quirk to climb up on the roof and then just lay like this." She turned her head back toward the sky.

"I'm glad I can give you a chance to make happier memories," Izuku admitted.

"Izu-" Ochako breathed.

"It's the same as the taiyaki earlier, right?" Izuku asked. "I'd like to do the same for you."

Ochako tilted her head toward her boyfriend, a warm smile on her face. "I think I'd like that."

She lowered her head back down to return her gaze skyward, but Izuku felt her warmth as she edged herself closer, nestling herself into his side. Letting go of her hand, he slid his arm around her shoulders, feeling her slip hers around his as the two locked together like a pair of puzzle pieces.

"Thank you for today," Izuku said as he nuzzled his girlfriend's soft hair.

"Of course," Ochako replied. "I know school's keeping us busy, between classes and the HPSC forcing us into work studies, on top of our… private projects." She let out a wistful sigh. "Sometimes it really does feel like we need to be kidnapped to have any free time."

Izuku let out a nervous laugh. "You just want an excuse to kidnap me more."

"Maybe," Ochako closed her eyes as she leaned her head into Izuku's neck. "Maybe I just want to show my boyfriend how much I love him."

"Mmm," Izuku tightened his grip on Ochako. "I love you more though."

"Do not!" Ochako said.

"Do too!"

"Izuku-" Ochako said darkly.

Izuku couldn't help but laugh. "Will you settle for a draw?"

Ochako let a smile settle on her lips. "Yeah… I will."

Time seemed to stretch on for eternity as Izuku and Ochako lay there, simply enjoying each other's warmth as they watched the stars pass overhead.

Unfortunately all good things had to end, and when Izuku finally checked his phone, his eyes went wide as he bolted upright.

"Ocha! It's 11 PM! We're past curfew!"

"That's what you're worried about?" Ochako complained as she pushed herself upright. She felt a chill run through her. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself as she gave Izuku a grumpy look.

"If Aizawa finds out we're gone, he's gonna punish us!"

Ochako let out a pained sigh as she pulled out her own phone. "In case you forgot, Kurogiri's got coordinates for both of our dorm rooms." One quick text later, and two portals appeared in front of them.

"R-right," Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before he stood up.

Ochako pushed herself upright before turning to her boyfriend. "I guess this is goodnight then."

"Yeah," Izuku said sadly. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriend one last time, he pulled her in for a kiss. "Goodnight Ochako."

"Goodnight Izuku, love you," Ochako said, starlight reflecting off of her eyes.

"Love you too."

The two separated slowly, their hands brushing against each other one last time as the couple separated and walked to their respective portals.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped through and was transported to his room at Height's Alliance. Nervously, he crept over to his desk lamp and turned it on. Once he confirmed that Aizawa was not lurking in the room, waiting to punish him, he sighed in relief. Tossing his shoes aside, he collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling, a bright smile on his face.

He'd never admit it to Ochako, but he really didn't mind it when she kidnapped him.

AN: So I've been getting the urge to revisit my character of AFOchako (originally from Chako's Guide to Izuku) and give her a solo debut, where she gets her good ending instead of embarking on a multiversal journey. I've actually gotten pretty far in planning a long fic starring her and Izuku, but there's a fair bit of daylight between planning and actually writing and well... I have enough projects as it is. So for now, I hope you enjoyed this one shot starring her and her Izuku, and hopefully someday I'll revisit them further!