The beach is a very romantic place today. Kyoka goes for it. Momo finds a balloon. Tsu wins, again. Toru shines bright. Denki and Hitoshi have an important conversation. Katsuki and Eijiro have an important conversation. Mina is Mina. And Izuku accepts his future...but now has to figure out how to make it happen.
Took longer than I wanted to finish this chapter up, but dammit, its done now! We finish up the classes beach day and leave them with some memories, as well as some further conversations the Problem Trio must have with each other.
"So, what do you like about me, besides my ass?" Himiko asked, having snuck up on Kyoka as the purple-haired girl was messing around with a playlist for the day.
Kyoka let out a very girly squeak of surprise, turning around with a glare and with her jacks waving menacingly. "Don't do that!" she hissed at Himiko, the blonde looking entirely unrepentant.
"What, sneak up on you, or talk about you liking my ass?" Himiko said with a wide grin.
"Either!" Kyoka shot back, her cheeks gaining a hint of pink after realizing what she had tacitly admitted.
"It's a valid question, Kyo. We're here to learn about why you like us anyways, aren't we?" Himiko asked, her teasing tone fading into a warmer one.
Kyoka pursed her lips at Himiko, turning away from her to fiddle with her phone once more. Himiko just waited patiently, until the music started playing from the stereo as Kyoka set her phone down once more. The purple-haired girl stood there frozen for a moment, before spinning about and walking off to one of the beach umbrella's Momo had created and sitting down under it. Himiko followed and sat down next to her, the two of them looking out over the beach and the rest of the class playing around.
"...You're very hot, Himiko, but it's not that," Kyoka muttered, her jacks tapping in front of her face nervously.
"Then what is it?"
"...you just…are you. You don't give a shit. You're not afraid to be yourself, and…that's really attractive to me?"
Himiko scoffed. "Oh Kyoka…you overestimate me. I'm afraid all the time. It's only cause of my dad and 'Chako I even could talk about my Quirk at all, and then Izu and Kats made me comfortable with it. I'm just glad I got here and no one has an issue with it. Growing up…it wasn't like that, for me."
"What was it like?" Kyoka asked.
Himiko flinched as memories flitted past her eyesight, just the tiniest glimpse of screams, of being thrown into the closet, of moments so desperate for a drink she'd bite into her own wrist, her nightmarish memories that she knew Izuku witnessed coming back to the forefront. She shook her head rapidly to clear it, reminding herself that was long ago, that wasn't her life anymore.
"...I don't really want to get into it much…haven't even told Izu or 'Chako the whole thing. But…my parents, they didn't like my Quirk, wanted me to be 'normal'," she made finger quotes at the word normal. "But turns out I have to drink blood else I kind of…starve? Like, not really starve, but my brain thinks I am and I can…go feral, I guess is the best way to put it. There were…some real bad times, for me. And they ended up kicking me out after a while."
Himiko looked up at the umbrella above her, leaning back on her hands. "I spent a while on the streets. Not really sure how long, to be honest. Until my dad picked me up and took me in. He helped a lot, but…honestly, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for 'Chako. She befriended me when no one else would…and just didn't care about my Quirk. She even let me drink from her!"
Himiko looked over at Kyoka. "So yeah…I'm not as unafraid as you might think. I'm very afraid. I just…here I can be me, and no one hates me for it. Honestly, I'm just super happy that I met all of you. I don't know what I'd be without everyone's support."
Kyoka seemed to ponder this for a minute, tilting her head to the side as she studied the blonde next to her. "Guess we all keep some things close to the chest, huh?" she finally settled on.
Himiko smiled. "Yeah, probably."
Kyoka pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "It…it doesn't change what I feel, though. I really think you're cute, and even if you are afraid, you don't seem to let it get you down. And like…at the USJ, when Izuku got hurt…when you jumped the Nomu. I was so scared, but you didn't hesitate. Ochako didn't hesitate. The both of you ran in and went after that monster. I know it was awful it happened, and I know neither of you really thought it through at the time, but…part of me wonders what it'd be like to be loved like that."
Himiko turned to face Kyoka. She reached out one hand and placed it on the punk girl's cheek, gently turning her to face Himiko. Her habitual easy-going grin shifted to one softer, warmer, as she leaned in close to the now flushed Kyoka's face. "I can't say I feel like that for you yet…but I'm more than willing to see where this goes, Kyo," she whispered. Without hesitation, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the purple-haired girls lips, letting the kiss linger for a few moments before sitting back, watching as Kyoka's eyes slowly opened from where they had fallen shut from the kiss.
Kyoka's face was steaming, but she couldn't help but let out a shy, happy smile at the blonde. Himiko turned to face the beach once more, but shuffled herself closer to Kyoka, letting them sit pressed up against each other. "So…what do you like about Izu, besides his ass? Which, I can confirm, is excellent." The sound of Kyoka sputtering out a shocked 'Himiko!' echoed across the sands.
"Ochako? May we speak for a moment?" Ochako turned around to see Momo, the taller girl looking at her with a nervous expression on her face.
"She's all yours, lady! I'm gonna go talk to that electric boy, I got an idea for him!" Mei said, smiling widely as she ran off without waiting for a reply from either girl.
Ochako blinked in confusion at how quickly Mei vanished, before shrugging. "What's up, Momo?"
Momo squirmed in place for a moment, clasping her hands in front of her. She paused, took in a deep, bracing breath and closed her eyes. Opening her eyes, she looked Ochako firmly in the face. "I asked Izuku on a date, but I realize I never formally expressed my interest in you as well. So I would like to inform you that I think you are one of the strongest people I have ever met, and I do not mean that in your combat ability, even though that is exceptional. I've seen how you manage Izuku and his issues, how you comforted Himiko from the time she was hurting, how you tried to make me feel better about my loss to you. I…I admire that about you. A lot. I admire how sweet and kind you are, yet also so stubborn and determined when you need to win. How driven you are to accomplish your goals, and especially how fearless you can be when facing down foes. I just…I just wanted you to know that," she finished, whispering the last few words as her courage failed her, turning to look down and away from the brunette.
There was silence for a good half minute, making Momo feel anxious and fearful that she'd upset the other girl. Not wanting to let anything fester, she lifted her head to try and apologize only to freeze when she saw…nothing? Wait, where had Ochako gone? She glanced about rapidly, looking for the brunette, until a strange whimper made her look up. She glanced upwards and saw the brunette floating in midair, hands over her face which was visibly bright red, the only sound coming from her a strange 'squeak' every few seconds.
"Um…Ochako?" Momo asked, looking at the strange Ochako balloon in the sky.
"Eep!" Ochako managed to squeak out, quickly tapping her fingers together, releasing her power and sending her down to the ground. She landed on the sand with an 'oomph', climbing to her feet and rubbing her behind with a wince. Her face still bright red, the brunette took in a few quick, deep breaths, rubbing at her cheeks for a moment. She slapped her hands on her cheeks, pinky raised, then shook her head rapidly. "Okay. I'm okay." she repeated quietly.
"I-I apologize if I have said something untoward-" Momo began.
"N-no! Don't apologize, Momo!" Ochako interjected, waving her hands rapidly in negation. "I'm just super flattered and, and, and I wasn't expecting that, oh my gosh, Momo!" Ochako practically whined her name, the flustered tone in her voice making the heiress giggle a little even under her own embarrassment.
"Every word I speak is truth, Ochako," Momo reassured her, feeling some of her confidence coming back at how flustered the brunette had gotten.
"That's…that's very sweet of you, Momo," Ochako managed to get out with her own nervous smile in place. "Oh gosh. I really wasn't expecting this, I expected you to go talk to Izu first!"
"Well, it appears that Tsuyu has claimed the first 'discussion' with him," Momo said, giggling as she gestured to the green pair heading into the ocean hand in hand. "But even so…I spoke to Izuku about how I felt. It was you I had not spoken to. So I decided now was the best time to have this discussion…if that's okay?"
"Oh it's totally okay! Yep! Just…whew, okay, I just gotta get my game face on," Ochako muttered the last part to herself. She quickly hopped in place, not noticing how Momo's eyes followed her impressive figure in motion with a blush, before letting out a deep sigh. "Okay, yeah. We can talk! Um…okay. Well…I really don't think I'm all that special, but like…Momo, you're you. Like, everyone in this class thinks you're the most gorgeous woman in the class, but it's not just because of how you look. I don't think we'd be anywhere near as organized and living as well without you."
"Izuku does most of-"
Ochako cut her off with a raised hand. "Izu is great at coming up with plans and new suggestions, but we all know he's scatterbrained and either gets distracted easily or hyperfocuses to the point of missing the forest for the trees. You're the one who keeps him steady, whenever we need something done as a group. You two already make an amazing team, and I love watching you work. So…yes, Momo. I know what you're asking, and for me, the answer is yes."
Momo shimmied in place for a moment excitedly. "A-are you sure? I don't want to be a bother…"
"Of course I'm sure. As Himiko keeps bringing up…all of us would love to make out with you," Ochako said with a cheeky grin and a wink, the only sign of her own nerves being the red tinge to her cheeks.
"Ah, I, uh, I-" Momo stuttered at the bluntness of the statement, before Ochako took pity on her. Stepping forward, she pulled the heiress down gently, planting a forceful kiss on her lips. Momo froze for a moment, before relaxing into the kiss, allowing herself to be led by the much more experienced brunette. Ochako took her time, slowly pulling Momo along, sending tingles down the taller girls spine with every soft breath that wafted over her cheeks, every adjustment Ochako made to their position, the way Ochako's hands trailed down her sides to grip her by the hips and pull her closer.
After a few moments, the liplock broke, both girls sharing a very focused, red-faced glance. Ochako giggled as Momo stood there, shellshocked but with a massive grin on her face. Ochako gave her one more quick peck, before grabbing the taller girl's hand and pulling her along behind her towards the umbrella Himiko was seated under with Kyoka.
"Oh hey 'Chako! That was hot. Is it my turn with Momo now?" Himiko asked in a saccharine sweet tone, both Kyoka and Momo staring at her wide-eyed.
"Stahp," Ochako ordered while giggling, slapping her girlfriend on the shoulder as she took a seat next to her, pulling Momo down with her. "Let's not overwhelm everyone already."
"I mean…pretty sure Izuku just overwhelmed Tsu," Himiko cackled, pointing out at the greenette pair leaving the shallows, the cool water dripping off them not hiding how flushed Tsu's cheeks were or the dopey grin on Izuku's face.
"Hmm. I wonder how well she can use that tongue while kissing," Ochako pondered aloud, tapping at her lips in a way reminiscent of the way Tsuyu often did. Kyoka choked, still staring at the brunette as she spoke. Ochako noticed and shot Kyoka a smirk. "Listen, Himiko isn't the only one here who likes to have fun, you know. I just have to be prepared for flirting, Momo caught me off guard."
"I-I apologize-" Momo began, but was cut off by the blonde and brunette bursting into laughter.
"Don't apologize! It was super sweet! I loved it, Momo," Ochako reassured her, pressing her shoulder against the heiress' shoulder.
"We're having a cuddle party and I wasn't invited?" they heard the voice of Izuku speak, the greenette standing in front of them with a fake scowl on his face, Tsu next to him holding his hand.
"I mean, looks to me like you have a pretty good cuddle buddy right there," Himiko pointed out with a wink at Tsuyu.
"True, true," Izuku murmured, his fake scowl twisting to a brilliant smile that had the girls wishing for a pair of sunglasses.
"But, I think we got a couple more to gather before we hold a conversation, don't we?" Ochako said, nodding towards the water where they could see Toru and Mina playing catch with a frisbee.
"Izuku, you should talk to Toru. We all know she's head over heels for you at this point," Himiko remarked.
Izuku scratched the back of his head. "I…uh…maybe? I guess. Um, but what about Mina?"
Ochako rolled her eyes. "I guess I've forgiven her for earlier. Let's go play with them for a bit, we can talk while I kick your butt at volleyball."
"Oh, is that a challenge," Izuku said, his smile shifting into a more determined, focused stare at his girlfriend.
Ochako leapt to her feet, the warm smile she'd had before morphing into a smirk. "Mayyyybe," she sang out. "Whatcha gonna do about it, Izuku?"
"Oh you are on! You get the girls, I'll set the net up!" Izuku said excitedly. He quickly turned and pecked Tsu on the cheek, the frog-girl freezing at the sudden affection and the muted coos from Himiko at the cuteness, before dashing off.
Ochako turned to look at Momo. "I'll be back in a bit! We aren't done yet!" and bolted off to grab the two girls frolicking in the water.
Momo turned to look at Himiko, the blonde snickering to herself. "Are…are they always like that?"
"Competitive? Oh, absolutely. Even more than Izu and Kats are, which, I would not have thought possible when we first started hanging out. Something about competition gets them both fired up…it's super hot."
"Yeah it is," Kyoka muttered, freezing when she realized she'd said that out loud at Himiko's guffaws.
Himiko leaned over and pecked Kyoka on the cheek, before gesturing for Tsuyu to sit down where Ochako had been. "See, you get it! C'mon Tsu, I won't bite again…unless you ask."
Tsuyu took the offered seat, turning her blank gaze to Himiko. "Okay. Bite me."
Himiko sputtered, both Kyoka and Momo giggling at how quickly her confidence vanished the moment Tsuyu turned it around on her. The blonde girl pouted, before turning to Tsuyu and arching an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
In answer, Tsuyu tilted her head to the side, revealing more of her pale, slender neck to the blonde. Himiko stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. She reached over and in a mirror of the other night, swept her tongue across the spot and bit down, gently drinking the slowly flowing blood and poured out. She closed her eyes in bliss and let out a deep, happy sigh, her arms reaching out and pulling the green-haired girl closer, nuzzling into her neck.
Kyoka and Momo swallowed at the same time and shared a Look, with a capital L, as they tried (and failed) not to watch closely. Watching Tsuyu's expression, the blankness fading away as she closed her own eyes and let out a soft hum of satisfaction, a smile flitting across her face.
After a moment, the lock broke, Himiko leaning back slowly. She took her time swiping her tongue across the area, making sure to lick up every drop of blood as the small punctures seemed to close rapidly. Himiko licked her lips, opening her eyes sleepily to meet Tsuyu's gaze. After staring at her for a second, she leaned in and pressed her lips to the smaller girls, Tsuyu responding with one hand on the back of Himiko's head, pulling her in closer and leaning into the kiss.
The kiss broke apart, the two sharing another glance before they slowly separated. Himiko swallowed. "Okay. You win, Tsu."
"I know, ribbit," she replied, a tiny smirk on her normally blank face as she turned to look at the now set up volleyball net in the middle of the beach, Izuku having put it up rapidly, apparently very excited.
"...you guys are gonna kill me," Kyoka muttered, not even bothering to hide her blush anymore.
"But what a way to go!" Himiko replied cheerily, red visibly staining her teeth which Momo was internally thinking should not be anywhere near as attractive as it was. She was broken from her musings by Himiko pointing out to the net. "But those four are gonna make it worse, and I can't wait. You're in for a treat when Izu and 'Chako get competitive…it's so fucking hot."
"I am sorry about doing that in front of everyone," Denki muttered as he sipped at a bottle of water.
"Den…it's fine. You don't need to keep apologizing," Hitoshi replied with a long-suffering sigh. The blonde had not quit apologizing since the 'incident' earlier, and frankly Hitoshi was sick of it because he'd rather just have fun, even if a beach day with the rest of the class wasn't exactly his ideal first date.
"Yeah, but-"
"Denki!" he growled at the blonde, cutting him off. He toned his growl down, looking over at the blonde boy who was biting his lip nervously. "Seriously. I…I wanted to do this anyway, okay?"
"Okay. Next time, you pick where we go!" Denki replied with a bright smile.
Hitoshi arched an eyebrow at him, keeping his expression flat and bored as he spoke. "Oh? Next time? Did I agree to a second date already?"
Denki gaped at him, before quickly babbling out apologies for 'assuming', only to stop once Hitoshi's facade broke and he began chuckling at the blonde. Denki pouted for a moment, slapping him on the arm. "Jerk!"
"Yep. You knew what you were getting into."
Denki's pout turned into a grin more reminiscent of the one he wore when he went overboard. "Yeah…yeah, I did. Although you're not really a jerk."
Hitoshi didn't respond to that, just looking out over the beach as he took a drink from his own water bottle. Denki's smile faded slightly as he looked over at him. "You do know that, right?"
"...Denki, let's be real here. I have a massive chip on my shoulder, you've called me out on it a half dozen times already," he muttered.
Denki rolled his eyes. "Because I know that's not the real you, Hito. We all know that. You're one of the funniest people in class, we all adore your snark. Kyoka's always cackling to me about the stuff you say about things like, Monoma and stuff."
Hitoshi glanced over at Denki with a raised eyebrow. "Oh? She listens to me?"
"She listens to everyone, Hito. She can't help it. Shoji can just not make extra ears if he wants, she can't turn her jacks off. Lots of people gave her shit for it back in school, but I think everyone here knows she's not gonna say anything unless others ask."
"You talk to her about me?"
"Uh…yeah? Who else am I gonna commiserate with over the hotties in this class? And yes, that includes you."
Hitoshi turned to look at his date, crossing his arms over his chest. "And who else does that include?"
"...you'd be better off asking me who that doesn't include," Denki mumbled.
"Fine, who doesn't it include?"
"Koda, cause he's too pure for this world and everyone should give him a bunch of hugs," Denki said with finality.
Hitoshi stared at him for a moment, blinking. "...that it?"
Denki looked up and contemplated for a moment. "Yeah, pretty much."
"...My boyfriend is easy as fuck," Hitoshi muttered.
"...boyfriend?" Denki asked quietly, all humor gone from his voice.
Hitoshi froze, eyes wide, looking the most awake he'd been since anyone had met him. "Uh…um…I…shit. I, I didn't mean to assume-"
"-Cause if I'm your boyfriend, that means you're mine too. Are you sure you wanna be dating a dumbass like me?" Denki asked quietly.
"Stop that," Hitoshi snapped, glaring at the blonde next to him. "You're not stupid. You're a UA student, that's the top 0.2% academically! Being the bottom of that still puts you above 99.8% of people!"
"Yeah but…c'mon Hito. You know I keep fucking things up. I'm really falling behind," Denki murmured, looking away from the taller teen.
"Because you won't let anyone help you! I told you a dozen times to talk to Izuku and Momo! You know one of them would have an idea, or at least be able to bring it up to Sensei and see if anything could be done. But you're too stubborn!"
"Ugh, because I should be able to handle this on my own! You know that! Izuku handles all his stuff and he's got way more going on than-"
"Izuku doesn't handle any of his shit alone. He's got Ochako and Himiko by his side every single time. He talks to Hound Dog, he told me before. He spends time with Nezu learning. But that doesn't even matter, because why are you comparing yourself in the first place?"
Denki groaned, making vague hand gestures towards the volleyball net where Izuku, Ochako, Mina, and Toru were now giggling and playing a game together. "Because! Like…look at him, Hito. He's super cool and I…I want to be that cool too, you know?"
"...you do realize he thinks you're cool, right?" Hitoshi said quietly.
"What? No he doesn't!" Denki scoffed.
"Oh? Wanna bet?" the purple-haired boy asks, arching an eyebrow.
Denki stared up at the purple-haired boy, feeling like he was walking into a trap, but deciding to double down. He was no coward! "Fine! If I win…you get off my case about this!"
"Fine. When I win, you have to actually ask for help. Hey, Izuku!" Hitoshi shouted, raising one hand to get the green haired boy's attention.
Izuku glanced over, noticing the waving hand. He held up a finger to indicate to give him a minute, and then called a pause on their current game. Panting slightly, he jogged over to the duo. "What's up?"
"What do you think about Denki? Is he cool?" Hitoshi asked.
Izuku tilted his head to the side, glancing between the two of them. "Um…I mean, you're one of my favorite people, Denki. I think you've got a lot of style and your Quirk is super cool. I wish I was as confident as you are, hah!" Izuku chuckled for a moment, letting the laughter fade away as he stood up straighter and looked at the blonde staring at him in consternation. "Yeah, I definitely would call you 'cool'. Anyways, need anything else?" he asked, glancing between the duo.
"Nah. Thanks, Izuku. Have fun getting spiked in the face by Ochako again!" Hitoshi said with a smirk.
Izuku rolled his eyes, waving them off as he jogged back to the net. Hitoshi turned around to look at the blank-faced blonde. "So…sounds like I won."
"You tricked me somehow," Denki grumbled.
"Well, yeah? Izuku can sense emotions now. So I was pretty sure he'd know what I was trying to do the moment he walked over. Also, he's told me he thinks you're cool before. I'm pretty sure he was trying to get me to ask you out because he knew I liked you, but didn't want to say it straight up…he's not as subtle as he thinks he is," Hitoshi said, chuckling to himself.
"He senses emotions now? Aw man, that's so unfair. Ugh, bet that makes his whole relationship stuff easy."
Hitoshi shrugged. "Dunno. I don't ask. He just mentioned it last night during the movie, but you were already out cold I think."
"...yeah well, your lap was comfy and I don't regret it."
Hitoshi's smirk turned to a much softer smile. "...yeah. Me neither. I uh…I never answered you earlier, about being your boyfriend. The answer is yes. Yes, if, if that's something you want, it's something I want too."
Denki's hand reached out and grabbed Hitoshi's, giving it a squeeze. "...yeah. That's…that's something I want."
"...just so you know, I'm not uh…big into PDA like those guys. But uh…after we go back to the dorms, do you…um…wanna come to my dorm and hang out?" Hitoshi asked, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.
Denki shuffled closer to Hitoshi, just enough that their sides were barely touching, before nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that."
The competition between Izuku and Ochako was, to put it in a word…aggressive. Toru and Mina, having been split off onto opposing teams, were simultaneously a little bit scared and a lot turned on, because the two of them were very…flirty, while also being very much in the other's face. This was a side they hadn't really seen, as no one could hear what Izuku and Ochako had been saying to each other during the sports festival.
Even with having agreed to no Quirks, it didn't change that both of them were in excellent shape, and turns out that months upon months of various training disguised as games had them both rather good at physical games. Toru felt a little bit inadequate, but not once did Izuku make her feel bad, instead he was incredibly encouraging every time she did well. Granted, he also was complimentary to Mina and Ochako too. That was Izuku in a nutshell…kind even to his opponents (with rare exceptions) she mused to herself.
Unfortunately, Toru quickly realized how behind everyone she was. She knew she wasn't exactly the most athletic person in class…but she was really disappointed in herself right now. Izuku and Ochako were both built, but she could see Mina was also pretty damned in shape…and was very flexible. Toru prided herself on being small and sneaky, and that she'd picked up a lot of tricks to not be heard, but she kinda wished she'd spent more time on working out too, because it felt like Izuku was doing all the work right now.
Which was probably why they were behind three points right now, it being 7-4 in Ochako/Mina's favor right now. She was getting frustrated…and apparently it was noticeable to Izuku, as he called for a small break after they lost another point. He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her off to get a drink (no, she wasn't blushing when he had his hand on her, why would you ask?), leaving Mina and Ochako to talk.
"You okay, Toru?" he asked once they were out of earshot.
"I'm fine!" she replied in a chipper tone, grinning at him even if he couldn't see it.
"Did I forget to mention I can sense emotions now?" he replied in a deadpan tone, looking over at her with a blank expression as she let out an annoyed huff.
"That's so cheating, Izuku."
"I like to think of it more as a nice little helper function of my Quirk."
Toru shoved at Izuku's shoulder, internally squeeing at the feeling of his very strong arms and having to struggle not to just hold on. The fact he'd accepted their 'date' really had her practically jumping for joy, since she had no idea he was up for possibly more partners. Apparently, she was the only one who didn't know amongst the girls (which bothered her a little but she was ignoring that), but she didn't care. She was going to take advantage of this as fast as she could, because she had been smitten with Izuku since the moment he saved her at the exam.
And he kept helping her! The way he always saw her gave her the most dramatic sense of butterflies in her stomach she'd ever felt. Yeah, his Quirk could see her, but she knew he could see her even without it…whenever he used that little vision trick, his eyes would flare briefly. She didn't know if anyone else had noticed it, but she had. She always knew when it was on. And somehow, someway, even without it on, he knew where she was when he entered a room…and she never felt more seen.
…and he'd given her her face. He'd let her see herself. For the first time in eighteen years, she knew what she looked like. She was one of those children whose Quirk was there from the day she was born. Her parents had joked about how much of a shock it was to the doctors and nurses, as neither of her parents were invisible (her Quirk was a mutation of her mother's ability to change the color of light around her), and she knew she'd presented unique challenges to everyone as a kid. But Izuku…he gave her something she'd never had before…the hope she could someday be visible.
It was only then she realized he was still waiting on an answer to his question, which brought her right back down to earth. She pouted, slouching slightly, before replying. "I just hate being no help to you in the game, you know? All three of you are way more fit and active than me."
"I think you're plenty fit, Toru," Izuku said without hesitation.
Toru glanced up at Izuku with a slowly growing smile. "Oh? You look at my figure?"
Izuku sputtered, his cheeks flushing an adorable shade of pink at the comment from the invisible girl. "Well, I, uh, I mean, I-"
Toru giggled. "Chill, Izuku. I don't mind. I like it! It's…nice, for people to see me."
"...speaking of that…you haven't asked me to make you visible since that day. Is something wrong?" he asked softly.
Toru shook her head. "No, no. I…um…ugh, it's silly."
"I doubt it," Izuku said reassuringly.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I…I guess it's kinda two reasons. One, I really wanna figure it out on my own like you said I could! But also…I like that…that you see me when no one else can? I…I want to be sure people like me for me, you know? Because even if it bothers me, being invisible is part of who I am. It's not something that goes away. So I just want to make sure people still like that part of me."
"I like you for you just fine. Invisible or not. Your Quirk is an important part of your identity, I agree…but the real you is just the sweet, energetic, cheerful Toru Hagakure who goes out of her way to make sure none of us take ourselves too seriously. I notice, you know, how often you act silly or effusive just so those of us feeling bad or worried feel a little bit better about things. That's one of the things I like most about you, Toru…you care. And that makes you a great hero…and even better person," Izuku said softly, turning to face her and gently taking her hands in his. He squeezed them gently, looking into where he knew her eyes were.
Toru was practically vibrating in excitement. Gosh, why did this hunk of a hero always know what to say to her? She couldn't help it, she felt so warm and fuzzy inside like something out of a movie. Once again, she cursed the fact she only just found out they were open to more because she was one hundred percent on board with this, absolutely. Possibly getting an incredibly handsome, smart, and kind boyfriend? As well as at least two super cute girlfriends (and maybe more going off the way the day was going?)...Well, she was all for this.
"Izuku…you really need to stop being so perfect, else I'm just gonna keep falling for you," she said. Toru was going to go for it and screw the consequences. If he could tell how she felt there was no point in hiding it anyways, right?
She was treated to the sight of him blushing lightly, turning away from her and rubbing the back of his neck adorably. "Aw, well, I mean, I'm not perfect, but thank you for the kind words."
"I mean it. I'm…I'm going for it! You can tell how I feel, right? And I saw you were holding Tsu's hand, so um…if you have room for another in your heart, I'd um…I'd like to put my hat in the ring?" she said, tapping her fingers together as she glanced away from him. Knowing he couldn't see how flustered she was made this a lot easier on her.
She felt a hand place itself under her chin, turning her to face the green-haired teen. He lifted her head up just enough to lean down and gently touch his lips to hers, sending an electric tingle throughout her entire body as she took in a sharp gasp of air at the feeling. She felt everything in her just relax, calm, like the constant ringing in her mind of a thousand thoughts moving all at once had slowed down for the first time and she just focused on the boy before her and the press of his lips to hers. As she relaxed, she felt that electric tingle that shot through her go through her chest, something in her chest just suddenly…ticked over, swerved, as if her body had reversed course for one brief moment. All too soon, the touch faded away and she opened her eyes sleepily (when had she closed them?), only to see him staring at her in absolute consternation, not the look she had hoped to see on his face.
"W-what?" she asked breathily, confused by his stare. He blinked at her once, twice, thrice, the quiet making her realize that everyone was suddenly very quiet. She looked around, seeing the entirety of the class staring at her blankly. She flushed, unused to this level of attention. She lifted her hands to cover her face only to realize…she could see her hands.
With a start, she glanced down at herself, noticing…yep. There she was. In her very small bikini, completely visible. She gaped at Izuku.
He held up his hands in shock. "I didn't do it! That's…that's all you, Toru."
"B-but…but I…but how? I…enjoyed that but no way I just needed a kiss from a hottie!?" she shrieked, absolutely mortified as she realized what she'd just blurted out loud. She covered her face with her hands, noticing after a moment that same tick in the center of her chest just flicked once more, and her hands…flickered and vanished, her entire body disappearing once more.
"Uh…well…what were you feeling?" Izuku asked her, his hands clasped onto her shoulders, her mind idly noting the warmth of his fingers upon her bare skin and barely managing to avoid a shudder.
"I…I just…was relaxed, and like, my mind wasn't racing like normal and then I felt this weird little tick in my chest like…flip over?" she said, not really sure if she was speaking sense or not.
Izuku stared at her, his eyes now softly glowing with the indicator that his Quirk vision was on. After a moment of carefully staring at her, his eyes roving up and down her body and specifically now at her chest (if she didn't know he was using his Quirk vision she'd be both a little bothered and flattered by it at the same time), he paused and then looked back in her eyes. He took a step back from her, blinking rapidly, the glow fading away.
"...huh. I…have an idea. Hmm. Try to relax once more, okay? I…saw something," he murmured.
Toru was all for figuring this out, and tried to do as he said. It wasn't easy to relax when she was so excited at the thought of progress, but she tried her best. She closed her eyes, focusing in on herself, on trying to calm her racing mind once more. It wasn't going great, but she felt Izuku's hand tighten on her arm, and then a sudden surge of energy shot through her where his hand was, and tick, that same little feeling in her chest flipped. Her eyes shot open, glancing down immediately at herself and seeing…herself, once more.
"How?!" she exclaimed, looking back up at Izuku in shock. She was starting to associate that weird tick in her chest to whatever was happening, but she had no idea how it was happening.
"So…I couldn't see this before, because my vision only did Quirk's. But now that it sees all energy, I was looking over your bioelectric field this time, and I noticed something with how it interacted with your Quirk. It's like there is a…switch, for better or worse, right about here," Izuku gently tapped her on her breastbone, Toru internally cursing herself for flushing at how close his hands were to other places. "It looks like you send a signal to it when you want to, well…turn it on or off. I don't know how you sent it the first time, this time I sent a little bit of my energy into you and directed it there."
Izuku paused, tilting his head to the side as he spoke contemplatively. "I suspect that because you default to invisible, that this won't stay on long. I believe your mind will flip the switch back on its own shortly. So what we need to figure out is how you can trigger that signal by yourself. You clearly can, as you just did it, but I'm not entirely sure what the full catalyst was. Well, unless I'm just that good a kisser," he smirked at her, all that radiant confidence and bravado making her gasp and slap him on the arm with a shocked giggle.
She lost her smile slightly as she felt that tick in her chest once more, her body fading from view…but this was still more than she ever had before! She nodded excitedly. "Y-yeah, I felt something there! That's so cool! I guess…I just need to practice more?"
Izuku shrugged, finally releasing her from his grasp, even though part of her wished he'd keep holding her like that. "Maybe. I've got some notes back at the dorms we can go over later, if you want?"
"Yes please!" Toru exclaimed, jumping in place happily. After a brief moment of excitement, she held out her hand to grab Izuku's. "But let's deal with that later…let's go play some more with Mina and Ochako."
Izuku smiled. "Lets."
Ochako just shook her head and smiled as she saw Toru and Izuku talking quietly by the water cooler Ida had brought along. She stood there with her hands on her hips, panting lightly from the exertion, as she drank at the water bottle she'd brought over with her and left in the sand.
"So…um…" Mina began sheepishly.
"Mina, I'm not mad anymore," Ochako reassured the pinkette, arching her eyebrow at her. As she saw Mina shuffling nervously, she sighed and spun about, pulling Mina towards her and giving her a hug. "It's fine, okay? We're having fun, aren't we?"
Mina froze in the hug for a moment, before leaning into it and squeezing Ochako back. "Yeah, yeah we are. This is actually super fun and I'm glad we did it. I think everyones having a good time."
"Me too. Except maybe Tokoyami, since he hates the sun, but at least we got him a nice shady spot and he seems to be enjoying his book!" Ochako replied as she broke the hug, gesturing to the bird-headed member of their class who was seated beneath a large umbrella.
Mina giggled. "Yeah, guess so. But um, I did wanna ask…I saw you guys like…kissing the others. Um, so does that mean you're going for it with them?"
Ochako tilted her head to the side. "We haven't discussed it yet, but…I have a feeling I know what we'll decide," she smirked, the cocky angle of her expression doing something for Mina.
"Do…do I get a kiss too, then?" Mina asked quietly, only to let out an 'eep' as Ochako's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her in close and pressing their lips together, the pink-haired girl letting out an involuntary moan from the feeling of Ochako's toned body pressed up against her as their lips fused together. Their kiss broke with a loud smack, as Ochako winked up at her.
"Does that answer your question, hmm?"
Mina stared at the brunette for a moment, her thoughts scrambled, shaking her head to clear it. "Why are you so hot and so good at that?!" she whined, waving her hands dramatically.
"You know what they say, practice makes perfect…and Himi, Izu, and me practice a lot," Ochako said, twirling away from Mina and giggling. She clasped her hands behind her back, looking back over at Izuku and Toru before looking back to Mina. "Those two seem a bit busy…so if you want another kiss…gotta catch me first!" Ochako giggled, spinning about and running out into the water.
Mina stared at her for a moment, gobsmacked, before her words caught up to the pinkette's mind. Scrambling to run in the sand, her feet digging divots into it, she half ran half slid out into the ocean to chase after Ochako.
"So…uh…you kinda told everyone we were coming here together?" Eijiro said, glancing at the blonde teen next to him and trying not to stare at his chest.
Katsuki had his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze locked on the tiny form of Eri splashing in the waves with Koda, the rock-headed teen calling various small fish to show her as she giggled. He sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just…Zu was not happy with how shit went down this morning and I figured I could you know…smooth some of that off him if I made it clear he wasn't the only date. Also, I'm not fucking ashamed of you, so I was glad to make sure the others know you're taken."
Eijiro flushed, chuckling nervously as he ran his hand through his hair, the red-dyed hair flopping in his eyes since the swim they did earlier washed out the gel he used. "Aw, Kats, that's…both cute and possessive."
"...is…is that an issue?" Katsuki asked quietly, glancing at Eijiro sidelong.
"Nah. I think it's adorable."
"I'm not adorable," Katsuki growled.
Eijiro snorted. "That was also adorable."
Katsuki rolled his eyes. "You are so fucking annoying."
"And yet you said yes when I asked you out, so, seems like a you problem."
"It's not a me problem, it's that for some godforsaken reason I find your annoying habits attractive. Probably a screw loose in my brain somewhere."
"It's an adorable screw loose though," Eijiro said with a chuckle.
"...why the fuck did I agree to this again?" Katsuki sighed.
"Because you like my abs?"
Katsuki paused for a moment, before nodding. "Well, that's one factor, sure."
"Oh? There are more?"
Katsuki gave the redhead a glance. "...c'mon, Ei. You…you have to know, by now."
Eijiro shrugged. "Maybe I want to hear you say it."
Katsuki grumbled under his breath, looking out over the beach. He stared out into the horizon, over the bright, shimmering expanse of blue, thinking over what he wanted to say. "I-I'm not easy to put up with, I know that. I'm aggressive and competitive and all sorts of blunt and shit. Growing up, I only really had one friend other than Zu, and…yeah," Katsuki trailed off into a whisper as he thought about Tsubasa.
He bit his lip and shook his head to clear it. "Anyways, just…I know what I am. I'm gonna be Number One, no matter what, but…I know that I got a ways to go. I came here to learn, not to make more friends or find someone I…you know, enjoy being around and shit. But, look, you…you were there for me, okay? It's like every time I turned around, you had my back. And I, I really appreciate that shit, you know? And you get it. You get the drive, the push. Fuck, I'm so bad at this." Katsuki ran one hand through his hair and tugged at it, struggling to think of how to explain himself.
"...I'm aiming for the stars, but you keep me grounded, so I don't get lost. And that means a lot to me," he whispered, looking down at the sand, shoving his hands into the pockets of his swimming shorts. "I just don't get why you keep putting up with my shit though. I've yelled at you a dozen times when you were just trying to help. That's pretty shitty behavior, you know."
"For someone as smart as you are, you sure can be dumb," Eijiro replied, making Katsuki turn to stare at him. Eijiro continued, looking out over the ocean himself. "Must be something in the water in Musutafu, cause Ochako's told me that same thing about Midobro. Katsuki," he said, turning to look at the blonde. "I don't care about that. I never did. A few yelled curses aren't gonna send me running. I care about the fact that you're the most driven person I've ever met. I care about the fact that you're everything I ever wanted to be as a hero…you won't lose. You won't quit. You'll bite and claw your way to the top, because you are already a hero."
Eijiro waved his hand towards where Eri was playing. "But that's just part of you. I've seen how you look at that kid. I've seen how you encourage and push Midobro. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Himiko and Ochako told all about that. I've seen how you try so hard to help Kaminari study, even though it frustrates you. How much work you put into Sero, into Mina, into me for our classes…we see it, Katsuki, even if we don't say thank you as much as we should, we see it. We see how you make sure everyone eats properly, you don't let anyone forget. Sure, you do it by cursing at them till they give in, but everyone can see it comes from a place of caring."
"I wouldn't be nearly as good as I am right now if it weren't for your help. So…yes, Katsuki. I like you. A lot. I think you're very smart and cute and manly as all hell. And I'd really like to kiss you, if that's okay."
Katsuki blinked at the redhead for a moment in shock, an uncharacteristic red rising to his cheeks. He swallowed. "Um…I, I don't know if that's safe, I sweat-"
"Nitroglycerin, I know. But I'm Red Riot, and I'm unbreakable. I'm not scared. So you shouldn't be either," Eijiro took a step closer.
"I'm not scared," Katsuki snarled, matching Eijiro's step as all traces of nerves dropped from his face at the challenge…only to realize that was exactly Eijiro's plan, the red-haired teen beaming at him before leaning in and laying his lips over the others gently. Katsuki felt all the pressure in his chest, all the tension, just drain away as his skin broke out in goosebumps. A slight twinge of pain made him realize Eijiro had grazed his lower lip with his teeth and that should not have been nearly as hot as it was, his breath coming out in short pants as the kiss broke.
Eijiro pressed his forehead against Katsuki's as he tried to catch his own breath, smiling widely at the other teen. Katsuki returned the smile, more of a smirk, the two just staring at each other for a few moments before they separated.
A 'ping' noise came from Eijiro's phone, the boy in question blinking in confusion. He pulled his phone open to glance at the message. "From Midobro?" he mused aloud, turning to look over to where he'd last seen the greenette. Over by the volleyball net, Izuku stood, looking at the two of them with a beaming smile. He nodded towards the phone in Eijiro's hand, curiosity making the redhead open the message which was apparently a zip folder? He quickly extracted it, seeing what looked like hundreds of photos dated years ago.
Curious, he opened one up, and proceeded to just…stare at his phone, dumbfounded. Katsuki arched an eyebrow. "The fuck is that about?" he asked, getting slightly annoyed when Eijiro didn't reply, just started rapidly flipping through pictures. Frustrated, he strode over to stand next to Eijiro, looking down…to see himself, as a baby, in an All Might onesie playing with blocks. Ruby red eyes widened.
"IZUKU MIDORIYA!" Katsuki roared, the greenette meeting his brother's eyes and smirking. He held up the water bottle in his hand in a faux cheer, taking a deep drink from it before bowing to Mina, Ochako, and Toru.
"Well ladies, twas fun, but I must now escape certain death. Tata for now!" he said cheerily, green energy wrapping about his body as he bolted away from Katsuki, the loud roar of explosions following him as the blonde rocketed into the air to give chase. Mina let out a shocked giggle, as Toru stared at the two in confusion. Ochako rolled her eyes, before casually walking over to Eijiro and tapping the stunned redhead on the shoulder.
He spun about. "O-Oh, hey, Ochako. 'Sup?"
"Izu shared the baby pics, huh?"
Eijiro flushed, before nodding silently. Ochako chuckled. "They'll be at this a while. So, hey…you asked Katsuki out?"
"Uh…yeah. I did?"
"That's sweet. He's really been crushing on you for a while, you know. From what Izu told me, it's his first time being in an actual relationship too," Ochako said with a small smile on her face that for some reason was worrying Eijiro.
"Oh, wow? R-really? He didn't…didn't mention that. Um, I've not really dated anyone either though, so like…that's not a problem, is it?"
"No? Of course not," Ochako reassured Eijiro. "That's not what I wanted to talk about. I'm genuinely happy for both of you. But see, here's the thing…Katsuki is about as emotionally intelligent as a brick at times, and you're a very sweet and kind boy who wears his heart on his sleeve. You two are going to fight and have troubles and stuff, like everyone does."
"Well, that's normal in relationships isn't it?"
She nodded. "Oh it is. And so that's okay. If something happens, just remember to talk it out. Communication is the most important thing, you know."
"...okay? Yeah, I figured as much?" He was still very confused as to where this conversation was going.
Ochako giggled, but there was no humor in it, as she placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Just making sure you remember to talk to each other, is all. But if you hurt him, Eijiro…well. I don't need to finish that, do I?"
He shook his head no rapidly, eyes wide as he saw the exceedingly terrifying beaming grin she shot him. After a moment, the grin faded into a much smaller, warmer smile. "And if he hurts you, you let me know and I'll make sure he apologizes, okay?"
Eijiro blinked at her in confusion. She let out a small sigh, a wry smile crossing her face. "You're one of my boys, Eijiro. Just like Katsuki is. I'm super happy you two are trying this out, but I'm gonna make sure neither of you gets hurt, okay?"
All the tension bled out of his body as it finally clicked that she was just reassuring him she cared…and he felt a couple tears leak out of his eyes as he smiled back at her. "Thanks, Ochako. That's super manly of you."
"...I'm a woman, Eijiro."
"Manliness transcends gender!" he proclaimed in response to her deadpan tone.
She rolled her eyes indulgently, the two of them ignoring the wind blowing past them as Katsuki rocketed overhead, Izuku's mad cackling audible even over the sound of explosions. "You're a weird one, Eijiro…and I wouldn't have you any other way."
"Aww, Ochako!" he sputtered, leaping forward and pulling the brunette into a crushing hug, making her squeak as she felt her spine cracking.
"Air!" she managed to croak out, the redhead letting her go with a brilliant smile on his face. She rubbed at her back. "Turn that into a supermove, no villain's gonna hold up against a hug like that," she said.
"Maybe I will!" Eijiro said, planting his hands on his hips and posing ridiculously. She just giggled at him, before looking up into the air to watch the chaos unfold between the two brothers, smiling to herself about how fun the day had been.
It took well over an hour for Katsuki to cool down enough for Izuku to safely land, by that time his own charge being down to below fifty percent even with the sun shining down on his shirtless form all day. Still, he had managed to evade death, and he considered that a win.
Which lasted until he landed and Tenya proceeded to lecture the two of them about public Quirk use without a license for ten minutes, followed by ten minutes of Momo lecturing them about hydration when out in the sun, and following that, Eri proceeded to lecture them about not spending enough time with her at the beach.
So, sheepishly, Izuku was now walking hand in hand with Eri as she proceeded to collect an ever growing collection of shells and smooth, shiny rocks, all being put into a large plastic container Momo had created for her and that Izuku had already agreed to carry back because nothing was more powerful than Eri asking him to do things with that expression on her face. So, to make it up to her, he decided to take her for some ice cream. There was a small pop-up stand on the far end of the beach, the others in the class had periodically been making runs to it, but he figured he'd spent a little one on one time with Eri and get her some.
And then he realized she had absolutely no context for what she could like, since they had yet to introduce her to ice cream. Well, best he could do was look over the list…he knew she'd pick apple if it existed, but a small stand like this didn't have the 'unusual' flavors. He chose strawberry for himself, which Eri decided to mirror him. As they waited there, a young woman with a child strapped to her back stepped up to make her own order.
"Oh, sorry, let's just step over her Eri," Izuku said softly as they moved out of the way, Izuku smiling politely at the woman.
She smiled back, glancing between the two of them. "Aww, your daughter is adorable! How old is she?" the woman asked, not noticing Izuku freezing like a deer in the headlights at the comment.
"Uh, um, uh," he sputtered, not quite ready to have this conversation in front of Eri (or ever) but Eri had already noticed what she said.
Eri tugged on his hand, looking up at him in confusion. "Izu? Are you my new dad?"
And for the second time that day, Izuku just…shut everything off. He took a deep breath, mechanically lifting Eri up onto his hip and accepting the ice cream from the vendor. He handed her her cone and took his own, demonstrating what to do with his own cone. He watched as she licked at the ice cream, her eyes going wide as her lips pursed at the chill, giggling to herself as she took another taste.
He turned back to the woman with a polite smile. "She's six, and yes, she's very adorable. I'm terribly sorry for being rude, but we must return to our friends. I hope you have a wonderful day!" he quickly spun about and walked away, feeling bad about how he'd just run off, but not exactly able to really process the moment.
But Eri never got an answer to her question. "Izu? Do you not want to be my daddy?"
Izuku let out a deep sigh, gently setting her down and kneeling down before her. "It's…it's not that, Eri. It's not so simple, I don't think."
"But you act like a dad. In the movies we watch, you act a lot like the dads in those. And I heard the others calling you my dad. Do…do you not want to be?" her voice cracked as she spoke, the ice cream melting in her hand as she gazed at him.
Izuku went to speak as softly as possible, wracking his brain for how to speak about this…and then paused. Was saying yes really so bad? He'd already admitted it to himself, even if he hadn't wanted to. The entire class thought he was. Midnight teased him about being her dad just the other day. But…he wasn't sure he wanted to get her hopes up. Legality would come into play, and it wasn't like he had a job or income or anything to support her with. Even once he graduated, it'd be expensive, and how would he find time to raise her and work? Practically…he acted as her dad. But what would the law end up saying? Hell, he wasn't even sure what legal status she currently held.
He shook his head to clear it. He had to answer her somehow. Once again, he defaulted to honesty since he swore to never lie to her. "In my heart, I do, Eri. I love you very much and I want to protect you and take care of you. But I don't know if I'm allowed to, or if it's even in your best interest. I'm not sure what's right for you, and that's the most important thing."
"...but you want to be?" she asked timidly.
"...yes. I do."
"...then you're my dad no matter if it's allowed or not. Aizawa says I can make my own decisions, and that's mine. You're my dad. That's what I want."
Izuku was currently torn between an extreme pressure in his chest that made him want to just jump for joy at how much he adored this child, and the looming uncertainty of how well this would work out and what the future would hold. Okay…he had to talk about this with Himiko and Ochako first, since it impacted them since he intended on marrying them…he should address that thought at some point but for now, nope, in the box it goes. Had to talk to Kacchan about it because this made him her uncle…which now that he thought of it everyone thought that anyways.
Ah hell. This was just her confirming what everyone already knew, wasn't it? Except…oh shit…Auntie and Uncle hadn't actually met her yet. Oh gods. And he would have to talk to Sensei, and Nezu, and Toshi about what he was going to do about the whole thing with her and taking care of her and-
His spiraling was cut off by a tiny hand gently patting him on the cheek. He blinked, once, twice, looking over at Eri standing before him, her ice cream mostly gone and one hand sticky, returning from his face. He let out a rueful chuckle as he realized she was doing her best to pull him back to reality. He hung his head for a moment, shaking it slowly at his own foolishness.
"Okay sweetheart. I'm your dad, then. We'll figure the rest out later…let's go have fun, okay?" He smiled at her, watching the smile growing across her face, joy almost radiating from her as she dropped the remnants of her cone and leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tight. He let go of his own cone, the ice cream already having mostly melted away anyways, and returned the hug, holding her tightly. Whatever it took to make her happy, he'd find a way…he'd find a way to protect her smile.