Chapter 16
It had only been a few hours after ukyo and izuku returned to the restaurant. According to doctor tofu, Izuku's finger would take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks before it was fully healed, meaning he had to be careful with his hand. Tofu had said that the other damages on his hand could extend the length of healing time, but that would have to be seen for latter. Entering the empty restaurant Ukyo sighed, placing her large utensil against the counter, letting it lean upon it.
Izuku looked about for a moment, his mind working in overdrive. Unlike in his world, he couldn't break himself apart like he did when he first started. Looking upon the bandaged appendage, Izuku grimaced. He remembered what Mister Aizawa had said to him, not to rely on a recovery girl. Now he was seeing why. In this world, injuries couldn't be healed right away, meaning you had to let them heal on their own.
Ukyo sighed before turning to Izuku. "I think we should got to bed early. You've had a bit of a day, hu?" she said, seeing the fatigue on Izuku's face. He nodded slightly before sitting down in one of the booths for a moment. Ukyo just watched him for a moment before she started up the grill. He turned to stare at her, only for her to respond with, "Well we're not going to bed on empty stomachs. What kind of a monster do you think I am?"
Izuku chuckled before giving off a small sigh. A plan was slowly forming in his head. He needed to stop these villains and find shampoo. That left one option left for him. Sitting there his eyes flashed to the small closet behind the counter. His gear was still inside it. He hadn't worn it in a couple of days, yet once again he was planning to wear it again.
Ukyo finished what she was doing before sitting two plates down upon the table. Pushing one of them towards izuku, she began slowly eating her own. About half way through, she sighed before setting down her chopsticks. "I know what you're thinking." she said. "I had hoped you wouldn't, to just let your injury heal." Izuku's eyes met Ukyos. She could see the fire behind them, the determination. She frowned for a moment. To the outside viewer, they were just staring at each other, but to the two of them they were having a silent conversation. After some time, Ukyo relented. "Fine, but you are still staying with me, got it? I don't want you going back to constantly being on the run."
Izuku nodded before he stood up. He made his way over to the closet and pulled his hero suit out. Its ragged form made him wince. Some tares here and there but nothing major. He started putting the suit on, much to Ukyo's dismay. "One day." she finally said. "Can't you rest for one day before going back out there?" The question was broken inside her chest. She didn't know why she was giving so much care to this person. She knew him for maybe a couple of months, yet she worried for him like she did for Ranma.
Izuku stopped before turning to her. "I'm sorry. I can't. Shampoos in this situation because I didn't slow down and actually try to return home. I tried to do it on my own. Now I have no choice, I have to get out there and stop these new villains," he stopped for a moment before attaching his arm braces, then his gloves. "They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. Their powers and abilities. That's my fault and I have to fix it." he grabbed his mask and face guard just staring into the eye holes of the mask. It was then that he felt a weight on his back as arms reached around his front, holding onto him in a hug.
Ukyo's face was buried in his back, soft tears flowing from her eyes. "Let me help. Please." izuku placed his hands upon hers, simply holding them. After a couple of minutes, he slowly raised the mask over his head before setting the face guard and mask into place.
He turned, looking her in the eye through the mask. His eyes were as soft as he could make them. "You've helped more than you realize. Thank you, Ukyo. I mean it, but this is something I have to do."
Ukyo's tears continued to fall, but her face morphed into anger. "You idiot. You don't have to do this alone!" she shouted, hammering her fist into his chest. "Let me go with you! Or hell, have Ranma or Cologne or anyone go with you! Don't do this alone! What happens when you get into a fight that you can't win? What then? Or worse, something else breaks? Like your leg or your arm? What then?" she continued to hammer his chest, each strike getting weaker. "I don't want to lose you."
Izuku slowly gripped her shoulders, not realizing that both of them had landed upon the ground on their knees. It was like they had moved there on their own. "Ukyo… you don't need to worry about me." he said, his voice even. "Your friends with Ranma, and from what I understand this isn't anything new. Dealing with supernatural threats."
"YOU'RE NOT RANMA!" Ukyo practically screamed, her anger rising. "YOUR MY FRIEND. I don't need to fight for your attention! Whenever we talk, I don't have to worry about you just disappearing or having to fight with others. I'm Ranma's Fiance, but I'm not the only one racing for his attention." she whipped away a tear. "If I lost you, what then? I go back to fighting for the attention of a guy who only sees me as a friend? Akane and shampoo don't see it, but I do. I'm losing this race. Out of the three of us, Akane is winning. The girl who acts like she wants nothing to do with him has his attention." she placed her hands in her lap, she was openly weeping at this point. "It's been nice, having something the others don't. A friend who isn't strapped to this stuff. Who could care less about the relationship drama that swirls around us. Akane does, I think, but she hardly ever hangs out with them outside of school."
Izuku could feel his chest clench. Something inside him was hurt, feeling empathy for the struggles that Ukyo had to go through. It must be hard, being engaged to someone who already had other suitors. "Can't you just… call off the engagement?" Izuku asked.
Ukyo laughed sourly, "I wish! Remember what I told you a while ago? About how I ended up engaged to him? If I call off the engagement, then mine and ranma's Honor becomes tarnished. I'm seen in the eyes of the world as shameful. I can't do that to him…" she ran her hands through her hair, making it more messy than it was. Her clothing was ruffled, though that was from all the crying. She looked at Izuku, her eyes losing some of the color it had. "I don't want to lose the one thing I have going for me… please… just let me help."
Izuku sat on his knees for a moment before standing up. He offered her his hand, pulling her up to her feet. He then reached around her, and hugged her as hard as he could without hurting her. "You've done more than you know already," he said simply. Ukyo sniffed before reaching up and taking the mask off. Without even thinking, she reached up, grabbed his head and kissed him. It was brief. A moment of respite. The pent up anger, frustration, and care all wrapped in one moment. Ukyo pulled away, her eyes horrified. "I… im so…" she started to say, but before she could say anything, Izuku reached, pulled her close, and continued the kiss.
It felt like instinct had taken over. Their bodies were moving on their own, holding onto one another like a lifeline. It felt different, to hold another human being in their arms when all they have done is fight. This one moment, it didn't matter. It was two people, letting their frustrations out on the world. Finally, they both came up for air, placing their foreheads upon one another. They're breathing heavily. The world slowly came back into view as the two were once more on the floor. Their clothes were still on, thank goodness, but something else was steering within. The desire to continue, to push forward. They looked into each other's eyes before Izuku finally spoke. "One day," he said in between breaths.
"What?" she asked, confused.
"I'll rest for one day," he said.
She smiled a little before closing her eyes, her head still leaning into him. "After that, that's all you have to say?"
Izuku blushed, "I don't know what to say, ya' know?" He held her for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "Your… you're important to me. I'm still trying to piece it together, I guess? It's only been a recent development." he let go of her for a moment, only so he could look at her.
Ukyo smiled sadly. She knew what he meant. "You know we can't be together." it wasn't a question.
"Ya." he said. "Being fiances with another person. Doing what we just did is worse. It could ruin you if anyone found out. You would be marked with a scarlet letter." he placed his hand upon Ukyo's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "But I want you to know. I'm here for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on." Izuku was trying as hard as he could not to start mumbling at a million miles a minute, doing his best to keep his composure. He was the guy who could barely talk to a girl, let alone kiss one, just a year ago. It showed him exactly how much of his life had changed him.
Ukyo sighed, reaching up and gripping Izuku's hand. What she wanted was far from sane. She wanted to be with Ranma, but there were reasons why she couldn't be. She wanted to be with Izuku, but couldn't because of Ranma. It had only been a few days, but her mind was being flooded with thoughts of Izuku, his life and the stories he had told her. Of a world full of heroes and villains and standing up for what you believed in. she closed her eyes again, leaning into the contact upon her shoulder. She knew why she had kissed him. She was touch starved. She wanted to be affectionate with someone she cared for. Before Izuku arrived, that had been Ranma, but now? She honestly didn't know. "I'm sorry." she said softly.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
She opened her eyes before locking eyes with him. "I shouldn't be dragging you into this… my situation… you shouldn't have to deal with this. I'm sorry, izuku. I can't be with you. Not… not until Ranma decides." she said it. Until her relationship with Ranma was completely nullified would she be able to figure out what she wanted. "Until then… we have to remain friends."
Izuku smiled before standing up, once more offering her a hand up. "Well then, it seems like I'm going to be here for a while anyway. What's a few more months?"
Ukyo laughed before helping herself up again, "it might be a bit more than months." Izuku shrugged before the two started to laugh, if nothing else but to share in the ridiculousness that was life in Nerima.
Unbenonsed to them, standing just in the corner of the shop was a small dust bin, hiding in the shadows of the restaurant. It had slowly made its way inside the building only to catch the end of the conversation, witnessing the kiss between the two. Upon seeing that, the bin left as quietly as it had come in before changing. Its form became a slimy texture until it formed once more into Tsubasa. His eyes were narrowed, his body fully forming until he was standing tall. "She…" he spluttered. "And he…" he spat before kicking at one of the garbage bins in the alleyway he found himself in. "bad enough she uses her 'fiance' as an excuse! Whats the deal with Midoriya? She's only known him a few days at best! No, he has to be doing something to her. And I'm going to find out what!" he announced before once more his body changed.
When Tsubasa had been given his quirk he hadn't learned what it could do, but know he knew. His power was to transform into whatever he could think of. As long as he was concentrating upon the form he wanted to take, he would become that object. Trash can? No problem. Bed? Easy. his normal form, dress included? Oh yes. His quirk was strong, according to the master, powerful in the right circumstances. And he would do all he could to make the master happy. He wanted Izuku midoriya? After what he just saw? Izuku midoriya had just taken the top of his list, replacing Ranma Saotome entirely.
The next mourning
Izuku awoke with a start, his body feeling rather sore after the ordeal from yesterday. Apparently being thrown through trees would do that to a human being. After talking with Ukyo, he had laid down in his hero gear, passing out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Sitting up, he looked about, wondering if Ukyo was up yet. After last night, he didn't know how to feel towards the owner of the Okonomiyaki shop. He knew that he liked her, cared about her. He hadn't known what had possessed him to kiss her. Maybe it was impulse or instinct. It wasn't that far-fetched to think that he liked her. Swinging his legs out from the caut, he looked down at his finger.
Bending it slightly stung, but he needed to so that it wouldn't stiffen up or worse. He closed his fist ever so often, keeping his hand out so that way he didn't bump anything. He didn't know what he was going to do today. Ukyo made him swear that he wouldn't do anything today other than rest, but he couldn't stay in bed all day. He finally finished closing his hand before he began cleaning up his bedding. No point leaving it out.
After a couple of minutes, Ukyo came down from the stairs. There eyes for a moment before she looked away, making her way to the grill. Food. That was all she wanted at that moment. She started cooking, pulling out her ingredients from their usual spot. As she poured some of it on the grill, her eyes would wander to Izuku for a moment.
She didn't know what she should do. Last night, once she had gone to bed, she had a rather odd dream. She had seen Yokohama, but it was different. More destroyed. She had found herself walking the streets, wandering a destroyed section of the city. As she did, she had stumbled upon a small pavilion, with marbled ground and in the center was a large statue, a rather muscular man was standing there, his right fist lifted into the sky. Underneath the statue was a plaque that read, "in honor of All might, in memory of his last victory as the symbol of peace." she watched as a couple of people came out of part of the ruble before placing a sign around the statue's neck. The sign had a big red X across its face saying, "I am not here".
She had awoken after seeing the people vandalize the statue, her mind running a marathon. Had she seen into Izuku's world? She knew about All Might, but did they ever have a statue? She could remember. All she knew was she needed to talk to him about it. After a couple of seconds, once the food was cooked she finally sighed. No point waiting.
"Hey, izuku…"
He looked up, wondering what was wrong. Her voice was quite, almost unsure of herself. "What's up? Is it about last night?" he asked slowly. He knew she was avoiding his gaze. She nodded slowly, she was about to say something before Izuku spoke again, "im really sorry. I think i just made this more awkward between us."
She stoped for a moment before she tried to speak again, only for Izuku's mouth to start spewing out words, so fast she could barely follow it, it wasn't until he mentioned the kiss did her face break into a large blush. She reached over the counter and grabbed the large spatula, "STOP FREAKING OUT!" Ukyo shouted, slamming it down upon Izuku's head, giving his head a good old fashioned reset. Izuku was stunned for a moment before he shook it off. She sighed before putting the large utensil down before she finally spoke, "look, i had a rather strange dream last night, ok?" izuku opened his mouth more a moment before slapping his hand over it, simply nodding. He didn't want to draw her ire any more than it already did. "In the dream, I was in Yokohama. Izuku, is there a statue there of All Might? In the center of a pavilion?"
Izuku's eyes widened, a look of realization slowly spreading across it. He slowly lowered his hand, placing it upon the counter "Yes, there is. It's at ground zero, ment to show…"
"To show all might in his last victory as the symbol of peace, whatever that is." she finished. "That's your world, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," he said. "I can't believe you saw that in a dream." he stood from his seat, placing his hand upon his cheek. Slowly he began to pace, thinking of what could have possibly allowed her to see his world. "There's two possible ways." he said finally after about a half an hour. Either the barrier between our worlds is getting weaker…"
"Which is likely because All for One has started making routine trips." Ukyo commented.
Izuku nodded, "or, you managed to get some of my memories from the kiss."
"Which i doubt." Ukyo said, sternly. Her face was once again blushing. "Was the statue vandalized last time you saw it?"
Izuku furrowed his eyebrows in thought, "no, I don't think so." he said. Then his eyes widened, "wait! Vandalized!? What do you mean?"
Ukyo scoffed for a moment before speaking, "well, a couple people were out and putting a sign around its neck, saying he wasn't there or some such."
Izuku sat down, his face looking slightly betrayed. Betrayed by himself. Once again, the lack of foresight had caused this. Had he still been in his world, the people wouldn't feel like all Might was missing. He placed his hand down upon the table. He needed to get stronger. If he was stuck dealing with All for One's new minions here, he needed to become stronger. But how?
Ukyo watched him for a moment, watching his expressions change and morph so rapidly. It was a testament to their friendship that she had an idea what was going through his mind, seeing as how he was flexing his musicals ever known and then, checking them. "You want to get stronger? Why don't you talk to Ranma?" Izuku stopped, looking at her with a question in his eye, one she could already answer. "Well, when something new comes up, Ranma will usually get stronger or figure out the best way to fight it. Why not find out if he can help you?"
Izuku thought about it for a moment. Could he help? Would he help? Thinking about it, Izuku knew he would. And on the plus side, this would allow them to become just a little more friendly instead of hostile. Izuku wouldn't have to worry about his back while fighting from the front. He smiled before he stood up. "Why don't we go talk to him together?" he asked. Ukyo smiled as well before nodding her head. Today was looking a lot brighter than it had started, that was for sure.
A/N: yo! Seems like I got another chapter done. It would seem I only have one review to comment on, so I have decided to forgo the regular review comments for the time being until I get longer comments. That way I'm not saying thank you a hundred million times and it comes off as disingenuous! I appreciate every review thrown my way, good or bad. Positive or negative. Positives tell me some people like it, negative tells me I have room to improve. So throw your fire! Don't feel bad about roasting me! If I need to improve, let me know and I'll work on it! But to those that love it/ like it, I really appreciate your enjoyment. It tells me I'm doing something right in the end.
Well. that being said, I'm uploading these a day or two after I'm done writing them. That way i can get as many errors as i can out of them before uploading. I started listening to it through the fanfiction app (which has an audio version available but with the AI voices) so i can see if i can catch any mistakes in them, like in the first chapter I wrote moment instead of momentum, yikes. Anywhos it, enjoy and have a wonderful day!