Love will persist; it can sometimes be tumultuous, hurt, or suffer betrayal, but trust is much more fragile. It takes time to build and only a single action to break. This was the position that Kyoka found herself in. It was a position of her own making, but while she wished she weren't in, she was thankful for the opportunity to rebuild what was lost. If she could, she would have the love that dominated her dreams.

She stood in a small mountain town about 3 hours from Tokyo, staring over the area. Her strike team was taking position around the suspected warehouse. It had been six months since she agreed to take on the task Izuku had proposed. She was hunting down and tracking down any possible Nomu factories. After the incident where they had almost lost Izuku, it had become a higher priority for the community.

It was interesting being in charge; leading the team was like leading a band. She had to ensure the core team worked well together and that any other acts she brought on would gel with the performance she was trying to compose. Of course, she needed to have back-ups for the back-ups, but that was part of life. The Professor's network was about extinct after that night, though there were still pockets here and there. A secondary task force headed by Mr. Aizawa was chasing down the last pockets hiding in the corners.

It was good to see her old homeroom teacher; he continued teaching them even after the war. It took a while, but Eri was able to give him back his quirk and leg. He was now more semi-active, focusing more on teaching as he was now the vice principal of U.A. training to take over for Nezu. She was overjoyed when she saw him and Emi walk up with their twins in tow. He immediately hugged Kyoka and whispered, "Problem Child."

It was strange being treated as an equal but still feeling like a student around him, but she would not give it up; watching him still be able to cow not only Bakugo and Shoto but Izuku as well was just a bonus. She had to say that seeing the number one hero snap to and fidget under Mr. Aizawa's gaze was amusing and pretty darn cute.

When I happened, it almost seemed like they were still in school, that the world and mistakes had not caused all the trouble that it had. A longing for yesterday to undo mistakes was natural. Kyoka knew that it was not just something that she could wish for. It was going to take work. When she was not hunting for secret bases or chasing rumors, she was doing just that with Izuku, Momo, and Eri, but all the friends and relationships she had neglected. The girls from class were more forgiving than they should have been, and the boys were happy to talk and catch up. Denki had moved home and checked into rehab; he was in debt due to the advance he had taken for a record deal, but the company was still willing to let him make the album after he got out of rehab.

She took a deep breath as she ordered the operation to begin.

-Momo-

She was standing in the bridal shop beaming; she twirled in her dress; a moment she had been waiting for was just a few more months away—the media storm when the official announcement was intense. With news of her and Izuku's wedding, she was offended by how pictures attempted to show a baby bump when she was not pregnant; instead of having amazing abdominal muscles, her extra private workouts with Izuku ensured that.

She just let the PR firm handle all the questions as she was busy with the logistics of merging their agencies. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to let any staff go as they could keep people in similar roles. She and Izuku were adamant about not letting anyone go; they offered to pay moving expenses for those who wanted to relocate to be closer.

These people had become like a second family for them; they spent more time with them than they did at home for the longest time. Now, they were merging those families' sidekicks and offices. The entangling of their lives was in full swing. She and Kyoka had moved into his home; they had negotiated a deal for the land near her parents and were going over designs for the new family estate, their forever home.

Momo was still in constant contact with planners, movers, lawyers, and architects and was still a pro hero. The best part was being a mother and a fiancé. Coming home to someone was amazing, even if it was not Izuku. Knowing that Eri was there and waiting or getting to pick her up from wherever she was and go home with her was just the magic Momo needed.

Most of the time, it was a simple conversation about school or work, but there were moments when Eri was asking about relationships and how one knows when one likes someone in that manner. This was kept from Izuku, so he did not chase whomever his daughter had an eye on and scare them to death. However, he did sulk quite a bit at Eri, growing up even more without his permission.

Momo just laughed at that part and reminded him they never asked permission to grow up; they were forced to. Eri coming from where she did and surviving alongside them through everything the League had done was a testament to their daughters' strength. She found her smile after Overhaul and never let anyone or anything take it again.

She looked at her dress and then over to her group: her mother, Eri, Mina, Tsu, Itsuka, and Rieko. They were all dabbing their eyes as they looked at how beautiful their friend/mother/daughter looked. They knew how long Momo had wanted this, and to think you had found it for it only to fall apart had been heartbreaking. Now they knew it was not something she would lose now.

"I think this is the one," she said, dapping at her tears.

-Toru-

She walked into his office, thankful she was still invisible so no one could see her nervousness. She knew he would not hold it against her, but she knew she had done her friend wrong and had hurt the one person who always gave everything to everyone. Izuku had never asked for anything but had always gone above and beyond for them.

Izuku, for his part, looked up from his desk at the floating clothes and smiled. "Hey, Toru, let me finish this, and we can go to lunch."

"I want to talk to you first," she said as he negated her invisibility.

Her change in tone caught his attention; he set aside what he had in front of him and gave her his full attention. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes and no." Toru said, fidgeting, "I am sorry that I was stupid."

"Huh?" Izuku said.

"That night at the ball, wine, balcony," Toru blushed. "You know. I remembered what we did, and what I did was stupid. Playing the I was drunk; what happened? That was wrong, Izuku, I got scared and acted like an asshole, you did not deserve that."

"Why were you scared?" he asked.

"That I would mess it up," she sighed, taking a seat. "I have a habit of messing up regarding relationships, and I did not want to destroy our friendship. Did you know I was lying?"

"I did," he said, walking around the desk to lean against it.

"Why did you let me get away with it?" Toru asked.

"I did not want to call you out if it was something you did not want. It did not make me feel great, but I have to ask what brought this on?" he said.

"Kyoka told Mei and me how what we did hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you, Izuku; that was the last thing I wanted, and I did it anyway. It was not what a friend should have done or what you deserved. I should have known better when you said you did not want to be a mistake. After what Ochaco put you through, I should have known better. Thank Izuku for just being the best of us." Toru stood and bowed; when she stood up, she was so happy when he hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Toru, you didn't have to do this, and you still did." He whispered.

"I did have to do this because it is the right thing to do," she whispered. "Thank you for being you, Izuku."

"Anytime, Toru, now let's go get lunch," he said, his smile warming her heart.

-Mei-

Momo and Izuku were in the elevator riding down to Mei's lab. It had been a bit since they had physically gone to check on her due to all the chaos of their personal lives. Izuku had his Mei clothing bag, and Momo had the toiletries bag. They also had food with them, as was the norm.

They had hired various personal assistants over the years, but none worked out. Trying to wrangle Mei was difficult, to say the least, especially when she was knee-deep in a project. The elevator doors opened, and the smell of something having exploded lingered in the air, but they were both surprised to see the facility clean.

They found Mei sitting at her workstation, her trademark overalls and tank top; she was looking over some components that had been the culprit for the most recent explosion. They were surprised that Mei had a water flask beside her and was drinking out of it. She was slightly dirty but nothing unexpected; she also did not smell like it had been weeks since she slept; she could be considered bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"Mei?" Izuku asked.

Mei smiled, "Hey Muscles, hello, future Mrs. Muscles." She said with a grin.

"Hello Mei, are you drinking water?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, it's better for me," Mei said sheepishly. "Did you know you can add stuff to make it taste better? I love this cherry limeade. It is amazing."

Momo smiled, "Yes, we did, Mei; my company makes those."

"Well, good job on that, Mrs. Muscles." Mei quipped.

"You seem to be taking better care of yourself; the lab looks clean. Have you been eating?" Momo asked.

"I am a little hungry. It is almost time for lunch, and I am taking better care of myself." Mei took a deep breath. "Hey, Izuku, sorry I didn't call you for like two weeks back then." Izuku raised an eyebrow. "If I had, then maybe I could be the future Mrs. Muscles, no offense boss. You always treated me beyond good and never made me feel weird. You are also one of the only boys ever to make me feel like a girl and remind me that I was one. If I had learned to take better care of myself sooner…" she shrugged. "I am glad, though, that you found someone who knows how great and special you are."

"Thank you, Mei," he said. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, sir. if you want to call me for a booty call, I am down!" Mei said suddenly. Izuku went red from shock, and Momo just laughed.

-Momo and Izuku-

"You know, mister, you are bringing out the wild ones. Kiana, Mei, and Kyoka all want to jump in our sack," Momo teased as they rode the elevator back up.

"I didn't say anything. You were there the whole time," he said, putting up his hands in innocence.

"Well, you have to put a baby in me first," Momo leaned in and whispered in his ear.

That was it. Izuku shut down; she swore that smoke was coming from his ears as he was the reddest she had seen since school. Her laughter erupted when she had the visible look of rebooting.

-Kyoka-

After an entire month in the field and only one lab, Kyoka was happy to come home. They had found some sites that may have been used as labs, but nothing remained, and nothing looked like it had been there for a while. They closed them up and collapsed them to make sure.

In the seven months that had only been one time she had to call in the big guns, it turned out she was being cautious, but two proto Nomu were nothing to sneeze about. All in all, it had been a lot of chasing down leads and a lot of dead ends; it was a lot of checking things off and clearing the map of potential locations; it was amazing to her that even after all these years, that asshole was still making things difficult.

As she opened the door, the smell of food, the sound of laughter, and the feeling of warmth wrapped around her.

"Welcome home, Kyoka," she heard Izuku call from the kitchen. Eri came around the corner and went to hug her aunt but froze.

"Nope, you shower first," was all Eri said. Kyoka took a sniff test; a shower is most definitely in order. She came around the corner and saw Izuku standing over the stove cooking.

"Do I have time to shower before food?" she yelled.

"You have about 30 minutes till food is ready." He called back as she made her way down the hall. Momo emerged from the office; Kyoka cut her off, telling her she was off to shower.

She emerged in sweat shorts and a simple black tank top trimmed in purple. She smiled as Izuku set the plates on the table; this feeling as she took her seat was what she had been missing. She saw Izuku about to speak when Eri said, "No business talk at the table. Rule number 4." Kyoka smiled at Izuku's pout. She instead turned to Momo.

"How are the plans for the wedding?"

Momo beamed as she began to go down the list of the good and bad things that were coming with the wedding. Kyoka managed to get Izuku to blush when she asked him what he oversaw.

"I just have to get there on time and be dressed properly," he said sheepishly. "But I have a question for you, and sorry, Eri, I need to break rule 4 a little." Eri sighed, turned back to her honey-peached pork chop, and smiled, taking a bite. "How are things?"

"Good, really good; we have chased down most of the leads that we marked as credible, making our way through the others; it will never be finished. But we can chase down tips as they come in. Did I miss something?" she took a bite, her eyes rolled back in delight.

"No, you are doing great, under budget, appropriate person-hours, keeping the locals involved when needed, damn good job. I could not be happier; I took a weekend off a few weeks ago, which was nice." He replied. "Momo and I wanted to know if you would watch Eri for us while we are on the honeymoon. If it is too much, Momo's parents can do it. I am making Christy take time off; you would have thought I fired her."

"I can do it; I want to do it. It will allow us to bond. Besides, it should be smooth." Kyoka smiled.

-Being Home-

It took her a minute, but she could find her footing again in the routine of the house. Having more free time than the others allowed her to take Eri to school or pick her up most days. Getting to know Eri and the young woman she was becoming was nice. It was also nice to be part of the wedding plans being able to help and be there for Momo.

Izuku, on his end, just did what he was told as the only things he wanted for the wedding had been seen too. It was simple requests for silence for his parents during the ceremony and fireworks at the reception. Kyoka coaxed it out of him that Toshi wanted fireworks, but Inko had told him no; Izuku promised him that there would be fireworks when he got married.

He did not want or need anything else, though according to some of the boys, he needed a stag party, which had been reduced to a whisky bar and cigars—Momo's night out involved food, dancing, and wine. Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch, though they did lose Itsuka after doing Tequila shots, and Tetsu was reported MIA as well. No one was surprised that she announced she was pregnant soon afterward.

It was the night before the wedding. Momo and Eri had gone to stay at her parents' house, so he would not see her until the wedding. Kyoka went to the kitchen to get a glass of water but heard music playing from the balcony and smelled of a top-notch cigar. Kyoka peaked around the corner and saw Izuku sitting there leaning back in a chair, cigar in one hand and glass of scotch in the other.

"Am I intruding?" she said quietly.

"No, not at all," he pointed to a table where a scotch decanter sat on a try and small humidor with cigars.

Kyoka walked over and poured herself a glass, and to his surprise, she reached over and grabbed a cigar; he watched as she snipped the end and lit it with ease. She took a seat and smiled as she took a puff. "Wow, this is good, nice and smooth," she said.

"I was not expecting that, but I am glad you like it." "Salu," he said, raising his glass. She returned the toast and clinked glasses with him.

"Where did you get the cigars and the scotch?'' she wondered aloud.

"Toshi," Izuku almost whispered. He looked to the stars, "We had them for the first time before him and Mom got married. We were supposed to have them when I got married, and when Eri got married, etc. I did not know you smoked cigars."

"It is not a normal thing, but I found that a good cigar and drink can occasionally be nice. It was the only way I could get Caliban from The Sound of Fury to relax and talk while we were on tour."

"What was that like?" Izuku said, leaning back, happy to relax and talk with Kyoka.

"They are amazing, of course," she said, trying to relax and not stare at his upper body, which was only covered by an All-Might tank top. "The rest of the band are chill; Rock, Kama, and Cookie all like to have fun and party. It got wild." She blushed, and some Izuku raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Rock and Roll lifestyle?"

"Yeah," she said, feeling like a schoolgirl. "But Caliban was all about the music; he was the one that chose us to be one of the opening acts for them. He lives, breathes, and sleeps it; kind of a perfectionist but so damn amazing." She sipped her drink, "and hot as hell."

Izuku laughed. "He is damn handsome; girls must be throwing themselves all over him with that talent."

"They do, but he does not partake; the others had their fun but not him. He would come to the hangout after the performance but not stay long. He would return to the hotel, smoke a cigar, sit on the balcony, or write music. He helped me write most of our second album; dude is amazing."

"Sounds like you had a thing for him," Izuku teased. Inside, he noticed that he felt jealous; it was uncomfortable, and he thought it was logical. He did love Kyoka and had to know that he could trust her, that she would be there for him.

"Oh yeah, I had a big old crush, but I had that before I even met him. Their whole band is just on another level, and they all are like that. When it comes to music, they do not fuck around. They are no joke." Kyoka smiled. "Besides, a girl has to keep some secrets," she winked at him playfully, smiling when he blushed ever so slightly. "I can't be the only one; you must have dealt with your share of groupies."

"Some, civilians and other heroes, but I could avoid it most of the time. It was easier when I was with Ochaco; it was much more interesting when I was single. But now that the engagement has been announced, it has calmed down." He smiled. "Other than some indecent proposals, it has been quiet. I never considered myself handsome or anything; I could pull off cute but after graduation and the Comfortable in Your Skin campaign…"

"That was a good campaign." Kyoka smiled.

Izuku blushed, "thanks, it seems to have changed people's perception."

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

"About tomorrow, the deed itself? No. Tripping and falling on my face or messing up the first dance, of course." He laughed, finishing his drink and pouring another. "I would be much more nervous about taking so long away if it wasn't for you, Katsuki, and Shoto."

"Don't know how much I am going to help in that?" she refilled her drink.

"You are taking care of Eri, keeping an eye on the agency for us, tracking down any possible Nomu factories; all that is a load off. Knowing I have someone I trust is comforting." He spoke.

Kyoka smiled behind her glass, "I am glad to know that we are moving in the right direction; we are moving in that direction, right?"

"I think we are. I felt a little jealous hearing you talk about Caliban, not something I expected." He took a puff from his cigar. "Is it what you still want?"

"I do," she said. "I want you, Momo; I want to be part of Eri's life. I want to be a part of any kids you and Momo have, and I hope one day to have a kid or two with you myself."

"You want children? With Me?" he muttered.

"I do," she smiled. They sat silently for a few moments before returning to some small talk before they were both a little drunk and playing guitar off-key.

"Have you written anything new at all?" he asked.

"A few things, mostly acoustic, just trying to muddle it out." She spoke. "I wrote some stuff about breakup and hope and…you."

"Me?" He leaned forward. "Can I hear it?"

"I don't think it is done, and what if you don't like it." She whispered, feeling nervous.

"If it is for me and you wrote it, I want to hear it. Even if you never play it for anyone else, knowing it is mine…"

She took a deep breath. "Fine, pass me the acoustic, and don't make fun of me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said, passing her the guitar. "Can I record it?

"Yes, but if it sucks, you must delete it," she said. "I have to warn you it is probably not very good."

"I am sure I will love it."

She closed her eyes, settling in with the guitar before she focused her gaze on him; she had dreamed about singing just to him; her fingers lightly hit the first note. "It is called A Waltz for a Night."

A Waltz for a Night

Let me sing you a waltz.
Out of nowhere
Out of my thoughts
Let Me sing you a waltz.
About this one-night Stand

You were for me that night,
Everything I always dreamt of in life
But now you're gone, you are far gone.

You are far gone.
All the way to your island of rain.
It wasn't just a one-night thing.
You were much more to me,
Just so you know.

I don't care what they say.
I know what you meant for me that day.
I just want another try.
I just want another night.

Even if it doesn't seem quite right,
You meant for me much more,
Than anyone I've met before.

One single night with you…Izuku,
It is worth a thousand with anybody.
I have no bitterness, my sweet.
I'll never forget this one-night thing.
Even tomorrow, in other arms.
My heart will stay yours until I die.

Let me sing you a waltz.
Out of nowhere, out of my blues
Let me sing you a waltz.
About this lovely one-night stand

The last note of the guitar drifted away into the night air. He raised one finger to tell her to hold on as he typed away on his phone. Her heart was pounding at what he thought about it. She waited as he was looking at his phone. She heard it ping a few times, and then he put it in his pocket.

"I love it, it was…I want to kiss you if that is ok. I asked Momo, and she said it was right. And I sent her the video." He waited, looking at her, "Kyoka, can I kiss you?"

"Please, Greenie, I could ask for nothing more." She put the guitar down.

He crossed the distance between them, their lips meeting, her arms coiled around his neck as he wrapped around her waist, picking her up. Neither knew how much time had passed as they embraced each other. When they finally parted, she looked down at him, losing herself in his big green eyes. "I hope that we can do that again someday." She whispered.

"As do I," he gently, reluctantly set her down. "Goodnight, Kyoka."

"Goodnight Izuku"