The First Pillar

by Soleneus

Useless. That's what they call him. Izuku and his Useless Quirk. Anyone can throw pebbles, how is that Heroic? But all it takes to shake the world is the right pebble in the right place at the right time. Crossposted on AO3. Fem. Bakugou.

8. Transmutation

Everything must end, so that something new can begin. Life is like the Earth, in a way; regardless of human wants and desires, it continues on. The sun sets, and the sun rises.

And it doesn't really care about emotions.

…

"-Wait, you fought the Zero-Pointer?!" Himiko asked shrilly, pausing mid-step as they walked back home, "The giant stomping Robot that's worth no points? That one?"

"I mean…not really fought," Izuku sheepishly replied, "More like…punched it in the face…once."

She blinked, tilting her head. "...Alright, you're gonna have to explain that."

And so he did, Himiko's eyes getting wider as he spoke until they were nearly popping out of her head. "-then I shouted 'Detroit Steel' and jumped up and punched it in the face," he concluded, holding out his hand to show the silvery metal covering his skin, "With a little extra."

Himiko stared as he clenched his fist and what looked like green lightning crackled along the surface. "…You broke through to metal and OFA," she muttered, running her fingers over the warm metal armor, before narrowing her eyes, "I'm not sure if I should be glad that you reached beyond because you were protecting a girl, or mad because that girl wasn't me."

"I mean, I was looking at her," Izuku commented, taking her hand, "But my thoughts were of you…and mom…Mitsuki, Yu and…Sukuro…" With the chaos of the day fading, he felt his chest seize for a second as the reality he'd ignored in favor of punching robots reassumed the top position of things bearing down on him. He shook himself out of it. "Just the thought of failing, leaving you and everyone…well. I didn't want to. Maybe it was the pressure, or the thought that I was about to die…"

"You really thought you were gonna die?" She asked softly, arching an eyebrow, "It was a test, you know? I doubt the school would actually put students in danger, that just seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen otherwise."

He shrugged, cheeks reddening. "Well it felt real to me, okay? And it worked out in the end!" Izuku winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Although I could really use a long soak and a massage…"

"Well, Mister Big Hero Man," Toga teased, enfolding his arm between hers and hugging it to her chest, "I'd be glad to relieve allll that tension…" She shrugged. "And I wanna soak, too."

Izuku hummed thoughtfully, manipulating the metal on his hand into different designs. "I am gonna have to test out so many things now," he muttered, tapping his fingers together, "I jumped higher and hit harder than I ever have before, and I don't know if it's because of the metal or the other part."

Himiko grunted in agreement, eyeing his silver hand. "What's it like, controlling metal? Compared to rock and sand, I mean."

"Stubborn," he immediately replied, withdrawing the silvery second skin under his shirt. "It would bend, but it wouldn't break. But I couldn't break either, so…I guess I out-stubborned it? Like trying to ride a wild horse, but I had to punch it in the face first."

"Ahh," she nodded, "Makes sense. Now that you can use metal, are you gonna use it instead of rock?"

Izuku shook his head. "Mm-mh. Even though it seems to enhance my strength even higher, it's still metal and against a lightning or a fire Quirk I'd be toast. No, I think I'll keep it as the First and Second layer, then layer rock over the top of that. That removes the weakness to electricity and might mislead someone into thinking rock is all I can use." He shrugged. "Just in case."

Toga hummed agreeably, laying her head on his shoulder. Then a wide grin crossed her lips. "…You know Mei is gonna want to make sooo many 'babies' with you when she finds out, right?" She laughed as his eyes widened.

"…I'm not sure whether to be happy that I can help her more or afraid for my safety," he mumbled, scratching his cheek.

"How about aroused?" She offered with a cheeky wink. "Oh wait, that's gonna be Mei."

Shaking his head and deciding to leave it for later, they continued on their way home. It was just as they were climbing the stairs that Izuku's phone rang. Checking the screen, he answered with a smile. "Hey Mom, we're just coming home."

"You're aren't hurt, right? Both of you are alright, right?" His mom still sounded a bit panicked and also a little scratchy, probably because she'd been worrying herself into an early grave.

"Nothing more than sore muscles and bruises," he replied, wrapping an arm around Himiko's shoulders, "You'll see for yourself in just a minute, okay?"

"Guess that means I should go see how my brat did," he heard Mitsuki grumble on the other end, followed by a rustle of cloth. They had just made it to the front door when it opened, revealing the older blonde. "Oh hey, you're back-"

There was a loud whoosh and then suddenly Inko had her arms around them both. "My Babies!" She wailed happily, clutching them to her.

Izuku and Himiko traded looks. How had she moved so fast? Well, she could move small objects with her mind and she was, after all, rather smol.

"Have fun with that," Mitsuki smirked, stepping around the group hug and ruffling their hair, "Like a lonely sarlacc, my friend is. I was sacrificed, and now you are. Karma~! Later, Midoriyas!" She began to make her way down the stairs before turning back. "Once the results come and we know for sure all you kids are in, we're gonna go out for some damn good food to celebrate."

Inko wiped her eyes and looked up. "Mitsuki, that's not-"

"I can't hear you, I'm already down the stairs!"

The older verdette huffed and smiled, hugging her children again and crowding them into the apartment. "Okay you two, go take a bath and I'll start on snack or dinner…something, and then you can tell me all about the hi-highly dangerous…physically violent…"

She looked about to cry again, so the two teens bolted down the hallway and into their room to grab some fresh clothing. Himiko groaned as she bent down to undo her laces, peeling her sweaty socks away before standing back up, stretching and flexing her sore muscles. "You know what I'd like?"

"Long bath and a massage?" He guessed, pulling his shirt off and dumping it in a rapidly-filling hamper.

"Oh yeah," she purred, kicking her skirt off and unclasping her collar, the suit and belt sliding to the floor, "I used my core a lot today and I'm stiff as hell. Rub my belly and I'll rub your shoulders?" She asked, batting her eyelashes, "Then after dinner, we can massage each other. I think we'll need it after dealing with all those robots and missiles and bullets, you know?"

Izuku leaned down and kissed her gently, wrapping her in a warm, if grimy, hug. "Only if we get to cuddle afterwards," he murmured, stroking a hand down her spine.

"Twist my arm, why don'tcha?" Himiko grinned, cocking her head as Izuku's phone rang again. "You get that, and I'll get the shower going."

With another peck she departed, and he answered the call. "Yu-senpai!" he said brightly.

"Kohai!" She chirped somewhat cheerfully, sounding slightly out of breath, "How'd the test go?"

"The written part was very easy, I got bored," he replied, blushing as he recalled what had happened afterward, turning a Midnight figurine on the shelf so its judging sapphire eyes wouldn't be gazing at him so judgmentally, "The physical test…well, I kinda followed in your footsteps."

"You fought a Zero-Pointer?!" She squealed, sounding both happy and reproachful, somehow, "Just to be more like your Senpai? Awwww…you really shouldn't have, those things are dangerous…"

He shrugged, kicking his socks off. "I kinda had to," he muttered, scratching his cheek. "Uh, Senpai? Are you alright? You sound out of breath."

"Just got my last collar of the day, don't worry," Yu said, and he heard shuffling in the background, "Fast little bastard…anyways, we should celebrate! Not tonight, but how about I take you guys out to lunch soon?"

"Sure, sounds good!" He wondered if they'd end up going to the Uzumaki Noodle house. They usually did. "Talk to you soon, senpai!"

"Later Kohai! Say congrats to Himi-chan for me!" And with that, the conversation was over.

Smiling, Izuku set his phone down and joined Himiko in the bathroom. A shower, a rub and a bath sounded heavenly, and if they got a little handsy, even better.

…

After the rather climatic events of the Entrance Test had passed, it felt almost odd for the two of them to go back to school a few days later. The test results would arrive in a couple of weeks and sitting around and brooding about the possibilities would just drive them nuts, so they went about their days as was the usual: they trained, went to class, hung out with the Semi-Serious-Even-Though-It-Wasn't-Supposed-To-Be-Even-Slightly-Serious Girlfriends, ate at the Uzumaki Noodle house, made babies with Mei (who, true to form, had immediately co-opted Izuku's new ability and had also very definitely passed her tests with the highest of scores and finest of babies, thanks for asking), met with Yu and generally just lived.

Except that things had irrevocably changed.

Once, the atmosphere had been carefree, a little wild and fun…but with the clock ticking down to Sukuro's departure, the finish line was looming. And it wasn't a race any of them wanted to win.

Izuku couldn't blame Ino and Sakura from taking most of Sukuro's time; they were, after all, her oldest friends. And after a while, he almost preferred to be with his mint-haired Actually-Serious Girlfriend with the others. Their dates, once a source of fun and free conversation, had become stilted, quiet and awkward. Of held hands and painful silence, small kisses becoming desperately making out as if trying to pack years of affection into only weeks. And cuddle time where one or both parties might suddenly start sobbing was no longer soothing.

So he did what he did best; try to train his feelings away.

Izuku stood on the far end of the now-clean and occasionally-populated Dagoba Beach, metal coating his arm up to the shoulder. He drew his arm back, subtle sparks of green energy dancing along the shiny coating before he punched forward. The air split and thunder clapped, a fist of pure force kicking up waves over the ocean before blasting a five foot wave into droplets.

"I'll call that…five percent," he muttered, shaking out his wrist. It was the least amount of energy he could pull out without letting it drop to the point that it didn't actively do anything. What he was calling 'One Hundred Percent' was the amount that had flooded his body with power, allowing him to leap sixty stories in less than a second and punch a military-grade giant robot hard enough that the head was practically disintegrated. He rubbed his fingers together, squinting at the shiny metal digits. Why couldn't he go lower?

"Maybe it's a psychological thing?" Himiko offered, hanging upside down from a concrete block doing bends, stretches and exercises with her core alone. "Remember the Strike Philosophy?"

"'When you strike, do not act as if you wish to merely hit the target; strike as if you mean to punch through it,'" Izuku quoted the Red Tome, stepping away from the water to flick through the Tome in question, ignoring the sight of Himiko in not much more than a sports bra and shorts flexing her stomach; trying to, anyway. He hummed to himself, eyes searching through the pages. "Yeah, here it is."

There's more to a strike than mere muscle power. The flexing and tensing of muscle and sinew, potential energy gathered and released as kinetic; all physical. As with everything, there is a mental and psychological edge that must be honed. Exhale when striking. Do not think of your enemy as a sparring partner, but as an enemy that must be put down as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Style is also appreciated.

When you strike, do not act as if you wish to merely hit the target; strike as if you mean to punch through it. Like a line of programming, imagine the steps you must take to turn a simple blow into a downing strike: Inhale, gather and tense. My enemy must die. Strike, release, exhale. Repeat until the chain is instinct.

Izuku bit his lip in thought. "So maybe when I try to punch, I unconsciously realize that either I'm trying to hit something and use too much, or that I'm not trying to hit something and don't use any of it. Hmm." He rubbed his fingers together again, thumb against the middle, then paused. "Maybe using less isn't something I can do with a punch, but…"

He pressed his thumb and middle finger together, tensing only his hand, a mere flicker of light playing along his palm before he snapped. The sound was akin to a gunshot, displacing air with a ripple of force, kicking a bit of sand into the air.

"Magic hands!" Himiko gasped theatrically, now doing a handstand.

Izuku pressed his fingers together again but aimed his hand over the water, tensing his arm and flicking. The blast of force was less than a punch, broader in scope, but there was potential there. "Two percent," he muttered, examining his hand critically. His fingers were a bit sore, the metal warped a bit. Even the slightest amount of power left his muscles sore, but without armor the force from a Five Percent punch had dislocated his wrist and strained his hand. He hoped it was only a matter of time and experience before such injuries were no longer a factor and he could use more than five percent without injuring himself in Unarmored mode.

His cat-eyed lover lithely dropped from her handstand and leaned on his side, rubbing his hand as he rolled his knuckles to release the tension. "Wanna take a break with that and help me with some target practice?" He willed the metal away from his arm and hid it under his clothes, squeezing her hand briefly.

"Alright, sure," Izuku shrugged, kneeling and shoving his hands in the sand. He formed several shuriken, the same size and shape as her Stun Shuriken out of sandstone and set them on the concrete block, then created a stack of simple disks and walked down to the water's edge. Himiko bounced a throwing star in her palm and nodded. He flicked a disk into the air and at the apex, her shuriken punched through the center, shattering both into sand.

He threw the disks in a staggered pattern, sometimes high, sometimes low, occasionally on after the other with varying speeds. They stopped to drink water and create more disks and stars when someone stumbled around the overpass they used to shelter from the sun and prying eyes. It was a young sweaty man in a bike cop's uniform with white sheep's wool instead of hair. "Has someone been setting off fireworks?" He asked, panting.

Izuku and Himiko traded looks and shook their heads. "Nope, haven't heard any fireworks," she shrugged.

The young man sighed and wiped his forehead. "Alright, if you do, let me know alright?" And then trudged away, muttering under his breath.

"I didn't think we were that loud," Izuku said, setting his bottle down and grabbing an armful of targets.

"Well, we are under an overpass," she shrugged, hopping off the block. "Alright, let's go again."

For another hour or so, the two of them practiced, switching off so that she threw targets and Izuku flicked spikes of stone until the sun had started to drop. Early evening had come, and so they headed for home. It may have been a Saturday, usually for heavy training and such, but after the Exam they'd decided to let the schedule slide a little bit in favor of refining what they had. Leaning against each other, they enjoyed the quiet companionship as they walked back home.

Just outside of the front door, Izuku's phone rang and Himiko's chimed a text message. She took a glance at the screen, then turned her phone off entirely, grinning. He shot her a questioning look but she shook her head, and he answered the call on speaker. "Hello?"

"You better get your asses dressed in somethin' fancy 'cause we're going out tonight!" Mitsuki whooped from the other end of the line, joined by the sound of an engine revving and someone shrieking, possibly in panic, "I already got your Mama with me to get all sexied up, so get clean and we'll be there in an hour-two hours!"

"JUST LET ME OUT, DAMMIT!" They heard Katsuki's dulcet tones in the background, "I DON'T WANNA-!"

"SHUT IT BRAT!" Izuku winced at the volume issuing from the phone. "Also, my spawn is coming too. See you two in a couple hours~!"

Himiko absently rubbed an ear as she unlocked the door. "Guess we've got plans tonight, yay. Although Bakugou is gonna be there, boo." She hummed thoughtfully as they took off their shoes, leaning on Izuku for balance before wrapping her arm around his and giving him a knowing look, a heavy envelope in her hand. "And I think I know why~"

He felt his heart thump and his anxiety spike. He knew, logically speaking, that they'd made it in. They'd been training too hard to not get results. But logic lost to worry and he began to sweat.

"Let's watch it before you have a heart attack," she murmured, sitting them down on the couch before slitting open the seal with a sharpened nail, tilting it so that a metal disc slid out onto the coffee table.

It rested there for a quiet minute before the top flickered and a holographic screen popped up in front of them. "I AM HERE, AS A PROJECTION!" The muscle-bound form of All Might declared, his visage bearing that famous toothy grin. "NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I AM-" the smile faltered and he turned to the side, "This thing is on, right? Does the red light mean it's recording or-AHEM! NOT ONLY AM I HERE AS A PROJECTION, BUT AS A PRESENTER FOR BOTH YOUNG MIDORIYA AND TOGA! AS YOU KNOW, YOU WERE GIVEN POINTS FOR THE ENEMY ROBOTS YOU DISPATCHED! THESE ARE CALLED 'VILLAIN POINTS!' HERE IS HOW YOU SCORED!"

The screen split into two, angles from hidden cameras focusing on Izuku and Himiko, then the whole thing went into fast forward. It would pause every time they took down a robot, a number in the corner rising with a cheerful little 'ding!' Himiko's number eventually topped out at 111. Izuku's kept rising until it, too, finally stopped.

Midoriya Izuku - 175 points

Toga Himiko - 111

"AND HERE IS HOW YOUR SCORES COMPARE TO OTHERS!" All Might boomed, a list appearing on the screen, their names lining up. They recognized a few of them, such Ashido Mina, somewhere near the bottom of the Top Ten scores along with Iida Tenya, then in fourth was Uraraka Ochako, third was Kirishima Eiri and at second, Izuku himself. At the top-

Bakugou Katsuki - 200

"Ah, second place," Himiko muttered, squeezing Izuku's arm, "That's still really good. Only problem is, Miss Volatile is gonna be so smug. Dinner is gonna suck."

"But taking down villains isn't solely what Heroes do, is it?" All Might asked, voice softening along with his grin, "There's more to Heroism than that and thus! THERE WAS SECRETLY A SECOND SCORING SYSTEM! BEHOLD! HERO POINTS!"

The screen began to play the exam again, but this time it focused on the times they'd helped other people. Himiko's score only went up a bit; she'd explicitly chosen her targets away from other people. Izuku's score, however…

"HERO POINTS ARE AWARDED FOR HELPING YOUR FELLOW EXAM-TAKERS BY A PANEL OF JUDGES! Not me, though," All Might added quickly, casting a dirty look off-screen. "I would probably have been biased if I were one of them, and that would have been a disservice to you two!"

"…Wow, you really did punch a Zero Pointer in the face," She murmured, eyebrows arched as the robot's head burst into pieces, "So that's what that noise was…"

By the time the playthrough had finished again, the scores looked a bit different.

4: Uraraka Ochako - 213

3: Kirishima Eiri - 225

2: Bakugou Katsuki - 237

1: Midoriya Izuku - 305

"AS YOU CAN SEE, YOUNG MIDORIYA, YOU HAVE PLACED FIRST!" It might have been wishful thinking, but Izuku thought All Might's grin had gained a proud edge. "NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU HAVE SHATTERED THE PREVIOUS RECORD- MINE! BOTH OF YOU, BECAUSE OF YOUR SKILLS AND ABILITIES, HAVE SCORED HIGH ENOUGH THAT YOU HEREBY INVITED TO ATTEND YUUEI AS STUDENTS OF THE HERO COURSE! THIS IS YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!"

There wasn't any cheering or yelling, just Izuku taking Himiko into his arms and the two of them hugging fiercely, smiling and crying for similar though different reasons.

Acceptance, and proof of it.

The message, however, wasn't done. All Might cleared his throat. "Not only have you been accepted, so have I! You are looking at the newest teacher of the Hero Course! Now rest and relax, and I expect to see you bright and early on the opening day! And remember…go PLUS ULTRA!"

Izuku wiped his face with his shirt and reached for his phone. "So that's why he hasn't been around since the exam," he concluded, turning it back on, "I thought maybe-"

He jumped as several delayed messages and missed calls suddenly sprung forth, quickly tapping through texts to open the group chat he'd started with the other prospective Hero Course students after the exam. Asking for their numbers had been a bit awkward, especially since Mina had noticed the lack of paper or pen and burned her digits into his shirt. Those were some weird holes to have.

(RightPebble) you have entered GroupChat: NEXTGREaTHEROES!1!1!WOOO

H0tP1nk: yooooo zuku you got numbr 1! hows it feel bein top dog?! :) ;)

ROCKHARD: IM SAD I GOT 3RD BUT ITS STILL MANLY *High-Five Emoji*

Iida10 Is Typing…

AllFallDown: At least you made the podium Kirishima! :]

RightPebble: I just found out and it all feels unreal. Never thought I'd beat Bakugou.

TheBigSucc: That punk-ass needed some humbling…not that it'll last. *Rolling Eyes Emoji*

ROCKHARD: YOU GUYS KNOW THAT CHICK? SHES MANLY!

RightPebble: 'Volatile' is more her speed.

H0tP1nk: bet she feelin saaltyyyy!1 i would if id been top and then some BS made sum1 else win id be piiiiisssed

TheBigSucc: You don't know her. Salty is her default state.

ROCKHARD: IT WAS MANLY

Iida10 Is Typing…

H0tP1nk: no offense zuku you did work boi and i luvd it

AllFallDown: you really deserved it Deki! :]

TheBigSucc: You're biased, he did punch a robot in the face for you.

RightPebble: Deki?

H0tP1nk: deki?

ROCKHARD: ROBOT PUNCHING IS MANLY

H0tP1nk: Not 'deku?'

TheBigSucc: Who TF you calling 'Deku?'

Iida10 Is Typing…

AllFallDown: Deku's kinda rude, you know? I thought maybe something else less mean. :]

H0tP1nk: and deki is cooler?

AllFallDown: Well wen i first met him i herd some girl call him 'Deku Koishi' but i thot it was more like 'dekiru'

TheBigSucc: lol like 'you can do it?' That's so fuggin cute im divan

TheBigSucc: *Dying.

RightPebble: She is. Rolling on the floor. Also just kicked me in the shin.

ROCKHARD: PAIN IS MANLY. Sometimes.

H0tP1nk: wait sum1 calls zuku 'useless pebble'? That's jus weird. also kinda…

RightPebble: Diminutive?

H0tP1nk: ya, u a beeg boi :) ;)

TheBigSucc: Ya, Lady of the Salt is the one who came up with that. Usually calls him 'Deku' 'cause two words are too big for her to remember.

AllFallDown: ...so is 'Deki' okay?

Iida10 Is Typing…

RightPebble: It's fine with me. I didn't mind you calling me Deku because I liked the thought of turning something I've kinda hated into something nicer. But Deki works. Friends give friends nicknames, right?

H0tP1nk: ...how ling is Iida10 gonna type?

TheBigSucc: If he's as fast as RightPebble said, he might be typing up a manifesto.

H0tP1nk: oh lawd he comin

AllFallDown: fnijbka

ROCKHARD: are we friends? Or, can we be friends when we get to Yueei?

RightPebble: Of course, ROCKHARD! Us podium makers have to stick together, you know?

ROCKHARD: FRIENDSHIP IS MANLY

TheBigSucc: Isn't this group mostly girls?

AllFallDown: ibuvginkjml;,

H0tP1nk: i thot it was magic?

ROCKHARD: YES

RightPebble: AllFallDown, are you alright?

AllFallDown: yis i accidentally my quirk and my phone went into the ceilingfan

Iida10 Is Typing…

TheBigSucc: Look at that, haven't even walked through the front doors and ROCKHARD and RightPebble are being classist.

H0tP1nk: but bean classless is mor fun! :) ;)

RightPebble: Speaking of classlessness, does anyone want to celebrate getting into Yuuei? There's an U18 Dance Club in Mustafu.

H0tP1nk: sounds dope but me and Eiri live like, two hours away.

ROCKHARD: CELEBRATING WOULD BE MANLY

AllFallDown: i'm also a couple hours away. :'(

TheBigSucc: Then once we get settled in at the dorms, we can have a party then. Anticipation is half the fun!

H0tP1nk: im down and also up for that! My drip melts the danceflor!

ROCKHARD: dancing...is also manly

H0tP1nk: Eiri's ready to rock lul

AllFallDown: i've never been to something like that, is it expensive? :/

RightPebble: Drink's will be on me and getting in is free.

H0tP1nk: drinks on zuku? hell ya sing me up

AllFallDown: I'm in! :]

RightPebble: We've got to go, we're going to have a celebratory dinner tonight. Got to get ready.

TheBigSucc: It's gonna be fancy! I'm gonna be looking noice in a dress! And RightPebble's gonna be in suit!

ROCKHARD: FANCY CLOTHES ARE MANLY i think

AllFallDown: Have fun! :]

H0tP1nk: take pictures!

RightPebble: Talk to you all later.

TheBigSucc: Iida10, your attendance has been noted.

ROCKHARD: would i look good with red hair?

RightPebble, AllFallDown have disconnected.

H0tP1nk: send nudes!

TheBigSucc: DM me later ;3

H0tP1nk, TheBigSucc have disconnected.

ROCKHARD: guys?

ROCKHARD has disconnected.

Iida10: While I feel somewhat ashamed for not placing higher in the rankings I would concede that Midoriya-san's efforts were rewarded rightly, but saying 'Top Dog' is rather rude and Kirishima-san your Capslock is on and also Ashido-san there's autocorrect built into the phone-

Izuku let the screen fade, standing up from the couch and stretching, offering a hand to Himiko. "So…" He started coyly, ignoring the heat in his cheeks and bending down to lift her into his arms, "We've got about an hour and forty minutes left to get ready. Will it take you that long?"

Himiko grinned, batting her eyelashes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, it won't."

…

An hour and forty minutes later, Himiko and Izuku stood on the sidewalk outside of their home. She wore a dark blue dress that dipped a bit in the front and back to hint at the expanses of smooth skin beneath, clinging to her waist before flaring out at the hips, displaying her toned calves and the simple black flats on her feet.

He wore a pair of pressed black trousers and polished black shoes, secured with a leather belt with a simple silver buckle. Above that was a long-sleeve white shirt and a dark blue blazer with silver buttons.

Their clothes were simple, as far as fancy clothes went, but the grace with which they carried themselves made it seem much more elegant than at first glance. The Red Tome taught much, even fancy dinner parties for some reason.

"I hate dresses," Himiko griped, plucking at the hem of her dress and rubbing her bare arms, smiling as Izuku wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaning into his warmth.

"You look beautiful in them, though," he offered, stroking her shoulder. Not exactly a fair comparison, though. She made pretty much any piece of clothing look good.

She looked up at him with a smirk. "There's that," she allowed, leaning away a bit, "And also ease of access," she lifted the end of her dress up to give him a peek at her sheer, lacy black underwear.

Izuku coughed, cheeks darkening. "Y-yes, that too," he mumbled, batting her dress back down as a car pulled up and the window rolled down to reveal a blushing Inko.

"H-hey kids," she greeted with a nervous smile, eyes scanning them quickly. "You look really good, you know? All dressed up and…g-grown up…"

Before they could answer, an arm pushed Inko back as Mitsuki looked out at them. "No time for feeling old, we gotta go!"

Nodding, Izuku pulled the door open for Himiko. "What a gentleman," she said breathily, stroking his hand as she slipped inside, her teasing mood rapidly sapped away as she saw Katsuki also in the back.

The other blonde girl had stuffed herself in the corner, scowling and hunched in on herself like she'd had all her blood replaced with grouchiness. If Himiko was feeling generous, she might've thought that the dark green dress went very well with Katsuki's darker skin tone and lighter hair, bringing out the exquisite ruby red of her eyes while also displaying a decent amount of her compact, muscular form.

But she wasn't, so she simply thought Katsuki looked like a salty bitch in a rumpled dress.

Doing her best to not actually make contact with her, Himiko squeezed herself into the middle seat, grunting as Izuku pushed in next to her. A smile crossed her lips as she quickly levered herself up and plopped her butt in his lap. "Got enough room back there?" Mitsuki asked, already peeling away from the curb.

"Oh yeah, got all the room we need," Toga said with satisfaction, leaning her head back on Izuku's shoulder, basking in the heat from his red cheeks. And if she heard a growl from Katsuki, well that was just a bonus.

As they rode, Inko looked back to them, eyes watery. "So, did you two see the results? Mitsuki and Katsuki have, but they haven't said anything to me. Did something bad happen?" She clutched the headrest, eyes wide. "Y-you didn't fail the test…did you?"

Katsuki scoffed and somehow crossed her arms harder, glaring out of the window like she wanted the passing buildings to explode.

"Don't sound so hopeful, mama," Himiko rolled her eyes, grinning toothily as she leaned back against Izuku. "We're totally in and get this, we got our results from All Might himself! Apparently, he's gonna be a teacher this year." She began to explain the message they'd received, mimicking All Might's booming tone and bombastic posture. And if she wiggled a bit more than necessary, well, it wasn't like Izuku was going to say anything.

The restaurant was an undeniably fancy one, more Western than traditionally Japanese but with elements in the decor that reflected the country it was settled in, with carefully trimmed bamboo and gently trickling waterfalls lining the walls. The wait staff was dressed much like Izuku, but with name tags, and the other guests were a mixed bag of even more expensively dressed, about the same or in more casual clothes. And in the center of the room was a large square of polished wood with a raised section, bearing stools and stands for a band.

"Bakugou, party of five," Mitsuki said firmly before the woman behind the podium had a chance to speak.

Said woman flipped through a large, leatherbound book with long, delicate fingers before nodding. "Welcome to The Zen Garden," she bowed, waving a hand as another young woman with what looked like plastic purple tendrils for hair stepped up, "If you would follow Amai to your table, and please enjoy your time."

The table they were seated at was simple, yet elegant, with a white tablecloth and candles circling a bonsai tree planted in the center. They were handed menus before their waiter left to retrieve refreshments. "Don't worry about price, kids, it's all on me," Mitsuki announced, before giving them a narrow look, "That doesn't mean order one of everything, though."

Katsuki snorted, but they all examined the listed food carefully. It all sounded expensive and exquisite, with a variety of foods from all over the world but mainly Japanese. Izuku was deeply tempted by the tonkatsu pork, but restrained himself. It wasn't everyday they went to a place that fancy, and it would behoove him to expand his horizons a bit. His eyes caught on a dish that intrigued him, so he nodded and set it down.

The waitress returned with glasses of water and once those were set out, withdrew a notepad and a pen. "Are you ready to order?"

Mitsuki went first, ordering a platter of various Tempura-fried meats and vegetables, along with a side of the House Specialty, Slow-Cooked Bamboo Soup. Inko went next and asked only for a small salad, but quailed under the unimpressed look of her best friend and added a breast and thigh of fried chicken. Himiko smiled as she ordered an eight-ounce steak, cooked rare on a bed of dense greens and Katsuki, scowling all the while, ordered the same. When it was Izuku's turn, he asked for the barbecued eel with the House Soup for a side.

With their food on the way, an awkward silence fell on the table. The blatant hostility eking from Katsuki's very being stifled conversation, not helped by the fact that all the people at the table knew each other very well. "So," the oldest blonde broke the silence, her finger circling the rim of her glass, "You talked about the physical test, what about the written?"

"Pssh, it was easy."

"It was pretty easy."

Izuku glanced at Katsuki, who scowled back at their simultaneous answer.

"Well I didn't have fun," Himiko interjected, her hand under the table and resting on his thigh, "It sucked, actually. Especially the essay questions on the law…it's like they wrote the whole thing in alien just to make it harder."

"Oh, don't I know it," Mitsuki sighed, resting her chin on her hand, "Wait until you have to read six contracts with four different businesses all dealing with different things, and all the contracts seem the same except for like, two words that change everything."

Himiko made a face that drew some laughter from the adults, but Izuku recalled his own NDAs with the jewel company. It had taken more than an hour to read through the whole thing, even with help.

Ice successfully broken, peaceful chatter filled the table until their food arrived.

The largest, the tempura platter, was set in the middle. Each piece was fried to a light golden crisp with a delicate, almost airy crust that subtly gleamed with the remnants of oil. Despite the elegance of their arrangement, they crunched between the teeth with an almost gleeful noise, the contents cooked to tender perfection.

The steaks had been grilled and seasoned artfully and, if they were seeing right, had even been branded with short prayers for deliciousness by the chefs. In Haiku, no less. And they'd worked; upon slicing the meat open, red juice had dribbled almost lewdly from a dark red center that steamed with a thick fragrance, each bite a silky yet meaty treat that demanded to be savored to the very last second.

Inko's salad was the most basic, but each leaf was a vibrant green or purple, slim-cut bamboo shoots arranged into the character for Purity on top and circled with light dressing. The chicken had been fried darker than the tempura, the crust speckled with spices and still lightly crackling. The meat was tender and moist, every mouthful bringing with it a sense of warmth, comfort and gentle but insistent heated spice to follow, contrasting wonderfully with the crisp freshness of salad.

The eel was rather inelegant in comparison, a strip of browned flesh atop a pile of rice crisscrossed with sauces, but the appearance was more than deceiving. The meat was dense yet flaky, chewy yet tender and bursting with flavor, tangy and sweet sauce carrying it almost to a breaking point; but the rice, the simplest of dishes, was light and fluffy, absorbing and soothing the harshest tang and blending it all together perfectly.

The soup, however, was the center of attention. The appearance alone was more than enough to display just why it was the House Specialty. Shimmering steam rose from glittering broth, bamboo shoots bobbing gently next to strips of pink meat, dusted with a sprinkle of spices. The bamboo was tender and had absorbed the strongest of the salty broth, practically bursting on the tongue, and the pork had been cut from what must've been the lightest cut of pork belly imaginable, cooked so gentle that it melted in their mouths.

Even Katsuki, still scowling, asked for a taste and afterwards, and even wore something close to a smile.

The food took precedence and they dined in almost silence, buoyed by the chatter of the other customers and soon enough, the gentle playing of a small string band. Each dish was (mostly) shared freely with sounds of appreciation, but soon enough it was all consumed.

Cleaning the corner of his mouth with a napkin, Izuku eyed the dance floor and the couples there. The music had picked up a bit in speed and sound, but not to anything wild. "Hey mom," he pushed his seat back and stood, holding his hand out to his mother, "Want to dance?"

Inko blinked at him, glancing at the floor and back to him with a bit of color in her cheeks. After a moment of lip-biting thought, her emerald eyes met his own and she nodded, taking his hand. Together, mother and son walked to the dance floor and with his hand on her waist, hers on his shoulder and the others clasped, they smoothly stepped into the small crowd.

He took a second to look at her. She wore a conservative-length dress down to her ankles, deep blue just like Himiko's, but with a white shawl over her shoulders and clasped around her neck. Her green hair was done up in a fancy little bun with a few strands artfully loose, with only subtle hints of makeup to bring out the youthful roundness of her face and the color of her eyes. As they danced, Izuku couldn't help but compare her to the woman he'd grown up with.

Even as a child, Inko had always seemed short, even when he barely reached her waist. It seemed her natural posture was hunched over, head bowed, eyes away even when she was heated. But after the years of slimming down and being a model, even a niche one, she stood straighter, met the gaze easier. She didn't 'ooze' confidence, being naturally shy, but it had become obvious that she held herself in higher regard.

Izuku had always loved his mother, and her little personal evolution had made him love her even more. "You look beautiful, mom," he said earnestly, ignoring the fact that she'd just stepped on his toes.

Inko smiled warmly, cheeks pink. "And you're so handsome, Izuku," she replied, moving her hand up from his waist to cup his cheek, "This place is a little high-class for us, but dancing like this is nice. I'm glad I didn't fight Tsuki-chan too much."

"Me too," he nodded, "The food is really good."

"Mm," she hummed dreamily, "I'll have to look up the recipes and try them out for…us…"

Seeing her eyes start to glisten and her lower lip wobble dangerously, he quickly took her into a spin and pulled her close. "Please don't cry, mom," he whispered, "There will be breaks and weekends, we'll visit you all the time…we'll be around so often it'll be like we never left. And who knows, they might just kick us out."

Inko huffed and lightly slapped his chest even as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't say that," she muttered, "I know how hard you've worked, both of you. If they don't keep you, they'd be crazy. And I knew the time would come when you'd have to leave but…I'm afraid of living by myself."

Izuku grimaced. He didn't really have an answer for that. "You won't be alone, mom, Mitsuki will always be around, we'll visit…" That probably didn't help. At all.

But instead of bursting into tears as he expected, his mom took a deep breath and mustered herself. "I know, Izuku, and I accepted it a while back. Just remember to call me, okay?" Her arms slipped around his torso and she hugged him tight. "No matter how far you go, or how big a hero you become, always remember your mother, please?"

"Always," he promised, kissing her cheek. They stepped around the floor a bit more before a hand tapped his shoulder. He glanced back to find a smiling Himiko.

"Mind if I cut in?" she asked, offering a hand to Inko.

"She's all yours," Izuku bowed out gracefully, watching two of the most important ladies in his life spin around the dance floor. Turning to the table, he found Mitsuki bent over, whispering furiously into Katsuki's ear, two pairs of ruby red eyes glancing up at him as he made his way back.

Then a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Kohai?"

…

"Your usual, Uwabami-sama," a waiter bowed, setting a platter of exquisitely made sushi on the table, the dark green of the seaweed contrasting with the pure white of the rice, each colorful slice of meat nearly glistening and set in a rainbow pattern. Yu gazed upon it, eyes wide, unsure if she was actually to eat that piece of art or simply stare at it. Her gaze was broken by the addition of two bowls full of golden soup, and something the waiter had said struck her.

"'Sama'?" She echoed, giving the older woman a curious look.

Uwabami, the Model Hero of all Model Heroes, waved a hand imperiously and sipped from a glass of white wine, silently answering the question. "Just a little joke, since I come around so often," she replied, artfully slouching back into her chair and crossing a leg, revealing smooth slender calves and a hint of thigh, "It is perhaps a bit materialistic, but one can measure success on how often they dine in high-class restaurants such as this. The meals are one course and dessert, sure, but it's all delicious and presented as art. And that is what it means to be a Model Hero, my dear, to present yourself as such that all view you as art."

She subtly flicked her fingers and Yu glanced at a nearby table. It was a party of twelve, celebrating what looked to be an engagement, and each person there kept glancing over at Uwabami and herself, eyes slightly glazed and mouths a bit agape. But despite the obvious desire, their body language was distant, almost afraid.

Was that what it truly meant to be a Model Hero? An invisible glass wall between her and everyone else? Admired by all, approached by none?

As her gaze swept over the people, her eyes fell on the dancefloor and more particularly, a green-haired couple gracefully stepping to the music.

No, wait, the guy was leading and the shorter woman was standing on his feet.

The color of their hair drew her eyes, but it only took a second for her to recognize just who she was looking at. Without really thinking, Yu stood up from the table with a mumbled, "Excuse me," then strode to the dancefloor as Himiko cut in to dance with Inko, her hand landing on his shoulder as he made to step off. "Kohai?"

He spun around, green eyes wide before a smile grew on his face. "Senpai!" He greeted her brightly, "What are you doing-" His head turned as a couple nearly tripped over them standing on the dancefloor instead of dancing. In an instant, their hands were clasped, the other on his shoulder and at her waist, respectively, and then they were gracefully stepping across the polished wood floor together.

Despite her surprise, Yu found the rhythm quickly and was then dancing with Izuku instead of just being led. She couldn't help but smile as they moved, warmth beating in her chest for reasons she couldn't identify. It wasn't as if they'd been as close before, in more compromising positions, wearing less, even; but it was different that time. The soft yet insistently carrying music, his calloused hand cradling hers, a shy smile on his lips.

"Sorry senpai, thought it would be easier to talk on the dance floor if we're, you know, dancing," he said sheepishly, leading her into a spin, "Having a night out?"

It took her a second to remember why she'd come to the restaurant in the first place. "Oh, well, kinda. I'm meeting with an…acquaintance about interning at her Agency. I think she took me here to show off, 'this is the kinda place you could eat at everyday if you worked for me,' that sort of thing."

"I can see the appeal," he murmured, eyes flickering as he took in the decor, "The food is really good, too. Have you tried the bamboo soup?"

"Uh, no, actually, the food just came when I saw you here," Yu chanced a look back at her table and felt a bit embarrassed as she Uwabami still sitting gracefully, watching her dance with an arched eyebrow as she pointedly sipped a glass of wine, the food entirely untouched. Oddly polite, that.

"It's very good," Izuku commented, dipping her down before bringing her back up, "Though I can't imagine eating it all the time. A couple times a week, maybe, but getting all dressed up everyday?" He shuddered theatrically and she giggled, sweeping her eyes up and down his form.

His clothes did a good job of concealing how muscled his form was, but nothing could hide his broad shoulders or the ease with which he walked. "I don't know about that," she murmured on sotto, "You look very handsome."

He blushed, cheeks flushing pink as he smiled warmly. "Thanks," he mumbled, dipping his head to peer at her through his lashes, "You always look beautiful."

Her stomach did a weird flutter-thingy and she felt short of breath. "Even when I'm in a gi with my hair all frazzled and no makeup?" She tried to laugh it off.

Izuku nodded. "Oh yes," he said with a distant sort of firmness, as if she'd asked if grass was green, "I don't think there's ever been a time when I haven't seen you and thought '...wow.'" His cheeks darkened again.

Yu's stomach did the fluttering thing again and she almost missed the next step. "W-well," she cleared her throat as the song ended and they saluted each other, "I came over to say hi and also come meet her?" She took a subtle breath through her nose and thanked whatever deity existed that the song had ended there because her hands were really sweaty.

"Sure!" He said brightly, offering his arm.

Uwabami finished her glass of wine and set it down just as Takeyama and the mysterious green-haired guy she'd interrupted her little showcase for finished dancing and headed her way. Her half-lidded eyes took him in, little details coming together to form a picture in her mind.

He walked with an easy sort of grace, not in a predatory sense but one that could shift into such on a dime. Extensive martial training, then. The flickering glances assessing everything before focusing again supported that conclusion. The length of stride, while matching the woman on his arm, was measured; head not high but erect, spine straight, shoulders level; confident, but in a quiet, self-assured sense. Some small amount of baby fat stubbornly clung to his cheeks and jaw but otherwise was nonexistent, with wide, almost innocent deep green eyes and unstyled but artfully-messy green hair.

A young man with extensive martial training, confidence and familiarity with Takeyama Yu, along gorgeous green eyes; this could only be Midoriya Izuku, Yu's 'Kohai' she had mentioned once before.

And then something interesting happened. His eyes fell on her and scanned her body, but he didn't linger on her cleavage nor her legs, only on the snakes on her head and then only for a second; and not out of shyness or tamped-down desire, but familiarity. This stranger was intimately familiar with her body, but how? "Midoriya Izuku, this is Uwabami," Yu introduced, the Model Hero extending a delicate hand, but not to shake, "Uwabami-san, this Izuku, my…protege? Maybe not that. I train him every once in a while."

Izuku took her hand as she expected, cupping her palm and bending to kiss the back. His fingers were calloused and scarred, but smooth and slightly gritty as if he'd buried his hands in fine sand. Ah…now things made sense. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said with a genuine smile, and Uwabami mentally noted the expression.

"A gentleman," she purred, settling her hand on the table, "The pleasure's all mine."

Uwabami noted the little flicker of Yu's eyes and the rising heat in Izuku's cheeks, but he took it in stride. "Apologies for interrupting your meal," he nodded towards the platter of sushi and folded his arms behind his back, the air taking on a hint of awkwardness. "I was saying to Yu-senpai that the food here is really good, and I think the presentation is phenomenal as well. It's like edible art."

"Indeed," she replied, motioning for Yu to take the first bite of their shared dish. The younger Hero eyed them both surreptitiously, then took a piece of pink salmon bound to rice with seaweed, dipped it in soy sauce and dabbed a bit of wasabi on top, then took a bite.

Her eyes widened as she chewed, a revelation in motion. Then she swallowed and looked down at the sushi between her fingers. "…Wow," she said quietly, "This is good."

"The first bite is with the eye my dear, but we have mouths for a reason, otherwise we'd just get food on our faces," Uwabami expounded loftily, selecting a piece for herself and consuming it in small bites. "Art must be admired before it is consumed…wouldn't you agree, Izuku?"

"When it comes to food, yes," he smiled, clearly enjoying the rapturous expression on Yu's face as she ate of the bamboo soup, "Other art isn't meant to be eaten, I don't think."

"Like statues, perhaps?" She dropped the hint, smiling inside as the younger Hero choked on a bit of bamboo. The young man before her, however, showed no signs of surprise, not even a flicker of unease. Either he had already shared this knowledge with another already…or he had only cared to hide his identity because anonymity was easier. "I imagine sculptures wouldn't be easy to chew."

"Not for most people," he shrugged, gently patting a coughing Yu on the back. "I should be getting back to my table. Uwabami-san, once again, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he bowed slightly, then turned a smile on Yu, "See you Friday?"

The younger heroine nodded, clearing her throat, "Yeah, Friday," she rasped, taking a quick drink of water.

As Izuku turned to walk away, Uwabami spoke up, "Midoriya-san," he faced her once more and she continued, "I rather frequently host get-togethers for others in my industry. If there were a young, anonymous artist who wished to unveil themselves, I would be delighted to host them at such an event."

He blinked, dark green eyes calculating. "If an anonymous young artist wished to unveil themselves, then I'm certain they'd be honored." And with a nod, he walked off.

She settled back in her chair, satisfied. And she only had to wait a bit before Yu asked the question. "…How'd you know?"

Uwabami took a sip from her newly-filled glass of wine with a chuckle. "My dear, but it was so obvious!"

…

Is that what talking with a queen is like? Izuku thought as he made his way back to his table. Himiko and his mom were still dancing and he wanted to get back out there at least one more time before the night was over. As he approached the table, he found that Mitsuki was still whispering to Katsuki, ruby red eyes glaring and fierce. "Ladies," he greeted them, and Katsuki turned away with her arms crossed and a scowl, "Care to dance?"

The older Bakugou nudged the younger with her elbow, but the younger only scowled and glared harder at a nearby wall. Throwing her hands up and her napkin on the table, Mitsuki pushed herself up and took his hand. "Yes, please," she gritted out, marching away from her spawn.

Izuku wondered what they'd been whispering about, before deciding that it was none of his business, and focused his attention on making sure Mitsuki had fun spinning around the dance floor.

…

Life continued on, the end of school coming faster than ever until one day, it came. There was a week of final testing, then small celebrations as learning came to a halt and the future was brought into focus.

Katsuki was rather quiet, not even making a fuss when she won the second place award for high scores throughout the year, the first having gone to Izuku and the third, Sukuro. It may have been a sudden lack of friends; neither 'Butterball' or 'Longfingers' had made it past the Yuuei Entrance Exams and had thus decided that sucking up to someone they'd probably never see again was pointless. But the volatile blonde had more tolerated than enjoyed their presence, so that likely wasn't it.

And then came the brief break between changing schools and lives, and Sukuro's departure approached. Dates were had and enjoyed, a sort of numb acceptance coloring their experiences, and they settled into just spending as much time together as they could fit before she left.

Training was had as well, though lacking All Might's direction, which they understood. Learning how to be a teacher of students instead of sidekicks would be quite the change; and to be honest, All Might needed the practice.

Yu's Friday training continued as well, moving into more advanced holds, locks and moves, though her favorite to practice was called 'The Full Hold.' It locked the target down and kept them from gaining any real means of getting free, physically at least, with both heels digging into the side of the pelvis for leverage, elbows locked into their shoulders with the back their head tight against the chest, forearms crossed and pressing in to block the windpipe.

It also looked like and practically was aggressive spooning.

Mei had also called Izuku up for some baby-making, adding more than a few upgrades to BB, though she refused to explain all of them, just saying that they'd make Battle Buddy even better.

A few days before the last weekend, a sudden flurry of texts had Izuku and Himiko asking Inko for permission to spend the last three days before Sukuro's departure with the mint-haired girl and their friends. Though they received a few strange looks, Inko acquiesced and they packed; not that much though, because another text had come after their agreement which simply read, 'you're not gonna need a lot of clothes.' Oddly foreboding and slightly arousing, the two of them were then dropped off some ways away from the city. Not quite the suburbs but neither the sticks.

It was a sprawling, gated compound with the front chained and locked, along with construction machinery visible beyond. Izuku and Himiko started to wonder if they'd been pranked, and then a fancy car with tinted windows rolled up. "Hey guys," Sakura greeted them with a languid smile as she stepped out in a simple blue sundress, "Sorry for being late."

"Late for what?" Izuku asked as Himiko peered into the car to find Sukuro and Ino in the back seat. Sakura answered by retrieving a key from her purse and unlocking the chains on the gate, pulling them open to let the car creep inside the compound.

"It's not the grand opening yet, but we're gonna be the first to stay here," she replied, waving a hand at the buildings around them. Besides the road, gardens covered every square inch of free ground, not quite bursting with flowers or plant life but close to doing so. "It's supposed to be 'the greatest spa-cation' or whatever, super expensive, naturally, 'cause each building is its own suite. All of 'em come with a pool, hot tub, hot springs, sauna and tanning area though I think that's right next to the pool. Also an eating area, communal hot springs, room service, massages but not for us 'cause it'll just be us and Giriko and her boyfriend. They'll cook and run errands if we need stuff."

"Uh, why?" Himiko said smartly, peering at the driver and the passenger next to her. "For all of this."

"She's a cook and her boyfriend's a waiter at one of the other places, and she owes me," Sakura shrugged slightly.

"I think she was asking, and so am I, how do you have access to this place?" Izuku added, already helping unload bags from the trunk of the car.

The flower-haired girl gave them a weird look, combing a hand through her cherry-blossom locks. "My family owns this place, along with several other spas and whatnot. Didn't you know?" Her hand dropped as she took in their expression and realized that no, in fact, they did not. "Oh. Well. Uhhh…awkward."

Himiko waved a hand carelessly. "Doesn't matter," she muttered, picking up a suitcase covered in flowers, "Where's this room?"

Sakura tilted her head and set off with a gaggle of teens on the cusp of adulthood trailing after. "I'd still like to know why your family is letting you do this," Izuku commented, pausing to gape in surprise at the room, or suite, as they stepped inside.

The floors appeared to be wood at first but were actually some sort of wooden tile, probably very easy to clean, the center of the room dominated by a rock or faux-rock ring and the gently steaming surface of a hot spring. Fresh water poured from a cairn while draining at the other end, and the earthy scent of minerals and herbs filled the air. Doors opened to a bedroom with a king sized bed covered in purple sheets with a blanket folded at the foot, a rather anemic bathroom with only a shower, a sink and a toilet; but that lacking there was more than made up for by the hot tub, which could fit five people if they didn't mind having legs in their lap or where mostly girls and some of them were small (relatively speaking). The pool was a long, relatively narrow strip of cool water, around eight feet wide and twelve feet long with an empty wet bar near the end opposite the hot tub. Another room opened into an old-fashioned sauna with an electric heater and an empty bucket and ladle for water, and the last was for entertainment, with a widescreen TV, a couch and a loveseat.

"Greatest 'spa-cation' my ass," Himiko muttered, setting her bag down in the bedroom, "More like ultimate…except there aren't any mud baths and I've yet to see a cucumber, sliced or not."

"Stuff that'll come later," Sakura said as she closed the door, solid pink eyes flickering over the gathered group standing around awkwardly. "Well unless everyone's going to jump in the water fully clothed, maybe we should change?" She gestured pointedly at their bags.

There were mutterings of agreement, then Izuku grabbed his bag and went into the bathroom to change; sure, they'd all seen each other naked at some time or another, but he was feeling a little outnumbered and wanted to be polite. When he emerged in a pair of navy blue trunks and a tank top, he found the girls in their own favored swimwear. Himiko wore a sun-yellow bikini decorated with orchids that wouldn't out of place on a tourist; Sukuro in a simple dark green one piece that was, as most things she wore, unbearably cute; Sakura in a rather sheer red bikini secured by small gold rings, a thin pink wrap slung around her slim waist; and Ino in a black and white one piece with sections artfully cut away to display her stomach in such a way one might wonder why it was a one piece.

"…Alright, lunch?" Izuku offered, gesturing to the bags of takeout that had been dropped off. They nodded, but there wasn't much room to sit that wasn't the couch or the pool chairs, so they ended up near the water, food in their hands, the silence deafening. The food was good, a little salty, but there was only so much quiet muttering and chewing that one could take before they snapped.

"Alright, this is stupid!" Himiko declared, throwing her chopsticks and empty container on the ground, "So what if Sukuro's leaving? So what if me and Izuku are going to Yuuei and Ino and Sakura aren't? So what?! Are we just gonna leave it like this, all sad and miserable and quiet? No!" She snatched up Sukuro's chopsticks and threw them on the ground for emphasis, before grabbing the girl's hand. "Come on!"

"Wha-wai-wait what are you-!" The mint-haired girl sputtered as Himiko hefted her up on a shoulder then took a running jump into the pool. Sukuro's shriek was cut off by a splash, leaving the three remaining teens to stare after them.

Izuku suddenly stood up, making Ino and Sakura flinch back. "When she's right-" He ducked and threw his arms around their middles, lifting them into the air with a pair of surprised squeals, "-She's right!"

A giggling Himiko had just surfaced with a sputtering Sukuro when a shadow passed overhead and the water crashed and a wave rolled over their heads, pulling them under again. They broke the surface to find Izuku floating nearby, laughing as the other two girls emerged with a spray of water. "You little shit!" Ino tried to growl, but couldn't fight the grin tugging at her lips.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, huh?" The young man cheekily stuck his tongue out and splashed the blonde with more water.

"That's it! Dunk time!" She shouted a warcry and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and trying to shove him under. He stood firm against her onslaught, hands slapping the water to keep him upright as the two wrestled, pushing themselves back into the shallow end. "Sukuro! Get his legs!"

The mint-haired girl had just finished shaking the water out of her ears, looking up at the cry for help. As she made to swim forward, a hand landed on her shoulder and she peered up to find Himiko gazing down at her with a toothy smile. "You get his right, I'll get his left," she stage-whispered just as Sakura jumped on her back.

"Protect the honey!" She cried, dunking the blood-drinker as Sukuro piled on.

And the battle was joined.

It was a tragic tale, really, of vicious dunkings and ignoble wrestling, alliances formed, changed then betrayed in the time it took to get splashed in the face. And then, as in all things, the girls ganged up on the guy in a stunning display of sodden but inevitable betrayal.

For in the Game of Pools, you either win by cheating like Izuku did by anchoring his feet to the bottom of the pool with his field, or you lose like Izuku did when they discovered his trickery and started tickling him.

They were still giggling an hour later as they rested on the long chairs set out by the pool, drip-drying in the afternoon sun filtering in through the one-way windows. "Well, that was fun," Ino commented, sitting up on her elbows and flashing a tusked smile, "Hot tub?"

There was a chorus of satisfied groans as they sunk into the bubbling tub, leaning against each other, legs all tangled up and relaxing like they weren't being made into human soup.

"I think we all needed this," Izuku muttered, shifting to get comfortable with Sakura on one side and Sukuro on the other, idly playing with someone's foot, "Though I'll admit I'd be interested in what a mud bath would do."

Ino hummed in agreement, "I want to try a massage more," she said, shifting her feet so that they rested in his lap. "Rub my feet?" She asked, giving him a wide-eyed, pitiful look.

He rolled his eyes, calloused fingers already digging into her soles, massaging the tight knots away. It was all well and fine until Ino started moaning loudly, writhing in her seat and panting. "…Seriously?" Sakura asked, cheeks a little pink but gaze flat.

"Shut up, you know my feet are sensitive!" The tusked blonde groaned in disappointment as he released her left foot, only to perk up and bite her lip as her right was next. She gave Izuku a lidded look and he jumped as her free foot began to rub his crotch, blushing but keeping his focus on his task even as her efforts made it harder, pun intended.

"And I thought the sauna was gonna be steamy," Himiko commented with a smirk, obviously enjoying the show. Her smirk widened into a grin as Izuku finished and Ino suddenly lunged at him, planting herself in his lap as she aggressively planted her lips on his.

Everything outside of her lips, soft and demanding, burning tongue lashing against his, her firm thighs locked around his waist as she ground herself against him faded away. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tighter against himself, hands wandering down her back to grip her muscular rear. She grunted approvingly into his mouth and rolled her hips, and he had a hard time determining what was more heated; their embrace or the tub itself.

Then she pulled away, blue eyes gleaming, and he was somewhat disappointed. The bubbling water made it a bit more difficult for him to feel how close she was, but he thought he was close. "Deep breath," she panted, before sucking in a lungful of air. He blinked confusedly but did so, just in time as she heaved back and he came with her, plunging under the boiling surface, their combined weight taking them to the bottom. Their lips connected once more and she resumed her writhing, with him anchoring his hands to the floor to give as good as he got.

The quickly fading air-supply added a ticking clock that only ratcheted up the urgency of the act, and he could feel by the way her fingers dug into his back that she was close. Then she threw her head back in a cry that escaped as a mass of bubbles brushing his face, her body shuddering under his as stars burst behind his eyes and he clutched her to him.

They gazed at each other, eyes barely visible, her lips curled in a smile…then her eyes went wide as she opened her mouth.

Izuku and Ino emerged from the water with deep, needy gasps for air, her arms around him as he practically carried her up and then collapsed onto the bench, panting. "Exciting!" She giggled, nuzzling his cheek, a hand stroking his chest.

"More like 'drowning,'" he coughed, wiping his eyes. Then he blinked, and realized that they were alone in the hot tub. "Uh…"

"Suku-chan and Sakura decided they'd rather not have their feet crushed and went to shower and set up a show they wanna watch," Himiko declared from a pool chair with a grin, her bikini bottom askew and top completely off, fingers slick. "I was waiting for you two so we could all…shower together."

Ino and Izuku traded looks, still a bit flushed from their activities. "I'll take the front, you take the back?" He offered, and she smirked in response.

The shower was a tight squeeze for three, but that suited them just fine. Hands naturally wandered, followed by mouths and the falling water did a poor job of muffling more than one pleasured cry. And when Himiko got a little too demanding, Ino held her arms while Izuku made her beg. But they did, eventually, get clean.

When they finally came into the entertainment room, Sakura and Sukuro were staring at the television, foam containers of teriyaki sitting on their legs as they watched the show in rapt fascination. "Girls-?" Izuku started, only to be shushed. Trading amused looks, he plopped himself down on the loveseat as Himiko sat on the couch and Ino sat in his lap after snatching up another container of food. "Do you know what this is?"

Ino nodded with a smile, eyes sparkling as she broke a pair of chopsticks. "It's their favorite show," she whispered, picking a piece of chicken teriyaki and waving it in front of his nose until he opened his mouth, "It's about this guy who gets sent into the future where there's aliens, and he becomes a Private Investigator on this huge space station with a couple of aliens as partners. I think it's kinda silly and the main character's kind of a man-whore, but Suku-chan and Sakura love it."

"-victim was last spotted leaving The Flux with a human woman," some kind of bird-like alien with grey, metallic segmented skin reported, kneeling over a lumpy corpse, "Probably thought he was getting lucky, but no dice. Neighbors reported a loud noise last night, and not the good kind."

"Mmhm," another alien, a lithe reptile or possibly frog with large eyes hummed thoughtfully, scanning the body with some kind of wrist-mounted device, "Premature explosive decompression. Heard there's a pill for that."

"More like a suit," the main character, a human with American features and brown hair greying at the temples said, reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket, "Nelon, let's get this body to the morgue. Garrus, knock on a few doors and use that charm of yours to see if you can get anything about this guy from his neighbors. I'll tap into the local surveillance network and see what I can dig up about this mysterious woman. Shouldn't be too hard to spot; it's not everyday you find a woman who…" He paused dramatically and unfolded a pair of sunglasses, sliding them on, "Literally takes your breath away."

Izuku snorted inelegantly and rolled his eyes, his hand sliding down to rest on Ino's hip. "You're right, it is kinda silly," he muttered, accepting another bite.

Two Hours Later…

"-I should take you in. You deserve a fair trial, a chance to redeem yourself and live a life free of crime. Not only would it be the right thing to do, it's the morally right thing-oops," the main character said flatly, dropping a pair of live wires into a futuristic hot tub, the camera cutting away as the pirate lord inside was fried to a crisp. Izuku bit his lip as he watched the main character stumble around, obviously on his last legs from all the adrenaline he'd taken while fighting through a base full of space pirates.

He wasn't sure when the story had gone from investigating crimes on the space station to fighting space pirates, but he'd been locked in ever since the first episode.

The main character grabbed a bottle of rum, yanking the cork out with his teeth as he sat down on a gaudy golden throne shaped like a spaceship, drinking deeply as the door opened and several soldiers poured into the room. He gave them a jaunty wave and wink, then collapsed off of the throne, the bottle shattering on the floor.

Cut to black.

"What?!" Izuku threw his hands up, "That's it?! Did he die? Where was his backup?! What about the kid?!"

"That's the end of season one," Sakura pointed out, gently patting his arm. "Everything gets explained in season two." She knew exactly what her big green not-serious-but-kinda-serious-boyfriend was going through. And it had been worse when it had been airing because she'd had to wait six months for the next season.

As Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, Ino checked her phone and leaned over to her mint-haired best friend. "Suku-chan," she whispered, the fox-eared girl shaking herself out of the show's cliffhanger, "It's getting late."

Sukuro flushed, palms sweating as she looked at the other girls, each returning her gaze with an encouraging nod. She gulped audibly and wiped her hands on her shorts, pushing herself up. "I-Izuku?" She began, licking her lips as his deep green eyes found her. "I-it's getting late…a-and I'm tired…can you c-come with me?"

He blinked, checking the time before looking back at the fidgeting girl. "Sure, Suku-chan," he said softly, standing and offering her his hand. "Let's go to bed."

Before he could ask, Himiko spoke up. "We're gonna watch something else," she said with a smile, "Have fuuun~"

Izuku cocked his head in confusion. What was fun about getting ready for bed?

The two green-haired teens stood next to each other in the bathroom, looking in the mirror as they brushed their teeth, eyes occasionally meeting before Sukuro would flush and look away. He stepped closer to her and let his free arm drape around her slim shoulders and she leaned against him, eyelids fluttering closed, fox ears gently flicking. After rinsing and spitting, they headed for the bed but when he went to lay down, her arms caught his and pulled him short. "Suku-chan?"

She was looking down, face alight, biting her lip. "I-I d-don't-I'm not-I, uh…" She sucked in a deep, fortifying breath and met his eyes, gently steering him around so that her back was to the bed. "I'm not tired," Sukuro said firmly, slim fingers reaching up, "And I want you to be my first."

Izuku blinked. "I thought I already was," he replied, mind blanking. I am, aren't I? First boyfriend, first kiss, first…uh…Then she unbuttoned the neck of her sleeping gown and shrugged, letting it slide down her body and pool at her feet, revealing that she was wearing nothing but panties underneath. And then Sukuro removed those, too, sliding them slowly down her slender legs, before kicking her clothes into a pile and facing him with her cheeks ablaze, but her eyes unyielding. "First…?"

She nodded, hands tugging at the hem of his shirt. "Yes. I want all of you, Izuku, before…b-before-" She shook her head and pulled at his clothes insistently, stilling as his hand clasped hers.

"Suku," he murmured, cupping her cheek with his other hand, "Are you-?"

"I've never been more sure of anything else, Zuku," she whispered, leaning into his palm, gazing up at him with soft orange eyes. "Are you…?"

He leaned down and kissed her gently, leaning back to pull his shirt off as she unbuttoned his shorts and pulled them down to reveal his length already semi-stiff, taking it in soft, small hands. It swelled to life against her palm and she stroked it, biting her lip as she pressed against it, inwardly wondering if it would even fit inside of her. He tilted her chin up to peck her lips, slowly lowering her onto the bed, then he withdrew with a small smile. "Let me relax you, okay?"

She nodded as he dropped to his knees, calloused fingers grasping her thighs as he pushed her legs open and gazed upon her sex, a neat tuft of green hair at the top. He kissed her lips, enjoying her quiet gasp, then slowly delved in with his tongue, writhing against her walls as they clenched around the intrusion and her juices began to flow. One hand massaged the meat of her thigh as the other slid down and around, a finger joining his tongue inside of her to stroke and curl, drawing pleasured mewls from parted lips.

A second finger joined the first, subtly pushing and stretching within, his mouth reaching for the apex of her lips and assaulting the spot with gentle sucks and a flicking tongue. Her thighs closed around his head, body quaking and twitching as she flooded his mouth, chest heaving, hands grasping at sheets with a cry of ecstasy.

Then she slumped back, panting, aftershocks trembling in her flesh. He wiped his face and crawled up her body, taking in the glaze of pleasure in her eyes and hardened nubs peaking her breasts, dipping down to kiss her soft skin until he found her lips, his pelvis resting in the cradle of her thighs. She felt him against her, his length resting on her belly, pulsing in anticipation. Despite the longing she knew he felt, he still held himself back, "Suku.."

"Zuku," she answered, cupping his cheek, stroking a thumb under his eye, "Please…"

He nodded and arched his hips, the tip nudging her warm, wet folds. Then, slowly, he pushed forward. Even barely inside of her, the sheer heat and the grasp of her flesh sent bolts of pleasure up his spine, and it took most of his considerable training to not plunge as far as he could go immediately. He restrained himself and inched forward, her lithe form thrashing and gasping underneath him but her arms and crossed ankles urged him forward bit by deliciously agonizing bit. Then, suddenly, he slipped forward and she squealed as he was buried in her to the hilt.

She raised her head to look between them at the place they were connected, eyes wide. "You…you're inside me," she marveled, a hand rubbing her belly as if she could touch him through her own flesh, "We…we're connected…"

"We are…" he groaned as her walls fluttered around him, his body itching to move, to satisfy the primal need running through his body like he'd grasped a live wire. He began to pull out and she clenched around him, her core a molten silken vice that dared him to escape. He plunged back in and she clawed at his back, moaning his name. And so he did it again. And again.

Her breath on his face. Her whimpers and cries of ecstasy in his ears. Her nails digging into his flesh. Her ankles crossed behind him, urging him ever deeper. The damp, rhythmic slap of flesh meeting flesh. The heat. The wetness. The friction; bolts of something electric racing through his blood and nerves, her sweat mingling with his. Their lips meeting, tongues wrestling, muffled moans reverberating in their mouths and the building, the tightening of of coils of pleasure that ached to be released but still growing and expanding and reaching, racing towards a crescendo and then-

He saw white, like a star had burst inside of his head, his body juddering as he emptied himself inside of her welcoming core, dimly aware of her wailing through her climax, sobbing for breath as his arms gave out and he fell on his side. She clutched herself to him, face buried in his neck as her body quaked, his hands gently stroking her back. It took him a while to come back to himself, for his mind to reassert rational thought.

And then he remembered something.

"Suku," he started softly, "Is it safe…?"

"Implant," she muttered, aftershocks still rocking her but fading. She sighed into his neck and snuggled against him, rapidly cooling sweat bringing a chill, and he rested his cheek against her temple.

Some time later, he exhaled softly and made to sit up. "We should get clean," he mumbled, already feeling sticky. Receiving no answer, he looked down and found Sukuro asleep and snoring softly, a small, satisfied smile curling her lips. Sore and drained in ways he didn't know he could be, Izuku cleaned them up as best he could then tucked her form against his chest and covered them with the blanket. Sleep came easy.

When three other forms slipped beneath the covers to spoon, he barely stirred.

…

Izuku woke the next morning with only Sukuro in his arms, the girl herself still soundly asleep. Checking the time, he balked. It was almost noon, the longest he'd slept in since he could remember. He turned back to the sweet girl and tried to gently shake her awake, but her cute sleeping visage was deterrent enough. He left her sleeping with a kiss and took a quick shower, tossing his clothes into a nearby hamper before stepping out.

The main room with the hotspring was empty, as were the pool and sauna along with the entertainment room. The girls were nowhere to be found. Feeling a little nervous and chastising himself for not thinking of their feelings, of how they must've felt the night before…but Himiko had told them to have fun. She knew what Sukuro had planned. And if she knew, so did the others.

With both his swim trunks and other shorts dirty, he had no real swimwear, so as he slipped into the pool for a bit of underwater training, he was nude. Anchoring his feet to the ground, he went through a few kata with only his head above the water. It was light exercise, really, without the current of the river to pull at his limbs, but it gave him something to do.

It was sometime later that he heard the door open and the quiet chattering of women. Footsteps padded in his direction and Sakura emerged into the pool room with a paper bag in hand, a small smile blossoming on her face as she spotted him. "Hey honey," she greeted, her eyes finding his pile of clothes, eyebrow arching teasingly, "You naked in there?"

"Maybe," he shrugged with a blush, completely giving the game away. "If you'll turn around I can get dressed…"

Maintaining solid eye contact, the girl with the flowering locks carefully and deliberately pushed his dry clothes into the pool with a deadpan, "Oops." She smirked, cocking a hip. "What ever will you do now?"

Giving her an ironically dry look, Izuku planted his hands on the side of the pool and heaved himself up in all his wet, naked glory. "That," he replied, looking down at the grease-stained bag in her hand, a delicious scent wafting up, "Is that for me?"

"Us," a red-faced Sakura shook herself and nodded towards the pool chairs, taking a seat as he did. "There's a little place nearby that was serving breakfast, it's got really good reviews. Here, try it." She held out a container of soft triangles a crispy golden brown and he took one, biting into the crunchy skin.

It was actually an onigiri with a soft-boiled egg inside, the outside fried to perfection, the steaming yolk spilling out and mixing with the spiced rice. Another was similar, but the inside was a soft-boiled egg wrapped in a thin layer of spicy sausage, with a cool cup of minty milk to wash it down. Sakura preferred one that was entirely sausage and another that was full of crunchy vegetables.

Full and content, they lay back on the chairs, Izuku drying in the sun. The scent of plum blossoms washed over him and he sighed pleasantly. He heard a pair of footfalls, the fluttering of cloth and felt a hand on his shoulder. "Can you make some room?" Sakura asked softly and he obligingly scooted over, her slim form fitting next him though the fit was tight and his shoulder was hanging off the side. She rolled onto her side and he did the same, finding the position much more comfortable.

Especially since she wasn't wearing any clothes.

His eyes cracked open and he found her staring at him, solid pink irises flickering with emotion, her hand cupping his cheek. "Sakura?" He asked, startled to see tears begin to pool in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

She stroked his face, lips trembling. "…I don't want it to end, Izuku," she whispered shakily, pressing them tightly together. He could feel her body tremble against his, withheld sobs wracking her frame. "W-we've been together…and it's been good. I never thought a first relationship could go this well…and it feels like a mistake to end it…"

She ducked her chin, sniffling, and he kissed her forehead, nose nuzzling the blossoms on her bangs. "I know," he mumbled hoarsely, wrapping her in his embrace. "But…"

"…But we have to," Sakura finished with a sigh. "You and Himi-chan are going to Yuuei…Suku's leaving for I-Island…it'll just be me and Ino by ourselves…" She snorted as he opened his mouth, "Don't give me any platitudes about calling or visiting on the weekends, honey…that's not any kind of replacement and you know it."

"Long-distance relationships can work…" He pointed out, though it was more him being Devil's Advocate than serious.

"…We deserve better than that," she replied softly, her hand rubbing his side. "Feeling those thorns of hope with every call, digging in deeper with every visit until it becomes a chore. Every time we talk it's just shooting the breeze, seeing each other a chore until it just…withers. No. I'd hate that, more than anything."

"…Yeah," he mumbled, stroking her back to comfort them both.

Silence fell between them, broken only by soft breathing. Then Sakura gave a full-bodied twitch, eyes widening in revelation. "Before the fruit rots on the branch, you must pluck it," she muttered, sounding like she was quoting someone.

"…What?" Izuku asked before her hands went from touching him to touching him. "Sakura?"

She tilted her chin up and kissed him firmly, her soft lips caging his as her hair rustled. Her body rubbed against his, and depressing subject matter notwithstanding, he'd been semi-hard the entire time. It was not difficult for her to coax him to full hardness, having a beautiful girl in his arms would do that. Her kiss was distracting, as was the blood rushing from his body, but he still didn't miss the feel of her vine-like, flower-covered hair creeping under his side.

She pulled back, eyes glittering with emotion and unshed tears. "…I want this," she whispered, his hardness rubbing against her belly, twitching under her stroking hand. "My mom always said you want your first time to be with someone special, someone you won't regret doing it with…"

As she spoke, her hair grew longer and longer, wrapping around them almost entirely. Her hands gripped his shoulder as she slid up, eyes locked on his. "Sakura," he started, but not able to find other words, he let her name hang.

Then she parted her legs, lined herself up and pulled him inside of her to the hilt in one go. He gasped as she winced and grimaced, a quiet whimper escaping her lips as she clutched herself to him. "…Ow," she mumbled, nuzzling his cheek for comfort while he rubbed her back, "Maybe I should've taken Ino up on her offer and borrowed a toy…"

"O-or maybe let it build-" He couldn't stop from flexing deep inside of her and she gasped in pleasure, fingers digging into his back "-up." He'd thought his experience the night before was the tightest a body could get. He'd just been proven wrong.

"No," she breathed, lips caressing his cheeks, "You don't nibble fruit, d-do you?" Her hips rolled and his hand slid down to grasp her rear, a duet of moans leaving them, "N-no, you…you just bite right down u-until the j-juice spills from your lips, the flesh…filling your mouth!"

Her hair wrapped around them entirely, vines woven so tightly together that no sunlight reached them inside, the only thing he could see being her shining eyes. A scent drifted into his nose; sweet, heady and thick, a fog descending on his mind. Then her lips touched his and electricity raced from the point of contact, all the way down to his toes and back up. He wondered if she knew what she was doing with her Quirk; then she clenched around him and writhed, and his mind blanked.

He wasn't sure how long they lay together in the foggy dark of her flower cocoon, her moans and gasps swallowed by his mouth; his groans and pants muffled by her tongue. Pleasure and ecstasy rose and peaked with every movement; he wasn't sure when he'd reached his limit and spilled inside of her, nor when she'd orgasmed and drenched their connected sexes, only that it hadn't seemed to matter as they simply kept going.

If that was what drowning was like, then he'd never swim again.

Izuku's eyes shot open and he gasped awake, squinting in the afternoon sun. Sakura lay next to him still asleep with a small, contented smile on her lips, now-loose hair draped over them like a blanket. He took a moment to wonder how she'd handle her hair now it was about seven or eight feet long, but besides seeing her make it grow, her hair was usually the length it was when they'd first met. Carefully sliding away from her, he cleaned her the best he could then went to handle himself.

With his only clean clothes now a wet pile at the bottom of the pool and everything else dirty, Izuku just let himself be naked as he walked through the suite. Himiko and Ino sat together in the hot springs, their heads together, possibly whispering to each other or making out, at his angle he couldn't quite tell. Leaving them alone for the time being, he crept by them into the bedroom where a bedraggled Sukuro sat on the edge, rubbing her eyes. Her eyes lit up, followed by her cheeks as she saw his nudity.

"…Hey Zuku," she greeted him shyly, pulling the blanket up to her chest.

"Suku-chan," he replied, sitting by her and lifting his arm. She snuggled against his side with a happy smile, breathing a sigh. "Feels a bit different, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, rubbing an eye, "I didn't know those places could get sore…"

"Not what I meant, exactly," he chuckled, stroking her back. "For me, the world kinda…feels different. Not bad or good, just…different."

Sukuro hummed agreeably and leaned away, stretching with a groan and making to get up, only to stumble and fall back onto the bed. "Um, Izuku?" She asked, blushing, "Can you…carry me?"

"Of course," Izuku picked her up, bridal style, carried her to the bathroom, setting her down on the toilet and covering up the noise of her business by turning on the shower. Finding the water to be just right, he helped her under the hot spray and began to clean both of them.

Hands wandered, yes, but after the night they'd had, there was only so much of a good thing one could take.

Now clean, Sukuro joined Izuku in the naked club and he carried her from the room. The hot springs were now empty as they passed, and Sukuro's portion of brunch was sitting on the coffee table. Setting her down and leaving the remote with her, Izuku headed for the sauna. A bit of thinking time and plenty of heat seemed like just the thing.

Grabbing a towel and setting it on the bench, he added a generous scoop of water and sighed as steam began to fill the air. Leaning back, he breathed deep of the heated air and let it flow through him, relaxing against the bench behind him.

"Ahem." He cracked his eyelids and found Ino standing before him with her arms crossed, just as bare of clothing as he. She cocked an eyebrow at him and planted a hand on her hip. "Why'd I have to come find you, huh?"

He shrugged. "You and Himiko looked busy, I didn't want to bother you."

The blonde shook her head, loose hair scattering over her shoulders. "That's dumb," she said bluntly, "Suku-chan went first then it was up to us to decide who was next, except that Sakura found you first. I can't tell you how many I rubbed out last night, listening to Suku-chan wail like she was dying from pleasure. My turn, baby." She stood up on the second bench and planted her feet on either side of Izuku's head, then knelt down. "That being said, I want a little more."

Shrugging again, he brought his hands up to grasp her thighs as his lips found hers, tongue delving within and already seeking out the spots he knew would make her squirm. Her fingers carded through his hair, scratching his scalp as she moaned encouragement and ground against his mouth, his hands squeezing and massaging her thighs and rear.

His eyes had closed in concentration, but he had to open them at the feeling of drops impacting his forehead. He opened them to find her peering down at him, tears welling in her blue eyes and streaming down her cheeks. "…I'm gonna miss this," she said hoarsely, stroking his hair. He arched an eyebrow at her and moved his lips to the apex of her sex, lightly sucking and making her buck and gasp. "S-see what I mean?" She panted, chest heaving. "I've had boyfriends before…you know how hard it is to get them to go down?"

He arched his other eyebrow, as if to silently state how ridiculous he found that.

"I know, right?" She sighed, eyes closing as his tongue wriggled deep inside of her. "But with you…hell, I only had to suggest I'd like it for you to try, and you've gotten-oh! Good!" She shuddered and planted her hands on the wall, shivering as her juices spilled forth into his mouth. Clenching her jaw to focus, she shakily raised herself up and slid herself down his body, grinding her core against his chest as she went. With little preamble, she guided him inside her welcoming hole and sunk down. "Perfect fit," she mumbled, trembling and clenching around his length.

"Ino," he said, cupping her cheek. She leaned into his palm and smiled gently. Her tears had never stopped flowing.

"It's been so easy with you, Izuku," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him, the salt of her sweat transferring to his lips, "We just get each other…we run, we eat, we fool around and it's just…easy. I know people say nothing worth getting is easy to get, but fuck, they gotta be wrong about this." She rocked and spasmed, her pebbled nipples scraping against his chest. "I just…I feel like I'm making a mistake, letting this go. I mean, I never thought I'd be happy watching my boyfriend kiss my best friends…but I do, all I feel is glad that they get to feel how happy you make me."

"Ino…" He groaned, her gentle rocking and clenching, driving him further.

"Kinda pathetic, I know, crying in the middle of sex," she joked, wiping her eyes and smiling as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him firmly, tongue seeking and finding entrance to gently wrestle with his. "I'm gonna miss you, Izuku."

His reply, if he could speak it, was swallowed by her lips, buried in the clap of flesh. Her walls fluttered and clenched around him as she drove herself down on him, body juddering as she came again. He pressed her down and thrust up into her, desperately seeking the last few steps that would take him over the edge. And then he found them.

She sighed in pleasure as the heat outside was matched by the heat filling her up, leaving her feeling deliciously full and sated. Ino relaxed against him, arms clasped around each other as they panted. "Can we lay down?" She asked and Izuku nodded, moving the towel over the bench so they could lie down on their sides, the blonde wriggling around so that he was spooning her from behind. "Gonna miss this, too," she voiced, sighing as his hand stroked her muscular stomach.

"I'll miss you too, Ino," he murmured, kissing her cheek and hugging her to him.

In only a few moments she felt him swell against her backside, a toothy grin curling her lips. "We aren't parting ways yet," she said, lifting a leg and reaching down to guide him back inside. She bit her lip to muffle a moan as the new position scraped new spots, the harsh breath on the back of her neck signalling that he enjoyed this new experience as well.

They stayed in the sauna for quite a while.

…

That weekend would be remembered for many things, chief among them the various firsts and the casual nudity that followed. In the following day, it wasn't unsurprising to find them sitting around naked in the pool, by the pool, in the hot tub, in the sauna, in the hot springs or in the entertainment room. It was equally unsurprising to see a girl grab Izuku by the hand and pull him into another room for some private time, though usually once at a time.

The only real interaction between the girls he'd been party to was once when Ino had sandwiched Sukuro between them, fingers tugging at the mint-haired girl's nipples as she whispered dirty things in her ears, while Izuku speared her from below and made her squeal sweetly.

Ironically enough, the water feature in the suite that got the most visitation was the shower.

Himiko had pulled him aside for her own time, but had not gone as far as the other girls. When asked, she simply smiled sadly and replied, "I've got time."

And then the truth of her statement was revealed, and the day of Sukuro's departure had arrived. Giriko and her boyfriend drove them to the airport, onto a private section where a high tech jet sat on the tarmac. Sukuro's parents had already said their goodbyes and sent the majority of her luggage ahead and thus weren't there; only Doctor Okuto stood at the bottom of the ramp in her lab coat, red dreadlocks bound into a ponytail. She waved as they pulled up, her eyes flickering between the group of friends as Izuku carried the fox-eared girl's backpack. "Nice to see you again, Izuku," she greeted with a nod of her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You kinda hate me a bit right now, don't you?"

Izuku smiled sardonically and held his fingers up just slightly apart. "Just a little," he replied, before shaking her hand, "Nice to see you too, Dr. Okuto."

"Here, let me take that," she took Sukuro's bag and turned to the girl herself with a kind look. "Take all the time you need. We'll be off when you're ready."

Sukuro nodded from her position deep in Sakura's arms, then buried herself in the flower-haired girl's embrace as Ino wrapped her arms around the both of them. Izuku and Himiko stood back, feeling like intruders; they'd known the trio for nearly two years, but the three of them had been friends since childhood.

They eventually parted, tears flowing freely, and then she found Himiko and they held each other. Izuku felt dread build inside of him, along with the rampant hope that something might just fucking explode before Sukuro came to him, just give him the chance to run away, but no such luck.

Soon enough, Sukuro was standing before him, peering up at him with wet orange eyes and he was struck by the fact that, even after near twenty minutes of constant crying with her face puffy and cheeks marked with tear tracks, she was still adorable. "H-hey, Zuku," she started, sniffling and grabbing his hand. She led him a few steps away from the others for privacy, then threw her arms around him and squeezed him so tight it seemed like she was trying to physically mesh them together.

He hugged her back, burying his face in her mint-green hair, soft fox ears flicking against his cheeks. He pulled back, breathing heavily as his hand searched through his pocket. "I-I made something for you," he announced shakily, hurriedly wiping his eyes and withdrawing a small case. He cracked it open and showed her the contents, her eyes widening as she beheld the object within.

It was a necklace, a simple silver chain bearing a pendant that almost perfectly mirrored his own. The outside was a mix of various orange gem dusts, including topaz, citrine and a few others all blended together and solidified into crystal clarity. And, deep at the heart of the pendant, was a small teardrop-shaped rock, a nearly glowing blend of jade and emerald.

Sukuro gasped. "Izuku…" She whispered, glancing at the pendant hanging from his neck, her eyes filling with tears once again. Wordlessly, she turned around and gathered her hair away from her neck, allowing him to slip the chain around and secure it with trembling fingers.

"This way…you'll always remember me," he murmured, the pads of his fingers stroking the delicate skin of her neck. She shuddered and spun around, leaping up and hooking her arms around his neck, smashing their lips together. He held her tightly, trying to pour every ounce of love and affection, and all the love and affection they could've shared, into one kiss.

She broke away with a gasp, fingers tangled in his hair. "I could never forget you, Izuku," she whispered fiercely, "I l- I…I-I l…" Sukuro couldn't find the words she wanted so desperately to say, knowing that putting voice to desire would only make parting harder than it already was. She bowed her head, resting her forehead on his sternum, and let herself cry a bit longer; cry for the things she felt, the things they'd done, what they'd shared, and what they'd never do again.

"I know, Sukuro," he mumbled, nuzzling her hair, "I know."

He set her down and together, they stepped back around to the ramp.

Sukuro traded hugs with everyone once more, then slowly walked up the steps and into the plane, turning around one more time to wave sadly. Then she vanished inside, and the engines began to spin up as the door closed.

They stepped back, away from the plane, and Sakura burst into loud, gut-wrenching sobs. Ino pulled her into her arms, shooting a helpless look at Himiko and Izuku. "We should go, she's not gonna stop anytime soon…" She gulped audibly, licking her lips. "Are you guys…do you need a ride?"

They traded looks and came to a decision. "We're gonna take the subway back home, Ino," Himiko announced with a smile more like a grimace. "It might be better to just…cut it off here, you know?"

"…Yeah," she bit her lip and nodded, the flower-haired girl clutching to her even tighter.

They hugged, but no kisses. Izuku stroked Sakura's hair one last time and took in her scent, then let her go and took Ino into his embrace, his back nearly cracking under the force of her hug.

Then, after taking their bags, Ino guided Sakura into the car and gave them one last, lingering look, then slipped inside.

The black car pulled away from the tarmac and left the airport entirely, taking the two out of their lives.

Feeling more than a little diminished and heartbroken, Izuku pulled Himiko into a hug and the two held each other, taking comfort in the other's presence. Their little group had been halved…but they still had each other.

…

In the plane, Sukuro watched as her best friends left Izuku and Himiko on the tarmac, and her heart broke just a little more knowing that even with her gone, Sakura and Ino would only have each other.

Okuto watched Sukuro watching them, a small, knowing smile on her face. "You know," she said, making the mint-haired girl jump, "If there's something you need to say, now is the time to say it. Who knows when you'll see them again?"

Sukuro bit her lip, hand pressed against the window longingly. "…What if it makes things harder?" She asked softly.

Okuto bobbed her head in acknowledgement. "What if it's worth the hardship?" She shot back.

Sukuro stared at her, mouth falling open as the question pierced her deeper than any knife. Then in a flurry of limbs she jumped out her chair and rushed up to the cockpit, rapidly knocking on the door. It swung open to reveal a man in a pilot outfit with what looked like Aviators as goggles. "Please, Mister Pilot Sir, can you open the door and wait a bit?" She pleaded, clasping her hands together.

He surrendered immediately.

Sukuro stepped out onto the ramp and cupped her hands around her mouth. "IZUKU!" She shouted over the engines, "IZUKU!"

He didn't turn around, he and Himiko were still slowly walking away.

She raced down the stairs, tripping and turning a fall into a tumble that landed her on her feet, then shot off as fast as her legs could carry her. "Izuku!" She cried again, and this time he turned to her, eyes going wide.

"Sukuro? What are-"

She crossed the last few feet in a leap, crashing against him as her arms wrapped around his neck, with him leaning back to avoid bouncing their skulls together. Then she kissed him, roughly, teeth digging into his lip before she pulled back with a pop. "Izuku," she said breathlessly, "I love you. I love you, Izuku!"

"Suku…"

"I don't want it to end like this!" She shouted, throwing her hands up before kissing him again, "I won't let it end like this! I love you, and I don't want to give it up! So please, forgive me for being selfish, but…I don't wanna let go!" She grasped his cheeks, smushing his face. "I'll call you every week, and video chat and-and whatever, but…you're in my heart forever, Izuku. Please say it's the same for you?"

Izuku swallowed, glancing at Himiko, who shrugged helplessly. "It is," he nodded, holding her tightly, "But…"

"Just keep room for me in your heart, okay?" She asked, gently shaking his head. "I'll visit or-or you'll visit and then when we're graduated or whatever we need to do, we'll be together for real, okay?" She leaned her forehead against his, orange eyes peering deep into his green. "Okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Okay, Sukuro…okay," he pecked her lips, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I love you, too."

"What, no love for me?" Himiko asked with an outrageous pout, though they could tell she was happy by the blinding smile she tried to hide.

Sukuro rolled her eyes and reached out, slapping the blonde blood-drinker on the ass. "Of course I love you, too!" She shouted as Himiko jumped and squealed in surprise. "Not that way, but you know I do!"

"Yeah, I do," the blonde replied, quickly reaching up on her tip-toes to kiss Sukuro's cheek.

"I gotta go," the fox-eared girl said, slipping out of Izuku's arms after one more kiss. "I'll call you okay?" She waved and ran back towards the jet, then stopped and turned around. "Himiko! Do that thing we talked about, okay!?"

"I will!" Himiko shouted back, waving with her free hand, the other around Izuku's waist.

"I love you both!" Sukuro called once more, then darted up the steps and into the plane. This time, there was no sudden stop, nor did the door open again. It lifted off vertically, rising high into the air as they waved goodbye, before the engines pitched higher and it took off into the sky.

They were still standing there a minute later, watching the plane recede into the distance and become a dot.

"…What the fuck just happened," Izuku mumbled, scratching his cheek.

"Well it seemed to me you just got a long-distance girlfriend," Himiko replied, leaning into his side as they walked off the tarmac together, their bags slung over his shoulder.

He nodded and sighed, though he was still smiling. "Yeah…this is gonna be difficult."

"Yup," she agreed, "But we'll make it work."

"Yeah…" They entered the subway and had just sat down on the train when he remembered something. "What'd she mean by 'that thing we talked about'?"

Himiko smiled a mischievous, toothy smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Well I am now."

…

Everything must die, so that something else may live. Though the fire rages, it will eventually flicker and die.

And scorched seeds long buried will bloom anew and bring new life.

…

…

…

…

A/N: Well…that was a thing. A thing that was a long time coming. And, once again, my playlist hits me with a completely fitting yet inappropriate song:

Baby - Royal Republic

Sometimes it's a little scary.

Alright, well, I know it's been a long time, and not just for this story, but here's my excuse:

Long story short, depression.

Long story long, moving, searching for a job, setting up a new house, still searching for a job, depression, family issues, still searching for a job and so on and so forth.

Really, it hasn't been an easy time. Money issues aside, I've just not been having a good time of it. It didn't help that I'd started this chapter off pretty boring and got stuck; only a few weeks ago did I decide to rewrite it and reincorporate what I'd done before, being the most of the scenes in the restaurant. And I know that it is, once again, a long-ass boi, more focused on character interactions than action, except for the action that was most of the rest of it.

But take heart! We are now past the beginning, the prologue if you will, and here comes Yuuei! Only took nearly two-hundred thousand words to get there (jesus fucking christ) but we're there!

Yay! Thanks for being part of this ride.

Also, after this, I'm gonna make the word count a little lower and try to keep the following chapters, unless they're important, around or under 10k words. There's waiting, and then there's waiting.

Big thanks to NSG, the weeb among us, for his help, prodding and all that good stuff! He's actually been updating more frequently than I have, so check his stuff out, yeah?

Thanks for stopping by to read my story, whoever you are. If you liked it, let me know, why don't you? And if you want to see more of this story and other stories like it, then check out my profile. It's gonna take some time to import my other stories.

Stay Awesome.

~Soleneus

P.S.: Seriously fuck the job market. Need a bunch of people? Need qualified people? Hah! Nooo, we'll just ignore it all and hope the government bails us out.

Cunts.

Stay Awesome Some More.

~still Soleneus