-Ibarra-

-The Mighty Women of U.A. Chat-

Ibarra: I wanted to tell everyone simultaneously that I had a wonderful time tonight on my thank-you dinner outing and that he has asked me out on an official date. I have said yes. I want help when the time comes to look my best; I feel a connection with him.

Setsuna: OH FUCK YEA!

Reiko: I am so happy for you.

Momo: A new outfit is necessary; you must know where he takes you.

Ochaco: I wish I could find a guy like that! But congratulations, Ibi.

Toru: Is this the coffee shop guy?

Mina: That's awesome, Ibarra. I am rooting for you.

Tsu: That is super. Let me know how it goes. I am about to ship out. I miss you guys!

Itsuka: OK, I want details tomorrow!

Yui: ?

Pony: About fucking time!

Kyoka: Awesome, you can come to a concert!

Kinoko: Shroomtastic!


-The Next Morning-

Ibarra was finishing her protein shake when she received a call from the lobby; it was Itsuka, who had come to join her friend on her morning run. When Itsuka arrived at the door, she had a huge bouquet of white Lilies and Orchids.

"Flowers?" Ibarra questioned.

"Not from me. Your lobby guy told me they arrived this morning addressed for you," Itsuka said with a cheeky smile. "There is a card."

Ibarra smiled and took the flowers, inhaling their fragrance; she hoped she knew whom the card was from, and when she opened it, her eyes lit up in delight as her hopes proved true. Itsuka smiled at her blushing friend, pulled out a vase, and filled it with water.

Ibarra,

I hope you think this is silly of me, but I was driving home and saw an all-night florist who couldn't help me. I had such a wonderful time last night, and I wish we could have met under different circumstances, but I am glad we did meet. I was wondering if Thursday would be too soon for our date. Message me when you get the flowers.

Izuku

Ibarra swooned, and her heart was pounding so hard it wanted to escape her chest. Is it wrong that now she wished she could or had kissed him last night? She turned to see her smirking friend, which made her blush even more as she placed the flowers in water, added some vitamins, took a quick picture, and sent it to Izuku.

Ibarra: It couldn't be more perfect. Thursday would be perfect; I would like to know how to dress.

She never knew seeing the three little dots could fill her with joy.

Izuku: Something nice; we will be outdoors but not exposed. I hope you will come by the café before Thursday.

Itsuka leaned on the counter, smirking, "So how was your date?" she said in a sing-song voice. Ibarra blushed.

"Great, come on, I will tell you about it on our run, and maybe we can get something to drink after," Ibarra responded.

"Oh, do you know a place?" Itsuka said, deciding to play along.

"You know I do," Ibarra smiled.


-Katsuki Bakugo-

He groaned as he sat up in bed; he stretched his body, protesting the movement. He felt more alive after his shower and first cup of coffee. He looked and saw a few messages on his phone; when he saw one particular number, he grumbled.

Unknown: I thought you should know your "friend" has been involved in two villain attacks in about as many days.

K.B: CAN YOU NOT HANDLE THIS?

Unknown: I tried to talk to him, but he brushed me off. I was letting you know.

K.B: IS THERE A COMMON ELEMENT?

Unknown: Vine.

The number 6 hero in the country growled as he downed his coffee and went to get dressed.


-Izuku-

He was all smiles as he entered the house after his morning workout; his mother noticed his happy demeanor as she put his breakfast on the table. "Did you have a good time last night?"

"Well, there was no villain attack, so that was different," he said as he sat down to eat. "I had a perfect time, Mom; it was great. I asked her out on a real date!"

Inko raised an eyebrow, "Well, that's interesting; I take it you are interested in her?"

"I can't explain it, Mom; it is just something about her. Maybe it's having been alone for years, but we seem to connect." Izuku paused. "Am I overreacting?"

"No, honey, you are just very passionate and tend to fall for someone hard," Inko smiled as she passed him a protein drink. "Much like your mother. Just be careful, son."

"I will, Mom," he finished his food. "I just hope that I am not wrong about this." He got up and kissed her cheek as he left to take a quick shower.

"Me too, baby, me too." She whispered.


-Izuku and Bakugo-

The morning rush was done when Katsuki Bakugo or King Explosion entered the coffee shop. Izuku stopped and looked at the calendar, wondering if he had lost track of the days. Katsuki said nothing and just walked into the manager's office. Izuku turned, told the staff to prepare for lunch, and headed to his office.

"What is up, Kaachan? A little early for your coffee delivery?" Izuku said as he walked in.

"What is this bullshit I am hearing about you being involved with some villain attacks!" he growled as he removed his cap and shook out his hair. "And what does Vine have to do with all this."

"Well, good morning to you, too," Izuku said, taking a seat. "Some villain jumped her on the way back to her agency. They knocked her through the front of the shop; they were about to do some bad stuff, so I jumped in and hit them with a fire extinguisher."

"FOR FUCKS SAKE DEKU!" Bakugo threw his hand up in exasperation. "And the second time?"

"She offered to take me to dinner to say thank you, and some attacked us on the way to the restaurant," Izuku shrugged. "She handled most of that; I was more of a decoy."

"Goddamn it, Deku, I thought we were passed all this shit." Katsuki made a hand motion for a drink. Izuku opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of whisky and two glasses. Izuku poured them each two fingers and held out a glass for Katsuki.

"For Masaru!" they said as they slammed the drink back.

"Well, that was that then?" Katsuki asked.

"Well, nothing happened when we went to dinner, and I may have asked her out on a date," Izuku winced as Bakugo laughed.

"FUCKING REALLY!" Bakugo said, catching his breath. "Miss Holy? Dude, if you wanted to go on a date with where you had a fucking shot, I could have set you up almost anyone from my class!"

"Look, man, something just clicked, and I want to see if it is real," Izuku replied as Bakugo held up his glass for a refill. Izuku poured them another drink.

"FOR ALL THE POOR BASTARDS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT!" they said, slamming back their drinks.

"Well fucking call me next time stupid shit goes down," Katsuki said, getting to his feet. "Do you or the family need anything, money or some shit?"

"No, we are good; business is doing great, and your monthly order is just fine," Izuku said, taking the glasses and putting them away with the bottle.

"Thanks again for saving my life that night," Bakugo said, taking Izuku's hand. "I fucked up your life, and you still fucking saved mine."

"You know what, Kaachan, if you hadn't done what you did, I would have never been in the position to save Eri," Izuku replied. "We have been good for years now. Tell you, Mom, I said hi."

"Be safe, Deku, and FUCKING CALL ME IF SHIT GOES DOWN AGAIN!" he yelled as he put back on his hat and exited the café.


-Ibarra and Itsuka-

After a quick shower and changing clothes, they made their way toward Higher Grounds; Itsuka was so happy for her friend. Ibarra seemed on the verge of a real romance; she hoped everything worked out. As they entered, Itsuka noticed how wonderful the shop smelled and a familiar posterior sticking out of a broken display case. Itsuka snuck over to the confusion of the staff and Izuku, who had just walked out of the kitchen.

Itsuka reached down and gave Mei a massive pinch on the ass that made the mechanic girl squeal and scramble out of the case, ready to swing a wrench till she saw who it was. "For fucks sake Itsuka," Mei said, laughing. "I thought somebody was about to get a beating."

"What the hell are you doing here, Mei?" Itsuka said with a smile.

"Suspended again," was all Mei said with a shrug. "I have known this idiot for a long time," she added, pointing at Izuku. "So when my father told me his shop got messed up, I volunteered to fix it."

"Battle Fist?" Izuku questioned.

"The one and only," Itsuka said, "How did you know?"

"Orange hair, teal eyes, you know Mei, and you walked in with Ibarra." He said as he walked around the counter to shake her hand.

"Aren't you as sharp as a tak?" Itsuka said, shaking his hand. "Thank you for saving my friend. Is there anything I could do for you?"

"A signed photo to hang on the wall would be nice," he rubbed his head sheepishly. He turned and looked at Ibarra; he walked over. "It is nice to see you."

"I am glad to see you again as well," she responded, her head tilted down some, looking up at him through her eyelashes, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Mei and Itsuka smiled as they saw him blush, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. "Tell me he is a good guy, Mei; please let him be a good guy!" Itsuka whispered.

"He is fucking a great guy," Mei responded. "If he were a girl, I would snatch him up myself. But for him, I would try and like guys."

Itsuka looked at Mei, slightly shocked. "He always treated me great, even when I knew him back in school, never tried any funny business, made sure I ate, he even took me to our senior dance. It is the closest thing to romantic love I have."

"I have never heard you talk that way about anybody," Itskua said, shocked.

"That's because there is only one of him," Mei smiled as she returned to work. "If he had a quirk, he would have been one of the greatest heroes of all time." Mei paused. "Hey, Itsuka. Do you want to go out some night?"

Itsuka smiled, "I hope you are asking me out on a date?"

"I am," Mei said. "I have always liked you; you have always been good to me."

"I would like that, Mei."

Izuku finally found his voice, "Are you hungry? We just finished roasting off some turkey; I can make you a club with fresh potato salad?"

"That sounds delightful," Ibarra said. "Izuku?" He had been about to turn and walk away when she said his name. He turned, and she daringly kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the flowers." They both turned red as he fled back into the kitchen.

"MEI, GET CLEANED UP; IT IS TIME FOR LUNCH!" he yelled.

"Sure thing, Casanova!" she yelled back.

Itsuka walked over to her blushing friend. "You are really into him?"

"I am," Ibarra replied. "I never felt like this before; when I saw those flowers and read his card, I wanted to kiss him." Ibarra leaned in. "Not on the cheek either," she whispered. "I just hope I am not rushing in."

"Just do what feels right and what you are comfortable with," Itsuka quickly hugged her. "I hope this does work out. Where did he go?"

"Lunch, Club Sandwich, and Potato Salad," Ibarra said.

"I love club sandwiches!" Itsuka said, her mouth-watering.

"Fresh roasted Turkey as well," Ibarra smiled, taking a seat.

A short time later, Mei sat with them; the girls were talking when Izuku came over with lunch. He served everyone and took a seat purposely left open for him next to Ibarra. Itsuka noticed how he hesitated on eating till they had all taken a bite, but while it seemed he was being polite, which he was, he was looking for their reactions. In particular, he was looking for Ibarra's response; when her face lit up in joy and satisfaction, Itsuka could see him suppress his smile. He was trying to impress her. Itsuka liked that; she noticed that he was also very attentive to her. If Ibarra was bringing her by, he knew that Itsuka's opinion mattered.

"So when is the next/first date?" Itsuka asked even though she knew the answer. His reaction of a faint blush told her what she needed.

"Um, Thursday," he said, taking a drink of his soda to give him time to think of any answers needed.

"Where are you taking her?" Itsuka pressed.

"Don't answer her, Izuku," Ibarra said, jumping to his defense. "I want to be surprised."

He only sat with them briefly, talking to all of them before he excused himself as he had to prepare for the lunch crowd. Mei excused herself shortly after promising to call Itsuka that night. Ibarra raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Hey, if you can have a date, so can I!" Itsuka responded. "That was an amazing sandwich. He is so into you!"

Ibarra smiled at the statement, "Is he? Are you sure? I hope he is; I hope I am not jumping the gun or that I don't freak him out."

"Listen, Ibi, he saved you from a villainous attack, and when you two tried to go to dinner, there was another. If that didn't care him off…" Itsuka patted her friend's hand. "When do you go back to work?"

"Friday, Lit Duty." As they got up to leave, Ibarra said, "Hopefully, they clear me the following week." She was pleased when he looked up and waved goodbye as they went.


-First Date-

Izuku arrived on time, and though he couldn't come to her door, he was allowed to wait in the lobby. When the elevator doors opened and Ibarra stepped out, he was speechless; he was thankful that he found his voice by the time she reached him.

She wore a black dress that billowed above her knees; it hung to her upper body, giving off a very alluring tone. It was a high collar with black lace; the material was see-through on her arms and above her chest. An intricate lacing pattern hid the bust line but left just enough exposed to hint at what was beneath; her black sandals, purse, and gold crucifix completed her look. He noticed that she was wearing simple but beautiful earrings as well. Her hair had grown and was now down to her shoulders, held back by a silk ribbon with a small red flower pin. The paleness of her skin just seemed to enhance all the parts that were exposed against the black.

She was so happy to see his initial look when the elevator doors opened; the small army upstairs had reassured her that she would be knocked for a loop. She was nervous; the dress was shorter than she would have chosen but longer than Setsuna had first wanted. The compromise with the entire arm covering was provided by Reiko, who was rather skilled at suggestive clothing.

She noticed he was dressed in a fine black suit, with a dark green shirt and accents that matched his hair. What made her smile was that his tie pin was a small red flower, just like her hairpin. The roses in his hand just checked another box off her list of things she had hoped for. She took the flowers and used them to hide her smile; she walked over to the desk agent, handed him the flowers, and told him something that made them both laugh.

"Itsuka is upstairs. I just told him to have her come get those and put them in water," she smiled at him; she could tell he seemed apprehensive about bringing her roses. "I love the flowers; it just brings me joy. Now, shall we be off?

They arrived at the Arboretum, much to her surprise; she, of course, knew of the place she liked to come here often. Her curiosity was further piqued when she saw other vehicles and people with similar dress standards heading inside. She looked over and saw the illuminated sign reading "Evening Amongst the Flowers."

"I have come here often, but I am unfamiliar with this event?" she said, looking at him. He immediately got nervous, thinking he had made an error in their plans.

"It is a catered dinner, with some dancing, and we get to take an exclusive tour of their moon garden. Many bloom like the Casa Blanca Lily and the Angel's Trumpet tonight." His stress dropped considerably when her smile bloomed like one of those flowers.

"That sounds lovely," his smile warmed her as he exited the car and came around to open her door and help her out.

"All the tables are spaced apart and semi-private so we can have a nice dinner." He offered her his arm, which she took; it just checked another box. "If you are up to it after dinner, I reserved some tickets for Observatory."

"So dinner amongst night-blooming flowers and evening looking at the stars?" she could barely contain the butterflies when he rubbed the back of his head.

"Is it too much?" he winced a little. "Too corny?"

"No, Izuku, it is more than I could have dreamed of for tonight," her smile did things to him; the gentleness of her voice just made his head whirl.

Dinner was exactly as advertised. They sat at a semi-private table with a small 4 square dance floor next to them. Once seated and welcomed, she heard a live orchestra begin to play; it set this dream-like quality to the whole dinner: small lights laced amongst the trees, and the wait staff came and went, barely being noticed. The food was delicious. She recognized the soup as being from Bernard's, a restaurant Ibarra was fond of.

They talked about everything she wanted to know about his childhood. He described it as complex that he was a quirkless child in a world of quirks. Like all the others, he longed to be a hero, but it was hard to deal with the ridicule and bullying for his condition that others called it. He told her of suffering lows and struggling to find his place and then Eri.

He kept everything vague, not wanting to go into the details but of how Overhaul had taken him and how he struggled every day to try and find a way out of that terrible place. But he knew that he had to bring Eri with him, that no one was there for her, that no one had been there to save her.

He took a deep breath when he told her he killed Overhaul; she could see there wasn't some bravado behind his statement. It wasn't a way to try and impress her. He had grappled with it and still does it to this day. After he and Eri came out of that place, he needed to take care of her; in his heart, he knew that this was something he was supposed to do with his life, and there was no way he could say no or run from it. He never dreamed of running a coffee shop, but as he moved through school, things just happened that way. He loves doing it; providing good food and even a friendly ear sometimes for people is the best part of his job.

When she asked about the engagement, he said it didn't work out; they started going different ways and wanted other things.

"What do you want?" she asked. It was the crux of the whole night, of if there would be anything further than this lovely dinner. He knew it, and so did she. She didn't want to waste her time, and he didn't want to either. He wasn't dumb; he could tell by how she dominated his thoughts that he had a massive crush on her. The way he caught himself, looking at her lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss her, that he wanted to be more than friends, but he wouldn't pursue that if what they wanted was just too different.

"I want to find someone who will love me, Eri, and my mom. I want someone who will set aside their day when I need it to help me get through mine. I want someone who will let me do the same for them, even if all I can do is lend an ear. I want to get married, to know that someone has chosen to spend the rest of their lives with me. I want children; I never got to do the baby phase." He smiled wistfully, "That was probably for the best given my circumstances."

He laughed softly. "I want someone who wants to be with me and looks forward to coming home to me. I want a partner, a lover, a wife. Ibarra, I want it all."

"I want someone who loves me for Ibarra, not Vine," she said, staring into his eyes. "I want someone to come home to help me shed the day's troubles. To love and cherish, to call my husband, to be my lover. I want children, family vacations, and the whole thing. I don't know your Mother or Eri, but I would love to get the chance to get to know them. From what I see, I am sure I will care for them if they are like you." She smiled, "If someone told me you were some supervillain with the quirk to tell me everything I wanted to hear, then they would be right. I am fascinated with you, Izuku. You have done and said the right things, and I want to know if these butterflies inside me are right. I want to find out if they are right."

His words were such honey to his ears; he couldn't explain it; this woman was so captivating. "Then will you dance with me?" he rose to his feet and offered her his hand. Ibarra could see it, the metaphor, the dance, the courtship. He was not just asking for a dance; he wanted to know if they could be what they both wanted: a partner.

"I would very much like that," she responded, taking his hand. They stepped onto the dance floor and began to sway and move; they twirled and swayed, and no words passed. They just looked at each other. As the dance slowed, he gazed at her longingly.

"This may not be the most romantic way to say this, but may I kiss you, Ibarra," he whispered.

Ibarra closed her eyes and tilted her head, "Please, Izuku, please kiss me," her response was whispered, prayer-like, breathy, almost seductive. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to her; he felt her respond. It was so warm; a rush started at their lips and spread throughout their bodies. Her arms found their way around his neck, his around her waist.

It wasn't an inferno, but this fire was light; the longer they kissed, the more it grew. Ibarra pulled away with a blissful smile on her face. She now understood what all the hoopla was about when the other girls would talk about a kiss. She felt it, and though there were two other kisses before this one, it was the one she had been waiting for. She silently prayed to her God, Please let this be my last first Kiss!

At the observatory, they sat in the dark on their journey through the cosmos, their fingers lightly brushing against each other, till she took his hand. Slowly, their fingers interlaced, the warmth spreading through them. The dive home was too short for her tastes; their hands only separated when he helped her into the car and when they pulled up to her condo. This time, the kiss was more, her first real kiss; when her lips hesitantly parted, he was surprised, but soon the heat was roaring as they stood there locked in each other's arms and a heated kiss.

She pulled apart, both of them breathing heavily. "Goodnight Izuku."

"Goodnight, Ibara."


-Ibarra-

She entered her condo before falling back against the door and squealing in delight. It was so good, perfect in so many ways. There was no question that what he wanted was also something she wanted. She knew they needed to get to know each other better and kiss more. Her hand went to her lips, which was her first real kiss. She was thankful she had waited.

She looked at the time, deciding not to message her friends due to the hour. She knew who she did have to message in the morning, and that was her mother.

As she walked into the agency, the air was different; everyone welcomed her with a smile, but she was told to wait outside Kami Woods's office. Once buzzed in, she saw him seated behind his desk and Mt. Lady standing at his side.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. Mt. Lady smiled.

"For the most part, did you have an enjoyable date last night?" Yu smirked.

"How did you…" her voice trailed when Yu turned the monitor around to see a picture of her and Izuku outside her building kissing.

HAS THE VIRGIN HERO FINALLY BEEN PLUCKED FROM THE GARDEN? And who is this mystery man?

"That is going to go live in a few hours," Kami said. "We received a call from the Gazette just now asking for a statement; of course, we told them that we do not comment on our sidekick's personal life."

"I told them that as long as you were happy, then it didn't matter to me," Yu said with a wink.

"Oh my goodness, I need to call him!" Ibarra said, blushing.

"Before you do that, there is a meeting you need to take in your office," Kami leaned forward. "Take the meeting, then make your call."

"That important?" she said, letting her phone slip back into her purse. Kami nodded as Ibarra bowed and left the office.

"Kami, what if this messes things up?" Yu said.

"I hope it doesn't, Yu," he stood up and kissed her. "Now we need to get your maternity paperwork filed."

Yu's hand went to her belly, "That we do."

Ibarra walked towards her office and immediately noticed a member of the Hero Commission standing outside her office.

"Ms. Shiozaki, Special Investigator Ms. Hiro is waiting for you inside," he said, opening the door.

Ibarra entered her office and saw a very petite, young-looking girl/woman sitting in a chair with a tablet in front of her. She looked up and smiled politely as she got to her feet.

"Ms. Shiozaki, it is a pleasure to meet you," she extended her hand, giving Ibarra a courteous handshake. "I am Special Investigator Hina Hiro; if you sit, we can get right to things."

"Thank you, Ms. Hiro," Ibarra said, setting her bag down. "What is this about?"

"Well, this stems from the incident with Backdraft and Shear following the incident with Inferno." Ms. Hiro said as she pulled a file from her bag. "While such incidents so close together would have caused us to begin to look into the situation, the citizen's involvement in both incidents warranted my involvement."

"While his involvement was regrettable, I fail to see how…" Ibarra began to say.

"Then we have what will be on the gossip report in about an hour," Ms. Hiro said, turning and showing the tablet. "You see, Ms. Shiozaki, we are not sure if you or he was the target of these attacks. Are you aware of who Mr. Midoriya is exactly?"

"We are in the process of getting to know each other," Ibarra said somewhat defensively.

"Yes, I can see that from the photo." Ms. Hiro said with a hint of sarcasm.

"If you are referring to the Overhaul incident, then I am aware of some things but not all the details," Ibarra felt her eyebrow twitch. "He told me himself."

"Was that before or after?" Ms. Hiro clicked her tongue and pointed to the photo.

"Before…" Ibarra said, only to be cut off.

"You see, Ms. Shiozaki, we at the Hero Commission take such matters involving Mr. Midoriya and his daughter very seriously. His daughter has a ranked S+ healing quirk that is also ranked S+ Destructive, so we like to monitor these situations rather closely. In case some villains get it in their heads to target Mr. Midoriya or his daughter."

Ibarra didn't like how this woman was talking to her or how she would say "his daughter," it came out like a curse.

"Now we are investigating to see if you or he are the target of a coordinated attack or if this is just bad luck. I recommend keeping your distance from Mr. Midoriya and his family until we can establish that. With your "reputation," I know he must seem rather charming, but Ms. Shiozaki, did he tell you what happened to Overhaul."

"He told me that he was taken, that he knew he had to escape and free Eri, and that he had to kill Overhaul to escape," Ibarra said she wanted to defend Izuku from this woman, but she wasn't sure what she would be protecting him from. "I could tell that it bothered him, even now."

"You see, Mr. Midoriya shot Overhaul with a quirk-erasing bullet, then proceeded to bludgeon him to death with a steal pipe and a crowbar." The woman showed her photos of the mangled body that Ibarra assumed was Overhaul. "He then shot the corpse three times in the "head." When asked, he said, and I quote, 'That man did not deserve ever to draw another breath; I made sure that he wouldn't.'" Ms. Hiro sat back and closed the folder.

"Listen, Ms. Shiozaki, the heart wants what it wants, but you should be careful with whom you decide to suck face; for your safety and his, stay away. At least till we close our investigation, it gives you a perfectly valid and safe reason to create space. We should have this wrapped up in about 6-9 months." Ms. Hiro got to her feet. "You have a good day now."

Ibarra sat back in the chair, looked at her phone, and saw a missed message.

Izuku: I had a wonderful time last night. I cannot wait to see you again.