EmberSunblaze: I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! This chapter here marks the end of their first day in Okinawa. It feels...very long.
Chapter 27: The New Quirk
"I can't believe this is happening…" Uraraka couldn't help but think as she stood alone with Midoriya in the dark gardens, his strong hands gently holding her as he steadily leaned in. "Deku and I are about to…" Her fingers nervously tightened around the dark fabric of his shirt, her heart beating fast. "I know it's silly, especially after I already kissed him. But standing here with him, hearing his voice, feeling his touch…it's so different from before." She closed her eyes, tilting her head expectantly. "This time…I want his feelings to reach me."
For a second, she thought she felt the faintest touch of his lips brushing against hers. But it was so brief she thought she may have imagined it. Then to her horror, she felt his shirt slip through her fingers, his hands letting her go. "Why….did he stop?"
"AHHH!" Midoriya's panicked voice suddenly rang out.
Uraraka's eyes snapped open, gaping at a struggling Midoriya floating several feet above her. "D-D-Deku?!
"Whhaaa! Sorry Uraraka!" Deku apologized, his arms and legs fumbling around in the air. "This…just sorta….happened…"
"But how…" Uraraka wondered, totally confused. "Wait! DID I DO THAT!?" She asked, quickly glancing down at her hands as if they were the culprit.
"No…" Midoriya replied, peering down at his floating body. "I'm pretty sure…this is me."
There was something in his voice, something that made Uraraka pause. "I don't know why…but it almost feels like…he was expecting this?" She shook her head at the thought. "But that's impossible…"
"Do you…uh…know how to get down?" Uraraka called out, noticing he was starting to float higher and higher.
"I….don't even know how I'm floating up." Midoriya admitted, chuckling uneasily. He wiggled all four limbs in a futile attempt to lower himself back to the ground, without any success.
"Right…" Uraraka murmured, trying to think of something that could help the situation. "Oh! Maybe try using your Blackwhip to pull you down?"
"Good call!" He opened his palm, expecting a dark tendril to shoot out and grab onto the tree trunk. But to his surprise, only small static like tendrils came out, feebling waving around before disappearing back within his body. "They're not working…OUCH!?" Midoriya yelped, his head roughly knocking against a tree limb. He reached out to grab it, but his fingers just barely grazed past as his body continued its steady ascend.
"Uhhh, Uraraka?" He called out, panic once again reappearing in his voice as he started to rise above the tree and into the open air. "I think I may need some help here!"
"Eek! Hold on! I'm coming!" Uraraka quickly pressed her fingers against her body, kicking off into the air. She floated up to the branch Midoriya had hit, pushing off it to gain speed as she tried to catch up to him. She heard him cry out as he struggled to stay upright, his upper body tilting into sloppy little loop de loops. "Poor Deku! He's really having trouble." She flapped her arms, closing the distance between them.
"Uraraka!" He exclaimed, smiling in relief at her presence. He hung upside down, his hair gently swaying in the night breeze. She stifled a laugh, grabbing his hand and pulling him upright. "Sorry…this floating stuff is harder than it looks. I just can't keep myself balanced for some reason."
"It's probably because you're moving too much." Uraraka explained, gracefully pushing herself upwards. "Try to imagine that you're swimming through the air. Use your arms and legs to balance."
"Like swimming? Yeah that makes sense!" Midoriya moved his arms down, trying to imagine he was swimming upwards. To his delight, he felt his body responding, shooting up next to Uraraka. "Yes! I did it!"
Uraraka laughed, clapping her hands. "Look at you! Great job!" Midoriya beamed at her praise. "But…" She pointed downwards, teasingly adding. "Maybe we should try focusing on going down for now?"
Midoriya chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, getting down would be nice. Any tips?"
"Well, usually I just deactivate my quirk to get down." Uraraka replied. "So for your situation, I'm not exactly sure."
"If it's like swimming, maybe I can try to paddle down?" Testing it out, Midoriya waved his front hands paddle motion, almost like he was doing the doggie paddle. Uraraka covered her mouth, holding back amused giggles. He yelped as he once again tilted forwards into a clumsy somersault. "Ahhhh!"
"I got you!" Uraraka laughed. She grabbed his forearms, allowing his hands to come up to do the same with her. He took a moment to catch his breath, using her as an anchor to keep him steady. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah…I think so." Midoriya responded, eyes closed as he fought the dizziness. "You know…I can kind of see how you used to get sick from doing this."
"Just take deep breaths." Uraraka advised, her tone soft and understanding. "And hold on to me."
He nodded, blushing bashfully. He glanced down, feeling apprehensive as he realized how high they were getting. The large ryokan had become small enough to fit into his hand, barely visible on the dark mountain. And in the distance, he could make out the shiny dots of many lights that showed the city of Naha near the coast. "How long am I going to keep floating like this?"
"Sorry Uraraka." Midoriya apologized, "I feel like I keep dragging you into situations like this."
"Don't be." Uraraka replied, smiling brightly. "I was just thinking how this feels familiar. Remember back when you first released your Black Whip quirk?"
Midoriya's eyes widened. "That's right….she was there too. She…" He felt the memory resurfacing, of her ignoring her own safety and jumping to his aid. Her body clinging to his in an attempt to calm him. "That's right….nothings changed…" Midoriya realized, feeling a surge of warmth for the girl in front of him. "She's still here…helping me through everything."
"Yeah…I remember. We…were like this back then too, huh?" He softly responded.
She blushed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah…so don't worry about me. Besides…" She shyly moved away, gesturing towards the brilliant night sky, where billions of stars were sparkling like diamonds before them. "How else would we be able to get such a great view of this!?"
"Woah," Midoriya gaped, smiling at the sight. "You're right! This is amazing!" As he spoke, double shooting stars flew across the night sky, completely dazzling the two teens. "This is incredible!" He exclaimed, turning to Uraraka. "The floating, the scenery, EVERYTHING!"
"It is…" She agreed, also turning to face him. He could see her expression had changed from one of delight to a focused, questionable gaze as she asked. "...but Midoriya….how is all this possible?"
He felt his stomach drop, a feeling of anxiety taking hold as he pondered just how to respond. "I don't want to lie to her…but also made a promise to All Might to keep these quirks a secret. But then how am I supposed to explain this to her!? Argh! I don't know what to say!"
"Uraraka…I…." He felt his throat catch, her intense stare making it harder and harder to think of an explanation for suddenly being able to float into the air. "I…uh….well…..I–AHHHHHHHH!" It was like a switch getting flicked off as the float quirk suddenly left him, allowing gravity to instantly take hold.
"DEKU!" Uraraka screamed, pressing her fingers together and going straight into a free fall as she desperately tried to reach him.
"URARAKA!" Midoriya cried out, positioning his body to where he could try to reach a hand upwards.
"It's no use!" Uraraka frantically thought, the rush of wind whipping at her face. "I'll never reach him in time!" She cupped her hands to her mouth, yelling out. "DEKU! SHOOT YOUR BLACK WHIP AT ME!"
"WHAT?!" Midoriya answered, stricken at the suggestion despite the peril he was in. "NO! YOU'LL GET HURT—"
"JUST DO IT!"
Gritting his teeth, he reached out his hand, shooting out a thick strand of the tendrils straight up at Uraraka. He flinched as it wrapped around her waist. He watched as her palms came forwards, grabbing the strand connecting them. Immediately he felt her quirk take hold as his falling ceased, both of their bodies once again becoming weightless.
"Thank All Might, your quirk worked…" Uraraka said, giving a sigh of relief.
"Me too." Midoriya agreed, feeling absolutely drained. "I bet my body just couldn't manage both quirks at the same time. I'll have to work on that." It was then he realized that his whip was still wrapped around her middle, like a dark string of fate connecting them. "L-Let me get that!" He exclaimed, retracting it. "It didn't hurt you, did it?"
"I'm fine." She answered, lifting her shirt up to her belly to show no marks left behind from his whip. "See, all good!"
"I'm glad." Midoriya said, gazing softly at her. "Thanks for saving me….again."
Uraraka smiled. "That's… what I'm here for." She released her quirk just as Midoriya's feet touched the ground. She fell forward, her body still hovering slightly. She was surprised when Midoriya caught her, his strong hands finding her waist and carefully setting her down.
"Thanks…" She murmured, blushing shyly at the contact.
"No problem." Midoriya quietly replied, his cheeks reddening.
The two teens stood there, neither moving, as they silently wondered if they should continue where they had left off. Uraraka felt Midoriya's grip tightened around her. In response, she pressed closer to him, their gazes slowly coming up to meet as their lips moved towards each other….
A sudden, familiar feeling hit Uraraka like a lightning bolt, making her immediately push away from a perplexed Midoriya.
"U-Uraraka?! What's wrong?!" He quickly inquired, studying her in concern. He felt a tingle of deja-vu as he watched her face turn green, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh no, are you sick—?"
She didn't answer, merely dashing over to the nearest bush to vomit.
Ten minutes later, Midoriya found himself bare-chested and waiting for Uraraka in the shadows of the girl's communal bathhouse. After the poor girl's wave of nausea had passed, he had kindly guided her to the bathhouse so she could clean herself up, even offering his shirt since her's had gotten messy. Despite the drawbacks that had kept him from getting closer to Uraraka, the young teen was practically bouncing on his feet as he waited. A dreamy, dazed expression clung to him as he thought of tonight's events.
"This is so awesome! Uraraka isn't mad at me anymore AND I unlocked a new quirk! I don't think anything could make tonight any better!"
"I'm really sorry Deku!" He heard Uraraka's voice call out over the sound of running water. "I really thought I was over getting sick like that!" The sound of a faucet being turned off sounded and her voice became clearer. "I guess with everything that's happened today and then that free fall from the sky….it all just hit me at once." Her footsteps sounded, echoing in the tiled bathroom as she approached. "I'm sooo embarrassed!"
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about…" Midoriya kindly replied, shifting away from the wall to turn to her as she appeared. "Everyone gets sic—"
The hero froze, his green eyes widening at the sight of a ruffled and blushing Uraraka standing in his oversized black tee. As he watched, she pulled down at the edges that just barely covered her shorts, her lips puckered in an embarrassed pout. "Sorry again about having to use your shirt…I must look really silly."
"NO!" He exclaimed, his voice coming out louder than he meant to in his rush to answer. He covered his mouth, heat rising to his cheeks as he attempted to hide the goofy smile upon his face. "It looks…very…uhh…cute on you."
She reddened, bashfully glancing down. "Thanks…I promise I'll return it soon. And I'll make sure to clean it too!"
"PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL MIGHT DON'T CLEAN IT!" Midoriya's internal self cried out. Instead, he politely replied. "Thanks, but you really don't have to go through the trouble…."
She shook her head, cheerfully replying. "It's no trouble!" She then shuffled her feet nervously against the stone-paved path. "It's probably getting close to curfew time. We both better head back."
Though he knew she was right, he still felt a pang of regret that their night together was coming to an end. "I still…didn't get to show her how I felt." Despite his unresolved goal, he attempted to keep the disappointment out of his tone as he lightly replied. "Yeah, you're probably right!"
As if sensing his discontent, Uraraka quickly added. "We…we can still hang out tomorrow, right?"
Midoriya felt his heart leap at these words. "Yeah! Of course!"
Uraraka smiled, moving towards that path that led to the building housing the girls. "Well…good night!" She said, giving a shy wave.
"Night…" Midoriya replied, following suit as he watched her disappear in the old building. Once he felt she was completely gone, green sparks erupted from his legs as did jubilant jumps into the air, pumping his fists as he excitedly exclaimed. "Yes! Yes! Woohoo! Yes!" He did a few round kicks into the air, his body overflowing with hyped-up energy.
"Uraraka likes me…." The realization was just seeping into Midoriya, his mind still having a hard time wrapping around the idea. "I would have been fine with her just forgiving me for everything, but this…this is something else." Though he still felt unsure about what to do about the confession, he couldn't deny that the way she often made him feel. How happy her presence made him. How his heart would be faster at her touch. Or how at the beginning of the day, it was always her voice he always looked forward to hearing. Sometimes just being near her made him feel like he was floating….
"OH YEAH! MY QUIRK!" Midoriya paused his aerobics, panic issuing as he remembered the other important detail of the night. "I've got to tell All Might!"
"ARRGGG! GOD! FREAKING! DAMN IT!"
Todoroki looked up from untangling a wad of string from an old fishing pole. This had been one of many angry outbursts Bakugo had snarled out. For the last hour, his friend had been mysteriously crouched in the farthest corner of the room, fiddling with something. But what that thing was was still quite a mystery to him. Whatever it was…it was causing Bakugo quite a bit of pain and frustration.
"Though I guess that goes for everything." Todoroki silently mused, smiling to himself.
Bakugo glared over his shoulder, noticing Todoroki's curious stare. "What the hell are you looking at?!
"Nothing…is that gum you're chewing?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Can I have a piece?"
"GET YOUR OWN DAMN GUM!" Bakugo snapped, pointing an accusing finger at the fishing pole on Todoroki's lap. "And where the hell did those come from!?"
"Oh, the inn keeper had these lying around in their storage shed. She said it would be okay for us to borrow them for tomorrow." Todoroki calmly explained, holding it up. "They're a little worn, but I think they're still in decent shape."
It was then that the door to their room slammed open, an exuberant Midoriya charging in. "Hey guys!" He quickly called out to his wide-eyed companions, stumbling over the futons in his rush to get to his luggage. He opened it, quickly digging through the contents. Behind him, Todoroki and Bakugo shot baffled glances at each other.
"Uhhh…Midoriya…where's your shirt?" Todoroki asked.
"Oh! Hmmm? Not sure. Must have misplaced it somewhere…." Was Midoriya's distracted reply, not looking up from his bag.
"Misplaced…the shirt you were wearing?" Todoroki pressed, even he finding it a little odd.
"Yeah, weird huh?" He replied, pulling a white tee over his head and grabbing his phone off the table. "Okay, gotta go!"
"Where the hell are you going?!" Bakugo barked. "Curfew ends in like ten minutes, you moron!"
"No worries! I'll be back!" Midoriya quickly replied, already side stepping the futons. "Just…uh…going to make a quick call!"
"Well rinse off while you're at it!" Bakugo snapped. "You smell like damn vomit!"
"I know!" Midoriya cheerfully replied, grinning from ear to ear as he exited the room. "Isn't it great!?" He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving his roommates in a confused silence.
"Is it?" Todoroki questioned aloud.
Bakugo merely shook his head, at a loss for words.
Midoriya rushed back outside, quickly glancing around to make sure no teachers were around. Once he was sure he was alone, he activated his quirk, running to the stone wall that enclosed the ryokan and leaping to the top. He nimbly fell into a crouch on the opposite side, with nothing but woodland before him. He took out his phone, leaning against a tree as he quickly speed dialed All Might.
Unlike before, it took quite a few rings before his mentor finally picked up. When he answered, his voice was still groggy with sleep. "Urghhh…Hello? Midoriya, is that you?"
"I GOT A NEW QUIRK!" Midoriya's loud and exhilarated voice blasted through the speaker, immediately waking up the retired hero, who had to hold the phone at arm's length. "I finally unlocked the float quirk! The same as your old master!"
"That's wonderful news, my boy!" All Might replied, beaming on the other end of the phone.
"Tell me, how did it feel?"
"Almost like a balloon had inflated inside of me…" Midoriya explained. "Guiding me upwards. Though, the pull was so strong that I was having a really hard time stopping it. Did you're old master…did she ever mention any trick to using her quirk?"
"Hmmm…there's nothing in particular I can recall." All Might replied, thinking. "But overall, pro-heroes tend to not discuss the mechanics of their own quirks. The more that is revealed, the less of an advantage they have against their opponents."
"I guess that's true." Midoriya said, giving a disappointed sigh. "I just wish I could figure out the trick to it."
"How exactly did the quirk come about?" All Might inquired. "Perhaps knowing what triggered the quirk, can help us better understand its nature?"
Silence reigned on the other end of the receiver.
"Midoriya?"
"Ummm, maybe….maybe that's not really necessary?" His protege replied, sounding oddly hesitant.
All Might blinked, feeling a flash of confusion. "Perhaps not…but I do think it would be beneficial. At least for me to better understand the situation. It is imperative for you to master these quirks for the future of "All for One".
"Yeah..of course…that's important…" Midoriya reluctantly agreed, his face turning crimson as he continued. "Well….I…after I spoke to you…I went to find Uraraka to apologize."
"Oh! How did that go?" All Might eagerly asked.
Midoriya grinned, instantly brightening as he recalled what happened. "It went great! All Might, you'll never believe this! I was wrong! She didn't hate me! In fact, she …she confessed…that she had feelings for me." The teen gave an embarrassed chuckle, bashfully adding. "Can you believe it? I would have never thought in a million years a girl would like me like that."
Unknown to Midoriya, his mentor was keeled, overcome with his pupils' naive innocence. "Oh my dear Midoriya…" the old hero bemoaned, clutching his furiously thumping chest. "...do you have any idea what you're doing to this old man's heart!?" He took deep breaths, wiping his flushed face with a tissue as he replied. "I really don't think that it's too much of a surprise. You're a very special boy Midoriya."
"Thanks All Might." Midoriya said, smiling appreciatively at his mentor's praise.
"So what happened after that?"
The smile immediately vanished, making way for an awkward grimace. "Uhhh…well…I…after that….I…was really happy so…I…uhhh…"
"You….?" All Might pressed.
Midoriya gulped. "I…..tried to…k-k-k-kiss her…BUT THAT'S WHEN THE QUIRK HAPPENED! So…the kiss… never really happened…" He quietly finished, sounding emotionally drained. There was silence on the other end of the receiver. "...All Might?"
"..…that's what happened?" All Might asked, voice sounding shell-shocked.
"...Yeah…" Midoriya answered, steam rising from his head as his whole body heated at the awkwardness of this whole discussion.
"... I see…" All Might replied, both hands covering up his own reddened face as he shamefully bemoaned pressing the boy for details. "Damn my age! I should have realized the direction this was going! Especially since he was with Miss Uraraka….Wait?" Forgetting his embarrassment, the hero held the receiver up, asking. "Midoriya, if your quirk activated during that moment, then does that mean Miss Uraraka saw everything?"
"Yeah…" Midoriya solemnly admitted. "Sorry All Might…I know it's important to keep these quirks a secret. It just happened before I could stop it." He paused, before determinedly continuing. "But…I am glad she was there. When I wasn't able to get back to the ground, she came up with me and really helped me get accumulated to being up in the air. And when the quirk finally released itself, she was the one who caught me before I could tumble to the ground. If Uraraka hadn't been there to help me, I would have been in really big trouble."
All Might nodded, sensing the conviction behind his pupil's words. "I believe you. Besides at this point nothing can be helped. We'll speak to Miss Uraraka and see if she would be willing to keep your new quirk a secret. For now, try not to use it in front of anyone else. We don't want to attract unwanted attention to "One for All.""
Midoriya nodded determinedly. "Understood!"
"Now about your original inquiry about Nana's Float quirk…" All Might said, mulling through everything Midoriya has said. "I don't think there was any specific action that triggered her quirk. I can most definitely assure you that she did have to kiss someone everytime she wanted to activate her quirk."
"That's…good to know." Midoriya said with a light chuckle.
"So, perhaps it was based on your feelings during that time? Can you recall what emotions were going through you?"
Midoriya fiddled with his fingers, shyly admitting. "Ummm….I was definitely nervous.. excited…completely terrified….self-conscious….my stomach felt a little funny too…"
"My poor boy…" All Might couldn't help but smile at his fumbling words. "Let's…just focus on the strongest emotion you were feeling."
Midoriya blushed, "I….was really happy."
All Might's chuckles rumbled on the other end of the receiver. "I'm glad." He said, meaning every word. "So when you get back, we'll focus on happy thoughts to see if that'll bring out the quirk, eh?"
"Sounds good." Midoriya absently agreed, his mind wandering. "Hey All Might…how…how do you think I should respond to Uraraka's feelings?"
The elder's hold on his phone tightened, taken aback by the question. "That should be completely up to you to decide."
Midoriya frowned, tilting to look up at the twinkling night sky that he and Uraraka had been not that long ago. Her questionable gaze as she asked about his quirk lingering in his mind. "I know…it's just with this power…I'm not sure if it would be right to accept her feelings. It's like you said, sooner or later I'm going to be the target of some pretty powerful villains. Wouldn't it be careless of me to drag someone else into that? Isn't that why you and your old Master chose to go at it alone?"
"Midoriya…." All Might murmured, his thoughts darkening. "Yes…we did. But where have those choices led us to? Nana's abandonment of her family led to the growth of bitterness and hatred in her son…and now, unfortunately, her grandchild. And as for me…" He coughed, the action wracking his already frail body. "Look at where I am now…powerless and unable to help when the world is in the most need of All Might. I don't know how much my outcome would have differed if I would have done things differently. But looking back… I realize…maybe that wasn't my only choice…"
"Midoriya, listen….just like you, I admired my mentor greatly, even following in her stance on bearing the burdens of "One for All" alone, to prevent those close to us from being targeted. That was the choice we made. However…" All Might emphasized. "That is by all means not the only path you can take. Coming here to teach a U.A….meeting you…witnessing your power being drawn out by those around you…it's opened my eyes to many things. Mostly that being able to lean on others is a strength in itself. It's true this power you hold is dangerous to you and possibly to anyone close to you. But…"
He paused, mulling over exactly what he wanted to say. "...That doesn't always mean you have to be alone. You're still young now, but as you grow, so will your strength and the strength of "All for One". When that happens, you WILL have the power to protect everyone. That we will make sure of."
All Might scratched his head, feeling as if being sick was jumbling the meaning of his words. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that as your mentor, my overall goal is to make you the strongest hero this world has even seen. To make sure that you and all others are protected. But my personal wish…is for you to be a happy hero too."
"All Might…" Midoriya whispered, smiling softly at his mentor's sentimental words. "...thanks."
A series of coughs followed this long-winded speech. Once All Might regained his breath, he hastily added. "Oh and one more thing concerning Miss Uraraka. If I recall, Aizawa Sensei mentioned tomorrow would be the classes' free day, is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then my suggestion to you is to use the free day to treat Miss Uraraka to a date." All Might proposed, causing Midoriya to almost drop his phone in surprise. "Putting aside what you want to do concerning her confession, Miss Uraraka's actions today not only saved your life but have also unintentionally awakened a new quirk within you." The older hero sternly pointed out. "I think the least you could do is take her out as a thank you."
"Uhhh…right…of course…" Midoriya shakingly responded, beads of sweat forming. "Uraraka did mention wanting to hang out tomorrow. But I'm sure she meant hanging out together with our usual friends. What All Might's suggesting is being completely alone with her for the whole day…" The thought sounded both pleasant and completely terrifying. "There's also the fact I've never even asked a girl out before."
"Hey…All Might…" Midoriya curiously ventured. "In your experience, what's the best way to ask a girl out on a date?"
There was another long pause on the other end of the receiver.
"All Might?"
"Midoriya…." All Might's muffled voice replied, sounding strangely stoic. "...There's something I have to tell you, that you should probably keep in mind in the future….." He took a deep breath, answering in a hasty rush. "There are some questions even heroes do not have answers to! GET SOME REST!"
There was a loud click and the line went dead, leaving a stupefied Midoriya standing alone and wondering just how he was going to achieve this new goal set forth by his idol.
Uraraka carefully slid open the door to the girl's shared room, peeking in and finding it deserted.
"Guess everyone is still taking a bath." She crept in, finding all the futons neatly set out for them. Unlike the boys, the girls were allowed the bigger of the ryokan's guest rooms so they could all be housed together. Both the innkeepers and the teachers agreed that the larger the number of boys assigned to a room, the rowdier they were likely to become. So they had separated them into groups of no more than three boys to a room.
Uraraka fell to her knees onto the nearest futon, feeling completely drained from the events of the day. "So much has happened….especially with Deku…." She glanced down at the dark tee that loosely fell over her small frame. Images flashed across her mind, of pressing against his hard chest, his strong arms wrapped around her and then of his lips almost brushing against hers….
"Eeek!" Both hands quickly came to cover her flushed and steaming face. "I can't believe that all happened! I'm even wearing his shirt….Oh…" She removed her hands, curiously pulling the fabric up to her nose and sniffing. A dreamy expression came upon her. "It…smells like him!"
She fell backwards, hitting the soft pillow and continuing to contentedly sniff Midoriya's shirt to her heart's content. "I'm never giving this shirt back…" She purred to herself, closing her eyes and rolling to her side. When she opened them again, it was to find a large cheshire grin and mirthful golden eyes staring back at her. The color drained from Uraraka's face.
"We fooooound you!" Ashido's haunting voice whispered, lips stretching even further.
"ARRRH—" Urakaka's terrified scream was cut off by a pair of invisible hands.
"Relax! It's just us, silly!" Hagakure giggled, as a traumatized Uraraka sat up.
The door slid open and Yaoyorozu waltzed in. "What is going on in here?" She asked, patting down her still damp hair with a towel. "Oh! Ochako! Thank goodness you're back!" The rest of the girls followed her in, all clad in their pajamas.
"Are you okay?" Tsuyu asked, hopping over to sit next to Uraraka.
"Yeah….just a little surprised." She replied, giving a shaky grin. "For a second, I thought an oni had crawled into my bed." (See Author's Note)
"Hey!" Ashido exclaimed, giving her a friendly nudge. "That's Queen Alien to you! I look nothing like an oni!"
"Where exactly were you?" Jiro asked, sitting down on the futon next to Yaoyorozu and helping to brush out her long hair. "After our little show, we looked everywhere for you."
"We were quite worried." Yaoyorozu explained, brows furrowed at the memory. "We thought you might have been upset after the class started pestering you."
"And then Tsuyu mentioned Midoriya had gone after you and then WE REALLY WANTED TO FIND YOU!" Hagakure added, unable to keep down her excitement. Jiro and Yaoyorozu glared at her. "What?! You all were curious too!"
"Thanks, everyone." Uraraka replied, truly happy to see them. "I'm sorry I ran off like that. I just felt really embarrassed with bringing up what happened in the caverns, especially with Midoriya being right there…" She gave a heavy sigh, adding. "I'm really glad you guys were there to help."
"We'll always be there for you." Ashido said, giving her a side hug. Meanwhile, Jiro had paused from brushing, staring at them with an odd expression.
"Speaking of Midoriya…" Jiro said, pointing at Uraraka's oversized black tee. "Isn't….that his shirt you're wearing?"
The girls froze, heads slowly turning in the brunette's direction to study the piece of fabric as if it was a rare jewel. Ashido slowly released a now stiff, nervously sweating Uraraka and peered down at her attire. Her head lifted, her eyes gleaming and lips curled into a cat-like smirk. Urararak tried to inch away, but her pink hand shot out, catching her shoulder with a vice-like grip.
"Oooochakkooo…" Ashido purred, like a cat toying with a mouse. "Is that reeeeeally Midoriya's shirt?"
Uraraka knew at once she was cornered. "Ummm….yes?"
"WHHAAAAAAAAA?!" The girls shrieked in unison, pouncing on the futons and surrounding Uraraka like circling vultures and bombarding her with questions.
"Is it really?!" Hagakure asked, prodding the fabric.
"Oh, man this is definitely Midoriya's!" Jiro exclaimed. "He was wearing this at the party!"
"Ohhhh! Someone has a story to tell!" Ashido teased, poking Uraraka's blushing cheek.
"Oh my…." Yaoyorozu blushed, on the verge of wanting to lecture but also REALLY wanting to know what happened.
"What happened? What happened?" Hagakure asked, bouncing around in her excitement. "Did you steal it?! Did he take it off?! No..wait…DID YOU TAKE IT OFF!?"
"Girls!" Tsuyu warned, standing near the door. "Someone's coming, kero!"
At once they threw themselves into the futons, covering themselves with the blankets just as Midnight poked her head through the doorway, cheerfully announcing. "Light's out girls!" She paused, peering at the lumps protruding from under the beds as her finger lingered over the light switch. She smiled knowingly, flicking the lights off. "Try not to stay up too late, kay girls?"
She called, sliding the door shut.
As soon as the clicking of her heels vanished down the hall, the girls threw the blankets aside. Turning their phone's flashlights on, they shone the accusing beams of lights at Uraraka, continuing their interrogation.
"Okay, spill!" Ashido eagerly pressed. "Where did you go with Midoriya after the party?!"
"Uhh…I…"
"Isn't that a little pushy, kero?" Tsuyu said, coming to sit next to Uraraka.
"But we're DYING to know!" Hagakure pleaded.
"No, I think Asui is correct." Yaoyorozu interjected. "We really shouldn't pry into our friends' personal matters."
"That is LITERALLY the definition of what friends do!" Ashido argued.
"Plus she's wearing HIS SHIRT!" Hagakure repeated, dramatically pointing at the accused attire.
Jiro quirked a brow at her friend. "Sorry Momo, I'm going to have to side with them on this one."
"GIRLS!" Uraraka whispered as loudly as she dared, interrupting their bickering. "Look! I'll tell you what happened, just calm down!" The girls gasped, leaning in unison towards her with sparkling, gleeful eyes.
"REALLY?"
The corner of Uraraka's lips twitched in bewildered amusement. "Yes…really." She hugged her pillow to her chest, feeling her heart beating fast beneath it. "I know I'm not really the best at romance talk. Mostly because I feel like it's really new to me. But I think I'm starting to realize these feelings are something that's new to everyone. Not just me. Which is why I want to open up more. Especially to you all." She finished, smiling gratefully at them.
They returned the gesture, with Hagakure impatiently calling out. "That's sweet and all..but WHAT ABOUT THE SHIRT?!"
Jiro gave her a teasing prod with her earjack. "How about you keep your shirt on and chill?"
Uraraka blushed, fiddling with the hem of the dark tee. "I guess you probably already figured out that Midoriya came to find me after I ran away from the party. That's when…." She hesitated, a thought occurring to her. "Wait…how much should I actually tell them about what happened?" Memories of their almost kiss and Midoriya's mysterious new power came to mind. "He didn't say anything…but something about what happened feels off. I think…until I know more…I shouldn't spread what happened to anyone."
"Wait, don't tell me…" Ashido burst forth, excitedly grasping Uraraka's hands in hers and interrupting her thoughts. "Did you….CONFESS?!"
"Oh….I…" Uraraka stuttered, feeling a little jolted by the sudden question. "...yes?" She flinched, as her friend threw herself at her.
"I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" Ashido exclaimed, flinging her arms around Uraraka's neck into a choking embrace.
Uraraka gave an uneasy chuckle, thinking, "Well…technically SHE confessed…but I'll just go with this for now…."
"That's wonderful news!" Yaoyorozu happily declared, clapping her hands together.
"About time." Jiro added, shooting her a teasingly wink. "I bet old Midoriya was pretty shocked."
"Kind of…" Uraraka replied, stealing a glance at Tsuyu. Her best friend seemed impassive to the news, more so than usual. "Is…she okay?"
Her worries were interrupted by Hagakure' eager questioning. "What did he say? Did he kiss you?! Let me guess…THAT'S when the shirt came off? Right?!"
Uraraka felt heat rise to her cheeks, with also a note of alarm as she realized that he didn't really give an answer. "He…. didn't exactly give an answer…" She hesitated, finding herself giving in to their enthralled expressions. "But he did try to….kiss me…"
If Detective Loid had been in the room, he would have surely collapsed from the amount of serotonin released at that very moment by the group of listening girls. Ashido and Hagakure were covering each other's mouth to keep happy squeals from escaping. Yaoyorozu was tightly hugging a startled Jiro in celebration. Tsuyu, alone, asked the most obvious question.
"What do you mean by tried?"
Uraraka frowned, brows furrowing as she thought over the answer. "I can't just say he floated away….but I also…don't want to tell them..about…" She poked her two index fingers together, humiliation raining upon her as she embarrassedly admitted. "Well….I sort of…got sick…" She tugged at the black tee, adding. "Which…sorta explains why I'm wearing this…"
The girls gaped at her with a mix of sympathy and disbelief, with Hagakure the first to say, "Woah! I don't know about you, but I would have totally died of embarrassment—OUCH!" She shrieked, Jiro's ear jack giving jab.
"Oh you poor dear!" Yaoyorozu fretted, dashing forward to pull Uraraka into her bosom. "Don't listen to her! Are you okay? Are you still unwell?"
"I'm fine! Really!" Uraraka quickly reassured them. "I think my body was just a little overstressed from everything that happened today. Midoriya was really nice about it." But her assurances were lost on Ashido as she flung herself towards Uraraka.
"Seriously!" Ashido cried, grabbing Uraraka by the shoulders and shaking her. "That was literally the most important moment of your life! HOW COULD YOUR BODY BETRAY YOU LIKE THAT!?"
"Would that really be the most important—" Tsuyu ventured.
"IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT!" Ashido furiously emphasized.
"Well technically she still got to kiss him back in the caverns." Jiro pointed out. The pink girl beamed.
"That's right!" Ashido replied, releasing a now dizzy Uraraka. "We never got to ask you about that kiss!"
"Eh?" Uraraka uttered, taken aback at once again being put on the spot. "You really want to know about THAT?!"
"None of us have kissed a boy before," Yaoyorozu reasonably explained. "So you can't blame us for being curious."
"Yes! Enlighten us oh great kissing senpai!" Hagakure declared.
Uraraka didn't know if she should feel embarrassed or pleased by the new title. She cleared her throat, trying to find the words to describe it. But none came to mind. In fact, so much had happened between that event and now that she wasn't sure she could even if she tried.
"Sorry but to be honest…" Uraraka answered, scratching her cheek as she thought back. "It all happened so fast I can't really remember much."
"But that's no fun!" Hagakure piteously whined.
"Then how about this…" Ashido ventured, giving a devilish smirk. "Can you remember what it…tasted like?"
"Ohhh that's a good one!" Hagakure whispered, giggling.
Yaoyorozu tapped her chin, her inquisitive nature engrossed at the inquiry. "If I remember correctly, isn't the first kiss supposed to have a lemon taste to it?"
"You girls are nuts." Jiro muttered, though she, herself, was quite interested in the answer.
To their surprise, she smiled, answering almost instantly. "Oh, that's easy. Bloody!"
Ashido snorted, trying to stifle a laugh as Hagakure gave an amused "Ew."
Jiro clutched her sides, chuckling. "I guess that would make sense…considering the circumstances."
Yaoyorozu nodded beside her, adding, "True…Let's hope your next romantic experience is a lot less traumatic."
"Ohh, when do you think that will be?!" Hagakure eagerly questioned, simpering up to an uncertain Uraraka.
"Umm…I'm not sure…"
"How about tomorrow!?" Ashido said, leaning against Uraraka's other side. "You and Midoriya can go on a date together just like me and Kirishima!"
Hagakure leaned over an irked Uraraka's head to teasingly tug at Ashido's horn. "Oooh look at you, already gloating about having a boyfriend! You know, I actually have a date tomorrow too–OOMPH!" The invisible girl was flung to the ground as both Uraraka and Ashido stood up at the same time.
"YOU HAVE A DATE?!" They exclaimed in unison. "WITH WHO!?"
"Is it with Bakugo?" Tsuyu guessed, round eyes giving a knowing blink. Hagakure clapped her hands, impressed.
"Oooh you're good at this! Yep, it's Bakugo!"
"Wait? You're serious?!" Jiro asked, gaping at her. "Our Bakugo?! But you and him on a date….it makes no sense!"
"Well…technically…it's not a date, more of a means of getting free food." Hagakure carefully explained. "However…if Bakugo is within hearing distance please DEFINITELY refer to it as a date!"
"Just…please explain to us how such an unnatural phenomena occurred." Yaoyorozu tiredly requested.
"Oh, it's actually a very funny story." Hagakure said, dashing to her floral-themed suitcase and pulling out a stuffed bear that had a permanent grouchy expression stitched to his face. "Mr. Kuma here will be Bakugo." She set him on the futon, sitting next to him as the girls gathered to watch the unusual performance.
She grabbed Mr. Kuma, making it look as if he was walking as she made her voice go comedically lower. "I'm Bakugo! I'm so angsty! Angst! Angst! Angst! Angst!"
"Hello! Bakugo! You're favorite classmate is here!" Hagakure cheerfully exclaimed, using her regular voice.
The bear's head moodily lowered. "Annoyed."
"Please won't you take these lovely flowers?!" Hagakure threw her own blue leis over the stuffed bear.
"Growl! Growl! Growl!" Hagakured made the toy shake the flowers off and dramatically stomp on them. "Flowers stupid! Apologies stupid! GRUMBLE! GRUMBLE! GRUMBLE!"
"Now Bakugo, you can grumble all you want but that won't make me go away." Hagakure declared, wagging a stern finger at him.
"Buy you food…" The bear bartered. "...you go away."
"Deal!" Hagakure said, brightly shaking the little plush's stuffed paw. "Oh and it's a date!"
"DIE!" The bear roared, throwing itself at Hagakure's face as she gave a dramatic cry of dismal. She flung the stuffed toy onto her futon, finishing. "And that's EXACTLY how it happened. I'll take all your questions and inquiries now!" She was met by a group of disbelieving expressions. "WHAT?!"
"Well….to her credit." Jiro commented. "I'm sure almost 95% of that was somewhat accurate."
"Bakugo was pretty well played." Uraraka complimented.
Ashido held up her hands, grabbing the attention of everyone. "Okay girls, are there any other confessions/dates that we need to know about for tomorrow!? Because I don't think my heart can take much more surprises!" Tsuyu, Jiro, Uraraka, and Hagakure all shook their heads. They then all glanced at Yaoyorozu, who sat blushing and determinedly avoiding making eye-contact with them. Ashido gawked. "Yaoyorozu!? YOU TOO?!"
"It's not a date!" Yaoyorozu quickly defended herself. "Todoroki….merely found out I had never fished before." She brushed her fingers through her long hair, trying to sound indifferent as she explained. "So….he brought up the notion of him educating me on the art of fishing." She moved her hands over her flushed cheeks, shyly adding. "Which…I accepted."
A chorus of childish "Ooooooooooohs!" filled the room, much to Yaoyorozu's annoyance. Her displeasure evaporated as they flung themselves at her, giggling as they pulled her to the floor.
"It's a date!"
"Totally a date!"
"Date! Date! Date!"
They all laughed, including Yaoyorozu as they laid in a tight circle, the tops of their heads touching as they fell into a happy silence as they mulled over everything they had been through today. The chaos, the drama, along with the tender moments. In the end, it had all brought them closer to each other as friends and as a team.
"Girls…I think I speak for all of us when I say this…" Yaoyorozu said, her comforting voice drifting over them like mother hen. "...I'm glad we're still all together."
"Yeah…It's good to be back." Uraraka agreed, clutching Tsuyu's hand beside her. The frog girl glanced over, and found her friend passing her a secret smile full of gratitude. Tsuyu returned the gesture, squeezing her palm tightly.
A sudden beeping sound interrupted the group's tender moment. Ashido picked up her phone, glancing at the contents. "Whaaat?!"
"Who is it?!" Jiro asked, her ear jack giving her a curious prod.
"It's Kendo from class 1-B!" Ashido answered, holding the phone over all of their heads so they could read. "It looks like she accepted Tetsutestu's confession! They're an official couple!"
"How lovely!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Wow! Good for them!" Uraraka replied, happy for the two. Her eyes narrowed as a new message popped up on the screen. "There's a video message attached...wait…isn't that Monoma?"
"You mean that blonde psycho from Class-B?" Hagakure piped up. "What's he doing on the chat?"
"We'll see." Ashido replied, pushing the play button. The girls moved to seating positions, gathering around her as Neito Monoma's mocking voice filled the room.
"Greetings ladies of Class 1-A! I'm sure you are all aware by now that our far more lovely and radiant class president/idol has been confessed to by none other than our manliness of men Tetsutetsu. They are now the official 1st couple of our freshman year. WHICH MEANS WE BEAT YOU IN THE GAME OF LOVE CLASS 1-A! Tell me, how does it feel that none of your feminine charms have won over the low-brained mongrels that you deem as men in your class? Does it sting to know that cupid has failed to show you any favors?! ARE YOU ALL DROWNING IN SORROW THAT YOU ALL WILL BE LONELY LOSERS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES? MWAHAAHAHAHHAHA!"
"Monoma!" Kendo's angry voice was heard in the background. "What are you doing with my phone!" The video showed the phone being dropped and the sounds of Monoma's painful cries as Kendo did her usual karate chop over his head. Then it went dark, with a simple text apology from Kendo appearing. The girls stared at the Ashido's phone in amazed silence at what they had just watched.
"Wow…" Hagakure whispered. "That guy is SERIOUSLY unhinged."
"Paranoid, kero!"
"You have to admire his loyalty to his class, though." Yaoyorozu amusedly pointed out.
"I'm impressed with his ability to make absolutely ANYTHING into a competition." Jiro dryly remarked.
"Hmmm, think I should tell them?" Ashido asked, stealing a glance at her friends. The girls all smirked, with Uraraka raising an encouraging fist towards Ashido. They bumped fists and then the girls gathered to
"Go for it!"
They bumped fists and then the girls gathered around Ashido as her fingers swiftly began to type out a reply text:
"Glad to hear about Class 1-B's new couple! Class 1-A also has some interesting news to share…."
Aizawa gave a contented sigh, slipping into the piping hot waters of the outdoor bath. It had been a long, long day. One that had been filled with stake outs, saving students, typing up reports, dealing with irrational teenage emotions and the worst of it….parties.
"God I hate parties." Aizawa murmured, sinking deeper into the waters. "Especially karaoke parties."
"Why…do all teenagers possess the ability to rap?" He wondered aloud, massaging his temple at the headache worthy memory.
He heard a splashing sound from behind, he turned, wondering if an inn employee was entering. To his utter horror, he found himself staring right at a butt naked Midnight, stepping gingerly into the bath. She smiled, giving him a cheerful wave.
"Hey Aizawa! Fancy seeing you here." She plopped in, sighing contentedly. "Awww the water feels great doesn't it?"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Aizawa spluttered, turning away.
"Taking a bath, why else would I be here?"
"WHY HERE!?" Aizawa snapped, back still facing her. "This is the men's bath or are you unable to read?!"
"Hmmm?" Midnight hummed, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her. "Well the women's bath was being cleaned, so I thought it would be okay if I just popped in here. After all, the students are all in bed so it's not like I have to worry about any of them seeing me naked."
"So you're completely okay with me then?!"
"Of course! We're both adults here after all!" Midnight answered as if it was obvious. "Besides, you were there during my infamous senior year moments back when I got to show off my first hero costume design to the world." She sighed nostalgically at the memory, before brightly adding. "So there's nothing here you haven't seen before! Hahaha!" (See Author's Notes)
Aizawa glared, not amused. "I think you're missing the point of the matter."
"Relax! I know you like your personal space." Midnight said, sinking down and resting her head against the edge of the pool. "You just do your thing and I'll do mine. No worries."
Aizawa grumbled but decided she was right. They were adults. Reluctantly, he forced himself to relax along the far side of the bath, still keeping his distance from the vixen. Grudgingly, he asked, "Since you're here, I assume you've checked on the girls and made sure they were asleep."
"Oh, I checked on them." Midnight answered, eyes still closed peacefully. "But they're not asleep. I assume they'll be up for quite some time chatting." She heard the unmistakable splash of Aizawa lifting himself from the water. Without moving, she called out. "Sit back down, Aizawa."
He sat back down, complaining, "You know those girls have had a rough day. They need their rest."
"Which is exactly why they need this." Midnight answered. "Sometimes the best remedy for stress is talking it out with those you care about." She peeked open one eye, slyly adding, "Which is something you should probably work on."
"No thanks." Aizawa replied, sinking down lower into the water. "I just rather sleep stress away."
"Me too!" Midnight said, perking up.
"No, I mean ACTUALLY sleeping."
"That's no fun!" Midnight laughed, shifting closer. "So what are your thoughts on today? Success? Or did we totally screw up?"
Aizawa mulled over the question. "We probably should have relied less on those trackers to determine everyone's location. We would have been alerted a lot sooner to the fact the students were missing."
"Yeah…I do feel bad about that." Midnight agreed, blowing irritable bubbles into the water. "But at least it all worked out in the end."
"Barely." Aizawa muttered. "We basically got our asses saved by some unexplainable kiss."
"So you think the kiss was a fluke?"
"I think….we were just lucky."
"Hmmm, you think so? To me it feels like it all makes sense." Midnight remarked, leaning back to gaze up at the star-filled sky. "Tell me… do you still remember your first kiss?"
"Huh?" Aizawa grumbled, sharply glancing at her as if she had lost her marbles. "Not particularly."
"Well I do!" Midnight proudly exclaimed, beaming. "And it felt like fireworks lighting off inside me! It was the same for everything else back when I was young and experiencing everything for the very first time! Every touch was passionate and set my soul ablaze. I feel like as an adult we forget about those feelings…how intense they once were." She leaned her head back to gaze up at the star-filled sky, lamenting. "I guess the point I'm trying to get at is that Siren's quirk took advantage of those boys because of their age…but in the end...that youth may have also been her downfall." She smiled, winking in Aizawa's direction. "After all it only took one kiss to knock her quirk down a peg."
"Hrrrmm." Aizawa murmured, not quite buying into this theory.
Midnight gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's just something I had mulled over during my down time at the hospital. It's not like it really matters much." She stretched her arms, sinking deeper into the water with a happy purr. "What matters is all the juicy teenage drama this whole episode has caused! Fights! Misunderstanding! Confessions!" She stood up, exposing herself under the silvery moonlight much to Aizawa's annoyance. "The melody of youth ringing at its finest! With the tune now in check, there's no telling what songs tomorrow will bring!" She declared, posing majestically before turning him with starlight filled eyes. "Ohh! Doesn't it just make you want to go back in time and relive our youth!?"
"Not even the slightest."
Shortly after their conversation the teachers retired to their rooms, along with all the inhabitants of the inn. Most were completely exhausted, falling asleep almost instantly. Some took longer than most, their minds working overtime as they mulled over the events of the day and what surprises tomorrow will bring forth.
But there was one soul on the island who sat alone, awake and seething. In the darkness of his barely lid enclosement, slithery shadows of many entangling limbs moved along the floor. One particular tentacle unraveled itself, revealing a small, red pill hidden away in the cavity of one of its many suckers.
"Soon…very soon." The tentacle curled inward, once again hiding away its prize as Kai's hushed whispers traveled through the long night. "After all….their trip isn't over yet."
Author's Note:
-An oni is a troll-like creature featured in Japanese folklore.
- In Horikoshi's other manga, Vigilantes, that pairs with the MHA universe, one chapter centers around Midnight and Eraserhead's high school days. Her first hero costume consists of literally just a belt and overcoat.