Ch 4: Hospitality
Note: Lets talk a little bit about this story's version of Peter Parker. I'm never going to say I am a spider man expert. The Peter in my story is not based on a certain version of Peter Parker that exists in movies or comics. This is my attempt to write him as a character in the My Hero Academia Universe. With that said, Im going to do my very best to be creative with the character while still respecting the character himself.
@spider of the leaf: The sports festival gets its first mention next chapter. These next two chapters are gonna stat pushing us into the canon (kinda) storyline. :) Thanks for your kind words of encouragement.
I do not own any of the characters depicted in this story....
Ch 4: Hospitality
Peter sat Momo down as all of the girls rushed to her side to make sure she was okay. As they all took turns hugging her, Peter turned away from the crowd and started back for the compromised building. After he had taken a few steps in the opposite direction, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see his homeroom teacher staring at him questioningly through his long black hair.
"Where are you going Parker?" He asked his student who had a stoic expression on his face. He was obviously bothered by something.
Peter looked up from the ground and met his teacher's eyes. "Bakugo is still on the roof. I was just... I just felt the need to tell him that she's okay."
"He'll find out when he comes down. What's the real reason you have for wanting to go back up there."
He sighed, "I just wanted to tell him that he shouldn't blame himself for what just happened. It wasn't his fault. He was just trying to win the match. I just don't want him to beat himself up over it."
Aizawa seemed satisfied with that answer. "I know you mean well, but you're the last person he's going to want to talk to after losing that fight. It's best that you don't pry. I'll be sure to pass your message along myself." He promised. "You can rest now. You did extremely well today Parker. You surpassed my expectations. This whole class has fully embraced you in just one day. You should be proud of yourself."
Peter's eyes wandered to the group of people in the distance. Everyone had gathered around Yaoyorozu. He nodded at his teacher with a small smile as he began to walk over to join his class with a slight limp in his step.
Momo's heart was still racing as the large group gathered around her. "My, my, what an eventful training session you've had today young Yaoyorozu." Stated All Might, "You've shown so much growth in such a small amount of time. You should be very proud of what you just accomplished. Young Kirishima is a tough opponent."
"I agree, you really impressed me Miss Yaoyorozu. Your combat skills and quick thinking are going to be important assets to you in the future. Keep up all your hard work and continue to improve and you'll surely become an incredible hero one day." complimented Nezu.
"Thank you sir." She bowed as the class began to applaud her. Though so much excitement was taking place around her, the mind of Momo Yaoyorozu was fixated on the boy who, moments ago, held her in his arms.
Kirishima stepped forward from the crowd, freshly pried from the side of the car with the help of All Might's brute strength. He extended his hand towards her. "Glad you're alright vice rep."
Momo grasped his hand with a smile, accepting his gesture of good sportsmanship. "That was a hell of a fight out there! I had no idea you had gotten so tough!! If you're ever in need of a sparring partner give me a call!"
"Of course." She nodded.
As she let go of Kirishima's hand, she noticed a figure approaching towards the group with a slight hobble. As the crowd around her began to take notice, the herd regrouped itself around the new addition to class 1A. He was greeted with elation as everyone chimed in on his performance, wondering where in the world he had learned his skills from.
"Peter!" Momo shouted as she pushed her way through the crowd and walked up to the boy who had, just moments ago, saved her life. She tried to keep a calm demeanor but couldn't hide the concern written on her face. Once he saw her, his smile widened.
"We make a great team." He said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his wrist and began to remove his gloves, "Glad you're alright."
She offered a slight, nervous smile, "All thanks to you. How are your injuries?"
He chuckled, "Don't worry about me, I'm just a little winded. I can walk it off no problem." He assured her.
"I'll be the judge of that actually." A voice interjected as the source made its way through the crowd of students. A short elderly lady appeared and walked up to Peter. She adjusted her goggles and began to quickly examine his body. She noticed the cut over his eyebrows and found his pupils to be slightly dilated.
"You seem to have suffered some head trauma resulting in a concussion, a few lacerations and minor burns on your upper body and arms, and possible internal bleeding on the right side of your torso." She pointed out the deep purple bruising through the holes in his costume. "You will absolutely not be walking anything off. You are to report to my office immediately." She scolded the poor boy who was slightly confused.
"Don't worry Parker. Recovery Girl is the best at what she does. She'll have you up and around by the time the fights are finished." Aizawa said as he rejoined the class with Katsuki at his side. "Recovery Girl, I'm going to have a word with Bakugo before I send him your way if you don't mind."
"That's fine but do make it quick. I'm sure he needs quite a bit of medical attention after all that took place."
Momo felt a small pit of disappointment in her stomach. She had hoped she could squeeze out the last bit of time left in the school day talking to Peter as the other matches took place. Her interest in the boy had exponentially increased since the moments before (and certainly after) their match. Unfortunately, it seemed like that would have to wait until tomorrow.
The elderly nurse quietly noticed her crestfallen expression and smiled, "Miss Yaoyorozu, I'd like for you to come in for some examinations as well. Please follow me dear." She called out with a wink. She was a young girl once too after all.
Momo's spirits skyrocketed as she hurried to Peter's side. As they passed their classmates, Mina spoke up, "Catch up with us after class you two! I'm gonna see if I can get some of these guys together to go out to dinner as sort of a welcome party for ya Parker! You guys in?"
"I'd love to join!" Yaoyorozu said warmly as she looked at the boy beside her and awaited his response.
Peter smiled, "Sounds like fun. I'll be there!"
Aizawa approached them, "I'll be down to the infirmary after the rest of the battles wrap up to discuss your overall performances, then you'll be free to go. Now try to rest up. I'll be expecting big things from you both in future exercises." he said dismissing them before turning back and heading in the direction of Katsuki and Kirishima.
With that, the trio headed to Recovery Girl's office. On the way, they both recounted their own perspectives of what had happened in their battles after they had split up. Recovery girl even chimed in, revealing that she had followed the match with anticipation the whole time. Though the two classmates were unaware of it, the gap separating them as they walked was beginning to shrink, almost disappearing entirely.
Recovery Girl seemed to have been significantly impressed with their fight as she commended them both for their excellent efforts.
"And then when you dove off the side of that building, I was sure you were trying to give this old soul a heart attack. Hmhmhmhm" she chuckled as she stopped walking in front of the class 1A locker rooms. The students took the opportunity to change back into their uniforms and once they finished, they continued on until finally reaching the infirmary.
Momo and Peter entered one of the examination rooms and took a seat on each bed as instructed. After checking Yaoyorozu for any injuries and finding nothing, the school nurse exited the room to document her report into her records.
Peter glanced around the room. He thought that with all the other high end facilities at UA, the infirmary rooms would look more futuristic. To his surprise, there were very few machines in the room and the equipment the room did contain, was just normal medical devices that could be found in any plain old hospital room. Momo watched the boy survey his surroundings in amusement. She explained to him that the room was so bare because Recovery Girl's quirk sped up the body's natural healing process more effectively and faster than any machine of modern technology ever could.
"That's incredible! How does her power work?"
Momo let out a small laugh, "Oh you'll see..."
"Ominous." Peter responded jokingly.
The door opened and the school nurse reentered the room. "Now then, let's have a look at you..." She gestured for Peter to remove his shirt. Momo's face suddenly became warm but she utterly refused to let it show.
"Sorry Miss Yaoyorozu, I'm going to have to draw the curtain for a moment." The old lady said apologetically as a barrier of light blue fabric suddenly separated the two students.
Momo stared at the curtain unable to move. She had unintentionally begun to imagine what the view from the other side of it looked like. She was never one to let perverse thoughts or feelings towards anyone dwell in her mind, but it was suddenly the only thing that occupied her brain. It was like an itch she was unable to scratch. So close but yet remaining just out of reach. She continued to stare at the thin movable barrier that separated her rogue imagination from reality. She happened to notice that there was enough room on the side towards the head of the bed to sneak a quick peak around the curtain. All that she had to do was lean slightly backwards.
She began to wrestle with her morals. Nearly giving into the temptation, she began to lean back before forcing herself to regain control of her actions as she raised back up sharply.
'What on earth am I doing?! What has gotten into me today?!' she berated inwardly. She needed to get a hold of herself and that started with her figuring out what was causing her sudden obsession with Peter. It had to go deeper than just his heroic act earlier...Of course it did. He had been both the subject of her conscious and subconscious mind since he first spoke to her.
She began to quickly go through the facts in her head. She admittedly found him to be extremely physically attractive, but it was more that...
Her brow furrowed as she continued to think. He also happened to be a very intelligent person who seemed to share a love of all things scientific with her. He was very witty, she acknowledged, remembering the multiple times throughout the day he had made her as well as those around her laugh today.
He had also given her a much needed confidence boost, raising her self esteem high enough to demonstrate her best performance yet in a hero training exercise. His words were kind and purely genuine. The way he spoke them so effortlessly carried a certain innocence to them. The words were a gift to her without any expectation or want in return.
Finally, they seemed to have a dynamic between them that felt... Correct. It was almost unexplainable but they seemed to fit together in any conceivable situation. Speaking to him came as naturally to her as breathing. They demonstrated a perfect effort when working as a team towards a common goal. As far as she could tell so far, their personalities and interests seemed to be quite compatible with each other in a way she had never experienced with anyone else before.
It definitely went deeper than his heroic leap of faith to save her life. But she refused to put that to the side any longer. He was a hero. Her hero. She felt a warm, tingling sensation wash over her as she remembered the moment he held her in his arms and stared into her eyes. How strong his muscles were. How safe she had felt after being more terrified than she had ever been in her entire life. The way her body seemed to fit perfectly with his...
She sighed as the dots were connected in her heart and in her mind. Though the concept was foreign to her, she was self aware enough to know what was going on. She had a crush on Peter.
She accepted the realization but one thing still troubled her. What was she supposed to do with her feelings now? She was in deeply unfamiliar territory. She was used to being chased but she was never the one chasing someone else.
She finally deduced that the best course of action would be to confide in someone who could help her.
The curtain was pulled back as Peter was just finishing buttoning up the white shirt of his school uniform. Once finished he laid back on the bed. He looked over at Momo and flashed a quick smile.
A smile that somehow, to her, made the entire room brighter. She felt the corners of her mouth curl into one of her own.
"You were lucky Mr. Parker... There appears to be no damage to your internal organs and no broken bones." He flashed a large grin at Momo who offered a mischievous smile in return, confusing the boy. "If only Izuku Midoriya could learn a thing or two from you. He may as well have a permanent room here. Anyhow, after this you should be just fine."
"Wait after wha-"
Before the boy could finish the old lady puckered her lips and pressed them against his head. Bewildered he looked over at Momo who was only barely able to keep herself from laughing hysterically.
Peter suddenly felt more tired than when he had first stepped into the room.
"Don't worry dear. The fatigue you're experiencing is just a side effect from the rapid pace your body is starting to heal at. Now, have some gummies." She said handing him a few pieces of candy. "I'm going to go check on Bakugo and then return to the matches in case I'm needed. If you need anything just hit that button on the wall and I'll be back to help in any way I can."
As Recovery Girl left the room Peter turned to see Momo still trying to contain her laughter.
"The hospitality is really something here. But something tells me you knew that was going to happen..." Peter cracked a smile as Momo finally let out her laughter.
He enjoyed hearing her laugh. It was melodic. Like a siren about to lure him to his own demise. Everything about her was fascinating to him. She was both beautiful and brilliant. From what he gathered, she was the catch nearly every guy dreamt of landing out of all the first year students. He felt himself drawn to her. Maybe it was the start of an incredible friendship or maybe, by some astronomical chance, it was something deeper than that, either way he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he felt that they had a connection and he wanted to nurture it.
"Man what a day." He said with a huff popping one of the candies into his mouth.
"Yeah I'd say things have changed quite a bit for you over the past couple of days haven't they?"
"Man you wouldn't believe the half of it."
Well we do have the time. Tell me a little more about Peter." She prodded.
"You sure? I don't wanna bore you or anything."
"Quite sure."
"How sure?" He began to mess with her.
"Sure enough to know that if you don't start talking I'm gonna hit that button and inform Recovery Girl that you suddenly need another dose of her quirk." She grinned while raising an eyebrow at him.
"Ooooh checkmate." He winced playfully, "Alright but don't say I didn't warn you. And if you fall asleep, I'm hitting the button."
"Fair enough." She sat up and turned to face him.
Peter explained in great detail about how his weekend had gone. He had bought a one way ticket to Japan leaving his old life in America behind him. He came over with nothing but a couple suitcases, a school bag, and the clothes on his back, determined to pass his UA entrance exam.
Momo was beyond impressed with his determination and guts to bet on himself with such high stakes on the line. She asked him about his living situation. To her surprise, Principal Nezu looked into it personally after witnessing his performance during the practical portion of the test. And after only having to spend the first night in the airport, he had moved into an apartment the next day.
The banter between the two flowed effortlessly. It was almost as if the two had been friends since childhood. They made each other laugh often throughout their conversation. Peter even went on to share a few more things about his personal life with her. As it turned out they shared more in common than Momo had previously thought, which was capped off by a revelation that filled her with pure joy and excitement.
Momo's eyes lit up. "So you're a reader?!" Books were the very thing she treasured most in the entire world. She had been an avid reader ever since she was a little girl. Her heart began to thump harder learning that her biggest passion was also an interest she shared with her crush.
"Of course! I read all the time! I used to spend so much time going through books that my Aunt May used to worry about my social life. I'm guessing you are too?"
"Absolutely! I have to know what your favorite book is! What is your favorite genre?" She questioned him excitedly with a massive smile. She was becoming more bubbly as her favorite subject was now the topic of discussion.
"Geez that's really tough... But if I had to narrow it down, I'd probably say I've read A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking quite a few times. But then again I also really like fiction, fantasy, everything really. Tell ya what, how about I show you what's in my backpack instead as long as you promise not to judge too hard."
"I won't! I won't! You have my word!" She had trouble containing her excitement.
"Alright close your eyes."
She shut her eyes with increasing anticipation.
"I've carried this around with me for years so it's a little worn. This is probably my favorite." He dug the book from his bag. "Okay hold out your hand."
Momo's hand excitedly shot out as he handed her a copy of his favorite book. She took it and opened her eyes. A worn out grey cover stared back at her.
He awaited her response as he noticed that her smile had only grown as she ran her fingers over the cover. "This must be pretty special for you to carry it around with you."
"Have you read it? It's pretty popular in America. They even made it into a movie. I even brought it with me when I moved." He said sheepishly.
It wasn't often she came across a book she had yet to read. "No I haven't actually." She flipped to the first chapter and quickly read the first couple of paragraphs. "I read literally all the time how have I missed this?!"
Peter smiled as she continued to flip through the pages. He could tell how much she loved to read. She suddenly remembered that she was in the middle of a conversation and peeled her eyes from the page. Her happiness was undeniable. "I can see why it's so popular. I nearly lost myself in the first chapter." She handed the book back to Peter but to her surprise, he gently pushed it back towards her.
She looked up in surprise.
"You really should finish it. You can borrow it if you'd like." He offered softly to her.
Momos onyx eyes sparkled. Her crush on the boy instantly grew larger. "Thank you so much Peter! I promise to not keep it for too long." It was a gesture that spoke words to her heart that could never be replicated or described by modern language. She placed it carefully in her backpack.
"No rush." He said as she smiled. "You know we've been talking about me the whole time. I want to know more about you."
She grew slightly nervous as she hoped she could make herself sound interesting enough to hold his attention. She began by briefly describing how she had grown up in an extremely wealthy family, what her life was like as a little girl, and how she found out about her quirk by making her very first Russian nesting doll. Then she moved on to talk about her current interests, favorite restaurants and cafes, favorite color (red). Everything she said Peter took in as if it were the most interesting topic he had ever discussed. Their conversation was unfortunately cut short as the door to their room opened and Mr. Aizawa stepped in.
"You both should know by now that I'm not the type of teacher to just hand out praise. Most of the time I honestly just avoid it to prevent any notion of favoritism. But today you both earned it. I gave you the highest grade I've ever given students in a hero training exercise." He said as the pair glanced at each other with wide grins.
"However." The man interrupted their celebration before it could begin. They both snapped back to attention.
"This means you will start to be held to a much higher standard. I like what I've seen from you both. Parker, you're off to an exceptional start which means I'll be pushing you harder. Yaoyorozu, your combat sense is catching up to your strategic abilities. I'm going to expect you to keep improving at this pace. Having said all of that, there is always room for improvement. The collateral damage was to be expected given Bakugo's quirk and Parker's strength, but you have to find a way to minimize it. Yaoyorozu almost lost her life today. It could have easily been prevented if you would have put Bakugo under heavier restraint before going back to aid her in her fight. If you're going to leave an enemy tied up... Then you'd better make sure they stay that way."
Peter grimaced at his own mistake. Mr. Aizawa sure was perceptive. He had to step up his game and make sure his mistakes never put anyone in harms way ever again.
"That's all for now, you're excused. Rest up for tomorrow's training. You'll be paired with each other again as part of a larger group. Hopefully your chemistry and teamwork can rub off on the rest of your class. Keep that information to yourself though. Consider it your reward." And with that the man exited the room.
Peter stared at the door for a couple seconds after their teacher had left. The sound of Momo's voice shook him from his trance.
"I hope you know I don't feel that way..." She said very lowly.
Peter turned to the girl on the bed beside his. "What do you mean?"
"During the exercise... I don't feel like it was your fault. I'm so grateful to you. I can't even begin to thank you enough for catching me. I'll always be thankful to you." Sincerity was evident in her words.
He smiled, "Hey come on now, what are friends for?"
Her phone beeped with a message:
Kyoka Jiro: "hey when you're done in the nurses office we're all waiting to meet up with you guys in the classroom. Mina is getting impatient fyi lol.
"Well as much as I could stay here and chat all day, we should probably go meet up with everyone. They're back in the classroom waiting." She stood and put on her backpack.
When she turned around Peter was staring at his phone and looking kind of anxious. He had never asked a girl for her phone number. He desperately tried to act natural. "U-uh d-do you think I could get your phone number?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. Before she could even think of a response she had grabbed his phone and excitedly typed her phone number in under the name: "Momo :)" she handed the boy his phone back with a smile. "Text me later tonight so I can save your number in my phone." She said excitedly.
Peter took his phone back as the redness on his cheeks began to appear. "You bet!" He muttered and the two exited the infirmary and made their way back towards their classroom.
Peter walked beside Todoroki and Midoriya as the girls led the way towards the restaurant Mina had chosen. She had actually managed to get a group of 10 together for Peter's impromptu welcome party. The group consisted of all 6 girls, Peter, Midoriya, Todoroki, and Kaminari. Tenya wanted to attend but couldn't due to his brother being in town. Everyone else seemed to have prior engagement but had instructed Mina to pass along their cell phone numbers to Peter along with apologies for not being able to attend.
The boys in the back were filling Peter in on how the fights had gone after he and Yaoyorozu were sent to the infirmary.
"Honestly after your battle wrapped up the rest of them were kind of boring. You guys were a tough act to follow!" Kaminari said with a grin.
"I thought I did pretty well." Todoroki stated plainly.
"Yeah but you just froze half of the city before Sero and Sato could even find you guys. I'm pretty sure Midoriya didn't even get a chance to use his quirk." Kaminari laughed.
"Wait, you froze half of that whole city?!" Peter looked at Todoroki in amazement.
"Yeah it was pretty intense but it got the job done." Midoriya said nervously.
"Yeah I'd say that was pretty effective." Peter agreed as Todoroki just shrugged.
"You know, no offense Todoroki, but I was surprised you came out with us tonight. You're usually pretty quiet and keep to yourself." The electric boy wonder pointed out.
"My sister says I need to get out more and make new friends... Plus I really like soba." He responded dryly.
"Well I appreciate you coming out with us! I didn't exactly have any friends in America but you guys have made me feel right at home." The webslinger said graciously.
Todoroki continued to look forward but a small smile kept its way onto his face.
"Wouldn't miss it! You're one of us now!" Denki said winking with a thumbs up.
Meanwhile a few dozen feet in front of them, the girls were discussing something different, with Momo right in the center of it.
"So YaoMomo how was your visit to Recovery Girl's office?" Jiro asked her.
"Yeah I didn't see Kirishima even get close to landing an attack on you. What did she want to see you for *ribbit?"
"She just wanted to be sure that I was okay after all of the excitement towards the end I guess. She said I was totally fine." Momo shrugged off the question thinking the conversation would end there.
"You sure you didn't get dehydrated from drooling over Peter after he saved you?" Mina winked teasingly with a giggle from her and Toru.
She rolled her eyes. "No nothing like that."
Jiro raised an eyebrow as she noticed the pink shade growing on her best friend's face. She decided to save her from further interrogation. "Mina this whole thing was your idea. Where are we going?"
"Oh it's just a cute little restaurant I go to every now and again. Look it's right up ahead!" She said pointing at the sign.
The group headed inside and were seated at a table in the back that was big enough to fit them all comfortably. Peter took a seat between Momo and Todoroki and began to look over the menu. Everything looked pretty tasty but after seeing Midoriya immediately decide on the katsudon he decided to give it a try. The waiter brought their drinks, took their orders, and walked back to the kitchen after notifying them that their food would be brought out shortly. As he left, Jiro excused herself to head to the bathroom but nudged her best friend with her elbow signaling her to follow. Yaoyorozu stood up and excused herself as well.
Jiro led them into the bathroom and crossed her arms as she stood in front of the sinks. Yaoyorozu looked confused as she looked around the bathroom.
"Did you need to pee or something?" Momo asked as she stared at her friend.
"No I didn't need to pee! I want you to talk! Recovery Girl's office! Spill it!"
Momo sighed and locked the door behind her. She had come to the conclusion earlier that the best way to navigate this would be to ask someone else for help. Might as well be her best friend. "What gave it away?"
"Dude... You've been acting weird all day ever since we all introduced ourselves to Peter. You've been spacing out and staring at him nonstop and now you're blushing when someone mentions the infirmary. Did something happen between you two?!"
"N-no!" She said a little bit loud. "Look here's what happened..."
She began to recount the details of her and Peter's time in the nurse's office. The small talk, the banter, the laughter, Peter giving her his favorite book to read, and some... Intrusive thoughts... About the curtain situation. Everything. She confided in her friend about her intermost thoughts and feelings about the boy who had burrowed his way into her brain. When she looked up she found Jiro staring at her wide eyed and mouth agape.
"Man I expected to hear that you liked him but you almost perved on the poor dude!" She said in disbelief. "I never would've expected you of all people to try and sneak a peak at a shirtless boy." She teased.
"I know! I don't know what to do! I can't stop feeling this way no matter what I do! I'm not even sure if I want to stop! I've never- mmmph" Jiro placed her hand over her mouth.
"Calm down YaoMomo you're freaking yourself out."
Momo closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Jiro removed her hand. "Alright.. alright I'm calm. It's all just so overwhelming. Everything feels like it's happening so fast. How could someone possibly feel emotions this intensely towards someone they just met in a day?"
"Well if I had to admit it I'd say he is a pretty damn good looking guy. Love at first sight is totally a real thing too. My parents saw each other at a concert and next thing you know they've been married for 25 years." The punk rockstar reasoned as she hopped up and took a seat between the sinks. "And let's not forget to mention that he dove headfirst off a 20 story building to save you."
"True but I was feeling this way before that happened." Momo admitted, "The physical attraction was there from the beginning but I think it was the way he spoke to me. It's like everything he said made me like myself more than I ever have. And he definitely did something to my brain when we started talking about science..."
Jiro chuckled and pulled out her phone, "Well that settles it. I'm making this happen." She said as she typed out a text message.
"What are yo- Who are you texting?!"
"Look, I think Parker's great for you. If he finally got you to understand your own self worth, then I approve. I've been barking up that tree for a while now with absolutely no luck. All that said, I'm terrible at all this lovey stuff so I'm calling in someone who knows what they're doing."
Momo's eyes widened with realization. "Oh nonononono-"
"Do you want this to happen or not cause once I hit send your fate will be sealed."
"Yes I do but I don't even know if she'll help me. She seems to be just as interested in him as I am."
"Oh trust me, she'll be too excited to refuse." Jiro said as she hit send.
Back at the table, the group was still waiting on their food when Mina felt her phone vibrate.
Kyoka J: SOS Yaomomo has a crush on Parker and she's kinda freaked out about it. We need your help and for the love of God please be discreet. Bathroom. Now.
Her black and amber eyes bulged as she looked up from her phone across the table at Peter who was listening to Toru explain why she was always invisible all the time. She looked back down at her phone and read the message again. "U-uhhh I'm gonna go to the little girls room! Be right back." The pink skinned girl said quickly as she rushed to the bathroom.
"That was weird..." Uraraka said before turning back to the table. "So Parker, you said you moved into an apartment yesterday! Have you got settled in?"
"Uh I actually didn't bring a lot with me. I'm lucky there were some furnishings provided or I'd have been sleeping on the floor. After that fight with Bakugo I don't think my back would like that too much." he chuckled. "I'm actually going to go out and try to find some stuff to make it feel a little more like home when I get some spare time..."
The conversation continued on.
*Bang *bang *bang
Momo jumped before unlocking the door. Mina ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. "YAOMOMO OH MY GOD IS IT TRUE?!" She squealed unable to contain her excitement.
Jiro and Momo both shushed her, begging for her to keep her voice down and then they explained everything to her.
"Oh. My. God. Did you look? Was it as hot as I imagined? What are his abs like?"
Momo rolled her eyes, "I told you I didn't actually look. I just need to know what to do about this whole crush situation."
"Well do you want to pursue it or are you wanting it to go away?"
Momo brought her index finger tips together as she had already made up her mind. "Well I'd like to pursue it I think. All of these feelings are very overwhelming but they're also so exhilarating. I'm just afraid I'm crazy because it's happening so fast."
Jiro looked on as Mina began to work her magic. "Well for starters nothing has actually happened yet so there's no need to stress yourself out about it too much. Second, that's how crushes are. They come on very suddenly and strongly at first, there's nothing weird about that. Personally, I'd love to help you land that hunk out there! You guys would be totally cute together."
"You'd actually help me?" Momo said nervously. "But I thought you might like him too."
"Well he's cute and all but Mama Mina isn't exactly looking for anyone right now, at least not yet. I just like to tease people... Now Hagakure on the other hand is a whole different story... she's pretty feral. I think is definitely interested." Mina admitted.
"So what's the next step here pinky?" Jiro interjected.
"Well that's obvious! You just need to try to spend more time with him and get to know each other. You're gonna wanna get his number though. I'm not trying to freak you out or anything but there's definitely going to be someone stepping into your territory eventually. But every good relationship starts with a good friendship, and you've already got a big head start."
"Well I sorta already did give him my number. He seemed a bit nervous about asking for it..." She recalled. "I told him to text me later so I could save his contact information."
Mina smiled, "That sounds promising! If he texts you later don't freak out just be yourself. Spark up a conversation every now and again. Just don't get desperate."
"Do you really think I'll have a ton of competition?"
"Girl, that boy is built like a statue and is sweeter than candy. He's a catch. But so are you! Just be friendly with him and keep getting to know each other. He'll be in the palm of your hand before you know it judging by the way he keeps stealing glances at you!"
"He does?!"
"I see everything." Mina replied with a wink. "I'm so excited for you YaoMomo!!!! I want updates as they happen! If we need to rethink our strategy we'll put our heads together and figure something out. Now let's go back out there and eat! Mama's hungry!"
The two girls agreed and headed back to their seats. As Momo sat down she offered a smile to the boy beside her which he gladly returned. The purple haired girl and the pink headed girl grinned at the sight and continued to watch the two subjects with great interest.
The food was delicious was the general consensus around the table. Not a single speck was left on a single plate. They were all absolutely stuffed. But though they had eaten more than their fill, spirits were still high. The waiter came back with multiple checks but Peter just handed him his card to the shock of everyone at the table. Some tried to protest but to no avail. Others were just left wondering how he could afford it all.
"Holy crap dude! Talk about a baller move!" Denki said as he leaned forward in his seat.
"We had to have spent a couple hundred yen between all of us!" Uraraka said panicked.
"You know I could've just used my dad's credit card right?" Shoto said plainly.
"Not to be rude but how are you able to afford to pay for everyone *ribbit?"
"Guys! Guys! It's totally fine! I wouldn't have been able to move here in the first place if I didn't have enough money to get by. I just appreciate all you guys hanging out with me tonight."
Everyone just looked at each other and shrugged. The waiter brought back Peter's card and wished them well and the group pried themselves up from their seats and filed out of the restaurant.
One by one, each member of the group said their goodbyes and started to make their way home.
Before walking away, Shoto turned to Peter and gave him his phone number. "I heard you say you needed to find things for your apartment. I figured I could give you a hand if you want."
The red and white haired boy really was trying to make new friends... Kind of. However, his lack of social skills and massive amount of power tended to make him a little intimidating to some of his classmates. On the other side of the same coin, he felt like some of his classmates were a little bit... Much. Peter on the other hand, wasnt very loud and was easy to talk to. Over the course of their outing the two had actually chatted quite a bit and Todoroki found himself loosening up around the new kid.
"I'd actually appreciate that. Thanks Todoroki!"
Shoto just nodded while stuffing his hands in his pockets before turning around and walking away, leaving just two standing in front of the restaurant. Yaoyorozu smiled as she watched Todoroki turn the corner. "You seem to cause quite an effect on the people you meet. Before you came along, Todoroki hardly ever spoke to anyone."
"Yeah I kinda figured that when he said his sister wanted him to try to make some friends. I've been there before with my Aunt May." He said as chuckled. If only she could see him now. "So I guess you're gonna call it a night too huh?"
"Actually I could use a little caffeine. I just got a new book I'm dying to crack open when I get home." She smiled. "There's a cafe down the street, would you care to join me?"
"Sounds like a plan." He said as the pair began to shuffle down the street and after a short walk they were at the cafe. A warm glow of light from the afternoon sunset draped itself over the town and the young students as Peter opened the door for her. The smell of freshly ground coffee beans and steeped tea filled the air. Both ventured up to the counter to find an older lady in a brown apron behind the register who greeted them. Momo ordered a cup of hot tea and Peter ordered something called a "red eye", a drink she was unfamiliar with. Peter began to reach for his wallet but she beat him to the punch and paid for both drinks.
"So what exactly did you order?"
"Oh a red eye? It's just a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso added in."
"You just don't like to sleep do you?" Momo joked as she sipped her tea.
"Oh quite the opposite actually. I love to sleep it's just that all the travel has my sleep schedule majorly shot. I have a few things I wanted to take care of around the apartment before passing out tonight anyway."
"Ah a little spring cleaning?"
"More like trying to fix the electrical wiring in the bathroom lights so I don't have to shower in the dark again." He laughed.
"Just try not to electrocute yourself. I've grown rather fond of having you around."
"Not the worst thing in the world right?" He joked.
"Not even close. Now tell me a little bit about this book you lent me." She said with a warm smile.
The two continued to talk about nearly everything they could think of. The sun had finally finished setting and the pale glow of the moon was beginning its takeover of Musutafu. The pair had quite literally managed to squeeze every bit of time they had in the day talking to one another. They had thrown kindling onto already rapidly heating embers. As the cafe was about to close, the two decided that they should get going so the shop could close without their presence interfering. As they exited, Peter offered to walk the young lady home, an offer that Momo gladly accepted.
As the pair approached the Yaoyorozu manor they stopped at the gate. The pony-tailed girl looked up at the boy. Her blush was hidden by the growing twilight. "Thank you for walking me home Peter." She said softly. She was a little sad that the day had come to an end. Time truly does wait for no one, she supposed.
"No problem Yaoyorozu!" The boy said in response. "I'll see you tomorrow! Goodnight."
"Goodnight Peter." She watched as the young man seemed to hesitate. He turned back around and took a couple steps towards her. She could practically hear her own heartbeat.
"Actually, would you want to grab some coffee tomorrow before class?" He asked her in a sudden moment of courage.
"Absolutely. Same place?" She responded as she tried her best to hide her own elation.
"Sounds great! I'll see you there around 6:30?"
"I'll be there." She beamed.
"Awesome! Goodnight Yaoyorozu." He said as he turned and started his journey home.
She stood motionless in the moonlight outside of the gate to her massive home and watched as the boy turned the corner and disappeared from her sight.
Never before had the young man ever known this kind of weariness. He trudged up the steps of his apartment and rummaged around his backpack before pulling out the key. He unlocked the door and flipped the light switch. He sat his school bag down by the door and pulled out his phone. He typed out a message and hit send before placing it back in his pocket. He headed towards his bedroom and passed a picture of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. He smiled sadly as he lifted up the picture. Without warning he whipped around at the sound of a knock at the door.
Who on earth would be at his door right now? Only a few dozen people in this entire country even knew he existed! He rolled up his sleeves and made his way over to the peephole. Before he could even look, a voice called out from behind the door.
"Open up Parker, I know you're in there. I saw you walk in two minutes ago."
Through the peep hole he could see his homeroom teacher standing outside. "Mr. Aizawa??"
He quickly opened the door to let the man into his home. The man breezed past him.
"You seem to be settling in. Have a seat." The man instructed as he walked through the apartment of the extremely confused young man.
"Uhhh... Do you... Want something to drink or something... Also... What are you doing here?" Parker said as he tried to understand what was happening. He was really grateful for that red eye right about now.
"Don't make me repeat myself." The man glared.
"Yep. You got it." He webbed an old plastic crate and brought it to his hand to sit on. Aizawa took the couch.
"I've spent a day of class with you so far. I'm aware that you have the ability to follow directions. You will save all questions until the end of what I'm here to say. Are we clear?"
"Yes sir."
"I'm on patrol so this is going to be quick. Now that you're a member of this class, it's time you learned about what this particular group has been through... And you'll get to answer some of my questions as well." The man said as he tossed a copy of 'The Daily Bugle' at his feet. The cover read "SPIDER VIGILANTE STRIKES AGAIN! Two more car thieves are taken into custody and off the streets of NYC."
'Oh shit...' the boy stared at the newspaper as if it were a ghost.
"Let me just start off by saying that Principal Nezu, as well as I, and the other faculty at UA, were already well aware of your past unauthorized actions of crime fighting back in America. The decision was made that as long as you are able to keep your head on straight here in Japan and leave the habit of taking the law into your own hands behind you, then you would not be denied admission into UA." He began. "The decision was unanimous. There's no sense in turning away someone of your skill set that wants to become a hero the right way."
Peter began to relax as he waited for his teacher to continue.
"Regardless of what you might suspect, I'm not here to intimidate you into falling in line." Aizawa continued. "I've come to the conclusion that you've gotten more experience under your belt than all these newspapers would suggest." He said as he pulled up two more articles on his cellphone and handed it to the boy.
"You really don't miss anything do you Mr. Aizawa?" Peter said to the man, returning the device after quickly looking over the tabs.
"Your body is covered in scars according to reports from Recovery Girl's examination. That, coupled with the way you saved Yaoyorozu are all the evidence I need to make that claim. That kind of aerial rescue is hard, even some pros would have trouble pulling it off. I know you have experience and a plethora of it at that... That's why I'm coming to you for help."
"Wait what?"
Momo closed the front door behind her and leaned up against it. She clutched her school bag to her chest as the events of the day replayed over again in her mind. Nothing on earth could have prepared her for it. So many twists and turns that strayed far from the path of normalcy had taken place. As she collected herself she noticed Mr. Kenichi approaching her.
"Hello there Miss Momo. Getting in a bit late this evening are we?" He said as he bowed to her.
"Yes it seems so. So many things just continued to happen today that prevented my regular schedule from taking place." She said as she took the book Peter had given her from her bag. She then handed her backpack to the old man as he escorted her to her room.
"If I may be so bold as to ask what happened. You seem a bit flustered." He commented as they climbed the stairs in the foyer.
"We got a new student in our class today... He kinda grabbed my attention." She confided in the old man.
"Oh... So caught your eye has he?" Mr. Kenichi said with a smile. "Do tell me more if you wish."
Momo sighed as she retold the butler everything that had transpired since she left home, only leaving out a few... Sensitive... Pieces of information from her time spent in the infirmary.
"My word, he really jumped off that building and saved you did he? Looks like the young man has, at the very least, earned a seat at the table for dinner sometime. I'm sure your parents would agree!"
Momo threw up her hands in front of her and began to wave them violently. "Nonononono Mr. Kenichi please don't tell them yet. I don't want to overwhelm him. I'm already afraid things might be moving unnaturally fast as they are."
"Too fast?! Whatever do you mean Miss Momo? When I was about your age I met a wonderful girl on the train one day. We began to talk and decided to have lunch together when we got off at our stop. After some seemingly short time that young lady and I married and lived happily together for 45 years until she passed away." The old man said fondly recalling the days from his youth. He met her gaze, "Love does not run at any speed or follow the rules of time. We are not given a map to navigate the feelings in our hearts, we have to simply choose whether or not we follow them."
Momo was moved by the wisdom given to her by the old man. There was an unexplainable comfort behind his words that eased her spirit. The two continued down a long hallway.
"After all, as you yourself have learned today, we can never be certain what each day will bring. A day will come when neither you or I are here. It is more important to enjoy that time than it is to spend it wondering what could happen at every turn." He said as they reached her bedroom door.
"I am beyond relieved that you are safe Miss Momo. I will always be forever grateful that this young man's path crossed your own today. I do hope I get the chance to show him my gratitude in person someday." he said as they stopped beside her bedroom door.
"I hope so too... Thank you Mr. Kenichi." She bowed before she entered her room. The weight that had been lifted from her had put her in the mood for some much needed self care.
She carried her borrowed book into her personal bathroom and began to draw herself a bath. She laid her phone on the table behind her and lit a few candles. She placed the book onto a table designed to rest over the edges of the tub and tested the water...Perfect. She made her way out of the bathroom and reentered in a white fluffy bathrobe with a matching towel in hand. The robe and towel were discarded to the side as she slipped down beneath the bubbly water. She took a deep cleansing breath and began to read.
As she delved deeper into the book, she began to understand why Peter has seemingly read through it so many times. She was immersed into the fictitious land as the bath water soothed her aching body that was worn from her training.
She wasn't sure if it was the suddenly cooling temperature of the water or the beep from her phone that tore her away from her current page. She released the water and draped her towel around herself and walked over to where she had laid down her phone.
A text message from an unsaved number.
Unknown number: Hey it's Peter. I just made it home. I'm not sure if you're asleep or not but I just wanted to say that I had a great time today and I'm really glad we met. Hope you're enjoying the book... There's a prequel too when you're done with that one.
She reread the message several times with a sweet smile before typing one of her own in response. After she hit send, she saved Peter's phone number into her contacts. Typically Momo was one to organize everything in her life to the best of her ability, and that included her cellphone contacts. It made life easier for someone whose day revolved around so much memorization. First name. Last name. Phone number. Save. Was the typical order of operations when entering someone new into her phone. However for Peter, she decided to break the status quo as she added his number.
"Peter :)"
"I'm sorry I don't mean to sound unwilling or anything but I'm having trouble understanding what you could need my help for? I mean, I just got here." Peter rambled.
"Well that's probably because you haven't let me say what I need from you yet." Aizawa pointed out. "And the fact that you just arrived today is exactly why you're the only one I can trust to do what I'm about to ask."
"Right.. sorry sir." Peter apologized and waited for the man to continue.
"First a little bit of background information is necessary." He began, "A few weeks ago at the USJ rescue training grounds, your new class was attacked by a group of terrorists who call themselves "The League of Villains". Myself along with another teacher were injured defending the students until help could arrive and force the villains to retreat." The man pulled his sleeve past his elbow revealing a rather nasty scar. It was as if part of his arm was disintegrated. "Some of your classmates had to fight for their lives. As far as we have figured out, their only motive was to kill All Might in hopes of bringing down the age of heroes."
Peter was shocked to say the least. If a group of villains were bold enough to attack UA then they were either extremely powerful or incredibly naïve. Nevertheless, a group that was gathered around the objective to kill the symbol of peace was extremely dangerous.
But where did he fit into all this?
Aizawa took Peter's silence as an invitation to continue. "This next bit of information is to be kept strictly to yourself. Nothing you are about to hear is public knowledge. There is barely any police documentation on the situation as a matter of fact." Aizawa glared at the boy. "The day before the attack there was a massive media rush of the school campus that provided a convenient distraction from a break in to steal official UA documents such as teacher schedules, class rosters, and the schematics of the USJ..."
Peter's face was stoic. Something still wasn't right. Even under the distraction of the press, the school was basically a fortress crawling with some of the greatest pro heroes in the country.
"UA High's security is second only to Tartarus Maximum Security Prison. There is no possible way for anyone to break into that school without help from someone aiding the culprits from the inside." Aizawa explained as Peter began to connect the dots.
"You believe UA has a mole." The boy stated.
"We aren't sure, but it is the only logical explanation the principal and the rest of the faculty could deduce based on the evidence and events that transpired." Aizawa confirmed.
"And I'm the only person who wasn't here during the whole thing. That's why you're asking me to help. You want me to find the traitor."
"You're only halfway correct. This course of action is extremely classified and off the record. The only ones who are aware of this plan are Principal Nezu, myself, and All Might. You won't actively be doing anything. We need you to keep your eyes and ears open around your classmates and the other students around the school. If you find anything suspicious or substantial, you report to me immediately. Can I trust you Parker?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright then. I was never here." The man got up to leave.
"I'd honestly believe that. I'm pretty tired." Peter chuckled.
"I don't do jokes." Aizawa said dryly as he walked past him towards the door.
"I have gathered that. Sorry.. just a habit. See you tomorrow then?"
The man just threw his hand up in a wave as he shut the door behind him.
Peter shook his head. So much had happened today. He was ready to sleep. He desperately needed it. Nothing on earth would keep the boy from his soft comforting mattress.
*Ding
He pulled his phone from his pocket. One unread message. He unlocked his phone.
Momo :) : Glad you made it home safe. I've barely been able to put your book down. The characters are so vividly complex. This is the best story I've read in a long time. Now I believe you mentioned something about a prequel? ;)
The boy smiled at his phone. Sleep could wait after all.
HERE'S THE PREVIEW!!!
Todoroki: "Parker, what exactly am I doing here again?"
Peter: "We're previewing the next chapter."
Todoroki: "Oh... We're moving stuff into Parker's apartment after a quick timeskip."
Peter: "A little blunt, but nice execution buddy!"
Todoroki: "The UA Sports Festival finally gets announced..."
Peter: "Now that's what I'm talking about! Better get to training!"
Todoroki: "And Yaoyorozu comes over to Parker's apartment."
Peter: "That sounds awes- Excuse me?"
Todoroki: "Next Time... Local Celebrities."
Peter: "No! Not next time! What do mean Yaoyorozu's coming over?!"
Todoroki: "GO BEYOND!"
Peter: *sigh "Plus ultra..."
Todoroki: "How was that?"
Peter: "You did great bud... You did great."