The results of the trio's rather dramatic rescue! Tensei explains a few details of how the world of heroes works. And the trio are starting to get more comfortable with one another.
Luckily for the trio, they didn't have to go to the hospital, because if they had Izuku was pretty sure Aizawa was going to leave the Sports Festival and come personally lecture them for the next ten hours. Unluckily, it turns out that Tensei was one of their Sensei's friends from back when they went to UA, and he could lecture nearly as well.
He wasn't mad at them for saving people, albeit he apparently took a bit of a hit with the HPSC as his instructions of 'evacuate the civilians' was unclear enough that the three would get away with using their powers as they did…but it was still a close call. With their sensitive ears, they could hear the snarled words from the HPSC representative over the phone to Tensei. Not that he took it without argument, defending their actions as best he could, but still, it was a bit uncomfortable.
Granted, they already were uncomfortable physically. Quirk Exhaustion really had hit them and all three of them were floored. Ochako most of all. She held up a five story apartment building by herself. A feat that few, very few, heroes could even pretend they could do. And an eighteen year old first year student had done it, for twelve minutes. She spent twelve minutes holding tons upon tons of weight…and it had all been captured on film.
Izuku had forgotten that in the current day of heroes, that many onlookers (maybe even they had done this a time or two…) would record events with their phone cameras if they themselves were out of danger, and that is exactly what happened. Multiple civilian angles had been sent into various news networks, and all the news was ablaze with the day's events of first year hero students, who were not taking part in the Sports Festival, on their very first internship, saving over 100 people without any major injuries. And of course, no one failed to notice the matching cat features…or the exhausted, pained cuddle pile they had fallen into once it was over.
Izuku hadn't even bothered paying attention to the news after they noticed the first articles. They had simply dove into the bed they'd slept in the night before, shoving a pillow over their head and deciding to pretend the world didn't exist. Especially the 1A group chat because it had not shut up since the news broke. Himiko was busy replying to everyone in it, apparently not as overwhelmed as Izuku was, but they could tell she still was having her own issues, especially with how numb her hands still were.
Ochako was out cold, curled up in a ball, the exhaustion having hit her far worse than Izuku or Himiko. Izuku and Himiko had made sure she ate something before she passed out (a few protein bars…it wasn't much, but it was something at least), and then tucked her in to rest. Izuku was not looking forward to trying to explain to her the fact that all their attempts to not draw attention at the Sports Festival were now utterly gone, since their rescue had gone viral.
"Well, I managed to explain it to the class," Himiko said softly, keeping her voice low to avoid disturbing the sleeping Ochako.
"How'd they take it?" Izuku replied, their voice muffled by the pillow still over their head.
"Mostly a lot of compliments and a few 'holy shit!' stuff. Kirishima just kept saying it was manly, whatever that actually means."
"Any word from Sensei? Is he gonna come murder us in our sleep?"
Izuku couldn't see it, but they could practically sense the shrug from Himiko. "He's said nothing besides sighing loudly and chugging a pot of coffee."
Izuku groaned. "Anything else?"
Izuku didn't expect much of a response, but the sudden surge of trepidation, mixed with exasperation and humor, made their ears perk up as Himiko shimmied in place, the sounds of her movement audible to Izuku. "Well, uh…so you know how the news got ahold of it?"
"Yeah?"
"People kinda noticed the whole cat thing, and started talking about us, and uh…"
Izuku finally lifted the pillow up just enough to make one slitted eye visible, narrowed glare looking at her. "What?"
Himiko offered a nervous smile to Izuku. "The internet has a nickname for us?" Izuku stared at her in consternation. They knew what that meant. It could only be one of three possibilities: A terrible joke, a genuinely awful name, or something uncomfortably horny, and they didn't know which of the three they dreaded most. Nevermind, it was the third one, definitely the third one. She giggled, the sensations Izuku got from her making them feel even more worried, as she turned the phone around to show a highlighted article.
UA Students save the day! Are the 'Three Meowsketeers' ones to keep an eye on?
Izuku blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Staring at the name with a blank expression, they did the only thing they felt they could do in this scenario…slammed the pillow back over their face and whined.
"Well. Today could have gone…differently," Tensei said to the trio as they sat down for dinner. The agency was much more bustling this evening, a decent number of sidekicks working a later shift and so the trio had met a few of them, albeit most were a bit too busy to stay and chat. It didn't help that they were all still tired, especially Ochako, but Tensei had insisted they sit down and eat together…mostly so he could keep an eye on them, with how listless they seemed.
"Sorry," Izuku muttered, abashed.
"Don't apologize, Midoriya. I said you kids did good. It's just…" Tensei sighed, rubbing his chin. "How to put this. Well, you'll find out as you continue your education, but to be blunt, the HPSC is a bit…strict."
"Strict is a word for it," one of his sidekicks muttered, a short, pigtailed woman who was passing by, carrying a stack of papers.
Tensei snorted, playfully waving at her to move on. "Don't corrupt the kids yet!"
"No promises boss!" she replied as she left the room.
Tensei just chuckled, turning back to the trio and waving his chopsticks at them. "Anyways, just wanted to make it clear. You're in the clear, and you did a good thing, just…be warned that the HPSC is gonna have their eye on you now."
"Seems like a lot of people do," Himiko sighed, slumping in her chair, her tail flicking with agitation.
Ochako poked at her food, for once her hesitation less about her fears and more about her lack of appetite due to how tired she was. "I can't believe they called us the 'Meowsketeers'! That's just…ugh!"
"It's not the worst name," Himiko offered, but she couldn't contain her snickers at the thought.
Tensei shrugged. "The internet's a crazy place, and well…three cat mutants who apparently can teleport, do telekinesis, and hold up an entire apartment story as first years were bound to get attention. But really, it was my fault you were put in that situation to begin with. I should have paid more attention to where the villain was activating his Quirk on. Then I would have known the building was coming down." He held up his hand to forestall the immediate protests. "As your mentor, it is my duty to be certain you are kept safe and in the best learning environment. I can't predict everything, but the responsibility was still on my shoulders, not yours. Don't argue with me or I'll call Nem to lecture you for me."
"Nem?" Himiko asked, confused.
"Nemuri, or I guess you'd know her as Midnight."
"Oh, yeah, Miss Kayama is great," Ochako replied, a tired smile crossing her face. Izuku let their own smile appear as they felt the warmth in Ochako's chest at the thought of the helpful teacher who was supporting Ochako through her issues.
"You say that now. Wait till you get on her bad side," Tensei replied with a haunted look in his eyes. "You use one of her spare whips one time for a simple prank and she never lets you live it down."
Himiko snorted in laughter, covering her mouth as if to avoid letting her laughter echo throughout the break room. Tensei arched an eyebrow at her, his face carefully blank but mouth twitching as if to hold back a grin. "Something funny, Himiko?"
"N-no sir," Himiko stuttered, still trying to hold in giggles.
"Uh-huh. Really, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We were just trying to mess with Shouta. Of course, she probably was more mad that Hizashi stole her costume and modeled in it…what made her the most mad was Hizashi was able to pull it off," Tensei finished his statement with a wink, making Himiko lose herself to her giggles, and the resulting mix of joy and humor within triggering a snorted, choked laugh from Izuku and bubbling giggles from Ochako.
After a few moments, Tensei gestured vaguely with his chopsticks. "Anyways, we're gonna take it a bit easier tomorrow. We'll mostly go over paperwork and procedures during the day, then I'll take you out on patrol later in the afternoon. Should be a quiet one. After dinner, you three get some rest, and be sure to sleep! Quirk exhaustion sucks, but it's in the name, it's exhaustion, and the best thing you can do for it is to rest and recuperate."
Himiko rolled her shoulders, wincing slightly as she got ready for bed. She still was aching from the overuse of her Quirk, and she wished she knew how to make it go away easier. Not to mention Ochako was also radiating pain and tiredness. Izuku was the one who seemed the least in pain, but she knew that was less that they were hurting as much as her, and more that their pain tolerance was superhuman due to how they grew up. They'd figured out a long time ago that the bond transferred some physical pain, or rather, the emotional echoes of that physical pain, but due to Izuku being able to mentally dismiss the pain so well, their pain never quite made it across as much.
"Um…Himi?" Izuku asked softly, making her turn to them with a questioning look. They seemed a bit flustered, their face tinged red and eyes averted, but the feelings across the bond were a weird mix of embarrassment, affection, and determination, so she really had no idea what Izuku planned. With a sigh, they nodded firmly, as if steeling themselves before meeting Himiko's eyes. "Do you want a backrub?" they asked, making Himiko blink at them in confusion, her feelings mirrored by the now more awake Ochako.
Izuku waved their hands vaguely, as if unsure what to do with them as they continued. "I um, used to look up massage techniques and stuff because um, my hands would hurt a lot from writing my notes, and um, I know it can help with aches and pains and I figured I'd offer. It's open to you too, 'Chako, I just thought I'd start with Himi, i-if you want that is, it's fine if not of course."
Himiko felt a bit flustered by the thought of it, it felt…oddly intimate, but they already shared a bed anyways, and could feel each other's thoughts, and pet each other's ears and nuzzled each other and…wow, the more she thought about it the less embarrassed she was. They were very touchy feely anyways, and it was exacerbated by the cat mutation, so like…what was the harm? She shrugged, turning around and plopping herself on the edge of the bed in front of Izuku, leaving some space between them for Izuku to get into the right spot.
She could tell Izuku understood her silent acceptance, because they shuffled into place, gently pulling Himiko back slightly so she was right in front of them. She was so focused on the ache in her bones and her own contemplations, she almost didn't notice when Izuku's hands landed on her lower back, but she nearly fell over backwards as she felt the sudden feeling of almost painful release in her lower back, Izuku's hands pressing into the knots in her back and fixing them like magic.
She let out a groan and fell backwards into Izuku, the green-haired teen almost flailing to catch her. She could feel Izuku's consternation, fond bemusement, and slight annoyance at her action, but didn't bother with words because it was pretty easy she wanted Izuku to continue. Even the single press on her back was more than enough to get her interested in more, and Izuku did not disappoint. They were meticulous in finding the knots in her back beneath her sleep tank top, followed by some gentle rubs on her shoulders and arms that loosened the tension beneath her skin and sent warmth into her muscles.
She was half-asleep in their arms, a thousand times more comfortable than before, the cold ache in her bones a distant memory now as she found herself purring quietly. Izuku gently scratched her ears. "'Chako, do you want a backrub too?" Izuku asked, turning to look at the brunette.
Himiko opened one eye enough to look at Ochako, the brunette slightly flushed yet clearly interested considering how relaxed Himiko felt. With a groan, Himiko lifted herself off Izuku's rather solid front and half-scooted, half-rolled across the bed to where Ochako was. She flopped herself in Ochako's lap, hugging her around the waist loosely as she nuzzled into her abdomen. "You totally should try it, 'Chako. Izu's good at this."
"...well, I mean…okay, but um, kinda hard when you're like-" Ochako began, but Izuku cut her off with a snort as they got up and walked around the edge of the bed.
"It's okay, I'll just go here," they offered, sliding onto the bed behind Ochako. Ochako didn't get much of a chance to react, between Himiko purring in her lap and Izuku just getting into it, but she didn't really care once Izuku began to rub her back. She didn't have the same muscle aches that Himiko did, but it wasn't like she lacked her own knots, and she realized very quickly that Himiko was absolutely right, Izuku knew what they were doing.
Ochako found herself leaning back into Izuku's grasp, one arm loosely wrapped about the Himiko in her lap and the other running her fingers through Himiko's hair, her own eyes closed as she hummed in contentment. She let out a hiss, the feeling of relief almost painful as Izuku managed to untangle a really bad knot in the center of her back. With an almost amused start, she realized she'd started purring just like Himiko was, and yet she couldn't find it in herself to be embarrassed by it, even if she still didn't get how she could purr. It felt…comforting. Not only to hear Himiko, but to be doing it herself, as Izuku's warm hands continued to rub at her back and shoulders and even around her neck, nimble, strong fingers gently pressing and pushing and oooh she was going to fall asleep in no time like this.
She let out a whine when Izuku finally stopped, turning her head slightly to give them a pouting glare. Izuku, cheeky little brat they were, just snickered at her, reaching up to rub her ears and make her eyes flutter shut once more. "Cheater, Izu," she muttered, pressing her head into Izuku's as she tried to make them rub in just the right spot.
"If I knew I could calm both of you down this easily, I'd have done it weeks ago," Izuku replied, amusement in their tone.
"Not fair," Himiko whined, her voice slurred slightly. "I don't know how to do that to you…don't you hurt too?" she rolled over in Ochako's lap, glancing up at Izuku.
Izuku shrugged. "Not really…wait, no. Okay, no," they said, almost to themselves. Both Himiko and Ochako now turned to look at them in confusion, Izuku looking down at the bedspread for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Y-you're right, my back hurts too. And I wouldn't mind if you wanted t-to give me one later, but for now, you're both tired and neither of you knows how. Maybe um…maybe after internships I can show you guys?"
"...Izuku…did…did you just not dismiss your own pain and actually admit to wanting something from us?" Ochako asked, eyes wide. Izuku shrugged sheepishly, not meeting Ochako's eyes. The brunette looked down at Himiko, the blonde teenager's eyes as wide as her own, as they shared a single thought through a glance.
Izuku had no time to react, playfulness, joy, and mischievous coming across the bond as the other two cat teens leapt at them, tackling them into the bed with a loud, confused yelp escaping Izuku's mouth. They had no time to pull the two off of them, as they both immediately reached up and began to scratch their eyes, sending them straight into bliss as they relaxed into the bed.
"I'm so proud of you," Himiko murmured, laying her head into the crook of Izuku's neck and nuzzling at their shoulder.
"Me too, Izu. And thanks for the backrub," Ochako added, snuggling into their side.
Izuku wanted to reply, but found it difficult to make a sensible word other than various noises of acknowledgement so gave up. They could tell the girls had no intention of stopping the scritches anytime soon, and honestly, that was perfectly fine with their hazy brain. But this whole thing was still missing something…ah, right. Blanket. But that required getting up…nope, telekinesis! With a thought, the blanket lifted up, unfolded itself, and proceeded to fall down atop the trio, the most effort Izuku could put in considering how blissful the scritches felt…atop of the warm and fuzzy and relaxed feelings from the other two. This…this worked. Izuku felt a yawn escape them, Himiko throwing one leg over theirs, Ochako's other hand stretching across their chest to latch onto Himiko's, and once more, they fell into sleep, ready to face the next day.