Silly oneshot story I wrote one afternoon when I had free time.

Enjoy!

Resonance: Whispers of tomorrow

Izuku sighed as he made his way towards a specific location of great importance to him, ocassionally looking around him to take in the view of his hometown.

Musutafu had gone through quite a lot of changes, yet it was still the same old city Izuku had lived in since he was born. A new store had opened here, a restaurant had closed its doors over there, a new set of apartments was being built there... It didn't really matter to Izuku since he knew this city by heart by now, but it was still interesting to see how the city changed as the years progressed.

Time really flies by unnoticed. The fact that it's been ten years since he and his friends graduated from U.A was still baffling to Izuku!

Quite a lot of things have happened since then.

Their goals and dreams were realized altogether, since most of class A and B were amongst the top pro hero ranks in Japan.

Mirio Togata was currently the number one hero thanks to his reassuring smile and sheer determination.

His bully-turned-best-friend Bakugo was struggling to rise amongst the ranks due to his explosive temper, but the fact that he was in the top 10 was still satisfying to him and to Izuku.

His friends were all top heroes recognized throughout the country.

Society was transforming for the better thanks to them.

But... Not all was perfect.

Izuku's life had taken a turn he didn't expect, though he really should have seen it coming.

When he was a kid, he inherited the greatest quirk of all from All Might, the greatest hero that ever lived. A power passed on through generations to fight off great evil called "One for All". Ironically enough, that power had been the cause of Izuku's decline. One for All was a power so great that it caused his bones to break every single time he used it. Izuku had used that power to achieve his long-standing dream of becoming a hero for a while, and that period of time had been one filled with many emotions.

He felt happy because he experienced what it was to be a hero, but he had seen way more corpses than he cared to see in his entire life. Plus, he saw how rotten and utterly disappointing hero society was like. None of that deterred him, though. He had managed to break through it all and stop a global menace called "All for One" for good, and he was a symbol of hope for the entire country at one point. Heck, he was even offered to be a pro hero after his final battle with All for One!

But...

He didn't expect his own body to be his biggest enemy after the battle against the villains was won.

All that time of repeatedly smashing his bones mounted up as the years passed, and his body had developed osteoporosis.

His bones hurt everytime he tried to overwork himself.

He was no longer fit to be a hero, and everyone knew it.

Izuku wasn't exactly sad about it, since he was offered a work post at Centipede's agency thanks to his Hero Work Studies being done there when Sir Nighteye was still alive. Centipede and Bubble Girl took notice of his analytical skills and amazing plans, so hiring Izuku was simply a no-brainer for them. There, Izuku had been pouring his heart and soul into his work and it showed on the many successful plans he came up with. In no time, he was the head of the agency when Centipede and Bubble Girl left the agency to become independent. This job came with its benefits, because he was well-paid, somewhat recognized and he got to hang out with Mirio from time to time.

Still...

Sometimes, Izuku felt... alone.

Today was one of those times, and so, Izuku did the same thing he's done since he stopped trying to become a hero whenever he felt lonely.

He visited a certain statue which was coming into view.

Izuku looked at the statue with nostalgic eyes. The statue represented All Might, alongside both class A and class B, standing triumphantly with their fists raised to commemorate the ocassion in which a global menace fell thanks to their combined efforts. The statue was built on Kamino, the place in which All Might and All for One battled once many years ago, and also the place in which the heroes made one last stand against the greatest villain of all, rising triumphantly over evil.

The corners of Izuku's mouth curved upwards in a small smile at the sight of his friends' immortalized expressions. Their faces brought Izuku back to the times when they were still together. All the laughter, tears, challenges, experiences they shared... Looking at this statue felt right to him, since Izuku felt like he could imagine that his friends are still beside him in these moments of solitude, even if that was just wishful thinking.

He was on his own, and he knew it well.

Then, Izuku hears a female voice behind him.

"Izuku?"

Upon turning around, Izuku sees an orange-haired girl in her civilian outfit standing behind him with a soft, surprised expression.

It was none other than class B's big sister, the pro hero "Battle Fist" herself, Itsuka Kendo.

The one person he had kept more or less in contact with.

Izuku's eyes go wide. "I-Itsuka?"

Itsuka approaches Izuku as a smile appears on her face. "Wow, I didn't think I'd see you here! What's up?"

Izuku rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, I... I was just passing through here, Itsuka! What are YOU doing here?"

Itsuka chuckles. "I guess I was just passing through here too, Izuku."

Izuku chuckles. "How... curious, right?"

Then, Itsuka's smile falls for a bit. "Say... How are you? You know, your bones and all..."

Izuku supresses a frustrated sigh. Oh, how he hated remembering his powerlessness. Still, he forces a small smile for Itsuka. "I... I guess I'm fine. Not much different from the last time we saw each other."

Itsuka's smile is replaced by a concerned expression. "So... You're fine? It doesn't hurt?"

Izuku shrugs. "Sometimes it hurts, but my bones mostly just hurt when I do a lot of physical activity."

Itsuka crosses her arms while looking away briefly. "Sorry... I know it's not something you like to be reminded of..."

Izuku smiles softly. "Don't worry, Itsuka. I've had a lot of time to accept it, and I'm not really in need for care or something like that. I've been doing well at the agency!"

Itsuka returns Izuku's smile. "I'm glad, Izuku. Say... Wanna sit down and talk some more?"

Izuku looks beside Itsuka and notices a free bench. Izuku nods softly. "I'd love to, Itsuka."

Itsuka smiles before taking his hand and proceeding to walk with Izuku to the bench.

The couple sit on the bench while looking at the statue in comfortable silence. They felt a little better now that they had each other's company, though they knew that they weren't being completely honest with each other. They knew this for a fact, since the couple knew each other very well. Izuku and Itsuka met at the Sports Festival when they were both teens, and they got along pretty well. Since then, they became friends and spent time training while they were alone.

Itsuka had been a great friend to Izuku in his darkest days, like the days following Sir Nighteye's death or the time he decided to look for Shigaraki and All for One on his own after leaving U.A for about a month. After the dust was settled and villains were no longer a very prominent threat, Izuku had significantly toned down his conversations with Itsuka, though she was the only person he sometimes messaged when he felt lonely.

On the other hand, Izuku was a very calming presence to Itsuka. He was the one person who didn't judge her when he learned about her tomboyish habits and lifestyle. He was the only boy who ever got to see her room, and even though he made a comment saying that her room was very manly, he had been completely accepting and understanding to her. It pained her when Izuku talked to her less and less as the years passed, but at least she was glad he didn't cut off contact with her completely.

Sate to say, the couple knew each other really well at this point, and they both knew that they were hiding something.

After a minute of silence, Itsuka decides to be the one to speak up first. "So... Crazy couple of years, am I right?"

Izuku nods. "You can say that again. I think today marks the tenth anniversary of our graduation, right?"

Itsuka nods. "Yup. I think our classmates are organizing some kind of party today, but I'm not sure where. I feel like I don't wanna go anyways."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a surprised expression. "You don't want to go? Why?"

Itsuka giggles. "If I know our friends, that party is probably some kind of mess organized by Setsuna and Ashido to gossip and talk about boys."

Izuku chuckles. "Perhaps you're right. Ashido always likes to talk about those kinds of things despite having a boyfriend herself."

Itsuka nods. "You know, I never expected her and Kirishima to end up together."

Izuku smiles. "Me neither. They seemed pretty different from each other at first, but if I'm correct then they have some sort of backstory."

Itsuka rolls her eyes. "Of course. The 'childhood friends' thing strikes again. I wonder if they could have pulled off what Jirou and Kaminari did. You know, ending up together despite not having known each other before."

Izuku giggles. "Right. Same applies to Ojiro and Hagakure."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a surprised expression. "Wait... Ojiro and Hagakure too?!"

Izuku laughs softly. "Yup. It's a recent development, but they were always a bit too close to each other. I guess it was destined to happen."

Itsuka smiles. "Wow... I didn't expect that, but I'm happy for them! Man... Why is all the juicy stuff in your class alone? Mine is a bit too dry thanks to Monoma."

Izuku raises an eyebrow while smiling at Itsuka. "Really?"

Itsuka shrugs. "Monoma tries to defuse any romance-related stuff in our class because he wants the entire class to surpass yours, you know how he is. To be honest, I don't think he really needs to do that because the only person who seems to be REALLY interested in that stuff is Setsuna, but she hasn't shown signs of interest for anyone. Guess she'll never find a man 'bedazzling' enough for her."

Izuku rolls his eyes while smiling. "Just give it time. I'm sure things will sprout in your class, Itsuka."

Itsuka sighs. "If you say so..."

Then, the conversation falls apart. No one really knows how to continue.

Itsuka sighs mentally. Perhaps it's time to adress the elephant in the room "Izu... What's the REAL reason you came here today?"

Izuku sighs softly. "I don't know... I guess I just felt... lonely."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a solemn expression. "Lonely...?"

Izuku nods while keeping his gaze on the statue. "Yeah... Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for my friends and I wish them the best of luck with their lives and future projects, but... We used to be really close, and the fact that we don't see each other anymore saddens me... Not to mention how devastated we all were after Sato and Sero's deaths..."

Itsuka nodded in understanding. Sato and Sero were students from class A who gave their lives in the final battle against All for One and Shigaraki. Their deaths affected the rest of class A immensely, and it seemed like the students didn't quite move on from that.

Izuku's words resonated with her on a personal level.

Itsuka sighs. "I understand that. We were shocked when we learned about Tsubaraba and Shishida losing their lives... A part of class B's souls died alongside them."

Izuku looks at the floor, disappointed in himself for forgetting that class B also had suffered sacrifices of their own. "I... I'm sorry, Isuka... I didn't mean to bring that up..."

Itsuka puts her hand on Izuku's shoulder, looking at him with the same solemn expression. "Don't be sorry, Izuku. I was the one who asked YOU, and I completely understand what you mean. That feeling of loneliness... I know how it feels."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a small frown. "Do you? I mean, you're class B's big sister. I figured you'd be surrounded by people who love you and admire you..."

Itsuka withdraws her hand before looking at the floor with a sad expression. "Well... Yes and no... You see... The fact that I used to be class B's president doesn't exclude me from being forgotten or to feel loss, you know?"

Izuku raises his eyebrows. "What...?"

Itsuka crosses her arms. "Have you... seen me anywhere near the top of the current hero rankings?"

Izuku takes a moment to think. Izuku remembered seeing Itsuka being quite high on the hero rankings at one point, but her position had been lowering for some time until she wasn't even in the top 20 heroes of the country. Heck, Izuku didn't even know where she was at this point!

Izuku looks at Itsuka with an apologetc expression. "No... I don't think I've seen you, Itsuka..."

Itsuka nods. "Yeah, I knew it. That's because I'm firm with my ideals."

Izuku raises one eyebrow. "Your ideals?"

Itsuka sighs. "Izuku... I've always taken pride in being an honest fighter. I do my daily chores, I patrol the city, I stop any bad guys I encounter and come home to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Plain and simple. However, in this world your popularity rises if the media likes you. I was offered to model and pose to make more hero propaganda, but I declined in order to preserve my integrity. The media didn't like that, so they stopped recommending me to the general public and that made me less popular. As a result, I don't even know if I'll be in the top 50 heroes this year."

Izuku's eyes widen in surprise. "The top 50?! Itsuka, is it really that bad?"

Itsuka nods. "I guess my emotional state didn't help either... I guess I could have done better, but I was too busy feeling sorry for myself that I ended up slacking on my job."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a worried expression. "Why? What's been on your mind, Itsuka?"

Itsuka looks away from Izuku. "I... Ah... I had a group of friends outside of U.A... They were good people with good intentions, but their quirks weren't suited for hero work, so they decided to study for other stuff..."

"Did they... do something to you, tsuka?"

"No... They advocated for a future without heroes, since they believed that heroes created villains. They took advantage of the chaos caused by the war between heroes and villains to revolt against the government in order to change society for the better..."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with surprise. "A revolt? That... Wow... That's a lot, Itsuka... And... What happened?"

Itsuka looks down solemnly. "All of them were killed by the police and the army. Not a single one of my friends survived... I learned about their deaths months later, when things were calm again..."

Izuku covers his mouth in shock. "Oh no... That's awful... I... I'm sorry, Itsuka..."

Itsuka sighs, trying to hide her shaky tone. "Don't worry, Izuku... I'm more calmed nowadays talking about it, but it really hurt back then... I couldn't talk about them without breaking down... My friends died the same day we defeated All for One and Shigaraki, and I outlived them... They talked about a better tomorrow... They thought that their deaths would serve to create a better world and a cleaner society... But I'm wondering if their deaths were in vain after all..."

Izuku puts his hand on top of Itsuka's hand while looking at her with a reassuring expression. "Don't say that, Itsuka... The world is better nowadays, isn't it? Villains don't appear as often anymore, heroes are tested to not let cases like Endeavor's appear again, heroic figures get some recognition..."

Itsuka sighs before putting Izuku's hand away. "And yet, no one even remembers their names..."

Izuku frowns. "But... Itsuka... You're not alone in this world... Your friends from class B still talk to you, don't they?"

Itsuka groans. "I know I still have all of my friends from class B, but... they started to change after we graduated. They became more superficial, like the former pro heroes. They searched for every opportunity to sell merchandise, to make propaganda of themselves and to become popular... all the while I stayed back from it, asking myself if my former friends would approve of the way I live..."

Izuku looks down, finally understanding Itsuka's problems. Her former friends died in an attempt to change the way society worked, while Itsuka outlived them all. Then, her friends from class B became just as superficial as the past pro heroes were due to the way hero rankings work, and Itsuka slowly but surely fell behind everyone, because she wanted to stay true to her ideals, which were shared by her former friends.

Izuku felt... pity for Itsuka.

If this was the way the heroine had been living this entire time, then it was no wonder she felt lonely. Going up against everything the world stood for with no one else by her side must have been hard, and yet, here she was, still firm and true to her ideals. Though it was an admirable way to live, it must have been a lonely road to walk.

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a sad frown. "Itsuka... How often do you... feel like this? How often do you come here?"

Itsuka sighs. "About once or twice every month. I come here to remind myself of the good times..."

Izuku looks back at the statue again. "Yeah, me too. I come here whenever those sad thoughts try to invade my mind."

Itsuka smiles softly at Izuku. "Izuku, you'll be fine. We all love and care about you. It doesn't matter if you don't have some stupid cape or an official title, you'll always be our hero."

Izuku looks back at Itsuka with a small smile of his own. "Thanks, Itsuka... You know, you should cheer up. Even if things seem a bit lifeless now, I'm one of those people who thinks that everything will get better. You'll get better too, Itsuka. I know you're tough and I know you can beat this."

Itsuka snorts bitterly, though it comes out as a cough rather than a sarcastic chuckle. "I'll try, but it's a bit difficult... I saw all of my friends leave one by one, Izuku... Tetsutetsu, Monoma, Pony, Yui, Reiko, Setsuna... They ALL charged ahead towards the superficial hero dream at full speed, while I stayed behind, wondering if this was the most honest way to live... I guess this is what I get for not getting with the times and adapting..."

Izuku opens his mouth to retort, but he shuts it upon feeling a drop of water on his forehead.

Upon feeling a drop of water on her shoulder, Itsuka looks up. "Oh. Looks like it's about to rain... I didn't notice how late it's getting."

Izuku groans. "Darn it, I forgot to bring my umbrella."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a small smile. "Hey, my place isn't far from here. Let's get you under my roof, tough guy."

Izuku chuckles awkwardly. "I think I'll run home. Thanks for the offer, Itsuka."

Before Izuku can turn away from her, Itsuka grabs his arm and makes him look at her directly. "Not a chance, mister. I'm not letting you overwork your body, you dummy. You're coming with me and that's final, got it?"

Izuku looks at Itsuka in surprise for a moment before letting out a resignated sigh. "Fine, you got me."

Itsuka chuckles. "Thought so. Let's go."

With that, the couple walk at a fast pace towards Itsuka's home.

As it starts to rain, Izuku looks at Itsuka with a bit of puzzlement, yet gratitude. He didn't know why Itsuka was willing to do this for him, but he felt grateful. Perhaps it was due to her protective personality, he thought.

Though, he couldn't help but feel like there was more to this than she was letting on.

After a short walk, the couple arrive at Itsuka's apartment just as it starts to rain. When Izuku enters her home, he notices that Itsuka's apartment is quite small, yet cozy. There's steel furniture, posters of wrestlers and heroes, a coffee machine that looked recently used, some bottles of alcohol around the floor, and her hero outfit was being hung on her rack.

Izuku smiled softly. 'Heh, just like her room at U.A...'

Itsuka smiles at Izuku as she turns to lock the door behind her. "Welcome, Izuku. Sorry about the mess, Setsuna always scolded me for not being as decorative or attentive as the rest of the girls."

Izuku chuckles. "I don't mind, Itsuka. Your home is pretty cool. Cozy too."

Itsuka giggles. "Bet you're just saying that to make me feel better. So, what can I serve you? Tea? Coffee? Alcohol?"

Izuku smiles. "Well... I guess I could have a drink right about now."

Itsuka smiles. "Got it. Make yourself at home, Izuku! You're my guest, after all!"

Izuku nods before sitting on Itsuka's couch.

As Itsuka turns to get Izuku a drink, Izuku takes another look at her apartment.

It looked a bit unkept, though Izuku decided to not say anything about it. Perhaps Itsuka's economical situation wasn't great because of the media relegating her to irrelevance little by little.

After a quick minute, Itsuka comes back with a glass of whisky for Izuku and a beer for herself. "Here you go, Izuku."

Izuku snaps back to reality and smiles at Itsuka. "Only a glass for me and a beer for you? That's not fair, is it?"

Itsuka rolls her eyes before sitting beside Izuku. "My tolerance is pretty good, so shut it. Plus, I don't want your body getting all messed up because of beer, Izuku."

Izuku giggles. "I know I can't drink a lot of this stuff, I was just messing around with you."

Itsuka giggles. "You're lucky you're cute or I would have slapped you, dummy."

Izuku giggles before taking a sip of his drink. Itsuka does the same, going for a big gulp. After a moment, Izuku and Itsuka look at each other with a small smile.

Itsuka smiles at Izuku, wiping off some of the liquid on her jaw. "You know, this kinda reminds me of the time class B held a party to celebrate our provisional hero licenses. Crazy how fast time flies."

Izuku nods. "You're right. I still remember how upset Kaachan was when he didn't get it the first time."

Itsuka chuckles. "Bet he was all sunshine and rainbows."

Izuku giggles. "If only you'd seen him..."

Itsuka raises an eyebrow at Izuku. "You know, I still don't understand why you put up with him so much. The guy is an explosive sociopath. The fact that he's still in the top 10 hero rankings is a miracle."

Izuku rolls his eyes. "I know he's a hassle to put up with at times, but he's been doing changes to his personality as time passed. If you think he's bad nowadays then you should have seen it when we were kids."

Itsuka raises her eyebrow again. "He was even WORSE? Wow... I have to say, you have my respect for tolerating him for so long."

Izuku chuckles. "Even so, I remember the time when I went off on my own to search for AFO and Shigaraki on my own. Kaachan was one of the people who wanted me back the most, and he even apologized for everything he's done to me. He was upset when I told him I couldn't be a hero anymore... I honestly think he's changed a lot since we were kids."

Itsuka takes another sip of her beer before speaking again. "To me it sounds like guilt ate him up. Still, I guess it was nice of him to apologize to you when your class got you back to U.A, Izuku. Your friends are pretty nice..."

Izuku smiles down at his drink. "Yeah, they are... Which is why it makes me a little sad to not see them now."

Itsuka frowns at Izuku's statement. "I still don't understand that. Are your friends really THAT busy to not be able to see you?"

Izuku shrugs. "I guess it's just how things are. Villains might not be a problem anymore, but quirk discrimination still exists. I'm sure they're all too busy in their projects to meet up again."

Itsuka takes yet another sip of her drink. "Maybe so, but I expected more from the people who risked their well-being to get you back to U.A. I mean, whatever happened with Uraraka? You know, the girl that got you accepted back to U.A?"

Izuku looks down at the floor at the mention of Uraraka. "Things with her are... Well... A bit complicated..."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a concerned expression. "Did... Did I bring up a sensitive subject? Oh no, I'm sorry... We can talk about something else if you'd like..."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a smile. "It's fine, Itsuka. Things with Uraraka are more awkward than anything else. I guess I'm just a bit more insecure about things with her because she and I used to be pretty close..."

Itsuka gives Izuku a concerned frown. "Used to be? Izuku, whatever happened to you and her? I remember seeing you two hanging out together all the time..."

Izuku sighs. "Yeah... We used to be together all the time, until the final war with AFO, Shigaraki and the villains... Uraraka had a final showdown with Himiko Toga, and since then, things have been... different."

Itsuka takes another sip of her beer. "Himiko Toga? The crazy blood girl?"

Izuku nods. "Yup. I don't know what happened in that fight or what they talked about, but Toga died during that fight and Uraraka was badly injured. Uraraka managed to recover just fine, but for some reason she started to talk to me less and less as time passed. It's almost as if she was avoding me on purpose."

Itsuka shakes her head. "Ah... Yes... I think I see the problem."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a surprised expression. "You do?"

Then, Izuku sees that Itsuka is probably a bit drunk by the expression on her face. Itsuka looks at Izuku with a serious expression, despite her own cheeks being red. "I think those girls liked you."

Izuku turns red as a tomato. "What?!"

Itsuka nods. "Yup. I've seen it in the other girls. Did Uraraka treat you more specially than the other guys when we were at U.A? Did she speak to you on a higher-pitched tone than normal? Did she turn red whenever you two were close? If so, then she definitely had a crush on you back then."

Izuku looks at the floor, slightly dumbfounded by this revelation. "I... Uhh... Wow..."

Itsuka chuckles at Izuku's embarrassment before taking another sip of her drink. "A lot to take in, right?"

Izuku nods, fighting off the blush on his face. "Definitely."

Itsuka smiles teasingly at Izuku. "So? What would you have told her if she confessed, Izuku?"

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a flustered expression. "What?!"

Itsuka giggles. "I'm just teasing you, Izu. Everyone knows you would have said yes."

Izuku looks down, thinking of the embarrassing, yet strangely thought-provoking question Itsuka had asked him.

After a few moments, Izuku looks at Itsuka with a serious expression. "Itsuka... I... I probably would have said no."

Itsuka almost coughs on her own spit after hearing Izuku's statement. After a moment of non-stop coughing, Itsuka looks at Izuku with a surprised expression. "Sorry, I might have misheard that. What did you say?"

Izuku looks down. "If what you're telling me is true, then... I probably would have brought down Uraraka with me."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a shocked, yet sad expression. "But... But why, Izuku?"

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a small frown. "I still remember Uraraka telling me that I inspired her, and that I've been her source of inspiration ever since I saved her at the entrance exam... But if she were to be in a relationship with me then she'd see that her so-called 'inspiration' is nothing more than a fraud."

Itsuka's surprise turns into sadness. "A fraud? Izuku... Please don't say that."

Izuku sighs. "It's the truth, Itsuka. I was only able to do as much as I did because of my quirk. I would have been nothing if All Might didn't pass One for All to me... Besides, what if Uraraka got to see the side of me no one else knows? The insecure, fragile, useless Izuku Midoriya I always try to hide..."

Itsuka puts her hands on Izuku's shoulders. "Izuku... You're not any of those things."

Izuku looks away from Itsuka. "I am. If I wasn't, then I'd probably be saving others alongside my friends, Itsuka..."

Itsuka grabs Izuku by the cheeks to make him look at her directly. "You're not, and that's final. You can't blame yourself for something you have no control over, Izuku. You can't control your bone condition, and that's something that upsets me."

Izuku raises an eyebrow. "Upsets you?"

Itsuka nods. "I got to meet you for who you are, Izuku, and I know you're one of the most amazing people in this planet. I'm angry at All Might and this world in general for everything they've put you through. You deserved better than... all of this."

Izuku grabs Itsuka's hands and puts them away from his face, though he doesn't stop holding them. "Itsuka... That burden had to go to someone. If it wasn't me it just would have been someone else. If I went back in time and I was presented with the option to give OFA to someone else, I would have rejected it. OFA died a long time ago anyways, so there's no need to worry about someone else being subjected to all that responsibility..."

Itsuka shakes her head. "That still doesn't change my point. You're noble, kind, sweet, brave, smart... You didn't deserve the treatment this world gave to you..."

Izuku smiles softly. "Thanks, Itsuka... To be honest, I feel the same way about you."

Itsuka raises an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Izuku nods. "You're strong, smart, beautiful, protective, courageous... If anyone deserves to be a hero is you. You also deserved more than this."

Itsuka blushes softly at Izuku's compliments, though her smile falls a bit. "How... did things end up like this for both of us?"

Izuku sighs. "I don't know... I guess that's just how life goes sometimes."

Itsuka groans. "Life can be really unfair..."

Izuku nods. "Yeah, but there's not much we can do about it. Uraraka probably doesn't even remember me anymore, and that's something we can't change."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a sad expression. "Izuku, do you really think you're bad for her?"

Izuku shrugs. "Guess so. There's not much point thinking about it now anyways. I haven't seen her in years, but she's probably fine. Last thing she needs is someone bad to her."

Itsuka snorts, though it comes out as a rather choked out cough. "Right. Because you're SO bad..."

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a small smile. "Well... I'm in your house and I made you serve me a glass of your expensive whiskey, Itsuka. How's that for starters?"

Itsuka smiles. "Honestly... I don't think I'd like to spend this day any other way. Izuku... Believe it or not, you're all I got."

Izuku smiles fondly at Itsuka. "You're all I got as well... Gosh, why did we even stop seeing each other?"

Itsuka giggles, scooting even closer to Izuku. "I mean, we kept texting each other from time to time, but it's not the same as this, am I right?"

Izuku nods. "Right..."

Itsuka chuckles again. "I mean, how often does one get to hang out with their crush on a stormy afternoon like this? And on the tenth anniversary of our graduation no less!"

Izuku stares at Itsuka with a blank expression. "Itsuka, what did you say?"

Itsuka smiles back at Izuku. "I said that it's the tenth-"

"No, before that."

"Umm... I said something like... How often does one get to hang out with their..."

Itsuka's eyes go wide upon remembering what she said less than thirty seconds ago. The beer probably got to her head at some point of the conversation and it made her spill out the one thing she didn't want to spill out. Nervous, Itsuka turns away from Izuku and crosses her arms over her chest, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball and let the Earth swallow her right there and then.

Itsuka feels Izuku poke her shoulder, and in return, she scoots away from him.

Izuku's tone is soft, but Itsuka can feel his eyes on her back. "Itsuka... Is that true?"

Itsuka doesn't dare look back at him. "I... Umm... You..."

"Itsuka, look at me."

"But... But I..."

"Please, Itsuka..."

Itsuka lets out a nervous sigh before turning around to face Izuku. In his face, she sees only some confusion, yet there's a small glint of... something else in his eyes.

Izuku speaks in a soft tone. "Since... Since when?"

Itsuka keeps crossing her arms over her chest. "I... Err... I... I think it started around the time of the first war between heroes and villains..."

Izuku's eyes widen in surprise. Was Itsuka really crushing on him for SO long? How? Why?

Itsuka unsuccessfully tries to fight off the blush on her cheeks as she keeps talking. "I remember asking about you when the battle was over... And Yaoyorozu told me you were in a comma with no signs of waking up. I was so scared that you could die... I started to worry about you more than I have ever worried about someone else before. I wondered why I was feeling this way, and I realized that it was because I was in love with you..."

Izuku feels his heart skip a beat.

Itsuka tries to clear her mind to be as direct as possible without letting the alcohol get to her brain again. "After class A found you I was relieved to know that you were safe, but I wanted to slap you for leaving us without saying goodbye... In the end, I chose to do nothing because I thought you and Uraraka were together or would end up together..."

Izuku feels a pang of sadness hit his soul.

Itsuka sighs before looking down. "I think my feelings solidified after you defeated Shigaraki and All for One... I mean, how could I NOT fall for you, Izuku? You're pretty much everything I wanted in a guy, yet I said nothing out of fear that you'd see me differently if I said how I felt... And now... I messed things up... You can leave and never come back if you want... I won't stop you..."

Izuku stares at Itsuka in disbelief for a couple of seconds.

Then, Itsuka lets out a small gasp at the sight of Izuku lifting her head to make her look at him in the eye. He doesn't seem disappointed in her, but he doesn't look thrilled either.

Izuku speaks with a conflicted expression. "Itsuka... Do you... still feel that way?"

Itsuka keeps staring directly at Izuku, fighting the urge to cry. She knows she could mess things up with Izuku forever if he didn't feel the same way. She knows Izuku would have the right to walk away and never talk to her again because she messed up the one good thing she had left...

But she was Itsuka Kendo, and she would stick to her morals and ideals, no matter what.

Itsuka inhales for a moment, deciding to be honest with Izuku. "I... I do."

Izuku looks away, trying to come to terms with his own feelings.

Itsuka gulps, already fearing the worst. "What... do you think about me?"

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a small frown. "Itsuka... You're an amazing girl with lots of great qualities... But..."

Itsuka frowns slightly. "You... You don't feel the same, do you?"

Izuku looks back at Itsuka with the same conflicted expression. "I... I think I do... and that's worrying..."

Itsuka's eyes widen. "Worrying?"

Izuku nods. "Yes... I'm worried because I don't want you to worry about me the way everyone else does... I don't want to bring you down with me..."

Itsuka stares sadly at Izuku. "Izuku, have you not been listening to me? I never said that you'd bring me down... Why does that have to be the case? Can't we grow stronger together?"

Izuku sighs. "I know, but... I'm still worried that I'll be bad for you, Itsuka..."

Itsuka raises her eyebrows, baffled by Izuku's words. "Bad for me?"

Izuku nods. "I don't want to disappoint you like I'd disappoint Uraraka..."

Itsuka sighs. "Dummy... You and I have been hanging out since we were TEENS. I've seen you at your best and at your worst and not ONCE have I said something bad about you. Of course you're not 'bad for me', Izuku..."

Izuku looks away for a moment. "I... I don't know, Itsuka..."

Itsuka grabs Izuku's hands. "If that's what you're worried about, then who says I'm not bad for you as well?"

Izuku looks at Itsuka with a slightly confused expression. "Huh?"

Itsuka nods. "Yeah... I'm a forgotten heroine who probably has mental issues and not much to sustain myself economically. I'm a stupid girl who can't stop thinking about her dead friends and wants to live by their honorable ideals in this dishonorable world. I'm just a selfish bitch who is trying to keep you here despite it not being in your best interest..."

Izuku looks down at his hands being held in hers.

In a way, this situation was funny.

Thinking about the current situation got a small smile to form on Izuku's lips. "Oh, wow..."

tsuka raises her eyebrows. "What?"

Izuku chuckles softly. "We're terrible, aren't we?"

Itsuka chuckles as well. "Yup. Just the worst to ourselves and to each other."

Izuku looks at Itsuka in the eye. "And... Judging by these conversations, we're both messed up in the head, aren't we?"

Itsuka giggles. "Yeah... We are."

Izuku scoots closer to Itsuka. "Well... Let me propose you something..."

Itsuka also scoots closer, interested in his next words.

Izuku smiles softly. "What if... we tried to make each other... not so messed up?"

Itsuka stares at Izuku blankly for a couple of seconds before letting out a small laughter, which Izuku mirrored shortly afterwards.

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a small smile. "I'd say that's... an interesting proposal. How would you like to go about it?"

Izuku's smile widens. "Perhaps we can start by talking some more... You know, to properly catch up after all this time. How about tomorrow at 6?"

Itsuka raises her eyebrow with a wider smile. "Hmm, how tempting. I'm down if we do it at the bar across the street."

Izuku chuckles. "It's settled, then."

Itsuka grabs Izuku by the shirt and gets closer to his face. "Why not start now, mister?"

Izuku wraps his arms around her with a teasing smile. "Wouldn't that be too hasty, Itsuka?"

Itsuka chuckles. "Nah, I'd say we've both waited long enough, dummy."

Izuku doesn't have enough time to nod before Itsuka smacks her lips on his own. After a moment, Izuku relaxes and melts into the kiss, embracing Itsuka after all the time spent away from her.

Deep in the minds of the adults, there was a small remnant of fear, but for the first time in a long time, neither of them felt like they'd be alone again. Neither of them had anywhere else to go or anyone to turn to, yet strangely enough, Izuku and Itsuka were looking forward to this new future together.

From this night onwards, neither Izuku or Itsuka would have to stand against the world alone anymore.