Friday morning may not have been perfect, but it sure as heck was slightly awkward; Izuku was having difficulty looking at Momo without his mind running rampant with the thoughts that had plagued him the night before. Momo was suffering the same that darn dream wouldn't fade. Little did they know that tonight would not only make today's awkwardness seem like normalcy, but nothing would ever be the same again after tonight. But that was tonight. This is the morning.
Inari was strangely muted this morning, as if the little girl was contemplating the mysteries of the universe and had decided that it was more than her little mind could comprehend or that she was solving the problem of everything and couldn't be bothered with much else.
She was checked for fever or illness by all involved. Surprisingly, the winner of her affection was Toru; Inari hugged her and didn't want to let go. So much so that Izuku had to ask Toru if she would be willing to walk with him to drop her off at daycare. Itsuka hid her pout of not going by the coffee cart well, but Momo noticed. Of course, she noticed she had been thinking about Itsuka quite a bit over the past day.
"Itsuka, would you like to head out with me? I heard of this coffee cart I would like to visit," Momo said. Itsuka perked up and nodded, grabbing her bag and following the heiress out the door. How did Momo know of the coffee cart? Izuku had walked into class with a cup, prompting a conversation. He mentioned taking Itsuka there as a thank-you for walking with Inari.
The duo walked out; Momo kept the conversation light until they were well away from the dorms. Momo had never had a conversation close to this and was hesitant to begin. "Itsuka…"
Itsuka could hear the trepidation in Momo's voice, "What's up? Momo."
"I know this may sound a bit odd, and you don't have to respond in kind, but I don't know exactly how to say this…"
Oh my god, is she about to confess? I'm flattered, she is gorgeous, sweet, smart… Wait what!
"I wanted to say that I think of you as my best friend." Ituska was relieved, confused but relieved. "I know you may not feel the same, but I have known you for as long as Izuku. And that is the longest I have known anybody outside of house staff, but I don't think that counts."
Itsuka thought about it, and she was close to Momo, more so than anyone else, especially after… it pained her for a moment, but she realized she wasn't trying to replace Suijin with anyone. Momo, after all, was very different. "I agree with you, Momo; you are also my best friend."
That made Momo's heart flutter for some reason, giving the heiress pause. "I was wondering, since Izuku has plans on Saturday if you wanted to hang out, maybe we could go get our hair done and maybe a manicure?" Itsuka looked at Momo, and the heiress looked cute, fidgeting with her hands and rocking her shoulders. To any on the outside, it would look like some confession.
"I would love to," Itsuka said, and Momo lit up like she had won a fantastic prize.
"I will make all the arrangements, and we can talk more after school today," Momo said. The heiress was beaming as they ordered their coffee and headed to class.
-Izuku and Toru-
"Thank you again, Toru," Izuku said as they walked to the daycare. "I don't know what's gotten into her this morning."
"It's okay, Izuku," Toru replied; he could detect happiness in her voice. "Inari is adorable, and snuggling this little thing is a good way to start my morning. You okay, little one?"
Inari nodded slightly, as she just had her head on Toru's shoulder as they walked. As they got closer to the daycare, they heard a girl squeal. They both turned and saw a girl with straight black hair and black eyes but a blue sclera; it made them look like they were floating in an ocean. Her alabaster white skin added to the girl's beauty.
"I am so sorry, but is that your little sister?" the girl said, pointing to Inari. Toru noticed that the girl had approached on the side closest to Inari, but Inari immediately switched to the opposite shoulder and turned her head away. Inari clung tighter to Toru; the invisible girl immediately started rubbing Inari's back and whispering.
Izuku stepped forward, "No, she is my daughter, and this is my friend Toru. She is helping me take her to daycare."
"She is so sweet," the girl said, dripping with sweetness. "Wait, your daughter? Are you the mother?"
Toru said no and moved to position Izuku between herself and the new girl. She noticed that Inari relaxed slightly. "Her mother passed away close to a year ago; I'm sorry you are?"
"Oh, how silly of me," she said lightly, tapping her head, "I just saw her, and she is so darn adorable that I acted without thinking, Ren Ishida, 1st-year Business course." She bowed. "Are you in the hero course?"
"Yes, we both are," he said.
"I would love to sit with you and talk about the whole dad hero thing," Ren said smiling, "We have to put together a marketing campaign for a new hero, and I think the challenge of presenting you would be interesting." Izuku noticed her eyes wandered over him all very briefly. "Her is my contact info, she said as she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. Call me if you are interested. Tootles," she called as she spun her fingers, waving in the air as she skipped the lane.
"She was very odd," Izuku muttered, putting the paper in his pocket.
"I don't think Inari liked her very much," Toru said as Izuku turned towards them. "She seemed upset or something. We should get her to daycare."
Once they arrived, Inari immediately looked around and seemed to brighten up some, slowly leaning over till she found what she thought was Toru's cheek and kissed it; Toru giggled, telling her good job. Inari kissed her dad before transferring to Mrs. Hamero; the little girl seemed to relax. Izuku told the teacher that Inari was acting odd this morning to let him know if anything popped up. Inari didn't even give her traditional "bye, bye" only waiving her little hand at the two before disappearing with the teacher into the back.
"Maybe I should schedule an appointment with Recovery Girl?"
"Nothing seems wrong, but that might not be a bad idea, just in case," Toru said.
-Joint Training-
The morning passed quickly, and lunch was an excitable affair as the joint heroics class was just afterward. Itsuka changed and stepped out onto the training grounds, looking for Izuku. She spotted him talking with Momo and Ochaco. She froze momentarily, looking at the two girls and their "costumes." Ochaco had a much better figure than Itsuka realized, and Momo, holy hell, Momo was stunning.
Itsuka shook her head, confused about why she even thought that and started walking over. Any dour mood or intrusive thoughts vanished when Izuku turned around and saw him look her over. It gave her goosebumps, and that plush smile banished everything else away. (1B Costumes same as Cannon)
"Itsuka, it looks amazing," he gushed, walking over to her. "You look so cool, and not to mention pretty."
She blushed at the compliment but returned his smile, "You look great, too; I like the darker green."
Before he could respond, Momo and Ochaco came over to compliment her, and soon, the rest of their group was arriving; the girls noticed that Mina just smiled and blushed before moving away as Izuku waved and looked away himself. Before anyone could comment, their homeroom teachers emerged.
"1-A to the right, 1-B to the left, line it up!" Vlad yelled out.
"YES, SENSEI!" the students responded.
"Step forward, introduce yourself," he yelled.
Yuga stepped forward for 1-A fist, for 1-B. The first to stand was a boy, 5'8, with Black hair and gray eyes. "Hello, my name is Yosetsu Awase, and my quirk is called weld; I can fuse things at an atomic level."
Next was another boy about the same height with dark brown hair and black eyes. "Sen Kaibara, Gyrate is my quirk; I can make any part of my body rotate at high speeds." Mina stepped up, followed by Tsu.
A tall boy, 6'2", has green skin, green hair, and eyes. "Togaru Kamakiri, Razor sharp, I make blades."
Tenya bowed and made his introduction; the Bakugo stepped up, simply saying his name and quirk. A young man with all black skin and white hair stepped forward, a little taller than the first two. "Shihai Kuroiro, I call my quirk Black. I can merge with anything dark.
Itsuka stepped forward and introduced herself. Most already had an idea of who was already; she noticed that Bakugo gave her a bit of a side eye due to their history and more so from her association with Izuku, but the explosive blonde said nothing.
Yui Kodai surprisingly stepped forward first. She was average height, 5'3, with black hair and cerulean eyes; in an emotionless voice, she pulled an item from her belt, and to 1-A's surprise, it suddenly grew into a 55-gallon metal drum. Then she pressed her fingertips together, and it shook back down. "Yui Kodai, Quirk Size."
"How cool she deactivated her quirk like me," Ochaco said with a smile; Yui just nodded in response once. "Oh, sorry," Ochaco said, blushing as she introduced herself.
Next, the girl could almost be mistaken for Ochaco's sister due to her hair color and height. "Um, H- Hello, my name is Kinoko Komori, shroom, and my quirk is mushrooms. I can make them, and I like them shroom. Ok, bye." The shy girl went and stood behind next to Itsuka. Ojiro followed Kinoko in introducing himself; he tried to get Kinoko to acknowledge him, at least to no avail.
Ibara Shinozaki stepped up, tossing her vine-like hair over her shoulder, her dark green eyes looking over the students from 1-A; she was tall, 5'6, "Hello, I am Ibara Shiozaki, and the lord has seen fit to grant me the gift of vines, I can lengthen and manipulate the vines on my head to the good work God has called me to do." She clasped her hand in front of her and bowed her head. "May the lord's blessing fall upon us this day, may we absorb all the wisdom that our senseis will impart upon us, and may our hearts and minds remain pure. AMEN."
"Cool, Cool, Yo wassup 1-B," Denki said as he introduced himself.
Next, the boy covered in brown fur? Hair? Stepped forward, "Greeting 1-A, I am Jurota Shishida, and I call my quirk Beast; when I activate it, I increase all my physical attributes. I look forward to us working together during this training exercise." Izuku noticed the boy staring at him; Izuku was slightly confused and even looked behind himself to see if someone was behind him.
Momo giggled a little at the look on Izuku's face before she introduced herself 1-B
" I, Neito Monoma," a 5'7 blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy said as he walked forward with a smug smile. "My quirk is quite versatile and will be the envy of all. I call it Copy; it allows me to copy your quirks and show you how to use them properly, except for you, Ms. Yaoyorozu. I am sure there is nothing I could teach you." He finished with a bow as his eyes danced over Momo and Ochaco's figures. The girls gave an internal shudder; the boys wanted to punch him in his smug face.
Eijiro rolled his eyes before giving a brief hello and explanation of his quirk.
A heavy-set boy with light blue hair and black eyes stepped forward, "Hello. Nirengeki Shoda, my quirk is Twin Impact. I can strike a target and trigger a stronger secondary impact at the point of contact."
"Rikido Sato…"
The pretty blonde American girl with large blue eyes and a pleasant smile stepped up. "Me, Pony, sorry, my Japanese is not good. Quirk Horns, they fly I can control." Mezo stepped up; he bowed as he introduced himself and his quirk before stepping back in line.
A boy with spikey brown hair and black eyes stepped forward with a smile, "Sup, all my quirk is Solid Air, pretty self-explanatory. I hope we have a great training experience today. Oh, Kosei Tsuburaba," he said, pointing to himself.
"Nice, I'm Hanta Sero…"
"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu." A guy with silver hair, crazy blonde eyebrows, and black eyes stepped up. "Hey 1-A, yes, that is my name; it's so great that you say it four times. You can call me Tetsu; my quirk is Steel. I can turn my skin to steel."
Kyoka stepped up and laughed, "So metal, am I right?" *crickets* "Tough room, that's what I get, I guess."
"Setsuna Tokage," a pretty girl with dark green hair, eyes, and sharp teeth, stepped up and smiled. "Wass up all, call me Set; my quirk is Lizard Tail Splitter. I can split my body into pieces and control them with my mind."
Shoto did a bare minimum intro before stepping back in line.
The final grouping of students traded their intro with Class 1-A's Fumikage, Tor, Koji, Mineta, and finally Izuku doing their introductions.
Manga stepped up and, with his bubbles showing a waving hand and smiley face, demonstrated his quirk by making the bubble for a "Pop," they all heard it.
The blond with gaunt features and ash-blonde hair introduced himself as Juzo Honenuki and explained his quirk of Softening.
A tall lad with what looked like a glue dispenser for a head stepped forward and, with what could be called a voice so deep that Barry White would have been impressed, introduced himself as Kojiro Bondo and explained his quirk Cemedine.
The last girl from 1-A stepped forward and introduced herself as Reiko Yanagi and said that her quirk was a poltergeist.
Hiryu Rin gave the final introduction with his quirk of scales.
"Outstanding students, now we are going to break into groups for our 4v4 fights; when you are called, go to the number arena circle and wait for further instructions," Midnight said.
-Team D vs. Team H-
Team D: Izuku, Mineta, Ibara, Itsuka
Team H: Neito, Jurota, Bakugo, Fumikage
-Team D-
"Ugh, why does it have to be an all-boys team? At least we got some eye candy on our side." Mineta lisped out, looking over at Ibara and Itsuka.
Izuku sighed. "Excuse him, please. My name is Izuku." He said, attempting to introduce himself to Ibara.
"Yes, you are the father of Inari." She responded. "Before this battle, will you answer me a question?"
"If I can." He said.
"Her mother, Suijin, Itsuka, said you planned to marry. Is that true?" she said, her voice measured.
"Yes, our plan was once I graduated U.A. to get married; she wanted to work with children." He said.
"While the actions that have brought Inari into the world are against my beliefs, I feel that all that has transpired is the will of God; Itsuka and your daughter speak highly of you and your deeds as her father. I may have judged you without knowing everything, and for that, I apologize, but I will be watching you to ensure that the path you walk is righteous, if for nothing else, for the sake of Inari." She bowed and stepped back.
Izuku was confused; Itsuka told him she would explain later. "Now we need to devise some plan?" she said.
"Doesn't matter anyway. Not like we could win," Mineta said.
Izuku rubbed his eyes. "Mineta, why do you want to be a hero?"
"Why the girls, of course?" he said, winking at Ibara and Itsuka.
"That's it, just the girls?"
"Yup." He replied, popping the 'p.'
Mineta looked around at the other groups, checking out the girls in 1-A and 1-B. Izuku and Itsuka began to formulate a plan. Ibara pointed out a few things, and Mineta added, "Yeah, sure."
At the sound of the gong, Ice immediately erupted from Neito, freezing Ibara; Bakugo and Jurota immediately dashed at Izuku, and Dark Shadow raced at Itsuka. Mineta just stepped back out of the ring.
"I am going to rip you limb from limb," growled Jurota, his quirk activating.
Bakugo came flying over the top, "I got you to know DEKU."
"I don't know what your problem is, Jurota, and come get it, Bakugo." He fired back as lightning erupted around his body; a green glow quickly formed around Bakugo's gauntlets and yanked him down, forcing him to collide with Jurota. "Itsuka, can you get big and hairy off of me," he yelled.
"Sure, you take the Shadow," she replied as she connected with the quirk, driving it back some. "We need to free Ibara; what quirk did he copy?"
"Shoto's," Izuku replied as he shattered Ibara's prison through a blast of compressed air. He smiled as the technique worked. Though his finger was in pain, it wasn't broken.
Jurota grunted from the impact of Bakugo and went to swipe at the Explosion user. "Same side, you dumb beast," he yelled out. Before Jurota could respond, Itsuka came in from the side with a supersized Superman, sending Jurota tumbling.
"FUCKING WHORE!" he growled, spitting blood onto the mat.
"Whore!" she yelled back, "Are you and Ojiro drinking that same fucking Kool-Aid? You know what? I don't fucking care, Jurota. Let's fucking do this!" she roared.
"Where is that damn pervert?" Ibara yelled.
"He ditched us; I need you to try and hold Neito off for a minute," Izuku yelled as he ducked under Dark Shadows' attack. Before he could do anything further, Bakugo came crashing down, landing a kick to his back and sending him sprawling.
"STAY OUT OF MY WAY TWEETY, I GOT THIS!" HE YELLED.
"You ain't got shit," Izuku said, Fuck this maximum effort, 50%. His body cried out in protest; he pushed off in a blur and speared Bakugo, sending them crashing into Dark Shadow in a mess of limbs. When Bakguo went to fire another blast, he yanked his gauntlets violently to the side, causing the explosion to hit Dark Shadow.
The quirk returned as Izuku spun, grabbed Bakugo by his ankles, and threw him at Neito. Ibara had barely blocked another Ice attack and was panting heavily, "Target Fumi," she heard Izuku yell.
Quickly, she located the boy and sent her vines racing at him. Dark Shadow went to intercept, but Izuku tackled him, calling up One for All even higher, forcing the lightning to reemerge, causing Dark Shadow to wince, but did not stop the bird from landing a vicious body blow that sent Izuku flying off.
Jurota came at Itsuka, his mind quickly fading as he pushed his quirk farther in rage. Itsuka realized what was happening as her one-time "friend" attacks came at her more clumsily but with much greater power than she had ever seen him put forth. When he sent her flying back after a brutal backhand, she skidded to a stop near the arena's edge. She spits out a mouthful of blood. "What's the matter? You made that I dumped Ojiro for a real man, one that looked at me like a woman?"
Jurota mindlessly charged as Itsuka smiled. She raced to meet him, and as he neared, she slid down on her knees underneath her much larger foe; enlarging her hands at the last possible second, she grabbed his ankles, causing him to crash down face first. Quickly, she spun and took his back, slipping to the side and driving her knee into his rib cage repeatedly; she was greeted with the satisfactory sound of them breaking and his scream of pain when he blindly went to try and bat her away she trapped his arm against her body.
Taking a hold of hit with both hands, she activated her quirk again and snapped it. Not done yet, she scrambled to take his back; after driving his head back into the ground with an elbow, she slipped her arms around his massive neck and squeezed. He tried desperately to reach her, but his arms just didn't reach due to his increased size. Itsuka tightened the choke, feeling him ebb. "I get to be with who I want when I want, you son of a bitch."
Ibara saw Dark Shadow break free and race towards her; she braced for impact as her veins were almost at Fumikage. When the Shadow quirk roared, rearing back its mighty fist, she sent out a silent prayer.
She felt an arm slip around her waist and twirl her aside; Izuku was there. He reared back and threw a heinous straight left, "DETROIT, SMASH!" he yelled as their fist collided.
Bakugo scrambled up off of Nieto, who was cursing at him; seeing the Dark Shadow and Izuku's fists collide, he snarled at Izuku. Dark Shadow was thrown back, as was Izuku, who barely managed to avoid leaving the ring when Ibara vines grabbed Fumikage and threw him out.
Bakugo shoved Neito as he charged in directly to Izuku; he was in mid-flight and didn't even see the giant fist that came crashing into the side of his head. "Did you forget about me, you mother fucker? Cause I didn't forget about you," Itsuka yelled. "I got this takeout, Neito."
Izuku looked at Ibara; sweat was pouring off him. "You got my back?"
She gulped, "Yes." The feeling of his arm around her waist lingered.
"BEHIND YOU." A voice yelled in his mind. Izuku yanked Ibara to him and jumped into the air, activating float as a spike ice wave raced past them. Ibara was wide-eyed as she was pressed against his muscular chest.
"Wait, he can fucking fly; why didn't you two say anything about that," Neito yelled, his face contorting in anger.
"It's more floating in style," Izuku said back. "Ibara, can you throw me and get yourself down safely."
"With pleasure, Izuku Midoriya," she smiled, her vines wrapping around his waist. Others shot out, keeping her off the ground as she twirled and hurled him like a bullet at Neito. The blonde face blanched as he dropped Shoto's quirk and quickly activated Tetsu's.
"There is nothing you can do now, you fool; I am the greatest alive, the glory of 1-B shall forever…" he never finished that sentence, "MANCHESTER SMASH!" he roared as One for All sprang to life, filling his arm to 100%. The impact sounded with a massive clang that stopped all the other fights as Neito's face contorted around Izuku's fist, and he rocketed out of the ring, smashing into the far wall.
Bakugo landed, eating another fist to the face; he fired an explosion to back her off slightly, allowing him to plant his hand and pivot, landing a solid kick to her midsection. "I didn't forget about you, you just aren't worth my attention, you or that other bitch."
"Bad move, mother fucker," Itsuka sneered and re-engaged; when he attempted to fire off his explosion to gain altitude, his legs were suddenly wrapped in vines that forcefully yanked him back to the ground as he fell. Itsuka smirked, jumping and doing a bicycle kick, connecting squarely with his solar plexus, driving all wind from his body. He landed with such force that he bounced; Itsuka retook the air, landing an enormous double ax handle smash anyone had ever seen. This time, he didn't jump; he was forced to the ground. She landed next to him, yanked his bloodied face up, and saw he was still conscious. She delivered a straight-right ending that.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she said. "Can't hear you.."
"TEAM H HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!" VLAD SENSEI CALLED OUT. "Get the medical staff over there."
Izuku, his arm broken, held his hand towards the girls as he stalked out of the arena and found Mineta watching Momo's match; it just had to include Ochaco and two girls from 1-B. He snatched Mineta up by his cape.
"Where the hell were you?" he yelled.
"I walked off; we weren't going to win, so why bother," Mineta said with a shrug, not even looking but leering at Pony as she and Ochaco were entangled on the ground.
"Jesus, Mineta, do you have a heroic bone in your body," Izuku yelled. "In case you didn't hear, we did win."
"Yeah, and you have a broken arm for it," Mineta sighed. "Look, Midoriya, what is the point of fighting a fight you cannot win? Just walk away. Or I know you like music, "Slip out the back before they know you were there; at the most, you will see nobody cares."
"What?" Izuku said, confused.
"It's a song; check it out," Mineta said, straightening his cape as Izuku set him down. "Look, man, I used to try and run in and do the heroic thing, and I just got my ass kicked for my trouble. No one cared, not even whomever I was trying to help, no one. Then I saw the guys that got the girls so that I would hang with them. Once you agree with them, they stop beating you up. I am not brave like you or the others. I am here to become a hero, save a few girls, and live the good life."
"20 Seconds, Mineta," Midoriya said.
"Huh?"
"Something I read. Sometimes, all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. And if you can do that, you can be a hero." he said, the pain was finally overriding the adrenaline.
"MR. MIDORIYA" Midnight yelled.
"I don't know what you think being a hero is, but if you don't pull your head out of your ass, you will get someone else killed; because they depended on you. You will get innocent people killed, not to mention yourself."
He stumbled as Itsuka and Ibara caught him; he smiled at them, offering his thanks as Midnight approached, wanting to know what had happened with Mineta. When he told her, Mineta was sent to the locker room to change and wait in the classroom.
"You need to get to the Recovery Girl, young man." Midnight said. "Can you ladies help him there?"
"Yes, Sensei," they responded.
-Itsuka-
She sat there gazing at the sleeping Izuku. Recovery Girl had chastised the boy, but he fell asleep after a quick kiss on his forehead. Recovery Girl smiled and told Itsuka he would be fine and wake up in a few hours. She was still in her costume, checking to make sure they were alone, when she leaned down and lightly kissed his lips.
She wanted it to be nothing, for it to be like any other kiss. To put aside this fantasy that had plagued her for years. She was wrong. It was electric; she felt it in her heart, everywhere. He hadn't even kissed her back, and she swooned. Tears at the corners of her eyes, she whispered, "I am in love with you, Izuku Midoriya."
"Love you too," he whispered back.
She jumped back, her heart pounding, one hand over her chest, the other touching her lips. He doesn't mean it, not like that. There is no way he does….but what if….
Itsuka fled the infirmary.
-That Night-
-1-B Dorms-
Itsuka was in the kitchen with Set and Kinoko as they worked on dinner for the class; Jurota had said nothing once they returned to class or at all. Neito had just sneered at her in pure hatred as he stalked off.
"You seem to be making friends," Set teased.
"I don't know what everyone's problem is," Itsuka sighed. "They seemed overly concerned with my love life."
"We haven't been in school long enough for anyone to start hitting on each other, so you get to provide that drama," Set replied.
"That is some bullshit," Itsuka said, setting the salads on the counter.
"Luckily, it only seems to be those two grasping onto it now, shroom," Kinoko said. "The rest of the class has pulled their heads out of their asses. I want Jurota and Ojiro to get their shit together."
"That would be nice," Itsuka added. "Now, what the hell is Neito's problem?"
"Your boyfriend hit him too hard," Set smirked. "Speaking of which, aren't you going over there tonight?"
"No, not tonight. I want to relax," she said, hiding her blush. She could not see him right now after the infirmary; she didn't trust herself. "And he is not my boyfriend."
"Not with that attitude," Set said.
"We girls were going to watch some movies tonight; we reserved the big T.V. Do you want to join us?" Kinoko asked hopefully.
"I would, Kinoko, that sounds like fun."
-Izuku and Momo-
Izuku was released from the Infirmary, and after some gummies, he felt pretty good. As he arrived at the daycare, when Inari saw him, whatever had been plaguing her this morning seemed to be gone. His daughter called his name and barreled into his arms.
Momo was happy when Izuku and Inari walked in, and the little girl squirmed out of Izuku's arms and ran over to her; this was where life decided that complication was the game's name. As Momo squatted down to catch the adorable little missile, Inari called "Momma." Momo froze as did Izuku. Thankfully, the common room was empty.
Momo got her bearings as Inari jumped into her arms. Momo was sure she had heard the little girl wrong or that it was a slip of the tongue. Momo/Momma are very close together. Then she repeated it. "Momma, kisses, Momma." Momo felt her heart swell, hearing those words from Inari. She smiled and gave the girl her kisses; Inari giggled.
"It's Momo," the heiress said gently.
"Momma," Inari said.
"Momo," she corrected.
"No, Momma," Inari said, sounding heartbroken, tears leaking out the corners of her eyes.
"Momma," Momo said, keeping her tears back, and hugged the little girl close.
Izuku was frozen; he didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to correct Inari, but when Momo tried hearing the pain in his daughter's voice, he didn't know what to do. Then there was the image of Momo holding Inari; it stirred emotions inside him and was beautiful. When he thought about it, no one else could be in that position but one, Itsuka. As the thought danced across his mind, he quickly banished it. She was his best friend, and it wasn't right to think like that.
"Will you eat dinner with us, Momma?' Inari said. "Can Momma eat dinner with us, Daddy?"
"If she wants to," Izuku said quietly, not trusting his voice.
"I would love to eat dinner with you, my darling," Momo said quickly, wiping a tear.
They entered his quarters as Inari pulled Momo over to the Television; the little girl turned on the TV and climbed onto Momo's lap, pulling the heiress arms around her.
"What do you want to watch?" Momo asked, looking down as Inari tilted her head back to look up at Momo. The image would forever be burned into Izuku's memory, his daughter looking up at Momo and the loving expression on both faces.
"Genie," she said proudly. Momo nodded and got it playing as the two just sat there watching the movie together.
Izuku forced himself to ready dinner instead of gawking at the scene on the couch. His insides were panicking as he was trying to process everything. There was no doubt about it; he had feelings for Momo. Inari calling her Momma was a nail in the coffin. Obviously, Momo cared for his daughter, but how did she feel about him? He didn't want to push the issue and drive Momo away, especially with the revelation from Inari.
Izuku made a dinner of Yakizakana, Miso soup, rice, and salad. He managed to time it as the move ended to avoid interrupting two bonding. When they sat to eat, Momo put Inari in her high chair and, like a mother, got Inari her apple juice and set about making sure Inari was eating before she did so herself. Momo and Izuku avoided addressing the elephant in the room. Instead, she reminded him of the little he missed after the heroic class. He instead focused on her fight, having her recant what had happened in the bout.
After dinner, once the dishes were in the dishwasher, Inari ran over to Izuku and tugged at his legs. "Can we play outside?" Izuku nodded; Inari smiled and proceeded to pull them outside to play. They were chasing her around the playset, reenacting scenes from the movie. It was a family moment, something both Momo and Izuku were keenly aware of; when they had to touch for the game, a jolt would run through them. Izuku told Inari it was time to go inside as it got darker. The little girl pouted and ran behind Momo.
"Momma carpet song!" she said, looking up at Momo. "Daddy, make us fly!" she said, throwing up her arms. "PLEASE DADDY!" she said with a pout.
Izuku sighed. "What is she talking about?" Momo asked.
"She wants us to sing a song from Aladdin and float around the yard," he wanted to make his daughter happy, but he knew that it would also mean that Momo would be very near to him, and he felt that he was manipulating the situation. Also, Inari pulled Momo farther in; no one sang with them.
"You can say no, Momo," he said, unsure what answer he hoped to hear. Momo shook her head.
"No, it's okay. I can sing with her, then if you are ok with it, I will take her to the bath tonight,"
Izuku tried to steady his heart; he swore he could hear Nana cheering in the back of his mind. Izuku stepped forward, and Inari jumped into his arms; Momo stepped closer. Her heat nearly thumbed out of her chest when Izuku and Inari held their hands. As she took their hands, she swore she felt electricity running through her when she and Izuku touched them.
"Do you know the words?" he asked quietly.
"I do," she said, blushing, "I have been learning the songs from the movies she likes. What do I do?"
"Just place your feet on mine; I won't drop you, I promise."
Izuku slipped his arm around her waist; as she came in close, her scent filled his nose. Their hearts were pounding; she placed an arm around his shoulders and the other around Inari. He closed his eyes, and they started to float up when he opened them. Izuku blushed, looking at Momo so close to him; her eyes glistened as she returned his gaze.
[Izuku:] I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide.
The slowly started drifting, his gaze drifting back between them both; Inari snuggled into Momo. Momo felt her heart swell. They saw Inari gently closed her eyes in bliss as she pulled them with her little arms.
I can open your eyes.
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways, and under
On a magic carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming.
Momo leaned against his shoulder as she looked down at Inari nestled between them, her rich voice pouring out.
[Momo:] A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But now, from way up here
It's crystal clear.
That now, I'm in a whole new world with you
[Izuku:] Now I'm in a whole new world with you
His head tilted forward, resting on top of Momo's.
[Momo:] Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
A whole new world
He didn't realize that they were going higher than he usually did.
[Izuku:] Don't you dare close your eyes
[Momo:] A hundred thousand things to see
[Izuki:] Hold your breath; it gets better
She turned her gaze towards him.
[Momo:] I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far.
I can't go back to where I used to be
He tightened his grip around her slender waist.
[Izuku:] A whole new world
[Momo:] Every turn a surprise
[Izuku:] With new horizons to pursue
[Momo:] Every moment red-letter
Their forehead were pressed against each other, their eyes locked.
[Both:] I'll chase them anywhere
There's time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you.
[Izuku:] A whole new world
[Momo:] A whole new world
[Izuku:] That's where we'll be
[Momo:] That's where we'll be
[Izuku:] A thrilling chase
[Momo:] A wondrous place
He instinctively brought them down closer to the ground; they could feel Inari nuzzling between them, and they heard her contented sigh.
[Both:] For you and me
Their lips met before their feet touched the ground; it was soft. Tender. Warm. In a word, wonderful. The giggle of Inari brought them back to the world, and both blushed furiously.
"I will take Inari for a bath now," Momo said quietly. Izuku didn't know what to say, whether to apologize or stutter out an explanation. Momo did the talking for him. "That was my first kiss," she looked up at Izuku through her eyelashes. "I couldn't have dreamed of it being any better or with anyone else."
Izuku was speechless as Momo, with Inari in her arms, walked back into the dorms.
*Author's Note*
The last scene is one of the very first things I pictured when I started writing this story and I knew that i would include some Disney songs and music as part of Izuku and Inari's dynamic. I hope you enjoyed.