The Endless March of Time

Puberty had caught up with Shoto and Izuku as they started changing from kids to young men. This was symbolized by the cracks in their voice and that any dinner leftovers were a thing of the past as they became a bottomless pit of gluttony for food.

For Izuku, it also came with him noticing that Momo and Set had developed breasts. He had noticed, of course, when they first started coming in, but now, for some reason, he found himself stealing glances at them. The summer pool party had this strange awkwardness. On the other hand, Shoto didn't seem to care either way. Though Shoto did notice Setsuna staring at Izuku a lot, when he asked her about it one night, she shouted for him to shut up and cover his face with a pillow.

Thankfully for Setsuna, Izuku was in the kitchen grabbing drinks; when he returned, he noticed that he could see Setsuna's thighs and caught a glimpse of her underwear as she wore a skirt. Laughing at the situation, Momo noticed him staring, making her smirk.

Set had tried to ignore it some, but it had only gotten stronger after that day over a year ago at Hero World. She was beyond having feelings. She was in love with Izuku, and it was driving her mad. The constant daydreams, her hands getting sweaty when his hand would brush against hers, or the jolt like she was being shocked when he would touch her. That damn carnival ride where she had to sit in between his legs had been both heaven and hell.

She had written the love letter and almost slipped it into his locker but chickened out at the last minute. During a stay at his house, the image of him walking out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel was burned into her head. She laid herself at the mercy of Momo and her sister Fuyumi, who had developed the battle plan of sending him the signals that she liked him to spur him into action.

Set had done everything: giggling, laughing, playfully hitting his arm, texting him at night, in the morning, make-up, the downward glance with the look through the eyelashes, going to the movies just them, going to lunch, dinner, shopping. You named it, and she tried it.

Hell, even Shoto had figured it out; he had grown up to be very handsome and was constantly being asked out at school at least two to three times per week, boys and girls alike. He always said no; he just told his friends it didn't interest him. Set would not have believed it if she and Momo hadn't accidentally stumbled upon it. He had a secret fan club that met to talk about him and trade candid photos. It was like something out of a bad anime.

Set was on the verge of giving up; Momo had invited her to spend the night and insisted that she do.

Shoto and Momo had sat Izuku down and asked him if he had feelings for Set; they knew the answer was yes. He would blush during their training, fidget when he was with her, and glare when a boy would come to ask her behind the Gym for a confession. Izuku had a plan, not a great plan, but a plan, and he was ready to shoot his shot. So on the eve of Setsuna's 15th birthday, she received the confession she thought would never come; she planned that on her birthday when he asked her what she wished for, she was going to say him and kiss him in front of everyone, their families and friends she was tired of playing these games.


Izuku and His Plan

Izuku came out of his room and saw the women sitting on the couch in his living room, watching a movie and dabbing at their eyes. His mother, Emi, Rei, Nemuri, Kaina, and Fuyumi sat in the dark. He looked at the screen, and the female lead, a gorgeous woman, was standing hidden behind the frame of an open window while the male lead was singing in the rain.

The song was beautiful, Izuku had to admit; it spoke of love and regret, of longing and lost time, how he had been a fool not to come to her sooner. The woman came into view and professed her love for him before she told him to run to flee into the night; the lights of the large estate started to turn on, and shouting could be heard. The man begged her to come with her, saying that his life was not worth living without her, and she hesitated.

Izuku heard some ladies tell her to jump out the window and run.

The woman told him to run and that her agreement to marry the duke was the only way to keep him safe. The man would rather die in her arms than see another sunrise without her; tears streaked down the woman's face, and flood lights sprang to life. Soldiers rushed, weapons were drawn and fired, and the man fought bravely, but there were too many. The movie's villain fired the shot, hitting the hero in the back, and then the hero fell.

The heroine sprang from the window, landing she ran to the fallen hero. She gathered him into her arms, her tears mixing with the rain as she professed her love, that her heart would always be his.

Dramatically the hero touched her face, apologized for being so damn foolish as to let her slip away, for being too afraid to follow his heart, that now as his life comes to an end, he only wished that this moment in her arms had been preceded with million more like it. Once was not enough. The heroine told him to stay that there would be a million more if he stayed.

Then, a single gunshot rang out, and the ladies watching the movie jolted. The heroine looked and saw her father on the balcony smoking a gun; the hero was dead, his hand falling and splashing upon the ground. The heroine looked to her love, her father, and the villain; she grabbed her lover's gun. She declared in death that they would rest in each other's arms, and with a single shot, she ended her life.

The camera tilted away from the dead lovers as the word "Fin" came across the screen, and the credits began to roll.

"I hate and love that movie," Kaina said as she wiped her eyes.

"I know it is so wonderful," Inko said.

"How is that wonderful," Izuku said. "They died."

The ladies jumped at his voice, "It is so romantic and tragic," Emi said.

"He was afraid to tell her he loved her," Rei said. "They were in love and danced around it, but it was too late. He had crossed the royal family. The only way to save him was for her to marry the duke."

"The Duke is a total asshole," Fuyumi said. "He just wanted her for her body and title, but he promised to spare him if she married him." Fuyumi smiled. "It wasn't till it was too late that he realized how much he loved her. He comes to her window and serenades her like she always dreamed he would."

"Do women want that?" Izuku said.

"YES!" they all said in unison, making Izuku jump.

"Not that exactly, but a grand romantic gesture to bare your heart to the woman you have feelings for," Inko said. "We want to know we are desired."

"I still remember when Kaina sang under," Rei started to say before Kaina put her hand over her mouth.

"The important lesson is if you wait too long, it may be too late," Fuyumi said. "Do you want one night in the arms of the one you love or a million!"

Emi and Inko looked at Fuyumi. "If there was a boy I liked and he came to my window like that, I would be out the window and in his arms so fast. I would plant the biggest kiss on him."

The women all saw Izuku blush, "What kind of hero would be afraid of telling someone how they feel?" Emi said.

"What if it is all in his head?" Izuku said, staring at the movie credits. "He goes to the window and sings the song, and she just laughs and walks away, then he gets shot for nothing. He read the situation wrong and messes everything up; she was marrying the Duke to save him because they are best friends."

Lights of realization began to dance across the lady's faces. "If the Duke was that evil, would you let your friend marry them, or would you rather get shot trying to save them," Rei said.

"Either way, you lose your best friend," Nemuri added.

"Do you want to be just best friends?" Kaina said, "That doesn't work very well." Kaina kissed Rei's cheek.

Inko looked at her son; she was aware of the feelings going back and forth between him and Setsuna; she didn't want to interfere, but now was not that time. "One night or zero," Inko said. "He may have died, and if he had been braver, they both may have lived, but at least he had one moment to be in her arms. What would you risk if you were in love with someone? Would you want one night or none?"

"One is better than none," Izuku muttered and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle and heading back to his room.

"Oh, I hope he understands," Fuyumi said. "Set is going crazy."

"I hope so too; it is not like he is going to serenade her," Emi added.

"But how romantic would it be if he did," Inko sighed. "So Kiana, you serenaded Rei?"

Kaina blushed and stuttered; Rei laughed, "She even threw pebbles at my window to get my attention." The girls all laughed. "So I open my window…"


How to Serenade

Asking his father did not go well as his Dad told him that he didn't need to sing under a window, just put a note in her locker or call her on the phone.

Thankfully or not, depending on whom you asked, his "Uncle" Hizashi or Present Mic was there. "Okay, little listener, do not listen to this idiot," Mic said. "He was so terrified of even meeting your mother that Nemi and I had to threaten him, and if your mother weren't so damn persistent, we wouldn't be here talking."

"If this girl is special, then you can't put a note in her locker," Mic continued, ignoring Aizawa's protests. "You have to blow her socks off, leaving her swooning; trust me, kid, how do you think I have so many dates lined up."

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Aizawa said.

"Just last week, there was this smoking pair of twins," Hizashi said. "Not only did the serenade seal the deal, they called me up to their room right then and there, and let me tell you, little nephew…"

"Not helping," Aizawa yelled, tacking his friend and trying to cover his mouth as Izuku's mind decided to fill in the details. After the uproar settled down, Aizawa lost the battle as the words from the ladies and Hizashi told Izuku that a 95% success rate could not be denied. As he watched his son and best friend begin to plan, he flashed a memory of them in Oboro's dorm and them planning a similar serenade.

It had worked the night that Oboro stood outside the girl he loved window and sang his heart out; Nemuri swooned and leaped from her window to Oboro's arms, a love sealed with a kiss but taken away just as quickly.

Aizawa looked to the living room and saw Nemuri sitting with Inko, fussing over the baby that bore Oboro's name. Nemi was smiling and laughing as Emi was telling some story. Nemi happened to look up and see Aizawa looking at her. She smiled, lifted Oboro, and helped the baby wave at his daddy. Nemi's eyes went wide, not that Aizawa waved back, but when he placed his hand over his heart and pointed at Nemi, not the baby. Nemi smiled and mouthed, "You too," before focusing back on the baby.

What followed for Izuku, aside from the constant training, was nightly lessons on how to play a guitar and some vocal training. Thankfully, Izuku's singing wasn't a seagull caught in a death trap or trying to serenade a prince on a date with a mermaid. He could carry a tune and surprised them when he presented the song. Aizawa and Hizashi just told him that it was perfect.

Izuku was exhausted, but he kept practicing. The meeting with All-Might had gone as expected. The children were over the moon at being invited to lunch with the number one, which was almost more than they could bear. Then, he offered assistance in their physical training for the U.A., and they all jumped at the opportunity. A compromise had been reached with the parents and All-Might, that he would help them get their bodies in shape. At the same time, they continued their other training as well. Shoto had started some tenuous training with Endeavor. Momo continued her weapons training with the experts her family hired; Set and Izuku were worked to the bone by Aizawa, drilling hand to hand into them. Still, at night, Izuku would sit and practice his song for his chance to tell the girl he loved how he felt.


Serenade

Momo knew what would happen, and trying not to tip her hand that entire night was the most challenging thing the heiress had ever done. Momo was eyeing the clock, waiting for it to begin; she wondered how it would all work out besides being romantic.

Set jumped when her phone rang, as did Momo for a different reason; she quickly sent a message to the staff to get the cameras rolling.

"Hey, Izuku," Setsuna said, smiling and twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Izuku responded.

"No, I was just surprised you called," Setsuna said.

"I just wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday," Set looked at her phone at 12:01 A.M.

"Thank you, Izuku," Set said, doing a little wiggle dance. "You are coming to my party, right?" Set said her heart began pounding as she knew she was done playing games.

"Um, that was what I was also calling about," Izuku said nervously. Set's heart plummeted.

"Izu," she whispered. "If you can't make it…"

"No, I was just wondering if I could come as something different?" Izuku said, stumbling over his words.

"Different?" Set said, getting to her feet, "I am confused."

"Can you come to the balcony?" he said.

"The balcony," Set turned to Momo's balcony, and she saw Momo holding her phone and smiling. Set in a daze, she stumbled to the balcony; when she looked down, she saw Izuku standing there holding his phone and guitar around his neck as he awkwardly waived. "Izuku…" Set managed to get out.

Shoto sent a blast of cold towards Izuku to get him going; Izuku jumped and put his phone away.

Time In a Bottle - Jim Croce

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away
To spend them with you.

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure, and then.
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them

I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty.
Except for the memory of how you answered them

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them

I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time with

It was by no means perfect; Izuku was not a professional. He missed some cords, but no one would tell Setsuna anything different. When the last cord was strummed, she was holding her hand over her heart.

"I don't want to come to the party as just your friend. I want to come as your boyfriend," Izuku yelled out. "Setsuna Tokage, will you please go out with me?"

Setsuna was off the balcony before he finished the first sentence; she broke apart and floated some but reassembled to land in his arms. "Yes, oh my goodness, yes," she said. He held her around her waist; nothing mattered, not Momo and Shoto, Fuyumi, Natsuo, or all the others watching.

She placed her hands on his cheeks, and slowly, their lips came together for the first time. It wouldn't be the last, and at that moment, time stood still; for 5 minutes, they were the only people in the world who took a breath.