AU NOTES
Well, well, well, look at what we have here? Another chapter!
The previous chapter was fun (though I wanted to put more stuff in it), but this one will be a bit more serious, so get ready for more talking than usual and a bit of plot and worldbuilding. Let it never be said than I am not fair to my characters, as I'm trying my best to give redemption and redesign two of the original characters in cannon that I sort of despised/had a very strong sense of rejection: Bakugou and Mineta.
Besides that, I'm working on that romance/harem building. It is not easy (let me tell you that) to write something believable and not too far-fetched – especially considering the harem setting that I'm working with – but I shall continue struggling and striving to write this.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
RyujinMaou out!
PS: I managed to put images in AO3, so if you want to check that out, it is there!
Chapter 47: [Crimson Thickening Blood III]
[Secret Lab – Location unknown]
[23:13 P.M]
Shigaraki slouched over his desk, a myriad of papers stacked all around him made for towers that almost obscured his frame from view.
He had been relocated to one of that quack doctor's hideouts, the place serving as a safehouse for the orphaned villain as he took stock of his situation. All things considered, the lanky villain found himself in not too bad of a state – that being very fortunate, considering the number of opponents salivating at the thought of ripping him from his spot.
With Sensei (All For One) locked in Tartarus, Tomura was quick to find out that most of his backers were very quick to turncoat once the major power was out. Their once seemingly infinite pool of resources was instantly reduced to whatever he and the doctor could maintain their grip with; considering that he only had tier-trash mooks and goons following his commands, and the doctor's supply of Noumu was limited, Shigaraki now had to truly stretch himself thin.
He had been personally active in securing their caches and secret labs, his once elite troops now scattered and very unwilling to even hear him out, much less obey his orders.
Even Giran, the greedy worm that he was, had been avoiding their messages as much as he could, only introducing street trash to their ranks.
And now with that being as it was, the villain now had to perform just about a hundred jobs on his own. His skull throbbed with a headache, the pain resulting from his self-inflicted lack of sleep.
Tomura may be petulant, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that he had been coasting on Sensei's coattails (even now he was only free from jail due to it) but being forced to face the harsh reality truly awakened the young villain: without Sensei's aid, Shigaraki was only a few steps above the street rabble. He had combat skills and much stamina; a dangerous combination when coupled with his [Decay] quirk. However, that was the extend of Shigaraki's skillset.
He could command the worthless troops under his command due to their fear of his nasty temper, but that was a very unreliable thing to count on. Dabi, Himiko and even Magne had left him, unbothered by his threats and mock bravado. When the chips came down to it, Tomura couldn't afford to convince them to stay. He had barely managed to maintain Twice, Spinner and Mr. Compress in his ranks, but for how long was a question that he wasn't ready to ask himself.
Now he was rushing to filter all the information and reports he had received from the mooks and Kurogiri (one of the only truly useful pawns he had left), trying to come up with something that could stabilize his position in the underworld of Japan. Being All For One's apprentice was starting to lose its luster to the remaining hidden powers, and with that its protection. The white-haired villain was being underestimated, and he hated being looked down.
He would show all of them!
They would fear him! They would obey him! They would be the witnesses of the destruction that he would cause to Japan. This hero-obsessed society of scum would crumble to dust and fire, and he would rule over the ashes.
Sensei had promised to give it to him, but now Shigaraki felt that he had to conquer it on his own.
And that would only be possible when the underbelly of Japan learned to respect him.
Shigaraki closed his dry eyes, trying to lubricate them and easy the pain that lingered after all the hours of reading. After a few moments he opened them, his orbs landing on a stack of papers, this one being one of the reports Kurogiri had been very adamant that he give it special attention:
[Trigger: New and highly addictive street drug for quirked folks]
[Production rate and quality?]
The white-haired lanky villain felt a smile split his dry lips. This would be his chance to break Japan's notions of him as well as show those that doubted him his true potential. No one would underestimate him once he took down one of Japan's last historical entities. The yakuza were an old piece of history after all, but there was a group that lingered and resisted the new times as best as they could.
[Productor and distributor: Shie Hassakai]
[Cell Leader: Overhaul]
[XXX]
[XXX]
[UA High School grounds – Heroics Dormitory]
[The next day – 09:57 A.M]
Izuku craned his neck to the side, a dull cracking sound echoing inside the waiting/living room as he waited for Aizawa-sensei to arrive. Sitting down across the vampire was Bakugou, the ash-blonde still looking raw from his fight against the vampire the previous night.
After his defeat, the ash-blonde had been left to rest in his own room, the vampire giving him a small amount of his blood to aid his healing. The vampire had delivered the payload intravenously, simply commanding one blood tendril to pierce his childhood acquaintance's skin akin to a hypodermic needle. It was just enough so that Katsuki would be able to move in the morning, yet not enough to give him a second wind (or even allow him to notice the effects).
The debacle from last night was already trouble enough to deal with, having a repeat of the incident wouldn't help – as neither would giving the ash-blonde unneeded knowledge about his rapid recovery. Thankfully, it seemed that the healing took its toll on the opposing teen, thus Bakugou only spared Izuku some side-eye glances, remaining in his place and waiting for the inevitable punishment.
Thankfully it was the beginning of the weekend, and since most of the class had been playing until very late the previous night, only the two of them were up and about in the dormitory at this time.
The vampire patiently waited for his homeroom teacher, the returned call yesterday being very short and to the point.
/ Tomorrow morning, 10:00 on the dot. Don't think of fleeing. /
The vampire held back on releasing a frustrated sigh. He had been hoping to set up a date with Mei and Melissa, so the day was supposed to be spent with his girls. Instead, here he was, stuck his Bakugou while they waited on a stern talking to and punishment. If there was a silver lining about this, it was that he made use of his time stuck in the dorm with Noumu-Nana, trying to synchronize the body and mind as a way to pass the time.
There was still significant resistance between the two, the mental bridge between the two barely connecting for more than a few seconds before it would become too unstable. Still, it was undeniable progress.
Izuku could feel his connection with Noumu-Nana deepen, allowing him to sense her body and presence even during his classes. He couldn't relay mental commands to her yet, but any verbal commands given by him were obeyed; she still needed exact orders (anything too complex would simply result in inaction) and couldn't exactly adapt to day-to-day changes, but once again, it was undeniable progress.
She still couldn't feed or truly take care of herself, but he was confident that by next month he would manage to teach the bio-engineered weapon how to maintain itself without his sole and express input.
Izuku still hadn't figure out how to explain to his classmates about her – it was not exactly easy to do so – but he had surpassed greater challenges. His classmates should be easy enough, but he was trying to work out how to explain the situation to 1-A's sister class about Nana's body. While he could keep skulking around with it during the late hours of the night to train its dexterity and limber the amazonian frame of muscle, there was still quite the high chance that someone would spot him as there were quite a few night owls in the dorm.
Better that he explains in his own terms about his circumstances than chance upon it and have to scramble for hurried explanations about his reasons for keeping the "enemy's weapon" in his grasp. His reputation among the sister class of 1-A wasn't exactly the best, and although he had some support from a few members, he preferred to err on the side of caution.
Speaking of caution, the vampire's senses alerted him of the approaching footsteps of his teacher. Aizawa-sensei wasn't making an effort to hide either his presence or sounds, so Izuku already had an idea about the teacher's mood. He glanced at the screen of his phone, noticing that the doors leading to the building were opened exactly at 10:00 A.M. It was kind of impressive that the man could be this punctual about his affairs. If only he wasn't about to lash them out.
The man walked over towards the two teens, his usually bored expression nowhere to be seen. He sported an annoyed look, his eyes sharp and inquisitive.
Bakugou remained as he was on the couch while Izuku straightened his back and pocketed his phone. It wouldn't do for their teacher to be even more pissed due to a lack of attention or any perceived disrespect from them.
Aizawa motioned with his head to Bakugou, making the ash-blonde grumble to himself. A few more moments enduring the pointed gaze of the teacher had the teen moving to sit beside the vampire. That allowed the homeroom teacher to stand in front of the two, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Both of you know the reasons as to why we are here." Shota spoke in his gruff tone.
Izuku and Bakugou nodded.
"You two are among the top students in class, both in grades and in heroics," Aizawa started with what might sound complimentary. One look at his current expression would dissipate any notions of such. "Yet you both act recklessly, almost as if children."
Bakugou grunted, though impressively did not ground his teeth as he was used to do.
Izuku narrowed his eyes, his mouth shut in a thin unexpressive line. His tongue ran over his fangs, feeling a bit miffed at his teacher. It wasn't as if he had started the whole mess with Katsuki the previous night.
"Bakugou, stop acting like a child." Aizawa was curt with his words, unwilling to waste time. "There is plenty of potential within you to become a great hero, however, now all that I currently see is a petulant infant throwing a tantrum because he isn't being appeased and his ego isn't being stroked. I shall not have a man-child in my class. You either grow up, or I'll cut you off from heroics before you can truly do something to stain UA."
Izuku observed from the corner of his eyes as Bakugou flinched in place, the ash-blonde emanating a heavy fear-scent that the vampire had seldom smelled on him. Being cut from UA would be a death sentence for any hope of a heroic career for the explosive teen; no sane hero school in the country would take an UA-expel. A drop-out may have a chance, but an expulsion would stain his records forever.
"And you, Midoriya." The words made Izuku snap at attention, his slit eyes fully focused on his teacher. "Stop falling for these stupid provocations. Having a heavy target on your back and many doubtful gazes set upon you, the last thing I expected you to do was to act like a fool. Jimina's deal non-withstanding."
Izuku wry, bitter smile was the only thing that he could muster as a response. Technically he hadn't done anything wrong, as he had acted within his rights as per the deal with the HSPC spook, though the words of his teacher carried weight that the vampire couldn't ignore.
"I apologize, Aizawa-sensei." In the end, Izuku could only apologize for letting himself get carried away by his emotions.
The man sighed, frustration clear on his face. "I'm not going to allow you to coast and slip by unpunished due to technicalities. Both of you, do I make myself clear?" His gaze lingered on the two, hard eyes trying to spot any incongruent and sketchy behavior from the teens.
""yes, sir."" Both acknowledged the words, aware that they were balancing on the edge of their teacher's mood.
"Bakugou, you are going to Hound Dog for more counselling." The imperious tone implied no grounds for quartering. Not that Bakugou do so. Negotiations could only happen between parties that considered themselves somewhat equal after all, and at the moment, Bakugou Katsuki did not have grounds to support such claim
"Midoriya…" Aizawa started but stopped for a moment. He couldn't unjustly punish Izuku, as the vampire hadn't truly acted outside of the rules, but the man couldn't allow the teen to simply be free – especially with Katsuki watching. "House arrest for this weekend. Unless it is a true emergency or unless allowed by another teacher, you are to remain indoors."
It could be considered a mere slap on the wrist (as far as punishments dished out by him would go), but even this was pushing it in this case. The true proper way would have the vampire walking free from any punishment, but considering the relationship between the green-haired teen and the ash-blonde, Aizawa hoped to avoid any accusations of favoritism due to bias. There was already a mountain to unpack with the explosive teen, adding more to the pile wasn't in the teacher's intentions.
Izuku obediently nodded to his punishment, though it was clear that he wasn't pleased at being punished alongside his childhood acquaintance.
Aizawa could only apologize in his head.
He turned his gaze towards the ash-blonde. "Come, let's get going. Your first session starts now. Best strike while the iron is hot." The homeroom teacher commanded, his tone imperious and uncompromising.
Bakugou looked as if he wanted to contest the words of his teacher. He grunted, but relented, aware that his lack of temperance had already gotten him in hot water. Who would have ever guessed that the green-haired hemomancer had a secret pass? It was irritating, but Bakugou acknowledged his defeat. Izuku was tricky after all.
He stood from his seat with a grunt. Stuffing his hands inside the pockets of his shorts, Bakugou followed behind Aizawa, the teacher moving ahead with the assurance that the ash-blonde would obediently follow suit.
With the duo exiting the student dorms, that left Izuku with a weekend stuffed inside the building.
The vampire took a deep breath, releasing it in a long sigh. He was annoyed beyond belief that Bakugou's punishment had splashed on him, minimal as it was. House arrest was – of all the things that could have been piled on him – quite inconsequential after all. He still cursed the blonde in his mind though.
Considering his options, Izuku opted to send his girlfriends a text message to explain his situation. He hoped to spend some time with them, even if their date options were reduced to basically his room. He sent the message and locked his phone's screen, waiting on their answer. He fully relaxed on the couch, closing his eyelids and placing his head on top of the backrest.
"You can show yourself now, Tohru-san." Izuku duly spoke to the air. There should be no one awake after all.
The room remained in silence for a few moments, but the vampire waited patiently for his secret participant to reveal herself.
"Ahahaha, I was caught~!" The girl's voice echoed from a corner of the room. "Talk about unfair, huh?" Being something of a social butterfly, Hagakure tried to smoothly shift the subject of the conversation.
"Stalking is a no-no." Izuku spoke in an amused tone, eyes still shut.
"I wasn't stalking you! I was just passing by." The invisible girl argued in her defense, and the vampire could picture in his mind the visage of Tohru pouting as spoke.
"And you just happened to be without clothes, making it hard to identify your presence in the room…" He poked a hole in her fragile defense, the girl releasing a squeaking noise as she was countered.
Tohru floundered a bit, trying to come with some sort of convincing reason for her nakedness. "I sleep naked!" She most likely spouted the first thing that came to mind.
The vampire allowed the words to echo in the room uninterrupted, wondering what his answer should be to such a statement. Considering that Tohru herself fell silent, maybe the girl was now embarrassed at her own words.
Izuku wondered if he should tsukkomi at her now.
"Ahh, say something! Don't leave me hanging dry! It will look like I'm a perverted girl that enjoys streaking around naked!" There was a bit of desperation in her tone as she rushed towards him, grabbing a hold of his shirt to shake some sort of answer from the hemomancer.
Izuku remained silent as he was shaken by the invisible girl.
"Do you want some late breakfast?" He finally responded.
Though it wasn't visible to anyone, the air flow the vampire sensed indicated that Tohru was shaking one of her hands in front of him, the other still firmly grasping his shirt. "No, no, no! That wasn't what you were supposed to say!"
"Hmm." He hummed, eyes still shut. "I don't have a clever reply at the moment." He mused, sensing the girl become even more erratic.
"Ahhhhh! Why did you have to sense me! Ahhh, now everyone will know, and I'll be labeled a voyeur exhibitionist pervert!" She resumed her shaking of his frame, the vampire simply allowing the girl to release her tension.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He stated calmly.
Tohru began to shake him even more incessantly.
"AHHHHHHH! Forget it! Forget about it right now! You saw nothing!"
Izuku then opened his eyelids, his pupils shifting into a diamond shape that allowed him to the closest thing to proper vision of Tohru's features. No true details outside of the basic body shape (electromagnetic sight was limited after all), but he could make do together with her scent.
Seeing the vampire's eyes change and his pupils follow her body so precisely, Tohru immediately slapped her hands over his eyes. Even though she was naked before, now she felt that much more exposed to the vampire's gaze.
Izuku could feel the soft skin touching him, his pupils making the closest thing she ever had to fixed eye-contact. "What are you doing?" He asked in a genuinely amused manner, wondering if the girl forgot that she was invisible. Even if she covered his eyes, he could still see through her.
As Tohru noticed her blunder, her hands retreated for a moment, before she closed her fingers, leaving only her pointer-fingers out, her intent of poking his eyeballs clear. Izuku captured her wrists before she could succeed in her blinding attack.
The girl then mock-struggled a bit under his grasp. "Kyah, the monster of UA has a maiden in his grasp! He will devour me!" Her playful tone and fake struggle managed to wash away Izuku's annoyance at the earlier situation, the vampire feeling his lips quirk up at the hostage-play. Had Tohru noticed his earlier foul mood?
"Maiden? Where is she at?" He barely pulled her towards himself, the girl practically tossing herself on his lap. "All I see is a cheeky voyeur trying to peek into someone else's business." He replied, deepening his voice and letting his eyes glimmer in red.
"Who are you calling a voyeur!?" She kept mock-struggling against his grasp, the vampire easily holding her wrists behind her lower back. She shifted on his lap, trying to get comfortable.
"You." He was quick to reply this time, shifting his lap to allow the girl to become more comfortable without pressing too much against him.
"Ahh, you went and said it!" She whined, her struggling act making the girl rock back and forth on his lap. "I'll never be able to get married now! I'm sullied!"
"If nobody does so, I guess it is my responsibility." Izuku snorted in amusement. "I'll take you."
The girl stopped her act of struggling. "You serious? There is no take-backsies, you know?!" She was quick to comment.
Izuku released her wrists, resting his own atop the girl's legs. He was careful with hand placement, a bit unsure where this play-act truthfully started and where it ended. He hummed, keeping his composure intact. "Yes yes, I'll take in this hopeless voyeur streaker."
Tohru seethed at his words. "Ahhh, you went and said it again!" she playfully hammered her closed fists on his chest and shoulders, the taps barely worth commenting on.
She continued for a few more moments before she ran out of steam, slumping against his frame and making the vampire tense a bit at the careless manner she exposed herself. This level of skinship was something normally reserved for lovers after all.
"That was fun." Tohru commented, sighing in contentment. Izuku hummed at her statement. "Are you less sour now, Midoriya-kun?"
Izuku nodded, enjoying the weight and softness laid on him. "Though your method is somewhat questionable, it is very much appreciated."
It was the invisible girl's turn to hum. "There isn't a boy that doesn't appreciate a girl's softness." She smugly declared, placing her hands on her hips and puffing her chest out. "And it is not like I hate this." Tohru's words were sweet to Izuku, the vampire wondering what to reply in return.
"Did Ashido-san teach you this?" Izuku couldn't help the question.
Tohru puffed her cheeks. "Mouh, did no one teach you that you shouldn't be saying other girls' names when you are spending intimate time with one?!" Her annoyed whine made the vampire ponder for a second.
Unsure if his next words would anger the invisible girl, the vampire opted for a secondary method. He moved his hands, touching the girl's legs and giving the healthy invisible flesh a squeeze. Tohru lightly shivered at the touch, surprised at the vampire's audacity.
"Cheater…" She murmured, though she did not stand from his lap, neither did she remove his hands from their placement.
"Just curious." He spoke in a low tone, still maintaining eye contact. A task that was becoming harder as they interacted. Tohru was just so casual and friendly (in a different way from the aforementioned pink-skinned classmate) that Izuku had let himself be taken in by her flow. Her body had released such a pleasant scent that – much like Mei and Melissa – he ended up playing with her as he would with his girlfriends.
"You cheered me up after the results of the license exam, so I just thought that it would cheer you up after Aizawa-sensei's sermon." She murmured.
Izuku closed his mouth, feeling his tongue run over the length of his fangs. The invisible girl's scent was tantalizing, something akin to a perfume specifically made to gather his attention.
"You shouldn't say things like that, Tohru-san. Someone else might take it in the wrong direction and cause trouble for you." The green-haired hemomancer stated in his usual tone, careful with his words. He just had an escapade the day prior with Uraraka; it would be rather scummy of him to simply allow himself to be taken by his invisible classmate's flow. Hagakure was lovely (as far as he could tell), but it wouldn't be proper to just engage like this – especially without talking with his girlfriends first – so Izuku tapped on the girl's legs to get her attention (something which he had plenty of at the moment).
"I'm very thankful for your…skinship, but we should keep things proper. It wouldn't be fair to…" Izuku started speaking, but he stammered at the end, wondering if he should reveal the reasons behind his hesitance on pouncing on the obvious chance that Hagakure was giving him. Izuku might be dense, but he wasn't stupid. He was very particular about his personal business after all.
Hagakure's sweet scent relented a bit, becoming subdued. The vampire could practically taste the sadness that began permeating the girl, so he figured that the best way to clean things up and properly explain his situation would be to simply tell the truth, as far-fetched as it seemed.
"It wouldn't be fair to the both of us, considering I'm already in a relationship." He calmly stated, eyes fixed on Tohru's, observing whatever minute change in her expressions and mood he could pick up on. Confusion and bewilderment, then some frustration, and then incredulity at his words.
"Are…do you have a girlfriend?" Embarrassment, and then shame, tinted the girl's voice.
Izuku felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he quickly palmed it to check it out. Considering that Hagakure was sitting on his lap, it wasn't exactly a possibility to hide his actions, and since he had already decided to be truthful about his relationship status, the vampire figured it would be fine to allow the girl to see the message.
It was a message from Melissa. The American was normally the fastest to respond, as Mei would usually be hyper-focused on her projects, leaving Melissa with the task. Izuku opened the text, seeing that it was a picture attachment and a single line of text that read: [What a shame].
Thankfully Melissa also had common sense, so the picture was something much tamer than what the vampire was used to receiving from Mei.
They were in his beach-front home's office: Hatsume was stretching with her back turned to the phone's camera, her usual get-up showing her back muscles nicely. Melissa's torso was the only thing visible in the selfie she was taking, the girl dressed in a casual shirt that Izuku recognized as one of his own. She was giving a peace-sign to the camera, one eye shut in a teasing blink as her tongue peeked from the corner of her lips.
Izuku shifted his body a bit, allowing Hagakure space to scoot back. He then showed her his phone's screen, the girl taking the device and inspecting it carefully.
Tohru stared at the picture, her body releasing a complex mix of pheromones that couldn't be accurately described. The scent that reached the vampire's nostrils was unusual, but he – much to his own surprise – couldn't detect anger within the mix.
"Which one is your girlfriend? That foreigner-san is really pretty! But this one is cute too." Hagakure exclaimed, her voice tinted with excitement. "And I think I have seen her before." That was a surprise to Izuku for sure.
The green-haired teen palmed his device back, wondering if Tohru wouldn't climb down from his lap. Although she had scooted back to receive the phone, she had returned to her previous closeness, her eagerness to remain in close contact something that Izuku had not anticipated.
"They are both my girlfriends." He spoke without holding back.
"Ehhhh? Are you serious?!" Tohru dragged-on her exclamation of surprise, the idea apparently not phasing her as much as simply surprising her.
Izuku nodded, being very careful with his phone. He could open his photo gallery to show a picture of one of their three-way dates, but considering some of the content in there, and Hagakure's watchful eye on the device, he preferred to err on the side of caution and put the phone away. Preferably inside his shadow, where only he could access it.
"Very much so." He answered her inquiry, his response sending the girl into a silenced, thinking pose. Still rooted atop his lap.
She hummed to herself. "And how is that going? I mean, it can't be easy, three-way dating." Tohru questioned.
Izuku took a small, relieved breath before he answered. "It is an…exquisite experience. Takes a bit getting used to it, and comes with a few challenges – especially when it comes to how others view it – but the girls are happy, and that makes me happy."
Tohru seemed very curious and attentive to his words. "Doesn't it get complicated? I mean, aren't any of you worried about cheating, or something like that? And how do you deal with jealousy? I don't know if I'd be able to allow my boyfriend to see other girls like that." She presented valid points and questions, many of which Izuku had already been asked by his mother, so the answers flowed easily.
"Our relationship is based on trust, Hagakure-san." He started, motioning with his fingers as he made his points. "When Mei and I first got together, we had already been friends for two years, and we were always…outside of the norm." Izuku was very careful with his words. He briefly described Hatsume to Tohru, the invisible girl nodding and conceding to his point.
Relationships were already a difficult topic to discuss. A relationship like what he had with Mei and Melissa even more so.
"I wasn't exactly planning on having someone else, but I had been also in contact with Melissa for a while too. It wasn't something born out of just lust or some whim. When we first got in contact with each other, I had no plans for a romantic relationship. We were discussing a work project." He remembered their days in I-Island, a gentle smile spreading across his lips. "A few things happened, and we ended up becoming closer than any of us expected."
Matters about the I-Island incident weren't light topics to be freely discussed after all, so Izuku skirted by the issue and avoided giving too much information away. Only those that were there knew about it, and much like himself, were told to avoid talking about it not only by the I-Island authorities, but also by the Japanese authorities and even All Might himself.
"After I was rescued from my kidnapping by the League of Villains, my feelings for her blossomed even further once I learned of her efforts to aid in the rescue." There was quite a bit that Izuku was glossing over in favor of privacy, but he tried to convey as much as he could without exposing too much of their privacy to Tohru. She was a valued classmate of the vampire, but it wasn't simply his own privacy anymore. It wouldn't be fair to overshare without his girlfriends' say in the matter. "My mother was quite surprised when she saw Melissa and Mei together when visiting me."
"Ohhhh." Tohru seemed eager to continue listening to it, so Izuku continued. He described their relationship without giving away too much, mindful of his (and his girlfriends') privacy. The invisible girl giddily described it as juicy gossip, but Izuku managed to convince her to not spread his relationship status to the world. He wouldn't deny if asked about it in a natural manner, but he preferred to not have his intimacy overly exposed or being bombarded with intrusive questions about their intimacy.
He had seen how some forums online talked about some female heroines, and he wanted nothing of the sort to be spoken about his lovers.
[XXX]
[XXX]
[A WEEK LATER]
[HSPC FACILITY – TOKYO WARD | 09:42 A.M]
Izuku remained silent in his seat: a medical chair. His right arm was strapped down, and a few plastic tubes were inserted in the limb, slowly draining some of his precious blood. The process had started a short while ago, the vampire halfway done with the procedure.
It was a part of the deal he had with the HSPC. He would provide some of his blood in different times, both for analysis by the government scientists as well as possible Research and Development.
Due to the progress with usage of his quirk, as well as the success in I-Island with the creation of the miracle drug [Ambrosia], experiments with the vampire's blood were once more being requested by just about every quirk-biologist and scientist that worked with blood quirks. Thankfully, the vampire's deal also included a clause that neatly divided the amount of blood that he released to two parties: the Japanese government and I-Island.
Profit from any new developments of any of the two parties was to immediately be patented and the vampire was to earn a fair margin of any profits (it was quite literally his blood that was being served as the base material after all).
Since Melissa was serving as I-Island's representative in Japan, she would be the one taking care of the portion here. Speaking of which, the girl was accompanying him here, waiting for the procedure to finish. She wore a form-fitting black business suit, the formalwear turning the girl into a secretary and suiting her to a tee.
With the provisional license exams done (for those that passed anyway), the vampire had a bit of free time. Soon there would also be a session of Hero Work-Studies (basically another round of internships for the hero trainees), so the vampire took his limited free time to accomplish his part of the deal with the government.
Speaking of which, the machines by his side beeped and stopped, the vampire feeling their pull on his blood ceasing. Since he didn't want to cause extra work for the nurses on standby, he simply willed his own blood to push the needles out of his arm. Twenty blood bags – enough for just about 10 liters of blood – were carefully packed by the machinery. Should anyone outside of known regenerators try such a feat, they would be dead.
Melissa walked alongside the nurses, his girlfriend carrying a suitcase along to store away the life fluid that would be used in I-Island's research. She paid careful attention, eyes hawkishly settled onto the precious items to avoid any tampering.
"We would never allow any foul play to happen, Shield-san. Please, do trust in our abilities." The dull voice of Jimina echoed from a corner of the room, the suited spook standing almost like a scarecrow. He too had accompanied the procedure as per their agreement, his hard-to-detect presence (ironically) being a thorn in Izuku's side.
Melissa gave a polite smile to the man's general direction, unable to truly pinpoint his location. "I'm sure that the government has sent their very best to the job, but as a representative of I-Island, I must make sure of it. I do apologize for the inconvenience." It was cheap lip-service, but Melissa was quite good with the corporate-speak.
Izuku quirked his lips at the words, lightly rubbing the spot where the needles previously pierced his skin. "It's simply protocol, Jimina-san. I'm sure you understand Melissa's worries." The vampire spoke, the amusement in his voice rather unmistakable. It was a part of the deal after all, and Izuku was rather adamant in following said deal through. Let it never be said that he wasn't compliant.
The suited spook remained silent.
The nurses finished their work and allowed Melissa to collect her own samples of Izuku's blood, storing the precious cargo in her suitcase, locking it with a loud 'clack' that seemed to resonate within the sterile room. After that, the blonde turned to her vampire lover.
"Are we finished here?" She spoke it aloud, making sure that the spook heard her. Considering that the man remained silent, the girl took it as permission. Approaching Izuku, Melissa grabbed his free hand. "Shall we go?"
Izuku smiled at her, nodding silently.
"Shall we arrange an escort for you, Shield-san?" Jimina deigned to speak at last, the duo of lovers just about to exit the room, and hopefully, the facility. "You have precious cargo and although our heroes are amazing, villainy has been on the rise, and we would hate to see an ally lose their stock of such rare and exotic material."
Melissa turned her head back, her expression one of dubious incredulity. "No way, there is no need to bother, sir. Izuku is the perfect gentlemen and escort. He has even acquired his provisional license for hero work."
Considering the man's role and job, there was no way he wasn't informed about Izuku's most recent achievement. The vampire was sure of it.
"Haven't you heard?"
Melissa's words seemed to linger in the air. Even Izuku was taken aback by the girl's passive-aggressiveness against the suited spook. Not even he himself had been that acrid against the man; seeing Melissa show her claws while remaining professional (and within the bounds of the law) in her role as representative made the vampire appreciate her presence here all the more. If one day she were to get bored of engineering, she might be able to jump straight into law.
"Very well." Jimina acknowledged their eagerness to leave, bowing in a respectful manner towards both Izuku and Melissa. "Thank you for your efforts."
Izuku returned a curt bow. Melissa was a beat behind, but followed his example. She was used to handshakes and side-hugs, so even while in Japanese soil, her western mannerisms still prevailed over the Japanese norm.
"Then, we will be going." The vampire stated, finally managing to exit the public building. He was getting weary of the gazes from the nurses as they watched the procedure with curious eyes. It was not every day that someone with such regenerative quirk-factor walked in for "donation" after all. Izuku's blood could lead to an innovative boon in medicine after all.
The vampire hoped that the scientists and researchers of the government were careful with his blood. It was one thing when Izuku's life-fluid would die on its own; however, overcharged as he was thanks to his developments and the newly acquired stockpile of energy that was [OFA], there could be a myriad of unexpected results from his new and improved blood. Ambrosia's creation was a combined effort between Izuku's special blood, and Melissa and David's genius expertise, coupled with I-Island's technological advancements. It wasn't easy to succeed even with the best of factors pushing for its creation.
It all made Izuku wonder about the impacts his decision would have in the future.
The vampire felt the hand wrapped around his own tighten, his green slit eyes turning to meet the blue orbs of his girlfriend.
"Are you regretting it?" Melissa questioned, her other hand pushing the suitcase she carried towards the green haired hemomancer.
Izuku's shadows darkened, and tendrils of black matter were quick to grab the offered object, quickly swallowing the precious cargo in a manner akin to a grotesque bog. Thankfully, it was a rapid exchange, else any nearby onlookers could have their SAN-status quicky reduced.
"I'm…not sure." He slowly answered, glancing down at the streets they were at. After leaving the HPSC facility, the duo of lovers headed towards the downtown area, hoping to enjoy some personal time between them before they became swamped with work once more.
Mei had remained at his beach-front house, sleeping-in today; that left Izuku and Melissa with a whole day for themselves (after, of course, he settled his business with the HSPC).
"How about we do something fun to get your mind off that?" Melissa proposed, pointing towards a coffee-shop. "We get some drinks and plan something nice. Nothing too wild though, I'm not exactly dressed for action."
Izuku nodded, eyes glinting as he took in the sight of Melissa's current clothes again. Honestly, it got the vampire eager to quench his thirst with another type of fluid, fangs eager to extract it directly from its source. Seeing the sharply dressed girl seemed to be awakening something within him; he managed to control his desires, though they began to simmer within him.
Melissa seemed to sense his intent.
"You know, one of these days you will earn some strange nickname if you continue like this." She jovially commented, her hips moving with an extra sway that was hypnotic.
He was supposed to have the mind-altering eyes here, right?
The vampire followed his girlfriend inside the coffee-shop, the earthy scent of ground coffee beans stimulating his nose. There were very few things that were as pleasant to the senses as freshly brewed coffee.
The shop was somewhat full, and Izuku noticed a few attentive gazes settling over his frame. He had been national news after all, so his face had been plastered over just about every type of mediatic piece, news-channel and talk-show possible; maybe he should count himself as lucky, considering he had reached this far without being recognized (or accosted) on the streets. Whispers began soon enough, people speaking under their breath about him.
Before the vampire could focus on such matters, Melissa grabbed a hold of his hand once more and pulled him towards one of the tables at the back. It was a pity the shop did not have private booths, but Izuku appreciated being outside of the immediate spotlight.
A waitress arrived, and though she was professional, it was clear that she wanted to spend as little time as possible close to the vampire. She quickly took their order and rushed off.
How long had it been since Izuku had felt this?
Not too long ago, considering his experiences during junior high in Aldera, but being in UA along with his classmates had made Izuku put aside those experiences.
Now don't get him wrong, Izuku wasn't phased by the circumstance. Honestly, it was something so minor for him that the vampire couldn't be bothered by it anymore. He would make use of such fame – or rather infamy in this case – to paint his public persona.
The experience with Gang Orca during the provisional license exam was a reinforcement of such believe, and much like Izuku had told Tokoyami back during their first personal training session, the vampire was his own monster. Whatever deeds he would do in the future as a hero, they would all be of his own volition. He'd act, and the following consequences would be entirely his to deal with. Be the fruits of his labor bitter, sweet, or something in between, Izuku would eat it without complaints.
Being reminded of such, the vampire merely shrugged at the whispers, treating them merely as background noise, since for him it was simply that.
"I was about to console you." Melissa spoke in a good-natured tone. "However, you don't seem too bothered by it, do you?" The American blonde questioned, her blue eyes filled with mirth and affection for him. She placed her left hand on the table, motioning with her eyes for him to follow suit.
The vampire silently followed her request, placing his right hand over hers and giving it a light squeeze. Melissa answered in kind.
"I wouldn't say no to some pampering, though I figured that I'd be the one to spoil you a bit today." The vampire spoke, his slit eyes running their course over her figure again. He could spend the entire day admiring his girlfriend's beauty, her suit accentuating and enhancing her charm.
Melissa jokingly rolled her eyes at his cheesy line. "It will take more than a bit of flattery and a coffee to charm me," She covered their joint hands with her free one. "But I'll let you continue and try more." Their mood was good, but unfortunately, Melissa's phone began buzzing. Not loud enough to bother other patrons in the shop, but enough to interrupt their sweet atmosphere.
Melissa took a deep breath, releasing it in an obviously frustrated manner. The phone kept buzzing, so the girl had to give up on waiting for it to stop on its own. She pulled the device from her suit's pocket, eyeing the phone with a sour look. She turned an apologetic glance to Izuku, the vampire motioning with his head that he wasn't bothered by it.
Melissa didn't take the call; she began messaging the caller. Seeing as her bothered look faded to a focused one, it most likely had something to do with I-Island.
Melissa was quick to type whatever she needed, eager to drop her phone aside and focus on enjoying the limited time she had with her boyfriend. She had already long-ago graduated from common classes (especially since she had been the one to basically invent hyper-weave threading with meta-materials), but that also meant that some things only worked with her input.
I-Island had reopened their weapons development program for self-defense after the scandal with Wolfram, and people couldn't access her work unless they had permission from her or her father. Her father had ample access to her blue-prints, and he had extensive knowledge of his own, but Melissa was the deal sealer when it came to matters pertaining to usage of her developed tech.
I-Island was the one major supplier of usable meta-materials, the greater bulk of its production sold to its birth nation: the US. Other countries had limited access to it, for obvious reasons. Not only was it difficult to properly make use of meta-materials, but the scientists and developers didn't want a bunch of their tech-secrets so easily spread all over the world.
The waitress returned with their drinks, quickly placed the beverages on the table and retreated to the "safety" of the shop's counter. Izuku wished he could express the futility of such, but then he figured that anything too direct might intimidate the staff.
Melissa peeled her eyes away from her phone's screen and shot a glare at the waitress, but the green haired teen let a smile sprout on his lips.
"How about we finish up here and head out? I have a place in mind that you will enjoy. We don't have all the tech that I-Island has, but I have a feeling you will like it." Izuku settled his girlfriend down with that.
Melissa maintained her glare at the waitress, but she took the vampire's words to heart and eased her expression.
"You are too forgiving." She sighed.
"Perhaps so…" Izuku shrugged his shoulders. Then, he ran his tongue over his fangs. "Or maybe, I have greater prey filling my eyes." He spoke in English, enhancing his voice with a hint of his power.
Melissa bit the corner of her lips, practically feeling his presence within her body. Her composure was saved by the buzzing of her phone again, the girl this time hurriedly shut the device off.
"You know that's unfair, right?" Her voice was low, her eyes trying to focus on the vampire's orbs, only for the girl to lower her gaze to his lips.
She bit her own lips again.
…
…
…
[AKIHABARA – TOKYO CITY]
Melissa wondered if she should be impressed that her boyfriend was this composed about his desires, or if she should be disappointed that he hadn't tossed her over his shoulders and headed straight to the nearest love-hotel available.
Whatever the case may be, the American blonde could still enjoy the livelihood of Japan's busiest electronics street. Akihabara – or Akiba for those intimately familiar with it – was famous for its multitude of electronic stores with just about every electronic gadget one would ever ask for. It was unlikely that she would find something here that she wouldn't be able to craft herself, but the novelty of the trip was a rewarding experience by itself. She wasn't one to window-shop, but she was appreciative of Izuku's insight.
The duo walked the busy streets, taking the time to talk and laugh.
A few hours later and Melissa opted to search for a resting spot with some refreshments. She was used to physical activities alright, but Izuku's vampiric stamina was completely unfair. He could spend all day walking, and it would not make a difference for him.
The search took them towards a nearby residential part of the busy district, the buildings tightly packed against each other and making a maze of alleyways and tiny side-streets. She quickly found a vending machine on a street corner with her preferred drinks – imported American soda for her and hot coffee for her boyfriend – and they searched for a bench so that she could rest for a while.
"I should not have worn heels today." Melissa whined, lightly rubbing her ankles.
Izuku silently observed her as he sipped from his can. Something was on the border of his senses, and this irked him a bit.
Melissa noticed his gaze, the vampire making no effort to hide the focus of his eyes. "You done leering at me?" She amusedly asked, sitting straight and taking a long sip of her own chilled drink. "Suhhhh, I needed this!"
The green haired teen remained silent, having just finished his beverage. He shifted his gaze towards the busy streets. The number of people moving to and about made blending with the crowd easier, especially in Akiba. People busy with their own lives, caring about their own issues. It was so…human.
It was somewhat strange for him to be thinking like this, considering that he himself was human. However, at times, Izuku felt as if there was a great disconnect between him and most of Japan.
Thankfully, there were anchors to remind the blood drinker of his humanity.
"Peny for your brooding thoughts?" The girl's voice echoed from behind him, Izuku feeling his head be pressed against her softer frame. His head was lightly pulled back, allowing the vampire's green slit eyes to focus on Melissa's kind blues.
"I was thinking about you."
The girl blushed at the straight answer of her boyfriend, her bashful smile trying to shift into a teasing smile of her own. She swept a strand of her golden hair behind her right ear. "Well, aren't you full of charm today, mister vampire." Her voice was coy and sweet.
Izuku took a deep breath, eager to take in her scent.
Melissa pushed his head forward. "Nah ah, none of that. Put away those eyes of yours, trickster."
Izuku chuckled. "No mind control allowed today, huh?" He replied to her, keeping up with the joking play.
The girl began to run her fingers over his hair, the vampire relaxing against her body, feeling her digits lightly scratching his scalp.
"Maybe later…" Melissa murmured, enjoying the vampire's hair. Izuku had let it grow back a bit again, but honestly the American blonde preferred the side-shave cut he had shown back during his first visit in I-Island. Black hair also suited him, but his shade of green felt more heart-warming and inviting. "Moss head." She muttered with a happy chirp.
Izuku's throat released a growling noise.
Melissa wondered if that was for her, but noticed that the vampire had moved his head to stare at a particular direction.
He stood from his seat, and with a light pull, brought Melissa and himself to the alley and hid behind the building's corner wall, settling a hand over his girlfriend's mouth and whispering on her ear.
"Shh, we got company." The vampire's breath tickled Melissa's ear, the girl shivering at the touch of heated air against her ear and neck.
Melissa wondered if they should truly be hiding like this, especially considering that they weren't doing anything wrong. She had been mindful of their surroundings, and a little skinship never hurt anyone after all, so she was sure that they could get away with it.
"Hmm mmm!" Her voice was muffled, only the faintest of sounds escaping from the seal the vampire made with his hand over her mouth.
"Just a few classmates, but one of them has a certain…propensity for vivid imagination. Never expected them at Akiba, and especially today." Izuku muttered the last part more to himself, but Melissa took it as an explanation for their current situation.
She didn't think it was worth to spoil their previous mood, but considering the tension which her vampiric boyfriend was displaying, the American blonde opted to follow his lead. Besides, she could extract her fun from the situation, nonetheless. She just had to wait a bit.
…
…
…
Five Minutes Ago
"I'm telling you, I saw him with her!" Kaminari loudly whispered to the smaller teen by his side. "You think that he is hooking up with her? I knew that they were working together, but this is insane!"
The diminutive teen walking alongside his friend frantically looked around, trying to find the supposed pair that his male blonde friend was mentioning. Mineta had mostly cleaned up his act – managing to keep his perversion to either his male friends or to the privacy of his own room – but old habits are hard to die. Besides, if Midoriya was having a date with an American hottie, Mineta at least wished to scream a bit at him. How dare the vampire get a date before he – Grape Rush™ (not yet official) – the future hero of Japan?
"You are not kidding, right?! I'll smack you if you are! I had a whole catalogue of eroge and doujins waiting for me back there!" Mineta pointed towards one of the largest buildings in the street. Nearby people warily side-eyed the two teens, slowly distancing themselves from them.
A child tugged on the hems of his mother's skirt, innocently pointing a finger towards Mineta. "Mama, what is that funny purple dwarf screaming about?"
"Patricio, let's go, don't point at those weird boys!" The mother grabbed her child's hand and quickly moved on towards one of the many stores.
Kaminari couldn't help but wince at the dig at his friend's shamelessness. Mineta had the decency to take a few calming breathes.
"Dude, I passed the prov exams; I just got my prov license, so I can't afford to be marked as some public deviant!" Kaminari admonished his friend, seeing the short teen rub his own neck awkwardly.
"Sorry, sorry."
The duo took a few moments to calm down and examine their surroundings.
Denki had been invited by Mineta to hang out and check out a few trinkets in Akiba. The blonde accepted, eager for any opportunity to strut around with his provisional license in his pocket. Aizawa-sensei would have his head on the chopping board if he discovered the teen's intentions, but Kaminari couldn't help his excitement. Just a stroll wouldn't hurt. Izuku did it all the time.
Denki had been browsing a few less than appropriate books when he noticed from his vantage point on the second floor of the store, he and Mineta where at a distinctive mess of hair walking down the main street. He did a double take, especially when he saw the hot blondie beside the vampire.
There was no way he wouldn't mess with Izuku, the ever calm and collected Vice Class President. Maybe he would manage to even snap a pic and send it in his friend's group chat. Ashido would love the gossip after all, and the pink-skinned teen would wear the vampire down to get the details. If Kaminari played his cards right, he could even get to hear some of those details himself and bag a hottie. He had a feeling that that blonde girl (her name slipping from his memory) was interested in him, he just needed to make a move!
However, to see her in Akiba, glued to the vampire, Kaminari had to make sure he wasn't hallucinating things.
He couldn't truly imagine Izuku with a girlfriend. The vampire was friendly with some of the girls in class, but Denki figured that – at most – the green-haired blood-drinker would end up with Uraraka. Hells, there was even a bet running between the group, the winning pot requiring people to guess when the two would get together.
Denki had placed just about three-months-worth of his allowance in that pot. He would win!
Thus began the male duo's frantic search, trying to find the vampire and the blonde bombshell.
Kaminari had somewhat more luck than his smaller friend, his height being an advantage that allowed him to catch glimpses of his search target. Yet their target seemed ever so elusive, evading their search and a proper identification.
The male duo tried their luck for about 15 minutes, their tailing-mission failing rather miserably, much to the blonde's chagrin. Mineta was invested on it solely so that he could give Izuku some nagging words, but as time went by and they failed to properly locate the vampire and his supposed girlfriend, the short teen was getting bored by it.
They stopped by a vending machine, trying to refresh their spirits in the hopes of finding the vampire.
"Are you really sure that you saw them, Denki?" Mineta questioned, getting himself a grape soda from the vending machine.
The blonde scratched the back of his head, clearly pondering and putting his braincells to work. "I'm pretty sure that I saw the two of them! I mean, Izuku is rather hard to mistake for anyone else these days."
Mineta sighed. He looked annoyed at his friend. "Investigations are not your skill for sure, dumbass!" The short teen muttered the insult, causing the blonde to flinch in place.
"C-Come on, you were pretty into it just a few minutes ago!" Kaminari tried to defend himself, putting both hands up in a surrendering motion. The teen also released a troubled sigh. "You'd think that getting a girlfriend would be easy after getting a hero license, but so far my luck has been bad." He complained to the air.
Mineta narrowed his eyes and was about to complain, but his perv senses tingled. He was sure that something perverted was happening nearby, though he wasn't sure of the location. That, and coupled with the muffled moan he managed to hear, the purple-haired teen had half a mind to ditch Kaminari and search for this lucky-pervert incident happening nearby.
Denki noticed the shift in Mineta's attitude and perked up. "What's up? You need to go to the toilet or something?" He shamelessly asked.
Mineta didn't answer right away, trying to focus on the source of his tingling. He couldn't afford to let anything distract him now.
…
…
…
Izuku erased his presence, trying his best to make sure that Melissa remained quiet too. [Warping] wasn't exactly a primary option with the [S.H.A.C.K.L.E.S] active around his neck, and Melissa wouldn't appreciate him using [Flash-step] and messing with her clothes. That, and running around like a maniac among the civilians would garner attention that he frankly didn't need.
Skipping on the rooftops midday with a civilian on his arms was also a fast-track ticket to the nearest police station – if he was lucky; otherwise a hero's office – so he contended with his current stealthy position.
Melissa also wasn't exactly helping him.
She had remained silent (for the most part), though her breathing still huffed hot air against his hand as he maintained her as close to his body as possible. The trouble started when she began to lightly grind her posterior against his groin.
At first the vampire figured that it was merely an impatience thing, the result of her shifting her feet to better handle the wait as Kaminari and Mineta talked nearby without noticing the rubbing. However, as the minutes went by, Izuku noticed that the rustling of clothing became firmer and more pronounced as she pressed herself even harder against him.
He lightly pulled her head back to glance at her eyes, hand still clamped around her mouth. The girl followed the move, her baby-blue eyes mischievous.
The silent 'What are you doing?' he mouthed was answered with a long and hard press of her posterior against him, the vampire finding his body answering to her teasing almost immediately. Melissa's scent became tinged with amusement at the situation, and Izuku narrowed his eyes at her behavior, the slits inside his emerald orbs focusing on the place where she was forcibly pressing herself against him.
He grunted – the noise feeling abnormally loud to him – but the slight noise seemed to further spur the American blonde's efforts. The vampire hadn't had release the past 2 weeks and the situation – while a bit awkward – felt exhilarating.
He focused his senses, noticing that Mineta and Denki had stopped talking and were more alert.
Izuku tried to alert Melissa of the happening, but his efforts were wasted as she focused on teasing him through their various layers of clothing. The rubbing got him eager to respond and considering the stress that Izuku had gone through the past few days, the vampire felt very eager to respond to his girlfriend's sass.
Did she want to play games?
Well, he was eager to respond in kind.
Melissa could barely respond to his movement, as the vampire spun in place and brought her frame against the wall they were hiding behind. It was still daytime, yet she dares tease him like this? Especially after she and Mei had shut themselves into his beach house.
The dullest of sounds echoed from the alley as she was pressed against the wall, the hemomancer still very aware of their surroundings. Not only could he sense his classmates, but there was still the mysterious presence at the edge of his senses, observing from afar.
Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea. She let the thought swim in her head, her heart starting to hammer within her chest. She kept glancing at the end of the alleyway, wondering if her boyfriend's classmates would peek in.
Izuku turned his head to watch the end of the alleyway too, feeling his own heart starting to pick up the pace. Nonetheless, he made no effort to move from his spot or make some cover up story. He turned his head to stare at Melissa, waiting until the girl noticed his gaze.
She did so, turning her eyes to him with a pleading glance. 'I learned my lesson, okay?' She felt heated, shame and desire growing in her body.
Izuku's stare did not move, and neither did the vampire. His hand – however – did so. He grasped her chin and made the girl look at him.
"Naughty girl…" He whispered to her, his fangs gleaming with saliva.
Melissa felt her legs weaken, her core clenching at his domineering attitude.
"D-don't tease me, Izuku…" She whispered back, trying to keep her voice low enough to avoid detection. Her eyes became half-lidded, the girl forgetting for a moment the precarious situation they found themselves in.
Izuku didn't answer her back. He side-eyed the alleyway.
"What are you two doing?!" A voice echoed loudly from the street.
Melissa's eyes snapped open, the girl almost yelping in fright, were it not for Izuku settling his lips over hers.
"Keep quiet…" he muskily whispered against her lips, just loud enough so that she could hear him.
Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, the girl's muffled a moan, her scent full in a mix of panic and arousal. Her panicked and wide eyes moved to see if the vampire's classmates would discover them this way, but as the clock ticked and the time went by, no one entered the alleyway.
""Nothing, ma'am!"" The combined voice of the teens echoed from the street, the distance too short for Melissa's comfort. She knew that she shouldn't have provoked the vampire (the girl was well aware of his closet pervert tendencies), but he certainly hadn't made that much effort to resist her charm. Should she feel honored that she had that effect on him, or should she chastise him for his mischievous action?
"Well, I have heard word that two teens were causing a disturbance and being public nuisances." The older female voice spoke in an authoritative tone, suspicion heavily coloring it. "That wouldn't be you two, would it?"
Izuku recognized the voice of the older heroine. He wondered if he was lucky that someone like Mirko was patrolling Tokyo today, or if he was that unlucky that Mirko was patrolling today.
"N-no way, Mirko-san." Denki's voice cracked. He at least managed to respond to the heroine's inquiry.
Mineta's eyes became bloodshot, the teen huffing and puffing. He stared at her toned legs, wondering if he could ever get a shot at rubbing the powerful limbs even for a minute or two.
Mirko stared at the diminutive teen with a questioning gaze. "You done gawking there, kid?" She loudly questioned him.
Mineta flinched, returning to reality away from his pink thoughts. "Y-yes, ma'am!"
The Rabbit Heroine rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Good, then get going, the both of you. I ain't got time for this nonsense." She glared at the two. They both quickly retreated, unwilling to be in the heroine's bad side.
Mirko was known for being a wanderer hero without a properly stablished office and selected jurisdiction, but that didn't diminish any of her skills or influence. With her spot in Japan's top ten rank, one word from the chocolate-skinned woman would tank any sort of opportunity they could ever had in the hero world.
As the two teens left, the heroine turned to the alley nearby. "You two can come out now." She spoke loudly enough to be sure she was heard.
Izuku and Melissa exited from their hiding spot.
"Hello there, Mirko-san." He spoke first, greeting her in hopes to both diminish any awkwardness.
The heroine's gaze eased a bit as she took notice of the vampire. Her lips twisted into a grin, and her mood seemed to immensely improve.
"Hah, what do we have here?" Mirko didn't wait for the vampire to properly answer her question, moving closer to him and landing several slaps on his shoulders as a form of physical greeting. "Sneaking around to have some fun with your little girlfriend, huh?" She teased, though it was clear that it was in good nature.
Melissa blushed in shame, but remained composed. "It is not like that…" She muttered to herself.
The vampire also felt some shame dust his cheeks. "My classmates have…strong and fertile imaginations; god only knows what kind of thing they could conjure up if they saw us together." He explained his plight to the heroine.
Mirko hummed, though her lips remained stretched with her grin. "Is that so?" Her ears twitched, so Izuku shut his mouth and hoped for the best. "So that stain left on the floor has nothing to do with you?" She asked in a haughty tone.
Melissa immediately spun in place, trying to spot the supposed mess she had left behind.
Izuku closed his eyes and mentally sighed, aware that his girlfriend fell for such easy bait.
Once the American blonde noticed that there was no proof, and she had essentially given Mirko all the affirmation that she needed, the girl groaned in shame. She buried her face on her hands, wishing that the older heroine would go already.
"Hehehehe, how cute!" Mirko's smirk and laughter got the vampire sighing. "Anyway, it was nice talking to you, brat! I gotta run! Got asses to kick!" She said her farewells and left.
Izuku turned to Melissa, being blessed by the sight of the girl groaning in shame. He had to agree with the Rabbit Heroine, it was cute.
[XXX]
[XXX]
[A few kilometers away]
Quiet peered down the target from her scope. She took a mental note of his interactions for the day, trying her best to build a profile on him of her own making.
Technically the sniper already had just about any and every scrap of information that was available on him, but there could always be something that had remained hidden. She had been the HSPC's tool for many years, and knew that some people kept a hidden ace or two in their sleeves.
She wondered if the vampire would figure her out. He could sense that someone had their eyes on him (which spoke wonders about his skills), but with her keeping her distance, the chance should be minimal. Quiet wondered how long this job would last, especially considering the results of her tailing so far.
Nothing indicated that Izuku would be anything but an exceptional hero. She knew that the HSPC was paranoid and sketchy, but even for them, this level of precaution and cloak-and-dagger tactics was excessive.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of useless thoughts.
"The joys of youth, huh?" She murmured, seeing the vampire play with his blonde girlfriend. "You…kids these days…" She kept murmuring as he observed her target.
She had almost forgotten what close physical contact with someone felt like. Not like she had many chances being in Tartarus after all, and with vicious villains for neighbors, Quiet wasn't exactly enthusiastic in getting to know any of them.
And now that she was out and about, the sight of her target enjoying himself like that…it irked her.
[XXX]
[TO BE CONTINUED]
AU END NOTES
We about to enter the Shie Hassaki arc with this one, boys!
ERI-time shall be upon us!