Inko smiled as she put the finishing touches on one of the bouquets for her favorite customers, the flowers all carefully picked for a specific meaning.
Pink and red Camellias, a few angelicas, baby's breath and daisies.
A very sweet and loving message that she was sure would make Jiro-San probably cry from happiness when his wife gave it to him.
Inko carefully weaved a Celtic knot out of two ribbons, yellow and purple to add to its meaning, then brought the bouquet to the front counter where Jiro-San's wife, Mika as she introduced herself, was waiting.
Now normally she wouldn't be so nosy, but Mika-San didn't look like she was about to go on a date like Jiro-San always did when he picked up his bouquets.
Instead, the woman looked like she was about to go to a business meeting.
"So, what's the occasion for these?" Inko inquired as she handed the flowers over to Mika-San, the woman smiling softly as she ran a hand over a few petals.
"No occasion, Kyotoku always gets me flowers for our anniversaries. I prefer to surprise him with flowers, so there's nothing special about today, he always remembers ours." Mika-San explained, the years of fondness and love easily conveyed in that one sentence paired with the way she looked at the flowers.
A small flicker of envy came up, but it was easily outweighed by her happiness for the couple being so in love with each other and happy with each other.
It did her heart good to know at least five couples in good marriages.
Mika-San asked for one of the cards and Inko carefully wrote the message Mika-San wanted, then Mika-San swiped her card, leaving with one last thank you thrown over her shoulder.
After she left though Inko couldn't help thinking about getting into a relationship again.
She hadn't really thought about it, even when Hisashi and she first met she wasn't looking for a relationship, just sort of fell into one with the childish man swiping her off her feet.
Did she want to date someone again?
Inko pondered these things as she took care of the flowers.
Was she missing anything from when she lived with Hisashi?
Then again... he might not be the best example of a partner in a relationship, but he was the only one that she could compare it to.
It might ease some of her loneliness since Izuku was traveling most of the week, but was that good enough of a reason to get into a relationship?
It didn't feel like one, wouldn't that be like leading someone on?
Inko shook her head.
No, leading them on would be lying about why she got into a relationship.
But she wasn't sure she missed the more romantic parts of her marriage, maybe she should ask her friends about it, most of them had been in relationships at some point, if not happily married now.
They'd be meeting up for tea at a nice cafe after she finished her shift, so she could just ask them when they all met up.
They'd all likely be able to give her some advice on the subject.
A path of action chosen she nodded to herself and when the doorbell rang, she turned to go help the new customer, thoughts of her possibly getting into dating again being shelved for now.
Inko blinked as she stood in front of the mirror, surprised as she stared at herself wearing clothes she hadn't touched since her college days.
It was shocking what difference a couple chiropractor visits and a drastic reduction in stress could do to someone.
Her height wouldn't fully come back, no time had taken that from her, but she was certainly taller than she was before, five inches at least by her best guess.
The dress she was wearing was a bit loose on her, but a couple of pins fixed that and after making sure she really looked alright, pulling on a jacket a second later to cover up her shoulders and grabbing her purse.
Then she walked out the door locking it behind her and then headed down for her car.
The drive to the little cafe was short, though she had to park a couple of blocks away and walk over to the building.
And she saw that Magne-San, Yua-San, Aditi-San, and Saori-San were already there sitting at one of the outside tables.
Magne-San turned her head and Inko made sure to wave at them, Magne-San grinning and whistling at her "Looks like you've been holding out on us Inko, where'd you find that?" Magne-San asked with good natured teasing as she finally reached them.
Inko grinned feeling a warm flutter in her chest and did a little twirl, her dress fanning out "Thank you Magne-San, Mitsuchan made this for me years ago, I can't believe this still fits." she explained as she sat down in one of the free chairs.
Saori-San blinked, the muffin being lowered from her face "It's that old? But it looks so nice still." Saori-San commented slightly baffled, and Inko shrugged.
"I haven't worn it much, I didn't go out much after Izuku was born and before that I was busy with my work as a nurse." Inko answered, accepting the offered cookies Yua-San pushed over to her.
"Well, I hope we'll be seeing you in it more, that dark indigo is a good color on you." Magne-San told her, most of them nodding.
"I should hope so, wanted that to be a forever dress for Inky." Mitsuchan proclaimed brashly as she returned from the inside of the cafe with a few ice cream dishes which were spilt between everyone.
"Then you did a bang-up job, it still looks fantastic on her." Aditi-San praised, launching a conversation about how Mitsuchan made the dress and what the material was.
Inko enjoyed the moment.
Being able to sit at a nice place with her friends and treat herself to a delightful little meal with them, she happily caught up with them and their lives.
"Hey Inko, there something wrong?" Magne-San inquired between eating some fries she ordered.
Inko blinked, confused for a second until she remembered what she wanted to ask them.
"No, no nothing like that. I've just been considering something." Inko answered waving her dismissively and stirring her drink with its straw.
"Oh, considering what?" Yua-San asked, head slightly tilted.
Inko flushed a bit, looking down towards her hands.
"Well, I've been thinking... about if I want to get back into dating." Inko told the girls.
Mitsuchan, Aditi-San and Saori-San perked up.
"Really? That sounds great Inko-San, have you thought about how you want to get yourself out there?" Aditi-San questioned very interested.
Inko scratched behind her ear, a feeling a touch awkward.
"I um, haven't thought about it and I'm still not sure if I actually want to put myself out there, or if I want to be in a relationship again." Inko replied.
"Oh." Saori-San muttered.
"So, are you feeling scruples about dating as a single mom or are you unsure if you want to be romantic with someone again after your ex?" Magne-San inquired for more clarification.
Inko rested her face in her hands with a sigh.
"The latter... I've never been a romantic, or that interested in relationships before. So, I'm not sure if I'm actually wanting to date someone or if it's just another phase of my empty nesting." Inko answered a touch dejected.
One of Mitsuchan's hands was placed on her shoulder and Mitsuchan rubbed small circles there. "I'm sorry Inky, that sucks." Mitsuchan told her, the whole group giving her sympathetic looks.
Most of them clearly not looking forward to when their own children would eventually move out somewhat like Izuku had and their upcoming bouts of empty nesting, Magne-San being the odd one out as she wasn't a parent.
A pseudo-sister to her roommate Dabi and an aunt to her cousins' many children maybe, but even Magne-San knew that it wasn't quite the same.
"Well, is there anything you miss from when you were still with your ex?" Aditi-San asked.
Inko frowned slightly as she tried to think about it, even if she didn't look back on him fondly there had to be something about it all that drew her to the man, right?
After a minute of pouting Inko sighed again.
"I don't know, my ex-husband was the only person I was in a relationship with, and he clearly wasn't the best of partners." Inko said letting her hands rest on the table.
"No, the fuck he was not." Mitsuchan spat her nose scrunching up.
"How about what would you want in a relationship?" Saori-San asked, trying to be helpful.
"I'm not sure," Inko lamely answered "Hisashi and I just... clicked I guess. I don't even know if I have a type or not." Inko further commented.
"Well, if you do start dating, I at least know a couple deal breakers for you would be quirkists and perverts." Magne-San pointed out.
That got a bemused huff from Aditi-San "Aren't those deal breakers for most people?" Aditi-San commented.
"Not for everybody, there's some sick bastards out there who are really into some freaky shit." Mitsuchan scoffed "One of my former co-workers had a pretty serious degradation kink and got off on some quirkist shit being said to her." Mitsuchan added, and Inko shivered at the mention of the woman.
She'd been there when said woman texted Mitsuchan by mistake and it still made her uncomfortable to think about the things in that text.
"Judging from Inko-San's face I believe we don't want to know the details." Yua-San guessed, Inko's face no doubt twisted from her discomfort.
"You really don't." Inko promised, a majority of the texts being the kind of thing you wouldn't ever say in polite company.
"Okay cons are a bit shaky but if you want to get back out there what would be some pros?" Aditi-San questioned, tapping one of her claws thoughtfully.
"Someone that would be okay with Mido-Kun's lifestyle is a must, dating can be fun but I can't see you with someone that couldn't respect your son Inko-San." Magne brought up, Inko nodded.
"Yeah," Mitsuchan snickered "Inky would be more likely to rip teeth out than date someone like that." Mitsuchan teased, bumping her shoulder with Inko's.
Inko blushed "Mitsuchan!" she exclaimed a bit embarrassed.
"What? You would, you Inky little bitch." Mitsuchan said chuckling, and Inko hated that she didn't have a strong argument against it.
Instead, she waved her hand and tried to change the topic of conversation.
"Enough about my possible future love life, how are the kids doing?" Inko asked, knowing that the kids would be a sure-fire way to catch everyone's attention.
"Ochaco's begin to experiment in her cooking more, it is a bit concerning though." Saori-San mentioned grabbing everyone's attention.
"Concerning how?" Magne-San questioned.
Saori-San looked down and rubbed her pointer fingers in little circles against each other "Well... Ochaco's always been a little afraid of bugs and spiders, but for the last week or so she's been making her food with bugs in it. She doesn't seem fond of it but is determined to find something that can make bugs taste good to her." Saori-San explained.
Inko frowned as Saori-San did.
What could make the young girl do something so strange and out of character? It couldn't be about over coming her fears for bug or spider quirked people since she had no problems with being around Yua-San.
Magne-San snorted slightly and gently pat Saori-San's shoulder, chuckling slightly, making the others look at her.
"Sorry, but I think I have an idea of why she's doing that." Magne-San told them waving a hand good naturedly.
"Lil' Mezo told his friends he eats bugs recently and that they're fairly tasty to him." Magne-San informed them.
Almost instantly Inko and the others understood and started giggling.
"And now Sweet-cheeks is trying to eat them too for him? That is so fucking precious." Mitsuchan said holding her hand up to her mouth to keep from giggling.
Saori-San wasn't much better grinning and sighed relieved "That is so like her and I can't believe I didn't think of it myself."
"The two of them are going to be so sweet when they actually start dating." Aditi-San agreed with a coo.
"They will, once they ask each other out, who do you think will ask first?" Inko asked the group.
"My bet's on Sweet-cheeks." Mitsuchan said "No offense Web-head, but I married the shy type and Sweet-cheeks will probably work the nerve up first." Mitsuchan explained.
Yua-San chittered and waved one of her hands "No, no. You're probably right, Mezo would probably not be the one to ask Ochaco out first, he'd be too nervous." Yua-San replied thoughtfully.
"They'll be a total power couple though." Magne-San pointed out grinning.
"Hell, yeah they will, the hero scene won't have any clue what'll bitch smack 'em when Sweet-cheeks and Lil' Mez hit the ground." Mitsuchan agreed, nodding.
Their conversation from there devolved to mainly talking about their kids while enjoying some decent food and drinks.
Ochaco *glares at her plate*
Saori: Hunny, is everything okay you hadn't touched your food yet?
Ochaco: I'm fine, just overthinking things.
Ochaco *eats a bite trying not to chew it much*
Ochaco *turns green*
Saori: Hunny?
Ochaco *swallows uneasily*
Ochaco: I will adapt and overcome...
Saori: Okay sweetie, do you want some water?