Here it is, the 164th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released on schedule. Everyone's settled and unpacked and while some are chatting in their rooms, a lone member of Class 1-A has decided to go outside and lookout over the edge of the plateau. What will happen when someone notices this and realizes that the lone person is just who the noticer wants to talk to and talk to alone? Well let's see as that is all the administrative stuff that I have for you and as there are no guest reviews to respond to or questions to answer I will end this note here. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all. That is all I have for this pre chapter note so that means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 164th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 164: First Clifftop Conversation
While the rest of the class was settling in, chatting with each other, preparing something for them all to eat, or otherwise occupied with various tasks or training, Izuku walked to the sliding floor to ceiling glass doors that led out onto the balcony attached to the room. Everything was like the dorms after all so he had a balcony only in addition to curtains on the inside, there thick metal shutters on the outside that would close when Troy was locked up for the night and would protect the students long enough to alert them of an attack.
That wasn't a concern for Izuku though, he was just looking out the window and taking a moment to collect his thoughts after unpacking. From his room he could stared over the top of the plateau, the cliff edge, and down to the forest of trees and broken buildings below it. However, almost as soon as Izuku began to stare out at his view, he noticed a figure standing at the cliff edge below him, a familiar brunette figure with high pink boots and wearing an off pink shirt over her costume.
Izuku stared at Uraraka for a moment as she stood there, her hair fluttering a bit in the breeze while a small red and black mass that was too small to make out fine details on from where Izuku was floated next to her indicating that her kwami was with her as well. However, it seemed like Uraraka wasn't talking with the kwami but rather just starting out over and into the distance deep in thought. While it might be rude to interrupt her solitude, Izuku knew that this was the best chance he would get to have a private word with Uraraka and thank her for what she did for him.
He was sure that the kwami, Longg if he recalled correctly from when everyone introduced their kwamis following Dupain-Cheng's distribution of the Miraculouses, would be respectful and give him and Uraraka a moment alone so he wasn't worried about that. His mind made up, Izuku opened the glass door and with a little of One for All active, he leapt off the balcony and down to the plateau below.
Ochaco was just staring out over the trees and ruined city below her, her mouth slightly open as she took everything in. She'd come here after dropping her stuff off as she didn't have anything else to do at the moment and wanted to be out of the building while she collected her thoughts. Longg was of course with her and the choker that was her Miraculous was resting on the collar of her costume but she'd still not used it yet and her kwami was only there to keep her company and moral support as Longg could tell that Ochaco didn't want to speak at the moment.
That was fine with Ochaco as she looked out, the breeze causing her hair and open shirt to flutter as it blew past her. As she did, she'd not been thinking about the layout of the dorms and how Troy's layout was identical so was unaware that the boys' side overlooked where she was and a certain green haired boy had seen her as she stood there.
Ochaco knew that she had to talk to Deku before the war began and she knew what she had to talk to him about but right now that wasn't on her mind as she looked out over the trees below. Of course, because she wasn't planning on talking to Deku just yet, now would be the very moment that Deku leapt off his balcony and landed behind her, the landing alerting her to his presence and his call to her telling her who it was. That said, given the sound of the landing, there were only a few in the class who could pull that off, at least without the aid of an active Miraculous.
"Uraraka!" Izuku called out getting her to turn to him.
"Huh? Oh hi Deku!" Ochaco said as she turned to look at him. "I thought that might be you."
"I'll leave you two alone, see you later." Longg said quietly so that Izuku couldn't hear her. "Good luck Ochaco."
With that Longg turned and flew off towards the building as Izuku jogged up to her passing the kwami as he did while Ochaco silently thanked Longg for giving her some privacy with Deku. Naturally, she had spoken to her kwami about her plan for Toga and need to talk to Deku about it, as well as her feelings for Deku as Longg knew from the first conversation having been hidden in Marinette's room at the time, and Longg of course supported her on both fronts. Ochaco was certainly better at talking to her love than Marinette had been and Longg would be there if Ochaco needed her afterwards.
"Are you done unpacking?" Izuku asked as he neared Ochaco before Longg's departure caught up with him. "Wait, why did your kwami leave you? Aren't they supposed to stay near their holders for the most part? I know that Plagg doesn't stay near Agreste all the time, I actually met him before Jaku because he hangs out with a strange pro call Odd-Eye, but he doesn't need to be near Agreste what with Agreste's Miraculous power being turned into his Quirk."
"Longg probably wanted to see if the other kwamis were settling in alright now that you're here." Ochaco said as she looked at Deku. "She doesn't need to be near me all the time, only when I might use my Miraculous but, well, that's unlikely at the moment so she can go off and do her own thing if she wants."
"I see." Izuku said taking the news in. "They are interesting creatures for sure."
"That they are." Ochaco agreed before she switched back to Deku's first question so that they didn't bogged down with a conversation about the kwamis and their powers. "To answer your first question, yeah I'm done unpacking. I didn't bring much so it was quick."
"Same, all I brought was spare clothes." Izuku said. "Didn't need much else as we're not going to be here long."
As Izuku spoke, Ochaco turned back to looking out over the cliff's edge knowing that the conversation she'd been needed to have was upon her but unsure how to start it. Thankfully, she didn't have to as Izuku took a step forward to stand next to her and started with what he wanted to talk to her about which Ochaco knew would let her ease into first the Toga stuff given what had crossed her mind during her plea. From there she could, if she felt the moment was right, address the other thing she wanted to say to Deku.
"Listen, Uraraka." Izuku began his voice getting her to turn her head to look at him again. "I've been trying to find the moment for this but with all that's been going on it's been hard to find it until now. I just want to say thank you. You know, for that speech you gave back at U.A. that got them to accept me back. I really appreciate it. It, it meant a lot to me."
"Oh really, well there's no need to thank me for that." Ochaco said turning her head away unable to meet his eyes as she began to rub her head nervously, she'd been ready for Deku to talk to her about what she'd said but just to hear thanks from the boy she loved about a speech made in part because of her love for him still caused her to get nervous. "That said, it is nice to know that you still obsess over every little detail. I've always admired that about you, Deku."
"Er, yeah." Izuku said a little confused by Uraraka's reaction and raising his left hand to his head as he tried to figure it out and came to the conclusion that because she'd been alone she wanted to remain like that. "Sorry, I just wanted to tell you that while I had a chance to do so. I didn't mean to interrupt you or anything."
"No, you're not interrupting anything, I wasn't even talking to Longg while I was standing here." Ochaco said getting herself under control and powering through her nerves to address what she knew she had to address with him while also not wanting Deku to think he'd interrupted her or anything. "I was just looking out over the city and thinking, that's all."
Ochaco paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts and moved her arms down to clasp her hands behind her back as she got herself under control. She still didn't look at Deku, she just looked out over the ruined city and trees below the plateau, but she'd calmed herself down after getting flustered for a second. This was the right moment for everything, Ochaco knew it and she was grateful that Deku gave her a moment to collect her thoughts before she continued with the first thing she wanted to say to him.
"You know, Deku, I've come to the realization that I'm probably pretty weird." Ochaco said once she had everything in order in her head. "It's taken a while to come to this conclusion but I'm pretty sure that I am."
"No you're not." Izuku said almost instantly as he defended his friend and completely misinterpreting what she meant by being weird. "Your strong, brave, confident, and that hairstyle looks great on you. Dupain-Cheng trusted you with the Dragon Miraculous and I've heard both what that can do and a bit about the last person to wield it, that's a serious level of trust. Plus, you're kind, cool, and nice to everyone and b…"
"Yeah that's not what I meant Deku." Ochaco said her eyes closed and while she really liked his praise, his utter density overruled that feeling for the moment and she realized that she was going to have to elaborate more, which admittedly she probably should have done in the first place. "What I meant was that when I had that megaphone and was yelling down at everyone to get them to allow you to return to U.A. because you needed your rest, I, I suddenly started thinking about Himiko Toga."
That certainly got Izuku's attention but he didn't say anything to it. Ochaco was glad as it allowed her to continue, which she did without pause as she clarified why she thought that she was weird.
"I've probably been thinking about her subconsciously for a while but with all that's happened since Jaku what with yours, Marinette's, and Agreste's revelations, I'd not had a chance to really focus on it while we processed those things and then moved to bring you back." Ochaco said as Izuku just listened to her words. "However, in that moment on the roof in the rain while I was pleading with the evacuees to allow you back, it all hit me."
Ochaco paused at that to take a breath while still looking out over the cliff edge. She could feel Deku's green eyes on her but didn't turn to meet his gaze, she needed to focus on this and speaking out over the cliff helped her do so. She was glad that Deku didn't say anything, he was as amazing as ever and just listened after she made it clear that he'd misinterpreted her, and thus giving her the time to explain everything to him.
"I'm not sure if I've told you, but fought her one on one in the ruins of Jaku after Yaoyorozu had dropped Gigantomachia into the middle of Shigaraki's decay zone, not that I knew that that was how Toga got to Jaku at the time, and during our fight I said some stuff to her that seemed like common sense to me." Ochaco continued after a moment. "But it mustn't have been to her because she looked really sad to hear it from me, she even had tears in her eyes. I was kinda surprised by her reaction to what I thought was normal."
Izuku let out a soft gasp at that but he didn't add anything to it. He was transfixed by Uraraka's words because he completely understood them, even as she continued he got what she was going on about because it was something that he was grabbling with himself. It was the reason why Ochaco had known that she needed to say this to Deku because she felt that he'd get where she was coming from and so she never stopped talking as he stared at her.
"Toga's a villain and partly to blame for everything that's been going on lately, I know that." Ochaco said. "She's killed countless people and destroyed the happiness of many more, she's even used my Quirk to kill, so forgiving her is no longer an option. However, despite all this, I still have no idea what Toga knows about being human. I don't know what's obvious to her that's not obvious to me, the kinds of things that she might mistakenly think are true or that she believes to be normal, I don't know any of that."
Again Ochaco paused for a moment and again Izuku didn't say anything. He'd had his own thoughts on this matter, not about Toga like Ochaco had had but about another villain so he could relate to the mental struggle that Ochaco was dealing with. So he remained silent waiting to see if Uraraka had more to say, which she did glad that he was giving her the time to say it.
"I spoke a little with Marinette about it and she thinks that Toga's warped mind is down to the nature of her Quirk and how a child's mind can't properly process or understand a power like Toga's." Ochaco said after a few seconds. "And I agree but at the same time I don't know if there's more to it or not. Toga's a villain who needs to be brought to justice, there's no doubt about that, but at the same time I can't help but want to understand her more. That's why I'm probably weird because why would a hero want to understand a villain like Toga?"
With that last question Ochaco took another breath and exhaled it before she turned her head to look at Deku a small smile on her face. She'd said what she wanted to say regarding Himiko Toga and could now look at Deku for his reaction and response because she could use his advice on this.
"Anyway, that's the reason why I came out here after I unpacked, I wanted to think on that, especially as I'm the one who will defeat Toga in the coming war." Ochaco said. "Well that and so that I don't forget the horrible scenes from that day in Jaku. All the death, grief, loss, everything that I witnessed, I won't forget it. With those memories in my mind, I can stay focused on what really matters. Longg's still adapting to the new world so she was just here for moral support as my kwami but she doesn't understand this, I'm sure you do though, Deku."
"Yeah, you're right, I totally get it." Izuku said as Ochaco briefly looked away from him while finishing what she had to say to him thus getting a gasp from her as she looked over to him again. "Tomura Shigaraki has done countless terrible, unspeakable things not just since we first encountered him at the USJ but even before that, things that show the true depths of evil in the world."
This time it was Izuku's turn to pause as he spoke and for Ochaco to stare at him and wait for him to continue. The only difference was now she was looking him in the eye and saw that he did understand her just as she'd known he would.
"However, when we were connected in Jaku when he tried to take One for All from me, I saw deep into his mind and when I was there I saw a little boy crying there, I saw the boy he was before he became a villain." Izuku said as he looked at Ochaco, his voice and eyes conveying that he fully understood her dilemma with Toga and where she was coming from because he too was dealing with the same issue regarding his own battle. "Even though we're about to go to war, I don't think that I can ignore what's hiding deep inside his heart, what he is probably raging against as we speak. That's just not who I am. Even though Shigaraki's a villain who can't be forgiven, I still want to save him if that makes sense."
Ochaco let out a slight noise and smiled a bit at what Deku had said as she turned from him to look out over the cliff's edge once again. She knew that he'd understand how she felt and to hear that he was dealing with the same thing, that he too couldn't ignore the need to save someone even though that person was a heinous villain who couldn't be forgiven, it was just what she needed to hear to put her mind at ease and reassure her that her plan for Toga was the right one. Ochaco had known for a long time how she felt about Deku, she loved him deeply and this just reinforced everything.
"That makes perfect sense to me so it looks like we're both kinda weird in this regard." Ochaco said. "Thanks for understanding Deku, this has really helped me get everything clear in my head. Regardless of this, though, we will stop them."
"That we will." Izuku said as he turned as well so that he and Ochaco stared out over the ruined city below them as they stood side by side. "I know it."
After that, the pair remained on the clifftop enjoying a few moments of comfortable silence together. It wasn't awkward for them as they both digested what the other had said and all that their chat had meant to them. They'd not said more than they needed to say, their closeness was such that once the first misunderstanding was cleared up they could get what the other meant. They both had their own battles to fight in the coming war, battles that only they could truly fight though they would receive help for them from their friends, and both had the same goal; subdue and save their opponents.
Shigaraki and Toga couldn't be forgiven for their numerous crimes, they had to pay for them, but both Izuku and Ochaco understood that the two villains weren't born that way but rather made so by society and the machinations of All for One in Shigaraki's case. That said a lot about society as a whole but that was an issue that they would deal with after the war, providing they won of course. For now, though, their goals were to understand and save the villains they were up against while bringing them to justice.
It was this shared goal, this support for her view on her situation that Ochaco had been hoping to get from Deku when she spoke with him about it. She still had to actually fight Toga and truly understand what had turned her into a villain but that would come when they clashed in a few days' time and she'd figure out just how Toga became who she was.
Ochaco knew some of what she'd have to tell the other girl when they met on the battlefield but a lot would depend on the day itself and what information she could get out of Toga during their fight. Until then all she could do was plan, her confidence full after hearing how Deku understood her and was dealing with the same issue with Shigaraki.
All this just left one final thing for Ochaco to do and after everything she knew that it was the right thing to do. She wanted to fully focus on the battle to come and so she needed to do this as part of that, as a way to ensure that it was out in the open and thus allow her to go into her battle with Toga with a clear head.
It was what she had to do and her doubts on it had been cleared up by Marinette when they'd talked the night before. Without Marinette's advice Ochaco wasn't sure if she'd have been able to do this but with it she knew in her heart that this was the right thing to do and the right time for it. So, knowing that there was no coming back from what she was about to say but at the same time ready to say it, Ochaco broke the silence.
"Deku, there is one more thing that I'd like to say while were alone out here." Ochaco said still looking out and getting his attention so he turned his head to her but she couldn't meet his gaze just yet, she needed to build up to that. "It's something that I have to say, that I've been holding in for a long time as we had our own dreams that we were chasing and goals which we wanted to obtain. That was why I locked it away when I first realized how I felt but with what will be the final battle in this war coming it's time to let it all out."
"What are you talking about Uraraka?" Izuku asked completely confused by what she was saying. "I don't understand any of it."
"No, you wouldn't but that's fine, it's just who you are and another reason why for me." Ochaco said smiling at the dense idiot that she'd fallen for, his density in the moment helping calm her rising nerves. "And I no longer want to hold them back, I've decided to unlock them."
Ochaco paused and took a breath as she tapped into her courage before she turned not just her head but her whole body to face Deku forcing him to do the same her smile never faltering. She met his green eyes with her brown ones noting the confusion there as she finally voiced what she'd long known to be true in her heart.
"Deku, I love you."
Izuku heard the words and saw the light filling Uraraka's eyes as she spoke them but it took a good few seconds for his brain to fully process them and what they meant. When it did Ochaco could have sworn she saw the air around him crack as his jaw fell open and his eyes went wide at her confession of love.
"Well that was about what I expected to happen." Ochaco said with a little giggle that caused Deku to blush bright which was adorable.
"U, Uraraka, you…" Izuku began trying and failing to come up with words and only managing one me. "Me?"
"Yup, I probably fell for you way back in the first semester and while Aoyama called me out for it I denied it until just before the Provisional License Exam." Ochaco said still smiling. "After getting jealous at Hatsume, seeing you train while Mina said that I was in love, and a long, deep, chat with Marinette, I came to the realization that I love you but that you had your dreams that you were chasing with all your might, something that I really love about you and has always inspired me by the way, and so was I."
Ochaco paused for a moment as she collected her thoughts a bit but she knew that she had a few moments as Deku was still processing things. This was clearly a big shock to him, as Ochaco had expected, and it gave her the time to continue.
"That's why I locked them away, I had my own dreams that I was chasing just like you and so I couldn't let this get in way of them, but, well, there were times when it slipped out and I'm sure that Toga knows about them as well though that's not important." Ochaco said not adding that she had a feeling her feelings for Deku were a big reason why Toga had targeted her in Jaku so as to not worry him. "All that is important is that I love you with all my heart, Deku, and after another chat with Marinette I wanted to tell you before the final battle."
"I, I, I…" Izuku stuttered still processing that Uraraka was in love with him but as he did he recalled something that allowed him to focus his mind enough to get out a proper sentence. "Wait, the Valentine's chocolates that someone left for me in my room, that had a note saying the giver was in love with me. Was that you, Uraraka?"
"Yup, that was me." Ochaco said beaming that Deku had figured it out. "I had Marinette help me make some specially for you, she was making her own for Agreste after all and as a baker she knows what she's doing in the kitchen, because I wanted to give you some and at least write down that I love you but I couldn't confess to you face to face at the time. Honestly, back then I'm not sure when I would have confessed but that doesn't matter because I know that now is the right time to do so."
"I, I did hope that they were from you." Izuku admitted his eyes darting down and to the side to not meet hers as his face went bright red again which warmed Ochaco's chest and gave her hope for the future. "But, well…"
"I know, I've sprung this on you and some might see it as it not being the best time for it." Ochaco admitted. "But with the final battle coming and the dangers that we face, well, in the end I wanted you to know how I felt before the war began. I know you, Deku, I know that for as shocking as you find this, though I'm pretty sure that most can tell how I feel about you at this point, you'll still not let it affect you. That's just who you are, once you have a goal in mind you don't get distracted so I know that you'll still do as you say and reach out to that crying kid within Shigaraki and save him while stopping him at the same time."
"Um, yeah, I'm sorry but I will probably forget about this while dealing with Shigaraki." Izuku said though he wondered how he'd not noticed how Uraraka felt about him and decided that she must have been good at hiding it, which she wasn't but that wasn't the point. "But I won't afterwards."
"I know you won't and that's why I'll wait for your answer." Ochaco said and Izuku opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off. "Please, I know that you'll need time to think on this as it is something important and I don't want an answer now. I just wanted to tell you before the battle."
"Oh, er, right." Izuku said. "Thank you. I promise I'll give you an answer when this is over and I've had time to properly think about everything. I, er, have kinda been focused solely on All for One and Shigaraki as of late."
"I know you have, that's what makes you the person I fell in love with so I am more than happy to wait until this is over for your answer, Deku." Ochaco said smiling knowing that this was as close to a promise to survive as Deku would give her. "Now let's get back, the others might have noticed that we're missing and gotten worried."
"Right, er, I'll follow you in." Izuku said. "I, um, need a moment if that's ok."
Ochaco smiled and nodded at that before she turned and left Deku alone on the clifftop. She knew that Deku would need a moment to process what she'd told him and she'd give it to him. She'd done what she wanted to do when she got a moment to speak with Deku and it was as if a weight had been lifted from her. Yes, she was deeply in love with Deku, but she couldn't let that distract her from the final battle with Toga and she'd done so by confessing her love to him. Plus, she had his response to wait for so that was added motivation to get back alive.
For his part Izuku just watched Uraraka leave before he turned back and looked out over the trees and broken buildings below him for a few more moments. He honestly didn't know what to make of Uraraka's confession, at least consciously, and he'd never really addressed this aspect of his life what with his dream of becoming the number 1 hero, but he couldn't deny that he felt happy and warm knowing how she felt about him. It was a feeling he'd use along with all his other ones in the coming battle and he swore to himself that he'd do what he could to come back alive and give Uraraka his answer.
Until then, though, he had to focus on the coming war and so he pushed the confession to the back of his mind and turned to head back to his room via the balcony. He had to be ready because in a few days' time the long lasting war between All for One and One for All would finally come to its climax. As he walked, though, Izuku didn't notice someone watching him from the roof of the building.
"Good for you Ochaco, you did it." Marinette muttered to herself as the binoculars that she'd been using to watch her friend's chat with, and confession to, Midoriya from the roof vanished and she leaned back against the large unit thing atop the flat roof of the makeshift headquarters that they were in. "And now you can both focus on the battles to come and doing what you do best, being heroes."
"Wouldn't this distract them?" Tikki asked from next to her as Marinette tilted her head back and looked at the sky. "It would you."
Marinette didn't answer for a moment as she stared at the blue above her. She'd come here via her balcony the moment that Longg had come to her as she was making some snacks for the class in the kitchen to tell her that Midoriya had approached Ochaco. As Marinette wanted to witness it she left Sato in charge of the baking claiming she had to unpack but really using that as an excuse to get up here.
Of course because of this Marinette had missed the early part and was too far to hear but she'd seen through the binoculars when Ochaco had turned fully to Midoriya to say something to him. His shocked reaction to what Ochaco had said told Marinette that it had been her confession of love.
It had been a peak Midoriya reaction and Marinette wished that she'd been able to photograph it but she hadn't so she had to settle for seeing it first hand and leave it at that. She was proud of her friend for having the courage to confess and doing so right before the final battle. It was the right thing for her to do and Ochaco knew that it would help both of them in the end.
"It would distract me, that's true." Marinette admitted as she finally responded to Tikki. "But not to them. Ochaco needed to say it to clear her head for her coming battle with Himiko Toga and focus on that while this will just give Midoriya more motivation to survive and hopefully not pull some self-sacrificing bullshit. Plus Adrien's with him so he shouldn't do something stupid against Shigaraki."
"Are you sure about that?" Tikki asked. "I know you love Adrien but he's not been the smartest at avoiding self-sacrificing incidents himself."
"Admittedly no." Marinette said with a sigh but she was sure that this time Adrien wouldn't do what he did in Jaku. "But Midoriya will want to answer Ochaco, and determine his own feelings, which I'm sure are mutual, so he'll be motivated to do so."
"Very well." Tikki said with a sigh. "You do know them well."
"That I do." Marinette said as she got up and moved towards the girls' side of the building. "I can't wait for Midoriya's response but we have a war to win first so let's focus on that. Well and one more night with Adrien."
Tikki smiled at that as she and Marinette made their way back to Marinette's room. As they did, Marinette realized that because of the fortified covering the roof of the building was flat which meant that her and Adrien wouldn't have an issue finding space up here for a private moment alone tonight.
So, as soon as Marinette got back to her room, she'd text him and tonight they'd have one last night together before focusing on the coming war. It was what they needed after all as the day began to draw to a close and Marinette looked forward to her night with her boyfriend.
At last! Ochaco's confession! It's finally happened with things wrapped up nicely I think I'll leave this chapter off here. Like the last few and the next one at least it's nice and short but such is the nature of the chapters that are building up to the final war as I wanted each notable event to get its own focus, especially this one. This was also a chapter that I've been looking forward to writing ever since the manga came out with the clifftop chat between Izuku and Ochaco because I always felt that that was the best place for her to confess, at least at first though their second meeting on the clifftop in the penultimate chapter would have worked but I'm sure y'all can guess what might happen in that scene, if they survive of course. However, the manga didn't go in the direction I wanted but with this story I was able to do that with the help Marinette's presence being the factor that changed canon as Ochaco had someone to talk to about love from when she first fell for Izuku and so she could talk to about potentially confessing as well which was the chapter a few weeks ago. Now she's confessed and is ready for the war to come, as is Izuku and he has a reason to survive so let's move on as Adrien and Marinette get their own last night together before the coming war. Anyway, that is all that I have for y'all, however, so I will leave this chapter off here. As always, if you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog