Ladies and gentlemen, here is the second installment to 'The Weekend.' I have decided to make a lighthearted romantic story between Izuku and Tomoko. In this chapter, Izuku gets a surprise visit from Tomoko as well as some word of advice from Yawara. Enjoy! This is an OOC Izuku x OOC Tomoko love story.
It was a quiet night at the Midoriya residence. Izuku was in the living room, lying on the couch, as he was finishing Kayama-sensei's paper. It was minutes before the deadline and he was certain that his Monday morning wasn't going to be spent with the whip.
Invader Zim was on the television, Juice Wrld was playing on the background. His mother wasn't home, deciding to spend the evening with Katsuki and Ochako's mother. Knowing for their tenacity of alcohol and karaoke, he will have a night alone.
"And submit!" He had a sigh of relief and a few minutes. He was careful to not say her name. No time for sneezes and dreams of cracked whips. A shiver ran down his spine when having those thoughts.
As a celebratory offering, he knew that he had leftover thin mint chocolate ice cream and some Oreos in the kitchen. He jumped from the couch as he was heading to get it.
He nearly slipped when hearing his phone ring. Opting to wait on his midnight goodies, he went to his phone. It was probably his mother informing him of the inevitable.
Returning to the living room, he saw that this person was not the ordinary caller of the evening. Holding peace signs and displaying her glitzy smile, it was from Ragdoll himself. He swallowed the lump in his throat. What reason would the idol call at this late-night hour?
He answered the phone on the third ring.
"Hey, Auntie," he said calmly.
"Oh, Icchan," she said happily. "I'm glad you've answered. I almost thought you wouldn't. Pout, pout!"
Rubbing the back of his head, he let out a haughty laugh. "Well, Auntie, you've caught me on one of those late nights."
"Were you jacking it?"
"What? No," he said.
"If you did, I wouldn't mind," she said teasingly. "Was it of me?"
He slapped his forehead. "First, I wouldn't tell. And secondly, I was working on an assignment." He decided to take a seat as he put his television show on pause.
"Aw, I would've loved it if you did. That would make my day," she explained melodically.
Their engagement for last weekend was postponed due to inclement weather. Tomoko expressed being upset as she wanted to spend time with her favorite cinnamon roll. Her schedule was booked until further notice. Izuku didn't fret, mentioning that they can get together when she had free time. She reminded them that their discussion on the beach wasn't over. There was a favor he owed her.
Izuku noticed that he could hear the wind in the background. He assumed that she was on the road. "So, whatcha doing?"
"Television and ice cream."
"Invader Zim and thin mint chocolate chip?"
"You know me well, Auntie."
She clapped her hands. "Goodie. Lemme come and join you."
"Auntie, it's late."
"And it's a Saturday," she said as she peered closer to the phone. "And a little birdie told me that a certain mother wouldn't be home until tomorrow afternoon."
"Mom called you, didn't she?"
"Oh, Icchan! Why wouldn't she?"
In certain countries, Izuku would have been considered as an adult and a leader in his household. He stood up and went to the balcony of his apartment. He inhaled the late spring sky as he took a seat in the chair. Grabbing the cigarettes that he had kept under the table, he smacked them with his hand as he was preparing to smoke. "Sounding by you driving and getting Mom checks, I assumed that she wants a babysitter."
"Sweetie, no," she said to Izuku. "She trusts you in the whole wide world."
Before he lit his cancer stick, he began noticing the slurs in her voice. "Auntie Tomo, have you been drinking?"
"W-w-what g-g-gave y-y-you the slightest idea?"
A few seconds later, he heard the phone being passed over. It was his Uncle Yawara. "Hey, kid! Yawara is here. Your Aunt Tomo had one too many and your mom wants you to watch her tonight until she sobers up."
Uncle Yawara explained to Izuku that Tomoko was featured on a segment on NHK as the upcoming sensation. Her appearance gave her recognition and surprisingly a guest spot on a very well-known television show, Japan's Got Talent as a guest judge. Her excitement led her to go to a bar where she had one too many drinks. Yawara admitted that he didn't know she was using the phone.
"You live nearby and we can trust you," said Yawara. "You will be heavily compensated."
He wavered his arm. "No worries, Unc. Just bring her by."
"Well, actually, we are here."
Izuku heard the car horn when he overlooked the balcony to the ground.
"Yoo-hoo! Icchan! Let's play!" Tomoko was waving both hands as she stepped out of the car. Yawara ran to her aid as she began running.
"No, Tomoko. I am not chasing you down the block again."
"I w-w-w-was training f-f-f-f-for the O-Olympics!"
"In high heels?"
"Must be prepared i-i-in a-a-all areas."
Izuku rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had found it cute to see Tomoko in this vulnerable position. Not using this as an opportunity to take advantage of it but he was happy to see Tomoko happy. It has been so long to see her back in her glory. To see the smile and sparkles coming from her flushed face. Kamino did so much damage when taking her powers away that it led her in dark places.
Positions where Izuku wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy or to Katsuki.
Izuku waited by the elevators when he heard the sound of the doors opening. Yawara had Tomoko onto his back. He briskly followed Izuku as they were heading back to his apartment.
"Once again, kid. Thanks for having Tomo over here on this short notice." Yawara took off his shoes. Izuku assisted in taking off Tomo's high heels. He pointed to his mother's room.
"Mom keeps a spare futon in her room. She can in there for the time being."
"Thanks, kid!"
Tomoko began singing an unrecognizable tune as she was being led away to his mother's room. He closed the door before heading to the kitchen. He went to the cabinets to get the typical drunk's cure after a night of revelry. A can of sprite, ibuprofen, Pepto Bismol, orange juice, and some bananas. Wasn't sure that was the right stuff but those were the things his father used on business trips or a day out with friends.
Positioning them on the breakfast nook, he was prepared for the morning after.
Yawara closed the door. His heavy footing let Izuku know that he was returning. The Pussycat Doll wiped the sweat from his forehead, showing the task that went before him. "Jesus, kid. I thought transitioning was hard." He pointed at the room. "You see why I couldn't be like that anymore, kid."
Izuku made a burst of slight laughter when reaching for the can of beer in the refrigerator.
Yawara declined. "Nah! You have a can of soda?"
"I have Coke or Sprite."
"Sprite. You don't have any spare Ibu do you?"
He touched Yawara's shoulder. "We're heroes. Why hasn't a company have us sponsoring them yet?"
Yawara and Izuku were sitting on the balcony. With him having one seat, he sat on the floor as Yawara took a smoke with him.
"Does your mom know you smoke."
"She doesn't like it but if she accepted my desires to become a hero…."
"Say no more, kid!" Yawara flickered the laughter as he took a smoke. "Haven't smoked these kinds in years. Good taste, Izuku!"
"No problem."
Yawara looked at the night sky. He could tell the rain was upon them. He looked at his watch, judging the duration of his stay.
"Tomoko tells me you were taking photos."
He gave Yawara a look. Yawara gave him an approving pleasant smile. "Relax. I am not interrogating you. I happen to saw the pictures and they were quite well." He reached into his back pocket, throwing a magazine onto Izuku's lap. "Check them out for yourself."
Using his cell phone as an aid for light, Izuku scanned the magazine.
"Sports Illustrated," exclaimed Izuku.
Yawara nodded in confirmation. "A small segment for Pro Heroes like her. Or at least formerly."
"She didn't tell me that it was that magazine."
"I believe that she didn't want to intimidate you." He nodded as he pointed some of the images Izuku took. "You have talent, kid."
Izuku shook his head in disagreement. "No talent. Just good direction from the model."
"Izuku! Don't sell yourself short. When you are given props for this, own it!"
"Understood."
Yawara took another smoke from Izuku's pack. He can smell the rain in the forecast. "You know, since you have been helping out Tomo, she has been a lot happier."
"You guys have done much of the work. I just came to give flowers or just the be-okay guy."
Following Tomoko's loss of her quirk, it led her to dark places. Depression, drug houses, compensation dating, prostitution, rehab, and the cycle all over again. No one could fathom that the loss of her quirk could be compared to losing her identity.
Ragdoll was Tomoko. Tomoko was Ragdoll. She didn't feel that life was worth living without having that identity.
"Your visits to the hospital and to the rehab when others gave up on her cheered her up, kid." Yawara gave Izuku a serious look. "Even if you felt you haven't done anything, your being there was enough."
Izuku stared at Yawara.
"It took her time to trust people again. Us, included," said Yawara. "Slowly and surely, she had returned to her former self." He turned to Izuku. "Sometimes, we think we have to do stuff in order to get a person's approval." He blew out the smoke into the night's sky. "You have no idea that you just being there is enough to give a person that strength to come back."
"Is that so?"
Yawara shrugged his shoulders. "We're here, aren't we?"
Yawara stayed over for about an hour. The rest of the time was spent eating ice cream and Oreos and speaking on their usual affairs. Yawara informed Izuku that he has a date with a guy from the bar he and Tomoko frequented. Izuku gave him the usual school banter.
"I can hear Nemuri pouting in her sleep," he said before laughing. "A solid lad. A clever gal in my book."
Izuku laughed nervously, couldn't shake the feeling that the more they have discussed the possibility of the inevitable.
Yawara was leaning against the door frame. "Be on the lookout for Tomoko for me. For us Pussycats. Be her guardian angel." Izuku was seeing how parental the Pussycat was acting. He was putting on his shoes when eyeing the door.
"Izuku?"
"Yes?"
"In her sleep, Tomoko talks about you...a lot."
He nodded. "She does?"
"I don't know what magic you pulled, but if that keeps her happy, then look over her happiness," said Yawara.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. "A tough job, sir. Especially when I feel it is the responsibility of oneself."
He turned over, wiping his face. He sighed quietly. "Have you ever heard of the term, equally yote?"
Izuku blinked, shaking his head in disagreement.
He displayed his hands. "When you are equally yoted, you are one and the same. A yote is a device used to keep cattle together when going on long journeys with their farmers. When one is off, the other takes over until the other regain strength."
"Uncle."
"We are designed to make our own happiness," he sighed. This time heavily. "Kid, we all need someone to lean on. That's human nature." He stood up as he put his hand on the knob. "Even the Lone Ranger needed Tonto."
"Yes, sir."
"I just wanted to leave you with that thought for the evening. Good Night!"
"Good Night, Uncle Yawara."
Uncle Yawara nodded as he closed the door behind Izuku, leaving with the words of wisdom that he gave him.
"Equally yote," he said aloud to himself. "Equally yote."
He turned out the lights for the evening. He turned off the television before heading off to bed. Before heading to his room, he decided to check on Tomoko in his mother's room.
He quietly tiptoed inside the room. He was met with loud snoring coming from the emerald-haired idol. Yawara was kind enough to dress her in the spare pajamas he kept on his person. She was sleeping soundly under the covers in the futon.
Izuku knelt down to check on the sleeping beauty. She smacked her lips as she turned over to her back.
Izuku remembered those lips when they shared their first kiss together on the beach. Izuku touched his own lips, still feeling the freshness.
I don't know what magic you pulled, but if that keeps her happy, then look over her happiness.
Izuku didn't want to believe that their kiss was nothing more than a kiss between friends. He wasn't sure if they really know each other as they thought.
In her sleep, Tomoko talks about you...a lot.
He cares for Tomoko. He often wondered if she did care for him. Could they be a couple? Were they able to become a couple?
Even if you felt you haven't done anything, your being there was enough.
She cooed in her sleep, clinging onto the covers like a child in search of her mother.
"Izuku," she whispered in her sleep.
He stood up and walked to the door, closing it and returning to her side. He grabbed his mother's covers and lay beside her.
"Izuku," she whispered once more, tugging her covers. "Izuku."
"I am right here, Aunt Tomo," he whispered. "I am not going anywhere. I will continue being by your side."
Izuku lied back on the futon. He began humming a song from Juice Wrld. He continued staring at the ceiling, counting the blades of the swirling fan until he went into a slumber.
The next day….
Izuku was in the kitchen making breakfast. Describing himself as a cook was an understatement for the teenager. Anybody could cook seasoned rice with scrambled eggs on the skillet. He had microwaved the leftover fish from dinner and a side salad. He made two plates.
At some point, Tomoko would be craving for breakfast.
Listening to CKY on his cell phone, he was placing the skillet in the sink when he heard the opening of his mother's door.
Izuku didn't respond. He knew that a recently drunk person wouldn't like loud noises. He lowered the volume. He whispered to his Alexa to dim the lights.
The hungover damsel dragged her feet to the kitchen table. Her hair was unkempt and messy. Her pajamas were heavily wrinkled. She scooted the chair to have a seat.
She saw Izuku sobering kit on the table.
"Thanks, Icchan." She was talking softly, trying to overcome her bombarding headache.
"You're welcome," he answered softly. "I've made breakfast. Feel free. I will go to the living room."
"Don't, don't. Stay! Stay please!"
Izuku respected her request. He grabbed his cell phone and sat across from Tomoko.
After blessing the meal, he began to eat. Tomoko took slow bites. She was eating like a nit-picking child. Yet again, Izuku could tell that she wasn't really hungry but did so in order to not get sick.
"So sorry for passing out on you," she told him.
He shook his head. "It's fine. Me and Yawara talked and then I went to sleep."
She blushed. "I figured. I saw you were next to me."
He crossed his arms. "Nothing happened. I promise."
She nodded. "Don't worry, I trust you." She reached for the Pepto Bismol. "Hey, Izuku?"
"Yeah, Auntie?"
Before she could produce the words, the tactile vomit did it for her.
Izuku was grateful to God to prepare a bucket beside her just in case. He reached over to her side, grabbing her hair.
"It's all right, Auntie. Let it out."
Even if you felt you haven't done anything, your being there was enough.
"It's going to be okay. I am right here, Auntie. I am right here."
To be continued….