The Ones Closest To You (MHA One-Shots)

Taking The Next Step

"So... you didn't mean it?" There was something about her voice that suddenly stilled him. She didn't sound angry or relieved, but instead, a more unexpected feeling. She sounded disappointed. It was enough for him to finally turn around to face her.

"Did you mean it?" Ochako asked again, now looking slightly hopeful. Her hair had been growing out over the years, causing them to drape over her shoulders, and the living room lights created a sort of halo around her. Once again, the thought of how lucky he was to be dating her, let alone for nearly a year came across Izuku's mind.

He blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "M-Maybe..."

Ochako chuckled lightly "You didn't mean to say it out loud, did you?" Izuku sighed in annoyance as he nodded his head. It was quite embarrassing how well she knew him, but that only meant that their communication skills had improved greatly since they started dating.

With a wider smile on her face, Ochako began to close the gap between them, standing just a breath away from him with her hands behind her back. "So... what made you think that?"

Izuku sighed as he leaned against the counter behind him, stretching his arms across to the sides. He could vaguely hear the menu page music of the All Might movie playing in the background. "I don't know. I guess... I mean... I always come to visit your house. Sometimes, I stay the night more than my own. Some of my stuff is already here, so I thought... It felt like the next logical step, you know."

Ochako hummed thoughtfully, nodding her head. "That does indeed sound logical."

"B-But I'm OK if you don't want to." Izuku quickly objected, waving his hands in front in dismissal. "I know it's a sudden move, a-and I would never want to rush our relationship...!" The sudden finger on his lips immediately shut him up, dropping his hands and widening his eyes at the action. He couldn't help but stare into Ochako's big brown eyes, full of amusement.

"You know, you're always ready to dismiss your ideas, unless it's about taking down a villain." She remarked, prompting him to smile awkwardly. She then removed her finger, taking a few steps back. "Would you believe me if I said I thought about it too?"

"You have?" Izuku couldn't contain the hope in his voice, causing her to chuckle.

"Maybe. It's like you said, you already have some stuff here, and it's the same for me. It's just..."

"Just what?" He felt his heart skip a beat as her expression turned solemn. She gave a big sigh before looking straight in his eyes.

"I know we promised that we wouldn't let our hero work get in the way of our relationship. But... maybe that's it. There's already quite a bit of attention towards us, and... and I feel that moving in together will only blow it way out of proportion. And even without that worry, it's a big step and I want it to be right. I don't want to rush this either."

Ochako ended up looking to the floor as she finished, seemingly sheepish at the confession. But Izuku was quick to ensure her otherwise. Bringing his hand to her chin, he raised her head to look at him, presenting a warm smile, which seemed to work in nullifying her worries. "It looks like we still need to iron out this idea."

Ochako huffed amusingly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Izuku continued to smile as he leaned forward, placing a light kiss on her forehead. "We'll figure it out, Ochako. I'm in no rush. Let's just put a pin on it for now. How's that?"

"Sounds like a plan. As long as we're not running away from our responsibilities." Both ended up laughing at her statement. Izuku loved all her smiles, but it was her small soft smiles, like the one she was giving now, that always made his heart melt. Whether they decided on living together or not, he never would want to leave her side.