A/N: Here's a Christmas present from me. Don't celebrate Christmas? Just take the chapter anyway. Not much to say this time around. This chapter is pretty fluff filled for the most part, but that's kinda just what I wanted this time around. Honestly I doubt many of you will have complaints about that.
Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and fuck 2020.
Kyouka groaned as she laid down on her stomach, the only thing keeping her face from sinking into the sand being Izuku's torso as he was laying on his back. Kyouka laid perpendicular to him with her head on his chest. Normally they'd be an awkward mess. But, after their "activities" the night prior, they were on a temporary confidence boost.
Besides, the fatigue from their training made it hard to move anyway.
"Why the hell did I offer to join you on your workout?" Kyouka asked, her voice muffled by Izuku's body.
Izuku closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the nearly fully risen sun and Kyouka. "The desire to improve your physical fitness?"
"Screw that."
"Spending time with me?"
"Nah."
Izuku chuckled, "Then I have no idea. You can't blame me."
"Oh, Izuku. You know I'll blame you for this."
Izuku smiled, tilting his head down to look at Kyouka. “I’ll happily take the blame for making you stronger.”
Kyouka groaned as she sat up straight, “And for putting me in pain.” She raised her arms above her head, popping her back as she stretched. After receiving no response from Izuku, she turned to see him staring at her. “...Izuku?”
“Hm? Wh-What?”
“Were you...ogling me while I stretched?”
“Wh-Wha-!? N-No I-..Wait, since we’re dating am I allowed to say yes?”
Kyouka scoffed, lightly shoving him. “What the hell is wrong with you? You stare at me often?”
“...Define often.”
Kyouka rolled her eyes, leaning back on her hands as she stared out at the water. Maybe the workouts were helping. She could look better that way. It was a long shot, but it was the only explanation she could think of as to why Izuku found her body good enough to gawk at. That itself was still a mystery she could not solve. But, Kyouka was doing her best to just accept it and move on. She figured it would be better to just let Izuku like what he likes.
Who was she to stop him just because she thought her body was entirely unappealing?
She might not understand why Izuku finds her attractive, nor does she believe him half of the time. But, he claimed that he does and liked to show it. She wasn’t about to reject that. Izuku was her happy pill, keeping the bad thoughts at bay.
But, those bad thoughts still managed to break through from time to time. Hopefully that didn’t mean Izuku would one day not be enough to stop them.
Kyouka sighed, “By “often”, I mean a few times a day.”
“Then a more appropriate word would be: constant.”
A blush blossomed on Kyouka’s cheeks, “When did you learn how to flirt?”
“I didn’t, I’m still winging it. W-Was that good?”
“Good line, delivery could use some work.”
“I-I’ll work on it.”
“But…” Kyouka leaned over Izuku, leaning down to touch their noses together. “It was good enough to warrant a repeat of last night...If you want to, I mean. Obviously we’re tired from training, and uh...Damn, I almost had it didn’t I?”
“Looks like we both have some work to do.”
Kyouka groaned, “Why are we only smooth when we aren’t trying to be?”
“I learned how to hold a conversation only two and a half months ago, and that’s still a skill that really only works when talking to you. I doubt I’m going to know that for a long time.”
“Yeah...So...was that a yes? Or…?”
“Oh! U-Uh, yeah. Sure.” Izuku leaned up, brushing his lips against Kyouka’s. He loved the process they had. Soft and hesitant kisses, finding their rhythm until they lost themselves in one another. Addicting didn’t even begin to describe what the sensations were to them.
They had spent hours “practicing” the previous night, both of their lips were swollen afterwards. It was just so hard to stop. Last night Kyouka had barely managed to look away to realize that the clock was at 11:59 pm, just seconds before Izuku’s curfew ended. And she didn’t put it past her father to be adamantly waiting for midnight to strike just to catch Izuku in the act. However, her parents weren’t here. They didn’t even know about the beach either. School was out for a few days, so time was not of the essence.
Kyouka felt Izuku’s hands barely graze her waist, asking permission to feel. That was a definite improvement from the night prior. Izuku essentially laid down with his hands flat against the floor, completely unmoving except for his lips. Kyouka wasn’t particularly sure what to do. It’s not that she didn’t want Izuku to feel comfortable with that kind of touch.
Hell, at that point Izuku’s touch was the only thing that made her feel right in her own skin.
But, that would be a step forward during their intimate moments. She wasn’t blind to that fact that they were teenagers, alone, making out. It would take only a second for their minds to shut off and push them past boundaries they had no intention of crossing, or were even comfortable crossing. Decision-making wasn’t exactly a strong suit of people their age.
Well, everyone needs to take risks once in a while, right?
She placed her hands gently over his, pressing them down until they were fully on her waist. His thumb rubbed gently over her tank top before encircling her waist entirely, pressing their bodies closer. Kyouka’s hands settled down on Izuku’s chest, rubbing his pecs and collarbone.
Eventually they needed air, both breaking apart to catch their breath. Kyouka raised herself up on her arms, her face hovering over Izuku's. They gazed at one another for a while as Kyouka watched Izuku stare at her in thought. He soon shakily raised his hands up, just centimeters from Kyouka's face as if asking for permission.
Instead of nodding, Kyouka gulped and gently leaned her face into his palm. "...What are you thinking?"
Izuku repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, trying to compile his thoughts together. "I-I just can't believe I get to do this. Not only just in general, but with you...Y-You...You're so beautiful."
Kyouka's chest tightened. From awe at the compliment or from her heart trying to refute it, she didn't know. Probably a bit of both. All she knew was that her senses were being overwhelmed as her heart beat wildly, and that Izuku deserved a response for saying something so meaningful.
Kyouka cleared her throat, a small smile blooming on her face. "I...I can't imagine doing this with anyone else. And you're damn good-looking, too." Izuku smiled, allowing Kyouka's heart rate to even out. "W-We should go. Mom will be expecting us back soon. She's an early riser."
"Y-Yeah. Right." They got up, brushing themselves off from the sand and heading to the sidewalk. The list of things they wanted to do before deciding on if they should be an official couple was getting shorter. Items were being checked off quickly. What they did wasn't exactly what most would consider legitimately "Making Out". But to two socially inept and shy teenagers, it was enough for them. "Ready?"
Kyouka hopped up on Izuku's back, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "Ready."
Ever since the first time Izuku had piggybacked Kyouka home, it became a tradition of sorts. After most training sessions, Kyouka would hop up onto Izuku's back, allowing her time to rest after a workout she was still adjusting to. The greenette understood, since he was the first person to experience All Might's training plans and know how awful the aftermath could feel.
Granted, he had been significantly lowering the difficulty of training compared to how he used to do it. He didn't want Kyouka to experience the pain he went through. Not that he didn't think she was tough enough to endure it, but it was just unnecessary. Kyouka wasn't in a rush like Izuku used to be. Keeping their training rigorous, but stable, was the goal.
However, according to Kyouka, that didn't mean she was going to skip out on free rides.
"How long are you going to use me as your mode of transportation after workouts?"
"The day you say you don't want to."
"...So, never?"
"Yup."
"Figures."
…
(Jirou Household)
Kyouka reached up and turned the doorknob on the front door, then returned her arm around Izuku’s neck as he carried her inside. After Izuku kicked the door shut, he began to kneel down so Kyouka could dismount.
“Does this look like my room, Green Bean?” Izuku paused, sighing, but with a smile. He stood back up and made his way towards the steps.
Laughter could be heard as they began to ascend the stairs. Mika was walking down the steps, coffee in hand. “I’d say you should avoid letting Kyouka whip you into submission, but I can see it’s already too late. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you do this, so you got him early, Kyouka. I’m impressed. Even I didn’t work that fast with your father.”
As they passed her, Kyouka lifted a thumbs up. “What can I say? I learned from the best. Now, onward, Pine Tree.”
The teen groaned, walking up the steps and into Kyouka’s room where she finally dropped down off of his back. “Thanks. Alright, you wanna go first?”
Izuku looked at Kyouka confused, “What do you mean?”
“The shower. Unless you want to borrow my parents’ shower, but I highly doubt you do. Especially since my old man is probably still asleep.”
“O-Oh, it’s f-fine. Go ahead, I can wait.” Kyouka nodded in acknowledgement, popping more muscles as she entered her bathroom, the sound of running water soon following. 'Kyouka is naked ten feet from me...I'll just wait downstairs.'
As Izuku left the room, Kyouka stood just outside of the shower as the water warmed up. She stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes not daring to move down. Even in the privacy of her own bathroom, she covered her breasts with her arm. Her other limb reached across her torso and down to her hip, hiding as much as it could.
'Stop covering yourself and look. Just look, damn it.' Izuku liked it. Hell, he basically admitted to staring at her on a regular basis. Her body simply couldn't be that bad if that was the case. 'Or could it? Stop!' Kyouka's eyes clenched shut as she did her best to force her thoughts to subside.
Why was she trapped in such a vicious cycle?
No good thought could ever just stick. It simply couldn't be that bad. Granted, Izuku could just have weird taste. No, that was another wrong route of thinking. 'Just. Look.'
Kyouka took a deep breath. Her arms slowly moved away from her body, and her eyes finally opened.
...Only for the mirror to be completely covered in fog.
The shower was hot, steaming up the room and covering the mirror in a thin, liquid layer.
Covered up. Just like usual. Just like Kyouka liked it.
The punk-rocker wasn't one for superstition or faith, but she took that as a pretty strong sign to let it go for the time being. Izuku needed her, and to Kyouka his problem was more significant than her own.
She had no time to focus on her mind's never-ending loop, especially when she would just be proven wrong again.
Her mirror had won another battle, and Kyouka had yet to win once.
She didn't need a damn mirror anyway. She had Izuku, who was more than willing to give affection and praise her body 24/7.
Rolling her shoulders back and cracking her knuckles, Kyouka entered the shower. Her inner thoughts pushed back for the time-being, with Izuku taking the forefront.
As she reached up for her body wash, she did take notice of her arm. It wasn't particularly bulking up or anything, but its muscles tone and definition was improving. The same went for her other arm. And, while she didn't look often, she could tell the rest of her body was or would soon be following the same path.
'Well, at least I have that. Thanks, Izuku.'
…
Izuku stepped down on the main floor of the house, happy that he kept the training light that morning. That was mostly due to not having any spare clothes that he didn't have to worry about sweating in, but his school pants and the t-shirt he wore were breathable enough.
The teen groaned as he sat down on the couch, allowing his muscles to finally relax. A smile slowly spread on his lips, the memory of Kyouka's lips on his at the beach present in his mind. She just made every day so amazing. Each moment with her was perfect.
She was so captivating that Izuku didn't even remember what he original problem was.
*Bzzt*
'...Universe, I'm begging you, don't make me remember my problems.' Izuku lifted up his phone, finding a text message from his mother. 'Fine, Universe. You gave me Kyouka, so I guess I shouldn't be greedy.'
Mom: Izuku, I know we didn't exactly leave off on the best of terms last night. And I know what I said hurt you. I'm so sorry, honey. Please know I never meant to hurt you. Not now, not then, not ever. I've always just tried to love and protect you to the best of my ability. Although, I guess that's part of the problem, isn't it? I'd like to talk about it, but obviously in person. I don't know when you'll be home, I'm sure your friend is who you would much rather be around at the moment. Thank her for me. She's clearly been good for you. I won't rush you, take all the time you need. Just know that I love you so much.
Izuku sighed, placing his phone down on the coffee table, putting his head in his hands. It had turned into one big mess, and he caused it. 'Why couldn't I just keep my big mouth shut?'
What was he supposed to tell her?
After 15 years he was just supposed to suddenly spill his guts? To make matters worse, it was about the topic he wanted to avoid the most.
"Troubled?" Izuku looked up to find Mika placing a plate of omurice in front of him, a dish for herself in her other hand and a mug of coffee held up by her left jack. She placed her dishes down, sitting across from Izuku on the other couch. "Coffee?"
"N-No, thank you. My heart beats rapidly on its own most of the time, not to mention how on edge I can be. Might as well not make it worse."
Mika chuckled, leaning back into the cushions as she took her first sip. "Fair enough."
"Th-Thank you, though. Not just for the meal, but for being so kind and letting me stay here last night."
Mika waved his comment off, "Don't mention it. You make my daughter deliriously happy, so it's the least I can do." Izuku nodded in return, picking up the plate and beginning to eat. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the quiet beginning to get to Izuku.
What should he say? Did there even need to be conversation? The last time he was the one to spark up a conversation, he ended up asking Kyouka the dumbest question he could have asked you. Well, maybe Mika liked jazz. Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it upon realizing what he was about to do. He would never let jazz be his conversation starter ever again. He simply got lucky last time. It didn’t help that MIka wasn’t in his age group, making it even harder to decipher what to say.
“U-Um...nice weather.”
Mika looked up at him, she smiled astonishedly before bursting out into laughter. “Hahahaha! Oh goodness. I’m sorry, it’s just that Kyouka was right. You really are awkward.”
Izuku hung his head, “S-Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I never said it was bad. It’s just how some people are. Kyouka has her moments, believe me.”
“Oh, well she’s said so, but she’s a lot better than I-I am.”
“She has her moments. I’ve seen her turn into a babbling mess in some scenarios. Is she interacting well with your other friends at school?”
“W-Well, so far we only really know Uraraka and Iida, but I’d say we’re doing fine.” Really his relationship with Uraraka and Iida, at least in the conversation department, was mostly one-sided. They did most of the talking, while Izuku only really answered questions. That mostly went for Kyouka as well, but she chimed in more than he did. She would sometimes even answer for Izuku whenever he couldn’t put his thoughts into words.
Izuku wasn’t particularly over not being quiet yet. Sure, when he was alone with Kyouka, he found himself able to speak freely. But, everywhere else his brain sort of blocked coherent speech. Izuku chalked it up to still not fully believing that people legitimately wanted to talk to him. Although, he couldn’t deny that having Katsuki sit right in front of him didn’t help his anxiety. Izuku was still afraid that any word from his mouth would result in his desk being blown up like from Aldera.
He knew Aizawa wouldn’t let that slide like his old homeroom teacher had...and every other teacher did, too. But, it was still ingrained in his mind, and Katsuki would still probably yell at him. Izuku was just lucky Kyouka sat right next to him. It used to be Sero, but luckily Kyouka had managed to convince him to switch seats with him. Kaminari also backed Kyouka up with the idea.
Denki claimed it was because he wanted to sit next to his friend. But, Kyouka had said, “No, I see that look in your eyes. It’s because you still fear me.” Denki had silently nodded, sitting back down at his desk.
Izuku wasn’t particularly sure how to process finding Kyouka showing that power over someone attractive…Questions for later.
Mika nodded, “That’s good. Although, I’m assuming you too still keep to yourself for the most part. That’s what Kyouka has always done, and forgive me if I’m assuming incorrectly, but…”
“O-Oh, yeah. I-I mean, we’ve only known them for a couple weeks. I wouldn’t call them close to us yet.”
A smirk grew on Mika’s face, “Keeping each other all to yourselves?”
The teen’s eyes widened, his mouth agape. “I-I-...well, we...um…”
“Mom, I like him, so please don’t break him.” Their attention was grabbed by Kyouka descending the stairs donning ripped black jeans and a dark blue, long sleeved Deep Dope shirt with white lettering. Her hair was still damp, making some strands cling to her skin. Kyouka strode over to the couch, standing behind where Izuku was sitting. "Shower's all yours." She leaned down over Izuku's shoulder, grabbing his fork and picking up some of the omurice. "And this is all mine."
Izuku chuckled, handing Kyouka the plate. "Okay, I'll be back. I'd like some sort of sustenance today, so don't eat it all."
The purplette ruffled Izuku's hair as he walked by, "I make no promises. I'm surprised you even tried."
"I knew, but it was worth a shot. I'm an optimist, remember?"
As Izuku ascended up the steps, Kyouka called up to him, "You also said most people count that as an idiot."
"Never said I wasn't that either."
Kyouka laughed as Izuku vanished down the upstairs hall, her bedroom door closing behind him. She sat down on the couch, eating away before noticing Mika giving her a mirthful look. "...What?"
"That boy barely knew how to talk a few minutes ago, but as soon as you show up he's managing to keep up with your snark."
"Hey! I'm not snarky! I'm a Professional Sarcasm User who majors in teasing. Snarky people do it because they're annoying, I use it as an art form."
Mika laughed at her daughter's joke, placing her coffee mug down to smile at her. "You get what I'm saying, though."
"Yeah, Izuku's like that. He doesn't talk much in public. I mean, I don't either. But, Izuku's different. It's like he only responds positively to…"
"You."
Kyouka froze, her fork mere inches from her mouth. "I-I guess."
The mother grinned, standing up and making her way out of the living room. "I'm going to wake up your father."
Kyouka watched as her mother walked up the stairs. She sighed in relief, happy that Mika didn't push the topic and try to decipher her relationship with Izuku further. Sure, their friends at school were still barely blurring the line between actual friends and acquaintances. But, it would all get better with time.
...Hopefully.
Improving their school relationships wasn’t a top priority anyway. She just needed to figure out how to help Izuku with his mother, even though that only meant moral support. Izuku wanted to handle it on his own, and Kyouka didn’t even know Inko. The situation they were in likely didn’t call for a girl he’s been dating for only three and a half days. Their boundaries were still being set and expanded upon. Perhaps once they made it official, things could really begin to go forward at a faster pace.
She would say if they made it official, but Kyouka knew things were going extremely well. Even better than expected.
Kyouka’s heart suddenly clenched, and a pit formed in her stomach. Oh no, she knew what that meant. Thoughts began to fill her mind, the idea of Izuku deciding not to commit burned into her thought process. He would say it’s for other reasons, but that would never quell the screaming in Kyouka’s mind that it was because he just couldn’t find her attractive.
The purplette curled up on the couch, her knees to her chest and her breakfast set aside. ‘Push it down. Push it down. Push it down.’ Even after locking away her thoughts in the bathroom earlier, they managed to claw their way through her mind’s barriers and attack. Her body itched, everything felt wrong no matter what position she sat in. It was clear that she couldn’t push them down on her own. Her mother may have thought Izuku depended on Kyouka for true social interaction, but it was a two way street. She needed Izuku, too.
Kyouka got up to go to her room and wait for Izuku to finish showering, but she paused at the steps. Izuku’s green zip-up hoodie was hanging near the front door. The young musician contemplated her next move for a few seconds before ultimately deciding it was worth a shot if it meant getting rid of the discomfort she was feeling. Kyouka quickly grabbed the jacket, throwing it over herself and zipping it up.
It was...calming.
Izuku didn’t wear cologne or anything, so he didn’t have a specific smell Kyouka could associate with him. But, she could actually smell her own perfume on him. Most likely from the previous night’s activities. The fragrance of violets filled her nose, but the knowledge that it was Izuku’s jacket caused a warmth to spread throughout her body. They were both a part of the clothing, which made Kyouka oddly happy. She hugged her arms across her stomach, whatever discomfort she had felt vanished rapidly. It was too big on her, but it made it all the more comfortable and warm.
*Click*
Kyouka swiveled around to see Mika at the top of the steps taking a picture of her. “Delete it!”
“No. It’s my homescreen background now.”
“Mom!”
“Don’t worry, the picture I took when you two were leaving for your first date is still my lock screen background.” Her daughter groaned, walking up the steps and made her way towards her room, scowling at Mika as she passed. Kyouka entered her room, Izuku still nowhere to be found. The shower wasn’t running, so he must’ve finished.
“Izuku, you done in there?”
“Oh! U-Uh, yeah. J-Just give me a sec.” In the bathroom Izuku stood in front of the mirror, his pants on, but his shirt still off. He leaned in once more, checking over every part of his face. Disappointment lingered in his mind, wishing for some kind of stand-out feature. He even tried sucking in his cheeks a little to give the illusion of contour. He knew his features would eventually change, he was only fifteen afterall. But, it was still a slight annoyance for the time being..
No matter, he couldn’t focus on it. There were much bigger things to worry about.
He slipped his shirt back on, exiting the bathroom to see Kyouka strumming her guitar on her bed. “Oh, my jacket.”
“Yeah, s-sorry I just...uh, I just felt like it. Here, you can hav-”
“No! N-No, it looks great. On you, I mean. Just keep it.”
“Keep it? Nah, it’s fine.”
Izuku shook his head, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Really, if you want it you can have it. It’s a plain green jacket, so if I really wanted another one it’s not hard to find.”
The purplette grinned, “Thanks, dude.”
Izuku nodded, sitting further on the bed with his back against the adjoining wall. Kyouka leaned back against her headboard, putting her feet in Izuku’s lap as she continued to strum. Her eyes closed as she played, internally sighing in relief. She had been really hoping Izuku would let her keep the jacket, and she never even had to ask. Now she had her own personal security blanket whenever she couldn’t have Izuku around. A real way to combat her thoughts on her own was exactly what she needed.
Her right eye peeked open to see Izuku also with his eyes closed, deciding along with Kyouka that they just wanted time to relax with one another. Izuku couldn’t stay forever, but he could stall. She would eventually have to send him on his way to talk to his mom, but she’d indulge him until then. Who was she to complain that Izuku wanted to spend more time with her? Besides, it was obvious Izuku didn’t get enough relaxation in his life. Kyouka would happily give it to him.
…
(A Few Hours Later)
Izuku groaned as he was shaken awake, his eyes opened to find Kyouka with her hand on his shoulder. “Alright, as much as I’d like you to stay, you can’t avoid your mom forever.”
“Wanna stress test that?”
Kyouka chuckled, “No, thanks. I’ll come with you if you want. Since you want to introduce me properly, I’ll just wait outside.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I want to. You’d do it for me, so why not? C’mon.” Kyouka hopped up from her spot, reaching her hand out to Izuku. He sighed, grasping her hand and allowing her to pull him up. They began making their way to the door, Kyouka patting Izuku’s shoulder as they walked. “I’m sure it won’t be as bad as you think. Most talks like this with your parents never are.”
“You’re telling this to the kid who hasn’t had a legitimate talk with his mother in eleven years, even more if you’re talking about my father.”
“...Okay, I got nothing for that one. I have no idea how it’s going to go.” They made their way downstairs, passing by the elder Jirou’s. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Kyoutoku sipped his coffee, shaking his head. “Let’s be real here. You’ll both be back.”
“Fair point.” They left the house, making their way towards the train station. Once they made it there and boarded the right train, Kyouka looked over to Izuku. “So, do you know what you’re going to say?”
“Not really. I hope we can just say we’re sorry and move on.”
Kyouka lifted a brow, “Isn’t that kind of the problem? Not talking? Having that disconnect?”
“I-I guess, but I don’t think I’m ready to go through all that just yet. It’ll take a lot more than one talk to fix eleven years worth of issues. I have more important things to focus on.”
“More important things? That’s debatable.”
“My mom and I will get there when we get there.”
“And you have zero idea of when that’ll be.”
“Pretty much. I’m not even going to bring up my dad.”
Kyouka sighed, put her hand on his arm. “Just know you have me.”
Izuku smiled, a blush blooming on his face. He slowly moved in, placing a gentle kiss against her lips. “Th-Thank you.”
The punk blushed as well, looking down with a smirk. “You’re getting better at initiating contact.”
“I-It helps tha-...Nevermind.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, c’mon. What?”
“...I was gonna say it helps that you’re so irresistible, but even I know that’s too corny to say.” Kyouka immediately covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Usually she'd laugh, but corny or not, it was still unbelievably sweet. She couldn't shoot him down that hard. He was doing his best. Hell, they both were. For something like that, she'd give some leeway.
Besides, she couldn't deny it felt good to be called irresistible. No matter how wrong she believed he was.
"Ya know, you usually make lines like that work. So don't hold back. Please, shower me with compliments."
"I think I've embarrassed myself enough today.”
Kyouka nudged him in the arm, “You and I both know you have no limit on how much you can embarrass yourself.” Izuku sighed, causing Kyouka to laugh as they settled in for the train ride.
…
(Midoriya’s Apartment)
Izuku took a deep breath as he stood in front of the door to his home, Kyouka standing nearby. The purplette nudged him, grabbing his attention. “You want me to wait at the sidewalk? Or I coul-”
“No, uh...Y-You can wait here. Honestly, if you want to, you can listen in.”
Confused, Kyouka furrowed her brow. “You want me to eavesdrop? Why?”
“I-It’s nothing you haven’t heard before. And, well you’re kind of the only person I talk to about this stuff. It’d be best if you knew everything. I’m self-aware enough to know that if you don’t listen in, I’ll probably end up not using important details when we talk about it. Also, if things turn out bad, I need you to know when to pull me out of there.”
“That’s...actually fair.”
Mustering up the courage, Izuku opened and stepped through the door, making his way to the living room. Inko sat at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in hand. She perked up once she saw her son, the two simply staring at one another for a few seconds before Inko made a move. “Do you want to sit down?” Izuku nodded, moving to the seat across from his mother. Well, Izuku could say one thing.
He was wrong. It was even more awkward than he expected.
“Mom...about yesterday, I-”
“Wait! Um, please, let me go first.” The teen closed his mouth, nodding to signal Inko to continue. “I know I already messaged you this morning, but I don’t think it’s enough to properly show you how sorry I am. You and I we...I think we both know that you and I haven’t exactly been on the same wavelength for a long time. And I believe that caused the...miscommunication between us. But, I can’t deny my actions being the blame. Did I really treat you like yo-...Nevermind, that’s a stupid question. Of course I did.”
“What?”
“I treated you like you were fragile. I always fretted over you, I still do.”
“...O-Oh.” Izuku leaned back in his seat, looking everywhere but at his mom. “It’s fine. I didn’t exactly give you any reason to think otherwise.”
Inko frowned, angry with herself. “You passed the entrance exam, and yet here I am still thinking you’re the little boy running around in his All Might onesie.” Izuku nearly sighed out loud after that information spill. He could hear the jokes from Kyouka already. “It’s still wrong of me. You…” Inko bit her lip, tears brimming in her eyes. “You’re my only son. I love you more than anything. Even with a quirk I’m scared of what could happen to you. I know it’s a part of the job to risk your life, but…”
Izuku caught on to what Inko was going to say, a look of guilt growing on his features. “You’re afraid I’m going to die. Not because I’m weak, but...b-because that’s just the reality of the situation.”
A few tears spilled over Inko’s eyes and down her cheeks, “I know that you know that’s part of the job. I knew that, too. I can’t begin to tell you just how proud of you I am for being so brave and heroic, willing to risk your life for anyone. I couldn’t be happier to say that my son is that kind of person, someone so selfless and kind. But...B-But anything can happen, Izuku. No matter how strong you are, anything can happen. I didn’t think I would have to worry about that for a long time. But, then I learned you were in a major attack, where two Pro Heroes were hospitalized, you only had a week of training under your belt, and All Might wasn’t even on site until near the end. I was terrified.”
Izuku’s heart clenched. He didn’t even think about it from his mom’s perspective. ‘How...How could I be so inconsiderate?’ Izuku didn’t pride himself on a lot of things, but caring for others was something he was happy came naturally to him. He had made it a priority ever since he was little. Saving and caring for the lives of others was everything as a hero. But, he had somehow missed the worry and fear of his own mother.
He had given himself tunnel vision. Izuku was only focused on finally being able to achieve his dream.. His mother was scared that he, an inexperienced teenager in training, could have died in a serious villain attack. And he was dismissing her, not worried because he had made it out alive and well.
Then it hit Izuku even more.
He did almost die. Nomu had grabbed him, the order to kill him was at the tip of Shigaraki’s tongue.
Kyouka had almost died. She was only alive because Izuku got lucky and received an ability.
Kyouka...the best thing to ever happen to him...almost died right in front of his eyes.
Inko nearly lost her only child, and he dismissed her because he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Izuku, I know I hurt you for so long without even realizing it. I know a part of me still sees you as my little boy, and that results in not seeing you as the strong young man you are now. What I said all those years ago...despite that, I support your dream. Please, just understand that my fear isn’t coming from a place of belittlement or lack of faith in you. No parent should ever have to bury their child...I guess that possibility still haunts me. And, honestly I don’t think it’ll ever stop.”
“M-Mom, I...I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it like that. I didn’t...I-I guess the feeling of finally succeeding, of being a hero, got to me more than I thought. In reality, I-I just got lucky. Y-You didn’t hurt me, exactly. I just...Look, mom, it just reminded me of my quirklessness. But, I’m better. I have a quirk now, and I’m going to U.A to be a hero. That part of my life is over. What I said last night was just underlying excess frustration from those times. I’m over it, really.” From outside the apartment, Kyouka lifted a brow in suspicion. That was a lie. Izuku had already told her that it would take more than one talk to get over all the issues he had with his parents, and eleven years of disconnect wasn’t something someone just got over.
Granted, Izuku was the same person that somewhat respected his bully...Something which Kyouka then realized she should really have a talk with him about. So his level of forgiveness and tolerance was off the charts compared to most people. But, this was on an extremely personal level, and it was about a topic that Izuku centered his entire life around. He was still harboring a lot inside. But, like Izuku had said, he wasn’t going to just tell his mother everything. At least not at the moment.
It looked like her job as Izuku’s emotional pillar and true confidant was far from over. Not that she minded. This was Izuku she was talking about. This was what she signed up for, and happily so. In time Izuku would reveal more and more. She understood more than anyone that you can’t force those kinds of things.
Still, Izuku’s disconnect from his parents kept looking worse than he described.
“Are you sure? Izuku it’s okay if you’re still angry with me. I need to fix my mistakes, so there can’t be sugarcoating.”
Izuku shook his head, “Mom, I’m happy. Really, I am. I think I just need to step back and think about it again.”
Inko nodded, wiping away her tears. She laughed a little bit, “I think you and I needed this talk, for more reasons than one.”
The teen gave a laugh of his own, “Y-Yeah.”
“Do...Do you want to do something tonight? Just the two of us?”
“U-Uh...w-well, I actually made plans. I kind of promised Kyouka’s parents I would have dinner there tonight.”
Inko looked down at the table, “Oh, I see. That’s fine, I wouldn't want to disappoint them.”
Izuku nodded, “B-But...we could tomorrow. If you want. A-And I don’t have to leave for a while.”
His mother smiled, reaching across the table and taking his hand. “I’d like that.”
The mother and son sat at the table for a while longer simply talking. The conversation was nothing too substantial or deep, but after so long, progress had finally been made. Soon, Izuku figured it was time to leave. Kyouka had been outside for almost an hour, and he wanted more time with her preparing for the inevitable battle of wits known as “Dinner with the family”. After grabbing a red button up shirt and saying goodbye to his mother, Izuku headed for the door. He opened it to find Kyouka sitting on the ground by the door playing on her phone.
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to take so long.”
“Nah, it’s cool. You’d do the same. Besides, I have a DS emulator on my phone, so I’ve just been playing Pokémon.” Kyouka stood up, brushing herself off and turning to Izuku. “So, I’d say that went wel-'' Izuku interrupted Kyouka, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “O-Oh, uh, not that I mind. But, what’s this for.”
The image of Kyouka being killed back at the USJ ran through Izuku’s mind as he shook his head against her shoulder, “I’ll explain later.”
“Are we talking “later” as in tonight, or like your mom where you won’t tell me for years?”
The greenette chuckled, “Tonight, I promise. You were right by the way. It wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. True, i-it was just apologizing and moving on, which like you said was a problem but...it helped. I-I think we understand each other more, even if just a little bit. Now, do you want to go struggle through dinner with your parents?”
Kyouka placed a hand on Izuku’s cheek, “With you? Did you even have to ask?” Kyouka jumped up on Izuku’s back, pointing forward. “Onward, my shrub-haired friend with benefits!”
“Wait, but we’re actually going out, so that term doesn’t work ther-”
*Jab*
“Ow! Fine, I’m going! You know, you’re way too trigger-happy with your jacks.” The duo made their way down the street, ready to finish their evening in complete embarrassment with the elder Jirou’s. From above the street, Inko was gazing out the window at her son. As happy as she was to see Izuku with such a beautiful girl…
It was another secret he was keeping from her.
A/N: By the way, I know the talk with Inko isn't major or deep, but that's kinda the point as Izuku pointed out. It's a very small stepping stone for them. Trust me, I already have a major clash with them planned out.
I also have something major planned for this story, but I'm not sure how to go about it. At least, how to start it. It won't be for a long while, but it's good to plan ahead. If anyone doesn't care about being spoiled on something, go ahead and hit me up on private chat or my discussion. I could use public opinion and advice on this before I make anything final. I won't be able to respond to everyone, but I'll do my best.