Alternate title: Izuku Midoriya vs The Parents
You remember those plans I said I had for the future? Well, those plans would require me to stray away from the original one shot? Majorly? No. They don't effect the original in a big way. But, I also made a change in this chapter that doesn't follow the one shot.
I realized that I don't want to restrict myself. The story will still lead to the one shot, just with some of the past events mentioned differing. The rest will still be the exact same. But, like I said, I shouldn't restrict myself. Especially when I think of a good idea. It's not fair to me, or to you. So, from now on, this story will "Mostly based off of" the one shot. It's not even always some things are altered from the one shot, it's just things that weren't mentioned.
It won't be extremely far off.
Do not worry. I am keeping Katsuki getting kicked in the balls by Kyouka exactly the same way as the one shot described it.
Once again though, I DID make a change in this chapter. It felt far more natural with the timing, and the message behind this chapter fit too perfectly.
By the way, to all of you here on Wattpad. I left a little surprise for you on Chapter 9: Words Hurt Like Hell. It's during the beach scene. I hope you like it, because I have embarrassed myself enough for one lifetime.
(Kyouka’s Room)
“So, what’s the game plan, Deku?”
“I don’t know. They’re your parents, so what do you think they’re gonna do?”
Kyouka hummed to herself, leaning back against her bed. She sat on the floor next to Izuku, ukulele in her hands as she softly strummed the chords. “At this point, we’ll just have to power through it. They’re gonna focus on you at first.”
“They? Not just your dad?”
“There’s no way my mom isn’t in on this. She may like you, but she and my dad are always a team. They know you’ll let your guard down around her. Mom is the trap card.”
Izuku turned his gaze over to the musician, “Didn’t we agree we were blowing a simple dinner out of proportions?”
“Blowing a dinner with my parents out of proportions would be expecting nuclear winter. Realistic expectations for this are a fist fight in the street between you and my dad, because you somehow accidentally let slip what we did in here last night.”
“...So, I’m not blowing it out of proportions enough?
“Exactly. This is gonna be a war, Izuku. You vs them.”
“W-Well, that was all before they knew me. Your dad already accepted me a couple days ago. Wouldn’t this be different?”
Kyouka sighed, “I don’t know. Maybe. But if it’s not about you, then it would be about m-...” The punk’s jacks suddenly perked up, “Wait a minute.” Kyouka got up, walking to her door. She opened it up, looking down the hall to see her mother pull out the small guitar she used to play as a child from the hallway closet. Kyouka nodded, closing the door and turning to Izuku. “Welp, I can already see where this is going. Let’s go.”
“What?”
The purplette walked over to her window, opening it up and throwing one leg over the ledge. “C’mon, I’m not going through with this. I will not be subject to parental embarrassment like other kids.”
Izuku stood up, turning to Kyouka. “I-I’m sure it won’t be that bad. We can’t just leave.”
“Yes, we can.”
“What happened to powering through it?”
“That was before they decided to put the spotlight on me and my childhood stories. Oh c’mon! Please! We can just go make out at the beach again! Hell, we don’t even have to go far. We’ll just do it in a tree or something.” Izuku gave her a small, sympathetic smile, not moving from his spot. “...Ugh, fine.” She lifted her leg back inside, sighing as she made her way to the door. Grasping the knob, she looked to Izuku. “Ready?”
“Y-Yeah, let’s do this.” Izuku waited for Kyouka to open the door, but she simply stood there holding the knob. “...Kyouka?”
“...I can’t turn it.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Yes.”
Izuku leaned over, wrapping his hand around Kyouka’s to turn the doorknob. He twisted the knob, but Kyouka held it still. “Wh-? Kyouka.”
“No.”
Izuku twisted harder, but Kyouka’s grip was firm. She began putting herself between the door and Izuku, pushing him back. “Kyouka!”
“No!”
“Kyouka, we have to go through with this!”
“I will not move!” Izuku grabbed Kyouka by the waist, lifting her up into the air and placing her down away from the door. “...Fair enough.” Izuku opened the door, motioning for her to go first with a smile. ‘...Please don’t be as bad as I’m expecting it to be.’
...
‘I was wrong. This is worse.’ Kyouka sat across from her mother, who was happily eating her udon. The problem was with the two men sitting across from one another. Izuku sat in pure silence, his eyes wide and beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Kyoutoku chewed slowly, staring down Izuku. “What happened to Izuku not having to fear for his life anymore?”
Kyoutoku responded without looking away from Izuku, “I told you I would test him from time to time. I need to see how he does under pressure.”
His daughter turned to Mika, “And you approve of this?”
“We have to support your father’s antics sometimes, dear.” The room was completely silent except for the clinking of chopsticks against plates and soft chewing. Izuku sat frozen as Kyoutoku ate his food with an unblinking stare directed at the teen. “...So how has everyone’s day bee-?”
Kyoutoku jumped up, his hands slamming down on the table. He leaned close to Izuku, his glare piercing as his quirk activated to deepen his voice. "What's my daughter's favorite band!?"
"Deep Dope."
"What's her favorite food!?"
"Yakitori."
"When's her birthday!?"
"August 1st."
"What's the first instrument she learned how to play!?"
"Acoustic guitar."
"What's her least favorite genre of music?"
"Freeform Jazz."
"What's her favorite hobby!?"
"Playing music."
"Aha! I've got you! That was a trick quest-"
"And making fun of and/or teasing people...Usually me."
“What were you two doing in her room last night?!”
“We we’r-Mm!”
Kyouka slapped a hand over Izuku’s mouth. “I told you this could happen.” She turned to her father, “And that’s none of your business, old man.”
"God-damn it!" Kyoutoku slumped down in his seat, his arm thrown over his eyes.
Kyouka blankly stared at her father as she swallowed the food she was chewing on. "You done?"
Without removing his arm from over his eyes, he lifted his other hand and pointed at her. "No, I am not done. That was just round one. I just need a breather."
Mika dabbed her mouth with a napkin, leaning forward towards Izuku. "It looks like I'm handling round two then. I'll use less surface level questions. So, what drew you to our Kyouka?"
Kyouka's eyes widened, her hand shot out in between her mother and Izuku. "Okay! How about let's not ask the guy I'm dating what he's specifically into about me at the table? Or ever!"
Mika chuckled, "I didn't exactly mean physically, but if that's how you both want to interpret it."
"N-No, wait," Izuku interjected. "I'll answer it. I'd be happy to." The teen steeled himself, sitting up straight to look Mika in the eyes. "I-I honestly can't lie to you. When Kyouka walked into Recovery Girl's office, it was her beauty that captivated me first." Izuku looked over to Kyouka, thinking back on the moment she walked through the door. In her seat, the purplette blushed, clutching Izuku's former jacket. "And her beauty led me to seeing her jacks. Due to my odd obsession, I couldn't help myself but ask about them. After that...I-I completely embarrassed myself trying to speak to her. But, she just ran with it, I think finding me unintentionally funny." Izuku turned back to Mika, along with Kyoutoku who had lifted his arm up to look at the teen. "Then, we just talked. I found everything about her so...unbelievable."
Kyouka's stomach sprouted a comforting warmth as she heard the word he used. It was the same word he used to describe her on the beach right before their kiss.
"I finally found someone I could really talk to, even joke with. Actually joking around with somebody was sort of a foreign concept to me, but she did it so naturally. I find myself emulating her so much. We'd be here for hours if I could go into full detail, but I really don't want to take up so much of your time. Besides, I-I'll either hit the point of my brain not being able to put together words correctly, or you won't get me to stop talking. Wh-Which I guess I'm already doing, so...What I'm trying to say is, Kyouka drew me in through steps. And each step became more intriguing as I took them. What drew me into Kyouka...was everything."
Silence flooded the room, each member of the Jirou Household was rendered speechless. Kyouka processed every word he spoke, soaking it all in to make sure that no bad thought process could ever make her forget what Izuku had said. "Could, uh... Could you excuse us for a moment?"
Mika turned to her daughter, her face still showing slight shock. "Um, yes. Of course."
Kyouka nodded, quickly taking Izuku's hand and dragging him up the steps, down the hall, and into her room. After closing the door, Kyouka swiveled around to see Izuku looking at her panicking. "Wh-What?! Was it something I-I said?! They didn't say anything! I thought I was d-doing good, but was it too mu-mmph!"
Kyouka had grasped both sides of his face, crashing her lips onto his. Izuku froze up, not sure how to take in what was happening. He was certain something went wrong, but it seemed Kyouka thought otherwise. Izuku responded by kissing back, his arms snaking around her waist. They detached their lips, the musician laying her forehead down on Izuku's collarbone. "Thank you. What you said, it...just thank you."
A small smile slowly broke out on Izuku's face as he pressed his nose down into Kyouka's hair. "I-It's not a big deal. I was just being honest."
“Oh my-” She leaned up and kissed him again. “Stop being so good at this without trying.” Kyouka smiled, “You’ve probably just put a major dent in their plans. You just gave us the upper hand.”
“Are you sure?”
“Let’s see.” Kyouka extended her left jack, placing it against her door to listen in on the bottom floor.
…
(Downstairs)
"I can't believe it," Kyoutoku exclaimed, his hands dragging down his face. "He destroyed every single test we had for him in under two minutes. We didn't even get to rounds three through twenty-five!"
Mika giggled, running a hand through her husband's hair. "We still have some questions left. He didn’t cover everything. But, there’s no denying we Jirou women know how to pick 'em."
"Well, what are we supposed to do now? The material we have left won’t cover most of the evening."
"Oh, I don't know," Mika responded with a sarcastic tone. "Perhaps, once he passes the tests, we simply get to know him better?”
“Hm…”
“Without terrifying him with death glares this time?”
“You’ve lost me.”
“And embarrass Kyouka to no end, obviously."
“You’re gaining me back.”
“You can still use the voice whenever you want.”
“And I’m sold.”
Mika chuckled, standing up to grab Kyouka’s childhood guitar from the couch, not before kissing Kyoutoku on the top of his head. “You know, we’ve already given Kyouka our blessing, and it’s clear your intimidation isn’t working. Maybe a role switch is what we need to make things interesting.”
“What do you mean?”
Mika smiled, “Honey, Kyouka got her glare from somewhere, and it certainly wasn’t you.”
…
(Kyouka’s Room)
“Oh no. They’ve switched.”
Izuku furrowed his brow, “What do you mean?”
“Mom’s the bad cop now.”
“I-Is that bad?”
“It’s hard to tell. You’ve never faced my mom, it’s only ever been my dad trying to intimidate you.” She looked over to Izuku, shaking her head. “I can’t help you with this. My dad I can predict. My mom is a completely different story. The best I can do is the same I did downstairs and stop you from being tricked into answering certain questions. You got this?”
“Y-Yeah...I got this.”
Sighing, Kyouka asked, “You sure?”
“...No.”
“Welp, this is the best we can do.” The couple left the room, making their way downstairs. Kyouka took a sharp intake of breath as she saw her father holding her old, small guitar, and Mika wearing a stone cold glare. “Whatever you do, don’t make direct eye contact.”
“It...I-It’s too late.” Kyouka looked up to see Izuku and her mother locking eyes, neither blinking or moving. “Wh-What do I do? I can’t move.” Kyouka quickly got in front of Izuku, pulling his head down to look into her eyes.
“Better?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Just keep your head down and eat. We can win this.”
Izuku nodded, but then shook his head. “I-I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“I should have taken up your offer to go back to the beach. Now I don’t know if I’ll live to make it back.” The couple sat down at the table, both focusing on their food.
Mika brought her hands together, leaning forward on the table. “So, Midoriya, what are your future plans?”
“F-Future plans?”
“Well, obviously you want to be a hero. But, what about location. Do you plan on staying in Musutafu, or going somewhere else to open your agency? Some people even go abroad to start up. Where exactly do you plan to drag our daughter? How far do you plan to take her from us?”
“Take her from y-? I-I don’t plan to take her anywhere she doesn’t want to go, and I won’t go anywhere without her. And I-I would never want to take her from you, but...isn’t that her choice?”
Mika merely hummed in response, not giving Izuku a straight answer. Kyouka was right, at least with Kyoutoku he could tell if he said the right thing. Mika wasn’t budging at all. “You didn’t even question if you would be together that long.”
“Well, th-that’s the idea. I d-don’t plan on giving this up anytime soon.”
Kyoutoku smiled, “How wonderful.” The teens, surprised by such a reaction from the father, both looked at each with wide eyes. He turned to his wife, “Too much?”
“Just a bit.” Her gaze returned to Izuku, her arms and legs crossing as she leaned back in her chair. “When do you think is an appropriate time for a serious relationship to become sexually active?”
The table shook as Kyouka stood up, her hands slamming down on the surface. Both her and Izuku were blushing like mad. “No! No! No! No! No! Never ask that question again!”
“But-”
“No!”
“Kyouka-”
“No!”
“I-”
“Nooooooooooooooooooo-”
“Pfft! Hahahahahahaha!” Both of the parents began laughing hysterically. Kyouka watched her parents in confusion, her mind running a mile per minute.
“Do you have any idea what’s happening,” Kyouka asked Izuku.”
“I-I-uh, s-s-sexua-...s-sexually ac-...t-t-t-...”
“Ah, great. You broke him.”
Mika wiped a tear from her eye, pushing down her remaining laughter and addressing Kyouka. “I think we’ve won, wouldn’t you say?”
“You...won?”
“I’ll admit, Midoriya was even better than expected. And my expectations were through the roof. His ability to forgo his usual lack of social skills when talking about you almost got you two the win. But, I thought I would be able to break him first. Yet, it was you.”
“Wh-...What?”
Kyoutoku leaned back in his chair, a smirk on his face. “Kyouka, we knew you’d think this was some kind of battle.”
“You’re the one who always makes it a battle!”
“I told you a couple nights ago I accepted him, didn’t I? We’re still going to test him from time to time, it’s our job. And, we honestly couldn’t help ourselves.”
Mika smiled, “You basically gave us our ticket to mess with you.”
Kyouka tried to speak, but no words came to her. She looked back to Izuku, who seemed to finally regain his bearings. He shakily smiled at her, “I-I guess we walked right into this one.”
Chuckling, Mika stood up and began grabbing clear plates. “Kyouka, come help me with these. I want to talk to you.” Her daughter shook her head, grabbing plates and following her mother.
Before leaving, Kyouka turned to her dad. “No. More. Funny business.”
“I make no promises. You know that.”
Rolling her eyes, Kyouka looked to Izuku. “Just remember, you can beat him up with little effort.”
“Wh-?! Don’t t-tell him that!” Izuku and Kyoutoku began looking at one another again, this time both of them had fear in their eyes. Kyouka left the room, entering the kitchen and joining her mother at the sink. She began drying plates, using her jacks to place them in the proper cupboard.
“Both of the women go off to do the dishes while the men sit around doing nothing. Real progressive, mom.”
Mika threw her head back laughing, “You and I both know your father would be the one next to me right now on any given night. When’s the last time we made you do dishes?”
Kyouka gave her mother a glare from the side, “We have a dishwasher for a reason.”
The mother’s smile disappeared, “If you really are mad, I’m sorry. Trust me, the last thing we want is this night to go poorly. Which, I don’t think it is. Even with your father and I’s antics, Midoriya did very well. He answered far better than we could have predicted, it really threw us for a loop. He’s a keeper.”
Kyouka took a deep breath, “Yeah, he is.”
Seeing that reaction, Mika shifted towards her daughter, placing a hand on her back. “Now, why exactly were you taking all of that so seriously? I’m not saying those weren’t serious questions for him, but you seem to think something actually could have gone wrong.”
“What do you expect me to think when you and dad are pressuring him all night?”
Mika shook her head, “Kyouka, you know us. Your father is basically a harmless puppy, and I’ve never once shown any sort of disapproval towards Midoriya. I’ve been elated about him, and I haven’t been afraid to show it. Come on, talk to me.”
The young musician sighed, leaning her elbows on the counter. “I don’t know. I guess I’m afraid of this going wrong. What if you guys scared him off? What if you make him feel like he messed up? He almost thought so earlier, and he’s super critical of himself. What if he ends up not wanting to be with me seriously? We said this whole test thing was to make sure our friendship wasn’t hurt if things didn’t end well, but it’s too late for that. It’s been a few days, and I already can’t imagine going back to the way things were. If-”
“You use that word too much. If. What a bullshit word. I know you like to be organized, and romance can be anything but organized. But, Kyouka, you have to focus on what is. We don’t live long enough to focus on the “if”s every single second of the day. I’ll help you with the first step. Midoriya is completely and utterly infatuated with you. That’s something I think you struggle with, Kyouka. You may have super-hearing, but your eyes need work.”
‘You don’t know the half of it.’
“I know you two will be just fine. Every question we asked him was serious. Yes, even the last one.”
Kyouka turned to her mother blushing, “Stop.”
“It’s a legitimate question to ask you, especially since this is your first relationship. Do you plan on being sexually active anytime soon?”
“Wh-?” Mom!”
“I know I said the inner workings of your relationship wasn’t my concern, but I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. Honey, you want to be a hero. An unplanned pregnancy could ruin that.”
“I-I-”
“Act embarrassed all you want, Kyouka. But, I know you’re mature enough to understand what I’m trying to say.”
“I-...” Kyouka sighed, “Yeah, I know. But, we’ve only been going out for three days.”
“Teenagers move fast, especially when many believe they’re in love.”
Kyouka nearly dropped the plate in her hand, “Love? I never-...I mean, we never said l-love. And what do you mean “believe they’re in love”? If I say I’m in love with him, then I’m in love with him. The same goes for him about me...when we get to that point, I mean.”
Mika chuckled, “I said many of them believe. I didn’t mean to include you two. But, you know where I’m getting at. An unplanned pregnancy could ruin your hero career before it even starts.”
“Oh for crying out lo-”
“Kyouka, I’m serious.”
Her daughter scoffed, “What? Do you want me to wear a chastity belt?”
Mika laughed at the comment, putting away the final plate. “No. I’m not trying to stop you from doing anything. I said it wasn’t my business, and I’m sticking to that. I just want to make sure you’re going to be safe when it happens, whenever you decide you want it to happen.”
Kyouka looked away, not wanting to participate in the conversation. “You don’t even know if we’ll be toget-”
“Bullshit, Kyouka. That’s absolute bullshit, and you know it. He looks at you the same way your father looked at me when we first met. The same way he still looks at me now. When, not if, when the time comes, promise me you’ll use that vast intelligence of yours and be safe.”
Kyouka crossed her arms, still avoiding eye contact. “...Yeah. Yes, I promise to use my genius intellect to understand the importance of safe sex.”
Mika kissed her forehead, “Good. Now, I’ll give you a minute to prepare yourself. The embarrassment has only just begun.” She laughed as she walked out of the kitchen, but quickly turned around just as she was about to exit. “Hey, you know we really like him, right? This is just our way of having fun with him before he gets too used to it. I wouldn’t have had that horrifically embarrassing conversation with you if I didn’t like him and didn’t want him to stay.”
The punk crossed her arms, leaning against the sink counter, “Yeah...I know.”
“Now, I know no parent is ever supposed to tell their child this secret. But, everytime we do something that embarrasses you, take it in stride. It takes that power away from us. Just have a good time with your boyfriend. Your father and I are certainly enjoying ourselves. Hey, how many times do you think I can break his brain again?”
“I told you this morning, stop breaking him.”
“Fine. Fine, whatever you say.” A soft smile grew on Mika’s face, “Stop thinking about “if”s, Kyouka. At least, when it comes to that boy.” The mother finally left, heading back to the dining table. Kyouka could hear her speak from the kitchen. “Midoriya, would you like to watch Kyouka’s home video concerts when she was seven?”
The teen’s eyes widened, “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Izuku’s voice came through the door, “I-I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to embarrass her.”
The purplette’s expression softened, a smile creeping onto her face. Kyouka walked back into the dining room, looking over Izuku and her parents at the table together, imagining it being a normal thing. ‘Thinking about “if”s, and forgetting about what is, huh?’ Kyouka clutched her green jacket, taking a deep breath. ‘Mom’s right. “If” is bullshit.’ She walked over to Kyoutoku, grabbing the children’s guitar out of his hands. “Why watch videos when we can just do the real thing? This is a musical family, Broccoli Boy. You wanna be a part of it, you have to perform.”
Kyoutoku jumped up, “Yes! I told Mika this should be a test for him! I’ll go get the other children’s instruments!” The father ran up the stairs and to the hallway closet in search of the other objects.
Izuku sighed, “You don’t happen to have a children’s piano, would you? I-It’s basically all I know how to play right now, and even that knowledge is limited.”
Kyouka chuckled, taking Izuku by the hand and leading him to the couch. She sat him down, slumping into the cushions next to him. “You’ll do fine.”
The greenette leaned over, whispering, “What happened? I thought this would be the last thing you wanted.”
“I’m going to pull a you, and explain later.”
“Oh, very funny.” Kyouka laughed as her father came down the steps with a bundle of miniature instruments in his arms, excitement on his face.
“Let’s just have fun.”
Izuku’s brow furrowed as a tiny, colorful, plastic keyboard was placed in his lap. “...Seriously?”
“If you can play a real piano, certainly you can play this.”
“Kyouka, I can barely play a real piano.”
“Then, you can kinda play this.”
“Why are we playing with children’s instruments again?”
Mika sat on the nearby loveseat with Kyoutoku, the former with a rainbow xylophone and the latter with a single drum on a stand. “It’s called nostalgia, Midoriya. All of these instruments were little Kyouka’s.”
Their daughter shook her head, “Just another example of how my old man refuses to accept his daughter is growing up.”
Kyoutoku nodded, “I will forever delude myself, and no one can stop me. Now…” He cleared his throat, his quirk activating to give his voice a reverb. “Let’s hit it!”
...
(5 Minutes Later)
Izuku sat in befuddlement, sweat running down his face. “Wh-...What just happened?” He looked around at the family and the state they were in. Kyoutoku’s drumsticks were broken, along with the strings on Kyouka’s guitar, and Mika’s xylophone was completely split in half. A glass vase was shattered, and Izuku’s ears were still ringing.
Kyouka put her arm around Izuku’s neck, “It’s called Family Music Night. Don’t worry, these have all been broken before. We have a guy who can fix ‘em up.”
“...And the xylophone?”
“Yeah, my mom gets carried away more than anyone.”
Mika laughed, “You call it getting carried away. I call it being passionate.”
Izuku was still baffled, “How did it get so loud? There are no speakers.”
Kyoutoku scoffed, “You question the greatest composer duo in the country?”
“No, I’m questioning the laws of physics and how you just broke them.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. You did good, Midoriya. However…” Kyoutoku pointed down at the toy keyboard. “Why isn’t yours broken?”
“O-Oh, I wouldn’t want to break your-”
“Midoriya,” Mika said, getting his attention. “Go ahead. You’re the first outside person to ever be a part of Family Music Night. Consider it a ritual for complete acceptance into this household.”
Kyoutoku raised a finger, “I wouldn’t go that far. It...Okay, that’s basically what it is.”
The quirk inheritor’s eyes widened, his eyes looking to Kyouka. She smiled, nodding her head at the keyboard. Izuku cleared his throat, his body glowing as he snapped the keyboard in two.”
Mika clapped, “Well done, Midoriya!”
Kyoutoku’s eyes went wide, “Oh, wow. Kyouka, you weren’t kidding when you said he could beat me up.” The group laughed, the conversation continuing through the night.
…
(2 Hours Later)
Mika checked her phone, sighing to herself. “Well, it’s getting late. I wouldn’t want you to miss the last train, Midoriya. Unless you’re staying again?”
“Oh, no. I’m perfectly fine going home tonight. Thank you, though.” Izuku stood from his seat on the couch, bowing to the parents. “As...strange, as the beginning of the evening was, I-I really had a good time.”
“Anytime, Midoriya. You’re always welcome here. Even if you weren’t, Kyouka wouldn’t let you stay away.”
“Okay!” Kyouka interrupted, “That’s our cue.” She stood up with Izuku, walking him to the door. “Hey, um...Do you think we could go to the beach really quick?”
“O-Oh, sure.”
“Great.” Kyouka turned back to her parents. “Hey, um...We’ll be back. Or, I’ll be back. I won’t be gone long, I promise.”
Kyoutoku furrowed his brow, “This late? Where to?”
“It’s private and important. No, nothing bad is going to happen.” Mika and Kyoutoku still didn’t look convinced, but Kyouka nodded towards Izuku by the front door. “It’s important, I swear.” She looked to her mother, “It’s about taking that first step we talked about.”
Mika’s eyes widened in realization, putting a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “She’s been out later than this, and Midoriya will be with her.”
The elder Jirou thought for a second before sighing, “Go on.”
“Yeah, she left while you were thinking.”
The father quickly turned towards the door to find both teenagers gone. “Wha-?! C’mon!”
…
(20 Minutes Later: Dagobah Municipal Beach Park)
Kyouka groaned, sitting on the stairs leading down to the sand. The full moon was high in the sky, lighting up the sparkling water. As usual, the beach was completely empty except for them. “Oh, thank goodness that’s over.”
Izuku sat next to her, “I-I actually had a really good time. I feel...a-and this may be because of you, but...I-I feel at home there.”
“And your real home?”
“...Jury is still out on that one.” Kyouka nodded in understanding, sitting up to be on Izuku’s eye-level.
“Speaking of which, you promised to tell me what that hug was for after you talked to your mom.”
His smile faltering, Izuku sighed as he leaned back on his elbows. “I-I realized my mom was right. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences of what happened at the USJ...We could have died. You could have died. We saw what happened to Mr. Aizawa. Y-You...You were about to die. The only reason you’re still here, is because I somehow did...something. I still don’t fully know what exactly I did, but…” Izuku’s breathing began to quicken, his voice sounding dry and cracking. The edges of his vision began to darken ever so slightly. “I-If you...I-If you died, I-I mean...Wh-What do I have? I c-can’t...I-I can’t be...alone. I can’t be alone again.”
“Izuk-”
“I-I know that sounds selfish, b-but I just c-can’t. I-I’ve been putting off the thought, b-but now that I think about i-it, I-I-I don’t know what I’d d-do. I-I can’t repeat th-those eleven years again, I-”
It took Kyouka a few seconds to realize this wasn’t just Izuku overthinking something. He was having a full blown panic attack right in front of her. Kyouka put a hand on his chest, yanking him towards her and holding him close. Placing his head on her chest, Kyouka stroked his hair with one arm over his chest. She didn’t hold too tight, wanting to make sure his breathing returned to normal. “Hey, listen to me. I’m alright. I’m alive, we both are. If you haven’t noticed, I’m here because you saved me, luck or not. It doesn’t matter that it could have happened. What matters is what did happen.”
“I-I just...What if you died, Kyouka? What if-?”
“Stop asking that.”
Izuku furrowed his brow, “Stop asking what?”
“If? It’s my turn to explain what I was going to tell you. My mom told me I need to stop worrying about the negative “if”s. I need to focus on what is. I think that applies to both of us now. I am alive. We are alive, and we’re going to do our best to keep it that way. That’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
Izuku stopped shaking, his breathing slowed. He lifted his head, looking Kyouka in the eyes. “Y-Yeah...I guess so.”
Kyouka leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Izuku’s. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine. Sorry you had to see me like that.”
“...Do you get panic attacks often?”
“They’ve been around for some years now. But as of late, not too much, thanks to you.”
“Thanks to me?”
Izuku nodded, “You’ve always had this weird way of calming me down. When you’re not making my heart race, that is.”
The purplette rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You just had to slip that in at the end, didn’t you?”
“I-I have to get better at this somehow.” Kyouka grinned, taking in what Izuku had said. She calmed him down? She looked down at Izuku’s arms, still tight around her midsection. Clutched around what was formerly his jacket.
So, it was a two-way street. She was Izuku’s security blanket just as much as he was to her. The thought of that unleashed a burst of warmth throughout her body, a strange excitement in her chest.
“Hey...about those “if”s...I think that can relate to you and I...On a relationship aspect, I mean.”
Izuku gazed at her curiously, until realization struck. “Y-Yeah, I think so, too.”
Kyouka slowly moved her shaky hands down to Izuku’s chest. “I know we didn’t exactly test drive for that long, but I think at this point it’s stupid to ask if we want to be together seriously. Just like focusing too much on what could have happened, we can’t go back now.”
“I-I agree.”
A smirk grew its way onto Kyouka’s features. Or, at least she tried. Her nerves were getting to her. “S-So, what are you waiting for?”
“Honestly? I-I’m waiting for something to ruin this. It tends to happen to me...Except, y-you’re the only thing in my life that just keeps getting better, so I shouldn’t push my luck. K-Kyouka...Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
Kyouka gripped Izuku’s shirt with both hands, “What do you think?”
“...I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
“You’re damn right.” She pulled him in, crashing her lips into his. She could feel Izuku smile against her lips, and she knew he was feeling the same from her. She cupped the sides of his face as his hands moved to her waist. Kyouka moved up, pushing Izuku down against the steps. Izuku’s joy got the better of him, moving Kyouka directly on top of him. Neither cared how uncomfortable the stairs were, their mouths never detached until they broke for air. Kyouka lifted herself up, and Izuku’s heart stopped. From his angle, the bright moon was directly behind Kyouka’s head. The pale moonlight illuminated around her figure, her porcelain skin and dark purple hair contrasting with the night sky.
Just like that morning, Izuku lifted his hands up. Kyouka, once again, softly leaned into his palms and asked the same question. “What are you thinking?”
“...That I’m not alone anymore.”
“...Me, too.”
Kyouka leaned back down, continuing their session.
They missed the last train…
…
(One Hour Later)
“My parents are going to kill me.” Kyouka turned to Izuku, chuckling to herself. He was still on his back, his eyes wide open, clothes ruffled, and hair even messier than usual. “Did I kill you?”
“N-No, thankfully I’m alive.” He sat up, straightening out his shirt. “Well...that was spectacular.”
“It was the same thing we did last night, and this morning.”
“But, far more emotionally charged and sensational.”
“I’ll give you that one.” She kissed him again, standing up with Izuku.
“I’ll walk you home.”
Kyouka shook her head, “Are you kidding me? I’m sure your mom is wondering where you are.”
“She knows I’m with you, so she likely thinks I’m still at your house. What if something happens on the walk? O-Oh, wait. We’re not supposed to focus on “if”s anymore.”
“I’ll make an exception. Especially since you’re so distraught that you can’t walk your girlfriend home.”
Izuku smiled, reaching his hand out for Kyouka to take. “I’ll accept that loophole.”
Kyouka took his hand, “I figured you would. Besides, it’s focusing on things that could have happened. Not could happen. We’re trying to be heroes, so we kinda need caution.”
They walked to the sidewalk, the train station their next destination. “Okay, two problems down. I talked to my mom, dinner with your parents went well, and you’re my girlfriend, which leaves only one problem left.”
“Which is?”
“...How exactly am I going to survive the Sports Festival? After beating him in the quirk apprehension tests and the battle training, he’s out to kill me...Well, more than he usually is.”
“Aizawa has his eye on him. He can’t pull stupid crap like literally trying to murder you with his stupid gauntlets. By the way, those grenades...You think he’s compensating for something?”
“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need the gauntlets to overcompensate. He already uses his ego.”
“Ooooh, ouch.” Kyouka burst out into laughter as Izuku rubbed the back of his head.
“I-I can’t believe I just said that.”
“I can, and it just makes me like you even more. Don’t worry about him, you’ll kick his ass.”
Izuku looked at Kyouka curiously, “Are you confident in that?”
“Mostly...Pretty much...Okay, I’ve never actually seen him go all out. But, I’m sure you’ll do great. Especially after we train our asses off, and you have that new power under your sleeve.”
“A power I have no idea how to activate.”
“It’s better than nothing. Besides, you can kill him with a finger.”
A chuckle escaped Izuku’s lips, “You make a fantastic point.” The couple continued their walk down the street, their futures unknown. But, they were ready for them.
They had each other.
And, before anyone asks, yes I am still working on Thank You. The next chapter is actually partially written. But, I wanted to get this story settled first. This didn't get the same focus Thank You received in the early days, and I wanted to give it that. Keep it in the public eye, ya know? I also wanted to firmly lay out plans for this one, like how I gathered advice from some of you on FFN and Wattpad. Sorry AO3, but they don't have private messages on there, and this required spoiling the future of this fic. I didn't want someone reading the comments and finding out.
Thank you to everyone who helped! I really think this is going to be wild once these events hit.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.
P.S: This is the first introduction to Izuku having panic attacks, which will come back in the future. This is an aspect I left out of Thank You, because Izuku is already one big mess over there. But, I think it will fit here, especially once everything about him and his backstory kick it in gear.