Note: I should preface that the following events of this chapter technically take place before the previous chapter. Stuff I forgot to cover. XD
"Well, your theory about your new 'limbs' seems accurate."
Shuzenji Chiyo, also known as Recovery-Girl, poured over some test results.
Izuku lit up in response. "So the tendrils are connected to my nerves?"
"Quite. But there was something else that I picked up on the scans..."
She flicked her gaze at Izuku and All-Might, her eyes hard as the duo became unnerved.
The mentor-successor combo had decided to pay a visit to Recovery-Girl about the new developments in One-For-All and see if they could narrow down some uncertainties and help give Izuku a clear direction to take with his newfound abilities.
The boy had yet to contact the previous wielders since the first time. They hadn't reached him in his sleep, and he still wasn't confident in pumping One-For-All into his brain for lack of a solution.
After all, you can't pump iron with your mind to make it stronger.
As such, questions like...
When is the next Quirk coming?
What is the best use of black-whip?
What Quirks will be available?
...were all entirely up in the air.
Obviously, Izuku didn't expect Recovery-Girl to be able to answer most of these questions. However, she could perhaps tell him if she has noticed any changes in his body and whether or not any of them seem alarming.
Izuku wasn't 100% convinced that the way he used black-whip wasn't causing long-term damage. It did really sting to use at first, after all.
As for his mentor's presence, All-Might tagged along, having a healthy curiosity about anything related to One-For-All and possessing a vested interest in Izuku's well-being.
Now, hearing that Recovery-Girl had found something and didn't seem pleased about it, the student and the teacher were starting to sweat in their seats.
'I hope black-whip hasn't given me a terminal illness or something...' Izuku gulped.
All things considered, the well-seasoned hero doctor had taken the new information regarding One-For-All quite well. Hell, she just took it in stride and started running the tests.
Which really made Izuku wonder what All-Might and his mentor had put the nurse through to be this unfazed...
Recovery-Girl gestured. "You mentioned having concerns about your new Quirk causing you unnoticed issues... Well, you don't have to worry about that. In fact, what I found was quite the contrary."
Toshi perked up. "What do you mean?"
Shuzenji lamented like she didn't want to say this. "It would appear your arms are getting better..."
There was a pause due to the sudden whiplash turn in the atmosphere.
Izuku gave a puzzled frown. "...Isn't that a good thing?"
"Not when you're reckless, and I'm your go-to surgeon." She frowned back.
All-Might interjected. "With all due respect, Recovery-Girl. Young Midoriya has been taking strides in ensuring his own safety and well-being. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he hasn't been in your office for quite some time now."
The nurse softened a bit. "That's true... but apparently, he's taken to using his new Quirk with as much reckless abandon as he did with One-For-All. That doesn't exactly instil me with confidence."
Izuku lowered his head. "I know, it sounds bad. But I didn't put my life in danger. I knew that, for the most part, I could recover from what black-whip does... But I wasn't sure if there was something else I wasn't accounting for, which is why I came here. I am trying to be more cautious."
Recovery-Girl turned back to the student. "Promise me you won't do something foolish again. Your arms are improving, but that is not an excuse to do more damage to them."
"I promise... But out of curiosity. How much better are my arms?"
Shuzenji raised the medical results in front of her. "You managed to recover in just a couple months, what would take most people at least half a year to reach, if not longer."
His eyes bulged. "That much!?"
The nurse smiled a bit. "Yep. Though it's not particularly surprising for a wielder of One-For-All."
"It isn't?" The boy tilted his head.
All-Might interjected again. "No, it isn't. Perhaps you've noticed some of the more passive physical benefits of One-For-All?
"I... can't say that I have. No..."
The predecessor nodded understandingly. "I suppose it would be difficult to notice... We've seen how One-For-All provides tremendous power and speed. But did you notice how it helps defensively?"
Izuku mulled his thoughts. "You mean like during our first term final exam, where you took several massive point-blank explosions and came out unscathed?"
"Exactly. You and young Bakugo threw multiple explosions at me, yet I could keep fighting." He grinned.
Izuku had seen many examples of All-Might seeming nigh-invincible, being the huge fan he was, but that exam stood out.
Few people got a hit on All-Might as solid as Bakugo did.
Usually, All-Might would take down all the villains before they could do anything, and even if they did land a blow, it was usually a weak-looking punch, an equally weak-looking swing with a baseball bat, or something similar.
All-Might typically dodged hits from attacks bigger than that.
But either through intention or the limitations placed on the former pro at the time, Bakugo was able to hit All-Might with one of his most destructive attacks, which Izuku knew from firsthand experience could bust holes through buildings and incinerate furniture easily...
All-Might took that to the face, and all it did was stun him briefly.
The man took several more after and was still in fighting shape; All-Might didn't even seem concussed at the time, and the more Izuku thought about it, the crazier it seemed.
So naturally, it was one of the biggest testaments to All-Might's former power that he could think of... It also said a lot about the villains who actually managed to hurt the symbol of peace.
"Yeah... I remember. It was kinda terrifying at the time." The boy strained a smile.
The mentor chuckled a bit. "I can imagine! Must've felt like facing down the Terminator if he had superpowers."
"God help us all if killer machines develop Quirks," Recovery Girl added.
Izuku nodded to the nurse. "Can't argue with that... So what you're saying is, One-For-All has other benefits I'm not seeing?" He turned back to All-Might.
"Precisely. One-For-All's power comes in many forms since it can enhance all physical aspects of the body. Including allowing you to take hits easily, see better, hear better-"
He then gestured to Izuku.
"-And better the body's ability to recover from injuries. Just having One-For-All inside you means the power is coursing through you, even when not in active use."
"Really? But I don't feel it doing anything..." The boy lifted his right arm to stare at it.
"The amount is small, so you don't notice it. But it's still enough to accelerate your healing process somewhat."
"By entire months?"
"Not by itself... Out of curiosity, young Midoriya. How often have you been practising your full-cowling?" All-Might gave a knowing smile.
Izuku reflected for a moment. "...Um. Oh! I get it! Because I kept using higher percentages of One-For-All all over my body, specifically my arms in this case, it sped up the healing...-"
Then he frowned a bit.
"-Wait... I thought One-For-All put a strain on my body. Now you're telling me it does the opposite?"
All-Might shook his head slightly, raising an index finger. "It only causes strain when you use more than your body can manage. At lower percentages, it actually helps... to a limit, of course.-"
He motioned to his side, where the injury was still present.
"-Though thinking about it now, without the aid of One-For-All, this might've taken my life quite some time ago."
Izuku's face went pale. "Wait. You don't mean giving me One-For-All shortened your life span or something, do you!?"
All-Might raised his hand to calm his successor. "It's Ok, young Midoriya. It's not like I'm suddenly going to drop dead. Many doctors are looking out for me. I can manage without One-For-All."
Izuku wasn't quite satisfied by that. But there wasn't much he could do short of returning One-For-All.
"Alright. If you say so...-"
The boy then tried to shift to a more positive outlook.
"-Well, at least my arms are getting better. Maybe I'll be able to use them a bit more in a figh- OW!"
The irate nurse conked the boy on the head with her cane.
"To reiterate. You're still recovering! Do not take this to mean you're good to go throwing arm-breaking punches. You've made good progress, but you're still at great risk of losing the use of your arms if you're not careful!"
She held a stern look in her eyes and a tight grip on the whipping stick that was her cane.
Deflating a bit as he turned to her, Izuku nodded. "I know. I'll be careful..."
The nurse sighed in relief as All-Might stood up. "All right, I think we've spent enough time here. You and I still have classes to get to, young Midoriya." He said, checking the time.
Izuku followed suit, standing up. "Right."
The teacher turned to the nurse. "Was there anything else that came up on the tests that we should know about?"
Shuzenji shook her head. "Not much. Other than to say that this 'core' of One-For-All does seem different from when I knew it... But since I didn't run tests before today, I can't tell you whether it has grown since being in Midoriya's body. But at the very least, the output signature does seem stronger than when either you or Nana had it."
Toshi nodded back. "That's something, at least. Come on, young Midoriya. Let's get out Recovery-Girl's hair." He tried to usher the boy.
"Actually, could you go on ahead, All-Might? I'll catch up." The boy turned from his teacher to look at the tiny nurse.
The mentor cocked a brow. "Alright. I'll go. Just don't be late for class. You can't afford that considering your work-study."
"Thanks, Sensei! I won't be long."
Giving a final nod, Toshi made his way outside, heading to his next class.
As the door closed, Izuku turned to face Recovery-Girl again.
There was a heavy silence in the room as the old nurse affixed the teen with a sharp but curious look.
"Was there something you wanted to say, Midoriya?"
Izuku bowed deeply.
It was clear that Recovery-Girl wasn't pleased with him. It wasn't difficult to figure out why. Despite every warning she's thrown at him since entering UA, he hasn't really been compliant.
In fact, it was more accurate to say he'd been essentially ignoring her.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for putting you through so much. I know I'm in your office more than anyone else, and that's not fair to you. Even after your warnings during the sports festival when you said you wouldn't heal anymore of my serious injuries to get me to stop hurting myself, I still went ahead and brought my arms to this point...-"
Izuku deepened his bow, scowling at himself.
"-I know I must be a disappointment to you. I should've listened to you more."
Recovery-Girl leaned back in her swivel chair, sighing heavily at the ceiling.
"I appreciate the apology, but disappointing me is not the problem, Midoriya... For as long as I've known you, you seem to keep insisting on harming yourself. I know it's for the sake of others, but I've seen too many good heroes lose themselves by doing what you're doing."
Izuku straightened himself back up a little, scratching the back of his head.
'The way she says that it's almost like she knows Eri was the only reason I didn't need serious medical attention after the raid and Overhaul...'
It would appear both Aizawa and Recovery-Girl felt the same when it came to him.
He centered himself, deciding to be a little honest.
"...I want to say that 'I know,' but really, I guess I don't. To me, self-sacrifice is just so fundamental to what a hero is supposed to be. I know I shouldn't worry people by getting myself hurt, but often I don't see any other way."
The nurse turned herself back to face him. "Don't get me wrong, Midoriya. Self-sacrifice is a big part of being a hero. But you tend to take that too far... Just like Toshi did... and Nana did... and... others." She looked down at the ground, reminiscence written on her features.
Izuku hung his head low. "You've lost a lot of friends..."
Shuzenji looked back up. "Family too... I see a lot of them in you, Midoriya. Both good and bad... I don't want to see you undone by your own sense of heroism like they were...-"
She looked up for a moment to consider something.
"-Though I'll admit it has been a while since I last saw you, I suppose I'll trust Toshi's words for now." Her cadence held a slight uncertainty.
Izuku bowed again. "I know I've said this already, but I want this to be clear. I swear to do everything within my power to keep not just others safe but myself as well. I'll only consider otherwise if there is truly no other way."
"I would've preferred if you'd promised to never need the ER again... but I know that's not practical."
"It's the best I can offer... I'm sorry I can't do better."
Shuzenji waved her hand, gesturing for the boy to rise. "Relax, Midoriya. When it comes down to it, I know asking a hero to never get hurt is like asking a pig to never get fat... Just make certain that when you're fighting a villain, you've thoroughly considered all of your options."
Rising up, Izuku nodded firmly. "I will!"
The nurse offered a warm, grandmotherly smile. "Go on, Midoriya. You've still got classes to attend." She shooed him off.
With a corresponding smile, the teen started making his way out the door.
"Thanks, Recovery-Girl!"
Waving as he left, Shuzenji then turned back to her desk.
The conversation from moments before was still present in her mind as her smile faltered. Resurfacing memories of a time she did and didn't want to remember.
'I hope the world doesn't consume you, Midoriya. As it did to Anshin...'
--
Class was more or less the same as it always was for Izuku. He came in and sat down, waiting for Aizawa's arrival. Except this time, he was crowded by 3 girls and a boy.
The pink alien Ashido affixed the boy with a solid glare. "So... Ryukyu doesn't have a boyfriend?"
The invisible hands of Hagakure placed themselves on her hips. "Can't help but feel you made us feel bad for no reason, Midoriya."
"I don't agree with these two often, but. What the hell, Midoriya?" Said Jirou frankly.
"Yeah, bro! What they said. Why did you put me through that if it wasn't such a big deal in the first place!" complained Kaminari, looking just as betrayed.
Izuku had an awkward, forced smile of guilt.
Today was only several days after Ryukyu's interview. It was also the first time Izuku had been to morning class in quite some time. The boy had been quite busy as of late with his and Ryuko's new arrangement.
'God, thinking of her by name still feels weird...' He held in blush and focused on his classmates.
"I know you all must be upset about this. But honestly, it surprised me too. I didn't expect Ryukyu to explain everything on stage and then elaborate online. I'm sorry for making you all worry."
The boy decided against telling what he knew about the situation, choosing to deflect attention to the interview.
Ashido didn't look pleased, but she returned a nod with folded arms. "Don't freak us out like that, ok!? Seriously, I thought Ryukyu was going to hunt me down or something..."
Kaminari shrugged. "I guess I'll let it go too. Still not cool, though..."
Jirou didn't look quite satisfied. "There's just one thing I don't get. If Ryukyu wasn't really that hung up on all this. Then why did you think that she was? You said she didn't want anyone to know about it?"
At those words, the rest of the group turned a curious and expectant gaze to Izuku, though he could only assume with Hagakure.
"Well... As I said, it surprised me too. I just assumed Ryukyu didn't want anyone to know..." He said awkwardly.
Izuku was trying to dance around the mark.
He knew at this point that it had something to do with this, even if Ryuko didn't say so. Explaining that Ryukyu had requested him personally to end the rumour would probably raise too many questions... dangerous ones.
So Izuku decided it was best to end any line of questioning that could lead back to the mark as soon as possible.
'Here I am keeping other people's earth-shattering secrets, again... Apparently, 'information broker' is my side gig.'
Hopefully, none of them took too much notice of what he said before... More than they already had, anyway. The concern was Kaminari, who had much more information.
Jirou nodded a bit uncertainly at the greeny. "So you freaked out and came to us because you assumed she was bothered by it?"
"Yes..."
He glanced briefly at Kaminari, who thankfully accepted this explanation without question.
"Sounds legit."
'Oh, thank god.' Sighed Izuku mentally, grateful for his friend's shortsightedness.
Jirou shrugged in response to Kaminari. "I guess that makes sense, yeah... You do seem like the type to jump to conclusions.-"
Izuku winced a bit at that.
"-And I guess I'd panic too if I thought I pissed off my boss."
Ashido nodded firmly. "Ditto! Especially if that boss is one of the top ten."
Hagakure, however, continued to be quiet.
Izuku turned to her, expecting a response, but it never came.
He wasn't sure, what with her being invisible and all, but it felt as though she was staring at him... questioningly.
It unnerved him somewhat, partly because of the situation and because Hagakure had been doing that a lot around him lately.
Just being eerily quiet... so much unlike her usual self.
Izuku was about to say something, but then...
"Homeroom is now in session. Get to your seats!" Aizawa called as he walked into the room.
Bowing to their teacher and commencing homeroom, Izuku never got around to questioning Hagakure.
While concerning, the entire train of thought left Izuku as the lesson continued, replaced by more immediate matters.
--
"HA!"
A scaled arm was sent flying just before it collided with a mechanical construct.
"RAGH!"
An equally scaled leg was thrown in a high kick toward yet another mech.
Are the grunts and screams really necessary, Ryuko? You've been at this for a while now.
'Yes, it is. Martial artists do it too. It helps them with their form.'
Mmmm~ sounds like BS. I think you like having an excuse to yell.
Ryuko paused her pummeling of the training dummies. 'It's not BS. It's true!'
Whatever you say, Ryuko~.
'You can literally search my memories. It's a fact!'
But that takes effort... and you're using my precious blood sugar on training.
'Are you suggesting that I, a pro hero, not train just so you can get more nourishment?'
The hungry, hungry Snarkodile shrugged.
I'm not suggesting anything... but I wouldn't mind a few more calories up here. So, if you could take a break and allow some of that blood to flow up into your noggin a little more...
'Well, too bad, Tempest. I guess I'm putting you on a diet.'
The mental lizard responded with stunned silence.
...You realise putting me on a diet is tantamount to starving your brain, right?
'It's a risk I'm willing to take. Maybe you'll learn to appreciate what you have more.' She resumed her combat training.
That's not a diet. That's just torture!
'A rose by any other name is just as sweet.' Ryuko grinned, throwing another punch at one of the dummies.
Training was something our dragon hero had been neglecting a bit lately.
But now that things with Izuku had improved and Hakai's interview was no longer hanging over her head, she had some mental energy to spare, which she was putting to good use in her training room.
She was also going to go on patrol herself later; Ryuko had a lot of time she needed to make up for.
'Once I'm done with the warm-up, I should also practise my fire breathing.'
Before Tempest could come up with a snarky response. The elevator *dinged* open behind them.
Stepping out from the elevator was the pin-striped suit form of Jinzo Binks.
"I see you've been training, Ryuko..." He spoke as he approached her.
She dropped her stance. "Oh... Jinzo. I didn't know you were coming."
He shook his milky skull. "No, you wouldn't have... I decided to drop by."
There was an odd cadence to the skeleton man like he was expecting something.
Ryuko sighed a bit. Most people would find it hard to read Jinzo's intentions, what with his impassive skull for a face. But knowing him for a long time, Ryuko knew what he was getting at.
"This is about what happened after the interview, isn't it?"
Jinzo nodded. "I won't force you to talk... but I am concerned. That wasn't like you. Relationships have never been your concern."
"...I guess not." Ryuko breathed, staring at the training dummies.
Her friend sighed as he continued.
"What's more, Midoriya seems to be more aware of the situation... I still don't comprehend the issue, but is there a reason you told him and not me?"
Ryuko tried to hold herself steady. Maintain some composure despite how concerningly close Jinzo was to the truth.
"That... is a long story. But the gist is that Midoriya discovered something by chance... and I had no choice but to explain."
"And you won't explain this 'something' to me?" Jinzo added curtly.
Ryuko hesitated, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want to lie to her friend, but...
"...I want to tell you, Jinzo. I don't want to keep secrets from you, but I don't know who I can trust with this information."
"Is it really that bad?"
"It's basically incriminating... Things won't end well for me if the public finds out."
"You committed a crime?" Jinzo gasped.
She gripped her arm tightly. "Not exactly... It's something my Quirk did to me."
Understanding seemed to dawn on the skeleton. "So that's what happened. Your Quirk changed something in you?"
"As I said, Jinzo... I don't know who I can trust with this. Midoriya wouldn't know either if I had a choice in the matter. So I'm not going into it."
Jinzo seemed to ponder something for a moment. "Did your Quirk make you rob a jewellery store?"
Ryuko gave a dry smile. "I'm a hoarder, not a kleptomaniac, Jinzo, and I'm not going to tell you even if you throw out guesses."
The agent folded his arms. "You really can't trust me with this? Despite everything? I wouldn't betray you, Ryuko; I can keep a secret."
She motioned, finally turning to him. "It's not just trust that's the issue here. Keeping this secret could make you an accomplice... It's bad enough that Midoriya was dragged into this. I don't want to add anyone else."
"I see you still don't like sharing the weight of your problems... I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Look, Jinzo. I appreciate your concern, but I have it under control for now. And it's not like I'm dealing with this completely alone. Midoriya is helping me in his own way..."
Jinzo put a finger to his temple. "I don't like this, but clearly, I can't force you to tell me, so all I can do is trust you and Midoriya... But if things get out of hand, I'm here if you need help. Don't try to do what you usually do."
"I won't. If things get desperate, you're the first person I'll go to... and thank you, Jinzo. For not pushing me."
The skeletal bestie shook his head. "Any time, Ryuko.-"
With that, Jinzo returned to the elevator, turning to face her as he reached the doors.
"-After all, you helped me stand on my own. The least I can do is return the favour."
Ryuko couldn't be sure, of course. But it felt as though the bony agent was grinning at her.
She smiled back. "Take care, Jinzo."
"You too." He stepped into the elevator as the doors slid closed.
Tempest spoke abruptly.
You know... If it were me, I'd be annoyed and freakin' grilling the crap out of you for information.
'I know... fortunately, he's my best friend, and you aren't.' Ryuko turned back to the dummies.
Oh, come on, how are we not besties!?
'Because you're family. Best friends are something you choose.' She replied with a grin.
I... don't know how to respond to that. Tempest said with near wonder.
'Good, you can be quiet for a change while I train...'
--
"You want my help with what?!"
Said the typically grinning tape man, Hanta Sero.
Deku nodded firmly. "I want you to help me with my Quirk. I figured you could give some pointers on my black-whip since your tape has a lot of similar uses."
The class had ended, and Izuku had taken the opportunity to find his tape-dispensing classmate and ask for a favour.
Now that he was sure that black-whip wasn't causing him any harm, the boy decided it was time to implement his new ideas for using it more effectively.
The first step was asking the seasoned tape slinger to teach him his ways.
Sero looked a little perplexed. "Similar uses? Like what? From the video I saw from Tarisu, you seem to have restraining people pretty down. I don't know what else I could teach you."
"Well, I was hoping you could teach me to swing around as you do."
One of Izuku's big plans for black-whip was aiding with mobility. Being able to swing around from building to building with a black-whip could be extremely useful... and probably fun... maybe a little vomit-inducing, but he'd get used to that.
"Oh! I could try, I guess..." The boy replied uncertainly.
"You seem skeptical?"
"I'm not skeptical. It's just... You're like one of the top students in the class. It's a little weird that you're asking me for advice. Not that I'm complaining. I'm just surprised."
Izuku blushed a little, scratching his head. "Thanks for saying so, Sero. But Yaoyorozu, Iida, and Bakugo all score higher on the tests than I do..."
Sero gestured a rebuttal. "You're still better than most of the class. You even managed to pass your exam against All-Might... Not gonna lie. I thought anyone who had to take on the big guy would fail."
Izuku didn't know how to argue with that. "I appreciate it... So, do you mind helping me at some point?"
"Sure! Next time we get a chance to use gym gamma. I'll see what I can do." The tape hero nodded.
"Thanks. I look forward to it." The greenette bowed earnestly.
Izuku returned his thoughts to other plans after parting ways with Sero.
'Eri should still be making progress with turning her Quirk off, so I can't do much about that yet... but I'll have to consider how I'll train her soon enough.'
--
Ryuko had decided before heading on patrol that she should check up on Eri and Mukoka to see how things were going.
Stopping on the 6th floor and stepping out of the elevator, Ryuko quickly made her way to the classroom. Stopping at the window to look in, she concluded that it would be rude to barge in if they were in the middle of a lesson.
Does this count as 'helicopter parenting?'
'Hardly. It's not like I'm passing Eri secret messages with all the right answers.'
Mukoka seemed to notice the hero in the corner of her vision as she became slightly startled.
Eri soon followed the teacher's gaze, recognising Ryuko as well, and waved with a smile.
The mother waved awkwardly back. 'And it would appear I've interrupted the lesson anyway... again.'
We should probably stop dropping in like this... or hide better, at least.
Ryuko decided she might as well enter the room at this point. After making her way in, Mukoka spoke up.
"Um, what brings you here, Miss Ryukyu? Is something wrong?"
Ryuko raised her hand calmly. "No, nothing's wrong. I only wanted to see how things were going before I went on patrol."
Eri perked up. "You're going on patrol? By yourself?"
The girl was obviously getting at how none of the interns were here yet. But the top hero wanted to get started early. After all, she had quotas to meet.
"Yes. I'll be back soon, though. I'll be here when the others arrive."
Eri nodded back. It wasn't hard to tell she wanted to come along too. She knew she couldn't, of course.
The mother turned to Mukoka. "Seeing as I've already interfered. Is there anything I should know?"
"Um... there is one thing I was going to mention later... Could we step out for a bit?-"
Ryuko's face contorted with worry as the tutor flailed her arms in response.
"-It's nothing serious. It's just something I feel I should bring up."
The dragon-mum nodded slowly. "Alright."
Mukoka turned to Eri quickly. "We'll be back soon."
Eri looked slightly confused, but she was used to adults wanting to speak privately now. She doubted it was about something wrong with her. The child had been on her best behaviour, of course.
Miss Mukoka had even complimented her on her progress many times, so she wasn't concerned.
If anything, Eri wondered when she'd get to have secret conversations.
'It must be fun. Adults do it so much.'
Ryuko and Mukoka stepped outside, and the employer raised a brow. "So what's this about?"
The tutor fumbled slightly with her words. "Well... I should ask first. Does Eri have any friends her age?"
Ryuko's eyes widened a bit. This wasn't where she thought the conversation was going.
"No, she doesn't... well, as you recall, I took her to the centre. She met some of the kids there, but she hasn't seen any kids her age since."
Mukoka nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I thought as much. I'm sorry to worry you like this, Ryukyu. But it concerns me that Eri is still so isolated. I understand that her Quirk makes social interaction difficult, but I feel there needs to be a compromise, or she might not develop properly."
Ryuko knew no matter how much time she spent with Eri, she'd never be a proper replacement for a friend closer to Eri's age. The role Ryuko had to fill as Eri's mother didn't allow her also to be the girl's best friend.
A parent had to be stern sometimes. Set rules and boundaries. Not to mention that being a pro-hero didn't afford enough time anyway.
"I understand where you're coming from. It concerns me as well. I've been thinking of inviting over kids that Eri has met, so she gets some social activity that way, and it would make things easy to supervise, but...-"
She tilted her head.
"-Eri didn't get to know those kids at the centre all that well... except for maybe one."
Mukoka lit up. "Oh, who?"
Ryuko frowned a little. "It's Kota, Mandalay's nephew. He and Eri sort of got along for the most part."
"Sort of?" She frowned in return
"Well... He somewhat disparaged me in contrast to Midoriya as a hero, and Eri didn't like that too much."
The short teacher looked surprised by that statement for a moment, but she put the thought away.
"But aside from that, they were getting along?"
"They seemed to be..." Ryuko admitted.
"Then maybe it's worth it to look into it at least... N-Not that I'm telling you what to do. Just... I think it would benefit Eri to have a friend her age."
The parental hero thought it over for a moment.
Eri was getting better with her Quirk, and it was only a matter of time until she could switch it off herself. By then, it should be safe enough for her to spend time with other kids her age.
Plus, Ryuko didn't have any alternatives, so if she didn't at least try this out, she'd be failing her job as a parent.
"...You have a point, Hana. Alright, I'll talk it over with Eri soon and then contact Mandalay to arrange something. Thank you for the input."
The tutor bowed frantically. "It's no trouble at all. I'm just performing my due diligence."
Ryuko smiled brightly. "Don't sell yourself short. If that's everything, I believe you have a lesson to return to?"
The short teacher bowed again. "Yes, Ma'am. Take care on your patrol."
"I will. Thank you."
Offering a quick farewell to Eri before she left and allowing Mukoka to return to her lesson, Ryuko made her way downstairs for her patrol.
During this, she'd ponder how she would approach Mandalay with this request.
--
"You really have no clue what else you can do, bro?"
"That's pretty vague, Midoriya. *ribbit*."
"Oui, I agree."
Izuku's circle of friends were now grilling the poor boy about the new abilities of his Quirk during lunch, practically crowding him at the table.
Everyone was curious, and he couldn't really blame them. Even the portable French laser cannon, Aoyama, had come to the cafeteria.
'Viva la bringing my own food despite Lunch-Rush!' The blonde had cried.
Izuku could only shrug at the crowd. "Believe me, guys. I wish I knew too. But it's something to figure out as I go along."
There were a few disappointed sighs and sour looks in response to this, but it wasn't like there was anything he could do about it. He didn't want his brain to explode. Was that too much to ask?
Denki started to speak up. "Life can be so unfair, man. I mean, I thought Todoroki was lucky with his whole practically having two Quirks thing. Now you've got more than that, while the rest of us still have one."
Izuku glanced at Todoroki, worried that Kaminari might've hit a nerve. But the tepid-haired boy seemed unaffected, thankfully.
In fact, he spoke up.
"I believe it's not how many abilities you have that matters; it's how you use what you have." He replied calmly.
Iida made a firm, approving chop with his hand. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"
Uraraka nodded along astutely. "Yeah, exactly. We're all capable, no matter how many Quirks it seems like someone else has."
Kaminari leant his glumly on his hand. "Yeah, but if one person has more powers, they obviously have more to use."
Aoyama leaned in, patting the sad, dimming light bulb of a boy on the back.
"It's ok, Kaminari. Most heroes only have one power, and they use it to incredible effect. Right, Asui?"
Tsuyu just stared blankly for a bit. "For starters, it's Tsu. Secondly, I'm not really someone to ask... I kinda have a few abilities myself. *ribbit*."
Denki's jaw hung in shocked agony. "Not you too!"
In response, Asui took a deep breath as her body began to turn semi-transparent, but her clothes were still quite visible.
"'Fraid so, Kaminari. *croak*."
Everyone applauded Tsuyu, save the electric blond, who just grumbled with his hands over his head.
Uraraka put her hands over the transparent girl's shoulders. "This is so cool, Tsu. You're like a lite Hagakure now."
"I guess so." She ribbited a chuckle.
Denki just continued to groan, face down on the table. "Great! At this rate, I'll be the only person with only one power and be known as the guy from 1-A that everyone forgets exists!"
Over on a far-off table, a tailed boy coughed into his hand.
Izuku tried to cheer up his new sullen friend. "If there's one thing I've learned about Quirks, Kaminari. It's that you can't judge what they're capable of at first glance.-"
He tried to gesture with his hands to make his mind find the right words as Kaminari turned to look at him.
"-Take all the training we've done for super moves. Thanks to that, we've all learned tricks we'd never thought of before.-"
Izuku pointed to the speckled class president.
"-Iida, you've learned that you can use your Recipro in controlled bursts, so you can do it multiple times. Right?"
The blue-haired boy nodded proudly. "Indeed. Rather than using it all at once, I can use it several times if I switch it off early!"
Izuku then pointed to his first friend since coming to UA.
"Uraraka, you've been learning to combine your Quirk with your martial arts, so you can easily throw and manipulate an opponent's body during a fight."
The girl scratched her head in embarrassment. "I have, but I'm still perfecting it."
The greenette then switched to the human navel laser.
"Aoyama, you've been working on using your laser-like a sword, correct?"
"Oui. I call it NAVEL SABER!" The boy pointed dramatically into the air.
Izuku then looked back at Kaminari. "See, even single-power people can have multiple abilities. It's just a matter of figuring it out."
Denki sighed a bit. "Dude, I get what you're saying. But the best I could come up with all requires me to use support gear. I can't use my Quirk differently as you all can. I discharge, and it's done."
"I'm not so sure about that. Have you considered other aspects of electricity, like thermal conduction?"
He tilted. "Thermal conduction?"
Iida spoke up, adjusting his glasses like some hyper-intellectual anime character.
"He means what happens when an object heats up due to the collisions of microscopic particles and the movement of electrons within a body."
Denki just looked more perplexed. "In Japanese, please."
Izuku made an attempt. "I mean, depending on the situation, you could use your electricity to heat or burn things, maybe even melt things under the right circumstances."
Denki went into deep thought for a moment. "...I guess I never thought of that. But I don't see how I could use that in a fight or anything. Like, if I'm electrocuting a guy, what difference does it make if I burn'em?"
"Admittedly, it might be more for utility than anything, like working as a stand-in stove.-"
Denki glowered. "Dude... a stove? Are you kidding me?"
Izuku smiled awkwardly and continued. "That's just an example. But being aware of your capabilities can help you with new ideas."
"I guess..."
The green teen offered a hand. "If you want, Kaminari. We could brainstorm some ideas to improve upon your Quirk sometime."
Denki lit up excitedly. "Really!?"
Everyone in 1-A knew that no one understood Quirks better in their class than Midoriya... It was difficult not to notice all of his mumblings and notes.
As far as Kaminari was concerned, this was like being given a free cheat sheet for his Quirk.
Izuku smiled with a shrug. "Sure, I mean, we both use energy in our bodies. So maybe I'll get something out of it too."
The bolt-dolt grinned. "Awesome! You're on, Midoriya!"
Everyone else smiled at the scene as they continued their meals, chatting away and enjoying their free time before they all had to return to their hero studies.
Soon enough, Izuku left the cafeteria with his friends, wondering how Ryuko was doing.
--
'Ok, Ryuko... you can do this. Just take it slow.'
Yeah, don't try to force it. Just move slowly.
'Who'd have thought having a child could be this difficult.'
Ryuko stared at Eri, sleeping on top of her, the girl clinging tightly to her mother's middle.
It was now the middle of the night, and it had been a long day of patrols and other activities.
Helping Eri improve with shutting off her Quirk for one.
Then there was dealing with her interns while trying not to be obvious how the nature of her and Izuku's relationship had changed.
On that note, tonight was one of the nights for their meetings in the vault. This was why Ryuko was now trying to pry herself loose from Eri's grasp without waking her, partly for the secret and also to not disturb the child's sleep.
Maybe try twisting slightly...
'My arm will hit her face if I do that!'
It was a task that was proving to be nigh impossible... But our dragoness wasn't going to give up. She would be punctual if it was the last thing she did.
'I have an idea...'
...What?
'I'm going to slowly transform so that she loosens her grip gradually, then I'll change back and break free.' She spoke as if it wasn't a crazy idea.
Can the bed even handle you at full size? Tempest didn't hide her skepticism.
'I don't need to get that big, just big enough for Eri to let go.'
Well... hopefully, she's a heavy sleeper...
'Look. If Eri does wake up, I'll think of something.'
With that, Ryuko began to slowly transform...
The tight grip Eri had on her mother spread further and further until the strength it once had was no more.
'Perfect.' The host said as she began to shrink back down.
I can't believe that worked... Uttered the stupified voice.
Ryuko slid away from Eri, making her way off the bed before tiptoeing to the door. She turned back to the girl briefly before stepping out.
"Sweet dreams, Eri. I'll be back soon." She whispered.
Eri mumbled something in her sleep incoherently as Ryuko smiled warmly, leaving the room.
From there, Ryuko went to the living room, where Izuku was waiting for her.
The boy had stayed over under the guise of spending more time with Eri, which was true but also not entirely accurate.
As Ryuko spotted the boy, she noted that for whatever reason, he was in his student uniform, minus the blazer.
'Another wardrobe malfunction? I thought he came prepared this time?'
"Oh, you're here. I was starting to get worried." He flustered slightly.
Ryuko blushed a bit, quickly shifting gears. "Yeah... Eri really didn't want to let go."
Izuku looked a bit alarmed. "Is she awake?"
"No, I just meant she had a firm grip on me while asleep. I had to worm my way out."
The boy stared for a moment, a ponderous look on his face. "Is that 'wyrm' with a 'y' or an 'o'?"
The pro had a dry smirk. "I don't know why you keep expecting dragon puns from me, Izuku. But I'm not going to make them... Although technically, you're not wrong either."
"Huh?"
"I'll explain later. Let's get to the vault first."
"R-Right." Izuku was flustered while calling the elevator.
One might argue that the vault was excessive for this purpose, but for our duo, it was an added safety measure to ensure no one stumbled across them.
Plus, the elevator served as an excuse. It was easy to say that Izuku and Ryuko got on from different floors and that their being together was coincidental.
They weren't going to allow any possibility of an accident if they could help it.
It didn't take long to reach the vault, and Izuku could swear he'd never get used to how big the place was.
Finding their now strangely familiar spot on the bed...
Which was still the best and only seat in the room.
...The pair awkwardly sat down.
They still actively ignored their seating arrangement lest the unspoken connotations slay them.
'I really should get some chairs down here or something...' The woman grumbled.
No, don't do that! Chairs are boring! Beds are what's in now, Ryuko!
Ryuko ignored the obviously biased claims, turning to Izuku. "So, how was your day?"
The boy scratched his head a bit. "It was good. Apparently, my arms are getting better, according to Recovery-Girl."
She offered a happy nod. "That's great news... You aren't intending to use them for big fights yet, are you?"
He sighed. "I don't inspire confidence in my safety, do I?"
Ryuko shrugged apologetically. "Well, you did make a lasting impression during the sports festival..."
"I guess I've still got a bad image to clean up then..."
"Take it from me. It won't last. So long as you improve and show people that you aren't the same person you used to be, you'll inspire plenty of confidence." She smiled.
He smiled back. "Thanks."
It was strange for both of them at first. This whole situation of having this big secret meeting only to end up having such a jarringly casual conversation.
A simple conversation between two ordinary people
Not a boss and her intern,
nor a grown woman and a teenage boy.
Just... people.
It was almost surreal how comfortable they had become with each other in such a short time. Though it was still the early days, so, it was still weird at times, of course. But they had both found enjoyment in it...
Enough to break a few social protocols one would expect from their respective positions.
They could be honest here in ways they couldn't be anywhere else. For two people rife with sordid secrets, it was a blessing.
But of course, even now, there were still secrets between them. One was aware, and the other was utterly oblivious.
Izuku tossed the proverbial microphone back to Ryuko. "What about you? How was your day?"
"Mostly catching up on patrols. Brought it down to the wire with how long I put it off." She sighed happily.
"It was nice not just doing janitor duty for a change today."
"I can imagine. Nejire almost had a breakdown over it."
Izuku recalled the image of the blue-haired girl falling to her knees in tears. "Yeah... though she got really disappointed when she realised we still had to do janitor duty after the patrol."
"Yup. Priceless." The boss grinned.
"I feel like you have it out for Nejire some days..."
Ryuko looked away a bit guiltily. "I know I seem harsh on her sometimes, but we've known each other for years now... I've had to tolerate a lot, including how she got that special curfew. If not for her skills, I'm not sure I would've kept her around."
Izuku latched onto the 'curfew' part. "That's the second time I've heard about Nejire's curfew. How did that happen?"
The dragoness suddenly grimaced and got very quiet. "...Look. I trust you, Izuku. But I can't tell you about that."
"Really!? It's that serious?"
Ryuko tilted her head uncomfortably. "It's more like it's not my place to tell you. It's Nejire's private information. If you want to know, you'll have to ask her."
Izuku couldn't help but be alarmed at why Ryuko reacted that way, but regardless, he nodded.
"Alright, I guess I'll do that at some point... How's Eri's progress?"
The grimace disappeared as it was replaced by a look of motherly pride. "Eri is doing well. But she still has a ways to go. Maybe she'll be ready in a couple of weeks, but now it's just not happening."
"I figured. But at least Eri's getting somewhere."
Ryuko decided to mention another point. "By the way, Mukoka brought something to my attention. She believes Eri could use a friend, and I was thinking of contacting Mandalay to invite over her nephew."
Izuku looked surprised. "You mean Kota?"
She nodded with a smirk. "The very same. The kid's a big fan of yours, from what I could tell."
He was stunned by the sudden influx of information. "I... huh... When did you meet him?"
"I took Eri to a Quirk-centre a while back, and he and Mandalay happened to be there. What's more, Kota and Eri seemed to get along. They had a lot in common, being rescued by the same hero." She said with a sharp grin.
Izuku blushed, scratching his head. "I'm not sure what to say... I'm glad Eri had someone her age to talk to."
"I take it you're all for it then?"
"If Kota and Mandalay are ok with it. I've got no complaints."
She responded with a simple nod. "Good. Though I still haven't run it by Eri, I'd like her input rather than just springing it on her."
"That sounds like a good idea." Izuku smiled back, relieved that Eri would finally get something close to proper social interaction.
Ryuko, on the other hand, was taking in the moment.
It was one of those reality-hitting situations when she realised she was having a parental discussion with a teenager. In those moments, she noticed how surprisingly mature Izuku was for his age.
However, she couldn't tell if that was the mark talking.
As Ryuko stared at the boy, however, something caught her eye—something she only noticed now that she wasn't as afraid to look at him as she used to be.
"Izuku... What's up with your tie?"
He looked down at himself suddenly, taking in his uniform's tie.
"Oh, this... well... I don't know how to tie a tie properly." He gestured at the sordid knot wrapped around his neck.
She squinted incredulously. "You've been attending UA for over half a year. How do you not know how to tie a tie?"
Izuku slumped into himself dejectedly, his face covered by his hands. "...I know. I have a problem."
Ryuko felt she might've hit a nerve. "I don't mean to be a jerk, Izuku. But did you not bother to learn?"
He threw up his hands. "I tried to. Really! A friend of mine even attempted to help me, but..."
"What happened?" She tilted her head in curiosity.
The boy exhaled. "Well..."
--
"Listen closely, Midoriya. The process is simple. We'll do the most basic 'four-in-hand knot' tie.-"
Tenya Iida stood tall, one hand on his tie, the other chopping through the air.
Izuku looked on with a notebook and pen in hand, like he was in the middle of a lecture, ready to take in all the information.
"-First, begin by crossing the 'wide end' over the 'narrow end.'
Then fold the 'wide end' underneath the 'narrow end.'Then pass the 'wide end' horizontally over the 'narrow end' again.Then take the 'wide end' up and through the loop around your neck.Then take the 'wide end' through the knot in front. Proceed to tighten the knot and pull it up to your collar.
Then the deed is done."
The speckled teen performed every manoeuvre in fluid motion like he'd done it a hundred times before, presenting a perfectly sculpted tie by the end.
Izuku could only marvel at such a professional display. "Wow."
Iida gestured to him. "Your turn now, Midoriya."
He stood tall, trying to ignore everyone else in the common-room who stared at him, getting his tie ready.
Against Izuku's wish, Iida decided to conduct this lesson in the most public area of the dorm. Iida reasoned that if he taught Izuku here, he'd also have taught the rest of the class by proxy, meaning everyone could benefit.
Izuku's embarrassment be damned, apparently. But at least not everyone was here... just most of them.
"You can do it, Dekun!" Called the gravity girl.
"Thanks, Uraraka." His nerves spiked as he placed his tie around his neck.
"This is stupid!" Bakugo stormed off.
Red-Riot shot up. "Ah, don't mind him. He just got a bit antsy. Good luck, though, Midoriya." He gave a thumbs up and chased after the explosive blonde.
"Thanks, Kirishima." Called Izuku, still embarrassed.
Iida chopped with his hand. "Midoriya! From the top."
He nodded firmly. "Right... first was... crossing the 'wide end' over the 'narrow end.-'
Iida nodded approvingly, which caused Izuku to try and speed up to gain further approval.
"-Then fold the 'narrow end.' Pass the 'wide end' under the 'narrow end.' Then take the 'wide end' up through the loop around your neck and- Hrrgh!"
With a firm and sudden tug on his tie, not knowing how he had knotted himself. Izuku had accidentally performed the ancient kink act of asphyxiation.
Iida quickly sprung into action, grabbing his friend's arm. "Slow down, Midoriya. Only a master attempts to speed through the 'four-in-hand knot' tie. You're not at that level yet!"
Izuku choked a bit. "Sorry... I got too excited."
Several people giggled in the back, which only caused Izuku to be more ashamed.
Iida turned to the laughing class. "Don't be so hasty to judge! This should be a lesson for all of you. Tying a tie can sometimes be life-threatening!"
Although the class president had said that without a hint of sarcasm, it led to the class howling harder with laughter.
Uraraka had even covered her mouth to hide her guilty snickers.
Iida just grumbled to himself as he turned back to Izuku. "Alright, let's try it again."
"Wait! As funny as this is. I think Midoriya needs better advice than this." Called out Jirou, who was still wiping away some tears.
"Haha. Yeah, I gotta agree. I'd feel bad if we just left the poor guy like this." Hackled sugar man, Sato.
"Though he walks in the shadow of his own humiliation. He perseveres. Such is to be lauded. Not punished." Nodded the edgy birdman, Tokoyami.
Iida raised a brow. "Is there something wrong with my teaching method?"
The ever-pink Mina nodded. "Yeah, it's like you just fired everything out all at once and expected him to remember."
The class prez folded his arms. "Well, if anyone believes they could do better, by all means." He gestured to Izuku with a chop.
Everyone seemed to be a bit uncertain about that. Save one person.
"Oo, Oo, let me try!" Called Mineta with a raised arm as he ran up.
Unsurprisingly, the whole class, including Izuku, had sceptical looks about them. But our greenette wasn't exactly in a position to back out.
Mineta quickly undid his tie and stood in front of Midoriya. "Ok, how I remember to tie a tie is by thinking of it as making love to a woman.-"
The air in the room immediately went cold. But for some reason, the class allowed Mineta to continue.
God only knows why.
"-First, you grab her by the waist.-"
He grabbed both ends of his tie.
"-Then you turn her around.-"
He crossed the 'wide end' over the 'the narrow end.' and then folded the 'wide end' underneath the 'narrow end.'
"-Then you find the pearly gates.-"
He passed the 'wide end' horizontally over the 'narrow end' again, forming the tie's loop. Then followed by taking the 'wide end' up behind the 'loop' around his neck.
"-Then you align yourself, and- GWACK!!"
Mineta crumpled to the floor, a large bruise fresh on his head.
Iida adjusted his glasses, his hand still steaming from the force of the blow he delivered.
"No! None of that!"
Izuku's cheeks were still coloured from the vivid descriptions. "You know, maybe my tie isn't a big deal..."
The uptight class president lasered in on the greenette like a hawk.
"Don't say that, Midoriya! We can still fix your tie. You can still follow the proper dress code of UA!" He chopped.
"Yeah, it can't be that hard to teach you." Said spark-plug Kaminari.
"With all of us here, surely we'll come up with something." Offered the creative Yaoyorozu.
All the current class members expressed similar sentiments as Iida proudly smiled at Izuku.
"See, Midoriya. We're not alone in this. And we are not giving up!"
--
"At some point, we gave up after that..." Izuku sighed.
Ryuko stared, unable to believe it. "You mean even with almost your entire class helping you? You still don't know how?"
Izuku shrugged sadly, looking down at himself. "Pretty much. This weird knot was the best I could do; the information doesn't stick in my head, and I don't know why... What makes it even worse is that I can tell that it bothers Iida. He's trying so hard all the time to ignore it."
Ryuko wasn't sure what to say at this point. It all sounded like a really dumb joke, but it seemed Izuku was not joking at all.
'Seriously, what kind of pervert uses such a deluded example of sex to remember how to tie his tie?'
The Sass-tile chuckled.
Like you're an expert, miss 'no boyfriends.'
'Bowl of cereal, Tempest...' Ryuko responded threateningly.
Alright, alright. Geez...
The host returned to the matter at hand.
"...Considering what you've just told me, I clearly can't teach you how to do it. But... I could tie it for you?"
Izuku froze, his head creaking as it turned back to Ryuko. "You... what?"
The dragoness cleared her throat and adjusted to look more professional, more businesslike.
"Well, it isn't exactly proper for an intern of one of the top ten to go around looking unkempt. I can't do this all the time, obviously. But at least while you're staying here... I could do it."
She tried to hide a blush, ignoring the raucous cackling in the back of her mind.
"A-Are you sure... I mean, I wouldn't mind at all, but..." Izuku fiddled with his hands.
Ryuko took a deep breath and decided to go for it.
Reaching for the boy's collar, she straightened him to face her.
"Uhh!" Izuku's jaw hung as he stared wide-eyed at Ryuko.
She tightened her lips, breathing slowly through her nostrils, trying very hard not to think about how close his face was to hers.
"Sorry for being rough, but it's easier on both of us if we just get this over with."
"Um... ok..." He spoke, straightening his back and leaning his head back slightly.
Izuku was shocked by this, to put it mildly, not just by the fact that Ryukyu, the dragoon hero, was tying his tie but also by the fact that this was the same woman who, not long ago, was worried about just being near him.
Worried about 'touching' him.
Honestly, based on that, it was a miracle he got her to agree to hold hands in the first place, though maybe he didn't quite understand her perspective. Or perhaps through the few meetings they've had, she's already gained much more confidence in her ability to manage.
There was still so much he didn't know about her, and Izuku intended to learn more.
He looked down slightly at Ryuko's hands as she worked with surprising speed and precision. She undid the atrocious old knot and immediately started tying a new one.
"Wow. It's like you've done this a hundred times before..."
Ryuko coloured a bit. The awkwardness was not helped by how she and Izuku were the same height, which meant they were basically at eye level.
"My father was terrible at doing his tie as well... and my mother was often busy with work... So I learned."
"I-I see."
From this distance, Izuku could easily see things in Ryuko's features, mannerisms, and other things.
So it wasn't hard to notice that her parents were a sore subject for her. He didn't quite know why. But she had implied family issues before when he mentioned his own dad.
Maybe her father was the focal point somehow?
Eventually, Ryuko stopped working on the tie and leaned back. "And done!"
Izuku quickly surveyed himself, noting for the first time in his life that a proper tie was sitting against his chest.
"Th-Thanks, Ryuko! You did a great job."
She took a deep breath with a smile. "Don't mention it, literally. No one besides us gets to know I did this, ok?"
Izuku nodded in complete understanding. "Of course."
"Good. And could you do me one other favour?"
The boy's eyes widened. "Um, yeah, sure."
Ryuko slumped with exhaustion. "Can this count as today's hand-holding...? I don't think I can handle much more for now."
Izuku coloured a bit while hiding his disappointment. "Y-Yeah, of course."
Ryuko smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. Now, if you don't mind, I'll try to relax... By the way, why are you in your uniform anyway?"
Izuku shrugged awkwardly. "I figured I should be dressed in something sophisticated for this..."
Ryuko snickered, falling backward onto the mattress with her arms spread, looking very content with where she was.
"Well, you don't need to do that. Just dress in what you're comfortable with from now on."
Izuku nodded while envying her position. He wanted to fall back too, but... laying on the same bed would probably not be appropriate.
So the boy took to letting his eyes wander the room while the woman rested, making the most of what little time they had before needing to return to the penthouse.
Couldn't really leave Eri to wake up wondering where they were.
He glanced briefly toward Ryuko once more, feeling a welling in his chest as he did so.
There was an undeniable part of Izuku that wanted more than this, but at the same time, he didn't want to be anywhere else.