Izuku wanted to die from embarrassment. First of all his room. Secondly, he had thought it was his mother who had entered his room, not a brunette who could manipulate gravity at will. That was probably what had happened, Izuku figured. Uraraka-san had walked in and used her quirk to make his embarrassment feel 20 times heavier. Wait, could she even do that? Did her quirk only allow her to make things weightless or could she also increase the gravitational force on them?
"Man you really are passionate about becoming a hero." Uraraka laughed lightly, making Izuku's face explode from heat. He was pretty sure steam was coming out of his ears by now.
"I-have-wanted-to-become-a-hero-ever-since-I-was-a-child-I-just-kept-the-posters-to-remind-myself-of-my-idols-and-as-motivation-oh-god-I-am-so-embarrassed!" The speed of Izuku's words nearly broke the sound-barrier, but it seemed like Uraraka had caught everything since she was able to reply.
"Why are you embarrassed? It looks almost identical to your room at the dorm." Uraraka tilted her head sideways looking puzzled.
"Oh... right." He had forgotten that nearly everyone in his class had seen his walls plastered with posters and numerous figures scattered about. Izuku just thanked the heavens he hadn't brought his All Might bed sheets with him to his dorm room – that would have been a disaster.
"So this is your old room." Uraraka stepped deeper into the room and looked around curiously. Coco meowed from the middle of the bed where she had climbed up and was lounging.
"Y-yeah." It felt odd to have someone other than his mother inside his room. Izuku couldn't remember the last time he had brought a friend over or if he ever had. He could feel himself fidgeting.
"It's nice." Uraraka turned and smiled softly at him, making his knees weak. Her smile was so pretty and it always caught him off guard. Looking for a distraction, Izuku glanced away and spotted the article of clothing he had been searching for before she came in.
"Mom thought her clothes might be too big on you, so I figured this would probably fit better..." He trailed off as his face turned redder. Izuku had picked up the hoodie off the floor and was holding it out to her, when he noticed that Uraraka's borrowed shirt had slipped down her shoulder and left it bare. Uraraka seemed to notice that as well and quickly pulled the shirt back up, a flush coloring her cheeks.
"T-thanks!" Ochaco's voice was a little high pitched and she probably grabbed the hoodie a little too fast, suddenly very eager to wear it.
She seemed to struggle a little with getting it over her head, but after wriggling around a little she had it sorted out. The light grey hoodie was snug against her chest and the sleeves covered most of her hands, but it was soft and warm. It also smelled like Deku, much to Ochaco's delight. It was a clean and subtle scent that tickled her nose when she inhaled. She sighed quietly in content, which Izuku mistook for a defeated sigh.
"Uraraka-san... Is everything all right? Your eyes are kind of red..." The green-haired teen hesitantly reached a hand out and lightly touched the side of the brunette's face. His fingers felt cool to the touch.
"Y-yeah. I just... uh, got shampoo in my eye?" Ochaco finished lamely as Deku's hand dropped back to his side. She already knew that he wouldn't buy her white lie, but now was not the time to have that conversation. She was fine now, and she promised herself that she would come clean and tell him, but they couldn't talk about it here and now. She caught another whiff of his scent from his hoodie and continued.
"I'm fine honestly, but there is something I need to... discuss with you, but not right now." Ochaco insisted and looked straight into his eyes. She could see that his worry subsided a little, but also that he wasn't entirely happy with having to wait. Coco trilled again from her spot on the bed and reminded the brunette why she was there in the first place.
"Oh that's right. Your mom said that the tea was almost ready five minutes ago." Ochaco walked over to the bed and picked up the kitty who purred contently at being carried. Izuku took that as a sign that the conversation was over and he remembered that he was still in his wet clothes.
"Okay, I'll just take a quick shower. Will you be okay on your own?" Deku frowned and looked so worried, Ochaco couldn't help but laugh.
"Of course I'll be! Your mother is so sweet and I also have Coco with me." At the mention of her name, the kitten meowed in agreement. That seemed to put Deku at ease and he promised to be back in five minutes.
Ochaco left his room and headed back towards the living room where she could hear Inko-san rummaging around. On the way, the brunette noticed another framed picture hanging on the wall of a tiny Deku, a younger looking Inko-san and a male who didn't look familiar at all.
'It's probably Deku's father. He really takes after Inko-san.' She thought to herself and noticed how many points of resemblance there were between mother and son. They looked alike, save for Midoriya's curly hair and their personalities were similar as well. The only noticeable difference was Deku's self-sacrificial tendencies and his mother's constant worry for her only son. Well, he was also worrying constantly about others, so really, it was a matter of perspective.
Coco stretched her tiny limbs and nimbly jumped out of Ochaco's grasp. The brunette followed the kitten as it darted across the floor and led her into the kitchen. Coco purred when she came to a stop at Inko-san's feet. The plump woman picked up the cat and cooed at her, before she noticed Ochaco standing a few paces away.
"Please have a seat Ochaco, I'll bring the tea right away." She smiled and went back to setting the table. There was a plate of biscuits in the middle of the table and a cup was placed in front of Ochaco after she sat down.
"Thank you. Midoriya-kun told us to go ahead and start while he showered." She informed Inko-san. Coco, who had been out of sight for a few seconds, snuck up on Ochaco and jumped onto her lap. The kitten had decided that Ochaco was a great place for taking a nap and her tiny ribcage rose and fell under Ochaco's fingers. She made sure not to touch the cat with the pads of her fingers, and stroked her fur with the rest of her hand.
"How is school going? Izuku told me you also are doing an internship along with your studies." Inko-san asked after sitting down and grabbing her own steaming cup of tea. She gestured for Ochaco to start on her tea and waited with a smile for her reply.
"I am! And it's been a bit hard to balance both studying and working at Ryukyu's place, but I'm managing somehow." The young girl explained. Now that she thought about it, she had constantly been busy and couldn't remember the last time she had taken a day off.
"You have to be careful not to overwork yourself. I know you all are incredibly busy, but you need some time to recover or you'll burn yourself out soon." Inko frowned and in that moment she looked exactly like Izuku, but at the same time she reminded Ochaco of her own mother. It was scary how she verbalized what Ochaco had been thinking. Sort of.
"I haven't been that good at taking care of myself lately." Ochaco admitted and took a sip of her tea. After a few moments she continued.
"It's so easy to get caught up in everything. I mean, just a few months ago I was in middle school and now it's all about saving the world and constantly improving my skills. I want to be a hero, I really do, but sometimes it feels like I won't be ready by the time we graduate. How do you know when you are ready to be a real hero and save people's lives? When will I be sure that I am qualified to be a hero?" She hadn't noticed how much she had said and by the time she realized she couldn't backpedal. Why did she have to say that? She hadn't intended to sound so doubting of herself. Ochaco desperately tried to think of what to say to diffuse the situation, but Inko-san beat her to it.
"I think the only qualification you need is the will to help other people. The rest comes with time, confidence and experience." Inko-san smiled that warm motherly smile that made Ochaco want to run over and throw herself on her lap, sobbing. She didn't, of course, but she felt like she wanted to cry.
Deku's mother had made it sound so simple and maybe it really was. Ochaco started to feel light-headed. She had spent weeks thinking that she was lacking resolve and power, but what she really was lacking was experience and she couldn't just achieve that overnight. It would take her years to become experienced in the field; of course she wasn't going to be ready in a few months. It was going to take more time, more practice and more determination. It really was that simple and she felt so stupid for even opening her mouth. Inko-san must have noticed her embarrassment, because the next time she spoke, she was looking over at some of the pictures hanging on the wall.
"I'm sure you've noticed how badly Izuku wants to be a hero. I can't remember him ever wanting to do anything else with his life. When he was four or five years old, he used to gather all the pillows and cushions he could find around the house and pretend they were people. He would place them on the table and act like a hero, saving passengers from a sinking ship or getting them out of a burning building.
"Not once did he tire of being the hero, no matter how hard achieving his dream was. He struggled for so many years, but my baby never gave up. He worked harder than anyone else and pushed himself to the point of breaking many times. Just look at him now, he attends UA, one of the most prestigious schools in all of Japan, and not once has he looked back. I know he'll become a wonderful hero. wonderful hero. Ou both will." Inko-san was beaming with pride and Ochaco couldn't help but share a smile with her. Her unwavering confidence in her son was amazing and it wasn't hard to understand why the older woman felt that way.
Deku had always rushed in to save anyone who needed help. It didn't matter if he knew them or not, he would always push past his limits in order to save them. His strength and his confidence made it easy to believe in him and his compassion was so incredible that it made others feel like they weren't doing enough. Ochaco remembered having a conversation with Momo along those lines and renewed her resolve to work harder and do more good.
Coco, who had been snoozing peacefully, yawned and stretched her limbs. Her tiny tail was flicking around in the air and the cat's ears perked up. She meowed a few times and cuddled closer to Ochaco, who hugged the cat to her chest and ran her fingers down its spine. Coco purred in response and nestled herself into the crook of Ochaco's arm.
"She is getting attached to you." Inko-san remarked, a little surprised by how easily the young girl had befriended the cat. Coco wasn't by any means shy, but she was usually a little apprehensive when meeting new people. The only other person she had warmed up to instantly was Izuku, and that was likely because of how much he resembled Inko.
"I had a cat when I was younger. She passed away a few years ago and I never got another." Ochaco explained. Even though it had been years, she still missed her orange tabby. Pets held a special place in their owners' hearts that could never be filled. Coco was actually doing a pretty good job of making a space for herself in Ochaco's heart. As if she had heard the brunette's thoughts, she purred again and nuzzled her head against her arm.
"Sorry, it took longer than expected." Deku's voice sounded from behind Ochaco and startled her slightly. She hadn't heard him enter, but she had also been engrossed in conversation. Had he overheard what they had been talking about? Ochaco looked up to see if he showed any signs of having eavesdropped, but he wasn't fidgeting or avoiding her gaze, so she assumed he hadn't heard anything.
"Did you dry your hair properly, honey?" Inko asked and poured him a cup of tea, which he gratefully accepted and started sipping immediately. He sighed as the warmth spread inside him and slumped down on the seat next to Ochaco.
"Yes, mom. What's for dinner?" Izuku asked as he placed both hands around the cup to warm his fingers. He should probably go grab a sweater since he still felt a little cold. He glanced to the side and saw Uraraka sipping her tea and in his hoodie and thought she looked good even in that. She looked very comfortable as did the cat curled up on her lap.
"I was thinking of fried rice, is that okay with you Ochaco?" Inko addressed the younger girl, who had a contemplative look on her face. She perked up a little at the mention of food and Inko chuckled at how readily she agreed.
"Do you need any help? Midoriya-kun and I have been practicing with our friends." Ochaco smiled brightly, suddenly feeling very cheerful. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders with just a simple sentence and wanted to do something.
"We can help you mom." Izuku also piped in, smiling as brightly as his friend.
"I couldn't ask a guest to help with the food." Deku's mother looked horrified at the idea, but changed her mind when she saw both teenagers deflating. She was a sucker for puppy eyes and eager teenagers.
"You know what? I can teach you how to make the best garlic fried rice ever. Then you can cook it for your other friends." She suggested and both teenagers cheered.