A/N: I kinda skipped over Christmas in this chapter since the last two were Thanksgiving and (Y/N)'s birthday.
I'll never forget tonight.
Inhaling sharply, my eyes fluttered open. That caused him to stir, to adjust his hold on me. I snuggled my head closer to him, under his chin. One of my hands rubbed his chest.
"Morning. . ." I murmured, closing my eyes again.
"(Y/N). . ." Izuku cooed, softly running his fingers through my hair. "Last night was amazing."
"I know. I didn't think you'd take the lead like that. . . I loved it."
"I love you."
I laughed. "I love you too. Best birthday ever."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Christmas came and flew by in the blink of an eye. I got a few things from my classmates, like clothes and Pro Hero merchandise. It was a lot of fun, and I tried my best to keep my thoughts on spending time with Izuku instead of the empty house back home. New Years was the same.
I've been gone for two months.
Class started back up on the next Monday, and everything became so normal, so routine. I was closer with Izuku than I ever was before. I was closer to everyone else in the class, and I felt less like an outsider every day.
The following week, Izuku said to me, "Hey, wanna go on a date tomorrow?"
I smirked. "You have an idea?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, there's a movie I want to see about someone with a quirk that never let him lie." He took my hand and played with my fingers. "It's this comedic romance thing I want to see with you."
I raised an eyebrow. "We'll have to sneak out, there's no time to get a permission form through the day before."
Izuku smirked. "Don't worry, I'll handle that part."
I flashed him a smile. "Sounds perfect to me."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Todoroki was the one who met us by the wall around U.A. Izuku waved at him. "Thank you so much for this again. I owe you one."
"No worries." He said neutrally, creating a staircase of ice that led us up and over the wall, and a slide that led us down.
"We'll be back at 11:00," Izuku told him. "If it's 11:01, just call me on my cell, okay?"
Todoroki nodded, melting the ice as we snuck off into the night.
The movie itself was good. Izuku had his arm around my shoulders the entire time.
Afterwards, we took a walk around the city, the brisk air biting at my exposed skin. I clung to Izuku as snow began to drift into the air.
"I haven't seen snow in a few years."
"Really?" He asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, it doesn't normally snow where I live. It's so pretty."
"Pretty like you?"
Blushing, I glanced and smirked at Izuku. "Thank you."
At the next block, Izuku's breathing hitched as he froze in his tracks.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked frantically, my breath visible.
"I-I think I just saw. . . I thought I saw - "
Izuku then started dragging me down the street. I couldn't see what he was staring at, but the farther we went the less people were around. With each second I grew more worried as we walked farther and farther from the school.
Soon, once the streets had thinned out, I saw a figure walking ahead of us. Izuku had his eyes trained on them.
They turned down a side street, and Izuku started speeding up in order to catch them.
"Izuku!" I said sharply as I stumbled, barely staying on my feet as he turned the corner.
He let go of me as he grabbed the person's shoulder, turning them around to face him. A few steps behind him, I froze as I recognized the person. She was a few years older and more mature than on the show. Scratch that - she looked about five years more mature, as if she's seen a lot more things than Izuku and the rest of classs 3-a.
"Ochaco? What are you doing here?" Izuku asked in disbelief.
She flashed a sad expression. "I-I just. . . I can't - "
"Come with us. Back to U.A." Izuku pleaded. "They'll keep you safe there."
She hesitated. "Izu, I-I can't. . ."
"But why?" He begged, desperate and vulnerable. "Come with me, I'll protect you."
I tugged on his jacket, a bad feeling sitting in the pit of my stomach. "Izuku, I think we need to go. . ."
He waved me off, keeping all his attention on Uraraka. "Ochaco, let's go. I'll make sure they don't arrest you when they see you. Please, don't go."
His words sent me over the edge. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was the gut feeling I have. But I wrapped my arms under Izuku's shoulders and attempted to pull him away.
"(Y/N), stop!" He fought back, trying to wrestle out of my grip. "I don't want to hurt you!"
"Izu, please," Uraraka cried, nearly in tears. Both of us froze as she subtly waved us away. "Please." she emphasized.
Izuku shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
My chest took the hit from his words, silently caving in. "Izuku," I said softly, the hurt oozing into my words. "She doesn't want to come with us. We have to go back."
"No!" He said defiantly. "Ochaco, let's go home."
"Izu, no. . ." She whimpered, shaking. "I'm so sorry."
Izuku deflated at those words, unable to function anymore. He merely froze, my arms still wrapped around him
A shadow crossed over us. Without thinking, I shoved Izuku out of the way as something collided with my chest, pinning me to the ground as I struggled to breath. I noticed the new talons the Pro Hero had added as a support item immediately, since it was crushing my lungs.
The man standing on me chuckled coldly. "Trying to save your boyfriend, huh?"
"Leave her alone, Hawks," Izuku ordered, getting back to his feet. Uraraka stared wide-eyed at the Pro Hero.
"W-What are you doing?" I stuttered, trying to push up on his foot. "You're a hero!"
Hawks glared down at me. "I'm no hero. I never was a hero. And I'm taking you with me."
His words spiked fear into my heart. But a moment later, I caught a flash of green, and the pressure on my lungs relaxed. Izuku outstretched his hand to me, which I gladly accepted. "Are you okay!?" He asked quickly.
I nodded, turning to look at Hawks, stunned from the impact. "We have to get out of here." I glanced at Uraraka. "Please," I said to her. "Come with us."
She looked at me with big, sad eyes, and shook her head.
I sighed, latched onto Izuku's hand, and started running out of the alleyway. Izuku, although reluctant at first, kept up with me with ease.
He doesn't want to leave Uraraka, but. . . it's her choice if she wants to come or not, and she chose not to.
Thirty seconds later, a shadow of a bird crossed over us once again. Shit. Izuku squeezed my hand before abruptly turning in a different direction. There weren't many people out at this time of night - it was well passed 11:00.
Suddenly I felt his talons dig into my upper arms and shoulders. I yelped as my hand was pulled out of Izuku's and my feet left the ground. "(Y/N)!" He jumped up but I was already way out of his reach.
"Maybe I'll take her instead! I know Dabi would like that. Always had a sweet spot for her." Hawks taunted. He wasn't even talking to me.
But his words made me panic. I can't go back there. I can't. I started kicking and squirming to escape his hold on me, but it was useless. Hawks merely laughed in amusement, digging his talons in deeper, causing me to freeze and grimace.
"Let her go." Izuku warned, his quirk flaring up. "Please."
Hawks laughed again "Pathetic, Deku." He then started to turn away. "I guess I'll be going now." Hawks began flying away, me in his grip.
I struggled. I was panicking, hyperventilating. I couldn't move. Everything started to spin.
Out of nowhere, we dipped. Something collided with us.
Or someone.
"Let go of her!" Izuku screamed. He was on Hawks' back, so I couldn't see much. I heard Hawks sputter in response. Was he choking him?
But suddenly his talons became slack and I slipped out of his grip. I was free falling, too shocked to even scream. I don't even know how high up I was as my hair flailed in directions all around.
I'm gonna die right now, aren't I?
"(Y/N)!!" I managed to see Izuku push off of Hawks' back, diving towards me, his hands outstretched.
Then I just stopped. Frozen in time, it felt. Years, it felt.
I glanced to my right and saw a young woman running away from me. I saw her put her fingers together and I dropped the remaining foot to the ground.
Uraraka. . . She saved my life.
A flash of red and green dropped to the ground to my left, shooting debris and a smoke cloud into the air. The crashing sound made my eardrums vibrate as if they were about to burst.
As the smoke faded and I could see through it, my heart sank.
Hawks was standing on Izuku's chest. He dropped him into the ground like that. Oh my god. . .
Izuku was out cold. He was basically buried in the slippery, snowy concrete. Blood seeped out of his hair. He just looked. . . broken. Tears filled my eyes.
Izuku. . .
Hawks then grabbed his upper arms and shoulders with his talons, lifting Izuku into the air. His head lulled to the side. I could see his backside - his layers of clothes were shredded, blood seeping through the fabric.
I reached my hand out towards him despite the gaping holes in my shoulder, but he was already way out of reach.
"Hawks! Wait!" I cried out, my voice breaking. The villain paused and looked back at me with a menacing glare.
"Please bring him back. He needs medical attention." I begged, feeling small. "Please take me instead."
"An exchange, huh?" He smiled coldly. I begged him with my eyes. Please.
Sirens could be heard in the distance.
"Well, that's my cue to leave." He grinned. "Sorry, but the boss wants this guy. I might come back for you though!" He said casually, as if I were a friend.
Then he turned and flew off.
I felt my whole world collapse.
"IZUKU!!" I wailed to the stars. "Please, come back!" I sobbed.
He was gone.
Word count: 1787