Chapter 34: Green Tea Rescue
The break room was quiet and dark, lit only by a small reading lamp. Normally a place for night shift nurses to rest, the hospital had sectioned this room away for the U.A. staff that would be staying on site for the next few days. Sitting at the edge of a bed, Aizawa flipped through some papers as he sipped from a can of coffee. He had spent most of his day helping Midnight keep an eye on Himiko and the rest of his students here. Tenya and Shouto had left not long after her little bonfire, returning to their parents. Once that had happened, Recovery Girl had scheduled a few more tests for Midoriya. He was currently looking over those results, along with an earlier report detailing her findings of what had happened during the fight two nights ago.
The tests ran showed that there was no lingering damage to Izuku's lungs, heart, or throat, all of which had been exposed to extreme heat and had suffered burns of varying degrees. There were comments linking back to the first report on how Izuku had developed this new power but Aizawa wasn't overly concerned with that. How Izuku got this power wasn't as important as what the boy was going to do to prevent himself from getting hurt again. A note from Recovery Girl suggested that Izuku immediately contact the U.A. support department and have support gear created to offset the potential damage his new Boric Pyre Quirk could cause. Aizawa, of course, agreed and had already contacted Power Loader to be ready to see Izuku the first day back to school.
Next, dexterity and motor function tests showed that Izuku's arm and legs were fully healed, though the note on the nature of Izuku's broken bones was concerning. His arm was shattered upon contact with the ground. These tests went along with Recovery Girl's report, but it was the breaks to Izuku's legs that were strange. Recovery Girl's report stated that Izuku had been developing a method to use his Psychokinesis to boost his strength. No doubt to better mimic the feats of his trainer and personal hero All Might. Punching solid concrete was going to break his arm, but his legs were also broken, yet by all accounts he hadn't used them to fight. No kicks or stomps. He had only used them to leap at Stain. That, along with the note that the broken bones in his legs looked like they had exploded from the inside, meant that Izuku's own power had shattered his body.
Lastly was the MIR scans of Izuku's brain, and the cerebral scarring that now marred his brain like little pockmarks. Aizawa put the scan down and rubbed his brow. Essentially many of his worst fears were starting to come true. Izuku, in a moment of extreme danger, had pushed himself and his Quirk too hard and now had damaged himself. By some stroke of luck or mercy of god, the damage was superficial. That didn't mean that it would be the case next time. In one night, Izuku had hurt himself in three different ways using his own Quirk. What was so infuriating and horrifying was that he couldn't punish Izuku for his actions because the whole incident was now swept under the rug and locked down with layers of red tape, nor could he berate the boy because according to Recovery Girl, any attempts to convince him he had done the wrong thing were going to met with defiance. Angry defiance. The boy was convinced he was in the right and was not going to listen to anyone that said otherwise. Because there was one inconvenient truth to the matter: Technically Izuku was right. If he hadn't done anything, then people would have been killed.
Aizawa sighed and reached for his coffee. The rules and laws made it clear. Izuku's actions were wrong, but the reality of the situation favored Izuku's point of view. The boy kept being thrown into situations that the law hadn't considered. No one had ever thought that U.A. would be so openly attacked by a group of villains. No one considered that a group of students would meet face to face with a serial killer in the middle of the act. Aizawa's first and foremost thoughts were always to protect his students and it seemed the world was conspiring against him to make that goal infuriatingly difficult. Because it seemed like Izuku's point of view was contagious and had infected his group of friends. Ochako was, of course, his next major concern. She was also trained by All Might, so all the bad lessons that Izuku had were in her too. And while she hadn't been hurt, she had also shown a blatant disregard for the rules. It also didn't help that Himiko was included in that circle. Her own issues and opinion on hero rules made her another source of trouble and potential problems with the group. He could of course order them apart, but that idea was instantly dismissed and Aizawa kicked himself for even thinking about it. It was such a stupid knee jerk idea because once he actualy thought about what would happen if he tried it. He was pretty sure it wouldn't even be the kids that strung him up. It would be Midnight, cursing him for undoing months of work to make Himiko better.
No, he needed another solution.
The creaking of the door brought Aizawa's attention away from the files and up to see who was entering the room. All Might, in his yellow suit and shrunken form, walked in but paused in the doorway upon seeing the other teacher, "Aizawa? I'm surprised to see you still up. What are you doing at this late hour?"
Aizawa held up the file he was reading, making sure Izuku's name was clearly visible. "And yourself?"
"I was checking in on Young Midoriya and Uraraka. Both are asleep in case you're wondering."
"At this hour, if they weren't I'd have to assume they were off getting into trouble."
All Might wasn't sure if Aizawa was trying to be funny, or if he actually believed that. Deciding not to press the issue, he closed the door and found a chair to sit down in. The two sat in the room in silence, Aizawa flipping through papers while All Might watched him. Finally Aizawa put the files back into the folder and closed it. "Tell me you understand how bad this is."
"I do."
"Really?"
"You were right to be worried that the boy would put himself in danger. Unfortunately, I think we're past the point of telling him to stop." All Might said while wringing his hands together. "After the incident with Stain, I doubt he'd even listen to me if I told him to stop."
"Are you serious?"
All Might nodded. "You're aware of how I met Young Midoirya and what I said to him after the villain attack on his friend that he got involved with."
"The sludge villain attack, correct?"
"Yeah. I did a little more than just reward Young Midoriya for his actions. Back then, I was so worried about my time limit that I was beginning to not take action when people were in trouble… When Young Bakugou was in trouble. It was only after Young Midoriya threw himself into that situation that I moved. I even told the boy I had forgotten that heroes are always risking their lives for others. Odds are he'll bring that up if I try to tell him to stop."
Aizawa grunted. "I figured something like that must have happened."
"Yeah…"
"Even if that wasn't the case, you're still the wrong person to try and tell Midoriya that he's been wrong."
"Oh?" All Might frowned. "Why's that?"
"Because you don't think he's been wrong."
All Might winced. "That's not… entirely true. I'm not encouraging the boy to run around as a vigilante. But given the… unique circumstances he's found himself in, his right to self defense shouldn't be forgotten."
Aizawa sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "Regardless, you were right: we're past the point of getting away with telling him that what he's been doing is wrong. Especially if he's now snapping back at anyone that does so."
"I think the boy is just frustrated. Let's be honest, no one has given him an alternative to his actions. Least of all one that would have given his friends a better chance of living."
Aizawa frowned. What All Might had said was true. He had just relied on his, 'I'm your teacher do what I say,' mentality. He had thought it would be the easiest solution. It was why he had done that video review in the first place. Yes it would help the other students, but it was also supposed to show Izuku the error of his way. So much for that idea. "We'll need to change tactics with him. Then there's the other issue that we need to address with Midoriya as well."
"His quirks. Yes, I'm aware of that as well. It's something I planned on talking with you tomorrow about. I didn't think you'd still be awake."
"I'm awake now, tell me what you're thinking."
"Young Midoriya has been in several fights where he's been the weaker opponent. Either because he's been in fights of attrition like the Sports Festival, or he's been up against opponents that simply outclassed him, like Stain and the League. He's responded the same way by pushing himself and his Quirk to dangerous limits. As a result, he's putting himself at more harm than he would just from the fight. And now he has a new Quirk that he potentially has no control over."
"What exactly are you getting at?"
"I want to change how Midoriya is going into these fights. We may be past changing what he's going to do, but we can change how he goes about it. He needs to be able to fight without crippling himself. And if he can do that against an opponent that's much stronger than him, it may help ensure his future issues are more manageable. So once classes start back up, I plan on working with Midoriya to not only get control of his Boric Pyre, but also master his Psychokinese in a way that he can use both in a fight and not cross the line of injuring himself."
Aizawa rubbed his chin as he thought about it. It made sense. Mirodiya needed control. He had shown he had it when he faced people on a level playing ground, but once the tables were turned on him he defaulted to going overboard to make up the ground he lost. "How do you intend to test if he's achieved this though? The only way I can see is if you throw him at someone that totally outclasses...oh." It dawned on Aizawa now just exactly what All Might had planned. "You're planning on using the final exam as the test."
"I know there are a few other options on the table for the classes's practical exam, but I think the idea of them facing us is the best option. That was, I will face Young Midoriya in that test. His growth and issues are my responsibility and it needs to be me that tests him to make sure he's overcome my mistakes."
Aizawa looked at All Might hard. He was impressed that the hero had used his brain to try and solve this issue. "I'll put in my recommendation that we move forward with the teachers vs students idea then. There are other issues this test type will be able to address as well. Also, if we go with this test method, the students will be paired up. Even if we teachers are handicapped, it would be too much to expect a single student to be able to pass any practical exam against a professional. So if there are going to be pairs, I intend to make the most of that as well. Any objections?"
All Might shook his head. "None. I assume you already have an idea on teams then?"
Midoriya: Toga. Plz com 2 my room
Midoriya: Need 2 talk
Midoriya: Jst us
Izuku gulped as he pressed send on the private chat message and then slipped his phone away. It was still early in the morning, but he felt like he couldn't wait any longer. There were things he needed to talk to Himiko about. With Tenya and Shouto gone, it finally gave him the privacy he needed.
Sitting on his chair, he took a few steadying breaths to calm himself. He had already decided he needed to have this talk, especially after Himiko had opened up just a couple days before.
Okay, Izuku. Time to do this. You decided you were going to be different from All Might, so now's the time to-
A quick series of knocks from his door jolted him from his thoughts. Glancing down at his phone's clock, he blinked in surprise. It hadn't even been a full minute since he had sent the message.
That… was fast.
Getting up, Izuku opened his door and was greeted with quite the sight. It was Himiko, but in a very disheveled state. Her hair buns, which even at the best of times weren't exactly well kept, were even worse. They looked like she had grabbed her hair, tied each one into a knot, and called it a hairstyle. Her hospital gown was backwards, and she was missing a slipper. Even her eye patch wasn't put on right, only halfway covering her blinded eye. She was also breathing heavily, making it obvious that she had run all the way from her room to his. Still, even in her state, her eyes sparkled with excitement and she had a smile that was equal parts joyful and terrifying.
"Here I am, Izuku!" She said while she pumped her fists up and down as her exuberance overflowed. "What'd you want to talk about?"
"I…" Izuku was suddenly at a loss for words. Of course this wasn't something new when it came to Himiko. Still, as Izuku tried to find the right words to say good morning and to let her into his room, a thought suddenly occurred to him: Wait, isn't she supposed to have teachers with her?
"TOGA! HOLD ON A SECOND!"
"YOUNG TOGA!"
All Might and Midnight came barreling around a corner, both in civilian clothes and looking like they hadn't had their morning coffee yet. Himiko yelped and rushed past Izuku before turning around and grabbing onto his shoulder as she hid behind him. Suddenly, Izuku felt like he was being used as a human shield.
"All Might? Why is All Might chasing you?"
"He was filling in for Aizawa to let the man have a nap."
Midnight skidded to a stop and glared past Izuku. "Toga! What are you doing?! You can't just leave like that!"
Ooooh. She didn't ask to be able to come see me.
Himiko peeked over Izuku's shoulder, "Izuku said he wanted to talk. You think I'm waiting around for your old self to put on her face? I'm not making him wait hours."
Midnight growled and Izuku really wished he could move. He was in the danger zone and did not like it. All Might, sensing the threat to his young protege, moved to defuse the situation, "Now no harm done. Why don't we go down to the cafeteria and the two of you can talk over breakfast? We could also grab Young Uraraka and see if she would like to join."
Himiko pouted, "Izuku said he wanted to talk with me. Just us."
All Might raised an eyebrow and looked at Izuku quizzically. Midnight rubbed her forehead. "Fine. You two can have your little secret rendezvous while we get some coffee and breakfast...Also, Toga, you need to get dressed."
"A-actually um," Izuku shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I wanted to talk with Toga alone… Just us… In my room."
Himiko chirped and Izuku could feel her start to vibrate behind him. Midnight's drowsy and annoyed expression vanished as that woke her up. Her eyes were wide and she looked between the two, "Wait? Wait, is this an actual secret rendezvous?" Himiko squealed and Midnight shook her head. "Yeah, there is no way that's happening. She'll eat you alive and I don't even know if you have the proper education for this."
"It's nothing like that!" Izuku quickly corrected, though he wasn't entirely sure what connection Midnight was making between rendezvous and proper education. He knew it wasn't anything like he had planned. "I just… really need to talk to Toga," Izuku looked at All Might. "Alone. Please."
"Young Midoriya. What is this about?" All Might asked slowly.
"It's about...something Toga said when she was talking about her past. I need to...I need her to tell me something… and I need to tell her something." What Izuku said was technically the truth and it was all he was comfortable saying in front of Midnight. Izuku wasn't sure if All Might got the full message, but after a few moments, All Might sighed and put a hand on Midnight's shoulder. "Let's go get some coffee."
Midnight looked up at him, surprised, "All Might? I can't just-"
"Tartarus isn't here. Besides, you're always talking about how you trust Young Toga, and how others need to have more of that. Well, let's leave them be while we go grab a cup. It'll only be a few minutes. I trust Young Midoriya's judgment. So I say we extend that trust to both of them."
Midnight dragged her hands down her face while she let out a long painful groan. "I swear to god, it's too early in the morning for this… Fine. Just for as long as it takes us to go get a cup of coffee. Just, Toga, please behave."
"Don't I alwa-"
"If you finish that sentence I am dragging you back to your room by your hair."
"I promise."
Midnight hated how sincere Himiko sounded when she said that. Throwing her hands up, she left with All Might following after her. When they turned a corner and were out of sight, Izuku let out a long sigh and relaxed. Closing the door behind him, Izuku walked back into his room and found Toga waiting for him sitting on an empty bed and watching him carefully. Her earlier exuberance had mellowed considerably and the look of careful uncertainty she was giving him was off putting. He preferred when she was smiling.
I guess I did say I wanted to talk about some unappealing things.
"Toga, I'm… I'm sorry if I kinda got you in trouble. I should have sent a better text to get you over here. And I forgot you've had to be escorted while you're here."
Seeing the forlorn look come over Izuku, Himiko perked back up and waved off his worries. "You asked me to come to your room. I'm the one that threw on some clothes and screamed, 'leaving bye!' Like a moron."
Izuku chuckled. "That's really all you said?"
"I'm not really one for subtlety."
"Except when you're being sneaky," Izuku counted.
"True. Maybe tactful is the better word."
Izuku nodded, "That is a word that can be used to describe you, yes. One of many I can think o- ACK!" A pillow thudded against Izuku's face while Himiko laughed. While Izuku spat out a few feathers and tossed the pillow back onto a bed, he took a seat across from Himiko and sighed. "So I guess I should get to what I wanted to talk to you about. We probably don't have very long."
"Yeah," Himiko agreed, "Maybe we have five minutes. Depends on how nice those two decide to be." Taking a deep breath, Himiko addressed the issue. "So you wanted to talk about my past?"
Izuku scratched the back of his neck. "Sorta. Mostly it's that you told me about it and a small part you mentioned."
Himiko frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You were honest with me, us, I mean. You were brutally honest when you didn't have to be. You trusted us."
"I mean… let's be honest here, after everything, you were going to figure it out. You guys aren't dumb. Once you had time to think, you'd get the picture. I was really just… yanking the bandaid off, I guess."
"Because you thought you were going to get taken away. So if we weren't your friends anymore, we wouldn't be sad you were gone or try and do something stupid to protect you?"
Himiko bent over and buried her face in her hands. "Fuck me, am I that obvious that even you saw through that?"
Izuku shrugged. "I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm not totally blind, you know."
Himiko froze and jerked up, jaw on the ground. "Did you just? Oh my god, ha ha ha ha!" Himiko fell backwards and started laughing. "Look at you, trying to be all clever." Getting herself back under control, Himiko straightened up and knowing their time was limited got down to business. "So, Izuku. What's on your mind?"
Izuku closed his eyes and clasped his hands in his lap. Working up his courage and steadying himself, he began his message. "You being open about your past is one of the things that made me think about how I haven't been… honest with you. I've been keeping a secret that and-"
"Three things," Himiko cut in sharply. "One. I'm not interested in learning any of your secrets out of guilt. Everyone is entitled to their own shit. Don't think just because I told you mine you have to tell me yours. Two, if your secret is that you and Ochako were trained by All Might, I figured that out like a day or so after the Sports Festival."
Izuku's mouth opened and closed but it took a few seconds for him to finally speak. "WHA?!" And even then it was a single incomplete word.
"Toshinori Yagi, the guy you introduced to us after the Sports Festival, is All Might."
"WHAT?! WHEN?! HOW?!"
Himiko shrugged. "I live on campus and love to sneak around, and All Might is not subtle. I saw him shrink down before he went into his office after hours. And even before then, I saw his skinny alter ego around campus a few times. Always wearing the same tacky yellow suit. It's like several sizes too big, but that gives him plenty of room when he goes all buff."
Izuku's face was in his hands, muffeling his voice. "Oooooh my god. How terrible at this are we?"
"Morbid curiosity but who else knows about this?"
"Todoroki, Aizawa sensei, and Principal Nezu." Was Izuku's muffled answer, since his face was still covered by his hands.
"Two out of three of those people are professional heroes and are some of the smart ones too. So that makes sense. How'd Todoroki figure it out?"
"Guessed."
"Ah. Yeah he's not dumb either. Honestly, sooner or later more people are going to put the pieces together. All Might's been pretty interested in you two since day one. Smart people are going to notice. Some might not care. Others will."
Izuku stayed quiet before lifting his head up. "What was the third thing?"
"Oh that? I know who you are, Izuku. You're a good person. Like, a ridiculously good person. If you are keeping a secret from people, then there's probably a damned good reason. I bet you just wanted to be like everyone else in class and avoid any special treatment or extra attention. Not a crime, and totally understandable."
"That's… part of it. Being trained by All Might is part of the secret but not the main secret I want to tell you."
Himiko shook her head. "Do I need to bring up point one again. I'm not interested in learning stuff because of guilt."
"That's not the reason I want to tell you…" Himiko glared at Izuku and he shifted around in his seat, "That's not the onlyreason I want to tell you. I admit I'm… nervous about this. A part of me wants to keep this to myself because what I know is… dangerous." Himiko rolled her eyes and Izuku frowned. "I'm serious."
"And you want to tell me this dangerous secret because?"
"You're smarter than me. Wiser than me."
That was not the answer Himiko had been expecting. She was stunned and izuku just kept going. "Toga, you know more about the world, the dark side of the world then I could even guess at. All Might can teach me how to see the world as a hero, but your point of view...It's so unique."
Himiko frowned. "Why does it sound like I'm getting pitched at. Like you're recruiting me for something?"
"I… suppose that's one way to see it. I am… on a mission I guess and I need help. And I think you could help me."
Himiko was at a complete loss. "Mission? The hell are you talking about?"
"Toga, you said something the other day. About Stain saying All Might casted a dark shadow. You remember that?"
Himiko's frown deepened. "Izuku, that is something you don't ever need to concern yourself with. That's some dark shit that you don't know anything about."
"All for One."
Faster than Izuku could blink, Himiko was off the bed and had closed the distance between the two. She grabbed him by his collar and forced him to look her in the eye. While he was still calm, she was in a panic. "How do you know that name?!"
That name should have never ever left Izuku's mouth. It was a name that even the most horrible people in the underworld spoke in fear. Even Stain was cautious when the topic came up. All these horrible people tiptoed around that name and Izuku had just dropped it out of nowhere. It made no sense.
"I know it because at some point, I'm going to have to fight him… and I'll need your help to be ready for that day."
Himiko let go of Izuku and took several steps back. There were so many different emotions raging through her which made it hard for Izuku to keep track. Himiko herself was lost in them. The words she had just heard… they just didn't make sense. The fact that Izuku's secret dealt with All for One just didn't make any sense. "Izuku. Tell me everything. Right now."
Izuku nodded and started from the beginning: Telling her about how his Quirk was weak. How he met All Might, and then how his hero had told him his dream was unattainable. How they met again when Izuku tried to save Katsuki from the Sludge Villain. How All Might offered One for All to him and started training him and Ochako. Izuku talked about it all up until the day he finally got One for All. He tumbled over his words more than once but by the end of it, Himiko got the idea.
"So to recap. You met All Might a year ago and he was a jerk to you," Izuku tried to cut in but Himiko kept talking. "You then decide to go try and fight a villain to save Baku Bitch and All Might's like 'this kid is just like me when even I'm not like me anymore' so he decides to give you his Quirk, One for All. A Quirk that goes back generations and was originally All for One's little brother that All for One made by mistake. So you spent the last year training to not only get into U.A., but also to get your body ready for when he passed on One for All to you."
"Yup, that's pretty much it."
Himiko closed her eyes and slumped into the bed she was laying on. "I need a drink."
She heard rustling next to her and looked up to see Izuku offering his hand. It clicked that he was offering and she blushed. "You're a dork. At least you can still share your blood with me. If One for All stopped you I might actually cry." Sitting back up while Izuku went back to his seat, Himiko decided to ask: "So why are you telling me this? It sounds like All Might kept One for All a pretty closely guarded secret."
"He did. We talked about it when I asked him how he knew who to tell. He explained why he almost never told anyone, but I think he might have kept a secret too well. It just seems like the way he did it was just...so lonely. I agree that it's probably a good idea to keep the people who know it small. To people that could help me. To people I know I can trust. People like you. I know I have to be careful of course. I know you'd be able to handle this. You're more… worldly than everyone else. I think your experiences would help you not be distracted. Everyone else… I trust them, but I feel like telling them would be more of a distraction to them than helpful to me."
Himiko sucked in a breath. The faith that Izuku had put in her before had been staggering. And now he was adding this to the mix, it made her feel all warm and fuzzy. "So you want me because I lived in the world you're going to be fighting."
"That's right. I figure you'd be able to offer me advice and opinions neither All Might or Uraraka would have. You might also see threats coming I don't know about. That kind of thing."
Himiko swung her legs up and pulled herself up so she was sitting again. "I don't suppose there's like a vow or something I have to take now?"
Izuku shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I trust you, so that's enough."
Izuku may not have needed to hear anything, but that didn't stop Himiko from thinking it. It certainly didn't stop her from swearing that she would protect Izuku from the dark horrible world he was diving into.
"So everything that happened last night. That was One for All. The alley, the street, the fire?" Now that Himiko knew about One for All, the story Izuku had told them all yesterday had fallen apart but also made a lot more sense.
"My fire might be the only thing One for All wasn't affecting. I think if I had used both at the same time I probably would have cooked myself."
"Please do not cook yourself. I prefer to eat you raw."
Izuku laughed along with Himiko at her dark joke. "That's a little messed up."
"You're surprised?"
"I didn't say that."
"Ha ha ha! You need to show this side of yourself more often, Izuku. Let your inner gremlin out." Himiko tapped her chin, her mind kept thinking back to the fight, as she put everything together. "So is that why you're Quirk kinda shorted out? One for All kicked in when you weren't expecting it?"
Izuku flinched hard. Sucking in a sharp breath, it felt like he had been slapped across the face. Before he could say anything, HImiko cut him off. "I swear to god if you try to apologize…"
Izuku held up his hands in surrender. He wasn't pushing the issue but was clearly still thinking about it, which Himiko wasn't going to allow. So she shifted the topic. "You're new power boost did come in handy later on though, didn't it? It was pretty cool watching you pull yourself off the ground and just hang in the air. But you did interrupt Ochako being a huge badass. So you know, points off for that."
"I bet she looked awesome."
Himiko laughed, her eyes sparkling. "She was like a woman possessed. I don't know what she learned during her internship but it paid off big time. Hell, if she fought like that during the sports festival, I think she'd have won."
"I didn't really get to see her fight. I was out cold for a while, then when I came to, I saw you on the ground with… you know," Izuku tapped his chest while Himiko shook her head with an eye roll. "And then I heard Uraraka's voice. After that, I sorta just...acted."
"That's when you used One for All? What was that like? Was it scary? Cool? That kind of power must have been something else."
Himiko suddenly realized that asking Izuku to talk about a quirk may have been a mistake. Because almost immediately his words started tumbling out in a jumbled, mumbling, mess.
"It was like trying to hold an ocean. A huge storming ocean that was alive. But the more I focused on it, the more it felt like there was more to it. The water was writing and crashing, because it was boiling. There was an inferno burning under it. All Might said One for All is a torch that's passed from person to person. I wonder if the power he feels is like how I feel it… But anyway, it was scary, terrifying even, but you were hurt, Iida was still on the ground, Todoroki was suddenly there and then I heard Uraraka too. All my fears of my power meant nothing next to all that. The thought that I'd lose someone I loved was just too much. So I dove head first into One for All and just let it consume me. At that point I didn't really care what happened, I just knew I wanted to make Stain go away. It was all instinct. I blocked out everything else. I picked myself up because I needed to see what I was going to hit. My body wasn't working but my mind was, and that's where my Quirk is. After that, I could feel my body again and all I knew is I wanted to hit Stain. I guess at that point, I was already letting One for All run through me. I shifted its power from my Quirk and into my body. I Kicked off with my legs and then filled my arm with it. Which felt...weird. Kinda like my legs and arm were each a balloon and One for All was the air being pumped into it. I kept pumping more and more into each. I guess I pumped too much because everything went pop! Of course, for my arm, it also didn't help that I went and punched solid concrete. But it's also lucky I didn't actually punch Stain. I wanted him gone, but I don't know what I would have done if I had actually killed him. But back to the topic of how it felt to have One for-"
Himiko laughed. She laughed and laughed. She had started laughing in the middle of Izuku's ramble and was still laughing when he finally noticed. She was laughing so hard he saw that she was in tears.
Rolling onto her side, she pointed right at Izuku. "You don't even know what you just said. Do you?"
Izuku blinked. "I huh?"
His complete confusion made Himiko laugh even more, "Nope! No way in hell do you know what you just said. You're not a red, broken mess yet." When Izuku was still confused, Himiko shook her head. "Replay everything you just said. Go on." Himiko watched as Izuku started to go over what he had been saying. She could see the gears in his head spinning away. She could also see the exact moment when those gears came to a cataclysmic stop. Izuku's whole body lurched and his face went neon red. His breathing became erratic, sucking in deep breaths through his mouth and expelling them through his nose. Along with some puff of smoke. Himiko was literally watching Izuku break down and everheat and it was hilarious.
It had her in stitches.
It had her in tears.
She wiped at her cheeks a few times to dry them, "Boy oh boy, just wait until Ochako hears what you just sai-"
"NO!"
The laughter in the room vanished, sucked away so fast that Himiko was left with whiplash by the tone shift. She was left in utter shock at the absolute terror in Izuku's voice. Sitting up, Himiko got a good look at Izuku and was left speechless by just how terrified Izuku looked. His skin had gone sickly pale and his whole body just reeked of fear.
It was wrong. Every single thing she was seeing was just wrong.
Wha… What in the hell is going on?
Himiko's confusion was only made worse as Izuku clambered out of his seat and threw himself at her. Knees hitting the ground, Izuku clutched at the bedding and started pleading, "Please. Please, Toga, you can't tell Uraraka this! Please, you just can't!"
"Okay! Okay! I won't. God, Izuku, just, just get off the floor and sit down. Please, you're freaking me out."
God he's actually terrified I'd tell Ochako.
Izuku sat down and promptly bent over and buried his face in his hands. "Sorry I didn't mean to… I mean I don't… I think I'm going to be sick."
Himiko reached out and tentatively rubbed his back. "Hey, hey it's…" Himiko was going to say it was fine but there was nothing 'fine' about what she had just witnessed. "Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"
"I… guess I need to."
The polite thing to say to Izuku would be that he didn't need to. Himiko wasn't polite. "Whenever you're ready."
Izuku sucked in a breath, and sat up. "So for the past few weeks I've… I've been catching myself starting to look at Uraraka. I've caught myself feeling things when I look at her or think about her."
"Feeling?"
Izuku nodded. "I never put a word to it. It was always weird. I just told myself I was being an idiot and moved on. Stupid stray thoughts is all they were supposed to be. Just now though… that was the first time I ever put a word to the feeling… and it was the worst possible word I could use. I can't take it back now."
"So you just figured out you're in love, and that's bad?"
There has to be another explanation. This would be just too-
"Yes! God, I'm such a freaking idiot!"
Himiko shook her head, who the fuck thinks love is bad?! Being in love is one of the best feelings in the world!
"Izuku, you're going to have to walk me through this one. Because I'm lost."
Izuku huffed. "Chances are I'll not only be destroying our friendship, but I'll also become a distraction for her. Toga, she's here to become a hero for a reason. She doesn't need me getting in her way. She'd never forgive me for getting in the way of her dream. And I'd never forgive myself. Toga, Uraraka was the first person to be my friend in years. I grew up with nobody. Her friendship is a miracle and I can't… I can't lose that."
"You're not… giving her enough credit. I really don't think she'd be upset hearing this."
Izuku just shook his head, "I'd still be nothing but a distraction though. And I respect Uraraka too much to ever become that. I will never put myself between her and her dream."
"So what, you're just going to ignore your own feelings? Forget about Uraraka, how is that fair to you?"
Izuku looked shocked before his face scrunched up in distaste, "Of course that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to bury this and forget about all of it. Because if I start thinking about my feelings, I might wonder if someone could…"
Izuku trailed off but Himiko pried for more, "Could what?"
"…Love me…"
Himiko felt her body go numb. Does he not think that… No, no that can't be right.
"Izuku… do you… Do you not think that someone could fall in love with you?"
Izuku shrugged, smiling sadly. "I mean obviously that's impossible. I accepted that fact a long time ago. There's no one out there that's going to have a crush on me or anything like that. That kind of stuff is for romance novels or bad fan fiction. The reality is I'm lucky to have friends. Uraraka, you, everyone else, that was a miracle. If I start thinking I could have more than this, that kind of selfish greed is only to get me hurt. Love, that's just not something I'll ever know. And it's fine, really. I'm fine with that. I just have to make sure my own feelings don't make me forget that. Because if I do, if I actually believe someone could love me, and then reality comes crashing down… I just… I don't want to feel that. I don't want to hope that someone could love me and then learn they don't."
Izuku looked so sad and so accepting of his situation. Every word he said he believed was the truth and he had no desire to question it. He truly felt it was impossible that someone could love him. To hold any kind of romantic feelings for him. He was so sure that even his own feelings were treated as a threat to his safety. He grew up with no one and now that he had people the fear of rejection was too much. He would bury his feelings of love and be grateful for the bonds he did have.
It all made sense to Himiko. Izuku was so emotionally stunted from growing up with no friends and a father that had rejected him, his every action up till now made perfect sense. And the actions he was willing to take going forward made perfect sense.
And she hated it. It filled her with such a fury. She hated that Izuku, her hero, the boy that changed her destiny, could feel like this. She hated it. Hated hated hated it. And she would be damned if she let this kind and gentle soul continue to think he was incapable of being loved.
But words would not be enough. Not against feelings as deeply rooted as these. Words could be dismissed. They could be called acts of kindness without any real meaning or intent behind them.
She couldn't use words to reach Izuku. Or at least not words alone: It would take action. So Himiko acted. Reaching over, Himiko brought one hand up to Izuku's chin and turned his head to face her. While Izuku's big green eyes widened at the intimate contact, Himiko cupped Izuku's cheeks with both hands, leaned forwards and kissed him.
Himiko had often fantasized about what her first kiss with Izuku would be like. Hungry and wet. More devouring than a show of affection. There'd be tongues wrestling for dominance, and more than a little lip biting. The kisses she imagined were more sex fuled frenzies. Something to do while clothes are getting ripped off.
This kiss was nothing like that at all.
The moment her lips touched Izuku's, she felt him jolt. His whole body went stiff but he didn't pull away. As she held his face gently she could feel him relax, lost in the moment, the same as her. She was taken aback by just how hot his lips felt. A little chapped perhaps but they were warm, and in those few seconds, he welcomed her love.
It made her lips feel warm and fuzzy. A feeling that spread over her whole body.
A few seconds is all she allowed herself as she pulled back. A taste for herself and a deluge of feelings for Izuku. Her heart was racing, and she didn't know what she'd do if she kept kissing him. But as she looked into Izuku's bright green eyes she knew pulling back had been the right call. Izuku's eye's shimmered, lost in the moment, but slowly they refocused and Himiko saw shock and confusion in them.
As his face began to burn, Izuku tried to remember how to speak, but the best he could do was stutter. "T-to-to-toga?"
"I love you, Izuku." Himiko didn't give Izuku's mind a chance to try and rationalize what she had done. She had to push past that part of him and drive her point home. She knew he wasn't ready to hear this. He was still figuring out his own emotions and feelings but she needed him to know he could love, and that he was loved. "I fell in love with you the moment you pulled me out of that alley. I wasn't lying when I said you stole my heart away from Stain. You were kind to me when no one else was. You saw me as a person when I was still a monster. You looked at me, you heard my secrets and instead of pulling back, you offered yourself again and again. You hear I need blood and you give it. You see me in trouble and you rush to my side. You are kind, you are good, and damn it, Izuku, you can be loved because I love you."
"I don't," Izuku looked completely lost. "I don't know what I'm… You…" Himiko had just shattered his world view and Izuku just didn't know how to deal with it. It was just too impossible, it was just too much. Too many emotions rushed through Izuku as he began to shake from the shock.
Himiko wrapped her arms around Izuku and pulled him into a hug, resting her chin on his shoulder so her buzzing lips were next to his ear. She gently shushed him and worked to calm him down. "Shhhh, it's okay. You don't have to answer me. You don't have to say anything. I know you can't yet. It was too soon for me to confess since you're still figuring out your own feelings and that's alright. You need to figure out what love is for you. So don't try and answer me. I just needed you to know, just how wrong you were Izuku. Understand? You are loved."
She could feel the shuddering breath inside Izuku build up as he worked to keep himself under control, to keep himself from crying. Izuku's mind raced as he tried to think about what to say, about what he could say. He thought about everything that had happened up till now since he had met Himiko. "The… the joke and the teasing."
Himiko chuckled. "That's called flirting Izuku. Granted I'm a little more aggressive than the average girl, but when I see something I want, well..." she shrugged and licked her still buzzing lips. "I don't mess around."
Izuku did the only thing he could think of in response to that statement, while not overheating at how intoxicatingly arousing Himiko was when she had licked her lips:
He nodded.
A lot.
As he nodded, something suddenly struck him. His eyes went wide and the pink blush that had dusted his cheeks and had made his freckles stand out so spectacularly faded, "Oh. Oh my god."
Himiko, who had been hoping Izuku was getting back to normal, was startled as he started to panic again. "Izuku?"
"You just said that you… that you… lo-lo-lo…" Izuku couldn't form the word.
"That I love you. Yeah?"
"How could I be so stupid!" Izuku grabbed his head angrily while Himiko was desperately trying to keep up with the random mood swings.
"Izuku, talk to me."
"You just said...said that, while I'm sitting here talking about Uraraka!"
Ooooh.
"How could I be so insensitive?! God, Toga, I'm so sorry!"
"Hey it's fi-"
"Saying I was in love with Uraraka. How could I have made such a horrific mistake? I'm so sorry! See, nothing good will come from me feeling love. It's all just a-"
Himiko's hand latched onto Izuku's jaw, as she shut it with a vice-like grip, shutting him up and making him look at her. Her smile was gone and Izuku was quickly coming to the realization that he had done something to really, really piss Himiko off. She was very scary when she was mad.
"Let me make one thing crystal clear to you, Midoriya."
The use of his last name, especially coming from Himiko, sent a shiver down his spin. It was not unlike when his mother came looking for him when she was mad, which was not very often but when it did happen, Izuku usually defaulted to run and hide.
"Never, ever, call love a mistake in front of me again and don't you ever say you're sorry for loving someone. Love is beautiful. Love should be embraced and celebrated. I won't stand by and let anyone, especially you, talk like that." Himiko blinked a few times and then let go of Izuku. Moving back, she folded her hands into her lap, while Izuku was still left in place, too stunted to move. "Never apologize for how you feel. Don't hide from it, don't reject it. Nothing good comes from that. Your feelings are part of you, Izuku. Reject them and you'll only make things worse."
"I don't… I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Toga. All of this, I can't…" Izuku started ringing his hands together, pulling at his fingers anxiously. "You, Uraraka. When I look I… feel dirty. I don't know anything about this. I've never felt like this. Never thought I could. It feels wrong but right too. And and… What am I supposed to do?"
He really has no idea how to handle this. It never occurred to him that he'd ever feel love. Fuck that's just so fucked up.
There was a series of knocks at the door, startling both. The knocking had broken the mood and Izuku let out a long sigh. "Guess they got their coffee."
Himiko nodded as she stood up, "Yeah. Guess they did. Nice that they knocked instead of coming right in… Hey, Izuku."
"Yeah?"
"My advice: Don't think about it too much. You only just admitted that you have feelings of love for someone else. I think that's a good start for you. Try too much and you'll start going down that self destructive rabbit hole, and no one wants that. Just leave it for now and let yourself relax. Okay?"
"I think… I think that's a good idea. I need...time," Izuku said.
"Good. Oh and by the way, you're not dirty. A look here or there isn't some to get all worked up about. You're not some creep leering away, or taking photos or any of that shit. And I'll let you in on a secret: you're not the only person in the world that lets their eyes wander when they see someone hot. You're not even the only person in this room who does that."
Izuku blinked and pointed at Himiko who just smiled in response. "You… look? At who?"
Himiko rolled her eyes. "Really?"
It took a second before Izuku went red and pointed at himself. Himiko clapped. "Good boy. You put it together." Himiko turned for the door but paused one last time. "Oh, by the way. If you ever feel the need to have a look and not feel guilty about it later, I don't mind giving you a peek. After all," Himiko pulled up her gown while sticking a leg out to show off her exposed thigh. "I know what you like."
Izuku went bright red and in a puff of smoke fell backwards onto his bed. With Izuku out of commission, Himiko opened the door and found Midnight waiting for her. She looked at Izuku then down at Himiko. "What the heck did you do?"
All Might peeked over Midnight shoulder. "Is Young Midoriya on fire?"
Himiko walked past them with a smirk and started down the hall. Midnight whipped around and rushed after her. All Might glanced back and forth between the muttering mess that was Izuku before closing the door and following after the two. He promised himself that at the first chance he got, he was going to have a talk with Izuku.
It took some convincing, more than a little begging, and the threat of calling Nezu and getting his permission, because he's crazy and totally would let her, but Himiko was able to get a chance to talk with Ochako alone in her room.
Ochako was busy getting her stuff all packed up. She was in her school uniform and was making sure she had everything packed inside her custom briefcase. She was not going to have to explain why a piece of her ultra expensive costume was missing to the school. Damaged equipment was fine but missing? She could see the support department stringing her up for that. She ran her hand over the punctured visor while drumming her other fingers on one of her bracers.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Ochako snapped her head up and looked over at Himiko who was smirking at her. "Oh sorry about that. Was just thinking?"
"About?"
Ochako frowned as she tapped her gear. "About my fight with Stain. I could have used some gear that could do more… damage. The ammo I have is more to give my punches a little extra pop and range, but I don't have anything with some real stopping power… Also, I almost wasn't able to reach Deku in time when he was falling. And if I hadn't been right next to him, I wouldn't have been able to grab onto that Nomu in time."
"To be fair, you were still pretty badass when you showed up. And I didn't even know you could shoot stuff like that."
Ochako laughed. "Well secret weapons are supposed to be secret after all."
Himiko glared at Ochako evenly. "You weren't planning on trying to surprise me were you?"
Ochako found the ceiling very interesting as she whistled a little tune.
"Oh you bitch," Himiko said with a laugh. "So, it sounds like you'll be visiting the support department when you get back.
"Yeah. I have a few... ideas I'd like to see if they can make for me. This week has been pretty inspirational all around. I think I'd like something that could help me save several people at once."
Himiko raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you saw something pretty specific you want."
Ochako nodded.
"You gonna tell me what you got planned?"
Ochako smirked evilly. "Now where would the fun be in that?"
"Oh you bitch."
Both girls laughed for a bit before Ochako closed her briefcase and snapped it shut. "So I'm going to guess you're not here to talk about my costume considering the fact you pulled out all the stops to get in here."
Himiko rubbed her neck. "You heard all that, I guess."
"You were right next to my door and were yelling. I'd have to be deaf not to have heard. So what's up? What'd you want to talk about that couldn't wait until I was saying goodbye to you guys?"
"Soooo about that," Himiko began, "Me and Izuku... talked."
Ochako turned to give Himiko her undivided attention. "Oh? What about? If it's a secret don't tell me. I'll let Izuku spill it on his own. He can't keep secrets very well under pressure."
Himiko smirked. "I don't think you give him enough credit. But don't worry, I'm not a gossip like Mina."
Ochako looked over her shoulder at Himiko, giving her a playful glare. Himiko raised her hands. "Okay, I'm not asbad as Mina."
Ochako nodded and turned back around. "So what did you talk about?"
"Oh you know. Super important stuff."
Ochako laughed. "Really?"
"Like One for All."
Ochako's costume briefcase slipped from her hands and clattered on the floor. Suddenly not caring about the expensive equipment inside, she whirled around to look at Himiko. "W-what did you just say?!"
"One for All. The Quirk All Might gave him. That's been passed down for like a couple hundred years or something." When the look of shock on Ochako's face didn't disappear, Himiko scratched at her cheek. "Um, he said he talked about this with you and the big guy. About how to know when to tell someone and who to tell."
Himiko didn't think Ochako's eyes could open any wider or her jaw drop any lower. She was wrong. Ochako's jaw was now through the floor and her eyes were one hard pat on the back from popping out, "Oh my god he was talking about you! I thought he was talking about his mother!" Snapping her jaw shut, and rubbing her brow, Ochako got herself a little more under control, "So did All Might add anything while Izuku was talking to you? Gotta figure out what gaps you might need filling in."
"Oh, All Might wasn't involved in our talk."
Ochako's jaw unsnapped and hit the ground again. "What?!"
"Yeah, we talked privately. He said that he didn't think All Might was totally right in how he went about keeping One for All secret. Maybe the big guy figured out what Izuku was doing when he got him to take Midnight away. Not sure. But yeah, this was his decision."
Ochako was proud that Izuku was taking on a more independent role when it came to One for All but also a little scared. It fed into her worry about him getting too far ahead of her. She feared he was putting himself into dangerous situations that he might feel like he had to deal with. They were supposed to be a team after all.
"Did he say why he decided to tell you?"
"Well he figured out I already knew about All for One from my time with Mr. Stain," Himiko explained while Ochako nodded. She recalled what she had said about All Might casting a shadow. "He also figured my time on the streets gave me a unique perspective that no one else in the group had."
"That's…" Ochako rubbed her chin. "That's actually a well thought out reason."
"Yeah. Considering who he's going to be going up against, he'll need every advantage he can get." Himiko added grimly.
Ochako winced. "Yeah…"
"But hey, we both said we'd help look after him. Way I see it, since we both know the whole story, it'll make that a lot easier."
Ochako couldn't argue with that. The more she thought about it, having Himiko on board made a lot of sense. She was smart, and she would rip apart anyone studpid enough that tried to hurt Izuku. All in all, this was a good thing. "Well, I'm glad you're on board. Makes my life a lot less stressful. Though, why bring this up now? I'm sure we would have had a chance to meet somewhere more private as a group to welcome you to the club. I doubt you came here for my approval."
"You got that right. Honestly, the One for All thing was just to break the ice."
Ochako doubled over laughing. "Really? One for All isn't the bomb? Oh please, tell me what is then. I have to hear this."
"I told Izuku that I loved him."
Ochako just stopped. In the middle of her laugh she just stopped. She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't think. In that instant she had become a living statue. After a few seconds of complete stillness, Himiko had to go over and check to make sure she was breathing. Snapping her fingers in front of Ochako's face, she tried to break her out of her trance. "Yo! Hey, hey come back to me. It's not the end of the world. Ochako?"
Light returned to Ochako's eyes as she glanced up at Himiko standing over her. "You're not joking are you?"
"I never joke about love. You know that."
Ochako slumped down. Her shoulders slagged and she could feel tears stinging her eyes. "I'm… I'm happy for you. For both of-"
Himiko rolled her eyes and flicked Ochako in the forehead. "Oh will you stop? He didn't say he loved me back."
"He rejected you?" Ochako was relieved to hear that, but at the same time she found it hard to believe.
"He didn't do that either."
Ochako's face said it all before she could even say anything. She was utterly baffled and confused, "Wait what exactly happened? Because that makes no sense."
"Look, here's the deal. Remember when I told you I didn't think Izuku was ready for a confession?" Ochako nodded. She could recall their conversion after their sports festival fight very clearly. "Well I was right. He wasn't then, and he wasn't ready now. He didn't answer me because he couldn't answer me."
"Then why did you tell him?"
Himiko held up a finger. "I told him because he needed to hear it. Ochako, I can't stress this enough: he needed to know that someone loved him. So after I kissed him I-"
"KISSED?!"
Himiko chuckled. "Oh, did I forget to mention that part?"
Ochako made a strained nose in the back of her throat in response. "You mean another kiss on the cheek like you gave us. Right?"
"Nope. That was a thank you kiss for standing up to those guards. The one I gave Izuku was way different."
Ochako shook where she sat, her face getting redder and redder. Himiko wasn't entirely sure if it was embarrassment or anger. Though, if she was being honest, it was probably both. "...You're not going to chuck me out a window right?"
Sighing, Ochako waved her on. "Just… keep talking. Please."
"Riiiight. So like I said, he needed to know there were people out there that loved him because guess what, he didn't think there were." Ochako looked shocked at that, and hurt. Himiko quickly continued. "Now I'm pretty sure he was talking about romantic love. Not his mom. Not that it makes the whole situation any better. But yeah. When I said he's still figuring out his own emotions now I– we– know why he seemed so oblivious. It never occurred to him that someone would be interested in him."
Ochako was shocked at all of this, but it did explain a lot, especially when she really thought about it. Considering how Izuku grew up, it all made a certain horrible sense. Ochako's chest hurt thinking about how lonely feeling like that was. The longer she did think about it, the more her blood started to boil. Not because of who she knew was to blame, though that was a part of it, but more at herself because she called herself Izuku's best friend and she hadn't figured this out herself.