Chapter 54: Green Tea Fashion Disasters
"That… is a very big hammer." All Might said to himself as he watched the worker robots hoist the mallet for the Test of Strength game into its resting position.
The whole setup to move the game into the giant Central Tower of I-Island had been a bit of a spectacle in its own right. All Might had been given a quick rundown of how it was being done, and how the whole thing was getting set up so that when he swung that hammer, he wasn't going to inadvertently bring down the whole building.
Melissa had talked about all the different shock absorption tech, impact nullification tech and everything in-between that was getting used. But for All Might, who at best could be described as an analog man, it might as well have been magic.
Melissa is probably one of the best cases of nurture beating out nature, because there's no chance she got her smarts from me.
"What's wrong old man? Scared?"
All Might could see the cocky smirk on Star and Stripe's face even before he turned to greet her. "Hardly. I'm just contemplating if I should be a good sport and let you go first. Since after I take my swing, I'm sure to break the poor game."
"…Wow, you keep projecting that much and you might actually believe the crap coming out of your mouth,"Star and Stripe countered as she strolled up beside him and looked over the game.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Careful now. What would your mother say if she heard you talking like that? Young girls like you should use such colorful language."
Star and Stripe rolled her eyes, knowing full well her mother would be cheering her on. "Anyway, I'm surprised to see you here so early. The reception isn't for a couple more hours."
She didn't say it, but because she knew her uncle had a very limited amount of time, she had expected him to hide out all day.
All Might just shrugged. "I won't be staying. I just wanted to get a quick peek at the game before you and I get to have our fun." In a more hushed tone All Might added, "What about you? Didn't you have responsibilities you had to take care of?"
In a similar hushed tone Star and Stripe replied, "I was around for a couple hours straight. More than enough time to take care of things."
All Might nodded. It made him a little sad that the time Star and Stripe could spend as Melissa had been reduced so much. An unfortunate side effect of her progress with her Quirk and hero training. Still, he knew better than to show her any pity, as that would earn him a solid punch to the face.
Again.
"And what about your other responsibility?"
Star and Stripe waved him off. "I swear you're like an old woman with how much you're worried about them. Last I saw them, they had just finished getting a little treat and heading for the last ride of their date. The two were on their best behavior the whole day. You got nothing to worry about."
Chu!
Chu!
Chu!
Chu!
Chu!
Chu!
As Ochako peppered Izuku's lips, cheeks, jaw and face with enough kisses to cover him in lipstick, she had kept pressing into him until his back was up against the wall of the Ferris Wheel pod.
After their first kiss, the two shared a relieved, almost childlike laugh. Like a great, cumbersome and unnecessary weight had been lifted off their hearts. Izuku, being carried by the euphoria of the moment, had leaned back in and planted a kiss right on Ochako's lips. That little peck had set off a chain reaction with Ochako diving in and Izuku holding on for dear life. He had tried to return some kisses through the barrage, but had quickly come to realize that if he was going to survive this kissing onslaught, he had better hold on tight and ride out the storm.
Not that he was complaining of course.
Nor was Ochako for that matter. He was holding on tight, her top was balled up in his fists, so it got pulled out from her skirt waist, exposing her lower back to Izuku's gripping fingers as he was constantly tightening his hold on her. But Ochako wasn't worried. She just wanted to keep kissing Izuku while she had the chance. To lose herself in the euphoria with every peck. To moan deep in her chest when she pressed her lips against his and felt the incredible heat coming from him.
His lips were hot. Seriously hot. And not just his lips, Ochako could feel heat radiating off of Izuku's whole body. Pulling back, she was amused to find little puffs of smoke wafting from his nose.
Ochako ran the tip of her tongue along the inside of her mouth, pressing it along her tingling lips. "Dang, Deku. You got me all a tingling… Hmm?"
Ochako's tease fell on deaf ears as Izuku was more concerned with why the kissing had stopped. He tugged on her gently, trying to pull her back in. He wasn't rough or forceful, just using enough pressure to let Ochako know he wanted her lips back.
Feeling that tug, Ochako promptly decided teasing could wait, and went back to peppering Izuku with love and kisses.
"He he he," Izuku drunkenly laughed as their ride began to end and the pod slowly came to a stop so they could get off, "kissing's fun."
"Hmmm, yeah it is," Ochako hummed in agreement while she was busy making sure her and his clothes were straight, and decided there wasn't anything she could do about all the lipstick in time, so she'd just have to let Izuku's blush hide it.
"Hmm, you know, I don't get it," Izuku's voice still had a slight slur to it. He was still very kiss drunk.
"Don't get what?"
"Home runs."
Ochako slowed her fixing up and looked at him amused but carefully. "Home runs?"
Izuku giggled happily. "Oh, you know, that funny way people say how far they got in a relationship."
Oh, Ochako was aware of the term. But hearing Izuku use it was a little weird.
"It feels like I hit a home run. I got to kiss and get kissed by the most beautiful hero in the world. Forget first base, this is a home run."
Ochako paused in fixing his hoodie so that it was on his shoulders straight, and coyly smiled at him. He must really be out of it to use a term describing sex with her nearby. Deku was still Deku after all. Still, it did give her something to think about. Izuku was aware of the other steps. It was strangely reassuring knowing that Izuku had some mature thoughts in his head. Made her feel a little better about her own. They were in the same boat… or on the same playing field.
Izuku, too drunk on happiness, missed the coy smile and smoldering look Ochako gave him, not realizing that at that moment, she was contemplating how nice it was going to be walking those base lines with him as their relationship grew.
Someday.
Right now, having both feet on first base was more than enough.
When the pod came to its final stop and the door opened, Ochako carefully popped her head out. Fortunately she didn't see anyone around that she recognized, so reaching back inside, Ochako helped a floaty, softly giggling, Izuku from the pod and kept an arm around his waist so he didn't stumble getting off. Ochako briefly looked to find the exit, and made eye contact with the same attendant that had opened the door for them when they had got onto the ride. The other woman looked at her, then at Izuku. When she looked back at Ochako, she flashed her a thumbs-up, which Ochako found gave a nice boost to her pride, but was also mortifying.
Funny how that works.
Walking down the exit path, Ochako took out some tissue from her handbag and worked to get all her lipstick off Izuku's face. Though, it was a little difficult to tell where she had cleaned and where she hadn't, since Izuku was stillblushing pink. So Ochako had to be extra careful, since if they ran into anyone they knew, like by some horrific twist of fate Mina of all people, Ochako knew she'd have a better chance swimming through piranha infested water than escaping that girl's gossip.
So Ochako got in real close as she cleaned Izuku off. So close that she could feel his hot breath puffing out from his nose as he breathed. That warm, inviting, heat that made Izuku's lips feel so damned good against hers.
Easy, we're in public. Can't just start snogging him here in the exit aisle.
"U-Uraraka?" Izuku's voice was hoarse and husky. He swallowed loudly and his breath was close to coming out as a gasping pant.
Ochako felt a little giddy at how high in the stratosphere he was after just a few kisses from her. "Yeah Deku?" she replied as she kept cleaning him off.
"I really like kissing you."
It was the fact that Izuku said it so earnestly, that made Ochako have to lean her face into his shoulder as a chuckle vibrated from her beating heart. She was preparing herself to reply with an honest but teasing 'I'm glad you liked it,' when Izuku added,
"Can we kiss some more?"
Suddenly teasing was the furthest thing from Ochako's mind. She stood up, and saw that Izuku was being very honest with his question. He really looked like he wanted to kiss her. And for her to kiss him. But he was also making sure if she wanted to.
It was exactly the kind of gentle and considerate question and behavior she expected from the wonderful person Izuku was. It was also a question that Ochako was quick to answer, nodding her head and quickly dragging Izuku along with her as she desperately looked for a quiet, isolated, place where she could indulge her boyfriend's innocent desire.
"So, All Might is on the island then?" Wolfram watched as his men worked to unload several crates of supplies in the warehouse below. The control room was quiet, save for the faint struggles of the dock workers and security that had been tied up and secured in the room. "Two individuals gravely afflicted with Stage 5…"
"What will you do?" Wolfram's informant asked. He could tell the man was on the cusp of panicking. "It was bad enough when one of them showed up unannounced. But now…"
"Stay calm. Our job is to secure the weapon no matter what. As of now, nothing has changed."
"But?"
"It's true, the mission has become more difficult. And may require sacrifices. But let me worry about that. Your job is to ensure we have access to the tower and to make sure our escape is secure. Understand?"
"Yes. I've made sure everything will be ready for tonight."
"Hey look, it's Uraraka and Midoriya!"
Suddenly hearing Mina's voice was like having a bucket of cold water dumped on Izuku and Ochako. The pair had been making their way towards their hotel, well aware that they needed to get back and start getting dressed for the I-Expo reception. Fortunately for the pair, they had gotten over their initial confession kissing spree once they had left the amusement area.
Well, mostly. On the walk back they had each spotted reasonably remote spots where they were sure they could get away with a little more kissing. But one or the other would have to remind them that they were in a bit of a time crunch, having stayed a bit too long due to their… exuberance with each other after the Ferris Wheel.
So it wasn't like they were caught doing anything when Mina found them. Nothing nefarious, or unsightly, or even naughty for that matter. They were just being their innocent cinnamon bun selves. Walking back to their hotel.
"Oh my god they're holding hands too!" Mina squealed and pointed excitedly while trying to get the rest of her party to come quick to see. Momo soon popped her head through the crowd as she pushed to catch up to her excited pink friend. Behind her, she pulled Kyouka along with her, holding her hand tight.
Obviously so that the two didn't get separated by the busy crowd.
A surprise fourth member of the group joined the trio. Melissa, out of her school festival uniform and back into her regular clothes, walked up from behind and smiled brightly as she joined the group.
Izuku, perhaps in a desperate attempt to ignore what was coming, chose to focus on her first. "Melissa?"
"Oh, we ran into each other as we were leaving the park. Got to talk a little bit."
"Ah."
"Ahhhhhh! Who cares about boring stuff! We caught Midoriya and Uraraka on their date!" Mina exclaimed as she jumped and grinned widely. "And don't either of you try to hide anything! No pulling back and trying to play off like you weren't just caught red handed!"
There was a short pause as the girls chuckled a little at Mina's exuberance before turning their attention back to the pair. However, whatever Mina—and themselves if they were honest—was expecting to happen now that the pair were confronted, well, didn't. Neither Izuku nor Ochako made any move to put any space between themselves. And they sure as hell didn't let go of each other's hands. Something that Momo picked up on with her keen ability to observe the obvious. "Umm, they're still holding hands."
Heads turned, and the four stared right at the pair, who just sorta looked back at them. Izuku tilted his head to the side. "I mean, yeah? It's completely normal for me to hold my girlfriend's hand, isn't it?"
Mina was practically vibrating now, with a hungry look in her eyes, making it damned clear she wanted details, and if she didn't get them, she might just explode. Kyouka and Momo also looked like they wanted to hear how things had gone, making Ochako start feeling caged in. Oh, she needed to make sure Izuku treaded carefully here, because with the nonchalant way he was acting, he had no idea of the danger he was putting her in.
"So um, I guess we'll see you all later. Uraraka and I are headed back to our hotel so we can start getting ready for the reception."
Mina smirked and Ochako instantly knew Izuku had just waltzed right into the other girl's trap. "You know," Mina began slowly, "why don't we go with you?"
…Oh crap.
"Uraraka, we'll swing by your place, pick up your dress, and you can join us at Yaoyorozu's room and we can help each other get ready for the big night," Mina offered with an evil smirk. "It'll give us a good chance to talk too."
Kyouka nodded. "Yeah. It's no fun getting ready all by yourself. Plus, Yaoyorozu's place has so many amenities, you'll be the belle of the ball."
"Oh yes," Momo finished definitively. "We insist that you join us."
Well I'm fucked. They're gonna follow me wherever I go now that Ashido's got her teeth sunk in. Won't matter if I slam the door in their faces either once Deku and I get to our…room… Oh… Ooooh noooo….
It suddenly dawned on Ochako—and quickly after her, Izuku—that they could in no way, shape or form let anyone know that they were sharing a room. Especially not Mina.
Fortunately, fate decided to throw the pair a life line. Melissa.
"Actually, if you all are going to take Uraraka with you, would it be okay if Midoriya hung back with me?" Melissa asked.
"Yes, absolutely!" Ochako's words tumbled out before she cleared her throat. "I mean, sure. It's totally fine."
Mina scratched her chin. "Wow, loaning out your boyfriend after your first date?"
Ochako shrugged. "What? She's All Might's niece and has been great to us since we got here. What, you think I'd get all jealous just because a bombshell like her wants to hang out with Deku?"
"Considering how you were with Toga… Wait, what did you just say?"
Ochako's quickly clapped her hands together and grabbed her friends. "Okay, let's get going! Deku and Melissa, play nice and I'll see you at the reception!"
"Okay Mochi-Bun. I'll see you later then," Izuku smiled brightly as he waved bye bye to Ochako.
At the same time, everyone around him physically flinched or just openly blenched. Kyouka looked genuinely distraught while Momo was relying on all her training as a lady of high society to just pretend she hadn't heard anything. Mina looked like she was genuinely going to throw up. "Oh my god, they're already at the sickening pet name stage. I love it."
"De-Deku," Ochako nervously laughed while scratching her neck. "M-maybe we can work on those kinds of, um… names later."
"Oh, was that one no good? How about Baby-Pie. Sugar-Cake. Sweet-Tea. Jelly-Bean. Muffin-Button—"
Kyouka looked ready to rip her ears off. "Oh god, make him stop!"
However while the girls looked ready to either die or kill Izuku and then die from the horrific fluffy sweetness they were being subjected to, Ochako had held up a hand to stop Izuku, and now looked at him inquisitively. "Deku… Why are all my nicknames sugar foods?"
"Well… you like to eat sweets…"
"…Not like Yaoyorozu!"
"I beg your pardon?"
Izuku, not really seeing anything wrong with anything, just shrugged. "Well I have some other ones, but they might not be—"
"Deku, what else could you possibly have?"
"Muscle Mommy?"
While Mina proved it was indeed possible to squeal and vomit at the same time, Ochako just decided that it was best to grab her friends and run the fuck away. Not because she hated the names, because she honestly loved all of them. But because that last one got dangerously close to flipping a dangerous switch.
She got a few yards away before she began to wonder, Deku put all his clothes and stuff away, right?
Ochako couldn't recall exactly how she had left their room at the start of the day. If anything of Izuku's was out in the open, or worse yet, his All Might suitcase was visible… Ochako was going to be in for a world of hurt.
"Muscle Mommy?" Melissa asked, still in disbelief that those words had left Izuku's mouth. Or the fact that Izuku was looking her dead in the eye, without a shred of embarrassment when he gave a simple rebuttal.
"I mean, aren't boyfriend girlfriend nicknames supposed to be based on endearing characteristics of the person you love?"
"So you really like her muscles then?"
"Yeah!" Izuku answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Melissa nodded slowly. It had been so obvious that the two had feelings for each other. And that apparently, they had been holding them back for a while too. Now that everything was out in the open, Izuku at least seemed totally fine with just saying the quiet parts out loud for all to hear. Which—while incredibly adorable and honestly the most fluffily romantic dreck Melissa had ever seen or heard—she had a feeling was going to maybe cause some issues down the line.
For Ochako. Not for her. Melissa was going to eat all of this up. Spending so much time on a military base as Star and Stripe meant she didn't get a chance to see this kind of innocent high school puppy love. And she really wanted to see how this went.
"So was there something you did want to talk about? Or was that just you saving our butts?" Izuku asked inquisitively.
Melissa chuckled. "Both as a matter of fact. You mind making a quick stop at my lab at I-Island Academy? It's not far from here, and by the time we're done, the coast will be clear at your hotel room."
"Wow, is this really your own private lab?" Izuku asked in amazement as he looked around the surprisingly clean and tidy room. Considering his experience with other tech savvy individuals, he had expected a pigsty. He looked over the many family pictures, news clippings of her family and All Might, and a whole lot of trophies.
"Yup, the school usually only hands these out to third-years, but Papa pulled some strings. Plus my unique circumstances… Having a private place to work is a huge benefit." Melissa smiled as she closed the door behind her.
"What about that workshop you took me to before?"
"Oh that? That's my special off the grid site. It's like I said, it's where I can do whatever I want without people seeing. Here is completely dedicated to my school projects and studies… When I'm actually able to be on campus."
Izuku picked up the slight change in tone, the hint of sadness in Melissa's voice. Clearly, part of her wished she could just be here all the time. "Sorry."
Melissa waved him off. "Oh, don't worry about that." She paused, then added a little more seriously, "Please. Don't. I'd rather not have people who know about me… do the whole pity thing."
Izuku bowed quickly. "Of course!"
Sighing, Melissa decided not to dwell on it. "So anyway, about why I brought you here, I actually had something I wanted to give you."
Izuku was a little startled. "Give me?" Izuku watched as Melissa disappeared into a walk-in storage closet and started to rummage around. "You don't have to do something like that. You've been such a nice host and friend already."
Melissa, bent over as she pushed her whole upper body into a shelf to look through all the odds and ends, boxes, and storage units, waved him off. "Nonsense. Plus I haven't exactly been that good of a host."
"Why would you say that?"
Melissa didn't immediately reply as she finally found the little box she was looking for. Grabbing it and shimming out of the shelf, she turned to look at Izuku with a smile. "Good hosts don't shove their guests against a wall and threaten them." Izuku started to come to her defense, but Melissa held up a hand. "Midoriya, I acted rashly before understanding the situation and threatened you. It happened. You being so willing to forgive me really shows your character and makes it even more clear why Uncle Might picked you. You're a good person Midoriya."
Izuku blushed, and shuffled around nervously. Getting compliments like that still got him all gooey on the inside.
"But it's pretty clear you kinda… suck at using One for All, huh?"
And Izuku came falling back to earth. "Okay, umm… Ow?"
"I noticed something when you were competing in the Villain Attack game. When you were using your Psychokinesis, you were doing a lot of damage, but at the end, when you ended with that punch, it seemed… like you didn't put your all into it. Then of course you explained that you have to be careful when you boost your strength. What you mean is you have to be careful when you use One for All, right? Because your body can't handle the strain and power." Melissa's tone of voice made everything more of a statement than a question.
Izuku shrugged, not seeing the point in trying to deny it. "I only recently got a handle on One for All. The first few times I used it…" Izuku trailed off, absently rubbing his arm.
"I think Uraraka used the term hamburger, right?"
"Yeah. But I finally got a handle on it. I just have to tone it down."
Melissa nodded. "I see. Then it's just like I thought. You're pretty much in the same boat I was."
"Huh?"
"So you remember how I discovered I had a Quirk?" Izuku nodded. "And how I said the first time I used it I kinda hurt myself?" He nodded again. "Yeah, that wasn't the last time." Melissa chuckled darkly. "When I started out, I had a bad habit of pushing myself, doing things my body wasn't ready for. As a result, I hurt myself. A lot." Izuku looked away, and Melissa hummed. "Yeah, same boat for sure."
"I mean… I'm not that bad."
Melissa hummed. "I'd tell my parents the same thing. They never believed me either. So to try and help mitigate the…excessive worry they had, and because honestly it was a pain in the butt having to sit in the infirmary every night," opening the little box she was holding, she held it towards Izuku, "I made this support item for myself."
Izuku looked, wondering what the item was. A red metallic bracelet that was about half as thick as his hand. Melissa picked up the item and lifted Izuku's hand up so she could wrap it around his wrist. "It was based on an item I had been working on before my Quirk manifested. I wanted to make something for Uncle Might that he could use while he was working." Once it was secure, Melissa pointed to a small blue button that was between the two ends of the bracelet. "Try pressing here."
Tapping the button, Izuku watched in amazement as the device begane to glow, then become covered in bright hexagonal lights as it unwound and stretched out. A bright ribbon of light that encircled his hand, leaving his fingers uncovered and ending around his upper forearm just under his elbow, in thick red wrappings.
Izuku looked at his arm in amazement, while Meliss smiled. "I call it Full Gauntlet. Since the tech was originally made to withstand Uncle Might's power and strength, it helped protect my arms from breaking when I was training."
"Incredible!" As Izuku looked over the tech, he recalled something he had seen earlier. "Is this based on the tech you use for your other inventions?"
Melissa nodded. "It's kinda the inverse. These came first, then I started adapting the nano tech so that it could be made into other shapes."
"So did you end up working this into your own costume?" Izuku thought back to Melissa's Star and Stripe costume, remembering the gold trimmed bracers her costume had.
Melissa smirked. "Sorta, but not in the way you're thinking." Melissa reached up and ran her hand over the watch around her wrist. The same hexagon lights then began to sparkle from it. "I had to use those when I was younger. The one you have is one of the first ones I ever made. I had to keep making new ones as I started to grow out of them as I got stronger, but now," at the same time the lights turned into ribbons of lights, enveloping Melissa's body, she bulked up to her full true form, flexing her mighty muscles as the ribbons turned into her costume, "once I got these, I didn't need them anymore."
Izuku snorted back a laugh. "Yeah, I don't have those yet."
"Well until you do, you're welcome to have that one."
Izuku bowed deeply. "Thank you so much."
"Oh you don't need to do that. I just wish I had a pair I could give you."
"Really, this is fine! Oh I can't wait for a chance to try it out!"
Melissa smirked before she walked over to a wall and pressed a button. Around the room, the shelves and desks with photos of her family and all her awards sank into the wall, sealed away and protected. After that, Melissa held out her hand, palm pointing towards Izuku. "Why wait?"
"Eh?"
"Punch my hand."
"HUH?!"
"Go on, let's see how they work for you."
Izuku scratched his cheek. "But um…"
Melissa rolled her eyes. "If you're worried about hurting me, I'm putting you against another wall."
"No! Not that, I mean what happens if I break something here?"
Melissa laughed at that. "Pfft, this is a lab made for item construction. You don't think it's built to withstand a few explosions?"
"Huh… I guess that's a good point. The labs in U.A. haven't been demolished either and stuff blows up in there all the time."
"Good, now," Melissa tapped her palm with her other hand, "come on!"
Green sparks crackled around Izuku as he took up a fighting stance, getting ready to throw his punch. He started with a few jabs, keeping at the five percent he knew was safe. Then he started working up. His punches started getting faster, the impact more violent as he upped the power. Finally, with a stomp to plant his foot, Izuku twisted his body as he threw a haymaker into Melissa's hand. The contact sounded closer to a small explosion, making the room rattle and shake.
Pulling his hand back, Izuku looked down at himself in amazement, not really paying much attention to the fact he hadn't really been able to move Melissa from her spot. Though after that last punch, she was shaking her hand a little with a smile. "This is incredible."
"Pretty nice getting to cut loose and not have to worry about visiting the doctor, huh?"
"This is going to save me so much trouble! I can't believe I was able to use fifteen percent and not feel anything!"
Melissa was rubbing her palm with her thumb but stopped and gave Izuku a look, eying him with a calculating stare. "Fifteen, huh…?"
She had guessed that he had been using a higher percentage, going off what she recalled from everything she knew about All Might and his power outputs. But thinking about it, the brief summary he had told her about One for All, maybe she shouldn't have been surprised.
Huh, I might need to get him some new ones sooner rather than later.
Fortunately for Ochako, aside from having to quickly kick Izuku's suitcase under the bed, she was able to grab the bag her dress was in without any issue. The girls did marvel at the room for a bit. Mina teased her about if she was going to invite Izuku over for a dip in the jacuzzi tub, which Momo found scandalous. They also stopped to stare at the monstrosity that was the teddy bear Izuku had won, delivered as promised.
When told that Izuku had shot a target miles away, hitting the bullseye, to win it for her, there were a few coo's and aw's from her friends. Though, Mina did wonder if it would be wise to let Snipe-Sensei ever hear about it. The sharpshooter might get jealous.
Overall, Ochako had dodged a bullet picking up her dress. However, once she made it to Momo's place, her luck ran out.
"So?" Mina leaned in, looking Ochako dead in the eye. "Did he kiss you?"
Ochako looked away as she tried to sneak out of the chair she suddenly found herself in. "C-come on. Shouldn't we be getting ready for the reception?"
Kyouka reached over and put a hand on Ochako's shoulder. "Yeah, you're not getting out of that chair until we hear the deets."
"You tell her!" came Tooru's voice from someone's cell phone. Ochako wasn't sure who had called who, but in the end, she was now getting grilled by all of 1-A's female students.
"You're sure that at least the date was a success?" Himiko asked. "Cause If I got called and it was a bait and switch, someone's getting stabbed."
Momo coughed. "Midoriya called Uraraka his Muscle Mommy."
"…"
"…"
"…"
The dead silence from Himiko, Tsuyu and Tooru was deafening.
"…So are we sure asking if they kissed is the right question? Maybe we should be asking if they—"
"TSU!" Ochako screamed, while she covered her face in horror. Why, why on god's green earth did Izuku have to call her that? Did opening up to her just turn off any filter Izuku once had when dealing with romance?
…Oh my god what if he actually doesn't have a filter anymore?
"Was Izuku alive?" Himiko asked.
Momo frowned. "Um… what do you mean?"
"Was he a functioning human being?"
Mina tapped her chin. "About as much as normal."
"Hey!" Ochako chirped. "You don't have to be mean."
"Then I doubt we're dealing with anything past first base,"Himiko concluded.
"Well he called it a home run but…" Ochako slapped a hand over her mouth as all eyes turned to her.
Tsuyu hummed. "Oh. So you kissed him then. That makes more sense, kero."
"I didn't say that!"
Kyouka pointed an ear jack at Ochako. "Then how do you explain all the lipstick on Midoriya's face when we caught up to you?"
Ochako looked horrified. "Oh god, I thought I got that all off him."
…
…
"I was lying, you know."
"Uraraka's a carnivore," Tsuyu said matter of factly.
At this point, Ochako wanted to just float away as she covered her face with her hands. "Please stop."
"Wait, wait did you really kiss all over his face?" Himiko was steaming up the phone screen as she panted.
Gingerly, Ochako held up her hand and pinched her thumb and finger together. "A little."
Tooru gasped while Mina blew a raspberry. "A little? Right. A little doesn't leave someone's face covered in lipstick."
"Grrr, fine!" Ochako threw her hands in the air. "Yes, we kissed! I kissed him so much that he didn't know which way was up or down! Is that what you want to hear?!"
"Did you stick your tongue in?" Tsuyu asked, innocently enough.
"God I wish." There was a short pause as the girls all looked at Ochako as she slowly realized what had just come out of her mouth. Beet red, Ochako made a mad dash for her dress and dove for one of the spare bedrooms Momo's lavish hotel room had, squeaking out some kind of excuse that she was going to get changed.
Everyone just stood there, letting that sink in.
"Carnivore," Tsuyu repeated.
Himiko wiped some fake tears from her good eye. "I'm so proud of her."
The cry of horror that came from the bedroom made all the girls' heads whip up and got them scrambling. There was no mistaking that the cry belonged to Ochako and that she sounded distraught. Bursting into the bedroom, the girls came in looking ready for trouble. They found Ochako, backing away from the bed with a hand over her mouth.
"What's going on?!" Himiko's face was close enough to the phone screen, it looked like she was trying to crawl through it, while Tsuyu was peeking over her shoulder, both trying to see what was going on. Several sets of eyes went from Ochako, who looked pale, then to the bed she was staring at aghast.
Momo walked over to Ochako to try and get her to calm down, while Kyouka made her way over to the bed and reopened the dry cleaners bag that held Ochako's dress. Initially she was worried that maybe it had gotten messed up at some point, but as she looked down, she realized that wasn't the case, and that it was impossible to boot, since that dress was messed up from the very beginning. "What… the actual fuck is that?"
Mina walked over and gasped. "That can't… That's not Uraraka's dress, is it?"
"What? What?" Tooru asked.
Kyouka pulled the 'dress' out from the bag and held it up by the hanger for everyone to see. The body of the dress was a long, hourglass shaped tube. The top started just around the chest, and ran down to mid shin. Down the center of the dress was a line of white buttons that would close the dress up. Attached to the sides were long, bunched up sleeves that would cover the shoulders and ended, flared out, around the knuckles. The ridiculously long sleeves looked like someone had attempted to do a bubble braid but gave up halfway, the effect creating an uneven bunching and ballooning until it fell limply down the rest of the wearer's arm.
The design was hideous, but it was only half of the problem. The dress was a bright canary yellow, and running vertically up both the dress body and sleeves, were white pin stripes.
"Why… why does it look like someone turned one of All Might's horrible yellow suits into a dress, kero?"
"Oh god… Deku said that…" Ochako's face was in her hands as she sat on the bed. "He said All Might was going to take care of things."
Everyone nodded slowly, recalling that when Izuku had asked Ochako out, and had expressed concern about having something to wear for the night, he had said just that. The same 20/20 clarity was now smacking all the girls in the face.
"Deku didn't mean All Might was picking my dress up. He meant…"
"He was picking out your dress…" Himiko hissed.
Momo launched to her feet. "D-Don't worry! I can fix this!"
Kyouka clapped her hands together. "That's right! Yaoyorozu can make you a dress!"
The feel of dread began to quickly lift from the girls. With Momo there, Ochako wasn't going to be cursed with—
"Wait, didn't Midoriya say that All Might was taking care of your dress and his suit, kero?" Tsuyu asked while tapping her chin.
Aaaand the dread was back, as everyone envisioned Izuku in the same bright yellow pin stripe suit that All Might wore. A suit that paired horrifically well with the dress Ochako had unleashed to the room.
"…I have to wear this," Ochako said with dread.
Mina looked like she was going to cry. "No! No Yaoyorozu can still…"
"If All Might picked something for Deku and me to match… and I show up not wearing it… In front of all those people at the reception…" Ochako begrudgingly worked through her logic. She sat, knowing she was trapped.
"What about getting Midoriya to take a different suit?" Kyouka asked.
There was a long silence. No one needed to say anything. It was common knowledge that Izuku was the world's biggest All Might fan boy. So more than likely, he was probably celebrating the suit he was getting dressed in.
Ochako turned to look down at the yellow pinstriped monstrosity. A horror that only someone as fashion deficient as All Might would think was an appropriate dress for any occasion. "Fuck."
"We've secured the control room. There were no issues," the group's hacker reported as his colleagues continued to secure the room. "The guards were bound and secured as instructed. No casualties, so the security system wasn't triggered. We now have full control."
"Good, then proceed with the plan."
"Yes sir."
On the other end of the line, Wolfram ended the call. The elevator carrying him hummed softly as he stood in silence. Everything was going exactly as planned. Now, all that was left was to do his duty.
Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a lump of twisted metal. A makeshift mask that in many ways was the perfect reflection of his sin. Placing the mask on, Wolfram turned to look at the rest of his men. "It's time."
Ochako tugged on her sleeves as she walked into the main lobby of the I-Island central tower with the rest of the girls. The place where she and the rest of everyone from 1-A was going to meet up. She didn't need to pull at the dress, as it unfortunately fit perfectly. But maybe if she was lucky, something would tear and she would have an excuse not to wear it.
Flanked to her side, Mina wore a leopard printed dress that fell loose around her knees and over her shoulders, she wore a bright fluffy boa. Kyouka was wearing a snappy black suit over a dark violet shirt and black tie. She had pulled her hair back on one side, where she had slipped a bright pink flower. The last of the group, Momo, wore a very mature looking black strapless dress that clung tightly to each and every curve along her breasts, waist and hips, before ending at her ankles.
All and all, Ochako kinda wished her friends had gone on ahead, as there was a very distinct difference between herself and them. But they had said they weren't going to abandon her. Plus, Momo made it clear, she was ready at the drop of a hat to get Ochako something different. All Might's feelings be damned.
She didn't actually say it like that, but the feeling was there.
"Oh look, there's Melissa." Mina pointed as they walked inside. Melissa was wearing a long, dark blue cocktail dress. The top started at her neck and flared out to cover her chest, but left her back, shoulders and arms bare. The skirt fell loosely around her legs, ending at her ankles, but with a long slit that was all the way up to her upper hip. A very mature dress, but she easily pulled it off. She had pulled her long hair back, held that way with a bright red hairband, and she no longer had her glasses.
If she had, they might have cracked when she turned and got a look at Ochako, making her eyes bug out. But she quickly recovered and waved at the group. "Oh… wow Uraraka. You look so—"
Ochako held up a hand, cutting Melissa off. "It's okay, you don't have to force it."
The strained smile Melissa had fell and she let out a long sigh, and bowed her head deeply. "I am soooo sorry! If I had had any idea what my uncle had done, I would have made sure you and Midoriya would have gotten some new clothes before tonight."
"Please it's…" Ochako couldn't really bring herself to say it was fine. "It is what it is. So… Deku's here then?" Oh, Ochako didn't like the way Melissa winced right then.
"Yeah… yeah, he's here with the rest of the guys from your class."
The girls all shared some looks. Mina was the one brave enough to ask. "Is it that bad?"
Melissa didn't really have the words.
Ochako put on a brave face. "Lets just… lets just go meet up with everyone. So what if Deku and I will be a couple of bright yellow pinstriped canaries tonight? At least that means tonight will be memorable… What?" Ochako saw the pained look on Melissa's face. "What? Deku's got a pinstriped suit, right?"
"Yes… but it's… not yellow."
"Eh?"
"Just… just prepare yourself, alright?"
"Eh?!"
When the group reached the boys, almost immediately Mina had to turn away, biting down on a knuckle so she didn't scream. Momo called upon all her high society lessons to keep a straight face. Kyouka though, just let it out. "Holy fuck, he's purple."
"Technically, I believe that's maroon," Momo corrected.
"I. Am going. To kill. All Might." Ochako didn't really care since All Might's fate was going to be the same regardless.
While Tenya and Shouto were dressed in dark navy and white suits respectively, Ochako wasn't really looking at them. She was looking at Izuku. And the dark maroon pinstripe suit he was wearing, over a pale yellow shirt and topped off with a black bow tie. This alone made him a fashion disaster on par with her. Then she looked down, and realized that the crimes being committed tonight were way worse than she could have ever imagined. Oh my god. He's wearing his sneakers?!
Ochako finally noticed that Izuku was staring at her. He had just come to a complete stop in the middle of his talk with Shouto and Tenya and was just looking at her. Ochako was starting to get flashbacks to earlier, when he had seen her at the start of their date.
Please Deku, don't… don't think I'm pretty. Laugh, point in horror. See, if you do that, then we can change and not… Nooo no Deku don't… Izuku was starting to bounce, his eyes going wide and a huge smile started to spread across his face.
No Deku, bad. Don't start bouncing. Don't start acting so fucking adorable right now. Please Deku, just think this is ugly and…. DON'T FUCKING CRY! Izuku was now full on in tears as he was just in awe of Ochako, making no secret that he was absolutely smitten with her.
Oh god he actually thinks I'm beautiful… I'm so fucked.
…
Fuck I should not be feeling giddy he's gushing over me damn it!
Ochako waited what felt like an appropriate amount of time to give Izuku to dry his tears. He was up to his fourth hanky offered by Momo at this point. And while his reaction to her had softened the blow and had commuted All Might's death sentence to just a life sentence, the answer to her question might just change her mind again.
"Deku?"
Izuku looked up, still dabbing at his eyes. "Yes?"
Ochako tapped her chin, wondering how to go about this delicately, and ultimately just deciding to address the issue head on. "So, did All Might forget to order you shoes to go with your… handsome suit," Ochako physically shuddered saying that, a reflex shared by her female classmates, "or… what?"
Izuku blinked and looked down at his feet, a smile spreading across his face. "No actually. This was All Might's suggestion. He didn't think any of the dress shoes he saw really meshed with the suit. But my sneakers," Izuku stuck out a foot, planting his heel and wagging his bright red shoe for everyone to see, "he thought went with it perfectly. Said it should really pop."
More shudders all around, though Izuku missed them all. Looking back up, his eyes sparkled with excitement. "What do you think, Uraraka? I look pretty cool, huh?"
Everyone, except for Izuku, could see the muscles in Ochako's neck tense as her teeth ground together while she forced a smile. "Oh, yeah, Izuku. It's certainly eye-catching. All Might was right. It's definitely… 'poppin'. All eyes are gonna be on us, for sure."
Izuku practically bounced with excitement. "I know! Isn't it great! Oh! Quick," Izuku pulled his phone out and looked around to hand it off, "someone get a picture of us."
Mina had her phone out already, an evil smirk on her face. "Oh, trust me, I'm taking so many pictures."
Tenya took Izuku's phone while the boy rushed to stand beside Ochako. There was an awkward pause as they just stood next to each other, before Izuku slowly, tentatively, reached his hand out and snaked it behind Ochako. He kept glancing at her, waiting to see if she was okay with the intimacy he was showing.
At first, Ochako did nothing. It was really because she was horrified that people were about to take pictures of them, though Izuku perhaps took it as that he was crossing a personal line since they were out in public. But before he withdrew his hand and went back to just standing beside her, Ochako leaned into him, pressing her side into his and laying a hand across his chest. Izuku then rested his outreached hand on the small of her back.
There wasn't much Ochako could do to salvage anything, but she could still act cute as hell as she took pictures with her boyfriend. At the very least, no one was going to say she didn't put in the effort.
Inko picked up her phone when she heard it ping with a text. She saw the message, 'Me and Uraraka at the reception all dressed up,' and hastily clicked on the picture.
"Oh…"
Bright smiles and her son did look so happy. Plus, with the way the two were posed, it was pretty clear things must have gone well with their earlier date. Otherwise, there was no way her dear boy would have the courage to touch Ochako so intimately.
However…
"Sakura, Musen, Biruda… Give me the strength not to kill that man."
Inko could actually hear that old rifle of hers calling. If there had ever been a time to dig it out, it was because of this travesty.
"I'm stabbing All Might," Himiko said definitely.
Tsuyu just kept typing on her phone, not really taking her seriously as she lay on Himiko's bed. "No you're not."
"Yes I am."
"No. Stop before you get in trouble with Midnight-sensei."
Himiko stomped over and showed Tsuyu her phone. "Really? She hasn't told me not to stab him."
Sure enough, after Himiko had shared the photo with Midnight as all the justification she needed to stab the hero, Midnight had still not told her no. The 'typing' symbol had been on display for a very long time now.
"So is this… normal?" Shouto asked the rest of the group while Izuku beamed happily as he texted out their photo.
Mina scratched her head. "I mean… I guess it's normal for them."
That got a few nods.
Tenya then looked down as he checked the time on his phone. "We should get going. The event is scheduled to start momentarily, and apparently it will be opening with a speech from All Might. As his students, we should not miss such an occasion. Midoriya, Uraraka, we're going now."
Izuku waved. "Okay, we'll be right with you!"
The group started off, and out of the corner of Izuku's eye, as he was putting his phone away, he saw something that made him pause. He watched as Kyouka hurried to stand by Momo and then turned a few shades pink as their taller classmate nonchalantly linked their arms. Watching the two for a few moments longer, Izuku blinked and then huffed as he smiled. "Huh, I wonder if I was ever that bad."
Ochako tilted her head. "What'd you say Deku?"
"Oh, um, nothing." Izuku waved it off.
Ochako rolled her eyes. "Well, we should hurry up. Don't want the others to get ahead of us. Now… hold still."
Ochako took a second to look Izuku over before she reached up and started fiddling with his suit, making sure his tie was straight, his collar was folded properly and his cuffs weren't riding up. When she checked his right, she blinked and held up his hand. "Hey, what's this?"
"Oh, Melissa gave it to me. It's a support item she made a while back when she was… younger." Izuku put a little more emphasis on that last part. Ochako nodded, showing she understood. "It's to help me be able to use One for All more without hurting myself."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah… Only thing is, she forgot to tell me how to take it off."
Ochako turned so she wasn't laughing right in Izuku's face. "Well, hopefully she'll tell you sooner rather than later. Cause I don't want to be you when Hatsume sees you wearing someone else's tech."
"…" Izuku gulped and smiled nervously. "I mean… it won't be that big of a deal."
Neither of them believed that for a second. But before Izuku could really start to panic, Ochako took his arm and linked it with hers. "Shall we?"
Izuku blushed but grinned radiantly. "Lets."
Excitedly, Izuku and Ochako quickly hurried after their friends. Both were sure that tonight was going to be a night to remember.
The moment they caught up with everyone, fate proved them right, as suddenly, a loud alarm rang out over the tower's intercoms.
Warning!
Warning!
Warning!
This is an announcement by the I-Island security system. We have received a report from the security system that an explosive device was placed in the I-Expo area. I-Island will now be in high alert mode. Residents and tourists should return to their homes or lodgings. Anyone still outside ten minutes from now may be arrested without warning. Please refrain from going outdoors. In addition, most of the main buildings will be sealed off by the security system.