#While writing this I suddenly found myself so frustrated with Izuku that my last tries to write this ended in a trashcan instead

[buttercupshands]

MHA didn't create some miracle way of helping others. It was never promised to be this way. And when it came to villains...

Spoilers for manga all the way to chapter 423.

The only way to get anything in life in MHA was to be born "normal" like everyone else and that way of thinking never left Izuku with Toga getting the same treatment she did before from everyone from her family to her "normal" classmates. It was Ochako who helped Toga even if just a little by lifting the weight of all the feelings that Toga had.

She couldn't save Toga the way one could save a civilian by saving them from harm. If it worked that way Dabi would've saved Toga even before Ochako could apologize for failing to notice Toga. She was so lazer focused on saving everyone else, that she was just another villain to stop, not a human.

Even if by the end of it Ochako helped Toga to deal with her grief, acceptance as it was wasn't something possible when a quirk makes you want to drink someone's blood from jealousy.

We got a bittersweet ending with Toga, in which she probably died from blood loss just like her double did in MVA. If it wasn't for Twice she would've died back then.

Giving away her blood for Ochako wasn't a redemption or a way to save Toga in the end, more as it was her being true to herself until the very end.

Just like Twice chose to stay with the League even if Hawks offered him a way to survive that battle. He refused and died protecting his friends who accepted him instead of choosing to betray them and accept Hawks' offer.

After Twice's death... It was a matter of time that more 'active' LoV members would join him as well. As sad as it is, we now can return to Izuku.

Who, after his time OFA-AFO quirk space, now wanted to help a "crying boy" he saw in Tenko just as before with Katsuki in chapter 1. He didn't forgive Tomura and didn't excuse the way he chose to solve his problems.

It didn't mean that Tomura would survive in their battle, even if Izuku didn't see killing others as a way to solve problems. He didn't understand Tomura, but he still wanted to try, and try he did.

The rest of this post was nothing more than a contextual prologue to understand that it's not the first time a hero failed to save a villain and in Twice's case we know that he died and his death was the reason Toga started thinking about her own possible death and Dabi finally revealed himself as Toya.

The goal of saving a "crying boy" never was an end-goal for Izuku in the Final arc, since helping Tomura deal with his feelings just left him hollow with a goal that clashed with Izuku's. As being a hero for villains meant destroying the world for them to help them live freely.

But that was before AFO resurfaced.

Sadly after that Tomura who was talking about making his own choices for a while now stopped doing that. Even if he still had a goal of helping villains and only villains, Tomura was almost gone. And his goals were now unreachable.

Izuku helped Nana who in turn kept Tomura from fading away entirely. In MHA there were countless situations where Izuku's help affected people by helping a different person to keep hope, All-Might being the first one and Nana being the last one at the moment.

Hollow after Izuku helped him to get rid of his hatred Tomura could do the only thing he did - accept the situation as it was.

Accepting AFO as his Sensei, accepting Stain's ideals and Overhaul's deal was the way he solved his problems. Just like Izuku had a problem of understanding something outside of his norm, Tomura was accepting too many things, which lead to his downfall after accepting AFO's quirk.

Just like Twice could've given up everything that he had for his friends so did Tomura.

With Izuku helping as much as he could let Tomura to finally rest as he wasn't really living ever since waking up in the hospital. With his body now affected by AFO's wishes instead of his own until the end.

In a way Izuku didn't succeed in his wish for Tomura to stop ever since PLF war arc. As he "kept fighting to destroy" no matter how hard Izuku tried to stop him.

The only thing he succeeded in was changing Tomura's mind about himself, instead of viewing himself as a monster he accepted that he was a human just like Izuku said. A "crying boy" who couldn't really destroy Izuku's hands in the end.

For a group of Villains who weren't supposed to get profiles of their own at the start of the series, League is slowly fading as the most memorable group that there was in MHA, getting backstories, their own Villain themed arc all the while being as human as anyone else.

As sad as their story is they were not "unlucky", they didn't need a happy false ending where they would need to change to be normal - they chose to live this way and they lived it to it's fullest.

[redhawtriot]

Caught in The Act (Bakugou x Reader x Todoroki)

ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFTTTT!!! I honestly loved how fun this has been with you all! It’s gonna be bittersweet to end it for sure

Love you

HnM💕

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4,  Finale

Part 5:

Your fingers anxiously danced against the back of his hot neck as you ingested his expression. Todoroki was always an extremely difficult person to evaluate, even when the two you were at your closest, so it was no surprise that you were unable to pinpoint his emotions. You could, however, narrow it down to something similar to discomfort… maybe sadness?

Your fingers halted their dance as you suddenly gathered him into a hug. You deepy sighed against his chest as your fingers slowly dropped from around his neck to meet with his face instead, “God, you’re so right,” you shook your head, trying to rid yourself from the guilt that ate at you, “It wouldn’t be fair to Bakugou, and I would be putting myself on his level by moving on so fast, anyway.”

He grabbed you softly by your wrists and floated them down as he stared purposefully at you, “This has nothing to do with him,” he tenderly reprimanded, “Let’s give us some time. It’s all about you properly healing. You said that to me once, remember? In U.A.?”

You totally had said those words to him in high school. It wasn’t the same situation, but comparisons could be made, you guessed. When you first met Todoroki, you had naturally gravitated towards him due to the stoic demeanor of his that mirrored your own. As time went on, you had found, however, that the similarities had not just ended there.

His father, much like your own, was a very miserable man, who committed very miserable acts of hatred against his own children. You had spoken those words of encouragement to Todoroki after he had lashed out on you because of his deeper-rooted pains.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” you blinked, completely unprepared for the barrage of memories dating back to your high school days.

“Trust me, I have never craved affection like I crave it from you,” he reassured as he dropped your hands fully so they dangled by your sides,  “but it wont do either of us good to rush into things right now. For now, let’s not even expect to start a relationship. Maybe expectations are what messed us up last time.”

You and Todoroki had vowed to try things again one day when he had become more comfortable with himself, as to not wear down your already fragile relationship. It had worked for the most part— mostly thanks to his other best friend Midoriya keeping him centered. You and Todo had become close again in no time at all—pretty much inseparable.

Pretty much.

As your shell broke, mostly due to your friends in class 1-A, you had begun to gravitate towards a certain explosive boy. Bakugou pretty much pulled out a side of you that felt as natural as breathing— like you had been holding your breath for years as you desperately tried to maintain an image of yourself that you thought would protect you, and when you two started dating it was like a weight had been lifted from your lungs.

You would still maintain a calm demeanor for the most part, because it was what made you feel safe, but you could finally expand your lungs again, having some flexibility in the persona.

Honestly the person had completely shattered once Bakugou cheated on you. Much like what had happened to All Might a few years back, your flexing form withered away little by little until you were eventually only able to conjure it in spurts.  

But were you happy about that? You had nothing to hide behind now. You were completely bare and out in the open.

Honestly you were to blame as much as anyone else for that. You saw the signs ahead of time. You just didn’t want to admit it. Bakugou was cold, distant, rude, arrogant, hotheaded, and apparently disloyal. GOD!

Were you an idiot or what? Young you really dumped Prince Charming and got engaged to the fire breathing dragon.

You snapped yourself out of your thoughts once more as you raised your eyebrows together and looked at the man trying to keep his distance from you, “Todoroki… we were just kids. There’s nothing else to it.”

“Even so,” he smiled, but you swear that a flash of remorse flew across his expression, “I am just happy that we are friends again. I would be just fine with that for now.”

You reluctantly agreed as you tried to flash him a slight smile.

You and Todoroki had mostly stayed true to your agreement. At first, it was hard. Maybe it was the fact that you guys had been completely starved from each other for an entire year, but the tension that resided over the two of you was almost overwhelming.

Luckily, or unluckly, depending on how you want to look at it, Fae made a fixed habit of interrupting the two of you as soon as tensions became too sweltering. It was almost as if she had a cock blocking quirk. But no, her quirk was printing her thoughts on blank papers, which helped her a lot in her profession: writing.

She would often times come bursting in with her usual, “Oh! I’m sorry! I hope I am not interrupting something!” which the two of you would furiously deny before she would have Todoroki skim over her latest work in literature.

Over time her Cockblocking became less an less, but only because the intense moments became less an less. Time flew very quickly as the passing days where you would find yourselves in awkward, close-proximity situations, moved on to weeks where you would accidentally say something with too much sexuality in your voice, which finally moved on to months where the two of you would only steal lingering glances from one another.

All in all, you two eventually could cohabit without wanting to jump each other’s bones. You went on to working as a high school teacher as usual, he went on to working as a top hero as normal, and everything became rather smooth sailing from there.

Until it didn’t.

“Get the hell out of my way, you IcyHot bastard!!”

“Kachhan, we have to work together if we want to stop this guy!!”

“SHUT THE HELL UP, DEKU!!”

A group of heroes had gathered in the middle of the city square to corner a gigantic kaiju villain with an arbor quirk. The open space would allow for the heroes to minimize the already skyrocketed property damages due to his people-sized thorn projectiles. Ground Zero scoffed as he tried to distance himself from the other heroes and zero in on the villain by himself.

Kirishima frantically scrambled after his best friend. He knew that Bakugou certainly had not been in a good mood that day. He had hardly found any good days with the man since you had left two months ago frankly,

“Hey, Bakugou man, calm down!” Kirishima pleaded as he held his arms up to block his friend from moving closer to the villain, “We’ll never take this guy if you can’t keep your cool and focus!”

“Fucking watch me! I’ll take him down my damn self!” Bakugou threw a warning blast directly in Kirishimas face. Due to his quirk the blast didn’t hurt him at all, but it did send him back a few steps, allowing for Bakugou to move around him, “You think an extra like him is enough to keep top heroes down?!”

Kirishima blinked at his friends choice of words before a huge smile tore across his face, “So you believe in us? That’s thinking like a man, Bakugou!”

“Dammit, stop twisting my words, Kirishima!” the man fumed as his hands crackled angrily, “That’s not what I said, you dumbass!” he finished before Todoroki and Midoriya suddenly appeared by their side.

“Kachhan, you and Todoroki have to flank him from the right while I stay with the long range fighters up front as a distraction!” Izuku commanded. The man must have felt unimaginable pressure in the situation since he was the top hero, “Kirishima! You have to finish leading the evacuation. There are still people that need saving from under the rubble.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!!” Bakugou roared before begrudgingly heading to the right flank alongside Todoroki, “Just stay out of my way,” he growled.

“It likely wont be a problem, since you’ll have trouble keeping up with me anyway,” Todoroki coldly replied as he sped ahead of the blond, sliding on his ice.

“The HELL did you just say?!” The explosive man screeched before using the blasts in his hands to propel himself next to Todoroki again.

Todoroki didn’t even throw him  glance, “Focus on the mission and being so damn irate.”

“Focus on this, asswipe!!” Bakugou roared as he blasted the other man away from him.

“Cut it out.” Todoroki lowly warned as he fixed himself to send the giant tree villain a sharp ice attack. Bakugou simply growled in response,

“Just get out of the way then, half and half bastard,” he seethed as he sent a series of wild explosions toward the villain. They were highly effective but knocked into the ice cage that Todorki had set up, allowing the kaiju to move enough to send a barrage of heavy splinters toward the two.

“LOOK OUT!” Izuku screamed right before the two managed to narrowly doge being impaled to death. The large splinters found their way whizzing past the two, piercing many buildings behind them. Todoroki clenched his fists tightly as crystals began to form on his hand,

“You’re acting like a child!”

“Maybe if your ice wasn’t so damn weak we wouldn’t be in this mess right now!” the blond spat back.

“Just STOP the nonsense, Bakugou!” he screamed very uncharacteristically, “I want to make it back home to Y/N in one piece,” he finished wildly.

Bakugou’s heart immediately shriveled inside of his chest, “What…” as Todoroki stormed back toward the villain, Bakugou felt as if the world around him was moving at a much slower pace and he replayed the other man’s words in his mind again.

Because he couldn’t have heard that right.

It felt as if one of those thorny projectiles had actually managed to stab him in the chest, as he tried to figure out with that damn mismatched loser had tried to insinuate. He loudly growled in frustration as he sent a colossal Howitzer impact towards the giant tree of a man, setting him aflame with a thunderous screech.

Bakugou found himself frozen again as he realized that no matter how loud he screeched, no matter how many things he blasted, this pain would never go away. It had been months and yet it was as if he still had a fresh, life threatening wound.

His faltering gave Todoroki and the other heroes the opportunity that they needed to rush in, extinguish the fire and contain the bad guy.

Bakugou watched the world slowly move around him before he fell limp, grabbing his throbbing wrist. No matter how many times his brain tried to reassess it could only come up with one scenario: you had ended up with Todoroki again—just as he always feared you would.

Bakugou didn’t even realize just how much the back of his eyes stung until Todoroki had spoken up to him once more, “There now was that so difficult?”

The blond kept his eyes low as he silently stormed away from the battle scene, leaving the other heroes baffled and confused as they watched his quiet form stalk away.

After the situation had been properly handled, Kirishima casually came home after work, just as he always did—completely unsuspecting of the shit show that he was about to walk into,

“Bakugou, man! We really could have used you out there for cleanup!”

“The mismatched bastard seemed to think he had everything under control,” he grumbled as he walked away from his sweaty, filthy roommate, “I’m sure even you guys could handle it,” he sneered without throwing him even a glance.

“That’s not the point!” Kirishima argued with furrowed eyebrows as he followed his friend. What the hell was he thinking? It was like Bakugou had completely forgotten all those years of training to be a hero,

“There were people who still needed saving, and you turned your back on them. I mean, you’re lucky no one died, man!” Kirishima had expected the other man to quite literaly explode at his words. The redhead was completely unprepared for the awkward silence that densely sat inbetween the two as Bakugou paused and stared at the ground in front of him.

Kirishima worried for a moment that maybe he had been too hard on his friend before the silence broke.

“Did you know…?” Bakugou finally croaked, “about, Y/N and Todoroki?” he grimaced at the ill feeling that the phrase left in his mouth.

“What?!” Kirishima gasped, “No! of course I didn’t... Seriously!? A-are you sure?” His eyes widened substantially.

“Why the hell would I make something like that up, huh??” Bakugou sharply grabbed Kirishima by the shoulder straps before throwing him against the wall, releasing him.

“Okay, man….” Kirishima cautiously began , “I am just gonna come out at say it! You need to talk about what happened between you and Y/N.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he huffed as he stiffly threw his hands into his pocket and walked to his room, slamming the door behind him. Kirishima sighed before walking up to the door,

“Hey Bakugou, I am your friend, man,” he argued into the wooden barrier, “You can talk to me! I can see that it’s eating you up inside. I just want to h—”

“Cut that shit out, Kirishima. I don’t want to talk,” his muffled voice sounded from the other side. Kirishima sharply bit his tongue as he debated on saying what was on his mind.

Fuck it.

“I’ve seen that ring in your pocket,” he breathed, “You still carry it around after all this time. I know you miss her like crazy. She was a great woman to you, but… it might be time to let her go, man,” even his own heart broke at the words that spilled from his lips, but he continued, “How are you supposed to do that if you can’t even talk about what went dow—"

Bakugou suddenly ripped the door back open, revealing his furious expression, “You don’t think I know that? Huh?! I know how amazing she is, fucking shitty hair. I’m the one who dated her remember?!” He screamed in Kirishima’s face, “No matter how many times you fucked her in that pervy little brain of yours, I am the one she slept next to every night. And now??” His voice cracked, “I’m alone every night with my fuck ups eating at me. How I let my soulmate down-- I let everyone down!!” He screeched.

Kirishima could only stand frozen with a horrified expression plastered onto his face, leaving Bakugou to scoff at him,

“Oh, What?! You didn’t think I knew?!” He angrily wiped his teary eyes with the back of his hand, “How you looked at her? How you found every excuse in the book to wedge yourself into our time together? That night, you told me that you didn’t want her to leave us. There is no us, you delusional bastard. It is me and her. Or was,” he angrily threw a quick glance up at the ceiling as he tried to hold back his tears,

“And you cant even spring up that familiy bullshit. Its not exactly the three amigos when you look at her like apiece of meat.”

“Look who’s talking,” Kirishima lowly muttered to himself.

“What the FUCK did you just say?!” Bakugou screeched as he shoved he other man hard into the wall behind him, leaving an obvious crack.

“Look, Bakugou, man, I know that you are hurting right now,” the calmer man began as he hardened and swatted Bakugou’s hands away from him, “but I am not about to feed into your anger, bro. I just want to help.”

“How the hell are you supposed to help me?” Bakugou shoved him again, earning a cautionary glance from Kirishima, “Can you help me erase what the fuck I did!? Can you help me get her back???” he shoved the other man over and over agin.

“You cheated!! I don’t think there is going back from that with her!!” Kirishima loudly blurted finaly.

“What the fuck do you know, loser?!” Bakugou screeched, his voice cracking as the back of his eyes dared to burn from his head. Kirishima walked away rather than try to indulge in his friend’s behavior, but Bakugou wasn’t having it, “Don’t walk away from me, bastard!!” he charged after the man, “Hey! We aren’t finished,” he screamed as he threw a blast directly into Kirishmias face.

His wrists still hurt from his altercation earlier but he didn’t care has he sent a barrage of assaults Kirishima’s way. Kirishima could only throw his arms up and initiate his quirk.

“Fight back dammit,” Bakugou wasn’t even trying to hold his voice back from falling apart anymore as tears agressivly rolled down his cheeks.

After a while of just taking it, Kirishima had finally had enough, “You haven’t even tried to fix things with her!” he erupted before the smack of his hardened fist against Bakugou’s face echoed against the walls, “You’ve just been avoiding everything that you are feeling and bottling it up until it explodes. And then you start all over again. You’re never going to get her back with that cycle!” Bakugou had fallen to the floor but was steadily picking himself back up,

“Shut up!” he snarled as his weakening muscles failed underneath him, sending him back to the floor.

“I mean at least try, man!” kirishima threw exasperated clenched fists into the air, “Do you even care that you’ll never be with her again? Or are you just one big self-pitying party?”

“I SAID SHUT THE HELL UP!!!” Bakugou roared as he sent a final large explosion Kirishima’s way. The redhead could hardly harden in time before the blast reached him.

After the smoke had cleared a hungry flame was revealed.

“Shit, man.” “Fucking hell.”

The two men could only watch in horror as the flames greedily began to eat away at their home, growing and destroying anything in their path.

Meanwhile.

You had a fire of your own to deal with,

“Hot, hot, hottt!!” you tried to ventilate your mouth with sharp sucking breaths as you tasted the gumbo that you were preparing. You were entirely too used to cooking for Katsuki for all those years.

“Hey, Y/N!” you heard Fae’s light voice sound from the front lving room, “Come on out, I would really like for you to meet my little sister before we head out!”

Oh yeah, you had forgotten that she was coming over today. Fae’s sister hardly ever stopped by, but you’d been dying to meet her after all of the funny stories Fae had shared about her,

“Okay coming, just gimme a sec!” You threw a pitying grimace to the pot of food you had been slaving over, “Hope she likes spicy food.” You whispered to yourself before throwing the stove on low and making your way to the living room,

“Sorry, I was just fixing up dinner! Hope you like Gum… bo.” Your word barely managed to find its way out of your mouth as you threw a horrified expression to the nightmare in front of you.

“Y/N, this is my sister, Farrah,” Fae’s sweet smile greatly contrast the soup of hot, disgusting feelings that had been simmering in your pot for two months.

Her sister, Farrah? You mean the same girl you had found pinned to your grandmother’s dresser two month ago.

“H-holy Shit! Sis, this is that crazy bitch I was telling you about!” Farrah anxiously tapped Fae on the shoulder, much like she had Bakugou that night.

Do you tell her about herself and calmly walk away from the situation? Or do you BEAT THAT HO ASS?

YOU DECIDE!

Follow this link to cast your vote!

[justabstractthings]

Pink Delphiniums | Midoriya x F!Reader

Pairing: Midoriya Izuku x Female!Reader

Quirk: Nature-control type. You can control nature around you and can grow plants out of your body, but it requires you to use your blood. 

Warnings: Angst to Fluff. Cutting. Blood.

Word count: 2.4k

A/N: Hello everyone! I wrote this for @bnhaclaimedmysoul​ BNHA Spring Time Event! It was a lot of fun being able to meet new people! Give it up for them for setting up such a thoughtful and fun event!

Without further ado, this is dedicate to my new friend @sunkissedneptune​ !!! I almost gave myself away a few times 👀But it was a lot of fun writing Midoriya for the first time and I really hope you enjoy it! Also...

🌺🌺🌺BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! 🌺🌺🌺

It was an ordinary day like any other. 

Well… not really. 

It was your birthday! Today was your special day and you’ve planned on spending the whole day with your boyfriend. Saying that you were excited for your birthday was an understatement. 

This was your special day and nothing was going to ruin it for you.

But life never made things easy for you.

That’s because your boyfriend happened to be Midoriya Izuku, a magnet for disasters and chaos. Big or small. Intentional or accident. Villain or Bakugo. It seemed that your boyfriend was always in the middle of a fight (or disagreement). 

But you wouldn’t change a thing about him. 

You admired his spirit and his tenacity to make other people smile. While you knew about the secret behind his quirk, you watched as he trained day in and day out in order to use the gift he was given to save lives. He always sought out the truth and put others before him. His personality drew others toward him. That’s how he caught your attention in the first place.

Now here you were. 

On your birthday. 

Sitting outside a little cafe that was right across from a park. 

Waiting for your boyfriend to meet you for your special day.

And he was 30 minutes late.

You checked your phone for the 50th time. Still no text or calls. You felt the slow creep of anxiety running up your spine. This wasn’t like Midoriya. Even if he was running late, Midoriya would make sure to let you know.

With a deep sigh, you decided that a walk around the park would help calm your nerves. It was still a beautiful day and it was still your birthday. You weren’t going to spend your birthday worrying and moping around. 

As you were crossing the street, you heard a shrill scream. You looked towards the sound and saw a large man standing over a group of school girls. “Stay away!” one of the girls cried.

He stood a good five feet taller compared to the girls with hard scales surrounding his whole body. You noticed a large tail swishing menacingly behind him. His sinister smile showcased sharp rows of teeth. When you saw his equally sharp claws reach for one of the girls, you shouted, “Get away from them!”

With quick reflexes, you grabbed your knife out of your purse and sliced your palm open. Blood ran down your hand, but the pain quickly disappeared as vines grew out in place of the blood. The distraction gave you the opportunity to have your vines wrap tightly around the villain. With a heavy cry, you threw the villain away from the girls towards the large iron fence that surrounded the park. 

“Call for help!” you ordered as you watched the crocodile-humanoid slowly rising. 

Your throat constricted as you tried to gulp down the fear rising from your stomach. There were no other pro-heroes around the area. Even with your hero license, you couldn’t do this alone. Crocodile man was too large and too powerful for you to subdue without backup. Something in the back of your head told you to run, hide, anything but fight. 

But you weren’t going to let a villain get away. 

As you slowly walked towards the crocodile man, you sliced your other palm and splattered blood on the grass by your feet. You felt the soothing connection with the plants around you with the help of your quirk. The branches swayed to your will. The grass grew under your feet. Rose thorns multiplied as they slithered around your form. 

Not really how you planned on spending your birthday. But what can you do? All you needed to do was last long enough for the pro heroes to arrive. 

Happy birthday to you.

With a loud growl, the crocodile man ran towards you at full speed. You threw your left hand in front of you as a tree branch snapped against the villain’s chest. With a flick of your wrist, sharp blades of grass flew straight to the villain. Crocodile man roared and turned his back to you. He used his back as a shield while the grass bounced off without leaving so much as a scratch.

The villain used his tail to swipe the grass away. Before you knew it, the villain had his arm cocked right in front of your face. With a gasp, you shielded your face with your arms. In turn, tree branches created a form of a shield in front of you. Unfortunately, the villain punched right through the branch shield and landed a solid hit against your arms

Your body flew through the air and landed against a solid trunk. The impact pushed the air out of your lungs as you gasped in pain. Thankfully, the moss growing on the tree grew in size and cushioned some of the impact. Some.

You bit your lip as tears began streaming down your face. Everything hurt. Intense throbbing pain enveloped your back. Sharp pain stabbed against your chest with each breath you took. Your body screamed for you to run away. 

The villain walked towards your form as you struggled to stand up. “Stay out business, little girl. Wanted good time. Settle with you.” His sinister smile sent a shiver up your smile. 

Your vision began to blur and your head throbbed with each beat of your heart. You were losing too much blood. You cursed as you felt the connection start to dwindle. You just needed to last a bit longer. Just enough for the pro-heroes to show up. 

“Not today, jackass.” With a swipe of your knife, blood gushed onto the grass. You pushed through throbbing headache as you raised both arms. 

Thorn vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around the villain’s wrists, torso, and ankles. While the vines didn’t cut through the villain’s hard scaled, they held against his insistent pulling until he couldn’t raise his arms. Millions of leaves started surrounding the crocodile man like a tornado. He shouted in frustration as more and more surrounded him until he disappeared behind the leaf tornado. 

You did it. 

You captured a villain. 

All by yourself.

Happy Birthday to you. 

As a relieved smile began forming on your bruised face, a sharp pain shot through your head. Next thing you knew, you were lying face down on the grass. You felt the sickening sever of your connection with nature. All at once, the leaves and vines subduing the villain wilted away.

The crocodile man grinned at his freedom and focus his yellow reptile eyes on your vulnerable form. In a few steps, he was standing in front of you. You gasped in pain as the villain squeezed your throat and lifted you to his face. With what little strength you had left, you clawed against his grip. 

Tears streamed down your face as you fought against the villain. You felt mind slowly losing consciousness. No, you had to stay awake. The heroes are coming. He’s coming. He’ll save you. He’ll be here any minute. 

“Weak little girl,” the villain taunted. 

‘I’m sorry, Izuku.’

“Y/N!” 

The grip on your throat suddenly disappeared and you inhaled a quick deep breath. Before you lost consciousness, you saw a blur of green and felt his warm arms wrap around your body. 

You smiled. He’s here.

❁  ❁   ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  ❁  

For the first time in his life, Midoriya was silent. 

Your birthday was supposed to be a happy celebration. He had everything planned out. It was going to be perfect. However, everything took a nosedive when he found out there was a villain attack by the cafe he promised he would meet you at.

When he arrived, his vision bled red as he watched the crocodile humanoid lifting your struggling body off the ground. In a blink of an eye, Midoriya appeared beside the villain and landed a strong blow against his face. He gently pulled you against his chest just as you lost consciousness.

Thankfully, other pro heroes arrived on time. While the pro heroes fought against the villain, Midoriya quickly took you to the nearest hospital. His heart pounded against his chest as he watched your battered body being taken away from him. He numbly waited outside the room for hours.

For the first time in his life, Midoriya was silent.

This was all his fault. He should have texted or called you that he was running late. He should have been there to protect you. He should have been there. 

What kind of hero couldn’t protect one person?

Pathetic. 

When the doctors left your room, they explained that you suffered from severe blood loss due to the overuse of your quirk. 

Weak.

They told Midoriya that he saved her in time.

Unworthy.

It’s been a week since your birthday. The day Midoriya almost lost you. The image of you dangling against the villain’s grip haunted Midoriya every day and night. It didn’t matter if he was sleeping or not. All he could see was your bloody and bruised body.

Midoriya made his way to your hospital room. He faithfully visited every day; and every day, he would bring the same gift, hoping that it would somehow give you enough strength and hope. He knew that it was your favorite and he researched enough websites to know what it meant.

He stood outside your hospital room as he gripped the gift tightly between his hands. He took a deep breath and pushed your door open. But the sight he saw caused his breath to hitch.

There you were. As beautiful as the day he saw you for the first time. 

And you were awake. Awake and smiling brightly at him. Even with bandages wrapped around your arms and dressed in a white hospital gown, you were breathtaking. 

“Hello, Izuku.”

Before the gift hit the floor, Midoriya has you enveloped in a tight hug. You ignored the dull ache as you let Midoriya’s presence soothe you. You felt water soak up your hospital gown as Midoriya cried waterfalls. You could hear him profusely apologizing against your neck. You smiled as you rubbed small circles against Midoriya’s back and whispered assurances that you were okay. Eventually, his cries quieted down to soft sniffles.

You held Midoriya a little longer as you looked around the room. Your smile widened.

“Pink Delphiniums.”

You pushed Midoriya away from you as you looked into his watery green eyes. Green eyes that you loved so much. “You remembered.”

Midoriya nodded shyly as he grabbed the flowers that fell on the floor. “They’re your favorite. You also talk about them and how they would grow in a meadow by your backyard,” Midoriya explained. “Pink Delphiniums symbolize youth and renewal, but they’re also meant to-”

“Protect.” You finished for him as you saw him looking down at his hands.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” His shoulders began to shake as another burst of tears began streaming down his face.

You grabbed his cheeks and forced him to look at you. “Hey, don’t be sorry. I’m fine now.”

“But you got hurt! You lost a lot of blood and broke multiple bones! Not to mention the concussion.”

“And where did I learn that from?” You scoffed, recounting the number of times you stayed by his side as his bones healed from severe injuries. “I’m fine, Izuku. You saved me, remember? You’re my hero.” 

You saw the permanent frown and scrunched brow etched onto Midoriya’s face. No matter how much you reassure him, you knew your boyfriend would worry about you endlessly. That’s just how he is.

And you wouldn’t change a thing.

Midoriya sighed and softly grabbed your hand, scared of breaking you even further. “I-I know I’m not as smart as Bakugo. I’m not as brave as Kirishima. And I’m not as strong as Todoroki. But I promise to keep you safe. I promise to protect you. I promise to keep that smile on your beautiful face.”

Before you could reply, Midoriya had his lips pressed against yours. You felt you butterflies in your stomach and your heart race. Electricity ran from your lips to the tips of your toes. Unfortunately, you didn’t react fast enough before Midoriya pulled away.

When he realized what he had done, Midoriya resembled a tomato. He stuttered apologies and other things you couldn’t understand when he talked too fast. 

You rolled your eyes as Midoriya kept muttering to himself. This wasn’t going to stop until you did something. You grabbed his shirt and pulled his closer to you. He finally stopped when you pressed your lips against his own, reciprocating the feelings and promises he made earlier.

When you separated, Midoriya was still red, but at least he stopped. 

“So, why were you late for my birthday?” you asked.

This time Midoriya gulped in fear. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “W-well, I was finishing up from last-minute things for your birthday.” He looked at you with an apologetic grin on his face. You stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. He sighed and revealed his surprise. “I planned for us to spend the whole day together. I figured we could bake a cake for your birthday. In the afternoon, we would have a picnic in the small meadow behind your house. Then if you were okay with it, we would go camping and spend the night staring at the stars. Then, in the morning, we would wake up early to watch the flowers bloom. I know it’s not much, but I wanted to do something special for you. Maybe I should have planned something smaller. I wasn’t even sure if that’s what you wanted to do for your birthday. I know it’s cheesy and stupi-”

“Izuku, shut up.” Midoriya clamped his mouth shut as you pulled him into a tight hug. You inhaled his calming scent as you felt his arms wrap around your waist. You hummed as you tightened your arms around his neck and rested your head on his shoulder. As you looked at the multiple pink delphiniums decorated around your room, you knew. 

“I love you.”

[faulty-writes]

I read the pirate ask, I didn’t know I needed a pirate au in my life until you posted it!!! Can I request the same boys + Dabi’s reaction to learning their beloved mermaid escaped but then after a while she decides to comes back cause she loves them? Thank you! (P.s Absolutely love you and your stuff)

[ Thank you, I appreciate that you like my work so much. Let’s see what dear old faulty-writes can do. ] 

Previous Pirate!AU here. 

Tomura Shigaraki 

He should have expected this, no one ever wanted to stay with a ruthless Captain. Okay, maybe he didn’t treat you the best. But damn it, he gave you a room. He let you sleep with him in his bed, he had fought off some pathetic pirates that tried to kidnap you from his ship. What more did you want? Frankly Captain Shigaraki thought you were being ungrateful, despite the fact it hurt without your presence on the ship. Not that he would admit it. 

Still, he had taken his foul mood out on his crew members. “All hands hoay!” he screamed and tapped his foot impatiently, everyone on the ship knew better than to keep the Captain waiting. But, even they knew the Captain was pissed off without you around, he had even hung a few of his lesser-known crew members for talking back to him. 

Weeks had passed since your escape and though Shigaraki wouldn’t admit it, he missed you. “Why should I miss that wench!? Ungrateful ...I should have tied a hempen halter myself and ...” he growled, clearly frustrated as he sat on his bed. Teeth pressing together and his anger boiling, he suddenly shot up. Ready to go hang another crew member when the sound of something caught his ears. He stopped a moment, his eyes widened as he recognized the melody and quickly ran up to the deck. It was night time and the stars were shimmering in the sky and the boat was gently rocking to the rhythm of the sea. 

He looked around before spotting a hand on the edge of his boat. He quickly ran over, though he was surprised to see you climbing up the side of his boat. He reached down and pulled you up. “So ...ye’ve come back have ye?” he questioned before growling. “Why is that?” you smiled in response. “Ye love me something awful, huh?” he said before huffing, “Well ...ye’re still mine. Try and escape again and I swear I’ll ...” his words came to a stop when you wrapped your arms around him. Making his body stiffen in response, though he denied he didn’t want it. His heart still raced knowing that you came back to him. 

Shinsou Hitoshi 

Despite his promotion due to your capture, he couldn’t help but feel some guilt. During your time on the ship, he had visited you in the holding cell. Offered you food and on occasion he’d take a nap with you. It wasn’t the most stable relationship, but he did notice he happened to smile whenever he was near you. But, part of him was suspicious that someone else had helped you escape as there was no other way you could have gotten out of the holding cell. 

But still, he tried to carry on like nothing bothered him. But those that knew him a little more than the rest had noticed his change in behavior. Though he normally appeared uninterested in anything. There was a certain light in his eye that was gone and it left with you. Shinsou was sighing more than usual and often stayed up at night, writing letters to you and a few pieces of poetry. 

He had begun to sit in his dinghy at night, it was securely tied to the ship so he had no fear he’d be swept out to sea. He would wait until it was quiet and the rest of the crew was asleep. Then he’d sit and look at the moon and stars, notebook in hand as he used a candle for light. One night in particular his heart was aching and he sighed, feeling no motivation to write. “Where are ye ...I miss having ye around,” he muttered before he felt his boat tip over. 

He gasped and the next thing he knew, he was underwater, and hands grabbed onto his waist. He kicked and tried to pry them off before he saw your face come into view, your hair floating all around and your gills pulsing. He was in disbelief and you reached up to cup his cheek before pulling him to the surface. He coughed and glared at you. “Is that how ye greet me when ye finally decide to return?” he questioned as you swam closer to him and wrapped your arms around his torso. Nuzzling your head against his shoulder and an odd purring sound echoed from your throat. Shinsou let out a sigh, “Aye, Aye ...I love ye too. Now can we get back on the ship?” he questioned flatly, annoyed that his notebook was now ruined. 

Bakugou Katsuki 

He knew he hadn’t treated you the nicest when he tied you up and forced you onto the ship. But damn, he had tried to make up for it. He’d give you cuddles and press soft kisses to your gills. Wasn’t that enough to make you want to stay? Obviously not because sometime during the night you managed to escape, jump off the ship and disappear and it left Bakugou in a sour mood. 

A few months had passed and Bakugou was wreaking havoc on the ship, screaming and terrifying his crew members to the point where some of them had even jumped off the side. “Damn it all!” he growled, ready to pull his hair out. “Uh, Captain Bakugou ...don’t ye think ye should calm down and-” Denki tried to reason with him before receiving Bakugou’s glare in return. “Hey ...uh, what’s that?” Kirishima as he lowered the telescope and pointed to a nearby set of rocks. “Is that ...” the redhead questioned before Bakugou snatched the telescope and looked through it, his heart skipping a beat. 

“That ...that’s me mermaid!” he snapped, “What the hell!?” He ground his teeth together, “Batten down the hatches and get the fishing net, ye dumbasses!” he ordered as the ship slowly navigated toward the rocks where you sat. Bakugou’s nails dug into the railing of the ship as he stared down at you, and watched as you waved your webbed hand at him.  “I SAID HURRY YE LANDLUBEBRS!” he snapped and Kirishima and Denki came stumbling out with the net. “Here ye go, Captain BakuBro.” Kirishima said and Bakugou snatched the net from him. “Don’t call me that!” he growled. 

He looked down at you once more before tossing the net, making sure it was around you before his crew hoisted you up. “Were ye just waiting for me there?!” he snapped at you, but you only smiled from behind the net. Your webbed-hands clinging to it. He growled and stepped closer, looking you in the eye. “How long have ye been planning this!?” he demanded, stepping even closer as his nose brushed against yours. You chuckled and reached through the net to grab his shirt, pulling him forward. He gasped when he felt your cold moist lips touch his, all in all. You knew you could never leave your Captain, for even if he treated you wrongfully. You loved him. 

Izuku Midoriya 

He didn’t know what he had done wrong, everything seemed fine. Even if you were technically his captive, the fact that you decided to disappear after he had tried to return you back to the sea only to have you refuse was strange. Why did you leave? He treated you well, in fact he loved you and he had told you so. Maybe that was why you ran away, were you afraid of his love? 

The thought weighed down on his heart so much that he had lost some of his motivation and decided to dock in a nearby town. His crew members were happy to finally be on land, despite their love for the sea. Even they needed a break sometimes. But Midoriya spent a majority of the time standing on the dock near his ship. His eyes scanning the water for you day and night, he just wanted to see you one last time. Was that too much to ask? 

After a month of waiting for you, as much as he hated to give up. He needed to get back to the sea, on the night before he left. He once more stood on the dock, looking out on the sea. “I thought she loved me, aye ...but who would ever want to be associated with a Captain?” he questioned, his shoulders slumping before he turned to walk back to the hotel. But then he heard a splashing sound and paused, what was that? He slowly turned to look over the dock and gasped when he saw you sitting on the rocks, he noticed something was in your hands but he didn’t pay it much thought. 

“Y/n!” he called and you smiled up at him before motioning him over with your webbed finger. He felt his heart skip a beat before he jumped off the dock, even though he landed awkwardly on the rocks, he stumbled his way to you and smiled. “Y-Ye, did ye come back for me?” he questioned and nearly felt like crying when you nodded and extended your hands out. He blinked and noticed you were holding a small treasure box. “Is this for me?” he questioned before taking it. “Thank ye,” he said as he opened it, his eyes widening when he saw the small number of gold coins inside. He smiled and pulled you in for a hug, “I knew ye loved me too.” he said as a single tear ran down his cheek. 

Dabi 

Dabi was more or less, a pirate without a ship. In fact, he preferred to burn them to the ground. He had been accused and charged with arson in various towns and was a wanted man across the seas. He usually changed his identity every now and again and as of late, he had scored himself a boat and though he was associated with Captain Shigaraki, he often went off on his own. That’s how he happened to meet you. 

Unfortunately, like many things in his life. Whenever he got a moment of bliss, it usually blew up in his face. So, he shouldn’t have been surprised when he woke up one day to find you gone. “Guess it was just another dream blown up in smoke,” he muttered before trying to go about his life, but he found himself missing your company. Given it had only been a couple days since you left, still he missed the soft touch of your hair and the smoothness of your skin compared to his. 

He knew there was little chance you’d find him or he’d find you. Despite the emotions that he felt inside his heart when he thought of you, he continued with his dirty work. Believing that burning a ship down might make him feel better. The sound of those screams that echoed from the now-dead pirates was amusing and it did make him laugh. But as he watched the ship burn into ash and the belongings of the various pirates that once occupied that ship float across the surface of the water, he couldn’t help but groan. Maybe this would be more fun if you were around. He shook his head before turning his back, ready to set sail once more when he heard a gentle splash. 

“Hm?” he turned with a suspicious glance in his eye and watched as various items where pulled underneath the water, “What the fuck is happening now ...” he muttered, ready to set up another explosive fire bottle before he watched something shimmer. He paused in disbelief as he watched you emerge from underneath the rubble of broken boards and dead bodies. “So ye decided to come back did ye,” he said, acting as though he didn’t care as you sawm over to his boat and attempted to climb inside. “Well ...least ye have some common sense,” he muttered, though he tried to ignore the fluttering in his heart before turning to you. “I’m glad ye’re back,” he said before leaning over to hug you. The lonely pirate wasn’t so lonely anymore. 

[airquietworks]

Lost at the Summit (IzuOcha) (Part 3)

Part 1, Part 2

Chapter 3: Story One week later, Ochako found herself alone in a cold bed, groggily awakening on what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday.

Izuku was conspicuously absent, the sheets with barely a trace of warmth from his body's departure. She frowned slightly at that - she liked the rare chance for lazy cuddles in the morning - but didn't think much of it. He must have been preparing breakfast or perhaps dealing with a phone call - which he should not take on a day off, but oft did anyway.

She let herself slide into her bedsheets, struggling to resist the urge to fall back asleep again.

The days were so busy now, conspiring to keep her and her husband apart. A couple of news outlets finally asked her for interviews about retirement, and though she dutifully squeezed them in, they did not get much traction. People were still too preoccupied with Deku's retirement, what that meant for the hero charts, and other news of the day as the world shifted around the fall of the world's greatest.

Ochako had buried herself in her work, intent to live her last days as a hero best she could. She tried her best to ignore people's ignorance of her, focusing on saving lives and helping people. But the days dragged and part of her could not let go of her bitterness. All of a sudden, retirement could not come soon enough.

She decided to start her morning as he usually did - reaching out and grabbing her phone from her bedside table. She idly swiped her fingers across it, checking the news of the day, always with an eye out for anything she should be aware of as a pro.

A glance through her emails yielded something unusual. Her inbox was flooded with messages with similar titles: "thank you," "Thanks, Uravity!" "You rock." It wasn't that uncommon to get an appreciation message from someone she rescued, but the sheer number of them was peculiar.

She opened one.

"Hi! I just wanted to let you know you're my favourite hero, and I absolutely love you. You kick so much butt! I remember seeing you leap into a burning office tower one time and save 20 people. It was so awesome!

I'm so sad you're retiring! =( But I'll keep cheering you on while I still can!"

Ochako grinned at that, her mood lifted by the message of appreciation, even if it was simple. She got them from time to time, but they never failed to make her feel good.

But it was strange. These messages were rarer in her aging years and she could not recall doing anything that would garner this kind of outpouring.

She went through a few more of the emails, all with variations of people sharing their appreciation for her, whether or not she had personally rescued them. Eyebrows furrowing at the strange situation, she checked through her social feeds to see what exactly was going on.

On social media, her mentions were flooded into the thousands, far more than usual. A word caught her attention, causing her eyes to widen.

"#WeLoveUravity" was trending.

It was not a massive trend, but there were still thousands of similar, heartfelt messages - shorter, but no less impactful. Pictures and stories of her throughout the years were being shared. A few noteworthy commentators were even discussing how little coverage she was getting since she made her retirement announcement two weeks ago, and the inherent sexism at play with that.

Ochako fell back into her pillow, trying to make sense of it all. Her heart beat faster, a nervous, excited energy taking hold of her as she watched everything unfold.

The world - at least, a part of it - was finally telling her story.

And Izuku probably had something to do with it. There was no other explanation she could think of.

More than a little perturbed at the idea her husband had somehow manipulated the masses, she got up, not bothering to change, and made a beeline for the kitchen to confront him about it and-

Thank him? Scold him? She was not sure. She loved the words being shared about her, even if it was probably just a passing trend that would fade quickly. But she did not want that to come because Izuku somehow campaigned on her behalf. They supported each other, relied on one another, but only to a point. She wanted her legacy to stand by itself - even if it came up short - instead of sitting on Izuku's broad shoulders.

But as she walked through the kitchen and living area, he was nowhere to be seen. The only traces of him were a few dishes in the sink, a plate of eggs on their dining table and an envelope next to it.

Pouting, she trudged forward towards the message. She opened it up and pulled the paper out, growing frustrated by the surprising morning.

"Dear Uravity,

I wasn't too sure about writing this message. But I saw what was going on and I figured I had to.

You probably don't remember me, and I don't blame you. We met about ten years ago, with a villain raid in the city. I was a new pro hero, fresh out of school. I was overzealous and got myself into a bad situation. I saw my life flash before my eyes as a monstrous villain towered over me. I was sure I was dead, but you knocked her away with one punch and got me to safety.

I'll never forget the care and comfort you showed me, your bright smile somehow making me feel like everything was going to be okay, even in such a calamity. I was about ready to quit right then, but you encouraged me, told me to keep on pushing forward. You were the brightest spot in one of the worst days of my life.

I just wanted to let you know how much that meant to me. I wouldn't be a hero today without you. I've been following you since then, and I'm amazed at what you've been able to accomplish. I was heartbroken when I found out you were retiring, but I understand. You deserve a comfortable life and a happy retirement.

I don't know how to end this, so I guess - thank you. You are my hero.

P.S. I'm not much of an artist, but a lot of people are doing it, so I hope you like the picture.

Sincerely,

Clearway"

The memory was foggy in her mind - she had dealt with a lot of villain-led attacks, and could only vaguely recall this one. But she was touched nonetheless.

She turned over to the next page and gasped at a glorious sketch of her standing atop a roof, still young, posing heroically, looking down on the city below. She was smiling, her short hair billowing slightly in the wind, her confidence radiating in the simple lines.

In her early morning stupor, the image pierced through her heart. It struck her hard to read how much it mattered to someone that she had saved them - a hero, no less. That someone would still remember that, even a decade later.

She took a seat, anchoring herself, trying to find a steady place to keep herself from floating away.

Ochako eagerly consumed the breakfast left for her - perfectly warm, the likely product of Izuku's meticulous planning and knowledge of her sleep cycles - smiling at the simple, sweet gesture.

But as she ate, her mind spun in circles at everything that had greeted her this morning. She ran through the words over and over, a mix of pride, joy, and anxiety swirling around, uncertainty at the centre of it all. Her heart sang with gratitude for the love people were showing her, but her brain refused to stop questioning it.

There were people out there who remembered her, cared about what she had done - she could not deny that. But she always knew that to be true. That ultimately did not mean her legacy carried that much weight in a world filled with heroes who did the same. It did not mean she had helped enough people to make a mark. It did not mean her story would be told beyond the day. It did not mean she could stand on the summit.

But she had to admit their words were making accepting that a lot easier.

The familiar sounds of the front door opening perked her ears up. She got up quickly, moving towards it, eager to tell her partner what was happening and confront him if he had something to do with it.

Izuku wasted little time before marching through the room with a wide grin on his face, wearing a blue hoodie, with an oversized yellow backpack. He nodded towards her despite the confusion she was sure was showing on her face. He walked over to the table, depositing the bag.

"Good morning. Sorry I left early; I had an errand I needed to run," he said sincerely, stepping forward and inclining his head towards her. She put a finger to his lips, stopping his attempt at their usual good-morning kiss.

"Good morning," she managed, though with a sharp edge to her tone. "Do you know what's going on?"

His smile stretched wide again as he disengaged from her finger, gesturing slightly towards the bag. "I do. I went on an early mail run when I saw it. The post office only left a few in our mailbox; there were too many to carry otherwise."

"A few…?" she trailed off as he opened the bag to reveal it was overflowing with envelopes, not unlike the one left for her on the table. She went slack-jawed at the sight, quickly reaching out to get a better glimpse of just how many letters they received. There had to be over 100, all seemingly written out, stacked neatly, but clearly crammed within the bag's tight confines.

So many people had sent her a personalized message. She ran her fingers along the envelopes, confirming that they were really there in front of her.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" he said, awe in his voice as he watched her, gauging her reaction. "So many people wanted to let you know what you meant to them."

Ochako turned her head to face him, feeling her eyes getting a little misty. She narrowed her gaze, gauging him carefully. "But how? I don't get it. Did you do something?"

His eyebrows shot up, and he suddenly looked a little nervous, his green eyes looking away. "I...may have made a post on a popular forum. But I promise I didn't say much, and I kept anonymous!"

He got a little flustered, his hands moving with his explanation.

"I was just so frustrated and upset at how sad you were about everything. I wanted to do something - I wasn't sure what. But I just wanted to vent and maybe show you a thread of people who did appreciate you. I just said there wasn't a lot of coverage about you retiring and how sad that was. I guess it got some traction, and people started posting more and somebody I didn't know said they should do fanart, and before I knew what was happening, it went viral."

He took a breath after his rant, gesturing to the letters. "And I don't know how, but somewhere along the way, someone thought it would be nice to do handwritten messages, too. My post may have started it, but I promise I didn't do anything else beyond that. This was because so many people do appreciate what you've done - because you are one of the best."

He stepped forward to grasp both her hands in his, holding them softly, brushing his thumbs over top. "I know that better than anyone."

Her heart stuck in her throat, Ochako struggled to come up with a response. She could feel a smile stretch across her face as she stared up at him, and she was helpless to stop it. The knowledge that somehow, all these people had sincerely wanted to do something for her...a part of her still could not believe it.

"I just...I just don't get it," she murmured. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."

"You've been leaving an impact on people your entire life. You do deserve this - and more."

On instinct, she hugged Izuku, conveying the appreciation that words could not. He embraced her in turn, the two of them holding one another for a moment, basking in the warmth.

His lips pressed a kiss into her hair. "Want to start going through them?" he suggested.

"I think I'd like that." Maybe then, she could banish the doubts, still clawing at the edges of her thoughts.

The two of them moved over to the couch, pressing up against each other, making up for the earlier loss of morning cuddles. Together, they started to read through some of the letters, each one sincere and heartfelt. Izuku took it upon himself to read many of them aloud, giving voice to the sentiments of the people she had saved, helping them ring more powerfully in her ears. They also admired the art together - they had a wide variety of quality, but she appreciated each one, and she resolved to collect them carefully as a keepsake.

A couple of hours passed and they barely put a dent in the messages. They carefully sorted them out, removing the hundreds in the oversized bag, placing them aside for later.

The miraculous letters slowly eroded her defences. The world had left its eyes on her, and she was far more beloved than she would have imagined. Perhaps history would be kind to her, after all.

Still, that irritating, nagging part of her mind knew it might yet be a flash in the pan. Viral trends did not necessarily leave much of a lasting mark. She felt so wonderful about the love of her fans, but how far that ultimately extended was hard to know exactly. Did it really compare to what other heroes were able to do?

Just as they stood up and agreed to take a break, Izuku grabbed her hand again, beaming at her.

"So...I was wondering if you'd be up to take a trip with me."

"Oh? What for?"

He looked strangely giddy, his feet rocking back and forth, a toothy grin plastered across his face.

"Well...I didn't plan for all this. But I did plan for something else. A surprise."

Her spirits buoyed by the lovely morning, she found his giddiness infectious, and she eagerly pumped a fist up to share in his enthusiasm. "Alright, sure! Where are we going?"

Izuku trembled with his excitement. "U.A. High School."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Together, they walked to the place where it all began, Izuku keeping infuriatingly cryptic about his plans. The city streets seemed so much more wondrous now after their morning together, the cloudless day painting it in vibrant light, the busy people she had protected for 35 years going about their lives peacefully; a peace she had protected.

They moved covertly, dressed in baggy, unremarkable clothing, with hoods up to disguise their faces as they made their way to the front gates of the school. It was just as imposing as it was back then, built upon the shoulders of the country's greatest heroes. She had belonged here, but after so many years away, the hallowed grounds had regained their intimidating stature. A part of her wondered about herself in relation to this anyone care that this was the school that had produced her? Would her name be listed amongst its greats?

She tried to clear her head, shaking it thoroughly. It would do her no good to get mired in such thoughts.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" He looked just as in awe of it as she was, even though he visited far more often than she did for guest appearances. "I really miss living here."

"Those were tough times. But a lot of good memories," she said, reminiscing about those wondrous early days.

"The best," he agreed as they arrived at the front gate, closed with a mighty metallic door. Security was still just as tight as ever.

"So...will you tell me now why exactly you wanted to bring us here?" Ochako pleaded, pouting at her husband, desperate to know what surprise had made him so delighted.

"Well, if they're not late, they should be...ah, there they are!"

He gestured towards the corner opposite to where they had arrived. A middle-aged woman with long, red hair and a kind smile walked toward them, carrying a small girl in her arms. The girl was positively adorable, with short hair like the older woman's, rosy cheeks and a bright smile as she looked around at the school, squirming excitedly.

Ochako looked intently at them and then back at Izuku, posing the question with her eyes. The pair of them looked vaguely familiar, and the girl was certainly cute, but she was pretty sure she had never met either of these people.

"Mommy, mommy, who are they! Are they the surprise?!" the girl squealed, pointing at the two heroes as they approached.

"Yes, that's right," the mother replied, her own excitement ringing clearly in her voice. She turned her head to regard Ochako, looking intently at her. "It's so nice to see you both. Thank you so much for this. I didn't imagine this would ever happen."

"Thank you so much for agreeing to my request," Izuku replied with a grin. "Well, Ochako, do you recognize her?"

Ochako regarded the pair again, putting on a gentle smile, but struggling to put names to the faces. The girl stared back at her with wide eyes, tilting her head slightly, studying her.

"Mommy...is that...?"

"Yes, that's right," the woman said with a laugh, kneeling down to let the girl out of her arms, the child practically vibrating with excitement. "That's Uravity."

It was like a volcanic eruption. The young girl - who could not have been older than five based on her size - squealed with delight, jumping slightly in the air, her hair flying about as she hurried over to the named hero.

Ochako chuckled at the sheer delight before her, kneeling down to meet her apparent fan. It was always fun to interact with the little ones. It did her heart good to see somehow, she could still inspire children.

"Hello there," she greeted the girl, pulling her hood down to show more of her face. The girl glomped her knee, staring up at her with wide, chocolate-coloured eyes, beaming ever-so-sweetly. "It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

The girl giggled suddenly, squeezing at the fabric of her jeans.

"Yours!" she cried out, laughing as if that was the greatest wonder in the world. "Ochako!"

The hero felt as if her heart might burst from the shock and joy that coursed through it. She felt her eyes go wide, her gaze flashing up towards the girl's mother, who had a smile stretching across her entire face.

The realization came through her mind. She looked back to the girl at her knees, beaming up at her. Her memories flashed backwards, 35 years ago, reaching deep into the rubble, pulling a red-haired girl out, consoling her, hoping she could put a smile back on that face.

Haruka Akemi.

The elder Ochako snapped back to the present, looking down at the girl, who suddenly looked so much like the one in her memories. She gulped, struggling to contain the welling emotion of meeting her namesake. "Well, that's a lovely name for a lovely girl."

The girl blushed, her cheeks getting rosier, but the smile never vanished from her face, little dimples popping up in it.

"Wow!" the girl exclaimed. "I love that we have the same name. You're my favourite hero."

Ochako's heart squeezed at the sheer cuteness, her breath coming out in a little gasp, garnering laughter from the other adults present.

"Thank you very much," she responded, glancing back towards Akemi. "Hey, would it be alright if I held you?"

"Yeah!" The girl cheered, suddenly trying to scramble up into her hero's lap.

Said hero looked up to Akemi for permission, who provided a quick, affirming nod.

Ochako lifted the girl up, grinning as she yelled in delight, her arms reaching up towards the sky. She hardly weighed anything, even without activating her quirk.

"Yaa!" the girl cheered, giggling as Ochako lifted her up and down a few times. Ochako laughed with her, the child's mirth infectious, her heart soaring at the sheer joy of the moment.

But suddenly, she felt a strange tugging at her neckline. Curious, she looked down to see her clothes pulling away from her body slightly toward the girl she was holding.

"Watch your Quirk now, dear," Akemi said. Ochako looked up to see the woman moving ever so slightly towards the pair, without moving her feet, pulled by some unseen force.

"Oh, sorry!" the girl cried out, slightly panicked, the smile running away from her face. She took a deep breath, calming herself down.

Ochako noticed her clothes fall back to normal, the force gone.

"Is that...her Quirk?" Izuku said slowly, putting his hand on his wrinkled chin. She noticed his eyes lighting up, as it often did when an exciting new Quirk appeared before him.

"It is. We're not entirely sure about it since she got it last month, but we suspect,, based on my Quirk, she is increasing her gravitational force to pull things in." Akemi frowned, walking up to stroke at her daughter's hair. The girl had suddenly lost all her excitement, the colour drained from her face.

"Wow, that's quite a power," Izuku chimed in, studying the girl intently.

"It is. But we're a little worried about the risks if it gets too powerful. So we're playing it safe until she's a little bit older."

"I want to be a hero like you…" the young Ochako said suddenly, looking away from everyone. She was suddenly on the verge of tears. "But I don't know if I can with this."

"Ochako…" the girl's mother replied, her eyes widening, apparently startled by the sad comment.

Without thinking, Uravity took action.

"Hey. You know, when I was a little girl, people were worried about what I could do with my Quirk, too," she said, causing her younger counterpart to pull her head up.

"Really?"

"Yeah! People were always saying I needed to be careful or I might really hurt someone." She could remember once sending her father a little too high into the air, leading to him getting a sprained ankle. "So I had to watch out for a little while. But eventually, I got a little older and had enough control to really work with it."

The girl sniffled slightly. "Could I do that?"

"I know you can do it. Just listen to your mom and keep working hard. Reach as high as you can. If you can stay positive and work at it, I'm sure you could be a hero, if that's what you want to do."

The girl's face lit up brighter than the sun, bringing a matching smile onto her namesake. "I do! I will!"

Ochako held up a fist, letting it slowly approach the girl. "Then I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do as the next hero named Ochako!"

The girl slowly mimicked her hero, bringing her tiny fist into her counterpart's one. She held it there for a moment, before bringing it back in, beaming all the while. The torch was passed.

The hero handed the girl back to her mother, spirits buoyed, heart warmed to have helped make such wonder in a child so small.

"I wanted to thank you for everything you did back then," Akemi said, her smile as beautiful as her daughter's. "What you said to me...I never really got to thank you properly, but it was what I needed to hear. I don't know if I could have gotten through everything without it. I never stopped looking up to you after that. I even run a fan site - I was just a little nervous about trying to meet you in person again."

Ochako beamed at the woman, her eyes getting wet as the words left their mark. What she did back then did matter. It was not for nothing. She had made a difference, even if it seemed so small looking back.

"Aww, you didn't have to be afraid. I would have been happy to meet you at any time." She looked towards the small girl who bore her name. "Thank you for this. For her. I'm just...I'm honoured."

"There wasn't anyone more inspiring we could think of to name her after. And neither of us would be here today without you." The girl in question gave a toothy grin and thumbs up at her idol. "And she's loved you ever since she found out about it."

Ochako took a breath, struggling to maintain some composure. Seeing the happy family that her work had helped create made her feel more pride than just about anything, besides her own family.

"Mommy, why is she crying?"

The hero touched her cheek. Oh. She was. She supposed it could not be helped.

"I'm just...very happy," the hero replied, making sure to show it in her smile.

It was difficult to describe the overwhelming, surging emotions within her. Here was solid proof of her mark on the world, something impossible to fathom before this moment. Surrounded by such love, she felt eager to give some of it back out.

"Would it be alright if I gave you two a hug?"

The blush returned to Akemi's face. She buried it in her daughter's hair, but she opened up her free right arm. Her daughter reached out eagerly, tiny arms stretching forward.

Ochako stepped forward and embraced the two of them, hugging them close, though taking care not to crush her namesake. Akemi let out a little gasp, seemingly struck by being embraced by her hero, while the younger Ochako latched around her neck.

The hero felt warmed to the very core of her being, holding a small part of a much greater legacy. She had made a difference, and she was holding it. Right now, these two people were the world to her.

"Thank you," the hero whispered her heart into Akemi's ear.

"Thank you for saving me," was all the woman could manage in reply.

After a couple of autographs and a promise to keep in touch, the couplings waved farewell to one another.

The hero promised herself, right then and there, she would watch the girl grow.

"I can't believe you found her after all these years."

"It took a little doing, but it was worth it." Izuku's answering grin was just as wonderful as it was on the day they first met.

She took the time to hug him from the side, digging her head into his chest. "You're incredible, you know that?"

"I couldn't be without you," he whispered into her hair. "You set a pretty good example."

"Oh, hush." She disentangled herself from him, face aflame, touched beyond words but getting a little embarrassed at the avalanche of compliments the day had brought. "So, shall we head back home?"

"Well...I had one more thing in mind." He walked over to the towering gate, pulling a card out from his pocket and flashing it at a scanner at the side of the door.

Ochako jumped slightly as the doors slowly opened, revealing the campus and school beyond. She stared wide-eyed at the familiar pathway, where she had begun her real journey to becoming a hero.

"How did you…?"

"Retiring comes with some perks. Called in a favour or two," Izuku said, tucking the card back in and adjusting his yellow backpack slightly. "Come on, let's go!"

With a surprising amount of exuberance, Izuku forged ahead, laughing as they returned to the grounds of their youth. Ochako followed him, joining in, eager to see just what more he had in store.

Staring at the school ahead now, it did not seem quite so imposing. The familiar path, lined with the busts of heroes, was significant, but she could walk it just as well as she did when she first came here.

This was a place bathed in legacy, but she was a part of that, just as much as the incredible heroes who had come before her. After meeting her young namesake, she did not doubt that now. Whether or not the world recognized it, she had made a difference, and there was plenty of living proof.

She realized how lost she had gotten. What was important to her was helping people - and heroes - in pain, people who needed you. She had done that thousands of times. That mattered. It was enough.

"I wanted to be here for this," Izuku suddenly called out, snapping her from her thoughts. He surged forward quickly, a few steps ahead of her. "The place where we-EEEEEEEEEE!"

Ochako reacted on instinct, sprinting ahead and tapping her hand onto the backpack of her descending husband. She did not see exactly how he had managed to trip, but even he would suffer from a faceplant into the hard ground.

Her reflexes were still quick enough, though he came pretty close to tasting brick. He stopped awkwardly in the air, body hanging horizontally without its gravity.

A rush of nostalgia hit Ochako with full force. Her mind went back more than 40 years, when she reached out to save the boy who would come to save the country - and her. She had acted on instinct back then too, not wanting to let people get hurt when she could make a difference, even if preventing a fall was trivial.

Silence hung in the air between them, the realization hitting them both at the same time.

She started snickering at him. Uproarious laughter followed quickly.

"I...can...not..believe!" Ochako paused between words, struggling to breathe, keeling over slightly. "That you would fall here again!"

After forty years of heroics, standing at the pinnacle, the world's greatest hero was still felled by his own two feet. Some things never changed.

"I swear...I swear I didn't mean to!" he responded, legs kicking in the air slightly as the laughter wracked through him. She noticed a blush starting to come to his cheeks, a little embarrassment peeking through the mirth. "Gosh, I planned to be more...together this time. I couldn't say a word to you when we..."

His face scrunched up suddenly. Just as she prepared to release him, he turned in mid-air, reaching his hand out to pause her.

"Wait! Uh, can you just hold me here for a bit?" he asked, reaching around himself to take his backpack off his shoulders.

Confused but curious, she nodded, staring intently at her partner as she tried to make out what he was up to.

With a shaky hand, he pulled out a small envelope from the bag, reaching out to hand it to her, still hanging awkwardly in midair.

"One...one last letter," he muttered, tripping over the words as he had with his feet. His nerves were evident, but she could not understand what he had to be nervous about. "From your biggest fan of all."

She had a hard time processing the image before her. Izuku, reaching up, letter in hand, hanging awkwardly, his gravity stolen by her hands. Blushing like a schoolboy, a nervous little grin on his face. She did as he asked, taking the envelope and regarding it carefully, curious as to its contents.

Izuku took a deep breath as she opened it up. "I just wanted to bring you here to remind you. About the very first time you saved me...and I guess the latest time, too."

He held up his yellow backpack, a toothy grin coming upon his face. "I even tried to look the part best I could!"

"Izuku…" she was astonished at just how far he had gone to make her feel better. She felt a surge of affection toward him, even before she read whatever was in this letter.

It was strange, thinking of this place as the first time she had saved someone. It had hardly seemed like anything at the time. Little did she know how that simple gesture would intertwine their destinies forevermore.

He finally flipped himself back upright, well accustomed to moving without gravity. She quickly tapped her fingers together, releasing him. He was suddenly right in front of her, eagerly gauging her reactions.

"Well...whenever you want to," Izuku said, inclining his head ever-so-slightly towards the message she held in her hand.

The envelope contained two pieces of paper, folded carefully together. She opened up the pages, her eyes met with his untidy scrawl. It could be difficult to read - he had developed his handwriting more for speed than legibility - but she had long since grown accustomed to it.

"To the world's greatest hero,

Hello! My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I have been a fan of yours since I was 16 - about 40 years. I might actually be your oldest fan!"

She let out a chuckle at that, Izuku joining in. I was always struck by just how determined you were - and how brightly you smiled. Even when you faced setbacks, you kept maintaining this incredible aura. It must have been hard on you. I wanted to help you, but I also knew it was something a hero had to do; reassure others even in the darkest of moments.

Being back here, Ochako could remember her first Sports Festival, and how brutal that setback had been. It was tough putting on a brave face. She put on a false smile too often back then, but it was a skill that could come in handy.

I've watched you every step of the way, and it was incredible seeing how fast you grew. How strong, how kind, how heroic you were. It drove me to want to be better. I know I would not have been the hero I am today without you.

You may not realize it, but I owe so much to you. At that entrance exam at U.A., there is no chance I would have made it without you. You saved me that day, and you've had a knack for doing that ever since.

She smiled at the memory of their exam together, even if it was fraught. From day one, they had managed to pull each other out of the fire often.

When I've fallen, you've lifted me up. When I doubted whether I could do it, you gave me a name that always meant I could. I've watched you blossom into an absolutely incredible professional. You inspire and help so many people. You are ridiculously kickass.

She snorted at that one.

My favourite moment of yours was your fight against the Renegades. The way you alternated your Quirk so smoothly and took out so many of them at once is - well, you know the rest.

"Nerd," she teased, garnering another chuckle from him.

You are the world to me. Everything we've built together, accomplished together - I'll make sure no one ever forgets it. You helped me tell my story - you helped make sure my story even exists. I will make sure they know yours.

I've left something to remind you of just how far you've come. The world may not recognize it, but I know we stand at the summit together. And I never would have made it here without you.

Thank you for always saving me!

Your number one fan, Izuku Midoriya

"Izuku...I…" her throat clogged up, rendering her speechless. Standing here, she could fully remember the incredible story she had helped create. How could she have doubted she had not left her mark, when the truth stood there before her, his eyes bright, standing at the top of the world, her right by his side?

Her story would be told. Their story. Together, in everything. She could see it now.

"Hang on. You should see the fan art first." Izuku looked sideways, blushing, adjusting himself away ever so slightly. "...Maybe even the first one?"

Startled, Ochako turned the page over, gasping at the sketch of herself. It was a little worn, clearly done with a basic pencil on an aged piece of paper. But it was surprisingly detailed around her face - far more than some of his older sketches. The descriptions highlighted her various costume features and abilities. She noticed a few crossed words like "cute" and "incredible," the page bearing the first signs of his love for her.

"It's the first sketch I ever drew of you. I usually cycle through these pretty fast, updating things. But I wanted to keep that one, even back then. When I first drew it, I realized I went too far and put it away. But I never wanted to get rid of it. Eventually, I realized it might make a nice retirement gift."

She reflected on the old sketch of herself - young, naive, courageous, simple. She drew a hand across the worn page, a gateway to the past, thinking upon how the image of her had changed, how much more she had done since then.

"Thank you, Izuku. It means so much to me." She stared up at him, his green irises shining down at her, the same passionate flame still there within them, even if they were now surrounded by more wrinkled flesh. "And thank you for saving me. Now, and always."

He grabbed onto her shoulders; she could feel the strength still so present in his arms despite how worn they had become. They beamed at one another, as best friends, partners, and everything to one another.

"This is where our journey together began," he stated simply. "Where our story began. And this is where the rest of our lives will, too."

She placed a hand over the top of his, holding it to her, staring fiercely back at him. "We got some adventures left in us after all, right?"

"The best is yet to come."

She acted then, grabbing onto the neck of his sweater and pulling him in for a deep kiss, her heart igniting at the contact, as surely as always.

They pulled away, the passion of the fleeting moment staining both their cheeks, suddenly sheepish about such a brazen public display of affection. Fortunately, nobody was around to witness it.

Ochako carefully put the letter and drawing back in the envelope and tucked it away in a pocket, turning back to the path where she had begun her journey, leading toward the gate out to the rest of the world.

She held out her hand for him, and he took it, intertwining their scarred flesh together.

They walked out towards the sunlight, the rest of their story left to tell.

----------------------------------------------------

AN:  Written for the IzuOcha Temple Discord Server Big Bang Event. Prompt: "Thank you for always saving me!" Thank you very much to Mal for editing this and for Xylveon for the incredible artwork provided for the fic. You can also find it at https://twitter.com/Xylveon700/status/1294469669361840129. Please show Xylveon some appreciation! Thank you to the organizers for putting this on, it was truly wonderful to be part of.  Please leave a like and/or reblog if you enjoyed it ! ^_^