"Run that by me one more time please."
Rikido kept a nervous smile on as his sidekick gave him such a look of suspicion. Pulling his own chair back the sugar hero laughed a bit and tried not to have his plan blown. Then he calmed himself and gave the greenete a cool, laid back expression like he should have done.
"It's simple. You, me and a few other guys I know are gonna head to a little party being thrown by Midnight's old agency. Her sidekicks took over after her death and are keeping her name alive, partly by throwing these little shindigs and we need you to come along so we can get Bakugou into a new relationship."
Izuku gave a raised eyebrow but Rikido continued before he could object.
"I know you probably don't have the highest opinion of the guy, but he's losing his mind and we have to help him before he goes off the deep end. If any of us try to reach out to him then he'll shoot us down, you on the other hand seem to bring him wherever you go. So can you just come so we can not have this whole idea fail?"
The quirkless man scowled for a moment as he contemplated the thought. Here was on one of the few days left in his week off from his day job, a weekday no less, talking to his other employer who was asking for a personal favor for the sake of someone he loathed. Yet on the other hand it was kind of hard to have Katsuki as much when the man gave him that money and admittedly had a lonely feeling about him.
Why else would the guy be asking to hangout with a nobody like him? Judging from how other people in the field that he met, he wasn't very liked even if he was the number one hero. Hard not to feel a little pity for the fucker. Then there was the fact that if that asshole found someone else to hook up with then he'd forget about Ochako and leave her alone, which helps himself, her and Himiko. Plus this could also serve as a connection platform for the agency.
Eyeing his boss, Izuku pulled out a little top flipping notepad from a jacket pocket and clicked a pen.
"Aside from getting Bakugou laid, is there anything else I should do? Any shoulders I should rub?"
The more muscled man waved a hand dismissively with a smile.
"Nah, you just head with me and a few of my guys while we tow Bakugou along. Stick around for a few hours, mingle a little, that sort of thing as we start throwing women his way, alright? I know you're taken, but just hang out and that's it."
Musing on it, Izuku guessed he could stay out late. Himiko might complain, but he can make it up to her later and Rosie's there to keep her company until he gets back. If not...well, he pictured doing something nice for her. Maybe letting her cut him a few times? She really seemed to like that. Though it scared the hell out of him, he supposed it would be fair with him leaving her for so long, granted he also wanted to get off too...maybe they try buttstuff? Ah, she'd be happy with whatever, so he decided to let her bite him for however long she pleased(with the assumption she'd work her magic on him while doing so...or Ochako if she was around).
Accepting the fact that he was becoming a bit of a sex addict, Izuku put his pad and pen away and pulled out his phone before answering to his boss.
"Alright deal, but I'm not spending more time with him then I gotta and if I have to leave for whatever reason, please don't twist my arm about it."
Rikido gave him a thumbs up and so Izuku looked up Katsuki's number, made a prayer to the god of fate and fortune, and hit the call button. It connected after the first ring and the pro's voice just irked him with how overjoyed it sounded.
"Hey Deku, what's up? Everything okay?"
Izuku gave a nervous laugh as he suppressed a long held fear and resentment that raised his blood pressure.
"Nothing much Kacchan, but there's this little party that Sato's dragging me to and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming with us to help me not die of awkwardness."
Izuku swore he could feel a smile just manifest on the bastard's face.
"Sure thing man, be at the agency in a few minutes. See ya then."
The call ended and Izuku put his phone back with a minor grimace, only to see the absolutely amazed expression on the actually decent hero's face.
"How the fuck did you do that? No one, not even Uraraka could get that asshole to do anything that quickly."
Izuku shrugged.
"Maybe he's just bored and was waiting for something like this. It's not that rare to be bored out of your mind with nothing to do at certain times."
Rikido shook his head in disbelief before getting up from his chair and grabbing his coat off the hook on the right side to the door of his office.
"If you say so. Come on, we have a train to catch."
Following after the anti-diabetic, Izuku was greeted by a sound that made his blood run cold with a rapid, ear shattering *Boom* coming from above as they exited the agency. Katsuki had arrived within seconds after the call and judging by the smell he knew why, the fucker was drenched in sweat, or nitroglycerin rather. Dressed in a stained wife beater under a puffy jacket that matched his black jeans and sneakers, the number one hero arrived with a masterful landing right in front of the two lesser crime fighters, grinning like a madman.
He was panting with the haste of a marathon runner and without another word he rushed over to the quirkless man and hugged him.
"Hey Deku, sorry I took so long."
Patting his former punching bag on the back, he turned to his old classmate and grinned with a wave.
"Sup' Sweets, everything going okay?"
Rikido returned the smile and clasped the upright hand with a smirk.
"Yep, me and Mop head are handling things, now how about we get going before the night gets any older?"
Bakugou returned the smirk, violently ruffling Izuku's hair once he pulled his hand away.
"That's the best idea you had in years."
Resisting the urge to take the knife in his pocket and stick it in the bastard's gut, Izuku faked a smile and left with the pair. He was silent for the entirety of the train ride over to the station, glad that Sato had taken all of the attention off of him by going into a talk with Katsuki about old hero stuff that happened in their youth. The walk to the place was uneventful with Izuku withdrawing into himself while the two pros just kept talking about history he had no part in.
Soon they arrived at a brick stacked building that clashed with the very idea of the R-Rated Heroine(May she ever rest in peace). It was a large bar about twice the size of Toshi's judging from the exterior by the name of "The Last Mark" and it radiated a slow, mellow atmosphere as they got closer. The exact opposite of what Izuku imagined the Midnight boys to host. Honestly he expected something far more obscene and nasty, not this local drinking hole vibe.
Then to add to the confusion the first people he saw were a man who wouldn't look out of place at his day job with how his entire being gave off a disciplined, professional feel, exhaust pipes sticking out of his legs aside. Next to him was a raven headed man who was in deep conversation with who had to be Shoji. Ojiro stood off to the side in a bland hoodie, staring in the newcomer's general direction.
Upon the trio of Bakugo, Sato and Midoriya getting close enough he perked up and waved an arm, getting everyone's attention.
"Hey, you guys actually came."
Bakugou scowled at the gesture, but to Izuku's surprise it was obviously in a good natured way where he grinned at the Martial arts hero and the rest of his entourage.
"Of course I'm here you blind motherfucker, of course if you actually opened your eyes once in a while maybe you'd see I'm not one to give up on a plan."
In an instant the tailed mutant launched himself forward with a jump that had his fifth limb spinning like a mace that was set to strike the number one hero, but Bakugo stepped forward without assistance from his quirk in the blink of an eye and was suddenly behind the still airborne mutant. He gave a kick faster than Izuku's eyes could track that halted the massive appendage of his comrade with a clash before the two broke apart and retook their stances.
Katsuki smirked like he was living some old joke and so was Ojiro as his tail flexed. The two kept their standoff until the higher ranking of the two spoke as he dropped his guard.
"You still can't hit me even on a good day, guess some things never change."
Ojiro kept his smile up, but Izuku could tell it was forced and there was anger boiling underneath that was buried even deeper as the hero spoke.
"Maybe Boom Boy or maybe I just let you win like all the other times. That aside, how about you bring Mop head over so we can introduce him?"
Taking the initiative to get away from his childhood bully, Izuku marched himself up to the pair of strangers and in his best, polite, corporate tone, bowed at a forty five degree angle to the both of them.
"My name is Izuku Midoriya, known as The Limit Breaker when on duty. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."
A glint of light shined behind the blue haired hero's glasses and without missing a beat bowed at a ninety degree angle before pulling out a business card from his back pocket.
"It's no trouble, my name is Tenya Iida, also known by the hero name Ingenium."
He gestured to the bird headed mutant with both arms and a rather high intesnity voice that denoted the speedster as a bit of a spastic.
"And this is my friend Fumikage Tokoyami, also known as the Jet-Black hero, Tsukuyomi."
The raven mutant nodded in greeting.
"Hello Midoriya, Riki has told us quite a bit about you."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly at the attention, not sure on how to continue the conversation.
"I hope it was good things, anyway now that that's out of the way, what's next-"
He stopped mid sentence when an arm was thrown around his neck and Ojiro began to hang off him with a cheeky smugness about him.
"What's next is that we try and get Boom Boy laid before he pops a gasket."
The martial arts hero threw a thumb in Bakugou's direction, who for once looked completely off guard by what was said. Anger blossomed on his face and even a noticeable blush that made him glow like a strawberry as he pointed an accusing finger at the trickster.
"Hey, who the fuck said I need any of your fucking help getting some tail!? I'm the number one hero for fuck's sake, I can get any bitch I want in this whole country!"
Ojiro opened his mouth to retort, but Izuku cut in before that could happen with some of his gile skimming to the surface.
"You talk a big game Kacchan, just like you always have, but if that's the case, then why haven't you? "
Katsuki's anger and blush grew as he stomped forward with even more force behind him as he jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb.
"Because I'm off saving the fucking world every fucking day so I don't have time for a girl! If a bitch wants me so bad then she should just be a chick and approach me, not the other way around!"
Izuku smirked as he stared at him.
"That sounds like a shitty excuse Kacchan. Are you scared some of them might say no? Is that why you never make the first move?"
The blond glared at him with a familiar rage as smoke simmered from his palms with the smell of brimstone.
"I fucking said I can, I just don't fucking want to."
Izuku shook his head and pushed himself off Ojiro as he approached the bastard in the most taunting stride he could. He grinned like a snake and put his arm around the man's neck in a brotherly fashion.
"Then how about you prove it. After all Kacchan, I have faith in you as always, but I bet I can pull in more women than you."
There was a dangerous edge to Katsuki's voice that changed the entire mood of the conversation and made the assembled pros flinch.
"What the fuck did you just say?"
Not backing down, Izuku kept his smile and forced the hothead to bend slightly as he gestured to the bar.
"I'm saying I'm better at getting girls than you are and if you wanna prove me wrong then you and I gotta compete. The rules are simple, whoever leaves with the most numbers wins and those that don't, lose."
Katsuki glared at him with the fury of a feral wolf, but soon paused and began to laugh once Izuku let go. He slapped the quirkless man on the back and now had a burning fire in his eyes.
"Alright Deku, you're on. I'll show you you're still shit compared to me, but on the off chance you win, I'll owe you a favor. If I win then you gotta do the same for me."
Izuku studied the man with squinting eyes before contemplating it for a moment. There was a surge of calm, refined homicide to his brain at the thought of this animal somehow using this favor to get between him and Himiko or Ochako. They were his women, his darlings, nobody else's. It was similar to what he felt when that bullheaded idiot tried to take Himiko from him and he knew it showed in his eyes for the brief seconds it was there. Except Izuku suppressed it and slapped the monster on the back like they were the oldest of friends.
"Deal Kacchan. Now enough talking, the hunt awaits!"
He said with a dramatic flare as the party of warriors made their way inside the bar. The interior was far more oriental in design with a few bits of western influence such as booth tables while the decor screamed Japanese. The place was packed with people of all kinds and it was still a low pace atmosphere that was maybe a step or two above Toshi's due to the noise.
Gripping Katsuki on the shoulder, Izuku kept his smug grin on and gestured to the east side of the establishment.
"I'm heading over there, you go in the opposite direction and as for the rest of the boys, it's up to them. Let's regroup in two hours and tally up the trophies, 'kay?"
Katsuki grinned a challenge and raised a thumbs up as he went to the west end of the place, already starting a conversation with the first unaccompanied woman he saw(who looked absolutely star struck upon seeing him) while the others followed him, leaving Izuku to tread the floor by himself as he wanted. The guy had no intention of actually hitting on any women when he had two waiting at home, but he decided to stay for the fact that it was the least rude thing he could do.
So walking around he parked himself at an empty table and waited, scanning the area until someone caught his eye. They were a short, black haired woman whose hair was tied in a bow, dressed in a tan hoodie and jeans who possessed a slight hunching posture, one larger than baseline left-hand and a robotic prosthetic for a right one. She had the look of a mutant, but only slightly and before long she made eye contact with him from across the floor.
Not sure what else to do, Izuku gestured for her to come and by some miracle, instead of getting creeped out, she actually approached him and took a seat. Blinking at the events, Izuku just relaxed after a moment and smiled.
"So, are you also here because your friends dragged you along or did you just feel like seeing the nightlife?"
The girl shrugged and her voice came out in an oddly cute nasally tone that Izuku couldn't help but to grin at.
"Just trying to kill time right now, I got the day off and the next day after that so I'm just trying to figure out what to do with myself. So you said your friends dragged you along on some night out? Are you a shut-in or a workaholic?"
He shrugged as well.
"Neither, my friend is the workaholic and I'm the only person able to coax him away from his desk. So I had to come along on this trip despite the fact I'm already in a relationship because otherwise he would have just said no and he really needs to find something else to focus on you know?"
The mutant's expression remained neutral as she leaned back a bit in her chairs.
"Oh don't get me started, there's one friend I have from high school who's a complete workaholic even by my standards and so far all she's really done is just work and go home even though she has enough money to retire five times over."
She eyed him for a bit before continuing as she set her head on the table.
"So if I can ask, what exactly do you have in mind to kill time? Because right now I don't feel like dealing with anyone, much less drunk douchebags who just wanna try and get in my pants."
He snorted a bit at that.
"I personally couldn't blame them, you're very good looking for a mutant."
She raised an indignant eyebrow at him.
"The hell does that mean? You just assume that all mutant types are ugly and I'm the exception?"
Another smirk came his way, he was loving the energy that was just radiating off of this woman and frankly he couldn't get enough. The only one who can maybe match her was Ochako or Himiko.
"Oh no no no, you misunderstand. I'm the type of guy that is really into mutants, but some wear their quirks better then others and you are certainly one of them. Now enough of my talk, what's going on in your life if you mind me asking?"
The girl stared at him from the table for a moment then started to talk as she sat back up.
"Eh, not much. My little sister is starting highschool, my dad just paid off the mortgage after so long, my mom is still in her survivor's classes and I just bought my own house out north a few months back. Like I said not much, now what about you?"
Izuku thought about it, it wouldn't hurt to vent a little since he's likely never going to see this girl again after he leaves.
"Well, I just entered into the eighth month relationship with my girlfriend and it's been about a week since we let another girl into our relationship for reasons too personal to explain and right now I'm trying to juggle work, them and my hobby."
The woman raised another eyebrow at him like he was crazy.
"Wait, so you're in a relationship with two women at the same time and they know about it? How the hell does that work?"
Izuku laughed a bit.
"More than ya think, less than I hoped. Basically it's the three of us dating each other…mainly because one holds a lot of power over the woman I adore, but it's a good situation. Granted, I feel a little out of my depth."
She kept the eyebrow raised.
"So these women, are they mutants by any chance?"
He rolled his eyes as another laugh came out of him.
"I wish. That would make it so much better. But nah, they're both baseline aside from a few minor deviations to their eyes or fingers. Been with my darling for eight months like I said and loved every second of it and my Rosie about a week and so far she's been great. Why do you ask?"
The girl pursed her lips for a second and spoke with crossed arms.
"I know mutants tend to be…"easier" since most folks don't fancy them unless they're of your persuasion. One of my oldest friends, a girl with the head of a snake, managed to get manipulated into marrying some pervert she met in high school and while it never got abusive and they're still together, he did some weird shit to her that makes me really uncomfortable to think about."
Again she gave him a curious look after a quiet shiver of disgust at whatever she was seeing in her mind.
"What is it about mutants that you like so much? Like what gets you into them?"
Izuku pursed his own lips and broke the silence after a moment as a nostalgic smile found itself on his lips.
"Honestly? It's more to do with how my first encounter was with a mutant. We never went the full mile, but she was the only person who liked me back in the day, so one thing led to another and still being in highschool, let's just say she had an impact on me in a big way. To tell the truth I still think about her every so often, but after the Calamity we never got the chance to reconnect."
Trapped in his memories for time Izuku kept on talking.
"I miss her after all this time, not as much as I used to, but still. You know my life would be completely different if I just said "yes" to one thing she asked me a long time ago, but I hesitated since I needed to build up the courage to accept. Only to have that day be the one before the world went mad. But I have my darlings now so I'm fine."
There was a softer quality to the mutant at the sorrow in his voice and thus she asked a question.
"What exactly do you like about them?"
The man shrugged once more and answered.
"My darling had been there for me even at my lowest, hell, that's how we met. I was drunk, angry and depressed with nothing on my mind except for throwing myself over the edge of a bridge, but by some cosmic roll of the dice, I didn't. She talked to me and I talked to her and...we kind of fell into each other's lives. As for Rosie, she helps add to everything but who knows."
A look of concern and sympathy ruled over her at those words and she placed her organic hand over his, seeming to be almost apologetic at what happened.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
Izuku paused at the sentiment and patted her laid hand softly, taking note of the rough, almost dry texture of the skin.
"Not really. All you gotta know is that I'm better now. So to change the subject, because I know this'll haunt me forever if I don't, would you mind if I ask?"
The girl shifted her eyes to her prosthetic and flexed the fingers which moved silently and efficiently with the same speed as a normal hand would. She sighed as she observed the ionized steel of the limb before looking back at the man.
"Lost it during the war after a Nomu bit it off, that took me out of the fight for a bit and since rewind shots weren't around at the time I couldn't just have them fix my arm because anything longer than a month has the chance of messing with the entire body and I had this for a year before they came out. Thankfully this was a personal favor from a couple of my old friends so it's as good as having the original one."
She shook her head at the dulled reflection in the arm and kept talking.
"Good thing Miro introduced Melissa to Mei when they got married, otherwise I'd never be able to have such a decent one."
Izuku gauged the reaction of the girl as she was still lost in memory before she came back to reality with a slight glint of regret in her eyes. She stared at him for another moment before banishing some of the gloom.
"That aside now let me ask something about you. What exactly do you do aside from chatting up lonely mutants and screwing two women at the same time?"
He smiled and pulled out an employee ID of his day job.
"I crunch numbers and manage accounts for a company that handles distribution and finance for other businesses. Aside from that, I usually do community service when I get the time. What about you? What do you do to pad out the time of your life?"
The girl mused on it for a moment before reaching into her shirt and taking out a necklace that was tucked firmly between her rather nice chest. It was a circular steel pendant no larger than a 500 yen coin or an American quarter, with a strange symbol of a winged staff stuck between two serpents with fins at the end of their tails.
"I mainly do rescue work for the coast guard and survey work on the ocean. Used to be into the crime fighting part of the industry, but after my little brother passed away from getting stabbed during the war and I lost my arm, my dad made me swear it off. Honestly I'm semi-retired since I mainly live out on the sea most days of the year and the government pays me benefits from the stuff I went through in the war. Really I only bought the house so I can have my own place that isn't filled with chatty nature freaks."
A light glowed in Izuku's eyes, one like that of a child eager to hear a story as he smiled at her.
"You know, I've never been out on the ocean before. Can you tell me how it is?"
The girl considered his request before a far off glaze filled her eyes as she began to speak in a way that seemed like she knew it perfectly.
"Being at sea, really being within the realm of it where you can't see anything but water for miles upon miles in every direction is...wonderful yet horrifying because you learn almost instinctively that it isn't your domain. That at any moment the sea could swallow you up if it chose to or whatever is lurking in the depths could emerge and do the same."
Continuing her talk the woman kept her gaze to the empty air above him as she saw memories held deeply inside her.
"Most folk don't get much further than a half knot from the shore line, where everything is nice, shallow and safe, but once you take four knots out it's like the whole world vanishes. There's always the smell of salt and fish in the air that just rises up from below like an ever present stench while the tides flip and shimmer around you, mixing in with the sound of gulls calling from above and the wind rushing past.
Her fingers curled into fists as she went on.
"It can be so quiet when the water calms, like God flipped an off switch for everything. Sometimes when the sea doesn't move and everything is still, it can reflect the sky like a mirror to the point you can start to doubt which way is up if you stare for too long. Then night happens and those times where it's calm and not moving...that's when you get the feeling deep in your bones that the sea can just devour you without even blinking. Then there are storms that make the waves and rain crash against your boat, your only lifeline in the water and threaten to sink it with how fast and violent the winds are. Almost like you're in the presence of some ancient, hungry devil."
Another shake of the head came from her.
"My first time out on the water after the war when I got my replacement arm, I was with a crew of other people I knew. It was supposed to be a simple patrol detail that would last a week, seven days on, fourteen out, where we just made sure no vessels were in need of assistance. But when we passed twenty knots and were in the middle of it, everything went calm and then ten, maybe fifteen minutes later these thick, gray clouds started to roll in from the east and before long they covered the sky."
A shiver came through her with a silence that lasted for three moments before she breathed again.
"Then it began to pour these fat, heavy raindrops that were carried on this gust of wind that rose from the east and made it come in so fast it went sideways. No one could see the hand in front of their face so the captain of the crew ordered us to batten everything down and retreat to the cabin. The waves rocked our ship, knocking everything that wasn't strapped down to the floor and as the ten of us monitored the radars, manned the communication radios and checked the integrity systems, there came a wave in front of the bow of the ship. It had to be two storeys tall and it just went up and up into the air with only our searchlights showing it."
She clutched at the amulet with her original hand and continued.
"Then it came down like an avalanche. We were far enough away that it didn't over take us completely, but the water beneath us rose up when it hit the sea and our ship caught air. For ten seconds we were weightless then we crashed like a rock and the system said there was a breach in the lower haul of the ship and we were taking on water fast. Not sure what to do, I grabbed my gear along with the repair epoxy and rushed out the cabin with my quirk keeping me stuck to the vessel."
She rubbed the necklace like a talisman as she went on.
"My captain shouted some orders when I turned the corner, but I couldn't hear her over the storm as I went below deck. I could see the tear in the haul the second I stepped down and so I leapt to the other end where the force from the fall had broken it open and started spraying the gel. Water kept flooding in, but thankfully this stuff was space age since it repaired the tear in seconds. After that, I just grabbed a bucket and started bailing water out as best I could until one of my shipmates dragged me back into the cabin. When I was back inside the captain had no other option in sight other than to sail through the rest of the storm and by some miracle we managed to get to a clearing right as it began to fade away."
A smile began to form over her face, one of wonder and amazement that banished most of the previous dread.
"We saw the blue of the sky again and the clouds began to move away. Then when we had gotten enough distance to stop and breath, there was this massive rainbow that was larger than anything possible on the mainland and it hugged the sunlight so well that it was like something out of a fairytale."
The smile had taken over now and it had a sense of childlike wonder about it that burned brighter than any fear or dread and Izuku felt his soul just absorb the happiness with his own dumbstruck smile as she went on.
"That's not even the most amazing thing I've seen out there and that's why I can never give it up. It's adventure in its purest form with mysteries and things that most people can't even imagine, and even on a mundane voyage where nothing spectacular happens and I just dot the log and listen to the radio, I'm free. Free to do as I wish with no laws or regulations to weigh down on my passion to help people and even if I died out there, I know I would die happy."
She blinked at her actions upon finishing her trance and realized what she did and blushed a bit in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that, I tend to get a little overboard when talking about sailing."
There hadn't been a time in Izuku's life where he was so hungry to hear more about anything aside from his early days and those two golden years of Highschool. He knew he was giving that giddy smile he used to make when he watched All Might videos before the man crushed his dreams, but he was too enthralled to care.
"Are you kidding? That was the greatest story I've heard in a long time. So happened to your crew mates? Were you reprimanded for what you did? How did you get back home? What's your quirk like? How did-"
The mutant let out a deep, nasally laugh that sounded half way between a series of snorts and giggles as she raised her hands up to stop his barrage of rapid fire questions.
"Easy there Skipper, one at a time with the questions. I barely remember half of this stuff."
Izuku couldn't help but smile at how cute her laugh was, it was like Himiko's except more...down to earth in a way. He pulled out a pad and pen from a pocket and clicked it with a sudden hunger to know in his eyes.
"Well, if you don't mind answering one at least, could you tell me about your quirk? I'm kind of a geek about that stuff."
She actually appeared faltered when he asked that and even looked off to the side of the floor to avoid the interest in his eyes.
"Gosh, you really wanna know about my quirk? Most people just assume it's only skin deep and leave it at that."
He grinned with a far more sympathetic light as he flipped the pen in his fingers.
"Most people are wrong. Quirks are beautiful gifts even if most don't see it, they make a person unique like no one else even if they have similar quirks to another person it's still their own. Something that they can never have taken from them and shows a part of their personality that nothing else can. Honestly even with people who have weak quirks or mutant quirks or villainous quirks, I'm always so jealous because that's...them you know? It's the human soul made into physical art that can let a person live an extraordinary life that five generations ago would be considered impossible."
His words reached the girl and she studied him for a few seconds before cutting in.
"You're quirkless, aren't you?"
Izuku flinched at the assumption like it had struck him in the face and was the one looking to the floor to avoid her stare. Swallowing his fear and shame at his disability, he tried to not shrink at his darkest secret being found out.
"...Yeah, is that a problem?"
She was silent for a moment before giving him an "I understand" with her eyes and gripping one of his hands for a bit.
"Not at all, us rejects gotta stick together. As for my quirk, it's called "Tree Frog" and it has four main parts that let me use it. Firstly, it increases the strength in my legs by a factor of twenty so I can jump for half a mile in a single bound or shatter concrete with a kick. Secondly, it lets me extend and control my tongue at will like a limb so I can wrap it around anything I want and it can stick to any surface. Thirdly, the tips of my fingers and toes can secrete a compound through my pores that let me stick to any surface. Forthly, I can also spit out my stomach if I want, but that isn't very cool. That's about it."
He furiously scribbled down what was said before more questions popped up in his head. Looking up he shot her a curious glance.
"Are you cold blooded by any chance? I know those with reptilian or amphibian style quirks have a twenty five percent chance of that happening."
The woman smiled at him, seeming genuinely pleased with his knowledge.
"Yeah actually, if the temperature ever hits below ten degrees then my body will shut down and go into a hibernating state and I won't wake up until I'm warm again."
There was a mad spark of intrigue as Izuku snapped his fingers as something clicked in his head.
"Wait, if that is the case and your quirk has most of the qualities of a tree frog, then wouldn't that mean you could survive a form of cryostasis? Frogs have been known to usually come out with no problems after years of being in suspended animation, so it would stand to reason that you could too."
A giggle came from the girl as she covered her mouth as she tried to answer with more snorting laughter.
"I-I don't know, I never tried it and I doubt I will, but I guess it's possible *Ribbit* if I did."
She kept laughing for a few seconds before Izuku cut in with an admittedly enthralled demeanor at how unbelievably cute that noise sounded.
"Hold up, did you just ribbit like a frog?"
She paused her laughter as a self conscious dread overtook her joy with a lowered head that plucked at the heartstrings.
"Yes...is that a problem?"
Now Izuku was laughing this time as he did his best to put the mutant at ease as he put away his pad and pen.
"No, it's honestly one of the most adorable things I've seen."
That earned him a smile in return as she slowly sat up again.
"It's good to know, not a lot of people-"
There came an audible vibration from her pants pocket and soon she pulled out her phone and let out a sigh that Izuku knew all too well as she muttered under her breath "Goddamn it Dad." before answering it with a less than forced look of happiness.
"Hi Daddy."
She nodded a bit and pursed her lips as she responded to a question Izuku couldn't hear.
"Yes I've been out a while, but-"
She was interrupted by something from the other line that seemed to kiss her off even more.
"Yes, I understand she hasn't seen me in a month and Mom is making dinner, but-"
A scoff came from her as she was interrupted again, only for her to raise her voice a little.
"Because I'm on a date and you keep butting in."
It was then Izuku flinched at the statement, not sure what he was being dragged into right when the girl seemed to realize what she said and silently sucked air through her teeth. They both made awkward eye contact, but to her credit, she had gotten the desired results when after a few seconds she said a pleasant "Goodbye" to her father and the call ended. Putting the phone away she pursed her lips apologetically.
"Sorry about that, my dad can be a bit of a control freak when I'm on dry land. Love him to death, but he still sees me as his little girl."
Izuku waved a dismissive hand as he reached for another blank notepad he kept in his other pocket.
"Hey it's no issue, I know what it's like to have helicopter parents. That being said, could you do me a favor and write as many made up phone numbers on this thing that you can think of? I made a bet and I don't wanna lose."
The woman grinned and grabbed the objects, clicking the pen with a challenging gaze.
"Sure."
Ten minutes passed and two pages were filled with phony digits pressed in a rather elegant handwriting as the girl flipped the pages to another blank one and tore it out. She wrote down another number with a name over it, then she stood up and offered him her hand.
"Well, it's been pleasant, but I really do gotta go see my people again. Give me a call if you ever wanna shoot the breeze."
Izuku did likewise and shook her hand as he stood up.
"Not a problem, name's Izuku Midoriya by the by. Also is that ship of yours ever looking for new crew members, because I'd love to try that line of work out."
They parted hands and the mutant grinned.
"I'm called Tsuyu Asui, but you can call me Tsuyu. As for my ship, I'll have to think about it, but I'll be sure to keep in touch. Tell your girlfriends I said "Hello" okay?"
With that she walked towards the exit and left, leaving Izuku with an actual phone number that he instantly placed in his contacts and book of fake ones that he hurried to show Kacchan...only to find him absent from the bar when he looked around and find Rikido chipping away at a rum and coke. The man told him Katsuki left with five women in tow and just left. Once he was gone Ojiro had gone back home to see his wife while Iida and Tokoyomi went elsewhere for the night.
Izuku was glad with this and offered the hero a good night as they both began to make their way to the train station together(since Izuku had issue leaving his slightly intoxicated employer to fend for himself). Later Izuku headed off to Himiko's, feeling a rush at the thought of getting to see her again, before remembering to tear up the numbers and trash them to avoid any unnecessary conflict.
Half an hour later he arrived at her block and before long he arrived at her apartment. The door swung open and there she was, crusty and lovely as always in those dirty pajamas, like a sleep deprived Cinderella. She gave a soft smile at his arrival and Izuku needed no further invitation to come in.
Putting an arm around her as the door shut behind him, he kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Himiko kissed him in the proper way and gently moved his hands to the torso.
"Could you rub my back? I've been sitting so long that I'm all stiff."
Izuku picked her up without a word and carried her to the bedroom where he laid her on the mattress. He removed his shirt and then her shirt and bra so nothing would get in the way. Running his palms over the flat of her back, he started to feel around for the tense areas of muscle and hesitated.
"Do you want me to put some ointment on like last time? Maybe a little moisturizing cream so you aren't so chapped back here? It might help you feel better."
The assassin hummed for a bit and shrugged.
"If you want, really I just want a back rub."
Taking the hint Izuku went to the bathroom to grab the cream and slathered his hands with it, but not before he leaned in and kissed her neck just once.
"I love you darling."
She smiled a little at his words.
"I love you too, you big baby."
Cool sensations ran up his hands as he started to softly caress and massage his lover's back, hear her groan and moan in relief fueled pleasure as he worked out the kinks in her back the best he could. They didn't talk during this, she was too caught up with the pain and the release he was giving and Izuku was becoming more removed from the situation as he focused on massaging her like a piece of fine art where her back was his canvas.
Eventually she signaled for him to stop and so he climbed onto the bed and kissed her as she started to stretch. They tangled for a bit before Himiko nuzzled into his chest with a pleased face while Izuku reached for a bit and her hand. Again he kissed her, making her giggle at his attention like a content puppy while Izuku noticed something.
"Any clue where Ochako is?"
Himiko shrugged and hugged him fondly as she listened.
"Cheeky had to work today so she couldn't come over. She told me so, but you were busy."
He sighed and pushed the blood sucker off him carefully as he got off the bed to pick up his shirt.
"Get your clothes on and pack an overnight bag, we're going to go see her. It's the least we can do."
A heavy annoyance and disappointment filled the slasher, but she knew he wouldn't budge on the matter, so she did as he ordered. Twenty minutes later they were both cuddling on a train to the far nicer side of the nation and in two hours they arrived at Ochako's city. Her apartment wasn't hard to find and to their luck, when they knocked, her pink cheeked face greeted them with shock as she stood in a bathrobe stained with old pink ice cream stains.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Izuku gave her a knowing grin and ushered Himiko forward with a light pat on the ass as she stepped inside and he took the heroine gently by the hand. Shutting the door it was suddenly just the three of them and Izuku hugged her warmly while the blonde rolled her eyes, but joined in, squishing the brunette between them. Ochako was still in mild shock at their arrival, but Izuku merely picked her chin up while Himiko nuzzled into her shoulder.
"We're here to see you silly. We missed you and you always said you hated being alone so here we are, keeping you company like you did for us."
She blinked at his words as with understanding came a few stray tears lurking in her eyelids as Ochako returned the hug to the both of them as a profound gratitude filled her voice.
"Thanks guys, you have no idea how badly I needed this right now."
Himiko squeezed her a little more around the belly and kissed her neck as she spoke up while Izuku caressed her back.
"That's what we're here for Cheeky, we exist to make you feel good and content. Now is there anything we can do to make you happy?"
A single tear flew down her cheek as she pointed to her bedroom.
"I need to go to sleep right now, but if you guys wouldn't mind, can we lay together, please?"
Suddenly she was in the air as Izuku hefted her up bridal style while Himiko climbed on his back after he squatted down and in seconds they were in her bedroom. She was still in Izuku's arms as Himiko climbed down and opened the covers of the queen-sized mattress. The next second the blonde's clothes were gone and she had started to pull away at the bathrobe when Izuku set her down.
Ochako didn't offer a fight and let herself be undressed by the woman, who soon did the same to Izuku. They each were naked now and Himiko took her by the arm and dragged into bed. In the same instance Himiko clung to her like a chimp before another, larger set of arms wrapped around her belly instead of her back.
The villainess kissed her tenderly, then Izuku planted his lips on her as well, then he kissed Himiko right as he hit the lights. Not sure what to do with the affection, Ochako was awash with good feelings right as a strong sucking sensation attacked her neck while their hand caressed her body and let her know "We're here for you".
Letting herself get swept up in the buzzy feelings she returned the favor as her consciousness was slowly giving way to sleep.
"I love you guys."
The two began to kiss on her cheeks while occasionally breaking off to kiss each other while they too started to slip away into a good sleep.
"We love you too Rosie."
"We love you too Cheeky."
The anti gravity heroine dreamed with a joyful smile under the force of her lovers' passions for her and she saw such a good future for them with their children they would have eventually. As she did so, Ochako knew that little encounter at the bar and confessing her desires was the best thing she ever did.
She knew nothing could ruin it because it was so perfect and she was loving every second of it.