Chapter 30
"...I have absolutely no idea what the hell to do with you three at this point," Aizawa said, staring at the trio blankly. "Is it too much to ask for you to stay off the news for one single day?!"
"It's not like we chose to have Hosu get attacked!" Himiko protested.
Aizawa sighed, holding up his phone to a clip currently playing on repeat. On it, a clearly agitated Himiko was shouting at the other two as she drove a Nomu into the ground. The trio flushed, refusing to meet their teacher's gaze. Aizawa sighed again.
"You're not in trouble. Well, mostly. It's just…you have a lot of attention on you now. A lot. And I know none of you wantit."
Izuku paused, looking up at Aizawa. "...you implied we arein some form of trouble."
Aizawa slumped in his chair, letting out an annoyed grunt. "It's…difficult. You were using your Quirks without the express permission of Ingenium. Granted, he said he gave you permission, but the fact you were caught on camera looking for more things to do isn't…great."
"How does any of that make sense? We're hero students, and yeah, I know the students' part is important, but like…were we supposed to just sit there and let people die?" Ochako protested.
"In my opinion? No, of course not. I would rather you notget into fights with these Nomu creatures, and I'd much prefer you were doing basic evacuation procedures as you are still students, as you so aptly admitted, but…it's not my opinion that matters."
"I still don't get it. What's so wrong with us helping?" Himiko groused.
Aizawa worked his jaw. "...alright. What I'm about to tell you, you keep to yourselves for now. It's something we'd normally go over with you in your third or fourth year, depending on how things go, but…it boils down to the fact that as a Hero, your job has some political implication. I personally hate it, but heroes are celebrities, and thus have massive public influence. You should be aware of this, with the impact Toshinori has on the entire world, much less Japan, right?" As the trio nodded along, Aizawa continued. "The thing is, governmental agencies don't appreciate such influence. Specifically, the Commission takes a dim view of these things generally."
"That sounds…fucked up, Sensei," Ochako muttered.
"There is some sense to it. It's not as black and white as it sounds. Heroic influence can be easily used for nefarious purposes if you so choose. And once you add in the fact that Heroes are the only people who get as much training in using their Quirks in combat, and many heroes have exceptionally powerful Quirks, well…a Hero turned Villain is the most dangerous kind of Villain. There needs to be checks on hero power, because it can go to your head."
Izuku was trying very hard not to react to this, but every word their teacher was saying was being played over the image of Shoto's muttered comments about heroic failings and his father. Endeavor was the number two hero, admired by millions of people for his strength and ability to solve cases. He was taciturn and strict, but even that was respected by many people…and yet Izuku was aware of what he had done behind the scenes, and it made them see, somewhat, what their teacher was saying. If someone had kept Endeavor in better check, maybe…but even so, that situation was different from them helping, wasn't it?
"But…all we did was save people? We're not trying to like, influence anyone!" Himiko replied, waving her hands dramatically.
Aizawa shrugged. "It is different, but it undermines the Commission's authority. As first year students you should not have been doing that. The regulations are what they are. Now, you're still not actually in trouble. Ironically, that same influence that they fear is precisely why they can't go after you…it'd be a PR disaster. However, Tensei is a different matter."
"But that's not fair! He was just trying to help!" Izuku shouted, jumping to their feet and slamming their hands on the table before them.
"It won't be more than a slap on the wrist, don't you worry," Aizawa dismissed with a wave of his hand. "We've allgotten censured by the Commission before and it'll happen again. You get used to it when you aren't one of their darlings. Tensei will be fine. He'll get a rude letter, a strongly worded complaint, and some black mark on a dingy record they ignore because he's popular and he's gotten a PR boost thanks to being your mentor. It's just something you have to get used to, in this business. Unless you go underground, but that is increasingly unlikely at this point."
"It's still not fair," Izuku muttered, slumping back into their seat.
"I did tell you the world isn't fair, Midoriya. It's not. As heroes, it's our duty to combat that unfairness, but it is a fight we can never truly win. We're just holding the line."
"Then why bother?" Himiko asked, slumping in her chair as much as Izuku. All she could really feel right now was frustration and a general apathetic annoyance coming across the bond, and she imagined that was pretty well reflected in her own emotions.
Aizawa arched an eyebrow at her. "You know better than to ask that, Himiko. You already know the answer."
"...because someone has to," Ochako sighed, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands, pouting.
Aizawa gave her a wry grin, patting her on the shoulder once. He leaned back in his chair. "With all that out of the way…be aware the media is going to be focused on you three for a while. Now, as spotlight heroes, that would not normally be a bad thing, but I imagine it's not something you want. So for now, we're calling you back off your internship early…you learned about as much about fighting as you could," he muttered, glaring off to the side as if the wall had personally offended him. He shook his head. "I'll do some extra lessons with you, going over procedures and paperwork while the rest of the class are on their internships, so you still get that experience."
"Okay. I mean…makes sense, I guess," Izuku sighed.
Aizawa looked over at the frustrated cat-quirked teenagers and shrugged again. "It sounds worse than it really is. Like I said, it's an unfortunate side effect of our job, you're just getting exposed to it earlier than any of us would like."
"...how bad did Hosu get?" Izuku dared to ask after a few minutes of silence. They'd been pulled into this side room at Ingenium's agency where their teacher had met them, but it was only after they'd had to spend another hour evacuating the burning building they had spotted. No one had told them exactly what all had gone down, as they hadn't seen any more Nomu but they could easily hear the screams and shouts of fighting in the distance.
Aizawa took a moment to consider. "I'll give it to you straight, as the news is going to break the full report later anyways. Casualties weren't terrible, but, well, the grand total of Nomu released into the city at last count was twenty seven, and they did some serious damage. You three managed to stop six of them, but to be frank, you are far more powerful than most people your age, and more than many other heroes. Toshinori was deployed, but by the time he arrived there were already losses. Endeavor arrived shortly before All Might, and between the two of them they managed to stop most of the Nomu themselves, but…well, it could have gone better."
"O-oh," Izuku said, looking down at the table.
"...you stopped six of them on your own. Do not discount your efforts," Aizawa said with a firm tone, making Izuku look back up at him and meet his steady stare. "A lot of people survived thanks to what you did. Not only stopping those six, but saving the people in the building. No other hero was nearby."
"...but why did they even attack?!" Ochako asked.
Aizawa sighed, rubbing his face. "The police…received another of those 'boxes', like the one at the USJ. We were given a pre-recorded message from someone who called himself 'The Doctor', claiming he was doing more field tests."
"...that's fucked up," Himiko replied, gaping at her teacher.
"Some villains are," Aizawa replied flatly. "Many villains have various reasons for what they do…mental illness, substance abuse, revenge, political motivations, etc, but some villains simply wish to cause harm and watch the world burn. Or in this villain's case, he seems to be some sort of scientist with no ethics whatsoever. That or it's an act. Or perhaps he's trying to make these Nomu as some sort of shock trooper and he intends on selling them. Truthfully, there could be a myriad of motivations," Aizawa shrugged. "Not to make light of it, but while it's rare to find someone so willing to attack in such a high profile way, it happens."
Himiko knew he was right, but she still couldn't stand the thought. It was so…ugh. Seeing the glance Izuku and Ochako shared with her, she knew they felt the same, that same disgusted rage filling their chests and swirling together into one choking, twisted thread.
"For now, don't worry about the attack. I know that's hard to do, but multiple agencies have begun a manhunt into this 'Doctor' and his creations, so for now it's best to leave it up to them. For now, let's get you packed up and back to the dorms."
Himiko flopped over on Ochako's bed, staring at her phone in consternation. As they'd returned to the dorms, Aizawa had handed her a few letters, and explained to her in quiet terms what he'd heard from the detective, leaving her now as confused as she'd ever been. Hadn't…hadn't those friendships been fake? She thought they were…that it was all some sort of act everyone was putting on, that everyone was just using each other for social standing! And yeah, there was some confirmation of that apparently, as only three of the dozen girls had reached out with genuine intentions, but like…that was three more than she'd expected.
She'd of course told Izuku and Ochako about it. She didn't keep these sort of secrets from them, especially not lately with how jumbled up her feelings around them were. It didn't help that Ochako and Izuku had weird feelings about her and the other as well. It was getting harder and harder to keep her feeling separate, to keep theirs away from her own. There were times she was going to say something, but Ochako or Izuku would say it instead and she didn't mind it. It was messing with her head, the connection, because the emotions were so similar sometimes that she couldn't tell them apart. At least, for most things.
This though? This, she knew, was entirely herself. Ochako and Izuku were just worried about her and how she was feeling, which she wasn't even sure what she was feeling. Fear? Guilt? Anticipation? Whatever it was, she didn't quite know, but…she did want to find out. She wasn't going to hide from her old 'friends'. She'd tell them who and what she was, right off the bat, and if they couldn't deal well…then she at least knew how to deal with those who hated her for her Quirk she was not going to get her hopes up about if they accepted her.
"You sure you want us here, Himi?" Ochako asked, sitting on the bed beside her and absently reaching up to scratch her ears.
"Mmmhmm," she hummed back, closing her eyes and arching her back at the sensations. "I um, already texted them and they are ready for me, so…I'm…I'm gonna video call and see what they have to say. So uh…can you stay outta sight unless I ask for you to come in?"
"Of course," Izuku said softly, finally finished with hanging up their clothes in the closet (according to them it was very important to have everything in place, something she found both amusing and adorable).
Himiko nodded absently, taking a deep breath as she looked at her phone. Ochako stopped scratching her ears, sliding back off the bed to leave the area of the shot as Himiko sat back against the headboard. With a deep breath, she hit the call button. It rang once, twice, and then the call connected.
Three heads shoved together, nearly pushing one another out of the way, faces she knew rather well. Rika, brown eyes and short-cut red hair in the center, Mimi, glinting green eyes and blonde hair on the left, and Momoko, dark blue hair and blue eyes on the right, all smiling widely at the camera as they tried to say hi all at once, instantly squabbling as they cut one another off. Himiko couldn't help it, letting out a snort of laughter only to freeze a second later once all three looked at her, confused. She wasn't sure why at first, until she realized…she'd never laughed like that around them, always a prim and proper laugh, one befitting a dignified member of the Toga family, never something so…barbaric as a snort.
"Wow…that scruffy detective wasn't lying. You really are different, huh?" Mimi asked, her characteristic lack of tact in her words.
"Mimi!" Rika said with a gasp, slapping Mimi on the shoulder. She rolled her eyes. "Ignore her, Koko," Himiko had to hold back a wince as she could feel the sudden surge of amusement from both Izuku and Ochako at the nickname, "she's still a total airhead."
"Ignore both of them. We're so glad to see you, Himiko. We were rather worried," Momoko said, her tone soft.
Himiko swallowed. "I…yeah. I um, so your letters said."
There was a brief, awkward pause as Himiko fell silent, not sure what else to say, but the silence was broken by Mimi rolling her eyes. "Okay, nope, none of this awkward stuff. Gonna come out and say it. We heard about your parents and that is so not cool, we're really sorry that that happened to you. Are…are you doing better now? Detective guy didn't tell us much."
"...I'm doing a lot better," Himiko said, a smile flickering across her face, one where her teeth were visible behind her lips. The sudden widening of the eyes of the other girls reminded her of what she was expecting, and she took a deep, bracing breath. "But I um…I have to tell you something. And you probably won't like it, so it's fine if you don't want to talk to me after. My parents lied about my Quirk."
"Yes, so the detective said, but he didn't say what was so bad about your Quirk in the first place? It can't be that bad," Rika said, her eyebrow raised.
Himiko scoffed. "You say that now." She sighed, deciding to just bite the bullet. "My Quirk lets me change into other people, but to do it, I have to drink their blood. Actually, I have to drink blood often, else I um…starve. So…yeah." Her voice trailed off as she spoke, finding it increasingly difficult to meet the gaze of the three girls on the line.
There was another brief moment of silence, before Momoko spoke. "I…I see. Can I ask a question?"
"Sure?"
"Were you lying about being bi, before?"
Himiko blinked, incredibly confused by the question, but decided to go with it. "No…?"
Momoko looked…annoyed, her eyebrows furrowed. "So…you're telling me I had a hot, bisexual, vampire best friend and I never got to make out with her even once?!"
Himiko let out a choked laugh, nearly dropping her phone as Rika immediately shrieked and nearly tackled Momoko out of frame, Mimi laughing like a hyena as the phone shook in her hand. Ochako lost her battle with her own laughter, her merry giggles bubbling up in the background, as Izuku quickly stole one of the pillows off the bed with telekinesis and shoved it into their face to muffle their own laughter.
Mimi tilted her head, her laughter fading as she seemed to hear something. Ignoring the commotion behind her, where Himiko could see flashes of Rika chasing Momoko around what looked like Mimi's bedroom, she spoke up. "You alone?" Mimi asked.
"Um, no. My um…my friends are here too," Himiko said, glancing to the side.
"Oh, are they the cute cat people with you on the news?!"
Himiko could feel the sudden surge of embarrassment that came across the bond, able to tell that both of her best friends were now cherry-red without even looking at them. She thought about it for a moment, before deciding… "Yes. Yes, they are," she said with confidence, enjoying the flustered feeling she could feel from both of them now that she directly called them cute as well.
"Oh, oh, can we see your ears? They looked so cute on the news but we didn't get good angles!" As Mimi asked, her eyes glittering with excitement, Rika and Momoko popped up behind her, making Himiko have to hold back another snort. She'd never realized how funny these three were…she'd spent so much time tamping down her instincts, she hadn't really been able to appreciate their over the top antics, but now? It was like a balm to her soul, and slowly, she was realizing that maybe, just maybe…she did have friends before? She nodded, tilting the camera up enough to reveal the ears, one of them flicking without her meaning to, and she got to watch in real time as Rika had to cover her mouth to avoid letting her hear her high pitched squeal. Mimi and Momoko had no such resistance, both squealing and hopping in place as they babbled compliments about how cute she looked.
After a few minutes, they managed to get themselves under control, and Rika ended up shoving her way forward, stealing the phone from Mimi's hand. "So…how did you end up with cat ears, and two more cat people? Are you guys like, long-lost triplets or something?"
Himiko shook her head no, but smiled a bit at the words. "N-no, um…we're childhood friends but got split up, and uh…it was a weird Quirk accident. It's a long story, really."
The trio of girls before her shared a glance, before they nodded as one. "Well…we got time, if you wanna tell it," Momoko offered.
Himiko paused, thinking it over. As long as she kept One For All secret…the rest of the story would be fine to tell. She turned to look at Izuku and Ochako, her eyes and emotions conveying her question, which she could only appreciate more as both of them immediately walked over to the bed, sliding onto either side of her and appearing in the phone, Izuku's sheepish grin and Ochako's nervous smile visible. "Okay. But um, let me introduce you first…" As Himiko began to introduce her oldest friends to the ones she never realized she had, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long, long time…hope.
Chapter 31
The conversation with Himiko's friends was honestly rather fun. Izuku and Ochako got to
understand a lot more about the trio of rather excitable girls, and seeing Himiko smile so freely made them both so happy for her.
Momoko was soft spoken and the least outgoing of the trio, but also the most flirty. She only made her comments once in a while, but when she did, either Izuku or Ochako (sometimes both) would end up bright red, as Himiko cackled at them both.
Mimi was blunt, and seemed to just say whatever was on the top of her mind, but she also seemed the most in tune with others moods because she always apologized if she said something that might be offensive. Not that she really did, but Izuku and Ochako still appreciated it.
As for Rika…they kinda felt a bit bad for her, because she seemed to be the self-appointed self-control of the other two. She spent half her time trying to shush one or the other frantically, or dive tackling them out of frame (Himiko reassured Ochako and Izuku that everyone knew how Rika was and it was all in good fun).
Himiko's old friends were fun, and nice, and sweet, and they enjoyed talking to them. Shoved up together, emotions blending into one big puddle of joy and cheer and happiness, Izuku and Ochako letting themselves get swept up into Himiko's excitement.
The conversation was so nice, they'd stayed up really late and fallen asleep together once more, entangled and intact, blended and fused and right. In their sleep, dreams were muddled and mixed, and they swore the vestiges tried to contact them, but they were too sleepy, too cuddly, too happy to really care.
And so the morning came upon them, and they were able to get ready for a few extra hours of classes. Some breakfast together, some changing together, some moving together to get to the empty classroom where Sensei awaited them.
Izuku, though, had noticed something odd while they sat in the classroom learning from Aizawa, and it was concerning them. Or they thought it was. Maybe? It was hard to tell sometimes. The bond had settled into a pleasant, dull hum today, a simple resonating thrum in their chest that comforted them, calmed them…Oh, wait. They shook their head. Aizawa was asking something.
"Uraraka, did you read the section I outlined yesterday?" Aizawa asked, looking over at her.
"Yep! Finished it!" Himiko replied, smiling wide.
Aizawa blinked. "I'm glad you read it too, Himiko, but I asked Uraraka."
"Yeah, and I read it, like I said," Ochako replied, looking at Aizawa in confusion.
Aizawa paused. Izuku Himiko Ochako was confused by how confused Aizawa looked. Their teacher slowly set their pen down, the expression on their face carefully blank. "Of course. Uraraka, can you do me a favor and give me your notes on my Quirk?"
"Sure!" she said happily, reaching back without looking. Izuku set their notebook in her hand automatically, not pausing in their writing in their other notebook. Ochako stood up and walked it to Aizawa, the dark-haired teacher watching with pursed lips as he accepted it and set it down on his desk softly.
He let out a deep sigh, planting his hands firmly on his desk. This was confusing. Why was he acting that way, Izuku wondered. They tilted their head to the side, Ochako and Himiko mirroring the motion at the same time. "Problem Children…take a moment and think about who I just asked for Quirk analysis."
It took a moment to filter into their mind, but Izuku's eyes went wide, Himiko and Ochako's following a split second later. Now the bond was no longer a pleasant dull hum, but a cacophony of confusion and fear and wrong. It was…it was supposed to be emotions only what was happening who was who?!
Izuku was about to panic, and because they were, and Himiko and Ochako were so close too close they feared they would drag them down with them, into a pit of fear and worry and terror…but a hand on their shoulder yankedthem back mentally, emotionally, forcing calm and cutting the fear away like a knife, letting them breathe as their eyes fluttered open when had they closed them?
"Okay, kids, okay, calm down, it's okay," Nana whispered in Izuku's ear, kneeling down beside them, one arm around Ochako's shoulder, the other gripping Izuku's. Yoichi was on Ochako's other side, gently stroking Himiko's hair, the trio finding themselves in the blackness that was the vestige world once more.
Izuku could feel them forcing calm on them, and normally they would instinctively fight this, but instead they reached for it like a child reaching for a stuffed animal, desperate to be safe from this mental storm before it took control once more.
"Shit, we ain't gonna have much time to go over this," Bruce commented, rubbing his temples.
"Yes well, at least let them catch their breath!" Nana shot back.
"Allow me to say this quickly, it will be okay. We can help you deal with this. We wanted to talk to you about it last night but for some reason we couldn't get you into the vestige world," Hikage said, kneeling down beside Himiko.
"M-maybe start with what the hell is going on?!" Himiko asked, turning blown wide eyes on him, her tail flicking rapidly.
Kudo sighed as he stepped over, crouching before Izuku and laying his arms over his knees. "Look, it's…complicated, but basically, it's something that happened to all us Vestiges. We figured out how to block the effect, we just gotta show you how."
"...but we're not vestiges?" Ochako said, one hand over her chest as she tried to get her breathing under control.
"Uh…about that," Daigoro drawled, trailing off as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, drawing the attention of the trio towards the throne where Toshinori's flaming vestige normally sat…only to see a sheepish looking Toshinori vestige surrounded by a sparking bolt of emerald lightning that looked slightly like Izuku, a shimmering, shining cluster of pink and white stars that vaguely resembled Ochako, and a flowing, crimson red figure that resembled Himiko.
"...what?" Izuku said, staring blankly at the trio who waved awkwardly at them.
"So, the thing is, before you, us Vestiges weren't quite as aware, as it were, so we never quite realized that Toshinori had a vestige pretty much as soon as he took on the Quirk, since well, he couldn't talk. It seems as soon as you get the Quirk, you get a Vestige. And what happened was what we call 'Resonance'," Yoichi explained.
"It's like…a merging, or melding of consciousness, or something. We had some serious issues with that, back in the day, before we figured out how to compartmentalize it properly," Bruce added.
"Your emotional link accelerated the process for your Vestiges, as far as we can tell. But it's also…the thing is, they aren't you," Nana said, gesturing vaguely.
"They aren't all of you," En interjected softly. "They are more instinctual than you are, because they don't contain the multitude of you, and won't until much more time has passed. They are like baby vestiges, if you would. So they act on instinct. They thought you wanted to be closer, so…they tried to link to each other."
"...so…we have to…train our own half-selves to not do that?" Izuku asked, confusion evident in their tone.
"Sort of. It's not hard to learn how to block it. We can show you before we let you go again, although we'll want to do it fast. Time flows differently here, but even then, your teacher is mid-panic mode right now since you're all kind of just sitting there blankly," Daigoro said.
"If I may, I would counsel you not to ignore the benefits of Resonance. Sharing thoughts mid-fight would be a great boon to you, in an emergency," Hikage offered.
"I think that's premature to think about, Hikage," Yoichi gently chided.
"Yeah can we like…not?" Himiko said, her voice nearly a screech as she pressed her hands to the side of her head. "That was…I like being bonded with Izu and 'Chako but that was freaky!"
"I'm sorry," Izuku whispered, their head hanging low.
"Don't you fucking dare Izuku Midoriya," Ochako growled, making Izuku snap their head around to stare at the fuming Ochako, Himiko also visibly taken aback. Ochako turned around to point at Himiko. "You either! I can feel your guilt! Don't do this blame thing! We've been over this, it's no one's fault!"
"Easy for you to say," Izuku muttered.
"I swear Izu, I'm gonna…I'm not gonna yell at you but I willhug the stupid out of you!" Ochako commanded, making Himiko snort.
"If it were that easy we'd all be perfectly mentally healthy by now," Himiko said, rolling her eyes.
"Well obviously you two need more," Ochako said with her nose stuck up in the air. Neither Izuku nor Himiko was stupid…Ochako was being silly on purpose, pushing her own panicked feelings down to try and make the other two feel better, especially after her prior flash of rage that she was now wrapping up in chains and throwing into the dark depths of her soul.
"I'm…sorry for saying that," Izuku began, cutting Ochako's immediate retort about apologies off with an upraised hand. "You're right, I know you're right. But please, 'Chako, don't try and make us feel better when you're not happy yourself. We know, after all."
They could watch in real time as the energy drained out of Ochako, her shoulders slumping as she slumped forward slightly. "I just wanna help," she said, her voice nearly a whisper.
"You being you is help enough, 'Chako," Himiko said softly, leaning over to press her shoulder to Ochako's.
"Not to interrupt this touching moment, but we really doneed to show you how to compartmentalize before we send you back or your teacher has his own panic attack," Nana interjected with a sheepish grin.
"...will there be anything else messing with us? I just…I'm so tired," Izuku whispers, looking down at their hands. Every other day it was something else and they were so sick of it!
"I…wish we could reassure you, but we can't. We're all in unprecedented territory. That said, we're here for you three. We will help you navigate all these changes, we swear. We're getting better able to speak to you when you need us, so just try to be patient, alright?" Yoichi said, gently patting Izuku on the head.
"...fine, just show us what we have to do," Izuku sighed. Yoichi nodded, beckoning the three partial vestiges over and began to quickly explain how to block the effect, leaving them to leave the Vestige realm as soon as possible before Aizawa lost his cool entirely.
Having to explain this new problem to their teacher was nearly as frustrating as dealing with it to begin with. Turns out their inner Vestiges, being instinct based, were latching onto both their conscious desires to hold one another close and the cat Quirk instincts to constantly be cuddled together and were trying really hard to shove that effect on them, and it was a struggle to explain to them why they didn't want that.
Yoichi said it'd get easier over time as they became more real copies of them, with less pure instincts and more thoughts, but for now it was just an annoying habit to have to every few hours 'refresh' for lack of a better word, the separation.
Either way, the explanation took so long and then they had to explain it to Nezu and Toshi and Recovery Girl and even Hound Dog was there and Izuku was fucking done with this. They were done. Absolutely done. This day was shot. Maybe this week. Hell if Izuku could choose it, perhaps the entire month? Could they just abandon reality for a month? Would that be allowed?
Hound Dog wrangled an agreement to a session with him tomorrow, one for each of them, which Izuku agreed to. They'd already said they would go before, and even with how done they were with stuff right now, they knew intellectually that they needed help parsing through all of this. Himiko and Ochako were in the same boat. Agreeing to go meant they would too, and that's all Izuku needed to convince themselves to do so. So instead, back to the dorms they would go.
And immediately a beeline to Ochako's room to faceplant on the bed. Yes, it was a fucking bad idea to encourage their closeness and no, Izuku did not fucking care right now. They wanted cuddles and they knew Himiko and Ochako did too, so they were going to get them. Luckily for them, their desires were communicated fairly easily, and the feeling of Himiko sprawling over their back, followed by Ochako curling into their side was all they needed, some tension slowly bleeding out of them.
They felt themselves drifting slightly, a desire for a nap clear in their head. Their mind was still too wired to actually fall asleep, so instead they persisted in that strange half-asleep state one would find oneself in, where they were still awake and aware, but not all there. As they drifted comfortably in this relaxing state, enjoying the pressure of their friends upon them, they pondered the difference between how they felt about Himiko and Ochako, and how Himiko felt about her friends.
Sure, it was a new sensation for Himiko to realize that they were real, true friends, but still the way she felt was different from how Izuku felt about her. Or how she felt about Izuku, or Ochako. It was a bit closer to what happened when Momoko was flirting with them,but the feeling was still very different. Much less embarrassing and more…comforting.
Izuku wasn't an idiot after all. They noticed the comments from their classmates about the 'romantic' nature of their bond, or claiming they were flirting with each other when they were teasing. The thing was…Izuku maybe couldn't be entirely certain what those feelings were, but based on the circumstantial evidence and what they'd read, they had…a pretty good guess. They would never believe it in a million years, the idea that either of those two wonderful, kind, beautiful women could ever feel romantically inclined towards them, but…emotional bonding made it difficult to hide the feelings.
Not that they were certain. Not yet. But the longer time went on, they considered it could possibly be that. The problem was, could they trust it? The bond made things…difficult. Entangled. And before today, it was now even more difficult and confusing. Izuku had worried that their feelings were being modified or influenced by Himiko or Ochako's, or worse…their feelings were influencing the girls. That would have been the worst possible outcome, in Izuku's mind, somehow manipulating the girls into feeling things they normally wouldn't?!
So they'd dismissed all these thoughts and feelings before, shoved them down, locked away, chained up in a dungeon to keep them from touching either Ochako or Himiko. But the new technique the Vestiges showed them, it…did more than block the weird fused thoughts. Maybe because it was now being filtered through their own vestiges, but now, the source of the feelings were clear as crystal. It was like they all had actual colors to them, colors Izuku could feel, and they could easily separate what was their feelings, Himiko's, or Ochako's.
Which…was now a problem, because it flew in the face of their own beliefs. Because it meant whatever they felt was entirely them, and whatever Ochako or Himiko felt was entirely theirs as well, and the feelings were…not something Izuku had named before, but they were pretty sure they knew what they were.
The worst part was all this contemplation was being spread across the bond as well. Not Izuku's thoughts, so not the full details, but the warmth of affection, that happiness they felt at the thought Ochako or Himiko felt the same as them, the comfort they found in the connection between them, all of it was going across, no longer a forced impact, but a gentle breeze from Izuku to them, one that Izuku could feelthe girls taking some comfort in as well.
So now Izuku needed to decide what to do. There was a general feeling of…acceptance and agreement, but any thought of speaking up about it sent their own heart into a tailspin, and Ochako wasn't much better. Himiko, after reconnecting with her old friends and finally starting to feel more stable on her feet, seemed the most in tune with anything further, but she still had her own hesitation. So Izuku decided…no. Not right now. They needed to talk, but not today. They needed to think and ponder and consider exactly what it was, before they made a mistake and said something that couldn't be taken back, considering the connection they all had.
Waiting too long wasn't an option either though, because…well, because it felt so strong, the feelings in their chest made them want to scream them from the top of the rooftops, but also to whisper quietly in the dark and the contrast was killing them. But…they'd already agreed to talk to Hound Dog about everything, and maybe an outside opinion could help? They'd spoken to him once, and he was understanding and calm, which was everything Izuku could have asked for, so…for now, they'd hold off any important conversions, at least until they managed to get their head on straight around today's events, everything that happened during internships, and just…everything in general.
Izuku wasn't sure they were a complete person yet. They still weren't down in the bones happy. And they knew enough about relationships that building one based on others holding you up for you was just asking for everything to go wrong, so…they needed to work on that first, work on understanding who they are, and then, maybe then, they'll say something.
But for now, just for a bit, they'll let their busy brain turn off, appreciate the comfort of Ochako in their arms, of Himiko sprawled across the both of them holding them tightly, of the soft bed beneath and the warmth of both their bodies and their emotions holding Izuku tightly in their embrace. For now, just a chance to relax, to rest, and maybe in a few days time…time to confront their feelings.
Chapter 32-
Izuku knocked on the door to the assistant counselor, Hound Dog having been busy. A voice called out for them to enter. They hadn't met the new counselor, but Himiko said she liked him so Izuku was cautiously optimistic. Izuku went to open the door, but it slid open on its own, revealing a very short red-haired woman, a laptop tucked under her arm who looked up at him with a flat expression.
Izuku swallowed, a bit confused, before she offered a bright smile. "Sorry, our meeting took longer than I wanted, he's all yours! See you later darling!" she called over her shoulder with a smile, sauntering past Izuku. Izuku blinked in confusion, before a chuckle brought his attention to the man behind the desk. Tall, with precisely coiffed white hair and a rather impressive mustache and beard, the man looked…elegant. Idly, Izuku was a bit reminded of how Momo would conduct herself sometimes, down to what smelled like the same blend of tea she preferred. Izuku's attention was pulled back to the counselor clearing his throat.
"Well, terribly sorry for losing track of my time! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Danjuro Tobito, a hero and counselor here at this prestigious university, although you may call me Tonbito, or Danjuro if you're feeling daring," the man winked at Izuku with a sly grin. "But, if I may, what shall I call you?"
"Isn't my name on the file?" Izuku ventured, a bit taken aback.
"Of course it is, but I find a proper introduction is a good ice breaker, not to mention I must be certain what you prefer to be called!"
"Oh. Um…I prefer Izuku, that's fine," Izuku murmured.
"Excellent!" the man grinned, gesturing to the comfortable chair before him. "Now, if you would please take a seat, unless you find standing more comfortable. I'd be willing to meet you either way!"
"Oh, yeah, no, it's fine," Izuku said, quickly taking the seat. "Uh…so it's okay to call you by your given name?"
"Absolutely! I prefer it, if I'm being honest. More personable, don't you think? Anyways, would you like some tea?" Danjuro offered, waving his hand over a second teacup set before him.
"Uh…sure," Izuku replied. Danjuro was very different from Ryo…not in a bad way per se, just very different, and it was throwing them off a bit. They were also trying to recall what hero he was…no way he was a hero they'd never heard of, they even knew Eraserhead, and this guy seemed exceedingly flamboyant and…wait a minute. "You're Gentle, the Gentleman hero! You've worked with Crust and Best Jeanist numerous times before, but you tend to focus on rescue work and underground heroics even though you like to be flashy about it!"
Danjuro threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Ahaha, Ryo warned me you were a bit of a hero nerd, but I see he undersold it! I'm surprised you've heard of me, but certainly am glad! Yes, I do tend to dabble where I am needed, that's true, although my ranking will likely never be incredibly high. But what's important is helping the people, not those silly ranks, wouldn't you agree?"
Izuku blinked. "Well, yeah, but…why wouldn't you get a good rank? If my research on your Quirk is right, it's Elasticity, and it's incredible! You've stopped a plane from falling from the sky, you've contained a dozen criminals in a prison break with ease, and you even once managed to stop an entire mudslide by yourself! That's amazing!"
Danjuro's smile morphed from a bombastic, overly bright one to a warmer, but almost sad look as he leaned forward. "Ah yes, but I also have a criminal record. And that's all that matters to some people."
Izuku's jaw dropped. "You? But…I've never heard of that!"
Danjuro shrugged. "Not many have. You see…I always wanted to be a hero. It was all I ever wanted. Yet, during my time at UA, well…the truth is I wasn't a great student. I had serious issues with paying attention, and I could be veryreckless. Eventually, I was dismissed from the hero course. Now, I had a chance to earn my place back, the Headmaster was insistent, but my young, foolish heart took it as an insult and quit the school entirely."
He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling for a moment, before turning his attention back to Izuku. "At the time, I was unaware I had certain mental and emotional issues that made it more difficult for me to deal with the pressures of such tight schooling and disappointment. I see no reason to go into the sordid details, but after leaving UA I tried vigilante work. In the process, well…I nearly got someone killed. I spent a few months in prison, and once I got out, I was lost. Adrift. Unable to really cope with my actions and how everything had gone wrong. But then she found me."
Danjuro's smile warmed up, a distant, affectionate look in his eyes as he looked at a picture on his desk. "The young woman who just left this office is very close to me, and she was the one who professed her admiration for me and my efforts to help people, even though they failed. I won't get into her reasons for why, that is her business, but it made me realize I could not simply stay lost, I had to get up and move forward! And so…I found a therapist."
Izuku nearly snorted, the sudden admission throwing them so much they leaned back in surprise by it. Danjuro gestured to the office, his smile growing wider. "That led to my passion for this sort of work! To make a long story short, once I felt stable enough, I not only completed my hero coursework (the headmaster was truly generous), but I also took subsequent classes in counseling! And after a few years doing my best on the streets, why, when I heard the call for an assistant to the incredible Ryo Inui, I jumped at the chance! And here, my young student, I am! Here to help in whatever you may need. So…what do you need?"
Izuku blinked rapidly, taken aback once more. They weren't expecting the sudden transition, but something about Danjuro was mildly relaxing. Maybe how bombastic he was? Either way, Izuku had wanted to discuss a specific thing during their next visit…but if that was it, they weren't sure if they could go through the whole thing with Danjuro, so it'd help to know what he knew.
"Uh…well, um, what do you know about me?" they asked, curious.
"Only what's in your file. Confidentiality is important after all. I am aware of the bond between yourself, Himiko Toga, and Ochako Uraraka. I'm aware it gives you a number of special abilities that even now you're discovering more over time, and that it transmits emotions. I have also been read into the One For All secret, as all staff here are. But beyond that, well…what I know is what you choose to tell me."
Izuku swallowed, fidgeting slightly. They'd admitted this to Ryo, but it was still difficult to discuss, yet…they reallyneeded to figure this thing out, and it would only make sense with some context. "I uh…So I have some um, self-esteem problems, I guess? I-I know it bothers Himi and 'Chako, and my mom, and Toshi, and well, okay, it seems to bother everyone when I say something about how useless I am or whatever, and uh, I guess I used to hurt myself sometimes but not anymore cause I made a deal with 'Chako and Himi, and um…" they broke off into a sigh, slumping forward as their voice fell to a whisper.
"I know, in my head, that how I think and feel isn't 'right'. So I'm trying to work on it, with Ryo's and everyone else's help. But um, there's something else in our bond that I'm worried about because I think I know what it is, I think I know what I'm feeling, and since I can feel what they feel I know they do too, but…I don't know if it's right to actually even think about it! I'm like, really messed up! It wouldn't be good for us to even consider it, right? Like, that's a bad idea isn't it?" Pleadingly, they looked up at Danjuro for some sort of validation of their thought process, meeting the man's blue eyes with his own.
Danjuro looked at them with a flat, contemplative expression, their ever present grin gone. He had his gloved hands clasped on the desk as he left Izuku finish, nodding slowly at Izuku in acceptance of what Izuku had said. After a moment, they lifted the teapot and poured two cups, sliding the steaming one over to Izuku, the green-haired teen taking it absently. He lifted up his own teacup and took a sip, seeming to mull over his response.
"Alright. That is a lot of information at once, but I certainly understand how difficult it is to admit that. It takes great strength to admit to your struggles, and I'm impressed already I must admit."
Izuku snorted dismissively. "It's not strength. I'm the weak one who can't stop being stupid."
"And how is it not strength, to face your weaknesses? Is that not what it means to be strong? Everyone has weaknesses, Izuku. Everyone has failings and makes mistakes. And many cannot find the strength to fight against that, to admit to what hurts them and make a genuine effort to find ways to get better. And yet, here you are, in this room. And you know what that tells me? It tells me you want help. And there is nothing wrong with asking for help. Tis why our profession exists, isn't it? To helppeople."
Izuku stared at him for a moment, before letting out a rueful chuckle. "Okay. Um…can you help me then?"
"I shall do my level best," Danjuro replied softly, with a smile on his face.
Ochako felt a bit unsure what to do. Izuku was with the counselor, and she was trying not to pay attention to their emotions as much as possible. It was a combination of things, really…one, they all wanted to reinforce their privacy, at least a little bit, after the weird mind fusion thing. Resonance, or whatever the vestiges called it. But two, and maybe more importantly, they really wanted to focus on themselves right now.
Himiko was in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she busied herself at the stove. The blonde rarely cooked, since Izuku seemed to enjoy it so much, but apparently she was an expert in every aspect of 'homemaking', as she called it. This supposedly meant cooking, cleaning, and being a good hostess for 'get togethers'. Also, knitting…apparently Himiko could knit. Both Ochako and Izuku had been incredibly taken aback by that, since she'd never brought it up, but yep. She could knit.
Himiko had been…different, since the talk with her old friends. Ochako at first was worried about it, the fact Himiko had started doing these chores more, since it felt like that was conditioning from back when her mother was forcing her to do these things. But Himiko had been very insistent…she actually enjoyed them. Not all of them. Being a hostess was exhausting, and while she didn't mindcleaning she didn't get enjoyment out of it. But she did like making fancy foods, things Ochako had never even heard of, and she was talking about getting some knitting needles and yarn to start well, knitting again.
Ochako was happy for her. And happy for Izuku, actually going to the counselor and getting better. Ochako also had a session scheduled for tomorrow, but for now…she felt rather lost. Izuku was improving in leaps and bounds, and at this point had started to become the emotional crux of their weird relationship. They had the ability to always cut through the haze and figure out what was going on.
Himiko, on the other hand, finally seemed to know who she was and was happy with it. She was happier than she'd ever been since they'd reconnected! It was like knowing that she didn't waste eighteen years of her life entirely, that only parts of it were something to dismiss, made her feel so much more comfortable in her skin. Her fears didn't vanish, her self-loathing still reared its ugly head, but it was much, much quieter, and a gentle undercurrent of joy and cheer was roaming the bond just beneath everything else, something that warmed Ochako's chest and made her want to smile.
But that left her. Yes, yes, she knew comparing herself was a bad idea, and she wasn't ignoring her own progress. Nemuri had her keeping a journal where she tracked her bad days and how well her attempts to fix her eating habits were going, and she was also showing Ochako her stats from training. Seeing it on paper, seeing hard evidence that as she ate better, she got better, really did help. And she was trying really hard to never ignore that she was getting somewhere, she really was.
But that was still…she still wasn't sure who she was. Not anymore. After the resonance incident, was she even fully Ochako anymore? Or was she some conglomeration of Ochako, Himiko, and Izuku? And…did she actually care? That was the question causing her the most consternation. She…kinda liked the bond. She liked knowing them, feeling them, knowing she wasn't alone. If the cost of that was losing a bit of her individuality; well, the idea of that shouldhave horrified her, but it didn't?
Then again the point might be moot. The vestiges were quite confident that outside of resonance being active, they were still 100% themselves. But was that really true? People change based on the people around them even without Quirks connecting them. It's just how life was…part of who you are was built up by the people around you, the influence they had on you. And the influence Izuku and Himiko had on her? It was a big damn influence.
She groaned to herself as she leaned back on the couch, rubbing at her face. Gods, this was confusing. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pressure on the couch next to her, the cushion bouncing slightly as Himiko simply flopped onto it next to her. She lowered her hands to see a small plate shoved in her face, Himiko's expression one of focus and almost demanding. She held a spoon in her other hand.
"Um…wha?" Ochako asked intelligently.
Himiko peremptorily shoved the plate towards her again. "I made it. It's a western desert called a Crème brûlée. Eat it!"
Ochako swallowed thickly, staring at it with trepidation. But…she was doing better too, so it wasn't as bad. She wasn't panicking, just uncomfortable, and that she could deal with. Plus…with how excited and anticipatory Himiko was, she kinda wanted to make her happy. She took the spoon and very carefully slipped it in, watching as the custard settled on her spoon. She took a deep breath, before sticking the spoon in her mouth…and it was delicious.
She let out a contented hum of enjoyment, ignoring the twinge in her stomach as she swallowed the dessert, looking up at Himiko with a soft grin that Himiko returned with a blinding smile that made Ochako want to squint.
"So…you like?!" Himiko asked, nearly vibrating in place out of excitement.
"It's no mochi, but it's close," Ochako replied, smirking at Himiko as the blonde's expression turned flat for a brief moment, pouting at her before breaking into giggles.
"Yeha yeah, I know, nothing can beat your precious mochi. Gosh, we should just change your hero name to Mochi and be done with it," Himiko scoffed with no heat.
Ochako rolled her eyes, taking another bite of the dessert. "Why'd you make this anyways?"
Himiko shrugged. "I just…wanted to make something sweet for you is all."
Ochako felt her insides turn to utter mush at that, looking at Himiko in wonderment. That was just the cutest thing, gosh why is Himi so goddamn cute. The expression on her face must have been something to see, because Himiko's cheeks turned red as she looked away from Ochako, flustered. She brushed one of her bangs out of her eyes, offering a shy smile as she pointed at the dessert again. "So…do you think you'd like it some other time?"
Ochako admittedly was a bit thrown by her own feelings, as well as Himiko's, the surge of positive emotions now swirling together (and the sudden feeling of fond bemusement from Izuku added atop it), but…right now, she just really wanted Himiko happy, so she took another bite of her dessert and grinned. "Himi, I'd like anything you make for me."
Himiko squeaked, looking even more red than before, before turning away entirely and scurrying back into the kitchen. "I-I gotta clean up, you just enjoy that!"
Ochako leaned back on the couch, her earlier consternation faded slightly as she felt unreasonably smug with herself. She mused, "You know…I kinda see why Himi likes to tease us so much."
Izuku left Danjuro's office with a weird combination of determination and anxiety. Because they did manage to have the conversation they wanted to, about how they felt and whether it was worth talking about it. Danjuro was quite complementary to Izuku, about how smart it was to consider their own emotional state and whether they were prepared for that.
Danjuro did, however, point out the problem: in their case, the shared emotions meant that eventually, they'd all understand. And if they simply all kept quiet, if no one ever spoke about it, the stress and anxiety would build up and make everything worse. His suggestion was to actually discuss the matter and decide, together, what would be the best solution. Maybe they did decide to table the idea for now, and that was fine, but the trio should talk about it, so there were no misunderstandings or confusion around it.
And so, Izuku decided to talk to them about it. The dorms were going to be empty for at least a week longer due to internships, and with just the three of them, maybe…maybe it was time to talk. Because Izuku had been right…they knew what they were feeling, they'd put the words to it before Ochako or Himiko had, they just…were afraid of it. The fear hadn't really gone away per se, but it was a good chance to confront it and well, just speak their mind.
On the flip side, they were a bit annoyed when they returned to the dorms to find Ochako and Himiko both sitting on the couch, waiting for them because they already knew Izuku wanted to discuss something. No surprises anymore, they mused with an internal sigh. They set that aside, taking a moment to look at them both. With how their chest tightened, warmth suffused their veins, and a smile threatened to break out as soon as they saw them…gosh Izuku had it bad.
"So um…can we talk?" Izuku asked. They already kinda knew the answer, but the only way this conversation could go along with any semblance of sanity they had to do it the right way.
"Sure," Ochako said, nodding at them.
Himiko shrugged. "We knew you wanted to talk, although I'm not sure about what exactly. But I got an inkling."
Izuku took a deep, bracing breath. "You're right. I-you know what? Screw it. I'm just going to come out and say it."
Himiko snorted. "That sounds like something 'Chako would say."
Ochako made a face of annoyed agreement. "I…can't argue with that."
Izuku waved them off. "Don't throw me off please, I need to follow my script here." Himiko let out a choked giggle as Ochako smiled up at them, but both kept quiet to let Izuku continue. Izuku breathed a breath out. "Okay. I-I think we all know that there are some feelings between us that might be…different, from how we feel about our other friends. I know because I can feel it, and you can feel it, and somewhere inside I think you both came to the same conclusion I did about what those feelings are."
Izuku took a second to get their bearings, pacing slowly back and forth as they continued. "For a while, I was torn. Were they my feelings or yours? Or worse, were they my feelings and the ones you had were mine as well, me forcing them onto you? Anxiety brain says they absolutely must be, because in no fucking world would people are incredible as you have anything approaching soft feelings towards my useless ass. But!" they held up a hand to cut off the instinctual denial both girls were about to give them, their tail swishing calmly behind them. "I know that's anxiety brain talking. Or depression brain. Still not sure which and I haven't quite quantified the differences but, wait, no, that's off topic. Talk about that later."
Izuku shook their head, still not looking at the two girls as they continued to pace, their ears flicking as they gestured towards the empty air. "So I had to spend some time figuring out that what we all felt was still unique to each of us. But then I thought, am I even in a place, an emotional or mental headspace, that was healthy enough to pursue something like this? I didn't know. To be honest, I still don't. But I was talking to the assistant counselor and he pointed out that because of our linked emotions, we can't really hide from each other. We can't hold back. And if we just let this fester in the background, eventually, it'd be more stressful than just talking about it. So…that's what I wanna do. Talk about it. Or rather…talk about us."
Finally, Izuku finished their speech, choosing now to turn and look at the two girls, eyes widening at the sight. Himiko's cheeks were red, but she kept their gaze unwaveringly, amber eyes shimmering slightly as she locked hers with their emerald green. Ochako's face was violently red though, and she seemed to be having trouble meeting their eyes, but…she wasn't fleeing the room. Her shoulders were hunched slightly, and she was doing some deep breathing exercises, but she then turned to look at Izuku resolutely, like she'd steeled herself for a tough talk. Izuku nodded at them both. Time to figure this whole thing out.
Chapter 33
Himiko gulped, sitting upright. "O-okay. Um…okay, you said some stuff, do you want us to say stuff?"
"I mean, if you want, I don't want to monopolize this conversation," Izuku replied, their voice unsure.
Ochako clapped her hands onto her face with a loud 'slap!', taking a deep breath. "Okay, nah, Izu's right. We gotta just say it, don't we? Otherwise we're gonna keep dancing around it and never get anywhere."
"Yeah but like…if we all know it, do we have to say it?" Himiko asked, her shoulders hunched.
"I…I think so, Himi. Not just because it's best to lay it all out to avoid any misunderstandings, but we have to decide what to do with it. Because like I said…I don't know if I'm emotionally in the right place to treat you two right," Izuku said softly.
Ochako rolled her eyes. "And of course you make it about us, dork," she sighed, her voice full of a confused mix of annoyance and affection.
"I'm trying to be sweet here!" Izuku protested.
"You don't have to try to do that, Izu," Himiko interjected, making Izuku sputter for a moment.
"W-well, I mean, that is-" they began to mutter when Ochako leapt to her feet, fists clenched at her side.
"I like both of you!" she shrieked, eyes closed, head bowed, shoulders hunched as if in fear of a blow. When no response was forthcoming, she dared to lift her head slightly, looking at the faces of a flushed but vibrating Himiko and a pale, gaping expression from Izuku. She took a deep breath. "Just…just had to get it over with. Just fuckin' say it. No more pussyfootin' around. Just rip off the bandaid."
"She's…she's right. Yeah, okay. You're right too Izu. I knew what it was, but I never said it. I was…I was afraid to change things too much, to try and push stuff forward, because I can't lose either of you. And, and maybe you're also right, it's not the time to pursue it, but, but we can at least say it, right? Right?" Himiko said in a plaintive tone.
Izuku was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Y-yeah. Okay. I-I really do like the both of you too." After a moment to contemplate what they said, they mused, "That was easier than I thought it'd be."
"Probably 'cause 'Chako broke the ice for us," Himiko muttered. "But okay, my turn, and, yes. I really like the both of you. A lot. I just…I don't know what to do with that."
"Yeah that um…I think that's where I get stuck too," Izuku said.
"...do we need to do anything with it right now?" Ochako asked quietly. The other two turned to look at her, as she looked down at her hands contemplatively. "We know how we feel. And we know we're all hurting, in our own ways, but we're trying to get help and it's…it's going well, I think. I think we're getting better. We already spend our nights together. We already cuddle, and hold hands, and it's not like everyone else doesn't already think we're um…together. So…maybe if we just acknowledge it and we let it just go where it goes as we get better?"
Himiko nodded absently before pausing. "So…I'm fine with that idea, but like…doesn't that mean we've basically beendating?"
Ochako worked her jaw silently for a moment, before shrugging, her cheeks pink. "I guess…things wouldn't change much if we were dating, huh?"
"Platonic cuddling is a thing," Izuku mused. "That said…I mean…you got a point. We kinda do act like we are. And we're already tied together anyways. I guess the more I think about it…a romantic relationship isn't that super different from what we have going on right now as is. In our unique situation, the emotional labor is probably about the same either way, so…maybe I'm being paranoid about it?"
"I don't think you're being paranoid. You're scared of hurting us. It's just…if you were going to, you would anyways," Himiko said with a shrug. Both Ochako and Izuku looked at her in confusion, so she elaborated. "What I mean is, if you have some sort of breakdown, it's going to impact us the same either way. We're connected. We can't avoid it. And you can't just run from us, because of this connection. We're all tied together in this. So like, I'm fine if we don't wanna label things or whatever, just pointing out I don't know if it matters."
"You…make a really good point," Izuku replied with a sigh, their shoulders slumping as a rueful smile crossed their face. "Here I was, wracking my brain about the right thing to do for the past week and still, it's kinda simple."
"I don't like that it feels like the decision is being made for us," Ochako said slowly. "But I also like the bond and every Quirk has drawbacks…the whole emotion sharing thing is both a good and bad thing, like we figured out a while ago. But I guess…honestly I don't care that much. We did figure out our feelings are our own, thanks to the vestiges. And if we're tied together, and spending all our time together, doing most of the dating stuff anyways and we know we like each other, it does feel kinda inevitable."
Izuku snorted, muttering under their breath in a deep voice "I am inevitable," making both girls glance askance at them. They shrugged sheepishly. "I like old superhero movies! Sue me!"
"I can think of a better punishment than a lawsuit…" Himiko began, a wide, toothy grin appearing on her face as she lowered herself into a crouch, fingers outstretched in a clawing motion. Izuku saw this and narrowed their eyes, getting up and taking a step back from her, tensing their muscles as Ochako rolled her eyes…which was apparently the signal, because Himiko leapt over the couch and began chasing Izuku around the common room, cackling wildly as Izuku giggled, darting away from her outstretched fingertips.
Ochako pursed her lips, her chest full of laughter and light, realizing that while they didn't really state it outright yet, they all seemed to be on the same page. She decided they could triple check later, but for now…chasing her new partners(?) around and seeing who won this tackle tickle fight seemed like a better use of her time. As the duo darted past her once more, she leapt into action, chasing after Himiko who was chasing Izuku, new shrieks coming from the other two at her sudden presence. This…felt right. She giggled, her hands swiping to try and grab onto Himiko's tail, the blonde flicking it right under her nose as she leapt away, chasing Izuku who had just flipped over the couch to escape. Ochako just smiled, continuing the chase, a weight off her shoulders dropping as she decided to just have fun.
"...yeah so okay, we're dating, fine, but uh…what do we tell the class?" Ochako asked, panting slightly as she lay on the couch, sprawled out over Izuku's lap.
Izuku shrugged as best they could, being used as a pillow by both Ochako and Himiko, who was splayed out over their chest. "Do we want to say anything?"
"Well…we'll get made fun of either way, and then Mina will gush for three hours and Momo will try not to gush but do it anyway," Himiko remarked, yawning. She stretched her limbs, Izuku idly shoving her foot out of their face as she nearly kicked them from where she was.
"Yeah so…just rip off the bandaid?" Ochako asked.
"May as well. They come back in four days, right?" Himiko replied.
Izuku sighed. "Maybe we just say something in the group chat later?"
"That sounds like a terrible idea. Let's fucking do it!" Himiko cheered halfheartedly, nuzzling into Ochako's neck.
Ochako giggled at the sensation, gently scratching Himiko's ears. "Yeah, she's right, we'll just say something when we check in on them tonight."
"Fine by me. So…what do we do till then?" Izuku asked. They regretted the question, as they could feel the gremlin mischief building in Himiko, making them narrow their eyes down at her, Ochako looking up with the same seeking glare.
Himiko grinned, her teeth glinting in the light as she said, in as cutesy a voice as possible, "Make out?"
Izuku sputtered, their cheeks going bright red even though they expected something like that from Himiko. The same flustered and embarrassed feeling shot across the bond from Ochako, the brunette quickly smacking Himiko on the shoulder as Himiko giggled, her own feelings of embarrassment being shoved down by her mischief.
"Sorry, but you two are so cute when you get all flustered," she said, still giggling. Izuku and Ochako took a moment to share a look, and their own feelings of mischief coming across the bond made Himiko tense up. "Hey now wait a-"
Himiko was given no time to finish her sentence, as the other two pounced, Ochako's hands now buried in Himiko's hair as she scratched at her ears, Izuku gripping Himiko's tail and slowly petting it as their other hand began to gently massage her calves, the blonde groaning and collapsing into a puddle, eyes closing. As the duo began to pamper her from multiple angles, she felt it bubbling up in her chest, a low, rumbling purr escaping her. She let out an attempt at an annoyed huff, but the fact she couldn't muster up the energy to be annoyed was even more annoying. "That's unfair," she whined, pressing her head up into Ochako's hands.
"You did it to yourself," Izuku admonished with humor in their voice.
"Meeeeeeeh," Himiko whined again. Ochako and Izuku shared another glance, smiles on their faces at Himiko's audible pouting. They decided to lay back and just enjoy the time cuddled together, before they had to face their classmates later and deal with the reactions, just basking calmly in the sunlight streaming through the bay windows and relaxing.
RipleysNemesis: ugh, i am so fucking tired you guys
ClassGoddess: Is your internship that exhausting?
RipleysNemesis: not like, in a bad way I guess? there's just so much work though
GottaGoFast: Well, it is to be expected, isn't it?
PunkNeverDies: at least your not with this jerk. why did I think death arms would be a good choice, ugh. i blame midoriya
OnePunchWoman: wait, why blame them?
PunkNeverDies: they shoulda told me death arms would be shit!
Nyanbinary: I mean…you didn't ask.
IDoNotLikePoe: Speak of the devil and they doth appear.
Nyanbinary: I don't know how I feel about being called 'the devil' in this context…
BoulderBro: eh, you know how Tokobro is. get this though, i ended up at the same internship as Tetsu!
Shoto: Did you now? Hmm. I shall add to my list.
SpaceCadet: i'm scared to ask, but what list?
Shoto: My list of reasons that Kirishima and Tetsutetsu are clearly clones.
CountessKarnstein: wait, who is whose clone then?
Shoto: They are both clones of the same rock, which clearly contained trace amounts of metal.
BoulderBro:...clones…of a rock.
Shoto: Yes.
WebCrawler: i'm a bit concerned about how Todoroki comes up with these things
Shoto: The evidence is quite clear. Just like the evidence for Izuku, Ochako, and Himiko is.
Nyanbinary: Wait, what evidence for us?!
Shoto: That you are members of an extraterrestrial race of cat people
SpaceCadet: okay, that one's not so bad
CountessKarnstein: you're only saying that because you want to be in space!
ClassGoddess: If you three are aliens, please, abduct me from this internship. I regret my choices as much as Kyoka regrets hers.
OnePunchWoman: Yeah, uh…this kinda sucks over here.
CountessKarnstein: can't save you from that, but we can give you good news?
ClassGoddess: Oh?
RipleysNemesis: my senses are tingling!
VanishingAct: what senses?
RipleysNemesis: i have no idea!
ForkInASocket: ignoring Ashido for now, what'd you three do, stop a terrorist organization somehow?
Nyanbinary: We're not that bad…
CatsAreBetterThanPeople: yes. yes you are.
CountessKarnstein: well now i don't wanna tell you!
SpaceCadet: oh ffs, lets just say it and let them get it out of their system already!
Nyanbinary: okay but then, who says it?
CountessKarnstein: fine. the three of us are dating. mina, you stop typing right now i already know youre about to explode
Nyanbinary: I want it on record we were not dating before today though, this is a new development!
RipleysNemesis:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!1111111111one
CountessKarnstein: i said stop typing!
GottaGoFast: You expected that to stop her? Setting that aside, my heartfelt congratulations for your new relationship! I would normally suggest not to let it distract you, but I'm aware your very bond is already distracting and thus it likely makes no difference!
SpaceCadet: thanks, I think?
ClassGoddess: May we ask how this came about?
VanishingAct: admit it Momo, you just want the gossip! youre blushing aren't you?!
ClassGoddess: I don't see how that is relevant
OnePunchWoman: Oh, she is totally blushing. Also let out a squee when she read it.
ClassGoddess: You have a big smile on your face as well Itsuku, do not try to distract!
Nyanbinary: I didn't think our love lives were of so much interest to the class…
ForkInASocket: i mean, the meowsketeers are the face of our class right now
VanishingAct: uh, its cause we all knew you three were soulmates, obviously
SpaceCadet: lets not go that far. we just figured this out ourselves, okay? like, lets not make a big deal out of it
RipleysNemesis: awww, we won't push i promise! we're just happy for you guys is all!
WebCrawler: also like, you guys are three cuddly catfolk. dunno what you expect from us, your by default cute
Nyanbinary: ajkhsdfhjgbaf
CountessKarnstein: that is an accurate depiction of the sounds they made
Nyanbinary: Okay, let's talk about anything else, okay?
PunkNeverDies: sure, wanna listen to me bitch about death arms more?
SpaceCadet: oh, fuck yeah! that guy was a jerk to Izu!
PunkNeverDies: wait, he was? well fuck, now I feel even worse for going with him
Nyanbinary: No, don't. You didn't know, it's not like I told any of you. But yeah, he's not a great hero in my opinion, so please, feel free to go off.
PunkNeverDies: okay, right. So listen…
"Okay so…now what do we do?" Himiko asked, laying upside down on the couch as Izuku puttered around in the kitchen.
Ochako shrugged, grumpily turning a page in her physics textbook. "I don't know about you, but I'm studying for the quiz when everyone gets back."
"That's boring," Himiko whined. "C'mon, we're dating now, shouldn't we do dating things?"
"Like what exactly?" Izuku asked from the kitchen, their attention on the mixing bowl in front of them.
"I dunno, that's why I asked!"
Ochako rolled her eyes, reaching over and gently bopping Himiko on the head. "I mean, it's not like we can go on a date. We're not supposed to leave campus after all the stuff we got into."
Himiko pouted for a moment, before her eyes went wide. With unnatural agility, she flipped herself upright, smiling widely. "I have an idea!" she proclaimed, causing both Izuku and Ochako to turn and look at her in confusion. The mix of emotions in her chest was no help to them either; at this point, the warmth of her affection was a regular undercurrent, and her other emotions were excitement and a bit of mischief, which told them nothing useful whatsoever. They had no time to react, as she bolted out the front door, leaving the two remaining sitting there in confusion.
Ochako and Izuku shared a look, before Izuku let out a shrug and returned to their task, currently working from a recipe their mom sent them for cookies. They weren't bad at cooking, but they'd rarely tried their hand at baking so they figured, may as well kill some time this way. Plus, they wanted to try to appeal to Ochako's sweet tooth. While she was doing better, she still struggled, and one thing that Himiko and Izuku had learned about their girlfriend can't believe they could call her that is that she really liked sweets. Granted, they couldn't ever give her a lot of them, because she was still on a strict diet, but there was an allowance for some sweets, so…Inko's Mom Style Chocolate Chip Cookies it was!
Ochako continued to study, but her nose was twitching at the scent of the cookies as Izuku placed them in the oven and started baking. Izuku couldn't help but smirk as they watched the brunette keep losing her place at the smell, her tail flicking and ears swiveling as if to listen for the sound of the timer going on, even if it was still going to be a while. There was something to be said for the instincts and the enhanced senses the trio had, Izuku mused…albeit the whole being more easily distracted was quite frustrating. Cat instincts wanted to investigate every disturbance, and basically anything out of the ordinary counted.
Luckily for the both of them, said instincts served them well in being able to hear Himiko's return, because the blonde burst into the common room without any warning, her hair mussed, grin wide, panting slightly. Izuku just arched an eyebrow at her, Ochako sighing with a soft smile as she turned her attention to the blonde.
"I did it!" Himiko cheered, dancing over to the couch and falling into Ochako's arms, the brunette catching her in time with a bemused look. Izuku sauntered over and leaned over the back of the couch, looking down at her.
"Did what?"
"Got us a date!" Himiko replied, rolling over to look up at Izuku with a grin.
Ochako blinked at her in confusion, the hand she'd lifted to begin scratching Himiko's ears frozen. "Come again?"
"I talked to Miss Kayama and Lunch Rush! Since we can't leave campus, I asked if there was a nice place we could just go and be alone for a while for a picnic, and Miss Kayama told me where we could go! Even got us permission! And Lunch Rush said he'd make us a nice picnic basket! So yeah, we can go on a picnic date!"
"Himi," Ochako said in a soft, disbelieving tone. Himiko looked up at her, worried, as she saw tears gathering in the corner of the brunette's eyes. Her attention moved to Izuku, seeing the same thing, but also a gentle smile on their face. She paused, reaching inside for the emotions…oh. The sheer level of love and affection and general joy rolling between the two of them made Himiko grin even wider. They liked the idea! It made them happy, and that made herhappy!
Himiko squirmed in Ochako's lap, reaching one hand up to grab Izuku's and squeeze it as she pressed her head into Ochako's hand. She toned down her excitement and spoke to them in a quiet voice. "Things have been really hectic and messy and today was a lot. So let's just go have some fun together, okay?"
Izuku's grin grew wider, the hand clasped in hers squeezing her hand. "Y-yeah. Okay. We can take the cookies with us too!"
Ochako sniffled, but let out a wet chuckle at the same time. "You're so sweet, Himi. Thank you."
Himiko reached up and patted Ochako on her cheek. "No thanks needed, just what a good girlfriend does." At the word girlfriend, all three of them felt the same surge inside, an almost tingling sensation running up their spines as their smiles grew once more.
The spell was broken by the timer on the stove going off, Izuku squeezing Himiko's hand once more before heading to the stove to fetch the cookies before they burned. With that, Himiko nuzzled Ochako's hand once more before sitting up, starting to gather up Ochako's study materials as the brunette sighed. She stood up and began to clean up as well, finding herself excited at the thought of getting to actually go on a date, and for once, just once, no pain underscoring her happiness, just…joy.