Author's note: I woke up this morning thinking about how I finally, after 7 months, finished writing and revising the chapter of this fic and would be able to post it to you guys. I was stoked to finally do it, I really was. But it's been a bad day, and my internet doesn't work. I've rewritten this author note five times already, and the internet froze, or broke down every single time to the point I now wonder what the fuck I'm doing with my life.

It is a bad day, but different from the characters in this chapter, I hope it doesn't end on a bad note. There's no happy ending in this fic, as you've been warned before, and I didn't change my mind halfway through. You'll get to the end, if you don't give up on it, and it's going to be sad and bitter.
The story will move on in other fics (much shorter, may I add) that will hopefully lighten the mood up some, but don't expect to feel happy after these +41k words. This is angst with a sad ending. A tragedy.
Like my internet.

I hope you like it anyway. Thanks for reading.

WARNINGS: underage, explicit sexual content, depression, suicide, blood, violence, major characters death.

"What about us? What about all the times you said you had the answers?
What about all the broken happy ever afters?
What about all the plans that ended in disaster?"
What about us – P!nk

Uravity

The best thing about dating Uraraka Ochaco was the fact that he could now (almost every time) just lean over and drop a kiss on her forehead or lips, and she would look at him with that red-ish tint on her cheeks that was so adorable, and depending where they were, she'd hold on to the front of his shirt and hide her face on his chest.

And then, independent of where they were – was it school, or the dorms, or the middle of the street – she'd turn to him, reach for his face, get on her tiptoes, tell PDA rules to screw themselves and kiss him on the mouth.

Even though it wasn't one of his priorities, it became Midoriya's favorite thing to be with Ochaco, getting to know her intimately, falling in love with her every day a little bit more and being able to put his arm around her waist, tangle his fingers on her hair.

The moment they let go of the formalities, it was like everything seemed to escalate quickly. They parted ways after arriving from camp, each one to their family homes, but as soon as school was back, it was as if they'd been together all along. While being apart, they had talked almost every single day, and it was surprisingly easier to keep it up in person, to the point where people started to raise eyebrows at them.

Ochaco kissed him for the first time two weeks into the second term during one of their spare sessions at the common hall of their building; even though she blushed, apologized and tried to run away, he held her hand and asked if they could talk. And now, they were one of those couples, you know? Those couples people see and are like about damn time.

"CLASS!" Tenya shouted strutting past them, interrupting their kissing. "WE'RE LATE FOR CLASS!"

"No, we're not!" Midoriya shouted back, putting an arm around Ochaco's shoulder as they headed to the main building. "You're the one who's always in a hurry."

Uraraka laughed, hiding her mouth with her hand.

"You think he forgot to go back to our dorm after his date with Hatsume again?" she asked Deku, elbowing him on the ribs, and he laughed.

"Tenya would never," he replied, and they both laughed.

For their second year, their class was in the second floor, and they took the stairs since 2-A was right in front of it, but as soon as their class' door came into view, they saw Kirishima trying… to grab Bakugo's ass? Midoriya looked at Uraraka, seeking for confirmation, and she raised her eyebrows. When he looked at the couple by the door again, Kacchan was pushing Kirishima away.

"What the fuck you think you're doing?" he complained, and Izuku climbed those final steps trying to drag Ochaco to the safest spot possible because years of experience made him sure Kacchan would explode, but Ocha was awfully reluctant to move. She wanted to watch.

"Huh?" Kiri replied. "You have a nice ass!"

"I know that," Kacchan snarked. "But don't you ever think we're gonna be like that, Shit for Brains."

"Like what?"

"You know," Ochaco hushed to Izuku. They both had their eyes glued to the scene that was developing. "Kiri is smarter than anyone would ever think."

"Why do you say that?" he hushed back, and she just tilted her head in their direction.

"Those gross, too much PDA co-" Bakugo was interrupted by Kirishima's lips on his, and even though he grunted at first (Kacchan always hated to be interrupted), he ended up kissing his boyfriend back.

"I see what you mean," Midoriya said, admiration pouring on his words. Ocha's perceptive skills were impressive, she had an eye for things even he couldn't put a finger on, sometimes, and Deku had been observing people his whole life.

"They're totally that kind of couple, aren't they?" Kyoka commented coming from the stairs and they both nodded.

"Damn, can I get in there?" Mina asked mischievously appearing at the door of their class. Bakugo pushed Kiri away.

"As if," he said and she gasped, a hand to her chest and all.

"You know, you guys couldn't even handle me," she said, pushing the boys apart and passing between them, putting an extra sway to her hips. Kacchan and Kiri watched her go, and then exchanged a look, doing one of those couple's silent conversation things. Mina came in Midoriya and Uraraka's direction smirking and then pointed at Ochaco. "Ectoplasm wants to talk to you before class."

"Me?" Ochaco asked pointing at herself. "What would it be about?"

"If it's the same he wanted to talk to me about, then it's internship stuff," Ashido said and Uraraka nodded, giving her bag to Midoriya. "I'll go with you, I need to get some things with the janitor. Doing Rep work, this one."

She hooked her arm on Ochaco's and both girls headed to the teacher's hall. Midoriya hung Ocha's bag on his shoulder, and even though he was just a few steps from the classroom, he still didn't get in.

"I envy her a lot," Kyoka said to no one in particular.

"Who?" he asked and she looked at him.

"Mina."

"You'd like to be in a threesome with Kiri and Kacchan?" Midoriya asked confused and Kyoka took her time to answer. "Oh, my God."

"It's not exactly that," she said, though she didn't try to pretend she wasn't interested. "It's just… she's so gorgeous and confident, you know? And she knows how to work her hotness, it's amazing."

"Hold on," Izuku said, putting a hand on Jiro's shoulder. She looked up at him. "Are you saying that you want to be her, or that you want to be with her?"

"Little bit of both, I guess?"

He dropped his hand and chuckled.

"Well, I think you have the beauty thing down," Deku said to Jiro. "Just gotta work on the confidence part. And I'll let you know, there are people who look at you like that, with that extra something. You're just not paying attention."

"If you mean Kaminari, Izuku, I will kill you."

Deku smirked and leaned closer to her as if to tell her a secret.

"Then you are paying attention."

Jiro made a face and crossed her arms, opting to keep her mouth shut instead, and dragging her feet to the class. He headed to the door too, right when Iida stepped outside looking stressed out of his mind.

"Bakugo, Kirishima, PDA rules!" Iida said firmly, pushing his glasses up his nose and then doing the robot arms.

"Yah, tell me how these PDA rules have to work for us but not for you when you're shagging that crazy head girlfriend of yours in an empty classroom," Kacchan asked sassily. Momo passed by Izuku but touched his shoulder in a silent request for him to wait.

"I-I certainly did not-" Tenya tried to explain himself, but Momo interrupted him, taking his arm and gently pushing him inside the classroom.

"I've got this, Iida," she said firmly, and sent a glare at Midoriya, meaning that it was his cue to take over before his friend would break down. It was so fast, that if he wasn't paying attention, one wouldn't see it, because she was soon focusing on the couple again. "Guys, come on."

Kirishima burst out laughing and Izuku patted Tenya's shoulder friendly.

"I did not break the rules, I did not do any shagging," Iida said, he was so upset it was evident in his voice.

It was hard to keep a straight face when Iida talked like that because he was such a goody-two-shoes – more than anyone Izuku knew – and some words or situations didn't seem to mash with him at all. It quite often seemed to freeze his brain too.

"I swear-"

"I know, buddy," Deku said, guiding his friend to his seat. "Kacchan is just messing with you, like usual. You would never do anything like that, you're the Ingenium, got to set those examples."

"Yes," Iida said, more excitedly. "Yes, Izuku, exactly."

"See? You know better than to listen to Kacchan." He put Ochaco's bag on her table behind Iida's, and then sat on Tsuyu's chair, just to finish that little chat before class would start. "Now, how many times we have to tell you to relax a little? You're stressing out for no reason."

Tenya looked at him as if he was crazy, and Midoriya smiled warmly. They all knew that Tenya's social skills were something to be approached very carefully, but sometimes, if talking to him the right way, they'd get an easy smile out of him, or get him to do something reckless or unexpected.

"Bakugo had some serious accusations about me, Izuku, things that could jeopardize my reputation and status as the class rep," he said all serious and business, meaning that Deku's shot at calming him down did not work at all. "If anyone was to suspect I did really commit such a nasty thing, it could even ruin my career as a professional hero."

A hand holding a slice of chocolate shortcake suddenly appeared between them – Sato's hand – and he sat the cake in front of Tenya, on his desk.

"Here, dude," Sato said offering him a plastic fork. "Have some, it'll help."

"I don't need a sugar rush," Iida said. "I don't even like sweets."

"But you will like this one," Sato guaranteed and pushed the fork in Iida's hand. "Go on."

Unsure if he should, he looked at Midoriya for a second opinion, and the other boy nodded encouragingly, so Tenya cut a bite of the cake and tentatively put it in his mouth. It was as if they could physically see his muscles relax and his brain work a little slower, the hardness of his features leaving for once – or at least until that cake lasted. Sato's quirk really was amazing, and Deku smiled at his colleague gratefully.

"That looks amazing," Uraraka said passing by Izuku to get to her seat, but he held her hand and she stepped back to sit on his lap instead. "Was that you, Sato?"

"Yes," he said from his neighbor seat, nodding. She smiled warmly, a hand cupping her cheek.

"You're the best," she told him and then looked at Tenya. "How you doing there, Rep?"

"I'm doing great," Tenya said with his mouth full of cake, a once in a lifetime sight. Ochaco's smile grew and she looked at Deku, who raised his eyebrows. "This is really good. How could I ever thank you, Rikido?"

"No need to thank me, Rep," Sato said, sharing the smile Ocha and Deku also had on their faces. Iida shook his head.

"I'll think of something," he guaranteed. "It's so good."

"I thought you didn't like sweets, kero," Tsuyu said stopping by Midoriya's other side and putting her things on her table.

Iida engaged on a conversation with Asui about flexible food tastes, and Ochaco turned to Izuku again, leaned her forehead against his temple.

"Is cute when he's like that, don't you think?" she said and he agreed.

"But sometimes it's so hard to get him to relax."

"Guys, I'm right here," Tenya cut them and they both blushed.

"Sorry!" they said at the same time, and he waved them off with his icing stained fork before he kept talking with Tsuyu.

"What did you have to talk with Ectoplasm?" Izuku asked; Ochaco shook her head.

"He just wanted to lay out my options for this year's winter internship. He said that since I didn't place very high at the tournament, maybe I should be seeking some other options."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Good morning, class!" Midnight said, finally showing up. Izuku checked his watch and saw that they were a couple of minutes late for the beginning of class. Like everyone who wasn't in their seats, he got up and hurried to sit down.

"You look cheerful, Ms. Midnight," Toru pointed out, and their teacher's smile widened.

"Well, I am cheerful, Mr. Hagakure, thanks for noticing," she said excitedly. "I had a radio interview last night, and after that, I had some fun. Didn't sleep much, but I feel invincible."

"I'll tell you later," Ochaco assured him as Deku headed to his seat.

"If you know what I mean," the teacher added with a wink.

Mineta raised his hand.

"Was it Present Mic?" he asked when she acknowledged him, and the reaction went from rolling eyes to actual groans. "The radio interview, not the after-fun!"

"Yeah, sure you mean that," Sero said, and from somewhere in the class, a paper ball was thrown. Nothing new in class A daily routine, it seemed.

"Guys, let's be nicer," Midnight said extra sweetly, smiling and leaning over, hands on her table. "No, Mr. Mineta, it wasn't Mic's radio program. Nor the fun. He's not entirely my type."

"Entirely? I thought she didn't have a type," Mineta continued, more for himself than anything else. "Thought her type was BDSM with whoever was lucky enough."

"Maybe you should be quiet," Izuku suggested in a low voice, leaning back for his colleague to hear.

Midnight laughed amused.

"Ah, I love this class," she said charmingly. "Don't tell anyone I said that but you're kind of everyone's favorite, you know? Strong, intelligent young people, with incredible quirks. And for the first time ever, you're all still here. No one was kicked out or dropped out! It's amazing."

"She's overly cheerful," Midoriya mumbled to himself, his hand on his chin pensively.

"She must've had some real fun," Sero said, glancing at Deku and Kacchan, who was nodding.

"I bet she beat up a bunch of villains, that's why she got so turned on," Bakugo speculated and Kyoka looked at him exasperatedly.

"Seriously?" she asked. Their hushes were louder than anything else, and everyone could hear them instead of pay attention to what the teacher was writing on the board. "And you still think you're in any position to complain about Mineta's comments?"

"Thank you, Kyoka," Mineta said solemnly and she scoffed.

"Shut up, dude," she said turning on her seat again and opening her notebook.

They all mirrored her because Midnight was actually passing them their weekly schedule and it was important. Even though Jiro did raise a good point of how the boys talked about their homeroom teacher compared to Mineta's comments, it still felt hard to find a balance between the two situations. They were not nearly a certified Perv as the other boy, that was for sure.

So Deku ignored the sigh he heard coming from behind him when Jiro cut the boy, and he focused on trying to figure out what kind of overseas hero would agree to visit U.A. for their Thursday seminar. Even though U.A. was definitely one of the best hero schools in the world, sometimes it still felt surreal that he – the quirkless boy – was having the opportunity to meet all those incredible people and heroes.

Izuku took a mental note to call Toshinori after class that night. It'd been a few days since they talked, and he missed having his mentor around, the way he gave him crypt advice and taught him how to be a better person, a better hero. With the end of their first year, All Might stopped teaching and moved out to stay with Gran Torino for a while, and it'd been tough for Izuku to handle things by himself, but he believed that a simple call would help.

Yeah, it'd be good to talk.

-X-

Turned out that All Might would come for dinner that weekend at the Midoriya household (Izuku himself had no idea when Toshi and his mother started that friendship-ish thing, but it wasn't as if he cared. His mom and All Might had always been his biggest supporters, and it was only fair that they teamed up), so instead of staying at U.A. that weekend, Deku went back home with a bunch of stories to tell about a hero who came all the way from America to teach them how to balance their personal lives with their heroes lives.

The hero – her name was Flashlight and she could run so fast, she energized the air – was one of America's top superheroes; she was about Midnight's age and she also managed to have a family and everything. U.A. only got to bring her because Midnight had worked with her at the beginning of their careers, their internships were in the same building and they became really good friends, but it was the first time she came to Japan, and she was so excited her lectures were awesome.

Flashlight stayed for two days, her activities were mixed with their normal program, since she had to talk to the whole hero and support students. They even got to meet her youngest kid, and he was a funny little thing who could control iron. Every single one of Izuku's colleagues who'd had to work at kindergarten stayed clear from the kid, but not him. Izuku loved kids. They were honest and amusing, and yes, they could be a lot of work sometimes, but the way they approached things so bravely and honestly always amazed him.

"As a matter of fact," Izuku told his mother during their lunch on Sunday. "Flashlight and her son made me think about all the different quirks there are around the world, and how families can be so diverse, like Kacchan and Mt. Lady, or this guy from support who can convince you of anything and his brother, who can bend time and will try for the hero course. His name is Kaneda, remember him, Toshi?"

All Might cough on a napkin before answering.

"I'm afraid I don't, my boy."

"Well, he's a graduate from the support class, and his little brother can actually go back in time, but I don't know exactly how the can do that. Apparently, all he needs is a trinket to pull him back or something. I didn't understand completely how it'd work, but I can't wait to find out when he starts school next year."

"Now, don't you go scaring the new kid with your questions, Izuku," his mother said with a wink, gently tapping the back of his hand. She knew damn well that he could be intense, it was in the Midoriya blood. "You can be really intense sometimes."

Izuku smiled feeling himself blush and looked at All Might. Well, he'd had a pretty good teacher when it came to the intensity thing, and he was pretty sure Toshinori knew he was partially responsible for it because the man was looking out the window, pretending he had nothing to do with that conversation. It had been his obsession with All Might that started it all, though.

"Ms. Flashlight's presence was really useful, then, I believe?" All Might asked, changing the subject. "Now that you have a girlfriend and everything."

Izuku's eyes widened and his cheeks got even redder because that was a subject that got his mom talking for hours, something that embarrassed him profoundly. As expected, Inko squealed excitedly, hands on her cheeks.

"Ochaco! She's such a good girl!" she said and All Might nodded.

"She really is. Great kid, with something great ahead of her, I can feel it," he said and leaned over, giving Izuku one of his glares. "Same way I feel about you, son. You two are a good match."

"I know," Deku said, scratching his nose uncomfortably. "I mean, thanks. And yes, it was useful, the activities, though there are some things I don't know exactly how to approach."

"Like what?" Inko asked, ready to help. "I'm a girl, I sure can understand a girl problem."

"I don't think there's exactly a problem…" Izuku said slowly. "It's just that sometimes she feels… distracted. But I'm sure it's nothing."

"Distracted?" his mother echoed. "Maybe she's just preparing a surprise? It's really hard to keep secrets from the person you like."

Izuku shrugged, knowing well how hard it could be to keep secrets from people. He also didn't like to talk about the vibe he was getting from Ochaco, because it was hard to understand it; perhaps Ocha was keeping secrets from him, but it didn't feel like it was a surprise, it felt like… sometimes, when she looked at him, she was looking at someone else. He didn't know how to explain.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, sweetie," Inko said, pushing Izuku's hair back, and then she frowned. "You need a haircut."

"Mom!"

Izuku and All Might took the same train on the way back because the line would go all the way to Tokyo downtown, where Toshi had "business to take care off". He didn't offer a lot of explanation, and Midoriya didn't press him into any, because he still was thinking about Flashlight's life example.

"What's in your mind, my boy?" Toshi asked. He had a seat, but Izuku was standing by his side. "Still thinking about the girl Ochaco?"

"No, not exactly," Deku answered, scratching his head. "I was just wondering that… if you had the chance to go back, would you do things all the same, or would you try to find a partner, form a family?"

All Might's eyebrows went up and he smirked.

"Shimura tried."

"I know, but that's not what I asked."

For a moment, Izuku thought Toshinori wouldn't answer, because he had this distant look on his face, and he kept his mouth closed for a long time, but apparently, he was just thinking it through.

"I don't think I would, no," he finally said, looking at Midoriya again. "Why? Are you thinking about it? You think someday you and Uraraka will have the chance to settle down and start a family?"

Deku giggled and blushed, shaking his head.

"Settle down would be a stretch, I guess," he said, getting redder by the second. His station was next, hopefully, he'd escape that conversation pretty soon. "But… I don't know… maybe."

Toshi looked at him kindly and smiled, patted Izuku's hand sympathetically.

"It's tough to be in love at such a young age, I know," he said, and Midoriya fought the urge to reply with 'you do?' "But you guys have time. Lots of time. You'll figure it out, I'm sure."

The train came to a stop the exact moment he nodded, motivated by All Might's confidence. See, that was what Midoriya missed with Toshi living away, the capacity the man had of seeing things through. Sure, he could figure things out on his own, but girl problems were… new for him, romantic relationships were new for him. Couldn't help being a bit anxious about it, right?

Besides, the more time passed, the more Izuku grew confident that his thing with Ochaco being distracted was just him reading too much into it.

He and Toshi said their goodbyes and he followed his way back to U.A. knowing that things would be fine. His mom had packed homemade mochis for Ocha with a request for her to come over next time, and when he'd arrive at the dorm, they'd eat and study and everything would be perfec-

"Ocha?" Izuku mumbled to himself when he saw her familiar brown hair up ahead, turning on a corner to a short street with little to no movement. Where was she going to? "Isn't this the place where the police found her after she was assaulted? Maybe she found the person who helped her that day and is paying a visit?"

He kept mumbling, without noticing that he was following her, while keeping a safe distance. Ochaco was waking with steady determination, and when she reached the middle of the block, she pushed open the door of a short building that looked pretty much abandoned.

Deku stopped, frowning at the building. That was weird, he didn't think there was anyone living in there, or working, seeing that the grey boxy building looked more like an abandoned commercial building.

He looked back at the Sunday evening movement of Shimura Avenue, and then at the building again, wondering what he should do, but curiosity got the best of him and his feet lead him to the building too. Izuku watched the numbers go up on the elevator until it stopped on 6, but instead of calling the elevator back down, he decided to take the stairs right by his right.

In those types of buildings, the elevator door was usually in the middle of the lobby, and if Ochaco was visiting someone, he didn't want to intrude showing up at someone's living room, or something. So Izuku took the stairs, two steps at a time. He supposed Uraraka would be happy to see him too, and he wanted to meet the person who helped her when she needed it.

He quickly reached the 6th floor, and the door to the single apartment, even though it was ajar, was barely noticeable – just a camouflaged plaque that slid to the side. There was no sound coming from inside, and Izuku checked again to see if he was in the right level, but then a small sniff came from inside the apartment and caught his attention.

Crying. Ochaco was crying, and he was afraid someone was doing her some harm, so he tried to slide the door as silently as possible in order to get in and find out what was happening. He was sure Ochaco was a good enough hero and didn't quite need his help to get out of whatever situation she got herself into, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try his best to help out if necessary.

The door gave access to a large loft through a neatly polished kitchen. There was no sign of anyone living in that place for quite a while now, and everything about the place felt sketchy for him as if he was entering some kind of time-space displacement.

Ochaco sniffed again, and listening closer Izuku actually thought that she was… alone. To his left, there was a glass room, and right in the middle was the elevator, as he expected. The room was bright and grey, and one of the walls was filled with pictures he couldn't quite make out from the distance, but as he stepped closer, the unsettling feeling in his stomach only got worse.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Izuku?" Ochaco called with a weak voice, and he looked back at her startled. She was sitting on a bed, holding on to something – a picture? – and looking at him with the same level of surprise as him. "How did you get here?"

He swallowed, unsure of how his voice would work in that creepy place and she blinked at him, two tears rapidly falling from her right eye. She hurried to wipe them with the back of her hand and he saw that it was indeed a picture in her hand. Deku stepped closer.

"I saw you," he said. "What is this place?"

"Huh?" she said, her hands on her lap and Izuku finally could see the photo perfectly. It was a photo of him and her, and a photo he was pretty sure they didn't take.

"What is that? Where did you get that?"

Uraraka clearly swallowed nervously, sitting straighter on the bed and tucking her hair behind her ears before answering him. She left the photo on her lap this time and didn't stop him from taking it when he reached in her direction.

"Someone gave it to me," Ochaco said almost like a question.

"Who?" he asked frowning at the photo. It was him and Ochaco at some beach with green mountains in the back, but he couldn't know what place exactly it was. As if sensing his question, he found the scribing on the back of the photo. Honolulu, winter.

The weirdest part was that it was his handwriting.

He looked at Ochaco again, feeling more and more confused.

"The Masked Blur?" she said. "This was his place."

The Masked Blur? Used to live this close to U.A.? How, what-

Midoriya faced the wall with the photos again, only then noticing the clocks all down to zero. Countdowns, maybe? But to what? That story made less sense by the minute.

"He saved you from that fall a few months ago?" he asked and she didn't answer right away. "You said the police met you around here, I just…"

"Figured," she finished the sentence for him. "Yeah. It was him."

"You saw who he was?" Deku said, frowning at other photos too, all glued to that wall. When Ochaco didn't answer, he turned to look at her and she nodded. "Who was he, Ocha?"

She swallowed again and slowly stood up. She didn't get close to him, but as she spoke, she looked right into his eyes.

"He was you."

-X-

Ochaco explained to him as best as she could everything there was to know. Apparently, Midoriya would come from the future to prevent her death. He'd assume the role of the Masked Blur to keep her alive, and go as far as follow them to the summer camp and face Toga Himiko in that shed up the hill.

"And when the time comes, you'll have to go, I think," she had told him, both hands on his cheeks. "But I'll be here waiting for you to come back, I promise."

It was a lot to think about, and he felt dizzy with all that information. All the wrong questions kept popping up in his mind and trying to escape his mouth, and it was really hard to keep them down.

"Is that why you kissed me?" he asked avoiding eye contact, and Ocha let out a surprised sound. Her hands dropped to her sides. "Because you fell in love with some other version of me you couldn't have anymore?"

"What?" she exclaimed. "No, Izuku! I barely knew him! Sure he was you, but he was different. Brokenhearted… and sad. I don't know. But I wasn't in love with him!" she held his arm, catching his eyes. "You and I, Izuku, we're bound to happen. Don't you think?"

"But you're different, too, now, after him. You miss him."

"I don't need to miss him, I have you."

"Yeah, but you do," Midoriya said firmly and he watched her lip tremble. She didn't know how to answer him. "I don't think I'm good enough for you right now."

Ochaco's eyes widened and she held his face in her hands again desperately, making him look at her.

"But you will, Deku, you will! I love you, and you love me, and that should be enough-"

"Ochaco," he interrupted her taking her hands in his and making her drop them. "This is too much right now. I… I can't. Give me time."

Midoriya left that building without as much as a goodbye, finally heading to the school to try and put his thoughts in order, but only managing to spin the facts harder and faster. Part of him thought (or hoped, better saying) from the start that he and Ochaco would be together eventually. He fell a little bit in love with her for different reasons every day, and the casual friendship they started on that first exam day bloomed and grew, took its time.

He supposed he loved Uraraka. He certainly liked her more than everyone else, and in a romantic way too. Sure he liked Kyoka, and it was awesome to have his first time with her, but with Ocha… it was different. Like a puzzle perfectly put together, it felt like that, and to find out that there was another version of him that got to her first was… disturbing.

Honestly, how was he supposed to feel with that information?

"I guess…" Ochaco had told him with her nice, soft voice. "That we're so in love, so in love, you missed me too much. Can you imagine that, Izuku?"

No, he couldn't. But also yes, sort of. Because he was already in love with her, and he believed that she was in love with him too, this him from now, and if they let that feeling grow together, it could be unbearably intoxicating. There probably could come a day when he'd be so in love with her he'd miss her too much.

So, yes. But he couldn't outer the words like that just yet because he still had a lot to think about yet and the best way to clear his mind would be through some good old exercise.

"Midoriya!" Mineta called when he was passing by the TV area when he arrived. "You're back just in time! Wanna watch this week's episode of Video Killed the Sidekick Star?"

Tempting. That series was one of his favorites, it talked about sidekicks on the way to stardom that were caught on video doing something not hero-y and for that they saw their careers derail. The documentary would show what led the hero to that point caught on camera and how they were trying to get back on their feet, and it was actually a pretty interesting show, even if it was kind of tacky, but Izuku wasn't in the mood.

"No, thank you," he replied going straight to the stairs. "I'm not in the mood."

"Oh," Mineta mumbled. "Okay."

Watching that TV show was one of the things that Izuku and Minoru would usually do together, sometimes with Toru, Tenya or Mina's company, but really, Midoriya needed to punch things, so he went to his bedroom and changed into something more comfortable, headed downstairs again wrapping his hands in gauze and left the box of mochis with Ochaco's name on top in the kitchen's table before he tapped Kirishima's shoulder.

"Can you spot me?" he requested. Kiri was on the bike spinning away, and he was everyone's favorite when it came to helping exercise.

"Of course!" he said opening a big smile. "Just give me two minutes."

That was more than enough time for Izuku to get himself a bottle of water and a chunk of cheese to chew on.

"Don't spoil dinner," Ayoama scolded because Deku had gotten the cheese from a pile he'd been cutting. "We'll have fondue."

"Fancy," he replied. "Don't worry, I'll need to replace a lot of calories after that." He pointed at the common area and Yuga raised an eyebrow. He's never been much of an athletic guy anyway.

"Deku!" Kirishima called, and Izuku turned to look at him standing in the middle of the gym area. "Have something in mind or want me to guide your circuit?"

"I don't know, I feel like punching things."

Kiri's smile became mischievous.

"Sounds like you'd like my monster circuit, then," he said hitting a fist on his palm, and Midoriya mirrored his smile.

"Yes."

-X-

Ochaco arrived about ten minutes after him and got word through Yuga that Izuku had left a box for her. He had put the box in the fridge because he was using the space, but she found the box and Deku quickly glanced away when she saw its contents, not waiting to see how she would react. He needed some space no.

"Did you guys fight?" Kiri asked lowly, keeping their chat private. Midoriya concentrated on the punches he was throwing at the sandbag. "You usually greet each other first thing when you arrive, and you barely looked at her. Plus, she looks like she's been crying and you're getting high on adrenalin."

"Don't want to talk about it," Izuku replied, punching a little harder than intended, and Kiri grunted, taking the surprise hit. "Sorry!"

"Don't worry, I can take it," he winked. "But seriously, did you fight?"

Midoriya stopped and glared at the other boy, who raised his hands in surrender. It was no time for perceptive Kirishima.

"Fine."

He stopped asking questions but didn't stop drilling Midoriya with the bodybuilding circuit he had come up with, and it honestly was so nice to just clear his mind and focus on the physicality of it all. Izuku punched and punched until his t-shirt was soaked and he had to take it off, throw it in some corner. He grabbed the hand towel he'd brought with him to dry off, and he got a few catcalls for it.

"You know they tease you especially because you blush so easily, right?" Kirishima told Deku, only making him blush more as he punched the bag again. The other boy giggled. "Alright, slow down, we're moving to alters now."

"Sure!" Izuku replied excitedly. Kiri stepped away from the sandbag the exact moment he threw a punch, and Midoriya mustn't have calculated it right because the sandbag broke down, spilling its contents on their feet dramatically. "Oh, shit."

Around them, their friends shouted and Mina punched the button of the panel Momo had made to their common area ("It has been 2 days without broken gym equipment. Our record is of 4 days." Only now they had to set the counting back to zero), which let out a loud horn sound.

"Guys, come on!" Mineta complaining, trying to be louder than the others. Izuku and Kirishima tried to step out of the sand without spreading it more with little success because their shoes were filled with sand. "I'm trying to watch TV!"

"Dude, you live in a fucking dorm," Sero replied. "Do you really expect to actually watch anything outside of your room?"

"Deku, you get a pass today, because I can't, for the love of God, do anything with sand in my feet," Kiri said taking off his shoes.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Izuku, come here!" Kyoka called from the sofa, and when he looked over at her, he also saw Mineta walking away putting on his earplugs as he headed to the stairs.

"What's up with him?" Midoriya asked and his colleagues shrugged.

"No clue," Jiro said. She was on one of the couches holding her cell phone and waved at him to get closer. "Come here, I want to prove a theory."

"What's it about?" he asked, taking off his shoes too before he stepped closer and sat on the sofa by her side. She was holding her phone, and there were a lot of their colleagues crowding the living room, the TV on playing the reality show.

"I'm taking pics of everyone because I saw this comic on Instaphoto and I want to see if it's real."

"Jiro, you already know it's real," Mina replied. She was sitting on the floor in front of them, with Denki hovering near her. "You took a photo of me, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but you don't count, Mina, you already are naturally pretty."

"Thank you!" Ashido replied with a grin, and Midoriya frowned at Jiro.

"Meaning…"

"Here, check this," Jiro said showing him the comic that had intrigued her. "So rumor has it that if you want to not look like a potato in photos, all you have to do is…"

"Put a finger on your lips," Izuku completed and she nodded. He shrugged. "I mean, makes sense."

"Kind of," she replied fiercely. "I mean, Tsuyu does that all the time, and she's the most adorable human being I've ever met."

"Thanks, kero!" Tsuyu replied from the other sofa, even though she was looking at the TV and didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation.

"So, I'm taking pictures of everyone to prove the theory, starting by the pretty ones in our class, just to set a standard. Look," Jiro opened the gallery and started flipping through photos. "First was Kiri, because honestly, angel face, blessing from God."

Izuku looked over at Kirishima, who was sharing the sofa with Tsuyu and Kacchan. He was trying to clean his feet with a towel but didn't miss a beat to flash them a smile. And then he looked at the photo again to see that indeed, Eijiro looked quite nice in the "beauty pose". The next photo was of Shoji, and he had made it goofy, using his tentacles. It was awesome.

"I think I look pretty good," Shoji said with a serious nod, and Midoriya, who was trying not to laugh, couldn't help it anymore.

"Are you kidding me? These are great!" he said in the middle of his laugh. Jiro passed to the next photo, and the next until she reached the final one. She also had photographed Momo, Tsuyu, Mina, Ocha, Denki, Iida, Sato, and Koda.

"Now I'm photographing normal people, not those freakishly beautiful aliens," she said waving at the others dismissively.

"Oi! I didn't hear you asking me for a picture!" Katsuki protested, and Jiro raised an eyebrow.

"That's because you have to be calm and relaxed to take those photos, Kacchan," Izuku provoked with a smirk. "Two things we know you're incapable of."

"DEKU!" Bakugo growled, sparks in his hands while there was a collective chuckle between them, and Kiri rested a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. Only took Izuku a year and a half, and it still was a work in progress, but he was exponentially losing his fear of Kacchan, as well as getting to be better friends with him.

"And now it's your turn, Izuku," Jiro said, not offering an answer to Bakugo, who only growled more.

"Wait, but what about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" she replied smartly and reached for his hair. "Let me fix this mess first."

"I should cut it, shouldn't I?"

Jiro smiled and shrugged as she tried to smooth his hair in a presentable way.

"Maybe, have a more professional look. There."

"I'll take the picture, alright," Deku said pushing his hair back, practically undoing Kyoka's work. "But you'll have to take one too."

"I will!" she said almost defensive.

"Right after me."

Jiro made a face and then rolled her eyes, but she didn't protest his request.

"Ready?" she said pointing the camera at him, and he nodded. "Finger to the lip. Feel sexy, Izuku."

"Like this?" he asked making sure to exaggerate a little and Jiro chuckled as she snapped the photo.

"Well, look at you too sexy for your shirt," Yuga said appearing behind them and leaning on the sofa. Midoriya blushed. "Can I see?"

"Sure," Jiro passed the phone to him. "How's our dinner, Yuga?"

"Almost ready, sweetie, don't try to rush perfection."

"I'm not!"

"We're just hungry," Kaminari said, keeping on Jiro's side.

"Don't be silly, it's barely 5 in the afternoon," Ayoama replied. He hummed looking at the photo.

"So?" Izuku poked Yuga. "Do I look sexy or just another potato?"

Ayoama smiled at him and handed him the phone. The photo was cute, he thought. Definitely not a potato, but not as good as Denki's pic. Deku looked at Jiro, then, who was talking to Yuga in whispers. He poked her and pointed the camera at her.

"Your turn, Jiro," he said smiling and she sighed dramatically.

"It won't work."

"Why not?" he asked. "It wouldn't be hard, you're already pretty."

"Flatterer," Jiro replied blushing and looking away. Kaminari, who was sitting on her other side now, elbowed her offended.

"Hey! I said the same thing and you flipped on me!" he protested. "How's it Midoriya can call you beautiful and I can't?"

Kyoka stared at Denki with raised eyebrows, but since it looked like he wanted a genuine answer, she said-

"Because his compliments come from his heart, not his dick."

"Woooooo!" their colleagues chanted loudly and Izuku had to cover his mouth with his hand to cover both his laughter and blush. On his defense, Kaminari didn't even blush, he just gasped dramatically.

"How does that even matter?" he replied. "I said you looked hot, that's a compliment!"

"The fact that you don't know the difference-" Jiro started, but suddenly decided on a different approach, turning on the couch to address someone else. "Yuga, how do I look today? Any good?"

Ayoama, who was back in the kitchen to check on his fondue, had to shout his answer, but even that he could do gracefully.

"Good?" he echoed. "Sweetheart, with that pretty doll face of yours you think good is enough to describe you? I wish I looked that fabulous. Oh, wait! I do! Twinsies."

Jiro turned to Denki smiling from ear to ear as if she had just proven a huge point.

"See? That's better."

"It doesn't count, Yuga doesn't give straight compliments," Kaminari complained crossing his arms.

"Who said I want straight compliments?"

"Oh, my God, you guys!" Momo exclaimed throwing her hands up.

"Deku is straight… ish," Kaminari said ignoring Momo. "And you accept his compliments!"

"But Deku has a girlfriend," Jiro said elbowing Izuku. He glanced across the room immediately finding Ochaco, and she had turned to look at him too, but they both looked away as soon as their eyes crossed, still uncomfortable. Too soon, the sign blinked in his head.

"Okay, I'll take a shower!" Izuku announced, suddenly standing up, and in the blink of an eye, Kacchan was by his side taking the phone from his hand.

"Give me that," Katsuki said. "Headphones, let's take the motherfucking picture already. You," he held Izuku's arm pulling him closer, and when he spoke to him, it was in a low, controlled voice. "Fix it."

"Fix what?"

"You know what."

Kacchan pointed towards the kitchen discreetly and to be fair Izuku knew exactly what he meant – Katsuki and Ochaco had this understanding between them that was hard to explain – but instead of feeling embarrassed, Izuku only felt annoyed.

"How about you mind your business?" he replied, snatching his arm from his grasp.

They'd been getting along better lately, increasingly better, if one would ask, but that didn't stop Izuku and Katsuki from butting heads every now and then, and this time it wasn't different. Bakugo hadn't the slightest idea what was going on between Ocha and Deku, but he noticed the difference in their behavior and he didn't miss a beat on putting the blame on him. Going head to head with him like that only made him sure that Izuku was to blame, and it got Katsuki growling just to get a growl back.

That staring contest lasted for a good while until their colleagues got tired of it and interrupted them.

"If you're not taking the pic, then give my phone back," Kyoka said, reaching out to grab her phone, but Kacchan raised his arm, keeping it out of her reach.

"No, back off," he said pushing her back to the sofa to sit where Midoriya previously was. It was his cue to get out of their hair and hit the showers. Izuku had a lot of thinking to do.

-X-

Here was what Izuku knew: that he'd grow to love Ochaco so much he'd go back in time to save her by being rid of Toga. Toga, who'd been the subject of many of U.A.'s troubles recently, especially with 2-B. He could only guess that Toga would try to gravely hurt Ochaco (hell, maybe even kill her), and if he'd have to go against his principles to stop that from happening, he would. That was how important Ochaco would be for him.

The solution to all of that seemed simple enough, technically speaking. He had to stop – being in love with her, he meant. Had to keep it professional and distant, and avoid her at any cost for things to be normal again, sort of. It was hard to understand how this time travel thing happened.

But.

If he ends up not loving Ochaco enough, and consequently not going back in time… what would happen to her? How settled was the past at this point in time? How manageable could it still be? What big of a risk would he be taking?

Besides, what guarantee there was that the reason Toga would attack Ochaco would be him? How much their relationship was directly linked to the plans of the League of Villains? Breaking up with her would fix that, or the future was settled just like the past?

So for the following couple of weeks, Izuku did what he did best – he studied. Every book, every movie, every TV show on time travel, in his spare time he dissected them. From confusing British TV shows to acclaimed book series, he went through them all in record time – had them happy endings or not, seeking the key parts that would help him understand the concept better. It would've been hypocritical of him if he only researched material where things were happily ever after.

Life… could go either way, couldn't it?

There was only one flaw in his plan, though.

Izuku already was in love with Ochaco. He fell in love with her from the first moment he saw her and she was nice to him, and sure it also was the first time he talked to a girl, so everything was a bit overwhelming, but then… he kept getting back at this, that he fell a little bit more in love with her every single day as their friendship developed and they grew together in that crazy environment that U.A. was, and it felt that perhaps they – as she pointed out – were meant to be. Getting to know her had been a blessing and a curse, but more of a blessing than anything else, in true honesty.

"The way I see it," Iida said over Midoriya's crazy notes-taking while they watched a movie about an assassin who'd have to kill his older self who was sent back in time. "You two are miserable and I feel bad for being happy and unable to make you two get back together."

His words didn't quite process in Izuku's mind for a moment, but when they did, he immediately stopped scribing and frowned at Tenya.

"That makes no sense at all," Izuku mumbled, confused as to how the logic worked in his friend's head. "Are you saying you shouldn't feel happy if Ocha and I aren't?"

Iida shrugged, which was a rare thing for him to do, and then he looked away pushing up his glasses.

"You guys…" he started still not looking at Midoriya. "I knew it was bound to happen, but you didn't even tell me when you started dating, and you didn't tell anyone when you broke up. I'm your friend, and I'm her friend, and I'm caught in the middle without knowing what do to about it! You know I don't have a lot of experience with relationships and all, and to make things worse, none of you even explained to me why you weren't together anymore."

"It's…" Midoriya said feeling embarrassed. He distracted himself by pausing the movie before continuing. "A long story."

"I have a lot of time, you know?" Tenya said, glancing at Izuku. "We've been spending quite a lot of time watching time travel things when we could be talking."

"Oh, haven't you heard?" Mineta said, popping out of nowhere and showing up behind them. He circled the sofa they were sitting on to take a seat on a couch. "No one talks with anyone in these dorms anymore. They just announce and demand."

Izuku, whose mouth was open to defend himself with arguments of how complicated his story with Ochaco was – so complicated that he himself didn't even know all the details yet because he was pretty sure Ocha didn't tell him everything – but Mineta's words were so unexpected that he found himself speechless.

"You know what day is it?" Mineta asked, glaring at Midoriya who shook his head.

"Friday?"

"Yeah, Friday," he replied and checked his wristwatch. "About halfway through the season premiere of Video Killed."

Midoriya's eyes widened when he remembered of their usual Friday program, realizing that he'd been renting the lounge TV for the whole afternoon already. Everyone knew better than to interrupt him when he was up to a project, but he didn't even think that he was interrupting someone else's.

"Shit," he whispered and Mineta rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, shit. Can I have the controls now?"

"Yeah, of course! Sorry!" Izuku hurried to hand him the TV controls and Mineta practically snatched them from his hands, making him and Iida exchange a worried look.

"Why are you taking notes on time travel anyway?" Iida asked and Midoriya felt the sweat drop on his back. He quickly closed his notebook and got up.

"It's a hobby!" he explained vaguely, and Tenya glared at him. Izuku sighed. "How about we get some pizza and talk in my room?"

He wasn't going to tell him everything, it was better to keep the whole time travel thing out of the picture and just focus on tangible issues that'd been going on in his head, but Tenya was right, he was their friend and they'd been neglecting him. That had to stop right about now.

Iida nodded avidly and got up too. They gathered their things and headed to the stairs, but Midoriya glanced back at the living room and frowned at the back of Mineta's head. He had changed the channels and in a normal weekend, Izuku would join him, but it'd been a while now since they had a proper conversation, or spent some time together. He wondered why.

"That was weird, right?" he whispered to Tenya. "What Mineta said."

Iida nodded again, and also quickly glanced back.

"It was," he said climbing up the stairs. "I'll keep an eye on it to see if there's something going on."

"Yeah, me too."

-X-

Neither Izuku nor Tenya had any clue of how a relationship was supposed to work, so they spent the night of Friday to Saturday in Midoriya's room brainstorming about their girl problems. That was how Izuku found out that Iida was still a virgin, and that he and Mei had agreed to take things slow – unsurprising, considering how long they'd danced around each other before their first kiss.

Deku wasn't a virgin anymore, though he only had sex one time before summer break, and Tenya was probably the only person who (now) knew that he'd lost his virginity to Jiro. It also had been her first time, and it was really awkward, but they were kind of drunk, very horny, and doing their best at figuring things out on their own, so it had been nice nonetheless.

Considering that he had more experience, even if so limited, Izuku ended up having to answer a lot of questions from Iida, most of them about things an internet search wouldn't help much. It was what Sero liked to call "bro time", and even though Tenya had a super cool older brother, he never felt comfortable enough to talk to him about that kind of stuff.

"He started dating Shoto's sister around the time Mei and I… started to get closer you know? But I don't know… it's easier to talk to you."

But the following night, Iida wasn't around to distract Izuku, and it left him with way too many thoughts rolling around his brain. He laid awake in his bed for most of the night, his mind going on a spiral of gotta-stop-liking-her-can't-stop-liking-her and it was driving him crazy, so Midoriya finally decided to get up and list the pros and cons of getting back with Ochaco – if she even wanted him back, that was.

The first topic of his "pro" list was "she lives," and Izuku realized that after that… nothing else mattered. He didn't want a world without Ochaco, because she was sweet, selfless and kind and all the things a hero must be. She had proven time and time again what a great student she was, and how capable of overcoming hardships she could be, and he knew without a doubt that she would make a huge difference in the world.

Even if he didn't love her as much as he did (or would do), Deku was sure that he'd still look for a way of rescuing her – like he once looked for a way to rescue Kacchan, and Eri, and Kota, and Monoma. That was just his nature, he guessed, a good one, and there was no need to try and fight the good things.

The list was left with that single item on top of his bed, and Midoriya went downstairs. It was still long until breakfast, the sun was still barely poking up, but he prepared some coffee, ate some fruit salad while waiting for it to be ready, and checked the gym's equipment as he ate. The panel on the wall said that they'd been five days without breaking anything, the new record, and Izuku suddenly felt the need to do some exercises – not to break something, of course, but because he didn't have anything else to do.

So he ate his breakfast, changed into some training clothes and hit the track field to run a few laps. By the time Midoriya went back to the dorm, the sun was already up and most of his colleagues were having breakfast on the table. He greeted them and headed to the gym to throw a few punches before he'd take a shower, and it was during that exercise that she came to his side.

"Aiming to break another sandbag?"

Izuku smirked and threw a couple more punches before looking at her.

"Nah, just burning some steam," he said and bowed his head. "Morning, Ocha."

"Morning, Izuku," she said timidly. By their side, the sandbag swayed in no particular direction. "How you've been?"

"Doing a lot of thinking," Deku said and Ochaco chuckled.

"Right, but that's just regular you," she said, struggling to control her laughter. She wasn't wrong. "Izuku-"

"Ocha-" he said at the same time as she spoke up, but she closed her mouth and gestured for him to continue. "I did a lot of research lately, you know? About time traveling and fixing time and I heard one thing in this superheroes show that stuck with me. Sometimes, time wants to happen. It's a bittersweet show," he continued before she could interrupt him. He stepped closer to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But what it meant to me was that sometimes things are bound to happen, and, I mean, you and I…"

"What about you and I?" Ochaco asked under her breath. Izuku reached out and touched her face, trying to see beyond the story she told him, but all he could find was right now.

He felt relief in that – on the way Ochaco leaned on his touch and closed her eyes, and how it felt like she was getting even closer, even if they didn't move at all. It was a moment to savor, really, and right now was under his control, in a way; whatever they did with that control would be worthy, he was sure.

"I tried, Ocha," he confessed under his breath and she looked at him, her eyes bright brown. "I told myself to let this go even before we started dating, because we have goals and plans that can't afford the distraction, but-"

"I tried too," she confessed as well, putting her hand in his on her face. "Izuku, I've been trying for so long to fall out of love with you, and when I found out that the Masked Blur was you I knew better. I knew that if I'd give in to him, things would get worse with you because it's you I've been in love with for over a year. This is not a fluke, I know what I feel. And I'm sorry things are so fucked up right now, but there's no turning back."

"Well," Izuku shrugged playfully and dropped his hand. Ochaco still held his hand, and she chuckled at his little joke but soon got serious again.

"Don't you get it, Izuku?" she asked, still talking in that soft voice of hers. "It's you and I together to make things happen, but this is bigger than us. So I get what you mean about time wanting to happen, I really do, but I made you a promise. You saved me – will save me -, and I'll be here waiting for you when you have to go back in time to save me again, to save all of us again." She chuckled again, this time in a serious way. "Izuku, you saved us all so many times, all because of the promise we made to each other. Or will make. Or are maki-"

Izuku interrupted her mid-sentence leaning over and pressing his lips on hers, and despite Ochaco's initial surprise she soon closed her eyes, reciprocating the kiss. Her hands went to the back of his neck and they stumbled to the side, looking for something to steady them in the ample room. The back of his knees hit the hammock of the weight lift equipment, and he sat down bringing Ocha with him at the exact moment their colleagues noticed them.

Under "uuuhs" and whistles, Ochaco climbed to Izuku's lap and they barely broke the kiss in the process. He missed her so much already, only two weeks, and he needed to be with her. It didn't matter that he had more questions than answers when it came to their relationship at this point, he loved her.

What else could he do?

"Fucking hell," Katsuki complained from the table. "There are people trying to eat here, get a room!"

"Why are you like that?" Toru asked, and Midoriya couldn't help but smile in the kiss.

Ochaco kissed down his chin and the line of his jaw, her fingers tangling on his hair, and when her mouth was close enough to his ear, she whispered the smallest of the suggestions.

"Maybe we should get a room."

She looked at him with a smirk and he raised an eyebrow.

"To… talk?" he suggested, and even though her cheeks got a deeper blush, she shook her head no.

"No," she said, and he couldn't help but smile too, feeling his face grow hot.

Ochaco leaned closer to him staring into his eyes, one of her hands on his shoulder, the other down his chest.

"I know there's still a lot to be said," she told him. "But we have time if we make it."

"You know what?" Izuku replied, his arm around her waist. "You're absolutely right."

Ochaco's smile widened and she got on her feet again, pulling him up with her. Not wanting to put too much space between them, Izuku leaned for another kiss putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Your place or mine?" she asked and then covered her mouth as if surprised with herself and he chuckled, but his brain did a quick scan of what his room was looking like after a sleepover and a brainstorm, and it was easy to decide.

"Yours."

-X-

It was only when Ochaco closed the door behind her that it crossed his mind.

"I don't…" Midoriya said and swallowed, feeling his cheeks burn. "C-cond-"

She tucked her hair behind her year, a smirk on her lips.

"There's no need, I'm taking shots."

"You are?" she nodded. "Since when?"

"Since after camp," she told him, and bit her lip, but not in a sexy way, more in a thoughtful way.

"Camp…" Deku said scratching his head. "You slept with him, didn't you?"

Ochaco looked at him wide-eyed, but nodded, her eyes wandering down his arms and back up again, and to his own surprise… Izuku didn't feel jealousy like he'd been feeling ever since he found out that there'd been another him walking around and being near Ocha all this time, he just realized that a lot of things made sense now regarding her behavior.

"Okay," he said. "It's just weird that you've been with me, but you haven't, really."

"Tell me about it," she said with a relieved sigh. "I had to handle with two yous and it was so confusing."

"But now it's just me and you."

She nodded, reaching out for his shirt as she stepped closer.

"Now is just me and you," she echoed in a whisper, and he leaned in for a kiss.

Differently from their previous kiss, this one was slow, taking its time in feeling the other. Ochaco pulled his shirt up and they broke the kiss just for Deku to take it off.

Izuku'd been eager to have this type of intimacy with Ochaco for a while now, but they spent most of their time in school, and there were rules to be followed. Sure he had lost his virginity in that same building, and he was well aware of the noise complaints they were getting from the neighbors (most of them because of Kacchan's "parties"), but he always thought he would avoid the school's area when he finally made love with her. His house was only a train ride away, maybe he could take her there, prepare something romantic, but now any plan he'd ever had was tossed in the trash.

Ocha's hands slid down his torso and stopped when they got to the waist of his shorts, making Izuku catch his breath. She started to place small kisses down his jaw and throat, along his collarbone and chest while she unbuttoned her shirt, tossing it aside without looking. She was wearing a nice pink bra that was quickly discarded too, and Midoriya took his time to caress her breasts, gently massaging them and pinching her nipples.

Her hands went back to the waistband of his shorts, and then she felt him over the soft fabric. The sight of her partially naked and her delicate, wet kisses added to the feeling of her breasts in his hands was quickly getting him hard, and after she started to stroke his penis, the friction with the fabric made it both painful and pleasurable.

She pressed them closer together, and Izuku's hands went to her hair, fingertips massaging her scalp. He wanted to kiss her again, but she took one of his nipples in her mouth and he forgot what he was thinking for a second or two, gasping with surprise. Ochaco sucked at his nipple until it was sensitive and hard, and unsure of what to do with his hands, he kept one tangled in her hair while the other rubbed down her shoulder and back; his breathing was growing erratic as she worked on his other nipple; it was a bit embarrassing how easily she was turning him on.

Honestly, it was simple math, really, if he'd think about it. He wanted her – as his friend, his girlfriend, his woman – and this was more than proof that he could have her, was dangerously close to having her in the three categories he had secretly set in his mind. There was no need to fight the feeling at this point when both of them had laid their hearts to each other and were half-naked in the same room, was there?

Done with teasing him, Ochaco pulled down his shorts and underwear, finally exposing his member, and started to stroke him with firm fingers.

Nope. No need to fight at all.

"Ocha," Izuku breathed out. She looked up at him and smirked before she started to make her way down. Was she-? He didn't even shower after exercising, she most certainly wouldn't…

She got to her knees and looked up at him, right hand steadily jerking him off.

"I know what you're going to say," she said softly, hand moving up and down his member gradually getting him as hard as he could get. "So I'll just gonna let you know right away that I don't care."

Izuku was going to say a lot of things, but all of them could work with her premature response, so he just opted to push them away. Ochaco's eyes went from his eyes to his penis and with her left hand, she spread the pre-cum that was starting to drip all over his head before she leaned closer, lips ready to cover him when he suddenly had to ask.

"Did you do this before?"

She glanced at him quickly and shrugged.

"Once."

"With… future me?"

Ochaco's smirk was back and she shook her head no, but before he could process her answer she kissed the tip of his dick, making the words stop short in his throat. She tentatively licked the tip, her tongue made small circles around his head as she ever so slowly started to take him in her mouth. Izuku gasped once the whole head was inside her warm mouth, her lips around his dick as she started to bob her head nice and wetly, gaining more centimeters with determination and making him get fully hard with impressive efficiency.

One of her hands went to his balls while the other still stroked his member, going all the way to its base. Izuku never expected Ochaco to be so good at this, and her combined movements were nearly driving him crazy with random thoughts, like how he hadn't shaved in a while now, too focused on other things to care about that, and how he hoped that she didn't mind. By the way, she popped his dick out of her mouth and started to lick it from base to tip, he supposed she didn't.

Ochaco knew how to give a nice, sloppy head, and whoever taught her that had Deku's eternal gratitude because it was awesome. She smeared his dick with saliva, and even though she couldn't fit all of him in her mouth, she still worked nicely on the blowjob. His hand went back to her head, but Izuku still had some self-control not to choke her on his dick. That wouldn't be a good first-time story to tell, after all.

The moment he felt his balls tighten, Ochaco pulled back, letting go with a loud pop, making him gasp with how suddenly she was cutting him off, so close to the edge. She looked up at him, saliva dripping down her chin. She wasn't jerking him anymore, he realized, and she wiped her chin with the back of her hand looking up at him. Izuku pushed her hair out of her face and leaned over, kissed her forehead.

"You're amazing," he told her and she chuckled.

"I'm sorry I can't take you deeper," she said, her voice a bit hoarse, and he shook his head as if telling her not to worry about that. She started to get up and he helped her to her feet.

"It's okay…" he started and she kissed his neck, close to his ear. "I want to go balls deep somewhere else anyway."

Ochaco's head snapped back so fast she almost lost her balance, and Izuku felt his whole face burn.

"Oh, my God, did I say that out loud?"

She smirked.

"You did," she said cockily. "I like bold, sexual Izuku."

His heartbeat slowed down considerably after she said that, and his posture even relaxed a little.

"You do?" Ochaco nodded. "How much?"

"A whole fucking lot," she said getting closer again and nibbling at his earlobe. When she spoke, her voice was just a warm whisper. "I know you know you have a big dick. I want you so bad, Izuku, you're gonna slide right in."

Damn. Izuku knew that Ochaco was forward, that she could cuss like a sailor and fight like a boss, but he wasn't prepared to how dirty she could talk and how sexy she could sound. Her talking like that was almost too much for him to handle.

Despite his red face, Deku felt like it was his time to take over, and he pulled her to an open-mouthed kiss that she gladly reciprocated after a small, joyful yelp. Her arms went around his neck and he slid his hands down her back to her hips, pushing down her shorts, panties and all. They had to break the kiss quickly to awkwardly step out of their shoes and take off the rest of their clothes, but soon they were back at it again, stumbling to her bed.

He let her lay down first, and he watched her. Ochaco's bed wasn't very big, but they could make do, and she looked so pretty with her lightly tanned skin and the curve of her hips giving away to her soft thighs. Her clothes had marked her skin, but that only added a little charm to her. Ochaco enchanted Izuku in more ways than he could count, and mesmerized he reached for her knee as he kneeled by her side on the bed to join her.

Instinctively, she opened her legs and his hand slid down her thigh, making her shiver. One of her hands went to her breast, while the other reached out for him, touched his cheekbone with a small tremble, her eyes watching him as she bit her lip. His hand reached her middle and he had live proof that she was, indeed, ready for him, her sex burning hot and slippery. Tentatively, he slid one finger in; his thumb easily found her aroused clit, and she gasped with the combined sensation, giving him a prideful satisfaction.

"Ocha," he started, but he didn't know what to say next. Midoriya Izuku was out of words, which was a first, and they were only getting started. She moved her hips against his hand, ushering him to do more, and he gave in to her needs, moving his finger a bit deeper, delighted by the sounds that came from her sex.

She was just so beautiful. Probably the most beautiful girl he'd ever meet, and she was his.

Could a guy be any luckier?

"Izuku," Ochaco called him dropping her hand and he looked in her eyes. "Make love to me."

A guy couldn't.

He leaned down for a slow kiss, her hands on his cheeks, his fingers still playing with her sex, and she trembled when he stopped, a sigh coming out of her lips on his. He positioned himself between her legs and stroked his member a couple times to lube it with her juices before he lined his body with hers. She reached down, helping him aim, and he laid on top of her, pushing inside ever so gently.

There was almost no resistance for him to go in. Ochaco's lips parted and her cheeks got extra blushed as he pushed inside of her making space, and when Deku dropped to his elbows he was so close to her, as close as he could be.

She felt incredible. Izuku had to stop a couple of times to let her catch her breath, but in no time he was fully inside her, and it was the best thing ever. Kyoka was really tiny with small hips, and she couldn't take him whole when they had sex, but Ochaco was perfect for him, the right size to swallow him whole – and boy, didn't she take him balls deep!

After the moment of daze for being inside her for the first time, Izuku breathed out, not even aware he'd been holding his breath, and Ochaco smiled, nodding at him to tell him to keep going. Her leg tangled in his and he started to move – at first going nice and slow, enjoying every sensation of her sex. If she'd been burning before, together now they were certainly on fire, because the pleasure that started in their connected middle was spreading to their extremities, gradually coating them with a thin layer of sweat as he built up the pace.

With short, deep thrusts, Izuku buried inside of Ochaco, and through parted lips she couldn't help but moan and cuss. Their breathing was erratic and their kisses were shaky, seeing that he didn't stop moving to kiss her. Deku's right hand slid down her side all the way to her thigh, making Ocha raise her leg to his waist to change the angle a little, and the moment he pulled out and pushed in again, her moan got significantly louder.

"Fuck yes, right there," Ochaco said under her breath, nails digging on his shoulders, eyes fluttering shut. "Right there, fuck!"

The fact that she was cussing so much, Izuku concluded, meant that he was doing something right for her, because he already knew it was good for him. She felt so amazing that he feared he'd finish too soon, but the moment she started to meet his movements he realized that she was close to the edge too.

Ochaco's breathing grew erratic and under her incentive, he kept thrusting, his hand firm on her thigh, face hidden on the curve of her neck taking in the morning scent of her skin. His Ochaco, his best friend, his lover.

"I love you," he told her under his breath and her nails dug deeper on his shoulders as she gasped.

He raised his head just enough to look into her eyes and one of her hands went to his face, fingers trembling on his lips before she cupped his jaw, eyes glossy with pleasure. Izuku leaned down, meeting her lips in a frantic kiss that didn't help them catch their breaths at all, and all of a sudden Ochaco's whole body trembled. She let out a small cry, unable to control her gestures, and arched her back; her sex was clinching him whole, caught between the urge to push him out and suck him deeper, and she came all over, her juices deciding it was time for him to get out.

"Holy shit," Ochaco said with a trembling voice; her eyes locked on Midoriya's, who still was partially on top of her, and she smiled. "Gosh, I love you, Izuku. I love you."

She pulled him for another kiss, her lower lip quivering as another shiver went up her spine, and Izuku's heart felt like it was going explode, so happy to hear her say those words.

They continued kissing until she calmed down a little, and then Ochaco reached between them, used two fingers to hold the base of his penis and guide him to her entrance again. Their skin was sticky and hot, but they didn't care the last bit. Izuku pushed the head inside her and felt his balls tighten again making him catch his breath, and he rested his forehead on hers.

"Fuck, I'm gonna last two seconds," he confessed, and she chuckled before she pecked his lips; her leg went up to his waist again, urging him to go deeper, and he complied, this time meeting no resistance at all on the way inside, and in the second thrust he was coming so hard she even let out a small yelp.

That was less than two seconds. So embarrassing that he hid his face on the curve of her neck again as he shot load after load in her womb, and he more felt than heard her chuckle. She was so amused by him.

"You're too cute, Izuku," she said, hands on his cheeks to make him look at her. He was sure he was blushing, and that made her laugh more. "I'm gonna have to change the sheets. Forgot you come like a fountain."

"S-sorry!"

"It's okay," Ochaco said kissing his lips and chin and cheeks tenderly. "It's fine, I love you."

"I love you," Izuku echoed. Because he did love her in such a different way from everyone else he'd ever loved, so much deeper than he ever thought possible.

And to think that he was trying to fight this. He would never win. Reason would never win. He and Ochaco together was fate, in the most intricate form it could take.

He got out of her and laid on his side next to her, the two of them squished together in her tiny bed, and after a while of just staring at each other with rosy cheeks, Ochaco started to giggle.

"What?" Izuku asked, worried that he'd done something weird and she shook her head.

"I really need to clean up," she said half sitting up, upper body sustained by her hold on his chest. "I'm dripping Deku seed right now."

Her light joke only made him sport a darker shade of red and she couldn't help but laugh more, muffling his apology. He shouldn't have been so thirsty to get in her pants, should've gotten those condoms in his room first, but-

"Here," Ochaco said kneeling on the bed and pushing Izuku to lie on his back on the bed.

She straddled him, and the moment she did that, he saw some semen dropping out of her. It was hot and weird at the same time, and he couldn't choose which one was more – hotter? Weirder? Still up to debate. Ochaco's right hand went to her folds and tentatively flicked her clit; her breath caught and she smiled at him. She reached between them with the same hand and got a hold of his now flaccid penis, making it lay on his belly, tip in the direction of his navel, and then she started to rub her pussy along his member, making him stare at the movement wide-eyed. So fucking awesome.

Ochaco leaned in without breaking contact and put a hand on his cheek bringing his attention to her face, and he swallowed when he saw the determined expression she only had on when she had a goal in mind. That expression scared some people off, but him? It only turned him on.

"Get hard for me, Izuku," she commanded, hand now on his neck, pressing at his collarbone as she moved getting more aroused by the second. "Get hard so I can ride you and fuck your brains out."

Well, he would not deny her ever again, that he knew for sure.

-X-

"Oh, holy shit," Ochaco gasped dropping on Izuku's chest shaking all over; her orgasm made him pop out of her one more time. He embraced her, rubbing a hand on her back as she caught her breath. He could see that she was getting tired, but she was also determined to continue and she wasn't allowing him to come even though it already was her third orgasm.

"Jesus, Ocha," he mumbled and kissed her forehead. She let out a shaky laugh, kissed his neck. They were so sweaty by now, and he too felt drained. "Just let me come already."

"No!" she exclaimed, head snapping up so fast she wasn't prepared and ended up losing some of her balance. With her face close to his, her damp hair glued to her forehead, she started to place small kisses along his jaw and on the corner of his lips. "You told me we get a lot of practice, so we'll get a lot of practice."

"Did I?" he replied smirking and she nodded.

"You did. You will."

It still was a little confusing, but Deku figured he'd stop living in his own shadow soon. The past had changed, and in that way, the future was settled too, wasn't it? He had nothing to fear anymore.

Funny how all his certainties were clearer when he was with Ochaco.

His phone started to ring, distracting them again. They'd been hearing notification alerts for half an hour already, and that was the second call they weren't picking up.

"Maybe we should get that," he reasoned and Ochaco sighed.

"It's not important," she said, still busy with kissing his jaw and neck, her fingers tangled in his hair.

"You don't know that. Someone is trying to reach us. Insistently."

"For fuck's sake," she mumbled sitting up.

Awkwardly, Ochaco stretched all over to get Izuku's shorts from the floor and fish his phone from its pocket to hand it to him. He got it and unlocked the screen to find at least a dozen texts from Tenya and two missed calls.

"It's Tenya," he said opening the texts. "He wants to know if I know where you are because Mei's waiting for you to test the gadget she made?"

Ochaco made a face.

"Shit, I forgot," she said, hitting the palm of her hand on her forehead. "Tell him to ask her if we can leave it to another day."

"Another day?" Izuku exclaimed and she shrugged.

"You mean to tell me you want to leave this room?"

"I do not," he replied quickly and honestly, and she giggled. "Okay, leave it to another day."

He offered the phone back to Ochaco so she could type the response, but she shook her head no.

"I can't type, I'm too shaky."

"Woman," Izuku said and chuckled. Ochaco laid on top of him again, nibbling his earlobe and breathing in his ear, and he had to manage to type with her like that.

"You just make me feel so good," she told him, her hips moving against his crotch again. She was going to drive him mad, wasn't she?

He shakily hit send and dropped the phone on the bed to focus on Ochaco again, attacking her lips with his and holding her tight around her waist, the other hand groping her ass as they sat up. His fingers found her wet entrance, so he guided his member to it again, but she had barely slid the head in when she whimpered.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked worriedly and she nodded avidly, hands on his cheeks.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just hella sensitive."

"Wanna take a little more time?"

Ochaco rolled her eyes annoyed, a playful smirk on her lips and slid in a few more centimeters.

"I'm fine," she guaranteed and gasped arching her back. "Shit."

Honestly? Same. Whatever distraction they had, casual chat and jokes in the middle of their lovemaking didn't make them the last bit less horny, and they were in a bliss when their bodies connected.

Busy with sucking at Ochaco's nipple, Izuku only processed that he got a new notification because the phone had ended up partially under his ass and vibrated when he got a new message. Cussing, he got the phone to see what it was about this time.

"Why?" he read, and Ochaco, who was working on some odalisque shit on his dick, cocked her head confused.

"Why what?"

"Why not today, it's Iida's text," Deku said showing her the text and an idea crossed his mind. "You know, Tenya was upset we didn't tell him we were together the first time around, he had to find out with everyone else. Since he's not here today, he probably doesn't know yet, and maybe we should tell him."

Ochaco smirked devilish.

"Take a picture," she said and Izuku's eyes widened.

"What?"

She embraced him, arm around his neck, and kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Take a pic, send it to him with only one word with it: busy. And he'll know."

"You are evil," Izuku said chuckling and kissed her mouth.

"I know, right?"

He got the camera ready and snapped a pic of them, their faces close together, cheeks blushed, hair messy. They were clearly naked in the pic, and Deku had to resize it to make it more modest, because he didn't want to give his best friend a heart attack, and then he sent it with Ochaco's description.

"There," he said throwing the phone over his back. "He got the news. Now, what was that thing you were doing with your hips again?"

Ochaco bit her lip, starting to move back and forth ever so slowly, the muscle of her sex doing some crazy squishing, or whatever. It felt so good, he could die.

"You liked it?"

"I fucking loved it."

"No one had to teach me that," she confided in him. She liked to kiss him all over while they made love, and it was the best thing ever. "It feels so good. You feel so good."

They got only one more text from Iida's number that day. It was a photo of Mei doing the peace sign and winking, while Tenya in the background had his head down. They were in her workspace, mechanic machinery on the worktable. The photo came with a short and funny text that got Midoriya and Uraraka laughing for minutes, prolonging even more the moment they were having.

He dead, but fine. Glad U guys R back together! Double date soon!

-X-

"Oh, would you look at that!" Midnight exclaimed stopping by Izuku and Ochaco's side, hands on her hips and a grin on her face. They were next to the door and class was about to start, but they weren't expecting the teacher's attention falling on them. "Young love."

Their kissing session interrupted, they looked at the teacher equally red-faced and her grin only got larger. Midnight reached out and pushed a strand of hair off of Ochaco's face tenderly and winked.

"Gotta love that," she said and the turned to the room abruptly. "But now off to class! Go, go, go!"

They were all taking their seats as the teacher went to her post in front of the class. She wrote a few names on the board with instructions to go meet Ectoplasm in their free period, and Izuku noticed that the top 10 students made the list, him and Ocha included. With Ectoplasm responsible for the 2nd years' internships, he wondered if it had anything to do with that. Considering that class A's free period was the second, they would find out soon, and they did.

Midoriya was called to the office and was surprised to meet Ectoplasm in civilian clothes, looking as ordinary as ever. The teacher greeted him warmly and indicated the chair in front of him, so Izuku sat down, eyes analyzing the whole room as if he hadn't been there before.

"I suppose you know why you're here," the teacher said and Deku nodded. Bakugo already had left that same office grinning from ear to ear because he got an internship in Russia, saying he was ready to "wrestle some fucking bears!"

"Overseas internship?" Izuku said anyway and Ectoplasm nodded.

"And I suppose you know how this works," he added. Midoriya nodded again. "Second-year students have a chance to intern outside the country for two to three weeks, but since the school can't pay for everyone to go abroad, only the top 10 of each class is chosen. As the student #4 of class A, Midoriya, you were contemplated with it."

Unable to contain himself, Izuku's eyes widened and he grinned excitedly. Who would've thought only a couple of years ago that he'd have such opportunity? To go to another country train to be an actual hero? Sure it already was crazy to do so in Japan, but another country? That was insane!

"Okay, let it sink in," Ectoplasm said humorously and Izuku tried to calm down. He looked around the room and saw the jar of water.

"Can I get some water?"

"Of course, here," the teacher reached for the jar and got a plastic cup for him too, and Izuku poured himself some before Ectoplasm started talking again. "Now, you were one of the many students who chose to intern with Flashlight, she really impressed the U.A. students, didn't she?"

Midoriya nodded but didn't want to interrupt the teacher, so he didn't say anything.

"There was a long line to get to intern with her, but you got extra lucky – besides having the higher grades of the students who listed her as priorities, she also remembered you and was very impressed by you."

"So I got Flashlight?" Izuku interrupted, unable to control his mouth, and then blushed ashamed. Ectoplasm didn't seem offended by the interruption, though.

"You got Flashlight," he confirmed and Deku couldn't help but do a small celebration. "If you agree with all the terms, you'll go to Hawaii in December for two weeks to learn from her. Your plane tickets, classes and stay will be paid by U.A. and the American school you'll attend there, but everything else is on you. You will have to go to class, and you will have to present a report of your internship when you return. This is a major opportunity to learn as much as you can, and I'm sure you'll make the best of it."

"Yes, sir!" he agreed excitedly. Ectoplasm then fished a thick envelope that was on the table and handed it to Izuku, a page full of items glued to the front.

"Here is everything you have to know about the internship and the documents you have to prepare to go. It's imperative that you have everything – everything – ready by November 20th. I'm serious, Midoriya, every single item of this list must be checked by then, or else you won't be able to go. If you read the terms and don't agree with something, or if it happens that you can't go, let us know as soon as possible, so the opportunity can be passed to the next student in Flashlight's waiting list, got it?"

"Yes."

Except that there was no way Izuku would miss that opportunity, but he figured it'd be rude to say so at the moment. Holding the envelope with both hands, he couldn't wait to read all that information and get started on organizing things.

"Also, you know the drill, right? Third-year students don't get to go overseas-"

"Because of the social work, I know."

"Yes. So through U.A., this is the only time you'll get the chance to do that. So think of it wisely. Two more things," continued the teacher, making the student focus on him again. "While we can pay for your trip, if you need to take a companion with you, we won't be able to help with their ticket and stay, but every student, especially those in the hero program, have a list of sponsors who've been keeping track of your development in school, and we can reach out to them and see if they can pay for your companion's trip, if needed. Most students want to take one or both parents, and most times we get a sponsorship to at least one companion."

Now, that was interesting. Izuku's mind went to this mother and how she supported him all along, but he also remembered how she had used her vacation time to go with him to the harbor that summer, so they could spend some days with his father. She wouldn't be able to go with him in December, he was afraid, and that saddened him.

"Second thing," said Ectoplasm. "I got word that you and Uraraka are dating again."

Izuku's eyes widened and his cheeks blushed.

"News travels fast," he said shyly, and the teacher tapped his fingers on his phone absentmindedly.

"You have no idea," he replied. "Thing is, she got an internship in America too, and the hero who chose her will happen to be in Hawaii at the time because there will be some sort of convention."

"No shit," Izuku exclaimed under his breath, mind already going a thousand per mile. Hawaii. Everything Ochaco wanted!

"Of course you'll be with different heroes, in different schools and different points of the island, but there is free time, and you might even be able to enjoy some. You got so lucky, kid," the teacher said as Midoriya nodded avidly, not even trying to hide his excitement. "But don't think we won't expect you two to be on your best behavior. Also, remember she doesn't know about her internship yet, so!"

"Uh, don't worry, sir!" Izuku said, sealing his lips and then bowing. "She'll know soon anyway."

"Yeah, she will. Now piss off, kid, you have a lot of reading to do," Ectoplasm said and Deku got up. "And congratulations."

"Thank you, sir! I promise we'll behave!"

He almost skipped his way out of the office; more than half of his colleagues listed to the meeting were waiting for their turn to talk to the teacher, and the line was beginning to grow as the 2-D students arrived. Izuku sat next to Ochaco.

"So?" she asked and he smiled.

"You're gonna like it."

"What is it?"

He shook his head.

"I'm not telling you, but I know you'll like it. Don't worry. It's the best."

Ochaco grabbed his arm and groaned in a mix of annoyance and anxiety. He knew she didn't like to be kept in the dark, but it'd be so much better if the teacher told her about her going to Hawaii than him. Besides, he was cooking an idea that would only make sense after she got all of the official info.

Iida was called in to talk to the teacher, and when he came back, they started to talk about how he was going to Australia and how excited about it he was, even though Mei would be going to Germany and they'd stay so far from each other. Then Todoroki was up, and as soon as he was out of the room, Ectoplasm called for Ocha.

The three boys started to talk about their future internships; now that Ochaco wasn't with them, Izuku broke the news that he'd go to America, and Shoto told them that he'd be heading to Canada, and they excitedly chatted about all the things they could do in those countries.

"Kyoka and Tsuyu are going to Brazil, did you see?" Shoto commented. "I heard that the only place that has as much Asians as Asia is there."

"And they have rain forests, so Tsuyu will fit right in," Izuku added right when the door of the office opened and Ochaco danced out of there, her own thick envelope in hand as she got closer to him and jumped in his arms.

"Hawaii!" she exclaimed and kissed his cheeks, the corners of his mouth. "We're going to Hawaii!"

"Wait, you guys are going to the same place?" Ojiro asked. He hadn't been called in yet, so he didn't know where he'd be going, and neither did Shoji. Momo was in the office now. "Now, that's awfully lucky."

"That, Mashirao," Ochaco said still hanging on Izuku, her arms around his neck. "Is the sound of the universe working in our favor."

"And it's not that crazy," Deku rushed to add. "I mean, did you hear the part of Kyoka and Tsuyu going to the same place too?"

"They're going to the same country," Shoji argued. "Hawaii is an island, Brazil is fucking massive."

He had a point, and Ochaco hummed in agreement, but before they could tell him that, the door of the office opened and Momo walked do them ever so composed, tapped Shoji's shoulder.

"Mr. Ectoplasm asked you to go next," she said and he nodded.

"Okay, thanks, Yao-Momo."

"So?" Shoto asked and she squealed. Momo squealed. It made all of them stare at her wide-eyed, even though she didn't seem to notice their surprise.

"France!" she exclaimed and waved her envelope in front of them. "I'm going to France! I love it there! This is so cool! I need to practice my French! Got to find Yuga."

In no time, she turned around and headed back to their class, leaving her colleagues stunned, Shoto's mouth ajar as if he was going to say something.

"She's already fluent in the language, isn't she?" Ojiro asked evenly, and Shoto nodded.

"I was going to ask her to practice with me," he said numbly. "Canada, you know?"

"Well, go tell her, then," Ochaco said punching his arm playfully. "She'll say that you both can practice with Yuga, but who cares?"

Todoroki frowned at her but seemed to agree with her reasoning, so he just shrugged.

"I guess I could do that," he said but didn't move.

Izuku put an arm around Ochaco's waist, then, and tugged her to start walking. The free period was almost over and he had something to tell her, so they left their friends there and walked together down the hall.

"I can't believe we got so lucky!" Ocha said dreamily. "I mean, I knew we were going to go to Hawaii together, but I didn't think it would be like this! I thought we'd go for the summer or something. I didn't even put Hawaii in my options, I just said America."

"Ochaco," Izuku said and she looked at him. "I don't think my mom will be able to go."

"Why not?"

"Because we already traveled this year and she got her days off work, remember?" she muttered an oh, and then pouted.

"That's so sad…"

"It is. I wish she'd be there with me, traveling to another country and everything. But if she really can't, maybe it could be an opportunity."

"How so?" she asked frowning.

"Well, teacher said we have the right to take one companion, right?" she nodded. "And their trip would be paid by our sponsors. So maybe I could add your dad as my companion, and you add your mom, and because you're a hero, you get to take them to Hawaii, like you want to."

Ochaco stopped and stared at him, mouth hanging open in shock and Midoriya just raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Izuku…" she said under her breath, hands to her chest crushing the envelope. "You would do that?"

"Of course! If you want to."

"Yes! I want to! But only if your mom can't really go."

"That's the only condition."

"Oh, my God," Uraraka said and for a moment it looked like she needed to catch her breath, but she was soon looking at him radiantly, the most beautiful smile on her face, even though her eyes were glistering. "You're an angel."

"Nah," he dismissed. "But I like that you think that."

Izuku stepped closer and pecked her lips quickly before anyone could complain to him about PDA, and then Ochaco held his arm, got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear.

"An angel, but a beast in bed, but it's okay, I love it."

When they finally got back to their class and found their seats, Izuku sat down very still, face as red as a tomato, while from across the room Ochaco just smiled dreamily, often looking his way. She knew exactly what buttons to press, and it was dangerous. Just deeply dangerous.

Ojiro and Shoji were just beginning to tell everyone about the plans they had for Bangladesh and Luanda respectively when Aizawa entered in the room ushering everyone to their seats, even though the chatter didn't quite die down.

"Oh, I see," Aizawa said with that death aura around him they all feared. "It's internship week and half the class is super boomed they won't go overseas. Am I wrong?"

No one answered, though the half that did get the internship was clearly uncomfortable now, while the other half looked deplorably sad. Aizawa, on the other hand, looked awfully pleased.

"Well, you knew what was waiting for you, didn't I tell you over and over last year?" he asked, both hands on his table.

"Yes, sir!" they all replied timidly.

"You are all well aware of how this works. Keep your grades up, get a spot among the top 10 students in your class, and you might be able to get an overseas internship in your second year. Who managed to sneak in the top 10?"

Nervously, Ochaco raised her hand.

"Uraraka, and only her," Aizawa continued. "Congratulations, kid. Where are you going to?"

"Hawaii."

That seemed to take him back for a moment because for once Aizawa looked surprised.

"Oh. It's a lovely place to go."

"You interned there, sir?" Ochaco asked and Aizawa shook his head no.

"Mic worked there for a summer and we tagged along back in college, it was a long time ago. Anyway, Mineta, I see your grades dropped. You used to be number nine, and now you're down to 15. What happened?"

All eyes went to the seat behind Izuku, and even he turned around to check on his colleague, who was sitting on his chair looking rather annoyed.

"I warned you about this before camp. Did you sit with the counselor to talk about your decline?"

"No, sir," Mineta mumbled, his face getting red out of anger.

"Well, then do it. I don't want to see any of you getting worse. Don't make me regret keeping your asses here when I could've kicked you out last year."

They all gulped nervously, Izuku included. He was perfectly secure in his number 4 spot in his class, but that didn't dissipate the cloud over his head. Sure he was nailing the Full Cowl by now, and he'd proven himself several times already, but that didn't mean he forgot how he was the last one of his class when they got started, and seeing Mineta drop from 9 to 15 was proof enough that no one was safe.

"Now, of course you all can find some internship elsewhere during spring and summer break," continued Aizawa. "But the difference is that the school won't help pay your trip and stay, it will be all on your own. Besides, you all know what the focus work for your 3rd year is, right?"

"Yes, sir!" they answered a little more excited this time. Iida raised his hand and the teacher signaled for him to talk.

"Every year has specific programs. First-year students do the local internship like we did last year; second-year students get to take on a bit more action and go to other countries to study and learn, and third-year students get to do social work in the country to complete their training."

"Overdetailed, but oddly summed, congratulations, Iida," Aizawa said with a nod.

"Thank you, sir," Tenya replied bowing a bit. The teacher's attention went back to the whole class.

"That means that after summer break next year, instead of interning, you'll all create a social program to be applied here, in this country. There won't be time to go overseas to intern with an international hero, so choose your options wisely. Now class."

Aizawa turned to the board and wrote his name, and then his subject – applied physics – on it, before suddenly turning to the class again.

"One more thing," he said and they all waited to see what it would be about. Seemed important. "You can participate in the pageant contest this year, registration opens later this week."

"Finally something I could win!" Mina celebrated.

"Shouldn't Midnight be the one to tell us that?" Sero mumbled to no one in particular, his voice almost muffled by the excited chatter of their classmates.

"Maybe he felt bad for not telling us last year, so he wanted to get ahead and do it," Todoroki mentioned and they all looked back at him.

"You know the only reason he didn't tell us last year is because Yao-Momo is clearly the hottest girl in school, right? She would win, and everyone would hate her more," Mineta said matter-of-factly, and Momo gasped.

"Hate me more?" she echoed. "You mean, people already hate me to a degree? Why?"

"No one hates you, Momo," Todoroki assured her, throwing daggers at Mineta, who just scoffed.

"You people are delusional."

"Dude, shut up," Dark Shadow warned him. He cast a quick glance at Tokoyami, who was determined to look at the board and copy what Aizawa was writing on it. "I'm warning you as a friend."

People from other classes sure could hate them, but everyone in class A knew better than to start hating on each other. Every time they were separated, shit went down. It was about time they worked together, even though half of them would be shipping out in a few months while the other half would stay put. The secret was to keep the unity and the sooner everyone learned that the sooner nothing would be able to harm them.

-X-

As expected, Momo won the pageant, Mina taking second place. Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Kyoka didn't want to participate, opting for other performances at the Cultural Festival; Izuku did a science project with Mei, Iida, and Tokoyami, but what they were all actually looking forward was the ball at the end of the festival, because it was when they had a fancy dinner and their families could join them.

For the ball, the U.A. gymnasium was all colorfully decorated, large tables were set all around to accommodate students and families, leaving the court open for dancing, and with the stage where they'd been performing all week at the very end of the room, now the DJ – Present Mic, obviously – commanded the party.

Ochaco's parents couldn't come for this year's ball because they were preparing everything for the two weeks they'd be away, but Inko made sure give her all the attention she could.

Izuku's mom absolutely adored Ochaco. Mrs. Mitsuki had joked that Inko would always talk about having a baby girl when they were teenagers, but when they both ended up having boys, she didn't even have a goddaughter to spoil. Now that Izuku was dating, her wish was granted.

"Aren't you the sweetest girl?" Inko would beam over Ochaco, and embarrass Izuku out of his mind talking about how lucky he was and how happy she was for he finally had a beautiful girlfriend.

The tables were huge, and because of that, they were sharing with plenty of friends. They had gotten there early enough to manage to sit all together, so in Izuku and Ochaco's table were also Tenya with his parents and brothers, Mei Hatsume with her dad, Tsuyu with her family and Shinso with his parents and little brother.

It was the first time they met the Shinsos, and Izuku had so many questions for them, like who had passed down Hitoshi's quirk, or was it a combination? Did the little brother already manifest any quirk? What did they work with in Saitama? And a lot more, but his mother grasp on his wrist, and Ochaco's on his knees after the first question (Hitoshi looks a lot like you, Mrs. Shinso, though his hair color is a bit darker, right? – with a quick glance at Mr. Shinso's blonde hair) made him stop. His attention went to Tenya instead.

"Where's your brother?" he asked, looking for Tensei. "I can't get tired of his field stories. And I'd like to know how things are going in his new work."

"Oh, his work is wonderful," Mrs. Iida answered over Tenya, who was looking around the room. "Tensei just loves to work with children. But I'm afraid you won't hear any story from him today, he said he saw one of his coworkers when we got here and we haven't seen him ever since!"

"There!" Hitoshi randomly exclaimed to himself and then got up. "I'll be right back!"

"I think it's so cool that Tensei decided to open a community center to help kids," Ochaco said to the Iidas. "If he can't be on the streets anymore, might as well find a new way to help, right? And teaching really is a good way to do that."

"I agree," Izuku nodded. "Most of the time, our teachers are responsible for finding something extra in us and help us push through it to become better people."

"Ms. Midnight, uh, I mean, Kayama, she really is special," continued Ochaco. On Izuku's right side, Inko talked to Mrs. Shinso about her young looks. "She's helped the girls from our class a lot, to build self-confidence and get the best in every aspect of our lives as heroines as possible. No wonder there was a female takeover this year in the Sports Festival."

She finished talking right when Mrs. Shinso let out some interesting piece of information.

"…actually, I'm 31."

"31?" Inko exclaimed surprised, a hand to her chest. "That does explain a lot! You just look so jovial."

"Mom, you're not that much older," Izuku said elbowing his mother playfully and she chuckled.

"Yeah, only a whole decade," Inko joked, and then something clicked. "Oh," she said pensively, and it made Izuku think too.

He looked at Ochaco, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and supposed she was thinking the same as he was. Izuku had been born seventeen years ago when his mom was 25. He and Hitoshi were the same age. And if Hitoshi's mom was ten years younger than his mom, she had been only… oh.

"Mrs. Shinso…" Inko started apologetically, worried she had been rude, but the other woman just shook her head.

"Call me A-"

"Arisa," a male voice said breathily, and they all looked up to see Hitoshi dragging Mr. Aizawa by his sleeve. The teacher… seemed to have seen a ghost.

Mrs. Shinso stood up, staring at the teacher wide-eyed, hands to her cheeks. She was a head shorter than Hitoshi, who was looking from one to the other confusedly.

"Shota," she said out of breath. At this point, everyone on the table was staring at the scene confusedly. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"You two know each other?" Hitoshi asked and they both nodded.

"Remember I told you I studied with one of your teachers, baby?" Mrs. Shinso said cupping Hitoshi's cheek tenderly.

"Yeah, but you didn't say which teacher. Mr. Aizawa has been training me for over a year."

"Gee, Arisa," Aizawa said, some of the color returning to his face. "You disappeared, left no contact at all. How long has it been? Eighteen years?"

Mrs. Shinso looked at her husband, whose expression was inscrutable, and then back at Aizawa.

"Something around that," she said quietly, her eyes subtly going to her older son.

"Well, anyway, this is Mr. Aizawa I wanted to introduce to you, he's been training me for over a year," Hitoshi said evenly, sitting down on his seat again. "Mr. Aizawa, these are my dad Makoto, and my little brother Kit."

"Nice to meet you," the teacher said evenly, though his eyes barely left Mrs. Shinso's. She was holding Hitoshi's hand tightly, and the boy was getting annoyed at it. "I tried to find you," continued the teacher and then shook his head. "Did you at least become an engineer?"

"Architect," she said smiling. "Didn't have enough time to be an engineer back then."

"Why did y-" he started, and then he looked at Hitoshi, who had gone very still.

"Mom?" he said uncertainly.

"We have a lot to talk," she said quickly. Hitoshi looked up at Aizawa but quickly averted his eyes again, his expression changing to something closer to anger. "What about lunch tomorrow? We're staying to send Hitoshi off to his internship."

"Yeah," Aizawa said, though he didn't sound very sure. "I suppose."

"Can I be excused?" Hitoshi said suddenly, and his mother let go of his hand. He didn't wait for permission and simply bolted out of there.

"I should… go too," Aizawa said already stepping back in the opposite direction. "Lunch tomorrow, then. Nice to meet you all."

"Nice to see you, Shota," Mrs. Shinso said with a wave, while her husband just nodded. Their younger son was too distracted by the food to notice anything weird going on.

"What the hell-" Ochaco said to herself, and then Mei leaned closer to them, over Tenya, eyes wide and amazed.

"Guys," she said as if she was about to talk about one of her babies. "I think Shinso is Aizawa's son!"

Tenya shushed her because the Shinsos still were right across from them, but God, if they all were stunned!

"So many things would make sense," Izuku mumbled and Ocha hummed in agreement.

"I'm back!" Tensei announced rolling to their table happily in his wheelchair, Todoroki Fuyumi by his side. "Did I miss anything?"

"A lot," Hatsume said emphatically. "Tensei, you missed a lot."

-X-

For the last day of internship, Izuku and Ochaco were back in Honolulu. They spent most of those two weeks separated, each doing work with their tutors in the paradisiacal island, but they got to see each other a couple of times during their stay not counting now.

Ochaco's parents insisted on taking a photo of them on top of that mountain with a great view of the beach and the scenery. Because it was winter, they didn't dare to go in the water, but the view still was amazing, and they were glad they'd been there.

"I've never eaten so much pineapple in my life?" Ochaco confessed when they were making their way back to the shore. Their flight wasn't up for several hours yet, so they still had time to enjoy, and it was a lovely sunny day. Izuku laughed.

"I have to admit, me neither!"

"It's on everything!"

"And so refreshing," he said and she nodded. Her pace slowed down significantly, almost to a stop, and they let her parents pass by them when they reached the sand. "What's in your mind?"

"I think…" Ochaco said slowly. "That I've never been happier. Look at them," she pointed at her parents, who were gleefully taking selfies, and then she looked back at him. "Izuku, I think these might be the best days of our lives."

She was… crying. It could've been the wind and the salty air, but there were tears in her eyes starting to stream down her cheeks, and the last think Izuku wanted was for Ochaco to feel sad, so he brushed her tears away carefully with his thumbs and kissed under her eyes, the tip of her nose, her lips.

"Don't be sad," he said looking into her eyes and she managed to smile, though her lower lip was trembling. "The best days of our lives are only beginning."

"I'm not sad," she replied unconvincingly and then shook her head with determination. "I'm not sad."

It sounded better the second time she said it, so he accepted it, but before they would start walking again Ochaco took Izuku's hand in hers and she reached out to cup his cheek with her other hand.

"Thank you."

-X-

The first thing back to school for their 3rd and final year of U.A. that made them anxious was to know who their homeroom teacher would be. Class A had had two completely different experiences with Eraser and Midnight, and they wondered who'd be put to the task of "taking care" of them this time.

They had placed bets and everything, most of the guesses on Present Mic, since that'd have them with the so-called U.A.'s trinity – as the students nicknamed them – one for each of their years.

Just a few months ago, when the class came back from their winter internship, they found out a bunch of archives in the school's library with every Sports Festival and Cultural Festival that'd ever been promoted, and in those they found out that All Might and Endeavour had studied together, as well as Midnight, Mic and Eraser. Their group chat was blasting with people wondering if someday they'd be the ones teaching classes in U.A. with students trying to know everything about their student years.

(it also set them on a crazy spiral of calling each other out for loud threesomes – Bakugo, Kirishima and Ashido's case –, temper tantrums – Kacchan, again – and low grades meaning low expectations, which made a bunch of people angry for being called out, but was something they mended later over chocolate cake and homemade ice cream)

"Hey, they're coming!" Kaminari announced from the door. Mina joined him, quickly followed by Mineta and Toru.

"Hi, Ms. Kayama!" Toru greeted as Midnight passed by them, and the teacher made a quick stop to greet them with kisses on the cheek, and wave at the students that remained inside. "Which class did you get?"

"Unfortunately, not you," Midnight said with a pout, cupping Mina's cheek tenderly. "I got class 3-E, but don't think you'll be rid of me so easily! I'm also teaching History of Art."

"History of Art?" asked Mineta. "That's new."

"It was my minor in college, and I used to love it. It's going to be fun to get back to that subject. Now, I should get going," she said waving again. "Bye, my beautiful 3-A!"

"Bye, Ms. Kayama!" they all said at the same time.

"Wait! Who got our class?" Kaminari asked.

"You'll see soon, and you'll like it!" Midnight replied as she walked away. "I know he's excited to have you."

"It's a he," Momo said holding the frame eraser. They hadn't elected their reps yet, but everyone was sure she and Iida would get the honor again.

"Damn, I wish it was Thirteen," Jiro mumbled.

"Do we even know what gender Thirteen is?" Sero asked and Koda nodded, signaling "none" at the same time.

"There comes Mic," Mineta said expectantly. "Wait, he's going to class B. Yep, he got 3-B."

"Oh, shit," Sato complained. "My bet was on him."

"Bet?" someone said from the back of the class, making everyone jump startled, and they all looked back to find Aizawa standing there, sleeping bag hanging on his left arm. He had used the other door. "It's not wise for heroes to gamble."

"Mr. Aizawa!" the class exclaimed.

"Sir, may I ask what you're doing here?" Iida asked politely pushing up his glasses.

"That's my class," the teacher said evenly and they all glared at him.

"You didn't get a first-year class?" Ojiro asked surprised and Aizawa shrugged.

"Too old for that shit," he replied as he walked to the front and some of the students chuckled. "Now, I reckon you all have assigned seats?"

"Yes, sir!" they said together and hurried to their seats.

Same as every year. Not a single change, not a single drop out. Class B had had 3 transfers, and 2 new students – one from support, the other from general studies – were moved to the hero program there the previous year, but for the first time in a decade class A remained the same twenty students from the beginning. That was what Midnight always marveled about. She herself had been class A, while Aizawa and Yamada had started as class B before being transferred to her class because of the dropouts.

"Whole trinity got 3rd years this time," Yuga commented to Ojiro, who nodded.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying," Yao-Momo said raising her hand. "We honestly thought that if you ever considered taking a 3rd-year class you would get class B, because your s-, I mean, Mr. Shinso was transferred there."

"I'm already training Shinso outside of class, Yaoyorozu," Aizawa said as if it settled things. He dropped his sleeping bag on the floor and kicked it under the table, rested a hand on top of a pile of yellow envelopes and started talking again. "Now, 3rd year. Final year. Time to think back everything you've been learning, all the experience you gathered inside and outside of U.A. as trainees and figure out what kind of hero work you want to do when you graduate. Will you want to go to college specialize and get a minor degree? Will you start right away as someone's sidekick? Each person follows a different path."

He circled to the front of the desk, pushed the papers to the corner and sat on the table facing his students before he talked again. They were hanging on to his every word because they knew better than to ignore Mr. Aizawa's monotone speeches – he always had a card in his sleeve.

"I know there were some videos from my second year as a student circling in your group chats last spring, so I'm going to use it as an example," he said, getting high eyebrows from the students.

"I told them it was stupid to use the school's app's chat to talk about that," Bakugo mumbled, and Midoriya had to agree with him that time.

"Hizashi, Nemuri and I took completely different paths," Aizawa continued. "As you know, Nemuri went to college while working in a small hero agency, and minored in history and art. She managed to take most of her subjects in the first couple of years, almost went crazy because of it, but was good to start working as a sidekick by age 20. Hizashi went overseas – to Hawaii, if you remember me mentioning it before – worked with the rescue of some hippie shit, and while in the US, he also studied music, which has absolutely nothing to do with being a hero, but I admit is a nice hobby."

They all quickly glanced at Jiro, and Kaminari even poked her playfully as she blushed. Getting attention still felt awkward for her, even if she'd been the star of the past couple of cultural fest.

"Now, as for me," continued Mr. Aizawa, quieting the room. "I started sidekicking right away. I worked in small agencies, studying what kind of modus operandi I'd like to apply in my style of fighting and quirk use, ended up matching with a couple of colleagues with similar M.O.s and together we opened the underground heroes. I took night classes once a week but didn't have a formal degree. I don't patrol anymore, and I skipped town to work here, but the agency's still running, if any of you is interested."

"It's in Tokyo, isn't it, sir?" Shoji asked and Aizawa nodded.

"Yes, it is. And why do I mention that? Any idea?" he picked up the pile of envelopes and divided in two, handed one to Yuga and the other to Shoji. "Take the one with your name and pass the rest. Any idea, guys?"

Kirishima raised his hand.

"Are we getting our job applications out already?" he asked and to their horror, Mr. Aizawa smiled.

"I like students who pay attention," he said with that evil aura of his that kept them well behaved. "If you noticed, 3rd-year students rarely ever stay in school in the afternoon, everyone got your schedules?"

"Yes, sir!"

"In your 3rd year, you'll be encouraged to find a hero to work with in your first trimester until after the Sports Festival, always keeping in mind that however well you do at the festival will determine what kind of sidekick gig you'll get after school. And then, after summer camp, you'll start working on your community program. I recommend you start thinking of what kind of community work you'd like to do as a group because it's a pain in the ass to put something together. I also suggest you use the school's app to chat about school work instead of gossiping."

Some of them groaned, some sighed.

"Can we open the envelope, sir?" asked Mineta, and Aizawa nodded.

"Yes. Each one of you got your envelope, right? Inside, you have a couple of sheets to fill, and a list of the professional heroes that requested to work with you this spring, more or less like it happens after every sports festival. In case you weren't picked by anyone, you were assigned agencies, but I'll go ahead and say that neither class A nor class B suffered that kind of stress this time. Everybody was picked by someone."

Now, that was a relief! Feeling way lighter, Izuku opened his envelope and fished the papers, scanning them quickly while Aizawa talked about choosing a hero different from the ones they worked with previously, and about how they should ponder the things they still wanted to learn in an internship before they started to focus on other things.

In one of the sheets, they had to fill some sort of resumé with their work experiences as well as attaching their school record, while the other was to list their top #3 picks to work with, as well as elucidate the type of work they were aiming to and what they wanted to learn with their mentors.

Finally, while Mr. Aizawa explained how they could request their school records on the app, submitting it to the secretary and withdrawing it in 24h hours signed and everything, Izuku checked the list of heroes who wanted to work with him slowly, trying to pull their data in his head. His list was surprisingly long, the reward for getting that 6th place last year, he supposed. It was a diverse list, but there was one name that caught his attention right away, and Midoriya hoped and prayed he'd be lucky enough to land that final internship right away.

After marking some things in pencil, Izuku looked around the class and saw his colleagues doing the same, everyone excited and chatty. Mr. Aizawa was looking surprisingly relaxed and was taking that time to answer to any doubts they had, big or small, so Midoriya saw a chance to look over at Ochaco just in time to catch her smiling dreamily at her papers.

They were supposed to submit their entries by Thursday, and most of the students had their phones in hand to request the school record before anything else. Ocha did the same, bending to her left to get the phone in her bag, and when she straightened again, she looked over at Deku and smiled cheekily, warming his heart. Her phone was relatively new – Momo had given the silver smartphone as a birthday gift right before they took off to America – and Ochaco had been so happy and grateful about it, she took the best care of it.

Midoriya's own smartphone vibrated in his pocket and he fished it. His model was kind of new too. Dad had sent it for Christmas, making a show of only letting Izuku open the box when the two of them were Facecalling on Christmas morning. It was a black phone that already had a bunch of photos of All Might, his mom and, more importantly, Ochaco. He was sappy that way, he guessed.

The phone had vibrated with a notification of the school's app, and when Izuku opened the chat, it was a message from Ochaco, a photo of her list of option with a caps lock caption "LOOK. AT. THIS!". It was an impressive list, undeniably, and he snapped a pic of his list too to show to her.

Izu: I think I'm going with Edgeshot. U?

Ocha: Endeavour.

Izu: For real?

Ocha: U betcha!

Ocha: Edgeshot is a good one if u want 2 kick Kacchan's ass in the 8s and get that #1 u'r bound to take this year ;)

Izu: How do y-

Izu: Oh yeah nvmd

Ocha: gonna change my name to know-it-all XD

-X-

It was a good year, it felt. Last year of school, this close to becoming the professional heroes they aspired to be all along… After the second year they had, things were going on smoothly – no villain attacks, no kidnappings, a brand new set of first-year students that were fascinating (including Kaneda's little brother, the one that could bend time), and it had been the best internship Izuku had had in all his years of U.A..

Not to say that things were going completely smoothly, though; there was the fact that Toshinori's health had been extra fragile lately. He officially moved in with Gran Torino, so he'd been living further from Izuku than the boy would like to, but at least they still talked every day through the phone.

He still missed All Might's mentorship, though. It wasn't the same from afar, but it would have to make do – and it had been doing. It was a relief to consider that everyone would be coming to the sports festival, including Izuku's dad.

"I'm going to win this time, Dad," Izuku had said over the phone, and his heart warmed when he heard the man's laugh.

"I like to hear that confidence in your voice, son," he replied. "You bet I'll do everything in my power to go home to see that."

"You really think you'll be able to come over?"

"I sure hope so," his dad said, and Inko held Izuku's hand a bit tighter.

"Then I'll work extra hard to get that first place!" Izuku said with enthusiasm smiling at his mom, who smiled back even though he could see that she was nervous for him and his expectations.

Fact was that at this point, Izuku knew better than to count on his father's presence for anything. For as long as he could remember, his dad's work kept him far from the family, always moving around, and his mother had opted to stay in one prefecture. They only ever saw Hisashi once or twice a year; most of their contact was through the phone or email, and it was painful sometimes.

Growing up, Izuku would look at his friends' families, how they worked like a well-oiled machine, all the pieces in their places and he'd feel kind of sad, but then his mom would make him some katsudon, and he'd get a call later in the day from his dad telling him about his day, and everything would feel okay again. He still missed the physicality of having Hisashi around, but some things are just meant to be different, he supposed.

"How are you feeling?" Ochaco asked Izuku, leaning closer to whisper. They weren't touching, but still stood side by side, with Tenya and Mei standing behind them. "Did you see your dad?"

"I haven't seen anyone yet," he confessed and looked at her mildly distressed. "And I'm kind of nervous."

Ochaco smiled.

"Don't worry, you've got this," she assured, just a friendly reminder that she knew the future, even though all evidence of said future was no more. The photos Ochaco said had been glued to the wall of that abandoned apartment weren't there anymore, as well as the two smartphones where she said she saw the video of her third place. "We've been busting our asses to be on top, Izuku, and we deserve it."

She had that game face on again, something that always made a sweat drop on Izuku's neck, because she could look just so fierce it was scary, but then Tenya poked the two of them to make them focus on what Gunhead was saying on the stage and Hatsume chuckled.

"The representative of each class can come to give their statement, so we can get this party started," the new teacher said excitedly, making a bunch of girls giggle.

"Sometimes I can't handle how cute he is," Hagakure confessed to Tsuyu, who croaked in agreement.

"From class A, last year's champion, Yayourozu Momo! Class B, last year's best placed, Kendo Itsuka. Class C…"

"Yao-Momo has got to be the most improved player of our year," Oijiro commented as the stadium applauded the students going up the stage.

Their introduction was happening at the same time as the 2nd years' first test, and every year the games were different, though they always ended in hand to hand combat to determine the big winner. Izuku had the chance to watch the 1st years and the 42 students that made it through the next round had a clear headliner – Kaneda Gia, the kid that could turn back time.

Izuku knew he shouldn't be looking too much into it, but he couldn't help but feel curious. How was it that the kid could manipulate time? Was it some Nicholas Cage in Next kind of power? Or more of a Flash thing? But in Flash, the only reason he could go back in time is because he ran fast enough to bend reality, while Kaneda is more skilled in hand to hand combat, for what he'd seen in his file. Maybe it's more like Nathan in Misfits-

His line of thought was interrupted by a kiss on his cheek and he blinked at Ochaco, who was looking at him with a smile on her face.

"You're doing it again," she said sweetly and he frowned. "Mumbling about time travel."

"Oh," he said, his jaw dropping. "I'm sorry. It's just that is so fascinating! You saw what Kaneda did, right? It's like he knows exactly what's going to happen, but how-" Izuku stopped himself when he saw the look on Ochaco's face, the way she was poorly hiding a smirk on the corner of her mouth, how she couldn't help but look at him with that same expression other girls had when Gunhead did something cute. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said grabbing the front of his jacket and pulling him closer. "Can't seem to be able to stop falling in love with you."

"Ocha," Izuku mumbled feeling his cheeks burn and she laughed before she got on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips ever so tenderly. "Love you too."

They were waiting for the 2nd years' game to end, so the 3rd years could get started on the perimeter, so for a moment or two they could relax. It was of no use to be so tense right before the beginning of their trials, he had learned it the hard way the previous year.

As the perimeter was prepared for them, all the 3rd year students gathered near the entrance, following the instructions of forming ten lines at a random order. They couldn't see what was going on behind the wall, but they could hear the sound of something being built by Cementoss. This time, Midnight wasn't in the field, but instead, she was commenting the festival with Mic, just like Ochaco said she would.

"Oh, my God," Ochaco gasped. She was on the line next to Izuku, and she grasped his hand as if she just realized something. "Shinso is Mr. Aizawa's son."

"Yeah, we all know that," Izuku replied confused, but she shook her head.

"That's what's Mic was saying in the video!"

"What?"

But Ochaco quickly shook her head dismissing the subject; she pointed a finger at her own forehead, making a point of how late she connected the dots, and her sudden reaction almost made them miss the instructions to the game.

It was a maze with ten entries. Every 2 minutes, a group of students would enter through each entry; they had to gather three objects that would appear to them as soon as the door closed behind them – different objects found in the maze would not count, and if they weren't part of their list, they should leave them be – and after finding the objects, they had to find the heart of the maze, where they'd present the objects. After that, they would have one clue as to how to find the exit (there were three possible exits), and as soon as they were out, their time would be computed.

Extra rules: no wall breaking, no flying over the edge, no sabotage. This game was built on pure intellect, and as 3rd-year students, they were expected to handle the situation as professionals. The first 42 with the best times and execution (meaning, fewer fouls) would pass to the next round.

From his place on the line, Izuku saw Yao-Momo shake Kacchan, who was in front of her and turned around smirking at her. He knew for a fact that Kacchan, Kiri, and Todoroki had been helping Momo and Hagakure with combat since their first year, no wonder Yayourozu got that first place last year, but seeing Katsuki treating others like people was always kind of weird.

Izuku could also see the reaction of other students. He could pinpoint everyone whose mind worked on a strategic level over the physical – like Shinso and Hatsume – and felt like they legitimately had a chance to start on top, from those who were more physical players. Classes A and B had dominated the sports festival all those years, and a trial like the one the teachers suggested planed the field for all of the classes.

"First students from each line find your door," Gunhead instructed, and so the students followed. Everyone took one step forward and Ochaco held Izuku's hand.

"Hey," she said catching his attention. He looked at her. "Piece of cake, right?"

"Depends on who's projecting the maze," he pondered and then shrugged. "But yeah, we're going to nail it."

"You bet!" she said with a wide smile.

"Ocha," he said and she looked into his eyes waiting. "Good luck."

"You too," Ochaco said with a decided nod, and Izuku leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"You guys are adorable," snarked Monoma and Ocha glared at him like a savage Chihuahua.

"Mind your business!" she told him at the same time Gunhead called for the next group to get ready. Another step forward and it'd be their turn.

-X-

They agreed that whoever would be out of the maze first would wait for the other, so when Izuku found his way out good fifteen minutes after the door closed behind him and the screen in front of him showed a cornucopia, a Cementoss plushie, and a red cape, he found a place near the tunnel to wait for Ochaco while keeping an eye on the standings. Most of the students that were already out of the maze were waiting in there, and it was a tricky thing to do, considering that they were far from reaching the minimal number of people going to the next round, but everyone wanted to know if they could hope.

"It's taking a while for the system to compute our performance," Yao-Momo told Izuku standing by his side.

She was currently in second, the only one ahead of her was Kacchan – no surprises there. Tenya was still to start the trial, he was in the last group, just about to go in, and everyone knew that along with him and Kacchan, Momo formed the trio of masterminds. Izuku was wondering if there would ever come the day when he'd surpass his colleagues in intelligence when the standings were updated. He missed it because it was also the exact moment Ochaco got out of the maze and he was keeping an eye on her, but when the audience cheered, they all looked up.

"What the fuck!" Katsuki exclaimed and growled angrily. Above his name now there was another one – Izuku's.

"Midoriya, congrats!" Yaoyorozu said sincerely, shaking his hand. Ochaco rushed to his side and hugged him happily.

"I don't even know how-" he started, but stopped abruptly when Kacchan stood in front of him.

"Yeah, me neither, Deku," he said angrily. Izuku prepared for the worst. "But I guess you bested me this time. If anyone could, it'd probably be you. So hold on to that, it won't happen again."

"You said that last year, and the year before," Ochaco observed and Katsuki glared at her.

"Who the fuck called Round Face for the convo?" he asked, and she just smirked at him. Ochaco had no fear, and Izuku didn't need to have either, because the next thing that happened was… a peace offering. Bakugo offered his hand and Izuku stared at it wide-eyed for a moment before he shook it. The handshake lasted a second and then Kacchan already was passing by them, heading to the locker rooms. "You better watch your fucking back-Oh."

"Bakugo, my boy!" a familiar voice said, at the same time another said, "Oh, my, Katsuki, look at you!"

Izuku turned around so fast Ochaco didn't even process the movement at first; he eagerly looked for the source of the voices, heart racing on his chest as he saw them – All Might, his mom, and his…

"Dad!"

"…can't believe you're taller than me," Hisashi was telling Bakugo when Izuku spoke up and his father's attention went all to him.

"You came!" Izuku exclaimed hurrying to his father to give him a tight hug.

"Well, you told me you'd win this time, so I had to be here. I had to see you."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, are you going to cry?" Katsuki complained as soon as Izuku started to tear up. "Okay, I'm out of here."

"Your parents are here too, we're all in the same sector," Inko informed Kacchan before he left, giving him instructions as to where to find them.

"You met All Might?" Izuku asked Hisashi, tears streaming down his face. He turned to Toshinori and pointed at his father. "That's my dad."

"We've met, Midoriya," All Might said with a kind smile.

"I have so many things to tell you-" he started, turning to Hisashi again, and his father put both hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sure you do, but we'll have enough time, son," he said and then looked over Izuku's shoulder. "But you can start off by introducing me to that lovely young lady."

Izuku looked back blushing just to see that Ochaco was blushing too; she timidly waved at them. All of all the times Hisashi returned home, he and Ochaco never got the chance to meet.

"That's Uraraka Ochaco, she's my best friend and girlfriend."

"Hi, Mr. Midoriya," Ochaco greeted with a bow. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"I guess I can safely say you hit the Jackpot, son," Hisashi said with a chuckle and held Inko's hand. "Just like I did. Nice to meet you, Ms. Uraraka."

"Uraraka is one of U.A.'s best students," All Might said proudly. "And she improved greatly in the years she's been here. She's gonna be one hell of a hero. What- wait, don't cry, Uraraka, what did I do?"

"Thank you, sir!" Ochaco said between sobs. "You have no idea how much your words mean to me!"

"Gee, you two really are meant to each other," Mineta said passing by them and Izuku, who'd been watching Ochaco's reaction turned to look at him. Many of their colleagues were in the tunnel, going to the locker rooms. He quickly dried his face with the back of his hands.

"Uh, Mineta! How did you do?"

Not even bothering to turn around, Mineta dismissed him with a hand gesture.

"Leave me the fuck be, would you?"

"Damn," Ochaco mumbled at the same time All Might turned to the other boy. "What the actual hell."

"Mineta!" All Might called, going after the boy. Honestly, it'd only take him five steps to reach him.

"He didn't make the first cut," Shoji said as he passed by them. He was accompanied by Hagakure, Koda, and Sato.

"That sucks. What about you guys? And Iida?"

"I didn't," Sato said pouting. "That thing was hard! But they did well."

Koda nodded and Shoji shrugged.

"I don't know yet, there still are some students in the maze," Hagakure told them. "I still might get cut, I'm pretty down on the list."

"Think positive, Toru!" Ochaco said excitedly. "We're gonna go far!"

"Yes!" the other girl said mirroring Ocha's excitement, one fist in the air. "Oh, and Iida is already out, he must be coming over in a sec."

"Must be waiting for the results," Inko said pensively and they all nodded agreeing.

"You guys coming?" Shoji asked pointing in the direction of the locker rooms. All Might and Mineta were nowhere in sight. Ochaco shook her head.

"In a minute," she said. "Save us some seats in the cafeteria, okay?"

"There comes Mei!" Izuku exclaimed pointing at one of the shadows coming in their direction, and then he quickly turned to his father. "She's from the support course, and she's Iida's girlfriend now too. I don't know if you'll remember, but she was on my team in our first year's festival, and she helped a lot with my gear."

"The tech girl?" Hisashi asked.

"Did anyone say 'tech girl'?" Hatsume promptly said. Tenya was right behind her. "Because that's me."

"How did you guys do?" Ochaco asked curiously, and Mei smiled.

"We did really well!" she answered. "I'll end somewhere in the top half, and Tenya landed a 4th place. You did really well there, Ocha! And you, Izu, first place again!"

"It was just so cool!" Izuku said, beyond excited and they all nodded with the same enthusiasm.

"Wait, were you crying?" Tenya interrupted, and Izuku suddenly remembered why he wanted to wait for his friend to show up.

"Oh, yeah! Tenya, I'd like to introduce you to my father, Hisashi," he said stepping to the side to let the two men greet each other. "Dad, this is my other best friend, Iida Tenya."

"Mr. Midoriya, it's the utmost pleasure to meet you!" Iida exclaimed with three consecutive bows that made Mei laugh. She held his arm, prompting him to stop, and he did. "Izuku always tells us about you and your job."

"And he always tells me about you guys," Hisashi told them putting an arm around Inko's shoulders. "I'm so glad to finally meet you all in person."

"You said you'd have enough time to talk," Ochaco said, her hand in Izuku's. "How long are you staying?"

"A week," he said, and Izuku's eyes shone. They'd have plenty of time, indeed, and they would make the best of it.

"You kids need to prepare for the next round, right?" Inko asked and they nodded. "We'll leave you all to it, then, and we can chat when the festival is over. Do your best, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Hatsume, Iida, and Ochaco said at the same time Izuku said: "Yes, mom!"

"Oh, and tell All Might we went back to our seats," Hisashi said already walking away.

"This year already is the best of my life," Izuku said confidently, fist up against his chest. Ochaco elbowed him and he looked at her smiling. "Let's win this thing!"

-X-

The top five students in the first phase that year were, in that order, Midoriya, Bakugo, Yaoyorozy, Iida and Shinso, all students from the hero department, as expected, though the middle part of the list was way more diverse than the previous year. Because it relied more on skill than power, many students from other courses sported a place among the top 42, and many people were impressed to see some unexpected names there.

"Many people forget that U.A. is not just a school for those who want to be heroes," Midnight said upon commenting the list of students that made it to the second round. "We're also a prep school, and we're expected to have the brightest students of the country. With a trial like our maze, the world got a glimpse of how intelligent, smart our students are. We have some incredible people graduating this year, Mic, I'll tell you that."

"I agree, Midnight, one hundred percent," Mic replied. "The difference in final points – after calculating the time and efficiency of each student – between the first (Midoriya) and the forty-second place (Hagakure) is of thirty-one points. I mean, that's crazy!"

"And the last overall student is barely a hundred points behind the first place," Midnight added. "I don't know about you, Mic, but I'm so proud of our kiddos."

"She's a very good commentator," Tsuyu commented as they, yet again, waited for their arena to be ready after the second year students finished their game, that had been something similar to their first year horse ride.

"Ms. Midnight is the best," Momo said agreeing. "I can safely say she's my favorite."

Midoriya supposed she was, seeing that it had been under Midnight's guidance that Momo had gotten first place the previous year, but he didn't say anything in the matter.

"You don't happen to know what the next round will be about, do you?" he asked Ochaco, making sure to speak low enough she would be the only one listening. She shook her head no.

"I know I'll get third place, and I know you'll face Kacchan in the last round, but I didn't have the chance to gather a lot of information."

Also, Ochaco had told him that a lot of the evidence of what was to come in that apartment his future self would use was gone by the time they returned from the camp. Maybe, she supposed, he had taken it with him before he left, and he honestly thought so too. His future self knew that he'd be curious and would try to analyze everything he'd find.

"You know, it's always funny to see you call him 'Kacchan'," Midoriya said with a smirk and she elbowed him.

"I started saying it ironically, and now I can't stop."

He shook his head, thinking that it probably was how their other colleagues caught the nickname as well. Katsuki had yelled at almost all of them for using it, only a handful of people could call him that.

"It certainly will be something in groups," Izuku said bringing the subject back to their possible round two game. "It always is. And it has to be something that everyone can do at the same time, so it won't take the whole day."

"And we know that it happens almost in parallel with the first years' matchups," Ocha observed and Izuku nodded looking around.

Izuku looked around, trying to get any clues as to what was going to happen, but there was nothing extraordinary in the field – as a matter of fact, everything looked pretty normal, with the athletics circuit all laid down around them. The massive clock on the screen across from them counted down to five minutes until their second round would begin. All they had to do was wait to see.

-X-

Turned out that their second round trial was a simple athletic course, like a decathlon. The students were to divide in groups of three and do the 10 exercises – some of them individually, some as a group – and they would get individual points that would be summed up to get a final count. Use of quirk was allowed, but the catch was that everyone went zeroed to the second round. The points gathered in round one would be added to the ones made in round two to decide who'd pass to the final round, and depending on your group's position, you'd get extra points. The 20 students with more points would make it through.

"What do you say?" Izuku asked Ochaco after Gunhead finished with the instructions and told them to define the groups. "Wanna partner with me this time?"

Even though he and Ochaco had been on the same team in their first year, that hadn't been the case for their second year – Uraraka, much like Iida in their first year, decided that she didn't want to be in Izuku's shadow that time and formed a group with Momo and Tsuyu, and the three girls were the top ranking group of that round.

This time, however, Ochaco smiled at him and nodded excitedly. Midoriya wondered if that too was something she'd seen in the future, but didn't ask about it this time.

"Now, we just need a third party in our group," he said looking around, and Ochaco did the same. He spotted Shoto, Yao-Momo, and Hagakure a few feet from them, and Kendo, Shoji and Bakugo forming the most unexpected trio he could ever put together. "There are a lot of couples hard to break," Izuku commented, finding Tenya and Mei with Tsuyu; his friend gave him a thumb up, his other hand tangled in Hatsume's. Ochaco hummed agreeing.

"There's also a bunch of students from general and management that never make as far to this round, we have no idea what kind of results they could have," she said, finger tapping her chin as she thought about it.

That was true, the unusual maze trial they did previously allowed those with logical thinking to have advantage and was hard on students that relied more on their physicality, but no other class was as focused on training their bodies as the hero course, and now that they had to do a full PE kind of trial, it got tricky to choose partners.

"Hey," Izuku said out loud when he spotted a certain purple-headed guy. He took Ochaco's hand in his and headed in his colleague's direction. "Shinso! Do you have a group yet?"

Wide-eyed, Shinso looked at the couple seeming to struggle to understand Izuku at first, and then he shook his head no.

"No, I don't know who to choose," he confessed.

"We're down one," Ochaco said quickly. "Join us! You train with Mr. Aizawa, don't you? You must be really good, his training is hard."

Shinso shrugged.

"I guess," he said, though Izuku could tell he wasn't letting show half of how hard it was.

"What do you say?" Izuku asked smiling and Shinso looked from one to the other before his eyes went to something behind them. Looking back, Izuku saw two kids from the general department who were talking and glancing in their direction, and he understood immediately what it was about. "Look," he said turning his attention back to Shinso. "If you want to partner with your friends from general department, we'll understand, but don't think you owe them some sort of loyalty. I mean, you worked your ass to get transferred to class B, and your physical training is way more intense than theirs. It might make their numbers better, but it also might take yours down. If you're willing to try, I mean, it's your call. But if you want to see where your potential can take you, we're here."

"Just decide quickly because time is running out," Ochaco added with a nod to the clock. They had 4 minutes to form their groups.

Shinso thought it over for a moment, eyes down so he wouldn't be tempted by anyone, Izuku supposed, and when he looked up again, he smiled at them and offered his hand. Ochaco shook it vigorously.

"Let's win this bitch!" she said excitedly, making Shinso's eyes widen and Izuku laugh. Game Ocha was on.

-X-

For round three, Bakugo was seeded one more time, much like their first year, but the similarities ended there. He and Midoriya had a face off right in the second fight, and with his One For All Full Cowl 100% mastered it was hard to beat him.

Izuku made his way to the top fight by fight – first Tokoyami, then Bakugo, then Kendo, until he defeated Shinso in the semis and had a rematch with Todoroki at the grand finale. On the other side, Todoroki had just defeated Ochaco, and he had some tough fights against Tenya, Tsuyu, and a support student, but after three years studying each other, partnering and sparing the final match was a great one to watch.

In the end, it was Izuku at the top spot, Shoto with the second place and Ochaco sharing the third place with Shinso. Mr. Aizawa was the one handing the medals, and in the cabin, Mic and Midnight commented on their performance through the festival and the previous years at U.A.

"As per usual," Present Mic said. "Third place goes for two students, and this year it's my pleasure to announce Shinso Hitoshi and Uraraka Ochaco. You know I've been rooting for that Uravity girl since her first year, and Midnight, isn't it great to see her in the higher steps?"

"It sure is, Mic," Midnight replied. "After last year's women take over, I knew that the boys would come back strong, and it's nice to see one of those bad bitches take a bit of the glory."

Ochaco's smile widened at those words and she bowed before Eraser put the medal around her neck.

"Uraraka came a long way this time," Mic continued. "After last year's fifth place, she worked with none less than the number one hero Endeavour and did an internship in America last winter to better her numbers. And it paid off."

It sure did, everyone could tell. Ochaco was just radiant as she looked at her medal, holding the bronze with both hands. Izuku was so proud of her, he could feel his heart ready to explode. They did it – the two of them –, they finally got their big win.

"Now, mustn't be satisfying to see your kid win a medal like that, let alone be the one to give it to them?" Mic said as soon as Mr. Aizawa stepped in front of Shinso, and the other teacher glared at the cabin so fiercely scary that Midoriya's bones froze from where he was. Mic continued talking anyway, forcing the ceremony to continue. "I know it was a shock to everyone, including Eraser and Shinso, but honestly, how couldn't we see it before?"

On her end, Midnight couldn't help but laugh.

"That's U.A. for you, guys," she said excitedly. Shinso bowed in respect after receiving his medal, cheeks blushed, and Aizawa stepped back so he and Ochaco could get their flowers from Mt. Lady, who was the guest of honor. "Where you get to see the top heroes come to be, and in the meantime reunite with your Junior High long lost love."

"I'm going to fucking murder them," Mr. Aizawa said through his teeth, though Izuku was close enough to hear it.

"Second place!" Mic said changing the subject as if he sensed the threat from Eraser. "Todoroki Shoto. Now, he came to U.A. as Endeavour's son, legacy, but managed to make a name of his own, Midnight, and if you haven't been paying close attention, Todoroki was among the top 4 studentsevery year."

"I happen to be paying close attention, Mic, and I'll help refresh everyone's memory," Midnight added. "Three years ago, Mr. Todoroki fell short at second place, it was the year Mr. Bakugo blew our minds, could never forget that."

"You were the referee," said Mic.

"Yes, and I don't wish that for anyone!" she joked. "I feel you, Gunhead!"

From the field, Gunhead playfully pointed at the cabin where they were, getting a round of laughter from the public. Shoto had shaken Ocha's and Shinso's hands, stepped on his second place platform, and Mr. Aizawa approached him with the silver medal.

"Last year was a tough year for the guys, Mic, the girls dominated it from the start to finish," Midnight continued. "And the only boy to make through was Mr. Todoroki. We don't know how, because the girls were fierce! Maybe it was his talent, Mic, but maybe it was his looks."

"Very distracting," Mic agreed.

"Such a pretty face," she said. "I'm kidding, it was the talent, of course. He got a respectful third place, and this year, Mr. Todoroki, would you look at that silver medal again, you are one tough player!"

With rosy cheeks, Shoto smiled shyly and there was a choir of awn from the girls in the bleachers that only made him blush more. It was time for Izuku to take the top spot in the platform, so he got in position. He already had memorized where his parents and All Might were, so he wouldn't have to look for them when he stepped up.

And so he approached Shinso, shook his hand, and he took Ochaco's hand, but instead of shaking it, he placed a kiss on the back of her hand, getting a choir of awn himself. Normally, Midoriya wouldn't be that bold, but he was feeling so much confidence, such pride, and love within him, that he just couldn't help it.

"Here's for our first place, people," Mic said as Izuku went to shake Shoto's hand, and it was as if they could hear the smile in his voice. "Midoriya Izuku. That kid, Midnight, has a reputation."

"Has he, now?" she replied.

"Yep," Mic answered. "He's good at getting himself in trouble. Now, that wouldn't be so surprising after finding out that he was under the tutelage of All Might himself, the guy was known for pulling some mad tricks. But our boy Midoriya, he took his time to bloom. Of course, we knew he had the talent and the strength, but he always fell short to make a statement. Well, not today, Midnight, not today."

On the top of the platform, Midoriya bowed and let Mr. Aizawa put the medal around his neck. He was listening to the comments that were being made, but only partially, as if everything around him was a muffled sound and enhanced senses at the same time. He only half-heard Aizawa's congratulations, though he knew he replied a thank you, and he laughed at Mt. Lady's joke about him defeating her cousin, but didn't really process it until later.

He knew that Mic and Midnight were still talking about his progress, but all he could do was look at that medal, at the statement he finally managed to make. It took him three years, it did, but it was finally here. He was finally showing the world what he came for. Almost unconsciously, he looked up and easily found his parents and All Might, all of them cheering loudly and clapping, his mother crying and laughing at the same time, and he could cry too, right about now, but All Might had told him time and time again about being a crybaby and this time, for everyone's surprise, Izuku managed to keep his eyes dry.

He did it. He won just like his girlfriend told him he would, just like he told his father he would, and everyone he loved was there to see it.

Izuku waved at his parents with the flowers and the cheer got louder, and then he looked at Ochaco, who was by his side the way they were meant to be, and she was looking at him with the most beautiful smile she could offer him, pride all over her – for herself and for him altogether – as she took in their victory, one of her hands still holding her medal; when she blinked, two tears fell on her cheeks that she quickly wiped away with the heel of her hands, and then she laughed happily.

"And that's a wrap on this year's U.A. Sports Festival," Gunhead said excitedly. As he talked, Izuku invited the other medalists to join him in the top spot. "Congratulation to all of the students, you were amazing today! And congratulations to our four third-year winners, Uraraka, Shinso, Todoroki, and Midoriya, you really embody the motto of our school. One more time, everyone!"

"PLUS ULTRA!" the crowd cheered; the students cheered too, and the cheering went on for a long time, even as people started to leave, so excited they were with that year's festival.

-X-

"I'm so proud of my baby!" Inko exclaimed for the millionth time, showering Izuku with kisses and hugs as they sat down to eat that evening at the Midoriyas' house.

Everyone gathered there with them – All Might, Ochaco and her parents, as well as the Bakugos, including Eri and Yu. It was an unexpected bunch, but they were celebrating another successful year for the kids.

"Mom, come on…" Izuku said blushing, and his mother held his face with both hands, making him look at her.

"Izu, baby, I know I complained so many times of you staying in that school, but I'm really proud of you, I really am."

"You tried to get him to drop out?" Mitsuki asked shocked. "Inko, who'd save Katsuki's ass over and over if he did?"

"Fuck off, I can save my own ass!" Katsuki replied over everyone's laugh.

"Boy, be quiet, we all know you can't," his mother replied, making him growl in response.

"Maybe not totally at the beginning," Toshinori said calmly, eyes on Katsuki. "But he learned a lot, didn't you, Bakugo boy? And he'll be quite the hero once he graduates. A real contestant to that number one spot."

To everyone's surprise, Katsuki smiled at those words. Guess All Might's opinion mattered to everyone, even if he already was retired. Being out of the field didn't make him less of a legend, they supposed.

"Yeah, but the press has another say on who'll be number one," Eri said, eyes glued to a cell phone. She was on Masaru's lap, head against his chest, even though she was getting a tad too big for that. "They say that the only student with a solid performance through all years is Mr. Todoroki, and that he could easily be number one."

"What?" Katsuki exclaimed angrily. "Where did you read that?"

She showed him the phone's screen.

"The internet?"

"Who the f-," Katsuki said taking the phone from her and putting it in his pocket. "Fuck the internet, they don't know shit."

"They have a point," All Might said. "But that doesn't mean any of you couldn't get to the top. Everyone has room for improvement, and every single one of you is talented enough to get there. I really can't wait to see you all succeed."

Katsuki growled again, but in a controlled way. Ochaco, who'd gotten up to get more tea, sat on Izuku's lap and he put an arm around her waist casually. Inko found her seat next to her husband again.

"It's too bad we won't be able to work right away this time, though," she said nibbling a biscuit. "The school moved the social project up, right after we return from summer break."

"Why did they do that?" asked Ochaco's dad resting his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand. "Anyone know?"

"Mr. Aizawa said it's because they're studying a way of making the change from the school life to professional life smoother," Izuku explained. "Usually, the third year students would intern until winter, and then do the social project, but they thought it was breaking the rhythm or something, so we'll only restart with the internships at the end of the fall."

"Nothing outside the country this time, right?" asked Masaru, and they all shook their heads. "It was really something last year, wasn't it?"

"It was so cool!" Ochaco said with her hands on her cheeks. "I still can't believe we got to go to America. I can't believe my grades raised enough for me to get in the top 10 of our class."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Bakugo said frowning. "I didn't give you free math tutoring for nothing! Or Ponytail with her whatever the fuck she was teaching."

"Chemistry," Izuku said. "Or all the extra time we spent studying English? We worked our butts off, Ocha, you should recognize that."

"I do! It's just…" she sighed. "Sometimes I look back and I'm just amazed, it's all."

"Be amazed, it's good," Hisashi said tipping his teacup at her as if to make a toast. "But also remember that you are worthy."

"Yeah…" she said looking down her chest, where her medal still was. Ochaco held it up to have another look at it, and then she took it off and handed it to her mother, who was by her side. "Here, you guys hold on to it for me, okay? Just a reminder that I'll be a great hero and help you out."

Mrs. Uraraka accepted the medal with teary eyes and kissed Ocha's cheek tenderly. Izuku's medal already was with his mother too, and she promised to hang it on their living room, where there was a wall dedicated to all the things he'd conquered throughout his school years, including a scrapbook with newspapers and magazines he was featured in.

"It's a shame Katsuki's boyfriend couldn't come," Hisashi commented. "He seemed like a fine young man."

"Kiri is so funny and nice," Eri said with her mouth full.

"Oi, eat your food, pipsqueak," Katsuki scolded before turning to Hisashi. "His siblings came over, so he wanted to spend some time with them."

"They're nice too, his siblings!" Eri said still with her mouth full, and it got a scowl from Mitsuki.

"But they'd crowd this place," Masaru said humorously. "How long are you staying, though, Hisashi? We could do something this weekend."

"I go back next week," he answered. "We sure can do something, right Inko? Izu?"

"Yeah, can't see why not!" for a week, they'd just be normal, and that was awesome.

-X-

That year, their summer camp was on a beautiful beach of Wakayama. Classes A and B had the first night free, as usual, and so they decided to build a bonfire to go with their evening snack – American style, like Tsunotori suggested. The group chatted and laughed around the fire as they ate and the sun set in orange and pink; with a semi-professional camera, Shinso went around taking pictures of everyone in their happiest moments, and he paused when he got to Izuku's group.

"You're taking pics of everyone?" Tenya asked and Shinso nodded.

"Oh, that's so cool!" Ochaco exclaimed grabbing Izuku's arm in excitement.

"It's a bit of a hobby I got from my dad," Shinso said and then shook his head. "My other f-"

"We got it," Shoto interrupted him and the two of them exchanged a look before they both smiled. "Come on, let's take a selfie."

"Uh, sure!" Shinso said. He put the camera down and fished his phone from his pocket to take the selfie, and they all crowded around him to be in the pic. "Lots of people, say cheese!"

"Cheese!" they all said, except-

"Fromage!" Yuga said instead, and they all burst out laughing. It was the best selfie ever.

"Make sure to share those photos with us later, huh?" Izuku said patting Shinso's shoulder, and the other boy nodded but before he could say anything, Momo got closer to the fire and clinked a stick to her can of soda.

"Guys," she said loudly, catching everyone's attention. "Guys, can I make a toast really quick?"

"When have you ever been quick, Yaoyorozu?" Bakugo replied.

"Total opposite from what I heard about you," Mineta said casually, and the only reason Bakugo didn't launch at him was because Izuku, halfway between the two of them, held him.

"Say it to my face you fucking midget!" Kacchan spat and Midoriya made a face.

"He kind of already did," he said as the other laughed, and he saw the flash of a picture being taken. "Kacchan, come on."

"Bakugo, it's my turn," Momo pleaded and groaning in disapproval, Katsuki went back to his seat next to Kirishima. "Thank you very much. As I was trying to say, I want to make a toast to… us."

She was a bit nervous, they could tell. Yao-Momo was great at speeches, but sometimes she'd get super flustered, it was so amusing to watch. This time, she recovered quickly enough.

"Most of you know that I've never had the chance to be part of a group like this, and these past three years have been… well, they've been awesome, really. I got to meet incredible people, learn a lot of things I didn't know," she turned to her right, to where Izuku and the others were and smiled. "Found me a… freaking boyfriend," Momo said pointing at Shoto and there were whistles and laughter. "Not that my father was very happy about it. Anyway."

Todoroki had blushed so much, Izuku elbowed him just to break him out of that trance. He knew the story of when Shoto met the Yaoyorozus, and it was hilarious. Momo kept talking.

"What I mean to say," she continued. "Is that this is our last year of school, and I know that our country is not that big, though it has a lot of people, and I know that we probably will have to work together quite often, but after we graduate, it won't ever be like this again – 40 people getting to grow and improve together, having a good time in the meantime. And I'm going to miss that. You guys are fucking awesome."

She got a reaction like it happened whenever Momo decided to cuss, and it was a cheerful one with everyone raising their cans to toast.

"Here," Ochaco said fishing out her own phone to take another selfie as Momo sat down by Shoto's side. Shinso was on the ground, his back against Izuku's legs. "My camera is not as good as yours, but…"

Momo leaned in to look at Ochaco, and the girl got flustered because the phone had been Momo's gift.

"I mean, it's not a bad camera, but have seen Shinso's? It's like, professional shit!" she quickly explained and the other girl chuckled, making Ocha sigh with relief.

"Come on, let's take as many pics as possible before we have to turn our phones on to the teachers tomorrow," Izuku said poking Ochaco and she nodded. The three of them smiled and she snapped the photo just as Kendo took Momo's previous spot.

"I would like to say a few words too," Kendo said gradually catching their attention. "On behalf of class B."

"You go, babe!" Tetsutetsu shouted and she pushed her hair behind her ear with a shy smile.

"It's just adding to Momo's words, really," she said looking around at all of them. "But… well, I guess we had a rocky start with the rivalry between classes A and B, but things changed after that first summer camp, I think, when we had the chance to work together. And the dorms, that was a huge step to bring us all closer. Some people came after," at this point, she glanced at Shinso and the other transfer student. "But nonetheless we all managed to be a hella cohesive bunch. I'm glad I got you meet you weirdos. It's going to be strange not to have you all around when we graduate."

"Damn, Kendo, you'll make me cry!" exclaimed Honenuki and they all laughed.

"I don't want to!" she replied, laughing as well. "And besides, we'll only graduate in eight months, so save your tears, we have a lot of time together yet!"

"You bet!" someone shouted and they raised their cans again, drinking to that. There were jokes about how Kendo and Yao-Momo were practicing their valedictorian speeches, and Shinso got up to talk to his class rep.

"Itsuka, that was a great speech," he told her and she smiled widely.

"Thanks, Hitoshi! I don't even know where that came from," she admitted blushing.

"More proof, I guess," he said with a shrug and Kendo frowned.

"Of what?"

"That you're brilliant."

"Oh," she said, jaw dropping a bit before she could stop it, and then Kendo shook her head and smiled at him. "Flatterer. You're taking photos?"

"While I still can, yes," Shinso said raising the camera. "Aizawa will have my ass handed to me again starting tomorrow."

"I'm not looking forward to that!" she said chuckling. "I admire you for training with him, Hito, the man is tough!"

Shinso could go on forever about how hard a teacher Aizawa was, everyone knew that but he never liked to touch the subject much, so instead he just shrugged again, his fingers tracing the buttons of the camera as some sort of calm beacon for him.

"You'll send those photos to us later, right?" Kendo asked touching his arm, and he nodded wide-eyed.

"Yeah, of c-" he started to answer, but was interrupted by Tetsutetsu, who swept Kendo off her feet and spun her around before setting her down again in catchy glee.

She giggled amused and put her arms around his neck, so Shinso stepped back and raised the camera to his face, snapping a couple of pictures of them. He hesitantly put the camera down and looked at the couple one more time before he turned away, just to face Ojiro's skeptical face.

"What?" Shinso asked annoyed and Ojiro just raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing," he said plainly, and only then Shinso realized that Hagakure was behind Ojiro piggybacking.

"Hey, let's go to the water," she suggested, one fist in the air. "Come too, Shinso!"

"I'll be there in a minute," he told her, though he wasn't planning on going to the water at all. Out of nowhere, Tsunotori offered him a corndog and he took it. "Thanks, Pony."

"Here," she said gently hitting her own corndog on his. "Cheers."

Most of their friends had gone to the water already, splashing and laughing, and while Shinso sat down to talk to Tsunotori, Sato, Mineta, and Kodai, Midoriya and Uraraka were swimming together to a spot far enough from the beach that their feet couldn't touch the ground.

"Can't believe the water is already so warm," Ochaco said swimming closer to Izuku. "Remember last year, everyone having to swim in freezing water?"

"Not even Tsu did well," he said nodding and they both chuckled. They were so close now that there was a current of warm breath between them. Izuku's hands found Ochaco's waist pulling her in and he kissed her – at first tenderly, and then gradually getting eager for more.

"Hm…" Ochaco mumbled, her fingers tangled in his hair. "This is good…"

"Yep," Izuku said against her lips, right hand going down her hip and grabbing her ass. "Cloud fucking nine."

She gasped playfully at his cussing and kissed him again, a million pecks on his lips and down his jawline before her tongue demanded passage again deepening their kisses. They would keep it up all night if they could, but there was an audience in that same sea not so far from them, and they all had a curfew, so the couple kept it decent.

"Izuku," Ochaco said in a calmer moment, and he hummed to indicate that he was listening, even though he was playing with the tips of her hair. "Don't do it. Don't go back in time."

In a first moment, under the moonlight, he seemed confused at her words because he actually was. History had a way of having to happen, and they both new that at some point he would have to do it – only that he would make sure to come back to her, of course, like he knew his future self already did. In the future, he would save his Ochaco, and that future was behind them in some crazy twisted fantasy.

Izuku had talked to the kid the other day, Kaneda Gia, he had gotten second place at the sports festival, lost on a tiny mistake, and Kaneda tried to explain to him how his quirk worked and everything. It was really complicated, though it used simple methods to get from point A to point minus A. Fascinating, but complicated anyway.

And then, he understood her. She didn't want to let go of this moment right here they were living, because it was wonderful and perfect in every single way. They were happy. Their friends were great. Even Mineta, who had been Ochaco's main concern at first, when she told him about the whole time travel thing, seemed to be doing well, even though he barely passed their midterms. He looked happy, the jokester they grew to enjoy.

Looking at things that way, she was right not to want Izuku to go come back to whenever it was he'd go back to, not yet, at least. She made a good point of wanting him to stay. And he had good reasons to stay as well.

"I don't see why I would have to go at all," he told her pressing a kiss to her lips and she offered him the shiest of the smiles. "I love you."

"I love you," Ochaco told him too and kissed him, and he kissed her, and they kissed each other until the teachers were calling from the beach for them to hit the showers and go to bed. They had a long couple of weeks ahead of them.

-X-

Ashido Mina came from a rough neighborhood. She had a fame of standing up against bullying from a young age and was called a hero by her colleagues for as long as she could remember, even though for most of the time what she wanted to do was dance.

It was only when she got to junior high that she actually started to take the hero talk seriously, and the reason she began to consider it possible to get into a school like U.A. was because she found out that a private school was offering scholarships to risky kids. She pocketed that 70% discount, studied her ass off and managed to make it to the best class in the hero department of the best school in the country.

Mina could be a bit of a knucklehead sometimes, and even though she worked hard, she couldn't help falling in the lower half of class A's grades, but her mind was in the right place and she had a big heart.

It came from her the idea for their social work that year, even though she let Momo organize the whole thing.

On their first week back to school, the once board of "how long they'd kept their gym supplies intact" was replaced by a whiteboard with their names written on it and several post-its glued under their names indicating what they were supposed to do for the next couple of weeks.

The idea was to have a recreational day in one of those risky neighborhoods Mina (and Izuku and Kacchan, and Kiri) came from, and make it available for those kids in junior high a contact with private and military schools, even public schools well ranked in the country. The idea was to smooth the path of a good education for as many kids as they could.

Class A loved that idea. They picked the date – late August – and the venue, organized the games, contacted schools, and went further, contacting medical doctors and social workers too to take a look at those kids, partnered with big companies for financial support; they made banners and released internet videos to call everyone to their event, and they had the school's full support, as well as a considerable budget.

It was a beautiful idea.

Tsuyu, responsible for, among other things, convincing her father to join and talk about his line of work, had managed to confirm just that, so she got up to the board to glue a green post-it and check that item done, and it was then that she noticed something weird about the name right under hers.

"Uh, guys?" she said, arm still raised as she pressed the marker to the board. They had all been scattered on the court in small groups of people-who-had-similar-demands-to-fill, and only some of them looked at her. "Any of you seen Mineta lately?"

"What?" Kaminari asked absentmindedly and then looked up at her. He was responsible for the technical part of the event along with Jiro, Katsuki, and Koda, and he'd been the only one of their group to pay half attention to what Tsuyu had just said.

"Mineta, kero," she replied stepping to the side and pointing at his name on the board. "He only checked one of the things he was supposed to check, and I don't think I've seen him today."

"It's Sunday," Ojiro said shrugging. He teamed up with Sato, Kiri, and Mina to organize the sports part of the event. "Maybe he went home."

"Yeah, but we agreed to stay in this weekend to finish this board," Asui insisted. Momo got up, a pencil and a notepad in hand and reading glasses on, and she stopped by the board to check on a few boxes. "You remember the last time you saw him?"

"No?" Shoji said. Along with Momo, Hagakure and Todoroki, he didn't stop making phone calls for the past three or four days, just to make sure that the schools would participate and offer good opportunities to the kids.

"I think I saw him a couple of nights ago?" Izuku said, struggling to remember if there had been any other occasion after. "He said he was grabbing a night snack, but was going back to bed already."

"What were you doing up and about at night, Deku?" Mina asked raising her eyebrows comically and then laughing when he got flustered. "I'm joking, nobody cares that you and Ocha fuck like rabbits."

"Mina!" Ochaco exclaimed, blushing furiously and making the other girl laugh even more. Some colleagues even joined her – Katsuki and Sero, for example.

"Mina, it's really uncomfortable to embarrass a friend like that!" Iida came to their defense, but just as Tokoyami was telling him off considering how Tenya had Hatsume over every other day, Momo talked over them.

"That's weird," she said confused. She had put the boxes down around her, all opened, and she was looking through one of them with a frown. "Mashirao, didn't I make the rope and hangers already for the adventure course?"

"I don't know?" he replied, getting up to join her. "I guess."

"It's checked in the box's list, but I can't find it. It's not misplaced either."

"Are you sure?" Ojiro said kneeling beside the box she was checking.

"Yes, look," Momo closed one lid of the box to show him the list of items. "Straps, screws, wood glue, silver tape, ropes, hangers… I have this vivid memory of making them."

"Didn't you just dream it?" Kaminari suggested. Ojiro was checking the other boxes one by one now. "Sometimes that happens. The other night, I dreamed I had studied for the math test and I was so sure it had actually happened, but boy, it didn't."

"I don't know…" Momo said tapping the pencil on her chin. "I even checked the list. But it does make sense, sort of."

"We have time, though," said Yuga. He was responsible for setting partnerships with companies along with Tokoyami and Iida. "Besides, we could always buy rope, we got a lot of sponsors. People love us."

"No, I want to make sure our rope is secure, and I have a special way of making them," she said. "Well, I guess I'll have to make another later."

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Sero said with his signature smile. "We're ahead of schedule anyway."

"Just sort of," Tsuyu interrupted again. "Mineta was supposed to confirm most of the venue's stuff, and he only checked one box. We need to find him and know what's up."

"Fine," Jiro said dropping her pen. "Someone call him."

"I already did," Izuku said because when Tsu brought up the subject, Ochaco gave him this look, and when he realized he couldn't remember seeing the other boy for two days already, he got worried. "He's not picking up."

"Huh," Jiro mumbled. "Okay, everyone be quiet, and you call him again."

She plugged her earphone jack to the floor and listened as Izuku hit dial one more time, and they all waited. After a few seconds, she looked up.

"Looks like it's in his room," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, then we'll go check it out," Katsuki said already getting up and strutting upstairs.

"Bakugo, wait!" Tenya called going after him. "You're not the best fit to talk to… anyone."

"Oh, and you are?" he replied. They were so loud, the others still could hear them from downstairs, and the windows of the gap made the sounds echo eerily as the two knocked on the door. "OI, PIPSQUEAK! OPEN UP!"

"Bakugo! Step away!" Iida scolded, and then they heard a much more polite knock. "Mineta! Are you alright? We're worried you haven't come out in a while. Mineta? We know you're inside, open up, please."

"Just open the fucking d-" Bakugo said, and interrupted the thought halfway through. "It's locked?"

"This is not good," Ochaco said to Izuku, and he had to agree.

"Hold on," Tenya said, and soon enough they heard steps down the stairs.

At this point, everyone was on their feet, and some were going up too, like Yuga, Kirishima, Tokoyami, and Ojiro. Izuku himself was thinking about going there.

"Deku," Ochaco said, holding his arm and they exchanged a look. She nodded firmly and he headed to the stairs followed closely by Todoroki and Koda.

"Momo, where do you keep the spare keys?" Tenya asked, and she thought it over.

"In the first aid cabinet," she said pointing at the kitchen. "You'll open the door without his consent?"

"That's the plan," Iida said. "Something's… off."

"I agree," Ochaco and Tsuyu said at the same time, following the two reps to the kitchen.

Momo opened the cabinet and the keys to the girls' dorms were there hanging on the inside of the door, but those for the boys' weren't, so she checked inside the little boxes of the aid kit and came out empty.

"This is not good," Ocha said again, starting to get really nervous.

"Maybe I can make a universal key," Momo offered already heading to the stairs. She was followed by Iida, Ochaco, and Hagakure, and as she spoke, she held her palm up starting to create. "I just need to take a look at the lock, and I can make one out of iron… guys, give me some space."

"You got the keys?" Todoroki asked, and she shook her head no.

"I'll make one," she explained.

"Momo, why bother?" Kiri asked. "Look, we can kick it open and then fix the door, right, Mashirao?"

"Yeah, it'd take two seconds," Ojiro agreed.

"My creations are quick," she tried to argue, but Kirishima already was counting down to 1 and in a combined movement he and Ojiro managed to kick the door open, just like they said they could. "Guys! The privacy!"

"That's unacceptable!" Tenya began to chide but stopped right away when he glanced inside the room.

"Oh, shit…" Dark Shadow gasped.

"Mineta!" Tenya exclaimed the first to move, but as soon as he stepped inside the room he had to step back out, hand to his nose blocking the smell.

"What? What's up?" asked Yuga, and Izuku held his arm keeping him away. He wasn't sure his friend would like to see it.

Kirishima was frozen in place, eyes wide, Bakugo behind him covering his mouth. Momo had stepped in too, but she turned around and hid her face against Shoto's neck, letting out a strangled sob. On his other side, Ochaco held Izuku's hand, if only to stop shaking, and the one to finally talk was none other than Koda.

"I think we know where the rope and hangers went to, now."

-X-

Tenya was the one who went on max speed to call the teachers before anyone would call the police, and most of the people who'd been in that corridor when Mineta's dorm door was opened went back down with horror in their faces.

It so happened that All Might was there that day to pay them a visit, and he was the first to arrive. They wanted to help, but he made everyone step aside and wait for further instructions. With Shoto backing him up, he blocked the door and they all waited.

It didn't take long for principal Nezu and Mr. Aizawa to arrive, faces pale and scared eyes, and those who stayed got a chance to see how devastated the adults were to see one of their students like that. Only after that, All Might called his friend in the police asking for their support.

As the police did their job coming and going from 3-A's dorm and attracting the attention of other students that started to gather around their front door, Eraser gathered everyone from class A in the living room and explained to them that Mineta Minoru had been seeing the school counselor for the past months, starting off when his grades dropped enough for him to fall off the top 10 students who'd intern overseas.

They would know the following day through the counselor herself that Mineta had been diagnosed with clinical depression, but resisted to treatment and managed to steady his grades as of recently, even though he did have to have extra classes during summer along with students from other classes.

According to the police, Mineta had been dead for about 36 hours. He worked alone and silently on screwing the hanger on the roof of his room and tying Yao-Momo's super strong rope in a high enough height; he hung himself in the quiet of the night, probably shortly after coming across Midoriya in the corridor, and left no note.

No one knew why he did that. And they supposed no one would know now, ever.

That Sunday afternoon, after Mr. Aizawa instructed them to talk to the counselor the following day, and not talk to the press until the school's pronunciation – that would come only after Mineta's parents consented to it – the remaining 19 students of class A sat on the court kind of like they were seated before finding out that their colleague was dead, only in a much somber atmosphere. Two other teachers joined Mr. Aizawa – Gunhead and Midnight – to keep watch on them; Ms. Kayama took a long look at the board they had put together.

"You guys have a good system going here," she said looking back at them. Her smile was shyer than it normally would be, but she was trying to cheer them up a bit, and they were glad for that. "This is such a good idea."

"Thanks, Ms. Kayama," Kirishima said. "It was Mina's idea."

At that, Midnight's smile got a bit more convincible and she winked at Mina, who managed to smile too.

"You go, girl," she said and turned to Eraser cocking her head in a silent conversation with him.

Mineta's parents arrived shortly after and were taken to his room. From downstairs, they could hear the crying and the blaming, the how, oh howno one even noticed he was missing earlier and how their little boy was gone. Under their cries, Ochaco held tighter to Izuku's arm and pressed her face against his shoulder.

"It happened anyway," Izuku whispered to her and she nodded. "I don't know what we did wrong. What we could've, should've done differently. I didn't know it still would be so… lonely for him."

"Me neither," Ocha confessed looking up at him, eyes filled with tears. "Deku…"

He knew what she was going to say, and he didn't want to hear it. Hell, he didn't want to think about it, even though that line from the TV show he watched returned to his mind – sometimes, time wants to happen.

"I've got you, Ocha," he said putting a hand on her hair tenderly and the first tears fell down her cheeks. "It's okay," and he meant it in more than one way.

Ochaco sniffed sadly, hid her face again, and then he started to notice that all around he could hear sniffing and quiet cry as if the first person who let the tears drop opened up a well of grief in their group. Across from them, Yuga was consoling Koda as best as he could, the both of them being close friends with Mineta; and Denki, who probably was the closest of the friends, had been taken to the corner by Gunhead to talk in private.

-X-

The following day, after being informed that they wouldn't have to go to class for a couple of days and after trying to make sense of had happened in order to tell their friends from other classes, the remaining class A students gathered in their living room and watched the news, waiting for the school's pronunciation. A horde of journalists gathered at the conference room much like it happened when Katsuki had been kidnapped, and they listened and questioned principal Nezu, Ms. Kaito, who was the school counselor and Mr. Aizawa about the student taking his life under their noses.

It was painful to watch.

After a while, it was just too much, so Yuga muted the TV, though he was shaking so much it took him a few tries to get it done. Momo got up and headed towards the court, then, only pausing briefly to talk to them.

"Might as well use the extra time to get this event going, right?" she said, a tremble in her voice. "Don't worry, I can take care of Mineta's…" she swallowed, cleared her throat. "Part, his part."

"Yao-Momo," Koda called standing up too. "You already are doing so much. You need to get started on your new rope and everything. We can divide the tasks."

There were yeahs and nods all around and she sighed, smiled weakly at everyone.

"Yeah, don't worry, we've got this," said Hagakure, passing by her, their cue to follow her to the court too.

Toru picked one of the post-its that were under Mineta's name and read it to herself before she turned to the rest of her friends.

"Talk to the fire department and request an inspection of the venue," she said.

"I can do that," Sato offered. "It's good for us to know in details if everything is okay."

The other people from the sports group nodded and being so, Hagakure glued the post-it under Sato's name.

"Okay, next… Final check of supplies boxes before they're sealed."

Izuku raised his hand.

"I was going to double check anyway," he said with a sad shrug.

"It's good to have two different people checking, though," Sero observed.

"I'll do it," Tenya offered and Toru nodded, putting the post-it under his name then.

One by one the four tasks Mineta was yet to complete were distributed between them – Toru herself got one, and so did Tokoyami – and then, when things were settled and they decided to really get to work, Kaminari raised his hand to speak.

"Uh…" he said insecure and avoiding eye contact. "I know the Minetas were here yesterday, but Ms. Kaito said they won't return until the end of next week, so she asked me to take a look in his room and see if there's anything we think his parents wouldn't like to see… you know…"

"They want us to clean his room? Like in Looking for Alaska, kero?" Tsuyu commented quietly and Kaminari nodded.

"Just in case," he said. "If any of you would like to help me, I think I'll get it done now."

Izuku wasn't one of the people who volunteered to help, but his room was in the same story as Mineta's, so when he and Ochaco were passing by, Bakugo called him up.

"Hey, Deku!" Kacchan called rushing to the corridor holding something, and the couple stopped on their track. "Isn't it one of your shitty journals?"

"What?" Izuku asked and had to think fast to catch the notebook Kacchan had thrown at him. With a frown, he looked at the cover and saw that it was, indeed, one of his journals. He flipped the pages getting more and more confused and then handed it back to Katsuki. "Yeah, I gave it to him when I saw that his grades were dropping, thought he'd like an outsider's input on his quirk."

Katsuki scoffed, but got the journal back and shrug.

"You're such a soft fucking nerd," he said going back inside and making Ochaco chuckle.

Izuku already was rushing to his room, though, and Ochaco jogged to keep up with him. He went straight to his shelf and pulled out the notebooks he kept there, just to check something out.

"Deku?" Ochaco called confused. He put the notebooks on his desk and looked for one in particular.

"You know how many of those I have, Ocha?" he asked checking one by one, and Ochaco shook her head no as she closed the door behind her. "Nineteen. One for each of you. You know I keep them, right?"

"Yeah," she said. "But you have one journal to each one of us now?"

"I do," he said, finally finding what he was looking for. "Started them last year. I thought of giving them to you all as a graduation gift because I have… so many analyses on everyone's quirks and capacity, Ocha, you wouldn't believe."

"I kinda can believe, though," she joked, but Izuku meant serious business at that moment. He showed the cover of the journal he was holding. "Mineta?"

"Yep," he said. "It's still here. And I looked inside that other journal, Ocha, it had more things than this version has now. You know what it means, right?"

Ochaco nodded.

"Means you'll give it to him, alright," she said slowly, thinking things through as she spoke. "In the future."

"That is in the past. I must've thought that knowing more of what he could do, he'd get a boost of confidence back or something."

Izuku dropped the journal back with the others and shoved them in the shelf again with a tired sigh.

"It obviously didn't work the first time around," he said, and Ochaco got closer to him, put her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder.

"But you'll get it right next time," she told him.

"I thought I shouldn't go back," Deku said awkwardly looking back at her and she didn't let go of him, so he more felt her shrug than saw it.

"This is bigger than you and me, I guess," Ochaco told him. "You saved me, but you didn't get to save him, and you didn't get to save yourself a couple of times too, remember? It'll have to happen."

"Time travel is so complicated," he sighed, placing his hands on top of hers and spinning around to face her. "But I know what you mean. I guess we're back to where it started, then."

"Yeah, I guess we are."

-X-

Mineta's parents allowed a memorial at the school, but very few students were invited to the actual funeral. Neither Ochaco nor Izuku went. The memorial would be held the week after class A's social work, and they were putting everything together to make sure all would be done perfectly. It was quite some work, what they decided to do, but they managed.

In the last weekend of August, the nineteen students of class 3-A took the next train to Osaka and headed the school gymnasium that would serve as the venue for the event. The gates were open at 8 in the morning to a waiting crowd that poured inside with joyful shouts that brightened their mood, and by noon, when the buffet was served, they were all in a good mood.

It was such a successful day. Kirishima headed the gymkhana that was every kid's favorite part of the day; Jiro played music every couple of ours, a set between speakers who talked about professions, health, security. There were some classrooms with hairstylists, or dentists, or lawyers, all working for the community. And it'd been Koda's idea to have three movie sessions at the auditorium, with free popcorn and everything.

It looked like the whole community showed up. From the littlest kids to elderly citizens, they all passed by, enjoyed the food, the music, the help. And the junior high students got to know about some neat opportunities they could have trying out for other schools where they could learn a skill or simply have a better education in order to achieve their goals. Mina talked about her experience and motivated other at-risk kids as she had been to follow their dreams.

At the end of the day, scholarships were offered, bellies were fed, support was given, and they were all happy. Success for a tense first month back to school, at last.

"This is the best day ever!" Mina sang after they said their goodbyes to the people who helped that event be all that it'd been. The students themselves were responsible for cleaning up and checking if everything was in its place like when they arrived, and they were working more than ever, now. "Guys, thank you so much for making this happen."

"No problem, Mina," Izuku said. "Your idea was very noble, it'd be a shame not to follow it."

"It's true!" Ochaco said to Mina's emotional reaction, and the two girls chuckled. "You nailed it."

"Thank you," the other girl said with a hand to her chest. "But nothing would be possible without Momo's leadership.

"That is true!" Ochaco replied, laughing again. Before they knew it, Mina already was skipping to the next person to thank them too. "She's so happy."

"That's everyday Mina, I guess," Izuku said taking Ocha's hand in his and she looked at him just so he could steal a kiss.

"Deku!" she exclaimed surprised.

"Look, I know for a fact that they already checked the locker rooms," he whispered in her ear and she raised an eyebrow.

"What are you suggesting?" she asked in the same tone.

"An escape," he said and winked. Ochaco's cheeks got a deeper red ting.

"Deku…" she said grasping the front of his shirt. He kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Real quick."

"You're such a tease," she said and then she nodded, holding his hand a little tighter.

Izuku laughed and let go of her hand to put his arm around her waist, guiding her to the locker room. As soon as they were inside, they started kissing as they stumbled to one of the stalls, hands all over and sloppy tongues. Ochaco's hand slid down the front of Izuku's shorts, feeling him out.

"Gee, Deku," she mumbled against his lips, and she more felt than saw his smile.

"I was watching you, you know?" he said pressing her against the wall of the stall, leaving small kisses on her jaw and down her neck. "Helping Mina and Toru guide the Zumba and all of that…"

Ochaco smiled, then, feeling his hands slip down her hips and thighs, going under her dress. She held on to his shoulders, gasped at his kisses showered her skin, felt aroused at the press of his hips against hers.

He stepped back just enough to push down her shorts and she reached for the zipper of his shorts too, opening it with surprisingly steady fingers. She got really good at stripping him down.

"Wait, hold on," Izuku said reaching for his back pocket and got a condom out. "Don't want to make a mess."

She smirked.

"Thoughtful," Ochaco said stepping out of her shorts while he put the condom on. "Okay?"

Izuku nodded and smiled before kissing her again.

"Okay," he replied.

He held her hips and she put her arms around his neck as support for her to put her legs around his waist, and they kissed ever so slowly as he pushed her panties to the side and aimed for her entrance. She had to help to reach down and guiding him, and in no time they were one.

With Ochaco's back against the wall, Izuku thrust in and out of her; they shared shaky kisses, mumbled each other's names, held on to one another; her legs trembled and his breathing was a mess. It lasted only a few minutes, but it was as amazing as anything they ever did together.

Resting his forehead against hers, Izuku looked into Ochaco's eyes mesmerized, impassioned, overjoyed.

"I love you," he said, right hand cupping her rosy cheek. She was just so beautiful. "Ochaco, I love you."

"I love you too," she replied with an ecstatic expression, pressing her lips against his.

"I want to be forever yours," Izuku said. "We'll graduate and be awesome heroes, and I'll marry you." As he talked, Ochaco's smile grew and she started to giggle. "And we'll have a bunch of babies."

"I like that plan," she said full on laughing now, and he laughed too. "But we can leave the babies for the next decade or so, right?"

"Yeah, of course! After we have established careers and everything." She nodded and they kissed again, and yet one more time.

"We should go back," she mumbled against his lips, leg dropping so she could stand on her own again. Izuku pouted. "Deku…"

"I know, I know…" he said, though he kept pouting.

"You're so silly."

They fixed their clothes, tried to fix their disheveled selves, and hand-in-hand they left the locker room, a legit walk of shame, and most of their friends already were at the gate ready to leave. It was quite something, seeing their class having a happy moment like that after what they'd been through the past weeks.

"Well, would you look at that!" Mina joked dramatically pointing at them, and Izuku felt his cheeks grow warm. "And people say romance is dead!"

"Do you get off on embarrassing other people?" Kyoka asked with a hand on her hip.

Mina hummed, tapping a finger on her chin as if really thinking about it, but Izuku didn't hear her answer because Ojiro and Sato were carrying some heavy boxes and he turned to ask if they needed any help.

"Nah, these are the last ones, don't worry!" Sato exclaimed waving him off and almost dropping the box in the process, so Izuku hurried to help him. "Thanks, bro."

After that, it all happened in just one second.

Izuku reached the guys just in time to keep the box from crashing down. Ojiro looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened, so Izuku turned around to see why. The girls shouted as a warp portal opened in front of them and out of it came Toga Himiko.

She barely looked like the girl she used to be, from the split second Midoriya got to look at her; part of her face was burned, as well as her right arm that they got a good look at as she did the movement to throw a knife, her eyes focused on him and her sick smile looking scarier on her scarred face.

Somewhere to their right, Yuga shouted a warning over the girls' scream, and a laser cut through them cutting off Toga's hand, but it was a second too late and she'd already thrown the knife. It was aimed at Izuku's back, but he had only made half a turn when someone got between him and the knife.

Ochaco.

Immediately letting go of the box, Izuku rushed to his girlfriend's aid, and he only partially noticed Sero trapping Toga in tape, only partially heard the villain's screams of pain, only partially realized that more people were coming to their aid.

The moment Ochaco fell against his chest was the moment time rolled again. The knife fell from her limp hand as blood gushed out of her neck. She coughed once, eyes glancing ahead, and Izuku's hand went to the deep cut of her neck, trying in vain to stop the bleeding. She trembled and tried to reach out for him, but she couldn't.

"Ocha," he called dropping to his knees and holding her tight against him, trying to keep her alive. "Babe, stay with me."

This wasn't supposed to happen. Toga was dead, his future self killed her, he knew he had!

(but did he, really? No one ever told them who the body found in that burned, broken house was.)

(did he die and it was all for nothing?)

"Ochaco," Izuku called again, already crying. She couldn't die. Just a minute ago they were joking about the future! No, this couldn't be. It just couldn't. "Ochaco? Talk to me, please!"

There was no response from her. Her eyes were open, but unseeing; the blood was leaking through his fingers and slowing down. He could turn her head to look at him, but it was of no use.

And he called her name… so many times, holding on to a dead girl.

-X-

It was mayhem around them. There were people crying and sirens, cops and paramedics asking if they were okay.

Izuku couldn't see their faces.

He knew things. Like how Iida was the first to come to them and had been the one to caress Ochaco's hair so gently, so heartbrokenly. Izuku could feel that, but couldn't see clearly. How Yuga and Shoto tried to make him let go of Ocha's body with no success, the same thing Mr. Aizawa tried to do a few minutes later after checking up if Toga was tied up and unconscious. He had no success either.

He knew that Yuga had thrown up, he being the one to cut Toga's hand off, and he knew that Mina couldn't stop crying. For a brief moment, when Kacchan kneeled in front of them and forced Izuku to look at him, he remembered that day about a year ago when he and Ocha came down for lunch and Kacchan corned him with this smirk on his face. I can see you fixed it, he had said. Izuku never knew how Katsuki learned to read him so well.

The moment was gone when he realized that he hadn't. Fixed it, he meant. For all it's worth, he only made things worse.

Ochaco was dead.

What the fuck was he supposed to do if she was dead?

There wasn't a version of the future he could envision where she wasn't there. He had to go back and make things right this time.

"Midoriya," someone called, probably had been calling for a while now, but only then he listened. "Midoriya."

It was Mr. Aizawa and Izuku blinked at him. He couldn't figure out what was behind the teacher's stern expression.

"Let go of her," he said and Izuku shook his head no. "Come on, you have to let go. Please, let go."

The teacher's hands were firm on his, and he managed to detach Izuku from Ochaco's body. As soon as that happened, the paramedics took hold of her and Izuku was carried in the opposite direction by Kirishima and Tenya.

"Ochaco," he said reaching out and he realized that his hand was covered in blood. He blinked again and stared at the palm of his hand, noticed that his forearm was bloodied too, as well as his shirt.

Something caught in his stomach and Izuku hiccupped, gasped for breath and managed to break free from his friends' hold, but he only made it for two steps before his knees buckled.

Again it was Tenya who caught him, getting in front of him and pressing him to his chest. The police were examining Ochaco's body and they were bringing the black bag.

"Don't look," Tenya told him, forcing him to look the other way, practically carrying Izuku somewhere else, and in the middle of it all Midoriya realized that Iida was crying too. "Don't look."

He didn't.

-X-

He didn't want to look because things wouldn't stay like that for too long. He didn't want to cry anymore because maybe his future self couldn't save Ochaco, but he could. What was it they said? The future is not set yet?

And if there was a future somewhere where he and Ocha could have their happily ever after, then he would chase it by any means necessary.

So it was a dry funeral for Midoriya Izuku, a quiet one too. The only thing he asked to keep from Ocha was her phone, and while everyone wept, he thought, and planned and wrote down every possibility – at first in anger, because it was all he had, and then with parsimony, thinking them through.

Izuku had a lot of time to think, as a matter of fact. The school decided that it would be good if he had some time off, and so he was sent home under the whispers of his school colleagues who couldn't help but compare his reaction to that he had when Kacchan was kidnapped right in front of him.

His girlfriend, they kept saying, died in his arms taking the knife that was meant for him.

Well, they just wait. Ochaco wouldn't be dead anymore.

"Izu, sweetie, did you hear what I said?" his mother asked shaking his shoulder when they were home. He looked at her blankly, fidgeting with the phone. "Your dad is trying to get a couple of days off to stay with you, isn't that good?"

"Yeah, I guess," he replied evenly, looking at the TV again. It was a talk show and they were talking about U.A.'s security again. That discussion happened once a year for the past three years. Just last year, it'd been because of Monoma's kidnapping. "Mom?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Do you believe in parallel universes?"

Inko sat by his side and offered him an unconvinced smile.

"Like, somewhere out there your dad doesn't have a work that keeps him offshore for most of the year?" Izuku shrugged. "That'd be something."

"I think it would."

She reached out to pet his hair, and he even let her for a minute or so, but then he abruptly got up interrupting the moment.

"Where are you going?" Inko asked worriedly.

"To my room. I need… to write some stuff down."

And find Kaneda's number. And more than that, know directly from him how his quirk worked and how it could be used in another person. Izuku had to go back, that was all he could think about; he needed to find Ochaco and save her, and in the meantime save everyone else too, if he really was to become the Masked Blur.

More importantly, he had to go back soon. Time was fluid, but the past could set at any moment, and there was no way he would allow a world with no Ochaco around.

-X-

Still, he had to prepare a plan B. Just in case.

-X-

"I'll go back to school tomorrow," Izuku announced at dinner the night after the day his father got home, and his parents stared at him with jaws dropped.

"Already?" Hisashi exclaimed surprised. "I can stay for another day."

"I know," his son said evenly. "But I should go back to school. Don't want to miss out on my last year."

"Izu, baby," Inko said worriedly. "The school will understand if you don't go for a few days more."

"I'll go to school, it's decided," he said firmly. He was eighteen now anyway, didn't really need their permission.

Inko exchanged a look with her husband and then nodded. Funny how they never lost that synchronism, even with all the years they've been separated.

"Okay, son," his dad said. "I'll drive you."

And he did. It was a silent ride to Masutafu, and Izuku couldn't tell if it was because his father understood that he didn't want to talk, or if it was because Hisashi didn't know what to say to his son. Could be the later, seeing that they didn't have that much time together – or it could be that Izuku was too bitter to wonder about other people's behavior. Time would tell.

He got home early enough for second period when he'd find the dorm empty, and he'd be free of the homeroom chit-chat. He talked to principal Nezu, changed into his uniform and went to class.

All talk ceased when he opened the door, and his friends looked at him expectantly for a moment, though he did get a smile from some of them.

"Good morning," he greeted. Not the most exciting greet he'd ever given them, but just enough to lift that dense aura around them.

"Good morning, Izuku," Tsuyu greeted waving a hello, and then she croaked. "Glad to have you back."

"Yeah, man, it's good to see you!" Kaminari exclaimed smiling, and then they were all greeting him and shaking his hand as he made his way to his seat until the teacher entered in the room and they had to get to business.

Izuku didn't have a chance to talk to Tenya that morning, and he spent lunchtime on the phone talking to a print shop. The afternoon classes were really busy, and he paired with Koda and Shoji for drills and sparing. There was a lot of catching up he had to do, and also a lot of knots to tie in record time.

Every now and then, though, Izuku found himself looking for his friend, and his and Iida's eyes would cross.

It was a really strange feeling, to look at Tenya. He and Ochaco had been a trio with him from the get go, and they were the best of friends, Izuku knew that. But standing where he stood now, it was like he could see the pain in Tenya's eyes, but couldn't quite reach it. He couldn't be near him, and it wasn't because Iida's presence would always make him think of Ochaco, but because there probably was this understanding around that he could be feeling something similar to what Deku was feeling when he couldn't. He couldn't possibly. Izuku wasn't in the mood to have to explain that to anyone.

-X-

So Izuku kept doing his thing. It was very unusual of him, honestly, because no one ever minded other people's business as much as he did, and it was unsettling to see him so quiet, so in his zone. He knew he was scaring some people, and he didn't care. He was on a mission anyway.

On his second day back, he sat with 1-A student Kaneda Gia for lunch, and they talked in whispers about space-time theories. By the end of the day, there was no wristwatch on Izuku's wrist anymore. On his third day back, he went to the dorms before his field work and got out with two backpacks that looked extra heavy, didn't say a word to anyone the whole day.

On his fourth day back, Yuga asked if he wanted help cleaning his room, and Izuku declined politely, and then he returned an hour later with a cheese platter, smoothies and one whole season of Video Killed the Sidekick Star downloaded on a flash drive.

"You know these things have nothing to do with anything, right?" Izuku said, unable to contain his smile, and Aoyama sparkled at him.

"Chérie, they match with me," he said with a hand to his chest.

They watched five episodes without pause before they had to go to sleep, though Deku only stared at his ceiling until it was time for class again.

On the fifth day, Tenya got a hold on him before they got to gym class, and he talked so calmly, so centered, that it made Izuku frown. Iida was an extremely strict guy with no nuance. He never had a chill and the fact that he was so fussy right there and then told him that the guy wasn't fine.

"Look, we barely have time to hang out now," he started placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder, but quickly removing it again. "And I know it's complicated, but I want you to remember that I'm your friend and I won't, for the love of God, try to compete with your pain."

"You couldn't," Izuku replied and Tenya nodded, and then he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I know. I'm here for you, though."

Tiredly, Izuku shook his head.

"Can we talk about it when it's over?"

"Perdon?" Iida replied frowning, but Midoriya already was walking away. He didn't have time to explain.

-X-

He'd get a chance to talk to Tenya the following day too, but he was on his way to a date and he didn't have much time to spare. That was because he got two texts on that sixth day back to school. One was from Kacchan asking to meet him at the ice cream shop, so that's where he was headed first.

Katsuki already was there when Izuku arrived and waved at him to join him by one of the tables.

"I ordered milkshakes," he said as Izuku sat down in front of him. "Chocolate and cream, right?"

"Are you sick?" Izuku asked skeptically and Katsuki rolled his eyes.

"I can be nice."

"For your boyfriend, maybe."

"Your sorry ass want to go back to being frenemies?" he asked leaning on the table, an eyebrow raised, and Izuku sighed.

"What is this about, Kacchan?" he said instead. "I thought you said we'd never be friends like before, so what are you up to?"

"Did it ever occur to you that we never were friends in the first place?" he said crossing his arms. "I've never been nice to you ever."

"I recall that," Izuku said looking him in the eye. "Why start now?"

"Why not start now?"

Izuku scoffed.

"I don't need your pity."

"Pity?" Katsuki replied offended. "Deku, I don't do pity and you sure as fuck know that. I just want to talk."

"Talk to your boyfriend. Or your third wheel."

"Gee, I thought you were nice."

"Fuck that."

This time, it was Katsuki who scoffed, and the two boys found themselves on an impasse. The waitress brought their milkshakes and a slice of Black Forrest "on the house", two forks for them to share. She also gave Kacchan her number.

"I thought everyone knew you date Kiri," Izuku commented spooning his milkshake around as Kacchan folded the piece of paper and pocketed it.

"They do, they just don't give a shit."

"Do you?" he asked and Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Give a shit?"

Bakugo smirked, hand going around his milkshake cup.

"You really do have a death wish, Deku."

Neither of them touched the cake, but Katsuki did drink his milkshake in small sips, keeping an eye on Deku. He took his time to speak again.

"Izuku?" he called, making him look at him again. "How a-"

"Don't," Izuku interrupted immediately. "Don't ask me how I'm feeling."

"You didn't go visit Eri once," he insisted. "She knew you were home, but you didn't go see her, she was worried. She wants to know."

"Bullshit."

"Bullshit?" Katsuki echoed angrily. "I'm the one to call bull on your bullshit! You get upset about something and you get destructive, we all know it! You're stupid that way. But now something really fucked up happened and you want to block everyone out? As if you have answers for everything?"

"I do!"

"The fuck you do."

"I do have answers, you asshole, I know what to do. Sulking won't solve my case."

"It's not sulking, it's grieving. You know? Like fucking normal people do."

"Oh, and you know what's normal like?"

"You're so full of shit."

"Eri doesn't want to know from me, does she?" Izuku said bitterly. "You're just looking for an excuse to try and get back at me."

"You really are full of shit."

"You don't know what I'm going through!"

"I do know, you fucking prick!" Katsuki growled through his teeth. "Shut up! You need to shut the fuck up! You think you're the only one suffering in this world? Boohoo, poor Deku, his girlfriend died? You think you're the only one who loved her?"

"Oh, so now you loved her?"

"I did," Bakugo admitted and Izuku leaned back on his chair, the most skeptical expression he'd ever wore on his face.

"What the fuck did you do to save her, then?"

It was an unfair question, Izuku knew because Katsuki had taken down Toga after Aoyama lasered her hand out, and shut her mouth so tightly with Sero's tape that by the time she got to the police station she was dead, suffocated. It was unfair because Kacchan had been such a great friend to Ocha, and she loved him, Izuku new it. She bridged the two of them so effortlessly, and without her now neither knew how to deal with the other. It was unfair, but Izuku had been beaten and bruised by Katsuki for so long that he, for once, couldn't find it in him to care about the other boy's feelings.

"Fuck you." Katsuki said evenly, looking at him dead in the eyes, and that was Izuku's cue to get up and leave.

He'd fix things when he finished his mission; right now, he had more things to do, like getting a blood sample, for example, and meeting with a certain first-year student that would help him save the love of his life.

"No one wants to believe life ends this way… interrupted, unresolved, and unfinished."
The Everafter — Amy Huntley

The night after the day Bakugo Katsuki tried and failed to have a frank conversation with Midoriya, he was laying in bed with his boyfriend. They should go to sleep, for the next day was a Monday and they had class, but while one checked agencies websites, the other scrolling through social media bored.

"There are just so many great agencies around, how am I going to come up with something interesting enough to start mine?" Eijiro wondered out loud and Katsuki tsk-ed.

"You won't," he said, eyes still glued to Instaphoto. "You'll just have a name big enough for people to want to work with you."

"Is that your plan?"

As a matter of fact, it was. Katsuki was going to say that, but his eyes were caught by a photo someone had just posted, and the caption under it made him check twice who it was. A chill went up his spine and he swallowed.

"What the fuck," he said under his breath, and Eijiro came closer to see what he was looking at.

It was a photo of Ochaco. Deku had posted it just a few minutes ago, and frowning Katsuki copied the link of the publication.

"It's a beautiful photo," Kiri said casually, even a bit sadly.

"Yeah, but did you read the caption?" he asked and turned the screen on his boyfriend's direction.

"I love you. I miss you. See you soon?" Eijiro read. "Huh?"

"Deku's up to something," Katsuki said with finality and opened the school's app, where he could message his colleagues.

"Aren't you getting a bit paranoid, babe?"

"Fuck no."

"And did you consider that Midoriya only needs a bit of space?" he suggested; Katsuki scoffed.

"Do me a favor, babe?" he said barely glancing on Kiri's direction. "Shut the fuck up."

He texted Iida with the link of the photo asking if the rep had seen it and got an immediate reply; Iida did see the publication, and as a matter of fact, he was in front of Deku's door, but Midoriya wasn't opening it. Sure it was really late, but it'd be nice to get a response. Oh, and Aoyama tried too but decided to give him space. They could talk to him in the morning, probably, right?

"Four Eyes can't seem to be able to talk to Deku either," Bakugo said.

"Now, that's weird. Though I didn't see them talk at all since Midoriya returned," Kiri said laying on his side. He took Katsuki's phone from his hand and put it down on the floor, then. "We can solve this tomorrow morning, now, can't we? Let's get some sleep."

He tried, but that didn't mean he did sleep well at all. As a matter of fact, Katsuki hadn't been sleeping well since Mineta, and it got worse after Ochaco; he'd often dream about taping Toga's mouth shut and choking her to death, her blood staining his jeans, her violent spasms shaking him awake. It was hard to sleep like that, and he'd get up extra grumpy the following morning.

That wasn't any news, and it hadn't been different that Monday morning. Katsuki got up before the alarm and went back to his room to get ready; he got his backpack, checked his face on the toilet mirror one more time, wondering if the bags under his eyes were noticeable already, and took the stairs to go down without waiting for Eijiro, because he wanted to get started on breakfast. When he reached the second floor, he saw Ayoama standing in front of Deku's door.

"Any luck?" Katsuki caught himself asking, and Aoyama startled, looked at him wide-eyed before he shook his head no.

"His door was unlocked," he said instead as Bakugo approached. The door was open. "I didn't try last night, neither did Iida, but I think it was always open."

"The fuck you standing there for, then?" Katsuki asked.

"It's empty," the other boy said. "He's not here. Shoto thinks he might have gone for a run, but he can't reach him through the phone."

Katsuki hummed and broke the invisible barrier that was keeping Aoyama from entering in Deku's room. Everything was in its place, every All Might poster on the walls. He flicked the light on to take a better look, and he could see the magazine on top of Deku's table, a magazine he himself had because it featured the top 10 hero students of the country about to graduate. Five of those students were from U.A., and out of those five, three were from class A – Deku, Bakugo, and Yao-Momo, coincidently all of the students who won the sports festival, one for each year.

It looked… normal, down to the computer on sleep with Deku and Ochaco as the wallpaper. The only weird thing weird was this gap on Deku's shelf, as if he'd taken out a bunch of books and didn't fill the space with something else, but that wasn't even a big deal. There was nothing to worry about.

"His phone is not here," Katsuki said getting out of the room. "He must've turned it off. Come on, I'm in the mood for some of your unbe-fucking-lievable French toasts, what about that?"

"Okay," Aoyama said evenly, eyes blankly staring at the room for a moment too long before he followed Bakugo downstairs. "Wait, did you just… appraise my cuisine?"

"Don't get used to it."

News spread around the building and Aoyama cooked for twenty people; he seemed confused for a second when he saw Sato remove two plates and put them back on the cabinet. Almost a month had passed, and they still weren't used to the facts. He separated a couple of toasts for each of them, Toru set the plates on their large table and Ojiro went around with an ice cream carton adding a scoop on each plate, Katsuki added the berries and Denki prepared the orange juice.

By the time Tsuyu finished making the coffee, everyone was ready to eat, and they sat around the table thanking for the food and trying to pretend they weren't constantly checking the empty chair by Iida's side where Deku's plate waited for him, or the front doors, where he could come through any moment. They had to save the plate for him on the fridge, but the ice cream already had fully melted when they left for class.

-X-

The 3-A students found their seats in relative silence that morning and started to get ready for the day. From across the room, Mina smiled at Bakugo and waved as if they didn't come all the way here together, and he awkwardly waved back.

Iida lifted the top of his desk to put some books there like he always did, and he found a green envelope there that he was pretty sure wasn't his. He flipped the envelope and on Izuku's handwriting there was his name; it made him frown, and he dropped the top of the desk without setting the books inside just to take a look on what was inside it.

"You got one too?" Koda asked, catching his attention, and they exchanged a confused look.

"Anyone else got a green envelope with their names on it?" Toru asked raising hers, and soon they were all looking under their desk to see if the envelope was there. And it was.

"What is it?" Tsuyu wondered. In all honesty, they were a little afraid of opening those envelopes. After All Might's retirement, villains had been getting more and more creative.

"It's Izuku's handwriting," Tenya told them, and then he opened his envelope to boost their courage. "It's… a photo."

Frowning, he removed the photo from the envelope and looked at it closely. It was him, Ochaco and Izuku at the ice cream shop right after they returned from their internship the previous year. It had been one hell of a cold day, but milkshakes after a busy day had become their thing since their first year, and they wouldn't let the tradition die.

That tradition died when Mineta did. It had nothing to do with anything, but suddenly they were not up for it anymore. They never talked about it, but they also never texted each other with plans either – not a single hey, how about a milkshake after class?.

The sound of his classmates fumbling with their envelopes muffled the thoughts going on in Tenya's mind, that he'd been meaning to call Izuku and Ochaco for some milkshake after their social event, and instead he had to wash his friend's blood from his hands.

"He wrote on the back," someone said. Iida couldn't tell who, but it made him check the back of his photo too. "Too bright. Keep doing you. Izuku…"

You were always the best of us.

Izuku, what do you mean? Sometimes he was so weird.

"What is this ruckus about?" Aizawa said entering in the class, and they quickly found their seats. "Where's Midoriya?"

"We haven't seen him, sir," Yaoyorozu said raising her hand. "Did you get a photo too?"

"Excuse me?" the teacher asked, and some of them showed him their photos and he scanned the room quickly. "Uh… yes, I did."

Aizawa set his folder on the table and showed them the similar green envelope. He was frowning and seemed worried as if he knew something they didn't, but none of them could figure out what or how.

"I want to know how he broke into the teachers' lockers," he said still frowning. "All of you got a picture too?"

They hummed in confirmation. Sato looked to his right, to the empty seat that once belonged to Uraraka, wondering…

"They have a nice message on the back," Jiro said, turning her photo around to read again what was written, a small smile on her face.

Hagakure asked what he had written for her, but Sato got up and interrupted that conversation. He reached for Uraraka's table and lifted the lid just out of curiosity, and his curiosity was confirmed, for there was an envelope there too. He exchanged a look with Koda, who was watching his every move, and then he offered the envelope to Iida out of respect.

"Where did you find that?" Aizawa asked because he hadn't been paying attention to the back of the class, too occupied with what was being said by the front students. Sato pointed at Uraraka's seat.

With an unusual tremble, Tenya opened the envelope and retrieved the photo – it was the same he had posted on social media the previous night, with the same caption written on the back.

"What does it say?" Aizawa demanded; Tenya realized he hadn't read it out loud.

"I love you, I miss you, see you soon," he said.

"That's it?" the teacher asked and Tenya nodded. "When was the last time you saw Midoriya?"

"Last Saturday," Iida told him. "He said he'd meet Bakugo and then would meet with this kid from 1-A, Kaneda, I think?"

They could pinpoint the exact moment something clicked inside Aizawa's head just by the way he looked at them. He definitely knew something, and now they wanted to know what it was, but instead of telling them, he simply caught his own envelope and photo and headed to the door.

"Wait here," he said before leaving them even more confused than before.

"I think he might have an idea as to where Midoriya is," Tokoyami wondered, and then he looked to his left. "If he left one for Uraraka…"

Reading his mind, Momo got up and checked Mineta's desk, finding another envelope. She held it up, showing it to everyone before she peeked inside. Momo looked around at her colleagues, who were watching her expectantly, so she swallowed whatever fear it was she was feeling down, and she got the photo out, checking its back first; and when she read what was written, she felt ice in her veins.

-X-

That morning, it so happened that 1-A's homeroom teacher was down with the flu and Nemuri was covering for her; that would make Aizawa's life a lot easier, because Shiretoko was a much more strict teacher and he wouldn't be able to interrupt her class like he could with Kayama. Aizawa rushed down the corridors like the students couldn't even think of doing, and he got to 1-A's classroom in record time, pushing the door open violently.

"Shota!" Midnight exclaimed startled, and then she frowned. "Is there an emergency?"

"Yes," he said and looked at the students, spotting the one kid he was looking for on the third line. "Kaneda, did you talk to Midoriya this weekend?"

Terrified, the boy only stared at him wide-eyed, and Kayama stepped closer to Aizawa.

"What's this about?" she asked, but he ignored her, focusing on the student only.

"Did you or did you not talk with Midoriya from 3-A this weekend?" he insisted and Kaneda nodded nervously. "Did you help him? With your quirk, did you help him?"

Nemuri gasped, a hand covering her mouth when she cussed. She looked at Eraser and then at Kaneda, ready to play good cop.

"Kaneda, this is important, did you help him with your quirk?"

Kaneda nodded nervously, and the teachers exchanged a terrified look.

"I need to call Tsukauchi," he said to Nemuri and she nodded. He needed to call the cop directly linked to the federal facility that had been conserving a body that had the same DNA as Midoriya, only it'd been there for over a year, found in the crumbles of a blown house near the site the now 3rd years camped at. "Take him to Nezu."

-X-

Yaoyorozu looked up at them. Katsuki had a feeling she was avoiding looking at him on purpose, and that made him extra nervous. The photo on his desk had the crypt caption on its back of 'I know you're nice, so be nice', and his hands were sweaty already, fingers trembling as his breathing caught on his throat.

"See you on the other side," Momo read and offered the photo to the next person to see for themselves.

Immediately, Katsuki got up, struggling to breathe.

Somehow, he knew exactly what had happened. He saw enough TV and read enough books to know how it is when a room was tidy like Izuku's had been that morning, to know how the affairs put in order weren't a sign of good things. He knew what it meant, and he…

He needed to go.

"Bakugo?" someone called watching him go.

"Katsuki, are you okay?" Eijiro. He could recognize Eijiro's voice.

"It's a panic attack," one of the girls said. He was all the way to the back of the class already, and Katsuki had to stop and drop his head. Someone touched his back.

"Stay back," he said gasping. Why was it so hard to breathe?

-X-

"Alright, 1-A," Nemuri said to the class. "I'll need you to behave for a few while Aizawa and I take Kaneda to the principal's office, okay? Mika, you're in charge. I'll be right back."

She gestured for Kaneda to come and Shota was going through his contacts when the whole building shook with an explosion.

"Bakugo," Aizawa said under his breath, looking up. That damn genius kid was too smart for his own good.

"Give it to me," Midnight said reaching out for the phone. "Go check on your class."

Just as fast as he had come down, Aizawa went back up, and he found the 3-A students on a state of shock, tables turned and teary eyes looking at him frightened. Bakugo was passed out on the floor, Yaoyorozu sat by his side producing something out of her thigh, Kirishima held his boyfriend's head.

"What the hell happened here?" Eraser asked alarmed, and only then he realized that Yaoyorozu was silently crying.

"He was having a panic attack," she said sniffling. The thing she was making was ready, a pair of gloves that she put on Bakugo's hands tying them together before she caressed his face. "I'm so sorry, Bakugo," she whispered.

Yaoyorozu put her thumb under his nose, informing them that she was making a chemical to wake him up, and only a few seconds later he gasped for breath, eyes snapping open under the girl's continuous apologies.

Bakugo looked around, finding Eijiro first, and then focusing on the teacher who carefully stepped inside. Their eyes met and Aizawa didn't say anything, but Katsuki's lip trembled anyway and his eyes filled with tears.

He really knew.

Katsuki's silent cry, so similar to Yaoyorozu's, was a sensible difference from the explosion he just caused, from his loudness. It was unsettling, but so had been the days they'd been living for the past weeks or so.

Midoriya was gone, the third student in their class in a month that they wouldn't ever see again, a bright generation gone too soon.

-X-

One other student found a green envelope under his desk in school. So far, he was unaware of everything that was going on in his neighbor classroom, and it was with a confused expression that Shinso found a printed version of the selfie he took with Midoriya and Uraraka back at the summer camp. On its back, an address followed by a simple sentence.

Gran Torino will explain you everything.

a/n: Thanks for reading!

- Mt. Lady and Bakugo being cousins was borrowed by blamedorange
- Monoma's kidnapping was adapted from dangerouslyzanyperson's headcanon