Izuku's Time Traveling Babysitting Service

Chapter Seven

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But What About Second Dinner?

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"Well, the television is fucked," Hanta said, looking over the cracks splayed across the screen.

"Sero! Language! There's a small child just beyond that door!" Tenya called out.

"Oh, excuse me," the tape-elbowed boy said with bitter sarcasm. "The television is dead, is that better?"

"Relax," Momo injected herself between her classmates. "It's the most damaged thing in the room, right? The speakers and the couch are all fine, and the table and chairs only got a bit scuffed up. So, we only need to replace one thing."

"Yeah," Katsuki spoke up, "but we wouldn't need to fix the room at all if that brat hadn't…"

"Don't start!" Mina confronted the explosive blonde. "Nana is four years old and her Quirk is far stronger than anyone thought it would be. Don't tell me nothing ever blew up in your house when you were that age."

"Still," Eijiro mused out loud. "Midoriya and Uraraka, I mean, did anyone see that coming?"

Yuga raised up his hand. "Oh, I completely saw this coming. I asked Uraraka about her feelings for Midoriya months ago!"

Mina's eyes lit up with enthusiasm that she only reserved for pairing people off. "You did? Aoyama, I wish I knew that! I've shipped those two as a couple since I learned about how Midoriya saved her from the zero-pointer!"

Katsuki rolled his eyes, picked up a trash bag, and moved on with his life as Mina and Yuga clasped hands behind him. He wanted nothing to do with this ship-fueled baby-fest. "Cleanup on aisle three, extras," he muttered.

Tsuyu paused mopping in the kitchen long enough to take the whole scene in. Everyone, like her, was focused on cleaning. However, all their minds were on the occupied bathroom, or specifically the small family inside it. "Despite the mess, I'm really happy for them, kero," she observed.

"Who'd have thought that Midoriya could make such a cute kid?" Kyoka mused out loud while wiping down the table after the guys set it upright.

Toru scoffed while setting up some chairs back where they belonged. "Um, hello? Have you seen the guys in this class? Most of them have cute faces and six-pack abs. I'm just surprised Nana doesn't have freckles."

"Actually, she does, they're just really small," Mina said while getting her phone out. "Here let me… Oh, hey, did anyone get their phone out and film the chaos? The only pics I have of her are from this morning."

"Is no one else worried about the television?" Hanta asked the rest of the room.

Momo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell you what. I'll replace it. I'll even upgrade to a better model, sound good? In the meantime, watch shows on your pad."

All attempts to clean the room or maintain their conversations stopped when Itsuka emerged from the bathroom. The class rep from 1-B chuckled awkwardly as all eyes in the room settled on her. "Um, they'll be out in a moment. Nana needs a bath, though, so please give them some space so they can take her upstairs."

"Nana's going to be okay, though?" Toru asked.

Itsuka nodded. "Yeah, she'll be fine. She probably needs something simple for her stomach, though."

Tsuyu, still in the kitchen, moved without being directed. "Rice with a bit of salt and butter is the best option. It's what my parents used whenever any of us got sick."

The door to the bathroom opened again. Izuku emerged first as though to shield Ochako and Nana with his body. Nana's arms were wrapped around Ochako's neck as though she were a Koala on her favorite tree.

Ochako and Izuku both tensed up as Katsuki marched directly up to them. Izuku instinctively placed an arm between him and Ochako. The rest of the room watched, ready to jump in just in case Katsuki's tense relationship with Izuku came to a head around Nana.

"Hey, Nana," Katsuki called out, but his voice was a somewhat higher, softer pitch than normal.

Nana turned from nuzzling her face into Ochako's neck to look over at her Uncle Kacha.

Katsuki smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you this morning. You're growing up too fast, kid,"

Nana smiled shyly at her favorite uncle. "You're not mad at me, are you, Uncle Kacha?"

Katsuki glanced at the ruined television. "Nah, kid. I'm not mad. We got to work on your Quirk together, though. You have some real range on that, just like your Uncle, so you're going to need me to help you out, ok?"

Nana nodded so enthusiastically that her cheeks wobbled from the effort. "I love you, Uncle Kacha!"

"Back at you, kid," Katsuki smirked.

"Hero-princess," Nana corrected.

"Huh?" Katsuki looked confused.

"I'm a hero-princess, Uncle Kacha. I'm not just a kid," Nana said defiantly.

"Sure thing, your majesty," Katsuki said with a wry grin, allowing that smirk to grow until his entire face changed. He backed off then, but not before shooting Izuku a glare that threatened death if this topic was ever brought up again.

Izuku smiled, disarmed by seeing a side of Kacchan he'd never seen before. After only a moment, though, he composed himself and declared, "Alright, everyone, we need to take Nana upstairs for a bath."

"When you're done," Tsuyu interrupted, "I'll bring up some rice for her."

"Thank you," Ochako said.

"Go on, you two," Mina said. "Don't worry about anything else, you just help Nana out."

Itsuka stepped forward. "Do you want my help with anything?"

Ochako turned and almost dismissed Itsuka. She almost sent the girl back to her dorm but was caught by the desperation in the girl's eyes as they fixated on Nana. She didn't sense any hostility, and malice, but there was a longing that needed to be addressed. "Actually, Deku, why don't you let Itsuka and I handle the bath while you help fix things down here?"

Izuku was caught off guard. "Oh? Alright, if you think that's best…"

He paused and swallowed as he felt Mina's eyes boring holes into his head. "If you think that's best what?" she asked. "Best, dear? Best, love? Hmmm?"

"Hurry," he whispered pleadingly to Ochako. "Don't leave me with them for too long."

With a super sweet smile on her face, Ochako kissed him softly on his cheek. Izuku felt painfully aware of all the eyes on him. Before Izuku could react, she headed upstairs with Nana in her arms. Itsuka smiled apologetically at Izuku on her way past him. He was left wondering if Ochako did that out of affection or some small revenge for keeping this secret from her for as long as he did.

As Mina and Toru approached him, Izuku knew the answer. It was both.

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Itsuka ran the water while Ochako undressed Nana. "Thank you," she said to the future mother. "Thank you for letting me help."

Ochako smiled and tickled Nana a bit, earning a giggle. "Of course. I mean, you've been helping already."

"I'd like to keep helping," Itsuka confessed.

Ochako brought Nana with her to the tub and sat her on a tiny bench just beside it. "Help me wash her, then?"

"Tickles," was all Nana said as the two teens worked on washing her, getting every part of her from her hair to her toes.

"I want you to keep helping, but I also want you to make room for me," Ochako said while they rinsed Nana off. "You've spent more time with my daughter than I have, and I want to have some of that time back. That doesn't mean that you're unappreciated, I just want to be included now that I know she's mine."

Itsuka took Ochako's hand. Though they were slick with soapy water, the two felt comfort in each other's presence. "You're her mother," Itsuka stated firmly. "I'm her aunt. We both know which is which. I just want to be the best aunt she could ever want."

Ochako smiled and nodded, glad that the two of them had an understanding. Still, she had to be certain. "They're easy to fall in love with, aren't they?"

Itsuka's expression was one of confusion, but her eyes didn't seem lost. Ochako saw through the feigned befuddlement. "Nana and Deku are easy to love," Ochako clarified.

The orange-haired beauty blushed and refocused her efforts on Nana. "I didn't see what kind of father he'd become until he brought Nana here with him, that's all."

Ochako, however, did not let go of Itsuka's hand. "Promise me that you won't do anything to endanger Nana's existence, her future birth, and I promise I won't be upset at you no matter what you feel."

One stray tear left Itsuka's eye. "I promise," she said before kissing the top of Nana's wet mop of hair. "I will do anything I can for you, for all of you. Uraraka, no, Ochako, I love your family. I might love each person in it, some more than I should, but I'm in love with your family, and I want to see a future with Nana in it."

"Mama?" Nana asked from below their heads, causing both girls to look down. "You and Aunt Itsu talk too much. I don't have any toys."

Ochako caressed a plump freckled cheek, admiring the bits of her and Deku that combined into this beautiful face. "We're making this a quick bath, Nana, so no major tub time. We'll soak you for a bit and then it's time to get to bed. How does your tummy feel?"

Nana placed both hands on top of her belly. "I'm really hungry, Mama. Can we have second dinner?"

Itsuka laughed while rinsing under Nana's arms. "You have second dinner?"

Nana nodded. "That's after Papa does his night-time workout."

"Evening workout," Ochako offered.

Nana nodded and smiled. "Evening workout. Yeah! He eats dinner with us, kisses Mama and me, then goes to the gym in our basement. When he gets out, he gets more dinner. Sometimes I have some too!"

Itsuka smirked at Ochako before asking, "So, just how big is Papa?"

Energetic and wet, the child stood up and raised her arms high above her head. "Papa is huge! He's strong, too! He's really tall, way taller than Mama or Cousin Eri! Wait, Aunt Itsu, you're at our house all the time. You know this stuff."

Ochako, blushing from thoughts about an adult-version of Deku, a very adult version, suddenly was off balance. "Wait, Nana, Aunt Itsu is at our house all the time? Does she," Ochako paused, wondering if she was prying too deeply into the future. "Does Aunt Itsu sleep over a lot?"

Nana nodded, "Mostly when Papa is out."

Ochako and Itsuka made eye contact at that comment. That couldn't mean what they each thought it meant. No, that was a fleeting thought, even if they each suspected the other had it at the same time. No, a four-year-old couldn't confirm or deny such a thing for them.

A startling thought, though, crept into Ochako's mind. Did they already affect the timeline? Did Itsuka's attraction to Izuku, combined with her devotion to their family, relegate her into a role within their house? Or was she a good aunt before Nana was sent back in time?

Itsuka's eyebrow twitched. The motion caught Ochako's eye. "Nana," Itsuka knelt down until she was at eye level with her. "Where do I sleep when I sleepover? With you and Mama, I bet," she smiled.

Nana nodded happily. "Yup, and I get to be the monkey in the middle! You get Papa's spot, Mama keeps her spot, and I get to have the middle!"

Ochako sighed. Was this relief? She wasn't sure. How would she have felt if she'd learned that Itsuka slept in the same room as her without Nana there, or with her and Deku? The thought stirred up feelings of jealousy, excitement, and emotions Ochako didn't know the names and labels well enough to identify them.

Was Ochako disappointed to learn that there was no intimacy between them beyond friendship? Did it feel right to have Itsuka spend so much of her life helping them without… that, in return? She wasn't sure either way, but she was relieved to know that they were on course to a future where Deku's heart was all hers, all Ochako's. It, and looking into Nana's wonderous green eyes, made her feel like the richest woman in the world.

Itsuka chose that moment to grab some towels. "I'll let you soak your baby, Mama. You need some one on one time."

Itsuka's absence startled something inside Ochako. Now, just her and Nana, Ochako was confronted with the future, and the future was shining, smiling, and beautiful. After putting Nana in the tub she asked, "So, what do you like to have for second dinner?"

Nana's smile melted Ochako's heart. "I like pancakes and peanut butter, but Papa likes steak."

"Are pancakes your favorite food?" Ochako asked.

"No," Nana thought for a minute while soaking in the tub. "I like the mochi you and Papa make together, but you said that's for holidays and birthdays."

Ochako felt tears welling up like a rising tide behind her eyes. "Papa and I make mochi together? Do you watch?"

Nana nodded. "Sometimes Uncle Eiji helps out with the rice, but Papa always does it. He and Papa punch it a lot. You make it into mochi when they're done. I like your strawberry mochi the best, but you keep making green tea mochi the most."

That made Ochako wonder out loud, "Is that because Papa likes the green tea ones?"

Nana nodded. "You told me that each one gives him energy and helps him remember us when he's out."

Ochako blinked, "Wait, am I never out with him?"

Nana kicked up some water, obviously upset. "You're out a lot. Sometimes it's just me and Aunt Itsu at the house.

"No splashing," Ochako warned, and Nana listened.

I'm a hero with Deku, Ochako thought, and we're married, and we have a daughter and a house. Itsuka comes over often and helps out. She's probably my best friend. My daughter wants more time with me, and with Deku. Are we messing up our job as parents? Are we spending enough time with our daughter? Should I cut back my hours as a hero?

The thoughts overwhelmed Ochako. These problems were years away, yet with Nana in front of her, they felt just as tangible and present as any of the tests she was studying for.

"Mama," Ochako was startled when Nana laid a tiny hand on top of her own. Ochako gripped the side of the tub tightly, relaxing her fingers only after her daughter laid a hand to comfort her. "Mama," Nana repeated, not knowing what to say to make her mother feel better.

"Hey there, baby girl. Mama spaced out there a bit, didn't she?" Ochako asked.

Nana nodded but smiled all the same. "Mama, I'm getting prune-ee. Can we have second dinner now?"

"Not until Mama does a better job combing your hair than Papa's been doing," Ochako said, thinking back on how Nana's hair looked earlier today.

Nana pouted. "Okay," she surrendered to her fate.

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After combing her hair and drying her off, Ochako and Itsuka brought a towel-wrapped Nana to Izuku's room.

"Oh, hey," Izuku said, glad to see them all.

"Let me go get that rice from Asui," Itsuka said, departing before Izuku could finish whatever he'd started to say.

Once inside, Ochako marveled at the side of the crate Izuku was rummaging through. "Is that was they, er, what we packed for her?"

Izuku emerged with some onesie-style pajamas for Nana to wear. It looked like a mockery of Katsuki's hero outfit. "Deku, is that what I think it is?"

"Ground Zero is her favorite hero," Izuku said while hiding what that made him feel. Somehow, the depressing disappointment bled through his words, making Ochako wince.

"She must get that from you," Ochako said, trying to find some humor in it. "Cause that kind of taste doesn't come from me."

"Oh, haha," Izuku said.

"Shi-ne!" Nana cried triumphantly once the onesie was on. Her stomach followed up her battle cry with a contained explosion. Nana gripped her midsection. "Oooh," she said.

"Are you alright, Nana?" Izuku said, kneeling down next to his daughter.

Nana nodded. "Hungry."

Itsuka knocked on the door before entering with a steaming bowl of bland buttered rice. "Who ordered second dinner?" she asked with a smile.

"Me! Me, me, me!" Nana jumped up and down onto her tip-toes while reaching up for the food.

"Say please, and you can have the rice," Ochako said, taking the bowl from Itsuka.

"I wanted pancakes," Nana folded her arms in objection to this outrage.

"Not after throwing up, you don't. Eat your rice, but still say please," Ochako said, refusing to back down despite how cute Nana was.

"Please," came a tiny voice from the dark depths of Nana's hunger, muted by her desire for pancakes.

After Ochako knelt down the give Nana the rice and chopsticks, Nana seemed to struggle. "Oh," Ochako said, seeing the problem. "Deku, you hold the bowl for her," she said before grabbing some paper and a rubber band from his desk. With these, Ochako fashioned a set of "cheater chopsticks" for Nana to use.

"Where did you learn to make that so quickly?" Itsuka asked.

"I've done my time as a waitress over school breaks, mostly serving my dad's construction crews on a food truck, but we sold to whoever came calling," Ochako confided, feeling freer to confess that to these two than she would have otherwise. Before today, she was so ashamed of her time working on that food truck that she never mentioned it to anyone.

"That's a neat skill," Izuku said while holding the rice still for Nana. Nana, in turn, stuffed her face until her cheeks exploded with rice.

"Well, I'd better get back to my dorm and get ready for tomorrow. Izuku, text me the babysitting schedule in the morning, okay?" Itsuka waved before turning to leave.

"Kendo, wait," Ochako said.

Itsuka turned back and was surprised when Ochako grabbed her up into a tight hug. "What's this for?" she asked as she returned the hug to Ochako.

"Thank you," Ochako whispered. "You've helped me and my family before I even knew I had one. Thank you so much, Kendo. You're a better friend than I ever knew you'd be."

They each hugged each other just a bit tighter. "Anything for Nana's mom," Kendo whispered back.

"Best Aunt Ever," Ochako replied.

The two of them paused, finding a pair of tiny hands trying to hold onto their legs in an awkward hug. "I want hugs too," Nana said from below them.

The two girls looked over to find Izuku holding the rigged chopsticks and the bowl of rice. He shrugged with a smile on his face before placing both items on his desk.

Itsuka knelt to given Nana a hug. "I'm not leaving without a hug from my favorite niece," she said.

"I love you, Aunt Itsu," Nana said while wrapping her arms around Itsuka's neck.

"I love you too, hero-princess," Itsuka said, holding Nana close. "It scares me how much I love you."

"Why is it scary?" Nana asked.

Itsuka didn't let go, not yet. "It's scary because I love you more than I thought I could love anyone," the teen confessed. "Now, you be good and stay with Mama and Papa, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Nana nodded. "Okay Aunt Itsu," she said. "Good night."

Ochako picked Nana up and the child waved goodbye to Itsuka as the teen turned to leave. Then, finally, it was just the three of them. Ochako turned towards Izuku and carried Nana over to him. "Now, regarding tonight's sleeping arrangements," Ochako began, cutting herself off long enough to grab up the rice bowl and chopsticks for Nana.

Izuku swallowed hard. "Eh? What?"

Ochako smiled at him. "Could you feed her while I go grab my pajamas?"

Izuku blinked. "Huh? You mean, you're sleeping here, with me?"

Ochako smirked at him. "As a family, Deku. Nana's not getting born just yet."

Speechless, Izuku flushed crimson before her eyes.

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A Note from the Author

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Well, I was supposed to write a chapter of "The Reflection in the Viridescent Mirror," but there were a lot of distractions so I thought writing a chapter of by babysitting fic would be easier. However, it was uphill writing this because I keep thinking about Izuku and Ochako on that mountain together at the cliffhanger I left everyone at in "My Green Sun Prince Academia," as though the characters are upset with me for leaving them that way for so long. So, I resolved to finish this chapter and then write that as my next work.

Before I forget, please feel free to reach out to me on Discord at discord. gg/25BTet3 (Please remove spaces). I drop tiny updates and minor spoiler texts for what I'm working on there. We're a small but chill group.

Thank you, all of you, for the outpouring of love you've shown "Izuku's Time Traveling Babysitting Service." Every day I get notifications for more followers and kudos specifically for this fic. It's an amazing reaction. So far, you've given this fic 60 Review, 326 Followers, 229 Favorites, and 15,943 Views on FFN and 242 Subscriptions, 9,929 Hits, 355 Kudos, 113 Comment Threads with 265 Comments, and 119 Bookmarks. Seriously, thank you.

On a weird note, I recall distinctly replying to everyone's comments on FFN, but cannot find my review on FFN. So, it looks like I'll redraft my reply along with replying to new comments before moving on to work on my next chapter, which will be in my much-longer mature-themed epic, "My Green Sun Prince Academia."

See you all at the next chapter!