inheritance | IC Inbox

[You know, she isn't surprised by this at all? It's hard to disguise shiny golden paper, and he's already read the poem, so... oh, well. She heaves the tiniest of sighs.]

They all just showed up one morning? I think this is my reward for not stealing anything during the quest. [A beat, and then:] Th-They're all copies of the poem Okuyasu wrote for me...

[Go ahead, Deku. Pick one up. Halfway across town, Okuyasu is probably screaming.]

All of them? [Wow that's... a lot??? Izuku picks one up from the pile and it sure is that poem he remembers reading some time ago.]

This town's rewards are really something. [Izuku looks torn between amusement and just awe at the number of copies she got. And at how shiny those copies are, dang.] They made the paper all fancy, too.

[She nods, confirming that, yes, every single piece of paper is indeed a copy of Okuyasu's poem. It's not as embarrassing as it was, but there's something creepy about the fact that Mr. F knew just how important the poem is to her. Ugh. But hey, on the plus side— they're pretty!!]

The rewards are pretty crazy, but the punishments are worse.

[Far worse. Even Deku's was... uncomfortable, and she's still not sure what, exactly, it was; the only thing she does know is that she never wants to see her friend like that again. But, uh! Positivity!!]

I'm glad that it's all over, though! Everything is back to normal, so... I guess that I should find something to do with all of that paper?

[Spoiler alert: NOTHING, because Ochako loves her poems.]

[Izuku shudders at that.] I'm gonna have to agree with that. I don't know exactly what they did to me, but it felt like I didn't care about a lot of things. Gathering knowledge, analyzing things... I didn't want to do any of that for the whole week.

Nijimura-kun's was terrible, too. I'm glad it's all over, too. [For both Ochako and Okuyasu. Izuku forces himself to shake off that gloom, though. Yes! Positivity!]

Why don't you just keep them, Uraraka-san? The poem means a lot to you.

[Even hearing him describe his punishment is terrible? It's enough to elicit a wince of sympathy, because it's almost like the town took away everything that made Deku Deku for an entire week. That was too far, Mr. F! That was too far!

But hmm, yes—back to her pile of poems, which she's giving an awfully fond look.]

Maybe I will? They are pretty. [So shiny!] I'll count them all one day, just to see how many I have. Dave took one, so...

[Just grab one, Deku. It's fine.]

[Izuku stifles a laugh.]

You gave Strider-kun a copy of the poem? If you're just handing them out, maybe I should take one for myself.

[He's kidding...probably??]

I did...

[It's less that she offered him a copy and more that he insisted on a copy, but Dave is certified Cool™, so. She only looks a bit sheepish about this whole thing.]

I don't mind if you take one, Deku-kun! They're nice to look at, and you did help me.

Eh? You're serious?

[Izuku looks surprised, then strangely touched. It's Important, after all, even if she does have like a million copies of it.]

[Giving him a copy of her personal poem is a little embarrassing, yes, but this Deku! He is, without a doubt, her best friend in this weird place, which is why she smiles and nods.]

Mm-hmm! If you really want one, then it's okay. Just put it somewhere... not out in the open?

[Deku reading it: fine. Shouto reading it: still fine. Other people reading it: can we not.]

[He's still stunned, but he'll take one of the poems and place it off to the side, separate from the huge pile.]

I'll make sure to keep it safe! [Izuku beams at her. Sure, the poem isn't for him, but Ochako trusts him with it and that's what makes this a big deal.]

Anyway, you still haven't told me how it happened! The... the kiss. [For all his earlier excitement, Izuku ends up stammering a little bashfully when he says those words.]

[And now... it is time. She is, understandably, quite nervous about sharing something so very special, but she focuses on smoothing her skirt as she tries to calm herself down. It's fine! Everything is fine!]

Well, you know that we couldn't talk! He was really worried about that...

[Which means that he crashed on her couch for a week and barely left her side! There's more to it, of course; she gives him a quick recap, making sure to highlight just how patient and attentive Okuyasu truly was, but she pauses midway through describing that last day of silence.]

I know it sounds silly, Deku-kun, but... I was starting to get scared? I didn't know if he'd ever be able to hear me again, and I kept thinking about Yaomomo, and Iida-kun, and how they both— [Disappeared? It's still a bit painful to think about, so she skips over it with a frown.] I didn't get to say goodbye to them, and I didn't want that to happen with Okuyasu, too. He's important to me! But I couldn't say anything, s-so...

[She takes a deep breath, feeling her cheeks warm up, but she's determined! To! Be Brave!]

So I kissed him!

[...Whoa, she said it! Now she can duck her face into her hands and try not to float away.]

I don't think it's silly, Uraraka-san. [He's been listening attentively the whole time, barely saying a word, though the way his expression softens is enough to show just what he thinks of the whole thing. Izuku had already known that Okuyasu cared for and appreciated his friend after seeing the sunflower and the poem. What Ochako's telling him now only cements it.

Izuku slips out of the chair and moves until he can crouch down in front of her and pull her hands away from her face. It's kind of incredible, if he thinks about it. Just a few months ago, he would have been too shy with her to even think about touching her so casually like this. Some of the things they've gone through together in this town were tough, to say the least, but if there's one thing he's grateful for, it's the new sense of familiarity he feels with his friends now.]

I feel the same about Iida-kun and Yaoyorozu-san, so I understand. You wanted to let Nijimura-kun know how you felt before you lost the chance--and you did! Your feelings got through to him, even though the town was messing around with you both.

[Smiling gently at her, Izuku shifts so that he's holding her hands in his.] I'm really happy for you, Uraraka-san.

[This is incredible. If Deku grabbed her hands like this before they arrived in this place, Ochako knows that her heart would have stopped; now, however, holding hands with him almost feels the same as holding hands with Tsuyu, or with Mina, or with any other close friend: it's... comfortable.

Hmm. She blinks down at him for a moment, feeling her cheeks begin to cool as she realizes that this doesn't feel awkward, either. Something has definitely changed in their friendship, but change isn't a bad thing. Change can, in fact, be a very, very good thing, and that's certainly what this feels like.]

...Thank you, Deku-kun. [Her voice is quiet, but hey, now she's smiling again.] I'm happy, too.

[About Okuyasu, obviously, and also about this. How can she put that into words, though? She pauses for a moment, considering this, before abruptly pulling her hands out of Deku's— and throwing her arms around his neck. Is this the best angle for a hug? Well, no, but she's determined to make this work!!]

And I'm really, really glad that we're friends!

[Sudden hug attack! A startled laugh escapes him as he catches Ochako and holds her close before they both fall over onto the floor. Hearing that she's happy is all that really matters to him in the end.]

I'm really glad we're friends, too. [It seems like forever ago that they met outside of UA's gates--two students hoping to pass the exam and find their place in the school's hero course. And yet, it hasn't even been a year, has it?

Izuku smiles, letting his head rest against hers.] Did you know that you were the first friend I ever made?

[There's Bakugou, of course. Even if things are still rocky between them, Izuku still counted him as a friend all those years ago--though they'd started off hanging out because they lived so close to one another. Ochako, though... she's the first friend he's really made on his own.]

IC Inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

kami, he looks so cute in that icon? i'm dead

nooo don't die!!

i am revived

good!!!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject