Chapter Text
“I AM HERE!! It is now 10 AM, don’t let this day go to waste!” hollered All Might’s voice over a bombastic fanfare, Deku shooting up in a panic.
“I OVERSLEPT!!!” he screeches, the green glow of Full Cowling drowning out the sliver of sunlight creeping through the blinds. The alarm continued its cries as Deku raced around his dorm room, collecting all his clothes, phone, and bath materials before practically running his door over, sprinting full tilt to the showers; his haste catches the attention of Iida, stretching in the common before he recognizes the streak of green energy blink by.
“MIDORIYA-KUN, RUNNING IN THE HALLS IS-” Iida is blown away by the sheer amount of speed, falling flat on his face before Deku disappears around a corner.
5 alarms. FIVE of them. How on earth could he have slept through them all?! Sure he was tired, sure he did that extra handful of marathons yesterday at 30% the whole time, but that’s no excuse!
He promised her.
He promised that he’d be there, and for him to cut it this close, to be LATE? He wouldn’t accept it. But regardless? There was no way.
No way.
Even if he caught a bullet train straight there, or if he flew, or if somehow he could use 100% of One For All the entire way there, he wasn’t going to make it. It made him want to cry, after the revelations at the waterpark, after all the hoops they had to jump through to work things into their schedule this close to exams-
“MIDORIYA-KUN, DID YOU HEAR ME?!” screams a peeved voice from behind them, the roar of jet-engines closing in reverberating off of the dorm’s walls. Iida was in hot pursuit, nipping at Midoriya’s heels and making Deku panic even further.
“IIDA-KUN, IT’S IMPORTANT!!” he pleads, picking up his pace as they tore through the dorms, Deku diving out of an open window towards the bathhouse, “MY SHOWER IS BROKEN AND I HAVE PLANS, YOU KNOW THAT-”
“THAT IS NO EXCUSE, YOU ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM THE RULES, MIDORIYA-KUN!!” He can hear the jet engines on Iida’s legs begin to spool up behind him as they follow him effortlessly out of the dorms, making his hair stand on end.
Oh god. He’s serious? Reciproburst? Over some running?
“C-C-COME ON, IIDA-KUN, BE REASONABLE, HOW OFTEN DO I BREAK THE RULES?! CUT ME SOME SLACK THIS ONCE!!” Iida laughs, and he feels even more air rush by him; the noise from his engines drown out even his frantic breathing, its intakes sucking away so much air that it threatened to take his legs, too, if he wasn’t careful. “IIDA-KUN!!” There’s a final whoosh of air that’s sucked in behind him, and he hears the engines roar to full power.
“IT’S LIKE YOU HAVEN’T MET ME AT ALL, MIDORIYA-KUN!!”
He doesn’t even see it happen; the only indication Iida passed him at all was the sudden heat from his engines off to his side that left as quickly as they came, the rush of air shooting by him jostling his stride. He blinks, and before the entrance to the bathhouse stands Iida, with his hand out, a stern scowl on his face. Midoriya’s heels make him screech to a halt, just inches from Iida’s outstretched palm.
“I...damn it…” chokes out Midoriya, his teeth clenched tight.
It was over.
He’d have to call and tell her he’d be late. No, he’d just have to flat-out cancel. This was a disgrace. All this planning, for nothing, for him to just waste her time some more.
“Whew...Midoriya-kun, while I appreciate the workout, I must remind you that-”
“I know. No running in the building, got it. Thank you.” he replies flatly, slowly getting up to his feet, “Excuse me.”
He’s a hopeless wreck. And who knows when their schedules would open up again, this could very well be the very last chance they got together before graduating, and then it would only go downhill, with assignments in different parts of Japan, interviews, commercial deals, agents, meetings, it was a mess.
And it was all because he couldn’t just take it easy for one day.
“Of course, but-”
“Iida-kun, I get it. It’s fine. I’m sorry.” Deku trudges past Iida, patting his pockets for his phone.
Of course it wasn’t there.
Perfect.
Before Deku can scream so loud that his own mother would probably hear him from here, he feels Iida tap his shoulder.
“Midoriya-kun, perhaps this has to do with your outing with Uraraka-san?” Iida produces Midoriya’s phone from over his shoulder. “You should be more careful, but I don’t understand why-” Midoriya’s face flushes, grabbing his phone from his friend.
“I’m LATE, Iida, I-” Iida looks at him, absolutely confounded.
“Late? On the contrary, I’m surprised you’re up at all. Those back to back marathons on the track looked strenuous.”
“And?!” Deku whips his head around to face Iida now, his cheeks bright red, tears forming under his eyes, “That shouldn’t matter! I promised her that I’d make it, a-and furthermore, how’d you-”
“She told me before she went to practice.” Iida takes his glasses off, cleaning them with his t-shirt, “She also mentioned the time. 11-”
“YES, Iida, it’s at 11, now if you’ll excuse me-” Iida can’t help but laugh.
“You didn’t let me finish, Midoriya-kun! 11, at night. Check your texts, perhaps?” Deku stares at Iida like he’d told him the ocean were made of blueberry flavored cotton candy.
“No, that’s not right, I know she said 11 in the morning, I’m…” he stares down at his phone before he clicks it on.
05:34: I made it back to the dorms x ~ x;
05:34: you did so great today Deku-kun!!☆ヾ( ⚫・∀・)ﾉ try and rest!
05:34: but oh!! At 11 today?
05:34: 11 today, got it!
05:34: alright!! I’ll meet you there ( ⚫◜ ◡ ◝)
He was right, it WAS 11, and now Iida just delayed him even further. And then his eyes travel to the last texts she’d sent him.
05:37: oh my gosh, 11 at NIGHT, not the morning- please get your sleep!! (;;●´⌓`)!
05:40: oh no...you probably fell asleep already but good night! or good morning, I guess pffft
Deku stares at the text with Iida chuckling from behind him.
“So, was I right?” Deku says nothing, slowly putting his phone back into his pocket. Iida pats his shoulder, beaming. “It’s admirable how much you care for punctuality, Midoriya-kun, but I’m sure that even if you were late, she’d understand.” Deku nods meekly. He didn’t even wish her goodnight. Some partner he was.
Iida jostles him gently, halting his train of thought before it even departs.
“So, what say you and I have a rematch on the track? I’ve seen you move quicker, Midoriya-kun.” Deku mulls it over in his head briefly, before a small smile appears on his face.
“Yeah, of course.” Iida nods, turning back towards the dorms with Midoriya following suit, whose eyes catch on the jet engines in Iida’s calves, “But, man, those jet engines are amazing, I know you just got them but jeez, even with the wind-up time versus your old engines, the sheer speed afterwards is INCREDIBLE, I can’t even imagine what you’ll do with them when you’ve fully mastered them-” The pair walk off back towards the dorms, with Midoriya gushing on and on about Iida’s legs the entire way there.
The day rolls by in a blur, his race with Iida -and the fact that he’d only really gotten 4 hours of proper sleep- sapping whatever energy he’d had left. Before he knew it, the sun had begun to set as he made his long march back to the showers with a fresh change of clothes, his eyes glued to his phone.
21:16: managed to catch your race with Iida
21:16: didn’t even realize you could move that fast holy cow (⚫⊙ꇴ⊙⚫);
Deku freezes. She was watching him? Oh my goodness. His hair was all messy and he was probably huffing and puffing an unsightly amount, with all the strain he was putting on his body-
He takes a deep breath.
Calm down. Of course she would, her practice match wasn’t even until 12, she had a little time to stop by before she left. Why wouldn’t she? But it made him just that much sadder that he didn’t even get to see her off.
21:16: Yeah, that was definitely pushing it. I can’t even imagine how fast he’ll be when he really gets used to those new engines…
21:16: I knoooow...but how’re you holding up? I’m sorry for not being more clear ( ;⚫ˊ ᐞ ˋ) you must be exhausted
21:17: I’m fine!!
21:17: I promise I’m fine- I should’ve been more inquisitive.
21:17: (^ - ^;)ゞ
21:17: deku… >:/
He panics just a little at her discontent. But he knows she’s just concerned about him; him being awake is nowhere near what should be happening right now, but a promise was a promise.
21:18: It’s okay, I swear! I’m about to take a shower anyway, so that’ll wash away any sort of tiredness pretty handily. How was your day though??
21:18: …
21:19: you’re ridiculous (；⚫¬д¬) but my day was good!
21:19: got a lot of cool new prospects for judo club and got a lot of training done, you should stop by and introduce yourself sometime! maybe even get on the mat
21:19: you’d fit right in with all the combat nerds- might even teach em a thing or two!! (⚫≧▽ﾟ)b
He bristles at the suggestion; that was a lot of new people to meet. Not to mention that with the added expectation of being their captain’s prospective boyfriend, he’d for sure make a fool of himself. And her.
21:20: Oh no, I don’t know if I could...my combat style doesn’t involve grappling anyway.
21:21: never too late to learn! besides...aren't ya just scared I’ll kick your butt?
21:21: (⚫ •̀ ω •́ ⚫)✧
Midoriya laughs, smiling at his phone. In a hand-to-hand combat situation, without quirks? She probably could.
21:21: So am I just gonna be there to boost your ego, captain?
21:21: depends~ but anyway take your shower!! I gotta get ready too
21:22: still gotta take a train over and it’s been so hectic that I haven’t gotten to shower yet either ( ⚫ TT ﹏ TT)
21:22: Okay! I’ll see you soon, Uraraka-san.
21:22: ( ⚫゜- ゜)...
21:22: ya don’t have to be so formal y’know
Deku yelps. Habits were hard to break, after all.
21:22: Sorry! I’ll see you soon, Uraraka*. (> ~ <;; )
21:23: pfffft...we’ll work on it
21:23: ttyl dork <3
His heart flutters. He knows it’s just an emoticon, as casual as it gets. But as he turns the water up as far as it’ll go, he can’t help but feel his face flush, and he knows damn well that’s not just from the steam. He strips his shirt off and takes a seat on the bench outside, staring at his phone for what seems like eons before he finally finds his nerve.
It’s just an emote, she used it too so you’re using it back. That’s all.
Completely innocuous.
You’ll tell her how you really feel later.
21:25: Later, Uraraka! ヾ(･▽･ ｡)
He stares at the screen, waiting, watching for something, anything to happen. Waiting for someone or something, some outside force to will his fingers to move before he takes a deep breath, spurred on by the incessant thumping in his chest that drone louder than the roar of the shower behind him.
It’s just an emote.
21:27: <3
With that, he gets up, sets his phone down, and hops into the shower. He had a date to prepare for. The shower breathes new life into the young hero, the ache and soreness in his muscles rushing down the drain with the water and suds. If anything, he’d probably just delay on reporting about broken shower in his dorm. The water pressure here was much stronger, and the temperatures hot enough to boil an egg on the spot.
Perfect, then.
He wishes he had more time, leaning against the back of the shower wall and just letting himself soak it all in until he’s nothing but a shriveled, bright pink raisin, but he knows he has a schedule to keep. Reluctantly, he shuts the shower down and grabs a towel, wrapping it tight around his waist before he steps out. The temperature difference sends another invigorating shock to his body, making him take a deep breath in…
And finally, out.
It was okay. Everything was going to go fine today, he was sure of it. It’s as simple as dates get, a midnight showing of a new movie. They’d have a good time, bond some more, and maybe even discuss their feelings for one another and how it all happened. And hopefully she wouldn’t laugh at his inexperience with it all. He slowly got dressed, as all the different scenarios began playing out in his head. What if he stuttered a bunch? Couldn’t even look at her? What if he was just distracted the entire time just trying to think of something to say in response? What if someone tried to pick a fight with them because he wasn’t paying attention and bumped into them?
...What if an attack happened?
What if they got recognized and surrounded?
He didn’t know what was worse.
The gossip, rampant speculation, conspiracy theories, and scandal that would ensue, or the League showing their faces and catching them both off guard; the very last scenario he wanted happening was something like Kacchan’s kidnapping. What if they got called out for an emergency as well? That was very much a possibility, they were both officially registered heroes. Of course he’d go. And he knows she would, too. Without question, they’d go. But then it hits him. It hits him like a million speeding freight trains at once.
What if she got hurt? What if he couldn’t protect her?
Even All Might wasn’t fallible, and he was All Might. What could he do? All he could use was 35% of One For All, at most. He wasn’t going to be able to go toe to toe with All For One. There was no way. If something like that came, he’d be powerless. He glances up at the mirror, staring at himself.
He was still a target. And he was going to get her hurt.
No amount of training could ever hope to prepare him for that, this was an awful idea and he was selfish for even humoring the idea that he could ever hope to give her the sort of protection she deserved, how could she put her trust in him like this, just call and cancel, no, that’s stupid, but there’s-
His phone’s ringtone claws him away from his funk, just. He glances back at it, and it’s a picture of Uraraka. In a panic, he dives for the phone, picking it up just before its very last ring.
“Uraraka-san, hey!!!” he gasps out, Uraraka grumbling on the other end.
“When I said ‘we’ll work on it’, I did mean you need to put in a little effort too, y’know!!” Deku gasps, cupping his mouth.
“Ah jeez, I’m sorry, U...Uraraka. But, um hey!!” he sits down, throwing on his jacket and scarf, “What’s up?”
“Just wanted to make sure you know the movie theater, it’s-”
“The one in Shibuya Station, yeah! I know the one.”
“Alright! That’s perfect. I’ll meet you at there, then?” Deku slips on his shoes and gets up to his feet, taking one more deep breath before he answers.
All those thoughts aren’t important right now. He just needs to make sure he’s on-time.
“You got it, Uraraka-s- uh, I-I mean, Uraraka.” he hears her laugh on the other end, that same infectious, cheerful, beautiful birdsong of a laugh.
“Well hey, that’s progress! But, I’ll see you in a bit. I’ll text ya!” He doesn’t know how she does it. And doesn’t much care. Her voice, in his mind, could cure any and all ailments he had, Recovery Girl be damned. Screw All For One.
For her, he’d take on anyone, however he needed to.
For her, no task was too great.
“For sure! I’ll text you, Uraraka.” Her laugh is softer this time. He can just barely catch it, but it’s definitely softer. Almost somber.
“Ha, see? Not so hard, is it? Bye, Deku-kun!”
“Later!” With that, the line clicks dead, Deku staring at the phone in his palm. He was going to do right by her. She chose him for a reason, so he’d see this through. He walks out of the bathhouse with a spring in his step, the crisp night air filling his lungs.
It was going to be a good night. No, he could do better than that; he’d make sure it went perfectly.
He kept this in mind all the way to the main gate, repeating it to himself as he ran all the way to the train station, dashing in and out of crowds flooding the street on a Saturday night. He repeated it to himself as he practically vaulted over the ticketing booth, just barely managing to tap his card on the scanner before he touches down on the other side of the booth gates. It was going to go perfectly, he thought to himself as he plopped down onto a bench, awaiting the next train. So perfectly, that he felt himself drifting off, it was THAT serene and dreamlike. Just a quick nap, he thought. That'd be perfect.
Deku is startled awake to a train arriving, cursing himself; he couldn't have fallen asleep for that long, sure, but that was reckless of him. So reckless, that he very nearly falls over when he checks the time.
It's 10:32. Oh no.
He looks at the train and he runs the numbers in his head. From here to Shibuya was going to take at LEAST 45 minutes, and maybe, if he's lucky, a station or two is closed for repairs. There was no way he'd even begin to make it. God DAMN it. He very nearly punches the wall so hard that it cracks, the time banners overhead trembling from the shock. He looks around, trying to think of something, ANYTHING as an alternative. And then he sees the train tracks snaking their way into the glimmering lights of the city, cutting through the rooftops jutting out of the earth like jagged building blocks, stretching out into the night's horizon as far as the eye can see. In his mind, it clicks.
No one had to know.
He pulls his hoodie up as far as it'll go and wraps his scarf tight around his face, as the power of One For All begins to course through his body. The train would take an hour. At 45%? He'd figure that's enough time to get there, find a place to grab some water and cool off. He'd be plenty faster. He walks back towards the stairs with crowds around him now murmuring about the strange man in a hood glowing with green energy, before he takes a running jump across the train tracks onto the rooftops parallel to them, rolling across effortlessly before he really powered up, leaping dozens of meters across the tops of buildings with the dexterity of a swallow, sparkling like a brilliant green firefly in the night sky. The streetlights and storefronts below streak by his peripheral vision, melding together in a blur of yellow and white as he picks his pace up, the cold autumn air stinging his eyes, forcing them open. He could admit, this was dangerous. This was reckless, a write-up and possibly even a sanction if he got caught doing this outside of an official capacity. But he smiles.
It was a big world, with a lot of different quirks. Who's to decisively say that it was him flying through the sky?
His smile turns to laughter, full-throated, ecstatic, absolutely giddy laughter. Just this once, he wanted to live by his own rules. Just for tonight. In the distance, he sees the shining lights of Shibuya Station, and his heart begins to pump even faster. He'd get closer, first, then find an alley to drop into and run the rest of the way. It was the perfect crime, he snickered, before Uraraka filled his thoughts. He would kick himself, but he can't help but smile, even if it's out of melancholy. His heart can't help but be filled with overwhelming gratitude and regret, his emotions flooding over. She'd felt for him for that long, and he didn't have the slightest clue. He couldn't imagine how that made her feel, how awful it must have been. Even if he fancied her back, what good was that if he didn't come forward about it? Would he have even come out about it at all? It's precisely that question that terrifies him. He promises himself, there and then as he soars through the sky.
Never again.
Screw 'just once'. He wasn't ever going to keep her waiting ever again, no matter what. She did her time. Now it was his turn to return her investment, plus interest. It's then that his phone rings, and Deku immediately finds the nearest rooftop to pause on, his sneakers squealing harshly as he skids to a halt. He doesn't even bother to double check who it is, he just needs to hurry up and answer.
"H-hello?" he huffs, finally getting a chance to catch his breath. 45% was definitely a step up.
"Deku, hey! Are you okay? I was texting you and you weren't-"
"I'M SORRY, I-" he gulps some more air in, his lungs finally catching up to the rest of his body, "I'm sorry. I...fell asleep." He braces for the disappointment, the knowing scoff, the aural equivalent of her shaking her head at him in disgust. But it never comes. He could make as many promises as he wanted, but it wouldn't fix the fact that he screwed up big time tonight, and he's ready. He's ready for her to chew him out.
"It's okay, Deku-kun. Should I head home?" His whole body recoils at how calm she sounds.
"No, NO!" he takes a deep breath, the words on his mind clawing at his throat, "I...I um, well, I kinda fell asleep when I was waiting for the train and I was gonna call you but I figured it's Saturday night and everyone's doing their own thing that, well, who would notice or even care if some guy, hypothetically, used their quirk for some fast means of travel because I mean really, the police have bigger fish to fry and who's gonna fault someone for-" he's stopped by a small giggle, a giggle that devolves into cackling, gleeful, joyous cackling.
"That's...oh my god that's...Deku, I'm sorry, I just-" she takes a moment to let breath manage to find its way back to her voice, "You...you really didn't have to do that for me, y'know." Nonsense, he thinks.
"Well I- I know. But it's the least I can do, at this point." he hears her scoff. He hopes, at least, that this would suffice.
"Oh, stop. I really should've been more considerate. I figured you were tired, but I didn't try and ask you to reschedule, because, well..."
"Because you don't know when we'd have the chance again?" There's a pause, before she lets out a quiet chuckle.
"Were you always this bright?" Deku laughs, leaning against a fire escape's entrance.
"Maybe, I surprise myself sometimes." He stares out into the night sky, the lights of Shibuya Station dazzling the skyline as swarms of people mingle about in the streets below. "I can see the station now though, where are you?"
"Oh, I've been here, I just...milled around I guess; I found a cafe to charge my phone in." Deku gasps.
"I'm sorry! I'll come down and find you right now." he starts to make his way down the fire escape, practically hopping off down the stairs before he lowers the ladder down to the alley below.
"Where are you even? How far did you go?"
"About 30 or 31 kilometers, I'm climbing down a rooftop near the station now." Wedging his phone into his hoodie, he clamps down on it further, leaning his head on his shoulder as he makes his way down to the ground.
"You...holy crud." Deku laughs, hopping off the ladder as he nears the ground.
"Ha, yeah. 45% versus 35 makes a difference, I guess; still gotta get used to it, though."
"...The whole way?"
"The whoooooole way." He undoes his hoodie and scarf, releasing a breath of relief as he begins to jog towards the main street. "I'm on the ground now, walking over to the station. Am I late?" She says nothing. Deku gulps- no way. There's no way he miscalculated that much, did he?
"Actually...why do you think I called you?" His heart sinks. It sinks right out of his body, through the earth's crust and incinerates within the core as his jog slows to a shuffle.
"I...I um, I'm sorry, it wo-" Uraraka's facade breaks, her mischievous giggles filling his ear, "Uraraka, are you-"
"Yes, Deku!! It's fine, I'm fine, and now, we're even; it's not even 10:40." He's gobsmacked, trembling like a new born calf as she snickers on the other end, slowly getting his stride back as he passes by a cafe; it's then that he realizes that he wishes he got a little something more to eat, but jeez. That was on pace to beating his record for a marathon by miles, literally. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that was really petty, but you worried me!!"
"O-Okay, but, that was mean!!"
"Didn't say it wasn't! But you're here now, so..." 'Here'? The station was across the street, Deku pausing in the crowd waiting to cross over. He feels like awful, being on the phone in a crowd like this, but he couldn't just hang up on her now. Regardless, he hangs onto that single word. Perhaps he passed by her? Surely, she couldn't have been far off. "Hey, Deku." He feels a hand grab his, his phone slowly lowering from his ear and his worries slipping out mind. "Sorry for scaring you."
"...Sorry for falling asleep on you." he chuckles, slowly turning around to see Uraraka beaming up at him from ear to ear, holding up two fingers.
"Twice." Deku flushes, raising a hand to speak only to be stopped by a single shake of her head, her warm gaze melting him into putty. "Let's just have a good time, okay?" His head is spinning; he has a million and one things to say all at once, the levees in his brain just barely managing to stem the tide, but, he manages to find two.
"Yeah, let's."