Chapter Text
Izuku hauled the last box from the boot, repeating the walk up his new drive.
The house was relatively small, nothing that realy cried fancy, just a small thing in a town outside of the city. It wasn’t a very rural location, there was still plenty to do and a train station nearby for a quick ride to the closest city, but it was still something Izuku wasn’t that used to yet.
That, and living alone. At the age of 24, Izuku was finally moving out. He’d been too caught up with college before to leave, and trying to work to build up enough money to find his own place. (His dad had helped out a little bit, owning his own company and all gave them a couple extra to spend. Izuku thinks he helped out just because they wanted him gone for some peace, though.)
Buying the house had been scary, but it was a move Izuku knew he needed to do. As much as he loved his parents, he needed his own space — especially if he was planning on exploring the dating field and bringing new people home.
Something soft touched Izuku’s leg, a solid mass knocking against his shin making him jump. He contorted his body, peeking over the large box to look down at a fluffy white cat at his feet. It looked up at him as if it hadn’t just sat in his way, like it was waiting for affection.
“Toes!” A woman on the other side of the fence, which he assumed to be the owner of the cat, called out. The cat left Izuku’s side to amble over to her, leaving the woman’s attention on Izuku. “I’m sorry about her.”
Long blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. They were sunken and dark, making her look slightly intimidating, but she smiled friendly.
“Oh! No-no, it’s fine,” he sputtered, hoping he didn’t look too weird staring at her.
“Are you the one moving in here?” she gestured over to the house, her strong gaze hardly leaving Izuku. She had leaned onto the fence, bringing her closer to his height.
“Yep!” Izuku squeaked, gripping the box so hard the cardboard was close to ripping.
“Well, if you need anything, I’m always around,” she smiled kindly, picking up the fluffy cat and holding it to her chest as she walked back into her house. The front garden looked like it had been very well taken care of, all of the flowers and plants set to complement each other. As was the house itself, fitting for a person like her.
With her gone, Izuku took a deep breath, his gaze lingering where she had stood. It probably wasn’t right to be having the thoughts he was having, she had just been kind, as any good neighbour would, but there was something about her too.
Sure that the feeling would pass, Izuku continued back inside and added the box to the rest.
From then on, Izuku kept an eye out. He watched — not in the creepy way, just distantly admiring — his neighbour as she went about her days. She looks quite a bit older than him, but she seems very active in her spare time; cooking, gardening, going on runs — Izuku couldn’t help but grow more intrigued.
She lived alone, from what he’d gathered, and didn’t seem to have any visitors. Other than her cat, Izuku wondered if she had any company at all.
So Izuku takes his chance, timing his morning runs so that he sees her more often, slowly building up the courage to eventually talk to her. He’s still new to the area after all, so he asks her for the best places to go on a run, to eat out, to visit.
They become closer, enough that he became brave enough to ask for her name. To which he received ‘Toshinori’ with a bashful look on her face.
It had been going well, until Toshinori had seemed to distance herself a bit the more Izuku talked to her. She still allowed their runs, but touches became fewer and she kept a wider berth, diverting to less personal topics whenever they spoke.
This panicked Izuku at first, making him think that maybe he had overstepped a boundary. Eventually though, she warmed up to him again, opening up more and smiling easier. Izuku felt his worry slipping away the first time she clapped him on the shoulder again, and from then it only got better.
Toshinori was just a bit shy, was the conclusion he came to. Thinking about the fact made him giddier than it should have.
And from then on, Izuku thinks he could consider them friends.
“You know,” she said, jogging beside Izuku as usual, “there’s a new noodle place opening up soon. I don’t eat out too often, but it seems like something you might enjoy.”
It was true; a meal where Izuku didn’t have to cook for himself was a meal he liked. Not that he was a bad cook or anything, he just didn’t always have the time. He’d managed to worm his way out of his instant ramen addiction, but he did still enjoy it every so often.
“I’ll look into it!”
They went a couple more paces before Toshinori slowed to a stop; Izuku followed.
The sun was high already, the sky sparse of clouds to keep its hot rays beating down on the earth. The park wasn’t particularly busy this early, there were a couple other people with similar ideas. Running in it wasn’t exactly pleasant though. It always left Izuku sweating more than normal and overheating quickly, so he was looking forward to taking a cold shower.
Toshinori checked her watch, her breathing heavier now. Izuku pointedly looked over to the squirrel rushing up a tree to avoid embarrassing himself.
“That was further than usual,” she said in thought, turning her attention back to Izuku with a bright smile and a thumbs up. “Good job!”
Izuku was used to pushing his body much harder than that, but he always accepted Toshinori’s praise in strides. For now, he’d blame his blush on his exertion.
“Do you want to further?” he offered, pointing down the path that led to the lake.
“Some of us have a job to get to, young man,” she reminded, her tone as playful as her smile as she stretched.
“Oh, right! I forget about that,” he rubbed the back of his head, looking at the floor, “let’s head back then.”
Toshinori hummed, spinning on her heel to follow him as he set an easy but slightly pushing pace.
“Haven’t you found one yet? A job,” she asked as she came back to his side, the gap between them small.
“I have an idea, but I need to get in contact with them,” Izuku said, forcing himself to look forward. He made a dramatic noise before adding the next part: “Moving was more time consuming than I thought.”
She laughed, light and relaxed.
“That’s life.”
Time passed by before Izuku even realised it, and the two eventually started to meet up for their runs as an almost everyday occurrence, instead of hoping to catch the other at the right time. They talk more frequently too, and things become a near perfect routine.
Getting to know Toshinori was even better than Izuku ever imagined. She’s sharp-witted, supportive and confident despite being overly insecure at times. It made her good company, he always looked forward to their talks.
That, and Izuku found himself quickly falling for her smile.
Toshinori knocked on his door one day, cheeks tinted red as she held a tub in her hands. Her hair was down, not in the usual ponytail she always had it in when she was working in the garden or out on a run. He shouldn’t be shocked to see her in a more relaxed state, it made sense considering she was simply going about her spare time as normal.
But he was, because Izuku hadn’t thought Toshinori could look any better.
“My apologies if you were busy, but I…” she looked down at the tub, tense. “I’ve been practicing my baking recently, but I made too many. Would you like some cookies?”
“Yes, thank you!” Izuku exclaimed. Did she know he had a sweet tooth, or was that a lucky coincidence?
Toshinori smiled at his reaction, visibly calming down.
“You can return the tub when you’re finished.”
“Wait,” he said as soon as Toshinori started to leave. She paused, her body half turned already, looking back at him while she waited. Izuku blinked, realising what he had just dragged himself into. “Would you, uhm, like to come over? I have tea, we can share some of these, if you like?”
Her eyes widened a fraction, the redness from before returning.
Izuku could’ve melted from relief when she agreed. Even if he was nervous, he was glad he had done it, not wanting to lose an opportunity to spend more time with her.
Toshinori was just as nervous as she stepped into his house, the first time she had seen it inside. But as Izuku made them tea and they began to talk, things quickly settled down into something they were both comfortable with.
Their conversation was more in-depth now, without the jogging keeping them distracted. Izuku learned about how she used to be a bodybuilder, but had to retire due to injury. She talked about her love for animals, and her cat that keeps her company (the one Izuku had secretly been giving treats to so it would warm up to him).
The atmosphere was more relaxed, different to the one they have on their runs. It was almost domestic. Seeing Toshinori laugh and smile like this, so relaxed and at peace in his home; Izuku wished he could experience it everyday.
When she left the house felt empty, and that set Izuku on a mission. He built up his confidence, so when the day finally came he was able to go over and knock on her door without second guessing himself.
When she answered, he was immediately met with a smile and a series of meows as her cat walked around her to rub against Izuku’s leg. He leaned down to scratch her head.
“Do you need something?” she asked. Izuku almost evaporated on the spot, praying he wouldn't turn too red.
“I, uh, accidentally made too much food?” he tries not to visibly cringe at how dumb he sounded, braving the next few words. “Would you like to come over?”
Toshinori fell silent for a moment, blinking in shock as she registered the words. Red tinted her checks, flattering to the sharp blue of her sunken eyes. Her hair was down again, and while it was really nothing much, Izuku still thought it made her beautiful in an indescribable way.
Eventually, she huffed with a smile, looking away shyly as she tucked one of the front bits of hair behind her ear.
“Of course.”
Izuku beamed, doing little to cover his joy.
Step one complete. Now he had the task of not making himself look like an idiot in front of her.
What he had set out was really nothing fancy. Izuku had never been particularly good at the whole romance thing. He didn’t want to scare Toshinori away, anyway. Better to ease her into it, lest he intimidate her with his intentions.
Judging by the blush on her cheeks though, Izuku thought she might have an idea.
He gave her a plate with a smaller portion, not wanting to make her feel bad for being unable to eat it all. It had been planned specifically to fit her required diet, and he didn’t offer her anything to drink until after she had eaten. Though that part was also for Izuku.
The drinking helped to loosen him up a bit, his nerves no longer eating away at him.
“This was very thoughtful of you, Izuku,” Toshinori said, looking over at something else to avoid Izuku’s eyes as she tucked her hair behind her ear again. She did that a lot when she was nervous, Izuku noticed. “But you should really find some company your own age. No point wasting your time with an old lady like me.”
“You’re not old,” he said, his knee jerking beneath the table.
Toshinori rolled her eyes humorously. “Don’t flatter me.”
“I mean it!” Izuku rushed to say a little too quickly, flushing red at the incredulous look it earned him. “I...” he took a deep breath, “really, I mean it. I don’t think you’re old at all.
“But even so, I wouldn’t think that's a bad thing at all!” he rambled on, conflicted by his own embarrassment and how cute Toshinori looked. She was blushing again, looking at him wide eyed and sat up straight in the chair.
“Izuku...” Toshinori looked away again, lips pursed tightly together. She seemed conflicted, fidgeting nervously.
Izuku swallowed his own nerves, reaching across the table. The light tapping stopped immediately as his hand covered her larger one. He could feel the raised knuckles of the skinnier hand, and he wanted to give it just as much love as the rest of her.
“I don’t think, uh... this is bad, either,” he gulped, looking down at their hands, hoping she couldn’t feel how sweaty it was. “Do you?”
“I’m not sure we should..” Toshinori looked away, though she didn’t move away. Izuku held onto that hope, sneaking his fingers around to get something that more resembled holding hands. Toshinori’s eyes jumped back over, only to quickly leave again with a darker hue on her cheeks.
“Why not?”
Sure, there was an age gap, but Izuku never considered that an issue. He knew that he had feelings for Toshinori, he had since he first saw her, but every time they spoke, he felt his heart swell again. Izuku may be quite inexperienced with love, but he didn’t need experience to tell him what this feeling was.
Would his friends call him crazy? Probably. But their opinion on it wasn’t important to him.
“I’m old enough to be your mother, Izuku,” she chuckled, though it sounded empty when accompanied by the sad expression she was sporting. “I couldn’t imagine how your actual mother would react to that.”
“I don’t care,” Izuku said in confidence, gaining Toshinori’s shocked eyes back onto him. If Inko didn’t approve, that would hurt, he didn’t want to think about that even being an outcome, but: “I don’t care what other people think, if it’s what makes us happy.” He spluttered, rushing to add: “if that’s what you want, of course!”
Toshinori looked into his eyes, still just as unsure. She sighed, nodding (seemingly to her own thoughts) and shyly traced the scar over Izuku’s knuckle with her thumb.
“I would... need to think. About a lot of things.”
“I’ll wait!”
Izuku had always been rather stubborn. If he wanted something, he would find a way to get it. Inko both praised and hated him for that trait, but now that Izuku’s heart was set, even she couldn’t talk him out of it.
They steered the conversation into safer territory after that. Toshinori was being a little less talkative than usual, but she didn’t take her hand back from Izuku’s, so he took that as a green light and carried the conversation for them. He talked about missing his friends in the city, but being grateful that he had taken a leap to move away and start his own life.
It had been kind of lonely at first, but meeting Toshinori had changed that. Even if she constantly told him to meet new people, Izuku was happy now.
He had signed up for a job in the local gym too, and the interview had been great, so he was hoping to start working soon. (Maybe he could afford to take Toshinori out for some nicer meals then. He didn’t tell her that part, though.)
The sun started to set before they realised how much time had passed. Toshinori had to excuse herself to feed the cat, shyly thanking him before she left.
Once again, Izuku felt lonely. As he cleaned up the plates, he wished to have the presence of another person by him. They could talk and laugh; even in silence they would keep the other company.
The warmth on his hand had faded, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her soft skin against his. Would she let him do that again? He hoped so.
Izuku roamed a little, unsure of what to do with himself.
He moved back to the couch after getting himself something to drink and pulled out his phone. The ringing filled the empty space, followed by a cheerful voice.
“Izuku! I thought you’d never call me,” Inko laughed, though it made Izuku feel guiltily for not keeping up with her as much as he said he would.
“Yeah... sorry about that,” he ran a hand through his hair to push it out of his face, slouching down. “I’ve been kind of caught up with something.”
“Ooh, is it a special someone?” she teased, always knowing exactly what he was thinking. Izuku felt his cheeks heating up as his thoughts drifted back to Toshinori. “Girl or boy? Are they pretty? Can I meet them?”
“Uh, well,” Izuku stuttered, sitting up again to mentally prepare himself. He should’ve expected this. “She’s beautiful,” he smiled to himself. “But, she’s.. older.” The last bit came out more as a squeak.
“Five years?” Inko asked after a pause.
“More.”
“Ten?”
“More,” he winced at the silence that followed.
“Izuku...” Inko’s voice sounded stern in that motherly way, the one that covered over the worry. Izuku whined dramatically and sunk back into the couch cushion.
“I know! But I really like her,” he admitted, feeling embarrassed for having to explain this to his mum. His parents had a bit of an age gap themselves, but it wasn’t as much as him and Toshinori.
He heard her take a deep breath over the phone, then let it out in a long sigh.
“You know I’ll always worry about you, right?”
“Yes,” Izuku murmured.
“And I trust you, you are an adult after all—“
“So what’s the issue?” Maybe it was a little too defensive, but he really wanted Inko to see this the same way as he did. He needed her to see it. Izuku was in love, so what if she was older than him?
“Just,” another sigh, “be safe, okay?”
“I will. Thanks, mum,” Izuku smiled, one worry now alleviated.
“Don’t make me regret saying that,” she repeated in her stern voice, the one that knew Izuku would often rush into things without thinking. “Now, I have the night shift, so I’ve got to head off. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Izuku said into the phone before pulling it away as the call ended and the screen turned black. He let the phone fall on his chest and a smile spread across his cheeks.
Second step done.
Their morning runs continued as normal after that night, even if there was something odd between them. A tension that couldn’t yet be resolved, at least until Toshinori thought over whatever she needed to figure out, sat strangely between them.
There hadn’t been any issues like this up until now, so Izuku wasn’t really sure how to handle the subject. He didn’t shy away from showing his affections; with gentle touches and kind words, he made it be known he was still interested. At that stage, that was the most he could do. Let her know he meant it, while she got herself together.
That was the last time they had met outside of running. So when there was a knock on his door one evening, and only one person it could be, Izuku almost tripped over himself in his haste to answer it. He tried not to look too eager when he opened the door, beaming an overly bright smile.
Toshinori looked down at her shoes, avoiding making eye contact again.
“I have some new tea, if you’d…” she paused, sighed, then continued with resolve, “would you like to come over? Talk, maybe?”
“Yes! I-I mean,” he cleared his throat, straightening his posture. “Sounds good.”
“Great,” her shoulders visibly relaxed at that. There was still a nervous aura to her, though, the same one that had been following them for a while now.
Izuku rushed to grab the closest pair of shoes, not caring what he grabbed since he’d be taking them off again soon anyway.
Toes greeted Izuku with a series of meows as soon as they entered her house, rubbing against his leg. He knelt down to give her attention while Toshinori left to go to the kitchen.
“Black tea, right?” she called through the doorway.
“Yes please.”
Their houses were built relatively similar, so most of the rooms were organised in the same layout. The only big difference was the decoration; the more blues Toshinori included in her colour scheme, and the largely empty walls, aside for the trophies and a couple photos in neatly organised frames. Some of the photos contained groups of people, but the most common was a woman with black hair and an older man with a full head of grey.
Izuku made his way over to the couch. The glass backdoors at one end of the room led to her well kept garden, while the other end featured a large entry into the kitchen.
He expected to see more than this, though it did feel very much like her in that way. It was homely in that sense, not empty like Izuku’s house currently was.
Toshinori prepared the teas slowly. She took her time in gathering the mugs, rinsing one out more times than it needed, before finally putting the kettle on. Izuku watched her work from the couch, admiring the way she moved around, seeming more relaxed now she was doing something familiar.
Once she was done, she came back to the living room with two mugs in her hand. She set Izuku’s mug on the table and took a seat beside him, keeping a sizable space.
“How was your day? Finished decorating yet?”
“I finished the main things, so I’ve not had much to do. I watched a cool hero film, though! But the walls are looking kind of bare right now, I think I’ll need to get some pictures or something,” Izuku said, adding onto his own thoughts previously. Maybe he could get some posters. He still had a bunch stored up from his old room.
Toshinori nodded, taking a slow sip of her tea. She was stalling.
Izuku could tell they both wanted to address it. She was just too nervous to say what they both needed to hear.
“Did you think about it?” Izuku blurted out. Not how he had wanted to go about it, but it pushed them in the right direction.
“I… I have, but—“ she paused when Izuku scooted closer, wrapping her fingers tighter around the mug in her hands as she watched the contents move around. “You know there would be differences? The way things work; how people see us.”
“That doesn’t matter to me,” he assured her in confidence.
Izuku had already accepted that fact. Inko had seemed unsure, but gave him her trust, and that was all he really cared about (Hisashi would go along with whatever she said, so he didn’t need to worry about him). He hadn’t told his friends back in the city yet (in all honesty, he wasn’t looking forward to Iida’s reaction), but he hoped they would accept him for his decisions.
If they didn’t , that was something he would face when the time comes. Though, he believed at least Ochako would stand by him and talk some sense into Iida if needed. Izuku was a grown man, afterall. He could make whatever decisions he wanted without being babied.
“I can’t have children,” Toshinori added, looking at him through the corner of her eyes to gauge his initial reaction. Izuku had none.
“That’s fine.”
Inko would probably be a little upset by that. She had always talked about Izuku having children of his own (he knew that was her way of saying she wanted grandchildren). And he was an only child, so all that responsibility had been placed onto him, but Izuku knew what he wanted — and that was Toshinori. So he’d accept everything that came with.
“Izuku,” she made an exasperated noise, giving him a flat look. “You need to think this through too.”
“I have!”
“No, I mean, more than that,” Toshinori explained, motioning in the air. Izuku smiled at the small act. It was cute when she did that. “You’re young, and I’m not—“
“You’re not old.”
“And,” she stressed, her blue eyes sharp, “that will make this very… different. You’re still experiencing things, are you sure you want to throw some of that away?”
Toshinori’s eyes softened, something deeper pooling in them as she averted her gaze to the mug again.
That was when Izuku realised what she actually meant. This entire time he thought she was trying to just dissuade him, but now he watched her fiddle with the mug and look around unsurely, replaying her words in his head, he realised something bigger: Toshinori was insecure.
Partly, he had already known this to be a fact. She easily became timid, and it was yet another thing he adored, but he should have recognised it extending beyond that. Was she feeling guilty? Did she feel like she was forcing Izuku, or taking something away from him? Going by her words, he figured she was taking the age gap harder than he had thought.
“What do you want?” Izuku asked, shuffling closer so that their legs touched. Toshinori flinched a bit, looking shocked, before schooling her expression into something more hidden.
“I’m not sure I—“
“Do you want this?” he rephrased, feeling that the question would be easier to answer. He didn’t want to push her or make her uncomfortable, but for her to see. She needed to see that her own desires weren’t wrong, and that they were both just as much into this as the other. He knew, from the way her cheeks coloured at the contact and words, that she wanted this too.
“This isn’t about me,” she shook her head, turning away from Izuku to keep her expression hidden, but he heard the self discipline in her tone.
Izuku frowned, thinking for a moment. This was just as much about her as it was him, and he needed her to understand that. For that, though, he needed to get her walls down. Enough that he could easily convey what he was thinking.
Making up his mind, Izuku moved forward with a plan. Was it impulsive? Yes. But this was the only way he could get toshinori to really see it.
Toshinori gasped when she realised what was happening. Her cheeks coloured red, her body tensing, unsure.
Izuku stopped when the gap between them was barely a few inches. His hand hovered over her thigh, which he settled to place beside her legs instead, and his gaze struggled between picking to look into her eyes or at her lips.
“Izuku…” she said breathily.
“I can stop,” Izuku offered, noticing the conflict in her tone.
When she stayed silent, becoming visibly less tense, Izuku smiled and took his shot. Leaning in, he closed the space between them, gently pressing his lips against hers. She felt hesitant at first, and Izuku had very little experience in this aspect, but the act alone made his heart feel like it was going to burst.
Izuku moved his mouth slowly, deepening the kiss more. Very quickly, Toshinori melted into the touch, following the lead he had set out.
Plan complete.