Chapter Text
“You don’t have to do this alone.”
Moment's like these made Midoriya's mouth run dry.
Moments like this made him want to start talking, and talking, and talking, and never stop talking— there was so much he could say, so much she deserved to know and things he wanted her to know. The guilt over years were a jenga tower wobbling in him, balanced on a delicate block. One wrong move and it’s over.
Midoriya opened his mouth to tell it all– a burned notebook in water, dim eyes faced with suffocation, the autograph that took ten attempts and a final, singular hair— but the single gold hair reminded him of a broken body, a scarred hand like this holding his wrist, a hand full of broken hair. A promise.
"I...I do." Midoriya said, his voice cracking under the tears.
Midoriya shakily put one hand on Ochako’s shoulder. In a rush, he pulled her to him and embraced her tightly, squeezing like he will never see her again. In his haste to follow Toshinori, he hadn’t noticed he had grown taller than her. She felt like brittle grass in his scarred hands. “I do have to. I can’t tell you why but… Ochako-chan, I…,” Heroes have to believe they were natural born. “I was born for this moment.”
He was born for this moment. All those empty years, watching yearning, a fierce fire of determination burning in him despite the constant rain from all others— Kacchan, his Mother, his class, everyone who knew him as he was– it was building to this. Izuku didn’t really believe in destiny, but maybe he should’ve. All Those who guided him towards this moment, Toshinori leading the troupe while on his own deathbed— faith.
Faith not misplaced. Faith that was not misplaced.
“You’re his sorry sop of a successor? Toshinori must have been desperate,” His laughter was so cruel, and the screams of all the people around him dimmed until all he could see was the emancipated, limp body of Toshinori hanging so dully, all he could see was him at his dinner table, peeking around, his face constantly moving, constantly changing— suddenly, everything felt empty, drained. His clawed hand threw All Might like trash. “I’ve killed them all from the beginning, my boy,” He said mockingly. “Nana Shimura, Toshinori Yagi… You? You’re a joke.”
“I’ll be back when it’s over,” Midoriya promised.
He put his head on Ochako’s and allowed a few hot, angry tears to stream down his face and puddle in her hair.
There was a part of Ochako that thought he really might have been. The progression Deku had made from the jumpy, quiet boy she’d met in first year to the strong hero she saw before her now was beyond impressive. There was a part of her that wanted to believe he could do this alone. But the rational part of her said differently. Nobody could take on that monster by themselves, no matter how many times they promised that they could.
Ochako let herself be held tightly to Deku’s chest. Her tears were silent until she took a shaky breath and wet sob escaped her lips. Her whole body shook out of anger, and out of fear.
Ochako sobbed weakly into his shoulder. She couldn’t imagine a world without him. She couldn’t imagine her world without him. They’d all been through so much together. Their class from Yuuei had become a tightly knit family of sorts, over the years.
“I.. I can’t just watch this. It’s not your responsibility alone. We’re all heroes.” Her words shake and her fingers dig into Deku’s back. “Let us help you. I want to fight to protect this world… That’s part of why I became a hero.”
“Izuku I can’t lose you.”