IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Okay, so, now that we've reached Summer, we have a LOT to cover. And, Summer is going to be the start of a lot of new things.

Which, brings me to the announcement. You see, I actually have quite of bit of consultants for this story. And, this may make some people angry, but uh...

We kind of all agree that MHA's writing quality in the last few arcs has been, uh...shaky, at best. There's just a lot of things we don't like, agree with, feel could be fleshed out, should be simplified, very inconsistent, plotholes left and right, etc. So, this is me officially saying that, while nothing is solid or confirmed yet, there could be quite a bit of narrative changes made from this point forward. You won't see it yet, but there is some very big stuff coming.

Some of it you'll probably find stupid at first. But, I promise you, we've been putting a lot of time and effort into this. We're not breaking the rules in canon (I think), but we are using some of them to our advantage. In due time, I will explain everything once it comes along. But, I just wanted to say that now, and just wanted to ask you all to stick with me.

I mean, you've trusted me up to this point...Hopefully...

I think we've got something good here, and I hope you all know by now that I wouldn't put something out unless I thought it was good. I am very dramatic, so I'm probably making this sound way bigger than it actually is. But, just take it for what you will, and I hope you enjoy.

For now, here's a very fluffy, cooldown chapter after all the action in the last couple of chapters. Like I said, Summer Vacation has a TON of stuff to cover before we even get to camp.

…~AIV~...

"We're supposed to be starting our summer vacation," Kyouka pouted.

"Just another ten seconds. Calm down," Recovery Girl chided her. The couple had been caught coming out of their respective locker rooms and told to come to Recovery Girl's office for one final check-up before she sent them on their way. Izuku and Kyouka sat side-by-side next to Chiyo's desk, out of their costumes and dressed in their uniforms. "You two took far worse of a beating than anyone else. That big buffoon should've pulled his punches."

"That's the scary part," Izuku sighed, holding his ribs as he remembered the pain, "He was pulling his punches."

Chiyo sighed, looking in Izuku's ears with her otoscope, "Well, at least your girlfriend didn't blow your eardrums out. Okay, you both seem good to go. Hold on, have some can-...Hm? Oh, it seems I've run out of candy. I'll be right back."

As Recovery Girl turned to leave, Kyouka shook her head, "We're not falling for that again."

Her words seemingly didn't reach Recovery Girl as she left the room. Kyouka scoffed as she chuckled to herself, "We're already together. What does she have to gain by doing that again?"

"Pure entertainment?" Izuku shrugged, putting his blazer back on, "Oh, wait, I know. What's your quirk?"

Kyouka turned towards Izuku, her eyes wide, "Holy Hell, how hard did All Might hit you?"

"Wh-? No, I was re-enacting when we first met."

"Oooh. Well, then…Ahem. It's not all that great. I can channel the sound of my heartbeat through them, causing vibrations and soundwaves and all that. I can capture sound, too. But, best of all, I've heard handsome quirk nerds find them incredibly attractive for some reason."

"I can see why. Do loud noises hurt?"

"Sometimes. Mostly when I'm focused on them."

"Can you hear through walls?"

"Yep. especially when I plug my jacks into 'em. I can even hear other people's heartbeats. I like to listen to my boyfriend's heartbeat while falling asleep."

Izuku perked up, his act disappearing, "You do?"

"It's sort of soothing," Kyouka continued, continuing to play her role, "When we first started going out, his heart was very erratic and quick. He was nervous, especially when we got close. I was thankful that I wasn't alone in that. But, as time went on, it became calmer. Now it's actually calmer the closer I am. I feel so honored to have that ability now. And, now, I just like to do it as the equivalent of pinching myself. It's like a reminder that he's there, he's real. Because, he once said to me, that he was afraid I was a dream. He said I was unbelievable. I feel the exact same way about him."

Izuku sat befuddled, not exactly sure how to continue on from that, "Wh-...Where did that come from? Not that I'm complaining."

"We passed, and we have a whole month to ourselves. I'm in a really good mood, and I think it was far past due that you heard that. In fact, I'm in such a good mood that I want you to have dinner at my place tonight. My parents are gonna go crazy once they hear about what we did today, anyway. Oh! And you should invite your mom."

"Wh-? You're actually asking to have dinner with both of our parents? How hard did All Might hit you?"

"It's gonna happen at some point, anyway. But, we might as well do it before you're gone for a week."

Izuku perked up, "Did we ever actually figure out how we're actually going to get me out of my house for a week? I don't think my mom is just gonna accept me vanishing."

"Eh, we'll improvise."

"...Improvise me disappearing?"

"You know what I mean." Kyouka got up from her chair and grabbed her bag, "We'll figure out some kind of plan."

Following her example, Izuku got up and headed for the door with her, "And by plan, you mean lie?"

"Yep."

"Oh boy."

…~AIV~...

(One Hour Later: Jirou Household)

"You…cuffed him?"

Kyouka rolled her eyes, "For the tenth time, Dad. Yes."

"All Might?"

"Yes."

"...You cuffed All Might?"

"Oh my-! Yes!"

"...You're sure?"

Kyouka turned to Izuku next to her on the couch, clearly unamused at this point, "Help me."

"Eh, don't get us wrong, Mr. Jirou. We pretty much won purely because All Might was both handicapped and holding back. Even then, he…Well, to put it bluntly, he beat the crap out of us."

Kyoutoku nodded, taking in the information in silence, "...All Might?"

"And we're done," Kyouka concluded, getting up off of the couch and heading towards the kitchen.

Now alone with her daughter's boyfriend, Kyoutoku scoffed, "Damn, kid. I'm sorry, but I just can't wrap my head around it. I mean, I saw you in the Sports Festival, but fighting All Might is obscene."

"Avoiding conflict isn't my strong suit."

"Hey, it's what you signed up for. Did you protect her?"

Izuku sat up straight, caught off guard by the sudden question, "Well, to the best of my ability. I always will. But, Kyouka doesn't need protection most of the time. I protect her just as much as she protects me. She can handle herself."

Kyoutoku shook his head, laughter in his throat, "God-damn it, how are you so good at answering my parental questions?"

"I'm just being honest," Izuku shrugged.

"You're so pure it hurts."

"Pure is a strong word, sir."

"Huh," Kyoutoku sat back impressed, "You really have gotten better with this whole talking thing. Not a single stutter throughout all of this."

Izuku smiled, rubbing the back of his head, "Ah, well, besides being comfortable around you all by now, I think it helps that I'm not intimidated anymore."

"Ha!" could be heard from Kyouka in the other room, clearly listening in on the conversation.

Kyoutoku deadpanned, getting up from his chair and moving towards the kitchen, "Just had to inherit her mother's quirk, didn't she?"

"You know it," Kyouka laughed, exiting the kitchen and moving past her father as he walked through the door. She moved to the family room and hopped over the back of the couch, throwing her arms around Izuku's neck and planting a kiss on his cheek, "Thank you for your kind words, once again. And for putting the final nail in the coffin on my dad's protective tirade."

Izuku chuckled as he pressed his temple against Kyouka's, "I try my best."

*Knock Knock*

"The guest of honor arrives," Kyouka said, getting up to answer the door.

"I thought we were the guests of honor?"

"You practically live here fifty-percent of the time. You're more like the tenant of honor, except you don't pay. And I pay everyday by being the perfect daughter."

"Ha!" could be heard from Mika in the other room, also listening in on the conversation.

Kyouka deadpanned as she opened the door, smiling at the sight of their guest, "Hey, Mrs. Midoriya."

Inko smiled brightly, bowing to Kyouka, "Always lovely to see you, Jirou. Congratulations for acing your exams!"

Kyouka blushed, letting Inko inside before closing the door, "Thank your very adamant son for making me study more than I would've."

"I'm nothing if not persistent," Izuku chuckled as he went towards them, "Hey, Mom."

"Oh, my beautiful boy! I'm so proud of you!" Inko pulled Izuku in for one of her signature hugs, clenching her eyes shut, "I'm doing my absolute best not to cry my eyes out and not ruin the Jirou's carpet."

Izuku smiled, returning the hug, "That's probably for the best. We don't have a boat to leave in."

Inko laughed as she let her son go, "Anything broken?"

"Nope," Izuku shook his head, "All clean. Well, self-inflicted ones anyway. The only injuries I got were from All Might."

"I still can't believe you fought him. That's insane," Inko turned back to Kyouka, "Did you keep him out of trouble?"

Kyouka shook her head, "He makes it really hard to do so. But, I stuck with him." Kyouka reached into her back pocket of her jeans, pulling out a photo. "I mean who could leave this little guy behind?"

Izuku deadpanned as Inko laughed beside him, gazing at the baby photo his mother had given Kyouka of him in his All Might onesie, "You just have that on you?"

"Carry it everywhere."

"Of course you do," Izuku sighed, "Why am I not surprised?"

Mika appeared from the kitchen, a smirk on her face, "If you think that's bad, then you probably don't wanna know that the pictures of your first date is still my lock screen."

"What?! May you send that to me?!" Inko pleaded.

"Well, would you smell that?" Izuku quickly intervened, "Is dinner ready, Mrs. Jirou?"

"Hmhmhm, it is. And, I'll get those photos to you, Mrs. Midoriya."

"Thank you. For that, and for inviting me into your lovely home," Inko bowed politely.

"Of course," Mika smiled. "This is long overdue. Our children legally binded themselves together, and we haven't even had dinner with the other in-laws."

Kyouka deadpanned at her mother, "Mom…"

Inko chuckled, "Izuku has always been a little gung-ho about certain things. He might be rubbing off on your young Jirou."

"Eh," Kyouka shrugged, "It makes us even. You should hear the attitude I've given him."

Izuku opened his mouth to retort, but then shook his head, "I honestly have nothing. It's true, I have so much snark now."

"So now I'm more reckless and you're more snarky…Totally worth it."

"Agreed," Izuku nodded.

Mika shook her head with a scoff, motioning her head towards the dining area, "C'mon, you two. You can do your little annoyingly charming banter as you set the table."

…~AIV~...

"...You absorbed electricity from the UA power grid?"

Dinner had been going just fine. Izuku and Kyouka were retelling their tale of the clash with All Might, starting at the bus parking lot with their class. They went through their first interaction with their teacher, causing the adults at the table to cringe as they imagined the pain their children went through.

Kyoutoku couldn't help but chuckle when they were told about the accidental hammer to the face Izuku had gotten, gaining him three unamused glares from the women at the table. But, Izuku came to his defense, admitting it was kind of funny.

But, they had reached the point of the story where they lured All Might to the faux middle-school, leaving the adults baffled by their plan.

Izuku cleared his throat nervously at Kyoutoku's question, putting his chopsticks down before answering, "W-Well, not all of it, obviously. But, a lot."

"But, you knew it would work…" Inko jumped in, looking at her son with concern, "Right?"

"U-Uh…about seventy-five percent sure."

Inko covered her face with her hands, leaning back into her chair, "Oh my God."

"E-Eighty percent! Eighty! I was about eighty percent certain that I wouldn't blow up! I mean it worked, right?"

"Izuku, you're going to give me a heart attack."

Mika chuckled, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Midoriya, but we're going to have to leave you to keep an eye on these troublemakers while we're gone. So, hopefully you can last a little bit longer."

"Oh? Where are you going?" Inko asked.

"Kyou and I were asked to organize a big music festival in Nagoya. We'll be gone for a whole week. We tried to take these two off your hands, but Kyouka said no."

Izuku's eyes suddenly went wide. A golden opportunity had appeared. Under the table, Izuku pulled out his phone, discreetly looking down as he typed out a text.

Kyouka suddenly felt a buzz in her pocket, pulling out her phone and smirking at the words she read.

[Izuku: Improvise]

Izuku suddenly said, "I don't remember Kyouka ever telling me about a festival."

Mika furrowed her brow, turning her gaze towards her daughter, "I know you said you didn't want to go, but you didn't even ask to see if he was interested?"

Kyouka quickly wiped the smirk off of her face, playing along, "Just didn't, I guess. Do you want to go, Izuku?"

"Actually, that does sound kind of fun. I've never been to Nagoya, and I don't have any plans for the summer."

"Are you sure?" Mika asked, "Kyouka said she didn't want to go, so I don't thi-"

"I'll go!" Kyouka jumped in.

Mika peered at her daughter curiously, "I thought you said you didn't want to g-"

"Changed my mind!" Kyouka quickly intervened, "If Izuku wants to go, I'll gladly go."

"Hold your horses. The lady of the house has to approve first. Mrs. Midoriya?"

"It's been years since Izuku's been on any sort of real vacation," Inko replied, "I think it'd be good for him to get out of the city...Well, get out of the city and not be attacked."

Izuku internally fist-pumped.

"You could come with us, too," Mika offered.

Izuku internally panicked.

If his mom accepted, everything went down the drain immediately. Maybe he could say the Jirou's canceled at the last minute, and then say the same to the Jirou's. He just really needed the universe to be on his side. Just once.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't."

'Thank you, Universe.'

"I don't want to intrude on their time together. Besides, I have some things to take care of here."

"Ah, okay. Shame. Well, we leave the day after tomorrow. You better pack your bags, Midoriya."

"I'm on it." Izuku and Kyouka discreetly fistbumped under the table. Kyouka didn't know the full extent of Izuku's plan, but the first phase was clearly successful.

Mika dabbed her mouth with a napkin, looking around at everyone's plates, "Is everyone finished?"

"I am," Inko replied. "That was delicious. Please, let me help with the dishes. It's the least I can do."

"Nuh-uh, no way. I cooked, so it's Kyoutoku's job."

Kyoutoku grumbled, "Why'd we have a kid if we don't make them do the chores?"

"It's a special day, old man!" Kyouka countered. "I got my butt kicked to the moon and back just to get good grades. I'd say I earned a night off."

"Yeah, yeah," Kyoutoku waved her off, "But, before we settle down for the evening…" He suddenly looked over to Izuku, "Mika and I wanna talk to you for a minute, kid. Parents of Girlfriend to Boyfriend. I figure we should do this before you're stuck with us for a week. Is that alright?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure."

Mika suddenly grabbed onto Kyouka's chair, pushing her over to Inko's side of the table, "Feel free to talk to ours."

"Wh-?! Hey!" Kyouka tried to interject, but her parents had already grabbed onto Izuku's chair and dragged him away. "AAAnd there they go."

…~AIV~...

Izuku sat in his chair on the wooden landing looking over the back garden of the house. The night was silent, outside of the occasional barking dog or car engine echoing from the streets.

"Here."

Izuku turned to see Kyoutoku holding a bottle out to him, "Oh! I appreciate it, but I really have no interest in drinking. Not to mention I'm underag-"

Kyoutoku lightly tapped the bottle on Izuku's forehead with a chuckle, "It's soda, you dork."

Izuku took the bottle, looking at the label, "Ah…I see that now. Thank you." Izuku smiled to himself as he twisted off the metal cap, 'Dork, huh? Kyouka is definitely their daughter.'

"No problem. Mine's beer, though. I need something to get me through handling you two kids." The two shared a laugh before Kyoutoku moved over to Mika, handing her the wine glass he held in his other hand. "My lady."

"Thank you," Mika leaned over to her husband and whispered, "So, what exactly is this talk supposed to be about, hm? I don't remember discussing this."

"I know, but I've just been thinking about it. It's been a long time coming. It's a big day for them. Besides, you've been wanting me to be more open to him. I think I got this one." Mika looked at her husband with a raised brow, but he insisted. "Just trust me, okay?"

Mika had to admit she was curious. She stepped back, leaning against the guard rail as Kyoutoku took the seat next to the nervous Izuku.

"Did I do something, sir?"

"Pfft! Sir?! Hahaha! You wound me, kid. Don't remind me that I'm getting old. No, I just wanted to check in, see how you were holding up. It's been a pretty non-stop six months, and we're surrounded by a lot of women. I figured it was time you and I had some one-on-one...with Mika in the background."

"Oh, well, thank you, I-I…I'm doing alright. I can quite honestly say that even with everything that's happened, this has been the best year of my life. And, I'm really excited to see where it takes us."

"Mhm. Obviously you're doing fine academically, but what about the rest? Any trouble at the big Hero Castle on the hill?"

Izuku shook his head, "Not since the USJ. Stain was a bit of a different story, but we've been fine."

"Mm," Kyoutoku nodded before taking another swig of his drink, "What about that Bakugou kid? He still bothering you?"

Izuku nearly jumped out of his seat, looking over with wide eyes, "Wh-?! How di-?! I mean, I don-"

"Kyouka didn't say anything. I watched you two fight, remember? Anybody with eyes could see that was a grudge match. If you didn't catch yourself, he probably would've been swallowing his own teeth."

"Oh, well…Y-You see…" Izuku paused before he responded. He was about to find some excuse to deflect the conversation. But, Kyoutoku and Mika at the very least deserved a direct response. He wasn't going to share that kind of information, but he wanted to be honest with them. "...I don't want to talk about it."

Kyoutoku faltered at Izuku's firm tone. Not stern, but firm and final. "Oh?"

"Sensitive subject. I'm sorry. Really, I am, but…No."

"Hm." Kyoutoku hummed to himself, sharing a look with his wife before returning his attention back to Izuku, "Okay. I'll respect that, kid. I didn't mean to pry. But, we just want you to know, you don't have to be afraid around us. Whatever it i-"

"It's not that. I trust you, but the past is in the past. I'm done looking back."

"We all look back, kid. Whether we want to or not."

"Well, I can't afford to. Not now. Because you were right about one thing. I am afraid, but of the future and what's in it. Well, actually I-I...I'm afraid of a lot of things. Kyouka helped me conquer one of my biggest fears, but...my other one's aren't easily wiped away. My first one wasn't easily destroyed either. I lived fifteen years with it. But, my fears now, I don't have a clue what to do about them. All I know is I have to keep going. The past can wait. It's not like it's going anywhere."

Kyoutoku leaned back, looking out over the backyard. "I know you're a hero nerd. Kyouka's words, not mine. But, this is how I see things. Some fears aren't meant to be conquered."

Izuku looked over, a brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"I get that heroes are shown as fearless saviors, but we're all scared. And we all should be scared. It just depends on what we fear. So, what exactly is it that you're afraid is gonna happen?"

Izuku thought back to watching Shigaraki's hand come ever so close to Kyouka's face. Then, images of Stain's blade about to sink into Kyouka's flesh haunted him. The next thought to go through his mind wasn't a picture he had seen before. It was of a dark figure cast in shadows standing tall over a cityscape of nothing but rubble and bodies, Kyouka's lifeless one in the center of it all.

"Not being strong enough. Losing her either to a villain…" Then the idea of Kyouka walking out the door, not looking back. "Or not being enough for her."

"Okay, that first fear I can understand. That second one though? That's just stupid."

"Well it's just…" Izuku sighed, looking down at his lap before continuing. "This is the first relationship I've ever had. I still don't really know what I'm doing. And I know everything is good now. Amazing, perfect even. But, we've been together for only half a year. A lot could happen. A lot can go wrong. I don't want to lose her so badly. I-...I'm…"

Izuku stopped himself, not sure if he wanted to admit it out loud to Kyouka's parents right then and there. "Go ahead, kid. I already know. Believe me, despite how I've acted around you at times, I'm not upset."

"...I'm in love with her."

"Good. She's in love with you, too."

Izuku whipped his gaze over to Kyoutoku, "R-Really? Are you sure? I mean, that's such a serious assumption to make, a-and Kyouka might be someone who takes years to figure out if she truly loves somebody. And what if she loves me, but isn't in love with me. And the-"

"Breathe."

Izuku then realized his lungs burned, quickly taking a deep breath. "Th-Thanks."

"And it's not an assumption. I know my daughter. And that's not some parent's intuition crap. I didn't say 'I love you' first in my relationship. Mika said it. Five or so months after we began going out, I took her to this concert and went into the mosh pit. After a while, I noticed out of all the dancing and shoving, Mika was standing still. She was just staring at me. I yelled over the noise, asking her if something was wrong, and all she did was shake her head. She took my face in her hands, bringing me in so she could whisper in my ear. And that's when she said it. Just, 'I love you', as casual as can be." Kyoutoku rested his head on his hand, smiling to himself. "I think about that look she gave me every single day. And I could never forget it because it's how she looks at me now." Turning to Izuku, he nodded. "And yes, it's exactly how Kyouka looks at you. Every single second of the day."

"...Really?"

"I understand why you wouldn't notice. You've gotten so used to that look it's normal to you. Good, keep it that way. You'll know something's wrong when it's not there anymore. It's like a marriage cheat sheet...Although, you chose Kyouka. So really there is no cheat sheet. Every answer is basically you did something stupid and now she's going to make you think about absolutely everything you did wrong."

"I'm going to live the rest of my life like that, aren't I?"

"You knew what you signed up for. Just wait till you and her have a daughter. You're screwed."

"...But that's your life."

"Ha! It sure is. But, anyway, you might like to know Mika is the only woman I've ever been with."

"Sh-She was your first girlfriend?"

"First date, kiss, girlfriend, other thing I'm not going to mention, and wife. And I intend, and hopefully she does as well, to keep her the only one of all of those things. Was it scary? Yeah. Did we have our ups and down? Yep. But, when it's real, nothing separates you. And, in the end I guess that involves your other fear, too." Kyoutoku looked over to Izuku, a small smile on his face. "I don't know much about how it feels to be a hero, to have all that weight on your shoulders. But, I know that if you're afraid you won't be strong enough, remember you can't do it alone. You're partners for a reason. Besides, I don't think Kyouka would let you fight alone anyway."

"What if...What if it's against an enemy she's not strong enough to fight? What if I'm the only one that can do it?"

"Yeah, bullshit. Nobody's that strong."

Izuku shook his head, "You have no idea."

"Uh, yeah. I do. It's a little thing called, there's no such thing as invincibility. There's no, 'Only I can do this'. That's not how life works. It doesn't matter how strong the bad guy is, two-on-one is always a better situation. And as depressing as this sounds, if you're apparently the only one who can fight this theoretical villain then chances are if you lose, everyone including the one you love, is dead anyway. You have a loving partner who wants nothing but to stand alongside you. You gonna turn that down?"

Izuku knew he couldn't say more without giving away details. Kyoutoku didn't know how complicated his situation was, but Izuku couldn't deny the man had a point.

"...I-I guess not."

"Just don't focus on it right now. Just concentrate on the fact that you're in love with a girl, and she's not repulsed by you! When it comes to us guys, that's hard to come by!"

Izuku couldn't help but laugh, "Fair enough."

The father raised his glass up towards Izuku, "To being brothers in arms in our battle to keep the greatest women alive loving us. For we deserve a medal for simply being able to land them in the first place."

Izuku chuckled, raising his cup as well. "Truly of a different kind."

"Us or the girls?"

"Yes."

Kyoutoku threw his head back in a hearty laugh, "Kyouka's getting to you."

"She already has."

"Hehe. Okay, get outta here, kid. I'm gonna sit and bask in the glory of my awesome parenting skills."

Izuku grinned, "I thought you had dishes to do?"

"Uuugh," Kyoutoku groaned, throwing his head back in annoyance.

Izuku laughed as he got out of his chair, "Forget I said anything. But, I don't think Mrs. Jirou is gonna let it go."

"Absolutely not," Mika chimed in, smiling behind her wine glass.

Izuku chuckled again, but then gazed at them curiously, "...What was this? Why'd you do this?"

Kyoutoku sighed, shrugging his shoulders, "Because it's not hard to see you've got some shit to work through. You're a damn good kid, but we've all got something. And, uh…Forgive me if this is pushing beyond my boundaries, but I'm well aware that your father isn't around, and I…I guess I just figured if you were gonna be here for the long haul, I might as well help where I can."

Izuku sat in silence, not particularly sure what to say. His heart clenched, but in a good way. It was becoming harder and harder for him to believe that it was just over one year ago that he was completely alone. His mom was there, sure. But, at the time…

"Thank you, Mr. Jirou. I-...I don't know what to say. I do, um…It's complicated, but I do have a father-figure in my life, despite us never really talking about it. B-But, I'd be happy to add you to that list. A-And, you too, Mrs. Jirou," Izuku added, looking over to Mika, "Of course, I have my mom, but you've been…well, you know…Thank you. Both of you."

"No problem. And, hey, call me Kyoutoku, kid."

"R-Really?" Izuku asked, uncertainly, "Are you sure?"

"If you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to. But, you don't just know how to keep up with my daughter, but you give her a run for her money at times. You make her happy, you're deadly serious about your future, you're apparently one hell of a fighter…I respect the hell out of you. I'd be more than happy to be on a first-name basis with you."

Izuku grinned, holding back tears threatening to come out, "Okay, Kyoutoku."

"The same goes for me, Izuku." Mika walked over, leaned down, and kissed his forehead, then moved him towards the door, "Now go continue making my daughter happy."

Izuku gave a mock salute, taking his leave, "Yes, ma'am."

Kyoutoku blew a raspberry, getting out of his seat and turning to his wife, "So, did I do goo-mmph!"

Kyoutoku was cut off by Mika crashing her lips into his. She pulled away, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes, "God-damn it, I love you."

"Pretty damn good, then. Good enough to not do the dishe-"

"Not a chance."

…~AIV~...

(Ten Minutes Ago: Dining Room)

Kyouka watched as her boyfriend was dragged away from the table and out of sight, only being able to guess what her parents had up their sleeve.

"Hmhmhm," Inko giggled, "Your family is quite lively."

"It's mostly my dad. Believe it or not, my mom is pretty quiet in public. My dad just sort of brings something out in her."

Inko smiled, "So you take after your father in that regard, I suppose."

"Hm? Oh, well…" A smile crept up onto Kyouka's face as red dusted her cheeks. She looked away with a shrug, "I guess. I never really thought about it like that."

"The best partners do that. It shows that you two are going to last. Although, I suppose you knew that already since you became a Duo at such a young age."

"Ah, now that you mention it, I've been meaning to say this. I'm sorry we didn't consult you before becoming partners."

"Hero partners or romantic partners?" Inko chuckled.

"Both, I guess. It's a pretty big deal, and we didn't talk to you or my parents. The romantic one I'm less sorry for, but you and I meeting for the first time took too long."

"It's okay," Inko waved her off, "I'm just ecstatic that Izuku found somebody he's so happy with and certain of that he'd make this decision. Besides, it's not like it can't be undone. Which, I obviously don't want, but it's always good to not be locked in. But, I have no doubt you two will go on to be the greatest in Japan."

"Trust me, I'm not leaving him," Kyouka nodded to herself, 'Over my dead body...which might end up being the case.'

Inko furrowed her brow, looking at Kyouka curiously, "What's on your mind?"

"Hm?"

"Something's been bothering you since we started talking about your exams, and I can see it on your face again. What's wrong?"

Kyouka's eyes went wide, "I'm really that obvious?"

"Mother's intuition. We just know. It's why I'm nervous twenty-four/seven. There's always something with Izuku, even if I can't pinpoint it. I would bet you anything that your mother is going to corner you later and prod you for information, because she noticed long before I did. So, what's on your mind?"

"I-It's nothing, really."

"It's okay," Inko assured her, "I want to help, more than anything. But, if it's something you'd feel more comfortable talking to your parents about, I understand."

"That's…actually, to be honest, you're probably the one that needs to hear this more than anybody."

Inko nodded, resting back into her chair, "Then lay it on me."

"It's…It's the future, I suppose. Today was another step. To be fair, midterms aren't exactly the biggest milestone ever, but this was our first time fighting together as a legitimate Hero Duo. And, it was great. I loved every second of fighting with him." Kyouka then rubbed her ribs, remembering the kick All Might had given her, "Okay, the fight itself was pure torture, but being with him was incredible. But…"

"But, what?" Inko asked, insisting she continue.

"But, there were so many times that Izuku had to fight All Might himself, take the kicks and punches, slammed into walls, all to distract him so that I could either run or help. And, even when I accidentally hit him with the hammer. Izuku is going to be up against a whole other caliber of villains that I'm not sure I can help him with. I might just end up being in the way or distracting him. He keeps telling me he needs me, but…I'm scared of being useless." Images of Izuku having to face off against All For One flood her mind. A shadowy figure was in place of the villain, as she had no knowledge of his appearance. "I have nightmares of him dying, and I can't do anything about it. I just stand there helpless. I don't know if you know this, but Izuku is getting stronger by the day. HIs power is insane, and at some point I won't be able to keep up. And, when that happens, Izuku's going to be Izuku and do everything in his power to protect me first and foremost. Even if he has to make a sacrifice, and there won't be any stopping him. I can't go through that. Seeing him hurt is already painful enough, but if he…if he…died, I wouldn't be able to not blame myself. We're partners, more than partners. We're responsible for each other, in and out of costume. I can't lose him. I'm in…Sorry, I-"

"Go on. Please. I know what you're going to say, and you have no idea how deliriously happy I'll be to hear you say it."

"...I'm in love with him. At least, what I've always imagined love to feel like, can't compare to what I feel for Izuku. There are some…things I can't go into about myself, but Izuku made those problems go away. And, for a while I was afraid that I was using him in a way, just to make me feel better. But, then I realized that everyday when I woke up, I wanted to see him. I wanted to see him smile. I wanted to hear his voice, his laugh, go to school together, hold his hand, help him in whatever way I could. I couldn't give less of a damn if my problems were never solved, as long as he was happy. Of course, Izuku disagreed," Kyouka chuckled, a warm smile spreading on her lips. "He's building me up, while also giving me the tools to build myself up. All things considered, I've known Izuku for a short amount of time, but…I can't imagine life without him. I don't want to. I'm terrified of losing him. So, no matter what comes our way, I'm going to be there. Even if for some horrible reason we split up, I'm gonna be there."

Kyouka finished with her eyes towards her lap, already feeling like she shared too much. "...I understand. More than you know."

Kyouka sighed, "Of course you do. Here I am talking about how badly I don't want to lose him to his own mother. I'm sorry, that was selfi-Woah!" Kyouka jumped as she watched a seemingly impossible amount of water flowed out of Inko's eyes.

"Sorry! Sorry." Inko wiped her eyes with a napkin, doing her best to hold back the rest of the tears. "You're not selfish. Not at all. I do understand everything you're feeling. I used to feel that way, too. The day Izuku was diagnosed, I-...I'm sorry, I shouldn't go into this if he doe-"

"I know," Kyouka quickly informed her. "He told me everything a while back. He doesn't like to talk about that day."

"Neither of us do," Inko scoffed, dryly. "I had to watch those dream-filled eyes become empty in the blink of an eye. 'There's no hope for him' he said," Inko seethed out. "God-damn that doctor. Who says that to a child?"

"An asshole doctor. Er, uh…Sorry."

"Hmhmhm," Inko chuckled, "I told you before, it's fine. But, anyway, I thought that all I could do was love him. I thought: What else do I have to give? But, Izuku didn't just need love. He needed support. He needed another fighter in his corner. I don't know if he would have made it to UA. The world has seemingly left quirkless behind in so many aspects, but that's not what matters. He needed somebody to be there to lift him up, and to catch him if he fell again. After a while, I realized I couldn't be that person. He wouldn't let me back in. I missed my chance."

"You can't blame yourself," Kyouka cut her off, "I can hear that guilt in your voice. That was an impossible situation. I sure as hell wouldn't know what to do."

"Hindsight truly is my worst enemy," Inko sighed. "But, what I'm trying to say is, you are everything to my son. You're everything he's ever needed, and you somehow did it all before even knowing his story. You're a dream come true for him. I don't even…" Inko shook her head, looking at Kyouka, "You're unbelievable."

"Izuku once said the same thing to me," Kyouka chuckled. "I still don't believe it, but it's very hard to change Izuku's mind once he's set on something."

"The fact that he's in UA right now proves that. Which brings me to my point. He fought for eleven years alone, and then something changed. Someone else was finally on his side, I know it. Before you, even. He would never say, but I could tell. And, then you came along. My boy was smiling again, invigorated more than ever. Ever since then, he's gone so far. Because somebody finally believed in him. That's it. The only thing he was missing. So, Jirou, you will never be useless. Because, as long as you have each other, as long as you stand together, the impossible turns into child's play. So, no matter what happens, even if that thing you fear comes for you, just be with him. You two will find a way, I know it. Besides, we both know Izuku isn't going anywhere either, because he's in love with you, too. Don't even question it. We both know it's true. You can't be scared of being useless to Izuku, or him not feeling the same way, because both are completely false ideas."

Kyouka smiled, nodding her head, "Even when it's so obvious and should be so simple, it terrifies me."

"That's love," Inko confirmed, "But, you've done well so far. I think you can manage one more confession. And, speaking of confessions…"

Inko nodded her head past Kyouka, prompting the teen to turn around and see Izuku appear from the hallway, bottle in hand.

Kyouka smiled at him, "How'd it go?"

"Emotionally exhausting, and incredibly surprising. But…weirdly in the best way possible. Very enlightening, actually. Which leads me to this: Do you wanna come to the beach with me? Not for long, I just wanna talk." His eyes darted up to his mother, quickly adding in, "Privately, I mean."

Kyouka had an inkling in the back of her mind telling her where this could lead. And, she was ready. She turned back to Inko, "Tell my parents that we'll be back soon? An hour at max. Apparently we both have some things to say."

Inko couldn't hold back her grin as she nodded towards the door, "I'll cover for you."

"You're the best, Inko." Kyouka rushed out of her chair, grabbing Izuku's hand as they made their way towards the door, leaving a teary-eyed Inko behind.

…~AIV~...

(Fifteen Minutes Later: Dagobah Municipal Beach Park)

"You think we can convince All Might to just buy this beach? We're pretty much the only people who go here as far as I know. It's private and closed off, surrounded by trees. I mean he's got the cash. You're the only person that takes care of it, anyway."

Izuku chuckled as he threw their blanket down on the sand. Due to the amount of times they trained, relaxed, and did other things at the beach every week, they started stashing towels and a large blanket in some of the small shelves near the steps.

"I don't think you can buy a beach already owned by the city."

"Ah, c'mon, he's All Might," Kyouka argued as she sat down on the blanket, leaning back on her arms. "He's got the key to the city. I'm sure they would give him a beach."

Izuku sat down next to her, laying down to look up at the sky, "He's been given the key to over half of the cities in Japan, and a good handful of keys from America." Izuku gasped, "Wait! Do you think he'd give me one?!"

Kyouka laid down, propping herself on her elbow to gaze down at her boyfriend, "You really want a hunk of bedazzled metal painted gold that serves no actual purpose, not even that of a key?"

"Ultimate colle-"

"Collector's items, yeah, yeah. Such a nerd."

"You're the one that's attracted to nerds."

"I-...You-...Yeah, I got nothing, I think you're hot as hell."

"Oh my God," Izuku covered his face with his hand, trying to hide his blush.

Kyouka giggled, resting her head down on his chest, "It's true. Get used to it."

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?"

"You do. All the time, in fact. You made it your mission to tell me I'm hot fifty times a day."

"Fifty? Damn, I've been slacking."

"Smartass," Kyouka scoffed, "I only have myself to blame."

She sighed into his chest, a comfortable silence washing over them. The sea was still, and leaves rustled in the breeze. That right there was what Kyouka couldn't lose. She was beginning to lose count of how many times they had done this. Just them at the beach, huddled together in the moonlight, the cold night air thwarted by their shared body heat. If she had to choose one place to be frozen in time forever, it would be there.

"So," Kyouka continued, "What did you wanna talk about? You said it was related to what you said to my parents. Who we're absolutely canceling our trip with them, but not telling your mom, right?"

"Oh, absolutely .Thank goodness that worked out."

"They haven't left, so we're not in the clear just yet. Don't jinx it. But, continue."

"It was mostly just your dad, actually. He was asking how I was, how school was going, stuff like that. He…He even knew about Kacchan."

"I said nothing!" Kyouka quickly defended herself.

"Hehe, I know," Izuku laughed, "I never thought you did. But, he clarified that, too. He said that he could tell from our fight at the Sports Festival that we had history. But, that moved into talking about the past, and I told him I couldn't afford to think about it, because I'm way too busy with our future. Which, finally, turned into talking about how I'm…W-Well, I'm-"

"Terrified?" Kyouka said, completing his sentence for him. "Yeah, your mom and I talked about the same thing."

Izuku sat up quickly with clear concern on his face, "You're scared, too?"

"Of course I'm scared, dummy." Kyouka followed his example, sitting up next to him. "You and All Might's sales pitch for All For One wasn't exactly comforting."

"I-I mean, I figured. Who wouldn't be? It's just that you don't act scared. Every time we warned you, you didn't hesitate to stay. Not once."

"What do you think scares me more? All For One, or you facing All For One alone? There was no question on what I was doing. How many times do I have to say it?" Kyouka leaned forward, her forehead pressed against Izuku's temple. "Stuck. With. Me. We both know we're not going to leave each other, despite being afraid of the future. So I think we also both know why exactly we're here. If you don't mind, I wanna go first."

With a shaky breath, Izuku nodded, "No objections from me."

"Okay, phew, um…I didn't prepare a speech or anything, so let's wing it. I can't say I've struggled for anything. I've never had to fight tooth and nail just to get through the day like you did. But, even still, there was always just this poison in me. You remember when I said I hated my quirk when I was little? That I wanted it gone? It was just the start. With every passing year I found something I hated about myself." Kyouka sighed, rubbing her temples as she shook her head, "You already know about the appearance shit, but…it chains you down in more ways than one."

Izuku took her hand away from her temple, holding it in his own, "...How?"

"Pfft, where do I begin? 'I can't go out like this, I look horrible. But, everything I wear looks horrible on me.' 'You can't take that beach trip with your parents, you can't let anybody see that.' 'You've gotta wait for all of the other girls to change in the locker room before you do, just so they don't see.' Then, it just all evolves, creeping into the other aspects of your life. If you're not good enough at one thing, why would you at others? My music, my grades, even just common interests. Don't let anybody in. I know how it sounds, I know. How does not liking how you look turn into that? It sounds crazy, but…it just does."

Izuku raised her hand up, placing a kiss on her knuckles, "I understand. Trust me, I do."

Kyouka scoffed, "I will never, ever understand your willpower, dude. This random dork in the nurse's office, who I didn't pay any mind to. Sure, he was cute, but why would I say anything? Who would ever want to be with me, anyway? I'm not attractive. But, apparently, that dork wholeheartedly disagreed. Ever since he's made me feel…He made me feel like more than I ever thought I could be. Not just in looks, but as a hero, as a musician, a student, just a human being in general. He…You make me feel whole."

Izuku sat completely engrossed in what he was hearing, almost in disbelief. He watched as a few tears sprung to her eyes, "Kyouka…"

"Hold on, I'm almost done. I promise." Kyouka really didn't want tears to ruin this moment. It was supposed to be happy. "But, it wasn't just what you did for me. I realized soon after I met you, that all I wanted was to see you happy. I want to see the world smile. It's all I've ever wanted for years. But, if throughout my entire life, all I could manage was you? That'd be just fine with me. Your smile is all I want to see when I wake up. Scratch that, you're all I think about at nearly every given moment. Every song I listen to, or write, becomes about you. All of my hopes and dreams mean nothing to me if you're not in them. I adore you so much I've already gone head-first into a career with you, and every day that's passed since then has just made me more and more excited about it. I just…What I'm trying to say is…"

"...What?" Izuku waited in anticipation, hoping she was going where he thought she was. Kyouka finally looked back up at him, a deep blush and a smile adorning her face.

"...I love you."

Kyouka couldn't help but laugh at the face Izuku made after she said those words. After so many years of pain, he had never expected to hear those words from anybody.

Kyouka kept giggling as she wiped her eyes, "Hehe! God-damn it, I love you. I…I mean, honestly, most would say I'm too young to know what love is. I don't even know If I do, but from what I can tell, from what I feel…I'm sorry, it's hard to come up with the right words for this, um…If what I feel for you isn't love, then I can't even begin to imagine how incredible love feels. Either that, or I found something a hell of a lot better. If this was too soon for you, that's perfectly okay."

"You…You love me." Kyouka couldn't help but notice that he didn't say it as a question, but as a statement. He knew. Of course he did. He just needed her to say it, to confirm it. "I…I can't believe I get to hear those words, but especially from you. Eleven years ago-...No, six months ago I didn't even think it was in the cards for me."

Kyouka nodded, "I didn't think it was for me either."

"Well…" Izuku continued, taking a deep breath, "You don't have to wait any longer either. Because it's my turn."

Kyouka blushed for the hundredth time that night, an excited smile on her face as she was barely able to sit still, "Okay. Go for it."

"I know romantic monologues are kind of becoming our thing, but I need to say…I-I jus-...I wanted to say…Ugh," Izuku ran a hand down his face, irritation with himself evident. "All that build-up, and yet I'm still afraid to say it. Because…you're the one constant in my life. The one constant, perfect thing in my life. And, I'm only just realizing that out of all the fears I've thought about tonight, nothing scares me more than what I feel about you. A-A good kind of scary, I mean."

"Scary in a good way? I like that," Kyouka smirked.

Izuku smiled back, "It's scary because I've never had someone consume my thoughts like you do. I don't know what I would become if I lost you. I've…I've spent most of my life alone. You know that already, but…"

Kyouka watched as Izuku wrung his hands together, understanding his past still wasn't the most comfortable topic to him. She slipped her hand in between his, scooting closer until their bodies were pressed together.

She nuzzled his shoulder, "Hey, I'm here. It's just me. You can say it."

Izuku gave a mirthful scoff, a small smile spreading on his lips. "You are here. Hmhm, that's…I've heard those words my entire life. It's plastered all over my bedroom walls, it took up thousands of views on my computer. I waited years to hear those words in real life, but I never expected some girl from the nurse's office to be the one I needed to hear it from." Izuku chuckled dryly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Oh boy. I'm a mess, aren't I?"

Kyouka laughed with him, kissing his shoulder, "Join the club."

Izuku's laughter died down, and he continued. "Spending eleven years alone, it…it changes you. Spending eleven years alone, mocked and hated, well…it does more than change you. It kills you. I had no friends. You know about my mom and I, despite the improvements. Jury's still out on whatever the hell my dad is doing. Then All Might came along, and he was amazing. He is amazing. But, he couldn't fix any of that. He doesn't even know about most of it yet. Then, there you were. You walked into that room, into my life, and you decided it was worth staying in. And, in only a short amount of time, you made every single second of those eleven years worth it. You've seen me fall apart, and you don't just put me back together. You want to make me better. You have made me better, and continue to do so. You're my hero, Kyouka. To Hell with being scared. I-..." Izuku shifted around so that he could look Kyouka in the eyes, determination and true sincerity on his face, "...I love you, too."

There was nothing in the universe that could wipe away the smile on their faces. Nothing.

"Say it again."

"You first," Izuku bounced back.

Kyouka leaned forward, rubbing her nose against his, "I love you."

Izuku closed the gap and kissed Kyouka, "I love you, too."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, saying "I love you" against his lips. Izuku returned it with his own, and they repeated that back and forth as they laid back down on the blanket, the sand underneath it acting as a soft cushion. With emotions riding at an all time high, it wasn't long before the heat between them was overwhelmingly intoxicating.

Who knew three words contained so much power?

Before Izuku even knew what he was doing, he was above her, his right hand was under Kyouka's shirt and laying on her lower back. His left was hooked under Kyouka's knee. He raised her leg up to be pressed against his side, his palm massaging under her thigh.

Izuku was too into it to notice.

Kyouka was too into it to care.

She took his bottom lip in between her's, her hands gripping the back of his jacket. She trailed kisses along Izuku's jawline before tugging on his earlobe with her teeth.

Apparently Izuku liked that quite a bit more than expected, because the hand on her back suddenly raised Kyouka up, leaving no space between their bodies. Izuku began leaving his own trail of kisses down Kyouka's neck until he reached her collar bone. He left small bites, prompting moans from Kyouka, which spurred him even further.

His hand went further up Kyouka's back, wanting to push her chest even closer to him. His palm on the clip of her bra, he sighed against he-...

Wait…

Bra?

Ah!" Izuku retracted his hand so fast he hit himself in the chest with it. He was blushing up a storm, terrified that he went too far. "I'm sorry! S-Sorry! I didn't mean to get carried aw-"

"Don't apologize," Kyouka quickly stopped him, looking up at the stars as she tried to catch her breath. "That. Was. Awesome. What time is it?"

Izuku pulled out his phone, still trying to cool down, "Ah, probably time to go if we want to keep our promise of an hour max."

"Fine, but we're absolutely continuing this when my parents leave in a few days." Kyouka grabbed him by his jacket, pulling him down for another kiss, "They said one week, and I'm using it."

"Once again, no objections here."

They put away their blanket, making the trek back to Kyouka's place. Once they were past the trees and on the sidewalk, Kyouka suddenly got behind Izuku. "Gotta keep with tradition."

She hopped up onto Izuku's back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Izuku stumbled a bit at the sudden weight, but regained his footing with a chuckle. "You're lucky I love you so much."

Kyouka buried her nose into his hair, smiling against his skin, "Damn right."

…~AIV~...

(One Day Later: Jirou Household)

"Phase one: Start." Kyouka walked down the hall, raising her hand to knock on the door of her parents' room.

Before Kyouka could even knock, Mika shouted, "Come in!"

"Of course she heard me." Kyouka walked in as her parents were putting the last of their travel essentials in their luggage. "Izuku just called. He said he can't make it. His mentor is moving and asked for some help. It's gonna take a couple of days. And, you know Izuku. He just can't say no to people in need. Besides, his mentor lost his stomach some years back, so Izuku really doesn't want him doing too much."

"Aw, that's a shame," Mika sighed. "I'm sorry, Kyouka."

"It's okay. Original plan, then. Izuku's out, then so am I. I'm gonna stay behind and help him. I've met his mentor, he's a good guy."

"Thank goodness we didn't buy the extra hotel rooms yet," Kyoutoku sighed in relief. "Home Alone Security Procedure. Go."

Kyouka rolled her eyes, but complied. "All windows and doors double-locked, jacks uncovered at all times, especially when asleep, security system on at all times, and all keys and spare keys are kept on hand. Emergency numbers are all memorized, only let people I know in. All ordered food must be paid for online and asked to be left at the door. And, worst case scenario, lock myself in the studio and call the police…or Izuku. Odds are he'll be here much faster, and be far more of a threat to anybody who tried to hurt me." In her head, Kyouka then added, 'Worst, WORST case scenario, call All Might.'

"Good girl."

Kyouka smiled, taking her leave. Once she was out the door, she began texting.

…~AIV~...

(Midoriya Family Apartment)

*Bzzzt*

Izuku pulled out his phone, and he had to suppress a grin as he read the text.

[Kyouka: Phase One: Complete]

"Okay. My turn." Izuku picked up his bags and left his room, meeting his mom in the living room, "They'll be leaving soon. I better head out."

Inko quickly got up from the couch, moving over to her son, "Okay. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the station?"

"Ah, I'll be alright. How much trouble can I get into in a five-minute walk?"

"Um…"

"Don't answer that. In fact, never tell Kyouka I said that. I won't hear the end of it."

"Hehe! Okay, okay. Don't keep them waiting."

Izuku nodded, throwing his bag over his shoulder, "Bye, Mom. Love you."

Inko pressed a long kiss to Izuku's forehead and brought him in for a hug, "I love you, too. Have fun. We'll celebrate your birthday when you get back."

Waving his mom goodbye, Izuku left the apartment ready for vacation.

…Just not the one any of the parents were expecting.

…~AIV~...

(Twenty-Minutes Later: Jirou Household)

*Knock Knock*

Kyoutoku closed his guitar case, placing it with the rest of his luggage before moving towards the front door. "Oh, who else could ever be showing up at my do-Hey, Izuku."

Izuku smiled once the door opened, hearing Kyoutoku's sarcasm, "Maybe I should get a key."

Kyoutoku ruffled his hair before letting him in, "Not on your life. C'mon."

Mika appeared at the top of the steps, coming down with more bags, "Izuku? Come to see us off?"

"That, and to get Kyouka so we can go help Mr. Yagi. Sorry for the last minute cancellation, by the way."

"Don't even worry about it," Mika replied, kissing the top of his head, "You chose to help somebody in need over a vacation. Don't apologize for that. Besides, it probably would have mostly been you and Kyouka holed up in a hotel room."

Izuku turned away to hide his blush as a bead of sweat rolled down his head, "Y-Yeah, not much we could do there."

"This, Mr. Yagi, was it?" Kyoutoku asked. "This the guy you mentioned the other night?"

"Oh, yeah. That's him."

"Hm. Well, if he's that important to you, you should introduce us some time. Your birthday's coming up, right? Invite him over for dinner."

Izuku's stomach dropped. This is why he hated lying. It always ended up digging him further into new holes. "H-He's a private man, keeps to himself. But…I'll see what I can do."

"Good luck with that," Kyouka's voice appeared. Izuku looked up to see her at the top of the steps, dressed in a Deep Dope tank top and ripped jeans. "Tearing Mr. Yagi away from his flatscreen is gonna be difficult."

Izuku turned back to the elder Jirou's, nodding his head, "He's a film buff."

"That right?" Kyoutoku asked with interest, "I've been behind on the cinema game. Perhaps he can bring me up to speed on some things."

Mika's jacks suddenly perked up, directing them towards the outside, "The car is here. Alright, Kyouka come down. Give us a proper send off." Kyouka made her way down the steps, allowing her parents to bring her into a hug. "We're off. We love you."

"Love you, too."

Mika picked up her bags, looking towards Izuku, "Protect her."

"Always."

Mika then kissed Kyouka's forehead, "Keep him out of trouble."

"I only promise to try."

Izuku deadpanned at Kyouka before turning back towards the parents, "Have a good ti-"

"Hold on there, kid," Kyoutoku cut him off. "Can I just have one more moment to try and intimidate you before I shelve this act for good? Just for old times sake."

Izuku chuckled, but shrugged his shoulders, "Lay it on me."

Kyoutoku grabbed Izuku, bringing him nose-to-nose with him, "You listen here, boy. You're here with my daughter alone, but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate any funny business." Kyoutoku then raised his finger, a small shiny disc on the tip, "You see this contact lens? This contact lens represents you! And my eye represents my eye!" He then slowly moved the lens towards his eye, "I've got my eye. On. You."

Mika quirked her brow at her husband, "Honey, you don't wear glasses. Are those my contacts?"

"...Yeah."

"...Do you need help getting them out?"

"...Yeah."

Mika patted her husband's shoulder with a smile, "Ended it on a high-note. C'mon, I'll get it out in the car."

The teens followed the parents until they were out the door, waving them goodbye as they got into the car sent for them, and took off down the street.

They were finally alone.

Kyouka waited until the car was fully out of sight before she spoke again, "…You got your bags?"

"In the bushes out front."

"Perfect." They looked around for any stray neighbors outside before rushing outside and grabbing Izuku's things before disappearing back inside the house. Kyouka locked the door behind them, turning back to lean against the door. "Welcome to our Fortress of Solitude."

Izuku sighed, taking in what they had done. It worked. They had the week completely to themselves.

"You know, I just earned your dad's complete trust. And the whole thing with my mom…I feel bad lying like thi-" Izuku turned around and froze, paralyzed by the sultry gleam in Kyouka's eye. "...But, the look you're giving me is a fantastic argument."

"I told you already. We got one week…" Kyouka walked over to Izuku, pushing him against the couch. "...and I'm using it."

"Whoa!" Izuku was pushed over the back of the couch, quickly joined by Kyouka as she landed next to him, her lips on his.

Yeah, lying was totally worth it.

…~AIV~...

A/N: And, if you know what I'm referencing there at the end, I'll just answer what you're probably thinking now.

No, they're not about to bang. That's not happening.

...Not yet, anyway.