taloumina

He was still trying, on his fifth glass, and well on his way to more. Who knew how many it'd be tonight?

He missed spending nights with you, hearing your dreams about the future.

Izuku was living his dream of being the greatest hero ever, but not once during his time with you had he thought it'd be like this. With you nowhere to be found.

Why had he thought you were less important? How could he have let you leave? He hadn't even argued for you to stay.

Izuku drank, but the burn of alcohol couldn't burn away all his memories of you or U.A. He wanted to be back in high school again, where he'd always found a way to be happy: with you. Not miserable as a pro, putting away the smile as soon as he was out of the public eye.

The bar was all he had at the end of a long day–or the beginning of one if he wanted oblivion early.

Work, work, work.

Drink, drink, drink.

It was a pattern he couldn't break. More and more, he wished he could forget about you altogether, but remembering was the self-punishment he deserved. Daily.

Holding an empty glass in his hand, Izuku stared unseeingly at the ceiling above him. He didn't want to be great anymore, but what else was there? Besides regret, which he'd feel for the rest of his life.

It described him perfectly, hero. He was the exact definition of one. Only eighteen, and he was already the No. 1 Pro, topping the chart for months upon months, with no signs of him losing his rank anytime soon. This, despite all his and your former classmates, along with those from rival schools and agencies, vowing to take that spot away from him.

It was friendly competition. You remembered that Izuku always welcomed it with open arms. He told you once that he believed in competition among heroes because it encouraged everyone to not try but do their best, grow stronger, and strive harder to be better than anyone else, never resorting to underhanded tactics.

You weren’t angry that he’d finally done it. More than becoming a hero, he’d become—was—the greatest hero ever, achieving the dream he had since he watched that video of All Might saving people when he was younger. He’d been chasing after that dream for so long. To be living it now must mean everything to him, even if you never heard him say it.

Whenever he appeared on TV for interviews or special appearances with fans, talking about his career or signing autographs for every kid who wanted one, he never complained. There wasn’t an ungrateful bone in his body. He’d said it so many times now, how happy he was to be where he was at, to have family and friends and mentors, especially All Might, who always believed in him.

All Might.

The last time you saw him was even longer than the last time you saw Izuku. What was he—what were they—up to now, you wondered, besides the obvious? Was All Might still giving him sage advice? Were there any new scars you’d never seen or touched on Izuku’s body?

Did he ever think about you like you did about him?

He hadn’t stopped at his dream, at just being the greatest. To him, that was as good as nothing if he couldn’t continue stopping villains and saving people himself, as All Might had all those years ago.

From what you’d seen, he’d changed little after you left. He hadn’t allowed his rank to get to his head. He wasn’t arrogant or condescending. He was still as kind and approachable as ever to everyone he met, no matter their age or what their quirk was, if he knew, or whether they had a quirk at all.

He was so… happy without you.

But he wasn’t your hero anymore. What few knew, only people you and Izuku trusted, was that his greatness came at a cost: you. Your relationship with him was long over, four years lost because being a hero was more important to him than being with you. And you understood his dedication, you did, but that didn’t make it hurt any less to remember that, essentially, Izuku had chosen his career over you.

You could tolerate seeing him on TV, billboards, and magazines. Anywhere except in person. You never again wanted to stand across from him and look into his green eyes with fading love for you in them. Not unless you had to, for an emergency or hero meeting you must attend. But no more than that.

You couldn’t stand living here any longer with him. You wanted to leave immediately, and yet, a part of you knew you couldn’t without saying anything to him.

“You told me you were done with Rafe Cameron,” you said, piercing him with your eyes, “but you just couldn’t resist, could you? When he dangles money right in front of you, you’ll do anything.”

“Don’t act like you never knew that,” Barry said, a tiny dangerous glint in his eyes, but it disappeared a second later. All you could see was the same love he always had for you. “All this money’s for us, baby! So we never gotta worry about a thing. Hell, we could move outta here if we wanted!”

He laughed, but you saw no humor in what he said or what he’d done. “Bullshit! With your business—and by that, I mean your legitimate business,” you clarified, “you were doing just fine. Money was never a problem for you, Barry.”

“It was when them Pogues stole 25k from me,” he reminded you, recalling the incident with disdain. “But what we have now... we’re set for life! You and me.”

He made it sound like he and you were fulfilling a shared dream together, but that dream wasn’t yours. Yours was simply to have a little more than enough to live a comfortable life, splurge here and there, and maybe even start a family one day. His was to live like a king in the way he wanted, not like Kooks with their enormous houses and boats and extravagant lifestyles.

You and Barry had joked about it before: having so much money that you turned into Kooks. But you never truly wanted to be one. Being with Barry, you’d thought, would always make you happier than being with people who were used to spending money like they were drinking water. You didn’t even want to be like those Pogue kids, running around and chasing treasure like it was their job.

“It’s all yours,” you told Barry, your voice falling to a whisper. “I was never gonna be more important to you than money, huh? At least now you don’t have to worry about sharing it with anyone.”

“(Name), don’t,” he said pleadingly. “I can stop. Starting right now, I’ll never work with Rafe Cameron again.”

“Yes, you will. You always do.” You turned and started walking away again, determined to leave while you still had the resolve to.

“Wait.”

You couldn’t force your legs to keep going. You looked over your shoulder at Barry. “What?”

His eyes were hard. “The cross... It’s better if—”

“No one knows?” You laughed bitterly. “I won’t tell anyone, even if you two deserve to be caught for doing something so fucking stupid. Goodbye, Barry.”

Kiara groaned. “God, the amount of good–real good–that Kooks could do if they weren’t so obsessed with all the wrong things, like making themselves richer… I wouldn’t feel guilty at all for bankrupting them. Don’t tell JJ about this, by the way, or else he’ll call me a hypocrite for never agreeing to his Kook-kidnapping schemes.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t, and neither would I,” you told her. “Might even be fun watching their fellow Kooks turn against them when they’re broke as hell.”

“It’d be the Hunger Games, only Kook style!”

You burst out laughing. “Oh my god, Kie! If any cops could hear us right now…”

“We’d be so fucked!”

You laughed like a crazy couple, and when you were calm again, you said, “Okay, so I know we’re not big on gift giving, and it’s not a holiday, but I made you something.”

“Made?” Kiara echoed, watching you lean over to reveal the gift bag you’d been hiding out of sight.

“Yeah.” You hold it out for her, nervous now that this was actually happening. After weeks of working on it, you were finally giving her her gift.

“I, um… hope you don’t mind the plain brown bag.”

“Please,” Kiara said encouragingly. “I’d take one of these any day over some colorful crap.”

Seeing her smile eased your mind some, but any remaining worry in you was enough to twist your stomach as Kiara opened the bag. She gasped, pulling out a handmade stuffed animal she easily identified.

“A sea turtle?”

“Is it okay?” you asked.

“More than okay–it’s perfect!” Kiara brought you and the turtle in for a hug and only pulled away to ask, “Where did you even learn how to make this? Have you been hiding a secret talent from me all this time?”

“I wish,” you said, laughing again. “YouTube taught me everything!” You lightly touched the turtle. “I remember when you told me about saving baby sea turtles with Sarah, and I know you guys are cool now, but that story stuck with me, and I…” You shrugged and shook your head. “I just thought I’d–I don’t know–turn it into a stuffed animal you could remember it by. Does that sound stupid?”

“No, no way is that stupid! I mean, look at this face!” Kiara lowered her head to the turtle’s level and turned puppy-dog eyes on you.

“Like twins,” you teased, and if you were still worried about her hating her gift, then you definitely weren’t anymore. “I’m really glad you like it, Kie.”

She sat back, holding the turtle in her hands. “(Name), I love it, thank you.” A smile curved her lips as she pat the turtle’s shell. “This right here is way better than anything mass-produced you could’ve found on a shelf.”

“Made with sustainable materials, too,” you added proudly, “and one other thing. Guess what it is?”

Kiara tapped her chin in feigned thought. “Hmm, does it involve the word love?”

“And if I say it does?”

“Then I’d do this.” Kiara kissed you, and neither she nor you were bothered by the fact that the turtle was still there.

Fuck, why didn’t you say something else, something more believable than “nice girls”? It was like saying your type was any decent girl who lived and breathed and talked and walked… Was this even a type at all?

And anyway, there was only one girl you liked, but she was as attainable to you as the rank of Special Grade. Which was to say not at all.

You thought that you would spend a few more minutes berating yourself over your memory and feelings, but Yuki Tsukumo, the girl herself, spotted you sitting alone and called out to you.

“(Name)!”

You looked up in surprise. “Yuki!”

She waved a cheery hand. “What are you doing all alone in here? It’s sunny outside!”

“Not in the mood for sun today, I guess.” You didn’t want to say that it was much more fitting to brood when you were by yourself in a room with all the lights off (and limited natural lighting). “What about you? I thought you were off on a trip or… something.”

“‘Or something,’” Yuki confirmed, winking before she slid into a seat next to you. “Now I’m here talking with my favorite person.”

You ignored the jump your heart did at this. “I thought your ‘favorite’ was Satoru?”

“Suuure, we hang out all the time.”

“More than me and you.”

Yuki laughed. “Okay, enough of that nightmare.” She leaned her elbow on the table and propped her chin on top of her hand, looking at you thoughtfully. “While I’ve got you right now, let me ask you something.”

“What?” you said with a smile. You were glad she was back, even if you didn’t quite know how long she’ll be here or what she’s been up to.

“What type of girls do you like?”

In a blink, your smile turned into a frown. “This again?”

“You never gave me a real answer.”

“I-I thought I did?” You struggled to hold her gaze.

“Nope, and I still wanna know.”

You fiddled with your hands in your lap. You wouldn’t dare repeat the same answer as that first time, hoping Yuki wouldn’t ask you to either. And while you might not be able to redeem yourself, maybe… just maybe it was finally time to be honest.

“Well,” you said slowly. “It’s not so much ‘girls’ as it is a girl. You, Yuki.”

Despite her smile, you couldn’t read what she was thinking. “That’s not a type.”

You heard the teasing in her voice, but it didn’t unnerve you. “I don’t think of you as one. You’re the most amazing person I know—that, I think, I’ll ever meet,” you said, looking anywhere but at her. “I could never think of you as anyone or anything but yourself. There’s really… no one else out there like you.”

“You say that like I’m the only special one here, but so are you.”

“Me? No, if anything I’m just your typical sorcerer trying not to fail at my job.” You laughed at your own statement, but Yuki didn’t seem to find the humor in it like you did.

“When have you ever been ‘typical,’ (Name)?”

It was how softly she said this that made your breath catch as she continued.

“I like you.”

“Why?” you asked, uncomprehending. “I’m not your type at all. I’m not… rough.” You cringed even saying it because the word didn’t describe you one bit.

“You don’t have to be.” Yuki took your hand in hers so you couldn’t fiddle with it anymore.

It wasn’t the first time you’ve held hands, but you always thought she did it out of friendship. Now that you knew how she felt about you, though, you couldn’t see it that way ever again.

“I fell for you without you ever having to change yourself,” Yuki said.

“Fell for? But that’s not what you said a second ago!”

She lightly tugged you down by your hand when it looked like you were going to rise from your chair. “I know, I know, but I just can’t help it! You’re my dream girl!”

You stared at her. “Yuki, be serious.”

“I am serious!”

“If you were, then you wouldn’t like me.”

“But I do,” she said, giving your hand a squeeze as though that small action could convince you that she was truly serious. “Is that so wrong?”

“No, of course not.” You didn’t stop her from lacing your fingers together, and her eyes beckoned you to continue. “But I can’t ever be what you want. It just wouldn’t be… me.”

“And you as you are now is exactly what I want.” Yuki’s voice was soft, sweet, and you didn’t think you'd ever heard her like this before—and only for you.

“What if, in time, you resent me for not being your type?”

“Nope.” Yuki placed her other hand over the one you had already laced through hers, and she made sure you watched her kiss you there, right below your knuckles. “That’s all it is: a type. Didn’t stop me from liking you, and I’m not gonna let it.”

The earnest expression on her face was too much to look at in that moment. You glanced down at your hands and hers, both now resting in her lap.

You looked up with a smile. “I guess this means you’ll have to come back more often now.”

“Or you could join me,” Yuki suggested.

“Wouldn’t I only get in your way?”

She feigned confusion. “Why? You, a beautiful girl, who also happens to be a Grade 1 sorcerer? Stealing you from this school wouldn’t make me feel guilty at all.”

Careful not to sound too eager, you asked, “Is it really stealing if I go willingly with you?”

“Depends. Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” you said, finding that you really meant it. You didn’t want to be here anymore, waiting for her to return again. “Take me with you, Yuki.”

She let go of your hand and reached for you, caressing your cheek, and before her lips touched yours, she whispered, “Then let’s get out of here.”

Bonus:

"Give me a few weeks," Yuki said.

"For what?"

"You wanna know why I'm into the rough type, right? I can show you."

You blushed more deeply than you ever have in your entire life. "Y-Yuki, that's—!"

Your pulse spiked, and you assumed that he finally knew what you’d been hiding from him and everyone else you’d met since moving here.

“You’re turning into an early bird, aren’t you?”

“Oh!” So that was what JJ meant. You released a shaky breath and smoothed out some invisible wrinkles on your dress, sounding as carefree as you could manage (which wasn’t very much). “Yeah, goodbye my night owl ways! I just couldn’t resist a morning walk!”

“You should try a morning swim. It’s even better,” he said with a lopsided smile. “I’m actually gonna go for one right now. Wanna join?”

“Oh, uh… no, I’m fine.” You hurriedly added, “But don’t let me stop you from swimming!”

Nice, you scolded yourself. Saying that when he wasn’t even in the water yet…

“C’mon, you can’t tell me you actually prefer walking instead!”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” You shrugged, and on the inside, you were desperate to get away from him before this got too long. “Sorry, but I gotta get back to, you know, walking!”

You tried being the “deadly” combo of funny and casual about it, but you must’ve failed because JJ’s smile fell as he looked at you, a perceptiveness in his eyes.

“Hey, (Name),” he said, “the reason why we’ve never seen you swim before… is it because you don’t know how to?”

You could just about feel your heart sink to the pit of your stomach with his question, and no part of you even thought about denying it. Why bother when JJ–or anyone else on this island–could make you prove it, only to unveil the truth when they see you really, seriously can’t swim at all once you hit the water.

You nodded slowly, averting your eyes. “Go ahead. You can laugh.”

“I’m not gonna do that.”

“And I’m saying you can. I know it’s bad, JJ. Moving to an island and not knowing how to swim?” You threw your hands up in the air. “It’s fucking crazy!”

“Last I remember, moving was your mom’s idea, not yours. And hey, I mean it,” you heard JJ say. “I’m not gonna laugh. I’m not that much a dick.”

You couldn’t help but look at him, a slight smile on your lips. “So you do admit you’re a dick.”

It was his turn to shrug, but the whole time he was smiling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Silence fell between you two, broken only when JJ spoke again. “So why… did you never learn? Not judging, just curious.”

You knew he wasn't lying. Anyone would be curious about the girl who now lived on an island but couldn’t swim for her life, let alone anyone else’s, and you didn’t see any judgment in his eyes as you looked into them.

“It’s not that I never wanted to. It just… never happened. After my dad died, my mom spent all her time–and I mean all of it–working, trying to put food on our table and keep a roof over our heads. And it’s not like we lived next to any water.” You sighed, turning to the morning sky above for a moment. “Honestly, it’s been so long, just the two of us, I’m not even sure she knows that I can’t swim. She might think I can.”

You weren’t angry at your mom for it. It wasn’t a complete excuse, but being a single parent was difficult enough on its own, and things like making sure you went to school and did your homework were more important than making sure you learned how to swim. As a kid, how could you possibly have known that swimming was a skill everyone should have?

“It never came up when you guys decided to move here?” JJ asked.

“The ocean, yes. A new house, yes. A new life, yes. Swimming, specifically?” You shook your head. “I told myself once I got here, I’d learn how to swim somehow, but…”

“But everyone and their mom, dad, and dog here already knows how to swim, goes out there 24/7, and it’s annoying as fuck?” JJ guessed with an expression that told you he was 100% joking.

You laughed. “Yeah, something like that. And,” you said, tucking some hair behind your ear. “I didn’t want to humiliate myself by jumping into the water and needing to be saved ASAP.”

“Is that why you never told any of us? Because you thought we’d make fun of you?”

“You guys all swim like you’re fish. Every time I thought about telling you, I got scared and backed out. Thanks, by the way, for not making fun of me so far,” you said, infusing a little humor into your tone, but to your surprise, JJ didn’t respond with humor of his own.

“What if I teach you?” he offered, a serious look on his face.

“No, JJ, I don’t wanna burden you with this.”

“Who says it’s a burden? I got free time, you got free time, and we can spend that free time together.” During all this, he pointed from himself to you and then both of you.

“Teaching me how to swim? I can’t promise I’ll be a good student.” You could imagine yourself crying from frustration if you don’t learn quickly or if you feel like you’ll never be as adept at it as JJ (and everyone else) is.

“Then let me promise this,” he said. “I’m not gonna give up on you, and I’m not gonna be like some drill sergeant with a stick up his ass. No matter how long it takes, we’re gonna get you swimming.”

“Drill sergeant’?” you repeated, wanting to laugh more freely. But you couldn’t, remembering the rest of your friends. “What about the others? I don’t… really want them to know.”

“They don’t have to,” JJ said softly, and you tried not to think about what that meant. Why he wanted to do this for you.

“And assuming it’ll take more than a day for me to learn… If they keep seeing us together, they’ll wonder what’s up.”

“We can just tell them we’re dating.”

Your eyes widened, but JJ’s were mischievous. “Okay,” you said hesitantly, “but would they believe that? And how would that explain us always being in the water?”

JJ waved off your questions. “It’s an island. Unless it’s hell outside, no one’ll ever wonder why we’re in the water all the time. And”–he shoved his hands into his pockets, slightly nervous all of a sudden–“they totally would… so I gotta be honest: I’m not without a motive here. I do wanna teach you, but I also like that we can spend all that time alone.”

You wondered if JJ could hear your heart pounding even louder now. “JJ…”

“Pretty shitty way of saying I like you, huh? Don’t blame you if you want another teacher, some selfless asshole.”

“Why would I want them when I want you?” It came out so fast you didn’t realize what you were implying until it was too late, and JJ latched onto it, stepping closer to you.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he said slyly, “but does that mean you like me, too?”

“Maybe I should find some selfless asshole instead.”

“But you want me.” JJ was only too happy pointing this out. “Or was I just hearing things?”

“No,” you admitted, hoping you weren’t blushing as much as you thought you were. “You’re the one who offered, and since I can’t exactly pay you top dollar...” You bit your lip. “What if us dating is for real?”

JJ grinned. “That’s way better than being paid top dollar! Only Kooks would throw money at everything.”

“And everyone,” you added, yelping in surprise when JJ picked you up and laughing as he spun you around.

“So when are we doing this? Now?” he asked, holding you safely in his arms. “Because I’m dying to see you out of that dress.”

“Careful, JJ, your real motive’s showing.”

“Where? Show me.”