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jestdrabbles · 7 years ago

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Every Hurdle, Every Chasm - Chapter 01

Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia Warnings: none Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya, Uraraka Ochako, Asui Tsuyu, Todoroki Shouto, Iida Tensei, Tenya’s mother, Ochako’s parents Relationships: Dekusquad friendship | Pining Tododeku & Tsuchako Other info: Dekusquad Roadtrip AU ; Fun times ahead but also some tough emotional times so I should definitely warn about that!; MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS.

Words: ~8,000 | Chapter: 01/14 | Language: English

Official first day of the roadtrip! Each chapter spans the course of a day, so their length will vary depending on what happens. Some are more eventful than others, but hopefully everything rounds out all right!

Day 01 : Christmas Eve [December 24]

“Todoroki, you look awful,” Ochako tilts her head toward him on the commute to the station. Even if the sun has been out for a few hours, their morning has only started from the cacophony of yawns and eye rubs. They’re all a little sluggish in their steps save for Tenya who could probably handle a jog if it weren’t for the rest of them straggling behind. Shouto blinks to her in a delayed, deepened grunt.

“Yeah.”

“And this is why we plan ahead! I’m sure Todoroki has learned his lesson and will not let this happen again,” Tenya handles the scolding gently as he pats his very sleepy friend’s shoulder. Shouto’s engulfed in his blue scarf, lowering his chin to yawn into it as he conveniently avoids Ochako’s pout. Izuku glances down at his thermos of the morning’s coffee, then hesitantly extends it to Shouto as a quiet offering, but he fails to register it in his delirium. “Uraraka, do you need any help with your bags?”

“It’s not too heavy,” she shrugs her shoulder holding the duffle bag and keeps careful not to let the suitcase rolling behind her stray in an awkward direction as it bumps over the sidewalk curbs. He accepts her resolve and eyes over the others to double check their moods.

Tsuyu is bundled most of all with what appears to be a fashionable blanket draped over her torso, a knit hat on her head, and her hands are covered in thick mittens. She notices him looking and lifts her hand to offer a thumbs up to reassure that she’s fine, just drowsy. They all know the cold is rough on her, so he takes a few steps backward to place his hand on her back, and she naturally leans against his touch to accept his extra warmth.

Meanwhile, Shouto’s only just accepted the thermos and seems to be staring at it as if he’s embarrassed. His attention can only focus on so much right now, so he fails to notice the way Ochako eyes Izuku, and Tenya keeps his own amusement to himself.

“Thanks,” he says after a sip and returns it before he’s tempted to take another. Izuku accepts it with a smile and nod; he quickly shelters his oncoming influx of words with his own gulp and nearly burns his tongue on the coffee. Smooth, Deku. He fans his tongue with a groan as Ochako rolls her eyes into a snorted snicker.

“So Iida, what’s your house like? Should I prepare myself like with Yaomomo’s, or even what I imagine Todoroki’s?” she asks with curiosity, and he waves his hand quickly before she can even mention the latter.

“No, no, nothing like Yaoyorozu’s estate, I assure you! I can understand your assumptions, of course, but we live in a normal house,” Tenya tenses in his hand motion, still conscious of Tsuyu at his side. Ochako pats his arm as she covers her mouth with her other hand to stop herself from laughing.

“Is your whole family going to be there?” Izuku asks, and Tenya shakes his head.

“Unfortunately, my dad couldn’t take off, but my mom and Tensei will be there.”

“I wonder if we’ll get to see any pictures of tiny Iida,” Ochako imagines it the best she can, but it’s hard to picture their tall and earnest friend as little kid.

“Wait, what about my house?” Shouto belatedly joins the conversation.

“Huh? O-oh! I just mean that you’ve mentioned your family has an old Japanese-style house, so I assume it’s big?” round, chestnut eyes almost look back to him apologetically if she’s accidentally offended him. Sometimes his tone or expression can be hard to read, but he mouths an oh as if he’s finished processing the rest of the topic.

Also, your father is the Number One Hero.

Thankfully, they all have enough tact not to say it.

As soon as they take their seats on the train, Shouto’s out like a light with his head leaned against the window, and Tenya takes the seat beside him. Tsuyu sits in the window seat across with Ochako stealing the aisle seat before Izuku has a chance. Accepting his solo seating, he takes the row in front of Tenya and Shouto.

“I thought he’d be more of a morning person,” Ochako points toward their slumbering companion; Izuku and Tenya do their best to suppress their laughter. “What? Is that weird?”

“No, no, it’s not,” Izuku’s voice squeezes through the chuckle and crack in the seat, “I thought so too, but I think it was one of our training trips? I don’t remember exactly, but yeah, no, he’s almost like a zombie in the morning unless there’s something important.”

“He seems to have two methods of sleeping: like a corpse or constantly tossing and turning,” Tenya mimics the motions as if he’s acting the part of his friend, and Ochako bursts out laughing and has to muffle it in Tsuyu’s shoulder. “I’m serious. One time when we all had to share a room, I got up to use the restroom, and I swear, his feet were where his head should have been!”

“Wait, you never told me about this!” Izuku’s smile spreads, but then it hits him that Tenya may have more secrets about them to share. “Please tell me I’m not embarrassing when I sleep.”

“I bet Deku mumbles in his sleep.”

“Actually--”

“Oh no,” Izuku buries his face in his hands as he dreads what nonsense his unconscious spills when he’s already muttering embarrassing thoughts in his wake. He spreads his fingers to peek through at Tenya from the slit for reassurance, but only confirmation awaits him in the form of near-pitying nod. “Fuck,” he groans. Tenya’s jaw drops at the curse as if he’s never heard it from his nice, freckled friend, but he’s cut off before he can give the proper lecture.

“Hey, don’t worry about it! It’s like talk radio! Maybe it’ll help us sleep better,” Ochako pumps her fists.

“I croak sometimes,” Tsuyu exposes herself without shame, “and Ochako gets clingy.” The gasp of betrayal is quelled with a lighthearted bump of shoulders. To be fair, most of the girls in their class feel comfortable enough sprawled across one another.

“I think I’m the same way. I like hugging my pillow,” Izuku comes down from his own embarrassment with everyone else sharing their sleeping habits. “I drool a lot though.”

“If I don’t have my nasal strips, I snore rather loudly,” Tenya admits, “otherwise, I believe I’m fairly still.”

“Oh! And I have to wear these mittens for my hands so I don’t touch anything,” Ochako holds up her hands and wiggles her padded fingertips. Izuku almost bumps a passerby in his lean as he studies her hands from his seat, and the quirk-loving cogs in his head begin to turn as he realizes that he never thought about a detail like that. People with a touch-based quirk are certainly at a disadvantage in that regard, but that problem is probably more troublesome during development when they’re not quite sure the specifics regarding their quirks, so to worry about control and care at this point is a bit moot. “Deku, it’s not that deep,” she reaches across to tap his seat and jog him from his train of thought.

He’s teased himself about perhaps having been born with a mundane quirk like excessive muttering or extreme emotional response, and he almost wouldn’t doubt it at this point. Whoever is to inherit One For All from him someday is in for some possible word vomit or waterworks.

“I think something like that would be more troublesome,” Tsuyu points across to Shouto’s visible breath slipping between his slightly parted lips. Tenya takes it upon himself to unbutton his own overcoat and drape it over him without waking the sleeping beauty.

They resume the ride with idle chit-chat, tossing and returning commentary as Izuku finishes the rest of his coffee, cool enough to gulp down without fear of burning again. Sometimes the caffeine worsens his jitters and mumbles, but he knows he wants to keep awake and energized for the car ride ahead. Tsuyu indicates his bouncing leg and asks if he’s nervous or excited, and when he answers the second, she smiles and ribbits in agreement.

They’re practically shoved to and fro on their way out the station to switch lines, and through the denser crowds, Izuku reaches his hands out to connect with his friends to be sure no one gets pulled away in the foot traffic. Thankfully, keeping behind Iida’s broad shoulders helps the smaller members of the group keep contained well enough, and Shouto is alert enough to worm his way through without bumping into anyone. Izuku thinks he may be a bit too good at avoiding them.

The following ride feels like mere moments compared to the last, so they stand with their belongings close to their chests if they can help it and try not to get too carried away in a conversation. Once free of their train prisons, they exit the station with unified exhales and stretches -- a very worn out choir harmonizing in sighs.

Thankfully, journeying to the Iida household isn’t so bad, and they all appreciate a good walk after sitting and standing still for so long. Tenya leads the way with Izuku and Ochako behind him and Tsuyu keeping at Shouto’s left, hesitant to walk too close but still near enough to bump arms if she bends.

“Oh wait, Iida!” Ochako reaches forward to pat his back a couple times. “Is there a convenient store by your house?”

“If we take a small detour. Why, did you forget something in your luggage?”

“We need to stock up on snacks for the road! It’ll be better if we do that beforehand, don’t you think?”

“Excellent thinking, Uraraka!” he grins, and the others perk up at the suggestion.

He leads them through the residential area near some local businesses and shops. Stopping at the corner store, they immediately scatter to different sections once inside. Ochako and Tsuyu spend time narrowing their preferences down to a few fruit snacks and sweets while Izuku shies away from the spicy snacks as if he’s had an awkward past affair with them. Tenya prioritizes stocking up on some orange juice, and he turns to see Shouto with an arm full of bags ranging in types of different snacks and their flavors. With a word of admiration, he appreciates his friend treating everyone, but Shouto only wears confusion as he makes his way to the checkout counter with his plethora of junk food.

Ochako and Tsuyu follow suit with their haul of packaged mochi, gummies, and pocky -- things that are easy to share with others -- and they notice that Izuku has some sweet bread and chips. His logic is that they can ask Shouto to warm the buns, and Ochako points both fingers at him like barrels of a gun as she praises his genius. They consolidate everything into as few bags as possible, pass most of them off to Shouto’s offering hands, and follow Tenya en route to his very welcoming abode.

Tenya Iida can certainly shove his own key into the door to welcome them inside, but he rings the doorbell so his family can greet them more readily. It only takes a few moments before the lock clicks and the door opens to Mrs. Iida’s gentle smile, her eyes obscured by her glasses’ shine. Without hesitation, she presses on her toes to wrap her arms around her much taller son, giving him a pat on the back before she turns toward the rest of the house.

“Tensei! Your brother and his friends are here!” she announces, and she steps back to welcome everyone inside to remove their shoes. One by one, they thank her for her hospitality and follow Tenya to the kitchen where his smile spreads upon seeing his older brother finishing setting the table. He scoots back from the table and turns his chair to meet them grinning as he wills it forward.

“Long time, no see! I can’t believe my baby brother’s already taller than me,” he jokes and accepts the oncoming embrace. When they part, Tensei looks over his friends and sees how Izuku’s fingertips mask a wobbly smile and can’t help but chuckle. “He okay?”

“I think he’s excited to see Ingenium in person,” Tenya clarifies, and it breaks the dam loose of Izuku’s brief exposition of past achievements and admirations. It continues on until Ochako nudges him that he’s getting a little carried away, and he lowers his head in a flustered apology. Tensei can see the pride shining through on his little brother from his friend’s praise, and his smile softens.

“Well, he gets to see Ingenium every day, doesn’t he?” Tensei bumps his fist lightly against Tenya’s arm and turns to face Izuku. “Nowadays, I’m not doing so much heroics.”

“That doesn’t change anything,” Izuku’s wide grin remains. “Heroes, active or retired, still have so much to teach us. All Might’s my favorite hero, and he’s been retired for a couple of years now.”

“He’s right. I still hold onto what I’ve learned from you,” Tenya agrees, and he’s satisfied to know that Tensei doesn’t necessarily need the encouragement. If anything, Tensei’s concerns lie with his little brother’s expectations for himself; he’s keeping the hero name alive, but he understands well the burden it brings.

“You’re going to make me blush,” he chuckles to both his brother and Izuku. “You all are on a schedule, right? Go ahead and take a seat at the table. I know it’s closer to lunch, but I hope you’re fine with a late breakfast instead.”

They all comply gleefully and gather around the table, but Tenya offers to help serve the food with his mother and brother. The three return to the table with bowls of rice, soup, vegetables, and separate serving plates for the fish. Once Mrs. Iida has placed the pitchers of water and orange juice, they all sit together and help themselves to the nice breakfast with words of warmth and gratitude.

“I’m so happy U.A. is giving you kids this break,” Mrs. Iida speaks softly. “Tenya has always been such a diligent worker, but even heroes need holidays.” Izuku watches how her gaze lingers on her sons, and he can understand the sentiment from a hero family like theirs. “And Tensei has been so busy at the office that I hardly see him anymore. I didn’t even know that he stopped seeing that nice--”

“Ah, we don’t need to talk about that!” Tensei pipes in a bit flustered, and she sighs.

“It’s a shame it didn’t work out.”

“It’s no big deal,” Tensei retracts a little in his nervous smile. The others chuckle, and Izuku sees from the corner of his eye as Shouto pulls out his phone. He scrolls through his pictures, chopsticks still guiding food to his mouth, and as he finds what he’s searching for, he turns the screen toward the older Iida.

“I have a sister.”

“T-That’s not necessary, thank you!”

“Oh, let me see,” his mother adjusts her glasses and takes a look. She places her hand on her cheek fondly, “She’s lovely! Tensei, isn’t she cute?”

“Mother, please,” he waves his chopsticks at her in a lighthearted scold.

He pockets his phone and addresses Tenya with the same neutral expression, “A shame. We could have been in-laws.” The group laughs at the joke but apologizes to Tensei for having it at his expense. They have to explain that Shouto is just like that with his humor. Mrs. Iida’s worries wash away in the company of her sons and their friends, and Tenya catches himself in its flow. The fear she’s gone through from almost losing her sons is far more than she should have to bear.

They finish their meal through lively conversation, but they know better than to dawdle too long in their post-breakfast coffee. Everyone but Shouto and Izuku take a cup, so they attempt to down it quickly without risking a burn. Tensei breaks from the table to grab something from the living room, and he returns to Tenya’s side to gently place the keys on the table in time for the rest of them to stand. The former hero knows how to predict timing better than Tenya can remember; his skills never truly stop improving just because they’re applied a tad differently now.

Mrs. Iida wishes them all a safe trip, hands holding themselves over her stomach as she bids them farewell, and Tensei follows behind to give his brother one last hug. Before they leave, Shouto steps forward, leans down a bit, and mutters something about having brothers, too. Tensei waves his hands exclaiming that that isn’t the issue here.

Ochako holds out her arms toward his back and groans that he can’t keep getting away with it, and the rest laugh, apologize again for their friend’s comments, and tug him by the arm on their way out.

“Seatbelts, everyone! Be sure to leave the strap in front of you, even if you find it a bit uncomfortable,” Tenya adjusts the mirrors once he’s fastened his own, and he takes a glance to the backseat where Tsuyu sits with snacks occupying her lap and Ochako and Shouto on either side of her. Izuku occupies the passenger seat of the boxy white van, practically bouncing in excitement as the real start to their trip feels ready to roll.

“Todoroki, don’t lean against the window if you’re going to sleep -- don’t give me that look -- it isn’t safe. You can recline your seat if you need to.” Tenya uses his hands to indicate the motion, and Shouto blinks slowly as if debating the argument before complying to his friend’s wishes. With that out of the way, Tenya starts the engine and pulls out from the street to start navigating toward the highway.

Traffic interrupts their forward motion so long that Tsuyu entertains the idea of making the car float until Tenya lists every possible reason why that is a horrible mistake, and she settles him down to tell him she’s only joking. Izuku keeps himself turned around in his seat to face the back and make small talk between the rest of them still awake. He volleys conversations about Christmas lights displays and that one year when All Might appeared dressed as Santa Claus for a charity event. Ochako is relieved that she doesn’t have to halt his eagerness this time, so they listen soundly as he recounts memories until they approach the highway.

Once they disperse from the cluttering cars, Izuku reaches a stopping point in his story and asks if anyone has music to play while he takes a sip from his drink. Ochako gladly connects her phone to the speakers and sets it to a playlist created specifically for their winding adventure.

There’s something about the open road that makes a voice belt until it cracks.

Ochako and Izuku exchange harmonies and duets, hands extending in theatrics as if playing the part of dramatic pop songs about love and longing. When they aren’t serenading each other, they’re flipping between Tenya and Tsuyu as their objects of adoration; the former flusters far more easily than the latter, especially with Izuku’s hand extending to grip his shoulder and beckon eye contact that sends the ever responsible driver into a sputtering safety lesson in maintaining a loving gaze with the road.

Tsuyu is the first to break open the snacks as she helps herself to one of the green tea mochi, and out of the corner of her eye, she can swear she sees a sleeping Shouto scowling. Her large finger points to him with a ribbit to the others, and Ochako, without needing any other word, plucks her phone from her lap and snaps a picture. While she’s at it, she takes a selfie with her froggy companion with a declaration that she wants a group photo as soon as possible.

A moment of crisis can feel like a lifetime, but between the laughter and loosening of responsibility, the same could be said for its serenity. Izuku rolls his window down despite the cold air whipping through to feel the wind pull back his curls for once without danger on the other end. Maybe it’s his sunny disposition or the sheer freedom of the feeling, but he almost doesn’t notice how winter sinks its teeth into his skin. Almost.

When he’s turned back around to face his friends, he sees Tsuyu leaning against Shouto’s left side with her arms burrowed beneath her thick poncho. Only an hour and a half on the road so far, about four remaining until they reach Ochako’s hometown. He decides to spare his friends the cold and rolls up his window and runs his hands through his hair to settle it back into its organized mess.

“Does anyone need to stop?” Tenya asks as he takes a quick scan through the rearview mirror. There’s an unanimous no until Ochako notices that their snack pile has sufficiently decreased. She follows the trail of open bags to see the garbage pile around Shouto’s feet, still and motionless in his sleep.

“Are you kidding me?” She stretches her arms across and cannot resist the humor of it as she laughs. “How is that even possible?”

“I take credit for the mochi and fruit snacks, but…” she ribbits, “he would make a good stealth hero.”

“So no one needs to use the bathroom or restock on drinks?” Tenya asks again, and he’s met with the same response, so he continues without paying exits any mind. The next few songs pass in a humming calm; however, when a familiar, catchy beat starts up, Ochako commands Izuku to turn up the volume so they can return to their second round of dancing in their seats.

This time, they aren’t the only ones singing along.

A third voice joins almost too harmoniously, too perfect. Ochako knows for a fact it isn’t her, so she lowers her own volume to try and hear, and Izuku naturally does the same. With both of them ruled out, they look to Shouto, still asleep, and finally arrive to hear Tenya singing solo before he catches onto their gazing. He fades out and stiffens his shoulders, wondering if he’s missed some sort of cue for a pause, but both of them are trapped in their own bewilderment until Izuku raises the volume and returns singing at his natural level.

The three of them finish the song, then Tenya is bombarded with their joined praise.

“Iida! Why didn’t you tell us you could sing like that?!” Ochako exclaims as his face melts into a proud smile, and he chuckles.

“I never thought it would come up,” he admits, “it has nothing to do with hero work, after all.”

“The Singing Hero, Ingenium,” Tsuyu comments with her finger to her mouth, tongue sticking out in a lighthearted manner.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he says as checks the road behind and merges into the other lane, using both his blinker and a hand signal as if the car behind would see, “but I think there’s a great charm in how the both of you put so much energy behind your voices.”

Freckled cheeks blush from the acknowledgement, a certain shyness coming from knowing that someone with a smooth baritone voice has to be subjected to his own inexperienced yodeling. It doesn’t stop him from singing along to the next few songs, of course. If anything, now the trio can mentally agree on who sings what harmonies, and their dramatics now get to target a snuggled up Tsuyu Asui with her large hand cupping the side of her face.

After another song or two, Izuku turns in his seat to face Ochako and asks her to pass that AUX cord, and she eagerly rips it from the jack to hand him. He plugs it in, adjusts the volume to not completely blast their ear drums, and smashes his thumb on the play button to welcome All Might’s signature I am here! introducing one of his interviews.

Have mercy, they should have known this was coming.

Ochako may have taken it back from him then and there, but the way his face lights up is enough to reach an agreement to let their fluffy haired nerd listen to his favorite hero and share interview highlights with his friends. He gushes throughout, explaining references between questions and answers. When the first one ends, he follows it up with an old news report, then leads it into a second interview.

“…That’s right! Children inherit quirks from their parents,” All Might’s voice explains, and the car is quiet as they listen until a low voice almost talks over him.

“Can you turn it up?” they turn to see Shouto Todoroki’s eyes still closed, but his lips are turned slightly in a quiet smile. Izuku complies without question.

About three hours in, they pull into a gas station for a pit stop. They stretch and shuffle into the the convenient store as the attendant tends to their gas. Izuku finishes up his business and finds Shouto in the pre-packaged lunches, and gives him a bump of their arms.

“I can’t believe you’re a ninja,” he jokes, and Shouto turns to him, perplexed. “Still hungry?”

“Always,” he answers flatly as his hand hovers between rice balls and pickled vegetables.

“Do you feel more awake now?” Izuku asks as a cold right hand picks up the vegetables, and he’s met with dual colored eyes making contact with his own now, and he nods. Before they can continue the mundane conversation, Tsuyu locates them and taps Izuku’s shoulder.

“You should get whatever you need. We’re wanting to head out now,” she relays the message, most likely from Tenya waiting at the car. Then without even looking at him, she addresses the empty-handed teaser. “Pants, Izuku.”

“What!” he immediately checks himself and notes the dampness on his thigh with a contained shriek, “I swear, it’s not what you think!”

She parts from them without another word, and he hangs his head and promises that it’s from washing his hands. Shouto makes his purchase and passes Izuku a can of green tea from under his arm, and when they return to the car, Ochako has already claimed the passenger seat for herself.

“It’ll be easier if I can direct us when we’re in the area,” she clarifies before anyone can try debating, but no one questions it. Shouto readjusts his seat when he slips in after Tsuyu, and she cozies herself between the two with an obvious preference leaning toward her right.

“Tsuyu, do you need us to put on the heater?” Ochako asks once they merge back onto the road, and before she can answer, Shouto shrugs his shoulder to keep it pressed a little closer to her side.

“I can keep the car warm. Just pass me your jackets if you need me to heat them up,” he clenches and unclenches his left hand. Almost immediately, Ochako tugs off her varsity jacket and tosses it at his face, earning nothing short of an Ah before he pulls it down and regulates the heat around his arm. Izuku watches like he’s preparing for a quirk application lesson, and soon enough, the jacket is thrown back to its keeper in the same manner.

“Thanks, man!” she catches it and immediately nuzzles her face into the warm fabric with a an almost operatic note. “It’s like it just came out of the dryer! This is amazing!”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind, is this okay?” Tsuyu asks before linking her arm around his to feed off some of his body heat. He nods, and a noticeable smile spreads on her wide lips as she ribbits and presses her cold nose on his sleeve for a few seconds until it’s warm enough to loosen her hold on him.

“Is everyone else okay?” he asks, both charcoal and cerulean eyes passing over each passenger. When Izuku and Tenya tell him not to worry about them, he brings his attention to his lap to open his container of vegetables and start eating.

“Okay, so before you all drop me off at my parents’ apartment, I need to stop somewhere to change,” Ochako starts the rundown of her scheme. “I guess we can check you into the hotel first and then head over? That way I can get ready, and it isn’t like all of you have to be there to drop me off.”

“Are you kidding? Of course we’re all going to be there!” Izuku protests, and before she can wave her hands to deny, Tsuyu chimes in.

“You’re stuck with us, Ochako.”

“You guys,” her cheeks redden, and she presses her palms to her face. Tenya glances over with endearment plastered over his features. If he wasn’t so dedicated to keeping both hands gripped at 10-and-2, he may very well reach over to touch her shoulder.

“How do you think your parents are going to react?” Tsuyu asks.

“I don’t know! I’m sure one or both of them will tear up,” she giggles. “I may end up needing to call you back to do some immediate first aid if I surprise them too much,” she turns to Shouto with his mouth full of pickles. He chews and swallows at least before responding.

“For you or for them?”

The car is quiet before she cracks up laughing, interpreting the question as an indirect jab at her own explosive reactions. “For them! I’m not that bad!” He accepts the answer without any further comment or question as if he’s caught himself.

“Does your family have any sort of traditions for the holidays?” Tenya asks in a lighthearted tone.

“Nothing outside the house,” she mulls over memories. “If Mom had time, sometimes she would pull out these cute cookie cutters and we’d bake together. Oh! And hot pot when it’s really cold!”

The rest of the car shares a fantasy of hot pot, and she catches herself joining into the hum.

“How about the rest of you?” she turns in her seat to get a better look.

“Because we wouldn’t have school, I’d have to find ways to keep my siblings entertained,” Tsuyu explains. “I used to take them out to see some lights and decorations if any shops or streets put them on display, but mostly we’d try to stay inside as much as possible with movies.”

Her voice catches in her throat as a memory interrupts her thought, and her tongue slips past her lips. “I remember one year Samidare was dead-set on having a snowball fight until Satsuki hit him right in the face with one. We didn’t last long,” she laughs, and Izuku’s face brightens at the story.

“Sometimes I forget you have siblings,” he admits, and she turns to him with her cheek leaning on her fingertip.

“Sometimes I wish I could, too.”

“How about you, Deku?” Ochako prods him next for traditions, and he catches himself in a nervous laugh as he fidgets with his hands.

“Mom always supported my interests, so I must have gushed about Christmas after seeing a few specials because she started picking up on some of the traditions. We have this fake tree that we’ll decorate, we bake cookies, and she likes to make custom sweaters for us that seem to get tackier and tackier every year,” he scrunches his nose as if embarrassed, but he finds it hard to fight the smile.

“You wore one last year,” Tsuyu points out, and he points back.

“Yeah! She actually mentioned making one for All Might this year,” his bright smile softens.

“Woah, Deku. I didn’t know your mom and All Might were close,” Ochako pokes at his leg from her seat, and he chuckles.

“I didn’t either. I just found out that she visits him pretty regularly!”

“Midoriya, are you sure you aren’t All Might’s l--”

“I’m not!” Izuku cuts Shouto off with a break in his voice, always comical in nature. Tsuyu ribbits curiously as if asking about this inside joke, but his flustered face waves away any possible questioning.

“What about you, Iida?” Ochako asks the original topic starter. He ponders a moment as he decides what constitutes holiday tradition as opposed to cold weather tradition, and he decides that it essentially boils down to the same thing.

“We exchange gifts with each other, and some years, my father takes the night off to spend with my mother. Tensei and I might call each other, but there weren’t too many chances for us to all be together when I was growing up.”

“A hero family must be pretty busy, huh?”

“Busy, but not lonely,” he clarifies with genuine pride. He looks in the mirror toward Shouto and opens his grin as if to relate the sentiment, but he quickly tightens his lip when he sees his friend turned toward the window. “Even if we couldn’t be together, we would find ways to make it up. That’s the kind of sentiment I hope to carry for those around me, as well.”

“Aw, I definitely feel it!” Ochako nudges his arm gently with her fist.

“What about you, Todoroki?” Tsuyu glances over to see his head still turned away, and his right arm drops from the car door to return to his lap, but she feels his left arm heat up a little more. As he turns his head toward them, they watch carefully until his expression reveals itself as something akin to Class B’s Neito Monoma in all his petty glee. They lose it in a blurt of shock, save for Tsuyu who bluntly tells him he’s making a scary face and that he needs to stop.

He intends to leave it at that, but Tenya Iida needs a bit more of a real answer since he almost slammed down on the brakes from everyone’s shrieking. His expression eases down into a typical-Todoroki-scowl, and he sighs.

“Sometimes Fuyumi comes home with candy from her students,” the answer doesn’t match his expression, but they accept it in fear of deviating down an uncomfortable path. Still, they cannot help but wonder what that almost victorious sneer was about. Only Izuku can possibly imagine it has something to do with Endeavor, but he keeps it to himself as they remark how the students must adore her to send her home with treats for the holidays.

The season calls the sky back down so much sooner than before, and they catch sight of a peeking moon overhead despite daylight hours still too stubborn to give. They drive onward in softer tones and dryer throats, but spirits rise at sundown. As the sun descends lower in the flurries of pinks, oranges, and yellows, Izuku watches with a sparkle in his eyes and fingertips pressed to the glass as he takes in the colors and changes. He pulls out his phone and preserves the feeling to his memory, sending a copy over to All Might; he wonders if the sky back home looks quite this vibrant.

Unbeknownst to him, Ochako has taken a picture of him, as well.

Nightfall takes over the city as they unlock the door to their hotel room and drop all their bags near the desk table. Tsuyu leaps onto the bed and rolls over onto her back with a series of relieved ribbits while Ochako begins digging through her bag and shoving a set of red and white clothes into her arms before making a beeline for the bathroom.They hear the lock click, and everyone else settles in the room with their own curiosities.

Izuku pulls the curtain apart to take a look at their scenic view of the neighboring building’s wall, and Tenya unpacks his thicker overcoat from his luggage to lay out on the unoccupied bed. He spreads his palms over the front to even out the folds and wrinkles, then tackles it with a wrinkle release spray drawn almost too swiftly from his bag. Satisfied with its freshened aesthetic, he takes it to the closet and hangs it loosely.

“I suggest we bundle a little more when we drop Ochako off,” he turns his attention to the other three, and Izuku deviates from the window to retrieve his knit cap and fingerless gloves from the plethora of folded hoodies that seemingly take up the bulk of his belongings. Tsuyu doesn’t need much reminding, but Shouto makes no movements to wear more than his sweatshirt and scarf.

“If I wear too much, I’ll get too hot,” he explains as he casts his eyes down to his left hand before Tenya can lay it on him. He looks back up with an unwarranted amount of seriousness for whatever nonsense he’s about to joke with, but a loud burst from the bathroom door cuts him off.

“Ho ho ho!” Ochako bellows, decked in full Santa gear including a thick, snow-white beard. “I am here!”

“That’s not what Santa says,” Tsuyu corrects, but Izuku is already fanboying at the reference with wide eyes and hands pressed to his mouth.

“And you’re positive that your parents won’t believe you to be some sort of intruder or possible threat?” Tenya asks after his initial exclamations and claps of Bravo!

“Our first year, they came crawling at me when I opened the door to my apartment like they were monsters in a horror movie,” she tugs the beard down to talk more clearly, “I think they can deal with a nonthreatening Santa suit and gifts.”

“Is everybody ready?” dark, wide eyes scan the hotel room for anyone still rummaging through folded clothes. Affirmations cross their lips, one by one, and Tsuyu ribbits in her own on her way toward the door, sure to hold it open for Ochako and her bag of presents.

Her bubbly disposition nearly intoxicates everyone as they catch themselves in smiles on their way to the car; even the hotel staff wish them a Merry Christmas with a chuckle upon seeing her march proudly with one black boot in front of the other. Tsuyu walks along beside her long enough for Ochako to sling a crimson sleeved arm around her shoulders as she gives another hearty laugh into the wintry night air.

The boys walking behind don’t know if they’ve ever seen her so proud of herself.

Ochako Uraraka doesn’t realize how loud a car door slam resounds when she’s standing outside her parents’ apartment complex in the quiet evening. Wind catches hold of her so quick that she has to press her palm onto her hat to keep everything in place, and she shivers one last time before she hears the window roll down with a car full of friends cheering her on in their own ways. She turns with her mittened hand on her heart and converts it to a fist she can pump back at them. A quick pivot on her heel, and she trudges onward toward the stairs up to the third floor with her sack of presents slapping against her back.

If she’s lucky, her parents won’t be home quite yet. Maybe she could exact her vengeance with giving them a little scare; however, when she unlocks the door and slips the keyring back into her pocket, she sees a light kept low from down the hall. Ochako kicks her boots off as quickly as she can and announces herself before anyone can come see what all the noise is. Instead, she hears no response and decides to investigate the source of the light.

Upon peeking through the entryway of their living room, she sees a small, illuminated tree kept on the end table of the small room. No decorations or natural scent, but she takes a seat beside it on the sofa and feels the soft glow in her eyes as she relaxes from excitement into a mellow calm. Padded fingertips tap the lights as she ponders when they decided to start decorating and why, but this appears to be the only one. Perhaps a co-worker gifted it, or maybe a client. She doesn’t know, but part of her can’t help but miss her parents even more.

These past three years have shaped her into the confident heroine she is now, but how much have they changed that she couldn’t perceive through calls and videos? Do they still bake cookies without her? Do they work later hours without a daughter to rush home to? At least they’ve seen her hair’s growth over the years or else she may worry that they won’t recognize her. A fleeting thought that forfeits her blank, half lidded eyes into rest as she sighs contentedly.

She pulls her phone out to let her friends know that they can head out since she’s still waiting on her parents to return. They wish her well and tell her that if she needs them for anything, they’ll be there without hesitation. Another wave of emotion washes over her as she reads over their individual responses in the group chat, and she can’t help but laugh a little when even Shouto sends his support when she knows well he’s supposed to be driving.

A clock’s tick occupies the living room in her absent-minded scrolling through social media until she hears the drop, lift, and jingling keys from behind the door. Quick to her feet, she lifts her bag of gifts and decides to make use of their small tree decoration as if she’s been caught in the middle of her Kris Kringling duties. Holding her position, she keeps her face turned toward the entryway to their den, and hearing her mother’s voice question the black boots at the door starts up her heavier pulse.

Waiting proves to be far too much for one eager Santa to handle, so she springs to her steps and meets them halfway in the hall -- her in the red and white suit with a clutched sack of gifts over her shoulder and them with their best horror faces ready to terrify whatever foolish intruder dared enter the Uraraka household alone. All three shriek upon seeing one another, but Ochako’s merges into mirthful laughter.

“Merry Christmas!” she extends an arm, and they recognize her voice immediately and practically sprint toward her with their own latching around their daughter. She yelps into their tight grasp and nearly drops the bag. Mr. Uraraka’s arms wrap around the two of them and lift them momentarily before he has to set them back down and stretch a little; euphoric energy can only do so much after a long day’s work.

“Ochako, what is all this?” Mrs. Uraraka holds her shoulders and rubs the red fabric of the Santa Suit as she eyes her down. On the way back up, her hands move to the curly beard, and she tugs at it with laughter as tears well up in the corners of her eyes. Ochako can hardly formulate the words, so she smothers her mother’s hand with her own mittened one and leads them both to the living room where she sits them down on the sofa.

Ochako Uraraka coughs and lowers her voice to mimic an idea of the iconic character.

“For the last eighteen years, you’ve both been very, very good to your daughter. And every year, she’s written me a letter pleading for even one small token to repay them. Finally, we worked out a deal, she and I,” she laughs and sets the bag down, rummaging through and holding out a present addressed to both of them. She takes a shuddering breath as she tries to keep up her character and composure through the emotional surge sending sparks within her heart. “If she worked hard and never gave up, then this would be the year she could deliver them herself.”

Her mother is already crying, hands covering her mouth as the tears slip down her cheeks, and her father’s jaw hangs loose once he’s said her name. They’re rendered speechless in their daughter’s charity, and they graciously accept her present and unwrap it together.

Within the box is a tropical themed postcard, and they turn it over to read:

I’m sorry I can’t take you to Hawaii yet. Personally, I don’t know if the sun out there can compete with the three of us. We’ll be here soon. I promise.

Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka cannot fight their smiles; they turn the card over again and again, watching their daughter pull out various gifts from her bag and placing them on their corresponding sides. An even amount: three packages for each parent.

With her hands empty, Ochako dons her beard in full and urges her parents to indulge with her sparkling stare. Only after she claps her mittens do they chuckle and comply. The gifts aren’t especially flashy or expensive, but they’re thoughtful. Nice fragrances, coffee and mugs, small appliances, accessories, anything she could squeeze into a few bags and boxes within her budget. They comment and compare, especially with a set of matching mugs, and she watches as her parents hold their gifts carefully in their overworked hands.

What she wouldn’t give to offer them a real holiday.

They set the gifts aside, and Mrs. Uraraka holds out her arms. Before Ochako can bend closer, her father tugs her into them, and the three meld into each other’s embrace. They haven’t had time to turn the heater on between all of this, yet they don’t even notice the chilly air when they’re together.

“We love you,” her mother tightens her hold, “so much.”

“I know, Mama,” Ochako sniffles into their shoulders, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” her father pets her hat affectionately, and they stay a little longer until he tugs it off and wears it himself. Before their daughter can protest, Mrs. Uraraka snatches the beard and snaps it around her own face with her hands coming together in a playful clap.

“No, my secret identity!” she jokes and covers her face as she sinks to the floor. Her parents imitate her laughter from earlier with their hands on their bellies, and one pulls her up while the other fetches the light.

“Honey, can you grab those mugs and the new oven mitts?” Mr. Uraraka calls from the kitchen once he’s turned on the light. Mrs. Uraraka calls back gleefully and beckons Ochako to follow them, brightly patterned mitts in tow. He’s already pulling out sugar, butter, eggs, and other ingredients, and it doesn’t take long for the other two to catch on to his plan. “I know our Santa’s already come, but we can’t let her leave without some cookies.”

“Santa accepts your offering,” she beams with rosey cheeks blooming darker.

The three of them work together to mix the dough, roll them into balls of varying sizes, and nearly watch the oven like it’s the season finale of their favorite drama as they all bake into one unified mess. Ochako decides to cut them apart using the old cookie cutters, and once they’re cooled off, the family shares their snacks with mugs of hot chocolate and a gratuitous amount of marshmallows scattered atop.

She knows it isn’t magic because she’s worked hard, but Ochako Uraraka doesn’t mind sharing the credit with all the support her family and friends have offered her to get here. Every word of praise, every hand reaching out, and every shared smile, invaluable; she knows she wants to be the type of hero who can let those around her rest easy.

And if the three of them snoozing through their own sleepy snores is any indication, then she’s well on her way.

#long post /#again sorry about any weird formatting!#thankfully i actually have an account on ao3 now so I'll put these on there eventually ;;#also.#I had to rewatch episode 23 again for that quote and I'm not even kidding I've seen the episode like 11 times now.#bnha #also sorry about any mistakes! I tried to catch them all but I know I probably missed some things!

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