"Would you let me be with you during your heat?" I asked, tone earnest but gentle.
He hesitated, searching my face. "Tomura, are you sure? I thought you didn't want to get physical until I was of age."
I realized exactly how that sounded, heat rushing to my own cheeks. "No no no no, that's not what I meant! I just want to take care of you. Strictly PG, I promise."
. . .
After getting dressed and sharing breakfast downstairs, we slipped into easy conversations, our words meandering across a dozen topics. I laid out my plans for the days ahead, and Izuku listened with thoughtful intent, his insights reframing everything with a perspective that was somehow both refreshing and gentle.
"So what's your plan moving forward with UA?" he asked, curiosity shimmering in his gaze.
"I'm going live on my hero account to announce my secondary gender and let everyone know I'm dropping out." I felt his nerves crackle beneath the calm exterior.
Izuku nodded in understanding but leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper right beside my ear. "I also have to return my quirk."
'What?'
My heartbeat stuttered. "To whom?"
He smiled bitterly, "The number one hero."
Air left my lungs in a rush. My mind whirled. He was carrying One for All. If only he'd offer it to me.
"Izu—"
He cut me off with a gentle but unyielding look. "No, Tomura. I'm returning it to him, not to you. I already see the schemes flickering in your eyes."
"But.." I tried to argue, but he shut it down softly.
"Don't. This isn't part of our plan. I want to help you, but this. I can't compromise here. You don't need it."
I couldn't dispute it. Master was the only one who truly needed OFA, the only hope if the world was ever to be remade. The weight of that truth pressed down on me, squeezing a sigh from my chest as I battled the uncertainty swirling inside.
How could I ever persuade this impossibly stubborn omega?
I did something a little uncharacteristic and planted myself directly in front of Izuku. I searched his face for even a sliver of softness, desperately seeking an opening behind those guarded eyes. I brushed my lips against his in a gentle, lingering kiss, silently pleading for his resolve to waver. But he held firm, his determination written in every line of his expression.
Frustration mingled with affection as I sank to my knees before him, the sound of surprised gasps and half-stifled laughter from the others barely registering. Ignoring the audience, I took Izuku's small, delicate hands in mine and pressed tender kisses along his knuckles, my lips lingering as if through touch alone I could convince him.
"Izuku, baby, please," I murmured, voice thick with emotion, each kiss another silent plea.
"It's the only way Master can rebuild the world. I want that future...for you, for all of us. I wanted you to be a hero in a system that worked, not one that's broken beyond repair."
Izuku's eyes flickered down to me, uncertainty and distrust shadowing his usually bright gaze. The sting of that look lingered in my chest.
"Let me meet your master," he said quietly. "Then I'll decide."
A rush of relief and exhilaration bubbled up inside me, escaping as a delighted, breathless laugh.
"Don't pout, you're the one who always says compromise is key in a relationship," I teased, and in a fit of playful triumph, I swept him up into my arms. Spinning him in giddy circles, I showered his face with a flurry of kisses, my happiness too fierce to unrestrain.
Izuku, however, was far from amused. His brows knit together, his eyes narrowing with mock fury, he looked every bit a wild kitten, bristling with indignation, ready to lash out if I dared carry on my celebration for even a moment longer.
"Alright, enough," he protested, laughter breaking through his seriousness. "When can I meet him? I still need to post my withdrawal."
Suddenly, an electronic chime sparked to life, drawing our attention to the dim screen in the far corner. Master's image flickered into view, his gaze as cold and unyielding as tempered steel. His voice cut through the room low, commanding, leaving no room for doubt.
"We shall meet very soon, child. Prepare yourself."
A current of anticipation surged through the room, the quiet air now charged with the certainty of action. With the master's solemn approval, we understood at once that the meeting was something distant on the horizon.