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Reiko holds her breathe as she climbs out her bedroom window, avoiding Quirk usage to get down safely. She doesn't want to waste time melting her ice, or having it flare up in ways she doesn't want it to, anger prickling at her heart in ugly spikes and pokes.
" Maybe if you weren't so useless, you wouldn't have to rely on that stupid, Quirkless boy to help you!"
Reiko double checks she's alone. No one by the windows and everyone is asleep. Good.
So she springs for the gates, jumps over them and runs. She runs and runs and runs, as far and as fast as she can, trying to drown out Endeavour's scalding remarks. He has no right to talk about Izuku like that, he doesn't even know him! He doesn't know how Izuku is bright and warm, like the sun. He doesn't know how Izuku is calm and gentle, like sunshine. He doesn't know how Izuku is her light. He's everything to her and she-
Reiko finally stops running when she reaches the train station.
The same one that Izuku stayed with her on the train for, until they got here, even though his home was in the other direction the train went. The same train station where he smiled so softly and held her hand in the crowded train, to calm her down. The same train station where he gave her a shy little wave as the train doors closed.
There's no trains now. But she knows where she wants to go. If only this city wasn't so big.
Reiko sighs and pulls out her phone. She may as well warn Izuku she's on her way.
She gets to the other side of the train station and continues walking deeper into town, towards Izuku's house. She sends a simple text, not wanting to accidentally wake anyone else like Inko, Sora or Hitomi. After wandering the dark city for hours, she finally makes it to Midoriya's apartment complex.
From where she stands, she can see him. On the balcony, with a blanket around his shoulders, waving down at her as soon as he notices her.
Reiko smiles for the first time in hours and thinks I'm home.
Getting up the stairway doesn't take long, only a few moments compared to the hours in the dark city. Still, it feels like it takes longer than it should. Maybe it's just because she really wanted to see him.
Izuku meets her halfway across the balcony, rushing to her with his arms wide and she opens her own, pulling him into a hug. Suddenly, everything catches up to her and she goes a little weak in the knees. Her feet ache, having chosen quiet flats over endurance shoes. Her stomach growls and snarls, her dinner having been cut short after the argument with Endeavour. The small bag on her back with just the essentials is heavy, the strings digging into her shoulders.
She's exhausted, but already feels better just from being in his arms again. She really is home.
"Bad night?" Izuku murmurs against her shoulder.
Reiko nods, holding him closer. "Tired. Hungry. Annoyed."
It's all she can get out, but Izuku understands.
"Let's get you inside, fed and in bed then." Izuku pulls back, smiling.
Then he gently places one arm under her legs, the other behind her back and shoulders and sweeps her off her feet. Reiko gasps, wrapping her arms around his neck. No matter how many times he does this, making her feel soft and protected and feminine, it makes her blood rush to her face and her heart leap and twist.
He carries her inside the house, lit with soft lamp light. He left his bedroom door open and he heads straight for it, passing Hitomi's but stopping before Inko's and Sora's room. While she still doesn't fully understand the relationship between the Shinsous and Midoriyas if it's not one of blood, she's glad they have each other.
Izuku then tucks her more securely against his body and with his now free hand (he can hold her with one arm, dear God, how dare he do that without a strength Quirk), he pulls back the sheets on his bed to lay her in it. He pulls the sheets over her and smiles.
"What are you hungry for, Reiko?" Izuku hums.
Reiko's heart thunders in her chest, the way it always does when Izuku says her name. It's like feeling secure again. Like she isn't delusional. Like she is a woman, someone sees her for who she is even when the world won't and that's all she's ever wanted; to be seen for herself.
"Soba." Reiko remembers how to speak in time.
Izuku giggles in a whisper. "Sorry, we don't have any right now. But there is some salmon slices in the fridge?"
Reiko's ears twitch and she nods. "Salmon is good."
Izuku leans down, pressing the softest, most wonderful kiss to her forehead and rises from the bed. Reiko sits up and leans against Izuku's headboard, getting comfortable. The lights in the hallway and living room turn off and Izuku walks into his room with a plait of salmon slices and two cups of water. He sets it all on a small table next to his bed, where his phone is charging.
Then he joins her on his small twin sized bed, snuggling a little too close for comfort (as if they wouldn't be this close even if the bed was bigger). He wraps his arm around her shoulders and she grabs his other hand.
"Do you want to talk about it, or just eat?" Izuku always looks at her with such a soft, understanding smile, like he can see all the ugly and cruel and missing parts of her and is saying I see you, I love you, let me in, let me help, your pain is my pain and I'll help you carry it.
Reiko sighs, forcing out her reservations. "Endeavour called you stupid. He's still pissed that you're in UA."
Izuku blinks at her. "You were mad about that?"
Reiko raises an eye brow at him. "He was shit talking the one I love the most. Why wouldn't I get mad?"
Izuku flushes from his forehead to his neck and would have covered his face if she wasn't holding onto one hand and he had the other one around her shoulders. "R-Reiko-"
"I mean it. I don't like it when anyone talks bad about you. Especially a man who has no right to." Reiko nuzzles against his neck. "You're amazing. I wish you knew that."
Izuku makes those sensitive little gasps that he always does whenever she goes anywhere near his neck. "I, I know I'm a pretty good Hero student, but this is about you right now, we can worry about me later, haha-"
"It helps me." Reiko lifts her head, looking up at him, red ear flickering, tail swishing. "When you accept compliments, it makes me feel like I'm doing something right. That I can help you, at least."
Izuku's flush only deepens and he clamps his eyes shut. "Y-You're too pretty, I can't see Reiko, you're beautiful-"
Reiko's heart flutters in her chest and she gulps. "Could you say it again?"
Izuku blinks, opening his eyes. "Huh?"
Reiko twists her ears towards him, to catch every single sound. "Say nice things about me. Please?"
Izuku's eyes widen and he smiles, nodding. "Yeah, of course I can do that."
Reiko nods, preparing herself for the compliments. She knows how Izuku gets when she asks this. But it helps them both, so she does her best to stop her embarrassment before it begins.
"You're the most beautiful woman I know." Izuku begins, gently grasping some of her red hair, the hair she used to hate so much, that he made beautiful for her.
Reiko's heart jumps. "I'm not sure. Everyone says Momo's like a Goddess."
Izuku giggles. "I guess I agree with that. But..." He plays with her red hair, leaning forward, kissing her scar just above her blue eye, the blue eye she used to wish wasn't there. "You're so special, Reiko. You have faith in yourself, despite how hard your life has been. You stay true to your convictions, no matter what gets in your way. You're fire; bold, bright, warm. And you're ice; cool, calm, clear headed. You're beautiful in your soul, in a way I don't know anyone else to be."
Reiko's heart jumps into her throat, lodging all her words of love in it.
"But your outside is beautiful too." Izuku giggles. "I love your hair; red and white. I love your eyes; blue and grey. I love your scars and your clear skin. I love you, Reiko."
Reiko's heart continues to swell in a way she can't contain and she doesn't have the words for. But that's okay, Izuku knows she speaks with action. She wraps her arms tightly around him and holds him close, raking her fingers through his hair. She kisses his forehead, the tips of his ears, his cheeks, nose, neck.
"R-Reiko..." Izuku gasps, softly.
Reiko kisses his neck a few more times; just below his right jaw, in the dip between his collar bones, against his pulse point on his left. He gasps and squirms at every touch, pulling her closer, as if they could get any closer than this.
So she sits up and presses a kiss to his lips and everything feels right. Izuku makes a soft sound against her mouth and kisses her back.
I'm home.
He wraps one arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. He rests his other hand on her cheek, thumb stroking softly along the scar tissue.
I'm home.
Reiko opens her eyes just a bit, just enough to see green; green hair with her fingers in it, green eyes fluttering shut, green notebooks full of knowledge. Green's her favourite colour. Green is warm and bright and is the colour she wants in every room in her future home.
I'm home.
The kiss pauses as they gasp for breathe, Izuku resting his forehead against Reiko's, sharing their inhales and exhales.
"Do you have your uniform in your bag?" Izuku hums.
Reiko nods.
Izuku smiles. "Wanna borrow my PJs?"
Reiko's heart flutters and she nods again, smiling.
Izuku giggles. "Wanna watch Frozen?"
Reiko's heart races and she speaks. "I love you."
Izuku flushes and nods. "I-I love you too. I'll get my laptop open."
Reiko nods and reluctantly lets go of him.
While he gets the movie set up, she changes into the PJs he gives her, their backs to each other. They settle in Izuku's bed, squeezed together, the plait of salmon on her lap. Izuku puts it at the lowest volume possible with subtitles. He wraps his arm around her shoulders.
She falls asleep like that, safe and sound.