28

Chapter 28: What's in a Hoard

Chapter Text

"Ashido, uh, now isn't a great time!" Izuku called out.

"You don't get a choiiice~" she singsonged through the door. "This is important!"

"Uh, I'm naked!" That wasn't a lie, he was; especially now that he had released his quirk.

He heard a gasp on the other side of the door. "Izuku Midoriya, what have you been doing?! "

The blood drained from his face. "N-nothing!" No answer, but he heard his handle moving slightly. "...Are you picking my lock again?!"

"You better get some clothes on if you don't want me to see~" The lock started moving a little faster. "Unless you want me to see, of course~"

Izuku never threw on clothes faster in his life. He grabbed the first things he could find, which happened to be what he slept in last night: a pair of All Might underwear, his Stormclaw pajama pants and a shirt that said 'pajamas' on it.

He flung the door open, finding Ashido standing there with a playful grin and empty hands. He stared at her for a few seconds with wide eyes. "You… weren't picking the lock?"

"Nope! It got you ready though!" She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of his room. "I need you to do something for me. I'll explain once we get there."

"Um, okay…"

Izuku had a bad feeling about this.

Or was it a really good feeling?

Ochako sat on Mina's bed, rocking back and forth slightly as she stared out at the window, wondering what was taking her friend so long. She had been reading peacefully in her pajamas when she got a text from Mina to come down to her room, but once she got there, Mina just put her on the bed and told her that she "needed to go grab something real quick".

Just when she was getting ready to text Mina to ask where she was, she heard footsteps approaching the door. No, wait. She heard two sets of footsteps. 'Did Mina get someone? Maybe she's organizin' another one of those game nights. Strange she didn't say nothin' about it to me, though.'

"A-Ashido, are you sure?"

Ochako blanched. Is this what Mina meant by "leave it to me"?

The door swung open and standing there were two of her favorite people in the world, but she couldn't help but be filled with trepidation.

"Ura-raraka," Deku stuttered. "H-hey." It was like he was back on the first day of school again; the poor man couldn't even make eye contact with her and just being nearby was causing him to blush. He had gotten so much better about it, but she guessed that her boldness last night had ruined all his hard work. She kicked herself a little.

"Hi, Deku," she replied, forcing a smile on her face to hide her pounding heart. 'Dammit, I'm blushin' too now. Mina, why?!'

"Alright!" Mina chirped with a wide smile. "Midori, on the bed. Opposite Ochako."

"Um, that's okay, I'll just sta-"

"Nope! You're sitting down." She put her hands on his back and pushed, shoving him into the room and towards the bed.

Ochako scooted back towards the head of the bed to let Deku have space at the foot. Both of them sat there cross-legged, staring at each other for only a second before looking away.

Mina shook her head. "You two are hopeless."

"W-what did you want from me, Ashido? Is this another game night or something?"

"You could say that." She looked at him with a cruel grin as she sat down on the bed next to Ochako. The two women were almost touching, but Ochako didn't feel the comfort she usually did; Mina was up to something and it made her nervous.

"There is a problem," Mina began. "An issue. I've been thinking long and hard about how to fix it, especially since last night."

"Last night?" Deku was rightly worried.

"She was spying on us," Ochako muttered, still not looking at him.

"Damn straight I was!" Mina declared proudly. "I thought to myself 'how do I fix this?' I considered getting you two to go to a movie with me and then getting conveniently 'sick', I thought about tricking you both into going to a restaurant together, I thought about sneaking forged letters into your backpacks to get you to meet up." Mina rattled off her plans as she rocked back and forth on the bed. "But those had way too much potential to play out like a bad romance show, and Mina Ashido is not about that life."

She puffed her chest out and pointed an accusing finger at both of them. "You two are absolutely nuts about each other and you are not leaving this bed until you talk about it!"

Deku looked like he was about to die. Ochako figured she looked about the same.

"A-Ashido, w-what is this? What are you s-saying?" The poor man wasn't ready for the storm that was Mina.

Ochako wasn't ready either. She buried her face in her hands and fell over on her side, trying to hide herself up against the wall.

"I'm saying that Ochako has a huge, huge crush on you, Midori, and I'm tired of dancing around it! You two are absolutely adorable together and I will not stand for you to keep acting like a bunch of hopeless virgins!"

"But I am a hopeless virgin!" Deku yelled out suddenly. "Uh, I mean, uh-" He hid his face behind his arms as he turned nearly neon green.

Mina giggled. "Well, that's good to know, but surely you didn't act like this around your other girlfriends, right? Where's that Midori confidence that shouted a hallway of panicking students down?"

Deku mumbled something.

"What was that? Speak up!" Mina demanded.

"I've… never had a girlfriend."

"What?! No way!" Mina leaned over onto her hands closer to him. "How? I don't believe you!"

"People are scared of me, Ashido," he muttered sadly. "You know that. You know that they should be. I've already resigned myself to being alone, I just focus all my energy on being a hero so I hopefully won't hurt anybody."

Ochako felt her blush fade a little as he spoke. 'Alone? Him? How could he be?'

"Oh, Midori," Mina sounded a little sympathetic. "You won't be, I promise. You deserve to be happy. And today is your lucky day because I know one tall, beautiful brunette who is head-over-heels for you."

Ochako squeaked. "Mina, why?!"

"I already told you why! Now stop hiding, both of you!"

"N-no, that can't be right," Deku argued. "Someone like Uraraka couldn't like someone like me. That's- no, that's ridiculous. She's way too good for me, are you kidding?"

Ochako felt something flare inside her. She whipped up and looked Deku dead in the eyes. "How can you say that?! If anything, you're too good for me!"

"What?!" He nearly fell backwards. "But I'm a mon-"

"Don't you dare finish that word!" Ochako threatened. Her cheeks were burning but it was her blood that was truly on fire. "Mina is right!" She squeezed her eyes shut as she forced the words out.

"Deku, I love you!"

There was silence in the room. She didn't dare open her eyes.

"B-but... how? " Deku sounded like he was on the edge of tears. "Y-you're so beautiful and strong and capable a-and-"

"And what?" she hissed. "You're a brute with an evil quirk?"

"I-"

It was like the dam that was holding her feelings back had crumbled. Everything was pouring out. "You've been nothing but kind to me, ever since we met! You saved my life the day we met, you saved me at the USJ from that guy with the big arms, and then you turned around and stood between Mina and me and God damn Terrorflame!" She finally tore her eyes open and looked at the man.

Eye contact made it so much worse.

He looked confused, scared and panicking. His eyes were flashing green erratically and his voice seemed caught in his throat.

Even so, her heart clenched in her chest and her stomach did flips.

"You always talked to me like I was this beautiful, strong woman who could do anything."

"That's what you are!" He found his voice. "B-both of you!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Ochako whined. "How could I not fall in love with you? You're the man who saved his entire class from a real monster with no concern for his safety, but you look at me like that! Just being around you makes me want to do better, and not just for myself! I want to make you proud of me, Deku!"

"I…"

Ochako realized something.

She whipped around on Mina, who was absolutely beaming from ear to ear. "Mina feels the same way!" She scowled at the pink woman, whose expression had fallen away rapidly.

"W-what?! Both of you?!"

Mina looked confused and startled. "H-hey, this is me trying to get you two together, what are you doing?"

"Don't deny it! You love him too!" She leaned over, getting in Mina's face.

The pink woman was not ready for how this had turned on her. With Ochako towering over her, purple began to creep into her face. "S-so what?"

"Why are you trying to do this, Mina? It's time for you to confess and you can be his girlfriend! He deserves you !" She didn't really know what she was saying, but it felt right. Ochako's feelings for Mina were confused, but she knew that she cared deeply for her. Mina wanted Deku as much as she did and she would do anything in her power to make sure Mina was happy.

Mina was panicking. "What?! No! You should! T-think about it, it'll be like how we've been sleeping, except it'll be him. No worries, I'll be fine!"

Ochako felt her heart plummet. The idea of losing Mina was something she wasn't ready to confront.

"W-wait, how have you two been sleeping?" Deku asked, his voice still shaky.

Ochako froze. "Uhh…"

"We started cuddling when we were sharing a couch while you were in a coma," Mina explained, still blushing herself. "And, well, it kinda stuck."

Deku's jaw dropped. "You two… have been sleeping together?"

Ochako and Mina stared at each other for a few seconds before slowly turning to face him. They both nodded slowly.

He looked down slightly as a small smile grew on his face. It was full of relief, but also sadness. "It sounds like you two should date each other. Maybe you two love each other, instead. That would be much better."

Ochako looked back to Mina, who did the same.

They stared into each other's eyes, time losing its meaning as she lost herself in her gold irises in contrast to her black sclera. .

When she finally managed to pull her gaze away from her eyes, it focused on her soft, sweet-smelling hair and over her adorable horns. She wanted to run her hand through her pink locks again, to feel her mewl at the contact like she always did.

Then she looked at her full, kissable lips and her purple-tinted cheeks.

A new urge made itself known.

Ochako didn't realize it at the time, but Mina was doing the same to her; looking her over for the hundredth but seeing her for the first.

She felt her heart leap as her mind raced through the memories they shared.

The bonds they forged in the fires of the Conflagration Zone and then in the inferno that was Terrorflame… The sensation of her skin on hers…

It was something that she didn't know if she would want to live without. Ochako felt comfortable around Mina, more than perhaps anyone else outside her family. Maybe it was the hormones pumping through her right now, but Ochako felt like Deku was right.

The two women were still locked in place, staring at each other. Ochako felt Mina's hot breath on her face and neck.

It was driving her mad.

"M-Mina?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I...love you."

"I love you too, Ochako."

She realized what she wanted right now.

Ochako's arms moved on their own as they reached out and grabbed the sides of Mina's head. She pulled, bringing the pink woman closer and closer, her head tilting slightly on its own.

Their lips locked.

Electricity sparked in Ochako's mind as the sensation of Mina's soft, luscious lips crashed through her body. She pressed harder and pulled her closer as her mind focused only on amplifying the feeling that was flooding her with such pleasure.

They broke contact for a moment, each of them taking a breath before diving back in for further contact. Mina's arms wrapped around her waist and held her close, almost begging for more contact.

Ochako's eyes widened as she felt Mina's tongue slowly probe her lips. She moaned softly as she allowed the tongue to slip in and quickly met it with her own. Compared to Mina, she was clumsy, but it didn't seem like she minded. Ochako pushed forward, meeting no resistance as Mina retreated back into her mouth as fast as Ochako advanced. Soon, she was in total control and judging from how much Mina was squeezing her, the smaller woman loved it.

After what felt like a moment but also a lifetime, they broke apart again, a thin strand of saliva still connecting them. They both panted faintly, their cheeks flush with color.

As her brain slowly started processing information outside of 'Mina', she heard a faint noise coming from the far end of the bed. She turned her gaze to Deku, who had his hands clapped over his mouth.

He was crying softly.

Ochako's heart sank. 'Oh… that- no, that was so selfish- I knew he was interested in me, but I-'

His hand fell away slowly, showing a wide smile. "I'm s-so happy for both of you." His eyes were glowing softly, almost imperceptibly so.

Ochako thought she felt herself fall for him again. 'How sweet is he?'

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up to leave. "Wait, where are you going?" Ochako didn't want him to go.

He looked back, an expression of genuine confusion covering his face. "I'll leave you two in peace, don't worry about me."

Mina leaned over towards him. "Hey, w-we weren't done! Ochako told you that she loved you and you're just going to leave her?" She was still a little flustered from their kiss.

Deku flinched. "Y-you two are dating now, right? It's better that way. I hope you're happy, really!" He forced a smile on his face.

Ochako frowned. "What do you mean 'better that way'? Are you putting yourself down again?"

Deku slouched a little, before looking away. "Yeah, I guess I am, but you don't understand. You don't know what you're asking. You don't l-love me, not really. I'm sure I've… tricked you into thinking that. My quirk does that." He began to tug at his hair in frustration. "It manipulates. It tricks. It lies. It deceives. And by 'it', I mean 'me'. I'm really glad that you're both my friends, but I-"

"This again?!" Mina shouted in indignation. "I thought I already dealt with this yesterday! You either have a very high opinion of yourself, or a very low one of us. Or both! Midori, do you think that you've been 'manipulating' me this whole time?"

"W-well, I… yeah?" Deku offered weakly.

"No!" Mina sounded actually a little mad. "You haven't! Unless you consider 'being a nice person' or 'saving my life' to be manipulation! If you define it as any sort of interaction that changes someone's opinion, then yeah, I guess you have been, but then I've been doing the same thing! We all have!"

Deku said nothing.

"So, get your legs back up here, mister," Mina growled through grit teeth.

Deku obeyed.

Mina took a calming breath. "Now." She looked the man in the eyes. "I want you to listen very carefully , okay?"

Deku nodded.

"Midori, I, Mina Ashido, of my own volition, love you. Do you understand me?"

His eyes flashed brighter. His right hand twitched as if it was moving to grab onto his head, but he kept it down. "I… thank you, but-"

Ochako finally spoke. "But what? Do you not feel the same?"

"It's not that!" he immediately responded, before he had time to think.

Ochako felt her heart skip a beat. 'Then he does?'

"You don't know what you're asking!" he admitted, seemingly forcing himself to speak.

"I think we're asking-" Mina was cut off this time.

"I am a dragon ! Dragons hoard things! We are greedy! " He clenched his eyes shut as he spat his words. "We all have our collections. My dad hoards underwater treasures and oddities, Ryuko loves rare metals and gems, Terrorflame just loved wealth . It's a part of our quirk. If we don't hoard, our instincts get very upset."

"So is that why you have all that hero stuff?" Ochako asked.

Mina nodded. "I don't see where you're going with this."

"Yes, Uraraka, at least in a way." He sighed heavily. "We don't just hoard our favorite thing. Our collections' sizes are important. Outside of the pearls, historical artifacts and old books, my father enjoys generic wealth just as much. Anything valuable is worthy of our hoards." He seemed to be trying to choke back tears. "I collect my hero merchandise, yes, but I also love emeralds and things that remind me of the forest. But that's not my favorite thing to hoard. It's not what my quirk values over all else."

Ochako racked her brain. "What is it then?"

"P-" He paused, centering himself. "People. I hoard people . You, the other girls, our classmates… my quirk has claimed you all. You're all part of my hoard, as far as its concerned."

Ochako gasped. "So… are you saying that you like us as much as everyone else?" She felt her heart sink again. 'We're all just part of his hoard? He doesn't actually-'

"No." He spoke with authority. Ochako and Mina were both immediately at attention. "You two… you're… you're more. I don't know what it is, but I… nothing has ever been like this. I can't get either of you out of my head! A night hasn't gone by in the past… however long it's been that one of my dreams hasn't involved you both. If it's not you, its Yaoyorozu, or Pony, or Jirou or Tsu! I feel so gross."

"That's actually kinda flattering," Mina giggled, tilting her head.

"You don't get it," Deku repeated. "You should both be scared. My quirk has latched onto you in a way I've never experienced before. I don't know how to deal with this! If you tell me that you...l-" He tried to force the word out, but failed. "-like me, you're asking for trouble. If I… give into this feeling I have for you both… there's no going back. I won't be able to go back. My quirk won't allow it. I don't want to 'own' you- either of you. You're both your own people who deserve so much more than that!"

He slumped down as he finished his speech. He looked exhausted.

The room was quiet for a good while. Ochako turned the information over in her mind time and time again. 'No goin' back? His quirk has 'latched onto' us?' Her gut churned with emotion after emotion, some good, some less so. Deku was right, this was not a light decision, but what did she feel? She knew what she felt to a degree, but something was holding her back.

She realized something. 'I don't know how he feels back… that's what's-' Her eyes went wide. 'Wait. He said that he can't get us out of his head. He said that he doesn't know how to deal with what he's feelin'.'

Ochako smiled. Her heart started beating even faster.

She knew what he was feeling.

She knew what he was feeling because she was feeling the same thing.

She turned up to look at him. "Deku?"

He slowly raised his eyes to meet her gaze. His green orbs were filled with guilt as they glowed softly.

She lunged forward.

Nothing was going to stop her this time.

Her arms wrapped around him as they had before, one arms holding his back while the other gripped his head. He barely had time to react as her lips crashed into his. His eyes widened and erupted in light as her own mind began going blank for the second time that afternoon.

The force of her lunge and the sudden, primal need she felt to be as close to him as possible drove him onto his back, flat on the bed. She closed her own eyes as she focused entirely on the feeling and taste of his lips on hers. Fireworks went off in her mind as his shock wore off and he began to return her affection.

Emboldened by her kiss with Mina, Ochako pushed her tongue forward, asking for permission. He granted it, but as she moved forward, she was met with resistance. Unlike Mina, his tongue was just as clumsy as her own, but that didn't matter to either of them.

He felt different than Mina. His kiss was no less passionate than hers, but it carried a different energy. While Mina let Ochako take charge, Deku was struggling. He wasn't trying to fight her for dominance, he was merely challenging her. If she wanted it, she would have to work for it.

She loved it.

She loved him .

Both of her hands moved to his head as she pressed him further into Mina's soft bed.

It was only once they both began to feel short of breath that they broke apart.

She loomed over him, her hair hanging down around his face as he stared up at her. They panted for a few seconds, thin strands connecting them in their silence until she smiled softly. "How's that for an answer?"

He seemed too stunned to speak and instead just nodded dumbly.

Ochako leaned back, slumping back onto the bed next to Mina. She pushed her shoulder into Ochako's arm slightly. "I'm proud of you, girl."

Deku slowly pushed himself up on his elbows, blinking and dazed.

Mina laughed. "Damn, Ocha, did you suck his soul out? You better have left some for me."

Deku's vision cleared immediately as he turned his head to stare at Mina.

"That's right, my answer is the same, Midori." Her smile was kind and loving, a blush glowing on her face. "Listen, ever since I laid eyes on you, I could tell you were something special. You've shown me kindness, passion, dedication, joy and that's just to name a few. You take my teasing like a champ and you don't mind that I have fun with you. You've treated me with respect without putting me on a pedestal, you never once entertained the idea that my appearance was strange or that my quirk was anything but one fit for heroics."

She let out a big sigh as her blush faded out as quickly as it came and her smile turned back to teasing. "I love you and no big, scary quirk is gonna change my mind." She beckoned him to her with a seductive finger. "But if you want it, you're gonna have to come and get it."

Deku's eyes flashed bright again and he was suddenly surging forward across the bed. He pinned Mina down in an instant, his face mere inches from hers as his hands held her wrists down above her head.

"You know, this is the second time you've had me in this position," she teased. "I hope you don't get cold feet this time."

Even with his quirk surging and bursting against its confines, he hesitated. "Is- can I?"

"Yes," she said simply, her smile threatening to burst from her face.

He lowered himself, slowly, methodically; it reminded her of a predator stalking its prey. Something told her that Mina liked that. Maybe it was the way her eyes sparkled with excitement and affection as he got closer.

He locked his lips with hers in a firm, commanding way. It was filled with passion, but there was no room for argument. The kiss was so different than the one they had shared, but she could see just how much Mina was enjoying it. Her back arched as she squirmed against his grip and her legs wrapped around his, encouraging him to continue.

As he had lunged at Mina, Ochako had felt a sickening worry fill her heart. Would she feel jealous that Deku was kissing Mina? Or that Mina was kissing Deku?

As the two continued, she felt her heart swell. There was no jealousy or envy to be found within her, only pure happiness at seeing two people that she… that she loved wrapped up in such passion. The weight was lifted from her shoulders as a smile bloomed across her face.

The two of them split apart finally and Deku fell backward off of Mina. He panted slightly as his quirk continued to glow brightly in his eyes. 'I wonder what's goin' on in his head right now…'

The three of them sat in silence again for a few moments. Eventually, a thought crossed Ochako's mind. "What now?"

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I mean, where do we go from here?" Ochako looked back and forth between the two. "Am I dating Deku? Am I dating you? Are we dating at all?"

Mina blinked. "Oh."

As the rush of passion left her body, Ochako began to worry. "We… we didn't think this through. I was so caught up in my emotions that… How do I pick? How do any of us pick? Anything we do is gonna leave someone…"

Mina understood the implication as he own mood visibly dropped. "Well, we could pick nobody. That way no one would be…" She looked up at Deku. "Midori, what do you think?"

His eyes flashed.

He immediately grew a look of slight shame and revulsion. His eyes moved like he was chiding himself for a thought.

Mina noticed it too. "Your quirk just told you something, didn't it?" Her mischievous grin was growing back slowly.

"Y-yeah, but don't… it's nothing."

The grin was fully back now. "No, no, tell us! Tell us!"

Deku gulped. "It… it said, uh…" He looked down in shame. "It said 'both'."

Ochako's jaw dropped.

Mina took it much better. "Really? It said both? Oh man!" She turned to Ochako, looking like a kid on Christmas. "Let's do it!"

"What?!" Ochako and Deku exclaimed simultaneously.

Mina raised an eyebrow. "Polyamory isn't that weird. Doesn't make it any less exciting though!"

"I mean I've heard of it…" Ochako shifted uncomfortably. "But… can we really do that?"

Mina's expression grew more incredulous. "What do you mean? Of course we can. It's not even an uncommon thing, where have you been?"

"But isn't it a little weird?"

Mina rolled her eyes a little. "Ochako, it's-"

"You are not about to use the 'current year' argument on me," Ochako snapped.

Mina was so cute when she pouted. "But it's true! It's not the 21st century anymore, it's not even the 22nd! Who cares if we both date Midori and each other and whoever else we want to date?" She began to blush a little. "I know you've had your eye on Yaomomo, and I've had a little bit of a crush on Kiri for years now."

Ochako nearly fell over on the bed. "W-what? Yaomomo?! Y-you think-"

"You know that one hero team that was pretty high in the rankings a couple years ago?" Mina wasn't about to give up.

Ochako thought for a moment. "The Pussycats?"

"No, the other ones." Mina waved her hand "I can't remember their name, but what's important is that they were all dating each other and nobody outside of the tabloids gave a damn."

"I guess I knew that…" Ochako admitted. "I just… never even considered that I might be in a situation even close to that. I didn't even think I'd get a boyfriend or anything. N-not that I needed one! I'm here at UA to become a hero first and foremost."

"Hold up," Mina shot back. "Why didn't you think you'd get a boyfriend?"

"W-well, I've never had one before, you know?" Ochako poked her fingers together. "Guys have always been really intimidated by my height and-"

Deku was suddenly in her face. "You've been nothing but supportive of me. You've been honest and not judged me even when sometimes I think you should have. Let me do the same for you." He leaned in a little closer. "Your. Height. Is. Sexy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Do you remember when we first met?"

"W-when you tripped?"

Deku flinched. "Y-yeah, that part." Mina giggled. "Besides your big, beautiful eyes and your gorgeous hair and those lips of yours… what really took my breath away was how I had to look up at you. Something about it just..." He leaned back, giving her space even though she didn't really want it. Suddenly, his confident air seemed to vanish. "I-I hope that wasn't too forward… I just hate seeing you beat yourself up."

"Now you know how we feel," Mina scolded. She leaned in between Ochako and Deku. "So, what do you say? Do we want to make this work?"

Deku immediately nodded. "I-I warned you. I can't back out now."

Ochako nibbled her finger a little as she thought. 'I really want to, but is this right?' She peeked at her two friends who were looking back expectantly. The thought of having them close all the time… 'Yeah, I want that.'

She nodded. "I want this."

Mina squealed .

Deku suddenly swung his arms around, bringing both of them in for a tight hug, one in each arm. "T-thank you both. For this. For everything." His arms bulged with strong muscle, making Ochako feel distinctly safe within his embrace.

He leaned back, looking them both in the face and smiling as tears flowed down his face. "I want you to know that this isn't my quirk talking. I feel this way even when it's quiet." He took a deep breath. "My entire life, with few exceptions, including the Bakugous and my family- and not even them as a rule- I've been… held at arm's length. When I was little, more than ten years ago, I was friends with everyone, but as soon as the saw the fury that my quirk puts in me… they walked away."

"But you two," he pulled them in closer, putting his head between theirs as his tears flowed, "you two have been nothing but kind to me from the moment we met. Even once you found out what my quirk is, what I am, you didn't bat an eye. You held me close and encouraged me, embraced me… and now even loved me. I didn't know what I've been feeling, but I've figured it out. I often speak with confidence, but right now, I'm speaking with certainty."

He pulled his head back and looked at them both with an expression filled with love and joy.

"Uraraka, I love you." He kissed her on the cheek, causing her to light up red.

"Ashido, I love you." He kissed her too, causing the woman to beam even as she turned purple.

He let them go, causing Ochako to immediately miss his touch. 'Oh man, I've got it bad… but I'm glad it's for him. I don't think he'll be leaving me anytime soon.'

The free-flowing tears slowed as he wiped his face on his shirt. "A-also, one last thing. Apologies if this is… a little creepy." He smiled sheepishly. "It's about what I told you earlier. About my uh, hoard."

"Ooh, yeah, we're officially part of a dragon's hoard now, huh?" Mina smiled as her face lit up in fascination. "That's kinda cool."

"Y-yeah, and about what you just said, Uraraka." He looked at her with that determined gaze that she fell in love with. "About you coming to UA to be a hero."

He sat up straight. "Listen carefully, please. The value of our hoard is very, very important to us. We will always have a drive to increase its size and its value. What that means is that it is my goal, my mission, to make sure that you two are the absolute best you can be. You are my hoard, you and the rest of 1-A. You will be the best." His eyes flashed. "That's not an option."

Ochako felt her face growing warm again. Mina, on the other hand, began laughing. "That may be the most ominous encouragement I've ever received! Well hey, right back at you, Midori. You're not allowed to slack off either!" She pushed him playfully.

A smile grew across his face. "I-I won't, Ashido."

"Oh!" Mina leaned forward again. "That won't do! Now you really do get to call me Mina!"

His eyes widened slightly as his quirk flared again. "R-really?"

"Uh, yeah?" she laughed. "I want to hear you say it."

"M-" He gulped and licked his lips. "Mina." As soon as he said it, his eyes flashed once.

She squealed again. " Oooh~ ! Ochako, come on, you gotta try it!"

Ochako felt her heart start to beat faster at the thought. "A-alright, Deku. S-say my name."

He hesitated again. "O…" He looked at her again, as if asking for permission. She smiled reassuringly. "Ochako." The flash again.

A bolt of lightning shot through her mind as the word passed his lips. Ochako felt her heart swell and clench as a warmth spread through her body. Hearing her name from him just… made it seem so much more real.

She couldn't help it.

She lunged forward again.

She pressed her lips into his for the second time, but all the magic was still there. He was less surprised than last time and wrapped his right arm around her, holding her close. She appreciated his taste more this time as she mashed her lips into his. She kept her tongue to herself this time and pulled back shortly.

"S-sorry." She was blushing something awful once again. "I… couldn't help myself."

"I-it's fine, Ura- Ochako." He laughed slightly, apparently in disbelief. "Y-you don't have t-to apologize for that. E-ever." He was trying to sound confident, but he was too flustered to be convincing. She found it endearing.

"Hey, Ochako," Mina had moved forward so she was on Deku's left. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, sending a pulse of green through his face. While he was momentarily distracted, she looked straight at Ochako with a mischievous smirk.

Maybe it was due to her spending so much time with her, but Ochako couldn't help but be a little disturbed that she perfectly understood Mina's silent intent.

Both women moved up to one of Deku's ears.

"Izuku," they whispered in unison.

Ochako didn't know if she'd ever seen him greener.

It took Izuku a few moments to recover. Today had been physically, mentally and most of all, emotionally exhausting, and it was only four in the afternoon.

Today had moved so quickly, he could hardly process that he was now looking at the beaming faces of his girlfriend...s. Just thinking about it caused his mind to sputter slightly.

On the other hand, his quirk had never been happier. The pulses of joy and satisfaction washed over him like a hot bath on a cold evening as it almost felt like it was dancing in his mind.

It was addicting.

Of course, Izuku was happy too. The feeling of affection and acceptance that the women had given him was something he knew he craved, but he didn't really understand how much he needed it until they gave it to him. He couldn't have been more grateful and he was so glad that he reciprocated their feelings.

Their happiness was important to him on more than one level. Because of the way his quirk worked, it wasn't just the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment you would normally feel for making someone happy, he was also filled with the deep, primal joy of fulfilling a biological imperative. Their happiness was his happiness on a fundamental level.

Maybe his quirk wasn't all bad.

As the three of them sat there in the afterglow of their hormone-fueled confessions, Izuku's stomach growled.

"What, hungry already?" Ash- Mina remarked.

That was going to take some getting used to.

"I uh, well, using my quirk takes a lot of energy," he explained.

Ochako tilted her head. Being that cute was probably illegal. "You were using it? I thought the whole eye glow thing was it more than you."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Right, no, it is, but I used it earlier. When I was training with Jirou." He was in fact using his quirk right then, to keep a certain something hidden and under control, but they didn't need to know that.

Mina's face lit up in recognition. "Oh yeah, how did that go?"

"It went fine, but we didn't get to practice much. Two students from 1-B showed up shortly after we started and well, we wound up sparring." Izuku leaned back as he recalled the fight. "Kendou, 1-B's class rep, has a quirk that makes her hands really big and it seems to increase their strength as well." He lifted his shirt and showed the large bruise on his chest. "I got this while transformed."

He noticed both of the women staring at his abs and chest, concern mixed with what he could only call desire. Normally that would make him blush and freeze up, but now… now he felt… proud?

"The other," he continued as he put his shirt down, "his name was Tetsutetsu, and the best way I can describe him is a male Kirishima."

"Wait, what?" Mina snapped her vision from his chest to his face.

Izuku laughed once. "Yeah, crazy, right? He's got the same sharp teeth that she has and his quirk turns his body into solid steel. They're really similar."

Ochako and Mina looked at each other and shrugged.

"Anyways, we got in a fight and things got a little hectic and I wound up going a little uh, overboard."

"You didn't hurt anyone, did you?" Mina asked, although her voice wasn't worried.

"No, no, not outside the purview of the spar, at least. I pinned Kendou down and got her to yield, and then Jirou got Tetsutetsu to give up too. Jirou's great, she kicks ass."

"She sure does," Ochako said with a smile. "Yaomomo told me about how she handled herself at the USJ. But hey, what caused you to go 'overboard'?"

Izuku flinched slightly. 'Well they're my girlfriends, right? I should tell them stuff.'

"J-Jirou got hit hard. You know how I told you everyone in class is part of my collection now?" He rubbed the back of his head again. "My quirk didn't take kindly to her being hit like that."

Mina's eyes lit up. "Is that why you didn't have pants on?"

"Wha-"

"Y-yeah," Izuku interrupted Ochako. "I wasn't planning on doing anything like that when I left, so uh, they got destroyed." Mina and Ochako were staring at him. He opted to quickly change subjects. "So yeah, we won the spar and then I gave Jirou a ride back and went up to my room and that's when you found me." He finished his story quickly as he could.

"A ride?" Ochako asked, wide-eyed and curious.

Izuku shrunk down a little bit. He probably shouldn't have mentioned that. "Y-yeah, we flew back."

Mina's eyes widened further as her grin grew. "So that's why Kyouka looked all flustered when she came back into the dorms and why you weren't with her!" She whipped an accusatory finger at him as he shrunk back in surprise. "You went all big, bad dragon in her defense, lost your pants and then gave her a flight back! You're such a ladykiller!"

"What are you talking about?!" Izuku recoiled.

"I'm like… 95% sure Jirou has a crush on you now, Midori." She smirked at him. "I have a sense for these things."

Izuku's mind temporarily short-circuited again. He blinked a few times as he rebooted. "No, what? You're just seeing things, there's no way Jirou likes me. She's so cool and beautiful and… well that's just wishful thinking. Besides, I have you t-two now."

"So?" Mina asked flatly, gesturing to Ochako and Izuku. "There's room for her."

Izuku sputtered. "W-wha-?!"

Mina giggled. "Midori-"

"I know, I know," Izuku said, letting out a great sigh. "You're just teasing."

"What? No," she responded, causing him to whip his head up to her. "I was gonna say 'all in due time'."

"Mina!" Ochako sounded scandalized… a little.

"Hey, if she wants in and we like her, why not?" Mina shrugged. "I'm not saying let's go grab her right now, but if things work out in the future, why refuse?"

"Well, maybe…" Ochako admitted. "What do you think, Deku?"

Yes.

'Shut up, I have more than enough already; don't be greedy. Besides, Mina is just seeing things, I don't want to get my hopes up.'

"S-sure," he answered. Since there was no chance of it happening, there was no harm in him agreeing; he was already astronomically lucky to have two women, it would be absurd for him to even consider more.

"Good!" Mina was pleased. "Oh, and Midori? You might want to mention that to Kyouka, that you think she's beautiful, I mean. Just between us, I think she has some self-esteem issues that she just hides really well."

Izuku did a double-take. "First of all, how would you even know that after only knowing her for a couple weeks?"

"You remember the first day of class? With Mineta in the locker room?"

Izuku scowled. "Yes."

"Oh, hush, you guard dog," she scolded. "Well, when he didn't say anything about her, lecherous as he is, she looked a little hurt. It was hard to spot because then you nearly took the wall down, buuuut I noticed."

Izuku blinked. "A-alright, that's fair." He cleared his throat. "But second of all, how would she feel that way? She's gorgeous! "

"I know, right?" Mina agreed. "And have you seen her butt?"

Ochako blushed a little. "Yeah…"

Mina smirked. "So yeah, just keep that in mind, alright?"

He nodded. "F-fine."

"Good!" she chirped again.

Another stomach growl.

"S-sorry."

"Oh, right!" Mina hopped up out of the bed. "I still have some snacks from the first week. We can eat those and play some games to pass the time. School starts back up tomorrow, so let's get a good night's sleep though, alright?" She turned back and winked for some reason.

Ochako nodded. "Sounds good to me. Deku?"

"Relaxing sounds nice," he muttered with a sigh.

"But first, look at you two in your pajamas already. I feel so overdressed!" She reached down and began to whip her shirt off.

"M-Mina!" Izuku cried, slamming his eyes shut and covering his face. Next to him, Ochako had a similar reaction.

"Oh boo, you both are so adorable." Izuku could almost hear her tongue sticking out.

Mina began to rummage around in her dressers. After only a few more seconds she called out to them. "Alright, you can open up. I'm decent."

Izuku sighed and lowered his hands. "Mina, please war-"

She wasn't. She wasn't decent.

Mina was still shirtless, a seductive smirk and a wink on her face as he stared at her black bra. It contrasted beautifully with her skin and accented her impressive bust. Izuku was completely frozen, staring against his wishes. 'Those are-'

He wrenched his mind back and slammed his face down into his arms again. "Mina!"

She began to cackle loudly. "Oh man, you should have seen your faces! You two are too precious!" She paused for a second as she actually put a shirt on. "Alright, for real this time. Let's play on the floor, it's easier than the bed."

Izuku peeked out from behind his hands, looking over at Ochako, who was doing the same. They both smiled awkwardly as blush filled their face. They exchanged an understanding look and then moved to join their girlfriend on the floor.

The three enjoyed each other's company immensely over the next several hours until the sun went down. After the day he had, Izuku was ready for an early night. He yawned and stood up, stretching after sitting on the floor for so long.

"Where are you going?" Ochako asked, looking up at him.

"To bed," he answered. "Oh, of course." He kneeled down and gave Ochako a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm still new to this, sorry." He stood up and looked at her, expecting to see her blushing or smiling, but instead he saw her looking a little disappointed as her brow furrowed. "W-what?"

"Midori, she's wondering why you're leaving," Mina told flatly.

"I told you?"

Ochako pointed to Mina's bed with her brow still furrowed. "Your bed is right over there."

"W-what?" He stopped dead. Surely he was hearing things.

Mina hopped up while he was stunned and threw her arms around his waist. "Yep! You get to sleep with your two beautiful girlfriends tonight. How lucky are you?"

"Y-you want me to-"

"Ugh, Deku, why are you so adorable?" Ochako stood up, looking down on him slightly with a soft, sympathetic expression even though her own cheeks were blushing. "Yes!"

Izuku felt his quirk pulse and hum in his mind.

Good. Keep them close.

Izuku hated when he agreed with his instincts. "If you two want me to, then alright."

"Yay!" Mina squeezed him harder. "Let's go get ready and turn in! I've never been this excited to go to bed, but hey!"

Izuku nodded as Mina let him go. "Alright, alright. I'll be right back then."

He left the room and headed back down to his room to get ready. His face felt slightly warm the whole time and his heart was beating a little faster as he brushed his teeth. He was nearly shaking when he finally returned to room 408 and knocked.

Mina swung the door open. "You don't need to knock, silly, but thanks." She smiled up at him as she moved to let him enter.

Ochako showed up less than a minute later, entering as she let out a big yawn. "Y'all ready?"

Izuku made a mental note of her unusual speech but filed it away for now. He had more pressing matters to deal with. "Y-yeah, I guess. I'm not exactly sure what-"

Mina put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Go lie down, we'll take care of the rest."

Izuku nodded and slowly, nervously made his way towards Mina's pink bed. He reached out and pulled the covers back, including the weighted blanket he had previously noticed. Izuku felt his mouth dry up as he looked back at the two women watching him. Mina was smiling kindly, nodding for him to continue, while Ochako looked like she almost wanted to die of embarrassment, but at the same time was incredibly happy.

He gulped and rolled onto the bed, placing his head on her pillow. "Alright, now wh-" He gasped in surprise as Mina dove over him and onto his left side. She quickly burrowed herself into him, pushing herself up between his arm and body and placing her head on over his heart.

Before he could finish processing the sensation of Mina's soft-yet-toned body on his, Ochako slipped into the bed on his right. Because of her height, instead of resting on his chest, her head came to rest next to his, their faces close enough to barely feel each other's breathing. He looked into her eyes and felt his heart swell.

She leaned over and pecked him on the nose. "I'm really happy right now, Deku," she muttered softly.

Mina quickly sat up and grabbed the covers at the foot of the bed, pulling them up over the three of them as she dove back into Izuku's side. She stretched up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before burrowing herself back into his chest. "Me too."

Izuku felt tears well in the corner of his eyes. He leaned over and gave Mina a kiss on the forehead and gave one to Ochako on her cheek. "Me three." Mina mewled slightly at the contact and Ochako's blush marks grew larger.

The both shifted slightly, moving somehow closer to him. "It's been a hell of a day, huh?" Mina muttered.

"You can say that again," Izuku replied as his eyelids began to close.

The three of them drifted off to sleep tight in each others embrace.

Notes:

See you guys next time :)