Damned

Chapter Twenty-Four

 Sorry for the Hiatus .

Sweat dripped down Izuku's brow as he ran outside in the summer heat. The sky was clear and the blazing sun had spent the entire day beating down on the small town. There was not even a light breeze to accompany the heat as the boy ran laps around Ochaco. Izuku came to a screeching halt when he lapped Uraraka for the forth time and stopped to catch his breath. The boy bent over and placed his hands on his knees. Deku wheezed,"Y-You're doing great.", and gave Ochaco a thumbs up.

Ochaco frowned and stopped her slow walk."I want to do more than just walk ya know."

Izuku stood up straight and walked up to the Ochaco. The green-haired boy gave the girl a smile that tugged at his freckles."You will, just take it slow. If I'm going to be honest be able to walk is a miracle by its self."

"You keep sayin' that, but what if this is the end ? What if I don't get any better than this ?"

"Then I guess I'll walk with you everywhere instead of running."

Ochaco punched Izuku in the arm."Deku, I'm being serious."

Midoryia took a sip of his water and screwed the cap back onto the bottle."I am too."

.....

Izuku and Ochaco walked down the dirt trail. Ochaco carried a lunch box in her left hand, and Izuku had an insulated bag hanging from his right shoulder. The path was quite beautiful and Midoryia couldn't help but be mesmerized. Along the shoulder of the trail was vibrant flowers that ranger from a soft yellow and lovely pink, to a perfect white and baby blue. 

Ochaco walked in front of Deku and closed her eyes as she took in the scent of the forest."It smells so good ! Doesn't it Deku ?"

Izuku took a sniff and went wide eyed as the soft sent tickled his nose. The air smelt sweet like honey, but that wasn't it. The smell of pine was faint and a few cherry blossoms had blown in from the town and along with them came their bitter-sweet smell."Yeah."

Ochaco turned around and flashed Midoryia a smile."Good to know that fat nose of yours works."

"Hey !" Izuku then wiggled his nose with one of his hands."My nose isn't big."

Uraraka shrugged her shoulder and gave the boy a goofy face."If you say so."

.....

"Jeez where are you taking me," whined Midoryia.

"Be patient."

Izuku looked at his watchless wrist and commented,"We've been walking for....too long."

Ochaco did not respond to the boy and instead shook her head. The girl lead Deku for ten more minutes until they came to their destination."We're here !"

Izuku looked around and noticed the area was quite empty. There was not much besides bees buzzing, a few flowers peppered across the vibrant green field and one gargantuan tree. Midoryia looked up and muttered,"Wow, that's big."

"Yep, and we're goin' to the top."

Izuku pointed to the top of the tree with a flabbergasted expression."All the way up there ?"

"Uh huh."Ochaco then turned around and tapped Izuku on the chest and the boy began to float. Midoryia flailed his limbs sporadically as the strange sensation of gravity leaving his body began to take affect.

"I don't like this."

Uraraka placed a hand on her head and began to float up just like Izuku."Stop complaining and enjoy the ride." The girl then took a hold of Izuku by one of his hands and journeyed to the top of the tree  with a toothy smile.

.....

The two friends sat on the tree's thick limb and faced each other. Ochaco opened the lunch box she brought and peeped into the container. The brunette pulled out two sandwiches and handed one to the boy sitting parallel from her." I hope you like PB&Js or you're out of luck."

Deku grabbed the sandwich and slowly began to unwrap it."They're the best."

Ochaco laughed,"Smart man."

Izuku legs swayed back and forth onto of the limb as he asked,"So how'd you find this place ?"

Ochaco's mouth was filled with a bite of her sandwich so Midoryia waited patiently as she finished the helping."I came here all the time when I was a little girl."

"Really ?"

"Yep."

"But this is..kinda far from your house," pointed out the emerald-eyed boy.

"I was really adventurous as a kid. Before I wanted to be a hero, my dream was to be a treasure hunter."

Izuku couldn't contain his laughter at the truth."T-That's different I guess, but weren't you scared off being up this high ?"

"Not really, when your quirk is floating highs don't really affect you." A small grin then began to spread across Uraraka's face."Don't tell me you were scared of heights as a kid ?"

"They were the worst."

"But I thought nothin' scared the mighty Deku."

"Heights did." The freckled boy then smiled as he remembered his childhood."But my mom would make deals with me so I'd get on roller coasters with her."

"Deals ?"

"She'd promise me an action figure if I was brave or even got me sweets like cotton candy and ice cream- Rocky road can do a lot of convincing."

.....

Ochaco laid on her bed stomach down and held a deck of cards in her hand. The girl gave Izuku a dirty eye before dropping a blue card onto the deck. Midoryia gave the chocolate-eyed girl a sinister smile before laying down his finishing move. The boy slowly said,"Draw four."

Ochaco gave Deku an angry glare before pouncing onto the boy sitting with his legs crisscrossed. The girl fell onto Izuku and sent him toppling onto the carpet. The boy's grey wool socked feet kicked the stack of cards and they flew into the air and began to rain down like rectangular snow flakes. The two friends laughed as they wrestled on the ground and Ochaco won the bout for dominance. The pair stared into each other's eyes and the room was oddly quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the fast pounding of hearts as Ochaco began to slowly lean down.

The girl's face was a few mere inches from Izuku's when she stopped herself and jumped up. The girl put her hands behind her back and began to walk towards her door. The girl's face was flushed pink as she pointed into the hallway."I-I think I should go get us somethin' to eat ?"

Deku stood up and tried to control his heart but it was far too difficult as blood rushed to his face. The boy awkwardly responded,"Y-Yeah and I should go get a shower."

The two teens then walked opposite ways in the hall with racing hearts and confused emotions.