Deku x OC My hero, My heroine

Chapter 5-Love machines

Her powered suit lay flat on the lab table like a dissected nervous system, the cables and wires poking out from underneath the shattered plating. The once beautiful suit was now no more than junk. The hot tears that streamed down her face only a few minutes before had dried, leaving her cheeks a sticky mess.

Uraraka had won. She had beaten her to the ground, shown everyone that Ayako's inventions were little more than toys compared to her power. The lifeless piece of plastic and metal she had been trying to nurse back to life was proof enough of this.

At least the lab offered work she could use to bury her worries into. Ayako got up and reached for her tools.

She had just enough time to grab her soldering iron when her phone buzzed. Without a though, Ayako grabbed it. There were two new messages.

She looked at the sender. They were from Midoriya.

"Hey miss Haguruma, are you all right? Do you need to talk?

"Where are you? Please answer!"

Ayako smiled. At least she could count on Midoriya to cheer her up.

"Hi, I'm all right, thanks for asking! I'm in the lab right now, fixing my suit. No need to worry!"

She stared at the screen for a few seconds, waiting for an answer. When none came she sighed and shut her phone off. She might have guessed as much. With one last thought at Midoriya, she put the phone away, and strapped on her safety goggles.

Ayako's soldering iron was one millimeter away from a clump of cables when a soft knock at the door startled her. Who the hell was coming to the lab at this hour? She sighed, it had better not be Mei, she needed peace and quiet right now, not a perpetually enthusiastic mechanic jumping around the place. Her thoughts went to Uraraka for a second, and Ayako felt her stomach lurch in an unpleasant way. What if she'd come to gloat? Ayako stood still for a second, then called out, her voice cracking from her anxiety.

"Come in."

But when the door opened, it wasn't Mei's pink curls that popped across the frame, nor Uraraka's cold gaze. It was Midoriya's green tangle of hair, a smile on his freckled face.

The cramp in her stomach loosened. Of all people, she would have never expected Midoriya to show up. After all, they'd only known each other for a couple of days, but she felt as if she'd known him for much longer. In fact, she didn't feel at all annoyed at his arrival. At least he would be able to understand her.

"Hey...are you all right?" His eyes darted from her tear lined face and her mangled suit on the table.

Ayako straightened up. And wiped her cheeks. It wouldn't do to show herself weak now. "Yes. I was just getting started here."

Midoriya's smile fell into a concerned frown. "Hey, listen, I'm sorry about what happened with Ocha-I mean Uraraka. She shouldn't have attacked you that way." His green eyes searched hers, as if afraid Ayako would consider him responsible.

Ayako grinned and patted him on the shoulder. It felt firm and solid, like a rock.

"It's not your fault. Besides, I'm over it now, really!"

"But..miss Haguruma..I..."

"Just call me Ayako." She said with a smile. "Why don't you help me with this stuff?" She pointed at her suit.

Midoriya's face lit up in relief. "Oh, of course! You can call me Izuku!"

Soon Midoriya was following Ayako's instructions on what to strip out of the suit, and how to do it. He'd even put on a pair of safety goggles. When Ayako saw him, she burst out laughing.

"Wow! Mechanic Izuku! You want to join my class so badly?"

Izuku seemed taken aback at first, but quickly followed her lead. Between the unscrewing of bolts and the cutting of wires, he learnt to parry her sharp words with his own jabs.

When Ayako broke a piece of plating she was trying to salvage, Deku appeared in front of her, a smug smile on his face.

"What happened professor Haguruma? Should I ask Mei for help instead?"

Ayako's only response was to throw the piece at him, which he dodged with a burst of speed, and a hearty laugh.

Ayako felt as if a huge pressure had been lifted from her shoulders. She could rebuild the suit stronger than before, and even the humiliating fight seemed less important. She could go on all night like this, and hoped Izuku felt the same as well. But there was not much else to do now, and she dreaded having to leave this place, and him.

Ayako fiddled with the helmet, and leant on the table.

"We're almost done. Just this one left."

"Oh good."

Izuku leant next to her, his arms crossed across his chest. He didn't seem in a hurry to leave either. Ayako could smell his sweet scent mixed with that of sweat. Suddenly aware of his closeness, she now found it hard to look at him, only daring to peek at his face.

Ayako didn't know what to do with her hands. Everywhere she put them seemed wrong. But her restlessness wasn't only because of Izuku's closeness. There was a question that had been burning inside her for some time. She turned towards him but averted her gaze, still unable to look him in the eye.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you." Ayako stared straight at the helmet's visor. "Are you and Uraraka close?"

Midoriya twisted his fingers, his cheeks turning a bright red. He looked at the wall in front of him. Then answered with a croak in his voice.

"Well, yes. Not that close...I mean, she's just a friend."

"Why does she call you Deku? Is it a nickname?"

Midoriya shifted his position, his hand barely touching hers, but he didn't retrieve it or move it in any way. Ayako's breath felt short, and a familiar sensation awoke in her stomach, a pleasant restlessness.

He smiled at her. "Yes, well, sort of. You can call me Deku too, if you like."

The dormant feeling in the pit of Ayako's stomach turned into a roar, and she couldn't contain her smile anymore. She inched her hand closer to his.

Deku nudged her hand, caressed it, then held it. Ayako pressed closer to him, his fragrant scent drawing her in. She was so close she only had to whisper for him to hear.

"Deku...I'm glad we're here together. I couldn't have done anything on my own." Ayako's hand floated through the air and landed on Deku's chest, her finger lightly tracing the outline of his muscles. She felt light headed, as if she were only just conscious of her actions. But the path in front of her had never been so clear. She leant in closer.

"Ayako..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Ayako leaned into Deku, abandoning herself in him arms. Then Deku pulled Ayako in an embrace, and held her to his chest, and she buried her face in the nape of his neck, his sweet scent overwhelming her. She took in deep breaths, and hugged him back, finally free of all restraints, her hands searching his back. But something else stirred inside her, something deeper than simple affection. The tight embrace, the stale white lights of the room, the broken suit, in a moment, all of the day's events came back to her, overwhelming her. Tears started to roll down Ayako's cheeks, and she pressed closer to Deku's chest. She could let go, unafraid of judgment or pity, and just pour her heart out to him. The weight she was unaware of carrying lifted for good.

Soon the tears dried up. Ayako leant back, and sat on the table, her hands on the edge and wiped her eyes. She mumbled. "I'm sorry about this. I didn't want to cry."

"Don't worry, I'm here with you." And for once, Deku talked with no hint of embarrassment, his gaze searching hers. Ayako looked up into his bright green eyes, the single strands of the iris all leading to the deep pupil in the middle.

Deku leant into her, one hand holding hers, and the other on the nape of her neck with a gentle touch, that sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. Ayako's hand was pressed gently on his chest, her body moving to meet Deku's. Their faces drew closer, their lips almost touching.

In that moment, a loud crash resounded through the small room.