DREAM ON | b.k.

Chapter Eleven

11.
Chapter Eleven : A chance

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Immediately after lunch, Izuku heads to Mr. L/n's workshop to ready the wagon. Since they'll be running errands today, they'll need lots of space for whatever they end up bringing home. Izuku may be strong, but he's not strong enough to carry a whole bunch of fresh produce and anything he gets from home.

The wagon in question is just an old chuck wagon Y/n started to use two years ago. It's a little beat up (one of the wheels looks like it's gonna pop off any second and there are more than a few missing boards) but it works!

Before Y/n comes out, Izuku takes a few minutes to fix what he can on the wagon without taking too long. He fixes the wheel and tightens some screws to make sure that the contraption doesn't fall apart in the middle of their trip. When he's sure it's sturdy, Izuku goes to grab Speckles and Goldilocks. He would've grabbed Ricky, but that poor old man is nearing twenty-five. He's too old to be pulling wagons, even if they're as light as a feather.

Goldilocks and Speckles are equal in height and weight so they shouldn't have a problem pulling the wagon.

Izuku whistles a low tune to himself as he ties the two horses to a post outside of the workshop. Normally he would just slip their harnesses on call it a day, but both of the horses have spent a lot of time indoors without very much exercise.

Before dressing the horses in their equipment, Izuku slowly brushes down each horse and stretches their muscles properly. He also braids their manes and tails so that they don't get caught in anything.

Izuku is in the process of adjusting the reins attached to Goldi's harness when he hears gravel crunching beneath the weight of someone—or something—behind him. He takes a brief look over his shoulder and with a small smile, returns to the task at hand.

"Hey, you almost ready to go?" Y/n asks as she sets her things in the wagon.

Izuku hums with a small nod, "Yeah, just... one more pull and... we're good to go!"

"Great, let's go!" Y/n hops up into the wagon without so much as a grunt and grabs the reins. She fixes all four reins in her hands as Izuku climbs in beside her.

Once they're ready to go, Y/n clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth and flicks the reins. Speckles and Goldi start walking at the same time and with a little handy work with the reins, Y/n is able to drive them down the driveway and into town.

The drive is spent in silence. Both Y/n and Izuku are hiding in their thoughts—too lost in their conscious minds to start up a conversation. There are countless words that need to be said between the two, but neither of them have the balls to say anything.

Instead of forcing a conversation, Izuku decides to sit back and relax. While they do have to talk, they don't have to talk right now. He watches the landscape slowly change the closer they get to town.

Before they know it, Y/n's driving through town. Seeing as it's not a school day, the streets are packed. It takes forever to get any further than the Sherrif's office. While stuck in traffic, Y/n sets the reins in her lap and pulls out her list.

"Okay so... I have: corn, wheat, lettuce, apples, hay, grain, beef, chicken, flour, sugar, lots of nails, saddle polish, chicken feed, lumber, wine and whiskey, and... am I forgetting anything?" Y/n asks a she sets her list down to look at her passenger, eyebrows furrowed.

Izuku is quiet for a moment as he mentally goes over the list. After a moment he shakes his head, "Nope, I think that's everything."

Y/n nods, "Okay..." She mutters, folding the piece of paper back up and shoving it in her coin pouch. "Did you make a list for your house?"

Izuku nods, "Yup. I don't need much besides my tools and some clothes, though."

The woman picks up her reins and flicks them after a moment. Soon, they're no longer stuck in Saturday traffic. "That's fine." Y/n says, "I need to go see Mr. Takami for some chicken so while we're out there we'll stop by your place."

The first stop of the day was the produce store. While Izuku watched over the wagon, Y/n bought all of the fruit and vegetables she would need for the next week or so. Thankfully a general store was right beside the grocer so she went there next and got the saddle polish, nails and some other tools, plus the flour and the sugar.

Izuku drove them to the next store, the brewery located on the other side of town, where Y/n picked up her monthly order of wine. She also bought some whiskey—something she thought Izuku would like. A grain store was located just a block or two away from the brewery, so Y/n was able to pick up the hay and the chicken feed.

"Are you sure you don't need any help? N/n, I'm perfectly capable of—"

Y/n grunts as she lifts two bales of hay into the back of the wagon. "No, No. I'm—" she wheezes, "I'm fine!"

Izuku frowns at her words. He wasn't completely useless and she knew that, but she also knew that she didn't need a man to help her lift a bale of hay or rearrange the wagon. She was on her own for two years with no one to help her, so why would anything change now?

Y/n brushes pieces of hay off of her skirt with a sigh then rounds the wagon to lift herself in. "Lumber?" She asks Izuku, only to receive a sigh and a nod.

Izuku flicks the reins and with the click of his tongue, they're off.

There's one lumberyard in Mighty River and it's a thirty minute drive from the brewery. That's because the original settlers wanted to be closer to water than to wood.

It's quiet for about thirty seconds before Izuku finally decides to break the awkward silence. There's something they have to talk about, and he's done running from it.

"Y/n..." he starts, grabbing her attention.

She hums, "Yeah, Izu?"

"Are you really thinkin' about accepting Kacchan's proposal?" He finally asks.

Y/n purses her lips. Am I? She asks herself. "Well—" she pauses to maul over her words. Why didn't I just tell Katsuki no? Why am I even considering a future with him? A part of Y/n tries to list the pros to saying yes to Katsuki, but she shuts that down real quick. "I'm not sure... I think... I don't know what I think," Y/n comes to realize.

Izuku nods. "Okay." He says in a shaky breath, "Do I at least have a chance or..." He trails off.

Y/n turns to really look at Izuku. She doesn't look at him as a friend in this instance, but as someone she could spend the rest of her life with. She and Izuku have been inseparable since they met. They're best friends. But what if we were more?

Y/n tries to picture a life where Izuku isn't her best friend—where he's her husband—her home. He would be her provider. Her protector. Her lover. Eventually, she'd give him children, something she wouldn't mind. Y/n tilts her head and narrows her eyes.

As the second tick by, Izuku starts to feel anxious—scared even. What if the answer he's anticipating is one he won't like? What if she tells him no?

"Izuku," she pauses, "You have a chance."