Chapter 18 - A Hollow Promise and A Twisted Love

"Hey, wake up. We're here." Izuku knocked on Toga's head a couple of times. She woke up on the 3rd knock but instead of leaving his lap, she snuggled even deeper into his neck, munching on the leftover blood.

Izuku didn't want to deal with her shenanigans so he let go of her waist and stood up, causing her to fall to her butt.

"Ow!" Toga yelped in surprise. She pouted as she looked at Izuku's indifferent gaze. "Why are you treating your backpack better than me!?"

"Because unlike you, it's not heavy and useful,"

"Hey! I'm not heavy and I'm useful you know!"

"Yeah yeah. We'll see in the future but for now," Izuku wore his backpack. held his bag in one hand and extended the other towards her, "Now come on,"

Toga stopped complaining and intertwined her hand with his with a content smile. She clung onto his arm like a baby with its safety towel. All she wanted in life was for someone to accept her for the blood maniac that she is and now that she found Izuku, she won't ever let go.

They walked hand in hand as if they were a normal couple. No one would've guessed how they were at each other's throats just an hour ago, both literally and figuratively.

"Hey, do you even know where I live?" Izuku asked.

"Yep. It was a bit hard catching up with you but it was worth it! I know where your school is, where you go to train your quirk, and where you eat with your cat, oh, and Lin is also sooo cute—"

"OK, I get it; you're a huge pervert." Izuku regretted asking. At the very least, it's better now that he knew she existed and isn't the type to use her head and blackmail. Otherwise, it would've been troublesome to deal with.

"Do Izuku want to know where I live?" Toga asked with a smile, tilting her head cutely.

"Not really but sure,"

"Ehehe~, I don't have a home," she paused before shyly asking, "So why don't me and Izuku get one now?" Her fanged smile remained, but Izuku could hear the pain slipping through her trembling voice.

Izuku patted her head closer to his arms, feeling a bit emotional himself. Although their circumstances are largely different, it was still similar enough to invoke emotions from him.

"Maybe someday Toga, maybe someday,"

"It's a promise then," Toga cheerfully said, laying her pinky in front of Izuku's chest. "Sure," Izuku answered, linking his pinky with hers. "It's our promise,"

Toga squealed with delight and hugged Izuku's arm even more tightly. Everything seemed to be a dream. Even if it was only a hollow promise, it was still a possibility. She hoped it would happen no matter how long it took. No matter how much it costs.

A place where the true Toga Himiko could be accepted and come back to. Wouldn't that be nice?

~~~~

Izuku left and went home after dropping Toga off at a nearby hotel with the bag of wallets, her uniform, and his old backpack. He believed Toga when she said she had a plan to salvage the wallet's value. She'd been a criminal for long enough, so her knowledge of the underworld should be adequate.

When he reached his apartment, it was already 19:10. He was almost late for dinner so he quickly rushed in.

Izuku opened the door only to be greeted by Lin jumping into his arms where she started scratching his face in annoyance. He semi-expected this to happen since it is the first time in this new world that he left her alone for hours.

"Don't you have mom to accompany you," Izuku said to the cat, picking her up by her armpits.

*Meow~!* Lin voiced her annoyance as she clawed at him.

"Geez, you're going to be with her forever now, so try to get along okay?" Izuku said, "For me?" He added and booped Lin's nose with his own.

Lin seemed to reluctantly agree after the boop as she lazed her body and let Izuku do whatever he wants to her. It was a good enough answer for Izuku as he let her rest on his shoulders and walked into the house.

"Mom, I'm home,"

"Oh, welcome home honey," Izuku heard Inko's voice coming from the living room. He went over to see Inko wearing her crop-top yoga outfit and doing, well, yoga.

After appreciating her curves, Izuku asked, "You haven't made dinner?"

"I was going to, but I wasn't hungry, so I decided to wait for you,"

"That's not healthy you know,"

"It's fine," Inko said. She finished her set and walked up to Izuku as she wiped her sweaty body with a white towel, "I've been wanting to take a diet anyway,"

She pinched her tummy and showed a little bit of fat pushing out, "See, I'm still so fat,"

Izuku somehow wanted to just eat the adorable creature in front of him. She can barely pinch the little bit of fat, and her body was already much thinner than a month ago and yet she was still this concerned.

"I think you're perfect this way mom. Following a diet will only make you unhappy and grumpy,"

"Hmph," Inko snorted, "I'm already so old. If I'm not careful, I'll return to a month ago in no time,"

Izuku could only laugh wryly. He felt that his mom was being a bit too dramatic but as long as she's not doing anything extreme, it'll be fine.

"Well, either way, I still think you're cute mom," Izuku said with a smile. He decided to be a bit bold from now on, so Izuku tiptoed to Inko and kissed her cheek with a cheeky smile.

"Of course, you'd say that," Inko didn't bother to hide her smile when she received Izuku's kiss. She cupped her kissed cheek with her hand and said, "Why don't you take a bath first? Mom will prepare dinner,"

"Why don't we get into the bath together? It'll be troublesome for you to prepare dinner in that,"

Inko looked surprised at her son. Although they had taken a bath together, it was out of necessity. "Are you sure? Won't you mind your mother bothering you?"

"How could mom ever be a bother, let's go. I'm tired and hungry," Seeing her not refusing, Izuku used the momentum to lead her by the hand towards the bathroom.

Although it's a bit underhanded of him to do this, it was necessary if he wants her to lower her guard.

Izuku was aware that Inko still only saw him as her son. After all, unlike him, who came from another world, she had never considered any romance with Izuku. It took him a month to persuade himself to commit to her; who knows how long it will take Inko if Izuku does nothing.

'Besides," Izuku thought, 'This might be selfish and arrogant, but I swore to make you happier when I took over and I promise that'll make you it,'

The two washed each other backs before getting into the bathtub. Since Izuku hadn't outgrown Inko in size, they mimicked the position they were in before, with Izuku resting on Inko's lap. They enjoyed the warm temperature of the water as Izuku looked at Inko and kissed her cheek once more.

"Fufu, what was that for?" Inko smiled and ruffled Izuku's wet hair.

"Nothing. Just felt like it,"

"Mnn…You're extra clingy today. Did anything happen?" Inko asked, a bit worried since the previous Izuku's history with school wasn't the best.

Izuku noticed her concern and replied with a confident smile, "Don't worry mom, nothing bad happened. Or do you not like me being clingy?"

"Of course not. I'll love it if Izuku never grows up and always be with mom," She replied as she tightened her hug on Izuku and gave him a kiss of her own.

Safe to say, Izuku enjoyed the warm bath more than ever today. He felt that their current situation should have been enough for his heart. He had wished for a family, a mother, but he can't help but want more. He desired more of her. He wanted her.

It was a twisted view of love, but it was his twisted view of love. And he'd make sure to see through it till the very end.

~~~~~