27
The next morning, Lois didn't mention last night at all, not even jokingly, and she helped me prepare for my date with Momo. We were going to meet for lunch and talk for a bit with Izuku and Mei, then go to the Karaoke bar to have some fun.
“Make sure you keep her happy. If she thinks you're not serious, she will drop you faster than a hot potato.” Lois said.
I thought about that, then sighed. “Mom, I can't. I don't want to waste her time like I did with Tougi.”
“You can just be good friends, just like you should have been with her.” Lois said.
“Should I tell her first?” I asked.
“No! She needs to discover it for herself. If something happens and you do find that spark, you jump on it.” Lois said.
“You're an optimist only for this?” I asked and she laughed.
“Only for you.” Lois said and touched my arm. “Go and have fun.”
I smirked at her and she smacked my arm.
“Not that kind of fun. She'll be stuck to you like glue and she'll never realize you're not connecting properly.”
I nodded. “All right. Thanks for the advice.”
Lois nodded back. “I'll see you tonight.”
I left the house and walked to the train station.
Izuku was there waiting for me and looked a lot more dressed up than I was.
“Inko was let loose on you, wasn't she?” I asked and he laughed. “Because of Momo?”
“Yeah. Meeting the daughter of a conglomerate that owns part of a city is apparently a big deal.”
I smiled. “She's not what people thinks she is.”
“I'm sure Mei's going to go gaga over her anyway.” Izuku said as the train pulled into the station.
“You didn't tell her about Momo's quirk yet?” I asked and he shook his head. “Then this should be hilarious!”
Izuku smacked my arm and we sat down to ride the train to Mei's stop. It wasn't far and when the train stopped, she stepped on. Izuku's face was so red that I thought he was having a stroke or something. When I turned to look, I almost didn't recognize Mei and let out a wolf whistle. She was wearing an actual dress.
“What the hell happened to you?” I asked, teasingly.
Mei blushed and laughed at the same time. “I wanted to look pretty today.”
“You're always pretty, you know that.” Izuku said, his red face didn't lessen at all as Mei sat beside him.
“I know you don't care how I look...” Mei started to say.
“You're wrong, I do.” Izuku said and reached up to lightly touch her face. “You look so pretty right now that I can't get my face to stop blushing.”
Mei's face flushed to a darker red. “Izuku...”
“It doesn't bother me if you're wearing coveralls, smocks, or are covered in grease and dirt. All I care about is you. I love you.” Izuku said. “That you would go to all the effort to clean up like this, when you didn't have to, just because you wanted everyone else to see how pretty you are...” He leaned forward and lightly kissed her, careful of her make-up. “...made me realize that I've let you think I'm not interested in seeing you dress up. I actually am. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise.”
Mei's face stayed red. “Izuku, I... I love you even more now.”
I sat there and let them have their 'aha' moment. I had been tempted to tell Izuku that he had been too relaxed with the way he treated Mei's appearance, and decided that he needed to figure it out on his own. Some things couldn't be forced and... my thoughts stopped right there as everything slowed down in my perception.
I am an idiot. I thought, because I needed to treat everything as if it was going to happen anyway and act accordingly. I couldn't assume that things would change or work out on their own if I did nothing. My plans for meeting Maxwell Lord the next day would have to change slightly. I couldn't be what they expect, because that would allow them to predict what I would do.
The train brought us to the stop closest to the mall where we would meet Momo. We walked there, Izuku and Mei holding hands and making eyes at each other, and easily saw the large stretch limo waiting at the main entrance. We walked over to it and stopped a respectable distance away.
I bowed and held it for thirty seconds before the back window rolled down. “I formally greet the matriarch of the Yaoyorozu Family and thank her for entrusting her only daughter into my care for the next four hours.”
Momo's mother gave me a calculating look. “You are being sincere.”
“I am.” I said and stood up straight. “I would never disrespect her by lying or insulting you.”
The woman smiled and nodded. The other back door opened and a vision of loveliness stepped out. Momo was dressed to match us in a very nice dress and walked around the limo to us. The four of us stood out from the normal people around us, mainly because they wore regular clothing. Everyone noticed and a few were commenting about it.
“We will return here at the appointed time.” Momo's mother said.
“Yes, mother.” Momo said and the window went up, then the limo pulled away. It wasn't until the limo was out of sight before Momo let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you, Connor.”
“You're welcome.” I said and turned her towards Izuku and Mei. “Momo Yaoyorozu, I'd like to introduce you to my best friend that you've already met, Izuku Midoria. The girl beside him is his permanent girlfriend and your soon to be biggest and best geeky friend, Mei Hatsume.”
Momo gave me a surprised look at the introduction.
“She attends the Support Course at UA and we haven't told her what your quirk is yet.” I explained.
“Oh.” Momo said and turned to Izuku. “It's a pleasure to meet you again.” She said and looked at Mei. “It's nice to meet you, too.”
“What's your quirk?” Mei asked and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Izuku has never kept a secret from me before.”
“It's not a secret.” Izuku said. “I just wanted it to be a surprise.”
I smiled and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over to Mei. She took it and her target eyes widened and then zoomed in on what I had written. She started to breathe heavily and then it sped up as she finished reading.
“Please... please tell me... is this true? Is it?” Mei asked and her target eyes locked onto Momo's face.
Momo took the paper and quickly read it, then she looked at me with wide eyes.
“I'm very observant.” I said.
“Apparently.” Momo said and looked back at Mei. “Yes, its true.”
Mei let out a shriek of delight, as if she had just received the best present ever, then she let Izuku's arm go and latched onto Momo's. “GIRL TALK!” She yelled and ran with Momo into the mall and out of sight.
“You know they're not coming back, right?” Izuku said to me.
“Yeah.” I chuckled and put my arm over his shoulder. “Let's walk around for a bit and let them bond.”
Izuku nodded and that's what we did. We put off lunch for a while and let the girls talk to each other. We had been right and the two of them got along really well. Someone with tons of ideas and someone that could create whatever she wanted, were made for each other.
We eventually had to make them slow down their discussion to eat, then we went to the Karaoke Bar. Only Izuku and I sang anything and it was for our own enjoyment, because the girls didn't stop talking once.
“I'm starting to get the feeling that we're superfluous on this double date.” Izuku said as we left the bar and the girls had their heads together and kept talking.
“That reminds me of an old joke about the name of the useless piece of skin on the end of a penis.” I said and he gave me a questioning look. “It's called a man.”
Izuku barked a laugh. “My mom would die of embarrassment if she heard that!”
I laughed as well. “Now I'm tempted to let it slip the next time I'm over for supper.”
“Don't you dare! She'll ban you from the house after she wakes up from her faint.” Izuku said and I laughed some more.
The four of us walked out of the mall and stood at the designated spot to wait for Momo's mother to pick her up. The stretch limo appeared a short time later and pulled up to the exact spot it had been parked before. I bowed respectfully and waited the thirty seconds for the back window to roll down.
“You didn't disappoint me.” Momo's mother said.
“I would always strive to never do so, Mrs. Yaoyorozu.” I said and stood up straight.
“Did you enjoy your second date with my daughter?”
I didn't say anything immediately, because I was trying to come up with a good excuse for the date being slightly derailed. I was taking too long to answer and she frowned slightly.
“Momo.” Her mother said sternly.
Momo jerked and let out an 'eep' sound before she realized her mother was sitting right there in front of her. “M-mother, I... I was just...”
“Say goodbye to your new friends and get in the car.” Momo's mother ordered.
“Yes, mother.” Momo said and held out her cell phone to Mei. “It was very nice meeting you, Mei.”
“It really was!” Mei said excitedly as she added Momo's contact information to her own phone and gave Momo hers. “Text me as soon as you can!”
Momo smiled and nodded. “Goodbye, Izuku.”
“Goodbye, Momo.” Izuku said and took her hand to lightly kiss the back of it.
Momo turned to me and she caught her breath. She only now realized her mistake of ignoring me all day. “C-Connor, I...”
“It's all right. I thought this would happen.” I said and took her hand to kiss it. “Goodbye, Momo.”
Momo opened her mouth to say something, I assumed to try and salvage something from today, then she let out a soft sigh and walked around the limo to climb in.
I bowed to her mother and saw her slightly sad face, so I stepped forward and held a hand out to her. She gave hers to me and I kissed the back of it. I held it for two seconds before ending the kiss and letting her hand go. Her face was slightly red and she nodded. The window rolled up and the limo pulled away.
“Connor, I'm so sorry!” Mei said. “Izuku just told me...”
“Like I said to Momo, it's all right. I suspected it would happen.”
“We'll schedule another date right away and I'm sure that...”
“Izuku and I have internships for the next two weeks.” I reminded her.
Mei still looked distressed, so I took her hand and kissed the back of it.
“I don't think things with Momo are going to work out, even though we like each other.” I said and Mei sighed. “No, it's not your fault. My mom and I discussed it yesterday and Momo and I just don't have that something between us that relationships need to get going.”
“Like Mei and I do.” Izuku said and I nodded.
“Why else do I keep telling you that you're lucky to have her?” I asked with a smile. “You two go back inside and actually enjoy the rest of your date.”
“What about you?” Izuku asked.
“I am taking this suit off as soon as possible and I'm going home to relax.” I said and started to walk away. “See you in a couple of weeks.”
“See you.” Izuku said.
“Bye, Connor! I'm sorry!” Mei said loudly.
“It's still not your fault!” I shouted back and waved.
They went back inside the mall and I walked back to the train station.
“So, you blew it with another teenage girl. Again.” A familiar voice commented.
I turned to the side of the station's entrance and walked over to a casually dressed Red Fury. “You would think I had learned my lesson by now.”
Red Fury looked at my face and then looked pensive. “You're not disappointed?”
“No. I had a feeling there wasn't much between us, except for a lot of expectations on Momo's part.” I said. “Having Mei as a distraction today just proved that Momo wasn't as into me as we both thought she was.”
“Connor, I...” Red Fury sighed. “I hate that you declared everyone at Shiketsu Academy off-limits.”
I glanced around and saw no one was around, then stepped close to her. “Neither of us is at the school right now, are we?”
Red Fury caught her breath. “You're still a student and I'm a teacher there.”
“No, I'm a hero intern at Endeavor's Agency for the next two weeks and you're on break.” I said and then smiled at her hungry look. “I don't mind being carried if you...”
I couldn't even finish the sentence before Red Fury expanded to her muscular form, tossed me over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, and ran for all she was worth. We crossed part of the city and ended up at her apartment. She went in the back way and smashed through the back door, which made me laugh. She had the both of us stripped off in only a few moments and then she was riding me like there was no tomorrow.
My actual date might not have ended well; but, my supplementary date went really well. I actually stayed at Red Fury's apartment for the rest of the day and didn't leave until after eating a nice supper with her. She walked me to the closest train station and I pulled her behind a pillar to give her a thorough kissing.
“Thank you for rescuing me today.” I whispered to her.
Red Fury gave me another hungry look, then she sighed. “I can't believe I did that.”
“I said I didn't mind.” I gave her another kiss. “I hope you have a spare back door around somewhere.”
Red Fury laughed softly. “You have to teach me how you speed to doors and safely open them.”
“You create a counter balance without slowing down, so you can pivot and change directions if you want, open the door, step through while maintaining that pivot balance, then shut the door and continue on.” I explained and she stared at me. “It just takes practice and time to get right, just like fighting moves.”
“You... you really told me how.” Red Fury whispered, disbelief in her voice.
“Practice on an old door and have lots of replacement door handles close by.” I said with a chuckle. “You need to regulate your strength, too.”
Red Fury nodded and sighed as my train approached. “When can I see you again?”
“I'd say next weekend, assuming the agency gives weekends off to interns.” I said and she sighed again. “That would be a no.”
Red Fury shook her head. “You'll be expected to stay there and either learn from the other heroes or to stay out of the way.”
I smiled as the train came to a stop. “I'll text you and let you know if I get any spare time.”
Red Fury nodded before she gave me a deep kiss and let me go. “See you later.”
I walked over to the train and stepped inside. I waved to her as the train pulled out and rode it all the way home.
“You're late.” Lois said as I entered the house.
“Yeah. I met someone else on the way home.”
“Not some random girl, I hope.” Lois said and glared at me.
I chuckled. “No, mom. I knew her and she saved me from having a completely disappointing day.”
Lois sighed and pat the couch. “Tell me what happened with Momo.”
“Izuku called, didn't he?” I asked and she nodded. “Well, Mei reacted even more enthusiastically than we assumed, even though Momo showed up in a stretch limo with her mother and...”
I laid the whole date out, including the end with Momo's mother and her disappointment in Momo.
“You should call or text her to see if she's all right.” Lois said.
I nodded and took out my phone.
“No, you should do it in private and...” Lois started to say.
I ignored her and typed a text message. 'Hey, Momo. How are you?'
A moment later, she responded. 'I'm okay. Mei says hi.'
I showed the phone to Lois and she sighed. I kept typing. 'Say hi back and tell her to not demand too many things from you.'
'Ha ha. It's too late for that.' Momo typed. 'I've already got a dozen parts to make for her.'
'Either charge her for it or claim half of her baby when she makes it.' I responded.
'She's already calling me its second mother.'
'Ha! Okay, I'll let you get back to it. Talk to you later.' I sent.
'Bye!' Momo sent to me.
I ended the conversation.
“I'm sorry, Connor.” Lois said and hugged me.
“At least it won't be dragged out over a long period of time.” I said and she nodded. “I'm going to bed.”
“Goodnight.” Lois said and gave me a quick kiss.
I went to my room and showered before climbing into bed. I expected her to come in later and comfort me, only she went right to bed and went to sleep wearing the jogging pants and t-shirt she had on in the living room. I thought that was odd, until I replayed what happened the night before.
Maybe I embarrassed her too much. I thought with a sigh and closed my eyes. I had an early day tomorrow and a telepathic overlord to talk to.