A Multi-dimensional Valentine's
Hoge reached for the light in her dorm room, shaking badly. She hadn't felt this awful in so long. Everything seemed hazy and unreal now. She was going to be sick. In her mind, she could still hear the sounds and dings of baking equipment, and smell the stench of mixed ingredients.
She'd come so far against her old enemy: the dreaded Valentine's Day. Hoge tried to swallow but her dry mouth couldn't. She was terrified. She crumbled the remains of the motivational sticky notes she'd put up. Surrounded by the messy remains of night-time exploits, she sank against her bed. She would rest for a minute.. and then finish the last batches. Curled up tight, she shook, lost in her spiraling thoughts.
'five-hundred milliliters- sixteen-point-ninety-one fluid ounces. The sodium alginate bath yielded different results due to trace amounts of calcium in the tap water - distillation is nee-'
A faint squeak sounded nearby. Probably just the old building settling, or mice in the walls. Then it came again, more insistent. She raised her head, blinking through tears. A small green shape perched on the sill of the third floor window which she knew had been locked when she left. Gigan. But if he was here, then…
Three quick taps rapped against the glass pane. She lurched upright, pulse skittering. Was she hallucinating? Imagining what she wanted to see? She hastily scrubbed her face as a familiar voice called out softly.
"Hoge? Can you let me in?"
She rushed over and unlatched the window with quivering hands. It slid open and Inigo slipped through the gap with ease, straightening up before her. Wordlessly he stepped forward, wrapping both arms fiercely around her midsection and pressing close, anchor-like. His steady heartbeat reverberated against her ear where it lay upon his chest. Solid. Real. Inigo was here.
One hand gently stroked her hair. She sensed him surveying the room, taking in the torn notes scattered like confetti. He didn't speak, simply held her in silence. The quiet undid her. A fresh wave of sobs wracked her frame.
"Rough night?" he asked simply.
She could only nod, not trusting her voice. Inigo's arms tightened around her.
“Sorry, I’m a little late..”
As he felt her weariness, his arms gently lifted her and carried her to the bed. “Where you were able to find-” her voice trailed off, the wounds and bruises on his body were fresh. Even Gigan looked cracked and would need time to recover.
"It was touch and go but I'm fine," he assured her with a grin. "What's all this?" He gestured at the baking supplies.
Hoge sat up hastily, trying to block his view. "It's nothing! Don't look yet, please."
Inigo held up his hands. "Okay okay, I won't look."
Hoge relaxed and leaned into him, not bothered by the chocolate and flour getting on his shirt. "Will you stay?" she whispered.
He kissed her forehead. "Of course. As long as you need. Nothing in all the worlds can take me away."
Nestling under the covers, she whispered, "Do you think we're together in other worlds too..?" before drifting off.
Inigo felt his own exhaustion catching up to him. In those precious seconds, all thoughts of chasing villains and traitors, investigations, and quirk wars left him... replaced by a million worlds where they were together.
1.99
ENTER: A blonde man in a green and black space suit flies over South America and into the darkness of space. A green crystalline sphere surrounds him. He holds a bakery bag with one hand.
INIGO MYOGA felt the experimental suit react to his quirk. After all this time, traveling into the vacuum of space still felt weird. At least this version of the suit didn't give him a big wedgie.
"Alright, Watch Tower. I'm in position," he says to his ear-piece communicator.
KAYLEE SUZUKI responds, "Copy that. UFO's are breaking apart and heading to other continents. Contact in 90 seconds!"
"Gotcha!" He got excited for a moment. He wished they'd come up with another term. It was never aliens. Guided missiles, asteroids, out of the control teleporters, sure - but never aliens. What was it this time?
"Glad you can join the party, bro," HIFUMI TAKEDA calls out above East Asia. His rocket-fueled suit kept him in place.
"Mister Busy has time to help out?" BOBBY SAMSON teases, over North America.
"I was in the neighborhood getting brigadeiro from Brazil. You guys already went through this!" INIGO points out.
Words of agreement echoed from the coms.
"I'm just teasin' partner - how far along is she again?"
"Ten weeks now. The cravings are getting very specif-" A sudden barrage of laser fire bores down on Gigan's shield. It comes from a metallic ship in the shape of a MASSIVE PAPERCLIP.
"Enemy fire, YO! We're under attack, YO!" TAKARA TAME yells out, over Africa.
"Who could've guessed- It's DANGERFIELD!" HIFUMI says, his voice multiplying as copies of himself emerged.
"I thought we beat him!" BOBBY shouts over the glowing vibrating sound of his quirk
"Guess he saved a copy of himself," INIGO muses.
"HA HA HA! HAPPY VALENTINES, EARTH! NOW I WILL SHOW YOU MY LOVE!" The rogue AI warlord announces.
"Combat drones inbound, YO! He made an army, YO!"
"I got Houston launching ground forces!" Bobby relays.
"C'mon Gigan, let's show Mister Paperclip why he's obsolete!" INIGO conjures a green construct of a giant stapler and flies towards the ship.
INIGO staples the last of the battle-drones into the broken ship seconds before it explodes.
"DONE!" INIGO muses. "You guys good with clean-up duty?"
"I have to go too," KAYLEE mumbles.
"Ooooh- makin' chocolate for someone special?" BOBBY calls out.
The Boys breaks out in chuckles.
"YEAH, SO!?" KAYLEE shouts. Nervous cheering from the others follow.
"No worries. I got clean-up. I'll do a sweep before heading back," HIFUMI replies.
"You can count on me too!" TAME says.
"Thanks Guys!' INIGO calls out. "Say Hi to Hailey and Minnie for me! I'll swing by!"
"Heh, I'll tell the kids, uncle Inigo's coming to visit," HIFUMI laughs.
"Sweet! Now, I gotta get this to Hoge! By the way, if we had a watch tower in space. It'd be so much easier to deal with this stuff."
"You might have something there, Myoga," KAYLEE muses.
INIGO walks through the halls of Koseikai Takeda Hospital. A row of men in dark suits bows as he runs towards the sonography room. There, sitting on a medical chair is HOGE NYORO next to their doctor. His beloved looks up at him expectantly and he grins, lifting up the plastic bag.
"Looks who decided to join us," DR. CURIE says.
"Sorry, I'm a lil' late. Ran into an old friend," INIGO explains.
"Paperclips?" HOGE asked with a small smile before accepting the bag. "Was it handled properly?"
"How did you know!" INIGO grins. "But yeah - everything's good now. As long as I'm with you." He sits next to her as a large screen to their left comes to life.
"All set?" DR. CURIE says. Both parents nod and INIGO takes HOGE's hand. "So, the previous machines didn't work, so they build this one especially for her." The ultrasound machine hums.
"Is mommy and daddy ready to say hello?"
Bleakest
Ugh.. He had that dream again..
INIGO MYOGA, wakes up. He struggles to sit up, head throbbing, one hand crawls across the bedsheets to grab at his phone. Blearily, he silences the alarm. It's six in the evening.
He stares at himself in the mirror as he puts on his only clean suit. His hair is thinning and he has a shiner from the night before. He looked and felt like shit. But why does it matter?
Before he heads through the door, his phone rings. Shit.
"Oookay- same-time! HA-PPY VALENTINES, MOTHERFUCKER!" OROCHI ATSUSHI and YUI SAGARA's drunken voices blasts through the speaker. "HEY MYOGA! GUESS WHAT? Shinkan finally got arrested! We're at the bar chilling. Come on, let's celebrate!"
"Yeah! Your reunion SUCKED ASS! Make it up to us. hic Orochi said you'll pay! YOU CAN STARE AT EM' AS MUCH AS YOU WANT! C'mon! hic"
Jesus. Are they already high? Doesn't Yui have kids? "I can't- I got something I need to do," His voice trailed off.
"Still at that, huh? hic She's gone, Myoga. You need to move on!" ("YEAH! MOVE ON AND COME CHILL!")
"And do what? Move to Missouri like Chris? It's cold as shit there."
"Aw, yer' no fun. Just don't do anything dumb, asshole. What happened to her wasn't your fault."
Yes, it was.
"I'll catch you guys later.."
"Boooo! Let's try Takeda. hic I know he has nowhere to go." ("HAHAHA! YOU BITCH!")
Inigo hangs up. He hails a taxi outside and sits quiet the whole ride through. When was the last time he visited? Three months? Maybe four months ago.. He felt like a coward.
The nurses were surprised to see him as he entered the lone wing of the hospital. Inside the sterile-white room, sat the wittered flowers he had arranged for her. She hadn't responded in 10 years, but it was nice to see her sleeping next to them.
"Happy Valentines, Coru-chan.."
The Storm
Now, make your choice!
A loud knocking on his door broke Dr. Myoga out of his concentration. Gigan flew past the prototype they've been working on and brought his white lab coat to the blonde man. Absentmindedly lifting his arms to get inside the garment, he moved to open the door. The freezing chill of Kyoto's evening air struck him. There was a time when winter in Kyoto was manageable, now being outside in this weather was a death sentence. He peered out to see two figures dressed in thick coats, wearing government issued badges.
"A bit late for a friendly visit, isn't it?" Inigo said warily.
"Hey man, can we come inside?" Christopher said.
"We only want to talk, Myoga," Sally followed.
"Yeah... Come in. I'll get ya some tea."
The two Enforcers fell in lock step with Inigo as he led them through his labyrinth of a laboratory, a maze of cluttered desks piled high with papers, shelves lined with patents and blueprints, and intricate models of the trolley problem scattered throughout the room. Christopher and Sally exchanged concerned glances. Over the years, they had watched him pour himself into his work with a fervor that bordered on obsession. But this... this was something else entirely.
They reached a table where Inigo poured out three cups of tea. Christopher was the first to break the silence.
"You know why we're here, right?"
"I was kinda hoping that wasn't the case." Inigo frowned, sitting back on his chair and sipping his tea.
"She's back in Japan.. We have people watching the school and her old place. We have teams in other countries. She's cornered! We need your help to catch her," Sally explained.
"And they say I'm obsessed. Through how many countries have you chased her, Sally?" Inigo pondered.
"Thirty-Nine. We almost caught her last time. I know, you two have history but she needs to be in jail," Sally stated firmly. "She's a murderer, Myoga."
"That was self-defense," Inigo reasoned.
"The first one, yes, I'll give you that.." Christopher replied.
Sally interrupted. "-but she changed after the Yamato Basin! Her kill count is about pass Sandatsu's! You can't tell me all those people deserved death."
Inigo shrugged coldly. "Maybe they do, without verifiable evidence I can't make a proper deduction."
"Jesus, Inigo when did you become such a pathetic nerd?" Sally pointed.
"I don't know.. when the world started to die? Rescuing and arresting people isn't enough! I need to be here to fix everything! I NEED TO FIX WHAT THE TROLLEYS STARTED!"
"You've gone insane!" Sally accused.
"What's insane is that no-one else can see it!"
"Not this again.. We didn't come here to argue," Christopher shook his head.
"Sometimes, you can't just pull the lever halfway so the trolley flips over... I wish things were that simple for me, Christopher. But it's not... We were in space...and he glued my hand to a damn lever."
"Inigo.. C'mon.. we can work together to fix things. Like old times. Come work for my company," Christopher insisted.
"I'll never work with you again," Inigo said coldly. "Out of all people, I thought you'd be the one to understand."
"Your previous experiment was dangerous... It needed to be reported. Time-travel? Inter-dimensions? I couldn't just stand by... ."
"It was lunacy... If you haven't locked yourself in here, we'd lock you up too! If Hifumi haven't vouched for you-" Sally sneered.
"ENOUGH. GET. OUT!" Inigo shouted, pointing to the door. Tea cups crashed and broke on the floor. The two enforcers stared him down before walking away, shaking their heads.
Hearing the lab door close, Inigo pressed a button that sealed the entrance with a metal gate. He made his way back to the prototype only to pause halfway through.
"You can come out now. They're gone." Somehow, he always noticed her.
Three glowing green dots formed a triangle in the darkness. Hoge's form materialized at the end of the hallway. She wore the same Maru(maru) costume that she had during their internships, except for all the cuts and tears that covered the weathered fabric. There was a large bullet hole at the side of her helmet. She approached him carefully. Gigan hissed on Inigo's shoulder.
"They know you're in Japan. That's pretty sloppy of you.. Why on our dying Earth are you here?"
Hoge paused her approached and threw a small red bag at him. Inigo mentally stopped Gigan from tearing it apart. He caught the bag and reached inside.
"Chocolate?"
Her helmet was off by the time he looked up. Her hair was longer. Dry blood caked the sides of her ash-smudged face.
"Happy Valentines, Ini. Can I stay here tonight?"
The thinking part of his brain screamed no. How many times had she betrayed him? Abandoned him for some cause? Used him to kill and get her way... He thought about calling out to Sally and Christopher. They wouldn't be too far away. He could restrain her.. He could..
"Of course. I'll tend to your wounds. I'll keep you safe." You idiot.
Isekai
Inigo watches the arrivals and departing board on the airport. It's been 1 year since they arrived in Japan. Together they've pretty much meta-gamed their way through all the problems in their storylines and arcs. His family was dealt with, Desolator was gone, Night Parade ended, even Sandy was no longer an issue. Still.. they were still stuck in this world. Mind-melded with their builds like brain parasites. Some of them like Hifumi and Shinkan hated the experience, some like Spherethirst managed to enjoy themselves. Inigo was a bit in the middle. Still, there was something keeping them here for a reason.
I can't really tell anymore where Inigo ends and I begin..
Somewhere inside the angsty yakuza prince was a terrified weirdo who liked mini crochet and collected ita-bags. And unfortunately, it was their job to make sure Inigo left Japan. It was too awkward to stay.
Why did I write him to be this obsessive. Tbh, it would be just as cute if Inigo ends up with Junichi or Curie, but then I'd be back with more problems. At least when it was just fiction. Would it be weird to get with one of the NPC's in this world. Shinkan-anon doesn't seem to think so. All I know is that Inigo's preferences takes precedence over what's convenient.
Inigo sighed as he boarded the plane and took his seat. He would stay with Bobby-anon in Houston for a bit before heading off on his own. That was the plan. He didn't bother to tell the others except Chris-anon and the Boys. It's been months since they've gathered and only a handful of them had carried on to the second year of Shiketsu. He would go to a new school. There's be new friends, new things to discover, and new girls.
"Ding! Thank you for using Supalife Airlines! Bringing the power of safety to the skies! And we'd like to wish you all a happy valentine's day! "
Inigo had settled in for the eight hour flight when he noticed a bump in his bag. Unzipping the compartment, he found a pencil?
He stared at the pencil on the floor.
Inigo felt dizzy. He felt empty and cold, like there was something inside him suffocating - strangling his heart for desperate air. It felt like a panic attack. He sank his fingers into his legs. C'mon...
Shaking, he stood himself up and approached the airline attendant about to start a safety demonstration.
"I have to get off this plane."
Inigo approached Hoge carefully as she sat by the library. Many of the Shiketsu students noticed his arrival and followed the frantic blonde boy. It really didn't help that he was expelled quite dramatically two months ago.
Hoge tensed visibly to a stand as he stepped in front of her, her notebook forgotten. Inigo panted and tried to catch his breath. Why did he fly all the way here?
"Hey-uh.. I think, I have something to say to you. Can you listen to me for a minute?"
Hoge nodded, outlines blurring. "Okay."
Prime Timeline
Chapter II
"I'm glad I'm in this one," Inigo muttered to himself as he opened his eyes. He had already forgotten what he was dreaming. He felt the empty spot by his side as he peeked around Hoge's apartment. She was already gone. Had she slept at all? Through the blinds he could see the sun starting to rise. It was gonna be a sunny valentines day with a light chill.
He sprung out of the western style bed and peeked around. Hoge's apartment was usually cleaner than this. Though Gigan had tidied up while they slept. He would investigate but he promised not to peek. Still, he couldn't help getting very excited. He grinned and snapped his fingers. A broom flew towards him and transformed into its dragon form.
"We got a lot to do, buddy! We better get started!"
He pulled out his phone and wished every one good luck in the 1-D class chat. The battlefield of love rages hard, but out of all the days - today love will bloom!
Inigo took a quick shower at the dorm's shared bathroom and donned his extra suit from his half-scorched maroon travel bag. He flew out of Hoge's window and slittered a thin piece of Gigan's tail to lock it behind him. He didn't have to travel long. Three wingbeats were all it took to get in front of Mrs. Otose's door. Knocking twice, he found Hoge's landlady opening the door.
The little old woman with short grey hair shot him a cold look. She wore a purple jacket over her yellow turtleneck and wears sandals.
"What do you want this early!? I told you bums not to bother me today!"
Upon recognizing him, her face softened. "Oh Myoga-kun, it's you."
Inigo smiled excitedly. "It's he here yet?"
"I'm sorry, Myoga-kun. I couldn't do it," Mrs. Otose said nervously as she pulled out a small brown parcel.
"What?? But what about "the plan"?"
"The- the mail truck went by so fast... I couldn't muster up the courage to give it to him. At my age of all things.." She bowed her head. "Thank you for your help but-"
"NO! Sorry, but hold on!" Inigo grabbed Mrs. Otose and held her up as he looked up.
"What are you doing!?"
Inigo flew up to the sky. "It's just that the truck was fast, right? You couldn't talk to him!"
Mrs. Otose stopped struggling and nodded.
"Then I'll take you to him!"
Spotting the mail truck four blocks away. Inigo landed in front of it and it screeched to a halt. Mr. Kuroyama, a well-muscled old man in a mailman uniform, yelled out, "Hey kid! Watch where you're- Mrs. Otose?"
Inigo grinned as he set Mrs. Otose down, the little old lady walked forward with the box of chocolates.
"Hayami, what're you doing here?"
"I came to give you this, you ole' brute. Happy Valentine's."
"This- this is my favorite. You remembered?"
"How can I forget after all these years."
Inigo watched the two adults beam at each other like fresh-faced lovers. After Mr. Kuroyama offered to drive Mrs. Otose back, he flew back into familiar skies. That's one down!
IIb. Sparring Session
Inigo texted his friend Kaga to meet him at their usual sparring spot, a secluded section of Shiketsu High's massive training field. When he arrived, Kaga was already there, dressed in his gi and warming up.
"Yo, Kaga! Happy Valentine's Day, my man!" Inigo called out cheerfully.
Kaga nodded in greeting, his perpetual serious expression unchanged. "Let's begin."
They faced off on the grass. Inigo danced lightly on his feet parrying blows with a sword using his Mitsurugi style and evading Kaga's powerful kicks and punches. He wove between the attacks, watching for an opening. Kaga pressed forward aggressively, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Inigo rolled to avoid a flying kick, then formed a cross with his arms.
"Time out, bro!" Inigo grinned and then stood up a wink.
There by the side, the cat-eared girl, Hyotetsu, watched them spar, patches of scarlet on her face. She approached Kaga holding a cat-shaped box.
"Mirokazu -kun! Please accept this! This is for you!" She shyly offered the chocolates.
Kaga blinked in surprise.
"Thank you, Fuhayai -san."
He bowed formally.
"You can just.. call me by my first-name, you know," Hyotetsu said, glancing away.
"K-koukoka?"
"Yes, K-kaga."
The two teens from 1-E turned red and fell quiet. Lingering close.
They'll get used to it. Inigo thought as he shot Kaga a thumbs up and a wink. Phase two complete!
IIc. Delivery
For his next Valentine's errand, Inigo sent an S-UberEats order.
"One bouquet of roses to this address, my good man," Inigo messaged. He knew Junichi worked part-time doing food deliveries. Now he just had to make sure he was the closest one.
When Junichi arrived outside the upperclass apartment building, Inigo watched eagerly from his aerial vantage point. He stifled a laugh seeing Junichi hesitate in confusion before the door. He had no idea, huh?
The doorbell rang.
"IT'S TOO EARLY! Faith, shut up about Cain already- huh?" Still in her purple duckling pajamas, Maxine opened the door and found Junichi wearing his Ubereats uniform, holding a ridiculous boquet of flowers.
"Delivery for a Miss Nguyen," Junichi said unethusiastically reading the card. "Did I say that right? Oh... It's you.."
Max stared into deep purple eyes. Face bright red.
"Heh. Nice duck pajamas."
Behind Max - Faith, Minnie, and Edith gasped.
"Oh. My. God."
IniGOAT: Happy Valentines bro!
MoriJun1: FUCK YOU
Inigo chuckled to himself, pleased with his morning's work. As he soared through the crisp morning air, he tallied up the count. "Let's see - helped Mrs. Otose, check! Brightened Hyotetsu's day, check! Teased Junichi, double check!" Grinning, Inigo angled towards Shiketsu!
The Boys' Lockers
The hallway at Shiketsu High School buzzed with activity as students hurried to their next classes. But three boys in particular sauntered through the crowds with an air of casual confidence - Hifumi, Inigo, and Bobby, three of the most popular first-years.
As they walked, Hifumi was passionately recounting details from a movie they had recently seen together. "Bro! It was Helena who said 'the dial only leads here.' And then Indy goes, 'He designed it to bring help.' That means Archimedes never used the dial for time travel! He designed it so Indy and Helena would come aid the Carthaginians against the invading Romans."
Inigo shook his head dubiously. "Yeah that just seems weak, my guy. In real life, the Carthaginians lose. And the Romans murder Archimedes. The war only lasts a year. So in that time, Archimedes somehow frantically completed the dial? So Indy would come and scare the Romans with a 'dragon'? A dragon who didn't even do anything besides intrigue people. One of the two sides shot the dragon down with harpoons!"
Bobby, casually balancing a basketball on one finger, weighed in. "Nah bro, I think Archimedes conceived of the Dial as part of his inventions to help turn the tide during the Second Punic War. Like you said, it was meant to be a 'time beacon' which would help bring reinforcements from the future. When Archimedes met Indy, the Dial already served its purpose, but he still had to build it so that Indy could fulfill his destiny. He probably realized by then that the Dial won't save Syracuse, and that it exists only to facilitate the meeting and close the time loop."
The three boys nodded sagely, satisfied with their movie analysis. Just then, their classmate Mahoko sidled up to join the conversation. "It was awesome! Harold Ford looked great for his age, huh?"
The three boys blinked blankly before Inigo answered diplomatically, "Yeah..."
Mahoko quickly changed topics. "So did you guys also watch movies with Owari?"
Immediately the three boys tensed up. "Whoa!" Inigo exclaimed. "Touchy subject," Bobby said, shaking his head.
"Rule #12, new guy. We try not to talk about him," Hifumi explained.
"Oh right, my bad fellas," Mahoko said cheerfully, unfazed.
As they neared the lockers, Hifumi suddenly stopped. "Something's not right..." The other two boys sensed it too. The chatter around them had grown hushed, and they felt eyes on them. As if dozens of girls were watching with hushed breaths.
"Remember the days before summer?" Inigo whispered gravely.
Bobby whispered back. "Or just before the bonfire dance..."
"Or after winter break," Hifumi nodded.
"What's the issue, fellas?" Mahoko wondered.
"One of the large packages fell on Bobby's family jewels," Inigo pointed out.
"He had to go to the nurse with a bruised nutsack," Hifumi cringed.
"Bros.. I'm scared," Bobby gulped.
Exchanging determined nods, the three boys steeled themselves in front of their lockers.
"It's fine. Just remember to dodge! Now or never, bros!" Hifumi yelled.
They flung open their lockers, and a deluge of chocolates, gifts and confession letters cascaded out. Dodging frantically, a small mountain of chocolates fell around them. At the end they managed to gather everything into sacks.
"You three, sure are popular."
"They know none of us are single... they must feel sorry for us cause we lost a member," Inigo pointed out.
"What do we do with all this chocolate?"
Panting, Inigo turned to see a mob of single students protesting outside the principal's office.
With a grin, he said, "I got an idea."
The boys gleefully dumped their gift sacks over the protesters, who cried out in dismay under the sudden onslaught of chocolate and affection.
Laughing and high-fiving each other, Hifumi, Inigo and Bobby sauntered off to class, leaving chaos in their wake.
Chapter III: Chocolates
After Hoge finished handing out her chocolates, she suddenly vanished from the classroom. Inigo was still puzzling over the single chocolate bar she had given him when he noticed a gold foil-wrapped coin on his desk. He picked it up curiously and turned it over in his hands. A sticker with a chibi Maru helmet adorned one side. On the back, in Hoge's neat handwriting, it simply said "Gift later."
Inigo's brows furrowed in thought as he tucked the coin in his pocket. What could it mean? He spent the rest of class distracted, wondering what surprise Hoge had in store for him. She had disappeared too. He stared at the empty spot where she sat.
As soon as they were dismissed, Inigo rushed out to search for Hoge. His steps led him to the school's school gardens. Cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, blanketing the grounds in soft pink. Petals danced on the breeze's gentle breath. Beyond the trees, he could glimpse the sharp angles of the school's ultramodern training facility. Inigo walked slowly along the patches of flowers and plants. A year of watering had done wonders for all the plants. In no small thanks to Hoge, he thought back to when he first found her here with Eri. He thought back about how in one of his fairy tales, the hero goes back in time to save the day. He had always wanted to go back in time and save his family from breaking apart.. but now.. he couldn't do it. He was too afraid that he'd somehow change things. That he'd mess up with Hoge. He wanted to be in this time. He wanted to be with the her now.
Turning a corner on his meandering trail, he spotted Hoge approaching from the other direction. She was clutching something hidden to her chest. Inigo's face lit up and he quickened his pace to meet her.
"There you are!" he exclaimed. "I've been looking all over, Coru-chan! I didn't get to thank you for the coin. Everyone loved the gift you got them!"
Hoge blushed, lowering her eyes. "I'm sorry, I ran off so suddenly. I'm here to give you your real gift." She carefully held out the heart box. She held it out like it was hot to touch. Arms stretching to their limit towards him.
Inigo's eyes glittered. "I would've been fine with just the coin." He smiled. "But before anything else, I wanted to say something- I've been a little distant lately and I want to apologize. Maybe.. I could've helped you make chocolate if I wasn't out chasing whatever. And sometimes I don't get why you do certain things too...” Blueish-green eyes grew cloudy. “You are a mystery to me, Nyoro Hoge! A mystery that I am hopelessly lost in. I want you to know--"
The world seemed to shimmer around him.
He thought forward to their distant future.
"Whatever happens from here. We'll go through it together. My beautiful wonderful wife. I'm ready to take this next step in our journey."
As the doctor held the device up to his wife's belly, INIGO and HOGE watched the image on the screen with misty eyes.
"How do you feel about twins?"
Even a life where darkness haunted them and fate tore them apart.
"I can never stay leave you - even if I wanted to. You have me fully. And I'll never give up on you."
Inigo sat by Hoge's bedside table and held her cold hand. The heart monitor skipped a beat and he looked up.
Then to a place where different choices were made.
"I don't care what others say. I believe in you. In Us. Nothing will ever get in our way. Even if it's just you and me against the world."
Inigo reached for her and suddenly an explosion happens. Chris and Sally knows she's here. They should go. He takes her hand and leads her to the secret tunnel.
And to a time not unlike their own.
The other isekai'd students crowded around them.
"I'm leaving for America until we're adults! And then- I don't know. Please wait for me. Because I don't think I can keep Inigo away! Like it or not- I love you!"
Hoge sighed and reached into a bag behind her. She held out a heart-shaped box. A note on it said (For Inigo). "Don't read into it. She wouldn't stop obsessing."
No. Only this one is real to him.
"..In a million worlds, Hoge.. In a billion different ways. Happy Valentine’s Day, Coru-chan..” he hugged her and whispered into her hair.
“Happy Valentine’s, Ini..” Hoge whispered back, face burrowing into his chest. He opened the lid, and his eyes widened in delight. A rainbow of expertly crafted chocolate dragons filled the compartments. His heart had never been happier.
"These are - incredible! You made these for me? THANK YOU!"
She nodded, still not meeting his gaze. Inigo laughed and pulled her into a kiss.
"You perfect weirdo. You're the best girlfriend ever. Thank you, I love them!" Hoge finally smiled with relief. Their bright and misty eyes met. "You know, I'm paying you back ten-folds when White Day comes!"