🥐Ingredients 🥐

🥐Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all are having a wonderful day! To celebrate, here is the last part of Iced Magic!

🥐NOTE: Everything in this chapter is hypothetical. Then again, aren't all these crossovers that way in a sense being that the stories happen in different universes?

🥐Again, I'd like to thank all the writers that lent me their OCs for this short story. Y'all are amazing. Again, make sure you check them out!

🥐Enjoy!

🥐Valentine's Flowers 🥐

I never wondered what it would be like to drink until one's memory was whipped away from everything that had happened. I mean, sure, my moms have slipped me a taste of their wine before, but I never drank anymore than that. Mainly because I knew what was at stake. If things were different, sure, I might have drank a good glass like my moms did, but if I was caught drunk outside the house or somewhere else, I might as well kiss my dreams of being a Pro Hero goodbye.

While I never had been drunk, I figured that was the best way to explain the state I was in. My body was warm as I felt someone's arm wrapped around my shoulder, holding me in close. No. Not just holding me in close. I was leaning into this person, cuddling next to them like other couples would on Valentine's Day. Even my arms wrapped around some guy's torso, almost as if I was the one who wanted to be here.

Don't get me wrong. I love love, but I had other things to focus on. If I was distracted by my own feelings, then who was going to be the one with a clear head to help all my clueless friends realize who they were meant to be with.

To make matters even worse, I felt someone's hand comb through my hair.

"Your hair is so soft," Blake Hayate's voice complimented as it proceeded to thread through my hair once more.

What the hell did I drink? I wondered, trying to remember what my last memory was. Yet, all I could think about was how this had to have been what it was like waking up drunk after blacking out after some sort of party. Again, another reason why I was always careful.

So, what the hell was going on that I ended up here?!

Stay calm. There has to be a reasonable explanation about all this, I mentally told myself. If I broke away too soon, I might cause a scene. From what I could see, I was still sitting in that cafe Koto, Rocket, Tami, and I were at, waiting for our other friends to join. While I couldn't find any of them in the cafe, there were still many people littering the place that I had to be careful.

"Where did everyone go?" I asked, carefully pushing myself off of him. Luckily, it seemed like the indigo haired boy wasn't too bothered by it as he whipped out his cell phone and started tapping on it.

"Why does it matter? Aren't you happy that we're here together?" Blake asked, pushing his phone onto the counter before looking at me. It wasn't long before he scooted closer to me, locking me into the booth we were in.

What the literal–

"Whoa!" I yelped, pushing myself as far away from him as possible until the wall hit my side. "Slow down there, buddy. I need a little bit of space and time to process things."

Not to mention, figure out what happened just moments ago. No offense to Blake or anything, but there was no reason he should be that close to me. He wasn't really my type. Besides, I knew the kind of person he was. That wasn't to say Blake wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't meant for me.

Before he could answer, my phone dinged. I pulled it out to see who had texted me.

I nearly wanted to vomit the second I saw the text in the group chat.

❤️Blakey ❤️
Hey, where is everyone?

"I didn't mean to take things so fast, but you seemed eager," Blake explained.

Eager? Me!? Was today opposite day? Did someone slip something into his drink that made him see things?

If I had that on my phone, it scared me to see what else lurked inside. I slide the screen open, finding a picture of Blake as the background. His smile was quite bright in it, almost as if someone told him he had been transferred out of his current department and into the one he wanted to be in.

My fingers tapped onto my photos, finding hundreds more in there. Pictures of Blake and I making funny faces, trying on different filters from another app...

A picture of us kissing.

"Holy shit! Ew!" I squealed, dropping the phone onto the table.

Maybe it wasn't Blake who wasn't in his right mind. He deserved a happy ending, maybe with some pretty pink haired girl from our department or maybe someone else that he knew. I wasn't sure. I hadn't figured out who he would be best suited for. But I knew it wasn't me.

Besides, I still wasn't over the fact that...

No, shake those thoughts out of your head, Sakura, I scolded myself, squeezing my eyes shut. Today was a day to forget my own personal problems with love. My plan was to get Tami together with Raiden, relish in the sweet relationship Koto and Rocket had, and figure out how I could help figure out who to pair my other friends with.

Except for Orangie. A relationship was the last thing he needed after his breakup with his boyfriend last month. I mean, he didn't come out and say that he was dating, but I could tell. The way he would leave our lunch table to sit with another group of heroics students, ones that he couldn't even fathom the thought of even breathing the same air as, or the way he'd take phone calls away from our friend group, it was obvious. He wasn't the only one to do that either.

He needed space, just like me.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked.

I drew in a deep breath. "I need some fresh air," I explained.

"Oh-okay, I'll come with–"

"No!" I squealed. "No, no no. Look, Blake, you're a nice guy, but whatever happened since our friends disappeared, I have no memory of it."

When I peeled my eyes opened to face this guy, I noticed him slowly shaking his head.

"That's impossible," he claimed. "I—you were the one who asked to be my girlfriend and to take all those pictures. Is it because of our friends? We could keep this a secret if you want. I—"

If I wasn't repulsed before with all the information flashing before my eyes, I was at that moment. Again, nothing against Blake. He was one of the better looking guys at our school, ones that would seem dateable by looks alone. Trust me, looks were very important, but I couldn't just base my relationship on aesthetics alone. How would I even talk to a partner about fashion all the time?

Yes, fashion was my passion, but eventually, things would get out of hand and I'd be seen as a trophy wife, or in Blake's case, more of a gold digger. I was not going to look like some snob that liked someone solely because of how much was in his bank account. No, I wanted to do things on my own.

At that point, I decided I didn't care about making a big scene. I needed to get out of there asap.

"Girlfriend? Oh no! Look, you're cute, sweet even, I won't deny that, but I would never date you. Not in a million years, not in another lifetime, not even in another universe. We're better off as friends, okay? So, whatever you think I might have said these last few hours or however long the two of us were alone, it didn't happen," I claimed.

Was I being a tad too harsh? Maybe. But I needed to get out of here. If Blake wasn't going to listen to reason, then I had to take things a step further.

Just how much did I need to knock it into this guy's head?

Luckily, not much longer.

"Aye, Blake, can't you tell Sakura just wants to be left alone?" a voice came from behind. We turned our heads to see who was standing on the other side of Blake, only to come face to face with the school's biggest flirt.

Oh, how it took everything inside of me not to roll my eyes at him. I could only imagine how he'd easily turn this into an opportunity to get my number like he tried earlier. He was probably just waiting for Blake to leave only to swoop in and act like Prince Charming.

Only, there was no Prince Charming, no matter how much I dreamed of one. The last guy I liked...

I shook those thoughts out of my head for who knows how many times that day. No matter what, I couldn't get that boy out of my head, even though I knew it was time to move on. It had to be. It had to be when he found someone else.

Thankfully, Blake moved out of the booth, allowing me to slip out. Neither of the two boys tried to stop me as I stormed out of the cafe.

I wasn't sure where I was going to go. I mean, I should have waited for Tami and the others to come back, but how could I? The second I go back in there, I would have Blake fanning over me again and possibly Ale's flirting. Neither were things I needed at that moment.

The brisk air quickly snapped me back in reality, which helped me feel that I could feel my whole body growing warmer by the minute. I glanced around, finding couples wrapping arms around each other to keep their loved ones warm. My eyes caught onto a particular couple down the street. Not that I knew them, but seeing how happy they were as the pink haired girl laughed at something her girlfriend or something must've said reminded me too much of what could be going on somewhere else in Japan.

Somewhere at some point in time that I wished didn't exist.

"Sakura!"

Turning around, I found Tami, Iris, Rocket, and Raiden walking toward the cafe. Well, the latter of the four were walking. Tami decided now was the time to run up to me, quickly grabbing my hands in hers the second she reached me.

Guess I didn't have to worry about Tami. That was a relief.

"Sakura, are you alright? You didn't get hit, did you?" Tami started questioning.

My eyes blinked, not sure what she meant. "Yeah, I-I'm fine. In all honesty, I should be asking you that. Why did you wander off from the cafe?"

At that time, the other three reached us. Raiden paused for a moment, glancing down to Tami, promising that he'd be back and to not wander off. She nodded in response, not questioning a single word he said. I, on the other hand, watched in disbelief as he followed Iris and Rocket into the place. As I did, I noticed Rocket's hand twitching more than usual while Iris held onto the ends of her sweater.

Just what caused them to be on edge?

"I got struck," Tami explained. "But it's okay! It must've worn off again like the last time it happened."

"Struck?" I asked. How did she do that? Maybe she meant stung, like by a bee, but she wore a sweater and a pair of jeans that covered most of her skin. That didn't make sense.

"The Cupid Quirk, you know, the same Quirk Aida had from school. Apparently, one of Rocket's ghost friends saw someone working behind the counter, using it on random strangers. Might've been for a prank."

Aida's Quirk. No wonder why Tami left and came back with Raiden. I highly doubt that time was a factor in that she snapped back into reality. The last two times she was struck, Raiden cleared her brain within the matter of minutes.

My brain started to work double time as I started to remember some other oddities that had happened. Koto hanging all over Ale, giving him Rocket's chocolate? That wasn't a coincidence. No wonder why something felt off when the redhead left Rocket without warning. He didn't do anything wrong. It was someone misfiring their Quirk.

When I realized that, my stomach tightened.

Blake.

I pulled my hands out of Tami's, so she wouldn't feel the heat wrapping around my skin. My hands clenched into fists as I whipped my head over towards the cafe door. Above it read the sign Iced Magic, but there was nothing magical about forcing people in love with one another if they weren't meant for each other.

Besides, if anyone knew what that felt like, then I would know. No one deserved to be pranked like that, especially on Valentines Day.

Tami quickly grabbed my wrist the second I took a step away from her.

"Sakura, wait! Raiden's going to fix it. The others are just going in to get the others out and grab our things. If you go in there, you could get hit. After what happened with Mori—"

I yanked my arm out of her grasp and rolled my eyes. "Fine. Let them handle it. I should probably get going anyways."

"But, Sakura, we—"

"Sorry, I just—I suddenly feel like I'm coming down with something, and I don't want to get anyone sick. I'm sure Raiden will be more than happy to make sure you're home safely," I quickly explained before turning away.

There was no way I wanted Tami to see the tears that were streaming down my face. It wasn't her fault. She was just trying to be a good friend. Tami was always trying to be a good friend. I just couldn't handle it anymore.

Hearing my best friend mention him today of all days, I couldn't stand it any longer.

So much for distractions on Valentine's Day.

•┈┈┈••✦🖤✦••┈┈┈•

It wasn't my plan to actually go straight home, but who would've guessed I would've ran into the two people I wanted to avoid on Valentine's Day? The scene burned into my head, unwillingly and impossible to leave no matter how much I tried.

It was never part of the plan to let my heart open up so easily. I mean, it was always nice pairing people up with one another, but to do the same with my heart? No. I couldn't afford it.

So how was it Hiroto Mori snuck his way into my heart, still unwilling to leave?

Mori was never mine to have. I should've known. The boy with the bat Quirk always had eyes for a girl that was in his class. Like him, she had confidence issues. She was the only person who didn't see the beauty inside her as she was too distracted focusing on what made her different: her Quirk.

Guess that meant they were truly meant to be.

Knowing that didn't make it easier though. Seeing those two walking around the streets of Nakameguro, I couldn't help but wish it was me instead of Kita. I mean, I thought Mori and I were getting close. He always sat beside me at lunch or whenever we were with friends. Guess I shouldn't have thought I was going to be lucky, especially the pact we made last month about him still wanting to pursue Kita. She was just so into another classmate of ours that I didn't think he had a chance.

Mori should've had a chance, but I guess deep down, I wished things would've always stayed the same. What an awful friend I was, saying one thing, but secretly wishing he'd never get the girl. Guess this was my karma to see those two walking hand in hand in the streets of Nakameguro, celebrating their first of many Valentines together.

I truly hated this Holiday.

Stuck in my thoughts, I didn't even catch the front door opening to my mothers' shop, ringing the bell to announce a new customer had come in. No. I had just stuck in the back of the shop, watering every single plant that looked like it needed some extra love. My mom, Yui, claimed I could've helped her in the back by pulling together bouquets people had ordered, but what use would that be? Today was Valentine's Day, meaning all of those flower bouquets were going to go to happy customers who'd pick them up tonight. Sure, Valentine's Day was all about girls giving chocolates to their friends, family, and loved ones, but the whole Western idea of taking girls out on dates and all was something a few people decided to join in. After all, I knew of at least three classmates who were from America. Surely, their parents would be one of the few to come for a flower bouquet for their partner.

Part of me wished Mori would've had one made for me. No doubt he would've had one made for Kita. I didn't want to go back and see his name on that list.

"Hey, are you doing okay?"

I nearly dropped the water can I was using as I immediately recognized the voice.

Shit, I thought, surprised the word didn't come flying from my mouth. Not only did I lose my composer in front of someone, but I literally told Tami to let the others know I wasn't feeling good. No one in their right mind should have come to follow me. If anything, a text.

Only, this guy didn't have my number. He tried earlier, but I made sure I left without giving it out. Not to mention, he wasn't really supposed to be hanging out with us that day. For some strange reason, Ale just happened to show up in the same cafe we were in.

"Fine," I claimed, readjusting the can in my hands. Once steady, I looked at the next plant and busied myself there. I wasn't in the mood to let anyone know how I was feeling.

Besides, I shouldn't have been so bothered by it. I did tell Mori I didn't want to date because that'd be a distraction from snagging a spot in Foxglove's agency. Yet, every few seconds, I found myself thinking about him and Kita, and how those two would probably make it. Kita would be pretty blind if she didn't.

"You don't look fine," he continued. "I'd be willing to listen if you want."

I rolled my eyes. Ale listen? Ha! How many times have I heard that?! Someone claimed they'd listen only to turn it on themself? Look at what this guy did earlier! He tried to get my phone number, flirting with me nonstop until I left the front counter to reunite with my friends.

Look at Mori who didn't listen to all the hints I gave him that I was all his if he had just asked.

No. The best way to get rid of this guy was to just plainly ignore him. That was exactly what I did. My eyes remained steady on the plants that needed my attention. After this, I would probably just see if there were some flowers I could arrange in vases, or better yet, I could trim the bonsai that were sitting in the back of the store, waiting for a loving home.

"I didn't know you worked here," Ale continued. A frustrated sigh escaped my lips when I heard him, but that didn't stop him from talking. "If I was looking for a special kind of flower to give a girl, what would you suggest giving her? Roses?"

"So you can prick the poor soul's fingers?" I snapped, glancing up at him as I set the watering can behind me on an opened spot on the table. It was strange there was such a thing in my moms' shop being that this place was literally filled with flowers and plants. There were strings of nickel and spider plants hanging from the ceiling. Plants of all kinds growing in pots on tables. On the shelves, there were various vases with an array of flowers that people could get or even create themselves if they so wanted to.

As chaotic as it sounded, it was fairly easy to find what people wanted. Then again, I practically grew up here being that this was the exact store I discovered my own Quirk. If I didn't know where anything was at, I'd be an embarrassment.

"Really? Because I remember getting them before, but they had the thorns taken off," Ale recalled, but he didn't dwell on it longer when I turned around. "Maybe they were something else."

"They were roses, but if you really want to impress someone, you don't do something that's overdone. All depends on what kind of message you want to give her. If it's just someone you're getting to know, maybe tulips? We have some pretty red ones that would be nice," I said.

The boy nodded his head, so I led him to the wall where we had flowers arranged in different vases. As much as I wanted to be distracted by those flowers, I couldn't help but see my mom, Hana, glancing over at me from the counter, giving me a wink. It didn't take long for me to know she probably sent Ale right over towards me, thinking he was some boy I'd swoon for immediately.

My eyes glanced down at Ale's hands the second the thought came in my head, surprised he didn't catch anything on fire. I didn't stare at them for long as I remembered the burning sensation reaching my skin back when we'd face each other in class. There was nothing I loathed more than fire.

If he caught this place on fire, he better pay for the repairs.

"They're pretty, but they don't capture the beauty this girl has," Ale said. "I want to make this girl feel like she's special."

I let out a short chuckle. "Sure, let's get her some nice flowers," I muttered. "Before you know it, you'll be tossing her aside like she will with those exact flowers."

A warm hand clasped my shoulder, making me realize my mistake.

"Is that what's bothering you?" he asked. "With Mori?"

My jaw dropped when he said that, confirming his thoughts. Looking at him, he didn't seem to be making fun of me or anything. No, there was a genuine look of concern in his eyes as he looked down at me. Even his lips didn't even turn to the usual smirk, or what he'd probably call the smolder, when he looked at me.

"I thought you and him were a thing until I heard he was going out with Kita. Is that why you reacted the way you did when you snapped out of the Cupid Quirk thing?" he asked.

Damn, I hate how right he was about it all. I wasn't supposed to be an open book, yet he acted like I had just said those words, those feelings, to him. How was I supposed to work as an underground hero someday if I couldn't get these stupid emotions in check?

He dropped his hand and opened his arms. Ale didn't have to ask for me to understand, and in that moment, I crashed right into his arms, hiding my face in his chest. My hands grabbed the back of his shirt as he held me in the flower shop.

"Look, I'm sorry things didn't work out between you and Mori," he whispered. Despite being wrapped in a warm embrace, his soothing words sent chills down my arm. "If you ever want to talk about it or need anything, I'm just a phone call away."

I wasn't sure how, but I could tell he meant every single word he said. Just hearing them was enough for me. I was right long ago when I said I couldn't afford to date. If this was how upset I became that people like Ale would recognize it, then I didn't want to know the consequences of having an actual boyfriend until I graduated. It would just be too much.

Right now, all I needed to care about was myself. If I could just learn how to mask my emotions, I could keep my friends and family safe when I did undercover work. Until I graduated, I would just have to be alright with living vicariously through my friends' love life. Besides, if I didn't, then who would have the courage to ever ask someone else.

At that moment, it started with Ale.

I pushed myself out of his arms, offering a small smile before wiping away the small tears that I refused to let fall from my eyes.

"Thank you, I really needed that," I said before clearing my throat. "So, flowers, right? Tulips are pretty plain. If you wanted to impress someone, I'd say give her camellia japonicas or an orchid. The first one is really pretty when you buy it in a bouquet, but if you want it to stay around long term, we have some nice pots with orchids in them."

Ale didn't seem to mind my eagerness to change the subject. Instead, he just nodded his head, trying to follow what I was saying. After showing him around my moms' store to find the perfect gift for whichever girl he decided to impress next, he decided to go with a pot with purple orchids in them. The stems sprouted well above the pot itself, but that was just how orchids were. Those stems were strong, and because of it, the blossoms bloomed with a vibrant purple that stood out from other flowers.

Hana helped him in the check out, and seeing that he was done, I went back to grab the watering can to finish the job I had before. Only, this time, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulder. Had I not been so far away or told Tami I was sick, I think I might have had enough strength to go back and try to fix things, even with Blake.

Deep down, I knew I probably should have messaged him and apologize, but it wasn't my fault that I got struck by some stupid cupid Quirk. He should've just accepted that and moved on. But even I knew that was easier said than done. It was no secret that guy had a crush on me. I mean, how could he not? I just didn't like him that way.

Blake just had to accept that, just like how I had to accept that Mori didn't have as strong feelings for me as he did Kita.

"Hey Sakura."

I turned my head, finding Ale standing there beside me with the orchids in hand. He should've left the store by now, but I didn't question it as I just returned the smile.

"Hi, did you forget something?" I asked.

Ale smirked. "Nope. I said I was going to give these beautiful flowers to a beautiful girl, so this is for you. Just know that if you were a flower, I would've picked you," he said.

He handed me the flowers, and as he did, I could feel the heat wrapping around me once more. It didn't last long as I quickly shifted the flowers into one hand, extended my other arm out, and used my Quirk to create a vine that wrapped around my arm and to his waist. Ale lowered his head to look at me, but I didn't waste time as I pushed those vines away, forcing the boy out the door.

I was glad he didn't use his Quirk to fight back. Even when he was out the door, free from my vines, he just shook his head and walked away. Of course, being Ale, he stopped when he saw me through the window to send a playful wink in my direction, but he never once fought the fact that I had pushed him out.

"Ooh," I heard my mom, Hana, say as she walked closer. "Looks like someone has a new admirer. For someone to be so invested in finding the perfect flowers, I'd say he's a keeper."

"Mom!" I groaned, looking up at her. Her blue hair was pulled back into a bun, making me wonder how Yui managed to convince her to do so. I didn't question it as I had a feeling it would've been a trade off of some sort.

"At least he seems nice and is willing to come all this way on Valentines to see you. Besides, you didn't seem to mind when he gave you that hug," she noted.

"Ugh! Mom! Just cut it out! We're just friends. Besides, he's not even my type," I tried to claim.

My mom smirked as she handed me a small card. "You sure about that?"

Taking it from her hands, I looked at the words Ale had written.

I'm here for you, even if it's just to hear a friendly voice.

Underneath it was his phone number.

Guess Ale did get his way after all, I thought to myself as I tucked it in the pot and walked past Hana before she could pester me anymore. Staying in the store's front would only encourage her to bother me, so I figured now would be a good time to help my other mom in the back with all the flower arrangements.

Thinking about it, I guess I could say this wasn't the worst Valentine's Day after all.

🥐The End🥐

🥐Character Spotlight: Ale🥐
Book: A Delicate Art by eVolution04
Likes: Black Coffee

🥐Character Spotlight: Mori🥐
Book: Kita's Legacy by sd1229
Likes: Strawberry Smoothie