AN: WASSSSUPPP! I LIVE!

THIS IS A SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE STORY WITH OUR RESIDENT FOREIGNER.

THOUGH THIS COUNTS AS A TWO-SHOT. I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO BE DOING A THIRD.

THAT COULD CHANGE THOUGH.

[BETA: ToonyTheBoi]

Izuku was walking through the aisles of the market with a shopping basket in hand.

'Mom's going to hang out with her friends, and I'm on house duty!'

Whenever his mom was out, Izuku could cook his favorite dish:

Katsudon!

Although he could always cook something else, he chose to cook Katsudon every opportunity available.

It wasn't like it was the only dish he could cook. He learned plenty of how to cook by helping out his mom while cooking, he just preferred Katsudon every time.

But, monotony could get boring.

'How about cooking something else for a change?' Izuku pondered.

Izuku thought about it for a brief moment.

'I should've paid attention to that cooking show on television…'

Preoccupied, Izuku didn't take note of his surroundings as he bumped into another person.

"E-Excuse m- I mean, sumimasen…"

That voice…

That sudden transition from English to Japanese…

Izuku recognized the voice immediately.

"Ah, no worries Pony," he greeted the American girl in her native language. "I should've paid attention to my surroundings."

Pony's eyes widened in recognition.

"A-Ah! Izuku!" Pony exclaimed. "What a surprise to see you here," she said as she took a glance at the contents of his shopping basket.

Or in this case, the lack thereof.

"What are you buying?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "Well… I always cook up Katsudon whenever I'm the only one eating… but really I was thinking of cooking something else for a change."

Pony seemed to understand. "I see, whatcha gonna cook?"

Izuku sighed. "That's the thing. I don't know." He said. "Though I did see an American cooking show on Television earlier this morning, I should've paid attention. That way I could've not only expanded my knowledge and…" he murmured on.

While Izuku was talking to himself, Pony had an idea.

"Why don't I teach you something?"

The green-haired boy stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

Pony smirked. "I'm hurt Izuku." She feigned as she put her fist on top of her chest. "Talking about American food and all that, makes a girl wonder why you didn't think of her."

Izuku's eyes widened. He fell for the feint. "I-I-It's not what you think Pony! I mean, I was only-"

"I was just teasing you Izuku!" Pony said as she laughed.

Izuku's eyebrow twitched. "Anyway, what were you saying before?" He said, trying to change the subject.

Pony smiled. "Why don't I teach you something?" she suggested. "I consider myself good enough to cook for myself. And I'm also the best person you know you can ask for when it comes to American food."

The green-haired boy contemplated for a bit.

It was perfect.

"Really?"

Pony nodded. "Of course! You taught me Japanese, it would only be right to teach you something as well."

"Alright!" Izuku pumped his fist up in the air. "So, what'll we be buying?"

Pony put a finger on her chin. "First… we have to think of the dish," she said. "What do you like?"

"Rice? Meat? Vegetables? I'm not too picky about food." Izuku replied.

"Well then, how about Jambalaya? Or maybe Gumbo," she said as she pulled out her phone.

Izuku tilted his head. "Gumbo? Jambala…?"

"Jambalaya or Gumbo." Pony showed him a picture of both dishes. "Gumbo is a dish from my hometown that's similar to stew. While Jambalaya is like seasoned rice with food on top of it," she explained. "Got it?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah."

"Now, what do you feel like cooking?" Pony asked him.

Izuku contemplated for a brief moment, before settling on a dish.

"How about Jambalaya?" Izuku said. "Seems pretty tasty."

"You bet it is!" the American exclaimed. "Mom always makes it during the weekends. It's been one of my favorites ever since."

Izuku's anticipation grew. "What are the ingredients?" Izuku asked her.

Pony smirked.

"I know just what to get."

It only took Izuku and Pony half an hour to get all of the ingredients gathered.

"Bell peppers?" Pony looked in the basket.

Izuku nodded. "Check."

"Onions?"

"I have some at home."

Pony nodded. "And I have some Andouille back at home."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "An.. do… ee?"

"Andouille, it's a type of sausage back home where I'm from."

"I see."

"And that takes care of the sausage," Pony stated. "What else? Oh, How about the garlic? Or the celery?"

"I still have some celery and garlic back home," Izuku told her.

"I'll get the broth-" Pony snapped her fingers. "Oh, and the spices too. Do you mind if we use my Mom's mix?"

Izuku smiled. "You kidding? Of course not!"

Pony's eyes lit up. "Great!" She grabbed her phone. "So, where do you live?"

"..."

"Eh?"

Pony groaned. "Your address, dummy. How am I supposed to teach you how to cook Jambalaya if I'm not there?" Pony told him. "Were you planning on watching and reading articles on cooking?! I am offended!"

All of this, she said playfully.

But Izuku did not get the memo.

"I-It's not like that Pony! I'd love to learn from you! Really. I-It's just…"

Pony raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well…" Izuku scratched his neck. "You're the first one to come over my home."

Pony's eyes went wide with bewilderment. "R-Really?"

Izuku sheepishly laughed.

"Not even in grade school?" Pony asked.

Izuku shook his head. "Nope."

"Your friends won't come over and play games?"

"Well… I never really had friends growing up…" Izuku looked away in embarrassment. "I... don't really like talking about it."

Never had friends growing up…

Pony Tsunotori was an outgoing girl back in the states. To hear that one of her new friends had never experienced the delight of sleepovers, games, and other shenanigans that only friends could do with each other…

Suddenly, Pony had an idea.

'What if I…?'

Pony dismissed the thought.

'I'll think on it later.'

Izuku handed her a piece of torn paper. with his home address and phone number on it.

"Here, my address and my phone number just in case you have any other question later." He said.

Pony wasted no time. She whipped her phone out and in no less than a minute, managed to send a small text to Izuku.

Then Izuku's phone rang a small ding.

◤Hey Izuku, it's just me. Pony. Save my number. Sent 14:29◢

Izuku quickly did as he was told.

"So, I guess I'll see you at 5?" Izuku inquired.

"See you then!"

Both individuals went their separate ways. Izuku quickly went home to tidy up, while Pony...

'I CAN'T BELIEVE I ASKED TO COME TO HIS HOUSE!'

*Ding * *Dong*

Izuku Midoriya breathed in as much as he could.

'Calm down Izuku. It's just someone coming over your house. A girl is just coming over your house…'

Izuku tried to calm himself but…

'A GIRL IS COMING OVER MY HOUSE?!'

He freaked out.

"Hello? Anybody home? Izuku?"

Izuku heard Pony call out from outside.

"C-Coming!"

Izuku straightened himself and went towards the door. The moment he opened it, he saw Pony wearing a different outfit than what he saw in the grocery.

Clad in a simple black t-shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes, she had possessed a different type of charm than the last times Izuku had seen her.

"H-Hey Pony. A-Ah Welcome to the Midoriya Residence," Izuku awkwardly welcomed Pony inside as he shut the door behind her.

Pony took a gander. "Nice place you have here Izuku," she said. Then she saw an All Might themed nameplate. "Heh, nice. What's in your room?"

Izuku's eyes immediately went wide. He rushed towards his door and blocked it. "O-Off limits!"

Pony pouted. "Alright." She then went to the living room. She searched around for something, or rather, someone. "Hey Izuku, where are your parents?"

"Ah, my mom is with her friends right now, and my dad's working overseas. I'm home alone until tomorrow," Izuku told her.

Pony nodded.

"Then let me sleep over."

"Huh? Ah, yeah sure why no-" Izuku took a moment to reanalyze the statement. "Wait what?"

Pony chuckled at his reaction. "I asked if I can sleep over your house tonight."

"N-Not that I don't dislike the idea b-but why?"

Pony Tsunotori huffed. "Since you've never had sleepovers, allow me to be the first sleepover buddy you have." Pony told him. "And being my first friend here in the land of the rising sun, I will make you have a sleepover by force if I have to or so help me…"

Izuku started to see the reasoning behind her words.

He too wanted to experience a sleepover or two, but there was one more problem...

"But Pony… you're a girl, and I'm a guy," Izuku tried to reason. "Doesn't that make things a little a-"

"Can't we just forget about our genders and just be friends?" Pony went for the guilt-trip method. "Honestly, I do good things for your own good and this is what I get? I brought all sorts of things to do for the sleepover too…"

And of course, Izuku Midoriya fell for it.

"A-Ah forget whatever I said. Of course you can sleepover, in fact, I'm glad you are staying," Izuku then said. "Here, put your bag over there for now." He gestured over at the sofa.

'Like a charm.'

Pony did as she was told and put her bag on the sofa, before getting an apron out of said bag.

"Well then, without further ado…" Pony picked out the ingredients she had brought. "Let's get cooking!"

"Alright so first off, we decide what each of us is going to be doing," Pony told him. "Since I'm familiar with the dish, Izuku, you're going to chop, while I work the fire."

Izuku titled his head. "...Work the fire?"

Pony chuckled. "Oh right. It's a phrase where I'm from. It means I keep the food from burning, put spices in, that sort of thing."

Izuku seemed to understand. "So… what do we do first?"

In front of Izuku and Pony were the ingredients necessary for the recipe.

Vegetables, sausages, shrimp, broth, and a little secret spice mix that Pony claimed to have been a family spice.

Some ingredients were just best found in other countries, and those ingredients were what Pony brought aside from what Izuku already had.

"Since the shrimp have already been defrosted, dice the vegetables and cut the sausages into little bits while I heat the pan." Pony said as she turned on the stove and went to work on her side.

Izuku washed his hands and then carefully cut the ingredients. "So… anything special about these Andooee sausages you brought?" Izuku inquired.

Pony giggled. "Andouille, and that is a type of spicy sausage that's from my hometown, Louisiana. Didn't I mention that?"

Izuku frowned a little. "If you did, I don't remember," he said while cutting the ingredients.

Pony dismissed the thought. "Anywho, are you done on cutting?"

Izuku nodded. "Just about, I just need to dice the celery and onions."

Pony nodded. She then put the cast-iron pan over medium heat and drizzled a small amount of olive oil into it. After that, she grabbed the sliced sausages from Izuku's side and put them in the pan.

"Now, we fry these sausages until they're all nice and brown on all sides." Pony grabbed a wooden spoon and stirred the sausages. "If the vegetables are ready to go in, you can add them in with the rest of the ingredients."

Izuku nodded, "Yes, ma'am," and dropped them in.

And after a few minutes, the sausages were ready.

"These should do," Pony said as she grabbed a spoon and put the cooked sausages back into the bowl, but not before she took two pieces.

She ate one and offered the other to Izuku. But not in a way you might think.

"Izuku, open wide." Pony told him.

Izuku turned towards Pony with his brow raised and mouth open.

"Wha-"

Pony shoved the slice of sausage in his mouth.

Izuku, albeit surprised by the action, slowly chewed and savored the taste of the piece of meat in his mouth.

His eyes widened. 'It's a little bit spicy…'

"A little spicy huh?" Pony predicted.

Izuku slowly nodded, then he swallowed. "Y-Yeah, but it's a good spicy," he said, chewing the last of the sausage. "This is from your hometown?"

Pony nodded. "Yep!" she proudly declared.

She then grabbed the vegetables from behind Izuku, and poured the green bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic cloves, all diced, in that order.

"So what we're going to do is cook these vegetables down until they're soft and tender. It will take just a few minutes," Pony said as she continued to stir the vegetables.

"Now… what do I do?" Izuku asked.

"Oh yes, take over here at the pan real quick." Pony told him as she offered the wooden spoon.

Izuku only went over and continued on Pony's work.

"I'll be real quick." Pony said as she washed her hands, dried them, and then pulled a Canning jar that had a mixture of seasonings and spices in it.

"What's that?" Izuku asked.

Pony smiled. "This is something my mother gave me, her own personal mix of seasonings and spices for cooking Jambalaya."

"Ooh." Izuku stared in awe, before going back to his stirring. "Any idea what specific seasonings or spices are in it?"

Pony shook her head. "Nope. Mom was always secretive when it came to her cooking."

Izuku slowly nodded. "I see." He took a good look at the vegetables and they seemed like they were fine enough. "Hey Pony, I think these are good now."

Pony leaned in closer to Izuku in order to take a closer look.

But that action had Pony leaning on Izuku's shoulder, which made Izuku blush at the sudden skin contact. But Izuku managed to compose himself right away.

"Yep, they sure are. Time to get these spices in the pan…" Pony opened up the mixture of seasonings and spices and poured it all over the pan. "There we go." She nodded. "Now keep stirring for another minute."

Izuku did as he was told.

"So, you have a large family Pony?" Izuku tried to engage in small talk.

Pony shook her head. "Not really no. It's just me, Mom, Pa, and my brother in the house."

"Ah, alright." Izuku replied.

And then silence took over.

'This is so awkward.' Both of them thought.

Until a minute had passed, and the pan was good enough for the next phase.

"So It's been a minute already, what now?" He asked.

Pony grabbed a half of a cup of tomato sauce and put it in the pan. "That right, there's tomato sauce. Continue stirring for a few more minutes."

Izuku continued stirring until the tomato sauce had settled in a little into the vegetables.

"And now, we pour in this chicken broth I had in my apartment." Pony said as she pour the broth onto the pan. "And then we put back the sausages…" The girl poured in the sausages from earlier. She then grabbed the wooden spoon, stirred for a few seconds, before putting the wooden spoon away and putting back on the lid of the pan.

Pony turned back towards Izuku with a smile present on her face. "Now we'll let that simmer for about 15 minutes or so."

Izuku was amazed. "You're pretty good at cooking."

Pony blushed in embarrassment. "Stoooop."

Izuku shook his head. "No, really. You seem like you could do this dish all by yourself."

"I've tried all these times, and yet I still can't make it as good as what mom makes," Pony told him.

"Does your mom cook by herself?" Izuku asked.

Pony shook her head. "No, Dad always helps her out either by doing prep work or switching cooking duties with mom."

Izuku smiled. "Then maybe all it needs is to have two people cook the same dish together," he told her. "It does take two to tango you know."

Cooking together?

Pony let out a somber smile.

When was the last time she had company since she came to Japan?

How many times had she tried dishes from back home but they didn't taste the same.

"But… I've tried so many times, they just won't taste the same," Pony said in a quiet tone.

Izuku contemplated. "Well we won't go anywhere with a mindset like that. Have a little faith, maybe today is the day we finally recreate your mom's food, it'll taste just like home."

Pony let out a chuckle.

'Home, huh?'

Pony pumped her fist. "You're right! I ain't goin nowhere till I get this thing done! Hear that y'all?!"

"..."

"..."

Izuku smiled. 'Was that an accent?'

Pony, realizing what she just said, clamped her hands on her mouth immediately. "I just spoke in an accent didn't I?"

Izuku only looked to the side and whistled.

Pony pouted. She went closer towards Izuku and playfully pounded her fists onto his chest.

"Come on, don't be embarrassed. It was cute," Izuku suddenly said in an attempt to defuse the situation.

Pony suddenly stopped her barrage. And that's when Izuku realized what he had said.

And likewise, he too clamped his hands on his mouth immediately. All the while red in embarrassment.

He slowly turned towards Pony, who had now backed away a few feet.

She only looked to the side and whistled.

Izuku groaned, much to Pony's amusement.

"Anyways, wanna know about Louisiana?" Pony striked up conversation.

Izuku slapped his face a couple of times, before turning to Pony and nodding. "Sure why not." Izuku offered Pony a seat, and he too sat as well.

"Well, Louisiana is a pretty cool state in my opinion. It's known for many festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Bayou Country Superfest, Essence Music Festival, Festival International, Voodoo Experience, etc." Pony told him.

"I think I've seen at least one of those on television," Izuku told her.

Pony nodded. "That makes sense, it's a festival and all," she said. "Anyway, as for growing up there, I grew up in New Orleans, filled with fishing spots, festivals, and Cajun or Creole food!"

"New Orleans? What's it like there?"

"Well, it's home for one. And I would never get bored there," Pony told him. "With so many things to do, I had trouble making time for my hobbies."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"One of my hobbies is fishing, and I love fishing!" Pony enthusiastically told him. "Sure it can take a while, but it's part of the fun! Feeling that anticipation build up waiting for a fish to bite the bait, it's nerve-racking! And then when a fish finally bites, you yank the pole hard and try to keep it steady on the string! And then you-"

Pony stopped herself from saying anything further. She looked at Izuku who was only smiling. Pony's face turned red as she covered her face with her hands.

'So that's how I am when I mumble?' Izuku thought. "You really like fishing, don't you? I reckon I can find some fishing spots around Musutafu, let's go sometime."

Pony perked up. "You kidding? Absolutely!" the American laughed. "Now where was I? Oh, yes. We also have this celebration called Mardi Gras."

"Mardi Gras? What's that?"

"Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday," Pony told him. "Simply put, we dress up, dance, eat, drink, parade and much more! Just like any other festival or celebration!"

Izuku sounded interested. "That sounds like fun."

"You bet it is!" Pony said. "It's practically been my childhood! I remember, every year my family and I would look out the window to gaze at the parade. It had floats, people dancing…"

And so Izuku listened in on the stories of another country, while Pony was more than happy to do so.

But why was there that somber glow in Pony's eyes in contrast to her cheerful disposition?

"You're telling me you can drive a fanboat?"

Pony huffed with pride. "Of course I can! If you want good fish, then go deep or go home!"

They both laughed, and Izuku checked his watch.

"Oh, right it's been around 15 minutes?" Izuku told her.

Pony slowly stood up, walked over to the kitchen, opened the pan and put in one and one-half cups of white rice.

"So now that we've added the rice, we wait for another ten minutes before we put in the shrimp." Pony gestured towards the pound of jumbo shrimp in the bowl by her side.

"For ten minutes, alright." Izuku nodded.

Pony then sat back down. "Fun fact, rice is a staple food for both Japan and Louisiana." She told him. "The only difference is, at Louisiana we prefer to have it seasoned."

"And now for the shrimp." Pony gestured for Izuku to stand up. "It's your turn now Izuku."

Izuku nodded. He grabbed a pair of tongs and put each and every piece of Jumbo Shrimp gently in the pan.

"Deveined with tail-on huh," Izuku remarked.

"Yes." Pony nodded. "I like to eat the skin if it's deep fried, but when boiled, I like to peel it off myself."

Izuku laughed. "I do as well."

"But 'cause we're cooking Jambalaya, I decided these will do. Deveined with tail-on." Pony told him.

"And I'm not complaining." Izuku took a brief sniff of the dish. "It's starting to smell really good."

"Just as it's supposed to." Pony smelled the dish as well. "But if you think this is aromatic, then wait until the rice is really cooked. That'll be great!"

The Izuku and Pony's stomachs growled.

It seems both were affected by the mouth-watering aroma of the soon to be cooked Jambalaya.

Much to both of their own embarrassment, they both laughed.

"I can't wait."

"You think it's ready?" Izuku asked.

A few minutes had passed and by now the rice should have already cooked and the dish should be ready to eat. Much to the joy of both Izuku and Pony who were starving.

"Only one way to find out." Pony came closer to the pan.

The two came together in anticipation, eager to witness the fruit of their efforts.

Pony's hand stopped short of touching the lid. Both looked towards each other before they both nodded, and Pony finally lifted the lid off.

As soon as it did…

Aroma.

A most pleasant aroma flew all throughout the room. The Andouille and the Shrimp gave off a bold fragrance.

Their noses picked up the faint odor of peppers, and the simmering sauces sizzled in the heated pan.

It made them salivate at the mere sight of the Jambalaya.

Colorful arrays of red and green vegetables clumped around shrimp and buried in rice.

Perfectly palatable.

"Izuku, this ere's the result of our hard work, dedication, and effort!" Pony said. She couldn't wait any longer and grabbed two plates along with cutlery. "You ready to eat Izuku?"

Izuku nodded. "Of course I am! I'm so hungry I could eat a… nevermind."

Pony's eyes twinkled in mischief.

She knew exactly what Izuku was going to say. But with his hesitation with the phrase, could it be because of her name?

If so, then she was going to have a little fun with it.

"Hah? What was that? I didn't get what you were going to say." Pony slowly got closer to Izuku.

Izuku looked towards anywhere but Pony. "N-Nothing. I said nevermind."

Pony mischievously shook her head. "No no, You were saying a phrase or something~" she called him out. "You were so hungry you could eat a… how did the phrase go? Oh yes, So hungry you could. Eat. A. Hor-"

Izuku suddenly vanished. Next thing she knew, Izuku was by the plates about to scoop himself some food.

"Oh look the food's good to go better eat it while it's still hot!" Izuku kept his face from turning towards Pony was.

Either it was to avoid seeing Pony's proud, smug expression.

Or to hide his own embarrassment.

...Could be both.

And so they both sat down, plates filled with food. As Izuku was going to have his first bite, he stopped and looked at Pony, who's hands shakily bringing her spoonful of Jambalaya to her mouth.

The way the rice was steaming. The aroma of it all just making it all more delectable.

Seconds dragged on for what seemed like minutes as Pony brought the spoon closer to her mouth. Her eyes had this weird mix of emotion. Being both nervous and excited at the same time.

Izuku wrote that off as the normal emotion when tasting something you haven't cooked that much. But surely Pony had cooked the dish a number of times.

It might've been a trick of the light, but Izuku swore he could see Pony's eyes were a little bit wet. But he shrugged it off.

Then, at the same time as Pony, put the spoon in their mouths.

And then…

Flavor.

The Andouille made for a great complement in taste, being cut thick, the sausage was creating a more spicy taste in the dish. But not the kind of spicy you'd feel stick to your mouth getting worse for every breath you took, no. The spiciness of the Andouille all but clung to the rice and warmed the throat all the way down.

The vegetables were cooked enough to be crunchy, an added and most welcome addition to the mostly soft dish.

The rice wasn't too soggy, nor was it overcooked. The rice was just balanced, making it easy on the intake.

The jumbo shrimp accented the whole dish as well as it did its aroma. The consistency of the shrimp whilst chewing had improved the whole experience. As for the shrimp tails, they put them on the side of their plate.

And rather than conversing with each other, they both chose to eat their meal in a comfortable silence.

And the pan goes to the sink.

"I'm stuffed," Izuku said as he went back to the chair and leaned back. He rubbed his belly. "That… was delicious."

"Yeah, yeah it was," Pony plainly said. Her gaze still on her plate.

Izuku raised an eyebrow at her lackluster tone. "What's wrong?"

"H-Huh? What? N-Nothing's wrong," Pony tried to dismiss.

Izuku sighed. "I thought It was just a trick of the light but earlier when we were talking about your hometown, you had this… sad look in your eyes," he told her. "I'm your friend, Pony. If you don't want to talk about it that's fine. I'm just… concerned."

Pony nodded.

That's right. Izuku was a friend.

The friend who agreed to let her sleepover uninvited.

The friend who taught her how to speak Japanese.

And the friend who helped her make the Jambalaya taste so awfully close to home it hurt.

"Alright, Izuku," Pony started. "The Jambalaya, the dish we made was better than all of my previous attempts to make it. It tasted like… home." Pony looked at Izuku with teary eyes.

And then Izuku understood.

That glint in her eyes when she was talking about New Orleans.

Her eyes were a bit wet while eating.

'Home…'

He came to a conclusion. "You're homesick…"

Pony nodded. "I least, I think so," she admitted. "Do you know… just why I wanted to go here? Why I wanted to cook Jambalaya so badly? Why I wanted to cook with you?"

Izuku motioned for her to go on. Not saying a word.

Pony dropped a few tears. "Because I wanted company. It's childish but I wanted someone near me so bad. I've spent a few months living on my own and I was fine, but now that I have someone to talk to on equal ground, I don't want to be alone anymore."

"I've cooked Jambalaya more times than I can remember, and it's never tasted as good as it did now." Her hands balled into fists. "I was starting to get frustrated. I've been doing the same thing over and over again without improvement. It was starting to piss me off."

Izuku was a little thrown off. He had never seen this side of Pony before.

"B-But then why did you want to cook it with me?" Izuku managed to say. "I-I mean if it agitated you so much then why did you cook it with me?"

Pony kept her head down. "Because…"

The girl slowly put her head back up.

Izuku's eyes widened at the girl's puffy eyes.

"Because I wanted to feel home again," she said. "I miss my family. I miss going on fishing trips with my dad, cooking with my mom… I miss a lot of stuff when I moved here to Japan," she said.

"This dish. Jambalaya, is one of the many dishes that make me remember home, an anchor. And when I couldn't make it as good as me and my mom did, I grew sad, each and every time," she sniffed. "I… I just wanted to feel at home again."

Izuku stood up, grabbed a tissue and offered it to Pony.

He couldn't fully understand Pony's situation. He'd never been so long away from home before.

But judging from Pony's current disposition, it couldn't have been a good feeling.

To be miles away from home.

In an unfamiliar environment.

Family and friends on another continent.

But needless to say. He'd be damned if he didn't do anything to cheer up his friend.

"You ever watch an anime episode or read a book and say 'Man that scene felt pretty rushed.' ?" Izuku asked.

"H-Huh?" Pony raised an eyebrow as she sneezed. That was a random question. "Y-Yes. Why?"

"You know why they feel rushed? Because the person making it is probably out of time and they have to rush. But sometimes, they make the same thing over and over again and it gets old, and they lose motivation in doing it properly," Izuku told her.

Pony grew confused. "W-What do you mean?"

"Monotony can be boring," Izuku stated. "If you do the same thing over and over again without improvements, you start to get agitated. Once agitated, you mostly just do something just to get it done. You cut corners, skip steps, just to get that certain thing done." He explain.

"And you know what happens then?"

Pony's eyes widened in realization. "It… shows on the outcome."

Izuku gave her a thumbs up in approval. "Exactly! What you feel reflects in your work," he said. "And that's the reason why the Jambalaya we made was so good!"

Pony smiled. "Because I had… fun making it," she wiped her tears. "I… had fun cooking it! I had so much fun cooking!"

Izuku smiled.

There she was.

"See? You just have to get into the mood to make great stuff." Izuku stood up and brought the plates and cutlery to the sink to wash them. "Now I'm in the mood to wash some dishes. Care to help?"

Pony nodded and went up to Izuku's side to help.

While they were taking turns washing and rinsing, Izuku's mind was preoccupied with another point Pony brought up.

Her homesickness.

How was he going to help her if he himself didn't know how to?

Subtly, Izuku came to a realization.

'I know only one person who at least suffered homesickness before.' Izuku deduced. 'I'm going to have to call him later for advice.'

Meanwhile, Pony was also pondering.

Why was she so comfortable cooking with Izuku?

The anxiety she felt all of the times she cooked before.

The nervousness she had before taking the lid off the pan.

She didn't feel any of that.

When she was cooking with Izuku… she genuinely felt happy.

Then she looked at Izuku, who noticed her gaze, paused in his work and smiled back at her, before paying attention to the dishes again.

In that instant, her heart skipped a beat, and her face felt warm.

'I'm…. happy being here… with you.'

"With the dishes done, it is now time for the next phase of the sleepover," Pony told him. "Care to guess what it is?"

"Uumm…" Izuku had no clue. "Sleeping?"

Pony didn't even try to resist the urge to facepalm. "Do you see what time it is?"

"7:30pm?" Izuku replied.

"And that, in my book, is too early to sleep," Pony stated. "No, what we will do is something fun, exciting, and exhilarating!"

Izuku winced.

'This can't be good.'

"The gaming phase! Where we play games till the clock strikes 12!" Pony declared.

Izuku let out a sigh.

'Safe.'

"Come on, let's boot up your console and start playing." Pony said as she did just that.

"B-But I don't have a second controller."

Pony snickered. "That's why I brought my own!" She said. "You mind getting it for me? It's on the front zipper of my bag, the smaller one."

"Sure." Izuku walked over to Pony's bag to get the controller.

Pony's eyes widened as she remembered something.

She didn't only keep her controller in there, she also kept her… underwear.

"Izuku stop!" Pony told him as she turned around.

Luckily, Izuku had only opened a fraction of the zipper, so her underwear was safe from Izuku's eyes.

Pony sighed.

"What? What's wrong?" Izuku asked.

"My und-" Pony stopped herself.

Izuku was still clueless. "What?"

'WERE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO SAY YOUR OWN UNDERWEAR'S LOCATION? GET YOURSELF TOGETHER GIRL! YOU AREN'T THIRSTY!' she screamed in her head.

"Well, I don't really know your console that much, so I think it would be better for me to search my own bag, and for you to set up your own console." Pony said as she playfully bonked herself in the head.

Izuku raised an eyebrow but complied nonetheless. He stood up and went towards his console while Pony went towards her bag.

As soon as Izuku was behind Pony, the girl wiped sweat off of her forehead.

'Safe.'

"Hey, the console's ready," Izuku said.

Pony nodded and turned around. Brandishing her yellow controller.

"It's game time!"

"Did you just knife me, Pony?"

"You mad, Izuku?"

"It's a gun game for a reason, Pony."

"Yeah, yeah. But rules are made to be broken."

"If so then HYAAA."

"...Did you seriously knife me? I'm not even at a high enough score."

"Wanna knife the other players?"

"The one who knifes the most wins?"

"Let's go."

"You know, I'm kinda glad I can speak and understand Japanese now."

"Why is that?"

"Cause now I can copy and say my favorite catchphrases."

"Like what?"

"Like… now! STAR PLATINUM: ZA WARUDO!"

"Nani?!"

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"

"You were waiting for that chance weren't you, Pony?"

"What? I'm a Japanese citizen now. I can say these things."

"Sorry, but it's my game! SAISHO WA GŪ, JAN... KEN... GŪ!"

"Aw come on!"

"What? Consider yourself lucky I didn't use All Might."

"All Might's in the game?"

"Yeah, there's a comic of him in the Weekly Shōnen Jump. Guess they decided to put him in Jump Force as DLC."

"Izuku, to be honest, Jump Force is a crappy game."

"...Really now? You wanna get in this argument?"

"~Deja vu, I've just been in this place before~"

"Pony, this is Gran Turismo Sport. Not Initial D."

"But it's still a racing game. Now don't be such a sourpuss and sing with me," Pony said. "~Deja vu, I've just been in this time before~?"

Izuku sighed.

"Higher on the street and I know it's my place to go~"

Pony let out a grin.

"~Calling you and the search is mystery~"

"~Standing on my feet~"

"~It's so hard when I try to be me~"

"Yeah!"

"When you think back on what this game started as… it's amazing that it got this far."

"Hey, Minecraft isnt all about blocks, Pony, it's about making your own world, playing in your own sandbox."

"It's amazing when you put it like that."

"It sure i- Pony look out behind you a Creeper!"

"A Creepe-"

*BOOM*

"..."

"..."

"Told you we should've gone for wool first."

"...Should've listened."

"Time check, 11:00 pm," Pony said as she stretched.

"Yeah, didn't think that much time had passed," Izuku said as he was turning off the console.

"Time flies when you're having fun," Pony said.

Neither of them wanted the day to end.

Come on Pony, think of something to do!' She racked her brain.

What could they do this late at night?

Luckily, Izuku had something up his sleeve.

"Hey Pony, want some coffee or tea?" Izuku asked. He went up to the kitchen and grabbed a coffee maker along with a few tea bags.

"...Eh?"

"Do you want coffee? Or tea?" Izuku asked again.

"Eh- uhm, coffee!" Pony said.

Izuku nodded as he put the tea bags back to where they belong. He then plugged in the coffee maker and brought out coffee beans.

Pony took a seat at the table while watching Izuku. "You drink coffee, makes sense." She attempted to start a conversation.

"Do I look like a tea person?"

"I reckon you drink nothing but tea all day like a sophisticated man."

Izuku chuckled. "My mom drinks tea. I could drink tea as well, but I like the kick that coffee has."

Pony chuckled as well.

'This might be a chance.' Izuku planned. He grasped the phone in his pocket. 'Alright.'

He put the coffee beans in the machine. He turned it on and heard the sound of the waking machine.

"Pony, care to watch the coffee maker for about a bit? I have a call to make," Izuku told her as he went out the door.

Pony gave him a mock salute. "Aye aye Izuku!"

He nodded. "I'm just outside the door if you need me."

Izuku leaned against the railing in front of his apartment door. He brought out his phone and called a certain number.

A number whose owner he didn't get to see for a long period of time.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Click!

[Hey, Hisashi Midoriya-kun here. What dost thou need of moi dear son?]

Izuku laughed. "Hey, dad."

[How's my little green bean?]

"I'm fine Dad. But I need your help with something."

He could hear his father chuckle knowingly on the other side of the phone.

[Something? Or someone?]

Izuku clicked his tongue. "Someone. How did you know?"

[You're a smart boy Izuku. If it was something you know how to do you'd figure it out yourself. So it must've been a person. So what's up?]

Izuku sighed. "I have this friend, she's a foreigner at about 4 or so months into Japan. Long story short, she's suffering a little homesickness. I was hoping you'd be able to help."

[Kid. You came to me for advice?]

"You've been there before am I wrong?"

[No, no kid. That's not the problem.]

"Then-"

[Look, homesickness isn't that big a deal, but it isn't a small one either. It's… something that differs from person to person.]

"Then how? I just…"

Izuku clenched his fists. "I just want to help her. She just seemed so sad and I… I don't want to see her like that."He heard his father let out a brief chuckle.

[You're a good kid, you know that?]

Izuku blushed in embarrassment. "W-W-What? I-I mean t-thanks but Dad that's embarrassing!"His father's laugh grew.

[But kid, in all honesty, you can't be the one to help her. Homesickness has no remedy other than getting over it with time.]

"Can't you just give me one thing so she can feel a little bit better?"

He refused to accept that he couldn't help.

That there was no other way.

Hisashi sighed at the other end of the call.

[Kid, have her call her parents. It's a start I'll give you that.]

Izuku nodded.

It wasn't the solution he wanted, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Alright, thanks, Dad."

[Just give me a holler and I'll do my best. Good luck with your girl Izuku!]

Click.

Izuku stared blankly at the phone for a moment. Before heading back into his apartment.

All the while that little thing his Dad said remained in his mind.

'What did he mean by 'Good luck'?'

"Oh hey, that was quick," Pony greeted him.

Izuku smiled. "Hey." Izuku made his way towards the coffee machine, thinking on what he should do.

'Well, no better time than the present, right?'

"Hey Pony, why don't you call your parents," Izuku smoothly said. "Brag about the dish we made. How you finally got it right."

Pony's eyes grew wide in remembrance.

Of course, how could she forget?

She was so going to brag about it to her parents.

"You're right!" Pony swiftly grabbed her phone and went out the door. "It's about early morning there right now! Perfect time to call."

She paused in front of the door." Thanks, Izuku. I'll be right back."

Izuku waved her goodbye. "Take your time."

He saw her leave and heard the door close with a click.

Yet, he couldn't stop himself from frowning.

"I hope all goes well."

Pony dialed a number in her phone, she put the phone against her ear as soon as the other side answered.

[Hello there, Tsunotori Residence.] A female voice answered albeit the tone was drowsy.

Pony giggled. "Hey, mom! Guess what?"

[Oh, Pony! What is it?]

"I actually made Jambalaya as good as yours!"

[Wait… really?]

"Yes, really!"

[You're not pulling my leg right now or…]

Pony groaned. "How hard is it to believe I actually cooked food as good as yours?"

Her mom laughed.

[Come on Pony, I was just messing with you. Good job, Pony! It's been a while since you last called. And this early too, or I guess for Japan it's late. Your father's still asleep.]

Pony chuckled. "That sounds like him."

[Oh right, earlier this week, your father had an appointment that went so well he went home and said 'I'm a mad manager, is so cool… Sunovabitch.']

Both of them laughed at the joke.

"Did he really say that?"

[I bonked him right in the head afterwards though, but lightly. Anyways, how's My Little Pony doing?]

"Mom, when will you stop with that nickname?"

[What? It's cute.]

"You're messing with me aren't you?"

[What else is a mother to do?]

"Mom!" Pony groaned.

Her mother's laughter could be heard on the phone.

[We miss you Pony. How's Japan so far?]

Pony couldn't stop her frown. "It's… fine."

[Hold up, what's that tone you have there?]

"W-What tone?"

[Don't lie to your mother Pony. What's wrong?]

"N-Nothings wrong with me," Pony denied.

[Pony. Are you being bullied? Tell me who and I'll get a ticket and-]

"N-No one's bullying anyone, Mom!"

[Then why are you sad?]

"I'm not sad… I'm just..." Pony struggled to continue.

[Pony, I'm your Mother, you can talk to me.]

The American sighed.

"I guess I just… I miss home." Pony looked out with a faraway gaze. "I miss you guys, I miss New Orleans, I miss fishing… I want to go home," she said.

[Okay. Then why did you even go to Japan in the first place?]

Pony raised an eyebrow. "B-But you know why."

[Yes I do, but I want to hear it from you. Why did you go to Japan, Pony?]

"T-To… To be a hero."

[What exactly did you say when you asked us for permission to go to another country to be a hero?]

Pony looked down at the lights from the buildings in front of her. "I-I wanted… to go to the best hero academy in the world and become a hero."

[Exactly! And would you rather cancel your study there and go back home here? Cause I can do that in a heartbeat if you wanted me to.]

Pony's eyes became wide. "W-W-What? No! I want to stay here!"

[Didn't you just said earlier that you missed home?]

"Yes I did, but…" Pony sniffed. " I-I'm confused…"

[Pony, dear. Listen to me.] her mother said in a caring tone.

[You don't want to come home, you want to feel at home,] her mother said. [Your father would be a much better person to talk to for things like these. But I'll do my best for you.]

[Pony, we'll always be here for you. Waiting for you to come home. But we'll be damned if you don't become a hero before that. Your Dad would pamper you full time once you do. Gotta have the resilience of a hero to deal with that.]

Pony laughed as she dried her tears. "Yeah, he would do that."

[Hey, you wanna hear a story Pony?]

"S-sure."

[When your Dad first came to the states, he got homesick, and at the time he was just as homesick as you now. He'd been like that for 3 months. Irritable, unfocused, unmotivated, lazy. He missed his family, his home, he missed Japan.] Her mother told her. [But you know how he got over it?"]

"N-No, how?"

Her mother chuckled. [I don't mean to be cheesy but… your father met me,] she admitted. [He started smiling a lot. He got along with his coworkers, he was really motivated at times. And I pushed him to do so.]

"W-Wow," Pony manages to say.

[Moral of the story: find an anchor, Pony. Find something that makes your time there worthwhile whilst reaching towards your ultimate goal,] her mother said. [Don't waste your time feeling sad when you could do all sorts of things. Are you some gal who can't do anything by herself?]

[I want an answer, Pony.]

"N-No, I'm not."

[Do you always need someone to rescue you?]

"No, I don't."

[Is Pony Tsunotori the kind of girl who waits for things to come to her?]

"No! She takes the chance and leaps!" Pony told her with renewed vigor.

Her mother was right, why was she wasting her time feeling sad and homesick?

She had her parents support.

Sure she missed home, she couldn't forget about it after all.

But by her Mother's advice, all she had to do was find an anchor. Someone who would make her time here worthwhile.

Then, Pony's eyes glanced up at the brightly shining moon up above.

She took a deep breath and prepared to let it out.

"Su-"

But a feather brushed past her nose and made her sneeze. But that didn't stop the words from leaving.

"Tsuki!"

Pony blushed at the memory.

'Why did I think of that?' Pony asked herself. She then took a glance at the door behind her.

Or rather, remembering the green-haired boy inside.

'Izuku?'

Though her thoughts were interrupted by her mother.

[Do you feel better now, Pony?]

Pony smiled. "Yes I am Mom, thanks a lot. I needed that."

[And I'm glad I helped,] her mother replied. [Did you make any new friends there?]

"Yeah, I have," Pony cheerfully said. "Not a lot, but I've made a couple. They've been really kind to me."

[Really? How so?]

Pony smiled. "One is this classmate, I have, she's like a big sister. She's helped everyone in my class get through the first days of school. And another even went so far as to teach me Japanese! He spent a month bearing with my horrible Englipanese just to teach me!"

[Wow, he sounds like a good friend?]

Pony nodded. "He really is! He even helped me make the Jambalaya! It tasted so good!"

[He helped you?]

Pony awkwardly laughed. "Well… I can't say it was voluntary… I mean I did force him a bit."

[You sound like you're very comfortable around this… boy.] Her mother said in a suggestive tone. [How old is he?]

"He's my age, we are in the same school year," Pony told her. "And yeah, he makes me feel really comfortable. He can speak English really well, and the conversations we have are really fun. And he's got this dorky thing where sometimes he's really cool and at others he's really awkward and shy."

[So you think he's cute?]

"Cute? Why would you-" Pony finally realized.

How had she missed her mother's subtle attempts at information gathering?

[Hehe.]

"M-Mom?"

[Hehehehe.]

"M-Mom? You okay?"

[Tell me more about his boy,] her mother asked rather suspiciously.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she chose to answer. "Sure, but what do you want to know?"

Surely her mother could only ask simpl-

[You think your father would like him?]

Pony burst in red.

"M-MOM!"

[Oh my God are you blushing? Wait till your father hears about this-]

"OH MY GOD, MOM! WHY?!"

Needless to say, Pony's mother drilled her for information. They spent a long time on the phone together

Izuku had already finished setting up the table with coffee mugs, a cup with sugar cubes, some teaspoons, etc. before Pony got back. He was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as she walked through the door.

"Oh hey Pony. That took a while, everything alright?" Izuku asked, wondering how the conversation went.

Pony smiled at him as she made her way back to her chair. "I've never been better."

Izuku smiled back as he hid a sigh in relief.

"You took a while, so, in the spare time I had, I made PB&J's." Izuku laid out the sandwiches in place for them both. "I hope this makes for a good midnight snack."

Pony nodded. "It does, thank you."

Izuku sat down in front of her, as they partook in the late-night snack.

"So, what did your family say about the Jambalaya?" Izuku asked, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"..."

Izuku raised an eyebrow and looked at Pony due to her being unresponsive

Only to find said girl as red as a tomato.

"Pony? Do you have a fever or something?"

"N-N-No, it's nothing," Pony stuttered. "She said I did a good job."

Pony managed to say as bits of their conversation about Izuku were coming back to her.

'Mom, why?'

"This is the first time I've slept in the living room before."

Izuku and Pony had finished their food and washed the dishes. Now, it was time for only one thing.

Sleep.

Izuku still wouldn't let Pony into his room, and they couldn't sleep in his Mom's room even with her bed being bigger.

So they went with option C: the living room.

"Really now?" Pony asked him.

"Yeah, I have a room for a reason," Izuku told her.

He moved the table out of the way and into the kitchen as Pony laid out her sleeping bag.

Then Izuku put his own sleeping bag next to hers with a small distance in between.

"There, now we can sleep," Izuku said. Before turning off the lights and laying down on the sleeping bag.

As both of them laid down on their respective sleeping bags, it got really quiet really fast.

"Hey, Izuku?" Pony attempted to break the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for having me over," Pony told him. "I had a lot of fun."

"..."

Izuku smiled.

Pony thought Izuku was asleep due to the silence. "Izuku?"

"No, thank you, Pony," Izuku said. "This has been my best sleepover yet."

"Isn't it your first?"

"Exactly!"

Pony smiled and giggled. "You're welcome then." She pulled up her blanket. "Goodnight, Izuku."

"Goodnight, Pony."

As they both said their goodnights to each other, Pony turned over to where izuku was located.

Albeit it was dark, the windows still brought a little bit of light to see the least bit of figures.

But she could see Izuku's sleeping face clearly.

[You think he's cute?]

Pony smiled as she remembered.

She never did answer that question, but if she had to...

Well, she had him invite her over, practically forced Izuku to let her sleepover, but he never complained. He even thanked her!

And so to answer her mother's question:

Did she find the understanding, gentle, helpful, kind green-haired boy right beside her cute?

Yes.

Pony smiled as she whispered something before she fell into slumber.

'I do.'

AN: HOOLLYY SH*T. I WAS GONE FOR A LONG WHILE WASN'T I? WELL YOU CAN BLAME MY LAST MINUTE CRUNCHING FOR EXAMS FOR THAT.

YES. PONY IS FROM NEW ORLEANS, IN MY FIC AT LEAST.

I WAS JUST SEARCHING FOR DISHES THAT THEY COULD COOK. AND JAMBALAYA CAME UP. SO JUST LIKE THAT, Pony Tsunotori IS FROM NEW ORLEANS!

SIGNING OFF… ZacFF.