3

There's a common adage: Misery Loves Company.

Most see it as an expression of contempt: They're miserable and want you to suffer, too, for some form of schadenfreude as a distraction from their own discomfort.

Some would prefer to see it another way: the miserable want companionship.

…

The girl winced as Izuku hit his leg on the way down, gracefully falling out of her headstand while he scrambled to his feet. "What're you doing here?!" he asked shrilly.

"Uh…it's a park," she pointed out, running a hand through her hair to remove any errant grass.

"Oh, right," Izuku mumbled, face red.

"What were you doing?" she asked, gesturing at him. "Were you working out? I can't imagine someone doing a headstand that long for no reason."

"Y-yeah, I am," he replied, feeling sweat bead his forehead under her attention. GIRL! His brain continued to shriek, his sharp eyes quickly darting over her form. She was lithe but shapely, with ash-blonde hair down around her shoulders and those curious honey-colored eyes with a slit to them. Under the shade of the trees and with her head slightly tilted, her pupils were diamond-shaped and brought to mind a cat. CUTE GIRL! His mind added. SELF-DESTRUCT IN 5.

Then he caught on to the end of her sentence. "…Were you watching me?"

She flushed and looked away, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Y-yeah, just for tw-fifteen minutes."

It had been twenty minutes.

She'd been walking through the park, getting some peaceful distance from her home, when she saw his legs pointing towards the sky. Drawn by her curiosity, she'd approached him and observed his rock-steady stand before her eyes were drawn to the edge of his shirt. It had been tucked into his waistband; but before her eyes it slowly started to peel away.

Izuku had always been on the lean side, something exacerbated by his daily jogs and later runs. But when he'd become old enough for more serious training tilted towards endurance, he went from having the form of a runner to more of a swimmer's build, thanks in no small part to all the swimming he did.

So when the shirt had curled down to reveal a slice of Izuku's pale, muscled abdomen, her eyes had locked onto the sight. Boy, her mind had whispered, hot boy. She'd spent the next ten minutes mentally chanting, fall, fall, fall! At the shirt until she had swallowed dryly and realized she was being a bit of a creep. His bod's nice, but what about the face? She had tried to tilt her head to side but that hadn't helped so she did her own headstand.

Then his eyes had snapped open to reveal verdant green irises.

"W-why were you doing that, anyway?" She asked, hoping that her burning cheeks weren't too obvious. "Are you training for something?"

"Uh, yeah, actually," he admitted, raising his shirt to wipe his sweaty forehead. "I'm training to be a Hero."

Her eyes latched onto his abdomen again. "R-really? That's a nice body-dream! That's a nice dream…" Her face fell slightly. "I wanted to be a Hero, too…"

Izuku arched an eyebrow at her dismayed countenance. "'Wanted?'" He probed lightly.

"I just…can't," she shrugged and put a fake smile on her face. Then her eyes fell and her face went red as her hand shot out to point at his leg. "B-b-blood!" Her cheeks puffed out with a restrained scream and she spun around, clapping her hands over her eyes.

Izuku looked down and found he'd scraped his leg on the tree as he fell, opening several small cuts that were slowly dripping the carmine life-fluid. "Oh," he said, unconcerned. After nearly dying in a variety of horrible ways to unlock his chakra, a little stinging pain was nothing. He peeled his shoe and sock off to dip his leg into the creek, getting a squeak from the girl. He looked down at the wound, then back at her cowering form.

"Is this why you can't be a Hero?" Izuku asked gently. "Because you're afraid of blood?"

"Mmhm," she nodded, still hiding her red face. "When I see blood, I…I just can't help it…it's not v-very heroic…"

Izuku pulled a sandy colored rock into his field and turned it into sand, pasting over the wound in the shape of a bandaid. "All covered up, see?" He lifted his leg to show her. "And, you know…there's nothing un-heroic about being afraid, you know? Courage is facing your fears, and Heroes have that in spades. I mean…maybe it's something you can train to…get over?"

He trailed off nervously, hoping he hadn't scared her off with a lecture. The way she peeked between her fingers was extremely cute, as was the gusty sigh she released. It also drew his attention to her chest. Rishi Prep? He wondered, noting the school uniform. It's a Saturday…

"Y-you really think so?" She asked shyly, playing with her fingers.

"Yeah, I know so," Izuku said strongly, "I believe that anyone can become better if they're willing to try, and I believe in you!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief at the air of determination around him, at the shine in his dark green eyes. "That…that's a kind of sudden thing to say to someone you don't even know…" she murmured, blushing under the weight of his gaze, looking away to play with the hem of her school skirt.

"Oh, uh," Izuku shrunk into himself and scratched his cheek. "S-sorry…I'm Izuku, by the way. Midoriya Izuku."

"Toga Himiko," she introduced herself, bowing slightly before fidgeting with her fingers. "Er, Midoriya-san…do you come by h-here often?"

"Every Saturday," he nodded, "Er, why?"

"You said training might help me…w-would you…? Would you help me?" Toga refused to meet his eyes, preferring to watch her foot play with a clump of grass. Speaking of sudden things…

"Um…I don't know how I could help…" He admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Toga slumped in on herself with a sad sigh, and he hurried to add, "But d-don't worry, Toga-san!" Izuku gave her a determined look and a thumbs up. "I will definitely find a way to help you!"

She blinked at him, taking in his stance and the light in his eyes. Then she giggled. "Okay, Midoriya-kun," she agreed. "So…next Saturday?"

"Next Saturday."

…

On the run home, Izuku scoured his mind for an answer to the question, how does one get over a fear of blood? He asked his mom that night over dinner. "Mom? How do you get over your fears?"

Inko paused with a forkful of salad halfway to her mouth. "I-I don't really know, Izuku," she shrugged helplessly, "I haven't really gotten over mine, but…being pushed by Mitsuki, wanting to provide…my fears haven't really gone away, but…there are more important things, you know?"

Izuku gave his mother a loving smile and made her blush in embarrassment. "Yeah, I think I do."

He consulted the book after dinner, which didn't offer much in the way of 'getting over' fear as much as harnessing it.

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions to be leashed for your purposes. Fear of Death is very common and useful, as we as a species are coded, in a sense, to fear the cessation of existence. All the ambitions, hopes and dreams, disappear into nothing. That's horrifying. Harnessing The Fear of Death can provide power when it is needed most.

However, there is a greater source. Fear of the Loss of a Loved One. There within lies the greatest strength, with the greatest cost. Imagine one you love desperately dying in your arms…imagine the light leaving their eyes, the ragged sigh of life leaving their lips.

Imagine they died because of you.

Izuku set the book down, his hands shaking. He didn't want to, but his mind imagined it for him. His mother, blood dripping from her lips, green eyes that matches his own dull and glazed. Mitsuki, slumped lifelessly against a wall, the potent energy of her being puddled under her legs. He felt his heart race, his hands gripped his skull unconsciously, knuckles creaking.

It's not real, he reminded himself, forcefully shaking his head. It's. Not. Real. The fear eventually dissipated, but the flood of adrenaline did not. Hopping to his feet, Izuku went through the stances of Wing Chun that he knew, the dummy creaking under the strength of his blows.

Eventually it all left him, and he slumped at his desk to read some more.

Potent, isn't it?

Imagine being afraid of spiders. Imagine that fear is stopping you from saving the life of one you love.

Doesn't seem so scary now, does it?

While it was a tiring lesson to learn, it also didn't help Izuku at all with Toga's fear of blood. Looking it up online brought up a solution, though one he was loath to try it. Perhaps an answer lay somewhere else?

…

The Next Saturday…

Toga walked nervously through the park, eyes flicking over the foliage. Is he going to show up? She wondered, swallowing subtly. Did I come on too strong? Her fears weren't relieved when she arrived at the spot she'd found him before. There was no one there and worse, every patch of slightly darker leaves or grass reminded her of his hair, playing tricks on her eyes.

"M-Midoriya-san?" She asked out loud, biting her lip in worry. "Izuku?!" She called, feeling her throat tighten in distress. Oh no…I scared him away! Why would he want to meet the weird girl who's 'afraid' of blood? He-

"Toga-san!" A familiar, friendly voice called from behind, making her spin around. There Izuku was, walking along the creek with a bag in hand, a soaking wet t-shirt grasping at his chest. He gave her a sheepish smile and a wave, his shirt stretching to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of muscled stomach. "Sorry I'm late, I was training in the water and lost track of time."

"O-oh, that's okay," she sighed heavily, relief flooding through her chest to pool warmly in her belly. "What kind of training?"

"Well," he set his bag down on the grass and sat with a slight squish. "I was using water resistance to train my speed in martial arts, so I anchored myself to the river bed up a ways."

Toga blinked at him. …Underwater? "W-were you holding your breath the whole time?" She asked distantly.

"Huh?" Izuku gave her a confused look. "No, my head was above the water…although…maybe I should put my head under water to increase my lung capacity…that would also make my Kiai more efficient if I have to measure how much breath versus how much power…hmm…"

Himiko blinked again, honey eyes staring as the young man sitting by her muttered up a storm. …Is he nuts? "Um, Izuku- er, Midoriya, you aren't seriously considering that…are you?"

Izuku looked at her in confusion, like her question was odd. "Oh yeah, totally," he answered casually, before giving her a bright smile. "That's a really good idea, Toga-san! Thanks!"

"Y-yeah," she mumbled, her stomach fluttering at the happiness on his face, feeling her own cheeks redden. "Glad I had it…um, speaking of, where would you train that?"

"About twenty minutes up the creek where it turns into a river," he replied, pulling an apple from his bag and biting into it. He offered her another. "Want one?"

"Sure. Thank you." Toga bit into the crunchy flesh, piercing the red skin with her teeth and spilling a line of the sweet juice from the corner of her lips. The redness, the sweetness…it reminded her of something else sweet and red…She shook her head. "So, Midoriya-san, what kind of training do you have in mind?"

He swallowed his bite and licked his lips. "I found a few methods that I think might work, and the one I want to start with is meditation."

"I don't know how to do that, though," she pointed out.

"I'll show you."

And he did. It took Izuku two meetings to get her to let go of her body and sink into the trance, but she eventually succeeded.

…

Two Weeks Later

"...Are you still here, Toga-san?" He asked gently, sitting with his back to hers. Her eyes were closed and her face was emotionless, but he could feel her heartbeat through his back, and it wasn't in a sleep state.

She hummed lowly.

"Good. I want you to imagine your heart. It's in the center of your chest, between your lungs," he murmured, closing his eyes and doing the same. "You can see it. Hear it as it pumps steadily, exchanging blood. It streams through it, a rich dark red, colored by iron and oxygen. Then it branches out into the arteries, then branches further still into innumerable veins. Can you feel the heat, the subtle vibration as it thrums under your skin? It's the feeling of life in your body, the human nature at work. There's nothing to fear."

Toga moaned. Izuku blinked and looked at her over his shoulder. Her cheeks were pink, one her plump lips pinched between her teeth. Then her eyes flew open and she whipped around to meet his gaze, her face and neck going red as she ducked and covered to avoid him.

"I'm sorry!" She wailed, sniffling into her hands. "I just…I just keep seeing it in my mind and-and…it gets to me! I'm sorry!"

Izuku chanced resting a hand on her shoulder, keeping it there as she relaxed minutely. "It's alright, Toga-san," he murmured, "Any progress is a step forward, alright? And a step forward is still farther than you were before."

"…Yeah…" she sighed, rubbing her face. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied, pushing himself to his feet and checking his phone. "I've got to start on the way back…maybe add a few more pounds to make up for lost time…" He'd muttered the second part under his breath, but she heard it as clearly as a gunshot. "So, next Saturday?"

"Yeah," Toga swallowed, feeling lower than dirt.

"Don't be discouraged, Toga-san," Izuku said comfortingly, "We'll make more progress next week, and the week after that, as long as it takes!"

"…Okay," she mumbled, instantly feeling the loss of his warmth as he ran off. "He's giving up his training time to help me?" She wondered aloud, wrapping her hands around her knees and rocking in place. "And you're just lying to him because you're afraid…you're afraid he'll be afraid…"

She sat there for two hours more, recriminating herself and debating in equal measure before she came to a conclusion.

The next week, after another failed mediation, as Izuku got up to leave, she reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Midoriya-kun," she started, feeling the blood rushing to her cheeks as she licked her lips. "I know you're giving up time you could be training to achieve your dream to help me-"

"W-what?!" Izuku shrilled, looking shocked, "I never said that!"

"You kinda mumbled about lost time last week," she pointed out, feeling her chest seize at the shame on his face. "I want to make it up to you!" She blurted out.

He blinked at her. "It…it's not that much time, Toga-chan," he admitted softly, resting his hand on top of hers. "And helping you is my privilege, not a problem. I…I would like to think of you as a…a f-friend."

"Me too, Midoriya-kun!" She replied, a warmth and lightness in her chest as her fingers squeezed his arm.

"And friends help their friends," he continued, even through a blinding smile and the beginnings of happy tears.

"Then let me help you!" Toga insisted, pulling herself up to bring them face-to-face. "You just said it yourself!"

Izuku opened his mouth, then paused. "I guess I did," he shrugged sheepishly, before sighing. "Okay, Toga-chan. I will accept help…from my friend."

"Good," she nodded firmly, then darted in to hug him briefly, both of their faces flaming. "So what do you need help with?"

He took on a thinking pose. "Well, I guess my biggest roadblock now is that I'm trying to learn the basics of martial arts, but there's only so much I can do on my own."

Toga squinted her eyes in thought. "Why don't you go to a dojo?" She pointed out an obvious answer.

"I-I learn better on my own!" He answered quickly, the sheer anxiety on his face making her feel bad. "A-and there would be other people and they'll be friends and I'll be intruding and they'll push me aside and then-"

"What about your friends?" She interjected

Izuku shrugged. "I don't have any friends," he said so plainly that it must've been true. Then he blushed and fiddled with his fingers. "B-besides you, I mean."

Toga gaped at him. Even I have friends! "Izuku…" she bit her lip. "How can I help you learn Martial Arts? I know some gymnastics, but that's about it."

"All you've got to do is correct my stances and make sure I'm doing it right, that's it," he said quickly, picking up his bag and scanning through it before remembering that it only had his snacks and water bottle inside. "Oh right. I forgot I didn't bring any of the manuals with me. I guess we can do it next week."

"I guess," Toga muttered, scratching her cheek. "…So what should we do today?"

Izuku scratched his chin. "Well, we could med-"

"No!" She shouted, making him jump. "Sorry, Midoriya-kun, I just think I have too much energy to meditate right now. Maybe something else?"

He huffed. "Okay…how about yoga?"

Toga blinked at him, then narrowed her eyes. "Are you making a joke?" At his clueless look she elaborated, "You know, Toga, yoga…"

Izuku thought for a second, then gave an honest chuckle. "Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that!" He stopped laughing. "But do you want to do yoga?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

They stood together in the middle of their little clearing, Izuku leading them in gentle stretches with his eyes closed, Toga watching and matching his stances. "Hey, Toga-chan," he murmured, one palm pressed to the grass with the other arching over his head, "Once we get you over your fear of blood-" unseen, her eye twitched guiltily, "-we could start training you to be a Hero. Would you…would you like that?"

She sighed deeply, hiding it as an exhalation. "I would, Midoriya-kun. I would."

…

Four Weeks Later…

Izuku had managed some progress in his learning of martial arts thanks to Toga's help, though it still wasn't as effective as having a sensei. But it was still progress. On the other hand, there was no progress to be had on her front, so they had let it go for the time being. Instead, Izuku had started doing what she was for him; helping her learn Tai Chi.

That Saturday, they would spar for the first time. It would be slow, mainly to help them remember the movements and stances.

Toga arrived early to their second spot, twenty minutes up the park where the creek enlarged to become a river. She sat herself down at a tree and waited for Izuku to arrive, flicking through a brief manual on Tai Chi to refresh her memory when something splashed in the river. Blinking, she looked up from the book and glanced around. There was no one there. Then her eyes fell on a familiar canvas bag. Did Izuku leave his bag here last time? She wondered.

And then Izuku surfaced from the river with a splash, throwing his head back to clear the water from his face.

Toga felt her face come alight, her throat suddenly dry as her eyes locked onto his glistening wet form. Droplets trickled down pale skin, clinging to the curves of his muscles as they rippled, his arm coming up to sweep his soaked hair back and expose his face to the sunlight.

Himiko whimpered deep in her chest.

Though some measure of baby fat still stubbornly clung to his cheeks, with the water dripping from his face, Toga could never remember thinking anyone was ever being more attractive to her than in that moment. His eyes seemed darker than she'd ever seen, like abyssal pits ringed with emerald. They fell on her and her toes curled.

Then they went wide as his face went red. "Toga-chan?!" He shrieked, arms wrapping around his chest as he ducked.

Toga groaned in disappointment. "I came early, Midoriya-kun," she announced, giggling to herself as he scrabbled for his shirt. "Maybe you should dry off first?"

He pulled the shirt onto his wet body and coughed to clear the air and move on as quickly as possible. "Excited to start?" He asked hurriedly, drying his hands off before grabbing a quick snack.

"Yup," she nodded, hopping to her feet and taking her opening stance.

Izuku followed her example before lazily punching at her face. She equally slowly slid a hand out to grasp his wrist, contorting it in such a fashion that, had they been going full speed, would have resulted in him having his arm twisted and him thrown aside.

As they 'sparred,' Izuku ran through his plan again. Meditating hadn't worked; if anything, getting her to visualize the blood seemed to make her more sensitive. So it came to the second method. Repeated confrontation, sometimes as a surprise. He only hoped that his actions would help her in the end.

To that end, he pulled some of his glass down his sleeve, to the tip of his forefinger and sharpened it into a small, razor-sharp claw.

And he gave himself a shallow slice on the side of his thumb. "Toga!" He shouted, suddenly thrusting his bloody thumb in her face. "Blood!"

She froze, as he expected. Her pupils dilated, her lips parted, and a hint of red suffused her cheeks. That was a bit unexpected. And then he heard her whisper something. "It's so…beautiful…" Izuku blinked in surprise.

Then Toga leaned forward and licked the blood from his finger, her eyes closing as she released a pleased sigh and seemed to slump like years of invisible tension had been building up in her that had been relieved all at once.

Her eyelids snapped open, her mouth dropping open into a horrified gape as the blood drained from her face. Izuku wasn't much better, staring at her as he was, still holding his thumb up in ironic encouragement. Then her face crumpled and she sank to the ground, eyes welling with tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, "I'm so sorry…" She covered her face with her sleeves and began to cry into them.

"You're not afraid of blood," Izuku realized distantly, blinking, "You like it…" His eyes flickered, thoughts racing. "So that's why meditation wasn't working…" Then he shook his head and looked down at the crying girl in surprise. "Toga-uh, Himiko? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He crouched down next to her and laid a hand on her shaking back. "Does it have something to do with why you lied about your reaction to blood?"

She nodded into her hands. "I'm not supposed to see blood," she whimpered, shakily cupping her face. "When I do…I can't help but admire it…so red…and it smells so good…" Himiko gulped audibly and visibly tried to compose herself, standing up on quaking legs. "I'll leave you alone forever now…"

Izuku jumped, startled. "What?! Why?!" He realized his shrill shouting wasn't helping, so he cleared his throat. "Why do you think I want you to leave?"

"I drank your blood…and I lied to you," she admitted, wiping her cheeks, "And I…my Quirk is evil. I have to drink blood to transform into other people. And I-I-" Her breath hitched painfully as she tried to voice what she'd been told ever since discovering her power. "I'm a monster, Izuku. The evil little girl who drinks blood…even my family thinks so…" She turned to walk away, only for a large hand to grasp her wrist gently. Her eyes fluttered closed as she prepared to hear the words of agreement, to hear the abuse.

"No offense, Himiko…" Izuku started, "But your family sounds like a bunch of Assholes. They call you an 'evil monster' because of your Quirk? What kind of family does that?!" He took a deep breath to settle the furious racing of his heart. "I know it's not my place, but…those people can g-get fucked. I, as your friend, think your Quirk isn't evil at all."

Himiko looked at him, amazed. She'd never heard Izuku swear even once, so twice in quick succession was quite the surprise! Then she recalled what he said last. "You…you don't think my Q-Quirk is evil?" She stuttered, daring to feel an ember of hope spark in her chest.

"Are you kidding me?!" He shouted, an excited smile lighting up his face even as she jumped. "Just imagine the possibilities! A bunch of jerks take a bank hostage for ransom, then one peels off to go to the bathroom and bam! Knock him out, take some of his blood and his appearance, and then when they least expect it, you take them by surprise and save the day! Or, or, a big villain fight and the last one of them tries to go for distraction, a destructive attack and backs into his friend expecting support and bam! Sedative to the neck and the day is saved! By the Crimson-no, no, wait…The Scarlet Transforming Heroine!" Izuku finished happily, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm as he looked at Himiko with a bright grin. "Your Quirk's awesome, Toga-chan!"

Himiko blinked rapidly and licked her dry lips as her heart thumped gladly in her chest. "…You really think it's awesome?" She asked tenderly, feeling her lips curling. "Even with the blood?"

Izuku snorted. "You ever heard of Vlad King?" He asked rhetorically. "Yeah, some people think it's creepy that he uses blood with his Quirk, but he's awesome!" He took her hand and gazed directly into her eyes. "And so are you. I wouldn't be friends with just anyone, after all."

She blinked again, tears welling in her eyes. "I-Izuku…!" She wailed, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder.

"W-what?!" He panicked, hugging her back but also trying to figure what he'd done. "Did I say something wrong?!"

Himiko snuffled into his collar, a blinding smile on her face. "N-no one's ever c-complimented my Quirk before," she admitted, curling against him as he sat down. "You really b-believe that I can be…a Hero?"

Izuku smiled gently. "One hundred percent, I know you can be an amazing Hero," he stated simply.

She sniffed and hugged him again.

…

From that point on, the two of them spent more time together. Not just Saturday, but Sunday as well, and occasionally for lunch during the school week. They both had to hurry to a spot in-between their two schools and hurry back in time for class, but neither minded all that much.

"'-That's why I don't need your damn rules, extra!' And then as she was posing with her foot on the desk, Atsuko smacked her over the back of her head and told her to be quiet in the library," Izuku finished, smiling as he popped a narutomaki in his mouth.

Toga giggled into her hand, but even behind her fingers he could make out her sharp canines. "If it was me, I woulda kicked the desk!" She proclaimed, her honey eyes twinkling as she scooped some more ramen into her mouth. "Wha' happan afder?"

"Bakugou just glared at her, got down and loudly asked for a book on firefighters," he shrugged, plucking a spring roll from a dish and biting it in half.

Toga swallowed her bite, looking vaguely disappointed. "Aww…well, at least someone stood up to her…" With a sigh, she lifted the bowl to her lips and loudly slurped the remainder down.

Izuku couldn't help but smile to himself, watching her act less like a demure girl and more like…herself, really. It was only after he'd accidentally forced her to reveal her Quirk and her shitty homelife that he had started to see the mask she had been wearing before, and only after it had slipped when she really smiled the first time they'd gone for lunch. Even through the warmth suffusing his chest and his face, his mind had zeroed in on her mouth. I didn't know her canines were like that, even though we've been meeting for like, two months. He recalled, remembering his realization. When she smiled before, she always kept her mouth closed to hide her teeth. Even when she was happy, she still hid herself…

"Ne, Izuku-kun?" Toga's voice interrupted his train of thought, her cheeks pink as she grinned at him. "You're staring at me…do you…see something you like?" She winked playfully.

He blinked abruptly and realized that he'd been lost in thought while looking at her. "I'm glad I'm your friend, Toga-chan," he said honestly.

Her smile became slightly less toothy and more warm, sliding her hand across the table to rest her fingers on his. "Me too, Izuku," she murmured, sitting back with a sigh as he finished off his own bowl. "So, I had an idea on my training. I'll never be as big and strong as you, not without my e-my Quirk. I'm gonna need a weapon."

"I was thinking that, too," he nodded, pulling a notebook out of his backpack and opening it to a page full of scribbled drawings. One page was dominated by a sketch of some kind of clawed gauntlet, though the claws were needles that led to a series of tubes in the back. Arrows pointed at the tubes with little questions squeezed into margins like 'sedative?' 'blood storage?' and a circle around the tips of the claws reading 'painkiller/coagulant?' "My first thought was this claw thing, I think I saw it in a game somewhere. But…this second one might be easier to use."

Across from the gauntlet was a series of knives; a military-style combat knife, a long, thin stiletto, some kind of folding blade that seemed to go up the arm, a sharply curved knife that reminded her of a talon and a tanto. And a kitchen knife, for some reason. There was another, a curved, serrated blade but that was crossed out with the words 'too scary' written underneath. Though they were all different styles, they had the same feature each time: a thin needle built into the blade, leading a reservoir in the hilt.

Toga was practically salivating at the sight of so many instruments to draw blood, but also pleased that they were all designed with her Quirk in mind. "These are…beautiful, Izuku-kun," she murmured, dragging a finger down the page as if she could almost feel the cold steel. "I could draw so much blood with these…" she blinked and cleared her throat. "You're really good at drawing."

Izuku blushed at her smile and scratched the back of his head. "I've got experience," he shrugged, tapping the page of knife drawings. "Anyway, my book…I told you about the book, right?"

"Yeah, your red book that no one else can read," she recalled with a nod, grabbing the last spring roll. "I was wondering when you were going to bring that back up."

He gave her a searching look, making her blink as the crispy wrap of the roll crunched between her teeth. "I was wondering if you'd remember that I brought it up," he admitted with a shrug. "I wonder if you can see it, too? Anyway, now that I've got the basics down for the martial arts, I read further and found the first set of stances and attacks for the actual fighting style. You know how most martial arts have a style modified for using weapons? Well, Serration's style is built entirely around knives. I'm not joking, even without a knife, it still revolves around knife-hand strikes."

"So you want to teach me how to knife fight?!" Toga squealed, cupping her cheeks, "There will be so much blo-" Her face froze as she imagined it. "Um, Izuku-kun? I don't…I don't want to cut you…"

"We can train with rubber knives and paint," he assured her, patting her hand. "So here, take this and look at the knives. Pick one and I'll order a heavy rubber version and then we can learn together, how about that?"

She blinked and took the notebook, cradling it to her chest like a treasure. "A-are you sure? I mean, we could just find some sticks…"

"It won't put a dent in my savings," Izuku shrugged, piling bills and coins on the table as his phone chimed. "Ah…it's time we started heading back if we want to get there on time."

"Yeah…" She sighed, brushing hair back from her face, standing with him to exit the establishment. "Later, old people! Thanks for lunch!"

"I'm not old!" The chef yelled from the back as the woman at the counter smiled gently. "I'm glad you enjoyed the food, you two. I hope we'll see you again soon."

The two teenagers waved and walked out onto the sidewalk, looking in opposite directions but unwilling to get started on the whole 'leaving' part. "Uh, Izuku?" Toga asked, biting her lips as her cheeks went pink. "Could I, uh…could you…?"

"Yeah, of course," he smiled gently, forming a claw out of glass and giving himself a shallow slice on the inside of his wrist.

Her eyes widened, fixing on the minor wound as crimson blood welled forth, a single droplet tracing the curve of his wrist, leaving a light trail of red on his pale skin. Her throat was dry and parched, aching with the need for that sweet scarlet liquid, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. She inched forward, her chest burning with thirst…then she let the drop of blood fall on her tongue.

Toga had only drunk a few kinds of blood, mainly snuck from the occasional PE accident and the time they tested her Quirk. But she knew, without a doubt that Izuku's blood tasted the best. It was sweet like syrup, but with a rich depth and a full body that just screamed 'life.' Her tongue traced the trail on his skin up to the cut, and she desired almost nothing more in that moment than to clamp her lips around the wound, pierce the flesh with her teeth and drink until she burst.

But Himiko stopped, took a deep breath to burn the scent of his blood and skin into her nose before backing away with a blush.

The only thing she desired more than Izuku's blood was his friendship.

"Thanks, Izuku," she mumbled, her face red. When the cravings got to her, just the memory of his blood would satisfy her for a while. "…For a lot of things."

Izuku covered the little cut with his sand to seal it. On the walk back to Aldera, he'd send a little chakra its way and it wouldn't even be a scar by the time he sat down for class. "Of course, Himiko," he said quietly, his face also red. He did just have a pretty girl lick him, and the pure joy and content on her face made him a bit hot under the collar. "…If you need to, you can have more, you know? I don't mind."

She shook her head though. "No, but thank you, Izuku. Just a little bit of your blood, and my cravings go away. That's more than enough for me." She checked her phone and sighed, "We gotta go. Text me tonight?"

"I will," he nodded, "See you tomorrow."

They separated with a wave and went about their day.

That night, Izuku sat at his desk, sculpting his latest figure into shape, brushing sand together before hardening it into stone under his will. A miniature Uwabami posed his desk, holding an arm out and smirking. The only obvious difference between the real one and the statuette, beside being alive, was the fact that the real one had hair. Brows furrowed in concentration, he spun a handful of golden-colored sand in his palm before reducing it to liquid.

With both hands and his field fully focused, he shaped the liquid into locks of hair and built a solid crystal structure within, layering it with a coating of dust that made it look just as smooth and silky as the real thing, with the three snakes of her Quirk rearing back regally.

With that done, he pulled open a drawer in his desk, small bags of dust sitting in clearly marked cubbies. It wasn't the first time someone had commissioned him to sculpt a Hero; they were celebrities, after all. But it was the first time a Hero had commissioned him directly, or as directly as one could through a middle-man. Uwabami herself had asked for a statue, along with a message all but stating the price paid would depend on the quality. She'd also pretty much stated that money was no issue.

That was why Izuku was breaking out the gem dust. Once a month, Mitsuki would arrive at their door with a case of uncut gems and a notarized list of weight, the expected weight of the gem, and an extra bag of 'junk' rocks with unusable amounts of crystal embedded within. He would spend about an hour removing the impurities and shaping them as the list asked. Most of the time it was easy to meet the expected weight, and fairly often there would be some left over.

His first thought had been to add the extra to the stones, but nowhere in the contract he and his mother had spent hours poring over stipulated such a thing. So Izuku collected the extra, stored it away and gave Mitsuki the case of pristine gems back. They would then hang out for another hour or two, watch a movie or get some takeout and talk. And once that time was up, Mitsuki took the case back and once they'd been verified, a fat check was deposited into Inko's account, then transferred to his own, with a fee deducted for the middle-man.

The first time Izuku had seen the numbers, he'd fainted. His mom had been no help there, because she did the same. Apparently Mitsuki had played up just how much effort it took for him to do the job, enough that the company was willing to throw a few extra yen on top to retain his exclusive services for next three years. If Izuku was content where he was, he could've easily asked for two cases a month and lived comfortably on that money alone.

As it was, the majority was set aside for emergencies and savings, while the rest went towards food and training materials.

All that being said, Izuku carefully picked a bag of amethyst dust and let it swirl between his palms, pushing them forward to engulf the purple dress of the figure, coating it in a layer of glitter. Then he picked dust of the appropriate colors and did the same to her snakes.

With that done, it was all done, and Izuku leaned back in his chair with a smile. If he let his mind wander, it was almost like a little Uwabami was in the room with him, posing on his desk. He let it sit a while longer to admire his work, before grabbing a secure case and, levitating the figure between his hands, secured it inside and closed the lid. He'd been assured the very expensive case would take his work to the heroine in one piece, with the example given of fine China being thrown from a plane and landing safely.

He set it aside and cleaned his station with a brush of his hand, pulling down the red book and cracking it open. Most of the material following his training in Martial Arts turned his stomach to read, but it was useful.

You have done well in forging yourself into a sword. At this point, you will have trained in the basics of the most important styles: Striking, Grappling, Counter and Holds. It is now time to take that sword between your hands and snap it in half.

Now you no longer have one sword. Now you have two knives. And knives are superior to swords, especially for a practitioner of Serration.

Remember this: Swords are nice. Knives are better.

That hurt your hands, didn't it? Breaking your sword.

Good. Get used to it. You have more training to do.

Izuku looked at the directions for the next set of exercises and winced. Even with his chakra for quick healing and an expanded food budget, what he would have to do next…would be uncomfortable.

His phone chimed as a text came in. It was from Toga, with a quick-snapped picture of the stiletto sketch and a message. I think this one fits me best! XD it's soo pretty Izuku-kun, I can't wait to start training with it soon!

He smiled to himself. Worth it. He looked down at the leather bag that held a rubber pair of every serious knife he'd sketched out a few days ago. Totally worth it.

…

The next day found the two of them at their spot in the park, sitting against a tree trunk as Izuku opened the leather bag to display the weighty rubber knives. Toga carefully reached down and pulled the training stiletto free, weighing it in her palm. "Huh, this heavier than I thought it would be…"

"They weigh the exact same as the real thing," Izuku informed her, sliding a fake tanto out and balancing it on a finger. "I had to answer some weird questions when I got these."

"Like what?"

"'What do you need eight rubber knives for?'" He replied with a shrug. "I said cosplay."

Toga giggled and bounced to her feet, holding the hilt firmly in her hand before imagining a person standing before her. Her eyes narrowed in focus and her hand darted out, nicking the invisible enemy's cheek. As they raised their hand to fend her off, she jabbed the tip into their wrist, ducked a wild swing and drove the blade into their shoulder before dropping and taking out a leg with a stab to the knee. Her grip tightened and she stabbed the blade up at their neck…and paused, sweating slightly.

"Wow, Toga-chan!" Izuku enthused, clapping excitedly. "You're a natural!"

"Yeah," she breathed, imagining the nearly-crippled imaginary figure that would be mewling in the grass. Injured, bleeding, but still alive. The thought of spilling blood made her own race, but the image her mind painted for her made her stomach turn. "…Maybe when we actually get this made, we blunt the tip or something so I don't accidentally stab too deep."

"That's why I was thinking of some kind of coagulant coating on the claws," he nodded in agreement, "Also, maybe studying where major arteries are in the body is a good idea."

"Yeah. So, what about your book? What does it say on knife fighting?" She asked, slowly spinning the fake stiletto between her fingers.

Izuku reached into his bag and pulled forth the dusty red book, looking very out of place in the peaceful greenery of the park, especially given its contents. Toga sat done next to him as he cracked it open and turned to the proper page. "Mostly it talks about how much cooler knives are than every other weapon. Like right here:

A simple knife is far more effective than a sword in any other situation than an open battle and even then, knives can be thrown. Besides, a quick stab in the dark solves far more problems than a tussle in the fields does.

Where a gun is loud, a knife is silent. Where a gun is complex, a knife is simple. A knife never has to be taken apart, oiled and reassembled; simply cleaned, sharpened and treated with care. A knife never has to be reloaded, a knife will never jam, a knife will never lose signal and a knife will never become outmoded.

See?" Izuku finished, feeling exasperated. He had a feeling that whoever had written the book had a bad experience with guns.

"What's this part saying here?" Toga pointed to a note scribbled into the margin in English.

"I'm still not good with English and the translation I got on the internet didn't make much sense, either." He shrugged and recited the translation. "'Fookin' lazer soights!' And no, I have no idea what that means."

"Huh." She shrugged and reached over to turn the page. Instead of words, there were only diagrams of a featureless figure holding a knife, followed by more depicting the figure in different stances. The next repeated, except the figure was holding a different knife. Then the next page. Then the next page. And so on. "Wow. They really like knives. And push daggers. And hidden blades."

"Yup," Izuku smacked his lips. "Alright, let's get started! I'll guide you through the stiletto stance, then you do the same to me, okay?"

"Sure thing, Izuku-kun!"

…

Three Weeks Later…

The weekends the two spent together revealed much in the way of skills. Obviously, given the differences in body shape (and training), Toga would never be as strong or durable as Izuku, and his stamina had stopped making sense some time ago. A typical morning run for him was about eight miles; a Saturday run was about twelve. Without any kind of enhancements from his armor.

But what Toga did have was cat-like reflexes, keen sight, an instinctive grasp of balance and gymnastics and pure speed. With her growing skills in Tai Chi and the very basics of Aikido, she would be a very effective Heroine in time.

It wasn't enough for either of them, though. Izuku had only just begun the basic exercises to learning the art of Unarmed Serration, and Toga had decided to increase her speed by training her moves underwater.

"Ne, Izuku-kun," she drawled, slowly stepping out from behind a tree in a school-issued one-piece swimsuit with a towel thrown over her shoulder, "If you wanted to see me in less clothing, all you had to do was ask~!"

His face went red, and he couldn't stop his eyes as they roamed over her form. She was still lithe, the swimsuit bearing almost the entirety of her long, slender legs and arms; but they had visible tone to them, as did her shoulders and what he could see of her stomach under the suit. "Y-you don't have to say it like that, we both know it's just training!" He squeaked, before clearing his throat. "You, uh…you do look good, Toga-chan."

"I know!" She chirped cheerfully, skipping over to the river and hanging her towel on a branch. "You're not just going to watch me the whole time, are you? I don't mind if you peek once or twice…or three times…or…nope, you can watch me the whole time, I don't mind!"

"I'll keep an eye on you," he assured her, tucking his shirt into his waistband, "And if you need anything, just say something."

"I will!" She replied, shivering slightly as she stepped into the cool water. The key to the training involved finding just the right spot where one had to balance on the rocks of the bed, while also not floating away and facing into the current for the proper resistance. Toga had to grip the surface of the large rocks with her feet to keep herself from being dragged away, and with only three repetitions of her katas down, she was already tiring. But one of the good things about exercising in a river is that it only takes a bit of maneuvering to relax.

As she floated on her back, Toga turned her eyes on her best friend and training buddy and licked her lips with a giggle. Izuku had apparently decided that his shirt wouldn't stay up and so had elected to toss it aside while he exercised; which in this case, was doing pushups from a handstand. The way his legs wobbled and his teeth were clenched exemplified the difficulty of his work, if one weren't to notice the rivulets of sweat pouring down his body. She sighed, eyes lazily tracing taut muscles as he dipped and shakily rose with a groan. Now that right there…is a tasty boy.

And she wasn't even referring to his blood.

She narrowed her eyes in thought, the errant idea of his blood brought to mind the few times he'd cut himself for her needs. Blood aside, she wasn't entirely sure just how he'd cut his skin besides a subtle flicker. What is his Quirk, anyway? She wondered, tilting her head curiously. With the way he works his body and mind…some kind of aura? An Aural Field, maybe? Telekinetic? Generated by the body, controlled by the mind? "Hey, Izuku?" Toga called, humming low in her chest as he bent out of his form, face flushed and panting. "What's your Quirk?"

He blinked at her in confusion. "…I haven't told you yet?" He asked. She shook her head. "It's called Rock Field. I can telekinetically control rocks in a two-inch field around my body."

"…Huh," she blinked, unwilling to voice the thought of well that's kinda useless…when something about his words struck her. "What kinda control?"

Izuku smiled at her, crawling over so that he was near her face. He grabbed a handful of pebbles which began to orbit his hand like a miniature solar system. "At first, everyone thought this is all I could do, myself included," he admitted, making the pebbles speed up until they nearly blurred. "You asked what kind of control?" He smirked, and Toga was only semi-glad most of her body was underwater. "Absolute control."

The multitude of pebbles shivered before bursting into sand, swirling in his palm like a miniature tornado before it froze, becoming solid, and then melted. It flowed around his hand before solidifying into a gauntlet. Izuku turned, found a large rock resting on the bank, and punched it. It shattered into pieces, scattering shards of stone in the water.

Toga blinked, looking between the remnants of the rock and the glove on his hand. "…Wow," she muttered, taking his hand and running her fingers over the armor. "It's all one piece…wait, does this mean you can control glass, too?"

"Yeah," he nodded, and the resistance bands around his thighs scattered into sand, crawled up his arm and came together with the gauntlet to cover his whole arm. "I've been using it for resistance training pretty much every day."

She had the sudden image of that glass gauntlet becoming a storm of razor-sharp shards, spinning around his hand like a drill bit before it was plunged through a body…and then the image abruptly stopped because it was sickening. "Pretty much every day? How much?"

"Except on Sundays, those are for rest. And today's a light day, so…about 25 kilos. Normally, it's 50," Izuku shrugged and returned the glass to the bands, pulling the rock into his hand.

Toga blinked at him. "…Do you wear them while you're running?" She asked cautiously, before thinking, "Do you wear them doing the water training, too?"

He nodded. "Yeah, for everything except sleeping and on Sundays."

She stared at him. "…Izuku…I think you might be a little nuts."

Izuku simply shrugged. "I just want to be the best me I can be. If that makes me a little nuts, well, just call me an anorexic squirrel." He held his hands close enough the field intersected with itself and pulled the sand together into a little four-inch figure of her, setting it on the bank of the river.

Toga picked it up and looked closely, amazed by the level of detail he'd managed in a few seconds. "I want to be the best me, too," she smiled up at him.

"Then let's get to it."

…

The Next Week…

Toga huffed as she ran for the park, her swimsuit pinching a little under her uniform, the bag over her shoulder bouncing against her hip with every stride. She was running late, and the reason for her tardiness was securely stuffed in the bag; a homemade bento, personally put together by her, for her and Izuku to share. Onigiri, with tuna and pickled radish, three for both, with a sliced apple, two red bean donuts and a can of chilled green tea to wash it down. She'd spent over an hour making the rice and shaping the rice balls into hearts and making sure the presentation was perfect before noticing the time.

She dashed into the clearing near the river and bent over, panting. Her eyes found Izuku's back as he faced a tree, the trunk subtly shaking as he punched it; or so she assumed, she couldn't actually see, but his shoulders were moving and he was sharply exhaling each time. "Izuku-kun!"

He jumped and spun around, quickly hiding his hands behind his back and giving her what he hoped wasn't a pained smile. "Toga-chan!" He greeted her with surprise, "I thought you weren't coming today!"

Toga was immediately suspicious. "Of course not! I woulda texted or something, not left ya hanging…what're you hiding…" Her eyelids fluttered closed as she detected the faintest whiff of that sweet liquid she desired. "Mm, Izuku's blood…" Then her eyes opened. "Izuku, why can I smell your blood?"

He sighed and revealed his hands to her gaze. The tips of his fingers were bruised and ragged, drops of blood leaking from where the rough bark had scraped away the skin. "It's part of the training," he hastily explained at her horrified look, nodding at the tree behind him and the visible, blood-specked dent in the wood. "I have to condition my fingers, hands and wrists to the point that I can strike the tree and sink my hand up to the knuckles without hurting myself."

She took his hands tenderly, wincing as he hissed at her touch. "Shit, Izuku," she murmured, "Won't this mess up your hands? Like, forever?"

Izuku's eyes darted to the book in his bag. "…No. Just as long as I treat them often, it'll be fine. Well no, not fine, but acceptable. And painful."

Toga arched an eyebrow at him. "Does it have anything to do with how you seem to have so much energy? Like when you do a bunch of exercises, close your eyes and then suddenly you're fine?"

"…Yeah."

"Are you ever going to teach it to me?"

Izuku winced. "I…it's incredibly dangerous, Himiko. I didn't know how bad it could've been until after, but…what if I don't teach you right? What if you die because of me?" His fingers wrapped around hers, the stress clear in his face.

She sighed. "That makes some kind of sense. I guess you'll just have to teach me other stuff until you're confident enough to show me." Inwardly, Toga noticed that even though he'd been bleeding freely the whole conversation, not once had she felt the desire to drink. "Have you been hiding this part from me?"

He nodded. "I didn't want to, you know, bleed all over the place…like I'm doing right now, I'm so sorry." He moved over to the river and dipped his hands in to clean them, covering the wounds in his sand. "I didn't want to dangle my blood in front of you, you know?"

"I get that," she nodded, sitting next to him and pulling out the bento. "I'm late because I was making food for us."

As she cracked open the lid, Izuku's eyes went wide. "Wow, Toga-chan, you must've worked really hard on that! It looks really good!"

She giggled and lifted one of the rice balls to his mouth. "Thanks, Izuku-kun! I hope it tastes good, too! Here, say 'ahh'!" He blushed but did as commanded, leaning down to take a bite. She grinned as he hummed contentedly. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Izuku groaned, the chewiness of the fish mixed perfectly with the crunch and spice of the radish. "You're a good cook, Toga-chan." He blinked upon noticing what the rice balls were shaped like. "H-hearts?"

"Because I wuv you Zuku-chan~!" Toga sang girlishly, giggling as his face went red. "And if you think about it, me feeding you these is pretty much me giving you my heart!"

Izuku's face might as well have been a beacon. "Y-you can't just s-say such things, Toga-chan…" he muttered, looking away bashfully.

"Of course I can," she said softly, her fingers grasping his wrist, peering up at him through her eyelashes. "Because they're true." Then she reached up and kissed his cheek. "Now let me feed you while you tell me how much you like my food! Say 'ahh!'"

…

The Next Week…

As Izuku rested off his latest round of conditioning, a thought peaked in his mind. "Hey, Toga-chan?" The girl, clad in her swimsuit and idly waiting for her muscles to stop feeling so sore, looked up in interest. "Do you train with your Quirk?"

She looked away, brushing a damp strand of hair away from her face. "…I try, but it's hard to do."

"Why's that?"

"Because blood is the source of transforming, and my Quirk's like a car, I guess. If I don't have enough in the tank, the engine won't start." She shrugged. "And the only time I get blood is when you give it to me. Which I love, don't get me wrong, but I just…don't have enough to seriously train with it."

Izuku frowned, rubbing his wrist. "Do you know how long the amount I give you lasts? How much would you need?"

Toga rolled over on the bank, kicking her feet in the water in thought. "I don't know, maybe…half an hour? I've never really had like, a lot of blood at once." Her nose twitched as the sweet scent of her favorite drink wafted in. She spun around to find Izuku having scooted closer, holding his arm out towards her, a deep, short cut across his wrist bleeding freely. "I-Izuku…"

"Here," he offered innocently, "Drink up. I said I would help you train to be a Hero, and I meant it."

She couldn't help but lick her lips, fingers digging into the river bank as she resisted the urge to dive on him. "B-but Izuku…what if I drink too much?"

"You won't," He said confidently.

Toga swallowed audibly and frowned. "You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

She scowled. "No, you don't!"

He frowned at her. "Himiko, I trust you. You won't hurt me. If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you when I'm feeling light headed, and I've got snacks in case I do! Now please, drink! So I didn't cut myself for nothing."

Toga bit her lip and felt her heart throb in her chest as tears welled in her eyes. "…Okay," she nodded, scooting up to the grass on her knees and gently taking his arm with her hands. "Here I go," she murmured, leaning forward. Her tongue, soft and slick, slid up his skin, gathering the trail of blood until she touched the cut and her lips, moist and plump, parted to tenderly seal her mouth to the wound.

Then, she began to drink.

Himiko had thought the brief tastes of his blood had been the best thing she'd ever had. But a few drops don't compare to a mouthful. His blood was rich and full of energy and heat, heat that spilled down her throat to pool in her belly before rushing up to her cheeks and other places. It's so warm…She noted lazily, a haze of comfort and warmth descending on her like the soul of a blanket. Izuku is so warm…Even though part of her wanted to sink her teeth into his flesh and suck until he was dry, it was easily suppressed by the rest. With her lips on him, his blood in her belly, she couldn't help what she felt. I really do love you, Izuku…

She pulled her lips away from his arm and rested her head against his chest, the comforting thump of his heart against her ear joining with the fullness and warmth suffusing her, and she sighed happily. He wrapped her in a gentle embrace and she never wanted to move from her spot again.

"Are you okay?" Izuku rumbled as Toga curled further into his lap and nuzzled his chest like a giant cat that was also a cute girl and his best friend.

"I'm perfect," she mumbled with a smile, "How are you?"

"A little dizzy, nothing else," he assured, carefully rubbing her shoulder. "Just like I said, you didn't hurt me."

"Mm," Toga hummed agreeably, "Can we stay like this for a little while?"

"Yeah."

And so they did, for about fifteen minutes.

"Do you want to show me now?" Izuku asked later. He'd stopped feeling dizzy a few minutes ago and while sitting and cuddling with Toga was nice…he also really wanted to see her Quirk in action.

"Okay," Toga slipped out of his embrace and stretched with a pleased groan, bringing attention to the fact that she, in fact, a girl who was also, in fact, wearing a tight swimsuit. Izuku made a fine impression of a tomato. Then she reached for the straps on her shoulders and started pulling them down.

Izuku nearly fainted from all the blood rushing to his head, his mouth falling open as more of her smooth, creamy skin was bared to his gaze. He clapped a hand to his eyes and spun around. "W-w-w-w-what are you doing?!" He cried, his heart beating in his cheeks.

She peeked at him over her shoulder, a sly grin on her lips. "Well, when I transform into you, I won't fit in my swimsuit anymore, will I? I can transform into you wearing your clothes, but it'll destroy mine, too. Either way, I'm getting naked. You don't have to turn away, you know? I don't mind, Izuku-kun…"

"It's improper!" He squeaked, and taking pity on him, Toga walked behind a tree and disrobed. There was a sound he couldn't identify, followed by footsteps on the grass. Turning around, he beheld himself wearing the same clothes he was currently in, standing across from him. "…Wow," Izuku breathed, stepping around her and examining his own face. "It's like looking in a mirror…"

"More than just looking, Izuku-kun," his own voice commented as Toga smiled at him, looking around the clearing. "So this is what it's like to be tall…and strong, too!"

"That's so amazing, Toga-chan!" He enthused, taking her hand and squeezing it. "It feels like me, too! I bet if you met my mom like this, she wouldn't be able to tell us apart!"

She smiled proudly, chest puffing out from his praise. "You wanna see something cool?" Toga closed her eyes, brows furrowing in concentration. Then her body rippled and changed, losing the broadness of Izuku and gaining a curvier shape. Then, standing him in a PE uniform was an athletic girl with short black hair and blue eyes. "Now I'm this girl!"

"Wow!" Izuku enthused, squeezing her shoulders. "The bone and muscle structures changed entirely…so you can change forms without changing back? How'd you get her blood? Do you feel tired? Do you need more blood?"

Toga blinked under the barrage of questions. "Um, yes? We were in PE and she took a soccer ball to the face. I had some tissues and escorted her to the nurse. I feel really good, actually! Like I've got a ton of energy!" She bounced happily in place and her slightly bustier form bounced with her. She reached up and cupped her chest, jiggling herself experimentally. "Huh…this is a nice rack."

"Toga-chan, please don't," Izuku covered his red face, peeking at her through his fingers. "Do you need more blood, though?"

Himiko gave him the warmest smile. "I don't think I can ever have enough of your blood, Izuku," she said honestly. "But no, I'm good. I feel like I could keep this up all day, maybe even longer!"

"Alright then!" Izuku announced, clapping his hands firmly. "It's decided! We're gonna train your Quirk, Toga-chan! Before we start the other stuff, you can have all the blood you need and then we can train until we drop!"

She gasped excitedly, but sobered quickly. "Are you sure, though? I don't want to scar you…"

"If it helps you become the best you possible, I'd wear that scar with pride," Izuku said, eyes sharp and serious.

Toga felt her heart thump and heat in her cheeks, but couldn't help but fret. "What if…you know I crave blood, what if you letting me have a lot means they get worse?"

He narrowed his eyes in thought. "I think it'll be the opposite," he admitted after a minute. "When I repress my Quirk, well…it took me a long time to get over the discomfort and every time I let it go, it's a relief. Maybe actually using it will help? Our Quirks are a part of us, after all. Not using it is like not using your tongue when you eat."

Toga worried a lip between her teeth as she thought, but eventually nodded. "…Okay," she agreed, giving him a soulful look with her blue eyes. "If the opposite happens, though…you'll stop me, right? And still be my friend?"

He nodded once. "I'd never turn my back on you, Himiko."

She straightened up with a smile. "Alright then! Let's train my Quirk!" Her eyes shut and her form rippled, losing color until it collapsed into a grey sludge that dripped off her body.

Her naked body.

Izuku fainted.

…

The Next Week (technically five days, but it was the Thursday the following week, which made it 'next week' but not seven days. Just so it's clear)...

Izuku arrived at the ramen house and gave the woman behind the counter a smile. Even though her eyes lacked pupils, being a milky white tinted with lavender, she could still see and returned his greeting with a gentle smile of her own, nodding to the table in the corner. Toga was already there and gave him an excited wave. "She already ordered," the woman said softly.

"Thanks, onee-san," he strode over to the table and sat next to his best friend, taking in her bright smile and the gleeful luster to her skin. "So…how have your cravings been?" He asked leadingly, a smile pulling at his lips.

She lightly slapped his bicep, her hand staying to squeeze. "They've been great! I haven't looked at any of the other students and thought of them as blood bags at all!" She shrugged contritely. "I mean, I still have 'em, but they're a lot easier to manage." Her hand slid down his arm to intertwine their fingers. "Maybe even with time-"

"So this is where you've been getting to, Deku Koishi," a raspy feminine voice interrupted, their heads snapping to the source.

Bakugou Katsuki stood by the counter, hands in her pockets as her red eyes glared at them. "Ka-Bakugou?" Izuku yelped in surprise, before he frowned. "...Did you follow me?"

"It's not hard to notice the school's biggest nerd running off everyday," she 'replied,' eyes darting to Toga and the patch on the breast of her jacket. "No one at Aldera wants to hang with you, so you go to another school?" Her eyes met Izuku's. "Does she know how worthless you are?"

Toga slammed her hand on the table and stood up so fast her chair went skittering back. "All 'she' needs to know is that you're a Bitch!" Her eyes were wide with fury, teeth bared in a snarl.

"The FUCK did you say to me, you damn extra?!" Bakugou snarled, hands ripped out of her pockets with tiny explosions popping in her palms. "You wanna die?!"

Toga refused to be intimidated, glaring into the other girl's eyes. "No, what I want is for you to fuck off!" She squeezed Izuku's trembling hand. "You're interrupting our date."

Bakugou dropped her hands, eyes going wide in surprise. "D-date?" She mumbled, ruby eyes flicking down to their intertwined fingers, up to Izuku's red face but silent mouth and Toga's victorious smirk.

Then the owners emerged from the back, carrying their order. The chef, a tall man with spiky blond hair, bright blue eyes and whisker-like scars on his cheeks looked between the two parties before fixing on Izuku and Toga. "You two causing trouble?" He growled.

"No," Toga said firmly.

"Yeah, it would be weird if you were," the chef agreed cordially, before arching an eyebrow at the stunned Bakugou. "How about you?"

The question snapped the explosive blonde out of her state, a scowl coming to her face as she shoved her hands in her pockets and turned to the door. "I'm leaving," she grumbled, stomping from the premises.

They watched her go. "Bye 'Leaving!'" The chef called cheerfully, "Hope you buy something next time!"

His wife sighed but still smiled. "Always with the dad jokes, Naruto-kun."

"I'm allowed," he returned, setting their bowls on the table as his wife set out a pot of tea and two cups. "Enjoy the food, kids!"

"We will," Toga replied with a smile, turning to her ramen. Izuku squeezed her hand and she looked at his blushing face. "Yeah?"

"D-d-date?" He wheezed, eyes wide.

"Friends go on dates, don't they?" She asked innocently, giggling as he sighed and noting the hint of disappointment it carried.

"Right," he nodded, grabbing his chopsticks.

After they finished and with the promise of another meeting the next day, Toga stayed behind to settle the bill. "Toga-chan, if you seriously like Izuku-kun, then you shouldn't wait," Hinata said in a serious whisper. "Take it from me; I waited forever for Naruto to notice me when I should've been direct. Trust me, it's not worth stringing yourself along."

"Yeah, I had no idea until she told me!" Naruto called from the kitchen.

"I'll think about it," Toga promised with a smile.

…

The Second Saturday from then…

Izuku wiped the rain from his face as he ran, circulating his chakra to keep him warm as he did. Working my body, mind and chakra all at once! That's what I call efficiency! He cleaned his face again, distantly glad he didn't wear glasses. I'm glad Toga-chan took the day off, I wouldn't want her to get sick.

He hadn't gotten a text from her letting him know she was on her way to their spot, so he assumed she was staying home out of the rain. One missed day wouldn't matter in the long run; they still had a year and a half until The UA Entrance Exam.

He arrived at their spot, lightly steaming and breathing hard. The constant, albeit small use of his chakra had taken more out of him then he'd expected, so he had a hand in his bag, feeling for an apple when he saw it. At the base of the tree they sat under to rest, was a lump of something grey. Something grey and wet.

Something grey and wet and shivering.

(Help - Papa Roach - For The Mood)

Izuku cautiously approached the lump and reached out with a hand. "Hey-"

The lump jumped violently, turning scared, red-rimmed, honey-colored cat eyes on him. "Izuku!" A sodden, miserable Toga Himiko wailed, jumping on him.

"Himiko?!" He blinked, arms automatically wrapping around her. "You're here?" He felt her shiver against him and became aware of just how cold and soaked she was. "How long have you been here?"

"S-since last n-n-night," she stuttered into his ear, teeth chattering as she buried her freezing face into his shoulder.

Izuku had many questions running through his mind, but all of them were drowned out by the quiet sobs, the pouring rain and her violent shivering. "I'm taking you home," he announced, his glass emerging from under his clothes to wrap around his lower body. Tucking her securely into his chest, he took off running.

The miles were eaten by his powered strides, the thankfully empty sidewalk allowing him a straight shot to his home. He took to the walls instead of the stairs, zipping up the stories to his door, barely managing to slow down in time to not barrel through the door. "Mom!" He shouted, throwing the door open. "Mom!"

There was no reply.

"She's not here," he muttered to himself, running over first aid in his mind. "What do you do when someone's been out in the rain too long? Get them out of their clothes and get them dry and heat them up."

He took them to the bathroom, setting her feet down on the floor, but her arms refused to uncurl from his neck. "Himiko, you gotta let go real quick, I need to get you a towel and some clothes," he explained hurriedly.

"Don't leave me," she mumbled into his shoulder, squeezing fresh tears from her tired eyes.

"I'm not, I swear," he replied, nuzzling her cheek in hopes of relaying his sincerity. "I will be right back, I swear on our friendship."

She took a shuddering breath and nodded, releasing her arms and stepping back. Even as he left the bathroom, he heard her release a tiny whimper that jammed a shot of cold adrenaline straight into the base of his skull.

He rushed into his room, pulling up the drawers in his dresser in search of clothes. He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a clean shirt for himself, but nothing he had would fit Toga's smaller frame. Growling to himself, he pushed open his mom's door and looked through her clothes. An old shirt and a new pair of sweatpants fit the bill, so he snatched them up, stopped at the hall closet to grab a pair of towels and dashed back into the bathroom.

Himiko was standing by the sink, holding onto it as her legs wobbled. As soon as had cleared the frame, she held her arms out pleadingly and he darted towards her. "C'mon, we gotta get you out of these clothes," he muttered, hands working at the buttons on her shirt, peeling it off her arms before telling her, "Arms up," while he pulled her undershirt up and away then bent to pull her skirt and underwear down as she worked on her bra.

He didn't notice her nudity. It didn't even register.

He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders, bending down again. "Foot," he ordered, letting her balance on his shoulders as he stripped her soaking socks off. No shoes, he noted, using the towel to dry her skin pebbled with goosebumps. Then he grabbed the pants and held them out. "C'mon, in we go," he said softly, helping her slide her legs inside before pulling the shirt over her head. "Alright, hang tight."

Izuku quickly stripped his clothes, dried himself off and pulled on his clean, dry pair before scooping Toga up in his arms and carrying her to the couch, setting her in his lap and wrapping them both in the blanket that decorated the back. He pulled her shivering form into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. She was still shivering but less so, clinging to him tightly.

He held her fast in his embrace, rocking in place. His mind raced as she slowly stopped shaking and began to fall still. "Himiko," he whispered, thinking of her teeth. She often spoke of how drinking his blood seemed to fill her with energy. She groaned in question as he carefully maneuvered her into the position he wanted, her breath brushing over his collar. "Drink from me, okay? Can you do that for me, please?"

He felt her gasp, her clammy fingers tightening on his arm. "…Zuku?"

"I think it'll make you feel better, okay? Please, drink." Her lips pressed against his throat, an agreeing hum vibrating against him.

She licked his skin, her saliva leaving a subtle tingle before her teeth pierced into his vein. Only a slight tightening around Izuku's eyes showed his discomfort, focused as he was on rubbing her back. With a jolt, he had an idea. Closing his eyes, he tapped his chakra and let it fill his body. Immediately, Himiko perked up, a quiet moan thrumming in her chest, her delicate fingers squeezing his shoulder as she drank deep from his heart.

He blinked, hunger aching in his stomach and the edges of his vision blurred. He groaned in discomfort but made no move to push her away.

He didn't have to, as she pulled away from his neck with a lingering lick before snuggling into his chest. Izuku directed his sand to the wound to cover it, but nothing further. Any more use of his chakra, and his stomach felt like it would eat itself.

They lay together under the blanket for a long time, the world outside growing dark.

Eventually, Himiko blinked and shuffled, awakening from what felt like the best nap of her life and found herself looking into Izuku's emerald eyes. She wondered why she couldn't remember the events leading up to a scene out of her dreams…until she did. "Hey, Izuku," she mumbled, feeling a shameful heat swelling in her cheeks.

"Hey, Himiko," he replied, brushing a hand along her jaw. "You scared the shit out of me, you know?"

"'M sorry," she whimpered, her sore tear ducts aching as tears welled in her eyes. "I didn't mean to…"

"You're safe now, and that's all that matters," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. "What happened, Himiko? Why were you at our spot all night?"

Himiko swallowed painfully, her eyes prickling. "…I ran away…" she admitted in a hoarse sigh.

She could see the 'why?' in his eyes. "Why didn't you come here? Or call me?" He asked, leaving his other question aside.

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know where you live, and I left my phone behind. I couldn't go back, so I just went to the only place I could think of…"

"Okay," he nodded, hugging her gently. "I'm glad I found you when I did…and I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner."

"Don't be," she snuggled into his chest, blinking away the moisture in her eyes. "I'm glad you found me at all."

Izuku hummed in agreement and let it sit, holding her tight. Eventually, though, the question had to be asked. "Himiko…" She drew in on herself in preparation, "Why…why did-"

Izuku's stomach roared with hunger, making the couch and Himiko literally rattle from the force. There was a second of silence, and then she let out a hysterical little giggle. That broke the tension neater than All Might punching spun sugar, and Izuku couldn't help but break out into laughter, with his best friend joining in shortly.

"You need to feed that beast before it eats me," she teased, reaching an arm between them to pat his belly.

"Alright, I'll make something," he grinned and maneuvered himself out of her grasp and off the couch. "Something for both of us."

"Mm," she nodded, snuggling into the remnants of his warmth with the blanket bunched up around her neck, cat-like eyes wide and innocent. It was painfully adorable.

Izuku put together a couple of hearty sandwiches, chomping down on two of them as the kettle heated up and making two more as it whistled. With two plates balanced on one arm and two mugs of hot chocolate in the other, he sat by Himiko and handed her one of each. "Here."

"Thanks," she sighed as she bit into the meal, her leg pressing against his as they sat together and enjoyed a late lunch. Soon enough the sandwiches were gone and they snuggled together with mugs of cocoa as it drizzled miserably outside. Himiko licked her lips and rested her head on his shoulder, curling around her mug. "…It's time, isn't it?"

"…Why did you run away, Himiko?" Izuku asked softly.

The front door closed softly.

She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, a quiet whimper escaping from her chest. "…I had dinner with my family…" She finally murmured, her eyes downcast. "Ever since they found out about my Quirk, I usually eat alone, but…I've been feeling really good about myself. I thought, maybe…if I told them, showed them how hard I was training to be a Hero, then, maybe…" Her breath hitched and a lone, painful tear traced down her cheek. "Maybe they wouldn't call me a monster."

The handle of Izuku's mug cracked in his grip, and he set it aside. "…Then what?"

"…They laughed at me," she whispered hoarsely, "They said…they said 'a monstrous girl like you with an evil Quirk will never be a Hero. If you're lucky, they'll just throw you in Tartarus.' And then…I shouted at them. I told them about you, how you believe in me, how you trust me, how you're training me to be a Hero…" Her eyes opened, the light of pure fury in her honey eyes. "They said either you were evil too, or that a boy would say anything to get in a girl's panties, even if they're a monster."

Her best friend exhaled harshly, his fingers gentle as he pried the mug from her grip and embraced her. His heart thundered in chest, the urge to find and punish the ones who wounded her so deeply racing through his veins like liquid fire. "Himiko," he muttered into her hair, trying to translate his anger into love for the girl in his arms, "I hate your family. So. Goddamned. Much. I've never felt so angry as I do now, because those assholes, your family, said those things to you and you deserve nothing less than their admiration."

Himiko extracted her arms from his and clasped his face between her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Please, Izuku, don't hate them," she pleaded, her thumb brushing away an anguished tear, "They aren't worth it. They aren't worth anything. After they said that, I…may have yelled at them…or screamed at the top of my lungs. I don't remember everything I said, but I think I told them to never speak about you like that again. I remember telling them they aren't my family…and they agreed. And then I was running down the street, without even my shoes, and my father's voice echoing after me…he said to never come back, because he'll call the cops on me."

"He SAID WHAT?!"

They jumped as a shout rang out behind them, Izuku leaping from the couch into a corner, tucking her against his chest and baring his back to the sound, only to peek over his shoulder and realize that his mother and Mitsuki had been standing there. Inko was pale but swiftly reddening, like raspberry jam bleeding into yogurt while Mitsuki's eyes were blazing like she was the one with the Quirk to generate explosions. "You!" The elder Bakugou pointed a finger at the younger girl, who flinched back against Izuku, "Tell me where you live!"

Inko grabbed her best friend's arm. "Mitsuki, you can't just ask that!" She protested, cheeks red, before turning back to the teens. "Toga Himiko-chan, right? Izuku talks about you all the time," Himiko glanced at Izuku, who simply nodded in agreement. "It's alright, dear, just tell me your parent's names so I can call them, alright? Also whether they want to be buried or cremated."

Himiko blinked. "Uh…w-what?"Then she blinked again as a picture was taken. "What?"

Mitsuki tapped her screen impatiently, waiting for whatever she'd just done to finish. "Toga, Toga," she muttered, before her phone dinged. "Aha! There they are! C'mon Inko, it's mothering time!" She spun on her heel and stalked off.

"Ah, Mitsuki! Wait! At least make sure!" Inko called, making to follow before a quiet voice called her attention.

"Mom," Izuku asked quietly, not in a defensive position anymore but holding onto his best friend all the same, "Can Himiko stay with us?"

His mother nodded firmly. "Of course," she smiled gently at the girl, "You're always welcome here, Toga-chan. You can share my room with me until we figure something out, okay? If I have my way, you won't have to see your parents again…and they won't see anything but the inside of an urn!" With that oddly cheerful death threat hanging in the air, she left them there.

The teenagers blinked, suddenly with company and just as suddenly alone again, before Himiko murmured, "Is that what mothers are supposed to be like?" to herself.

"Well, my mom's not usually like that," Izuku shrugged, carrying her back to the couch. "But protective, fierce and caring about kids? Yeah, mom's are supposed to be like that."

"…It's nice," she whispered, resting her head on his chest. "So…I'm staying with you?"

"As long as you want," he assured.

"Will I get to see you every morning when I open my eyes? And every night before I close them?" Himiko clasped his hands in hers, gazing up at him with soft honey eyes.

"Until you get tired of seeing me," Izuku swore, raising her hands to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, releasing a long, content sigh. "Good."

They sat there for several long minutes, simply basking in the presence of the other.

"…I'm still hungry."

"I could eat," she shrugged, patting her stomach, "I'm not super hungry, though…" Her eyes widened as she recalled just why she felt like that. "…I bit you."

Izuku nodded and bore his neck, with two small crescent pink marks in his skin. "I asked you to."

Himiko sniffed, a beaming grin curling her lips. "I didn't know you were kinky, Izuku-kun~" She teased, squeezing his hand, "Is my virtue safe from such a deviant?"

"You'll always be safe with me," he replied with a smile. "You want some ramen?"

"Yes please."

…

Inko and Mitsuki eventually returned late that night, tired, pissed and satisfied in equal measure. Toga's bastard parents had been bum-rushed into an agreement where they would allow her to collect her things from their home, continue to pay for her education until she graduated, and in return after she had her stuff, they were getting a restraining order against their 'violently psychotic daughter.'

It had been a close thing, but Inko had stopped her best friend from grabbing her daughter and blowing the Toga home to pieces.

After settling Himiko in his mom's room for the night, Izuku lay in bed, ostensibly comfortable but with an uncomfortable fury burning in his chest and keeping him awake. He rolled over several times, grumbling to himself, but nothing settled him for hours.

Then his door opened. He could only make out the silhouette in the dark of the night, but he knew who it was. She shuffled up to the head of his bed, clad in some of his mom's old pajamas. "Izuku? You awake?"

Wordlessly, he held his covers open and she slid inside, her slim back pressing against his chest as she spooned against him. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Mm," she hummed, "Your mom's nice, but I don't feel as comfortable with her."

"Okay." He settled the covers around them, draping an arm around her stomach. It was easy to ignore whatever embarrassment he felt; his best friend needed comforting, and he did too.

They lay there, sleep creeping up on them, when she spoke again. "Izuku…"

"Mm?"

"…Will you help me? I want…I want to become one of the greatest Heroines ever, just so I can grind that in their faces until they beg for forgiveness. Will you teach me how?"

"I will."

She sighed and relaxed. "That's not a bad reason to be a Hero, is it?"

"As long as it's secondary? Hell no."

…

There's another saying: No man is an island.

No one gets through life alone, deprived of companionship. No one Pillar can support any structure forever, not by itself. To remain alone, forever set aside, forever singularly admired or reviled is a cursed fate.

But two Pillars?

That's a good start.

…

…

…

…

A/N: Well shit, it got away from me again. Another week, another multi-thousand word chapter, most of it written at work and also while I'm supposed to be writing something else. That's never happened before.

I want to say 'don't expect updates this frequent' but I'm literally opening the next document and I've already got the next one planned out.

But let's focus on this one, shall we? Another monster chapter, less time passing than before, but just as important, I'd say. I wanted to establish and build on the central relationship of this story while also not putting more time between now and the start of canon. (15k words later) Whoops. But this stuff is like soup; you gotta start with the foundation, add the core ingredients, adjust the broth, season to taste and let simmer before you dig in. And got-dayum do I know how to make soup.

NS: Sweet sweet DekuToga-flavored soup.

Aw yeah baby. Who's hungry for more?

I am.

Speaking of moods, I recommend following the link during that section because HOLY SHIT is it fitting! And, funny story, wasn't planned at all. I was just listening to my playlist on shuffle at work, typing on my phone, when the song came on and it just clicked. Hooray for random shit happening randomly and ending up good! Woo!

Also, for my FF homies, the song is 'Help' by Papa Roach.

And, once again, big thanks goes to NorthSouthGorem and his general knowledge, willingness to reply to my two am ideas/questions and weeb-ness. If you like my shit, you'll like his shit, too! Check him out!

Next chapter: more training and time passing, more Bakugou, more action and drama! I want to say it'll cover the final six months until the sludge incident, then the incident itself and the other thing (what could it be?!) but, well, this was supposed to be 8 or 9k words and we all know how that turned out.

Stay tuned!

Stay Safe, Stay Awesome!

~Soleneus

P.S: I realized as I was writing all these fluffy moments and cuddling and snuggling and general lovin' that, holy hell, this harem is gonna be hard. I am gonna have to PUT IN WORK, SON!

BUT THE EFFORT MAKES THE RESULTS ALL THE SWEETER! NO PAIN, NO GAIN, BABY! WOOOOOOOOO!

And yes, it is still a harem, eventually, like the tag says.

NS: Well, hopefully that same 'eventually' won't also mean taking forever to get to Yuuei. :P

D:

Also Izuku met her at just the right time, so she's fascinated by blood and a little crazy, but not a full-on psycho bitch. Yay for timing!