4

Nothing ever happens without a reason, visible or not. A foundation can only be laid for so long until it must be built upon. Sometimes things begin with very visible reasons.

A friend turned rival. A kid with a useless Quirk. And the Secretly Crippled Number One.

A sticky situation, indeed.

…

It was a week later that the deal was finalized. In that time, Toga was, ostensibly, staying with Inko in her room. In reality, there wasn't a single night when she didn't slip out and snuggle with Izuku. In his bed, under his blanket, with his arms around her…she felt safe, warm…loved. Izuku never turned her away, even though every morning he'd inevitably turn into a tomato when he found out where his hand ended up; usually between her breasts with her arms wrapped around it, his fingers tickling her chin. Though there was one time when he'd woken up to discover that she'd curled around his head somehow and had been about an inch away from smothering him with her stomach.

Mitsuki drove Inko, Izuku and Toga to the house, a two-story in a wealthier part of Mustafu. As they drew close, her hand sought his and squeezed tightly, but even through her grip he felt her tremble. "We don't have to go in," she spoke up, her voice wavering only slightly as her parents stepped out of the door and glared at the car. "I don't have that much stuff."

"Bit late for that," Mitsuki replied, parking the car and unbuckling her belt. "Grab whatever you need, ignore whatever they say, and let's get you out of here, alright?"

"Okay," Toga nodded, squeezing Izuku's hand again. "Will you help me?" She asked softly, eyes downcast.

"Of course," he muttered, giving her a soft smile before turning a glare on the adults on the top step. They exited the car, Inko and Mitsuki leaning against it with their arms folded, daring the other pair to do something. Izuku clenched his teeth as he and his best friend walked up to the house, only a quick dive into his meditation keeping him from punching both of them. He couldn't recall their features, his imagination running with what they'd look like after a fist covered in stone plowed into their noses.

"Be quick about it," the father muttered, eyes sweeping across the two of them with disgust heavy in his gaze. Izuku barely resisted the urge to deck him.

Criminals can't be Heroes, assault is a crime, he chanted to himself, carefully regulating his breath. Criminals can't be Heroes, assault is a crime.

The house, what he could see if it, was nice. Modern furniture and appliances, a wall of photos from sporting events and various birthdays…Izuku squinted and realized with a quiet snarl that none of the photos featured the girl holding his hand at all, not even family portraits. The doors down the hall bore tags with the names of girls on them, with the exception of the very last, which was plain and tucked in a corner.

Inside were the regular trappings of a room; bed, dresser, closet, a few books stacked together inside and clothes. However, that was all. There were no posters, no jewelry boxes, no things a teenager would have. There was a phone charger plugged into the wall and a phone, the only decorations being various stickers on the case. The books were all related to school, and the clothes hung up in the closet were only school uniforms.

"Himiko…" Izuku swallowed painfully, a burning pain in chest. "Where…where's your stuff?"

She pulled open the drawer on her bed side table, revealing a couple of interesting rocks, the four-inch figure he'd made for her, and a wallet. "Here it is," she whispered, quickly piling the things into her backpack, followed by the uniforms, socks and underwear. "Let's just go."

She grasped his hand and made to pull him out, but he refused to budge, staring at the floor and biting his lip. Instead, he pulled her against his chest and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, tears dripping from his eyes. "You don't deserve this…no one does."

"You made it bearable," Himiko murmured into his shoulder, her own eyes watering despite her efforts. "And now I don't have to come back ever again. So come on, Izuku, let's get out of here. These people don't deserve a fucking thing from us, not any more tears or another thought."

"Yeah," he sniffed, wiping his eyes on his shirt and giving her a smile. "Let's get the hell out of here."

As they left her room and headed down the steps, another girl with similar-colored hair passed them on the way up, scowling at them. "Good riddance," she muttered under her breath.

They ignored her in favor of leaving. Stepping out into the open air, they walked by the parents. "Evil girl," the father said, probably under his breath but loud enough that it echoed in Izuku's head.

He spun back to face them, emerald eyes ablaze even as Himiko tugged at his hand. He leveled a glare at the two of them, a primal part of him growling in satisfaction as they stepped back. "The man who sees evil everywhere, should realize he's looking in a mirror," he spoke softly, baring his teeth as the two thought it over and scowled. "You call her a monster. Well, you made her. What does that make you?"

Izuku turned away and opened the door for his best friend before sliding in himself. The adults sat down and with a turn of a key, they were on their way. "…What a bunch of bastards," the blonde woman muttered to herself, looking at the younger in the mirror. "Himiko, right? I know we've only just made acquaintances, but I've got room at my home. And a daughter your age, too."

"Thanks, Bakugou-san, but I'd rather stay with Izuku," Himiko shook her head. "Besides, I've met your daughter. Not a fan."

"Yeah, she has that effect," the older woman sighed, turning them down another street. "I know I said you should be quick, but that was like, five minutes."

"I only had clothes and a few things to get," Toga replied, fiddling with the straps of her backpack. "Besides an allowance, everything I have was 'just for appearances.' Besides 'maintaining appearances' I never really interacted with them."

"Mitsuki-ba-chan, can we go shopping for clothes?" Izuku asked, getting a strange look from said woman. "What? Himiko's been wearing mom's stuff for a week and not all of it fits." He'd seen more of her stomach in the last week than he had in the six, nearly seven months he'd known her.

"I-I have clothes, though," the girl denied in a whisper, patting her bag. "It's worked for me this long. You don't need to spend anything on me."

"It's not a 'need,' Toga-chan," Inko spoke up from the passenger seat, twisting around to look at her, "You're not a guest. You're Izuku's friend and a wonderful girl, and girls should have things to call their own."

Himiko's honey eyes darted between the three of them, from Inko's warm smile, Mitsuki's half-smirk and Izuku's determined eyes. Biting her lip, she felt heat in her cheeks and moisture in her eyes. "…Okay," she whispered, hugging her backpack tightly.

…

It was a week later, after Himiko had gotten clothes of her own, on a Sunday in Izuku's room that a conversation was had. "Izuku?" He looked up from his desk, the sand swirling between his palms halting mid-air. "You call the Big Blonde 'aunty,' right? So why don't you call Masaru 'uncle'?"

He squinted in thought, and then shrugged. "I don't know, he's just…never been like that. I mean, I like him, but we've never been really close."

Toga hummed, playing with an orb of glass, spinning it on her fingers. "Are you going to use glass as armor when you're a Hero?"

Izuku laughed, nearly knocking the statuette over. "Hell no," he shook his head, running a hand through his fluffy green hair. "I'm using it for training only. It's heavy and easy to hide, but even if I structure it like diamond, it's still glass. No, I'll have to figure it out later, though I do have some thoughts."

She nodded in agreement, casting an eye at a pile of glass in different shapes tucked in a box near the foot of his bed, which was currently open as she was playing with it. "Where'd you get all the glass?"

"Hero fights," he grunted, eyes focusing on the statue before him. "Sometimes they blow out windows, and I just walk over the pieces. It's like recycling."

Toga chuckled to herself and rolled around on the floor, batting the glass ball between her hands. After a minute, she sighed. "I'm bored. That's like, your second thing today. Can we go somewhere?"

Izuku hummed, carefully sculpting the hair of the figure into shape. "Yeah, just as soon as I'm done. You want to go to that sukiyaki place?"

She frowned to herself. "Isn't it expensive?" Not that she didn't want to go, just that it was costly.

"This," he announced, storing his sand away and turning the figure to face her, "Will pay for that six times over."

It seemed like a miniature person was posing on his desk, a splashing wave frozen in time cresting on her back. She wore a dress of shimmering, pearlescent scales with a long slit up one leg to show a tantalizing flash of leg with soft pink scales instead of skin. It rose into a tight bodice clinging to a sizable bosom, then a round blue collar and finally a beautiful face with elfin features; a sharp chin, aquamarine eyes, seafoam green hair and ears like fish fins.

"Is that the Mermaid Hero, Ariel?" Toga asked, tilting her head to examine it from the side. "She's pretty…"

"Her Quirk is amazing, too," Izuku gushed, holding it up to the light, "She can swim super-fast, breathe underwater and her body can withstand very deep sea pressure, so she's also super strong on land, too! She's famous for rescue missions during floods and deep-sea salvaging and being a model, with her most popular product being salt scrub!"

She grinned at his enthusiasm, poking his leg with a nail to get his attention. "Yes, I know," she said slowly, dragging an open notebook from his bed to show him the sketch filling one page and the heroine's Quirk and history on the other. "You muttered up a storm about her this morning."

He shrugged sheepishly, a hint of pink in his cheeks. "Yeah, sorry…" He frowned, opening his phone and looking at the message that had ordered the figure from him with a very generous price. He sent a message showing that he had finished, along with a question on whether or not they wanted to see it. The reply came with about seven exclamation marks and four ones, along with one word in all caps. 'YES.' Humming, Izuku took a step back and snapped a photo, sending it along with a tap. There was about a minute of nothing before a reply popped up simply saying 'it's so beautiful' and several emojis that he had no idea how to decipher. And then a picture message with an attached text started loading. 'Seeing such beauty made me wanna return the favor, savvy? Just keep this between us, ok? ;;;;)'

And then the picture loaded, showing said heroine reclining on a beach chair in a bikini, holding the phone up to get a full profile…while also folding an arm over chest to hide the bare minimum, because she was wearing a bikini bottom. Only a bikini bottom. "Hot damn!" Toga whistled in his ear, making him jump and throw his phone in the air. She snagged it before it could fall, nearly pressing it against her eye to get a better look. "Man, those scales are everywhere, aren't they? I wonder if she smells salty…"

Izuku snatched his phone back, quickly sent a message saying the figure would be on the way soon, and closed it. His face was still burning red. "I thought it was just a fan, to learn it's the real deal…" He muttered, rubbing his eyes. "How'd that even happen?"

Now that is quite the story.

…

Three Days Ago…

"Ariel, darling!" Uwabami greeted with a wide smile, the snakes on her head hissing subtly as she air-kissed the other heroine's cheeks. "Finally dragged yourself out of the ocean, I see! Had fun splashing in the water?"

"It's always fun plundering sunken ships, savvy?" The Mermaid Hero smirked, the expression making the patch, if it could be called that, covering her left eye jingle. It was made of a seashell with a doubloon attached, the string bearing a multitude of beads and jewels. It was gaudy and audacious and she loved it.

Her eye was entirely fine, by the way.

"Nice little shindig you've thrown," she noted, glancing over the gathered Heroes, media personalities, fashion icons and stars. "I brought some of my rum to contribute, savvy? Hope you don't mind."

"It's never really a party without a brawl or two," the Gorgon Heroine agreed with a nod, her lips twitching as the other woman noticed the beautifully crafted statuette she'd been standing next to the whole night, subtly drawing attention to it. "See something you like?"

"That's not a bad piece, that," Ariel nodded at the figure, her eye roving over it. "Is that real amethyst? And emerald? Topaz, aquamarine…whoever made this knew what they were doing, savvy?"

"It was an anonymous sculptor, exclusively made just for me," Uwabami purred, resisting the urge to stoke the hair. "It's wonderful, isn't it?"

"Very nice, yes, almost looks like it's alive…" The Mermaid glanced at her. "Except the real you isn't nearly as pretty."

"Ooh, is that envy I hear?" She grinned, mentally sending a thought the sculptor's way. You're about to get a new customer, thanks to me. Hope you're prepared. Talent should be encouraged, after all. And having a skilled artist in her debt was always a good thing.

…

Present Time…

"Hey, having people appreciate what you do and willing to pay is always good," Toga shrugged, watching as he carefully put the figure into a case. "Now can we get food?"

"Yeah."

…

A Week Later…

The two of them had developed a system on their frequent runs: she would try and match his pace and when she eventually tired, he would carry her. It was an effective way to vary the exercise and also pretty cute.

They would then train physically, practicing their different forms of martial arts, taking turns to teach the other in another style, then knife-fighting with rubber knives. They would go through the forms slowly at first, then picking up speed, switching between offensive and defensive techniques every few minutes. Though he doubted he'd ever use it, Izuku found himself gravitating to the military knife and as such, studied it as much as he studied everything else.

And then came Quirk training. That, too, had changed. At first it had been Izuku cutting his wrist and letting her drink, but after Himiko ran away…

"…Are you s-sure this is alright?" Toga asked shyly, pressing the tips of her fingers together, cheeks pink as her honey eyes flickered to his face then away again. "I mean, what we were doing before worked…"

"Yeah," Izuku nodded, his voice level despite his red face, "But changing the site to somewhere closer to an artery means it'll take less time for you to drink! I-i-i-it's just more e-efficient, is all!" He swallowed dryly and tried to meet her eyes.

It didn't work.

"Oh I see how it is," Himiko purred, throwing an arm around his neck, bringing their faces close together, "You don't get enough of me at night, so now you want it in the afternoon…and in public, no less. Izuku, I didn't know you were such a…bold deviant…"

It probably would've been more effective if her face wasn't matching his in luminescence.

Izuku stammered in denial, trying in vain to both speak and explain his reasoning again, but only ended up making nonsense noises.

It also would've been less effective if he wasn't such an easy target.

"Don't worry, Izuku-kun," she murmured into his ear, her warm breath brushing the shell. "I'll be gentle…" then she nibbled his earlobe with a cute little 'nom!'

…

He fainted.

When he woke back up, Toga was caressing his cheeks, the callouses she'd begun developing scraping the tender skin pleasantly. "So much blood rushing under this skin," she whispered, possibly to herself, "I think it's the next best thing to seeing it flowing over skin…don't you, Izuku?"

"I guess," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes and opening them to discover that she had propped him up against a tree and had curled up in his lap. "I'm serious though, Toga-chan."

Toga leaned back from him, her lips curling down into a slight frown. "You're sure?" She asked one more time, her eyes darting to his jugular, subconsciously licking her lips.

"I am," he said firmly, tilting his head to expose his neck and the faint pink crescent marking it. "Drink, please."

She licked her lips, pupils dilating. "…Okay," she whispered, leaning in as her arms circled his torso, her breath brushing over his skin. "Just…just let me know I take too much, okay?"

"I will."

Toga brushed the tip of her nose against his throat. He could hear her lips parting, felt the subtle heat of her mouth…She pulled back. "And you'll tell me if I hurt you, right?"

He gave her a flat look. "You're gonna bite me," he said dryly.

Her cheeks reddened. "…Right," Toga shook herself and once more leaned in to his neck. His scent filled her nose, the warmth of his body embracing her, his heartbeat pulsing against her body. "Itadakimasu."

Izuku blinked. Did she really just say-? Then her tongue, warm and wet, licked his neck and her teeth pierced his flesh. He gasped, arms wrapping around her lithe, warm body as she drank his blood. A sunny day in the park, sitting under a tree with a blonde in his lap with her lips on him…he had dreams like that. The exact shade of blonde varied, and the blood drinking hadn't featured, but…it was still nice, in a way.

Toga eventually pulled away, leaving a lingering final lick before the wound was sealed and rested her head on his shoulder. Full in a way that was almost like food, all she wanted to do was bask…but they weren't in the park to bask. "Alright, training time."

After Toga drank her fill, she would train in Izuku's form while the actual one would lean against the tree, working on forming and disassembling his armor at faster and faster speeds. And once he had recovered, Izuku would start conditioning his hands.

…

The Next Week…

It was the next week, later that Saturday night, that another conversation was had. "Izuku?" He looked up from his book on massage therapy. Toga sat on the foot of his bed, her eyes on his healed fingers before they flicked up to meet his. "When are you going to teach me that quick healing thing that you do?" She recalled the scraped skin and the bruises around his joints, only now they were practically unmarked.

Izuku set his book aside, pulling on his shirt hem anxiously. "I…do…do you need to know it?" He chanced, only to sigh. "I guess you do, but…I-I can't teach it to you, Himiko. I can't."

She sat up, eyes alight. "Why not? You taught me how to meditate, we teach each other…why not this?"

He licked his lips, not willing to meet her eyes. "It's dangerous," he whispered, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pajama pants. "If I knew what I know now…I wouldn't have…I would have, but…I probably wouldn't have succeeded. The Book is…insidious like that."

"Then show me how it's done," she insisted, stepping off of his bed to grab his shoulder, "Izuku, I trust you. I know you wouldn't hurt me. Just teach it to me." Her honey eyes were pleading, but firm, her grip almost massaging.

Izuku met her eyes and bit his lip, worrying the skin hard enough that a drop of blood dripped from the corner. He shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry."

Himiko frowned and dropped her hand, feeling wounded. Her first instinct was to say something sharp, but she instead said, "I'm going to learn it."

He squeezed his eyes shut painfully. "You could die," he mumbled, head bowed.

"You don't know that."

His head snapped up, eyes flashing. "Yes, I damn well do."

"I won't." Toga stated, staring into his emerald eyes, her heart racing for an entirely different reason. "Why won't you trust me with this?"

His lips curled in a snarl, before he dropped onto his pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "Because I don't want to lose you…" Izuku admitted, a tear tracing down his cheek. "I don't want to lose my only friend…because of something I did. I wouldn't…I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

She felt her anger fade, though her determination hadn't gone anywhere. "…It's my decision, Izuku. I want to do it. I won't die. And even if I did, it would be my choice that led to it." She shook her head and sighed, shuffling to the door. "…Just think about it, okay?"

And then she left, closing the door behind her.

It was the first night since Himiko ran away that they slept apart.

It took them a long time to fall asleep.

The next morning, a tired Izuku marked a page in the red book, then closed it and rubbed his eyes. "…Dammit," he sighed, fingers tapping the faded leather cover. Hearing the floor creak outside of his door, he stood from his desk and carefully opened enough to peek out. He saw Toga's lithe from stumbling down the hall, obviously tired. "Toga-san," he whispered, making her jump. She blinked and approached him with a smile that fell away as she noticed that he wasn't opening the door. "I won't teach you."

Her brow furrowed. "Wha-?"

"You'll have to teach yourself," he cut across, sliding the book out of the gap, releasing it as she grabbed it. "And…maybe it would be good…" He swallowed painfully, "To have some distance. Between us. I d-don't want to distract you." He closed the door before he could change his mind, holding it shut as tears began to flow, sliding down to his knees with a quiet sob.

"…Okay, Izuku," he heard her whisper through the door. "I promise, when I'm done…you'll be the first to know."

Izuku bit his lip and tried not to despair at the sounds of her footsteps moving away. At the possibility that they would fade and never return…

…

It was a painful week for both of them. Turns out, it was hard to keep some distance when they shared a home and usually, a bed. "What's going on with you two?" Inko asked Toga after another awkward dinner filled with uncomfortable silence, having watched her son hurry away after refusing to look anywhere other than his plate.

"…We had a fight," she replied, playing with her chopsticks.

"Oh. Well, that's what friendship's like," the older woman muttered, scratching her cheek. She grasped Toga's hand and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry, Toga-chan. The bonds of friendship, true friendship, always pull us back together somehow. It's just a small bump in the road. Give it a little time."

Toga nodded, giving her a watery smile.

The next day, at lunch, she had left Rishi prep and stopped by the ramen shop, hoping that Izuku would be there. Hinata looked up at her from behind the counter with a smile, but there was no green-haired teenager there. She continued on to Aldera and found him sitting on a bench, apparently reading but by the lack of turning pages, not actually. She frowned, looking at him properly for the first time in a while. His eyes had dark circles under them and his lips seemed to be turned down into a permanent frown. Toga felt her chest constrict and her hands balled into fists, resisting the urge to sprint over and glomp him with all her strength…but he'd asked for distance. And she wouldn't push him on it.

Her eyes tracked over to a nearby copse of trees and fixed on the forms of three girls, hiding behind a tree except to peek out at Izuku and giggle. Toga frowned, before a smile came to her face. She would keep her distance, sure. But that didn't mean Izuku had to be entirely alone, did it?

"Hey," she whispered, making the three girls yelp and spin around. One of the girls was tall and thin, with cherry blossoms in full bloom instead of hair; another was on the shorter side, with mint-green hair and a pair of what looked like fox ears, barely noticeable against her tresses and a massive blush on her face; the third was somewhere in the middle with blue eyes and long blonde hair, with a pair of small tusks poking out of her bottom lip. "Whatcha doin'?"

"N-nothing!" The greenette squeaked, covering her red cheeks with her sleeves, peeking over them at Toga with orange eyes. It was so adorable Toga wanted to pull that girl into her chest and snuggle her until she passed out.

"We should be asking you that!" The blonde retorted, crossing her arms and dutifully ignoring the pink in her cheeks. "What's a girl from Rishi Prep doing at Aldera?"

Toga nodded at the distant, lonely form of her best friend. "Izuku-kun is my friend, but as you can tell, he's troubled…" She swallowed a hint of bitterness, both at being the cause of his troubles and that she couldn't remove them until she managed to separate her energies, which was taking her longer than she'd hoped.

"His brooding really brings out the emerald in his eyes," the pink-haired girl sighed dreamily, before coughing. "B-being his friend and all, do you know why Midoriya-kun is sad?"

Himiko felt her lip twitch up. You're looking at her, girly. "…Trouble at home," she replied instead with a shrug, "I was coming to check up on him, but it doesn't look like he wants my company…and then I saw you three creepin' and wanted to see what's up."

"W-we're not creeping!" The green-haired girl protested shrilly, waving her hands, "I-I just wanted to…to…uh…see…what the view's like…from over here…" She admitted with a defeated sigh.

"Sukuro-chan likes him," the pink-haired one teased, nudging the smaller girl as she buried her face in her sleeves again.

"You were literally just sighing dreamily about his eyes, Sakura-chan," the blonde pointed out with a smirk.

"Shut up, Ino!" Sakura snapped, cheeks starting to match her hair. "You keep saying he's hot under those clothes, but he looks like a beanpole to me!"

Toga cleared her throat, making the three jump again. "Why don't you talk to him?" She pointed out, nodding at the reading teen. "He looks like he could use some company, don't you think?"

"W-w-w-what?!" Sukuro squealed, crouching as if that would make her any less cute or less of a target, "T-t-talk to Midoriya-kun?!"

"Well yeah," Toga shrugged, "How else are you gonna find out whether you like him for real or not? Maybe ask him out on a date or something. Worse thing he'll say is 'no' and even then he'll be all polite about it. You're young and cute and this is the perfect time in your life to go for it…so go for it."

Sukuro blinked her orange eyes at the taller girl, blush still present but less so as she tapped her chin in thought. "O-okay, I guess-"

"Alright, I'm down!" Ino pumped a fist with a grin, her blonde hair bobbing. "I wanna see what's under those clothes!"

"Ino-chan!" Sukuro balked, "Y-you can't just walk up to a person and say that!...Also I call dibs."

Sakura gasped theatrically. "Our little sweetie, calling dibs on a boy? Well, you better go use it before one of us ignores it!" She struck a pose like she was about to run at Izuku, making Sukuro jump, squeak and dart off. "…She is too damn adorable to be so shy."

"I know, right?" Toga muttered, watching the other girl run. Under that skirt, she's actually pretty tight. "I just met her and I already wanna hug the stuffing out of her."

The three of them watched as Sukuro slowed to a stop in front of Izuku, her shoulders visibly hunching before Izuku looked up at her in surprise, a blush lighting his pale cheeks. They traded words before he offered her the bench, and she sat next to him, tapping her fingers together. Then after a minute, she pointed at his book and said something, and he perked up and showed her a page. She leaned in as he started talking, offering a comment or two before noticing how close she was and flushing.

Look at all that blood, rushing under the skin, Himiko bit her lip, feeling heat in her cheeks as she watched Izuku's face light up as he enthused about his interests to a willing audience. I wanna touch his cheeks…and hers. I bet they feel warm…and soft. Then she blinked and focused. …Huh. He's happy, she's smiling and I bet she's about to ask him out…shouldn't I be angry? Or jealous? But…seeing him happy, even if only partially related to me is…nice. I like it when he's happy…

"Awww," Ino whispered as the two green-haired youths broke out into blushes as the girl of the pair stutteringly asked a question, "I'm glad our li'l sweetie got the chance…but I still wanna see them muscles. I know they're there, Sakura-chan, I saw him with his jacket off in PE. Guess I'll just have to ask if it ever gets that far."

Toga looked from Izuku and Sukuro to the other girls, an idea forming in her mind. "Who says you can't find out for yourself?" She asked, drawing their attention just as Izuku replied and their faces went atomic. "Hey, I know him and he could use more friends. Even just people to talk to, you know? And if you wanna date him, too, I'm sure you could work something out with your little sweetie. It's the perfect time in our lives to experiment, try new things, nothing serious." She shrugged at their wide eyes. "Why not?"

The blonde and the pinkette eyed each other before turning on her. "…You're up to something," Sakura declared, squinting her eyes at Toga, "But you know what? You're right. We can make it a group thing! Hanging out, maybe casual dates…maybe a schedule…" She smirked. "If I make a schedule, you'll wanna be on it, right?"

Himiko huffed. "Schedule or not, I'm his friend. He'll always have time for me." She eyed the two greens and smiled softly as they talked, the tightness in her chest easing some. "We'll see…after the trouble goes away." Then her phone rang, the alarm telling her to get back to class chiming. "Ah shit, I gotta go. Seeya!"

"What a strange chick…"

"I know, right? Good idea, though."

"Yeah…seconds dibs, by the way."

…

Three Weeks Later…

Izuku rubbed his eyes as he sat up, looking at his phone and smiling as he saw a text from Sukuro wishing him a good morning. He replied and got out of bed, stretching and pulling on his clothes before sitting down next to his glass pile and closing his eyes in meditation. It was time for another addition to his resistance bands. As he delved into his mind, Izuku couldn't help but think back over the last three weeks…

Being approached by Sukuro was a surprise, though her question on what he had been reading was not. He'd seen her reading often enough to recognize a fellow nerd. It was strange, having another girl around to spend time with, but the fox-eared girl was very nice, shy but smart with a passion for aeronautics. And then she'd surprised him by asking if they could spend the next day's lunch together.

After a minute or so of stammering, he'd accepted. That little lunch meeting had been nice, reminding him painfully of the times spent with Toga, but the other girl was different enough that it had been a faint twinge.

The surprises hadn't stopped there, though. It was only two days later that Sukuro's blonde friend, Ino, had popped up and asked for the same thing. Followed by Sakura the day after.

Somehow, they'd gotten it in their heads that he, in Sukuro's words, would be a 'subject of repeated fraternization conferences to determine interpersonal compatibility in small to mid-sized engagements during Junior High.' Or, in Ino's translation, a test-boyfriend of sorts. What that would involve was spending lunch together, hanging out and the occasional date, but it was to remain Nothing Serious.

His first question had been '...for who?'

The answer, 'for all three of them,' had taken all of his training not to faint but in the end, he agreed. After all, if it was 'Nothing Serious' then it was really just spending time with friends.

Who were girls.

One of which, if he'd read her loquacious diatribe right, had been crushing on him for a while. The next day, Sunday, would be the first out of school 'date,' as Saturday was for training only.

Girls and training naturally brought Izuku's mind back to Toga and her training with the Red Book. He felt guilt twist in his stomach and unease creep up his spine. Why wouldn't he? He had practically given her a full magazine and a gun, and directions on how to load it and point it at her temple.

He'd seen her very often, as they lived together, and every time it made it worse. Her eyes were bloodshot and had bags, like she'd been cramming for an exam and she wasn't retaining shit. It had taken Izuku a while to visualize and separate his energies, and he'd had the benefit of a telekinetic Quirk.

Izuku came out of his meditation with a sigh, stretching his arms out as he adjusted to the new weight. He exited his room and nearly ran into someone in the hall. "Toga-chan?"

Toga looked up from the Red Book, blinking blearily. Then she realized who he was and looked away. "Hey, Izuku," she muttered, making to step around him. "Sorry."

Unthinkingly, his hand darted out to grab her arm and his mouth opened to say…something. But what? That I want her to stop? That I miss her horribly and I don't want her to die? An insidious voice whispered, …that you want her to give up?

His throat closed and he blinked, making a soft, strangled noise. Toga slipped her arm out and began to walk away, head bowed. Seeing her like that shoved a blade of cold steel straight to his heart and he knew her sadness was because of him.

But most importantly, he remembered when he had felt like that, alone and suffering, and what he had desperately wished someone would say to him, even if only once.

Both of his hands reached up and fell on her shoulders. "Izuku…" Toga whispered tiredly, "I won't stop-"

"I believe in you," he blurted, and she stiffened. "I believe in you, Himiko. I know you can do it. I didn't say it before and that's my mistake…when I did it, I didn't know how dangerous it was, I only found out later, but when you asked, my fear got to me…" He swallowed thickly, moisture in his eyes, "…and I'm sorry. I'm not…I'm not-"

"Izuku," Himiko whispered, spinning around and hugging him tightly, burying her face in his chest, "You don't have to say anything…"

"I do," Izuku affirmed, his hands rubbing her back. "I'm not as strong as you are, Himiko. I should've realized it, but my fear…I should've remembered your strength…" He grasped her shoulders and pushed her back, his emerald meeting her honey eyes. "You can do it, Himiko. I know you can. So do it. And come back to me…so we can celebrate, okay?"

She gazed into his eyes, heat welling in her chest, and nodded firmly. "I will," she stated, fingers tight around his wrists. "Wait for me."

"Always," he swore, and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Toga turned on her heel and left quickly, leaving Izuku standing in the hall, one part of him wishing she would hurry and the other hoping he hadn't made things worse. The thoughts warred in his mind until he couldn't take the noise any more. Plugging his earphones in, he gathered his running things and ran.

And when he arrived at his training spot, the thoughts were still there, so he began his conditioning. Over and over his fingers drove into the tree, the hole extending further and further inside.

And then something cracked. Izuku paused, his face strained. He removed his fingers from the tree and sat down, cradling them and trying not to move them too much. With a shaky exhale, he tapped into his chakra and let it flow, sinking into his mind to ignore the pain.

But something almost…tickled. Not the wind on his skin or the grass on his legs, but deeper. He visualized his chakra as a thin stream and followed it as it spilled forth, following it through his body to his hands. The blood didn't tickle, not even as it rushed through his veins, but it was deeper. He followed the chakra and found it latching onto something deeper, directing that something into his fingers.

Wait a minute, he thought, observing the process closely. Is that…my bones? What's going on…why can I sense what's happening?...wait a second, is that…calcium? Once he broadened his perspective to include calcium, he became aware of his bones in an entirely different way. My chakra is using the calcium to fix my bones and strengthen them…can I…boost that?

While he pondered those thoughts and healed, he didn't realize he had finally distracted himself until he was at home, eating dinner with only his mother at the table. "Mom, do we have any calcium supplements?"

She looked up from her food, an Italian pasta salad and roasted chicken, with a bit of noodle dangling from her mouth. "Uh…yes? I think…" She quickly licked the noodle up and tapped her chin in thought. "Oh, right! I bought some when I started to model…I hoped taking them would make me taller, but…" Izuku snorted and she blushed. "…They don't work like that. Why?"

"We're going to ramp up our training next year," he replied, finishing his chicken before glancing at the other full plate. "I just thought it would be smart to start taking some. Bone health, you know?"

Inko hummed thoughtfully, her eyes also falling on the empty spot. "So, you two are talking again?"

Izuku gave his mother a small, sardonic smile. "Yeah, mom. I…I let my fear get the better of me and I pushed her away, but I thought on it and realized how badly I was overreacting." He nudged his plate with a sigh and stood, taking it with him. "Thanks for dinner, mom. Where are those supplements again?"

A while later he sat in his room, a bottle of calcium supplements in his hand as he tried to 'feel' the calcium in the pills, and the one in his stomach. It wasn't like his rocks or glass, where it felt like they were an extension of himself as soon as they entered his field. Even when holding a pill in his hand, he felt nothing. It was only when he dove into his meditation that he felt anything, and only the slightest tickle as his blood carried the calcium away from his stomach.

His deep thoughts were interrupted by the muffled sound of someone crying reaching through his door, and Izuku's eyes snapped open. He tried not to let his imagination get ahead of him, but he couldn't help but wonder why someone was crying. Did something happen to Himiko? Did something happen to Mitsuki? Did-

His door was thrown open, the knob banging off against the wall and making him jump. Toga stood in the doorway, her eyes red from crying but a warm smile still lit up her face. "Izuku!" She wailed, diving on him. The force of her body hitting his sent him on his back, his arms immediately coming up to wrap around her as she buried her face in his shoulder and clung to him as if he were about to disappear if her grip wasn't tight enough.

"Himiko?" He asked, nuzzling the top of her head as his hands rubbed her back, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head silently, "…I touched The Deep," she admitted softly.

Izuku felt a bolt of longing so deep and strong that his heart skipped painfully. He closed his eyes and pushed it away, focusing on the warmth of the girl in his arms. "You didn't drift, though," he noted, his embrace tightening around her.

Himiko's chest heaved, her breath hitching. "…I almost did," she mumbled, "I was so warm…so comfortable…after all the shit, don't I deserve to sleep? To know peace?" She shook her head, pulling her thoughts away and focusing on the present, pulling back to look into his eyes. "But I remembered you, Izuku. How you accepted me. How you rescued me…how you make me feel. And I couldn't let go, not until I've gotten what I really want…"

He couldn't help but blush at her honest words, at the softness and warmth in her honey eyes, nor the way her slim fingers cupped his cheek. "W-what do you want…Himiko?" He asked softly, both longing and fearing the answer.

She tilted her chin up and kissed him.

Her lips were soft and warm, a little wet, too, and even as his heart began to pound, a pleasant haze fell over his mind. Himiko moved, her lips sliding across his as one of her hands threaded through his thick locks, gently tugging at his bottom lip. He pressed harder against her then pulled back, and she let out a single, quiet little gasp against his mouth that sent a jolt of something wonderfully red-hot burning through his veins.

Then Himiko pulled back and he instantly longed for the warmth of her again, the blood rushing to his head making him just a bit light-headed. "…Was a kiss what you wanted?" he asked faintly, trying and failing to blink away the fuzzy blanket that had become wrapped around his brain.

She shook her head, resting her temple against his shoulder as she smiled up at him.

He blinked. "Are you going to tell me?"

Himiko shook her head again and reached a hand up to stroke his burning cheek, her eyes following the little trail her finger left on his skin. "I'll let you know when I've got it," she promised quietly, nuzzling his shoulder.

They lay on the floor of Izuku's room for a long, languid while, simply holding one another after her experience.

"So I guess that means you'll be sleeping with Izuku again?" Inko asked from the doorway, making the two of them jump. She eyed them with a minute smirk that grew into a smile. "I can't say I entirely approve, but…you two are fairly mature for teenagers. So…whatever you get up to, don't push yourselves or each other if you aren't comfortable, and be safe, okay?"

Izuku nodded, his face burning. "Okay, mom." As she left, he turned back to an equally blushing but also smiling Himiko. "So…"

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "So?"

"You kissed me," he stated, swallowing. "So…"

"Did I?" Himiko asked innocently, "Did it feel something like this?" She pecked his lips, grinning as he sputtered and somehow became more red.

"N-not really, it was l-longer-" She pulled him down and kissed him again, letting her lips linger before backing off with a pop. Izuku leaned on his elbow, blinking. "Uh…yeah, that was more like it…"

She giggled, stroking his cheek. "I'm glad you like my lips, Zuku," she murmured, her thumb brushing over his, "But I hope they won't distract you from your date with Suku-chan~"

He blinked rapidly, shaking his head. "…D-date? What?"

Himiko frowned, tapping his nose. "Don't tell me you forgot about sweet little Sukuro? You know, green hair, fox ears, orange eyes, crazy cute blush? Her?"

Izuku's eyes darted about, trying to focus. "Of course I remember her, but…you kissed me. And said things about how you felt. For me." He narrowed his eyes, thinking. "You wouldn't see a date with another girl as a…betrayal?"

It was her turn to blink in confusion. "…Why would I? I pushed her into talking to you in the first place."

He drew back, frowning. "You did? Why?"

She tapped his nose with her fingernail. "'Cause you need more people, dummy. And who better than a couple cute girls? Watching you guys has made my days way more fun. And it's cute, watching you interact and blush and stammer and all that fun stuff. I can't wait to see what it looks like when you kiss one of them." She whispered confidentially, "I bet it's gonna be Ino-chan, she's forward like that."

Izuku pointed at her, incredulous. "B-but you kissed me!" He stated.

"Yes, I did," Himiko nodded, leaning up to kiss him lightly, a pleased grin and a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "And I will continue to do so…a-and I hope you'll kiss me, too…"

"I…but…w-what?"

She sighed and buried her head in his chest, wrapping a leg around his. "Izuku," she murmured tiredly, "Just…don't think about it, okay? I'm tired, I've missed sleeping in your arms, so carry me to the bathroom and then get in your pajamas, 'cause I ain't sleeping alone any more. Meanwhile, think about what you're gonna do with Suku-chan tomorrow, alright? I don't want to see her disappointed."

Izuku swallowed dryly and opened his mouth, then closed it again. "…Alright." He was tired, his brain was running in circles and he too was tired of sleeping alone. Whatever was going on, he could figure it out later. After some sleep.

…

The Next Day…

He still didn't know what was going on, but he set it aside while he was spending time with Sukuro. She was a shy little thing, but when it came to her passions, she was surprisingly bold. Like so:

"I'm ordering soba!" She insisted, drilling a gloved finger into the countertop. "I don't like ramen!"

Naruto stood behind the counter in place of his wife, hands planted on the counter to glare at the smaller girl. "Does this look like a place that sells anything other than the most glorious of all foods?! Hail Ramen!"

"Hail!" A few of the other customers laughingly chanted.

In reply Sukuro pointed at the sign above his head. "It says 'Uzumaki Noodle House.' Soba are noodles."

Naruto turned around and squinted at the sign, then back at her, then tapped his chin in thought. "Well damn, you got me there," he snapped his fingers and shrugged. "Alright, one order of chicken soba soup, comin' right up!"

Over lunch, he also saw her passionate side come forth again as she talked about her dream job. "-with this coating, it could reduce drag by as much as eighteen percent, increasing fuel efficiency by nearly thirty-two percent and thus the craft would reach escape velocity by almost a third of the time!" She declared excitedly, pointing a finger in the air. Then she realized she was in public and sat down, face red, her fingers poking together. "So the decrease in fuel costs would be…astronomical," Sukuro concluded with a whisper, a shy little smile curling her lips as Izuku laughed.

"That's amazing, Suku-chan!" he enthused, a grin on his face. "You're really smart."

"Thanks," she mumbled, reaching out to rest her hand on top of his, "Not as smart as you, though…you've been number one in rank ever since we started at Aldera. I'm just number four."

Izuku waved it off, turning his hand over to grasp hers. "I'm just better at memorization, but you and that formula…I barely understood any of it. Have you run any tests, yet? Real-world ones, I mean." He smiled as her eyes locked onto their hands, a blush creeping up her neck to contrast with her hair.

"W-well, no, I don't have the resources for that, yet, but I'm hoping to publish a paper on it once I graduate," Sukuro replied, using her free hand to daintily sip the broth left in her bowl. "M-Maybe even get attention from I-Island, though…that would be kinda scary…" She reached up and rubbed the tip of one of her fox ears, blanching.

He squeezed her hand to draw her attention. "You talked to me," he reminded her gently, making her blush again. She did that a lot. "And you asked me out…kinda," he shrugged, then gave her a smile. "I think you're braver than you think you are, Sukuro. And you're smart, you love your subject and you're r-really c-c-cute, too. I don't mean to sound too complimentary, but to me you sound…well, perfect."

She blinked at him, her orange eyes widening as her cheeks turned pink. Then she bit her lip and looked away, her sunhat hiding her face. "…Th-thanks, Izuku-kun…" She glanced up at the clock. "It's almost time to study, so…w-walk me home?"

Izuku nodded, giving her the back of her hand a little rub with his thumb. "Alright, let me go pay." He took the bowls up to the counter and stacked them, grabbing his wallet and withdrawing a few bills. As he went to hand them over, Hinata grabbed his wrist and peered into his eyes, her usual gentle smile absent. "Um…Hinata-san?"

"Are you cheating, Izuku?" She asked seriously, brows lowering into a light glare.

Izuku blinked at her. "Ch-cheating? On what?" His eyes went wide. "Is there a test?! What's the test on?!"

Hinata sighed and took his money. "Nevermind, Izuku-kun."

From the back, Naruto's voice echoed, "Shoulda seen that coming!"

Confused, he took his change and met Sukuro outside, the breeze tugging at the hem of her light blue dress, the fabric of her white jacket rustling subtly as her white-gloved hands held the brim of her soft yellow sunhat. Smiling, Izuku offered her his hand, blushing as she clasped it between both of hers and hugging it to her chest, leaning her cheek on his shoulder. They strolled down the sidewalk without words, for they were unnecessary and all that was truly needed to end the date on a high note was something they already possessed: each other's company.

They arrived at Sukuro's apartment building and stood at the door, holding hands. "Well, Suku-chan, I had a great time with you," Izuku managed not to stutter despite his thumping heart. "S-so, um, see you tomorrow?"

Sukuro bit her lip and squeezed his hands, eyes flickering indecisively before her face firmed and grew red. "Izuku, c-can you bend d-down?" She asked softly. A little confused, he did so only for her to dart up and plant a split-second kiss on his lips before fleeing through the door.

Izuku, still leaning down, blinked hard. "…Did that just happen?" He asked no one.

"Dammit!" Toga's voice cursed from behind, making him jump and spin around. Peeking out of the mouth of a nearby alley, Himiko, Ino and Sakura watched with smiles, though the former was a little strained. "I thought Ino was gonna be the first kiss!"

"Oh please, there's still time," the blonde smirked, flipping her hair back. "There's no way that little peck counts."

The door to the apartment building flew open and Izuku spun around again just in time for Sukuro to jump and wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down to meet her lips full-on, a quiet sigh of content escaping from her nose as they kissed. She pulled away from him with a pop, reaching up to touch her lips with her fingers. "Ehehehehe…" she giggled, a little hysterically before looking up at the boy and his shocked face, then the girls behind him, who were also shocked. With a squeal, she fled once more, throwing her hands up as she ran.

"…Dammit!" Both blondes cursed.

…

Like, a couple months later? I think? This is a time skip to the 'sticky situation' and I'm not entirely sure of the timeline, soooo…

A Couple Months Later…

Izuku learned and experienced several things over those months. The first was that no, he still had no clue what was going on or why Toga seemed so invested in it, so he decided to leave it to the side until he could find out. He'd asked his mother and she'd just shrugged. He'd asked Mitsuki and she just stared at him strangely for a minute, shrugged and hugged his face to her chest while laughing.

That didn't explain a damn thing, either.

The second was that all the girls kissed differently. Sukuro was more light, sweet and airy like a dab of cotton candy on the tongue, with a notable exception:

Sukuro gazed around Izuku's room, gasping at the figures of heroes neatly lined up on shelves. "…Wow," she murmured, turning to the boy himself who was looking very proud and embarrassed. "You're really talented, Izuku-kun."

"Thanks," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly with a smile, before clearing his throat. "That wasn't what I wanted to show you, though…here, this is for you." He opened a drawer and drew a small, cloth-covered figure and set it on his desk.

Izuku drew the cloth back to reveal a statuette of Sukuro, dressed in a lab coat with an I-Island patch, presenting a vial full of a teal substance to an invisible audience with a determined smile. Sukuro gasped, her eyes wide. It seemed as if the miniature version was about to step off the little plinth and smile up at her. "This is…"

"I think it's a vision of the future," Izuku said quietly, his hand coming to rest on her slim shoulder, as his other retrieved an identical figure from the drawer. "I made another for myself, just so I could remember that a girl who changed the world…and gave me her first kiss."

"Izuku…" She whispered, biting her lip before her expression firmed. "Can you take a step back?"

He blinked but did as she asked, inwardly worried. Had he overstepped somehow?

"A little more," she said, eyes on his feet, "A little more." The back of his legs bumped the edge of his bed. "Perfect." Both of her dainty little hands rose and shoved against his chest, sending him tumbling back onto his bed before she literally jumped on him, her arms going around his neck as her lips smashed into his.

He gasped in surprise and froze…for a second before his hands found her back, pressing her down against him as he responded to her attack, using every iota of his experience to tug and pull at her lips before pulling her bottom between his and sucking gently. Sukuro gasped sharply, jerking back to gaze at him with wide orange eyes before diving back in, hands cupping his cheeks to leave him helpless before her assault as she nuzzled his mouth, the tip of her tongue poking out to lick across his lips. He parted them unconsciously and she slipped in, cautiously probing his teeth before finding his tongue.

At some point Izuku had shuffled up against his pillows, setting her in his lap as his hands roamed her back, one of hers cupping his jaw as the other carded through his hair. She broke away from him with a loud smack, a strand of his saliva hanging from the corner of her lips as she gazed into his eyes, heated face close to his, nipping and pecking his lips in-between panting for breath.

Creeeeeeak.

Izuku blinked, as did Sukuro. Slowly, they turned and found Himiko sitting in his desk chair, her hands cupping her cheeks with her elbows on her knees, watching them intently with glazed honey eyes and a massive blush that had all of her skin glistening pink. "…Sorry," she murmured, grinning, "I'll be quieter…"

Toga was in some kind of heaven. Not only was the blood racing through her body like rapids, Izuku and Sukuro were so heated and enjoying the shit out of their makeout that she could almost hear the thundering of their hearts. And then it began to degrade as the pink of arousal tilted to the red of embarrassment and the mint-haired girl began to sputter.

"Izuku, grab her thighs, she's super-sensitive!" She blurted out, recalling another time when they'd been spying on Izuku and Ino on a date and Sukuro had muttered something uncharitable under her breath and Toga had flicked her on the back of her thigh.

Izuku blinked but did as instructed, calloused hands sliding down her back to grasp surprisingly firm, athletic thighs. Sukuro squeaked and stiffened, then whipped around so fast one of her fox ears hit Izuku across the nose and dove for his mouth. Toga giggled to herself and leaned back in the chair, watching the two resume their intimate moment. "Heh, nice."

Ino, on the other hand, was much more in line with her Quirk, which she called 'Full Boar.' It allowed her to project a kinetic shield in front of her from her tusks, with it getting stronger the faster she was. Her kisses were straightforward and heavy, and if Izuku wasn't careful, she'd pin him to the nearest hard surface to smooch him silly. While it was nice to have another running partner, her idea of a 'cool down' was to push him against a tree and kiss him until they nearly passed out, all while slipping a hand under his shirt to grope his chest.

Sakura was much more languid, preferring to climb into his lap and slump against him, lightly brushing her lips against his as she used her Quirk, 'In Bloom,' to lull them into a comfortable doze as they cuddled and kissed. Her Quirk let her emanate the scent of the flower that served as her hair, which she could change from Sakura blossoms with a bit of effort.

The third Izuku discovered was that, out of the three girls, exactly none of them wanted to be heroes. Sukuro desired to use her aeronautics knowledge to ascend science, Ino wished to become a fitness trainer and Sakura, in her words, 'something to do with perfumes…'

It was the first time he'd known someone his age, and especially with a Quirk like Ino's, who didn't want to be a Hero.

Another thing Izuku and Himiko learned was how to play an instrument, at the direction of the Red Book.

Another expression of 'anything can be training' is learning how to play an instrument. Hand-eye coordination is imperative, especially for Serration and besides video games, instruments are one of the best methods of learning.

Also, learn how to do dance. Not ballroom or whatever, but head to a club and mix it up a little. The flow of a fight and how it can be harnessed is yet another tool in the hands of a master of Serration.

And you can meet chicks/dudes.

Himiko had chosen to learn the harp, which took patience, grace and a gentle touch but was still difficult to play for a long amount of time, especially since she had moved on to the conditioning portion of Unarmed Serration. That had led to another conversation.

"-and that was when I realized I could condition my bones faster with calcium," Izuku finished, wiggling his fingers in front of Toga. "It also gave me an idea for something else. Teeth."

She ran her lips over her canines, imaging having teeth strong enough to pierce armor. It was a cool thought, but didn't sound fun. "I'm down for that," she commented, focusing her chakra to her fingers. She unlocked it so quick it was barely worth mentioning. "How would you go about it?"

He held up a hand, glass sand gathering into a slim drill shape that began to shriek as it spun. "My first thought was to use my field to make drills and drill holes into our teeth," he started, not noticing Toga covering her mouth with a pale face, "Like, two or three small ones and then just go from there. But I remembered that we condition our hands with stress, so I figured we could just chew ice instead."

"Oh," she sighed, wiping her forehead. "So, how do we do this?"

"Before we start conditioning, we take a supplement," he held up an orange pill, "Then we tap into our chakra and let it heal, but I'll need to have your hands in my field to affect them, like so," he grabbed her hands gently, clasping them between his own. "A-and then with the teeth, it'll be more like…" His hands cupped her cheeks, the edge of his calloused thumbs brushing her tender lips as his palms pressed into her heated skin. "Like t-that."

Toga hummed softly, leaning her face into his warm hands. "It'll probably feel a little weird, so you might want to distract me…like rubbing my cheeks with your thumbs…"

Izuku did so and she hummed again, deep in her chest and despite the innocence of the sound, he felt his cheeks grow hot. Then he noticed that her lips were pursed and protruding. "U-um, Toga-chan?"

She pushed her lips out further. "Kizz meh," she mumbled, smacking her lips. He obliged and she hummed again, pleased.

And that was added to their training, and it did typically end in cuddling and kissing. No complaints were had.

Izuku, on the other hand, had decided to learn the piano. His first thought had been the drums, but it just hadn't fit.

And as a side benefit of expanding their circle, Ino had invited all of them to an Under-Eighteen Dance Club, which became a regular get-together for them. After Toga had transferred to Aldera, it was normal to find all five sitting together at lunch, or occasionally at the ramen house.

It would be no small understatement to say that in the year Izuku had met Himiko, their lives had changed, and for the better. Their strength was growing, their skills expanding, and they had friends, even if there was a bit of dating and a lot kissing with them as well.

But there was another change coming down the road. And it began the day after an exam.

"Settle down, class!" The teacher called with an easy-going smile as he stepped through the door with a stack of papers in his hand. "Now I know you're all excited to look at your possible career paths…" He paused for dramatic effect, being the 'fun' teacher and all, before tossing the papers in the air. "-But you all want to be Pro Heroes, am I right?!"

The majority of the class cheered, demonstrating their various Quirks in celebration despite the rules. Izuku glanced around at the other teens and sucked his teeth, trying to ignore them in favor of his most recent notebook, 'Heroes of the Future, vol. 1' which had himself, Toga and a few others sketched out in possible Hero costumes, though he was stuck in his own. He wanted it to be bold but sensible, striking but not ridiculous as it would only be visible until he pulled his armor on.

Still stuck, he decided to focus on Bakugou. Something vaguely military, explosive-themed, maybe? Maybe with kevlar and ballistic plate over the more important areas.

"Listen up, you damn extras!" The girl in question shouted, cutting through the chaos with a stomp of her foot on her desk, posing with a finger in the air as she glared at the rest of the class. "There ain't a single one of you worthy to even look at UA! You better look elsewhere, 'cause there's only one here who's gonna make it Pro, the only one who's gonna reach the top! Future Number One Hero! ME!"

"Bakugou Katsuki-kun, right?" The teacher asked rhetorically, flipping through a clipboard, even though everyone knew her name for her temperament alone. "So confident, you already signed up for the UA Entrance Exam…as did Midoriya-kun."

Slowly, creakily, Bakugou turned to look at Izuku, who was still tapping his chin in thought. Maybe some kind of reservoir to gather her sweat? He wondered, sketching out a gauntlet that somewhat resembled a grenade. No, wait, that's too big…maybe like a multi-barrel-

His thoughts were interrupted by a tanned hand seizing him by the collar and pulling him to look into Katsuki's glaring ruby eyes. "What the fuck did I just hear, Deku Koishi?" she growled, tiny explosions popping in her grasp.

He blinked at her, then glanced at the teacher who, like most of the previous ones, was letting her do what she wanted. "I'm going to be honest, I wasn't paying attention," he admitted with a shrug, looking down at the hand gripping his tie and resisting the urge to twist it away.

"You!" She barked, sounding remarkably like a large Pomeranian, "UA! Pro Hero! Deku!"

"Well, my dream hasn't changed, Bakugou," he told her simply.

"And what makes you think they'll even let a useless little pebble like you even set foot beyond the gate?" Katsuki hissed, the acrid scent of burning cloth began to seep into the air.

"Even if I didn't have a Quirk, I could still try," Izuku replied calmly, inwardly wondering how closer the explosive blonde was going to get. As it was, their noses were just about to touch.

"You'll fail," she gritted out between her teeth.

He tilted his head forward, his fringe almost brushing hers. "…So?" He whispered.

She growled under her breath, eyes darting away from his gaze and landing on the notebook on his desk, his hand splayed out over the pages for balance. Even through his fingers, she could recognize her profile. "Deku…!"

"Alright, let's get started, class," the teacher interrupted with a smirk. Drama or not, class still needed to be done.

Izuku straightened his burnt tie and pretended to pay attention to the lesson, as it was stuff he'd known for a while. But as long as he answered a question when called on and looked attentive, he could focus on stuff he actually cared about.

There was a bit of peace until the class ended, when Katsuki ambushed Izuku in the hall, pushing him against a locker with one hand while the other ripped his notebook away. She flipped through the pages, keeping him pinned with a crackling hand as she scanned through it until she found the page dedicated to herself.

The sketch depicted her in a loose but ready stance, a vest or a tank top of some dark material clinging to her torso and leaving her arms bare except for her hands, which were covered in some kind of multi-barreled gauntlet. An orange belt held a pair of baggy camo pants and was strung with grenades and some kind of disks, with tough boots made for stomping on her feet. And on her face was an orange domino mask that went back to her ears and spiked up.

Katsuki gulped dryly, recognizing the level of detail and care that went into the drawing. "Y-you perving on me or something, you damn useless nerd!" She barked, hoping no one heard her stutter or saw the color creeping up her neck.

"Just imaging what the future might look like," Izuku said flatly, and she couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic.

"You aren't gonna have to imagine…" she growled, clenching a hand around the notebook, sweat buzzing in her palm.

His eyes went wide and he lunged forward, knocking her off-balance as he snatched at his notebook. He managed to tear it from her grip, but her fingers clawed a section of pages from the spine with a loud rip.

Katsuki blinked in surprise and turned a baleful look on her former friend when she paused. Izuku glared at her, emerald eyes blazing as his lips peeled back in a snarl. He opened his mouth to shout something, but paused and stopped, visibly restraining himself. Instead, he straightened his jacket, tucked his notebook in his arm and stalked off without a word.

She was left standing there with her minions, feeling completely off-kilter as she watched him go. She glanced down at the singed papers clenched in her fist and saw herself, warped by the heat.

"Who does he think he is-?" Butterball started indignantly, only for Katsuki to shove a hand near his ear and explode it.

"Shut the fuck up," she muttered, shoving the sketch and her hands in her pockets, slinking off with her thoughts.

Izuku stood on the sidewalk with his friends, anger curling in his stomach like a snake made of solid metal. "No, it's alright, I don't need any more clothes."

"Pfft, neither do we!" Ino said, putting a hand on her hip. "But there's nothing wrong with looking, is there? Or trying on and modeling? C'mon, don't you want to see Suku-chan in a swimsuit?" She leaned on his shoulder, needling his side with her fingers.

"S-s-swimsuit?!" Sukuro squeaked, hiding behind Toga.

Izuku smiled, but his sour mood was still prevalent. "That would be cute, no doubt…but I'm just gonna go home. I've got some stuff to do." He'd gotten another commission that morning from some new Heroine making her debut, as they were wont to do recently. Having a sculpture from the mysterious, anonymous Sculptor was almost becoming a bragging right, and he wasn't sure why.

"Got some thoughts?" Himiko asked knowingly, getting a nod from her best friend. "Alright, go brood and whatnot…and I'll be the one to tease sweet Suku-chan in her little swimsuit!" She spun around and mercilessly attacked the smaller girl with her fingers, making her squeal and squirm away, bolting down the street. "You can't run from My Looooove!"

Sakura giggled to herself, standing on her toes to kiss Izuku's cheek. "See you Sunday, Izuku-kun," she murmured, brushing her lips against his ear. "Can't wait…"

Ino hopped up and kissed his other cheek with a loud smack, sneaking a hand under his shirt to grope his abdomen. "Later sexy," she growled playfully, nipping his shoulder before charging after the others with a shout of, "Wait for me!"

Izuku shook his blush off and went another direction, his thoughts fixed on the second incident with Bakugou. He'd been an inch away from snapping, from letting it all out and unloading it all at her, nearly ruining all the years he'd let her grow comfortable. He growled to himself and turned down a shortcut to his home, running his fingers over the spine of his notebook.

"…Just gotta hide…find a disguise and lay low…" A low, burbling voice drifted into his ears, and he froze mid-step. His eyes darted around, searching for the source when he heard a quiet, watery chuckle behind him. He turned slowly on his heel, his heart pounding in his chest as he saw a green figure made of a gelatin-like substance rising with a smile in it's only human features: a pair of bulging eyes with yellow sclera and green irises. "…You'll do."

And then it lunged at him.

Izuku was eight again, watching helplessly as a wave of razor sharp shards of glass shot towards him. Why can't I move? He thought distantly, his eyes going wide as his body refused to budge. I've been training for years to be a Hero…and here is a Villain!

…So why won't my legs won't work?

And then it crashed upon him like a wave. Sludge swirled around his legs, circling up his torso to trap his arms before it dove for his mouth. He clamped his lips shut, biting back a scream and quickly directing his sand into a solid cover over his mouth and nostrils. "What the…? Open up, you damn brat!" But that presented another problem: Izuku couldn't breathe through solid objects. "Come on! Let me in! It'll be painless-it'll be quick! Like falling asleep! Naptime, you little bastard!"

How much longer can I hold it? He wondered. Even after all the swimming he'd done, and the meditation, his lungs were already beginning to burn. Is this…is this it? All my people…all my plans…

Something impacted the ground, cracking concrete with ease. The Sludge Villain glanced at the noise and froze. "…Ah…shit…"

"It'll be alright, my boy!" A brash, powerful voice called confidently. "Why?" The air shattered around Izuku, easily peeling the sludge away from his body and splattering it on the walls of the alley. "TEXAS SMASH!"

He blinked, wobbling slightly as waves of air pressure buffeted his body. And then he looked up, into a pair of burning blue eyes above a wide, toothy smile. Blond hair, slicked back except for two antennae, gleamed in the light. Impossibly tall, improbably muscled, infinitely powerful, inescapably comforting… "A-All…?"

"BECAUSE I!" The Number One Pro Hero drew his fist back from unleashing one of his trademark devastating punches and popped the thumb up as he winked at Izuku. "AM HERE!"

"…All Might…" The teenager murmured, his mouth dry as spots began to dot the edge of his vision. Izuku quickly shook his head and centered himself, squeezing his eyes shut. Am I dead? This can't be happening…It can't be-

"But it did happen, young man!" All Might proclaimed, making Izuku jump and his eyes snap open. The Pro Hero of all Pro Heroes stood before him, still bearing his trademark smile…and also two bottles of what used to be cola, but now contained the thrashing eyeballs of the Sludge Villain. "Midoriya-kun, right?"

Izuku grabbed the wall. All Might knows my name!

All Might held up the teens damaged notebook. "I read it off of your book, young Midoriya! You have quite the mind, and the hand for drawing! I've taken the liberty of autographing my name inside! I hope that'll make up for my lateness!"

Izuku took his notebook back reverently, opening it to the page in question. There, spread out across two pages, as massive as the man himself, was his signature. "I…uh, yeah, I do feel better…" This is All Might! His mind screeched, I have SO MANY QUESTIONS! "W-wait!"

"Justice never rests!" The Hero boomed, winking once more and crouching. "Farewell, Young Midoriya!"

"Wait!" Without thinking, Izuku lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the closest limb of the Number One Hero; his leg, just as he jumped. The sheer force of speed nearly threw him off, but desperation kept him clutching to the leg even as they sailed above the buildings. "All Might!"

The Number One Hero looked down, grin faltering for several reasons. "There's being a fan and then there's being creepy! Let go!" He looked down and realized how far they were from the ground. "Scratch that!" With a quick burst from his other leg, All Might directed himself to land on top of an apartment building. "That was incredibly dangerous, young man! Hero worship costs lives, you know? Don't-"

"All Might!" Izuku cut across, kneeling on the roof after the surprise trip and hard landing, "Wait, I…listen, when I discovered my Quirk everyone, even myself, thought it was useless! My first friend abandoned me because of it! But then…I realized how I could use it, how strong I could be! I trained…I've trained for eight years to be a Hero!" He faltered, throat tightening, "B-but then…back there, that villain…when he attacked me…I froze! I couldn't do anything! Was…was all my training for nothing? Can I…Can I still be a Hero?"

All Might stared down at him, grin gone, eyes shadowed as steam began to billow from his skin. "…Dammit," he sighed, slumping minutely as his form was engulfed in a cloud of steam. "…Listen, kid…if after eight years of training, after finding a new way to use your Quirk…if a single encounter with a Villain has you so scared, so doubting…then you know the answer already. For Heroes…doubts, fear, hesitation…they're devastating…" He coughed hard, dispersing the cloud before spitting up a mouthful of blood. "…I know that, more than most."

Izuku blinked in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing. "A-All Might?" The figure before him was everything All Might wasn't supposed to be. Gaunt, emaciated, skeletal…blue eyes burned baleful, carrying dark bags underneath, the glorious grin turned down into a frown, blond hair lank and dull. It was only seeing it for himself that Izuku didn't call the man in front of him an impostor. "W-what?"

All Might hacked into his hand, thin chest heaving. "Heroes can't feel doubt or fear…because when they do, they hesitate. Bakers can hesitate. Chefs can hesitate. Salary workers can hesitate. Heroes…when they hesitate, it means lives. Sometimes the life of an innocent, sometimes their own…I know this…" The thin man peeled the edge of his shirt up to display a massive scar of twisted purple tissue, tight and agonizing as it spread across his torso in the mocking shape of a star. "I hesitated. Now…I can only be a Hero for hours at a time. How many lives I could've saved…I should have saved...but now…" He shook his head.

"H-how?" Izuku couldn't help but ask, feeling horror creep through his veins like ice. Who could've done that to…to All Might?

"Doesn't matter," All Might sighed, chest hitching as he repressed another coughing fit, "Listen to me, kid, it just might save your life…the life of a Hero is a road fraught with dangers, hidden under every rock and in every crack…and every step thrusts a new one onto the path. But a Hero has to take that step, and the one after, and the one after…and they can't falter. Or they'll die. Or someone else will. If you cannot take those steps, Midoriya…then no." He glared down at the teenager, eyes burning with a grim, bloody despair. "You can't be a Hero."

Izuku felt his heart stop, heat pushing out from behind his eyes as tears began to trail down his cheeks. He opened his mouth…and stopped, hanging his head.

All Might sighed, running a hand through his hair. "There are other careers, you know? Doctors, Nurses, Police Officers, even Construction Workers…they're all heroes, in their own way," he shrugged lamely. "Not everyone has what it takes…if this is where your Hero dreams end, then it might be better this way. Just…think on it, okay? You're a young man…you've got your entire life to figure it out." He searched for something else to say, then shook his head. "Think about it. And please, don't tell anyone what I showed you. Appearances have to be kept."

His form bulged out, becoming the heroic profile the world knew and loved, though the smile was dim as he turned and with a powerful flex, leaped away.

Izuku slumped on the roof, despair knotting his stomach. That wasn't how he expected his first meeting with All Might to go. He thought he would faint, possibly scream, definitely babble…but to have his fears, his doubts come spilling out…and to be told that his dream, his plans, his training, could mean nothing? He gathered himself and shakily stood, grabbing his backpack from where it fell and shrugging it on his shoulders. With practiced ease, he vaulted over the side of the building, anchoring himself to the bricks just enough that he slid down the side, landing with a grunt on the street.

He walked, staring at his hands, uncaring of where his feet carried him. Is this really the day that my dreams die? I have this power, I've trained so hard to use it…but what good could I really do if I freeze? I would be…I would be useless. Deadweight…But-

His thoughts were cut off by an echoing explosion, followed by another and screaming. His shoes scuffed the ground as he ran towards the ruckus. Another Hero fight? After this morning? Who could it-? He skidded to stop at the back of a crowd, gathered at the end of the street as the towering gelatinous form of the Sludge villain, someone caught in his grasp. A trio of Pro Heroes stood in front, fidgeting fruitlessly, moaning about their uselessness. T-the Sludge guy?! How did- Izuku remembered All Might storing the eyes and some goo away in empty soda bottles and shoving them into a pocket…before Izuku had grabbed his leg. I…I set him loose?

His eyes lasered in on the giant form, ignoring the muttering of the crowd and the sharp words. Wait…is he getting bigger? "Hey!" Someone called as he broke through the crowd, darting between the Heroes. "Kid, no!" A woman shouted, a hand grasping a strap of his backpack. He swiveled back, barely meeting surprised purple eyes before he slipped out of the straps and charged towards the Villain. My body…it's moving on its own! Izuku wondered, before narrowing his eyes on the Villain. I won't be useless now!

The villain noticed him coming, a cruel smile in its eyes. "Found a better disguise, brat! Don't need you anymore!" He slammed a tendril down on the teen, only for Izuku to skip to the side, then nimbly hop over the follow up. "Little bastard!"

Izuku ducked under a wild swipe aimed at his head, scooping up a chunk of rubble as he ran at the wall, traveling up the surface and breaking the rubble down to cover his knuckles as his hand curled into a fist. Then he pushed off from the wall, coming eye-level with the villain…and punched forward, launching the solid stone over his knuckles directly into the Sludge Villain's eyeballs.

As he recoiled with a scream, Izuku landed behind the gelatinous mass in a roll, spinning around into a running stance as his eyes found the real target: the person trapped by the sludge. He pushed off, sprinting low before he put his shoulder down and hit them, his arm shooting out to carve through the sludge and wrap around their waist, the force nearly pulling them free.

But not all the way. The slime writhed and wrapped around his arm, crawling up over the both of them. "FUCK IT!" The Villain roared, "I'LL JUST KILL YOU BOTH!"

Izuku looked up as the Villain rose into a tsunami of sludge, catching the features of the other person trapped with him. Ash blonde hair, ruby red eyes-Kacchan? He also noticed that both of her hands were trapped in the goo, while only his foot and arm were. His eyes darted around, searching for a way out when a thought occurred. He strained to reach a large chunk of rubble, dragging it to his palm with his nails and his field. He grit his teeth and focused, turning the rock hollow, filling it with air, then compressing it down to the size of a golf ball. It trembled in his hand as he turned and stabbed it into the gelatinous mass, the dirt and pebbles on his skin whirling to carve his way back out, ripping one of Katsuki's hands free as he did.

Emerald eyes met ruby red as his hand clasped hers, palms growing sweaty. "Blow him to hell!" Izuku shouted, turning away from the sludge.

Katsuki turned a burning glare on the Villain and cupped her palm, letting loose with a furious howl. "DIIIIEEEE!"

The shaped explosive blast found the orb of compressed rock and air, and for the second time that day, the Sludge Villain was splattered on the walls.

Izuku knew it wasn't over yet. He took a punch from All Might and came back in ten minutes! "Come on," he muttered, dragging Katsuki away down the street, towards the Heroes and the crowd, who began to cheer. It's not over! "C'mon, c'mon come on!"

She struggled in his grip, trying to pry his arms off. "Grah! Leggo Deku! Gerrof!" She growled as he hauled her away, wriggling in frustration.

The crowd gasped and Izuku inwardly sighed as something damp touched his ankle. …Oh, come on…He glanced up as time seemed to slow. The people gathered behind the Heroes, the Heroes themselves pointing behind him as one, a forest-themed one, extended vines towards them.

He made a decision and planted his feet, turning and throwing Katsuki towards the Heroes as a tendril of slime yanked his ankle away from under him. He hit the ground in a rush of breath, feeling himself being pulled back Izuku looked over his and found the Sludge Villain reeling him in with an inarticulate roar of rage. Izuku jammed his fingers into the ground, pulling concrete up around his hand as he snarled back. Fuck my plans! Full Ar-

A powerful foot stomped between them, severing the line of sludge and cracking the concrete. Izuku found his eyes traveling up a broad, muscled back, a blue eye looking over the shoulder at him. "It's alright now, my boy!" All Might shouted with a grin, turning to the villain who quaked in fear, and cocked an arm back. "Why?"

"FUCK!" The villain screamed.

"TEXAS…!"

…

All Might stood at the back of the crowd in his weak, skeletal form, watching as the Sludge Villain tried to drown another teenager…and this time, he could do nothing about it. I used up all my time! Dammit! He seethed with impotent fury, a trembling hand rising to grip the wound under his shirt. Is this really happening? Is this my punishment? Forced to watch, unable to act…to be useless?

Someone shouldered past him, making him grunt in pain. "Hey!" He growled, before he recognized the fluffy green hair. Wait, isn't that-?

The boy he had just talked to shoved his way through the crowd of spectators and broke through the line, slipping around the newly-debuted Mt. Lady who shot a hand out to stop him. The boy, young Midoriya Izuku, turned back to look at her, his face showing surprise…before it hardened and he spun back, slipping out of his backpack to charge down the street, straight into the heart of danger.

All Might gaped. This is that boy who was trembling with fear and doubt? What?! He watched as Izuku dodged a strike, then another. He's nimble, he couldn't help but note, eyes following the teen's movements. He blinked as Izuku grabbed a rock and ran up a wall, leaping out to (what looked like) punch the Villain in the face with the rock, right in the eyes. He was panicking the first time, but now, after only seconds, he's realized the Villain's weak point!

As Izuku landed and rolled into a running stance, All Might figured out the boy's plan. He wasn't attacking, he was distracting him so that he could save the hostage! The one thing holding the Heroes back! What instincts! Then Izuku charged into the hostage, nearly pulling the thrashing girl free, but he wasn't strong enough. Then All Might saw him grab something and shove it into the sludgy mass, tearing the girls hand free as he did. Then he heard her scream and saw the explosion, but he also saw that it was both that and the thing that Midoriya had placed that blew the villain apart. Instincts! A plan of action, using the environment and the hostage herself for effect! In seconds!

His hands clenched into his fists, chest heaving with breath as steam began to leak from his skin, a broad grin forming on his face as knuckles cracked, watching Izuku try to drag the hostage away from the quickly-reforming villain, only for a tentacle to reach out and snag his foot. All Might saw Izuku's eyes, he saw the thoughts raging behind them, and as the boy sacrificed his chance to escape to save the girl, it was like a shot of liquid fire straight to the heart. This boy…! THIS BOY…!

All Might burst into his muscle form and leaped, easily clearing the crowd to land between the boy and the Villain, stomping the tentacle away. He glanced over his shoulder at Midoriya, who gazed up at him in surprise, but no fear or doubt. This boy…

"It's alright now, my boy!" For the first time in a long time, he meant those words, he felt the confidence set in his bones. "Why?"

…Because I've found my successor.

…

"SMAAAASH!" All Might roared joyfully, his fist thundering forward to impact the sludge. The air clapped and the ground shook, and the Sludge Villain dispersed into mist. The shockwave of pure force, generated by his punch, rippled through the air and hit the sky, blasting away the clouds and turning what had been a dull, dreary day into a sunny, cloudless blue sky.

Izuku felt the quickly-gathered rock armor falling away as he blinked up at All Might in awe as the Number One Hero turned around and smiled at him. It may have been wishful thinking on his part, but he could've sworn there was more behind his smile than just teeth.

Then All Might have him a thumbs up. "Good work…Young Hero!"

He felt his heart stutter in his chest and joy fill his mind. And then All Might lept away, and the other Heroes rushed him.

Later, Izuku found himself in the back of an ambulance, being lectured by one of the Heroes, Kamui Woods. "-it was reckless, dangerous, you could've been taken hostage! He could've killed both of you!" He finished with a sigh, rubbing his face. Then he put a wooden hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Your actions are commendable, kid, but next time, let the Pros handle it. It's our job."

Izuku kept his eyes down and his face blank, not letting his thoughts show. From what I saw, the Pros weren't handling shit.

Kamui Woods patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave. "Oh hey! You gotta powerful Quirk, kid!" Katsuki glared at him as she tried to walk by. "Blew that guy apart with one good shot! And hey, once you're in UA, you could intern at my agency, eh?"

The explosive blonde grumbled something under her breath, and Izuku huffed. Even a Pro Hero sees nothing but her Quirk. Her ruby eyes fell on him and she stomped up, grabbing him by the collar. "What the fuck was that?!" She growled, once more leaning towards his face.

He huffed. "Pretty sure it was all that lime jello you secretly threw away coming back to haunt you," he said dryly, not bothered by the closeness, not even after the damage she did to his book. Life or death situations had a way of rearranging one's priorities.

"You ran into that shitshow and nearly got yourself killed!" She barked, shaking him lightly. "Dammit, Koishi, I had it handled!"

Izuku arched an eyebrow at her and reached up, his calloused fingers closing around her wrist. He felt the shaking in her body, not from anger or indignation, but shock, and fear. Her eyes darted down to his hand, and he noted the minute trembling in her eyes. "…Did you?" He asked softly, not as an insult.

Katsuki twitched, her whole body jerking. "…Why'd you fuckin' do it, Koishi?" She asked quietly. "Why'd you try to fuckin' save me? You hate me."

She didn't expect him to start laughing. "B…Bakuguo!" He chuckled, shaking his head and looking at her with amused eyes. "I didn't know it was you until I tried to pull you out…and even if I had known, I still would've done it."

She blinked at him, her hand dropping from his collar as heat creeped up her neck. She huffed and turned on her heel, marching away. Then she looked at him over her shoulder. "…Don't expect me to thank you."

Izuku scoffed, meeting her eyes with a level gaze. "I don't expect anything from you, Bakugou."

Katsuki snorted and jammed her hands in her pockets as she walked away.

He looked down at his hands, rubbing his fingertips together as he remembered the feeling of concrete forming into armor around his hands. All that effort, all that energy…the only one who said anything complimentary was All Might. The Pros told me off, Katsuki won't thank me, and mom and Himiko will probably freak out. But…if that's what my whole life is like, saving people who won't thank me…can I still do it?

The answer was immediate and thunderous. Yes. Izuku felt his spine straighten, his fists clench and determination burn in his heart, like the core of the Earth itself. He stood up from the ambulance and walked home, head high and expression fierce. I need to train.

…