22

"You'll text me when you get there, won't you?" 

"Yes mom." 

"Also be sure to call every day." 

"Yes mom." 

"And remember to eat healthy." 

"Yes mom." 

"And don't forget to go to sleep at reasonable times." 

"Yes mom." 

"And-" 

"Mom," Izuku interjected, turning around to catch her hands in his own. "I'll be fine, I swear. You've taught me how to take care of myself well enough." 

Inko's lower lip wobbled as her eyes got wetter, preparing for another Midoriya-style precipitation. 

"It's just- my baby boy is leaving home..." She sniffed, Izuku letting one of his hands go so that she could reach for a handkerchief. "I'm so proud of you, Izuku." 

He brought her into a hug. His mother would never stop worrying for him, and he would never step away from the danger she feared so much. The least he could do was diminish the problems she could see to the minimum, and leave something to keep her safe. He'd never make the mistake of forgetting her safety again. 

"Thank you, mom. I'll be careful, I promise." 

She nodded, smiling under the streams of tears. "Go be a Hero, Izuku. I love you." 

He tightened the embrace, hoping that it wouldn't be the last one this time. 

"I love you too, mom."

The crisp Saturday morning air filled his lungs as he breathed in deeply, enjoying the quiet shade of the trees that surrounded the path to his new abode. 

Ida would stay with his family until tomorrow at the very least, so Izuku would probably be the first one to get there. 

He looked up, taking in the five-stories sleek and long building painted in whites and browns: Heights Alliance. On the first row of the newly constructed dormitories, it resided slightly to the left when facing the main building, on the same side as the structures for the students of the General Education Department. The quarters for Support and Management students were on the right side, and behind the first-years' buildings stood those of their seniors. Nezu was never stingy in regards to his treasured school's state, and the sheer size of the constructions radiated a certain air of awesomeness. 

Izuku spent a couple of minutes basking in the sunlight, bag on his shoulders, taking in the sight of the place that had been his home far longer than any other house. The fifteen years he'd spent in his parent's apartment, as familiar as they had been, couldn't compare. 

He wished he wasn't forgetting so many of those memories... 

Here his family had grown and, although he hadn't really chosen it himself from the very start, he couldn't think about living without them now. The first two months were always the harshest on his loneliness, but he had survived. 

"Hey!" a dear voice called him from behind, making him turn with a friendly smile. 

"Kendo, it's nice to see you. Seems I'm not the only early bird here, uh?" 

The redhead jogged until they were side by side, effectively the first two students to get to their dormitories despite it being way too early. 

"Yeah, I thought I'd be the first one! We've gotta show our classmates how it's done, right?" She patted his back, moving her head up to take in his same sight. "They really outdid themselves, didn't they?" 

"I'm sure that Cementoss got a nice bonus for this much work," he chuckled. "I mean, twelve buildings of this size or larger are a lot to make. He and the bots must have been busy in the past weeks." 

"Well, I hope the inside is just as nice as the outside," she said, taking a step and pointing forward. "Let's see what they've got us, shall we?" 

Izuku nodded, giving a last look at the grand sign written on the front of the building before following his fellow class representative inside. 

It read: HERO Alliance.

A couple of weeks ago 

"I admit that I find the idea of student dormitories to be interesting, and it is one I've been thinking about for a while. But I do wonder, why would you suggest bigger buildings to house entire departments instead of just single classes? Wouldn't the greater number of students cause problems? I do believe you humans don't particularly appreciate being 'cooped up', as they say." 

Nezu kept a thin smile as he "interrogated" the boy. The number of labels he was giving to Izuku Midoriya in his mind was growing by the minute. Student, All Might's apprentice and Ninth were a given. Genius, time-traveler, closest-thing-to-equal-intellect, and borderline-madman weren't. 

"The benefits outweigh the costs," Midoriya explained, keeping his eyes a shade darker and more serious than he'd ever seen from his cameras. "If those kids learn to share their living quarters with others, many others, they may be more inclined to understand and react positively when faced with the inevitable problems that will come later on. Most of the less-than-savory habits of some may come to light, and we both know how U.A. handles bullies and discrimination, when they're discovered. And anyway, most of the problems anyone could have with living-space could be easily solved by making the dorms bigger, which we both know is as easy as giving the right blueprint to Mr. Ishiyama." 

Nezu nodded along. It was true, the worst that could happen was the project taking a couple hours more for him to properly design the placement of every structure differently to be more efficient overall. His brain began making some changes as he listened to the boy moving on. 

"Though it doesn't really matter what happens with every other class, as they would be fine either way if a bit less headstrong. What I must be adamant about is the joining of the Hero Department dormitories. Aizawa's and Kan's system has worked well enough for years, but none of their previous classes had to face what we will face." 

"Ah, so you also know about the 'bombs and carps' system," the chimera exclaimed, adding another point to Midoriya's tally. 

The students were told that the classes were made at random, but that was a lie. Each year, the homeroom teachers of the Hero Course would meet and separate the students to build two classes whose members would work reasonably well as a unit, while keeping Quirks that were too similar in nature separated. 

Aizawa took the most "dangerous" students, like Quirk power-houses, possible delinquents, and those with personality issues (sometimes a three-in-one package deal), as well as most of those well-suited for Underground Heroics. Problem Children. The bombs. 

Kan took the ones with quieter personalities, longer fuses, and better self-control overall, plus those who had a "lower" starting point and who needed more time to grow accustomed to using their Quirks effectively. Students who would then grow into dragons. The carps. 

Then they would split those that could fit in both classes as needed, separating similar Quirks, and divide the four recommended students as practically as possible, as it was more about who recommended them than anything else. 

The two had even put into play another "logical ruse" by simply changing an A into a B and a B into an A, without changing their methods in the meantime, all the while letting the voices about "class A being the superior one" grow uncontrolled. 

Now, Aizawa's students got a false sense of superiority, further bolstering their egos as they usually could steamroll their first Sports Festival, only to be kicked incredibly hard into the real world during their first joint training. 

Kan's students, forced to "catch up" to the "superior" class, would push themselves to the brink and usually surpass raw talent with dedication and hard work. 

Both classes would then keep clashing in a head-to-head contest that usually brought good results. 

All in all, Nezu approved of the plan and considered it a great achievement of his teaching staff. 

To answer his question, Midoriya looked at him as if he was too tired to state the obvious again. 

"I had a hunch the first time around, and it just took me a couple more times to have it explained directly. The system is good, but it won't work well this year," Midoriya sighed, frowning. He then raised a hand to pause and explain further. "I mean, it would technically work, as 1-B would surprise most of us during the joint training, but with everything else that happened in the meantime our class never started slacking off. During my first time Class A won three out of five matches, and a fourth one was a draw. Not exactly the result Kan had planned for." 

"I can imagine," the chimera chuckled. 

"Anyway, it took me a while to see the problem of the system, as I usually ended up being the one to never return from one of the later... fights. But when I did return, seeing who was left alive and listening to how their fights had gone, I couldn't help but curse." Midoriya's face grew nauseated, pain and regret visible in every micro-expression. "Some didn't make it back because they were paired with others they weren't as familiar with, and I'm not talking about knowing each other's Quirks." He put a hand over his forehead, frowning. "In war a split second can be the difference between life and death, and some waited for too long when faced with the decision to reach for a known classmate or a random student from the same course. I've tried different configurations even, but the results didn't change; the distance artificially created between us all led some to their deaths. Even one would be one too many," he ended with a dejected scowl. 

Nezu sighed as well. "I understand, and I'm sorry for what you had to witness. This is the solution you've arrived at then?" 

"That we arrived at," the boy corrected. "Aizawa, Kan, and Inui gave their input as well." 

He smiled a bit. "Good. How much did it increase the survival chances?" 

"From thirty-four to seventy-three percent," Midoriya deadpanned, the numbers a heavy mark. "The remaining twenty-seven percent or so can be filled with other strategies, but this is something we need to do now. 

"We can work with that," Nezu nodded, "and I imagine that your advising makes for a good slice of that remaining percentage. Doesn't it?" 

"I'm just the messenger. At least half of those things were discovered by my friends by themselves or by our teachers," the boy shrugged, somewhat uncomfortable at being put on a pedestal for this. 

"After seeing that analysis of yours I'd have to disagree," he chuckled. "So, the dormitories would have the added function of making it easier for you to access your rival class as well." 

"Without those I'd have to wait until the joint training to make most of them listen, or the summer break at the very least." 

"And we do not have the luxury to wait that long, yes." The chimera extended a paw forward. "Well, Mr. Midoriya, you've got yourself a deal." 

The boy smiled as he shook it. "Actually, sir, I have one more request to make..."

Present

"This place is so elegant," Itsuka said, looking around the ground floor and taking in the multitude of new and exciting sights. 

"Isn't it?" A voice came from their left, making them turn towards the lounge. 

"Miss Kayama, good morning," she said, as they both bowed lightly to their teacher. "Were you waiting for us?" 

"Yeah, we're taking turns to welcome you all in, since you'll all be arriving in different moments of this weekend," Midnight said, stifling a yawn. "I drew the short straw, so I got the early morning... And the week has just been generally exhausting." 

"We're sorry for making you get here so early," Midoriya chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. 

"Nah, it's all good. I like seeing you little birdies getting settled in." Her eyes glinted, getting back a bit of her usual energy. 

Itsuka fake-coughed to get out of any possible innuendo being prepared. "Professor, could you tell us where our rooms are supposed to be?" 

The teacher just pointed to the board placed onto the wall a few steps from the entrance, were a single chart of the building's floors plan waited for them. 

The representative duo got closer, examining the images as Midnight explained. 

"The first floor is a common area, you'll find a well-furnished kitchen, a dining hall, a lounge, a study room and two small bathrooms, plus a nice courtyard. 

Then we have the boys' rooms. 1-A on the second floor, 1-B on the third."

"The fourth floor will separate boys and girls~" Midnight smirked, making Itsuka concentrate on keeping her eyes squared on the board. "Your baths, laundry rooms and more toilets will be there. Of course, split by gender." 

"Of course," the two replied as one. Itsuka hoped that her itching hands weren't a bad omen of her classmates' desire to pull something stupid on the matter. 

"Last, but certainly not least, all girls will be staying on the fifth floor, 1-A on the right side, 1-B on the left. Each room is already outfitted with a veranda, air conditioning, a small refrigerator and a personal toilet. No need to walk halfway through the dorm at 2 am," the teacher explained.

"Oh, and there's also a rooftop garden, if anybody happens to be interested in that." 

"I think that Ibara and Yui would like that," Itsuka said, remembering some snippets of past conversations and turning her head to the side. "How about 1-A?" 

"Hard to say, nobody's talked about gardening before," Midoriya shrugged. "But I find it relaxing. I may help from time to time."

"Nice, I'll be sure to tell them. Do you think we should organize turns for cooking, cleaning and other stuff?" 

"For sure, but I'd wait until we've got the whole ensemble here. Let's get settled in first." 

"Oh, you two bossy types are just adorable," Midnight purred, her smirk making Itsuka gulp and the boy raise an eyebrow. "Now get upstairs, the stuff you want to organize will still be here when you are finished with your room. Shoo, shoo." 

She didn't wait for the suggestion to be repeated, hastily abandoning the entrance for the safety of the elevator. 

The greenette seemed way calmer than she was, but perhaps he was just good at keeping up appearances. None of her class's boys had managed to not blush or stutter a little under Midnight's hints. Even Shishida had showed something under his stoic resistance. Instead, this boy seemed as tranquil as Yui was, just more expressive. 

As he left their ride, she decided to distract herself by thinking about how she'd work on her own room. Midnight's words hadn't made her self-conscious. Nope. Not at all.

Toru had just finished putting her last plushies on their shelf when her stomach growled. She hadn't taken that long on putting her things in place, but it was already dark out and she'd lost track of time. 

She eagerly skipped to the elevator and to the ground floor, being relieved to immediately see some familiar faces in the group resting in the lounge. 

"Hey Toru! Come sit here!" 

"Hi Mina! Hi Yaomomo!" she greeted, waving her arm so that she could be seen better. She then addressed the remaining students in the group, sitting closer to the one she already knew. "Shiozaki, it's nice to see you again! And you two were with Koda and Todoroki yesterday, right?" 

"Indeed, they were, and the feeling is mutual, Hagakure," Ibara replied, a contained smile showing her appreciation. 

"I'm Kendo Itsuka, and this is Kodai Yui. She doesn't speak much, but I swear she's friendly," the redhead pointed a thumb toward her classmate, who just replied with a clear "Mm." and a nod. 

"Nice to meet ya! For real, I mean. We didn't interact that much before the festival, uh?" 

"It was to be expected," Yaomomo said, crossing her arms. "There has been a recurring theme of intense rivalry between the heroic's classes for years, and I've gathered that we wouldn't have met until much later if things had progressed as usual. I wonder what made our teachers step back from their usual modus operandi to let us live under the same roof." 

"Who cares, it just means that things will be way more fun from now on," Mina giggled. Toru laughed along. Mina still hadn't quit calling things "fun," even after that scare on the first day. 

"I do hope it'll make things easier from now on," Kendo replied, followed by Shiozaki. 

"Yes, we should strive to cooperate. I've already grown tired of the animosity from the previous weeks." 

"You mean the guy who was dead set on making Bakugo look bad?" Mina asked, a grin quickly placing itself on her face. 

As Shiozaki and Kendo nodded, it was Yui's "Monoma fucked up royally," that got more giggles out of the pinkette. 

Yaomomo covered her mouth with a hand to hide the hint of a forming smile. "Hopefully we'll put all of that aside. Some rivalry is good, but I'd rather be nice to each other." 

"If they don't, I'll be sure to rectify it," Kendo sighed. "Or tell Vlad about it." 

Another stab from her stomach made her remember why she'd come down from her room in the first place. "Hey, have you all already eaten? I was thinking of making something-" 

"Oh! No need, girl," Mina interjected. "Midori's already working on that." 

"Uh?" 

Shiozaki nodded, intertwining her fingers. "Yes, Midoriya took some of the boys with him to prepare enough for all of us. A delightful gesture." 

"Speaking of the devil," Kendo, seated with her head looking towards the other side of the floor, said as she noticed the greenette approaching. 

"Hey, we're just about finished. Care to join us in the dining hall?" He then turned his head slightly, once again meeting her eyes. "Oh, hi Hagakure. Does rice and curry work for you as well?" 

"Sounds good!" she answered with a grin he wouldn't see, but nonetheless giddy for the attention. 

The girls got up and followed Midori to the other room, where five more boys were busying themselves by setting up the table, stirring the pot and checking the rice. Apart from Sero and Sato, Toru recognized two more faces: the giant boy that could turn into a beast, and the chubby boy who had fought by Ojiro's side in the 2 vs 2. She had no idea who the last one, a lazy-looking teen with dark and shaggy hair, was. 

"Ah, welcome," the taller one said as they approached. "I'm Shishida Jurota. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." 

"I'm Shoda Nirengeki, Kendo's Vice Rep. Pleasure," the second one spoke, a bit more strung. 

"Kaibara Sen," the last one raised a hand in greeting, letting them reply with their own names. 

"Uh, I expected to see more people here," she exclaimed, counting over only one fourth of the two classes. 

"Many of ours preferred to spend as much time as possible with their families before transferring in," Shoda answered with a "seems reasonable" tone. 

Mina nodded, understanding. "Yeah, I would've done that too if I had folks close." 

"Right, you had an apartment of your own." 

"Yep," the pinkette smirked. "But wasn't Uraraka in the same situation? Why isn't she here already?" 

"Her parents had planned a little surprise for her after the festival, so she's currently spending the weekend with them before they return to Mie," Momo explained. "I believe the same reasoning applied to Tsu and Kyoka. My parents were already gone for a business trip, so I saw no reason not to set up my room a day earlier." 

"Makes sense," Kendo commented. "I had nothing better to do, and I thought I had to take a look at the place first. To make it easier to help to others settle in tomorrow, you know?" 

"That's very supportive of you," Shiozaki smiled kindly. "I'm sure they'll be grateful." 

Kaibara snickered. "If she doesn't hit them, sure." 

"They just have to stop being childish," she huffed. 

"Ease up on the smacking," Midori chuckled a bit. 

"Hey, I'm going easy on them." 

"Monoma disagrees," Kodai pointed out, looking the other way as if nothing had happened when her friend shot her a glare. 

"Our main course appears to be ready," Shishida called from the counter, making them scuttle to the table. 

After they had sat, Midoriya helped Sato bring over the goods, sitting in two pig pots. 

"Chicken curry with a side of greens and tomatoes," the bigger teen presented. 

Toru could swear that she had heard another quick and more content "Mm!" coming from Kodai. 

Mina sniffed a couple of times, guided by the nice fragrance. "That smells good!" 

Kendo shook her head. "It does, but did you have to cook up that much? We could feed twenty with that." 

"I've made my calculations, don't worry," Midori smiled, starting to fill their plates. "Momo and Sato have to eat more than most because of their Quirks, and I'm no slouch either. And there's fourteen of us, plus Mr. Snipe, so trust me, this won't go to waste. That reminds me, I'll bring some over to Snipe."

The boy left with a plate towards the teacher, who was working by the entrance, leaving them for a moment. 

Toru looked to her side as she felt a light elbow's touch, seeing Mina mutedly ask her "Momo?" with an intrigued look. She didn't seem to be able to decide between doubt and a smirk. 

- Uh, is it the first time Midori has used a first name? Doesn't feel like it... Suspicious... - 

As the boy got back and most plates were served, they began to dig in. It wasn't Lunch Rush-level, but it was really tasty. 

"Damn, guys, this is good!" Mina widened her eyes after the first bite. 

"The aroma is quite pleasing," Shiozaki added, taking her time to taste-test. 

"Thank you, but we can't take merit for most of these results," Shishida replied after cleaning his mouth. 

Sen agreed. "Eh, we mostly cut vegetables and stirred the pot. Midoriya's the cook here." 

"I must say I'm impressed, Izuku," Yaomomo said, also taken by the flavor. 

"Please, I did the best I could with what we had on hand." 

Again, Toru noticed Mina mimic an "Izuku?!" in her direction. 

- The mystery deepens! - 

"It's better than what I can do by myself," Sero grinned, giving him a playful nudge. 

"There's only so much we could do with chicken, sauce, rice, and a handful of condiments," Sato chuckled. 

"Earlier Vlad King said that we could order soon to replenish our stocks," Itsuka pointed out, "so maybe we can get a couple more different things." 

"I'd be down to try some new recipes," Shoda agreed. "I don't mind helping out." 

"I'm down to help too!" Toru offered. - Especially if Midori's the cook. - 

"We'll draw up a list of chores soon enough," the boy smiled. "Everybody's got to do their part." 

Changing the direction of the conversation away from errands, Sero questioned him. "Midoriya, did you say fourteen earlier? There's only twelve of us here." 

"Todoroki and Shinso came in a couple of hours ago. I left them a note under their doors to join us if they wished to." 

"Wait," Kaibara looked up questioningly. "Shinso? The guy from General? Why is he here?" 

"I suppose he's been moved to the Hero Course," the greenette replied, unfazed. 

"Good," Kendo nodded with a sincere look, "he definitely deserves it." 

"He could have easily gotten to the semi-finals if he hadn't surrendered..." Yaomomo thought aloud. "I wonder what brought that on." 

"Who knows, must have had his reasons." Mina shrugged, then giggled. "But it was super funny seeing Bakugo act like a trained dog." Most of the table joined in the amusement. 

Shoda shivered a bit. "I still don't get what his Quirk is." 

"Some variety of mind control, I dare say," Shishida pondered. "I believe Yanagi and Tsunotori to have said something about a riddle." 

"Because it was," a new voice came from the stairs, as their thirteenth member joined them for the night. 

"Hi, Shinso, you got the message?" Midori waved, pointing to an open seat. 

"Sure did," he nodded, thanking Kendo as she handed him his portion. 

It wasn't hard to notice how the tension had grown, even if the two Class Representatives didn't show any reticence at all as they tried to keep up the stalled conversation. Toru herself didn't feel completely welcoming with the guy who had tried to trash-talk them from the hallway two weeks ago. 

But it was easy to see how the boy himself didn't seem to be completely comfortable with others. 

- Did his Quirk make it harder to approach people? Just as... - 

As hers had. Being completely invisible had brought its unfair share of problems. The memory of having to change schools because she'd been pinned as a thief still stung. Despite her proved innocence, the principal had thought that a transfer would have been for the best. Nobody was faulted for the "misunderstanding," and she had to bear the weight by herself. 

Mind-control must have been even harder to have, something many wouldn't mind labeling as a "Villainous Quirk." And probably also useless in the entrance exam... 

- Well, fuck those Quirkist bastards. - 

"Hey, Shinso, do you know which class you'll join?" Toru asked, breaking some of the tension hanging around. 

The boy seemed surprised to have been called, but answered after a moment. "I'm not sure yet. I think they'll tell me tomorrow or directly on Monday." 

"I bet he'll end up with us," Sero grinned. 

"Why?" Shoda questioned, unsure of the other's certainty. 

"Come on, he practically got into the best four in the tournament. He's clearly 1-A material." 

"Excuse me?" Kaibara frowned, as Midori, Yaomomo, and the 1-B girls sighed. "His methods are too subtle to get in your flashy, explosive and destructive circle." 

Mina pointed her finger forward. "Hey, it's not all about destructiveness!" 

"Says the girl that almost melted his opponent," the boy scoffed with a smirk. 

"Ok, ouch, but Midori could deal with that!" 

"I did," the boy kept eating without a care in the world. 

"Guys, calm down," Shoda tried to cool them off. "Kaibara, we were just talking about this." 

"You too, Ashido," Yaomomo gave her a look. 

"And stop grading classes by power, Sero. It's not like it matters, and we don't even know the whole roster," Izuku pointed out. 

The three sat back, muttering a chorus of "Sorry."

"Going back to the question at hand, I believe Shinso may be joining our class. His room is in the third floor, after all," Shishida offered his analysis of the situation. 

"But there was no more room on the second, and both classes are 'full' anyway," Sato countered, keeping his cool after learning from the others' mistake. 

"True and true," Shiozaki nodded. "We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose." 

But Toru's curiosity needed to be sated. "Midori, what do you think?" 

The boy raised his eyes to meet hers with a click of his tongue. After being called upon, he couldn't really stay silent. "1-A," he replied. 

"Oh, come on," Kendo looked up, letting out a groan. 

Shinso, now more interested, raised an eyebrow. "Why?" 

"You want to be an Underground hero. Who's our homeroom teacher?" 

A chorus of "oh" and "ah" filled the dining hall. 

"Eraser Head would be a major role model in that case. The choice fits," Yaomomo said, agreeing on all fronts. 

"Can't argue with that," Kaibara sighed, crossing his arms. "But nothing's said and done until Monday." 

"Wanna bet?" Izuku's eyes had a certain gleam to them. 

Before Sen could answer, Mina and Shoda had both put their hands before his mouth. 

"Never bet against Midori," the pinkette whispered, "trust me on this." 

The Vice Rep just offered a convincing nod, making his classmate shut his mouth and the rest of the table chuckle. 

"So, who's ready for the dessert?" Sato asked, moving to the oven. 

"There's one?!" Mina shot up. 

"Besides heroism, Sato appears to have a call as a baker," Shishida smiled as he took away the dirty dishware to the sink. 

"Is that a chiffon cake?" Yaomomo asked, despite being sure of the answer. "My, I should have brought down my tea." 

"I have some I could offer too, if you wouldn't mind sharing," Shiozaki offered, both of them quickly excusing themselves to find their herbs, with Kodai placing a kettle on the stove. 

Toru clapped as the boy sheepishly brought the sweet to them. 

The get-together wasn't much, and they just barely started interacting with each other, but she felt that they'd get along well. Then, when the conversation touched the topic of training in passing, she knew from the glint in Izuku's eyes that he'd just managed to find a way to get his fingers on twenty more students.

Izuku stretched a bit on his spot on the sofa as the heiress covered her yawn with a hand. The four representatives had opted to stay awake for a bit longer to start drafting their chores' sharing, but it seemed that the night had taken its toll on his friends. Itsuka soon joined Momo in holding back their sleepiness. 

"I think I'm all spent," the redhead admitted, "wanna call it a night?" 

"Yes, we can always work on it tomorrow," Nirengeki nodded, getting up and noticing that Izuku wasn't moving towards the stairs. 

"Don't worry," he interjected, "I'll just get a last hot drink from the kitchen. You can go on without me." 

The trio nodded, starting to fill an elevator. 

"Thank you for the dinner, Izuku," Momo bowed her head lightly. She didn't know that she would probably be ambushed by Mina (and maybe some others) in the next few days to ask for an explanation about using his given name. 

"We'll see you tomorrow," Itsuka said her farewell, while Nirengeki waved. 

Izuku started to make a beverage as he'd said, despite his objective being completely unrelated. He just had to wait for a couple more minutes before his awaited friend made himself known. 

"It's a bit late to show up for dinner, Todoroki," he joked as he eyed the heterochrome teen, then pointing towards the pot. "But I've kept a portion warm for you, if you want it." 

Shoto waited a couple of seconds before nodding and moving to grab a plate. 

The two sat before each other, Izuku slowly sipping his hot milk. 

He liked to get something to sleep soundly, and more calcium wasn't going to make things worse. Years of brittle bones and exaggerated Quirk usage had made him paranoid. Sue him, okay? 

He waited for Shoto to start. The teen kept his eyes stuck on his plate. 

"You said that you would fight me with everything you had." His words weren't icy, but neutral. 

"I did." 

"But we didn't get a chance to." 

"True," Izuku leaned more into his chair, "but you and I weren't the only ones aiming for the peak." 

Shoto stopped his spoon for a moment, his jaw clenching. 

"You know, Kirishima and Shoji are actually quite proud of their fight with you. Kiri said something about your fire and how 'manly' it was when you made the entire arena explode," Izuku continued, reminiscing with a chuckle. 

"I would have lost if it not for Kodai," the other admitted, his tone heavy. 

"But you didn't," he shrugged, "and the fact that you understand that is progress." 

Shoto kept his silence this time. 

"Tsunotori isn't yet as destructive as she could be, but she had you run quite a bit, didn't she? And Ida? Damn, he was just about to launch you out of bounds." 

"He almost did," Shoto breathed out. "I was lucky." 

"Nah, that wasn't luck," he shook his head. "Don't pass off your skills as luck, Todoroki. You know how to use your ice better than some pros could ever hope to do with their Quirks. But you've got years to catch up on in regards to your fire." 

Shoto open and closed his left hand. "I haven't used it since my last fight. It doesn't feel... familiar." 

"Quirks can't be seen as physical things, but they're just like our appendages. If you were to break your leg and not use it for months as it rests, you wouldn't be surprised when, upon taking off the cast, you saw that it was half the size it was supposed to be. Like a muscle, Quirks can 'atrophy' upon misuse or abandonment." Izuku gave him a light tap on his fingers. "But you've got it worse, I fear. Your Quirk isn't two separate entities, it's one big power to control temperature to very high and low extremes. So, as you kept using one extreme, your overall limit increased, but your skill in dealing with the other hasn't. This makes it dangerous, and something you can't ignore forever." 

"I won't," Shoto replied, looking at his left hand. "I won't." 

Izuku smiled kindly. "Good." 

They spent some minutes in silence, each taking his time eating and sipping, before Shoto spoke again. 

"Do you... Do you think I could have beaten Yaoyorozu?" 

He clicked his tongue. "That depends. As you were yesterday? No, I don't think so. She's spent weeks trying to come up to counters to what we could do. She knows her own weaknesses, and she's been working on them tirelessly. You had just started using a power you had kept sealed for years. The field wasn't even." 

"And she could play dirty," En added. 

"If it's not against the rules, it's not cheating," Nana chuckled. 

"From tomorrow onwards? Yeah, I think you'll both be very interesting to keep track of." 

Shoto finally met his eyes with that inquisitive look that wouldn't find anything but sincerity in Izuku. The teen nodded, accepting the critique. 

"Would you spar with me when the time comes?" 

Izuku did his best to contain a laugh, turning it into a huff and a smirk. 

"Todoroki, you don't have to reach any sky-high standard to ask for a spar. Those are a mean, not an end," he said, getting up. "Tomorrow after lunch we'll meet in Gym Beta for some extra training under Snipe's supervision. You're welcome to join us, if you want to. I'll be sure to set aside some time for you too." 

Before he could step up the stairs, he added one more thing. "And you could join us the next time we eat. I told you I'd leave a spot open for you." 

Shoto didn't speak, but his nod was more secure than the shaky thing he'd shown the day before.