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Uraraka Ochako was the first person he told.
Not that it was what he was planning, no, the confession escaped without him meaning to.
Tenya and Ochako were studying for the final exams before graduation, together late at night in the blue-haired almost-hero's room. Shouto was sleeping in that same room, defeated by his own sleepiness around two hours before. Izuku was outside refining his battle moves for the nth time that day, worried about the practical part of the exams. Tenya thought that it was an unnecessary worry since his partner had already improved his skills by 1000% since their first year as Yuuei students.
Tenya moaned in exhaustion and set his elbows on the desk, laying his forehead on the palm of his hands. He intertwined his fingers in his hair and lowered his head until only the said fingers stopped him from hitting his face on the notebook opened in front of him.
"Everything alright, Ii-chan?" Ochako asked from the floor where she was sitting reviewing some notes on battle strategies and quirk matching. "It's already past midnight, maybe it's better to stop and rest for a bit?"
"wnn- tgt a ttoo-" Tenya murmured, barely intelligible.
"Huh? Are you okay, Ii-chan?" Ochako asked him as she stood up, worried. She put her hand in her friend's shoulder in consolation and sighed. "I can go grab the futon in my room for you if you don't want to wake Shou-chan up..."
"I want to get a tattoo!" Tenya straightened his posture and exclaimed, his hands grabbing the edge of the desk.
"Oh. You, Ii-chan?" Ochako asked, surprised. "I think it'd look really cool!"
Tenya turned on his chair, surprised with his partner's response. "Yo-you really think so?"
"Hm!" Ochako nodded cheerfully before slowing down the movement and taking her index finger to her lips, pensive. "I mean... It depends on what you're getting, right? If it's like a random drawing or something, maybe it's not that cool, but if you want to get a tattoo, it can only be something thoughtful and very cool!" She commented, lifting one of her hands in a closed fist as if trying to convey her positive energy through it.
"Ah..." Tenya closed his eyes and smiled small, nodding subtly. "I have been considering getting a tattoo in homage to my brother Tensei since he called me last week to wish me good luck with my final exams. He told me I was already a Recipro Extend away from taking over Team Idaten, so it was the right time to go beyond." Iida closed the notebook and put his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand and letting his arm support the weight of his head. He sighed deeply before continuing. "I wanted something to remind me of him so that I never forget what kind of hero I want to be..."
"Ii-chan..." Ochako spoke softly and sniffed, moved by Tenya's idea.
Iida stood up suddenly, cutting off the moment. "But for this to happen, it is absolutely necessary that I graduate!" He put one hand over his chest while the other gestured livelily. "Uraraka-kun, I'm counting with your help to have a good night of sleep so I can be completely rested for the exam tomorrow!"
"Right! A warm, comfy futon coming right up!" Ochako exclaimed while the two partners made their way out of Tenya's room and towards Ochako's to pick up the extra sleeping stuff they bought just for the occasions when Shouto couldn't stay up until the end the rendezvous.
-x-
Soon after the end of the exams and with graduation incoming, it was the time for Izuku and Shouto to find out.
"Ah, Tenya-kun, that's so cool!" Izuku exclaimed when he heard the idea. "I'm sure your brother would love it!" The green-haired boy had an open smile on his face and a bitten doughnut forgotten in his hands. Shouto took the food for himself while the other was distracted by his ramblings. "No, this is actually really, really cool, Tenya-kun! Do you already know what you're getting inked? Where are you getting it? Where in this case on your body, but, ah, of course, which tattoo parlour you're getting it done is also very important, a tattoo like this can't be done by an anybody, and it'll probably be expensive too, have you thought of how you're going to pay for it, have you told your parents about it yet? Tenya-kun, do you have a date set yet? We have the graduation ceremony coming up and also the hero license exam, oh and you also have the university entrance exam-" The flood of words was interrupted by Shouto's hand covering Izuku's mouth.
"Calm down, Izuku." Requested the future dual hero.
Uraraka laughed at the situation while Iida's cheeks reddened completely due to Midoriya's almost interrogation.
The four of them were sitting in the park underneath a cherry tree, having the traditional spring picnic they started at the beginning of their second year of high school, two years earlier.
"Sorry, Tenya-kun," Izuku spoke with his voice muffled by Shouto's hand that still covered his mouth. The boy grabbed his partner's wrist and pushed the said hand away, breathing in deeply. "I think... I got a little... too excited..." He justified, scratching the back of his head.
"I appreciate the compliments and the worry, Midoriya-kun..." Started Tenya.
"But...?"
"But, nothing is decided yet." Tenya took a bite of the mochi he was sharing with Ochako and turned his face, still a little embarrassed. He offered the sweet back to the girl, who accepted it without reservations. "I am still not sure if I will follow through with this idea..."
"What? Ii-chan, what do you mean?" Inquired Ochako holding the mochi against her lips, about to take a bite.
"Well, it's something permanent, and still aimed at villains and rockstars, and, well... I am simply not so sure, I think..."
"And it hurts." Added Shouto, giving what was left of the doughnut back to Izuku, who nodded in agreement.
"And it hurts," Tenya repeated, discouraged.
Shouto put on a small smile, entertained. "But pain can't be something that discourages you, what kind of hero will you be if you can't take being stabbed with needles for a couple of hours?"
"Todoroki-kun! T-t-that is not the case!" Replied Tenya, gesturing indignantly. Shouto just shrugged.
"Tenya-kun, I don't mean to stick my nose in but... What, exactly, is your idea?"
"A tattoo in homage to my brother, it’s everything I have thought of so far..."
"So you don't even have a design idea?"
Tenya shook his head. "Maybe... Maybe I have something in mind." The blue-haired boy looked down at an almost faded scar on his arm, a keepsake from the fight with the hero killer. He traced the mark with his fingers, sighing.
"Tenya-kun." Iida heard Midoriya call him while his partner's hand slowly made its way into his field of vision. "Tenya-kun, I can help you with the tattoo design, if you want." Said Izuku, who held Tenya's hand and squeezed it lightly to call his attention.
When Tenya looked up, he saw his partner smiling affectionately at him, and immediately smiled back. "Thank you, Midoriya-kun. I accept your help."
"Yay!" Cheered Ochako. "Ii-chan, let me help you, too!" Volunteered the future heroine.
"Me too." Added Shouto.
Iida looked down trying to hide his reddening cheeks. "Thank you all."
-x-
It did not take long for the tattoo to grow more and more probable.
With Izuku, Tenya put on paper the idea he had in mind. He wanted something that reminded him of his older brother, but also something that symbolised his mission to do justice to the name Ingenium. He knew he wanted Tensei's helmet, but he wasn't artistically creative enough to think of a design worthy of being permanently marked in his skin.
The idea to add flowers was Izuku's. The detail-oriented boy observed that flowers hold specific meanings and that it was very likely that they could find one that communicated what Tenya was feeling exactly.
They spent hours searching, reading page after page about the many meanings of colours and species until one of them caught Iida's attention.
"Midoriya-kun, go back one page, please."
"This one? It says here it represents childbirth, motherhood and-"
"New beginnings!" Both of them said in unison.
"Midoriya-kun, I am counting on you to finish the sketch." The blue-haired boy announced, placing his hand on his partner's shoulder.
Izuku nodded and got to work, focusing on the notebook in front of him.
With Shouto, Tenya chose a body part to mark. First, they discussed places that were completely out of the question, since Tenya was still uncertain, for fear that getting a tattoo would bring shame for his family and their name.
Shouto considered that worry to be ridiculous, but he knew that Tenya needed his support, so he helped him as best as he could. He discussed places more or less likely to be exposed during a fight and then used his quirk to test how sensitive each area that could be marked was.
He was finishing cooling the skin between Tenya's shoulder blades when the latter interrupted him. "I have decided."
"Here?" Shouto froze a spot of the indicated place.
Tenya responded with a full body shiver but kept firm in his decision. "Yes. A place that will stay hidden as long as I remember to wear a shirt."
"It seems to be very sensitive," Observed Shouto. "Especially here." He pointed out, tracing Tenya's spine with the frozen tip of his fingers.
"I'm certain." Reasserted Iida, voice straining slightly with the effort to hide his discomfort.
"Well, since you insist..." Todoroki chilled the point of his fingers even more. "Let's prepare you as best as possible."
With Ochako, Tenya was able to find a trustworthy tattooer by an affordable price. Ochako was, between the four of them, the one expert in finding good deals for whatever it was they wanted to spend on and was frequently the one in charge of the resources of the projects the group took on.
Tenya already had come up with the design and the place where he wanted the tattoo to be done, but he could never make it come true without his partner's continued effort to find someone to do it.
"Ii-chan, I had to tell Kyouka-chan about your tattoo, but she promised me not to tell anyone, and she also put me in touch with a great friend of the Jirou family. They even have worked with pro-heroes before, like Present Mic-sensei. And he doesn't charge too much, but..." Ochako went quiet, and Tenya wondered if the call had dropped.
"Uraraka-kun? Can you hear me?"
"Mm-hm, I can. It's just that, Ii-chan..." Tenya heard the girl sigh on the other side of the line. "You didn't tell me a date. I can't schedule an appointment if I don't have that information..."
The truth was that Tenya had a day in mind, but he hadn't been brave enough to say it out loud yet. He took a deep breath and steadied himself.
"I would like to get this tattoo on the day the results of the admission exams are announced. If-" The phone was shaking lightly on his hand as he interrupted his answer." When I pass them."
"I see." Even though he couldn't see it, Tenya could hear Ochako's warm smile in her voice. "You can count on me, Ii-chan. Don't forget, then, to give your best in your studying!"
-x-
Before he knew it, the tattoo had become a reality.
He still had to pass his entrance exams to be able to enrol in all the classes he wanted, but he was working as hard as always and trusted his skills. Besides, acquiring this additional knowledge to help him take over Team Idaten was something he really wanted, so he was doing his best to achieve it.
Tenya was doing his daily morning jogging when he realised what that would entail.
He was running with his body completely stiff, his posture all wrong in ways that were expected from amateurs but unacceptable coming from speed-specialist heroes. More than once he found himself having to slow down, intense pain in his shoulders stopping him from carrying on. Tenya changed his pace to a light walk as he stretched his hurting shoulders, trying to understand why they ached when, by rotating his head to loosen his neck joints, he felt his spine pop and understood what haunted him.
He was very, very likely getting a tattoo.
... A tattoo he had not told anyone about.
Ever since Ochako had sent him a message confirming his appointment with the Tattoo Hero, Tenya found himself with a dilemma in his hands.
He could tell his family about it and leave himself open to the possibility that they may prohibit it, or he could leave it a surprise that could be met with distaste and reprehension.
Unable to focus on his training, Tenya halted his run and pulled his phone out of his pocket, assessing his options.
He could send a message to the family chat. He could call each relative individually. He could start a videoconference in case everyone was available. He could send a message to each relative individually. He could just put his phone back and forget about the subject.
Tenya closed his eyes tightly and squeezed the gadget in his hand, frustrated with his own cowardly thoughts.
He considered calling one of his partners for help, hoping they would shed some light on what to do, but he changed his mind when considering his options. A girl from a financially struggling family but whose parents always supported her fully in everything she decided; A boy raised by his mother alone, a woman who was as much loving as she worried about her son; And a boy from a broken home, a result of an arranged marriage, with great antipathy between the father and his children.
None of them was like him, the child of a traditional hero family going back generations, wealthy and acclaimed. None of them was pressured to become a hero the same way he was, subtly, influenced to follow the footsteps of the Iida elders into the hero life. His father loved him, but he was also strict and old-fashioned. He took pride in his lineage, and sometimes, late at night when everyone thought young Tenya was asleep, he could overhear his father disagreeing with Tensei about the way he was conducting Team Idaten.
None of his partners would understand the situation quite as well as Tenya would like. He would have to make his decision alone.
Frustrated, Tenya sat on the floor, supporting his back on the wall that followed the sidewalk. He threw his head back and looked up, sighing. Dark clouds covered the sky, indicating a high possibility of rain. Iida squeezed his phone in his hands, feeling lost.
He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't sit there forever, but he couldn't leave without making a decision, either. He put his hand on his back between his shoulder blades and pressed down on the place of the future tattoo. Tenya felt raindrops hit the skin of his arms and legs, but he couldn't tell whether they were real or if he was starting to imagine things.
He would pay for the tattoo from his own pocket since he'd saved enough during his internship. Therefore, it wasn't necessary to ask his parents for money. He also wouldn't need to ask for permission, since he was already 18 years old.
(He may or may not have freaked out a little when Shouto jokingly said he'd be a criminal by not waiting until he was 20 to get the tattoo. Ochako had assured him that the Tattoo Hero had a license allowing him to ink any pro hero, regardless of age, and Tenya was suddenly very glad that Izuku insisted on taking the hero license exam as soon as they finished their studies at Yuuei.)
On the other hand, Tensei was the person that Tenya admired the most and the main reason for him to even want to become a pro-hero. If his older brother did not approve of the tattoo, he would call it all off.
Tenya dialled his brother's number from memory and pressed the call button, feeling his heart beating fast as he waited for Tensei to pick up.
"Hello? Tenya?" Came a voice from the other side of the line, slightly distorted by static.
"Ah, Tensei, good morning."
"Is everything alright, Tenya?" The younger Iida heard his brother yawn. "Any particular reason for you to call me at..." A pause. "At half past six in the morning? A bit early, isn't it?" His older brother asked, laughing.
Tenya felt compelled to explain himself. "When I moved to the Yuuei dormitories, I picked up the habit of going for a run before my classes, so that I could start my days fast and well!" Tenya heard his brother yawn again and immediately realised that he had woken him up. "Ah, Tensei, I sincerely apologise for waking you up at such an untimely hour!" The blue-haired boy straightened his back as if he were actually in the presence of his older brother and not just hearing his synthesised voice through his phone's speakers. "I promise not to bother you at this time again unless it's an emergency!" He added.
"Hey, hey, Tenya!" Called Tensei, laughing freely. "Relax. No time is too untimely when it's my little brother calling me to chat and catch up!"
Tenya wanted to answer his brother in a way that accurately and clearly expressed how relieved he was in knowing he wasn't bothering Tensei, but all that left his mouth was "Ah."
Tensei laughed some more at his brother's awkwardness. "But, really, what's up? Is everything okay? What's the reason for this call?" He asked, seriously this time.
Tenya gulped. "Tensei, I-" The words got stuck in his throat, and Iida threw his body forward over his crossed legs, suddenly filled with doubts.
What if Tensei thought it was crazy? What if he got disappointed in his younger brother for doing something immoral like marking his skin permanently, like a member of yakuza would do? What if he thought it was something in bad taste and got offended? What if-
"Tenya? Tenya, talk to me, what is it?"
Tenya closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "Tensei, your presence in my life and the example you set made me want to follow the hero's path. When you were forcibly retired by the Hero Killer, I was losing myself, but my good friends brought me back to the right way when they reminded me of the kind of hero that I wanted to become."
"Tenya..."
Iida felt his blood boil and stood up all at once, scratching his back on the wall in the process. "I still have much to learn and improve before I can get anywhere near the hero you were; before I can live up to the name Ingenium that you build, Tensei. And, to do so, I must, always, always, remember you and how much you inspire me."
"Tenya, I'm flattered with your words, but why-"
"And that is- that is why-" Tenya could feel his shoulders shaking, but he had gotten too far to stop now. "That is why I am planning to get a tattoo in homage to you."
Tenya heard his brother gasp in surprise. "Tensei?"
"Tenya..." Tensei's voice was altered, sounding choked. "I..."
"Are you alright?"
"I'm genuinely surprised that my little robot of a brother even considered getting a tattoo!" Tensei exclaimed. "But I'm also very moved."
Tenya thought it was better to clarify. "Positively moved?"
Tensey laughed loudly. "Of course, dummy!" Tenya could picture his brother hitting his thigh, entertained by the situation. "Tenya, you hold me so high as an example that you're willing to mark your skin permanently for me. I'm pretty happy to know that I inspire you so much!" Tenya could hear the emotion in Tensei's words. "And I'm also maybe just a little bit frightened of how intense you are." The older Iida added jokingly.
"So... You are not disappointed by my choices?"
"Not even a little, Tenya." Tensei sighed in an exaggeratedly dramatical manner before continuing. "I mean, I am a little upset that I'm not gonna be the cooler brother for much longer. You are already stronger, faster and smarter than me, couldn't you at least let me have that going for me?"
"Oh. Er, if you want, I can ask Uraraka-kun to cancel the-" Tenya was cut by his brother laughing livelily.
"Tenya, I'm joking! Damn, you really are always literal, aren't you, my little brobot?"
Tenya blushed hardly and felt relieved he was just talking on the phone with Tensei instead of face to face. That way, he was saved from even more merciless teasing from his older brother.
"Tensei, don't tell our parents about it, please. At least, not for now..."
"Don't fret about it, Tenya. This can be our secret for as long as you need."
"Thank you."
"I'm serious, don't worry about it, little brother." Reaffirmed Tensei. "Now, if that was all you wanted to tell me, I'm gonna ask you to excuse me so I can go get ready for physiotherapy. See you next time, Ingenium."
"... Bye." Answered Tenya to an already empty line. For a few seconds, he stayed where he was standing, looking at the phone in his hand, feeling his heart relieved and the weight on his shoulders diminishing.
His brother approved of his tattoo.
He didn't have any more reasons to give up on it.
Tenya went back to his morning run with renewed energy, and when he finished, he noticed that he beat his best mark by nearly half a minute.
When discounted the time of the call, of course.
-x-
A tattoo.
A drawing, permanently marking the skin between his shoulder blades.
Tenya was in the bathroom of the flat he was sharing with Ochako, his back turned to the wall mirror and holding a small, hand mirror, trying to see, with some difficulty, how the tattoo was after healing.
The process of the tattoo itself, while undeniably unpleasant, was far from being the worst part of it all. It had hurt, but it was a pain of the moment, relieved by the readiness of his partners to be there for him and let him hold their hand.
The days that followed were much worse. Tenya couldn't sleep in a position that wasn't lying on his stomach, had his movements limited by the swelling of the area and couldn't take a shower without the help of one (or two) of his partners.
Looking at the final result, he had no doubt that the effort was worth it.
Izuku did a great first job detailing the white daisies sprouting from the openings and cracks of the helmet of the old Ingenium. And the Tattoo Hero had transformed his partner's sketch into a masterpiece.
Tenya let go one of the hands holding up the mirror and tried to reach the tattoo to feel it, but he could only lightly brush his fingertips over one of the higher daisies.
Setting the mirror down on the sink, Tenya grabbed his phone on the pocket, took the sharpest, most detailed picture he could, and sent it to Tensei. Tenya would have liked if his brother had been the first person to see the finished tattoo, but that was just not possible with Tensei living a long train ride away. He wouldn't be able to make the trip without having the tattoo healed completely.
His brother would be, he decided then, the first person to touch the tattoo.
Tenya was back to admiring the design when the phone buzzed on the sink.
"tenya this is beautiful!
tell me you come here so i can see it live!"
"Of course I'll go!
I was just waiting for it to finish healing.
I'll be there tomorrow after lunch :D"
-x-
The train ride went on without complications, it was calm and monotonous.
Tenya kept remembering the faces of his partners, worried about the fact he was travelling alone so soon. Ochako and Izuku insisted as much as they could that the blue-haired boy let them accompany him, but fortunately Shouto knew what was like to have siblings to understand Tenya's request, and calmed down the exalted duo.
From time to time Tenya found himself squeezing one of his shoulders or scratching the back of his neck, moving his hands near the tattoo without ever really touching it. In a way, he couldn't believe he'd actually gone through with it.
He certainly wouldn't have without his partners' help and his brother's approval.
Laying his arms on the armrest, Tenya let his body relax against the seat and turned his face to the window, watching the landscape pass by. The blurriness passing fast always calmed him, maybe because it reminded him of the way he saw the world when he was using his quirk, or perhaps he just enjoyed speed. At that moment, only one thought crossed his mind. 'I hope you like it, Tensei.'
Opening the door of his house, Tenya announced his arrival. "Tensei, I am home." The younger Iida took off his shoes and made his way down the entrance hall, looking for the one he was calling for. "Tensei?"
"I'm in the office on the first floor!" Came the answer from a distant room.
Tenya walked to the indicated place and knocked on the door ajar, asking for permission to enter. "Tensei, are you busy right now?"
The older Iida dropped the pen on the table and turned around to greet his younger brother. "I always have time for my little robot, Tenya." Tensei opened his arms and called for Tenya to move closer, gesturing with his head.
Tenya practically threw himself into the hug, suddenly flooded with longing when he realised how much he missed his brother. His weight combined with his speed was enough to lift the front wheels of Tensei's chair.
"Whoa, calm down, Tenya." Tensei admonished, laughing. "You're a bit too big to throw yourself around like that." Even though he was reprimanding Tenya, the older Iida answered his brother's affectionate gesture in kind, hugging him back tightly. His hands reached the tattoo making Tenya straighten his back and inhale sharply, still a tad sensitive.
"I still can't believe my baby brother got a tattoo." Tensei was combing his fingers through Tenya's hair. "Yeah, Tenya, you're growing up, aren't you? Maybe I should start calling you Tenya-san, how does that sound?"
Tenya smiled and shook his head disapprovingly. "Please, don't."
"Right, right." Tensei hooked his arm around Tenya's neck and pulled him in a headlock. "Tattoo or no tattoo, you're still my younger brother." He added while messing up said younger brother's hair.
"Tensei, let me go!" Tenya begged, smiling. Both laughed at each other for some time before calming down, and then Tenya was nervous again.
'Breathe, Tenya. He already approved it. He already liked it. Calm down.'
When he looked at his brother, the younger Iida saw that Tensei was smiling at him. "Tenya, may I see your homage to me?" Tensei asked quietly, and Tenya nodded, smiling back small.
Tenya turned his back to his brother and kneeled in front of the chair, adjusting his height so that the design was in Tensei's reach and he was in a comfortable position, in case he needed to stay like that for some time.
Tenya grabbed the hem of his shirt and sighed before taking it off. He balled the piece of clothing and held it over his legs, feeling the cold air of the room enveloping him.
Tensei's gasp was the only warning he got before he felt fingers tracing the lines of the helmet between his shoulder blades.
"Tenya, this looks even better than I expected. The amount of detail in the flowers, in the helmet, the colours, the fineness of the trace..."
"Do you like it?"
Tenya felt a hand grab his shoulder and suddenly he was being pulled back and turned towards his brother.
"Tenya, I love it. I've already told you that, but your respect and admiration for me are the best gifts you could give me."
Seeing his brother tearing up, it set off an explosion of feelings inside Tenya, who immediately started crying and hunched forward, hugging Tensei again.
"Tensei..."
"Tenya... Seeing you all grown up and making your own choices is the best I could ask for. Thank you for letting me inspire you. Thank you for taking up the name Ingenium and Team Idaten. Thank you."
-x-
Tenya Iida is 25 years old, is among the top five heroes in Japan, leads the biggest agency in the number of sidekicks and has a tattoo in homage to his older brother and previous holder of the name Ingenium.
It's been years since that appointment with the Tattoo Hero. Still, only a handful of his closest friends and partners knows about the drawing on his back.
If the reporters watch Tenya reach for the small area between his shoulder blades in a fight or during an interview, they don't mention it.
If Tenya smiles whenever they talk about Tensei and always takes one of his hands to his back, they don't ask about it.
Nowadays, Tensei works in a rehabilitation clinic for heroes hurt in battle and forced to retire. Even after the Hero Killer incident, Tensei still does all he can to help others, just like the people who take care of lost children in the supermarket.
Tensei Iida is Tenya's biggest inspiration.
And now Tenya has a tattoo to prove it.