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Chapter Text

The classroom was full of chatter, people milling to and from groups, going in and out of the door. Some kids were scribbling on the chalkboard and giggling over whatever one of them drew.

None of this chatter was sent in the direction of Izuku Midoriya as he sat alone at his desk. In one hand, he held an onigiri ready to be shoved into his mouth and in the other, he rewrote his notes from the class before. Math was his worst subject, but he was determined to get better.

He didn’t mind that he wasn’t a part of the conversations in the room. Years of isolation had taught him to entertain himself. Even so, his gaze darted to his darkened phone.

“Midoriya!” a familiar voice called out.

Tadashi Kobayashi pulled out the chair at the desk next to Izuku’s and plopped down with little ceremony. He draped himself along it backwards, already talking a million miles and hour about the test he was a hundred percent sure he failed.

Izuku looked up from his notes with a wide smile, pushing his notebook to the side. “How would you fail, Kobayashi?” he asked. “You studied super hard for it! Even Kumagai was impressed.”

Kobayashi groaned and dropped his head onto the edge of the chair. “That’s what I’m worried about, man. What if I fail and Kumagai-chan is disappointed in me? What if she never talks to me again?”

Izuku laughed softly and shook his head. 

Out of everyone in his friend group, Kobayashi was undoubtedly the most dramatic. Like Izuku, he was in the General Education studies classes, though Izuku was in 2-G and Kobayashi was in 2-F. They’d originally bonded over their love of All Might, but soon found that they had much more in common from a love of katsudon to the same taste in video games. His quirk was apparently Unluck , a quirk that caused misfortune to other people, but Izuku had never seen him use it and Kobayashi never felt inclined to demonstrate it, which was fine.

“Kumagai isn’t going to stop talking to you over a failed test, Koba.”

“You don’t get it, Midoriya,” Kobayashi grumbled, his gaze barely rising to look Izuku in the eye. “You’ve already got the perfect relationship. Watch, you’re gonna get married right out of high school and Kumagai and I are still not going to be together.”

Izuku could feel his cheeks warming at the mention of his partner, but before he could get embarrassed any further, a familiar pink bento box dropped onto his desk.

“Are we talking about Koba-chan’s unrequited love for Akari-chan again?”

Izuku and Kobayashi both swung their gaze upwards to the mountain that was Mori Matsushita.

They stood high above just about everyone in Shiketsu and on first glance, most expected them to be in the Hero Course. They weren't, if only because they were a mechanical genius suited best for the Support Course. They could’ve been a hero with their quirk Growth , which allowed them to grow plants and manipulate them and also gave them super tough, wood-like skin.

Instead of pulling up a chair, Matsushita just sat down on the floor, more than tall enough to reach the desk from there.

“We were discussing how hopeless I am, Mastu! Completely hopeless!” Kobayashi released a dramatic groan before stuffing an octopus sausage into his mouth.

“I believe that if you stopped arguing with her about everything, it may just increase your chances at happiness,” Matsushita said.

Kobayashi narrowed his eyes at Matsushita. “But that’s our whole dynamic! We can’t just change our dynamic!”

“What about you, Mido-chan?” Matsushita turned their gaze to Izuku, earning an undignified squawk from Kobayashi. “Do you and your partner frequently fight?”

Izuku quickly ducked his head and rubbed a hand over his cheeks. “Can we stop talking about my partner, guys? You know we’re not supposed to date.”

“The Hero Course isn’t supposed to date,” Kobayashi corrected. “Another reason why my dear Kumagai and I will never be together!”

There was a pause of silence, followed by, “Did someone say my name?”

Kobayashi squeaked and buried his face into his arms. Izuku grinned over at Kumagai as she stepped into the room, gracefully maneuvering around the other students. Kobayashi stumbled up to grab a chair for her and she gave him a warm smile before taking a seat. Izuku swore his friend nearly fainted on the spot. Kumagai set her stack of bentos on the desk.

“No work study today, Akari-chan?” Mastushita asked.

“Nope!” Kumagai responded warmly, the round bear-like ears atop her head bouncing with the statement. 

She seemed especially cheerful today, though Akari Kumagai seemed to really only have two moods: cheerful and serious. Unlike Izuku, Kobayashi, and Matsushita, she was in the Hero Course. Her quirk Ursa Major was actually super awesome. A quirk that included the physiology of a bear and the ability to manipulate light? She was super cool. She and Matsushita were childhood friends, which used to be the only reason that she spent any time with Izuku and his friends. Of course, prolonged exposure eventually found her a permanent fixture in the group.

Currently, the only missing figure in their quintet was- “Where’s Naka-chan?” Mastushita asked.

Kobayashi and Kumagai both turned to Izuku as well. “Work study,” Izuku said with a shrug. “Ayane texted me last night that she was going to be out of town for a couple of days.”

“Ooh,” Kobayashi leaned forward in his chair. “Sounds interesting.”

Kumagai raised an eyebrow at Kobayashi and his gaze immediately dropped back to his food. She sighed. “We shouldn’t be talking about Nakamura’s missions anyhow. So, what were you guys talking about?”

Izuku couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face when Kobayashi paled. Matsushita opened their mouth, likely to tell the truth when Kobayashi exclaimed. “Midoriya! And his mysterious partner!”

Izuku frantically waved his hands with a shush at Kobayashi’s loud tone, but his classmates seemed more confused as to why he had shushed his friend than interested in the statement itself. Kumagai giggled. “It’s not like Gen Ed kids can’t date, Mido. It’s just us heroes-in-training.”

“W-well, I-I,” Izuku rubbed at his reddening face. Jeez, was he even capable of not blushing whenever the topic was brought up? They’d been dating for six months for goodness sake!

“Yeah,” Kobayashi leaned forward with a quirked eyebrow. “Why don’t you talk about your partner, Midoriya? ”

Izuku’s frantic gaze turned to Mastushita, but they seemed just as curious as the other two, even if their face was relatively stoic. “I agree that it isn’t fair that Naka-chan is the only one that knows your partner’s identity,” they said.

Izuku threw up his hands with a groan and dropped his head onto his desk, narrowly missing his bento. “It’s not my secret to tell, guys,” he said. “He wants to keep it on the down low is all.”

Izuku was out of the closet. To his mom and his friends and his partner and a handful of other people. But Shouto wasn’t and Izuku respected that. Shouto didn’t exactly come from a supporting and loving family like Izuku did. Plus, he planned on coming out once he graduated high school and could leave his situation forever. Izuku was more than willing to wait.

“Can you at least tell us something about the guy,” Kumagai asked with wide eyes. “You’ve been together for so long and we don’t know anything about him.”

With a sigh Izuku raised his head. “Fine, I’ll tell you one thing and that’s it. Okay? I promise you guys will meet him one day when he’s comfortable with it.”

Kobayashi groaned out an “okay” as Kumagai nodded enthusiastically and Matsushita gestured slightly for him to continue.

Izuku racked his brain. Shouto's quirk was too obvious, as was his appearance. And his name was completely off the table. Finally, Izuku sighed and admitted what seemed to be the safest option. “He’s a student at UA. In the Hero Course.”

Kumagai gasped and grabbed Izuku’s arm to shake his slightly. Her voice dropped. “The enemy , Mido?”

“They’re not our enemies,” Matsushita said, placing a massive hand on top of Kumagai’s head and pulling her slightly away from Izuku. “Though I am curious as to how the two of you became acquainted. Students from Shiketsu don’t typically interact with students from UA.”

“I think that’s awesome, dude,” Kobayashi said. “Like star-crossed lovers or something.”

“Didn’t realize you were such a romantic, Koba,” Kumagai said.

“ Excuse you ,” Kobayashi screeched. “I’ll have you know that I can be very romantic!”

The two continued to bicker and Izuku looked up from his food to find Matsushita watching him. After a minute, the usually stoic teenager smiled. “Thank you, Mido-chan,” they said, their statement unnoticed by the other two arguing teens.

Izuku laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “For what?”

“For trusting us. For being our friends.”

Izuku promptly burst into tears, startling everyone at the table and possibly everyone in the classroom. Matsushita, Kobayashi, Kumagai, and even Ayane would never understand what Matsushita’s words meant to him, not really . But that was okay. Because they understood enough and yeah, quirkless or not, they loved him enough too.

The streets were dark by the time that Izuku finally left school and headed home. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. He often stayed later to help out the Hero Course students with their quirks. His teachers and the Hero Course teachers heartily endorsed it. Middle school seemed so distant compared to all of this, to the school that accepted him and challenged him and to the friends that he’d made.

He honestly never thought that he’d be this happy. He wasn’t a “useless deku” anymore. No, he was wanted , needed , his hero analysis turned into an actual skill that would help others. Izuku would never be a pro-hero, he knew that now, but he was, in a way, still a hero, even without a quirk.

He just kinda wished he could produce a little more light to see his notes because the streetlamps were not cutting it. “Yoshioka really needs to work on her practical applications,” Izuku muttered to himself, pausing to make a note next to the drawing of the girl from 1-B. His artistic skills had greatly improved over the last two years, that was for sure. He continued his walk. “Maybe if she-”

Izuku’s thought process paused and stuttered when his phone buzzed in his blazer pocket. He tucked his notebook under his arm and his pencil behind his ear. The light momentarily blinded him before he turned down the brightness. A message notification with Sho <3 written next to it stared up at him. Izuku smiled softly and unlocked his phone.

His smile faltered a bit when he saw what Shouto Todoroki had texted him.

Call me.

Shouto was straightforward. Izuku knew that, just like he knew the exact shade of color for both of Shouto’s eyes and how the part in his hair actually wasn’t a perfect split as many thought. He knew pretty much everything about his partner.

And he knew that Shouto hated phone calls that weren’t video chats.

And just like he knew just about everything about Shouto, Shouto knew just about everything about Izuku. Like the fact that right now, at 7:14PM, Izuku would still be on his way home in the dark. The words might’ve felt normal to anyone else, but for Izuku and Shouto they were anything but. Izuku’s heart rate picked up as he selected the phone symbol next to Shouto’s name. 

For a moment, he stared down at Shouto’s profile picture, a photo of the two of them sharing a bowl of ice cream, each holding the other’s spoon in each other’s mouths. Ayane called it “disgustingly cute”, but also claimed it was the best photo she’d ever taken.

He pressed the phone to his ear as it rang once, twice-

Izuku never quite processed the explosion like one might think happens. One moment, he was on his feet, worried about his partner, and then the next he was on his back with the taste of ash in his mouth.

Black dots floated in front of Izuku's vision and it was really only because of the ringing in his ears that could identify it as an explosion in the first place. He'd spent more than enough of his childhood in close proximity to explosions. When he sat up, his head and body screamed in protest. The world spun.

The streets were in chaos. People scrambled away from the chaos and as Izuku's hearing came back he could make out the roar of flames steadily drowning out the screams. He raised his fuzzy vision up to the building on fire in front of him. If he remembered correctly, it was some kind of engineering facility. Izuku had no doubt that the pro-heroes would be here soon.

For now, he needed to help.

Izuku staggered to his feet, mind racing. Leave the fire to the professionals. Help people get away. That was all he could do in the moment. That was more than enough.

He waited for his ears to adjust before sprinting towards the nearest cry for help.

The woman was kneeling, another shout reforming on her lips. Izuku's gaze shifted to the man next to her and then to the heavy pile of beams on top of him. The man was talking rapidly and as Izuku got closer, he realized that he was trying to calm the woman down.

He rushed over to them. "What happened?" he asked.

The man stared up at Izuku dubiously, but the woman all but latched onto his shirt. "Please, it fell on my husband. He's stuck. He's stuck!"

Her breaths came out quick, rapid, and choking. Izuku placed a hand on her shoulder. "I need you to breathe, ma'am. We're gonna have to work together to get him out."

She nodded dumbly, but her hyperventilating didn't slow. Her husband reached out, catching his wife’s hand. “Breathe, dear,” he said. “Look, he’s a Shiketsu student. I bet he’s in the Hero Course. He’ll get me out.”

Izuku’s chest tightened at his words. It wasn’t common for him to be mistaken as a hero student. But he didn’t have it in his heart to correct them. Especially when it seemed to calm the woman a bit. Her breathing started to even out. She gave a small nod before nodding again, harder. “Okay,” she turned to Izuku, a determined set to her face.

He gave her a small smile back. A smile like All Might. The two of them eased their fingers under the wreckage and started to lift. In the same movement, the husband pulled himself back. Izuku could feel the strain on his back and shoulders, the perspiration building on his fingertips and on his brow. He didn’t move.

The moment the man pulled his feet away from the wreckage, both Izuku and the wife let it drop. Izuku’s chest felt like it was on fire. He wheezed out a breath. The couple looked over at him, but he just gestured. “Go, run.”

“Thank you,” the wife said.

They took off, slowed by the husband’s slight limp.

Izuku crouched. He breathed shallowly so the smoke didn’t fill his lungs. Slowly, he eased himself back up. He had more to do.

Blood flooded Izuku’s mouth. A sharp pain shot through his neck. And his head collided with stone.

Black filled his vision again. Panic pooled into Izuku’s stomach. He scrambled for purchase, but his feet found only open air. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t scream. Couldn’t breathe. Someone was choking him.

He blinked rapidly, tears streaming down his face. Everything was blurred, fuzzy around the edges. There was the bare outline of a face staring at him. Izuku tried to kick out. He hit nothing. He tried to squirm. The tight grip didn’t loosen.

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe.

“Damn,” a scratchy voice filtered through the blood rushing in Izuku’s ears. “I guess you’ll have to do.”

What? Izuku’s mouth formed the word, but no sound came out. A hand latched out onto Izuku’s forearm, fingers curling tight, tight enough to send a scalding pain up Izuku’s arm. He tried to scream, kicked out wildly.

“Stay still ,” the grip on his neck twisted and Izuku’s body stopped protesting.

The pain crawled up Izuku’s arm, down into his chest. His insides twisted, heat scorching through his body. He was being burned alive. The hand on Izuku’s throat finally let go as the fire spread further and further and further. Izuku slumped to the ground, shaking, breathing heavily.

He curled into himself.

And screamed.

Chapter Text

The air was chilly, cutting through his thin school uniform. He left his blazer draped over the guardrail, his shoes tucked neatly against the wall. The note was secured in the pocket of the blazer, a copy sitting in his notebook at home. He gripped the guardrail, socked toes hanging over the edge of the roof.

It was quite a fall.

He knew, logically, that his school had four stories. That the fall was pretty big.

But it was an entirely different thing to know that than to look down from the top. To see the ground below. To be level with the sun as it dipped behind the tall skyscrapers.

His hands were starting to feel sweaty, his grip loosening. He inhaled deeply.

One step. That was all he needed to take. One step and it would all be over.

One step and he would be free. His mom would never have to worry about him again. She’d be sad, yeah, but she’d move on. She could move to Taiwan to be with his dad again.

She’d be happy… Eventually.

One step.

He just needed to take one step.

Sound came first. A faint beeping, steady and then up and then steady again. A heart monitor? Was he in a hospital?

Izuku’s eyelids felt like they were made of lead as he forced them open. His body felt heavy. Everything, even his head, felt heavy. He managed to open one. Then the other.

The room was white, stark white. From the sheets on the bed to the ceiling above him. Unlike most of the hospital rooms he’d been in, there were no chairs, not even a TV. Izuku’s eyes rolled into the direction of the heart monitor, where it continued to beep, beep, beep quietly along with his pulse. He expected to see a door or windows across from it.

There was neither.

Confused, he turned his head the other way, ignoring the way his neck cracked and protested. Along that wall was a long mirror and a door with a tiny window. It didn’t take him long to work out that it was a two-way mirror. Weird…

Izuku lazily let his eyes wander as he eased himself up. His heart monitor picked up just a bit, likely not enough to alert anyone to the fact he was awake. He scanned the room. He was alone, which was probably the oddest thing. His mom was too much of a worrier to not watch over her son.

Why was he in the hospital? Was this a hospital?

Izuku reached up to stretch out his back, but his arms refused to budge. Confusion flooded Izuku. Confusion and the first hints at panic. Faster beeps. Slowly, his gaze travelled down to his arms. Thick blue restraints were tied around them and to the bed. As feeling slowly came back into Izuku’s body, he could feel the tiny sting of them against his skin.

Quirk restraints.

He tested his legs, finding them in a similar position. He tried his arm again, but it wasn’t restraints against his wrist anymore. The fingers tightened around his wrist, crushing his bones. Crushing his windpipe. Crushing. Crushing. Crushing.

Izuku’s breath caught in his throat, tightening his chest. His fingers stuttered against the cool fabric of the hospital bed. His stomach twisted and churned. And oh god, he was going to be sick. The sting of smoke in his eyes. Scalding brick pressed to his back.

He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t.

The monitor beeped. Louder and louder and louder. Sirens in the distance. Screams. What happened? What happened? What happened?

Izuku fought against the hands grabbing at him. Grabbing at his wrists. His ankles. His throat. A vicious scream tore from his throat.

His heart beat. Louder and louder and louder.

He could feel it, the fire scratching below his skin. Hear the rattle of the bed, of the two-way mirror, of the monitor. The restraints fluttered against his skin.

Red filled Izuku’s vision.

And then it all stopped.

He was crying now, breathing shallowly and heavily and trying to regain his senses. A man was standing in front of him. A man in gray pants and a black shirt, long hair and bright red eyes. Izuku focused on him.

Solely on him.

“You need to calm down,” the man said. There was a scar under his eye. “Breathe.”

The man inhaled and exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. Izuku inhaled and exhaled.

Izuku wasn’t sure how much time passed or how long the man unblinkingly stared at him, but eventually, he could breathe again. Around him, the shaking settled. Izuku kept his eyes on the man. There was a strange haze around him, pale green in color. It flickered and disappeared.

When Izuku finally settled, he and the man just stared at each other. Izuku’s memory quickly caught up to him. He was staring at Eraserhead, one of the top underground heroes. Izuku barely recognized him outside of his hero costume.

Izuku blinked and looked away. His gaze darted to the heart monitor, tipped over onto the floor, the screen cracked around the edges. Izuku’s heart leapt into his throat again.

“Breathe,” Eraserhead said.

Izuku let out a slow breath.

“You’re safe,” Eraserhead said. “You’re in Mustafu General Hospital. You’ve been in a coma for two weeks.”

Izuku inhaled sharply, but a reminder to breathe rang through his head. It sounded like Shouto. For more than six months, Shouto had walked Izuku through most of his panic attacks. Slow, careful, caring. Even if they weren’t together physically with a phone screen between them, he had always helped.

Izuku looked back to Eraserhead, who returned his stare with an almost bored look of his own. The light around him was no longer green, just a muted grayish brown. “A doctor is going to come in now, okay? And, if you’re up to it, a detective.”

Right. Because Izuku was caught up in an explosion. He gave the prohero a small nod. Eraserhead, in turn, gave a faint nod to the mirror. Izuku’s suspicions about the mirror were confirmed when a doctor walked in through the door, closely followed by a man in an opened trench coat, which showed the suit underneath. The detective, Izuku assumed.

The doctor had that muted blue around her and the detective had the green around him. Something had to be wrong with the lights.

“Hello, Midoriya,” the doctor said warmly. She smiled softly at him and something about her struck a cord of familiarity in Izuku.

“Hi,” Izuku managed to croak out. God, his throat ached.

“Do you know why you’re here?” she asked. She moved to step closer, but Eraserhead’s hand shot out and stopped her. Izuku blinked at the motion, at the blue light that followed it, like an afterimage.

Izuku opted to shake his head. After a moment, the doctor gave a small sigh. She left the room, but returned less than a second later with a glass of water. Izuku’s nearly cried at the sight of it.

Eraserhead gave the doctor a sideways glance, which she returned with a raised eyebrow. “If you’re so worried, then you give it to him.”

After a moment, Eraserhead shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The doctor smiled and strode forward. She reached down, undoing the restraints from the bed. They were still on his wrists, but now he could move. She held out the glass and he accepted it with shaky hands. 

Izuku chugged the water down greedily. His throat still hurt, though not nearly as much as it had. The doctor returned to the unusual lineup, the strange blue afterimage following her. Or was it… Preceding her? Izuku closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously.

It was definitely preceding her.

The doctor gave Izuku a sympathetic smile. “You’re probably a little disoriented, huh?”

That was an understatement.

The faces of the wife and the husband flashed through Izuku’s vision. He inhaled and exhaled purposefully. “Is everyone okay?”

Everyone gave him slightly confused looks, followed by understanding. The detective turned his gaze to the two-way mirror. The doctor looked at her feet. Eraserhead held Izuku’s gaze. “You were the only survivor, Midoriya,” he said after a long pause.

What? “Oh,” Izuku breathed out. He dropped his gaze to the empty glass cradled in his hands, his eyes stinging.

“Midoriya,” the detective spoke slowly. The green around him dimmed before pulsing brighter. Izuku blinked rapidly against it. Did something happen to his vision? “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“The-” Izuku cleared his throat around the lump that formed. “The explosion.”

“Anything else?”

“I helped-” Izuku bit down hard on his lip against the sob he felt in his chest. He looked down at the floor as if it was easier that way. “Someone attacked me. They, um, they-”

He could feel his airways tightening again. The fingers around his throat. He slowly brought one hand up to his throat, half expecting to feel another hand there. There was nothing, of course.

“I think you should get some more sleep, Midoriya,” the doctor said. She walked to him and he watched the light preceding her movements. The blue flickered to green as she laid a hand against his forehead.

Izuku’s body suddenly felt very, very heavy. He closed his eyes.

The next time Izuku woke up, he wasn’t alone. Relief flooded him when he recognized his mother’s face. Her nose was buried in a book, but she looked up very suddenly when Izuku called out a small, “Mom?”

Tears flooded Inko Midoriya’s eyes as she reached out to her son. But before she wrapped up Izuku into one of her wonderful, perfect hugs, she pulled back, her hand hanging in the empty space between them. It wavered. The beforeimage of blue light moved up and she finally dropped a hand onto his shoulder. “I was so worried, baby,” she said, wiping at her tears with her free hand.

Izuku was still thrown off by the near-hug. He reached up, his eyes catching the blue of the restraints. The Quirk restraints.

“It’s okay. I’m okay,” he said softly, gripping her fingers.

Her gaze flickered to the floor before she looked up and gave Izuku a very unconvincing nod. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Mom, do you know what’s going on?”

“Um,” she looked between Izuku’s face and the two-way mirror. Izuku followed her look.

The door opened and a blue figure stepped through, followed by a person. Izuku’s eyebrows furrowed. It was the doctor from earlier and Eraserhead followed close by. “Hello again,” she said. Eraserhead said nothing.

“Hi,” Izuku said, this time a bit more cautious now that his emotions weren’t bouncing all over the place. He glanced back at his mom then to the other two adults. “What’s… What’s going on? Why is there a weird light around you all? Why-”

Izuku’s head snapped around to look at his mom’s book, which bounced on the arm of the chair she was seated in. It floated up before dropping back down. His mom winced. It wasn’t her that moved it. Izuku forced himself to remain calm.

“Midoriya, I need you to stay calm,” the doctor said. “So I can tell you what’s happening.”

Eraserhead’s eyes were red again, that green light back. Izuku gave a tiny nod and the doctor released a small, shaky breath. She almost seemed… Afraid… Or fascinated. Or both.

“My name is Ayumu Suimin. I am one of the leading doctors in Quirk Theory and Analysis.”

Izuku’s eyes widened. Now he knew why he recognized her. She was one of Izuku’s biggest heroes after All Might! He felt like an idiot for not recognizing her sooner. There weren’t many photos of Doctor Suimin floating around though, which probably explained why Izuku couldn’t place her.

“I-It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am!” he exclaimed, louder than he’d been since he first woke up.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya,” she said and, in that moment, Izuku could’ve died and gone to heaven. “I heard promising things about you from an old schoolmate of mine and-”

Eraserhead cleared his throat and Doctor Suimin coughed. “Yes, right,” she said. “As I was saying. It’s hard to ascertain exactly what has happened to you.”

“What does that mean…?”

Eraserhead sighed. “It means that you have a quirk now.”

What? “What?”

Doctor Suimin sighed. “It’s more than that, Eraserhead,” she said before turning back to Izuku. “Midoriya, you have… What’s the best way to put this? You have several quirks now. We’ve recorded about four, but it’s hard to determine an exact number.”

Izuku stared. And stared. And stared. He looked from Doctor Suimin to Eraserhead to his mother. Back to Suimin. Down at his hands. At the quirk restraints around his wrists. “I have four quirks?” he asked.

“We believe there may be more.”

“More?” Izuku laughed and it sounded absolutely hysterical.

“Izuku, baby,” his mom said, her hand still on his shoulder. “I know it’s difficult to process, but-”

Her voice was drowned out by the blood rushing in Izuku’s ears. He was quirkless. Right? But… No, he was quirkless.

“It’s a lot to process,” Doctor Suimin said, her voice cutting through Izuku’s mounting panic. “But it is true. You aren’t quirkless anymore, Midoriya.”

“Right…”

She moved her arm and Izuku followed the beforeimage. Before … He was seeing things seconds before they happened. A future seeing quirk? It was disorienting.

Izuku wasn’t sure what else he could say to news like this. So he just nodded and agreed. Eraserhead stepped forward. “You can’t control it,” he said, tone dull and blunt. “That’s why you’re here, in this room.”

“I see,” Izuku said. But did he?

“We’re not going to keep you in here forever, Midoriya,” Suimin said. “As we speak, we’re making other arrangements for you. Arrangements that will keep you and the people around you safe.”

Eraserhead winced at her words and Izuku didn’t miss it. He just nodded slowly before saying quietly. “Can… Can I talk to my mom? Alone?”

Suimin smiled at him. “Yes, of course. We’ll give you all the privacy you need.”

They left the room. Izuku still felt like they were watching him through the mirror. Or maybe they weren’t and he was worried about nothing. He turned to his mom, who watched him with a warm smile.

“A quirk, Izuku. Four quirks. Like you always wanted.”

It didn’t feel right. Izuku felt dirty, violated. Like bugs were crawling underneath his skin. They weren’t his quirks. But he just smiled and nodded to keep his mom from worrying. “My friends…” he started.

Inko’s face fell just slightly. “They know you were caught up in the explosion, but no one knows what happened. Your schoolmates have been sending you kilometers of flowers,” she said. “They’re not in here, of course. They’re in the room that you’re officially assigned to.”

“Can I-”

Can I call Shouto? And Ayane?

“Soon,” his mom said. “Once they decide it’s okay, you can talk to your friends. You can talk to your partner.”

Izuku gave his mom a bright smile, probably the first genuine one since he woke up. Soon , her words echoed. Soon.

Chapter Text

It was the winter during first year when Izuku Midoriya met Shouto Todoroki. A chance encounter that probably would’ve never meant anything.

The shrine was a smaller one, at least small for being located in the city. Ayane tugged ferociously at Izuku’s hand as she dragged him through the crowd. He laughed at her enthusiasm but stumbled along with her. Behind him, Kumagai and Kobayashi bickered as usual and Matsushita stood off to the side, watching their friends with concealed warmth. It was the first time Izuku had been out on New Year’s with friends since he was five and had been dragged out with Kacchan and his family. Kacchan had spent most of the day pushing Izuku around.

It wasn’t a fond memory.

This one was though. Even in the moment, Izuku knew that it was. 

He felt Ayane jump onto his back, laughing maniacally. Saw Kumagai rush in to steady them both. Heard Kobayashi’s laughter. Laughed himself when Matsushita picked both Izuku and Ayane up with little effort.

They’d prayed together and each selected a charm. When Kobayashi came up with a curse, they all laughed at the irony of it, even Kumagai, who’d been in one of her more serious moods. They all eventually filed into the festival and somewhere amongst the crowds, Izuku lost his friends.

All five of them planned for this though. At least, Kumagai had when she pointed out a booth selling hot drinks as they’d entered. Izuku found the booth easy enough, ordering a hot cider and standing underneath the awning as he waited for his friends to notice his absence.

Somewhere between twenty to thirty minutes passed before Izuku’s panic set in. Inadequate. Dumb. Useless. Deku . He should’ve known that they would ditch him. Why would anyone want to spend time with someone like Izuku? He was just a quirkless, useless no one and-

“Are you okay?”

Izuku’s head snapped up and his hand jerked, hot cider splashing onto his arm. He winced and was about to bring the burned skin to his mouth to soothe it when a freezing hand settled over it. Izuku’s eyes widened and he looked up, finding the most stunning face he’d ever seen.

The boy’s expression was blank and borderline apathetic, but for whatever reason, his hand didn’t move. He met Izuku’s eyes, something flashing there. He pulled his hand away. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

Izuku distantly realized that he’d been crying. God, how embarrassing to be crying in public like a child who lost their mom. His hands were shaking again and he took a deep, measured breath. And then another one, shallower and shorter. And another. And another. The other boy’s expression shifted to something like recognition. He carefully extracted the drink from Izuku’s hand and set it back on the booth’s counter.

They both sat on the ground, snow-covered and dirty but this boy didn’t seem to care and Izuku wasn’t in the right mental state to care. The boy said nothing. No reassurances. No instructions. He just breathed in and out and in and out.

Somewhere along the way, Izuku matched his breathing without even realizing it. The boy’s expression was still relatively blank, but there was a warmth behind his eyes.

They stayed like that for several more minutes until Izuku heard a very familiar voice shouting, “Izuku!”

Ayane sprinted towards him, skidding to a stop and slapping her hands on her knees to be at his eye level. “You went to the wrong hot drinks booth!” she exclaimed. “Goodness gracious, we’ve been looking everywhere for y-”

She broke off when she noticed the boy sitting with Izuku. She squinted and blinked. “You’re Todoroki Shouto,” she said. “God, Yorarashi never shuts up about you.”

Izuku slowly looked at the gorgeous (pretty heart-stoppingly attractive, oh god Izuku was a pan mess) boy sitting on the ground with him. The name clicked into place with the face. It seemed impossible that Izuku hadn’t recognized him sooner considering how much he rewatched and analyzed U.A.’s Sports Festival footage.

“Why didn’t you use your fire?”

It was the first thing to come out of Izuku’s mouth since he “met” Shouto Todoroki. And honestly, it was probably the stupidest possible thing to say. Kumagai often reprimanded Izuku for prying into people’s personal business.

Before Izuku could even begin to start the slew of apologies he’d prepared in seconds, Todoroki stood, his face slotted back into something cold and aloof. “I’m glad you’re alright,” he said. “I should probably find my sister.”

He left before Izuku could say anything. Izuku stared after him for several seconds until Ayane grabbed his arm and pulled him into a tight hug. “God, you idiot! We were so worried!”

Izuku was returned to his other three friends and dragged into the biggest, warmest hug he’d ever gotten. And he all but forgot about his strange encounter with Shouto Todoroki.

Until the next time he saw him.

Izuku stood in the doorway, his fingers curled tightly around the bags in either hand. The apartment wasn’t small, but it wasn’t large by any means and he was more than a little surprised to see a few toys strewn about the living room. Suimin’s voice rocketed around in the back of his head: “Besides, Aizawa already has another ward with a similar problem. It wouldn’t be an intrusion.”

It still definitely felt that way. Right now, Izuku just wanted to go home, eat some of his mom’s katsudon, study, and go to sleep. Instead, he was three hours away by train in the home of a man he barely knew. A hero, he reminded himself, he was in the home of a hero he barely knew. Two actually, based on what Aizawa said on the ride over.

He lived with his husband and their ward. Though, at the moment, the apartment appeared to be empty aside from Izuku and Aizawa himself. Aizawa turned. “Eri’s at school,” he said. “And so is Hizashi.”

“Oh,” Izuku swayed on his feet. “Is your husband a teacher as well?”

Izuku remembered all of the details given to him about Eraserhead, aka Shouta Aizawa, including the fact that he was a teacher at U.A., where Izuku would temporarily be attending. U.A., the school that Izuku once wanted to attend, the school that Shouto went to. And, if Izuku had to guess, the school that Bakugou attended as well.

Aizawa nodded before motioning for Izuku to follow him. Izuku did so quietly and reluctantly. He still felt uncomfortable being in this man’s home, even if he knew it was probably the best option. No, he shook his head, it was definitely the best option. Aizawa could nullify Izuku’s quirks. Quirks he couldn’t control, even if none of them appeared necessarily dangerous.

Well, most of them didn’t. Don’t touch anyone with the palms of both of your hands simultaneously .

The warning still rang clear in Izuku’s mind. When Suimin had been going over the nature of the Quirks he’d gained, she’d made that point incredibly clear. Though she hadn’t told him why. Hadn’t told him what would happen if he did. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Sorry if it’s cold in here,” Aizawa said, dragging Izuku’s attention away from his thoughts. “Hizashi says it’s better for his vocal cords.”

Izuku hadn’t noticed, likely due to one of his quirks. Suimin had called it Thermoregulation. Izuku’s body sporadically changed temperature, even if he himself didn’t notice a difference. It would be a nice Quirk to have in the summer and winter, he supposed.

Aizawa pointed out the bathroom as they passed it before walking past a door covered in drawings and a sign with the name Eri on it. The next door Aizawa opened. “This will be your room,” he said. “It used to be an office, so it isn’t that big.”

Izuku had to agree on that point. The room barely fit the twin-sized bed and the desk shoved into a corner. There was still a closet, empty and waiting. Izuku gave Aizawa a bright smile. “It’s perfect. Thank you for all of this.”

Aizawa stuffed his hands into his pockets. Izuku tried not to shrink from his gaze, but he probably failed. “I’ll be honest, kid, I’m only doing this because the government and the Principal want to keep an eye on you,” he said after a moment. “But if you need anything, my room’s two doors down. Just please keep it down after eight. It’s hard enough getting Eri to bed with Hizashi around and I don’t need a problem child making more noise.”

“You’ll hardly even know I’m here,” Izuku said.

Aizawa gave him one last look before turning and walking away to the room he said was his. Izuku watched him go before dragging his stuff into what would be his room for the time being. It didn’t take long for him to set up. For most of the day, he just organized his slew of All Might merchandise, posing his figures and the  like. He’d left his posters at home, not wanting to tape up or stab Aizawa’s walls.

This was temporary after all.

Although, Izuku didn’t know how long temporary was. He settled onto his bed and pulled his legs up to his chest. On his phone, his new phone, was only a text from his mother: Settling in okay?

Inko had been vehemently against her son moving, especially moving back to Mustafu. The city didn’t exactly hold any fond memories for the Midoriyas. Izuku understood her concerns, but he also understood why this was best for everyone. He put down his phone to stare at the palms of his hands.

He still wished she was here with him, but he knew that his mom couldn’t up and move cities again. She owned a house now and there was no way she could afford an apartment and house payments. Besides, this was just temporary. Probably at most until the end of high school and once he got a handle on his quirks, he could visit her every weekend. Maybe even drag Shouto out with him. After all, his mom’s hospital was in the same city.

Izuku’s stomach twisted into knots at the thought of his partner. They hadn’t spoken in a month since Izuku’s contact with everyone was limited. Izuku wasn’t even sure if he’d see Shouto at U.A.. From what he understood, the Principal intended to have him privately tutored. How was Izuku supposed to be able to deal with being in the same building as Shouto and not being allowed to see him? To touch him. To hold him… Izuku looked back down at his hands. Would he even be able to hold Shouto again?

He sent a quick text to his mom to assure everything was a-okay before laying on the bed that didn’t feel like it belonged to him. He pulled his pillow to his chest and did the only thing he could think to do, he slept.

Izuku blinked at the woman in front of him. Her hair was black, long and it fell in curls down her back in stark contrast to her white summer dress. She looked distantly familiar, a face he’d seen in the crowd maybe. She wasn’t looking at him. If anything, she was probably looking through him. Some distant part of Izuku’s mind recognized this as a dream, but the irrational part ignored that. Because everything felt so real.

The cold floor pressed to his feet, the feel of bodies breezing around him. He was in a train station, he realized so, so distantly. Behind him, the rush of a train arriving filled his ears. The woman didn’t move. Towards or away from the train.

She was waiting for something.

Izuku stepped forward. For what reason, he wasn’t sure. Behind him, the train wooshed away with as little ceremony as it had arrived.

The woman walked forward now. No bags. No shoes. Izuku’s heart seized in his chest as he reached out towards her, but his fingers slid through her body. He turned as she walked past.

She took a single step. The swish of the train. 

And she was gone.

“WE ARE HOME!”

Izuku jolted awake, his heart racing in his chest. The woman’s figure was still imprinted so firmly on his eyes that he had to blink several times to get it to disperse. Around him, the objects in the room all slammed back down with a crash that did nothing to settle his pounding pulse.

The door swung open and Izuku whirled around, body tense and on edge. Aizawa’s quirk was activated, eyes focused intently on Izuku. “Are you okay, problem child?”

Izuku nodded quickly, distinctly aware of the moisture on his cheeks. He reached up to wipe the tears away. “Just…” he exhaled shakily. He hesitated to call it a nightmare or even a dream. It was so real . “A bad dream.”

His gaze dropped to the small face peering around Aizawa’s leg. A little girl. Eri. She was very pale, pale skin, pale hair, a pale horn sticking out the side of her forehead. Her bright red eyes watched Izuku warily. He gave her a shaky, but genuine smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Eri squeaked and disappeared from view. Aizawa watched her go with a tired expression that held something else. Fondness? His gaze turned back to Izuku. “Hizashi said he’s sorry if he woke you up.”

Izuku noticed a small bit of blonde hair peeking out from around the corner of the door. He scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh. “It’s fine.”

He probably would’ve woken up on his own anyways. Aizawa gave a small nod. “Well, dinner should be ready soon so you should probably clean up.”

Izuku’s stomach rumbled noisily at the mention of food. He ducked his head to hide his blush. “Thank you.”

Aizawa nodded and closed the door behind himself. As soon as he was gone, Izuku buried his face in his hands and ran his hands through his hair. His shaky hands reached for his phone, an instinct. But he stopped before he grabbed it. The instinct was to call Shouto or Ayane.

 And he couldn’t do that. 

Almost everyone he knew thought he was still unconscious in a hospital bed. He opened and closed his hands in the dim light of the bedroom, taking a steadying breath. The lamp next to the bed bobbed up and down and he reached out to set it back on the bedside table.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed there like that, but eventually, the loud voice from early called out that food was ready. Izuku prepared himself for a long, awkward dinner.

And tomorrow… Well, tomorrow he would start at All Might’s alma mater. Why did that thought fill him with such dread?

Chapter Text

“Here’s your ID card and here’s your workbooks. I’ll check in on you at lunch. Don’t leave the room unless you need to use the restroom, which is directly down the hall. And do not go exploring. Do you understand, problem child?”

Izuku gave a slow nod as he stared at what could only be described as a broom closet. There was a window, but it was small and cramped with just a desk and a chair. Behind him, Aizawa sighed. “Look, I know this sucks but it keeps everyone safe. So please, just stay here. Eventually, we’ll probably integrate you into normal classes. This is just temporary.”

Right. Temporary. Izuku was really starting to dislike that word.

Still, he gave Aizawa a bright smile. “This is perfect, thanks. Should I text you if I have an emergency?”

“No,” Aizawa shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just call. I’ll get here as soon as I can. So yeah… Bye.”

He closed the door as he left. Izuku noted that he didn’t lock it though, thankfully. He sighed and trudged over to the desk, opening the workbooks and getting started.

They were easy. Way too easy. Math, as per usual, took the longest, but Izuku was still done long before lunch started. So he took out his phone, watched some hero videos, stared out the window, scribbled on his notebook, rocked back and forth on his chair, went through some exercises Suimin gave him to levitate things. He even opened the window and watched people run on the outside track for a bit.

Eventually, he needed to pee. Izuku slammed his hands down on his desk and stood. The door thankfully didn’t make too much noise as he opened it and didn’t appear to trip any alarm or notice. He tiptoed out into the hall towards the door labelled “restroom” until another door caught his eye.

Library

Izuku looked down the empty halls. Everyone seemed to be in class. Aizawa probably wouldn’t care if he grabbed a couple of books to keep himself busy… Right? Yeah. Pursuit of knowledge and all that. Wasn’t U.A.’s motto Plus Ultra?

He sprinted across the hall and swiped his card at the scanner. To his surprise, it let him in. The doors to the library swished open and-

Izuku tried not to be disappointed. The library was big, yes, very big . But it didn’t have the same classical feel of the library at Shiketsu. Everything here looked modern and sleek. He might’ve liked that fact, once upon a time, but now it just made him homesick.

The door swooshed closed behind him and for a moment, he was thrown back into his dream with that woman. He shook it from his head. It was just a dream. Nothing more.

Izuku made his way down the aisles slowly, taking his time as he pulled down books, adding more and more to the stack under his arm. Looking back, he probably took too long. That was probably where he made the mistake because he turned a corner and was suddenly met with a very, very familiar face.

Katsuki blinked at Izuku. Once, twice, three times. “Deku?” he sounded more confused than angry at first, but his voice soon dropped to a growl. “Deku.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why Katsuki? Why Katsuki of all people? Izuku’s breath hitched and he threw up his free hand in an attempt to shush his childhood friend. Katsuki jerked back in surprise.

“Bakubro?” a voice that Izuku did not recognize called from an aisle or two down. “You okay?”

Izuku tried to plead with Katsuki with his eyes. Katsuki glared at him. “I’m fucking fine, shittyhair. I’ll fucking meet you back at class or some shit.”

The voice laughed. “Yeah, sure, whatever man.”

Izuku and Katsuki both stayed silent as they listened to the receding footsteps and the swish of the doors opening and closing. Izuku let out a small breath. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Katsuki growled. “I swear to god if you broke into my school like some loser wannabe hero then I’m going to blow you to fucking pieces.”

Oh yeah. Izuku laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. God, what an awkward reunion to have with your former childhood friend. How was Izuku even supposed to explain something like this? What was he supposed to say? I got some weird quirks under very mysterious circumstances and this was the easiest way for the government to keep an eye on me?

Yeah, no. That wasn’t going to fly.

Izuku could feel the books under his arm shaking and he slammed a hand down on them to steady them. Katsuki followed the movement with narrowed eyes. Shit, Izuku, think of something . “I’m a volunteer,” he said, cringing at his own words.

“What?”

Too late to go back now. “Yeah,” Izuku gave Katsuki a faint smile. He was more than aware of the fact that it wavered. “I’m a student at Shiketsu and my quirk analysis skills are so good that the principal wanted me to come help out the heroes here like I do at my school.”

Katsuki scrutinized Izuku and Izuku tried to remain calm. Please believe me. “You can’t be a fucking student at Shiketsu,” Katsuki said. “You’re too much of a loser.”

Izuku tried not to flinch at Katsuki’s words. Old habits died hard apparently. But at least, the statement in question was easy enough to prove. Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out the ID Aizawa had given him. It was quite obviously a U.A. ID, but the picture was still Izuku’s picture from Shiketsu. School uniform, hat and all.

The blue around Katsuki flashed into green as sparks formed on his fingers. Izuku’s breath hitched in as he braced himself. But Katsuki just clenched his hand into a fist. “So that’s where you fucking went, huh? After you fucking disappeared from middle school?”

Izuku put his ID away, ignoring the phantom sting on his wrists. “Yeah,” he said.

“What’s your fucking ranking over there?” Katsuki spat and Izuku almost smiled a bit. Always about rankings and competitions with Katsuki. That hadn’t changed, it seemed.

“I’m top of my class. Top of my year in written exams.”

Katsuki growled and muttered something about “losing to fucking Dekus”. After a moment, he shoved his hands into his pockets. He turned to leave. “Wait,” Izuku said. “Can you… Not tell anyone you saw me? I’m not supposed to be helping out yet and the teachers kind of want to keep it hush.”

Katsuki glared at Izuku. “Like I’m going to fucking tell anyone I saw a Deku like you,” he said with a sneer. “Oh, and when you do start ‘helping’, don’t fucking bother me, alright? I don’t need help from you.”

He didn’t wait for Izuku to respond as he stomped off. Izuku waited until the doors swished to relax. His heart thundered in his chest and his body felt like he’d dropped a hundred pound weight on himself. Katsuki hadn’t changed much, it seemed. Though he did seem… Mellower.

Izuku shook his head. He needed to get back. He knew that he’d have to tell Aizawa about what he told Katsuki. And he was not looking forward to it.

“I think it’s a great idea.”

“What?” Izuku and Aizawa both deadpanned to the bear-mouse-dog thing sitting in front of them.

Nedzu brought his tea up again and took a sip. Izuku was expecting both Aizawa and Nedzu to be absolutely furious with him, but Aizawa had appeared more exasperated than anything and Nedzu seemed borderline careless.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Nedzu repeated. “Having Midoriya help out the hero course students with their quirks.”

“With all due respect, sir,” Aizawa said. “We’re trying to keep Midoriya a secret. Having him interact with the hero course students is bound to get him thrown into some kind of spotlight.”

Nedzu laughed over his tea. “He’ll be fine. Besides, Midoriya is a genius in quirk analysis. Even Doctor Suimin herself said it. With his skills, the students could grow exponentially like they have been at Shiketsu since he started there. There is only so much guidance that you, as their teachers, can give them. It will be beneficial to have an outside opinion.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea either, sir,” Izuku said, shifting awkwardly when both the Principal and Aizawa looked at him. “I could barely keep a cap on my telekinesis with Katsuki. I don’t know how I would respond in a stressful situation if I ended up in one with the hero course students.”

“Aizawa will supervise, of course,” Nedzu said.

“Bakugou is the only one that knows you used to be quirkless,” Aizawa said. “We can just tell him you were a late bloomer.”

Izuku’s cheeks burned. “Um. yeah… About that.”

“Problem child?” Aizawa said with more than a hint of exasperation.

“I meant to tell you!” Izuku exclaimed. “I just… Got distracted and it isn’t really my secret to tell anyways, but since I’m probably going to have to tell you sooner or later before you get some weird questions, I should probably just tell you now.”

“Midoriya,” Nedzu said. “What do you need to tell us?”

Izuku looked down at the tea in his lap. “I’m currently dating one of the students in the hero class here, at U.A.. Um, he’s in Aizawa’s class, actually.”

“And this didn’t seem like something to mention sooner?” Aizawa asked.

“It’s not really my secret to tell,” Izuku tried to emphasize. “The only people that know about it are me, my mom, my friend Ayane, and my partner… Obviously.”

“Well?” Aizawa prompted. “Who is it?”

“...Shouto Todoroki,” Izuku said softly. It felt wrong and dirty to tell people about it without telling Shouto first.

Nedzu sipped his tea, not making eye contact with anyone. He gave a firm nod. “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to tell Todoroki the truth.”

“What?” Izuku said.

“Not the whole truth, of course,” Nedzu raised a paw to calm Izuku. “We will tell him that due to the stressful situation you were under a month back, your Quirk finally manifested itself. Just one Quirk. And because it is very dangerous and you cannot control it, you have been placed into the care of Aizawa.”

“And what Quirk are we going to say I have?” Izuku asked.

"Your mother has a form of small telekinesis, so we will likely go with that," Nedzu said. He looked like he tilted his head but Izuku couldn't be sure. "The problem with your hands will be called a side effect if the issue arises."

Izuku curled his fingers into fists on his lap before looking down at them. "I understand that you don't want to worry me by telling me what my hands do," he said, his eyes stinging.. "But can we at least cover them? I don't… I don't want to accidentally hurt someone."

"The Support course is currently working on that," Aizawa said and Izuku's chest felt a little less heavy. He only wished that Matsushita was the one making them for him. "You can be rest assured that it's an issue that we're working to resolve."

Izuku gave both teachers a small smile. "Thank you."

Nedzu watched Izuku for a moment longer before nodding. "Well, we might as well get this over with as soon as possible. Aizawa, if you would retrieve Todoroki from lunch."

Aizawa gave a small nod. He moved to leave but as he passed Izuku, he stopped. Izuku tried not to cower away from his intense stare.

"I understand that it may be difficult to lie to Todoroki," he said in a low voice. Nedzu could definitely hear them, but he seemed more interested in pouring another cup of tea. "But understand that this will keep everyone safe."

Izuku was pretty sure that Shouto could handle himself in any given situation but he gave a slow nod regardless. Aizawa bobbed his head and left the room.

When the door clicked closed, Nedzu's voice rang out again. "So, Midoriya Izuku."

Izuku turned back to the principal of U.A. quickly. Nedzu continued to calmly pour some tea into a cup and push it towards Izuku with his paw. Izuku accepted it, staring down at the swirling liquid.

This was the first time he'd been left alone with the principal. They'd met very briefly before Aizawa brought Izuku to his "classroom" but other than that, they'd not spoken.

"You applied to U.A. originally, did you not?"

Izuku's eyes snapped up to Nedzu's face before dropping back down to his drink. His leg bounced in place. "I did," he said. No one really knew that. Not even Katsuki, who Izuku had managed to avoid during the entrance exam despite all odds. Shouto knew, in a way.

"You scored very high in the written exam so why did you take the practical? Why apply to the hero course if you were Quirkless?"

Izuku raised his head a bit, eyebrows set low. "Why does anyone apply to the hero course, sir?" 

To make a difference? To be noticed? To help others? To be wealthy? To be famous? Looking back, Izuku couldn't pinpoint the exact reason why he had wanted to be a hero other than the sole, defining idea of: "I want to be a hero."

"You were rejected."

Even now,the words still stung a bit. Izuku nodded. "I was."

And that fact had nearly killed him.

It was about ten minutes later when the door reopened. Izuku and Nedzu had spent most of that time sitting in silence. Nedzu sipping his tea. Izuku bouncing his leg and staring at the ground. He thought the anticipation was going to drive him insane.

But it did, eventually, reopen. There was the sound of one or two footsteps and then they stopped. Shouto had undoubtedly recognized the back of Izuku's head. Izuku couldn't bring himself to look and instead continued to stare down at the floor.

"Sit down, Todoroki," Nedzu said.

The footsteps were hesitant but eventually, Shouto sat down on the couch across from Izuku. Aizawa sat down next to him.

Izuku continued to stare at the floor. He wasn't sure what he felt more guilty for. Telling the teachers about their relationship or not contacting Shouto in the month since the accident.

Until literally two minutes ago, Shouto had thought that Izuku was comatose in another city. Would Shouto - could Shouto- forgive him? God, Izuku didn't deserve to be forgiven.

"Breathe," Shouto's voice was small, barely cracked around the edges. Shouto didn't cry, not really, but the tone of his voice was as close as Izuku had ever gotten.

Izuku looked up, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. He tried for a smile, small and flimsy. "Hi, Sho."

Shouto's hands were gripping his thighs, but his face was perfectly stoic, smooth as marble. If Izuku didn't know better, he might've called Shouto's demeanor nonchalant. But Izuku knew better. His eyes barely bounced between the two teachers in the room. A question: Do they know?

Izuku gave a small, miserable nod and buried his face in his hands. After a moment, the couch shifted.

And then familiar arms were wrapped around Izuku, one side running a bit too hot, the other a bit too cold. Shouto engulfed Izuku into a tight embrace that, in any other circumstance, might've been inappropriate in front of an audience.

Izuku's instinct was to reach out and hold him back. Wrap Shouto up into his arms and never let him go.

But he refrained, keeping his hands pressed to his chest and praying that Shouto understood. Instead, he buried his face into Shouto's shoulder, a shaky sobbing mess that Shouto didn't seem to mind.

They might've stayed like that for a minute or for a year. Either way, it didn't seem nearly enough when Aizawa discreetly coughed and Shouto pulled back. He stayed settled on the couch next to Izuku.

Shouto kept one hand firmly pressed to Izuku's knee. Touch had always been a constant in their relationship, from that very first day when Shouto had settled his hands on Izuku's shoulders and helped him breathe.

Ayane called them touch-starved and maybe that had some merit to it.

Hesitantly, Izuku settled his hand over Shouto's. It was the first time he'd touched another human since he woke up.

Nothing happened. He knew that nothing would happen. Both hands, Suimin had explained, both palms. He wondered how they figured that out, how they figured anything out about this dangerous Quirk. But he didn't ask. Because if they knew that power could hurt someone, then that meant that, consciously or not, Izuku has hurt someone.

Izuku must've started shaking because Shouto's other hand settled on top of his, sandwiching Izuku's hand between both of his. He gave him a gentle squeeze.

God, what if Shouto hated him after this? Or what if? Weeks, months, years down the road, Shouto learned the truth and their entire relationship was torn to shreds?

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here, Todoroki," Aizawa said, prompting the conversation.

Shouto glanced at Izuku before he nodded. Quiet as ever. Izuku stared down at their hands.

Nedzu took over. He explained a fabricated story, a tailored version of the truth. Izuku was caught up in an explosion and it brought out a dormant Quirk, one with a dangerous side effect (Izuku flinched at this, earning a concerned glance from his partner). For his safety and the safety of others, he was placed in the care of Aizawa.

"For the time being, Izuku will be transferring to U.A.," Nedzu continued. "Under the guise of helping our hero course students."

Shouto gave a small nod. He didn't seem entirely convinced. It was honestly a stretch that an underground hero would be the one put in charge of overseeing an only somewhat dangerous individual.

"I understand," he said.

Izuku smiled softly at the ground. Then, he said quietly, "Can… Can I talk to Sho-Todoroki for a moment?"

Nedzu and Aizawa shared a glance, but when the animal jumped to his feet and headed to the door, Aizawa followed. As he passed, he glanced down at Izuku. "Shout if you need anything."

Izuku understood the double meaning of those words: Shout if you mess up and hurt him.

The door clicked behind them. Neither Shouto nor Izuku moved, hand in hand, not looking at one another.

After a moment, Izuku spoke. "I was the only survivor," he said and Shouto stiffened next to him. The half-truth felt like lead on Izuku's tongue. "They transferred me here to keep me safe. In case the perpetrator comes looking for me."

"I see," Shouto said. He turned towards Izuku. "Can I see your face?"

Izuku's cheeks felt warm as he turned to look at Shouto. To look his partner in the eye. Tears stung behind Izuku's eyes again. Shouto pulled away one of his hands and cupped Izuku's cheek.

His fingers followed the lines of Izuku's face. The curve of his nose and his lips. As if he couldn't believe Izuku was there.

"You're okay," Shouto said, his voice heartbreakingly soft. 

Izuku leaned into the feel of Shouto's hand. "I was so worried, Izuku," Shouto's voice cracked and Izuku could see the glassy sheen over Shouto's eyes. 

It startled him a bit. He could count the number of times Shouto had cried in front of him on one hand because it would be zero fingers. "You called me that night and- And then they told me you were comatose… Comatose for a month ."

Izuku had forgotten about that. Forgotten that he called Shouto mere seconds before the explosion went off. "They wouldn't let me contact you. I still haven't spoken to Ayane or any of my friends," Izuku said, the words spilling over with his tears. "I just wanted to see you. I was so lonely, Sho. So lonely."

He was used to being alone. After all, he'd spent most of his younger years isolated and friendless. But he'd forgotten what it felt like to be lonely . For the better part of two years, there'd always been someone there. Ayane spent more time at Izuku's house than she did her own. Shouto was usually only a text or a phone call away.

Izuku remembered three months ago when Shouto had showed up on Izuku's doorstep in the middle of the night, drenched from the rain. Because Izuku had called him hours prior, sobbing. They lived three hours away by train but that hadn't seemed to deter him.

Shouto shushed Izuku, wiping away his tears and smoothing his fingers through Izuku's curls. All familiar, loving touches.

Izuku somehow managed to keep his hands to himself. "I'm sorry," he whispered. I'm sorry for lying to you .

"You're safe," Shouto said. It would seem like a strange response to anyone else but Izuku knew what he meant. "That's all that matters to me."

That only made Izuku cry harder but Shouto didn't appear to have any complaints. He simply tugged Izuku closer, burying his face into Izuku's hair. Izuku kept his hands planted firmly on his lap as he leaned into him.

The sound of a bell blinked through the room. Shouto pulled back, his movements reluctant. He tucked a curl behind Izuku's ear. "End of lunch," he said.

"Sorry if I pulled you away from your soba," Izuku said with a faint smile.

Shouto pressed a quick kiss to Izuku's forehead. "I'll get you back for it eventually."

Izuku laughed through his tears. He wiped at his face with one hand. Shouto just smiled at him then frowned.

"I have to go back to class."

Izuku nodded. "I know."

"Where’s your class?"

"Um," Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. His cheeks felt warm. "It's broom closet 134 right now."

Shouto snorted, hiding it behind his hand. He shook his head. "We need to talk more," he said. "Okay?"

"I think you're going to have to go through Aizawa," Izuku said with a lopsided smile.

"On second thought."

Izuku punched him lightly in the arm before rolling his eyes. "You should get to class."

Shouto nearly stood up before he paused and pulled Izuku into another tight hug. He said something into Izuku's shirt, the words muffled.

"What was that?" Izuku asked. 

Shouto pulled back and stood. He smiled at Izuku again and Izuku swore he could get drunk off that smile alone. "I love you," he said before he hurried out of the room, leaving a startled and lovestruck Izuku behind.

Chapter Text

Izuku ate his breakfast slowly, aware of the eyes on him from across the table. Bright red eyes set into a curious little face. He tried to keep his gaze resolutely on his miso soup, determined not to startle her again.

"Papa said your Quirk is danger-danger-iz?" Eri said with a confused lilt around the unfamiliar word.

"Dangerous?" Izuku supplied.

Eri bobbed her head, her pigtails jumping with the movement. 

"It is…" Izuku said quietly. He wasn't terrible with children, necessarily. Ayane's little brother liked Izuku well enough. He just didn't get much exposure to them.

"Mine is too," Eri told him with a firm nod.

"Oh, um," Izuku looked around the kitchen, unsure what to say in response to something like that.

When he turned back to Eri, however, she has already busied herself with eating her own food.

"How are you feeling, little listener?"

Izuku looked sharply over at Yamada Hizashi, or Present Mic as Izuku had always known him. Yamada insisted that Izuku call him Hizashi but it felt odd. After all, Izuku had only been living in the Aizawa-Yamada household for about a week now. And he still barely interacted with any of them.

He saw Aizawa the most, seeing as the Pro Hero had always been put in charge of Izuku's education for the time being. But even then, the interactions felt sparing. Izuku spent most of his time in the apartment in his room, following Suimin's suggestions for Quirk exercises. 

Even so, Yamada seemed friendly and like he genuinely wanted Izuku to feel at ease with them. Izuku appreciated that, at least.

"I'm a little nervous," Izuku admitted, running his hands along the pleats of his uniform pants. 

"I thought you did Quirk analysis all the time?"

Yamada sat down across from Izuku and next to Eri with his own food. Aizawa had apparently prepared the small breakfast before going to bed after he returned from a late night patrol. 

Izuku found the husbands' schedules confusing and extremely busy. They worked both as Pro Heroes and as U.A. teachers, alternating hours and shifts in a system that made no sense to Izuku. And they still both found time to be at home for dinner and managed to find time to pick up Eri from her elementary school.

"I do," Izuku responded. "I just… It’s new people and new things and now I have to worry about keeping all of this in check too."

Yamada watched Izuku for a moment before giving him an energetic thumbs up. "You'll do great!" 

"Yeah!"  Eri agreed, throwing her hands up into the air.

Izuku watched as the preimage of her hand hit her cup seconds before it smacked into it. It tipped and Yamada lurched forward to grab it. But the cup stopped, hovering in the air. Yamada blinked and pulled it back onto the table. Izuku smiled a little to himself.

"Impressive," Aizawa said as he stepped into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes. He yawned. "Your control has improved. Along with your reflexes."

Izuku blushed under the praise. "I just saw it before it happened."

"Don't trivialize your accomplishments, Problem Child," Aizawa said as he walked behind Izuku to get a cup of water. He placed a hand on Izuku's head, seemingly unaware of the action. "Progress is progress."

Izuku reclined in his chair, flipping through the news as he waited for Aizawa to come to get him for his class's Quirk training. Izuku hoped he could be of some use, at least. 

Izuku's finger paused over an article. Heir to Hakashi Conglomerate dies in freak train accident.

A woman's face stared up at Izuku from the article. A serious expression. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Familiar. But distant. Something settled in Izuku's stomach like lead.

The door opened and Izuku looked up to find Aizawa waiting for him. "Ready?" he asked.

Izuku pushed the woman to the back of his head. He could worry about it later. He offered Aizawa a small smile. "Ready."

Aizawa started back down the hall and Izuku hurried after him. The farther they got from Izuku's broom closet, the busier the halls became. Some of the students watched Izuku as he passed, curiosity in their expressions. Izuku ducked his head.

"How much classwork do you have left?" Aizawa asked as they walked. 

"I finished," Izuku replied. "I was actually going to ask if you had anything more advanced?"

Aizawa watched Izuku for a moment before he nodded. "I'll speak with Nedzu about it."

He turned to Izuku, holding out a clipboard. Izuku blinked at it and Aizawa gave it a little shake. After a moment, Izuku took it. "Student files," Aizawa explained as they kept walking. "The parts pertaining to their quirks at least."

"I see," Izuku muttered, flipping through them. He paused when he saw Katsuki's picture, tucking the clipboard under his arm. "Who are the big three in your class?"

"Bakugou, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu," Aizawa answered. "They’re also the big three of their year."

"And bottom three?"

Aizawa glanced at Izuku. "Aoyama, Ashido, and Kaminari.  Though that might not be saying much. My class is very driven and I would say they're some of the better students that I've had.

"Two of them are away on work-study today. I'll probably have them meet up with you at a later date."

Izuku nodded.

Eventually, they entered a large gym. A group of students in their hero costumes stood further in the gym, chatting amongst themselves. Izuku paused when he saw the hunched man standing with them. He spoke with a girl with pink skin and a boy with yellow spiky hair, smiling broadly. 

Izuku caught Aizawa’s sleeve and the Pro Hero slowed. "You didn't say All Might was going to be here," Izuku hissed.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Will that be a problem?"

"I-" Izuku's eyes darted between Aizawa, All Might, and the few students that had caught onto their presence in the gym. Izuku dropped his head. "No, no problem."

He tried to ignore the squeaking of his voice as he followed Aizawa deeper into the gym. Shouto caught Izuku's eye from where he stood with a few kids Izuku could only assume were his friends. 

"Do you know him, Todoroki?" a girl with pink cheeks stage whispered, poking Shouto in the arm.

Shouto didn't answer. Just smiled knowingly. Izuku also met Katsuki's gaze. The blonde glared at Izuku and Izuku quickly looked away.

"Settle down," Aizawa said in a bored tone, immediately cutting off the excited and curious chatter of his students. Izuku quickly realized how much respect Aizawa’s students had for him. "Today, I have brought a guest to help you with your exercises today. Be respectful towards him or else."

The blue around Aizawa flashed green and though Izuku couldn't see his face, he knew that Aizawa’s quirk had been activated. The entire class simultaneously swallowed in fear. Aizawa gestured towards Izuku. Izuku jumped, realizing that he was meant to introduce himself. 

He scooted forward and bowed. "Good afternoon, my name is Midoriya Izuku. I look forward to helping you today."

"Sensei," a boy with glasses started and it took Izuku a moment to realize that he meant Aizawa and not him. "Forgive me, but I'm not sure I understand how a student is supposed to help us."

"Midoriya?" Aizawa looked over at Izuku.

Izuku nodded. "I know you're probably a little confused," he said. "But I'm a Quirk Analyst. I was asked by Principal Nedzu to assist with U.A.'s hero students."

"A Quirk analyst? At our age?" one of the students exclaimed and Izuku vaguely recognized it from when he ran into Katsuki in the library. Izuku quickly tied it to a boy with bright red hair and a smile of wicked sharp teeth.  "That's so manly, dude!"

A chorus of agreement followed. Izuku’s lips twitched into a smile. It faded when a familiar snort of condescending laughter filled the air.

"How can you be a Quirk analyst without a Quirk?" Katsuki called, sneering at Izuku.

"Bakubro!" the red-haired guy elbowed Katsuki sharply in the side. Izuku paled when Katsuki growled. "Don't be rude!"

Izuku waited for the explosion. Waited for Katsuki to blow up like he always did when met with an opposing force. But Katsuki just crossed his arms and grumbled quietly. Izuku tilted his head. 

"Midoriya will be instructing you today," Aizawa said before he walked away. 

Izuku watched as he crawled into a sleeping bag and flopped down facing the wall. His eyes shifted to All Might, quietly watching the group. Eventually, the retired Pro Hero leaned back against the wall next to Aizawa. Izuku glanced at the students to see if they had any kind of reaction but their focus was entirely on Izuku.

"Well, um," Izuku looked down at the clipboard. It listed the students, their quirks, and their general rankings. "Let’s get started, I guess."

The boy with the glasses raised his hand again. "Midoriya-san, do you have a Quirk?" he asked.

Izuku suppressed a flinch. At Shiketsu, it was different. Everyone had known that Izuku was Quirkless. No one had cared. He wondered if they cared here.

"Yes, I do," Izuku stated. Several unfortunately. "But even if I didn't, that's irrelevant."

" Deku," Katsuki growled.

Izuku swallowed down the intensity of emotions that came with Katsuki's nickname. Izuku wasn't the same kid he was in middle school. Not by a long shot. And besides, he had Shouto here now.

Shouto, who was watching the interaction between Katsuki and Izuku with furrowed brows.

"Yes, Bakugou?" Izuku looked over at him. "Do you have a question?"

Katsuki glared at Izuku for several seconds before huffing out a breath and rolling his eyes. "Fucking whatever."

Izuku bobbed his head. "Very well. We'll start with a demonstration of your Quirks and work from there," Izuku stated, flipping back to the front of his clipboard. It wasn’t his notebooks, but it would have to do until he worked up the courage to ask Aizawa for a new one. "First up is… Aoyama Yuga?"

Once everyone demonstrated their Quirks, sans Katsuki who flat out refused to participate and the two absent students (Jirou and Asui), Izuku mulled over his notes for a few minutes while everyone warmed up a little bit more. The hairs on the back of Izuku's neck prickled and he turned. Aizawa blinked at him, a faint expression of surprise on his usually stoic features. 

Izuku looked back down at his notes. "Your class is impressive," he commented, fidgeting with the ends of his hair. It had gotten a little longer than he was used to in the past month apparently. "And they all seem pretty close knit which can be both a hindrance and an advantage."

"I agree," Aizawa said.

Without saying another word, Izuku turned and beckoned the class back over. Some of them watched him with anticipation. Others with a blasé attitude. Katsuki glared at him. Izuku hadn't said anything to any of them during the demonstrations, leaving them in the dark as to what he wrote down.

"We'll be doing sparring exercises," he said. "Though I will interject as I feel the need to. If there's anything in particular you feel you need assistance on, feel free to approach me about it after your match. Partner with whoever you sit next to in class. Iida Tenya and Mezo Shoji, you'll be paired up since yours are absent. Anything goes in these spars. Your objective is to pin your opponent to the ground for ten full seconds."

The class continued to stare at him. Aizawa flickered green beside him. "You heard him. Pair up."

"Do you have a stopwatch?" Izuku asked.

Aizawa dug around in his pockets before producing one. Izuku nodded to the first pair up.

The spar was quick. Despite being in the lower end of her class, Ashido Mina's physical prowess overpowered Aoyama's. She threw up a shield of acid to distract Aoyama's laser before coming up the back and pinning him. Izuku declared the match about fifteen seconds later.

Aoyama seemed undeterred as he spun up to Izuku. "My sparkles were extraordinary, were they not?" he asked, twirling around.

Izuku bit down a smile. "Yes, they were but you need to work on your hand to hand skills."

"I do not fight with my hands," Aoyama declared, smiling.

"Then you should rethink being a hero," Izuku said bluntly. He tucked his clipboard under his arm. "Heroes don't always get to choose how they fight."

He reached out and grabbed Aoyama's wrist, swiping the blonde boy's legs out from under him. Aoyama dropped to the ground as Izuku released him.

The entire class fell silent. Izuku met Bakugou's curious glare as he straightened up. Shouto was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. 

"You get sick when you use your Quirk, correct?" Izuku asked as he flipped open his clipboard.

To Aoyama's credit, he immediately hopped up with a smile again. "Yes, it is tres tragique ."

“Have you considered it might have something to do with your diet?”

Aoyama quirked his head to the side, smile never wavering. “Huh?”

Well, that answered that. Izuku nodded. “I’m going to draft up a diet for you to follow.”

“Can I still eat cheese?”

Izuku blinked. “I don’t see why not.”

“ Marveilleux ,” Aoyama exclaimed before hopping away.

Izuku shrugged before turning to Ashido. “Now, for you Ashido-san.”