Chapter Text
Hitoshi blocks a blow from Midoriya, sliding back on his feet. He bends his knees, bracing on his soles and leaning his weight forward, just managing to stay up. His left arm is throbbing, but he focuses on the opponent in front of him.
We can't rely on our Quirks alone. People like us, we'd get killed.
Midoriya moves like a rabbit, he thinks idly. He darts around, never staying in place long enough for Hitoshi to advance. Hitoshi can feel the air push when Midoriya moves, dodging precise hits Midoriya throws at him. He's fast and strong, but his moves are repetitive if you fight him long enough. Hitoshi watches how the muscles in his opponent's arms flex, contained under freckled skin and scar tissue.
A strike lands on his chest. Hitoshi lands on his back, and his lungs feel like they're caving in. His legs curl up in the air, still rolling from the impact.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he answers, after a couple of breaths. He rolls back up on his feet before Midoriya can offer a hand and shakes the thoughts out of his head. He falls into the stance once more.
If he can't take hits, he should learn to avoid them. If he can't avoid them, he should learn to roll with them.
The next spar is better, once Hitoshi focuses on the fight and the fight alone. Sensei once said that in a fight, he had to focus on the here and now. At the same time, he had to look for openings to set up finishing moves. It was a lot, but Hitoshi took it and worked to make it a reality.
"You see something you like?" he calls, after Midoriya spends a little too long on the defensive, keeping his distance.
Midoriya falters for a second. His eyes widen slightly, in confusion. "What?"
Hitoshi ignores the feathery feeling in his chest from Midoriya's voice. He needs Midoriya to act, not think and plan. Getting people to talk was Hitoshi's strong suit. Getting them riled up and distracted.
He switches up his tactic. "I'm just saying. You've been standing there a while. Am I boring you?"
Midoriya's mouth forms a straight firm line, and he darts towards Shinsou. Hitotshi's heart races and he feels even more so in his body at this moment. He's hyper-aware of every hair on his body, the wind sliding off his arms, the slightest movements in his opponent's footing, and how he should match it with his own.
He lets Midoriya go on the offensive until he sees his opening. Midoriya aims for his face, but Hitoshi dodges and swings his left arm. His palm lands on the side of Midoriya's head, and Hitoshi grips and pulls Midoriya forward and down. He brings his knee up.
Crack!
Through Hitoshi's mind, that brief moment of pride riding adrenaline is followed by a wave of regret.
He lets go as Midoriya staggers back, eventually falling on his ass. A few specks of blood dot the ground, and Hitoshi's eyes follow their falling trajectory back to his classmate.
"Shit," he says worriedly. He moves towards Midoriya, falling to a knee in front of the boy. When Midoriya doesn't look up at first, he grabs under his chin and tilts his head up to assess the damage. "Midoriya, are you—?"
"That was amazing ." His eyes are wide, green eyes shining and focused on him. Hitoshi couldn't decide what to focus on, darting between his eyes and the bloody nose.
The blood snaps him out of it. "Are you—I—okay— what ?" Not smooth, Hitoshi.
Midoriya moves to poke at his own nose. "It, ow. was."
He turns his head away from Hitoshi's grip, and Hitoshi releases him. A line of blood drips down his chin, dropping on the ground. His voice turns nasally as he pinches the stream. "You caught me off-guard, and that kick was strong. It's reminiscent of some of the moves that Aizawa-sensei has used in fights!" Midoriya's other hand is under his chin, like how he does when he's on a muttering tangent, but instead of staring off into space that concentration is focused on Hitoshi.
You have got to be—
"You never shut up, do you," he says, the bubbling nervousness letting out in a light laugh. He sits back, suddenly aware that he's resting on Midoriya's leg.
Midoriya stares at him for a moment, then his eyes go wide and it's almost comical. His face is turning red, probably from the blood in his body finding an outlet on his face. "Sorry!" he exclaims. "This is weird. And probably gross. " He scurries up to his feet, knocking Hitoshi off.
"Wait—"
"I'll just," he turns around on his heels. "Go find Aizawa-sensei. See you!" He hurries away.
Hitoshi stares after him.
"Wowwwww," Kaminari says, an upbeat kind of awe that means he's butting in. "That was a pretty good fight, dude. I don't think anyone's drawn blood yet this term. Not even Bakugo!"
Hitoshi rubs his eyes, slowly standing up. "I'm pretty sure I knocked his brains out."
"Honestly, that probably happened ages ago. He's just running on pure pain tolerance now."
Hitoshi sighs, then turns towards the other boy. Kaminari has his arms folded behind his head, relaxed. "Why was he so...nice, when I hit him?"
"Maybe Midoriya thinks that when you kick his ass, you're saying you want to be his friend," Sero comments. "Nice work, Earlyroki!"
Hitoshi wants to ask about that nickname, or why Sero thinks he can give out nicknames to people he barely knows, but he's heard Midoriya referred to as "First Errand" a couple of times, so it must just be a habit for Sero. Not that he's tracking any sort of habits about his classmates.
Hitoshi wishes Sero would take his sparring partner back so Hitoshi could be alone.
Alone with no one to spar, since he just sent his partner to the infirmary.
Kaminari taps his chin, contemplatively. "That would make sense about him and Bakugo, then."
Bakugo's probably done worse to Midoriya, he rationalizes. That's...not exactly a high bar to hold things to. Jesus Christ. Is he trying to compare his lethality to Bakugo?
At the edge of the P.E. grounds, he hears Aizawa say, "Problem child," rather resignedly. He opens his eyes and watches the back of Midoriya's head nod to their teacher. There's the motion of Midoriya lowering his hands from his face, probably showing Aizawa the mess that Hitoshi made.
There's no reaction that Hitoshi can see from here. Aizawa just says something, and Midoriya nods, and walks towards the school building, presumably towards Recovery Girl.
Still watching Aizawa, he makes eye contact with the older man, and after a couple of seconds of nothing happening, Hitoshi realizes that Aizawa isn't going to come over and assign him a new partner.
Great.
Hitoshi is jolted out of his thoughts when a voice calls out to him. "Nice move, Shinsou!"
Uraraka smiles at him cheerfully, like he didn't just knee her friend in the face hard enough to bleed. "That was pretty tough! Mind showing me that?"
He tilts his head. "Uh. No thanks." He looks over her shoulder, where Tsuyu is. Kaminari and Sero seemed to have gone back to their own training.
"It looked pretty strong, ribbit," Tsuyu comments. "You have really good reflexes."
"Uh, thanks." He rubs the back of his neck. "You don't need me to teach you anything." He wants to walk away, but what are his other choices?
"How about this," Uraraka responds, a gleam in her eye. No change in her smile, though. "One round. If I beat you, you show me how to do that knee strike."
"And if I win?"
"Hmm." She taps her chin. There's a bit of a pause, in which Shinsou looks around the grounds and confirms, yeah, there's no other group he could join. "Tsuyu knows of a place on campus where she's seen a stray cat hanging around. It's pretty friendly."
Hitoshi raises a brow, tilting his head. "You know one thing about me, and it's that I like cats?"
"It's the only thing we know about you," she complains. Then her frown curls up at the corner of her mouth, eyes determined. "Besides, you won't get to see it anyway. And it's a cute cat."
Oh, this could be fun.
"Alright," Hitoshi says, mirroring her stance. Tsuyu steps back and watches. He wonders if this cat is the same cat he's been seeing near the dorms at night, and he intends to find out.
This is what he learns: Uraraka is a competitive brute. And true to his word, when he loses to her, Hitoshi teaches her the knee strike.
After that, they spar for the rest of the training, switching with Tsuyu every so often. This gives Uraraka the chance to start offering advice on how Hitoshi should move if he wants to disarm an opponent. It's unsolicited, but he accepts it without complaint. In their subsequent rounds, she starts narrating her moves, and his moves, and after Hitoshi calls her a Present Mic knock off, she demands a final round.
"No stakes this time?" he asks. She pauses and then comes up with one for him, a big smirk on her face. He smiles. "Sounds pretty good."
This fight is close.
He drops to sweep her feet out from under her when she huffs out, "Wow, Izuku is right to admire you!"
It makes him freeze. "Huh?" And in that second of hesitation, Uraraka jumps over his kick and takes him out with her own knee strike.
He lands on his back, and a half-second later she has him pinned.
"I win!" she says brightly. With her previous words swimming in his ears, he imagines little birds flying around his head. Her grip is tight around his wrists.
"That was unfair," he groans. She didn't hit him as hard as he used on Midoriya. He has to bite his tongue to hold back on asking what she was talking about before.
"Sorry, we didn't set any rules against distractions." She grins wide at him, no hint of remorse. She gets up, stretching her arms. "Thanks for cooking dinner tonight!"
He rolls over on his stomach. "Just for that, I'm gonna burn everything."
"Ah! No! Then you'll really be Earlyroki!"
Eventually, he's forced to get up from the dirt, but he chooses to ignore the happy look that Uraraka and Tsuyu exchange.
"Shinsou," Aizawa calls before they leave the grounds for their dorms.
He jogs over. "Sensei."
Aizawa tired eyes scan over him for a second. "Keep up your training. It's still an uphill climb to reach where your classmates are, but you're doing quite well. Avoid killing other students though." His voice is firm. The corners of his mouth hint upward, though.
Hitoshi nods, trying not to show how pleased he is with this simple praise.
Aizawa turns to walk away, telling Hitoshi to get more sleep, which is his usual goodbye.
After returning to his room and then showering, Hitoshi puts on a hoodie and sweatpants and goes down to the kitchen.
Uraraka was paired for dinner duty with Tokoyami tonight. Maybe Hitoshi would complain more, but he doesn't have to admit to anyone that out of most of them, he probably minds Tokoyami the least.
Despite getting out of dinner duty, he finds Uraraka in the kitchen. She's seated on the counter next to the fridge, clicking around on her phone, occasionally pulling out ingredients or other stuff when Tokoyami requests.
Tokoyami accepts Uraraka's explanation with a nod and asks Hitoshi to chop the vegetables. He complies and focuses on peeling cabbage and then chopping them into tiny strands. It's calming, and reminds him of learning to cook when he was younger, back when he had to cook his own dinners.
Well, this really isn't that different.
Hitoshi doesn't notice when Midoriya comes into the kitchen, only realizing when Midoriya's voice greets Uraraka.
Hitoshi looks over. There's a thin white bandage across his nose, which, aside from some light bruising, looks fine. He has his water bottle in one hand and is closing the fridge with the other. So maybe he went on a run after training today, since he didn't end up coming back to class?
Midoriya seems to sense him and looks over, breaking the bubble of his and Uraraka's conversation. There's something in Midoriya's stare that makes Hitoshi remember the feeling back in middle school when someone was talking about you just mere feet away.
Hitoshi looks away and frowns to himself. Would Midoriya hold a grudge over their spar today? Hitoshi hadn't apologized at the time, but he was shocked at Midoriya's excited composure. Midoriya didn't seem mad at the time either, but that could be due to his pain tolerance stopping him from freaking out. Plus, he doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges in training.
Hitoshi finishes up cutting the cabbage into thin strips and uses the cutting board to scrape it into a bowl.
As he's about to start the carrots, Dark Shadow emerges from behind Tokoyami and pouts, pointing yellow eyes from the cutting board to Hitoshi. It makes grabbing motions towards him.
Hitoshi considers it for a second, and after a nod from Tokoyami, takes a whole carrot and hands it over to the demon.
"Yeah!" It cheers, taking it with a clawed hand.
"Suppressing larger dark urges starts with small indulgences," Tokoyami says, stirring the pot of noodles.
"Cool," he replies, and Tokoyami nods solemnly.
"Besides, Dark Shadow likes raw vegetables better."
Dark Shadow is pretty delighted, and the snapping sound as it eats is pretty satisfying. Hitoshi hesitates and then puts his hand on the crest of the demon's head. He slides the hand back, going with (he guesses) the direction of where the feathers would grow.
"Is this okay with you?" He asks Tokoyami.
"It is acceptable," he replies, grabbing a pan from the cupboard. "It'll only let you do that if you feed it. Otherwise..."
He leaves it at that. Hitoshi eyes the empty darkness inside Dark Shadow's maw as it gnaws the carrot and takes note.
Dark Shadow continues eating and moves closer under his hand. He smiles and continues petting it. Tokoyami moves to drain the noodles into the sink, but Dark Shadow stays with Hitoshi.
"Alright," Hitoshi relents, a few minutes later. He pulls his hand away. "Back to being a foreboding harbinger. Rain sorrow and darkness upon those who cannot accept it in their hearts."
Dark Shadow cackles and rises up higher in the kitchen, and does Tokoyami nod with approval?
"So cute…" he hears Midoriya murmur, and he glances over at him. They lock eyes again and Midoriya lets out a squeak, turning away, which makes Hitoshi huff a little laugh. Dark Shadow was a huge shadowy demon of death or vengeance or whatever Tokoyami says, but it was a little cute, he had to admit.
Hitoshi eventually finishes chopping the onions, shiitake mushrooms, and scallions, at which he washes the cutting board in the sink. Tokoyami says he can handle the rest of the cooking, so Hitoshi stands idle. Going up four floors to sit in his room seemed pointless before dinner, so he takes a seat at the table, scrolling through his phone.
Iida eventually comes to the kitchen, and his addition to the group leads to the trio migrating to the table, with Hitoshi.
"It isn't bad at all!" Midoriya reassures him when Iida asks about his nose. "Recovery Girl said it wasn't as bad as it looked. She healed it, anyway." Hitoshi mentally sighs with relief.
"Still," Iida says firmly. "We have to practice more caution when sparring with one another. Even when we are giving our all, we should hold back from seriously injuring one another or ourselves. I must commend you on your progress, though, Shinsou."
Hitoshi looks up from his phone. He sees that Iida has turned to address him. "Huh?"
"You recall how your combat abilities were considerably weaker to nonexistent at your entrance exam, correct? Yet now you're able to land surprise attacks on Midoriya. As class president, I have to acknowledge and congratulate you on your growth!"
Hitoshi blinks for a second, then feels himself blush as the gaze of the three falls on him. "Thanks, class pres," he says, feeling the heat rise in his face. "Though, you should thank Midoriya for being my punching bag."
"Glad to help!" Midoriya chirps, giving Hitoshi a proud look. Hitoshi feels his mouth twitch into a helpless smile. He looks away, covering up with a cough.
"That reminds me." Iida puts his hands on his hips, a gesture that Hitoshi can't help but see as motherly. A robotic mother hen. "Did Recovery Girl count this as one of your 'extraneous injury' heals for the year, Midoriya?"
Midoriya scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Luckily no! I still have four."
Uraraka says, rather suspiciously, "I thought you started with five."
Midoriya suddenly finds the windows very interesting and turns away from Uraraka, Iida, and Hitoshi. "Haha, well..."
Hitoshi bites back a laugh.
Hitoshi listens to the story they pull out of Midoriya involving Sero and Kaminari, American movies, and Replica City. As Iida lectures him about peer pressure, Midoriya sends him a pleading look that makes Hitoshi snicker.
Then Iida turns and addresses him, pulling him into a conversation about Snipe's class. It slowly goes from just reviewing what they learned today to how physics is involved with their respective fighting styles. He leans forward as Iida explains the mechanics of his leg engine, but it still makes Hitoshi want to shudder if he thinks about it too hard. Eventually, he has to excuse himself to start setting out the dinner when the others start filing into the kitchen.
The smell is utterly tantalizing, savory and salty when he stands next to Tokoyami. The pork is cooked almost too well done, but the noodles look dark and well-seasoned. Hitoshi's stomach nearly roars. He hadn't realized he was that hungry.
Midoriya doesn't stop his conversation when a bowl of yaki udon is placed in front of him, but he turns and smiles at Hitoshi in gratitude. Hitoshi continues setting out bowls of food and chopsticks, focusing on placing everything nicely and not how Midoriya's smile made his chest tight all of a sudden.
Hitoshi finally takes his seat again. His own bowl is pretty full, and he nods at Tokoyami sitting next to Ojiro in thanks. The food hasn't decreased in attractiveness since Tokoyami finished it, and Hitoshi is all too grateful to start eating with the others.
"This is so good!" Mina exclaims. Kirishima repeats the sentiment, and other echoes travel around the room, thanking Tokoyami and Hitoshi.
Dinner passes in conversations Hitoshi doesn't necessarily partake in, rather letting the ambiance flow over his head. His eyes wander the room, eventually sliding from the bandage to the freckles and then to Midoriya's eyes. When Midoriya catches him, he feels it's a better time than ever.
"I'm sorry for hitting you so hard," he says, under the conversation between Iida and Tsuyu.
"I've gone through worse," Midoriya responds truthfully, lifting a bite of noodles to his mouth. The light, happy tone in his voice has not changed. "Besides, you said you wouldn't hold back."
Hitoshi shrugs. "Still, I didn't mean to hurt you." It comes off softer than he intends, and maybe with more sincerity as well.
Midoriya looks at him with this...curiosity in his eyes, and Hitoshi quickly shovels food into his own mouth to stop anything else from coming out.
Then Midoriya grins. "It was a good move. But you won't land another one like that."
Hitoshi narrows his eyes and swallows a mouthful of his dinner. "Cocky words for a boy with cracker bones," he replies.
Midoriya scoffs, but his smile looks a little more feisty than annoyed, and Hitoshi bites his tongue on his next mouthful, turning away to cough into a napkin.
"I'm fine," he coughs when Tsuyu asks. If he had turned back around earlier, he would have seen a smiling Uraraka elbow a confused Midoriya.