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Izuku has always been the town carpenter. He likes building things, after all, and it’s helpful to have something to do with his constantly fidgeting hands.
Today though, he leaves his work at home. It’s his twentieth birthday after all, and his friends would be disappointed if he sent the day working.
Instead, Izuku spends his morning with his friends.
First, he stops at Tenya’s barber shop. Tenya greets him with a smile and a cheerful, “Good morning, Izuku. Happy birthday!”
“Morning, Tenya!” Izuku returns.
“Here for a trim?” Tenya guesses- though it’s less impressive when you consider the fact that Izuku gets bi-weekly trims and it’s been two weeks already.
Today though, Izuku wants something different. It is his birthday, after all.
Izuku shakes his head. "I want a haircut today. Stylist's choice please."
"Are you sure?" Tenya checks.
"Mhm
"Excellent," Tenya grins. "Right this way, then." Tenya leads Izuku to his seat and instructs him to sit down. Izuku does, flushed with pride.
He built these chairs three years ago, when Tenya first opened his barbershop. Even now they're still sturdy, and Tenya refers the occasional curious customer to Izuku.
"How's your day been so far? Any plans for this afternoon?" Tenya asks as he cuts Izuku's hair. Izuku can't exactly tell what Tenya's doing, but it's fine! Tenya knows what he's doing.
After a few moments of thought, Izuku says, "My day has been fine so far. A bit dull, if anything. The only plans I have are to visit Ochako and Tsuyu's shops, and then have lunch with Naomasa-san. I'm looking forward to it."
"That does sound lovely," Tenya agrees.
Izuku can't see Tenya, but it sounds like he's smiling.
The rest of the haircut passes in an instant, and ten minutes later Izuku walks out of Tenya's barber shop with a short, fluffy haircut.
It's perfect.
Izuku skips down the sidewalk, feet clacking against the dull cobblestone, until he reaches Tsuyu's shop.
She's watering the plants out front, and she waves when she sees Izuku.
"Mornin', Tsuyu!" he chirps.
"Happy birthday, Izu-chan," Tsuyu greets. She plucks a pastel blue flower and hands it to Izuku. "Here. I think it'll complement your hair."
"Aw, thanks Tsuyu!" Izuku exclaims. He tucks the flower behind an ear, then twists around for his wallet. Tsuyu stops him and he looks up, confused.
"It's free today," she says. "Consider it a birthday gift." She smiles, seemingly amused at some inside joke.
Izuku frowns. "Are you sure?"
"As can be," she says. Tsuyu turns and heads into the flower shop, and Izuku follows her eagerly. He ends up helping her water the plants, a task he does happily. Tsuyu would let him follow her no matter what, but Izuku feels better when he's helping out.
Tsuyu always has a special fondness for the plants tht grow in the back corner, and Izuku does too. He built these planters, and they're all carved with nature-esque designs.
Tsuyu always makes it a point to showcase her favorite planter- Izumu made all of the designs with her in mind but this one reminds him of her the most, and Tsuyu adores it. The design is fairly simple; three frogs sitting on a rose-covered log.
Today Tsuyu doesn't point it out, and Izuku doesn't see it, but he doesn't comment on it. Tsuyu cleans the planters every so often, wary of the dirt eroding the carvings. Usually she cleans multiple, but it isn't unheard of for her to clean only one.
Either way, they finish quickly and the plants are lightly watered. Izuku turns to Tsuyu, eager to learn her new factoid.
He stops by frequently, but Tsuyu always finds a new flower fact for him.
Today, it's about Irises, the same flower that's tucked behind his ear. "They stand for hope," Tsuyu says happily. "I thought it was fitting."
Izuku leaves shortly thereafter, eager to meet up with Naomasa. They rarely get to interact beyond plesantries at the Farmer's Market, so Izuku is especially excited.
Izuku walks into Mitsuki's (eerily empty) resturaunt just as Naomasa sits down, and he rushes over with a grin.
"Naomasa!"
"Izuku!" Naomasa pushes away from the table and stands up, then opens his arms wide for a hug. Izuku practically bowls him over. "Woah there, kid."
"Sorry, just excited to see you," Izuku says. "It's been too long."
"That it has. How've you been?"
"Oh, I've been well," Izuku says. He takes a moment to glance over the menu -allowing Naomasa to do the same- then asks, "How are you?"
"All things considered, I'm doing well," Naomasa says. He hesitates for a moment. "Want to hear about our most recent case down at the station?"
Izuku nods eagerly, and Naomasa begins. "Well, we think it started last year, when Ruby was kidnapped..."
They walk out together fourty-five minutes later. Normally they would part ways here, but today Naomasa asks Izuku to accompany him to the library.
"I have research to do," he says, "and some company would be nice."
"Of course," Izuku agrees readily. They reach the library within a matter of minutes, and Naomasa gestures for Izuku to open the door. It creaks loudly.
Izuku takes a hesitant step into the dark building, and Naomasa slides in after him. Izuku jumps when the lights flicker on and several people yell, "Surprise!"
The room is bright and cheerful and full of people Izuku knows. Two large buffet tables rest on either side of the room, and Izuku can't help but marvel at the beautiful, hand-drawn decorations. There, in the front of the room, are Ochako, Tsuyu, and Tenya.
"Guys? What is this?" Izuku's voice cracks.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a surprise party!" Ochako exclaims.
"You must have put this together quickly," Izuku notes. "I was here just last night, and none of this was set up."
"They had some help," a voice says. Izuku freezes. He knows that voice.
“Kacchan! I didn’t realize you were home yet!” Izuku exclaims, grinning.
Katsuki rolls his eyes, but he isn’t really annoyed. He lightly shoves Izuku and says, “That’s the point of a surprise, dumbass.”
“Still! I can’t believe you came home for this,” Izuku marvels.
“I’d be home anyways.”
“Sure you would,” Izuku says doubtfully. Katsuki scowls and walks off.
“How… pleasant,” Ochako says distastefully. She respect’s Katsuki, but she’s never quite liked him.
Izuku just smiles at her and lets himself be dragged along to the buffet. (“Free food, right?” Ochako likes to say. That’s because she usually doesn’t pay for the buffet.)
The next half hour or so is spent enjoying the food and festivities. Izuku enjoys catching up with everyone; usually they’re all so busy that he only talks to them during work, or for a handful of minutes at a time.
It’s nice.
Eventually, someone brings up gifts. Izuku smiles wryly. In this town, gifts are a commodity. When he was a child everyone would save up pocket money to purchase a trinket or two, but now that he’s older he’s usually gifted with kind words and a birthday celebration.
But then Tenya disappears into the back room and reemerges with an ornate box.
“It’s from all of us,” he says softly.
Izuku’s eyes widen. “You guys… you got a gift for me?”
“Of course,” Tsuyu says. “It’s not every day you turn twenty, you know.”
“Plus, you always make us gifts,” Ochako cuts in. “We wanted to do something nice for you, for a change.”
Izuku wipes away the beginnings of tears and bites his lip. He glances around at everyone and says, softly but with feeling, “Thank you.”
“You haven’t even opened it yet,” Tenya points out seriously.
“Still,” Izuku says. “Thank you.”
“Just open it, you goof,” Ochako grins.
Izuku looks around once more, wondering what this gift from everyone could be. Finally, he reaches into the box with eager hands and gingerly pulls out the item inside. It’s a two-foot-tall clock, and Izuku can’t help but gape.
The clock consists of at least twenty different pieces of wood. With each passing moment Izuku recognizes more and more of them. A chunk of wood from Tsukauchi’s decorative desk plaque. A sliver of the Welcome! sign Izuku helped hang in the entrance of Hagakure’s costume shop.
There are so many memories attached to each piece, and it makes Izuku’s eyes water.
Then his eyes catch on a piece of wood that he had somehow missed. Every time he visits Tsuyu’s shop, she makes sure to point out her favorite planter Izuku made; it shows three little frogs crouching on a flower-covered log. And Tsuyu… she gave up a piece of her favorite planter for Izuku . This is the final nail in the coffin, and Izuku starts to bawl.
Even through his tears he can’t help but continue to admire the craftsmanship. Each piece of wood blends together in a way Izuku wouldn’t have thought possible.
“Who made this?” he murmurs, finally finding his voice.
Kacchan steps forward, smirking. ”Who do you think made it?”
“Oh, really, Kacchan?” Izuku gasps. “I didn’t think you were paying attention when I tried to teach you!”
“That’s because you’re unobservant as shit,” Kacchan snarks, but he’s grinning, so Izuku doesn’t take any offense.
“Still,” Izuku says, “You’ve been in and out of town for ages, Kacchan! When did you get time to make this?”
“I brought it on quests and worked on it in my spare time,” Kacchan says.
Izuku’s grin widens impossibly. “Kacchan! That’s so sweet!”
“No it’s not,” Kacchan snaps with no real bite. No one else really understands it, but Izuku and Kacchan have always had their own language. Even when Kacchan has been away for months, they still get each other.
“Yes it is!” Izuku cries. “You’re so nice to me, Kacchan.”
“I’ll change that right now if you don’t shut up,” Katsuki threatens.
Izuku takes it in stride. “You wouldn’t do that, Kacchan.”
“Oh really? What if I-”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Ochako cuts in. “Let’s have some cake!” Katsuki looks put out at their banter being interrupted, but Izuku grins at the prospect of cake.
“Cake?” he repeats, grinning.
“Yep! Satou made it,” Tenya announces proudly. He once again delves into the back room only to reemerge seconds later with a beautiful cake.
“Satou!” Izuku gasps. “It looks amazing!”
“You haven’t even tried it yet,” Satou says.
“Your cakes are always delicious, I’m sure this one’s no different!” Izuku exclaims. Satou flushes with pleasure.
Izuku bounces from foot to foot with impatience as Tenya cuts him a slice. Izuku feels bad for rushing him, but it’s Satou’s cake! Izuku has only tasted samples before. Now he gets to have an entire slice!
When Tenya hands Izuku his plate, he still hops about anxiously. Satou notices and asks, “Why haven’t you tried it yet?”
“It’s customary for everyone to share the first bite,” Izuku reminds him.
Satou waves him off. “You’re turning twenty. I think you can ignore tradition today.”
Izuku bites his lip nervously, but no one disagrees, so he takes a hesitant bite.
It’s as delicious as he was hoping, and he tells Satou so. Satou waves his praise off with a pleased flush.
Then the festivities begin in earnest, everyone enjoying cake and each others’ company.
Eventually though, everyone has to head home. They leave with quiet farewells, until Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, Tsuyu, and Katsuki are the only ones remaining.
“Get out of here, Deku! We’ll clean this up,” Ochako says.
“I can help,” Izuku exclaims.
Katsuki rolls his eyes. “It’s your birthday, you shouldn’t do anything. Go home and we’ll get this mess cleaned up. Take good care of that clock, ya hear?”
“Of course I will!” Izuku promises. “Thank you again!”
“It’s nothing,” Tsuyu says modestly. “We’re glad you liked it.”
“Oh, I loved it!” Izuku exclaims.
“Of course you did,” Katsuki says, not unkindly. “Now get out of here.”
“Alright, alright!” Izuku says. “I’m going!”
When Izuku arrives home, he places the clock in the center of the fireplace mantle. It’ll be the first thing he sees when he arrives home every day, and he couldn’t be happier about it.
Izuku always knew his friends cared about him, but to give up their own things to make something beautiful for him? It’s more than he could ever have dreamed of.
The mismatched clock will serve as a reminder of his favorite birthday yet. It’s going to be one hell of a year.