Chapter Text
As he woke up, Izuku had the distinct feeling that there was something that he had forgotten to do. He began to get ready for the day, mentally rattling off the laundry list of tasks that could potentially be causing this feeling. He had emailed Mr. Aizawa last night to let him know about him changing his name to Izuku.
He had written:
From: [email protected]
RE: Names
Hello, Mr. Aizawa! This is [redacted] from your homeroom class, 1A. I am emailing you today to inform you that I have just begun the process of transitioning my gender. I don’t have any official legal documentation for my name change, and I don’t expect to be able to provide you with that until after I graduate as I am not out to my mother. However, my name is now Izuku Midoriya, and I use he/they pronouns. Thank you for your time!
All the best,
Izuku Midoriya
He had replied:
From: [email protected]
Hello, Izuku. Thank you for letting me know. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to support you during your transition. If I or anyone else, be it teachers or students, address you incorrectly, please let me know. I want to ask if you feel safe for your Student ID to reflect your name change. Please let me know so I can help you get the change done. Please let me know if you need any resources as well. You’re a great student, and I’m proud of you. That took a lot of courage, kid.
- Shota Aizawa
Needless to say, Izuku had let more than a few tears out at Aizawa’s reply. The man, despite his mostly apathetic demeanor to most things in class, had replied with a sincerity that left Izuku reeling. He had also done so with his other professors, garnering the same response. So it wasn’t that.
He had also told Katsuki and Shoto, though earlier and with much less formality. He and Katsuki had known each other so long and it felt wrong to hide it from him. He and Katsuki had, after reconciling, bonded through joking about being queer and having mental illness. When Izuku told him, Katsuki’s tone turned soft.
“Thanks for trusting me with this, Izuku. Anyone gives you grief, tell me and I’ll kill them.” Izuku laughed, knowing that the threat was only half-joking. They had met at the park - due to them having two weeks off for winter break - and Katsuki had handed him a personal cake frosted to look like the trans flag and a gift bag that revealed a binder and a set of the male UA uniform. Izuku, as you might expect, had cried. Katsuki had barked a laugh before handing Izuku a tissue and a fork. They had eaten the cake together. Izuku thought to himself that he had never had such a good cake before this.
Telling Shoto had gone just as well. He hadn’t been brave enough to face him in person, and hated calling people, so he did it via text:
Brocollini: hey shoto sorry this is really random but i feel really comfortable around you and i feel like i can tell this to you because you’re amazing and always so supportive
Brocollini: im trans and changing my name to izuku
Discount Zuko: congratulations midoriya i am proud of you
Discount Zuko: to clarify, you use he/him pronouns?
Brocollini: yes!
Discount Zuko: thank you
Discount Zuko: and thank you for trusting me with this moment
Brocollini: :^)
Once they had all returned to the dorms, Shoto had pulled him aside.
“Midoriya,” he began, “Do you need anything? New clothes? A binder? A flag? Anything at all?” Izuku blinked, stunned by the bombardment. Katsuki, who had walked in with Izuku, began cackling. The blonde wheezed. Shoto looked affronted.
“Uh, Todoroki? Can I ask why you’re offering to buy things for me?” Izuku asked. Shoto grinned, his brows drawing down to form a devious expression.
“I have Endeavor’s credit card and need help maxing it out.” Katsuki collapsed from his laughter. “You’re also an important friend to me and I want to help you out as much as I can. I simply have the resources to do so.” Izuku smiled.
“Thank you, Todoroki. I’ll think about it?” Shoto had nodded, then turned to face Katsuki, who by this time had calmed down enough to stand up.
“And you, Bakugou?” The blonde snorted, but his face fell into a contemplative expression.
“I’ll let you know, IcyHot. What kinda limit are we talking about?”
“Twelve million yen.” Izuku choked. Bakugou’s eyes widened before a devious grin stretched across his face.
“In that case, we gotta brainstorm some shit to get the nerd, cause we know he’ll never get the balls to ask himself.” Shoto nodded sagely, ignoring Izuku’s spluttered protests. He stood in shock as the other boys walked off, discussing how to best squander Endeavor’s wealth.
It couldn’t be telling them, then. Izuku frowned to himself as he began the arduous process of pulling on his binder, twisting this way and that as he battled with the stubborn fabric. Eventually, it was settled in its correct place. Izuku dressed himself in the boy’s school uniform that Bakugou had given him. It was a bit baggy, obviously meant for someone slightly bigger than him, but even the feeling of putting it on sent a rush of serotonin straight to his brain. He floundered at tying his tie and, eventually giving up, turned to face his reflection in the dorm room mirror. He felt himself tearing up just the slightest at the sight.
Izuku looked like himself. Or, how he felt he truly was. The bagginess of the pants Katsuki had given him hid the shape of his hips, something that had always bothered him - though until recently he hadn’t understood why. The binder, combined with the shirt gave the illusion of a flat chest. It didn’t completely flatten the line, but it did give Izuku’s chest a more masculine shape. The blazer straightened the lines of his torso. He looked like a boy, like who he knew he was. Unbidden, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.
A sharp knocking noise brought him out of his reverie. He turned towards the door, idly wiping at his eyes. Who would be knocking on his door at this time? He wondered. Izuku swung open the door to see Katsuki and Shoto looking down at him. Katsuki’s face, which had been in a small scowl, softened into a smile at the sight. Shoto blinked and his eyes crinkled as he gave the other a small grin.
“Lookin’ good, nerd,” Katsuki’s rough voice was soothing and mellow, a fond undertone to the words. Shoto nodded at his words.
“You look more comfortable with yourself, Midoriya,” Shoto said. Izuku grinned at both of them, his lower lip wobbling. Katuski rolled his eyes with a fond expression. He opened his arms and gestured for Izuku to come closer.
“Crybaby nerd.” There was a smile in Katuski’s voice. Izuku threw his arms around the blonde’s shoulders and laughed, tear tracks on his face. Shoto leaned forward and bumped his head to Izuku’s shoulder like a cat would. Katsuki huffed but said nothing. Eventually they pulled away from each other.
“Grab your shit, nerd. We gotta go to class now.” Izuku nodded and rushed back into his room, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He locked the door and the trio began walking to school.
The vaguely unsettled feeling lingered as Izuku sat down in his seat. The room was almost empty, Iida having left for some administrative reason. Izuku sat down and fiddled with his hands.
Aizawa walked in, looking as exhausted as ever. Upon noticing the trio, he walked over.
“Midoriya,” he began, “I have some paperwork for you. I emailed you about it last week. We can discuss it outside if you need.” Izuku smiled. His teacher was giving him an out in case he didn’t want to discuss it in front of Katsuki and Shoto.
“Thank you, Mr. Aizawa.” The pro hero handed the forms over before walking over to his desk. Izuku noticed that he walked slower than he normally did. The green haired boy guessed that it was in case he was wary of looking over the forms near the other two boys. Katsuki turned around in his seat.
“What’cha got, nerd?” Aizawa’s head snapped over, his eyes narrowing. Izuku smiled and shook his head minutely to his teacher, signaling that Katsuki’s questioning was okay.
“Mr. Aizawa is helping me get my name on my School ID changed.” Katsuki raised his eyebrows, intrigued.
“Shit, that’s pretty cool. Is it gonna be complicated without a legal change?” Izuku shrugged. Aizawa decided to raise his voice.
“Once you fill out those forms, I’ll take them to Nedzu. He should be able to get it changed no problem, but if there’s any hitch I can explain the situation to him.” His phone buzzed. Aizawa took it out of his pocket and read the message before sighing.
“He says he’s already getting it printed out. All you need to do is finish the forms and give them to him so he can have it for administrative records.” He glanced down at the screen. “He also says congratulations.”
Izuku thanked his teacher and began filling out the forms in front of him. Slowly, the room began to fill up as more students entered. Since Izuku was seated, they didn’t seem to notice his change in attire. Aizawa walked by as the last of the class began filing in. Izuku held his completed form in front of him, checking to make sure that he had filled it out correctly. As soon as he nodded, Aizawa reached over and plucked the form from his hand.
“I’ll take it to Nedzu, don’t worry about it.” His voice was low enough that no one else but Katsuki heard. Izuku nodded and thanked him again before the pro hero walked back to his desk to begin the day.
The class day passed as it normally did. Izuku would have honestly forgotten about his new revelation until he was asked to answer a question in class. Midnight taught Art History, a class that Izuku thoroughly enjoyed. Midnight, Izuku learned after emailing her, was also a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ individuals. Being queer herself, she used her status as a pro hero and a teacher to educate on queer issues and to destigmatize queer identities. Her lecture today was on gender expression and gender fluidity in art. It was simply a coincidence, but Izuku could see the care, research, and dedication that she put into discussing queer artists. She did have the habit of talking with her students rather informally, using their first names, but had checked in with all of them at the beginning of the year in case they weren’t comfortable with her doing so. Midnight had rechecked with Izuku after he had emailed her and he had given her the okay. So neither thought anything of it.
“Can anyone tell me one of the major turning points in the portrayal of the queer experience in art?” Midnight asked. Izuku raised his hand, as did Denki. Midnight, however, saw his hand first and called out to him.
“Yes, Izuku?”
“The Stonewall Riots in America.” Midnight grinned. Izuku was so happy that he didn’t notice his classmates freezing.
“And can you tell me why, clever boy?” Someone made a choked off noise to the side of him. Izuku guessed it was Mina.
“The Stonewall Riots both normalized the queer identity and publicized it. Up until the early 1970’s, homosexuality was considered a mental illness and was illegal until 2003. Having gender dysphoria or identifying as transgender was considered a mental or personality disorder by the World Health Organization up until 2003. The queer identity was incredibly stigmatized and criminalized. Stonewall brought publicity to that community and began the process of normalizing a queer identity for cishet folks. Much of the art in the immediate post-Stonewall period was artistic response by queer people to the events that took place. And with anything: if one person is brave enough to stand up, it gives others the courage to do so as well.”
“Excellent response, Mr. Midoriya.” Midnight made to speak again, but was cut off by the bell signaling class change. For 1A, their lunch was the next period. Midnight groaned but allowed the class to get ready for their free period. Izuku finally looked around. Every eye in the room was trained right on him, barring Katsuki’s. Izuku finally realized what he had forgotten to do.
He had forgotten to tell anyone else in their class that he was trans.