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Fuyumi was not a lonely child, but she was isolated.
Now that she's grown, she understands that this was primarily a control measure. She was born healthy, with a stable but unremarkable quirk. With it, she was no longer valuable in the eyes of her father for anything but controlling Shouto. Her littlest brother behaved best when allowed to spend an hour with her once a week and it was helpful to have cool hands trained in first aid around while he trained. She went from homeschooling led by tutors to U.A.'s general education department with no transition training. Into the deep end she went.
She made friends, sort of, but only on a surface level. Relaxing around new people felt impossible. She had too many secrets to keep to let her guard down. Natsuo was eleven and Shouto was seven and Touya was gone . Fuyumi was terrified that she'd do something wrong and destroy their already tumultuous circumstances.
She avoided the hero students on purpose, not quite afraid, but certainly distrustful of them. She kept to general studies, graduated with honors, and made zero waves in rocky waters.
Except for the Sports Festival of her second year.
Fuyumi opted out of the festival proper. She didn't want to be on television, didn't want to compete. Even then, she knew enough about quirk combat for a lifetime. First aid, on the other hand, was something that she understood. It was a better fit for her.
Fuyumi met the only hero student she really wanted to be friends with while she was on bump and bruise duty. The hero student had skinned her right side from ankle to elbow but still looked thrilled . She was rough without being abrasive, loud without being terrifying.
She was also beautiful. Her long hair fanned out across her back, bangs neatly framing long rabbit ears. She smiled with her teeth, sharp fangs glinting in the light as she wiped mud off of her chin.
"Rumi Usagiyama," She had introduced herself sunnily, brushing some of the grit out of her skin, "RG said you had to check me over but I promise it's no big deal. As soon as you give me the okay I'm just going to go back out and kick Mizushima's ass."
"Fuyumi Todoroki," Fuyumi said, "If Recovery Girl sent you to me she wants a concussion check, none of the other volunteers know how."
"That's super unnecessary," Usagiyama tried. She moved to push herself up off the chair but fell back into place with Fuyumi's hand on her shoulder. She took a moment to blink, clearly disoriented. "It might be a little necessary. I'm sure everyone tells you this all the time, but you're super pretty. Are you sure you're not a princess?"
"Mm, pretty sure," Fuyumi said. "Do you think you can focus up and follow my instructions for a moment, Usagiyama?"
"And then I'll go back out?"
"Maybe," Fuyumi said, "Or you might have to stay here with me. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
"No," Usagiyama said, "No, that wouldn't be bad at all."
Usagiyama does have a concussion.
They sit together in the infirmary for four hours, until her parents can come and collect her from the school for observation. Usagiyama tells Fuyumi about people she's met on her internships and the bet she and Mizushima had made prior to the festival proper. She talks about the stars and about how in another life she'd be a professional kickboxer or an astronaut. She leaves space for Fuyumi to add to the conversation but doesn't push her further than she's comfortable.
The whole time, she calls Fuyumi Your Majesty.
When her parents finally collect her, Usagiyama leaves Fuyumi with a clumsy kiss on the forehead and a wide smile.
They don't exchange phone numbers and don't talk again during lunch. Fuyumi is too shy to try and strike up another conversation and Usagiyama seems to want to pretend it never happened.
She would never say it aloud, but the day that Miruko debuts is the first day that Fuyumi has a hero she admires.
Fuyumi's medic skills reiterate their usefulness in what should be Shouto's second year at U.A.
She feels exposed with her family's messy, bloody history out in the open. She's sick with worry for Shouto and so, so angry with her parents. She feels like she's going to explode, so she offers Recovery Girl her hands so she doesn't go crazy. She's been told that the brunt of the fighting is over, with heroes (and students) starting to trickle into U.A.'s infirmary.
Fuyumi is finishing methodically wrapping the arm of one of Shouto's friends, Froppy, when she meets Miruko for the second time. She hears Bakugou first, loud his voice familiar from internship dinners and well-intentioned interruptions of Shouto's calls home.
"I can't believe you, you crazy fucking bitch! You're lucky I don't kick your ass!"
Froppy laughs quietly, wincing as she pulls on her arm.
"I can't believe I thought he didn't care," She says softly. "Thank you, Miss Todoroki."
"Of course," Fuyumi says, "Are you sure you don't want ice?"
"It would be counterproductive, ribbit. Did you see where Recovery Girl took Uravity?"
Fuyumi points further into the infirmary and watches to make sure Froppy doesn't stumble as she follows after her partner. Bakugou's mother-henning grows louder until he finally bursts into the room, giving Miruko a piggyback ride.
Fuyumi has to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"Bakugou," She says.
"Frostbite," Bakugou says, "This is Miruko. She kicked Shigaraki in the nuts and shattered her prosthetic. The junk's stuck on her leg like a sadass soda can. Pretty sure she's bleeding, but she won't tell me how bad because she sucks. Don't let her stand; she'll fall on her ass like a baby . "
"Thank you for that, Dynamight." Usagiyama says dryly.
" Shut up."
"Bakugou," Fuyumi interrupts, "Are you hurt?"
Bakugou falls uncharacteristically silent.
"My left support glove got dusted and I had to keep going. I'm pretty sure I've got a stress fracture or something."
"You hypocritical little bitch," Usagiyama swears. "You told me you were fine, dipshit."
"Your fault for not checking," Bakugou says, depositing Miruko on the cot. "Where the fuck is Deku?"
"Unconscious in Bay Seven, quirk exhaustion," Fuyumi says, "If you go quietly you can sit with him until someone with a healing quirk can see you. Arm."
Bakugou holds his arm out for Fuyumi to coat in a thin layer of ice before escaping from Miruko's wrath.
"What a shit," Usagiyama says affectionately, "I've never had a sidekick before, but I'll be damned if I'm not tempted to try and snatch him up from Jeanist."
"You've got a good shot," Fuyumi says, "He likes Jeanist but hated working with him. It's good to see you again, Usagiyama."
Usagiyama blinks, confused for a moment, before blushing red as a strawberry down to her roots. She mouths Your Majesty and Fuyumi nods.
"Oh my god," Usagiyama says. "I thought you were a dream."