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As he always did on a Monday morning, Midoriya Izuku woke up. Mechanically, he rose out of bed, dressed himself in the uniform of Aldera Junior High, and walked out of his bedroom. He sat at the table with his mom, eating breakfast but never really tasting it, while she made fumbled attempts at conversation. Once he’d finished, he mumbled a goodbye, and walked out the door.
The journey to school was, unfortunately, not long enough for Izuku’s head to clear of its fuzz before he arrived. His feet dragged with every step as he inched towards his classroom. Most of his peers had arrived by then, including Kacchan, who was currently on his daily rant about being the best, or something. Izuku shuffled through the aisle, making his way to his desk.
He didn’t notice that someone had stuck out their leg in front of him until it was too late.
He went flying, arms flailing around him as he hit the floor. The impact cleared his head, just in time to hear the mocking laughter of his classmates all around him, Kacchan’s the loudest of all.
“Hah! Pathetic Deku can’t even walk straight!” His former friend barked.
Izuku flushed in shame and scrambled to his feet, sitting at his desk just as the bell rang.
The day carried on much the same way; people pushing and shoving him into corridors, the glares and mocking jeers following him wherever he went. At lunch, someone “accidentally” knocked his bento to the floor, leaving him to clean up the remnants of his food. By the time the final bell rang, he was bruised, battered and hungry.
He sighed as he slowly made his way home. It had been a relatively easy day today, all things considered. Kacchan was mostly content to ignore him for the day, and everyone else’s bark was worse than their bite, so he got out with only a few bruises around his body. Hell, there wasn’t even anything on his face this time. Maybe it had been a better day after all.
Still, he didn’t want his mom to see them, didn’t want her to have to worry about him when he was already enough of a burden as it was. So, he did the only reasonable thing; as he got home and took his shoes off, he shot inside, taking a quick shower before hiding out in his room until dinner, after which he quickly went to sleep.
And so the cycle repeated.
The next day began much the same way; Izuku woke, dressed, ate and left his apartment in a dull haze. As he approached the school, however, he noticed Kacchan and his followers waiting outside.
Waiting for him.
He shrunk into himself as he walked past, hoping to hide from the boys. A hot hand grabbing the back of his gakuran disabused him of this notion, however, and he was promptly pulled backwards.
Kacchan’s sneering grin greeted him, “Where d’ya think you’re goin’ Deku? Your face is really pissin’ me off today!”
“K-Kacchan!” Izuku cursed his stammer, “I-I was just going to class!”
“Don’t talk back to me, Deku!” His former friend shouted, hurling a punch into his stomach. Izuku tried to double over, but the other boy’s grip was like iron. “You listen to me; you’re nothin’ but a worthless, Quirkless Deku! I’m a thousand times the person you’ll ever be, an’ when I’m a hero, you’ll be nothin’ more than a pebble by the side of the road to my success, ya hear?”
Izuku groaned, unable to speak, and Kacchan scoffed and tossed him to one side. He landed in a heap, and the other boy walked away without another word.
Slowly, he managed to gather himself enough to stand up, and hurried inside the classroom just as homeroom began.
The day that followed was worse than Monday was. Kacchan’s bad mood had spread to the others, and the shoves were harsher, the taunts more biting. At one point, he was tripped up near some stairs, and had to quickly grab the railing to stop himself from having a more serious accident.
The worst of it came at the end of the day, however. As soon as the bell rang, he had left quickly, and had made it through the gates before Kacchan caught up. The bully - as there was no other word for him than that, as much as it hurt Izuku to admit it - grabbed him from behind and flung him into a wall. He gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs, and that moment was all Kacchan needed to get up close.
“You’ve been walkin’ around like ya own the place today, Deku.” He snarled.
Izuku shook his head. He really hadn’t. “N-no! I don’t think that!”
Unfortunately, Kacchan was anything but the reasonable type, “You callin’ me a liar?”
“N-no! B-but-”
Whatever justification Izuku was going to give was cut short by the strike of Kacchan’s fist against his face. He gasped loudly as his lip split, causing blood to trickle down his chin.
“I don’t appreciate bein’ called a liar, especially by worthless Dekus like you!”
He nodded meekly, hanging his head. Kacchan pulled his fist back, and he saw his moment. Pulling out of the bully’s grip, he ran away, leaving angry shouting behind him.
Izuku panted hard as he sprinted, racing through streets and alleys, trying to get away from the pursuers he knew were right behind him. He couldn’t hear footsteps, but he didn’t dare glance back to see where they were. Eventually, though, he was forced to stop.
Which he did by nearly crashing into a group of teenage girls.
He stumbled to the ground, earning a cry of alarm from the girls above him. Shakingly, he got to his feet, and bowed at them apologetically.
“S-sorry! I-I wasn’t looking where I was going!”
One of the girls - the one with red hair - scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Whatever, loser.” She walked off, one of the other girls following her with a huff.
Glancing up, Izuku found that the third girl, the one with neck-length ash blonde hair and golden eyes with catlike pupils, hadn’t left with her friends, but instead stood still as a statue, gaze transfixed on him, or…
He followed her gaze, down to his busted lip, from which a thin trickle of blood had flowed, staining his chin red. She was eyeing the crimson mess intently, not out of fear or disgust, but with fascination.
Now, Izuku may have been a “worthless Deku”, but there were at least two things he would consider himself good at. The first was reading people; after all, he needed to know what sort of mood his tormentors were in, so that he could adjust his own behaviour accordingly. The second, however, was understanding Quirks. He’d studied enough of them to know that many came with unique physiological and psychological side-effects.
All that is to say, of course, that the intensity with which the girl before him watched the blood dye his skin made her seem almost… hungry. And, well, from there it was a pretty safe leap to make, with help from a Vlad King interview in which he discussed the appetites that came with certain Quirks, such as…
“Do you have a blood Quirk?” he blurted out.
That seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she had fallen into, and her eyes blew wide as she stumbled backwards. Izuku opened his mouth to apologise, but before he could get the words out, she ran off in a panic, leaving Izuku alone in the street.
He frowned, hoping she didn’t think he was going to be mean to her or anything. Certain types of Quirks in their society were often seen as lesser, and those that had them faced a lot of prejudice, especially people who relied on blood.
It was sad, he thought as he began the trek home. All Quirks were wonderful in their own ways, and even the “weakest” were amazing. He had a unique perspective on the matter, of course, but he didn’t think it was hard to just treat everyone kindly. It was why he vowed that, when he became a hero, he was going to be a hero for everyone, especially the outcasts of society.
And there was no mistake, he was going to be a hero. That was one thing Kacchan and the world had never managed to beat out of him. Sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Midoriya Izuku was going to be a hero.
But heroes needed to be held accountable for their mistakes, and Izuku had just made a big one. So, when he arrived home, after cleaning himself up and patching up his injuries, he got onto his computer to try to find the girl he’d scared away. The uniform she wore seemed fairly distinctive - blue blazer, red bow tie, black sweater over a white shirt and a black and white plaid skirt. While that kind of uniform was most common in high schools, she didn’t quite seem old enough yet. That would imply, then, that she attended a private school; the uniforms were always a little more unique for them.
So, Izuku was looking for a private school in the nearby area. He paused for a moment; wasn’t this stalking? It had to be more than a little creepy, right? And yet… if his suspicions were correct, she likely hadn’t had an easy life. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that they could be… friends?
He shook his head. It was best not to get his hopes up. No, he wanted to find her purely to apologise for insulting her, that was all. Anything more than that would simply be a nice bonus. With that sorted in his mind, Izuku returned to work, and quickly came across Somei Junior High. It wasn’t too far from Aldera, near enough for him to make it after school if he ran.
With his plan set in place, Izuku drifted off to sleep, feeling more prepared for the day ahead than ever.
The next day was relatively uneventful, as Izuku tried his hardest to avoid just about everyone as much as he possibly could. One unexpected benefit of the abuse he endured daily was that he had become rather skilled at hiding himself and going unnoticed when he needed to, and today he put all his skills to the test. After all, he didn’t want to meet the girl covered in bruises, or worse.
At the end of the school day, he had managed to get out relatively unscathed, and wasted no time in sprinting towards Somei Junior High, hoping that he’d be able to get there in time. Luck seemed to be on his side today, as when he arrived, students had only just begun to trickle out. Izuku caught his breath as he leaned up against the outer wall, watching for that blonde head of hair.
After a few minutes he spotted her, chatting with a couple other girls he didn’t recognise. To all the world, she seemed like little more than an ordinary teenager, but he noticed a slight tension in her form. She glanced up, and they locked eyes.
Suddenly, the world seemed like a very small place, as her focus was fixed solely on him. She said something to her friends and left them behind, approaching Izuku at a rapid pace. In a moment, she was in front of him, dragging him to one side.
“Are you following me?”
Whatever speech he had practiced for this interaction vanished from his mind in an instant, “N-no!” he started, “W-well, yes, I mean, technically, I-I suppose you could say that, b-but it’s not in a creepy way, I-I swear!” She raised an eyebrow but said nothing, allowing him to continue, “U-um, I just wanted t-to apologise! Y-yesterday I asked if you had a blood Quirk and, w-well, I think that you thought that I was going to be mean about it, b-but I wasn’t, I swear! I mean, I-I know what it’s like to be treated badly for something you can’t control, so-”
She held up her hands, stopping him in his tracks, “Okay, okay, just, breathe.” he did so, and she sighed, “Uh, anyway, you really don’t need to apologise. I mean, if anything, I should be saying sorry to you for running off like that! It’s just…” she glanced around, “Hey, I know this is a lot to ask, but could we go somewhere else to talk about this? Only, I’m not really comfortable out here in the open.”
Izuku could relate, honestly, so he nodded, “S-sure! Wherever you want to go is fine!” Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, going to an unknown location with a stranger, but sue him, he was curious to hear what she had to say.
She smiled, one Izuku noted didn’t quite reach her eyes, and beckoned for him to follow, “I’m Himiko, by the way. Toga Himiko.”
He hurried to keep up with her, “M-Midoriya Izuku!”
Toga-san giggled in a way that seemed almost practiced, “So, Midoriya-kun, I haven’t seen you around before. You’re obviously not from Somei, so where are ya from?” Her tone was polite, but distant, as if her mind was occupied by other thoughts. Still, small talk was a good way to ease them both into the conversation, if nothing else.
“Y-yeah, I’m from Aldera. It’s pretty close by, so…”
Another practiced giggle, just fake enough to set something in Izuku on edge, “So you could race over here and see your senpai?~ I’m guessing you’re in your second year, right?” He blushed bright red and nodded. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to call me senpai!”
He gave a shaky nod, “O-okay, Toga-san.”
She gave another of those small smiles and they fell into silence. Before long, they’d arrived at their destination; a small park surrounded by trees. A path weaved lazily through the middle, and half was bathed in sunlight while the other half was cast in shadow. She led Izuku to a tree in the shaded area, then turned to face him.
“So… you wanna know about my Quirk.” Her voice was smaller, more hesitant, and yet… for the first time, Izuku felt like she was truly invested in the conversation.
He nodded slightly, “O-only if you want to tell me about it.”
She hummed, “I’m not supposed to, really, but… you already guessed part of it. Besides, I guess I just feel I can trust you.” she shrugged, “But don’t betray that, okay?”
“O-of course!”
Toga-san nodded, and silence fell for a moment, before she spoke up again, “My Quirk lets me turn into someone if I drink their blood.” She bared her teeth, displaying two pairs of sharp canines, “The more I drink, the longer the transformation lasts. I… don’t use it a lot.”
Izuku listened, mind buzzing with a thousand questions but knowing that this wasn’t the right time for them. “Y-you seemed fixated on my blood yesterday. I-I know Quirks like yours have special diet requirements, s-so I guess I was just wondering if you get enough blood…”
She quietly shook her head and looked down at her feet, “I’m not allowed.” She all-but-whispered, forcing Izuku to strain his hearing to pick up her words.
Well. Wasn’t that a red flag. He pushed that to one side for the moment; they could deal with that later. The more pressing issue at the moment was that Toga-san had been without an essential part of her diet for… who knows how long. Izuku knew what he had to do.
“You can have mine!” He interjected, startling her. “A-any time you need, you can just take some from me!” He rolled up his sleeve to prove that he was being genuine in his offer.
She seemed taken aback for a moment, eyes blown wide and regarding him, searching his face for any signs of falseness or lying. He simply stood there, smiling softly and holding out his arm, and she found nothing but genuine, honest openness.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she launched at him, holding him in a tight hug. “Thank you so much Izukkun!” She cried, shaking him back and forth.
He blushed bright red and patted her gently on the back, “I-it’s no problem, Toga-san!”
She pulled away, grinning brightly, canines fully exposed. In the back of his head, he noted that this was the first genuine smile he’d seen from her. “Himiko, please! My real friends should call me Himiko!”
Somehow, he blushed deeper, “O-okay, Himiko-san!”
She giggled lightly, a real laugh this time, “That’ll do, Izukkun.”
Through the blush, he held out his arm and stuttered out, “S-so, do you want to, um…” he gestured to it for emphasis, and she gasped and nodded, holding it gently, as if one wrong move would make it crumble into dust. She opened her jaw and slowly bit down into it.
Izuku winced slightly as he felt her teeth pierce the skin, though it didn’t hurt as much as he’d expected. Distantly, he recalled a fact about saliva containing a painkiller, though his mind was more occupied with the thought of an attractive girl biting him at that moment to be of much use in that area.
She began to suck, and groaned as the hot, fresh cruor flowed into her mouth. They stood like that for what felt like a thousand years, but couldn’t have been longer than a minute. Finally, Himiko-san pulled away, licking the puncture wounds she had made.
“That was… amazing.” she gasped, light flush spreading across her cheeks.
Izuku gave her a tired smile, about to reply before he stumbled slightly. He was swaying, and his mind felt light and woozy, so he gently took a seat on the grass. Himiko-san followed him down, and they sat together in peace for a moment.
Finally, she decided to break the silence, “So, Izukkun, you managed to figure out what kinda Quirk I have with barely a few seconds to work with? That’s pretty impressive! You must be a brainiac!”
She grinned at him, and he flushed slightly, “I-I wouldn’t say that , it was just… a little obvious to me…”
She cocked her head to the side, as if trying to see him from a different angle, “Is that your Quirk then? Some kinda intelligence booster?”
He tensed slightly. Of course this question would come up. It was practically one of the first things people asked each other nowadays.
She seemed to notice his hesitance, “You don’t gotta say if you don’t want to, but I won’t judge!”
He was torn. He felt he could trust her, and yet… how many more times could he do this, trust someone, only for it to be thrown back in his face?
He shook his head slightly. No, he couldn’t think like that. He had to be proud of who he was.
God knows no one else was going to be.
Izuku gathered up all his courage, and managed a whispered, “I’m Quirkless.”
He curled in on himself, preparing for the shouting, laughing, screaming, hell, even the punches.
He hadn’t prepared to be tackled in a tight hug.
“Oh, Izukkun. I’m sorry,” ah, so she was one of the pitying types. “I don’t know a lot, but I know it’s rough for Quirkless people nowadays. The ways people must have treated you… you’re so strong.” Oh. That was unexpected.
She pulled away slightly, just enough for him to see her face, giving him a soft, genuine smile, “No matter what, Izukkun, I’m going to be here for you, okay?”
Tears welled up in his eyes and he hugged her back, clinging to her as he loudly sobbed. She held him tight and muttered soft reassurances in his ear, allowing him to release nearly a decade of pain the only way he knew how.
Eventually, the tears stopped flowing, but they still hung on to one another, neither wanting to let the other go just yet, afraid that losing them would mean waking up from this beautiful dream. Alas, Himiko-san was forced to leave, having a curfew she had to abide by.
They parted ways with a promise to meet up after school the next day, phones one number heavier.
The whole day, Izuku fought to hide his excitement. His eyes were all but glued to the clock as he watched the hours slowly tick down. Somehow, the day seemed to simultaneously blur into one and stretch out into infinity.
Not that Izuku’s mind was particularly present, of course. No, he kept just enough of his wits about him to avoid the usual crowd of bullies, but Izuku himself was far, far away, daydreaming of meeting his first real friend in years… maybe ever.
Finally, finally , the final bell rang, and Izuku wasted no time in dashing out of the classroom, out of the building, and through the gates, hurrying towards Somei in a roundabout way to discourage any pursuers. Fortunately, he arrived in good time, and was seemingly unfollowed. He texted his mom, telling her that he’d be back late, and waited for Himiko-san to come out.
He didn’t have to wait long. Five minutes later, she walked out with the group he’d seen her with before, but her eyes widened when she noticed him, and she waved before running over and tackling him in a hug, “Izukkun, you came!”
He blushed bright red, “Y-yeah, of course I did, Himiko-san.”
She grinned at him and took him by the arm, leading the blushing boy down the street and along the path to the park, “Soooo, how’re you doin’, Izukkun?”
“I’m pretty good, H-Himiko-san. I didn’t really get much done today…” he chuckled slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, “how about you?”
She stuck her tongue out, “Same old stuff. The people at school are nice enough, I guess, but they don’t really know me, not like you do, and if they did…” she sighed and slowed down, letting go of Izuku’s arm as they walked between rows of trees, “I’ve gotta wear this mask, at home, at school. No one knows the real me, apart from you.”
He frowned, “Himiko-san…” he wasn’t sure what to say, so he said nothing, instead opting to gently take her hand and squeeze it in a show of support. It was a bold move, one that left both of them blushing, but it seemed to work nevertheless.
“It’s okay, Izukkun, you’re all I need.” She smiled softly at him; not as wide as her usual grins, but every bit as bright. “Apart from that, mostly people were just talking about their futures. We’ve got high school applications coming up, y’know.”
Izuku hummed with interest, “Where were you thinking of going? N-not that you have to tell me of course!”
She giggled slightly, “It’s okay, Izukkun~” then sighed, “but I dunno, really. My parents probably have their own opinions, but… I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet.”
He frowned. She didn’t have the best relationship with her parents, that much was clear, but he wanted to know more about her issues; maybe he could help somehow? Still, they’d only just met, and though they were friends, it would probably take another level of closeness for her to reveal things like that to him.
Besides, he didn’t want to ruin the lovely atmosphere of the park.
“So how about you, Izukkun? Thought about high school and your future yet?” Himiko-san chirped.
He flushed, “I-I want… to go to UA. Hero course. Become the first Quirkless hero, and be a hero to everyone , especially people like you and me. I’ll be a symbol to people like us, showing that anyone can be a hero.”
There was silence for a moment, and he blushed brighter as he saw Himiko-san watching him, wide-eyed. “I-I mean-”
She squeezed his hand, “I believe in you, Izukkun. Besides,” she giggled and leaned in, whispering, “ you’re already my hero. ”
Izuku blushed so bright it would have been visible from deep space.
The next day, Izuku awoke with a bright smile, excited to once again see Himiko-san. It put something of a spring in his step, and his mom certainly noticed.
“You know, Izuku, I think you’ve been happier lately.” She smiled as he wolfed down his breakfast.
He smiled back at her, “I have, mom. I really, really have.”
Her eyes grew wet, and her lips quivered as she beamed down at him, “I’m glad.”
She was, unfortunately, not the only one to notice the change in his demeanor. Indeed, as he made his way into school, he found himself cornered by Kacchan and his followers.
“Oi, Deku, you’ve been different lately. The hell you have to be happy about, huh? Finally accepted your place as a weak, worthless, useless Deku?” They laughed and jeered at him, and Izuku shrank back, but Kacchan just leaned in closer, growling, “Listen, Deku, You’ve started gettin’ ideas above your station. When the bell rings this afternoon, I’m gonna put you in your place, and you ain’t goin’ anywhere till I do, y’hear?”
Izuku nodded shakily, already thinking of ways to escape. With a sneer and an explosion set off against the wall, they walked away, leaving Izuku to scramble his own way to class.
It was clearly going to be a rough day.
Himiko frowned as she checked the time on her phone. Izukkun was supposed to be there five minutes ago, and he knew they were meeting up at the park, so what was the hold up?
She sent him a quick text:
hey, where are u? i’m @ the park already! (* ^ ω ^)
and awaited his response.
Apparently, he didn’t have his phone on him, wherever he was, as he sent no reply. He didn’t even open the message, according to the chat log.
Five minutes turned into ten turned into twenty, and Himiko was getting anxious. What if something had happened to him? Was he okay?
What if he didn’t want to be her friend anymore?
She shook her head. She couldn’t allow those kinds of thoughts to dominate her mind. Izukkun was her friend, her best friend, her only real friend; he wouldn’t abandon her, and she wouldn’t abandon him. They were intertwined now, forever.
Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, a familiar head of dark green hair came walking down the path towards her, and she beamed for a moment, before she noticed the state of him. He was limping, nose bleeding, clearly guarding bruises under his uniform. She scowled slightly; who had done this to her best friend?
“Izukkun!” She called out, “Are you okay?”
His eyes widened, and he straightened up, wincing as he stretched out one of his bruises, “H-Himichan, I, uh-”
“What happened, Izukkun, who did this to you?” She frowned, interrupting him before he could make excuses. He didn’t have to explain everything, but she wouldn’t let him deny that something had happened.
He regarded her for a long moment, clearly trying to work out what to say, before sighing and gingerly sitting down next to her on the park bench, “I… have this f-friend.” She raised an eyebrow, and he amended, “ Ex -friend. We were friends as kids, promised we’d be heroes together, and then…” he played with his hands, not looking up at her, “he got a powerful Quirk, and I never got any. He sees me wanting to be a Quirkless hero as a threat, or something, and he likes to… ‘p-put me in my place’.”
Himiko scowled, “Who is he? I just wanna talk .”
Izukkun’s eyes widened and he looked up at her, “N-no, you don’t need to! I can… I can handle it. Besides, I don’t want to make you a target too…”
She chewed on her lip. One part of her really wanted to see whoever this person was and give him a piece of her mind. But Izukkun seemed pretty stubborn on this particular point, and she wanted to respect her friend’s wishes, “ Fine . But you gotta at least let me patch you up, okay?” He gave a shaky nod. “Okie dokie, there should be a pharmacy nearby-”
“A-actually,” he flushed, and reached into his bag, pulling out what appeared to be a rather well-stocked medkit, “I already have the stuff I need.”
Oh if she ever got her hands on that bully…
She took the kit from him and got to work, wiping the blood from his face before turning to his bruises. Most of them seemed to be on his torso, so she had to ask him to remove his gakuran and undershirt, making them both blush bright red. His body was littered with bruises, and she methodically began to rub bruise cream into each of them.
“T-this is a pretty weird d-date, huh?” He chuckled, immediately turning both their blushes up to eleven.
“Yeah,” Himiko nodded, “but I don’t mind it at all.”
Weeks passed, and the two grew ever closer, meeting up daily, even on the weekends when Himiko-san was allowed. Every week, Izuku would let her fill up on his blood, an act that never failed to end with them embracing each other tightly.
One day, after school, they were in their usual meeting spot of the park, hiding from the sun in the shade of a large, old oak tree. Himiko-san lay on the ground, a picnic blanket Izuku brought from home protecting her uniform from grass stains.
“I just dunno, Izukkun! My parents want me to go to Hosu High, and like, that’s a great school and all, but I don’t think it’s what I wanna do!”
He hummed from his position sat against the tree, “You could always try for UA.”
It was almost offhandedly, the way he flung the comment out there, but Himiko-san sat up anyway, “Y’think I should be a hero?”
His eyes widened, “W-well, I mean, only if you want to! I-It’s just, you know, your Quirk has amazing applications, especially with espionage! And if you could figure out how to use other people’s Quirks when you’re disguised as them - if you haven’t already, t-that is! - then you could make the top 10, easily! A-again, only if you want to!”
Her face scrunched up in thought, and she hummed, “Izukkun, why do you want to be a hero?”
“W-well… it’s like I said. I want to be a hero to everyone, to be a symbol to people like us. I want to save everyone with a smile, and I want to help anyone however I can.” He flushed, “I’m… k-kind of a big fan of All Might.”
She raised an eyebrow, glancing over at his canary yellow All Might backpack, draped with charms and logos of the Number One hero. He flushed slightly, and she giggled to herself, before shuffling over to him.
She leaned in close, “That sounds amazing, Izukkun.” She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, “You’re going to do amazingly, I know it.”
Izuku’s brain crashed.
He was floating on air for the rest of the day.
heyhey izukkun, get to the park ASAP today bc i have a surprise for u! (*≧ω≦*)
I’ll be there, Himiko-san!
Izuku hurried to their usual meeting spot, curious about what Himiko-san had in store for him today. Sure enough, when he arrived, she was already sitting on the bench, practically vibrating in her seat. As soon as she caught sight of him, she shot up and rushed over, “Izukkun! You’re here! I’ve got something great to show you!”
She grabbed his hand and began dragging him down the path he’d just been walking down, “W-what’s this about, Himiko-san?”
“You’ll see!~” She chirped unhelpfully.
She led him through suburban streets, down paths and roads that seemed to have little more than houses and apartments lining them. Where was she taking him?
That question was answered when she led him down a twisting path that wound its way towards an old beach, Dagobah Municipal Beach Park. Not that it looked much like a beach, of course, with more trash and detritus than sand and sea visible.
“Uh, H-Himiko-san, why are we here?” He eyed a mountain of waste which seemed to teeter precariously in the wind, “And is it safe to be here?”
She turned and blew a raspberry, “It’ll be fine , Izukkun! Besides, it’ll be good hero training for us, don’tcha think?”
His brain screeched to a halt, “You mean…?”
Himiko-san nodded, “Yep! I’ve applied for UA! Hero course, despite what I told my parents!” She giggled, “We’re gonna be heroes, Izukkun, together!”
He smiled widely and rushed to hug her, “That’s great, Himiko-san!” Suddenly realising he was hugging a girl, he flushed deeply and pulled away, “B-but, ah, what does this beach have to do with that?”
She smirked at him, “Well, we both need to get stronger and fitter to be heroes,” he winced at the thought of his own noodle arms, “plus, it’ll be our first heroic deed! Cleaning up this trash beach! We’ve only got five months until my UA entrance exam, so we’ve gotta go quick!”
He couldn’t help it; he found himself getting swept up in his best friend’s excitement. He grinned and nodded resolutely, “Then we’ve got to get started!”
Izuku regretted every decision he’d ever made in his life.
Cleaning Dagobah Beach was a task that was easier said than done, and even with the two of them working at it, it was an arduous process. Every day they’d meet up at the beach, chip away at the piles of trash for a few hours, before departing sweaty, aching and dead on their feet.
In the few weeks since they started, they’d cleared perhaps a ten foot by ten foot square, right at the entrance to the park, and they had an awful lot more left to go.
Fortunately, at least, they’d managed to persuade a local business to offer them the use of a skip, into which they dumped whatever trash they picked up. It was grueling work, to be sure, but unfortunately, it also seemed to be working. As days passed, he found it easier to lift heavier things. He still struggled, of course, but it was no longer an impossibility.
He felt so close to his goal now, he could almost taste it.
It was a shame it tasted of rank, salty air.
“Himiko-san, i-is that a knife ?!”
Himiko hummed as she swung the blade through the air experimentally, “Yep! I figured we need to learn some kinda weapons, and knives felt like they fit my theme, y’know?”
Izukkun blinked at her, seemingly in shock, “I-I mean, I guess?! Is it really safe, though?”
She giggled, “ Relax , Izukkun, this is just a training knife! Besides, I already looked up the basics!”
He seemed to settle slightly but was clearly still on edge, “W-well, I guess it is useful, as long as you know what you’re doing with it…”
“Mhm!~ Besides, biology’s one of my best subjects, so I know where I can hit, and where I can’t!”
“Right…”
She hummed, continuing to throw a few test slashes at the air, “So, Izukkun, what d’you know about the entrance exam?”
He flushed slightly, “Not a whole lot… it’s a pretty well-guarded secret! I know that support equipment is allowed, at least, and it’ll probably focus on either combat or rescue heroics, since those are UA’s specialties. Maybe both!”
She considered this for a moment, “Then we’d better expand our training! Fighting, sparring, ooh, maybe stealth? I’m pretty light on my feet!”
“Y-yeah!” Izukkun nodded, “And, um, maybe we can train up your Quirk, as well?”
She froze, and he immediately backpedaled, “O-or not, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to-”
“No, no you’re right.” She nodded slowly, staring down at her hands, “I need… I need to learn about my Quirk. I’m gonna need to use it, after all!”
His eyes widened, “I-if you’re sure! I’ve got so many ideas, and questions! For example…”
Izukkun started rambling on about Quirks, in that cute way he always did when he found a particular topic of interest, and she smiled softly as his stream of consciousness washed over her.
Months flew past in a blur of training, between clearing the beach, practicing armed and unarmed combat - with the help of HeroTube - and even training in stealth and learning to develop Himiko’s Quirk, and before she knew it, the day of the entrance exam had arrived.
She was on the train to UA when she received Izukkun’s text message:
Good luck today, Himiko-san, I believe in you!!
She smiled fondly and quickly sent her reply:
tysm izukkun!! ill make u proud!!! ❤ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc)
I already am!
She blushed bright red. Izukkun really was a charmer, when he didn’t get too caught up in his own head, that is.
Finally, her stop arrived, and she stepped out into the brisk morning air of the station. Her parents thought she was trying out for the Management course - not ideal in their eyes, but good enough to satisfy them - with General Education as a backup. She was glad UA was as good a school as it was, otherwise this ruse never would have worked. The Toga scion becoming a hero ? It was unthinkable.
Himiko shook her head, brushing all those thoughts aside. This wasn’t their day, it was hers. She was going to go in there, take names, kick ass, and celebrate with Izukkun. She’d get into the hero course and then she could deal with her parents.
Head held high, she walked into UA with determination etched into her features. After having her bags checked and “support equipment” approved, she was directed to a classroom, where a few other examinees also sat, waiting restlessly for the exams to begin.
She sat down in a seat, watching the minutes tick by as the room slowly began to fill. Finally, the hour struck, and a hero walked in, someone she recognised well from Izukkun’s talks about blood quirks; Vlad King.
The hero walked around, handing a thick packet of papers to each student, before returning to the front, “Alright, you have three hours to complete this exam. After that, you’ll go to the cafeteria to get lunch from Lunch Rush. Your dietary needs have been taken into account.” She felt his gaze land on her as he said this. Had they really prepared something for her specifically? “After lunch, you’ll head to your designated changing rooms, and then go to the auditorium, where the practical exam will be explained to you. Once the practical’s completed, you’re free to go. Please don’t leave any belongings here, you’re unlikely to be able to retrieve them after today.”
He turned his attention to the clock, and watched as it ticked slowly, crawling its way along. Once the minute struck, he turned back to them, “You may begin.”
Himiko yawned and stretched as she left the classroom. The exam had been long, covering every topic they’d studied in school - and a few they hadn’t. Still, she felt she did well enough; she did fine enough at school, and studying with Izukkun helped to cover any weaknesses she may have had. Humming to herself, she followed the signs to the cafeteria, excited and intrigued by what the famous UA had to offer.
She wasn’t disappointed, either. Vlad King had indeed been correct about their diets being kept in mind, as Lunch Rush handed her a meal that was specifically marked with her name. As she sat down at a table, she smelled the distinctive tang of iron wafting up from the bowl. It was a pretty simple beef bowl, like everyone else had, but it looked darker, richer. They’d clearly added blood to it.
The thought made her eyes mist up just a little. The only other person to have ever shown her that kindness was Izukkun. And his mother, on the few times she’d visited, but she didn’t feel Mamadoriya counted. The point was, UA had gone out of their way to help her, and it felt good .
She wolfed down the meal, delighting in the flavour, before hurrying to a changing room to get into her kit. It was nothing special, just some exercise gear she used with Izukkun at the beach, but the real stars of the show were her knives. She had permission to use them, and she planned to.
The auditorium was bustling with hero hopefuls, who all quieted down when Present Mic made his way on stage. The hero explained the practical exam, which involved fighting robots, in his usual over-the-top manner, before dismissing them to depart for their assigned exam areas. According to the card she was given, Himiko was in Ground E, separate from the few other Somei kids who were at the exam today.
The bus ride to the ground was uneventful, and Himiko stepped off and looked out at where she was going to be fighting for the next ten minutes. It was ridiculous, really, how UA could afford to build several fake cities on campus.
She made her way up to the entrance gate, stretched herself out, and readied her knives. Present Mic’s shout startled her, but she quickly recovered, rushing forwards into the city. She had no one else’s blood besides Izukkun’s, who wouldn’t be much help here, so she had to rely on her knives and her smarts.
Three one-pointers burst out of an alleyway to her left, startling a pink-haired girl. Himiko wasted no time in pulling her out of the way of the robots before darting forwards herself, leaping around to the back of each robot, plunging a knife deep inside and slashing across. She wasn’t particularly familiar with the intricate workings of machinery like this, but it seemed her guess paid off, as each robot quickly shut down after being introduced to her knife.
That was 3 points down, however many left to go.
The exam continued in much the same fashion. At times, she’d strike at the robots from out of the shadows, already impressive stealth skills honed to a point thanks to her training with Izukkun, who was surprisingly perceptive. Now and then, she’d pull a fellow examinee out of danger; sure, they were technically her opponents, but what kind of hero would she be if she just let them get squished by a robot?
When the final two minutes of the exam came, Himiko was feeling good! She’d lost count of her points, but she felt confident that she was doing well.
A great tremor broke her stride as a shadow fell over the city. Glancing up, Himiko paled as a robot the size of a skyscraper towered over the testing grounds. All around her, examinees were scattering, running away from the behemoth that was the zero-pointer, and Himiko followed their example, taking the opportunity to grab some last second points.
Calling it an ‘obstacle’ was really downplaying it, Present Mic!
Fortunately, she managed to grab some final points before the klaxon sounded, and Present Mic’s voice shouted out across the campus, telling them that time was up. Panting, Himiko fell to her knees, exhausted, yet still grinning.
Something deep inside told her that she’d gotten in, even without having to tally up her score.
UA, here we come!~
A little over a week had passed since UA’s entrance exam when Izuku received a text from Himiko-san on Saturday morning.
IZUKKUN!!! ITS HERE!!! CAN I OPEN IT AT UR PLACE??? ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
He beamed and replied:
Of course, Himiko-san! I’m sure you got in!
IM OMW!!! (((o(*°▽°*)o)))
Sure enough, she arrived at the apartment in record time, vibrating on the doorstep. His mom watched her enter with an amused expression, “Welcome back, Himiko-chan! Izuku, make sure you keep the door cracked open.” She winked at them, and they both blushed bright red, though Himiko-san recovered quickly, hurrying them both into Izuku’s room.
They sat on the floor, Himiko-san holding a promisingly thick envelope in her hands.
“Are ya ready, Izukkun?”
He grinned and nodded, nearly as excited as her, and she wasted no more time in tearing open the paper, allowing a metal disc to fall out. For a moment, it simply sat on the floor between them, before it suddenly burst into light, revealing its true nature as a projector. The image clarified itself into the form of Mr. Principal himself, Nedzu, sitting at a desk with a wide window behind him.
“Greetings, Toga-san! Am I a bear, a mouse, or a dog? What matters is that I am Nedzu, the Principal of UA, here to discuss your results on the entrance exam!” They held their breaths, hands meeting hands and fingers entwining. “To begin with, your performance on the written exam was exemplary! However, for a hero course applicant such as yourself, it is the practical exam upon which everything rests!
“In the practical exam, you received… a decent 25 villain points!” Izuku squeezed her hand tightly. “But that is not the whole story! After all, it wouldn’t do not to test prospective hero students on their heroism, so there was another, hidden metric in the exam: rescue points!” A montage began to play, showing moments where Himiko-san had pushed another examinee out of the way of falling rubble, or saved them from the path of a robot. “Because of your heroic actions during the exam, an independent panel of judges has elected to award you with 30 rescue points! This brings you to a total of 55 points for the practical exam, which puts you in 3rd place overall! Congratulations, Toga Himiko, and welcome to your hero academia!”
The projector flickered off, leaving them in stunned silence, that Himiko eventually broke, with a softly whispered, “ I did it… ”
She whipped around to Izuku, grinning widely, “I DID IT!!!” She squealed, launching forwards and wrapping him in a tight, bone-crushing hug, “I’m gonna be a hero!”
Izuku was far too excited to be embarrassed by their current situation, and simply reciprocated the hug, “And I’ll be your first fan! I told you you could do it!”
She gently pulled away, resting her hands on his shoulders, bright green meeting golden-yellow as they looked each other in the eye. Suddenly, Izuku felt this… strange draw to her, like some force between the two of them was pulling them closer, closer, closer …
He felt her soft lips meet his own. His eyes widened in shock for a moment, before they slowly inched closed, and he leaned into the kiss. They stayed that way for a moment more, before slowly pulling away, red faced.
“So…” Himiko-san started.
“S-so…” Izuku added, intelligently.
There was silence, and then.
“Ireallylikeyou!”
“I-Ireallylikeyou!”
They paused for a moment as they had both spoken at the same time, before bursting into a short fit of laughter at the absurdity of the moment. When it died down, Himiko-san tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Izukkun… you’re amazing . Because of you, I’m going to UA. I’m gonna be a hero . If you hadn’t found me, and let me be myself… I dunno what I would’ve done. I… really like you, Izukkun.” She looked away, a somewhat demure expression gracing her usually bold and bright face.
In a rare show of confidence, Izuku reached forwards and gently tilted her chin up to meet his gaze, “Himiko-san, I-”
“Just Himiko,” she flushed, “I think you’ve earned that right.”
He nodded, “H-Himiko… you are… indescribable . You’re the first person who really believed in me, who never treated me any differently… everything I’ll do in the future will be because you supported me. I really like you .”
Her blush grew brighter, likely matching Izuku’s own, “So… what now?”
He shrugged, “I-I don’t know… I’ve never really d-dated someone before, but…”
“If it’s you, I wouldn’t mind at all.” She finished, and he nodded.
She laid her hand in his, and for the first time - and not the last - she called him “boyfriend”.
Unfortunately for the two young lovers, Himiko couldn’t stay forever. They’d spent some time going over the rest of the envelope; Himiko was to be in Class 1-B, with Snipe as her homeroom teacher, and she had several forms to complete, one of which was her requests for her hero costume, something Izuku already had dozens of ideas for. They had a whole month before she went to UA for them to deal with that, however, and she needed to get back home.
Izuku watched her skip away out the window, before sighing wistfully, something his mom took notice of.
“She’ll be back soon, dear. Besides, it sounds like you have a lot to tell me.”
She’d put on her teasing smile that never failed to bring a blush to his cheeks - though that wasn’t hard - and so he explained exactly what had happened, up to and including their shared confession. Needless to say, she was almost as excited as he was about the whole affair, though she was sure to embarrass him just as much, talking endlessly about certain precautions he was sure they wouldn’t have to worry about quite yet.
Despite that, however, he still went to bed feeling like he was floating on a cloud, and his dreams that night were filled with blonde hair and bright, sharp smiles.
izukkun i need 2 see u asap @ park.
When Izuku arrived at the park the next day, panting and out of breath from having run there as fast as he could, it was not the beaming, cheering image of Himiko that greeted him. His girlfriend - he still blushed over the thought of that - was there, yes, but she sat hunched on the bench, arms holding her ankles tight to her chest.
It didn’t take a genius to realise something was wrong.
He approached her gently, taking a seat next to her, “Is everything okay, Himiko? I got here as fast as I could.”
She sniffled and croaked, “Izukkun, I… I talked to my parents . About UA. I… I…”
A choked sob wracked her body, and she flung herself towards him. Without thinking, he immediately wrapped her in a tight hug, allowing her to bawl into his chest.
“T-they forbade me from joining the hero course! They’ll send me to some girl’s private school!”
His heart clenched, and he held her tighter, rubbing her back soothingly, “I’m here, Himiko. We’ll work it out.”
She shook her head, “You don’t understand , Izukkun!”
He softly kissed the top of her head, acting mostly on instinct, “Then help me to.”
Silence fell for a few moments, Himiko’s sobbing the only sound to be heard, before she broke it with her voice, unusually quiet for her, “My parents… don’t like my Quirk.” Izuku stiffened, but continued to hold her, wanting to hear her out first, “No… they hate it. When I was born, I was meant to be the scion of the Toga family , the perfect daughter who’d fit into the role they’d assigned me before I was even conceived.” She sniffled, anger beginning to overtake the despair in her voice.
“But, of course, that all changed when my Quirk came in. It’s a mutation, inherited from some great aunt or something. It wasn’t the perfect Quirk for the perfect heir. To them, it was… monstrous. It makes me need blood to survive, and that didn’t fit the family image. So, after some… incidents I had as a kid, they forced me to suppress it, to not even acknowledge the thirst, to act normal , like their perfect daughter they needed.” Even muffled in his shirt, the scowl was evident in her voice.
“When we met, it had been ten years since I even tasted blood. I was at breaking point. I meant what I said yesterday; if I hadn’t met you when I did… well, something was gonna give eventually.” She shrugged, helpless and miserable. “And now there’s nothing I can do. They’ll ship me off to some high-class girl’s school, where I can learn to be the perfect doll for them, and then…” She sniffled, burying herself deeper into his arms. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Izuku was something of a stranger to rage. Much of his treatment at school simply made him feel worthless and depressed, very rarely angry. But now, hearing about how the Togas treated their own daughter? He felt the storm of anger grow in his stomach, and he held it tight, and steeled his resolve.
“Himiko,” he began, ever so softly, “that’s abuse. Withholding something vital like that… it’s criminal .”
“Maybe,” she huffed, mirthless, “but no one would do anything about it. They’re rich, and they’re powerful, and that’s enough to let them get away with anything.”
“Not this.” He responded, sure enough in his own conviction that Himiko looked up at him, golden eyes watery, red and puffy, “Himiko, do you trust me?”
Her brow furrowed, “Izukkun…?”
“Do you trust me?” He pressed. Normally, pushing wasn’t his style, but here? Time was of the essence.
She nodded slowly, “Of course, but-”
He cut her off by standing up, bringing her to her feet as well, “We’re going to tell someone.”
Himiko shuffled in place, clinging tight to Izukkun’s side, as they waited outside of UA. All through the trip, she’d tried to convince him that no one would believe them, but he was adamant. Granted, she didn’t expect him to march them up to UA .
She still didn’t get her hopes up, despite remembering how they’d accommodated her needs at the entrance exam. She just… couldn’t conceptualize it, a place where the Togas could hold no power, no sway.
After a few minutes of waiting, Mr. Principal popped out of seemingly nowhere, “Well, this is rather unique! Toga-san, you are aware that your enrollment doesn’t begin for another month?” He turned to Izukkun, “And I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of your acquaintance!”
Izukkun took a deep breath, “N-Nedzu-san, we’re here to make a report.”
The mammal’s ear twitched, “Oh? And it’s not something you feel you can take to the police?” Izukkun sternly shook his head, and Himiko found herself shuffling closer to him. “Very well, I suppose you’d better come in then!”
With that, he turned around, walking towards the huge main building. They hesitantly followed, Izukkun clearly resisting the urge to gush about being in UA, something she appreciated. The principal led them into the school itself, before moving through a maze of corridors and stairs, finally ending up at an ornate wooden door, which he swung open with ease, revealing what was almost certainly his own office.
The principal hopped up onto a large desk chair, before gesturing towards the two chairs in front of the desk, “Please, take a seat.” They did so, Himiko not letting go of her death grip on Izukku’s hand. “So, what did you have to tell me about today?”
Izukkun glanced over at her, smiling encouragingly and squeezing her hand. She felt conflicted; on the one hand, there was every chance that Nedzu would simply wave off her concerns, and she’d be left with no course of action. On the other, however, this was the school that was willing to accommodate her need for blood.
She took a deep breath, and took a leap of faith, allowing her entire story to spill through her lips. Everything the Togas had done to her, the pressure they’d put her under, everything . She left no detail out. Izukkun’s presence helped to ground her, preventing her from getting stuck in the memories, and Nedzu watched her carefully, expression inscrutable.
She finished by explaining the situation regarding the Togas and UA, and the office fell into silence. Nedzu simply nodded at her, and turned to his computer, typing something in before turning back to them.
“This is indeed concerning, and I understand why you brought it to me directly. Rest assured, we will deal with everything.”
Himiko let out a shaky breath, allowing a faint hope to kindle in her heart.
“And, of course, you won’t be going back to stay with them!”
Izukkun immediately straightened up, “S-she can stay with me!”
Nedzu chuckled, “That won’t be necessary, Midoriya-kun.”
They both frowned, wondering where she would be staying, if not with Izukkun and Mamadoriya, when their attention suddenly snapped to the door that had just swung open, with a bewildered-looking Vlad King standing behind it. The hero eyed them with confusion before stepping inside.
“You wanted to see me, Nedzu?”
“Yes! Kan, you remember Toga Himiko?” The principal squeaked, gesturing towards her.
Vlad King nodded, “Uh, yes? Why, is something wrong?”
“Indeed there is. You see, Toga-san requires a home to stay in for the foreseeable future, so I must ask you to use your emergency foster license.”
The hero’s eyes widened before nodding, “Oh, sure.”
Nedzu nodded, satisfied, “I’ll send you the rest of the details later. Toga-san,” he turned to look at her, sympathy written across his… snout? “you don’t need to worry about anything, I will ensure everything is dealt with. For now, however, perhaps you and Midoriya-kun should go with Kan? I imagine it has been a rather stressful day for you, and you may perhaps prefer to get settled into his apartment.”
She nodded slowly, rising alongside Izukkun. She had just enough presence of mind to bow to the principal and mutter “ thank you ” before they left with Vlad King, who seemed content to let the silence sit as he led them down through the school and into what appeared to be a basement garage, where the staff car park was located. When they arrived at their destination - Vlad’s car, an old red thing that was still in near-perfect condition - Himiko turned to Izukkun, holding him in a tight hug.
“Thank you, for everything today, Izukkun.”
He hugged her back, “I’m just glad you’re going to be okay.”
She pulled away slightly, looking into his eyes, “I think I will, thanks to you.” He flushed, and she took the opportunity to give him a soft parting kiss before hopping into the passenger seat.
Vlad King looked over at Izukkun, “You comin’ kid? I can give you a lift home if you need.”
Her boyfriend shook his head, “N-no thank you, Vlad King-san, I can walk!”
The man grunted and nodded, sliding in behind the wheel and starting the car. Himiko waved at Izukkun as they slowly pulled away from UA, and began driving towards Himiko’s new future.
“Oh yeah, you wanted to go to UA too, didn’t you Midoriya?”
Izuku froze. It had been a little over a month since he and Himiko had visited UA, and it had been a hectic time, with the school year starting and Himiko moving in with Vlad King, so his mind was far away from homeroom at that moment, but his teacher’s words snapped him right back to reality.
“Huh?!” Kac- Bakugou barked, Quirk flaring as he whipped around, “A shitty Deku like you, tryin’ for UA ? It’s a fuckin’ embarrassment!”
Izuku sighed. Spending time with Himiko had made him an awful lot more confident in his dream, but that didn’t mean he could just stand up to Bakugou like that, “W-well, it can’t hurt to try, right?”
Bakugou sneered and marched over to him, slamming his hands onto Izuku’s desk with a muffled BOOM , “You’d make a fuckin’ joke out of UA if you even set foot there! Don’t even think about it, Deku!”
Izuku felt it probably wouldn’t be the right move to point out that he had , in fact, been to UA, and his homeroom teacher soon called the class to order, allowing his mind to float away from the classroom again. The minutes trickled away and soon the bell rang, startling Izuku out of his reverie.
He was meeting up with Himiko in the park today, but unfortunately, he wasn’t quick enough to leave, as the classroom was suddenly empty save for him, Bakugou, and two of his followers.
“I don’t think you got the message yet, Deku.” The bully sneered, looming over Izuku. He tried to shrink back, but Bakugou grabbed him by his lapels, “Listen, Deku, you’ve got no fuckin’ chance of gettin’ into UA, so don’t even both tryin’!” He chuckled darkly, “In fact… you’re so useless, you might as well do us all a favour, and get rid of yourself now!”
Izuku locked up in shock. Did he really just say…?
“Y’hear? Go and take a swan dive off a roof! Hey, maybe you’ll get a Quirk in the next life!”
Bakugou pushed him away with an explosion, and laughed as he walked out, leaving Izuku alone, his thoughts in a whirl. He’d never do anything like that of course…
He sighed and made his way out of the classroom. He really needed to see Himiko.
The walk to the park was, thankfully, peaceful, and Himiko was already sat on the bench, waiting for him.
“Hey, Izukkun!~” She waved him over, before standing up and greeting him with a soft kiss, “How was your day?”
He shrugged, sitting down with her on the bench and holding her hand, “Same as usual. Bakugou told me to ‘take a swan dive’ today.”
Her eyes widened, “Y’mean he…?” He nodded, and she scowled, “Oh, if I wasn’t a hero student-”
He blushed gently and kissed her on the cheek, “But you are , Himiko. How’s UA, anyway? Oh, and how’s Vlad King? Are your teachers okay? How about your classmates? Are-”
She cut him off with a short giggle, “Izukkun, Izukkun, one question at a time!~ But it’s great, really fun! And Vlad’s great, and so are all the teachers! He and Lunch Rush make sure I have enough blood with my meals, and my classmates are nice enough. Though, you’ll never guess what happened to Class A!”
His eyes glimmered with the promise of knowledge, “What happened?”
“Apparently, their teacher expelled them all! Something about not having potential, or something. They were all re-enrolled though, a couple came to us in B, a few to support and management, and I think most of them went to Gen Ed!”
Izuku’s jaw dropped, “You mean, they can just do that!”
She nodded vigorously, “Mhm! Something about UA giving its teachers free reign! It’s kinda scary really, but I don’t think Snipe would do that to us! He likes to glare a lot, but I think he’s a big softie really!”
He smiled, “I can’t wait to see for myself.”
“Oh yeah!” She shot up straight, “We’ve gotta get back to training! Your entrance exam is in ten months, and you’ve gotta be fit for it!”
The rest of the day forgotten, Izuku nodded and smiled in determination. They were on the final stretch now.
The next ten months were a blur of training at Dagobah Beach, between clearing up even more of the trash - even managing to clean the whole beach - sparring with Himiko, both armed and unarmed, and making sure to exercise and eat right. He and Himiko went over to one another’s apartments regularly; his mom was always happy to accommodate, and even Vlad King didn’t seem to mind him being around. Amongst all that, the news of the Toga’s arrest was cause for celebration, as was the news that Vlad was officially fostering Himiko.
By the time the entrance exam came, Izuku felt as ready as he was ever going to be. The written exam was no problem for him, and he already understood the rules of the practical exam, so as he stood outside of Ground B, with a crowd of his peers, he felt calmer than he perhaps had any right to.
There was no hesitation when Present Mic shouted for them to begin, and he launched himself into the fake city. While Himiko’s weapon of choice were her knives, Izuku preferred a metal baseball bat to fight against the robots - though he had a knife as well, at his girlfriend’s insistence.
Running around, smashing robots to pieces felt exhilarating, but nothing compared to the feeling he got when he pulled someone out of harm’s way. He was aware that knowing about the rescue points gave him an unfair advantage, but he liked to think he’d be helping them even if he didn’t know.
He wasn’t quite as nimble and quick as Himiko was, so he likely didn’t take down as many villains as she did, but when the final two minutes began, he thought he had enough to pass. He wasn’t even phased by the appearance of the zero-pointer, instead turning his attention to find more examinees to save, or robots to fight.
“Help!” He heard a voice call out from… right in front of the zero-pointer. There was an examinee, a girl with a chestnut brown bob cut and rosy cheeks, pinned beneath rubble. Glancing around, he saw another examinee, with six muscular arms, and wasted no time in pulling him over and asking for his help. Together, they managed to shift the rubble enough for the girl to wiggle her way free, at which point the exam ended.
“T-thank you.” The brown haired girl wheezed. The tall, masked boy he’d asked to help merely nodded and wandered away, while Izuku checked over her to make sure she was okay, waving over Recovery Girl.
Once he made sure she was okay, he left with his head held high, and floated his way home. He knew, deep down, that he’d done enough, and he just couldn’t wait to get into UA.
I’m coming, Himiko.
heyhey izukkun, happy anniversary!! σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡ didya get ur letter yet??? <3333
I did!! <3
°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° vlad says u can come over 2 open it!! <3333333
I’m on my way! <3
Vlad King’s apartment was not too far a walk from Izuku’s own, so he arrived in good time, and was all but dragged inside by Himiko, who sat him on the sofa in the middle of the main room. Vlad King watched them in amusement, but infuriatingly gave away nothing, simply smiling smugly.
Finally, Izuku tore open the envelope, Himiko practically vibrating beside him, and allowed the projector to drop out. He was expecting the light show.
He was not expecting the Number One hero to be telling him his results.
His jaw dropped as All Might’s face appeared in the projection, trademark grin on his face, “ Hello there, Midoriya-shounen! I Am Here… to give you your entrance exam results! While your written exam results were among the best in the year, ” Himiko cheered and squeezed him, “ it is the practical exam that truly matters! And in that, you gained a total of… 20 villain points! That is, unfortunately, not enough to pass… or it would be if that’s all that was being measured! You see, there is another metric; rescue points! ” A montage of clips showing Izuku rescuing people played, followed by a short recording of the brown haired girl from the zero-pointer, talking to Present Mic.
“Um, you know the green-haired boy? The one with freckles? I was hoping I could maybe give him and the six-armed boy some of my points, since they saved me and all.”
All Might’s face appeared once again, “ The truest form of heroism is becoming an inspiration for others to also do good deeds, and you have shown this quality in abundance, Midoriya-shounen! For that, the panel has decided to award you with 30 rescue points, bringing you to a grand total of 50! This places you at 15th on the leaderboard, meaning that you, Midoriya Izuku, have been accepted to UA! Welcome to your hero academia! ”
Himiko beamed and hugged him tight, planting a kiss on his cheek, but the recording wasn’t over yet, as All Might leaned close to the camera and whispered, “ Oh, and, my boy? Congratulations on doing the exam quirkless. You truly will be an inspiration to others! ”
The light flickered off, leaving Izuku in a stunned silence, held tight by Himiko. He had done it. He had gotten into UA.
He was going to be a hero.
The next month was a whirlwind of paperwork, shopping for supplies, and preparing for UA. Izuku was to be in class 1-B, like Himiko before him, taught by none other than Vlad King. It was certainly shaping up to be an interesting school year already.
He and Himiko met up at the train station on the first day, chatting aimlessly about everything and nothing, and before long, they had arrived at UA. Standing outside those gates, Izuku felt a rush of… anxiety? Fear? Something along those lines.
Fortunately, Himiko was there to remind him that he wasn’t alone, not anymore.
She took his hand.
“Are you ready?”
Izuku smiled at her and nodded, and they stepped through the gate together.