Chapter Text
7:26 AM, Tokyo, Japan.
Four classes from UA stood in front of an aeroplane, all their luggage by their side as they stood in rows of their own classes. 3-A, 3-B 2-A and 2-B. Their homeroom teachers were standing in front of them, and in-between was Principal Nezu.
Mezo stood on the furthest right of the 3-A class, Tokoyami and Koda on his left, listening to Nezu yapping and blabbing about expectations, rules, and all that hero stuff.
UA planned a trip to go to England, taking both 3-A and 3-B along with their Year 2 counter parts. They were going to meet the English heroes in training at the No.1 Hero school in England, London, which went by the name of Mrs Shower's Associates Hero Academy, or S.A.H.A. for short.
It was exciting news once 3-A found out. Ashido screamed with joy, jumping up and down; Uraraka got so excited she practically made everyone float and got sick to the stomach; Kirishima and Kaminari ripped their shirts off, beginning to dance on their tables; Koda hid away from the noise; Todoroki sighed but a soft smile marked his face; Bakugo grumbled, yelling, 'SHUT UP YOU EXTRAS.' All at once, everyone was getting too loud. Ida did try his best to calm the class down, but it was all stopped by Aizawa, threatening everyone with detentions if they didn't listen and calm down right away.
But Mezo? He was less excited about it. It's not that he didn't want to go, because that would be wrong; matter of fact, it was the complete opposite. He was just... a bit scared? It was a big thing to do, and the only time he's left Japan was with his mother, and her response to this trip wasn't the best. Her eyes teared up; she was attempting to sound happy, but she was scared for her boy, especially after the war. A lot of the students' parents weren't entirely thrilled with the trip, as it would cause them to go out of the easy reach of any parental help the students could have.
But that wasn't the main issue. The travelling and lack of supervision from his mother was no big deal. It was the thought of meeting new people. People who weren't exactly like him in phsyical appearance. In the UK, around 40% of the population were any kind of Heteromorph, but only 7% of them were extreme Heteromorphs like him. Meaning the chance of him meeting an extreme Heteromorph was incredibly unlikely from a class of 20.
"Remember! You aren't just representing UA. You are representing the entirety of Japan." Nezu squeaked, strolling up and down the groups, "I expect 3-A and 3-B to have the best behaviour! If not, you'll be sent back to Japan on your own, with no help from your home-room teachers."
He paused, standing in front of Mineta, his small mouth pulled into a frown, his nose sagging down along with it. "Remember, Mineta, you must be on your best behaviour. Same with you, Bakugo. I believe both of your parents would hate a call from me saying either of you two have been sent back."
Mezo looked around, the lower classes and years standing behind him, some on each others shoulders. It was a painful sight to see. He knelt before sitting down fully, a hand still on his rucksack.
"I imagine we can sit where we like." Tokoyami sidled besides him, a yawn slipping out, his eyes half open as he clutched onto his satchel, "It'll be a long flight, you know. I hope both of you packed at least a neck pillow."
"I... I have.." Koda said, his voice meek, "Rikido is holding it for me. My bag was too small..."
"That's good, Koji." He smiled, standing up straighter, making himself look proud before eyeing Mezo. "You?"
"Don't need one. I'll nab a window seat so I can rest against the wall." Mezo grinned, pushing a loose strand from his from his forehead. Due to the early rise, his ponytail wasn't as neat as it usually was.
"You have packed all the essential things, yes?" Fumikage questioned further, turning his head to full look at him, "Like a hairbrush, shaving kit, spare underwear, clothes, uniform, Hero costume, emergency food, first aid kit, sanitary products-"
"Jesus Christ, yes. There's no need to make a whole list. We'll be gone for only two weeks. I don't need to bring a whole house with me now, do I?" He laughed, stretching a leg out across the floor.
"Tokoyami and Shoji! Do be quiet when Principal Nezu is speaking!" Ida's commanding voice came, a small blur of a waving hand from the left side of Koji.
Fumikage frowned at the sound, his eyes giving a quick roll, his arms crossed, and feathers pulled tighter to his head.
"I'll be handing out your seat tickets to your homeroom teachers, where they'll call you up to get them," came the squeaky voice from up front. "Remember, this is almost a 14 hour flight, please swap with people to sit on the aisle seat if you believe you'll be frequently using the toilet, otherwise you must deal with whatever seat you have gotten. You can not change seats. This is done to make sure you all behave and enjoy your flight. All food is made to your dietary needs and requests. If you have any allergies, they have already been taken into consideration." Nezu rambled, his ears twitching with joy.
Ashido was called up first, running over to grab her ticket and read the seat. Koji moved away from the Mezo and Fumikage, scurrying his way over to Rikido, who quickly handed over his neck pillow. Ida walked up to the two.
"I find you two the most disrespectful in this class, sometimes!" Ida scolded, putting his hand on Fumikage's shoulder, "You two should know better than to speak when a person of authority is giving a speech!"
A loud groan came from Fumikage before he rolled his shoulder to dislodge Ida's hand. "Perhaps what we were talking about was deemed more important than the ramblings of a superior," He snarked.
"Tokoyami! These so-called 'ramblings' are speeches for our safety and rules of the UK! Could you even recite one of the things Nezu told us!"
"That anyone who's 18 and are heroes in training are legally allowed to fight villains in any circumstances, while those who are 17 can only fight if attacked first, or a civilian is at risk, and 16 year olds can only do it for self defense."
"So... you were listening at that point. Right, but you weren't at the time I caught you! So, can you say a single thing Nezu said when you were speaking?"
"Nezu was having a go at Mineta and Bakugo at the time." Mezo said, staring up at Ida, "And Aizawa is calling your name for you to go get your ticket, so you better go."
"I-... we aren't finished with this conversation! And for the representation of UA, stop sitting on the floor!" He huffed, striding off to go get his ticket. Midoryia was quick to run over to know where Ida sat.
"I bet I'll find myself sat next to Kaminari... or worse... Bakugo." Fumikage's voice was calm, and yet cold fear illuminated his eyes.
"We can only hope we're next to each other." Mezo smiled as he got up, grabbing his rucksack and throwing it over his back.
"SHOJI MEZO!" Aizawa yelled, flapping his arm around in the air, a pristine white ticket with a blue top grasped in his hand.
"I'll come right back to you afterwards, Fumi." He smiled, striding over to get his ticket.
It was handed to him, a blue line on the top, a private flight written on the blue. Below was the flight number, his name, departure time, where it's going to and from, and most importantly, the seat number: 01F. Front row, right of the aisle, and it's a window seat. Jackpot, it even has leg room for me as well.
He strolled back over to where Fumikage had stood moments before, only to find the place barren, except for scurrying little Year 2s. He scanned his surroundings, then looked behind him: there, on his way back from Aizawa, the short stature bird head of a man.
The low sunrise added a golden glisten to his otherwise black absorbent feathers, his crimson red eyes becoming a homey Amber, the pupils mirroring the effects of a long trapped insect. The chains and spikes on his clothes were no longer silver, but shone a lovely rose gold. His untanned skin practically reflected the waking sun, causing him to appear angelic, despite the demonic mind underneath.
He was mouth-watering, and Mezo knew it. And with the way Fumikage walked, it was obvious that he knew it too.
Mezo has always liked Fumikage. He found the other Heteromorph's appearance fascinating, and handsome as well. He first saw Fumikage before UA, shortly after his family moved to Musutafu to escape the village that littered Mezo's mind with abuse and trauma, and to give Mezo a hope at being a hero. So he had to change Middle Schools. Fumikage was one of the new people he met there. They had been in the same classes; Fumikage rarely took notice of him, but he always did say good morning, and was incredibly nice.
Loners. That's what both of them were in middle school, yet some how only Mezo ever landed a girlfriend, lasting 2 years with her before breaking it off due to his acceptance into UA. Fumikage only had two friends then, a boy from their class, and a boy in the upper years, and still he didn't hang out with them much unless it was partnered work. But sometimes, he'd join Mezo on the same bench to eat lunch when his normal place got too crowded.
Mezo always found the bird interesting whenever he did hold a short conversation with him. It was Mezo's first realisation that he wasn't fully interested in just girls, but boys as well. Fumikage was a loud waking call for him, and a handsome one at that. He was a far rounder and shorter at the time, but years of training had made him handsome to the eyes of even non-Heteromorphs. But Fumikage never accepted any romantic invitations, and Mezo was positive this long-term crush was one-sided. Fumikage just wasn't that kind of person who enjoys or thinks of people as lovers. Just friends and partners. Mezo was perfectly fine with that. He would always love Fumikage, romantically or platonically.
A strong voice spoke, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Where do you sit?" Fumikage asked, sliding a jewelled hand through the feathers on his head. "I'm sat at 03E." He brandished his ticket at Mezo.
"01F..." Mezo sighed, looking solemnly at the shown ticket from his friend. He had no idea who he would be sat next to, but could tell by other classmates' responses that they were most certainly sat next to their friends.
"Fuck. When have we ever caused mass destruction when we worked or sat together!" Fumikage almost whined, then hissed as his own voice squeaked involuntary.
"I guess they've gotta separate us for some reasons, sometimes we haven't been the most... behaved." Mezo recalled that night. It had been past midnight, meaning they couldn't leave their dormitories, and so he had come up with a plan to visit Fumikage. He would climb from his balcony down to Fumikage's. Much easier said than done. He had fallen off the balcony with a loud thud, waking up Ida in the process, meaning a massive scolding and an after school detention. His mother was certainly 'most' pleased about the phone call.
Fumikage seemed to be recalling a different situation. "Oh yeah, in that practical where we had to make a combination with our quirks and I shouted 'Octo-pussy', to get your attention, Aizawa looked very unhappy. Never had so many people laugh at my words before." His beak cocked to a warm smile as his hands rested on his hips.
Tsuyu padded over, her arms laid infront of her chest as she held her ticket, Rikido and Koji behind her. She had a blanket draped over her shoulders. Koji looked close to tears, despite Rikido's comforting arm over his shoulder.
"Either of you sat in the 03E seat?" She asked, her head tilting to the side as she gave a lopsided grin.
"Yeah, I am." Fumikage waved at her, Dark Shadow finally being awake enough to come out and glance everyone over the shoulder of his master.
Rikido spoke. "We were wondering if you'd swap with one of us. You can have the window seat; Koji and I just want to sit next to each other." He smiled, pulling Koji into a half hug, "He prefers travelling when I'm next to him, you feel?"
"Depends. Where are you two sat?"
"03D and 03F. If you swap with Koji you'll get the window seat. Don't worry, Aizawa has already granted us permission to swap, if you were down for it, of course."
Fumikage nodded - accepting the offer -, the happy two left with a massive grin after waving a good bye. Dark Shadow let out a yawn before Tsuyu's hand crept onto his head and gave long, loving head pats, "Good to see you're awake and calm." She giggled, sinking her hand into the glitching darkness.
He just stared up at her before flinching his eyes over to Mezo, looking from his face to his hands and back again, pleading, begging with his eyes for another warm touch.
Mezo caved in, as he always did. He stroked the lower back of Dark Shadow; the coldness and dampness of the quirk never failed to unsettled him, but it was a comfort at the same time.
"Do you think the UK is just as cold as Japan?" Tsuyu inquired, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders tighter after a sudden cold breeze swept the place they stood.
"I think it's slightly warmer." Mezo said, his hands relaxing in the faux feathers.
Fumikage just let out an intent hum. "I wonder when we're meant to start boarding."
"Whenever they're ready, I suppose. Ribbit." Tsuyu smiled, "I heard from Aizawa that England is 9 hours behind Japan. Imagine the jet lag!"
Mezo cringed at the thought. He would barely be able to keep contact with his mother due to time zones, and his phone may not even properly work due to different signal towers. He was going to be living in a nightmare. The fear started to curdle in his stomach.
"Say Tsu, where are you sat?" Fumikage said, attempting to reach for her ticket.
"02E, next to Mina and Izuku. So I've got a pretty good seat." She smiled, pulling the ticket to her chest. "Where are you sat, Mezo?"
"01F. Its not a bad seat. I'll have leg space and a wall to sleep against." His eyes glistened as Dark Shadow let out a chirp of approval after a very nice neck scratch.
"Oh! You're sat next to Ojiro and Kyoka!" Tsuyu laughed, a small croak coming from between each chuckle, "I think Ojiro is gonna want the company, Kyoka will be too busy on her phone to talk to either of you two."
"Eh, not the worst people I could've sat next to." Mezo smiled. His hand slipped from Dark Shadow and hit the lower back of Fumikage, causing a squawk to escape the bird. "Shit, sorry, Fumi," he apologised.
"It's... it's fine. Just caught me off guard." Fumikage huffed, his feathers ruffled. He seemed embarrassed.
"WINDOW SEATERS, PLEASE LINE UP! WINDOW SEATERS ARE SEAT A AND F. LINE UP FOR BOARDING!" Came the yell.
Mezo looked up, mouthing another apology to Fumikage. He said goodbye to both of his friends and walked off to line up. Tsuyu smiled softly, yet a devious glint shone in her eye. She was quick to talk to Fumikage after, who appeared far more shy and embarrassed than before, crimson beginning to shine over his void feathers.
Mezo came to a halt behind Uraraka, who was having a long chat with Kirishima. Both of them seeming to be fan-girling over the trip.
"Oh! Imagine the cute English fashion!" She gleamed, shaking Kirishima by his shoulders.
"I can't wait to meet the students! Imagine how manly they'll be!" His eyes practically shone the same colour as the sun, "Kats' is gonna start so many arguments, and I can't wait to watch!"
"I forgot about you and Bakugo. How are you two going at the moment, I heard that fresh relationships can be a bit rocky."
"Eh! Bakubro is so manly, he's actually stopped calling me Shitty Hair, so I don't know about you, but a win is a win."
They laughed, giggling, gossiping and yapping, only to be shut up by Aizawa as he passed, threatening to kick them off the trip if they don't stop.
The line started moving, and student by student they moved up the stairs, into the plane and onto the aisle. Some stray Year 2s sat down further to the back, then 3-B students sat in their designated spot, only for Kirishima and Mezo to be left going to the front row.
Kirishima practically jumped onto his seat once he got there, throwing his overhead luggage onto the floor instead. He started playing with the blinds, the lights, the tray and the television, testing out everything as he settled himself.
Mezo opened the overhead bin and pushed his rucksack to the back, tucking himself into his seats row to not get in the way of other students. Once his bag was nicely nestled into the overhead bin, and he had everything he was going to need for the long flight, he ducked into his row and sat down, adjusting his chair just enough that he'll be comfortable, and Midoryia behind him also had enough leg room. Finally, he clipped his seat belt.
Jiro came in after him, keeping her small satchel on her person as she sat in her chair, adjusting the arm rest, then clipping on her seat belt and taking her phone out of her back pocket.
"You excited?" She asked, staring at the game on her phone, but clearly talking to Mezo.
"Eh, depends on your terms of excitement." He smiled, "I'm far more nervous than I am excited."
"Fair. Will you wear your mask when we meet them? You commonly wear it on these kind of interactions." She rubbed her mouth, before going to twist her right earphone jack; it was the only one she had left after the war.
"I'm probably going to wear it throughout all of the trip. I'm nervous about the low heteromorph rates." He admitted, looking solemnly at his multiple hands.
She nodded. A small, 'victory!' chimed from her phone as she successfully destroyed the enemy. Her character appeared to do a small emote afterwards.
Ojiro came last, putting his bag in the overhead compartment before shutting it and sitting down on the chair. He was swift to move his tail and clip on his seat belt in a comfortable position.
"I'm ready to go back to bed!" He laughed, yawning and stretching his arms.
"If you need a blanket, I can quickly make you one!" Yaoyarozu called from across the aisle, "Sero already has one." She pointed over to the dozing black head on Kirishima's shoulder.
"No thank you, Yaomomo, but I appreciate the kindness." He smiled, resting into the seat, "I'm going to go to sleep soon as were in the air. My tail will give me warmth."
Mezo just huffed, looking at his reflection in the glass of the window. The scars lining his face stung, and his eyes felt weepy. He was quick to cover his mouth, hiding the monster within. He'll keep refusing any escape from those secrets; after all, his own mental problems shouldn't concern the English students. He would be there to represent. Not scare. Not weep. Not moan. Not anger.
An air hostess stood at the end of the aisle, going through safety rules and answering any questions the students had. Teachers were going up and down the aisle to make sure students had seat belts on, and over head bins were closed, trays were tucked away, and nobody was on any mobile devices for the take off.
"Jiro, put away your phone," Aizawa asked, reaching over Ojiro to confiscate the thing. Jiro simply put it in the front pocket of her jeans. Aizawa gave a curt nod, turning around to talk to the next front row.
"I don't get why I can't keep it out," she mumbled, twisting her earphone jack with her fingers again, "it's not going to kill anybody."
"I heard it affects the communication between the plane and airport," Ojiro said, taking out a bag of nuts. "Either of you need breakfast?"
Jiro politely refused, "Nice offer, but I don't like peanuts. I prefer cashews."
"Mezo?" Ojiro asked, leaning over Jiro and waving the packet in front of him.
"Ah, no thanks Mashirao. Thank you though." He waved him off, closing the blind to the window.
"Suit yourself!" Mashirao smiled, opening the bag and putting them in his hand, shaking them before chucking the handful into his mouth.
The air hostess finished her safety talk and went behind the doorway arch, going to her own seat and buckling herself up.
The seatbelt light chimed on as a broadcast came across the intercom, and they began moving off of the boarding space and onto the runway.
Jiro reached over Mezo and opened the window blind, leaning herself on him as she watched the plane manoeuvre down the runway, slight bumps coming from the uneven surface.
Then, slowly, they rose up off of the runway and into the sky, accelerating more and more, the airport appearing incredibly distant by the time the seatbelt light chimed off and they were level with the atmosphere.
A loud cheer came from the students. Jiro fully settled herself back into her seat and took out her phone, Mashirao was immediately talking to Kirishima across the aisle, Momo was on her phone, and Sero was already in dream land.
And Mezo just sat there, staring out the window, looking at the land of Japan below as they began making their way to the ocean and heading for the UK. His phone vibrated in his back pocket. A notification.
One of his multiple arms grabbed it and tossed it to the front one; he turned on his phone and typed in his password, '1052', and opened the notification.
'Enjoy your flight, my little octopus! I can't wait to see you again in two weeks! Lots of love - Proud Mama xx,' was received from 'Mum; Tamika S.'
Mezo smiled, typing up his response. 'I'm on the plane, I'll talk to you once we land, I'm exhausted. :)', he sent, then turned off his phone and slipped it back into his cargo trousers. He felt warm inside, and any doubt seemed to fade away, just as the cities and towns did from the view of the window. It was just mountains and greenery, with the occasional grey blob of the livelihood.
He pulled down the blind, stopping any of the oncoming waking sun shining through the cleared clouds. He rested his head against his hand, leaning against the wall and wrapping the rest of his body in the other 5 arms. Closing his eyes, he accepted the shrouding, familiar darkness. It was almost as if it was cold, damp and glitching, with two pairs of eyes staring at him, twitching in time with the beat of his heart.
Yet, even that feeling faded, and the only sound he could hear was his own gentle snoring, and the quiet rumble of the engines outside the walls of the shelter he was granted with.
12:09PM, Bristol, England.
Mezo was quite obviously tired, sleeping for almost the entire flight, unless there was food or he needed to use the toilet, which totalled to 6 times. Otherwise he was out like a light.
The plane successfully landed, and now at the luggage carousel, he stood next to Fumikage and Koji once more, Rikido up against the carousel with Tsuyu, waiting for their luggage to come to them.
"Seriously, you were snoring, I could hear you from the third row." Fumikage nudged a dazed Mezo.
"I'm never that loud..." He huffed, looking over to Koji, "Surely he's exaggerating!"
"I... I mean..." He looked at him, his fingers tapping against one another as his tongue tied.
"Told you!" Fumikage teased, sticking his tongue out his beak, making a raspberry towards the taller boy.
Mezo just rolled his eyes, crossing his multiple arms. The bird seemed to find his reaction funny; his shoulders shook with a chuckle. His name was called, and he turned away from Mezo to look over at Tsuyu, who was holding his suitcase on her tongue.
This was the perfect time. The octopus-like man took a step back, and just at the exact moment before Fumikage began to walk, he charged at him. Predator to prey.
Koji let out a violent scream, mimicking one of a girl, Rikido's head snapped around, while Tsuyu's eyes widened. Fumikage had the latest response; his feathers puffed up just before the impact of the cannonball-like person.
He wrapped his arms around Fumikage, squeezing a surprised squawk out of the crow and almost squashing him to the floor, balancing himself on his combat boots (preventing any serious injuries, like a true hero would).
"I should teach you manners, Chicken!" He teased, scuffing up the fluffed up feathers with three hands, "Maybe then you'll respect a man for his slumber!"
"Pfft! Not until I turn you into calamari! The aquarium is looking for you!" Was the quick remark in return, a burst of laughter following.
"SHOJI, GET OFF TOKOYAMI!" A familiar yell came from a spectacled face.
He did as he was told, letting go of Fumikage and standing up straight, smoothing out the others feathers before he turned around to face Ida.
"There is no need to attack another peer!" Ida scolded, standing chest to stomach with Mezo. "Apologise immediately! You frightened poor Koda."
"I am sorry, my friend. I won't throw myself at you again, for no valid reason." Mezo sighed, turning his head to a bright faced crow.
"Apology accepted....if Dark Shadow receives head pats in return." Fumikage pointed to the sorrow face over his shoulder.
Mezo smiled, placing his calloused hand on the glitching darkness, rubbing it through the faux feathers once more, feeling the warmth of love fade into the dampness of respect. Ida gave a curt nod, turning on his heels and stamping back over to Midoryia and Uraraka.
Tsuyu waltzed over, a big blue suitcase and a medium black suitcase being pulled behind her, tongue wrapped around a child's frog suitcase, and lastly carrying her rucksack on her back.
"You two need to stop being so lovey dovey! Ribbit, it's getting so obvious that you two are boyfriends!" she croaked, handing over the suitcases to their rightful owners.
Mezo felt his heart skip a beat. His face must have looked like Rudolph's nose with how red it was getting. His loose tank top felt tight. A brick was lodged down his throat, and his eyes scattered to Fumikage, who was looking down, hands clenched. His feathers were more like a bouquet of flowers than the aerodynamic slipstream they were at the beginning.
"No, Tsu... I... Neither me or Mezo, err... think of each other that way," he mumbled.
It felt as if the world crumbled, and only Mezo knew it. His stomach felt awkward, his heart pounded differently, something was caught in his throat. He was aware the chance of Fumikage liking him was low, but did this confirm it? Was he being dramatic? Was Fumikage embarrassed to be thought of as a lover to Mezo? Yet he's stuttering, he's red, he's shying away, like what love does to me, Mezo thought. Did that deny the love Mezo wanted? Had the candle been blown out, or was there still a small flame in a blizzard, and all he needed was a private confirmation from the only flint and steel he saw in this barren world?
It was a flood of questions, of feelings, yet it seemed to clear as quickly as it clouded. Dark Shadow butted his head against Mezo's hand, and the coldness quickly cooled him down, acting like a refreshing drink in a summer heatwave.
"Eugh! Don't lie to me! Everyone is now dating people they like. Just look at Ochaco and Izuku! Hell, even Koji and Rikido confessed their love. Don't pussy out, admit it, you two are dating!" She pushed further, pointing an accusing finger at Fumikage.
"No, Tsu, we aren't dating." Mezo solemnly defended his friend, finally mustering up the courage to speak. "We're just good friends."
Tsuyu seemed to roll her eyes in disappointment, putting her suitcase in her hand and walking off to go meet up with the rest of class 3-A. Aizawa was impatiently glaring at the two teenage boys. Mezo was quick to grab his suitcase and scurry off, and Fumikage was just as quick to follow behind him. He felt a shiver of embarrassment slide down his spine, aware that his peers could have easily seen his strong persona falter.
Aizawa simply stared at the two heteromorphs, before counting the students, looking at his clipboard, and then counting the luggage of every student. No more than 3 suitcases were allowed per student, a rule which all but Momo followed. Her excuse was that her whole livelihood was in these storage compartments. They were, she admitted later that day, things she could've just made in England, or even bought.
A clock ticked above them; ever so slowly did the handle go by. Aizawa was taking a long roll-call, then called over Nezu to hand him the register and train tickets. Everyone was here, no one was lost, and they all had their tickets so they could get on the train (which would take almost two hour commuting journey from Bristol to London), check into the hotel and drop off luggage in the lobby, then spend an hour or two exploring London. They would then go to S.A.H.A to get their guest student passes, go back to the hotel, eat, and sleep, which would take up the whole rest of the day.
Aizawa led the class on, following behind class 2-A, which was being led by All Might. They were more quiet than 3-A, but seemed to be enjoying themselves far more than the other class. Even some of the boys were practically skipping in excitement.
They arrived to the underground train station, pairing themselves up with friends or lovers. Fumikage went over to Mezo, tapping his forearm, saying nothing, just meeting his gaze with a focused look in his eyes. Dark Shadow hung over the birds shoulder, watching the world go by as they went to the platform.
Two by two, 3-A made their way onto the train, hopping over the slight gap. Mineta had to be carried by Kaminari to get over safely. Fumikage and Mezo weren't the last ones to get on, so they didn't have to worry about finding two seats free next to one another. They sat down close to the end of the train carriage. Todoroki and Midoryia sat across from them, Uraraka leaving her stuff in the spare seat next to Midoryia to go to the toilet.
Todoroki gave a soft nod towards Fumikage, as Midoryia showed him a book he picked up at one of the airport's multiple souvenir shops. It showed all the different tourist landmarks in England and their history.
"I hope Tsu didn't offend you with what she said today." Fumikage said, turning his head towards Mezo, "She can be very blunt with her accusations."
"It's okay, Fumi. I have no problems with what she said." Mezo replied, keeping his suitcase between his legs as the final student got through the trains doors, closing right after them.
Fumikage just nodded, resting his head on Mezo's arms, "I have a nap to get to now, as mine was rudely disturbed by a snoring wildebeest." He yawned, shutting his eyes.
Mezo chuckled slightly, pretending to be offended at the new nickname. He let his eyes wander, beginning to stare past Midoryia, looking out the window, watching the concrete and stones of the tunnel morph into trees and bushes. The clouds hung low from the sky, covering further distances from view.
Todoroki stared at Mezo, one eyebrow cocked in confusion, his gaze drifting to Midoryia, then behind him and out the window. He stayed looking out the window, knocking over his suitcase when moving, which Midoryia luckily caught with his foot.
"Woah! Be careful, Shoto. You could've frightened the other students!" Midoryia chuckled, grabbing the suitcase and standing it back up on its wheels.
"My apologies." Shoto said, turning back to face Midoryia, tucking the suitcase in between his knees.
Mezo looked down at Fumikage, wrapping him in his arms before taking out his phone from his back pocket, typing his password in once more and opening the contact app. He ignored the spam text and opened the unread message from his mother.
'Okay! Talk to you whenever you've arrived safely! Amajika wants to know if Fumikage is okay, he's leaving her on opened and she's a bit worried. :(' was the text message. Mezo commonly forgot that his mother was on first name basis with Fumikage and his parents, but it just goes to show how kids can make parents have new friends.
He looked at the time on his watch, which was still set to Japanese time. It was past 9 o'clock, but his mother usually stayed up late. Deciding it was an okay time to text her, he proceeded to do so.
'We've successfully landed and are now on the train, I'm still exhausted despite a 9 hour sleep! Fumi is okay, he's having a power nap on me, apparently I was snoring during the flight...' he sent over to her. He waited for a few minutes, but his message stayed on delivered. He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He decided to have another power nap, to keep him going for the next 7 hours. He was going to desperately need one. Travelling really takes a lot out of a boy, and he wants to lower the chances of jetlag.
Mezo closed his eyes once more, letting his head hit the window of the train. He kept a steady hold on his suitcase with his legs, letting his mind slip into the abyss of sleep.
19:56PM, London, England.
Dropping his plate onto the table, he sat down, stabbing his fork into the muck of what Hagakure had excitedly called English 'Cuisine'. She had enthusiastically shown them reviews for 5 star restaurants, and they had looked terrific, but once they got into the hotel, the food was... putting it bluntly; horrendous. Even school food was more appetising then whatever this slop was.
Fumikage sat himself across from Mezo. His portion was less, but even he was looking like he was going to vomit, despite not even taking a bite. Tsuyu was sat next to Mezo, and Midoryia and Uraraka sat next Fumikage; they all hesitantly looked at their food, wishing that they had gone up before everyone else did. Now only being left with the scraps, they couldn't even be that picky. The only thing that looked remotely good was the steak and kidney pie, but Tsuyu couldn't eat that due to her vegetarian diet.
"Well... doesn't this look... erm..." Uraraka mumbled, stabbing her fish with her fork, oil squirting out, "g-good." She gagged.
Tsuyu just stared, gob smacked at the horrendous sight in front of her, yet her stomach rumbled on, begging for food, even when it was presented with a plate of food not even rats would touch.
"So much for English Cuisine, huh?" Midoryia laughed nervously, grabbing the pepper and drenching his jacket potato in it. He had one of, if not the nicest meal on the table.
"I think I'd rather skip dinner tonight." Fumikage sighed, pushing the plate away from him, "I told you we should have gone before the Year 2s."
Mezo just nodded, cutting into his overdone steak and forcing it in his mouth. It was burnt, but chewy at the same time. It was bloody, yet it was dry. How could something like this even be possible?
Uraraka reached her fork over and grabbed one of Tsuyu's drenched Yorkshire puddings, slipping it into her mouth. It seemed nicer than the harsh steak Mezo picked.
"I would eat some of it, Fumikage. We'll need the energy to meet the students tomorrow." Midoryia said, facing towards the bird.
"I'll just have double the portion of breakfast." He waved his hand at Midoryia, "I doubt it'll taste any better than it looks."
Midoryia just sighed before deciding to continue eating his portion of muck, Uraraka having to force down her fish, Tsuyu just picking at bits she liked or thought looked good.
And Mezo? He was still chewing on that peace of steak from earlier. It was practically leather with how tough it was. He even spat it out and tried to eat smaller chunks, but every time he braced himself to swallow, it would hide itself underneath his tongue or between the gap of his cheeks and teeth.
He sighed, giving up on the protein, and spat out the steak, washing down the rubbery, iron flavour with three mouthfuls of water - emptying the cup.
Picking up his fork, he went at something else on his plate: some small roasted potatoes. They squashed onto the plate as soon as a slight bit of pressure landed on them. Mezo scooped one up and pushed it into his mouth. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't as nice as Japanese potatoes he'd grown so fond of.
Fumikage reached over to Mezo's plate, dropping something from his own on it. It was a chunk of roasted carrot . In return, Mezo gave him one of his garlic bread slices.
"You need to eat something, you haven't eaten since 3PM. And even that was just a cucumber & tuna sandwich from the corner store." Mezo said, pushing the bread further towards Fumikage, "And not all of your food looks horrendous."
Fumikage just huffed, picking up the piece of bread and shoving it into his beak. Mezo saw a little sparkle in the ruby jewel eyes; he chewed more before swallowing the slice. Satisfied, he picked up his fork and carried on eating the nicer looking stuff. A small smile marked the multi-arm boy's face as he ate the chunk of carrot Fumikage so kindly gave to him.
A loud gag came from Uraraka, resisting the urge to vomit as she held her mouth. Her eyes seemed teary as Midoryia rubbed her back.
"It's okay, Ochaco. You can have some of my dinner if it'll make you feel better." He softly comforted her, but she shook her head, in denial of something edible. She looked down at her food, her cheeks going green.
Tsuyu shot up, running over to Yaoyarozu, Kaminari, Shinso and Jiro's table to ask for either napkins or a bag.
Mezo grabbed her plate, getting up from his seat and walking to a counter. There he left the plate, grabbing napkins and filling up three cups of water from the water jug. He wandered back over, carefully minding the lower years. Uraraka now leaned into the touch of Midoryia as she watched Mezo place down the cups.
"Thank you, Mezo. Um, if it's okay that I call you that?" Midoryia inquired and thanked, picking up a cup of water and giving it to Uraraka, bringing it up to her covered mouth as he waited for her to move her hand.
"I don't see why not." Mezo decided, standing next to Uraraka in case anything serious happened.
Tsuyu rushed over, passing a quickly made paper bag from Yaoyarozu to Uraraka's free hand. Quickly, she swapped her hand for the bag and barfed up the oily meal she gave herself. Her stomach groaned regretfully at the feeling.
Fumjkage refused to look, wanting to continue eating after starving himself, but the thought and sound of the throwing up was causing his own reflexes to snap into play. He put down his fork and looked at the wall art instead, swallowing down the last bit of food he'd be able to eat for the night.
There was a clomp of boots; Present Mic had hurried over, and he knelt down infront of Uraraka, placing the back of his hand onto her forehead.
"You are quite hot, kid. Either the vomiting has done that, or you've caught a virus," He remarked, "Midoryia, can you escort Uraraka to the Lobby? Aizawa will be with you two shortly."
Izuku nodded, standing up and letting Uraraka lean against him as they exited the dining room. All eyes were on them; Tsuyu was quick to run out after them, holding Uraraka's handbag.
Aizawa followed soon after, calling over class 3-A to follow after him, deciding that he was going to sort out the room keys while he had the chance. Fumikage looked over his shoulder to make eye contact with Mezo. He stood up, grabbing his satchel and following Aizawa, a slight wobble in his step. Mezo went after, speeding up his walk to assist the possible illness of another student.
A key was handed to Izuku and Uraraka, and they quickly rushed to the elevator. The rest of 3-A crowded around Aizawa, as he held a tray of different keys. He scanned around the room, counting heads of the students to make sure all 18 remaining were still here.
"I'll need you all to get into pairs." Aizawa spoke, "I trust you all enough to behave when choosing. The person you pair with will be your roommate for the next 2 weeks. Pick. Wisely."
Mezo stood closer to Fumikage, putting one of his many hands on his shoulder. Fumikage took a step back, looking up at Mezo, a brief smile crossing his face before the moment was quickly ruined by Kaminari bumping into Fumikage.
"Sorry, Toko! Didn't wanna ruin any romance going on between you two!" He laughed, rushing over to Shinso, "We're being roomies! Whether you like it or not, Hitoshi!"
Fumikage frowned, gritting his teeth, which was a strange anomaly for a bird quirk. Why exactly he had a beak and human teeth, at the same time? That's a question to ask genetics, chance, and his parents.
"Has everyone gotten into their pairs?" The Lobby filled with a babble of confirmation. "Good. Time to give you guys the keys. Once you get them, go."
Aizawa walked around, randomly giving keys to students. Once he arrived to Fumikage and Mezo, he looked at them, before giving an agreeing nod and handing Fumikage the keys. Room 306 was plastered on the chain.
Mezo turned around and headed to the elevator, picking up both of their luggage. Fumikage trailed behind. They went into the elevator; Kirishima, Bakugo, Mineta and Sero were in there with them.
"We all floor 3?" Bakugo huffed, standing closest to the buttons.
"Of courthe." Mineta winked, sitting on Sero's shoulders, "You think the English hot babeth are gonna want me, Hanta?"
"Hard no, bro." Sero laughed, crossing his arms to make an X.
Bakugou pressed the elevator button, and Kirishima smiled towards Mezo and Fumikage across the room as the chime from the closing doors came.
The elevator trip was short. The doors opened and all six scurried out of the elevator, heading to their rooms. 306 was on the right. Fumikage unlocked the door with the key, opening it, and in went the both of them.
Mezo left his luggage next to the side of a table, opening it and grabbing his bathroom bag and his pyjamas - which consisted of a tank top and some sport shorts - which he then chucked onto his bed.
Fumikage threw his shirt off, along with his trousers, keeping on his knee high black socks and boxer briefs. "I'd better have enough time to paint my finger nails tomorrow morning," he huffed, flopping onto his newly claimed window bed. Which they agreed on, when they were going to the school.
"You may have enough time if you wake up early enough," Mezo said, walking into the ensuite and turning the light on.
Inside the bathroom was a toilet as always, along with a sink on a long counter and lastly a shower and bath combo.
Mezo grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste from his bathroom bag, put the paste on the brush, wet it under the sink and put it in his mouth.
Two minutes went by quickly, Fumikage coming to join him soon after to brush his own teeth. Mezo wiped his mouth and left the bathroom, keeping the light on for the bird quirk.
He undressed himself, swapping day clothes for his pyjamas. Unlike Fumikage, he took off his socks before getting underneath the hotels bedsheets.
Fumikage came out of the bathroom, turning off the main light and then jumping into his bed, getting himself underneath the nest of blankets he brought for warmth.
"I do wish the best for Ochaco. If it's a virus I fear we may have been unfortunate enough to catch it." The edgy boy said, rustling under the bedsheets.
"I think she may have just had heat stroke and the oil in the fish made it worse." Mezo sympathised.
"In this cold weather?" Fumikage scoffed, "That's like getting hypothermia from 35 degrees! It's impossible."
"She was outside in the sun a lot without protection, Fumi... it could also be a lot of oil on an empty stomach."
"Eugh, stop. I think I'll end up like Ochaco if you keep explaining reasons for her illness." A wispy voice came from glowing yellow eyes very close to Mezo's pillow.
"Fumi, control your quirk," Mezo laughed, pushing away Dark Shadow as he rolled over.
Fumikage made a groan, Dark Shadow turning around to face his master before huffing in response and going up next to Fumikage for cuddles from him instead.
"Goodnight, 'Zo..."
"Goodnight, Fumi, and sleep tight, Dark Shadow. I'll talk to you two tomorrow." Mezo smiled before closing his eyes.
Fumikage gave a short sigh in response. Mezo pulled his quilt over his mouth as he snuggled further into the small bed. His mind drifted into a comforting fantasy of him and his friends, but also the oncoming events with the class of S.A.H.A.