Today was the day. January 11th. The day he was to meet his future husband. Said future husband's 15th birthday. The day his parents had been preparing him for his entire life.

He shifted his bright blue wings nervously while his manservant did up the buttons on his horribly ornate cape. No, he didn't like the term "manservant." Sure, that was his job title, but Tenya had known Tokoyami since they were both young. They were more friends than servant and master. At least, that's how Tenya preferred to see it.

"Please stay still, Your Highness. I would really rather not have to do this over."

"Ah, my apologies, Tokoyami. Please, continue." Tenya stood stiffer again. He knew every clasp had to be in its proper place, both for looks and comfort, but that did not mean he enjoyed the process.

"It is fine. Today is stressful, and that is completely understandable, my Prince."

"At least I will have you by my side throughout it." He smiled at his friend as he finally finished dressing Tenya in the required finery.

"Are you sure that there is nothing else bothering you? Have you had any of those strange dreams recently?" There was a slight frown on his face as Tokoyami double checked that everything was properly aligned.

"No. I have not." Tenya should not have told anyone about them to begin with. He had been plagued with dreams his entire life. Dreams that seemed to follow the life of another Tenya. They never made sense, and his parents always told him to ignore silly things like dreams. Tokoyami didn't need to think he was obsessed with them as well.

"We should be going. The Endeavorian caravan will be arriving soon." Tokoyami's pitch black wings brushed against the floor lightly as he stood up.

Tenya nodded, turning away from the mirror and the reflection of slightly askew feathers that he had no right to look at. "Right. Thank you, Tokoyami."

The Welcoming Ceremony was stiff and proper, and Tenya allowed himself to fall into his role. He shook hands with members of the court and bowed at the king and his other two children, greeting everyone properly. Then, what felt like an hour into the ordeal, it was time. The royal carriage in the middle of the caravan opened its doors once more to reveal the man of the hour.

The Crown Prince of Endeavor stepped out. His hair swaying in the wind but managing to stay perfectly separated between the colors. Tenya's eyes soaked him in, a man he knew for a fact he had never seen before but was also achingly familiar. The fanfare felt so muffled and distant as Tenya tried to recall him, only managing to snap out of his daze in time to not miss a step thanks to a slight nudge from Tensei. He bowed deeply.

"Well met, Crown Prince Todoroki. Welcome to my father's castle. I do hope you have a wonderful stay here." He didn't stumble over the words, at least. His family prides itself in knowing the different languages of the lands, and Tenya had been trained to fluency in Endeavorian in particular. It would be a travesty if he could not communicate with his married family.

"Well met, Princess Iida. Thank you for your generosity in inviting us to your home." The prince's voice was cold, but Tenya wasn't surprised by that. It always was these days. He didn't know how he knew that, but the courts were moving inside before he could even begin to ponder it.

There was feasting. King Todoroki and his three children joining Tenya's family at the top table. His father took the head, as always, and King Todoroki took the right-hand seat as the guest, his children next to him in the order of succession. On the left side of the head was Tenya's mother and he and his brothers in their own order. This placed Tenya himself directly across from the prince with solid white hair, Natsuo his mind supplied. It seemed that the three on the other side of the table were actually in reverse birth order. Perhaps the draconic people had a different requirement than the avians did. Tenya would need to enquire about it.

There was quite a turn out to the feast. This was the first time anyone had ever heard of an Endeavorian prince marrying outside of the kingdom. Many of the Ingenium citizens also just wanted a glimpse of the dragons in their human forms, as it was a rare sight to see. They were treating the guests as a spectacle, and Tenya did his best to ignore them.

The banquet hall was fuller than Tenya had ever seen it, and he did feel a significant pride in his family for being able to provide for so many mouths at once. He would have to go down and express his gratitude to the kitchen staff after this was over.

His father made an announcement that Tenya barely heard, something about strengthening ties between the air-based peoples in the bonds of marriage, and the feast began. Tokoyami came forward at once to pour Tenya a cup of wine, careful not to brush against him in a way that he wasn't at private meals.

"Tenya, right?" His head snapped up, not expecting Natsuo to talk to him. His voice was quiet, but not nearly as cold as the Crown Prince's.

"Is something the matter, Second Prince Todoroki?" Tenya could feel Tokoyami at attention behind him, ready to assist as well.

"Ah, no." Natsuo glanced down the table to their fathers who were lost in conversation before looking back to Tenya. "First, please call me Natsuo. I will be your brother in a year after all. I was just wondering, why is there pheasant on the table? Isn't that cannibalism?"

Tenya couldn't help the snort of laughter that followed the question, despite his hurry hand to muffle it. Based on the twitch of Tensei's lip, he had heard it as well. As the one questioned, Tenya had to be the one to come up with a response that would not make the visitor feel mocked. He schooled his features into a small but polite smile.

"Prince Natsuo, we are not related to birds. We share some characteristics with them, but it is not as if we are eating our fellows. It could be likened to yourself eating a lizard, I suppose." Do dragons eat lizards? Tenya was pretty sure he had read about that in a book.

"That does make sense. Are your wings the reason the chairs don't have backs?"

"Natsuo!" Fuyumi, who sat next to him, scolded. "Let the poor boy eat. This is his feast, too."

"My apologies, Tenya. Don't stop eating on my account. We will be staying here for a month, so I am sure I will have a chance to ask again." Natsuo gave him a crooked grin before returning to his own meal.

"I will try to get you answers for all of your inquiries." Tenya's eyes flickered from the talkative prince across from him to the silent one across from his brother.

From there on, the feast was a quiet affair, at least at the head table. The two kings talked to one another, but the rest of the table at their food in silence. Tokoyami moved up to refill his glass again, always punctual.

"Is everything alright, my Prince?" he whispered in Tenya's ear low enough that only they head. Tenya nodded in response.

What else could he do? Sure, he wanted to get to know the future father of his children better, but a feast wasn't really the way to do that. Particularly when the Crown Prince was so closed off.

The end of the midday feast couldn't come soon enough, but eventually the footmen came to clear away the dishes. Everyone at the lower tables were freed to return to their own residences or be led by servants to the guest wing, as the case may be.

Tenya was not free yet. Not at all. Apparently, King Todoroki had heard that Tenya had trained to be a knight as the second son, and His Majesty wanted to see how he compared against his future husband.

There was no better time than the present, so Tokoyami dressed him in his knightly garb and gave him his sword. Tenya had never fought a dragon before, but Tensei had told him that in human form they were similar to most elemental magic users. Tenya could deal with that. He had trained under the great Hawks himself, the kingdom's top knight, after all.

He stepped out of the preparation tent and into the arena. It was usually used for tournament battles amongst the knights, so Tenya knew the terrain well. That did seem like an unfair advantage over his guest, but no one else was bothered by it.

The Crown Prince was already standing in the middle, wearing not much in the way of protection. This had to all be some sort of mistake. Tenya could very easily hurt him during this. It would have to be a show of how good a fighter he could be without leaving a lasting mark, he decided.

Tenya walked out with his helmet held in his arm, a show of trust that it was him fighting underneath. They both bowed to the observation box where their families were waiting before getting into position. Tenya bowed at his opponent after he put on his helmet, and the match was signaled to begin.

The Crown Prince instantly shot a wall of ice at him, and Tenya reacted in a split second to jump into the air. He continued dodging shards of ice from up there, twisting and turning as if he were part of the aerial ballet. He saw the first opening to get in close and took it. His sword outstretched to hit the side of Prince Todoroki with the broad side, a bruising blow instead of a slicing one. The other prince had the same grace as, if not more than, Tenya, and he twirled away out of reach, barely brushing against a wing as he did. Tenya changed tactics, going to launch himself again, but this time grabbing hold of the Crown Prince's wrist. He carried them both high above the arena, smiling down at his captive.

He was having a great time, until he saw the look of panic on Prince Todoroki's face, that is. His gaze wasn't on Tenya's, but to the left of his shoulder. Tenya turned his head back to see what had caused such emotion on the usually cold face, only to see his left wing slowly being covered by ice. He could feel it, now that he was paying attention. Soon he wouldn't be able to hold them both up. He dove, slowing as much as possible in the last second and twisting their bodies so that he sacrificed his own back rather than Prince Todoroki's.

They sat in a heap, staring one another in the eye, for what felt like a small eternity. It wasn't until they could hear the feet of approaching servants, likely ensuring that they were alright, that the Crown Prince stood up. He held a hand out for Tenya, who took it gratefully. He was starting to shake from the cold of the ice on his wing, but with a wave of his left hand, Prince Todoroki had it melting with a relaxing heat.

"Thank you."

"You fought well, Princess Iida. You should be proud of yourself." A blond knight from the Endeavorian court came to escort the Prince away.

"You as well, Crown Prince Todoroki. I believe we can fairly say that you won the match, but we have a lifetime to try again." Tenya smiled at the other prince as Tokoyami led him back to the changing tent. They were well matched.

An hour later found Tenya in his chambers, sat on the couch with his left wing fully extended. Tokoyami was meticulously preening it after the ice incident. It felt good to have all the stress of the day worked out, almost made him fall asleep. That is, until someone came into his room.

"They told me this is where you'd be. Pretty nice castle you have here. I really like all the windows, makes it feel open, but it's still as much as a maze as back home."

Tenya brought his wing back against his back in a hurry. "Pri-prince Natsuo, this is not what it looks like." His face had to be flushing with how hot it felt. Tokoyami shifted to the side of the room, silently acting as if they hadn't just been caught doing something so intimate as preening. Tenya wished he had his self-control.

"Do you think I could ask you some more questions? The way you fought was really interesting! When we fly, we don't have near that amount of maneuverability. You surprised Shouto with that, too, I could tell." Natsuo sat down on the chair next to Tenya's couch.

"I am sure one of my brothers would be more than happy to help you as well." Tenya tried to relax his wings again. He was going to have to preen all over again after that surprise.

"Yeah, but you have the best Endeavorian. Can hardly even hear an accent. Besides, I bet you have some questions, too, so why don't we make this an even trade off, hmm?" Natsuo grinned at him. "We all need to get to know one another better, right? My idiot brother isn't going to be the one to get things started, so why not us?"

"If you don't mind," Tokoyami stepped forth, "I also have a question of my own." His Endeavorian wasn't as good as Tenya's, but it was very close. They had taken to practicing together as Tenya took lessons. There hadn't even been a question of it; of course, Tokoyami would move with him when he got married.

Tenya could swear that the other Prince's smile could split his face in half. "See, now we're getting somewhere. So, the chairs at the feast. Those are what you normally sit in?"

Tenya looked to the side, seeing the slight grin on Tokoyami's face. He supposed if this did better his relationship with the Todoroki family, it would be worthwhile.

"Yes, our wings get stiff if we have to keep them tucked in tight for too long. The chairs not having backs allows us to position them as is most comfortable." As he spoke Tenya let his wings relax more, heeding his own words. "What is your question, Tokoyami?"

Tokoyami nodded and took a few moments to make sure he had his wording correct. "Why does the Crown Prince use the feminine half of your language to refer to His Highness?"

Natsuo turned to look at Tenya more head on. "Are you not a Princess? I thought that's what this entire thing was for, marrying my brother off to get heirs for when he is king."

"Well, I generally go by male pronouns in gendered languages. From what I know of your culture, I fit the more male role of gender presentation, don't I? I do not really care by which I am referred to as, but I have attempted to look into it as much as I could so that it would be less confusing on your people."

"Second Prince Todoroki, if I may." Tokoyami waited for a confused nod before proceeding. Always proper when they weren't alone, knowing that Tenya preferred that. "You are aware that there is only one avian sex, aren't you?"

"Oh. Ooooh. I get it. You guys can do both. I mean, they told us that when we learned about the different races, but that's kind of hard to really conceptualize, you know?"

Tenya could practically feel the smirk of amusement on Tokoyami's face without looking at him, so he spoke up instead. "I find it much harder to think of a race where the functionalities are separated."

"But I can tell everyone that you prefer male pronouns if you want."

"I do believe that will alleviate confusion, yes. It is the default set of pronouns for us in such languages." Tenya nodded. He didn't really care much, but it is how Tokoyami was used to referring to him as. Whenever he can, Tenya wants Tokoyami to be as comfortable as possible during all of this.

"I think it's your turn for a question, Prince Tenya."

"Ah, yes, I was wondering, why is the Crown Prince the Crown Prince instead of Princess Fuyumi?"

"Well, Fuyumi is a woman, and tradition calls for men to be in line before their sisters. Generally, in Endeavor, the oldest son is the first, but Father is… different. He's a fire dragon, the clan that has led the others for many generations, and mother was an ice dragon. Shouto is a perfect hybrid between them, and that's what Father wanted. Fuyumi and I are both ice dragons, so he pretty much ignored us. Shouto's the favorite, so he gets to claim the throne." Natsuo shrugged and looked away.

"So, your sister is last in line, despite having been born first, solely due to the sexual function he is capable of? That does not seem fair." Tenya frowned. He didn't realize that a gendered people were so divided. Perhaps he should inform Father about the lacking education the tutors gave on the other cultures.

"The avians go off strict birth order, then?"

"Yes. It does not matter if Father is a father or a mother to the chick, birth order is preserved. It is only fair. Tensei-nii will make an excellent leader one day."

Natsuo made a short snort at that. "I don't think I have met a second son who spoke so highly of his older brother."

Tenya looked at him contemplatively. "I suppose Tensei-nii is more of a parental figure in my life, given that he is fifteen years my elder."

Natsuo looked like he wanted to say more, but there was a loud knock at the door followed by an even louder voice.

"Hey! Yo! Tenya-kun! Your brother sent me to ask if you're alright! You're late for tea, little man!" It was his brother's husband, talking in Ingenium.

Tenya looked to the window. "My apologies, Prince Natsuo. I did not realize I had kept you so late." He stood and bowed. "Unfortunately, I have a prior engagement, but I do hope that we can continue this later."

Natsuo stood up as well. "It's fine. I was the one to stop by unannounced."

Tenya bowed again before heading to the door, Tokoyami right behind him. "I am alright, Hizashi-nii. I simply lost track of the time." Tokoyami adjusted his tunic slightly before opening the door.

Hizashi's bright yellow wings were spread out, taking up most of the space in the hallway. He sure could fill a room, in any sense of the phrase. He grinned and looked between prince and manservant. "You two weren't up to anything, were you?"

"Please do not be so crass. What you and my brother do with his valet has no bearing on what I do with my manservant."

Tenya could practically feel Tokoyami's awkwardness at the situation. It was unfair for Hizashi to make such allegations about them simply because of their professional relationship. Just because Hizashi and Tensei had a more private relationship with Aizawa did not mean everyone did.

They finally reached Tensei's chambers. The tea had already been served.

"Tenya! There you are! You're not hurt after your fight, are you? That looked like a pretty hard fall on your wings."

"I am fine, brother. I just had to preen a bit after the battle. I had forgotten about our tea." Tenya sat down on the chair across from Tensei's and took a cup of tea.

"So," Tensei grinned over his own cup. "Don't think I forgot how you reacted to seeing your Prince."

Tenya flustered, possibly giving Tensei only more reason to be amused. "I am- not entirely sure what you mean, Tensei-nii."

"You like him, don't you? That's a good thing, trust me." As Tensei talked, his husband joined him on the couch, blue and yellow wings touching. Tenya felt most sorry for Tokoyami, who not only had to see this display while standing next to the human valet, but also had to listen to them talk about such a private topic.

"I simply thought that I had seen him before and was trying to place where." Now that he had had some time to think, Tenya was sure that the other prince had been in his dreams, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"Poor Tokoyami-kun. His Prince has found his soulmate." Hizashi put both hands over his heart dramatically. Tenya heard a fluttering of wings behind him, clearly telling of Tokoyami's discomfort at the display.

"Hizashi-nii, soulmates are not real."

"Who knows? Perhaps you two were destined to meet." Hizashi winked at Aizawa over Tenya's head. They had met by accident at the age of ten, and Aizawa had become Tensei's valet right after the wedding. If anyone truly believed in soulmates, it was Hizashi.

"Then how fortuitous it is that out of everyone who could be my soulmate, it is the one person my parents betrothed me to at the age of two."

"Fine. Fine. I'll stop teasing him, sour puss, but he is very cute when he blushes." Hizashi leaned more heavily against his husband. "Oh! Also, we have some news!"

"News?" Tenya sat up straighter at that. This could be important.

"Now, I haven't even told Mother and Father this yet, so it doesn't leave this room." Tensei sat his cup back into his saucer on the table.

"Of course not. You have my word, Tensei-nii." Tenya was sure that Tokoyami would agree as well. He was a good friend like that.

Tensei smiled and took Hizashi's hand. "I'm having another egg."

"Another? Are you sure about this? The doctor-" Tenya's hand was mid-chop when he got cut off.

"We all know what the doctor said, Tenya, but I am not weak. I need to have my own heir eventually."

"I just think that the emotional cost of losing another chick is-"

"It's already happening, Ya. I was hoping you could be happy for me."

Tenya sighed softly and put on a smile. "I am, Tensei-nii. I just think that maybe next time it could be one of Hizashi-nii's eggs."

"Perhaps next time. We don't really… plan these things out ahead of time."

"Thank you for telling me, but I wouldn't keep this from Mother and Father too much longer. They are more than eager to become grandparents."

"I have a plan, I just didn't want it to interfere with your festivities. I'll tell them after the Endeavorians leave. Nice and tidy."

Tenya nodded, staring down at the little sandwich he had grabbed earlier that he could no longer bring himself to eat. It was good news, it really was, but he couldn't help thinking about himself in his brother's place. In a year he would be married and also expected to have eggs and chicks. Could he do that? Could he keep trying after failing so many times like Tensei? He didn't even have the option of his husband being the mother. He didn't know.

The thoughts plagued him for the rest of the day. Dinner was thankfully taken in his chambers so that he didn't have to engage in conversation. Even as he tried to busy himself in reading, the thoughts were there. He found himself staring at one page without reading a single word for who knows how long when Tokoyami informed him that it was growing late.

"Thank you, Tokoyami. I think I shall retire for the evening. Today has given me much to process, but I should be back to my old self in the morning."

Tenya always felt that a night of sleep helped him digest things, even with the strange dreams. Perhaps they even helped. He got changed into his nightwear, head barely hitting the pillow before he fell asleep.

Tenya woke up to the sound of his alarm. January 11th. Shouto's birthday, and thus another meeting. Their nineteenth bi-yearly meeting since Shouto had turned five and had been confirmed an Alpha.

He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes and the dreams from his brain. They didn't mean anything, just his mind's projection of his nerves. He never did like being in the same room as Endeavor. Sure, the man was the Number 2 hero, but something always seemed off. Particularly in his interactions with his son.

He shook all of that off and busied himself getting dressed. His parents saw themselves as progressive, allowing their Omega son to follow his dream of becoming a hero, but they had still promised him away at an early age to a son of a powerful Alpha. He was the only Omega in the family of seven, and they wanted to make sure he was taken care of.

At least Shouto wasn't anything like his father. He was a bit cold, even more so in recent years, but Tenya could still remember the boy he used to be. The boy who made him promise to braid each other's hair when it gets really long. The boy who ran with him even before he could control his engines and kept going too fast. The boy who would sit and watch butterflies in the garden when his father wasn't looking. Tenya was going to find that boy again someday. They had their entire adult lives together to do so.

There was a knock at his bedroom door just as he finished adjusting his omega collar in the mirror.

"Are you ready in there, Ya? The Todoroki's are almost here."

Tenya checked himself over one last time before opening the door. "Thank you, Tensei-nii. I am sorry that we cannot go on our run today."

"We can just run double tomorrow to make up for it." Tensei smiled at him, obviously holding back from ruffling his perfectly combed hair.

They walked together to the house's formal living room, the room that was only ever used on January 11th. Waiting there always seemed to make time stretch on longer than anywhere else in the house. Their parents were already there, sending him looks that Tenya couldn't quite decipher. They seemed happy at least.

After too long and all too suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Tenya's mother, the Alpha of the house, went to get it as always, the family easily falling into the routine of these meetings.

Endeavor would come into the room with Shouto behind him, and the first thing he always was "inspect" Tenya, usually with a comment or two about how broad he was for an omega. That had been added to the routine when Tenya had hit his first growth spurt at twelve. He was likely done growing now, but he was taller than even some full-grown Betas. Then, Endeavor would move on, talking to Tenya's mother about what had happened in the last half year as if they were the only two in the room. Sometimes they went over paperwork as well. Tenya would sit down with Shouto across from him in the chairs they always took, and then they would have small talk until they ran out of topics. They used to talk about deeper things, but they had long since gotten to know one another's interests. With Shouto growing cold, it had been increasingly difficult to ask about those.

Perhaps it was his dream from the night before, but today the routine felt different. It was the first time Shouto had shown up in it that he could remember. Details were hazy, but he was sure they had fought. Was he worried about that? Why would he be? They didn't have much in the way to actually fight about.

"What high schools are you applying to?" Tenya looked back up from his cup at Shouto. They had just been discussing a recent villain attack that Idaten had taken care of. Such an extreme shift in tone was not part of the routine, but Tenya liked it.

"I will be applying for U.A, just like my older brother. The entrance exam is in a month, but I believe I am well prepared." Tenya grinned widely as he answered, allowing his empty hand to chop through the air.

Shouto tilted his head some, considering his words. "Yes, I do believe you are." That was not something Tenya knew how to respond to, but thankfully Shouto kept talking. "My father has already written my recommendation to U.A. Perhaps we will see one another around campus."

"We could even be in the same class."

"You don't change, do you, Tenya?" The words were said with a smile, taking out any sting they might have held. "Only four Omegas have ever made it into the Hero Course, but that doesn't deter you, does it? I bet you aren't even applying for the GenEd course as a backup."

"Not at all. Regardless of my gender, I will become a hero. I will get into the course on my first try." Tenya punctuated his statements with his hands.

Shouto gave a very rare smile, a bit of the boy Tenya knew poking through. "I am sure you will."

They both sipped tea and ate small sandwiches as the topic of conversation moved to more neutral territories. The routine preserved but feeling lighter. Being in U.A together might help them form a closer bond.

The meeting ended much the same as the others, and only then was it that Tenya realized exactly what had been hanging over their heads. Their next official meeting would be on his sixteenth birthday, marking the age his body would start going into heat. Next time, Tenya would be marked. He scratched at his mark-proof collar when the thought hit him.

"You alright there, Ya?" Tensei was already taking off his tie. "It's stuffy in here; let's go for a run."

Tenya gave himself three heartbeats before replying. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll go get changed."

He scurried up to his bedroom, taking some comfort in being alone as he switched his collared shirt and slacks for a tee shirt and running shorts. He always felt more at home in his body when he ran. Using his quirk grounded him in a way that nothing else could. He made it back to the house foyer at the same time as Tensei, perfectly in step with one another.

They took off, bottles filled with their fuel rather than water, running the path that they always took. Near the midpoint of their run, they cut through a park, startling a flock of birds into flight. Tenya watched them soar up with fascination.

"Do you ever wonder what it's like to be one of them?" They didn't talk on runs, not usually, but something was bugging Tenya about the scene, about how it would look from above instead of below.

"Being a bird?" Tensei huffed out a laugh. "Hovering is as far as I want to get off the ground. No clue how those little dudes do it."

They ran through the park and back to the street on the other side before Tensei spoke up again. "Is this about your dreams where everyone has wings?"

"Today was the first day I've dreamed of Shouto."

"Dreams are just our subconscious working on problems, Tenya. It probably just meant that you were worried how today would go. Don't think too much on them."

"Right… You're right. I'm just being silly." The run continued on as normal. They evenly matched pace with one another, feet thudding against the ground in synchronization. Tenya tried to push the thoughts from his mind with each step.

Their mother was waiting in the kitchen when they got home.

"Oh, Tenya. You're back. Can I speak to you for a moment?" Tenya nodded, moving into the kitchen while Tensei kept on deeper into the house. There were pamphlets spread out on the table before her.

"What is it, Mother?" Tenya took a look at the pamphlets. They all looked like different schools.

"Todoroki gave these to me. Different places who would be more than happy to take you at his recommendation."

"Mother. We already decided that I am going to U.A. That hasn't changed." He picked up one of them, it was an Omega finishing school. "I am definitely not going to a place like this."

His mother sighed. "I know you have your heart set on that, Tenya, but you have to be practical here. You need a backup plan."

"I am not applying to an Omega school when I am trying to get into the Hero Course at U.A, Mother. I wouldn't go to one even if I failed the exam. I don't care what Todoroki thinks." Tenya's hand slammed down on the table, punctuating his statement even more than he usually did.

"Tenya…." His mother rubbed at her temples. "Take these and look over them. They aren't that bad. By the end of the week, I want you to tell me which of these you want as a backup plan, and I will tell Todoroki for you." She collected them all into one stack and held them out to him.

"I will make no promises on that." He took the stack and headed to his bedroom, throwing them on the desk. He wasn't usually so forceful with inanimate objects, but he felt it was justified in this case.

He never thought that his mother had such doubts in him, but here was the proof. If she really believed in him, she would have told Todoroki as such and not even given Tenya the pamphlets. A childish thought to tear them all up right now passed through his head or burn them.

He took a deep breath. He was better than that, but that didn't mean he would tell his mother that he wanted to go to any of them. He wouldn't, couldn't. It left a bad taste in his mouth thinking about going anywhere besides U.A. He would just work harder so that his mother wouldn't have any doubts left in her mind that he would be the best hero.

Tenya looked up from his study books a few hours later to a knock on his door. He hadn't even changed out of his running clothes yet, obsessed with proving his mother wrong.

"Yo, Ya! I need your help on something!"

"Give me a moment, Tensei-nii." He shoved himself away from the desk, changing into a more relaxed outfit. He ran his hand through his hair as he opened the door.

"Good, good, I've got a date tonight. Help me find something to wear."

Tenya raised a single eyebrow. "You've never come to me for help like this before."

"Yeah, yeah, but this time Hizashi can't help me out. I need someone with your style sense, little bro." Tensei pulled him out of his room and down the hall. The grip wasn't forceful, and Tenya could have gotten out of it any time he wanted, but now he was curious.

"My style sense? Last time you referred to it, the words "none" and "atrocious" were used."

"Ok, so maybe I said those things, but!" Tensei closed the door behind them firmly. "But I could really use some help here. I'm desperate." The room looked like a tornado had hit it, more specifically the closet and dresser. Clothes were strewn everywhere, some articles in matched pairs and some on their own. There was a large pile of blue jeans in the middle of the bed that seemed to be the focus of the storm.

"I didn't even know you owned a pair of blue jeans, Tensei-nii."

"These were buried deep in my storage. Most of them are from high school, actually." Tensei grabbed a matched shirt and pair of jeans. "These don't look too bad together, do they?"

"Why are you planning to wear blue jeans on a date? Who are you even seeing?" Tenya didn't have any clue where to begin helping someone pick out date attire. He had never been on one, and the comments about his style was true. Outside of school uniforms, formal tuxes, and running gear, he barely had any other clothes. Currently, he was in one of Tensei's old beat up tee shirts that had the Idaten logo on it and a pair of plaid pajama pants. They had been on the top of their respective drawers and thus the first at hand.

"So, honesty time. It's a blind date. Zashi just told me that I absolutely had to wear blue jeans."

"I thought you had told him that you weren't going on any more blind dates?" Tenya's eyes went around the room with a new perspective. They needed to find something that would both go with blue jeans but not look too informal for a date.

"Yeah well, when he claims to have found my "perfect match this time, I swear," how can I say no to at least finding out who he thinks it is? Who knows, maybe they are."

Tenya found a black top with a collar. "Best Jeanist brand, right? Doesn't he claim that any of his clothes go with denim?"

"Ya, you're a genius." Tensei grabbed the shirt from the pile. "Light or dark jeans?"

"I believe dark jeans are more formal, so you should stick to those for a date. Though, I still think wearing jeans on a first date is a faux pas."

"I hear you and am ignoring you." A pair of dark blue jeans were tugged out from the bed pile. "This does actually look pretty good together. I knew you could do it, little man."

"Is that all you needed? I wanted to go over my books again, and I have some math homework due next week."

"Ah, get back to your nerd-dom then. I'll see you when I get back, yeah?" Tensei was already changing his shirt with his back to Tenya.

"As long as it's not too late." He went back to his room, stuffing the pamphlets even further under his notebooks.

It wasn't until a few hours after dinner that Tensei came back. He was grinning from ear to ear when he came into Tenya's room.

"I take it the date went well?" Tensei's date must have been an Alpha; the smell was still lingering around the Beta.

"He was great. Just dropped me off. You'll never guess who it was." Tensei let his body fall back onto Tenya's bed.

"Tensei-nii, you're going to make my sheets smell like Alpha." Tenya shut his math book, turning to fully look at his brother.

"Best Jeanist."

"What?"

"My blind date. He was Best Jeanist. It was amazing, Ya. He complimented my style, too." Tensei rolled onto his side to face Tenya, rubbing more of the Alpha scent into his sheets. "He just- Tenya what is that?"

Tenya followed his older brother's gaze, finding one of the school pamphlets that must have fallen to the floor when the stack was thrown.

"It's nothing. Todoroki gave Mother some information on schools he could get me into. She wanted me to choose one in case I didn't get into U.A."

Tensei sat straight up, all good mood from his date gone in an instant.

"That's bullshit. Does anyone actually think you won't get in? Have they seen you?"

"I am sure Mother didn't mean it that way. She just wants to make sure I have a safety net."

Tensei reached down and picked up the pamphlet. "This is an Omega finishing school, Ya. You can't actually be considering this. Todoroki's an ass for even suggesting this, and Mother… I don't even know what she was thinking, but you, you can't let them get into your head and make you second guess yourself like this. You'll-"

"I haven't even looked at any of them, Tensei-nii." Tenya made the rare rude action and actually cut off his brother. "I stuffed them all away. She wants a choice in a week, and I'm not going to give her one. I didn't even look at their names, just in case she tries to use an Alpha command to make me pick. I'm going to U.A. I'm getting in the Hero Course at the entrance exam, and that's final."

Tensei nodded with a grin. "Good on you, Tenya. Good on you. I'll talk to her tomorrow." He stood up and cracked his back. "I think that's enough excitement for one day. You get yourself some rest."

"Good night, Tensei-nii." Tenya moved to the bed as Tensei left. The smell of Alpha was faint on the sheets, but it only helped relax Tenya further. Best Jeanist must be a good fit, was the last thought Tenya had as he drifted asleep.