Well here's the latest chapter of Childhood Frog. I want to apologize for not having this out sooner, I wanted to post it after work on Saturday, but sadly afterwards I lost track of time. But here it is now, and I hope you all enjoy it. Also want to say thank you for the overwhelming positive reaction to this story, I am very happy that people are getting enjoyment out of this. I hope to keep giving you all my best.
Childhood Frog
Chapter Three:
Two days after Izuku cried his eyes out to Tsuyu, saw her coming to his place of residence for the first time. It was Saturday just before lunch time when she knocked on the door to his home. The teal haired girl stood patiently as she waited for the door to open.
Tsuyu couldn't get the scene from Thursday out of her mind, Izuku crying out his frustrations after her much needed encouragement. Once he had calmed down and they had gone their separate ways she had come to a decision. 'I'm going to help him.' Was what she told herself. Later that evening after she had gotten home she had started devising a plan, a way to help get Izuku closer to his dream.
While she realized that there wasn't all that much she could realistically do, Tsuyu knew that a rigorous workout schedule would go a long way, and she wanted to help her friend. So she had spent Thursday and Friday night devising a workout schedule and a healthy diet plan. Thankfully she was resourceful, the internet had proven invaluable in helping her draft up her plan.
Tsuyu was abruptly brought out of her thoughts upon seeing the door open. A young, slightly overweight, woman with green hair appeared before her. She had her hair tied up in a simple ponytail and was wearing a yellow apron over a pink sweater. The teal haired girl could see the striking resemblance to her friend, this was obviously Izuku's mother. "Hello Midoriya-san, I'm here to see Izuku." The frog-like girl informed the older woman unblinking.
Midoriya Inko smiled excitedly at the appearance of the young girl before her. "Oh you must be Tsuyu-chan, you are just so cute!" The older woman told her excitedly. She was happy to see a friend was visiting her son. 'A girl at that.' The green haired woman thought to herself, overjoyed that her son might have a little girlfriend..
Tsuyu felt her cheeks tint ever so slightly as she averted her eyes. She wasn't used to having someone react like that too her, it made her feel a little embarrassed. "N-Nice to meet you..." The ten year old stuttered slightly, feeling a little self-conscious.
Inko's warm smile widened, she found the frog-like girl's reaction adorable. "Come on in, Tsuyu-chan." Her voice was slightly bubbly as she invited her son's friend into her home. "Izuku should be in his room, down that hall." Inko informed her as she indicated past the living room. "I'll call for you both when lunch is ready." The older woman informed her before returning to the kitchen.
Tsuyu watched the older woman work in the kitchen for a moment. The dark eyed girl observed the older woman call forth a ladle from faraway before turning away. Taking a deep breath she walked down the hallway that Inko had pointed out.
Coming upon a door with a blue All Might themed nameplate that read IZUKU on it she raised her fist and lightly knocked on his door. "Izuku?" She called out before lowering her right arm. Tsuyu blinked in alarm as she heard a loud yelp followed by a thump. "I-Izuku, are you okay?" She asked, slightly worried that he might have hurt himself
What she didn't know was that before she had knocked on his door Izuku had been mentally psyching himself for her arrival. He was in the process of reassuring himself that he could handle having a female friend over, in his room, mostly unsupervised. And when she had knocked she had brought him out of his mutterings and caused him to trip over an old action figure and land on his rear.
At her concerned tone he forced himself to answer. "Y-Yeah...I-I'm okay." Was his weak reply. Some shuffling and a few moments later Tsuyu watched the door open to reveal a slightly disheveled Izuku. He was wearing a red T-shirt, blue shorts, and white socks. His hair was slightly messier than usual, and his breathing was a tad erratic. She could plainly see that he was pretty anxious. "U-um p-p-please co-come in Asu-Tsuyu..." He quickly corrected himself.
Tsuyu frowned at his body language, he was almost as jittery as the first day they met. "There's no reason for you to be nervous, Izuku." She told him directly, finding his awkwardness around her unnecessary. Her eyes started scanning around his room, she knew that he admired All Might but... 'He has a lot of posters...' The teal haired girl thought to herself before looking over to his bookshelf and occupied herself by silently reading the titles.
The green haired boy gulped lightly before nodding. Rubbing the back of his head he stuttered out an apology. "So-Sorry...I-It's just-I've ne-never had a gi-girl in my room before..." When Tsuyu's gaze returned to him he felt his face becoming even hotter.
Tsuyu felt her own cheeks tint slightly pink as his explanation made her realize something. 'This is the first time I've been in a boy's room...' The frog-like girl thought to herself as she adopted some of his nervousness. Averting her gaze she addressed his statement. "Gero...If you're uncomfortable having me in here, we can go into the other room..." She offered amicably.
The green haired boy's looked away for a moment before shaking his head. "N-No, i-it's okay." He assured her as some of the heat left his face. "Ju-Just give me a moment." He quietly asked, to which Tsuyu nodded. The frog-like girl discreetly observed him out of the corner of her eye as he composed himself. .
"Okay, Izuku. Take your time." Tsuyu told him understandably before walking over to his computer chair and seating herself. "Gero." The teal haired girl simply smiled as she waited patiently.
The Quirkless boy gave a stiff nod in silent thanks before slowly lowering himself onto the edge of his bed. A couple minutes later when he felt that he was relaxed enough he looked over to her. "S-So...Why did you want t-to come over to-today?" Nervousness aside, Izuku was in no way against his only friend wanting to visit him. However he was still curious as to the nature of this first visit.
The teal haired girl smiled at seeing him slightly more calm. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a folder with a few leaflets of paper. "After the other day," Izuku's blush returned as he realized what she was referring to. Even two days later he still remembered the sensation of having her arms around him as he cried into her shoulder. Ignoring his reaction Tsuyu continued her explanation. "I thought it over and decided I wanted to help you."
That caught his attention. "H-H-Help me? H-How?" The green haired boy inquired as he momentarily forgot his embarrassment. The Quirkless child couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head. Before long Izuku would find her penchant for speaking her mind to be one of the things he admired about her. .
Tsuyu's lips curved up into a wide smile as she passed the folder to him. "I figured that if you want to become a pro hero, then you need to work for it." The teal haired girl explained as her friend opened the folder and began reading the contents. "It's a workout plan, and a list of foods you should eat if you want to be healthy." Green eyes quickly scanned the first sheet before he went to the next. "You don't have a Quirk, so you'll want to be strong as humanly possible."
Izuku didn't answer her as he continued reading the plan she had laid out. "Early morning jogs before school, sit ups, push ups, and squats...Hmmm..." Tsuyu blinked as he started muttering to himself, making little additions to the plan. "Also stretching is important, wouldn't want to pull or tear something..." The muttering continued as he turned to the next page which had a list of foods that he should eat, and those he should avoid.
Tsuyu remained silent as the boy continued muttering to himself, this time about the types of foods he would have to eat. Truthfully she was starting to feel a tad worried at his reaction, considering she had just sprung this on him. Her intentions were honest, but there was the possibility that he could view this as needless meddling. The frog-like girl tapped her finger against her mouth before speaking. "If you don't want to, you don't have to. Gero..." She told the boy, causing his gaze to snap back to her.
Izuku blinked in confusion before looking back at the sheets of paper in his hands. While her facial features remained hard to read he could see the slight tenseness in her shoulders. Shaking his head he quickly assuaged her doubts. "N-No, that's not it." He told her before clearing his throat. "I-I really appreciate this As-Tsuyu." Tsuyu noted his slight slip up, but did appreciate his effort in referring to her as she asked. "I...I'm just surprised th-that you would go through all th-this t-trouble for m-me." Izuku told her, the tips of his ears becoming red.
Tsuyu felt relieved by his reaction, but frowned as realized that she should tell him the other part. "Gero, well..." She trailed off. "This doesn't just help you, I'm going to be using this as well." The dark eyed girl admitted to him before elaborating. "Izuku, you're not the only one who wants to be a hero, and this seems like a good way to get stronger." Thinking about Izuku's situation made her realize that she too wanted to strive for more. If someone without powers could aspire for so much, then she felt that she should be doing her best as well.
"Before we know it we'll be in middle school, and then high school." The frog-themed girl looked down at her large hands, before folding them over her lap. "I want to get into the hero course at UA, and I know that it's not an easy school to get into." Tsuyu told him before looking back up with determined eyes. "I hope you don't mind me working with you." She asked him, her expression betraying only the slightest hint of her nervousness.
Izuku appeared stricken by her admission, but he was by no means upset. His stunned expression morphed into pure happiness. Standing up he walked over to her and bowed in respect. "I-I don't mind at all, in fact I feel so lucky." He was trying and failing at hiding his tears of happiness. "I promise I won't hold you back." He swore, hoping that he would not be a burden on her.
Tsuyu was about to open her mouth, to tell him that he would in no way hold her back. Sadly the words ended up dying on her throat as Inko called for them. "Izuku, Tsuyu-chan lunch is ready!" Izuku jerked out of his bow before turning to look at the door to his room. The two kids shared a glance before quickly leaving to join Izuku's mom for a nice warm meal.
Just a little before seven that following Monday morning, the two began their rigorous training routine. Thankfully the park wasn't far from their school. It had a couple of swings and a few structures for children to play on, plus a couple of benches that parents could sit on. When Izuku, wide awake and ready to train, arrived he was dressed in dark blue running shorts and a gray T-shirt. In addition to his school supplies the yellow bag on his back contained a change of clothes, plus a couple of water bottles.
Tsuyu had also opted to wear clothes better suited for working out. Black shorts that stopped just above her knees and a light green short sleeved shirt. The two placed their bags by a bench, and per Izuku's suggestions began some stretches. Once they felt that they were loosened up enough they began jogging around the park.
To Izuku's slight dismay Tsuyu proved to be much more physically capable then him. During their jog she consistently remained in front of him by at least a few steps. The teal haired girl had her Quirk to thank for her stronger than average legs. Though despite her advantage the green haired boy was in no way deterred, and instead opted to do his best to be able to catch up to her.
By the end of their first jog he was red in the face and barely able to catch his breath. Retrieving one of the water bottles from his bag he twisted the cap and nearly emptied in two large gulps. The cool water did much to relieve his parched throat. Taking a moment to catch his breath he kindly offered the second bottle to his friend, who thanked him as she accepted it.
Push ups and sit ups were next, and these two exercises left Izuku sweating and even more out of breath. In addition he was also feeling the burning of muscles he had rarely ever used. Tsuyu could also admit to feeling fatigue from these activities, even if her legs were strong, she was discovering that her upper body strength paled in comparison.
At around 7:50 the two ten year olds decided that they should leave, lest they wanted to be late for school. Before leaving the pair made use of the public restroom to change into their school clothes. Staying awake during the morning lessons after their workout proved to be a trial all on it's own. Thankfully, despite their shared exhaustion the two managed to remain relatively alert until lunch time.
Izuku yawned tiredly before slumping forward as the lunch bell rang. HIs eyes slowly slid shut and he allowed his body to relax and surrender to sleep. Sadly he was denied as a familiar fist met his exposed flank. "Gah!" The green haired boy cried out. Izuku rubbed his sore side, he was still feeling the tingling burn from his morning exercise.
The green haired boy was unsurprised to see who had socked him. "Stay awake Deku," Katsuki sneered at him with a harsh scowl. "If you snore during class I'll hit you even harder." The antagonistic blond promised before going to join his friends for lunch.
Izuku sighed tiredly as he watched his childhood bully leave, once he was gone he allowed himself to relax. In the midst of pulling out his lunch he noticed that Tsuyu was slowly making her way over to him. The green eyed boy smiled up at her as she pulled the seat out from in front of him. "Still feeling sore, Izuku?" His frog-like friend inquired, as she slumped in the chair from across him.
The green eyed boy pursed his lips before nodding hesitantly. Sadly his arms and legs were still sore from the morning workout. "Y-Yeah." He sheepishly admitted, causing the girl to smile sympathetically.
"Hmmm." The frog-like girl sounded before tapping her mouth with her finger. "I bet Bakugo hitting you didn't help matters. Gero." Her lips had dipped into a frown as she had seen the brief exchange.
Izuku's eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded. "Y-Yeah..." The green haired boy answered before looking down at his hands.
Tsuyu looked away, over the last week she had come to dislike that crestfallen expression. "Izuku, let's go eat outside." She suggested, hoping that maybe eating outside on this nice day might cheer him up. Izuku looked back up at her in surprise, he hadn't expected her abrupt announcement. "I figured maybe eating outside might cheer you up." She explained, hoping that would be enough for him.
The Quirkless boy made an O shape with his mouth before offering a small smile. "Th-Thanks, Tsuyu." He said, his cheeks tinting slightly at her thoughtfulness. Izuku was quickly learning that Tsuyu's instinct to help was a trait he admired about her.
The two found themselves seated outside of the school building in the courtyard. With it being a very nice September morning, and the weather being fair, there were a number of other students. The two were in a slightly more secluded section of the courtyard, under a small tree that offered moderate shade. "So you've known Bakugo since you were little?" Tsuyu asked, prompting a nod from her friend.
Izuku's eyes became faraway for a second before he nodded. "Yeah. He and I use to play together." The Quirkless boy answered while thinking back to better times. "In a way I use to really admire him." He admitted, prompting a curious look from his friend. "Even if he was a little rough around the edges, Kaachan was an amazing leader and so confident. I wanted to be able to be like him." Izuku's shoulder's hunched forward lightly. "But then he learned what his Quirk was."
Tsuyu's expression went through a variety of subtle changes as she listened to her green haired friend recount from his childhood how the friendship between him and Katsuki came to an end. How he received his nickname, Deku, how his attempts of kindness to the blond were rejected. And even how he watched the person he once considered a friend push someone weaker than him down.
The teal haired girl watched as her friend balled his hand into a small fist. She could see that this was somewhat monumental to him. "I couldn't let it slide. A hero like All Might wouldn't allow that to happen." The green haired boy said a serious expression.
Tsuyu stared at the boy for a few moments before smiling widely. "Izuku you're very kind." Hearing that compliment caused the Quirkless boy to blush lightly. Tsuyu smiled at her friend's response before turning her attention back to her meal.
Heat returning to his cheeks Izuku's mouth curved into a smile. "H-Heh, uh... Th-Thanks..." He rubbed the back of his head bashfully. Despite the embarrassment her compliment brought, Izuku founded that it felt good to hear someone say these sorts of things to him.
Before they knew it lunch was over and they settled in for afternoon lessons. Somehow the two children managed to keep awake for the remainder of the day. As the final bell rang Izuku let out a tired sigh and nearly collapsed on his desk. All of the other students quickly collected their things and began spilling out of the room.
After making sure she had everything she needed Tsuyu turned to look at Izuku. Her lips curved into a small smile at his look of exhaustion. Nearly everyone had vacated the room by the time she walked over to his desk. "I'm tired too, Izuku." She told him understandably before patting his shoulder.
The green haired boy smiled weakly at their shared fatigue. "I know. This new schedule is just something I'll have to get used to." Izuku told her before lifting his head off his desk. "Like you said, I need to work a hundred times as hard as everybody else. This is just the first step to becoming a pro hero." He met her dark eyes with shimmering green ones.
Tsuyu felt her mouth part slightly before grinning. "You've got the right attitude, Gero." She complimented before moving to help him collect his things. "Just remember that I want to be a hero too, so I'll be right there with you." Izuku, eyes threatening to water, nodded as he returned her smile.
After they left the school they continued in the same direction for a little while. Their houses weren't too far away, according to Tsuyu. And as they came to the point where they would usually depart from one another Izuku decided to be a little bold. "Tsu-Tsuyu?" His hesitant voice caught her attention and she stopped to look at him.
When he didn't continue the teal haired girl prompted him lightly. "What is it?"
Taking a nervous breath he tried to keep from stuttering. "I-I was wondering if y-you wa-wanted to c-come over?" At the moment his face was slightly red, he still wasn't used to having a friend over. Also this was the first time he had ever asked for her to come over, last Saturday she had been the one to ask to come over.
Tsuyu stared at him for a few seconds, weighing her options. On one hand she wouldn't mind spending more time with Izuku, plus they could probably do their homework together. 'But...' At the same time she was kind of looking forward to passing out on her bed. Taking in his nervous yet hopeful expression a little longer made her decide on the former. "Okay." She answered, eliciting a sigh of relief from the shy boy.
When they arrived at his place Izuku's mom while surprised, was delighted to see Tsuyu. She even asked if the girl would like to stay for dinner. Tsuyu, seeing the kind faces of the Midoriya family said that she would love to. "Just let me call my mom." The teal haired girl added in, pulling her out rarely used cell phone.
A quick phone call later and Tsuyu had the okay from her family to have dinner at her friend's house. The two children retreated to Izuku's room to work on homework. They managed to get through a few problems before the relatively relaxed atmosphere lulled one of them to sleep.
Surprisingly Tsuyu was the first to drift, and ended up using Izuku's shoulder as a pillow. The green haired boy nearly had a heart attack at seeing his homework partner sleeping peacefully on him. Gulping he forced himself to remain still for fear of waking her. It was probably five or so minutes of nervous waiting before his own eyelids started to grow heavy. Letting go of his nerves he allowed himself to be fall asleep to the soft sound of Tsuyu breathing.
When Izuku's mom entered the room to check on them she was surprised at the sight that greeted her. Seated on the floor against Izuku's bed sat two snoozing ten year olds. Tsuyu's head was on her son's shoulder, while his head rested against hers. Like any kind mother Inko allowed them to sleep for a little bit, but not before snapping a couple photos on her phone.
Later when she woke them up the two groggy children, they enjoyed a light dinner before taking Tsuyu home.
Well this was a tad bit longer than the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this.
