I will continue to grow as a hero and a person.

Two years ago, Kamika Sora was in Shizuoka for the first time. The crisp January air beating against her face as she ran through the streets, searching frantically for U.A. She had ended up oversleeping since her train came in late. So she was frazzled, completely unprepared, and she forgot to charge her cell phone so she couldn't depend on that.

She turned a corner to see a massive crowd. Their voices overlapped as they tried to get a good look of the big scene. Even though Kamika had a crucial exam to take in five minutes, she had to check it out. Especially after hearing someone say, 'The Grand Three,' otherwise known as the great guardians of this district. They're a trio of heroes that formed an unofficial team due to their incredible compatibility and phenomenal cumulative strength.

Most people wanted to get a glimpse of the new number one hero, Deku. The green haired man could take down hundreds of villains in a matter of seconds. Then there were those there for Earphone Jack, a heroine who operated with sounds and beats, often the mastermind behind certain team-ups. Finally, the hero that Kamika had been a fan of since her childhood, Tsukuyomi.

"Tokoyami-san," Kamika smiled broadly.

There was only spot where she could see them above the crowd. So while everyone was distracted, she climbed to the top of a streetlight and perched there. Down below, the aforementioned heroes, stood side by side as a bank robbery was in progress.

"Seems like a gang," Jirou remarked. "I can hear about five or six inside."

Midoriya nodded as he relayed the known information of the enemies' Quirks. "There's a three second delay between recharges."

"Three seconds," Tokoyami chuckled, "think that's short enough for you?"

"It's not a challenge, but it'll have to do," Midoriya grinned.

The guys quickly got into position. Blink and you'd miss Midoriya suddenly dashing to the back of the building while Tokoyami used Dark Shadow to climb to the rooftop. Kamika watched with wide eyes as the birdman discreetly cracked open a vent before disappearing inside. Jirou was the only one who hadn't moved though she was communicating with her comrades through an earpiece.

"Follow my beats," Jirou told them. "At each second one, I expect you guys to move."

Midoriya and Tokoyami silently crept to their assigned locations before responding. "Understood."

The heroine started counting and two seconds passed. There were gunshots and what sounded to be a beam fired from inside. But Tokoyami instantly shot out a black claw that acted as a wall to protect the hostages and minimize the damage. In the next two seconds, Midoriya jumped in, lunging for the five villains and taking them down in a flash. The last one was freaked out and tried to make a break for it but as soon as he got outside, an earphone jack looped around his neck, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Don't make me take your eye out," Jirou warned.

"Sorry," Midoriya called as he stepped out, his award-winning smile on his freckled face. "Took a millisecond too long."

Tokoyami soon followed close behind, the group of knocked-out villains ensnared by his Quirk. "Was that what it was?"

The masses erupted into excited cheers as the media immediately tried to hound them for questions. The heroes professionally smiled and waved at the cameras while leading the criminals into the police cars. They also politely avoided questions until they could make sure the hostages were safe.

"For The Grand Three, you guys are rather short."

Tokoyami's eye twitched while Jirou pretended not to hear. Midoriya immediately tried to defuse the situation.

"You guys were amazing!" Kamika shouted, getting their attention. "How did you—?"

Everyone gasped as they watched the teenage girl stand up and slip on the frost. She plummeted down the seven foot tall pole, letting out an involuntary scream, causing the heroes to spring into action. But it was Tokoyami who reacted first, stretching out Dark Shadow's claws so that they acted as a cushion to break her fall. Very slowly, he pulled her towards them, ready to scold her if it weren't for the fact that he recognized her.

During Tokoyami's first year in U.A., he went to Kyushu for his on-the-field work experience after the Sports Festival. It was actually the week that brought him closer to his classmate and lover, Shouji. But he also met a little girl there who hoped to become a hero herself.

"What were you doing up there?" Jirou chided.

Midoriya continued smiling. "Don't be too hard on her. I used to do things like that all the time."

"Deku," Jirou groaned, "that doesn't make it better. Set an example.

The birdman didn't say anything at first, he barely heard his companions speaking. Kamika was staring down timidly, refusing to look up at the heroes (though she was actually around their height) until her ears were met with silence. Tokoyami let out a disappointed sigh when he remembered what day it was.

"You probably have some place to be, right?" Tokoyami asked. He gestured down the street. "If you're looking for U.A., you should hurry before you miss the entrance exam." The other two heroes looked on with surprise while Kamika's eyes widened with each word. "You don't want to be barred from getting in just because you were late."

"Oh, you're right!" she gasped. "I'm gonna be late! Thank you!"

Tokoyami chuckled softly as she took off. "You really take after your grandfather."

The group went off for a stroll once they finished giving their testimonies. They were excited about that year's entrance exam since both Eri and Kouta were participating as well. They were both being trained by pro heroes already so they should be fine. On the other hand, Tokoyami had no clue what Kamika had gone through since he last heard from her.

The former classmates couldn't help reminiscing how their own exam had gone after getting bubble tea from their favorite shop. Midoriya didn't enjoy talking about how he broke his legs and arm, thinking he had failed because he got no villain points. Jirou apparently freaked out as well since she only took down a few robots with her earphone jacks. But her rescue points and her grade for the written exam were enough to get her in.

"Mezo was in the same area you were," Tokoyami said to Midoriya. "He told me about that punch."

The green-haired man grimaced. "That was the first time I'd ever broken any bones."

"Come to think of it," said Jirou, "how is Shouji anyway?"

Almost automatically, Tokoyami's brows furrowed and he glared into the middle distance.

Shouji had been recruited to an international hero team in America that was assembled to take down the western equivalent of the League of Villains. The leader felt that Shouji's reconnaissance skills would be useful and the status he gained as a U.A. alum was attractive too. But unfortunately, he was not allowed to make contact with anyone for fear that his location could be tracked since the enemy supposedly had someone with such a Quirk.

"I only know what you know," Tokoyami grumbled.

By sheer coincidence, they were passing by an electronics store and a news bulletin came on one of the TVs in the window. There was a conference going on with the very team of heroes they were talking about. Seeing Shouji on screen after having gone so long without being with him in person had all of Tokoyami's attention. He also couldn't lie, the spandex hero suit showing off the torso muscles, was a sight for sore eyes.

Their spokesperson was handling most of the questions but on occasion, someone else would speak. The camera continued to follow them even after it was over, the heroes suddenly getting attacked by fans. Some civilians were even trying to block their way into their hotel where they were staying for the night.

"Wow," Midoriya remarked. "Shouji's got a lot of fans."

Jirou nodded. "Well, he does have the most sex appeal among the guys in our class."

"Really? What about Todoroki?"

"Pretty and sexy aren't synon—."

Tokoyami was no longer glaring at the screen, his eyes were actually burning holes into the glass. A black aura was surrounding his body, threatening all that would come too close though it was clear that Dark Shadow had nothing to do with it. He wanted to reach inside and force Shouji through the double doors and away from the audience.

"Don't they know that Mezo's taken?" Tokoyami snarled.

"Uh, they don't," Jirou stated. "Remember? Secret relationship?"

Tokoyami knew that it would be inappropriate behavior to assault or insult civilians purely because they were drooling over his boyfriend. But at the same time, he couldn't stand seeing Shouji trying to come up with random polite excuses for turning down dinner dates and romantic gifts. Just then, Nejire, the other representative from Japan, stepped in to pull Shouji inside.

"See," said Midoriya. "Nejire-senpai will—."

"Who does she think she is putting her hands on him?!" Tokoyami snapped.

He must've looked as terrifying as when he'd gone berserk. Not to mention how embarrassed he felt. He didn't want to come off as overly possessive but he hadn't had the chance to touch his own boyfriend in so long. To see someone else get to spend time with him left the birdman aching.

"Are you… jealous?" Jirou remarked.

"No," said Tokoyami as calmly as he could, "what makes you say that?"

Midoriya looked at the phone in his hand. "We are literally watching you unfriend Nejire-senpai right now."

Tokoyami stuffed the device into his pocket while pretending they didn't see it. As he stomped away, he heard the others attempt to change the subject. Without realizing it, he ended up leading their little trio to the grand arch at the entrance of U.A. Without having to ask, he knew they were all thinking of it as well. The day they passed under it and entered their classroom for the first time, their lives had changed in a huge way.

They couldn't picture what would've happened if any one of them hadn't passed the exam. What would have happened if Midoriya hadn't gotten those last rescue points. Or if Jirou didn't have the confidence to tell her parents that she didn't want a career in music. Or if Tokoyami had let his fear of losing control keep him from reaching his full potential with Dark Shadow.

But in Tokoyami's case, becoming a hero somehow became an afterthought. All his anxiety became worse when he befriended his class. When Midoriya asked him to be a part of his team during the cavalry battle and when Jirou jammed out with him during the culture festival, he really felt like he'd found a family. He became scared of accidentally hurting them. They became more important to him than his goals.

Then there's Shouji. As a matter of fact, it might've started with him.

In middle school, Tokoyami tried to keep people at an arm's distance. He wanted to focus on honing his skills and studying for his exams no matter how far away they were. His little crush on the buff, six-armed classmate was the first crack in his stoic facade. Then they evolved into affection which became reciprocated. Suddenly, everything he kept buried broke through and he changed.

"Has it really been over a decade?" Jirou commented.

Tokoyami nodded. "I guess so."

"We've come a long way," Midoriya chuckled.

The birdman nodded in agreement, thinking about how happy he was with the place he was at. As a hero protecting the lives of civilians everyday and as Shouji's partner. They had gone through so much together since they first started dating, how could he say that he didn't trust Shouji? The man had proven time and time again that his love was real.

"I'm a terrible boyfriend," Tokoyami muttered.

"No, you're not," said Jirou. "You just lack confidence in yourself."

Midoriya nodded along with her. "You're always telling yourself you don't deserve Shouji."

Well, that was certainly true. And Tokoyami still felt that way at times. What had he done to be with someone so loyal and caring towards him? Whatever it was, he felt truly blessed to have the man in his life. And also extremely lucky to have the rest of class A looking after him even after they'd graduated.

"I should work on that," Tokoyami chuckled.

—X—

"I'm late!"

Tokoyami let out a sigh just as a head of silver hair ran past him. She was so fast that she hadn't even noticed him until after she had ran twenty steps past the school's arch. She screeched to a stop, nearly falling flat on her face had it not been for Dark Shadow catching her.

"Ts-Tsukuyomi-san!" Kamika yelped. "What are you doing here?"

The birdman crossed his arms in annoyance, thinking about how absurd it was for the teen to live in the dorm and still manage to show up to school late. He honestly felt bad for the new teacher who would be teaching science for the third-years. "Creati is a new faculty member, I was here helping her unpack her things in the staff room."

Kamika gasped. "Creati? As in the number ten hero? She's here?!"

"She is," Tokoyami sighed. "And you're going to make an awful first impression."

Kamika swore out loud and gave him a sloppy bow before taking off once more. In the last two years, it was good that a few things could stay constant. But at the same time, Tokoyami was more than willing to accept the changes that came into his life.

As expected, Kamika, Eri, and Kouta passed their entrance exam and ended up in the same class. The new generation of Aizawa's problem children. Without telling her, Tokoyami watched her compete in the Sports Festival, only planning to nominate her if she hit the top sixteen which she successfully did. They fought against many villains together and he knew she would make a truly exceptional sidekick once she graduated from U.A.

Of course, he couldn't forget about the biggest change in his life.

"Are you ready to go?"

Tokoyami turned away from the school. The place where he found his second family and studied to be the best hero he could become. The place where he ended up discovering love. It wasn't like he had stepped inside with those expectations and goals. But he ended up wanting to be together with just one person for as long as he could. He wanted to cherish and adore this person until the end of time.

"Yeah," Tokoyami nodded. "Just reminiscing."

Shouji joined his side. "Would you go back and do anything different?"

"No," Tokoyami replied. "Everything's perfect… and we'll continue to make perfect memories."