( ' d )

It was a calm evening in the park. Shouto and Izuku sat close together on their bench, so close that their arms were touching. Covered in eachother's warmth in the late hours of the cold winter night, as snow flurries fell onto their flushed faces, they were at ease.

Ochako wasn't there.

"Do you believe in destiny, Shou?"

Shouto blinked, his chrome eyes turned down from the dark sky to look at the smaller greenette. "Destiny. What exactly do you mean about that, Izuku?" He asked, breathing out his hot breath in the colder air. Izuku's eyelashes fluttered, and he started to twiddle his thumbs in his lap. "Like..a purpose. Like everything in your life was supposed to happen. Like maybe..it was already planned."

There was a beat.

"Life isn't a book, Izuku," at this, Izuku cracked a ghost of a smile, so he continued. "I don't think that every event in life was planned. But I do believe that each person has a purpose; and that they are destined to be someone, whatever that is."

Izuku hummed, looking thoughtful.

Shouto stared at the greenette a bit longer, an out of character smile forming on his lips. He thought back to the fateful day when he had first met the two people he now called his best friends.

"In some cases, though, I definately believe destiny exists."

Chapter 8 —

Izuku wasn't dead. He braced himself for a hit, for the slime to crack his skull, break through his telekinesis, and kill him. He expected pain, at least. He didn't expect his idol— freaking All Might to blast the villain to oblivion with a single punch. One. Punch.

And then there he was. Stupid Izuku. Running in the middle of a crumpling alleyway because he met eyes with his childhood tormenter. Because he thought he could save him, when deep down, he knew it wasn't true.

Izuku was still in utter shock. Numb.

He was numb as police officers came in to help capture the scattered lumps of slime, as Bakugou was dragged over to the ambulance so that they could take a quick look at him and take him to the hospital if need be.

He was even numb as he himself was taken over to be looked at.

"Hey, Kid!"

Izuku's head jerked up and stared at the heroes who were currently scolding him for running in there so recklessly. Which he couldn't say if he agreed with them on not.

"Are you even listening!?"

Izuku blinked dumbly.

"If you think about it, it was really your fault for standing there and doing nothing just to wait for help to arrive. You didn't even try as hard as you could've. Was his life that unimportant to you?"

That sentence came out of Izuku's mouth before he realized it. His eyes widened. He wanted to cower, but the heroes only stared. He was aware of the farmiliar, burning gaze that was piercing the back of his head at the moment, but it didn't really matter to him right then.

Actually, he felt oddly victorious, which was new. Was the constant spur of bad luck that day finally catching up with his bad mood? Maybe. Would Yukio wack him upside the head for skipping training? Definately.

Did he care, at that moment? Absolutely not.

He wanted to go home. He really, really wanted to go home. He wanted to see his adoptive mother, who he had come to adore despite her outgoing and loud attitude.

He just wanted to be home. Maybe spend time with Ochako and Shouto.

He stared at the dumfounded heroes a bit longer before getting out of his saiza position and grabbing his backpack, which he somehow dragged over in his moment of absolute numbness. He looked around for All Might, to thank him, possibly, but found he was already swarmed by reporters.

With another sad sigh, he turning in the direction of the train station, unaware that a fuming Ochako and a still emotionless-but-worried Shouto approaching quickly behind him.

"Izuku!" The girl yelled, grabbing his attention. Izuku turned around so fast, Shouto thought he got whiplash.

"What were you thinking!?" Ochako yelled in a hushed voice. Shouto mentally chuckled.

Despite his renowned bad mood, Izuku found himself smiling like he didn't just run like a maniac into a burning alleyway to save somebody who was nothing but a complete jerk to him.

"You know the answer to that. I wasn't!"

To Izuku's surprise, Shouto let out a small laugh. "You should've known the answer to that, Ochako."

Ochako let out an exasperated sigh. Then she looked into the eyes of her friend. "I'm glad you're okay. And...don't do that ever again!"

Ice boy agreed. "Yeah, Izuku. You'll end up giving Ochako here a heart attack."

"Wow, I didn't think you cared that less about me, Shou." They all shared a laugh, and then went silent again.

"I think what those heroes said was wrong! And you were right. They weren't doing anything to help, so don't let it get to you, okay!"

Izuku smiled and Shouto let out a small hum of agreement.

"Now let's go before Yuki has a heart attack and makes us train another hour."

— — —

Izuku was silent was silent on his way back, which wasn't strange itself. Who knew what was going on in that never stop thinking brain of his.

It was the way that he looked down and stared blankly at the ground that had his friends worried. Ochako and Shouto talked absentmindedly behind him, occasionally stealing glances at Izuku. It was relatively quiet, the road they were walking down, until somebody decided to ruin it.

"I am here! Rushing around the corner like a normal person!"

And Izuku quite literally squealed.

Eyes wide and staring, he gawked at the figure standing before him. All Might in all his glory. Shouto and Ochako stared at him as well.

"A-All Might, sir? What are you doing here?"

His laughter boomed throughout the pathway. "I am here to tell you something, of course!" Izuku turned around, only to see Ochako waving at him enthusiastically a few feet away, mouthing "you're on your own! We will see you at Yuki's!'

He blinked, and then turned back to his idol. "I..um..what do you want to tell me?" Hey, he was facing All Might. He couldn't help his stutter.

"What you did during the slime villains attack was very dangerous but very heroic of you, my boy," he began. "I assume somebody like you knows a lot about heroes, including there stories, right?"

Izuku nodded.

"Good heroes had a lot of things in common. But what was one thing that stood out? The fact that there legs moved on there own."

Izuku blinked again. "W-what...are you saying?"

All Might gave him another blinding smile. "What am I saying, my boy? I am saying that I believe that you can be a hero!"

"My quirk is called One For All, and I have chosen you to inherit it! That is if you want it, of course."

"What!?"

( lol hi. I know I haven't updated in a while, I'm sowwy. ;-; I'm pretty self conscious about my writing, and this chapter wouldn't write. Still not satisfied with it :v. Annnd, my stupid self forgot my friggin password to this account, and I recently got back in lmao.

So, I know this chapter is short lol. Buuuut I kinda wanted to get it out and I felt like that was a good note to end it :D. also the previous "chapter" was something to stimulate my mind and I ended up posting it. yay I made people laugh?

k bye.)