All Izuku wanted to do was go home and tell his mother about his first day at Yuuei, but but he couldn't. Not yet, at least. Izuku placed one hundred percent of the blame for that at Hatsume Mei's feet. The plan had been simple enough to Izuku. They would meet at the back gates to avoid the majority of the press waiting to pounce on the new heroes after school-Nedzu may have stressed them being seen entering but he not such specifications about them leaving-and head to their usual café to talk about their day before going their separate ways for the day.

And yet, here he was almost an hour after school had officially ended with no Mei in sight. He had even told her that he had a present for her, sure that the prospect of a surprise would be enough to get her moving after the final bell. Knowing Mei, she had probably started a project and then gotten too wrapped up in it to notice that everyone else had already left. The only way he was going to get to talk to her before it grew too late was if he went in and physically dragged her out.

Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem. Since their introduction and Mei's declaration that they, of course, had to become friends, Izuku had broken into the Hatsume store more than one in order to keep Mei from overworking herself. She would always act a little put out and angry about him dragging her away from whatever 'baby' she had been tinkering with, but even she would admit that she needed the break. After the fact and with much exaggerated complaining beforehand. Now though, Izuku wasn't so sure that such an interruption would be met with the same reaction.

It wasn't that he thought his friendship with Mei would change when they entered Yuuei. No matter what else happened, their friendship would never be in question. That didn't mean that they couldn't make other friends though. What if he went to the support class only to interrupt Mei in the process of making a new friend? They had both been by themselves for so long, Izuku didn't want to accidentally ruin something for her.

So he stood at the gate as the minutes ticked by, waffling between going inside and staying put. He had almost decided to go track her down when the back doors of the school burst open, Mei already laughing at the look of surprise on his face.

"Izuku! Sorry to keep you waiting, but as you can see there was a little bit of an accident."

Izuku thought that that must surely be an understatement. Mei had clearly tried to clean herself up a bit, but the rings of soot around her eyes marking her goggles was still clear even from a distance. Her clothes smelled like smoke when she hugged him, and he was sure that there was a layer of dried fire repellant on the leg of her pants.

"Mei," Izuku said slowly, stepping back to look at her, hands still grasping her shoulders. "Please tell me you did not set a fire. It's our first day of school, Mei, please."

Mei huffed, pouting as she brushed at a line of soot streaking the arm of her jacket. "It was only a little explosion, Izuku-"

"An explosion?"

"-no one got hurt. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get bonus points too once I write up the report on what happened."

"You're going to get bonus points for an explosion that almost set the school on fire?"

Mei rolled her eyes. "It didn't almost set the school on fire. It was a teeny, tiny explosion. For science. It was an explosion for science, and I'm sorry I'm late, and also, you owe me cake."

Now it was Izuku's turn to scoff. "You're late, and I'm the one who owes you cake? You were supposed to meet me an hour ago."

"And I worried about you out here waiting for me the entire time Recovery Girl was patching me up, so I think that means you owe me for emotional stress." Mei started towards the gates without waiting for Izuku's response. "I'm thinking strawberry shortcake or maybe chocolate."

"Emotional distress?" Izuku asked, going after her. "Wait, what do you mean Recovery Girl had to patch you up? That's not a small explosion, Mei!"

Mei didn't start sharing the details until they were sitting at their usual table, two slices of cake in front of her. Izuku had grumbled at her demand, but had caved almost immediately just as Mei had known he would.

"You said you had a present for me?" Mei asked, stabbing a strawberry with her fork.

"Nope," Izuku answered. "No present. Not until you tell me about this "little" explosion you had. Why did you need to see Recovery Girl?"

"I didn't really need to see her. It was just a precaution. Inhaling dangerous chemicals and all that. The explosion really was a small one, there was just a lot of smoke. You know how much of a stickler my mom is for safety regulations. I had my goggles on and everything. Cleaning up the mess took more time than anything. I must have looked like a wreck though, because other students were freaking out and bullied the teacher into making me go see the nurse. She didn't even have to do anything much. You would think that my new classmates had never seen a lab malfunction before from the way they were acting."

"Nothing you're saying right now is doing anything to make me feel better, I do hope you know that."

"I'm fine, Izuku, really. Now tell me about your day. No explosions of your own, I take it?" Mei still seemed entirely too calm, but Izuku knew she wouldn't budge now that she had asked him about his day. His stubbornness had only made her's worse, and vice versa.

"I survived. Reactions were pretty even across the board, but I expected that. No one did anything outright hostile though." In between bites of his own dessert, Izuku explained what had happened during Aizawa's first class. "Good thing-I don't think anything suspects I know Aizawa beyond homeroom. Bakugou, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu didn't say a word. Bad side-Iida Tenya does not seem to appreciate my presence in the class, and he is definitely the kind of person who will continue to let me know that out of a misguided sense of concern for my safety."

Mei hummed. "Still not an excuse. He knows nothing about you, and he thinks that he knows what's best for you? I don't care who his parents are, that's such bullshit."

"To be fair, his brother did almost die."

"That is sad. Doesn't mean he knows better than you or gets to tell you what risks to take."

"I mean. You're right, but there's not much I can do about it at this point," Izuku said. "Either he accepts that I deserve to be there or he doesn't, but I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince him. If Iida Tenya is the biggest obstacle I have to deal with from my classmates, then I can handle him by ignoring him."

"Besides, you have a practical tomorrow, right? He'll have to shut up when you kick his ass."

"Pretty sure it's not that kind of practical."

Mei waved him off. "Doesn't matter. You'll dominate whatever little problem All Might throws at you, and he'll leave you alone. And if he doesn't, I still have all of those babies I made up for Bakugou. It won't be a problem to slip one into his shoe locker." Izuku didn't get the chance to protest that declaration, because Mei hurried on, shoving an outstretched hand in his direction. "You said you had a present for me?"

"I did?" Izuku asked, putting on a confused expression. "Why would I get you a present?"

"Izuku!" Mei whined, making grabbing hands at him. "I was in an explosion today! And you want to be mean to me?"

"Uh-uh, Mei," Izuku responded, shaking his head as he reached into his bag. "You don't get to play both cards. You already said it wasn't a bad explosion. Was that a lie? Do I need to be worried? Should I call your mom?"

"You wouldn't!"

Izuku raised an eyebrow, hand still in his bag.

"Please don't make that face. You look too much like Aizawa. It's weirding me out."

"But that only makes me want to do it more," Izuku joked, but handed over the small box anyway.

"Izuku!"

"Teasing forgiven then?" He asked, as Mei held up her gift to examine it in the light. "I got the idea from Hizashi and Aizawa, and then you stopped to look at this in the market that day. It seemed like a perfect fit. On a thin chain hung a charm of two interlocking gears, Mei's name scrawled across one in neat, curving characters. "I had to sneak back to get it engraved later, but the woman selling it didn't mind. She seemed to think that you were my girlfriend."

"That is absolutely hilarious," Mei said, still staring at the charm. "No offence, Izuku, but you aren't exactly my type. I hope you used that to get a discount though. I love it. Thank you!"

"Had to get you something so you wouldn't forget me when you get caught up in all of your amazing future projects. The chain is short enough that you should be able to wear it without worrying about it getting in your way."

"As if I could," Mei rolled her eyes. "Put it on me?"

Inko knew it wouldn't help time move any faster, but it was hard not to wait at the door for Izuku to get home. Hizashi had sent her a brief text after his class to let her know how her son seemed to be doing, but it wasn't the same as hearing about his day in person. She understood why he had wanted to speak with Mei first though, and as much as she wanted to hear about what had happened, she couldn't be upset for spending time with his friend.

Hatsume Mei added another bullet point to the long list of reasons that Inko would never be able to repay Aizawa for all that he had done for her family. Sometimes Inko could almost let herself forget what it had been like all those years Izuku had come home from school, unhappy and alone. She wouldn't, of course. She deserved to carry the weight of letting Izuku down, because surely there must have been something more that she could have done. Izuku having found a friend now didn't make up for the years that he had been alone. Izuku didn't blame her, but didn't need him to in order to blame herself.

Aizawa had changed that though, just like he had changed so many things in their lives. She hadn't thought about it much at the time, too worried for Izuku and his future and the dream that he refused to abandon, but she was just as lonely as her. The friends that she had made when they first moved into the apartment had vanished around the same time she had kicked her husband out. Whether one had led to the other, Inko couldn't be sure. She had been a new mother on her own with a baby and no family left to help her.

Just like it how it seemed impossible to imagine Izuku without Hatsume Mei by his side, Inko couldn't imagine her life without Hizashi and Aizawa. Their friendship had been a little intimidating at first, Inko wasn't afraid to admit. They had been friends for years and it showed, even when they were just sitting together in silence. How was Inko supposed to find a place in that? They both loved Izuku though, and it didn't take long for Inko to realize that while she could never have the same kind of relationship that Hizashi and Aizawa shared with each other, that didn't mean that her friendship would be valued any less.

So yes, she owed quite a lot to Aizawa Shouta, and she would be happy trying to repay that debt for as long as possible.

Hizashi wouldn't be joining them for dinner that night, school duties already taking over his schedule now that he would be expected to start running the school's radio station again. Inko had already made sure that he knew food would be sent his way via Aizawa, and that she expected him to come by at least once that week. Her boys could be self-destructive when they latched onto something with a single-minded determination, all three of them, and Inko wasn't above using Izuku as an excuse to make sure that her two more difficult cases didn't take advantage of the fact that she couldn't ground them when they didn't take care of themselves.

Aizawa arrived first, the quiet click of the lock letting her know that it was the pro hero rather than her son coming home. It had taken a long time for Inko to convince him to not only take the key but to use it. "Are you really going to make me come to the door every single time, Aizawa-san?" Inko had asked when on his fifth visit after she had given him a key he still refused to let himself in. He had looked embarrassed, but he hadn't argued with her about it again, and the next time he came by for a visit he had used his key rather than the doorbell. Hizashi had been much easier to convince, taking the key from her hand before she even had to ask.

He still looked a little embarrassed sometimes at the freedom Inko allowed him in her home, but the occasions had become rarer as more time passed. Now he walked in without a word, dropping his school bag on the table beside the door and slouching to his usual seat at the table.

"Oh, honestly," Inko said, taking in the slump of his shoulders and the dark circles around his eyes. "I would have thought you would be over the first day of school jitters by now. You're as bad as Izuku."

"In my defense," Aizawa said, "today wasn't a normal first day. I've never had a student in my class that wasn't new to me before."

Inko hummed, placing a steaming cup of tea in front of him. "And how was Izuku today?" Although she tried to keep her voice flat, Inko knew that Aizawa wasn't fooled by her supposed nonchalance. He took a minute to answer, taking a long drink from his cup.

"Is this a new tea, Inko? It's very good. I think I can taste the-"

"Shouta."

Aizawa grinned, setting his cup back down. "Izuku seemed fine today. I didn't get the chance to check in with him after homeroom, but Hizashi had him after lunch. No one gave him any trouble with me, and Hizashi said he already seemed friendly with some of his classmates. He'll have to tell you the specifics himself, but I don't think you have any reason to worry."

"Good, good," Inko said, busying herself with straightening the dishes laid out on the counter. "I knew there would be nothing to worry about, but… What about you? How was your day back?"

"Fine."

When he did not elaborate, Inko turned back to look at her friend. Aizawa stared at the table, fingers tracing the handle of his mug. He already looked exhausted, but for all that Inko wanted to force him to take a nap before dinner, she knew that he would wave off her concern. She put the lack of sleep aside for a moment and focused on the more immediate problem.

"That doesn't like like a fine that actually means fine, Shouta. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but if you think it will help, you know I'm here."

Aizawa sighed, picking up his mug again. "Izuku...he's in a good class this year. It's early on, but they've got potential if they work hard enough."

"That's a good thing isn't it?" Inko knew Aizawa struggled with his responsibilities as a teacher. Not because he wasn't good at it or because he didn't want to be there, but because he couldn't in good conscious send his students into danger knowing that they weren't prepared for what they would find.

"It is. Or it would be. You know the reputation that I've gained though. The students all know about it. I don't make a habit of caring much about students' opinions when it comes trivial things, but in this case… My reputation could actually be a hindrance. In past years, it hasn't really mattered. My students had already decided that they didn't care or they didn't need to work to impress me. I don't regret the choices that I made. The students that I expelled or had transferred to the Gen Ed class would have only ended up hurting themselves or other people. I just worry that it's going to set this class back now, having to fight against all of the assumptions that they've made."

Inko never would have imagined she would ever find herself in this position. "I think you're selling yourself a little short there. It's only the first day, and they have a host of reasons to be nervous beyond whatever rumors you think they have heard about you. I know that you don't see this about yourself, but Shouta, you are one of the most genuine people I have ever met. Everything you do, you do because you care. Those students are lucky to have someone like you in their corner, whether they know that yet or not. If they are half as good as you seem to think they might be, it won't take them long to realize it."

"Even if I've already had to remove a student from their class?" Aizawa asked, and Inko had never heard him this unsure of himself before. She moved to sit beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"If you did, it was because you had a valid reason," Inko answered. "Your students have to know that." She bit her lip. "Can I ask what happened?"

"I can't teach people who don't want to learn," Aizawa said. "And there are some cases where you can't help people who don't want to be helped. One of my new students...He made some extremely inappropriate comments to the girls in my class. I held him after to talk to him about why this behavior would not be tolerated. He refused to acknowledge his mistakes. I asked him about why he wanted to become a hero, hoping that I would be able to use that to show him why his actions were wrong, but it was clear from his answer that he was at Yuuei for the wrong reasons. Someone who intends to use the power that comes with being a graduate of our school to manipulate people or to get special favors, they should not have been admitted to Yuuei in the first place. He never would have learned why his actions were wrong if I had just expelled him. I transferred him to Gen Ed, and he has mandatory weekly meetings with Recovery Girl. She's also a counselor, you know. We're hoping that she can get through to him better than I can."

"Well," Inko said. "It sounds like you made the right decision then. I'm sure that your students will understand. If the other students heard what he said, then they are sure to know that you didn't transfer him on a whim. And you're forgetting one other, extremely important factor in all of this."

"And what's that?"

"Izuku would never, ever let them walk around thinking the worst of you. You have one person in that class who thinks the world of you, and I'm sure he's not going to rest until the rest of his classmates realize just how great you really are."

When Izuku finally got home, he felt like he was interrupting a conversation that wasn't meant for him to hear. He was fine with that, of course. Aizawa, Hizashi, and his mother were friends. Of course they would have conversations that didn't involve him. He felt a little guilty for interrupting, but the damage had been done the moment his mother heard him open the door. Whatever they had been talking about, the conversation would have to picked up later, because Inko had latched on to Izuku and it didn't appear that she would be letting him go for the next century at the very least.

"It was only one day, Mom," Izuku said into her shoulder, the strap of his bag digging into his shoulder, but he hugged her back, the last of the tension from the day bleeding out at her affection.

"You let me hug you, Midoriya Izuku, it was one very long day," she responded without missing a beat. "How was it? Tell me everything!" She led him to the table, pushing him into the seat next to Aizawa. The pro hero had an empty mug of tea in front of him, and he nodded at Izuku as he sat down. Slowly, Izuku ran through everything that had happened to him that day. Kaminari's interest, Iida's words, the way that Hizashi had struggled not to speak to familiarly to Izuku during their English class, Mei's misunderstanding of what counted as a small explosion.

"It sounds like you had a fun day," Inko said with a soft smile.

"There was one other thing," Izuku said, glancing at Aizawa. "A reporter approached me this morning. None of the others paid me much attention, but this one was looking for me specifically. I just said what we planned, that my sponsor wanted to stay anonymous for my protection, but I don't know if it's going to work. The reporter definitely seemed to think that something was going on. Gave me a business card so I could get in touch."

"You did the right thing," Aizawa answered. "Nedzu usually only lets them hang around the first day, but just in case, if anyone tries to approach you don't stop. If they still bother you, remind them that you're a minor, and that you can't talk to any press without your mother."

Izuku nodded. "I can do that."

"Now," Aizawa smiled. "Tell me what you noticed about your classmates."

AN: Long story short, my laptop stopped working and I didn't have access to this chapter. Sorry about the additional wait.

Thank to everyone who commented!