A/N THE STORY IS ALIVE! And I am too I guess. I am so sorry for how long it took to make this chapter, I'm not going to bore any of you with my excuses, but I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient with me. I hope this chapter at least somewhat makes up for my absence. And while I'm not going to make any promises, I hope I can start releasing chapters on a regular basis for both this story, and my other story.
"Izuku." Called a female voice.
"Nnggh." Grumbled Izuku.
Izuku could feel his body being shaken. "It's time to wake up." Said the female voice.
"Five... more... years." Grumbled Izuku.
The voice chuckled. "God does that sound nice." Said the voice seemingly talking to herself, before he started getting shaken again. "But it's time to wake up, today's a special day."
Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Izuku decided to just do as he was told as he stretched with a groan. As he opened his eyes, he welcomed the sight of his mom smiling down at him. Izuku sat up and started to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "So what's so special about today?" He asked groggily.
Shoka chuckled, seeing Izuku look reminiscent of her, she was debating on if she should get him his own sleeping bag. 'Maybe in green.' She thought. "It's your birthday. That's what's so special." She said warmly.
"Oh." Izuku said plainly. He really didn't know how to feel about it, he'd been asked about it on many occasions by everyone he cares about, like what he wanted to do for his birthday, or what kind of gifts he would like. And while everyone has been doing their best to get him excited, he just couldn't. Even after going to Mei's birthday back in April and having such a great time, he hasn't had a pleasant birthday since he was 4. Sure with Murisaki the facade he made of a happy loving home included throwing birthday parties, but the other kids didn't like him, so the parties were never really enjoyable. It didn't help that he knew the kinds of things that would happen afterwards. While with Chiaki... well... he'd get an extra loaf of stale bread and they didn't beat him as hard... kinda... sorta... well they said they didn't, all while they constantly reminded him how generous they were being by doing anything at all. So yeah, his birthdays haven't really been synonymous with good memories.
Shoka gave a sad yet loving smile. She hated that no matter how hard everyone tried, they just couldn't get Izuku excited about his birthday. No one blamed him, after all it was obvious that he hasn't had many, if any, good birthdays, even if they didn't know the details.
What Izuku didn't know was how much everyone else had picked up on his lack of enthusiasm. The adults in his life couldn't help but grow an even deeper hatred for his old foster families. Mei and Kinoko on the other hand have grown more worried about Izuku's past because of it.
So they'd all done everything they could to ensure that Izuku had the best birthday ever. They didn't even try to hide that fact from him, it was just that no matter what anyone said, they couldn't get him excited. That didn't deter them though, they'll give him a birthday he'd never forget.
Seeing his lackluster reaction, Shoka wanted to say something to get him excited, but instead decided that now it would be better to show him a proper birthday. "Come on, get showered and dressed, then meet us in the kitchen before your breakfast gets cold. We have a lot planned for today." Said Shoka with a reassuring smile before standing up to leave.
Izuku nodded his head absentmindedly. His mom was to the door when his mind processed something. "Us?" He asked, confused. The only response he received was a smirk from his mom before she left the room. He sat there for a bit before getting dressed. 'Maybe I should try and act more excited? They've all shown how much they love and care for me many times over, and they all seem to want to do something nice for me today.' Thought Izuku.
'It won't last forever. Everyone leaves you. Everyone hurts you. They will be no different.' Said the voice in his head.
Izuku instinctively brought his hand up to his ears to try and drown out the voice. He was having a harder and harder time ignoring it lately as it kept getting louder and louder. There are times it's as quiet as a whisper, and others it's louder than Present Mic's quirk. But the main problem is that it was appearing more frequently. It's like the happier he got, the more he trusted the people in his life, the more it tried dragging him back down. 'No! They're different!' He screamed in his head.
'They're just fooling you. No one cared about you before, why would they start now?' Said the voice.
'Because they're kind, and... and...' he tried arguing back.
'Exactly. Murisaki was kind at the start too. It's only a matter of time, and you know it.' Stated the voice, sounding so loud he felt his head would split open.
Izuku fell to his knees, still covering his ears in a desperate attempt to block out the voice. 'No! It's not like that! It's never going to be like that!' Argued Izuku.
'Give it time.' Said the voice calmly while being as loud as a dozen sirens.
Izuku was then startled when he heard knocking on his door. "Izuku? Are you ok in there?" Came the concerned voice of his mother through the door.
Izuku quickly glanced at the alarm clock and found out it had already been ten minutes. "Yeah, I accidentally fell back asleep. I'm getting my clothes now." He lied.
"Try not to copy too many of my bad habits." Called back his mother with an amused tone. "Hurry up and get ready before your breakfast gets cold." She said before he heard her walk back towards the kitchen.
Izuku slowly got off the floor and noticed that he was covered in sweat and had tears pouring down his face. 'I can't tell them about this. I already worry them too much.' Thought Izuku sadly. He quickly gathered a change of clothes, including a black shirt with the logo of his aunt Mic's radio station on the front, (he wishes his mom had some merch), a pair of blue jeans, and his favorite red high tops. On his way to the shower he could smell the wonderful aroma of breakfast cooking, making his stomach growl. So he decided to clean up and get ready as fast as possible.
As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway he heard the sounds of plates being put onto the table and made his way to the dining area. "Hey mo..." he started to say before he stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Sitting at the dining table was his mom, Mei, Kinoko, Aunt Mic, and Aunt Midnight. He did expect to see them today, but definitely not this early.
As soon as they spotted him Mei and Kinoko quickly jumped from their seats and rushed towards him, both slamming into him with a hug. "Happy birthday Izuku!" They both said at varying levels of confidence, yet equally excited.
Izuku could feel the dark clouds that hung over him start to dissipate. "Thank you." He spoke with a smile, as he tried to return the hugs only to find his arms trapped in between their breasts, causing him to erupt in a dark crimson.
Mei and Kinoko couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. Mei was immensely entertained with finding ways to fluster Izuku, it was one of her favorite things to do, only beat out by making babies with him and Kinoko. And after a conversation the two shared, Mei had even gotten Kinoko involved. It was one of the few times where she would show a bit of confidence in herself, Kinoko was actually surprised by how much she enjoyed it. It helped that just like Mei, she found Izuku's flustered state incredibly cute.
"So are you ready to have a great birthday?" Asked Kinoko happily.
"Um, yeah. I-I guess so." He spoke nervously, trying to be more upbeat, but was still unsure.
Mei sighed. "Well the time to convince you is over, now we're just going to make sure you have a great time." She said while shooting him a reassuring smile. Mei and Kinoko then let go of him and stood in front of him. "So you better be ready for it."
Izuku's eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the sight before him. Kinoko was clasping her hands together behind her back looking nervous which Izuku couldn't help but find adorable, while Mei placed a hand on her hip, and jutted it out to the side, essentially striking a pose that could only be described as sexy. But that's not what caught his attention, at least not completely. What Izuku couldn't help but be fixated on was their outfits. The two of them apparently decided to wear nearly identically outfits, which consisted of a tank top that showed off a good amount of cleavage, with the only real difference between them was Mei's was black while Kinoko's was red, and they were wearing jean shorts that went two thirds down their thighs. It didn't help that their outfits hugged their figures way too well.
Izuku could barely process the sound of his mom and aunts giggling.
"You see something you like?" Teased Midnight. The comment made Izuku and Kinoko blush even more.
"You might want to shut your mouth before you catch flies little listener." Teased Present Mic.
This brought Izuku out of his stupor as his eyes went wide in fright as he started rapidly bowing over and over while apologizing.
While Izuku was doing that, all the adults in the room couldn't help but smile and think about how much better he's doing. Not long ago he would become terrified for the smallest perceived infraction. Now they couldn't sense even an ounce of fear.
Mei and Kinoko also couldn't help but be glad they were able to grab his attention the way they did. Mei never worried about her looks, even when others would call her ugly, and even less when they called her hot or sexy, as those people were obviously just trying to use her for her body. But she truly enjoyed it when Izuku was enticed by her. While Kinoko was definitely embarrassed, especially since she still didn't think of herself as attractive, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that Izuku found her appealing.
Mei walked up to Izuku and managed to get her hand on his shoulder despite his constant bowing, prompting him to stop, but he still refused to look at her with his face a dark crimson. "Izuku it's ok. We're not upset." Assured Mei.
"Y-y-you're n-not?" Izuku stuttered, still refusing to look at her.
Kinoko walked up next to Mei. "Izuku, look at us." She said gently. It took a few seconds, but Izuku managed to look at them.
Mei was giving him her usual smile that borders on being maniacal, and as attractive as he found it, he wondered if she knew how it looked. Kinoko on the other hand was giving him a shy smile with one of her eyes poking through her hair. He usually found her to be very cute, but when he could see her eye(s) it took it up to eleven billion. He was thankful she was letting them show more and more as time went on.
"Does it look like we're upset?" Asked Mei. Izuku silently shook his head. "Good. Now let's eat before breakfast gets cold."
Kinoko nodded her head. "Yeah, we have an exciting day planned, so you'll need the energy."
Hearing that, Midnight just couldn't help herself. "Oh will he now? Is there something we should know about?" She teased.
Izuku, Kinoko, and evening Mei all blushed at her insinuation. "Y-you know what I-I'm talking about!" Yelled an embarrassed Kinoko.
The three women just giggled at their embarrassment. As they started sitting down at the table, with the only seat left for Izuku being between Midnight and Present Mic. As soon as he sat down, the two of them kissed his cheeks. "Happy birthday sweetheart." Said Midnight.
"Happy birthday little listener." Said Present Mic.
Izuku couldn't help but smile. "Thank you." He replied, embarrassed but still happy.
The six of them chatted as they ate, with Izuku asking them what exactly they had planned. All he got in return was that it was a secret and he'd find out soon enough. He did huff and pout at that, making the others giggle, but he truly didn't mind. Even if his birthday ended right here, it would still be the best birthday he'd had in many years.
But like he was told, they had plans for the day, as soon as breakfast was finished and cleaned up, they all made their way to Shoka's car. Present Mic and Midnight sat up front, allowing Izuku, Mei, and Kinoko to sit together on the back. The three adults couldn't help but silently coo when they noticed Izuku's situation. It seems Mei and Kinoko got Izuku to sit in the middle and the two of them were resting their heads on his shoulders. And like usual, while Izuku relished the physical contact, he looked ready to go nuclear. It didn't help him when Mei and Kinoko each wrapped one of his arms around them.
Izuku ended up lost in thought during the car ride to wherever they were going. He couldn't help but gaze longingly at the two women snuggled up to him. He knew for a fact that he loved them both deeply. And not in the same way he loved his family. No, he loved them romantically. He actually had several dreams and daydreams of having a future family together. Sometimes with one of them, but usually it was both of them. He desperately wants those dreams to become reality someday.
But he knew it would never happen.
Sure they're physically affectionate with him, but that's just them helping him get attar. Though it was actually really surprising to everyone when they discovered Kinoko had started giving him attar about three months ago. It still brings a smile to his face thinking about it.
Flashback*
"God that test was brutal." Groaned Mei as Izuku, Kinoko, and her were walking out of their classroom for the day after just finishing a history test.
"No kidding, i feel like my brain is fried after that." Responded Kinoko, looking mentally fatigued.
"And that was just the practice test for the finals." Sighed Izuku. Granted he didn't find it as difficult as the other two, but it definitely wasn't easy.
Both Kinoko and Mei groaned at Izuku's statement. Between the three of them, Izuku was easily the smartest in history due to being a general all rounder. While Mei was a genius, that was only in the sciences and anything that helps her build her baby's. Kinoko on the other hand was simply average when it comes to book smarts, but was a lot more versed in pop culture.
"Don't remind me. Now I know I need to study more, because if I don't pass, my parents will ground me from making baby's." Complained Mei.
Izuku smiled at her sympathetically. "Well would you like me to help you study?" He asked, not noticing the forlorn look from Kinoko.
But Mei was quick to see it. She had noticed Kinoko seemed a bit more distant lately, she was worried about her friend and did what she could to figure out what was wrong. She had even asked her about it but didn't get an answer. Her lack of social skills really started to frustrate her because of this. But there was one thing she noticed. While Kinoko acted more distant to Izuku than to her, she seemed happier when they did interact. She had her suspicions on what the problem was, but she wasn't the one to solve the problem.
"Maybe some other time. My parents are wanting me to do something." Lied Mei.
Izuku looked at her confused. "What for?"
"Um, well, for things." Mei said, fumbling her words trying to make an excuse, but unable to find one. So she quickly just gave Izuku a hug and started running off. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"
Both Izuku and Kinoko stood there confused as they watched her leave. They both knew she was lying, but knew there must be a good reason for it. The two of them looked at each other and simultaneously shrugged their shoulders.
"Well how about you Kinoko? Would you like help studying?" Asked Izuku, giving her a friendly smile.
Kinoko couldn't help but blush at seeing his smile like she always did, which Izuku always just assumed it was her usual nervousness. "S-sure! That'd b-be great!" She said with a shy smile, not knowing Izuku was mentally berating himself for finding it cute. "W-want to come o-over to my p-place to study?" She asked.
Izuku immediately started to blush himself. The thought of going to a girl's house was nerve wracking for him. Sure he'd hung out with Mei at her house a few times, but that didn't make it any less terrifying for him. But he was encouraged by both his family and Hound Dog to try and push himself, to do things that seemed scary to him, but at his own pace. Kinoko has been a great friend since they met, and he really enjoyed hanging out with her. She hasn't given him a single reason to not trust her. "Y-yeah, ok. Let m-me just call my m-mom." He stuttered nervously as he pulled out his phone.
As Izuku called his mom, Kinoko internally was both cheering and screaming. She was ecstatic to be able to spend some personal time with Izuku. She liked Mei a lot, she was a really good friend, but she couldn't help but feel like she was walking on air when she was with Izuku, and now she gets him all to herself for a while.
Problem was she believed the feeling she has for him will never be reciprocated. It was obvious by how Izuku and Mei looked at each other that they at least have a crush on each other, if not more, and it made sense to Kinoko. Mei is extremely attractive, with a perfect figure and "assets" that any guy and most women would kill for. Not only that, Mei is able to make him high quality support gear, and can also give Izuku attar, unlike her.
So while she still wanted to maintain a friendship with the both of them, she felt it was best to take a step back and let their inevitable relationship blossom. Sure she could try for a poly relationship with them, but she didn't believe there was anything she could provide to the relationship. At least by maintaining distance she can minimize the heartache when it does happen.
'What am I doing? I need to tell him I can't do it!' Thought Kinoko sadly.
"I'm all s-set, ready t-to go?" Izuku asked nervously as he put his phone back in his pocket.
"Yup! Let's go!" Said Kinoko with a wide smile. 'Shiitake!' She "cursed" herself mentally. But despite her mental protests, she felt giddy inside.
It was a pleasant trip to Kinoko's house as they talked and laughed. It didn't take long for Kinoko to forget all about trying to end their time together. Unfortunately as they were nearing her house, rain suddenly started to pour down. The two ran as quick as they could, but by the time they got there, their clothes were drenched.
"Just our luck it rains the one day we forget our umbrellas." Said Kinoko, annoyed as she strained some of the water from her hair.
"No kidding. It's like the Kami decided to play a prank on us." Said Izuku as he slicked back his hair to keep it out of his eyes. He looked over at Kinoko and was at first mesmerized at being able to see both of Kinoko's eyes. But it wasn't long before he noticed something that made his entire face erupt in crimson as he slammed his hands over his eyes hard enough to make an audible slap. "I-I'm so s-s-sorry! I d-didn't mean to l-l-look!" He stuttered, sounding scared.
Kinoko immediately became worried. She had seen Izuku act like this a few times, which usually means he believes he did something really bad. "Izuku, what's wrong?" She asked.
"I s-swear I didn't m-m-mean to look!" Said Izuku, still scared.
"Look at what?" Kinoko asked, trying to figure out what's wrong so she could calm down Izuku.
"Y-y-your shirt…. it's….. it's…." said Izuku, too scared to say what it was.
'My shirt?' Thought Kinoko as she looked down, her cheeks blossoming in red as she noticed her shirt had become transparent, and seeing that her bra was completely visible. "Eep!" She squealed as she instinctively covered up.
But the embarrassment quickly faded as she looked up seeing Izuku shaking, and she knew it wasn't from being cold. "Izuku, it's ok. You didn't do anything wrong." She told him calmly. Only he didn't move. She could faintly hear him keep repeating "I'm sorry." Over and over, sounding terrified. It broke her heart seeing him like this. She walked up to Izuku, completely forgetting about her embarrassment, and gently grabbed his hands, making him flinch from the contact. She was glad he didn't resist when she slowly lowered his hands, and kept hold of them in front of her as she rubbed circles on the back of his hand to comfort him like she's seen his mom, aunts, and Mei do before. Looking into his eyes, the fear was still apparent, but she noticed there was a bit of surprise there too. "Izuku. You didn't do anything bad. Sure it's a little embarrassing, but it's nothing I'd get upset over." Reassured Kinoko.
Izuku stared into her eyes, looking for any sign of deception. Something he's realizing he's been doing a lot recently. Something he hadn't seen once these last few months. But what he did see was care, worry, and if he believed in himself more, he'd say love. "Y-y-you s-sure?" Quietly stuttered Izuku.
Kinoko's smile broadened. "Absolutely."
Izuku nodded his head. As the fear slowly dissipated, he started to notice what really surprised him when Kinoko grabbed hold of his hands. He felt a newly familiar and amazing feeling. He looked down and stared at their hands, the source of the feeling.
When Kinoko saw him look at their hands, and she noticed she still had a hold of them, she quickly retracted them, believing she overstepped her boundaries. Despite enjoying doing so, she can't casually hold hands with Izuku when he was going to be dating Mei, not her. She didn't notice that Izuku's hands chased hers a bit as she pulled them away. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to m-make you uncomfortable." She said solemnly, looking down at her feet.
"No! It's not that!" Izuku quickly said, regaining Kinoko's attention. He debated telling her the truth, worried it would freak her out. But tossed that fear away. "You…. you were giving me attar." He said slightly hesitant.
Kinoko's eyes shot open wide with a light gasp. She was giving him attar? Why now? What was different? After giving it some thought she realized that she had subconsciously avoided touching him for a while now. Maybe to avoid the disappointment she felt. But now she could do something for Izuku.
"B-but you d-don't have to w-worry about it. I d-don't expect you t-to give me any, so d-don't feel like you n-need to." Izuku said nervously as he waved both hands in front of him rapidly. But he calmed down when Kinoko grabbed hold of his hands again.
Kinoko smiled at their hands fondly with a light blush before shifting her gaze to Izuku. "If you're ok with it, then I want to give you attar whenever possible."
Izuku couldn't help but blush knowing what that would entail. Not trusting his voice, Izuku nodded his head in approval, making Kinoko smile wider.
Flashback end*
It didn't take long for their shyness to kick In after that, but they spent the rest of the day holding hands anyway. Even after Mrs. Komori came home and saw them holding hands while they studied, and lightly teased them, embarrassing the both of them to hell, they didn't let go.
When they told Mei the next day she seemed happy to hear it, and seemed excited as well. Though about what, Izuku wasn't sure. And at Mei's insistence, the level of intimacy the two shared grew quickly. It only took a couple weeks before it was common to see Mei and Kinoko cuddling with Izuku, though it took a few times before Kinoko wasn't stiff as a board when they did.
As things went on, and a bit of testing, Izuku discovered something new about his quirk. It turned out that attar collected from more than one person was more potent. He still had the numerical tracker in his head, but it felt like he was a container for the pheromones. The pheromones also would only combine evenly, then the amount combined would double in strength. (A/N to make it simple, if they both gave Izuku 10 attar, you would add that together and make it 20, then you double it making it 40. If one of them gave him 20 and the other gave him 10, you would still only add up the matching 10, double it, then add the extra 10 given on top of it, making it 50.)
As time went on Izuku figured out his feelings for the both of them, he tried denying it at first, but he knew the truth. And it hurt him so bad, knowing he has these feelings for them. They're really good friends to him. Without them, he couldn't be the hero in training he is today, and for him to betray their trust by allowing himself to feel this way will only end up with him losing them. Unfortunately he finds letting go of such strong feelings to be near impossible. Especially when they hug him tight, or hold his hand, or he gets lost staring into their beautiful, exotic eyes, making him feel as though he had millions of butterflies in his chest and stomach.
Izuku shook his head lightly to get rid of those thoughts while not disturbing the two of them. This was exactly the problem, he can't keep thinking this way about them. He needs to lock these feelings away, and bury them deep, so that he'll never act upon them.
While Izuku was lost in thought, he failed to notice that his expression portrayed the negative emotions he was feeling, and that both Mei and Kinoko had noticed. He was brought out of his thoughts as he felt his hands get grasped. He looked at the two of them, and saw they were giving him smiles that told him they were here for him. And that they always will be. He couldn't help but smile and squeeze them tight. Something the two girls greatly enjoyed.
The three adults simply watch in silence at the moment going on in the back seat, but as soon as it was over they decided to start up a conversation. It wasn't anything special, it was just a lighthearted conversation about several topics from their training, to recent villains the three heroes had beaten, and even a bit about the dream Kinoko had last night about her getting lost in a forest full of talking mushrooms while a panda with a German accent carrying bagpipes kept trying to get her to start a band with him with her playing the tuba.
After a bit of the drive they pulled into the parking lot of their destination, and Izuku was stunned by where they were, while everyone else was simply smiling at his reaction. "Are we at the right place?" Asked Izuku.
"Yup." Shoka answered simply.
"But what are we doing here?" Asked Izuku disbelieving.
"We're here for your birthday of course." Replied Midnight.
"B-but why here?" Asked Izuku, thinking this was probably some joke. After all, it wouldn't be the first time he'd been through something similar.
"Well, not only have you been working hard in your training, but since Recovery Girl gave you the all clear for more exciting activities, we figured you deserve it." Said Present Mic.
"B-but..." stuttered Izuku, about to make an argument,
"Nope. No buts. Just have fun and enjoy yourself." Said Shoka, cutting off Izuku.
"O-ok." Stuttered Izuku before staring off to where they pulled in. 'Hero land', a hero themed amusement park. He remembers the topic of places like this came up about a couple months ago. He said that they seemed like a lot of fun, but he's never been to one, which is mostly true. While with Chiaki he was forced to wait in the car while the rest of them enjoyed their day here, at this exact theme park, when he was fifteen. Apparently they didn't trust him at home alone. So on the inside he's secretly excited to finally visit one of these places, but is also afraid that the same thing will happen again.
Izuku couldn't help but smile and feel excited the moment they officially entered the park.
"So what do you want to do first?" Asked Shoka, smiling at her sons excitement.
"You want me to decide?" Asked Izuku, surprised.
"Of course. It's your birthday after all." Replied Shoka.
Izuku was about to rebut, but quickly stopped when he saw all of them giving him reassuring smiles. So he gave an appreciative one in return. "I heard roller coasters are really fun."
"Roller coaster it is!" Announced Mei happily, as she and Kinoko started dragging Izuku towards said ride. His mom and aunts giggled at their antics as they followed.
timeskip*
To say Izuku was having a great time would be an understatement. The amusement park was everything he thought it would be and more, though he believed the best part was the company. The rides they had here are amazing, and even though he was scared of some of them, he still thoroughly enjoyed them. On most of them he was usually next to Mei or Kinoko, or in between them. But he still gladly sat next to his mom and aunts on a few of them. Izuku did eventually convince them all to choose a couple times by telling them that if it's his choice he chooses to do what they want.
There was even a section of the park dedicated to showing what was essentially people doing street performances using their quirks where they spent the better part of two hours. While they all enjoyed the shows, Izuku being the quirk nerd he is, was completely enthralled. He wished he had his quirk notebook, which after his mom convinced him to pick the hobby back up he had already filled two notebooks and was working on a third. He has a lot of catching up to do.
While at the same time, Mei was using some of what the performers were doing as inspiration for new babies. For instance there was a performer who had quills she could rapidly grow from her shoulders and upper back. She was using said quills as throwing pins as she threw several balls of different color in the air, and only striking the first three she had someone from the crowd call out while they were in the air. She never missed. This gave Mei the idea to make a dart gun with instant targeting and recognition software to identify friend from foe.
But out of everything, he knew the best part was the people he was here with. While he usually enjoyed his time with his friends and family, they seemed to have decided to kick it up to eleven today. Mei and Kinoko were near constantly holding onto him, usually with them both holding onto one of his arms as they walked. While that has become normal between them, they seem to be more flirtatious about it. Something his aunts, and sometimes even his mom, teased them constantly about. If Izuku didn't know better, it was like they were trying to hit on him. He had to keep reminding himself that couldn't be the case, that they were just helping him by giving him attar. Who would want to date him?
His mom and aunts also upped the affection in the form of comforting words and hugs. There were times when he started getting bothered by the large crowds, usually when he noticed more than a few adults giving him disgusted looks and glares. While Mei and Kinoko never noticed them, or at least showed no signs that they had, his family easily caught on. Immediately after he showed even an iota of a sign that he was going to have a panic attack, they jumped into action and did what they could to calm him down. While Mei and Kinoko did help with them as well, his family was just a little better at picking up the signs, he assumed it was due to their hero training. There were even a few times he caught his mom and aunts glaring at some people who looked like they wanted to confront them, and even a couple times they had moved to intercept someone before they started something.
So as the day went on, they had all made him feel loved, wanted, and safe. All things he'll always be grateful for. All things that he knew made this trip infinitely better.
But like all things, their time there had to come to an end. "Unfortunately, it looks like it's time for us to be heading out." Said Shoka as she looked at the clock on her phone, showing that it was just after five p.m., before giving Izuku an apologetic smile. She knew how much Izuku was enjoying himself.
Izuku flashed his mom a reassuring smile, and a nod. "Ok." He replied before giving them all a thankful look. "Thank you all so much for bringing me here, this has been the best birthday ever." He said sincerely.
"Of course little listener, we were happy to do it." Replied Present Mic happily.
"But it's not over yet." Informed Midnight gleefully.
"But I thought Mom said we were leaving?" Asked Izuku confused.
"We are, but we have a surprise waiting at home for you." Said Shoka nonchalantly with a smile.
"But you guys already..." started Izuku before all five of them gave him a look that told him that no matter what he said, it was going to happen. So he sighed, a smile spread across his face. "I don't suppose you guys will tell me what it is at least?"
All of them said "nope." At the same time, as if it was rehearsed, with smiles on their faces.
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle. In that moment he truly felt blessed to have them all in his life. "I look forward to seeing what it is." He said before they merrily made their way back home, having a lively conversation about their favorite part of the amusement park. Or at least in Shoka's case, not seeming like a total zombie. All while Mei and Kinoko, once again, snuggled up against him the entire drive, and while Izuku blushed up a storm, he enjoyed every second.
By the time they made it back, Izuku actually found himself excited to see what they had waiting for him. It was strange to Izuku. He hadn't felt such a thing in a long time, because usually it was only met with disappointment. Or worse.
Though Izuku was confused when he saw his Mom and aunts wait outside the door when they got home. "You first." Said Shoka to Izuku as she gestured to the door with her head.
Izuku looked at her puzzled for a second before he did as she said. The moment he turned on the light he was momentarily stunned by the sight of Nejire, Tsukauchi, Nezu, Recovery Girl, Mr. and Mrs. Hatsume, Ms. Komori, even All Might and the entirety of the UA staff all in his home all of them giving bright smiles. After he stood there for a couple of seconds he was met by a loud, "Happy Birthday!" From everyone.
Izuku was brought out of his stupor when he felt a hand on his shoulder and someone kissing his cheek. "Surprise." Came the voice of his mother as she gently ushered him inside.
"Wh-What's, this?" Asked Izuku, still completely caught off guard.
"It's your birthday party sweetie." Said Recovery Girl.
"B-but we j-just..." stuttered Izuku.
"Went and celebrated your birthday at Hero Land for your birthday, we know." Said Tsukauchi.
"And the amusement park was more of a gift than your actual party." Continued Nezu.
"So we're here to celebrate your birthday." Said Mr. Hatsume.
Izuku looked around the room, noting all the people that were here. The entire U.A. staff was all here. Sure, these last few months he had gotten to know them as his mom and aunts introduced them, telling him they've wanted to meet him for a while. While he's grown to mostly trust them, (he was still having some issues with that, especially the men on the staff) he didn't think they were close enough for them to care about his birthday.
But the most surprising was All Might. Their relationship had gotten better since she started training him to inherit One for All, with her being at the beach overseeing his training most days and constantly showering him with praise and encouragement. He thought she only saw him as just her successor, someone to carry the torch that is her quirk, not as someone she cared for. Though their relationship is still very much strained. It's not easy for him to let go of the pain of what happened all those years ago, especially after years of it festering. But it does help when it's easy to see how hard she is trying to repair the damage she caused. Which surprisingly included her accepting to reveal her true form and the fact that she's training Izuku to the Hatsume's and the Komori's.
Well, except Mr. Kinoko. That guy's a dick. He had actually tried to forbid Kinoko from being Izuku's friend when he found out about their friendship. He had even called the police on Izuku at least a couple times. It was obvious that he recognized Izuku, and was just like so many others. Thankfully Ms. Kinoko has encouraged the friendship since day one.
Izuku couldn't help but smile and tear up at the sheer amount of affection he was feeling as he looked over everyone's smiling faces. Despite all of his trust issues, in this moment, he didn't have a shred of doubt that everyone here truly cares for him.
If not loves him.
Izuku used his arm to wipe away the tears prickling his eyes, and gave everyone the brightest smile. "Thank you. All of you." He said, still a little choked up.
Shoka walked up to Izuku's side, placing an arm on his shoulder to gain his attention. "Before we start the celebration, there are a couple people that have wanted to meet you for a while. And I think now would be the best time for that."
Izuku gave her a questioning look. "Who?"
Shoka simply smiled as she gestured towards the kitchen. "Them."
Izuku turned just as two people walked towards them. The first is a woman that seems to be in her early 50's that has long dark blue hair who looked a lot like his mom. Right behind her is a man that looked to be in his late 20's, with hair that was the exact same color as the woman's. Izuku's first instinct was to stiffen up in worry, but what surprised him was he didn't feel like he was in danger. Maybe having the room completely filled with people who cared for him is putting him at ease. It probably also helped that the two newcomers are giving him such warm smiles. It didn't stop him from being scared though.
"Izuku, this is my mom and little brother." Said Shoka as she gestured to the two, before smiling towards Izuku. "In other words, your grandma and uncle."
Izuku stared at the two, wide eyed. This was the first time he'd heard about the two of them. Sure he knew his mom had to have a biological family, but he figured they'd either passed away, or just wanted nothing to do with him. So he was surprised to see the two of them here.
However, sensing his hesitance, the two decided to introduce themselves as they both gave him a polite bow. "It's nice to finally meet you. My name is Aizawa Miyako, but you can call me grandma if you'd like." She said with such a warm smile.
"And I'm Aizawa Kinnojo, but you can call me whatever you're comfortable with." Said the man.
Izuku could almost swear that one of the two newcomers had a quirk that turned him too stone due to his current inability to move. He couldn't take his eyes off the man he'd never met that was standing in front of him.
'See? They brought a man here. They probably plan on giving you to him, like you were given to Murisaki.' Said the voice in Izuku's head.
'N-no! That's not wh-what's going t-to happen. He's m-my uncle, he j-j-just wants to m-meet me.' Argued Izuku to the voice.
'You're still falling for that trick? No one has ever wanted to meet you. They're just lulling you into a false sense of security.' Said the voice darkly.
'No! Th-they care a-about me!' Mentally screamed Izuku.
'Keep telling yourself that. It will just make it easier for them to hurt you in the end." Said the voice.
'I will, because it's the truth! They've done nothing but protect and care about me! I don't believe you! You're wrong!' Izuku mentally exclaimed.
'Oh yeah? Then why are you so scared?' Asked the voice smuggly. Izuku couldn't rebuke that. 'Exactly. You know I'm right and you're just fooling yourself.' Said the voice.
Izuku felt his resolve weakening and close to booking it out of the apartment. But his eyes felt drawn to the others in the room behind the two. And what he saw made his resolve grow.
Concern.
Everyone he saw had clear concern in their eyes, and it was clearly directed at him. He hated doing that to them, they already dealt with enough of his problems. But on the other hand it showed that they cared about. Showed that what he believed was the truth. His resolve felt renewed when his eyes came back to his Grandma and uncle and he saw the same concern in their eyes.
'I am scared. Heck, I am outright terrified. But I know my family would never introduce me to someone they believe would harm me.' He mentally argued as his eyes wandered to Vlad King, Powerloader, and all the other male heroes he's met these past few weeks. 'And just like with all the others I met, I refuse to let my fear stop me.'
Izuku shakenily bowed to his Grandma and Uncle. "It's nice t-to meet you. I look f-forward to getting to kn-know you. I hope w-we get along." Izuku said trying his hardest to get his stutter under control.
All of the adults gave Izuku proud and relieved smiles. They all knew how badly this could have turned out, but believed this would be the best setting for it. They couldn't help but be relieved that they were right. But behind Izuku, Mei and Kinoko looked at each other worried.
Neither of them had to see Izuku's expression to tell how nervous he was when his grandma and uncle walked into the room. They tried to act immediately to comfort him, only for his aunts to stop them while continuing to keep an eye on Izuku. Both of them had seen Izuku nervous multiple times before, but never to this degree, and neither of them even knew the reason why.
The two of them continued to watch Izuku as the adults slowly started to converge and individually wished Izuku happy birthday, obviously trying to ease all the remaining tension. As bad as they wanted to know what had Izuku so on edge, it was obvious the adults knew why. So they chose to leave it alone, at least for today. Besides, the last thing they want to do is make Izuku uncomfortable by trying to force him to tell them what was wrong, especially on his birthday. Today is about giving him a good time and showing him just how loved he is.
As the last of the heroes finished wishing Izuku a happy birthday, he couldn't help but feel strangely at peace. He usually had difficulty being around so many people at once, more people tended to mean more pain for him in the past. But everyone here has shown him nothing but care and support, something he is still having difficulty adjusting to, but it's a welcomed one.
After everyone finished wishing Izuku a happy birthday, Mei and Kinoko quickly went to Izuku's sides, grabbing an arm each. "So Izuku, what would you like to do?" Asked Kinoko happily.
Suddenly Izuku felt worry creep through him. He didn't know what to do. It's not like he didn't know what people do at parties, he's inexperienced, not ignorant. But there was something he saw as a bit of a problem. "I don't know. What's something we can all do? I don't want to exclude anyone." He asked concerned, but still with a smile on his face.
They were all touched by his concern for them. It was heartwarming seeing how much he'd grown since they met him. Some of them felt like they didn't deserve it.
"Don't worry about us. This is your party, we just want you to have a good time." Reassured Power Loader.
"But you all came here for me. It doesn't feel right to just ignore any of you." Said Izuku.
"We know you're not ignoring us, Just spend time with who you want. We'll be here if you want to do anything." Encouraged Vlad King.
"Besides, we'll always be happy to open up our schedules for you. So don't be afraid to ask." Added Ectoplasm, which everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
Izuku gave them a caring, grateful smile. "Ok. But I'll still try and spend time with all of you." Said Izuku who was then immediately dragged off my Mei and Kinoko, much to everyone's amusement, as well as cause a strange feeling in Nejire's chest. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she didn't like it.
What followed was several hours filled with tons of fun, laughs, and merriment all around. Izuku did what he set out to do and did his best to spend time with everyone. Izuku, Mei, Kinoko, Powerloader, Present Mic, Midnight, Tsukauchi, and Kinnojo played several rounds of Super Smash Bros. Omega, the latest release of the series with over 300 characters to choose from, with them playing a free for all 8 player smash. Midnight, Mic, and Kinoko were usually the first ones out, with Tsukauchi and Powerloader usually not far behind. While Izuku has gotten really good, the more experienced Mei and Kinnojo tended to be the winners. Though Izuku and Powerloader did both sneak in a win each.
Izuku did have a bit of difficulty with Kinnojo at first, but it didn't take too long for him to relax…. mostly. They all could sense his discomfort, and they did what they could to help him relax and feel safe, that included Kinnojo giving Izuku plenty of personal space. It also helped that his aunts seemed to be very familiar with him as they talked and joked around which included embarrassing stories about his mom from their childhood, much to her chagrin. Kinnojo seemed like a very kind and caring man. Some of his personality traits reminded him of his mom, but unlike her he seemed far more extroverted and excitable.
After that Izuku went over and joined a group consisting of his mom, grandma, Mr. Hatsume, Ms. Komori, Hound Dog, and Ectoplasm who were playing Uno. Just like with his uncle, everyone did what they could to support Izuku as he tried to get to know and get used to his grandma. Though honestly, he really didn't need much. It probably has to do with the fact that he got the same maternal feeling from her that he got from his mom despite how different the two seem to be. Miyako seemed to be a pretty easygoing and social person with near limitless energy, almost like a party girl. But despite this, she seemed to know when to reign it back, as she tried to not overwhelm Izuku. And once again as he played with the group, he was being told embarrassing stories about his mom's childhood. This time she seemed to resign herself to the embarrassment, but that didn't stop her from groaning and banging her head on the table.
Before too long he felt completely at ease no matter who he was with. He found himself astounded by the fact when he was playing Fluxx with some other people and his uncle joined in and he didn't feel himself tense up. He even willingly sat next to his grandma after he challenged Nezu to a couple rounds of chess. During those games, he found the astonished looks on most of the faculties' faces amusing when they noticed Nezu was actually taking time to think through his moves, looking like he was actually trying. They knew the two played together regularly, but they didn't know how good Izuku had gotten. During the second game, nearly every jaw hit the floor when the second match was declared a draw. But he also saw the proud and ecstatic faces of his family, friends, their parents, and even Nezu.
"Awww you were so close. I thought you had him!" Said Mei proudly.
"I know you'll beat him one of these days." Said Shoka happily as she ruffled his hair.
"You weren't kidding when you said he was smart." Exclaimed Kinnojo proudly having been informed of how smart Nezu was by his sister.
Izuku could even tell his grandma wanted to give him a hug, but was holding back for his sake. He gave her a quick nod, letting her know it was ok, which she wasted no time embracing him. "You did amazing." She said happily.
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle and feel proud of himself, considering this a major achievement. Though there was still a bit of doubt in his mind. "You didn't go easy on me did you?" Asked Izuku. Everyone could hear the doubt in his voice despite his attempt to mask it.
Everyone's eyes quickly shifted to Nezu, who didn't stop giving Izuku a proud smile. "No. This was done fair and square. You never cease to amaze me and exceed all my expectations. I didn't predict for this to happen for at least another month."
All of the surprised adults slowly looked back towards Izuku who was blushing and scratching his cheek in embarrassment from the complement and had his aunts hugging him from behind. Before long they all started to congratulate him, which only embarrassed him more, though admittedly made him feel good.
"I-it's only a chess game, I d-didn't even win." Izuku stuttered embarrassed.
"Yeah, but you were playing against Nezu. Someone who could play and beat all of us at the same time." Said Cementoss with a smile.
"Did you have to remind us about two summers ago?" Rhetorically asked Powerloader, causing everyone to laugh.
After their laugh and a few more congratulations and compliments given to Izuku, everyone went back to playing games. Izuku joined a group playing Exploding Kittens (A/N yes, it's an actual game) first which his uncle was a part of. For the next few games Izuku tried to join a group who had someone he didn't spend time with yet, or had his newfound uncle and grandma in it. He wanted to spend plenty of time getting to know the two as they were part of his family, and he didn't know how often he'd get to see them. He was still weary of them, but they had noticed that fact and both had even discreetly told him not to push himself for their sake and to take it at his pace. Something Izuku was appreciative for.
Izuku did notice that whenever he wasn't hanging with Mei and Kinoko that they were either spending time together, with their families, or even his family. But past that he did notice Mei seemed to be very chummy with Powerloader. It made sense to him. He guessed his mom introduced the two since not only was he the support class teacher, he was known for building not only all of his own gear, but hundreds of other heroes' gear as well. Hell, the only reason he wasn't on I-island as a scientist right now was because he wanted to be a hero more.
Eventually Izuku ended up playing twister with the two of them, and currently found himself in a very precarious situation…. again. They were on their third game and he swears every time they had the chance, they would do something to tease him, like pressing their chest or butt against him, or even stick them in his face. Izuku was blushing as red as a tomato pretty much the whole time they were playing, and he didn't miss all the giggles and chuckles coming from everyone else.
Well, all but one person.
Nejire was leaning against the wall next to the serving hatch watching the three play. She still didn't know why she doesn't like what she's seeing or feeling. She's never felt this way before. As a million questions were flying through her head, she started to overhear a conversation coming from the kitchen.
"Those two are really laying it on thick, are you sure they're not secretly dating?" Asked Miyako. Nejire felt a sharp pain in her chest hearing that.
Nejire could hear Kinnojo laugh. "No kidding, they seem very chummy, and he looks like he's about to combust."
Shoka could be heard giggling….. it was still weird to Nejire seeing how different she acts at home compared to in the classroom. "I'm sure. I doubt Mei would be able to keep quiet about it if they were. But I do think at least one of them, if not both, are getting ready to ask him soon." She said, both happy and proud.
"Are you ready for him to be in a relationship? We've seen how protective you are of him." Asked Miyako.
"I admit, it's not going to be easy. He's a good kid, and adopting him was one of the best choices I've ever made. But I knew when I did that he was near adulthood, and as long as he was ready, would do adult things like get into a relationship. Though I did make sure he knew that if he ever needs help on anything, no matter how old he is, that I will always be there." Said Shoka lovingly, as she looked through the window at Izuku who currently had Mei's breasts resting on the back of his head, while his and Kinoko's faces were just a couple inches apart. You could practically see the steam shooting out of his ears.
There was a short pause in the conversation as the three of them watched Izuku try to reposition his left hand without falling on top of Kinoko. "So what about the girl with long blue hair? I believe you said her name is Nejire, think will she confess soon?" Asked Miyako.
Nejire's head snapped in the direction of the voices in astonished confusion. For once, only a single question went through her mind. 'Wait, what?!'
"I don't think so. I doubt she's even realized her feelings yet." Said Shoka.
'But I don't feel that way about him!' Thought Nejire. 'He's just a friend! I mean sure he's a really nice guy that I like spending a lot of time with. He makes me feel special when he compliments me, I feel warm and safe whenever we hug, and I feel a pain in my chest whenever Mei and Kinoko are able to cuddle up with him and hold his hand, which…. I really….want….. to…. do.' Nejire.exe has crashed.
"Speaking of, have you thought about getting back into the relationship scene sis?" Asked Kinnojo, the three of them not realizing that Nejire was having an internal crisis just outside the kitchen.
Shoka looked down solemnly. "I don't know. I'm not entirely sure I'm over Oboro."
Miyako put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Even if you don't want to date again, he'd want you to be happy even though he's gone, no matter who it was with. You loved each other so much that it's ok if you don't want to risk feeling the pain of loss again, or feel like you're disrespecting him by loving others, but I know that above all else he'd want you to live your life. It's your choice, but don't let the past chain you down if you want to find a new future." She lovingly advised.
Shoka remained silent as she contemplated her mother's words, but was brought out of her musings when she watched Izuku lose his balance and fell on Kinoko. But it looked like he used what she taught him to control his fall only to end up with his face in her chest. It broke her heart when even from where she stood, the fear was obvious in his eyes when he got up immediately and started apologizing. She wanted to go up to try and calm him down, but Kinoko was quick to reassure him with Mei helping calm him down.
A sad yet grateful smile crept onto Shoka's face at the scene before turning to her mother. "Maybe someday, but for now, I need to do what's best for Izuku. And right now that means not risking making him feel like I'm replacing or abandoning him."
Miyako smiled proudly at the woman her daughter had grown to be. Sure Shoka had always been a kind and caring person, but even she didn't expect that phone call telling her that her daughter adopted a teenager. Though after hearing who it was, it made perfect sense to her. And after meeting the boy herself for the first time, it made even more sense.
"I can see why you care so much for him. Despite everything he's been through, he still seems like such a kind young man." Said Kinnojo compassionately.
"He really is. He's one of the strongest and kindest people I have ever met." Said Shoka lovingly as she saw Izuku having been calmed down, thankfully the two kept him from having a full blown panic attack, but he was still worried that he hurt Kinoko, only for him to be assured she was fine. Seeing that he was calmed down now Shoka took a glance to see what time it was. "And I think now is a good time to get what he deserves."
Shoka walked into the living room, and on her way over to Izuku she got Lunchrush's attention who quickly made his way into the kitchen. Almost everyone had noticed, and subsequently smiled, knowing what was happening, but pretended not too. Shoka made sure Izuku noticed her walk up to him, before she wrapped him in a hug, which he returned. She was a little embarrassed when she heard a few silent awwww's, but didn't care at the moment. She separated from the hug, yet still kept hold of him. "You having fun?" She asked.
Izuku gave an ecstatic appreciative smile. "Yes. Today has been amazing, thank you so much."
Shoka smiled elated. "Of course, but there is still more."
Izuku immediately became disconcerted. "But you've…." Started Izuku.
"Nope, none of that." Shoka goodnaturedly interrupted, fully expecting Izuku's protests. She then started to usher Izuku to the table. Izuku quickly noticed everyone's attention was on him, and he found himself surprised by the fact that he didn't feel threatened. He believes it was due to the comforting embrace his mom still had on him.
As soon as Izuku was seated, someone dimmed the lights. Izuku was confused for only a couple seconds before he saw Lunchrush pushing a really big strawberry shortcake out on a cart with several candles on top. Eighteen to be exact. As soon as he noticed this, people were suddenly singing happy birthday. Completely stunned, Izuku could only watch as Lunchrush took the cake off the cart and placed it on the table in front of him. Izuku didn't even process that the singing had stopped until a voice brought him out of his shock.
"Well, aren't you going to make a wish and blow out your candles?" Gently asked Midnight.
Izuku looked between the cake and the crowd a couple times, still surprised. "Y-you guys bought m-me a c-cake?" He asked
"Actually, Lunchrush made it from scratch." Said Present Mic gesturing to said hero.
"And don't even try and say I shouldn't have or didn't have to. I wanted to. And I plan on making another for you next year, and the year after that. You ever want me to make you something, I'll do it gladly." Said Lunch Rush jovially.
Izuku slowly looked back towards the cake, which looked absolutely delicious. He'd seen cakes in bakeries before, he'd even had to pick up a few for his foster siblings' birthdays several times. But none looked anywhere near as good as this. A grateful smile crept on Izuku's face as he turned back to Lunchrush. "Thank you."
"Anytime." Replied Lunchrush.
Izuku stared at the candles for a few seconds. 'A wish huh?' He thought. His mind wandered to all the time he had spent with his new friends and family. With the people who were kind, caring, and outright loving towards him. 'I have everything I've ever wanted. All I wish for is to never lose it.' He thought before blowing out the candles in one breath, hearing clapping and cheers as he did, making him smile widely.
"Here you go honey." Said Shoka as she carefully passed Izuku a wide cake cutting knife. "You take the first piece. Don't be afraid to take as much as you want."
Izuku tentatively took the knife from his mom and cut himself a medium sized slice, it taking everything in him to not just get an extremely small one. Some things take a lot of time to get over.
After he put down his slice he was about to start cutting out pieces for everyone else when his mom stopped him. "I'll take care of the rest. You just enjoy your cake."
Izuku sat there looking hesitant to eat, but several people noticed and encouraged him. There were stars in his eyes when he took that first bite. It was one of the best things he'd ever tasted. He made sure to savor every bite, and when he finished he thanked Lunchrush again, who looked as proud as a guy whose face you can't see can look.
Everyone chatter among one another as they finished off their slices, and soon Shoka noticed everyone had finished. "Are you ready to open your presents Izuku?"
While Izuku's first instinct was to tell everyone they didn't need to get him anything, he stopped before he could. He's heard it enough today. They want to. "S-sure." He said gratefully.
Everyone smiled proudly at Izuku. Izuku's family all walked back to his mom's room and emerged holding several gifts each. Izuku's eyes went wide seeing how many there were, and was absolutely stunned when they went back for another trip. He was gobsmacked at the amount of gifts they presented before him. There had to be at least two to every guest.
"So do you want to pick which one you open or should I?" Asked Shoka.
"Y-you should. I-I don't know wh-where to start." Said Izuku.
Shoka smiled figuring that would be his answers. As she started handing gifts over for Izuku to open, she purposefully avoided several gifts she recognized to save them for later. Most of the gifts were simple things like new games, books, and clothes. He was even given some hero merch of the heroes the staff knew he is a fan of and looked up too. With how many gifts he was given and each person giving him at least two, it was obvious that they all coordinated since none of them gave him the same thing.
He deeply appreciated all the time, money, effort, and care that everyone had put forth for him. He would give a genuine thank you after each gift. He has overheard quite a few times from his ex foster siblings and classmates how they hated receiving clothes on their birthdays or Christmas, but every gift he was given felt like a blessing. One that he couldn't thank anyone enough for. To him this was absolutely unbelievable, he wouldn't be surprised if he woke up from a dream every second now.
Eventually the gifts dwindled down to just two left, with the next one given to him being from both of his aunts. It was a fairly decent sized box, but didn't weigh that much. After looking inside, he was stunned by what he saw. "How did you…?" He asked, trailing off at the end.
"It's all custom made. You won't find it anywhere." Said Present Mic proudly.
"But we also have our sources if you ever want more." Chimed in Midnight.
Izuku slowly started to pull out the items in the box to get a better look at them, with the first thing being a replica pair of his mom's hero goggles. A figurine of his mom in her hero costume with her quirk active and her capture weapon floating around her. Underneath those were three shirts. The first one was black with a decal of her goggles and her glowing red eyes shining through with the saying 'your quirk is erased' in red. The second was a dark green shirt with a silhouette of her similar to the figurine with "GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!!" Written in the school's signature blue and white. The last one was a red shirt that had the image of her with her goggles on looking like she was falling in midair with the saying 'A hero is more than their quirk.' Reading that really gave Izuku pause as he smiled fondly at the shirt. It's true his mom was tough with or without her quirk, but he feels that saying was personally directed at him.
After admiring his gift Izuku rushed over to his aunts and wrapped them in a tight hug, which they happily returned. "Thank you for the gift." He said ecstatic.
"Of course little listener." Replied Present Mic.
"My pleasure sweetheart." replied Midnight.
After the three separated, Izuku noticed that his next gift was already waiting for him to return. Reading that the gift was from his mom, he actually got excited to see what her gift was. After wasting no time opening up the gift, Izuku couldn't help but tear up at what he saw. Inside was a blood red variant of his mom's capture weapon.
"I figured it was time for you to have your own." Said Shoka proudly.
"A-are you sure I'm ready?" Asked Izuku hesitantly.
"Of course. You've worked hard and have made a lot of progress. But this one is unique." Replied Shoka.
Confused, Izuku reached inside and pulled out the capture weapon, and was surprised to see that there were two of them. He was further lost when the end of each one had fingerless gloves, with the cloth seamlessly attached at the palm flowing off the side of the hand opposite of the thumbs. But despite his confusion, he was still in awe at the gift.
"Since you want to become a mainstream hero, I thought this would fit your brand better than what something like mine would." Said Shoka, answering his unasked question.
"Oh, so you've decided your image? This is the first I've heard of this, what is it if I may ask?" Asked All Might.
While still admiring his gift, Izuku smiled fondly, though was still a bit nervous." Y-yeah. I've been giving this some thought. While my birth mom named my quirk what she did more as a backhanded way to call me a monster, I can't help but feel the name fits perfectly." Started Izuku, not noticing the worried looks of the guests aside from his family and Hound Dog. "My quirk is very demonic looking, and I accept that. I don't want to hide my quirk, not anymore. I want to embrace it." He said, looking at everyone at the end, noticing everyone was looking proud.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Asked Nezu.
Izuku's face exploded in red at the thought of saying out loud his idea, and despite trying he couldn't get the words out. Then Midnight appeared next to him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "By looking like an elegant sexy bad boy." She answered for him, but with a slightly teasing tone. Everyone chuckled quietly at Izuku's embarrassment.
"Y-yeah like th-that. I asked aunt M-Midnight for help designing th-the costume, but we're s-stil working on it." Mumbled Izuku.
Midnight draped her arms over Izuku's shoulders, giving him a side hug. "It felt good hearing that Izuku found little old me sexy." Teased Midnight before giving him a peck on the cheek.
Izuku's blush darkened to unnatural proportions. "Y-y-you're the R-rated h-hero. I-it's part o-of your s-s-style." Izuku embarrassedly argued.
Everyone watching laughed good naturedly at the whole debacle. Even Izuku couldn't help but also laugh after a few seconds.
"How about you try them on, see how you like them?" Asked Shoka after everyone calmed down.
"Yeah, let's see how they look!" Excitedly exclaimed Nejire.
"Okay! How do I wrap them up." Said Izuku excitedly.
"Whatever is the most comfortable for you, but still in a way you could unravel it quickly and are able to keep a tight grip on it." Answered Shoka.
With a nod Izuku quickly started putting on the capture weapon, after a couple wraps around his hand, he wrapped it all the way down to his elbow, and tight enough that they almost looked like bandages. Izuku admired the capture weapon in awe, it felt good, almost natural, like a second skin.
"Now summon a couple of your energy blasts." instructed Shoka.
Izuku's head snapped to his mom. "But that'll destroy them!" Exclaimed Izuku worriedly, realizing the potential flaw in the design.
"Trust me on this." Shoka said with a confident smile.
Izuku reluctantly nodded, then took a deep breath and slowly summoned his weakest energy blast in each hand, and was relieved and astounded to see that the blasts passed right through the binding cloth. After letting the blasts dissipate, he inspected the cloth seeing no damage whatsoever.
"Now try channeling some attar through your arms." Instructed Shoka.
Izuku was very eager to see what was going to happen this time. Wasting no time, he did what he was told and his jaw dropped when the binding cloth started floating around his arms, then wrapping back up when he stopped the flow of attar. "How does it do that?" Asked Izuku in awe.
Shoka laughed. "I have no idea. I wasn't even sure if that would work, I just took a guess due to how mine reacts to my quirk. Heck, I doubt even the inventor knows why it happens."
"Talk about plot convenience." Joked Present Mic, making most people chuckle.
Izuku wrapped Shoka in a tight hug. "Thank you mom! I love it!"
"Good, I'm glad." Shoka responded as she returned the hug.
After a few seconds, the two separated, and Izuku looked towards everyone. "Thank you everyone. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for all of the gifts. They're all amazing and I love each one." He said appreciatively with a bright and warm smile.
"We're happy to hear that, but there are still more." Said Tsukauchi.
Izuku looked at her confused before looking over at the table where the gifts were and saw it was empty.
"Hound Dog, do you mind getting the next one?" Asked Shoka, getting a nod from said hero, who walked back into Shoka's room.
"This next one is from her." Stated Shoka right before Hound Dog came out of the room. Izuku's eyes went wide recognizing what she was carrying as a cat carrier, as Mei, Kinoko, and Nejire gasped with wide smiles.
Hound dog put the cat carrier on the floor in front of Izuku. "How about you pull him out?" Kindly asked Hound Dog.
Izuku nodded dumbly before kneeling in front of the carrier. He gasped after opening the gate and looking inside. Being gentle, Izuku reached inside and grabbed the cat. Many "awww"'s were heard when Izuku pulled out the pure black kitten that looked to be a few months old. Everyone quickly realized there was something unique about this one though. His eyes are literally glowing red. Izuku was holding him to his chest while using a finger to pet his head as the kitten purred and rubbed his head against his touch.
Mei, Kinoko, and Nejire couldn't help themselves as they rushed up to pet and coo at the kitten.
"He's so adorable!" Exclaimed Nejire.
"And those eyes are so beautiful!" Added Kinoko.
"Me and your mom figured an emotional support animal would be good for you. We got him from the shelter, and despite being so friendly, no one wanted to adopt him." Said Hound Dog with a sad smile.
"What?! Why wouldn't people want to adopt this cutie?!" Asked Mei shocked, but couldn't help but continue to scratch the kitten's chin.
"As you've probably guessed, his eyes are like that because he has a quirk. No one knows if that's his full quirk or if it's just an effect of it. But regardless, people judge him by his looks. The employees told us that people would commonly call him a demon." Hound Dog said sadly.
Izuku looked at the kitten sadly as he continued to pet him, and he continued to be affectionate. 'He's like me.' He thought sadly. "Thank you Hound Dog. I love him, and will take good care of him." He said with a happy and determined smile, getting a proud smile and nod back.
"So what are you going to name him?" Asked Recovery Girl.
Izuku silently mulled over the question, trying to think of something, when an idea popped in his head. "People want to call you a demon? Well then how about Azazel?" He seemingly asked the kitten, earning a happy meow in response, earning a laugh from everyone. "Azazel it is." He stated happily.
Everyone took turns petting and cooing Azazel, who was absolutely loving all the attention. Even Nezu, who looked a little on edge while doing so.
Izuku's attention was taken away from the kitten by a hand on his shoulder, he craned his neck seeing it was his mom. "I know this one is going to be hard to top but there is one more gift." Izuku looked at her astounded. They had already given him so much. "All Might, did you get the gift into position?"
All Might buffed up while giving a thumbs up. "It's all set." She said in her usual boisterous way, earning a nod of acknowledgment from Shoka.
"Let's go see it then. Izuku, do you mind keeping your eyes shut?." Shoka asked In a way that told him he could say no if he wanted.
But Izuku trusted her, so after giving his mom a confused look he covered his eyes. As he was guided the only thing he could tell was he was being led outside for some reason, and that everyone else was following. It wasn't long before he was stopped. "Ok, open your eyes." He heard his mom speak. And what he saw when he did made his eyes go wide and his jaw drop. He barely even processed the flash of light and the sound of a camera shutter.
In front him was what looked to be a brand new car with a glistening dark red paint job with beautiful dark green and black pinstriping. (A/N I know pretty much nothing about cars aside from the basics, so I'm not even going to pretend to act like I do. So imagine a sports car with a muscle car kind of vibe.) Izuku almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't even stop staring when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"So what do you think?" He heard his mom ask right next to him.
Izuku wanted to tell her that it was too much, that he didn't deserve it. But he's tried that enough today, so only one thing could come out of his mouth. "I-I love it, but why did you get me a car?" He asked barely able to find his voice.
"As much as I hate to do it, I must give credit where credit is due. This was All Might's idea, so maybe she should explain." Shoka said, gesturing to the other side of Izuku where said hero was standing, still in her muscle form. Proccing Izuku to look up at the hero with questioning eyes.
"Young Aizawa, you have trained hard these past couple of months with myself, you mom, aunts, and the rest of the UA staff. The amount of effort you've been putting into your training and studying is admirable, but we have noticed how little time it's left you for a social life, and none of us want that. So everyone here pitched in to commission the Hatsume's to make you a custom vehicle. And I must say, this would be a car any hero would be proud to own." Explained All Might.
Izuku looked around him at everyone's smiling face, telling him that what All Might said is the truth. They had paid this much attention to him? He knew and trusted that they were all looking out for him, but they keep showing him time and time again how far they are willing to go for him. Izuku couldn't help but let a couple of happy tears fall from his eyes. "Thank you, everyone, this has all been amazing. I can't even begin to thank you for everything." He said appreciatively as he wiped the tears from his eyes one at a time. "Though it's going to be difficult to use a car when I don't know how to drive." He said, getting a few chuckles.
Mr. Hatsume walked up to Izuku and put a friendly hand on his shoulder. "No need to worry about that, I promised to teach you, and I plan on fulfilling that promise. Besides, someone's got to show you what this baby is capable of." He said gladly.
For the first time ever, and much to Mr. Hatsume's surprise, Izuku hugged him. But he happily returned it. Me. Hatsume knew this wasn't just a show of appreciation, but of trust. "Thank you." Said Izuku.
"Of course." Mr. Hatsume replied happily.
After they separated, Izuku went up to everyone to express his gratitude to everyone, giving hugs to most of the women, and even Nezu. He tried to give a hug to All Might, his uncle, and the male faculty, but they all said they understood and told him he didn't have to push himself and to do what felt comfortable to him. So instead he shook their hands, but still made sure to show his appreciation.
To Izuku, the rest of the night went by way too fast. He spent the next several minutes admiring the car and being taught the features and specs of the car, and coordinating driving lessons with Mr. Hatsume, which Izuku couldn't help but feel excited for.
The party only lasted a couple more hours, as Izuku went back to socializing and playing games with everyone. By the time the party came to an end, he had fulfilled his goal of spending time with everyone, but that won't stop him from spending time with them in the future. He had even made plans to spend time with his grandma and uncle, though he still only felt comfortable to do so when his mom or aunts were present.
Eventually as all the guests left, Izuku could feel the exhaustion setting in. It had been an exciting and busy day after all. By the time the last guest left, he could barely keep his eyes open, so his mom helped him get to bed, with her even tucking him in. And as soon as she did, Azazel hopped on his bed and curled up right next to Izuku.
"So did you enjoy your birthday?" Asked Shoka.
Izuku gave her a tired smile. "It was more than I could have ever dreamed of, it was amazing. Thank you so much for today."
Shoka gave Izuku a loving smile. "I was happy to do it, we all were." She said before leaning down and giving Izuku a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight honey, I love you."
"Love you too." Replied Izuku as he slowly started losing consciousness. But before he passed out his mind went over all that happened today, and even some of the happy memories throughout his entire life here. He thought about all the things the people in his life have done for him, about all the love they have shown him. He couldn't even help but realize that the voice in his head was silent. Before passing out for the night, one last thought went through his head.
'Life is good.'