"You're getting greedy, Kacchan."
He gets no verbal response, but it's expected. Izuku sighs, flopping down on the grey rock.
Kacchan swims lazily near the shoreline, seemingly studying him with his big, bulbous eyes. The sun strikes his scales just right enough to make the pale body of the massive fish gleam gold as it brushed against the surface of the water.
Izuku wonders if he can recognize him. He certainly did, given how massive the pale gold koi had gotten over the years under his care. In fact, all of the koi were getting a bit too fat. The gardener might end up complaining about it.
Which meant he would be complaining to his father and that in Izuku's book was a bad, not good, very very bad idea.
Endeavor never said anything about his little hobby -as long as it didn't cut into his education, Izuku guessed he wouldn't- but pushing it wasn't something he wanted to do anytime soon.
He stands up and dusts his clothes off, making sure to get rid of twigs and clumps of dirt that might have stuck to his shirt and pants. The last thing he wanted was to make a mess when he got inside.
Throwing one last look at the pond -and Kacchan's big, plump body and frayed fin pushing their way through the flock of colourful koi, practically pushing the smaller fish aside and only making his name even more evident- Izuku walks back to the house.
As he does so, the young fourteen year old boy tilts his head back and closes his eyes briefly, humming as the sunbeams kisses his face gently.
This was a nice day.
The air was warm, not too hot, not too dry and filled with the sounds of running water from the pond, swaying branches dancing in the wind and the distant calls of birds chirping across the estate. The gravel under his sandals crunched nicely.
It was an idyllic day.
Too bad Shouto wasn't here to see this, he thinks as he reaches the front door. Stepping onto the porch, he reaches for the knob. He shouldn't be cooped up so much.
It should be odd. Shouto liked to study, yes. He was nowhere as studious and 'book crazy' as Izuku to quote Natsuo, but he still harbored a healthy curiosity and drive to learn. It didn't mean he was averse to spending a few hours doing nothing outside.
Indeed, Izuku knew with certainty that Shouto wouldn't be inside during such a nice day.
The truth of this was very tall, very stern and often wrapped in a crown of flames.
With the date of the entrance exam quickly approaching, Endeavor was even more demanding in his training. More hours of work, more hours of study, more bruises and aching backs and nights spent tending to wounds or sitting in black flames, waiting for his Quirk to sooth the injuries away while Shouto sat a safe distance and finished up bandaging his wounds.
A part of Izuku didn't fault their father.
He wants us to be at our best.
An onlooker would have found such a belief endearing; that their father spent so much time working them up to be the strongest they could be before they reach Yuuei spoke of his dedication. To an outsider, of how he cared about them and how determined the Number Two Hero was to see them reach the very top.
The truth was hardly as charming.
It was their father's desire, for them to be high tier Pro-Heroes. For Shouto to be Number One.
Izuku didn't care for his explanations, for that dream. He hadn't for a long time.
It's all just numbers anyways.
.
.
.
He remembers the last time he'd realized it.
It had been a cold, freezing December afternoon when the thought had hit him while he was bundled up between Natsuo and Fuyumi, watching television in one of those rare moments of freedom where Shouto wasn't around.
"...does he know?"
There's no need to explain things. Not when they caught him looking down at his own arms and wondering.
At first, there's no answer. The afternoon continues on as normal, seconds trickling by as cold settles in his chest. Then, Natsuo reached for the remote and the sounds of the movie were lowered. It's Fuyumi however who speaks up, her sweet voice ever quiet and fragile like paper rice:
"No." She tells him gently, the minute twitch of her facial muscles barely betraying her true feelings about the matter. "Father never told him."
At his side, Natsuo shakes his head.
"None of us could bear to do it." He confines with unexpected softness. He's firm and warm against his body and it's but a mild comfort when faced with this realization.
Izuku closes his eyes, fighting the urge to break down. He understands the meaning hidden behind her words. What she was promising to him.
It's your secret to tell.
"Thank you." He tells them honestly.
Fuyumi offers him a tiny, shy smile, reminding him of another similar expression he'd seen when he first stepped into the Todoroki estate. The one she used when she wanted him to know she could keep a secret. As for Natsuo, snakes an arm over his shoulder and presses him close. It's a comforting squeeze.
Conversation over, they all turn back to watch the television.
All is well.
.
.
.
That same night, the promise was easy to make. If his siblings said nothing, if his father said nothing-
I want to take it to my grave.
.
.
.
Endeavor was late.
Izuku tried to keep his foot from bouncing against the floor of the training room. His nerves were getting the best of him despite his best attempts at quelling it.
At his side, Shouto looked as unruffled as ever. Only the slightest crinkle of his brows betrayed the confusion they shared.
Endeavor was never late.
Their father was a perfectionist and punctual to a point. The fact he was not, so close to the start of their lesson, had them both on edge. If he couldn't make it, their father would have told them at least thirty minutes before to start working on their own, and that he would evaluate things the following day. This -the silence, not knowing- this was new and uncertain.
...did something happen?
He feels like eels are squirming in his stomach. That can't be it, right? He glances at his brother. Shouto was sitting cross legged and just like him, kept staring at the closed door of the dojo. The silence was starting to get to him
Gathering confidence -or rather, channeling his worry into the urge to act, Izuku speaks up:
"Do you know where…"
Footsteps. Loud and heavy. Immediately Izuku feels himself perk up, relief flooding his veins. Shouto glances his way, uninterested, as the dojo door slides open.
Their father is not in his training gear, oddly enough. He's in his uniform. The flames around his shoulders are dimmer than they would normally be when the man was in his suit; only the twin curls of flames on his face had any kind of strength.
Instantly, Izuku knows something different was going to happen today. Their father looks down at them, lips pursed.
"Get up."
They're on their feet before he finishes his sentence. Endeavor regards them for a longer time. Izuku hears a bird call in the distance.
"Follow me."
They go. Out of the dojo and towards the living quarters. Another strange thing. Izuku holds his tongue. At least, until their father instructs them, in that ever sharp, short no nonsense manner, to get their outside sportswear on and some coats.
That's when the curiosity eats at him faster than Styxfire.
What is father planning?
Skipping training was unheard of, so Endeavor must have a very important reason to forego their daily training. Izuku manages to hold his curiosity in until their father steers them towards the main road of the estate. A familiar black car was sitting there, gleaming in the sunlight. That's when he can't stop his mouth from running free:
"Where are we going, sir?" He asks, glancing at Shouto. His brother was staring with narrowed eyes at their father's back. It's nothing new, but it didn't fail to make that small part of him that was still hopeful for some sort of resolution sag in defeat.
(He's an idiot. Why after all these years did he still think things could change?)
"We won't be having our lesson."
At Izuku's side, Shouto makes a face. Izuku himself falter, taken aback. So I was right.
"...pardon?"
Endeavor grunts, a noncommittal sound that does very little to inform them what was going on. Thankfully, after a brief lull the man speaks. "We're going to my agency."
Izuku promptly tripped and would have smashed his face against the floor if Shouto didn't immediately reach out to catch him. It's reflex, at this point.
.
.
.
He's never been to the Endeavor Agency before.
It might be unusual given how often his father used him as a living breathing prop during events, but knowing Enji Todoroki, it was actually pretty in character of the man. Izuku being at events had a function; each appearance was sparse but carefully planned to maximize publicity for a man that hated the whole publicity side of heroics.
In all honesty, part of Izuku agreed with his father on that.
Heroes should be heroes, not entertainers. They were here to protect and serve, not to smile in commercials and waste work hours as slaves to the media, for their ranking might depend on it. Unless they worked themselves to the bone like his father, more often than not it did.
Which rounded back to the reason why Endeavor never took them to his agency: there was simply no need for that. The agency was a place of work and there was absolutely no reason for Enji Todoroki to bring two of his kids to run around the facility when he should be handling reports and patrolling.
That, and Shouto would probably find a way to freeze all the pipes in the building. Because his brother was just as much of an overachiever as Izuku.
...which might be the reason why when they stepped into the massive building, all gleaming glass and metal, Endeavor had Shouto walking right at his side and was watching him like a hawk.
Izuku himself was mostly forgotten on the man's left. He took that opportunity with both hands, head twisting and turning up to look at every inch of what he could see.
The lobby itself was huge. Tall, arching walls that embraced a mixture of modern architecture and something more regal. There was a lush red carpet on the entrance door that ran all the way up to the dark wooden desk of the front desk.
A woman was manning it, her hair a brilliant shade of orange that refracted the light like metal. It was mesmerizing and stole Izuku's attention entirely. That had to be a Quirk -though was it a secondary Quirk mutation or her actual Quirk? She might not be a hero given her position as front desk -which was not less of an important job!- though he had to wonder what her hair was made of.
Metal? An organic alternative, like Kacchan's nitroglycerin?
What would it feel like under his fingers? He doesn't sense anything beyond normal thermal heat for a human being coming off her, but what kind of other properties did it-
"-and this is my youngest son, Izuku."
His brain screeches to a halt. Izuku blinks, turning his gaze towards whom his father was talking to.
...a small group of adults, young and older, wearing an assembly of work clothes and costumes. Pro-Heroes. And a few sidekicks. Some people he could recognize, others not. And they were all staring at him inquisitively.
There's some part of him that makes a soft sound with a voice not unlike his mother's. Oh, Izuku.
He has to agree with it. Oh, oh dear.
Pay attention, Izuku!
By the side glance his father gave him, the Pro-Hero was likely thinking the same thing. Whoops. Izuku could feel the sharp burn of shame on his face. He probably looked like a tomato right now. A freckled tomato.
Kill me.
Turning to the assembled sidekicks and Pro-Heroes, Izuku bows as deeply as he can.
"My name is Todoroki Izuku." He tries to make himself sound as serious and polite as he can. It's a mild success. There's a waver towards the end. " It's nice to meet you all."
There's some hellos and nice to meet you, Izuku in response. They're all polite but not meek. Of course they are -these people are around his father a lot. They had to have spines.
Speaking of Endeavor, the man is talking to one of the Pro-Heroes, He's tall with dark hair and a scar running across his nose. He's not wearing a uniform, just simple clean clothes. Izuku can't recognize him. He was not a new Pro-Hero though, given the hints of grey hair around his ears.
Might just be the lack of costume that made him hard to identify.
"Is the Hall cleared?"
"Yes, sir." The man replies, smoothly, looking at Endeavor in the eye. "Kikyo is finishing setting up everything."
Izuku blinks. The Hall?
What were they talking about?
(He had a feeling that his father wasn't simply going to show them around the agency.)
Endeavor and the man exchange a few more words and then start walking towards one of the open hallways. The rest of the adults follow, and SHouto sticks to their father's side in a surprising display of obedience. Izuku trails behind, looking back at the front desk.
The lady was looking at him -the one with the metal hair.
With his brother and father's backs being turned, Izuku gives in to the urge and quickly waves at the receptionist with the weird looking hair. Against his will, its jerky and stunted. Not a great attempt at a wave at all.
The woman stares at him like he's grown two heads, befuddled. She looks like she's completely taken off guard.
Heat floods his cheeks at this.
Oh. Okay.
Maybe might have not been the best idea.
Embarrassed, he quickly scurries after his father. If he hears faint giggling behind him, Izuku takes it and stuff the memory in the darkest corners of his mind.
.
.
.
This...is big.
The wide open space was incredible. It was several times bigger than the two training room at the estate combined, and Izuku couldn't help but cran his head up to stare at the asphalt and metal ceiling with wide eyes.
Was this place underground? He remembered taking an elevator with father and Shouto but, still, how did something like this fit in here?!
The Hall, as it turned out, was the Endeavor Agency's center training room and it wore its name well.
Every part of the place was reinforced; the pillars were thicker enough to be as wide as his father was tall, and there were extra supports made out of metal on the ceiling and walls, providing additional support.
Overlooking the massive area was the platform they were all currently standing on. It was a control room, equipped with cameras and control panels that hurt to eve look like, so much was the sheer abundance of buttons and levers.
How could anyone keep track of this?!
The manager of the Hall, apparently. Izuku was pretty sure that it was due to the fact that he had eight arms.
Kikyo Juni was a tall, gangly man with grey-purple skin and big, almost fish-like dark eyes. His arms were long and slender, giving him an almost spider-like appearance. Each hand was equipped with four fingers with wide, roundish pads at their tips instead of nails.
Izuku watched him from his father's shadow with fascination. What kind of training must he have to use all of this? He didn't seem to be a Pro-Hero -he didn't have that much musculature and Izuku did not recognize him at all -was he strictly in a managerial position?
"Which one are you looking for?"
His tone of voice showed his strength, though. Sharp, to the point. The kind Izuku was sure his father would like to have working for him.
"Gear up three of them." Endeavor speaks, arms crossed. "Middle difficulty."
"Yes sir." With that Kikyo's arms were flying around the control panels, almost too fast for his eyes to catch up. It was mesmerizing to watch him work.
Izuku frowns. Middle difficulty…? Wait, was his father looking to make them train here? Was that why they were here in the first place?!
One of the younger staff members cough. He's a Sidekick. Izuku recognizes him for the flaring fin-like ears on either side of his head.
"Huh, sir? Are you sure about putting kids through that?"
His father has his back to him, but Izuku can feel the power behind the pointed glare the Pro-Hero gives the sidekick. The young man shrinks back -but as he does, another taller, older man steps forth, his wind-swept purple-red hair bouncing with the slight shake of his head.
"Sir," The man -Firefist, Izuku recognizes him from the dark red gauntlets on his forearms. "-if I can suggest, how about something more hands on?"
Endeavor raises a brow. The Pro-Hero then does something unexpected. He turns to Izuku and Shouto.
"What do you think, kid?" The Pro-Hero smiles at them -at Izuku, unsurprisingly, because Shouto was crossing his arms and looking as approachable as their father on a good day. "How about a one on one?"
Izuku freezes. One on one? With a Pro-Hero? He's not physically strong enough for that -training with Shouto on a good day ended with his brother squishing him into the dojo floor with his weight.
The only way I could fight is using my...
"You won't fight him." Endeavor speaks up sternly.
The hero raised his hands and smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry sit, I'll be careful-"
"He'll kill you." Endeavor replied ever bluntly, silencing the man.
Silencing everyone. Really silent. Izuku's throat feels tight and restricted. It's not an unfamiliar feeling.
Shame never was.
Especially when these grown adults are looking at him as if they were seeing him for the first time. Maybe it was finally clicking inside their heads that Endeavor would not bring him here for no reason.
"Izuku."
Instinctively, he straightens his back and looked into his father's eyes. The man holds his gaze.
"Go in. Take out all the opponents you encounter." Endeavor tells him, before turning to Kikyo. "Starts the scenario."
One of the man's hands grasp a large, dark red level and pulls.
Immediately the ground shakes slightly under their feet. Izyuku stiffens, and he hears Shouto inhale at his side, his brother as caught off guard as him.
Was it someone moving? No, it couldn't be -and then Izuku feels it. The heat signatures were big. Too big. And the metallic clanking he was hearing-
Izuku's eyes widen. "...are they robots?"
"Yes." His father speaks up at his side, unperturbed by the loud whirring of machinery. "Today they are robots. Three of them."
Today they are robots.
Izuku wasn't enough of a fool to ignore the double meaning in that declaration. Maybe not today, but sometime in the near future it would be different.
Today it was robots.
Non human.
Machines.
Relief warms his heart; Izuku can feel it spreading through his limbs, through every vein and bone until finally, it ignites in the palm of his hands as onyx flames.
He glances at his father. Endeavor was watching with arms crossed, expecting.
He wants me to show off.
This was his moment. Knowing his father was watching brought up that familiar nervousness -it always did- but Izuku felt...centered, in a way. Maybe it was because there was no danger. He won't be hurting anyone with his Quirk, not unless he was grossly irresponsible with his flames and took out the support pillars.
Thankfully, Izuku was ever if not careful with them. He'd seen what they could do.
As he walks out of the control room and down into the arena, he takes a deep, strong inhale to center himself. As he exhales, Izuku opens his eyes.
Focus.
The first machine is in front of him. A deep, dark green with black parts. It's massive, with a wide base and large arms. A single, red camera lens mounted on a small rectangular head is locked onto him.
There's a moment where the robot looms over him, lens adjusting.
-and there's a moment after where it's gone, engulfed in black flames that burn nearly purple with fury.
Metal twists and warps with a creak, limbs falling and cables sparking as the robot stumbles and sways, balance lost. With a terrible, drawn out screech it falls onto its side, and Styxfire wastes no time rendering most of the upper part of the carcass into ash. It's a sizable drain for Izuku, but he pushes through it.
There's no time for him to falter, especially with his father watching.
Especially with people watching. If he disappointed his father he would never hear the end of it and there went the little free time he had at home.
A loud droning mechanical sound and the loud whirring of machinery alerted him of another robot advancing behind him. Izuku turns around, Styxfire rippling under his skin as it picks up two more approaching heat signatures -each on either side of him.
Clearly his father wasn't going easy on him.
The first robot swings at him; a burst of black flames from his feet throws him up in the air in a backward arch, legs straight and together and arms crossed against his chest like a gymnastic. As he spun around mid-air, Izuku quickly takes note of how close the other robots are, and the support pillars around the room. Wouldn't be good if he collapsed part of the agency, though he was pretty sure the training room was reinforced to survive those pillars collapsing.
Fifty feet, a little bit more, he thinks as the floor approaches.
A burst of concentrated black flames keeps him from breaking his feet upon contact with the ground. Immediately Izuku rolls with the landing, letting Styxfire launch itself like a slingshot up the veins of his arms and out of his fingertips.
Silver shadows light the room as two long strands of obsidian flames swirl around him, cutting through the robots' metal carapace like it was hot butter. Izuku goes for the upper body -he doesn't need to destroy the entire robot after all, only just enough to keep it from functioning.
The three robots lie around him, shattered in millions of little pieces.
Silence.
From the control room, one of the sidekicks lets out the tiniest, most noiseless meep from the observation deck.
Izuku crans his head to look at them through the thick glass.
If anything, his father's employees looked faintly horrified by the sheer amount of destruction Izuku had brought upon their training room. He feels his shoulders slump as their gaze travelled from the remains of the robots to him.
His father, however, is stone. His strong, unimpressed voice carries all the way from the control room.
"Start up the simulation again."
.
.
.
If Izuku made them apprehensive with his display of power, Shouto freezing all three robots into icicles the moment he stepped nary a foot into the arena had them mute for the rest of the visit.
His father's eyes gleam with smug pride and not for the first time, Izuku feels exhaustion at the sight of it.
.
.
.
That day comes sooner than Izuku is comfortable with.
When he wakes up on the morning of the Entrance Exam, he feels like he's been plunged into a haze. Getting dressed is a quick, robotical affair. He takes his training clothes and puts them in a backpack to carry for the test, and goes to the kitchen to eat.
Fuyumi had breakfast ready. Shouto's already eating. Not a single hint of Natsuo's presence is nary in sight. Or Endeavor.
Izuku doesn't question it. His nerves don't allow him to. He greets his sister and sits down to quickly wolf down the rice and vegetables she made in a hurry. The sun's barely up.
As he's finishing, his curiosity gets the best of him. He pauses to look at his sister with questioning eyes, silently communicating with her. Fuyumi sighs and jerks her head towards his plate, encouraging him to eat.
"There was a situation that he was called in by the Commission to deal with. There's a driver waiting outside for you and Shouto."
Izuku looks down at his plate,a soft noise leaving his lips. "Oh."
It's not like he was expecting Endeavor to accompany them. He's not a child; he certainly hasn't been for a while, and their father wasn't one to hold their hands as much as throw them forward and tell them to stick the landing or else he would do it all over again.
Still...part of Izuku wished he would have at least seen his father before going. It's childish to hope that just to see the man's reaction though, so he stuffs the dejection into a box and locks it away.
At his side, Shouto keeps stoically shovelling the food into his mouth. He says nothing and Izuku doesn't try bringing him into the conversation. The dark, steely look in his mismatched eyes said enough about his mood.
When they're done, Fuyumi accompanies him all the way to the door.
"Izuku," She starts, hesitating. He can see the conflict in his sister's eyes -how torn she was between congratulating him for entering an actual school, and being resigned that he was following their father's plans.
He makes a questioning noise towards her, pausing in front of the young woman. "..what is it?"
After a second of hesitation, she hastily leans down and kisses him on the forehead. Izuku closes his eyes and lets her, enjoying her familiar warmth. He can smell her natural scent -something minty and cold, like a young winter.
Fuyumi pulls away and smiles that smile. The tiny, secretive one that she only shares with him. "Good luck," She breathes out quietly. "...take care of yourself."
He offers his own tiny smile at her, a mirror of hers. "I will."
Fuyumi's eyes twinkle in response. With that, they walk out the door.
Shouto was waiting for him there, backpack over his shoulder and a clean set of clothes on. Fuyumi merely nods his way and softly calls after him in goodbye.
She didn't dare give him a kiss like she did with Izuku. Their relationship was just too different. There's a rift separating Natsuo and Fuyumi from Izuku and Shouto. One built from loud, shouted demands, roaring fire, the still warmth of a training room and a toothy, snarling smirk.
Shouto barely allowed affection anyways, and it was only from Izuku. Years spent caring for each other's wounds, exercising their Quirks together and bracing themselves against their Father's demands had shaped their relationship into something iron tight that could not be uncoiled.
Time would be the judge of how long it would stay that way.
.
.
.
They're a whole two hours early.
The driver drops them off at the school entrance and leaves without another word. Backpacks holding their sport clothes on their backs, they're left staring up at the massive tower of gleaming glass and the bright, eye catching yellow UA planted on the arching metal gate.
The school looks ...bigger than it did in pictures.
Izuku was expecting it, but it was still jarring.
Larger in life, I guess.
The public Entrance Exam had only been held five days prior. Now it was the turn of the Recommendation Test to take place -a test only reserved for those who were recommended by current or retired Pro-Heroes.
It had a written aspect similar to the Entrance Exam, but the physical aptitude was supposedly different. Their father wasn't allowed or refused to say what exactly it was. It made Izuku wonder what kind of test was in the public exam.
A tiny part of him wanted to be there as well. It was a foolish thought, especially given his father's stance on it and the fact it had already passed.
'I'm not putting you in the Entrance Exam.' His father had told him bluntly a few weeks ago. 'You'll end up killing someone.'
Izuku hadn't even bothered flinching at that. Yeah, that was far too expected.
His father had been tempted to do it, though. He'd seen the conflict in the man's eyes when he called him to his office to fill out the rest of the paperwork he had to do to enter into the Recommendation Test. Endeavor, despite the constant reminding that Izuku's Quirk was deadly, that it could take a life as easily as it ate materials, wanted to show him off. Or more specifically, he wanted to show off what he helped create.
Boiled down, Izuku was still the poster child for his father.
He was the surprise sleeping hit. Shouto might be the golden goose but he was the silver one. Not quite as worthy as his brother with his rare Dual Elemental Quirk, but still valuable all the same.
Which meant Endeavor had no issue parading him around like a prize horse.
Still, he was happy not to be in the Entrance Exam. Amongst all those people? All those young people who had no training and could accidentally stumble into his flames?
It gave him shivers just thinking about.
A large part of his was grateful of his father's choice. Endeavor was never really one to put his ego over danger, but it was still surprising that he didn't put him through the Entrance Exam.
Today though, the school was also still closed. The metal gate was shut.
They were alone, stuck waiting.
Outside.
They've...never really been outside.
Not on their own.
The extent of Izuku's experiences in public that didn't relate to his father was when he spent time with his mom. He was allowed to meet Inko, but always behind closed doors. A safety risk, according to his father.
So they met under the supervision of his father or a bodyguard. They still exchanged letters, and they were far more common than their physical meetings. Izuku treasured each of them, but especially the meetings.
One memorable time Bakugo Mitsuki and Masaru had come along. Mitsuki had nearly lifted him off the ground and her husband had literally swept him up in a hug the first time he saw him. Izuku nearly cried at the smell of his nitro sweat, sickly sweet like a candy factory. He had to wonder then -and still now- if Kacchan smelled any similar. He can't remember anymore. They'd never been that close anyways when they were tentative friends, at least not compared to their mothers.
It made him want -and fear- going to his mom's house.
(He had to wonder, if not hopelessly, why Kacchan never came along.)
Inko had moved into a small apartment sometime when he was ten, but she still lived near the Bakugos. Something Mitsuki demanded, apparently. It still wasn't safe enough according to Endeavor the one time Izuku had the courage to ask...and after searching and finding multiple cases of people assaulted by villains because of their ties to Pro-Heroes, Izuku quickly closed his big mouth and never questioned it again.
He's not sure what he would do if a villain got to his mom.
As such, he kept his mouth well shut and said nothing to his father.
This however left him with one problem. A glaring problem. Something Izuku hadn't really considered until he was standing in front of a closed school with his brother with still two hours of waiting ahead before Yuuei even started letting them in.
He had no fucking idea what to do.
Shouto was in a similar basket, if the way he stood rigidly at his side was any indication. His brother was side eyeing passersby who looked back in interest, likely wondering what they were both doing standing like statues in front of the closed school gate.
They had to wait.
In public.
Alone.
...Izuku never felt this kind of apprehension before.
They had money on them. Endeavor had given them cards linked to bank accounts setup under his control. There was a small amount that came in every month starting this month, so Izuku had a bit of wiggle room to do something right now.
Only question is what.
"Should…" He poses the question slowly, licking his lips nervously. "-should we walk around?"
Shouto's response was immediate. "Why?"
Izuku fights the urge to squint at him. "Shou, we are going to bake." He replies, pointing a finger up at the sun. It was summer, so the heat was treading on untolerable. At least for normal people.
The fact that he had a heat-absorbing Quirk really helped matters.
"I can regulate." Shouto replied smoothly, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "You need the fuel."
Izuku blinks.
Fuel.
Fuel.
Food.
It feels like a light bulb had gone off inside his head. Suddenly he knows what he can do -he remembers how his meetings with his mother went.
He could take his brother out to eat something. A snack. Anything.
All alone without supervision.
The weight of the card in his pocket felt like an anchor. The grin on his lips felt light, though.
"We're going exploring." The words leave his lips bluntly.
Ever the master, Shouto's response was even blunter:
"The exam." His brother replies, side eyeing him. "We need to stay here."
"It's in two hours." Izuku points out, torn between listening and behaving, and the unexpected excitement making the tip of his limbs tingle. "We have time."
Shouto frowns, like he can't understand his reasoning. In all honesty, Izuku feels on the same boat, but his giddiness at doing something without parental supervision gives him the drive to keep pushing:
"We should take a look around," He explains, sweeping an arm towards the street. There's stores on the other side of the road. A lot of them. Lots that have things Izuku doesn't really know.
Shouto looks unimpressed, so he continues:
"...look, we're going to be here for two hours. We might as well explore."
Shouto's flat expression was all the answer he needed. Nevertheless, the dual haired boy spoke up:
"We don't need to."
"...maybe we do? Father's not here to tell us no."
...and that was that, actually.
Nothing motivated his brother more than going against their father, and there was no better proof than the fact that three minutes later they were walking around in the streets by Yuuei, sniffing about curiously.
There were just so many people here!
Izuku had been in public before, but having so many people going on with their daily lives was different than a galla or a Pro-Hero event. It was wild. It was chaotic. It was everyone for themselves -literally, as few paid mind to them as they scurry through stores, idly examining items.
A sweet smell attracts Izuku's attention quickly, the scent of baked goods sweeping down the street like a siren's call that he has to respond because how long has it been?
Shouto follows him dutifully as he plasters his face against the glass. Even from the front of the store, Izuku can sense the heat of the ovens inside. And he can smell the goods, too.
The sweet, sweet goods.
The storefront was even decked out with freshly made pastry, the enticing confections drawing his attention quickly. Shouto glanced at them for a moment, pondering. Izuku could see the conflict in his eyes.
He's tempted. It's obvious.
They never have sweets. This might be a unique opportunity. One that Izuku wanted to take, if not for the good food but for the action of doing something new. Something alone. On their own for the first time.
Plus, extra fuel was extra fuel. He'd spent the entire week stocking up his reserves but a little more might not hurt. Even if it was a minuscule amount, Izuku would take it.
At least, that made sense. Or a good excuse.
"Shouuto," He calls, tilting his head to flick his eyes back at the tempting food.
A part of him is aware that he probably look ridiculous, staring owlishly at the baked goods unblinkingly. There's a lady sitting inside trying to read her newspaper that is looking at him oddly.
He didn't care. Not when his brother is walking away, uninterested. He has to find a way to pull him back.
And a way Izuku found. Because he spotted the one thing that his brother couldn't say no to.
"Shouuuto," He draws out again, more peppy and poignant. Just the right tonality to annoy the older boy into pausing and looking back at him, irritated. "...come look, they have tiny strawberry cheesecakes!"
Never had Izuku seen his brother double back so fast.
.
.
.
By the time the school's open for the Recommendation Test, Izuku and Shouto are standing in front of the main door.
The gates are wide open. A few people are walking in, far in between. There's a girl with long, black and hair and the tallest teenager Izuku had ever seen in his life. There's others as well, with wings or odd colored hair.
They were all walking forward confidently, hurrying inside like there was no time to waste.
Never before did Izuku feel his brother's presence so strongly than he did at this moment. He's always aware of his brother's location when he was nearby, his heat signature more unique than their father's or Touya. But in this moment, Izuku feels every line of tension in the taller boy's body.
Despite this, despite his own hesitation, shame and apprehension gnawing at his guts, Izuku finds the strength to smile.
I did it. Izuku thinks, craning his head up to look at the Yuuei logo looming over him on the gate.
It would start soon. He's not sure what to think, really. But he knows that he can't wait. Especially when Shouto's hand closes around his and his brother tugs him forward, helping him gather the courage to take his first step forward.
I am here.
I haz betrayed you. No All Might this chapter. Next chapter ye, which is coming soon. And Inasa.
And some Aizawa. Because everyone loves some Aizawa. Especially when he's wtf-ing at his students. Because he's pretty sure the tiny kid who wrecked half the course is gonna pass.
Tldr, no one is ready for tiny OP bean.
Also I love in this chapter Izuku saw the receptionist and immediately focused on her because it was the first person he saw. He's a fucking airhead.
The last bit was to set up how alien they both are at being in public. Izuku's train of thought in those scenes is actually inspired from my own experiences. My parents really really sheltered me and combined that we lived in a remote location it kinda turned me into a lone wolf who never really saw use at being friends -or know how to procure ones. Or how to be in public alone.
That sudden moment when you have money and that amount of freedom is kind of terrifying. I think it's something we can all relate to somewhat.
Also, Shouto might or might not have eaten like 3 of those mini cheesecakes. Or more. It's all up to you.
I will die on that hill.