Sleep was a wonder. Izumi's sense of exhaustion dissipated, and her sense of anxiety lessened with it. Finally able to think without her senses firing signals at every moment, Izumi's confidence returned. All Might's words the day had helped pinpoint her struggle, the same struggle Shouto faced once: being frightened over the power they held.
Izumi, however, bounced back quickly. She wondered if it was part of that theory people held about quirks influencing personality. Maybe her adaptability and mental flexing were all thanks to her quirk. Or had she just absorbed the Shounen protagonist lifestyle after reading all that manga?
Either way, Izumi showed up to training that day with her notebook full of ultimate moves. The thick book started when she was at Somei. It was full of ripped manga pages and printed screenshots from shows she watched that had been fundamental in forming most of her moves.
Izumi was sure she looked like a total weirdo madly flipping through her notes…or she looked like Midoriya, which was somewhat worse in her book. Raising her head, she narrowed her eyes at the boy who was blushing madly, head encased in his hands, as he leaned away from Tenya's scolding.
Okay, he wasn't that bad. Actually, Midoriya was cute in that boyish, nerdy way that made his strength all the more striking when he fought. Izumi wondered if he'd have the same following All Might did in the future.
Katsuki narrowed his eyes at her midst attack as if he'd read her thoughts. A silent challenge lingered in his gaze, spelling out his impatience with her slowness to start working on her Ultimate Moves.
Hadn't he learned she was a slow starter by now? Everything was a warm-up until it wasn't.
Izumi finally landed on the page; she'd been looking for. Her small joke to Kōta-kun about making a Rasengan wasn't unfounded. She mapped it out once in elementary school and then deemed it too dangerous. Her precision had sharpened since then, as had her knowledge of the kind of horrors in the world.
"Izumi," Midnight-sensei approached her with a wide grin. "How'd you sleep?"
"Can you do that every night?" asked Izumi, half-joking, half-serious.
"We can find the root of the problem instead. Have you gone to see Umeko?"
"Dr. Iwao helps. I'm seeing her again tomorrow morning, but it's not really me staying awake that the issue. I felt all of it happen. With Best Jeanist and all the others. I can't help but worry that it's going to happen again, so whenever someone starts moving around, I just wake up."
"That's why the Support Department exists. One of those geniuses tinkering in there can figure out a way to block out all the noise and give you a chance to rest properly."
"Edgeshot told me that I needed to think of my Lateral Line technique as a sense rather than a move. That usually helps, but at night, when I'm all alone with my thoughts, it's hard to tune it out."
"I'll come put you to sleep until we have a permanent solution."
"Thank you, Kayama-sensei, and I'm sorry you got hurt trying to come rescue me."
"This?" asked Kayama-sensei, running a hand down the scar on her neck. A grin grew on her face and she leaned in close, "Let's just say the Midnight Boys appreciated it."
Izumi's mouth puckered, a shudder running down her spin at Kayama-sensei's coy grin. Despite her age, her teacher could pull anyone she wanted too, but her after-hours activities with the Midnight boys were not something Izumi wanted to know anything about.
"You're gross."
"And you all need a healthy discussion on sex and sexuality. Nedzu's approved my curriculum, so we get to have all types of fun this semester."
"Just don't make it weird by wearing your costume to class."
"When I was a bit older than you, I got in big trouble with the HPSC—you've probably seen clips in your history class about it. My costume caused a bit of an uproar and no matter how hard I worked; I couldn't shake the image the world had of me.."
"So…wearing it is like saying 'Fuck you' to all your haters? Respect." Izumi held out her fist which Kayama-sensei lightly bumped with her own. Her nails were painted a deep red, the sparkly kind that Sensei usually only wore when she was in a good mood.
"Aizawa's worried about you and Momo."
"I haven't really had a chance to talk to Momo one on one." Izumi closed her book, placing it in her lap. Every time Momo looked her way, Izumi felt an invisible countdown start as if Momo could sense the betrayal hidden deep inside her. "People are treating us differently from one another. I always wanted people to see me, but not the way they are now. Momo did something so brave and no one mentions it. She went through all that and they're heaping praise on me for doing nothing."
"As cruel as it is, there is a difference. You were at Kamino Ward. Momo wasn't. To the public and all the people suffering, you were the one they saw. Momo has her own story and she'll have her chance to step into the spotlight the same way, but don't make yourself smaller because you're afraid of stirring the pot. You have a sister, right?"
A smile bloomed on Izumi's face. "Fuyumi—you met her after USJ."
"She's probably your only example of a healthy female relationship, so it makes sense that you try to mimic that with your classmates. You want them to like you, but there's an in-between. You can play it nice off the court, but it's the bonds you form that should push you all to want to dominate each other."
"Did you really have to use the word dominate?"
"Force of habit," said Kayama-sensei not looking the slightest bit sorry. "What I'm trying to say is that there's a difference between being kind and being docile. You can be compassionate without being submissive. Your friends don't need you to stick your head in the sand and pretend you're not strong. They need a friend who will push them to be just as great. Understood?"
"Kinda of."
"Good enough, now let's have some fun. I've been aching to see what you've been—"
"Kayama-sensei, I'm really going to report you."
"Don't think I haven't seen you reading R-rated smut in my class. Should I send your mother a note?"
Izumi's face flared.
"Most of that is a lie, but there's nothing wrong with being curious. At your age, an in-depth education on the inner workings of the human body is—"
"AIZAWA-SENSEI!"
Once Kayama-sensei was wrangled away from her, Izumi sat down on the ground and formed a spinning orb of water. One brush of her hand instantly turned it into ice so cold, it burned the palms of her hands. The sensation was odd and a bit thrilling, because Izumi wasn't used getting cold.
But, spinning alone wasn't enough.
Energy was required.
"Hey, you!" Shouto ignored her for a solid minute, before the realization hit him that she was calling him over. He scowled fiercely at her as she waved him over.
"You know my name."
"Unfortunately. It would've been so much cooler if we were in separate classes. What are you doing for your Ultimate Move?"
"Trying to use ice and fire at the same time. It wasn't something Endeavor really cared about."
Izumi smiled slightly, "The only thing he's contributed to society is a highlight reel of all the times he got decked in the face—iconic. I'm sending a thank you card to all those villains. Mochi too."
"The old man's pretty strict when it comes to his training. He'd do his own sessions first, before he worked with me. Even when he had off, he was always locked away in the training room. It—it's sad, how little time he spent being a person. Maybe if he'd figured it out then, it wouldn't have turned out this way."
"Maybe." Izumi rubbed her hands together. "Sometimes I'm grateful that he sent me away."
"He was upset that you didn't come during the internships. I think part of him hoped you would."
"So, he could parade us around together?"
"No, I think you remind Endeavor of himself—the good parts and it frustrates him."
"There are good parts?" muttered Izumi with a wry grin. "People actually like me, which is saying a lot cause they hate him. Besides, if he's looking for something to be proud of, he has you."
"I don't need him to be proud of me."
"I know what'll make you feel better! Wanna fight?"
"Is that a good idea?"
"All Might told me yesterday that I focus too much on the cold side of my quirk. I'm afraid of hurting someone, but it never really happens when I go in the other direction. I've always known how dangerous heat is because of Touya and Endeavor, but when I think about ice—that was always something we shared. Knowing that it could hurt someone means that it could hurt you too…the way it already has."
Shouto's scar wasn't just from the hot water, but from their mother's attempt to cool him off with her quirk.
"Everything about our quirks can be dangerous in the wrong hands, but you won't hurt someone unless you mean it. Even when you lost control against Endeavor, you didn't really lose it." Shouto offered her his hand. "If you don't tell Mom I hit you again, we can train together."
"She wouldn't have believed a word I said if it hadn't happened on national T.V."
This video will change how you think about Spinner (Runtime: 01:17:39)
The Akatsuki
15.7K subscribers
I've been following the League of Villains since the USJ attack and as a fellow outcast felt the need to shed some light into Spinner's character since the rest of you are riding on Dabi's and Shigaraki's dicks (not even mentioning the Toga fans cause I'll get blacklisted, cut-up, and end up in a ditch somewhere). Also, to answer someone's comment in the last video, I'm not afraid of the cops coming after me because they're still running on dial-up in a 5G/LTE world.
Comments:
dabi_luver_24: i came into this thinking it was going to be crack, but ummmm heteromorph laws need 2 change
amightman: y'all are sick, but i stan 😋
spinnerstwodicks: This entire video needs to be added to our history classes. We don't ever talk about the early eras where anyone with mutant type quirks were literally hunted.
mahitox9: "Stain's ideology is an aftereffect of a deeper systemic issue created by heroes"—this is such a well made video!
Yaoyorozu Momo: The Modern-day Ghibli Heroine (Runtime: 00:26:41)
Miyazzzaki
43.1K subscribers
In this video I talk about Creati, U.A.'s first and likely only hero from the famed Yaoyorozu family, and the local mythos from Hiroshima's Nomu Attack and the Kamino Ward incident. This video is told in three acts:
Act One: Origins and the Economic Power of the Yaoyorozus
Act Two: The Bathhouse (U.A. High School)
Act Three: Defeat and Victory (Alternatively, Creation)
Comments:
creatiroll: bruhhhhhh, the way I didn't even look watch her fight at the SF, this video redeems her
yukino: it's insane how this is more accurate than all the news stories on these kids. theyre all at ua trying to follow their dreams and do something thousands of us wouldnt do. really like how this highlights Yaoyorozus role as someone who takes hold of opportunities and accepts the cards dealt to her with grace. Great video!
endeavor_official: Thank you to the doctors and nurses who have worked tirelessly in the aftermath of the Kamino Ward incident.
allmighty: bro, who are u trying to kid?
mirukoswaifu: guess the hpsc gave him his license back and took his ego in the package. kinda miss the real endeavor 😟 😟
endeavorn1: ur all just mad cause ur faves could never pull of the DILF in a turtleneck look
endeavorn1: where else are we going to get clueless dad content? The only thing all might's done is not show up, but we're not ready to talk about that ️
…
notrelated2endeavor: ever since the dumpsterfire account went down, this place is basically hell
gamerboy420: i thought u were recruiting, not making a mess
notrelated2endeavor: how am i supposed to gaslight without arson?
gamerboy420: who let you on here?
notrelated2endeavor: everyone's on it
"K-Kacchan!" Deku chased after him, hand flexing in the new white gloves he wore. "I need to talk to you."
"What the fuck do you want?" barked out Katsuki, fuming with anger.
Deku's face hardened and then he stood next to him, fiddling with his gloves. "Are you alrig—"
"Finish that question and I'll make sure…" Katsuki broke off, shaking his head sharply. The fuck was he doing? Hadn't he promised himself to at least ignore Deku and try and be the kind of person Best Jeanist wanted him too? "Leave me alone."
"If you want someone to be angry at, I can handle it. I always have."
"Not my fucking problem."
Deku peered around the corner and then looked back at him with a firm expression. "Izumi-chan's been acting weird. Do you think she would tell you what's wrong?"
Of all the things he expected Deku to talk to him about, Izumi was the last one. He stepped back involuntarily. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Iida-kun told me that she was asking him strange questions yesterday and All Might spoke to her yesterday too, but he didn't tell me what it was about…I thought maybe you knew something about it. It's fine if you don't! I-I was just worried and she saved my arms in the forest, so I wanted to—"
"Mind your own damn business. The fuck do you need to know what she talked to him about? She got kidnapped because you left her."
For him.
Deku chose to save.
A jolt ran through him and everything around him seemed to slow. Deku's face entered his vision, and it was the frist time that Katsuki truly looked at him. The muscles lining every inch of his body hadn't retracted from the plainness that Deku always carried with him. There was a spark in his gaze, a kind of genuine goodness that utterly terrified Katsuki.
Katsuki walked away, leaving Deku behind.
The cold from Izumi and IcyHot's joint training filled the air, making it impossible to build up a proper sweat as he shot toward Ectoplasm. An untapped, overbrimming energy rested in his bones. It stung and left his hands numb, but the strain that came with using his quirk despite it made him feel like he was accomplishing something.
If Deku and All Might's faces started replacing the clones he destroyed, he kept that to himself.
The sad truth remained that his anger and guilt and grief tangled up together with no outlet other than his training. The more Deku, All Might, and to some extent his classmates acted like everything was normal, the harder it was to act the same way.
The Todorokis weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were on the brink of insanity. Katsuki peek over his pillar, seeing the twins embroiled in an all-out war with one another unlike their battle at the Sports Festival. It looked like they were out to kill one another, but every few moments their fight would halt entirely, and they would regroup to discuss before starting again.
He clenched his fist and then opened it to reveal a thin layer of sweat gleaming on the surface. A single concentrated point.
His AP Shot had worked out well when he tried it yesterday. Howitzer was probably the strongest move in his arsenal, but he needed something better, something more powerful that would prove he didn't need some fancy mentor or quirk to be No. 1. He could do it on his own. For the first time in his life, Katsuki had people who believed in him, not because of his flash quirk, but because of him.
Best Jeanist was gone, too quickly for him to see the payout, but Katsuki swore no one else would end up in his spot, taking a hit that might have been meant for him in another universe.
"Again," he barked out, throwing a glare at his math teacher. "These ones are dead! What the hell are you waiting for?!"
"Bakugou-kun, I'll do my best to help you, but my quirk is being spread thin as well. Give me a moment."
"Tch. Whatever."
His brutal and relentless onslaught was designed to bring his quirk to its very edge and then somewhere beyond that worked. He could hear his classmates' mutterings between his attacks—Kirishima's occasional cheers, Uraraka's comment that she was excited to go up against him whenever the chance arose, and even Beetlejuice's off-hand comment of 'Cool.'
"Bakugou-kun?" Yaoyorozu tugged at the hem of her sweater, her face pink with exertion and hair tied high in its usual ponytail. The grappling hook she'd used to pull herself up onto the pillar was placed gently on the ground.
"The hell do you want?"
"I thought I'd give Ectoplasm-sensei a break and keep you company if you permit—"
"No."
"Why not?"
"If you can't even face me properly without some shitty-ass excuse then I'm not wasting my time." Yaoyorozu's gaze dropped to the ground, a grimace taking over her face at his cursing. "What's wrong? Ponytail Princess can't handle—"
Yaoyorozu sighed. A tick formed in her jaw. "Why are you behaving like this?"
"I've got a better question—Shouldn't you be crying in your room or whatever prissy shit you do?"
"Bakugou-kun," said Yaoyorozu in a reproachful voice. "I'd appreciate it if you left the vulgarities for someone else. We're both aware of the fact that you're capable of speaking politely when you're inclined."
"Yeah? And who the fuc—"
"If you're upset, I'll speak to you another time."
"We're not friends. I don't do this friendship thing, so tell everyone to stop trying."
"I'd think after what we've all gone through together, some degree of friendship exists between us."
"Fine, you wanna fight? We can fight."
Yaoyorozu tilted her head and then nodded.
A bo staff emerged out of Yaoyorozu's palm, gleaming sliver and capped with red. She spun it in her hands with an impressive speed, testing its weight but also displaying her comfort with the weapon. Katsuki raised a brow, wondering if there was some sort of unspoken ninja crew forming between Izumi, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and the guy with the tail that Kaminari was always touching.
"The hell is that supposed to do?"
"What I need it to."
"May I ask you something?" asked Yaoyorozu, taking the first strike and swinging directly at his head. Katsuki blocked it with his one of his gauntlets and dropped his hand sending an explosion her way. Yaoyorozu skin glittered, a shield dropping into her hand blocking the brunt of the impact.
"What?" grunted out Bakugou, taking a hit right at his rib cage on purpose to grab hold of Yaoyorozu's arm. He spun her around, sending a blast directly to her face that sent her reeling. A mistake, because at his feet with a matryoshka doll. A second before he could react, its head popped open, and a blinding light flashed.
His eyes were forced shut, burning. As he regained his sight, he realized that Yaoyorozu had fallen out of her fighting stance. "I believe I'm angry, but I don't know about what or why."
"What the hell would I know about it?
"Please don't take offense, but since your temperament is rather…volatile…I thought you might be able to provide some insight. I know we don't know one another well, so don't feel pressured…I thought about confiding in someone else, but Izumi told me that you dislike it when people 'save' you, so hopefully this would ease your mind as well."
"Getting kidnapped doesn't count as saving someone, so our score is still nil-nil."
"All right. I apologize—"
Reluctantly he bit out, "Shut up. You're smart so I'm not going to dumb shit down. You do this worrying routine, so you don't have to think about yourself, but that's not going to work this time around. It's going to keep coming back, and you're going to burst at the worst moment. I thought I had you all figured out by the Sports Festival, but what you pulled at the Training Camp surprised me."
"We're all capable of growth," said Yaoyorozu tightly.
"Yeah? Tell everyone to stop then. It's annoying you that they're coddling you like a damn brat."
"I understand everyone's reluctance to talk about what occurred. There's no need to bring up bad memories."
"Because you'd rather let Izumi snap first, so you don't have to. It might have worked in the past—"
Yaoyorozu's bo staff smacked against his arm. A furious flush stretched across her cheeks as she stared at her hand in shock, almost as if it had moved on its own. Her eyes met his with an unyielding steadiness. "I'm afraid you've miscalculated my character. I would never use her pain as a shield for mine."
"Then go crazy and let loose. The Class Prez already has a stick up his ass, you don't need to have one too."
"It's rather difficult for me to express myself in the same way as the others. As much as I would like to, I have certain expectations for myself that I constantly fail to meet, and the kidnapping only proved that I have much to work on."
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"What I mean is that I've become even more motivated to be a hero. There was so much that could've been done to prevent what happened, but the world is too fractured. I've always taken inspiration from others, so what I'm trying to focus on now is finding it within myself."
"So, basically, you're insane. Good to know."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Nothing."
"It is hard, sometimes, to think back to the callous way they thought about life, the desperation and glee the villains held, the passing time that seemed to stretch, but…it comes and goes, and the time I spend thinking about it shrinks."
"Oi, Yaoyorozu—I'm not the right person to talk to about this kinda crap."
"Actually, Bakugou-kun, I think you'd be surprised to know how much everyone looks to you for motivation. Seeing you climb back to your feet whenever you fall and grow that much stronger…all heroes should be like that."
"Fine." He dropped into a fighting stance and gesturing for her to move forward. "You wanna fight, let's fight."
Sometime later when he finally scared Yaoyorozu off—she bowed before he left which left him with the unsettling feeling that she'd be trying that shit again—Katsuki caught sight of Izumi all alone with Aizawa-sensei at her side. IcyHot was cross-legged on the sideline, flipping through the notebook Izumi brough with her that morning.
"Again," called out Aizawa, moving to the side. A trail of sweat ran down the side of Izumi's face. She was likely nearing her limits or Aizawa was forcing her to work around his quirk.
Between her hands formed a spinning orb, growing in size before it was suddenly compressed and folding in on itself. And then Izumi aimed to the ground and the water exploded outward in a whirling mass that destroyed the ground near where they stood.
Cold blistered through the air, so quickly and brutally that Katsuki could feel it from where he was, but rather than dissipating, it was followed by an intense wave of heat. A cycle of cold and heat followed rapidly and cut off abruptly as Izumi bent over clutching her knees and breathing hard.
"How's that?" she asked.
Katsuki dropped down, unfastening his gauntlets as he casually listened in.
"You'll need to downplay it on someone normal," said Aizawa.
"Like you, Sensei?"
"Yes." A reluctant smile tugged at Aizawa's lips. "Good combo."
"Thanks! I'm actually working up a sweat!"
"You didn't name them. You'll need to do that."
"Suiton: Uzumaki no Jutsu and Forgotten Kettle—cause it starts hot and then goes cold. Like when you go turn the kettle on and then—"
"I get it." Aizawa fixed her with a glare as Katsuki approached. "I don't think your brother would appreciate your sense of humor."
"Which is why I should get away with not naming them. You don't name your moves, so forcing me to do the same is an irrational waste of time."
Katsuki's mouth rose in the corner, "Bet you can't."
Izumi stiffened, refusing to turn and look at him. "I'm not playing that game," she said, gathering the ice that was jutting from the ground. It exploded into a puff of steam that rose high in the air and dispersed under Izumi's control. Aizawa made a quick escape, abandoning her to go help Sero unravel his web of tape.
Katsuki smirked, "Cause you can't."
"We're not five."
"Just say it: I can't name my own moves."
"I can't believe you think taunting works on me."
"Since you wanna avoid the damn topic, I win."
"You don't even have a hero name, so don't—"
"I do."
"You do?! What is it?! Dynamight?"
Katsuki couldn't hide the shadow of surprise on his face. Izumi cleared her throat, twisting the tip of her boot against the ground, "I thought that…you know, with you liking All Might and all, you'd pay him tribute or something like that."
"It's not Dynamite. I'll tell you after we get our licenses, but there's someone else I need to tell first."
Understanding dawned. "Whatever it is, you picked the right one."
"You think?"
She raised her shoulder, looking away from him. The scar her quirk had left in the ground was impressive, but it also filled Katsuki with a sense of trepidation. Izumi moved too fast, hurtling ahead toward something and he wasn't sure what it was. Like Deku, the urge to hold her at arm's length was under his skin and growing.
He'd have to be just as fast then.
Izumi pressed her fingers against her wrist, massaging the spot above the burn on her arm. He wondered, for the thousandth time since she'd told him about everything that happened in her childhood, what she must have been like then.
"Your AP Gunshot—if you concentrate more power before you let it off, you can make it burst even bright and hotter."
"It's my fucking sweat. It's starting to cool off now, so it's damn annoying to try and make more."
Izumi looked at him like he was stupid and then pressed her hand against his shoulder, skimming down his side. His blood felt like it was boiling beneath the surface. "Instant power boost or wear warmer clothes then, but don't overdo it and faint."
The heat in him dissipated and lessened as Izumi moved her hand away. He wished she hadn't. "I'm not you."
"I still can't believe you carried me back to the dorms."
"What the hell was I supposed to do? Drag you?"
"It's unexpected, so it makes it feel special when you do something like that."
"Shut up."
"Fine."
"I don't mean—" He let out an agitated sigh and shook his head sharply, fingers hooking onto one of the straps on her jacket and pulling her slightly closer. "Don't fucking shut up. I'm just saying crap. Say whatever you want to say."
"I get embarrassed around you too and nervous. Sometimes…not all the time, but sometimes."
"Hah? Why?"
"This—" Izumi gestured between them with a wave of her hand. "—isn't something I know anything about, so it's like a learning curve. I want you to want to like me and for it to stay that way."
"It will."
"But how do you know that?"
"Just do. Don't worry about stuff like that." Izumi shot him a skeptical glance. "Seriously, don't worry about it."
"We should go out on a real date. Something we both like to do—oh! Do you wanna go to that festival downtown? One of the stalls has a famous chef from Chengdu and apparently his hot and sour noodles are Michelin Star worthy. I wanna try them so bad!"
"We can't leave campus, especially you."
"I forgot. I miss when we just did everything we wanted."
Katsuki pinched her side, getting her attention before she fell into a spiral of depressing thoughts. "If you wanna go on a date, we'll go."
"Going to put all your Shoujo knowledge to work?"
"If I have to."
"You're not good at flirting."
"Want me to show you how good I am?"
Izumi's eyes jumped to his lips. "Maybe."
Katsuki's hand curled in her hair and roughly pulled her mouth to his. He might have cared once, about the fact that they were still visible to their classmates, but he'd already done the impossible and put everything on the line to go rescue Izumi. Each kiss only existed for the two of them. And maybe a part of him was declaring it in a way that was more visible, but if saving people was the side of heroism that he was missing, then it'd start with Izumi.
"Do you know how annoying it is to have you right in front of me and not be able to do that all the time?" he asked, pulling back with a slight smirk as Izumi's face ignited.
"I do actually." Her fingers splayed across his chest, palm resting where his heart was. "There's always so much going on inside you, but I could pick out your heartbeat with my eyes closed."
"Inside me?"
Izumi's fingers crawled lower. Katsuki stiffened. His eyes met Izumi's which were threaded with coquettish humor. It was always her eyes that draw him in. Clear as still water and framed with thick white lashes like the rush of a tidal wave whenever she blinked. She was so close now.
A trail of mist circled behind her. They're shadowed by some of the cement pillars created by Cementoss. Her hand trailed across the hem of his shirt. The game she started suddenly seemed dangerous.
"You haven't taken a break." Her hand slipped under his shirt, sliding across his skin. "Come take one."
An ache, one that was becoming more and more familiar, throbbed deep inside him. Both like teasing too much, but Izumi was bold in a way he wasn't. Izumi leaned in close, her hand tracing the planes of his abs.
He stepped back, jaw clenching tightly as he held her in his. Still too cold, but he grew used to the difference. Izumi's intense gaze was enough to start a fire in his veins, but Katsuki's focus was on her palm.
Raising her hand to his mouth, he place a soft kiss on it and then looked at her from beneath his burning eyes. "Let's get out of here for a bit."
In a classic-Izumi way, she nodded, and an excited grin crossed her face. "That's code for making-out, right?" Not even waiting for an answer, she turned and strode forward, diffusing her mist. "Aizawa-sensei! We're going to be back in a bit!"
Aizawa's head rose, looking between the two of them with a grimace on his face. Kirishima silently shot him a thumbs up from the back along with Kaminari, which made Katsuki want to puke a bit. Where the hell had his life gone wrong?
Katsuki caught Deku's eye as the two of them existed the gym. Rather than look away as always, Deku stood firm, silently pleading with him to investigate his nonsense.
Stepping out into the sunlight campus, sprawling with green trees and grass worthy of a five-star golf course, Katsuki stretched his arms out, letting out a large yawn. Now that he'd stopped fighting, hunger pulled at him.
"Oi, you wanna eat first?" he asked, stepping onto the path that led back to the main building. His hand flexed at his side, pinky brush against Izumi's. Fuck. Fuck his whole life. Hand holding was the kind of shit he skimmed over in the various romance mangas he owned.
It was his mom's fault. He was beginning to think everything was. A six-year-old Bakugou Katsuki had unknowingly been exposed to Fruits Basket through his mom. Everything went downhill ever since. His dad encouraged it, going with him to the bookstore every other weekend to find something new to read.
Should they hold hands? He didn't give a fuck about what other people thought about him and Izumi. So, what was nerve-wracking to do something so damn simple when he had kissed Izumi?
He promised once that he'd be the best at everything he—
Izumi's hand reached for his. Fingers intertwining. Cold silver ring on her hand pressed against his burning skin. His palm slight clammy against the soft frost she offered.
Their hands together.
Izumi's weren't dainty, but she had long fingers. Elegant. He always liked her hands and the surety they carried.
"I'm down for food," said Izumi. She pulled their intertwined hands close, shoulder brushing against his. "I'm surprised no one followed us. Mina and I have been holding news conferences in the baths with all the gossip we've gathered. Apparently, that boy who confessed to me in Class 1-C is now running my fan club. Shouto's got his own too after that whole press conference he had. And people are now a fan of your 'brutally honest' vibe."
"You've barely left the dorm. How the hell do you have gossip already?"
"Hagakure—she's our intel agent."
"The invisible one?"
"I wish I had her quirk. It's so useful—I'd be spying on everyone all the time."
"That's exactly why you don't have it."
As Izumi talked, mostly about how excited she was for everyone to finally have their licenses, Katsuki observed her carefully. Her expression was lighter, but there was something still there, just below the surface, that shadowed her every move. His eyes trailing over her costume. Her jacket had two red straps that were meant to carry the katana she had and barely ever used (he had likened it to a prop once and Izumi had nearly cried).
If he was the hero, then Izumi was the one prepping for the inevitable collapse. A plan for every failed plan. So desperate for a changed world she was willing to put in the work and do it herself. A memory flashed through him of All Might's claim that Izumi was unable to inspire people. He was already wrong.
The world didn't wait for people to catch on. The world moved on with or without you. Katsuki had learned that over the last few weeks.
Izumi paused as they entered the school building and gave him a curious glance. "Is there a reason you're staring at me?"
"I'm just looking. That a crime?"
"According to the general public, you do have a villainous aura, so it might be."
"When'd you start caring for what anyone thought?" Katsuki's hands came down on her left, trapping her against the wall.
The cursed kabedon. He'd never been much of a fan of the trope, but suddenly it was the best thing ever. Heart beating wildly in her chest, she tried hard to focus on what Katsuki was saying but couldn't make much past the shape of his lips as he said it. His other hand tilted her chin up before his palm came to rest against her cheek, warm and rough. "Got nothing to say?"
Izumi leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. Once, a feather touch.
Twice, barely a touch.
Thrice, and Katsuki moved his hand to cut the back of her neck. His mouth angled against hers tasting of mint and the lemon-tea she was partial to. And then they're kissing in a way they hadn't before—rougher, quicker, more needy. There was something fun about the way Izumi acted and reacted to every movement he made. Moving away when he needed her to, delving deeper when it was clear she liked a particular touch. Almost like she was making a map of him, of them, and gods, the way his blood rushed through him left him wanting more.
Heat flared inside him. His hands fell to grip the back of her thighs and lift her up, just a little, giving their kiss a new angle. And that voice always whispering in the back of his mind that he wasn't good enough, that there was always someone better than him, quieted. In this alone, with Izumi, Katsuki knew that there was no one else able to understand her as well as he did.
A crash sounded. It took a full second to register and then he tore away, turning to glare at the intruder.
"Amajiki-senpai!" Izumi shoved him, hurrying to help up the fallen upperclassman. "We didn't see you!"
Amajiki pressed his face into the synthetic floor tiles, hair falling to cover the side of his face. "Just leave me here to die."
"Why were you creeping around?" demanded Katsuki and then rounded on Izumi. "Oi, why didn't you sense him?"
Izumi rolled her eyes, "I was distracted."
"By what?!" said Katsuki.
Izumi leveled him with a glare that might have frozen a lesser man. "Your tongue down my fucking throat, Katsuki. Stop making a big deal and help me help Amajiki-senpai."
Amajiki resisted against her hold. "I said leave me here to die. D-didn't you hear me?"
"I'm ignoring you," grunted Izumi and then screamed when Amajiki's hand turned into a tentacle to swat her away. Katsuki bit his tongue to hold back an off-hand comment about hentai circling in his mind that would ruin his reputation.
Katsuki clicked his tongue, pulling Izumi back as Amajiki decided to stand up. "Can't catch a fucking break around here."
"This is why I say we need designated spots."
"To make out? You wanna schedule it too?"
"I like time-tables, so sure."
Katsuki covered up his laugh with a sneer, "Nerd."
Amajiki-senpai—Katsuki dubbed him Bootleg Sasuke—turned out to be the same moron who had his head pressed against the wall when Hawks paid them a visit. Katsuki observed their interaction with slight frown, wondering where the menace he knew disappeared to as Izumi brushed the dirt of Amajiki and then smoothed out his uniform jacket for good measure. All he ever got was a cackle and the promise that he'd go viral if she happened to record him.
"Oi, you can let him go now."
Izumi looked at him in surprise. "I wasn't holding onto him."
"I really don't want to be here. I was just going back to the dorms and trying to avoid…" Amajiki sent Izumi a sullen look. Katsuki sniggered, understanding immediately who he'd been avoiding. Izumi remained oblivious.
"Is someone bothering you, senpai?" Izumi's hand reached for his again, squeezing lightly. "You're part of the Big Three. Just challenge them to a fight and then follow the Shounen path to friendship."
"Please don't mention that," said Amajiki. "My classmates will see it as encouragement."
"Buzz off," said Katsuki, jerking his head toward the empty path. Amajiki shot them both a petrified look and scurried off. Izumi stared after him with a calculating expression that melted away as soon as he rounded the corner.
"Is someone bothering you, senpai?" mocked Katsuki, making his voice as high as it could go. "You're not earning any points for playing fairy princess." He was saying it as casually as he could, but some part of him was cold with an unfamiliar feeling: jealousy.
Izumi held up a pair of keys. "I was stealing these. I needed an excuse to go to the Third-Year dorms and get the details on the Licensing Exam since Aizawa's being quiet about it."
The small kernel of jealously dissipated. Katsuki grew slightly ashamed to have felt it in the first place, because Izumi's more than kind to him.
"When you followed me that time…I didn't lose my school I.D., did I?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sorry for the late notice!" said Mitsuki, face red with exertion as she finally reached them on the train platform. Rei shook her head, offering a slight, nervous smile as she inched closer to Inko. There were more people than she was used to on the platform and the thought of taking the train again for the first time in over a decade was new and exciting.
"Those brats found out and I had to deal with Katsuki blowing up my phone all of yesterday. He roped me into going down to U.A. to help with their costumes to try and stop this from happening. Luckily, Katsuki thinks he's a genius without ever acknowledging who he got it from, so he didn't even realize I would reschedule."
Rei bobbed her head. "Ah."
"You're so cute," said Mitsuki, smiling brightly. "It's like I'm going to get my first phone all over again! Are you excited?"
"It'll be easier than sending letters, but part of me likes having a tangible reminder that my children exist somewhere out there." After Touya died, everything had felt temporary.
"You'll get used to it," said Inko softly. "Hisashi left to work abroad years ago, so it feels like he never existed in the first place, but it's nice having a way to communicate despite it."
"Hisashi's her dead-beat husband," said Mitsuki. "You guys have that in common."
Rei grimaced. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be! And don't take Mitsuki's words too seriously. She tends to say the first thing on her mind without actually thinking about it."
"Gets me in trouble all the time." Mitsuki ushered them on the train and sat down in the first empty seat she found. Rei pulled her hat down, hoping to cover more of her face from view. No one seemed like they recognized her, but she was always worried someone would.
"You're staying with your eldest?" asked Inko, pulling her bag into her lap. Rei eyed it curiously wondering why it looked so heavy and what was in it.
"Fuyumi and no. I'm staying at my parent's house until I find something between U.A. and Fuyumi's elementary school. I'm taking it slow for now. There's a lot to consider given the…situation."
She never felt braver than when she stood up to Enji, but at the same time, part of her felt pathetic that she was unable to do more. The old her, the girl who had ambitions and dreams of her own, had died a quiet death.
"Well, save those depressing thoughts for later."
"You said that Izumi was over a lot during the summer…."
"She'd stop by a couple times after work and hang out with Katsuki for a bit. It was cute and she'd got a strong enough will that she doesn't let him walk all over her, so Katsuki can just be himself without all the boasting. She's a good girl, very polite when she wants to be."
"Izumi's been like that since she was a child. She's always had a strong sense of self—I worried she'd have a hard time making friends because of it. Sometimes her high standards work against her."
"It might but having those kinds of standards for yourself might also invite the right type of people in your life. I yelled at Katsuki pretty bad in front of her and she's held it against me ever since, but that's what makes her a good person. She wants the same for everyone that she wants for herself."
"Did you really talk to her that much?" asked Inko.
"Mostly about my job, but it's easy to see the other stuff." Mitsuki's face dimmed, "If you really want something to worry about, go on the internet for a hot second."
"Why?"
"Well, Class 1-A is rather popular," explained Inko, clutching her bag tight. "People want to know everything about them, even Izuku."
Rei hadn't considered the idea that her children, still only teenagers, were also public figures. Celebrities to an extent. Rei could remember, with a hint of bitterness, the media attention that followed immediately after her and Enji's marriage. If it was anything like that—constant critiquing of her body, of her past, digging to find every detail of her life prior to meeting Enji—then Shouto and Izumi were growing up under the iron fist of public perception. She hoped that neither of them had the kind of insane fans that would find Enji's address and try to sneak into the house.
Then the terrible thought followed that not only would her children be seen as celebrities, but a countdown would happen to when they reached adulthood. Rei had no doubt that there were the terrible few who didn't care that Shouto and Izumi were underage and perhaps even preferred it. Her stomach rolled.
Did Enji even think of any of this? Had he tried protecting them from it or had the job fallen onto Fuyumi's shoulders?
"Katsuki probably makes you anxious, but if you compare my son to your husband, I'll hit you too."
"MITSUKI!"
Rei looked at her from the corner of her eye, feeling bold. "...I should probably compare you to him then."
Inko choked and looked at her in surprise. Rei smiled serenely as Mitsuki rolled her eyes at an old woman demanding they all be quiet. Mitsuki's lips quirked into a smile. "See—I knew Izumi got it from someone!"
"I did think Bakugou-kun wasn't the type of person for Izumi should be friends, but I'm glad she went with her gut anyway. He's young and despite his loudness, Bakugou-kun has a good heart. Izumi's been a good judge of character ever since she was young, so I trust her to make the right decisions for herself."
"They're a bit more than friends."
"Most people wouldn't jump into a battlefield that eagerly to rescue someone."
"Does this mean we can have dinner together?! You don't know how long I've wanted to see that brat behave himself."
"I-If Izumi's okay with it, then…I suppose?"
"You'll never be rid of her now," said Inko with a shake of her head. "Todoroki-kun says you're a good cook."
"Shouto?"
"Yes. He told Izuku once that he remembered the food you used to make him. Especially soba—I don't think I've ever seen him eat something else."
"He and Midoriya are good friends then?"
"I got so worried after their fight at the Sports Festival, but Shouto's kinder than he looks. I'm glad Izuku has someone like that in his life especially since he had so few friends growing up. Katsuki and him had a falling out—Izuku never liked speaking about it, but he seems so much happier at U.A."
"Trust me, once Katsuki gets his head out of his ass, they'll be best friends all over again."
Inko pursed her lip, "I have a few words for Katsuki too."
"I tried getting it out of him, but he's tight lipped as ever. Even Masaru never managed to figure out why they stopped being friends."
Rei kept suspiciously silent. From what Izumi and Shouto had spilled about their friends, she was somewhat aware of what gone down between the two boys. Quirks, it seemed, caused layers of trouble all around. Rei wondered if a world without quirks might have been happier and calmer than the one they lived in. Gazing around the train, her eye caught a young woman pushing a pram. The baby inside chewed and drooled all over a small red rattle, giving a gummy smile. Rei smiled back, jerking her fingers in an awkward wave.
Trains were a lot quieter than she remembered. There was a thrilling excitement that sank into her bones at the thought of being able to take one whenever she wanted without a nurse or doctor hovering over her shoulder.
The mall they ended up at wasn't one Rei had been to before. She was glad for it. A clean start in all sense of the words.
"Phone or clothes first?" asked Mitsuki, placing her hands on her hips and looking at the mall as if it was something to devour.
Rei's head bobbed up, holding her purse tightly. "Clothes?"
"Most of these styles are already old news in the fashion world but compared to your decade old house-wife attire, they're loads better."
"I have new clothes. I don't wear them."
"Why not?"
"Izumi and Fuyumi got them for me. I want to save them."
"Wouldn't they be happier seeing you in them?"
"I…suppose, but they're not…"
"Your style? Makes sense. A teenager and a twenty-something shopping for a middle-aged woman doesn't ever bode well."
No one had ever called her middle-aged before. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rei was still that bright-eyed teenager waiting for life to start. The years were robbed from her, stolen away in the blink of an eye. Touya, if he had been alive, would've been older than she was when she had him. Fuyumi already was.
Bile swirled in her throat, threatening to rise up. Mitsuki's smile dropped. Inko stepped forward, wrapping an arm delicately around her shoulders and guiding them forward. "Let's start with the phone. Everything else can come after."
Getting a phone involved lots of questions, questions that made Rei feel dumb when she didn't know the answers. The boy at the store was patient and prone to making a joke to ease the tension whenever she got frustrated with herself.
"The green ones are for the phone." Mitsuki pointed on the apps on the sleek, mobile phone that now belonged to Rei. "You can choose a video call, a phone call, or to send a message. I'll warn you that teenagers these days hate phone calls, so make sure you warn them that you're calling beforehand."
Rei tucked the information away for later, looking at Inko and Mitsuki with shining eyes. "Do you have Shouto's number? Or Izumi's?"
Mitsuki held her hand out for the phone, quickly adding both numbers inside. "Katsuki's a brat, but he's pretty responsible. It's for emergencies—in case we can't reach him."
Nervously, Todoroki Rei sent out her very first text message in over a decade.
Rei: Hello.
Izumi: who is this?
Izumi: if it's that telemarketer again, i'm going to drown u in a puddle of your own blood, got it?!
"Maybe it's best to call her," said Mitsuki, hiding her smile.
Rei frowned to herself. "I'll try Shouto first."
Rei: Hello, it's your mother.
Shouto: Izumi, I can see you laughing. If this is a 'prank,' it's not funny. Grow up.
Rei grew curious about how Izumi and Shouto interacted without her around. Determined to really speak to them, Rei carefully when into the phone settings and dialed Shouto's number.
The call was answered immediately.
A shudder crawled down her spine, "Hi Shouto."
"Mom?" asked Shouto, voice threaded with surprise. "This is a surprise."
"Yes, it's me."
"Oh." Silence stretched. "Izumi and I had a call like this once too. Wait, let me go get her."
Rei could hear some chatter on the other side of the line which made her even more curious as to what Shouto was doing. A loud bang sounded threaded with a short shrill scream.
"It's mom."
"Yeah, right." Izumi's voice was tinged with annoyance. "Don't come barging in my room whenever you want. At least knock first."
"Why? I never do at home."
"We're not exactly home and you don't need to know why."
"Mom's hearing everything—"
"Give me that phone," snapped Izumi. "Who is this?"
"Your mother." Rei's voice was full of humor. "I tried sending you a text message, but it didn't work out."
She could hear a shuffling and quiet, whispered argument. Izumi sighed, "How do we know it's really you? Anyone could have a voice changing quirk and I literally just got kidnapped, so I'm not falling for any kind of bullshit. What did I want for my fifth birthday?"
Rei thought and then answered, "A zanpakutō." The ridiculous toy-sword she got in place of it ended up in a pile of ashes after she'd hit Touya one too many times.
"Hi, mom!" Izumi's voice pitched with excitement. "I had to check since Shouto's too stupid—"
Shouto interrupted, "Give me my phone back."
"Shut up, I'm talking to Mom."
"Izumi."
Rei cleared her throat, pressing her palm to her eye to make sure she wasn't crying in public. Mitsuki wasn't hiding the fact that she was trying to eavesdrop as she looked at the computers on the next table. "Why don't I talk to Shouto for a bit and then call you after?"
"Is it because he's your favorite?" asked Izumi, voice weepy. Rei startled and hurried to explain herself before Izumi's laugh cut across the line. "I'm messing with you. Talk to him and call me after! Oh, and send me a selfie so I can add it to your contact. And tell the person at the store to download TigTog and Instagram and—actually, I'll send you links over text to make it easier."
"Are you outside?" asked Shouto quietly.
"At the mall."
"They're big. It's easy to get lost inside."
"I've got a bit more experience than you might on that end, Shouto. You and Izumi were always running off as kids."
"Sorry."
"No, you don't need to apologize. I'm having fun…I think."
"Are you alone? Is Fuyumi with you?"
"No. I've made some friends."
"Friends? Who?"
"When I came to drop you off at school, I got to know some of the other parents, so don't worry about me too much and enjoy school, okay?"
"Mom." Shouto's voice gained an unknown edge, serious and cutting. "Izumi and I will make everything okay again. Just wait."
They spoke a while more about how school and training was going, before Shouto hung up. Rei swallowed down the stone lodged in her throat.
"You're alright," whispered Inko, rubbing her back softly.
Rei nodded, feeling her emotions shift. No longer fragile in the same way, but raw and open. The shattered pieces finally coming together.
"It's been buzzing?" asked Rei, gesturing to her phone helplessly.
"Text messages," announced Mitsuki, dropping a shopping bag with her own purchase on the table. "If you thought a phone call was bad, wait until you start getting memes."
Izumi: what color phone did you get? mine is the pink one, but fuyumi has the lavender one from last year
Izumi: wait,,,android or apple?
Izumi: tell me it was apple
Izumi: ill only accept android if it's the cute ones you can snap shut
Izumi: yes, i am a toxic person who believes im better than android uses (i won't apologize)
Izumi: wait, mom, who did u go get ur phone with?
Izumi: IT'S VERY IMPORTANT I KNOW
[Todoroki Izumi shared their current location]
Izumi: tell me when u open up ur SM accounts
Izumi: ill get my friends to follow u
Izumi: also the bastard sperm doner has a twitter now, so block him, okay?
Izumi: this is so exciting!
Izumi: OMG—TEXT NATSUO AND TELL HIM TO SEND YOU HIS GIRLFRIEND'S NUMBER AND SEND IT TO ME
Izumi: PLEASE!
Izumi: I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER IF YOU DO
Izumi: im going to send u a bunch of contacts, just save them to ur phone
[Todoroki Izumi shared Todoroki Fuyumi's Contact Card]
[Todoroki Izumi shared Todoroki Natsuo's Contact Card]
[Todoroki Izumi shared Edgeshot's Contact Card]
[Todoroki Izumi shared Kamihara Nobi's Contact Card]
[Todoroki Izumi shared Burnin's Contact Card]
[Todoroki Izumi shared Aoyama Yuga's Contact Card]
…
[Todoroki Izumi shared Yaoyorozu Momo's Contact Card]
Todoroki Shouto added Todoroki Rei to the conversation
Shouto: Say hi to my mom
Kaminari: Hi Shouto's mom!
Sero: Hi Shouto's mom!
Jirou: Hi Shouto's mom!
Ashido: Hi Shouto's mom!
Bakugou: Why the fuck am in in this group chat?
Bakugou: How many damn times do I have to say "Stop adding me to group chats," for you people to listen?
Bakugou: Oi, lady, we don't normally add parents to this kind of shit, so don't take it personally or whatever. We already met in person, so you already know who I am, unlike these losers.
Midoriya: Hello again, Todoroki-san! It's nice to meet you virtually!
Bakugou: Deku, ur on thin fucking ice. You only met her by default. She wanted to meet me.
Asui: We've heard a lot about you from the twins, ribbit.
Uraraka: I hope you're having a pleasant day, Todoroki-san! Have some mochi for me
Tenya: Todoroki-san, I apologize if the stream of messages you're currently getting, but I must also extend my well wishes toward you. Please let us know if you need anything and Class 1-A will be happy to help.
Ojiro: Hi, Todoroki-san.
Ojiro: guys, we gotta start having boundaries
Shoji: There's no harm in saying hello.
Shinsou: …i expected this from a different Todoroki
Izumi: it's alright shinsou, u can say my name. don't be scared
Shinsou: it's an everyday struggle to convince myself not to walk off the balcony
Izumi: bruhhhh, aizawa would kill you, bring you back to life, and kill u again if u tried it
Sero: is this normal?
Jirou: are any of us really normal?
Tokoyami: the dark abyss speaks to everyone
Izumi: Katsuki, did…did you curse in front of my mom?
Izumi: My mother?! The woman who delivered me into this world?!
Izumi: Apologize.
Bakugou: Make me.
Kirishima: bakugou, if u need some ice for the beating ur about to get, im sure Todoroki-san will be happy to help 😂 😂
Izumi: someone send me his location right now
Shouto: he's downstairs playing on the wii
Sero: dude, it's a PS5
Shouto: what's a wii then?
Koda: hi todoroki-san. its nice to meet you
Koda: [Image attached]
Koda: yuwai-chan says hi as well
Satō: Izumi said you're a big fan of my desserts, Todoroki-san. Let me know if you ever want anything specific and I'll make it!
Rei: Oh, yes. The cake I had was wonderful.
Kaminari: MOM HAS OFFICIALLY SPOKEN!
Shouto: she's my mom not yours
Aizawa: What. Are. All. Of. You. Doing?
Kaminari: lmfaoooooo, sensei who types like that
Shinsou: we're dead
Shinsou: it was nice knowing all of u
Rei: Shouto, are all of these people your friends?
Bakugou: I'M NOT FRIENDS WITH THAT ICY-HOT BASTARD!
Rei: Bakugou-kun, I assure you I was married when I gave birth to Shouto.
Kirishima: Ma'am, anyone with an ounce of skill is a bastard to him.
Yaoyorozu: Apologies for my late arrival into the conversation, but I hope everyone's given Todoroki-san a warm welcome. We all look forward to meeting you in person in the future one day.
Huddled in the Height's Alliance Common Room were a number of Class 1-A students. The puke-green walls had magically been changed into a more subtle blue that was pleasing to the eye. Though Aizawa had said nothing about the change in décor, no one was sure how or who had done it. Sprawled in the living room
The dining room tables were occupied by a spread of dessert and tea. Yaoyorozu was quickly turning into Deku with all her muttering about tea leaves and brew times. Deku wasn't much better. Every few minutes his annoying ass laugh would fill the air with Four-eyes and IcyHot joining in.
Katsuki was lumped in with his crowd of losers. His bed-time was pushed back in favor of crushing Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero at Ghost of Tsushima. The video game wasn't his first, second, or even tenth choice in games, but the graphics and story was interesting enough to make up for the fact that no one knew the actual rules.
Sero glanced over for the fifteenth time that night and asked, "Are you two going to hog the couch all night?"
"You wanna sit next to me?" asked Kirishima, eyes barely moving from the screen. "I've got space."
"Nah, I'm okay. Just wondering if we're allowed to ask questions or are we supposed to pretend not to see them?"
Katsuki sneered, "DIE!" Sero snorted and shook his head, full of good-natured humor.
"I'm recovering from a bullet wound," said Izumi, stretching her legs out even more. "I need space." Her head was draped in his lap as she watched him play. He half thought that Izumi was out to fight with him when she came downstairs, but she lounged all over the couch like a rich-girl with a fainting couch, not caring about the eyes darting their way.
"Does it still hurt?" asked Kaminari with a grimace.
"Totally. Every moment is a struggle. I'm only running on vibes and my inner strength. They'll write haikus about me in the future.
"Smart-ass, full of shit/She suffered from an ego/Died by bullet wound."
"Katsuki—" Izumi stared up at him, incredibly impressed. "—did you just come up with that? I have one too—Say that shit again/And I'll show you the inside/Of your own stomach."
"Mine was better."
"I like hanging lines—it keeps the rhythm of the piece intact, but I'm totally impressed it took you ten seconds to think that up."
"I think I get it now," whispered Kaminari. Katsuki's eyes flew to him, nearly forgetting that they were still playing. "Izumi's nice on the outside, but she's actually cutthroat and Kacchan's all angry, but he's really soft beneath it all."
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING SOFT?"
"Can you not shout? My head is killing me," said Mina, from the carpet. She'd taken most of the pillows on the couches to make a mini fort. "I'm trying to sleep."
Izumi peered over the edge. "Do you want aspirin? I can get you some."
"I took some earlier, but it won't go away."
"Hand." Izumi wiggled closer to the edge. Katsuki fiddled with the controller, holding it in one hand while he held Izumi with the other. Mina placed her hand in Izumi's who pinched the junction between Mina's thumb and index finger hard.
Mina yelped. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"It'll help. Give it a couple minutes."
"You sound like my grandma. Every time I got sick as a kid, it was always tea and some herbs."
"All medicine started there."
"You can prick your finger too," said Tails, walking past their couch. "Right where your nail ends, that's supposed to help."
Izumi tensed, finger reaching up to tug on his sleeve. She mouthed, 'no needles.'
Katsuki grinned, "Oi, you got a needle? Let's try—" He grunted as Izumi turned her head and sunk her teeth into his thigh.
"Mina, can I join you in your pillow fort?" she asked, rising with zero dignity as Katsuki struggled to come to the terms that she had just bit him.
Mina nodded seriously, "A formal invitation has been extended to you."
"Many thanks." Izumi bowed low and dramatically, the way Westerners always did when they visited Japan for the first time. Mina and Izumi fell into a whispered conversation about Class 1-B and their newest BFF Shiozaki Ibara. Katsuki kept half an ear on the conversation, curious about what made someone named Setsuna enemy no. 1 while vine girl was apparently a saint.
But after a while, the conversation stalled. Katsuki leaned forward, eyes drifting toward Izumi. She was fast asleep. She had fallen asleep without much of a struggle. Part of it might have been exhaustion, but Katsuki thought that the quiet hum of conversation paired with the knowledge that they were all around to keep her safe had played a role too.
"Here," said Katsuki, shoving the pillow next to him toward Mina. "She'll break her fucking neck sleeping like that."
Mina hummed in amusement, looking like she wanted to say something, but chose not to in favor of making Izumi slightly more comfortable. Sero looked over and lowered the volume on the T.V. to a low hum. "Bakugou?"
"What?"
"Just chill out and be the guy you are beneath the attitude. There's no need to get defensive just because you're embarrassed about wanting to be liked. Everyone does."
Kaminari looked at him and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah and quit yelling at me for pointing out the obvious."
"Woah, it really worked!" marveled Mina staring at her hand in wonder. She dropped it and rolled onto her stomach to look at him with a critical eye. "Anyway, if you always need an excuse to hang out with the people you like, that usually just means your ashamed of them or yourself, so which is it?"
"Which is what?!"
"Are you ashamed of yourself or of us?"
"Save this shit—"
"It's not shit," said Kirishima sharply. "You're the dude that said that it's not about ego anymore, but every time we reach out to you, you close up. Are we still extras or can we actually start being friends?"
"Tch. Be whatever the hell you want." Katsuki leaned back, clicking a few buttons on his controller. "Oi, are we going for another round or not?!"
"Uh-oh, we're in for it," muttered Mina, ducking her head down and pretending to sleep.
Four-eyes stood behind them. Katsuki rose a brow, daring him to say anything to disturb them, but Iida adjusted his glasses and smiled. "I'll bring some blankets for you. Aizawa-sensei said we should be at the gym at 7 A.M. sharp, so Sero-kun, I'll leave you in charge of setting an alarm."
In the corner of the room, nursing a teapot and some cake between them were Todoroki and Uraraka. Katsuki's brows drew together, pinched as he remembered who had been beside Izumi when he nearly crushed her. A quell of guilt rose up and the familiar, wet flood of failure crashed around his gut.
Seeing Izumi's exhaustion laid bare made him want to hide her from everything that hurt her, including himself, but Katsuki was infinitely selfish when it came to her.
"Oi, play for me," said Katsuki, tossing the controller toward Mina. She caught it easily, climbing into the spot that he vacated. Crossing the room, he pulled out a chair and sat down. A glare leveled at IcyHot forced a sigh from his mouth.
"Bakugou, what do you want?"
Ignoring IcyHot, he kicked Uraraka's chair, "What the hell are you two planning?"
"Why? Do you want to help?!" Uraraka's face split with a smile. "You have to promise to keep it a surprise though."
"Just fucking tell me!"
"It's a surprise for the class, but also an apology to Izumi. I haven't been a very good friend and I wanted to show her that what I really want most is for all of us to smile together again."
"I'm going to fucking puke."
IcyHot kicked him under the table, "Bakugou, don't be mean."
"Don't tell me what to do!" As Uraraka looked between them with a hint of amusement, Katsuki sighed. "What's the damn surprise?"
Uraraka drummed her hands on the table, completely off-beat. "Ice-skating!"
"Where's it happening? What time? Who's coming?"
"We…don't actually know yet."
"Guess Deku just finds anyone useless to hang out with." His mind was half on them, half on Izumi's request earlier that day. "Fine, I'll fix your damn mess. IcyHot, MoonFace—go ahead and thank me."
Todoroki crossed his arms, a belligerent frown on his face. "I'm not doing that."
"YOU'LL DO IT IF I SAY—"
Four-eyes returned and with him any chance to finally fight IcyHot died. "BAKUGOU-KUN, I REALLY MUST IMPLORE YOU TO QUIET DOWN! PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING!"
END CHAPTER
A/N: I did not look over this at all. Also, sorry for the slower updates, it's crazy busy at work :(((