Every second that passed, the whispers grew. When would their homeroom teacher arrive? Would he be as strict as the rumors had claimed? Could he really have expelled his entire class last year? His classmates argued quietly, and Izuku struggled to keep his expression clear, his eyes focused on his notebook in front of him. He needed to get himself under control before Aizawa arrived or someone was going to notice that he found this whole situation extremely amusing.

Someone had just suggested that maybe their homeroom teacher had changed since Aizawa hadn't arrived yet when the door flew open with a bang, the students sitting closest to the door jumping at the unexpected sound. Aizawa stood in the doorway, his eyes moving across the class. He met Izuku's gaze for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching into what the rest of the class was sure to see as a smirk before stepping fully into the room and taking his place at the podium.

Aizawa watched the class for another moment, gauging their reaction to him as they watched him back. Izuku tried to see Aizawa the way the rest of them must be seeing him, but it was difficult to remember what he had thought when he first entered Aizawa's apartment. The shock and excitement he had felt when Aizawa agreed to train him had overwhelmed every other feeling that day.

As it was, his mentor stood still at the front of the classroom, slouched behind the podium. If Hizashi could see him, Izuku was sure that he would give his fellow pro hero a lecture about the power of a first impression despite the fact that they both knew Aizawa didn't care to be anyone but himself. Looking passed the surface of their teacher's gruff exterior would be their first test. If they couldn't learn not to make judgements based on appearances then they had no business being pro heroes in the first place.

Keeping their connection a secret would definitely be harder than he had anticipated.

Despite that first twitch of a smirk, Aizawa didn't seem to be having the same problem, though. He kept his expression as clear as he had that first day Izuku had shown up at his apartment, no spark of recognition or hinted smile to be seen. Izuku refused to be the reason their plan failed, and forced himself to look just over Aizawa's shoulder. Without a quirk, his reactions could mean the difference between failure and success. Better to work on schooling his features now, when the consequences of discovery were relatively low stake, than later when a misplaced glance could mean somebody's life.

"I'm sure that you all have heard my reputation by now," Aizawa started as he stepped behind the podium. "Rumors and gossip have no place in our classroom. You are here to learn, and none of the staff will be going easy on you because you feel that you have gotten the short end of the straw by being placed in my homeroom."

He glanced around the room again, taking in their initial reactions to his words. "Let's settle this matter now, so that it doesn't distract from the lessons to come. Yes. I did expel all of my first year homeroom last year and much my homeroom the year before. No, I did not do it because I hate children or I was on a power trip or whatever other nonsense that has been spread among the students in the time since."

Some of the students shifted in their seats, and Izuku had to wonder what other rumors had been spread about Aizawa and his methods. Having met some of those expelled students, Izuku understood exactly why Aizawa had made the decisions that he had. If anyone had been on a power trip it had been those first years, and they would have eventually got themselves or someone else seriously injured because of it. The other students didn't have the luxury of that knowledge though, and their opinion of Aizawa as a teacher had been tainted before they even stepped into his classroom.

Izuku had ignored the whispers because he knew there wasn't anything he could do about them without explaining how he knew they weren't true, but he hoped that their misconceptions would be put to right soon. Aizawa deserved a class that gave him the respect that he had earned, even if they didn't know it yet. Maybe Izuku's year would be the first year that no one was expelled. Looking around the room before the bell had rung, he didn't think it was likely, but still. Maybe.

"Yuuei has the most recognized hero program in the country, and the difficulty of the entrance exam reflects the level of expectations placed on our students each year," Aizawa continued," but that exam is meant to gauge potential only. What you do with that potential is up to you. Should you decide to remain in this track and graduate with a license in three years there will come a time when people's lives will depend on you. The students in my previous classes did not take this responsibility as seriously as they should, believing that they could skate through the rigor of this course through innate talent and sheer dumb luck alone."

Aizawa may not be one for words on a regular basis, choosing to leave such declarations to Hizashi instead, but he always seemed to know what to say when it mattered. Every eye in the room was trained firmly on Aizawa, their attention locked as he stepped around the podium.

"I am telling you now that it is not enough. You will need to work harder than you ever have before, treating every practical and opportunity you are given with the care that it deserved. I understand that you are only first years and that this will be an adjustment from what you are used to, but I have given this advice to my students every year and every year there are those who allowed themselves to be caught in the lies of their own arrogance. If being a pro hero is something that you truly desire, do not let yourselves be counted among that number. Are there any questions?"

Aizawa seemed pleased by the silence, although Izuku felt sure that no one else in the room noticed. "On a related note," he continued, "the rough design for your uniform and any other equipment you will require is due by the end of the week. If you have a preference in the company that provides your equipment make sure that you make a note of that on your sheet as well. Keep in mind that all designs must be approved by Yuuei's Committee of Student Safety. Uniforms that consider style over use and protection will not pass their inspection. Do not waste their time by sending them designs that do not take the functionality of your quirk into account."

This had been another of Aizawa's pet peeves over the years. Being well liked by the public was one way that pro heroes made their living, but those who put popularity over safety hardly ever saw actual danger once they were discovered, and they set a bad example for incoming students to hero programs who did not know enough to consider the safety measures that should be incorporated into their uniforms. Like his speech about responsibility, Aizawa had tried to make it clear that these restrictions were set in place for the students' safety and every year there was always the complaint that he did it simply because he could. The number of ways that people almost intentionally misunderstood Aizawa's motivations were baffling.

"Now. There is no point in spending today going over my expectations for you in this program. Instead, we're going to be moving on to a practical demonstration. Leave your things. You won't need them. We're going to be taking a trip outside."

Izuku had known that this test was coming. Aizawa had made sure to warn him about what he had planned. If anyone in his class was going to have a problem with him getting accepted on recommendations then this task was likely the time they would feel comfortable enough in their own abilities to let it known. As they changed into their gym clothes and headed out to the open, grassy area behind Yuuei's main buildings, Izuku kept his eyes on his classmates, trying to get a feeling for what their reactions would be.

Todoroki and Yaoyorozu already knew that he did not have a quirk, but his status as the fifth recommendation student had been kept quiet. The journalist outside had confirmed that there had been no leaks about his quirkless status either. Most of his classmates had seemed friendly enough, but would that change when he explained how he had been accepted? He wanted to think that it wouldn't, but experience had taught him not to expect much in the way of support. Bakugou, at least, didn't seem as though he was going to share Izuku's admission status, and while he refused to be grateful for his one time friend showing some common decency, Izuku couldn't help but appreciate what this small shift in his personality might mean. Not that all was forgiven, of course, but it would be interesting to watch nonetheless.

His fellow recommendation students aside though, Izuku still wasn't quite sure what to make of the rest of his classmates. The boy with glasses from earlier had seemed gruff, but he couldn't be entirely sure that that hadn't simply been because Izuku had been in his way. The rest of the students he had only had a few minutes to observe. It wasn't long enough to get a read on their quirks, let alone how they might react to finding out that he didn't have one. Izuku trusted Aizawa to take control of the situation if need be, but he hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Aizawa wouldn't be there to fight his battles for him. Literally. He needed to learn how to handle whatever new range of insults his situation might bring up. His classmates were bound to be only have as ruthless as the press once the rumor got out.

When all of the students assembled outside again, Aizawa stood across from them as he had in the classroom. "Today we will be doing a fitness test, not unlike the ones that you have done in your schools before. The first round you will complete all of the events using your quirk however you would like to augment your scores."

Students down the line nodded, as if this was what they had been expecting to do on their first official day of Yuuei. An opportunity to show off their skills to their teacher and their classmates. A chance to let the competition between them start early.

Aizawa wasn't done with their instructions yet though, and Izuku once again found himself fighting back a smile.

"The second round, however, you will not be allowed to use your quirk at all. Anyone who uses their quirk will be immediately disqualified from the rest of the events."

"No quirks?" The entire class had broken into whispers. They were at Yuuei because of their quirks and not they were being told not to use them? One voice stood out from the rest, and although Izuku couldn't see who had spoken, Aizawa clearly had. His expression soured.

"There is a lesson to be learned in everything you do here at Yuuei. This will be your first one. As I said before, do not let this opportunity go to waste. And Midoriya? Sit out this first round."

Izuku had known it was coming, but he still started at the sound of his name. Aizawa faced him now, and Izuku found a place to stare at over Aizawa's head, fighting the urge to reach for the chain that he had tucked under his shirt. The direct approach, they had decided after discussing what Aizawa had planned for their first day, was definitely the best one. If Aizawa was the one to bring attention to the fact that Izuku was quirkless, if he addressed it and acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary, then hopefully the rest of the class would follow his example with the least amount of commentary.

If Izuku simply sat out the first round, or completed it without showing a quirk it left the door open for any of his other classmates to determine the tone of the conversation. Izuku wanted to be optimistic, but it was better to assume the worst and go from there. Just as they had expected someone asked, "Why doesn't he have to do the first round?" Izuku thought it might have been the same person who had spoken out before, but he didn't look around to see. He kept his head up, his eyes locked straight ahead.

"Not that this is any of your business, but for the sake of putting this discussion to rest for good, your best results are going to come from the first round because you will be using your quirk to augment your results. I need to see Midoriya's best results as well or this entire exercise will be a waste for him. It makes no sense for him to complete the first round when he does not have a quirk to inflate his score. Now. Move to the starting line, we will begin with-"

"He doesn't have a quirk?"

Izuku did turn at that question, meeting the eyes of the person who had spoken. He didn't know his name, but something about the classmate made his skin crawl. Yaoyorozu seemed to be standing as far away from him as she could in the cramped line, and Izuku's eyes narrowed.

"No," he answered simply, "I don't."

The boy glanced from Izuku to Aizawa in confusion. "What is he even doing here then?" No one else spoke as they watched, although Izuku could see the same confusion mirrored in a few of their expressions.

"Shut up and stop wasting time," another voice called out, Bakugou shoving his way forward in line. "He's here. Get over it. Can we move on?"

Izuku couldn't tell whether it was Bakugou's words or Aizawa's expression that had the boy quieting, but either way he ducked his head and stepped back into line.

"As I was saying before that interruption, move to the starting line at the other end of the field. We will be starting with the 100 meter dash." Aizawa's tone left no room for any other interruptions, the class moving quickly to follow Aizawa's orders.

Izuku started to move out of the way as well, but caught at Bakugou's sleeve as he passed. The weight of their unspoken issues still hung between them, but Izuku couldn't help but be grateful for the way that Bakugou had casually dismissed their classmates comments. Only a year ago Bakugou would have been Izuku's biggest critic, but now he didn't seem to be paying much attention to him at all. Hizashi would probably tell him it wasn't healthy, but Izuku would take that indifference to the torment that Bakugou had put him through any day. Maybe someday they would have to work through their history, but Izuku had enough on his plate at the moment without inviting another difficult and inevitably emotional confrontation to his load.

"Thanks," Izuku said, even though the word felt strange to say to Bakugou, of all people.

Bakugou huffed. "Shut up. I didn't do anything for you. Annoying extra was wasting time."

Izuku released his sleeve. "Whatever you say," he answered, shrugging. Bakugou huffed again but didn't reply, and Izuku settled down in the shade of the building to watch the first round of exercises. Aizawa looked in his direction for a moment before starting towards the other end of the field himself, and Izuku gave him a short nod. He would be fine. Everything was going to be fine.

While Aizawa's sole reason for letting Izuku sit out the first round had really been to make sure that his scores in the second round were where they needed to be during the second round, Izuku wasn't going to let such as perfect opportunity pass. He might not be able to write any anything down, but as the rest of his class went through the different events Izuku kept a running list of everything that he observed. His classmates quirks, as he had expected, all had some kind of physical manifestation, though some weren't as obvious as others.

The invisible girl was the most obvious, although Izuku wondered how she had gotten through the regular entrance exam. Her quirk, while extremely helpful, didn't seem like it would help much against giant robots. In all honesty, she probably should have been sitting out with him unless there was something else about her quirk that he didn't know about. The boy who had caught him outside the class was a speedster, the girl that had talked to Bakugou seemed to be able to make herself lighter, another classmate seemed to have all of the physical characteristics of a frog. They were exactly the types of quirks Izuku had expected to find in his class.

Watching them though, it was clear even to him that they weren't taking full advantage of their abilities, applying them in all of the exercises where they could. They had decent control over their abilities, at least. If they managed to stick around, Aizawa would be able to teach them how to think outside the box. Their reactions to this first experience with Aizawa's teaching style would say a lot about their willingness to listen to what he had to say. Aizawa's last two years of classes hadn't been that successful in realizing the point of the exercise, but that was probably for the best in the end. They wouldn't have been successful pro heroes anyway.

When the first round ended, Aizawa gave them all a five minute break to rest before the next round, and Izuku stood up slowly, stretching from where he had grown stiff from sitting in one place for so long. There was no reason for him to be worried. He had gone through these exercises hundreds of times. As long as he didn't let himself get distracted and did the best that he could, everything would be fine.

"Dude!"

Izuku startled. Behind him stood a blond boy who he hadn't spoken to yet, a zigzagging lightning bolt standing out obvious against his light hair. "Yeah?" Izuku asked, wondering what this could possibly be about.

"Are you really quirkless?" And oh. Duh. Of course that was what this was going to be about.

"Yes, I am."

Izuku had expected the newcomer to sneer like the boy from before, but instead he was treated to a wide grin. "That's super impressive! I'm Kaminari Denki!" The boy greeted. "You must have some special skills to get into Yuuei without a quirk. Care to share?"

"I-What?" Izuku had expected a lot of different reactions to the reveal that he was quirkless, but Kaminari's easy acceptance and exuberance hadn't been one of them. Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Bakugou knew a little of what he was capable of, but as far as anyone else knew Izuku had done nothing to earn his place at the school.

"Well, obviously there's a reason that you're here, right?" Kaminari still smiled at him, and Izuku couldn't help but to give him an appraising look. "Yuuei wouldn't let you in for kicks, not when they have that stupidly dangerous entrance exam. So what is it? What did you do to impress them?"

Kaminari's earnest interest almost made Izuku want to share, but luckily their five minute break was up. Izuku shot Kaminari a grin. "Sorry, Kaminari! We wouldn't want to make Aizawa-sensei wait."

AN: Sorry for the wait for this chapter! Just a reminder that I am working on getting my Master's in teaching at the moment. Between classes, student teaching, homework, and work I haven't had a lot of time to write. Updates will probably remain slow for the foreseeable future, but I will try to get them out as soon as I can. This fic is not going on hiatus.

Quick question: I have gotten a lot of comments about what other pairings are going to show up in this fic because I have the "Other relationship tags to be added" tag. Would you all prefer me to leave that tag up until I get to the other ships, or would you like to know in advance what's going to be coming relationship wise? I've thought about it a lot and I can see the benefits either way. I can't guarantee anything, but let me know which option you like better.

Thanks to everyone who commented! It really helps keep me motivated with everything else I have going on!