-x- Izuku -x-
"Why are you little him braid your hair?" Bakugo asked Shoto, who was sitting on the picnic blanket, Izuku behind him, indeed braiding his hair.
Shoto was on his phone while Izuku was doing it. "Why not?"
"It's not like anyone is going to see him," the quirkless current vampire said. "His hair is long enough and straight enough to work with. I braid mom's hair all the time, when she can't reach behind." He tied off another tiny braid with the plastic elastic bands. "Shoto, your hair is almost long enough to put in a ponytail. You ever getting it cut?"
"Sometime," Shoto replied simply. Izuku had noticed over time that Shoto talked less when he was calmer. If he was feeling lazy and relaxed, his answers were short. When a topic wasn't heavy, often he'd have one to three word responses. Which was fine, it didn't bothER Izuku. Bakugo scribbled some more on his notebook.
"Still working on a costume idea?" Izuku asked his more talkative friend curiously. "I thought you'd already settled on one." It was a quiet day at the park, the sun blocked by clouds so it wasn't as stressful for the vampires to have their jackets off or sleeves up a bit.
"Yeah, I did. But then I realized how shitty and boring it looked," he replied. "I want something cool, but that is also functional. Oi, Shoto. You seriously not going to try UA?"
"There's still two years."
"Be proactive, dumbass. Get ready sooner rather than later." Shoto shrugged as another braid was tied off. He reached to his canteen and drank some blood. Izuku asked if he could have some.
"It's O positive. Still want it?" Shoto asked.
"It's O negative I don't like," and he took the metal bottle and downed some of it. "I wish I could afford blood powder. It's so fast and easy," he mumbled, jealous. "Though since you need so much, I guess making it off a few bottles is better, huh?"
"It's not as bad as it was."
"What caused that anyways?" Bakugo asked, ripping the page of paper out of his notebook and crumpling it before exploding it in his hand.
"Dunno."
"Wow, how talkative you are today," Bakugo said sarcastically. Shoto shrugged, not bothered. Izuku chuckled, and tied off one more before he ran out of the ties. "You done making him look like show pony? You know, when they braId only a couple strands of hair on horses and they look dumb as fuck."
"Where'd you see this?"
"Fucking loser dad started watchng horse races. Why the hell is that interesting?! I don't get it, he plays it on every time he comes home from work!" Bakugo ranted. Izuku laughed. "You made him look stupid."
Shoto was unbothered and looked in the reflection of the screen of his phone, tilting his head side to side to see. Izuku acknowledged it looked silly, but the permanent vampire didn't seem too bothered. When Kacchan was ripping another page out, he got a paper cut. Izuku grew uncomfortable a bit, but looked to Shoto for his reaction.
He heard his heartbeat quicken, but a few deep breaths through the mouth and he was good. The devices didn't activate. Bakugo smiled a real smile, happy both his vampire friends didn't react so violently to blood anymore. Well, over the last few months of Izuku's off and on species switch, it became clear that Shoto still shouldn't be around him on the ninth day.
They'd tried all together again, and he reacted, though much less violently and suddenly. The equipment took care of it, though. But they no longer had him in proximity at that time, just to be safe and proactive. It wasn't only dangerous for Izuku, but it was painful for Shoto, and scary to lose control.
Over all, Shoto was very good, though, at handling blood. It made him a bit uncomfortable, but as long as he was well fed, it didn't bother him much. Not enough to impede his actions or change his behavior. "Someone started barbequing," Izuku mused. It made his mouth water. He was hungry. He wished he had a grill at his place.
Shoto's foster family did, and Izuku and Bakugo were always invited over for cook outs. The human's parents hadn't met Shoto's foster family. They had no idea that any vampires were involved in their son's life. Bakugo didn't trust to tell them and also liked keeping secrets from them in some sort of rebellious way.
A group of guys walked past them, and saw Shoto's sily hair. "Hah, gay!"
Izuku rolled his eyes, and Bakugo grumbled. Shoto was unbothered, and didn't take his hair out of the braids. "Stupid people," Izuku said. "You don't need to keep them in if you don't want."
"Can you make it so some of the braids have a mix of the colors. Looks like a candy cane or something?" Bakugo snorted, but Izuku was fine doing this, and did as his friend requested. Who knew it would be so peaceful to be around a vampire and Kacchan. Honestly, it was more surprising that there could be any calm environment with him around.
But it was. Serene and peaceful. Besides the human ripping out pages periodically. He wasn't happy with anything he was drawing and had a little pile of half burnt, rolled up pieces of paper.
-x- Shoto -x-
"We could have just gotten a cheap one from online," Shoto said as he dressed in the prince outfit that Bakugo's mother made. They had wanted to go into an amusement park, but it was too expensive and the only way to get in on a discount was to go dressed in some sort of costume or cosplay.
Shoto was in a fancy prince outfit, blue and gold. There were nice boots, a fake sword, and the materials were actually very well made. Once he was dressed, he looked at his friends. Izuku's was the most plain, a traveler outfit, green to match his hair and eyes. The permanent vampire did admit to himself they were very well made, and Mitsuki spent a lot of time and effort on these things.
But Bakugo's was a bit ridiculous. He had fake earrings, a fur vest thing, fake tattoos that were painted on and just over all looked quite complicated. "You look like a prince, Shoto," Izuku said brightly, clearly enjoying this.
"Yeah. I look so… fancy," he said, looking down at the fancy clothing.
"Kacchan, Mitsuki-san sure did make yours interesting."
"That bitch! I look ridiculous, no wonder she didn't show me beforehand!" he shouted, looking at his outfit in the mirror. Shoto got the boring outfit. It was comfortable and loose, but also a bit boring. Izuku's was cute, and Bakugo's was very original and memorable. Shoto was just the prince.
"There's nothing we can do to change it, now," Izuku cheered. They left the bedroom and walked down the stairs, all dressed up. Mitsuki took photos of them, and Shoto definitely didn't feel like a teenager like this. It felt like a little kid during halloween. Well, he'd never had that before. He wouldn't know. But in a way, it was fun and he was glad to have light memories like this.
When they eventually got tired of him, maybe he could hold onto the photos. The three headed to the car, and Bakugo sat in the front seat while the other two sat in the back. "You kept the braid in, still?" Izuku asked quietly while the two Bakugo's argued in the front seat, as per usual. Shoto toying with the lock of hair right behind his ear.
"It's a fidget," he stated. Izuku laughed lightly about it, and they drove to the park. Shoto was looking forward to going on rides. He'd never been to a place like that, so he was super excited. He'd made the right decision and had drunk all of his blood that morning, and ate food later. If he got sick on a ride, it wouldn't do to vomit up a ton of blood. It would definitely cause a scene.
When they parked, there was a long line of people waiting, all dressed in costume. Some were clearly cheaply made and others were full on cosplay with real armor and expensive tools. They were interesting. Shoto wondered how long it took some of them, and if the huge swords were heavy.
"Have fun, boys!" Mitsuki called. "Take lots of photos!" Shoto and Izuku waved her off, Bakugo grumbling under his breath about having the stupid outfit. People came up behind them in line, and a group of girls in anime cosplay were whispering and giggling about the three. Shoto started to mess with the tiny hidden braid, indeed using it as a fidget.
They waited for over half an hour to be let in. Since they were dressed up, they got the wristbands for a discount price, and were allowed to stay during the night shift. Maybe it was all worth the effort put into the designs. Shoto hadn't expected Mitsuki to be into costume crafting. But it was smart that their outfits were mostly cloth, so they could fit on the rides and not get tangled or anything.
The people who came with fake weapons made of styrofoam or worbla would not be ale to easily get around or on rides. Each of them had some spending money, Shoto planning on using his for food. He and Izuku would easily be able to find the group again, so Bakugo was to stay with one of them at all times, no wandering away.
He was annoyed about not having good senses, but agreed they'd stay together. They went to the first ride, and Shoto found himself hesitant. "What's up?" Izuku asked.
"I've never been on a ride before," Shoto replied.
"Don't think too hard about it! They're built sturdy and are checked daily. Besides, if something happens, you'll be fine."
"Too scared?" Bakugo smirked.
"A little."
"Then get on, it makes it even more fun." Shoto bit the bullet and climbed on and into the seat across from Bakugo, Izuku getting beside him, also facing the blonde. It was nice of Mitsuki to take the two vampire's aversion to revealing clothes and gave them long sleeves tops and pants.
They were clipped in, and Shoto was starting to get really nervous. He gripped the bars across his chest tightly. Bakugo was grinning, and Izuku looked excited, too. Then there was the loud shift, and the lights started going off. Shoto closed his eyes, trying to breathe calmly. Izuku took his hand, arms still wrapped around the bars.
When it started to get going, he shut his eyes at first before they flew open when they were catapulted upside down. He'd never screamed like he did then. Izuku shrieked, too, and Bakugo was scream-laughing. It was terrifying, and no matter how many repetitions it made, Shoto couldn't stop screaming.
The air was whooshing past his ears harshly, everything so loud and intense. Then it was over, and slowed. Bakugo and Izuku climbed out, but Shoto was stuck, shaking. "Ride's over. You okay?" Shoto nodded, and climbed out ungracefully.
"That was awesome!" Bakugo shouted. "Next ride, bitches!"
"Hang on, Shoto needs a pause."
"What… what if that broke and we were on it?"
"It won't break, don't be ridiculous," Bakugo said. "Let's go to that one, next!" he shouted, pointing to one that shot straight up and then dropped back down. Shoto didn't want to be a killjoy, so he went with them to the rides they wanted. The only other time his heart had pumped so fast was when he was in a blood frenzy.
"Nice costumes!" some girls called. Izuku turned a bit pink. They were getting complimented on their outfits a lot, Mitsuki would be happy to hear that.
"Fuck, I lost one of my earings!" Bakugo shouted after they got off the drop ride, which Shoto screamed as it felt all the air was sucked out of his lungs. He was too shy to say he didn't want to go on anymore, and went with them. He didn't want to ruin the outing. But he wasn't having fun.
They came across a girl with short brown hair looking frantic at her broken phone screen. She was wearing a pink witch outfit. Not like a halloween witch, but a cutesy one. "Are you okay?" Izuku asked.
"Ah, can I use your phone?" she asked. "I lost my parents." Izuku got his phone out and unlocked it with his password, opening the dial tone and handing it to her. She had wide brown eyes and pink cheeks, and had to be their age.
"My braid came out," Shoto mumbled. He lost the elastic band so he couldn't have it re done. "I need a break from the rides," he admitted.
Izuku gave him a sad smile. "You aren't having fun at all, are you?" Shoto drooped, feeling bad and like baggage. "That's fine. Most rides are in pairs, so one of us won't be left out if you stop going on them. Me and Kacchan will keep riding," he offered. Making it so it was clear Shoto wasn't being a burden. Maybe even making it easier for them to be in pair seatings on rides.
"Hey! Are we going or not?" Bakugo barked from ahead.
"Okay, I'll meet you there, mom!" the girl said, and hung up, beaming as she handed Izuku his phone back. "Thank you! That really helped!" she exclaimed. "I'm Uraraka Ochako."
"Midoriya Izuku. I'm glad I could help!" She ran off. "I talked to a girl, Shoto!" He didn't see what the big deal was, but innocently clapped for him a few times. Bakugo burst into laugher, and Izuku turned a bit pink. They went to the next ride, and Shoto was content to stand outside and wait for them while they had fun.
Now that he wasn't screaming, too, he could hear his friends. Izuku's was extremely high pitched and squeaky while Baukgo sounded like a roaring dinosaur. He knew there were a ton of rides there, and it would be a long night. But he was glad to have a fun experience. If he was still a Todoroki, still lived with his biological family, this would have never happened.
He went from ride to ride, appreciating his current life, and hoping it stayed good. The thing he enjoyed the most was the food. He'd never eaten such a large amount of different types of sugar before. Cotton candy was his favorite, the fruity snow cones a close second.
"Having fun?" Izuku asked while Shoto ate his third bag of cotton candy.
"Mmhmm. I'm probably going to throw it all up when I get home."
"Don't vomit on mom's hard work, she'll get mad at me for it," Baukgo said, a corndog in his hand. "Why don't you want to go on the rides?"
"They're scary," he said honestly.
"You've been through much worse things, haven't you?" Bakugo asked, nearly laughing.
"Never on big machines like this. I could get crushed and die before I could heal. I'm not going to stop you two having fun." Izuku nodded, and after a bathroom break, they returned to their journey around the theme park, riding each ride, even the one mainly for kids. The two others vowed to ride each one, even the boring ones. All of them.
Shoto played a couple games, clearly rigged, but he used his senses to win each one. So he returned to the ride they'd been in the longest line for with a large stuffed koala under his arm. When they got off and ran to him, he said, "They have goldfish here."
"For prizes, yeah. You can catch them and take them home!"
"I wonder if all the screaming scares them," Shoto mused. Bakugo snorted, and they hurried on. At the line for the next ride, they saw Uraraka again with her parents. She saw the three, and beamed at their sight. Shoto waited by the railing, not in the area for those planning on going on the ride.
"Did you win that?" Uraraka wondered.
"Yeah."
"Cool! But you'll have to carry it around the whole time."
"I know," Shoto replied. He was about to get a drink of diluted blood water when someone dumped their soda on him.
"Look alive, princess!" and they cackled, walking away. He looked down at the soiled clothing. The other three looked angry. Shoto didn't really react. He wasn't happy about it, as it was pretty rude and completely unnecessary, but he didn't have any cleaning supplies to make sure it didn't stain, and there was no option of taking it off, as it was still day time. Getting closer to evening, but the sun still high in the sky.
"What jerks!" Uraraka said. "Doesn't it bother you?"
"I can't do anything about it, now," Shoto reasoned. At least they didn't get his stuffed koala. He hoped Mitsuki wouldn't be too upset. They got pictures. Though now they'd be ruined with his stained clothes, which bummed him out a bit. But then he tried to freeze the still damp liquid in it. His thigh was covered in ice, and as he scraped it off, the stain got a bit better, but it was still damaged.
"Smart thinking," Izuku praised. "Be right back!" and he, Bakugo and Uraraka got onto the ride. Shoto watched, wondering if they made a friend. When they all got off, Uraraka threw up in the bushes. Izuku pat her back. Shoto felt sorry for her, but her parents gave her some water and napkins. Maybe they knew she'd throw up and came prepared.
They went to the next ride as a foursome now, since Uraraka's parents were going to let her go with them. When they made it to one ride, Shoto grabbed Izuku's shoulder to stop him. "Not this one." He could tell something was wrong. Izuku and Bakugo both stopped, wondering what was wrong. Shoto pointed to the siding. "There's a screw missing."
"Shit, I can see it, too," Bakugo said. "Nice fucking catch." It was a large bolt hole, with all the other bolts in place, one was obviously missing. Izuku walked forward, and the ticket person and operator were very annoyed with the teen's insistence that their ride was busted until he pointed out the missing screw.
They inspected it, and the ride was shut down. The three were given a huge amount of tickets in thanks. All had already been used, but they were giving them back. Uraraka didn't have a wristband, so they gave her the surplus of tickets. "Wow, how'd you notice?"
"I have good eyes," Shoto replied. He turned to Bakugo. "You said they check daily." He was a bit confused.
"Well, they're supposed to…" he grumbled. "Fuck! Now I don't want to risk any of the rides!" He kicked a trashcan, but it didn't knock over. Izuku shrugged. Not much they could do about it. "We can go play games, I guess. Are you gonna follow us the whole time?" he asked Uraraka in annoyance.
She was a bit startled. "Do you not want me to? I can go back to my parents, it's not a problem," she said. Izuku didn't want to be rude, and Shoto didn't mind either way. They would spend the night together and already were best friends, maybe traveling with someone else could be fun. So he shrugged.
"How about when it gets dark we can go back to just the three of us," Izuku offered. Bakugo huffed but was fine with that. Since Izuku was talking with their tag along, Shoto went ahead to walk beside Bakugo.
"You don't like her?" he asked curiously. She seemed nice enough, had an innocent face and a big smile.
"She feels fake," Bakugo replied. "Do you like her?"
"I don't know her. And Izuku is happy to talk to a girl. Why not let him be happy?" When he glanced behind, he of course knew Izuku could hear, and gave Shoto a genuine and warm smile. Well, the vampire was glad his best friend was enjoying himself. They played some games, won some prizes. Now that they had a guest, Shoto didn't use his vampire abilities to help him win.
By this time, their clothes were no longer neat and perfect. Izuku had lost one glove, much of Bakugo's accessories were missing and Shoto had a big, tan stain on his. So, they were no longer so photogenic. They took some group photos, or single photos. Shoto took a selfie when a random butterfly landed on his shoulder.
"You're so quiet," Uraraka commented. Shoto shrugged, not really knowing what to say. He heard the sounds of cracking, crunching, and turned around. Izuku heard too, and jerked his head around.
"Run!" both vampires shouted, Izuku grabbing Uraraka's arm, and Shoto shouted at others to run before an explosion came, rocking the entire place. The blast was so strong it knocked everyone to the ground.
"What's going on?!" Bakugo shouted.
"Villains," Shoto mumbled. While everyone else was shocked and frantic, Shoto and Izuku lead them to safety, avoiding the areas with more villains, as they were everywhere, it seemed. Uraraka was worried over her parents, but they had no idea where they could have gone. All they could do was get themselves to safety.
The blasts had made the rides wiggle a bit, off balance. Shoto kept them from falling and causing more damage by freezing their bottoms in large chunks of sturdy ice. Once they made it out the parks gates, Uraraka used Izuku's phone again to call her parents, and they met outside. She was crying, while Izuku and Bakugo were panting.
"Fuck, they ruined it!" Police and heroes came to the scene, rushing in as guest rushed out. Bakugo was stewing.
"We got some good photos, though," Shoto said. Bakugo scowled at him and ran his hands through his hair roughly. "Are you both okay?"
"I think I broke my foot, but it's healing," Izuku said. "We should call to be picked up, I don't want to be around the villains. They sounded creepy."
"'Creepy'?" Bakugo asked.
"Slimy. Like gross scary movies," Shoto answered. Mitsuki picked them up, and they were separated from Uraraka by the vast crowd. Well, Izuku had her phone number and she had his from using his cell to make contact with her parents.
Getting into the backseat, Shoto immediately apologized for their clothes being ruined. "I'm just glad you three are safe. What an unlucky day to come!"
"I kept my koala… somehow," Shoto stated.
"And it's clean, what the hell?" Bakugo said, turned around in the front seat. "But man! That was a rush! I hope no people were killed, though!" Izuku took the koala and hugged it close, looking upset.
"It wasn't a total loss," Shoto told him. "We got pictures and you made a friend that was a girl."
He slumped further. "I wish I had a quirk so I could have helped," he mumbled. Shoto moved his hand to rub in his hair, fingers against his scalp. He relaxed a bit, but was still mopey. All three of them fell asleep on their way back to Bakugo's house where their normal clothes were. When they got there, Mitsuki turned on the news, and they listened as the three changed out of their ruined costumes and into their regular outfits.
Shoto and Izuku reapplied sunblock to the needed areas, and then went down to see what was going on at the park. The slimy sounds did indeed match up with the disgusting imagery Shoto had imagined. A slick, goo that had permeated the area and ruined most of the machines. They could see the chunks of ice that had been formed to keep the rides steady.
Nobody knew who made the ice, since Shoto left before he gave any statement of any sort. He was surprised Bakugo didn't try to go after them and fight, but it was the right decision. There had been three casualties, unfortunately. A fun day ended in tragedy.
They were returned to their homes, bummed beyond belief.
-x- Izuku -x-
Izuku's alarm went off to wake him up for a hike he was going on with Shoto and his foster family. Kacchan was out of town visiting his own family, his grandparents in another city. So it was just Izuku tagging along today. He was excited, and was a human right now so the sun wouldn't be so scary, on their backs as they sweat.
All the vampires would be wearing long sleeved clothes and pants, so they might get pretty sweaty. Maybe not Shoto where he could regulate the temperature of his body fairly well when not exercising vigorously.
He tried to pick it up to turn it off, but when he grasped it, it shattered in his hand, the screen cracking and going black. He froze, no longer sleepy, eyes wide open, and sat up, looking at the remains of his cell phone. It was destroyed beyond repair. But there was the bigger issue. He'd tried to pick it up, but broke it.
"Mom?" he called, hearing her in the kitchen. She came in, and he held up his phone. "I broke it," he said bluntly. She was surprised by how damaged it was. He stood up, trying to move the blanket off of him, only it tore in his hands. This could be annoying, but the strength came! And in his human body, too! Not just a vampire!
He grinned. "It came, mom! I'm not useless anymore!" he shouted. She moved forward and smiled. "Don't hug me right now, I have no control." So she just rubbed his head. "I need training. Can I stay at Shoto's place for awhile?"
"Of course. That makes sense, since they've all been through it," Inko agreed, though she seemed a bit uneasy. Izuku knew how gentle he had to be based on the vampires at rehab, how they needed to do everything with a feather light touch. Shoto and his foster family were all fine with controlling the strength. Izuku was far behind, but it would be fine! Maybe… maybe he could be a hero, now! Not with a quirk, but with strength. Did he have speed? He didn't care if Shoto had the same, because now Izuku wasn't useless and weak!
He stood up, and very carefully walked out the open door. He asked, "Can you call Shoto for me? I don't want to break your phone, too." Inko nodded and called his best friend on the phone.
"Inko-san?"
"Shoto! I broke my phone, it's here!" Izuku shouted happily.
"You need training." There was a smile in his voice, no matter how faint it sounded and how small it must be. Izuku agreed and asked if he could go to his place to train with them. Shoto accepted, of course, and came to get him. After all, being in a car at the moment, when the strength came only moments ago, would probably be unsafe and a bad idea.
He carefully dressed, having his mother open all the doors for him so he didn't destroy the handles or slam them too hard. He'd seen so many times just how strong Shoto was, and the damage it could do. Though for the other vampire, the damage had never been accidental. He'd seen it when under control, so not under control could be devastating.
But he was so excited! While he waited for Shoto to come get him, walk with him, Inko ignored his tears of not being useless anymore. She didn't say anything, knowing he wouldn't want her to. And he was glad she didn't not like it. She knew it could cause damages, but wasn't not fearful or upset.
Izuku would be very careful, as best as he could, when he wasn't in control fully. When Shoto did come, the front door was opened for him. He hugged Shoto tightly, so happy to finally not be useless and powerless. He squeezed too hard, probably, but Shoto didn't say anything about it and gave a hesitant hug back. Still sometimes not used to hugs. But only sometimes.
"Ready to go?" Shoto asked. Izuku nodded, and the permanent vampire got his backpack for him, putting it on so the other didn't damage it on accident. Shoto had his canteen against his hip with blood in it, as it was pretty early and he probably hadn't had all his breakfast blood yet.
"Be safe, honey!"
"Yeah! I'll do my best!" he cheered, in such a good mood. They walked away, at a normal pace. It was easier to walk and move slower than it was to be gentle with things so far. Though he hadn't touched much out of precaution. Shoto looked bored, but Izuku knew to not take it as him not caring.
He said, "I'm happy for you. But you'll have a lot of work from now on." Izuku nodded, thinking it was worth it. "If it sticks, and nothing weird happens… you could do hero work, now," Shoto pointed out, finally letting out a smile as he looked at his teary eyed friend. He hooked his arm through Izuku's like he had done to him so many times before.
Izuku rubbed his eyes, and was glad his strength didn't harm his own body. "Yeah," he managed to get out. Shoto was clearly very happy for him. They walked at a normal pace, Izuku so excited, not so worried. On their walk there, Shoto called Bakugo.
It rang for a bit before he picked up, sounding very angry. "What?!" He wasn't mad at them, as he shouted at his grandma to shut up while he was on the phone. Izuku could hear just fine without the speakerphone on.
"Izuku unlocked the super strength," Shoto said bluntly, getting straight to the point. It was silent on the other end before Bakugo whooped. Now they all had something strong. "He needs training or he'll destroy everything he touches. When will you come back?" Shoto asked.
"Another five days, fuck. I want out of this shithole. Why'd we come to a damn hoarder's house for vacation?!" That sounded unpleasant. Both Shoto and Izuku had pitying looks on. "When I get back, we're all training, got it? We're going to UA."
"But-"
"Dude, did you not feel shit when we saved those fuckhead students from a fire? Or when you used ice to try and minimize damage at the shitty amusement park?" Shoto was silent. "You should at least start training in case you change your mind."
"... Okay," Shoto said.
"Be ready, Izuku. Now that you're not weak, I ain't gonna pull my punches."
"Right!" The call ended when yelling started up on the phone, and Kacchan hung up. "I feel bad about his family. How they're always fighting." Shoto nodded. "I'm lucky I have mom."
Shoto curiously asked, "Your dad?"
"He's gone most of the time. I don't really remember anything about him…" Izuku said, though he wasn't upset. He didn't remember, so he had nothing to miss. "Though not having him in my life is better than being abused and all." Shoto agreed with a simple nod. When they got to his home, the vampires all got ready to help him, all of them excited for him.
It was while training started and lasted all day that he realized just how strong they were. They went to the park, a more private area, hiking up the trail, like they had planned to do today anyways, and found someplace normal humans couldn't get to. Not used to his stronger body yet, Izuku hung onto Shoto's back while they climbed up a near vertical cliff.
He couldn't wait to be able to do this. They were burying their fingers into the rock, using the handholds like ladders, or a rock wall. Izuku didn't like heights, but he hung on tightly to Shoto, not hindering him one bit. He could lift much heavier things without issue. When they got to the top, the place was level, with a lot of rocks and trees. A stream came through, too. It was pretty and near impossible for normal humans to get there.
He got off of Shoto's back, and grinned. He was really doing it! He wasn't useless! Still quirkless, but still. "Now, time to crush some rocks!" Haru said, punching one fit into his hand. Izuku was nervous a bit, but excited.
"For now, protect your knuckles," Mikaela said. Izuku put the gloves in they brought, and Shoto covered his hands in ice so they wouldn't hit the rocks directly. It might still hurt, but he wouldn't skin his hands on the sharp stone. "Who wants to go first?" Maya raised her hand. "Now, all of us will give you tips, as it's different for every vampire."
Izuku nodded, and watched as Maya didn't form a fist. "I sort of like slapping more," and she backhanded the rock, crushing it and sending up a cloud of dirt and dust. Her hand was perfectly fine. "My quirk also helps." Hers was being able to cover her body in a thick membrane that bounces things off.
Shoto said she never used it because it was sticky in the wrong places and was irritating. But it looked so flawless, just smacking it and destroying it. "Why don't more vampires use this stuff? They'd be so powerful!"
"We," Haru said. "But it's probably because we'd all rather blend in. Having a quirk and also super strength and senses kind of give it away, even when wearing contacts or sanded down fangs," he explained.
Izuku wished they didn't need to hide, to blend in, and could just be themselves. "You're lucky in a way to already be quirkless, because you can pass it on as just having a strength quirk," Mikaela commented. Izuku could see the truth in that.
"Even if its hard… I'm really happy I was turned into a vampire. Even if my case is weird. Cause I met Shoto, and then that lead to being friends with Kacchan again. And now I can try and be a hero with this power. I'm so blessed," he said, nearly tearing up. All of them smiled, and Shoto gave a small, genuine one.
"Why don't you try? The ice should help out." Izuku nodded, a bit nervous. He walked forward, and was shaking a bit as he punched the rock as hard as he could. It was like a canon blew into it as the whole thing shattered and crumbled. It left a loud blast sound, like an explosion. "Wow," Asahi said. "Once you get control, you'll be very strong."
"It's not like, a first time thing?" They all nodded. None had been that powerful at the start. Izuku's face turned pink at the seemingly compliment, saying he was special in some way. He broke the ice off and saw his knuckled were bruised, but not torn and not broken. But it healed, a small injury, so it went away fast.
But his arm ached a bit. "It'll be painful at first," Shoto said. "Like you exercised too much and your body it telling you to take a break." He handed him a blood candy, and he ate it. It was much more flavorful, and the pain went away. "It's blood candies with powder instead of straight blood, so its stronger in small amounts." Mikaela was really amazing.
They kept practicing for a few hours. By the end, the area was nearly destroyed. But there was still more rocks to ruin and break. Haru kicked down the rocks to clear the space. Nobody was below, so the rocks didn't hurt anyone. Then they made their way down. It was faster this time, since Shoto made a long slide they all went down. It was fun.
Izuku was so tired by now, and napped in the car on his way home. This was all training on output. Knowing what it felt like to be at full strength so he could make sure he didn't use it. Knowing the limit and what to avoid.
When he went inside, he didn't break anything but the refrigerator handle. But with some gorilla glue, it was put back in place. "How'd it go, honey?" Inko asked, not bothered, which was a relief for Izuku.
"It was fun. We went to the park and destroyed some rocks. They're all so cool, I had no idea they were this strong!" he said vibrantly. "And they said mine was more impactful than theirs! Maybe I'm special!"
"You've always been special."
"But in a good way, this time." Inko didn't argue, just smiled, and nodded. Shoto called him on Inko's phone this time, and Izuku put it on a shirt to carry around so he didn't touch it directly. He needed a new phone. At least they had insurance on it. "I had a really good time! It's lucky it's vacation."
"Tomorrow we'll practice being gentle with things. You already knew the strongest to avoid, now you have to know how soft is helpful and if you're being too soft," Shoto said. Izuku could hear Maya's music playing. She listened to music when showering, very loud, so they could hear it in the hallway.
It always annoyed Shoto because she listened to K-pop and he just wasn't a fan. "I can't wait! I'll be super careful with everything." Shoto wished him luck, and hung up to get some dinner. "See you tomorrow!" and the call was over. Izuku was so lucky to have him as a friend. Both because of who he was as a person and what he was as a vampire.
And he was being honest. He was glad he was a vampire. So far, at least. He really was blessed. He would have never expected his life to get better once he was no longer human. At least, not fully.
-x- Shoto -x-
Ice shot as Izuku, with him dodging out of the way, and lunged at Shoto, who ducked and kicked upwards quickly, nailing Izuku in the gut, throwing him up in the air. Izuku grunted, and landed back on his front with a grunt. "Nice try," Shoto said. Bakugo was watching from the side lines as Shoto taught Izuku how to use his newly improved body.
He melted his ice, and said, "Time for flexibility fighting. I'm done kicking and punching you for now." Bakugo didn't make fun of him, as Izuku was still new to this." The current vampire did stretches a bit before he tried doing some flips like Shoto, who took advantage of his distraction and nailed him in the face with an iced up foot. It threw Izuku across the yard, crashing into a tree.
"What was that for?!" Izuku said in annoyance as his nose healed over.
"If you're gonna be a hero, you gotta use your senses the whole time. You can't just focus on your body movement."
"How do you know this stuff?" Bakugo asked.
"I was trained for years until I was eight. I'm using what was useful to know."
"So you're training like Endeavor was?" Bakugo said in surprise.
"Also learned some at rehab," Shoto replied. Izuku wiped the blood and lunged again, but Shoto stepped to the side and chopping him on the back, slamming him back down with another grunt. He was a rough teacher. But Izuku had to learn fast. At least, that's what he wanted. He wanted to catch up to the other two as fast as he could. Which meant a lot of effort in a short amount of time.
He was left exhausted after every training session that wasn't learning to be gentle. "Break," he said, and went to drink some blood and pop a blood powder candy. Shoto drank his whole canteen. He sat down, and apologized to Izuku for being so rough. He felt bad, now. Was he really acting like Endeavor? Was he abusing him? It made him feel like shit.
"No, it's not a problem. You're right. And I asked to stop, and you did," Izuku reassured him. "I'm really thankful you're helping me," he added. Shoto nodded. They continued training for a few more hours, Bakugo watching closely. It was strange to him, for Izuku to be anything but weak and quirkless.
While a year ago, he'd have been angry about Izuku finally having a power, when he was still called Deku, it was not how it was now. He was happy for him in a way, but also impatient. Shoto was considering actually applying to UA with them. He wanted to stay together. And maybe being a hero would be okay. A good, nonabusive one. He wasn't sure.
Izuku and Bakugo slept over that night, all watching a scary movie. Shoto had seen it already, so he knew the right time to do it. Right when the murder was about to happen, and Izuku was wide eyed and nervous, hunched over, Shoto ran an ice finger down his spine, making him jump and shout.
"What?" Shoto wondered.
"Jerk!" Bakugo was laughing.
"That's crazy! You did something funny!" he laughed, the suspense ruined.
"But I'm always funny." Bakugo snorted, and Izuku shook his head fondly. It was a fun time. The three had gotten very close, and Shoto was so happy they made up with their blonde friend. They were all equals now. Though Izuku and Shoto hung out together without Bakugo more than single outings with the other. He was fine with this, though, as he could tell they still loved him as a best friend, too. So solo gatherings were no issue.
School was starting again next week, and hopefully it was still good, that the students remembered that Shoto had saved them from the burning building. And not be hated. And hopefully not expose Izuku, too. He didn't deserve to be mocked, now that he wouldn't be considered quirkless. If they found out it was vampire strength, then he might be ridiculed and be called a cheater.
That was the worst case scenario the hybrid came up with. Shoto was still not allowed to be around him when he shifted into a human on the ninth day, luckily staying constant, a strong and consistent pattern. Just to be safe, as Shoto was still drawn to him, even if it was a little. When he bled outside, it was less strong, and the wind carried it away. So training hard outside was the best option as Shoto was much less likely to react to it.
He still wore his devices, but they hadn't been used in a month of so. After the movie was over, they all went to sleep in his room. Shoto and Izuku always shared his big bed and Bakugo got the large futon mat all to himself since he tossed and turned a lot, and would be a nightmare to sleep next to.
Shoto loved his life now. He still had issues. A lot of them, that would stay a long time. He still took his meds at the same high dose, too. But he was making it well, having fun because of the people he lived with and his best friends that accepted his whole the past. The only people outside of rehab that knew of his disturbing mass murder when he was a kid.