-x- Shoto -x-

He didn't really feel any different, other than feeling a bit more distant, tired. But not nearly enough to impede him in any way. He didn't get angry today. He felt fine, better. He didn't feel that rage underneath the surface. He just felt all around better. Admin still said he was doing better, despite falling back into looking down on humans.

They weren't just seen as food sources, but he did say they were weak and useless. They couldn't do anything against him, which made them inferior to him in every way. He did not share these thoughts and feelings with anybody but his counselor. He'd been through his worst times with the man, Shoto trusted him to not tell anyone and be sincere with his advice.

So, when he went to school, he looked exhausted, but he wasn't. He was fully rested. When he sat at the table, Izuku was already there, and looked worried. "I'm okay, we ended up increasing the dosage," he said before his friend could ask. Izuku just nodded, and class started.

Throughout the day, whenever he heard a student needing help, he thought they were all dumb shits. But he felt no urge to be violent. Even seeing the bully with the wires in his jaw he'd have the rest of the school year. Seeing the consequences of messing with Shoto, everyone left the two alone. But for Bakugo, who came over to them at recess.

"Heard you beat the irrelevant's ass, huh? Jaw wired shut for two months, hah!" he laughed. Then he grew serious, and quiet. "You're one of them, aren't you? You two met at rehab." Shoto didn't respond. "I ain't gonna tell anyone shit. I've known about Deku for months already and nobody knows."

"Why are you telling me this?" Shoto asked.

"I dunno. Don't think you're special, though."

"Why not?" Shoto wondered.

"You know, sometimes I think you're on drugs," Bakugo replied.

"I am on drugs, how'd you know?" Shoto asked curiously. Bakugo put his hand to his face.

"Does that make you an idiot, too?"

"No, I'm one of the smartest in the class."

"Oh my god, Deku! Where's you find someone like this?!" Bakugo demanded. Izuku was just smiling fondly at his friend and his literal attitude.

"Some place where we actually have things in common. We help each other. I am grateful you helped me in the beginning."

"Oh, so he's not too bad of a guy after all…" Shoto mumbled, hand to his chin, thinking. Bakugo's eye twitched and he clenched his teeth. "Do you have any friends?"

"Of course I do! I have lots!"

"Oh, see, he isn't a bad guy."

"Stop trying to complement me, you idiot!"

"But I'm stating a fact. I'm not trying to complement you," Shoto replied. Bakugo gave up and stormed away, throwing his hands up in the air. Izuku looked at Shoto in shock. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"You… you annoyed him so much that he left… Wow! That's crazy." Then he started to mumble about his childhood and wondering if he would have ever been annoying enough if he tried to get him to leave him alone. Shoto let him mutter to himself, and didn't interrupt. He was taking air notes, and only stopped when the bell rang to go back to class. "Oh, sorry!" he said in embarrassment, realizing what he'd been doing.

Shoto said, "It's okay. I don't mind." His face showed even less emotion now, eyes blank. Izuku wished he didn't need to be this way, but also wondered if the unmedicated Shoto was anything like he was, now. He just had to remind himself that untreated mental illnesses make someone have a different personality.

This was Shoto. It didn't matter if some of it came from his medication. He was still his friend. The rest of the day, Shoto helping Izuku out with classwork, nobody asking him for help as they were still freshly fearful. And every time they saw the bully's broken jaw and wires sticking out of his mouth, it reinforced that they shouldn't mess with the unassuming Todoroki Shoto.

On their way out, Shoto wondered if he wanted to be friends with Bakugo. "Wha- why?" Izuku asked in confusion.

"Well, he's keeping the secret. And he helped you. So maybe we can be friends. Maybe being around a human that had some good qualities will help me out, too. I don't usually see him with friends at recess either," the twelve year old replied. Izuku nodded, really liking when Shoto showed the real compassionate sides.

"Okay, let's try." So they went to Kacchan's class, and waited for him outside. When he left, Shoto walked up to him and asked if he wanted to walk home together.

"Hell, no."

"What… does hell have to do with this?" Shoto asked. Kacchan grinded his teeth, and Izuku finally started laughing. "I'm just trying to be nice because you're helping us, and you helped Midoriya," Shoto explained, his cheeks a bit pink at being laughed at. So Izuku stopped laughing. Kacchan started to walk away, and they followed.

"I said I don't want you walking home with me!"

"We're going to get ice cream, this is just the same direction," Izuku lied.

"I have no money," Shoto commented. Izuku grinned, and had some money himself. He invited Kacchan to go with them. "It will possibly be enjoyable."

"You should tell people 'it'll be fun' you damn literal dumbass," Bakugo grumbled.

"Oh. Okay. But… it might not be fun. So I didn't want to lie." Izuku noticed he was being oddly talkative to a near stranger. Did he see something in Kacchan that Izuku didn't? At least, right now? But he did end up going to ice cream with them, getting three scoops to deplete all of Izuku's money. They walked back the way they came quietly for a bit.

"Why can you do shit and Deku can't?" Kacchan asked.

"Some vampires get it, some don't," Shoto replied. "It might also be because of age, how long it's been since you were turned." Bakugo asked when that was for Shoto, sounding mildly interested. "Almost three years ago." This surprised the explosive boy, and he looked back at him, eyes narrowed.

But Shoto was nearly impossible to read. "How long were you in rehab, then?"

"Nearly nine months," Shoto answered. Kacchan glanced at Izuku, who gave him a blank look, giving nothing away.

"That means you should be much better at everything, right? Stronger, smarter, better to be controlled around other humans?" Shoto shut down, and refused to talk about it anymore. Izuku was thankful and surprised that Kacchan dropped it, and then turned back to not face them, walking a few feet ahead of the two vampires.

"Is this dangerous for me? Two vampires following me to my fuckin' house?"

"I'm on meds. I'm safe. Izuku is in control." Bakugo froze again. Then he turned around, searching Shoto's face, but finding nothing.

But then he said, "You're… super fucked in the head, aren't you?" Shoto's eyes glanced away. "Damn. Why would I want to be 'friends' with someone like you?"

"I mean… you're messed up in the head, too. And I thought that having things in common were what makes people friends…" he mumbled. Izuku gave a small, sad smile.

"You helped me a lot, Kacchan. And I forgive you for baiting me, you were trying to help in your own way. So… I do think you care about me, or at least the friendship we used to have. And you're keeping my secret. Our secret." Kacchan looked at them both with narrowed eyes, maybe searching for a lie. He clearly didn't find one on either of their faces.

"I'm almost home. I can make it the rest of the way back," he said, and left, hands shoved into his pockets.

Shoto turned to Izuku, and asked, "Does that mean we're friends? I can't tell."

"Don't know. I guess we'll see."