IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING... THE MOTHER REVEAL!

We'll be looking at the first and second-place candidates; if your champion didn't win (or make it in the chapter) then don't worry. It's not like you won't see moments from everyone. Coming soon, we'll see other focused one-shots, like All Might, Aizawa, Present Mic, Midnight, etc.

So please, no freak-outs. Thanks guys!

"Kota...?"

"Hmm?"

There was a pause, a silence lingering in the air of the library momentarily, before the soft feminine voice spoke again, having collected her thoughts. "Do you notice that dad hangs out with a lot of girls?"

A response was delayed. The boy, having previously been furiously scribbling on a sheet of paper, stopped mid-thought, and stared at his paper, unblinking. The remnants of his math problem - disassembled and broken down into several columns of numbers - laid in wait on the paper, easily forgotten as a new and fascinating topic had been brought up. Kota didn't frown, but he didn't smile, either. He simply sat for a moment, considering what his foster-sister had said.

"Yeah... what about it?" He asked slowly.

During his time with the Pussycat Heroes, there weren't a lot of people that came within their domicile - men or women. It probably had a lot to do with their occupation, along with their relative isolation from the rest of modern-day Japan, but it was something that Kota had just chalked up as a normal thing. The drastic turn-around of transitioning to living with Inko and Izuku had given Kota a completely different aspect of life - but it had also changed his view on some of the 'normalcies' he'd previously maintained.

Yet, despite all of the changes to his preconceived notions, there was one thing that hadn't occurred to him - until Eri brought it up.

The Pussycat Heroes were all single - and, in Pixie-Bob's case, 'ready to mingle'. But more than that, they were well-within the acceptable 'dating age', as Pixie-Bob phrased it. Yet, despite all of that, it was incredibly rare to see them ever bring home guests of the opposite gender. In fact... despite all of Pixie-Bob's claims... Kota couldn't recall a time he ever saw her with a male while on the premise of their land. Sure, he'd see her in photos online, where her love-life was always in question, but she never once brought home someone of the opposite gender.

For the longest time, he - being a young male - didn't care. It wasn't his concern who his adoptive family brought home, and more than that, he couldn't find the internal energy to care about trivial matters such as dating and love. He didn't have a mother or a father anymore - so why should he care about someone's life? It was shallow, he'd later recognize, but it was justified, too. Grief and denial had him as a completely different person.

But now, living with Izuku, things were different. And Eri was completely right about one thing - he did hang out with a lot of girls.

Eri, apparently, wasn't oblivious to that, either. "I don't know... I wonder if he likes any of them."

It was impossible to hold back a scoff, and despite Eri's frown and narrowing gaze, Kota couldn't help the slight tinge of sarcasm that colored his words. "C'mon, really? Look at him - he's like, red all the time. He's gotta like one of them."

"But he's red around all of them," Eri pointed out. She crossed her arms and huffed, which shouldn't have seemed adorable, but if anyone could've seen her, it would've been. Her frown deepened, punctuated by the lack of any reliable lead as she considered her foster-father's behavior around the majority of the girls.

It was... erratic, to say it best. He'd gotten immensely better over the years. No longer did he break out in a nervous sweat when he was given the topic of simply approaching one of the girls. In fact, he was more than capable of approaching and instigating a conversation with them - but that was the extent of it. And, to make matters worse, he had to know them extremely well in order to avoid his bumbling phase. If, by some chance, it was someone new... well, it was practically back to square one.

But, even with all of his progress, there were still times that he reverted to the same timid boy he'd once been. Physical contact still took a slight touch of hesitation when it occurred, and his own initiation of it was a bit robotic at times. A sprinkle of red still dusted his cheeks whenever he was caught off-guard by a well-meaning hug or accidental brush of the hands, but then, Eri supposed he'd probably retain that until a day came where he was solely engaged to that one special person.

An idea occurred in Eri's head, and to put it in motion, she ran over to her notebook, snatched it up, and threw it in front of Kota. There was a moment of protest when she shoved his homework aside, but he quickly forgot about the assignment once more when Eri doodled Izuku's name, along with the names of all the girls within class 3-A.

Uraraka.

Yaoyorozu.

Ashido.

Hagakure.

Asui.

Jirou.

Six names; six different girls, six different personalities.

"What is this all about?" Kota looked at the paper carefully, trying to figure out why there were several lines separating each name, and why Eri seemed so excited.

"Simple!" She said with a sunny smile. "We're going to help him decide!"

"Eh?!"

Whether or not it was a protest, it fell onto deaf ears as Eri quickly began jotting down notes at a speed that rivaled Midoriya when he was in hero-otaku mode. They were messy, etched into the paper in a scrabbled scrawl, but they got the points across, and Kota quickly found himself scanning each phrase, and considering it deeply against what he'd noticed.

Uraraka: really sweet and nice, intense, bubbly, innocent

Yaoyorozu: helpful, thoughtful, smart

Ashido: energetic, playful, funny

Hagakure: friendly, sweet, excitable

Asui: calm, peaceful, encouraging

Jirou: fun, spontaneous, quiet

"Is quiet a good thing?" Kota asked, though if he were honest, it was more to himself than to Eri.

Still, the young girl took the question in-stride, and nodded as she kept thinking of terms. "It's different than, like, Hagakure. It's good, don't you think so?"

Did he want Izuku's girlfriend to be quiet? Honestly, it wasn't something that he'd ever thought about - mostly because the topic of Izuku's love-life had been absent from his thoughts. But if he were honest about it... it did sound rather appeasing to him. After all, he, too, was rather quiet. Having a girl that would be around Izuku all the time, wouldn't it be nicer if she were quiet and respected his space?

But then... he frowned.

He'd had enough of quiet.

He remembered the time that Yaoyorozu helped him with his homework - she'd been so patient. So kind... so helpful. It was hard to forget that, and, as he kept skating through his math homework, he remembered her aid and how patient she'd been. How thoughtful. Just like Eri had said - she'd been exactly what he needed. Plus... he remembered all the times that she'd been there for him, doing little miscellaneous things for him that just kind of stuck with him. She wasn't quiet - but she was... motherly.

"E-eh...?" Motherly...? "Wha...?"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Kota?" Eri had seen enough of Kota's rapidly widened eyes to realize that he was definitely thinking of something. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no!" He said suddenly, but clamped his hands over his mouth just as fast. He hadn't anticipated that much force behind his words. He took a breath and tried again, this time, slower and more in-control. "I... was just thinking... m-maybe Yaomomo would be realistic?"

The snowy-haired girl pondered his words carefully. True, she thought. Yaoyorozu was one of the original girls he'd gone to when he was first trying to acclimate herself and Kota to their new living situation. She'd been every bit of helpful as she could've been, and it was honestly because of her that Eri had even felt comfortable around the rest of Class 1-A (at the time). But yet, whenever Eri tried to imagine Izuku with the tall girl... she just frowned. They'd make a sweet pair, but...

"Maybe..." She said slowly. "I kinda thought Ashido or Uraraka would be better."

Both girls were something unique. Uraraka had a personality that was a bit all over the place, if the young girl was honest. There were days that she was sweet and innocent - so much like Izuku that it actually scared Eri. The gravity-girl was always one of the first people to offer her assistance, sometimes even before Izuku had time to ask, and she didn't shy away from anything. Then there were energetic moments, where she had no problem throwing away the constraints that bound her. Those were the times she bounced around, throwing mock punches and jumping around like she was weightless.

Finally, there was her serious face. A face that... Eri tried not to talk about.

Ashido was geared more toward Uraraka's energetic side, and pretty much lived 24/7 like she was riding a caffeine high. For the amount of times that Ashido had devised some sort of entertaining game or idea that left anyone in her wake feeling tired and exhausted, there were also times that she just brought up the mood of the room by entering it. It was a different sort of light than Uraraka's - it was more upbeat and eccentric, whereas Uraraka's was typically bright and relaxing.

But there were sides to Ashido that Eri had only seen a few times when she was with Izuku. The times where she was mellow, and simply encouraging him to relax and rest, or even take the day off to recover his waxing/waning health. If there was one thing that Eri would readily admit, it was that her observation skills put everyone else to shame. Somehow, the pink girl knew what people were thinking - and by extension, feeling - without having to talk to them. It was a trait that Ashido had, but Uraraka lacked.

They both had their glimmering lining that Eri couldn't help but love. But she knew that one would have to be picked - and the other would probably feel pretty hurt about that. And that made the young girl's heart sink. She didn't want either of them to feel hurt. She wanted them to be happy. She wanted to be happy.

"Ashido can be scary sometimes... and Uraraka is, I don't know... kinda like a kid, too." It wasn't like he was insulting them; he loved them too, Eri knew that. But she couldn't resist the defiance that shimmered within her eyes, nor could she help the defensive side that seemed to jump at the (not present) accusation that he knew better.

"So what? That doesn't make them less qualified."

Kota folded his arms, not rising to the bait like Eri thought he would. Sometimes, it surprised her how calm he could be when he was deep in thought. His gaze deviated upward as he pondered, bouncing his leg up and down rhythmically. "So why not Jirou? Or Hagakure?"

"Jirou's like a cool aunt. Plus, she's been eyeing up Kaminari since she introduced you to the drums." Kota paused, before nodding and conceding. Eri kept going. "And Hagakure is kinda like an older sister. Then there's Ojiro..."

"What about Asui?"

Eri put her finger to the corner of her mouth, tilting her head slightly as she did so. "She's not here a lot of times - she has to go home to take care of her siblings, you know?"

Kota froze momentarily, pondering a thought, before he spoke up slowly. "Wait... I thought we were talking about a girl for Izuku...?"

"We are," Eri said, confused.

"Then why does it sound like you're justifying it like something else...?"

Up until that point, Eri hadn't realized it. She'd simply been justifying the positives and negatives in her mind. Everyone had them - and she still loved everyone the same - but she wanted to be rational about everything. Yet, without knowing, she'd done the same thing that Kota had done. It had started out as picking out the ideal girl for Izuku - but it had evolved into something more.

She, too, was picking out the ideal motherly girl.

A flash of red heated her cheeks, but even so, the young girl stood her ground, refusing to admit her fault. She crossed her arms and stuck her lip out in a familiar pout, but didn't back down from her stance. Besides, she was committed.

"I-I'm not justifying anything! I just think that Ashido or Uraraka would be best for him."

Kota's eyes narrowed as he felt a familiar desire creeping up within his chest. The desire to be right, no matter what he had to say or do. Typically, Midoriya would stop him - and Eri - before it got too out of control. But he wasn't present right now, ergo... there was no one to diffuse the situation. And Kota knew what was happening, how could he not? This wasn't a brand new feeling. He and Eri clashed from time to time, especially as she became more outspoken and confident. It was just a matter of being kids - they both wanted to be right.

"Ashido is too... t-too..." He stumbled for a second, unable to come up with the words. "Too much!"

It wasn't often that Eri fought back. Kota knew that. She typically would become frustrated and huff off, looking for Midoriya to justify her thoughts, in which Kota would follow her grumpily, ready to defend himself. He had always been the vocal one, willingly to defend his thoughts. He'd been doing it for so long that it just felt like a second nature.

This time, however, something must have compelled her, because Eri didn't flinch in the face of the brewing fight. In fact, her ruby eyes glinted, and she seemed... ready to defend herself. It unnerved the young boy - not because he was scared. But because she'd never done it before.

"I'll prove you wrong! Ashido and Izuku are way better together than anyone else!" She added a stomp of her foot for emphasis.

Kota didn't back down either, rounding up his homework and snorting loudly, locking eyes with his foster sibling. "And I'll prove you wrong! Yaomomo is the best!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

They gave each other more firm glance - promising action in their intense looks - before turning away from one another with emphasis, and walking out different exits of the library. Nobody paid them any heed - mostly because everyone was locked within their own cluster of assignments. But simultaneously, in a different part of the school, Midoriya felt a chill run down his spine, like a foreboding warning had descended upon him. He blinked, looked around, and slowly returned to his training - unaware of the brewing storm.

Days had passed, and if Midoriya were an honest man, he'd admit something was different. Thankfully, he was an honest man - and so he had no problem admitting that exact thing.

Steadily, if not hesitantly, Eri and Kota had been bringing Ashido and Yaoyorozu around more frequently, and at times he least expected it. The days that they came home from school, they'd almost instantly go to one of the two girls (instead of him) and bring them over, before going on about their day. At first, it was nice to see. But then... he paid a bit more attention.

There was an unspoken battle that seemed to be brewing between the two. He couldn't place his finger on what they were fighting about, but there was no ignoring their defiant and stubborn looks that they threw at one another. On the rare occasion they didn't have one of the two girls locked at the hand, they were too busy giving each other the stink-eye to pay much attention to him. It was... concerning.

He wasn't exactly sure how to go about bringing it up, though.

Ordinarily, he'd address the problem head-on, and it would be resolved within a few hours. But this felt different. It was more than just a battle between kids. It held actual heart behind it - and that changed his approach.

He'd been tempted to talk to Ashido and Yaoyorozu about their thoughts, but with UA loading on the course work, he found himself slowly drowning against the various text and homework assigned nightly, and he couldn't catch either of them alone for enough time. He considered shooting them a text message, but if he was honest, he wanted to talk to them more.

Finishing up his set, he sighed. He pushed the matter to the back of his head - he'd just have to be blunt about it, it seemed. If Kota and Eri were fighting, then ultimately, the issue fell to him to resolve their growing schism before it got out of hand.

When Midoriya had finished racking his weights, he stretched out, grunting lowly as he felt the familiar 'pump' in his arms keep his appendages taught and firm. It was an intoxicating feeling, he mused, his thoughts dancing away from the problem burning on his brain. There was something he had come to crave naturally when he lifted the heavy weights, slowly - meticulously - curling, pulling or pushing the weights in various directions, achieving the eccentric or concentric contractions in his workouts. The way his arms ached and struggled against movements later in the workout... and the way his muscles felt full, pressing firmly against his skin, it was all a rush.

In a way, he was thankful. Without All Might's intervention back when he was in middle school, he would've never had the confidence to work out, nor would he have known how to. There were internet guides, but without a spotter, it was impossible to nail the correct form, no matter how much he read. His Quirk was a blessing that led to so many more opportunities in his life.

"Hey, dad!" With his hands on his hips, Midoriya turned, surprised to see Kota - unsurprisingly - pulling a flushed Yaoyorozu behind him. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she was wearing a casual turtleneck with sweat pants, as if she hadn't been expecting to be pulled from her studies, or whatever it was she had been doing. "You should hang out with Yaomomo."

"Eh?"

"Kota! It's a bit rude to force people to hang out," Yaoyorozu protested, though she didn't seem opposed to the idea. She eyed Midoriya carefully, not at all flustered by his sweaty appearance. Even though she'd been coerced into seeing Midoriya more than usual, she was never against seeing her quiet classmate, and spending time with him.

Really, he was one of the few people that didn't leave her exhausted or pulling her hair out by the end of the day.

While she wasn't bothered, that didn't mean Midoriya wasn't, though. It wasn't like he was particularly bothered by it, but he tended to try to avoid anyone until he'd showered, since he knew how sweaty and disheveled he could look afterward. "Y-yeah, I gotta shower first!"

"Okay, then just hang out afterward," Kota stated casually. He look was blank, but it was innocent, and Midoriya's surprised gaze softened. There was no rhyme or reason to his request, and for a second, he wondered: maybe there was something going on in the background in Yaoyorozu's life. He hadn't noticed Momo acting strangely, but that didn't mean she didn't have something on her mind. Maybe it was a secret message Kota was sending him?

Either way, he was put in a tight situation. With a sigh, he relented. "Well... if you w-want to, Yaoyorozu? I don't mind doing something after a shower - we could review for the Structural Integrity chapter that Power Loader is going to quiz us on tomorrow?"

The tall girl smiled, despite herself. "I suppose that'll work. I was planning to study that in a bit, anyways. Company might do me some good."

"Cool, then let me just g-"

"MIDORI!"

The teen blinked, his vibrant green eyes going wide as a pink blur crashed into him. A large grin rested on her face as she nuzzled into his chest, bouncing up and down happily.

"W-w-what?!"

Ashido pulled back momentarily, her amber eyes gleaming happily, matching the smile she wore. Positive energy radiated off her being like heat from a lamp, enveloping Midoriya in a cocoon of warmth. "If you wanted to grab dinner, you should've just asked me personally! Eri didn't need to let it slip!"

'Dinner...? What is she talking about...?' Midoriya wondered, his brain beginning to kick into overdrive. He hadn't remembered specifically tell Eri about any plans to ask anyone - let alone Ashido - out for dinner. Yet... the pink girl wasn't a liar, and judging by her raw joy, there was no way that she was kidding about anything, either.

"Ah, getting caught with your hands tied, Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu asked with a hint of mirth in her voice. She didn't seem bothered by the sudden shift in plans, instead, she put her hand to her mouth and tried to refrain from giggling.

Midoriya rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, a wobbly smiling making its way onto his face. "Y-yeah, I guess. Sorry, maybe we can study a different time?"

"Oh, were you two gonna study? We can always do a rain-check?" Ashido said, feeling a slight stab of guilt.

"NO!" Eri said, busting into the room. She seemed out of breath, likely a result of having to chase down the energetic pink girl, resulting in her leaning against the doorway for a moment. "I-I mean... no, dinner is important. You can't study being hungry."

Unbeknownst to anyone, Kota's eyes narrowed, seeing the tactical ploy that Eri played. He cursed internally; she'd played a sly and devious game. Their efforts, thus far, had been met with resistance from their dense father. But that didn't mean she'd won yet.

"But if you don't study, you might fail!"

A sweat-drop worked its way down the brow of all three U.A. students.

"Crap, I haven't studied yet..." Ashido said glumly, her energy falling off immensely, though she remained attached to Midoriya. A groan worked its way from her lips as she tilted her head backward dejectedly.

"Ah, well, why don't we all get food... then study afterward?" Yaoyorozu offered thoughtfully.

Ashido's eyes lit up happily, her energy returning once again, and released the green-headed teenager as she bounded up to the tall girl, sparkles in her eyes. "That's a good idea! You're the smartest, Yaomomo!"

Yaoyorozu simply took the compliment, but awkwardly laughed, trying to wave it off. "It's... nothing? Just a bit of rational thinking."

"B-but... Ashido... don't you wanna get dinner with Izuku alone?" Eri asked quietly, trying to keep her voice from reaching everyone.

The pink girl smiled, leaning over to whisper in the young girl's ear. "Sure, but that can always happen a later night. There's nothing stopping us from tomorrow or something."

"Yaomomo..." Kota paused, struggling to come up with something to say. He deviated his gaze, trying to curb his rising frustration as nothing came to mind. How was Eri able to come up with tactics so easily? How come he couldn't think of anything to say? Without even looking, he knew her patient gaze had settled on him. His fists curled into balls, and opened his mouth, but...

"Nothing..."

He couldn't think of anything. Eri had won this round.

Yaoyorozu gave the boy a momentary look, studying his demeanor, before she reluctantly nodded. A small smile worked its way onto her lips and she decided to bite the bullet, gently patting him on the head, despite his hat. He froze, but melted into the touch subconsciously. And that's why he couldn't help the tear that leaked from his eye.

Angrily, his head snapped toward Eri, and he growled. "Why are you so stubborn?! Can't you just let Izuku be with Yaomomo?!"

Midoriya's eyes widened and he turned a mix of blood red and hot pink, with steam pouring from his ears. Had he really just heard what he thought he heard, or was he going insane?

"You're the one trying to force things!" Eri countered. It was surprising to all three UA students, hearing the anger in her voice. "Why can't you just stop being stubborn?!"

"Guys, I -" Midoriya's voice was drown out by the much louder - and emotionally - children, locked in a fierce glare.

Kota growled. "I'm not stopping anything!" He stomped in place, a simple redirection of his anger, and despite his damnedest, tears began dripping steadily from his eyes. "I-I just...!" He trailed off.

Honestly, he wasn't sure where he was going with that statement. Inside of his head, his thoughts were all discombobulated, like his brain had been put through the blender. Scattered and awry, there was no reason to what he was thinking - the only thing he knew for certain, was that he trusted the tall, black-haired girl. She was something special - in his eyes. And Izuku…

He was special, too. It made sense. He wanted them both in his life.

Together.

But he had no idea why.

Furiously, he turned away; ashamed of his behavior, but also, ashamed of crying in front of his hero. The childlike pride he had instilled in himself caused a rush of frustration to ebb through his body, and it took all of his willpower to not lash out angrily with his Quirk. Not that he wanted to attack Eri. He just wanted - practically needed - to direct his frustration somewhere, instead of hording it inside.

But he had nowhere to lash out. So, instead, he took the next best option.

He turned and ran out, tears dripping on the floor behind him.