Izuku was laying on his knees in the school yard and going through the remains of his hero notes. Bakugou had just burned years of work that had sometimes veered dangerously close to an obsession. Some pages had been reduced to cinders and were still smoking. Years of work and hopes just… destroyed in an instant.
Izuku felt like he was five again and the doctor had just told him he was Quirkless. Bakugou always made him feel like he was five again. Small. Helpless. Alone.
Most people would have been content with just burning his notes, but Bakugou wasn't like most people. He had to always go further than anyone else. He always had to one-up everyone. Be it sports, grades or making Izuku's life a living hell. Bakugou had to have the last word in everything.
"Why don't you just kill yourself? Maybe you'll get lucky and be reborn with a Quirk."
Tears made Izuku's eyes burn. Bakugou had been his friend. His best friend! This wasn't… it wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to become a hero. No! He would be a hero! That would show Bakugou! He wasn't just some Quirkless freak others could push around! He'd go to U.A! He'd… he… he would...
Dreams couldn't hold back the tears forever and Izuku was grateful that everyone else at school had already gone home when he finally broke down and cried. He'd never be a hero. He'd never go to U.A. Bakugou would go to U.A. Bakugou would be the hero Izuku never could. Life wasn't fair, and people weren't born equal. Who'd ever heard of a hero without a Quirk?
Blinded by tears Izuku threw his notebook away.
"Watch where ya throw that."
Izuku wiped his eyes quickly to see a girl eating a lollipop. She was a year or two older than him and dressed in a school uniform he didn't recognize. She had pale blonde hair that looked like she had cut it herself and the smile of a crocodile.
Izuku started grinding his teeth. Like the day hadn't been bad enough. Now a girl had seen him bawl his eyes out.
"… sorry." Izuku said without being able to meet her gaze.
The girl picked up the notebook and squealed in pure delight.
"Ya like heroes too?!"
Years of bullying had taught Izuku to recognize deceitful interest that was meant to lead him to another cruel trap. When they found out what he liked, people had another weapon to use against him. He didn't sense any of that from the girl.
"… yeah."
"Whose yer favorite? Mine's All Might. I'd love to be him."
Izuku's smile left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"… yeah. I'd like to be like him too, but… I never will."
"Why's that?" The girl asked.
"… I don't have a Quirk."
Izuku didn't know why he'd said that and steeled himself for derisive laughter or worse. Pity.
"Ya want a lollipop?" The girl asked.
For the first time Izuku looked the girl in the eyes.
"… what?"
"Yer having a shitty day. A lollipop won't fix it, but won't make it shittier either."
Izuku was too stunned to speak and just nodded without thinking. Instead of giving him a new lollipop the girl just jammed her own into Izuku's mouth before peeling the wrapper off from another one for herself.
"Better?" The girl asked while skimming through his notes.
Izuku racked his brain trying to figure out what he was supposed to say to that. He had to say something. Anything. Anything!
"… what… what are you doing here? You don't go to this school."
The girl glanced at her uniform.
"Don't go to this one either. Came with the name and face. Was thinking about taking yers next."
"… what?"
The girl laughed like she had just cracked a joke no one else understood.
"Yer cute so I changed my mind. I like ya now." The girl said and pinched his cheek.
Izuku felt his face heat up. The girl gave him back what was left of his notes.
"Is that why ya were crying? Cuz ya can't be a hero?"
Izuku hugged his notebook for support.
"… you saw that?"
"And heard it. Dabi is the same. Always bawling when he thinks about his old man."
Izuku could sympathize. He'd used to cry because of his father as well. Mostly because he'd never met the man and only knew his name. If they ever met would they even recognize each other?
"… it was something… one of my classmates said."
"What did he say?"
"… he told me to kill myself." Izuku said.
"Ya gonna?"
"… no." Izuku said.
What would mom think if he did that? She would cry and Izuku hated to see her cry. Those dark nights after he'd been diagnosed Quirkless still haunted him. The walls in their house were thin. Thin enough for him to hear mom muffle her sobbing with a pillow.
"So ya were crying cuz yer pissed? Why get angry when ya can get even? Wanna push the dick down a flight of stairs?"
Izuku hoped his nervous giggle hid how often he had thought about it.
"… I can't do that."
"Why?" The girl asked.
"Because I want to be a hero." Izuku said.
The girl's face lit up and her toothy smile widened.
"Then be a hero."
Izuku felt a pinch of annoyance. How could she say it like it was so simple?
"… you need a Quirk to be a hero."
"Nah. All the heroes before ya needed a Quirk. Be like a… science hero if ya have to. And when yer a hero, ya can come and catch me."
"… what… Why?"
The girl giggled.
"Cuz I'm a villain."
Izuku fiddled his fingers.
"… you shouldn't joke like that."
"And ya shouldn't be so serious. Life's short and villains can make it even shorter. Have fun. Life should be fun. Ya wanna be a hero? Be a hero. I'd love to be chased by a hero, so I'll do that."
The girl's grin grew wide enough to split her cheeks.
"Gotta go find meself a new uniform. Ya have fun now."
"… Izuku. Izuku Midoriya. That… that's my name."
"Himiko Toga. Fancy meeting ya, Izuku-Izuku Midoriya."
Toga started to leave and Izuku couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"… wait. Can… can I have your… contact information?"
Toga shrugged.
"Ain't gotta phone. Or email. I can take yers though."
Izuku's hands wouldn't stop shaking when he wrote down his number and you could just barely make it out. He'd never given it to a girl. Or anyone else for that matter. Aside from mom he had no contacts in his phone.
"… who's Dabi? Is he your… boyfriend?"
Toga giggled.
"Jealous, Izuku-Izuku? I'll give ya a ringer when I steal a phone. Or get desperate and need to take yer uniform."
Toga left, but not before pecking him on the cheek.
