Chapter Summary:

'Tis the season for family and friends.

One friendship takes tentative steps towards mending.
The other is strengthened further as they enjoy their first holiday together.

Christmas

"I'm just asking for one thing
Let's keep making memories"

Colbie Caillat - Happy Christmas

"Are you ready, Izuku?"

Little white puffs could be seen in the winter air as Inko spoke. She gently squeezed the hand in hers and offered a patient smile. They were walking up the snow-covered path to the front entrance of the Bakugo residence with a few gifts in tow.

Every Christmas morning they would meet either here or at their apartment to exchange pleasantries and gifts. It had become a tradition after meeting Hisashi. He had picked it up after staying in America for an internship and they continued doing it even after his untimely passing.

They came to a stop at the entrance and Inko pressed the doorbell. There was silence then a short scuffle was heard on the other side followed by muffled curses before the door opened to reveal a frazzled Mitsuki. On the ground behind her was a messy pile of child-sized shoes. It didn't take a genius to realize that she had tripped over them on the way to the door.

Despite the embarrassing scene, the woman greeted them with a grin. "Hey Inko, pipsqueak. Glad you could make it." The nickname directed at Izuku had him blowing raspberries up at her as they were ushered in. Though Inko shot a displeased look at him, all Mitsuki did was laugh heartily as she swept him up into a bear hug.

"What's that, Izu-chan? Did you say something?"

One arm held him close while her opposing hand found a ticklish spot on his side.

Peals of laughter echoed around the modest home and drew the attention of the remaining members of the Bakugo family. Mitsuki stopped and carefully placed Izuku back on the ground as her husband came into view.

Bakugo Masaru was the polar opposite of his wife. Where she was brash and hotheaded, he was calm and soft-spoken. They were quite the pair that oddly fit together. It came as a surprise to absolutely no one that Mitsuki was the one who initiated the flirting, rather aggressively at that. After a whirlwind romance, the two married and eventually had a son together.

"Katsuki, come over and say hi. They came all the way to see us so behave." Said boy was hovering a few feet behind his father, hands shoved into his pockets and face scrunched into an annoyed pout. Reluctant steps brought him over to the visiting Midoriya family.

"Hi..."

Izuku stepped forward with a hesitant smile. "H-hi Kacchan. Do you...want to play with me?" Emerald eyes glistened with hope. Despite how callously he'd been treated, he still missed the days when they got along.

Katsuki turned without a word, his feet taking him to the front door. Izuku visibly deflated as he watched him go. He was about to return to his mother's side when the other boy called out to him, gaze remaining firmly on the door.

"Are you coming or not?" The door was unlocked and he exited without waiting for a reply.

Eyes wide with surprise and wonder, Izuku smiled happily and moved over to his mother to pluck a gift from the bag they brought. Even with how their friendship had soured, he'd still bought the temperamental boy a present. With it in hand, he hastily darted outside.

A snowball to the face was the first thing to greet him the moment he closed the door. It wasn't thrown hard and was packed softly so that it would easily break apart and coat his face. Izuku sputtered and shook his head similar to a dog after a bath while Katsuki laughed.

"Haha! You should've seen the look on your face, Deku!" Even the insult didn't have its usual bite. If anything it sounded almost friendly. After overcoming his shock, Izuku joined in and the two shared a laugh.

The moment soon passed and the mirth with it. Katsuki pulled a face, annoyed with himself for being so friendly. Before he had a chance to lash out, Izuku extended his arms to offer the gift. The bitter words on the tip of his tongue fizzled out as he accepted the small package.

"Hm? What's this?" He flipped it over a few times looking for clues.

"It-it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, Kacchan."

"I know that!" The raised voice caused Izuku to flinch, but Katsuki paid no attention to him as eager hands ripped into the wrapping to reveal an unmarked box. Opening the top, he spotted some everyday items like crayons, pens, and even socks. They all had the same theme: All Might

"You're such a nerd."

Izuku's lips quivered, eyes watery as he assumed his gift was being rejected. He opened his mouth, apologies already forming when a single word stopped him cold.

"...Thanks."

If he was expecting anything, it certainly wasn't that.

Katsuki flushed red in both embarrassment and anger as the silence dragged on. Unable to take it any more, he looked at Izuku, ready to yell at him, when he was suddenly enveloped in a crushing hug.

"H-hey, get off, Deku!"

I'm sor-ry, Kacchan." A hiccup broke through the sentence as he pulled back. Even as tears ran down his freckled cheeks, the beaming smile never wavered.

His fiery blonde friend grumbled petulantly before addressing him again. "Whatever... Just shut up and play or I'm going back inside."

Izuku scrubbed away the tears and nodded. The gift was stashed on the porch and a proper snowball fight was soon underway.

Later, after Izuku and his mother returned home, the latter found a gift tucked into her bag. The wrapping was rumpled and covered with too much tape. And there, in the upper corner, was Izuku's name scrawled in childish handwriting. Inko realized that Katsuki must have tucked it in there some time before they left.

When Izuku opened it, he found a set of small All Might posters tucked into a blank notebook. As he held them in his hands, an idea popped into his mind and he knew what he'd use the notebook for.

By the time he went to bed, Izuku was both anxious and excited to see his best friend. The gifts for Toshinori and Saori were tucked into the backpack he held to his chest. Usually he waited for his mother to leave before trying to activate his quirk, but he was more than a little impatient tonight. Even with her hovering at the door, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

The next moment found him standing inside the jungle gym away from prying eyes. Izuku slipped the backpack on before carefully descending the ice-covered stairs. Snow crunched beneath the boots he chose to wear that day as he walked over to the main entrance.

While waiting, Izuku watched as little white flakes seemingly danced in the air on their slow descent to the ground. He held out his gloved hand and watched as a few landed on his palm. Bringing it closer to his face, he blew out a puff of air and sent the flakes flying. The sound of laughter startled him and his head swiveled in the direction it was coming from.

The snow that had been gathering in his hair was unintentionally flung into Toshinori's face. The boy sputtered as some of the flakes landed in his open mouth but his mirth was renewed when Hisashi apologized profusely, hands waving frantically with each word.

"I-I'm sorry, Yagi-chan! I didn't mean to do that!" This was quickly followed by more apologies until Toshinori poked him on the forehead. The words faltered as Hisashi looked questioningly at him with tearful eyes .

"You apologize too much, Midoriya-chan. Now stop crying, silly crybaby." The word that was usually spat out hatefully by Kacchan was said with an exasperated affection that took the sting away. Toshinori moved the hand from his forehead and used it to reach for one of his hands. "Now, let's go! Saori-san is waiting for us." Sure enough, down the pathway Toshinori came from was Saori.

The 23 year old saffron-eyed woman was quite petite standing at only 155cm and had a lithe physique that paired well with her quirk. Iridescent scales glimmered on the sides of her face and disappeared beneath silky shoulder-length black hair. If one looked close enough, they'd see four raised lines of skin on both sides of her neck that became gills when diving underwater. According to Toshinori, her legs could fuse together into a tail resembling a Halfmoon Betta, whatever that was.

Saori waved at them, effectively drawing their attention. Toshinori took the lead and pulled Hisashi along to meet her. Though they had seen each other at a distance in the past, this was the first time they'd actually interact. Izuku was nervous as they came to a stop before her.

"Hello, Midoriya-chan. It's so nice to finally meet after hearing Toshi-chan gush about you." She smiled pleasantly even as Toshinori flushed red and Hisashi giggled. The blonde boy mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "I do not gush" while his companion returned the smile with a shy upturn of his lips.

"It's nice to meet you too, Saori-san. Thank you very much for inviting me." He bowed politely and Saori ruffled his tufts of green hair.

"No need to be so formal with me. We're all friends here, but I appreciate the gesture. Now, how about we go pick up our dinner and head home?"

The boys cheered in unison, eliciting a chuckle from the woman as they began their trek to the restaurant.

All three of them sat comfortably at the kotatsu table in the living room. They were eating the chicken that Saori had to order weeks in advance while watching a Christmas special at Toshinori's insistence. It was in English so they had to follow along with subtitles, but they didn't mind.

Izuku had a little trouble keeping up with it at times, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. His backpack remained at his side, the gifts still nestled within it. They had made a plan to exchange gifts once they had finished eating and cleaned up after themselves.

A cheer from his blonde friend had Izuku looking at the screen again as he finished off his remaining food. The villain-turned-hero had joined the townsfolk in their celebration after having a change of heart. They cheered as the final scene went dark and cut to the credits.

Toshinori was the first to speak, blue eyes sparkling as he look over at his friend. "Did you like it?"

"Yes! Can we watch more? Not right now, but whenever I can visit?"

"Of course!" Toshinori's head bobbed along in acceptance, overjoyed at sharing one of his favorite pastimes with Hisashi.

"If you're both done, go wash up while I handle the dishes." They agreed and Toshinori lead Hisashi to the bathroom to do as instructed while Saori gathered their plates.

As they entered, Toshinori jumped up enough to flick the switch on the wall bathing the room with a fluorescent light. When he turned, he noticed Hisashi looking at him so he grinned and gave a thumbs up sign which was reciprocated. Together they approached the sink and took turns washing their hands.

"I'm really happy that you could spend Christmas with us. I was wondering...could I call you by your name?" His gaze remained locked on his soapy hands but he listened intently for the response.

"Only if I could call you by name, too." They shared a smile and finished rinsing off. On the way out, they dried their hands off and Izuku exited first so that the other boy could turn off the light.

"Thanks, Hisashi-chan." Izuku felt a sharp pang of sadness but pushed it away.

I wish you knew my real name...

They made it back to the kotatsu table and Izuku's mood perked back up when he realized that it was time to exchange the gifts. He bounced over with renewed energy and reclaimed his spot. Toshinori joined him as Saori stacked them neatly on the table.

Izuku took that as his cue and withdrew the ones from his backpack and placed them with the rest. Both boys then looked at Saori expectantly, waiting for permission to dive in. She huffed in amusement and plucked two from the pile, one for each boy, and placed the packages directly in front of them.

They grinned and thanked her in unison and wrapping paper quickly littered the floor around them. With joyful shout, Toshinori revealed his first: a box set of some of his favorite movies. The box in Izuku's lap was opened next and the contents drew a delighted gasp from the boy.

A beautifully decorated friendship scrapbook was carefully withdrawn and placed upon the table. The top half was colored mint green and had little decorations in various other shades of green. A few faux four-leaf clovers, some flat rhinestone bead, and curled beneath those was a pressed flower that looked like a green rose.

"It's a Lisianthus. Toshinori picked it out himself and preserved it for the book." Saori must have noticed his attention on the flower. Izuku beamed at his friend who returned it with a grin of his own.

Turning his attention back to the book, the bottom half was pastel yellow and covered with cute sun designs and matching rhinestones. The pressed flower above it was a small sunflower. There was a gap between the two parts, just big enough for their names. Shimmering gold ink spelled out "Midoriya" on the green half and forest green was used for "Yagi" on the yellow half.

Opening it revealed blank pages and empty photo slots. It was a homemade scrapbook that they could fill together. Izuku's bottom lip quivered and he gently replaced the book on the table before going to give Saori a hug. Fat tears rolled down puffy cheeks as he thanked her.

Saori hugged him in return. "I'm so glad that you liked it, but I'll tell you a secret. The whole thing was his idea." She pulled back and gave him a gentle nudge in Toshinori's direction. He quickly went to his side and hugged him tightly. Toshinori laughed as he hugged back. This reaction was definitely worth the multiple failed attempts at flower pressing.

They parted shortly after and Izuku returned to his seat. The next box was addressed to all three of them, a fact that surprised Izuku. It was a gift from Toshinori's parents. The contents of the lone box was quickly revealed to be various American snacks that were hard, if not impossible to come by in Japan.

"We'll save these for later. Don't want to get the remaining gifts dirty." Saori took the box off the table and reached for the two presents addressed to her. One was an oceanic-themed jewelry box from Toshinori and the other was a homemade scallop shell necklace from Izuku. She became a little misty-eyed herself as she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you both. They're perfect."

All that remained now were the gifts that the boys got for each other. Toshinori reached out first and unwrapped his to reveal a plain box. Izuku's stomach clenched with anticipation as Toshinori lifted the lid and slowly pulled out the bundle of fabric.

Toshinori's expression went from confused to ecstatic as the fabric unfurled into a cape. He was on his feet and wrapping it around himself before Izuku could even register it. The star pins were easily fastened to his red shirt with the help of Saori and he spun in a circle to watch it billow out around himself.

The grin he flashed their way lit up the room as he put his hands on his hips in a heroic pose. Saori turned on the small fan kept in the living room and directed it at him causing the cape to flutter. They clapped and cheered him on as he changed poses and flexed his arms as if he had bulging muscles.

"Thank you! What do you think? Would I make a good hero?"

Izuku's exuberant response was instant. "You'd be such a cool hero, Toshinori-chan! The best!" Toshinori was both flattered and filled with confidence at his friend's belief in him. He took a moment to bask in those happy feelings before gesturing to the last gift on the table.

"Open yours now. I hope you like it!" Toshinori rejoined the pair at the table while making sure he didn't damage the cape.

Izuku didn't need to be told twice so his hands worked at removing the paper quickly before tossing it aside. It was another plain box with no clues as to what was contained within. He flicked the box open and pulled out a plush toy. Turning it, he giggled when he realized what it was.

A fluffy yellow bunny stared back at him with glossy eyes. The floppy ears framed its face in a way that reminded him of Toshinori's bangs. Small fingers traced the features of the toy with reverence. It wasn't the first gift that Toshinori had ever given him, but for some reason this one felt special. He smiled happily as he held the plush to his chest.

"Thank you, Toshinori-chan. I love my Usagi-chan." A flash of light startled them and they looked over as Saori lowered her phone with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

An idea formed and Toshinori stood while gesturing for Hisashi to do the same. "Let's take some more! These can be the first pictures in our scrapbook, Hisashi-chan!"

And so they did. Pose after pose, the two took many pictures together. Two of them stood out among the rest. The first one that Saori took by surprise had Izuku looking at his bunny with a fond expression while Toshinori looked on, his lips pulled into a content smile.

The other had them both standing side-by-side with matching grins. Usagi-chan was balanced precariously on Izuku's head and his arm was around Toshinori while the blonde had pulled his cape over enough to encompass them both. Their free hands were extended in front of them giving the peace sign without obscuring their faces.

After their impromptu photoshoot, the three spent the rest of their time together playing games and even singing an off-key version of Yuki ya konko before Izuku finally had to bid them farewell. With many reassurances that he'd be fine, he donned his shoes and coat once more before stepping out with his full backpack.

Once the house was out of sight, it didn't take long to feel that familiar pull so he sat down in the snow and closed his eyes.

Inko believed herself to be a patient and understanding mother. When Izuku stopped spending time with Mitsuki's boy, she didn't press the issue beyond a few questions. She also didn't make him stop wearing his day clothes to bed no matter how strange it was to her. As long as it was safe and he was happy then so was she.

That isn't enough to stop her from freaking out when she sees her son disappear from his bed only to reappear in the blink of an eye, clothes covered in quickly melting snow and the backpack he'd been holding stuffed with items that hadn't been there before.