A/N: Fifty Chapters since I started this project, seeing as I never intended on going head-first into SIVA's origins, I'm surprised, so many of you are okay with that. I know Destiny isn't everyone's favourite, but thanks for putting up with what I do write about; I'm kinda a lore nerd, hehe. Here's to the future of Yuki's journey. Review Time!
To Murtaito: That's one hurdle down; Nana will hopefully be fine since she has many supportive people around her. You'll see ;)
To Walkmanapprenticewordsmith: *Cracks fingers* First, sweet, you managed to navigate Pinterest to find my so-and-so sketches, always wanted to give a visual representation of Yuki, ta-da. Second, judging by your comments, you realized yes, SIVA, Aksis, Kovik, etc., are all from Destiny. I... may have fallen down that rabbit hole, hehe. Thirdly, again, I'm happy to hear that, to know my work means a lot to you and others. It's always nice to see on a bad day.
Enjoy.
Chapter 50 - Perfect Surprises
You know the cost of Perfection | You know the risk of our bond now | There is no turning back now
"We've been over this, SIVA; I accept that, tch, fate really hates up, huh?"
...Will you tell them? | Of our true nature? | Of this costly burden?
"...Soon, not now, there's been enough tears."
Heights Alliance, the dorms constructed within three days after Yuki's recovery, so that meant the students had three days to prepare to move into their dorms, to live together throughout the rest of their time at UA. Only Yuki and SIVA knew the real reason; however, a secret only the staff knew, or so they thought, was to worm out a spy. Yuki never intended to take this knowledge and act in any different manner to her classmates, she cared for them deeply, but if by a slim possibility someone she knew was this 'Spy', she'd not hesitate for an instant to strike.
At the steps to their new home, the students of Class 1-A gathered a mixture of excitement and anxiety among them. It was the weekend, so they had time to get in and adjust accordingly before school on Monday. Izuku realized, however, that not everyone was present; rather, the sight of light blue hair and a bobbing mask were missing from the group; Yuki answered his texts vaguely, stating she was visiting Nana at the time to check her slow recovery.
It was alot for Izuku to watch, more so for Yuki to bear having to relay the countless years the young sibling had missed. It was sweet though, Izuku was always invited to come along, Yuki never once seemed to mind him butting in on what he believed was an important time for just the two sisters, yet she insisted. Nana was... a mini Yuki, atleast that's how his mind depicted it; she had that same mischievous grin and attitude, though far more immature than the older sibling. It shocked Izuku whenever Yuki referred to her sister as 'Dumb-Dumb', the exact words used against Kacchan. That panged at his heart, realizing just how much the absence of Yuki's sister affected the girl, another thing he berated himself for never asking or figuring out.
While the pleasantries were passed about, and Mr Aizawa arrived to give the rundown, something in the air shifted dramatically in Izuku's heart, an unspoken chill that calmly wrapped around them like Death's cloak. Then he felt it, gloomy energy rising from their homeroom teacher, "This is important, so listen well..." He paused, eyes crossing the students. "Kirishima. Yaoyorozu. Todoroki. Midoriya. Iida,"
They were called out, and all realized why it was no coincidence. "You are the ones that broke the rules to go rescue Bakugo and Azuru that night," Many shifted uncomfortably at that, then he snapped his gaze to Akio. "And you left on your own vendetta against the Nightmare that attacked the students, though you are lucky that Valstrax approved of it, given your history and abilities in handling the situation."
Akio gulped. "You're... not gonna strangle us again, are you?" He was starting to sweat profusely
"No, as I said, you were fortunate," That glare never made him feel anything more than fearful. "Back to the matter at hand, based on the reactions, the rest of you had an idea of their plan," The wind was howling, almost obscuring the dark aura in his eyes. "I'm going to set aside a few issues and just say this if it weren't for All Might's retirement from the hero scene, I'd have everyone bar Bakugo, Jiro, Hagakure, and Akio, expelled from the Hero Course."
"The five of you who went, of course, but also the remaining twelve that didn't stop them, you betrayed our trust even if it was to keep your friends from getting into trouble," The shock and terror at how narrowly the severity of their actions were evaded felt like a knife against their skin, slicing just the hairs on their bodies. "In order to regain our trust, you must follow our rules to the letter and live as model students,"
"Woooow, he's a real jerk, so saving your friends means you're the bad guy; man, I've missed a few years, laaaame..." Like glass shattering amongst the class, all of them paled at the sudden, snarky tone from the side, all of them dreading the fool who had the gall to speak up about Mr Aizawa in such a way. "Oh... he heard that, huh?"
A soft sigh followed next. From the side of the bushes, a familiar, blue jacket-wearing teen slid into view, herself smiling softly with a short wave, her hands by her waist. Yuki had finally arrived, but it was the addition on her back that gave everyone a double-take. A girl smiled from Yuki's back with a fanged grin, waving a pale hand at the class. "Hi~"
The girl was the double of Yuki, bluish-white hair lacking that strange ponytail, and she had two prominent curls atop her head. Her light-blue eyes were the same though the pupils were slit like a cat's, and her ears were pointy as well as her canines. She sported a white hoodie with a pair of grey shorts and blue sneakers. Everyone gawked at the adorable sight.
"IT'S LIKE A MINI-YUKI!" That caused the mute with a mask to redden slightly, her brow twitching while Nana giggled
"I like them; they're funny." That earned a flick to the head. "Ow, hey, I'm still recovering!"
'Physically? Yes. Mentally? Never.' Yuki held out, only for the note to be slapped away by the girl, herself huffing
"N-Nana!?" Izuku was the one to blurt it out, and even Shoto looked shocked at the smiling girl he last saw being comatose
"She's awake..." Shoto got a few looks as well, blinking widely. "But how did you...?" All awaited an answer to their many questions. Izuku was still completely starstruck; the girl was even here and out of the hospital given her condition.
'Vosik made one fatal mistake when he used me as his little torture doll' The reminder made many flinch, but all were surprised Yuki openly admitted to it, grinning with pride and confidence. 'Now I'm at a hundred percent, and... well, let me introduce everyone to Nana Hiroshi Azuru, my little sister.'
"YOUR SISTER!?" Again a chorus rang out; Mr Aizawa watched the pair swarmed by the class with dozens of questions and queries to the two smiling girls. He admitted the idea was a risky one, given Nana's condition and needed for recovery. Still, both the doctor in charge of Nana's care and Akame assured him that so long as Yuki stuck to her like glue and reported any changes in her health, then it was fine .to free her from the hospital's bland walls finally.
'Hey, Mr Aizawa?' Yuki held out to calm some of the noise while turning her note with a subtle degree of seriousness. 'I'll be honest, I both agree and disagree with your statement too. I understand the severity but outright neglecting to save someone, even passively, is not what you've taught me, just for the record anyway.'
Clearing his throat, the rabble was silenced even before his hair could lift from his shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind - Now, put your questions aside, look alive, time to see your new home." Mr Aizawa turned and made his way indoors, leaving the class in a state of paled, dark purple despair
"WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY AFTER ALL OF THIS?"
Nana leaned back, 'awed' at the size of the buildings. "This place is huuuge; how does one school have so much money?"
'I know, right? I've been asking that since I got here' Neither of the siblings really seemed bothered by what just happened. Noticing the awful silence after that warning about their attempted rescue of Katsuki and Yuki, she felt inclined to do something, looking back over her shoulder at Nana, herself pouting at all their gloomy faces, then she eyed Katsuki, himself locking his gaze with her own
She was fine, but it still irked him to see her, all he could recall was her bloodied face being beaten within an inch of her life, and that smile never once fading, telling him silently it was okay. He could have done more back then, yet nothing came to mind; the hopeless ideas of being free were met with a painful end. Grunting, he loomed over Kaminari. "Come here," Without question, he trailed the blonde away after giving a look to the ashamed redhead that stuck to him like glue.
"Huh, uh, wait for wha-?" The pair vanished behind the bushes, Yuki smiling slightly as they all suddenly jumped at the massive discharge out of sight. "Hehehehe!" He was shoved back out, having fried his brain, leaving him completely stupid; Kyoka practically spat in hysterics, punching Akio's chest to keep herself steady, the boy himself cackling madly at the sight, wiping a tear
"Ho-o-o-oly crap, you look so stupid!" He wheezed, the pair unable to keep a straight face as they almost killed over
"What did Bakugo do to you?" Sero chuckled, though he only received a burst of dumb laughter in reply
Katsuki returned, Yuki gasping softly as he saw him hand Kirishima a handful of cash, immediately drawing to the assumption he swindled the idiot. However, Yuki knew otherwise, smiling gently as he shoved the money into the redhead's chest. "-It's to replace what you spent!" His grouchy expression declared in passing, leaving Kirishima perplexed and taken back by the gesture. "Don't say I never gave you anything; now we're even."
Yuki had, to be honest, she was always surprised by whatever Katsuki did; she knew he was hurting, but her being as tactile as normal wasn't the right call; he needed time to adjust to her presence again. Suppose his outburst at the hospital was anything to go by. Kyoka and Akio were nearly on their knees, dying from Kaminari's dumb side, the girl's jacks flailing wildly.
"You're so hopeless...!" "I-I can't breeeathe...~!"
The reactions of the class were filled with laughter, easing away from that dark air while Yuki poked at Izuku's freckles, startling him out of his trance with a cute smile, Nana grinning down at the boy. "Hi, Izuku, Sir!" That response drew a sharp blush from the greenette; he realized with Nana how she referred to her seniors with their name, then either 'Miss' or 'Mr'.
Yuki informed him it was a habit she's never broken and that he just had to live with it, something he nervously had to accept. "H-hi again, N-Nana, are you doing okay today?" He managed to squeeze out, the girl tilting her head side-to-side, patting Yuki's head in thought
"Hmm, better, I think; I just really can't walk that well; everything gets a little dizzy when I do," She chuckled sheepishly, nuzzling the top of Yuki's head. "So Big Sis offered to be my legs for the day!" Another flick to the forehead. "Oww... I was being nice!"
'You whined for me to, and I quote, 'Free me from the white death box! Oh please, dear sister of mine!', riveting stuff' Yuki's smirk grew in triumph as her sister blushed, grumbling into the older sibling's hair. At the same time, those that watched cooed at the adorable bickering between the two; even Izuku couldn't hide the fact it was really precious to see Yuki on a whole 'nother level of glee with the girl on her back.
Inside the building was a much bigger picture. According to Mr Aizawa, each dorm is equipped to accommodate one class, a large open-spaced commons room, fit with a kitchen, gender-separated bathrooms, laundry room, living room with a flat-screen. It was much bigger than either of the siblings expected, Izuku having seen their wide eyes. At the same time, they practically warp around together, his small smile growing wider at the wholesome display the two had.
"We have soooo much space! I like it, better than those boring... white... gloomy corridors." Nana slumped against Yuki's back, then perked up; even her ears seemed to tilt higher at her sudden change in mood. "Oh-oh, look, we have a garden!"
"There's even a courtyard!" At Sero's words, Yuki and Nana appeared, pressing their faces to the glass. "You really are excited, huh?"
"Duuuh!" Nana drawled while Yuki nodded giddily. "We never lived in a big ol' house, Miss. Akame's place isn't that big either, according to Yuki, so this is like, hundred times that feeling!"
Mina was pumping her arms excitedly while everyone saw Ochaco spin and eventually collapse from the shock; ironically, Iida panicked at the girl's loss of gravity. The floors were a total of five, four boys and four girls to each floor except for Akio, who actually would be staying in Kyoka's room when everyone saw that the two were put on the spot.
"Do you think there's enough space for our stuff, or should we have asked for a joint room, 'cause I think only one bed's gonna fit?" Akio pointed to the plan, Kyoka shrugging
"I guess we can manage; It shouldn't be too hard fitting mine and your stuff together given our tastes, heh, good thing my Old Man doesn't know, right?" She commented, then blinked blankly at the gawking from the class. "What?"
"HUUUH!?" Kyoka blushed immediately, tapping her jacks
"W-well, it's not like much has changed, h-honestly," She murmured; Akio was not phased at all, rubbing his nose.
"I've been livin' with Kyoka since I met her, I rented a small room at her place, so this isn't new to us," He shrugged so causally, the rest wide-eyed, Kaminari immediately grabbed Akio and swung him back and forth with betrayal.
"You bastard, you got to live with a girl before you were even a thing - ACK!" A jack soon placed itself in his ear, frying his eardrum with Kyoka glaring at the rest, posing her jacks with a huff
"Anyone else got an issue with that?"
"NO, MA'AM." She huffed a 'good' as Akio attempted to help Kaminari recover
The rooms themselves were rather generous with space, a closet, towel, fridge, AC too. Izuku then flew to the balcony with Yuki, gasping at the fact that they even had a small space outside. "We even get balconies!?" Her own eyes were glittery; she never had a balcony before, even Nana was in awe at the space, flopped on the bed beside Kaminari
"It's about the size of my closet back home, but I'll manage," Yaomomo said that so casually, Yuki and Izuku thought with a sweatdrop, then Ocha struck the floor.
"It's the size of my house!" She collapsed again, laughing hysterically
"So much space..." Nana gawked, then poked Kaminari's side, gauging the blonde's attention. "Kaminari Sir," Her eyes grew wide like a puppy. "Carry me,"
"Huh?" He blinked, question marks bobbing around his head while she nodded with a smile and pump of her fists
"Sis is probably tired of carrying me all day, so switch, carry me!" She held out her hands onto his shoulder, eventually coaxing the blonde to give her a piggyback, his own cheeks turning red at the girl's bash actions, much like her older sibling. "Hehe, onwards, my steed!"
"Yes, ma'am," He sighed, freezing at the growing smirk on Yuki and Kyoka's faces while the former held up her phone slowly. "DAMMIT, LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU GUYS!" He soon sprinted from the room with a giggling Nana in his arms, causing the two girls to laugh, again, one in silence that Izuku raised a brow at
"Why won't she speak? Is her throat still sore even after her days in recovery?" He didn't want to spoil the mood, so for now, he kept his thoughts to himself, but not the lingering worry for the girl's health. If anything, he'd ensure something like what happened to her never befell the girl he cared for again.
Mr Aizawa stopped the group on the first floor, eyeing the siblings. "Yuki's sister, once she makes a full recovery, will also be staying here, though she will be going to a middle school nearby, simply at the request of a few key staff, myself included," That small announcement got a few surprises out of people when Nana leaned up from Kaminari's back, scratching the back of her head.
"Yep! Hehe, hope to be useful once I'm, you know, not needing to be carried around like luggage." She patted Kaminari's head, feeling his arms buckle a little
"This is awesome, finally another girl in our ranks!" Mina squealed
"I still can't get over how she's like a mini-Yuki." Hagakure gushed, though no one saw the red tick pulse atop the aforementioned girl's head
"If someone compares that idiot to me as 'Mini-Yuki' one more time..." She was going to snap, she hated that comparison even to this day, if they were actually twin sisters, then yes, but given there were a three-year gap and the fact that their personalities only match when they're mischievous, then no, they were not the same.
"I expect you all to treat her well, less you suffer the consequences from Yuki herself." At Eraser's remark, a few of them noticed the smile and closed eyes from Yuki, but that aura was so potent and dark most swore that large creature from her mask's recording was looming over the bright and cheery girl's shoulder
'You hurt my little sister in any way, and I will personally make you wish I were still in a coma', She handed out sweetly.
"SIBLING PROTECTION, SCARY!" Most agreed, even Shoto stepped back slightly at the chilling aura
"Hahaha... that's if I don't use my Deathsinger's song on you first, hehehe," The youngest grinned ear-to-ear, all shivering at just what exactly her 'Deathsinger Song' was, but not a soul had the guts to speak up.
Mr Aizawa merely held back his smirk at the two, primarily his healthy student in full spirits again. "Now, the belongings you sent have already been assigned to your rooms, so spend the day unpacking and getting settled, then Sunday do whatever you want to grow accustomed to your new living quarters," He explained, looking over his sheet. "I'll tell you more about your lessons on Monday; for now, get to work."
"YES, SIR!" 'Aye, sir!'
The rest of the day was exhausting, primarily everyone unpacking and setting their rooms up; some swore they heard... construction coming from one of their rooms but neglected to investigate further. In the commons room, Nana and Yuki included a majority of the boys while they asked the little girl more about her interests while Yuki came around with a tray lined with steamy mugs.
"So, Nana, what kind of music do ya like?" Kaminari asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa while the girl beamed at the question
"Oh, um... uh, rock!" Her finger curled, bow furrowed. "Erm, well actually... really everything that's music-related... but definitely rock!" She played on an air guitar. "I'm a few years out of practice, but I played alot with sis when... yeah." While Yuki was handling the hot drinks, she passed and ruffled her sister's head
'It's okay; I know you miss them', Yuki signed, the others feeling the mood switch. 'Guys, I appreciate you helping her; compared to me, Nana's only just catching up with the world.'
"It's okay," She sighed, fiddling with the mug in her hands while solemnly looking at the reflection. "Mama and Papa were the best parents ever; Miss Akame reminds me of Mama when she used to get smug around Papa."
Yuki silently giggled at that. 'Or how about his awful Dad-Jokes' Both did a 'bleh' then laughed, or one really, the boys smiling at the innocent banter between the siblings
"Hey, guys, I know it's a little dark since what happened at Camp," Kaminari began, putting his hands out while the left held a mug. "But it's pretty awesome we're living here, right?"
Izuku nodded in agreement. "It wasn't the best circumstances, but it's definitely a new experience." He actually got to live with his closest friends, and even under the same roof as Yuki, the girl was only a door away now. Something about that made butterflies tickle his stomach, feeling nervous about the ordeal.
Iida shot his hand up, Yuki swivelling under the arm to hand him a cup. "A unified class, it's the perfect way to increase our cooperation and discipline."
Nana snorted a laugh. "He's funny when his arms do that robot thing," She mimicked Iida's action, a few laughing at her jab. Kirishima grinned with his arm on the neck of the sofa.
"The man never relaxes, honestly." Though he was more toward admiration for his Class Rep's diligence overall
While the girls finally returned, Yuki, for her part, grew silent and reserved; Izuku saw this, her distant eyes while her fingers rubbed the choker necklace tentatively. Furrowing his brow, he sat down beside her, grabbing her hand to rub in slow circles with his thumb. He smiled inwardly at her skittish reaction but ultimately eased a smile at the comfort.
'I'm going to tell them', She began, flipping the note while holding it high. 'Everyone, can I... say something, just for a sec?'
With everyone, bar Katsuki and Tsu, now gauging the mute's reply, she felt her own butterflies flutter. It was just so easy to say it to Izuku, but when she did, her heart was abuzz at his emotional retaliation against her stupid actions, and it was just the two of them, alone. Biting her bottom lip, Yuki thought about what she would say, the right words that would be the first they'd ever hear.
To a normal perspective, it didn't seem that spectacular. Still, for Yuki, her words were always lacking meaning and emotion; the text could only convey so much compared to the raw image of a person's face, the tone and pitch in their voice when they spoke, it was far more real alive.
Shoto spoke; first, arms crossed. "If it's something troubling, we'll listen," He started, finding her eyes locked to his understanding orbs. "You always cut to the heart of the problem, so we'll do the same; what exactly has been bothering you all day?"
Mina hummed at that, putting a finger to her chin. "Now that you mention it... Yuyu was a little distant when Nana wasn't her focus."
The little sibling jabbed Yuki at that. "You're doing it again!" She groaned, pouting cutely. "You always used to mutter and blow off an issue when you couldn't convey it."
The info leak caused a small blush to crawl to Yuki's face, body hunched while she sighed, fiddling with her hands. Izuku hadn't seen her like this in a while, maybe back at Camp when she doubted herself, calling herself a Monster and wondering if she was pushing him too far. He didn't know if he was doing the best he could either or if he deserved to be with her given his rather bland appearance and stuttering nature, but he digressed; this was about Yuki, not him.
"Yuki..." Izuku's wary voice brought a smile to the bluette's lips, patting his hand with a nod. Nana also smiled warmly too, hugging her sister from behind. They both saw the nervous look in her eyes as if the pink dusting her cheeks hadn't made it obvious.
"Yuki, everything alright?" Kyoka spoke up, earning a small nod from the now strangely timid girl. Kyoka pursed her lips; she saw Yuki this way when she openly admitted to liking Izuku. Was it something between them that came up?
"If you don't feel up to saying we get it, you don't need to force yourself." Kirishima's reassuring words rose a small number of nods and hums from the equally worried class. Yuki's mind was a strange place; no one knew if she was okay after the whole ordeal, no one knew what she was thinking or felt at the moment.
Taking in a small breath, Yuki sat up straight, brushing a stray bang from her eyes, offering them all the warmest smile imaginable, one that made many hearts skip at the serenity in her eyes that grew a little misty. "...K-Kiri-shi-ma," The hardening boy stopped breathing. Her eyes glossed to the others. "Yao-yo-ro-zu," The ravenette cupped her mouth at the word. "Ii-da." He removed his glasses, completely star-struck. "Sho-to." The heterochromia's gaze couldn't possibly widen any further, his chest tightening. "Eve-ry-one..."
Yuki tilted her head, flashing her trademark, toothy smile. "Tha-nk you, my fri-ends, my..." She closed her eyes with a small blush. "...Fa-mil-y." She called them her 'family', striking so many in only a few words, they knew the girl cared for them, but her highest regards were almost groundbreaking
Broken due to her tender vocal cords, yet the softness in her voice was clearer than daylight, for the first time since interacting with the outgoing mute, never had they imagined the day she would finally speak, and with a voice not a soul could predict. It came out like a tsunami of joyous tears, the girls all practically hugging and pulling Yuki into their tight embrace, the guys all reacting in their own ways like back at the hospital upon seeing their classmate's healthy recovery, Shoto couldn't keep his own tears from showing, placing a hand over his eyes while Yaoyorozu rubbed his back, herself unable to stop.
"Your voice... your real voice..." Kyoka couldn't believe it, grinding her teeth against each other to try and contain herself, but that broke under the no longer mute's hand reaching high to ruffle the musician's head softly. "Dammit, Yuki, holding out on us again...!" She wept, laughing all the same with Akio being alot more... cartoonish, hugging his shadow that just stood bemused
"Let go of me..." He did not
Nana giggled behind Yuki, resting her chin on her shoulder. "Big Sis really was nervous 'cause she didn't know how any of you would react," Nana explained while Yuki played with the mask on her head. Nana's gaze softened. "She always talked about all of you and your amazing talents, the support you've given her since coming to UA; I really wanted to meet all of you so badly that I begged the hospital to let me leave until tomorrow morning..." The youngest Azuru hugged her sister tightly, tears brimming her eyes. "I wanted to thank the heroes that made my sister happy!"
The sight was nothing like what the class expected. Yuki, smiling tearfully while nuzzling her little sister's cheek, the two got along with snarky jabs, and yet both held so many sweet words for the students. The girl who had no one outside of Izuku broadened her outlook with so many ideals and personalities that made every day special to her. And the little girl who would have never seen her elder sister again if not for their support through some of their darkest days.
Both girls smiled, speaking in unison. "Thank you."
A great, white aura passed over several of the boys, all of which were attempting to take in the news lightly. Izuku was the first to react, caught like he had just murdered a man and was a hair away from being caught. He screamed, throwing his arms wildly.
"NO, NO WAY, Y-YOU CAN'T!" This was the height of embarrassment outside of Yuki's standard antics; even she pursed her lips at his reaction. She knew his room pretty much screams fanboy, but then there were the... 'additions' that accommodated for the semi-mute
"A competition to see who has the best room?" Nana's blinked, looking to her sister for an answer. "Is that a thing?" Given her years in a coma, alot of her social norms were out of wack; this was another
'Yes, though I'm curious, are we being included?' Yuki query raised several brows, so she sighed and put a finger up with a note. 'It's not really fair if we get to poke fun at the boys, though that is entertaining, we're invading another's personal space, so it wouldn't be fair if we excluded ourselves.'
"Huh?" Kyoka suddenly went rigid at the declaration
"Haha, see, I freakin' told you it was - ACK!" A jack soon silenced Akio to the ear. "Why me, we share a room!?"
"That exactly why I wasn't happy with this, to begin with." Kyoka seethed, pinching her nose. "A-are you serious, Yuyu, like, can we not, please?" If anything, it was the last thing Kyoka wanted to show off to Yuki, Akio, and even Izuku, but not the whole class
Many of the boys all looked to Yuki, some praising her for her kind and wise words. Sero spoke first, glaring at the lot with his finger out. "Yeah, how come we're the punching bags all the time?"
"I gotta agree; I feel like we're just lining up to get knocked down." Kirishima sighed, rubbing the back of his head
"I wholeheartedly agree with Yuki!" Kaminari gleamed. "This is the perfect excuse to see into the girls' rooms, and with Yuki on our side, we're sure to win them over!"
"Hmm, yeah, I'm down for that!" Mina held out a thumb; golden eyes gleamed with a competitive spirit. "Whadda say, girls?"
"It sounds like fun; I'm in!" Hagakure clapped her hands, nervously shuffling. "Now I feel I should have put in some effort to really make my room shine!"
"Y-You're not serious?" Kyoka was unable to cast her vote among the sharp incline of agreements, her jacks flopping with her head. "Why me...?" Then her left jack shot toward the wall, purple eyes nailing daggers at her own shadow. "You say a word, and you'll be blind in both eyes."
Her shadow morphed with a nervous chuckle as many watched it slither away. "Hehehe... I'll just go back, have fun..." Viral was there the whole time, and only Kyoka spotted it; that alone was scary perceptive in the eyes of her peers
Yuki stood up, holding her note high with pride. 'To make it fair, I shall be the first victim of criticism!' She held her hand to her heart, looking away with modest grief, a sad violin playing... somewhere? 'Some of us may perish in this endeavour for glory, but I shall offer up my life so you may savour your pride a little longer, my friends!'
"YUKI! YOUR SACRIFICE WILL BE REMEMBERED!" Kirishima cried manly tears, saluting her alongside Sero, Akio, and Kaminari, though the latter grin inward at her declaration
That was the spark that ignited it all, the start of the very first UA Dormitory Interior Decoration Competition. Fires of pride and curiosity were raging, and Yuki took the first hit; even those least interested were now heavily involved.
On the first floor, all stood at the edge of their most perplexing classmate's door. Nana was again in Yuki's arms, hanging hers over the older girl's shoulders while Yuki offered the crowd a small, easygoing smile. 'I'm actually not much for 'themes', so bare with the chaos.'
Many were trembling with excitement, primarily the guys; they were to enter a place no man has gone before and with such lack of care from the occupants. Izuku knew why though when it came to formal customs in Japan, the two blue-haired siblings tend to be laxer compared to everyone else due to their British side.
Prying the door open, Yuki held out her hand with Nana's, welcoming those interested inside, receiving many gasps and awed expressions while the two smiled at one another. The room was colourful and cosy. A large bed fit for two with blue and white striped covers. The walls painted two white and two blue. A large desk to one side with a TV and games console with two different shades of blue for a carpet and beanbag chairs.
Yet, it was a large board that caught most of their attention. It was decorated with photos. Some of Yuki with one or more of themselves, a few others like Kendo, Tetsutetsu, and Jura from Class 1-B, and some cooed at the ones between the extrovert girl and the timid Izuku, the boy seeing these and flushing immensely at her openness to displaying these images. One did catch most eyes wide and in shock.
It was of a younger pair of blue-haired girls. But behind them was a woman with long, deep blue hair, her bangs covering her right eye while a familiar twin cowlick bobbed at the top of her head, her eyes silver like the stars. A man with white spiked back hair, a darker goatee, and ultramarine eyes were to the left. His arms around the two girls, who smiled giddily at the camera.
"Yuki, are those...?" Ocha breathed, spotting Yuki setting Nana down while the girl yawned. Turning to see what her friends were implying, she spotted the image and smiled sadly.
'Yeah, those are our parents, Fuyuki, our Dad, and our Mom, Mira, and yes, my Dad's choice for my name was literally just taking off the first two letters of his, I know' Yuki rolled her eyes at a few fingers lowering at the connection. Izuku's eyes caught her own, and he twitched suddenly at her eased smile, telling him silently that it was okay. 'You wouldn't believe the kind of BS that sprung up due to my Dad's folks being... less than pleased with their son dating a foreigner; they were 'those' type of people'
"This is the most we've heard of you speaking about them?" It was Shoto who asked the fabled question, causing many to gawk at his bluntness, yet Yuki didn't mind, moving to ruffle her drowsy sister's head, her energy was sapped even without exerting herself
'I dunno why I never spoke about them... I guess with Nana being here, I feel... that I shouldn't try and just act like they aren't gone around her' Yuki held up honestly, many frowning solemnly at her words; none of them could imagine how that must feel, seeing Nana tilt her head. 'Come on; you need to sleep.'
"Don't wanna..." She yawned again, but Yuki giggled silently while everyone watched her place her sister down on the bed, sitting down beside her while grabbing a small blanket to throw over her sibling
'You're my responsibility, so your health comes first, got that?' Even with this notion, Nana whined, weakly shoving her sister's chest. 'You can talk with them tomorrow, so just rest; I'll be back soon.'
"...Promise...?" Her voice trailed off, seeing only Yuki's smile and wink.
"Pro-mise." Looking to her class, Yuki motioned toward a small stand beside her desk; everyone followed her hand or those in her room. Then they spotted the wooden guitar, and Shoto realized why it looked familiar, stepping forward to grab the delicate object as he handed it carefully to Yuki. Again, everyone was silently staring at the sudden shift in mood, and some were surprised by the girl's clear talent with music.
While Nana refused to sleep, Yuki got an idea, though a little nervous given the few pairs of eyes watching her; she didn't care, her sister mattered most, and it typically took her sitting beside her sister until she fell asleep, but this was a sure-fire method. Plucking the strings delicately, Yuki kept her side to Nana, eyes staring soothingly at the strings as she played, her index finger sharpened with a black tip like a guitar pick.
"Hm-hmm-hm-hmm-hm-hmm..." The gentle hums vibrating from Yuki's throat left those inside and out in stunned silence, the gentle chime from the strings ushering a soothing wave of easiness across the students, none more than Izuku, his eyes wide, unable to pull his eyes away from Yuki's soft eyes as she played
Her voice continued to hum a soft yet melancholy vocal, that radiant aura emerged again to bless his eyes and ears. He couldn't stop from seeing her sleeping face for days on end, wondering if she would have ever woken up again; it was terrifying, remembering days he sat there, crying by her side, begging her to wake up and just smile again, the night he slept with her mask clutched to his chest, afraid to let it slip away lest he loses his hold on her forever. The song was painful to his heart, causing a few tears to well up in his eyes.
Some of the others also held their breaths as she played beautifully, Kyoka herself smiling gently at the girl's talent on display for both them and her now slumbering sister, the song's melody having lulled the young teen into slumber halfway through. With one final hum, Yuki leaned down to peck her sister's forehead. "Sle-ep we-ll."
Not long after, the students filtered out of the room, flicking off the light while Mina, Ocha, and Hagakure practically squeezed the life out of Yuki, crying rivers of joy. "That was so beautiful!"
"I can't stop crying...~!" Mina wept loudly, graciously accepting the shoulder of the mute as her hand rubbed the girl's back slowly, a soft smile on her face
"I felt the song playing to my soul," Kirishima sniffed, clenching his fist. "It was just... so good!"
Shoto, with a small smile, asked her. "Is this why you offered to go first, to put her to bed?" Shoto's inquiry led to a nod and a whimsical smile
'Sharp as ever, Shoto, yeah, I knew she was tired from meeting all of you, but that song part just sorta... happened' Yuki stepped back, holding out another reply. 'I learned something when I was lost in my own head after battling Vosik, that, even with my power, I'm still mortal, and that my life can be easily robbed from me like my parents, there's no sugarcoating that given Kovik's obsession with killing me' That brought a dark mood briefly, seeing Yuki smile through it anyway. 'So, I wanted to play for all of you; I want to truly display my affection and gratitude to all of you in my own way, what I'm comfortable with showing, I'm not saying I'll die but rather, I want you all to know the real me behind this mask.'
"Yuki..." Hagakure murmured, the bluette grinning with her eyes closed
'Now, let's go torture my boyfriend, shall we?' At her enthusiasm, Izuku's soft expression shot up in warning lights while the mischievous grin stretched over Yuki's face, hand wiggling toward the door as he screamed, shoving her arm away while the other attempted to sneak by. 'Stop delaying the inevitable, Zuzu!'
"NO-NO-NO-NO, please, you can't, I'm begging you!" He screamed, pushing back on Yuki's face while she grazed the nob.
'Mina, go, I got the cinnamon roll!' She then threw Izuku back, pinning him to the wall with a cutesy smile as the girl's barged their way inside, Izuku's whole boy shattering at the revelation
Then came the chorus of screams as his face gently rose in maroon, Yuki grinning beside him as he kept his face toward the floor, tapping his fingers together. Ochaco then smiled, clapping her hands. "You're such a fanboy!"
"W-well, I admire him... this is embarrassing." He muttered, then Kaminari gawked
"Woah-woah-woah, what the hell's this!?" Following his outburst, they found exactly what he was referring to. Beside Izuku's drawers was another though smaller, and atop it was a clean towel and a few girly cleaning products.
Izuku's mind broke with a steaming blush. "T-T-THAT'S-!"
Yuki shrugged, 'What, so I can't keep my things in my boyfriend's room? I even sleep with him sometimes' Her rather blunt and honest reply let the room in dull silence. Kyoka facepalmed, hiding her pink cheeks while the boys practically grabbed and yanked Izuku back and forth.
"What the hell, Midoriya, you're already sleeping with her!?" Kaminari bellowed
Tokoyami stared ahead blankly. "The darkness of adolescence has revealed many paths along its jagged road..." Hearing this, Akio practically sputtered at Tokoyami's claim
"Wait, you're serious!? They - But when - How did - I, questions... eh?" His brain stopped working
"This guy's already gone and -" Before Sero could wonder exactly what the two might have been up to, several of the girls blushed furiously at the implications, Yuki, being completely oblivious, just tilted her head.
'What?' Then Yaoyorozu cupped her mouth.
"Such bold claims and not a shred of shame!" She gushed, leaving Iida to swing his arm frantically, unable to say anything logical at all toward his closest friends. Izuku was a bumbling mess, his head trying to process the idea of him and Yuki... doing... that... And Yuki just stood there blankly.
"Huh, and I thought I could swing the mood quickly; things are getting strange." She really didn't see what the issue was
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, I SWEAR!" Izuku cried for them to understand, with Shoto looking between the two silently assessing their responses
"Does Yuki really not understand what they're implying?" He realized he had his work cut out for him beyond just getting these two together, one friend was a bumbling mess, and the other completely lost, "Sis was right, these situations are tricky."
After that explosion, Tokoyami guarded his room with his life, chuffing. "Tch, no way."
'Sorry, fam, but...' Yuki jabbed a thumb at Mina and Hagakure dully. 'You're losing this battle.'
It didn't take them long to eventually push the bird-man aside, himself flopping to the floor unceremoniously at the intrusion. Once inside, Tokoyami trembled with rage and defeat; it was a dark and foreboding room with purple lighting, the very definition of 'Darkness.'
"So dark and scary." The duo shivered
"You fiends..." Tokoyami growled although Yuki looked around in awe, pointing ecstatically to a small pendant on his drawers
'Isn't this the symbol of the God of Darkness, Erebus?' At her honest inquiry, the fury within him simmered, nodding once
"Yes, the cynosure of my domain," Tokoyami spoke sternly, then was surprised by Yuki's bright smile; she didn't touch the pendant, admiring it with her eyes.
'This is so detailed, I didn't think you could get something like this... is it real amethyst? I can imagine it wasn't cheap?' To those inside, they stared in surprise at how enthusiastic the bubbly girl was in what they believed to be the polar opposite of her tastes
"Why yes, though the price was high, it made a fine addition to my world." She nodded, eager to see more
"OF COURSE SHE LIKES THIS STUFF..." Everyone thought
Aoyama was next, and... "MY EYYYES!" Akio and Viral screamed, falling out of the room from the sheer dazzling glow of the room. Kyoka gulped while deciding just to sit this one out as she watched Akio struggle to see. "There's so much pizzazz and fabulosity that it felt like I just got stuck with a divine weapon!"
"Shiny..." Everyone agreed on the sparkling world. Yet Aoyama shook his hand.
"No-No, it is. Mag. Ni. Fic." He emphasized, and while the others brushed it off to what they expected, Yuki once more left everyone to do a double-take, herself clearly analyzing the design
'It's a little bright with the light shining on everything, but it feels like I'm walking through a galaxy, so cool!' No one understood this girl at all, not even Shoto or Izuku
Aoyama smiled, nodding alongside her. "Thank you, Ma Dame."
Ojiro was next, though he was far less crazy than the rest, rather normal given what they've seen. Ochaco didn't help to judge by how his tail slowly fell. "It's so barren."
"There's barely anything in here?" Hagakure drove the nail further
"Are you sure you have unpacked everything?" No one dared to speak at the pride that was broken. To his rescue, though oblivious to the jabs, Yuki clapped her hands once
'It's not as glamorous, but it's simple and welcoming, I approve' Ojiro did perk up a bit with a smile.
"Thanks, Yuki." She nodded with a smile
Iida's was like a library, textbooks lining the walls. He took pride in that, though everyone was shocked by the array of glasses he had stocked on a wall. "You have so many glasses!" Ocha chuckled
Iida's hand trembled against his own. "Of course! I expect them all to be broken during training!" He declared, seeing Yuki flicking through one of his books with a hum
'You're very efficient, Iida; everything's in alphabetical order too, such consistency!' Again, why and how Yuki found this all to be exciting just baffled them all
Iida smiled, adjusting his glasses. "I am pleased to see you can agree with my way of living." She held out her thumb, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf
Kaminari's was... interesting. The design was unique in a strange way; even Kyoka and Akio were surprised. "This is the store in the mall I'd avoid."
"I agree." Viral and Akio nodded beside her
"What!? It's perfect!" He tried to rationalize, Yuki again taking in the decor earnestly
'An interesting choice gives me a college vibe with a hint of spunk, good taste' She smiled, nodding his way as he held his heart, crying cartoonishly.
"A super cute girl just said I had good taste! There's a chance!"
There wasn't much to say about Kota's room; he had a rabbit, every girl loved the rabbit as they hugged it. Yuki stood on the spot, trembling beside Shoto as she yanked at his sleeve. 'Must. Resist. Cannot. Be. Bias!' His eyes drew themselves to her shaky note, seeing the nervous sweat she was in
"You've been giving them all an honest answer based on their decor; I can't imagine it's easy for you," She nodded rapidly, then Shoto reached up to pet her head. "There, there."
Izuku stood there, tense at how everyone was getting into the spirit of things, but a small part of him felt envious of how Shoto softly petted Yuki's head to keep her calm, he knew it was nothing, and yet his chest felt tight and painful. Did he want to be the one to do that? He couldn't tell, but it did hurt.
"Not that I care, but you might not get what I'm going for," Kirishima spoke slowly, pulling back his door nervously to reveal... A literal gym in his room, it screamed 'Kirishima' to a 'T'. He stood there with pride and a spirit blazing in his eyes. "A den of manliness!"
Mina and Hagakure just stood there, blank in the face. "If I found out my boyfriend had a room like this, I'd dump them." Many 'oofed' at the harsh words from Hagakure, Mina nodding along
Yuki sped forward, having wrapped her jacket around her waist, revealing she only wore a sports bra underneath while pumping up her arm. 'Now we're talkin', sign me right the hell up! I wish I room for a punching bag myself, but I fear Nana might just put a hole in the wall' Grinning at Yuki's burning passion, he slapped his hand to hers.
"Haha, knew you'd agree!" He grinned, Ocha joining in
"Yeah, it makes me pumped up just looking at it!" The trio had found common ground among the fighting spirit held with the room
"You're not gonna find anything interesting in here." Shoji was right; there was nothing but a stacked amount of sheets and a table. It was as bare as you can get
"More like nothing at all, dude." Mina hummed, Shoto and Yuki standing by the mutant man
"So you're a minimalist?" Shoto inquired, the man's arm expanding into a mouth
"I just never understood why someone would want to fill their room with junk." Yuki nodded to his way of thinking, though she had a habit of creating organized chaos, she could understand his lifestyle
Sero was just... wow, as everyone put it. The style was entirely switched in terms of culture. Yuki just had no words, throwing her arms at the scene with wide eyes. 'No words, it's... wow.'
"Sero, I didn't peg you as the guy to like this stuff?" Kyoka asked with a smile, impressed by the sudden change of style. He just held his chin high.
"Hehehe, that's me always the wildcard!"
Shoto was next on the floor, and he just sighed, pulling back his door. "Let's get this over with; it's late." His room left them in utter bewilderment. The entire room was a traditional Japanese interior; it even looked bigger within.
"It's even built differently!" Kaminari gawked, Shoto tucking his hands into his pockets
"We got these kinds of floormats at home; they're much more comfortable than hardwood." He replied neutrally, even as Kaminari freaked out about the sudden one-eighty
Yuki nodded, patting the floor. 'You sure you didn't just tear a piece of your house off and drop it here when no one was looking?' Yuki grinned teasingly, poking at his chest. 'Is this because you'll miss seeing Fuyumi and Natsu?'
Shoto's brow rose at her question, and he refused to meet her gaze. "No comment." She moved back with a cute grin, putting her hands behind her head at his bashfulness
"Wait, you've been to Todoroki's?" Mina asked, shocked at the small hint. "And you know his sister!?" Some murmured at the surprising fact their most reserved in the class had a brother and sister at all
'Aye, I come by time-to-time and even stayed for dinner a few times, it was fun, and his sister's really nice' Now they were shell-shocked; they knew the two were close but visiting his house for dinner; too!? Some were beginning to question who exactly is it Yuki's dating, not realizing the tension building in a certain emerald-haired boy's mind at the news.
"She never told me that..." Though again, he didn't see why he needed to know that; it wasn't his business, but...
"How the heck did you remodel this place in just one day!?" Kaminari spun back, seeing Shoto's blunt yet serious expression
"...with hard work." 'And Loooove' Yuki slipped in with a toothy grin, causing Shoto's hand to slap over her smug face to keep her still.
"You're a beast, dude." Sero grimaced
Last was Sato; he just shrugged and accepted that he wasn't the best. "Anyway, it's a pretty boring room." He admitted
"All of them are after Todoroki's." Kirishima shrugged, knowing he couldn't beat the overhaul that man performed.
"Something smells good, though," Ojiro commented, Akio blinking.
"Oh, so it's not just me? Smells like cake." His reply shot up the attention of all the girls at the scared word. Akio then shivered. "Why did I feel a gate of hell open up behind me?"
Sato freaked out, as it turns out he was baking a cake for the occasion and lost track of time due to the competition; however, it looked outstanding, even without any icing or decorative additions. The man that could turn into a titan was bashful as he offered the baked treat to the group. "Want some?"
To say he won over the girls' vote was an understatement. Yuki finally lost her nerve and caved in, devouring her piece with a red tint on her cheeks, ashamed her little sister couldn't get to enjoy it at all. Kyoka was beside her, the two humming blissfully to the sweet and fluffy taste and texture. "It's like the sweet equivalent to Akio's cooking..."
'Heaven in physical form for us mortals...' Yuki agreed, eyes glistening toward the now blushing man who was clearly unprepared for such a reaction. 'I must learn the ways of this art if you don't mind?'
"I, well sure," He scratched his head, trying to remain composed. "You see, it's partially in training for my Quirk, and store-bought sweets can get pricy."
Yet, even as everyone laughed and joked Yuki... never actually told them... about what she knew would come to pass. Whenever they left to go and see the girls' rooms, she stopped, glancing over her shoulder toward the windows overlooking the world below. No one saw it, but she lost her faked smile for just a moment.
"I'm sorry..."
Yuki watched from the doorway, the battle for the best dorm had come to an end, and everyone was either packing it in for the night or decided to stay up a little longer. She watched as Ocha and Tsu asked to speak with Izuku, Iida, Kirishima, Yaomomo, and Shoto. They were outside on their own, not aware of the bluette's presence as Tsu broke her heart, feeling worthless after not being able to prevent them from going after Yuki and Katsuki.
Yuki didn't know the whole story, but from what she gathered, they went against everyone else's wishes for the sake of saving their friends; she felt pleased about that and a little guilty given what she told Izuku long ago about her views on heroism and how the governments have twisted the word and its meaning, she'd never agreed to their way of thinking, no matter what anyone told her. Still, seeing Tsu break down like this, she understood that her way of life and their choice while having a positive outcome wasn't without costs.
The game was their intention, to burn away that lingering darkness that hung in the air, Yuki understood that, but it wasn't the torture or near-death experience that frightened her. She vowed to say it after the Provisional Licensing Exam when they could be heroes without the risk of being berated by the authority. And... it was all she could do to keep SIVA from forcibly telling them himself.
Pressing her back to the doorframe, Yuki quickly brushed away a few tears, opting to keep her word and return to Nana's side for the night. "I will tell them... I just... wish I didn't have to."
|I know|
Her hand was pressed to her heart; nails dug into fabric and skin. "Nana... Izuku... everyone..." It hurt, but she had to move forward; she had to until that uncertainty passes or become inevitable
Slipping into her bed under the veil of darkness, Yuki turned to face her little sister while she snored softly, her hand reaching up to brush her bangs from her eyes. Compared to her own, Nana's hair was wilder, and her curls held whiter tips than Yuki's. Her fingers played with the pointy curls fondly, moving closer to wrap her arm protectively around Nana.
She was all Yuki had of her old family now; her Mom was a very patient woman when it came to motherly instincts and respected the fact Nana might take some time before she adjusts to seeing her as her new mother figure something she knew well dealing with Yuki's stubbornness. Yet... Yuki felt tears slip from her hold, knowing that... things won't always be that way, she prayed her woes were mistaken, but a part of her felt it... fate's coils so tender around her body.
"I won't lose... I promised you I'd be here..." She pressed Nana's head to her chest, feeling the girl accept the embrace, snuggling closer with a smile. "I won't die... I won't go for your sake..." Flashes of her friends and a certain freckled boy with the brightest emerald orbs she had ever laid eyes on smiled toward her, and her eyes shook, tearing squeezed between her eyelids. "Iz-uku..."
To Be Continued...
A bit of fun banter between the class, a bit of doubt building with a hint of drama to come, was originally two chapters and the next chapter, but I put them together, plus it was because we're on the fifth chapter. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, heroes!
Next Chapter: Moving Past Imperfection
Izuku: We're finally learning to create Ultimate Moves!
Yuki: This'll be awesome~! But, erm, what exactly can I do that's ultimate...?
All Might: You both need to strive on your own terms, so get out there!
Yuki/Izuku: Yes, Sir/Aye, Sir!
Yuki: Up next, Moving Past Imperfection
All Might: So Go Beyond!
Yuki/Izuku: Plus Ultra!