Once Deku left with the teachers, Shinsou and Todoroki made the walk up the stairs to Todoroki's room. Shinsou looked around with wide eyes, taking in the other boy's room.

"Damn, this place is nice. You did this all yourself?"

Todoroki nodded. "Yes. I don't have an extra futon, but we can ask Yaomomo to make us one. I should have some extra blankets and pillows as well."

"Sure we can do that, or we can just share the bed. If you aren't comfortable with that, then I understand," Shinsou said eyes flicking away and a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.

Todoroki cocked his head curiously. "Why would I not be comfortable with it?"

"I'm gay."

"I know. So am I."

"No, I mean, I'm a gay guy, you're a dude, and I'm, you know, me . People get worried about my quirk, you know? They are scared I'll take advantage."

Todoroki's perpetual frown deepened. "You're my best friend, Shinsou. I trust you, you know this."

"You're not worried that people will talk?" Shinsou asked, ducking his head and looking down at his feet.

"People always talk."

"I mean if they find out we shared a bed, they'll talk and say we're a couple or something. I know you've taken a hit socially cuz of me and I don't want to make it worse for you.

Snorting, Todoroki shook his head, stepping closer to Shinsou. "Do I seem like the type of person that cares about social status? If I want you in my bed, and you agree, then I'll have you there."

Shinsou's blush darkened. "Dude, when you say it like that it sounds weird."

"Why does it sound weird? Is the concept of us as a couple too far-fetched to imagine?"

"To most people, yeah probably. Todoroki, your class 1-A's golden boy. You have the most powerful, most amazing quirk. You have the Todoroki legacy boosting you up, even if you hate it. You have the looks and the brains to become a top ranking hero. Hell, I could see you going international one day, you're that good. But I'm me . I have a weak quirk that everyone sees as villainous. I might be smart, but with my face and hair, I'm not going to be on any magazine covers. And since I'm going into underground heroics, no one will ever know my name and I'll never be on the charts. Hero couples are always supposed to be a good match up, like Tsu and Mina or Uraraka and Iida. Even Kaminari and Sero make sense. Us being a couple wouldn't make sense to anyone."

Todoroki's hand darted out, catching Shinsou's chin and forcing him to turn his head up to make eye contact. Furious mismatched eyes glared at Shinsou, a fire burning in them that Shinsou had only seen once before, at the Sports Festival.

"You're going to shut up and listen to me for a minute, got it?" Todoroki snapped. He didn't even wait for Shinsou to respond before he steamrolled on. "I don't give a damn about my family name. I don't give a damn what the public thinks. And I sure as hell don't give a damn about the hero rankings. My father wants me to be the Number 1 hero but all I want to do is save lives. You know who else has that mindset? You. You are one of the few people I have met that is authentic. You never saw me as Endeavor's son, you just saw me as Shoto. You encourage me to think outside of the box when it comes to fighting and that makes me a better hero. You make me a better hero, Shinsou, simply by being my friend. I see you as a powerful hero with a good heart and I don't care what anyone else thinks or says. I like you for you. I will not standby and listen to you degrade yourself like this. Have I made myself clear?"

Shinsou looked at Todoroki with round, glassy eyes, his mouth slightly agape. "You like me?"

"Wh… what?"

"You just said you like me. Were you serious? Or is that just in a best friend type way?"

"And people call me dense," Todoroki huffed before he swooped in, pressing his lips to Shinsou's.

Shinsou let out a startled noise, jolting slightly before relaxing into the kiss. His hands came up, gripping the front of Todoroki's shirt and pulling him in closer, deepening the kiss for a moment. The pair split apart soon after for air, their foreheads pressed together.

"So you do like me?" Shinsou whispered, chuckling.

"I thought that was obvious."

--

A knock at Bakugou's door caught his attention, pulling him away from his textbooks. Growling, he stomped over and ripped the door open to find Kirishima standing there.

"What are you doing, Shitty Hair? We're supposed to be in our rooms."

"If you let me in, then no one will know that I'm not in my room," Kirishima said with a toothy grin.

Rolling his eyes, Bakugou opened the door wider to let Kirishima slip inside. The red head immediately jumped onto Bakugou's bed, kicking his slippers off.

"Is there a reason you're here?" Bakugou asked, going back to his desk and curving over his textbooks.

"You did good today."

"I didn't do shit."

"You got everyone to help Deku. That was really really nice of you. I just wanted to say I'm proud of you."

Bakugou's pencil stopped moving, a heat spreading across his cheeks and up his ears.

Kirishima continued. "I remember everything you said about what happened with you and Deku and how you wanted to do better, so I figured I'd keep an eye on you and if I thought you were backsliding, I would tell you. But you haven't. Sure, you've gotten into some arguments with him and been a little pushy with your questions -"

"Huh?!"

"But you haven't bullied him. And today, you did something to actually help him. So, I'm proud of you. You're making good progress and I think it's super manly, bro."

Bakugou ducked his head lower. "Doesn't make any difference. He still hates my guts."

"I don't know," Kirishima said, scratching at the back of his head. "The dude seems prickly, kinda like you and Shinsou, but I don't think he actually hates anyone."

"He tried to blow me up with a bomb."

"You try to blow people up everyday."

"That's different!"

Kirishima laughed as Bakugou snarled at him, a soft look on the red head's face. Not getting the reaction he wanted, Bakugou set off a few small pops in his hands.

"What the fuck are you laughing at, huh?!"

"You just…" Kirishima started to blush, his cheeks turning the same shade as his hair. "You're cute when you're angry."

"What? I'm always angry, Shitty Hair!"

"Uh, exactly, bro."

All of the anger in Bakugou's body disappeared, immediately replaced with burning embarrassment and confusion. With a huff, he dropped his hands to his lap. Seeing Bakugou's face fall, Kirishima straightened up, a look of worry clear on his face.

"Shit, I didn't make you uncomfortable did I? I'm so stupid, I'm sorry!" Kirishima hurriedly said. Climbing off the bed, he started shoving his slippers on, mumbling to himself. "Never should have listened to Kaminari, he has the worst advice."

"Wait, did you just say you went to Dunce Face for advice? Are you stupid? If you wanted advice you should have asked me!"

"I couldn't."

"Why the fuck not?"

Kirishima didn't respond. He instead darted towards the door, only to be cut off by Bakugou. As Kirshima tried to wrench it open, Bakugou slammed his own body into the door, getting between it and Kirishima. The pair were mere inches apart, their faces far closer than they ever had been before.

"Come on, man, just let me leave."

"Answer the question and then you can."

"Ugh, fine. I couldn't ask you for advice because it was about how to talk to you. There, are you happy?"

Bakugou's frown deepened. "You asked Dunce Face for advice on how to talk to me and he told you to call me cute?"

"Yeah. I… I asked him how to tell you how I felt. I thought I should just be straight up but he told me that it wasn't romantic or whatever so he said I had to drop hints. So that's what I was trying to do. But I don't want to make you feel weird. I'm really sorry, bro, so let's just forget I ever said anything and -"

Bakugou silenced him by slamming his lips against Kirishima's. The kiss was forceful and hungry, their teeth clacking as Bakugou tried to get as close as he could to the other boy. Kirishima gasped in surprise, mouth opening and allowing Bakugou access, which the blond happily exploited. Within seconds, Kirishima fell into the rhythm of the kiss, pressing Bakugou back against the door and kissing him just as hungrily.

When they broke apart, panting heavily and lips swollen, Bakugou grinned at Kirishima cockily.

"In the future, if you want to tell me something, just do it. Don't do the whole beating around the bush shit."

Kirishima nodded enthusiastically. "Got it, yeah, of course."

"Good. Now kiss me again."

--

Deku stumbled into the living room with bleary eyes, having woken to the incessant beeping of his alarm. Classes were back on, since the League hadn't made any more threats. Without any imminent danger, there was no reason to cancel classes. Deku could smell something burning in the kitchen and assumed that Aizawa had tried to cook breakfast again.

That is, until he turned into the living room and found Aizawa still sleeping on the couch. Eri sat on the floor, her back leaning against the couch as she watched TV. A plate was on her lap piled high with slightly scorched toast. She happily munched on it, some sort of jelly spread across the top and smeared on her cheeks. When she heard him come in, she waved and smiled.

"Hi Deku," she whispered.

"Hey," he whispered back. "Did you make yourself breakfast?"

Eri shook her head. "The bird man made it."

"Bird man?"

"The one from yesterday. I forgot his name. You didn't like him but he was nice to me this morning and made toast. He gave me the less burnt pieces and he put apple jelly on it for me."

"You mean Hawks? The blond guy with the red wings?"

Eri nodded, then picked up an uneaten piece of toast and held it out to him. "Want some?"

"I'll go get my own. You finish your breakfast, okay?" With that, Deku made his way to the kitchen, cautiously poking his head in.

Hawks stood in the middle of the kitchen, his red wings fluffed up in agitation as he repeatedly jammed a knife inside the toaster. Deku let out a strangled shriek, leaping forward and pulling the toaster's plug from the wall.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Deku hissed.

Hawks blinked at him owlishly, clearly confused. "The toast got burnt and broke when I tried to take it out. I was just trying to get the broken pieces out of the toaster before I made some for you, Mic, and Eraserhead."

"With a metal knife? You're going to electrocute yourself!"

"That can happen?"

Deku pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "Just, go sit down at the table with whatever you've already made. I'll finish making the rest."

Hawks nodded, picking up a plate of blackened toast and trotting out to the dining room. Deku took the toaster and flipped it over the trash can, shaking out the crumbs and burnt toast. Once it was empty, he plugged it back in and put in some fresh pieces of bread. He then loaded the coffee machine and set it to brew, along with the tea kettle. Searching the fridge, he managed to find a few eggs and began mixing them to cook some scrambled eggs.

As the coffee brewed, the smell of burnt food slowly faded, being replaced by the scent of fresh coffee. Within minutes of the coffee pot becoming full, Aizawa groggily padded into the kitchen, his eyes still closed. Blindly, he grabbed a mug from the cabinet, poured some of the coffee in and walked out of the kitchen, never opening his eyes enough to see Deku.

A moment later, an ear splitting squawk rang through the apartment, closely followed by a startled shout. Mic came sprinting out of the bedroom, his long blond hair flowing out behind him. Deku bolted after him, only to run into his back when Mic abruptly stopped. Peeking around Mic's body, Deku let out a snort.

Apparently, Aizawa hadn't opened his eyes before trying to sit down at the dining room table and had tried to sit down in the chair Hawks was in. Hawks, who had put on his headphones to listen to music, hadn't heard Aizawa approach and didn't notice the other man until Aizawa dropped into his lap. Hawks, thoroughly startled, had let out an animalistic noise and flew out of the seat, upending Aizawa and his coffee onto the ground. Aizawa laid flat on the floor, his gray eyes staring up at the ceiling in exacerbation as the coffee trickled out of his mug and spread across the floor.

"Is there a reason Hawks is here?" Aizawa asked.

"I invited him here," Mic said, his voice stilted, clearly not done being angry from the day before.

"Why?"

"He's here to talk with Midoriya."

"He is?" Deku asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yes. I won't be going into detail but Hawks experienced quirk trafficking. I remembered that you had helped past trafficking victims and thought you could give Hawks some advice."

"Oh, sure. Yeah, I'll help. We can sit here at the table and talk," Deku said, nodding along. "By the way, there's toast and eggs in the kitchen. I also started the kettle since I know you like tea."

Mic gave him a soft smile and ruffled Deku's hair, causing the boy to give him a startled but warm look. Mic then snapped his fingers at Aizawa, catching his attention. With a quick gesture from Mic, Aizawa climbed off the floor, groaning. Stalking across the room, he paused next to Deku.

"You're excused from class today, if you don't feel up to going," Aizawa said, his eyes averted.

Deku shrugged. "No point in missing class."

"Kid, you just found out that your dad -"

"My dad abandoned me when I was little. What's the point in being sad now," Deku said coldly.

Aizawa sighed. "Alright. Before we go to class, I want to talk to you. In private."

"Sure."

Deku pushed past Aizawa and sat down while Hawks watched, his golden eyes flicking between the teen and the other pro hero.

"Uh, I can wait if you guys need to talk now?" Hawks said cautiously as he lowered himself down into his seat.

"No, it's fine," Deku insisted. "So you were basically trafficked by the Commission. The bad news is they are going to be hard to break free from. The good news is, you are so famous and well liked by the public, that you have a lot of leverage. I just need to know two things from you, and then I can tell you what plan we're going to use."

Hawks nodded. "Right, cool. Lay it on me."

"First, do you want the public to know what the Commission did to you?"

"If I did that then people would lose confidence in the Commission."

Leaning forward, Deku fixed Hawks with a stern look. "Don't think about the Commission. This is about you right now. So let me ask again. Do you want the public to know what happened to you?"

Hawks paused, thinking it over. He carefully bit at his bottom lip before shaking his head. "I'm not ready for people to know. I might tell them one day, but not right now. I think it would be dangerous for me."

"That's understandable. You don't owe anyone your story. Alright, so onto the next question: Do you actually want to be a hero?"

He jolted at the question, looking at Deku as though he just asked the unspeakable. Before he could answer, Deku put a hand up, silencing him.

"Think before you answer. Do you enjoy being a hero? Is this what you want? Or were you pushed into it by the Commission?"

Reaching behind himself, Hawks plucked a feather and fiddled with it between his fingers, bouncing his knee nervously. After a shaky breath, he looked up to meet Deku's eyes.

"I want to be a hero. I just… I can't be the hero that the Commission wants me to be. I can barely breathe, you know? I always have to be working, no matter what. I only get a little time to sleep and then I'm back to work. It's not sustainable."

Deku nodded. "You're right, it's not. Alright, we can work with that. Here is what you're going to need to do. You are going to need to work with Nezu to get your real file. If they don't have a digital copy, you're going to need to find a way to steal the paper version. From there, you are going to threaten the Commission. You are going to tell them that they are going to release you from whatever contract you are in, sign your agency over to you in full, give you full and exclusive access to your assets, and pull their employees from your agency. You'll need to double check that they actually do that last one. You tell them all that and tell them that if they don't do it, then you are going to release your entire file to the press. Now, I know you don't want the world to know what happened to you, but neither does the Commission. They are going to assume you are bluffing. If they refuse your demands, then you go and set up an interview with a reporter and reveal your real name, which the Commission doesn't want you to do. I'm guessing there is something connected to your name that they don't want the country to know about and the only thing I can think of is that you're related to someone they think isn't heroic. Only person that comes to mind is Takami the thief, so I am guessing he is your dad or something. That works in our favor. In the interview when you reveal your name, you get ahead of that and tell the interviewer about your family and spin this into an underdog tale and how you overcame your circumstances. They'll eat it up. The Commission will shit themselves because they'll realize you're serious and they will cut you a deal. Have Nezu read over everything before you sign."

Hawks' mouth hung open in shock as he absorbed everything. Slowly, he nodded. "You've thought this through."

"I've done this enough times to know what I'm doing."

Eri came walking into the room, carrying an empty plate. Jelly was still smeared on her cheeks, so Deku waved her over. He picked up a napkin from the table and wiped her face clean.

"Do you have to go to school today?" she asked while he worked, holding still for him.

"Yep. But I'll be back here tonight and we can hang out. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah. Can we color?"

"Of course. We still have to finish filling your art wall, don't we?"

Eri giggled, nodding. Hawks smiled at the pair. "Art wall? What's that?"

"It's a wall in my room with all the drawings we've done. Some of Toga's are up there too. She uses a lot of red in her drawings and I like it because red is my favorite color."

"Red is a nice color," Hawks said, nodding. "Is it your favorite color because of your eyes?"

She shook her head. "No. Deku had red shoes on when he saved me. I thought they were pretty."

"Yeah, I loved those shoes," Deku said wistfully. "Toga and I had them specially made to protect my feet if I got in a fight. We modified them from a pair of old quirkless shoes."

"Quirkless shoes? What are those?" Eri asked, cocking her head curiously.

"So you know how most people have a quirk and I don't? Well, the entire world used to not have quirks. As people developed quirks, different things in the body began to evolve. This included the little toe on people's feet. Everyone used to have a second joint in it but people with quirks were born without them. Since I am quirkless, I have that second joint. My shoes have to be designed differently to fit my feet. The brand I got only sold red shoes. When I got here to UA, the teachers got me new shoes. They are quirkless shoes, but they are just these plain black ones. I think they're actually better quality than the ones I used to wear but I still miss the red."

Eri frowned down at the shoes, her little eyebrows furrowed. "I'll take to Mr. Mic and ask him for red paint. Then we can make your shoes red."

Deku smiled at her, ruffling her hair, careful not to bump her horn. "That sounds awesome, Eri. Now you should go get dressed; you have a session with your tutors today."

As Eri went to get ready, Hawks bid Deku farewell and went to talk with Nezu about next steps. Mic soon emerged, Aizawa in tow. Deku ducked away to get ready for class himself and met Aizawa at the door. Mic had already left with Eri to take her to her tutoring sessions, leaving Aizawa to walk with Deku to class.

"Do you want to talk here or would you rather talk while we walk?" Aizawa asked, standing by the door.

"If we don't leave now, then we'll be late," Deku said, putting his shoes on. He yanked the door open. "We can talk on the way."

As they walked across the quad heading towards the main building, Aizawa cleared his throat.

"I shouldn't have said what I did. That was unprofessional."

"No shit."

"Let me finish," Aizawa said, shooting Deku a look. "I reacted poorly to you putting yourself and the others in danger. I care about all of my students, including you. But, I didn't react like a teacher should. I let my worry get the best of me, and I am sorry. I know you probably aren't ready to accept my apology, nor are you ready to trust me, but I will do my best to prove myself to you."

Deku walked in silence, taking in what Aizawa said. He gave one short nod, not feeling up to responding. Aizawa didn't seem to expect one and led Deku to the classroom, where Bakugou and Iida were already at their desks. The rest of the class hadn't arrived yet, but the pair was there early as they were everyday.

As Deku walked towards his desk, he paused by Bakugou's desk. He kept his eyes downcast, not looking at the blond.

"Thank you," he said in a low voice.

"Huh?"

"Thank you. For getting everyone together to help me."

"Tch," Bakugou said, leaning back in his seat. "Hope it was fucking worth it."

"We saved those people's lives, so I think it was."

"I guess. Where's your dad, huh? Is he on his way to come get your dumbass?"

Aizawa's head whips up. "Midoriya, Bakugou, go to your seats and be quiet."

"I'm already in my seat, old man!" Bakugou snaps.

"He's talking to me, don't worry about it," Deku said, shrugging. "He's worried I'll lose my shit or something since my dad is dead."

Bakugou jolted in his seat. "What?"

"Yeah, died a few years ago apparently. No one bothered to tell me or my mom. He really did get remarried, in America."

Iida looked up at this, a sad expression on his scarred face. "I am terribly sorry, De - I mean, Midoriya. That has to be very difficult to find out. As Class Rep, I am here if you need anything."

Deku nodded and walked to his desk, dropping into his seat. As the class slowly trickled in, Shinsou and Todoroki walked in together. They were shoulder to shoulder, the backs of their hands brushing against each other as gentle smiles played at their lips. Deep in his gut, Deku felt something ugly twist seeing the two like that.

He knew what those looks meant. He'd suspected that this was coming for a while. The two cared for each other, more so than others. They had feelings for each other. And while Deku was not friends with them and did not like them, no matter what anyone said, he couldn't help the swell of jealousy he felt. Quickly, he tried squishing it, but as the pair turned their eyes on him, he felt it flare again.

"Deku! Hey man, how did you talk with Nezu go?" Shinsou asked.

"My dad is dead. Are you two dating?" Immediately, Deku regretted his words. His eyes went wide and he started to stutter. "I… I don't know why I asked you that, I'm sorry!"

Shinsou looked bewildered, his mouth opening and closing in shock. Todoroki blinked at Deku, face blank.

"Yes, we are. I confessed my feelings last night while Shinsou stayed in my room. I am sorry your father died, though I must admit that I am jealous. A dead father sounds wonderful right about now."

"Todoroki!" Shinsou hissed, smacking at the other boy's shoulder and trying to hide his laughter. "You can't say shit like that!"

"Why? It's true."

"You hate your dad that much?" Deku asked, forgetting for a moment that he was jealous of them.

"Yes, you see, he is -"

Before Todoroki could finish, the door to the classroom flew open, blazing heat filling the space.

"SHOTO!"

Todoroki's face blanched as he turned around to face his father.

Endeavor stood in the doorway in all his blazing glory. His flames reached nearly to the ceiling. All Might, in his fully muscular form, trailed after Endeavor, panting subtly as he tried to catch up to the other man.

"Endeavor, you can't just burst into the school. Come, let's go to Principal Nezu's office and we can -" All Might started, only to be cut off by Endeavor bellowing again.

"Why did I hear your voice on the news, Shoto? Along with that villain boy's voice! I banned you from hanging around that boy and you disobeyed me!"

"Father -"

"No! You listen to me! You will not speak with him again, is that clear?" Endeavor's eyes flicked to Shinsou, who was hovering beside Todoroki. "Is this him? Is this the villain?"

"Sir, I'm -" Shinsou began to say, getting cut off just as everyone else had.

"Stay away from Shoto. Is that clear? I will not have some two-bit criminal drag him down. Shoto is going to be the top hero, and I will not allow you to interfere." Endeavor towered over the purple haired boy. Smoke trickled from between Endeavor's fingers as his palms began to heat. His hands twitched, as though he were preparing to move, though it was hard to tell if he was going to move towards Shinsou or Todoroki.

Before anyone else can speak, a snort from behind Todoroki caught Endeavor's attention. Looking past his son, he spotted Deku, who was still sitting at his desk.

"And what do you find so funny, boy?"

Deku stood up, stepping in front of Todoroki, keeping himself between Endeavor and the other two boys. Aizawa was on his feet at the front of the room, his eyes flicking between his students and Endeavor, analyzing the situation.

"Kid," he said, his voice low, a clear warning.

Deku waved a dismissive hand at his teacher, still staring up at Endeavor, a small smile on his face.

"I'm laughing just cuz I finally get it now," Deku said. "I really do."

"Get what?"

"Why you're only the Number 2 hero."

Endeavor's eyes narrowed, his flames turning redder as they flared. "What did you just say?"

"I mean, you're sort of a dick, dude. And not observant at all. Shinsou here made it to the last round of the sports festival, or were you too busy with your head up your ass to notice?"

"Who are you to speak to me this way?"

"Oh, me?" Deku said, his grin turning sharp and dangerous. "I'm Deku, the villain kid you're so worried about. And let me just say, I'm really seeing Dabi's point now: you suck, dude. No wonder he wants you dead."

As fast as lightning, Endeavor's hand shot out, wrapping around Deku's forearm. His massive fist began to glow, a thin wisp of smoke rolling off of Deku's arm. Deku's entire body stiffened, but he didn't utter a sound, still smiling up at Endeavor with wild eyes.

Todoroki's expression finally broke, pure horror over taking his face.

"Stop!" he shouted, raising a hand to send a blast of ice at his father.

Suddenly, Endeavor's flames were snuffed out. He stumbled back, looking down at his hand in shock. He tried to reignite, but nothing came out.

A meaty hand dropped down on Endeavor's shoulder, causing him to turn around. Behind him were Aizawa and All Might, both with furious expressions on their faces. Aizawa's eyes were glowing red, his hair floating around his head as All Might gripped Endeavor's arm tightly.

"It's time for you to leave," All Might said, his tone cold and even. "Now."

"I have a right to speak to my son."

"Not for long," Aizawa snarled. "From what I've just seen, I have reason to believe you are a danger to your son and others. I will do everything in my power to make sure you never have the chance to see your son or any of my other students again. And if I see you around this school ever again, I will make you regret it."

All Might pulls Endeavor from the room. As soon as the door closed, Deku collapsed inwards on himself, hissing in pain and holding his arm to his chest.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, that fucking hurt, shit," Deku groaned, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Todoroki grabbed hold of Deku's uninjured arm and guided him back towards a desk to lean against. Shinsou looked panicked, his hands up and reaching for Deku, but not touching him, as though he was scared to hurt him further.

"Iida, get Recovery Girl," Aizawa demanded, striding across the room.

"Toga!" Deku gritted out. "Get Toga first! Please!"

Iida gave Aizawa a questioning look and waited for his teacher to nod before he dashed off. Within seconds, Toga was sprinting into the room, Vlad King following behind. She immediately shoved Shinsou aside and grabbed Deku's injured arm, pulling it towards herself. Bending down, she used her teeth to rip Deku's sleeve, revealing a nasty looking burn on his forearm.

"Damnit Deku, you promised no more burns!" she said, angling his arm from side to side, looking it over.

"That was a long time ago. Statute of limitations ran out."

"You're not funny," Toga said, hiding a small smile before leaning back down and licking across the terrible burn. The open, bleeding blisters sealed, but the burnt skin did not change. "That should help with the pain for now. You still need to get it looked at."

"You really can't go one day without something happening, huh, kid?" Vlad asked, giving Deku a sympathetic look.

"Endeavor was going to burn someone no matter what. Better me than Shinsou or Todoroki."

Todoroki shook his head, still keeping his hand on Deku. "You're too self sacrificing. You're going to get yourself killed if you keep this up."

Deku shrugged his hand off, moving to lean on Toga. "Then I'm just living up to the Midoriya legacy, I guess."

No one said anything as Toga helped Deku from the room, Vlad King following behind the pair.

Sighing, Aizawa shook his head, looking particularly tired.

"Everyone to their seats. I think we need to have a talk."

--

Deku woke up in the early afternoon, having slept in Recovery Girl's office after she had healed him. He lifted his freshly healed arm and inspected the new scar, grimacing. The skin was shiny and unevenly textured, but fairly close to his normal skin color, if slightly paler. The scar wrapped fully around his forearm, the edges uneven and vaguely shaped like Endeavor's hand. It was still tender to the touch, but mostly healed. Letting his arm drop, Deku blinked up at the ceiling, feeling surprisingly empty inside.

Another scar. What did it matter, really?

A knock at the door caught his attention. Recovery Girl tottered away from her desk and opened it, revealing Hound Dog. The teacher had forgone his muzzle and was instead looking rather reserved.

"I'm here to talk with Midoriya," he said, his voice gravelly.

"He's in the far bed. If you need privacy, you can use my private office in the next room."

Hound Dog nodded, stepping past Recovery Girl. Standing by Deku's bed, he smiled down at the boy.

"Would you prefer talking in the next room?"

Deku shrugged. "There's no one else in here."

"Alright. Mind if I sit down?"

Deku gestured for the chair next to him, shaking his head. Hound Dog sat, carefully moving to perch himself on the small chair.

"Your teachers are concerned about you," Hound Dog said. "With the discovery of your father's passing along with your confrontation with the League, they are worried for you. Especially after your encounter with Endeavor today."

"I was just being the villain kid. I saw a high ranking pro hero and I decided to harass him. Nothing more to it."

"I think there's more to it than that. I was told that you said that someone was going to get burned no matter what and that it was better if it was you. Why did you say that?"

"Well, it's true, right? If someone has to get hurt, it should be me, not Shinsou or Todoroki. Besides, Endeavor was really angry at me, not Todoroki. I figured that if Todoroki had to see Endeavor later, then Endeavor might be a little calmer after taking his anger out on me."

Hound Dog frowned. "Are you not at all concerned about your own well being?"

"I mean, if you're asking if I'm scared of dying, then yes, obviously. I don't want to die. But me dying isn't the same as if one of the hero kids died."

"Why do you think that?"

"Two reasons: One, I'm a villain, and two, I'm Quirkless. I'm less than worthless."

"I disagree," Hound Dog said, leaning forward so his elbows were propped on his knees. "I don't think you're a villain. I honestly don't think you ever were. Sure, you helped villains and criminals by giving them information, but you didn't do it out of malice or anger. You did it because you believed you had no other options. You were led astray by Shigaraki, and combined with the bullying and abuse you received growing up, I think it has given you a low self esteem and a complete disregard for your own well being. That isn't healthy, Midoriya."

"Who cares?' Deku snapped. "What does UA care? They're keeping me around just so they can keep an eye on me."

"Toga cares. Monoma cares. Shinsou and Todoroki care. All four of them have been coming to Recovery Girl's office throughout the morning to check on you. Shinsou has been collecting your homework and Todoroki has been copying notes for you. Monoma and Toga brought lunch for you and have been stopping Eraserhead every chance they get to ask if there were any updates on you. Iida, your Class Rep, also made a point to bring your backpack here for you and offered to collect a change of clothes, if you wanted them. He also wanted me to tell you that he did not open your backpack, because he, Uraraka, and Asui have noticed that you are very protective of it and he was concerned you would get upset at the thought of him going through your things."

Recovery Girl lifted her head and called out to them, "I have also been getting texts all morning from Eraserhead, Present Mic, Nezu, Midnight, and Vlad King wanting to know if you were awake yet. I just let them know that you have, so I expect at least one of them will be here soon."

"See," Hound Dog said. "A number of people care about you and your well being. Now, I know telling you this isn't going to change your mind overnight. During our sessions, I want to work together to first get to the root of why you think of yourself as expendable and then I want us to work to change your mindset. Is that alright with you?"

Deku shrugged. "Sure, you can try, I guess."

"I'm going to need you to try as well. It'll be a team effort," Hound Dog said as he stood up.

"Wait, before you go, I have a question," Deku said, catching the teacher's attention. When Hound Dog nodded, indicating he was paying attention, Deku continued. "Toga and I are wards of UA, right? What does that mean? I thought your guys' plan was to try to find our families so they could take custody of us eventually. What's the plan now that it's been confirmed that Toga and I are orphans?"

"I spoke with Nezu about that this morning, since I had the same concerns. You will both remain wards of UA, but Child Protective Services will need to be contacted to alert them of this change. A file will need to be opened for the both of you and you will be assigned a caseworker. Technically speaking, you will be a part of the foster care system and UA would be fostering you."

Deku frowned. "It's not technically legal for an organization to foster a kid like that."

"You are correct. I believe Nezu is working out who will technically be fostering you both. They will be acting as your de facto guardian, but UA will take full responsibility for both you and Toga. The facility will work together to raise you two until you are of age," Hound Dog explained. "It's not something UA has done before, but we are prepared to do it, don't worry."

"And Eri? What's happening with her?"

"We still haven't found a living family member of her's. We will likely be fostering her in the same way we are fostering you. Once she has learned to control her quirk and is no longer in danger, then she may be placed for adoption. With her age, she is a good candidate for it."

"Aren't you guys worried someone will adopt her just to get at her quirk?"

"UA will thoroughly vet whomever is interested in adopting her and will keep an eye on her. We will ensure that she is safe."

Deku continued to frown, his eyes narrowed in distaste. "I still don't like the idea."

"I understand. I'm not personally a fan either, but it will work out in the end. We will do our best for Eri."

"Yeah, well, I want to do my own background checks on anyone you guys approve for Eri. No offense, but the last time I asked heroes for help when it came to her, no one came and I had to be the one to save her."

Before Hound Dog could respond, the door flew open and Present Mic came flying in, his glasses askew.

"Midoriya!" he cried, a bit of his quirk slipping into his voice. "Are you okay?! Does your arm still hurt?!"

"Mic-sensei, I'm fine. It was just a little burn."

"A little burn?! It covers the whole bottom part of your arm! I can't believe Endeavor did this. If I ever get my hands on him, he can say goodbye to his eardrums!"

Hound Dog made a huffing noise, turning his gaze back to Deku. "I think this may just illustrate my earlier point."

"Enough with the shouting!" Recovery Girl scolded, shaking a finger at Mic. "The boy has just barely woken up and you're already disturbing him!"

"I'm just worried about him! He had a hard day yesterday and then Endeavor came in here, causing issues. And do you know what he said once All Might got him to Nezu's office? "When will you bring Shoto here for me to talk to?" He didn't apologize or say anything about Midoriya or the fact that he was about to attack either Shinsou or Todoroki before Midoriya stepped in! And Shouta feels awful right now. Blames himself for not doing anything faster."

"That's stupid," Deku said, cutting Mic off. "He didn't know what Endeavor was going to do. His instinct is to trust another pro hero and he wasn't close enough to see the steam from Endeavor's hands."

"Doesn't change the fact that he feels bad. Your friends have been really worried too. Toga won't stop mumbling stuff about burns. Which… uh… Nezu overheard and now he's sorta worried. He wants me to ask if anything ever happened with Dabi that we should know about? Did he burn you and Toga? Was it like, a punishment type thing?"

Deku blinked up at him, a slightly offended look in his eyes. "Dabi never burned us. He'd say he was going to or pretend like he was about to but he never would have actually done it. I got burnt in middle school by Bakugou, remember?"

Straightening out his glasses, Mic nodded. "Right, right, right, I forgot. Shit. Okay, right, well are you still feeling tired? Do you want to stay here or did you want sleep in your room?"

"Can't I go back to class?"

"Not today, young man," Recovery Girl immediately said, shooting Deku a stern look. "You shouldn't have gone to class this morning to begin with. You should have been taking time to come to terms with what happened to your father. No wonder you ran headlong into danger as soon as you had the chance: you're in mourning."

"I barely knew my dad."

"Yes, and now you will never know him. Mourn that. Go back to your room and rest."

Climbing out of the hospital bed, Deku followed Mic and Hound Dog out of the building, the two men discussing when Eri's next therapy session was scheduled. Once they got outside, Hound Dog split away and Mic walked with Deku back to the apartment. Inside, Deku found the cats out begging for attention, twisting around his ankles as he walked.

"Why don't you take those two into your room with you and they can keep you company while you rest up. I'll be out here working on some grading. If you need me, let me know."

Deku nodded, leading the cats to his bedroom. When he opened the door, he found a box waiting on his bed. Cocking his head curiously, Deku went over and picked up the note that was laying on top of it.

Hey Midoriya, thanks for the help this morning. I got you these as a thank you gift. Also, I heard what happened with Endeavor. Hope these can cheer you up. If you guys need help at all with the Endeavor situation, let me know. - Hawks

Deku set the note aside and opened the box, his chest clenching when he saw what was inside.

Red quirkless shoes. The exact brand and style he had as a kid. Tears burned in his eyes as he picked up one of the shoes, thinking about the first pair his mother bought him. By the time he was 8 years old, he couldn't squeeze into regular shoes anymore and had to get the quirkless types. His mom had scraped together enough money to buy him a brand new pair. They weren't the most expensive set, that was for sure, but they weren't the cheapest either, that way they wouldn't fall apart and would last him a while. They were a bright red color, just like the ones Hawks gave him, and as a kid, he hadn't liked it at first, but they eventually grew on him. To have this little piece of his past, of who he used to be, here in his hands brought up a lot of strong emotions, most of them good. He thought about his mother, about the time they spent together. He had been pushing all those feelings and memories down for some time and with what had happened over the past two days, everything came rushing back and boiled over.

Deku pushed the box to the side and crawled onto his made bed. Still clutching the shoe to his chest, Deku allowed himself to cry and mourn, just as Recovery Girl had instructed. With his face pressed into his pillow, tears flowing down his cheeks as he choked back his sobs.

Dumpster, the fat tabby, climbed up onto the bed and pressed herself into Deku's side, purring quietly. Sardine quickly followed, curling up on the pillow just above Deku's head, quietly keeping watch.

Deku reached a hand out to pet Dumper's ears, running his fingers through her fur until he cried himself to sleep.