She's the Man
Chapter 8: Date Danger
Bakugo stood in front of the dorm his brow twitching as Izuku stepped out… but was joined by Izumi who look ready to go out as well. The two of them were dressed early identically with the same black t shirts, jeans and red sneakers, but Izumi wore a baseball cap over her head and her t shirt and jeans hugged her curves. "What's she doing here?"
"Relax, Bakugo…" Izumi said staring at her phone as she sent text messages to Grandpa Torino. Izuku's head was low and his cheeks flushed with some embarrassment. "I'm only taking the train with you. I'll be getting off at a different stop."
"Tch, we don't need a third wheel, why don't you just go at a different time? Where are you headed anyway?"
"None of your business…" she slapped her phone shut and narrowed her eyes at him. "Concentrate on your date and not me. I'll even walk behind you."
"You should call All Might," Izuku insisted. "I don't feel comfortable you going out on your own."
"Don't be stupid, if I call All Might he might insist all of us grouping together. I'll be fine, I'm not helpless yah know." She shoved Izuku forward and into Bakugo. "Now go… come on or we'll have to wait an hour for the next train."
Almost immediately leaving the dorm Izumi wished she'd taken Bakugo's advice and gone later. Watching her brother and his secret boyfriend interact was awkward. She saw the affection and the subtle changes in their demeanor and attention to one another and wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. On one hand she wanted her brother to be happy, on the other seeing him with Bakugo just didn't sit right, even though she'd accepted and was beginning to understand his personality better.
Then again she felt weird when Izuku interacted with anyone outside of family. Her brother was awkward but had always seemed to make friends easier than she did. She had friends, like Mavis, but didn't really feel close to them. Izuku was the closest thing she had to a best friend growing up. She had relied heavily on him, defended and comforted him against the harsh words of the bullies that pushed him down. In turn he was protective, kind, and generous to her. They'd bond over heroes, and games, and other hobbies they shared. There wasn't a time in their childhood where either of them wanted to apart from the other. It made sense to her that she'd feel this tug of loneliness knowing her brother was pulling away from her, and leaving her alone.
Third wheel… Yeah that pretty much summed up how she felt.
Izumi looked to the heavens when the train finally pulled into her stop and she quickly exited. The thoughts she was drifting to staring at the odd couple was depressing. She looked down at her watch and nodded in approved. She had a date of her own. Grandpa Torino stood outside the station and smiled when he saw her.
"Ah good, you're right on time as always."
"Hi grandpa." She hugged the old man, wanting the comfort and familiarity of his embrace. She closed her eyes, and let it calm her. Once she was sure of herself again she pulled back and smiled big at him. "So I take it you want to visit the Taiyaki stand? Why else would you want to meet up in the city?"
"It's too long of a train ride for you to travel back and forth between here and home. I'm staying with a friend for now so I can be close by. However, Taiyaki is on the agenda. I do like my sweets." He gave her a wide grin and turned to walk with her down the street. "So where is your brother?"
"He's out with a friend from school. He's barely gotten a chance to get out of the dorm so I figured he needed a little socializing."
"If that's true why are you having Taiyaki with your grandpa instead of being out with kids your own age like he is?" He stopped at the stand frowning at the long line.
"I like having Taiyaki with my grandpa." She smiled down at him and then sighed. "I don't know… this entire arrangement has it so I can't really interact with anyone as myself. It makes things… weird."
"Well you only have to put up with it until the Sports Festival, and then you can introduce yourself to them. Making friends is the best part of the school experience."
"If I even stay in school. There's no guarantee they'll keep me around once Izuku passes this test. High score in the school or not, I'm not a fighter like he is."
"Oh ho, you're so blind child." He tapped his cane with a guffawing laugh. "You're twice the fighter your brother is. Not in physical strength, perhaps, but you've got fire! You need to light that fire under his keister sometimes or he'll shy away from his goals."
"He's got enough fire for his goals." She held up five fingers to the stand owner indicating how many Taiyaki they wanted.
"What about you, Izumi?"
"What about me?"
"What are your goals? Do you want to be a hero like your brother?"
Izumi went silent, waiting until she'd paid for the Taiyaki and stepped aside before evening opening her mouth to respon.
"I-"
"Midoriya?"
The familiar voice made Izumi tense and she whirled around and went blue in the face at the sight of Todoroki.
"Uh…"
"Is this a friend of yours, Izumi?" Torino asked eying him up and down. The boy looked familiar to him somehow.
"What? No, I mean… I think he's in Izuku's class, but…" She struggled to find the right approach to this. Todoroki only knew about Izuku not Izumi. "You're… Todoroki Shouto aren't you? The half hot half cold guy in class 1A?"
"Yes… It is you isn't it Midoriya?" Todoroki narrowed his eyes. What kind of game was she playing. She was out in the open, and though she was in boyish clothes, her female figure was more than apparent.
"I'm sorry, this must be confusing," doing her best to keep up the act she smiled and offered her hand. "I'm Izumi Midoriya… Izuku Midoriya's sister. Twin sister."
"Twin?" He took the hand, not sure what else to do. He looked at the long elegant fingers, remembering how the glove had ripped off in the fight and exposed them.
"Yes…" She pulled out her cell phone and held it out showing a selfie of her and Izuku in front of the dorm. "See?"
"Ah…" He saw the picture… and was starting to put together the image. Still that pegged the question of why she was posing as her brother… or was it that he had simply mistaken her for him just because she was in the infirmary. Either way, for some inexplicable reason he was glad to have had the chance to meet her face to face. For the first time since Izumi had known him, he cracked a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Izumi."
Izumi blushed at the smile, and felt her heart do a little dance in her chest. She couldn't seem to let go of his hand, and her grandfather immediately took notice, and took advantage of it.
"This is good timing." With his Taiyaki in hand he tapped his cane along Shoto's back and bumped him forward nearly colliding him into Izumi. "I just remembered I'm supposed to be meeting with the local hero agency. I won't be able to escort you back to the dorms." He reached into his wallet. "Todoroki is it? Do an old man's peace of mind a favor and take my granddaughter back to the dorms for me." He hands Todoroki a wad of bills. "Have lunch on me. Izumi you be safe, and have fun. See yah!"
"Wha- GRANDPA!? Hey Wait!" She grunted when Torino used his quirk to jet across the street and jog off. The man was still spritely for his age. Izumi's brow twitched, the man was as transparent as glass. "Interfering old coot."
"For someone who claims to need peace of mind, he's being awfully reckless in who he leaves you with." Todoroki held up the cash. "Shall we go then?"
"You don't have to-"
"He didn't give me much choice to say no, and besides I don't think it would sit right with me if anything were to happen to you." He lifted their hands that were still joined. "So… I'll take you back."
Izumi looked at their hands then up at him. She recalled what he had said during lunch a few days before, and suddenly felt the need to show him what it meant to have and hang out with friends.
"Alright… but I wanted to do some things before I went back. Are you okay with tagging along?"
"I don't really have anywhere to be, I just… don't want to go home."
The sadness in his voice had her instinctively stepping closer and her eyes softening with affection.
"Perfect… then it's time someone showed you what fun really is."
~Bakugo and Izuku~
"Well that was lame…" Bakugo grunted as he and Izuku left the movie theatre. "That ending really blowed, why set up an interesting plot and end it half assed."
"I don't know Kacchan I kind of like the happy ending." Izuku commented with a small laugh. "Everyone finding peace and happiness in the end."
"Yeah but they don't say how. They just cut from war to peace with no segway. It's fucking stupid." He poured out what was left of his movie candy and downed it, crunching loudly.
"Mmmmm you have a point… still I liked the plot and the acting was good." Izuku scratched his cheek. He hadn't really liked the movie either… but it was the first movie he and Bakugo watched together in public, so it was special nonetheless.
"Tch, polish shit and it's still shit. Let's go eat some real food, and none of this candy, snack, crap." He slung an arm around Izuku's shoulder his arm hooking around his neck to make it look more friendly rather than romantic. The fact Bakugo was showing any affection in public at all had Izuku flustered and his heart dancing secretly in his chest.
"O-Okay, um… Oh look! There's a restaurant right there, it looks nice." Izuku stammered in excitement and embarrassment and pointed out a nice family restaurant across the street.
"Yeah sure, that'll do." The two of them walked across the street and he let his arm drop as they walk in the front door. The moment they stepped in, voices shouted from the back of the restaurant.
"Oh! Bakugo! Midoriya! What an awesome coincidence!" Kirishima shouted and waved them down. He sat at a booth with Ashido, Iida, and Ochaco. Bakugo and Midoriya instantly felt the tension and disappointment in each other grow. They immediately took a step away from each other before walking numbly to the group.
"This is sure surprising seeing you two out together. You guys really are friends, huh?"
"Ah, uh, yeah," Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "We hang out and stuff."
"You alright there, Deku-kun?"
"Deku?" Bakugo's brow twitched in irritation. "You calling him that too?"
"Sure, I think it's an awesome hero name. Short, sweet, and cute, just like him." She giggled and had Izuku flustering.
Sparks popped along Bakugo's arm and threatened to erupt. Izuku saw the tension and immediately lifted his hands up to try and calm the situation.
"Wlel this was fun, we're gonna go sit and eat." He turned to walk away.
"Hey why don't you sit with us? We haven't ordered yet anyway." Ashido insisted and snagged another chair from a table. "Come on, Midoriya, Bakugo, let's get to know eachother better."
"No thanks!" Bakugo snarled. "It's too crowded."
"Oh come on, Bakugo, don't be like that." Ashido grabbed Izuku and pulled him to the table and sat him down next to Ochaco who beamed and looked like she had little hearts floating around her head. "Let's all be friends."
Friends… yeah right. Bakugo knew when friends were plotting a set up and that's exactly what Ashido was doing. She was giving Ochaco a chance to get to know her crush and spend time with him.
"Deku," he jerked a thumb towards the door. "Are you coming or not?"
"Oh, well…" Izuku looked between the other friends, a beaming Ochaco, a silent Iida who was more interested in his menu than the conversation, and two eager looking cupids in Kirishima and Ashido. Before Izuku could say anything Bakugo was already walking away.
"Stupid interfing girls. Stupid weak willed Deku…"
"Kacchan wait for me!" Izuku ran after him panting and bent over to catch his breath when Bakugo stopped for him.
"What's that look for? I thought you'd want to hang out with your new friends."
"That's not fair," he said it breathlessly and pouted up at him. "I didn't want to be rude and just leave… but this is OUR time. This is supposed to be our first date. I don't want to spend it with anyone else."
Bakugo blinked in surprise, and felt the warm tug of pleasure at his words, and the eager look on his face. A small smirking smile appeared, and Bakugo lifted a hand to ruffle his hair.
"Alright, ya nerd, where do you want to go eat then?"
"I… I want…" Izuku poked his fingers together and spotted the hot dog stand across the street in a park. "There! Let's eat there!"
"You know something, Deku," He hooked his arm back around him grinning. " you're an awfully cheap date."
~Todoroki and Izumi~
Izumi had to stifle a giggle when Todoroki's crepe started to melt on him. He looked at his sticky hands with such innocent confusion it had her in stitches.
"You really have never had a crepe before have you? You eat it like this." She showed him the proper way to hold it and then took a wide mouth bit on the top. "You see?" She explained with her mouthful. "This way all the stuff stays inside."
"Ah, that would be more efficient." he mimicked her movement and took a bite. His eyes lit with surprised delight and he took another bite. Izumi's face went bright at this and she giggled again.
"It's good right?"
"Yes, very good." Todoroki agreed and leaned in a little closer to her on the bench they sat on. Across from them was the bay overlooking the sea and many fishing ships. He could say without a doubt this was the most fun he'd ever had. Before the crepe she'd taken him window shopping, played in the arcade where they'd both won silly little toys from the crane game, and finally wandered down to the bay for Crepes and sightseeing. "This is a good spot too. I've never really gotten the chance to come see the ocean."
"My brother and I used to live near Dagoba beach with our mom, it's not nearly as pretty as this because of all the trash people toss there." Her eyes went a bit sad.
"I heard about that… it's supposedly has gotten a facelift recently."
"Really?" Izumi looked up at him.
"Yeah, some charitable people have been going to the beach everyday and are properly disposing of all the garbage."
"Now those are some real heroes." Izumi declared and bit into her crepe again.
"Agreed… you said that you and your brother used to live with your mom… where do you live now?" Todoroki was genuinely curious. "I mean I know you occupy the dorms, but-"
"I know what you meant… we live with Grandpa Torino. He's not really our grandfather but he's our legal guardian. When our mom died he took us in. We've only known him a little over three years but… he's all the family we've got besides each other."
"What about your father?"
Izumi tossed the wrapper of her crepe away and leaned back into the bench, her face going serious and sour.
"What about him?"
"Is he-"
"He's dead to me, but I imagine to the rest of the world he's alive and well." Izumi crossed her feet at the ankle and lounged her head back.
"I take it you don't like him very much." Shoto could very much sympathize and tossed his own wrapper away.
"He's the one who abandoned us, left our mom alone to raise us, and didn't bother to show up even when she died. He's cut himself off from us, so why shouldn't I do the same." She scowled at the sky and raised a fist up as if to punch it straight through her invisible father's face. "Izuku still wants to find him… but he can stay hidden as far as I'm concerned."
"I know what it's like to dislike your father to the point that you want to cut yourself off from him." he stared down at his left hand. "So I can sympathize."
"Aren't you Endeavor's son, though?" She sat up straight. "Why do you hate your dad so much?"
"He's the number two hero to the world… but he's no hero to me." Shoto grit his teeth and he shoved his left hand in the pocket of his jacket. He got to his feet and looked at her. "We done here?"
"Yeah… sorry I didn't mean to pry."
"Not your fault, I pried first… just wasn't prepared for the reciprocation. You often tell people your life story so easily?"
"No… but it's surprisingly easy to talk to you." She smiled at him and stood up as well. "You're a nice guy, Todoroki-kun, and this little adventure has been fun."
"Ah, it has, thank you for this. I've never really had the chance to experience… fun… before. It's enjoyable, and pleasant. I should thank your grandfather for volunteering my time."
Izumi laughed and she took his hand again, pleasure fluttering when his fingers laced with hers.
"He'll like that, more than likely he'll come visit soon and I'm sure he'll be at the Sports Festival since both Izuku and I will be participating." She explained as they headed back to the station.
"You will?"
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it, and meeting all of Izuku's classmates…" properly, she added in her head. She wasn't sure if she really wanted the hero road, but she'd found she enjoyed having friends like Bakugo and Todoroki. She wanted to be a part of that class as herself, and make friends the right way. "That day will change everything."
"It's just a Sports Festival."
"Oh no, it's not just any Sports Festival, it's the UA Sports Festival. Life changes are gonna happen. I can guarantee it."
~Gran Torino Agency~
"Gran Torino…" Shigaraki Tomura held up a file as he stared down at the bleeding and bruised up elder. "The single guardian listed in the contacts of the All Might twins. Tell me something old man… where are they?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Gran Torino spit up blood staring up at his foe. Surrounding him were a group of villains, one holding his head to the ground, another a knife at his throat. His legs were broken preventing him from fully using his quirk.
"Oh no? Then let me recap for you." He crouched down poking a single finger into the old man's forehead. "All Might is the bane of our existence… the one and soul hero that is responsible for allowing this world to fall into such a pitiful state by allowing people to walk around smiling and carefree and unaware of the world's underbelly. It was said he had no wife, no children… and yet I hear whispers that the man has successors, not one, but two.
"Rumors… heh, who could possible succeed the symbol of peace?" Torino choked out.
"See that's what I said… but-" he tosses the file down showing birth records. "Then a little birdy gave me these… birth records for one Izuku and Izumi Midoriya… their mother Inko Midoriya was, as you put it, rumored to be in an affair with All Might. Oh and look at this… these little brats were birthed in the perfect time frame of their affair… do you know what that tells me old man?"
"That you care entirely too much about other people's sex life." Torino shot back and got smacked across teh face for his trouble. He felt the skin of his cheek crack and bleed.
"It means, you irritating old man, that the rumors are true. All Might has children…. This Izuku and Izumi Midoriya, there's been no record of them for the past three years, it was as if they vanished. The last one in contact with them was you, old man. So tell me where they are, and I might just spare your pathetic existence!"
"Those twins are far out of your reach, you villain scum. Everyday they grow more and more like their father. Stronger, wiser, and there's not a thing you can do about it. They'll succeed All Might, and the world will remain at peace."
"You're sadly mistaken, old man." Tomura stretched out his hand over Torino's face. "The world will crumble to pieces." He smiled wickedly from behind the hand clasped over his face. "I'll make certain of that."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Yay another update! Time to go pass out now. *faints*
Ochaco: THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! *fans the writer* No worries she'll be back to her old self by tomorrow…. I hope.
Next Chapter: The Ugly Truth
