Shoto and Toya have the long awaited reunion. Shoto does not know what hugs are. Izuku is tired, Eri is tired, everyone is trying not to giggle. Izuku learns something else new about his Quirk is really done with this. Mina and Eijiro have a chat. And it is time for hero names!

Sorry it took so long, this week has been HELL. We had golive on a project that was not ready and I've worked 82 hours this week, ugh. Anyways...hope you enjoy!

Izuku was treated to a very odd sight when he opened the door. Tenko, he expected, though he did not expect him in a hot pink shirt and white shorts that said in bright glittery purple 'Hot Stuff'. Keigo, he wasn't surprised to see, was in his hero costume, since he must have flown them there. And then there was Toya…he was the tallest of the trio, with shaggy white hair and a series of small burn scars that littered his face and hands. But where before he might have been intimidated, it was difficult to be so when he could see the sheer fear and hope that was plastered on the older hero's face.

Tenko, looking incredibly done with the world, when he noticed Izuku's glance at his clothes, just shook his head and pointed at Toya. "I had to borrow civvies from him, they wouldn't give me time to stop at home and get mine."

Izuku just nodded. He turned back to glance at Shoto, the split-haired boy still hidden from view by the door and the angle. Shoto gulped, nodding once at the question in Izuku's eyes…and the greenette gestured for the trio to enter.

Keigo and Tenko both stayed back, letting Toya walk in first. When the white-haired man hesitated, almost frozen in place, Keigo placed a hand on his back and very gently nudged him forward, the white-haired hero almost falling over just from that small push…but taking a step inside.

Tenko and Keigo followed silently behind, moving to stand where Izuku was, off to the side and out of the way but watching what happened. He assumed at Toya's request, like he was for Shoto, as the two brothers stared at each other for what he imagined was the first time in well over a decade.

The silence was deafening. Neither spoke nor moved, their eyes roving over the other like they were trying to reconcile their memories with the grown adults in the room…Especially Toya, his gaze constantly flickering to the scar on Shoto's face yet moving away with shame and guilt in his gaze. Eventually though…he opened his mouth and spoke softly.

"You…you got taller," he murmured.

"...I think you are taller as well, but I'm not entirely sure. You always looked tall to me," Shoto replied.

"Yeah…" Toya replied, looking away as he rubbed at his knuckles with his other hand nervously. After a second, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Um…how have you been?"

"I am okay. Although Izuku has made it clear that maybe I am not and I only think I am," Shoto replied bluntly, the three pro heroes all glancing at Izuku as he leaned against the wall. The greenette only shrugged in response, not offering anything else to the conversation.

"That's…good?" Toya questioned hesitantly.

"Yes…how…how have you been?" Shoto asked, his face having gone completely blank.

Izuku had already figured out this was a defense mechanism for the other teen, whenever he felt overwhelmed it seemed he defaulted to going perfectly blank and unfailingly polite. He wanted to speak up to break the awkward tension, but he decided to wait. Better to see if they could dig themselves out than interfere right now and possibly make it worse.

"I've been good. I uh…I'm dating the chicken over there, that's a good thing right?" Toya said, pointing nervously at Keigo. The blonde hero gave a plastic smile and a little wave as Shoto glanced in his direction.

"He does not look like a chicken. I thought he was Hawks?" Shoto asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I…uh, it's um, a nickname I have for him," Toya managed to stutter out.

"It seems demeaning."

"Nah, it's all outta love," Keigo risked saying, his plastic smile having melted to a more natural smile as Toya spoke about him.

"I see. Actually, I don't. But I will ask Izuku about it later," Shoto decreed, nodding his head. Tenko and Keigo both risked another glance at Izuku, having already noticed how odd Shoto's behavior was, but Izuku just shrugged again. He didn't think now was the time to explain how bad Shoto's social graces were…plus he figured they would pick it up from context clues quickly enough.

"Toya…why don't you just say it?" Tenko offered.

"I don't know how!" Toya replied quietly, but with a hiss of annoyance in his voice.

"Say what?" Shoto asked.

"I…Shoto, I…" Toya struggled, cutting himself off as he clenched both of his fists and looked down at the ground, shame visible on his face as his shoulders shook.

Shoto blinked, before it seemed like an epiphany hit him. One hand went up to his face, idly brushing against his scar before he shook his head and dropped his hand. "Is this about my scar?"

Toya gulped, refusing to look up at his brother as he nodded. Shoto blinked once more. "I do not blame you for this, you know."

Toya's head snapped up so fast the bystanders were worried he'd hurt his neck, his blue eyes wide and almost fearful. He opened his mouth to speak before Shoto cut him off. "I do not blame Mother either. I have had many years to think about that day. And the only person I blame is Father."

"But, I'm the one-"

"You were angry. I understand anger. Especially at Father," Shoto replied quietly.

"That doesn't excuse it. I shouldn't have-"

"You were a child. I was a child. Father is the one who pushed you and then threw you aside. I never resented you, Toya. I just wanted to see you, and Fuyumi, and Natsuo…and Mom."

Toya stared disbelievingly at Shoto before letting out a rueful chuckle. "You…you grew up pretty smart, huh?"

"Izuku helped me think about it today. I think I'll learn a lot from him. He's the one who convinced me to use my fire. Maybe…maybe I can learn from you too?" Shoto asked, his voice trailing off as he continued, looking away from Toya for a moment.

The tall hero stood, staring at Shoto for a good long minute. When he opened his mouth, it was as if he spoke before he could think. "Intern with me," he blurted out, making the three bystanders lean back in surprise.

"What?" Shoto asked.

"After the sports festival are internships, right? You uh…you started using your fire today, yeah? I can teach you about it! And um…our agency is really close to where Mom lives, you…you can come see her. And Nats and Fuyumi and…you can see them again! I, I've never submitted for it before, but I could try, we're established enough we'd be allowed to, and-"

"Toya, babe, slow down," Keigo said gently, one of his feathers flying out and gently brushing against Toya's hand as the older hero was getting more agitated as he spoke.

Toya took a deep, bracing breath, nodding after a moment. "...yeah. Um…it could work, if it'd be okay? I can't help as much with your ice, but Mom…she might have some advice? But I know fire. And Kurose's agency is really big, there is a lot you could learn from! And-"

"You don't need to sell me on it…I…I think I'd like that," Shoto said, the tiniest of smiles crossing his face as he spoke.

Toya's face broke out into a relieved grin. "Oh…okay, yeah! I'll just have to fill out the paperwork real quick-"

"I can help you with that. I submitted for one of the kiddo heroes myself," Keigo said, smiling.

Tenko looked at him in confusion. "Which one?"

"The bird kid! Birds of a feather gotta stick together, right?"

"Tokoyami?" Izuku blinked, tilting his head to the side. "...I imagine he'll be excited when he finds out."

"Don't you dare spill it, Izuku! Keep it to yourself!" Keigo smirked.

Izuku held up his hands placatingly. "Not going to say a word."

Toya stared at his boyfriend for a minute before shaking his head silently, turning back to Shoto. "I…I just hope I get it in in time-" he began.

Izuku glanced down at his phone as it pinged, seeing another message from Nezu. He stared at his phone in consternation for a moment, before his shoulders slumped. "Nezu says the paperwork is filed already, you're approved," he deadpanned.

"...Right. I forgot he does that," Tenko mused to himself. He looked over at Izuku in askance. "And you're his student now?"

"Yeah! I am so excited! Learning from one of, if not the, smartest heroes in the world? It's like a dream come true!" Izuku beamed.

"When you conquer the world, remember all the NPCs who got you there," Tenko muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Izuku looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Tenko dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Forget about it. Maybe I'll submit an internship this year too, if these two dumbasses are."

Toya had ignored the banter between those two, keeping his attention on Shoto once he heard the approval from Nezu. Shoto was looking down at the floor, his hands clenched at his side as he seemed to be deep in thought. After a few moments, he looked up, his expression vulnerable. "...will…will they want to see me?"

"Mom has wanted nothing more since we left," Toya reassured Shoto. "You should have seen her after the festival. I went home soon as it ended, and she was just so proud of you Shoto, I swear she was just so happy to see you."

"Really?" Shoto's voice cracked in disbelief, eyes wide and slightly watery.

Toya nodded. "Absolutely. You can see her even if you don't want to intern with me, of course, but this way Dad can't do anything to interfere. Internships are a UA controlled thing…he can't touch you during it."

Shoto gulped. "...yeah. Okay. I…I would like that."

Keigo looked at his phone as it pinged and cursed under his breath. Clearing his throat to get the others' attention, he looked at Toya and winced. "Babe…we just got a call in. Looks like they need us."

Toya opened his mouth to refuse, but Shoto interjected. "It's late…I…I should get to bed. And I, uh, I want to think some more…you go on. Save people. It's what a hero does, right?"

Toya hung his head and sighed, smiling sadly. "Y-yeah. You're right. I'll…see you later?"

In response, Shoto held out his phone, only the slight trembling in his hand indicating his own nerves. Toya grabbed it and quickly input his number, staring at the phone for a brief moment before handing it back. Shoto took it, looked at the new contact, and quickly messaged Toya to give his number in turn.

Toya stared as his phone, then looked up at Shoto. "Do…do you want moms too?"

"...I think I'd rather see her first…if that's okay?" Shoto asked.

"Yeah. That's a good idea! Um…yeah. As soon as they begin, I'll have you come with me. We'll go see them first day, okay?"

"...I'd like that."

The brothers stood in an awkward silence once more, but it was interrupted by another ping on Keigo's phone and a matching one on Toya's. The older brother's shoulders slumped, but he offered a halting wave to Shoto, the split-haired boy staring at it for a second, before offering one back. Keigo waved at both teenagers in the room and put his arm around Toya's shoulder, leading him from the room as Tenko nodded at Izuku, then followed.

As the door shut behind the trio, Shoto just…fell back onto the couch, all the energy drained from his body as he slumped onto it. Izuku strode over and took a seat on the same couch, trying to strike the right balance between close enough for comfort but not being overly familiar.

He let the silence coat the room for a bit, before opening his mouth. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Drained. Sad…Happy? I…all of that and more?" Shoto sighed, rubbing at his face with his hands. "Should…should I have hugged him? That's what family does, right?"

"Did you want to?"

Shoto stared at his hands. "I don't remember how to…I was worried I'd mess it up."

Izuku looked over at the boy. He worked his jaw for a moment to clear the flash of anger at Endeavor when Shoto said that, but set it aside. "Do you want a hug?"

"I don't know. Is that right? Are friends supposed to hug too?"

Izuku turned to face the other boy. "Shoto, there is no 'supposed' to in relationships. All that matters is you care. You show it however you feel comfortable doing so. If you like hugging, then by all means do it. If you don't, that's okay too. There are tons of ways to show physical affection, and plenty of ways to do non-physical ways too."

"...can I try it?"

Izuku let out a small chuckle, before sliding closer to the other boy and holding his arms before him. Shoto stared at him in consternation, mirroring his pose and then pausing, unsure. "Do you want me to take the lead?" Izuku asked softly. Shoto just nodded, relief crossing his face. Izuku nodded. "Let me know if you have an issue with it, okay? I won't be mad." At Shoto's nod, he moved closer, gently pulling the other boy into his arms.

Shoto was frozen for a moment, rigid in Izuku's arms, but after a moment he relaxed just a little bit, letting his arms gently wrap back around Izuku. Izuku gave him a gentle squeeze, but other than that let Shoto hold as long as he felt comfortable, which was not very long. The split-haired boy released after a moment, Izuku following his lead and sitting back.

"...that was…pleasant," Shoto murmured.

Izuku smiled softly at him. "I am a big fan of hugs, personally. So if you ever need one, don't hesitate to ask. And I bet Himi or 'Chako would be happy to give you one too, if you wanted. Can't speak for the rest of the class, but some of them give off big 'hugger' vibes so, wouldn't be surprised if one of them is up for it either."

"...I will think about it. But for now…I would like to go to bed. I have a lot to think about."

Izuku nodded. "Of course. If you need anything, feel free to reach out. I'll be…uh…in Ochako's room."

Shoto paused, tilting his head to the side as he contemplated something. He nodded to himself a moment later. "Let…let Himiko know I hope everything's okay with her father."

Izuku felt an extraordinary amount of joy flood through him at the unasked for gesture of empathy from Shoto, his smile growing wide. "I will. Goodnight, Shoto."

"Goodnight, Izuku."

Izuku was exhausted. The day was draining, he was down somewhere around fifteen percent now. Emotionally, he was even worse, between dealing with Tenya and Shoto's issues, and then poor Himiko had kept having nightmares as she slept. Since he knew Ochako was as tired as he was, and he needed sleep less than he needed to recharge, he took point on comforting and helping Himiko back to sleep.

So by the time morning rolled around, he was dead on his feet. But his charge needed upped sooner rather than later, so rather than laze in bed with his girlfriends like he wished he could, he headed downstairs early in the morning to get some form of food to kickstart the process. He stumbled down the stairs, coming this close to falling down them.

No one else was around, the prior day running everyone ragged in some fashion, so he had a blessedly peaceful kitchen to work in. Unable to muster the energy for anything complex, he tossed something together in minutes, more concerned about the calories he needed than anything in particular. Sipping at a cup of tea he brewed up, he relaxed in the morning sun for a few moments, trying to keep his heart rate slow and steady.

Mentally he started reviewing what he needed to do today. Make sure Himiko was coping well, make sure Tenya was coping well, make sure Shoto was coping well (when did he become the de facto therapist?), make sure Eri was okay, make sure Ochako wasn't overwhelmed by Himiko being upset, talk to Katsuki about how everyone was doing, prepare for his first class with Nezu, speak to Sensei about trying to get Eri some schooling of some kind…okay, he was overwhelming himself just thinking about this.

Izuku took his tea into the common room, setting it down on one of the corner tables as he sat down upon one of the couches. The blinds were open, sunlight streaming in, and he let out a deep sigh as he felt the sunlight beginning to seep through his skin and into him, slowly helping him recharge. Being in a tank top made it a lot easier to expose enough skin to recharge, and he was slowly coming to be more comfortable exposing his scars at this point.

He closed his eyes and basked in the sun, not unlike a cat. Slowly, he found himself sliding further and further down the couch, stretching his legs out as he lay out across it, telling himself he'd just lay there for a bit to recharge. It was warm, it was comfortable, he felt himself relaxing into the soft couch cushions with a sigh as his mind began to drift off. And like anyone could have predicted…he passed out.

Not five minutes had passed before the elevator opened, a small, white-haired child tottering out of it rubbing her eyes. Eri had woken up thirsty, and not wanting to wake Kacchan, had decided to come downstairs and get a drink. The class had made it clear she was allowed to eat or drink whatever she wanted whenever, so she had been trying very hard not to be afraid to go get things.

She filled up her glass with water carefully, using a kitchen chair to get access to the sink. After sipping at it, she set the glass aside and began to head back to the elevator when she noticed a head of fluffy green hair on the couch. She stepped around the couch, seeing the sleeping Izuku, and in her still half asleep state, the only thing she could think was that he looked very comfy. Izuku was the person she felt safest with, and the few times she'd napped with him had made her feel incredibly safe and warm.

Of everyone Eri had met since she had come to UA, Izu was the one she felt closest to. She really liked Kacchan, he was funny and loud but always soft with her, and she just knew anyone who tried to hurt her would end up on the wrong side of his really cool power. Himi was the funnest person she knew, always there to make her feel better and show her new things she never got to experience, and she made Izu and 'Chako turn funny colors sometimes. 'Chako was very nice to her, and being around her just made Eri feel cared about, and whenever she used her Quirk on Eri, it was the most fun thing she'd ever done, she got to fly!

But Izu was her person. The one who got how she felt about her horn, her Quirk. He had bad dreams too, just like she did. He was scarred, just like how she was. He was afraid of himself…just like she was. But in him, she had seen him grow and change and it made her think sometimes, maybe…she could too. So when she could, she wanted to be with him. He gave her hope…and he was so warm and the best for cuddles. So cuddles seemed like a good idea.

Eri clambered up onto the couch, laying down upon Izuku's chest since it was nice and warm. She closed her eyes, one arm burying itself in his shirt, the other gently gripping to his side as she relaxed on his chest. The sunlight was a little annoying, so she turned her head away from it and buried it in his chest so she could nap better. Instinctually as he slept, Izuku reacted to someone laying on him, his arm reaching up and around to hug Eri closer, the unicorn child just smiling in her sleep and snuggling in closer.

The common room was silent for a good half hour, just the almost silent breathing of the two napping people. Slowly though, a few teens came downstairs…first to arrive was Momo, the tall heiress liking to get an early start to her day and looking forward to having a nice, relaxing cup of tea. But she found herself frozen as she passed the couch, looking down at one of the most adorable sights she'd ever seen in her life. It took every ounce of her self control not to squeal like Mina or Toru would, because this was absolutely cute.

Not wanting anyone to disturb the two of them, she send a quick text into the classes group chat, informing everyone…and then immediately being spammed with requests for pictures, something she wasn't expecting because she didn't think anyone else would be awake, but it appears Toru, Kirishima, and Kaminari all were considering the demands for pictures. It appeared Bakugo was also awake, since he was walking down the stairs as she stared at her phone, contemplating whether she should take the pictures or not, worrying about how Izuku would feel about it.

Her concerns were set aside when Bakugo waltzed over with his phone out and snapped a good half-dozen pics, sending them to the group chat and then walking back into the kitchen to make breakfast, ignoring the sudden outpouring of comments. Momo just stood there, confused, as more and more people began to make their way down. Every one of them paused to look over the sleeping pair on the couch, half the class having to hold in coos at the sheer cuteness.

Shinso took one look with half lidded eyes and spoke in a deadpan voice "Well, my heart just exploded." He was instantly loudly shushed by Kaminari, which the loud shushing made Eri mutter and shift in her sleep. Izuku pulled her closer, the unicorn child nuzzling into his shoulder as he did, the gathered onlookers having to mute their own responses to the frankly lethal levels of cute on display.

Himiko, looking as sleep deprived as Shinso habitually did, came down with Ochako supporting her. Neither of them had checked their phone that morning, too preoccupied with Himiko's current to bother at the moment. When the duo noticed half the class trying not to crowd around the couch, they both cautiously came around and looked at their boyfriend, laying there splayed out, one arm holding Eri tight, the other dangling off the couch, with the unicorn child snuggled into him like a koala clinging to a tree.

Himiko, sleepless and upset though she was, still could not help how warm and soft and just utterly in love she felt right then and there. Her arm, which was around Ochako's waist, squeezed her girlfriend closer, wanting that reassuring pressure and reminder of how lucky she was with these two. Ochako leaned over and kissed the top of her head softly, a soft, beaming smile on her face as she tried not to smother Izuku and Eri in hugs and kisses right then and there.

"C'mon, I made breakfast, let the nerd and the kid rest," Katsuki said in a low voice, gently pushing Ochako and Himiko into the kitchen, trying to herd the rest of the class there. They went without complaint, a combination of hunger, the fact that by now the entire class knew how good Katsuki's cooking was, and that most of them were able to tell Izuku needed the rest.

While few of them were privy to the details of Tenya and Himiko's familial problems the evening before, news reports about the attack had circulated already and a good portion of the class had been able to put two and two together. Himiko looking as dead as she did, Ochako's almost protective comforting she was doing, Tenya looking as off as any of them had ever seen, sitting there staring at his plate and barely sipping at his juice, all were enough for most of them to puzzle out some of the current issues.

None really knew about Shoto's issues, but there was something different about the split-haired boy that morning. He looked…happier. It was hard to tell with him, since he so rarely smiled, but there where there usually was a very standoffish, almost angry air to him, for now he seemed the most relaxed anyone had seen. Katsuki, cleaning up the stove, had questions. A lot of questions. But he figured he would hold off until after Izuku had woken up, give everyone a chance to come down from the events of the day before. And if some people noticed he'd made sure to add some pomegranates to Himiko's pancakes…well, so what, she was his future sister, he was allowed to be nice to her.

Izuku came to slowly, yawning widely as he blinked open his eyes, squinting at the bright light. His thoughts were fuzzy, which wasn't unusual for him…he often had trouble focusing when waking up after he'd gone real low with his charge during the day. He went to stretch his arms, but felt something holding one down. His other arm was aching a little, probably because he quickly realized he was on a couch and it had been dangling over the edge. Waiting for his vision to clear, he felt a pressure on his chest that didn't hurt, just was weird. Was Himiko sleeping on him again?

He managed to squint well enough to see the white hair of a tiny child sleeping on his chest, his heart warming immediately and a gentle smile crossing his face. He couldn't help it, he just felt this surge of affection for this small unicorn that had made her way into his life. Even if he kept dismissing how quickly he would bend over backwards for her, how often he thought of her in a parental fashion and knew half the class were joking behind his back about her being his daughter already, he knew deep down that he adored her in a way he had to imagine a father did. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud.

Gently, he began to card his fingers through her hair, his smile growing as she sighed happily in her sleep and snuggled closer. Part of him thought about shaking her awake so he could get up, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. She looked so cute and comfortable, and it wasn't like he was uncomfortable with her there.

Of course…that was before he realized something he'd missed, which he quickly caught onto when a phone appeared in front of him and snapped a picture. He blinked to focus his gaze, and saw Katsuki standing there, snickering at him and the expression he had on his face when he was looking down at Eri. He wanted to reach up and snatch the phone from his brother's hand, but the blonde had stepped far enough away any movement he made would wake Eri and he was not willing to do that.

He settled for glaring impotently at the blonde boy…only now realized the entire class was in the room and half of them were holding back squeals and coos at his position. His eye twitched as he stared at them all, daring them to say something while Eri slept, to which none would take him up on…but he could see the glint in Himiko's eyes. On one hand…no, that glint never meant anything good. On the other hand, the fact she could be playful right now put his heart a little bit at ease.

Even Tenya and Shoto were in the common room, and though they weren't really speaking to anyone, he noticed a tiny bit of tension had left Tenya's shoulders, the tall teen even giving him a tight smile at his predicament. He noticed Shoto looked more comfortable, and though he said little, he was participating in some of the quiet conversations the others were having.

Izuku sighed internally, accepting his role at the moment as Eri's new bed. To be honest, the sunshine was doing him wonders, he felt the familiar thrum of his energy in his chest beginning to shift and sway, a feeling he used to despise…but was slowly coming to accept as part of himself. He settled himself in to lay there so long as it took for Eri to get her own rest, vowing to not disturb her. He'd settle the class later.

Eijiro had just finished enjoying a nice breakfast cooked by the one and only Katsuki, when Mina appeared next to him with wide, almost frantic eyes. "You're coming with me," she said, giving him no time to reply as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the table, Katsuki, Sero, and Kaminari all staring at them in confusion.

He could have stopped her from pulling him along, he was one of the most physically powerful members of the class after all, but he knew she wouldn't have done this if she didn't need to vent something to him. Years of being friends and knowing each other as well as they did, he knew she pulled this when she was trying to sort her own confused thoughts. He'd always made a great sounding board for her, and she'd done her best to give him the same courtesy (something he had not availed himself of since he'd gotten to UA, but he had been wanting to so this wasn't a bad opportunity for that anyways).

She yanked him to her room, the spiky haired boy simply following along. Once she pushed him inside and slammed the door shut, he casually strode over to her desk and flopped in the chair.

"'Sup, Mina?"

Mina placed her hands on her hips and gave him a glower as his lackadaisical response. After a moment of glaring at him, she gave up and her shoulders slumped. "Kiri…I have a problem."

After a moment of silence, Eijiro spoke up hesitantly. "Okay, and that is…?"

"They are all really hot Kiri!" she hissed, eyes wide and glittering.

"Who?"

"The problem trio!"

Eijiro blinked. "Uh…what?"

"That's what I heard Sensei calling them. It's unimportant! You know how I went to see Ochako before the Festival?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I caught her and Himiko and Izuku all half-naked and changing and oh my god Kiri they are so ripped!"

Eijiro was still a little confused. Mina thinking people were hot was not something new. She wasn't easy by any definition, but she had a very open idea of what made someone attractive, so it was pretty easy to find someone she thought was good looking. He just wasn't sure what the problem was with these three in particular.

Mina didn't give him a chance to question it. "So like, I got Ochako to spill how the three of them got together, right? And while talking, she mentioned how they all like, agreed that it's possible to add more, right?"

"Add more to what?" he asked.

"To them! Their trio! Make it more than three! You know, the polycule thing!"

Eijiro was starting to get the picture, and as per usual for his advice, he chose to just say it. "Okay. So you find them hot and wanna get with them, and you know they might be open to it. So…say something?"

Mina stared at him blankly. "I am saying something. I'm saying it right now, to you."

"I meant say it to them, Mina," he deadpanned.

"What?! No, I can't do that! But Izuku was all like, 'I am this super ripped badass with a tragic past and I've adopted this adorable child that we saved and we're napping together and it's fucking cute' and I can't deal with it!" she ranted, waving her hands frantically. Eijiro eyed her warily, knowing she sometimes let her Quirk slip when she got too excitable, and not wanting her to damage any of the things in her room, it'd just make her upset.

"I mean, Midobro did look pretty cute today, yeah, but I don't see why that's an issue."

"Argh!" Mina growled, gripping her hair and shaking slightly. She took a deep breath and tried to rein in her excitement. "I just…all the stuff that's happened the past couple weeks really got to me, you know? And I really thought Ochako was like, so cool ever since the entrance exam, and when I talked to her I found out she's even cooler. And so fucking cute and hot too. I mean, you know me Kiri, I crush at the drop of a hat, I know that, you know that, our class knew that-"

"Yeah, I think the entire school knew that. But this is normal for you, so I really don't see the big deal."

"Because I want it, Kiri!" she whined, slumping against her bed.

Eijiro stared at her, wondering why she was still missing the obvious. "Then go for it, Mina. C'mon, you've never been hesitant before. If they are open to it, why not ask? If you get rejected, I mean…it's not something you can't handle, right?"

"It's not that. I'm fine if it's not something they want, I won't be mad or upset or anything," she replied, sighing.

"Then what's the problem?"

"...I'm not good enough," she muttered.

Eijiro blinked at his oldest friend, her words slowly filtering through his mind. Unseen by Mina, his face darkened, eyes narrowing and jaw clenching. He stood up abruptly, her desk chair being pushed back into the desk as he took two steps to stand in front of the other teen, Mina looking up at him after a moment, leaning back slightly at the intensity in his eyes.

"How dare you insult my best friend like that?" he growled, his teeth bared. Mina's eyes went wide, opening her mouth to reply before being cut off by Eijiro again. "No. Don't. No excuses. You are Mina Ashido, you're a hero, you've been a hero since grade school. You're a manly badass who makes everyone around you happier just by your presence! You're kind and considerate and fun, you light up the room when you enter it, and you've always had my back no matter what! Don't you ever try to say you're not good enough! You're good enough to have anyone you ever wanted! So you stop this silly sulking and thinking bad about yourself and go shoot your shot!"

Mina gaped at the redhead, before she nodded slowly. "Y-yeah! You're right! I don't give up! I, I can do this!"

Eijiro nodded, smiling happily as he saw his best friend start to act more like herself. He was caught off guard by how her expression shifted after a moment, her happiness vanishing as she glowered at him. She leapt up, spinning the two of them about and pushing him down to sit on the bed where she had been. She wagged a finger in front of his face.

"Don't think I haven't noticed, by the way," she said in a scolding tone.

"Noticed what?"

"Don't play dumb with me Kiri. You know what…or rather, who I'm talking about."

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "Mina, I-"

"When are you asking Katsuki out?" she interrupted, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Mina, c'mon, there is no way he's interested in me," Eijiro began with a nervous grin on his face, trying to move away from this topic as soon as possible.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Kiri?" she deadpanned.

"No? Mina, he's like…look, he's really strong! The way he supports Midobro, his drive to be number one, how much he actually cares but doesn't like to show it! It's…it's admirable. I really look up to him, ya know? He's got this super powerful Quirk, but it's not that that makes him so manly! And me? I'm just me. I…I was a coward, back in school, you know that, everyone knew it. I came here for a fresh start, but…I'm still that coward, inside. He's too…too Katsuki to ever like someone like me."

"...first off, you're being a hypocrite right now, telling me not to talk down to myself and then doing it right after. Secondly, Kiri, horn buddy…he is so into you. He blushes around you! He doesn't do that for anyone else! And the way he stares at you when he thinks no one is looking? Oh, Kiri, he's absolutely after you. As well he should be, you're a catch, and you're the only one who doesn't know that! So if I have to stop sulking and being down on myself, so do you!"

He glared up at her, leaping to his feet and crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh yeah? Well fine, I'll ask him out if you ask them out!"

"Fine! I will!"

"Okay!"

The two stared each other down for a moment, before identical horrified expressions began to creep across their faces as they realized what they had agreed to. Mina flushed, her skin getting a purple tinge, as Eijiro looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"...maybe after the whole internship thing, though?" Mina offered, wincing.

"Y-yeah. I mean, we're all not gonna be here, it's, it's not a good time, right? We, we can do it after we get back!"

"R-right! Okay. It's a plan!"

"Yeah!"

There was an awkward silence in the room for another half a minute, before Mina giggled nervously. "Um, yeah…let's…let's go back to the common room?"

"Yeah, okay," Eijiro agreed, his smile shaky. The two quickly left her room, lost in their thoughts about what the future might bring.

By the time Eri had awoken, Izuku was back to a comfortable two thirds (at his best guess) of charge, which while not ideal, was more than enough for him to feel fine. She at least was not embarrassed at all, just taking the very full common room in stride. She sleepily hugged Izuku as they got up, and asked him if he could help her with her reading. She'd been learning slowly, Nezu having asked for volunteers to help get her up to speed on her education (of which pretty much every teacher volunteered, so Eri got a rotating roster of teachers showing her the basics).

Eri had found she really enjoyed reading, curled up in a chair or on the couch while others did their own things like normal. It was a struggle for her though, which normally had Izuku, Momo, or Katsuki helping her with her books. But since Izuku was right there, she had figured she'd ask him today. Plus, she hadn't gotten to spend much time with him as she wanted, so she wanted a bit more time with him before he was taken away.

Izuku could never refuse her, and was quite content to set up a study group with Eri next to them, to keep an eye on her and keep his friends occupied…specifically, Shoto, Tenya, and Himiko. He made sure to insist those three were part of the group, inviting Ochako, Shinso, and Tsuyu over as well. Ochako to mitigate Himiko's still obvious depression, Tsuyu because her blunt but kind nature kept them on track and didn't let Tenya or Shoto get stuck in their own minds, and Shinso because Izuku had noticed the boy acting very oddly lately (distracted, prone to gazing into the distance, and getting lost in thought to the point of needing someone to poke him to get his attention) and was worried about him.

They commandeered the couch along the back wall along with one of the coffee tables, and had begun working on what little homework they had and what topics Izuku thought might come up in their next class. Honestly, he didn't think they needed it, but keeping the others occupied was his best bet right now. He knew all three of them tended to get stuck in their heads, although now that he thought about it, how did he know that about Shoto and Tenya?

'You know, I'm starting to think the way Izuku's accessing the Quirks is a bit weird,' Izuku heard the voice of Daigoro in his head, causing him to freeze, blinking rapidly.

'Daigoro, there are constellations in his head now, of course it's weird!' Nana's voice replied.

'Not what he means, Nana. I think he is referring to the odd way he seems to know things about others before they know it,' En's voice replied.

Izuku, having an inkling of what was going on, tentatively tried to send his voice through his mind. 'Uh…are you guys talking?'

'Woah! Kid, can you hear us now?' Daigoro asked

'...I think so. Okay. That's…weird. But nothing happened! This doesn't make sense, I just took a damned nap!'

'You do have access to three of the stored Quirk's now, as well as One For All and your own. Perhaps it has broken the final barrier to allow us to communicate directly with you?' Yoichi said.

Izuku sighed deeply, getting the attention of his study mates. Painting a smile on his face, he quickly reassured them all that he was just sighing at the material. From the looks he got, he was pretty sure everyone believed him…save Himiko and Ochako who both gave him sidelong glances but kept quiet. He bent his neck to look down at his notebook, hoping the focus would allow him to finish this quickly.

'Good point Izuku, perhaps now isn't the best time to unpack this,' Nana said. Izuku could feel her nod in his mind, which was a very odd sensation for him.

'How about you explain what you meant, by the way I know things?' Izuku asked.

There was silence for a moment, before Yoichi spoke hesitantly. 'We've noticed something unusual. Whenever you're focused strongly on another person you care for or want to know more about, the stellar object that represents them in your mind seems to brighten, for lack of a better term. And you then seem to have some flash of insight about them. Our best guess is that your Quirk is not only fusing with One For All, but also all of the others, and the mixing of them is creating some unintended side effects.'

'...every time I think it's over, some new bullshit pops up,' Izuku growled internally, fighting to keep his expression placid.

'This isn't a bad thing,' Third grumbled under his breath. Izuku blinked in confusion. His confusion must have been obvious, since Third continued. 'Knowing when your family needs help? That's useful as fucking hell. Not just when in danger, but when they are upset or need comforting. Thats a fucking good thing! So don't be an idiot about it and use it! All this shit you got are tools. If you don't know what you're doing with them, you'll hurt yourself or others. So fucking learn to use these tools for your goals.'

There was another silence that stretched one for a good half a minute before Hikage spoke. 'That's the most he's said in one go since I got here. Well Izuku, you certainly seem to be a good influence on us.'

'Shut the fuck up Fourth!' Third shot back, growling.

'And there he is!' Daigoro announced cheerfully.

'...I'll deal with this all later. For now, just…I need to focus. Can I like…tune you guys out or something? N-not trying to say I dislike hearing you, but I don't know if I can deal with this and the others, especially Himiko because I didn't get a chance to speak with her like I did Shoto and Tenya and I know she's upset about not talking and oh my god that's the thing you were talking about isn't it and-'

'Izuku, relax. I believe you can close the connection for now without an issue. Just focus, breath deeply, and focus on the bond between us. Just put up a small wall, that's all you have to do, it'll be okay,' Yoichi reassured the greenette with a soothing tone. Izuku did as instructed, focusing hard while keeping his gaze down so the others couldn't see him closing his eyes. After a few moments, he felt the connection fade, not so much it would be stopped, but just set aside so he could continue on without distractions. He believed that if necessary, the Vestiges could contact him through it, but he wouldn't be privy to their normal conversations unless he chose to be.

Maybe now was a good time to deal with the Himiko situation…or not. The moment that thought crossed his mind, he could sense how bad an idea it would be. Himiko didn't want to talk about the situation yet, she just wanted to spend time with her partners…alone. Okay, he could handle that. It was about time to end the study session anyways.

With quick motions, Izuku, all smiles and friendly demeanor, ended their little study session, allowing everyone to disperse. Now that he knew about that sense, he could use it better, focusing in from person to person.

He could tell Shoto was a little less panicked by the thought of his internship with his brother, although the split-haired boy was not yet okay with everything still. But any further pushing might be the wrong direction, so for now he'd just try to integrate Shoto into friendship groups better, help the boy make those connections he never had.

Tenya was…not doing great, still. But his anger had faded a little, the taller teen no longer stewing in hatred, so much as just unsure and lost. Izuku made a mental note to try to help him focus his attention elsewhere until he could calm down a little.

Shinso…yeah, he figured it out the second he focused on the purple-haired boy. If he wasn't already in a committed relationship he doubted he'd notice the signs, but now that he focused, the flashes made it clear Shinso had feelings for someone. Wasn't sure who yet, though Izuku had his suspicions. But this he wasn't sure how to help with. Maybe subtly encourage Shinso to act on it? Maybe not, the moment he thought that he got the idea that Shinso wasn't ready for that. Izuku mentally shrugged. This might be a time he shouldn't step in unless asked, so for now he'd wait and see.

As for Himiko, the best thing he could do right now was to cuddle her with Ochako and let the blonde speak when she was ready. Which wasn't exactly a hardship to do, so he figured maybe setting up a movie night between them and Eri would be exactly what Himiko needed.

Izuku nodded. He had his plan of attack and would focus on this for now. For all the fact a lot of things were going wrong right now…honestly, he was doing okay personally. He felt good. And so he'd make sure to turn all that happiness he was starting to embrace into a drive to make sure those he cared for could share in that happiness, and find their own. That was his next goal…become the best friend he could.

There was an energy to this morning's class, a weird cross between tiredness and excitement. The end of the Sports Festival had been extreme, and both Izuku and Ochako had been getting some weird stares throughout the school (Katsuki and Todoroki as well to a lesser extent). Even after a couple of days of rest, the main competitors still felt a little tired and sore, but nothing they couldn't handle.

But they all knew internships were coming up, and that brought a sense of excitement and cheer to them all. One which didn't fade even with the dour visage of Aizawa entering the room, his ever-present yellow sleeping bag dragged behind him.

"Today we'll be having a special hero class…it's time to pick your hero names," he began without preamble. The class cheered excitedly, but his eyes flaring red made them all calm down immediately to avoid any of their teacher's wrath.

"This is related to your internships. Second and Third years get many more offers generally, but this year you managed to impress a lot of professional heroes." Aizawa turned and clicked a button on a remote, the board in the back of the room filling with names followed by numbers.

Izuku blinked in shock…his, Ochako, Katsuki, Todoroki, were all sitting at thousands of offers. The others who participated in the third round of the tournament all had at least a hundred, but after that names vanished off the board.

"It's normally more spread out, but you four just had to give me a headache. For those who don't see offers, don't worry, we work with over forty agencies to make sure you all get experience, so you will all be taking part in internships."

"Ah that's why we're doing our names now!" Sato said with a grin.

"This'll be fun!" Ochako added, smiling wide.

"These names can be temporary, but if you're not serious about it-"

The door to the classroom slid open as Midnight flounced in exaggeratedly "-there'll be hell to pay later!" She stepped in, coming to stand beside Aizawa. "The names you choose now will likely be noticed by the public, and it'll be difficult to lose them once you've gone pro. So make sure you think carefully now!"

"Midnight will be making sure your names are okay. I'm bad at that sort of thing."

Midnight snickered. "Yeah, Present Mic is the one who gave him his current name."

"Shut up Nemuri," Aizawa muttered, already in his sleeping bag. He gave one last glare to the class. "This is important for your futures, so be sure to think carefully. Midnight, class is yours," and promptly fell over, turning away from them and looking for all intents and purposes, like he was asleep.

The class was handed small dry erase boards to write them down on, Midnight instructing them as they went. Some of the class went by easily…Ochako's choice of Uravity was complimented by Midnight, and Izuku couldn't help but find it adorable. Tsuyu's name of The Rainy Season Hero: Froppy, was met with the class chanting it as they cheered, the normally unflappable Tsuyu flushing a little at the praise.

Mina got into a debate with Midnight about her name, but eventually they managed to settle it with her going by Queen instead of Alien Queen, even though Mina was muttering under her breath about how some heroes got away with names like 'Gang Orca' and weren't given flack for it. Toru, taking into account what Izuku had said about her Quirk reflecting light, went with Prism.

Eijiro took on the name Red Riot, the homage to his hero causing Izuku and Eijiro to gush about Crimson Riot for a good five minutes before Midnight stopped them.

Katsuki swaggered up to the front of the room, slamming his board down and spinning it about to show his name 'Dynamight', leaving Izuku to snicker at him while the blonde boy glared at his brother, knowing Izuku was snickering because he intended on telling Toshinori as soon as possible.

Shoto simply used his name, saying he was unsure what to go with at the moment. Midnight reluctantly accepted it, but gently encouraged him to consider further and soon. Shoto nodded.

Tenya stepped up at Midnight's call, struggling as he went. When he flipped the board to show his name, Midnight opened her mouth to speak about it but he cut her off, standing tall. "My brother…wants me to take his name. But I don't think I've earned it yet. So…this is my intent. I will earn the name Ingenium, and then accept it as my hero name to continue on his legacy. For now, I shall simply be myself, until the day I can prove myself."

Midnight gazed at him, meeting his firm gaze with a serious one of her own, before slowly nodding her head. "If you're sure, Ida. But…I know Tensei well. I believe he wouldn't have asked you if he didn't think you had earned it."

"I…I know. But I don't feel that, yet. So…not yet," Tenya looked away from the class, his demeanor losing its rigidness as he did.

"Very well. Who's left? Himiko, are you ready?" Midnight asked, wanting to move the attention off of Tenya.

Himiko nodded, stepping up to the front of the class. "For the longest time, I thought about a name involving vampires or something, cause of the whole blood thing. But that's not all there is to me, and to who I want to be as a hero. Since I'm gonna use not only my power, but the power of the people I love to help others…I'm gonna be The Vampiric Hero: Changeling!"

"A little bit close to the line when it comes to intimidation, but I'll allow it," Midnight said with a smile. Himiko smiled back nervously, ducking her head as she walked back to her seat. Ochako reached over and squeezed her hand gently as she passed, the blonde giving her a squeeze back before taking her seat.

"I believe that just leaves you, Midoriya?" Midnight asked.

Izuku nodded, stepping up to the front of the room. "By now, you guys all know my story. How a villain called a storm and took everything from me. For the longest time…I was afraid of storms, you know?" Izuku said softly, looking down at his board as he spoke. He took a deep breath as he looked up at the classroom. "But the funny thing was, the most I could ever charge was during a storm, from the raindrops. Almost like it was telling me not to be afraid or something."

He paused for a moment, a soft smile crossing his face as he continued. "And I think I don't want to be afraid any more. I don't want anyone to be afraid. I want to stand up before everyone, announce that I am here, and make sure they feel safe. So I won't be afraid. I won't let what Nine did ruin something beautiful for me. So that's why I've chosen this name."

"The Charge Hero: Tempest."

Someone commented 'Izuku is the storm that is approaching!' a few chapters back and you have NO idea how hard I laughed when I saw that, considering this was planned from the start.