Shoto has questions! He gets answers. Toru trains her Quirk. Eri trains HER quirk. Shoto makes a statement. And Izuku has put the pieces together.

Not gonna lie, this chapter was difficult to write for me. Not sure why. I'm not super happy with it, but...for now this is where its gone.

Shoto needed advice. The feelings were getting quite distracting. Very much so. And now it had expanded to include Momo, along with Izuku and Ochako. It simply boggled his mind how swiftly he found himself succumbing to the idea of hugging them. Izuku was warmer than Ochako or Momo, yet he still felt a warmth that seemed to have little to nothing to do with their body temperatures. And the physical similarities simply did not exist! While Ochako held a significant amount of muscle mass, Momo was more 'soft', for lack of a better term. And Izuku was above both in solidity.

The heights were not even similar as a form of comparison. Momo was taller than both Izuku and himself, while Ochako was the shortest of the individuals in question. They all had different hair colors and eye colors as well! The physicality simply was not lining up to explain the strange warmth. And his research was not helping, so far he had found nothing save commentary on illness, which he already had Recovery Girl check for any form of sickness and found nothing.

So he was forced to consider other factors…Quirks, perhaps? Izuku's Quirk did explain his higher body temperature, but neither Creation nor Zero Gravity had any impact on body temperature insofar as he knew. And he knew Ochako went out of her way to not affect others with her Quirk (he had noticed the raised pinkies when she hugged him, which for some reason just made his face feel warmer).

Quirks didn't make much sense, really. What other factors were there? He spent most of his 'friend' time with them…perhaps it was just time spent that determined it? Izuku and he spent a lot of time sitting quietly together…oftentimes Shoto would seek him out while he was 'recharging' and just simply read near him. There was something comforting in being around someone else with a past they were ashamed of.

Time with Momo was…unexpected, at first. After the events of Hosu, he'd found that she was just pleasant to spend time with. He liked to think he wasn't snobbish, but…well, he couldn't deny he had some enjoyment of things often considered more 'high society', as it were. Momo had invited him to her tea tastings she liked to put on and he found he enjoyed it far more than he could explain. Quietly sitting with her, talking softly about things they'd experienced in their past, about how things were different now…really, he now realized there was a similarity between how he spoke to Izuku and Momo, now that he thought about it.

Ochako was the outlier, he supposed, but…maybe she wasn't? He didn't share much in common with her, but in some ways he thought that might be why he enjoyed spending time with her. She was…different. In so many ways. The way she lit up the rooms she entered, how cheerful and happy she was…but that wasn't all there was to her and the dichotomy fascinated him. When she got excited and competitive, she became a totally different person and it was both terrifying and somewhat endearing. Himiko had called it her 'Feral-Chako' mode and he really could not deny it.

But none of that explained the weird warmth! And it was bothering him far more than he could express. Especially with how Ochako had reacted the last time he'd spoken to her, after his hug experiments. She never did get back to him on the research she had done…but she was a busy person. He could understand the delay.

So instead, he would ask someone else, someone external who he did not know well but Izuku trusted implicitly, so he would as well. He merely needed to wait for the opportune time, and it finally appeared. Katsuki was currently sitting in the living area, vaguely watching something on the television that he didn't appear to be paying much attention to. He looked bored, as far as Shoto could tell, and that meant this might be the best time to ask him. Shoto stepped up to the blonde, waiting patiently to get his attention. Katsuki glanced up at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Need something, Icyhot?"

Shoto nodded. "Yes. I have a question for you, if you'd be willing to answer."

The blonde blinked at him in confusion, before shrugging. "Sure. What's up?"

Shoto took a seat on the couch next to him and calmly began to go through what had been occurring…from the initial hug at the hospital, to his realization of new hugs being pleasant, to how warm he felt around Izuku and how it had now expanded to Ochako and Momo, and finally to how confused he had become lately due to this. How different it was and how distracting it had become.

It took him a good ten minutes to finish, and when he finished and looked up at the blonde, he was taken aback by the sheer utter exasperation he could see plastered on the other teens face. He opened his mouth to ask but Katsuki's loud, annoyed sigh and slumped shoulders cut him off. The blonde teen ran one hand down his face and stared up for a moment, as if begging a deity to save him, before turning to stare at the Shoto.

"Okay. Listen. You came to me for advice, so understand that I am a dick. I am going to say this to you in a very rude way and I am going to preface it by pointing out that I am not trying to be a dick, but it's obvious you need smacked in the face to understand what's going on. It's not complicated, Shoto…you have a fucking crush on Izuku. And apparently Cheeks and High Class too. Somehow."

Shoto blinked once. Twice. A third time. He glanced down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists for a moment, before glancing back up. "But I do not have a desire to harm any of them? Would crushing them not harm them?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes and sighed deeply once more. "Okay…right. No fucking colloquialisms. Got it." He looked away from Shoto, one hand tugging at his hair as he tried to think of how to express it to the other teen.

"Need a hand explaining?" Mina asked, her head popping up over the back of the couch and making both young men nearly jump out of their seats.

"The fuck you doing back there?!" Katsuki snarled, glaring at her.

She shrugged. "I was gonna sneak up on you and prank you, but then Shoto started talking and I decided not to."

"Do you understand what my issue is? The confusion is truly bothering me, and I would rather not be mocked if that is your intention." Shoto asked, turning to look at her with a blank expression.

Mina's face softened, the normal teasing tone in her voice gone as she spoke softly. "Oh, honey. I'm not making fun of you, I promise. Feelings can be very difficult to process, so I get why it's bugging you. Well…you know how I'm with Toru and Ochako? And how Katsuki is with Eijiro?"

"Yes. I am aware of your romantic entanglements. What does that have to do with this?"

Mina shook her head with a soft smile on her face. "Shoto…you want what we have. A crush, as Kats put it, is romantic feelings towards someone. You like Izuku, and Ochako, and Momo in the way I like Toru and Ochako. Romantically."

Shoto blinked at her in confusion once more, saying nothing for a good half a minute as he stared blankly at Mina. After a brief time, he turned to look at Katsuki, still staring blankly, only to witness the blonde shrugging in agreement with Mina's statement. He paused, looking down at his hands for a moment, before slowly looking back up. He turned in his seat to look directly at Mina and nodded. "Thank you. That…I…I suppose that…It…"

Mina took pity on him and reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it gently. "It's okay Shoto, it's a lot to take in, right?"

He nodded almost too rapidly, still blank faced. "Yes. Yes, it is. It is a lot. I…I am…I-"

"Icyhot. Breathe," Katsuki ordered, making the split-haired teen turn to look at him. "It's alright, you know. To feel shit. It's fine. And it's fine if you need some fucking time. Take all the time in the world. We're not gonna say shit, k? Right, Racoon Eyes?"

Mina rolled her eyes at Katsuki, but nodded. "I won't say a word, I promise, okay? You can say something when and if you're comfortable. And if not, you don't have to either. Just take some time to think it over, okay?"

"...is…is it actually okay, though? They are all committed to one another, are they not?" Shoto asked quietly.

"Yeah, and I'm in the mix too, and so is Kyoka, Himiko, Toru, and Tsu. So what? That's what a polycule is, Shoto. We're all a big clusterfuck of relationships and confusion and it's fine. No ones gonna be upset you got a crush, I promise you. And if you wanna shoot your shot, nobodies gonna stop you-"

"Little early for that, isn't it?" Katsuki said, cutting her off with a glare.

"I'm not saying he should do it now, I'm just saying he should feel like he can do it when he's ready!" Mina replied hotly.

"Yeah well, looks like fucking pressure!"
"Well it's not!"

"Mina, seriously, he-"

"Please…both of you, don't argue," Shoto interrupted. Katsuki let out a hmph and sat back in his chair as Mina smiled sheepishly.

"It's fine, Shoto. We argue all the time, it's what we do. It's how I know Kats loves me!" Mina replied brightly.

"Fuck off," Katsuki drawled, rolling his eyes.

"You know you love meeeee," Mina replied, drawing the word me out.

"I tolerate you."

Shoto stood up, drawing the duo's attention away from their friendly bickering. He took a deep, bracing breath, before offering them both a bowed head. "Thank you. I will be going to my room to think on this, now that I know what is happening. I appreciate your help."

"Don't mention it," Katsuki waved him off dismissively.

"Anytime, Shoto! Lemme know if you need any more advice, I got tons!" Mina replied with a bright smile.

Shoto nodded once more, turning about and walking back to the elevator to head to his dorm. He had…much to think on. Perhaps after a nap…he really did feel exhausted right now.

"Okay. Okay, I got this. I got this. I got this," Toru repeated to herself, her body twitching as she shimmied in place from nerves.

Izuku nodded next to her, a cautious grin on his face. "Yeah. You can do this, Toru. Whenever you're ready, go for it."

"Right, yeah. Okay. I-I can do this. I can!" She quickly shook her hands out, rolled her shoulders, and focused on that spot in her chest she'd felt before, where that 'switch' as Izuku had called it was. She'd been waiting for this moment for what felt like forever, and finally she was going to do it! Izuku was with her, ready to encourage her, and so was Himiko and Yuga. Himiko because she knew what a transformation felt like, and Yuga due to the fact Izuku had speculated his laser could interact with her body in a different way so they intended on testing it out together. But for now…she was gonna become visible.

"You can do this, Toru. Deep breaths, in and out, relax. We're here with you. You got this," he encouraged her softly, his tone filled with confidence.

She nodded, focusing harder, seeking, searching, feeling for that switch, that moment, that brief second where she'd been able to force her invisibility off. She took in several deep breaths, slowing her breathing, trying to meditate like Kyoka had taught her, trying to set aside the billion thoughts that ran through her mind every few seconds and just be there, in the moment.

That's when she felt it, a pressure, a tick in the center of her chest, a brief spot she could almost see, almost touch…and then she did. She gasped, eyes snapping open as she realized she could feel it, the switch, the moment that would do it, the thing that held the secret to her Quirk…she could hold it in her hand, grasp it now, and…she flipped the switch.

There wasn't a sudden change in how she felt. No instant revelation. But the soft gasps and the muted squeal she heard from Himiko clued her in. She opened her eyes, to find a mirror being held up in front of her face, her multicolored eyes and hair visible to her. She let out a squeal of delight, leaping up and throwing her arms around Izuku's neck, the green-haired man almost falling over from the force. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her, returning her squeeze with a massive grin on his face.

As soon as she let go, Himiko had practically leapt atop her for a hug, Toru grabbing her back just as tightly. Yuga was clapping loudly, his smile wide, as the four students celebrated her pulling off something she'd only dreamt of.

"I-I can't believe it worked!" she said, still in partial shock.

"I never doubted you for a moment," Izuku reassured her.

"Yeah! And now we can go shopping for makeup for you!" Himiko practically shouted, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Oui, this is a monumental occasion and I am truly honored to be part of it," Yuga said, posing dramatically as he was wont to do. His pose faded a moment later as he let out a yawn, but he shook himself off to continue celebrating with Toru.

The other three smiled indulgently at the flamboyant French teen, but didn't comment any further…Izuku long ago realized Yuga felt out of place in Japan, and that he was intensely insecure and so showed off to try and distract from that. While he had become slightly more comfortable with the class since, Izuku could feel he still felt distant…which is part of why he brought him in. If anyone could bring the boy out of his shell, it'd be two of the class's most exuberant members.

Yes he was meddling, and no he didn't care anymore. He had the ability to know how others he cared about felt and so dammit, he was going to use it! Wasn't like he could really turn it off; he'd tried, but turns out the whole Danger Sense fusing with his ability to read energy patterns meant it inherited Danger Sense's inability to be turned off…which was frustrating. But fine, if he had to know what everyone he cared about felt, he'd do things to make them feel better.

And that led to the next experiment. With gentle encouragement, Toru was able to start directly manipulating light from a flashlight (bending it, changing the color, altering its intensity, etc). So now, to see if she could manipulate something with more…force, as it were. Izuku's beams were both energy and light, so he was out (at least for now), but it seemed Yuga's laser was exactly that, a pure concentrated light beam. So with some trepidation, Toru got in position and nodded at Yuga, ready for the shot.

Yuga nodded back, concentrating to try to make sure the beam he shot was much lower power than he was now used to, and launched a beam towards the previously invisible girl…who caught it in her hands. The assembled group stared at her for a moment, holding a glowing, glittering ball of pure light within her fingertips…before bursting into cheers.

"So cool!" Himiko shouted, almost jumping onto Toru's back as she peered over her shoulder at the ball of light in Toru's hands.

"That is truly magnificent! My sparkle, in the palm of your hands, still alive for all to see! Truly, we work well together!" Yuga praised, clapping softly with a wide grin on his face.

"I-I…I can't believe this! I can do so much more! I…oh gosh, I thought I had to be underground. I didn't think…I didn't think I could ever pull attention enough to be limelight. I…" Toru trailed off, her voice thick with emotion as she stared at the ball of light flickering between her fingers.

"You woulda figured this out on your own, I'm sure. I just cheated," Izuku said, a wide smile on his face as he winked at the word 'cheated'.

"I don't care how you figured this out…just…thank you," Toru whispered, emotion flooding her voice as she spoke.

"Anytime, Toru…anytime. But hey, let's see what else you can do, okay?"

Toru nodded, sniffling a bit but finally looking up to see the faces of the other three. "Yeah!"

"Okay sweetie, just like we talked about," Ochako said softly, gently gesturing forward at the small lizard with the missing tail in the aquarium in front of them. Eri bit her lip in consternation, staring at it before looking back up at Ochako for confirmation. The brunette nodded, keeping her soft smile on her face as she knelt next to the unicorn child.

Aizawa was leaning against the wall, his eyes carefully on the two before him, ready to activate his Quirk if anything went wrong. Not that he anticipated it would. They'd been practicing her Quirk for a month now, and she hadn't had any flare ups in the past two weeks. Izuku had mentioned he could see her Quirk signature slowly repairing itself over time as she used it, indicating that without Overhaul constantly hurting her, she would heal naturally from the damage he'd inflicted upon her Quirk.

He wasn't there at that time, off helping Toru train, but Ochako and Himiko had both taken plenty of turns helping Eri with her Quirk, and today Momo was also present. She had prepared snacks for Eri, humming to herself softly as she set out a small tea set and plated various candied fruits for her once her training was done. Today was a big day for Eri…if she could pull off healing on this lizard, it'd be the closest she'd gotten to true healing without causing damage to her patient…something not even Recovery Girl could boast, not with how much her Quirk drained the patient's stamina.

Ochako continued her gentle encouragement, one hand on Eri's back as she gestured animatedly to the lizard in the aquarium. Momo's lips quirked up in a grin, enjoying the sight before her…for all of Izuku's parental attitude towards Eri that now had her calling him Dad (and she still hadn't managed to get him to explain when that happened), Ochako was not much better. She was pretty sure she'd even caught Eri calling Ochako Mom at least once, although she was not entirely certain yet. But still, watching the two of them interact just warmed her heart.

She watched as Eri focused, her horn sparking with yellow energy for a moment, her tiny hands clasped about the aquarium as she stared at the lizard inside. Her lips pursed as she almost glared, a little bit of tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she concentrated. A yellow light suffused the small animal, heavily focused on where the tail was supposed to be…and Momo watched, eyes wide and smile wider, as the tail began to slowly reappear, the lizard looking surprisingly relaxed, if a bit confused, as it watched its tail regrow itself.

After a moment, the yellow light faded, Eri's horn slightly smaller, as silence fell over the room…for one second, before Ochako cheered, lifting Eri up in her arms and spinning about, the little girl raising her arms in the air in triumph.

"You did it!" Ochako cried out.

"Yeah! I did it!" Eri giggled, a wide smile on her face.

"Well done, Eri! You are truly doing excellent!" Momo cheered, clapping softly as she stepped up next to her girlfriend and the unicorn child.

Eri smiled back at Momo, throwing her arms around Ochako's neck and squeezing her tightly for a moment…before releasing her and holding her arms out to Momo, as if she wanted the taller teen to also give her a hug. Momo rocked back slightly, taken aback by the gesture of affection, but Ochako didn't give her a chance to think, quickly handing Eri over with her own wide grin. Momo found herself with her arms full of an adorable unicorn child suddenly hugging her. She couldn't help but return the hug, happy to celebrate with Eri.

The trio was interrupted when Aizawa stepped beyond them to pick up the tank holding the lizard. He looked at Eri, waiting till the silver-haired child looked at him, before nodding solemnly and offering her a rare smile of his own. "You did good, kiddo. I'll take this to the old lady to check how he's doing, but I'm sure it's fine. Good job today."

"Thank you Mr. Aizawa!" Eri replied, nodding rapidly at him in excitement. He gave a lazy wave bye and walked off, leaving the three girls to their own…which quickly led to a small tea party with the snacks Momo had brought for them. Ochako smiled as she watched Eri and Momo get along so well…A sudden surge of weariness took her over and she decided to lean her head on Momo's shoulder, enjoying the sudden squeak and flushed cheeks she could see in her peripheral vision as she relaxed. What a day that was…but she couldn't be happier.

Shoto has considered, contemplated, mused, pondered, planned, plotted…perhaps he should not have spent so long in the thesaurus while deciding on his course of action, now that he thought back. But he had made his decision. It was…a risk. He didn't actually think he was ready for a relationship necessarily? But he…he also couldn't ignore what he felt. Now that he knew what the feeling was, it almost felt right to indulge in it. Now that he knew why he wanted to sit with Momo and just listen to her talk about her favorite books…why he enjoyed when Ochako casually linked their arms as she gently reminded him it was dinner time and pulled him from his room to the kitchen…why he enjoyed the time spent next to Izuku, and how it warmed him when the green-haired teen flashed him that brilliant smile.

So he had decided he would speak to them. He had noticed the status of the relationships in their 'polycule', as he had learned the term was, were in various stages and connections and therefore believed if they accepted him (a big if, but Shoto was willing to risk it), he could perhaps be eased into it? Or at least…they would know his intention?

Perhaps he should wait…no. No, he had already decided this. He would not back down. Izuku had taught him the value in moving forward, in moving past your past, in trying to push past one's own hangups. He pondered how to do it…should he speak to them individually? All three at once? Or does he speak to the entire group?

He was still deciding how to bring it up when he entered the common room, and noticed that most of the class was there. Only a few were missing…Fumikage, Rikido, Koji, and Mezo were not present. Everyone else appeared to be…well, then fine. Now seemed as good a time as any.

Izuku, Ochako, and Momo were conveniently located together, Momo and Ochako speaking softly as they explained something to Izuku, the green-haired teen nodding along and taking notes as they spoke. Shoto paused as he noticed Toru…visible, currently having her makeup being done by Mina, Kyoka offering commentary as the trio sat together. When Toru noticed him walking over, she offered him a blinding grin, one which he returned with his own muted smile…seeing her happy like that was nice to witness. While he could not truly understand how she felt about never being able to see herself…he did understand issues with one's self-image, considering he flinched every time he saw his scar in the mirror.

Oh. Right. His scar. Would…would they be okay with him, being so marred as he was? He knew they were not shallow, per se, but…but would anyone actually want to date someone so obviously deformed as he? Yes, he knew Izuku had scars too, but his was something you could not cover up. And Izuku's came from his innate heroism, from protecting his brother from danger…Shoto's came from his weakness, his inability to save his mother from his father.

No! He shook his head to clear it. He had made his choice, and what come of it, he would see it through. He glanced up, only to notice half the class looking at him in confusion…apparently he'd been standing there for a good thirty seconds just looking at nothing.

"Shoto? Need something?" Izuku asked, standing up to look him in the eyes. He tilted his head to the side, curious.

Shoto stared at him for a moment, his gaze slipping off Izuku to meet Ochako's warm brown gaze and then Momo's dark, seeking ones, before snapping back to the softly glimmering emeralds before him. Shoto had to…had to…had…

"Mina and Katsuki have helped me determine that I hold romantic feelings towards you, Ochako, and Momo. I am unsure how to proceed from here. I have done research but have not fully concluded the correct path to take, so I have decided to present my findings to the three of you and ask for your input and assistance on what I should do," Shoto just…spilled out his words, voice monotone and facial expression blank, as if he were asking for assistance on what color to choose for his upholstery.

Momo squeaked, eyes going wide as her cheeks flushed. Half the class' jaw dropped, Katsuki facepalmed, Mina covered her mouth to cover her squeal. Ochako turned red, glancing away from him, as Izuku returned his blank stare with a flabbergasted one of his own. The room sat in silence for a good thirty seconds, before Katsuki let out a loud, annoyed groan and stood up.

He reached down to grab Eijiro's arm, pulling his boyfriend up as he glanced about at everyone not part of the polycule. "C'mon, let the idiots talk this out. Icyhot, for fucks sake," his final words were a loud groan as he started shooing everyone out of the room, giving one final glare at Shoto as he left.

Shoto blinked back at Katsuki, a little confused. He became even more confused when Mina approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "Oh honey."

"What? You expressed your interest before the entire class and it functionally turned out how you hoped, did it not?"

Mina blinked at him, only to be interrupted by Kyoka's snicker. "He's got you there."

"...Shoto. Are…are you sure?" Izuku asked softly, having finally broken through his own shock. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but you're not…um…the most in tune with how you feel about things."

Shoto tilted his head to the side. "Can you not verify with your ability? I had not asked previously because I was worried the feeling came from your Quirk at first so I felt it best to perform my research separately."

Izuku blinked rapidly. He stared at Shoto for a brief moment, eyes glowing slightly before they went wide. His cheeks flushed and he broke his gaze with Shoto, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as Momo and Ochako stared at him in consternation.

Himiko nodded, her teeth visible as she grinned. "Oh yeah, that's a confirmation right there, isn't it Izu?"

"...well? Is it? Is he right?" Ochako asked, coming up next to Izuku and grabbing his arm gently.

"Uh…well…um…" Izuku slumped, sighing. "Yeah. Okay. Mina and Kacchan were right."

"Oh," Momo said softly, one hand over her lips as she looked up at Shoto, her cheeks pink.

"...have I upset you? I-I am sorry if I did, that was not my-" Shoto began to apologize, feeling doubt creeping in, but was cut off by Izuku stepping forward quickly, one hand reaching out to grasp Shoto by the wrist.

"No! No, it's…it's fine, Shoto. Just wasn't expecting another confession, is all," Izuku replied with a sheepish, if unsteady grin. Izuku took a deep breath, sharing a glance with Ochako for a moment before turning back to Shoto. "Okay…well…what do you want to do with this?"

"I am unsure. But I…I enjoy hugging? I-I am aware you are all in various stages of your relationships and it is still new for many of you and…would it be possible for me to attempt something similar? I-if you feel anything for me, that is, I would not want to impose if I am not wanted."

Izuku paused, glancing over at the flushed Momo and Ochako who stared at him with wide eyes. Ochako glanced back at Shoto, swallowing thickly before turning back to Izuku and nodding. The two turned to look at Momo, the dark-haired teen flushing even brighter but nodding as she looked down and away from them. Izuku turned back to Shoto.

"...let's give it a shot. I um…I do like hugging you too, so…yeah. We'll talk over the particulars later?"

Shoto nodded, before feeling the unease creep over him for a moment and felt like he had to ask. "...and you do not mind my scar? I am aware I am ugly with it, and I do not think-"

"Shoto, honey, you're like, the prettiest guy in school, you do know that right?" Mina interjected, cutting him off.

He blinked at her in confusion. "But the scar-"

"Scars are sexy. And you got the pretty boy face," Kyoka replied, not really glancing up at him as she focused on applying some blush to Toru's face since Mina had moved over to 'help' Shoto. Tsuyu hummed in agreement, her attention on a book as she leaned back against the couch.

"Pretty boy face?" He asked.

Ochako cleared her throat. "Y-yeah. You're one of the most attractive boys in the school, Shoto. There was a poll and everything. So um…don't…don't think bad of yourself, okay?"

He felt that odd warmth in his chest at hearing her say that, and turned to look at Mina. "Is it normal to feel warm when Ochako compliments me like that?"

He wondered why Ochako made a sudden squeaking noise, and why there was a random thump on the ceiling, but his attention was kept on Mina and her almost unnervingly wide grin as she nodded. "Yep! It always feels good to hear nice things about yourself from someone you care about!"

"Oh. Well. So should I offer a compliment in return?"

"If you mean it, yes!"

Shoto nodded. "Very well. I shall try to offer more compliments. Ochako, I-" He turned about to try and say something, but was confused when he couldn't see her. "Ochako?"

Izuku and Momo, though their faces were also flushed, were giggling at something. He was not sure what was so amusing, but he noticed most of the group were now also laughing and was even more confused until Himiko stepped up next to him, wrapped one arm around his shoulders, and pointed up. He followed her finger, tilting his head in confusion as he saw the now red-faced Ochako hovering against the ceiling.

"Ochako? Are you alright up there? Do you require assistance?"

"Nope! Nope, I'm totally good up here! I'm fine!" She managed to squeak out.

"Shall I offer a compliment now?"

"Maybe wait till she comes down," Mina added, her arm over Shoto's other shoulder. He was a little confused by the fact he was now caged in by the two girls, but he did not offer protest as they helped him to a seat on the couch.

Himiko gave him a squeeze and then smiled at him. "You're part of the group now! So you can stay with us out here! If you want, that is."

Shoto thought about it a moment before nodding. "...yes. Yes, I would like that."

Ochako wasn't entirely sure how she ended up in this position…but to be honest, she wasn't complaining. Mina's head was in her lap, the pink girl currently gesticulating wildly as she gossiped about…well, something, to Toru, the invisible teen gently massaging Mina's feet as she replied back in return. Shoto was on her other side, quietly discussing something with Momo, while Himiko was sprawled on the floor at her feet, stretched out in the sunlight like a cat.

Tsuyu and Kyoka were next to Himiko, Kyoka's back against the couch as she strummed on her guitar quietly, Tsuyu listening to her intently. She glanced over, noting Tenya reading a book, curled up in an armchair, as Katsuki and Eijiro were sprawled out over the other couch, half asleep. Really, it was quite…warm, where she was, right at the center of basically everything, but she didn't really mind it. The warmth felt nice, with how cold she'd been feeling recently, a bone deep chill that had been sapping at her strength for days now.

In fact, she was pretty sure she wasn't the only one feeling that way…for all the fact the class as a whole seemed to be keeping mostly tight lipped on it, they were heroes in training. It was odd to see so many of them as lethargic as they were, or how much more clothing everyone was putting on.

After Shoto's…confession, and some rapid work to calm herself down, they had settled back into some semblance of…well, something. The rest of the class had slowly trickled back in when they thought it 'safe', and luckily for her heart rate, no one had commented on Shoto's confession, or the fact he was now pressed closely between her and Momo. Izuku had left for a bit, saying he had an essay to finalize so it was pretty much everyone in the room save her boyfriend…well…one of her boyfriends now?

It was much later in the evening by now, shortly after dinnertime, and the class was just enjoying a nice, peaceful night in. There was a gentle rain falling outside, the tap tap tap of water against the window a gentle backdrop to the soft murmur of conversation and relaxation.

The peace in the common room was broken by the door slamming open, everyone starting at the sudden appearance of Mei in the doorway, dripping wet. "Mei!" Tenya shouted, standing up and chopping his hand fiercely. "While we do enjoy your company, there is no need to slam the door when you arrive!"

"Yeah yeah, where's Ten Million? I got super awesome news!" she said dismissively, looking about for Izuku.

"He's in his room. I'll send him a text," Himiko replied, pulling out her phone lazily and tapping away at it. A few moments later, while Mei proceeded to bounce in place in barely contained excitement and Tenya continued to scold her for her actions, Izuku came down the stairs.

Ochako felt a small chill run up her spine and yawned as a wave of lethargy washed over her. She leaned into Shoto's side, enjoying the warmth exuding from him. With one eye cracked open, she saw how Momo was doing the same while Shoto himself leaned back against the couch, looking just as tired as she felt.

"What's up Mei?" Izuku began, but was cut off as she dashed forward to leer in his face.

"One of I-Island's best support students is coming to UA! We're getting a new transfer in! I've seen her designs, they are so cool! And, and and and, she's the daughter of David Shield!"

Izuku blinked at her for a moment before his eyes went wide. "Wait, David Shield? You mean-"

"All Might's support tech! Oh my god I can't wait, I wanna work with her to make so many babies!" Mei shouted, waving her arms wildly.

Izuku couldn't help but grin and chuckle at her enthusiasm…it was obvious to him she had come here because no one else had been as excited at the news and she knew he would be…and he absolutely was! David Shield was a legend, and Izuku could not help but be as giddy as she was at the thought of his daughter, who he could only imagine what she'd learned from him, being here at UA too!

In her excited flailing, Mei ended up slipping, losing her balance and starting to fall over. Izuku snapped into action, reaching out to grab her arm and pull her upright to keep her from falling over. As his bare hand contacted her bare upper arm, Mei's entire body slumped, all excitement draining from her as she let out a jaw cracking yawn.

Izuku froze. Something…felt off. She lost her excitement right as he suddenly felt more invigorated…as he felt warmer. Unbidden, his vision flickered, the energy visible to him once more as he felt the vestiges in the back of his mind clamoring for his attention, but he was too focused on why his vision had kicked on…and then he saw it.

Streams of color flowing from the others in the room, faint gossamer strands all spiraling and flowing, floating, twisting and twining…to him. At the center of a vortex of energy he stood, a rainbow of colors all circling him, driving into him…from everyone else.

The pieces fell into place in his mind, everything suddenly so clear. Tenya's sudden lack of desire to run in the mornings. Kyoka had stopped composing new songs. The others were tired, yawning, always cold according to Himiko. How Rikido had stopped experimenting with new recipes, how much worse everyone else's grades had gotten.

Izuku's entire body shook. He felt every ounce of his being fighting against the thought, against the idea, but the evidence was right fucking there. Izuku was draining the others of their energy, their vitality, their very lives. The nightmare tower…the power fed off of nightmares…but he didn't cause nightmares, he didn't feed off those, he fed off energy…and so he was now feeding off those he loved, like some sort of fucking energy vampire.

He realized he still had a hold of Mei's arm. Horrified, he let go of it, backing up, stumbling over his own feet as he went. The sudden clamor got the attention of the room as he fell into the wall, eyes wide and gasping. Mei shook her head, holding it for a second as she swayed in place.

Ochako got to her feet slowly, turning around to look at Izuku, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he gasped for air. His body began to glow green, energy dripping off his form, green rivulets falling from his shaking fingertips to splash harmlessly on the floor. "Izu? Is everything alright?" She asked softly.

He couldn't answer her. Couldn't think. Couldn't respond. He was hurting her. He was hurting everyone! Unbidden, memories flashed before his eyes…green energy flooding the area, a wave of annihilation and devastation. The screams that rose into the air, the fear and loathing and hurt once he'd realized what he'd done. Watching his dad run to him, desperate to help, only to vanish…watching his Mom see the end coming and unable to react, just being lost to the green.

Thirty seven. Two hundred eleven. But those weren't the only numbers in his mind. How many people had he impacted who loved those who were lost, who were hurt? Was it three hundred? Five? A thousand? How much had he done?...and now he'd done more. He was draining from them, taking their lives like he'd done as a child, only slowly, an insidious, cruel type of murder, one that took and took and took because that's all he knew how to do!

"Zu? The fucks up with you?" Katsuki asked, taking a step towards him.

Izuku's eyes went wide. No. No! He couldn't come closer! None of them could! He…he couldn't be near them, any of them! He heard a clamor in his mind, a pressure, the vestiges reaching out to speak to him, to call him, to stop him, but he slammed the wall shut, separating himself from them. He couldn't handle it right now, he couldn't hear them, couldn't listen…no. He had to leave.

His body alighted with emerald lightning, the eyes of the class going wide. Katsuki took another step forward, Shoto lifted one hand to call to him. Ochako was already in motion, he could see her staring to leap over the couch as Himiko leapt to her feet…but for one brief, sudden moment of clarity, he had the focus he needed.

"...I'm sorry," he whispered…before bolting through the door, snapping it from its hinges as he vanished into the dark, leaving behind nothing but a green trail that slowly hissed as it dissipated into the air…like his form disappearing into the night.

Sorry not sorry?