You're not good at maths

Touya was on patrol. It was a slow day and thankfully that damn bird boy was nowhere to be seen. Which was a plus in his eyes. That damn chicken newbie always seemed to appear when he was least wanted. Then there's...Tenko. Things have been relaxing with an ominous silent. He hadn't talked to his ex and vice versa since the most recent break up. Even Kai has been tight-lipped with any information between either of them. Or the doctor didn't really care. Whatever the case Touya didn't want to think about it right now, so he moseyed along the streets like usual.

Eventually, he crossed paths with an brick building. It's wall surrounded it with a metal gate and plenty of foliage. The plaque on one of the pillars at the entryway stated it was an orphanage. He recognised the name as the same one his father was supposed to visit that day. Along with this Captain Celebrity hero. Show off was the best way to describe the foreign hero but he was his father's problem.

Stil, he couldn't help but be curious had what the two of them were doing.

"I'll just take a peek."

Touya had some time to kill so we strolled through the gates, sweet-talk the receptionist into letting and made it to the playground where they were at. The scene he saw was... Something.

There was a bunch of cheerleaders for some reason. Dancing around with pom poms rustling as excitedly as their cheers. C.C. was dancing with them in the air. Twirling around and flexing his muscular form. Also clearly flirting with a few of them as the cameras flashed in every direction. Most of the audience were children who cheered with giggles. That wasn't the strangest thing. That honour belonged to his father who is dancing with a bunny person?

The young hero wasn't sure how this came to be, but those cheerleaders became background fluff to the main attraction. That was his father dancing with a humanoid bunny in a puffy dress. Or maybe a lady in a bunny suit and a princess dress. Touya would laugh if it wasn't so confusing.

Then things became even more confusing when a woman he recognised as Makoto came barrelling in with a waggon full of glass bottles other glass items, a swimming pool and massive metal box of some kind. On her arrival, the children instantly jumped off their legs and tackled his father. All demanding he performed some kind of magic trick... Dad did magic?

Enji found himself nearly buried with children's bodies. The bunny princess tried to help but she was outnumbered and outpowered by the group of excitable children. The two of them were no match of the little army as they both fell under the growing weight. "Please, one at a time."

It took all Touya's willpower not to laugh. It was too bizarre. His stern no fun dad is being overrun by little children. What a sight to behold. Then he noticed another odd thing.

Hidden in the shadow of a tree was a young boy. Far off from the rest of the group. He looked to be at least 10 years old yet he had a serious expression crinkled his young face. His little brain was working hard as his grey eyes stared intently at an open book.

Curiously, Touya put it over to the boy. They were too immersed in their book to notice the hero's presence as he leaned over the boy's shoulder. At first, he thought it was some kind of story they were invested in, but it turned out to be a math book. With high-level equations printed the page. The boy tried to mimic them the best he could. Then use them to answer a few of the practice questions.

"Yo. What are you doing here all on your own?" the young hero asked.

The boy jumped for a moment then snapped an icy glare at the hero. "What's it to you?"

Such attitude. Touya shrugged it off and sat by the snappy child. "What are you working on?" The child continued to ignore him. Far too focused on what is math book. Touya would have labelled it as cold and annoying if it was for the boy's cute puffy face. Clearly, they were trying hard to solve all those equations. An mischievous grin curled the ends of Touya lips as he pointed to one finished answer. "That equation is wrong."

Blushing with a stern expression, the child huffily rubbed out his answer and tried it again. It was still wrong.

Touya chuckled at the child's growing puffy, red cheeks. "You're not very good a math, are you?"

The puffy face child snapped at the hero. "And what are you? A genius!"

"Nah that's my brother." Touya casually denied it. Now that he thought about it Izuku started doing those equations when he was much younger than this kid. Damn, his brother was a madman they came to study. To think there were other kids like him. "Shouldn't you be playing instead of studying? If you go now, you might be able to meet some cool hero."

The child shrugged it off and continue to do the equations. It wasn't much but he was starting to make sense with half of them. "You're a hero right? So, I talked to a hero. I don't need to talk to anyone else."

Touya frowned at the child's persistence. He really couldn't help but see his younger brother. Always saying he doesn't want to play because he had studies to do. At least with his little bro, he knew what he was doing. This kid was clearly not equipped to answer these. They were too high level for him. Perhaps some assistance was in order. "Here."

The young hero took the book from the child and a long with the scrap piece of paper they had on hand. Step by step he showed the boy how to use the formula properly. He had done similar things with Izuku when he was younger. Although it was usually it ended with Izuku correcting his work to show off a more efficient way of using said formula. A competitive spirit sparked within Touya and so he forced himself to get good at math. Just so his brother wouldn't hang it over his head. On the bright side, he gained high marks on his math exams. Downside everything you learned was pretty much useless. At least his brother found use with those stupid equations.

As the hero showed the child the ropes he slowly but surely got the gist of it. He could at least complete one simple equation all on his own. The pride in his eyes was bright. Although, there was still one question the young hero had.

"You know some of this stuff is a little above your age range. Why are you trying to learn it?" Touya asked curiously.

"I want to be smart so I can go to space!" The child exclaimed excitedly. Star sparkled in his eyes as he stared up at the sky. "Everyone said I can't since I'm an orphan and bad at math, but I'll show them! I'll get really smart, show that off to my future parents, and go to space."

Hartley, Touya snorted at the child's passion. Working on equations above his age level to impress his future parents. This kid really looked like his little brother. Only replace hero with an astronaut. "Well, if all else fails, you could always show off your quirk. That usually gets people's attention."

It was a sudden pause. It was eerie.

Wasn't hard to notice the instant drop in pressure. Touya looked over at the youngster whose head was down in misery. There was no way he could hide it when it was painted so clearly across his face. The realisation came quick along with his heart swaying empathetically.

"You're quirkless."

Shamefully, the child covered his face inside the open textbook. Once blazing passion eyes were soaked with frightful tears. "Don't laugh."

Touya shook his head. He could never laugh. This was not at all a laughable matter. He was sure other kids laughed already did that. Maybe even teachers and the other staff members. But he won't laugh. Instead, he gave the boy a gentle pat on the head and a smile. "You know, having a quirkless brother and all, it's not that bad. Actually, I know a guy that says the quirkless are special."

Sniffling child wiped away his tears. "They're a lair or a weirdo."

While weirdo would represent Arata to a tea, Touya knew better than to call the man a liar.

Gently, he coaxed the little boy onto his lap. He helped wipe away their tears and snuggle them close with his arms. "They said they admired how you quirkless can choose. Your lives aren't dictated by the kind of quirk you have."

He looked at his own scarred arm and thought of his quirk. In a way, he was one of the many who allowed his quirk to dictate his life. It was only because of his quirk his father chose him to carry on his legacy. To become a hero with a quirk even more powerful than hell flame. Never had Touya had the chance to think about other pathways. Heroism is the only option so he could see the benefit of not having a quirk. While not completely desirable, it did give someone the chance to choose.

"So why not go to space?" Touya said with a shrug. If that was what the kid wanted to do then let him go to space. The boy just needed to putt in the work.

With eyes widening the small boy looked at the young hero with admiration. No one had ever been supportive of his silly dream. The older kids either bullied him or pitied him. Even the adults filled pity in their eyes. Still, he could tell this hero was being honest. That was enough to give him a small bit of hope.

"If you like I can help a bit. I'm pretty good at math and usually have a free break around this time. I can always come by and teach you a thing or two." Touya offered.

"Really?" The child parked up with hope. Then lifted his small hand with his pinkie finger extended. "Pinkie swears with me. If you lie, you'll eat a thousand needles."

Touya laughed at the statement and comically rubbed his neck. Is it accepted the child's pinkie promise with the full intention of keeping that promise? "I better keep my promise then. I still have a life to live."

And to figure it out. But he kept that last part to himself.

Panting like an arctic rabbit that found herself in the desert, Inko slumped onto a nearby bench. She was tired, sweaty, so, so tired. She felt like she was cooking in her consume after dancing with the children for...She wasn't sure how long. It felt like hours. What she wouldn't give to throw the heavy mask off her head and feel the fleshing spring breeze. Too bad the thing weighed a ton, and her arm currently has the strength of noodles. Maybe after she coughed her breath after a nice, long sip of water.

With her remaining strength Inko noodle arms had, she unclicked the seam of the bottle cap with a twist. She then slipped the bottle just below the mask. She almost moaned in the light of the cool flowing liquid down her dry tongue. Was this how did people in the desert feel when they found an oasis? Because this was heaven.

"Are you not unconformable?" the Enji asked as he sat next to the woman still in costume.

Inko nearly choked on her water when the hero sat by her so casually. If that wouldn't kill her, the near heart attack she had would be a good second. Nervously, Inko stared at the flame hero. Her mind drifted so far off she almost couldn't process the fact the hero was talking to her. He had to repeat the question a few times before she could mumble out a hurried response. "No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Not convinced, Enji rummage through his pockets for something. It took him a while to find it since he wasn't use to taking it out in public. He wasn't sure what compelled him to bring it with him to begin with. It started as a little habit that grew into a routine before he went on patrol. Eventually, his fingers shuttered at the warmth of the cotton cloth brushing against the rough fingertips.

A smile graced the flame on his hardened face as he pulled out a small cloth. He snatched up another water bottle next to him and soaked the cloth with the cool liquid. Then handed the object to the woman. "Take this at least. It must be stuffy under there."

Reverently, Inko took the soaked object as if it was worth gold. She could barely hear herself think as her heart fluttered loudly in her ears. Like a boom box cranked to the max. It wasn't long until her breath was stolen. Her eyes must be pulling ticks on he, yet no matter how many times she blinked or readjusted the mask the sight never changed.

"This handkerchief," Inko whispered just loud enough for someone near to hear. Her bare fingers rubbed the embroidered harsh Chibi eyes staring back at her. She was very familiar with this face. The hero the embroidered design was emulating was right next to her...she was also its creator. "There's your face." She said with a half laugh. More so at herself than the hero.

Blushing, Enji quickly turned his face away. It must look rather tacky carrying around stuff with his face on. "It was a gift from a fan," he hurriedly explained. Hoping that would be enough to deter any embarrassing judgment.

The small token was a gift for his birthday a few years back. It was given to him by the growingly infamous I.M. Since that day, Enji slowly but surely implemented the gift in his life. From using it to wipe his face after a hour training session, to bringing it on his personal drink patrols. Something akin to charm, even though he wasn't the superstitious type. He just felt a little calmer whenever he had it around. When the day was particularly taxing, a gentle stroke of the soft fabric was enough to subdue any storming thoughts. Not that he'd ever say that aloud.

Unbeknownst to the hero, the said fan who gave him the handkerchief turn charm, was sitting right next to him. Her heart fluttered with a high pitch scream while her body remained still a statue. Inko recognised her own handy work. It took her weeks to master the stitching right to make the face stern but not cruel. She had new bandages on her hand never every day. On one failed attempt she poked, unravelled and re-stitched the fabric so many times a wide hole started to rip through her work. She had to buy a new base.

Inko poured her heart and soul into the project...All while a thought hunted her. What if Endeavour didn't like it? What if it got thrown away into a dark corner? Never to see the light of day. Inko knew there was a chance the gift would be disregarded. Endeavour was a wealthy man who could get anything he wanted. The man probably had hundreds of handkerchiefs. All of them with higher quality fabrics and intricate designs than what she could afford or create. It wasn't special. Yet she sent the gift as close to the man's birth date as possible while ensuring the best quality she could achieve. Despite the fact, she was given a letter of thanks afterwards, she couldn't be sure that it was well received. The man could have just been polite. She'll never know for sure. Until today.

The proof was right in front of her. In her own hands. The handkerchief she slaved weeks over to get right. Her efforts weren't in vain. This man. Her hero kept it.

Enji raised an eyebrow at the woman's stillness. He'll admit that it was a little pretentious to keep an item on his person. The hero never understood why his other colleagues loved posing with their own merchandise. Proudly showing their faces off with a printed version of their face on their body. It was so tacky. Still, it's not that strange, right? It wasn't even his own official stuff. It was a gift. Therefore, he should be free to use it however he like...

Wait a second. It was a gift. A very heartfelt handcrafted gift. Someone poured their sweat and time into that precious, small piece of cloth. Yet he casually handed it over to a stranger.

"Would it be disrespectful to allow someone else to use it," he half yelled out loud and realisation. It was a special gift for him. Yet he willingly gave it away to a stranger. Shame sweated from his body as the weight of it forced his head to slump down.

With a wide smile hidden under the bunny mascot mask, Inko shook her head. "No." She started surely while slipping the damp cloth under her mask to wipe away the growing line of sweat. The coolness of the damp fabric tickled her warm skin. Like a glass of ice on a warm summer's day. She couldn't stop smiling. Soon she handed back the handkerchief to it rightful owner. The warmth in her heart raised higher. "I think whoever they would be happy to know you used it at all."

Staring at the handkerchief back in his hand, Enji's rubbed a finger at the stitched embroidery of his face. The sincerity of the woman's tone made him feel her words should be believed as true. That thought alone warmed something deep in him. Like a cosy fire on a winter's day. Then he switched back to his usual stern expression as he glanced down at the woman. "What's..."

"Endeavour!" Came a sing-song called Makoto who came jogging for the flame hero. The woman flashed a gleaming smile and motioned to the direction they needed to go with pom poms. "We got to get going. Another trigger monster appeared downtown. A whole bunch of them. It's all hands-on deck and C.C. got a head start for once."

Instantly, Enji was on his feet. He was so hyper-focused on the news of a new mission he almost completely forgot about the woman next to him. Until he heard her voice call to him.

"Good luck out there," Inko called out before the hero could rush into action. To her surprise, it was enough to make the hero look back at her one last time. Her heart jumped at the sudden eye contact. For a moment or two, they simply stared at each other. The growing intensity of the moment caused the woman to jump. "I should get change. It is getting a little stuffy in this costume. Good luck Endeavour and stay safe."

Enji watched the woman frantically hop away. It was impressive given the fact she was wearing a floor-length dress and plastic heels. His eyes then drifted back to his handkerchief before he tucked it away. He chuckled to himself as his mind recalled the odd day he had. From accidentally scaring a child, to making glass figurines, and then dancing awkwardly without bumping into the children. At least she was a good spot about it. He had to whisper apologies to her every time he stepped on her dress. It's a shame he he never caught her name.

That's when a humorous thought came to mind. Would it just be funny if her initials were I.M. as well? That thought alone brought a near-permanent smile to his lips as he patted the hidden pocket where the gifted handkerchief lay.

The hero soon shook off the thought as he heard the call for his hero's name. He couldn't get distracted now. There's a job to be done.

AN:

Anonyousless-nes- Huh, Ok.

...bad news. I'll be starting a new job soon and so time gonna be limited for me. But the main bad news is that I have it the wall for this. And by that I mean writers block. Mainly for an arc after this next one. Usually, so that I know where I'm going I write skeleton plots which help me figure out the flow and structure of upcoming chapters far in advance. But this arc...I can't for the life of me figure it out. I'm been writing, re writing, re arranging and it all felt off.

Add that to the fact I'm juggling this with another fic and other IRL things...it's just a lot. So for the sake of my own sanity I am putting this on hiatus...damn I didn't think I was going to to this but life comes first. I know this fic has been bumpy recently. There's a a lot of things I want to do for this last season. Maybe I'm stupid for putting so much effort into it but I really would like to finish this to the original vision I thought of. So yeah. Farewell for who knows how long.