Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.


"Again."

Ayame groaned, glancing up at her uncle from her position on the floor with a frown. Summer had just started for her first year in UA but Aizawa took upon himself to personally train her for a few days before her class's training camp. If Ayame knew her uncle would not show her mercy, she wouldn't have accepted his offer!

"Quirks are similar to muscle training. Overuse and practice will strengthen it naturally. You were lucky in the entrance exam but your summons are still too weak," Aizawa walked over to her.

"I haven't exactly had the free time to use it willingly," Ayame pouted. Since Quirks were restricted from civilian's use, the only time Ayame could sneakily use her power was to entertain Suzume at home.

"Are you going to let that be an excuse?" Glowered Aizawa.

She flinched, looking away with a small pout again. Of course not! Ayame was going to be a hero, that's why she's in U.A.! But it wasn't like she had a Quirk that was easy to train! Yume had their mother guiding her since their Quirks were the same but Ayame–got something completely different! What can she do with imagination?

At his niece's silence, Aizawa kneeled down to her tattered form. Scratches and dirt littered all over her body from the past few hours of training. Initially, Ayame was only limited to summons of her wolves and foxes but most lacked stability and power. It was surprising enough that she had managed to evolve the form a little more now with an ookami mount large enough to ride.

Aizawa sighed to himself. Sometimes, he felt this kid lacked the fortitude to get stronger. She has the enthusiasm to be a hero, it's been her dream forever, but sometimes Ayame doesn't reach out beyond that.

"Why do you limit yourself to the ground?"

Ayame blinked, sitting up from the floor to look at her uncle in confusion.

"With your Quick, it is possible to go above and beyond."

Aizawa pointed up to a flock of birds in the sky.

"You can fly, Ayame."


The tower rumbled around them as the three students ran through the hall. Ayame panted, glancing back at the two class representatives following closely behind. She knew the two of them were on the island but didn't expect to run into them during the villain attack! They must have somehow avoided the villain's capture and ran into her along the way.

"The security system on the island has been hijacked! I got separated from my kouhais but they should be on the top floor!" Ayame briefly explained once the shock and confusion passed.

While Ayame had been thankful to have Noeru and Yuu rescue her, she did not have time to ponder or wait any longer when the tower seemed to be on the edge of collapse. She told the others that she will catch up soon but what was with this situation? Why was metal flying around upward?!

"A villain attack?" Yuu mused to himself quietly.

"Aww, man!" Ayame could not help but groan, "This is supposed to be a vacation! I'm going to give a piece of my mind to that villain as soon as Yume-nee, All Might, and the others are free!"

"The heroes were captured?" Noeru asked.

"Yeah," she sidestepped to the left, dodging the crumbling debris before continuing onward, "But the security system should have been reset by now! There used to be blockades along the corridor but they've been lifted."

The situation has escalated to something beyond her ability to comprehend. Most likely, her underclassmen had managed to reset the security system so the heroes should be released from their prisons but what was with all this metal? Why was the tower suddenly unstable? Where were the others?

"This doesn't explain the metal," Yuu frowned, "It must caused by the villain–"

The wall next to him blasted open. The three of them froze when the metal wall broke through the tower, flying upwards along with hundreds of metal pieces towards the top. The air flow within their space was disturbed, causing a suction of wind to tunnel out into the opening and–Yuu to fall outwards.

"Yuu-kun!"

Ayame screamed and ran forward, watching Yuu's icy blue eyes widen in surprise to be blown back. His arm reached out, trying to reach one of them and Noeru propelled himself outwards with gems beneath his feet. Noeru grasped Yuu's arm but it was too late, both of them were already falling out of the tower.

"Sasaki!"

Without hesitation, Ayame jumped after them. There was no time to think, no time to question her own choices at the sight of the two boys falling. With the call of her name from Noeru, Ayame knew she could not waste another second.

The wind rushed through their body as they continued to fall and Ayame struggled to reach them, diving down with one hand stretched down to them. Yuu reached up to grasp her arm, tugging her forcefully into their arms all while still falling.

"Summon something, Sasaki!" Noeru's command was deafening against the roar of the wind in their ears.

"I-I don't know! I've never flown with others before!" Ayame's hand grasped his black suit nervously. Her tenguu was always reliable in carrying her before but she never attempted to make something bigger to carry passengers!

"You can!" But Noeru was unrelenting, grabbing her shoulders so she does not slip away, "You're the only one that can do it!"

"We're right here with you, Ayame," despite their current falling situation, Yuu seemed to not be worried at all. He gave a smile her way, reassuring and kind as always, "I know you won't let us plunge to our death."

"Damn it, Yuu!"

Ayame closed her eyes in concentration, black inky smoke trails emitting from her body to surround all three of them. The usual tenguu would be too small to support all three of them. Sometimes, she could only make the bird big enough to grasp onto her arm to hold her up! But what they needed was a winged creature large enough for all three of them.

Noeru and Yuu were placing their trust in her! They had rescued her, too!

The smoke trails expanded and started to take form below them. The bird head began to form, neck leading to a large body and the inky smoke continued to expand outwards on the side. A large pair of wings began to take shape along the side and with a flap of its wings, they were no longer flying but gliding through the sky.

"Ayame, open your eyes," softly, Yuu whispered to her ears, "Look at what you've made."

By his command, lilac eyes opened to the sight before her. Yuu and Noeru were before her eyes, one of her hands was gripping the black suit of the crystal boy tightly while the other hand was holding Yuu's arm. The ghostly bird was below them, flying through the sky in an aimless path as she gasped in astonishment at the giant summon.

"It's too early to celebrate," but Noeru's voice brought their attention to reality as all three of them looked at where the metal debris was converging.

Above the tower held multiple blocks of metals with occasional sparks and ice flying around. Ayame's eyes widened again as she recognized those flashy Quicks, heart pounding nervously against her chest as the bird ascended.

"Phoenix, fly!"

With Ayame in control, the phoenix flapped its ghostly wings upward. It dodged the randomly ascending metals and aimed to the very top in seconds, her head starting to throb in pain. They finally saw the giant cluster of metal on one side while two figures were fighting against it. Ayame recognized the red, white, and blue costume of All Might's in astonishment and the lightning green spark of Midoriya next to him.

"How can you get beat up by such a damn lame last boss? Huh, All Might?!"

At the edge of the tower, a group of people were gathered around in their party outfits. The explosions and ice were used to keep the metal bars from reaching them and without another second wasted, the phoenix dived down.

Right before another wave of metal flew towards the students, the three of them jumped off the phoenix and Ayame waved her hand, sending the bird to intercept and break through the metal's path. Noeru and Yuu landed gracefully before them while Ayame staggered behind, standing up with a sigh as she rubbed her tousled tan hair to clear her headache.

"You guys did well so far!" Smiling, Ayame looked back at her worn out underclassmen. At a glance, she knew all of them must have exhausted their Quirks and had made it on top of the tower before they had.

"We'll take it from here," Noeru said impassively, tossing his jacket aside and letting the wind carry it away.

"Not bad, 1-A," Yuu chuckled.

"Senpai!"

Noeru took a step forward, a giant block of gems crystalizing before their eyes to stop another onslaught of attack. Yuu raised his hands and a pool of water emerged out of thin air. He motioned the water to wash over Shoto's ice, the heat from the waves melted the ice and created even more water in the high atmosphere as fuel. The wave of mini tsunami crashed against the metal and concrete with extreme force, washing it off to the side.

"What a relief," Ochako sighed in admiration.

"Tch, I can show off too," Ayame pouted to herself.

The thin trails of smoke emerged from her body, dashing forward to intercept the approaching metal bars. A long serpent emerged to twist around the bar, breaking it in half by force before moving on to more.

"Ah man," Kirishima collapsed on his behind to stare at the three upperclassmen, "Sometimes, I forget how reliable Ayame-senpai is."

"We cannot relax yet, Kirishima-kun!" Iida reprimanded.

"No more…" Mineta moaned, "My scalp is already bleeding!"

Long, tan hair blew in the wind, the maroon dress flying up by the wind current. Mineta's eyes glued to the pair of legs and grinned to himself.

"But I see myself healing already!"

Jirou smacked Mineta, forcing his eyes downwards.

Quietly, Shoto stared at the unwavering back of his upperclassmen. Noeru was not the top of his class without reason. His Quick control over the gems and the ability to create them was faster than his own ice. Yuu focused on moving the water on his side, the current strong enough to fight against metal itself. Without moving from her spot, Ayame continued to construct and form summons to intercept the metals that slipped through her classmate's defense.

"As if I'd let you party crashers show me up!" Bakugo exploded into action.

Despite his hand shaking from the unbalanced temperate on his body, Shoto clenched his fists and stepped forward. Even if he would not voice it, Bakugo was right. He will not let the class presidents protect him nor will he be helpless in her eyes.

"With my students so motivated, I can't be held back by some stupid limit!" All Might smashed through the metal and rocks, "I need to go past my limit, and go beyond!"

"Worthless little brats," Wolfram growled, "You don't know when to give up!"

"You're the one who doesn't!" Bakugo shouted back, blasting a large explosion at the clumps of metal headed their way.

All Might and Midoriya dashed forward together, aiming for the main body once more but Wolfram controlled the metal to intercept them.

"I won't let you!" Shoto waved his hand, forcing his already freezing right side to summon a giant ice wall to block the metal.

The path the two heroes were taking broke apart from the crumbling debris. Noeru ran forward, stomping his leg on the ground to form a path of crystal gems to connect the broken trail. The water from Yuu's side moved to surround All Might and Midoriya from above, catching any falling debris from hitting the two as they continued their path onwards.

"Go, All Might, Deku-kun!" Ayame shouted.

The ground continued to crumble beneath them from the shockwave of attacks. Yaoyorozu created shields to block the others but was blown back by the explosion. Ayame turned around and hopped down, smoky trails surrounding her as she reached the group and formed a serpent to wrap around them.

"Plus…Ultra!"

They watched as All Might and Deku combined their power together into a giant punch, sending the tower of metal into collapse. The ground shook from the wreckage but the metal remained unmoving, no more attacks approaching them from the front. Ayame let the serpent disappear as they all stood up to look towards the top.

"Did they do it?" Iida whispered.

"They did it!" Mineta shouted, "They finished off the villain!"

"Yes!"

"All right!

"They did it!"

"It's over!"

Cheers erupted around them as Ayame stood up with a smile, looking towards the top where the heterochromia boy was. At that moment, Shoto turned around and met her eyes, the pair frozen now that the threat of the villain was no more. From their last encounter, Shoto was adamant about not needing her protection while Ayame was stubborn in keeping them safe.

Without a word, Shoto made his way towards her. Half of his blue button up was burned from the use of his Flame Quirk while his right side had leftover ice glazed over. He jumped down from the wreckage and Ayame stepped forward to reach him without a thought.

"You okay?" He asked first, glancing over her body once over in assurance.

"I'm stronger than I look, ya know," Ayame sighed in relief but a small smile was on her lips as she met his eyes. "Although I was worried for nothing seeing how well you guys handled things here. Ahh, makes me feel a bit lonely."

Lonely, because she prided herself for being one grade ahead of them. If they were this strong already, how can Ayame show off her potential as a cool, strong senpai? Plus, Noeru and Yuu did a lot more at protecting them than she had!

Shoto said nothing, his hand twitching by his side when he remembered how she entered the battle. Out of nowhere, Ayame along with her class representatives appeared on the giant phoenix to intercept the metal and took care of the majority of attacks while they caught a breather. Staring at their three backs was a reminder to Shoto how behind he still was to them. And, he clearly saw the way the three held each other while on the bird and only letting go when it was time to join the battle.

That only leaves the lingering, annoying question of how they met up and what happened to lead them here?

"You still have ice on you," Ayame's voice broke him out of his reverie, her hand reaching down to raise his right one. "You must have overused it, hm? Shoto-kun, strong as always."

Warmth spread over his ice hand as he watched her brush the little snowflakes away. A past memory surfaced from his mind; Ayame had done this same motion months ago but he was the one to pull away. This time, he didn't. He could easily use his left side to balance the temperature but at the moment, that idea slipped away from his mind.

"Yeah, I'm strong," for once, he felt like boasting. He needs to know she knew he was strong, too. But even then, it does not stop the odd twist in his stomach to know he was still behind, still not strong enough to match up with his upperclassmen who still looked pristine and perfect from the battle.

Ayame blinked, looking up at his rare ego and found herself laughing. In her absentmindedness, she reached up to pat his shoulder, only to touch bare warm skin and suddenly she realized he was still half naked. Heat rushed in on her cheeks as Shoto continued to stare at her straightforwardly, unsure of why he did not seem as bothered as she and quickly, she took her hands back and away from him.

"Oh, um, sorry! I completely ruined your jacket during the battle," unwrapping the jacket around her waist, she threw it back to him in hopes that he would wear it. It must be cold for him to wear so little! This was originally his!

He held the jacket with one hand, almost offering it back to her amidst the whirlwind above the tower. He nearly forgot he had this if not for Ayame's arrival. From the way she kept it the whole time even amidst the battle, it seems she kept special care for it.

"This is nothing," Shoto reassured because honestly, this was just another set of clothes, another set of outfits he barely remembered he had. But with the way she had cherished it during the whole time, he wondered if she would do the same for something else.

"Ayame."

Both froze with the sudden call. Ayame blinked, looking past Shoto to see Yuu smiling kindly at her as he sat on the wreckage of metal, long legs dangling below. Off to the side, Noeru stood away from the group, always preferring solitude than anything else. Unknowingly, Shoto wondered why the icy hair boy was interrupting and why he felt a frown emerging.

"Yuu-kun! Thanks for the help," acknowledging their efforts should be a given. Yuu and Noeru had followed her up despite not knowing the situation and fought with vigor.

"Of course," he replied matter of factly, smile widening more as he recognized the furrowed eyebrows from the half-and-half boy.

This underclassman reminded him of Noeru sometimes. Someone who was too prideful to admit to their own feelings but Yuu also disliked seeing the two so close with each other. It was only natural for him to interject, bringing those wide lilac eyes to him instead.

"Shouldn't you check on your sister? We can handle the situation here," Yuu reminded kindly.

Ayame gasped, the thought of Yume nearly slipping from her mind when she saw everyone fight the villain. She was sure with All Might here, the other heroes should be fine as well. But, it was best to confirm it first and quickly, she fished out her phone out of the pocket from her shorts hidden under the dress.

"I'll head down first!" Quickly, she turned on her heels to see the others, "I'll message you guys later! Treat your injuries and stay safe!"

"You sound just like our mom," Kaminari sniggered.

"Hey!"

"Go ahead, Ayame-senpai! LullaCry should be waiting for you!" Ochako reassured with a wave.

Nodding her head, Ayame smiled at Shoto and was about to leave if not for seeing him suddenly follow her. She stopped, blinking in curiosity as Shoto slipped the jacket back on.

"It's best to go together," he paused, "In case of any sneak attacks."

That was the most logical explanation. Even if the main villain was defeated, who knows if anyone else may be lurking in the shadows. Shoto was only acting as an extra eye for Ayame, too.

"Oh! Right!" That made sense to Ayame and ignoring her nerves, she made her way towards the elevator.

Right before they left, Shoto turned to glance back one more time. From his distance, he saw the Shimizu heir lose the smile on his lips, a contemplative look on his face as he watched the two walk away.

"Ah, you lost your chance," Yuu sighed to his quiet friend next to him.

Noeru furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding Yuu's words and promptly ignored it. He rubbed his stiff wrist from the Quirk overuse and smoothed out the wrinkles of his button up shirt where Ayame had a death grip on just moments ago, hand resting above his oddly hammering heartbeat.

"Don't imagine anything unnecessary."


"Yume-nee!"

Ayame ran past the crowd of civilians and heroes, catching a glimpse of her sister off to the side talking to the police. Many villains were tied up and unconscious, courtesy of the heroes within, and Ayame sighed in relief to know everyone was fine. Yume ended her conversation with a police officer, violet eyes meeting lilac ones and met Ayame halfway to study her tattered body.

"Did you fight the villains?" Immediately, Yume reprimanded with a frown.

"I didn't have a choice," defended Ayame–why do they always look at her like a troublemaker? "All Might saved the day though. He was so amazing!"

Yume sighed with a shake of her head but an easy smile made it on her lips to see her sister mostly unharmed. The dress was definitely ruined now and Ayame sustained some light scratches but overall–she was alright. Affectionately, Yume tussled the tan hair even more, smiling at the pout on Ayame's face before turning to the quiet boy off to the side.

"Thank you for looking after my sister, Todoroki-san. I still have some business to finish up here but you two should head back to the hotel and rest."

Ayame blinked. Why does it seem like Yume trusted Shoto more than her? Wasn't this another way of sending them off again?

"Un."

And why was Shoto agreeing so easily?!

"Are you going to be alright, nee-chan?" Disregarding that from her mind, Ayame focused on what was important now.

"With the security system running again, all the intruders have already been captured. We just need to take some statements from others and check how badly damaged the tower is." Yume smiled, "Usual hero work. Nothing to it."

Ayame nodded her head. That made sense. Even though they were on a floating island away from a majority of civilization, there were still countermeasures and laws that they needed to follow. Remembering her own little adventure tonight, Ayame recounted the tales to her sister as evidence.

She told her about 1-A and their feat of resetting the system with Melissa, her separation from the students as she fought the robots alone (quietly asking if she would need to pay for the damages–only for Yume to laugh with a shake of her head) and her reunion with her class representatives before joining the others at the fight on top of the tower. But one little detail stuck out to Yume as she arched an eyebrow at the oblivious girl.

"You managed to create a large flying mount to save your classmates?"

"Yeah!" Her excitement was back on fullforce, happiness radiating off the younger girl in accomplishment, "You should have seen it, nee-chan! It was scary at first but surprisingly, they believed in me."

Yume chuckled, relieved to know nothing terrible happened to the students despite the terrifying situation and glanced at the heterochromia boy. Shoto said nothing during Ayame's recount of her events but at the mention of her classmates, his eyes had shifted to her.

"What about you, Todoroki-san? I'll get your statement too so you both can leave first."

Shoto turned back to the hero promptly and described his own recollection of the night. They managed to defeat the two villains in the greenhouse before heading up to meet Ochako, Midoriya, and Melissa to defend against the robots. From there, they advanced upwards to block against the metal villain, Wolfram, and the rest was more or less the same as reuniting with the others.

Taking down the notes dutifully, Yume nodded her head and sent them on their way. While the students would not get in trouble this time as I-Island have their own rules with Quirk usage, she may need to allude to some details with the police to protect the students. Sighing to herself, Yume made a mental note to talk to her uncle once they return for Ayame's hero provisional license. This little sister of hers had quite a knack of getting into trouble lately.

Meanwhile, Ayame and Shoto made their way downstairs to exit the hotel. Hours have already passed since the incident and with the weight of the villains threatening them gone, Ayame felt herself stretch her sore muscles and relax. The original playful night turned into a frightful experience but luckily, the worse would soon be behind them.

As they walked past a mirror, Ayame paused to glance at her reflection for a second. She gaped, taking in her own unruly image of ripped skirt at the seams and tangled hair that she could not help but laugh. Shoto stopped with her, his own reflection next to the upperclassman with a tattered blazer over a barely hanging shirt on his body.

"We look terrible!" Ayame managed to get out between laughs, trying to untangle a knot with her fingers over her long hair. "But ya know, we did something amazing, hm?"

"Yeah…" he agreed quietly, a small smile appearing on his lips at the sight of her so carefree.

Ayame searched through her pocket once more and pulled out her silver phone. She opened the camera app and adjusted to the mirror, smiling at the reflection of them both on the screen.

"C'mon! This is a commemoration of our survival on I-Island!"

She leaned just a step closer, angling the phone to be between them while focused on the image on the screen. Shoto said nothing but followed along, his head tilted to the right and nearly touching hers by their proximity.

Ayame snapped the photo quickly, going back to look over the image and laughing again at how silly they looked in their destroyed formal wear. Her eyes glanced upwards then, the smile nearly slipping from her lips at just how close Shoto ended up being. From this distance, she could see the turquoise color of his left eye against the red of his scar and hair brightly.

Her heart raced against her chest, a common occurrence now whenever she was alone with Shoto and Ayame cannot for the life of her figure out why. Avoiding him was the worst decision possible but why can she still not brush the nervous thump within her chest away easily?

"I'll send you the photo later!"

Swiftly sidestepping from him, Ayame walked past him to lead the way. They were just friends; good friends! Nothing else to it!

"Ayame," Shoto paused, adding a quiet 'senpai' respectfully because in the end, she was still a year older than him.

Ayame was still someone with a bit more experience than himself. Just because of how easily she integrated herself into 1-A, sometimes, he forgets that was not her class. She had her own classmates to train with, her own history with friends from the past year and just a few months with 1-A, with him, does not change anything.

That would explain the irritation he felt when he saw her work together with Takarada and Shimizu heirs. As many others mentioned before, she has a certain chemistry with them and the sports festival only made them closer. There was a swiftness in judgment and trust between each other that even he could see it watching from behind. It only reminded Shoto of the gap between him and the two heirs; their power well beyond his own.

"I'm going to keep getting stronger from here," he declared straightforwardly. Shoto will continue to grow stronger so he does not need to stand behind her back. He will show her he can go beyond his own limit–with his own power.

Wide, lilac eyes blinked once at his declaration, confused for the sudden announcement but she accepted willingly. Another bright laugh escaped her lips, nodding her head because she knew he had the potential to get even stronger. Maybe something triggered in him tonight to suddenly feel the need to train more but whatever it was, Ayame was excited to see how far he can go.

"Un! I know you will!"

Todoroki Shoto always wanted to be a hero. He may have strayed from the path early on and limited himself from his Quirks but no longer will he hold back. There was a goal starting to spark within the depths of his heart, one he was slowly realizing with each passing battle concerning her.


Before they knew it, the mini vacation on I-Island was coming to an end. Ayame sighed in disappointment as she packed up her bags, storing the hero outfit away as she contemplated on cleaning up. There were still a few hours left before their flight was to leave the island but it was not enough time to do anything exciting. Yume still had more hero work to take care of in the morning so she barely even saw her sister after they returned back to the hotel.

A familiar ringtone rang in the empty hotel room, bringing Ayame's attention back to her phone by the sudden call. She flopped onto the bed, recognizing the 1-A student immediately and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hi-hi, Jirou-chan~"

"Afternoon, senpai!" Jirou's excited voice echoed from the other end, "We're having a barbeque with 1-A in a few minutes! Are you free to join us?"

Ayame sat up immediately, excitement taking over for the sudden invite. Wandering alone did not seem fun and she was not looking forward to staying in her hotel room the rest of the trip.

"Of course!" She happily accepted, "Oh–can I invite a few others?"

"Sure! I'll send you our address!"

With the meeting planned, they hung up the phone call right as Ayame browsed through the unread messages on her phone. Apparently, a lot more students from 1-A went to I-Island so that must have been the cause for the meet up. Especially after the battle from last night, everyone wanted to enjoy what was left of their break before training camp.

Ayame smiled, slipping on an off-shoulder white shirt over her black tank top and navy shorts. She sent a quick text message to Yume for her plans, thinking for a few minutes before opening her contacts. She scrolled down near the end before tapping on a specific profile, sending a quick message to him, too.

Well, it's the least I can do for their help yesterday.

After a few more minutes of clipping half of her hair up and tying on her shoes properly, Ayame headed out of the hotel. She exchanged a few more text messages with Jirou for drinks, mentally deciding to stop by a minimart to grab some for the students and made her way to the location.

The sun was high in the sky and although a few parts of the tower were closed off to clean up the destruction from yesterday, I-Island was business as usual. Ayame walked by herself happily, taking photos here and there for memory and relishing in the sense of peace after the rough battle.

When she left the store, two large bags were in her hand filled with drinks for her kouhais. Ayame huffed, wondering if she should have purchased these closer to the picnic dock location to save the trouble of walking.

Well, it's fine! The drinks were purchased already and the walk wasn't too far away! Based on the location, they will be overlooking the city with an inner river surrounding them. That truly looked like a vacation spot!

"It seems we've been running into each other quite often, Aya-chan~"

Ayame whirled around, startling at the teasing tone from the Shimizu heir's appearance. As usual, both of the class representatives were together, wearing casual button ups matching their hair color. This was one of the few times Ayame caught a glimpse of the normally perfect students looking nearly approachable if not for the indifferent gaze in Noeru's eyes.

"W-what are you guys doing here?"

"You invited us," Noeru stated, giving her a once over as if in skepticism of her memory.

"Technically, I invited Yuu-kun–" At the glare forming in Noeru's eyes, Ayame quickly laughed off her joke, "I'm kidding, kidding! I didn't think you would read my messages so I asked Yuu-kun instead."

Noeru said nothing more. It was true he does not respond to anyone except for his family and occasional Yuu but he would have definitely read her message. Whether he would have joined or not, that was a whole different story. Luckily, or maybe unluckily for him, Yuu was the more sociable of the two and immediately dragged Noeru off as soon as he saw the text from Ayame.

"Thanks for the invite, Ayame," Yuu approached her and swiftly grabbed the bags from her hands, relieving her of the weight easily and leaving Ayame empty-handed. "We had some time to spare before our flights."

"Oh! Me too!" The three of them walked along the sidewalk overlooking the river. Ayame pulled out her phone to bring the departure flights to view, "Are you taking the same flight back?"

Yuu leaned down to get a closer look despite his perfect vision and nodded his head. After all, they did use the same plane when arriving at I-Island but Ayame did not know that.

"Apparently so."

Ayame hummed, figuring they would probably leave together, too. With how casual they have been lately, Ayame did not find it awkward with Noeru joining them for lunch. Despite the few hiccups during their previous encounters, she had already forgotten what they were originally fighting about. Maybe it was good that she was a simpleton. As long as Noeru does not provoke her, Ayame can get along well with anyone.

And, Noeru knew it too. The only time he can handle any social gathering was if Yuu was the mediator. During their last year in U.A., Noeru barely made an appearance to any class invites if they were not mandatory training. Yuu was the perfect host as a vice-representative and socialite while Noeru worked in the background. But…with the results of the sports festival and Ayame's persistence, Noeru felt himself not as weary with others.

Except, at the sight of a half-and-half boy.

Yuu and Ayame fell naturally into conversation with each other, talking about the previous night regarding the villain attack and the aftermath. The whole situation still felt surreal to them as they had partake in rescuing the heroes and then the next day, they were having a barbeque. Noeru made a quip at that part, pointing out Ayame's lack of tact as a future hero and that was enough for them both to bicker once again.

"I'm just saying–it's nice to see the city bounce back after last night! Ease up for once, Baka Taka!"

Noeru rolled his eyes from the silly nickname and refused to comment anymore.

"Oh–isn't that Ayame-senpai?"

Ayame ignored her classmates and waved to Kirishima and Sero who had just greeted them. From the distance, she saw a few familiar faces and structures of 1-A students and hopped a skip ahead.

"Let's go, Yuu-kun! Takarada–be nice to our kouhais!" Ayame warned.

"I'm the one carrying the drinks," Yuu shook his head with a small smile.

Noeru merely scoffed. He didn't need to be told to behave.

"Hello–! I got us some drinks!" Ayame greeted happily, giving a high-five to Ashido then a warning look to Kaminari who kept looking back between the 'princes' and her. "Don't even think about it!"

"I didn't say anything!" Kaminari defended.

"I see that look in your eyes!"

"Young Sasaki, Young Shimizu, and Young Takarada! So good to see you join us!" All Might's voice boomed over the barbeque and Ayame gasped at her hero, nearly running over to see him grill skewers in such a casual setting.

"All Might! You were awesome yesterday! Deku-kun, too!" Ayame hopped over to Midoriya who greeted her with a stutter of a 'senpai', smiling happily at them both and leaving her classmates behind to grab a few skewers.

"Ah, so quick to abandon after using us," sighed Yuu.

Ayame turned around to gape at Yuu's insinuation, catching the confused looks from Jirou and Shoji before rushing back to the two heirs.

"Don't say it like that! I bought the drinks! Y-you offered to carry it!" Ayame flushed, waving the skewer at him accusingly.

"You're right," Yuu hummed, a sneaky smile emerging on his lips as he leaned forward to take a bite of meat from Ayame's hand. "Guess my hands are full now."

The girl froze, looking at the empty space from the toothpick with furrowed brows then pouting at her classmate. That was hers! And why did he have to do that?! He could have set the drinks down!

"Shimizu-senpai, Takarada-senpai! There are a lot more here!" Iida intercepted helpfully. As his own class representative, he must be a good host to the upperclassmen!

"Yay! More drinks!" Hagakure hopped over to release Yuu's burden, setting it off to the table on the side, "Thank you, senpai!"

With Yuu's hand empty, Ayame shoved the skewer he ate from to him, pouting at how that was the one she meticulously picked out amongst the ready meat. Whether deliberate or not, Yuu took the food from her hands, his long fingers brushed by her easily with the exchange before taking another bite elegantly.

How was it even possible to eat such messy food elegantly?!

With all the commotion around them and Yuu naturally fitting with the underclassmen, Ayame turned back to Noeru who decided to sit off to the side. Next to him, she caught a glimpse of the ash blonde boy, surprised that Bakugo made an appearance as well. Deciding to greet him too, Ayame made her way over.

"Is this the sulking corner?" Ayame joked, sitting in between the two and offering a skewer to Noeru. "Loosen up, Takarada. I know this isn't a Michelin restaurant up to your standards but I promise it won't poison you."

"Stupid crybaby-senpai," Bakugo mumbled to himself, "I'll only take it if it's spicy!"

"It's not good to have a picky palate, Kacchan!"

"Don't worry, Bakugo! We got it right here!" Kirishima came to the rescue, carrying four different skewers with Kaminari trailing along.

"Here, you were complaining about being thirsty earlier. This is from Ayame-senpai!" Sero followed up while holding four bottles of soda.

Ayame laughed that despite the perpetual angry look on Bakugo's face, he still took the skewer Kirishima offered and caught the bottle from Sero without complaint. Turning back to Noeru with a softer smile, she handed the meat to him once more as a peace offering.

"This is the only one I'll have," he compromised, taking it off her hand and ignoring the grin on her face.

"There's more if you decide to change your mind!"

With her goal accomplished, Ayame stood up to grab more food. Everyone seemed to be grouped up and mingling with others during the festive mood and as she scanned the students that were here, she met mismatched eyes amidst the crowd.

"Ayame-senpai, try this one!" Ochako bounced over with Tsuyu, offering the skewer in her hand to the older girl happily.

But her attention was immediately taken away by Ochako. She offered a brief wave to Shoto before greeting the two girls, smiling as she took a bite from the skewer on her hand.

"This is so good!"

"Right, right?"

Shoto watched quietly as Ayame conversed with nearly everyone, seeing her practically shine as the known social butterfly she was. Wherever there was a group, Ayame was able to acclimate herself in perfectly with anyone. Whether it was bantering with Bakugo's explosive nature or bringing out the shy Midoriya's more outspoken side, it came out naturally for her.

He understood why his fellow classmates enjoyed her company. Shoto has been on the receiving end of it multiple times. He just hadn't realized how lucky he was to garner her attention privately when so many others seem to relish in any moment possible. Watching from the side like this, Shoto started to feel something stir uncomfortably in his chest.

"Are you already full, Todoroki?" Tokoyami noticed the disquiet mood of his classmate, pausing his own feast when he saw the boy stopped eating his second skewer.

Shoto turned back to Tokoyami by the call of his name, not realizing he had also stopped eating in a moment of distraction. He looked at the half finished skewer in his hand and continued to eat even if the flavor seemed to be lost within his mouth.

"Just pacing myself," Shoto reasoned.

"I didn't think it's possible but Shimizu-senpai and Takarada-senpai are a lot more approachable than they appear," Jirou appeared next to Yaoyorozu then, smiling as she gave a juice to the girl happily eating.

From their position, they can see Ashido and Kaminari talking with Yuu while Noeru somehow was roped into a conversation with Bakugo and Kirishima. Ayame was behind them in her own conversation with Iida and Midoriya, her hands waving animatedly in excitement.

"Don't they look like they're matching from here?" Hagakure giggled, sneaking up easily behind them with her invisibility Quirk. "The three of them came together, too!"

"Oh, they are," Yaoyorozu agreed with a small gasp.

"Ne, senpai! Everyone is curious if you are dating anyone!" Ashido suddenly asked, bringing their attention to the outspoken pink girl and Shimizu heir.

Frankly, Ashido was merely curious as those were the more popular rumors floating around school; she just wanted an answer! Plus, Ayame often dodges questions regarding the two princes and Ashido wanted to participate in some high school gossip!

"Oh?" Surprised but not offended by the question, Yuu kept the perfect smile on his lips. "No, I am not."

"But there must be someone you'd consider, right?" Kaminari followed up, bright eyes glancing behind at the oblivious teacher assistant.

Yuu caught the curiosity from the electric boy and hummed, the smile turning into a tease as he glanced behind him. With a reach of his long arm, Yuu hooked it around Ayame's shoulder, bringing her to stagger backwards and next to him in a second before anyone could register his actions.

"I wouldn't reject a date from Ayame if she ever asks."

"What the hell?!"

Kaminari burst out laughing at the bewildered look on Ayame's face while the girl struggled to free herself from Yuu's clutches, face reddening in embarrassment. How did she get dragged into this?!

"Todoroki? Where are you…" Tokoyami could not even finish his sentence.

In a moment, Shoto had already left his group to Ayame's side. The uncomfortable feeling continued to twist in the pit of his stomach, the sight of the two and curious discussions by his classmates regarding their upperclassmen was too much.

Her hand was grabbed with a wave of warmth. Before she could process what was happening, Ayame was separated from Yuu's arms and collided into a familiar chill. She looked towards the person interfering, feeling like a doll tossed around in the past few seconds and felt the blush renew at the sight of Shoto.

"Excuse me, senpai. There was a bug around you," smoothly, Shoto apologized without a hint of remorse. He let go of her wrist then, fingers brushing over her wrist for just a second longer and studied the way her lilac eyes widening at him.

"O-oh! Thanks!"

Kaminari stopped laughing while Ashido had an excited grin on her face. Midoriya looked between the two upperclassmen with a stunned blush and Iida took a step forward dutifully.

"Senpai, follow me! I brought extra bug spray for this occasion!"

Mentally thanking Iida for the timely distraction, Ayame nearly ran after him, not caring for leaving the others behind. Shoto finally regarded Yuu then, a blank look on his face while the upperclassman nearly lost the smile on his face. Even if the perfect smile remained unmoved on Yuu, Shoto caught onto the sharpened look in his icy eyes.

More than once now, Shoto had interfered with Yuu's playfulness with the girl who caught his attention. The not-so-subtle glares exchanged throughout the past few weeks were indication of challenge and Yuu could not decipher whether it was amusement he felt or annoyance.

"S-Shimizu-senpai! I-Is it possible to ask about your Quick?!"

They turned to Midoriya with his sudden question, the boy flushing in embarrassment at the attention but he paid no mind to them as he stared at Yuu straightforwardly. Now would be the perfect time for Shoto to step back as even Midoriya can feel the tension in the air with his arrival. Kaminari and Ashido shared a look with each other, grinning as they crowded the Shimizu heir right after Midoriya.

"I really enjoyed your matches at the sports festival, senpai!"

"What else can you do?"

With a polite nod of his head, Shoto left the group as soon as he appeared. Ayame was spraying the bug repellent over her bare arm and legs, laughing at something Iida said and away from the food. After she was done, Iida took the spray back and left Ayame alone by the railing overlooking the river and city.

The wind tussled her loose tan hair, lilac eyes gazing out into the city with a placid calm. With others, Ayame can be bright and cheery, easily playing the fool for entertainment and laughter. In the rare occasion she's alone, Shoto has seen her pensive and quiet, being more observant and thoughtful than others give her credit for. The blush had faded from her cheeks and when she brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face, she met mismatched eyes again of his presence.

"Here," a soda can was offered to her, Shoto carrying another one of his own.

"Thanks!"

She pulled the metal ring with a refreshing clink and he did the same, leaning against the railing as he took a sip. His classmates became background noises as he scanned them over, knowing they were all busy conversing with each other to pay attention to them. Whether he caught onto the curious glances from a few others, Shoto did not care. For Ayame and him, they were known to be friends, after all.

"I wonder when Yume-nee will get here. I told her she can join us for barbeque after work. I hope she can eat something before we leave," Ayame sighed, thoughts always going back to her siblings and those she cared for.

"She's still working?" Shoto asked, yet not surprised. Endeavor spends more time in the office or city than within the household, not that Shoto cared much for him.

"Yup," her eyes found his again, smiling as always under the shining sun, "But that's why she's so amazing! I'll catch up to her soon but you know, between you and me, I'm not so great with the paperwork."

Ayame scrunched up her face at the last comment, giggling right afterwards. Less than two more years and she will officially graduate U.A. to become a full fledged hero. There was still so much to do, so much to learn but Ayame was prepared this time. Her recent experiences against the villains were starting to give her the drive to improve.

"It wouldn't be so bad," he shrugged, "Just pay attention in class and you'll learn the process easily."

The tease came out naturally, a small curl of his lips tilting upwards to indicate his joke and Ayame nearly gasped in indignation.

"You prodigies can be so cocky sometimes," she huffed, elbowing the boy in the side playfully as she continued, "I'll have you know I am a wonderful student in class."

"Would Aizawa-sensei vouch for that?"

"Shoto-kun!"

Yume arrived at the scene to see students mingling around but it was her sister's voice to bring her attention to the corner. Ayame was with the Todoroki boy again, a mixture of laughter and half-hearted defense made from her effort to salvage whatever insult she tried to deny. Normally stoic, this was a first for the woman to see the heterochromia boy so relaxed around her sister.

Something clicked in Yume's mind, her suspicions merely growing more with each meeting but she will keep to herself. Ayame was adamant about brushing off her feelings but Yume wondered for how long could she avoid them?

"LullaCry!"

"Woah–no way!"

A chorus of greetings erupted from the 1-A students as they took notice of the hero. Yume smiled at them, recognizing quite a few to have congratulated her sister at the end of the sports festival. These were the wonderful kouhais her sister often bragged about and Yume was so happy to have met the ones who defended Ayame so boldly against strangers.

"Hello everyone. I hope you don't mind me joining," Yume greeted pleasantly.

"Not at all!" Kaminari was at the forefront, eyes in admiration and shining.

"Welcome to our 1-A I-Island Barbeque!" Iida followed up.

Yume giggled, nodding along in appreciation for the warm welcoming.

"Good to see you again, Iida-san, Midoriya-san."

At the sound of a familiar voice, Ayame turned her attention back to the crowd. The mock-anger was gone and soon replaced by excitement. Her hand reached out to Shoto almost naturally, tugging him along to reconvene with the others. He allowed her to drag him, somehow never minding for personal space whenever his upperclassman was involved.

"Yume-nee! You're finally here!"

"Only for a little bit. Our flights are leaving soon," Yume explained.

"Already?" Ayame gasped, not realizing that much time had passed already. She had been having so much fun with the others that she forgot the time.

"We'll be leaving first, Ayame."

The previous incident was already forgiven in Ayame's mind as she looked towards Yuu, writing it off as another prank of his and held no real meaning. His princely smile was back on again and even if he would not speak of it, he would not forget all the interferences from the half-and-half boy this trip.

Shoto met his gaze straight on, standing just a step behind Ayame and watched the other 'prince' approach them with the usual indifference. Although Noeru was quiet during the social gathering, he was still very aware of his surroundings to know something transpired between them.

"Oh–okay," Ayame agreed and walked them off as they said their goodbyes to class 1-A.

"Takarada-senpai! Let's have a spar next time! My hardening against your crystals!" Kirishima, the ever-so-welcoming boy, could be considered one of the few to actually hold a conversation with the upperclassman.

"T-thank you for your insights, Shimizu-senpai!" Midoriya bowed politely, mentally making notes to add to his hero notebook later from the brief conversation he had with him.

"Have a safe trip back!"

Noeru waved a hand almost in acknowledgement before tucking it back into his pocket. Ayame looked between her kouhais and classmates, wondering how Noeru was somehow nicer to them than to her! But seeing the happy faces from 1-A, she decided it was merely because the students were too loveable to even melt the ice prince's heart.

"I'll see you guys at school," Ayame said as soon as they walked a little further away.

She reasoned since she was the one to invite them here, she should also be responsible for seeing them off. It was a bit odd, she had to admit, that out of her class so far, she's been spending so much time with the rumored 'princes' despite their previous year. But seeing Noeru making an effort to join and warming up to a few others really put them in a different perspective in her eyes.

"Thanks, for coming," she added a second later, smiling at the two.

Yuu returned the gesture, his hand itching to do something to her again. Ayame felt too unguarded against them, always waving off his flirtatious advances as teases and with the Todoroki boy watching, he was really tempted to do more. But this was only a passing curiosity. Yuu was not truly serious no matter how fun it could be.

"Invite us again next time, okay?" Yuu smiled with an innocent head tilt.

"I'd rather you not." Countered Noeru.

Ayame blinked at the two, shaking her head in disbelief at the difference in answer but did not question. Having them show up was a surprise enough. They may have the same flights together but her classmates must have something to do before then. With a shrug, she waved bye to the two.

Noeru already began to walk away but Yuu stayed a second longer, icy eyes still observing the oblivious Ayame as she blinked up at him. He could feel the intensity of mismatched eyes on his form, probably wondering why he still hadn't left yet so Yuu merely smiled, leaning down to whisper something in her ear.

"I was serious about earlier. Don't forget it."

She staggered back by the low drawl of his voice, lilac eyes widening in panic while Yuu stood up to his full height again. He turned around to follow Noeru and with the way his eyebrows furrowed at his friend, Yuu could only chuckle.

"Don't imagine anything unnecessary."

The same words were repeated back to Noeru and yet as both left Ayame behind, they could not help but wonder; what were they imagining in the first place?


"Okaeri, Yume-neechan! Aya-neechan!"

Suzume rushed through the room to jump into Yume's arms, snuggling into her sister's embrace while Ayame ruffled the black hair affectionately. Even though the vacation was less than three days, the series of events drained her physically and mentally. Sometimes, even the most sociable girl needs alone time, too!

"Tadaima!"

Both sisters returned the greeting with a smile as Shiko walked around the corner, eyes glazed over at the blur of colors.

"How was I-Expo?" Shiko asked curiously.

Ayame hopped over to her mother in a second, taking the elder's hand in hers to assist her to the couch. Although Shiko always insisted on never needing help, the family had gotten used to supporting their mother around.

"Amazing! You would not believe what happened!"

Ayame started to prattle on about the sights and attractions she saw, meeting her kouhais by accident, then leading to the villain attack on the night of the party. Suzume joined them on the couch while Yume set the luggages aside, shaking her head at Ayame's exaggerations on some points regarding All Might during the final battle.

"Too bad you ruined the dress I gave you," Yume sighed in disappointment. "You looked so cute."

"Sorry, nee-chan!" Ayame apologized with both of her hands clapped together in a prayer, "But I took a photo of it at least!"

She took out her phone and opened the gallery, tapping the most recent photo she had taken and nearly forgot it was one with her and Shoto. Suzume leaned over to peek at the phone, violet eyes widening in excitement at a familiar face.

"It's Todo-niisan!"

That caught Yume's attention. The woman slid over before Ayame had the chance to hide the picture, swiftly stealing the phone from the girl's hand to confirm that yes, it was indeed Todoroki Shoto next to their sibling. Although both were battle worn and outfits torn, Ayame was smiling happily at the mirror with a peace sign and Shoto was nearly leaning on her.

"So it is," Yume hummed with a sly smile.

A harsh blush immediately spread over Ayame's cheeks, her hand reaching up in an attempt to grab the phone but Yume was a second faster, pulling it away to tease her sister. She knew exactly what she was doing when she dolled Ayame up for the party. And yet…with their last encounter, Yume cannot help but wonder about her little sister's class representatives, too.

"It's–It was only a coincidence!"

"Sure, sure," the hero tossed the phone back to her, quietly laughing at Ayame fumbling to catch the device.

"I-I'm going to unpack!"

And just as easily, Ayame ran away from her family with her luggage in tow.

Yume watched her sister leave before taking her spot on the couch while Suzume trailed after Ayame. The youngest sister loved to follow their energetic sibling around and must have missed her during the past few days. Yume turned her attention to their mother, catching the lonely smile on the elder's lips and knew what she must be thinking about with her glossy eyes.

"Aya's been getting stronger. It's about time she takes the provisional hero license exam."

This was not Shiko's main concern but Yume cannot bring herself to speak of what was. For ten years, Shiko was unable to watch her daughters grow up. Unable to see how Yume matured into a woman or Ayame losing the baby fat around her cheeks, unable to see how Suzume looked just like their mother. Pictures were lost to her and all Shiko could rely on was the memory and imagination of what could be.

Their mother never spoke about the strain of her disability and always kept a strong facade. She had been trained to be a hero for years and heroes never showed any weaknesses. Stubborn as she could be, Shiko relied on her other senses rather than her eyes, trying to return to a semblance of normal life while still pregnant during that time.

Ayame was only six when the incident occurred but Yume was just ten, too.

"Hm," Shiko nodded in agreement, "Didn't you speak with Shouta for her training?"

"Yes, I did. I will ask oji-san and see what he thinks."

Ever so dutiful, Yume reported nearly all family matters to each other. There were no secrets within their household and that extends to Aizawa, too. Even if their uncle may not reply in a timely manner, his concern for them never diminished.

"I should start dinner soon," Yume glanced at the clock on the wall. The sun was starting to set and their flights left them fatigued but Yume was ever so diligent within their household.

"Just have your father pick something up on the way home. You two must be tired," Shiko suggested, setting one hand over Yume's arm to prevent her from leaving.

The pressure was not large, the warmth from her mother touched a bruise that had yet to be healed under Yume's long sleeved shirt. The young woman hummed in agreement and sent a message to her father, receiving a reply back within one minute of a warm welcome back.

Their family was not perfect. Scars and bruises were hidden behind each smile in the Sasaki household. Yume learned early on of the cracks that had formed since the incident but as the eldest, she took on the roles her mother could no longer do and filled up the void left behind.

Always be cautious and careful; never let the chores build up; watch Ayame grow up and help raise Suzume as soon as she's born. Become a hero to provide for their family and fill up the empty spot Nightmare left behind in society. Do not show weakness; do not cry. As the eldest, the younger siblings will look towards her for guidance.

Yume was perfect. Everyone always praised her to be. But no one saw behind her perfection was built under years of perseverance and devotion. Her struggles and stress were hidden behind gentle smiles with her head held high.

But as she watched Ayame play with Suzume of a new puzzle she purchased from I-Island for her sister, both siblings laughing happily on the living room floor while Hiroshi cut up some fruits for them in the kitchen, Yume felt the love and warmth surround her in a gentle embrace and knew she would not change anything. Their family may not be perfect and Yume never saw herself as one either but she would do anything to protect the love of this household.


Author's Note:

Oh it's been so long since I've updated this story ToT much apologies but I hope there are still a few who remembers this.

I want to go back to all the old chapters and edit some part since I've finally caught up with the manga again. I did take a long break from BnHA due to the story feeling a bit slow and I felt restricted with the plot of following the anime. I did not really try to branch out and forgot about some timeline for the second years (provisional hero license) which I will try to rectify next chapter.

Regardless, I still do love Shoto a lot and the world of BnHA. I still love all my original characters and many more are going to be introduced next chapter since I have it mostly written down already. I hope those who are still reading will give this story another chance and enjoy it once more.

Reviews are much loved and appreciated! Stay safe and healthy everyone.