Shoto punched his right hand to the cold grass, and watched through the moonlit darkness as ice spiked up in front of him, and moved forward in a strip of deadly spikes until it stabbed through a dummy that had been moving back and forth, then through the chest of another, and through the right leg of the last.

He stood back up straight, breathing heavily. He was already tired from the assessment test earlier that day, but on top of that, he'd been training since he got home soon after. He'd hardly eaten, he felt like he was going to be sick again.

But before he could even think of throwing up, Endeavor marched over to the dummies and Shoto sucked in a breath. He watched, stiff, as the man checked exactly where the ice had struck ever dummy. Then he froze when he got to the last one.

"Shoto, come here," he practically growled.

Shoto hesitantly walked over and stood next to him by the dummy.

"Look at this," Endeavor pointed to where the ice hit the dummy's leg. "Where did this hit?"

"The leg."

"The side of the leg." He scowled at Shoto. "Just the fact that you hit the leg is disappointing, because even though you would've immobilized him, he would still be alive and likely able to use his quirk to fight if it was long ranged. But the fact that you hit the side- that likely didn't even immobilize him, he would probably still be able to limp. That attack would've been pointless."

"Heroes aren't supposed to kill people though," Shoto protested.

"Your talking back?"

When Shoto stayed quiet, he continued. "We're training for emergency situations, in which heroes may kill only if necessary."

Shoto felt his teeth clench and fists tighten.

"Am I understood?"

Shoto nodded.

"Am I?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Were done for the night." He added, straightening back up. "Clean this up."

Shoto turned back to the mess of ice and shredded dummies as Endeavor marched back to the house.

Seriously?

He sighed and got to work using his left side to melt the ice around the dummies. He might be refusing to use his fire, but that half of his body produced heat no matter what. Might as well use it.

He looked up as he heard loud laughter from inside the house. The kitchen light was on, and he could faintly see three people at the table.

...

His stomach growled as he wondered what they might be eating. This was one of the times he wished he hadn't told Fuyumi she didn't have to save him dinner every night.

He was just starting to work on getting the second dummy out when he heard a door open.

He looked up at the house, and was surprised when he saw Izuku walking across the years towards him with a bowl.

"Hey, Shoto," he waved shyly.

"Uhm, hey, Izuku."

For a second, they stood there in awkward silence, until Izuku held the bowl out. "Uhm, Fuyumi made katsudon. It-it's my favorite, for getting into UA. She, uh, wanted to make your favorite too, but we didn't really know what it was. But I figured you were hungry, so I decided to bring you some while it was warm, and-."

"Thanks," Shoto took the bowl. He wouldn't admit it, but it smelled like paradise right now, being how hungry he was.

He started eating, happy now that he has Fuyumi's cooking, which he couldn't remember the last time he'd had. Until he realized Izuku was still there, seeming to want to say something, but hesitant to do so.

Finally, he spoke up, nervously. "Would- would you like some help?"

"Hm?"

"I can help. With melting the ice."

Shoto raised an eyebrow at him. "How are you going to do that?"

Izuku reached into his back pocket and pulled out two items. A flashlight, and a magnifying glass.

Not even half an hour later, most of the ice was melted and the dummies were laying on the ground.

"Thanks," Shoto said plainly, taking a last bite of his Katsudon.

Izuku smiles at him, flicking off his flashlight and stuffing it and the magnifying glass back into his pocket. "Sure thing. But, I do have a question."

Shoto looked up at him.

"Why didn't you want to use your fire? It could've made the melting process way faster," Izuku asked curiously.

Shoto looked back down. He wasn't surprised, it figured Izuku would ask sooner or later as they spent time closer and Izuku realized he wasn't using it.

That didn't mean he was ready to ruin Izuku's innocence and explain, though.

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

Izuku watched in curiosity as Shoto started back towards the house, grabbing two of the dummies on his way.

"Thanks again for the food." Shoto started to walk off, then paused.

"And, tell Fuyumi that I like soba." Then he walked inside.

He immediately went up to his room after he put the dummies up, and soon after heard Izuku come inside with the third dummy. But Shoto hardly paid any of it any mind.

He was too distracted by the weird feeling he had in his stomach.

It was something he hadn't felt much, if ever.

And he'd known exactly why it started.

Because throughout that day, as he'd been watching Izuku curiously, and just then, as he'd been talking to him for the second time that day, which he'd hardly done in the last decade, he noticed something in him.

In the way he spoke, the way he acted, the way he moved.

Especially around him.

Something he'd felt before in himself many times while his father was angry, more when he was younger.

Something he hadn't expected to see in Izuku of all people.

Fear.

So the question was...

Why was Izuku scared?

Of him?