(A/N) Holy crap this one got done fast! (Not really, it's been half written for weeks.) Silenthorse, gamer_kid1609, and Zurgboy2 were really on top of it with this chapter, and as always I'm thankful for all the help they give. I'm giving you all a bit of fluff before 1A's first hero class officially begins, especially with the last 2 chapters being pretty emotionally driven. So I'm hoping this chapter can put a smile on your face.
To say Izuku was confused would be an understatement. He'd just watched his girlfriends drag Uraraka off, and he was suspicious. It was obvious they were planning something, he just didn't know why they would need Uraraka. Regardless, he would leave it alone. Sure, his girlfriends could be mischievous, but they never did anything bad for him to not trust them. The issue was that he was left with a large group of people, where he only knew one person, and even then not very well.
"Ya know, they do have a good idea. These tracksuits are fine, but I'm not a fan of loose clothes during a workout. It just gets in the way." Said Mina innocently. She was being honest about her preference, so she didn't expect to hear Izuku groan as he put his face in his hands from embarrassment. Most of the girls were confused by his sudden embarrassment when the connotation of Mina's words struck them, turning their confusion into amusement.
"Y'know you're going to have to get used to seeing skin tight suits right?" Asked Tsuyu, with a finger to her cheek and a tilt of her head.
"I know, it's just... It's just gonna take time for me to adjust." Responded Izuku trying to calm down.
"That's fair. Anyone would have a HARD time getting used to all this sex appeal." Teased Setsuna while striking a pose but gesturing to the whole group. She started cackling when Izuku seemed to go catatonic from embarrassment, only stopping when she felt something hit her head. Turning, she saw Kendo blushing, having appeared to have chopped her on the head.
"Take it easy with the teasing." Said Kendo sternly.
Seeing that Kendo wasn't leaving room for any arguments, Setsuna admitted defeat with a pout. "Fine, I'll play nice." She grumbled, getting a few laughs.
"Well fam, we're not going to get any training done standing here. I'm gonna go change myself. Could one of you bring Izuku back down to earth?" Asked Camie as she started walking off, with several girls following behind.
"Sooooo, does anyone know how to do that?" Asked Shinso, looking at Izuku a bit worriedly.
"Here, let me try something." Said Kendo as she enlarged her hands. Standing in front of Izuku she clapped right in front of his face. Her plan worked, but a little too well as it startled Izuku, making him yelp and fall on his butt. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She said, a little amused as she offered him a helping hand. Izuku did accept the help, but she easily spotted the reluctance. Seeing him like this really hurt her deep down. She'd seen plenty of people who acted the way he does at her family's dojo, and they all had one thing in common.
They were assault victims.
While Kendo didn't know the details, it was obvious something horrible had happened to him. It really kicked her protective instincts into overdrive. After all, it was those same victims that led her down the path to becoming a hero.
"I-it's ok. I was just lost in my own head." Admitted Izuku sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"No kidding, I almost thought you actually died from embarrassment there." Joked Jirou, happy when she got a chuckle from him. She was a pro at picking up on people's emotions thanks to her quirk allowing her to hear their heartbeats, and the amount of fear she's heard from him was worrisome.
"Sometimes it feels like it. It hasn't been easy getting used to that kind of stuff. Mei and Kinoko have helped, though I'm still not sure if it was on purpose, or just a side effect of their constant teasing." Said Izuku as the group all started heading to the gym.
"So how long have you known them? It seems like you've known each other for years." Kirishima inquired.
"I've actually only known Mei for about a year and a half, and we met Kinoko a month later. We all just became fast friends. Since then, we've hung out together often. In fact, we probably spent more days together than apart. " Izuku answered with a reminiscent smile.
"Didn't you say earlier you weren't able to train with your quirk until a year and a half ago? Does that mean Mei was the first person to give you, attar I think you called it? Was it love at first sight?" Asked Yanagi, her voice a bit monotone, but still sounding more emotional than Todoroki.
"Yeah, she was the first since my quirk manifestation. As for love at first sight, I wouldn't really call it that. The situation around our meeting wasn't good. Nothing bad happened between the two of us, but it was very scary." Explained Izuku, trying to give as few details as possible.
"So you two are essentially trauma bonded?" Asked Shinso.
"Pretty much. I didn't expect to see her ever again after it was all said and done. But Mei decided we should be friends, and I was admittedly pretty lonely at the time." Said Izuku, not really sure why he's talking with them so freely. Maybe he should discuss it with Hound Dog.
"No offense, but aren't relationships from such events usually really unhealthy?" Asked Tsuyu. Her question actually threw off Yaoyorozu, whose only experience with romance comes from her books. So she always thought those kinds of relationships were supposed to be romantic.
"Yeah, aunt Hound Dog warned me about that early on, but she says we've been able to stay within healthy parameters. It probably helps that we all have adults in our lives that we can comfortably ask advice from." Izuku explained, as he thought about all the times he got help.
"Aunt Hound Dog? So she and sensei are related?" Asked a shocked Yaoyorozu
"Heheh, no. It's just that the staff here have been amazing to me. Over time, they pretty much became my extended family." Replied Izuku sheepishly, but remembering all the times he called someone a family title and all the tears some of them ended up shedding.
As Kendo listened carefully to everything Izuku was saying, the more he felt familiar to her. Something in the back of her mind kept nagging at her that she knew something about him. Something that made her want to watch over and protect him. Made her want to wrap him in a blanket and keep him safe. She just couldn't put her finger on it. So when they finally reached the gym and realized that it not only had every piece of workout equipment you could think of, but included a sparring ring as well, an idea popped into her head. "Hey Aizawa, am I correct in assuming your mom taught you how to fight?" She asked, not letting her suspicions show.
"Yeah, she taught me a lot actually. But, it mostly revolved around my quirk and support gear. Though she did make sure I knew how to fight hand to hand. I'm still not that good, sadly. According to her, I'm about the equivalent of an orange belt. Why?" Said Izuku, a bit worried about where this might be going.
"I was thinking we could spar without quirks real quick. That way we can show Shinso a little of what to expect since she has to learn all this stuff." Kendo half-lied. Even if she hated lying in any way, she felt she shouldn't let Izuku know what she was really planning.
Wordlessly Izuku looked at Shinso confused, not fully sure what was going on. "I'm cool with it. You don't get many chances to see someone fight without a quirk, so it should help." Said Shinso, misinterpreting the look Izuku gave her.
"O-ok, we can spar. Just go easy on me please, I highly doubt I'm anywhere near as skilled as you are." Responded Izuku, still a little lost.
"No problem, I help teach at my family's dojo, so I know how to hold back." Said Kendo as she stepped into the ring with Izuku close behind. "Let's go with basic sparring rules. No face or genitals and the goal is to get the other to tap out or knock them out of the arena. Best out of five wins. Sound good?" She said, assuming her combat stance.
"Y-yeah, sure." Said Izuku, as he clumsily got into his own stance. Kendo could immediately spot everything she wanted to know from that one action. It was subtle, but she could see how defensive his stance is, albeit full of openings. That was enough to tell her that her theory was correct. Now all she had left was to see how far he was into recovery.
"Alright, let's go. Begin!" She yelled, purposely delaying her next action before rushing Izuku. Making sure to keep her moves easily readable, she started off by delivering a full jumping round kick to his side. She was pleased to see he blocked the attack, despite seeing his initial reluctance. It pleased her even more when he grabbed hold of her leg, throwing her to the edge of the arena. It seems he'd already passed the biggest hurdles.
"Oh my god! Are you ok!?" Asked Izuku worriedly.
Well, some of the biggest hurdles.
"Dude, this is a sparring match. Don't worry about me unless it looks serious." She said giving him a determined smile and readjusted her combat stance once she confirmed she didn't go over the line. "You should also learn to capitalize on an opening!" She exclaimed while rushing Izuku again. His panic had made him drop his combat stance, giving her the chance to deliver a solid hit to his shoulder, making him stumble back. Wasting no time she delivered a push kick to the other shoulder, sending Izuku out of the arena. "Like that." She said as she walked over to him, with a kind smile and offering a helping hand up. His initial shock to the action wasn't lost on her.
"Sorry, I'm not used to landing any sort of hit, so it's kinda nerve wracking." Explained Izuku as he accepted Kendo's help.
"Really? Figured your mom would have you spar all the time." Replied Kendo.
"We did, she just doesn't believe in letting someone get a free hit in. Said it was illogical and didn't teach anything." Responded Izuku sheepishly.
"Yeah, my grandpa's the same. I still can't land a hit on that nimble old man." Laughed Kendo, getting a smile from Izuku. "Come on, we still have a few more rounds."
"Right!" Exclaimed Izuku. When the two went back to their spots, Kendo waited patiently as she saw Izuku taking deep breaths. She figured he was centering himself, and was eager to see what he could do. When Izuku gave her a determined look, she started the match, only to be surprised when Izuku closed the distance. She didn't expect him to be as fast as he was, but she'd dealt with faster. So when he aimed a hook at her side, she was able to grab him by the arm and wrist before flipping him over her shoulder onto his back.
The flip surprised, but didn't stun Izuku. He quickly rolled away when Kendo threw another punch aimed at his chest by using a trick his mom taught him that managed to use little movement when dodging. So as soon as Kendo's fist impacted the ground, he was able to grab her arm, pulling her forward and off balance, allowing him to put his feet on her stomach before launching her back.
Without wasting a second, Izuku got back onto his feet in his fighting stance, only to see he had barely knocked Kendo out of the ring. Seeing the round was over, Izuku mimicked her earlier actions and offered her a helping hand. It did make him nervous doing so, but the wide smile she gave him put him at ease.
"Whew can't say I expected that. Seems I need to be more careful with downed opponents." Said Itskua happily as she accepted the help. While he still needed to work on his technique, she could tell Izuku possessed at least some skill. It made her excited to eventually face him in hero training.
"No kidding, he sure sent you flying." Remarked Shinso, feeling a little intimidated. In just a short while she already witnessed both of them take some solid hits that would have left her disoriented at best. And these two were taking them like it was nothing.
"Trust me, I'm just as surprised that it worked as you are." Said Izuku with a nervous laugh as he walked back to his starting position.
"Yeah, well it won't work a second time." She said confidently as she assumed her stance. "Ready. Begin!" She yelled, this time rushing in immediately as Izuku did the same. Deciding to up her game a bit, Kendo set her pace up to deliver an uppercut to his stomach. She was so into the match she didn't have time to process it when Izuku suddenly slowed down with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, staring right past her. Before she had a chance to stop herself, her attack ended up colliding with his jaw, launching him onto his back.
"Izuku!" Came several female voices behind Kendo.
She was so worried she didn't bother looking behind her, simply rushing to Izuku to check on him. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you ok!?" She asked worriedly. When several others rushed over to check on Izuku as well, she noticed what exactly distracted him. Among those checking on him were Mei, Kinoko, and Ochako, and their outfits didn't leave much to the imagination. All three were wearing a sports bra, with Mei showing off a bit of cleavage. Mei and Ochako were wearing perfectly form fitting yoga pants, and Kinoko had on skin tight booty shorts that went only an inch down her thigh at best. It didn't take a genius to figure out what distracted him.
"Aunt Midnight always said sex appeal would be the death of me, now I see why." Joked Izuku with a laugh as he rubbed his sore jaw, the adrenaline keeping his anxiety at bay.
Seeing him laugh helped put the girls at ease. "Of course she'd say something like that." Said Kinoko with a giggle.
"Come on, lying on the floor isn't gonna help, let's check out your jaw." Encouraged Kendo, offering a hand up. After checking him over it was determined to be fine, but would leave a nice bruise. Mei encouraged him to see Recovery Girl, and only subsided when he agreed to see her after the workout.
Izuku and Kendo continued their match, much to his girlfriends and Ochako's chagrin. But they were easily placated when they saw him pointedly trying to not look at them. Since the previous round didn't count due to the headshot, the two were still tied. Unfortunately Kendo was still a much more experienced fighter. She easily won the next round after a quick jab to the solar plex. Despite Izuku managing to push her to the edge of the arena the following round, she turned it around and knocked him out of the ring with a round kick to his lower back.
"Dang fam, you're a butt kicking machine! You totally have to show me how you do it." Exclaimed Camie. Izuku wasn't even sure when she showed up, but her assessment wasn't wrong. He also didn't want to look in her direction, afraid of what he might see.
"No kidding, seems like you had me in the palm of your hand." Said Izuku as he rubbed his lower back.
"You're not so bad yourself. Once you get some experience under your belt, I bet you'd be a force to be reckoned with." Kendo praised. She wasn't lying either. She'd noticed Izuku's ability to quickly learn. Every time she landed a blow, she had a harder time landing another one. If she didn't keep mixing it up, she wasn't sure how long the match would have gone for.
"I'm not so sure about that, but thank you." Laughed Izuku before he turned to his girlfriends, only to turn back around immediately. Not only was he correct about Camie being dressed in more revealing workout attire, turns out he undershot the mark. He didn't know they even made bloomers anymore. And of course her sports bra is so low cut, he was scared it would rip.
Seeing his reaction, Kendo looked to the group as well, immediately seeing what the problem was. "Camie, is that what you usually wear for working out?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yup. It's like, far more comfortable, and way less gross by the end." She said plainly, used to those kinds of questions.
"Well, guess there's nothing for it then. Just be careful of wardrobe malfunctions please." Sighed Kendo.
"Of course fam, always am!" Said Camie with a big smile, happy she didn't have to deal with follow-up questions or a lecture. She's liking Kendo even more now. "Now you down for another match? Your skills are lit, and I'd love to see what you can do." She said challengingly.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Kendo gave her a confident smile back. "You're on." She declared.
Kinoko quickly went and grabbed Izuku, who was staring nervously at the ceiling, and moved him out of the arena. "You know you're allowed to look right?" She giggled.
"Just keep the ogling directed at us." Teased Mei, as she used her arms to squeeze her breasts together, hoping to get a reaction from Izuku. She was actually proud of him when he did look at her and didn't look away again despite how red his face got.
"Y-you know I d-d-don't ogle." Izuku nervously defended.
"True, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to with us" said Kinoko, kissing him on the cheek. "Come join us when you've calmed down a bit." She said before she and Mei walked to a nearby bench press with Ochako following close behind.
"You two are really ok with him ogling you?" Asked Ochako, feeling a bit self-conscious about her state of dress.
"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?" Asked Mei confused as she assisted Kinoko set the weights.
"Doesn't it feel demeaning? Or objectifying?" Asked Ochako.
"Not when he does it." Replied Mei as if it answered everything.
"It feels good knowing Izuku finds us attractive. While he is quick to tell us we are, actions speak louder. Anyone else, I don't like it, and Mei is too oblivious to notice." Added Kinoko.
"Hey!" Yelled Mei indignantly.
"But we already know he doesn't view us as sexual objects. He's always looking us in the eyes, and treating us with respect. So we don't mind him looking." Continued Kinoko before she gave a pouting Mei an apology kiss, placating her.
Ochako didn't have time to respond as Izuku joined them with Shinso and a question ran through her mind. 'Would I enjoy it if he ogled me?' She thought as she looked down at her state of dress. The clothes weren't even hers. She borrowed the pants from Mei, and the bra from Kinoko. While they had to convince her it was ok to borrow their clothes, she really didn't fight that hard. So she couldn't even argue that it was all Mei's and Kinoko's fault she's dressed like this.
"Ochako? You ok? You seem out of it." Asked Izuku, looking concerned and accidentally startling her. Seems she was out of it enough she didn't notice Kinoko was in the middle of a set with Mei spotting her.
"Y-yeah, sorry, just lost in thought." Apologized Ochako, only for her breath to hitch as she saw him give her a friendly smile.
"Wanna talk about it?" Asked Izuku.
"N-no, it's ok, just some personal thoughts." She said, unable to come up with a proper excuse.
Izuku looked like he wanted to probe the subject, but kept his mouth shut. "Ok, just don't be afraid to talk to me if you need any help." He offered.
It was such a simple thing, a line she'd heard a million times, but when Izuku said it, it made Ochako's heart skip a beat. What was worse was the sudden urge to kiss him. 'I really need to figure out my feelings fast, before I do something I regret. At the very least I need to stop acting like a lovesick puppy.' She thought, slightly admonishing herself.
It ended up being an eventful day at the gym. Several cliques were vaguely formed as they assisted each other with their workouts. Though everyone stopped and stared as Mei benched 270 pounds. (122.5kg.) Jaws dropped to the floor as she did rep after rep, only really struggling when she reached her 15th and continued to 20 reps for a single set. It was quickly determined that she's the strongest in class without use of a quirk after Izuku admitted his absolute max is 220 pounds (99.8kg)
The sparring ring was also constantly in use. Kendo and Camie's match actually lasted a while. Camie's agility and dexterity made it difficult for Kendo to get a hit in, but Camie also had a hard time getting through Kendo's defense. In the end Kendo managed to eke out a victory with a well timed feint.
After that Mina and Kirishima decided to spar. It was obvious that Mina's style was similar to Camies, but Kirishima's was more like a boxer. Only problem was it was obvious Kirishima didn't have any formal training. Her attacks were sloppy, and her defense was wide open. It made sense when her quirk was considered, but Izuku knew his mom would make sure that was corrected. So the victory easily went to Mina, who used moves Izuku couldn't identify to keep Kirishima from being able to deliver any solid attacks.
When the match was over, the real show began when Camie and Mina decided to spar. Due to their fighting styles, to everyone it looked more like they were dancing with each other instead, meaning neither could use the same tactics Mina used against Kirishima. So it became the most graceful slugfest any of them had ever seen. The match never had a proper conclusion as both were worn out before the third round was even finished, leaving the matches tied at 1 each. Though, neither of them cared about the outcome and were laughing together at the end, both eager for a future rematch.
Everyone else managed to keep up with their workout while watching the matches between sets. Many were motivated by them, truly grasping that if they ever had to fight quirkless, they'd be screwed.
Of course, Izuku kept his word to Shinso and helped her with her workout. While he wasn't an expert, he at least knew where to start. He made sure to teach her proper lifting techniques and to understand the limits of her own body. Though he had Mei's and Kinoko's help whenever Shinso's technique needed physical adjustments. He wasn't about to touch her as it could easily turn into a recipe for disaster.
Of course Izuku didn't give all his attention to just Shinso. Despite his nervousness, he made sure to interact with not just his girlfriends, Camie, and Ochako, but had a few conversations with other classmates as well. Even learning that Mina's fighting style was actually her own modified version of breakdancing. It was originally meant to work in conjunction with her quirk, but she had learned she needed to work on using it without.
Yaoyorozu even admitted that any physical training is extremely complicated due to how her quirk functions. Her family had to hire an entire team of physical trainers, health specialists, and nutritionists as even with her quirk helping maintain lipids, she still had to worry about how much she burned, making it extremely difficult for her to gain muscle, or increase stamina. Everyone quickly realized how much more work she had to put in compared to others to become a hero. Needless to say, she garnered a lot of respect from her classmates.
Those revelations were just the tip of the iceberg as most of his classmates desired to get to know Izuku as well. Usually by giving the excuse that they didn't get the chance yesterday. They were a little bummed out that he didn't want to talk about his past, but they knew not to push it.
Though the more gossipy ones practically demanded to know more about Izuku, Mei, and Kinoko's dating life. Much to Izuku's embarrassment, Mei and Kinoko were more than happy to tell them all about their first date.
"So then he takes us to the botanical gardens, the one that's as big as a park and spent time walking together hand-in-hand, talking while we looked through the exhibits." Happily regaled Kinoko.
"Oooohhh I know that one. One of my ex's took me there once, that place is beautiful!" Ashido practically squealed.
"Even though those places aren't usually my thing, I admit I had a really good time. Granted, I did spend a good deal of the time getting new baby ideas from the plants there and talking about hero costumes." Continued Mei.
"Wait,That reminds me! Izu, Did you ever find out the story behind the trench coat?" Eagerly asked Kinoko, confusing the girls listening.
"Yes. Yes I did." Said Izuku as a dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks followed by several seconds of silence.
"Well? Are you gonna tell us?" Asked Mei just as eagerly.
"No. No I will not." Said Izuku, his blush darkening.
"I don't even know what you're talking about, but you have gotten me far too invested to not at least explain something!" Exclaimed Setsuna.
"Oh! They're talking about a story Izu told us on that date. His mom and aunts were helping him design his hero costume when his aunt..." Mei started only for her eyes to go wide in realization before she stared at Izuku's face as his blush spread to fully over his face. Suddenly to everyone sans Izuku's surprise, Mei doubled over laughing. "Oh my god! That's what it was about!? And she wanted you to— BAHAHAHAH!!" Said Mei unable to contain her laughter.
"Seriously?! What the heck is going on?!" Dramatically exclaimed a frustrated Pony.
"Hmmmmm, well Mei finds it hilarious, and Izuku's too embarrassed to say it, yet doesn't seem opposed to someone else saying it. Meaning it would be one of his aunt Midnights usual antics since he's used to them by now." Said Kinoko thoughtfully as she inspected Izuku who now had his hands covering his face. "The only connection I can make is... Oh come on! She wanted you to do that?!" Kinoko practically yelled as her own face turned red.
"Girl spill! You can't leave us hanging!" Said Hagakure, desperate for the tea.
"*sigh* Midnights quirk comes out of her skin, Izuku requires skin contact to gain attar. And with Midnight being a massive perv the only connection I can make is that trench coats are commonly associated with streakers and flashers." Said Kinoko sounding absolutely done despite her blush.
"Wait so she wanted you to— AH! *BANG*" said Kirishima laughing before her lack of focus caused her to drop the barbell she was lifting. Thankfully Kirishima instinctively activated her quirk, preventing her from getting hurt. There wer several second of silence as everyone stared at Kirishima worriedly. Only for Kirishima's laughter to return full force, causing everyone else to laugh in turn.
Hearing the room filled with so much laughter put Izuku at ease. Being surrounded by so much joy from these people felt freeing as it drowned out the voice in his head telling him that they all secretly hated him. It was a feeling he wanted to last forever.
It wasn't long before the laughter died down and the girls started making jokes about Izuku becoming the streaking hero. He was surprised that it didn't bother him, it wasn't an image he wanted to be associated with at all. But the lighthearted nature of the jokes was enough to know it was all in good fun.
"So was that the end of the date?" Asked Hagakure, her tone making it obvious she wanted more.
"Oh no, there was one other thing that blew me out of the water." Said Kinoko with some dramatic flare.
"Now I need me some of this tea." Joked Ashido, giving Kinoko her undivided attention.
"Well with Izu keeping the date secret from us, I failed to realize there was a concert going on that day. And a certain someone revealed he got us tickets." Said Kinoko before lovingly kissing Izuku's cheek.
"Oh? who did you see?" Asked Kendo without thinking despite attempting to pretend she wasn't interested.
"Mukai Atsuko." Said Kinoko with a slightly smug smile.
"What!? I tried getting tickets for that show but they sold out instantly! How did you manage to get them?" Asked Setsuna.
"I just bought them at the ticket booth. I heard they hold onto a few physical tickets for those that camp out the night before they go on sale. I actually barely made it as I got three of the last dozen tickets." Explained Izuku sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"You camped out for concert tickets for a first date? Damn dude, you really go the extra mile." Said Kendo as she playfully elbowed Izuku.
"It's not a big deal. I just wanted them to have a good time and be a good boyfriend." Said Izuku believing he was downplaying his role, not knowing he was doing the opposite.
"Damn, talk about smooth." Laughed Setsuna, before turning to Mei and Kinoko. "Just make sure you wait til you're in the bedroom before you start ripping his clothes off."
Kinoko and Izuku immediately blushed and became tongue tied from embarrassment as they tried to defend themselves. Mei on the other hand simply looked thoughtful. "Ripping them doesn't sound appealing. You can't wear them afterwards, and they're nice to sleep in when Izu isn't around." She said simply.
"Is that where my shirts have been disappearing to?" Calmly asked Izuku, his embarrassment forgotten for now.
"I return them clean when they lose your scent. Kinoko does it too, and I'm pretty sure Nejire has even planned what shirts she wants to take." Mei replied nonchalantly, thinking nothing of it.
"Way to throw me under the bus there Mei." Said Kinoko deadpan.
As the three talked, Hagakure giddily whispered to Ashido. "It's like watching a real life rom com and I live for it." She said with a giggle.
"For real, and their relationship has seemed so wholesome so far. Well besides all the sex talk." Responded Mina with a giggle of her own, before her expression turned longing. "I wish I had what they have."
"I know what you mean, being single is fun, but it's nothing compared to loving someone and feeling their love for you in my opinion. But hey, we're still young, there's plenty of time to find someone." Said Hagakure, ending with a gentle shoulder nudge.
"True, it just sucks waiting." Replied Mina with a sigh.
As the two continued talking, neither noticed Tsuyu overhearing their conversation and thinking about what they were saying. She looked over to the throuple as she too wished she had what they do. She'd always wanted to get married and have kids ever since she was a little girl. Always wanted the love she saw between her parents.
Except reality doesn't care what you want.
Despite the fact that quirks have been around for 200 years, there are still some deep rooted prejudices. Many having to do with mutation types such as herself, including being viewed as unattractive or outright ugly. And she was no stranger to those insults, even from those she confessed to. While she tried to not let it get to her, the years have taken their toll.
So if she was being honest with herself, she was jealous of their relationship. They looked so happy and at peace with each other. You can even see the love they have for each other by the way they looked at one another.
Just like her parents.
There was one thing that drew her attention though, and that was Izuku. His quirk trauma was made apparent to them, his own hesitance to talk about his quirk made it obvious it was deep as well. So maybe he might look past what her quirk did to her looks, and like her for her.
Maybe he would be the one to help her fulfill her dream.
"Ok, I think that's enough for today. Don't want to push too hard or you risk losing progress, rather than gaining it." Came Izuku's voice as he spoke to Shinso, drawing Tsuyu out of the stupor she didn't even know she was in.
"True, don't want to risk hurting something before your first day of class. I don't think that would be a good look in the hero course." Joked Kendo.
"In that case, I'm gonna check out the workshop. I may not be able to work there yet, but they gave us support students permission to familiarize ourselves with the workspace." Quickly said Mei, giving her partners a peck on the lips before she dashed.
Izuku tried to stop her before she left, but she was surprisingly fast. After she was fully out the door, he let out a sigh and fished his phone from his pocket, seeming to start texting someone.
"Letting Powerloader know she's on her way?" Rhetorically asked Kinoko as she calmly grabbed her water bottle.
"Why would he need to know that? Did she lie about having permission?" Asked Shinso confused.
"No, that part is true. She just conveniently left out that she needs to have someone there to supervise her." Replied Izuku after he put his phone away.
"You make it sound like she's the only one who has that requirement." Added Kendo, looking just as confused as Shinso.
"She is." Said Kinoko casually, further confusing everyone listening.
"Mei has a habit of..." Started Izuku, pausing as he tried to figure out how to explain without being rude.
Kinoko on the other hand had no qualms with telling it how it is about her girlfriend. "Causing explosions whenever she works on one of her babies, as well as getting overexcited and ignoring rules. So her parents thought it'd be smart to assign her a babysitter, Powerloader agreed and volunteered. He says it's to protect his lab, but I think he has a soft spot for her." Continued Kinoko with a fond smile despite her comments.
Seeing the smile, it wasn't hard to deduce she wasn't speaking from a place of anger or malice, but genuine affection. Though there was one part that many focused on. "Explosions? How is she still alive?" Asked Jirou indignantly.
Both Izuku and Kinoko opened their mouths to answer, only for no words to come out. The two simultaneously looked at one another seeing if the other had the answer, only to see they didn't. So they looked back at the group and shrugged. "No clue." Responded Kinoko.
"Honestly, I don't think either of us thought about it. Considering all the heroes and villains that survive major attacks, Mei surviving all those explosions doesn't seem far-fetched." Added Izuku as he grabbed his own water bottle, and taking hold of Kinoko's hand as they waited for everyone else to grab their stuff to leave.
"I guess that's true. I heard All Might defeated a villain with a punch strong enough that it literally changed the weather, but the villain was simply knocked out" Said Tsuyu as she walked up to the two, purposefully standing close to Izuku. She was so fixated on figuring out how to get closer to him, she failed to notice the two flinching.
"I heard about that too! My science teacher actually taught us how much force would be required to do that, and how it should have disintegrated the villain, even if it was made of sludge." Added Kirishima.
"Oh my god I remember that! He was freaking out because it didn't make any scientific sense. He would not stop saying how quirks were bullshit that day. He actually hates how often they break the laws of physics. That they, and I quote, ten billion percent should not even exist." Added Mina with a giggle. "He's actually pretty cool, just really obsessed with science."
"Oh, so you two went to school together?" Asked Izuku, happy for the change in subject.
"Yup yup! We didn't hang out, but we knew each other. Now we're horn buddies and she's stuck with me." Happily exclaimed Mina as she glomped on Kirishima who didn't even budge.
"I hope that doesn't mean you learned to make glue with your quirk." Joked Kirishima with a smile.
"Maaaaybeeeee. You'll just have to wait and find out!" Said Mina as she wrapped her legs around Kirishima who didn't even look affected by the added weight. She simply hooked her arms around Mina's legs so she wouldn't fall. "Oh wait! Pony! You wanna be horn buddies too!?" She yelled with a large smile.
Pony looked a little lost at first as she mouth Mina's words to herself, before a look of understanding crossed her face, which was quickly replaced with a wide cheery smile. "Sure! I'd like that!"
"Woo!" Cheered Mina as she pumped her fists in the air, and still, Kirishima didn't move an inch or seem bothered in the least. "Now you and me need to become fluffy buddies!" She declared as she pointed a finger directly in Izuku's face.
The sudden action startled Izuku, which didn't help his nerves as today's events finally started to catch up with him. This was the most social he'd been in many years, and it turns out having two friends your own age doesn't prepare you to handle being around over a dozen other people all at once. He felt so drained he knew he'd be in for a rough time if he didn't recharge soon. "Y-yeah, sounds good. But I think I'm going to head to the dorms now, and cuddle with Azazel. Wanna join Kinoko?" He asked, trying not to sound as mentally and emotionally fatigued as he felt.
Without a word, Kinoko kissed Izuku on the cheek. "I'd love to. Been needing to go through a couple fashion magazines anyway." She said with a large smile. She knew how drained Izuku was, it happened frequently when they started hanging out. So it made her happy that Izuku wanted her help to recharge.
As the two started walking off hand-in-hand, the rest started leaving at their own paces. Many felt they had gotten to know Izuku enough to feel comfortable living in the same dorm. At least as comfortable living with a bunch of new people can be anyways.
The only ones to follow them out were Ochako, Kendo, Shinso, Tsuyu, and strangely enough Yanagi. While many questioned who Azazel was, they didn't worry and expected to find out later, except for the curious silver haired girl. "So who is this Azazel, and why do they have the name of a fallen Angel?"
Izuku looked at her with both surprise and confusion. "A fallen Angel? Huh, I thought it was the name of a demon. But Azazel is my cat, I named him that because he's a black cat with a quirk that makes his eyes glow red making him look a little demonic. So since it fit the theme of my own quirk, I went with it." Izuku explained as he concentrated more on the feel of Kinoko's hand in his to keep his nerves calm.
Yanagi smiled softly as she herself was a cat lover, especially black cats. She was about to ask if she could see him, but someone beat her to it.
"You have a cat?! Can I meet him?!" Shinso asked excitedly with stars in her eyes, only to realize how she was acting and quickly schooled her expression, trying to play it cool. "I mean, I didn't know the school allowed pets."
Izuku managed to be the only one to suppress a chuckle, feeling a little bad for Shinso. "They're allowed as long as you get permission. Though they only accept trained animals. In Azazel's case he's my support animal." He said with a smile, but internally he was screaming. He knew he'd have to tell his class eventually, but wished it could have been put off longer. "I don't mind if you meet him, just keep in mind that he might ignore you while working."
"But aren't support animals always working?" Asked Tsuyu, hoping to dig up a little information.
"Generally yes, but Azazel is really good at keeping an eye out while doing other things. So we generally only consider him working when assisting me. The rest of the time he's wandering around, usually begging to get pet." Explained Izuku.
"Ah, so your cat is one of those attention whore types huh?" Asked Shinso with a slight smile, feeling her excitement threaten to burst forth once more.
"That's the understatement of the year!" Laughed Kinoko. "I don't think I've ever seen that cat not hanging around someone. If your hands are free, you can bet for sure he won't stop meowing at you until you pet him, or do something else. And even that doesn't always stop him. Izuku, Mei, and I have experienced him time and again headbutting us to pull our attention to him so he can meow at us."
"Honestly, that sounds lovely. Can't wait to see him." Added Reiko monotonously, but with the same glint in her eye as Shinso.
The rest of the trip back was pleasant, but nerve inducing for Izuku. He was grateful to Kinoko and her observation skills as she distracted the others where she could. She was also rubbing circles on the back of his hand with her thumb, helping keep him grounded.
When they reached the dorm, there was an agreement that everyone would shower first before meeting up in the common room. Obviously Kinoko and Izuku showered together, but only went as far as embracing each other.
As expected, Azazel was waiting for the two to exit the showers and immediately went to Izuku's side, placing a supportive paw on his leg to show he knew he was on duty. After the two finished getting dressed, Kinoko grabbed her magazines and Izuku grabbed Azazel, holding him to his chest as the cat purred.
What the two didn't expect was to be the first back to the common room. Shrugging it off, Izuku took a seat on one side of the couch, lying back a bit with a leg on the couch and Kinoko sat in the spot between his legs and snuggled up close to him before she started reading. As soon as the two were settled, Azazel took his place on Izuku's chest where he curled up and started purring while keeping a close eye on Izuku.
When everyone was settled Izuku wrapped an arm around Kinoko, holding her close while using his other hand to pet Azazel. It didn't take long before Kinoko could physically feel Izuku relaxing until eventually his arm dropped, telling her he had fallen asleep. It didn't surprise her given the last emotional couple of days, so she just stayed put, simply enjoying being so close to the man she loves while she read.
"Well someone looks comfortable." Said Kendo teasingly as she walked down the stairs with Shinso.
"And someone else looks like they're about to start drooling." Added Shinso with a small smirk.
"You're not going to trick me, I know he doesn't drool in his sleep." Replied Kinoko with a smile as she turned the page.
"Can't blame a girl for trying." Said Shinso with a chuckle. "So that's Azazel?"
"Yup, that's the little demon. I'm sure he'd love to socialize once he's done working." Said Kinoko, looking up at the two.
"Working? He appears to be asleep to me." Said Kendo confused.
Looking back Kinoko confirmed that he appeared to be asleep, except she knew better. She was about to tell them the situation but they were distracted by the sound of the door open quickly followed by a squee.
"Ohmygosh it's a kitty!" Said Ashido excitedly as she ran over to pet Azazel.
Thankfully Kinoko was able to intercept her before she could touch him. She was surprised Izuku didn't wake up from the noise, but figured he was just more exhausted than she thought. "Trust me, you do not touch him right now. He will not be happy." She warned.
"Awwww but why?" Pouted Ashido.
"Yeah, I thought you said he was a very social cat." Added Kendo confused.
"Only when he's not working, otherwise he is very protective of Izuku. I learned that lesson the hard way. He really knows how to use those claws." Said Kinoko as she rubbed the back of her hand. She still remembers when it happened because it hurt far more than a simple cat scratch should have. "So if you ever see him with Izuku, don't touch him until he approaches you."
As if on cue Azazel started stretching before standing up and started licking the tip of Izuku's nose. Many awww's were heard as several more classmates showed up just in time to witness the sight. They all watched silently as Izuku started to wake up and started petting Azazel who leaned into the touch. There were several stealth pictures taken by a certain mushroom girl, Ashido, and Hagakure..
Izuku was too enthralled with Azazel to notice everyone in the room until the sound of a camera shutter was heard above him. He looked to the source only to find two floating hands holding a phone just to his left. He was still too groggy to process what he was witnessing.
"Sorry, not sorry. That was just too adorable not to get a picture of." Said Setsuna unashamedly as her hands floated back to her and reattached so she could see if she got a good picture, and was delighted to find that she had.
Before Izuku had the chance to process what was happening and look around, Ashido and Hagakure hid their phones. Though Kinoko simply walked up behind Izuku and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I agree, I think I just got my new phone wallpaper." She said teasingly.
That was apparently enough to help Izuku's brain finish rebooting as his face turned red. It was embarrassing and he felt like dying in a hole, but he wasn't going to make a big deal out of nothing. When he fully looked around he was anxious to realize about half his classmates were in the room staring at him and Azazel.
Fortunately being the amazing support cat he is, Azazel got right to work. Unfortunately he went with one of his more...unique approaches.
"Oh. My. God. Is this really happening right now?" Asked Ashido, surprised but like she was given a gift from god.
"Yes it is and it is the most adorable thing ever!!" Squealed Hagakure happily as she watched Azazel pet Izuku's head.
"I must admit, I am now extremely envious of you for finding such a familiar." Admitted Yanagi with a small smile.
"I agree, we must find someone with a cloning quirk ASAP." Shinso fervently agreed. "Wait, can Hatsume make a cloning machine?"
Izuku and Kinoko were about to shoot that request down, not because they thought Mei couldn't do it, they were afraid that she probably could, only for Mitsuki to walk into the dorm carrying several bags.
"Oh hey, you're back! Have any of you had lunch ye...?" Started Mitsuki before she spotted Azazel still petting Izuku, halting her abruptly. Without a word, she put the bags on the floor, fished out her phone, and started recording. It took a few seconds for everyone to realize what she was doing, but as soon as they did, she got a flood of requests to be sent the video.
Kinoko couldn't help but giggle as her boyfriend covered his reddening face in embarrassment, before giving him a peck on the cheek. "You know they would have seen it eventually." She said soothingly.
Despite his embarrassment, Izuku managed to remove his hands from his face, still beet red, with a smile. "I know, I'm just not used to so much attention. At least not like this." He said quiet enough for only Kinoko to hear.
"You want me to run interference for a bit?" asked Kinoko wanting to help.
After a couple seconds Izuku shook his head. "No, I need to get used to it. I admit it's not easy, but at the same time it is. It's difficult to explain."
"I know exactly what you mean." Said Kinoko as her mind wandered to her first few weeks with Mei and Izuku.
It took a few more seconds for Azazel to stop petting Izuku, after which he licked Izuku's nose one last time before hopping off him and started brushing up against Kinoko. Of course, she happily picked him up and started petting him. Everyone who had heard her explanation realized he was finally free, and several swarmed to pet Azazel, who was loving the attention.
"I don't think I've ever seen a cat act the way he does." Said Mitsuki as she leaned on the back of the couch.
"I hear that a lot actually." Said Izuku with a chuckle. "We think it's because of his quirk somehow, but obviously we have no way to know unless we find someone that can understand animals. Sadly, quirks that control animals are far more common."
"That makes sense. I've seen a few animals with quirks, and they always seem to act differently. Though from how he acts, don't be surprised if the others try to adopt him as the class pet." Playfully teased Mitsuki.
"I think you have that backwards. He'll establish himself as the class pet regardless of what anyone says. So as long as they don't try to interfere with his job, there won't be any issues." Said Izuku smiling as his cat looked like he was in heaven with all the attention he was getting.
"Now that sounds like something a cat would do." Said Mitsuki with a laugh. "So as I was asking earlier before being distracted by lethal levels of adorableness, have you had any lunch? I don't mind making something up."
"I thought we were supposed to do that ourselves?" Asked Izuku confused.
"Yeah, but school doesn't start for three more days, so I'm not under that obligation yet." Said Mitsuki with a smile and wink.
Izuku smiled back at Mitsuki before looking back to the girls as they took turns holding and petting Azazel. "Yeah, I can go for some lunch. But I'm helping you make it." He said, leaving no room for arguments.
"Twist my arm, why dontcha?" Said Mitsuki playfully with a laugh.
As Izuku got up to follow Mitsuki, he looked over at the group of girls again, some of whom noticed and returned the smile. He couldn't help but feel that dorm life will be better than he expected.