AN: Thanks for the reviews and interest everyone!

After their eventful summer break, returning to school felt tame by comparison. The group of friends took full advantage of that fact and used their newfound determination to work even harder in preparation for UA's entrance exams. Between school, training, and studying, the days passed quickly, stretching into weeks. The weeks stretched into months, and before they knew it, the final day of the semester had arrived.

"I'm so ready for this vacation!" Aika declared as she stood up from her desk, stretching as classes were dismissed for the final time.

"Not like it'll be much of a vacation. We've still gotta prepare for entrance exams next semester," Jiro replied coolly as she walked over.

"Hey, you saw my last practice test. I actually got a passing score!"

"Shizu, you were one point above the bare minimum," Himiko deadpanned as she joined them.

"That still counts! Not like you're doing much better!"

Himiko blushed. "At least I got higher than you!"

"That's what you get for constantly distracting your tutor," Ochako teased.

"Emmy always makes sure we get through the material first!" Himiko pouted. "No matter how hard I try!"

"Yes, and how much are you remembering?" Izuku asked.

"Enough." Himiko smiled mischievously at Izuku.

Ochako heard Izuku's exasperated sigh and reached out, her hand finding his as they shared a comforting smile. "We've still got a little over a month until the exams. I'm sure everyone will be ready by then!"

"Yeah! What Uraraka said!"

Jiro laughed at Aika's enthusiasm before she turned toward the rest of the group. "So, Arcade? I'm assuming Mido's keeping his promise of no more sneaking off to kidnap new family members."

"That was one time!" Izuku protested.

"I'm glad he did it!" Himiko interjected.

"Thank you, Himi!"

"Fine, you get a pass on how cool Himiko is." Jiro crossed her arms. "But I'm still not gonna let you sneak off again."

"Neither will we!" Himiko agreed as she pulled Ochako into a side hug. "He's already getting in enough trouble with supervision!"

Izuku gave a pleading look to his girlfriend who responded with a sympathetic look of her own before she said, "We should get going if we want to beat the crowds."

"Yeah!" five voices replied.

"Good morning, Toshi!" Inko's face lit up as she opened the door to see Toshinori's smiling face.

"Good morning, Inko," Toshinori greeted as the woman leaped into his arms, catching her with practiced ease as they kissed. "You're in a good mood."

"Of course I am! I get to spend two days with you." Inko smiled mischievously. "I'm going to make the most of it!"

Toshinori smiled back as he set the woman down. "I'm looking forward to it!"

"But first, lunch!" Inko said as she led Toshinori deeper into the home. Izuku and Himiko had already set the table, and everyone was just waiting for Toshinori's arrival.

The four sat down and seemed to be enjoying lunch, but it didn't take long for Izuku to notice how nervous Himiko was acting. At first his questioning glance was met with a glare in return, but it continued throughout the meal with her constant glances at Toshinori. As they were finishing up, he finally decided it was now or never.

"Himi, is something wrong?"

"No!" Himiko said too quickly.

"Himi." Inko looked at her daughter. "If something's bothering you…"

"It's about All Might," Himiko blurted out. She felt her blush spreading as she looked at Toshinori before bowing her head. "I just– I hate having to keep the secret from Emmy, and I know I invited her to the party tomorrow, and I'd have to lie to her the entire night about who he is, and–"

Toshinori held up a hand to cut off Himiko's rambling. "You are starting to sound like Young Midoriya," he said with a light chuckle.

"I know." Himiko glared at Izuku. "I'm picking up bad habits."

Izuku stuck out his tongue before his expression turned serious. "Is this just about All Might?"

"There's also One For All," Himiko added softly. "Emmy's smart. If she knows about Toshi, she might figure out the similarities?"

"Mmm." Toshinori placed a hand on his chin as he looked at the girl. "This girl means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"Of course!" Himiko's face lit up. "She's one of the first people who told me my quirk wasn't a curse!"

"You really love her, don't you?" Inko asked.

"Yeah, I do," Himiko said, a faraway look on her face. "I love spending time with her, and that means it's only a matter of time before she finds out anyway."

"Hmm. What do you think, young Midoriya?"

Izuku turned toward Toshinori. "Himi's asked me this before. I didn't really know anyone from Class 2, so I don't know what she was like." He turned toward his sister. "But I know what Himi means by keeping secrets. If it's important to her, I'm okay with her knowing."

"Then I don't see any reason why you can't tell her." Toshinori smiled as he saw the relief fill Himiko's face. "But you must impress upon her the importance of this secret!"

"I will!" Himiko promised. "And… what about the other thing?"

"I don't think she needs to know about that part right now," Izuku said apologetically.

Himiko silently agreed. The four finished lunch as a much more relaxed atmosphere settled over the table. As they finished, Izuku and Himiko helped clear the table before saying their goodbyes, leaving Inko and Toshinori in peace.

"They are growing up into fine individuals," Toshinori said proudly as he watched the door close.

"Yes, they are," Inko agreed fondly. Walking over to Toshinori, she wrapped herself around one of his arms as she quietly guided him to the couch, where the two sat down. "You're a great father figure for them."

"F-father figure?!" Toshinori gasped.

Inko laughed lightly. "Oh please, you've seen how Izu acts around you. You're the father that he never had. Himi too."

Toshinori stiffened. "I never noticed."

"Of course you didn't," Inko said fondly as she leaned into Toshinori's side. "But I have."

"Well, it's a good thing I have you to help point these things out to me," Toshinori smiled as he gently wrapped his arm around Inko.

"I think so, too," Inko agreed.

Himiko stepped off her train and raced out of the station, her eyes already scanning the crowd for her girlfriend. When she finally spotted Emily, she noticed the blonde girl was already headed in her direction. Smile splitting her face, Himiko closed the distance and the two embraced as their lips found each other.

"Hey, Emmy," Himiko said as she pulled away from her girlfriend, looking at her through lidded eyes.

"Hey, Himi. You said you have big news?"

"Yeah!" Himiko looked around the crowd as her hand found the other girl's. "Come with me."

"We'd better not be going to another alleyway!"

Himiko laughed as she took off running, the other girl matching her pace as they raced down the street. "Nope! I want to walk through the park and gaze at the snow with my wonderful girlfriend."

"You've been watching those movies with your mom again, haven't you?"

"It's not my fault! It's what mom likes to watch at night and our couch is comfy!"

Emily rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."

"You knew what you were getting into!" Himiko replied, her smile splitting her face.

"You never told me how much of a cat you were!"

"Maybe if you spent more time with me," Himiko shot the other girl a mischievous glance. "Like I kept asking you to!"

Emily scoffed. "I can always break up with you!"

"Oh please, you know there's nobody else who could keep up with you!" Himiko teased.

"Just you wait, I'll find someone!" Emily cried defiantly.

The two slowed their pace for a moment as they locked eyes with each other before they broke down in laughter. Without another word they sped back up, running all the way to the entrance of a nearby park. Finally stopping, Emily turned toward her girlfriend. "So now what?"

"Let's find someplace private."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Emily asked, her curiosity already running rampant.

The two quickly entered the park and walked along the frozen paths. The snow resting on the trees made everything seem more beautiful, or perhaps it was the effect of the girl whose hand she held. Either way, Himiko vowed to take Emily back to the entrance of the park and walk through it a second time. Maybe even a third time after they were done with karaoke and the sun had set, just to see how the lights changed the atmosphere. The other girl deserved it.

But first, she had to tell her the truth about her future father. Despite the reason why, it still made her feel funny and uncomfortable lying to Emily. She didn't like it.

"Here we are," Emily said as she guided them off the path and through the snow until they were standing underneath an isolated grove of trees. "Himi, what is it?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you," Himiko said, giving her girlfriend a serious look.

Emily locked eyes with her girlfriend. "You know I won't."

"I know." Himiko's face softened. "But I needed to hear it. It's about my fa- it's about our trainer. Mom's boyfriend."

"Mr. Yagi? What about him?"

"Well…" Himiko bit her lip. "He's actually a pro hero! We just see him when he's off duty!"

"A pro hero? Who…" Emily began thinking about potential heroes that matched his profile before her eyes started going wide. "There's no way!"

"Tall, blond, bright blue eyes. Sure he isn't all muscle-y when we see him, I still don't know how he does that and I wonder what that means for Izu and Ocha in the future, but…"

"Your mom is dating–" Emily realized she was about to scream before she whispered. "All Might?!"

"Yep!" Himiko's smile split her face. "That's him!"

"HOW?!" Emily shouted, the volume of her voice causing some snow to shake loose from the trees. "Actually! Wait! Back up! You said you wonder what this means for Izuku and Ochako in the future. What did you mean by that?"

"Something happened a little over a year ago…"

Himiko spent the next five minutes explaining everything to her girlfriend, watching in amusement as her face looked more and more incredulous. When she was done, she watched Emily and awaited her reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?!" Emily exclaimed.

"Because it's a secret!" Himiko threw her hands in the air.

"Fine!" Emily crossed her arms. "But you owe me!"

"What do I owe you?" Himiko asked, confused.

"You." Emily jabbed a finger at her girlfriend. "Need to set up a meeting with Izu and All Might!"

"Why?"

"Because I need to know everything about their quirk!"

Himiko should have expected it, but she still groaned when she heard Emily's demand.

Izuku heard his phone beep, letting him know that he had received a message from Himiko. Using his free hand, he pulled his phone out and unlocked the screen to read the message.

"What's so exciting?" Ochako asked as she saw his expression change.

"Himi told Song about us. And now she wants to talk to me about my quirk."

Ochako giggled before nudging his shoulder with her own. "That sounds fun! I bet you've been dying to talk to someone else about it."

"Am I that obvious?" Izuku asked as he pocketed his phone. When he saw the look Ochako was giving him, he gave her a nervous smile in return. "I know Melissa's transferring to UA in April, but that's so far away! And I can't exactly talk to her over the phone about it."

"I know. I'm happy for you!" Ochako smiled. "Plus you might think of new cool ways for us to use it!"

"You might need to rescue Himi though. She gets bored easily whenever I'm talking about quirks."

"I think I can do that! Maybe we can grab Jiro or Shizu and go out while you two nerd it up."

Izuku smiled back. "That sounds great!"

"You sure have a weird view of fun."

"H-hey!" Izuku protested. "I can't help it…"

"I know." Ochako leaned over and kissed Izuku on the cheek. "And you're so cute when you really get into it, too. I just have a hard time keeping up with it all."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be!" Ochako shook her head and sent him a reassuring smile. "I still learn a lot from your notebooks when you're done!"

The two continued their walk in silence. For the holiday they had decided to visit the cafe where their parents first met in Mustafu, and with the entire day to themselves, they decided to enjoy the holiday atmosphere that had settled over the town. As they walked, they saw families running last-minute errands and more than a few couples enjoying each other's company on this special day.

"We've come a long way since last year, haven't we?" Ochako murmured.

"Yeah." Izuku glanced at her, unable to keep the smile off his face. "We really have."

"I know why All Might made us do what he did but—" Ochako squeezed Izuku's hand tightly. "—I'm glad we're doing it differently this time."

"Me too. It makes me feel lighter."

As if to emphasize his point, Izuku pushed the faintest trace of One For All into his hand, wrapping it in a soft green glow, barely perceptible in the daylight. Ochako saw it and gave him a warm look before responding in kind, the pink light of One For All dancing and twisting around green as the colors blended together. They only dared keep it up for a moment before they extinguished its power and descended into giggles.

"Next year's going to turn out alright, isn't it?"

"Of course it is!"

"Thank you, Izu," Ochako said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Izuku looked at her in confusion as she wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him in for a quick kiss. It only lasted for a moment before she withdrew, a giddy smile on her face. "Now I know why Himi and Song don't care what others think. It's fun kissing you in public!"

Izuku felt his face heating up as he stared at his girlfriend dumbfounded before finding his voice. "Ochaaaa!"

Ochako's smile widened. "Don't worry. I won't do it… much." As if to emphasize her point she held her hands behind her back and toed the ground with her boot as she offered her boyfriend an innocent expression.

They fell into a fit of laughter before Ochako slipped her hand back into Izuku's and the two continued onward. It didn't take long for them to circle the lake and reach the cafe, its seats mostly empty in the late afternoon. The two placed their orders and ate together, enjoying each other's company as they continued watching people pass by.

They stayed longer than necessary, and the sun had begun to set by the time they left. Checking the time, Izuku grabbed Ochako's hand. "Come on, we need to hurry!"

"For what?" Ochako asked curiously.

Izuku smiled and pulled two tickets to the observatory out of his pocket. "It's a day early, but I wanted to give you your Christmas present tonight."

Ochako's face lit up when she saw the tickets. "Izu, you–" Without warning, she leaned forward and kissed Izuku. "-you didn't have to do that! Seeing it once was enough!"

"I know, but I wanted to go again with you. Just you."

Ochako used her free hand to wipe away the stray tear that was building in her eye. How did she get so lucky to end up with someone so thoughtful? "I love it. Let's go!"

Without waiting, Ochako took off, Izuku protesting as he almost lost his grip on the tickets before he was able to shove them back in his pocket.

As the show concluded, Ochako looked down at her hand, fingers intertwined with Izuku's. Smiling, her eyes traced their way up his arm until she reached his shoulder, and then her gaze continued to his face. He had a thoughtful look as he stared at the ceiling as if trying to catch a last glimpse of the stars.

"So what'd you think?" Ochako asked.

"I think it was better the second time," Izuku admitted before he turned to look at her. "Getting to see it with you made it feel more special."

"I know just what you mean." Ochako squeezed his hand slightly. "Thank you, Izu. I loved it."

"Anything for you, Ocha."

After the holidays, the next month passed even faster as everyone focused even harder on their training and studies. Izuku and Ochako tried their hardest to help Kyoka and Aika, while Emily continued to privately tutor Himiko. When the group resumed their training at UA, Emily began to join them, her light arrows adding a new dynamic to their training as everyone began to practice against her.

Before they knew it, the day of the exam was upon them. As they were dismissed from classes for the day, the friends looked at each other, filled with nervous energy about tomorrow's exam. It was pointless to study, and any further training could leave them weaker for the exam itself.

Without anything better to do, they made their way to a nearby cafe. Ordering drinks, the six pushed a pair of tables together.

"Really, after all of our training they should just let us into UA," Aika declared as she sat down in her seat.

"Some of us, maybe," Jiro said as she shot a lazy glance toward Izuku and Ochako. "The rest of us are gonna be in for a tough battle tomorrow."

"I don't think it's gonna be easy for us either," Izuku defended himself as he rubbed the back of his head.

"But you two are amazing!" Aika exclaimed. "There's no way you two won't make it in."

Ochako glanced at Izuku before turning back to Aika. "Don't forget, this school's got a zero-point-five percent acceptance rate. There's going to be almost seven thousand students taking the exam."

"That many?" Himiko asked.

"Mhm." Izuku bobbed his head. "Most people don't pass the written exam, and those that do then have their scores averaged with the practical exam."

"Ehehehe." Aika rubbed the back of her head. "So go for a high score on the practical portion, got it!" She gave a thumbs up to the table. "With all of our training, that part should be a piece of cake."

"Seriously." Despite her cool demeanor, Izuku and Ochako noticed Kyoka's ear jacks tapping together as she looked around the table. "I knew I was gonna need to take extra training to stand a chance, but I never imagined I'd learn sword fighting on top of everything else we've learned."

"I'm glad you did though!" Himiko happily responded. "It was nice having a training partner while I learned how to use my knives."

"Too bad we can't bring weapons into the entrance exam."

"Says you! They let me register a pair of knives as support gear."

"Only because your quirk is classified as a non-combat quirk!" Aika interjected.

"I think Himi would have figured something out even if she couldn't bring them," Izuku said in defense of his sister. "It's scary how perceptive she is."

"And Emmy's gonna kill me if I don't make it into UA, so I'll get in or die trying!"

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that," Ochako replied.

"Have you seen the study sessions Emmy has put me through?"

"Yes, you've complained about them enough," Ochako giggled.

"Exactly! I can't let her down!"

As the others descended into casual conversation in an attempt to unwind, Ochako slid closer to Izuku so they could whisper to each other. "You don't think that Nezu's just going to put us through a normal entrance exam tomorrow, do you?"

Izuku shook his head. The movement was barely perceptible, but to Ochako it was loud and clear. "He knows we'd just destroy the entrance exam if we took it again."

Ochako gave him a soft smile. "And this time you won't have to break yourself to rescue a cute brunette, either." Izuku felt his neck heating up as she started giggling. "Sorry, it's too much fun teasing you."

"Ehehehe." Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he tried to get his embarrassment under control. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out!" He looked at his friends around the table, all of them laughing and smiling as they talked to each other. "Everyone will! And then we're going to become great heroes!"

This time, we won't fail!

"Yeah." Ochako smiled gently at him. "We will."

No, we won't.

AN: All For One sat in front of the computer, waiting for the call to come in. Right on time, a small window opened up, the words 'Audio Only' displayed on the screen.

"How did the meeting go?"

"Better than expected. Nobody died," The voice of Dr. Garaki came through the speaker.

"Hmph, I'm almost disappointed by that," All For One mused, rubbing his chin.

"Don't be. Tomura decayed one of Homura's companions, but she used her quirk to slow down the decay. As a result he only lost an arm."

"I see," All For One smiled. "Will they work together?"

"For now. Tomura still looks up to his sister, even after all this time," Garaki reported.

"Hmm, that may be a problem."

"Will his feelings for her get in the way?"

"Perhaps," All For One replied. "If his hatred isn't strong enough, he might not be up for the task."

"We can always arrange a little accident," Garaki said conspiratorially. "If he thinks the heroes are responsible for her death…"

"I like that," All For One smiled. "A shame that we'd have to sacrifice one of them. But it would be worth it. Let me examine my quirk stockpile and come up with a plan."

"As you wish, sir," Even though he couldn't see him, All For One could clearly picture Garaki bowing in his mind's eye.

The light of the screen winked out, once again leaving All For One alone with his thoughts. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his hands in his lap and began planning his next moves.