AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews everyone!

The next day, Izuku began researching quirk discrimination. He had read a few articles after they met Himiko, but after seeing how she acted after that court case, he felt the need to find out more.

It didn't take long for him to stumble onto a forum that was built to be more of a support group than anything. For people whose mutations and secondary mutations caused them to stand out and be discriminated against.

As Izuku read page after page and thread after thread, his eyes grew wide.

Even if you have a quirk, people could look down on you.

It was eye-opening. He desperately hoped that his situation was unique - that Kacchan's bullying was because Izuku wanted to be a hero despite being quirkless.

But it wasn't.

The fact that people with quirks were treated the same way he was - sometimes treated worse than he was… His knuckles turned white from how hard he was gripping his mouse.

This isn't right!

He took a deep breath.

Remember why you're here. For Himiko's sake.

He could already tell the site was going to give him a lot to think about later. But first things first. Finding the right section of the forum, he began a new thread and started typing, asking for advice on how to help his 'friend' who suffered discrimination for having a blood-based mutation.

Several hours later, Izuku heard his phone beep as it announced he received an email. Unlocking it, he saw he had gotten a private message on the mutant support forum. Curious, he clicked the link to open up his inbox.

From: Froppy

Subject: New Guy

Hey New Guy. Welcome to the forums! I'm sorry to hear about your friend but you may want to edit your post. While many people here have to deal with problems from relatives, your information is awfully specific and could lead to your friend's identity being revealed if someone was dedicated enough.

I have left a reply with advice in the thread, but people here try to be discrete with the details for a reason. It's too easy for someone who means well to accidentally hurt others.

As for your friend - I encourage you to have them join the forum directly! The best advice is to find people with similar experiences and form a network.

If you have any questions feel free to DM me back.

~Froppy

Izuku paled a bit as he read the message. Quickly navigating to his post he brought up the edit window and removed some of the details. Hitting the 'Edit' button with a sigh he hung his head.

"I guess I've got a lot to learn, too."

Returning to his inbox, he typed out a reply thanking this Froppy person and explaining that his friend wouldn't be comfortable on the forum.

Several weeks later, as they were eating dinner, Himiko thoughtfully chewed her beef, savoring the juices and the delightful combination created by mixing pig's blood with egg. While savoring the food, she couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten so lucky.

After the trial, the Midoriyas had done their best to help her pick up the pieces after her breakdown. Moreover, they have gone out of their way to help her - giving her the space she needed when she asked for it, and being there when she needed it.

She didn't deserve them in her life.

But they were there for her anyway.

As she watched Inko and Izuku talking, she was forced to battle with the growing realization. She had started feeling this way even before the trial, but the trial and aftermath only accelerated the feelings.

She loved them.

She loved Izuku. He was like Hifumi - always there for her, always trying to help her. He was like a brother to her. Sure she still loved Hifumi, but that love had always been tainted, never allowed to properly blossom, like a flower that never saw sunlight. With Izuku it was different - he was like the sun, so blinding and brilliant in his resolve and determination.

And Inko - Himiko couldn't find the words. The woman had taken her into her home and treated her better than her parents ever did. She didn't know if that was how parents were supposed to act, or if Inko was just special.

All she knew is that she loved her, and she would do anything to stay with them.

"Himi, are you ok?" Inko asked, concern lacing her words.

"Huh?" Himiko asked in confusion.

"You're crying," Izuku pointed out.

Himiko touched her cheek. Sure enough, she found tears there. Turning toward the two, she gave them a wet smile. "These are happy tears. I'm just-" She gave the two a fanged smile. "I'm finally feeling better."

"I'm glad," Izuku said, relieved.

"Me too."

As the two resumed eating, Himiko took her napkin and wiped away her tears before picking up her chopsticks.

Maybe someday I'll be as brave as you, Izuku, and tell you both what you really mean to me.

It had been several months since Izuku first found the mutant discrimination forum, and he had settled in. He wasn't a particularly prolific poster, but whenever someone popped up with a blood-based quirk, he tried to help them in any way he could.

Throughout his time on the forum, he had somehow kept up regular communications with Froppy. They kept things intentionally vague, but he knew she and another girl both faced discrimination at their school, while he eventually admitted to her that he himself was quirkless. At first, he was terrified of how she would respond, but her response wasn't what he expected.

Must be nice, being able to just disappear like that.

Izuku blinked as he read the response.

It must be nice to be quirkless?

That didn't make any sense!

When he responded asking for clarification, Froppy practically sent him an essay pointing out that while he could always hide under the guise of having a minor quirk with no physical indicator, she and the other girl would always stand out due to their physical traits. And while it might be different where he is, for her it was a daily problem in her life.

After sending a profuse apology to the girl and receiving her response Izuku felt like some sort of invisible barrier had broken between the two of them, and they had grown a tiny bit closer. The frequency of messages had increased, and the two began talking about different topics - primarily heroes and heroics.

One night, Izuku and Froppy had a long conversation about the hero Gang Orca and his potential to break into the top ten next week when they release the updated hero rankings. When he finally closed the tab on his computer, Izuku leaned back in his chair and wondered if this was what it was supposed to feel like to have a friend.

After discussing her feelings with her therapist, in which Himiko came dangerously close to admitting her love for Izuku and Inko, she followed his suggestion and picked up a camera.

Much like how she'd been collecting stuffed animals and plushies that reminded her of people, with a camera, she'd be able to have little reminders of her happy moments, using those to uplift herself whenever she was having a particularly rough day.

At first, her pictures were terrible, but that didn't stop her. Storage was cheap, after all, and she had a decent allowance thanks to her parents - one of the few good things that they ever did for her, even if it involved lawyers. Besides, her enthusiasm made up for her lack of skill, and there were a surprising number of gems hidden among the photos.

As time passed, she quickly found her photography improving, and began printing out her favorites, creating a photo album documenting her recovery and growth.

The best photos, however, were the ones where she had random strangers use her camera to take photos of her standing alongside Inko and Izuku. Seeing the three of them standing together happily, she could almost lie to herself and pretend they were her real mother and brother.

As Himiko watched the printer spit out the latest image, she removed it from the tray and inserted it into a picture frame. The three of them had gone to the zoo, and it was a picture of the three of them standing in front of a map. As she stared at it, while she felt filled with warmth, she also felt a pit forming in her stomach.

Practicing her breathing exercises to steady her nerves, she stood up and walked across the room to where Inko was sitting.

"Mama Inko, can I ask you something?"

Inko looked up from the book she was reading. "Hrm? What is it?"

"I was wondering," Himiko took a deep breath. "I- you haven't added any pictures to your collection since I got here!" Himiko winced as the words came out a little too loudly, as they both turned to look. There, one corner of the living room had a collection of picture frames, each filled with a smiling Inko and Izuku.

"Oh," Inko looked thoughtful. "I guess I hadn't noticed."

"I- could we add this to the wall?" Himiko asked, thrusting out the frame in her hands as she looked away.

Inko took the image out of the girl's hands and examined it. She remembered them taking the picture, and remembered how delighted Himiko was at how it came out. Smiling, she looked up at the uncharacteristically nervous girl. "Of course we can."

"Yes!" Himiko practically jumped in the air in excitement, her fist pumping in the air. "Thank you!"

Inko watched in some amusement as Himiko ran to the closet to retrieve the hooks, before she dashed back to the corner where the photos are, before turning awkwardly back toward her.

"Um, do you care where it goes?" Himiko asked, her permanent blush deepening.

"Since it's your photo, I'll trust you to find a good spot for it."

Grinning wildly, Himiko turned toward the wall and found the most recent photo that was put up. Smiling, she placed the hooks on the wall just diagonal to that picture and hung the photo.

As she stepped back to admire her handiwork, Himiko silently hoped that it would be the first of many photos she would get to add to the collection.

Izuku was lying on the floor of the living room, his blood such a cute shade of red as it leaked from his wounds. Himiko dropped the knife she was holding, hearing it clatter on the table as she lowered herself onto him, happily sucking blood from the wounds.

It tasted so good, better than Saito's blood, even! She couldn't get enough of it.

Unfortunately, her reverie was broken by the sound of yelling. Looking up she saw Inko, staring at her in horror, the same way her mother used to.

"You monster! Demon! What are you doing to my son?!"

"Mama Inko, wait!" Himiko called out, trying to reach her hand out.

Inko shook her head as she backed away before she turned and ran into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Panicking, Himiko stood up and tried to follow her, only to find the door locked.

"Stay away! Don't come near me! I'm going to call the police! You're going to be thrown into Jail! Or Tartarus!"

Himiko felt fear running through her as she desperately pulled and twisted at the handle, trying to pry the door open…

Himiko gasped as she sat upright, covered in sweat. Disoriented, she looked around her room to get her bearings, realizing that she was still in her bed, despite having thrown the covers and her stuffed animals to the ground in her thrashing.

Unable to shake the feeling that she had done something wrong, she quietly slipped out of her room and checked on the others, making sure that Inko and Izuku were both fast asleep. After confirming that they were both sleeping peacefully, she entered the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she flicked on the lights and looked at herself in the mirror.

She definitely was going to pay for this in the morning.

With a groan, she turned on the water and splashed her face to wash away the sweat. As she stood there hunched over the sink, she stared at her hands, watching the warm water wash over them, and she repeated her mantra.

She knew why she had the dream - that day her quirk counselor had her use her quirk for the first time since her accident. It was also the first time she had drank human blood since she was discharged from the hospital, and she had almost forgotten how delicious it was.

The counselor had also suggested that the taste could be tied to her emotional connection with a person, and for the rest of the day she couldn't help but wonder what Izuku and Inko's blood would taste like.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew what she wanted to do.

After spending a few more minutes practicing her breathing techniques and repeating her mantras, Himiko slipped back into her room and straightened out her bed, before crawling back into it. Clutching her well-loved stuffed animals to her chest, she managed to slip into a fitful slumber.

The next morning Himiko awoke with a groan, looking annoyed at the sunlight streaming in through the window. Pushing herself out of bed, she dragged herself out of her room.

She was almost thankful for how tired she was, as it helped take the edge off of her nerves.

As she approached the dining room table, she saw that Inko and Izuku were already mostly done with their breakfast as she collapsed into her chair.

"Did you have a bad night?" Inko asked.

Himiko nodded slowly. "Yeah…" She said softly. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the pair. "Can you two come with me to my quirk counseling session today?

"Is it something important?" Izuku asked.

Himiko bit her lip, feeling her fang puncture her skin. "Yesterday we began practicing with my quirk. And I- I want to transform into Izuku."

"Sure!"

Himiko's head whipped around to look at Izuku. "Just like that?"

"As long as I can see your quirk up close!"

"You know I need to drink your blood to use my quirk, right?"

"I don't mind!" Izuku insisted. "You don't need a lot, right?"

Himiko opened and closed her mouth, shocked at how easily Izuku had accepted this.

Why was I ever afraid of asking him?

"I- no, I don't," Himiko felt her blush spreading. "But I don't know how I'll respond when I drink blood from someone… close to me."

I need to know if I can control myself around you, Izuku.

And I need to know Inko won't abandon me.

She felt her face heat up further as Izuku wrapped his hand around hers. "I know it'll be ok."

Inko put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand. If you think it's important, we'll come with you."

After breakfast, Himiko took a much-needed nap and when it came time to leave for her appointment, the three walked to the medical complex where her sessions were held. Normally her counselor - Mr. Kondo - worked with heroes, so it wasn't unusual to occasionally see a local hero wandering around the complex, but Himiko had neglected to mention that to Izuku. When they were sitting in the waiting room, she remembered why.

"I can't believe it! Silver Hawk signed my notebook!" Izuku was gushing as he was sketching out the hero's costume. "I'll have to transfer my notes over so they're all on one page!"

Himiko groaned and leaned her head back in the chair. "I can't believe you."

Inko laughed lightly. "You know how Izu is."

"Normally I can get away from it," Himiko pointed out, her nervousness only serving to enhance her annoyance at Izuku. It felt impossible to keep up with him when he got going, and the few times she tried only served to frustrate her.

She was eventually saved by the aide calling them into the back where they were escorted to the training space. As the three walked in, they saw Mr. Kondo standing in the back waiting for them.

"You brought guests today, Himiko?"

Himiko nodded as she approached. "I um, since we were going to practice with my quirk again I wanted to try something."

"What's that?"

Himiko gestured to Izuku. "I was thinking about what you said yesterday. About how my-" she hesitated for a moment. "-emotions would affect the taste of blood. And I wanted to test my quirk with Izuku's blood, instead of the samples you have."

Mr. Kondo pressed his thumb and index finger to his chin as he thought about it before nodding in agreement. "That seems like a reasonable idea. You're worried about losing control, aren't you?"

Himiko felt her blush spreading as she bobbed her head.

"Well then, this will be a good test," The man turned toward Izuku. "Are you ready?"

"Yep!" Izuku said enthusiastically, his notebook already out.

The doctor couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before turning toward Himiko. "How about you?"

Himiko nodded, determination etched into her face. "I think so."

With an encouraging smile, Izuku held out his free hand. Himiko gently grabbed it and cradled it between her own, acting as if it would shatter if she mishandled it. She gently rubbed her finger along Izuku's wrist, feeling him shudder as she found the vein before she raised his hand to her mouth and bit down.

So good, I could keep drinking forever.

Dark thoughts bubbled to the surface of her thoughts as she felt the blood pooling in her mouth. In a panic her eyes darted to Izuku's face, his trusting eyes and warm smile looking at her.

I trust you. Because you're a good person.

Once she had a mouthful she practically shoved the arm away from her, refusing to give into temptation as she swallowed the delicious crimson liquid.

"How was it, Himiko?" Mr. Kondo asked.

She gave him a shaky smile. "I'm ok! The-" her eyes darted to Inko. "-thoughts were there, but I managed to keep them away."

"That's promising news," The doctor said as he offered Izuku gauze and some medical tape. "And how about you?"

"It… doesn't hurt?" Izuku said in confusion. "The bite barely hurt, like two dull pricks on my skin? Although there's a lot more blood coming out than I expected after you're done… maybe some sort of mild analgesic and anti-clotting agent in the saliva?" Himiko burst out laughing, and Izuku felt his face heating up. "I- sorry."

With an exasperated sigh, Inko took the medical supplies and began bandaging Izuku's wound. "Sorry about him. My son gets excited about quirks, and this is the first time he's gotten to see Himiko actually use hers."

"I see," The doctor chuckled. "I must say I'm a fan of them myself." He turned back toward Himiko. "Ok, now then for the next step. Are you ready?"

Himiko nodded and activated her quirk, feeling the gray slime wrap around her and begin to work. It felt warm and welcoming, like her favorite blanket as it encased her and transformed her into Izuku.

"-are you feeling, miss Himiko?"

Himiko's eyes shot open. "I think I'm ok?" She looked down and saw Izuku's hands had replaced her own.

"You appear to have zoned out there for a minute. Can you explain what happened?" The doctor asked as he took notes on his tablet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Izuku doing the same, furiously writing in his notebook.

"It felt like - the same when I drank Saito's blood?" Himiko frowned. "It felt warm and comforting, like a hug or a blanket. It- the feeling was overwhelming for a moment."

"I see," The doctor made a note in the file. "Sensory overload depending on closeness to the sample used is a notable side-effect. Whether this is related to your history or tied directly to your quirk is something we will have to explore later."

Himiko dutifully answered the doctor's questions while quietly examining her body. She had to admit, it still felt strange being Izuku compared to the unknown subject from the hospital yesterday. She didn't know how to describe it. Like he trusted her with a part of him.

Trying to find the answer frustrated her, so she shoved the thoughts aside - she'd worry about them later.

"I think that's all I have today, you can drop the transformation now, Himiko."

"Okay!" Himiko said as she deactivated her quirk, feeling the slime slough off of her into a puddle of gray goo on the floor. Frowning, she looked down as some of it stuck to her clothes - she'd need to shower and change when she got home. When she looked up she saw both Inko and Izuku giving her uncomfortable looks, and she started to fidget awkwardly.

"Sorry Himiko, it's just… weird seeing my face literally melting into a pool of goo like that," Izuku admitted as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh," Himiko gave an exasperated sigh. "You had me worried! I can't help that my body does that," She pointed frantically at the puddle of goo surrounding her.

"I know," Izuku said. "I just- it'll take a while to get used to it."

Inko shot both of the teenagers a sympathetic glance before she turned toward the counselor. "Thank you for today's session. Is there anything else we can do to help?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing," The doctor said. "Himiko's already shown great improvement since I started with her, and she claims it's because of her supportive environment at home."

"I'm glad to hear that," Inko said with a smile.