(A/N: Just an fyi for those who don't read the tumblr or aren't on the discord. There may be a change to future posting updates because I just accepted a full time position at my work yesterday. Not sure how it will affect my preference of updating every other week but we'll have to see.

Got a number of pov changes this chapter as a heads up.

Oh also a slight warning that there are some more-than-innocent thoughts from both Izuku and Shouto this chapter. Not sure if that's something people are sensitive too but I thought I would point them out just in case. First is the paragraph starting with [Though he would reluctantly admit...] but the next is fine. The second is from [Except there was one problem...] continuing through to before [Izuku turned his gaze...] Definitely not past kissing but not exactly vanilla either.

Formatting reminder:

"Dialogue heard through a sound system."

-Dialogue using sign language.-

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!)

...

A few days later, the group that went to I-Island returned and those who lived in the dorm came back to UA along with Tenya and Momo. Ochako was quick to pull Izuku into a hug and assuring him that she was there for him if he needed anything. It was obvious they knew about his…living situation especially with the sad looks he got from Satou and Momo. Tenya and Shouji did as well but also gave him comforting pats on his shoulder.

"Thanks, everyone," Izuku said as he wiped some tears away once Ochako let him go. "I'm okay though. Really."

They didn't seem entirely convinced but accepted it anyway not wanting to push. Satou and Shouji left for their rooms while Ochako went to the kitchen to hunt for a snack. Tenya went off to check on Aoyama and Kouda who were in their rooms at the moment. Leaving Izuku and Shouto with Momo in the common area.

"I know you said you're okay, Izuku-kun," Momo said, her tone still filled with concern. "But if there is anything you need, anything at all, don't be afraid to ask. Not only as your class representative but also as your friend."

Izuku could see her sincerity in her eyes which brought new tears to his own. Shouto instinctively took his hand and gave a comforting squeeze. Momo tracked the action out of the corner of her eye but said nothing and kept her gaze on the poor Quirkless boy who had been through so much in such a short amount of time. She needed him to know that she and everyone else in their class were there for him. Well, perhaps not Bakugou but he was another matter.

"Thanks, Momo-san," Izuku accepted with a sniffle. "I really appreciate it."

"Of course," she replied with a smile before perking up suddenly. "Oh, I actually had an idea for an activity we could do as a class before the summer training camp. And we can do it on campus."

To ensure his safety was left unsaid, but Izuku was fine with not repeating another incident like the mall.

Or I-Island.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"A pool day!" Ochako chirped as she poked her head out of the kitchen. She took a bite of mochi she found before joining them. "Us girls were thinking about asking the teachers to use the pool and have some fun. Then we thought it might be more fun to invite everyone. Don't you think?"

She happily munched on her mochi waiting for his answer. Izuku looked between her and Momo who also was interested in his input. Green eyes then turned to Shouto who gave a shrug.

"Could be fun," Shouto said though he had no idea what people did on a 'pool day'.

Izuku gave him a small smile before turning back to the girls and said, "Sure, let's do it."

"Excellent!" Momo cheered, clapping her hands together. "I'll put together a formal proposal and contact the others as well. It will be a wonderful opportunity to bond as a class, I'm sure."

Tenya came back down at that point and Momo let him know that the pool day was a go. They left to go put their proposal together and inform the rest of the class. Izuku was already looking forward to it as he too thought it could be fun. He hadn't played with friends in a pool for a very long time. The closest he got was those days spent on the beach with Mei. Sometimes when she found something gross, she would chase him around with it and he had fended her off by splashing her with sea water. They had never fully gone into the water but it had been silly and fun none the less.

"What is a pool day exactly?" Shouto asked suddenly, his brows furrowed in thought.

Oh, that's right. Shouto probably never had one growing up. Not with how his father ran the family.

"It's when you spend time with friends or family at the pool," Izuku explained or at least the best he could from his own limited experience. "Playing games like volleyball or Marco Polo. Or even just playing around in the water. It can be really fun."

He gave his friend another smile who returned a small one of his own. Even if they weren't able to have the pool day this time, he was determined to show Shouto all that he missed out on from his childhood. And if Izuku did some catching up as well then it was a win-win for both of them. Together.

Turned out that Momo and Tenya did good work. Their proposal was approved by Aizawa who figured they could use some fun before the training camp. Typically, he wouldn't but he appreciated that they planned it to include Midoriya where he was safest. Screw his friends who teased him for being weak to his ki-students. The green one and the others had been through enough and even then, they deserved the opportunity to be the kids that they were when they still had the chance. Besides, there would be plenty of training at the summer camp to make up for them goofing off.

Class 1-A was excited to spend some time together. A majority of their class showed up to hang around at the school pool. Izuku was happy to see his friends and classmates after what happened a few days ago though he didn't really advertise his change of housing. Not just yet. He didn't want what happened to his mother to dampen the light hearted air. This was a much-needed break from reality for him as well as for them.

Though he would reluctantly admit that there was another distraction other than the swimming for him. They were all in the school uniform swimwear but Izuku couldn't help be hyper aware of Shouto shirtless. Curse you, feelings. He also suddenly felt self-conscious more so for the scarring on his hand, but at least his self-training had helped build up his muscles. When Shouto asked about the flush of red on his freckled cheeks, Izuku waved it off as nothing but the sun while some of the others who were in on the secret bet snickered.

Some played games like Marco Polo while others just swam around and splashing each other. Eventually a game of volleyball was called and the class reps acted as team captains. It was a lot of fun and everyone got into a competitive spirit. By the end of their second game with the score tied with one win each, that was when Eijirou showed up with Bakugou in tow.

"Sorry we're late," the redhead called out. "Took a bit to convince Bakugou to come with me."

They were all resting drinking the orange refreshment drinks Tenya had brought along. Eijirou was smiling apologetically but seemed excited to be there. Bakugou on the other hand did not. He scowled at everyone who looked at him until he made eye contact with Izuku. The scowl turned into a saddened grimace before he turned away. Green eyes watched him curiously for a moment before he realized something.

Oh, he must know about mom.

Bakugou and him hadn't been close for a very long time, but out of anyone in his family, the explosive blonde respected his mother the most. He never cared for his dad but Izuku had never been bothered by that. Every family was unique and Hisashi showed his affection differently that Masaru. Just like how Mitsuki and Inko were different. One fiery and the other soft but both filled to the brim with motherly care. And his mom had cared for Bakugou as a part of her family. Well, at least until he had hurt her baby so bad to leave a scar. Izuku subconsciously rubbed the electrical burns on his hand until Shouto grabbed it with his own to stop him from fussing. The feel of his warm skin was grounding.

Everyone could feel the tension in the air now that the explosive blonde was there. Bakugou's friend group were starting to acclimate again to being around him after the reveal of his past bullying. His other classmates were still deciding how they felt about it all but were doing as Izuku had requested and didn't treat him poorly. Most choosing to leave him alone unless they were required to for training and such. Though other than that, this was the first time they all were hanging out with Bakugou included outside of class time. The change in Izuku's place of residence and the reason why only added to the stress of the moment.

"Um, are we ready to keep playing?" Izuku asked in hopes of breaking the tension.

"Sure, what are we playing?" Eijirou asked, grinning excitedly.

"Well, we were playing volleyball though we could do something else too," Izuku answered, casting a look at the others who nodded.

"Sounds like fun whatever we do," the shark toothed redhead said with a nod of his own before he turned toward Bakugou. "How 'bout it, Bakubro? Wanna play?"

The explosive blonde scowled as he looked over the group until he fell upon Izuku. The Quirkless teen kept eye contact with him green eyes firm offering a challenge. He knew Bakugou liked a challenge even though he didn't always face it the most logical way. Long having the habit of facing them head on instead of, well, using his head. But this was silly and fun and kid games. There wasn't as much need to think smartly about a little competition between friends.

"Fine," Bakugou growled simply in agreement making Eijirou smile sharper and wider in excitement.

There was still a sense of rivalry between them from the volleyball games. Then someone suggested a contest to see who was the fastest swimmer. Which sounded like a lot of fun! That is until the use of Quirks was brought up. Not really a fair contest but then again Izuku's whole life had been competing against those with an advantage over him. Never the less he would grin and bear it while doing his very best.

The girls chose not to participate but did help organize the groupings. First up were Kaminari, Bakugou, Kouda, Tokoyami, and Hitoshi. No surprise with the use of Quirks that Bakugou came in first. Though to be honest he didn't actually swim and rather blasted his way over the water.

Free style swimming, my ass.

Next up was Eijirou, Satou, Shouto, Aoyama, and Sero. Again, the winner was obvious from the start even though Shouto didn't actually swim either. But he at least technically touched the water despite it being in ice state. Though there was a close call with Sero if only Aoyama hadn't run into him midair.

Then it was Izuku's group's turn. The Quirkless teen was up against Shouji, Ojiro, and Tenya. Once again, he could guess the winner but wouldn't let that stop him from swimming as fast as he could. Tenya won easily gliding along the pool lines using his Quirk. But Izuku didn't do too bad in his own right. He lost to Ojiro who used his tail to swim faster but Shouji had more drag with his arms. Landing Izuku in a proudly claimed third in his group.

Unfortunately, they never did find out who was the top of the class. Bakugou, Shouto, and Tenya were ready to go for the final round with Quirks at the ready. Only for nothing to happen and they crudely fell into the water with a big splash. It was 5pm and Aizawa in all his Erasure Hero glory was there to dismiss them.

Play time was over.

They retreated to their respective homes with Izuku and the others in dorms having the shortest commute. They all showered and readied themselves for a quiet evening. Tomorrow would be an early start as they would be heading off to the summer training camp. The seven of them ate dinner together and watched a movie before calling it a night.

Shouto accompanied Izuku to his room with the ever-present offer to have him stay. The greenet appreciated it but tonight he needed some alone time. They would be spending a week with all the others after all. He liked his friends and classmates but sometimes you just needed some time to yourself. So Izuku instead gave his friend a big hug before saying good night.

As soon as he closed his door, Izuku's phone rang and he was instantly excited upon seeing who it was.

"Hi, papa!" Izuku exclaimed as he picked up the call. "Why are you calling so late?"

"Izuku, my son," Hisashi spoke with his ever-warm tone. Though from fatherly affection or Quirk based from his Fire Breath who was to say. Perhaps both. Yeah, let's go with both. "Can't a father merely wish to speak with his child?"

"Of course, you can," Izuku giggled as he sat down on his bed. "What's up?"

"I wanted to check on you to see how you were fairing," his dad replied, a hint of worry in his voice. "How are you, Izuku?"

"I'm…I'm okay," the boy answered, taking a moment to think of what to say. "The dorms are…different, but not bad. I'm enjoying spending time with my friends. We even had a pool day today."

"Sounds pleasant," Hisashi said with a hum. "I believe you are heading off to a training camp tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it should be fun." And hard work. "Sorry I can't tell you where it is, papa."

"That's quite alright, my son," the father assured him. "I understand it is in order to ensure your safety."

"Thanks for understanding," Izuku replied, smiling warmly in appreciation for his dad. "Well, I better go to bed since we're leaving early tomorrow. I'll call you in a week, okay? Love you, papa."

"And I you, Izuku," Hisashi responded, his low voice smooth and soothing. "Sleep well."

Izuku smiled as he ended the call. He sent a quick text to Mei saying he'd see her in a week. She sent him a simple thumbs up most likely elbows deep in one of her babies. Class 1-H had their own training camp of sorts so she would be well occupied and it gave him relief to know that his friend wouldn't be alone while they were gone. Still smiling, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

...

As the boy hung up, All For One couldn't help but smile to himself. In the massive archive of Quirks in his person, he sent out mental tethers to feel the one in particular that allowed him to locate one who shared his flesh and blood no matter the distance.

I will see you sooner than you think, my son.

His young ward had a similar thought as well with their plans in place.

...

The next morning came in a seemingly blink of an eye when Izuku woke up to his alarm. After a quick breakfast and making sure they had all they needed for the camp, the dormmates left together to meet up with the others. Class 1-A and 1-B gathered on campus waiting for the buses to arrive. They mostly stuck to their own groups though the classes did acknowledge each other. Neito looked like he wanted to say something provoking but stopped himself once he met the Quirkless teen's eyes. They exchanged greeting nods from across the way as Kendo glanced between them confused but accepting. The less she had to karate chop the blonde into submission the better.

Soon the buses arrived and the class presidents were leading their respective classes. Though Bakugou pointedly ignored Tenya and trudged onto the bus first to claim the back seat with Eijirou and the rest of the Bakusquad not too far behind. Izuku himself chose to sit right behind Aizawa to be as far away from Bakugou as possible. Shouto took the seat next to him and Hitoshi sat in the seat behind them. The rest of the class sat with their friends despite Tenya's best efforts to corral them in a sense of order.

Through the chaos, Aizawa attempted to address 1-A saying they had an hour before their first stop. However, no one seemed to hear him other than Izuku and those seated close to him. The others were too busy being noisy to give him any kind of attention. Shouto even had his eyes closed to rest instead of actively listening. Meaning that Izuku was really the only one to hear their teacher mutter it was their 'last time to relax'. What that meant exactly he wasn't sure but whatever it was, this was Aizawa who he knew would work them to the bone.

Guess I should prepare myself for anything, Izuku thought before closing his eyes himself.

At some point, he must have actually dozed off because the next thing he knew he was being shaken gently awake.

"Izuku, wake up," Shouto called to him through the haze of sleepiness. "We'll be stopping soon."

The greenet groaned in protest and snuggled into his friend's shoulder that he had ended up leaning on. Shouto chuckled as he grabbed the other's hand and rubbed his thumb along his skin soothingly. It made Izuku smile and forced himself to wake up. No longer were they in the city as they were now surrounded by trees as far as the eyes could see.

When the bus pulled to the side of the rode, they should have known something was up. This was Aizawa after all, but the students were just happy to get to stretch their legs for a bit as they walked off the bus. The sun was shining bright and the cicadas buzzing as loud as ever. Izuku himself took some relief being off the cramped bus as he stretched his arms over his head.

The first clue had been the lack of any rest stop facilities like a bathroom or anything. Just a fenced off patch of dirt on the side of the road overlooking a forest. Then there was the fact that Class 1-B was nowhere to be seen even though they had left at the same time. The final clue at least for Izuku was the other car that was parked as if waiting for them. Which was confirmed a moment later as the doors popped open and out stepped two Pro Heroes that had his fanboy heart racing with excitement.

Mandalay and Pixie Bob of the Wild, Wild Pussycats!

"Heya, Eraser!" the telepathic brunette called out which Aizawa responded with a small bow of his head.

It was then that a kid got out of the car too as the two rescue Heroes introduced themselves in their group's typical animated fashion. Which honestly sounded a little weird with only two of them to Izuku as he typically heard it with all four members present. But he didn't pay much attention to the Heroes anyway too distracted by the kid.

Aizawa introduced the pair to the class which reminded Izuku that something more had to be going on than a simple rest stop. There was no way their teacher would pass up an opportunity for a logical ruse.

As he turned to go confront Aizawa, Shouto quietly asked, "Where are you going?"

"It's okay, Shouto," Izuku reassured him in a whisper. "I just need to ask Aizawa-sensei something."

His friend nods in understanding before turning back to the pair of Heroes. They were explaining how they owned the land and where the summer camp is located. It was quite far and Izuku was even more certain the adults were planning something the rest of his class was now just starting to piece together based on the worried looks he was seeing. But the Quirkless teen kept heading towards their teacher.

The tired man raised a brow in question as he approached and Izuku signed in answer, -You're planning something, aren't you?-

-I don't know what you're talking about,- Aizawa signed back.

-A logical ruse of sorts?- he pressed. -My guess would be with Pixie Bob's Earth Flow?-

His teacher's face remained flat so the young analyst gave the Erasure Hero a determined look until the man finally budged with a sigh.

-…fine. Yes, I have something planned and you can't weasel out of it.-

Izuku rolled his eyes before replying, -Wasn't planning to. Can I at least get my gear?-

His mentor stared at him for a moment before signing, -Yes.-

Izuku signed his thanks before beelining to the storage compartment under the bus. At this point his classmates had finally figured it out and were attempting to scramble back onto the bus, but the Heroes weren't having it. Mandalay was practically purring as she told them they would have to hurry if they wanted to get there by lunch time. While Pixie Bob blocked the students' path to the bus prepared to corral them over the side of the cliff.

"By now you should have known it wouldn't be that easy," Aizawa drawled as the earth bender crouched down and activated her Quirk.

The ground beneath their feet started to crumble and quake sending the majority of them over the fence and down to the forest floor below. A rough ride though Pixie Bob did help soften their fall a bit with her Quirk. It wouldn't help with training if anyone broke any bones in the first five minutes of summer camp.

Mandalay called out to the fallen students to tell them that the use of Quirks was allowed and they had three hours to get through the 'beast's forest'. Most likely packed with creatures for them to fight with the use of Pixie Bob's Quirk. While this was all happening, Izuku was gearing up with what he thought would help best against dirt monsters or whatever else she cooked up with Earth Flow. Jet shoes for mobility, goggles for general eye protection, and then his fully packed utility belt, fire mask, escrima rods, and such for offense and defense.

He also made sure to snag Hitoshi's capture weapon and didn't bother with his voice changing mask since his Quirk wouldn't work on animated earth creatures. Not everyone's Quirks would be as well suited as others, but this was a perfect opportunity for the brainwasher to get some experience fighting with the Support Item. Either way, they were going to have to work together to get through the forest and hopefully in time for lunch.

"Oh, we missed one?" Mandalay said as she turned around, surprised to see the green haired boy still up there. Pixie Bob was too but she quickly turned her attention back to her visor as she assessed the situation down below.

"No, he just figured it out," Aizawa sighed with shrug.

"Wow, that's clever of you," the telepath praised causing Izuku to blush a little. "Well little kitten, I guess that means you can come back with us."

"No, thanks," Izuku responded with a smile, earning confused looks from the two Heroes. "Aizawa-sensei says I can't 'weasel out of it' and honestly, I don't want to. I'm going to fight my way there like the others. This is part of our training to be Heroes after all."

With that, he walked over to the edge of the cliff before activating his shoes and shooting up into the air.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" he cried out as gravity took hold.

The two members of the Wild, Wild Pussycats watched confused but amused as he disappeared from view while Aizawa rolled his eyes at his antics.

...

Beside them, Kouta stared in his own confusion as the weird green boy launched himself over the cliff where the other loser Hero wannabes were. What was with him? Why would he go down there when he could have not wasted his time fighting stupid fake Villains? This entire summer camp was so stupid to him he didn't see any point in any of this. Having no understanding as to why anyone would want to be a dumb Hero.

Heroes get hurt. Heroes die. Heroes were here one day and gone the next. Just like his parents. Kouta…he missed his parents. They loved him and he loved them. But they weren't alive anymore because they just had to go play Heroes instead of staying with him. Putting the lives of others before their own and were then praised for it because they ended up dead. Everyone kept telling him how brave his mom and dad had been and that he should be proud of them. But how could he be proud of his parents when they left him behind?

Now he lived with his cousin who was doing her best to take care of him. But Shino wasn't sure how to help Kouta understand what happened to his parents or help him deal with their loss. He was just a kid who missed his parents and now hated all Heroes because they were gone. She didn't know how to get through to her younger cousin as he processed his new living situation with anger. It broke her heart to see him unhappy like this.

But Kouta didn't need to be coddled or anything. He was just angry. And now he had to deal with these losers who wanted to be Heroes just like his parents were and it made him sick. No one should want to be a Hero because in the end Heroes won't come home. They'll die and be gone one day never able to come back. Why would anyone want to pursue something like that?

Which was why he didn't understand one bit why that strange boy jumped off the cliff. Why he would waste his time and safety like that? It was all just so stupid to Kouta. Whatever. Let those idiots do what they want. He would just do his best to ignore them during their time there.

"So, was that him?" his cousin asked while standing beside the scruffy man. "Midoriya Izuku?"

Midoriya Izuku? Who's that?

"Yes, it was," the man answered simply.

Oh, the weirdo.

"Wow, I'm looking forward to see what he does during the camp," she commented with a smile. "Between the Sports Festival and Hosu, he shows a lot of potential."

"Indeed," he agreed with a nod. "While the others work on strengthening their Quirks, he'll be focusing more on his gear. Nezu also wants to have him help some of them with their Quirks one-on-one."

"Oh really? Why?" his cousin asked.

"Midoriya's analysis skills are impressive for someone his age," the scruffy man replied. "Nezu has been mentoring him and he's helped quite a lot already to improve their costumes and Quirk control. Might as well keep him doing that since we're here to increase everyone's handle of their Quirks."

Training Quirks to become Heroes. How pathetic. And this Midoriya weirdo is going to help them with it? His stupid analysis or whatever must be tied to his Quirk. A dumb Quirk for a dumb Hero.

"It must be impressive if it's caught the eye of Nezu," Shino noted with a touch of fascination. "And he really doesn't have a…?"

"Nope," the man answered. "Midoriya really is Quirkless."

He's what now?

Kouta stared down at the forest below feeling even more confused.

...

"LOOK OUT BELOW!"

The voice of the resident Class 1-A cinnamon roll rang through the forest just as they were being confronted by a giant beast. Everyone looked up to see Izuku descending towards them covered in gear with a grin on his face. He landed with his Jet shoes cushioning his fall and green eyes hidden under goggles were quick to assess the situation. Even Bakugou was watching but he quickly turned away with a click of his tongue.

"Hey, everyone!" Izuku chirped out as if he didn't just jump off the same cliff they had been unceremoniously tossed off of against their will. "Looks like we're dealing with dirt monsters created by Pixie Bob's Earth Flow."

As he spoke, he tossed Hitoshi his capture weapon who caught it with growing practiced ease.

"Izuku, you are a gods' send," the brainwasher sighed in relief as he wrapped the now familiar cloth around his neck. "I could kiss you."

"Ew, no," the greenet retorted in disgust. No way he wanted to kiss his brother.

Shouto had already gravitated to his side and his face scrunched in disappointment for a moment. Because he very much wanted to kiss Izuku but his friend seemed against the idea. But then again, there was that interrupted moment on I-Island. Where they had been so close and Shouto swore Izuku had been leaning in until Hitoshi had spoken and broke it. The element wielder was still trying to understand his feelings towards Izuku but that had to prove there was some level of want on Izuku side too, right? Perhaps there was still hope.

"We'll need to work together to get through this," Izuku said as he stared the dirt creature down. "Not everyone here has an offensive Quirk suitable against these things. But together we can do this."

Most of them got pumped up at his words except for Bakugou who blasted off towards the nearest earth monster as he bellowed, "Don't tell me what to do, shitty nerd!"

Not unexpected but not helpful in this situation either. However, there were other more pressing matters at hand. Izuku and the others braced themselves for the coming fight. Together they would get through this. The Quirkless teen took a deep breath as he adjusted his mask before leaping into action. The next few hours were grueling as they proceeded to punch and kick and trip and blast their way through the forest.

Three hours, my ass, Izuku thought as he panted in exhaustion when they finally broke through the trees.

Through team work and sheer want of lunch they had powered through the forest fighting beast after beast. Those with reconnaissance Quirks were quick to locate and inform everyone when a new enemy popped up. Then the rest coordinated together to distract, fight back, and defeat the dirt monsters in teams. Even Bakugou teamed up to take down whichever creature ended up on the wrong end of his explosions.

But it had definitely been more than three hours as the targeted time had been noon but the sun was already starting to set. They were all exhausted and covered in bumps and bruises. Also, why Aizawa thought it was a good idea to have them fight in their school uniforms was beyond him. Those were expensive and now they were all messed up with some needing serious repair or replacement. Tenya's pants were completely ruined from the knees down.

The class cleared the forest and approached the Heroes and kid standing in front of the building they would be staying at. Once they were close some collapsed to the ground while others did their best to keep themselves standing. Izuku himself lowered his mask and lifted his goggles for some relief if even a little. Collectively they were exhausted and hungry, wanting nothing more than to eat and rest. This summer camp was already proving to be hellish.

"You did so much better against my dirt monsters than I expected," Pixie Bob gushed as they all tried to catch their breath. "I thought you would take longer than you did, but you were seriously great out there. Especially…"

Blue eyes flickered between Bakugou, Tenya, Shouto, and Izuku with excitement.

"…you four seem to have quite a bit of experience behind you."

The four who had fought in Hosu traded looks as this hadn't been the first time they were faced with a more serious fight. Izuku glanced at Hitoshi in concern as he wasn't included in her praise. But his brother shrugged knowing he was still not as experienced as the others. He was knocked out pretty quickly when they had confronted Stain after all. There was still much for him to learn.

Pixie Bob was then suddenly crowding them proclaiming she wanted to groom them herself. Flitting about and making them uncomfortable. Shouto even moved to stand in front of Izuku to protect him from her fawning over them. Green eyes peeked over his friend's shoulder and despite the doting Hero he found himself once again distracted by the kid.

"Um, who is that?" Izuku asked, pointing over to the kid.

His question made Pixie Bob stop as everyone's attention went to the boy.

"Oh, this little guy?" Mandalay replied, turning to the boy standing near her. "He's my cousin's son, but he lives with us now. Kouta, why don't you say hello?"

The kid glared at them with black eyes shrouded in the shadow of his horned hat. In a way, he kind of reminded Izuku of a young Bakugou.

I wonder why he's here.

Izuku approached the boy as he said, "Hello, I'm Midoriya Izuku. It's nice to meet you, Kouta-kun."

He reached out a hand in greeting in hopes of starting off on the right foot with the kid. Which failed as he watched Kouta reel back and ready a punch aimed for his crotch. But the weeks training with Aizawa kicked in and Izuku caught the hit before it landed home. The boy was surprised as the Quirkless teen kneeled down to the kid's level still holding onto his fist. Not too hard but enough to keep it in place.

"That wouldn't have been very nice," Izuku quietly mutter with a frown. "I'm sorry if I offended you or anything, but I hope we can get along."

The greenet offered the boy a smile in hopes of repairing whatever he somehow managed to ruin in the first few minutes of their meeting. Seriously what did he do to piss the kid off?

Kouta glared at him in a very young Bakugou kind of way before he ripped his fist free as he snarled, "The last thing I want is to be around a bunch of wannabe Heroes."

Izuku was surprised at that as most people he knew wanted to be Heroes and yet this kid seemed to hate them. But why? What happened to this boy for him to hate Heroes?

Is it related to why he's here?

"Kouta," Mandalay said with a scolding tone, but the kid scowled at her as he walked away.

Aizawa sighed next to her at the interaction before saying, "Alright, that's enough. Get your bags off the bus and into your rooms. We'll have dinner in the cafeteria and then you can bath and sleep. Rest up. Your training starts in earnest tomorrow."

With that, the tired man turned around and walked into the building. The students trudged over to the bus, collected their belongings, and Mandalay showed them the way inside. The boys were in one room and the girls in another. They were provided with futons to sleep on and were allowed to arrange themselves as they liked. To no one's surprise at all Shouto and Izuku were situated right next to each other while Hitoshi took the other side that was up against the wall. Bakugou made a point to place himself on the opposite side of the room.

After dropping off their stuff, the students collected in the cafeteria and sat down to enjoy their feast. There were rice balls, gyoza, pork cutlets, pickled vegetables, various tempura, curry, sashimi, and so much more. Seriously, a feast and the two rescue Heroes kept bringing out more. Which was great because they were all starving. So what they wouldn't be providing prepared food for them after today. Tonight, they would enjoy the gifted banquet.

While eating, Izuku was stuffing himself until he burst while happily chatting with his friends. But he couldn't help keeping track of the kid skulking around. He was angry, that was clear, but why he was angry was not. Izuku couldn't help but wonder what happened to make his so upset. It had to be the reason why he was here and why he didn't seem to like Heroes. But what could it be?

Recent events in his own life had him theorizing a loss or injury of a loved one. It would explain a lot though he hoped he was wrong. Almost losing his mother was one of the worst things to happen in his life and he didn't wish it on anyone. Not even Bakugou or Shigaraki for that matter. They may be the villains in his life, whether past or present, but no one deserves to experience such tragedy.

After dinner and helping to clean up, they were released to relax in the outdoor baths. The fact they had onsen there was awesome. They could relax in the hot water after that long trek through the woods. It wasn't easy fighting dirt monsters in hopes of a hot meal, but they pushed through the ordeal and now they were literally soaking up their prize for winning the day.

Except there was one problem for Izuku that he wasn't sure how to solve. They were all bathing together, separated by gender of course, but that had no effect on Izuku being highly aware that they were all essentially naked. Wearing towels of course, but under that, nothing. Meaning he was spending time unclothed with his crush who was in a similar state. Sure, the pool day had been similar but they at least had swim trunks on then. This was something else entirely.

Let's just say Izuku planned to blame the perpetual blush on his face on the heat of the water.

Little did he know that Shouto was in a similar situation headspace wise. He was equally aware of their current state of undress though he had no plans of addressing it. He was still working towards kissing Izuku and nowhere near wanting anything more than that. They were still essentially kids and had years ahead of them. No need to rush just because they were in this kind of situation.

Besides, it wasn't like they were alone or anything. The rest of the boys were bathing with them, enjoying a communal soak. So Shouto chose to not let his increased consciousness of their lack of clothing bother him as he settled next to his friend in the water. Izuku turned away as he did, flustered by his crush being so close. Once he was settled though, the level of the water did help by covering most of him up.

"Hey," Shouto said simply in greeting.

"Hey," Izuku said back with a shy smile.

Their hands bumped together under the water and Izuku jumped at the sudden contact. It was nothing new to them, not by a long shot, but it still flustered him none the less. Shouto eyed him curiously but made no move waiting to see what Izuku would be comfortable with. That brought a smile to the greenet's face as he shyly but purposefully took his friend's hand. The bi-color teen smiled softly before shutting his eyes and leaning back against the side of the onsen.

Izuku turned his gaze to look at his friends and classmates. Some were relaxing like Shouto was while others were playing around in the water. He could hear over the wall separating the two baths where the girls were chatting and giggling. Green eyes looked up and was surprised to see little Kouta peeking down at them from the top of the wall. The Quirkless teen gave the boy a friendly wave. Kouta's eyes widened in shock at being noticed before ducking out of sight.

They stayed in the baths for a while, letting their muscles rest before one by one they got out to go to sleep. No surprise to Izuku that Bakugou was the first to leave as he was very particular about his bedtime. Eijirou lingered a little longer to then leave with his fellow members of the Bakusquad. The rest of the boys left in groups and eventually Hitoshi, Shouto, and Izuku left together.

He was less flustered once they were dressed and readying themselves for bed. But then the blush came back as he settled onto his futon and Shouto scooted close so they could cuddle. They had gotten used to that over the short time since Izuku moved into the dorms, taking turns in each other's rooms. But this was in the same room with a majority of their classmates.

Shouto seemed to sense his discomfort and backed off. Though they did settle into their respective futons as Tenya turned off the light. Izuku made a point to set an early alarm knowing Aizawa's preference for a rude awakening. He finally drifted off to sleep wondering what their training would look like the next day.

...

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