By the time lunch rolled around, Tenko had zero intentions of going to the cafeteria to eat. It wasn't mandatory to eat in there, so he'd either eat in at his desk or, if that wasn't allowed, go to the roof or something.

But there was no way he'd be stepping into that room where every kid in the school would be gathered and talking and making way to much noise. No way.

Well, except to go see Izuku. He'd go in there for that.

He started to reach into his bag to pull out his lunch, deciding to eat first real quick before going to the cafeteria.

"Hiya!"

Tenko jumped so high at the sudden voice beside him that he dropped his bento and it went flying.

He watched as it fell, already defeated, knowing his lunch was gonna end up all over the floor in a matter of seconds. But before it hit the ground, a small blur of red flew over to it and caught it.

He gaped as the box was slowly brought closer to him by- was that a feather? A bright red feather, ok.

"Sorry about that," chuckled the voice that had initially scared him as the feather dropped the bento back into his hands. He then spun around to face the voice.

It was the winged boy he'd noticed earlier. And now that he thought about it, the feather was bright red just like his wings. So he could control each one individually. Izuku would have a party with this.

The winged boy held his hand out to Tenko. "I'm Keigo Takami! But you can call me Keigo. What's your name?"

Tenko hesitated, eyes darting between the outstretched hand and the too bright smile. It was a different kind of bright then Izuku, but just as cheerful.

Finally Tenko reluctantly took the hand. "Tenko Midoriya," he mumbled.

"Nice to meet you Midoriya! Me and my friends were wondering if you wanted to have lunch with us." Takami, or Keigo, he guessed, threw his thumb behind him towards where the bunny girl and the red and white haired boy looked to be arguing. Loudly.

Tenko grimaced. Just by looking at those two and this boy he knew this was a group with way too much energy and noise. And he was not eating in the cafeteria. Besides, he had to go see Izuku.

"Sorry, I'm good," Tenko said flatly, sitting back down in his chair.

The boy, and his wings deflated. "Aw, why not?"

Tenko side eyed him, then his friends who were glancing over at them impatiently. "Too loud," he muttered, opening his bento.

Keigo brightened again. "Oh, the cafeteria? Yeah, Touya doesn't like all the noise either. We have a spot outside where we always eat lunch, and no one else knows about it. It's super cool! I promise it'll be fun!"

Tenko huffs out an annoyed breath. "Like I said, I'm good."

Keigo opened his mouth to say something else but the bunny girl yelled over at him, cutting him off. "Hey, bird brains! Leave the newbie alone, if he doesn't wanna come he doesn't wanna. We're hungry!"

Keigo sighs. "Ok ok fine. I'll see ya later then, Midoriya!"

Tenko blinked at him as the boy ran back over to his friends. He realized then that he'd never had someone his age call him Midoriya. He liked it.

The classroom quickly emptied out, and the teacher left to, not seeming to care that Tenko stayed. So Tenko just quickly ate his packed lunch before packing up and starting out of the classroom.

It took him longer than he'd like to admit to find the cafeteria, and when he finally did it was as much a nightmare as he'd imagined.

He tried to ignore the deafening sounds of voices all around him and the kids that kept pushing past, instead focusing on scanning all the kids who were sitting down for the littlest ones.

It took him a minute and a little bit of roaming, but he eventually found the group in the far back. Most of the kindergarteners were sitting at one table, but a couple were sitting at an emptier one, including Izuku.

He smiling big as he seemed to be talking with a purple haired boy. Or, talking to. It looked pretty one sided.

Tenko walked up behind him, and Izuku was too busy rambling on about something to notice. But the purple haired kid eyed him suspiciously as he approached.

With a smirk on his face, Tenko crouched down to sneak up behind the green haired boy.

The purple haired kid opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it quickly after Tenko raised a finger to his mouth in the sign to be quiet.

"Boo!" Tenko grinned, snatching onto Izuku's shoulders suddenly. The boy yelled and jumped, almost falling off his seat before spinning around to face Tenko with wide eyes. Once they registered that it was just Tenko, they narrowed into an annoyed pout. "Tenko!"

Tenko chuckled. "Sorry, couldn't pass up such an opportunity."

Izuku huffed and crossed his arms. "That wasn't nice."

"No, but it was funny."

"Er, Izuku?" The purple haired kid spoke up quietly. "Who's this?"

"Oh! Izuku turned back to the boy with a grin and gestured towards Tenko. "This is my big brother, Tenko! Tenko, this is Hitoshi! He's my new friend!"

Tenko couldn't help but smile knowing Izuku had already made a friend. He lifted his hand in a lazy wave to the other boy, who hesitantly did the same, still looking skeptical but more relaxed.

"So, how ya doing, Zuku?" Tenko asked.

Izuku grinned at him. "Good! School's fun! We got to play some games and eat our snacks. We also learned the ABC's, although I kinda already know the ABC's, but it was still fun!"

"Know-it-all," Hitoshi muttered, but he was smiling and there was a tease in his voice.

Tenko smiled at his little brother and ruffled his curls. "Glad you're having fun, green bean. No issues?"

Izuku paused and looked away thoughtfully for a second. "Well, Kacchan did yell a little bit this morning. But Hitoshi stood up for me, he was super cool and he talked back to Kacchan!"

Tenko glanced back at the purple haired kid, who was now looking down, his cheeks painted with a flushed pink.

"Good. Glad to hear that," Tenko said, and he was. He was glad Izuku had someone in his corner, and that probably meant Hitoshi knew about the whole quirkless thing since Katsuki probably called him that.

"And um, I don't think Kacchan's told anyone about the, uh-" Izuku glanced back at Hitoshi nervously, "-thing, yet."

Ah. So then Hitoshi did not know yet. Tenko didn't blame Izuku for not telling him, he was probably nervous about losing the only friend he'd made. Tenko would be to.

Tenko could only hope that the bean's heart wouldn't be shattered on the first day of school.

Tenko reached over and ruffled the curls again. "I'm glad you're doing ok so far."

Izuku looked at him curiously, almost concerned. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"What about you, how've you been? I know you were nervous this morning."

Tenko blinked at him owlishly, then smiled, small but fond. "I'm ok. Hasn't been too bad so far, mainly boring."

Izuku relaxed slightly, but cocked his head. "Your classes are boring?"

"Yeah, lot of sitting and listening."

Izuku scrunched his nose. "That does sound boring."

Tenko huffed a laugh. "Yeah, it is."

He glanced up at the digital clock in the back of the cafeteria, and grimaced at the time, standing up. "I've gotta get going, hoping to get back to class kinda early. Just wanted to come check on you and make sure you were ok. I'll see you after school's over, alright?"

Izuku nodded and waved at him. "Ok, bye Tenko!"

Tenko through a wave over his shoulder and started back through the crowd that was smaller then when he'd first walked in, some kids dispersing after finishing their lunches.

It was a weight off his shoulders knowing that Izuku was doing good.

Izuku jumped down the hall in the back of his class, Hitoshi trailing after him closely.

"How do you have so much energy?" Hitoshi asked, glaring as if the hopping was personally offending him.

Izuku shrugged, but slowed to just a skip in his step. "I'm just excited."

"For?"

"School!"

Hitoshi snorted.

Izuku frowned at him. "What? I like learning."

"But you already know like half the stuff."

"That's just cause I went to preschool."

"So did I, and I still don't know what comes after G. I? N? O….?"

Izuku blinked at him. "H?"

Hitoshi stopped walking, the turned and flared at Izuku. "Don't make me look dumb!"

Izuku put his hands in the air. "I'm not!"

Hitoshi huffed but smiled and continued forward. Izuku hurried after, and a second later they were entering the classroom behind the other kids.

"Ok guys!" The lady, Mrs. Kaigawa, called after all the kids had finally settled on the carpet. "Now we're all gonna play a little game with our quirks!"

The kids all cheered and grinned. Hitoshi and Izuku sitting in the back both tensed.

"Hey Lady!" A hand shot in the air with a yell, and it took Izuku a moment to realize that it was Kacchan who was now standing up. The blonde turned and pointed at Izuku. "Deku can't play!"

Izuku shrunk in on himself and looked down as all eyes isn't he room turned to him. "Why not, Katsuki?" Mrs. Kaigawa asked.

Kacchan crossed his hands and smirked. "Because he doesn't have a quirk, he's quirkless."

Izuku curled in on himself further, already feeling the familiar burn of tears fast approaching. He couldn't bring himself to look up at Hitoshi, although he could feel the boy's eyes on him, along with the rest of the kids, whose stares just got a whole lot heavier.

It was going so well. No one hated him yet, except Kacchan maybe, and he'd even made a new friend. He had let himself think that everything might be fine.

But he knew this would happen. He knew Kacchan would tell everyone at one point or another, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon.

As he wiped at his tears with his palm, he heard Mrs. Kaigawa mutter something about forgetting about that before the rest of the class broke out into whispers. Still looking at him. Whispering about him.

He really wished the ground would swallow him whole right about now. He didn't want to be here anymore with all these kids' scrutinizing gazes. With Kacchan's satisfied smirk. With the teachers pittying looks. With Hitoshi's… well he didn't actually know what Hitoshi was feeling without looking up at him, but he couldn't make himself do that.

It was a long few moments of Izuku silently crying and refusing to look up. Mrs. Kaigawa seemed to be debating on what to do about him, Kacchan kept taking every chance he got to spout something about how weak he was, the the other kids stares and whispers kept weighing in him more and more. They felt suffocating at this point.

Then, suddenly, Izuku heard shuffling next to him and looked over just enough to see Hitoshi now standing with his hand raised. "Miss?"

Most eyes turned to him, which seemed to make him more nervous as his knees buckled, but he didn't look away or back down. "If Izuku can't play then I can't either."

Izuku blinked up at his friend in exasperation. What was he doing?

"Um, and why is that, Hitoshi?" Mrs. Kaigawa asked, looking just as surprised.

Hitoshi glanced down at Izuku then back at the teacher determinedly, though Izuku could tell he was practically terrified. "I have a quirk that only works with your mind, mantal, or something like that. I couldn't do any more than Izuku could in a game for quirks. So I can't play either."

"Oh," muttered the woman. More whispers broke out, but this time they were mainly about Hitoshi, kids questioning what his quirk was and stuff.

Hitoshi glanced around and seemingly coming to the same conclusion, decided he'd said enough and quickly sat back down, going into a similar position as Izuku to attract as little attention as possible.

Izuku gaped at his friend, and Hitoshi glanced over at him quickly, giving a small smile before looking away again.

A few minutes later, they were sitting together on a bench outside, watching all the other kids run around, laughing and playing with their quirks. Neither was quite sure what game they were playing, they hadn't bothered to listen after they were told that they'd be sitting the activity out.

They hadn't said a word since Hitoshi had stood up and spoke. Izuku was too scared to find out what Hitoshi thought of him now. Sure it had looked like he was standing up for Izuku earlier, but he could've very well just sat out because it was true, his quirk wouldn't be of much use in something like this either.

"So," Hitoshi finally speaks up, not turning to look at him. "You're really quirkless?"

Izuku winced, but nodded slowly. Hitoshi hummed but didn't continue. After another silent moment, Izuku spoke.

"Do you- do you st- still like me?"

This time Hitoshi turns to look at him, arching an eyebrow. "Why would I not?"

Izuku meets his eyes with his own wide gaze. "Wha- because I- I don't have a quirk."

Hiotshi shrugged. "You're no worse then I am. And you didn't care that I have a villains quirk."

Izuku's eyebrows furrowed at that, and he opened his mouth to comment on the whole 'villain's quirk' thing, but Hitoshi continued before he could.

"You were so nice to me and wanted to be my friend, even though I used my quirk on you. You weren't scared. And you being quirkless doesn't change who you are. I still like you, and I'd still want to be your friend. Um, as long as you do, too."

Before either of them knew it, Izuku was practically on top of Hitoshi in a hug. "Oh, yes! I'm so happy you don't hate me like everyone else!"

Hitoshi went stiff at the sudden contact, but eventually, hesitantly, raised an arm up and patted Izuku on the back. "Yeah, well, we can be hated together, I guess."

Izuku finally had a friend, a real friend, who didn't care who he was. Maybe school wouldn't be so bad.